President Donald Trump gathered with House Republican leaders at the White House on Thursday to relay his tax priorities.
In the meeting, he told House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., and others that he wants to fulfill his campaign promise to stop taxing tips.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt updated reporters as the lengthy meeting was still ongoing, detailing that Trump wants “no tax on seniors, Social Security, no tax on overtime pay.”
TRUMP, GOP SENATORS TO DINE AT MAR-A-LAGO BEFORE CAMPAIGN RETREAT
Johnson and other House GOP leaders have preferred one large reconciliation bill.(Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Additionally, she said, he wants to renew his tax cuts from 2017 in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA). The legislation’s provisions begin to expire later this year.
Leavitt added that Trump is focused on also adjusting the cap on State and Local Tax (SALT) deductions, which has been a sticking point for Republicans in states with high costs of living.
Further, Trump laid out to House Republicans that he is looking to “eliminate all the special tax breaks for billionaire sports team owners; close the carried interest tax deduction loophole,” and institute “tax cuts for Made in America products.”
INSIDE SEN. TOM COTTON’S CAMPAIGN TO SAVE TULSI GABBARD’S ENDANGERED DNI NOMINATION
Leavitt shared the tax priorities with the press.(AP/Evan Vucci)
“This will be the largest tax cut in history for middle-class working Americans. The president is committed to working with Congress to get this done,” Leavitt said.
Trump’s meeting with the House GOP leaders on taxes comes as the lower chamber attempts a one-bill budget plan that includes all of the president’s agenda priorities, including both the border and taxes.
LEADER THUNE BACKS SENATE GOP BID TO SPEED PAST HOUSE ON TRUMP BUDGET PLAN
House leaders joined Trump at the White House.(J. Scott Applewhite/AP)
The budget reconciliation process lowers the threshold to advance a bill in the Senate from 60 votes to just 51. And with a 53-vote majority in the upper chamber, Republicans are poised to push policies through with only support from the GOP conference.
The House Republicans have yet to move forward with a plan for the budget, however, allowing the Senate GOP to move out ahead of them.
SENATORS LEAPFROG HOUSE REPUBLICANS ON ANTICIPATED TRUMP BUDGET BILL
A plan to leapfrog House Republicans on the reconciliation process was unveiled to senators on Wednesday. (Reuters)
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On Wednesday, Senate Budget Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., announced his intent to push a first bill on border, defense and energy through next week. Taxes would be addressed later in the year as part of a second budget resolution.
The move threatened the House Republicans’ positioning to lead the process and spearhead a one-bill approach.
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 Julia.Johnson@fox.com.
The White House is opening its artificial intelligence plan up to Americans to contribute policy ideas to the Trump administration to ensure that the United States is “the undeniable leader” in AI technology.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order at the end of January on artificial intelligence, which White House officials say shows that he is “dedicated to America’s global leadership in AI technology innovation.”
JD VANCE TO ATTEND AI SUMMIT IN PARIS, FRENCH OFFICIAL SAYS
That order directed the development of an AI Action Plan.
On Thursday, the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy encouraged the American people to share policy ideas for the AI Action Plan by March 15.
“The Trump Administration is committed to ensuring the United States is the undeniable leader in AI technology,” Principal Deputy Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy Lynne Parker said in a statement. “This AI Action Plan is the first step in securing and advancing American AI dominance, and we look forward to incorporating the public’s comments and innovative ideas.”
President Donald Trump signed an executive order at the end of January on artificial intelligence.(Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)
Americans can share their proposals on the Federal Register’s website through the middle of March.
White House officials said they are seeking input from interested public parties, including academia, industry groups, private sector organizations, state, local and tribal governments, and others.
OPINION: HOW TEAM TRUMP CAN MAKE AI STAND FOR AMERICAN INNOVATION
Officials said the AI Action Plan will “define priority policy actions to enhance America’s position as an AI powerhouse and prevent unnecessarily burdensome requirements from hindering private sector innovation.”
“With the right governmental policies, continued U.S. AI leadership will promote human flourishing, economic competitiveness, and national security,” the White House said in a statement.
