EXCLUSIVE: Congressional Republicans are working on a multi-trillion-dollar bill advancing President Donald Trump’s agenda – and it could include a modest tax hike on wealthy Americans, one of the House GOP’s tax writers said.

“There’s potentially some talk about a tax hike on wealthier Americans. I think our goal in this committee, and the president’s goal, has been to provide tax relief for the working and middle class,” Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., told Fox News Digital on Tuesday.

“We have to find a way to pay for that, so we’ll have to see how this all shakes out.”

A senior House GOP aide who spoke with Fox News Digital also alluded to possible tax hikes on the table.

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

“The reason we are in the majority and have the ability to do this entire process is because of working-class voters, not the wealthiest Americans,” they said. “I believe our tax package will reflect that reality.”

Malliotakis sits on the House Ways & Means Committee, one of the most critical panels in the budget reconciliation process.

Reconciliation lowers the Senate’s passage threshold from 60 to 51, making it possible for the party that controls both chambers of Congress and the White House to pass massive policy overhauls while sidelining the opposition, in this case Democrats.

The process traditionally begins in the House, where seven committees are preparing to meet in the next two weeks to hash out policies under their relevant jurisdictions. Those will then be slotted into a larger budget framework, which is then considered by the House Budget Committee before a chamber-wide vote.

The Ways & Means Committee is responsible for the tax portion, a key priority for Trump. 

The president wants Republicans to extend his 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) while also providing for a slate of new tax policies like eliminating duties on tips, overtime pay, and Social Security checks for retirees.

Republicans are currently studying avenues to pay for those priorities.

Malliotakis signaled a corporate tax rate increase was likely off the table, but she’s among several Republican lawmakers who said they would be open to a small tax hike on the wealthy to pay for Trump’s middle and working-class priorities.

“Personally, I think that that should be on the table if we’re not going to make spending cuts. But I hope we make spending cuts,” House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris, R-Md., told Fox News Digital.

But others said they were opposed.

SENATE GOP PUSHES TRUMP BUDGET FRAMEWORK THROUGH AFTER MARATHON VOTE SERIES

“I don’t think we have a revenue problem. I don’t think we should be looking for places to add revenue. I think we have a spending problem. Congress spends way too much money, too large of a portion of our GDP. We need to find ways of cutting spending,” Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., said.

It’s not immediately clear what shape such a tax hike could take. Republicans have discussed potential proposals, including raising the top tax bracket by roughly 1% after it was lowered by about 2% in TCJA. Another proposal would create a new tax bracket for millionaires, potentially of up to 40%.

House Ways & Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo., would not share any details of the forthcoming plan when asked about a possible tax hike.

“There’s a lot of things that I’ve been reading in the press that have not been accurate, but I’m not going to say whether it’s accurate or not, and they’ll see the bill whenever we deliver it right before markup,” Smith told Fox News Digital.

“But what I will say is, is that we will have a tax bill that is pro-growth, pro-jobs, pro-family, pro-small business, and pro-workers. And Republicans believe in making sure that Americans keep more of their hard-earned dollars, and you’ll see a tax package that does.”

He said Americans would likely get to see that plan in a matter of “days, not months.”

Fox News Digital’s Deirdre Heavey contributed to this report

President Donald Trump signed at least 137 executive orders in his 100 days in the Oval Office, trouncing his predecessors’ respective records on signed EOs in the same time period, dating back to at least President Franklin D. Roosevelt. 

Trump signed 26 executive orders in his first day back in the Oval Office, and a total of 45 in his first 10 days. His 137 executive orders in his first 100 days is a benchmark that has not been met since at least Roosevelt, whose presidency began in 1933. 

Trump’s executive order blitz has included rescinding dozens of policies implemented by the Biden administration, including cutting red tape surrounding the energy industry, striping diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives from the fabric of the U.S. government and promoting the proliferation of artificial intelligence. 

Trump kicked off his executive order blitz on Jan. 20, his inauguration day, by focusing on rescinding Biden-era policies, as well as other orders such as ending the “weaponization” of the federal government, “restoring” free speech and designating certain cartels as terrorist organizations.

DEFUNDING DEI: HERE’S HOW THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION HAS UNDONE BIDEN’S PRIZED PROGRAMS

Trump’s Jan. 20 order called Initial Rescissions of Harmful Executive Orders and Actions revoked dozens of Biden-era policies, including Biden’s 2021 order titled Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government; the 46th president’s 2021 executive order called Rebuilding and Enhancing Programs to Resettle Refugees and Planning for the Impact of Climate Change on Migration; and Biden’s 2022 executive order called Advancing Equality for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex Individuals.

“The previous administration has embedded deeply unpopular, inflationary, illegal, and radical practices within every agency and office of the Federal Government,” reads Trump’s order rescinding Biden’s presidential actions. “The injection of ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion’ (DEI) into our institutions has corrupted them by replacing hard work, merit, and equality with a divisive and dangerous preferential hierarchy. Orders to open the borders have endangered the American people and dissolved Federal, State, and local resources that should be used to benefit the American people. Climate extremism has exploded inflation and overburdened businesses with regulation.”

WHITE HOUSE OPM ORDERS ALL DEI OFFICES TO BEGIN CLOSING BY END OF DAY WEDNESDAY

Trump’s second presidency has made education a top priority amid the flurry of executive orders across his first few months. 

Trump signed an executive order in March to dismantle the Department of Education and return oversight power of school systems to state leaders after years of the U.S. dragging behind other nations such as Finland and Japan in overall student performance. 

“Everybody knows it’s right, and we have to get our children educated,” Trump said while signing the order. “We’re not doing well with the world of education in this country, and we haven’t for a long time.” 

Trump also signed an executive order in January that removes federal funding from K-12 schools that teach critical race theory and DEI curriculum.

TRUMP SIGNS EDUCATION-FOCUSED EXECUTIVE ORDERS ON AI, SCHOOL DISCIPLINE, ACCREDITATION, FOREIGN GIFTS AND MORE

“In many cases, innocent children are compelled to adopt identities as either victims or oppressors solely based on their skin color and other immutable characteristics,” reads the order called Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling. “In other instances, young men and women are made to question whether they were born in the wrong body and whether to view their parents and their reality as enemies to be blamed. These practices not only erode critical thinking but also sow division, confusion, and distrust, which undermine the very foundations of personal identity and family unity.”

Trump signed an executive order in February that prohibits schools and colleges that receive federal funds and are subject to Title IX from allowing men on women’s sports teams and in women’s locker rooms, and another in January expanding school choice.

The Trump presidency established the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in January through an executive order that renamed the Obama-era United States Digital Service to the United States DOGE Service.

DOGE has been a thorn in the side of Democrats since Musk, the office’s public leader, and his teams began working through various federal agencies in the search of government overspending, mismanagement and corruption. DOGE has since saved an estimated $160 billion through cancellations of government contracts, grant cancellations, workforce reductions, asset sales and other cuts, according to the DOGE website.

‘THIS IS INDOCTRINATION, NOT EDUCATION’: PLAINTIFF IN SCOTUS CASE SLAMS SCHOOLS FOR FORCING LGBTQ+ CURRICULUM

“He’s an incredible … brilliant guy,” Trump said of Musk this month. “He was a tremendous help both in the campaign and in what he’s done with DOGE.”

Energy has also been a top priority for the Trump administration, with the president vowing to “unleash U.S. energy” that he said would lower prices for American consumers while bolstering the U.S. job market. 

DOGE SLASHES ‘WASTEFUL’ ‘PROBLEM-SOLVING’ CONTRACT WORTH $50K IN LATEST ROUND OF ELIMINATIONS

Trump signed an executive order this month called Reinvigorating America’s Beautiful Clean Coal Industry and Amending Executive Order 14241 that will work to cut through red tape in the coal industry, including directing the National Energy Dominance Council to designate coal as a “mineral,” end a current pause to coal leasing on federal lands, promote coal and coal technology exports and encourage the use of coal to power artificial intelligence initiatives.

The order also instructs the Department of Justice to identify every “unconstitutional” state or local regulation that is “putting our coal miners out of business,” according to Trump.

“The value of untapped coal in our country is 100 times greater than the value of all the gold at Fort Knox, and we’re going to unleash it and make America rich and powerful again under this order,” Trump said Tuesday ahead of signing the order.

“Pound for pound, coal is the single most reliable, durable, secure and powerful form of energy,” Trump said. “It’s cheap, incredibly efficient, high density, and it’s almost indestructible. You could drop a bomb on it, and it’s going to be there for you to use the next day, which you can’t say with any other form of energy.”

