Congressional Democrats expressed immediate outrage at President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance's explosive White House meeting with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday, which ended with Trump asking him to leave. 

"Trump and Vance are doing Putin’s dirty work. Senate Democrats will never stop fighting for freedom and democracy," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-NY, said on X in response to Vance telling Zelenskyy his behavior was disrespectful and Trump saying he was "gambling with World War III." 

TRUMP SAYS UKRAINE RARE EARTH MINERALS DEAL WILL LEAD TO 'SUSTAINABLE' FUTURE BETWEEN US, UKRAINE

Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin, D-IL, claimed the Ukrainian president is owed an apology, noting, "Ukrainians have fought tooth-and-nail on the frontlines of democracy against Russian aggression." 

"Pres. Trump and VP Vance’s words to Pres. Zelenskyy are rude and utterly shameful," he wrote. 

TRUMP, VANCE AND ZELENSKYY SPAR OVER RUSSIAN WAR IN TENSE EXCHANGE: 'VERY DISRESPECTFUL'

"Trump berates Zelensky, the leader of a democratic country courageously fighting Russian imperialism, while he allies himself with Putin, a dictator who started the bloodiest European war in 80 years," said Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-VT.

"Sorry, President Trump. We believe in democracy, not authoritarianism."

TRUMP SAYS ZELENSKYY CAN 'COME BACK WHEN HE IS READY FOR PEACE' AFTER FIERY WHITE HOUSE EXCHANGE

Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., posted on X, "A hero and a coward are meeting in the Oval Office today. And when the meeting is over, the hero will return home to Ukraine." 

Zelenskyy joined Trump and Vance in the Oval Office to discuss a path for peace between Russia and Ukraine, which remain at war after the former invaded its neighbor in 2022. However, the discussion quickly devolved into chaos as the Ukrainian president challenged his U.S. counterparts in front of the press. 

"Mr. President, with respect, I think it's disrespectful for you to come into the Oval Office to try to litigate this in front of the American media," Vance replied to Zelenskyy after he pushed back on the notion of engaging in diplomacy to end the war. 

The Ukrainian president then departed the White House at the request of Trump, without signing an agreement that would give the U.S. access to Ukraine’s critical minerals in exchange for the financial support the U.S. has given Ukraine since 2022, as part of a negotiated peace deal. 

Rep. Brittany Pettersen, D-Colo., said she was "horrified" by the exchange, adding, "It is stunning that the US is now siding with dictators and not standing up for freedom, democracy, and global stability. I’m deeply concerned for the people in Ukraine and our country’s long-term national security."

Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-MN, told Vance in an X post, "Shame on you," for asking whether Zelenskyy had thanked the U.S. 

"Answer to Vance: Zelenskyy has thanked our country over and over again both privately and publicly. And our country thanks HIM and the Ukrainian patriots who have stood up to a dictator, buried their own & stopped Putin from marching right into the rest of Europe," she wrote on X. 

"Watching Trump and Vance serve as Putin’s mouthpieces in the Oval Office was one of the most shameful moments in American diplomacy," remarked Rep. Mark Takano, D-CA, who called for every Republican to "publicly condemn it."

Congressional Democrats expressed immediate outrage at President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance's explosive White House meeting with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday, which ended with Trump asking him to leave. 

"Trump and Vance are doing Putin’s dirty work. Senate Democrats will never stop fighting for freedom and democracy," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-NY, said on X in response to Vance telling Zelenskyy his behavior was disrespectful and Trump saying he was "gambling with World War III." 

TRUMP SAYS UKRAINE RARE EARTH MINERALS DEAL WILL LEAD TO 'SUSTAINABLE' FUTURE BETWEEN US, UKRAINE

Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin, D-IL, claimed the Ukrainian president is owed an apology, noting, "Ukrainians have fought tooth-and-nail on the frontlines of democracy against Russian aggression." 

"Pres. Trump and VP Vance’s words to Pres. Zelenskyy are rude and utterly shameful," he wrote. 

TRUMP, VANCE AND ZELENSKYY SPAR OVER RUSSIAN WAR IN TENSE EXCHANGE: 'VERY DISRESPECTFUL'

"Trump berates Zelensky, the leader of a democratic country courageously fighting Russian imperialism, while he allies himself with Putin, a dictator who started the bloodiest European war in 80 years," said Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-VT.

"Sorry, President Trump. We believe in democracy, not authoritarianism."

TRUMP SAYS ZELENSKYY CAN 'COME BACK WHEN HE IS READY FOR PEACE' AFTER FIERY WHITE HOUSE EXCHANGE

Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., posted on X, "A hero and a coward are meeting in the Oval Office today. And when the meeting is over, the hero will return home to Ukraine." 

Zelenskyy joined Trump and Vance in the Oval Office to discuss a path for peace between Russia and Ukraine, which remain at war after the former invaded its neighbor in 2022. However, the discussion quickly devolved into chaos as the Ukrainian president challenged his U.S. counterparts in front of the press. 

"Mr. President, with respect, I think it's disrespectful for you to come into the Oval Office to try to litigate this in front of the American media," Vance replied to Zelenskyy after he pushed back on the notion of engaging in diplomacy to end the war. 

The Ukrainian president then departed the White House at the request of Trump, without signing an agreement that would give the U.S. access to Ukraine’s critical minerals in exchange for the financial support the U.S. has given Ukraine since 2022, as part of a negotiated peace deal. 

Rep. Brittany Pettersen, D-Colo., said she was "horrified" by the exchange, adding, "It is stunning that the US is now siding with dictators and not standing up for freedom, democracy, and global stability. I’m deeply concerned for the people in Ukraine and our country’s long-term national security."

Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-MN, told Vance in an X post, "Shame on you," for asking whether Zelenskyy had thanked the U.S. 

"Answer to Vance: Zelenskyy has thanked our country over and over again both privately and publicly. And our country thanks HIM and the Ukrainian patriots who have stood up to a dictator, buried their own & stopped Putin from marching right into the rest of Europe," she wrote on X. 

"Watching Trump and Vance serve as Putin’s mouthpieces in the Oval Office was one of the most shameful moments in American diplomacy," remarked Rep. Mark Takano, D-CA, who called for every Republican to "publicly condemn it."

