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Tag: Trump

Non-profits, health and LGBTQ advocacy groups sue Trump admin over federal aid freeze

A handful of non-profit organizations and health associations, including an LGBTQ+ advocacy group, filed a lawsuit Tuesday over the Trump administration’s directive to freeze federal aid.

The lawsuit, filed Tuesday afternoon in Washington, D.C., federal court, was launched by the National Council of Nonprofits, the American Public Health Association, the Main Street Alliance, and SAGE against the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and acting director of OMB, Matthew Vaeth.

The parties are asking the court to impose a temporary restraining order “to maintain the status quo until the Court has an opportunity to more fully consider the illegality of OMB’s actions.”

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS PLACES 60 DEI EMPLOYEES ON LEAVE WITH SALARIES TOTALING MORE THAN $8M

The suit was filed after the Trump administration went on a memo blitz Monday, sending at least three letters to federal agency leaders on directives covering topics including return to office instructions and pausing federal grants. Fox News Digital obtained copies of the memos.

One specific memo issued by OMB pauses all federal grants and loans in an effort to end “‘wokeness’ and the weaponization of government,” and to promote “efficiency in government.”

Trump signed two executive orders Monday taking aim at Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives in the federal government. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

“Federal agencies must temporarily pause all activities related to obligation or disbursement of all Federal financial assistance, and other relevant agency activities that may be implicated by the executive orders, including, but not limited to, financial assistance for foreign aid, nongovernmental organizations, DEI, woke gender ideology, and the green new deal,” the memo reads.

TRUMP’S FEDERAL DEI PURGE PUTS HUNDREDS ON LEAVE, NIXES $420M IN CONTRACTS

The pause takes effect at 5 p.m. ET on Tuesday.

The lawsuit argues that the parties will suffer harm as a result of the federal aid freeze given their reliance on federal funding.

A handful of non-profit organizations and health associations, including an LGBTQ+ advocacy group, filed a lawsuit Tuesday over the Trump administration’s directive to freeze federal aid. (Joan Slatkin/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

SAGE’s CEO, Michael Adams — whose organization describes itself as “dedicated to improving the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender adults,” per the court filing — told Fox News Digital in a statement that the freeze “would devastate the lives of older Americans — including LGBTQ+ elders who already face unique challenges.”

TRUMP DEI CRACKDOWNS LAUDED FOR BRINGING MERIT BACK TO MEDICINE: ‘MAKE HEALTHCARE GREAT AGAIN’

“This reckless decision puts entire communities at risk. We must work together now to protect our older neighbors, friends, and loved ones before it’s too late,” Adams said.

Small Business Majority Founder & CEO John Arensmeyer said the federal grant freeze “will have a devastating impact on small businesses nationwide” and called the move a “Draconian shuttering of the federal purse.”

A handful of non-profit organizations and health associations, including an LGBTQ+ advocacy group, filed a lawsuit Tuesday over the Trump administration’s directive to freeze federal aid. (AP/Mark Schiefelbein)

Diane Yentel, President & CEO of the National Council of Nonprofits called the directive a “reckless action” by the Trump administration that would prove to be “catastrophic for nonprofit organizations and the people and communities they serve.”

“From pausing research on cures for childhood cancer to halting housing and food assistance, shuttering domestic violence and homeless shelters, and closing suicide hotlines, the impact of even a short pause in funding could be devastating and cost lives,” Yentel said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital. “This order must be halted immediately before such avoidable harm is done.”

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

The memo explained that out of the $10 trillion spent by the federal government in fiscal year 2024, $3 trillion of that total was allocated to “federal financial assistance, such as grants and loans.”

Vaeth sent the memo to all heads of executive departments and agencies.

Trump also signed two executive orders Monday taking aim at Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives in the federal government.

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The orders, titled “Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness” and “Restoring America’s Fighting Force,” should be in the process of being implemented by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the secretary of Homeland Security within 30 days.

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

Haley Chi-Sing is a Writer for Fox News Digital. You can reach her at @haleychising on X.

January 28, 2025
Leavitt on offense at first briefing, stressing Trump will deport ‘heinous’ illegal immigrant criminals

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt warned that foreign nationals attempting to enter the U.S. illegally are not welcome under President Donald Trump’s administration.

“So to foreign nationals who are thinking about trying to illegally enter the United States, think again,” Leavitt told reporters Tuesday at the White House press briefing. “Under this president, you will be detained and you will be deported. Every day, Americans are safer because of the violent criminals that President Trump’s administration is removing from our communities.”