He also made energy a top issue on his first day back in office, signing an executive order addressing Alaska’s abundant natural resources, such as oil and timber. The order expanded and expedited the permitting and leasing of energy and natural resource projects in the Last Frontier State. 

US FEDERAL AGENCIES TO ‘UNLEASH’ COAL ENERGY AFTER BIDEN ‘STIFLED’ IT: ‘MINE, BABY, MINE’

“The State of Alaska holds an abundant and largely untapped supply of natural resources including, among others, energy, mineral, timber, and seafood,” the Jan. 20 order reads. “Unlocking this bounty of natural wealth will raise the prosperity of our citizens while helping to enhance our Nation’s economic and national security for generations to come. By developing these resources to the fullest extent possible, we can help deliver price relief for Americans, create high-quality jobs for our citizens, ameliorate our trade imbalances, augment the Nation’s exercise of global energy dominance, and guard against foreign powers weaponizing energy supplies in theaters of geopolitical conflict.”

Following a spiraling immigration crisis under the Biden administration, Trump signed a handful of executive orders to lock down the border and end the crisis.

BIDEN BLOCKS NEW MINING IN REGION THAT PRODUCES ABOUT 40% OF NATION’S COAL: ‘IT’S A DISASTER’

In his first days in office, Trump signed a handful of immigration-focused executive orders, including directing the federal government to resume construction of the border wall; reinstating the Migrant Protection Protocols, known as the Remain in Mexico policy; deploying U.S. troops to the border under U.S. Northern Command; designating international cartels and organizations, including MS-13 and Tren de Aragua, as foreign terrorist organizations. 

Trump said ahead of taking office that he would move at “historic speed and strength” in just the first few days of his administration. 

TRUMP SIGNS EXECUTIVE ORDER ENDING USE OF TAXPAYER MONEY TO ‘INCENTIVIZE OR SUPPORT’ ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION

“Every radical and foolish executive order of the Biden administration will be repealed within hours of when I take the oath of office,” Trump said in the lead-up to his inauguration.

Trump will hold a rally in Michigan – the battleground state in which the Republican president has ended each of his three presidential campaigns – to celebrate his first 100 days in the Oval Office. The rally will be held in Macomb County on Tuesday evening.

In the years following the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, policymakers’ intense focus on national security led to sweeping changes in air travel; however, more than two decades later, one major requirement born out of that era has still not fully taken effect.

On May 7, Americans will finally be required to present a REAL ID-compliant identification card to board domestic flights.

The law mandating REAL ID passed in 2005, but its implementation has been delayed repeatedly over the years. The Trump administration argued that the deadline had already been postponed long enough, asserting that travelers had ample time to gather the necessary documents for the more rigorously verified form of identification.

Critics, however, contend that if the deadline could be pushed back by nearly 20 years without any flight-based terrorist attacks during that time, the urgency and necessity of the measure are questionable.

WHAT IS REAL ID? DEADLINE APPROACHES FOR NEW IDENTIFICATION CARDS REQUIRED TO FLY DOMESTICALLY

At its core, the REAL ID Act aimed to close security gaps that terrorists could exploit. Before 9/11, standards for issuing driver’s licenses and other IDs varied widely among states, with little coordination or verification of critical documents like birth certificates and Social Security numbers. Several of the 9/11 hijackers were able to obtain legitimate state IDs using fraudulent documents, enabling them to move freely and board planes without detection.

The 9/11 Commission Report, released in 2004, strongly recommended establishing national standards for identification as a counterterrorism measure. Congress acted quickly, embedding the REAL ID provisions within a broader defense and emergency spending bill – a strategic move that helped ensure its swift passage.

REAL ID requires states to verify the authenticity of key documents – birth certificates, Social Security numbers and proof of address. It also mandates that IDs use security features that are more resistant to tampering. 

WHAT DID THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION, 9/11 COMMISSION SAY ABOUT REAL ID LEGISLATION?

The law was controversial from the start. Civil liberties groups raised concerns about privacy, data security and the emergence of what some called a “national ID card.” Many states resisted, citing costs, logistical challenges and fears of federal overreach. Compliance deadlines were extended multiple times as states upgraded their systems and negotiated the balance between security and individual rights.

The ID will be required not only for flights but also for access to some government facilities and nuclear sites. Some advocates, like the New York chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, have expressed concerns that the ID could eventually be required to obtain government benefits and apply for a job. 

“American people need to know that Real ID will be required to travel on May 7th, so those governors have been notified to communicate that at home.  We don’t want anybody to get delayed and not be able to travel when they get to an airport,” Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said at a Cabinet meeting earlier this month. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

President Donald Trump reiterated the Real ID requirement in an executive order signed on March 25 focused on election integrity. 

“This will also help us bring integrity back to all of our IDs and how they’re used, how they’re used for issuing driver’s licenses.  And governors know how I feel about making sure their driver’s licensing system has integrity, because a lot of people use their driver’s license to vote, and the backbone of our country and the foundation is election integrity.”

EXCLUSIVE: Alaska Department of Revenue Commissioner Adam Crum discussed President Trump‘s key role in unleashing energy independence in the state while speaking to Fox News Digital and explaining that Alaskan resources are ready to be used if the push to acquire Greenland is unsuccessful.

Crum, speaking to Fox News Digital at the State Financial Officer Foundation conference in Orlando, Florida, explained that the “vast majority” of state government funds in Alaska come from developing natural resources, including mining and crude oil, and praised the Trump administration’s moves to reverse course from the Biden administration when it comes to that development.

“President Trump, you know our Governor Dunleavy has actually said he’s probably one of the best presidents for Alaska,” Crum said. “In his first term he did tremendous things for us and now in his second term, we were the only state that had an executive order directed at us and that was such a crucial thing, and it really improved our economic outlook within the state.”

On the first day of his presidency, Trump signed an executive order advancing the Ambler Access Project, a 211-mile industrial road through the Brooks Range foothills that enables commercial mining of copper, zinc and other materials in a remote Arctic area in Northwest Alaska. 

ALASKA SENATOR LITERALLY SHREDS BIDEN’S ENERGY ORDERS, BOOSTS WH EFFORTS TO LEVERAGE ARCTIC GAS PIPELINE

Experts told Fox News Digital in February that the action, which reversed course from the Biden administration, will play a critical role in developing mineral resources in the state. 

“We think that we are on the precipice in Alaska on an energy boom, when it comes to large-scale oil development, the natural gas line getting developed that the president really pushes very hard for, as well as all of these critical minerals that we need to get processed,” Crum said. 

President Trump has vocally called for the United States to acquire Greenland for strategic purposes as well as due to its natural resources. Crum told Fox News Digital that Alaska is ready to step up when it comes to natural resources. 

NORTHERN HIGHLIGHTS: ALASKA’S ENERGY, SECURITY POLICIES ARE THE GUIDE FEDS NEED AMID TRANSITION, GROUP SAYS

“We do have our own Greenland. We have our Greenland that has a long history and track record of developing these resources in an area of the world that people would never have thought that it could be done responsibly,” Crum said. “We’ve processed oil for over 60 years on the Arctic Ocean, and we have done so while at the same time building an 800-mile crude oil pipeline that actually has seen the caribou numbers increase over time with that pipeline being built. And so Alaskans are conservationists by nature.”

“We are hunters, we are fishermen, our indigenous population are subsistence, they gather, but we are the ones who use the land. We also want to be able to develop the land, so we make sure we do it the correct way,” Crum continued. “In Alaska, we call it the Alaska standard. We don’t need outside groups telling us that we have to do it responsibly. This is what we demand of companies as they come up there. Come up, be profitable, be clean. Profit Alaska, let Alaskan’s have jobs and opportunities and also go enjoy the outdoors.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Ultimately, Crum told Fox News Digital that Alaskan energy independence will not only be good for the United States, but it will also help push back against dependence on countries that have been hostile to the country, including China. 

“We also have antimony deposits, which is a rare thing because China is the vast producer and processor of antimony, which is needed for not only technology, but also like munitions and military, and so we’ve got very viable deposits within Alaska on these things,” Crum explained.

Gov. Wes Moore, D-Md., confirmed to Fox News Digital that he will not travel to El Salvador following the deportation of the so-called “Maryland man,” Kilmar Abrego Garcia. 

In Washington this weekend, Fox News Digital asked Moore if he was planning to visit Abrego Garcia in El Salvador, following Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen’s high-profile trip to advocate for Abrego Garcia’s release from prison and return to the United States. 

“I’m not. Planning on having a good night tonight,” Moore said in response, with a smile on his face and dressed in a black tuxedo for the White House Correspondents Dinner. 

