The Department of Justice (DOJ) has sent a written complaint about U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes to the Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, Sri Srinivasan, following a tense case between the Trump administration and two LGBTQ groups.

The letter, signed by Attorney General Pam Bondi’s Chief of Staff, Chad Mizelle, concerns what the DOJ characterized as Reyes’ "misconduct" during the proceedings in Nicolas Talbott et al. v. Donald J. Trump et al., a case brought by two LGBTQ groups challenging the Trump Administration’s Executive Orders barring transgender individuals from serving in the U.S. military. 

According to the complaint, the transcript "reveals multiple instances where Judge Reyes’ misconduct compromised the dignity of the proceedings and demonstrated potential bias, raising serious concerns about her ability to preside impartially in this matter." 

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During the proceedings, Judge Reyes listed off executive orders signed by President Trump since taking office, including recognizing only two sexes, blocking school funding from promoting the idea that gender can be fluid, directing the State Department to stop issuing documents allowing a third gender marker, and revoking the ability of trans federal employees to receive a sex change. She also called out the Trump administration for revoking an earlier regulation concerning trans people having equal access to homeless shelters. 

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The letter says Judge Reyes asked DOJ attorney Jason Lynch, "what do you think Jesus would say to stelling a group of people that they are so worthless … that we’re not going to allow them into homeless shelters? DO you think Jesus would be, ‘Sounds right to me’? Or do you think Jesus would say, WTF? Of course, let them in?"

DOJ attorneys asserted that the line of questioning was "deeply problematic for several reasons" – including placing DOJ counsel in an untenable position of either appearing unresponsive or speculating about how an incoherent hypothetical aligns with Reyes’ personal religious beliefs.

The letter highlighted another incident in which Judge Reyes engaged in a rhetorical exercise to draw parallels to trans people being barred from military service. The judge instructed DOJ counsel, "My new standing order says that no one who graduated from UVA Law School can appear before me. So, I need you to sit down, please. I need you to sit down." 

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When counsel complied with this directive, the judge continued her hypothetical about UVA law graduates being banned from her courtroom because "they’re all liars and lack integrity." The letter alleged that only after Judge Reyes used counsel as a physical prop did she allow him to continue the proceedings. She then asked counsel if he saw how unfair the reasoning was. 

Still, the DOJ asserted in its complaint that such treatment "undermines the dignity of counsel and the decorum of the courtroom." 

There were times when Judge Reyes commended DOJ lawyer Jason Lynch, telling him and the gallery that he was doing a credible job arguing for the government in a difficult situation.

The letter closes by requesting that "appropriate action be taken to address these violations," saying that at a "minimum, this matter warrants further investigation to determine whether these incidents represent a pattern of misconduct that requires more significant remedial measures."

U.S. District Court judges sit on the bench as a lifetime appointment. However, it is possible that Chief Judge Srinivasan could reprimand Judge Reyes, or possibly suggest she recuse herself from the case.

A federal judge on Friday granted a preliminary injunction over parts of the Trump administration’s executive orders on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).

The injunction largely blocks the sections of President Donald Trump's orders that seek to end federal support for programs deemed to be DEI-related, and prevents the Trump administration from canceling contracts that they believe promote diversity, equity or inclusion. 

U.S. District Judge Adam Abelson in Baltimore, a Biden nominee, ruled that parts of the executive orders likely violate the Constitution and free speech.

"The harm arises from the issuance of it as a public, vague, threatening executive order," Abelson said in a hearing this week, adding that it would discourage businesses working with the government from openly supporting DEI. 

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The ruling comes after the city of Baltimore, the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education, the American Association of University Professors and the Restaurant Opportunities Centers United – which represents restaurant workers – sued the Trump administration over the executive orders, calling them presidential overreach and anti-free speech. 

"Ordinary citizens bear the brunt," attorneys for the plaintiffs wrote in the complaint. "Plaintiffs and their members receive federal funds to support educators, academics, students, workers, and communities across the country. As federal agencies make arbitrary decisions about whether grants are ‘equity-related,’ Plaintiffs are left in limbo."

They argued that Trump was encroaching on Congress’ powers in order to champion his personal beliefs. 

"But the President simply does not wield that power," they wrote in the complaint. "And contrary to his suggestions otherwise, his power is not limitless."

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Trump signed an order on his first day in office directing federal agencies to terminate all "equity-related" grants or contracts. He signed a follow-up order requiring federal contractors to certify that they don’t promote DEI. 

The Trump administration argued in a Wednesday hearing that the president was only banning DEI programs that violate federal civil rights laws. 

"What’s happening is an overcorrection and pulling back on DEI statements," attorney Aleshadye Getachew said in a hearing. 

A second federal lawsuit was also filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on Wednesday targeting Trump's DEI executive orders. The new complaint was filed by the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and Lambda Legal on behalf of nonprofit advocacy organizations. 

The lawsuit is aimed at Trump's executive orders: "Ending Radical and Wasteful DEI Programs and Preferencing," "Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government," and "Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity." 

White House spokesman Harrison Fields said both lawsuits represented "nothing more than an extension of the left’s resistance," adding in a statement to the New York Times that the administration was "ready to face them in court."

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"Radical leftists can either choose to swim against the tide and reject the overwhelming will of the people, or they can get on board and work with President Trump to advance his wildly popular agenda," Fields said.

