Five years after the first cases of COVID-19 were reported, the World Health Organization is still reporting deaths from the virus. 

More than 3,000 people died in the last month, adding to the more than 7 million deaths since the pandemic began.

In the fall of 2019, many of the top stories for U.S. news outlets had to do with China.

"I have a good relationship with China. We’ll see what happens, but I’m very happy right now," President Donald Trump said on Nov. 19, 2019 amid trade negotiations with Beijing. "If we don’t make a deal with China, I’ll just raise the tariffs even higher."

NEW BAT CORONAVIRUS DISCOVERED IN CHINA SPARKS PANDEMIC CONCERNS

On the other side of the globe, protesters in Hong Kong were objecting to China’s interference in the region’s government. Trump signed a bill supporting the pro-democracy demonstrations. Back in Washington, the Smithsonian National Zoo’s beloved panda, Bei Bei, was preparing to move to a new habitat in central China, but in the background, a much bigger story was taking place.

Also, in the fall of 2019, scientists at the Wuhan Institute of Virology were studying how mice responded to SARs and MERs-related coronaviruses. A National Intelligence Director report noted the lab maintains one of the world’s largest repositories of bat samples.

It stated, "Teams separately used transgenic mouse models to better understand how the viruses infect humans as well as related vaccine and therapeutics research."

"This laboratory that worked on bat coronaviruses was undertaking work, which on the face of it was quite important for understanding these viruses, but had some risks," said Stanford microbiology professor David Relman in January 2020.

During that time, several researchers at the institute fell ill with cold or flu-like symptoms, but none were severe enough to be hospitalized.

"Some of their symptoms were consistent with but not diagnostic of Covid-19," the intelligence report stated. The intelligence community also noted that it was unclear if those illnesses were linked to the virus that would soon spread around the world.

By December, China’s stock market was rising on hopes of a trade deal with the U.S., but the local economy in Wuhan was facing a major threat. Health officials were growing concerned about a new viral pneumonia that was not responding to standard treatments. Twenty-seven cases had been confirmed, seven of which were critical. 

Most of the patients had a recent history of exposure to wildlife animals at the Huanan Market, where poultry, snakes, bats and other farm animals were sold. Wuhan health officials claimed the wet market was where the virus originated. However, at least 13 of the first 41 hospitalizations had no link to the marketplace, according to an article by Chinese researchers published in the Lancet. 

"That's a big number, 13, with no link," Daniel Lucey, an infectious disease specialist at Georgetown University, told Science in January 2020. "The virus came into that marketplace before it came out of that marketplace."

NEW BAT CORONAVIRUS DISCOVERED IN CHINA SPARKS PANDEMIC CONCERNS

All U.S. intelligence agencies assess both a natural and laboratory-associated origin remain plausible sources of the virus’ origin. The Energy Department, the FBI and the CIA believe a laboratory-associated incident was the most likely cause of the first human infection. 

"Laboratory accidents happen everywhere there are humans. Humans are fallible. So, it's absolutely reasonable to think that some other laboratory also had an accident," Relman said.

In late December, the Wuhan Institute of Virology isolated and identified the virus from patient samples. The information available to U.S. intelligence officials indicates this to be the first time researchers at the institute had access to the virus’ gene sequence.

On New Year's Eve in the U.S., Trump rang in 2020 at his annual Mar-a-Lago party and was optimistic over his negotiations with China.

"We’re very excited about trade," the president said. "I’ll be going, at some point, to Beijing, to be with President Xi.  We have a great relationship.  And we’ll be doing something reciprocal."

Scientists in Wuhan were growing even more concerned about the new virus. Dozens of individuals with suspected cases had been isolated in a designated hospital. The World Health Organization became aware through a media statement from the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission. It warned of a pneumonia of an unknown cause.

During the first days of 2020, life around the world and in most parts of China, seemed normal. However, in Wuhan, the Huanan Market had been shut down, and World Health Organization officials were taking a closer look at the cases.

"There are many unreported cases in China. There's also a number of cases in Hong Kong that haven't been reported," Gatestone Institute senior fellow Gordon Chang told Lou Dobbs in January 2020. "What's happened in Hong Kong and the protest, people don't want to go out so it has been quiet over the last week or so. But I think that this is really the fear over the contagion."

TRUMP'S 'MAKE AMERICA HEALTHY AGAIN' COMMISSION TO TARGET AUTISM, CHRONIC DISEASES

What was now called the 2019 Novel Coronavirus had claimed its first victim by the time Trump inked phase one of his trade deal with China.

"Right now, our relationship with China is the best it’s ever been," Trump said at the signing ceremony.

Cases from outside of China were now accumulating. Thailand and Japan had confirmed cases of SARS-CoV-2. Shortly after, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began screening passengers on direct and connecting flights from Wuhan.

"The bottom line is this is a very rare virus. The number of people who have been infected or exposed is very small," Lenox Hill Hospital emergency room Dr. Robert Glatter said as the flight screenings began.

Days later, health officials confirmed the first U.S. case in Washington state but insisted the virus was still a low risk to the public.

"We're very happy to say that he is in satisfactory condition and as of this moment is being, is very helpful in us identifying particular people that he may have been in contact with," Gov. Jay Inslee, D-Wa, said after the case was announced.

More cases began to accumulate across the U.S. and around the world. In Wuhan, 11 million people were placed under lockdown orders.

"It has not yet become a global health emergency. It may yet become one," World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said as Wuhan closed its city limits.

Shoppers raced to gather essentials before the lockdown officially took place. Roads, train stations and airports were empty. Other locations throughout China were also closed to the public, and Chinese New Year celebrations were scaled back.

Around the world, more countries implemented travel restrictions from China. Many evacuated citizens from the country before the virus spread further.

By mid-February, 1,013 people had died from the virus now known as COVID-19. It had officially killed more people than the 2002-2003 SARS outbreak, when 774 people died.

The U.S. is "rated number one" for epidemic preparedness, Trump told White House reporters on Feb. 26, 2020. "We've had tremendous success, tremendous success beyond what people would have thought. Now at the same time you do have some outbreaks in some countries. Italy and various countries are having some difficulty." 

Italy was the new epicenter for the virus. By mid-March, 114 countries had reported more than 118,000 cases and more than 4,000 deaths.

"In the days and weeks ahead, we expect to see the number of cases, the number of deaths and the number of effected countries climb even higher," Ghebreyesus said. "We have formed the assessment that COVID-19 can be characterized as a pandemic. Pandemic is not a word to use lightly or carelessly."

The State Department has revoked the visa of a student who participated in protesting in favor of Hamas, a move in line with President Donald Trump's call for canceling visas of students involved in the anti-Israel demonstrations on college campuses.

The State Department confirmed the matter with Fox News, without identifying the student or what university they attended due to "legal constraints."

"Yesterday evening, we revoked the first visa of an alien who was previously cited for criminal behavior in connection with Hamas-supporting disruptions," the State Department said. "This individual was a university student. ICE will proceed with removing this person from the country."

BARNARD STUDENT DEMANDS ACTION AFTER PRO-HAMAS PROTEST TURNS VIOLENT, CALLS OUT SCHOOL'S ‘PATHETIC’ RESPONSE

The State Department reviewed over 100,000 student visas and none were revoked during the Biden administration, despite all the anti-Israel protests and disruptions on college campuses. 