The Trump administration says its focus on AI was a campaign promise of the president’s, after vowing to revoke former President Joe Biden’s executive order that they said hindered AI innovation and imposed “unnecessary government control” over AI development. Under Trump’s executive order, AI in the U.S. “must be free from ideological bias or engineered social agendas.”
The order and focus on AI is not new for Trump.
During his first administration, in 2019, Trump signed the first-ever executive order on artificial intelligence, recognizing the importance of American leadership in the space and for the economic and national security of the U.S.
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Trump also took executive action in 2020 to establish the first-ever guidance for federal agency adoption of AI to deliver services to the American people and “foster public trust” in the technology.
White House officials said the Trump administration’s renewed focus on AI is rooted in “free speech and human flourishing.”
Brooke Singman is a political correspondent and reporter for Fox News Digital, Fox News Channel and FOX Business.
Royal Palm Companies CEO Daniel Kodsi discusses whether President Biden is right to block Nippons acquisition of U.S. Steel on Varney & Co.
President Donald Trump is set to meet with the CEO of U.S. Steel on Thursday as Nippon Steel’s CEO touts its proposed bid to buy the struggling steelmaker as meeting the president’s objectives.
U.S. Steel CEO David Burritt will meet with Trump at the White House, administration officials said, according to a Reuters report.
Trump has previously expressed opposition to the deal, which former President Joe Biden blocked before leaving office.
The meeting comes as Nippon Steel said Thursday that its bid to buy U.S. Steel aligns with Trump’s goal of a stronger U.S. ahead of a meeting between the president and Japan’s prime minister.
Trump is also expected to meet with FedEx CEO Raj Subramaniam at the White House on Thursday, according to the report.
Reuters contributed to this report.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
In President Donald Trump’s first term in the White House, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) was rife with “corrruption” as staffers were intent on “subverting the president’s will,” on policy matters and sending taxpayer dollars overseas to further DEI and LGBT advocacy initiatives, a former USAID official told Fox News Digital in an interview.
“A lot of them were beholden or had ties to the previous administration, the Obama administration, [and] the large majority of them had voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016,” Mark Moyar, who worked in the department from 2018 to 2019, said.
“Now some of them did as they were told, but there was a large resistance element. And in one case, I was at a meeting, and they talked about how there was this aid going into Syria, and we needed to hide it from the White House, because we don’t want President Trump finding out about it and canceling it.”
“They apparently just forgot I was in the room,” he added.
WHAT IS USAID AND WHY IS IT IN TRUMP’S CROSSHAIRS?
Mark Moyar details his experience dealing with “corruption” and government waste on leftist ideologies during his tenure at USAID from 2018 to 2019.(Getty Images)
Moyar resigned from his position in July 2019 after his security clearance was suspended due to a dispute over him publishing a book – “Oppose Any Foe: The Rise of America’s Special Operations Forces” – before the Defense Department was able to complete a prepublication review for potentially classified information, according to a court document.
While USAID did not officially terminate his employment, Moyar said he was effectively “fired” without due process. He has also alleged that the suspension of his security clearance was a form of retaliation for reporting waste, fraud and abuse within the agency.
Moyar said significant amounts of money were being spent at USAID without the knowledge of political appointees. He described a case from 2019, “more than halfway through the administration,” where officials discovered a “big slush fund that none of his political appointees knew about.”
Once it was exposed, they were able to take action, but he emphasized that such issues were widespread across the agency. He also pointed to numerous conflicts of interest, where employees used their positions to benefit private businesses in which they had a stake – something he described as “totally illegal.”
MUSK’S DOGE TAKES AIM AT ‘VIPER’S NEST’ FEDERAL AGENCY WITH GLOBAL FOOTPRINT
Elon Musk speaks with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and guests at a viewing of the launch of the sixth test flight of the SpaceX Starship, in Brownsville, Texas, U.S., November 19, 2024 . (Brandon Bell/Pool via Reuters/File Photo)
Moyar explained that what ultimately led to getting in trouble at the department was reporting an office director who was not only using his role to assist a specific company but was also “the Chairman of the Board of that company.” Despite previous reports being made about the misconduct, he said no action was taken. Instead, he said the agency “helped him find employment at another federal agency, the Department of Defense, so he ends up OK.”
