Former Vice President Mike Pence revealed his brief exchange with President-elect Trump, which was caught on camera at former President Carter’s state funeral.
The pair have not been seen publicly together since leaving the White House in disagreement over the 2020 election results. At the service at the National Cathedral, Pence stood up to shake Trump's hand, and they appeared to exchange pleasantries.
Former second lady Karen Pence, who was seated next to her husband, did not stand up or acknowledge Trump.
In an interview with Christianity Today, Pence said he "welcomed" the opportunity to speak with Trump.
"He greeted me when he came down the aisle. I stood up, extended my hand. He shook my hand. I said, ‘Congratulations, Mr. President,’ and he said, ‘Thanks, Mike,’" Pence said.
Pence also recalled one of his final conversations with Trump in 2021, when he told Trump he would continue to pray for him. Trump responded, "Don't bother," the outlet reported.
"I said, ‘You know, there’s probably two things that we’re never going to agree on. … We’re probably never going to agree on what my duty was under the Constitution on Jan. 6.' And then I said, ‘And I’m never going to stop praying for you,'" Pence told Christianity Today. "And he said, 'That’s right, Mike, don’t ever change.'"
While the two appeared to remain cordial at the service for Carter, Pence told the outlet he doesn’t think Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is the right fit to manage Health and Human Services and was concerned about former U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard serving as national intelligence director.
Fox News Digital reached out to Trump and Advancing American Freedom, a public policy advocacy organization founded by Pence, for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.
Fox News Digital's Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this article.
As fires wreak havoc in California, Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., claimed in a post on X the catastrophe is "what a climate emergency looks like." He took aim at President-elect Trump, asserting the incoming president has been bought off by the oil industry.
"Trump has been bought for $1 billion by Big Oil. Just a payoff to kill the IRA and the Green New Deal. We know what will happen. More fires, more climate disasters, more death. The LA fires are preview of coming atrocities," Markey declared in a post on X.
Markey, who claims there is a "climate crisis," has also warned about the potential effects of artificial intelligence (AI).
He suggested rising use of AI could result in "doubling data center electricity demand by 2026," "increased carbon emissions," "water supply shortages" and "electronic waste."
"We are already facing a climate crisis. We can't let AI make it worse," Markey warned.
"In his first term, President Trump advanced conservation and environmental stewardship while promoting economic growth for families across the country," incoming White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.
"America’s energy agenda under President Trump produced affordable, reliable energy for consumers along with stable, high-paying jobs for small businesses — all while dropping U.S. carbon emissions to their lowest level in 25 years. In his second term, President Trump will once again deliver clean air and water for American families while Making America Wealthy Again."
California Gov. Gavin Newsom invited President-elect Trump to visit the Golden State to witness the destruction wildfires have wrought, meet with victims and thank first responders.
"In the spirit of this great country, we must not politicize human tragedy or spread disinformation from the sidelines. Hundreds of thousands of Americans — displaced from their homes and fearful for the future — deserve to see all of us working in their best interests to ensure a fast recovery and rebuild," Newsom wrote.
"With respect and an open hand."
Fox News Digital reached out to Newsom's office to request comment Saturday, but no comment was provided. Trump's camp did not respond to a comment request.
Trump has been excoriating Newsom, even asserting that he should step down as governor.
"One of the best and most beautiful parts of the United States of America is burning down to the ground. It’s ashes, and Gavin Newscum should resign. This is all his fault!!!" the president-elect declared in a Truth Social post this week.
Special counsel Jack Smith resigned from his position at the Department of Justice Friday, Fox News has learned.
The resignation, which had already been expected since President-elect Trump was elected in November, was quietly announced in the footnote of 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," the note said.
Smith was appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland in November 2022 to investigate the 2020 election interference case against Trump related to Jan. 6 and the Mar-a-Lago classified documents case. In 2017, Smith served as acting U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee during the first Trump administration.
The news came as the country waits for Smith's report on the election interference case to be released. A recent court filing showed Garland plans to release the investigative report soon, possibly before Trump takes office Jan. 20.
On Friday, a judge from a federal appeals court ruled against blocking the release of Smith's report.
"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.
