The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will release parts of Prince Harry’s immigration records with some redaction, in the ongoing lawsuit over the royal's move to the United States.
The move comes after federal Judge Carl Nichols ordered the agency to provide the court with a redacted version of Harry’s file for review with the ultimate goal of making the records public, according to a New York Post report Friday.
At issue is whether the British royal lied on immigration documents or was given preferential treatment when he moved to the U.S. in 2020, with Harry later revealing in his memoir "Spare," which was released in 2023, that he had used illegal drugs.
The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, sued DHS in an attempt to get Harry’s record released, hoping to find out if the 40-year-old royal failed to disclose his former drug use on his immigration application.
In a DHS filing to the court, the agency said it could turn over "items 1-3" of Harry’s records with some redactions, but would not release "item 4."
It is unclear what information the items DHS is set to release will contain, though Nichols said at the hearing earlier this month that he wanted the records to be disclosed "in stages" in order to prevent violating U.S. privacy laws.
DHS will have until March 6 to provide the redacted version of the records for the judge’s review, the report notes.
Nile Gardiner, the director of the Heritage Foundation’s Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom, has argued that "transparency" is important when it comes to how immigration cases are handled.
"It’s important because this is an issue of the rule of law, transparency and accountability. No one should be above the law," Gardiner said earlier this month. "Donald Trump is ushering in a new era of strict border control enforcement, and you know, Prince Harry should be held fully to account as he has admitted to extensive illegal drug use."
DHS did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth denied rumors that he drafted a list of senior military leaders he allegedly planned to purge after the rumor tore through the Pentagon last week and reportedly kept flag officers on their toes.
"I gotta ask you about this rumored list of people that you allegedly put together that we're all going to be cleaned out. Is there a list? Is there anybody left on the list if it exists?" "Fox News Sunday" host Shannon Bream asked Hegseth in an exclusive interview on Sunday morning.
"There's no list, Shannon," Hegseth responded. "I've heard that, seen that very rumor, although we have a very keen eye toward military leadership and their willingness to follow lawful orders."
Republican lawmakers on the House and Senate Armed Services Committees said Thursday that they had heard about such a list of senior military officials facing the chopping block, but had not been presented anything.
The rumors flew through the Pentagon Thursday, creating fear among top-ranked officers, as reports that thousands of probationary DOD employees, including many military veterans, could be affected by the federal workforce reductions ordered by the White House, Fox News Digital reported last week.
The list allegedly contained a "handful of names."
"I may have heard a rumor, but I'm not going to speculate on rumors," Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Roger Wicker, R-Miss., told Fox News. "No one has approached me about such a list other than people asking me questions."
Concerns over an alleged list mounted on Friday when Hegseth was slated to travel to Guatanomo Bay in Cuba to hold a media availability, but the trip was postponed until later this week. Some officials viewed the postponement as a signal the firings would be imminent, Fox Digital reported.
The Trump administration on Friday did fire six Pentagon officials, including Air Force Gen. C.Q. Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Adm. Lisa Franchetti, who was the first woman to serve as chief of naval operations.
"This is all about defending the Constitution," Hegseth continued in his remarks to Bream after denying the existence of any "list." "Joe Biden gave lawful orders. A lot of them are really bad, and it's unfortunate how they eroded our military, ideological, COVID mandates. President Trump has given another set of lawful orders, and they will be followed."
"And all these orders are in keeping with the Constitution, and norms inside the military. If they're not followed, then those officers will find the door. And that's not a tough calculation. We feel really good about the direction the Pentagon is headed under President Trump. We're going to focus on war fighting and lethality and accountability, and be the most transparent Pentagon that folks have seen in a long time," he added.
Earlier in the interview, Hegseth added that the former Joint Chiefs chairman, Gen. Brown, is an "honorable man, not the right man for the moment."
Fox News' Louis Casiano, Alexandra Koch and Jennifer Griffin contributed to this report.
President Donald Trump’s White House is looking to sell two prominent federal buildings in San Francisco, including the recently dubbed Nancy Pelosi Federal Building, according to local reports.
The Nancy Pelosi Federal Building, a two-decade-old, 18-story tower known as the San Francisco Federal Building until its formal dedication to the former House speaker in December, sits on Mission and 7th streets in an area that has been for years plagued by open-air drug dealing, illegal markets reselling stolen goods and other crime.
In addition to Pelosi’s namesake building, the Trump administration is reportedly also considering selling the 1930s-era federal building at 50 United Nations Plaza, which currently serves as the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) regional headquarters. The potential sales were reported by KGO-TV, as well as the San Francisco Chronicle, which cited a GSA document earmarking both federal properties in San Francisco as "non-core" assets to possibly be sold off.
In 2023, hundreds of federal employees at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) assigned to the building were instructed to work from home amid worsening safety concerns, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. At the time, Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, demanded its closure due to the drug dealing at the building’s doorstep.
"It's another example of how he is coming after Democrats. He's coming after California, and it's all about payback," former Democratic Rep. Jackie Speier told KGO, referring to Trump. "The lease will keep going up and you will end up paying the property taxes of the lessor, whereas you don't pay federal taxes when you are a federal government."
In a 2020 executive order, Trump described the 7th Street federal building – an energy-efficient "green" structure opened in 2007 at a cost of $144 million – as being considered by San Franciscans as "one of the ugliest structures in their city."
Andy Ball, a developer who worked as a concrete subcontractor on the building two decades ago, told the Chronicle the project was a "waste of taxpayer money from day one."
"No investor would have built this building," Ball said, estimating the costs were about "50% greater" than if the project had been funded by the private sector. "In this market, it will represent the greatest difference between cost to build and its sale value."
The potential building sales come as the Trump administration, through Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), continues efforts to downside federal government bureaucracy. Though the lease remains active for the 800,000-square-foot former Twitter headquarters in San Francisco, Musk moved his tech company, rebranded as X Corp., to Texas last year.
Last year, the overall vacancy for downtown San Francisco reached 37%, with the vacancy rate specifically in the Mid-Market area sitting at 55%, according to the Chronicle.
As of December, the Federal Protective Service ramped up security at the corner since the 7th Street federal building was formally named after Pelosi, who has represented San Francisco for more than 37 years in Congress. Residents who spoke to KGO-TV lamented that the problems just seemed to have been moved a block over, as federal employees would now enjoy the benefit of armed security, while everyday citizens do not. The building, which can accommodate roughly 2,000 workers, currently houses offices for Pelosi, HHS, as well as the Social Security Administration, the Department of Transportation, the Department of Labor, the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Fox News Digital reached out to Pelosi's office, as well as the GSA and the White House, for comment Sunday but did not immediately hear back.
A group of veterans and lawmakers is urging President Donald Trump to award an 87-year-old Marine Corps "legend" and war hero the Medal of Honor after he was snubbed by former President Joe Biden.
