The ongoing feud between President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, his one-time "special government employee," has brought an "unprecedented" dynamic compared to other famous disputes, long-time Democratic political strategist and Fox News contributor Jacques DeGraff said.

After somewhat muted rumblings from Musk about why he opposed a Trump-endorsed Republican spending package, the DOGE leader launched complaints after Trump began firing back this week, including threats aimed at Musk's business revenue.

"It's unprecedented, but the reality is that what makes it a singular moment in history is that no single figure has ever been able to say, 'I made a president and then (fell) out with that individual," DeGraff told Fox News Digital Friday. 

"There have been groups, there have been individuals who wanted to pretend that they did, but the record is clear. And, I mean, this man (Elon) brought his son into the Oval Office. He wore a hat and didn't wear a suit to the Oval Office. He clearly had carte blanche. … The president, in effect, did a Tesla ad in the Rose Garden … and now they've fallen out in life." 

WATCH: REPUBLICANS RALLY BEHIND TRUMP, CONTINUE TO SUPPORT MUSK AMID 'BIG, BEAUTIFUL' BRAWL

DeGraffe, who has been a political advocate and strategist for years, quipped that, ordinarily, "we would have to go to family court," adding "what's the court here?" 

Trump is no stranger to quarrels with his staff. During his first term, his relationship soured with his National Security Advisor, John Bolton, and his press secretary, Anthony Scaramucci, after they diverged on different issues and publicly criticized Trump. 

But, for DeGraffe at least, this quarrel has "distinguished itself from anything in the past." 

One major difference he pointed to is the implications for both parties in this spat.

LIZ PEEK: FIVE CRITICAL TAKEAWAYS FROM THE EPIC TRUMP-MUSK RUMBLE

"Tesla stock has dropped $150 billion, Trump stock has dropped but it also occurs at the same time as this legislation and so that is going to have – no matter how it turns out – it's going to have massive political and public policy implications for the country," DeGraffe said. "So this is no small dispute." 

DeGraffe also contended that this is "the first time" there has been a major deviation from Trump "from the MAGA side of the aisle." He suggested the split could be bad news for Trump and others who hope to see the GOP's budget package pass the finish line in its current form.

"This major split will allow other players to take positions other than the party line, and it gives them room and comfort and cover in order to do so," DeGraffe suggested. "Will senators who follow Musk, or, better yet, disagree with Musk, face intensely funded primaries?

"That's a consideration that everyone involved will have to take. … As a lifelong Democrat, I'm sitting with my bowl of popcorn saying, ‘Go at it.’ Because anything that slows this horrific legislation has got to be good news to the rest of the country."

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However, while DeGraffe sees the Trump-Musk feud as having wide-ranging and lasting implications, GOP political strategist Dallas Woodhouse says he thinks the feud is unimportant to most Republicans.

"I am currently at the North Carolina State GOP convention, and this is not a topic of concern among activists," Woodhouse said. "No doubt it makes for funny and entertaining X posts, but the GOP faithful are laser-focused on growing the new diverse GOP/Trump winning coalition."

President Donald Trump responded to the sudden return of Salvadoran illegal and alleged gang member Kilmar Abrego Garcia, saying, "he’s a bad guy" and that the courts will "show how horrible this guy is."

Trump appeared unbothered by Abrego Garcia’s return on Friday afternoon, telling reporters aboard Air Force One that the Department of Justice made the decision and that soon the world will see how "horrible" a person he is.

Trump expressed confidence in the DOJ and its case against Abrego Garcia.

"The DOJ made a decision," he said, adding, "I think their decisions have been very, very good."

‘THE FIVE’: DEMS, LIBERAL MEDIA HAVE SOME 'BIG QUESTIONS TO ANSWER' AFTER KILMAR ABREGO GARCIA CHARGED 

"Maybe they just said, ‘Look, all of these people, these judges, they want to try and run the country.’ A local judge trying to run the country," said Trump. "The man has a horrible past, and I could see a decision being made, bring him back, show everybody how horrible this guy is."

The president said, "Frankly, we have to do something because the judges are trying to take the place of a president that won in a landslide. That's not supposed to be the way it is. So, I can see bringing him back. I could see. He's a bad guy."

The Trump administration deported Abrego Garcia, a 29-year-old illegal alien who was living in Maryland, to a high-security prison in his home country back in March on the grounds that he is a member of the violent MS-13 gang.

Soon after his deportation, Democrats jumped to advocate for Abrego Garcia’s release and return to the U.S., arguing that he was a wrongly deported "Maryland man."