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

President Donald Trump on Friday said his administration is "pretty close" to striking a deal with Ukraine for rights to access its natural resources in exchange for the United States’ billions of dollars in support for the country against Russia. 

"You know, I think they want it, and they feel good about it," Trump told reporters on Friday in the Oval Office after the swearing-in ceremony of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. "And it's significant. It's a big deal. But they want it, and it keeps us in that country. And they're very happy about it.

"We get our money back. They should have been signed long before we went in. They should have been signed by Biden. But Biden didn't know too much about what he was doing. The war should have never happened, No. 1. When it did happen, it could have been settled. 

"The first week or two weeks after that, it got bad. It got really bad, but it should have been, it should have never happened. And it should have been settled, and it could have been settled very easily at the beginning. Now it's tougher, but we'll get it settled."

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During his speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) Friday, Trump’s National Security Advisor, Mike Waltz, said, "Here’s the bottom line: President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is going to sign that deal, and you will see that in the very short term." 

Waltz also told "Fox & Friends" this week that Ukraine should "tone down" its criticism of Trump and "come back to the table" to work out an economic deal with the U.S.

The deal for U.S. access to Ukraine’s rare earth minerals is part of broader negotiations to end the war in Ukraine after Russia invaded the country in 2022. 

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox News Wednesday Trump is creating a "win-win" partnership between the United States and Ukraine with the deal days after meeting with Zelenskyy in Kyiv.

"Part of my trip was to go and tell the Ukrainian people that we wanted an economic partnership with them," Bessent told Bret Baier on "Special Report." 

"So, President Trump's vision is [to] bring the Ukrainian people and the American people closer together economically, show the Ukrainian people that we support them, show the American people that the money that is going into Ukraine, that there is going to be a return, that there's going to be a long-term partnership."

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The Trump administration is seeking to recoup the cost of aid sent to the war-torn country by gaining access to rare earth minerals like titanium, iron and uranium.

The delay also comes amid rising tensions between Trump and Zelenskyy as the U.S. works with Russian officials to broker a peace deal in the ongoing war. 

Trump argued on Fox News Zelenskyy has "no cards" to negotiate leverage for a deal as the pair have publicly hurled insults at one another in recent days. 

"I've been watching this man for years now as his cities get demolished, as his people get killed, as his soldiers get decimated," Trump told Fox News co-host Brian Kilmeade.

"I've been watching him negotiate with no cards. He has no cards, and you get sick of it," he added. "You just get sick of it, and I've had it."

Trump argued Zelenskyy is a poor negotiator, noting Bessent traveled to Ukraine last week to broker a mineral agreement, worth hundreds of billions of dollars, but said the pair "couldn't even come close" to a deal.

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The president said the trip was dangerous for Bessent and a waste of time. 

The deal would have helped U.S. investment in the war-torn nation and also provided "the best security guarantee they could ever hope for," according to Waltz.

Fox News' Bailee Hill contributed to this report.

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday paused the Trump administration's efforts to dismiss the head of an independent agency charged with investigating whistleblower claims as the president seeks to remake the federal government. 

The decision allows Hampton Dellinger, a Biden appointee, to remain as head of the Office of Special Counsel at least through Feb. 26. The high court kept that deadline in place and won't take any further action until then.

The Trump administration asked the court to overturn a lower court's temporary reinstatement of Dellinger. A district court hearing is scheduled to consider whether to extend the pause on Dellinger’s firing. 

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Liberal justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson voted to outright deny the administration’s request to OK the firing.

Conservative justices Neil Gorsuch and Samuel Alito dissented, saying the lower court overstepped, and they cast doubt on whether courts have the authority to restore to office someone the president has fired. While acknowledging that some officials appointed by the president have contested their removal, Gorsuch wrote in his opinion that "those officials have generally sought remedies like backpay, not injunctive relief like reinstatement." 

The dispute over Dellinger is the first legal challenge to reach the Supreme Court after several firings under the Trump administration.

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Dellinger sued the Trump administration in Washington, D.C., federal court after his Feb. 7 firing.

"I am glad to be able to continue my work as an independent government watchdog and whistleblower advocate," Dellinger said in a statement after Friday's proceedings. "I am grateful to the judges and justices who have concluded that I should be allowed to remain on the job while the courts decide whether my office can retain a measure of independence from direct partisan and political control."

He has argued that, by law, he can only be dismissed from his position for job performance problems, which were not cited in an email dismissing him from his post.

Trump began his second term in the White House with a flurry of executive orders and directives that have since been targeted by a flood of legal challenges.

Since Jan. 20, dozens of lawsuits have been filed over the administration's actions, including the president's birthright citizenship order, immigration policies, federal funding freezes, federal employee buyouts, Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency and legal action against FBI and DOJ employees.

President Donald Trump on Friday night nominated Air Force Lt. Gen. Dan "Razin" Caine to be the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. 

"General Caine is an accomplished pilot, national security expert, successful entrepreneur, and a "warfighter" with significant interagency and special operations experience," Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social announcing the nomination.

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Trump said during his first term, Caine was "instrumental" in the "complete annihilation" of the ISIS caliphate.

"It was done in record setting time, a matter of weeks. Many so-called military ‘geniuses’ said it would take years to defeat ISIS," the president wrote. "General Caine, on the other hand, said it could be done quickly, and he delivered."