Once Trump won the 2024 presidential election, Smith filed motions to wind down his cases against the president-elect. At the end of November, Smith asked a judge to drop the charges against President-elect Trump in the D.C. case against him.
Before asking to drop the case, Smith filed a motion to vacate all deadlines in the 2020 election interference case against Trump in Washington, D.C., a decision that was widely expected after Trump's win. After the cases were dropped, Trump responded to the move by arguing the investigations "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 in a Truth Social post. "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 Digital's Brooke Singman and Chris Pandolfo contributed to this report.
President-elect Trump announced incoming deputies for several key Cabinet positions in a series of social media posts Saturday as his inauguration date gets closer.
Trump, who takes office in less than 10 days, made the announcement on Truth Social Saturday afternoon. He began by naming Katharine MacGregor as the next deputy secretary of the interior, a position she held in Trump's first administration.
"Katharine is currently Vice President of Environmental Services at NextEra Energy, Inc., and previously worked at the Department of the Interior during my first four years as President," Trump wrote. "She helped us in our quest to make our Nation Energy DOMINANT, and was also an integral part of the team that produced our Historic ‘Salute to America’ at the National Mall."
Next, Trump named David Fotouhi to serve as the next deputy administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
"David worked at the EPA for the entirety of my First Term, concluding his service as EPA’s Acting General Counsel," the announcement said. "He is currently a Partner at Gibson, Dunn, & Crutcher LLP. In our Second Term, David will work with our incredible EPA Administrator, Lee Zeldin, to advance pro Growth policies, unleash America’s Energy Dominance, and prioritize Clean Air, Clean Water, and Clean Soil for ALL Americans."
The president-elect then named James P. Danly as the next U.S. deputy secretary of energy, calling his nominee "a retired U.S. Army Officer, who served for two tours in Iraq, where he earned the Bronze Star and Purple Heart."
"He served in my First Term as General Counsel, Commissioner, and Chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, where he won countless cases before the Federal Courts, and drove regulatory reform to ensure abundant and affordable energy for the American People," Trump wrote. "James earned his Bachelor’s Degree from Yale University, and his Juris Doctor from Vanderbilt University Law School."
In his final deputy announcement, Trump named Paul R. Lawrence as his next deputy secretary of veteran affairs.
"Paul was a great VA Under Secretary of Benefits in my First Term, implementing Legislation I signed to improve the GI Bill and Appeals Modernization," Trump wrote. "Paul also helped us drive the claims backlog to its LOWEST LEVEL in VA History. Paul was previously a Partner at Ernst & Young, and the Public Sector Vice President of Kaiser Associates.
"He will work with our next VA Secretary, Doug Collins, to ensure our Hero Vets are taken care of, and treated with the respect they deserve, with thanks for the incredible sacrifices they have made for our Country."
After announcing the incoming deputies, Trump also announced that University of Chicago professor Casey B. Mulligan would serve as the chief counsel for advocacy at the United States Small Business Administration.
Trump called Mulligan "a highly respected expert on the regulations that are crushing our Small Businesses."
"During my First Term, Casey was the Chief Economist of my Council of Economic Advisers where he helped craft the Economic policies that gave us the best Economy in American History," Trump wrote. "Casey will work with Kelly Loeffler, our Great Nominee for SBA Administrator, to make sure that we slash regulations, and empower Small Businesses to thrive like never before."
President-elect Donald Trump indicated that he plans to push 100 — or around 100 — executive orders after assuming office, senators and reports have indicated, with the number varying slightly.
Trump, who will take office later this month on Jan. 20, met with Senate Republicans on Wednesday.
During a Thursday morning appearance on "Fox & Friends" Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., said that Trump indicated that there are almost 100 executive orders to address issues like border security and U.S. energy.
"He threw that out — 100 — there could be like 100 EOs, yeah. I believe him." Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., noted to The Hill.
Senators were provided previews regarding some of what they were informed would be 100 executive orders, two sources noted to Axios.Stephen Miller, who Trump has tapped to serve in his new administration, discussed plans for using executive authority to tackle border and immigration beginning day one, the outlet reported.
The Associated Press claimed that Trump is readying more than 100 executive orders beginning day one, and had informed GOP senators during the meeting. "There will be a substantial number," Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., noted according to the outlet.