“Meanwhile, they come after me and try to accuse me of publishing classified information and use that as a pretext to have me fired,” Moya said. “And I’m 100% sure this is fraudulent. I’ve actually sued the government to turn over the records, and still, five years later, the Department of Justice is fighting me. But it’s part of a larger pattern where the people who report the corruption are the ones who get kicked out, and the ones who are engaged in corruption thrive within the organization.”
Moyar added this is part of why such “radical” changes are happening in real time at the USAID, as Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) – the government accountability unit headed by billionaire Elon Musk – effectively shut down the $40 billion agency on Monday.
The former director also detailed instances of government waste dating back to Trump’s first term, saying it;s “so important to get into the records of the agency” to determine how many taxpayer dollars have been used on wasteful initiatives.
USAID STAFFERS STUNNED, ANGERED BY TRUMP ADMIN’S DOGE SHUTDOWN OF $40B AGENCY
An illustration of Elon Musk, Donald Trump and a USAID flag.(Getty Images)
Uncovering the full extent of DEI-related spending at USAID will take significant effort, as much of it has been “disguised or rebranded,” Moyar said. He noted that while it’s clear a “huge amount” has already been spent, the actual figure is likely even higher. He also criticized the push for DEI abroad, calling it not only a “ridiculous ideology” but one that is actively harming U.S. relations with other countries. “Most other countries look at this DEI stuff and say, ‘This is crazy,’” he said, adding that efforts to promote a “radical LGBTQ agenda” overseas have sometimes been met with resistance.
“So I think we’re going to find a great amount of waste, fraud and abuse, especially because the Inspector General, I think, has been asleep at the wheel,” Moyar said. “In the weeks and months to come, we’re going to hear a lot of horror stories about how USAID has been misusing the money.”
USAID was set up in the early 1960s to act on behalf of the U.S. to deliver aid across the globe, particularly in impoverished and underdeveloped regions. The Trump administration alleges that much of the spending has been wasteful, promoting a liberal agenda around the world.
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Fox News Digital has reached out to the State Department, Department of Defense and USAID for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Stephen Sorace contributed to this report.
Jamie Joseph is a writer who covers politics. She leads Fox News Digital coverage of the Senate.
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Gov. Gavin Newsom and President Donald Trump — who have very visibly traded political fire but who also have worked together — meet at the White House on Wednesday as the California governor fights to secure more money for people and businesses devastated following last month’s deadly wildfires in metropolitan Los Angeles.
The trip is the first by Newsom to Washington, D.C., since Trump took over in the White House and is part of his efforts to obtain additional federal funding to aid in wildfire recovery from the horrific blazes that killed 29 people and destroyed over 12,000 homes and forced tens of thousands to evacuate.
Newsom arrived in the nation’s capital on the eve of his visit to the White House, and hours ahead of the meeting he headed to Capitol Hill to hold separate meetings with members of Congress.
The governor traveled east a day after California lawmakers approved $25 million in legal funding proposed by the Democratic governor to challenge actions by the Trump administration. And the legislature also allocated another $25 million for legal groups to defend undocumented immigrants facing possible deportation by new Trump administration efforts.
TRUMP MEETS WITH CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS, FIRE AND LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS TO SEE LA WILDFIRE DAMAGE FIRST HAND
Gov. Gavin Newsom departed California on Tuesday to meet with President Donald Trump and members of Congress to discuss federal disaster aid following the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles County.(Mark Schiefelbein/AP)
Newsom came to Washington, D.C., hat in hand.
Late last month, the governor approved $2.5 billion for fire recovery work, which he hopes will be reimbursed by the federal government.
And the state will likely need much more help from the federal government, as the bill to cover rebuilding costs is expected to reach into the tens of billions of dollars.