Trump has repeatedly called for foreign students attending American universities to have their visas revoked for supporting Hamas and other terror groups. 

Upon taking office in January, he signed an executive order to combat antisemitism. 

COLUMBIA PROFESSOR SLAMS UNIVERSITY LEADERSHIP AS ANTI-ISRAEL AGITATORS WREAK HAVOC AT BARNARD

"To all the resident aliens who joined in the pro-jihadist protests, we put you on notice: come 2025, we will find you, and we will deport you," Trump is quoted in a fact sheet issued by the White House. "I will also quickly cancel the student visas of all Hamas sympathizers on college campuses, which have been infested with radicalism like never before."

U.S. college campuses have been a hotbed for anti-Israel protests and disruptions, including vandalism, threats against Jewish students and violence against law enforcement. 

"The Biden Administration turned a blind eye to this coordinated assault on public order; it simply refused to protect the civil rights of Jewish Americans, especially students," the fact sheet states. "According to a December 2024 U.S. House of Representatives Staff Report on anti-Semitism, ‘the failure of our federal government departments and agencies is astounding.'"

On Thursday, Axios reported that Secretary of State Marco Rubio is launching an AI-fueled "Catch and Revoke" effort to cancel the visas of foreign students who appear to support designated terror groups.

A U.S. judge on Thursday ordered the Trump administration to pay at least a portion of the nearly $2 billion in owed foreign aid for previously completed projects by 6 p.m. Monday, an expeditious ruling that comes just one day after the Supreme Court rejected the Trump administration's request to continue its freeze.

The decision from U.S. District Court Judge Amir Ali came after a more than four-hour court hearing Thursday, where he grilled both parties on their proposed repayment plans, and a timeframe for the government to comply with the $1.9 billion in owed foreign aid that has been completed.

At the end of the hearing, Judge Ali ordered the government to pay at least a portion of the $1.9 billion by Monday at 6 p.m.

"I think it’s reasonable to get the plaintiffs' invoices paid by 6 p.m. on Monday," said Judge Ali. "What I’ll order today is the first concrete step that plaintiffs have their invoices paid … [and] work completed prior to Feb. 13 to be paid by 6 p.m. on Monday, March 10th."

TRUMP TEMPORARILY THWARTED IN DOGE MISSION TO END USAID

SCOTUS RULES ON NEARLY $2 BILLION IN FROZEN USAID PAYMENTS

That order previously set a deadline of Feb. 26 at 11:59 p.m. for the administration to pay its outstanding debt to foreign aid groups.

The Justice Department had argued that the timeline was "impossible" to comply with.

But Judge Ali seemed to reject that notion Thursday. After a Justice Department attorney asked the court for more time to get the latest payments out, pointing out that it may be difficult to get financial transactions done over the weekend, he responded by noting that the government had successfully paid out more than $70 million during the hours of Wednesday through early Thursday morning, so this should be possible as well.

LAWSUIT TRACKER: NEW RESISTANCE BATTLING TRUMP'S SECOND TERM THROUGH ONSLAUGHT OF LAWSUITS TAKING AIM AT EOS

The 5-4 Supreme Court decision remanded the case back to the D.C. federal court – and Judge Ali — to hash out the specifics of what must be paid, and when.

Judge Ali moved quickly following the high court's decision, ordering both parties back to court Thursday to weigh plausible repayment schedules. 

The proposed schedules, his order noted, "should account for the length of time that has passed since the TRO, [temporary restraining order] was entered and the feasibility of any compliance timelines."

At issue in the case was how quickly the Trump administration needed to pay the nearly $2 billion owed to aid groups and contractors for completed projects funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), at a time when the administration has issued a blanket freeze on all foreign spending in the name of government "efficiency" and eliminating waste.

Plaintiffs have argued that the lower court judge had ordered the Trump administration to begin making the owed foreign aid payments more than two weeks ago — a deadline they said the government simply failed to meet, or to even take steps to meet — indicating that the administration had no plans to make good on fulfilling that request.

This is a breaking news story. Check back soon for updates.

Democrats on social media were mocked by conservatives on Thursday over a viral video in which several of the elected officials pretended to be video game characters in a "choose your fighter parody."

The video, posted by social media influencer Jessica Woo, featured Dem. Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Jasmine Crockett, Lauren Underwood, Katherine Clark, Judy Chu, and Susie Lee.

The congresswomen in the video could be seen jumping up and down in a fighting position as if they were video game characters, along with attributes describing their accolades and attributes. 

The video was widely mocked by conservatives on social media, with many pointing out the Democrats' antics at President Trump’s speech to Congress on Tuesday.

HOUSE DEMS SUGGEST TRUMP IS TRYING TO BRING BACK SLAVERY IN RACIALLY CHARGED LIVESTREAM: 'BACK TO THE FIELDS'

"Democrats Not Be Cringe Challenge," the White House rapid response social media account posted on X. "Level: Impossible."

"It’s as if the party is trying to implode itself…," Fox News contributor Joe Concha posted on X.

"There are just some people who don’t have anyone in their lives willing to tell them to stop," conservative commentator Ryan James Girdusky posted on X. 

"Dear God," American Majority CEO Ned Ryun posted on X. "As if they couldn’t get any lamer. . . Hold my beer and watch me release a stupid loser video and prove I’m even lamer than you thought!!"

"Trump Deranged Democrats release ‘choose your fighter skit’ after refusing to stand and clap for a child with cancer during President Trump’s address to congress," GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene posted on X. "Democrats have sunk so low that I’m actually starting to feel sorry for them. Pitiful."

POLLSTER WARNS DEMOCRATS' 'AMATEURISH' ANTI-TRUMP ANTICS ARE 'TANKING' WITH AMERICANS

"My God, who is advising the Democrats," former Trump campaign senior advisor Tim Murtaugh posted on X.

"I'll take "Reasons why Democrats are not in the majority" for $1,000," GOP Rep. Virginia Foxx posted on X.

"Anyone that has any doubt that the GOP can keep the house in 2026 should rest assured," communications strategist Erica Knight posted on X. "But at least they like American flags again."

Fox News Digital reached out to all six House Democrats for comment. 

President Donald Trump, while signing executive orders Thursday in the Oval Office, vowed to bring home two NASA astronauts who have been stuck in space for eight months.

"Elon [Musk] is right now preparing a ship to go up and get them," the president told Fox News senior White House correspondent Peter Doocy. "We love you, and we're coming up to get you, and you shouldn't have been up there so long."

Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams were stranded at the International Space Station after their Boeing Starliner spacecraft had technical issues. 

NASA ASTRONAUTS NOT ‘FRETTING’ OVER EXTENDED MISSION, ‘GRATEFUL’ FOR MORE TIME IN SPACE AFTER STARLINER WOES

Their mission began June 5, 2024, and was only scheduled to last eight days.

Due to numerous issues with the spacecraft, NASA deemed it unsafe to carry the astronauts back to Earth. 

It returned to the planet unmanned.

BOEING'S STARLINER SPACECRAFT LANDS BACK ON EARTH WITHOUT A CREW

One of the astronauts recently confirmed former President Joe Biden declined an offer of help from Musk, SpaceX CEO, the New York Post reported.