Fox News Digital emailed a Trump spokesperson with a request for comment on Saturday, but did not receive a response in time for publication.
Signing scads of executive orders would enable Trump to unilaterally push his agenda after returning to the Oval Office, but GOP lawmakers also plan to work with him to enact his legislative priorities as well.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., have both declared their intent to push the president-elect's agenda.
"Biden is doing everything possible to make the TRANSITION as difficult as as possible, from Lawfare such as has never been seen before, to costly and ridiculous Executive Orders on the Green New Scam and other money wasting Hoaxes. Fear not, these "Orders" will all be terminated shortly, and we will become a Nation of Common Sense and Strength. MAGA!!!" Trump declared in a post on Truth Social earlier this week.
Federal prosecutors say disgraced former New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez should be imprisoned for 15 years after his conviction in a "long-running bribery and foreign influence scheme of rare gravity." On Friday, prosecutors filed a 108-page briefing outlining their arguments for sentencing Menendez, as well as Wael Hana and Fred Daibes, who were convicted alongside the former lawmaker.
In their briefing, the prosecutors emphasized the seriousness and profundity of the crimes and noted their historical significance.
"As proven at trial, the defendants engaged, for years, in a corruption and foreign influence scheme of stunning brazenness, breadth, and duration, resulting in exceptionally grave abuses of power at the highest levels of the Legislative Branch of the United States Government," prosecutors wrote.
Prosecutors believe that Menendez needs to be thrown behind bars for the "egregious" crimes that they say showed "naked greed" and a "sense of entitlement to convert the public’s trust to private and personal benefit."
The disgraced former Democrat was accused and convicted of participating in a yearslong bribery scheme involving the governments of Egypt and Qatar. Menendez’s wife, Nadine, who is set to go on trial on January 21, also allegedly participated in the scheme. She is accused of receiving paychecks for a job that did not exist.
"Menendez, who swore an oath to represent the United States and the state of New Jersey, instead put his high office up for sale in exchange for this hoard of bribes," prosecutors noted in the brief.
Menendez, who was charged in 2023, made history in July 2024 when he became the first US senator to be convicted of acting as a foreign agent. His conviction came after a nine-week-long trial. The former Democratic lawmaker was accused of accepting gifts totaling more than $100,000 in gold bars as well as cash.
His sentencing is currently slated to take place on Jan. 29, 2025.
Jamie Joseph, Anders Hagstrom, and Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
The BBC's Analysis editor, Ros Atkins, investigates Elon Musk's recent posts on X about grooming gangs - and looks at how one day unfolded on his timeline.
The Space Coast’s new congressman wants the U.S. to set bold goals for exploration beyond our Earth, believing the country’s potential will take Americans sky-high – literally.
"We need to do everything we can to make sure it's safe, but it's done in a way that removes some of the superfluous red tape so that we can get out there, compete and beat China and beat any other nation," Rep. Mike Haridopolos, R-Fla., told Fox News Digital in an interview.
"Because the moon and beyond is not a cliché from a Disney movie. It is the future."
Haridopolos said he would "love" to see the U.S. return to the moon in the next four years of the Trump administration. The Florida Republican was careful not to speak in absolutes, noting, "We can’t guarantee anything," but credited billionaires like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos with revitalizing the science and space sector to make such conversations possible.
"It's a stepping stone," he said. "For example, as we're starting to move towards [nuclear power], with the need for more and more energy here in the United States…There's particles that are on the moon that they would bring back because they're very scarce here in America [and] around the world."
Helium-3 is a highly coveted resource found on the moon known to be key in nuclear fusion processes.
"From that point, you settle the moon, and then you go on to Mars, which has been, of course, Elon Musk's vision," Haridopolos said. "When he thought of things like SpaceX, it was, how do I get to Mars? And then how do you pay to get to Mars? That was the inspiration behind a lot of the new technologies he helped create. And now he's got a fellow zillionaire in Jeff Bezos dreaming of the same type of things. It's really exciting"
In Congress, the first-term lawmaker represents part of the country that’s famous for being home to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
The Space Coast broke its all-time annual record with 93 orbital launches last year, according to Florida Today.