Law enforcement in Colorado and other states could soon have an easier time coordinating with federal authorities on immigration issues, especially when it comes to busting gangs and drug traffickers. 

Rep. Gabe Evans, R-Colo., introduced the "Unhandcuffing Police to Locate and Interdict Foreign Transgressors (UPLIFT) Act" in Congress earlier this week to prompt public officials in Colorado and nationwide to communicate with feds about illegal immigrants who are believed to have committed other crimes, even though certain state laws limit their ability to do so.

"State laws have a national impact, because if federal law enforcement uses information from a criminal justice database, and Colorado provided that information, the state and local cops in Colorado who provided that information can get in trouble," Evans said in an interview with Fox News Digital. "And so the feds don't want to get their state and local partners in trouble."

POLICE LEAD TREN DE ARAGUA CRACKDOWNS AS EXCLUSIVE FOX NATION RIDE-ALONG EXPOSES VENEZUELA'S DEADLIEST GANG

The Republican noted that his suburban Denver district has made national headlines related to the border and illegal immigration crisis, despite being hundreds of miles away from the border itself.

In January, the Drug Enforcement Administration arrested roughly 50 illegal immigrants, many of whom had ties to the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, which the Trump administration now classifies as a foreign terrorist organization, Fox News Digital reported.

"I mean, look at the Tren de Aragua nightclub takedown that happened in my district, by the way," he said.

HUNDREDS OF FEDERAL AGENTS TARGET ALLEGED TREN DE ARAGUA MEMBERS IN COLORADO

"State and local law enforcement knew who those guys were. They just weren't allowed to do anything. And we had to wait until a new administration came into power to go send federal law enforcement out to get these guys," he said, adding that some of these challenges are "directly impacting community safety."

Evans also responded to any possible criticism that the bill would interfere with state's rights if passed.

"Under the Supremacy Clause and under the fact that this is expressly delegated to the federal government, this is not trampling on states' rights, and this is not overstepping the 10th Amendment," he argued.

TREN DE ARAGUA CRACKDOWN: 8 VENEZUELAN GANG MEMBERS INDICTED FOR SEX TRAFFICKING

As the congressman was sworn in this January, this is his first bill introduced in the chamber. The legislation is sponsored by fellow Colorado Republican Reps. Lauren Boebert, Jeff Crank and Jeff Hurd.

"Proud to be an original co-sponsor of the UPLIFT Act. [CO-3] will be safer if Colorado cooperates with federal law enforcement—particularly when it comes to dangerous criminals here illegally," Hurd tweeted.

House Resolution 1680 has been referred to the House Judiciary Committee for next steps. 

Former White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was blasted on social media this week after she sat down for an interview giving a recap on her thoughts about the Biden debate performance and the fallout from Democrats.

"I … look, personally, I think what was the toughest thing to see in the three weeks was there was a disconnect for me [in] what was happening with leadership in the Democratic Party and how it was truly, as my former colleague, communications director Ben Labolt said, it was a firing squad," Jean-Pierre said at an event for the Institute of Politics at Harvard University on Wednesday.  

"I had never seen anything like it before. I had never seen a party do that in the way that they did, and it was hurtful and sad to see that happening," Jean-Pierre added. "A firing squad around a person who I believe was a true patriot, a person who I believe did everything that he can for this country. A person who I believe, as I mentioned before, has done more in one term than most presidents had done in two terms, historical things, and I was shocked by what I was seeing."

Jean-Pierre’s analysis, the first in-depth comments she has made on Biden’s exit from the race since she left the White House, drew immediate pushback from conservatives on social media. 

KARINE JEAN-PIERRE COMPARES DEMOCRATS CALLING FOR BIDEN TO BE KICKED OFF THE TICKET TO A 'FIRING SQUAD'

"She openly lied about Biden’s mental decline," Fox News contributor Joe Concha posted on X. "She blamed cheap fake videos, which many in media echoed. Worst press secretary of our lifetimes. And now she’s shocked, shocked. . . ."

"The most important takeaway from this is Karine still doesn’t understand that they did anything wrong," Republican communicator Matt Whitlock posted on X.

"She either genuinely believes that Joe Biden was the most cognitively aware person to ever be President, or she knows he wasn't fit to serve four more years and is once again lying to you," Greg Price of the White House Rapid Response team posted on X. "Either way, she's the worst Press Secretary in American history."

GRASSLEY, JOHNSON DEMAND NARA TURN OVER BIDEN RECORDS RELATING TO EMAIL ALIASES, FAMILY BUSINESS DEALINGS

"She's complicit," Fox News contributor Guy Benson posted on X. 

"She really thought she could just lie her way past Father Time," Substack writer Jim Treacher posted on X. 

Jean-Pierre said during her Harvard appearance that she has not been focused on watching the news since she left the White House. 

"I have not watched the news," she said. "I have really tried to focus on self-care. I’ve really tried to focus on my daughter. I have a 10-year-old. And I have done . . . it's, I think the best way to say this is, I have deprogrammed myself so that I could be a civilian again. I used to wake up at 4:30 in the morning. Like, that was my schedule every day for four years. And I thought that when I stepped away from the lectern and the podium that I would have this, like, adrenaline, like, I would need to feed my, like, ‘Aaah, I need to be doing something!’"

Fox News Digital's Alexander Hall contributed to this report

The Trump administration touted the extraditions of more than two dozen defendants from Mexico after the Department of Justice announced that the U.S. had taken 29 into custody.

"Today, the United States secured custody of 29 defendants from Mexico who are facing charges in districts around the country relating to racketeering, drug-trafficking, murder, illegal use of firearms, money laundering, and other crimes," the DOJ noted in a Thursday press release.

The announcement came as the president seeks to crack down on drug cartels and secure the nation's southern border.

MEXICO EXTRADITES DOZENS OF CARTEL LEADERS AND MEMBERS TO US, INCLUDING DRUG LORD RAFAEL CARO QUINTERO

"President Trump directed the Department of Justice and the Department of State to make this happen, and Attorney General Bondi and Secretary of State Rubio did a tremendous job in getting this done," the White House press secretary said in a statement on Friday.

The statement noted that the group "includes one of the most evil cartel bosses in the world, Rafael Caro Quintero, who tortured and murdered DEA Agent Kiki Camerena in 1985." 