Trump on Thursday said Biden "left them alone" in space because he was "embarrassed by what happened."

BOEING STARLINER UNDOCKS FROM SPACE STATION, HEADS TO EARTH UNMANNED AS CREW STAYS BEHIND

He continued, "The most incompetent president in our history has allowed that to happen to you, but this president won't let that happen."

SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft is scheduled to launch on Wednesday to head to the space station, then return home with Wilmore and Williams after a handover period of several days, NASA said. 

Trump later joked with Doocy about partaking in the mission.

"Should I go on that journey just to be on the ship when we stop?" the president asked Doocy.

Doocy responded, "If that's an option, yes."

NASA ASTRONAUT SAYS STARLINER CREW LIKELY TO CHANGE EXERCISE ROUTINE DURING EXTENDED ISS STAY 

"I should do it," Trump replied with a laugh. "That's terrible. I thought he liked me."

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Another reporter chimed in saying the president should stay on Earth, to which Trump responded, "She likes me better."

Fox News Digital's Audrey Conklin contributed to this report.

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…

-Migrants clone Border Patrol vehicles in bid to bypass Trump's crackdown

-Trump blasts Rep. Al Green as 'an embarrassment' to Dem: He 'should be forced to take an IQ test'

-Trump’s plan to house migrants at Guantanamo Bay facing major hurdles

Democrats displayed their internal party divisions in the wake of President Donald Trump's first address to Congress. 

Democrats who are a part of leadership or more aligned with the establishment are clashing with progressives, many of whom heckled Trump throughout his more than 90-minute speech on Tuesday. The party is facing pressure from grassroots organizations to take a more combative approach – in lieu of decorum – to the Trump administration's dismantling of the federal bureaucracy. 

While moderate Democrats are frustrated over the progressives' disruptions, progressives complained about a lack of direction and clear strategy ahead of Trump's first joint session address to Congress since he began his second term…Read more

'IMMINENT RISK': Biden-nominated federal judge extends hold on Trump NIH research funding cuts

DISMISSING DELLINGER: Federal appeals court sides with Trump on firing head of watchdog agency

'UNSIGHTLY': Trump says DC Mayor Bowser 'must clean up' homeless encampments in the capital

TRUMP REFLECTS: Trump says he 'felt very comfortable' during address to Congress, touts positive coverage from 'fake news'

'REALITY ON OUR SIDE': Trump guest shares special message to president after address to Congress

'HELL TO PAY': After Trump threat, Hamas refuses to release more hostages without phase 2 ceasefire deal

STABLE CONDITION: Pope Francis had ‘good night,' continues to rest during third week of hospital treatment for pneumonia

'SHAMEFUL': Speaker Johnson slams Dem Rep. Green's 'egregious behavior' during Trump's address

PAYING THE TAB: Republicans clear way for Trump to sell Nancy Pelosi Federal Building 'at fair market value'

WHEELING AND DEALING: GOP lawmaker credits Trump's business prowess for major investment in state: 'Knows how to make deals'

‘BREAKING FEDERAL LAW’: GOP rep says she'll refer sanctuary city mayors for criminal prosecution

'BLOOD ON YOUR HANDS': GOP fights back against ‘Trump-proof’ sanctuary jurisdictions

'SELF OWNS': Fetterman calls out Dems' 'unhinged petulance' after Trump speech

CHANGING THE GAME: 'Star Trek shield' technology gets $250M boost to knock drone swarms from the sky with high-powered microwave

FACE OF TERROR: Abbey Gate terror suspect's mugshot revealed as he makes first federal court appearance

'UTTER DISGRACE': Casey DeSantis calls out CDC for keeping COVID-19 vaccine on its recommended list for children

NEW HIRE: DNC hires new top exec with long history of pushing racial grievances, leftist ideology

GANG HEADQUARTERS: Denver mayor grilled over area’s Tren de Aragua problem as GOP lawmaker says policies to blame

'CITY HALL IS IN CHAOS': New York City Council speaker Adrienne Adams launches run for mayor: reports

OUTTA HERE: Dominican man sent home on ICE removal flight following warrant for human smuggling resulting in death

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

Life for many residents in border communities improved following swift policy changes by the Trump administration, Rep. Juan Ciscomani, R-Ariz., says.

"They're very happy with the results, and we knew that the numbers were going to be reflecting like they are," the Republican told Fox News Digital in an interview, calling the change "drastic."

Migrant encounters plummeted at the border in February with just over 8,300, which is the lowest month since officials started keeping track of the numbers, according to United States Customs and Border Protection data. 

GOP FIGHTS BACK AGAINST ‘TRUMP-PROOF’ SANCTUARY JURISDICTIONS

The reduction in the influx of people crossing is just one piece of the puzzle. More troops were sent down to the southern border upon President Donald Trump taking office; cartels and gangs like Tren de Aragua were designated as foreign terrorist groups; and Immigration and Customs Enforcement is conducting raids nationwide for illegal immigrants suspected of crimes.

"They've seen an immediate change in their daily lives on this for some people. They're seeing the reports on TV for my community, they're seeing it in person," Ciscomani said about his constituents, which includes people on or near the border.

In his capacity as the Vice Chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security, Ciscomani is leading the freshman GOP class on an Arizona border trip this week, where they will visit ports of entry, strike up conversations with authorities on the ground and take a tour with the National Border Patrol Council. The group of lawmakers includes Reps. Mike Kennedy, R-Utah; Julie Fedorchak, R-N.D.; Jeff Hurd, R-Colo.; Tim Moore, R-N.C.; Derek Schmidt, R-Kan.; Dave Taylor, R-Ohio; Jeff Crank, R-Colo.; John McGuire, R-Va.; and Riley Moore, R-W.Va. 

NEW YORK CITY DENIED REQUEST FEMA RETURN $80M IN MIGRANT FUNDS

"When I first got to Washington a few years ago, I realized that a lot of people run on the issue of the border," said Ciscomani. "They care about fixing it and addressing it, but a lot of members just haven't had the opportunity to visit the border. And even if they have, they probably have gone to the area of Texas. And Arizona's so unique in so many ways, right?"

The congressman added that there’s still work to be done to make sure the changes under the Trump administration are permanent to prevent another border crisis in the future, as there were millions of migrant encounters during former President Joe Biden's tenure.

TEXAS REP. PRAISES TRUMP'S BORDER CRACKDOWN: 'HIS LEADERSHIP HAS LED TO SUCCESS QUICKLY'

Ciscomani, who is in a highly competitive district that includes much of the Tucson suburbs, touted his recent passage of the Agent Raul Gonzalez Office Safety Act in the House, which would make those convicted of fleeing authorities within 100 miles of the border face prison time and potentially be deported, depending on the individual's immigration status. Some Democrats supported the legislation, whereas others said it was an overreach.

"For example, the asylum process, we have to increase the credible fear standard," Ciscomani said. "Things like Remain in Mexico. I think something like that should be permanent. So we've got some ideas on this through reconciliation."

There has been room for bipartisan work to be done, including a bill that Ciscomani and Rep. Don Davis, D-N.C., are working on to get image technicians at ports of entry in the hope of detecting illicit drugs faster and more thoroughly.