Just this week it’s scheduled to host launches by both Musk’s SpaceX Falcon 9 and Bezos’ Blue Origin rocket.
He lauded both President-elect Trump’s vision for space as well as new House Space Science and Technology Chairman Brian Babin, R-Texas.
"Donald Trump has proven day-one and officially in 2019 that he loves space," he said, referring to Trump’s creation of the Space Force.
He suggested that the U.S. approach to the final frontier may not be dissimilar to the optimism and pride seen in 1969, when Americans landed a team of astronauts on the moon.
"It was an inspiration for my parents’ generation," Haridopolos said. "Now, of course, Elon Musk gave us this whole new vision of landing potentially, in our lifetime, on Mars. It's remarkable. And so the president said this is the future."
School districts, universities and state-level education leaders around the country are preparing their schools for the incoming Trump administration, including efforts to protect illegal immigrant children.
Many school districts are focusing on efforts to bolster protections for migrant students and families. These include mandatory teacher training on what to do if immigration officials arrive at their schools and new rules that bar them from showing up in the first place. Other districts are readying measures to guarantee funding in case President-elect Trump cuts it.
"We will not allow any law enforcement entity to take any type of immigration action against our students or their families within our care," Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said Monday at a press conference.
Carvalho has committed to using all legal options available to protect illegal immigrants attending school in the district, according to local reports.
Shortly after Trump's election victory in November, the district's governing board passed a resolution prohibiting district employees from voluntarily complying with immigration authorities, including sharing information about a student's immigration status. Part of the resolution includes teacher training instructing educators on the proper ways to respond to law enforcement.
"Get ready to deal with misinformation. Get ready to deal with any action from Washington, and be prepared," LAUSD board member Monica Garcia said.
Several districts are offering training for immigrant students and families as well. In Washington, the Edmonds School District planned a "Know Your Rights Session" led by officials from the local Mexican consulate for immigrant members of its community.
The event was later canceled due to backlash, but an official flyer for the event said the Mexican consulate would be on hand to share with community members "how to prepare for immigration raids and your individual rights when approached, detained or incarcerated by police or immigration agents."
Oregon's largest school district, Portland Public Schools, passed a resolution earlier this month reaffirming its commitment to designate itself a sanctuary school for undocumented students. Under the updated resolution, employees are still not permitted to share a student's immigration status without parental consent. And the district said it would not allow immigration officials into school buildings beyond the front office.
Nicole Neily, the president and founder of the nonprofit Parents Defending Education (PDE), said "without a doubt" the increase in illegal immigration has put a negative strain on schools, not helped them. She said the incoming administration will not put up with schools ignoring its policies.
"Given the poor state of civics education in America, it's little wonder that administrators are laboring under the misimpression that they are above the law. But after Jan 20, they should be aware that the incoming administration will not look favorably on these transgressions," Neily said.
In addition to measures aimed at flouting federal immigration authorities, some schools are preparing for possible funding cuts. Trump has signaled he is open to potentially dissolving the Department of Education and has said in the past he would strip federal funds from schools that do not follow the law.
Richmond Public Schools in Virginia is planning to fund student lunches locally over fears the Trump administration could get rid of the Community Eligibility Provision, a program that helps pay for meals for students.
"We delivered millions of meals during the pandemic," Superintendent Jason Kamras said. "So, we’ll have to figure this one out, too, if necessary."
In California, state Superintendent Tony Thurmond said his school system is "prepared to introduce legislation that would guarantee funding for California schools and California education" in case Trump gets rid of it.
Colleges and universities are also taking steps to shield their international students from potential deportations under Trump, several of which have encouraged their students from overseas to return to campus ahead of Trump's inauguration later this month. They have also offered resources for students who are not natural-born citizens.
"A travel ban is likely to go into effect soon after inauguration," Cornell University's Office of Global Learning said in a message to students after Trump won.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom cut funding for wildfire and forest resilience by more than $100 million just months before the wildfires currently ravaging Los Angeles broke out, according to a report.
However, a review of the state's annual budgets under Newsom shows that direct spending on fire prevention has increased dramatically over the last six years.