"The previous Administration allowed these criminals to run free and commit crimes all over the world. The Trump Administration is declaring these thugs as terrorists, because that is what they are, and demanding justice for the American people," the statement adds.

After President Donald Trump issued an executive order on the topic in January, the State Department announced the designation of eight groups as foreign terrorist organizations last week.

Notorious entities including MS-13 and Tren de Aragua were among those designated.

TRUMP STATE DEPARTMENT DECLARES TREN DE ARAGUA, MS-13, MEXICAN DRUG CARTELS AS FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS

"The defendants taken into U.S. custody today include leaders and managers of drug cartels recently designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists, such as the Sinaloa Cartel, Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), Cártel del Noreste (formerly Los Zetas), La Nueva Familia Michoacana, and Cártel de Golfo (Gulf Cartel)," the Department of Justice noted in its Thursday press release.

FBI Director Kash Patel, who was just sworn in last week, declared that the federal law enforcement agency and its "partners will scour the ends of the earth to bring terrorists and cartel members to justice," the release noted.

MEXICAN DRUG CARTEL LEADER EXTRADITED TO THE US TO FACE FEDERAL DRUG TRAFFICKING CHARGES

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"The era of harming Americans and walking free is over," he said.

Fox News' Kaitlin Sprague contributed to this report

Efforts to advance a peace deal between the Ukraine and Russia came to a halt on Friday after President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sparred in the Oval Office. 

Trump accused Zelenskyy of "disrespecting" the U.S. and said the Ukrainian leader is not ready to secure peace for his country. 

"I have determined that President Zelenskyy is not ready for peace if America is involved, because he feels our involvement gives him a big advantage in negotiations," Trump said in a Truth Social post Friday. "I don't want advantage, I want PEACE. He disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office. He can come back when he is ready for Peace." 

Zelenskyy visited Washington amid negotiations to end the war in Ukraine, and was expected to sign a minerals agreement on Friday that will allow the U.S. access to Ukraine’s minerals — in exchange for support the U.S. has provided the country since Russia's invasion in 2022.

But things took a turn south, and Trump and Vice President JD Vance accused Zelenskyy of not being grateful for the support the U.S. has provided over the years and said that the Ukrainian leader was in a "bad position" at the negotiating table. 

"You're playing cards," Trump said. "You're gambling with the lives of millions of people. You're gambling with World War III. You're gambling with World War III. And what you're doing is very disrespectful to the country, this country."

Additionally, when asked if Zelenskyy believed Trump was on Ukraine’s side, Zelenskyy told reporters at the Oval Office that he believed the U.S. is on Ukraine’s side and reiterated the importance of stopping aggression from Russian President Vladimir Putin. 

Zelenskyy also emphasized the importance of Europe’s assistance during the conflict with Russia — prompting Trump to interject and claim U.S. contributions were more significant than Europe’s. But Zelenskyy pushed back and said that wasn’t true. 

TRUMP SAYS UKRAINE RARE EARTH MINERALS DEAL WILL LEAD TO ‘SUSTAINABLE’ FUTURE BETWEEN US, UKRAINE

Exact numbers on financial assistance to Ukraine vary slightly, depending on what is considered aid. However, Congress has appropriated $175 billion since 2022 for aid to Ukraine, according to the Council on Foreign Relations. 

Meanwhile, all European assistance to Ukraine between January 2022 and December 2024 totals roughly $138.7 billion, the German-based think tank the Kiel Institute estimates, with the U.S. contributing $119.7 billion in that same timeframe. 

Tensions between Zelenskyy and Trump have increased in recent weeks as the U.S. has worked with Ukraine and Russia to advance a peace negotiation. After U.S. officials met with Russian officials in Saudi Arabia Feb. 18 without Ukraine, Zelenskyy told reporters that "nobody decides anything behind our back."

Trump and Zelenskyy then traded barbs at one another, with Zelenskyy accusing Trump of advancing Russian "disinformation" and Trump labeling Zelenskyy a "dictator" that has failed his country.

TRUMP SAYS MINERALS DEAL HAS BEEN ‘PRETTY MUCH’ NEGOTIATED WITH ZELENSKYY, MEETING SLATED FOR FRIDAY

On Thursday, Trump didn't double down on that statement though.

When asked if he stood by his statement, he told reporters: "Did I say that? I can't believe I said that. Next question."

Trump also told reporters while meeting with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer Thursday that a peace negotiation was in the final stages, but he exercised caution about sharing details concerning a peacekeeping force in the region until a deal was finalized. 

"I think we're very well advanced on a deal," Trump said. "But we have not made a deal yet. So I don't like to talk about peacekeeping until we have a deal. I like to get things done."

Trump also said he didn't expect Putin to violate any agreement to create peace with Ukraine. 

"I don't believe he's going to violate his word," Trump said Thursday. "I don't think he'll be back when we make a deal. I think the deal is going to hold now."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dodged directly answering whether he believed President Donald Trump backed Ukraine while visiting the White House on Friday. 

Zelenskyy is visiting Washington amid negotiations to end the war in Ukraine, and is expected to sign a minerals agreement on Friday that will allow the U.S. access to Ukraine’s minerals — in exchange for support the U.S. has provided the country since Russia's invasion in 2022.

When asked if Zelenskyy believed Trump was on Ukraine’s side, Zelenskyy told reporters at the Oval Office that he believed the U.S. is on Ukraine’s side and reiterated the importance of stopping aggression from Russian President Vladimir Putin. 

Zelenskyy also emphasized the importance of Europe’s assistance during the conflict with Russia — prompting Trump to interject and claim U.S. contributions were more significant than Europe’s. But Zelenskyy pushed back and said that wasn’t true. 

TRUMP SAYS UKRAINE RARE EARTH MINERALS DEAL WILL LEAD TO ‘SUSTAINABLE’ FUTURE BETWEEN US, UKRAINE

Exact numbers on financial assistance to Ukraine vary slightly, depending on what is considered aid. However, Congress has appropriated $175 billion since 2022 for aid to Ukraine, according to the Council on Foreign Relations. 

Meanwhile, all European assistance to Ukraine between January 2022 and December 2024 totals roughly $138.7 billion, the German-based think tank the Kiel Institute estimates, with the U.S. contributing $119.7 billion in that same timeframe. 