“The Governor’s trip is focused on securing critical disaster aid for the survivors of the Los Angeles fires and ensuring impacted families who lost their homes and livelihoods have the support they need to rebuild and recover,” spokesperson Izzy Gardon said in a statement.
After the outbreak of the fires early last month, Trump repeatedly criticized Newsom’s handling of the immense crisis. He has accused the governor of mismanaging forestry and water policy and, pointing to intense backlash over a perceived lack of preparation, called on Newsom to step down.
“Gavin Newscum should resign. This is all his fault!!!” Trump charged in a social media post on Jan. 8, as he repeated a derogatory name he often labels the governor.
Trump also placed blame for the deadly wildfires on Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, another Democrat, and the policies approved by state lawmakers in heavily blue California. In an executive order issued last month, he described management of the state’s land and water resources as “disastrous.”
Despite remaining friendly in person, Newsom and Trump frequently trade blows on social media.(Pool)
Newsom — the governor of the nation’s most populous state, one of the Democratic Party’s leaders in the resistance against the returning president and a potential White House contender in 2028 — pushed back against Trump, as the two larger-than-life politicians traded fire.
Disputing Trump, the governor noted that reservoirs in the southern part of California were full when the fires first sparked, and has argued that no amount of water could tackle fires fueled by winds of up to 100 miles per hour.
Newsom also charged Trump had spread “hurricane-force winds of mis- and disinformation.”
NEWSOM CALLS TRUMP’S CLAIMS ‘PURE FICTION’ AFTER HE POINTED FINGER OVER CALIFORNIA FIRE TRAGEDY
Trump met with Newsom as he arrived in Los Angeles late last month — just four days after his inauguration as president — to survey the fire damage.
Trump had threatened to withhold wildfire aid until certain stipulations were met in California, including changes to water policy and requiring an ID to vote, but now appears willing to work with Newsom.
“Thank you first for being here. It means a great deal to all of us,” Newsom told Trump as he greeted the president upon his arrival in Los Angeles last month. “We’re going to need your support. We’re going to need your help.”
The president declared that “we’re looking to get something completed. And the way you get it completed is to work together.”
The aftermath of the deadly Palisades Fire in Los Angeles, California, on Jan. 10, 2025.(David Hume Kennerly/Getty Images)
The wildfires are far from the first time Newsom and Trump took aim at each other. Their animosity dated back to before Trump was elected president the first time in 2016, when Newsom was California’s lieutenant governor.
The verbal fireworks continued over the past two years, as Newsom served as a top surrogate on the campaign trail for former President Joe Biden and then former Vice President Kamala Harris, who replaced Biden as the Democrats’ 2024 standard-bearer last summer.
Following Trump’s convincing election victory over Harris in November, Newsom moved to “Trump-proof” his heavily blue state.
“He is using the term ‘Trump-Proof’ as a way of stopping all of the GREAT things that can be done to ‘Make California Great Again,’ but I just overwhelmingly won the Election,” Trump responded.
Since their meeting in Los Angeles, Newsom has appeared to be more restrained in his criticism of Trump.
Following Trump’s orders, the US Army Corps of Engineers last week opened two dams in Central California, letting roughly 2.2 billion gallons of water flow out of reservoirs.
Trump celebrated the move in posts to Truth Social post on Friday and Sunday, declaring, “the water is flowing in California,” and adding the water was “heading to farmers throughout the State, and to Los Angeles.”
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But water experts argue that the newly released water won’t flow to Los Angeles, and it is being wasted by being released during California’s normally wet winter season.
Newsom, apparently aiming to rebuild the working relationship he had with Trump during the president’s first term in the White House, didn’t raise any objections to the water release.
Fox News’ Christina Shaw, Elizabeth Pritchett, Pat Ward, and Lee Ross contributed to this story.
RNC youth advisory council Co-Chair CJ Pearson reacts to President Donald Trump’s crackdown on diversity, equity and inclusion on ‘The Evening Edit.’
Major consulting firm PwC is hosting a conference this summer that offers “high-performing” college students the opportunity to check out the company’s career offerings, but the firm excludes White and Asian applicants based on their race as part of its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) program.
