Transgender troops have between 30 and 60 days to self-separate from the military after a court order allowed the ban on their service to move forward, according to a Thursday memo from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

“After a SCOTUS victory for @POTUS, TRANS is out at the DOD,” Hegseth wrote on X, along with a video announcing the new deadline. 

Approximately 1,000 service members have self–identified as having gender dysphoria and will begin the voluntary separation process, according to the Pentagon. 

Active duty service members have until June 6, one month after the court’s ruling, to leave the military. Reservists have until July 7. 

SUPREME COURT STAYS LOWER COURT RULING, ALLOWING TRUMP TRANSGENDER BAN TO PROCEED

“The Secretary is encouraged by the Supreme Court’s order staying the lower court’s injunction, allowing the Department of Defense to carry out its policies associated with ‘Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness,’” Pentagon chief spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a statement celebrating the ruling and announcing the new timeline. 

“In accordance with policy now reinstated, service members who have a current diagnosis or history of or exhibit symptoms consistent with gender dysphoria may elect to separate voluntarily,” Hegseth said, adding that if they chose not to do so by the deadline, they would be removed “involuntarily, if necessary.”

HEGSETH SAYS HE’S SIGNING MEMO ON COMBAT ARMS STANDARDS FOR MEN AND WOMEN

The high court ruling was a victory for the White House, even as the justices did not address the underlying merits of the case or President Donald Trump‘s Jan. 27 executive order banning transgender service members from the U.S. military.

A lower court had issued an injunction on the policy. The Trump administration argued that delaying the policy could pose a threat to U.S. military readiness.

Trump officials have argued that the transgender military policy “furthers the government’s important interests in military readiness, unit cohesion, good order and discipline, and avoiding disproportionate costs.”

An executive order signed by Trump in January ordered Hegseth to update medical standards to ensure they “prioritize readiness and lethality” and take action to “end the use of invented and identification-based pronouns” within the DOD.

It says that expressing a “gender identity” different from an individual’s sex at birth does not meet military standards. 

A categorical ban on transgender service members was lifted in 2014 under then-President Barack Obama.

Between Jan. 1, 2016, and May 14, 2021, the DOD reportedly spent approximately $15 million on providing transgender treatments (surgical and nonsurgical) to 1,892 active-duty service members, according to the Congressional Research Service. 

The transgender ban is part of a broader push by the new Pentagon leadership to root out any policies related to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). 

Last month, Hegseth announced that “99.9%” of DEI-related policies had been eliminated at the Defense Department, as he raised standards for fitness tests and moved to ensure the combat fitness test held men and women to the same standards. 

Fox News’ Breanne Deppisch and Haley Chi-Sing contributed to this report.

While President Donald Trump wants to gut the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are seeking to elevate FEMA to a Cabinet-level agency. 

FEMA is currently housed under the Department of Homeland Security, but the House effort would solidify FEMA as its own separate agency, according to a discussion draft of the legislation released Thursday. 

House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Rep. Sam Graves, R-Mo., and committee ranking member Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Wash., are spearheading the legislation. 

Other proposals included in the draft legislation are instructing the Office of Management and Budget to create a centralized website tracking disaster assistance recovery across the federal government, and allowing FEMA to foot the bill for repairs to homes suffering damage in disasters. 

Currently, FEMA only covers expenses that make a home livable following disasters. 

‘FEMA IS NOT GOOD’: TRUMP ANNOUNCES AGENCY OVERHAUL DURING VISIT TO NORTH CAROLINA 

“By releasing this discussion draft legislation, we hope to engage our colleagues and stakeholders on comprehensive FEMA reform,” Graves said in a Thursday statement. “This draft bill includes substantive changes that will transform FEMA and our emergency programs to be much more state and locally driven – not micro-managed into ineffectiveness by the federal government.”

While Trump and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem have voiced support for eradicating FEMA, the former acting administrator of FEMA, Cameron Hamilton, warned against gutting the agency on Wednesday.

“I do not believe it is in the best interest of the American people to eliminate the Federal Emergency Management Agency,” Hamilton told lawmakers on the House Appropriations committee on Wednesday. 

“Having said that, I’m not in a position to make a decision,” Hamilton said. “That is a conversation that should be had between the president of the United States and this governing body.”

However, Hamilton, who previously served as a hospital corpsman in the U.S. Navy with SEAL Team 8 and started leading FEMA in January, was ousted from his post Thursday. 

ACTING FEMA ADMINISTRATOR OUT AFTER PUSHING BACK AGAINST TRUMP’S AGENCY PLANS

FEMA confirmed to Fox News Digital Thursday that Hamilton was no longer with the agency. 

Days after his inauguration in January, Trump visited North Carolina to oversee the state’s efforts to recover from Hurricane Helene, more than 120 days after the storm struck the state. On the trip, Trump floated plans to gut FEMA, which oversaw the disaster relief efforts. 

“I’ll also be signing an executive order to begin the process of fundamentally reforming and overhauling FEMA, or maybe getting rid of FEMA,” Trump told reporters in North Carolina. “I think, frankly, FEMA is not good.”

The executive order established a review council to evaluate potential reforms to FEMA, including whether the agency’s bureaucracy restricts its ability to appropriately respond to disasters. Likewise, Trump’s budget proposal includes plans to slash nearly $650 million in FEMA grants. 

On Tuesday, Noem told lawmakers that Trump stands by his statements that FEMA’s current setup should be quashed. 

“He believes that FEMA and its response in many, many circumstances has failed the American people, and that FEMA as it exists today should be eliminated,” Noem said. 

Sparks are flying over taxes that primarily affect Republicans representing districts in Democrat-controlled states, sending tensions skyrocketing as GOP lawmakers negotiate President Donald Trump‘s “big, beautiful bill.”

The fight more specifically is about state and local tax deductions, colloquially known as SALT. 

Republican lawmakers representing high-cost-of-living areas outside big cities had been pushing leaders to raise the current cap on SALT deductions – $10,000 for both single filers and married couples – in Trump’s bill.

However, on Thursday night, leaders of the House’s SALT Caucus emphatically rejected what they said was an offer from GOP leaders to raise that deduction to $30,000.

SCOOP: REPUBLICANS DISCUSS DEFUNDING ‘BIG ABORTION’ LIKE PLANNED PARENTHOOD IN TRUMP AGENDA BILL

“We’ve negotiated in good faith on SALT from the start— fighting for the taxpayers we represent in New York. Yet with no notice or agreement, the Speaker and the House Ways and Means Committee unilaterally proposed a flat $30,000 SALT cap — an amount they already knew would fall short of earning our support,” the statement said.

“It’s not just insulting — it risks derailing President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill. New Yorkers already send far more to Washington than we get back — unlike many so-called ‘low-tax’ states that depend heavily on federal largesse. A higher SALT cap isn’t a luxury. It’s a matter of fairness. We reject this offer.”

The statement was signed by Reps. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., Nick LaLota, R-N.Y., Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., and Andrew Garbarino, R-N.Y.

However, not all of their delegation is on board.

Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., whose district spans a sliver of south Brooklyn and all of Staten Island, told Fox News Digital first that she could support a $30,000 cap.

“Everyone needs to advocate for the needs of their district. Tripling the deduction to $30,000 will provide much-needed relief for the middle-class and cover 98% of the families in my district,” she said.

However, a spokesperson for Johnson pointed out that there was no commitment made on any number.

Press secretary Athina Lawson wrote on X alongside a report that Johnson “acknowledged” the $30,000 number, “To add vital, missing context: What the Speaker actually said is this is one number among others in ongoing discussions amongst members.”

She referenced comments Johnson made to reporters on Thursday when asked about the figure. “I’ve heard that number, and I’ve heard others as well.”

“It’s still an ongoing discussion amongst the members,” Johnson said. “I’m not going to handicap it because I’m not sure exactly what that is, but there’s a lot of analysis that’s going into it.”