The veteran, Maj. James Capers, served in the Vietnam War and saved seven fellow Marines when his recon group was ambushed and outnumbered by North Vietnamese troops in Phú Lộc in 1967.
According to the sworn testimony of the surviving Marines, then-Lt. Capers’ unit was ambushed in the jungle, with blasts from claymore mines inflicting devastating injuries on him and his men. Despite the blasts ripping open his stomach and breaking his leg, a heavily bleeding Capers kept command of his Marines and led two in holding off the enemy long enough for the medevac flight to arrive.
When the overloaded aircraft struggled to take off, Capers attempted to sacrifice himself by jumping from the helicopter and insisting he be left behind until he was pulled back on board by the medevac crew chief.
Capers received multiple gunfire wounds and 19 pieces of shrapnel in the firefight. He continues to suffer from the wounds to this day. But due to his heroic actions, Capers and all of his Marines survived.
For his heroism, Capers was awarded the Bronze Star, which was later upgraded to the Silver Star. However, many believe that Capers rightfully should have received the nation’s highest military honor, the Medal of Honor, for his actions at Phú Lộc.
Unconcerned about his own recognition, Capers continued to serve in the Marines after the war and became a central figure in the "Ask a Marine" program, where he shared his experiences and inspired countless young Americans to serve their country.
For years now, a collection of Marine and other military veterans has been advocating for Capers to finally receive the recognition they believe he deserves. But despite their efforts, Capers, who happens to have also been the first African American to serve in a recon battalion in Vietnam, continued to be ignored by the Biden administration.
With his advanced age and frail health, friends of Capers are worried he may never get the recognition they feel he deserves.
But with Trump in the Oval Office, Bill Cortese, one of Capers’ supporters, feels confident it will finally happen.
Cortese, who is also a Marine Corps vet, told Fox News Digital that he believes Capers could be an inspiring and unifying force in the country.
"When you are overseas, when those bullets start flying, no one's a Democrat or a Republican. No one's a conservative or a progressive. And I think Maj. Capers is sort of the example of someone who just did what had to be done," he explained. "This is someone who led the way, who grew up in Jim Crow South Carolina, overcame incredible racism and incredible obstacles to join the Marine Corps and serve his country, and not once did he ever look for anyone to give him anything based on the color of his skin. It was entirely on his merit and his actions. And so that's something that we can rally around."
Despite this, Cortese said he found it "mind-boggling" how the previous administration "found every reason why not to upgrade this award to the Medal of Honor."
"It's strange, but it seems we received every excuse under the sun." he explained.
He suspects Biden snubbed Capers because he does not fit into the left’s political box and narrative.
"Anyone who knows Maj. Capers knows that he is not someone who bought into any of the woke ideology the last administration was pushing," he explained. "He wouldn't, I think, sing the song that they wanted, and so, I think they just decided to sit on their hands and not do anything, which is sad and unfortunate."
"That's why we're just trying to do the right thing," he continued. "And we know this administration knows how to do the right thing when it comes to veterans."
"We know President Trump cares about our veterans. We know he cares about recognizing their heroic actions. And so, we feel very positive about this new administration that they're going to recognize the value in this both for the veteran community itself, but also for the country as a whole."
The push recently gained even more momentum when 47 members of the U.S. House and Senate formally signed a letter asking Trump to give Capers the recognition he deserves.
"We firmly believe that Major James Capers, Jr., has met the stringent criteria for the Medal of Honor," the lawmakers wrote. "His selfless actions, leadership, courage, and initiative uphold the highest traditions of the United States Armed Forces. The exceptional valor displayed by Major Capers during his missions in the Republic of Vietnam from March 31 to April 3, 1967, serves as a shining example for all servicemen and women, and it is deserving of the highest recognition."
Cortese said he is very grateful for the lawmakers and that he is thankful just to be a part of the movement to finally give Capers the honor he deserves.
"We stand on the shoulders of people like Maj. Capers," he said. "So, we think it's very important to make sure that we honor those who have come before us, honor those who have served, put their lives on the line like Maj. Capers."
"As a Marine Corps veteran myself, I think it's important to recognize tradition, and it's important to recognize those who have paved the way before you," he explained. "I think that's something that is instilled in us as Marines to always remember that, to keep those traditions alive and to recognize those like Maj. Capers who are Marine Corps legends."
President Donald Trump is calling for an audit that could kill California's high-speed rail proposal, which has been around for nearly two decades and has made very little progress.
Many union workers who depend on the federal lifeline turned out to Union Station in Los Angeles on Thursday to throw tomatoes and heckle Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, as his department will lead the charge of figuring out how the funds are being utilized.
"It's been 17 years and $16 billion and no rail has been built," Duffy said while the protesters were in the room reacting to his comments.
"So, if you want to go protest somewhere, if you want to go shout at someone, go to the governor's mansion – go talk to Democrats in the legislature who have brought us this crappy project," he added.
Specifically, the secretary wants to investigate if there were any shady business dealings tied with the rail project's failure so far. As of January, the state was touting a small development in the project's Bakersfield section.
"No state in America is closer to launching high-speed rail than California – and today, we just took a massive step forward. We’re moving into the track-laying phase, completing structures for key segments, and laying the groundwork for a high-speed rail network," Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement last month.
"The future of transportation is being realized right here in the Central Valley with thousands of good-paying jobs already created and 171 miles being worked on. As only California can, we’re building America’s biggest infrastructure project," he added.
Federal taxpayers spent almost $3 billion on the project – with another $4 billion promised by, but not already spent, from President Joe Biden. The audit could provide Trump with the legal authority to claw that money back.
Still, there is almost nothing to show for the project, which is projected to cost $106 billion to achieve its final goal of stretching from Los Angeles to San Francisco, according to the Associated Press. Proponents have argued that the rail would make California, one of the nation's largest states, more connected.
Congressman Kevin Kiley, R-Calif., is pleased to see the project getting federal attention.
"We have been fighting against this disastrous project for years, and now, thanks to Secretary Duffy and President Trump, we finally have an opportunity to hopefully bring it to an end," he told Fox News Digital.
"I'm not sure why anyone would be in favor of what's going on in California. We're wasting taxpayer money in a really, just on an epic scale and not getting anything in return for it," he added.
In addition, Congresswoman Young Kim, R-Calif., argued "it's about time" for accountability on the project.
"We'll see if this investigation leads to finding any fraud and waste. If there is fraud, I know it would probably be in the areas of whether or not the contractors, subcontractors, the designer, the builders, anyone who's involved with the high-speed rail project is somehow involved in this process," she said.
Fox News Digital caught up with CPAC 2025 attendees on Saturday ahead of President Donald Trump’s headlining speech to discuss how Republicans are dominating the modern media narrative.
