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The rapid reduction of illegal crossings at the U.S. southern border calls into question a key Democratic talking point during the 2024 campaign, when party leaders blamed then-former President Donald Trump for helping kill bipartisan border legislation that they argued was the only way to secure the border. "President Trump’s fast and successful border security proves Biden’s false claim of needing the Senate’s border insecurity bill was nothing more than Biden’s attempted power grab to codify his open border tools and hamstring a future president who wanted to enforce the law," Lora Ries, director of the Heritage Foundation's Border Security and Immigration Center, told Fox News Digital. The comments come as evidence continues to mount that Trump’s policies have rapidly improved the situation at the southern border, including news last week that single-day border apprehensions had hit a 15-year low, with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents encountering only 200 aliens at the border on February 22. "President Trump and Secretary Noem have sent a clear message to illegal aliens: Do not come to our country. You will not be allowed in. And if you get in, we will hunt you down and deport you," a DHS spokesperson said in a release at the time. TRUMP REPORTS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ENCOUNTERS AT HISTORIC LOWS DURING FIRST FULL MONTH IN OFFICE That news came just days after Border Patrol Chief Mike Banks told CBS News in an interview that southern border crossings were down 94% from the same period last year, a staggering number he credited to the Trump administration’s aggressive crackdown. While Trump has managed to reduce the numbers through his executive authority, many Democrats spent 2024 arguing that the continued crisis at the border was the result of Trump and his allies in the GOP tying the president’s hands by resisting a bipartisan border bill that was working its way through the Senate early in the year and was favored by former President Joe Biden. "Every day between now and November, the American people are going to know that the only reason the border is not secure is Donald Trump and his MAGA Republican friends," Biden said in February after the bill failed to pass. "Frankly, I would have preferred to address this issue through bipartisan legislation, because that’s the only way to actually get the kind of system we have now that’s broken, fixed. To hire more Border Patrol agents, more asylum officers, more judges. But, Republicans left me no choice," Biden said in June while announcing new executive actions on border security Republicans argued didn’t go far enough to alleviate the crisis. That blame game continued throughout the 2024 campaign, with top Democratic leaders piling on Trump for helping kill the legislation they claimed was vital to ending the crisis. ‘HE IS DELIVERING’: TRUMP'S FIRST MONTH FLIPS SCRIPT ON RADICAL BIDEN-HARRIS BORDER POLICIES "If my Republican colleagues truly believe the system is broken, why did they vote against a bill that would have provided more immigration judges, more asylum officers, and had the support of the very conservative Border Patrol Union?" then-Senate Majority Leader Chuck Shumer asked in a May press release on border security. "When Americans ask this year who is to blame for the continued mess at the border, they should listen to the words that came from Donald Trump himself," Schumer added. Former Vice President Kamala Harris took the torch and continued to blame Republicans for the crisis after rising to the top of the Democratic ticket, arguing that the legislation would have fixed the issues at the border if not for Trump’s intervention. "Donald Trump got word of this bill that would have contributed to securing our border," Harris said during an August interview. "He preferred to run on a problem instead of fixing a problem," Harris said during a September debate with Trump. "Because he believed that it would not have helped him politically, he told his folks in Congress, ‘Don’t put it forward.’" "He killed the bill, a border security bill that would have put 1,500 more agents on the border," she added. But Ries argued that not only did Trump’s executive actions help alleviate the crisis once he took office, but Democrats had another legislative option all along in border security legislation that had already passed through the Republican-controlled House. "The Senate could’ve passed HR-2, the Secure the Border Act … the House had already passed it, and it was collecting dust on the Senate’s desk," Ries said. Continue reading...

Ric Grenell, the Trump administration's special presidential envoy for special missions, slammed Obama and Biden-era diplomat Susan Rice for the Democratic Party's years of foreign policies that he said landed the U.S. in two different wars under the Biden administration alone. "Your guy couldn’t even talk to Putin. For 3.5 years! Your policies helped usher in a war in Ukraine, Gaza…and Rwanda if you remember," Grenell posted to X on Saturday afternoon. "And then you lied about Libya - it wasn’t caused by a video," he continued, referring to claims in 2012 that an anti-Islam video led to the Benghazi terror attack on U.S. government facilities in the Libyan city. "You made that up…. Donald Trump handed you peace in the Middle East and Europe - you handed us two wars. We see you," he added. Grenell was responding to a post from Susan Rice, who served as an Obama administration national security advisor and U.N. ambassador, that claimed conservatives "are up to the same old tired crap" following President Donald Trump's tense meeting with Ukraine President Volodomyr Zelenskyy on Friday. SUSAN RICE STEPPING DOWN AS BIDEN'S DOMESTIC POLICY ADVISER TRUMP, VANCE AND ZELENSKYY SPAR OVER RUSSIAN WAR IN TENSE EXCHANGE: 'VERY DISRESPECTFUL' The Federalist's Mollie Hemingway had posted to X speculating that Rice and other Democrats may have "personally" advised Zelenskyy on acting "hostile and to try to goad Trump into blowing up" during the meeting, sparking Rice to weigh in. "You clowns are up to the same old tired crap," Rice posted to X. "When your guy screws up and royally embarrasses himself and the U.S., you try to change the subject and lie about a favorite target to distract and deflect. For the record, I have never met Zelenskyy and never spoken to him. Ever. Or advised him or anybody around him. It’s a shame that you contend that it is in the U.S. national interest to sell out Ukraine and suck up to Putin." TRUMP ISN'T THE FIRST US COMMANDER IN CHIEF TO LOSE PATIENCE WITH ZELENSKYY: RESURFACED 2022 REPORT Hemingway shot back, "Thank you for your response. Where would we place this denial, compared to your oft-repeated lie that the Benghazi debacle was due to a YouTube video, and your lie that you ‘knew nothing’ about the unmasking of Trump officials before being forced to admit you did it widely?" Last week, Rice joined MSNBC and declared "there's no question" that the Trump-Vance meeting with Zelenskyy "was a setup." "It's a very sad day and an embarrassment for the United States on the world stage. But let's step back and analyze what's happened here. I think there's no question that this was a setup," she said on MSNBC. "Soon after [Zelenskyy] got there, the vice president of the United States lit into him and started a confrontation. Now, I've been in countless Oval Office meetings with heads of state, presidents and vice presidents, as national security advisor, as U.N. ambassador, and in other roles. I can tell you that the vice president or the secretary of state or anybody else, they don't jump in, hijack a conversation without the express blessing of the president of the United States. So JD Vance did that deliberately. Donald Trump knew what he was going to do," she continued. TRUMP SAYS ZELENSKYY CAN ‘COME BACK WHEN HE IS READY FOR PEACE’ AFTER FIERY WHITE HOUSE EXCHANGE Ahead of his meeting with Trump, Zelenskyy also met with a group of bipartisan Senate lawmakers, including Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Chris Coons, D-Del., and Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn. Zelenskyy reportedly told the group that he would not "support a fake peace agreement" during that meeting. "Just finished a meeting with President Zelensky (sic) here in Washington. He confirmed that the Ukrainian people will not support a fake peace agreement where Putin gets everything he wants and there are no security arrangements for Ukraine," Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., posted to X on Friday morning. Zelenskyy joined Trump and his team in the Oval Office shortly after the Senate meeting, where political fireworks were on full display following Zelenskyy taking issue with Vice President JD Vance arguing the path to securing peace between Russia and Ukraine was through the U.S. engaging in diplomacy. "You're gambling with the lives of millions of people," Trump said at one point during the meeting. "You're gambling with World War III. You're gambling with World War III. And what you're doing is very disrespectful to the country, this country." Vance also interjected, asking Zelenskyy whether he had "said thank you once this entire meeting." Congress has appropriated $175 billion since 2022 for aid to Ukraine, according to the Council on Foreign Relations, though exact monetary figures on how much the U.S. has provided to Ukraine vary based on what is considered aid. Total European assistance to Ukraine between January 2022 and December 2024 totals $138.7 billion, according to German think tank the Kiel Institute. The U.S. contributed $119.7 billion during that same timeframe, Fox Digital previously reported. TRUMP SAYS UKRAINE RARE EARTH MINERALS DEAL WILL LEAD TO 'SUSTAINABLE' FUTURE BETWEEN US, UKRAINE "Your people are very brave," Trump continued in the meeting. "But you're either going to make a deal or we're out. And if we're out, you'll fight it out. I don't think it's going to be pretty, but you'll fight it out. But you don't have the cards. But once we sign that deal, you're in a much better position. But you're not acting at all thankful. And that's not a nice thing. I'll be honest. That's not a nice thing." ZELENSKYY SPEAKS OUT AFTER PUBLIC SPAT WITH TRUMP, VANCE, SAYS DUST-UP 'BAD FOR BOTH SIDES' Zelenskyy traveled to the U.K. over the weekend, meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who told local media that he had spoken with Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron regarding the U.K. and France taking the reins on crafting a plan for peace that will eventually be presented to the U.S. European leaders are meeting in London on Sunday to continue peace talks. Continue reading...

