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." 

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. 

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."

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. 

Americans are giving a big thumbs up to some of the early actions taken by President Donald Trump during the opening weeks of his second administration.

However, a new national poll also indicates that the public also gives a thumbs down to other moves made by Trump during his avalanche of action since returning to the White House on Jan. 20.

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, the most popular action sampled is Trump's executive order mandating the federal government recognize only two sexes - male and female.

TRUMP HITS WARP SPEED HIS FIRST WEEK BACK IN OFFICE

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

The gender order, signed by Trump hours after his inauguration, states that it will "defend women’s rights and protect freedom of conscience by using clear and accurate language and policies that recognize women are biologically female, and men are biologically male."

The order required that the federal government, going forward, use the term "sex" rather than "gender" and mandated that "government-issued identification documents, including passports, visas, and Global Entry cards, accurately reflect the holder’s sex."

TRUMP UNPLUGGED: WHAT THE NEW PRESIDENT IS DOING THAT BIDEN RARELY DID

It reversed a 2022 move by former President Joe Biden's administration to allow U.S. citizens to be able to select the gender-neutral "X" on their passports.

During his successful 2024 campaign to win back the White House, Trump repeatedly pledged to roll back protections for transgender and nonbinary people. His campaign spotlighted an ad which ran in key battleground states that claimed former Vice President Kamala Harris "is for they/them. President Trump is for you."

The poll indicates a large partisan divide, with 94% of Republicans and two-thirds of independents but just 27% of Democrats supporting the executive order.

Another popular move, according to the poll: 6 in 10 said they favor expanding oil and gas production.

Some of Trump's numerous actions on immigration and border security also grabbed a thumbs up.

Sixty percent said they support deporting immigrants who entered the U.S. illegally, and 59% favored declaring a national emergency at the nation's southern border with Mexico due to migrant crossings.

However, the survey also found that 57% opposed deporting immigrants who have resided in the United States illegally for a number of years, but who have jobs and no criminal record.

HEAD HERE FOR FOX NEWS UPDATES ON PRESIDENT TRUMP'S FIRST 100 DAYS IN THE WHITE HOUSE

Also getting a big thumbs down - Trump's Day One pardon or commuting the sentences of nearly all the Trump supporters who attacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 to upend congressional certification of Biden's 2020 Electoral College victory over Trump. Sixty-five percent opposed the move by the president.

An equal number of respondents also do not support Trump's repeated declarations that the U.S. will take back the Panama Canal.

Additionally, Trump's renaming of the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America is opposed by 71% of adults nationwide, according to the poll.

Fifty-seven percent of Republicans support the renaming, but backing drops to just 16% among independents and 4% among Democrats.

The Marquette Law School Poll, which was conducted Jan. 27-Feb. 5, indicates Trump starts his second term with a 48% approval rating and a 52% disapproval rating.

"In the new poll, as in the past, approval is closely related to partisanship, with 89% of Republicans approving of Trump, a view shared by 37% of independents and 9% of Democrats," the poll's release noted, as it spotlighted the massive partisan divide.

Fox News' Mary Schlageter contributed to this report

The White House has fired the inspector general of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Fox News has learned.

USAID Inspector General Paul Martin was fired Tuesday, though rather than coming from USAID acting administrator and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the firing reportedly came from the White House Office of Presidential Personnel.

The dismissal comes days after the USAID inspector general published a report that was critical of the Trump administration’s pause on aid.

It also comes a day after USAID warned that the Trump administration’s dismantling of USAID had made it all but impossible to monitor $8.2 billion in humanitarian funds.

DESIGNATED TERRORISTS, EXTREMIST GROUPS RAKED IN MILLIONS FROM USAID, MULTIYEAR STUDY REVEALS

USAID is under fire from the Trump administration as the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and its chair, Elon Musk, investigate the agency’s spending practices and prepare to revamp and potentially shutter the agency. 

The agency announced on its website Feb. 4, that nearly all personnel would be placed on leave by Friday, making a few exceptions for those in roles related to "mission-critical functions, core leadership and specially designated programs." 

Its overseas missions reportedly had also been told to shut down.

USAID EMPLOYEE SAYS STAFFERS HID PRIDE FLAGS, 'INCRIMINATING' BOOKS WHEN DOGE ARRIVED

Lawmakers, news outlets and think tanks have dug into past reports related to USAID spending amid the apparent dismantling of the agency, finding countless examples of money channeled to questionable organizations or programs, such as creating a version of "Sesame Street" in Iraq, or funding pottery classes in Morocco.

This week, it was discovered that USAID provided millions of dollars in funding to extremist groups tied to designated terrorist organizations and their allies, according to a report published by Middle East Forum, a U.S. think tank.

USAID was established in 1961 under the Kennedy administration, operating as an independent agency that works closely with the State Department to allocate civilian foreign aid. 

Under Rubio, the agency could be abolished after its reorganization over the coming days, he said in a letter to bipartisan lawmakers on Feb. 3.

Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump welcomed Jordan's King Abdullah II at the White House on Tuesday, a visit that comes amid contentious discussions between the U.S. and Arab nations about relocating Palestinian refugees to Jordan and other neighboring Arab countries to rebuild Gaza. 

Trump unveiled plans on Feb. 4 that the U.S. would seek to "take over" the Gaza Strip in a "long-term ownership position" to deliver stability to the region during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. 

However, Trump’s proposal prompted swift backlash from Arab countries, including Jordan, and Egypt announced plans on Sunday for an emergency Arab Summit to discuss "new and dangerous developments" regarding the resettling of Palestinians on Feb. 27. 