Hamas’ treatment of the hostages it has been holding in captivity in the Gaza Strip is "intolerable," U.S. envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff said Thursday, warning that "it's not going to be tolerated by President Trump." 

Witkoff spoke outside the White House a day after President Donald Trump met with eight former hostages in Washington and posted what he called a "last warning" to Hamas on his Truth Social platform. 

"We're not going to sit here, do nothing and tolerate this kind of inhumane conditions," Witkoff said. "They lived in a terrible situation. By the way, who keeps dead bodies? Who does that? Who keeps people chained up downstairs? Who murders in front of other hostages? What's happened here is intolerable, and it's not going to be tolerated by President Trump." 

"We had a wonderful day with the hostages yesterday... they got a treat a lifetime, they got to spend some time with President Trump. And we thought it was going to be a short period of time because his day was busy, but he ended up spending about an hour with them, with each of the hostages, pictures, and spent a lot of time listening to their stories about what happened to them in captivity. And he was clearly emotional about it as anybody would be," Witkoff also said. 

AFTER TRUMP THREAT, HAMAS REFUSES TO RELEASE MORE HOSTAGES WITHOUT PHASE 2 OF CEASEFIRE DEAL 

"The president was pretty blunt," Witkoff added. "It's time for Hamas to start acting in a responsible and reasonable way. And we don't think that they have been doing that." 

However, the Palestinian terrorist group on Thursday dismissed Trump’s latest threat and refused to release more Israeli hostages without a permanent ceasefire deal in the Gaza Strip. 

Hamas spokesman Abdel-Latif al-Qanoua said the "best path to free the remaining Israeli hostages" is through negotiations on a second phase of the ceasefire agreement.  

TRUMP STICKING TO GAZA RELOCATION PLAN, AS WHITE HOUSE SEEMS TO DISMISS EGYPTIAN PROPOSAL 

The first phase of the ceasefire, which lasted 42 days, ended on Saturday. A second phase was supposed to begin in early February, though only limited preparatory talks have been held so far. 

"‘Shalom Hamas’ means Hello and Goodbye - You can choose," Trump said on Wednesday. "Release all of the Hostages now, not later, and immediately return all of the dead bodies of the people you murdered, or it is OVER for you." 

Trump added that he is "sending Israel everything it needs to finish the job," and that "not a single Hamas member will be safe if you don’t do as I say. 

"Also, to the People of Gaza: A beautiful Future awaits, but not if you hold Hostages," the president wrote. "If you do, you are DEAD! Make a SMART decision. RELEASE THE HOSTAGES NOW, OR THERE WILL BE HELL TO PAY LATER!" 

Fox News’ Stephen Sorace and the Associated Press contributed to this report. 

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday that would rescind security clearances and access to certain federal resources for Perkins Coie, the law firm that hired the company responsible for crafting the so-called "Steele dossier" containing alleged salacious material and Trump’s alleged connections to Russia, which the president has denied. 

"This is an absolute honor to sign," Trump told reporters Thursday. "What they’ve done, it’s just terrible. It’s weaponization, you could say weaponization against a political opponent, and it should never be allowed to happen again." 

Specifically, the executive order suspends security clearances for Perkins Coie employees until a further review evaluating its access to sensitive information is complete to determine if it aligns with the national interest. 

Additionally, the order cuts off access to sensitive compartmented information facilities for Perkins Coie employees, and will limit the company's access to government employees. Additionally, the order bars the federal government from hiring Perkins Coie employees without specific authorization. 

JUDGE DISMISSES TRUMP'S LAWSUIT ALLEGING INFAMOUS DOSSIER AND ITS ‘SCANDALOUS CLAIMS’ DAMAGED HIS REPUTATION

Likewise, the federal government is prohibited from hiring contractors that use the law firm, amid a review of all federal contracts associated with Perkins Coie that agency heads will be ordered to terminate to the fullest extent lawfully permitted. 

The international law firm represented Hillary Clinton’s campaign and the Democratic National Committee in the 2016 election, and former President Joe Biden after Trump challenged Biden’s win in the 2020 election.

Perkins Coie first came under scrutiny after Marc Elias, the former chair of the firm's political law practice, hired opposition research firm Fusion GPS to conduct opposition research against then-presidential candidate Trump in April 2016 for his opponent, Clinton, and the Democratic National Committee.

Fusion GPS then hired former British intelligence officer Christopher Steele, who composed the so-called "Steele dossier." The document included scandalous and mostly unverified allegations, including details that Trump engaged in sex acts with Russian prostitutes. 

CARTER PAGE FISA WARRANT LACKED PROBABLE CAUSE, DOJ ADMITS IN DECLASSIFIED ASSESSMENT 

Trump repeatedly denied allegations included in the dossier, and filed a lawsuit against Orbis Business Intelligence, a company that Steele co-founded. Trump’s legal team claimed that he "suffered personal and reputational damage and distress" as a result of the dossier, but a judge in London pitched the lawsuit in February 2024. 

The dossier first became public in 2017 when BuzzFeed News published it. The Justice Department’s inspector general lambasted the agency and the FBI in 2019 for using the document to make a case in securing surveillance applications against former Trump campaign adviser, Carter Page, as part of the agency’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. 

Still, the inspector general determined that no political bias motivated the surveillance of Page or the launching of Russia investigations. 

Requests for comment by Perkins Coie were not immediately answered. 

Two moderate Democrats who voted against censuring Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, suggested they did not believe Congress should be focused on such matters.

Ten Democratic lawmakers broke from their party to vote on a House GOP-led resolution to formally admonish Green for protesting during President Donald Trump's address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night. 

The majority of those 10 are considered frontline Democrats in more moderate districts, while others, like Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., are generally known to cross the aisle and work with Republicans.

Fox News Digital reached out to nine other Democrats representing moderate areas, who were part of the 198 total who opposed censuring Green.

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP CONCLUDES REMARKS AFTER DECLARING 'AMERICA'S MOMENTUM IS BACK'

Of those, just two – Reps. Jared Golden, D-Maine, and Josh Riley, D-N.Y. – offered responses.

"In today’s environment, censure tends only to give a greater platform to the censured legislator. So I tend to lean in favor of free speech unless a clear red line is crossed," Golden told Fox News Digital.

The Maine Democrat's written statement also included a link to a reference of his vote in favor of censuring "Squad" member Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., over her anti-Israel comments.

He did, however, offer criticism for Green's interruption of Trump's speech.

"I voted against censuring Rep. Green because I don’t believe he crossed that line – and I don’t believe it’s in the House’s interest to draw even greater attention to his misguided behavior," Golden explained.

Riley's statement did not remark directly on Green but more broadly dismissed attention-seekers in Washington.

"Upstate New Yorkers sent me to Congress to lower costs, create jobs, and ensure they get a fair shot. I wish we’d spent this morning focused on that instead of the drama and political theater in Washington," the first-term House Democrat said.

Riley won his seat in November by unseating former Rep. Marc Molinaro, R-N.Y., in a district that spans much of central New York state.

TOP 5 MOMENTS FROM TRUMP'S ADDRESS TO JOINT SESSION OF CONGRESS

Green was censured in a 224 to 198 vote on Thursday morning after repeatedly disrupting the beginning of Trump's primetime speech.