PwC’s Career Preview is a three-day seminar to be held in June that allows potential future hires to rub elbows with the accounting giant’s employees, and the company will pay for the travel expenses and accommodations at the event in Orlando, Florida.
The logo of PricewaterhouseCoopers International in front of the company’s Munich headquarters Aug. 29, 2024. (Matthias Balk/picture alliance via Getty Images / Getty Images)
The application form states that to be eligible for the program, an applicant must be a student on track to achieve a bachelor’s degree within a certain timeframe and someone who “self-identifies as a member of (a) traditionally underrepresented group in the professional services industry (Black or Latino/Hispanic).”
MCDONALD’S DIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP NOW OPEN TO NON-LATINOS AFTER ANTI-DEI LAWSUIT
The Daily Wire, which first flagged the race-based criteria, noted that the Career Preview application requires applicants to affirm whether they identify as Black or Hispanic, with a mandatory question. No other races are mentioned.
PwC’s Career Preview Experience encourages Black and Latino students to apply, leaving out other races. (FOX Business / FOXBusiness)
The outlet pointed to another PwC program for college students, the company’s Start Experience, which is for career development and leadership. The company encourages any array of racial backgrounds to apply but leaves out Caucasian people and East Asians.
TRUMP LEADS A PUSHBACK AGAINST DEI, BUT THESE COMPANIES ARE NOT BACKING DOWN
“As part of the firm’s commitment to equal employment opportunity, we encourage students who identify as Black or African American, Hispanic or Latinx, American Indian or Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, or two or more races, protected veterans, individuals with disabilities, and/or first generation college students to apply,” the eligibility requirement begins.
Vice President JD Vance sets the record straight on President Donald Trump’s approach to DEI and more during an appearance on ‘Sunday Morning Futures.’
PwC did not immediately respond to FOX Business’ request for comment on its programs favoring certain races over others. In a statement on its website, PwC says its inclusion strategy is “grounded in data and accountability, supports measurable progress and helps create an environment where everyone feels valued and empowered.”
Race-based programs became commonplace at corporations during the diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) movement that surged in 2020 amid the Black Lives Matter protests, but the initiatives have fallen under increased scrutiny amid questions over their legality, given that many discriminate on the basis of race.
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A string of major U.S. companies, including Walmart, McDonald’s, Amazon, Ford and Lowe’s, have rolled back DEI initiatives in the past year in response to a cultural shift that included customer backlash, pressure from conservative-leaning groups and activists and possible legal ramifications.
President Donald Trump made promises during his campaign to scale back federal DEI programs. In his first week back in office, Trump signed an executive order ending DEI offices and initiatives across the federal workforce.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt slammed Democrats Wednesday for their criticism of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), calling it “unacceptable” and “incredibly alarming.”
“Some elected Democrats are so steamed about DOGE – Congresswoman LaMonica McIver says we are at war. Ilhan Omar says we might actually see somebody get killed. And Chris Van Hollen says we have to fight this in the Congress, we have to fight this in the streets. So what now?” Leavitt was asked by Fox News’ senior White House correspondent Peter Doocy.
“It’s unacceptable, the comments that have been made by these Democrat leaders, and frankly, they don’t even know what they’re talking about, because President Trump was elected with a mandate from the American people to make this government more efficient,” Leavitt responded.
“He campaigned across this country with Elon Musk vowing that Elon was going to head up the Department of Government Efficiency and the two of them with a great team around them were going to look at the receipts of this federal government and ensure it’s accountable to American taxpayers. That’s all that is happening here,” Leavitt continued. “And for Democrat officials to incite violence and encourage Americans to take to the streets, is incredibly alarming, and they should be held accountable for that rhetoric.”
DEMOCRAT LAWMAKERS FACE BACKLASH FOR INVOKING ‘UNHINGED’ VIOLENT RHETORIC AGAINST MUSK
Sen. Chris Van Hollen, surrounded by other members of Congress, speaks during a rally against Elon Musk outside the Treasury Department in Washington, on Tuesday, Feb. 4.(AP/Jose Luis Magana)
Leavitt also said during her daily White House press briefing, “If you heard that type of violent, enticing rhetoric from our side of the aisle, from Republican leaders on Capitol Hill, I think there would be a lot more outrage in this room today.”