The Republican majorities in the House and Senate are working on advancing Trump’s agenda via the budget reconciliation process, which allows the party in power to move a massive piece of legislation without the opposing party’s input, provided it deals with budgetary and other fiscal matters.

It is a massive effort across multiple committees of jurisdiction.

The Ways & Means Committee, the House’s tax-writing panel, is expected to unveil its portion of the bill within days. 

BROWN UNIVERSITY IN GOP CROSSHAIRS AFTER STUDENT’S DOGE-LIKE EMAIL KICKS OFF FRENZY

A meeting to advance that legislation is expected Tuesday afternoon, people familiar with the planning told Fox News Digital.

Malliotakis is the only member of the committee who is also a member of the SALT Caucus.

Republicans in California, New York and New Jersey have been pushing for the reconciliation bill to lift the SALT deduction cap, which was first implemented in Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

Some lawmakers have proposed lifting the cap to as high as $100,000, which Republicans in other areas have largely rejected.

The blue state Republicans pushing for a larger deduction have argued the issue is critical for their constituents. 

They are also the most vulnerable lawmakers in the House GOP Conference, and their seats are key to Republicans holding onto their slim majority.

Republicans in favor of raising the SALT deduction have also pointed out that while it benefits people in high-cost-of-living areas outside big cities, it is those states that send more tax dollars back to Washington for programs that ultimately benefit the entire country.

However, others in conservative circles have pushed back on their efforts.

“The Republican margin is so small in the House that a handful of New England Republicans have a lot of sway over this bill and are pushing to raise that deduction,” said Marc Short, an alumnus of Trump’s first administration who played a key role in the 2017 tax negotiations.

“I think from a tax perspective, what’s unfair about that is you’re basically taking much of middle America that live in states that are better governed and asking them to subsidize the residents in states that are poorly managed and continue to generate huge deficits.”

The morning after his election, Robert Prevost — now Pope Leo XIV and the first American pontiff in the Catholic Church’s 2,000-year history — presided over his first Mass.

In a nod to his predecessor, the late Pope Francis, Leo pledged to align himself with “ordinary people” and pointed to a loss of religious faith for contributing to “appalling violations of human dignity.”

“A lack of faith is often tragically accompanied by the loss of meaning in life, the neglect of mercy, appalling violations of human dignity, the crisis of the family and so many other wounds that afflict our society,” the new pope said in his homily delivered at the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel on Thursday. 

However, the message from the pope – who, like his predecessor, appears to hail from the more inclusive and progressive wing of the Catholic Church – does not appear to be receptive to some in the “America First” movement.

FIRST AMERICAN-BORN POPE INSPIRES FAITH LEADERS ACROSS THE NATION

The founder and leader of the movement, President Donald Trump, on Thursday quickly praised the selection of Leo, who was Chicago-born but has lived much of his adult life in Peru.

“It is such an honor to realize that he is the first American Pope. What excitement, and what a Great Honor for our Country. I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV. It will be a very meaningful moment!” Trump wrote in a social media post.

Additionally, Vice President JD Vance, only the second Catholic vice president in U.S. history, congratulated the new pope, adding, “I’m sure millions of American Catholics and other Christians will pray for his successful work leading the Church. May God bless him!”

PRESIDENT TRUMP CALLS FIRST AMERICAN POPE LEO XIV AN ‘HONOR’ FOR US, ‘VERY HAPPY’

However, thanks to a paper trail of weighing in on major American lighting rod issues such as illegal immigration, gun control, and even the 2020 death of George Floyd – which sparked nationwide protests targeting police brutality towards minorities – the new pope was bound to be controversial among some of Trump’s millions of MAGA supporters.

Steve Bannon, the former White House chief strategist in Trump’s first administration and a conservative Catholic, wrote, “Worst pick ever,” in responding on social media to the new pope’s election.

That sentiment from Bannon, and much harsher words from some far-right podcasters and social media influencers, was likely fueled in part by apparent past posts from the new pope – which could not be independently verified by Fox News – that were critical of the Trump administration’s sweeping and controversial immigration policies.

Pro-Trump conservative commentator Joey Mannarino took to X to charge that “the new Pope has recently attacked JD Vance, shown solidarity with Kilmar Abrego-Garcia and begged Trump to open the borders like Biden had them. This guy is worse than Francis.”

LIVE UPDATES: CARDINAL ROBERT PREVOST ANNOUNCED AS FIRST AMERICAN POPE, TAKING NAME LEO XIV

However, influential conservative activist and commentator Charlie Kirk, a MAGA world rock star and Trump ally who leads the powerful Turning Point USA youth organization, was more measured.

“Let’s just say, not so great tweets about having some willingness for open borders. We’ll see kind of how he is on that. Also some George Floyd stuff that I’m not too crazy about,” Kirk said in a video posted on X.

Kirk added that “overall, it seems like he’s a pro-life warrior. There’s a lot yet to learn about this pope, but I hope that he will be a strong advocate for strong borders. And for sovereignty.”

Popular conservative commentator and radio host Hugh Hewitt seemed receptive to the new pope.

Trump has warmly embraced American Catholics in recent years and captured nearly 60% of the Catholic vote in last year’s presidential election, according to a Fox News voter analysis. Four years earlier, former President Joe Biden, the nation’s second Catholic president, narrowly captured the Catholic vote.

Among those Catholics who supported Trump is former New Hampshire state House Speaker Bill O’Brien, who is one of the state’s two members on the Republican National Committee.

O’Brien told Fox News that he’s “very respectful of the votes of the conclave, and I’m also proud that we do have a pope from America.”

“I certainly would have liked to have seen someone more in the tradition of Pope Benedict, who held more closely to the traditional doctrines of the church,” O’Brien said. “But I’m not sure that Pope Leo is really established now in terms of where he will be. And the fact that he criticized Trump, I suppose that probably shows a less than developed political sense than it does a doctoral sense, which is more important.”

O’Brien noted that “any pope, any religious figure for that matter, is going to be concerned about those who are powerless in our society, and rightfully so, but that doesn’t mean he’s given intense thought to the importance of national borders.”

He additionally emphasized that “I’m thrilled about where he comes from, and I’m hopeful about where he’s going.”

EXCLUSIVE: President Donald Trump‘s Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Doug Collins, has proposed a 15% workforce reduction with a goal of cutting 80,000 jobs at the VA. 

Retired Lt. Col. Jim Whaley, CEO of Mission Roll Call, a veteran advocacy non-profit, said such VA reform is necessary to improve veterans’ lives across the United States. 

Whaley told Fox News Digital that veterans want to see less bureaucracy at the VA and more “community care” to cut wait times and increase services at local VA hospitals, but “if it was easy, somebody would have solved it.”

“Every American and politician, from both sides of the aisle, can agree that we want to make sure we take care of our veterans,” Whaley said. “We just got out of over 20 years of war, so there are a lot of veterans and their families that need help. We want to make sure that every dollar that the American taxpayer is paying to support the VA is spent wisely, and that veterans are getting the care that they need. And more importantly, that they’re getting the care when they need it, where they need it and how they need it.”

‘CHANGES THAT ACTUALLY HELP OUR VETERANS’: VA SECRETARY DEFENDS PROPOSED 15% WORKFORCE REDUCTION

The VA serves only half of U.S. veterans. While Whaley said Collins is trying to reach the other 50% through TV and podcast appearances, he encouraged more transparency about the VA’s services to reach the other half of veterans who still need care. 

“One hundred days into the second Trump administration, and VA is no longer content with poor results. Under President Trump’s leadership, we have already stripped away many of the costly distractions that were coming between VA beneficiaries and the benefits they have earned. And we’re looking to make even more historic reforms to better serve our veterans,” Collins said. 