Trump said despite Caine "being highly qualified and respected," he was "passed over for promotion by Sleepy Joe Biden."

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"But not anymore! Alongside Secretary Pete Hegseth, General Caine and our military will restore peace through strength, put America First, and rebuild our military," Trump wrote. "Finally, I have also directed Secretary Hegseth to solicit nominations for five additional high level positions, which will be announced soon."

"General Caine embodies the warfighter ethos and is exactly the leader we need to meet the moment. I look forward to working with him," Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote in a statement to Fox News Friday night. 

While it is typical for Joint Chiefs chairmen to remain in their positions during shifts of power, Trump made the decision to find a replacement. 

Both Trump and Hegseth gave a nod to the departing chairman, four-star fighter pilot General Charles "CQ" Brown.

"I want to thank General Charles "CQ" Brown for his over 40 years of service to our country, including as our current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff," Trump wrote. "He is a fine gentleman and an outstanding leader, and I wish a great future for him and his family."

Hegseth added Brown served with "distinction in a career spanning four decades of honorable service."

"I have come to know him as a thoughtful adviser and salute him for his distinguished service to our country," he wrote. 

The Secretary of Defense has been outspoken about Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) policies adversely affecting military operations, and previously suggested firing Brown and other top leaders.

Hegseth said he is requesting nominations for the positions of Chief of Naval Operations and Air Force Vice Chief of Staff.

"The incumbents in these important roles, Admiral Lisa Franchetti and General James Slife, respectively, have had distinguished careers," Hegseth wrote. "We thank them for their service and dedication to our country. "

Hegseth said the department is also requesting nominations for the Judge Advocates General for the Army, Navy and Air Force.

"Under President Trump, we are putting in place new leadership that will focus our military on its core mission of deterring, fighting and winning wars," he wrote.

A federal judge on Friday granted an injunction requested by 19 attorneys general to prevent the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from having access to the Treasury Department's central payment system.

The ruling by U.S. District Judge Jeannette Vargas extends the pause by issuing a preliminary injunction, a legal step that blocks access to the records while the case is litigated on the merits.

In her 64-page decision, Vargas noted she was granting the preliminary injunction preventing DOGE from accessing the payment records because of the possible disclosure of the states’ bank records. However, she also said the plaintiffs "have not demonstrated that they are entitled to the broad and sweeping relief they seek, which would far exceed the scope of the present TRO (Temporary restraining order)."

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Vargas is giving Trump administration attorneys the chance to fix any defects so that the sensitive information will be protected.  

A report is due March 24. Last week, a federal judge extended a temporary order to block DOGE from accessing Treasury payment systems. 

A lawsuit filed by the 19 AGs claims DOGE illegally accessed the Treasury Department’s central payment system at the Trump administration’s behest. The payment systems have information about Americans’ Social Security, Medicare and veterans’ benefits; tax refund information; and much more. 

Lawyers for the administration argued that the temporary restraining order "causes ongoing constitutional harm to the Treasury Department's ability to make management decisions within its lawful discretion."  

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Defense attorneys argued that there is nothing unlawful about the Treasury Department's actions. Treasury officials have denied violating privacy laws, saying only two members of the DOGE team had been given "read-only" access to information in the payment systems. 

The lawsuit was filed in New York by the office of New York Attorney General Letitia James, a vocal Trump critic. 

It includes attorneys general from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin. 

"We just won a court order stopping DOGE and unauthorized, unelected, and unvetted individuals like Elon Musk from accessing people's private data and blocking federal funds," James wrote Friday on X. "We will keep fighting to protect all Americans from this administration’s destruction."

The AGs argue that granting DOGE access to the payment system puts Americans' sensitive, personal information, such as bank account details and Social Security numbers, at risk.

Fox News' William Mears and Maria Paronich contributed to this report. 

New legislation being introduced to Parliament next week seeks to criminalise the practices.

First Minister Michelle O'Neill says her decision not to travel to Washington DC for the annual festivities is one of principle.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt offered words of wisdom to young women across the nation from the stage at the Conservative Political Action Conference Friday evening, urging them to "stay strong, speak the truth," and believe in themselves. 

Leavitt sat down for a fireside chat hosted by former White House communications director Mercedes Schlapp, who served during the first Trump administration. 

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Schlapp said young women across the country admire Leavitt, who is the youngest White House press secretary in United States history and are inspired by her. 

Schlapp asked Leavitt what her message to young women is. 

"Stay strong, speak the truth and don’t let anybody tell you that you can’t achieve your dream, or you can’t get to that next step. Just believe in yourself," Leavitt said. 

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"Because there will be a lot of people who don’t believe in you—who cast doubt on you, who talk bad about you," Leavitt said. 

"Screw ‘em," she said, drawing laughter and applause from the CPAC audience. "It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter." 

Leavitt, 27, served in the first Trump administration as a White House press aide. She then worked for Rep. Elise Stefanik, and later launched her own campaign for New Hampshire’s 1st congressional district in 2022. Leavitt served as national press secretary for the 2024 Trump campaign. 

But Leavitt also praised the "amazing" women working in the second Trump administration. 

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"Look at the White House and look at the exceptional Cabinet President Trump has put together," Leavitt said. "While we don’t care about identity politics…the president has appointed Susie Wiles, our first female chief of staff in United States history; Brooke Rollins heading up as our secretary of agriculture—look across the entire Cabinet. There are incredible women—Linda McMahon, leading the Department of Education—the list goes on and on." 