He shouted, "You have no mandate!" at Trump and shook his cane in the air as the president touted Republican victories in the House, Senate and White House. Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., after giving a warning, had Green removed from the chamber.

The 77-year-old Democrat was unrepentant, posting on X on Thursday afternoon, "Today, the House GOP censured me for speaking out for the American people against [Trump's] plan to cut Medicaid. I accept the consequences of my actions, but I refuse to stay silent in the face of injustice."

The 10 Democrats who voted to censure Green are Reps. Ami Bera, D-Calif.; Ed Case, D-Hawaii; Jim Costa, D-Calif.; Laura Gillen, D-N.Y.; Jim Himes, D-Conn.; Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa.; Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio; Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla.; Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash.; and Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y.

Green himself voted "present," as did first-term Rep. Shomari Figures, D-Ala.

President Trump on Thursday exempted certain goods from Canada and Mexico covered under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) from his 25% tariffs for a month.

The tariffs were imposed earlier this week, and will be reinstated on April 2. 

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Trump had previously mentioned an exemption for Mexico, but the amendment signed on Thursday covers Canada also. 

Reuters contributed to this report. 

EXCLUSIVE: Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett is becoming one of the most prominent faces of the resistance movement against President Trump, but she faces a Republican challenger who says voters are "chomping at the bit" to remove her from office. 

"She's not really a leader. She's not really a representative. Jasmine Crockett is more of a performer or an influencer," Dallas area attorney Sholdon Daniels, who is running as a Republican to unseat Crockett in Texas’ 30th Congressional District, told Fox News Digital. 

"She's wholly ineffective as a legislator. She wasn't able to pass any laws when she was in the Texas State House, and we don't anticipate that she'll be able to have any effect while she's on Capitol Hill."

Daniels added that it is "unfortunate" that the "hardworking people" of his district aren’t receiving leadership from Crockett, who he said is "spewing all this racist divisiveness" and is "hell-bent on tearing our country down."

'SHE'S REALLY THIS DUMB': HOUSE DEM RIPPED AFTER CALLING TRUMP 'ENEMY OF THE UNITED STATES'

"So somebody has to stand up to that and God blessed me with the ability to do the job, and so I feel the responsibility to act right now," Daniels said. 

Crockett has skyrocketed into the spotlight as one of the most outspoken critics of the Trump administration while routinely going viral, drawing the ire of conservatives on social media for her heated rhetoric. 

Leading up to and after Trump’s address to Congress on Tuesday, Crockett made several derogatory comments that earned headlines, including calling the president "Putin’s ho" and suggesting that he is attempting to bring Black people back into slavery. 

Daniels told Fox News Digital comments like that are "utterly disrespectful" and "unbecoming of the office."

REP. JASMINE CROCKETT SAYS TRUMP VOTERS 'DON'T WANT TO READ' ABOUT FACTS, RACISTS SUPPORT 'THE OTHER RACIST'

"To be a member of the U.S. House of Representatives is one of the most prestigious honors and privileges that could be bestowed on any of us and she treats it like it is a given," Daniels said. "She takes it for granted, and every opportunity she takes, she just denigrates our country and our president. And as a veteran and as somebody who actually loves America, I can't sit around and do nothing. So I'm going to fight back. We are fighting back, and we are going to win."

Crockett, 43, has cruised to victory in her previous campaigns for the House of Representatives, including in November when she defeated her Libertarian challenger in the general election by 70 points after defeating her primary challenger by over 80 points.

However, Daniels told Fox News Digital that the district is more conservative than those results show. 

"She has her sycophants, for sure, but she grows more and more unpopular in our district every single day," Daniels explained. "You know, the thing about TX-30 is it's way more diverse and way more conservative than everyone thinks, and people are chomping at the bit to have an election, because they cannot wait to see this girl replaced by Sholdon Daniels."

Daniels told Fox News Digital that being a dad, husband, veteran, and "somebody that cares about the community" is what inspired him to run for Crockett’s seat because it doesn’t feel right to "sit around while people are trying to tear our country down."

"Becoming a dad and concern for my daughter and one of the issues surrounding biological males being allowed in restrooms and locker rooms and girls private spaces, and then biological males competing against girls in sports, that's when it hit home for me," Daniels said about his decision to run. "I have a five-year-old daughter who loves to play sports. I fully anticipate she's going to be an athlete, and I just want to pave a way for her to make sure that she's safe and that covers all other little girls in America."

If elected, Daniels told Fox News Digital he will bring "professionalism and decorum" back to the office while focusing on issues that his constituents care about.

"I'm going to focus on lowering taxes so that we can bring down the cost of living for Americans. We're going to focus on securing the border and supporting our president and his policy of keeping the border secure so that we can ensure safer communities here in TX-30," Daniels said. 

"We are also going to focus on providing some support for small businesses and make sure that they get to keep more of the money that they earn in their pockets so that they can invest and hire more people. And then we're obviously going to focus on all the new revelations that are coming out with the DOGE effort to uncover the government waste, fraud and abuse. And we're going to try to hold whoever is responsible for that accountable."

Daniels has been active on social media, calling out Crockett, including a post challenging her to a debate next month.

Fox News Digital asked Daniels whether the voters in his district support DOGE's goals of slashing government waste, given Crockett's vocal opposition to the endeavor.

"There was a study that came out from the Congressional Management Foundation that found that 90% of voters want their representatives to be focused on policy and not social media, essentially on doing the job and not grandstanding for the cameras and that translates over into TX-30," Daniels said. 

"People want a representative in 2025 that's going to provide tangible and effective change that they can see in their community. Gone are the days where we just elect someone out of TX-30 and set it and forget it, and we don't hear about them again until they're getting ready to retire."

Republican state lawmakers in Maine are urging Democrats to repeal the state's policy allowing transgender women to compete in women's sports, warning that failure to act could jeopardize hundreds of millions in public education funding.

The pleading comes after a spokesperson for Maine's attorney general confirmed Thursday that the Trump administration had formally issued a "Notice of Violation against the Maine Department of Education" for violating Title IX federal law, which is meant to protect the rights of women. 

The "official" notice follows an investigation launched by the Health and Human Services Department's (HHS) Office of Civil Rights, which had been probing the Maine Department of Education (MDOE) for several weeks. The probe stemmed from reports that transgender women were continuing to compete in women's sports in the Pine Tree State, despite an executive order from President Donald Trump mandating the practice end nationwide. 

SENATE BID TO PREVENT BOYS FROM PLAYING GIRLS' SPORTS GETS STUCK ON FILIBUSTER

The strength of Trump's executive order lies in its power to withhold federal education funding from states that do not comply with his directive. Such an action to slash federal education funds in Maine – as is expected to happen unless something changes – would amount to a potential loss for MDOE of more than $700,000 annually from HHS agencies alone, based on 2024 funding numbers provided in HHS's notice of violation. In total this school year, the U.S. Department of Education provided roughly $250 million strictly to K-12 schools in Maine, according to recent numbers obtained by the Portland Press Herald. 

"If Maine Democrats continue to double down on allowing biological males to participate in girls' sports, our students stand to lose hundreds of millions of dollars of federal funding. Gov. [Janet] Mills and legislative Democrats have a renewed opportunity to do the right thing, to ensure restored funding and a fair and level playing field for Maine girls," said state Rep. Laurel Libby, R–Bangor. 