At the White House Tuesday, Trump said that the U.S. isn't interested in purchasing Gaza and promised to deliver peace to the region instead. 

"We're not going to buy anything. We're going to have it and we're going to keep it, and we're going to make sure that there's going to be peace, and there's not going to be any problem, and nobody's going to question it," Trump told reporters at the White House. "And we're going to run it very properly. And eventually we'll have, economic development at a very large scale, maybe the largest scale on that side."

When asked how he felt about Trump's plans for the future of Gaza, Abdullah remained tight-lipped and said he would wait for the Egyptians to take the lead on a proposal moving forward as they negotiate with the U.S. 

"I think let's wait until the Egyptians can come and present it to the president and not get ahead of us," Abdullah said. 

Abdullah did reveal plans to accept 2,000 sick Palestinian children to Jordan. 

"I think one of the things that we can do right away is take 2,000 children that are either cancer children or in a very ill state, to Jordan as quickly as possible," Abdullah said. "And then wait for … the Egyptians to present their plan on how we can work with the president to work on the cause of challenges."

Abdullah later shared in a social media post on X that he "reiterated" Jordan's stance opposing the displacement of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, claiming this was a "unified Arab position." 

"Rebuilding Gaza without displacing the Palestinians and addressing the dire humanitarian situation should be the priority for all," Abdullah said on X. 

Trump doubled down on his plans to "take over" Gaza in an interview that aired Monday with Fox News chief political anchor Bret Baier and said that he expects Abdullah ultimately will choose to let in Palestinians. 

"I do think he’ll take, and I think other countries will take also," Trump told Baier. "They have good hearts."

TRUMP NOT COMMITTING TO PUTTING US TROOPS ON THE GROUND IN GAZA, WHITE HOUSE SAYS

However, Trump also issued a warning that withholding aid to Jordan could happen should Jordan refuse to take in Palestinian refugees. The U.S. distributed nearly $1.7 billion in foreign aid to Jordan in fiscal year 2023, according to the State Department. 

"Yeah, maybe, sure why not," Trump said when asked. "If they don’t, I would conceivably withhold aid, yes."

Trump welcomed Netanyahu to the White House on Feb. 4 and disclosed his plans to turn Gaza into the "Riviera of the Middle East."

"We'll own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous, unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site," Trump told reporters. 

"Level the site and get rid of the destroyed buildings, level it out, create an economic development that will supply unlimited numbers of jobs and housing for the people of the area," Trump said. "Do a real job. Do something different. Just can't go back. If you go back, it's going to end up the same way it has for 100 years."

He also said "all" Palestinians would be removed from Gaza under his plan, although White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the next day their removal would be "temporary" during the rebuilding process. 

Even so, Trump told Fox News on Monday that Palestinians would not return to Gaza under his plan. 

TRUMP SAYS US WILL ‘TAKE OVER’ GAZA STRIP, REBUILD IT TO STABLIZE MIDDLE EAST

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill shared mixed reactions to the plan. 

"I’m speechless, that’s insane," Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., told Jewish Insider on Feb. 4. 

However, Sen. Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., did not appear fazed by the remarks. 

"I think he wants to bring a more peaceful, secure Middle East and put some ideas out there," Thune told reporters on Wednesday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

President Donald Trump has nominated a Virginia state official to lead the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in his new administration.

In a Truth Social post on Tuesday, Trump wrote that he nominated Terry Cole to become the next administrator of the DEA. Cole is currently the secretary of public safety and homeland security for the Commonwealth of Virginia.

According to the Virginia government's website, Cole was previously the chief of staff and executive officer at the DEA's Department of Justice Special Operations Division, and also served as the DEA's representative to the National Security Council. The website also notes that Cole worked for the DEA for 22 years, though Trump wrote that he was employed by the DEA for 21 years.

In a social media post, Trump said that he was "pleased" to announce Cole, who will need to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate, as his nominee.

NOEM, HEGSETH, BONDI PLEAD WITH CONGRESS FOR MORE BORDER FUNDING AMID LARGE-SCALE DEPORTATIONS

"Terry is a DEA Veteran of 21 years, with tours in Colombia, Afghanistan, and Mexico City, who currently serves as Virginia’s Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security, leading 11 State Public Safety Agencies, with more than 19,000 employees," Trump's post read.

Trump also added that Cole holds a degree from the Rochester Institute of Technology, as well as certificates from the University of Virginia and the University of Notre Dame.

"Together, we will save lives, and MAKE AMERICA SAFE AGAIN. Congratulations Terry!" the president's post concluded.

TRUMP NOMINEE TULSI GABBARD CLEARS LAST HURDLE, HEADS FOR FINAL CONFIRMATION VOTE

Trump originally named Florida sheriff Chad Chronister as his first pick to lead the DEA, but Chronister, who serves as the sheriff of Hillsborough County, later withdrew his name from consideration in December.

"To have been nominated by President-Elect @realDonaldTrump to serve as Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration is the honor of a lifetime," Chronister wrote in a post on X at the time.

"Over the past several days, as the gravity of this very important responsibility set in, I’ve concluded that I must respectfully withdraw from consideration. There is more work to be done for the citizens of Hillsborough County and a lot of initiatives I am committed to fulfilling."

The DEA is expected to work with the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to fulfill Trump's campaign promises of restoring safety at the Southern border. At the end of January, federal agents conducted nationwide roundups of more than 1,200 illegal immigrants accused of committing crimes in the U.S.