"The White House is full of working women," she continued. "In fact, I was going up the staircase in the West Wing today and saw two of my female colleagues, both of whom are pregnant having babies this year and they are working and they are saving America because President Trump believes in the best people for the job—the brightest people for the job." 

Leavitt is also a new mother to a seven-month-old baby boy. 

"It is the best thing ever," Leavitt said of being a mother.

When asked why she is doing what she is doing, Leavitt replied: "For him and for all of the other children in this country." 

"We have a country to save," Leavitt said. "I want my son to grow up in a free and patriotic America that we can be proud of." 

"It shouldn’t take longer to approve an [energy] project than it takes to build it," said National Governors Association Vice Chair Kevin Stitt at Friday’s conference in Washington.

That, the Oklahoma Republican said, is the collective picture painted of all the problems with government bureaucracy at all levels that imperils the U.S.’ ability to stay ahead of China in terms of cyberthreat-prevention and energy dominance.

Permitting reform is one of the most important things to address with a new administration and new state government sessions beginning, the governors collectively expressed.

There was bipartisan consensus at the NGA that America must move responsibly toward a future secure from malign foreign actors in both cybersecurity and energy development.

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"Permitting reform is one of those issues where both Republicans and Democrats recognize the problem, we largely agree on solutions," Stitt said, adding it is a national security issue that the U.S. must streamline permitting.

"Our allies need affordable, reliable energy and the US has the resources to provide that," he said.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum spoke at length on that matter, saying America is in competition with foreign rivals like Russia, China, Iran and North Korea whether they like it or not.

"It’s key that we win the AI arms race with China," he said, citing bot-powered attacks that can be much more effective than human hackers.

"They would have the ability to take down the electric grid. They have the ability to disrupt everything that we know in our country. And they wouldn't have to put a single soldier on the ground, but it could completely disrupt us and our economy. So, winning that AI arms race doesn't just take software developers, it takes more electricity."

"We’re in a competition… against other countries that aren't slowing themselves down with the level of bureaucracy that we have," Burgum said, citing the threat of cyberattacks from Russia, China, Iran and North Korea.

Burgum and the governors discussed the promise of nuclear energy and new technology that allows for the portability of such operations, where plants that generate power can be placed much closer to where that power is needed.

Stitt remarked that when Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro issued an order mandating his own government to rule on infrastructure permit applications within two weeks or give the applicant their money back, he didn’t want to get "beat by a Democrat" in that idea so he quickly issued his own order.

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Shapiro also said Pennsylvania conducted an audit of permit applications earlier in his term and found 3,400 – leading him to order there be cataloging going forward.

Despite Bethlehem Steel’s stacks laying dormant 25 years on, and the massive St. Nicholas Breaker coal processor long gone, Pennsylvania remains the nation’s second-largest energy net-exporter – a fact noted by the governor.

The first North American discovery of oil occurred in the mid-1800s in Venango County, and some of the longest-producing wells remain active in Pennsylvania, though the Commonwealth has been far surpassed in that regard by Texas, Alaska and other states.

"We're proud of our legacy as a national energy leader," Shapiro said. "We’ve got to get to-market quickly [regarding] energy projects."

Pennsylvania produced more than 7 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in 2023. But there has been a push-pull effect of former Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell banning fracking on state parkland, Republican Gov. Tom Corbett reversing that, and Shapiro's Democratic predecessor Tom Wolf then restoring Rendell's moratorium.

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Shapiro indicated Friday he would be taking a more measured approach to responsibly developing the Commonwealth’s resources. 

He cited the bipartisan SPEED Act out of Harrisburg, which provides for third-party permitting review while also accelerating the overall process.

Burgum called the work of a governor one of the hardest, but remarked that it is about to "become more fun than it’s ever been" with the accessibility of the Trump administration.

In that regard, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster described how cabinet secretaries had shared their own personal contact information following a Friday White House meeting – and that President Donald Trump invited calls as well but did not share his own number.

"I’ve got it, but I’m going to hold onto it," he joked.

A high school female track and field athlete is praising President Donald Trump for doing what she said state lawmakers won't: protect women from biological males competing against them in sports.

Zoe, who competed in shot put at Maine's Class B state indoor championship meet on Monday, said she is "grateful" for the president's announcement that he will be cutting federal funding to Maine over its defiance of Trump's order to keep men out of women's sports, adding that leaders in the state "have failed our female athletes." 

"State leaders have failed our female athletes and there needs to be repercussions for their neglect," Zoe said. "We feel seen and heard because of this announcement and hope that steps will continue to be made to protect women's sports in Maine."

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During the state championship meet, Katie Spencer, who competed as a male named John Rydzewski in pole-vaulting as recently as June 2024, out-jumped every other female by half a foot. Spencer's winning pole vault was pivotal in helping Spencer's track and field team at Greely High School in Cumberland, Maine, win the Class B state championship meet by just a single point.

Following news of what happened, Trump announced that Maine would lose public funding until "they clean that up."

Republican Maine state Rep. Laurel Libby began sounding the alarm after Spencer won the women's pole-vaulting state championship on Monday.

In an interview with Fox News Digital, she reiterated Zoe's concern that without some sort of federal intervention nothing was going to change. 