“Governor, do you think Abrego Garcia should be sent back to the U.S.?” Fox Next Digital asked Moore again later. 

DEPORTED ‘MARYLAND MAN’ CHAMPIONED BY DEMS WAS PULLED OVER DRIVING CAR BELONGING TO HUMAN SMUGGLER

“Hi man, have a great night. Thank you,” Moore said while ignoring the question, again with a smile on his face as he proceeded down a hallway. 

DEPORTED ILLEGAL ALIEN AND SUSPECTED MS-13 GANG MEMBER TRANSFERRED FROM NOTORIOUS EL SALVADORAN MEGA-PRISON

While Moore was silent on the El Salvador situation this weekend, he affirmed his support for his fellow Maryland Democrat on social media earlier this month. 

“I’m grateful for @ChrisVanHollen’s leadership and his efforts to ensure Kilmar is safe and will be brought back home to Maryland,” Moore said on X. 

Moore’s office confirmed the governor was not traveling to El Salvador when reached Tuesday by Fox News Digital.

Last week, Moore said he had no plans to travel to El Salvador, despite Van Hollen’s headline-dominating trip to support the alleged MS-13 member, whom President Donald Trump’s administration initially said had been mistakenly deported. 

“This is a case about due process, and it’s a case about, are we going to follow the Constitution or not? Are we going to bring him back to make sure he stands trial and has a judge determine whether or not a law was broken, and if a law was broken, then make sure there is accountability? But I believe in due process, and I believe in the Constitution,” Moore told reporters last week. 

The U.S. Supreme Court has ordered the Trump administration to “facilitate” his return, but El Salvador President Nayib Bukele said Abrego Garcia has gang connections and that he would not release him to the United States.  

The deportation sparked outrage among Democrats, and several lawmakers joined Van Hollen in visiting El Salvador to advocate for Abrego Garcia, including Reps. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., and Robert Garcia, D-Calif.

Abrego Garcia is being held at a lower-security facility in El Salvador after being transferred from Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo (CECOT), an El Salvador prison that federal officials sent hundreds of suspected criminals and gang members to in March.

Former first lady Michelle Obama expressed fear over President Donald Trump‘s immigration policies, saying they have kept her up at night. 

“Now that we have leadership that is sort of indiscriminately determining who belongs and who doesn’t,” the former first lady said Monday during an appearance on the podcast “On Purpose with Jay Shetty,” adding that such deportation decisions “aren’t being made with courts and with due process.” 

“I worry for people of color all over this country, and I don’t know that we will have the advocates to protect everybody,” she continued. “And that makes me … that frightens me. It keeps me up at night.” 

“And I and I see that when I’m driving around LA. I’m just looking in the faces of folks who could be a victim and I’m wondering, how are you feeling, how do you feel standing on the bus stop,” she said. 

Obama joined the podcast alongside her brother, Craig Robinson, and the pair discussed race and bias, as well as a host of other issues such as parenting and the siblings’ bond from childhood to adulthood. Obama did not cite Trump by name during her remarks on fear of his immigration policies but drew parallels between deportation efforts and the racism her brother faced as a child when a police officer reportedly accused him of stealing a bike at age 12. 

MICHELLE OBAMA REVEALS ADDITIONAL REASON SHE SKIPPED TRUMP’S INAUGURATION

“In this current climate, for me it’s what’s happening to immigrants,” Obama said when asked about “recent tests of fear” related to individuals facing discrimination over the color of their skin. 

Obama noted that the “fear” does not personally impact her as a former first lady who has police protection. 

MICHELLE OBAMA’S ‘IMO’ PODCAST RANKS 34TH ON SPOTIFY PODCASTS CHART

“It’s not the fear for myself anymore,” she continued. “I drive around in a four-car motorcade with a police escort. I’m Michelle Obama. I do still worry about my daughters in the world, even though they are somewhat recognizable.”

“My fears are for what I know is happening out there in streets all over the city,” she added, referring to her hometown of Chicago. 

Obama’s comments come as the Trump administration is in the midst of a massive deportation effort of illegal immigrants who flooded the nation under the Biden administration. 

OBAMAS APPEAR TO LOSE INFLUENCE AMONG DEMOCRATS: ‘COULDN’T MOVE THE NEEDLE’

The administration has deported more than 100,000 illegal immigrants since Trump took office, Fox News previously reported. An estimated 20 million illegal immigrants are still in the U.S., border czar Tom Homan said at a press briefing Monday. 

Former President Barack Obama’s administration notably celebrated its own deportation efforts, particularly during his first term, including former Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano touting the “record-breaking immigration enforcement statistics achieved under the Obama administration—including unprecedented numbers of convicted criminal alien removals and overall alien removals in fiscal year 2010″ in a press release from that year. 

Under the Obama administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement deported more than 385,000 people each year during fiscal years 2009–2011. The rate increased in 2012 when 409,849 deportations were carried out, Fox Digital previously reported.

Fox News Digital’s Danielle Wallace contributed to this report. 

President Donald Trump delivered his second Inauguration Day speech on Jan. 20, when he previewed the steps his administration would take to unleash “the golden age of America,” which stretched from locking down the border and streamlining the federal government through the creation of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

“From this day forward, our country will flourish and be respected again all over the world. We will be the envy of every nation, and we will not allow ourselves to be taken advantage of any longer. During every single day of the Trump administration, I will, very simply, put America first,” Trump declared at the start of his speech.

“Our sovereignty will be reclaimed. Our safety will be restored. The scales of justice will be rebalanced,” he added. 

Fox News Digital looked back at the top vows and declarations Trump made during his speech and where they stand 100 days later after his return to the Oval Office. 

FOX NEWS POLL: THE FIRST 100 DAYS OF PRESIDENT TRUMP’S SECOND TERM

Ending the illegal immigration crisis that spiraled under the Biden administration was one of Trump’s top campaign platforms and was a topic he focused on repeatedly during his inaugural address. 

“First, I will declare a national emergency at our southern border. All illegal entry will immediately be halted, and we will begin the process of returning millions and millions of criminal aliens back to the places from which they came. We will reinstate my Remain in Mexico policy,” Trump declared on Jan. 20. 

“I will end the practice of catch and release,” he continued. “And I will send troops to the southern border to repel the disastrous invasion of our country.”

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION DEPORTS 100K ILLEGAL MIGRANTS SINCE INAUGURATION: REPORT

Trump did sign or authorize executive actions that declared a national emergency, ended catch-and-release policies and sent troops to the U.S. border. 

Fox News Digital reported this month that there were fewer apprehensions at the southern border in the entire month of March than across the Biden administration’s first two days of March 2024, when President Joe Biden was still in the Oval Office.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection noted that March was the second consecutive month in which the U.S. Border Patrol averaged its lowest daily nationwide apprehensions in history.

Deportations have also been underway, with Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem joining immigration raids since her confirmation in January, as well as the administration placing a heightened focus on deporting illegal immigrants with known ties to violent gangs, such as Tren de Aragua and MS-13. The State Department designated both gangs as foreign terrorist organizations in February. 

Trump invoked a wartime act, the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, to carry out the deportations, which allows deportation of natives and citizens of an enemy nation without a hearing. The act had been invoked three times before, including, during the War of 1812, World War I and World War II.

Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk had both railed against government overspending, bureaucratic red tape and federal agencies that had become bloated in the lead up to Election Day, with Trump saying in his inaugural address that he would restore “competence” in the federal government.

DOGE SLASHES ‘WASTEFUL’ ‘PROBLEM-SOLVING’ CONTRACT WORTH $50K IN LATEST ROUND OF ELIMINATIONS

“Our liberties and our nation’s glorious destiny will no longer be denied. And we will immediately restore the integrity, competency, and loyalty of America’s government,” Trump said during his inaugural address. 

“To restore competence and effectiveness to our federal government, my administration will establish the brand-new Department of Government Efficiency,” he added. 

Trump signed an executive order in January establishing DOGE, renaming the Obama-era United States Digital Service to the United States DOGE Service. 

DOGE has been a thorn in the side of Democrats since Musk, the office’s public leader, and his teams began working through various federal agencies in the search of government overspending, mismanagement and corruption.

DOGE has since saved an estimated $160 billion through cancellations of government contracts, grant cancellations, workforce reductions, asset sales and other cuts, according to the DOGE website. 

Trump also signed an executive order closing down the Department of Education, citing how American students have fallen behind other nations in education, and instead charged individual states to hold authority over public education. The administration also effectively shuttered the U.S. Agency for International Development, an independent government agency charged with administering economic aid to foreign nations, as DOGE uncovered a slew of programs U.S. taxpayers funded and Musk slammed the group as a “viper’s nest of radical-left Marxists who hate America.”