The budget, signed in June and covering the 2024-25 fiscal year, eliminated $101 million from seven "wildfire and forest resilience" programs, according to an analysis according to an analysis by the state's Legislative Analyst's Office and reported in Newsweek.
The California fires, responsible for destroying more than 10,000 buildings in the Los Angeles area, are still not contained.
Cal Fire had a $5 million reduction in spending on fuel reduction teams, including funds used to pay for vegetation management work by the California National Guard, the report noted.
"The governor has doubled the size of our firefighting army, built the world’s largest aerial firefighting fleet and the state has increased the forest management ten-fold since he took office," she wrote. "Facts matter."
His office attached statistics that refer to the overall increase in spending and personnel over a number of years since he took office in 2019, as opposed to commenting on the most recent cuts.
A Fox News review of the current state budget showed that the state earmarked $3.79 billion and 10,742 employees for fire protection, a steep increase from the 2018-2019 budget, which allocated just over $2 billion and 5,829 employees for fire protection.
Cal Fire did not immediately respond to a request for comment as of 8 p.m. Friday.
EDITOR'S NOTE: This story has been updated to show that California's state spending on fire protection has increased since Gavin Newsom became governor.
President-elect Trump announced his latest picks to join the growing number of Cabinet choices as his Jan. 20th inauguration nears.
Trump, in a Friday evening announcement, said that Bill Briggs would serve as the next Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration. If confirmed, Briggs will serve alongside Trump's pick for SBA Administrator, Kelly Loeffler.
"Bill is a successful businessman who served in my First Term as the Acting Associate Administrator in the Office of Capital Access at SBA," he said. "During his tenure, Bill helped oversee our Historic Paycheck Protection Program that saved many of our Small Businesses, and millions of jobs."
"I am pleased to announce that Ed Russo, an Environmental Expert, will lead our Environmental Advisory Task Force, which will advise my Administration on initiatives to create great jobs and protect our natural resources, by following my policy of CLEAN AIR and CLEAN WATER," he said. "Together, we will achieve American Energy DOMINANCE, rebuild our Economy, and DRILL, BABY, DRILL."
The nominations come as Trump continues to round out picks for his Cabinet as Jan. 20 nears.
The Republican-controlled U.S. Senate will soon begin holding hearings for Trump's Cabinet nominees.
Republicans will control the Senate with 53 seats to the Democrats' 47 once Senator-elect Jim Justice of West Virginia is sworn in later in January and Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine appoints a senator to fill Vice President-elect Vance’s seat.
EXCLUSIVE: A wife desperate to bring her husband home from 2½ years of wrongful detainment in Afghanistan has flown to Mar-a-Lago in Florida to implore President-elect Trump to take up her case.
Ryan Corbett was captured by the Taliban in Afghanistan in August 2022 just as the U.S. was pulling out of the country, and Anna Corbett says she has been trying to get a meeting with the Biden administration ever since.
This week, Anna saw a glimmer of hope when reports broke that the Biden administration has been negotiating with the Taliban to swap three U.S. citizens being held in Afghanistan in exchange for a Guantanamo Bay prisoner alleged to have been a close associate of Usama bin Laden.
But that deal has seemingly stalled. A senior Taliban official told The Guardian the Taliban would rather wait to negotiate with the incoming Trump administration, shattering the hopes of the Corbett family.
"I am absolutely desperate to fight for my family," Anna Corbett told Fox News Digital Friday during a layover on her last-minute flight to Mar-a-Lago.
She isn’t sure whether the last-ditch attempt will work. The Trump team has not yet set up a meeting.
"Wouldn’t it be amazing if I got a meeting in one day, when, for 883 days, I tried to get a meeting with President Biden, and he didn’t have the time?" she said.
Trump told Fox News’ Peter Doocy he would consider a prisoner swap but seemed skeptical.
"I haven't looked at it," Trump said Thursday. "I have not been in favor of the trade, but I'll be taking a look tomorrow. We'll announce something tomorrow."
The talks, which have been ongoing since at least July 2024, involve exchanging suspected senior al Qaeda aide Muhammad Rahim al Afghani for U.S. citizens Ryan Corbett, George Glezmann and Mahmoud Habibi, who were detained in Afghanistan in 2022.