Specifically, Leavitt pointed to recent arrests that Immigration and Customs Enforcement has conducted in January, including arresting a Honduras citizen convicted of rape and a Dominican Republic citizen with a criminal conviction for second degree murder.

TRUMP-ERA SOUTHERN BORDER SEES MIGRANT ENCOUNTERS PLUMMET BY OVER 60% AS NEW POLICIES KICK IN

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks at the daily briefing at the White House in Washington on Tuesday. (The Associated Press)

“These are the heinous individuals that this administration is removing from American communities every single day, and to the brave state and local law enforcement officers, [U.S. Customs and Border Protection] and ICE agents who are helping in the facilitation of this deportation operation, President Trump has your back, and he is grateful for your hard work,” Leavitt said.

Trump has vowed to crack down on illegal immigration during his campaign and declared a national emergency at the southern border following his inauguration. He also immediately ordered the expulsion of migrants without the possibility of asylum.

TRUMP ADMIN TOUTS PURGING ‘WORST’ ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CRIMINALS FROM US STREETS: ‘WORKING TIRELESSLY’

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks to member of the press in the grounds of the White House in Washington, DC, on January 22, 2025. (Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images))

Leavitt also defended the Trump administration’s decision to issue a freeze on federal grants and loans on Monday — a move that prompted backlash from Democrats. Leavitt issued reassurance that those who receive individual federal assistance will not be impacted by the pause.

“I have now been asked and answered this question four times,” Leavitt said. “To individuals at home who receive direct assistance from the federal government: You will not be impacted by this federal freeze.”

Programs including Social Security benefits, Medicare, food stamps, welfare benefits and other assistance going directly to individuals will still continue under the pause, according to Leavitt. However, she said she would “check back” regarding the status of Medicaid.

INDIVIDUALS RECEIVING DIRECT ASSISTANCE WON’T BE IMPACTED BY FEDERAL FUNDING FREEZE, PRESS SECRETARY SAYS

US President Donald Trump, watched by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, speaks to reporters while in flight on Air Force One en route Joint Base Andrews, on January 27, 2025. (Getty)

Democrats including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., claim the decision is an overreach of power and said it is an attempt to circumvent Congress and withhold congressionally approved funds.

“More lawlessness and chaos in America as Donald Trump’s Administration blatantly disobeys the law by holding up virtually all vital funds that support programs in every community across the country,” Schumer said in a statement. “If this continues, the American people will pay an awful price.”

“They say this is only temporary, but no one should believe that,” Schumer said. “Donald Trump must direct his Administration to reverse course immediately and the taxpayers’ money should be distributed to the people.”

Leavitt also unveiled major changes to White House press access, and announced that the Trump administration would restore the press passes for 440 journalists whose passes she said “were wrongly revoked” by the Biden administration.

“In keeping with this revolutionary media approach that President Trump deployed during the campaign, the Trump White House will speak to all media outlets and personalities, not just the legacy media who are seated in this room,” Leavitt said.

Fox News’ Adam Shaw and Kristine Parks contributed to this report.

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

January 28, 2025
‘Red flag’: Education activist rails against ‘dangerous’ Trump nominee for key education post

President Trump is facing pushback from conservatives on social media, as well as an education activist who spoke to Fox News Digital, over his nomination of Dr. Penny Schwinn for deputy secretary at the Department of Education.

“Being from Tennessee and being under Schwinn and her Berkeley-educated, radical views, I was actually shocked when I heard that she was being nominated by President Trump because she is the most unlike President Trump, and her policies are not the same,” Laurie Cardoza Moore, member of the Tennessee Textbook and Instructional Materials Quality Commission and founder of Proclaiming Justice To the Nations, told Fox News Digital about Trump’s nomination of Schwinn.

Trump announced his nomination of Schwinn, the former commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Education, in a recent Truth Social post, saying that she is “committed to delivering the American Dream to the next Generation by returning Education BACK TO THE STATES.”

Moore told Fox News Digital that Schwinn’s record is not compatible with the agenda Trump is trying to implement and fears that someone recommended Schwinn to Trump without fully explaining her background.

NEW GUIDE HELPS PARENTS PROTECT KIDS AGAINST ‘WOKE’ IDEOLOGIES IN SCHOOLS

Education activist Laurie Cardoza Moore told Fox News Digital she has significant concerns about Trump’s Deputy Education Secretary pick.