"Enough is enough, it is time to put away radical ideology and put the future of our kids first," added Assistant House Minority Leader Katrina Smith, R–Palermo. "The Mills administration’s policy of allowing biological boys in girls’ sports has physically and mentally mistreated our young ladies and now this same policy will harm every child and teacher with the loss of federal funds to our schools."

MAINE STATE REP ‘EXPLORING OPTIONS’ TO REGAIN VOICE AFTER CENSURE OVER TRANSGENDER ATHLETE POST

In addition to the remarks from Libby and Smith, the broader coalition of Maine House Republicans put out a "public call to action" for Mills' administration to reverse its current policies allowing sports eligibility to be determined by one's self-stated gender-identity. 

Mills told Trump to his face during a meeting with governors at the White House last month that she had no intention of following his order aiming to rid female sports of transgender competitors. Mills told Trump during the meeting, which was broadcast live, that she would "see [him] in court."

MARYLAND SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER TARGETED WITH TITLE IX INVESTIGATION AFTER SPEAKING OUT AGAINST TRANS POLICY

Based on an analysis by Sarah Perry, a civil rights attorney who has extensive experience litigating Title IX issues, Maine would be successful in court on this matter as Mills might hope.

"Maine entered into a contract with the Department of Education, promising to follow that federal civil rights law. [Mills'] reliance on contrary state law will prove fatal to any continued recalcitrance," Perry wrote on social media. 

She added in an interview last month with Fox News Digital that in addition to federal law, Maine is also flouting directives from the Department of Education and previously established precedent from a slew of cases that overturned former President Joe Biden's Title IX regulations allowing athletic eligibility to be determined by one's preferred gender identity.

Fox News Digital reached out to Mills and Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey for comment on these calls from Republicans but did not receive a response by publication time.

Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., who is taking credit for a recently criticized Democratic mashup of identical social media posts, turned down Tesla CEO Elon Musk's extravagant offer to the mind behind the "cringe video."

At least 22 Democratic lawmakers participated in a "S--- That Ain’t True" social media campaign ahead of President Donald Trump's address to a joint session of Congress, posting identical videos to social media in a mashup against the president. 

Musk made fun of the synchronized mashup on social media, offering in a post on X to buy a Cybertruck for anyone who can "provide proof of who wrote this particular piece of propaganda." Booker eventually took credit for it.

Asked on Capitol Hill if he wanted the Cybertruck offered by Musk, Booker burst into laughter and said, "No, I don't."

‘COULDN’T CLAP FOR A 13-YEAR-OLD BOY': GOP SLAM ‘CHILDISH’ DEM SILENCE ON SUPPORTING CANCER SURVIVOR

The video begins with a clip of Trump vowing to "bring prices down starting on day one" followed by a cut-in of the Senate Democrats saying in unison, "S--- That Ain’t True? That's what you just heard."

CONSERVATIVES FLIP SCRIPT ON SENATE DEMS PUSHING IDENTICAL TALKING POINTS AGAINST TRUMP: ‘LIKE ROBOTS’

"Since day one of Donald Trump’s presidency, prices are up, not down. Inflation is getting worse, not better. Prices of groceries, gas, housing, rent, eggs — they’re all getting more expensive. Meanwhile, Donald Trump has done nothing to lower costs for you," the Democrats, including senators Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., said in the video.

Booker said the video was created with the intention of reaching more people online.

"We're trying to do more things as a caucus that break through. Clearly, this was very successful," the senator said.

The video drew criticism from Republicans on social media, including Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., who called it "weird" in a post on X.

However, Booker thanked conservatives for sharing the post.

"In this world where people are competing for attention, it got attention and got many more views, especially because people on the right kept elevating our content, which I appreciate," Booker said.

Fox News' Deirdre Heavey and Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., said her resistant applause when President Donald Trump called her "Pocahontas" during his address to a joint session of Congress was to affirm "American support for Ukrainians." 

Warren told Nicholas Ballasy for Fox News Digital she was communicating the importance of American support for Ukraine, following Trump’s contentious meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office last Friday. 

"What I was talking about is the importance of American support for the Ukrainians, who are fighting on the front lines for democracy and fighting back against an autocrat," Warren told Fox News Digital. 

Warren, a loyal Ukraine supporter since Russia’s invasion in 2022, said Russian President Vladimir Putin’s line does not stop with Ukraine. 

TRUMP READING ZELENSKYY LETTER MET WITH SUPPORT FROM GOP, INDEPENDENT VOTERS

"Everyone needs to understand: They take a bite out of Ukraine, they're not giving up there. They're coming for the rest of Europe, and we need to fight it," Warren said.

TOP 5 MOMENTS FROM TRUMP'S ADDRESS TO JOINT SESSION OF CONGRESS

Warren told Fox News Digital on Tuesday night she "hit a nerve" by applauding U.S. support for "Ukrainian patriots" during President Donald Trump's speech. 

"Sen. Warren, what did you think of President Trump calling you out by name?" Fox News Digital asked Warren.

"I actually hit a nerve when I applauded the United States' support of Ukrainian patriots. If that hits a nerve for Trump, then it's worth sitting through the rest of that speech."

"Millions of Ukrainians and Russians have been needlessly killed or wounded in this horrific and brutal conflict, with no end in sight. The United States has sent hundreds of billions of dollars to support Ukraine's defense with no security," Trump said during his joint address. 

Responding to the loud applause from Warren and her fellow Democrats, Trump said "Pocahontas," a nickname Trump uses to mock Warren for claiming Native American heritage, wants "another five years" of war in Ukraine. 

"Do you want to keep it going for another five years? ‘Yeah, yeah,’ you would say. Pocahontas says yes," Trump said. 

Warren was one of several Democrats who slammed Trump after the meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office last Friday. 

"Donald Trump is treating the destruction of a democracy as a political show — throwing Ukraine to the wolves and doing a favor for Putin. It's shameful and dangerous. I've been to Ukraine, as have many Senate Republicans. I hope they speak up. Millions of lives are at stake," Warren said on X.

Warren and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., have visited Zelenskyy in Kyiv in a bipartisan show of American support for Ukraine. Throughout the war, Warren has not waned in her support of funding for Ukraine. 

However, Graham said after the "complete, utter disaster" in the Oval Office that he didn’t know "if we can ever do business with Zelenskyy again." Graham said Zelenskyy needs to resign or "send somebody over that we can do business with, or he needs to change."

Zelenskyy was asked to leave the White House after his public disagreement with Trump and Vice President JD Vance, a visit that was intended to result in the Ukraine-United States Mineral Resources Agreement.

Trump ordered a suspension of all U.S. military aid to Ukraine on Monday. Zelenskyy then sent a letter to Trump affirming his commitment to a peaceful negotiation and thanking the U.S. for its service to Ukraine.

FIRST ON FOX: President Donald Trump signed a memo Thursday directing government agency heads to ask federal judges to require financial guarantees to hold "activist" groups that sue the government financially responsible if an injunction is found to be unnecessary.

The memo comes as the Trump administration faces more than 90 lawsuits stemming from executive orders, memos and executive proclamations issued since Jan. 20 that legal groups, labor organizations, and other state and local plaintiffs are challenging. 