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Saturday that he has signed a declaration to expedite the delivery of nearly $4 billion in military aid to Israel, reversing a partial arms blockage imposed during the Biden administration. "The decision to reverse the Biden Administration’s partial arms embargo, which wrongly withheld a number of weapons and ammunition from Israel, is yet another sign that Israel has no greater ally in the White House than President Trump," Rubio said in a statement. The announcement comes as solutions to achieve a permanent cease-fire between longtime American ally Israel and Palestinian terrorist group Hamas remain unclear. Since taking office, the Trump administration has approved nearly $12 billion in major foreign military sales to Israel, Rubio said. ISRAEL BLOCKS HUMANITARIAN AID INTO GAZA AFTER HAMAS REJECTS CEASEFIRE EXTENSION PROPOSAL "This important decision coincides with President Trump’s repeal of a Biden-era memorandum which had imposed baseless and politicized conditions on military assistance to Israel at a time when our close ally was fighting a war of survival on multiple fronts against Iran and terror proxies," Rubio continued. Saturday’s announcement comes two days after the State Department said it has approved the potential sale of nearly $3 billion in bombs, demolition kits and other weaponry to Israel, according to the Associated Press. HAMAS RELEASES MORE HOSTAGES IN EXCHANGE FOR MORE THAN 600 PALESTINIAN PRISONERS AS PART OF CEASEFIRE DEAL The sales include approximately 40,000 defense items, including 35,500 MK 84 and BLU-117 bombs as well as 4,000 Predator warheads worth $2.04 billion. The weaponry is expected to be delivered in 2026. However, some items may be ready for immediate shipment due to the possibility that "a portion of this procurement will come from U.S. stock," according to the Associated Press, citing the Pentagon. Fox News Digital reached out to the Department of State for more information but did not immediately receive a response. Rubio also approved a second package of munitions sales to Israel valued at $675 million for 2028, the Department of Defense reportedly stated. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP "The Trump Administration will continue to use all available tools to fulfill America’s long-standing commitment to Israel’s security, including means to counter security threats," Rubio said in Saturday’s statement. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Continue reading...

Chief European Union diplomat Kaja Kallas rejected President Donald Trump's claim that the European Union was made to "screw" the United States on Sunday. Kallas made the comment while speaking to CBS News' "Face the Nation," arguing the EU is fundamentally about maintaining peace. "Europe is a peace project. You know, it was created so that we wouldn't have wars between the members of the European Union, and we haven't had any. And, of course, also to do things together, cooperate more," Kallas said. "You know, coming from a country that joined the European Union 20 years ago. Then, we were actually, you know, pushed by the Americans, you know, [saying] you will not get into NATO, but Europe, the European Union, is something that you should join because it's, it's a good project also for transatlantic relations. So I was quite surprised to hear a comment like that," she added. ZELENSKYY SPEAKS OUT AFTER PUBLIC SPAT WITH TRUMP, VANCE, SAYS DUSTUP ‘BAD FOR BOTH SIDES’ Kallas went on to affirm the wide base of support for Ukraine in Europe, and that she has been coordinating with French President Emanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. "The fight that Ukraine is having is not only about Ukraine sovereignty, but it's much, much broader. It's about freedom of the free world, really. It is about the world where international law applies and the world where might does not make right," she said. The official went on to argue that the U.S. and Europe could grind the Russian war machine to a halt via economic pressure. "We shouldn't overestimate the power of Russia and underestimate our own power," she argued. "We know that their economy is not doing well. I mean, their inflation is over 20%, their National Fund is almost completely depleted." TRUMP SAYS UKRAINE RARE EARTH MINERALS DEAL WILL LEAD TO ‘SUSTAINABLE’ FUTURE BETWEEN US, UKRAINE "They don't have the same revenues from gas and oil that they used to to fund the war machine. So actually, if we concentrate our efforts, we can put the pressure so that they would stop the war," she continued. Kallas' comments come after Trump blasted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at a White House meeting on Friday. He insisted that Ukraine doesn't "have the cards" and must sue for peace rather than relying on an indefinite flow of aid from the U.S. Continue reading...

A top Canadian diplomat is sounding the alarm about President Donald Trump’s plan to follow through on levying tariffs on Canadian imports, arguing that the move will cause both countries to lose. "If you put too many barriers in front of trade, if you put too many taxes and tariffs in front of trade, you slow everything down, you lay people off, you lose jobs, you lose prosperity," Bob Rae, Canada’s permanent Ambassador to the United Nations, said during an appearance on MSNBC Sunday. The comments come after Trump confirmed on Thursday that his 25% tariff would go into effect on March 4, reasoning that dangerous drugs such as fentanyl were still spilling over the U.S. border with Canada at an alarming rate. MIKE ROWE SAYS TRUMP POLICIES WILL LEAD TO SHORT-TERM PAIN, BUT LONG-TERM GAIN "The proposed TARIFFS scheduled to go into effect on MARCH FOURTH will, indeed, go into effect, as scheduled. China will likewise be charged an additional 10% Tariff on that date. The April Second Reciprocal Tariff date will remain in full force and effect," Trump said in a post on Truth Social. Trump had initially agreed to a 30-day pause on the tariff plan to allow time for negotiations between Canada and the U.S. on how to better secure the border, though the president argued Thursday that not enough had been done in order to stop the flow within the 30-day window. "We cannot allow this scourge to continue to harm the USA," Trump said. The trade war between the two countries comes as Canada will also be transitioning to new leadership in the coming months after current Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced in January that he would step down and end his nine-year run leading the country. TRADE REPRESENTATIVE NOM INEE DEFENDS TRUMP TARIFFS IN COMMITTEE HEARING Trudeau said that he would remain in office until the Liberal Party can choose a new leader, while parliament would be suspended until March 24. Whoever emerges as Canada’s new leader will have to resume negotiations with Trump over tariffs, something Rae said the Canadian side doesn’t see the logic of. "This is something we will weather through. We'll have to deal with it. It is going to cost jobs on both sides of the border, and I think that's something that everybody has to understand," Rae said during his appearance on MSNBC. "What's the logic of increasing the price for everyone? We don't see the logic of it, and that's why we're continuing to try to persuade the American government that they should think again and reflect hard on what the costs and benefits of this trade are and also what the cost of benefits, and lack of benefits of increasing tariffs is going to be." The White House did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment. Continue reading...

