The sheer scale of cuts the Trump administration is looking to carry out at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has been revealed, with nearly 15,000 grants worth $60 billion set to be eliminated, according to internal documents.

The grants amount to about 90% of foreign aid contracts and come after a review on spending by the State Department. 

USAID aid became an early target of the Trump administration, with the president being a longtime critic of overseas spending, arguing that it does not benefit the American taxpayer and going so far as to call those who run the top agency "radical lunatics."

USAID INSTRUCTIONS FOR FIRED EMPLOYEES GIVES THEM 15 MINUTES TO GATHER BELONGINGS FROM SHUTTERED DC BUILDING

Republicans argue it is wasteful, promotes liberal agendas and should be enfolded into the State Department, while Democrats say it saves lives abroad and helps U.S. interests by stabilizing other countries and economies.

In all, the Trump administration said it will eliminate 5,800 of 6,200 multi-year USAID contract awards, for a cut of $54 billion. Another 4,100 of 9,100 State Department grants were being eliminated, for a cut of $4.4 billion, according to a State Department memo reviewed by the Associated Press.

The State Department memo described the administration as spurred by a federal court order that gave officials until the end of the day Wednesday to lift the Trump administration’s monthlong block on foreign aid funding.

"In response, State and USAID moved rapidly," targeting USAID and State Department foreign aid programs in vast numbers for contract terminations, the memo said.

The memo said officials were "clearing significant waste stemming from decades of institutional drift." More changes are planned in how USAID and the State Department deliver foreign assistance, it said, "to use taxpayer dollars wisely to advance American interests."

U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Roberts on Wednesday paused a federal judge’s order that required the Trump administration to pay around $2 billion in foreign aid funds to contractors by midnight. 

SECRETARY OF STATE RUBIO CONFIRMS BECOMING ACTING USAID CHIEF

The ruling comes after the Trump administration asked the Supreme Court for an emergency order to block the release of U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) funding, which the federal judge had required by midnight. Officials had said they would not be able to comply with the judge’s order.

USAID was set up in the early 1960s to act on behalf of the U.S. to deliver aid across the globe, particularly in impoverished and underdeveloped regions. The agency now operates out of 60 nations and employs some 10,000 people, two-thirds of whom work overseas – though most of the on-the-ground work is contracted out to third-party organizations funded by USAID, according to a BBC report.

But the agency has come in for considerable criticism as Trump and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) look to root out waste, fraud and abuse in the federal government. 

Musk likened the agency to "not an apple with a worm in it," but "just a ball of worms." 

"You’ve got to basically get rid of the whole thing. It’s beyond repair., Musk wrote on X earlier this month.

Trump has moved to gut the agency after imposing a 90-day pause on foreign aid. The Trump administration plans to gut the agency and intends to leave fewer than 300 staffers on the job out of the current 8,000 direct hires and contractors. He has also appointed Secretary of State Marco Rubio as the acting director of USAID.

The news comes as thousands of staffers were notified weeks ago about pending dismissals. Some were seen leaving Washington, D.C., offices for the last time on Friday carrying boxes scrawled with messages that seemed to be directed at President Donald Trump.

Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, the Senate DOGE Caucus Chairwoman, recently published a list of questionable projects and programs she says USAID has helped fund over the years, including $20 million to produce a Sesame Street show in Iraq. 

Several more examples of questionable spending have been uncovered at USAID, including more than $900,000 to a "Gaza-based terror charity" called Bayader Association for Environment and Development and a $1.5 million program slated to "advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in Serbia's workplaces and business communities."

Fox News’ Bill Mears, Andrew Mark Miller, Aubrie Spady, Deirdre Heavey, Caitlin McFall, Morgan Phillips and Emma Colton as well as Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump’s plan to offer a "gold card" visa to those willing to shell out $5 million could raise new fraud and national security risks, according to one expert.

"Any immigration benefit draws fraud … people are willing to do anything and say just about anything to come to the U.S.," Lora Ries, director of the Heritage Foundation's Border Security and Immigration Center, told Fox News Digital.

The comments come after Trump announced Tuesday a plan that would give those willing to pay $5 million for a "gold card" lawful permanent U.S. residency status and a pathway to citizenship, which the president argued would lead to several economic benefits.

"They’ll be wealthy, and they’ll be successful," Trump told reporters from the Oval Office on Tuesday. "They’ll be spending a lot of money and paying a lot of taxes and employing a lot of people, and we think it’s going to be extremely successful."

TRUMP TO INTRODUCE 'GOLD CARD' VISA FOR WEALTHY INVESTORS WITH $5 MILLION PRICE TAG: 'ROUTE TO CITIZENSHIP'

Trump doubled down on those comments Wednesday while also telling reporters that the program would be a way to pay down some of the national debt.

"Companies can go and buy a gold card, and they can use it as a matter of recruitment," Trump said. "At the same time, the company is using that money to pay down debt. We’re going to pay down a lot of debt with that."

But while Ries acknowledged that she understands the goals behind the program, she expressed skepticism that applicants could be vetted well enough to prevent the kind of fraud currently seen in the similar EB-5 visa program, which Trump’s gold card would replace.

"Fraud is rarely detected, let alone enforced … so it’s low risk, high reward to commit immigration benefit fraud," Ries said, adding that even Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick admitted to the widespread fraud plaguing the EB-5 program.

TRUMP’S LATEST MOVES SIGNALS MOST ‘HAWKISH’ APPROACH ON CHINA YET: EXPERT

"So the question is: How is this going to be different," Ries said. "It raised the price from a million to 5 million, but how are we going to prevent the fraud? Are you just inviting wealthier fraudsters and corrupt people to exploit this?"

Ries also raised concerns about the potential national security implications of the program, arguing that many of the applications are likely to originate from countries that are not exactly friendly to the United States.

"Who can afford this? What countries have many people who can afford this," Ries said. "Russia, China … you’re going to get Gulf countries, but China is not exactly our ally – some Russians, the same boat."

Ries said the key will be the system used to vet potential applicants, details of which have yet to be revealed by the Trump administration.

"It’s going to need thorough vetting for national security concerns, espionage and corruption," Ries said. "That’s going to be very, very important."

The White House did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment.

FIRST ON FOX: In a Jan. 29 executive order, President Donald Trump directed additional measures to fight antisemitism, noting that Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, terror attacks in Israel spawned "an unprecedented wave of vile anti-Semitic discrimination, vandalism, and violence against our citizens, especially in our schools and on our campuses."

Leo Terrell, senior counsel to the assistant attorney general for civil rights who is heading up a new Justice Department Task Force to Combat Antisemitism, told Fox News Digital that the president has directed his task force "to use every tool in our toolbox as Department of Justice to stop this antisemitic behavior."

He added that Attorney General Pam Bondi "has been following President Trump’s directive. … She has given me the green light to do everything possible and use the power of the federal government to stop this."

Terrell said that since Oct. 7, the country "has turned its back on Jewish Americans at schools in day-to-day life," with Jewish Americans not being "protected like other citizens," including at colleges and in K-12 schools.

Antisemitic prejudice appears to be thriving within New York City Public Schools. A pressure group called the New York Public Schools Alliance, a network of concerned teachers, students and administrators led by co-founder Karen Feldman, undertook an investigation into alleged anti-Jewish, anti-Israel and anti-American prejudice within the city's public schools in October 2024.

The group said its findings demonstrate a failure to protect teachers and students against discrimination, the presence of implicitly and explicitly biased materials in education and curriculum development, and an atmosphere of political activism in schools that has "deepened divisions."

TRUMP EDUCATION DEPT LAUNCHES PROBE INTO ‘EXPLOSION OF ANTISEMITISM’ AT 5 UNIVERSITIES’

Multiple sources who spoke to Fox News Digital noted with particular concern the atmosphere of antisemitism at the Susan E. Wagner High School in Staten Island, which was the subject of a Fox News Digital report last spring.

