President Donald Trump said the U.S. will be "flooded with jobs" as foreign trading partners move industries to American soil to avoid tariffs. 

"They can build a factory here, a plant or whatever it may be, here," Trump said Thursday afternoon from the Oval Office. "And that includes the medical, that includes cars, that includes chips and semiconductors. That includes everything. If you build here, you have no tariffs whatsoever. And I think that's what's going to happen. I think our country is going to be flooded with jobs."

Trump said U.S. consumers could see prices rise in the "short term" due to the tariffs, but that prices will lower and that industries across the board would benefit. 

"And I think the farmers are going to be helped by this very much because product is being dumped into our country and our farmers are getting hurt very badly by the last administration," Trump said. "The last administration hated our farmers, like, at a level that I've never seen before. I think our farmers are going to be helped. Jobs are going to be helped. But our farmers are going to be helped, our manufacturers are going to be helped." 

TRUMP SIGNS 'RECIPROCAL' TARIFF PLAN FOR COUNTRIES THAT TAX US GOODS

"And again, if somebody wants to come in, including the car companies, if they want to come in and build car plants, they'll do it without tariffs. And therefore, prices won't go up. There could be some short-term disturbance, but long term, it's going to it's going to make our country a fortune," he added. 

FENTANYL'S FINANCIAL GRIP ON US SKYROCKETED TO $2.7T AT HEIGHT OF BIDEN ADMIN: STUDY

Trump announced on Thursday that he will impose "fair and reciprocal" tariffs on all major U.S. trading partners. 

The plan includes tapping Howard Lutnick, Trump's nominee for commerce secretary, to produce a report on reciprocal trade relations within 180 days. Lutnik said Thursday that he will have the report ready for Trump by April 1. 

"On trade I have decided for purposes of fairness, that I will charge a reciprocal tariff – meaning whatever countries charge the United States of America, we will charge them no more, no less. In other words, they charge us a tax or tariff and we charge them the exact same tax or tariff. Very simple," Trump said at the White House of the tariff plan. 

Trump's reciprocal tariff announcement follows him leveraging tariffs against Mexico, Canada and China earlier in February. The tariffs were created in light of "extraordinary" threats stemming from "illegal aliens and drugs, including deadly fentanyl," according to Trump's executive order authorizing the tariffs. 

Trump's order authorized tariffs through the new International Emergency Economic Powers Act. It included 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico and a 10% tariff on imports from China. Energy resources from Canada would have a lower 10% tariff.

TRUMP IMPOSES TARIFFS ON IMPORTS FROM CANADA, MEXICO AND CHINA: 'NATIONAL EMERGENCY'

Both Canada and Mexico agreed to concessions with Trump the day before the tariffs were set to take effect, pledging to send additional security personnel to their respective borders with the U.S. Trump agreed to pause the tariffs on the two nations for one month in light of the border security concessions. 

China, on the other hand, imposed tariffs on some U.S. imports in response to Trump's tariffs. 

Fox News Digital's Greg Norman contributed to this report. 

President Donald Trump met with Marc Fogel’s mother on July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pennsylvania, and vowed to bring her son home if elected, just before an assassination attempt nearly took his life. 

Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Pa., was there for the meeting between Trump and Malphine Fogel before the president took the stage. 

"The president survived the assassination attempt on July 13 in Butler, and he fulfilled his commitment to Mrs. Fogel that he would get her son home," Kelly told Fox News Digital. "It is an incredible, providential story." 

MOTHER OF FREED AMERICAN HOSTAGE MARC FOGEL THANKS PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: 'HE KEPT HIS PROMISE'

During the rally, after his meeting with Fogel's mother, Trump was showing off a chart highlighting how illegal immigration skyrocketed under the Biden-Harris administration. As he turned toward the chart, he was hit by a bullet that pierced the upper part of his right ear by the now-deceased would-be-assassin, Thomas Matthew Crooks. Trump credits the chart for saving his life. 

Kelly likened the situation to the classic movie "It’s a Wonderful Life." 

"The theme of the movie was that George Bailey was very frustrated, but he was given a glimpse of life and what would have happened if he hadn’t been there – if he hadn’t been born," Kelly recalled. "And if I go back to July 13, this is all providential." 

"Mrs. Fogel has a chance to talk to the president, and she talks about what is happening to Marc. The president vows to get him home," Kelly continued. "It is a take-off of ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ and the opportunity, or the dilemma, that if you were never born, what would the consequences have been?" 

"If President Trump did not survive the assassination attempt on July 13, Marc Fogel wouldn’t be home today," Kelly said.  

Fogel, an American teacher from Western Pennsylvania, returned to the United States late Tuesday, after Trump secured his release. Fogel was arrested in 2021 at an airport in Russia for possession of medical marijuana and was sentenced to 14 years in a Russian prison. 

AMERICAN MARC FOGEL RELEASED FROM RUSSIAN CUSTODY

Kelly told Fox News Digital that "it is all about faith." 

"Having been there and witnessed it, I think to myself, ‘Oh my goodness, that tiny fraction of an inch, or whatever it was, is the difference between Marc Fogel being home and Marc Fogel not being home,’" he said. "Between making a promise to his mother and being able to keep it, as opposed to making a promise and never getting a chance to fulfill it." 

Malphine Fogel recalled the Butler meeting with Trump on Fox News Channel's "America Newsroom." 

"I met with President Trump, and he was just as cordial as he could be," she said. "He told me three different times, 'If I get in,' he said, 'I'll get him out' and I really think he's been instrumental." 

Malphine Fogel told Fox News that "it was a total surprise" when she heard from her son from the Moscow airport. 

"So, that meant that (they) had taken him out of the prison to Moscow.... The last week or so, for some crazy reason, I had a better feeling about things, but I hadn't heard from him in a week, so I thought that was odd and when he called…  it was just a total shock," she said. 

Meanwhile, Kelly told Fox News Digital, "There is a certain time in people’s lives where you realize you don’t have forever, you have right now, and you need to get it done." 

"Politically, there is no one on either side of the aisle that could look at what happened with Marc Fogel and not somehow say, this is truly providential – this is not a political move," Kelly said. "This doesn’t do anything for the president. He's already elected. He did this to keep a promise to a mother in her mid 90s – the only thing she wanted to see before she died was her son one more time." 

Kelly added: "This is a promise made. Promise kept. It is truly providential. It is. It is a wonderful life." 

President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Small Business Administration, former Sen. Kelly Loeffler, passed a key procedural vote in the Senate on Thursday, clearing the path for her final confirmation vote. 

The Senate’s vote this afternoon to invoke cloture ended the debate on the Georgia Republican’s nomination, as she now moves on to the confirmation stage.

The final cloture vote was 51-43 in favor of invoking cloture.

"Like President Trump, Senator Loeffler left behind a successful career in the private sector to advance the America First agenda," Loeffler spokeswoman Caitlin O'Dea told Fox News on Jan. 28. 

TRUMP'S COMMERCE NOMINEE PASSES KEY HURDLE

"Should she be confirmed, she will continue the practice of donating her federal salary to charities and nonprofits across the country — and put her full focus on working to make the Small Business Administration a gateway to the American Dream for entrepreneurs across the country." 

Loeffler, whose net worth is estimated at roughly $1 billion, previously donated her annual Senate salary of $174,000 between 2019 and 2021 to more than 40 Georgia charities and nonprofits. 

Those organizations included food banks, faith groups and organizations opposed to abortion, foster care/adoption groups as well as organizations promoting health care, agriculture, education, law enforcement and disaster relief. 