“I decided to call on President Trump to rescind his nomination of Penny Schwinn for the deputy secretary of Education appointment because of the policies that she implemented here in the state of Tennessee. You know, I fought for a couple of years for Gov. Lee to call for her resignation because of her, her policies, her values,” Moore said.

“But under her leadership, and this is what’s important for the audience to understand, the children in Tennessee — and this is not just Tennessee because she’s been to Texas and Florida — but our kids were subjected to pornographic and anti-Semitic content in library books, for example, ‘Me and Earl and the Dying Girl’ was one of them. She exposed Tennessee children to dark content like the Wit and Wisdom curriculum, all of which violate child indecency laws and obscenity laws here in the state of Tennessee, which is really troubling to me. She developed a plan to conduct child welfare checks on Tennessee children from birth to 18 to make sure they had their vaccinations.”

Moore expressed concerns that the Berkeley-educated Schwinn hired a math expert in Tennessee, Rachael Maves, who promoted “math equity” in California, along with Schwinn’s support of the Wit and Wisdom program, which critics say is a mask for CRT.

TRUMP DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION DISMISSES ‘MERITLESS’ BOOK BAN COMPLAINTS

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump arrives at an election night watch party at the Palm Beach Convention Center, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (Evan Vucci/AP)

Schwinn was grilled by Tennessee lawmakers in 2020 over her handling of textbooks and contracts but defended her actions taken as education commissioner.

Schwinn was hired by former University of Florida President Ben Sasse, a vocal Trump critic, in 2023 and was one of several employees to face criticism for racking up thousands in travel costs in order to work from home before she was fired in 2024, WUSF reported.

While Trump has garnered widespread praise from conservatives for the majority of his appointments, many conservatives on social media echoed Moore’s concerns about Schwinn.

“President Trump needs the full story on Penny Schwinn’s education history in TN,” conservative commentator Robby Starbuck posted on X. “I really hope he reconsiders her nomination.”

“Penny says her core value is ‘Equity for all… no matter what.’ On her watch TN’s Department of Education even embraced DEI for hiring teachers. She may be a very nice person but naming her Under Secretary of Education at this critical juncture isn’t a good idea when she’s been a believer in this toxic DEI ideology.”

Tennessee Commissioner of Education Dr Penny Schwinn testified at the House Education Committee on Capitol Hill on July 23, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Getty Images)

“Anytime someone claims their desired outcome is equity, understand they’re pushing a communist agenda,” former NCAA swimmer and conservative commentator Riley Gaines posted on X. “NO to Penny Schwinn.”

Country music star John Rich also criticized Schwinn in a post on X, saying that Trump’s decision needs to be “reversed.”

Other conservatives came to Schwinn’s defense, including journalist Chris Rufo, who is considered the most effective critic of Critical Race Theory in many conservative circles.

“President Trump and Secretary McMahon selected Penny for a reason, and we should all work together to make sure she is successful,” Rufo wrote on X.

Schwinn’s appointment also earned praise from GOP Sen. Tim Scott, who posted on X, “The closest thing to magic in America is a quality education. With @realDonaldTrump, @Linda_McMahon, and Penny Schwinn leading our education policy, we will empower parents and prioritize students.”

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“God does not give brains out based on zip code or income. Let’s unleash school choice so all students can thrive.”

Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders posted on X that McMahon and Schwinn are “both champions on parental empowerment and education freedom through universal school choice we’re implementing in Arkansas.”

Many conservatives have made the case that Trump has a “mandate” from the voters to appoint whoever he sees fit to these high-profile positions, but Moore called Schwinn a “red flag” who will not adhere to Trump’s agenda in the department, specifically his plan to downsize or even eliminate the department.

“Somehow somebody has put the bug in Trump’s ear that he should nominate her,” Moore told Fox News Digital. “But President Trump, you know, I know that he’s very concerned about the future and the state of education, and Penny Schwinn is the last person. She would embarrass him ultimately down the road because she would implement her left policies, her Berkeley-educated policies, and introduce them to the whole country. Very dangerous.”

Andrew Mark Miller is a reporter at Fox News. Find him on Twitter @andymarkmiller and email tips to [email protected].

January 28, 2025
Key Trump ally to announce run against leading Republican in ‘next couple of months’

Speaking to Republican Party members in Denton County Monday night, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a longtime ally of President Donald Trump, listed several Republicans he plans to purge from the Texas GOP for being insufficiently conservative.