On Tuesday, Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., said, “What we are witnessing here is the biggest heist in American history.”
“This is the most corrupt bargain we’ve ever seen in American history: Elon Musk gives $250 million to elect Donald Trump, and Donald Trump turns over the keys to United States government to Elon Musk and his billionaire friends and his cronies,” Van Hollen said during a protest outside the Treasury Department in Washington, D.C.
“Are we going to let that stand? Hell no, we are not going to let that stand,” Van Hollen added, later vowing, “We have to fight this in the courts, we have to fight this in the Congress, we have to fight this in the streets. We need to fight this all over America.”
USAID EMPLOYEE SAYS STAFFERS HID PRIDE FLAGS, ‘INCRIMINATING’ BOOKS WHEN DOGE ARRIVED
President-elect Donald Trump and Elon Musk attend a viewing of the launch of a SpaceX Starship rocket on Nov. 19, 2024, in Brownsville, Texas.(Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
“Shut down the city! We are at war!” Rep. LaMonica McIver, D-N.J., shouted into a microphone.
On Monday morning, hundreds of employees for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) reported they were locked out of the agency’s computer system and that its headquarters in Washington, D.C., was closed on Monday.
The agency’s fate is hanging in the balance as DOGE is working on an apparent overhaul of the agency.
“The level of disrespect actually is criminal because there are crisis response teams that are around the world that really rely on having access to their emails – having access to apps that they can utilize if there’s danger to them,” Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., told MSNBC, according to The Hill. “All of those accesses are cut off.”
Press secretary Karoline Leavitt briefs reporters at the White House, on Wednesday, Feb. 5.(AP/Evan Vucci)
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“So we might actually see somebody get killed. An American who works for the American government might be harmed in some of those countries that they’re operating in,” she reportedly added.
Fox News’ Emma Colton and Louis Casiano contributed to this report.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that President Donald Trump isn’t committing to deploying U.S. troops to Gaza after suggesting Tuesday that the U.S. would “take over” the Gaza strip.
“It’s been made very clear to the president that the United States needs to be involved in this rebuilding effort, to ensure stability in the region for all people,” Leavitt told reporters Wednesday at a White House press briefing. “But that does not mean boots on the ground in Gaza. It does not mean American taxpayers will be funding this effort. It means Donald Trump, who is the best dealmaker on the planet, is going to strike a deal with our partners in a region.”
Leavitt said that Trump is an “outside of the box thinker” who is “a visionary leader who solves problems that many others, especially in this city, claim are unsolvable.”
TRUMP SAYS US WILL ‘TAKE OVER’ GAZA STRIP, REBUILD IT TO STABLIZE MIDDLE EAST
“The U.S. will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it, too,” President Donald Trump said in a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, pictured here. (Maya Alleruzzo/AFP via Getty Images)
Trump announced Tuesday that the U.S. would “take over” the Gaza Strip in a “long-term ownership position” to deliver stability to the region.
“The U.S. will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it, too,” Trump said Tuesday evening in a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “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 said. “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.”
Trump said that “all” Palestinians would be removed from Gaza under his plan. But Leavitt described their removal as “temporary” during the rebuilding process and said that Trump and his team were sorting out specific details with allies in the region regarding next steps.
“Again, it’s a demolition site right now,” she said. “It’s not a livable place for any human being. And I think it’s actually quite evil to suggest that people should live in such dire conditions.”
ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER LAUDS TRUMP’S LEADERSHIP WHEN ASKED IF BIDEN SHOULD TAKE CREDIT FOR CEASEFIRE
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, pictured here, on Feb. 5, 2025, said that President Donald Trump isn’t committing to deploying U.S. troops to Gaza. (Evan Vucci/The Associated Press)
But the proposal for the U.S. to take over Gaza has sparked massive backlash, including from Palestinian, Iran-backed militant group Hamas, designated by the U.S. as a terrorist organization.