Trump and Collins have faced controversy in the media and among Democrats for cutting VA jobs and for their efforts to overhaul the department. Whaley, whose organization conducts veteran polling, said more than half of veterans are worried about VA cuts. 

‘DOWN TO ZERO’: VETERAN SUICIDE CRISIS TARGETED IN VA BILL BY BIPARTISAN HOUSE COALITION

“When all you hear is about the cuts versus what the philosophy is behind why you’re making those changes in an organization, there’s going to be fear. Change is hard. It’s important that the VA stays as transparent as possible and reports on what is being done and what improvements are being made,” Whaley said. 

However, Whatley, a veteran himself, said all veterans want to see an improved VA. 

“They want to see services improve, they want to see wait times reduced. As time goes on and Veterans Affairs communicate more and more with veterans, they will know a little bit about what’s going on, and they’ll be a little less anxious about it. I think it’s all about making sure that veterans are getting the news, making sure they understand why they’re making these cuts.”

Whaley encouraged Collins and the VA to include more veterans in the conversations surrounding the VA’s reform by listening to families and caregivers to learn how to best invest in veteran care. 

“Veteran affairs are very important to recruitment issues, and that, of course, affects national security. So they’re not all separate, it all wraps together. When a veteran gets out of the service after a few years of serving their country, we have to make sure that the transition to the civilian world and finding a job and plugging into the community goes smoothly, because if we don’t, then we have an issue,” Whaley said. 

According to the 2023 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report, more than 17 veterans committed suicide per day in 2021. 

“We need to get the number of suicides as close to zero as possible. That’s the number one priority,” Whaley said, adding that community care is also a top priority, so veterans don’t have to drive long distances and wait a long time to get the services they need. 

“We need to make sure that the Department of Defense and the VA are working together when veterans are transitioning out of the military to make sure they’re plugged into the VA and that the transition goes well. Because the fact of the matter is, the majority of suicides among veterans are from veterans that have recently transitioned to the civilian world.”

FIRST ON FOX: A Democrat running for Congress in New Jersey who has been positioning herself as a moderate to unseat the sitting Republican in a pro-Trump district, has deleted several social media posts promoting progressive candidates and causes.

Democrat Rebecca Bennett, who is running in the Democratic primary to unseat GOP Rep. Thomas Kean Jr. in New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District, is a Navy veteran and current member of the Air Force National Guard who has been labeled by local media as a “moderate” in a race the Cook Political Report ranks as “Lean Republican.”

A Fox News Digital review of Bennett’s X account, which was created in July 2011 and recently converted from @BigRedBecks to @RebeccaForNJ07, shows several deleted posts that seemingly drift away from the “moderate” label, including praise of progressive Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren.

“Love her,” Bennett said in a now-deleted post about Warren in 2019. 

BIDEN DENIES HE LEFT 2024 RACE TOO LATE TO STOP TRUMP, SAYS IT WOULDN’T HAVE MADE A DIFFERENCE

“I love everything about this,” Bennett said in a now-deleted post praising a video mashup of Warren to the tune of a Taylor Swift song. “(Except the misogyny that makes it real…) #TeamWarren.”

Bennett has also removed posts praising former Vice President Kamala Harris, who was defeated by President Donald Trump, not only nationally, but also narrowly with voters in Kean’s district by just over one percentage point. 

“Let’s Goooooo,” Bennett wrote in a now-deleted post after Harris was announced as then-former Vice President Joe Biden’s running mate in 2020. 

If elected, Bennett would serve alongside Democratic New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, who she praised in 2020, calling him the “best senator.” That post has since been deleted. 

VANCE, CONSERVATIVES BLAST OMAR OVER RESURFACED ‘FEARFUL OF WHITE MEN’ CLIP: ‘GENOCIDAL LANGUAGE’

During the civil unrest and rioting that erupted after the death of George Floyd in 2020, Bennett posted on X that she agreed in a now-deleted post with a comment from former Obama campaign strategist David Plouffe, where he said House Democrats should “hold hearings” and investigate law enforcement officials responding to the riots.

Bennett also deleted a post that appears to support the first impeachment of President Trump.

“Officially a @JasonCrowCO6 fan,” Bennett posted on January 21, 2020 as the impeachment trial was unfolding where Crow ultimately voted to impeach. “I’m a vet who also didn’t have the equipment I needed to do my job, so this is personal for me too. #ImpeachmentTrial.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Bennett’s team to inquire about the motivation behind deleting the X posts. 

Bennett’s announcement video, which is almost two minutes long, does not mention that she is a Democrat.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) spokeswoman Maureen O’Toole said, “It’s clear Rebecca Bennett is desperately trying to run away from her past and cover up her radical, out of touch agenda.”

“But New Jersey voters see right through her act and know exactly who she is: a radical scam artist who can’t be trusted.”

Bennett’s team, in a statement to Fox News Digital, did not address why the posts were removed but dismissed the criticism from the NRCC. 

“It’s no surprise to see the NRCC and conservative news outlets start attacking Rebecca, because they know she is a serious threat to beat Congressman Tom Kean next November and flip NJ7,” Dan Bryan, senior advisor to the Bennett campaign, said. 

“Rebecca and her campaign will continue to ignore recycled bad faith attacks from right-wing outlets and focus on her record serving this country and Congressman Kean’s failure to deliver for working families in our district.”

Bennett is not the first New Jersey Democrat running for Congress to face scrutiny over deleted social media posts.

Sue Altman, who was defeated by Kean in 2024, faced heated criticism for deleting social media posts that were critical of law enforcement. 

The race in NJ-07 will be closely watched in next year’s midterm elections given the thin majority Republicans currently hold in the House of Representatives, where the GOP currently holds 220 seats compared to 215 for the Democrats.

Vice President JD Vance suggested the U.S. will not intervene in the ongoing conflict between India and Pakistan, arguing the dust-up is “fundamentally none of our business.” 

“We can’t control these countries,” Vance told Fox News’ Martha McCallum on “The Story” Thursday. “We’re not going to get involved in the middle of a war that’s fundamentally none of our business and has nothing to do with America’s ability to control it.”

Vance’s comments came after President Donald Trump offered his help to repair relations between the two neighbors in Asia.

“Oh, it’s so terrible. My position is, I get along with both,” Trump told reporters Wednesday. “I know both very well, and I want to see them work it out. I want to see them stop. And hopefully they can stop now. They’ve got a tit-for-tat, so hopefully they can stop now. But I know both. We get along with both countries very well. Good relationships with both. And I want to see it stop. And if I can do anything to help I will. I will be there as well.”

PAKISTAN SHOOTS DOWN MORE THAN TWO DOZEN DRONES LAUNCHED BY INDIA

Vance, however, said the U.S. does not believe the issue will devolve into a nuclear conflict as he called on both sides to de-escalate. 

“America can’t tell the Indians to lay down their arms. We can’t tell the Pakistanis to lay down their arms. And so we’re going to continue to pursue this thing through diplomatic channels. Our hope and our expectation is that this is not going to spiral into a broader regional war or, God forbid, a nuclear conflict.”

The vice president’s comments come after India attacked nine sites in longtime foe Pakistan’s territory in response to a terrorist attack that killed 26 mostly Indian tourists in the disputed Kashmir region. 

India said it had intelligence that a terrorist group based in Pakistan was responsible for the attack.

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s military reported that the strikes killed at least 26 people – including women and children – and claimed India’s action amounted to an “act of war.” Pakistan said it shot down five Indian fighter jets in response, claiming that the move was justified given India’s strike. 

India has since launched drones into Pakistan, which its military forces say they shot down. India has also called up its reservists to ready for the potential of a protracted conflict. 

TRUMP OFFERS TO HELP INDIA, PAKISTAN AMID GROWING CONFLICT: ‘I WANT TO SEE THEM STOP’

Vance has emerged as the standard-bearer for the Trump administration’s non-interventionist wing, giving voice to an American-first foreign policy that breaks sharply from GOP orthodoxy and has been labeled isolationist by hawkish critics. 