Loeffler previously worked at several top financial firms, including Intercontinental Exchange. Her husband, Jeffrey Sprecher, whom she met at ICE, is the current chairman of the New York Stock Exchange.

Loeffler also previously bought a minority stake in the WNBA Atlanta Dream, but is reportedly no longer associated with the team.

Loeffler also sparred with Sen. Edward Markey, D-Mass, during her confirmation hearing over the Trump administration’s announcement that it would freeze federal funds and grants. 

TRUMP LANDS KEY TULSI GABBARD CONFIRMATION FOLLOWING UPHILL SENATE BATTLE

After Trump fired SBA inspector general Hannibal Ware in January, Markey -- the top Democrat on the Senate Small Business & Entrepreneurship Committee – expressed anger and called for a pause on Loeffler’s confirmation consideration.

Markey said the process should be halted "either until Inspector General Ware is reinstated or until a qualified and impartial nominee to replace him is confirmed by the Senate."

Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, the committee’s chairwoman, called Loeffler the "perfect person for the job" in an Osceola Sentinel-Tribune column.

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"Throughout her career, she rose through the ranks at multiple companies due to her determination and grit. She also started many businesses and knows what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur," said Ernst.

"Most importantly, she knows what it means to be overrun by Washington’s bureaucratic overreach — and that the government must instead get out of the way so businesses can thrive."

Fox News Digital's Diana Stancy and Deidre Heavey contributed to this report

A D.C. federal judge sided with USAID workers Thursday, granting their request to extend a restraining order that prevents the Trump administration from effectively shutting down the foreign aid agency. 

U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, a Trump appointee, said he would extend by one week the temporary restraining order, with plans to issue a final decision on a request to block President Donald Trump's action on Feb. 21. 

His new order instructs the government to reinstate any USAID employees put on administrative leave and forbids the Trump administration from implementing any new administrative leave on USAID employees.

The hearing Thursday centered on the level of "irreparable harm" alleged against Trump's executive action in court. Nichols asked plaintiff's attorneys detailed questions about the impact of a stop work order that placed virtually every USAID employee on leave. 

LAWSUIT TRACKER: NEW RESISTANCE BATTLING TRUMP'S SECOND TERM THROUGH ONSLAUGHT OF LAWSUITS TAKING AIM AT EOS

Karla Gilbride, representing the American Foreign Service Association and the American Federation of Government Employees, told the judge that USAID employees had suffered harm both due to their own safety concerns and concerns for their well-being.

"These are not a few isolated incidents, this is an unprecedented dismantling of a congressionally created agency," she said. Plaintiffs "are being harmed by actions that are unconstitutional… This is a coordinated and unconstitutional effort to dismantle the agency."

Meanwhile, the Justice Department attorney, Eric Hamilton told Nichols that the USAID grievances are a matter of "personnel nature," arguing that they should be handled via the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) appeals process, rather than the federal court system.

HOUSE COMMITTEE HOLDS HEARING ON ‘THE USAID BETRAYAL’

Hamilton also pushed back on the claims of "irreparable harm," telling Nichols that the government is "committed to their safety."

"98% of those placed on administrative leave were in the US and the remaining were in developed nations like the UK," Hamilton said. 

He pointed to a Wednesday night ruling from U.S. District Judge George O'Toole in Massachusetts allowing the Trump administration’s deferred resignation program – colloquially known as the "fork in the road" resignation offer – to stand, arguing that this action is similar.

Last week, Nichols granted a request from U.S. Agency for International Development employees to temporarily block the Trump administration's order, which would have placed some 2,200 USAID employees on leave as of last Friday, and given all employees living abroad just 30 days to return to U.S. soil at government expense. 

The order also temporarily reinstated some 500 employees that had been placed on administrative leave by Trump. 

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Nichols said in his decision last week that, barring court intervention, the abrupt order would cause "irreparable harm" to employees affected by the withdrawal orders. 

He had paused the Trump administration's plans through Friday, Feb. 14, which Nichols said would allow for "expedited" arguments to help the court determine the legality of the actions. 

President Donald Trump’s nominee for U.S. Secretary of Commerce, Howard Lutnick, passed a key procedural vote in the Senate on Thursday, clearing the path for his final confirmation vote. 

The Senate’s vote this afternoon to invoke cloture ended the debate on Lutnick’s nomination and paved the way for his confirmation as Commerce secretary. Senators advanced his nomination by a 52-45 vote. Republicans control the Senate by a 53-47 majority. 

Lutnick, Chairman and CEO of the investment firm Cantor Fitzgerald and a co-chair of Trump’s 2024 presidential transition team, needed a majority vote to bring his final confirmation vote to the Senate floor. 

The Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee voted 16-12 on February 5 to advance Lutnick to the procedural vote. Lutnick testified for over three hours before the Senate Commerce Committee on January 29. 

TRUMP LANDS KEY TULSI GABBARD CONFIRMATION FOLLOWING UPHILL SENATE BATTLE

If confirmed, Lutnick will become one of the wealthiest people to serve in a presidential administration, along with Elon Musk and Trump himself. During Lutnick’s confirmation hearing, he committed to selling all of his interests and assets if confirmed. 

TULSI GABBARD SWORN IN AT WHITE HOUSE HOURS AFTER SENATE CONFIRMATION

"My plan is to only serve the American people. So I will divest — meaning I will sell all of my interests, all of my business interests, all of my assets, everything," Lutnick said. "I've worked together with the Office of Government Ethics, and we've reached agreement on how to do that, and I will be divesting within 90 days upon my confirmation."

Lutnick said selling his businesses would prevent a conflict of interest. 

"Upon confirmation, my businesses will be for sale and someone else will lead them going forward," Lutnick added. 

Trump announced Lutnick’s nomination two weeks after he was elected president. 

"I am thrilled to announce that Howard Lutnick, Chairman & CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald, will join my Administration as the United States Secretary of Commerce. He will lead our Tariff and Trade agenda, with additional direct responsibility for the Office of the United States Trade Representative," Trump said. 

Trump applauded Lutnick’s leadership during the presidential transition, saying he "created the most sophisticated process and system to assist us in creating the greatest Administration America has ever seen."

With Lutnick teed up to lead Trump’s "Tariff and Trade agenda," he faced questions during his confirmation hearing about tariff policy. Lutnick said the argument that tariffs create inflation is "nonsense." 

"We are treated horribly by the global trading environment. They all have higher tariffs, non-tariff trade barriers and subsidies. They treat us poorly. We need to be treated better. We can use tariffs to create reciprocity," Lutnick said.

Lutnick testified that he shares Trump’s stance on tariffs, adding he prefers an "across-the-board" strategy to "country-by-country" tariffs. 

Trump on Monday announced a 25% tariff on all steel and aluminum imports from all countries, adding up to a 35% tariff for Chinese steel and aluminum imports. The tariffs are set to go into effect on March 12. 

Roughly 75,000 federal employees have accepted President Donald Trump’s deferred resignation program, after the U.S. Office of Personnel Management offered more than two million federal civilian employees buyouts in January to leave their jobs or be forced to return to work in person.

Employees who accepted the so-called "fork in the road" offer will retain all pay and benefits and be exempt from in-person work until Sept. 30, a move that's part of a broader attempt by the Trump administration to downsize the federal government. 

"We have too many people," Trump told reporters Tuesday in a press briefing. "We have office spaces occupied by 4% — nobody showing up to work because they were told not to." 

The White House confirmed to Fox News Digital that numbers had climbed to 75,000 as of Thursday morning. 

It previously said it expected 200,000 people to accept the offer.