DEM IMMIGRATION TALKING POINTS FIZZLE AS DARK PICTURE OF ABREGO GARCIA EMERGES

Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Friday that Abrego Garcia, 29, has landed in the United States and is set to face federal charges for human smuggling and conspiracy.

"Abrego Garcia has landed in the United States to face justice," Bondi said. "A grand jury in the Middle District of Tennessee returned a sealed indictment charging him with alien smuggling and conspiracy."

According to the indictment, Garcia played a "significant role" in a human smuggling ring operating for nearly a decade. Bondi described him as a full-time smuggler who made more than 100 trips, transporting women, children, and MS-13 gang-affiliated persons throughout the United States.

Fox News Digital obtained Tennessee Highway Patrol bodycam footage from a 2022 traffic stop where troopers pulled over Garcia for speeding. Inside his vehicle were eight other men, raising immediate suspicions. "He’s hauling these people for money," one trooper said.

WATCH: AG BONDI DETAILS ‘VERY SERIOUS CHARGES’ FACING KILMAR ABREGO GARCIA

Troopers found $1,400 in cash and flagged Garcia in the National Crime Information Center, which returned a gang/terrorism alert. ICE was called but never responded.

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Though Democrats have also pushed a narrative that Abrego Garcia is a "family man," court records show Abrego Garcia's wife, Jennifer Vasquez Sura, filed a protective order against her husband in August 2020. The order said their shared son and stepchildren needed protection from Abrego Garcia, accusing him of verbal and physical abuse against her and mental abuse against her children. 

Senator Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., who led the charge among Democrats to push for Abrego Garcia’s return, released a statement after news of the return broke, saying, "For months the Trump Administration flouted the Supreme Court and our Constitution. Today, they appear to have finally relented to our demands for compliance with court orders and with the due process rights afforded to everyone in the United States."

EXCLUSIVE: Despite stunning news about the return of illegal alleged gang member Kilmar Abrego Garcia Friday afternoon, the White House is celebrating a "blockbuster" week for President Donald Trump's immigration agenda.

"It’s a bad day to be an illegal alien and a great day to be an American," a spokesperson said. 

On the heels of "Operation Patriot," the largest ICE operation ever, which saw the arrest of nearly 1,500 illegal aliens in the deep blue state of Massachusetts, ICE arrests surged this week, with agents making over 2,000 arrests Tuesday and nearly 2,500 Wednesday.

TRUMP'S BORDER WALL EXPANSION MOVES FORWARD IN SEVERAL CRITICAL AREAS: 'CRISIS IS NOT YET OVER'

Overall, ICE has arrested over 100,000 illegal immigrants since Trump took office.

Over the weekend, ICE officials and local authorities in South Carolina raided a "cartel after-party" where 80 illegal aliens were arrested, including two alleged "high-level cartel members" of the Mexican cartel Los Zetas and the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, according to The Post and Courier.

According to the outlet, one of the individuals arrested, a Honduran national, has been named in an international murder case.

The New York Times also reported that deportation flights rose to the highest level yet under the Trump administration. This comes as ICE announced this week that it had deported 142 criminal aliens to Mexico from the Houston area, including child predators, gang members, human traffickers and one individual convicted of making terroristic threats.

On Monday, ICE announced that, working with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, it had made a "game-changing" seizure of 50,000 kilograms of meth ingredients destined for the Sinaloa Cartel.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION DROPS HAMMER ON 'NARCO SUB' COCAINE RING AS CARTELS THREATEN US BORDERS

Chad Plantz, special agent in charge of ICE Homeland Security Investigations Houston, said the collaboration provides authorities "with a game-changing method to stay one step ahead of the cartels by disrupting the flow of chemicals that they depend on to produce illicit narcotics."

A source familiar with the operations shared with Fox News Digital a listing of some of the arrests made by ICE this week. 

KILMAR ABREGO GARCIA INDICTED ON HUMAN TRAFFICKING CHARGES, ORDERED TO APPEAR BEFORE JUDGE IN NASHVILLE

These arrests included a Salvadoran national arrested in Los Angeles for sodomy of a child, a Mexican national arrested in Chicago for criminal sexual assault of a child, a Mexican national arrested in Houston for indecent sexual contact with a child, a Honduran national arrested in El Paso for possession of child pornography and a Laotian national arrested for murder and attempted murder.

SAN DIEGO AUTHORITIES ARREST 3 NONCITIZENS ALLEGEDLY INVOLVED IN TRANSPORTING MORE THAN $5M WORTH OF METH

White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson called this week "a blockbuster week for President Trump’s immigration agenda."