He claimed the U.S. was “making a mistake” when it began the offensive campaign against the Houthis in March. 

“I think we are making a mistake,” Vance wrote in a private Signal chat, inadvertently leaked to a journalist and later published by The Atlantic.

“I am not sure the president is aware how inconsistent this is with his message on Europe right now.” The commercial ships attacked in the Red Sea are largely European.

Vance has favored diplomatic negotiations with Iran to thwart its nuclear program and was on the attack at a White House meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in February. 

“Right now you guys are going around forcing conscripts to the front lines because you have manpower problems,” Vance told Zelenskyy. “You should be thanking the president for trying to bring an end to this conflict,” he added during a meeting that devolved into a near-shouting match.

Trump, for his part, is seemingly behind Vance and his restraint-minded approach, naming the vice president as a potential successor to the presidency in an NBC interview last week. 

“You look at Marco, you look at JD Vance, who’s fantastic,” Trump said on the future of the top of the Republican ticket, referring to Vance and Secretary of State and interim national security advisor Marco Rubio.

“Certainly you would say that somebody’s the V.P., if that person is outstanding, I guess that person would have an advantage.”

House Republicans are trying to find the right cocktail of tax reductions and new revenue to pass President Donald Trump‘s “big, beautiful bill” by Memorial Day. 

No taxes on tips is politically popular and is a key campaign promise of the president, but a coalition of deficit hawks could block that if the GOP fails to find revenue to cover the gap. 

That is why the president pushed House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., this week to raise taxes on the super rich. 

HORSE SENSE: HOUSE REPUBLICANS WORK TO PASS ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’

Trump is considering allowing the rate on individuals making $2.5 million or more to increase by 2.6%, from 37% to 39.6%, Fox News Digital reported Thursday.

Such a move would resonate with working-class Americans who elected the president. However, many conservatives have signed pledges for years against raising any taxes. 

Trump wrote in a Truth Social post Friday morning, “The problem with even a ‘TINY’ tax increase for the RICH, which I and all others would graciously accept in order to help the lower and middle income workers, is that the Radical Left Democrat Lunatics would go around screaming, ‘Read my lips,’ the fabled Quote by George Bush the Elder that is said to have cost him the Election. NO, Ross Perot cost him the Election! In any event, Republicans should probably not do it, but I’m OK if they do!!!”

CAPITOL HILL LAWMAKERS REACT TO ELECTION OF FIRST AMERICAN POPE: ‘UNBELIEVABLE’ 

A deduction for state and local taxes (SALT) also remains unresolved as a group of Republican representatives from New York threaten to vote against the latest proposal. Meantime, a debate rages about health assistance.

House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, accused Democrats of trying to “paralyze our conference” and “frighten” Republicans about Medicare and Medicaid cuts. Specifics are key.

“Until we see what comes out of the committee, I don’t know what’s on and what’s off,” said Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris, R-Md.

Gov. Gavin Newsom, D-Calif., a potential 2028 presidential candidate, launched a new fact-check website on Wednesday targeting “right-wing misinformation,” as a new poll found more than half of California registered voters believe he is more focused on becoming president than delivering for Californians. 

Newsom’s campaign apparatus described the new fact-check website as a “rapid-response website to set the record straight about the Golden State” and President Donald Trump. 

A new survey conducted by UC Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies and co-sponsored by the Los Angeles Times found that 54% of California registered voters believe Newsom is more focused on his personal presidential ambitions than solving the ongoing problems at home in the Golden State. 

“By a more than a two-to-one margin (54% to 26%), most voters believe that as Newsom serves out his final two years as governor, he is devoting more of his attention to things that might benefit himself as a possible candidate for president than to governing the state and helping to solve its problems,” according to the results of the poll completed April 21-28 among 6,201 registered voters in California. 

TRUMP DARES NEWSOM TO RUN IN 2028, SLAMS RECORD ON LA WILDFIRES

Newsom’s campaign, in a press release announcing the new fact-checking endeavor, touted California as the fourth-largest economy in the world, and said the blue state’s population is growing, crime rates are at historic lows and California is leading the nation in clean energy and tech innovation. 

WHITMER DITCHES DEM PLAYBOOK ON TRUMP’S TARIFFS AMID 2028 SPECULATION

“This site is for everyone sick of the BS about California. We’re done letting the MAGA trolls define the Golden State. We’re going on the offense and fighting back — with facts,” Newsom said. 

Newsom’s latest endeavor targets misinformation from the devastating Los Angeles fires this year and other state issues, including crime, climate, the economy, immigration, energy and housing. California is often ridiculed by Republicans as a representation of the demise of Democratic states. Such was the case last month when a California lawmaker proposed a bill to allow state college and university students to sleep in their cars amid the blue state’s housing crisis. 

The California politician has long been rumored to harbor presidential ambitions. He was one of several names floated as a potential Democratic nominee replacement for President Joe Biden before Biden suspended his re-election campaign last summer and ultimately chose former Vice President Kamala Harris as his successor. Newsom also campaigned for Biden and Harris in key battleground states, acting as a surrogate for both candidates when their names were on the top of the ticket. 

Newsom launched a podcast this year embracing political dialogue across party lines, following Democrats losing the White House and the Senate and failing to regain the House of Representatives in 2024. Newsom has invited Trump allies and conservative guests, including Charlie Kirk and Steve Bannon, onto his podcast in an attempt to show he is open to “criticism and debate without demeaning or dehumanizing one another.” 

The strategy follows criticism after the 2024 election that Democrats didn’t prioritize new media appearances and unscripted conversations enough. 

But Newsom’s willingness to soak up the national spotlight as Democrats look for someone to lead the party into the next generation may have backfired among his California constituents. 

Newsom is one of several Democratic governors trying to balance diplomacy with rejecting Trump’s agenda during the president’s second term. Newsom has spoken out against Trump’s tariff policies and executive orders while reaching across the aisle to secure disaster relief following the Los Angeles fires earlier this year. 

The poll found a majority of California voters believe the state would be negatively impacted by Trump’s overhaul of the federal government, as 64% believe Trump’s tariffs would negatively impact California business and agriculture and over 50% believe Trump’s policies would have a negative impact on education. 

Meanwhile, Californians are split on Newsom’s job performance, with 46% both approving and disapproving of his job as governor and 45% reporting they are not confident in “his ability to be effective in looking out for California’s interests when dealing with the Trump administration.”

“The Governor is focused on one thing: his job — driving L.A.’s recovery, confronting the housing crisis, and taking Donald Trump to court over his disastrous tariffs that are raising costs for families and blowing a hole in California’s budget,” Newsom’s office told Fox News in response to the new polling. 

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., was one of the final senators to question OpenAI chief Sam Altman during Thursday’s Senate Commerce Committee hearing, and the subject of both Three Mile Island and the Democrat’s penchant for Carhartt outerwear came up.

Fetterman said that as a senator he has been able to meet people with “much more impressive jobs and careers” and that due to Altman’s technology, “humans will have a wonderful ability to adapt.”

He told Altman that some Americans are worried about AI on various levels, and he asked the executive to address it.

In response, Altman said he appreciated Fetterman’s praise.

FROM FLOPPY DISKS TO FLIGHT DELAYS, TOP LAWMAKER WARNS US AIR SYSTEM IS DUE FOR A REBOOT

“Thank you, Senator, for the kind words and for normalizing hoodies in more spaces,” he said.

“I love to see that. I am incredibly excited about the rate of progress, but I also am cautious,” Altman said about the Democrat’s particular question.

“I think this is beyond something that we all fully yet understand where it’s going to go. This is, I believe, among the biggest … technological revolutions humanity will have ever produced. And I feel privileged to be here.”