JUDGE RESTORES TRUMP ADMINISTRATION'S BUYOUT OFFER TO FEDERAL WORKERS

The Trump administration’s offer faced scrutiny, and a federal judge temporarily blocked the administration's plan from advancing amid challenges from labor union groups who voiced concerns that the law didn’t require the Trump administration to hold up its end of the deal.

However, U.S. District Judge George O’Toole of Massachusetts ruled in favor of the White House Wednesday evening, asserting the plaintiffs in the case aren’t directly impacted by the Trump administration’s offer. 

They "allege that the directive subjects them to upstream effects including a diversion of resources to answer members’ questions about the directive, a potential loss of membership, and possible reputational harm," O'Toole wrote.

"The unions do not have the required direct stake in the Fork Directive, but are challenging a policy that affects others, specifically executive branch employees," O’Toole wrote. "This is not sufficient."

The Trump administration praised the court’s decision, and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt described it as "the first of many legal wins for the president." 

'GET BACK TO WORK': HOUSE OVERSIGHT TO TAKE ON GOVERNMENT TELEWORK IN 1ST HEARING OF NEW CONGRESS

"The court dissolved the injunction due to a lack of standing," Leavitt said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "This goes to show that lawfare will not ultimately prevail over the will of 77 million Americans who supported President Trump and his priorities."

The buyout program is one of several initiatives the Trump administration has unveiled to cut down the federal workforce. On Tuesday, Trump also signed an executive order instructing the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to coordinate with federal agencies and execute massive cuts in federal workforce staffing numbers. 

The order instructs DOGE and federal agencies to work together to "significantly" shrink the size of the federal government and limit hiring new employees, according to a White House fact sheet on the order. Specifically, agencies must not hire more than one employee for every four that leave their federal post. 

Agencies also are instructed to "undertake plans for large-scale reductions in force" and evaluate ways to eliminate or combine agency functions that aren't legally required, the fact sheet said. 

Fox News' Andrea Margolis, Jake Gibson, Jacqui Heinrich and Patrick Ward contributed to this report. 

Democratic lawmakers on the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee sparred with President Donald Trump's Department of Education nominee Linda McMahon on Thursday over cost-cutting efforts underway by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an agency led by tech billionaire Elon Musk.

"I believe the American people spoke loudly in the election last November to say that they want to look at waste, fraud and abuse in our government," said McMahon, the former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).

Pressed by Democrats, including Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia, if she would follow through with cuts suggested by the "DOGE brothers," McMahon said she can be counted on to follow congressional statute "because that's the law."

TRUMP EDUCATION NOMINEE LINDA MCMAHON SAYS SHUTTING DOWN DOE WOULD 'REQUIRE CONGRESSIONAL ACTION'

Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., also asked if McMahon believes DOGE should have access to "private student data," suggesting that their probes "should frighten everyone."

"It is my understanding that those employees have been onboarded as employees of the Department of Education, and therefore, they operate under the restraints of utilizing access of information," McMahon said.

"That's not my understanding," Murray shot back.

"That's my understanding," McMahon responded.

Murray said it was "deeply disturbing" that DOGE staffers aren't "held accountable" and that it should "frighten everyone" if they have access to students' private information.

INTO THE RING: TRUMP EDUCATION CHIEF PICK MCMAHON TO TESTIFY ON CUTTING 'RED TAPE' AMID DOGE SWEEPS

The Department of Education canceled over $100 million in grants for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training as part of a broader cost-cutting effort led by DOGE, Fox News Digital previously reported. DOGE announced the termination of 89 DOE contracts, totaling $881 million, including $101 million allocated for DEI programs focused on educating educators about oppression, privilege and power, in a post Monday on X.

"Your tax dollars were spent on this," Musk wrote of the DOE spending.

DOGE reported that the Department of Education spent an additional $1.5 million on a contractor to "observe mailing and clerical operations" at a mail center, a contract that was also terminated in the dramatic spending audit. 

At one point, moderate Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine raised the terminated contracts as she asked about fears from some educators that grants for tutoring might be on the chopping block. 

"There are many worthwhile programs that we should keep," McMahon said in response to Collins. "But I'm not yet apprised of them. I want to study them. I'd like to get back and talk to you more and to work with you."

DOGE has been on a tirade to cut spending within the DOE, including terminating three grants in early February, one of which funded an institution that had hosted faculty workshops on "Decolonizing the Curriculum." Trump's early executive orders launched a federal review of DEI practices in federally funded educational institutions.

McMahon testified during Thursday's hearing that she has "not" had any conversation with Musk about the Department of Education. 

FIRST ON FOX: President Donald Trump will sign an executive order on Thursday establishing the Make America Healthy Again Commission, which will be led by newly confirmed Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Fox News Digital exclusively learned. 

The commission will be chaired by Kennedy and will be "tasked with investigating and addressing the root causes of America’s escalating health crisis, with an initial focus on childhood chronic diseases," the White House explained to Fox News Digital.

Kennedy was confirmed as the nation's leader of the U.S. Health and Human Services on Thursday and was expected to be sworn in later in the afternoon. His commission will work to "restore trust in medical and scientific institutions and hold public hearings, meetings, roundtables" to receive input from health leaders. 

The commission, Fox Digital learned, will focus on four policy directives to reverse chronic disease, including providing Americans transparency on health data to "avoid conflicts of interest in all federally funded health research;" prioritizing "gold-standard research on why Americans are getting sick" in all federally-funded health research; working with farmers to ensure food is healthy, as well as affordable; and expanding health coverage and treatment options "for beneficial lifestyle changes and disease prevention."

The commission initially will focus on childhood chronic diseases, such as autism and fatty liver disease, and also investigate adult chronic diseases, such as asthma and the U.S. average life expectancy compared to other nations. 

RFK JR. VOWS HE WON'T TAKE CHEESEBURGERS AWAY, JUST HIGHLIGHT HEALTH ISSUES: 'MY BOSS LOVES' THEM

Within 100 days of the commission's founding, it is expected to publish "an assessment that summarizes what is known and what questions remain regarding the childhood chronic disease crisis, and include international comparisons." Within 180 days, it is expected to "produce a strategy, based on the findings of the assessment, to improve the health of America’s children," Fox Digital learned. 

SENATE CONFIRMS ROBERT F KENNEDY JR. TO SERVE AS TRUMP'S HEALTH SECRETARY

Kennedy and Trump vowed on the campaign trail to "Make America Healthy Again," including directing their focus on autism among youths in recent years. The commission will investigate chronic conditions for both adults and children, including those related to autism, which the White House said affects one in 36 children.

TRUMP HEALTH SECRETARY NOMINEE RFK JR. SURVIVES HEATED HEARINGS

Trump, in recent months, has cited autism stats while previewing his second administration, balking at the number of children currently diagnosed compared to just 25 years ago. 

"When you look at, like, autism from 25 years ago, and you look at it now, something's going on," Trump said in December ahead of his inauguration. "Think of this: 25 years ago, autism, 1 in 10,000 children. Today it's 1 in 36 children. Is something wrong? I think so, and Robert and I, we're going to figure it out." 

Trump also vowed while on the campaign trail in June that he would "establish a special Presidential Commission of independent minds who are not bought and paid for by Big Pharma, and I will charge them with investigating what is causing the decades-long increase in chronic illnesses." 

TRUMP INNER CIRCLE SHARES MCDONALD’S MEAL AS DONALD JR. JOKES 'MAKE AMERICA HEALTHY AGAIN STARTS TOMORROW’

The Republican-controlled Senate voted 52–48 on Thursday to confirm Kennedy. His confirmation hearings before the Senate in late January included a few outbursts from protesters, as well as Democrats grilling him over his vaccine stances. 