Trump entered office just days after Israel and Hamas declared a ceasefire in a war that had raged since Oct. 7, 2023, as well as an ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. 

“My proudest legacy will be that of a peacemaker and unifier. That’s what I want to be: a peacemaker and a unifier,” Trump said during his inaugural address. “I’m pleased to say that as of yesterday, one day before I assumed office, the hostages in the Middle East are coming back home to their families.”

Trump vowed while on the campaign trail that he would end the wars in the Middle East as well as between Russia and Ukraine, adding that if he had been in office for the 2020-2024 term, neither war would have launched. 

The majority of hostages Hamas held have since been released, with the terrorist group still holding at least 59 living or deceased hostages. A final hostage and permanent ceasefire deal, however, has not yet been reached, with Reuters reporting earlier in April that Hamas wants to strike a deal to end the war and return the remaining hostages. 

The war between Ukraine and Russia, which began in February 2022, has continued raging after the Trump administration worked to help facilitate a deal for peace. Negotiations notably hit a wall in February when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a fiery meeting with Trump and Vice President JD Vance.

TRUMP BLASTS PUTIN, QUESTIONING IF RUSSIAN LEADER WANTS PEACE OR IS JUST ‘TAPPING ME ALONG’

“You’re gambling with the lives of millions of people,” Trump said at one point during the meeting. “You’re gambling with World War III. You’re gambling with World War III. And what you’re doing is very disrespectful to the country, this country.”

Vance interjected, asking Zelenskyy whether he had “said thank you once this entire meeting.” He also added that Zelenskyy “went to Pennsylvania and campaigned for the opposition in October” and that he should “offer some words of appreciation for the United States of America and the president who’s trying to save your country.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said earlier this month that the U.S. might “move on” from trying to secure a deal between Russia and Ukraine if progress was not made. 

“We are now reaching a point where we need to decide whether this is even possible or not,” Rubio said on April 18 while speaking with the media. “Because if it’s not, then I think we’re just going to move on. It’s not our war. We have other priorities to focus on.”

Trump met with Zelenskyy on Saturday at the Vatican as the pair attended Pope Francis’ funeral mass. 

“There was no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas, cities and towns, over the last few days,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, shortly after he met with Zelenskyy at the Vatican on Saturday. 

TRUMP AND ZELENSKYY HAVE ‘VERY PRODUCTIVE’ TALK AS THEY ATTEND POPE FRANCIS’ FUNERAL

“It makes me think that maybe he doesn’t want to stop the war, he’s just tapping me along, and has to be dealt with differently, through ‘Banking’ or ‘Secondary Sanctions?’ Too many people are dying!!!” he added.

Rubio said on Sunday during an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that the coming week will be “very critical” as the White House weighs whether it wants to continue working towards a peace deal. Rubio warned earlier this month that the U.S. might “move on” from trying to secure a deal between Russia and Ukraine if progress was not made. 

“I think this is going to be a very critical week,” Rubio said on Sunday. “This week is going to be a really important week in which we have to make a determination about whether this is an endeavor that we want to continue to be involved in or if it’s time to sort of focus on some other issues that are equally, if not more, important in some cases. But we want to see it happen. There are reasons to be optimistic, but there are reasons to be realistic, of course, as well. We’re close, but we’re not close enough.”

Ahead of winning re-election in November, Trump floated that he would shutter the Department of Education to overall improve the nation’s school systems, as well as remove diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) curricula from public schools. 

Trump reflected in his inaugural address that he was on the verge of overhauling an education system that teaches students to “be ashamed of themselves” as well as “hate our country.”

“And we have an education system that teaches our children to be ashamed of themselves — in many cases, to hate our country despite the love that we try so desperately to provide to them. All of this will change starting today, and it will change very quickly,” Trump said during his inaugural address. 

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION SIGNIFICANTLY DISMANTLED IN NEW TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDER

Trump signed an executive order in March to dismantle the Department of Education and return oversight power of school systems to state leaders after years of the U.S. dragging behind other nations such as Finland and Japan in overall student performance. 

“Everybody knows it’s right, and we have to get our children educated,” Trump said while signing the executive order. “We’re not doing well with the world of education in this country, and we haven’t for a long time.” 

Trump also signed an executive order in January that removes federal funding from K-12 schools that teach critical race theory and DEI curriculum. 

“In many cases, innocent children are compelled to adopt identities as either victims or oppressors solely based on their skin color and other immutable characteristics. In other instances, young men and women are made to question whether they were born in the wrong body and whether to view their parents and their reality as enemies to be blamed. These practices not only erode critical thinking but also sow division, confusion, and distrust, which undermine the very foundations of personal identity and family unity,” the executive order, “Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling,” reads. 

Trump also signed an executive order in February that prohibits schools and colleges that receive federal funds and are subject to Title IX from allowing men onto women’s sports teams and into women’s locker rooms, and another in January expanding school choice.  

Another top campaign issue was the economy and job creation amid spiraling inflation under the Biden administration.

STEVE MOORE: IF TRUMP MAKES THESE DEALS IT WILL BE ‘VERY POSITIVE’ FOR THE ECONOMY

“The inflation crisis was caused by massive overspending and escalating energy prices, and that is why today I will also declare a national energy emergency. We will drill, baby, drill,” Trump said during his inaugural address.

He added that “America will be a manufacturing nation once again,” and that the administration “will bring prices down” with the aid of unleashing American energy, such as oil and coal. 

Inflation has eased since 2024, with the March annual inflation rate falling to 2.4% from 2.8% in February, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The annual inflation rate in March 2024 stood at 3.5%. 

The U.S. job market added 151,000 jobs in February, and 228,000 jobs in March, while the unemployment rate sits at 4.2% as of last month, according to BLS data. The unemployment rate sat at 3.9% in March 2024 under the Biden administration. 

“The prices are going down, not going up. One of the big things is, energy is going down. I see that we had a couple of states where gasoline was at $1.98 a gallon. Nobody thought they’d see that for years,” Trump said from the Oval Office on April 22 when asked about costs picked up by Americans at the checkout line. 

“I will immediately begin the overhaul of our trade system to protect American workers and families. Instead of taxing our citizens to enrich other countries, we will tariff and tax foreign countries to enrich our citizens,” Trump declared during his inauguration speech in January. 

“For this purpose, we are establishing the External Revenue Service to collect all tariffs, duties, and revenues. It will be massive amounts of money pouring into our Treasury, coming from foreign sources,” he added. 

On April 2, Trump announced his administration’s reciprocal, customized tariff plan to be imposed on dozens of nations as part of his highly-anticipated Liberation Day event. The plan aims to bring parity to the country’s chronic trade deficit. 

TRUMP SAYS CHINA’S XI CALLED HIM AMID ONGOING CONFUSION OVER TRADE TALKS

On April 9, when the tariff plan took effect, Trump abruptly changed course and put the reciprocal tariff plan on ice for 90 days. China, however, was not spared from the pause and was instead hit with a 125% after the Asian nation retaliated against the U.S. with its own tariffs. 

A tariff negotiation blitz is now underway as nations across the world look to book meetings with the White House to iron out more favorable terms. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent lauded South Korea specifically last week for its negotiations, saying talks have progressed quickly and that the two countries could reach a trade agreement as early as this week. 

“We had a very successful bilateral meeting with the Republic of South Korea today,” Bessent said from the White House on Thursday. “We may be moving faster than I thought, and we will be talking technical terms as early as next week as we reach an agreement on understanding as soon as next week.”

“So South Koreans came early. They came with their A game, and we will see if they follow through on that,” Bessent continued. 

Concerns have mounted that the tariffs will cause American consumers to spend more at the checkout lines. Trump said during his speech to a joint session of Congress in March that there will be “a little disturbance” with the tariffs, but that America will be made “rich again” through the plan.  

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“Tariffs are about making America rich again and making America great again. And it’s happening, and it will happen rather quickly,” Trump said in his March address to Congress. “There will be a little disturbance, but we’re okay with that. It won’t be much.” 

Trump said earlier this month that there is a “real chance” tariffs could replace income tax.

“There’s a real chance,” Trump said in an interview with Fox News’ Rachel Campos-Duffy. “There is a chance that the money from tariffs could be so great that it would replace. You know, in the old days, about 1870 to 1913, the tariffs were the only form of money. And that’s when our nation was relatively the richest. We were the richest.”

The president said during the interview that there was a committee formed in the 1880s to “get rid of money.”