"President Trump is doing exactly what he promised the American people — securing the Southern border and deporting illegal aliens," said Jackson.

"The President is cracking down on cartels, cutting the flow of fentanyl coming across our border by over half in the last year," she added. "Under President Trump’s America First leadership, it’s a bad day to be an illegal alien and a great day to be an American."

When Donald Trump ran for president for the first time, he campaigned on reducing the national debt, referring to himself at the time as "the king of debt" and telling voters he would pay off the nation's multi-trillion-dollar debt in 8 years.   

"I'm the king of debt. I’m great with debt. Nobody knows debt better than me," Trump said during an interview with CBS's Norah O'Donnell in the lead up to the 2016 election. "I’ve made a fortune by using debt, and if things don’t work out I renegotiate the debt. I mean, that’s a smart thing, not a stupid thing." 

"We’ve got to get rid of the $19 trillion in debt," Trump said a few months prior on the campaign trail during an interview with The Washington Post. When asked how long it would take, Trump responded: "I would say over a period of eight years … The power is trade. Our deals are so bad." 

SENATE WEIGHS TRUMP'S 'BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL' AS POLICY GROUP BACKS CBO, PROJECTS $3 TRILLION DEBT INCREASE

The nation's ever-rising debt is once again a focus for Trump, as GOP defectors over his "big, beautiful bill," have largely staked their concerns around arguments that the Republican Party's new spending package will increase the national debt and deficit too much, with the Congressional Budget Office estimating it will add roughly $3 trillion over the next decade.

The debt currently stands at more than $36.2 trillion according to Fox Business' U.S. National Debt Tracker.

Elon Musk, who has cemented his stance in recent days against the Trump-endorsed spending package – leading to a highly-publicized feud between the two leaders – has argued that bill "undermines" the work he did while leading the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) because it does not cut spending enough.

"This immense level of overspending will drive America into debt slavery!" Musk declared early on Wednesday in a post on X, shortly after he called the bill a "disgusting abomination."

TRUMP’S ‘BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL’ NEEDS A 'FAT SHOT' TO END OUR DANGEROUS DEBT ADDICTION

Shortly thereafter, Musk referenced an X post from GOP Utah Sen. Mike Lee, which argued that "the accrued interest on the national debt now exceeds $1 trillion a year." This is more than the country spends on defense annually, Lee's post added. "And yet Congress continues to add to the debt at an astounding rate of $2 trillion per year—with our national debt growing faster than our economy."

In another X post from Musk, in the lead up to his feud with Trump this week, he succinctly described the U.S.'s $36.2 trillion debt as "scary."  

Even before the highly publicized feud between Musk and Trump over the contentious GOP spending package, Musk called the rising national debt "terrifying" and lamented "America is headed for de facto bankruptcy very fast." 

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"President Trump is the first president in modern history to seriously tackle the waste, fraud, and abuse in our bloated government. He has already trimmed billions in astonishingly mindless government spending across the administration, and now he is spearheading The One, Big, Beautiful Bill – which will be the largest deficit reduction in decades," White House spokesman Kush Desai said to Fox News Digital in a statement Friday afternoon.

Five members of the Proud Boys are suing the U.S. government and certain employees in the FBI and Department of Justice for $100 million over their Jan. 6 prosecutions. 

Enrique Tarrio, Zachary Rehl, Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs and Dominic Pezzola allege in the lawsuit the FBI and DOJ violated their constitutional rights with their prosecution over what prosecutors said was their planning of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. 

In a document filed in a Florida federal court and obtained by Fox News Digital, the men claim "egregious and systemic abuse of the legal system and the United States Constitution to punish and oppress political allies of President Trump, by any and all means necessary, legal, or illegal.

"Through the use of evidence tampering, witness intimidation, violations of attorney-client privilege, and placing spies to report on trial strategy, the government got its fondest wish of imprisoning the J6 Defendants, the modern equivalent of placing one’s enemies' heads on a spike outside the town wall as a warning to any who would think to challenge the status quo."

OUTGOING US CAPITOL POLICE CHIEF CRITICIZES TRUMP PARDONS FOR JAN. 6 DEFENDANTS 

Fox News Digital has reached out to the U.S. Department of Justice for comment. 

Four of the five men were convicted of seditious conspiracy after the attack, and Tarrio faced the harshest punishment — 22 years for planning the attack — of any of the Jan. 6 defendants, according to The Wall Street Journal. 

Nordean was sentenced to 18 years, Biggs was sentenced to 17 years and Rehl was sentenced to 15 years. Pezzola was found guilty of conspiracy to obstruct Congress and sentenced to 10 years in prison. 