New York City Council member David Carr told Fox News Digital that many parents of Susan E. Wagner students contacted him with concerns about what they perceived as hatred on display at the school’s International Festival in January. Carr said the event is typically a "wonderful celebration" by the school’s "incredibly diverse student body," but this year there were people in the audience who shouted "Free Palestine" as the Israeli Student Club finished each of its three performances.

Carr said there were additional antisemitic remarks made about the students before they took the stage during their final performance. Carr said the spectators "were escorted out of the venue and ... have been banned from returning for future events."

A student from Susan E. Wagner High School who spoke on condition of anonymity told Fox News Digital that the students who were removed from the building called out "stinky Jews" as dancers with the Israeli Club made their way to the stage. The student was not aware of the repercussions for the audience members but said that school personnel apologized to offending audience members while escorting them from the facility.

Carr said he has "spoken to the school leadership, and we’re going to be talking again" with the goal of creating "an atmosphere where everybody feels comfortable." He added that "it clearly needs to be an ongoing conversation."

"It’s unacceptable that students be subjected to hate speech," Carr said. "Antisemitism is the most pernicious form of hate, I think, in human history," he explained. "It needs to be stood up to whenever it rears its ugly head."

The Susan E. Wagner student who shared their concerns with Fox News Digital said students have not only endured hate speech in their school, but multiple staff members have worn pro-Palestine paraphernalia. Though some teachers "never said anything" discriminatory, the student said that "you still know what they think." 

EXPERTS SLAM UN ACTION PLAN FOR COMBATING ANTISEMITISM: ‘PHONY EXERCISE IN FUTILITY’

Wagner administrators have also allegedly participated in programming that promotes a one-sided interpretation of the Israel-Gaza conflict. In April 2024, the Wagner Arab Student Association posted on Instagram that it hosted a "survivor of the ongoing genocide in Gaza" to speak to students, with teachers and Principal David Cugini present.

The student said that in an environment of anti-Israel sentiment, "[N]obody wants to say anything, because they’re so sure that nothing will get done. That’s what the school has done. It has pretty much shown these kids that no matter what you do … Jewish kids are just going to be at the bottom of the food chain."

Part of this silencing also appears to involve mislabeling reported incidents of antisemitic hate.

The New York City Public School Alliance showed Fox News Digital five New York City school occurrence reports that described acts of alleged anti-Israel or antisemitic hate reported by staff and students at a variety of public schools. Each was recorded as not being bias-related. 

Fox News Digital asked interim Superintendent Roderick Palton and Cugini about a number of the aforementioned incidents, the methods of recording antisemitic incidents and whether Jewish students have a safe learning environment at the Susan E. Wagner High School. They did not respond.

A New York City Department of Education spokesperson told Fox News Digital that New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) were taking part in training and workshops to "foster respectful and empathetic classroom conversation on difficult topics." The spokesperson mentioned that "our Hidden Voices curricular resources highlight the diverse communities and experiences of New Yorkers, including the AAPI community, LGBTQ community, Americans with Disabilities, and the Global African Diaspora. To meet this moment across our city, we are currently expanding Hidden Voices to include both the Jewish American and Muslim American communities."

The NYCPS Alliance report cites the Hidden Voices curriculum as containing lessons that "emphasize resistance to colonialism, oppression, and marginalization." The report says "the tendency to present incomplete or one-sided narratives may contribute to biased worldviews, potentially fostering a hostile learning environment for Jewish students. These materials raise concerns about whether the school is meeting its obligations to provide a harassment-free and inclusive environment for all students."

According to the schools' spokesperson, "[R]eligious bias incidents in our schools [are] down by 46% so far this year." The spokesperson explained that "we are working closely with this school to ensure that reports of anti-Semitism or other bias are swiftly investigated and consequences are imposed for any violations of our policies so that every student feels safe and respected in their school."

Feldman questioned the findings. "I find it interesting how they could assess [a] 46% decrease when they're not even logging the incidents of Jewish hate properly. They're not even logging it as biased incidents," she told Fox News Digital.

Feldman also expressed alarm at the environment at Susan E. Wagner, where administrators are "witness to the indoctrination and the twist of history" and the "fear, intimidation, [and] silencing tactics" that allow incidents to "go unreported or unresolved." 

"These kids are being guided poorly by their school. They’re not being supported. They feel alienated. They feel threatened," she said. While "it’s showing up as antisemitism now," Feldman warned that anti-Jewish prejudice is "an alarm system. It’s a warning sign that something is rotten in society."

Terrell noted several coming changes that will protect Jewish students and teachers who feel they are not being heard by their own schools. These include a "complaint number that is going to come directly to the task force" for victims of antisemitic prejudice.

"Help is on its way," Terrell said.

Fox News Digital reached out to New York City Mayor Eric Adams about the atmosphere of antisemitism in the city's public schools but received no reply.

The Department of Justice has dismissed Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) lawsuits brought against various police and fire departments across the country under the Biden administration, which deemed aptitude tests in certain cases as discriminatory.

The lawsuits, which the DOJ said did not show evidence of intentional discrimination, were filed in efforts to require race-based hiring after statistical disparities between applicants of different races and genders.

"American communities deserve firefighters and police officers to be chosen for their skill and dedication to public safety – not to meet DEI quotas," Attorney General Pam Bondi said.

GROUP OF DEI WORKERS SUE TO STOP TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDERS 

Typically acknowledged in the proposed consent decrees, the departments used neutral selection tools, such as credit checks, exams and physical exercises, to choose candidates for the open positions, and White men tended to score or perform better.

For example, a case filed in October against the City of Durham (North Carolina), alleged "unintentional" discrimination against Black applicants because they did not pass the written test with a score of 70% or better as often as White candidates did, which resulted in fewer Black employees.

The complaint proposed getting rid of the neutral written test and "back pay and/or preferential hiring to Black candidates who were not hired because of the written exam" as solutions. The cost would have been around $980,000 in monetary relief, according to the case.

OPINION: LAWFARE AND THE DEATH OF DEI AND AFFIRMATIVE ACTION 

In a different case filed against Maryland State Police in October 2024, it was suggested that the agency not use its current selection tools, which consisted of a written test with a score of 70% or better and a physical test that involved push-ups, sit-ups, a flexibility reach, a trigger pull and a 1.5-mile run.

"Because Black applicants passed the test less often than White applicants and because women passed the physical test less often than men, the Civil Rights Division concluded that Maryland was illegally discriminating against Black applicants and women," the case said.

The suggested changes involved ditching the prior selection tools and providing a total of $2.75 million in monetary relief to Black candidates who were not hired because of written test results and women who were not hired because of physical test results.

The DOJ said similar cases were also brought against the cities of South Bend, Indiana, and Cobb County in Georgia.

Cases dismissed on Wednesday marked "an early step toward eradicating illegal DEI preferences across the government and in the private sector," the DOJ said.

Rep. Joe Wilson, R- S.C., announced that he plans to put forward a proposal for the development of a $250 bill that features President Donald Trump.

"Grateful to announce that I am drafting legislation to direct the Bureau of Engraving and Printing to design a $250 bill featuring Donald J. Trump," the congressman declared in a post on X.

"Bidenflation has destroyed the economy forcing American families to carry more cash. Most valuable bill for most valuable President!" he added.

REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN CALLS ON INCOMING ADMINISTRATION TO TARGET ‘THE AXIS OF AGGRESSORS’

Current U.S. law indicates that only the portrait of a dead person may appear on U.S. currency and securities.

Wilson, who has served in the House of Representatives for more than two decades, is not the only GOP lawmaker who wants to honor the current president.

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., put forward a measure last month that calls for Trump's likeness to be added to Mount Rushmore.

TULSI GABBARD GIVES EXCLUSIVE GLIMPSE OF TRUMP'S FIRST CABINET MEETING

"The Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the National Park Service, shall arrange for the carving of the figure of President Donald J. Trump on Mount Rushmore National Memorial," the text of her proposal reads.