Fetterman also questioned Microsoft Vice Chair Brad Smith on concerns over the proliferation of data centers making utility costs for Pennsylvanians and Americans go up.

“For me, energy security is national security,” he said, citing the use of renewable energy and fossil fuels. 

FETTERMAN SLAMS DUMB ‘HIT PIECE’ ABOUT HEALTH, SAYS IT FELT LIKE BEING IN ‘GOODFELLAS’

“My focus is also that I want to make sure that ratepayers in Pennsylvania really hit too hard for throughout all of this,” he said, as many mid-Atlantic states are seeing an increase in land purchases for data centers that new tech like AI requires.

While the construction of such centers does create jobs, he said, those roles are often temporary.

He went on to note how Microsoft is seeking to revive a reactor on Three Mile Island in Dauphin County, which infamously melted down decades ago, and carbon-neutral means to power data centers and more.

“I’ve been tracking the plan to reopen TMI (Three Mile Island). My own personal story is I had to grab my hamster and evacuate during the meltdown in 1979,” he said.

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“You might assume that I was anti-nuclear, and I actually am very supportive of nuclear because that’s an important part of the stack if you really want to address climate change.”

“But I know that’s to power Microsoft’s data center. And I really appreciate that, but if I’m saying now, if we’re able to commit that, the power purchase agreement, it’s not going to raise electricity for Pennsylvania families.”

Smith replied that in data center construction, Microsoft plans to invest in the power grid an equivalent amount to the electricity it will use so that it is not tapping into constricted supply.

“No. 2, we’ll manage all of this in a way that ensures that our activity does not raise the price of electricity to the community,” he said.

Former Supreme Court Justice David Souter died Thursday at his home in New Hampshire at the age of 85, the Court announced Friday.

“Justice Souter was appointed to the Court by President George H.W. Bush in 1990, and retired in 2009, after serving more than 19 years on the Court,” it said in a statement.

“Justice David Souter served our Court with great distinction for nearly twenty years. He brought uncommon wisdom and kindness to a lifetime of public service. After retiring to his beloved New Hampshire in 2009, he continued to render significant service to our branch by sitting regularly on the Court of Appeals for the First Circuit for more than a decade. He will be greatly missed,” Chief Justice John Roberts said.

Souter was described by the Associated Press as a “reliably liberal vote on abortion, church-state relations, freedom of expression and the accessibility of federal courts.”

Upon his retirement in 2009, President Barack Obama chose Sonia Sotomayor to take his seat.

Fox News’ Bill Mears and Shannon Bream contributed to this report.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

President Donald Trump said he does not know his new nominee for U.S. surgeon general, telling reporters Thursday that he relied upon the recommendation of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Trump withdrew the nomination of his first pick for surgeon general, Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, this week and instead nominated Dr. Casey Means. The president, upon announcing her nomination, said she has “impeccable ‘MAHA’ credentials.” 

TRUMP ANNOUNCES MAHA ADVOCATE CASEY MEANS WILL BE NEW SURGEON GENERAL NOMINEE

When asked Thursday about Means and why he tapped her for the role, the president said Kennedy recommended her. 

“Because Bobby thought she was fantastic, brilliant woman who went through Stanford — wanted to be academic instead of physician,” the president said. 

“I don’t know her, I listened to Bobby,” Trump added. “I think she’ll be great.” 

FLASHBACK: TRUMP’S SURGEON GENERAL PICK TOUTED AS ‘FIERCE’ MAHA ADVOCATE BEFORE CONFIRMATION HEARING

Means, a vocal “Make America Healthy Again” proponent, played a significant role in helping shape the administration’s agenda surrounding health alongside her brother, Calley Means. 

She has made a name for herself as a wellness influencer alongside her brother. In 2024, both Casey and Calley co-wrote a book about the chronic disease epidemic titled “Good Energy,” and Casey is also the co-founder of a health-tech company called Levels.

Calley Means was previously tapped by the administration to serve as a top special advisor to Kennedy. 

It is unclear why Nesheiwat’s nomination was pulled. Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for more information and did not immediately receive a response. 

Meanwhile, in a follow-up post on X, Nesheiwat also said she was “looking forward” to continuing to support Trump while working closely with Kennedy “in a senior policy role.” 

“My focus continues to be on improving the health and well-being of all Americans, and that mission hasn’t changed,” Nesheiwat concluded in her public social media remarks.  

Nesheiwat is the sister-in-law of recently fired National Security Advisor Michael Waltz, whom the president indicated he will now be nominating to be the next ambassador to the United Nations after dropping his initial nominee, New York GOP Congresswoman Elise Stefanik. 

FIRST ON FOX: A Democratic governor enthusiastically posted photos with a Chinese Communist Party diplomat on Wednesday evening, saying she was “grateful for the opportunity” to meet with him.

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey, who went viral late last year for vowing to use “every tool” to fight back against President Donald Trump‘s deportations, took to X to highlight a meeting she and one of her top appointees had with Chen Li, the consul general of the People’s Republic of China, in New York.

“Massachusetts is home to a vibrant Chinese-American community, and China is one of our largest trading partners,” Healey wrote in a X post, which included three photos. “Glad to welcome Ambassador H.E. Chen Li of the People’s Republic to China to the State House, and grateful for the opportunity to discuss future collaboration!”

All three photos included Healey and Li, whose jurisdiction covers almost a dozen states. However, one photo also included now-former Massachusetts Secretary of Economic Development Yvonne Hao, an American-born citizen whose parents are originally from China. Hao’s last official day in her role was earlier this month, according to local outlets. However, she is still serving in the Healey administration as an unpaid advisor.

BROTHER-IN-LAW OF TOP DEM SENATOR PLAYED KEY ROLE IN RECRUITING CHINESE FIRMS TO DEEP BLUE CITY

A press release from Healey’s office on Wednesday highlighted how Massachusetts and China “shared economic and cultural ties” in addition to their “commitment to continuing to work together for the benefit of our people and our economy.”

“China is Massachusetts third largest trading partner, with over $7.2 billion worth of goods exchanged in 2024. In 2024, Massachusetts imported $3.4 billion in goods from China, including toys, games and sports equipment, apparel and accessories,” the press release continued. “Massachusetts exported $3.8 billion in goods to China in 2024, including industrial machinery, medical devices and plastics.”

She appeared to then try to justify the meeting by highlighting how she makes “it a priority to meet with foreign officials when they visit Massachusetts,” listing off several foreign officials who she has met with, including the “Consul General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands Ahmed Dadou, and Singapore’s Ambassador to the United States Lui Tuck Yew.”

Li, who has repeatedly praised the CCP and echoed the party’s talking points about Uyghur genocide allegations being “fabricated,” responded to Healey’s post by quoting it and saying he was “honored to have a very pleasant conversation” with Healey. He added that he was “focusing on the cooperation between China and Massachusetts.”

SCHUMER SPOTTED POSING FOR PHOTO WITH CCP OFFICIAL AS WARNINGS SWIRL ABOUT CHINA INFLUENCE

Fox News Digital has extensively reported on the influence that Li and his predecessors have had in the United States, which has included cozying up to Democratic politicians like Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Gov. Kathy Hochul, in addition to administrators at top American universities across several states on the East Coast, including Kean University President Lamont Repollet.

Chen, like his predecessor Huang Ping, has repeatedly praised the CCP and denied China’s alleged genocide against the Uyghur population, which has been condemned by many on the world stage, including the United Nations.

“It’s hard to imagine how could ‘genocide’ and ‘forced labor’ associated with such a place where population grows steadily, society is safe and open, and people enjoy happy life. Where do the accusations come from?” Chen wrote in 2021. “‘Genocide’ was claimed by former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on the very last day of his term. It was based on reports fabricated by some extremist anti-China individuals who haven’t been to Xinjiang for years and accounts of a few so-called witnesses who were proved to be trained ‘actors’ and ‘actresses.’” 