However, President Donald Trump pardoned or commuted the sentences of nearly all the defendants after he took office this year, including Tarrio, Rehl, Nordean, Biggs and Pezzola. 

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION AGREES TO PAY ASHLI BABBITT'S FAMILY $5 MILLION

All the men except Tarrio were at the U.S. Capitol Jan. 6, according to the Journal. 

Tarrio had been barred from entering Washington, D.C., because of a previous arrest, The Washington Post reported. 

"Now that the Plaintiffs are vindicated, free, and able to once again exercise their rights as American citizens, they bring this action against their tormentors for violations of their Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Amendment Rights … as well as the common law tort of malicious prosecution and false imprisonment," the suit adds. 

Prosecutors said Pezzola was seen on video using a police riot shield to commit the first breach of the U.S. Capitol Jan. 6.

Prosecutors alleged the men were charged under a "novel theory of criminal conspiracy called the ‘tool theory,'" according to the suit. "Despite the legal jiggery-pokery employed by the government to obscure the fact, the Plaintiffs were essentially convicted of ‘stochastic terrorism,’ a leftist bugbear used to describe rhetoric offensive to them that they claim provokes violent acts."

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The men also claimed in the lawsuit that the government didn’t have probable cause to raid their homes. 

Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., who has led the party’s advocacy for suspected gang member Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, is celebrating his return to the U.S., saying, "This is not about the man, it’s about his constitutional rights."

"For months, the Trump administration flouted the Supreme Court and our Constitution," Van Hollen asserted in a statement sent to Fox News Digital via email.

"Today, they appear to have finally relented to our demands for compliance with court orders and with the due process rights afforded to everyone in the United States."  

Van Hollen was the first of several Democratic lawmakers to fly to visit Abrego Garcia after he was deported to a high-security prison in his home country, El Salvador, in March.

FEDERAL JUDGE DELIVERS ONE-TWO PUNCH TO TRUMP IN ABREGO GARCIA CASE

Abrego Garcia, 29, has been returned to the U.S. and is facing charges in a sealed federal indictment in Tennessee for alleged conspiracy to unlawfully transport illegal aliens for financial gain and unlawful transportation of illegal aliens.

Though many Democrats claim Abrego Garcia is an innocent man who was wrongly deported, the administration has pointed to considerable evidence he is a member of the MS-13 gang.

Abrego Garcia allegedly moved illegal immigrants from Texas to interior states in what prosecutors say was an organized operation stretching back years. 

He has also been accused of being a member of the violent Salvadoran gang MS-13. According to court records filed by his wife, Jennifer Vasquez Sura, he also allegedly physically abused her on multiple occasions.

AG BONDI DETAILS ‘VERY SERIOUS CHARGES’ FACING KILMAR ABREGO GARCIA 

Since Abrego Garcia’s deportation to his home country, Van Hollen has advocated for his return.

After Fox News Digital asked Van Hollen in May whether he was aware of the domestic violence allegations against Abrego Garcia before he went to visit him in El Salvador, the senator became defensive, saying, "What I said here was these issues need to be litigated in the courts."

In a statement Friday, Van Hollen doubled down on that sentiment, saying, "As I have repeatedly said, this is not about the man. It’s about his constitutional rights, and the rights of all.

"The administration will now have to make its case in the court of law, as it should have all along."

TENNESSEE BODYCAM OF 'MARYLAND MAN' TRAFFIC STOP SHOWS TROOPERS' HANDS TIED DESPITE SMUGGLING CLUES

Despite the gravity of his alleged crimes, returning Abrego Garcia to the U.S. has become a major cause for the Democratic Party.

Earlier Friday, another Maryland Democrat, Rep. Glenn Ivey, who also made a trip to El Salvador to advocate for Abrego Garcia, used his X account to promote an event to continue the "critical conversation on the fight to return those who are wrongfully imprisoned in El Salvador."

Ivey claimed Abrego Garcia’s case is "part of a much larger crisis — and we must not look away."

ABREGO GARCIA'S WIFE BEGGED JUDGE FOR PROTECTION ORDER, SAYING 'HE SLAPPED ME': AUDIO

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Ivey also asserted that the Trump administration "defied the Supreme Court and misled the American people for months, saying they could not bring Kilmar Abrego Garcia back to the United States under any circumstances, knowing that they had the power to do so all along.

"I went to El Salvador and advocated for Kilmar’s return because he was entitled to due process under our Constitution. Kilmar will now get his day in court. I hope he receives the fair trial that he is guaranteed."