The four presidents featured on Mount Rushmore include George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln.

"President Trump’s bold leadership and steadfast dedication to America’s greatness have cemented his place in history. Mount Rushmore, a timeless symbol of our nation’s freedom and strength, deserves to reflect his towering legacy—a legacy further solidified by the powerful start to his second term," Luna said, according to a press release. 

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY, OCTOBER 4, 1927, MOUNT RUSHMORE'S MOMENT OF CREATION BEGINS IN SOUTH DAKOTA

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

"He will be forever remembered among the great like Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt," she declared.

President Donald Trump's nominee for labor secretary is expected to pass a key vote before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) on Thursday after picking up Democrat support from Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H. 

Lori Chavez-DeRemer's past support for the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act jeopardized her confirmation last week, when Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., said he would not vote for her if she continued to support the PRO Act. Paul's reluctance meant Chavez-DeRemer would likely need a Democrat's vote to pass a key confirmation hurdle. 

Hassan's support, as a Democrat on the HELP Committee, all but confirms Chavez-DeRemer will pass through her committee vote.

"The Department of Labor plays an integral role in supporting workers and small businesses alike, and after hearing significant support from constituents, including members of labor unions in New Hampshire, I will support Representative Chavez-DeRemer's nomination as Secretary of Labor," Hassan shared in a statement to Fox News Digital. 

TRUMP'S NOMINEE FOR LABOR SECRETARY WALKS BACK SUPPORT FOR PRO ACT, EMBRACES REPUBLICAN RIGHT-TO-WORK LAWS

Hassan admitted that she "may not agree on everything" with Chavez-DeRemer, but she is "qualified" to serve and earned "significant support" from New Hampshire voters.

SENATE CONFIRMS TRUMP NOMINEE JAMIESON GREER AS US TRADE REPRESENTATIVE

"Though we may not agree on everything, after meeting with Representative Chavez-DeRemer and listening to her testimony during her confirmation hearing, I believe that she is qualified to serve as the next secretary of labor, and I look forward to working with her to support New Hampshire's workers and small businesses," Hassan added. 

Chavez-DeRemer supported the PRO Act as a representative for Oregon’s 5th Congressional District but told senators during her confirmation hearing that she no longer supports overturning Republican-supported right-to-work laws under the PRO Act.

The PRO Act would effectively kill state-level laws that prevent employers and unions from requiring workers to pay union dues as a condition of their employment. Republicans oppose the PRO Act for overturning right-to-work laws. 

Chavez-DeRemer could still earn back Paul's vote after she distanced herself from the PRO Act during her Senate hearing. With Hassan's support, Chavez-DeRemer is no longer reliant on Paul for confirmation. 

"If she wanted to make a public statement saying that her support for the PRO Act was incorrect and she no longer does, then I'd think about her nomination," Paul told Fox News Digital in a statement ahead of Chavez-DeRemer’s hearing. 

"So you no longer support the aspect of the PRO Act that would have overturned state right-to-work laws?" Paul asked during the hearing. 

"Yes, sir," she replied. 

Paul's office did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment on how he will vote in committee today.

Chavez-DeRemer testified before the HELP Committee on Feb. 19. If the committee votes to send Chavez-DeRemer's nomination before the full Senate, Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., can file a motion to end Senate floor debate on the nominee, triggering a cloture vote to halt deliberations. Once debate closes, senators cast their final confirmation vote. 

During her hearing, Chavez-DeRemer advocated for trade school investments to expand "educational pathways beyond the traditional four-year degree" to strengthen the American workforce. She said she is committed to leveling the playing field for American businesses, workers and unions. 

Chavez-DeRemer also thanked Trump and credited him with the "single greatest political achievement of our time" in building a "new coalition of working-class Americans."

"President Trump has united a new coalition of working-class Americans like never before. With 59.6% of Teamsters backing him, historic support from African-American and Latino voters, and record-breaking turnout in once-solid blue cities and states, Americans are speaking loud and clear. They are calling for action, progress and leadership that puts the American worker first," Chavez-DeRemer said.

Trump nominated Chavez-DeRemer for secretary of labor less than three weeks after he was elected president.

"Lori has worked tirelessly with both Business and Labor to build America’s workforce, and support the hardworking men and women of America," Trump wrote.

"I look forward to working with her to create tremendous opportunity for American Workers, to expand training and apprenticeships, to grow wages and improve working conditions, to bring back our manufacturing jobs. Together, we will achieve historic cooperation between Business and Labor that will restore the American Dream for Working Families," he added.

U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Roberts on Wednesday paused a federal judge’s order that required the Trump administration to pay around $2 billion in foreign aid funds to contractors by midnight. 

The ruling comes after the Trump administration asked the Supreme Court for an emergency order to block the release of U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) funding, which the federal judge had required by midnight. Officials had said they would not be able to comply with the judge’s order.

The Trump administration said U.S. District Judge Amir H. Ali's order had created "an untenable payment plan at odds with the President’s obligations under Article II to protect the integrity of the federal fisc and make appropriate judgements(sic) about foreign aid – clear forms of irreparable harm."

Any response from the groups that are fighting the Trump administration is due before Friday at 12 p.m., meaning the pause could potentially be relatively short-lived. 

USAID INSTRUCTIONS FOR FIRED EMPLOYEES GIVES THEM 15 MINUTES TO GATHER BELONGINGS FROM SHUTTERED DC BUILDING

The Trump administration said it was eliminating more than 90% of USAID's foreign aid contracts and $60 billion in overall U.S. assistance around the world, putting numbers on its plans to eliminate the majority of U.S. development and humanitarian help abroad.

The cuts detailed by the administration would leave few surviving USAID projects for advocates to try to save in what are ongoing court battles with the administration.

Wednesday's disclosures also give an idea of the scale of the administration's retreat from U.S. aid and development assistance overseas, and from decades of policy that foreign aid helps American interests by stabilizing other countries and economies and building alliances.

TRUMP ADMIN TO SLASH 1,600 USAID POSITIONS JUST BEFORE MIDNIGHT

The memo said officials were "clearing significant waste stemming from decades of institutional drift." More changes are planned in how USAID and the State Department deliver foreign assistance, it said, "to use taxpayer dollars wisely to advance American interests."

President Donald Trump and ally Elon Musk have hit foreign aid harder and faster than almost any other target in their push to cut the size of the federal government. Both men say USAID projects advance a liberal agenda and are a waste of money.

The administration has filed an emergency appeal to the Supreme Court in one other case so far, arguing that a lower court was wrong to reinstate the head of a federal watchdog agency after Trump fired him.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Attorney General Pam Bondi made an explosive revelation on Wednesday when she told Jesse Watters on "Jesse Watters Primetime" that some information about Jeffrey Epstein would be released by the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Thursday.

She told Watters there are over 250 alleged victims, and her office needs to ensure all of their identities are protected.

"What you’re going to see, hopefully tomorrow, is a lot of flight logs, a lot of names, a lot of information," Bondi said when asked about the type of information that will be released Thursday. "But, it’s pretty sick what that man did, along with his co-defendant."

Bondi's revelation comes after Republican lawmakers pressed the Department of Justice (DOJ) for the release of classified documents and records related to Jeffrey Epstein and the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, among other federal secrets, received a response, though it fell a bit flat.

GOPERS PRESS FOR THE RELEASE OF JFK, EPSTEIN FILES: HERE'S WHY THEY'RE NOT OUT

President Donald Trump signed an executive order last month calling on agencies to create plans to release and distribute top-secret documents, including those pertaining to the assassinations of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King.

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., is leading the House Oversight Committee’s Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets, and, after sending letters to the DOJ Feb. 11 and Feb. 19, said she finally heard back.

"My office just received a formal response from the DOJ on the Jeffrey Epstein, JFK, MLK, & RFK files," Luna wrote in a post on X, attaching a copy of the letter.