Specifically, the memo instructs federal agencies to coordinate with Attorney General Pam Bondi to request federal courts adhere to a rule that mandates financial guarantees from those requesting injunctions. 

While federal judges ultimately have the final say on whether these financial guarantees are required, the Department of Justice can request under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 65(c) that judges implement the rule to require financial guarantees from plaintiffs that are equal to the potential costs and damages the federal government would incur from a wrongly issued preliminary injunction or temporary restraining order. 

SCOTUS RULES ON NEARLY $2B IN FROZEN USAID PAYMENTS

The memo signed Thursday applies to all lawsuits seeking preliminary injunctions or temporary restraining orders "where the government can demonstrate monetary harm from the requested relief," according to a White House fact sheet. 

"Agencies must justify security amounts based on reasoned assessments of harm, ensuring courts deny or dissolve injunctions if plaintiffs fail to pay up, absent good cause," the White House said in the fact sheet obtained by Fox News Digital. 

As a result, the White House said the order will rule in "activist judges" and keep "litigants accountable."  

"Unelected district judges have issued sweeping injunctions beyond their authority, inserting themselves into executive policymaking and stalling policies voters supported," the White House said in its fact sheet. 

The lawsuits challenging the Trump administration already have started to make their way up to the Supreme Court. For example, the high court issued a 5-4 ruling Wednesday upholding a district judge’s order requiring the Trump administration to pay almost $2 billion in foreign aid money. 

The Supreme Court said that since the district court’s Feb. 26 deadline for the Trump administration to pay the USAID funding contracts has expired it directed the case back to the lower court to hash out future payment plans. 

TRUMP TEMPORARILY THWARTED IN DOGE MISSION TO END USAID

"Given that the deadline in the challenged order has now passed, and in light of the ongoing preliminary injunction proceedings, the District Court should clarify what obligations the Government must fulfill to ensure compliance with the temporary restraining order, with due regard for the feasibility of any compliance timelines," the Court said.

Fox News’ Kerri Urbahn and Breanne Deppisch contributed to this report. 

Rep. Kevin Kiley, R-Calif., is asking the FBI to look into California's high-speed rail project, which is already facing a compliance audit from the Department of Transportation.

Kiley says no rail has been constructed since the project kicked off 17 years ago, and the projection that it could cost $100 billion above previous estimates raises red flags.

"This malfeasance leads to questions that transcend mere incompetence. How is it possible to have spent over $13 billion without a single station opening? Where have these funds gone? Who benefited?" Kiley wrote in a letter to FBI Director Kash Patel Tuesday.

TRUMP ADMIN PUTS 'DISASTROUS' HIGH-SPEED RAIL PROJECT IN DEEP BLUE STATE ON NOTICE

"Because the project has consumed billions in federal funding, the FBI has both the authority, and I would argue the responsibility, to pursue these questions and deliver answers to the American people. The Public Integrity Division is uniquely qualified to root out any corruption, recover stolen funds, and restore confidence that our tax dollars are being stewarded carefully."

The FBI declined to comment on the request. 

"We welcome this investigation & look forward to working with federal partners. CA High-Speed Rail has been audited over 100x, every dollar is accounted for & progress is real - 50 structures built, 14,600 jobs created & 171 miles under construction," the California High-Speed Rail Authority posted to X in response. 

"Full speed ahead!" 

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy visited Los Angeles last month to rail against the bullet train efforts after it received billions in federal taxpayer funding.

TRANPORTATION SEC. SEAN DUFFY CALLS FOR INVESTMENTS IN TRAVEL INFRASTRUCTURE: 'WE NEED ALL THE CASH'

"For too long, taxpayers have subsidized the massively over-budget and delayed California High-Speed Rail project," Duffy said in a statement at the time.

"President Trump is right that this project is in dire need of an investigation. That is why I am directing my staff to review and determine whether the CHSRA has followed through on the commitments it made to receive billions of dollars in federal funding. If not, I will have to consider whether that money could be given to deserving infrastructure projects elsewhere in the United States."

CALIFORNIA DEMOCRATS URGE FEDS TO APPROVE HIGH-SPEED RAIL FUNDING BEFORE DOGE NIXES ‘BOONDOGGLE’

Although rail has not been built, other construction projects related to it have caused issues for some California residents, including one in Madera County, where an overpass is being built so close to a house that a survey obtained by Fox News Digital labeled it encroachment.

President Donald Trump's choice to lead the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) flipped a question about vaccine processes around onto a top Democratic senator during his confirmation hearing on Thursday, advising them to ask former President Joe Biden why he skipped a key step when it came to the COVID-19 booster. 

Dr. Marty Makary, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine professor and former Fox News medical contributor, went before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), during which he answered questions regarding vaccines, chronic illness, food safety and abortion. 

"So if you are confirmed, will you commit to immediately reschedule that FDA Vaccine Advisory Committee meeting to give the expert views?" Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., asked Trump's FDA pick. 

INSIDE ELON MUSK'S HUDDLE WITH GOP SENATORS: DOGE HEAD TOUTS $4M SAVINGS PER DAY

Her question came in reference to an FDA vaccine meeting that was reportedly postponed at the last minute. 

"I would reevaluate which topics deserve a convening of the advisory committee members on [Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee] and which may not require a convening," Makary replied, noting he was not a part of the decision. 

Asked again by Murray, the FDA commissioner nominee said, "Well, you can ask the Biden administration that chose not to convene the committee meeting for the COVID vaccine booster."

EXCLUSIVE: ELON MUSK PAC THANKS TRUMP FOR 'SAVING THE AMERICAN DREAM' IN NEW MILLION-DOLLAR AD

In 2021, Biden's administration notably pushed through FDA approval for a COVID-19 booster for everyone over the age of 18. Per a press release at the time, "The FDA did not hold a meeting of the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee on these actions as the agency previously convened the committee for extensive discussions regarding the use of booster doses of COVID-19 vaccines and, after review of both Pfizer’s and Moderna’s EUA requests, the FDA concluded that the requests do not raise questions that would benefit from additional discussion by committee members."

At the time, committee member Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia remarked, "We’re being asked to approve this as a three-dose vaccine for people 16 years of age and older, without any clear evidence if the third dose for a younger person when compared to an elderly person is of value."

HOUSE GOPERS HOPE TRUMP KEEPS DOOR TO MINERAL DEAL OPEN FOR UKRAINE DESPITE OVAL OFFICE DISPUTE

Fox News Digital asked Murray whether she was similarly concerned by Biden's decision. The senator said in a statement, "In 2022, I had confidence that our public health agencies were following the latest science and listening to public health experts. I do not have that confidence now."

"We’re talking about Trump and RFK Jr. canceling a routine meeting that has taken place annually, for at least 30 years, to make recommendations for which influenza strains should be included in the flu vaccines for the upcoming flu season – there has been zero justification for its cancellation or any information about when it would be rescheduled," she continued. "The flu vaccine is safe, effective, and lifesaving – we need this advisory committee to meet so manufacturers have enough time to prepare the correct vaccines."