Tensions between Zelenskyy and Trump have increased in recent weeks as the U.S. has worked with Ukraine and Russia to advance a peace negotiation. After U.S. officials met with Russian officials in Saudi Arabia Feb. 18 without Ukraine, Zelenskyy told reporters that "nobody decides anything behind our back."

Trump and Zelenskyy then traded barbs at one another, with Zelenskyy accusing Trump of advancing Russian "disinformation" and Trump labeling Zelenskyy a "dictator" that has failed his country.

TRUMP SAYS MINERALS DEAL HAS BEEN ‘PRETTY MUCH’ NEGOTIATED WITH ZELENSKYY, MEETING SLATED FOR FRIDAY

On Thursday, Trump didn't double down on that statement though.

When asked if he stood by his statement, he told reporters: "Did I say that? I can't believe I said that. Next question."

Trump also told reporters while meeting with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer Thursday that a peace negotiation was in the final stages, but he exercised caution about sharing details concerning a peacekeeping force in the region until a deal was finalized. 

"I think we're very well advanced on a deal," Trump said. "But we have not made a deal yet. So I don't like to talk about peacekeeping until we have a deal. I like to get things done."

Trump also said he didn't expect Putin to violate any agreement to create peace with Ukraine. 

"I don't believe he's going to violate his word," Trump said Thursday. "I don't think he'll be back when we make a deal. I think the deal is going to hold now."

Former President Joe Biden blamed "Barack" and former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi for his political ousting amid the election cycle in 2024, President Donald Trump shared in an interview reflecting on his conversations with the 46th president. 

"I went to the White House a few months before this all happened. … But I went there and he asked for a meeting, and I went and we talked for a little while, and at first I couldn’t… You couldn’t… He talked so low," Trump said in an interview with The Spectator's Ben Domenech Thursday afternoon at the White House. 

Trump's comments came after Domenech asked about Biden's apparent warm attitude toward Trump following the November 2024 election. He explained that Biden invited Trump to the White House following his electoral win over former Vice President Kamala Harris and asked him whom he "blamed" for the loss. 

"I asked him, I said, ‘So who do you blame?’ Because he was very angry, you know, he was a very angry guy, actually," Trump said. "And he said, ‘I blame Barack.’ And I never think of him as ‘Barack.’ You know, you always hear 'Obama.' You say, you have to think about that for a second. And he said, ‘and I also blame Nancy Pelosi.’"

DEM PARTY BLAME GAME: ACCUSATIONS FLY AS TO WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR HARRIS' MASSIVE LOSS TO TRUMP

Biden noted in his conversation that he did not blame Harris for the disarray in the Democratic Party during the election year, Trump said. 

"I said, ‘What about the vice president?' He said, "No, I don’t blame her,' which was interesting," Trump said. "He didn’t blame her. He blamed … he told me he blamed those two people." 

5 MISTAKES THAT DOOMED KAMALA HARRIS' CAMPAIGN AGAINST TRUMP

The year 2024 kicked off with Biden in the driver’s seat of the Democratic Party as he keyed up a re-election effort in what was shaping up to be a second match-up against Trump. 

In February 2024, however, Biden’s 81 years of age and mental acuity fell under public scrutiny after years of conservatives questioning the commander in chief’s mental fitness. 

Special counsel Robert Hur, who was investigating Biden’s alleged mishandling of classified documents as vice president, announced he would not recommend criminal charges against Biden for possessing classified materials after his vice presidency, calling Biden "a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory."

NANCY PELOSI FIRES BACK AT BERNIE SANDERS FOR COMMENTS ON DEMS' SWEEPING ELECTION LOSS: NO 'RESPECT'

The report renewed scrutiny over Biden’s mental acuity, which rose to a fever pitch in June 2024 after the president’s first and only presidential debate against Trump. 

Biden faced backlash for a handful of gaffes and miscues in the days leading up to his ill-fated debate against Trump, including Obama taking Biden’s wrist and appearing to lead him off a stage during a swank fundraiser, and also abroad when Italian Prime Minister Giogia Meloni guided Biden back to a group of world leaders when he appeared to wander off to give a thumbs-up to a parachutist during the G-7 summit. 

THE 'SQUAD,' WARREN AND SANDERS AMONG PROMINENT POLITICAL FIGURES WHO CRUISED TO RE-ELECTION VICTORIES

When the big debate day arrived, Biden missed his marks repeatedly, tripping over his responses and appearing to lose his train of thought as he squared up against Trump. The disastrous debate performance led to an outpouring from both conservatives and traditional Democrat allies calling on the president to bow out of the race in favor of a younger generation. 

On July 21, 2024, Biden issued a post announcing he would bow out of the race. He endorsed Harris to take the reins of the election in a follow-up post. 

Pelosi's relationship with Biden hit the rocks amid the speculation and the ultimate decision to bow out of the race, with Pelosi revealing on MSNBC earlier in February that she still has not spoken to Biden or former first lady Jill Biden in months but hopes to patch up their yearslong friendship. 

'ABANDON HARRIS' MOVEMENT FLIPPED DEARBORN TO TRUMP ON ELECTION DAY

Some Democrats and insiders have pointed to Obama for the 2024 loss, after Obama reportedly worked in the background in summer 2024 to encourage Biden’s ouster from the race. 

A handful of Obama's allies and former advisers helped lead the charge in calling on Biden to drop out of the race earlier in the summer of 2024, including former Obama adviser David Axelrod saying that Biden was "not winning this race;" longtime Obama friend George Clooney calling on the president to drop out of the race in a bombshell op-ed; and Jon Favreau, who served as former director of speech writing for Obama, also calling on Biden to drop out of the race ahead of his eventual departure. 

Fox News Digital reached out to the respective offices for Pelosi, Obama and Biden regarding Trump's comments but did not immediately receive replies. 

New York officials have reached an agreement to end a two-week unsanctioned strike by correctional officers over Democrat-backed prison reforms that they say have made conditions "unsafe," but a GOP lawmaker argued the deal fails to address "the basics of what people are angry about."

"The things that they're most upset about are things that are the subject of legislation," Republican state Sen. Daniel Stec told Fox News Digital in an interview Friday. 

The mediated deal was reached late Thursday between the New York State Correctional Officers, the government-affiliated corrections officers union, Police Benevolent Association (NYSCOPBA) and the state's Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS). 