In the letter, the DOJ thanked Luna for the two letters, in which she requested briefings and any documents in the department’s possession relating to the classified investigations.

The DOJ also acknowledged Luna’s request for written confirmation of the date and location of the release of those records.

"The integrity of criminal investigations and prosecutions is essential to every component of the Department’s mission to uphold the rule of law, keep our nation safe, and protect civil rights," Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Patrick D. Davis wrote. 

"The Department remains committed to meeting its legal recordkeeping obligations as it pursues that mission. We are reviewing your requests and look forward to engaging further to accommodate your oversight and legislative needs.

"We hope this information is helpful," Davis added. "Please do not hesitate to contact this office if we may provide additional assistance regarding this or any other matter."

ANNA PAULINA LUNA TO LEAD TASK FORCE ON DECLASSIFICATION OF JFK ASSASSINATION RECORDS, EPSTEIN CLIENT LIST

The response came two days after Luna said she had faced silence from the DOJ.

"On Feb 11 & Feb 19, house oversight sent a letter to the DOJ asking for status on releasing the Epstein files as well as JFK etc.," Luna said in a post on X Monday. "The DOJ has not responded. Reaching out on X because we can’t seem to get a response from the AG. @AGPamBondi what is the status of the documents? These documents were ordered to be declassified."

Luna also sent a letter to Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Attorney General Pam Bondi, National Security Advisor Michael Waltz and White House Counsel David Warrington requesting a briefing by Thursday on plans for the release of the documents.

TRUMP SIGNS ORDER TO DECLASSIFY FILES ON JFK, RFK AND MLK ASSASSINATIONS

Trump’s executive order instructed the Department of Justice to coordinate with Gabbard, Waltz and Warrington to establish a plan by Feb. 7 for the release of the JFK files and to create a plan for the release of the MLK and Robert F. Kennedy files by March 9. 

Additionally, Luna is pushing the Justice Department to share details regarding Jeffrey Epstein’s client list. The American financier died in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

Bondi previously said Epstein’s client list was awaiting review and that she was looking over the Kennedy and King files. 

Fox News Digital’s Diana Stancy and Haley Chi-Sing contributed to this report.

Republican lawmakers pressing the Department of Justice (DOJ) for the release of classified documents and records related to Jeffrey Epstein and the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, among other federal secrets, received a response, though it fell a bit flat.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order last month calling on agencies to create plans to release and distribute top-secret documents, including those pertaining to the assassinations of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King.

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., is leading the House Oversight Committee’s Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets, and, after sending letters to the DOJ Feb. 11 and Feb. 19, finally heard back.

"My office just received a formal response from the DOJ on the Jeffrey Epstein, JFK, MLK, & RFK files," Luna wrote in a post on X, attaching a copy of the letter.

GOPERS PRESS FOR THE RELEASE OF JFK, EPSTEIN FILES: HERE'S WHY THEY'RE NOT OUT

In the letter, the DOJ thanked Luna for the two letters, in which she requested briefings and any documents in the department’s possession relating to the classified investigations.

The DOJ also acknowledged Luna’s request for written confirmation of the date and location of the release of those records.

"The integrity of criminal investigations and prosecutions is essential to every component of the Department’s mission to uphold the rule of law, keep our nation safe, and protect civil rights," Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Patrick D. Davis wrote. 

"The Department remains committed to meeting its legal recordkeeping obligations as it pursues that mission. We are reviewing your requests and look forward to engaging further to accommodate your oversight and legislative needs.

"We hope this information is helpful," Davis added. "Please do not hesitate to contact this office if we may provide additional assistance regarding this or any other matter."

ANNA PAULINA LUNA TO LEAD TASK FORCE ON DECLASSIFICATION OF JFK ASSASSINATION RECORDS, EPSTEIN CLIENT LIST

The response came two days after Luna said she had faced silence from the DOJ.

"On Feb 11 & Feb 19, house oversight sent a letter to the DOJ asking for status on releasing the Epstein files as well as JFK etc.," Luna said in a post on X Monday. "The DOJ has not responded. Reaching out on X because we can’t seem to get a response from the AG. @AGPamBondi what is the status of the documents? These documents were ordered to be declassified."

Luna also sent a letter to Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Attorney General Pam Bondi, National Security Advisor Michael Waltz and White House Counsel David Warrington requesting a briefing by Thursday on plans for the release of the documents.

TRUMP SIGNS ORDER TO DECLASSIFY FILES ON JFK, RFK AND MLK ASSASSINATIONS

Bondi was a guest on "Jesse Watters Primetime" Wednesday and said her office plans to release information about Epstein tomorrow.

She told Watters there are over 250 alleged victims, and her office needs to ensure all of their identities are protected.

"What you’re going to see, hopefully tomorrow, is a lot of flight logs, a lot of names, a lot of information," Bondi said when asked about the type of information that will be released Thursday. "But, it’s pretty sick what that man did, along with his co-defendant."

Trump’s executive order instructed the Department of Justice to coordinate with Gabbard, Waltz and Warrington to establish a plan by Feb. 7 for the release of the JFK files and to create a plan for the release of the MLK and Robert F. Kennedy files by March 9. 

Additionally, Luna is pushing the Justice Department to share details regarding Jeffrey Epstein’s client list. The American financier died in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

Bondi said Friday that Epstein’s client list was awaiting review and that she was looking over the Kennedy and King files. 

Fox News Digital’s Diana Stancy and Haley Chi-Sing contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday requiring government payments and travel expenses to be justified and made public where possible.

The requirement is part of Trump’s executive order to implement the cost efficiency initiative for the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

Using modern technology, the order aims to transform spending by putting all federal grants and contracts through rigorous standards to justify their existence. Trump’s order will have federal agencies acting immediately, reviewing all contracts and grants for waste, fraud and abuse.

Travel expenses and government payments are also being analyzed closely, as they must be justified and made public if possible.

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

The order also tells agencies to treat their credit cards as if they were frozen for 30 days.

"To the maximum extent permitted by law, all credit cards held by agency employees shall be treated as frozen for 30 days from the date of this order, except for any credit cards held by employees engaged in, or charges related to employees utilizing such credit cards for, disaster relief or natural disaster response benefits or operations or other critical services as determined by the Agency Head, and subject to such additional individualized or categorical exceptions as the Agency Head, in consultation with the agency’s DOGE Team Lead, deems appropriate," Trump's executive order reads.

Working with DOGE, agency heads will review and terminate any contracts deemed unnecessary.

HOUSE DOGE HEARING ERUPTS OVER DEMOCRAT DEEMING ‘GRIFTER IN CHIEF,’ REFERRING TO ‘PRESIDENT MUSK’

Additionally, the executive order will look at how the government manages property, requiring the General Services Administration to submit a plan for disposing of unnecessary owned or leased properties.

Trump’s order is being implemented to add "discipline to a wasteful system."

"The existing system fails to safeguard taxpayer dollars or promote merit among contractors and grant recipients," White House officials said in a fact sheet, noting that the government spends large sums of money on contracts and grants.

FEDERAL WATCHDOG RELEASES FIRST DOGE-ERA REPORT DETAILING AREAS OF GOVERNMENT PRONE TO FRAUD, WASTE AND ABUSE

The sheet also notes that in fiscal year 2023, the government committed about $759 billion in contracts.

"This flood of spending historically had minimal safeguards," the fact sheet read. "In the Biden Administration, GSA directed its efforts to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) rather than merit and efficiency."

Since his return to the Oval Office, Trump has set sort of a wildfire on federal government spending, unleashing DOGE, which is led by billionaire Elon Musk.

According to the DOGE website, the total estimated savings as of Tuesday were $65 billion, which is a combination of fraud detection and deletion, contract and lease cancelations, contract and lease renegotiation, asset sales, grant cancelations, workforce reductions, programmatic changes and regulatory savings. The site is updated two times a week.