The Conservative Political Action Conference is an annual meeting of conservative minds to discuss policy and hear from leading voices in the party. CPAC dates back to 1974, but it was Trump’s speech in 2017 that ushered the conservative conference into its modern era.
Conservative media has erupted in the Trump years, and CPAC had that evidence on full display this year. Media rows, with space for everyone from legacy mainstream media to independent podcasters, spanned several floors of the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland, during CPAC 2025.
The Trump administration has embraced this new media landscape, most notably by opening up a coveted "new media seat" in the White House press briefing room for influencers, podcasters, content creators and independent journalists. The White House received thousands of media applications following White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt’s announcement last month.
"I think the diversity of new media would be a great addition to the media landscape, and it's been great to see them in the press briefing room, too. I think that all the new conservative influencers who have been utilizing channels like TikTok and Instagram have really connected with the youth, and obviously, that was a new group in terms of demographics that President Trump was able to reach with this election," CPAC attendee Kellie Lynch told Fox News Digital.
Trump leaned into the podcast space during his 2024 presidential campaign under the advisement of his Gen Z son, Barron Trump. Trump appeared on Theo Von’s "This Past Weekend," Joe Rogan’s widely popular "The Joe Rogan Experience" and Logan Paul’s "IMPAULSIVE." The episodes amassed millions of views each, with as many as 26 million views on Rogan’s podcast.
"I was watching Joe Rogan," John Taber, a young CPAC attendee, told Fox News Digital. "I listened to President Trump's interview. I listened to JD Vance's interview with Joe Rogan. I think that really spoke to a demographic that's typically not spoken to by politicians, both Republicans and Democrats. They saw hope in that interview. I think that's why a lot of conservatives flocked over to President Trump."
"It goes to show that Donald Trump was very open about his views. He doesn't hide behind anything, and he went on a podcast not even knowing what was going to be asked of him, and he was able to answer," conservative TikToker Harley Richards added.
"It's a great strategy," CPAC attendee Jacob Lee said. "So many young people today are so hooked on podcasts. They love podcasts. They love Joe Rogan. They love the Nelk boys. They love all of these interactive podcast stars that Kamala Harris and the Democrats didn't really go for a lot. They did go on other podcasts that are kind of inflammatory, in my opinion, but they're not engaging. They're not engaging the younger male voter. I think that's what really put Trump over the top with younger men."
The White House announced an official rapid response account @RapidResponse47 during Trump’s first month back in office, led by White House Rapid Response director Jake Schneider. The accounts aggregate key interview moments, share fast facts and create headlines, to highlight Trump’s best moments and clip the Democrats' worst.
"I follow the White House Trump Rapid Response, and it provides a great commentary on what's going on, and you can respond to it and debate with people who are not conservative. I find that very useful," Taber said.
"That's where most of the youth group is looking at right now: social media. They don't really get their news from larger news sources most of the time," Lee explained.
Tiffany Cianci, who runs a social media channel called TikTok Town Hall, told Fox that Trump "made his presence known on TikTok and saw the benefits of how it could connect him to his audience," and that during the election cycle, people "realized they wanted that accountability" and "engagement with our politicians."
"Special government employee" Elon Musk uses X to communicate with Americans directly, sharing information about his Department of Government Efficiency in real time. As the owner of X, Musk is the most-followed person on the app with a whopping 218.5 million followers.
"Especially with Elon Musk's purchase of X and the re-platforming of conservatives who had previously been de-platformed when it was Twitter. I think it's been great to see those voices be amplified again, and for free speech to return to X," Lynch said.
"Before, it would have been very difficult to say something, even moderately conservative. Now, I can't scroll on X, you know, two posts deep without seeing something to the tune of conservatism," another CPAC attendee, Daniel McBride, said.
As social media shifts more conservative, legacy media is embracing the change too. Bill Abbott, president and CEO of Great American Media, spoke with Fox News Digital on Friday ahead of his CPAC panel about faith, family and the future of media. Recognizing a gap in the industry three years ago, the former Hallmark CEO launched his family-friendly media company.
Abbott, who attended CPAC to meet his audience where they are, said viewers have always enjoyed conservative media but, now, demands are being met by a growing supply of conservative channels.
"I'm not so sure if it's a shift or people now feel free to speak up," Abbott said. "I think back in 2016 or 2017, there was a tremendous fear you could get canceled if you had freedom of speech or if you actually said something that was positive about the administration or about the president or about being conservative. Those values were very much held in contempt."
"Now, with the election and winning in a landslide, clearly, people feel more comfortable expressing what they really think. So, I think that it's not so much a shift, but I think the majority of the country has always been in this camp," Abbott added.
"It was never really liberal-dominated," Bode Brewer, a CPAC attendee from Pennsylvania, echoed. "There was no conservative strength to uplift people that were conservative. The conservatives were always there, they were just never activated."
Truckers are "very hopeful" about the trajectory of the auto industry under President Donald Trump after years of feeling like the Biden administration "completely fell asleep behind the wheel," a trucking executive told Fox News Digital.
"We're excited, hopeful, because the new administration will help with the issues that we're having," Mike Kucharski, co-owner and vice president of JKC Trucking, told Fox News Digital as the Trump administration walks back on Biden-era regulations mandating the sale of more electric vehicles (EVs).
Former President Joe Biden granted California a waiver allowing them to enforce emissions standards that are more stringent than other states, including the Advanced Clean Trucks regulation, which mandates that truck manufacturers sell more zero-emission heavy-duty trucks. However, in February, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sent the previously granted waiver to the Republican-controlled Congress for review.
If Congress decides to strike down the waiver, California could lose its ability to enforce the independent emissions standards, which truckers believe would be "a huge win for the industry," according to Kucharski.
"California doesn't dictate the nation," the trucking executive told Fox. "And the frustrating part is, we're in Illinois, we're not in a much better state than California. But we need a technology that we can use across the whole U.S., not one state demanding that they do it."
Kucharski says that truckers are in support of green energy alternatives, but that the industry does not have the infrastructure for such strict mandates, citing the 2023 California heatwave when residents were told to avoid charging their electric vehicles due to the heat.
The big-rig executive also raised concerns over the ability to charge a large quantity of electric big-rig trucks in California if the emissions standards remain in place.
"Where's that power going to come from? We would need a miracle or some super-alien technology to make that work," he told Fox News Digital.
California's standards, which are the strictest in the country, also "cost truckers money," he said.
"Right now, we don't have the money, we're still dealing with aftershocks of COVID," Kucharski told Fox. "We hope that this administration can pull us out of this black hole."
"Truckers are seeing a light at the end of the tunnel. I'm very hopeful," Kucharski said. "This administration, they're at least looking out for the good of the American people and for the truckers. And I hope they can get this economy roaring again, as they did in the first administration."
