Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Monday that the U.S. military will soon be seeing a dramatic reduction in the number of general officers across all branches. 

He called the reduction a “historic” move to fulfill President Donald Trump’s commitment to “achieving peace through strength.” 

“We’re going to shift resources from bloated headquarters elements to our warfighters,” said Hegseth. 

According to Hegseth, there are currently 44 four-star and flag officers across the military, making for a ratio of one general to 1,400 troops, compared to the ratio during World War II of one general to 6,000 troops.

HEGSETH ORDERS SWEEPING ARMY OVERHAUL AND CONSOLIDATION AIMED AT COUNTERING CHINA AND GOLDEN DOME CAPABILITIES

Hegseth, who has pledged to transform the military into a “leaner, more lethal force,” issued a memo to senior Pentagon personnel on Monday in which he ordered the reductions to be carried out in two phases. 

In the first phase, Hegseth ordered a “minimum” 20% reduction of four-star generals and flag officers in the active-duty component as well as a 20% reduction in the National Guard. 

In phase two, the secretary is ordering an additional 10% reduction in general and flag officers across the military. 

The secretary called the reductions part of his “less generals, more GIs policy.” 

BILLIONS SPENT, WARFIGHTERS WAIT: INSIDE THE PENTAGON’S BROKEN BUYING SYSTEM AND THE PLAN TO FIX IT

In a video announcing the change, he said the reductions will be done “carefully, but it’s going to be done expeditiously.” 

He said “this is not a slash-and-burn exercise meant to punish high-ranking officers” but rather a “deliberative process, working with the joint chiefs with one goal: maximizing strategic readiness and operational effectiveness by making prudent reductions.” 

“We got to be lean and mean. And in this case, it means general officer reductions,” said Hegseth. 

Congress sets the number of general officers allowed in the military. The total number of active-duty general or flag officers is capped at 219 for the Army, 150 for the Navy, 171 for the Air Force, 64 for the Marine Corps and 21 for the Space Force.

President Donald Trump is proposing staggering spending cuts.

In his budget request for fiscal year 2026, the president demands that Congress slash an eye-popping 20% of spending which lawmakers allocate each year.

“You’re going to see $150 billion (in cuts) passed in the House and the Senate. That is real money,” said Budget Director Russ Vought on Fox News. “I think for the first time, this budget is not dead on arrival.”

To be clear, the budget which Mr. Trump sent to Capitol Hill is aspirational. All presidential budgets are. It’s what a president proposes that lawmakers – and his administration – aim to spend for the upcoming fiscal year. Congress is still charged with voting on the 12 annual spending bills which fund the government. The 20% cut proposed by President Trump deals with that area of spending.

REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: WHERE WE STAND WITH TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’

The Trump administration characterized this blueprint as a “skinny” budget. That’s because it included nothing about Medicare and Medicaid. Those social programs consume exorbitant chunks of federal spending – far exceeding what Congress appropriates each year. Congressional Republicans aim to make alterations of some kind to these programs in their so-called “big, beautiful bill.” Republicans insist those programs won’t endure cuts. But a “cut” is in the eye of the beholder.

“We’re going to move towards a long-term balanced budget. I like how we’re thinking long-term instead of short-term,” said Rep. Mike Haridopolos, R-Fla., on Fox News.

To be clear, the framework for the GOP’s big, beautiful bill does not balance the budget. In fact, it increases the budget deficit. And Mr. Trump’s budget package doesn’t balance either. There’s no way to understand such a path unless you include Medicare and Medicaid.

But here’s what Mr. Trump’s budget request does do:

It eliminates dollars from every federal department and agency, except the Departments of Transportation and Veterans Affairs. Space programs and NASA are also safe, too.

“This is how you break the Swamp,” declared the House Freedom Caucus. “The FY ‘26 budget is a paradigm shift.”

The president’s proposal knifes the Department of Housing and Urban Development by 40%. It axes the Departments of Labor and Interior by 30%.

TOP SENATE ARMED SERVICES REPUBLICAN SAYS TRUMP OMB’S BUDGET ‘SHREDS TO THE BONE’ MILITARY CAPABILITIES

However, dollars for the Pentagon are essentially flat.

Defense hawks were apoplectic.

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., torched Mr. Trump’s outline.

“Trump successfully campaigned on a Peace Through Strength agenda. But his advisers at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) were apparently not listening,” fumed Wicker. “For the defense budget, OMB has requested a fifth year straight of Biden administration funding, leaving military spending flat, which is a cut in real terms.”

Wicker accused OMB of trying to “shred to the bone” the nation’s military.

Former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., chairs the Senate defense appropriations panel, charged with funding the Pentagon.

“It is peculiar how much time the President’s advisors spend talking about restoring peace through strength, given how apparently unwilling they’ve been to invest accordingly in the national defense or in other critical instruments of national power,” said McConnell.

“I am very concerned the requested base budget for defense does not reflect a realistic path to building the military capability we need to achieve President Trump’s Peace Through Strength agenda,” said House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, R-Ala.

With friends like these…

TRUMP SLAMS REPUBLICAN ‘GRANDSTANDERS’ OPPOSING BUDGET BILL, PREDICTS MASSIVE US TAX INCREASES IF IT FAILS

Vought fired back at Congressional defense advocates and their allegations that the budget request undercut the military.

“It’s an inaccurate charge. We provide a trillion dollars in national defense spending. 13% increase. We do it in two components,” said Vought. “We use discretionary spending. And then we put in a historic paradigm all of our increases on defense and Homeland Security. We use it in reconciliation so that we only need to use Republican votes. We don’t want Democrats to have the filibuster as a veto to then hijack the appropriations process and say no to the Homeland Security spending.”

Let me fillet that statement for you.

In other words, Vought asserts that some of the funding increases for the Pentagon will come through “budget reconciliation,” the process Republicans are now using to pass the big, beautiful bill. Republicans intend to pass that package with only GOP votes. But if Republicans included that military money in a “regular” appropriations bill, Democrats may demand “parity.” They would insist that non-defense programs score the same increase in exchange for advancing those bills – and voting to overcome a filibuster. So Vought argues his approach keeps Democrats from holding Pentagon dollars hostage in exchange for money targeted toward other programs.

But Democrats are focused on what Republicans may try to do with Medicare and Medicaid. They argue that Republicans are teeing up cuts.

“Hospitals will close. Nursing homes will shut down. Communities will be hurt. And Americans will die,” said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.

Republicans insist those programs won’t face cuts.

“The question is, will we be susceptible to the fear-mongering and the false rhetoric that you just heard from the Democrat Minority Leader in the House? And this is the same tired play they run,” said House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, on Fox News. “We will be rewarded because we’re doing this for the sustainability of these programs for the most vulnerable.”

TRUMP SAYS PUBLIC ENTITLEMENTS LIKE SOCIAL SECURITY, MEDICAID WON’T BE TOUCHED IN GOP BUDGET BILL

Still, even some remain apprehensive about how the GOP will handle those programs.

“If you want to be in the minority forever, then go ahead and do Medicaid cuts,” said Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo. “That would be catastrophically stupid.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo., and Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., met President Trump at the White House late last week to discuss the big, beautiful bill. The White House gave Congressional leaders a wish list of items it wants in the bill – and what can fall by the wayside.

Tax credits for electric vehicles are out.

“I don’t have a problem if somebody wants to go buy an electric vehicle. I just don’t think hardworking Americans should be subsidizing that,” said House Administration Committee Chairman Bryan Steil, R-Wisc., on Fox News.