Fox News Digital's Stepheny Price contributed to this report.

The White House will not release visitor logs during President Donald Trump's second term, Fox News has confirmed.

The move mirrors the policy of his first administration, a White House official told the Washington Examiner.

Trump's first administration made the announcement of keeping White House visitors secret in April 2017, according to the Washington Post.

"After four years of the Biden administration’s empty promises, lies, and secrets, President Trump is giving the people and the press a level of access and transparency never seen before," White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers told the media outlet. 

HOUSE DEMS ORGANIZE RAPID RESPONSE TASK FORCE AND LITIGATION GROUP TO COMBAT TRUMP AGENDA

Releasing visitor logs is not a requirement since they are protected by the Presidential Records Act, which shields the records from public release until five years after a president leaves office, the Examiner said.

President Joe Biden consistently released visitor records at the beginning of each month throughout his term. 

At the beginning of Biden’s presidency, media outlets praised the Biden administration for resuming the release of visitor logs after the Trump administration stopped the practice during his term. The New York Times spoke highly of the practice as "part of an effort to restore transparency to government." 

TRUMP'S HOUSE ALLIES UNVEIL BILL 'HAND IN HAND' WITH DOGE CRACKDOWN

However, a Bloomberg review of logs from his first two years of office revealed disclosure gaps. 

Back in November, the White House had still not released its visitor logs for July, the month Bide gave up his re-election bid, leaving questions about who was seeing and advising the president before he made the historic decision to drop out. 

Former President Barack Obama was the first president to disclose visitor logs, the Examiner reported. 

Fox News Digitals' Peter Pinedo contributed to this report. 

There’s an old saying that if you watch the pennies and nickels, then the dollars take care of themselves. President Donald Trump is taking that dictum to heart, ordering Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to halt minting pennies because the government actually loses money on the coins.

Normally, printing currency and minting coins costs less than the face value of the money being created. For example, the federal government pays less than $100 for the paper and ink to print a $100 bill. That used to be true for pennies too, because the amount of copper used to mint a penny cost less than one cent.

But decades of deficit-fueled inflation devalued America’s currency, so much so that it now costs more than a penny to create one. To preserve its seigniorage (the value gained by turning materials like paper or metal into money), the Treasury began minting pennies out of cheaper metals and using a mere wash of copper on the outside.

TRUMP SAYS HE HAS INSTRUCTED US TREASURY TO STOP MINTING NEW PENNIES: 'THIS IS SO WASTEFUL!'

But the continued devaluation of the dollar, which accelerated greatly under President Joe Biden, sent commodity prices soaring so that even zinc is too costly to make a penny. Put simply, the government is losing money with every one of these coins that it mints, and that means it’s costing taxpayers too.

Trump is so determined to restore sanity to federal finances that he is leaving no stone unturned when it comes to looking for ways to cut costs in the government’s bloated budget. Americans like Trump, Bessent, and Elon Musk understand the rationale of the above-mentioned aphorism about paying attention to the little details—and that’s the only way to eventually fix the multi-trillion-dollar annual deficit.

This is yet another example of Trump and his team having to clean up the mess left by the Biden administration’s failures. Under Biden, the currency lost approximately one-fifth of its value as prices skyrocketed over 20 percent in just four years, while runaway federal spending became the norm, the debt exploded to over $36 trillion, and annual interest on that debt exceeded $1 trillion.

MUSK'S NEXT TARGET? TRUMP SAYS DOGE WILL LOOK AT DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, PENTAGON FUNDING 

In short, Biden left both the government’s and American families’ finances in tatters. The only way out of this economic malaise is to stop the spending out of Washington, D.C. And that starts by returning to common sense—like the cessation of minting coins that lose money for the government and taxpayers.

While some may be sentimental about Lincoln’s image on our nation’s smallest coin, Honest Abe would likely make the same decision as Trump. The self-effacing 16th president faced difficult currency questions himself when trying to finance the Civil War and would certainly rather preserve America’s solvency than perpetual his visage on increasingly scarce financial transactions in the digital age.

Additionally, no one should worry about running out of pennies. In fact, there’s no reason why today’s transactions can’t be conducted to the nearest 10th of a dollar instead of the nearest 100th, meaning a single decimal place instead of two.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINION

In fact, doing so would simply recreate the same level of exactness in prices that existed in 1913, before the Federal Reserve began a near continuous campaign of devaluing the nation’s currency, a cumulative drop of over 90 percent.

Cutting the penny is part of the broader war to cut government spending, and it needs to be viewed in that context. Trump, Bessent, and Musk understand the perilous condition of federal finance led by the Biden administration and the omnipresent nature of abuse, fraud, and waste within the federal budget.

This is why the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is so vital in returning America to fiscal sanity. They’re going through everything with a fine-tooth comb and ensuring taxpayer dollars are being used appropriately.

We are truly in bad shape financially, and no government spending can be exempt from close examination—down to the penny.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM E.J. ANTONI

The name change from the "Gulf of Mexico" to the "Gulf of America" began rolling out across the U.S. on Monday, just a month after President Donald Trump announced his intention to Americanize the name.

On Monday, the FAA sent out a charting notice confirming that its systems were in the process of updating the name, in addition to updating the newly-named Mount McKinley in Alaska, formerly known as Denali.

"Please be advised that the FAA is in the process of updating our data and charts to show a name change from the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America and a name change from Denali to Mount McKinley. This will be targeted for the next publication cycle," the notice read.

"This Charting Notice implements President Trump's direction in Executive Order 14172, ‘Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness,’ that the names be changed."