Soldiers who return home from combat zones have veterans' support groups, a plethora of charities and an entire government agency intended to see to their needs for illness and injuries. But contractors who take jobs in those same areas have had no such institutional support – until now. These workers face the same mental traumas associated with combat deployment, and thousands who have been exposed to burn pits face the same cancers that have claimed the lives of American service members. But before the Association of War Zone Contractors (AOWC) formed this week, they did not have any of the same support groups that take care of veterans, according to the group's organizers. "We’re looking to make sure contractors are seen, heard and counted, because those things haven’t been happening for a long time," Scott Dillard, co-founder of the new nonprofit, told Fox News Digital. The American public often forgets that contractors make up much of the workforce on overseas bases. An estimated half of those employed in U.S. positions during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars were civilian contractors, not military members. FORMER DEFENSE SECRETARIES CONDEMN TRUMP'S FIRING OF SENIOR MILITARY OFFICIALS IN SCATHING LETTER "Some contractors go outside the wire, but many of them are just changing light bulbs, slinging mashed potatoes, cleaning toilets, whatever the case may be. But they’re on these bases, they’re in a hostile environment that gets attacked," Dillard said. Known as "hidden casualties" during the Iraq War, many were convoy drivers who carted supplies across dangerous terrain. More than 8,000 contractors died over two decades in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, as did an additional 7,000 U.S. service members, according to a Brown University count. The U.S. government does not thoroughly report contractor deaths, and their families often struggle to receive any compensation. "A contractor's function is kind of an invisible army, and we don't want that," said Cory Archibald, another co-founder and former contractor. "The public deserves to know, policymakers need to know in order to make the right decisions, how integrated contractors are in everything that the military does, fully integrated in military operations, and that needs to be understood and acted on." Like the veterans’ groups that for decades have advocated for better post-mission care for U.S. troops, AOWC hopes to educate contractors who return home with mental and physical injuries and illnesses associated with their work on the resources currently available to them, and to advocate for U.S. policymakers to streamline the arduous process that comes with filing a claim. Thanks to the PACT Act, the VA recognizes an automatic link between 23 different conditions and burn pits. But civilians, whose claims are managed by the U.S. Department of Labor, have to prove a connection between the same medical conditions and deployment. Through the Defense Base Act, contracting companies’ insurers are required to cover care for work-related injuries, like the cancers arising in many of those who served on bases in Iraq and Afghanistan in close proximity to burn pits. "It’s an adversarial process for contractors," said Dillard. "The insurer is almost certainly going to deny the claim." For claims that are successful, contractors wait years to see any form of payment. For unsuccessful claims, contractors have to retain a lawyer and wait for the litigation process to play out in court. HOUSE UNANIMOUSLY PASSES BILL TO QUADRUPLE THE PENSIONS OF MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENTS The research behind the PACT Act, which found a direct link to certain medical conditions and the pits used to burn medical waste, arms materials and other things near military bases, focused on service members whose deployments last between a few months and a year and a half. Little research has been done on the effects those pits had on contractors, who in many cases took work on overseas bases for years at a time. AOWC's first order of business is to get names on its burn pits registry to garner data and establish a direct connection between certain illnesses among contractors and exposure to burn pits. Then the group will take that data to policymakers and implore them to make it easier for contractors to get help with care. As the military's size has diminished over the years, U.S. forces have increasingly outsourced work to civilian contractors. And contractors are conveniently left out of the count when the nation’s leaders boast about reducing the footprint of the U.S. military on foreign bases. "They say, 'We're drawing down the troops.' Okay, great. But they don't say that on the backside there's contractors coming back in," said Dillard. "The fact that all these jobs have been outsourced to private contractors means that the public has less of an understanding of what is the cost of war, because they're not seeing that reflected in the casualty figures, not just deaths, but also injuries as well," said Archibald. He said he first recognized the "invisibility" of contractors after serving in the Army and then working as a contractor himself for six years, largely in Afghanistan. "I did not know what my rights were," he said. "I had no clue that there was that help available. And a vast majority of contractors have a similar lack of knowledge." Continue reading...

The tense meeting between President Donald Trump and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy puts the spotlight on some European nations' "divergence" from promoting freedom and reaching peace in Eastern Europe, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said on "Fox News Sunday." "I think those who are criticizing [Trump's] efforts in this way are showing that they are not committed to peace, and in the case of many of those European countries, that they're not committed to the cause and values of freedom, even though they speak of this," Gabbard told Fox News' Shannon Bream on Sunday morning when asked about Democrat U.S. politicians criticizing the meeting at the White House and Russia celebrating Trump's tense meeting with Zelenskyy. "We heard very clearly during Vice President Vance's speech in Munich, different examples of how these European partners and longtime allies, in many cases, are actually implementing policies that undermine democracy that shows that they don't actually believe in the voices of the people being heard, and implementing anti-freedom policies. We're seeing this in the United Kingdom. We're seeing this in Germany. We saw it with the tossing out of the elections in Romania," she continued. Zelenskyy traveled to the UK over the weekend, following his meeting with Trump and Vance, which culminated in Trump telling the Ukraine leader to leave the White House, while adding in a social media post that Zelenskyy can come back for another meeting "when he is ready for Peace." WORLD LEADERS BACK ZELENSKYY FOLLOWING TRUMP, VANCE OVAL OFFICE SPAT On Saturday, Zelenskyy met with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who was seen hugging him and told local media on Sunday that he had spoken with Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron regarding the UK and France taking the reins on crafting a plan for peace that will eventually be presented to the U.S. European leaders are meeting in London on Sunday to further discuss a peace plan. Gabbard argued in her interview that "there's something fundamentally deeper here that shows a huge difference and divergence between" U.S. values and national security versus European countries offering continued support for the war. JD VANCE STEPS INTO SPOTLIGHT DEFENDING TRUMP'S FOREIGN POLICY IN OVAL OFFICE DUSTUP WITH ZELENSKYY "There's something fundamentally deeper here that shows a huge difference and divergence between the values that President Trump and Vice President Vance are fighting for, the values that are enshrined in our Constitution, the interests of the American people in our peace and freedom and national security, versus those of many of these European countries who are coming to Zelenskyy's side as he walked out of the White House, saying basically, that they are going to support him in continuing this war, and that they don't stand with us around these fundamental values of freedom," she said. Bream followed-up by asking Gabbard whether she would identify Russia as a country that celebrates freedom similarly to the U.S., which Gabbard denied, adding "that's not really what we're talking about here." "I would not make that claim, and it's clear that that's not the case, nor does President Trump. But that's not really what we're talking about here. We're talking about many of these European countries and Zelenskyy himself, who claim to be standing and fighting for the cause of freedom and democracy, when we actually look at what's happening in reality in these countries, as well as with the Zelenskyy's government in Ukraine, is the exact opposite." "You have the canceling of elections in Ukraine. You have political parties being silenced or even criminalized or thrown in prison. You have the freedom of religion, churches being shut down, you have political opposition being silenced, you have total government control of the media." TRUMP SAYS ZELENSKYY CAN ‘COME BACK WHEN HE IS READY FOR PEACE’ AFTER FIERY WHITE HOUSE EXCHANGE "It really begs the question," she continued. "As Vice President Vance said again in Munich, it's clear that they're standing against Putin. Obviously, that's clear. But what are they actually really fighting for, and are they aligned with the values that they claim to hold in agreement with us? The values that President Trump and Vice President Vance are standing for, and those are the values of freedom, of peace and true security." Zelenskyy's White House visit was cut short on Friday following the heated exchange, which included Vance asking the Ukraine leader about his gratitude for the U.S.'s assistance across the years, and Trump telling Zelenskyy that Ukraine will either make a deal with the U.S. or battle the war on their own. "You're either going to make a deal or we're out. And if we're out, you'll fight it out. I don't think it's going to be pretty, but you'll fight it out. But you don't have the cards. But once we sign that deal, you're in a much better position. But you're not acting at all thankful. And that's not a nice thing. I'll be honest. That's not a nice thing," Trump said on Friday. As part of the peace deal, the Trump administration was also working to ink an agreement with Ukraine that would allow the U.S. access to Ukraine’s minerals in exchange for support that the U.S. has offered the nation since war broke out in 2022. TRUMP, VANCE AND ZELENSKYY SPAR OVER RUSSIAN WAR IN TENSE EXCHANGE: 'VERY DISRESPECTFUL' Zelenskyy did join Fox News' Bret Baier for an exclusive interview on Friday evening, where he was pressed on whether he would apologize to Trump over the meeting. The Ukraine president, however, did not offer an apology but did say that he respects Trump and the U.S. "I'm very thankful to Americans for all your support. You did a lot. I'm thankful to President Trump and to Congress for bipartisan support," he responded when asked about an apology. "You helped us a lot from the very beginning, during three years of full-scale invasion, you helped us to survive." "No, I respect the president, and I respect American people ... I think that we have to be very open and very honest, and I'm not sure that we did something bad," he added when asked again whether he believes he owes Trump an apology. Continue reading...

Norway made clear that it will continue supplying fuel for U.S. Navy ships after a private marine fuel supplier threatened to boycott the U.S. in response to deteriorating U.S.-Ukraine relations. "We have seen reports raising concerns about support for U.S. Navy vessels in Norway. This is not in line with the Norwegian government's policy," Norway's Defense Minister Tore Sandvik said in a statement Sunday, according to a report from Reuters. The statement comes after privately held Norwegian fuel supplier Haltbakk Bunkers took to social media Friday and threatened a boycott of the U.S. Navy in response to President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s heated Oval Office exchange. TRUMP SAYS UKRAINE RARE EARTH MINERALS DEAL WILL LEAD TO ‘SUSTAINABLE’ FUTURE BETWEEN US, UKRAINE "Huge credit to the president of Ukraine restraining himself and for keeping calm even though USA put on a backstabbing TV show. It made us sick... No Fuel to Americans!," the company said in a Facebook post that has since been deleted. The company’s CEO, Gunnar Gran, confirmed to the Norwegian newspaper VG that he had decided not to supply the U.S. military, according to the Reuters report, though the company also acknowledged that the move would only have a "symbolic" impact, since Haltbakk Bunkers does not have a fixed contract with the U.S. government. The company’s threat comes after a heated exchange in the Oval Office among Trump, Zelenskyy and Vice President JD Vance on Friday, when Vance accused the Ukrainian leader of being "disrespectful" to Trump in the White House. "Mr. President, with respect, I think it's disrespectful for you to come into the Oval Office to try to litigate this in front of the American media," Vance told Zelenskyy. "Right now, you guys are going around and forcing conscripts to the front lines, because you have manpower problems. You should be thanking the president for bringing it, to bring it into this country." ZELENSKYY SPEAKS OUT AFTER PUBLIC SPAT WITH TRUMP, VANCE, SAYS DUSTUP 'BAD FOR BOTH SIDES' Trump then joined the fray after Zelenskyy claimed that the U.S. would feel the war "in the future," an argument the American leader did not appreciate. "You don't know that," Trump responded. "Don't tell us what we're going to feel. We're trying to solve a problem. Don't tell us what we're going to feel." The exchange caused some to express concerns about not only the U.S.'s commitment to Ukraine’s continued war effort but also Trump’s apparent strained relationship with European allies overall. But Norway, a NATO ally, made clear that the country has no plans to join the threats to cut off the U.S. military. "American forces will continue to receive the supply and support they require from Norway," Sandvik said. Continue reading...