However, since some 15,000 correction workers have been on a "wildcat strike," they were not present during negotiations, and a spokesperson for the striking workers told CBS the deal does not go far enough.

ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTERS ALLEGEDLY ASSAULT EMPLOYEE DURING BUILDING TAKEOVER AT BARNARD COLLEGE IN NEW YORK CITY

"The issues have always been there," Stec said. "Officer safety mandated overtime, some of these guys are working so much overtime that they're never home, and it's thrust upon them. On top of that, during the nature of their job, they're working, sometimes they are forced to work 24 or more hours consecutively."

At issue is a piece of prison reform legislation, the Humane Alternatives to Long-Term Solitary Confinement Act (HALT), that strikers want repealed. The law restricts solitary confinement and instead focuses on other rehabilitation methods, but since it went into effect in 2022, GOP lawmakers, citing department stats, say it has led to a 169% increase in inmate-on-inmate assaults, a 76% increase in inmate-on-staff assaults and a 32% jump in contraband cases.

Stec said "it's not safe for the officers, it's not safe inside for anybody" and said "this has been pointed out to the administration time and time again since before they put HALT into effect."

One mom of a corrections officer told Fox News Digital on Friday, "These are things that our governor doesn't care about."

"She doesn't care, she cares about the inmates and their rights," she said. "[The deal] is a slap in every officer's face."

Upon the released agreement, Gov. Kathy Hochul said in part, "My top priority is the safety of all New Yorkers, and for the past 11 days, I have deployed every possible State resource to protect the well-being of correction officers, the incarcerated population and local communities across New York." 

"Working with a mediator, we have reached a consent award to address many of the concerns raised by correction officers, put DOCCS back on the path to safe operations, respect the rights of incarcerated individuals and prevent future unsanctioned work stoppages," she said.

MEET THE FAR-LEFT GROUPS FUNDING ANTI-DOGE PROTESTS AT GOP OFFICES ACROSS THE COUNTRY

In a letter alongside the agreement, Mediator Martin F. Scheinman proposed a binding "Consent Award" that would formalize agreements reached in mediation and be enforceable by court order. He noted the enforcement of such an agreement is complicated by a temporary restraining order, which renders judicial enforcement difficult while the strike continues. He said the Consent Award will only be signed once the court order is complied with.

"I will not issue a CONSENT AWARD I believe will be unenforceable judicially," Scheinman wrote.

The mediation agreement temporarily suspends key provisions of the HALT Act for 90 days, with a review by the DOCCS commissioner after 30 days to determine if the suspension should continue. Following the suspension, a "circuit breaker" staffing metric will be implemented to prevent mandatory 24-hour overtime shifts, requiring facility adjustments if staffing falls below 70%. 

The agreement also says protesting officers will be shielded from disciplinary action if they return to work by March 1, but those involved in illegal activities will face penalties. Other provisions include pay increases, referral bonuses, mental health support and security screening to curtail drugs in the prison mail system. 

Additionally, the National Guard – which Hochul requested after thousands of officers did not show up to work – will remain onsite.

Stec said corrections officers see the deal as something the state is seeking to "shovel money at."

"In reading the agreement, there's a lot of discussion in there about overtime and money, and people are always going to talk about money, but the impetus to this has always been about their safety," he said.

BLUE STATE GOVERNOR'S 'GROSS MISMANAGEMENT' COST TAXPAYERS $1.6B FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT HEALTHCARE: AUDIT

Beginning on Feb. 17, two officers from the New York Department of Corrections began striking over "unsafe" conditions in their facilities, and support quickly cascaded across 38 of the state's 42 prisons, leading to thousands of workers participating in the strike without union approval, which is prohibited under New York law.

Days before the strike, officials at the Collins Correctional Facility in Erie County implemented a lockdown following an inmate uprising. 

Hochul threatened legal action earlier this week against striking correctional officers, announcing during a press conference that proceedings have commenced against nearly 400 officers, with New York State Police serving restraining orders to 380 individuals. Hochul said officers remaining on strike are considered absent without leave (AWOL), resulting in the loss of state health benefits and legal representation previously provided by their union.

"They know they are in violation of the New York State Taylor law," Hochul said during the press conferece. "They are also in violation of a temporary restraining order to return to work. We offered an amnesty period where they could go back to work, no questions asked."

Fox News Digital has reached out to Hochul's office and the NYSCOPBA for comment. 

Dominic Grieve is to lead a new working group, following a rise in incidents of anti-Muslim hatred.

The UK has offered Trump an effective veto on the deal because of its implications for US security.

President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sparred during their meeting at the White House to end the Russia-Ukraine War, including Vance asking Zelenskyy if he's "said thank you once this entire meeting." 

During Zelenskyy's visit to the White House, Vance said that a path to securing peace between Russia and Ukraine was through the U.S. engaging in diplomacy. 

"Mr. President, with respect, I think it's disrespectful for you to come into the Oval Office to try to litigate this in front of the American media," Vance told Zelenskyy. "Right now, you guys are going around and forcing conscripts to the front lines because you have manpower problems. You should be thanking the president for bringing it, to bring it into this country." 

TRUMP SAYS UKRAINE RARE EARTH MINERALS DEAL WILL LEAD TO 'SUSTAINABLE' FUTURE BETWEEN US, UKRAINE

"Have you've ever been to Ukraine that you say what problems we have?" Zelenskyy shot back. 

TUNE IN: BRET BAIER INTERVIEWS ZELENSKYY ON 'SPECIAL REPORT,' 6 PM ET ON FOX NEWS

"I've actually watched and seen the stories and I know that what happens is you bring people, you bring them on a propaganda tour," Vance continued. "Mr. President. Do you disagree that you've had problems bringing people into your military? And do you think that it's respectful to come to the Oval Office of the United States of America and attack the administration that is trying to trying to prevent the destruction of your country?" 

Zelenskyy continued that under war "everybody has problems, even you," and said that the U.S. would feel the war "in the future."

TRUMP SAYS MINERALS DEAL HAS BEEN ‘PRETTY MUCH’ NEGOTIATED WITH ZELENSKYY, MEETING SLATED FOR FRIDAY

"You don't know that," Trump responded as Zelenskyy said "God bless you" to Trump.