Ahead of the Thursday hearing, Murray and fellow HELP Democratic Sens. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin and Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland penned a letter to Makary, telling him, "We intend to use your nomination hearing next week to understand whether you support this ill-informed measure to slow critical public health decision-making." 

GOP REBELS FIRE WARNING SHOT IN SHUTDOWN SHOWDOWN: NO DOGE, NO DEAL

HELP Chairman Bill Cassidy, R-La., also inquired about the postponed meeting, asking Makary, "How will you ensure that advisory committees remain objective, transparent and still benefiting from the necessary expertise of external experts?"

The nominee told Cassidy, "You have my commitment to review what the committees are doing [and] how they're being used."

"As you know, I was critical when that committee was not convened at all during one of the COVID booster guidance decisions by the FDA," Makary noted. 

He recalled that FDA leadership "at the time argued that they're advisory, and we don't have to convene them. That was repeatedly, throughout the Biden administration."

President Donald Trump on Thursday said he's ordered all of his cabinet secretaries to work with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to take a ‘scalpel’ on which workers will remain in their jobs. 

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said the Elon Musk-led group has "been an incredible success."

"And now that we have my Cabinet in place, I have instructed the Secretaries and Leadership to work with DOGE on Cost Cutting measures and Staffing," he wrote. "As the Secretaries learn about, and understand, the people working for the various Departments, they can be very precise as to who will remain, and who will go. We say the "scalpel" rather than the ‘hatchet.’"

DOD TELLS CIVILIAN WORKFORCE TO IGNORE ELON MUSK'S REQUEST TO REPORT PRODUCTIVITY

Trump and Musk met with most of the secretaries, with Trump calling the gathering very "positive."

"It’s very important that we cut levels down to where they should be, but it’s also important to keep the best and most productive people," he said. "We’re going to have these meetings every two weeks until that aspect of this very necessary job is done."

DOGE, as well as Musk, has come under heavy scrutiny from Democrats over its cost-cutting measures and attempts to gain access to sensitive data. 

On Wednesday, Elon Musk met with a small group of House Republicans where he discussed avenues for cost savings in a quest to find as much as $1 trillion in government waste, people familiar with the discussion told Fox News Digital.

MUSK TELLS CABINET THAT DOGE EMAIL WAS 'PULSE CHECK' FOR WORKERS, WARNS US WILL 'GO BANKRUPT' WITHOUT ACTION

"The executive DOGE team is confident, they think they can get $1 trillion," one lawmaker familiar with the meeting told Fox News Digital. "Now, we'll see, right? And the thing is, he acknowledged that we're going to make mistakes, but we're going to correct them very quickly."

Democrats have accused Trump of giving Musk too much power as he focuses on Trump's promise to make the federal government more efficient. 

"Protests will not deter President Trump and Elon Musk from delivering on the promise to establish DOGE and make our federal government more efficient and more accountable to the hardworking American taxpayers across the country," Harrison Fields, special assistant to the president and principal deputy press secretary, told Fox News Digital in a statement on Wednesday. 

Fox News Digital's Aubrie Spady and Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report. 

A Muslim journalist warned the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday that antisemitism has become an "industry" in the United States, and called for the Justice Department to investigate the "malign foreign influence" behind it.

"Antisemitism is now an industry. It is an industry that is being perpetuated, unfortunately, by organizations that even have nonprofit status in America – 501(c)(3)s, 501(c)(4)s," Asra Nomani, founder of the Pearl Project, told Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa. "And these are organizations that are belying their own mission in order to use as a Trojan horse this opposition to Israel to perpetuate this hate. These young students that we have are the targets of that hate." 

"October 7th became their moment. And what has happened is that, unfortunately, pulling our punches and not recognizing their danger in our society serves no one," Nomani added. "It absolutely does not serve our interests of an inclusive society. An actual inclusive society means that we do not allow hate of any kind, and the kind that we have right now against our Jewish community is of epidemic proportions." 

In her opening statement, Nomani detailed the origin of the Pearl Project, a faculty-student investigative project into the murder of Daniel Pearl. Pearl was Nomani's colleague at The Wall Street Journal when they both reported in Pakistan in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. He was kidnapped and killed by Islamic terrorists, who, Nomani asserted, targeted Pearl for being a descendant of Israel. 

NYPD MAKES MULTIPLE ARRESTS AT BARNARD COLLEGE AFTER ANTI-ISRAEL AGITATORS TAKE OVER LIBRARY

"Many people will think that he was targeted because he was Jewish, but an FBI agent went and interviewed the kidnapper, and he said, 'I didn't target him just because he's Jewish. I targeted him because he is a son of Israel,'" Nomani told the committee. "I am here to report to you that in the 22 years since then, I have been investigating the network that has perpetuated the hate that was targeted against Danny. We have called them agitators today, and we have called them protesters, but they have names. They are from organizations that are in a network that I have numbered now at 1,500. This is not a grassroots organization." 

Nomani held up posters seen at recent anti-Israel protests and at the Democratic National Convention disseminated by American Muslims for Palestine. 

She said the person charged with spraying graffiti that read "Hamas is coming" on the Christopher Columbus statue in front of Union Station in Washington, D.C., during protests against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit last July was "not just an agitator," but "a man who is the Richmond Director of American Muslims for Palestine." She claimed that  other anti-Israel demonstrators were affiliated with the Party for Socialism and Liberation.

"The hate that killed Danny Pearl on the streets of Karachi is now in our streets. It's on our campuses. It's a frightening network of the far left and the Islamist groups," she said. "Nobody in this room can support their ideals. Their ideals are against individual liberties and free enterprise. They want to destroy the United States of America. They want to destroy Israel. And our young Jewish students on campuses, our younger Danny's, are in their crosshairs." 

AFTER TRUMP THREAT, HAMAS REFUSES TO RELEASE MORE HOSTAGES WITHOUT PHASE 2 CEASEFIRE DEAL

Nomani continued: "We must recognize this existential threat. It is a vast network. We must investigate them. We must have them register with the Foreign Agent Registration Act when they are doing the work of these malign foreign actors that want to destroy America. And we must support Muslim reform movement leaders who want to stand up with our Jewish brothers and sisters." 

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, later questioned another witness about the funding of antisemitism in the United States. 

"Is it clear that there is significant money funding these attacks on Jewish students and attacks on America?" Cruz asked Dr. Alyza Lewin, president of the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights.

"It is clear that there is coordination and there must be some common funding," Lewin responded. 

Lewin said she was not aware of any investigations under the Biden Justice Department to follow the money behind antisemitic activities, and neither was she aware of anyone being indicted over the flow of funding. Cruz again asked whether Lewin was aware of any university or institution having Title VI federal funds cut off because they "tolerated, welcomed" or "had their own officials cheering on" antisemitism, and the witness said she was not. 

As for the free speech argument, Cruz also suggested that universities would bring swift punishment against people who dared to dress as Ku Klux Klan members on campuses.

"They should expel them. If they're foreign students, they should be deported. And, mark my words, if you are horrified at the antisemitism, you will see the Trump Department of Justice follow the money, prosecute the people who are paying for this, prosecute those engaged in violence, and cut off the money from universities that are tolerating and celebrating this," Cruz said. "That is the rule of law. And ask yourself, 'Why did the Biden Justice Department do absolutely nothing about this horror that is unfolding?'"