The DOGE site also has a "Wall of Receipts," showing a breakdown of how much was saved and where the savings were found.

Former Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti spoke to staff after the Trump administration ousted her and other top leaders at the Pentagon Friday, asserting that the Navy's mission will continue "unabated and undisrupted."

Franchetti, the first woman to serve as the chief of naval operations and on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, described leading the sea service as the "honor of a lifetime" and thanked Navy sailors for their service supporting the U.S. 

"We are America’s Warfighting Navy and America is counting on us to deter aggression, defend our National security interests, and preserve our way of life," Franchetti, who had served as the Navy's top officer since 2023, said in a Tuesday LinkedIn post that has since been deleted. "We operate from seabed to space, around the globe and around the clock. Our mission continues, unabated and undisrupted…There is no time to waste."

After publication, the Navy clarified that the post was not intended to be shared on social media. A U.S. official with knowledge of the situation told Fox News Digital that the message was sent to a "small group" of staff and senior Navy leaders, but it was not intended to be shared with a wider audience. 

"She did not post or direct the message to be posted on LinkedIn," the U.S. official said in a statement. "The message was improperly posted by a junior staffer who had access to the LinkedIn account but did not have authorization to post the content of Admiral Franchetti’s Friday email."

TRUMP NOMINATES AIR FORCE LT. GEN. DAN 'RAZIN' CAINE FOR JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF CHAIRMAN

Franchetti joined the Navy Reserve Officer Training Corps as a student at Northwestern University and was commissioned in 1985. She told Navy Times in 2023 that she met other ROTC students at a barbecue during freshman orientation week, who notified her about the scholarship opportunities ROTC provided.

At the time of her commissioning, women were barred from serving on combatant ships and aircraft and were instead assigned to ships like oilers and destroyer tenders. However, Congress repealed the law in 1993 — paving the way for women like Franchetti to serve in top leadership positions in the Navy. 

"I joined for free college and books, but I stayed for our mission, the opportunity to serve something greater than myself, and the chance to be part of amazing teams in the world’s most lethal fighting force: America’s Warfighting Navy," Franchetti wrote on LinkedIn. 

Ultimately, Franchetti went on to command two carrier strike groups, and served as the deputy commander of U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa and the commander of the U.S. 6th Fleet, which falls under U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa.

Other leaders the Trump administration removed Friday included Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. CQ Brown and Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Jim Slife. 

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth requested nominations to replace Franchetti and Slife, and said that both had "distinguished careers."

"We thank them for their service and dedication to our country," Hegseth said in a Friday statement. 

Vice Chief of Naval Operations Adm. James Kilby announced that he would take over responsibilities as the top officer in the Navy until a permanent replacement was found for Franchetti. 

FORMER CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF BIDS FAREWELL IN HEARTFELT SOCIAL MEDIA POST: ‘DISTINCT HONOR’

"The work of our Navy continues without disruption," Kilby said in a statement Saturday. "We will sustain forward-deployed lethal forces that enhance the peace and deter our adversaries."

The Navy did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. It remains unclear where Franchetti will be reassigned. 

Hegseth didn’t provide any additional comment on Franchetti or her career, but previously described her as a "DEI hire" in his 2024 book, "The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free." 

Hegseth also announced Friday that President Donald Trump plans to nominate retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Dan "Razin" Caine to replace Brown, claiming that Caine embodies the "warfighter ethos" the U.S. military needs. 

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

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) issued a letter ordering New York City's Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) to eliminate its controversial congestion pricing tolls by mid-March.

The letter, dated and signed by Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Executive Director Gloria Shepherd on Feb. 20 and released Wednesday, notes that the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) and its project sponsors "must cease" the collection of tolls on Federal-aid highways in New York's Central Business District Tolling Program by March 21.

It noted the program's implementation was initially approved by the FHWA prior to DOT Secretary Sean Duffy sending a letter on Feb. 19 terminating the program.

Shepherd called for agencies and project sponsors to "terminate operations" in an "orderly manner," according to the letter.

TRUMP ADMIN MOVES TO BLOCK NYC CONGESTION TOLL PROGRAM

Last week, the Trump administration issued a federal order halting the program, which began Jan. 5 and aimed to limit traffic and fund mass transit by adding a $9 toll on "most" vehicles entering Manhattan's core south of Central Park.

Despite Trump's action, the tolls have continued due to a federal lawsuit filed by the MTA, a state agency that runs public transit in New York City. 

"Our position is clear: this is not a lawful order. We have already filed a lawsuit and now it’s up to the courts to decide," John J. McCarthy, MTA chief of policy and external relations, wrote in a statement on Wednesday.

Critics say the tolling negatively impacts suburban commuters or those without access to the subway system, causing increased costs for working-class Americans and small business owners. The "cordon pricing" method of tolling means drivers are required to pay a toll regardless of which roads they use, as there are no toll-free options.

HOCHUL SPURS BIPARTISAN OUTRAGE OVER MASSIVE TOLL REBOOT AS DEMS WORRY TRUMP WILL BLOCK IT

Advocates argue the fees will limit traffic congestion and reduce air pollution.

The MTA on Monday announced tolls from the Congestion Relief Zone (CRZ) generated $48.66 million in revenue, with a net of $37.5 million, from Jan. 5 to Jan. 31.

The figures show the program is on track to generate the $500 million that the MTA initially projected.

"We are on track for the projected $500 million in net revenue, especially as we get into warmer months when traffic will increase which provides confidence in the forecast," said MTA co-chief financial officer Jai Patel. "All indicators show the program is reducing traffic but also projecting the revenue to be on target for what we had in 4,000 pages of studies and what we were looking at in the fall."

Of the nearly $50 million generated from the program's start in January, 22% came from taxis and for-hire vehicles ($10.6 million), 68% came from passenger vehicles, 9% came from trucks, and 1% came from buses and motorcycles, according to the MTA.

About 85% of non-taxi and for-hire vehicles revenue was generated from passenger vehicles, and 15% was generated from trucks, buses, and motorcycles, the agency reported. And 95% of revenue was generated during peaking tolling hours.

Expenses from the program, which include operating camera infrastructure and customer service, amounted to $9.1 million. Factoring in another $2 million for mitigation efforts, the results were a net surplus of $37.5 million.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a proponent of the program, met with Trump to discuss the issue.

The Democrat claimed the city is "paralyzed with gridlock," and the program could "make the city move again."

"The people in my state need to know I'm willing to take the fight wherever I have to," Hochul said.

As the situation unfolds, Hochul said she expects the state's case to be won in court and the program will continue.

The Federal Highway Administration and NYSDOT entered into an agreement on Nov. 21, 2024, approving the Central Business District Tolling Program (CBDTP) under the Value Pricing Pilot Program (VPPP). 

The VPPP, which was approved by Congress in 1991, is an exception to the general rule outlawing tolling on highways as a pilot to test congestion reduction techniques. 

New York is one of about a dozen states allowed to implement the program. 

Fox News Digital's Danielle Wallace, Charles Creitz and Stephen Sorace contributed to this report.

Democrats in the Senate failed to pass a resolution that would have reversed President Donald Trump’s executive order on "Unleashing American Energy" in a 53-47 party-line vote.

The White House argued that scrapping the emergency would endanger nearly 900,000 jobs and have a negative $3.6 trillion impact. The order encourages domestic energy production on federal lands and nixed a Biden-era push to strive for more electric vehicles on the road.

"Tim Kaine wants to impoverish Americans. President Donald Trump’s executive order brings America into the future and unleashes prosperity. Senator [Tim] Kaine wants to cost the economy trillions and risk losing nearly a million jobs," deputy press secretary Anna Kelly said in an exclusive statement to Fox News Digital on Tuesday.