Among those on Paxton’s list was Texas’ senior U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, one of the most powerful members of the Senate GOP.

The crowd erupted into loud applause as Paxton said, “The second thing we need to do, and I might play a role in this, is replace John Cornyn in the U.S. Senate.”

GARY PETERS, DEMOCRATIC SENATOR FROM TRUMP STATE, WON’T SEEK RE-ELECTION

The attorney general, who worked with the Trump team to file a lawsuit in December that successfully secured a court order stopping the Biden administration from continuing sales of border wall materials, has long hinted at a potential run to replace Cornyn.

“I can’t think of a single thing he’s accomplished for our state or even for the country,” Paxton said in a September 2023 interview on the Fox News Channel. And pointing to a possible Senate run in 2026, Paxton said, “Somebody needs to step up and run against this guy,” adding, “everything’s on the table for me.”

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas. (Fox News Digital)

In an interview with Fox News Digital, Paxton gave more credence to the rumors, saying despite “loving what I’m doing … I’m looking potentially at the U.S. Senate.”

He shared that he is in talks with groups in Texas about a possible 2026 Senate run and will likely decide in the “next couple of months.”

Paxton claimed Cornyn does not represent the conservative values of Texans and accused him of not being an ally of Trump.

He has also regularly labeled Cornyn a “RINO,” a “Republican in name only” and an insult MAGA and “America First” Republicans have regularly used to criticize more mainstream or establishment members of the GOP.

PETE BUTTIGIEG GIVING ‘SERIOUS LOOK’ TO 2026 SENATE RUN IN TRUMP-WON MICHIGAN

A Texas state flag attached to a bike waves in Austin, Texas, in 2015. (Reuters)

Another source close to Paxton told Fox News Digital the attorney general “plans to spend the next few months meeting with voters, donors and grassroots activists across the state to gauge interest and decide how he can serve Texas best.”

The attorney general has faced his own set of challenges. In 2022, he defeated a primary effort by former Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush amid charges of bribery and corruption. In 2023, the Texas House of Representatives voted to impeach Paxton, but he was eventually acquitted of all charges by the state senate.

For his part, Cornyn, who has served in the Senate since 2002, has no intention of leaving the Senate. After serving in key GOP leadership positions, including chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, from 2009-2013, and Senate majority whip, from 2015-2019, he threw his hat in the ring to become the Senate majority leader in 2024, though he ultimately lost to South Dakota Sen. John Thune.

TULSI GABBARD, RFK JR. EXPECTED TO FACE OPPOSITION IN SENATE CONFIRMATION HEARINGS

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn of Texas is one of the leading Republicans in the Senate. (Getty Images)

Cornyn, meanwhile, has said he will “absolutely” run again in 2026.

In recent months, he has also been a vocal supporter of Trump’s Cabinet picks and has slammed Democrats for delaying confirmations for key positions. In a speech on the Senate floor earlier this month, he said, “Our first and most urgent task is to confirm President Trump’s nominees for his Cabinet.”

With both considered leading Republicans and both holding significant support, any potential primary race between the two in the Lone Star State promises to be a dramatic — perhaps messy — showdown.

SENATE WILL ‘KEEP GRINDING THROUGH’ TO GET TRUMP TEAM CONFIRMED, JOHN THUNE SAYS

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks at a news conference in Dallas June 22, 2017. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez, File)

One of the primary questions that remains is whether the president would support his longtime ally Paxton or if he would, in the interest of preserving party unity, support a GOP establishment that has previously been criticized as “weak” and “ineffective.”

“The big question is whether Trump would support Paxton over Cornyn in a primary challenge,” Matt Mackowiak, a veteran Republican strategist and communications consultant based in Texas and Washington, D.C., told Fox News Digital.

“Cornyn’s never lost a race. Cornyn has a lot of support around the state. He’s traveled all corners of the state for a long time and is very well known and very well liked,” said Mackowiak. “We haven’t had a Republican senator lose a primary since Richard Lugar in 2004.

“As much as people sometimes think it’s doable, think it’s easy, think it’s inevitable, it really just doesn’t happen. But I’m not saying it can’t happen. I’m not saying that Paxton can’t win. I think he certainly has a decent chance.”

SPEAKER JOHNSON INVITES TRUMP TO ADDRESS CONGRESS AMID BUSY FIRST 100-DAY SPRINT

The dome of the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C. (Fox News Digital)

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Mackowiak added that if Paxton runs, it “would be a massive race with national consequences.”