Kennedy, who ran for president as a Democrat in the 2024 cycle before ultimately dropping out and endorsing Trump, clarified to the Senate that he is not "anti-vaccine." 

"I worked for years to raise awareness about the mercury and toxic chemicals in fish. And nobody called me anti-fish. And I believe that… that vaccines play a critical role in healthcare. All of my kids are vaccinated. I've read many books on vaccines. My first book in 2014, a first line of it is ‘I am not anti-vaccine’ and last line is ‘I am not anti-vaccine.’ Nor am I the enemy of food producers. American farms are the bedrock of our culture, of our politics, of our national security," Kennedy said during his hearing before the Senate Finance Committee in January. 

Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., is threatening to file articles of impeachment against a federal judge who blocked President Donald Trump's federal funding freeze.

"I’m drafting articles of impeachment for U.S. District Judge John McConnell Jr.," Clyde wrote on X.

"He’s a partisan activist weaponizing our judicial system to stop President Trump’s funding freeze on woke and wasteful government spending. We must end this abusive overreach. Stay tuned."

SCOOP: KEY CONSERVATIVE CAUCUS DRAWS RED LINE ON HOUSE BUDGET PLAN

U.S. District Judge John McConnell filed a new motion Monday ordering the Trump administration to comply with a restraining order issued Jan. 31, temporarily blocking the administration’s efforts to pause federal grants and loans. 

McConnell’s original restraining order came after 22 states and the District of Columbia challenged the Trump administration’s actions to hold up funds for grants, such as the Climate Pollution Reduction Grant and other Environmental Protection Agency programs. However, the states said Friday that the administration is not following through and funds are still tied up.  

A three-judge panel on the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the Trump administration’s appeal of the order on Tuesday.

McConnell has come under fire by Trump supporters and conservatives who have accused him of being a liberal activist. 

Clyde and others have cited a video of McConnell in 2021 saying courts must "stand and enforce the rule of law, that is, against arbitrary and capricious actions by what could be a tyrant or could be whatnot."

"You have to take a moment and realize that this, you know, middle-class, white, male, privileged person needs to understand the human being that comes before us that may be a woman, may be Black, may be transgender, may be poor, may be rich, may be — whatever," McConnell said in the video, according to WPRI.

Elon Musk wrote on X in response, "Impeach this activist posing as a judge! Such a person does great discredit to the American justice system."

BLACK CAUCUS CHAIR ACCUSES TRUMP OF 'PURGE' OF 'MINORITY' FEDERAL WORKERS

Clyde confirmed he was preparing articles of impeachment when asked by Fox News Digital on Thursday.

"For a federal judge to deny the executive their legitimate right to exercise their authority is wrong," Clyde told Fox News Digital. "This type of judge, this political activist – this radical political activist – should be removed from the bench."

When reached for a response to Clyde's threat, the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island said McConnell "often sits down with members of the media upon request" but did not comment on pending cases.

Trump’s allies have been hammering the judges who have issued a series of decisions curbing the president’s executive orders.

Rep. Eli Crane, R-Ariz., threatened to prepare impeachment articles against another judge earlier this week, U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer of the U.S. Southern District of New York, for blocking Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency from accessing Treasury records.

A member of North Carolina’s largest school district’s board slammed critics of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and said the term is being bandied about by people who are racist in place of the "n-word."

Wake County Schools board member Sam Hershey began his remarks at last week’s meeting in Raleigh by saying that if people are "searching for truth, we’re going to have to wait about four more years for that because, man, I’ve never seen someone lie so much as that person," in an apparent reference to President Donald Trump.

Hershey, who is White, said that in recognition of Black History Month, he wanted to make some remarks about DEI in a meeting video posted to YouTube.

"I really want to highlight, as Dr. Ng mentioned, we're celebrating 250 [years of America] next year that … it’s really important to talk about people being hired based on their skin color. And for 250 years, it has been mediocre White men who have been hired based on their skin color."

DOGE SLASHES $100M IN DEI FUNDING AT US DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

"And those are facts. – I've heard people say DEI is racist. If that's what you believe, you know nothing about diversity, equity, inclusion, and you know nothing about racism. And that speaks to you as a human being."

Speaking about Wake County as a whole, which includes Raleigh as well as Fuquay-Varina and Zebulon, Hershey said DEI ensures kids who need more educational help receive it without lowering standards.

"That's the thing that drives me nuts the most," Hershey said. "That's being real. And I've said this before: People who throw around ‘DEI hire,’ they're just replacing the n-word with ‘DEI hire.’ That's what they want to say. We get it. You guys are all losers."

BALTIMORE SUES TRUMP FOR DITCHING DEI

He referenced the recent helicopter-plane collision above Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Virginia, where some pundits were hypothesizing about the personal identifiers of the pilots involved.

"Should I see a Black pilot or do I think they're a DEI hire? No, that's racism to think that way."

In Wake County Schools, he said, candidates are hired based on their qualifications and that it would be insulting not to do so.

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"We’ve got vacancies, so we're not turning away people because they're White," he said.

A communications official for Wake County Schools told Fox News Digital, "I don't have any information to share with you," when reached on Thursday.

Superintendent Robert Taylor did not respond to multiple requests for comment, and several assistant superintendents, as well as Hershey, did not respond to emailed inquiries whether any reprimand or other action was being considered because of his remarks.

On X, formerly Twitter, Hershey's comments led to criticism, including one user who asked if he had ever listened to speeches from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

"What happened to a world where one is not judged by the color of his skin (or other immutable outward characteristics for that matter?). Why should anyone consider skin color in hiring?"

"Sam Hershey has decades of experience in 'white man mediocrity," another user wrote. "Not exactly the best and brightest Wake County has to offer."

FIRST ON FOX -- President Donald Trump’s legal team continued to dial up the pressure on CBS and parent company Paramount Global on Thursday with a massive discovery demand for 107 different forms of communications. 

Trump is seeking $20 billion in a lawsuit against CBS, alleging election interference over its handling of a "60 Minutes" interview. The president has accused CBS of aiding his Democrat rival Vice President Kamala Harris through deceptive editing one month before they faced off in the presidential election. The saga began when Harris was widely mocked for a "word salad" answer she gave to "60 Minutes" correspondent Bill Whitaker during a preview of the interview on "Face the Nation," as CBS aired a more coherent answer to the same question during a primetime special. 

In a letter obtained by Fox News Digital, Trump’s legal team has requested "all documents in CBS Interactive’s possession, custody, or control, wherever located, including documents in the possession of its representatives, attorneys, or other persons directly or indirectly retained by CBS Interactive, or anyone else acting on its behalf or otherwise subject to its control" pertaining to the interview. 

FCC CHAIR CALLS CBS NEWS' CONDUCT ‘HARD TO EXPLAIN’ FOLLOWING RELEASE OF KAMALA HARRIS INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT

The demand includes all communications between CBS and the FCC, The Biden administration, the Harris campaign and the DNC from September 22, 0224 through February 11, 2025. Trump’s legal team also asked for all communications about the interview involving "60 Minutes" executive editor Tanya Simon’s, executive producer Bill Owens, "Face the Nation" anchor Margaret Brennan or Whitaker, along with "any documents containing communications about interviewing or potentially interviewing President Trump for the Election Special." 

Trump’s legal team has demanded "any documents containing communications" about the unedited exchange between CBS staffers and the Biden administration, Harris campaign and the DNC. 