EXCLUSIVE: Arizona Republicans are eyeing an additional fight over the state’s law requiring proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections, hoping that the Trump administration will voice its support for the law after a defeat in an appeals court this week. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit upheld the findings of a district court regarding the 2022 Arizona laws that enabled officials to require proof of citizenship to vote in state and federal elections, saying they were "unlawful measures of voter suppression." The lawsuit was brought by the DOJ, nonprofits, the DNC and the Arizona Democratic Party. The Supreme Court in August allowed the enforcement of restrictions that block people from voting in state and local elections, but those who have registered without that proof could still vote in presidential and congressional elections with a different federal form. SOUTHERN BORDER STATE GOVERNOR TAKES ON CARTELS AND SECURITY WITH SIGNING OF EXECUTIVE ORDER Senate President Warren Petersen told Fox News Digital that he believed the latest ruling was "brazen" as it found that the law had discriminatory intent, something he said the Supreme Court had not found. "So, to see them just completely ignore the Supreme Court is pretty unprecedented, even for the liberal and mostly overturned court in the nation," he said. Petersen made it clear that Republicans defending the law intend to appeal. "The key provisions of this bill are that we want to make sure that only citizens are voting in our elections," he said. "This is an issue that our citizens overwhelmingly support." ‘LOUD AND CLEAR’: BORDER STATE'S LEGISLATURE MOVES TO BACK TRUMP'S ICE ON DEPORTATION Petersen and his counterpart in the state House have written to the DOJ asking for the Trump administration to inform the courts that it has changed its position on proof of citizenship. While the Biden administration was opposed, the Trump administration has been more favorable to making sure that proof is provided of citizenship to vote. "So, we're asking them as we move forward on our appeal that they change their position and that they're engaged so that we get a good outcome for the citizens of Arizona and, quite frankly, for the whole country," he said. "I think it makes a big difference when the federal government is on the same page that we're on," he said. CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE It isn’t yet clear whether the appeal will be to the Ninth Circuit or whether they will go directly to the Supreme Court. Petersen said the Republicans "want to bring to the Supreme Court’s attention that [the 9th Circuit] essentially overruled the Supreme Court." But he also said that they are continuing litigation. He said that if it weree to go to the high court, he feels very confident about the GOP’s chances. "This court seems to be very sensible and rational. And these are common-sense things. It's just common sense that only citizens should be able to vote in our elections," he said. Continue reading...

Months after war broke out between Russia and Ukraine, then-President Joe Biden had a fiery private phone call with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, which included Biden allegedly losing "his temper" and calling on Ukraine to "show a little more gratitude" towards the U.S. for its support, a resurfaced 2022 NBC News report shows. "Biden had barely finished telling Zelenskyy that he had just greenlighted another $1 billion in U.S. military assistance for Ukraine when Zelenskyy started listing all the additional help he needed and wasn’t getting," according to an NBC report published in November 2022, recounting a prior June 2022 call that Biden and Zelenskyy shared. "Biden lost his temper, the people familiar with the call said. The American people were being quite generous, and his administration and the U.S. military were working hard to help Ukraine, he said, raising his voice, and Zelenskyy could show a little more gratitude," the report continued. The reported tense exchange on the phone came just months after Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022. The pair's relationship "only improved" following the phone call, Biden administration officials told NBC at the time. TRUMP, VANCE AND ZELENSKYY SPAR OVER RUSSIAN WAR IN TENSE EXCHANGE: 'VERY DISRESPECTFUL' Fox News Digital reached out to Biden's office on Sunday morning for additional comment on the 2022 phone call but did not immediately receive a reply. The report resurfaced over the weekend, following President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance's fiery meeting with Zelenskyy, which included the VP pressing the Ukraine leader on his gratitude for the U.S.'s assistance across the years, and Trump asking Zelenskyy to leave the White House – stipulating that he can return "when he is ready for Peace." The White House meeting grew tense in approximately its final 10 minutes, after Vance said that peace would be reached between Russia and Ukraine through U.S. diplomacy efforts. "Mr. President, with respect, I think it's disrespectful for you to come into the Oval Office to try to litigate this in front of the American media," Vance told Zelenskyy. "Right now, you guys are going around and forcing conscripts to the front lines, because you have manpower problems. You should be thanking the president for bringing it, to bring it into this country." "Have you've ever been to Ukraine that you say what problems we have?" Zelenskyy shot back. TRUMP SAYS ZELENSKYY CAN ‘COME BACK WHEN HE IS READY FOR PEACE’ AFTER FIERY WHITE HOUSE EXCHANGE "I've actually watched and seen the stories and I know that what happens is you bring people, you bring them on a propaganda tour," Vance continued. "Mr. President, do you disagree that you've had problems bringing people into your military? And do you think that it's respectful to come to the Oval Office of the United States of America and attack the administration that is trying to, trying to prevent the destruction of your country?" Zelenskyy continued that under war, "everybody has problems, even you," and that the U.S. would feel the war "in the future." TRUMP SAYS UKRAINE RARE EARTH MINERALS DEAL WILL LEAD TO 'SUSTAINABLE' FUTURE BETWEEN US, UKRAINE "Don't tell us what we're going to feel," Trump shot back at Zelenskyy. "You're gambling with the lives of millions of people," Trump added at another point during the exchange. "You're gambling with World War III. You're gambling with World War III. And what you're doing is very disrespectful to the country, this country." Vance interjected, asking Zelenskyy whether he had "said thank you once this entire meeting." He also added that Zelenskyy "went to Pennsylvania and campaigned for the opposition in October" and that he should "offer some words of appreciation for the United States of America and the president who's trying to save your country." Congress has appropriated $175 billion since 2022 for aid to Ukraine, according to the Council on Foreign Relations, though exact monetary figures on how much the U.S. has provided to Ukraine vary based on what is considered aid. Total European assistance to Ukraine between January 2022 and December 2024 totals roughly $138.7 billion, according to German think tank the Kiel Institute. The U.S. contributed $119.7 billion during that same timeframe, Fox Digital previously reported. Trump continued in his remarks to Zelenskyy that "the problem is, I've empowered you to be a tough guy, and I don't think you'd be a tough guy without the United States." ZELENSKYY SPEAKS OUT AFTER PUBLIC SPAT WITH TRUMP, VANCE, SAYS DUST-UP 'BAD FOR BOTH SIDES' "And your people are very brave. But you're either going to make a deal or we're out. And if we're out, you'll fight it out. I don't think it's going to be pretty, but you'll fight it out. But you don't have the cards. But once we sign that deal, you're in a much better position. But you're not acting at all thankful. And that's not a nice thing. I'll be honest. That's not a nice thing," Trump said. Zelenskyy left the White House shortly after. The Trump administration canceled a planned press conference with Zelenskyy later that day, while a planned speaking event featuring the Ukraine leader at a Washington, D.C.-based think tank was canceled. Zelenskyy did join Fox News' Bret Baier for an exclusive interview on Friday evening, where he was pressed on whether he would apologize to Trump. U.S. leaders, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, called on Zelenskyy to apologize for the Oval Office meeting, but the Ukraine president bucked the calls during the Baier interview, while adding that he respects Trump and the U.S. TRUMP TO MAKE ENGLISH OFFICIAL LANGUAGE OF US IN NEW EXECUTIVE ORDER "I'm very thankful to Americans for all your support. You did a lot. I'm thankful to President Trump and to Congress for bipartisan support," he responded when asked about an apology. "You helped us a lot from the very beginning, during three years of full-scale invasion, you helped us to survive." "No, I respect the president and I respect American people. . . . I think that we have to be very open and very honest, and I'm not sure that we did something bad," he added when asked again whether he believes he owes Trump an apology. Zelenskyy traveled to the UK over the weekend, meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who told local media that he had spoken with Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron regarding the UK and France taking the reins on crafting a plan for peace that will eventually be presented to the U.S. European leaders are slated to travel to London on Sunday to further discuss a peace plan. Fox News Digital's Diana Stancy contributed to this report. Continue reading...