“What President Trump stated about his intention to displace the residents of the Gaza Strip outside it and the United States’ control over the Strip by force is a crime against humanity,” a senior Hamas official told Fox News on Wednesday.
Trump’s statements also left Democratic lawmakers in shock.
“I’m speechless, that’s insane,” Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., told Jewish Insider. “I can’t think of a place on Earth that would welcome American troops less and where any positive outcome is less likely.”
‘PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH’: TRUMP AND NETANYAHU EXPECTED TO DISCUSS IRAN, HAMAS AT WHITE HOUSE MEETING
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., pictured here, told Jewish Insider that Trump’s proposal to take over Gaza “might be problematic,” but that he would “keep an open mind.” (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)
Some Republicans also voiced caution, and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told Jewish Insider that the proposal “might be problematic,” but that he would “keep an open mind.”
“We’ll see what our Arab friends say about that,” he said. “I think most South Carolinians would not be excited about sending Americans to take over Gaza.”
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Meanwhile, Sen. Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., didn’t appear phased by the remarks.
“I think he wants to bring a more peaceful, secure Middle East and put some ideas out there,” Thune told reporters Wednesday.
Fox News’ Emma Colton and Greg Norman contributed to this report.
Diana Stancy is a politics reporter with Fox News Digital covering the White House.
White House counselor for trade and manufacturing Peter Navarro talks President Donald Trump’s tariff negotiations, spotlights the fentanyl drug war and China-U.S. relations.
Despite recent market volatility and near nonstop global trade developments, one of President Donald Trump’s top economic counselors is confident that the president’s policies will stand firm against any inflationary threats.
“I just want to remind everybody out there who, every day, wakes up trying to figure out where to long, short or flat the market, just what a golden age we’re going to have under Donald Trump, both in the economy and in the stock market,” White House counselor for trade and manufacturing Peter Navarro said on “Mornings with Maria,” Tuesday.
“It’s going to start this time, as it did last time, with ‘drill, baby, drill,’ and get us back down to $50 [per] barrel [of] oil. That’s going to be one of our most potent weapons against inflation. We have deregulation,” he noted. “And then the third leg of that is tax cuts… And then finally, we get to the fair trade issue.”
Just hours before 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico and 10% tariffs were set to go into effect, Trump agreed to pause tariffs for both Canada and Mexico, who both made concessions to temporarily stave off the levies.
CHINA RESPONDS WITH TARIFFS ON U.S. GOODS AFTER TRUMP’S TARIFFS ON CHINESE IMPORTS TAKE EFFECT
At least 10,000 personnel from Canada and Mexico, respectively, will be working on border protection as the proposed tariffs are paused for 30 days.
White House counselor for trade and manufacturing Peter Navarro detailed the “most potent weapons” Trump has against inflation, on “Mornings with Maria.” (Getty Images)
But leading up to the tariff deadline, U.S. stocks were volatile as of Monday’s opening bell, with oil popping over 2% above $74 per barrel, Bitcoin falling below $100,000 and gold hovering around $2,846 per ounce.
Navarro quelled any fears that Trump’s tax, tariff and deregulation initiatives would be inflationary for U.S. consumers despite a recent analysis from Yale estimating a $1,170 income loss with tariffs enacted.
Rep. Mark Alford, R-Mo., reacts to Mexico and Canada reaching a deal with President Donald Trump for pauses on tariffs, China imposing retaliatory tariffs and the latest regarding reconciliation.
“We’re facing almost half [of a] $1 trillion a year tax hike if Congress isn’t able to cut the president’s deal. And we have a situation where we can have a beautiful tax deal which will really propel the economy,” the White House counselor said.
“President Trump’s vision is channeling President McKinley way back when tariffs were the primary source of revenue to run the government. That’s why he has established the External Revenue Service,” Navarro continued. “I would say to the volatility in the market, those who are creating that, you should trust in Trump because the volatility there is playing on false fears… The drug war, not the trade war, has been an indication of just how the kind of strategic chess that Donald Trump plays.”