The 27-page list of discovery demands also asks for all internal communications "60 Minutes" honchos had with editors, journalists and correspondents during the controversy, along with any communications with the Harris campaign. 

TRUMP'S LAWSUIT AGAINST CBS EXPANDS AFTER RELEASE OF '60 MINUTES' TRANSCRIPT, ADDS PARAMOUNT AS DEFENDANT

Any communications pertaining to the lawsuit between CBS and Paramount employees have also been requested, along with any communications about advertising or commercials during the programs that aired the Harris interview.

Shari Redstone, Paramount’s controlling shareholder, is also named and Trump’s legal team wants to see her interactions with "60 Minutes" employees, too. 

Critics accused CBS News of editing Harris' "word salad" answer to shield the former vice president from further backlash. The discovery request comes after Trump secured a legal victory earlier this week when a judge deemed CBS and Paramount’s motion to dismiss "moot."

CBS did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 

CBS STAFFERS UPSET OVER ‘60 MINUTES’ DRAMA, ADMIT KAMALA HARRIS INTERVIEW EDITS WERE AN ‘UNFORCED ERROR’

New FCC Chair Brendan Carr ordered CBS News to hand over the unedited transcript as part of its investigation into whether the network violated the FCC's "news distortion" policy after a complaint was filed. CBS had refused to release the unedited transcript until the FCC got involved. 

Last week, Trump’s legal team led by attorneys Ed Paltzik and Dan Epstein amended the original lawsuit after the release of the unedited transcript and raw footage of its controversial "60 Minutes" interview. The lawsuit added CBS News' parent company, Paramount Global, as a defendant, citing how the "60 Minutes" election special was platformed on its Paramount+ streaming service. The lawsuit added Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas, as a plaintiff and increased the damages claim to $20 billion.

CBS parent company Paramount Global is reportedly considering settling the suit ahead of a planned merger with Skydance Media in hopes of preventing potential retribution by Trump's FCC, which has the authority to halt the multibillion-dollar transaction. Redstone is reportedly in favor of settling with the president. 

The case against CBS and Paramount Global is one of the many legal fronts, criminal and civil, being coordinated by Trump’s Senior Counsel Boris Epshteyn.

Fox News Digital’s Joseph A. Wulfsohn contributed to this report. 

Republican and Independent voters in a Fox News Digital focus group reacted positively to President Donald Trump's executive actions targeting transgender ideology in America's sports and other institutions.

The focus group of 156 voters across the political aisle watched a video clip of the president signing his executive order, "Keeping men out of women's sports," on February 5.

Trump said, "Actions were taken today are the latest in a sweeping effort to reclaim our culture and our laws from the radical left crusade against biological reality."

"On day one, I made it official, and I'm making it official policy of the United States government that there is, you know, two genders. We have two genders. What might they be? Man and woman, Right? Male and female. Male and female. Can't think of too many others, but it's pretty amazing."

NEW POLL REVEALS WHICH TRUMP POLICIES AMERICANS LOVE AND HATE

"I rescinded federal funds too, and this is so important, to any program that promotes transgender ideology using taxpayer dollars. We're not going to do it. We're not going to do it. And last week I effectively banned the chemical castration and surgical mutilation of minor children."

After Trump referred to two genders and his action to strip federal funding for transgender surgeries, Democratic voters' approval remained steady, but Republican and Independent voters' approval steadily climbed, according to the Fox News Dial.

President of Maslansky + Partners Lee Carter, who conducted the focus group for Fox News Digital, remarked, "Even Democrats mostly agree!"

"For anyone who is hysterical and thinks this resonates because people are transphobic – that is not it at all," she added.

NEW POLL SHOWS WHAT AMERICANS THINK OF TRUMP'S RECORD-SETTING FIRST 3 WEEKS

"People believe a few things: 1. Children need to be children. 2. If you are too young to have a beer or get a tattoo you are too young to make this decision. 3. Common Sense needs to prevail. 4. Our tax money shouldn’t fund it," Carter continued.

One focus group member said, "Finally, something that makes sense. Taking away government money for things we shouldn't be involved in was one of the best things Trump has ever done."

The group also reacted to a video of Trump discussing his initial executive orders challenging diversity, equity and inclusion ("DEI") and gender ideology in American institutions during a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos on January 23. 

"With the recent yet somewhat unexpected great Supreme Court decision just made, America will once again become a merit-based country," Trump said. "You have to hear that word merit-based country."

 CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST MEDIA AND CULTURE NEWS

"And I've made it official, an official policy of the United States that there are only two genders, male and female, and we will have no men participating in women's sports and transgender operations, which, became the rage will occur very rarely. Finally, as we restore common sense in America, we're moving quickly to bring back strength and peace and stability abroad," he continued.

Republican and Independent voters' approval shot up when Trump brought up making America once again a "merit-based country." After he declared a ban on male athletes in women's sports and transgender medical operations, both groups' approval steadily increased.

Democratic voters' approval remained level, dipping slightly during his remarks about gender ideology, according to a Fox News Dial.

Carter found the groups' reaction "fascinating."

"Look at the strength of reactions to ‘merit-based’ and ‘common sense’," she remarked.

One focus group member said, "He may be a rude dude, but I love his thoughts and how much common sense he is making! Love this!"

A total of 156 voters participated in the Fox News Digital focus group. Seventy-five Democratic voters participated, along with 49 Republican voters and 32 Independent voters.

Trump has signed 63 executive orders since his inauguration, according to a count from Fox News, which far surpasses the rate of any presidential predecessors during their first weeks in office.

According to a Marquette Law School Poll national survey released on Wednesday, Trump's most popular executive action with Americans is his order having the federal government recognize only two sexes — male and female. 

Sixty-three percent of adults nationwide supported the move, with just 37% opposed, the survey indicates.

Fox News' Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump floated a joint meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, claiming he wants all countries to move toward denuclearization. 

Trump on Thursday told reporters he plans to advance these denuclearization talks once "we straighten it all out" in the Middle East and Ukraine, comments that come as the U.S., Russia and Ukraine are actively pursuing negotiations to end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. 

"There’s no reason for us to be building brand new nuclear weapons, we already have so many," Trump said Thursday at the White House. "You could destroy the world 50 times over, 100 times over. And here we are building new nuclear weapons, and they’re building nuclear weapons."

"We’re all spending a lot of money that we could be spending on other things that are actually, hopefully, much more productive," he said.

The U.S. is projected to spend approximately $756 billion on nuclear weapons between 2023 and 2032, according to a Congressional Budget Office report released in 2023. 

PUTIN VIEWED AS ‘GREAT COMPETITOR’ BUT STILL A US ‘ADVERSARY’ AS UKRAINE NEGOTIATIONS LOOM, LEAVITT SAYS

Additionally, Trump said that he was aiming to schedule meetings with Xi and Putin early on in his second term and request that the countries cut their military budgets in half. The president said he believes "we can do that," and remained indifferent about whether he traveled to Xi or Putin, or if they visited the White House. 

Meanwhile, the U.S. has dramatically reduced its nuclear arsenal since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. 

The U.S. maintains 3,748 nuclear warheads as of September 2023, a drop from the stockpile of 22,217 nuclear warheads in 1989, according to the Department of Energy. The agency reported the U.S. owned a maximum of 31,255 nuclear warheads in 1966. 

In comparison, Russia has an estimated stockpile of roughly 4,380 nuclear warheads, while China boasts an arsenal of roughly 600, according to the Federation of American Scientists. 