As the EPA pulls back on the green energy push, Kucharski said there are three issues truckers hope to see addressed under the Trump administration: overregulation, the cost of diesel and achieving energy independence.
Hunter Schafer, a transgender actor and star of the HBO series "Euphoria," revealed that her new passport was issued with a male gender marker because of an executive order signed by President Donald Trump.
Schafer, 26, posted a video on social media detailing how her passport had been stolen while she was filming in Spain. After receiving an emergency passport, she later had to apply for a new, permanent one in Los Angeles. Schafer, who transitioned to female when she was a teenager, said her original passport identified her as female, but the new one she received marked her as male.
Schafer said she wasn’t posting the video to "create drama," "fearmonger" or "receive consolation," but rather because she thought it was worth noting "the reality of the situation and that it is actually happening."
"Trans people are beautiful. We are never going to stop existing. I’m never gonna stop being trans," she said in the video. "A letter and a passport can’t change that. And f--- this administration."
Trump signed the executive order, "Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government," on his first day in office. The order mandates the federal government to recognize only two sexes — male and female — based on immutable biological characteristics, which must be reflected on official documents, like passports.
The State Department, responsible for passports, is no longer issuing passports with the "X" marker that’s been available since 2021 and is not honoring requests to change gender markers between "M" and "F."
Schafer acknowledged the executive order in her TikTok video: "Because our president, you know, is a lot of talk, I was like, ‘I’ll believe it when I see it.’ And, today, I saw it," Schafer said, holding up her new passport page with the "M" marker.
The 26-year-old said she has had female gender markers on her license and passport since she was a teenager, though she noted that she did not have her birth certificate amended.
"It doesn’t really change anything about me or my transness. However, it does make my life a little harder," Schafer said in the video, saying she has to travel for the first time with the new passport next week.
"Trans people are beautiful. We are never going to stop existing. I’m never going to stop being trans. A letter and a passport can’t change that," she concluded.
Seven people represented by the American Civil Liberties Union have already filed a lawsuit claiming the policy violates privacy and First Amendment rights.
The ACLU has said it has been contacted by more than 1,500 transgender people or family members, "many with passport applications suspended or pending, who are concerned about being able to get passports that accurately reflect their identity."
Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Billionaire Elon Musk said Saturday that "the bar is very low" after announcing that all federal employees must report their productivity if they wish to keep their jobs.
Musk, a senior advisor to President Donald Trump, said earlier on Saturday that employees will receive an email giving them a chance to explain how productive they were the previous week. If an employee fails to respond to the email, Musk said the government will interpret that as a resignation.
"Consistent with President @realDonaldTrump’s instructions, all federal employees will shortly receive an email requesting to understand what they got done last week," Musk wrote on X. "Failure to respond will be taken as a resignation."
Later on Saturday, Musk said the report should take under five minutes for employees to write. The deadline to respond to the email is 11:59 p.m. Monday.
"To be clear, the bar is very low here. An email with some bullet points that make any sense at all is acceptable! Should take less than 5 mins to write," Musk wrote on X.
In another post, Musk responded to the White House's Rapid Response account in which it laid out what the administration has done in the last week, which included Trump signing executive orders to expand access to in vitro fertilization (IVF) and to end benefits for illegal immigrants.
"That would be a very impressive and long list indeed for you!" Musk responded.
"However, the passing grade is literally just 'Can you send an email with words that make any sense at all?'" he continued. "It's a low bar."
A spokesperson from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) confirmed Musk's plans.
"As part of the Trump Administration's commitment to an efficient and accountable federal workforce, OPM is asking employees to provide a brief summary of what they did last week by the end of Monday, CC'ing their manager," the spokesperson said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "Agencies will determine any next steps."
New FBI Director Kash Patel, however, has instructed agency employees not to respond yet to the OPM email, according to ABC News.
"FBI personnel may have received an email from OPM requesting information," Patel told employees. "The FBI, through the Office of the Director, is in charge of all of our review processes, and will conduct reviews in accordance with FBI procedures. When and if further information is required, we will coordinate the responses. For now, please pause any responses. Thank you, Kash Patel."
The American Federation of Government Employees labor union said it plans to "challenge any unlawful terminations of our members and federal employees across the country."
"It is cruel and disrespectful for federal employees to be forced to justify their job duties to this out-of-touch, privileged, unelected billionaire who has never performed one single hour of honest public service in his life," the union wrote on X.
The productivity reports came as the Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency continues efforts to cut suspected waste across the federal government.
Fox News' Andrea Margolis and Patrick Ward contributed to this report.
With the successful confirmation of Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick last week, the 17th official put in place, Republicans and Trump officially outpaced former President Joe Biden, who had just seven nominees confirmed at the same point in 2021.
Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso's office pointed out that former President Barack Obama had only 16 Cabinet officials confirmed by February 18, 2009, during his first term, meaning that Trump outpaced him as well with Lutnick's confirmation.
His office noted that 17 Cabinet nominees were not confirmed for Obama in 2009 until he had been in office for 36 days, citing official congressional records. Biden did not see 17 Cabinet nominees confirmed for 56 days.
The GOP-led Senate confirmed Kash Patel as FBI director last week, giving Trump another win, even though Patel is not a member of the president's Cabinet.
"By the end of today, we will have confirmed 18 of President Trump’s nominees. These nominees are bold and well-qualified," Barrasso said on the Senate floor before Patel's vote.
"That is more nominees than President Obama had in 2009. It is more than President Biden had in 2021. More than twice as many," he said.
"Americans voted for a bold, new direction in Washington. Senate Republicans are delivering it," he said.
While they still have a handful of Cabinet nominees left to confirm, the approval of Patel marked a crucial accomplishment for the party, as they officially put in place each of the president's most controversial picks.
Trump nominated Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard and Patel, each of whom managed to lose the support of at least one Republican.
And while their confirmations were at some points uphill battles for the administration, each of them successfully got past the finish line.
Those still left to be confirmed to Trump's Cabinet are Lori Chavez-DeRemer for Secretary, of Labor Linda McMahon for Secretary of Education, U.S. Trade Representative nominee Jamieson Greer and Elise Stefanik to be ambassador to the United Nations.
Republican Gov. Brian Kemp of Georgia is well aware that plenty of people are waiting for his decision on whether to run for the Senate next year.
The popular term-limited conservative governor is the GOP's dream candidate to take on Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff, who is considered vulnerable, in the key southeastern battleground state, as Republicans aim to expand their 53-47 Senate majority in the 2026 midterm elections.
"We need to flip that seat. We should have a Republican in that seat, and I believe we'll have one after the '26 election," Kemp said in a Fox News Digital interview this past week.
Kemp isn't ready to make an announcement, emphasizing that he's "really got a lot on my plate right now."