STATE, TREASURY DEPARTMENTS REIMPOSE 'MAXIMUM PRESSURE' SANCTIONS ON IRAN’S OIL TRADE

The resolution was introduced by Democratic Sens. Tim Kaine and Martin Heinrich as they argued the emergency declaration made by the president would "benefit big oil" but harm Americans, according to a statement provided by the lawmakers to Fox News Digital on Tuesday.

"The Trump Administration is living in a fantasy land," the Democratic senators stated. "Energy demand is high and only getting higher, which is why it’s great that America is producing more energy than at any other point in our history. Decreasing the supply of American-made energy when demand is high is the quickest way to raise prices—and that’s exactly what President Trump’s sham energy emergency will do."

"By tampering with the market to favor some forms of energy over others and making it easier for fossil fuel companies to take Americans’ private property, Trump’s emergency declaration will benefit Big Oil, but leave American consumers with fewer choices and higher bills."

3 LONG-TERM CONSEQUENCES FROM BIDEN’S CANCELATION OF THE KEYSTONE PIPELINE

Earlier on Wednesday, Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., slammed the resolution as Democrats ‘trying to block common-sense measures" to tackle "painfully high prices."

"After four years of reckless regulations and restrictions, energy prices have jumped 31 percent. Families are feeling it all across the country. To most Americans, this is the definition of an energy emergency. To Senate Democrats, it’s an inconvenient truth," he said in a floor speech.  

"This National Energy Emergency is part of President Trump’s swift actions, actions to unleash American energy. It’s part this broader vision of affordable, reliable, available American energy. Democrats oppose that," the Republican continued.

GOP GOVERNOR IN TOP ENERGY STATE OUTLINES HOW PRODUCTION 'HELD BACK' BY BIDEN WILL 'OPEN UP' UNDER TRUMP

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., also slammed the Democrat effort: "Thanks in substantial part to a movement to shut down fossil-fuel-fired power plants before reliable sources of clean energy are available to replace them, America is running out of power even as we face huge new power demands. … If we don’t take action, we are going to be facing some very serious problems in the very near future, so I’m grateful to have a president who recognizes and acknowledges the energy emergency facing our nation."

Senate Energy Committee Chairman Mike Lee, R-Utah, said, "Senate Democrats are yet again attempting to block President Trump's efforts to secure cheaper, more reliable energy—just when America needs it most. Their message to families is clear: pay more, expect less."

The Trump administration emphasized that ending the emergency would bring back Biden-era policies. A White House document obtained by Fox News Digital stressed that under those policies, during Biden's first two years, families spent an extra $10,000 in energy costs on average, citing a study published by the Committee to Unleash Prosperity. 

The document cited that estimates of liquefied natural gas (LNG) growth in the new administration were projected to bring in half a million jobs annually and boost U.S. GDP by $1.3 trillion through 2040, per a study by S&P Global in December. 

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…

-FBI investigating claims of Comey-era 'honeypot' operation against Trump 2016 campaign

-Ratcliffe shrugs off concerns about potential threat of fired agents armed with CIA's secrets

-States fire back against 'sanctuary' resistance as they rally around Trump's deportation efforts

President Donald Trump tapped Elon Musk to speak at the top of the first full Cabinet meeting Wednesday to discuss the progress made by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). 

Musk, standing in his signature black suit jacket with a T-shirt underneath, spoke at the meeting in which the media was present and made some clarifications about what he and DOGE are doing, as well as a recent email sent to government employees.

"I think that email was perhaps interpreted as a performance review, but actually it was a pulse check review. Do you have a pulse?" Musk said. "And if you have a pulse and two neurons, you could reply to an email." Read more

READ IT: Trump admin directs agency heads to prep for ‘large-scale reductions in force’ 

IMMUNE TO ORDERS?: CDC seems to defy Trump executive order by participating in WHO vaccine conference

TRUMP'S BRUISE EXPLAINED: White House explains bruise on Trump's hand seen during Macron meeting

GET OUR GEAR: Trump pushes to recover 'billions of dollars' of military equipment left behind in Afghanistan withdrawal

BAD FOR BUSINESS: Mexican drug cartel leader extradited to the US to face federal drug trafficking charges

'BLATANT PROVOCATION': Taiwan dispatches navy, air force after China launches live-fire drills with no warning

'WE HAVE NO TIME': Former Hamas hostage briefs UN Security Council on the 'pure hell' that was captivity in Gaza

'CLASSY': Dem Rep unloads on Elon Musk outside Capitol: 'F--- off'

DOGE FIGHT: House DOGE hearing erupts over Democrat deeming Trump 'grifter in chief,' referring to ‘President Musk’

'ENDANGERS' WOMEN: Blue state's abortion-pill shield law harms women by depriving follow-up care, pro-life docs say

'RESOURCES TO FIGHT': Dem governor fundraises off dust-up with Trump over trans sports in Maine: 'I told him we'd see him in court'

WITH PREJUDICE: Eric Adams' lawyers seek to dismiss charges with prejudice

'DOING THE RIGHT THING': Blue state sheriff unleashes on 'un-American' sanctuary laws, makes special offer to Homan

'HELL NO': Gretchen Whitmer sounds off on push to condemn Supreme Court's gay marriage ruling: 'Hell no'

REMOVED: Massachusetts select board removes town administrator following controversy over Trump flag

YOUNG AND RESTLESS: New poll finds about half of rural young people feel job market pressures in their hometowns

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

EXCLUSIVE: Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard recalled the energizing atmosphere inside President Donald Trump's first Cabinet meeting on Wednesday at the White House, as his team comes together in record time. 

"What I got was a high level of energy and really just a positive outlook," Gabbard told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview at the White House after the meeting. 

"We are all in sprint mode," she said. 

EXCLUSIVE: INSIDE REPUBLICANS' LONG GAME TO CONFIRM TRUMP FBI DIRECTOR KASH PATEL

"We have a Cabinet full of great Americans who are dedicated to serving our country and the American people, ensuring safety, security, freedom and prosperity," the national intelligence director added, noting the inspiration that billionaire Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has already sparked in Trump's administration. 

Per Gabbard, part of what makes Trump's Cabinet so special is that "most of us have known each other for a long time. We've worked together. We're actually friends."

GOP SENATOR SUFFERS SEIZURE, BRAIN BLEED AFTER FALLING ON ICE

She went as far as calling this level of collaboration "unprecedented" in a president's Cabinet. 

Trump's second-term Cabinet has accomplished several firsts, including appointing Gabbard as the first Pacific Islander director of national intelligence, Secretary of State Marco Rubio as the first Hispanic in his role and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent as the first Republican Cabinet member who is openly gay. 

DEMS DEMAND TRUMP RESUME CASH FLOW AS THEY FINALLY GET LEVERAGE IN RACE TO PREVENT SHUTDOWN

Additionally, Trump has already surpassed the number of women he had in his first Cabinet, with five appointed already and eight nominated in total. 

EXCLUSIVE: TRUMP WARNS MAJOR DEM AGAINST MOVE THAT COULD COST VOTERS TRILLIONS

But, "you don't hear anything about it," Gabbard pointed out. 

"I experienced this from my former party, even when I ran for president in 2020, that they were all about [Diversity, Equity and Inclusion] unless they didn't like what a woman of color had to say, for example."

The line against Beijing is drawn in Little Rock.

"We are taking a strong stand against China infiltrating our state," says Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders. "We're going to continue to push back."

Arkansas is the first state in the nation that forced a Chinese-connected company to divest farmland, and now says it is taking additional action against the CCP.

SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS ON TARIFF THREAT: TRUMP IS TIRED OF AMERICA GETTING RIPPED OFF

Sanders is introducing new legislation that adds further measures to stop China state-owned businesses from operating in her state and shut down programs sponsored by China.

The measures include banning CCP-linked companies from buying or leasing property, blocking ownership near critical infrastructure sites, scraping Sister City partnerships and cutting funding for universities and colleges that have Chinese-funded programs.