Republicans hope to use money generated from the sale of EVs to shore up the Highway Trust Fund. The government used the federal gas tax to pay for construction of roads and bridges. But Congress hasn’t adjusted the gas tax since the mid-1990s. Plus, more EVs and hybrids are now on the road. And conventional vehicles which rely on gas are more fuel efficient. So this shores up some of those depleted coffers.

HOUSE FREEDOM CAUCUS EMBRACES TRUMP BUDGET PROPOSAL ‘PARADIGM SHIFT’

Johnson is sticking by his goal to pass the bill through the House by Memorial Day. But some Republicans doubt that timeline.

“There’s no way,” said Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wisc., on Fox Business. “Unfortunately, President Trump chose the one big, beautiful (bill). What he should have done is the multiple-step process.”

In other words, lawmakers could have addressed the border, tax cuts and spending cuts in individual chunks. Loading everything onto one legislative truck makes this hard.

So can the House approve this in two weeks? There’s not a lot of consensus yet. But maybe they’ll try to wear Members down.

“We will stay until we pass it,” said one senior House GOP leadership source.

A law signed by Washington State Gov. Bob Ferguson last week that requires members of the clergy to report confessions of child abuse or neglect is under scrutiny, as the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has opened a civil rights investigation into whether the law violates the First Amendment.

The Evergreen State’s new law adds “members of the clergy” to a list of professionals who are required to report information obtained through confessionals that relate to child abuse or neglect, to law enforcement or other state authorities.

The law provides no exception for the absolute seal of confidentiality, which applies to Catholic Priests, according to the DOJ.

The DOJ also said the state’s new law singles out “members of the clergy” as the only “supervisors” who are unable to rely on applicable legal privileges such as religious confessions, as a reason to not report the claims as mandated.

VATICAN LAW REQUIRES CLERGY TO REPORT SEX ABUSE AND COVER-UPS

The DOJ’s Civil Rights Division is investigating whether Washington state’s law violates religious protections provided under the First Amendment.

The First Amendment states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

UTAH BILL WOULD PROTECT CLERGY MEMBERS WHEN REPORTING CHILD ABUSE TO POLICE

“SB 5375 demands that Catholic Priests violate their deeply held faith in order to obey the law, a violation of the Constitution and a breach of the free exercise of religion cannot stand under our Constitutional system of government,” Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said. “Worse, the law appears to single out clergy as not entitled to assert applicable privileges, as compared to other reporting professionals. We take this matter very seriously and look forward to Washington State’s cooperation with our investigation.”

NEW LEADER IN LDS CHURCH SAYS IT SHOULD DO MORE TO HELP VICTIMS OF SEXUAL ABUSE

Ferguson, who signed the bill into law on May 2, did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on the matter.

FOX 13 in Seattle reported that the bill will go into effect on July 26.

The station also reported that a federal report shows that Washington is one of just five states that does not explicitly or implicitly require clergy to report suspected child abuse or neglect. It added that most states exempt information learned through confession from mandatory reporting, though Washington joins just a handful of states, including West Virginia and New Hampshire, which do not provide such exemptions.

The House Rules Committee has advanced a bill to permanently rename the Gulf of America.

Formerly the Gulf of Mexico, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that upended that as part of his America First agenda.

But without congressional action, the name could be reverted by a future administration – which spurred Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., to introduce a bill enshrining the name in federal law.

The measure advanced through the House Rules Committee in a party-line vote on Monday evening, teeing it up for a chamber-wide vote sometime this week. The House Rules Committee acts as the final gatekeeper for most bills before they hit the House floor.

MEET THE TRUMP-PICKED LAWMAKERS GIVING SPEAKER JOHNSON A FULL HOUSE GOP CONFERENCE

Democrats had attempted to derail the measure with several protest amendments, including one that would have limited oil and gas drilling permissions in the area. 

None of those passed along with the final bill, however, as expected. 

Democrats ripped the legislation as a meaningless attempt to score political points with Trump.

Republicans, however, called it a “historic” move for America First and an  “important symbol of that effort and a step in the right direction.”

“Throughout our country’s history, presidents have changed the names of America’s lands and waters. The change we are discussing today signals to the world that America is standing tall, and that we are proud of our country,” Rep. Harriet Hageman, R-Wyo., said in support of the bill.

“It is nearly impossible to overstate the Gulf of America’s critical role in achieving not only American energy independence, but dominance. President Trump has made it a priority of his administration to reassert America’s role as a global leader in energy production, and the Gulf of America is a critical part of that agenda.”

She pointed back to Republicans’ 2024 electoral sweep, “The American people support these policies, and we must deliver on the promises that we have made.”

Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, D-Pa., a member of the House Rules Committee, said during her opening statement during the panel’s debate on the measure, “Ever since the beginning of Trump’s term, House Republicans have been tripping over themselves to find new and more embarrassing ways to suck up to the president and indulge his peculiar obsessions.”

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

“This bill to rename the Gulf of Mexico is a stupid, unserious waste of time and taxpayer dollars. It’s an embarrassment to the nation that it was ever introduced, let alone that it’s being brought to the floor for a vote,” Scanlon said.

Fox News Digital is told a House-wide vote on the bill is expected Thursday morning.

White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly told Fox News Digital of the Democrats lodging protest amendments to the bill, “Democrats are so overtaken with Trump Derangement Syndrome and obsessed with obstructing the President’s agenda that they will always put America Last. As President Trump said, the Gulf of America has long been an integral asset to our nation. All future generations should be able to recognize this beautiful body of water as a sign of American greatness.”

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries slammed President Donald Trump while discussing the recent chaos at Newark Liberty International Airport, saying he had “decimated the FAA.”

During a press conference on Monday, Jeffries took a reporter’s question about the recent delays at Newark Airport.

“Well, it’s certainly something that I think we’re all invested in looking into, as it relates to the ability of the American people to be able to travel in an efficient way,” the Democrat began, before turning his attention to Trump.

“We do know that the Trump administration has decimated the FAA in a variety of different ways, and they’ve been doing this from the very beginning,” he added. “They are breaking the federal government.”

TRUMP ANNOUNCES 100% TARIFF ON ALL FOREIGN-PRODUCED MOVIES: ‘WE WANT MOVIES MADE IN AMERICA, AGAIN!’

Jeffries added that the Trump administration is “breaking the FAA.”

“And whether the specific situation at Newark Airport has anything to do with that remains to be seen,” he continued.

“But it’s my expectation that the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee will look into this situation, and we should get some answers to figure out how to get it turned around.”

UN WATCHDOG PROJECT CALLS ON DOGE CAUCUS TO ‘AUDIT’ THE INTERNATIONAL ORG

The conference came days after the massive delays and cancellations at the New Jersey airport began.

On Thursday, more than 500 flights in and out of Newark were delayed and at least 200 others were canceled, and chaos followed throughout the weekend. As of Monday afternoon, 172 flights have been delayed and 76 have been canceled on Monday.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy blamed the situation on poor technology in an X post on Friday.

“The technology that we are using is old. That’s what is causing the outages and delays we are seeing at Newark,” Duffy wrote.

FIRST ON FOX: The White House is going after Democratic lawmakers looking to upend House GOP plans to make President Donald Trump’s Gulf of America name change permanent.

The House Rules Committee, the final gatekeeper before most legislation gets a House-wide vote, is considering a bill to codify Trump’s decision to cease calling the body of water on the U.S. Southeast “the Gulf of Mexico.”

“Democrats are so overtaken with Trump Derangement Syndrome and obsessed with obstructing the President’s agenda that they will always put America last,” White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly told Fox News Digital.