TRUMP ANNOUNCES $20 BILLION IN NEW DATA CENTERS IN POST-CERTIFICATION ADDRESS

On Jan. 7, Trump announced that the Gulf of Mexico would be given a new name, and signed an executive order finalizing the decision weeks later.

"We're going to be changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, which has a beautiful ring. That covers a lot of territory," Trump said on Tuesday. "The Gulf of America. What a beautiful name. And it's appropriate."

The decision was received well by social media users on Monday, who began noticing Google Maps implementing the changes.

"Google Maps FINALLY recognizes the Gulf of America!" one X user wrote. "Isn't it beautiful?"

"I hate google, but tbh, mine says Gulf of America zoomed all the way out," another said. "And boy is it glorious."

TRUMP ANNOUNCES $20 BILLION IN NEW DATA CENTERS IN POST-CERTIFICATION ADDRESS

"Google Maps bows to Trump," a different commentator wrote.

The changes also come after Trump signed a proclamation on Sunday that declared Feb. 9 as "Gulf of America Day."

Trump was flying over the body of water on his way to Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans when he signed the presidential order.

"Air Force One is currently in international waters, the first time in history flying over the recently renamed Gulf of America," the White House wrote in an X post.

In the proclamation, Trump wrote that he took the action "in part because, as stated in that Order, ‘[t]he area formerly known as the Gulf of Mexico has long been an integral asset to our once burgeoning Nation and has remained an indelible part of America.’"

Google previously confirmed that it intended on updating the gulf's name in accordance with local authorities.

"We’ve received a few questions about naming within Google Maps," Google said in an X post. "We have a longstanding practice of applying name changes when they have been updated in official government sources…everyone in the rest of the world sees both names. That applies here too." 

Fox News Digital's Stepheny Price and Brooke Singman contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump unveiled plans Sunday to halt production of the penny — but getting that initiative underway requires a few additional steps and possibly congressional approval. 

Additionally, while Trump said he instructed the Treasury Department to stop minting them due to their high costs, supporters of the penny claim it’s wiser to evaluate changes to the nickel instead. 

"For far too long, the United States has minted pennies which literally cost us more than 2 cents," Trump wrote on Truth Social on Sunday. "This is so wasteful! I have instructed my Secretary of the US Treasury to stop producing new pennies."

MUSK'S NEXT TARGET? TRUMP SAYS DOGE WILL LOOK AT DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, PENTAGON FUNDING 

In fact, producing pennies is even more expensive than Trump’s numbers. According to a 2024 U.S. Mint report, it costs nearly 3.69 cents to mint a single penny. The coins are primarily made of zinc and then covered in copper. 

Trump’s statement comes after Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, who is heading up the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), posted on X in January how expensive minting pennies is. 

DOGE is tasked with identifying ways to eliminate waste, and has so prompted changes, including gutting the $40 billion U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which provides aid to impoverished countries and development assistance.

Still, proponents of the penny exist. Americans for Common Cents, an organization that provides Congress and the White House with research on the value of the penny, claimed that efforts are better targeted at reducing the cost of the production for the nickel. 

Nickels, worth five cents, cost approximately 13.8 cents to mint, according to the 2024 U.S. Mint report. 

"The logical and fiscally responsible solution is not to eliminate the penny but to focus on producing a cheaper nickel," Americans for Common Cents Executive Director Mark Weller said in a Jan. 23 statement. "This approach would address the real driver of losses while preserving the functionality of small denominations in everyday transactions." 

While the waters are a little murky on the next steps, experts say Congress likely would need to become involved and pass legislation to fulfill Trump’s wishes. And, historically, previous attempts in Congress to eliminate the coin have failed. 

USAID STAFFERS STUNNED, ANGERED BY TRUMP ADMIN'S DOGE SHUTDOWN OF $40B AGENCY

"The process of discontinuing the penny in the U.S. is a little unclear. It would likely require an act of Congress, but the Secretary of the Treasury might be able to simply stop the minting of new pennies," Robert Triest, an economics professor at Northeastern University, told the Northeastern Global News.

Even so, there is bipartisan interest on Capitol Hill to modify minting pennies. In 2023, Sens. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, and Maggie Hasson, D-N.H., reintroduced legislation to alter the composition of the penny to cut down on costs. 

"It’s absolute non-cents that American taxpayers spend ten cents to make just one nickel. Only Washington could lose money making money," Ernst said in a statement in April 2023. "This commonsense, bipartisan effort will modify the composition of certain coins to reduce costs while allowing for a seamless transition into circulation. A penny saved is a penny not borrowed."

Even so, a composition change will unlikely yield cheaper results. The 2024 Mint Report said that options for different metal compositions aren’t available to reduce production costs down to face value. 

There’s still some precedent for change though, and Congress has acted previously to discontinue minting new coins. The legislative branch authorized discontinuing new half-cent coins in 1857. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

President Donald Trump said if Hamas does not return all hostages by noon on Saturday, he will call for the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip to be canceled and "let all hell break out." 

Trump made the comments after signing executive orders in the Oval Office Monday evening. 

When asked if he felt the ceasefire deal should be canceled, the president said that is "Israel’s decision." 

"If all the Gaza hostages aren't returned by Saturday at 12 p.m., I would say cancel the ceasefire," Trump said in the Oval Office. "Let all hell break out; Israel can override it." 

HAMAS SAYS IT'S DELAYING NEXT HOSTAGE RELEASE, CLAIMING CEASEFIRE VIOLATIONS

Trump stressed that Hamas needs to release "all of them—not in drips and drabs." 