"I'm in the middle of my legislative session. We've got a big tort reform fight going on. I'm chairing the Republican Governors Association. I made a commitment on that," he added.
But the governor acknowledged that "I know I can't keep holding out forever, so we'll have something to say on that down the road."
Georgia's legislative session is scheduled to adjourn on April 4.
Sen. Tim Scott, chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which is the Senate GOP's campaign arm, has said that Kemp is a top recruit, and he hopes the governor will run.
And recent partisan polling in Georgia indicated Kemp topping Ossoff in a hypothetical matchup.
But the NRSC is confident of flipping the seat in Georgia even if Kemp decides to take a pass on a 2026 run.
Among the Republicans who've expressed interest in a run for the Senate seat in Georgia if Kemp opts out are Reps. Buddy Carter, Rich McCormick, Mike Collins, and Marjorie Taylor Greene, a top ally of President Donald Trump and a political rockstar on the far right with a very large national profile, along with state Insurance Commissioner John King.
Kemp was interviewed as he chaired the Republican Governors Association's (RGA) winter meeting in Washington D.C.
The governor, who has been steering the RGA for three months, emphasized his frenetic schedule to fundraise and recruit candidates.
"Doing a lot of stuff in Florida, Texas, been to California, will be traveling to help other governors, but also just in DC, you know, continuing to work hard to raise money, really, all across the board," he said.
And Kemp said he's aiming to "really grow the organization, grow the donor base, and make people understand why it's so important to have Republican governors, because we are the incubators of democracy. We're the ones that are implementing a lot of these new and efficient things that we're doing that then may filter out to another state and then another state after that."
Republicans held onto their 27-23 gubernatorial advantage in the 2024 elections, thanks in part to the efforts of the RGA.
Looking ahead, New Jersey and Virginia are the only two states to hold gubernatorial elections this year, giving them outsized national attention and making them key barometers for the mood of Americans during the start of a new presidential term.
A competitive GOP primary is underway in blue-state New Jersey, where Republicans hope to win a gubernatorial election for the first time in a dozen years.
And in Virginia, GOP Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears is aiming to succeed term-limited Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin [Virginia governors can only serve one consecutive four-year term] and make history as the state's first woman governor and the nation's first Black female governor.
Next year, 36 states will hold gubernatorial elections.
Pointing to the two-year cycle, Kemp said, "There's a lot of work to do, but we are right on the ideas, and we just got to have the money and the fundamentals to be able to have a playbook and a plan and all these races to make sure we continue to have great Republican governors that are elected around the country."
Yesterday — 22 February 2025Latest Political News on Fox News
President Donald Trump spoke with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Saturday about a variety of issues, ranging from the war in Ukraine to U.S. border security.
In a statement released Saturday evening, the White House said Trump and Trudeau began the call by discussing the 4 Nations Face-Off hockey tournament that Canada won, and both leaders "expressed pride in the excellence of both nations' teams that faced off in a hard-fought hockey championship."
"The discussion turned to Monday’s G7 call that will mark the third anniversary of the invasion and war in Ukraine," the statement added. "Prime Minister Trudeau echoed President Trump’s desire to see an end to the war and acknowledged that President Trump is the only world leader who can push through a just and lasting peace.
"President Trump reminded the prime minister that the war should never have started and would not have had he been president at the time."
The leaders also discussed U.S. border security, a sensitive subject for Canadian officials since Trump imposed tariffs in response to drug trafficking at the U.S.-Canadian border. Trump agreed Feb. 3 to pause the tariffs for 30 days, meaning the tariffs are expected in early March.
During the call, Trudeau claimed Canada has achieved a 90% reduction in fentanyl crossing into the U.S. from Canada and said his country's border czar will be in Washington next week for meetings with U.S. border chief Tom Homan.
Trump and Trudeau have had a strained relationship in recent weeks, due to both the tariffs and Trump's stated interest in securing Canada as a U.S. territory. Earlier in February, Trudeau said he believes Trump is serious about turning Canada into the 51st U.S. state.
"I suggest that not only does the Trump administration know how many critical minerals we have, but that may be even why they keep talking about absorbing us and making us the 51st state," Trudeau said, according to CBC. "They’re very aware of our resources, of what we have, and they very much want to be able to benefit from those."
Trump previously complained about the trade deficit the U.S. has with Canada, claiming "there is no reason" for such an imbalance.
"We don’t need anything they have," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "We have unlimited Energy, should make our own Cars, and have more Lumber than we can ever use. Without this massive subsidy, Canada ceases to exist as a viable Country. Harsh but true!
"Therefore, Canada should become our Cherished 51st State," Trump added. "Much lower taxes, and far better military protection for the people of Canada – AND NO TARIFFS!"
On Thursday, Trudeau posted a cheeky retort after Canada won the 4 Nations Face-Off.
"You can’t take our country – and you can’t take our game," Trudeau wrote on X.
Fox News Digital's Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.
A top advisor to former President Joe Biden said the Democratic Party "melted down" after his poor performance in the June 2024 debate against President Donald Trump and insisted Biden should have remained the party's candidate.
Biden's rough performance and weak voice at the CNN Presidential Debate sparked immense fear about his re-election odds, and the left's top leaders called on him to withdraw from the race.
Biden was replaced as the Democratic candidate by Vice President Kamala Harris less than a month later on July 21. She lost to Trump in the 2024 presidential election.
"Now, lots of people have terrible debates," former Biden senior advisor Mike Donilon said during a discussion at Harvard University. "Lots of people have terrible debates. Usually the party doesn't lose its mind, but that's what happened here. It melted down."
CNN and the BBC ran headlines calling the performance "disastrous" and "incoherent."
"If Joe Biden loses November’s election, history will record that it took just 10 minutes to destroy a presidency," CNN senior reporter Stephen Collinson wrote in an article. "It was clear a political disaster was about to unfold as soon as the 81-year-old commander in chief stiffly shuffled on stage in Atlanta."
Collinson went on to describe Biden giving the weakest performance in televised debate history.
New York Times columnist and Biden supporter Thomas Friedman wrote the debate made him "weep" and called on Biden to step aside.
"I cannot remember a more heartbreaking moment in American presidential campaign politics in my lifetime — precisely because of what it revealed: Joe Biden, a good man and a good president, has no business running for re-election," Friedman wrote.
Donilon, who has known Biden for more than four decades, described the Democratic Party's reaction as "insane."
"I think the party lost its mind," he said. "If you ask people about this period of time, they'll tell you Biden was losing the polls, he was going to lose. … They were saying this in a margin-of-error race."
He added he had never seen a situation where a candidate was down three points nationally in the summer of a general election and his party decided he could not win.
"But that's what happened, right?" Donilon said. "If you actually go and look at the polling in the first couple of days after the debate, the margin between Trump and Biden got closer. It didn't get bigger."