“As President Trump said, the Gulf of America has long been an integral asset to our nation. All future generations should be able to recognize this beautiful body of water as a sign of American greatness.”

MEET THE TRUMP-PICKED LAWMAKERS GIVING SPEAKER JOHNSON A FULL HOUSE GOP CONFERENCE

Four Democrats have submitted amendments in a bid to upend the legislation — though none are likely to pass, given the committee’s Republican majority.

The first measure, led by Rep. Jared Huffman, D-Calif., would revert a similar Trump decision to rename Mt. McKinley in Alaska. The highest peak in North America, former President Barack Obama stripped his assassinated predecessor’s name from the mountain in favor of Mt. Denali, the name originally given by the indigenous peoples who lived in the area.

Trump signed an executive order restoring McKinley as its name on his first day in office this year.

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

A second amendment by Rep. Darren Soto, D-Fla., is aimed at limiting Trump’s ability to issue oil and gas drilling leases in the Gulf region.

Rep. Maxine Dexter, D-Ore., meanwhile, submitted an amendment that, if passed, would block the Trump administration from “retribution” against news organizations that refer to the area as the Gulf of Mexico.

The White House had blocked access for an Associated Press journalist earlier this year after the organization continued to refer to the gulf’s former name even after Trump’s executive order. A federal judge ordered the White House to reverse that last month.

The fourth amendment submitted by Democrats, led by Rep. Luz Rivas, D-Calif., would prevent the formal name change from taking effect until the Department of Interior carried out an assessment on whether it would benefit the economy.

Rivas told Fox News Digital that the Gulf of America rename is a “vanity project” that “accomplishes nothing” in response to the White House statement.

“Millions of Americans are struggling because of President Trump’s economic policies, and Republicans in Congress have yet to put forth a legislative proposal that lowers the costs of groceries, protects healthcare, or lowers housing costs,” Rivas said.

The bill itself is expected to get a vote sometime this week.

It’s one of several pieces of legislation House Republicans are advancing aimed at making Trump’s executive actions permanent.

Trump’s executive order renaming the gulf was one of the first actions he took in his second term.

The remaining three Democratic offices who Fox News Digital reached for comment did not get back by press time.

A pro-Trump legal group founded by White House aide Stephen Miller is suing Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts — a long-shot move as Trump allies fight court rulings blocking key actions from the Oval Office.

The lawsuit was filed by the America First Legal Foundation against Roberts in his capacity as the official head of the U.S. Judicial Conference and Robert J. Conrad, who serves as the director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. 

The complaint accuses both the U.S. Judicial Conference and the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts of performing certain regulatory actions that go beyond the scope of resolving cases or controversies, or administratively supporting those actions, which they argue are the “core functions” of the judiciary.

It also argues that records held by the Roberts-led U.S. Judicial Conference should therefore be subject to the Freedom of Information Act requests, or FOIA requests, as a result.

TRUMP’S EXECUTIVE ORDER ON VOTING BLOCKED BY FEDERAL JUDGES AMID FLURRY OF LEGAL SETBACKS

AFL cited in its lawsuit recent actions taken by both the Judicial Conference and Administrative Office in 2023 to “accommodate” requests from Congress to investigate allegations of ethical improprieties by Justices Thomas and Alito, and subsequently to create or adopt an “ethics code” for justices on the high court.

“Under our constitutional tradition, accommodations with Congress are the province of the executive branch,” AFL said, adding: “The Judicial Conference and the Administrative Office are therefore executive agencies,” and must therefore be overseen by the president, not the courts.

GORSUCH, ROBERTS SIDE WITH LEFT-LEANING SUPREME COURT JUSTICES IN IMMIGRATION RULING

The U.S. Judicial Conference is the national policymaking body for the courts. It is overseen by the Supreme Court’s chief justice, and tasked with making twice-yearly recommendations to Congress as needed.

The Administrative Office for the U.S. Courts, meanwhile, operates under the guidance and supervision of the Judicial Conference. Its role is to provide administrative support to the federal courts on certain administrative issues and for day-to-day logistics, including setting budgets and organizing data, among other things.

Plaintiffs for AFL, led by attorney Will Scolinos, argued in their lawsuit that the Judicial Conference’s duties are “executive functions,” and functions they allege must be supervised by executive officers “who are appointed and accountable to other executive officers.” 

Further, AFL argued, “Courts definitively do not create agencies to exercise functions beyond resolving cases or controversies or administratively supporting those functions.”  

In their view, this is also sufficient to put the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts — as it is overseen by the Judicial Conference — under the executive branch as well. 

Scolinos argued that AFL’s proposed framework “preserves the separation of powers but also keeps the courts out of politics.”

U.S. District Judge Trevor N. McFadden, a Trump appointee, has been assigned to preside over the case. 

Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, told the graduating class at Tougaloo College in Jackson, Mississippi, during a commencement speech on Sunday that they know how to “use a chair” in the face of adversity. 

“There are people that are going to tell you that there is not a table in which there is not a seat for you, but I am here to remind you of Montgomery and those folding chairs. Let me tell you that we know how to use a chair, whether we [are] pulling it up or we doing something else with it,” Crockett said. 

During her remarks, Crockett seems to reference the viral video from August 2023 of a group of White boaters attacking a Black riverboat captain, Dameion Pickett, in Montgomery, Alabama. The white folding chair became a symbol of resistance when a Black man raised a chair over his head in Pickett’s defense as the other men attacked him. 

The Texas Democrat urged the graduating class at the historically Black college on Sunday to pull up their own seat at the table, reminding students of the bystanders who rushed to defend Pickett when he was attacked. Conservatives were quick to reply to the clip of Crockett’s remarks, and Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, said Crockett’s comments were “not cool.”

TRUMP MOCKS ‘LOW IQ’ JASMINE CROCKETT, ‘NUTJOB’ BERNIE SANDERS AS POTENTIAL LEADERS FOR THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY

Crockett’s remarks come on the heels of a contentious back-and-forth with President Donald Trump on Sunday. 

JASMINE CROCKETT CLAIMS TRUMP IS ‘TERRIFIED OF SMART, BOLD BLACK WOMEN’ AFTER PRESIDENT’S ‘LOW IQ’ JAB

“For you to be in charge of the WHOLE country, you sure do have my name in your mouth a lot. Every time you say my name, you’re reminding the world that you’re terrified of smart, bold Black women telling the truth and holding you accountable. So keep talking,” Crockett said. 

Trump on Sunday told Kristen Welker, host of NBC’s “Meet the Press,” that Crockett is a “low I.Q. person,” calling her the future of the Democratic Party, which he described as in “disarray.”

Reports last week indicated that Crockett, who is currently the vice ranking member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, has her eyes set on the chair position of the committee. Crockett would lead oversight of the federal government if she gets the gig, which could include leading investigations into Trump’s agenda. 

Conservatives have accused Crockett of inciting violence during Trump’s first 100 days. The progressive lawmaker from Texas was slammed online earlier this year for implying that Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, “has to be knocked over the head, like hard.”

Crockett also said Democrats need to be willing to “punch” in races against Republicans.

The White House’s rapid response account replied to the comments on X, calling Crockett “another unhinged Democrat inciting violence.”

Earlier this year, Attorney General Pam Bondi accused Crockett of “threatening lives” and said she should apologize for her rhetoric against Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) for saying, “‘All I want to see happen on my birthday is for Elon to be taken down.'” Crockett would clarify that her comments were intended as “nonviolent” resistance. 