Several years ago, the state amended its state Human Rights Act to include protections for gender-identity, and since Democrats control both chambers of the legislature and the governor's office, Libby said there is "a 0% chance" they will repeal it.

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Following Trump's Feb. 5 executive order threatening to end public funding to schools that do not keep men out of women's sports, the Maine Principals' Association, the primary governing body for high school athletics in the state, said that the president's order conflicts with state law aimed at protecting human rights. As a result, the association said it will defer to the latter when it comes to determining athletic eligibility.

Sarah Perry, a civil rights attorney who has extensive experience litigating Title IX issues, said that in addition to Trump's executive order, the association is also flouting directives from the Department of Education and previously established precedent from a slew of cases that challenged former President Joe Biden's Title IX regulations allowing athletic eligibility to be determined by one's preferred gender identity. Perry noted that besides the obvious risk of losing funding, these states also open themselves up to federal Title IX investigations, something she said could potentially force them to comply with Trump's demands.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Maine Principals' Association for comment but did not receive a response by publication time.

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"It is absolutely reprehensible that people in a position of power would allow this against children who are trying to compete," Libby said. "There will not be enforcement from the state level, that is absolutely clear. So the only mechanism of enforcement that we have is for the administration to intervene."

Libby noted that after posting about Spencer's state championship title on social media, a young female competitor at the meet commented that she and her teammates did not even know they would be competing against a biological male until they arrived at the state championship meet on Monday. "It was so disheartening to find out, because, you immediately know the result," Libby told Fox News Digital. 

Libby also pointed out that it was illustrative of a larger problem in Maine when it comes to protecting women's rights in athletics.

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"This is not a first-time scenario here," she said. "There is another boy who has been running girls' cross-country for several fall seasons now. He was a mediocre athlete as a boy, but as a girl he is doing extremely well. This is increasing in Maine. And unless something is done at the federal level, I think we're just going to see more and more of it." 

Due to the win, Spencer has now automatically qualified for the multistate regional championships, taking the spot that would have been awarded to the female athlete who garnered second place had Spencer competed in the boys' division.

Trump on Thursday said that Maine will not receive federal funding until it complies with his executive order requiring schools and athletic associations to ensure biological males do not compete on women's sports teams. 

"I heard men are still playing in Maine," the president said Friday during a speech at the annual National Governors Association conference in Washington, D.C. "I hate to tell you this, but we're not going to give any federal money. They are still saying, ‘We want men to play in women’s sports,' and I cannot believe they are doing that… so we're not going to give them any federal funding, none whatsoever, until they clean that up." 

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Trump met with governors at the White House on Friday, including Maine's Democratic Gov. Janet Mills, amid the conference taking place in the nation's capital. For a brief moment, Trump and Mills got into a verbal skirmish over his move to slash the state's federal funding due to its defiance against Trump's executive order barring men from competing in women's sports.

"You better do it because you're not going to get federal funding," Trump said to Mills, to which she responded: "We're going to follow the law, sir. We'll see you in court."

"Enjoy your life after governor, because I don't think you'll be an elected official afterward," Trump shot back. 

In a statement to Fox News Digital, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said, "Partisan elected officials and judicial activists who seek to legally obstruct President Trump’s agenda are defying the will of 77 million Americans who overwhelmingly re-elected President Trump," and added that "their efforts will fail."

"All of President Trump’s executive actions are lawful, constitutional and intended to deliver on the promises he made to the American people," Leavitt said. "The Trump Administration is prepared to fight these battles in court and will prevail."

New exclusive video obtained by Fox News reveals intense moments from a high-speed vehicle chase as law enforcement pursued two illegal immigrants suspected of carrying fentanyl through a cornfield in Grundy County, Illinois, late last year. 

A Grundy County official told Fox News that Illinois sanctuary state policies allowed the two Honduran illegal immigrants to travel through the county unchecked. 

Grundy is a primarily rural county northwest of Chicago. 

The footage, taken Oct. 24, shows the two immigrants, Roybin Barahona, 18, and Cristhian Anahel Erazo Velasquez, 23, swerving in a vehicle through the cornfield, and authorities rammed a vehicle into their car to get them to stop. After their car was rammed, the two men fled their sedan, and officers continued their pursuit. 

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Footage taken later shows law enforcement discovering a deadly payload of seven pounds of fentanyl in the immigrants’ burned-out vehicle. Both were charged with controlled substance trafficking, possession with intent to deliver fentanyl and resisting arrest, according to local outlet WSPY News. 

Due to the Illinois SAFE-T Act, which abolished Illinois’ cash bail system in 2023, Barahona was released without bail, after which he allegedly fled to California. 

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Velasquez, meanwhile, remains in custody, and the Department of Homeland Security has filed a detainer against him. Despite the detainer, Illinois sanctuary laws continue to prevent local law enforcement from sharing information with federal immigration officials about Velasquez. 

Speaking with Fox News, Grundy County Board Chairman Drew Muffler voiced his frustration with the Illinois sanctuary law. He said that "because we are a sanctuary state, it allowed for illegal bad actors to be traveling with seven pounds of fentanyl through our county.

PRESIDENT TRUMP: FOUNDING FATHERS ‘SPINNING IN THEIR GRAVES’ BECAUSE OF BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP ABUSE

"I don’t agree with putting handcuffs on law enforcement and preventing them from working effectively with federal authorities," he said. "By restricting law enforcement’s ability to enforce the law, we are undermining public safety." 