He discussed focus groups that convened on the night of the debate, noting while they believed Trump won overall, they voiced concerns about both candidates.
"They will say they're worried about Biden's age, but they'll also say something else," Donilon said. "They were really worried about Trump. They were worried about the fact he said he wouldn't accept the results of the election. They were worried that he said, ‘I had nothing to do with Jan. 6.' The sense from him was that he was not on the side of people."
What really happened, according to Donilon, was not as devastating as the conventional wisdom became.
"I said this to Biden the morning after the debate: Sometimes you can lose the campaign about the campaign," he said. "And that's what happened to us."
He insisted the former president was not mentally impaired but acknowledged the disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal in 2021 and inflation contributed to Biden's downfall.
Fox News Digital's Joseph A. Wulfsohn contributed to this report.
FBI Director Kash Patel will be tapped to run the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), two sources confirmed to Fox News Digital Saturday.
The news comes a day after Patel was sworn in as the ninth FBI director in a narrow Senate vote.
Former FBI Director Christopher Wray resigned at the end of former President Joe Biden's term, and Attorney General Pam Bondi fired the ATF general counsel, Pamela Hicks, Thursday.
"Earlier today, I was served official notice from the Attorney General of the United States that I was being removed from my position as the Chief Counsel of ATF and my employment with the Department of Justice terminated," Hicks posted on her LinkedIn page Thursday, confirming her termination.
Hicks had served as ATF's chief counsel since 2021 during the Biden administration and served as deputy chief counsel for ATF during President Donald Trump's first administration. She spent 23 years overall as an attorney within the Department of Justice (DOJ), she posted to LinkedIn.
"Serving as ATF Chief Counsel has been the highest honor of my career and working with the people at ATF and throughout the Department has been a pleasure," Hicks continued in her post. "I thank my colleagues for their friendship and partnership over the years."
"These people were targeting gun owners," Bondi told Fox News Thursday of the ATF. "Not gonna happen under this administration."
Two governors, one a Democrat and the other a Republican, found common ground at a National Governors Association meeting in Washington, D.C., on one of President Donald Trump's most critical goals.
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat and chairman of the National Governors Association, and Oklahoma Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt told Fox News Digital they want states to have a say in immigration enforcement and issuing work permits.
"We want to make sure we're at the table in that with regard to immigration," Polis told Fox News Digital.
He said the idea that the states should have a seat at the table regarding immigration decisions "has a lot of support (among) both Democratic and Republican governors."
Polis said states know what their labor needs are and could grant work permits after careful vetting.
"Let us be able to grant those based on free background checks … and that'll help our economic growth," Polis said.
Polis, whose state has been ground zero for criminal activity and violence by the migrant gang Tren de Aragua, said "varying degrees of cooperation" between state and federal authorities are necessary.
Colorado has several sanctuary-style laws limiting law enforcement cooperation with federal authorities, but Polis insisted its relationship with federal law enforcement agencies is strong.
Stitt said he would encourage Trump to consider giving states the ability to grant workforce visas.
"I've been an advocate for workforce visas at the state level," Stitt said. "Matching employers with employees is something that governors should be able to do, whether it's in the construction industry, the agricultural industry, engineering, aviation, whatever."
He joked that the U.S. is "like [a team in] the NFL with theNo. 1 draft pick."
"We should be able to choose the very best and brightest to our country. But we're just being silly how we do it right now. Let's close the border. Let's make sure we have the very best and brightest that come into our country," Stitt said.
Stitt also touted his state’s Operation Guardian, which he launched earlier this month to empower state and local law enforcement to better work with the Trump administration and ICE to deport criminal illegal aliens.
"I put my commissioner of public safety in charge to say, ‘How many people do we currently have in prison in the state of Oklahoma who are here illegally that have committed crimes? And then how can we work with the Trump administration to get them out of our state, out of our country and off of the taxpayer rolls in Oklahoma? So, I think that's probably the first step," Stitt said.
However, Stitt said there is a limit to what states should be doing to enforce immigration law. He proceeded to knock a recent effort by the Oklahoma State Department of Public Instruction to check the immigration status of children enrolled in public schools.
"In Oklahoma, I also said, ‘Listen, we're not going to ask for immigration status for 6, 7, 8-year-old kids in school," he said.
But Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters, also a Republican, responded by saying Stitt’s stance on not checking school children’s immigration status undermines Trump’s agenda.
"It is unfortunate that Gov. Stitt is thwarting President Trump’s America First agenda," Walters told Fox News Digital. "We cannot afford to stick our heads in the sand like Democrats and ignore the cost of illegals to taxpayers. President Trump was clear, Oklahoma voters were clear and we will defend the will of the president and Oklahomans."
President Donald Trump celebrated his whirlwind first four weeks back in the Oval Office in a speech before the Conservative Political Action Conference Saturday afternoon, mentioning what he called "flagrant scams" uncovered by Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency.
"I signed an order creating the Department of Government Efficiency — you probably haven't heard of it — which is now waging war on government waste, fraud and abuse. And Elon is doing a great job," Trump said at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center Saturday in Oxon Hill, Maryland, just outside the nation's capital. "He's doing a great job."
Musk is leading DOGE as investigators scrutinize various federal agencies in an effort to curb government overspending and stamp out fraud. DOGE's work has become a lightening rod for criticism among Democratic lawmakers and government employees, who have filed a number of lawsuits attempting to end the investigations and audits.
"Here are some of the flagrant scams that, as an example, they've spent money on, and we've been able to recapture a large dose of it at least. Five hundred and 20 million dollars for a consultant … [on] environmental, social governance and investments in Africa," he said.
"Twenty-five million dollars to promote biodiversity conservation and socially responsible behavior in Colombia. This is Colombia, South America, not Columbia University. Of course, that might be worse. … Forty million to improve the social and economic inclusion of sedentary migrants.
"Forty-two million for social and behavior change in Uganda. Ten million for Mozambique medical male circumcisions. Why are we going to Mozambique to do circumcisions?" Trump asked, before continuing to rattle off a handful of other pricey initiatives funded by taxpayers uncovered by DOGE.
Earlier in the day, Trump sent a message on his Truth Social platform calling on Musk to "get more aggressive" with his DOGE work.
"Will do, Mr. President!" Musk responded just a few hours ahead of Trump's CPAC speech.
Musk later added on X, "Consistent with President @realDonaldTrump’s instructions, all federal employees will shortly receive an email requesting to understand what they got done last week. Failure to respond will be taken as a resignation."
"We have a very corrupt group of people in this country, and we're finding them out," Trump said during his speech. "We're removing all of the unnecessary, incompetent and corrupt bureaucrats from the federal workforce."