"Saturday at 12pm and after that, I would say, all hell is going to break out," Trump said.  

A Hamas spokesperson said Monday that the terrorist group will delay the next planned release of hostages in the Gaza Strip after accusing Israel of violating the ceasefire agreement.

PARENTS OF AMERICAN MURDERED BY HAMAS MAKE 'PLEA' TO TRUMP AFTER LATEST HOSTAGE RELEASE 

"Over the past three weeks, the resistance leadership has monitored the enemy's violations and failure to fulfill its obligations under the agreement; including the delay in allowing the return of the displaced to the northern Gaza Strip, targeting them with direct shelling and gunfire in various areas across Gaza, and denying relief supplies of all kinds to enter as agreed, while the resistance has implemented all its obligations," Abu Obeida, the spokesperson for Hamas’ military wing, said. 

"Therefore, the release of the Zionist prisoners next Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025, will be postponed until further notice, and until the occupation commits to and provides compensation for the entitlements of the past weeks retroactively," he said. "We reaffirm our commitment to the terms of the agreement, as long as the occupation remains committed to them."

Israel and Hamas are in the midst of a six-week ceasefire, during which Hamas has committed to releasing 33 hostages captured in its Oct. 7, 2023 attack in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.

The sides have carried out five swaps since the ceasefire went into effect last month, freeing 21 hostages and more than 730 Palestinian prisoners. The next exchange, scheduled for next Saturday, calls for three more Israeli hostages to be freed in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.

"Hamas’ announcement to stop the release of Israeli hostages is a blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement and the hostage release deal," Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Monday. "I have instructed the [Israeli Defense Forces] IDF to maintain the highest level of readiness for any possible scenario in Gaza and to fortify the defense of Israeli communities. We will not allow a return to the reality of Oct. 7."

Hamas released three gaunt, frail-looking Israeli hostages – civilians Eli Sharabi, 52; Or Levy, 34, and Ohad Ben Ami, 56 – on Saturday after forcing them to speak at a handover ceremony. Israel in turn freed 183 Palestinian prisoners that day. 

On Sunday, Trump commented on the conditions of the released Israeli hostages, saying they "looked like Holocaust survivors" and "like they haven’t had a meal in a month."

"I don’t know how much longer we can take that," Trump said, referring to the treatment of the hostages, adding, "You know, at some point, we’re gonna lose our patience."

Fox News' Danielle Wallace, Yonat Friling and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The Trump administration is appealing a federal judge's order to unfreeze federal funding in the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. 

The motion comes hours after a federal judge from Rhode Island ordered President Donald Trump's administration to unfreeze federal funds once again, claiming the administration did not adhere to his previous order to do so. 

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. But the states said Friday that the administration isn’t following through and funds are still tied up.  

"Each executive order will hold up in court because every action of the Trump-Vance administration is completely lawful," Harrison Fields, a White House spokesperson, said in a statement to Fox News. "Any legal challenge against it is nothing more than an attempt to undermine the will of the American people.

The Office of Management and Budget released a memo Jan. 27 announcing plans to issue a temporary pause on federal grants and loans. While the White House later rescinded the memo on Jan. 29, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that the move didn’t equate a "recission of the federal funding freeze." 

Specifically, McConnell’s motion calls for the Trump administration to restore withheld funds appropriated in the Infrastructure Improvement and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act that passed during the Biden administration in 2021 and 2022, respectively. The motion also calls on the Trump administration to restore funding for institutes like the National Institutes of Health. 

‘CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS’: THE IMPOUNDMENT ACT TAKES CENTER STAGE AFTER RUSSEL VOUGHT'S CONFIRMATION 

The motion filed Monday asserts that states have provided evidence that there are still instances where the federal government has "improperly" frozen funds and failed to distribute appropriated federal funds. 

While the motion says the Trump administration claims these actions were done to "root out" fraud, McConnell said that the "freezes in effect now were a result of the broad categorical order, not a specific finding of possible fraud."

"The broad categorical and sweeping freeze of federal funds is, as the Court found, likely unconstitutional and has caused and continues to cause irreparable harm to a vast portion of this country," the judge wrote on Monday. 

LEAVITT PUSHES BACK ON MEDIA'S ‘UNCERTAINTY’ ABOUT FEDERAL FUNDING FREEZE

McConnell said in his original order that evidence suggested the White House's rescission of the OMB memo may have been done in "name-only" in order to "defeat the jurisdiction of the court." 

As a result, McConnell said Monday that the Trump administration must "immediately restore frozen funding" until the court hears and decides the preliminary injunction request. 

Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha praised McConnell’s ruling and said the order "confirmed what we have been saying from the beginning."

"It is now time for the Administration to come into full compliance," Neronha said in a statement Monday. "This is a country of laws. We expect the Administration to follow the law. Our Office and attorneys general across the country stand ready to keep careful watch on the actions of this Administration that follow, and we will not hesitate to go back to Court if they don’t comply."

Fox News' Jacqui Heinrich contributed to this report. 

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday ending the "procurement and forced use of paper straws."

The order directs the federal government to stop purchasing paper straws and ensure they are no longer offered in federal buildings, according to a White House fact sheet.

It also requires the development of a "National Strategy" to end the use of paper straws within 45 days and "alleviate the forced use of paper straws nationwide."

'BACK TO PLASTIC!': TRUMP VOWS EXECUTIVE ORDER ENDING 'RIDICULOUS' PUSH FOR PAPER STRAWS

The White House said paper straws are more expensive than plastic straws and use chemicals that may carry risks to human health.