Grundy County was the first of several dozen counties in Illinois that defied the state by enacting a non-sanctuary ordinance. This comes after an influx of over 51,000 immigrants were bussed to Chicago since the summer of 2022.

During the migrant crisis, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has doubled down on the city’s sanctuary policies, saying in a recent ABC 7 Chicago interview, "We will always remain a welcoming and sanctuary space."

Johnson vowed to resist the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration and called the decision to allow ICE to carry out enforcement and removal operations on church and school properties "unconscionable and reprehensible." 

Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content.

Here's what's happening…

-White House protector and most-decorated K-9 in US history dies: 'A very good boy'

-Noem makes aggressive new move to ramp up arrests, deportations of illegal immigrants

-Luigi Mangione's CEO murder case raises concerns activist jurors may ignore evidence

President Donald Trump on Thursday announced that he will cut off federal funding to the state of Maine if it continues to defy his executive order preventing trans athletes from competing in girls' and women's sports. 

"I heard men are still playing in Maine," Trump said to a gathering of Republican governors in Washington on Thursday. 

"I hate to tell you this, but we're not going to give them any federal money, they are still saying ‘we want men to play in women’s sports' and I can not believe that they're doing that… So we’re not going to give them any federal funding, none whatsoever, until they clean that up."…Read more

NO TROs: Trump's DOGE stays on track after pair of federal judge rulings…Read  more

'PARDON CZAR': Trump appoints Alice Marie Johnson 'pardon czar' during Black History Month event at White House…Read more

NOT LEAVING?: Group of Venezuelans sue Trump admin for temporary immigration protections…Read more

MIDDLE EAST: Hamas claims remains of mother of two young boys mixed with other human remains after Israeli airstrike…Read more

'VERY FRUSTRATED': US turns up pressure on Ukraine to reach peace deal as Trump’s frustrations with Zelenskyy escalate…Read more

PUTTING UP A WALL: Joint Chiefs chairman heads to US-Mexico border to review troops…Read more

'BRAZEN VIOLATION': Israel's Netanyahu calls for 'revenge' after Hamas returns wrong remains…Read more

SENATE OUT-HUSTLES HOUSE: Senate border budget triumphs after all-night session while Trump-backed House bill lags…Read more

WHO LET THE DOGE OUT?: Red state governor says DOGE aligns with GOP’s ‘fiscal sanity’…Read more

CUT THE 'BS': Defense Sec. Hegseth on working with DOGE…Read more

TRUMP WEIGHS IN: Trump says this congressman would have his 'Total Endorsement' if he runs for Florida governor…Read more

'OUT OF CONTROL': Chainsaw-wielding Elon Musk makes ‘Dark MAGA’ appearance with Javier Milei at CPAC…Read more

'FULL TRANSPARENCY': Kash Patel lays out FBI's top priorities in letter to subordinates…Read more

'KICKED OUT': AG Bondi on how to deal with violent anti-Israel student protesters in the US on visas…Read more

DOGE DISCIPLE: Sec. Doug Burgum says Interior Dept. is 'completely embracing the DOGE effort'…Read more

Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.

Trump's criticisms come as the UK and French leaders prepare to visit the White House next week.

When Sir Keir Starmer touches down in Washington next week, he will be treading a fine diplomatic line.

Colorado lawmakers spent hours Friday afternoon considering a Democrat-led resolution to condemn President Donald Trump's pardons of Jan. 6 prisoners while the state grapples with an estimated $1.2 billion budget shortfall for the 2025-26 fiscal year. 

"With skyrocketing costs, a $1 billion budget deficit, rising crime and an affordability crisis pushing families to the brink, it is appalling that the majority is more focused on passing meaningless, partisan resolutions instead of addressing the real concerns of Coloradans," Republican minority leader Rep. Rose Pugliese told Fox News Digital in a statement. 

Pugliese also called the resolution "political theater" to "divide rather than deliver results for our communities."

The measure passed by a 41-23 vote in the Democrat-controlled state House of Representatives. Rep. Lisa Feret, a Democrat, voted against the resolution.

COLORADO POISED TO BAN SALE OF AR-15S, OTHER RIFLES AND SHOTGUNS WITH EXTENDED MAGS

Republicans, who spent time providing public comment against the bill, also turned their chairs around to face away from the assembly speaker during the hearing. Lawmakers tried to introduce several amendments to the resolution to change some of the phrasing used in the bill, but they were rejected.

"To Hell with your concerns about cost of living, crime, and other important issues," Republican state Rep. Jarvis Caldwell wrote on X. "Democrats are running another January 6th resolution. We turned our chairs in protest, and now we’re having a debate about it."

State Republican Rep. Ryan Gonzalez also posted on X, saying, "The majority, instead of addressing issues the voters sent us to do—are instead passing messaging resolutions aimed *indirectly* at the sitting President."

The Colorado House GOP X account posted that "not one life in Colorado will be saved by this resolution."

Another X post said, "Democrats could be working on real solutions to our 1 BILLION dollar budget deficit. Instead, they are playing political games."

Rep. Lauren Boebert, a Republican who represents Colorado's 4th Congressional District in the U.S. House, tweeted, "Will Colorado Dems playing partisan politics lower the cost of eggs?"