From high-stakes executive orders to historic moments on the world stage, these images capture the defining scenes of President Donald Trump’s first 100 days back in the White House.

FIRST ON FOX: As President Trump marks his first 100 days in office on Tuesday, the administration is touting all of their fulfilled campaign promises when it comes to Social Security, an issue where he has been much maligned by Democrats and some in the media.

“I am proud of the extraordinary work by our dedicated employees at SSA to help deliver on President Trump’s promise to protect Social Security,” Lee Dudek, acting commissioner of the Social Security Administration (SSA), told Fox News Digital in a statement.

“They have worked tirelessly to improve customer service while safeguarding Americans’ hard-earned benefits from waste, fraud, and abuse. It will take time to fully recover from the disastrous policies of the previous administration, which led to sky-high wait times for customer service and unconscionable delays for benefit decisions,” Dudek continued. “But SSA employees are leading the turnaround by refocusing their work on frontline customer service, modernizing IT for a better customer experience, and bolstering program integrity.” 

The administration, which has called Trump’s first 100 days the most successful of any administration, says that it has made “significant strides” in moving the Social Security Fairness Act forward and has paid over $14.8 billion in retroactive payments to over 2 million individuals affected by the Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset.

GOP SENATOR TURNS TABLES ON DEM NARRATIVE ABOUT SOCIAL SECURITY AND MEDICARE: ‘GET FRAUD OUT OF THERE’

Trump’s moves on Social Security come as Democrats, including former President Joe Biden, have accused the administration of plotting to slash Social Security benefits, particularly through the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE’s) efforts to reform the agency. 

However, the administration says that it is focused on reforms, not cutting benefits, and a White House official told Fox News Digital that SSA has identified over $1 billion in cost avoidance or efficiencies for fiscal year 2025 “through new, common-sense approaches in areas such as payroll, information technology, contracts and grants, real property, printing, travel, and purchase card policies.”

Examples include reducing software licensing, salvaging and repairing tables and chairs, returning leased motor vehicles, converting in-person training to online, streamlining case assignment and tracking systems, and reducing travel card spending allowances. 

Additionally, the White House official says the agency has made strides in implementing fraud prevention tools, including tools that help identify fraudulent claims via telephone.

Many, including DOGE chief Elon Musk, have raised concerns about the accuracy of Social Security records, particularly when it comes to data related to whether a person is deceased or still on the rolls despite being well over 100 years old. 

The White House told Fox News Digital that progress has been made on that front as well to improve the accuracy of death data and called that effort a “high priority” that was a low priority in the previous administration.

FEDERAL JUDGE TEMPORARILY RESTRICTS DOGE ACCESS TO PERSONALIZED SOCIAL SECURITY DATA

Musk has drawn the ire of Democrats by referring to Social Security as a “Ponzi scheme.”

Fox News Digital spoke to an expert earlier this year who made the case that Musk has a point in using the term “Ponzi scheme.”

“Musk’s statement about Social Security being the world’s biggest Ponzi scheme does have validity,” James Agresti, president of the nonprofit research institute Just Facts, told Fox News Digital in response to pushback from Musk’s claim, which included a “false” rating from Politifact. 

“A Ponzi scheme operates by taking money from new investors to pay current investors. That’s the definition given by the SEC, and contrary to popular belief, that’s exactly how Social Security operates.”

New York City Mayor Eric Adams, one of the only major Democrats in the nation who has been willing to cooperate with the Trump administration’s crackdown on migrant crime, appears unfazed by the latest ruling against his efforts to allow ICE agents into Rikers Island detention facilities.

When asked by Fox News Digital what his response to this ruling was, Adams simply laughed and said it is “all part of the process.”

Adams, who is running for re-election as an Independent, is facing heavy criticism from Democrats across the country for cooperating with the Trump administration’s immigration agenda. In one of the latest developments, he has been sued by the Democrat-controlled New York City Council over an executive order issued by his office to allow ICE agents to access Rikers Island Prison to conduct immigration checks and interviews.

In the suit, the City Council accuses Adams of engaging in an illegal “quid pro quo” with the Trump administration and prioritizing his own political goals over the city’s “prized sanctuary laws.”

TRUMP’S BORDER CZAR TELLS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS THEY ‘CANNOT HIDE FROM ICE’ AMID MASS DEPORTATION AGENDA

The suit called the executive order “the poisoned fruit of Mayor Adams’s deal with the Trump Administration.”

Last week, New York Judge Mary Rosado ruled to bar the city from “taking any steps toward negotiating, signing, or implementing any Memorandum of Understanding with the federal government” for the time being.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE

ICE previously had a presence at Rikers, but the agency was banned from the jail complex in 2014 under New York City’s sanctuary laws limiting cooperation with immigration enforcement.

This remained the case until this month when New York City First Deputy Mayor Randy Mastro signed an executive order allowing federal immigration authorities to operate an office on Rikers Island.

DEMOCRAT CITY COUNCIL SUES MAYOR FOR ALLOWING ICE INTO MAJOR AMERICAN PRISON

The order states that the safety of New Yorkers has been jeopardized by violent transnational gangs like MS-13 and Tren de Aragua – gangs designated as foreign terrorist organizations by the Trump administration – and there is a critical need for federal law enforcement to share “real-time” intelligence with the city’s corrections department and police.

The order allows federal law enforcement agencies to share intelligence with the corrections department and the NYPD about criminal gang activity among individuals both inside and outside of custody.

It does not give ICE permission to carry out civil immigration enforcement and arrest people simply for being undocumented.

The order was issued the week after federal charges against Adams were dismissed. He had been accused of using his position as mayor to receive luxury travel and illegal campaign contributions from Turkish foreign nationals.

Adams insisted the case was politically motivated and was pursued in retaliation for his criticism of President Joe Biden’s immigration policies.

FIRST ON FOX: A new piece of legislation was introduced in both the House and the Senate on Tuesday that would allow fentanyl dealers connected to distribution resulting in death to be charged with felony murder.

Under current U.S. law, there is a mandatory minimum of 20 years in prison for the same offense, but the legal process of prosecution is not tried as a murder case. The legislation would increase the severity and consequences of dealers to further crackdowns on the fentanyl crisis that has taken roughly 280,000 thousand American lives since 2021, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIH). 

WHITE HOUSE DISPLAYS LAWN SIGNS HIGHLIGHTING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CRIME

Senator Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, and Representative Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, unveiled the Felony Murder for Deadly Fentanyl Distribution Act as a bicameral bill on Tuesday, which also marks National Fentanyl Awareness Day. The legislation will now head to committee in both chambers. 

“Drug cartels have taken advantage of loopholes at our borders to peddle illicit drugs into our country, meanwhile, our communities pay the price,” Gonzales told Fox News Digital. “My bill sends a strong message to those who work with cartels and other bad actors—if you sell the drug and take an innocent life, justice will be delivered. Our law enforcement agencies are in overdrive combating the drug epidemic in America, it’s time to take action and up the penalties for fentanyl dealers.” 

While the number of deaths is in the hundreds of thousands, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) estimates that “nearly 64,000 pounds of fentanyl have been seized at the southern border,” which is enough to “kill 14 billion people.” 

“I have seen firsthand how the scourge of fentanyl has inflicted incredible tragedy on communities across Iowa,” Senator Joni Ernst told Fox News Digital Tuesday. “I have worked for years to protect Americans and stop this deadly epidemic. Increasing the severity of the punishment for the drug dealers responsible for the deaths of too many Iowans is long overdue.”

WHITE HOUSE TOUTS 100-DAY ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN AFTER BIDEN ‘UNSECURED THE BORDER ON PURPOSE’

The rise in the flow of the deadly drug has been largely tied to the influx of illegal immigrants over the past four years during the Biden Administration. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) estimates “more than 90% of interdicted fentanyl is stopped at Ports of Entry (POEs), where cartels attempt to smuggle it primarily in vehicles driven by U.S. citizens.”

With a recent decline in border apprehensions, the number of deaths resulting from consumption of fentanyl have declined as well. The CDC reported in February with the most recent data showing overall drug overdose deaths dropping 24% from October 2023 to September 2024.

President Donald Trump’s Border Czar, Tom Homan, claimed at a White House press conference Monday morning that the Biden Administration “unsecured the border on purpose.” 

Homan went on to say that “border numbers are at a historic low” and that the U.S. has the “most secure border in the history of this nation.” 

Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash., described Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., during her 2022 campaign as unrepresentative of American voters, but campaign finance reports revealed she collected at least $31,000 from the former House speaker and her political action committees during her three years in Congress. 