“You’d have national activists and money involved on both sides,” he said. “It could end up being one of the biggest primaries of the cycle and probably the most significant statewide primary in Texas since Dewhurst-Cruz [when former Texas Solicitor General Ted Cruz defeated Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst for the GOP Senate nomination in 2012 en route to winning his first U.S. Senate election] or it may not materialize at all. And I think it’s going to be several months before we know.”

Paul Steinhauser is a politics reporter based in New Hampshire.

January 28, 2025
First on Fox: Trump Cabinet nominee Loeffler pledges to donate salary to charity if confirmed

EXCLUSIVE: Former Sen. Kelly Loeffler, President Donald Trump’s nominee to serve as Small Business Administration (SBA) administrator, plans to donate her entire federal salary to charity, Fox News Digital has learned.

Loeffler, a prominent business executive and philanthropist who served as a senator from Georgia for two years, goes in front of the Senate’s Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee on Wednesday for her confirmation hearing.

If confirmed, Loeffler says she would donate her annual federal pay of approximately $207,500 to charity.

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Small Business Administration nominee Kelly Loeffler arrives for a meeting with Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, at his office on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)

The pledge by Loeffler, whose net worth is estimated at roughly $1 billion, follows her actions in Congress from 2019 to 2021, when she donated her Senate salary of $174,000 per year to over 40 Georgia charities and nonprofits.

Among those included were food banks, faith groups and organizations opposed to abortion, foster care/adoption groups as well as organizations promoting health care, agriculture, education, law enforcement, and disaster relief.

Loeffler also donated $1 million to Phoebe Putney Hospital in Albany at the height of the pandemic, when the city in Southwest Georgia was one of the hardest hit in the nation.

Then-Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler speaks during a campaign event at Valdosta Regional Airport in Valdosta, Georgia, Dec. 5, 2020. (Reuters/Dustin Chambers)

Loeffler, who hails from a family of small business owners and entrepreneurs, was raised working on the family farm in Illinois. After becoming the first in her family to graduate college, she spent nearly three decades working her way up in the private sector.

Along with her husband Jeff, Loeffler built a Fortune 500 financial services and technology company from 100 employees to 15,000. Loeffler later launched another company, named Bakkt, as its founding CEO and first employee. She was also a part owner of the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream.

Loeffler and her husband have long been major donors to Republican causes and and candidates, including Trump. Loeffler served as co-chair of the president-elect’s inaugural committee.

President Donald Trump and Sen. Kelly Loeffler attend a campaign rally at Dalton Regional Airport on Jan. 4, 2021, in Dalton, Georgia. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

“Like President Trump, Senator Loeffler left behind a successful career in the private sector to advance the America First agenda. Should she be confirmed, she will continue the practice of donating her federal salary to charities and nonprofits across the country – and put her full focus on working to make the Small Business Administration a gateway to the American Dream for entrepreneurs across the country,” Loeffler spokeswoman Caitlin O’Dea told Fox News.

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While successful in the business world, Loeffler was not well known until becoming a politician.

After GOP Sen. Johnny Isakson resigned from the Senate at the end of 2019 due to his deteriorating health, Republican Gov. Brian Kemp of Georgia appointed Loeffler to fill Isakson’s unexpired term until the next regular election.

Loeffler narrowly lost to Democrat Raphael Warnock in a runoff election in January 2021, after no candidate topped 50% of the vote in a crowded field of contenders in the November 2020 Senate election.

Paul Steinhauser is a politics reporter based in New Hampshire.

January 28, 2025
Trump, Open AI CEO Sam Altman on Chinese AI startup DeepSeek

Constellation Research founder R Ray Wang discusses the capabilities of Chinas DeepSeek AI app on Varney & Co.

President Donald Trump and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman both joined in on the buzz surrounding Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) startup DeepSeek, which sent the technology sector into turmoil on Monday following its emergence as a potential rival to leading U.S.-based firms.

The president said the release of the lower-cost, high-performance AI models from a Chinese firm “should be a wake-up call,” while Altman conceded that DeepSeek’s R1 model was “impressive” – and vowed OpenAI will deliver models that are superior.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman (R), accompanied by President Donald Trump, speaks during a news conference in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on Jan. 21, 2025, in Washington, DC. ((Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images) / Getty Images)

“Hopefully the release of DeepSeek AI from a Chinese company should be a wake-up call for our industries that we need to be laser focused on competing to win, because we have the greatest scientists in the world,” Trump told House Republicans on Monday night in Doral, Florida, during a speech at their annual retreat.