Crockett was also criticized this year for calling Gov. Greg Abbott, R-Texas, who is in a wheelchair, “Governor Hot Wheels.” She tried to walk back the comments after her remarks went viral, calling the outrage a “distraction” and claiming she was “appalled that the very people who unequivocally support Trump – a man known for racially insensitive nicknames and mocking those with disabilities – are now outraged.”

Crockett did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Two-term Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, who was the GOP’s top Senate recruit in battleground Georgia in next year’s midterm elections, announced on Monday that he is passing on launching a campaign.

“Over the last few weeks, I have had many conversations with friends, supporters, and leaders across the country who encouraged me to run for the U.S. Senate in 2026. I greatly appreciate their support and prayers for our family. After those discussions, I have decided that being on the ballot next year is not the right decision for me and my family,” Kemp said in a social media post.

The popular conservative governor, who is term-limited and prevented from seeking re-election in 2026, was the GOP’s dream candidate to take on Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff, who is considered vulnerable, as Republicans aim to expand their 53-47 Senate majority next year.

FIRST ON FOX: REPUBLICAN LAUNCHES SECOND STRAIGHT BID TO FLIP DEMOCRAT-HELD SENATE SEAT IN KEY BATTLEGROUND

Ossoff, who is running for a second, six-year term in the Senate after flipping the seat with a razor-thin victory in a January 2021 runoff election, is a top target of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) in a state that President Donald Trump narrowly carried last November.

ONLY ON FOX NEWS: SENATE REPUBLICAN CAMPAIGN CHAIR REVEALS HOW MANY SEATS HE’S AIMING FOR IN 2026

“Republicans have a number of strong candidates who can build a winning coalition to add this seat to President Trump’s Senate Majority,” NRSC communications director Joanna Rodriguez told Fox News in a statement.

Kemp, in his social media post, said that he “spoke with President Trump and Senate leadership earlier today and expressed my commitment to work alongside them to ensure we have a strong Republican nominee who can win next November.”

The governor, who had been courted to run for the Senate for months, told Fox News Digital in a February interview while he was in the middle of Georgia’s legislative session that “I know I can’t keep holding out forever, so we’ll have something to say on that down the road.”

WHY PETE BUTTIGIEG SAID NO TO RUNNING FOR THE SENATE NEXT YEAR IN MICHIGAN

Kemp, who is currently chair of the Republican Governors Association, also emphasized that “we need to flip that seat. We should have a Republican in that seat, and I believe we’ll have one after the ’26 election.”

But with Kemp out of the picture, the GOP faces the prospect of a crowded and potentially divisive primary that could include Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a top Trump supporter in the House who enjoys massive name recognition but is seen by pundits as too toxic to court crucial independent voters needed to win the general election.

Among the other Republicans who have expressed interest in running if Kemp bowed out are Reps. Buddy Carter, Mike Collins, and Rich McCormick, and state Insurance Commissioner John King.

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee highlighted Kemp’s announcement.

“Brian Kemp’s decision to not run for Senate in 2026 is yet another embarrassing Republican Senate recruitment failure as they face a building midterm backlash where every GOP candidate will be forced to answer for Trump’s harmful agenda. Senate Republicans’ toxic agenda and recruitment failures put their majority at risk in 2026,” DSCC communications director Maeve Coyle said in a statement.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday banning all federal funding towards “dangerous” gain-of-function research in China, Iran and other countries, and blocking all federal funding for foreign research that could cause another pandemic. 

The president signed the order Monday afternoon to improve the safety and security of biological research in the U.S. and around the world. 

FLASHBACK: COVID ORIGINS: HHS SUSPENDS ECOHEALTH ALLIANCE GRANTS AFTER FINDING TAXPAYER FUNDS USED IN RISKY RESEARCH

The White House said the order “will drastically reduce the potential for lab-related incidents involving gain-of-function research, like that conducted on bat coronaviruses in China by the EcoHealth Alliance and Wuhan Institute of Virology.” 

Gain-of-function research typically involves modifying a virus to make it more infectious among humans. Gain of function research took place at the Wuhan Lab before the COVID-19 pandemic began. 

The White House said the order will protect Americans from lab accidents and other biosecurity incidents, “such as those that likely caused COVID-19 and the 1977 Russian flu.” 

The president’s order ends any present and all future federal funding of gain-of-function research in countries with insufficient oversight of research and empowers U.S. research agencies to identify and end federal funding of any other biological research that could pose a threat to American public health, public safety or national security. 

FLASHBACK: US TAXPAYER FUNDS FLOWED TO CHINESE ENTITIES THAT CONDUCTED CORONAVIRUS RESEARCH BEFORE COVID PANDEMIC: GAO

“For decades, policies overseeing gain-of-function research on pathogens, toxins, and potential pathogens have lacked adequate enforcement, transparency, and top-down oversight,” the White House said in a fact sheet describing the order. “Researchers have not acknowledged the legitimate potential for societal harms that this kind of research poses.” 

The order, according to the White House, “protects Americans from dangerous gain-of-function research that manipulates viruses and other biological agents and toxins, but it does not impede productive biological research that will ensure the United States maintains readiness against biological threats and continues to drive global leadership in biotechnology, biosecurity, and health research.” 

“President Trump has long theorized that COVID-19 originated from a lab leak at the Wuhan Institute of Virology and has consistently pushed for transparency in investigating its origins,” the White House said. 

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

Israeli forces on Monday struck Yemen’s port city of Hodeidah, targeting the Iran-backed Houthis in response to “repeated attacks” against the Jewish state, in particular its missile strike that nearly hit Tel Aviv’s largest airport. 

The Israel Defense Forces said fighter jets targeted the port city, which is along Yemen’s coastline, and a concrete factory. 

“The terrorist infrastructure sites struck in the Hudaydah port serve as a central supply source for the Houthi terrorist regime,” an IDF statement said. “The Hudaydah Port is used for the transfer of Iranian weapons, military equipment, and other equipment intended for terrorist purposes.”

 ISRAEL APPROVES PLAN TO CAPTURE ALL OF GAZA, CALLS UP TENS OF THOUSANDS OF RESERVE TROOPS

In addition, the IDF also struck the “Bajil” Concrete Plant, which serves as a significant economic resource for the Houthis, the IDF said. The facility is also used for the construction of underground tunnels and terrorist infrastructure for the terrorist regime, officials said.

During the strike, the Houthis retaliated with surface-to-surface missiles and drones that were launched at Israel and civilians, Israel said. 

PARENTS OF HAMAS HOSTAGES URGE TRUMP TO BE ‘TOUGH WITH ENEMIES AND FRIENDS’ AMID ISRAELI SIEGE IN GAZA

Following Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, the Houthis have targeted commercial shipping in and around the Red Sea in solidarity with the terror group. 

U.S. naval forces have been deployed to the region, where they have launched repeated airstrikes against the Houthis in Yemen. 

The group is funded and trained by Iran. 

Israel’s strike was in retaliation for a Houthi missile attack that nearly struck Ben Gurion Airport, causing multiple international airlines to cancel flights to Israel.

The missile reportedly evaded both Israeli and U.S. missile defenses, according to Israeli media.

On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed retaliation.

Former Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva is now a registered Republican after leaving the Democratic Party.

“As of today, I’m leaving the party of paid protests, purple hair, and pronouns. And I’m joining the party of faith, family, and freedom — the Republican Party,” Villanueva told the Unite Inland Empire Conservative Conference on Saturday.

“Today I announced ending 44 years as a registered Dem and joining the [GOP] Time to make [California] purple again!” he posted to X.