Rep. Andy Harris, Maryland's lone Republican congressman, responded to the news of Abrego Garcia’s return with disgust, posting on X, "What a waste of hard-earned taxpayer dollars. Bringing an already deported illegal alien criminal back to the US to be housed in a US jail at taxpayer expense so he can stand trial and then be deported back to his homeland."

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Fox News Digital also reached out to representatives Yassamin Ansari, D-Ariz., Maxine Dexter, D-Ore., Maxwell Frost, D-Fla. and Robert Garcia, D-Calif., all of whom have made trips to visit Abrego Garcia in prison. 

A day after the White House held a farewell press conference for SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk to highlight his efforts as outgoing leader of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), President Donald Trump suddenly pulled Musk ally Jared Isaacman as his pick for NASA administrator.

While the White House released a May 30 video chronicling Musk’s contributions to DOGE and several X posts thanking him and listing various "DOGE wins," the gestures were some of the last, final public actions of goodwill between Trump and Musk. 

On Saturday, Trump announced in a social media post he was pulling the nomination for Isaacman, a commercial astronaut and founder and CEO of payment processing company Shift4 Payments after "a thorough review of prior associations." 

Trump also said he would unveil a "new Nominee who will be Mission aligned, and put America First in Space." 

MUSK CONFIDENT DOGE WILL SAVE $1 TRILLION AS GOVERNMENT COST CUTTING CONTINUES

Isaacman’s affiliations with Musk include being an investor in SpaceX, in addition to leading two private spaceflight missions with SpaceX, including Inspiration4. The 2021 Inspiration4 mission was the first time an all-civilian crew orbited Earth. 

Isaacman addressed his pulled nomination in an episode of the "All-In Podcast," which is hosted by four venture capitalists and covers business, technology and society, that dropped Wednesday. Specifically, Isaacman said he received a call from the White House May 30 notifying him his nomination wouldn’t advance because the White House had "decided to go in a different direction." 

DOGE STAFFING SHAKEUP AS ELON MUSK HANGS UP HIS HAT, WHITE HOUSE CONFIRMS

Isaacman said he suspected his ties to Musk were part of the decision, noting the call came the same day Musk’s tenure with DOGE concluded. 

"I don’t need to play dumb on this," Isaacman said in the podcast. "I don’t think that the timing was much of a coincidence, that there were other changes going on the same day.

"There were some people that had some axes to grind, I guess, and I was a good, visible target." 

Tensions between Musk and Trump continued to escalate after Musk’s departure as a special government employee May 30 and Isaacman’s withdrawn nomination the following day. 

Although Musk previously told CBS News in an interview clip released May 27 that he was disappointed by the House’s passage of Trump’s massive tax and spending package, the "big, beautiful bill," because it would increase the federal deficit, Musk’s attacks on the measure ramped up exponentially after Trump rescinded Isaacman’s nomination. 

Specifically, on Tuesday, Musk labeled the measure a "disgusting abomination" and followed up by urging the American public to contact lawmakers to "KILL the BILL" in an X post Wednesday.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Tuesday that Trump was aware of Musk’s position on the bill and that it didn’t change the president’s stance on the measure. And Trump did not mince words Thursday as tensions between the two men reached a boiling point. 

Trump said Musk was irritated with provisions in the bill that would cut an electric vehicle tax credit that benefits companies like Tesla. He also suggested Musk may suffer from "Trump derangement syndrome," a term used to describe deeply negative reactions to the president. 

UNFINISHED BUSINESS: THE BUDGET CUTS MUSK COULDN’T COMPLETE AND WHAT’S NEXT FOR DOGE

"I'm very disappointed because Elon knew the inner workings of this bill better than almost anybody sitting here, better than you people," Trump said in the Oval Office during a meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. 

"He knew everything about it. He had no problem with it. All of a sudden, he had a problem, and he only developed the problem when he found out that we're going to have to cut the EV mandate because that's billions and billions of dollars, and it really is unfair."

Trump also specifically mentioned Isaacman’s nomination, claiming Musk recommended Isaacman for the role. But Trump voiced concern about Isaacman’s ties to the Democratic Party. 

"He wanted and rightfully, you know, he recommended somebody that he, I guess, knew very well. I'm sure he respected him, but to run NASA," Trump told reporters Thursday. "And I didn't think it was appropriate. And he happened to be a Democrat, like, totally Democrat. And I say, you know, look, we won. We get certain privileges. And one of the privileges is we don't have to appoint a Democrat. NASA is very important."

Trump then said he "understood" why Musk was upset over the pulled nomination.