Gov. JB Pritzker and 16 Illinois Democrats sent a letter to the White House Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought on Tuesday demanding the Trump administration release $1.88 billion in federal funding to Illinois. Chair of the Illinois Republican Party Kathy Salvi dismissed it as Pritzker playing politics. Pritzker, Sen. Dick Durbin, Sen. Tammy Duckworth and congressional Democrats said in the letter that Illinois is "in danger of needing to pause operations, cancel projects, or lay off staff" if their funding is not restored, leaving a "detrimental impact on vulnerable people, local economies, and the state as a whole." The Illinois Republican Party is pushing back on the Democrats' claims, saying the letter "has no basis." "Governor Pritzker is grandstanding for his 2028 run for president instead of focusing on the mess that he's left with us in Illinois. Since he's been the governor, now in his seventh budget address, he has raised our budget by $16 billion from a $39 billion budget initially to $55 billion," Salvi told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview. ILLINOIS GOVERNOR SAYS TRUMP ADMIN WITHHOLDING $1.88B IN APPROVED TAXPAYER MONEY, AMID RIFT WITH PRESIDENT Fox News Digital reached out to OMB about the letter, but they did not provide a comment by the deadline of this article. "On behalf of our constituents, we are seeking full transparency and accountability on any and all funding that has been paused or interrupted. If the Trump Administration is unable to follow the law and uphold their end of the deal, the people of our state deserve to know," the Democrats said. 'DULY OWED TO US': BLUE STATE GOVERNOR SAYS $2.1B IN FEDERAL FUNDING RESTORED AFTER SUING TRUMP ADMIN "He has defied law since day one," Salvi countered. "This is a sanctuary state. He has caused the higher crime rates we have. He has caused the educational mess that we have here in the City of Chicago. He is not helping with solutions here. He's distracting and using his weight in Washington to posture against this president and his administration's agenda in order to catapult his own campaign for president in 2028. And this must be exposed." Pritzker also met with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries in Washington, D.C., this week to push for the release of Illinois’ federal funds. "His travel to Washington is a distraction of the mess that he's led here in Illinois," Salvi said. Salvi said Pritzker is asking for a "blank check" without "any examination of where the money goes." "Pritzker's budget plan faces a $3 billion budget deficit. He has been given a blank check for the last four years. Now, he is being held to account. So, instead of dealing with the problems that he and his administration have caused here in Illinois, which are causing people to flee our state to neighboring states, he decides instead to distract and sue the federal government. Well, I think we need to have an accounting here in Illinois. We, Illinois taxpayers and citizens and families, we require results," Salvi said. A federal judge granted a preliminary injunction on Tuesday extending the block on the White House Office of Management and Budget’s federal funding freeze. Federal judges had previously issued a temporary restraining order to block the funding freeze. Illinois was one of the initial 22 states and Washington, D.C., that sued President Donald Trump’s administration on Jan. 28 to unfreeze federal funds. OMB directed agencies to halt federal funding on Jan. 27 in compliance with Trump's executive orders. Gov. Josh Shapiro, D-Penn., in a separate lawsuit, sued the Trump administration to unfreeze federal funds on Feb. 13. Shapiro said that $2.1 billion in federal funds had been released and restored to Pennsylvania on Monday. While Shapiro said legal action was necessary to unfreeze his state’s federal funds, he added that his "direct engagement" with the Trump administration had led to the restoration of those funds. Pritzker's letter urged the Trump administration to "follow the law and make good on the government’s promise to deliver hard-earned taxpayer dollars back into Illinois’ economy, workforce and communities." The letter claims that many Illinois agencies have been forced to "pause operations, cancel projects, or cut staff" and have reported "their inability to access funds" since the OMB’s funding freeze memo. The letter says there have been "widespread reports of system outages and lockouts that prevented grantees from accessing entitled funding" since Jan 27. "Attempted communications with government liaisons were often ignored and public statements from the White House were inconsistent with the experiences of our grantees," the letter says. Illinois Democrats allege that "14 state agencies, boards, and commissions have a total of $1.88 billion in impacted federal funds" that provide "technical assistance for small businesses, provide affordable solar energy for low-income residents, improve roads and bridges, and more." "These funds have been contractually agreed to, allocated, and planned around by their recipients–which include childcare providers, educational institutions, small businesses, community and economic development organizations, and more. Needless to say, the restriction of these funds will have a detrimental impact on vulnerable people, local economies, and the state as a whole," the letter added. The letter concludes by asking the Trump administration to answer five questions by March 4, 2025, about the disbursement of federal funds. Continue reading...

Secretary of State Marco Rubio pushed back on critics of President Donald Trump's approach to ending the war in Ukraine on Sunday, saying the president is a "peacemaker." Rubio made the comments during an appearance on ABC News' "This Week," telling host George Stephenopoulos that Trump is facing attacks simply because he is Trump. "Shouldn't we at least try to see if there is a way to end this war in a way that's acceptable to both sides and is enduring and sustainable? How is that a bad thing?" Rubio said. "I really am puzzled why anyone thinks that trying to be a peacemaker is a bad thing. It's only a bad thing when it's Donald Trump trying to do it. When it's President Trump. It's absurd to me," he added. ZELENSKYY SPEAKS OUT AFTER PUBLIC SPAT WITH TRUMP, VANCE, SAYS DUSTUP ‘BAD FOR BOTH SIDES’ Rubio went on to reject claims that Trump is working to placate Russia and Vladimir Putin, saying all the administration has done is reach out and say, "are you guys willing to talk about peace?" Rubio's appearance comes days after an explosive meeting between Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House last week. The meeting ended in a shouting match, with Trump arguing Ukraine doesn't "have the cards" to continue fighting Russia on its own and that a negotiated peace is the best way forward. Trump later accused Zelenskyy of "disrespecting" the U.S. during their meeting Friday and said the Ukrainian leader was not ready to secure peace for his country. TRUMP SAYS UKRAINE RARE EARTH MINERALS DEAL WILL LEAD TO ‘SUSTAINABLE’ FUTURE BETWEEN US, UKRAINE "I have determined that President Zelenskyy is not ready for peace if America is involved, because he feels our involvement gives him a big advantage in negotiations," Trump said in a Truth Social post Friday. "I don't want advantage, I want PEACE. He disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office. He can come back when he is ready for Peace." Zelenskyy visited Washington amid negotiations to end the war in Ukraine and was expected to sign a minerals agreement that will allow the U.S. access to Ukraine’s minerals in exchange for support the U.S. has provided the country since Russia's invasion in 2022. Trump instead kicked Zelenskyy out of the White House after their contentious public meeting. Continue reading...