"Don't tell us what we're going to feel," Trump continued. "We're trying to solve a problem. Don't tell us what we're going to feel." 

"You are in no position to dictate that, remember that," Trump said, as Zelenskyy defended that he was simply answering Vance's questions. 

"I feel we're going to feel very good, very strong," Trump said. "You're right now not in a very good position. You've allowed yourself to be in a very bad position." 

"You don't have the cards right now. With us, you start having cards," Trump continued, as Zelesnkyy said, "I'm not playing cards."

TRUMP AND ZELENSKYY WAR OF WORDS HEATS UP EVEN AS US LOOKS TO WIND DOWN WAR IN UKRAINE 

"Yeah you're playing cards," Trump said. "You're gambling with the lives of millions of people. You're gambling with World War III. You're gambling with World War III. And what you're doing is very disrespectful to the country, this country."

Vance interjected, asking Zelenskyy if he's "said thank you once this entire meeting."

"You went to Pennsylvania and campaigned for the opposition in October, offer some words of appreciation for the United States of America and the president who's trying to save your country," Vance continued. 

The Ukraine leader argued Vance was speaking "loudly," before Trump shot back that Vance was not speaking loudly.

"Your country is in big trouble," Trump said. "Wait a minute. No, no, you've done a lot of talking. Your country is in big trouble." 

TRUMP SAYS UKRAINE RARE EARTH MINERALS DEAL WILL LEAD TO 'SUSTAINABLE' FUTURE BETWEEN US, UKRAINE

Zelenskyy traveled to the U.S. Friday to meet with Trump at the White House after Trump said Thursday that a peace negotiation to end the war between Ukraine and Russia is in its final stages. The Trump administration also was working to ink an agreement with Ukraine that would allow the U.S. access to Ukraine’s minerals in exchange for support the U.S. has offered the nation since war broke out in 2022, as part of the peace deal. 

"The problem is I've empowered you to be a tough guy, and I don't think you'd be a tough guy without the United States," Trump continued before the meeting wrapped up. "And your people are very brave. But you either going to make a deal or we're out. And if we're out, you'll fight it out. I don't think it's going to be pretty, but you'll fight it out. But you don't have the cards. But once we sign that deal, you're in a much better position. But you're not acting at all thankful. And that's not a nice thing. I'll be honest. That's not a nice thing." 

Shortly after the tense exchange in the White House, Trump posted on his Truth Social account that Zelenskyy was "not ready for Peace." A White House official confirmed to Fox News that Trump asked Zelenskyy to leave the White House following the exchange and canceled a scheduled press conference. The minerals deal was not signed. 

"We had a very meaningful meeting in the White House today. Much was learned that could never be understood without conversation under such fire and pressure," Trump posted to Truth Social on Thursday afternoon.

"It’s amazing what comes out through emotion, and I have determined that President Zelenskyy is not ready for Peace if America is involved, because he feels our involvement gives him a big advantage in negotiations. I don’t want advantage, I want PEACE. He disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office. He can come back when he is ready for Peace."

Fox News Digital's Diana Stancy contributed to this report. 

Virginia became the latest in a handful of mostly GOP states that are compelling their law enforcement officers to work with federal authorities to deport illegal immigrants.

Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin issued Executive Order 47 on Tuesday afternoon, mandating that state law enforcement and correctional agencies enter into formal agreements with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), pledging "full cooperation" when it comes to helping them identify and deport undocumented illegal immigrants. The governor cited federal law under the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, which allows state and local law enforcement officials to enter into agreements that "federally deputize" them to perform certain actions in support of federal immigration enforcement. 

"Dangerous criminal illegal immigrants should not be let back into our communities to assault, rape and murder," Youngkin said in an announcement about the new mandate. "They should be sent back where they came from."

TRUMP'S ‘GOLD CARD’ VISA PLAN A BOON FOR AMERICAN ECONOMY, EXPERT SAYS: ‘MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL’

While Virginia is just the latest among a handful of mostly GOP states to compel its law enforcement to work with ICE, the scope of these new cooperation requirements varies slightly from state to state. 

Some states, like Tennessee, have implemented compelled cooperation to focus specifically on pursuing criminal undocumented immigrants. Others, like Virginia, are instructing their police to assist with apprehending and deporting any undocumented immigrants living illegally in their state.  

Under Youngkin's new order, Virginia State Police will enter into a "287(g) Task Force Model Memorandum of Understanding" with ICE, creating a "State Police Task Force" to help with identifying and apprehending "criminal illegal immigrants" who pose a risk to the public. 

The agreement gives these federally deputized officers special authority to perform immigration enforcement functions under ICE's supervision that they typically would not otherwise engage in.

In addition to mandating compliance from state law enforcement officials, Youngkin's Executive Order  tasks the state's secretary of public safety and homeland security, Terrance Cole, to request "certification" from local and regional jail authorities that they will provide full cooperation with ICE and the newly deputized state task force. This agreement will allow Virginia Department of Corrections facilities to be used for immigration matters, such as processing and detention.

SIX-TIME DEPORTED GANG MEMBER WANTED FOR MURDER BUSTED IN TEXAS ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION STING   

Cole is also required under the new order to contact every director, sheriff or other official in charge of a local or regional jail in Virginia to certify that they will fully cooperate with ICE and the newly deputized Virginia State Police task force supporting them. 

"I am a legal immigrant and now a naturalized citizen. Working together, the Governor, Attorney General, and I have made Virginia safer. We supported more funding for law enforcement and tackled violent crimes in our cities. Now, working with President Trump, we can take on the scourge of dangerous and violent illegal immigrants," said Lt. Governor Winsome Earle-Sears, who is running for governor to succeed Youngkin, who is term-limited.

"We’ve seen too many tragic stories after dangerous criminals in this country illegally were put back on the streets, and this executive order will make sure we send them back to where they came from," Earle-Sears concluded.

Former United States Agency for International Development (USAID) employees were seen collecting their belongings and exiting the federal building a final time following a slew of layoffs, video obtained by Fox News Digital showed.

Dozens of individuals gathered outside the USAID building in Washington, D.C., on Thursday to support the ex-USAID employees who were recently placed on leave, holding signs that read "you're not the federal worker that should be fired" and "make America compassionate again."

The ex-USAID employees were met by supporters outside protesting the layoffs, carrying their belongings and flowers as they left the building together in a line.