The White House directed Fox News Digital to Trump's comments Thursday and Isaacman's previous donations to Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York. 

Isaacman told the "All-In Podcast" he doesn’t think his past political donations to Democrats were a factor in his pulled nomination, and that he identifies as "right-leaning." 

Isaacman and Musk did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. 

Trump and Musk continued to trade barbs Thursday. At one point, Musk urged the removal of the "disgusting pork" included in Trump’s tax and spending bill. He also said it was "false" that he was shown the measure "even once." 

Musk even went so far as to say Trump wouldn’t have won the 2024 election if it weren’t for Musk's backing. Meanwhile, Trump accused Musk of going "CRAZY" over cuts to the EV credits and said Musk was "wearing thin." 

Although Politico reported that Trump and Musk were slated to speak Friday over the phone, Trump shut down speculation of a call between the two. 

"No. I won’t be speaking to him for a while I guess, but I wish him well," Trump said, according to CNN. 

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 "I’m not even thinking about Elon. He’s got a problem. The poor guy’s got a problem," Trump said.

Despite Musk’s departure, White House officials have said DOGE’s efforts to address waste, fraud and abuse will continue, and Trump and cabinet members will oversee DOGE. The agency is expected to formally shut down July 4, 2026. 

FIRST ON FOX: While Tesla CEO Elon Musk has departed the Department of Government Efficiency amid a blazing public tiff with the president, congressional DOGE leaders are primed to carry on the legacy well beyond his tenure.

"It’s never easy to see two friends at odds, but DOGE is bigger than any one person," House DOGE Caucus chairman Aaron Bean, R-Fla., told Fox News Digital on Friday – expressing endearment towards both Musk and President Donald Trump.

"Our caucus, with 110 members, is laser-focused on delivering real solutions for the American people, reining in wasteful spending, demanding oversight, and ensuring every taxpayer dollar is spent wisely."

Bean said his panel’s work rooting out government waste and streamlining the bureaucracy will continue on-track, with a major effort planned next week to change the Treasury’s payment system to curb improper disbursements.

DRAIN THE SWAMP ACT SEEKS TO MOVE DC BUREAUCRACY ‘OUT OF CRAZYTOWN’: HOUSE DOGE LEADER

The Jacksonville lawmaker said that longstanding issue has led to about $162 billion in wrongful payments every year. During his tenure, Musk also worked with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to fix systemic problems there.

The House DOGE Caucus will continue to advocate to "enact the cuts found by DOGE," Bean went on.

The panel looks forward to working with House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to pass $9.4 billion in rescissions identified by DOGE and presented to Congress for action by OMB Director Russ Vought.

Republicans faced criticism for moving too slowly on DOGE’s proposed cuts, but GOP leadership sources said they needed either a formal request from Vought or separate bills outside the Big Beautiful Bill Act to avoid jeopardizing its eligibility for Senate reconciliation.

DOGE MEETS CONGRESS: FL REP LAUNCHES CAUCUS TO HELP MUSK

"Taking on Crazytown is no easy task," Bean quipped to Fox News Digital last November when he launched the House DOGE Caucus.

On the Senate side, DOGE caucus chairwoman Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, scrutinized a recent government report on COVID aid fraud and has already launched an effort to head off what she called easily-determinable signals that an application for government emergency aid is likely falsified or ineligible.

Ernst this week flagged an analysis from the Pandemic Resources Accountability Committee – led by federal inspectors general – that randomly sampled nearly 700,000 identity records from 67.5 million applications for PPP, EIDL and other COVID-19 relief programs and found nearly $80 billion in potentially fraudulent payouts.

Ernst said much of the likely fraud could have been prevented if officials had simply verified Social Security numbers, matched them with SSA records, and confirmed whether applicants were still alive.

In turn, she informed Fox News Digital exclusively that she would be launching a bill Friday to prevent this kind of easily-avoided oversight issues in the future.

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The DOGE in Spending Act would prevent "con artists," she said, who, during COVID-19, "raided America’s piggy bank."

The bill’s name also signaled that the Senate, too, would continue its Musk-inspired work long after the mogul has left.

"There is nothing more frustrating than losing billions of dollars to preventable fraud," Ernst said, calling the illicit payouts during the pandemic "unprecedented."

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday ruled the Department of Government Efficiency could access Social Security systems with sensitive information.

The ruling blocked a lower Maryland court order that kept DOGE from seeking certain Social Security information due to federal privacy laws. 

The data from the U.S. Social Security Administration includes Social Security numbers, medical information, citizenship records, school records, and tax returns for millions of Americans. 