"We've seen a number of cases where China is trying to infiltrate things that matter to our critical infrastructure, buying up land around our military bases, our substations. These are things that we're taking strong action against here in Arkansas, expanding existing legislation so that we can continue to hold their feet to the fire and push them out," says Sanders.

In 2023, the state ordered Syngenta Seeds, whose parent company is a Chinese conglomerate, to divest farmland used for seed production. 

The company said that "the suggestion that China is using Syngenta to purchase land or conduct operations for any purpose other than supporting the company's commercial business in North America is simply false."  But the state fined the company $280,000 for not initially disclosing its foreign ownership by the deadline.

"Syngenta is foreign-owned — ultimately by the Chinese Communist Party," said Arkansas Attorney General Tim Miller in announcing the penalty.

"This serves as a warning to all other Chinese state-owned companies operating in Arkansas."

REPUBLICAN GOVERNORS CAN'T WAIT FOR TRUMP TO UNLEASH PROSPERITY IN THE STATES

"Agriculture is the number one industry here in the state of Arkansas and so protecting our agricultural security and protecting the components that make it so strong, are one of the things that are really important," says Sanders.

Two other firms are being investigated for possible ties to China, but in December a Federal Judge issued a preliminary injunction to halt the probe of one of them.  

At least 22 states have enacted some form of restrictions on Chinese-owned companies.

"The CCP has aggressive intent and has become more aggressive and threatening, both at home as well as abroad, and we need to be aware of these threats," says Congressman John Moolenaar, (R) Michigan, Chairman of House Select Committee on the CCP.  He says more states should follow Sanders' lead.

"She is taking a leadership role and protecting farmland and green spaces in Arkansas and making sure the CCP doesn't gain a foothold in Arkansas. We want to see more states taking this kind of action," he says.

For several years, officials have been warning about China's entry into the U.S., through businesses and other organizations that they say pose a national security threat.

Michael Pillsbury, a former top U.S. government official on China matters and Senior Fellow at the Heritage Foundation, has been sounding the alarm. He authored "The One Hundred Year Marathon, China’s Secret Strategy to Replace America as the Global Superpower" a decade ago and says not much has changed since then.

"What Governor Sanders is launching is pretty important," he says, "part of building the long-term foundation to protect ourselves against the CCP, but it is not the end of the story unless she is successful in persuading Homeland Security and the FBI to make this a federal issue."

"The state of Arkansas doesn't have a CIA or FBI to do this. The intelligence collection that triggers the alarm is what the federal government has to do."

FORMER USAID OFFICIAL WARNS CHINA IS ALREADY LOOKING TO FILL VOID LEFT BY PAUSED PROGRAMS

Experts say it can be difficult to determine if a company is really owned by a Chinese firm, which is part of the CCP's strategy.

"There really is no such thing as a private company in China," says Rep. Moolenaar. "All the companies are affiliated in some way and directed in some way by the Chinese Communist Party. And secondly, it is important to note that they have something called military fusion, where technologies, even in the civil area, are used for military purposes."

He says Chinese-funded programs that operate under the guise of educational programs also serve to further the CCP's interests, which is one target of Sanders' push. Moolenaar points to a recent case in his state of Michigan that raised alarms.

"The Chinese Communist Party will leverage people," he says. "Five Chinese national students were caught spying at Camp Grayling. Camp Grayling is a military facility, where according to public reports, we train military leaders, including Taiwanese military leaders. So when you consider the threat of the leverage of the Chinese Communist Party, we need to be vigilant and protect American universities and American taxpayer dollars."

The five Chinese students were charged last fall with lying to the FBI after they claimed to be observing meteor showers at midnight at the base, but instead were found to have taken photos of the installation.  The FBI said all five  graduated last spring from the University of Michigan, and were part of a joint program between the university and the Shanghai Jiao Tong University in Shanghai, China.

This is exactly the type of suspicious scenario Sanders is trying to address.

"We know that so often China is looking for any way possible into and developing a relationship for the purpose of exploiting it, and for the purpose of taking that information back and using it against us," she says. "We want to make sure that we are protecting against that."

China's embassy in Washington has accused the U.S. of "politicizing and weaponizing economic and trade issues." Embassy spokesman Liu Pengyu says U.S. officials "deliberately obstruct normal economic and trade exchange for (a) political agenda."

But critics charge that is exactly what the CCP is doing under the guise of commerce and friendship.

"We need to be proactive," warns Rep. Moolenaar. "We need to not so much look for a smoking gun, we need to look for a loaded gun that is actually a threat to America."

The White House fired back at "disgraced" progressive filmmaker and activist Michael Moore’s criticism of the Trump administration’s deportations, saying his comments are "a strong contender for dumbest statement of the year."

Moore, who has directed a score of highly politically-charged documentaries, published a lengthy blog post on Tuesday titled, "Our Muslim Boy Wonder," in which he warned that by deporting illegal immigrants, the U.S. may miss out on the person who could cure cancer, the next equivalent of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, or the person who will save the world from "the asteroid that’s gonna hit us in 2032."

"Who's really being removed by ICE tonight?" Moore asked. "The child who would've discovered the cure for cancer in 2046? The 9th grade nerd who would’ve stopped that asteroid that’s gonna hit us in 2032? Do we care?"

The filmmaker declared, "For every time I have heard a negative word or blatant hatred spewed toward those who came from afar, I have felt that I should pause, get down on one knee, and thank all of those who gave up their lives elsewhere to come here and be with us."

MAYOR OF AMERICA’S BIGGEST CITY THANKS TRUMP FOR CRACKDOWN ON CRIMINAL IMMIGRANTS

In response, the White House released a statement on Wednesday saying that illegal immigrant killers and rapists "aren’t scholars — they’re criminals."

"In a strong contender for dumbest statement of the year, disgraced ‘filmmaker’ Michael Moore lamented illegal immigrant criminals being apprehended because they might’ve ‘discovered the cure for cancer’ or ‘stopped that astroid [sic],’" the White House statement said. "The only thing more foolish than that statement are the politicians who oppose the deportations."

The statement included a listing of some of the worst criminal illegal immigrants arrested thus far. The list included nine child sex predators and rapists as well as kidnappers, murderers and gang members.

TOM HOMAN TELLS MIGRANT TERROR GROUPS TRUMP WILL ‘WIPE YOU OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH’

One of those listed was a documented member of the bloodthirsty gang MS-13, Salvadoran national Sergio Arquimides Pineda, who was arrested by ICE Homeland Security Investigations Corpus Christi and convicted of driving while intoxicated and aggravated assault with bodily injury.

Another illegal, Guatemalan national, Edilio Agustin-Orellana, was arrested by ICE Boston and is facing five counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, three counts of kidnapping, intimidation and armed home invasion.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE

A third arrested migrant listed by the White House was Turkish national Gokhan Adriguzel, who is a known or suspected terrorist, according to officials.

ALLEGED FENTANYL-SMUGGLING IMMIGRANTS LEAD POLICE ON DANGEROUS CORNFIELD CHASE

"Michael Moore is free to visit the quantum computing and particle physics labs that MS-13, TDA [Tren de Aragua], and the cartels are now going to have to set up back home in El Salvador, Venezuela, and Mexico," quipped White House deputy press secretary Kush Desai.

In the meantime, Desai said, "the Trump administration will remain focused on putting our own citizens first by mass deporting illegal migrant rapists, murderers, and other criminals out of American communities."

Fox News Digital reached out to Moore for comment but did not hear back by publication time. 

Fox News Digital writers Adam Shaw and Alexander Hall contributed to this report.

Nearly a year after his speech was disrupted by an angry mob of student protesters, Kyle Rittenhouse will return to the University of Memphis on Wednesday evening to talk about the Second Amendment and his controversial 2021 trial.

The University of Memphis chapter of Turning Point USA re-invited Rittenhouse to speak after the university and Rittenhouse's lawyers worked out a deal to ensure an adequate security presence this time, Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) attorney Mathew Hoffmann told Fox News Digital.