Some Republicans in Congress privately voiced national security concerns over returning Rahim to the Taliban and questioned whether the negotiations had resulted in a bad deal.
"Ryan is an amazing person, and he has done nothing wrong, and our family desperately needs him," Anna Corbett said, imploring the U.S. government to accept the deal. "He's a patriot. He was just trying to help the Afghan people, and this is a decision that the president needs to make. And we are just desperate for Ryan to come home alive as soon as possible."
Glezmann and Ryan Corbett have been declared by the State Department as wrongfully detained, and the Taliban denies holding Habibi.
Anna Corbett said she last spoke to her husband Christmas Day for about 15 minutes.
"He was obviously trying hard to be in good spirits for Christmas for the kids and I," she said. "But it was a difficult call, obviously, because this has been going on so long.
"He asked me where things were at, if there was progress. And there really was nothing that I could share with him."
In 2024, two released American detainees revealed Ryan Corbett was severely malnourished, was experiencing blackouts and fainting and was being held in a basement cell with almost no sunlight or exercise.
Anna Corbett said that since then her husband has gained some weight but still experiences constant headaches and ringing in his ears.
Ryan Corbett was abducted Aug. 10, 2022, after returning to Afghanistan, where he and his family had been living during the collapse of the U.S.-backed government there a year before.
He arrived in Afghanistan on a valid 12-month visa to pay and train staff as part of a business venture he led aimed at promoting Afghanistan's private sector through consulting services and lending.
The Taliban have long sought the release of Rahim, who has been held at Guantánamo Bay in Cuba since 2008 because the Pentagon believes he was a close associate of bin Laden.
In November 2023, the Guantánamo Bay prison review board cited Rahim’s work for senior al Qaeda members and his participation in attacks on U.S. and allied forces in Afghanistan as reasons to keep him in custody.
Biden has long been intent on closing the Guantánamo Bay prison. On Monday, he announced the transfer of 11 Yemeni detainees, including two former bodyguards of bin Laden, from Guantanamo to Oman, which has agreed to help resettle them.
Fox News' Greg Norman and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
FIRST ON FOX: Newly sworn-in Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, in his first letter as a member of the Senate, sent a blistering inquiry to the Department of Homeland Security demanding answers on the extension of deportation protections for hundreds of thousands of foreign nationals from a slew of countries.
"I write to express my sincere concerns regarding the extensions of the designations of El Salvador, Venezuela, Ukraine, and Sudan for Temporary Protected Status ("TPS")," Moreno wrote in a letter to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Friday. "These 18-month extensions allow these noncitizens to remain in the United States through the Fall of 2026, when the designations were set to expire."
"These decisions were shamefully made by an outgoing administration ten days before President Donald J. Trump takes the oath of office. One would think that after handedly losing the 2024 Presidential Election when voters overwhelmingly rejected the Biden-Harris Administration's open-border policy, that you would finally understand American citizens' mandate. And yet, you continue to completely disregard the will of the majority of voters, by unilaterally deciding to allow nearly 1 million noncitizens who entered our country without original authorization to remain in the United States."
DHS announced on Friday it is extending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for El Salvador, Venezuela, Sudan and Ukraine for an additional 18 months beyond their current expirations.
TPS grants protection from deportation and work permits for nationals living in the U.S. from countries deemed unsafe for them to be returned. DHS cited environmental disasters in El Salvador, including storms and heavy rainfall, that it said resulted in a "substantial, but temporary" disruption of living conditions. It also cited the political and economic crises in Venezuela, political instability in Sudan and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine with Russia.
In his letter to Secretary Mayorkas, Moreno criticized the government’s rationale for the move.
"I am also deeply disgusted by your attempts to justify these decisions," Moreno wrote. "For example, according to your Department, the extension of the TPS status of 234,000 noncitizens is due to "geological and weather events" in El Salvador. However, a quick review of the current weather in San Salvador, El Salvador currently shows that it is "mostly sunny" and 81 degrees Fahrenheit."