EXCLUSIVE: LEGAL INSTITUTE CELEBRATES SCOTUS DECISION, DECLARES ‘RELIGIOUS LIBERTY IS ALIVE AND WELL’

"We conclude that, under the present circumstances, SSA may proceed to afford members of the SSA DOGE Team access to the agency records in question in order for those members to do their work," the court said in an unsigned order. 

The six conservative justices voted for the ruling and the three liberal justices, Ketanji Brown Jackson, Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor dissented. 

DOGE WILL GO ON: HILL PORK HAWK SAYS ROOTING OUT GOVERNMENT WASTE WILL CONTINUE AFTER ELON

Jackson said the ruling created "grave privacy risks" for millions of Americans by giving "unfettered data access to DOGE regardless — despite its failure to show any need or any interest in complying with existing privacy safeguards, and all before we know for sure whether federal law countenances such access." 

The ruling came soon after DOGE's former head, Elon Musk, left the government and a day after he and President Donald Trump traded personal attacks that were sparked by a disagreement over the president's "Big, Beautiful" bill. 

DOGE's path forward after Musk's exit isn't clear, but Trump and Musk have both previously said the newly-created agency's work would continue. 

The Trump administration has said DOGE needs access to Social Security information to continue its core task of rooting out government waste. 

Musk has previously called Social Security a "Ponzi scheme," and insisted on eliminating waste in the program. 

Maryland U.S. District Judge Ellen Hollander previously ruled that DOGE’s efforts with Social Security were a "fishing expedition" based on "little more than suspicion" of fraud. She did allow some access, however, to anonymous data for DOGE workers who had gone through background checks. 

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An appeals court didn't immediately lift the block, with dissenting conservative judges saying there’s no evidence that DOGE has done any "targeted snooping" or exposed personal information.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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

Here's what's happening…

-Trump's border wall expansion moves forward in several critical areas: 'Crisis is not yet over'

-Trump admin asks Supreme Court to life injunction blocking dismantling of Education Dept

-Elon Musk may speak to Trump aides in push to calm feud

President Donald Trump told Fox News on Friday that he isn't interested in talking to SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, adding that "Elon's totally lost it."

Trump also said to Fox News' Bret Baier that he isn't worried about Musk's suggestion to form a new political party, citing favorable polls and strong support from Republicans on Capitol Hill.

The comments come as Musk and Trump have been arguing over social media in recent days…Read more

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DEFENDING THE CUTS: House Budget chairman explains why there's no 'pork' in Trump tax bill after Elon Musk attacks

POLITICS IN ORBIT: Claim Trump nixed top Musk ally from NASA post over Dem donations belied by ex-Dems on team

UNITY ON IMMIGRATION: Handful of House Democrats join Republicans in sanctuary city crackdown

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'WORLD STANDARD': Risch urges 'top to bottom' USAID spending review after waste, fraud exposed

MICHIGAN GOES GUARD: After ‘agro-terror’ fungus caught in Detroit, MI House says it has best national plan to blunt CCP influence

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

EXCLUSIVE: A legal organization whose mission it is to defend the religious liberty of Americans has called the Supreme Court's 9-0 ruling in favor of the Catholic Charities Bureau (CCB) "a huge moment for religious liberty in America," and a clear rejection of government overreach into religious life.

"This was not a hard call," Tiffany Dunkin, a legal fellow and attorney with the First Liberty Institute, emphasized in an interview with Fox News Digital, citing Thursday's unanimous SCOTUS decision to strike down Wisconsin’s attempt to withhold a religious tax exemption because the CCB does not proselytize or serve only Catholics.

"What Wisconsin was doing… they were saying that the Catholic Charities was not a religious institution because they did not proselytize or serve people of their own faith," Dunkin explained. 

SUPREME COURT RULES WISCONSIN UNCONSTITUTIONALLY DISCRIMINATED AGAINST CHRISTIAN CHARITY

"What they were doing was deciding what it means to be religious," she added. "And the First Amendment prohibits the government from doing that."

The case, Catholic Charities Bureau Inc. v. Wisconsin Labor and Industry Review Commission, questioned whether faith-based nonprofits that provide public services are "religious enough" to receive the same benefits as churches or houses of worship.

Catholic Charities, affiliated with the Diocese of Superior, Wisconsin, provides critical care services for people with disabilities and mental health needs. Wisconsin argued those acts were not "primarily religious."

The Supreme Court disagreed.

SCOTUS RULINGS THIS TERM COULD STRENGTHEN RELIGIOUS RIGHTS PROTECTIONS, EXPERT SAYS

Justice Sonia Sotomayor, writing the opinion for the court, stated clearly that the government has no authority to assess or rank the religious nature of charitable work.

