Demonstrators flocked to the streets of major cities across the country on Wednesday, in protest of President Donald Trump’s aggressive agenda on topics like the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), immigration, tariffs, gender, labor and more.

Since his return to the Oval Office on Jan. 20, Trump has pressed forward with an agenda that puts America first at all costs, whether it is deporting dangerous criminals living in the U.S. illegally or offering buyouts to federal employees with an ultimatum to either return to the office or search for work.

But with what critics say is a harsh approach to leading the country, Trump has ruffled a few feathers, causing people to protest around the country.

The Associated Press reported that the protests were the result of a movement that has organized online under the hashtags #buildtheresistance and #50501, which stands for 50 protests, 50 states, one day. Websites and accounts across social media called for action with messages like, "reject fascism" and "defend our democracy."

LA FREEWAY BLOCKED BY ANTI-DEPORTATION PROTESTERS IN RESPONSE TO TRUMP'S CRACKDOWN ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION

In Austin, Texas, hundreds of protesters took to the streets after protesting on the steps of the state Capitol building.

As the protesters marched, they held signs that read, "Fight, our lives depend on it," "Impeach the b- - - -," and "Texas deserves better," while donning an LGBTQ+ flag and chanting, "Si Se Puede," or in English, "Yes we can."

Protesters also held signs objecting to any influence billionaire Elon Musk may have on the presidency.

BORDER CZAR TOM HOMAN SENDS MESSAGE TO FAR-LEFT OFFICIALS PUSHING BACK AGAINST MASS DEPORTATIONS: 'GAME ON'

About 80 miles south in San Antonio, Texas, hundreds of students from the city’s independent school district walked out in protest of U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and mass deportations.

Video posted to social media shows protesters holding signs that said, "This country was made by immigrants," and "The People United Will Defend Immigrant Families," and "The People will Defeat Trump’s Extreme-Right Agenda," while holding flags with Che Guevara, a Cuban revolutionary leader and Marxist who was born in Argentina and became a left-wing hero.

The scenes were similar around the country.

'DEPORTATION FLIGHTS HAVE BEGUN' AS TRUMP SENDS 'STRONG AND CLEAR MESSAGE,' WHITE HOUSE SAYS

In Los Angeles, students walked out of class and gathered in front of city hall to protest against ICE and for the rights of immigrants.

Protesters in Sacramento appeared in droves at the state capitol, shouting rhetoric against Trump and Musk.

And in Phoenix, people protested Trump’s agenda, particularly things like his stance on there only being two genders, as well as tariffs on Canada and Mexico.

TRUMP GOES TOE-TO-TOE WITH SANCTUARY CITIES OVER DEPORTATION AS ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN SET TO BEGIN

While protesters had their voices heard on similar topics at the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., another group protested at the U.S. Department of Labor.

Those at the Department of Labor were heard chanting, "Workers United, We’ll Never Be Divided," in protest of the Trump administration’s push to get federal workers back in the office.

Last week, the Trump administration gave nearly 2 million federal employees the option of taking a buyout and getting paid through Sept. 30, but the deadline to take the deal expires on Feb. 6.

Multiple labor unions have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration regarding the buyouts, mainly on the basis that the funds to continue to pay the employees should they take the offer have not been appropriated by Congress for that purpose.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Demonstrators in Arizona took to the streets to protest against President Donald Trump's mass deportation plan on Sunday, and police say officers were assaulted amid the demonstration.

Glendale Police confirmed to Fox News Digital that there was a large group of people who gathered in protest of federal immigration policies.

A police spokesperson said a police vehicle was stolen by one protester but no arrest has been made.

The demonstrator "jumped into one of our patrol vehicles and drove it a short distance before it was quickly recovered," the spokesperson said, adding that the suspect was unknown at that time.

LA FREEWAY BLOCKED BY ANTI-DEPORTATION PROTESTERS IN RESPONSE TO CRACKDOWN ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION

Traffic was still shut down in all directions in the area of the protest as of early Monday morning. Glendale and Phoenix Police were on the scene monitoring the situation, which Glendale Police said had begun "to fizzle out due to the excellent work conducted by Glendale and Phoenix Police Officers on scene."