The measure, sponsored by state Democratic senators Nick Hinrichsen and Matt Ball, passed along party lines in the state Senate earlier this month in a 21-12 vote. The Democratic lawmakers condemned Trump's pardons and the mass firings of FBI agents assigned to investigate the Jan. 6 Capitol riots. 

Democratic representatives Sean Camacho and Michael Carter were the sponsors of the state House version.

"Colorado House Republicans have now launched a full-throated defense of the January 6th rioters," state Rep. Steven Woodrow, a Democrat, wrote on Bluesky Social, an X-like social media platform favored by progressives. "They can turn their backs on America—but we see them, and we know the truth."

DAS MAY TRY TO CHARGE JAN. 6 PARTICIPANTS GRANTED CLEMENCY BY TRUMP WITH NEW CRIMES ON STATE, LOCAL LEVELS

Democratic state Rep. Lorena Garcia also wrote on Bluesky Social saying, "While this resolution will pass, today is a wake up call to all Coloradans who believe in freedom, that the republican party is not a party that believes in freedom. It is the party of authoritarianism, it’s the party of fascism."

All the Jan. 6 defendants — more than 1,500 — were pardoned by Trump as one of his first executive actions in January. 

Kash Patel, President Donald Trump's pick to head the FBI, was sworn in on Friday after a narrow Senate confirmation vote Thursday. 

Patel was sworn in at the Eisenshower Executive Office Building by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi after being confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the ninth-ever FBI director, succeeding Christopher Wray. Patel, who is Indian-American, is the first person of color to become FBI director. 

"I am living the American dream," Patel said after taking his oath of office. "And anyone that thinks the American dream is dead: just look right here. You're talking to a first-generation Indian kid who's about to lead the law enforcement community of the greatest nation on God's green earth. That can't happen anywhere else." 

FBI NOMINEE KASH PATEL CONFIRMED IN NARROW SENATE VOTE

Patel also made a promise to the lawmakers who confirmed him and those who opposed his nomination.

"There will be accountability within the FBI and outside of the FBI, and we will do it through rigorous constitutional oversight starting this weekend." 

Patel has been a longtime Trump ally and a fierce opponent of the investigations into the president. During his confirmation hearing last month, Patel vowed he would not engage in political retribution against agents who worked on the Trump classified documents case and other politically sensitive matters.

He faced a rocky path to confirmation – similar to other fellow Trump picks – despite the Republican-majority chamber. Democrats on the panel used their political weight to delay Patel’s confirmation vote earlier this month. 

TRUMP FBI DIRECTOR NOMINEE KASH PATEL PICKS UP SUPPORT FROM KEY GOP SENATOR

On the Senate floor, top Judiciary Democrat Dick Durbin claimed Patel had been behind recent mass firings at the FBI. Durbin cited what he described as "highly credible" whistleblower reports that indicated Patel had personally directed the ongoing FBI employee purge prior to his confirmation.

Patel brings to the office an extensive background in national security and intelligence. He previously engaged in personally carrying out dangerous missions in the Middle East in an effort to bring home U.S. hostages and also implemented counterterrorism strategies against America’s most-wanted terrorists. 

4 OF THE BIGGEST CLASHES BETWEEN PATEL, SENATE DEMS AT HIS CONFIRMATION HEARING

Current and former U.S. national security officials and lawmakers told Fox News Digital previously that he, "objectively," is "one of the most experienced people ever to be nominated" to lead the bureau. 

Patel's confirmation to head the office comes at a time when the FBI's activities are under extreme scrutiny for possible political motivations, including its own leadership and decisions. 

Previously, thousands of FBI agents as well as their superiors were ordered to fill out a questionnaire detailing their roles in the Jan. 6 investigation, prompting concerns of retaliation or retribution. 

"There will be no politicization at the FBI," Patel said during his confirmation hearing. "There will be no retributive action."

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Patel previously served as deputy assistant to the president and as senior director for counterterrorism under the first Trump administration, wherein he worked on presidential missions aimed at decimating al-Qaeda senior leadership and ISIS command and control.

Patel was also involved in planning the mission to take out Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, among others. 

Fox News Digital's Breanne Deppisch, Morgan Phillips, and Brooke Singman contributed to this report. 

The Trump administration is replacing the acting head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) over concerns about the pace of deportations and arrests of illegal immigrants.

A source familiar confirmed to Fox News that acting ICE Director Caleb Vitello has been removed from his position. The source said that the administration is not happy with the pace of deportations and arrests. The development was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.

A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security confirmed the personnel change to Fox News.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ARRESTS SKYROCKET UNDER TRUMP ICE COMPARED TO BIDEN LEVELS LAST YEAR

"Caleb Vitello, acting director of ICE, is no longer in an Administrator role. He is, however, overseeing all field and enforcement operations: finding, arresting, and deporting illegal aliens, which is a major priority of President Trump and Secretary Noem," they said.

ICE arrests have gone up significantly since the beginning of the administration, but not enough to meet the administration’s targets. President Donald Trump had promised a "historic" mass deportation campaign on the campaign trail.

Fox reported last week that Department of Homeland Security data showed 11,791 interior ICE arrests from Jan 20 to Feb 8., compared to 4,969 during the same period in 2024. That’s a 137% increase.

Arrests of aliens with criminal histories have soared by nearly 100% from 4,526 in the same period in 2024 to 8,993 under Trump this year. 