Trump’s remarks build on previous statements he made in January at the Davos World Economic Forum in Switzerland, where he signaled interest in talks on denuclearization with both Russia and China. 

"Tremendous amounts of money are being spent on nuclear, and the destructive capability is something that we don’t even want to talk about today, because you don’t want to hear it," Trump said on Jan. 23. 

Previous talks between the U.S., Russia and China fell through in 2020 during Trump’s first administration after he refused to sign an extension of the 2010 New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty with Russia to impose limits on each country’s nuclear arsenals. The treaty ultimately was renewed under the Biden administration and now expires in 2026, but Russia suspended its participation. 

On Thursday, Trump accused these negotiations of falling apart due what he called the "rigged election" in 2020. 

NO LONGER TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF: TRUMP SIGNS ORDER PRIORITIZING ‘UNIFIED’ US FOREIGN POLICY FRONT 

Trump also said on Thursday that Putin wants peace after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, comments that followed back-to-back calls with the Russian leader and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also traveled to Kyiv on Wednesday. 

Trump, who met with Zelenskyy in New York in September 2024, urged Putin to cease the war — or face sanctions — in a post on Truth Social on Jan. 22. 

"Settle now, and STOP this ridiculous War! IT'S ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE," Trump wrote. If we don't make a 'deal', and soon, I have no other choice but to put high levels of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions on anything being sold by Russia to the United States, and various other participating countries."

USAID's green energy programs may have done more "harm" to developing nations than anything else, according to a former official at the U.S. Agency for International Development.

"I can’t think of anything that’s harmed the developing world more than the climate agenda," said Max Primorac, a top USAID official under President Donald Trump’s first administration, when asked about programs that had run afoul of American interests throughout the world.   

"The strong counter-China infrastructure that we developed over at USAID was simply dismantled by the next administration," he told lawmakers at a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing entitled, "USAID Betrayal."

"[USAID] has pushed all of these countries, especially in Africa, to go green. Solar, wind, EV: who produces all of those materials? It's China. Then, on top of it, we tell them, 'No, you can't develop your own fossil fuel industry because it's, it's anti-green.' So, what happens? They can't generate the revenues to create good jobs at home. They can't generate the revenues in order to finance their own health, education and other needs."

​​USAID MISSIONS OVERSEAS ORDERED TO SHUT DOWN, STAFF BEING RECALLED: REPORT

Primorac claimed that green energy infrastructure in developing countries "increases the price of energy." 

According to Primorac, 19 of the top 20 countries receiving USAID are part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, securing aid from the CCP in exchange for influence. 

Primorac said that developing nations "want more trade, they want more investment," but "resentment" is building in conservative countries who don’t want "woke things."

The Trump administration, upon assuming office, instituted a 90-day pause on all foreign aid. Trump fired USAID's inspector general Paul Martin this week after he wrote a report claiming Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)'s efforts to dismantle USAID had prevented him from conducting oversight on unspent aid of up to $8.5 billion. Martin's report claimed that about $500 million worth of food aid is at risk of spoiling as it sits in ports while USAID staff in other nations have been called back and placed on leave. 

USAID has now been placed under the purview of the State Department and is in the process of whittling down its staff from 10,000 to fewer than 300. 

USAID INSPECTOR GENERAL FIRED DAYS AFTER PUBLISHING REPORT CRITICAL OF AID PAUSE

Republican witnesses at the hearing largely agreed that foreign aid was important to fighting global disease outbreaks and securing U.S. interests throughout the world, but USAID’s reputation had been "tarnished" by "mission creep," as former GOP Rep. Ted Yoho, Fla., said. 

But Yoho, who said he came to Congress to slash foreign aid before realizing its importance throughout the world, and Andrew Natsios, USAID administrator under President George W. Bush, warned that a blanket freeze on aid throughout the world would be detrimental. 

"By pausing U.S. international assistance, a vacuum is created. China, Russia, or others are already moving in to fill those voids," said Yoho. 

"Not being effectively present can be arguably worse than pausing a program. And all you have to do is look at South and Central America and look at how much we've ceded to China and their influence from Russia, China and Iran. That has to be dealt with immediately. That's a national security threat." 

Natsios said he was "appalled" by how the Biden administration had roped USAID into "culture wars." 

"It's a failure," he said. "All of the things I did at AID, I tried to do it in a way that would not alienate the Democratic Party when I left." 

GOP CHAIRMAN RESPONDS AFTER PROTESTERS ARE TOSSED FROM USAID SPENDING HEARING

But he noted that "woke" programs were a "small percentage" of the USAID budget, and the agency gives $1 billion per year to Christian NGOs. 

Republicans claim there is a waiver process, but aid advocates have said NGOs and charities do not know how to apply for the waiver, and if they receive one, no one at USAID is operating the payment systems that dole out funds. 

"I’ve met with these Christian groups, even though they have the waivers, the Phoenix system is not operating," said Natsios, referring to the agency’s financial program. "Please do something about it." 

During the hearing, Republicans also pointed to USAID-funded NGOs that were conducting abortions, a program that sent millions of taxpayer dollars to dole out condoms in Afghanistan and Mozambique, $20 million for drag shows in Ecuador and $500,000 to promote atheism in Nepal. 

"All of these programs gave USAID a black eye and that’s unfortunate," said Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, a former chairman of the committee who claimed USAID "blew through" his holds on their controversial programs.

Foreign Affairs Chairman Brian Mast agreed. "When done right, foreign aid can be one of the best tools. It can help strengthen our relationships with our allies and help countries realize America is the best for them," he said. 

He promised that more aid oversight was to come. 

"We are going to bring in individuals who were responsible for putting these horrible policies in place and reveal all the receipts, videos – all of it – for the American people to see."

The U.S. Treasury secretary left a straight and to the point message in the welcome book at Shannon Airport in Ireland on Thursday, simply leaving the Trump administration’s two-word motto.

The plane Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was traveling on from Kyiv, Ukraine, made a stop at the western Ireland airport to refuel.

While there, Bessent signed the welcome book, writing, "AMERICA FIRST!"

FOX Business White House correspondent Edward Lawrence snapped a picture of the page, and above Bessent’s entry was an entry from former Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

JD VANCE, TREASURY SEC SCOTT BESSENT TO MEET WITH ZELENSKYY AS TRUMP TEAM SETS SIGHTS ON RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR

"To all our friends at Shannon – with gratitude for always making us feel at home away from home," Blinken wrote, though the date of the entry was not visible in the photo.

President Donald Trump announced earlier this week that he was sending Bessent to meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

‘LET’S DO A DEAL’: ZELENSKYY CALLS TRUMP’S TERMS ACCEPTABLE FOR SECURITY PARTNERSHIP

"This War MUST and WILL END SOON — Too much Death and Destruction. The U.S. has spent BILLIONS of Dollars Globally, with little to show," Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Bessent was expected to speak with the Ukrainian president about sanctions, rare Earth minerals and where U.S. funding has gone.

Vice President JD Vance was also meeting with Zelenskyy this week, and both meetings were to take place before U.S. envoy Keith Kellogg travels to Ukraine on Feb. 20.

Trump tasked Kellogg with hashing out a peace deal with Ukraine and Russia to bring the three-year-long war to an end. Last week Kellogg met with Ukrainian delegates at the State Department. 

Fox News Digital’s Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.

The United States is releasing Russian prisoner Alexander Vinnik as part of the deal to secure Marc Fogel's freedom, a Trump administration official told Fox News on Wednesday.

Fogel, an American teacher who had been detained in Russia since 2021, was freed on Tuesday. A plane carrying him landed in the U.S. late last night. 