Trump said he and Musk will head to Fort Knox in Kentucky to ensure the United States Bullion Depository still houses a reported $425 billion in government gold. The Trump administration and Republican allies have called for more transparency about the vault.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt visited the vault in 1943, which was followed by Treasury Secretary William Simon opening the vault to journalists and lawmakers in 1974 and again during the first Trump administration when Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and lawmakers, including Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell, inspected the vault.
"We are also going to Fort Knox. I'm going to go with Elon. And would anybody like to join us? Because we want to see if the gold is still there. We want to see," Trump said.
"Wouldn't that be terrible? We open [it] up, and this Fort Knox has got nothing. It's just solid granite that's five feet thick. The front door, you need six musclemen to open it up. I don't even think they have windows. Wouldn't that be terrible if we opened it up and there was no gold there? So, we're going to open those doors, we're going to take a look. And if there's 27 tons of gold, we'll be very happy," he added.
"I don't know how the hell we'll measure it, but that's OK."
Trump ended his first full month back in the White House this week, which has included a breakneck pace of executive orders and actions.
He took a victory lap for his whirlwind first month, touting in his speech the administration's work to end the "weaponization" of the government under the former Biden administration, his plan to soon impose reciprocal tariffs on foreign trading partners and celebrating the deportation of illegal immigrants from communities across the nation.
"We're liberating communities like Aurora, Colorado, and Springfield, Ohio, that have been occupied by illegal alien criminals from all over the world," Trump said.
"We're rescuing the Americans whose jobs have been stolen, whose wages have been robbed and whose way of life has been absolutely destroyed. And, under the Trump administration, our country will not be turned into a dumping ground."
Tech billionaire and Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced that all federal employees are being instructed to report their productivity in a new Trump administration initiative.
In a post Saturday on X, Musk said the report will come in the form of an email that will give federal workers a chance to report how productive they were the previous week.
If the email is ignored, Musk said, the federal government will interpret that as a resignation.
"Consistent with President @realDonaldTrump’s instructions, all federal employees will shortly receive an email requesting to understand what they got done last week," Musk wrote. "Failure to respond will be taken as a resignation."
The post came as Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) continues slashing suspected waste across the federal government. In an X post Tuesday, DOGE said it discovered 4 million active credit cards on the U.S. government's books.
"The US government currently has ~4.6M active credit cards/accounts, which processed ~90M unique transactions for ~$40B of spend[ing] in FY24," DOGE said in a post on X Tuesday.
President Donald Trump has been supportive of Musk's work with DOGE. On Saturday, Trump wrote on Truth Social that though Musk is "doing a great job," he should be "more aggressive."
"ELON IS DOING A GREAT JOB, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE HIM GET MORE AGGRESSIVE. REMEMBER, WE HAVE A COUNTRY TO SAVE, BUT ULTIMATELY, TO MAKE GREATER THAN EVER BEFORE. MAGA!," Trump wrote.
Musk responded with an enthusiastic "Will do, Mr. President!" hours after Trump posted.
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for additional comment.
Fox News Digital's Michael Lee and Rachel Wolf contributed to this report.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on Saturday announced it was launching a compliance review of the University of Maine "following the State of Maine’s blatant disregard for President Trump’s Executive Order (EO) 14201, ‘Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports.’"
The review follows investigations launched by the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services in the last 24 hours after a tense exchange between President Trump and Democratic Maine Gov. Janet Mills over transgender student-athletes playing in women’s sports.
"President Trump has made it abundantly clear: taxpayers’ hard-earned dollars will not support institutions that discriminate against women," U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said in a statement shared with Fox News Digital Saturday.
"USDA is committed to upholding the president’s executive order, meaning any institution that chooses to disregard it can count on losing future funding."
The University of Maine receives more than $100 million in USDA funding, according to the USDA.
Trump and Mills clashed Thursday at the White House during a bipartisan meeting of governors when the president told her she must follow his executive order or "you're not going to get any federal funding."
"We’ll see you in court," Mills replied.
The blue state is one of several defying Trump’s Feb. 5 executive order prohibiting transgender athletes from competing in girls and women's sports. Trump threatened Thursday to cut off federal funding to Maine before clashing with Mills at the bipartisan meeting of governors.
"Are you not going to comply with that?" Trump asked Mills.
"I'm complying with state and federal laws," she responded.
"Well, we are the federal law," Trump said. "You better do it. You better do it because you're not going to get any federal funding at all if you don't."
"And, by the way, your population, even though it's somewhat liberal, although I did very well there, your population doesn't want men playing in women's sports. So, you better comply because otherwise you're not getting any federal funding," Trump added.
"We'll see you in court," Mills snapped.
"Good, I'll see you in court. I look forward to that. That should be a real easy one," Trump replied. "And enjoy your life after governor because I don't think you'll be in elected politics."
Mills released a statement Friday, saying, "The State of Maine will not be intimidated by the President's threats.
"If the President attempts to unilaterally deprive Maine school children of the benefit of Federal funding, my Administration and the Attorney General will take all appropriate and necessary legal action to restore that funding and the academic opportunity it provides."
After the exchange Friday, the Department of Education launched an investigation into Maine schools.
"Today the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) sent a letter to the Maine Department of Education Commissioner Pender Makin announcing that OCR is initiating a directed investigation of the Maine Department of Education (MDOE) amid allegations that it continues to allow male athletes to compete in girls’ interscholastic athletics and that it has denied female athletes female-only intimate facilities, thereby violating federal anti-discrimination law," the Department of Education said in a news release Friday.
Trump reiterated his plan to cut off federal funding to the state at a meeting with Republican governors Thursday.
"I heard men are still playing in Maine," Trump said to a gathering of Republican governors in Washington Thursday.
"I hate to tell you this, but we're not going to give them any federal money. They are still saying, 'We want men to play in women’s sports,' and I cannot believe that they're doing that. … So, we’re not going to give them any federal funding, none whatsoever, until they clean that up."
Trump also continued his criticism of Maine Saturday while speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference.
"The governor of Maine. She's fighting to keep men in women's sports. You ever see what happens to a woman when a woman boxes? A man who transitioned to womanhood? Did you ever see what happens? … It's not pretty. It's not pretty," Trump said.
"Let her do that fight. Let them all do that fight. Because I think that's about a 90/10 issue, and I can't figure out who the 10% are. Nobody can."
Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House and the University of Maine for comment.
EXCLUSIVE: ‘King Coal’ still reigns as one of the most affordable, reliable and transportable sources of energy – and the U.S. still has a lot of it, West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey told Fox News Digital in an interview at the National Governors Association's winter meeting.
Morrisey acknowledged America's ongoing race with China to be the most powerful nation in terms of both energy development and AI technology. West Virginia, he said Saturday, seeks to lead the way.
"I'm still very hopeful that there's a future for coal," Morrisey said. "Let me explain why: We're right now about to embark on an information technology arms race with China."