The former sheriff led the large blue county’s department from 2018 to 2022, as he was defeated by a significant margin by Sheriff Robert Luna in 2022.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS CHARGED IN BRUTAL MURDER DURING CALIFORNIA HOME INVASION, ROBBERY

The move was met with open arms by Republican leaders in the Golden State.

“I left the [California Democratic] Party when I saw it no longer stood for the values I was raised with: personal responsibility, public safety, and freedom. [Alex Villanueva] made the same call. It takes courage, but it’s the right move. Welcome to our movement to restore common sense!” California Republican Party Chairwoman Corrin Rankin posted to X.

“[Alex Villanueva], you are not alone. Many classic liberals have noticed that [the California Democratic Party] has lost their way, and that they champion crime and criminals. You don’t *need* to be a Republican to vote for sanity, but it helps,” Roxanne Hoge, chairwoman of the Republican Party of Los Angeles, posted to X.

TRUMP ORDERS FEDS TO REOPEN ALCATRAZ TO HOUSE ‘AMERICA’S MOST RUTHLESS AND VIOLENT’ CRIMINALS

Some critics of the former former sheriff welcomed the move away from the party.

“Not a surprise. Hasn’t been a DEM. Votes for him in ‘18, regretted it & happily helped vote him out in ‘22. At least we won’t have to see him again in elected office now with party switch,” podcaster Scott Moore posted.

“The democrats have selected the Wu Tang Clan. Republicans can have Villanueva,” Democratic strategist Michael Trujillo posted.

MALIBU MAN TO STAND TRIAL FOR MURDER IN HIGH-SPEED CRASH THAT LEFT 4 PEPPERDINE STUDENTS DEAD

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Republicans are still far behind Democrats in party registration numbers in the Golden State, but there is a sense of ambition and optimism among party leaders in the state ahead of the 2026 midterms, especially as three seats in the Democrat supermajority legislature went from blue to red in November, according to CalMatters.

In Los Angeles County alone, political tensions remain high after the devesting aftermath of the Pacific Palisades fire as a recall effort against Mayor Karen Bass is ongoing.

The White House said Monday “no final decisions” have been made regarding the Trump administration’s planned tariffs on foreign moviemaking, as one expert welcomed the potential action as a reprieve for the American film industry. 

“Although no final decisions on foreign film tariffs have been made, the Administration is exploring all options to deliver on President Trump’s directive to safeguard our country’s national and economic security while Making Hollywood Great Again,” White House spokesperson Kush Desai said in a statement to Fox News Digital. 

President Donald Trump first announced in a Truth Social post on Sunday that he was authorizing the Department of Commerce and the U.S. trade representative “to immediately begin the process of instituting a 100% Tariff on any and all Movies coming into our Country that are produced in Foreign Lands.” Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick responded on X, “We’re on it.” 

ACTORS GO BEHIND-THE-SCENES ON HOW TRUMP IS MAKING HOLLYWOOD GREAT AGAIN

“The elite in Hollywood will largely hate this because they’ve sold out their workers in favor of maximum profits while shooting in insanely cheap labor environments,” Robby Starbuck, a former Hollywood producer and conservative activist, told Fox News Digital. “American workers who are referred to as ‘below the line’ in filmmaking are over the moon about getting more jobs back here and rental houses couldn’t be happier.”

“Overall, while there will be short-term pain for studios, in the long run this will strengthen the American film business,” Starbuck said. “Also, communist China’s propaganda efforts take a major hit with this move.”

On-location production in the greater Los Angeles area dropped by 22.4% in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the same time last year, according to FilmLA, a nonprofit that organizes film permits for the city and county. 

One movie producer told the New York Times last month that the Hollywood film industry is undergoing an “existential crisis,” as the newspaper noted that reality shows, indie films and even blockbuster films are increasingly making business decisions to film overseas to the detriment of the middle-class workers in the Los Angeles-area, such as camera operators, set decorators and lighting technicians. 

The newspaper noted that despite Hollywood’s many available studios, the game show “The Floor” chose to fly host Rob Lowe and 100 American contestants to Dublin, Ireland, rather than shoot the show domestically.

TRUMP ANNOUNCES 100% TARIFF ON ALL FOREIGN-PRODUCED MOVIES: ‘WE WANT MOVIES MADE IN AMERICA, AGAIN!’

The BBC reported that several recent major films produced by U.S. studios were recorded overseas, including “Deadpool & Wolverine,” “Wicked” and “Gladiator II.” “Mission Impossible” also was shot outside the United States. 

In his Truth Social post, Trump said the movie industry in America is “DYING a very fast death,” arguing that other countries “are offering all sorts of incentives to draw our filmmakers and studios away from the United States.” 

“This is a concerted effort by other Nations and, therefore, a National Security threat. It is, in addition to everything else, messaging and propaganda!” Trump wrote. “WE WANT MOVIES MADE IN AMERICA, AGAIN!” 

Trump told reporters Sunday that other countries have been “stealing” the moviemaking capabilities from the United States, saying that he had done “some very strong research over the last week.” 

The president said the U.S. is “making very few movies now” and that Hollywood is “being destroyed.” 

“You have an incompetent, grossly incompetent governor that allowed that to happen, so I’m not just blaming other nations,” Trump said, making a dig at Democrat California Gov. Gavin Newsom. 

“But other nations have stolen our movie industry. They’re not willing to make a movie inside the United States and we should have a tariff on movies that come in,” Trump added. “Governments are actually giving big money. I mean they’re supporting them financially, so that’s sort of a threat to our country in a sense. And it’s been a very popular thing.… Moviemakers love it.”

In January, Trump appointed stars Jon Voight, Mel Gibson and Sylvester Stallone as “special ambassadors” to Hollywood. 

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Voight – who is Angelina Jolie’s father – reportedly has recently been meeting with movie executives and union representatives in Los Angeles while crafting a plan to revive the American moviemaking industry, Deadline reported. 

Trump’s Hollywood ambassador has met with the Directors Guild of America, Teamsters and the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees so far, sources told the outlet. 

New York Attorney General Letitia James on Monday said she is leading a coalition of 20 states in suing the Trump administration over its cuts to public health funding and the Department of Health and Human Services, describing the efforts in a press conference as the most “sweeping and unlawful assault on public health” in U.S. history.

The lawsuit, filed by James and other state attorneys general, accuses the Trump administration of violating “hundreds” of laws and regulations in attempting to dismantle the Department of Health and Human Services, both by firing thousands of HHS employees in an effort to slash its overall workforce by 20,000 people and shuttering crucial health programs across the U.S.

“This administration is not streamlining the federal government; they are sabotaging it,” James said Monday. 

She used a press conference to highlight the risks these cuts pose for Americans in New York and across the country.

100 DAYS OF INJUNCTIONS, TRIALS AND ‘TEFLON DON’: TRUMP SECOND TERM MEETS ITS BIGGEST TESTS IN COURT

“When you fire the scientists who research infectious diseases, silence the doctors who care for pregnant people and shut down the programs that help firefighters and miners breathe or children thrive, you are not making America healthy; you are putting countless lives at risk,” James said. 

“This is not how government is supposed to work. These actions are dangerous, cruel and illegal. They defy Congress’s authority and they violate federal law. And that is why today I am leading a lawsuit joined by Democratic attorneys general across the country to stop this administration from tearing down our public health infrastructure.”

The plaintiffs, who filed the lawsuit Monday in the U.S. District Court in Rhode Island, are asking the court “to halt the unlawful dismantling of HHS, to stop the mass firings, and to restore the life-saving programs that millions of Americans depend on,” James said.