Michael Sobolik, an expert on U.S.-China relations and a Hudson Institute senior fellow, previously told Fox News Digital that the “Chinese Communist Party is always looking for ways to penetrate U.S. businesses and civil society. We shouldn’t make their job easier for them.”

Earlier this year, Chen posted multiple times about participating in New York City parades, which included Schumer and anti-Trump Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. He also met with Sen. Richard Blumenthal’s brother-in-law to light up the Empire State Building to mark the Lunar New Year, a tradition between the Chinese Consulate and the Empire State Building that goes back over a decade.

Prior to Chen, Ping was in his position between 2018 and 2024. Ping was implicated in an unsealed indictment against Gov. Kathy Hochul’s former deputy chief of staff, Linda Sun, who was charged “with violating and conspiring to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act, visa fraud, alien smuggling, and money laundering conspiracy,” according to a Justice Department press release. 

The indictment revealed then-Lt. Gov. Hochul wanted to mention the “Uyghur situation” in China for her 2021 Lunar New Year message, but the plight of the minority group being persecuted by the Chinese government was ultimately omitted after Sun overruled the speechwriter.

The indictment alleges Sun revealed to Ping what the speechwriter wanted to include, but insisted that she would not let her boss mention Uyghurs after admitting that she was “starting to lose her temper” with the speechwriter. The indictment later detailed other exchanges she had with Ping and said he gifted her parents with Nanjing-style salted ducks prepared by his chef in exchange for her help in influencing the governor’s policies.

Amid firings and government shake-ups, the Trump administration has repeatedly been assigning additional job roles to Cabinet members and other officials, Fox News Digital found. 

Secretary of State Marco Rubio was charged on May 1 with serving as Trump’s national security advisor after the president announced he had nominated former National Security Council chief Mike Waltz to serve as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. 

Rubio’s roles in the administration now include leading the State Department; serving as acting archivist of the United States after Trump ousted a Biden-era appointee; serving as acting administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development as the admin works to dissolve the independent agency by September; and taking the helm as the interim national security advisor. 

But Rubio is not alone in taking on multiple roles within Trump’s second administration. Fox News Digital looks back on the various Trump Cabinet members and officials who are wearing multiple hats as the president works to realign the federal government to track with his “America First” policies. 

TRUMP TOUTS ‘MOST SUCCESSFUL’ FIRST 100 DAYS IN PRESIDENTIAL HISTORY DURING MICHIGAN RALLY

Rubio and the Trump administration have come under fire from Democrats for the secretary of state holding multiple high-profile roles in the second administration, including Democrats sounding off on the national security council shake-up on Sunday news shows. 

“There’s no way he can do that and do it well, especially since there’s such incompetence over at DOD with Pete Hegseth being secretary of defense and just the hollowing out of the top leadership,” Illinois Democrat Sen. Tammy Duckworth said on CBS’s “Face the Nation.” “There’s no way he can carry all that entire load on his own.”

TRUMP TO TAP NEW NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR IN 6 MONTHS; CALLS WALTZ MOVE ‘UPGRADE’

“I don’t know how anybody could do these two big jobs,” Democrat Virginia Sen. Mark Warner said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

When asked about the trend of Trump officials wearing multiple work hats, the White House reflected in comment to Fox News Digital on former President Joe Biden’s “disaster of a Cabinet.” 

“Democrats cheered on Joe Biden’s disaster of a Cabinet as it launched the botched Afghanistan withdrawal, opened the southern border to migrant criminals, weaponized the justice system against political opponents, and more,” White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told Fox News Digital. “President Trump has filled his administration with many qualified, talented individuals he trusts to manage many responsibilities.” 

The Trump administration has previously brushed off concern over Rubio holding multiple roles, most notably juggling both his State Department leadership and serving as acting national security advisor. Similarly, former President Richard Nixon in 1973 named then-National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger to simultaneously serve as secretary of state. 

“You need a team player who is very honest with the president and the senior team, not someone trying to build an empire or wield a knife or drive their own agenda. He is singularly focused on delivering the president’s agenda,” an administration official told Politico. 

Rubio’s multiple national security roles come as war continues between Russia and Ukraine, Israel and Gaza, and recently launched attacks from India on Pakistan. 

“I am monitoring the situation between India and Pakistan closely,” Rubio said in a Tuesday X post. “I echo @POTUS’s comments earlier today that this hopefully ends quickly and will continue to engage both Indian and Pakistani leadership towards a peaceful resolution.”

As Rubio juggles multiple roles, the Trump administration’s foreign policies have closely involved special envoys, most notably Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East.

TRUMP NOMINATES WALTZ FOR HIGH-LEVEL POST AFTER OUSING HIM AS NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR

Witkoff is a former real estate tycoon and longtime ally of Trump’s whose focus in the Trump administration has been on negotiating with Russia amid its war against Ukraine and leading talks with Iran regarding its nuclear program. Witkoff was notably credited with helping secure the release of U.S. schoolteacher Marc Fogel from a Russian prison in February.

Fox News Digital reached out to the State Department for comment on Rubio’s multiple roles but did not receive a response. 

FBI Director Kash Patel, who railed against the “deep state” and vowed to strip corruption from the federal law enforcement agency ahead of his confirmation, was briefly charged with overseeing the of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) in February after the Biden-era director resigned in January. 

Patel was later replaced by Secretary of the Army Daniel Driscoll as acting ATF director in a job change that was publicly reported in April. 

ARMY SECRETARY DAN DRISCOLL TO LEAD ATF, REPLACING FBI DIRECTOR KASH PATEL

“Director Kash Patel was briefly designated ATF director while awaiting Senate confirmations, a standard, short-term move. Dozens of similar re-designations have occurred across the federal government,” the White House told Reuters in April. “Director Patel is now excelling in his role at the FBI and delivering outstanding results.”

Driscoll was sworn in as the 26th secretary of the Army in February. The secretary of the army is a senior-level civilian official charged with overseeing the management of the Army and also acts as an advisor to the secretary of defense in matters related to the Army. 

It was reported in April that Driscoll was named acting ATF director, replacing Patel in that role. 

NEW ARMY SECRETARY PRAISES TRUMP, HEGSETH FOR CREATING ‘A LANE FOR CHANGE’ AS HE ZEROES IN ON CUTTING WASTE

“Mr. Driscoll is responsible for the oversight of the agency’s mission to protect communities from violent criminals, criminal organizations, and the illegal trafficking of firearms, explosives, and contraband. Under his leadership, the ATF works to enforce federal laws, ensure public safety, and provide critical support in the investigation of firearms-related crimes and domestic and international criminal enterprises,” his ATF biography reads. 

Ahead of Trump taking office, Republican Reps. Eric Burlison of Missouri and Lauren Boebert of Colorado introduced legislation to abolish the ATF, saying the agency has worked to strip Second Amendment rights from U.S. citizens. 

The ATF has been tasked with assisting the Department of Homeland Security in its deportation efforts under the Trump administration. 

Former Georgia Republican Rep. Doug Collins was sworn-in as the Trump administration’s secretary of Veterans Affairs in February, a Cabinet-level position tasked with overseeing the department and its mission of providing health, education and financial benefits to military veterans. 

Days after his confirmation as VA secretary, Trump tapped Collins to temporarily lead two oversight agencies: the Office of Government Ethics and the Office of Special Counsel. 

VA SECRETARY ACCUSES REPORTER OF SPREADING ‘RUMORS’ ABOUT DOGE THAT HURT VETERANS IN TENSE CLASH

The Office of Government Ethics is charged with overseeing the executive branch’s ethics program, including setting ethics standards for the government and monitoring ethics compliance across federal agencies and departments. 

The Office of Special Counsel is charged with overseeing and protecting the federal government’s merit system, most notably ensuring federal whistleblowers don’t face retaliation for sounding the alarm on an issue they’ve experienced. The office also has an established secure channel to allow federal employees to blow the whistle on alleged wrongdoing. 