THE DEEPSEEK AI CHATBOT BURST ONTO THE SCENE: ARE FEARS ABOUT IT OVERBLOWN?

However, the president said the revelation that DeepSeek has developed a way to produce AI models at a much lower cost than other U.S. models “could be very much a positive development.”

President Donald Trump spoke at the House Republicans’ annual retreat on Monday night. (CHIP SOMODEVILLA/POOL/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)

“Instead of spending billions and billions, you’ll spend less and you’ll come up with hopefully the same solution under the Trump administration,” Trump continued, adding, “We’re going to unleash our tech companies and we’re going to dominate the future like never before.”

WHAT IS CHINESE AI STARTUP DEEPSEEK?

Altman, whose company created the popular ChatGPT models, took to X to give his take, writing, “deepseek’s r1 is an impressive model, particularly around what they’re able to deliver for the price.”

The OpenAI CEO went on to say, “We will obviously deliver much better models and also it’s legit invigorating to have a new competitor!”

The quality of DeepSeek’s models and its reported cost efficiency have changed the narrative that China’s AI firms are trailing their U.S. counterparts, which began after the first Chinese ChatGPT equivalent was released by Baidu.

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The DeepSeek-R1 model was released last week and is 20 to 50 times cheaper to use than OpenAI’s o1 model, depending on the task, according to a post on the company’s official WeChat account.

The R1 model is also open source and available to users for free, while OpenAI’s ChatGPT Pro Plan costs $200 per month.

American tech leaders are taking notice. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg pointed to DeepSeek during an interview on “The Joe Rogan Experience,” saying the company’s models show how competitive the AI race has become, and stressed the importance of the industry having support from the federal government.

“We should want the American model to win,” Zuckerberg told host Joe Rogan.

“I think it’s easy for the government to take for granted that the U.S. will lead on these things,” Zuckerberg said. “But I think it’s a very close competition, and we need the help. We need them to not be a force that’s making it harder for us to do these things.”

FOX Business’ Eric Revell and Reuters contributed to this report.

January 28, 2025
Colombia welcomes deported illegal migrants after losing public spat with Trump

After teetering on the brink of an all-out trade war with the United States, Colombia welcomed its first flights of deported illegal immigrants, with its president heralding their “dignified” return and insisting they are not criminals.

The arrivals are taking place just two days after President Donald Trump threatened crippling tariffs and sanctions on Colombia to punish the country for earlier refusing to accept military flights carrying deportees as part of his sweeping immigration crackdown.

Two Colombian Air Force planes carrying deported Colombian nationals arrived in Bogota early on Tuesday, Reuters reported, citing local media.

One plane, flying from San Diego, California, brought home 110 Colombians and the other, which departed from El Paso, Texas, brought home 91, the Colombian Foreign Ministry said on X.

A VICTORY FOR TRUMP’S ‘FAFO’: HOW THE WHITE HOUSE STRONG-ARMED ONE-TIME CLOSE ALLY COLOMBIA OVER IMMIGRATION

President Donald Trump and deported migrants in Colombia. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images | Colombian government.)

“They are Colombians, they are free and dignified and they are in their homeland where they are loved,” Colombia President Gustavo Petro wrote on X with images of the migrants disembarking a flight.

“The migrant is not a criminal, he is a human being who wants to work and progress, to live life.”

The Colombian government hailed the returns as Petro fulfilling his commitments and said it is working on a “structured and accessible credit plan” to support the migrants’ reintegration.

This weekend, American officials sent two flights of Colombian illegal aliens as part of Trump’s ongoing deportation program. Petro rejected the flights, writing that the U.S. cannot “treat Colombian migrants as criminals.”

Trump immediately clapped back, writing in a Truth Social post he was going to slap 25% tariffs on all goods from Colombia, a travel ban on Colombian government officials and other steep financial sanctions. He said the tariffs would reach as high as 50% by next week and insisted the migrants being sent back were “illegal criminals.”

At first, Petro retaliated with his own 25% tariffs on U.S. goods coming from Colombia. Petro had insisted he would not accept the return of migrants who were not treated with “dignity and respect” and who had arrived shackled or on military planes.