"DOGE fired me illegally, and all I got was this stupid sign," one employee's poster read.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION CUTTING 90% OF USAID FOREIGN AID CONTRACTS, DOCUMENTS SHOW

Workers and supporters were seen getting emotional as the former employees left the building, images captured by Fox News Digital showed.

The slew of layoffs came after the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by billionaire Elon Musk, conducted a sweep of the agency and recommended cuts after identifying "wasteful" spending on programs and initiatives around the world.

Following the DOGE probe, the Trump administration placed nearly 1,600 USAID employees on administrative leave globally on Sunday.

Those fired or placed on administrative leave were given two days, Thursday and Friday, to enter the building and collect their belongings, according to instructions from USAID.

Employees were given about 15 minutes to collect personal belongings from their workspaces.

SUPREME COURT TEMPORARILY ALLOWS TRUMP'S FREEZE ON USAID PAYMENTS

"Staff will be given approximately 15 minutes to complete this retrieval, and must be finished removing items within their time slot only," USAID stated in their instructions. 

"Staff with a significant amount of personal belongings to retrieve must be cognizant of time; however, flexibility may be granted in select circumstances with the approval of the Office of Security," the agency said.

USAID did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

Labour MPs have been disciplined in not publicly opposing policies which privately make them queasy, but that may change.

A 10-year-old schoolboy from the remote island of Tristan da Cunha speaks to the Youth Parliament.

Keir Starmer hands the US president an invitation letter as the pair meet at the White House.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., warned Friday that children, families, seniors and everyday Americans with disabilities will be "devastated" after House Republicans this week "passed the budget resolution that sets in motion the largest Medicaid cut in American history." 

"Children will be devastated in the city of New York and beyond. Families will be devastated. Seniors will be devastated. Everyday Americans with disabilities will be devastated," the New York Democrat said. "Hospitals will potentially close here in New York state, in rural America and across the country. And nursing homes will certainly be shut down. 

"Every single House Democrat from New York City, from New York State and across the country oppose this reckless Republican budget, and we will continue to do so as long as the health care of the American people is being targeted, as long as nutritional assistance for children and families is being targeted by the extreme MAGA Republicans," Jeffries added. 

Jeffries spoke Friday as Republicans in Congress searching for a way around the $880 billion budget shortfall needed to be covered in order to extend President Donald Trump’s tax cuts are considering changing the way Medicaid is funded, according to Politico. 

TRUMP BUDGET BILL EXTENDING FIRST-TERM TAX CUTS SURVIVES HOUSE VOTE 

As it stands, states must contribute their own matching funds to qualify for federal Medicaid dollars, but Republicans are weighing whether to prevent states from taxing insurers and healthcare providers as a way to raise that cash, a Politico report said Wednesday. Doing so would leave states with a $612 billion hole in their budgets over the next 10 years, the report said.

GOP leaders argue that states are inflating Medicaid costs because they are kicking back the taxes to those sources through higher payment rates, the report added. 

"States and providers scheme so that the provider gets an enormous flow of federal dollars with no state cost exposure," Brian Blase of the Paragon Health Institute think-tank told the outlet. 

MEDICAID BECOMES FLASHPOINT IN HOUSE DEBATE OVER TRUMP BUDGET BILL 

However, the American Hospital Association is calling on Congress to "reject changes to states’ use of provider taxes, which help fund their Medicaid programs," as "[e]ven small adjustments in the use of this financing source would result in negative consequences for Medicaid beneficiaries as well as the broader health care system." 

"States’ approaches to financing their share of the program are subject to federal rules and oversight, including limits on the amount of revenue that states can generate through provider taxes. Congress is contemplating further restrictions on states’ ability to finance their share of Medicaid spending through such taxes," it said earlier this month. 

"Most states would be unable to close the financing gap created by further limiting states’ ability to tax providers," it warned. "States would need to make significant cuts to Medicaid to balance their budgets, including reducing eligibility, eliminating or limiting benefits, and reducing already low payment rates for providers." 

"States can use various sources to finance the non-federal share and would look to other sources if Congress limited their ability to use provider taxes," it also said. "This means that some states would have to consider increasing other forms of taxes, including income and sales tax, levied on all state residents." 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Democrats in Congress are fighting mad about Elon Musk’s email to federal workers asking them to name five things they accomplished in a week, with one representative saying the DOGE chief’s demands are "illegal" and another claiming Musk "has no idea what he’s doing."

"It's only controversial because it's against the law, and we're a country of laws, so you just have to follow the law," said Rep. Seth Moulton, D-MA, told Fox News Digital. "The bottom line is Elon Musk and Trump don't seem to care about following the law, as you and I are expected to follow."

At Musk’s direction, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) sent an email titled, "What did you do last week?" to federal employees. The message called on workers to submit five accomplishments over the past week or face possible termination.

In response, several federal agency leaders, including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, advised employees that compliance with the email was not necessary.

For many, the email represented what they believe to be the new administration’s disregard for the law and the value of federal workers.

DOGE TAKES A CHAINSAW TO FEDERAL SPENDING WITH 7 MAJOR VICTORIES THIS WEEK: 'GOT TO BE DONE'

This week, the American Federation of Federal Workers and several other groups launched a lawsuit against the OPM, arguing that the office cannot fire workers who do not comply with the email’s demands.

Fox News Digital spoke with Democrats and Republicans from the House and Senate to ask why the email ended up being so controversial.

"Who is Elon Musk to be sending out something like that?" said Rep. Jesus Garcia, D-IL.

WHITE HOUSE FIRES BACK AT PROGRESSIVE FILMMAKER: ‘DUMBEST STATEMENT OF THE YEAR’

"Someone who hasn't been vetted or who hasn't come before Congress trying to intimidate people into doing things they don't want to do. It's illegal. It's probably unconstitutional," he went on. "And that's why workers are pushing back."

Rep. Becca Balint, D-VT, said that in her view, "it's clear that Elon Musk has no idea what he's doing."

"He has no idea, he's incompetent," Balint said. "He sends out emails that contradict each other, sometimes within a 24-hour period. He sends out information that contradicts the people that Trump has appointed to be Cabinet secretaries. So, I think the sort of this mystique around him as being some kind of a genius is very quickly being shown to be actually just an illusion."