Vinnik was arrested in 2017 in Greece at the request of the U.S. on cryptocurrency fraud charges. He was later extradited to the United States where he pleaded guilty last year to conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov earlier said the Russian prisoner’s name would be revealed when he returns home. 

FREED AMERICAN HOSTAGE MARC FOGEL LANDS IN US AFTER YEARS IN RUSSIAN CAPTIVITY 

"Recently, work has been intensified through the relevant agencies, there have been contacts," Peskov said in a conference call with reporters, according to the Associated Press. "And these contacts have led to the release of Fogel, as well as one of the citizens of the Russian Federation, who is currently being held in custody in the United States. This citizen of the Russian Federation will also be returned to Russia in the coming days." 

The State Department did not immediately respond Wednesday morning to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. 

Fogel, a history teacher from Pennsylvania, was serving a 14-year prison sentence after his arrest in August 2021 at a Russian airport for being in possession of drugs, which his family and supporters said were medically prescribed marijuana. 

Anne Fogel, his sister, told "Fox & Friends" on Wednesday that she is "so happy to have this massive boulder" lifted off her shoulders with her brother’s release. 

"I am so incredibly grateful to the president," she added. "Just amazing." 

Fogel said her brother's situation has "taken a toll" on her family but they "can’t even believe that he is safe and at home and can get medical attention." 

AMERICAN MARC FOGEL RELEASED FROM RUSSIAN CUSTODY 

After his arrival in the U.S., Fogel met with President Donald Trump at the White House and called him a hero for securing his release. 

"I want you to know that I am not a hero in this at all. And President Trump is a hero," Fogel said after meeting Trump. 

"These men that came from the diplomatic service are heroes," Fogel continued. "The senators and representatives that passed legislation in my honor – they got me home – they are heroes." 

When asked by reporters on Tuesday whether the U.S. had given up anything in return for Fogel, Trump replied "not much" without offering additional details. 

Fox News’ Pat Ward, Landon Mion and the Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Federal Communication Commission (FCC) chairman Brendan Carr has opened an investigation into diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices at Comcast and NBCUniversal.

Carr wants to ensure that Comcast, which owns multiple assets including NBCUniversal, is not promoting unfair forms of discrimination in violation of FCC regulations and civil rights laws. Carr, who was selected to serve as FCC chairman by President Trump, said the administration has already taken quick and decisive actions to root out the scourge of DEI. 

"President Trump is leading America away from the scourge of invidious DEI discrimination and ensuring that everyone in this country has a fair shot at succeeding. Discriminatory DEI programs cannot be squared with this country’s civil rights laws and following President Trump’s leadership the FCC will ensure that every company we regulate ends illegal DEI programs," Carr told Fox News Digital. 

FCC CHAIR SAYS IT’S ‘REALLY CONCERNING’ THAT A SOROS-BACKED RADIO STATION EXPOSED UNDERCOVER ICE AGENTS

Carr sent a lengthy letter to Comcast CEO Brian Roberts on Tuesday, informing the Philadelphia-based company’s top executive of the probe.

"I am writing to inform you that I have asked the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau to open an investigation into Comcast and NBCUniversal. In particular, I want to ensure that your companies are not promoting invidious forms of discrimination in violation of FCC regulations and civil rights laws," Carr wrote in the letter obtained by Fox News Digital. 

"As you know, the Communications Act and Commission rules prohibit regulated entities—like Comcast and NBCUniversal—from discriminating on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, or gender. Indeed, the FCC’s longstanding Equal Employment Opportunity or EEO rules set forth specific requirements that both Comcast and NBCUniversal must adhere to," the letter continued. "Nonetheless, I am concerned that Comcast and NBCUniversal may be promoting invidious forms of DEI in a manner that does not comply with FCC regulations."

Carr then noted that Comcast promotes DEI as "a core value of our business" online and public reports state that the company has an entire "DEI infrastructure" that includes annual "DEI day[s]," "DEI training for company leaders" and other similar initiatives.

"NBCUniversal has similar DEI initiatives, including executives specifically dedicated to promoting DEI across the TV and programming side of the business," Carr wrote. 

FCC LAUNCHES PROBE INTO SOROS-BACKED RADIO STATION THAT REVEALED LIVE LOCATIONS OF UNDERCOVER ICE AGENTS

"But promoting invidious forms of discrimination cannot be squared with any reasonable interpretation of federal law. It can only deprive Americans of their rights to fair and equal treatment under the law," he continued. "Despite the emergence of DEI initiatives in recent years, these forms of discrimination have long been condemned by America’s civil rights laws."

Carr noted that the Supreme Court has stated "distinctions between citizens solely because of their ancestry are by their very nature odious to a free people whose institutions are founded upon the doctrine of equality" and has written that racial classifications "threaten to stigmatize individuals by reason of their membership in a racial group and to incite racial hostility." 

Carr added that Trump has already "issued an Executive Order that will end the radical and wasteful DEI programs that have spread across the federal government" and issued another executive order to "end illegal discrimination and restore merit-based opportunity across the private sector." 

"At my direction, the FCC has already taken action to end its own promotion of DEI. As a next step, the FCC will be taking fresh action to ensure that every entity the FCC regulates complies with the civil rights protections enshrined in the Communications Act and the agency’s EEO rules, including by shutting down any programs that promote invidious forms of DEI discrimination," Carr wrote. 

DOGE SLASHES OVER $100M IN DEI FUNDING AT EDUCATION DEPARTMENT: 'WIN FOR EVERY STUDENT'

"I am starting this broader effort with Comcast and NBCUniversal for two reasons. First, as noted above, there is substantial evidence that your companies are still engaging in the promotion of DEI. Second, your companies cover a range of sectors regulated by the FCC—from cable to high-speed Internet and from broadcast TV stations to MVNO wireless offerings," Carr continued. "Therefore, I expect that this investigation into Comcast and its NBCUniversal operations will aid the Commission’s broader efforts to root out invidious forms of DEI discrimination across all of the sectors the FCC regulates."

Comcast provided Fox News Digital with the following statement: "We have received an inquiry from the Federal Communications Commission and will be cooperating with the FCC to answer their questions. For decades, our company has been built on a foundation of integrity and respect for all of our employees and customers."

Carr was previously the senior Republican member of the FCC, first nominated to the commission by Trump in 2017.

CNN's Anderson Cooper clashed with former GOP Gov. Chris Sununu on Tuesday over the Department of Government Efficiency's (DOGE) findings, as the CNN host accused Sununu of putting words in his mouth.

"It’s 23 days in here, guys, 23 days. You’re talking about 2.3 billion that was saved last year. These guys are saving 2.3 billion a day," Sununu said after praising President Donald Trump and Elon Musk for transparency. "It’s all going to come because what they also said was, if we have to go to Congress, we’ll go to Congress. We’ll show where it is."

Musk, the head of DOGE, has been focused on determining areas of federal funding waste. Musk spoke to reporters from the Oval Office on Tuesday and emphasized cutting federal spending was "essential."

"He’s giving very specific things, but he’s not actually giving any evidence of that," Cooper pushed back. "But some of the details that have come out like the $59 million spent on luxury hotels. It’s actually not." 

PRESIDENT TRUMP PREDICTS ELON MUSK WILL FIND ‘HUNDRED OF BILLIONS’ IN WASTE IN NEXT DOGE DIRECTIVES

"You’re talking about the FEMA money that was abused for migrants. That was FEMA money for migrants. That’s okay now?" Sununu shot back.