The Office of Special Counsel also enforces the Hatch Act, which bans executive branch staffers, except the president and vice president, from engaging in certain forms of political activity. 

Trump named his former director of the Office of Management and Budget under his first administration, Russell Vought, to the same role in his second administration. Vought was confirmed as the federal government’s budget chief in February. 

Days later, Vought was also named the acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).  

RUSS VOUGHT, TAPPED AS CFPB’S ACTING DIRECTOR, DIRECTS BUREAU TO ISSUE NO NEW RULES, STOP NEW INVESTIGATIONS

The CFPB is an independent government agency charged with protecting consumers from unfair financial practices in the private sector. It was created in 2010 under the Obama administration after the financial crash in 2008. Democrat Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren originally proposed and advocated for the creation of the agency.

The CFPB came under fierce investigation from the Department of Government Efficiency in February, with mass terminations rocking the agency before the reduction in force initiative was tied up in court. 

President Donald Trump‘s former ambassador to Germany and acting director of national intelligence under his first term, a pair of roles held at separate times in the first administration, currently serves as president of the Kennedy Center and special presidential envoy for special missions of the United States. 

GRENELL DEVELOPING ‘COMMONSENSE’ PLAN TO TURN KENNEDY CENTER FINANCIALS AROUND

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts serves as the national cultural center of the U.S. Trump notably serves as the center’s chair of the board, with Grenell saying the center will see a “golden age” of the arts during Trump’s second administration through productions and concerts that Americans actually want to see after years of the performing arts center running in the red. 

Trump named Grenell as his special presidential envoy for special missions to the United States in December before his inauguration, saying Grenell will “work in some of the hottest spots around the world, including Venezuela and North Korea.”

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In this role, Grenell helped lead the administration through its response to the wildfires that tore through Southern California in the last days of the Biden administration through the beginning days of the Trump administration. 

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment on the administration officials working multiple high-profile roles as opposed to appointing or nominating other qualified individuals but did not receive a response. 

Democratic leaders erupted late Thursday after it was reported that President Trump had abruptly fired Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden. 

Hayden was notified of her firing in an email late Thursday from the White House’s Presidential Personnel Office, according to an email seen by The Associated Press. 

“Carla,” the email reportedly began. “On behalf of President Donald J. Trump, I am writing to inform you that your position as the Librarian of Congress is terminated effective immediately. Thank you for your service.” 

Nominated by former President Barack Obama and confirmed by the Senate in 2016, Hayden, whose term was set to expire next year, was the first woman and the first African American in the role. Advocates praised her tenure for helping to modernize the Library and make it more accessible with initiatives in rural communities and online.

ACTING FEMA ADMINISTRATOR OUT AFTER PUSHING BACK AGAINST TRUMP AGENCY PLANS

But Hayden had come under fire from the conservative advocacy group American Accountability Foundation, which accused her and other library leaders of promoting children’s books with “radical” content and literary material authored by Trump opponents. 

Earlier Thursday, just hours before the firing was made public, AAF derided Hayden on X as “woke” and “anti-Trump,” accusing her of promoting “trans-kids.” 

“It’s time to get her OUT and hire a new guy for the job!” the group wrote. 

In a follow-up post on X, the group celebrated news of Hayden’s firing, thanking President Trump. 

Hayden’s reported firing ignited the fury of prominent Democratic leaders, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York. 

NEW RESISTANCE BATTLING TRUMP’S SECOND TERM THROUGH ONSLAUGHT OF LAWSUITS TAKING AIM AT EXECUTIVE ORDERS

Jeffries applauded Hayden as “an accomplished, principled and distinguished Librarian of Congress.”

“Donald Trump’s unjust decision to fire Dr. Hayden in an email sent by a random political hack is a disgrace and the latest in his ongoing effort to ban books, whitewash American history and turn back the clock,” Jeffries said.

“Enough is enough,” Schumer said, calling Hayden a “trailblazer, a scholar, and a public servant of the highest order.”

Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., said Hayden was “callously fired” by Trump and demanded an explanation.

CHIEF JUSTICE ROBERTS DOUBLES DOWN ON DEFENSE OF COURTS AS SCOTUS GEARS UP TO HEAR KEY TRUMP CASES

“Hayden, has spent her entire career serving people — from helping kids learn to read to protecting some of our nation’s most precious treasures,” said Rep. Joseph Morelle of New York, the top Democrat on the House Administration Committee that oversees the Library.

New Mexico Sen. Martin Heinrich, the top Democrat on the Senate panel that oversees funding for the library, said the firing, was “taking his assault on America’s libraries to a new level.”

“Dr. Hayden has devoted her career to making reading and the pursuit of knowledge available to everyone,” he said.

The Library of Congress holds a vast collection of the nation’s books and history, which it makes available to the public and lawmakers. It houses the papers of nearly two dozen presidents and more than three dozen Supreme Court justices. It also has collections of rare books, prints and photographs, as well as troves of music and valuable artifacts.

Robert Newlen, the principal deputy librarian, said he would serve as acting librarian of Congress “until further instruction” in a separate email seen by the AP.

“I promise to keep everyone informed,” he wrote to colleagues.

Hayden’s firing comes as the Trump administration has been purging officials seen as not aligning with the president’s agenda – from the Justice Department to the Pentagon and beyond. 

Earlier Thursday, Cameron Hamilton, the acting administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, was fired just one day after telling lawmakers that dismantling the agency – as President Trump has proposed – is a bad move. 

Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House and the Library of Congress for additional details. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

A town hall being held by New York Attorney General Letitia James on Thursday night was briefly disrupted when an apparent supporter of President Donald Trump stood up to challenge her to apologize to the president.

Though panelists mainly voiced leftist talking points throughout the night and the room primarily consisted of anti-Trump individuals, one apparent supporter of Trump stood up to ask James a question.

“My question is for Tish James. Will you apologize to President Trump for wasting millions of dollars and the state of New York for a witch trial?” asked the man, adding, “And how does it feel to know that you are [going to] prison for mortgage fraud?”

The crowd erupted with boos and the man was escorted out.

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE OPENS CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION INTO NY AG LETITIA JAMES

Though she did not directly respond to the man, James did shout “thank you for coming” over the crowd.

James, a Democrat, is best known for filing a lawsuit against Trump and several of his family members, as well as associates and businesses, alleging “numerous acts of fraud and misrepresentation” regarding financial statements.

Though Trump was ordered to pay $454 million in civil damages, the fine was later reduced significantly.

In response, Trump has called James’ case part of a “witch hunt” against him on the taxpayer’s dime.

The Department of Justice has since opened a criminal investigation into James.

TAXPAYERS COULD BE FORCED TO FUND TRUMP FOE LETITIA JAMES’ LEGAL DEFENSE IF DEM BUDGET ITEM PASSES

News of the federal probe follows a criminal referral from the Trump administration’s Federal Housing Finance Agency Director, William Pulte. He requested the DOJ investigate James over accusations that she misrepresented a single-family home in Virginia as her primary residence to obtain more favorable loan terms.

She’s also accused of misrepresenting the number of livable units in a multifamily Brooklyn house to obtain better loan terms. 

In April, NYC attorney Pierre Debbas told Fox News Digital that the criminal referral targeting James likely wouldn’t have happened if she hadn’t spent years going after Trump in court.

“The attorney general’s case that was brought against Donald Trump was honestly a pure manipulation of the legal system, and it was laughable,” he said.

“To be perfectly frank, this is a retaliatory case brought by the president for what the attorney general did to him over the last several years,” he went on. “Something that’s never taken place in the history of New York that was isolated at one particular person for a politically driven purpose.”

The Department of Justice has opened a criminal investigation into New York Attorney General Letitia James, Fox News has learned.