Officers deployed chemical agents to disperse the "unruly and defiant crowd," the Glendale Police spokesperson said.

Several officers were assaulted, police vehicles were damaged and surrounding businesses and personal property were damaged, the spokesperson said.

Investigators will be looking into possible crimes at the protest and will work towards identifying suspects.

Anti-deportation protests were held over the weekend in multiple other cities across the country, including Los Angeles, Houston and Atlanta.

This comes amid the Trump administration's mass deportation efforts — with officials admitting that higher deportation numbers is the goal rather than the removal of violent migrants in the country illegally.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials were directed by Trump officials to aggressively increase the number of people they arrest from a few hundred per day to at least 1,200 to 1,500 because the president had been disappointed with the deportation numbers, The Washington Post reported last week.

The president also reversed a directive under the Biden administration that had told immigration officials not to make arrests in sensitive areas like schools and churches.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said last week that the administration is seeking the removal of all immigrants in the country illegally — not just those who committed criminal offenses — and falsely alleged that all migrants accused of being in the U.S. illegally are "criminals."

'DEPORTATION FLIGHTS HAVE BEGUN' AS TRUMP SENDS 'STRONG AND CLEAR MESSAGE,' WHITE HOUSE SAYS

"I know the last administration didn't see it that way, so it's a big culture shift in our nation to view someone who breaks our immigration laws as a criminal, but that's exactly what they are," she said at a press briefing, declining to say if all the migrants in the U.S. illegally had criminal records.

People who cross the border illegally have committed a crime, but simply being in the U.S. illegally is a civil violation, not a criminal one. Someone could be in the country illegally without breaking laws to enter, such as overstaying a Visa.

Trump said in his inauguration speech last month that his administration would quickly deport "millions and millions" of migrants with criminal records, although the number of migrants with criminal records who are in the country without authorization is significantly less than those millions, according to Axios.

Studies also show that both legal and illegal migrants commit crimes at lower rates than U.S. citizens.

Almost a dozen students have been suspended for a year from New York University (NYU) for demanding divestment from Israel as President Donald Trump's no-nonsense approach to higher education takes hold.

"I think the key thing, and it seems to be going on at NYU, is not that schools come down hard on particular students, is that they enforce the rules evenly," Cornell University professor William Jacobson told Fox News Digital. "The problem with the anti-Israel protesters on campuses is they don't want to obey the existing rules. They don't want to have to live by the rules that everybody else lives by. Whether it's disrupting the library, whether it's blocking the campus flow of pedestrians. 

"And as soon as you enforce the rules that everybody else needs to live by, they start playing victim," he said.

COLUMBIA STUDENTS CONFRONT ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTERS WHO STORMED CLASSROOM WITH ANTISEMITIC FLYERS

In a statement following the university's ruling to suspend the student protesters, NYU's Faculty for Justice in Palestine (FJP) argued that the group was participating in anti-war protests and acted nonviolently. On Dec. 11 and 12, a group of NYU students and faculty dropped flyers and hung pro-Palestinian banners throughout the Bobst Library, and others conducted a sit-in on the floor of the library.

"In a draconian case of collective punishment, NYU has issued blanket year-long suspensions to students who participated in nonviolent protest on campus on December 11, 2024," the group posted to its Instagram account. "As of today, at least eleven students have been suspended until January 2026."

"The sit-in was to demand a meeting with administration officials regarding disclosure of and divestment from institutional investments in Israel," the group said. "All students identified as participating in these actions were charged with similar violations of NYU’s code of student conduct."

In a statement to Fox News Digital, NYU spokesperson John Beckman said that the protests on Dec. 11 and 12 were "not peaceful."

"Rather, it was the intentional disruption of a library, over the course of two days, at a critical academic moment — on the eve of finals. This disruption was accompanied by threats of violence directed at senior members of the university community," he said.