More than 50 school districts in Maine have policies that allow minors to hide their gender identity from their parents, according to a new watchdog report. Parents Defending Education (PDE), a grassroots organization tracking gender ideologies in schools across the country, filed public records requests to confirm that at least 57 of the state's 192 school districts have policies excluding parents from knowing whether their children identify as another gender. The report comes after President Donald Trump chastised Democrat Maine Gov. Janet Millis last week over her refusal to enforce Trump's "No Men in Women's Sports" executive order. TRUMP VOWS TO CUT OFF FEDERAL FUNDING TO MAINE OVER REFUSAL TO COMPLY WITH 'NO MEN IN WOMEN'S SPORTS' ORDER "It was totally unsurprising to see the governor of Maine go to the mat to keep males in women's sports when over 50 school districts in Maine have written policies to deceive parents about their own child," PDE spokesperson Erika Sanzi told Fox News Digital Friday. "We have seen a groundswell of parents in Maine speaking out about this now that they are aware of it, and it is our hope that districts begin to roll back these policies, not only because of the executive orders from the Trump administration but because nearly 80% of their constituents oppose them," she said. In one example from the state's largest district, Portland Public Schools, district policy on "transgender and gender expansive students" requires that if "a student and their parent or legal guardian do not agree with regard to the student’s gender identity or gender expression, the school shall abide by the wishes of the student with regard to their gender identity and gender expression while at school. "School staff shall comply with the student’s wishes regarding disclosure of their transgender status to others, including but not limited to parents or guardians, students, volunteers or other school staff, unless the student has explicitly authorized the disclosure or unless legally required to do so." MAINE FEMALE ATHLETE ‘GRATEFUL’ FOR TRUMP'S FOCUS ON TRANS COMPETITORS AFTER LOCAL LEADERS ‘FAILED’ GIRLS Policies like Portland's are also still in place after Trump signed an executive order at the end of January, "Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling," which states that "steering students toward surgical and chemical mutilation without parental consent or involvement or allowing males access to private spaces designated for females may contravene Federal laws that protect parental rights." Trump has already threatened to cut off Maine's federal funding if it continues to defy his orders. "I heard men are still playing in Maine," Trump told to a gathering of Republican governors in Washington last week. "I hate to tell you this, but we're not going to give them any federal money. They are still saying, 'We want men to play in women’s sports,' and I cannot believe that they're doing that. … So, we’re not going to give them any federal funding, none whatsoever, until they clean that up." MAINE STATE REP TALKS ‘EXTREME’ TRANSGENDER ATHLETE POLICY Trump signed the executive order barring men from women's sports earlier this month, which directs federal agencies to review grants, programs and policies that fail to align with efforts to block male participation in women’s sports "as a matter of safety, fairness, dignity, and truth." The order mandates strict enforcement of Title IX and threatens to revoke federal funding from noncompliant educational institutions and athletic organizations. After the order, several other blue states indicated they would not be complying with it, including California and Minnesota. Fox News Digital has reached out to the Maine Department of Education for comment. Continue reading...

California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency on Saturday in a bid to fast-track wildfire prevention projects. Newsom announced the move after President Donald Trump blasted the governor's handling of previous wildfire disasters. The order suspends certain environmental regulations that would have delayed forest management projects and other wildfire prevention measures. "This year has already seen some of the most destructive wildfires in California history, and we’re only in March. Building on unprecedented work cutting red tape and making historic investments – we’re taking action with a state of emergency to fast-track critical wildfire projects even more," Newsom said in a statement. "These are the forest management projects we need to protect our communities most vulnerable to wildfire, and we’re going to get them done," he added. NEWSOM CALLS TRUMP'S CLAIMS 'PURE FICTION' AFTER HE POINTED FINGER OVER CALIFORNIA FIRE TRAGEDY California's wider efforts will cost roughly $2.5 billion, funding controlled burns, reducing fuel in burn areas, as well as implementing public tracking of wildfire prevention efforts. TRUMP MEETS WITH CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS, FIRE AND LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS TO SEE LA WILDFIRE DAMAGE FIRST HAND The state of emergency announcement comes weeks after Trump blasted Newsom for "gross incompetence" in handling the recent wildfires. "Gavin Newscum should resign. This is all his fault!!!" Trump charged in a social media post on Jan. 8, repeating a derogatory name he often uses for the governor. Newsom traveled to Washington, D.C., in early February in a bid to secure federal backing for the disaster relief efforts. He said he had a "very productive" meeting at the White House at the time. The governor held two meetings on Capitol Hill before traveling to the White House and petitioning Trump for "unconditional disaster aid," his office said. "As we approach one month since the devastating wildfires across Southern California, we continue to cut red tape to speed up recovery and clean up efforts as well as ensure rebuilding efforts are swift," Newsom said in a statement. "We're working across the aisle, as we always have, to ensure survivors have the resources and support they need." Fox News' Stepheny Price contributed to this report. Continue reading...

President Donald Trump will address a Joint Session of Congress on Tuesday, March 4 at 9 p.m. ET. The forum is not officially a State of the Union address, which traditionally comes during the second, third and fourth year of a presidency. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., invited Trump earlier this month to address Congress on Tuesday. "Thanks to your strong leadership and bold action in the first days of your presidency, the United States is already experiencing a resurgence of patriotism, unity, and hope for the future," Johnson wrote in a letter to Trump first obtained by Fox News Digital. HONORING TRUMP: SPEAKER JOHNSON SAYS FLAGS TO FLY FULL-STAFF AT US CAPITOL DURING PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURATION "Your administration and the 119th Congress working together have the chance to make these next four years some of the most consequential in our nation’s history," the speaker wrote. "To that end, it is my distinct honor and great privilege to invite you to address a Joint Session of Congress on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, in the Chamber of the U.S. House of Representatives, to share your America First vision for our legislative future. I eagerly await your response." Fox News Channel, Fox News Digital and Fox News Go will have live coverage of the event Tuesday evening. Fox News Channel will also preview the speech during its primetime and afternoon programming. Will Cain will have the latest on the "Will Cain Show" at 4 p.m. ET. Following him, join Dana Perino, Greg Gutfeld, Judge Jeanine Pirro and the hosts of "The Five" for more coverage leading up to the event. VA DEM SLAMS DOGE FANS; COMPARES JOB CUTS TO HOLOCAUST: ‘FIRST THEY CAME FOR THE JEWS…’ Chief political anchor Bret Baier continues the coverage at 6 p.m. ET on "Special Report," followed by "The Ingraham Angle" with Laura Ingraham at 7 p.m. ET; before Jesse Watters offers a curtain-raiser just before the address at 8 p.m. ET on "Jesse Watters Primetime." While it is officially an address to a joint session, historically, these speeches tend to follow the same customs as the official State of the Union forums. The latter are required by the Constitution under Article II Sec. 3 – which stipulates that a president must provide Congress with information about the state of the Union and offer legislative recommendations. Before the audiovisual and digital ages, the addresses tended to come in print form. Former President Woodrow Wilson delivered the first address in-person since former President John Adams. The title itself, "State of the Union," was standardized by former President Harry S. Truman in the 1940s. Truman also offered the first televised State of the Union, as radio gave way to TV. Former President Lyndon Baines Johnson began the tradition of a primetime address. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP During such addresses, when all three branches of government are typically present, one member of the president’s cabinet is named "designated survivor" – and stays home from the address in case terrorism or another catastrophe leads to the deaths of all assembled in the chamber. The U.S. Senate keeps records of each designated survivor going back to 1984, when former HUD Secretary Samuel Pierce Jr. was designated the potential leader of the nation if former President Ronald Reagan and everyone else in attendance perished. Notable designated survivors have included then-future New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo during former President Bill Clinton’s 1999 address, former Commerce Secretary Bill Daley – son of the famed Chicago Democratic Party boss – in 1998, and then-Attorney General Eric Holder in 2009. Most recently, former President Joe Biden’s education chief, Miguel Cardona, was 2024’s designated survivor. Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report. Continue reading...

The Supreme Court may soon weigh in on whether people younger than 21 have the right to buy handguns, a decision that could upend decades-old federal restrictions and reshape the nation’s gun laws. In January, the right-leaning Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, based in New Orleans, struck down the federal government's decades-old ban on handgun purchases for 18- to 20-year-olds. That decision came after the 10th Circuit upheld the same prohibition in November. Meanwhile, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit is currently considering whether to uphold a Virginia district court judge's decision ending the age-limit ban. "Whenever there's decisions that cross each other, you have a much better chance of getting a writ of certiorari at the U.S. Supreme Court," Alan Gottlieb, founder of the Second Amendment Foundation, told Fox News Digital. FEDERAL COURT RULES AGE LIMITS ON HANDGUN SALES VIOLATE SECOND AMENDMENT "This issue is definitely making its way to the Supreme Court—and fast," said Pepperdine's Jacob Charles, a constitutional law professor with an expertise in Second Amendment issues. "This is a key federal law, and you just can’t have that apply differently across the nation (at least for long)." The federal ban on handgun sales to people under the age of 21 began in 1968 as part of the Gun Control Act passed that year. Fast-forward to the Supreme Court's 2022 decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen, and a tranche of lawsuits aiming to upend laws restricting gun sales to people over 21 are making their way through the courts. The gun-violence nonprofit news outlet The Trace compiled data showing that between June 2022 and August 2024, there have been more than 1,600 Bruen-based challenges to gun laws. The Bruen decision rejected the strict scrutiny frameworks being used by lower courts to evaluate gun laws and instead established a "historical tradition" that required laws to adhere more directly to the text of the Second Amendment. "The levels of scrutiny – rational basis, intermediate scrutiny, strict scrutiny – don't matter. What the Supreme Court's Bruen ruling said was, you have to look at the text and the history. That's what counts," said Gottlieb. "When the Bill of Rights was put together, there was nothing that prohibited 18-to 20-year-old young adults from being able to own or carry a firearm." Gottlieb and the Second Amendment Foundation have sued in several states to reverse their bans on hand gun sales to young adults under 21. Several cases challenging age limit bans, including cases filed in Massachusetts and Connecticut this month, are ongoing. KYLE RITTENHOUSE RETURNS TO SPEAK AT UNIVERSITY WHERE ANGRY MOB LED TO CANCELED SPEECH "Our track record, at least, is mostly wins, and part of the logic on that is that there's nothing in under the Bruen decision at the Supreme Court, which makes them look at the text and history of the Second Amendment." The Fifth Circuit decision cited the Supreme Court's Bruen ruling in its decision not to uphold the federal ban, as did two other circuit courts over the last year. One case in the Eighth Circuit invalidated a ban in Minnesota. Since then, the Commissioner of Public Safety in Minnesota filed a petition for the Supreme Court to rule on the case. That petition is currently pending. Continue reading...