A source familiar with the matter confirmed that a grand jury in the Eastern District of Virginia sent out subpoenas related to accusations that James misrepresented a single-family home in Virginia as her primary residence to obtain more favorable loan terms.  

News of the federal probe follows a criminal referral from the Trump administration’s Federal Housing Finance Agency Director William Pulte, who requested the DOJ investigate James over that matter and another incident in which she allegedly misrepresented the number of livable units in a multifamily Brooklyn house to once again obtain better loan terms. 

TAXPAYERS COULD BE FORCED TO FUND TRUMP FOE LETITIA JAMES’ LEGAL DEFENSE IF DEM BUDGET ITEM PASSES

“These baseless and long-discredited allegations, put to rest by my April 24 letter to the Department of Justice, are suddenly back in the news just days after President Trump publicly attacked Attorney General James,” James’ attorney, Abbe Lowell, said Thursday. 

“This appears to be the political retribution President Trump threatened to exact that AG Bondi assured the Senate would not occur on her watch. If prosecutors are genuinely interested in the truth, we are prepared to meet false claims with facts.”

After Pulte’s criminal referral was sent to the Justice Department, specifically U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, Lowell followed up with his own letter to Bondi and the Justice Department, accusing the president of seeking “political retribution.” 

James has been part of a group of Democratic attorneys general who have sued to halt many of Trump’s orders during his first few months in the Oval Office. 

Additionally, James was the catalyst behind Trump becoming the first U.S. president sentenced as a felon. She was the lead prosecutor in a case she brought against Trump and the Trump Organization that alleged Trump and his company falsified business records to obtain more favorable loan terms.

NY AG’S OFFICE HIRES ATTORNEY THAT REPPED HUNTER BIDEN TO DEFEND LETITIA JAMES AGAINST FRAUD ACCUSATIONS

Trump was convicted on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records and was ordered to pay $350 million in penalties and is appealing the conviction.

“The stunning hypocrisy of President Trump’s complaint that the Justice Department had been ‘politicized’ and ‘weaponized’ against him is laid bare as he and others in his administration are now asking you to undertake the very same practice,” Lowell wrote in his letter to Bondi.

Lowell, in his letter, pointed to instances when Trump has called for revenge and instances when the president has personally attacked James. 

ETHICS COMPLAINT AGAINST LETITIA JAMES CALLS FOR NY STATE COURTS TO INVESTIGATE TRUMP ADMIN FRAUD CLAIMS

Lowell also responded to the allegations, including the claim James listed a home in Virginia as her primary residence while serving as a state official in New York. According to Lowell, James had no intention of using the property as a primary residence, and her indication of this in a power-of-attorney letter was a mistake. Lowell pointed out there were other documents in which James indicated to her lender that the Virginia home would not be her primary residence. 

James is also accused of fraud for allegedly inflating the number of livable units in a multifamily Brooklyn home to receive better interest rates. Lowell accuses Pulte of disregarding updated documentation listing the residence as a four-unit multifamily residence and instead pointing to a certificate of occupancy from 2001. 

Former Vice President Mike Pence has a message for his old boss.

Pence is urging President Donald Trump, under whom he served as vice president in Trump’s first administration, not to raise the tax rate on wealthy Americans.

Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the signature domestic achievement of his first White House term, is scheduled to expire this year if it’s not extended by Congress.

The Trump White House and some congressional Republicans for weeks have mulled letting the tax reductions on the wealthy sunset as a way to pay for the rest of the tax cuts as well as Trump’s other pricey second-term priorities. 

WHAT PRESIDENT TRUMP IS ASKING SPEAKER JOHNSON TO DO 

And the president, during a Wednesday phone call, pushed House Speaker Mike Johnson to raise taxes on the highest income earners and close the carried interest loophole in the reconciliation process, Fox News Digital confirmed. The development was first reported Thursday by Punchbowl News.

A source familiar with Trump’s thinking said Trump is considering allowing the rate on individuals making $2.5 million or more to increase by 2.6%, from 37% to 39.6%.

But Pence, a fiscal conservative and budget hawk during his long political career in the House of Representatives, as Indiana governor and as vice president, strongly cautioned against upping the rates on the highest earners.

“Any suggestion that I’ve heard among some in and around the administration that we raise the top margin rate, the so-called millionaires tax, would be an enormous tax increase on small business owners across America,” Pence said. “It needs to be opposed.”

WHAT MIKE PENCE TOLD FOX NEWS IN AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW THIS WEEK

And the former vice president, in an interview with Fox News Digital this week, argued that “the majority of people that file taxes of a million dollars are simply individuals that own businesses, and they file their taxes as an individual, but then plow that money back into their company. If you raise that top margin, it would be an enormous tax increase on small business America.”

“Let’s make all the Trump-Pence tax cuts permanent. That’s a way to really lay a foundation to grow the economy in the days ahead,” Pence urged.

WHY TRUMP’S FIRST VICE PRESIDENT WAS HONORED BY THE KENNEDY FAMILY

Pence, who was interviewed in Boston after receiving the John F. Kennedy Profiles in Courage award, gave “President Trump all the credit in the world for an historic victory last November, and for sparing the country one more liberal Democrat administration.”

He also praised Trump “not only for his victory, but for securing our southern border, for restoring morale and recruitment in our military, for taking the fight to the Houthis.”

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But he argued that “I truly do believe that some of the other steps the president is taking away from that conservative agenda should be a concern that would work against his legacy and ultimately the success of our party or our country. And so we’re going to continue to be a voice against them.

“I really do believe that for prosperity … for the success of our country, we need to stick to those time-honored principles of strong defense, American leadership on the world stage, less government, less taxes, traditional moral values and the right to life, and I’m going to be a voice for that,” Pence added.

Fox News caught up with several senators on Capitol Hill Thursday for their thoughts on the election of Pope Leo XIV, the first American-born pontiff, and many voiced excitement about the historic first.

Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., called the news “unbelievable.”

“If you told me ahead of time, I said, ‘No way. Never happen.’ This is phenomenal,” said Hoeven. “I’ve been telling folks they’ll never pick an American cardinal to be the pope. And I thought, you know, maybe somewhere else, but probably back to Europe. So, this is so exciting. I can’t believe it.”

A member of the Augustinians, a religious order within the Catholic Church, the newly elected pope was born Robert Francis Prevost in Chicago in 1955. He studied at Villanova University, was ordained a priest in 1982 and was named a cardinal by Pope Francis in 2023.

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Hoeven called Pope Leo XIV’s selection “phenomenal,” saying, “American Catholics are just going to be thrilled. I know they’re just thrilled.”

Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., said, “As an American Catholic, I am incredibly excited.”

Kelly quipped that “as an Arizonan, this is probably the best pick the Cardinals have made since Larry Fitzgerald.”

Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., said “we’re very proud in Illinois” and mentioned that she hopes Leo “brings some of his hometown to the Vatican with him.”

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Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., commented on a post of Leo’s on X before he was elected pope in which he appeared to criticize Vice President JD Vance for his justification for stricter immigration enforcement.

“Hopefully, the new pope can use his pastoral powers in order to help JD Vance and Donald Trump understand their responsibilities representing the most powerful and wealthiest nation in the world,” Markey said. “To ensure that we also protect those who are the most vulnerable and most in need.”

The senator asserted that Leo “will continue the legacy of Pope Francis” and that “this new pope channels that history of the Catholic Church, standing up for those who are most in need against those who are most powerful.”

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Despite Markey’s assertions that Leo will follow in Francis’ footsteps, the new pope has already differed from his predecessor in several ways, including taking the more traditional name “Leo” and by wearing the traditional red cape of the papacy, which Francis chose not to wear after his election in 2013.

After emerging to address the crowd assembled in St. Peter’s Square Thursday, Leo’s first words were “Peace be with you,” which he said in Italian. He delivered a message to the faithful on building bridges, peace and dialogue “without fear.”