STUDENTS WHO SAW CAMPUSES DEVOLVED INTO ANTI-ISRAEL CHAOS WITNESS FIRST-HAND SUCCESSES OF ABRAHAM ACCORDS

"The disciplinary hearings against NYU student participants that followed, and the resulting sanctions were a consequence of the students' disruptive conduct (not their speech): knowingly violating University and Library rules despite repeated warnings and attempts at de-escalation over several hours," he said.

"It is improper for a small group of people — some not even in our community — to try to prevent or interrupt other students from entering the library or using it to study for finals. Federal law prohibits universities from discussing individual students' disciplinary records, but the University takes these violations of our rules and scholarly norms seriously."

Jacobson said that he believes that the Trump administration will require universities to "insist that the rules be adhered to."

"And those rules mean you cannot create hostile environments for certain religious groups or certain ethnic groups. And what we've seen on many campuses is that, particularly pro-Israel students, Jewish students are being targeted by these groups. They create so-called Zionist-free zones on campus. Well, it's not your right to do that," he said.

"I'm hoping that the Trump administration's Department of Education, to a greater extent than the Biden administration's Department of Education, will look at these things and will treat these students according to the rules and not give them special privileges like they've been used to so far," he said.

More than 100 U.S. colleges and school districts remain under investigation over alleged antisemitism or Islamophobia following the Oct. 7, 2023 attack. Some settled with federal civil rights investigators in the weeks leading up to Trump's second term.

The civil rights violations fall under Title VI, which bars discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color and national origin at colleges and universities that receive federal funding.

Settlements with the Education Department’s civil rights branch have piled up in recent weeks with the University of Washington, the University of California, Johns Hopkins, Rutgers and the University of Cincinnati. Those follow other voluntary agreements signed by Brown and Temple universities, along with the University of Michigan.

JEWISH HIGH SCHOOLERS FIGHT HATE WITH COMMUNITY SUPPORT, FACE HARROWING PROSPECTS FOR COLLEGIATE FUTURE

The flurry of settlements with the Biden administration's Department of Education prompted outrage from those who believe that universities are getting "off the hook" for their behaviors.

Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Mich., chair of the House Education and Workforce Committee, said the settlements are "toothless" and fail to hold colleges accountable for permitting antisemitism. In a statement, he said the Trump administration should "examine these agreements and explore options to impose real consequences on schools."

Trump has harshly criticized institutions for allowing such protests, promising to halt unruly protests.

"Colleges will and must end the antisemitic propaganda, or they will lose their accreditation and federal support," Trump previously said at a campaign event in September, according to Reuters.

In May, Trump hinted at deporting unrelenting student protesters, telling The Washington Post: "As soon as they hear that, they’re going to behave."

On Wednesday, The New York Post reported that Trump was expected to sign an executive order instructing all federal agencies to identify civil and criminal authorities available to combat antisemitism. 

The order would require agency and department heads to provide the White House with recommendations within 60 days and outline plans for the Department of Justice to investigate pro-Hamas graffiti and intimidation, the Post reported.

The executive order also calls for universities to deport student protesters, who were involved in the widespread protests following the Oct. 7 attacks, who are in the U.S. on student visas.

In 2019, during his first term, Trump notably signed an executive order requiring federal agencies to "consider" the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism when investigating Title VI cases. 

According to the IHRA definition, certain criticisms of Israel, such as "claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor," are considered antisemitic.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the University of Washington, Rutgers, the University of Cincinnati, Brown University and the University of Maryland for comment.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump has pardoned pro-life protesters convicted under the FACE Act during former President Joe Biden’s administration. 

The activists were pardoned just ahead of the March for Life demonstration in Washington, D.C., on Friday.

When asked about the pardons, Trump told the press, "We released 23 people that were unjustly put in and having to do with pro-life. And, they will be released, and they'll be out very shortly. It was disgraceful what happened."