New York is joined in the lawsuit by the attorneys generals of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Michigan, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia.

Their lawsuit accuses the Trump administration in the lawsuit of erasing “decades of public health progress” and leaving HHS “unable to execute many of its most vital functions.”

FEDERAL JUDGES IN NEW YORK AND TEXAS BLOCK TRUMP DEPORTATIONS AFTER SCOTUS RULING

Such actions, they argue, are “in violation of Congress’s instructions, the U.S. Constitution, and the many statutes that govern the Department’s programs and appropriate funds for it to administer.”

These actions included terminating 10,000 full-time employees, collapsing 28 agencies into 15, and closing half of HHS’s 10 regional offices. 

James cited many of these issues directly in the press conference Monday, taking aim at the administration for systematically depriving HHS of the “resources necessary to do its job.”

The government has “all but stopped testing for measles in the middle of an unprecedented measles outbreak,” James said. 

New York’s Wadsworth Center, she noted, is one of the “only labs in the country still equipped to detect rare infectious diseases” and is “scrambling to fill the void left by a hollowed-out CDC.”

Her remarks come after HHS announced thousands of layoffs in March and April, including at the FDA, the CDC and NIH. The reductions were in keeping with a Department of Government Efficiency-led push for agencies to slash the size of the federal workforce and trim government spending, prompting criticism from Democrats and some Republicans.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ASKS SUPREME COURT TO REVIEW EL SALVADOR DEPORTATION FLIGHT CASE

These cuts included terminating HHS employees tasked with determining SNAP and Medicaid eligibility for low-income or disabled Americans; the firing of the CDC’s entire maternal health team; and the gutting of mental health and substance abuse services and personnel.

“None of these layoffs were necessary to accommodate a funding shortfall – Congress’s appropriations have remained steady, or in many cases, grown in recent years,” the plaintiffs said in their lawsuit.

“All told, 20,000 full-time employees – almost twenty-five percent of HHS headcount – would be terminated in a few months to save, by Defendants’ own estimate, less than one percent of HHS expenditures.”

Plaintiffs in the lawsuit asked to halt HHS efforts to dismantle the HHS-led agencies and programs that were cut as a result of the reorganization. States are also seeking declaratory and injunctive relief to prevent what they described as the “unconstitutional and illegal dismantling of the Department.”

The lawsuit is not the first time James, a longtime foe of the current president, has sparred with Trump since the start of his second presidential term.

To date, she’s joined Democrat attorneys general in more than a dozen other lawsuits challenging his early actions.

President Donald Trump on Monday said he held a “productive” call with Turkish President Recep Erdogan on a range of topics, including the war between Russia and Ukraine.

Trump shared details of the call in a post on his TRUTH Social platform.

“I just had a very good and productive telephone conversation with the President of Turkey, Recep Erdoğan, concerning many subjects, including the War with Russia/Ukraine, all things Syria, Gaza, and more,” Trump wrote.

The president added that he is looking forward to working with Erdogan to end the “ridiculous, but deadly” Russia-Ukraine war.

TRUMP’S 16TH WEEK IN OFFICE TO INCLUDE WH MEETING WITH CANADA, ONGOING TRADE NEGOTIATIONS

Trump has vowed to end the three-year war between Russia and Ukraine, though the U.S. has tempered expectations regarding recent peace talks it’s brokering between the warring nations.

Gaza has also been a major issue for the Trump administration as Israel works to get its hostages returned after Hamas led a deadly attack on Oct. 7, 2023. As the fighting in Gaza has escalated, Trump has pushed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “to be good to Gaza” because the people there “are suffering.”

Trump noted that his relationship with Erdogan during his first term was “excellent,” adding that the Turkish leader invited him to Turkey at a future date. Trump said Erdogan will also visit Washington, D.C., though no date was immediately provided.

ISRAEL APPROVES PLAN TO CAPTURE ALL OF GAZA, CALLS UP TENS OF THOUSANDS OF RESERVE TROOPS

Trump also highlighted that he and Erdogan had “worked together closely on numerous things,” including the return of American pastor Andrew Brunson, who Trump said was freed “immediately upon my request.”

Brunson was imprisoned and detained in Turkey for 735 days on terror and treason charges in October 2016 over his alleged ties to an outlawed group after a massive government crackdown following a failed coup months earlier.

FIRST ON FOX: Twenty-three state attorneys general sent a letter to Senate leaders on Monday urging lawmakers to swiftly confirm President Donald Trump‘s nominee to serve as United States Attorney for the District of Columbia, Ed Martin, ahead of a May 20 deadline, when judges on a court led by Trump-antagonist Judge James Boasberg could select a temporary replacement. 

“To put it bluntly, the District of Columbia is broken. And four years of alleged corruption, mismanagement, and derelictions of duty in the U.S. Attorney’s Office under President Biden’s appointees are in many ways to blame. The District should be made safe again. The District should have a U.S. Attorney who replaces the rule of lawfare with the rule of law. Ed Martin is the man to achieve those goals. We strongly encourage the Senate to confirm him at the earliest possible date,” reads the letter, which was first exclusively obtained by Fox News Digital. 

It was sent to Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Chuck Grassley on Monday afternoon. 

The letter comes as a May 20 deadline looms to confirm the Trump nominee, when his role as interim U.S. attorney runs dry after 120 days in the role. Martin, who previously worked as a defense attorney and represented Americans charged in the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol in 2021, was named interim U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia beginning on Inauguration Day. 

If an interim U.S. attorney is not confirmed by the Senate within 120 days, judges on the federal district court for that district can name a new interim U.S. attorney until a nominee is confirmed, Department of Justice documents show. Trump antagonist Judge James Boasberg, an Obama-appointed judge at the center of legal efforts targeting Trump’s deportation efforts, is the current chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. 

TRUMP NOMINATES JAN. 6 DEFENSE ATTORNEY FOR TOP PROSECUTOR ROLE IN DC

Trump has previously slammed the entire D.C. District Court, saying it would be “virtually impossible” for him to get an “honest ruling” after Boasberg blocked Trump’s Venezuelan deportation flights in March. 

“Our Nation’s Courts are broken, with New York and DC being the most preeminent of all in their Corruption and Radicalism. There must be an immediate investigation of this Rigged System, before it is too late!” Trump posted to Truth Social in March. 

Indiana Republican Attorney General Todd Rokita spearheaded the letter and told Fox Digital on Monday that Martin has already shown in his few months serving on an interim basis that “he’s a proven leader.”

“I am proud to lead this effort to support Ed Martin because he’s a proven leader who is already devoting all of his time to restoring the rule of law in our nation’s capital,” Rokita said. “His bold actions have had an immediate impact, which sent the disreputable D.C. news media into a full-blown meltdown – the Senate must act swiftly to confirm him and ensure his critical work continues uninterrupted.”

TRUMP NOMINATES JUDGE TO SERVE AS NEXT US ATTORNEY FOR SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF FLORIDA

The letter similarly argued that the Senate confirmation process should go smoothly as lawmakers can already examine Martin’s track record in the role. 

“The Senate does not have to wonder or speculate about whether Mr. Martin will lead the U.S. Attorney’s Office with honor and skill,” the state attorneys general continued in their letter. “As interim U.S. Attorney for the District since January 20, 2025, he has shown conclusively that he has what it takes to serve in that role with integrity and a fearless commitment to do what is right on behalf of the American people. And there are few offices in the American justice system that could use that kind of leader now as much as the D.C. U.S. Attorney’s Office.”