Musk called the email a "pulse check" to see if any supposed government employees were fraudulently collecting paychecks without actually working. President Donald Trump backed the message, saying it was "great" and that if you don’t answer the email "you’re fired."

REP. PRAMILA JAYAPAL, D-WA., SLAMS PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP AND ELON MUSK IN ANTI-DEPORTATION REMARKS 

Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-WA, said the consequences of Musk and DOGE firing anyone who does not reply to email would be significant.  

"The havoc that it would wreak on people to not answer an email and have that constitute termination is extreme for Americans across this country," she told Fox News Digital. "If people can't control air traffic in the skies, it makes Americans unsafe. If veterans don't have staff to actually give them benefits, and federal workers are fired in our National Parks, and Medicaid and Medicare and Social Security means average Americans are not going to get their checks."

"This is not a software company that you can blow up and nobody notices," she went on. "This is the federal government that provides critical benefits to American people everywhere."  

Offering a slightly different take, Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-OR, said that the email was an example of "cancel culture," and that Musk’s goal was to "have federal employees who are professionals be replaced by loyal minions who won't serve the people."

"His email was all about the cancel culture, canceling professionals in the government, delivering good services, and replacing them with loyalists who have no interest in sustaining the vision of our ‘We the People’ democracy," he said.

Republicans, meanwhile, stood firmly behind DOGE and said Musk’s email was a perfectly reasonable request.

"I think we should be very, very thankful for what Musk is doing," Rep. Brandon Gill, R-TX, told Fox News Digital. "We've got the most entrenched bureaucracy in all of world history, and if we're actually going to fight back against waste, fraud and abuse, you've got to do things a little bit differently."

'NEW LOW': LONGTIME HOUSE DEM RIPPED FOR 'DISGUSTING' QUESTIONING OF MUSK'S LOYALTY TO US AS AN IMMIGRANT

"Asking federal employees a simple question of, ‘What did you do today? What did you accomplish this past week?' I think it's about as basic as it gets," he went on. "I'm thrilled that he's doing it. I think that every single employee who didn't respond to him the first time should be fired, but they're being gracious and giving them a second chance."

"Bottom line is everybody who works for the government ought to be responsive," said Rep. Chip Roy, R-TX.

"I understand why it's disruptive if it's not the way things have been done," he added. "But it's the president who calls the shots, and the president yesterday reiterated that he thought it was important for the people who work for him, who work up through the government to the president to respond to what they're doing."

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION CUTTING 90% OF USAID FOREIGN AID CONTRACTS, DOCUMENTS SHOW

Roy noted that he believed Musk was "doing a great job with DOGE," and that the average American understands the email, "because they certainly have to answer for what they're doing in their real job."

"The president has the ability and the determination to decide whether people are upholding their job and doing the work that they're supposed to do and they're hired to do," he explained. "It's kind of sending a shock to the system because it's forcing people to do what they should be doing all the way down the branches of government."

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House's DOGE spokesperson but did not receive comment.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a recent press conference that "DOGE is fulfilling President Trump’s commitment to making government more accountable, efficient, and, most importantly, restoring proper stewardship of the American taxpayer’s hard-earned dollars."

"Those leading this mission with Elon Musk are doing so in full compliance with federal law, appropriate security clearances, and as employees of the relevant agencies, not as outside advisors or entities," she said. "The ongoing operations of DOGE may be seen as disruptive by those entrenched in the federal bureaucracy, who resist change. While change can be uncomfortable, it is necessary and aligns with the mandate supported by more than 77 million American voters."

Vice President JD Vance promised the Trump administration would advocate for Christians and serve as the "biggest defenders of religious liberties" during Friday's National Catholic Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C.

"While you're certainly not always going to agree with everything that we do in President Trump's administration, I feel very confident in saying that between protecting the rights of pro-life protesters, between ensuring that we have an opportunity to protect the rights of the unborn in the first place, and importantly, protecting the religious liberty of all people, but in particular Catholics," Vance said. 

"I think that we can say that President Trump, though not a Catholic himself, has been an incredibly good president for Catholics in the United States of America," said Vance, who converted to Catholicism in 2019. 

US CONFERENCE OF CATHOLIC BISHOPS SUES TRUMP IMMIGRATION, REFUGEE FUNDING FREEZE 

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Feb. 6 to stand up the Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias, which seeks to end the "anti-Christian weaponization of government and unlawful conduct targeting Christians," according to the White House. 

Members of Trump’s Cabinet and other key agencies are part of the task force, which will conduct a review of any "anti-Christian" policies, practices or conduct within the federal government. 

A White House fact sheet on the executive order claimed the Biden administration engaged in "an egregious pattern" of targeting peaceful Christians, while turning a blind eye to "violent, anti-Christian offenses." Former President Joe Biden was the second Catholic president in the U.S., after President John F. Kennedy. 

Specifically, the fact sheet pointed to pro-life Christians who were "praying and peacefully demonstrating" outside abortion clinics. 

In January, Trump pardoned more than 20 people convicted of illegally blocking the entrance of abortion clinics and violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act. The law prohibits anyone from attempting to obstruct or interfere with others receiving reproductive health services. 

As a result, Vance said that the Trump administration was headed in the "exact opposite direction" of the Biden administration. 

PRIEST ATTACKED DURING SERVICE IN WASHINGTON CATHOLIC CHURCH, SAYS HOLY SPIRIT HELPED HIM RESPOND

Vance also said that, historically, one of the "biggest impediments" to religious liberty around the world has been the result of mistakes from U.S. foreign policy that have resulted in the "eradication" of Christian communities globally. 

As a result, Vance said that peacekeeping efforts from the Trump administration are a policy geared toward "saving lives and carrying out one of Christ's most important commandments."

"Perhaps the most important way in which Donald Trump has been a defender of Christian rights all over the world is he has a foreign policy that is oriented toward peace," said Vance, who received standing ovations before and after his speech. "We have done it already so much in the past 30 days, and I'm proud that we will work for peace all over the world in the remaining four years of President Trump's term, and I think that's an important thing."

Vance’s comments coincide with the Trump administration’s ongoing efforts to end the conflict in Ukraine, following Russia’s invasion in February 2022. On Friday, Trump is scheduled to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to negotiate terms of a peace deal.