“I want to make my position clear that I will not vote for Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the House,” Perez told The Columbian in 2022. “I look around, I look at my community, and I don’t see leadership in Congress looking like that.”

Despite the moderate Democrat rejecting Pelosi’s leadership on the campaign trail, campaign finance reports show that since she took office in 2022, Gluesenkamp Perez and her Super PAC, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez Campaign Defense Fund, have accepted at least $31,000 from Pelosi and her affiliated Super PACs, including PAC to the Future and Nancy Pelosi for Congress.

According to U.S. Census data, the $31,000 represents more than one third of the median household income for residents in Washington’s third congressional district, which includes Clark County and Vancouver, Washington, the district’s largest city.

GOP GOVERNOR HOPEFUL PUSHES ANTI-CHINA POLICY AFTER YEARS OF CHINESE INVESTMENTS

“We need more and more normal people to run for Congress. We need more people that work in the trades,” Gluesenkamp Perez told Politico in 2023, as she described a Democratic Party out of touch with middle-class Americans. 

DEMS FIGHT BILL TO STOP ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT VOTING DESPITE POLLS SHOWING VOTER SUPPORT

“Just like her pal Nancy Pelosi, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez will say and do anything to get elected,” Congressional Leadership Fund, the super PAC dedicated to maintaining the Republican majority in the U.S. House of Representatives, spokeswoman Torunn Sinclair, told Fox News Digital. 

“That’s not a quality Washington State families want in their congresswoman.”

Gluesenkamp Perez was first elected to represent Washington in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2022 and won re-election in 2024, narrowly defeating her Republican challenger, Joe Kent, for the second time in two House cycles. 

The Washington congresswoman is considered one of the most vulnerable House Democrats in 2026, just as she was in 2024 after winning her 2022 race by less than two points. Republicans are likely to target her seat as an opportunity to widen their majority in the House. 

While Republicans slam Gluesenkamp Perez for flip-flopping on Pelosi, she is also facing the fury of her own party as hundreds of Democratic constituents protested at her town hall on Thursday. 

According to local reporting, including KGW News, protesters held up signs that read, “Shame on you,” and chanted, “Vote her out,” as Gluesenkamp Perez explained why she voted in support of the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act. 

The SAVE Act, which passed in the House earlier this month, requires voters to obtain proof of citizenship in-person before they register for a federal election and will remove noncitizens from voter rolls. It has been widely rejected by Democrats since its conception, and 208 House Democrats voted against the bill. 

“I do not support noncitizens voting in American elections – and that’s common sense to folks in Southwest Washington. Voting in our nation’s elections is a sacred right belonging only to American citizens, and my vote for the SAVE Act reflects that principle,” Gluesenkamp Perez said after voting in support of the SAVE ACT, despite facing vocal opposition from constituents on Thursday for doing so. 

Gluesenkamp Perez also faced disapproval from Washington state Democrats for voting to censure Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, after he shouted and shook his cane during President Donald Trump‘s joint address to Congress earlier this year.  

Gluesenkamp Perez’s campaign did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment by deadline. 

Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minn., says she is running for Senate to replace Sen. Tina Smith, leaving a gaping hole in a very competitive district.

Craig will join a hotly contested Democratic primary to replace Smith, who announced last year that she would not seek re-election. Craig currently occupies the seat for Minnesota’s second congressional district, a toss-up that Republicans are now hoping to take in her absence.

“Out of touch Democrat Angie Craig just announced she’s running for Senate, and MN-02 is now an extremely competitive open seat. With this district wide open – and many House Democrats racing for the exits for a promotion – national Democrats are in deep trouble,” National Republica Congressional Committee spokesman Zach Bannon said in a statement.

“The writing is on the wall for House Democrats, and their vulnerable members like Angie Craig are racing for the exits. Republicans look forward to flipping this open seat red,” he added.

DEMOCRATS’ IDENTITY CRISIS: YOUTH REVOLT ROCKS PARTY AFTER TRUMP COMEBACK

In her announcement video, Craig attacks President Donald Trump for “trampling our rights and freedoms as he profits.”

“There’s chaos and corruption coming out of Washington, crashing down on all of us every day,” she says before setting her sights on Elon Musk. “An out-of-control, unelected billionaire is trying to take over our government and burn it to the ground.”

SENATE PUTS TRUMP TEAM IN PLACE, SETS UP AGENDA FIGHT AFTER 100-DAY SPRINT

She then blasts Republicans in Congress as “cowardly” for “rolling over and letting it all happen.”

“We’re proud Minnesotans — a state of fierce independence, freedom and community. People willing to take on the powerful and fight for what’s right,” Craig continues. “It’s why I’m running for U.S. Senate: to listen, to fight for all of Minnesota and to win.”

DNC’S DAVID HOGG TAKING ON DEMOCRATS IS ‘THE BIGGEST GIFT TO REPUBLICANS EVER,’ SAYS STRATEGIST

Recent polls have shown Democrats struggling to gain support, particularly among young Americans, a demographic they have typically held with no problems.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

A new poll from the Harvard Kennedy School’s Institute of Politics shows approval of congressional Democrats among young Americans has dropped to 23%, down from 42% in early 2017. Approval for congressional Republicans stands at 29%, slightly improved from previous years. President Donald Trump’s approval rating among 18-29-year-olds is at 31%, virtually unchanged from the beginning of his first term.

The House on Monday overwhelmingly passed a bill backed by first lady Melania Trump that cracks down on the posting of explicit images, including “deep fake” nudes generated of people by artificial intelligence, without consent. 

The Tools to Address Known Exploitation by Immobilizing Technological Deepfakes on Websites and Networks – known as the TAKE IT DOWN Act – was approved by a 409-2 vote and now heads to President Donald Trump’s desk. 

The measure “generally prohibits the nonconsensual online publication of intimate visual depictions of individuals, both authentic and computer-generated, and requires certain online platforms to promptly remove such depictions upon receiving notice of their existence,” according to the bill summary. 

FIRST LADY MELANIA TRUMP TURNS 55: HER LIFE IN PHOTOS, FROM SLOVENIA TO WHITE HOUSE

It specifically prohibits online publication of “intimate visual depictions” of an adult subject “where publication is intended to cause or does cause harm to the subject, and where the depiction was published without the subject’s consent or, in the case of an authentic depiction, was created or obtained under circumstances where the adult had a reasonable expectation of privacy,” as well as “a minor subject where publication is intended to abuse or harass the minor or to arouse or gratify the sexual desire of any person.” 

“Violators are subject to mandatory restitution and criminal penalties, including prison, a fine, or both,” according to the bill summary. “Threats to publish intimate visual depictions of a subject are similarly prohibited under the bill and subject to criminal penalties.” 

The legislation also requires platforms to establish a process where victims of revenge porn can notify them of the existence of images and request removal. The bill says platforms then have 48 hours to remove those images.

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, introduced the TAKE IT DOWN Act in January, and it was approved by the upper chamber in February. It was brought to the House by Rep. Maria Salazar, R-Fla.

FIRST LADY MELANIA TRUMP OPENS WHITE HOUSE GARDENS TO ALL AMERICANS

House Republicans on Monday praised the first lady, Cruz and Salazar for leading the “crucial legislation” to “create a safer digital future and protect our kids from deepfake exploitation.” 

“The passage of the TAKE IT DOWN Act is a historic win in the fight to protect victims of revenge porn and deepfake abuse,” Cruz wrote on X. “This victory belongs first and foremost to the heroic survivors who shared their stories and the advocates who never gave up. By requiring social media companies to take down this abusive content quickly, we are sparing victims from repeated trauma and holding predators accountable.”

“This day would not have been possible without the courage and perseverance of Elliston Berry, Francesca Mani, Breeze Liu, and Brandon Guffey, whose powerful voices drove this legislation forward,” the senator wrote, adding that he was especially grateful to colleagues, including Melania Trump and Salazar, as well as Democrats Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, and Rep. Madeleine Dean of Pennsylvania, “for locking arms in this critical mission to protect Americans from online exploitation.”

“Advancing this legislation has been a key focus since I returned to my role as First Lady this past January,” Melania Trump wrote on X. “I am honored to have contributed to guiding it through Congress. By safeguarding children from hurtful online behavior today, we take a vital step in nurturing our leaders of tomorrow. #BeBest” 

During President Trump’s first term, the first lady established the BE BEST awareness campaign, which “focused on the well-being of children and highlighted the people and programs dedicated to ensuring a better future for the next generation,” according to the White House. Melania Trump also established Fostering the Future, a BE BEST initiative, “which provides college-level scholarships to those aging out of the foster care system.”