The moves do not redesignate countries for the status, meaning only those currently protected by TPS are eligible for an extension and no new applications can be received. Venezuela's extension will apply to approximately 600,000 nationals; El Salvador's will apply to 232,000; Ukraine's will apply to approximately 103,000; and Sudan will affect about 1,900 nationals. Venezuela's extension will run until October 2026, and El Salvador's will run until September 2026, with both having been scheduled to end in the spring of 2025.
The moves, particularly for El Salvador and Venezuela, could complicate efforts by the Trump administration to deport illegal immigrants from those countries. Venezuelan nationals have been a particular focus, given the rise of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, while El Salvador is where the MS-13 gang originated.
Moreno’s letter asked Mayorkas to provide answers to a series of questions, some of them related to the concerns about MS-13.
"What is the current number of MS-13 members known to be in the United States?" Moreno asked. " What is the current number of TdA members known to be in the United States? How many of the noncitizens suspected of being associated with MS-13 and/or TdA have remained in this country through a TPS designation?"
The letter also asks for sourcing and data related to the "geological and weather events" cited by the government as well as information about the vetting process for these individuals and answers about how the government is ensuring that these migrants will not commit crimes in the United States.
"DHS responds to Congressional inquiries directly via official channels, and the Department will continue to respond appropriately to Congressional oversight," a DHS spokesperson told Fox News Digital in a statement.
The department added that a series of earthquakes in El Salvador that caused a disruption in living conditions played a role in the extension for foreign nationals from that country. The department added that it has implemented "enhanced screening measures" to identify gang members.
The White House did not respond to a request for comment.
The first Trump administration moved to cut down on the number of countries designated for TPS, but the Biden administration has used it broadly, designating or redesignating a number of countries, including Venezuela, Afghanistan and Haiti. There are currently 17 countries designated for TPS.
Both President-elect Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance have indicated they want to cut back on TPS once in office, specifically for Haiti.
Fox News Digital’s Adam Shaw contributed to this report
While Los Angeles officials were stripping millions in funding from their fire department ahead of one of the most destructive wildfires in state history, hundreds of thousands of dollars were allocated to fund programs such as a "Gay Men’s Chorus" and housing for the transgender homeless.
Deadly fires erupted across Southern California this week, which were amplified by fierce winds that resulted in about 10,000 homes and businesses being destroyed. After fire hydrants weren't producing water and homes burned to the ground, residents began calling out Democratic-led leadership in the state, who cut the Los Angeles Fire Department's (LAFD) funding by $17.6 million just months prior.
But even as the department funding was being pulled back, a Fox News Digital review of the L.A. County budget uncovered thousands of taxpayer dollars that were allocated to diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and programs giving syringes to the homeless.
For example, the budget allocated $14,010 to the "Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles" this year, a group that seeks to "create musical experiences that strengthen our role as a leader among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) and performing arts organizations."
Another $190,000 was allocated to the Homeless and HIV Program, which includes a "syringe exchange" program that gives sterile syringes to homeless drug addicts.
An additional $100,000 of county funds was put aside to pay for Juneteenth celebrations, while $13,000 was allocated to "Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Heritage Month Programs."
The Civil + Human Rights and Equity Department was also granted $100,000 for a "Midnight Stroll Transgender Cafe" to fund housing for homeless transgender individuals in Hollywood.
The county also granted $13,000 to "Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Heritage Month Programs" and $4.5 million to the infrastructure of electric vehicle (EV) chargers. Appropriations for the General City Purposes saw $250,000 set aside for "equity and inclusion."
According to the report, homelessness funding was larger than the LAFD budget for the second year in a row.
Amid the Los Angeles-area fires, celebrities, such as actress Sara Foster, called out state officials for their legislative focus over the years.
"We pay the highest taxes in California. Our fire hydrants were empty. Our vegetation was overgrown, brush not cleared. Our reservoirs were emptied by our governor because tribal leaders wanted to save fish. Our fire department budget was cut by our mayor. But thank god drug addicts are getting their drug kits," Foster wrote in a post on X. "@MayorOfLA @GavinNewsom RESIGN. Your far left policies have ruined our state. And also our party."
Following the funding cut, L.A. County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone on Wednesday said that "there are not enough firefighters in L.A. County to address four separate fires of this magnitude."