"The irrational campaign against plastic straws has forced Americans to use nonfunctional paper straws," the fact sheet reads, adding: "This ends under President Trump."

The order comes after Trump vowed last week to end bans and restrictions on plastic straws.

"I will be signing an Executive Order next week ending the ridiculous Biden push for Paper Straws, which don't work," Trump said Friday on Truth Social. "BACK TO PLASTIC!"

Several Democrat-run states, including California, Colorado, New York, Maine, Oregon, Vermont, Rhode Island and Washington, have bans or restrictions on single-use plastic straws.

Some of those states currently have laws limiting the use of single-use plastic straws in full-service restaurants unless requested by the customer.

FEDERAL AGENCIES SCRUB CLIMATE CHANGE FROM WEBSITES AMID TRUMP REBRANDING

Democrat-led states have also adopted the use of paper straws as a more environment-friendly alternative, which Trump has criticized for years. He said in a 2019 social media post that "liberal paper straws don't work."

This comes after former President Joe Biden's administration announced plans in July to phase out single-use plastic in the federal government.

Fox News' Aubrie Spady contributed to this report.

FIRST ON FOX: The White House is launching a Rumble account as its presence on social media grows larger, Fox News Digital exclusively learned. 

A White House official told Fox Digital that it will launch a Rumble account on Monday morning similar to its YouTube account as part of President Donald Trump’s plan "to reach the American people where they are and provide unparalleled transparency and accountability in government." 

Rumble is a video platform founded in 2013 as an alternative to YouTube, which has a long track record of accusations surrounding censoring and limiting conservative content.

"We thank President Trump and his entire team for their commitment to free speech and transparency, and we are extremely proud that Rumble is now a small part of White House outreach to the people of America and the world. At Rumble, we fight every day for the innate human right of self-expression, and we connect people directly to the marketplace of ideas to avoid the screeners and censors of Big Tech, the corporate media and governments around the globe," Rumble CEO Chris Pavlovski told Fox News Digital. 

TRUMP WHITE HOUSE ROLLS OUT SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNT TO HOLD 'FAKE NEWS ACCOUNTABLE'

Rumble is a publicly traded company that most recently reported hosting 67 million monthly users in the third quarter of 2024, which is roughly a 26% increase from 53 million users in its previous quarter. On election night alone, the platform saw a peak of 1.8 million concurrent viewers, Fox Digital learned. 

The Rumble initiative comes as the White House’s social media engagement has increased under the Trump administration compared to President Biden’s tenure. 

TRUMP ADMIN TOUTS PURGING 'WORST' ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CRIMINALS FROM US STREETS: 'WORKING TIRELESSLY'

The Trump administration’s White House accounts on X and Instagram racked up 4,685,265 total engagements in the first two weeks, compared to the Biden administration’s 4,134,845 during its first two weeks, according to data provided to Fox Digital. The figures reflect a 13% increase in social media engagement in Trump’s first two weeks or a difference of 550,420 engagements.

A White House official noted that when the Biden administration began in 2021, the White House account on X, which was at the time known as Twitter, began with a running start of 1.6 million followers. Under new X rules, however, the second Trump administration’s X account began with zero followers.

"Despite this 1.6M follower advantage, our engagement still surpassed theirs," the White House said of the difference.

TOP 5 MOMENTS FROM TRUMP'S 'HANNITY' INTERVIEW

Long before Trump jumped into politics ahead of the 2016 election, the real estate tycoon’s love of social media, specifically Twitter, had long been on display. Trump would frequently weigh in on pop culture, politics, the media and even Diet Coke on the social media platform ahead of taking office for his first administration. He remarked after his 2016 win that Twitter was crucial to speaking directly to voters.

"Twitter is a wonderful thing for me, because I get the word out. … I might not be here talking to you right now as president if I didn't have an honest way of getting the word out," he said in 2017.

TRUMP'S ‘SHOCK AND AWE’: FORGET FIRST 100 DAYS, NEW PRESIDENT SHOWS OFF FRENETIC PACE IN FIRST 100 HOURS

In his second administration, the White House has further leaned into social media to reach voters, including launching a new social media account in January aimed to hold "fake news accountable."  

"Welcome to the official Rapid Response account of the Trump 47 White House. We will be supporting President Donald J. Trump's America First agenda and holding the Fake News accountable for their lies. Let's Make America Great Again!" the X account, Rapid Response 47, posted in its first message on Jan. 27. 

The account has since posted dozens of interview clips highlighting what the White House describes as false rhetoric about the administration from Democrat lawmakers, "misleading" articles promoted by mainstream outlets, and touting work the administration has accomplished.

Office of Management and Budget director Russell Vought is now also the acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, where he has directed staff to not issue any new rules, to suspend effective dates of all final rules and to stop any new investigations.

Vought, also a Project 2025 author, was named acting director of the CFPB on Friday.

"I am honored that President Trump designated me as Acting Director of the Bureau on February 7, 2025," Vought said in an email to CFPB colleagues obtained by RealClearPolitics. "As Acting Director, I am committed to implementing the President's policies, consistent with the law, and acting as a faithful steward of the Bureau's resources."

He issued several directives that, effective immediately, must be followed by all employees, contractors and other CFPB personnel "unless expressly approved by the Acting Director or required by law," according to RealClearPolitics.