President Donald Trump sparred with alongside Colombian President Gustavo Petro on Sunday over deporting illegal migrants. (Getty Images)

COLOMBIAN LEADER QUICKLY CAVES AFTER TRUMP THREATS, OFFERS PRESIDENTIAL PLANE FOR DEPORTATION FLIGHTS

But amid intense political pressure from within his own government, the former Marxist guerrilla fighter acquiesced to all U.S. demands.

The White House confirmed on Sunday that Colombia’s president had caved “to all of President Trump’s terms, including the unrestricted acceptance of all illegal aliens from Colombia returned from the United States, including on U.S. military aircraft, without limitation or delay,”

President Trump hailed it as a victory for his “f— around and find out” [FAFO]-style of governing.

After the debacle, the 47th president posted a celebratory AI-generated image of himself dressed as a mobster next to a sign that read “FAFO.”

Colombians deported from the United States arrive at El Dorado International Airport in Bogota. (Reuters/Luisa Gonzalez)

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Trump officials cheered the deal as a victory and said Trump used Colombia as an example of U.S. power, while Colombian officials have said the agreement is a win for both sides. Dozens of frustrated Colombians had long-awaited visa appointments at the U.S. embassy in Bogota canceled on Monday.

Colombia is one of the top recipients of U.S. aid in the world due to a security partnership. Since 2000, Colombia has received more than $13 billion in foreign assistance from the Departments of Defense and State and from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), largely focused on counternarcotics efforts, continued implementation of the government’s 2016 peace accord with the FARC rebel group, integration of Venezuelan migrants and refugees, and environmental programs.

Fox News’ Morgan Phillips, Andrea Margolis, Bill Melugin, Lorraine Taylor, Landon Mion, and Reuters contributed to this report.

Michael Dorgan is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business.

You can send tips to [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @M_Dorgan.

January 28, 2025
Trump transportation secretary confirmed with bipartisan backing

The Senate confirmed President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Transportation Department, former Rep. Sean Duffy of Wisconsin, on Tuesday afternoon.

Duffy appeared before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee this month and outlined his priorities for the Transportation Department, including aviation and highway safety, addressing the air traffic controller shortage, and restoring trust in Boeing following several major scandals.

“No federal agency impacts Americans’ daily lives and loved ones like the Department of Transportation,” Duffy told lawmakers on Jan. 15 at his confirmation hearing.

TRUMP NOMINATES SEAN DUFFY FOR USDOT

Sean Duffy, right, greets senators at his confirmation hearing. (Fox News Digital/Charlie Creitz)

“We want the best and the brightest air traffic controllers. We must modernize our systems with cutting edge technologies. I’ll work with Congress and the FAA to restore global confidence in Boeing, and to ensure that our skies are safe,” he said.

He also pledged to address rebuilding Interstate 40 that runs from Wilmington, North Carolina, to Barstow, California. Parts of the interstate are still washed out across the Great Smoky Mountains following Hurricane Helene in September.

‘ULTRA-RIGHT:’ TRUMP BUDGET CHIEF PICK RUSSELL VOUGHT FACES FIRE FROM DEM SENATORS

Sean Duffy at his confirmation hearing for secretary of Transportation. (Fox News Digital/Charlie Creitz)

“We’re continuing to try to work through this process to get that rebuilt, but we need to know this will be front and center with you so we can get that interstate rebuilt and reopened,” Duffy said.

Additionally, Duffy promised Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s investigation into Tesla’s self-driving software that launched this month would continue under his watch.

TRUMP TREASURY PICK: EXTENDING TRUMP TAX CUTS ‘SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT ECONOMIC ISSUE’

Sean Duffy at his confirmation hearing for secretary of Transportation. (Fox News Digital/Charlie Creitz)

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Duffy represented Wisconsin’s 7th congressional district for five terms before joining Fox News, where he co-hosted “The Bottom Line” with Dagen McDowell on FOX Business.

Fox News’ Charles Creitz contributed to this report.

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

January 28, 2025
‘Undo the damage’: Texas lawmaker launches strategy to help ICE amid Trump deportation blitz

FIRST ON FOX: A Texas lawmaker is introducing a bill to further bolster cooperation between Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and state and local law enforcement agencies — amid a sweeping arrest and deportation blitz by the Trump administration.

Rep. Michael Cloud, R-Texas, is introducing The 287(g) Program Protection Act. It focuses on 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which allows ICE to delegate to state and local law enforcement officers certain immigration functions, including identifying and detaining suspected illegal immigrants.

The Biden administration had paused new entries into the program in 2021, and Cloud’s office says Biden’s administration had never approved any new agreements since then.