Here is the list of confirmed names:

1. Lauren Handy
2. Jonathan Darnel
3. Jay Smith
4. Paula Paulette Harlow
5. Jean Marshall
6. John Hinshaw
7. Heather Idoni
8. William Goodman
9. Joan Bell
10. Herb Geraghty
11. Chester Gallagher
12. Calvin Zastrow
13. Coleman Boyd
14. Paul Vaughn
15. Dennis Green
16. Eva Edl
17. Eva Zastrow
18. James Zastrow
19. Paul Place
20. Caroline Davis
21. Joel Curry
22. Justin Phillips
23. Bevelyn Beatty Williams
24. Christopher Moscinski

MARCH FOR LIFE RALLY UNFOLDING IN WASHINGTON, WITH VANCE TO MAKE FIRST PUBLIC APPEARANCE SINCE INAUGURATION

Vice President JD Vance is expected to address the annual pro-life march taking place in Washington, D.C., on Friday.

TRUMP PARDONS NEARLY ALL 1/6 DEFENDANTS

In addition to the pro-life protesters, Trump has issued pardons for some Jan. 6 defendants and Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht.

"No administration in history has targeted Christians like the Biden Admin. We saw one persecution after another, from shutting down churches during COVID to raiding pro-lifers homes at the crack of dawn. EVERY pro-life prisoner Biden wrongly imprisoned should be pardoned," Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., wrote in an X post on Thursday.

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, is introducing legislation that would dismantle the FACE Act. Many lawmakers have argued that Democratic administrations have weaponized it against pro-life groups and Christians.

As anti-Trump protesters swarmed the steps below the Lincoln Memorial Saturday, media outlets painted a feel-good portrait. NBC4 Washington declared on social media: "Grassroots groups are descending on the capital for the People’s March before President-elect Trump’s inauguration." The Associated Press reported that anti-Trump "demonstrators" "converge" on Washington, D.C., for protests led by the Women’s March, a "grassroots movement."

The Washington Post described the protests as a "joint effort among civil rights, racial and social justice and reproductive health organizations," highlighting the event’s "diverse mix of people."

While this positive media coverage may have captured the energy of ordinary protesters, they omitted one critical detail: the name of for-profit professional machine behind the protest.

THOUSANDS OF LEFT-WING DEMONSTRATORS DESCEND ON WASHINGTON TO PROTEST TRUMP INAUGURATION

Far from a spontaneous outpouring of civic action, the event was coordinated by Movement Catalyst LLC, a for-profit company based in Silver Spring, Md., and the official permit holder for the protests, according to a copy of the permit, which I obtained from the U.S. National Park Service. In the 1990s, covering international trade for the Wall Street Journal, I was among the first reporters to put the term "AstroTurf" into the paper’s pages, describing a coalition against tariffs on minivans that the auto industry called "grassroots" but was actually manufactured by an industry lobbying group. Protest organizing isn’t much different nowadays, and today’s "People’s March" is more AstroTurf than "grassroots." So too is the march planned for Monday, when we can expect more aggressive rabble-rousers to show up, as I reported earlier this week.

A plan, marked "Confidential Document - Not for Distribution" and submitted as part of the permit application, reveals that Movement Catalyst and its team of professional protest organizers coordinated everything from security to dumpster pickups, "port-a-potties" and a meticulously detailed "run of show," 

The confidential document reveals the extraordinary precision with which this event was constructed, down to the golf carts, water stations and even snack distribution for staff.

Why does this matter? Because the public deserves transparency. When media outlets frame such events as grassroots, led by ordinary Americans gathering to voice their concerns, it misrepresents the reality. These are highly coordinated, well-funded initiatives driven by professional organizers. The lack of scrutiny obscures the financial, strategic and political interests behind these movements. It’s critical to follow the money and understand the players using the imagery of grassroots activism to advance their agendas. Often, media outlets will look at conservative events, like the March for Life, with skepticism and scrutiny, while deeming progressive causes as "grassroots." We should have equal-opportunity transparency.