TRUMP'S ICE LIMITS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT RELEASES AMID MOVES TO SHAKE OFF BIDEN ‘HANGOVER’ 

Separately, numbers coming across at the border have plummeted. Fox News reported last week that the daily average number of known gotaways — illegal migrants who successfully entered the U.S. without apprehension — at the southern border since the beginning of February has plummeted to just 132 per day, down 93% from the highest numbers when former President Joe Biden was in office. Border czar Tom Homan said this week that border crossings are down 95% "based on actual data."

Meanwhile, DHS has made a number of moves to expand ICE enforcement, including taking Biden-era limits on where agents can make arrests, deputizing officers from other agencies, and using federal prisons to house illegal immigrants. It has also ended Biden-era parole policies that allowed migrants to enter at ports of entry or be approved for travel into the U.S. Fox previously reported that the 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE

The administration is also using Guantanamo Bay to house migrants. The DOH launched legal action against multiple "sanctuary" cities that do not co-operate with ICE. 

Fox News Digital reported on Friday that the administration has also ended a Biden-era extension of Temporary Protected Status for Haitian nationals, echoing a similar move from last month for Venezuelans.

Fox News' Mike Emanuel contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump swore in Howard Lutnick as his secretary of commerce at the White House Friday. 

Lutnick has voiced support for Trump’s tariff proposals, and said during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation in January that the U.S. "can use tariffs to create reciprocity." 

The Trump administration has ordered federal agencies to investigate imposing reciprocal tariffs to correct any tariff imbalances that exist between countries that sell U.S. products. Lutnick said Feb. 13 that a report on the issue will be ready by April 1. 

Additionally, Lutnick, the former chair and CEO of investment firm Cantor Fitzgerald, vowed he would sell all his business interests upon confirmation to avoid any conflicts of interests. 

"My plan is to only serve the American people," Lutnick told lawmakers in January. "So I will divest, meaning I will sell all of my interests, all of my business interests, all of my assets, everything." 

The Senate confirmed Lutnick Tuesday by a 51–45 margin. 

Deirdre Heavey and Aubrie Spady contributed to this report. 

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms' (ATF) chief legal counsel was fired by Attorney General Pam Bondi on Thursday, the former ATF official confirmed on social media. 

"Earlier today, I was served official notice from the Attorney General of the United States that I was being removed from my position as the Chief Counsel of ATF and my employment with the Department of Justice terminated," Pamela Hicks posted on her LinkedIn page on Thursday, confirming the termination. 

Hicks had served as ATF's chief counsel since 2021 under the Biden administration, and served as deputy chief counsel for ATF under President Donald Trump's first administration. She spent 23 years overall as an attorney within the Department of Justice (DOJ), she posted to LinkedIn. 

"Serving as ATF Chief Counsel has been the highest honor of my career and working with the people at ATF and throughout the Department has been a pleasure," Hicks continued in her LinkedIn post. "I thank my colleagues for their friendship and partnership over the years." 

AG BONDI SAYS VIOLENT ANTI-ISRAEL STUDENT PROTESTERS IN US ON VISAS 'NEED TO BE KICKED OUT'

A source familiar with the termination said Hicks was escorted out of the ATF building upon her termination. 

"ATF respects the rights of all our employees," ATF told Fox News Digital when asked about Hicks' termination. "As a general policy, ATF does not comment on personnel matters, including but not limited to, specific personnel issues, actions, or the existence of ongoing investigations."

The firing comes after a handful of senior DOJ officials have quit or been fired in recent days. At least seven federal prosecutors quit in February over the Trump DOJ ordering the corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams be dropped, while Trump on Tuesday ordered the DOJ to "clean house" of all Biden-era U.S. attorneys. 

"Therefore, I have instructed the termination of ALL remaining 'Biden Era' U.S. Attorneys. We must ‘clean house’ IMMEDIATELY, and restore confidence," Trump wrote. "America’s Golden Age must have a fair Justice System - THAT BEGINS TODAY!" Trump posted to Truth Social. 

VP JD VANCE SPEAKS ON 'FUNDAMENTAL GOAL' OF TRUMP ADMINISTRATION AT CPAC ADDRESS

Bondi, who was confirmed as the nation's 87th attorney general on Feb. 5, joined the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) near Washington, D.C., on Thursday, where she remarked that the sheer "volume" of political weaponization in the DOJ left over from the Biden administration concerned her. 

"What concerned me the most? It's the volume of how bad it was, and it still is," she said while speaking with Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, on a live episode of his podcast, "Verdict." "We're working on it. It's day by day by day, but we've got a team of great people. And on day one, I issued 14 executive orders. And number one is the weaponization ends. And it ends now. And that's what we did." 

TRUMP ORDERS ALL BIDEN-ERA US ATTORNEYS TO BE FIRED: 'WE MUST CLEAN HOUSE IMMEDIATELY'

Bondi added that the state of the DOJ was "worse" than she expected. 

"Worse meaning, that department had completely lost its mission of fighting violent crime," she said of the DOJ. "Look what they did to President Trump. Look at the weaponization." 

ATF was transferred from the Department of Treasury to the Department of Justice in 2003, following the Homeland Security Act mandating that the law enforcement agency join the DOJ amid the nation's reshuffling of the federal government to better combat terrorism following 9/11.