KRISTI NOEM JOINS IMMIGRATION RAID TO CATCH ‘DIRTBAGS’ IN MAJOR SANCTUARY CITY

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, along with other federal law enforcement agencies, attend a pre-enforcement meeting in Chicago on Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025. (Christopher Dilts/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

President Donald Trump, promising a “historic” deportation program, signed an executive order on day one that told the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to use the program “to the maximum extent permitted by law.”

Cloud’s bill would double down on that stance, requiring that DHS approve any applications by state and local law enforcement within 90 days, and notify Congress if they deny it.

It would also require notification to Congress if DHS intended to terminate the agreement, and allow for an appeal by the local or state law enforcement.

‘SIDE-BY-SIDE’: TEXAS DEPLOYS HUNDREDS OF TROOPS, CHOPPERS TO HELP TRUMP TACKLE BORDER CRISIS

Also required of DHS would be an annual performance report and recruitment strategies.

“The Biden Administration didn’t fail to protect our border—they accomplished exactly what they set out to do: undermine border security and flood our country with millions of illegal immigrants. This dangerous and intentional choice has created chaos in our communities from South Texas to New York City, and American citizens have paid the price,” Cloud said in a statement.

“Now, under the Trump Administration, we are working to undo the damage and restore law and order to our immigration system. My bill will expand and protect the 287(g) program, empowering local law enforcement to partner with ICE and assist the Trump Administration in removing illegal immigrants from our streets,” he said. Together, we will secure our borders, enforce the rule of law, and make South Texas and the rest of the country safe again.”

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Rep. Michael Cloud, R-Texas, questions U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle as she testifies before the House Oversight and Accountability Committee about the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump at a campaign event in Pennsylvania, at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Monday, July 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)

The bill, which has the support of restrictionist immigration group NumbersUSA, was praised by Texas’ Goliad County Sheriff Roy Boyd, who said the bill would be a “momentous step in the right direction, as it will provide an unprecedented level of cooperation and coordination between local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies.”

The bill faces a strong chance of passage given the Republican control of both the House and the Senate. There have been a number of GOP-backed immigration bills hit Congress in recent days, after a year in which illegal immigration was shown to be a top priority for voters.

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Congress recently sent the Laken Riley Act to Trump’s desk. The bill passed both chambers of Congress with bipartisan support and would mandate the detention of illegal immigrants arrested for theft-related crimes.

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.

January 28, 2025
Senate poised to approve Trump Transportation Department pick Sean Duffy

The Senate is scheduled to vote Tuesday to confirm President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Transportation Department, Sean Duffy.

The Senate voted Monday to advance Duffy’s nomination by a margin of 97-0, and his confirmation is expected Tuesday.

Duffy, who previously represented Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District, appeared before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee this month and outlined his priorities for the Transportation Department including aviation and highway safety, addressing the air traffic controller shortage and restoring trust in Boeing following several major scandals.

TRUMP’S TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY NOMINEE ADVANCES TO FINAL SENATE VOTE

Sean Duffy greets Senators at his confirmation hearing on Jan. 15 with the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee. (Fox News Digital/Charlie Creitz)

“No federal agency impacts Americans’ daily lives and loved ones like the Department of Transportation,” Duffy told lawmakers at his confirmation hearing on Jan. 15.

“We want the best and the brightest air traffic controllers. We must modernize our systems with cutting edge technologies. I’ll work with Congress and the FAA to restore global confidence in Boeing, and to ensure that our skies are safe,” he said.

Duffy also vowed to initiate work on rebuilding a portion of Interstate 40 near the North Carolina-Tennessee line shut down by extensive Hurricane Helene damage in September.

TULSI GABBARD, RFK JR. EXPECTED TO FACE OPPOSITION IN SENATE CONFIRMATION HEARINGS

Sean Duffy at his confirmation hearing for Secretary of Transportation on Jan. 15. (Fox News Digital/Charlie Creitz)

“We’re continuing to try to work through this process to get that rebuild, but we need to know this will be front and center with you so we can get that interstate rebuilt and reopened,” Duffy said.

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Meanwhile, Trump visited North Carolina on Friday and promised some reforms to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) that has overseen recovery of North Carolina following the hurricane.

“We’re going to fix it, and we’re going to fix it as fast as you can,” Trump said Friday. “It’s a massive amount of damage. FEMA has really let us down. Let the country down.”

Fox News Digital’s Charles Creitz contributed to this report.

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

January 28, 2025