"The bottom line is universities cannot allow hostile students and other people to shut down speakers that they don't like," Hoffmann said. "That's enshrined in Tennessee law and the First Amendment. The mob forced him to cut his speech short, and he left not being able to communicate his message."

PROTESTERS DISRUPT KYLE RITTENHOUSE TPUSA EVENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MEMPHIS: 'NO JUSTICE, NO PEACE'

Intervening on Rittenhouse's and TPUSA's behalf, ADF sent a demand letter in October asking the university to reschedule the event and "reimburse TPUSA an unconstitutional security fee it was forced to pay after the event was shut down." The university did reschedule it, but did not refund the $1,600 fee "for security that stood idly by and allowed the mob to shut down the event."

"They did change their security fee assessment system. The university has committed in advance of the event to give a short statement about promoting respectful dialogue and how disruption will not be tolerated," Hoffmann said.

Rittenhouse was acquitted during a high-profile case in 2021 of five charges after fatally shooting two people and injuring a third during unrest in Kenosha on Aug. 25, 2020. His defense attorneys argued he acted in self-defense after being attacked. The decedents, Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, and Anthony Huber, 26, both had criminal records, including allegations of domestic abuse, child molestation and disorderly conduct.

RITTENHOUSE FOUND NOT GUILTY ON ALL COUNTS

The University of Memphis did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment by time of publication.

Legal experts are pointing out what they say is hypocrisy as Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., faces an ethics complaint over a potential conflict of interest that resulted in millions of dollars in federal grants for a nonprofit associated with his wife. 

"Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, who has made his political career accusing others of dark money corruption, appears to be throwing stones in his glass house," said Mike Davis, the former chief counsel for nominations to former Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa.

"This is the height of hypocrisy," Brett Tolman, former U.S. attorney and executive director of Right On Crime, told Fox News Digital. "Sen Whitehouse is a former US attorney and the self-proclaimed watchdog of dark money."

EXCLUSIVE: INSIDE REPUBLICANS' LONG GAME TO CONFIRM TRUMP FBI DIRECTOR KASH PATEL

Whitehouse spokesperson Stephen DeLeo told Fox News Digital in a statement, "The ‘legal experts’ at Fox News should review the bipartisan dismissal issued by the Senate Ethics Committee the last time a dark-money group attempted these same kinds of smears."

Whitehouse voted for legislation that ultimately provided millions of dollars in funding for grants to environmental nonprofit group Ocean Conservancy, which works with his wife, Sandra Whitehouse, and pays her through a consulting firm. 

The Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT), an ethics watchdog, wrote to Senate Select Committee on Ethics Chair James Lankford, R-Okla., and Vice Chair Chris Coons, D-Del., this week, asking them to investigate Whitehouse "to determine whether he violated the Senate ethics rules on conflicts of interest." The group works primarily to draw attention to potential Democrat lawmaker ethics violations. 

"This is not just a careless ethical lapse in judgment," Tolman added. "This is corruption, Washington, D.C., style. This is literally what many public officials have been prosecuted for by DOJ (Department of Justice). I’m aware of multiple cases DOJ is pursuing right now with less egregious facts."

Thomas Jipping, senior legal fellow with the Edwin Meese III Center for Legal and Judicial Studies at the Heritage Foundation, told Fox News Digital the Ethics Committee should investigate the allegation against Whitehouse.

GOP SENATOR SUFFERS SEIZURE, BRAIN BLEED AFTER FALLING ON ICE

"Of course, that's what they exist to do," he said. 

"I was struck by the fact that they are arguing" and that the complaint from FACT has "specific facts that back up a claim that there’s an ethical violation," Jipping said. 

As he referenced, FACT provided information to support a potential conflict of interest. 

Ocean Conservancy has notably received over $14.2 million in federal grants since 2008, per USASpending.gov. In 2024 alone, it was given two sizable grants, one for $5.2 million from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for marine debris cleanup in September, and another for $1.7 million from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), also to assist with marine debris cleanup. 

The grants were funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and the EPA’s annual appropriations bill. Whitehouse voted for both. 

Per her LinkedIn page, Whitehouse's wife, Sandra, is employed as president of consulting firm Ocean Wonks LLC and has been since 2017. She was previously a direct employee of Ocean Conservancy, as its senior policy advisor starting in 2008. 

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Jipping said the senator never provided sufficient evidence for his various ethical claims against conservative Supreme Court justices.

Whitehouse has long crusaded against conservative Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas, accusing them of ethical wrongdoing. The Democrat has even spearheaded an effort to put a Supreme Court ethics code into law, which has drawn serious criticism as some warn it would effectively allow the legislature to govern the court. 

"The irony here absolutely takes my breath away," Jipping remarked. "He now appears to be embroiled in such an obvious conflict of interest."

However, not everyone agreed. Attorney Bradley P. Moss told Fox News Digital, "from what is described in the media report, this seems like a considerable stretch to find even the appearance of a conflict of interest."

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He said he was more concerned about engineers from billionaire Elon Musk's SpaceX assisting the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to modernize air traffic control. 

According to the Department of Transportation (DOT), the engineers are part of Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) team at the FAA and are special government employees. Their work in this capacity is being kept separate from the FAA's Office of Commercial Space Transportation, they said. 

Jipping said Whitehouse's situation is an "opportunity for the ethics committee to show that they are in fact nonpartisan."

Lankford and Coons did not provide comment to Fox News Digital in time for publication. 

Former Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti is speaking out after the Trump administration ousted her and other top leaders at the Pentagon Friday, asserting that the Navy's mission will continue "unabated and undisrupted."

Franchetti, the first woman to serve as the chief of naval operations and on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, described leading the sea service as the "honor of a lifetime" and thanked Navy sailors for their service supporting the U.S. 

"We are America’s Warfighting Navy and America is counting on us to deter aggression, defend our National security interests, and preserve our way of life," Franchetti, who had served as the Navy's top officer since 2023, said in a Tuesday LinkedIn post. "We operate from seabed to space, around the globe and around the clock. Our mission continues, unabated and undisrupted…There is no time to waste."

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Franchetti joined the Navy Reserve Officer Training Corps as a student at Northwestern University and was commissioned in 1985. She told Navy Times in 2023 that she met other ROTC students at a barbecue during freshman orientation week, who notified her about the scholarship opportunities ROTC provided.

At the time of her commissioning, women were barred from serving on combatant ships and aircraft and were instead assigned to ships like oilers and destroyer tenders. However, Congress repealed the law in 1993 — paving the way for women like Franchetti to serve in top leadership positions in the Navy. 

"I joined for free college and books, but I stayed for our mission, the opportunity to serve something greater than myself, and the chance to be part of amazing teams in the world’s most lethal fighting force: America’s Warfighting Navy," Franchetti wrote on LinkedIn. 

Ultimately, Franchetti went on to command two carrier strike groups, and served as the deputy commander of U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa and the commander of the U.S. 6th Fleet, which falls under U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa.

Other leaders the Trump administration removed Friday included Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. CQ Brown and Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Jim Slife. 

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth requested nominations to replace Franchetti and Slife, and said that both had "distinguished careers."

"We thank them for their service and dedication to our country," Hegseth said in a Friday statement. 

Vice Chief of Naval Operations Adm. James Kilby announced that he would take over responsibilities as the top officer in the Navy until a permanent replacement was found for Franchetti. 

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"The work of our Navy continues without disruption," Kilby said in a statement Saturday. "We will sustain forward-deployed lethal forces that enhance the peace and deter our adversaries."

The Navy did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. It remains unclear where Franchetti will be reassigned. 

Hegseth didn’t provide any additional comment on Franchetti or her career, but previously described her as a "DEI hire" in his 2024 book, "The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free." 

Hegseth also announced Friday that President Donald Trump plans to nominate retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Dan "Razin" Caine to replace Brown, claiming that Caine embodies the "warfighter ethos" the U.S. military needs. 

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