Cooper said he didn't think it was okay and told Sununu, "Don’t put words in my mouth."

The former New Hampshire governor asked Cooper if he would stop that process. 

"Don’t be a d--k. What I’m saying is the portrayal by him is just not factually accurate. He’s talking about luxury hotels," he said, shaking his head. 

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Alyssa Farah Griffin, a CNN commentator and co-host of "The View," interjected and said, "I think the issue, too, is these are congressionally appropriated funds. I think you and I, as conservatives, could look for a lot of things in the federal budget we would be more than happy to see done away with. But I think that there have been things that have been presented as one thing and then turn out to be something very different."

Later in the show, Cooper apologized to Sununu. 

"I was mean, I was rude to you," Cooper said, surprising the GOP governor. "I don't know why I said that."

"Are you kidding?" Sununu responded. "I grew up with seven brothers and sisters, and I’m a Sununu."

As I write these words, my heart is heavy. For almost 500 days, I've lived in a nightmare that no mother should ever endure. My son, Alon, spent his 24th birthday earlier this week in the dark tunnels of Hamas, chained, tortured and abused – his second birthday in captivity.

Alon is my eldest son. He has two younger siblings. He is beautiful, with blond hair and bright green eyes. He's also an incredibly talented pianist and a sensitive young man with many dreams yet to fulfill. Alon is a people person – I am always inspired by his ability to connect with others and build deep bonds. I miss his smile, his voice, his sense of humor, and our conversations about life. I miss just having him with us, watching him make his way in the world with his characteristic determination and curiosity.

FATHER OF HAMAS HOSTAGE: LET TRUMP CLOSE DEAL OF THE CENTURY

On Oct. 7, 2023, Alon attended the Nova music festival. When the attack began, he and others sought refuge in what we now tragically call the "death shelter." Out of 27 people hiding there, only seven survived. Four were kidnapped: my son Alon, Or Levy, Eliya Cohen and Hersh Goldberg-Polin. Or was just released this past weekend, Eliya is set to be released later this month, and Hersh was tragically executed in captivity. And my son? Despite his severe injuries and deteriorating condition, he is not even included in the current phase of releases.

This past Saturday, when I watched the release of Or Levy – who was kidnapped together with Alon – along with Eli Sharabi and Ohad Ben-Ami from captivity, I collapsed. Something that hadn't happened to me once in the past 16 months. I burst into tears that I couldn't stop for hours. It was so shocking to see them and the terrible state they were in, so emaciated, pale, with sunken eyes. I tried to imagine my Alon, my beautiful boy. How does he look now? 

That same evening, to my great joy, I received a message – the first sign of life since Oct. 7. Along with this came the horrifying descriptions of the conditions in which he is being held. He was with Or and Eli throughout their time in captivity. He has been restrained with iron shackles during his entire captivity, limiting his movement. He has a severe injury to his eye, with a foreign body lodged in it, leaving him able to see only shadows. There are also shrapnel embedded in his arms and neck that have been left untreated. He, like the others, receives barely one piece of bread per day. Almost 500 days in complete darkness.

And he is still there – not even included in the current phase of the deal. How is my son, chained and wounded, not considered a "humanitarian case"? 

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I am deeply grateful to President Trump for his extraordinary efforts in securing the hostage deal. In a matter of weeks, he achieved what seemed impossible, bringing many of our loved ones back home. His unwavering stance has been clear and powerful – all hostages must be released, and they must be released now. He understands they have no time left. There are still about 20 living hostages, including my son, who aren't included in the first phase of releases. 

President Trump has already proven he can make the impossible possible. Our hope for Alon's return, and the return of all remaining hostages, rests strongly with him. These efforts, alongside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's work, have reunited families and saved lives. 

Alon’s great-grandfather survived Auschwitz, weighing just 38 kilos when liberated. He came to Israel and built a beautiful family. Perhaps it's this resilient DNA that keeps Alon alive now, as he endures conditions that echo the darkest chapters of our people's history. But how can we, in 2025, allow such suffering to continue?

The tunnels where my son is held are dark, but our determination to bring him home must shine brighter than ever. I refuse to let Alon mark another birthday in captivity. I refuse to let him become another statistic in this brutal saga. Bring them home now. Bring my son home now. Before it's too late.

EXCLUSIVE: The Republican National Committee has staffed up with new senior leadership to support President Trump’s agenda and work to elect Republican candidates "who will fight to Make America Great Again," Fox News Digital has learned. 

RNC Chairman Michael Whatley brought on a slate of new senior staff at the GOP—all bringing campaign expertise stemming from several election cycles and experience in the private sector. 

RNC CHAIR WHATLEY VOWS TO BE 'TIP OF THE SPEAR' TO PROTECT TRUMP AFTER COASTING TO RE-ELECTION VICTORY

"After a historic victory in 2024, taking back the White House and securing majorities in both chambers of Congress, Republicans are just getting started delivering on promises made," Whatley told Fox News Digital. 

"As America enters the new golden age under President Donald J. Trump’s leadership, I am thrilled to announce our extraordinary RNC team, who will work around the clock to support President Trump’s agenda and elect Republican candidates who will fight to Make America Great Again," he said. 

The RNC has brought on Mike Ambrosini to serve as chief of staff. Ambrosini previously served as the director of the RNC’s State Party Strategies. He also served in the first Trump administration and held roles in Congress, the private sector, and served as the executive director of the Michigan Republican Party. 

RNC officials told Fox News Digital that Ambrosini is "the perfect person to bring everyone to the table, navigate challenges, and implement a winning strategy." 

Whatley has also brought on Rob Secaur as the new RNC political director. Secaur served as deputy political director for the 2024 Trump campaign, after serving as an RNC regional political director. 

SENATE REPUBLICAN CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE CHAIR SPELLS OUT HIS 2026 MISSION

To run messaging, Whatley tapped Zach Parkinson as RNC communications director. Parkinson served as the RNC’s research director and deputy communications director overseeing the GOP’s opposition research and rapid response efforts. 

Parkinson also provided research to the Trump 2024 campaign; served as deputy communications director for the Trump 2020 campaign; and worked in communications and research roles at the Trump White House from 2017 to 2019. 

Meanwhile, to run GOP finance, Mallory Gerndt has been elevated to finance director from her current role on the RNC finance team, where she has served since 2017. 

Gerndt was the deputy finance director for the RNC throughout the 2024 election cycle. 

RNC officials told Fox News Digital that Gerndt has a reputation for "setting and meeting fundraising goals to help deliver for President Trump’s America First agenda." 

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Whatley also announced Zach Imel as RNC data director. Imel served as director of external data & voter contact for Team Trump during the 2024 campaign. Previously, Imel oversaw RNC data efforts during the 2022 and 2020 cycles. 

Whatley also brought on Brent Brooks to serve as digital director. Brooks, according to GOP officials, has played "a key role" in raising millions of dollars and developing "VotePro," which the RNC billed as a "crucial app that empowered millions of Republican voters to get involved, take action, cast their ballots, and win in 2024." 

As for RNC efforts across the nation, Whatley has tapped Tom Smithfield to serve as State Party Strategies Director. 

Smithfield served as State Party Strategies deputy director during the 2024 cycle and as deputy national field director in 2022. Smithfield also served as deputy state director for Trump Victory in Pennsylvania in 2020 and for the Pennsylvania GOP in 2018. 

Whatley told Fox News Digital that as Trump "delivers on his promises," Republicans plan to also "look to the future." 

"The RNC will play a pivotal role," Whatley said. "Our team will continue to grow the party, get out the vote, secure our elections and keep on winning."