RUSSELL VOUGHT CONFIRMED TO HEAD GOVERNMENT'S LEADING BUDGET OFFICE AFTER DEMS HOLD 30-HOUR PROTEST

The directives include not approving or issuing any proposed or final rules or formal or informal guidance and for the bureau to suspend the effective dates of all final rules that have been issued or published but have not gone into effect.

Vought also ordered the bureau not to "commence, take investigative activities related to, or settle enforcement actions." CFPB must not open any new investigation in any manner and must cease any pending probes, he said.

The acting director said the CFPB shall not issue public communications of any type, including research papers.

Additionally, the CFPB must not approve or execute any material agreements, including those related to employee matters or contractors, and must not make or approve filings or appearances by the bureau in any litigation except to ask for a pause in proceedings.

The bureau was also told to cease all supervision and examination activity and to cease all stakeholder engagement.

Vought also sent a letter to the Federal Reserve requesting no money for the CFPB's third quarter of fiscal year 2025.

SENATE DEMOCRATS SPEAK ALL NIGHT AGAINST TRUMP OMB NOMINEE, DELAYING CONFIRMATION VOTE

"Pursuant to the Consumer Financial Protection Act, I have notified the Federal Reserve that CFPB will not be taking its next draw of unappropriated funding because it is not 'reasonably necessary' to carry out its duties," Vought wrote on X. "The Bureau's current balance of $711.6 billion is in fact excessive in the current fiscal environment. This spigot, long contributing to CFPB's unaccountability, is now being turned off."

This comes after Vought was confirmed by the Senate on Thursday to lead the Office of Management and Budget.

Fox News Digital has reached out to CFPB for further comment. 

President Donald Trump decided Saturday to remove security clearances for several Democrats, including former Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, and New York Attorney General Letitia James, both of whom are vocal Trump critics, Fox News has learned. 

"Bad guy. Take away his passes," Trump told the New York Post of Blinken, Biden's Secretary of State. 

James and Bragg were involved in prosecuting Trump in New York last year and James' office filed a lawsuit on Friday on behalf of 18 other Democratic state attorneys general over the Department of Government Efficiency's access to the Treasury Department's payment system.

Former national security advisor Jake Sullivan, Biden’s Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, and attorneys Andrew Weissmann, Mark Zaid and Norm Eisen, also had their clearances revoked. 

‘JOE, YOU’RE FIRED': PRESIDENT TRUMP REVOKES BIDEN'S SECURITY CLEARANCES, INTEL BRIEFINGS 

Eisen, an anti-Trump lawyer, also represents anonymous FBI agents suing the Department of Justice to block the public identification of agents who investigated the Jan. 6 riot.

He also worked with House Democrats on Trump’s first impeachment. 

The move comes a day after Trump stripped his predecessor, former President Joe Biden, of his security clearance and his access to presidential daily briefs. 

"There is no need for Joe Biden to continue receiving access to classified information," Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social Friday night.

He added the precedent was set by Biden himself.

TRUMP CONSIDERS SHUTTING DOWN FEMA AS KRISTI NOEM MEETS HURRICANE HELENE SURVIVORS

"He set this precedent in 2021, when he instructed the Intelligence Community (IC) to stop the 45th President of the United States (ME!) from accessing details on National Security, a courtesy provided to former Presidents," Trump wrote.

At the time, Biden claimed Trump was exhibiting "erratic behavior." 

Former presidents usually continue to receive intelligence briefings after leaving office. 

"The Hur Report revealed that Biden suffers from ‘poor memory’ and, even in his ‘prime,’ could not be trusted with sensitive information. I will always protect our National Security — JOE, YOU’RE FIRED. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!" Trump wrote on Truth Social on Friday. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The 2024 Hur Report followed an investigation into Biden's handling of classified documents. 

Alexandra Koch contributed to this report. 

President Donald Trump welcomed Israeli Prime Minister Benajamin Netanyahu to the White House Tuesday, marking the first visit from a foreign leader during Trump's second term. 

During Netanyahu's visit, Trump also unveiled massive plans suggesting that the U.S. would "take over" the Gaza Strip in a "long-term ownership position" to deliver stability to the region. 

"The U.S. will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it, too," Trump said Tuesday evening in a joint press conference with Netanyahu. "We'll own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous, unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site."

Even so, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president wouldn’t commit to placing U.S. troops on the ground in Gaza as part of the rebuilding effort. 

"It's been made very clear to the president that the United States needs to be involved in this rebuilding effort, to ensure stability in the region for all people," Leavitt told reporters Wednesday at a White House press briefing. "But that does not mean boots on the ground in Gaza. It does not mean American taxpayers will be funding this effort. It means Donald Trump, who is the best dealmaker on the planet, is going to strike a deal with our partners in the region."

TRUMP NOT COMMITTING TO PUTTING TROOPS ON THE GROUND IN GAZA, WHITE HOUSE SAYS

Leavitt said that Trump is an "outside-of-the-box thinker" who is "a visionary leader who solves problems that many others, especially in this city, claim are unsolvable."

The announcement sparked backlash though from Democratic lawmakers, to leaders of Palestinian militant group, Hamas. 

"What President Trump stated about his intention to displace the residents of the Gaza Strip outside it and the United States' control over the Strip by force is a crime against humanity," a senior Hamas official told Fox News on Wednesday.

Here are some other actions Trump took his second week in office: 

Trump also reinstated his "maximum pressure" campaign against Iran, instructing the Treasury Department to execute "maximum economic pressure" upon Iran through a series of sanctions aimed at sinking Iran’s oil exports. 

Trump said Tuesday that he was "torn" about signing the order and admitted he was "unhappy to do it," noting that the executive order was very tough on Iran. 