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The Futurum Group CEO Daniel Newman comments on China’s antitrust probe into Google and previews tech stocks.
Trump has long said Canada and Mexico have failed to do enough to prevent the flow of illegal migrants and drugs, particularly fentanyl, from those nations into the U.S. In addition, Trump claims the U.S. has subsidized Canada to the tune of $200 billion annually.
“The tragedy and human cost is unimaginable,” Navarro said. “But it also is a fact that the people who are dying are prime-age workers, so that we’re actually having a severe economic impact as well.”
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The White House on Monday released a list of projects overseen by the top U.S. aid agency it identified as “waste and abuse” as Elon Musk’s cost cutters seek to dismantle the decades-old provider of foreign aid.
Musk, a “special government employee,” according to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, oversees the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Despite its title, DOGE is not a government agency but has been tasked by the White House’s executive office with dismantling top spending initiatives, and the billionaire’s most recent target is the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
“For decades, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has been unaccountable to taxpayers as it funnels massive sums of money to the ridiculous — and, in many cases, malicious — pet projects of entrenched bureaucrats, with next-to-no oversight,” the White House said Monday.
According to a list released by the White House, USAID allocated millions of dollars for programs the Trump administration considers controversial and that frequently involved diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives launched during the Biden administration.
WHAT IS USAID AND WHY IS IT IN TRUMP’S CROSSHAIRS?
Billionaire Elon Musk is a “special government employee” working for the Trump administration to root out wasteful spending. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
At the top of the list was a $1.5 million program slated to “advance diversity, equity and inclusion in Serbia’s workplaces and business communities” and a $70,000 program for a “DEI musical” in Ireland.
Initiatives that supported LGBTQI programs were also flagged as an inappropriate use of taxpayer funds, including $47,000 for a “transgender opera” in Colombia, $32,000 for a “transgender comic book” in Peru and $2 million for sex changes and “LGBT activism” in Guatemala.
Fox News Digital could not independently verify the initiatives detailed by the White House in Colombia or Guatemala. The White House referenced reports about these programs by the Daily Mail, the Daily Caller News Foundation and other outlets.
The White House also detailed spending initiatives that launched during Trump’s previous administration, including a 2017-2019, $6 million agreement that it said was intended to “fund tourism” in Egypt.
MUSK’S DOGE TAKES AIM AT ‘VIPER’S NEST’ FEDERAL AGENCY WITH GLOBAL FOOTPRINT
USAID humanitarian aid destined for Venezuela is displayed for the media at a warehouse next to the Tienditas International Bridge on the outskirts of Cucuta, Colombia, Feb. 19, 2019. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara, File)
However, the link referencing the Egyptian program detailed how it was intended to build on previous investments in North Sinai that provided potable water and wastewater services to hundreds of thousands of people and would provide further “access to transportation for rural communities and economic livelihood programming for families.”
The White House also outlined USAID’s funding for coronavirus research, including millions of taxpayer dollars supplied to EcoHealth Alliance for coronavirus research, support for contraceptive initiatives and programs that it said benefited terrorists in several countries.
The future of USAID remains unclear, though the doors to its headquarters were closed Monday, and thousands of employees across the globe sat waiting to hear whether they still had jobs after the apparent Musk takeover.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been named the acting director, and he agreed Monday with the White House that the agency needed an overhaul.
“The president made me the acting administrator,” he told Fox News. “I’ve delegated that power to someone who is there full-time, and we’re going to go through the same process at USAID as we’re going through now at the State Department.”
Employees and supporters gather to protest outside the U.S. Agency for International Development headquarters Feb. 3, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
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Questions remain over whether the White House has the legal authority to dismantle an independent agency, and Democratic lawmakers on Monday joined agency employees who stood outside the headquarters protesting the shutdown despite having been told to remain at home.
Rubio took issue with the protests and referred to them as “rank insubordination.”
“The goal was to reform it, but now we have rank insubordination,” he said. “Now we have basically an active effort — their basic attitude is, ‘We don’t work for anyone. We work for ourselves. No agency of government can tell us what to do.’”