The 23 states that joined the letter include: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and West Virginia. 

Martin’s confirmation has stalled, however, with Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, voicing concerns about the nomination during the committee’s May 1 executive business meeting.

FEDERAL PROSECUTOR VOWS TO PROTECT DOGE STAFFERS FROM ANY ‘THREATS, CONFRONTATIONS’ TARGETING MUSK TEAM

“Last Friday, we received responses from Mr. Martin to our questions, and it raised even more questions. Mr. Martin made a number of false statements and contradictory statements that are easily disproven by the material he himself disclosed in his Senate Judiciary Questionnaire. And it wasn’t just to my questions—it was to Chairman Grassley’s questions as well,” Durbin said during the meeting. 

The AGs took specific issue with how crime has spiraled in the nation’s capital under the Biden administration, which they cited was related to the justice system and failing to prosecute criminals.  

“Under President Biden, public safety and the quality of life deteriorated in the District of Columbia. Matthew Graves—President Biden’s appointee as chief federal prosecutor for District—oversaw during his tenure a deeply troubling increase in crime in the nation’s capital.  In 2023 alone, the number of homicides in D.C. increased by 35% over the previous year. Robberies were up 67%. Car theft skyrocketed by 82%. All the while, Mr. Graves declined to prosecute over two-thirds of all criminal cases brought to his office. In this way, President Biden brought to the District the same lax-on-crime policies that have benighted many of America’s largest cities for decades,” they wrote. 

Since taking over the position, Martin has overseen the dismissals of various Jan. 6 cases after Trump pardoned and commuted the defendants. 

Martin also published a fiery letter in February vowing to hold to account those who try to sabotage the efforts of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to clean the federal government of overspending and corruption. Trump granted clemency to more than 1,500 Jan. 6 criminal defendants upon taking office earlier this year. 

TRUMP UNLOADS ON JUDGE BOASBERG, ‘RADICAL LEFT JUDGES’ FOR HALTING DEPORTATIONS OF VIOLENT ILLEGAL ALIENS

“I recognize that some of the staff at DOGE have been targeted publicly,” Martin wrote to Elon Musk in the February letter. “At this time, I ask that you utilize me and my staff to assist in protecting the DOGE work and the DOGE workers. Any threats, confrontations or other actions in any way that impact their work may break numerous laws.”

“Let me assure you of this: We will pursue any and all legal action against anyone who impedes your work or threatens your people,” he continued. “We will not act like the previous administration who looked the other way as the Antifa and BLM rioters as well as thugs with guns trashed our capital city. We will protect DOGE and other workers no matter what.” 

In their letter, the state attorneys general said Martin has done more to crack down on crime during his few months as interim leader than his predecessor did under the Biden administration.

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“Mr. Martin has prosecuted and seized the assets of pro-Hamas protestors who defaced monuments and assaulted police. He has pursued and indicted Chinese-backed hackers who threatened our national security. He has prosecuted and disrupted the operations of gangs of illegal aliens. He has rooted out and brought to justice corrupt civil servants who stole taxpayer money. He has done more in less than four months to restore law and order to the District than Matthew Graves did in nearly four years,” they wrote. 

FIRST ON FOX: A pro-Trump legal nonprofit is asking for the U.S. Department of Education to investigate an Ohio school district that the group says is pushing an “unlawful” DEI agenda and violating federal anti-discrimination law. 

The complaint from America First Legal alleges that the Upper Arlington School District in Columbus, Ohio has implemented DEI policies dating back to 2020 and cites material from the district’s own website. 

“In June 2020, during the height of the Black Lives Matter riots, the Upper Arlington School Board, like many other educational institutions and corporations in our country, caved to Black Lives Matter demands and began to implement racist and discriminatory DEI policies in the District,” the complaint alleges. 

“The District added a Chief Talent Officer (“CTO”) to “foster workforce diversity. Upper Arlington also added an Equity Advisory Board, which aims to ‘provide invaluable insight and feedback on the recruitment of a diverse staff.’ The School District also created a new position, the Chief Excellence and Engagement Officer, who was tasked with ‘spearhead[ing] Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) efforts.’”

WATCH: UNEARTHED FOOTAGE EXPOSES MEDICAL SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS PLEDGING TO RESIST TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDERS

The complaint alleges that DEI advocacy continued in the years after 2020 and quoted a district report that said “[t]here is a need for a clear vision for DEI initiatives [and] advocacy for LGBTQIA+ students” while referring “those who oppos[e] DEI efforts” as “negative voices.”

A “Comprehensive Equity Report” from the district “contains “discriminatory and illegal recommendations”, according to the complaint. 

The complaint makes the case that the DEI practices within the district are not in line with current Education Department rules and guidelines and suggests that federal funding to the school could be in jeopardy.

WHITE HOUSE VOWS TO IMPLEMENT ‘SYSTEM OF MERIT’ IN US, DISMANTLE DEI ‘STRANGULATION’

“When our nation’s schools discriminate based on race and sex, and embed divisive racial and sexual ideologies into their curriculum, it not only violates the law, but it also warps our children’s education,” Jacob Meckler, America First Legal Counsel, told Fox News Digital in a statement. “The Department of Education should investigate the Upper Arlington School District and, if appropriate, terminate federal taxpayer funding.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the school district and Department of Education for comment. 

Upper Arlington School District has been in hot water over DEI practices in the past when  video surfaced in 2023 showing district officials discussing how they can push critical race theory covertly, Fox News Digital previously reported. 

“There’s more than one way to skin a cat,” Matthew Boaz, the executive director of diversity, equity and inclusion of Upper Arlington Schools, said. “You can pass a bill that you can’t teach CRT in a classroom, but if you didn’t cover programming, or you didn’t cover extracurricular activities or something like that, that message might still get out. Oops.”

In a statement to Fox News Digital Superintendent Hunt said, “On April 30, Upper Arlington Schools received a copy of a letter sent to the United States Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights by an attorney writing on behalf of the advocacy group America First Legal.  The letter accuses the district of ‘illegal DEI policies,’ but fails to identify any specific practices or policies that are actually in place in the district.”

“We take any concerns of discrimination seriously and we will continue, as always, in our commitment to our mission of challenging and supporting every student, every step of the way, to our vision that every student is prepared to serve, lead, and succeed, and to our values – start with heart, strength in team, and contagious drive.  Our new Excellence & Innovation 2030 Strategic Plan is rooted in these commitments, and we will remain focused on providing our students with the high quality educational experience that our community expects.”

Hunt added that “we will certainly cooperate fully” if an investigation is opened.

A Dept. of Education spokesperson told Fox News Digital that the department “doesn’t confirm complaints.”

Earlier this year, the Department of Education issued a letter warning public schools across the country that they must remove diversity, equity and inclusion policies or risk losing federal funding. 

“Institutions that fail to comply with federal civil rights law may, consistent with applicable law, face potential loss of federal funding,” Craig Trainor, acting assistant secretary for civil rights in the Department of Education, said in the letter.

The letter said the “overt and covert racial discrimination that has become widespread in this Nation’s educational institutions” will no longer be tolerated.

Fox News Digital’s Landon Mion contributed to this report

House Judiciary Committee member Hank Johnson, R-Ga., made waves when he made allusions to the Holocaust while obliquely criticizing the deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia and the arrest of Milwaukee Judge Hannah Dugan.

Johnson was speaking during a Wednesday committee markup meeting when he began paraphrasing German preacher Martin Niemöller’s confession as someone who once supported the Nazi Party until it was too late to object to its mounting atrocities.