President Donald Trump has spent the first 100 days of his second White House term signing a flurry of executive orders aimed at delivering on his policy priorities: slashing government spending, cracking down on illegal immigration and eliminating many diversity and equity initiatives enacted under the Biden administration.

The more than 150 executive orders Trump has signed far outpace those of his predecessors. But they have also triggered a torrent of lawsuits seeking to block or pause his actions, teeing up a high-stakes showdown over how far Trump can push his Article II powers before the courts can or should intervene. 

It’s a looming constitutional clash spinning like a top through the federal courts; a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it set of hearings and appeals and emergency orders that deal with weighty issues of due process and First Amendment protections guaranteed by the Constitution. 

Trump’s critics argue the fast-paced strategy is meant to confuse and overwhelm his opponents. His supporters counter that it allows him to strike with maximum precision and sidestep a clunky, slow-moving Congress as the president pursues his top priorities.

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

In his first 100 days, administration lawyers have gone to bat in courtrooms across the country to defend Trump’s early executive orders and halt a wave of lawsuits and emergency restraining orders aimed at blocking them. 

Trump, meanwhile, has steadfastly maintained that he would “never defy” the Supreme Court as recently as in an interview last week. 

“I’m a big believer in the Supreme Court and have a lot of respect for the justices,” Trump told Time Magazine.  

Critics say he already has.

“The second Trump administration has taken the guardrails off of the norms that historically governed the rule of law and is undertaking steps to enhance the perceived power of the executive branch to the detriment of the two other co-equal branches,” Mark Zaid, an attorney who has gone toe-to-toe with the Trump administration in several court cases this year, told Fox News Digitial.

APPEALS COURT BLOCKS TRUMP ADMIN’S DEPORTATION FLIGHTS IN ALIEN ENEMIES ACT IMMIGRATION SUIT

“These actions threaten the fundamental notion of our democracy, particularly as the Administration seeks to eliminate due process protections in a quest for power.”

The biggest fights so far have centered around the Trump administration’s use of the Alien Enemies Act, a 1798 wartime law, to deport certain migrants to El Salvador. Another major case to watch will be challenges to Trump’s executive order ending birthright citizenship. 

Two separate federal judges, in D.C. and Maryland, have suggested they could move to begin possible contempt proceedings against some Trump officials for refusing to comply with their orders.

In one case, a judge issued a scathing rebuke against Trump officials for failing to return a Maryland resident and alleged gang member who was wrongfully deported to El Salvador this year. Separately, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg said there was probable cause to find Trump administration officials in criminal contempt for defying his order to return deportation flights to El Salvador on March 15.

The Trump administration has fought back, questioning the authority of lower courts to stop his agenda. The Supreme Court agreed to hear oral arguments on a challenge to some of the nationwide injunctions, beginning with a birthright citizenship case in early May.

Meanwhile, White House officials have railed against the “activist” judges who they say have overstepped and are acting with a political agenda to block Trump’s policies. They’ve blasted judges for pausing Trump’s transgender military ban, reinstating USAID programs and blocking Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing federal offices.

Some congressional allies have threatened impeachment against judges who defy Trump, but so far Congress has not advanced any impeachment articles.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt declined this week to rule out the arrest of federal judges, including Supreme Court justices.

Asked at a press briefing about the hypothetical on Monday, Leavitt referred the matter to the Justice Department but said a judge in New Mexico was arrested in “a clear-cut case of obstruction.”

“And so anyone who is breaking the law or obstructing federal law enforcement officials from doing their jobs is putting themselves at risk of being prosecuted, absolutely,” she said.

Jonathan Turley, a law professor and Fox News contributor, told Fox News Digital that he sees Trump’s early actions as getting ahead of the 2026 primaries and moving with maximum force to implement his agenda.

Trump “knows that he has no alternative but to push ahead on all fronts if he is going to make meaningful progress on his promised reforms,” Turley told Fox News. 

“The midterm elections are looming in 2026. If the Democrats retake the House, he knows that he can expect investigations, impeachments and obstruction. That means that he has to expedite these cases and establish his lines of authority in areas ranging from migration to the markets.”

A Virginia elderly couple who nearly died during Hurricane Helene had their home rebuilt by a group of volunteers and nonprofit organizations, making it one of many homes set to be rebuilt for storm victims.

Carl and Linda McMurray’s new home, which was built by the Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS), was celebrated Friday in the company of local leaders during a ribbon-cutting ceremony, including Gov. Glenn Youngkin and Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Va. 

The overall project to rebuild victims’ homes is expected to cost about $1.4 million. Funding comes from a mix of public and private sources, including Washington County, the Town of Damascus, the United Way, individual donors and private foundations.

FAMILY THAT LOST 11 IN HURRICANE HELENE MUDSLIDES SAYS COMMUNITY SACRIFICED ‘LIFE AND LIMB’ TO SAVE EACH OTHER

Last October, when floodwaters ripped the McMurray home apart, the couple were forced to take shelter on the second floor and wear life jackets. The house began to collapse, and Carl was swept downstream by the heavy rainwater before eventually clinging to a tree for hours until he was spotted by a neighbor and rescued by helicopter nearly four hours later.

Linda, meanwhile, remained trapped alone on the darkened second floor of what remained of their house, using just the light from her watch to see and Afghan blankets to stay warm. 

“All night I kept praying, repeating the Lord’s prayer and the 23rd Psalm,” she said, according to a local news report.

She was rescued 16 hours later. The couple, married 57 years, believed the other had been lost to the flood until they were reunited.

“There are still so many families that need to have the exact same sense of opportunity and option and rebuilding that Linda and Carl have today,” Youngkin said during his speech. “There were heroes everywhere, and that was a moment when we needed heroes,” Youngkin added. “The number of water rescues was astounding, and that is something to say amen to.”

“Neither knew if the other had survived, but when Linda finally walked into Carl’s hospital room, their prayers were answered,” Youngkin said.

PUPPIES RESCUED FROM HURRICANE HELENE TO BE REHOMED WITH MILITARY VETERANS

MDS offered free labor and thousands of volunteer hours to build the McMurrays’ new home. Its Amish counterpart, Storm Aid, sent skilled workers weekly to assist onsite. Volunteers often rotate in for a week at a time, tackling multiple homes and offering expertise in everything from roofing to framing.

Each home costs about $130,000 to build, Youngkin’s office said. Homeowners are asked to contribute roughly 10% – between $11,000 and $12,000 – from their Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) disaster assistance. The rest is covered by Trails to Recovery, a nonprofit organizing the rebuild. They pay for materials, coordinate trades like plumbing and electrical, and work directly with MDS to keep construction on schedule.

A full-time MDS project manager stays onsite for weeks at a time to keep things moving.

TRUMP PRAISES ELON MUSK AS ‘PATRIOT, A BRILLIANT GUY, AND A FRIEND OF MINE’ AMID DOGE EXIT

Hurricane Helene, a Category 4 storm that struck the Gulf Coast in late September 2024, caused widespread devastation across southwest Virginia, particularly in Grayson, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington, Wise and Wythe counties as well as the city of Galax.

The storm led to the closure of hundreds of roads and bridges, leaving many people isolated in their towns. Nearly 310,000 Virginians lost power and 3,700 farms were reportedly affected, resulting in more than $630 million in damages.

After the devastation, Youngkin established the Office of Hurricane Helene Recovery and Rebuilding to coordinate state and federal recovery efforts. The office is led by Chief Transformation Officer Rob Ward.

Virginia has not received the $4.4 billion in federal funding requested by Youngkin in November for recovery from the disaster. In January, Vice President JD Vance traveled to Damascus, a town on the southwestern edge of the state that was one of the hardest-hit areas and criticized the previous administration’s response to the devastation.

“The local government’s working, the state government is working as hard as it can, the local communities and the nonprofits and the churches are working at breakneck speed, and yet you have the federal government out there, the biggest institution with the most money, that’s not doing its job. It just drives home how much better we can do,” Vance told Fox News Digital when asked about FEMA’s response to hurricane-damaged areas across the Southeast.

Fox News Digital’s Audrey Conklin contributed to this report.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is “very pessimistic” about Democrats’ chances of retaking the Senate in 2026, the failed vice presidential candidate said Monday.

Walz made the statement during a Monday night interview at Harvard University’s Kennedy School Institute of Politics, telling ABC News reporter Brittany Shepherd that he is confident in the House of Representatives but not in the Senate.

“I think we will take back the House,” Walz said. “I am very pessimistic about the Senate, just to be honest with you.”

“With the way things work, I think it’s a very difficult look,” he added.