So, what is Movement Catalyst LLC? According to Washington, D.C., government records, it is a limited liability corporation established in February 2021. On its website, Movement Catalysts promotes its for-profit services, writing it’s an "experienced and interdisciplinary team of strategists, organizers, campaigners, and researchers" who launch "strategic projects to meet the moment," partnering with organizations to "expand their ability to have an impact, and anchor movement infrastructure." Its officials didn’t respond to a request for comment.

 The People’s March is one of those "strategic projects," and the company’s services include "strategy & campaign development" and "creative protests & events." A look at its funding reveals the scale of its operations. In 2021, Movement Catalyst LLC received $592,050 from the New York-based Sustainable Markets Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit for "web campaign development," according to its IRS Form 990 filing. Then, in 2023, Philadelphia-based Workers United, working on "organizing the unorganized collective bargaining," paid Movement Catalyst LLC a total of $319,600, according to its tax filing. The services provided? "CONSULTANT." This is far from a "grassroots," mom-and-pop operation run over a kitchen table.

The confidential document lists four top officials at Movement Catalyst, as "protest leads":

The document also includes a polished map for staff and volunteers, marked "FOR INTERNAL USE - STAFF & VOLUNTEERS," detailing traffic flow and staging areas at Franklin Park, McPherson Square and Farragut Square. The "Production Schedule for People’s March" reveals the granular level of planning: "Portable restrooms," "Golf carts," "Tents," "Stage," Tables," "Chairs," "Leaflets, pamphlets," "Signs, banners," "Bullhorns" and Movement Catalyst for "Paid Team Clean Up."

"Miscellaneous" items include walkie-talkies, "500 cardboard trash receptacles," "5000 masks," hand sanitizer, earbuds, "snacks for volunteers and staff," "coffee and catering for staff," sweatshirts, scarves, t-shirts, "office supplies" and "badges for staff."

Mortell Industries provided restroom trailers, "Metro Golf Car" delivered golf carts, and Bell Visuals managed live-streaming. The permit lists "Site Security" as "Omni Ranger Solutions." Bell Visuals, a D.C. company quietly behind many of protest messages projects around the nation’s capital, is listed among the vendors for live-streaming.

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The "PRODUCTION SCHEDULE" and "RUN OF SHOW/RALLY PROGRAM" was scripted with leaders and performers from many big-money organizations, including the Women’s March, Popular Democracy in Action, Standing Up for Racial Justice, Harriet’s Wildest Dreams and Dream Defenders. Movement Catalyst promised to provide at least 750 "identifiable marshals," each wearing "hi-visibility vests and volunteer credentials."

This level of professionalism is not new in modern protests, but rarely are the details disclosed so explicitly. The public has a right to know when well-financed organizations use the guise of grassroots activism to promote their interests. Transparency ensures accountability and enables a more informed discussion about the role of professional activism in shaping public discourse.

Behind the music, speeches and banners lies a highly coordinated operation, far removed from the grassroots imagery projected by the media. This matters because democracy thrives on truth, and understanding who pulls the strings is essential for an informed citizenry. Professional organizing is most certainly legal, but in this day of misinformation, it’s critical to examine who is driving movements cast as "grassroots," so the public isn’t misled.

Sunday morning's plans, from 4 a.m. until 5 a.m., includes a final essential: "Load out dumpsters and portable restrooms."

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Secretary of State Antony Blinken's final press conference shortly devolved into chaos Thursday after reporters had to be forcibly removed from the event, including one, an activist, who was physically carried out. 

The men were upset that a ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel had not been reached sooner, accusing Blinken of "genocide" and being a "criminal." 

Writer and activist Sam Husseini had to be dragged out of the event by security. Another reporter, Grayzone News' Max Blumenthal, left more peacefully, but still had to be escorted out after shouting questions at Blinken about why he kept "the bombs flowing when we had a deal in May?"