“You know, first, they came for the Latinos outside of the Home Depots, trying to get work so that they could feed their families,” Johnson began.

“And I didn’t say anything about it because I’m not a Latino at the Home Depot.”

SENATOR WARNS OF UNCONSTITUTIONAL JUDICIAL OVERREACH AHEAD OF SCOTUS SHOWDOWN

“Then they came for the Hispanic-looking folks [with] hats backward with tattoos. And they deported them to El Salvador. And I didn’t say anything about that because I don’t wear my [hat] backward, and I don’t have any tattoos, and I don’t look like a Latino.”

“Then they came for the Latinas at home, taking care of the children. They scooped up the Latinas and the children, some of whom were American citizens, one of whom was receiving treatment for cancer. They swept them up, took them off, and deported them. And I didn’t say anything about it. Because I’m not a Latina. I’m not a little child who’s an American citizen.”

Johnson went on to make the same allusion to students protesting in support of Hamas on campus, who have been another target of the Trump administration.

“They sent jackbooted thugs wearing masks to pick them up, take them thousands of miles away and put them in a private for-profit detention center where they languish at taxpayer expense. And I didn’t say anything about it because I’m not a student on a foreign visa,” Johnson said.

He then noted how Dugan had been arrested for allegedly aiding an illegal immigrant in avoiding federal immigration authorities, saying he did not speak up because he was not a “White female judge.”

“But then they came for me. And I looked around, and there was nobody left because I had remained silent,” he said.

DEM SEN JOINS GROUP OF FAR LEFT LAWMAKERS WHO THINK TRUMP HAS AGAIN COMMITTED IMPEACHABLE OFFENSES

Johnson concluded by noting he paraphrased a poem from Germany, saying it “resonated back then as it does today.”

“It’s important that the people understand what is happening with our constitutional rights in this country. Everyone is entitled to due process, whether or not you are documented or undocumented, whether or you are a citizen or not. You’re entitled to due process.”

He said an amendment up for a vote in the markup sought to affirm that. 

An amendment in the meeting record would have prohibited certain funds from being used to remove “an alien in violation of their rights under the Fifth Amendment.” 

It was voted down.

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Fox News Digital reached out to Johnson for comment, as well as House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, for response.

On X, the official House Judiciary Committee Republican account mocked Johnson’s remarks, writing, “Wow, Hank Johnson just implied that all Latinos hang out at Home Depot.”

Johnson’s penchant for colorful remarks goes back more than a decade to 2010, when he warned then-Pacific Fleet commander Adm. Robert Willard during a House Armed Service Committee hearing on military-buildup plans that Guam could potentially “tip over and capsize” due to overpopulation.

Democrats have recently shifted their comments on Garcia’s case more toward concerns about due process, after Tennessee police video showing a run-in with Garcia allegedly trafficking migrants was released.

EXCLUSIVE: An audit by Mississippi state auditor Shad White found several instances of “incredibly wasteful” expenditures of state HIV/AIDS grants, as President Donald Trump has been criticized for cutting similar funding via the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

White said his report shows funds meant for HIV/AIDS issues were spent by some recipients on a “Queer-ceanara” – a “Latinx pride month event” based off the Spanish term “Quinceañera” for a girl’s 15th birthday celebration.

“We’ve been following the model that President Trump and DOGE set in digging into taxpayer funds here in Mississippi,” White told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview about updates to what is being called “MOGE,” or Mississippi’s version of Elon Musk’s DOGE government efficiency work.

“We’re particularly looking now at grants that are being passed from state agencies over to nonprofits, and our latest findings are really just a slap in the face to taxpayers, unfortunately,” he said.

MISSISSIPPI MUSK: STATE AUDITOR’S ‘MOGE’ REPORT FINDS $400M IN GOVERNMENT WASTE

“So what we started doing is digging into grants that were designed to pay for tests, to test people for HIV/AID – and so those grants were flowing through the Mississippi Department of Health… And when you dig into how [some] nonprofits are spending the money, you see that it’s incredibly wasteful.”

White said taxpayer funds meant for constructive means were also spent on cab rides in the overnight hours 1,000 miles away in New York City over a several-day period.

“[That] looked like bar-hopping,” he said.

COST CUTTING: 2 STATES AIM TO ELIMINATE PERSONAL INCOME TAXES

White remarked that if that kind of funding “abuse” could happen in a red state like the Magnolia State, it may only be the tip of the iceberg compared to more financially permissive blue states.

“Our audit shows that when you dig into how this money is actually being spent, it’s not actually helping people with HIV/AIDS. It’s not helping to test folks for HIV. It’s instead just being wasted.”

At the same time, the Trump administration’s National Institutes of Health has been under fire for similar cuts in its own DOGE efforts, with one CNN report citing a critic claiming “people will die.”

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The network looked into changes made in a Health and Human Services database, and one source said they had been getting texts from concerned people.

Back in Jackson, White said the HIV/AIDS funding audit is only the latest in his office’s wide-ranging efforts to curb waste or fraud in terms of state taxpayer monies.

“DOGE has highlighted in particular how grants passed down from the federal government to state governments, and then to non-profits, are really a massive, massive fraud risk,” he said.

“Our audit here proves that the craziest kind of stuff that you see at the federal level and the craziest stuff that may see in California or New York is happening in red states too. Every single state needs to be following President Trump’s lead.”

Rwanda is reportedly “in discussions with the United States” to receive migrants deported by the Trump administration. 

Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe told state broadcaster Rwanda TV on Sunday that the East African country “has not yet reached a stage where we can say exactly how things will proceed, but the talks are ongoing … still in the early stages,” according to Reuters. “We are in discussions with the United States.”

A State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital on Monday that implementing the Trump administration’s immigration policies is a top priority and that it is working closely with partners and regional leaders to end the crisis of illegal and mass migration. 

The spokesperson added that ongoing engagement with foreign governments is vital to accomplishing that goal but noted that the State Department does not publicly discuss the details of its diplomatic communications.

RWANDAN PRESIDENT PRAISES ‘UNCONVENTIONAL’ TRUMP, SAYS ‘WE MIGHT LEARN SOME LESSONS’ WITH USAID SHUTDOWN 

Rwanda’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond Monday to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. 

At a Cabinet meeting last week, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, “We have gone to countries all over the world and said, ‘Hey, you want good relations with the United States, you need to take back your people that are here illegally.’ And we’ve had historic cooperation. Beyond that, and I say this unapologetically, we are actively searching for other countries to take people from third countries.  

“So we are actively – not just El Salvador – we are working with other countries to say, ‘We want to send you some of the most despicable human beings to your countries, will you do that as a favor to us?’ And the further away from America the better, so they can’t come back across the border,” Rubio added. 

TRUMP QUESTIONS JUDGES WHO BLOCK DEPORTATIONS OF ‘CRIMINALS, INCLUDING MURDERERS’ 

In a 2023 report on the human rights situation in Rwanda, the State Department said “significant” issues exist, such as “credible reports of arbitrary or unlawful killings, including extrajudicial killings; harsh and life-threatening prison conditions; arbitrary arrest or detention; political prisoners or detainees; transnational repression against individuals in another country; arbitrary or unlawful interference with privacy,” among other allegations. 

Rwanda previously had an agreement with the United Kingdom in 2022 to accept thousands of asylum seekers, but that deal was scrapped last year by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Reuters reported. 

Rwandan President Paul Kagame said in February that “President Trump has an unconventional way of doing things,” and “I completely agree with him on many things.” 

Fox News Digital’s Jeffrey Clark contributed to this report.