A D.C.-based federal district judge ruled late Saturday evening that President Donald Trump's firing of the head of the Office of Special Counsel was unlawful, keeping him in his post. The Trump administration filed their notice of appeal shortly thereafter. Hampton Dellinger, appointed by former President Joe Biden to head the Office of Special Counsel, sued the Trump administration in Washington, D.C., federal court after his Feb. 7 firing. D.C. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson wrote in the Saturday filing that the court's ruling that Dellinger's firing was "unlawful" is consistent with Supreme Court precedent. SUPREME COURT PAUSES TRUMP ADMINISTRATION'S EFFORT TO FIRE HEAD OF WHISTLEBLOWER PROTECTION AGENCY The Trump administration filed its notice of appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit shortly after Jackson's ruling. Jackson wrote that the court "finds that the elimination of the restrictions on plaintiff’s removal would be fatal to the defining and essential feature of the Office of Special Counsel as it was conceived by Congress and signed into law by the President: its independence. The Court concludes that they must stand." FEDERAL JUDGE HINTS SHE WILL CONTINUE BLOCKING TRUMP FROM FIRING HEAD OF WHISTLEBLOWER PROTECTION AGENCY Jackson enjoined the defendants in the suit, including Director of the United States Office of Management and Budget Russ Vought and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, ordering them to recognize Dellinger's post. Jackson did not enjoin Trump. "It would be ironic, to say the least, and inimical to the ends furthered by the statute if the Special Counsel himself could be chilled in his work by fear of arbitrary or partisan removal," Jackson wrote. Jackson wrote in her order that the enjoined defendants "must not obstruct or interfere with his performance of his duties; they must not deny him the authority, benefits, or resources of his office; they must not recognize any Acting Special Counsel in his place; and they must not treat him in any way as if he has been removed, or recognize any other person as Special Counsel or as the head of the Office of Special Counsel, unless and until he is removed from office" in accordance with the statute delineating Dellinger's post. Jackson's decision comes after the U.S. Supreme Court paused the Trump administration's efforts to dismiss Dellinger. The Trump administration had asked the high court to overturn a lower court's temporary reinstatement of Dellinger. HOUSE DEMS ORGANIZE RAPID RESPONSE TASK FORCE AND LITIGATION GROUP TO COMBAT TRUMP AGENDA The dispute over Dellinger's firing was the first Trump legal challenge to reach the Supreme Court in his second term. Justices Neil Gorsuch and Samuel Alito dissented, saying the lower court overstepped, and they cast doubt on whether courts have the authority to restore to office someone the president has fired. While acknowledging that some officials appointed by the president have contested their removal, Gorsuch wrote in his opinion that "those officials have generally sought remedies like backpay, not injunctive relief like reinstatement." Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson notably voted to outright deny the administration’s request to OK the firing at the time. Shortly after the Supreme Court paused Trump's efforts, Jackson hinted that she would possibly extend a temporary restraining order which has kept Dellinger in his job. Jackson called the matter "an extraordinarily difficult constitutional issue" during a hearing. "I am glad to be able to continue my work as an independent government watchdog and whistleblower advocate," Dellinger said in a statement at the time. "I am grateful to the judges and justices who have concluded that I should be allowed to remain on the job while the courts decide whether my office can retain a measure of independence from direct partisan and political control." Dellinger has maintained the argument that, by law, he can only be dismissed from his position for job performance problems, which were not cited in an email dismissing him from his post. Fox News' Bill Mears, Jake Gibson, Greg Wehner and Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report. Continue reading...

President Donald Trump on Saturday signed an executive order making English the official language of the U.S. The order revokes an executive order issued by former President Bill Clinton in 2000, "Improving Access Services for Persons with Limited English Proficiency," that required federal agencies and recipients of federal funding to provide language assistance to non-English speakers. However, Trump's order notes it does not "require or direct" any change in services provided by any agency. It will be up to agency heads to decide if any changes should be made. TRUMP TO MAKE ENGLISH OFFICIAL LANGUAGE OF US IN NEW EXECUTIVE ORDER While English has been used as the country's national language — seen in every historic governing document — the U.S. has never had an official language. "A nationally designated language is at the core of a unified and cohesive society, and the United States is strengthened by a citizenry that can freely exhange ideas in one shared language," Trump wrote in the order. The U.S. is one of just a few countries without an official language. About 180 of the 195 countries across the globe have made the distinction. GOOGLE MAPS, FAA OFFICIALLY ACKNOWLEDGES GULF OF AMERICA AFTER TRUMP DECLARATION: 'ISN'T IT BEAUTIFUL?' Trump has been outspoken about designating English as the nation's language, specifically in 2024, as he criticized former President Joe Biden's immigration policies. "We have languages coming into our country. We don’t have one instructor in our entire nation that can speak that language," Trump said while speaking before the Conservative Political Action Conference in 2024. "These are languages—it’s the craziest thing—they have languages that nobody in this country has ever heard of. It’s a very horrible thing." The order states it is intended to "promote unity" and "cultivate a shared American culture for all citizens," while ensuring consistency in government operations and creating a pathway to civic engagement. First lady Melania Trump speaks at least five languages, including English, French, Italian, German and Slovene, Fox News Digital previously reported. Trump has signed at least 76 executive orders since reclaiming the Oval Office in January, Fox News Digital previously reported. Executive orders and actions included renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, and signing an executive order to restore the Obama-named Mount Denali to its original Mount McKinley. Fox News Digital's Emma Colton contributed to this report. Continue reading...

Former U.S. Rep. Mia Love’s family is focusing on enjoying the time they have left with her after her cancer stopped responding to treatments, the Utah Republican’s daughter, Abigale, said Saturday. "Hello Friends, I’m Mia’s daughter Abigale. Many of you are aware that Mom has been fighting GBM brain cancer," Abigale wrote on her mother’s X account. Love was diagnosed in 2022 with glioblastoma, a brain tumor, and revealed her diagnosis in August 2023. Abigale added, "Sadly her cancer is no longer responding to treatment and the cancer is progressing. We have shifted our focus from treatment to enjoying our remaining time with her." KAT TIMPF REVEALS BREAST CANCER DIAGNOSIS WHILE ANNOUNCING THE BIRTH OF HER SON Love became the first Black Republican woman elected to Congress when she won a redrawn district near Salt Lake City in 2014 that had previously been represented by a Democrat. She was also the first Black Congress member from Utah. "I wasn’t elected in Saratoga Springs because of my race or my gender or my heels," Love said in 2013 of her time as mayor of the Utah city. "I was elected by the people there because I had a plan and a vision to get us financially stable." The 49-year-old served two terms in Congress, working on the Financial Services Committee, and she was the only Republican in the Congressional Black Caucus. She was defeated by a Democrat in 2018. COMMON CANCER TREATMENT CAN HAVE THIS PAINFUL SIDE EFFECT Love last posted about her diagnosis in May, writing, "These past few years have not been easy, but I have found strength and solace in my faith and constant support and love in my family. Together, they have given me hope! Whatever challenges you are facing now, keep fighting and know that there is hope." Love told a church youth group in 2023 that when she went on a vacation in 2022, headaches she’d been having started to get worse. "As soon as we landed, I felt a headache come on," she told the group, according to KSL Radio. "When we went to the beach, the reflection of the sun on the water made the headache worse. My husband took me to the hospital." Doctors found a tumor, and she underwent surgery to remove 95% of it. After the tumor was revealed to be malignant, Love began chemotherapy, radiation treatments and, eventually, immunotherapy. Love, who had previously converted from Catholicism to the Church of Jesus Church of Latter-day Saints, told CNN last year she was "looking for a cure in my faith and science." Late Sen. John McCain was also diagnosed with glioblastoma in 2017. He died in 2018. Despite her diagnosis, Love remained politically engaged over the last election cycle, denouncing an assassination attempt on President Trump in July on X. "Political violence is despicable," she wrote. "There is not, nor will there ever be, a place for it in our Republic. If you find yourself supporting or wishing for violence, know you are wrong. May we recommit to civility, reasonable discourse, and proper civil engagement rather over anger and hatred." CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP A week later, she posted, "After this past week, I’m all in on team Trump/Vance! They have a passionate vision of an American revival that enables all Americans to pursue their dreams." After her daughter's announcement Saturday, Love received an outpouring of support. "Mia Love is a dear friend. I pray for her and her family," Sen. Mike Lee of Utah posted on X. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox wrote, "Mia Love has served Utah with integrity, and her strength and grace continue to inspire us. Our hearts are with Mia and her family during this difficult time. Utah stands with you." "I’m so sorry," Love's former colleague, former Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger, wrote. Continue reading...