ISRAEL-HAMAS CEASE-FIRE, HOSTAGE RELEASE DEAL REACHED: 'Americans will be part of that'

"You pontificate about a free press?" Husseini erupted. "I'm asking questions after being told by Matt Miller that he will not answer my questions, and so I ask them. Wasn't – wasn’t the point of the May 31st statement to block the ICJ orders? You blocked the ICJ orders!"

Blumenthal questioned Blinken on why he allowed "the Holocaust of our time" as he was escorted out, but that didn't stop the uproar. Blinken kept trying to get back on course amid the interruption, at one point asking people to "respect the process," but Husseini refused. 

"Oh, respect the process?" Husseini yelled as he was being carried away. "Respect the process while everybody – everybody from the International – from Amnesty International to the ICJ’s saying that Israel’s doing genocide and extermination, and you’re telling me to respect the process. Criminal! Why aren’t you in The Hague?"

Three security guards ultimately had to grab Husseini in an attempt to remove him from the room. Husseini shouted as he clasped the table he was sitting at while he continued shouting at Blinken: "You are hurting me. You are hurting me!" 

The United States, Egypt, Qatar, Israel and Hamas agreed this week to a ceasefire deal – the basis of which was proposed by President Joe Biden in May. Israel still has to fully ratify the agreement, but it is a three-phase process that is expected to potentially commence as early as Sunday. The deal marks the first reprieve in fighting since a short truce took place in November 2023, but fighting resumed several days later with both sides arguing violations of the agreed upon deal.   

HAMAS USES BODIES AS ‘NEGOTIATION CHIPS,’ SAYS FATHER OF AMERICAN HOSTAGE IN GAZA

"Three hundred reporters in Gaza were on the receiving end of your bombs. Why did you keep the bombs flowing when we had a deal?" Blumenthal shouted at Blinken, after the Secretary of State thanked members for their "hard questions" during the past four years of his tenure. "You all knew we had a deal. Everyone in this room knows we had a deal, Tony, and you kept the bombs flowing."

HAMAS' GAZA DEATH TOLL QUESTIONED AS NEW REPORT SAYS ITS LED TO ‘WIDESPREAD INACCURACIES AND DISTORTION’

A spokesperson for the State Department told Fox News Digital that it is committed to advancing press freedom and values the opportunity to regularly communicate with members of the press. But, the agency spokesperson said the State Department also follows agency norms, which posit that anyone attending department press briefings must act in a professional manner, observe restrictions that may be laid out in advance and not impede other speakers.     

Blinken defended the Biden administration's policy approach to the fighting in Gaza during his final press conference as Secretary of State on Thursday. He did acknowledge that the war in Gaza posed a "uniquely challenging situation" due to the humanitarian issues Palestinians faced after Hamas launched their attack on Oct. 7, 2023. He also acknowledged that the U.S. had "real differences with Israel on the way it’s gone about the necessary defense of its people and its country."

But, according to President Joe Biden's National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan, the Biden administration does "not believe what is happening in Gaza is a genocide," he said earlier this year. 

The deal reached this week hit a quick snag when Hamas sought to push last-minute demands into the deal. Additionally, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has faced pressure from far-right politicians not to go through with the deal. Still, on Friday morning, Netanyahu said that, pending approval by Israel's security cabinet and government, the proposed ceasefire and hostage deal was still on and expected to commence Sunday.

Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, who was tapped to lead the Department of State under the second Trump administration, was repeatedly interrupted by protesters during his Senate hearing on Wednesday. 

One female protester was heard shouting at Rubio in Spanish, while at least two men, including one wearing pink, were seen being pulled out of the hearing by Capitol Police after shouting. 

"I get bilingual protesters," Rubio quipped after a protester yelled at him in Spanish, earning laughter from the crowd.

Ahead of the hearing kicking off on Wednesday morning, Fox News Digital spotted Code Pink protesters wearing bright pink with shirts reading, "hands of Iran," and "stop killing the children of Gaza." They also sported anti-Rubio stickers on their headbands and hats.