"And we have to catch up to what they're doing in terms of the Chinese use of coal and many, many different types of fuel sources, because we can't let them get ahead of us as they're building capacity in AI, superintelligence, robotics and advanced manufacturing."
While both nations are likely to rely on advances in nuclear energy and hydraulic fracturing for natural gas, there remain the "resiliency, availability and affordability of coal," he said.
"I think there's an opportunity … to increase the capacity of some of the coal-fired power plants that have been slowed down in recent years. Because if we don't do that, we're not going to compete with the Chinese."
The governor said that one of his top priorities is to bring the Mountain State’s coal infrastructure and industry back to a higher capacity.
"I think that it's sorely needed from a national security perspective."
West Virginia produced 89 million tons of coal in 2021, according to the latest data recorded by the state miners’ office. That figure is down sharply from the 1940s through the late 1990s, when the state averaged upwards of 130 million tons per year.
Wyoming remains tops in U.S. coal production, followed by West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Kentucky and Illinois.
"West Virginia is America's energy state. We're so rich in resources: coal and natural gas and water. And we have a lot of opportunities in front of us," Morrisey went on, adding that he was heartened by the substantive bipartisan discussions at the NGA in regard to speeding up the energy-permitting process at the state and federal levels.
"So when you're thinking about how to take advantage of those opportunities, you think of transmission, you think of permitting," he said, echoing Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro of neighboring energy powerhouse Pennsylvania, who pledged Friday to refund applicants if there are delays or if things go awry.
In terms of the Mountain State’s role in what Morrisey and other governors at the NGA called the "AI arms race" with China, the state is predicted to build on Morrisey's predecessor, now-Sen. Jim Justice’s efforts to grow the state’s tech industry.
"I’ve said over and over that we need to do everything possible to add these kinds of high-tech companies and jobs in West Virginia," Justice said in 2019. "We have so many people in this state who are gifted beyond belief and who will be able to fill these spots and do incredible work. It’s truly a pipeline of talent."
On Saturday, Morrisey also reflected on his group meeting with President Donald Trump, Cabinet secretaries and his fellow governors at the White House.
"They understand that you can't move energy at the speed of slow. And so we're eager to partner with them," he said, adding that Trump pledged to the governors that he would seek to eliminate 10 regulations for every one that his administration adds.
"I think states like West Virginia and Pennsylvania and many other states have a chance to work closely with the Trump administration. It's going to be a lot easier, because they know how important it is to reassert American energy dominance – if you get the permitting right."
Morrisey also spoke about his response to the Trump administration's crackdown on illegal immigration and the flow of illegal drugs across the southern border.
Last month, Morrisey issued an executive order aimed at illegal immigrants in his state, which led to five dozen people being detained pending immigration status verification in the state's regional jail system.
The governor noted West Virginia's unfortunate spot as the state with the most drug overdose deaths per capita and said that both his and Trump's immigration policies are needed to fix that systemic crisis.
"We're working hand in hand with ice to identify illegal aliens and make sure that they can get deported. And this is really important to do, because, as President Trump said yesterday, when you actually remove a lot of these illegal aliens from the system, you're going to see a reduction in crime."
"It takes states working with the federal government to make sure that we're kind of reasserting our position and stopping all the horrific consequences of what happened with the illegal immigrants coming in. I know in West Virginia we really felt the impact of that through the massive amount of death that flowed from fentanyl flood[ing] in from China [via] the Mexican drug cartels."
Fox News Digital's Sophia Compton contributed to this report.
Trump administration Border Czar Tom Homan warned criminal aliens Saturday that they would all be arrested and said he would make good on his promise to immigrant terror groups to "wipe you off the face of the earth."
Homan, who previously served as the acting director of ICE and currently leads the Trump administration’s border efforts, told a rapt audience at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) that the number of illegal immigrant "gotaways" is down by 95%.
"We had about 1,800 a day in 2023. You know how many we had yesterday? Forty-eight," he said. "You're talking about 2,000 miles of border, and only 48 people escaped. But that's 48 too many. I'm not going to be happy till that number’s zero."
"I'm happy with the numbers, but I'm not going to be satisfied until every criminal alien gang member, every criminal alien, every Tren de Aragua is eradicated from this country and [we've] sent their ass to Gitmo, where they belong," he said.
Addressing criminal migrant groups like Venezuela's Tren de Aragua and El Salvador's MS-13 – which the Trump administration just designated "foreign terrorist organizations" – Homan said the Trump administration is making good on its promise to stamp them out.
"He’s going to wipe you off the face of the earth," he said. "You have killed more Americans than every terrorist organization in the world combined. You are now a terrorist organization. So, word out to anybody that assists them, anybody that sells their drugs on a street, anybody assists these cartels in any way, you are helping a terrorist organization."
"We're going to save lives, because when 95% less people [are] coming across the border, how many women aren't being raped? How many Americans aren’t dying from fentanyl overdoses? How many … terrorists aren't getting in the country? How many women and children aren’t sex-trafficked in this country? When you have a border lockdown, we're saving lives," he said.
Addressing criticism from Democrats and the media that ICE has arrested illegal aliens without criminal charges, along with criminal aliens, Homan said, "Yeah, damn right we did. Because you're in a country illegally, which happens to be a violation of our law."
"Entering this country illegally is a crime, and we're not going to forgive it," he said.
And addressing self-proclaimed "sanctuary" cities and states, where local and state governments refuse to cooperate with ICE, Homan said his now-familiar line: "Game on."
"Sanctuary cities are a sanctuary for criminals," he said. "We're enforcing the laws enacted by Congress, and we're not going to apologize for it, not under this administration."
Homan singled out Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox, who recently doubled down on the city’s sanctuary policies and said his officers would not assist ICE with deportation operations.
"You said you doubled down on not helping the law enforcement officers of ICE. I'm coming to Boston, and I'm bringing hell with me," he said. "I looked at the numbers this morning, I counted, I stopped counting at nine. Nine child rapists that were in jail in Massachusetts, but rather than honoring an ICE detainer, you released them back into the street. You're not a police commissioner. Take that badge off your chest. Put it in the desk drawer. Because you became a politician. You forgot what's it’s like to be a cop."
Homan also took a few moments to express his gratitude to the men and women of federal law enforcement agencies like ICE and Border Patrol.
"God bless the men and women of ICE. God bless all the DOJ components, we’ve got the U.S. marshals, DEA, FBI, ATF, all these five agencies helping us," he said.
And to the men and women of Border Patrol, Homan said, "I love each and every one of you wearing that green uniform. You are the finest 1% of this country."
CPAC is an annual gathering of conservatives from across the country. This year, the conference took place in National Harbor, Maryland, and saw the participation of Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Elon Musk and several other top Trump Cabinet officials and Republican leaders.