Hundreds of protesters gathered in Vermont Saturday to protest Vice President JD Vance's visit to a local ski resort, less than 24 hours after his explosive exchange with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Vance, who brought his family to Sugarbush Resort in Warren, Vermont, was greeted by a half-mile gauntlet of protesters holding pro-Ukraine signs Saturday. There appeared to be hundreds in the crowd. The protesters carried signs calling Vance "Nazi scum," accusing him of being a "traitor" and telling him to "go ski in Russia." Other signs said "Trump serves Putin," "Theocracy is not freedom" and "Stand with Ukraine." ZELENSKYY SPEAKS OUT AFTER PUBLIC SPAT WITH TRUMP, VANCE, SAYS DUSTUP 'BAD FOR BOTH SIDES' But not all Green Mountain State skiers were upset with Vance's visit, and one local skier complained about the demonstrations to Fox News Digital. "Those people protesting Vance are f---ing morons," the skier said. A source also told Fox News that the Vances initially intended to stay at a four-star inn near the resort, but that they moved to an undisclosed location instead, though that decision preceded the protests. Protesters also gathered near the slopes the Vance family skied on, the source said, but it is unclear how close they got to the Second Family. The demonstrations came less than a day after Vance and Zelenskyy had a tense argument in the White House, which began when the Ukrainian leader balked at signing a mineral rights deal that President Trump said would pave the way for a peace deal. TRUMP SAYS ZELENSKYY CAN ‘COME BACK WHEN HE IS READY FOR PEACE’ AFTER FIERY WHITE HOUSE EXCHANGE "Mr. President, with respect, I think it's disrespectful for you to come into the Oval Office to try to litigate this in front of the American media," Vance told Zelenskyy. "Right now, you guys are going around and forcing conscripts to the front lines because you have manpower problems. You should be thanking the president for trying to bring an end to this conflict." Later, Vance implied that Zelenskyy, who was visiting Washington, D.C., to sign a rare earth minerals deal that has since been dropped, was ungrateful again and asked if he'd "said ‘thank you’ once this entire meeting." "You went to Pennsylvania and campaigned for the opposition in October. Offer some words of appreciation for the United States of America and the president who's trying to save your country," the former Ohio senator said. The Ukrainian leader replied that Vance was speaking "loudly" before President Donald Trump jumped in to support Vance, telling Zelenskyy that his country was "in trouble." Fox News Digital reached out to the White House and Sugarbush Resort for comment. Fox News Digital's Emma Colton contributed to this report. Continue reading...

President Donald Trump took to social media Saturday afternoon to declare "The Invasion of our Country is OVER" after his first full month in office, which saw only 8,326 apprehensions of illegal immigrants by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP), a record-setting low. In a post on Truth Social, Trump relayed the apprehensions of illegal immigrants by Border Patrol at the southern border, all of whom were "quickly ejected from our Nation or, when necessary, prosecuted for crimes against the United States of America." The Trump administration's apprehension numbers in its first full month represent a 96% drop from Biden administration highs in December 2023, when CBP reported 301,981 encounters at the southern border. ‘HE IS DELIVERING’: TRUMP'S FIRST MONTH FLIPS SCRIPT ON RADICAL BIDEN-HARRIS BORDER POLICIES "This means that very few people came – The Invasion of our Country is OVER," Trump wrote in the post. "In comparison, under Joe Biden, there were 300,000 Illegals crossing in one month, and virtually ALL of them were released into our Country. Thanks to the Trump Administration Policies, the Border is CLOSED to all Illegal Immigrants." In fiscal year 2024, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reported 271,484 removals, and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reported about 700,000 removals and returns, more than any prior fiscal year since 2010. The Biden administration repeatedly had single days when apprehensions approached 10,000 illegal immigrants, surpassing the new administration's monthly total. The Trump administration's accomplishments come solely from executive action and tougher messaging after no border bill was signed. "Anyone who tries to illegally enter the U.S.A. will face significant criminal penalties and immediate deportation," the president wrote. TRUMP FREEZES APPLICATIONS FOR BIDEN-ERA MIGRANT PROGRAMS AMID FRAUD, NATIONAL SECURITY CONCERNS After heavily campaigning on border security and cracking down on illegal immigration, Trump signed executive orders that declared a national emergency at the border and deployed the U.S. military to combat the surge. He also signed orders ending birthright citizenship, suspending refugee admissions, ending the use of an app at the southern border to admit migrants via humanitarian parole and resuming border wall construction. The Pentagon stepped in, deploying troops to the southern border and opening up Guantánamo Bay to migrants. ICE restrictions previously put in place by the Biden administration were overturned by the DHS, allowing law enforcement to go into "sensitive" places, conduct expedited removal and review the parole status of migrants brought in under parole. According to DHS data obtained by Fox News Digital, there were 11,791 interior ICE arrests from Jan. 20 to Feb. 8, compared to 4,969 during the same period in 2024, a 137% increase. A number of high-profile raids in "sanctuary" cities yielded more than a thousand daily arrests, including those of violent criminals and gang members. The country has also benefited financially from the new Trump border policies, with tens of millions of dollars taken back from New York City designated for hotels where migrants are being housed. A recent order directed all federal agencies to identify all federally funded programs providing financial benefits to illegal immigrants and "take corrective action." The goal of the order is to make sure federal funds will not be used to support sanctuary policies or assist illegal immigration. Fox News' Adam Shaw and Bill Melguin contributed to this report. Continue reading...

Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo launched his bid for New York City mayor with a video posted on his X account Saturday, a development that followed . months of speculation that he would launch a comeback after leaving office in August 2021. In the announcement, Cuomo, who also previously served as the U.S. secretary of Housing and Urban Development, acknowledged that "the greatest city in the world" is facing several challenges, touching on rampant homelessness, "random violence," and other issues he believes are harming the Big Apple. DEMOCRAT REP RITCHIE TORRES ENDORSES CUOMO FOR NEW YORK CITY MAYOR OVER ERIC ADAMS: REPORT "We know that our New York City is in trouble," Cuomo says in the launch video. "You feel it when you walk down the street and try not to make eye contact with a mentally ill homeless person, or when the anxiety rises up in your chest as you're walking down the subway." "The city just feels threatening, out of control and in crisis," Cuomo said, placing the blame on political leaders and their "lack of intelligent action." Cuomo called for more police and tougher action on crime and homelessness in the city. He admitted that in NYC, "police have been devalued," but said he wanted to restore "mutual respect" between law enforcement and residents. CUOMO RESPONDS AFTER EX-NEW YORK OFFICIAL CALLS FOR HIM TO BE NYC MAYOR Additionally, Cuomo talked about the state of the city's subway system and lamented that "people stand with their backs against the walls, away from the tracks" because they fear "being the next victim" and are "afraid of New York at its worst." He also called for a"permanent significant increase" in police presence in the subways. "Government just has to get out of its own way and get it done," Curomo said, referring to the state of NYC housing. The former New York governor went on to tout his accomplishments, saying that "government can make a positive difference." In particular, Cuomo highlighted his actions during the COVID-19 pandemic, which he called a "historic life and death challenge." During the COVID-19 pandemic, Cuomo became a national figure, with some referring to him as "America's governor." His daily briefings became a staple at the time. However, many criticized his policies when it came to housing sick patients in nursing homes. In August 2021, amid sexual harassment allegations, Cuomo resigned, making way for now-New York Gov. Kathy Hochul to take his place. Cuomo denied the allegations. New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who has faced his own scandals, is running for reelection, but has an uphill battle as the city grapples with crime and homelessness. New York City Democrats will pick their mayoral candidate in a primary election that is set for June 2025. Continue reading...