HEGSETH INTERRUPTED BY MULTIPLE PROTESTERS DURING SENATE CONFIRMATION HEARING

Protesters were warned by the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee ahead of the hearing kicking off to not disrupt proceedings, saying they will be removed from the hearing and would not be permitted to a public hearing for at least a year. 

TOP 5 MOMENTS FROM PETE HEGSETH'S SENATE CONFIRMATION HEARING

PROTESTS ERUPT IN CHRIS WRIGHT'S CONFIRMATION HEARING

"Distractions will include not only noise, not only standing up, not only holding up painted hands, painted signs. None of that will be allowed. If you do that, I'm going to pause the committee. I'm going to ask our friends, first of all, my, my faithful, Sergeant at Arms here -- who's, perhaps, tougher than the Capitol Police. But also the Capitol Police to assist. And, we will pause briefly … If you are removed, you'll not be permitted back into one of these public hearings for at least 12 months. And, that's the purpose of this is, as I've stated, and it's important work," Republican Idaho Sen. James Risch, chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said in opening remarks. 

A handful of President-elect Donald Trump's picks for his cabinet are facing Senate hearings this week ahead of his inauguration on Monday. 

Department of Energy Secretary nominee Chris Wright's confirmation hearing was also interrupted by protesters on Wednesday, who shouted if his policies would "put out the fires in LA."

Protesters also interrupted Pete Hegseth's Senate confirmation hearing on Tuesday, when he joined the Senate Armed Services Committee and he was grilled by lawmakers ahead of a committee vote and final confirmation vote on his nomination as secretary of Defense. 

JD VANCE SPELLS OUT WHAT TRUMP'S PROCESS TO 'RECTIFY' 'UNFAIR' JAN 6 PROSECUTIONS COULD LOOK LIKE

"Veterans are committing suicide and are homeless, but we send money to bomb children in Gaza," one female protester wearing fatigues shouted as she was escorted from the hearing, Fox News Digital video shows. 

An elderly man who was handcuffed with zipties was also seen being escorted out of the hearing. Another man, also appearing to wear fatigues, was seen being carried out by Capitol Police. 

Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., asked Hegseth about the protesters during his hearing, including regarding the war in Israel that has been ongoing since 2023. 

"Another protester, and I think this one was a member of Code Pink, which, by the way, is a Chinese communist front group these days, said that you support Israel's war in Gaza. I support Israel's existential war in Gaza. I assume, like me and President Trump, you support that war as well," Cotton said. 

"I support Israel destroying and killing every last member of Hamas," Hegseth responded. 

"Lone actors" pose the greatest threat to safety during the upcoming presidential inauguration events, according to U.S. Capitol Police Chief J. Thomas Manger. 

He referenced two incidents last week on Capitol Hill where people sought to "disrupt" congressional proceedings with potentially violent tactics. 

An estimated 250,000 ticketed guests will attend the formal inauguration on Jan. 20, according to law enforcement.

That will be supplemented by another 25,000, who law enforcement expect will attend various demonstrations going on around the Capitol on Inauguration Day. The inauguration and its accompanying events have been designated a "National Special Security Event," the highest federal protective status an event can receive, authorities said. 

"The biggest threat, I think, for all of us remains the lone actor," Manger said Monday. "Just in the past week, while President Carter was lying in state, we had two lone actors show up at the Capitol: one trying to bring in knives and a machete; another one who was trying – what I believe – to disrupt the proceedings by setting their car on fire down in the peace circle area." 

"Capitol Police were able to interdict these folks before they had a chance to do any harm. But that threat of the lone actor remains the biggest justification for us being at this heightened state of alert throughout the next week." 

TRAVEL TIPS FOR ATTENDING PRESIDENT-ELECT TRUMP'S INAUGURATION AS EXPERTS WEIGH IN

Manger's remarks came during a Monday press conference with federal and local law enforcement officials, including leaders from the Metropolitan Police Department, the Secret Service, the FBI and the U.S. Capitol Police, during which they discussed their preparation for the inauguration. 