TRUMP REPORTS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ENCOUNTERS AT HISTORIC LOWS DURING FIRST FULL MONTH IN OFFICE

Walz pointed in part to the unpopularity of the national Democratic Party, arguing candidates in state races need to overcome stigma.

“The thing was, is being associated with national parties and things on these state races, we’re going to have to figure that piece out of, how do we reimagine,” he said.

SANCTUARY GOVERNORS WALZ, PRITZKER, HOCHUL CALLED TO TESTIFY BEFORE CONGRESS

He nevertheless argued that President Donald Trump’s first 100 days in office have been a benefit to Democrats.

“I think there’s a lot of wind at our back, but it’s been 100 days of destruction,” he said. “You think we can survive 550 more? That’s the real challenge. That’s how long it is ‘til the midterm.”

Walz’s comments come as the White House touts Trump’s victories in his first 100 days, having started on Monday with his illegal immigration crackdown.

FEDERAL JUDGE DECLARES TRUMP ADMIN BLOCKING FEDERAL MONEY TO SANCTUARY CITIES UNCONSTITUTIONAL

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt appeared alongside Border Czar Tom Homan to announce a 96% decrease in border crossings under the new administration. They also decorated the White House lawn with mug shots of illegal immigrants who had been arrested for alleged violent crimes.

Leavitt will appear again later Tuesday morning alongside Treasury Sec. Scott Bessent to highlight the administration’s economic priorities.

Rep. Shri Thanedar, D-Mich., announced on Monday that he introduced seven articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump.

“Donald Trump has repeatedly demonstrated that he is unfit to serve as President and represents a clear and present danger to our nation’s constitution and our democracy,” Thanedar said in a news release.

The articles allege wrongdoing by Trump including “Obstruction of Justice and Abuse of Executive Power,” “Usurpation of Appropriations Power,” “Abuse of Trade Powers and International Aggression,” “Violation of First Amendment Rights,” “Creation of an Unlawful Office,” “Bribery and Corruption,” and “Tyrannical Overreach”

SENATOR JOINS GROUP OF FAR-LEFT LAWMAKERS WHO THINK TRUMP HAS — AGAIN — COMMITTED IMPEACHABLE OFFENSES

“His unlawful actions have subverted the justice system, violated the separation of powers, and placed personal power and self-interest above public service. We cannot wait for more damage to be done. Congress must act,” Thanedar said of the president.

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment but did not receive a response by the time of publication.

CHUCK SCHUMER DODGES ON WHETHER DEMOCRATS WILL LOOK TO IMPEACH TRUMP IF THEY WIN BACK CONGRESS

The impeachment push will almost certainly fail to go anywhere in the GOP-controlled House of Representatives, but marks the third instance of a representative filing impeachment articles against Trump.

The House impeached Trump twice during his first term in office, but in both cases the respective Senate votes failed to reach the threshold necessary for conviction — the second impeachment took place just before Trump left office, with the Senate acquittal coming after his term was over.

DEM REP. AL GREEN, BOOTED FROM TRUMP’S ADDRESS TO CONGRESS, DOUBLES DOWN ON IMPEACHMENT

Thanedar was born in India and became an American citizen in 1988, according to his House website. 

He has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since early 2023.

President Donald Trump is now at the finish line of his first 100 days of his second term in the White House, as of Tuesday. 

Key tenants of Trump’s first 100 days include imposing harsh tariffs on Chinese imports, starting and continuing peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, unveiling plans to dismantle organizations like the Education Department and cracking down on border security amid a mass deportation initiative. 

The period also marked a steep increase in executive orders in comparison to previous presidents. Altogether, Trump has signed over 140 executive orders during his first 100 days in office during his second term. That is an increase from the 33 he signed during the first 100 days of his first term, and up from the previous record of 99 that former President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed during that same timeframe. 

The Trump administration’s mass deportation effort is in full force, and border czar Tom Homan told reporters Monday that border crossings were down by 96% under the Trump administration. 

WHITE HOUSE TOUTS 100-DAY ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN AFTER BIDEN ‘UNSECURED THE BORDER ON PURPOSE’

Additionally, the White House said earlier in April it has deported more than 100,000 illegal immigrants in 2025. The administration’s handling of these deportations has attracted scrutiny in certain high-profile cases, including one involving El Salvador native Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who the Trump administration claimed in court filings was deported by mistake. 

However, the Trump administration has since said Garcia is a member of the MS-13 gang and has released protective order documents from his wife. 

Following through on another campaign promise, the Trump administration unveiled sweeping tariffs against a host of countries on April 2, after historically lambasting other countries’ trade practices and accusing them of engaging in unfair trade practices against the U.S.

“For decades, our country has been looted, pillaged, raped and plundered by nations near and far, both friend and foe alike,” Trump said April 2 at the White House. 

The administration later walked back its initial proposal, and announced April 9 it would immediately hike tariffs on Chinese goods to 145% but scale back reciprocal tariffs on other countries for 90 days to a baseline of 10%. In response, China proceeded to boost its tariffs on U.S. goods to 125%.

Additionally, Trump signed an executive order on March 20 to overhaul the Education Department — following through on a campaign promise he made to eliminate the federal government’s influence over education and “stop the abuse of your taxpayer dollars to indoctrinate America’s youth.”

TRUMP’S EXECUTIVE ORDER SURGE: THE UNPRECEDENTED USE OF PRESIDENTIAL AUTHORITY

A White House fact sheet on the executive order said the directive aims to “turn over education to families instead of bureaucracies” and instructs Education Secretary Linda McMahon to “take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return education authority to the States, while continuing to ensure the effective and uninterrupted delivery of services, programs, and benefits on which Americans rely.”

Still, Trump revealed that functions of the department overseeing Pell Grants, student loans and others that provide services for those with special needs would continue at other agencies.

Likewise, Trump has long called for an end to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine and promised to end the conflict between the two within 24 hours during his time on the campaign trail. 

TRUMP REPORTS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ENCOUNTERS AT HISTORIC LOWS DURING FIRST FULL MONTH IN OFFICE

Still, he has continued to advance negotiations during his first 100 days in office — including hosting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the White House in February. Trump said Sunday that he is aiming to end the war in the next two weeks or so and that he wants Russian President Vladimir Putin to stop launching strikes against Kyiv. 

“I want him to stop shooting, sit down and sign a deal,” Trump told reporters Sunday on the way back from Italy for Pope Francis’ funeral. “We have the confines of a deal I believe and I want him to sign it and be done with it and just go back to life.”

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, announced a $254 billion budget deal on Monday that includes an agreement with state lawmakers to add an extra charge for people who wear masks while committing crimes.

The additional charge could only be applied if a suspect is charged with a class A misdemeanor or more serious charges, Hochul said. Lawmakers agreed to reduce the mask penalty to a class B misdemeanor when prosecutors charge separate crimes, Politico reported.

The governor initially wanted stricter legislation to combat mask-wearing suspects, raising the issue last summer as politicians across the country addressed widespread protests against the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

NEW YORK’S NASSAU COUNTY SEEKS TO BAN STANDING WITHIN 15 FEET OF COPS UNDER BILL PANNED AS UNCONSTITUTIONAL

“It’s really trying to concentrate on people who wear a mask in regards to hiding their identity while they commit another crime,” Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie told reporters, according to Gothamist.

The extra charge also applies to people fleeing from the scene of a crime.

Hochul had wanted to create an extra penalty if someone was covering their face while threatening or harassing a group of people, a proposal that was softened ahead of the agreed bill being added to the state budget this week following concerns from Democrat lawmakers and civil liberty advocates.

The annual budget, which will not take effect until lawmakers resolve several spending decisions, would also allow hospitals to involuntarily commit mentally ill New Yorkers if patients cannot meet their basic needs, which lowers the previous standard that only allowed a person to be involuntarily committed when they posed a physical threat to themselves or others.

Other proposals in the budget include a stronger state discovery law in an effort to address recidivism and banning students’ cell phone use during the school day.

NEW YORK PROPOSAL WOULD BAN POLICE FROM MAKING TRAFFIC STOPS FOR MINOR VIOLATIONS TO PURSUE ‘RACIAL EQUITY’

While Hochul announced a deal for the budget on Monday, lawmakers still need to hash out spending decisions on some issues, including the funding formula for public schools and Medicaid, according to Politico.

The governor’s spending plan is set to be the highest in state history and $100 billion more than the state budget a decade ago, the outlet reported. An uptick in prison costs as well as additional health care, child care and education spending ballooned the size of the budget to $2 billion more than what she proposed in January.