"Hopefully, we're not going to have to use it very much," Trump told reporters Tuesday. 

Trump later told reporters in a joint press conference with Netanyahu that he believes Iran is "close" to developing a nuclear weapon, but that the U.S. would stop a "strong" Tehran from obtaining one.

TRUMP REINSTATES ‘MAXIMUM PRESSURE’ CAMPAIGN AGAINST IRAN 

"They're very strong right now, and we're not going to let them get a nuclear weapon," Trump said. 

His first administration also adopted a "maximum pressure" initiative against Tehran, issuing greater sanctions and harsher enforcement for violations.

Strict sanctions were reimposed upon Iran after Trump withdrew from the Iran deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, in May 2018. The 2015 agreement brokered under the Obama administration had lifted sanctions on Iran in exchange for limits on Iran’s nuclear program.

Trump also signed an executive order sanctioning the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Thursday, in response to its May 2024 arrest warrant for Netanyahu.

The order — which was lauded by even some top Democrats — unveils financial sanctions and visa restrictions against ICC officials and their family members who support ICC investigations against U.S. citizens and allies. 

The White House also signed executive orders on Thursday instructing the Justice Department to establish a task force dedicated to weeding out "anti-Christian bias," and a review of all nongovernmental organizations that accept federal funds.

The ICC is an independent, international organization based in The Hague and established under the Rome Statute, an international treaty that took effect in 2002. The court oversees global issues including genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. 

The Trump White House claims that the U.S. and Israel are not subject to the jurisdiction of the ICC because the court poses threats to U.S. sovereignty and constitutional protections. Additionally, the White House has accused the ICC of politicization and said it has targeted Israel without holding regimes like Iran to the same standards. 

The U.S. Treasury and Commerce Departments will establish a sovereign wealth fund in accordance with a new executive order Trump signed on Monday. 

The sovereign wealth fund, a state-owned investment fund with various financial assets like stocks and bonds, could foot the bill for purchasing TikTok, according to Trump. 

"We're going to be doing something perhaps with TikTok, and perhaps not," Trump told reporters Monday. "If we make the right deal, we'll do it. Otherwise, we won't."

Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent said the sovereign wealth fund would be created within the next 12 months. 

WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION'S PLANS FOR A SOVEREIGN WEALTH FUND 

"I think it’s going to create value and be of great strategic importance," Bessent told reporters Monday. 

Bessent and Commerce Secretary nominee Howard Lutnick are instructed to devise a plan in the next 90 days for the creation of the fund, according to the White House. The proposal will include recommendations on funding mechanisms, investment strategies, fund structure and a governance model. 

More details on the sovereign wealth fund were not immediately available, and it's unclear whether Congress will sign off on it. 

Fox News’ Greg Norman contributed to this report. 

President Donald Trump has tasked SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk with scrutinizing wasteful spending at the Department of Education and the Pentagon through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Musk is leading.

DOGE is tasked with eliminating government spending and waste and streamlining operations and is expected to influence White House policy on budget matters.

"I’ve instructed him to go check out Education, to check out the Pentagon … and, sadly, you’ll find some things that are pretty bad. But I don’t think, proportionally, you’re going to see anything like we just saw," Trump told reporters Friday about his plans for Musk during a press conference while hosting Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. 

USAID STAFFERS STUNNED, ANGERED BY TRUMP ADMIN'S DOGE SHUTDOWN OF $40B AGENCY

On Monday, Trump and DOGE launched an effort to shutter the U.S. Agency for International Development, a group that works to deliver aid to impoverished countries and development assistance. 

The group has come under scrutiny from DOGE, and, in an X audio message, Musk said Sunday he was "in the process" of "shutting down USAID" for corrupt spending and that Trump reportedly agreed. 

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, now acting director of the independent agency, said Monday that USAID was not "functioning" and that the organization isn’t a "global charity." 

"It needs to be aligned with the national interest of the U.S.," Rubio said. "They're not a global charity. These are taxpayer dollars. People are asking simple questions. What are they doing with the money? 

"We are spending taxpayers’ money," he said. "We owe the taxpayers assurances that it furthers our national interest."

WHAT IS USAID AND WHY IS IT IN TRUMP'S CROSSHAIRS?

DOGE has been tasked with cutting $2 trillion from the federal government's budget through efforts to slash spending, government programs and the federal workforce.

Musk has faced some backlash for his interference in governmental affairs thus far. For example, Senate Democrats have accused DOGE of conducting a "hostile takeover" after reports emerged Musk had access to the Treasury Department’s Bureau of the Fiscal Service’s central payment systems. 

The Department of Education and the Department of Defense have some of the largest budgets of government agencies. For fiscal year 2024, the Department of Education received a budget of $79.1 billion, while the Department of Defense received a budget of $841.4 billion, according to government documents. 

Meanwhile, Trump has signaled he’s seeking to eliminate the Department of Education through an executive order. 

Even so, Congress would need to pass legislation to completely disband an agency under Article II of the Constitution. 

MUSK'S DOGE TAKES AIM AT ‘VIPER’S NEST' FEDERAL AGENCY WITH GLOBAL FOOTPRINT

Trump told reporters Tuesday that while he has tapped Linda McMahon, former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), to lead the Department of Education, he wants her to eventually lose her job. 

"What I want to do is let the states run schools," Trump said. "I believe strongly in school choice. But in addition to that, I want the states to run schools, and I want Linda to put herself out of a job."

Fox News' Stephen Sorace and Emma Colton contributed to this report.