Representing the FBI was the assistant director in charge of the agency's Washington field office, David Sundberg, who said the FBI was "not currently tracking any specific or credible threats to the inaugural ceremony or to the Capitol complex."

The upcoming week of events will be secured similarly to the two high-profile National Special Security Events from last week, the presidential election certification and the late President Jimmy Carter's funeral, authorities indicated. However, the inauguration will get a little extra support from roughly 4,000 local law enforcement officers who have volunteered to help and an estimated 7,800 National Guard soldiers who will deploy to the nation's capital. In total, according to the Secret Service's special agent in charge of the agency's Washington field office, Matt McCool, a total of about 25,000 law enforcement officers will be on duty.

ABBOTT ORDERS FLAGS AT FULL-STAFF FOR TRUMP'S INAUGURATION DESPITE ONE MONTH ORDER TO HONOR CARTER

The inauguration will get extra concrete barriers and more than 30 miles of anti-scale fencing, which is more than has been used for any National Special Security Event in the past. 

Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela A. Smith said that the district is expecting to see 12 different First Amendment demonstrations during the inauguration. Smith said that while the "MPD will ensure your right to peacefully protest," they "will not tolerate any violence."  

"I want to reiterate – as I always have – that violence, destruction and unlawful behavior will not be tolerated," Smith said Monday. "Offenders will face swift and decisive consequences."

When asked by a reporter what the biggest difference was between this inauguration and the last in 2021, McCool said there is a "slightly more robust security plan."

"We've learned," McCool said. "This is our fifth NSSE this year in the Washington field office. We've done 83 NSSEs, each one we take a look at, and if there's areas where we need to improve, we do it. But what I can tell you is that we are 100% confident in the plan that we have put in place for this inauguration that the public and our protectees will be safe." 

President-elect Trump blasted special counsel Jack Smith as a "disgrace" to himself and the country following Smith's resignation from the Justice Department.

Smith's resignation was announced in a court filing Saturday.

"The Special Counsel completed his work and submitted his final confidential report on January 7, 2025, and separated from the Department on January 10," a footnote in the filing said.

Trump took to his social media platform Truth Social on Sunday to criticize Smith for his investigations into the incoming president.

SPECIAL COUNSEL JACK SMITH RESIGNS AFTER 2-YEAR STINT AT DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

"Deranged Jack Smith was fired today by the DOJ. He is a disgrace to himself, his family, and his Country. After spending over $100,000,000 on the Witch Hunt against TRUMP, he left town empty handed!" Trump wrote.

Smith was appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland in November 2022 to investigate Trump's role in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot and his mishandling of classified documents.

Smith previously served as acting U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee in 2017 during Trump's first administration.

The resignation comes ahead of the release of Smith's report on the case related to Trump's role in the attack on the Capitol. A recent court filing revealed that Garland plans to release the report soon, possibly before Trump takes office next week.

"As I have made clear regarding every Special Counsel who has served since I took office, I am committed to making as much of the Special Counsel's report public as possible, consistent with legal requirements and Department policy," Garland wrote in a recent letter to House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and ranking member Jamie Raskin, D-Md.

A judge from a federal appeals court ruled on Friday against blocking the release of Smith's report.

After Trump's presidential election victory in November, Smith filed motions to bring his cases against the president-elect to a close.

Smith asked a judge in late November to drop the charges against Trump in the case related to the Capitol riot. Prior to that request, Smith filed a motion to vacate all deadlines in that case, which was anticipated after Trump's electoral win.

TRUMP PRESSES GOP TO SWIFTLY SEND ‘ONE POWERFUL BILL’ FOR HIS SIGNATURE ASAP

Trump said after the cases were dropped that they "should never have been brought."

"These cases, like all of the other cases I have been forced to go through, are empty and lawless, and should never have been brought," Trump said in a post on Truth Social. "It was a political hijacking, and a low point in the History of our Country that such a thing could have happened, and yet, I persevered, against all odds, and WON. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!"

Fox News' Andrea Margolis contributed to this report.