Dunkin said the consequences of the ruling go far beyond Wisconsin.

"This is actually a pretty ongoing problem across the country," she noted. 

"It’s not just Wisconsin. First Liberty Institute represents Dad’s Place in Bryan, Ohio… they’re saying that because you’re running a 24-7 homeless shelter, you’re not [religious]."

Other clients of Plano, Texas-based First Liberty in Colorado and Arizona have faced similar arguments from local governments, which question whether providing food, clothing or shelter to those in need is inherently religious. 

"Even though there are churches doing this kind of work, the governments are saying, ‘Well, you're not religious enough,’" Dunkin said.

The court’s language in the ruling, Dunkin pointed out, "affirms what the Supreme Court has said for nearly a century," that the government cannot choose which expressions of faith are valid.

"This sends a great message to people of all religions and all charitable organizations," she said. "The government… cannot intrude into telling you exactly what you can and can’t do, whether you’re religious or not religious, in order to receive a government benefit or participate in society."

Had SCOTUS ruled the other way, Dunkin warned, it would have "grave implications" for religious charities and ministries nationwide.

"It would allow the government to step into the religious doctrine of all faiths more than our Founding Fathers ever intended," she said. "The government cannot step in and get involved in deciding and picking and choosing between one type of religious activity and another."

When asked what this means for churches and ministries on the ground, Dunkin’s answer was clear: "They should feel emboldened to continue to do what they feel called to do by their religious faith… especially in a charitable sense."

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And for those who may see this as a one-off legal win? Not so fast.

"I see this really as two different things," she said. "One, an affirmance of what the First Amendment has always stood for… but of course, going forward, we do hope and we’re encouraged that religious liberty in America is alive and well. And of course, First Liberty Institute is here to continue to fight for that."

A Salvadoran national deported under President Trump is now on his way back to the United States as an accused criminal, according to court documents obtained by Fox News.

Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, 29, is charged in a sealed federal indictment out of Tennessee with conspiracy to unlawfully transport illegal aliens for financial gain and unlawful transportation of illegal aliens.

Abrego Garcia allegedly moved illegal immigrants from Texas to interior states, in what courts say was an organized operation stretching back years. 

DEPORTED ALLEGED GANG MEMBER ABREGO GARCIA 'WILL NEVER BE ON AMERICAN STREETS AGAIN,' DHS SAYS

Children were among those allegedly trafficked. The indictment, filed under seal last month, includes two felony counts.

Fox News Digital obtained Tennessee Highway Patrol bodycam footage from a 2022 traffic stop where troopers pulled over Garcia for speeding. Inside his vehicle were eight other men, raising immediate suspicions. "He’s hauling these people for money," one trooper said.

Troopers found $1,400 in cash and flagged Garcia in the National Crime Information Center, which returned a gang/terrorism alert. ICE was called, but never showed up.

This development comes after controversy erupted in March when Abrego Garcia was deported to El Salvador, a move many politicians on the Left claimed was unjust. 

KILMAR ABREGO GARCIA SUSPECTED OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN REPORT OBTAINED BY FOX NEWS

However, according to the Trump administration, Abrego Garcia’s deportation stemmed from MS-13 affiliations. His lawyers dispute the gang connection.

ABC reports that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been in direct contact with El Salvador’s president Bukele to coordinate Garcia’s return to U.S. custody.

Abrego Garcia was reportedly sent to the notorious CECOT mega-prison in El Salvador after deportation, despite a 2019 court order temporarily blocking his removal due to claimed fears of persecution. 

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The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

Fox News' Adam Sabes contributed to this report.

A Salvadoran national deported under President Trump is now on his way back to the United States as an accused criminal.

Kilmar Abrego Garcia, 29, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Tennessee on charges related to an alleged decade-long conspiracy to transport illegal migrants, including some tied to the violent MS-13 gang, across the United States.

Abrego Garcia allegedly moved illegal immigrants from Texas to interior states, in what courts say was an organized operation stretching back years. 

DEPORTED ALLEGED GANG MEMBER ABREGO GARCIA 'WILL NEVER BE ON AMERICAN STREETS AGAIN,' DHS SAYS

Children were among those allegedly trafficked. The indictment, filed under seal last month, includes two felony counts.

Fox News Digital obtained Tennessee Highway Patrol bodycam footage from a 2022 traffic stop where troopers pulled over Garcia for speeding. Inside his vehicle were eight other men, raising immediate suspicions. "He’s hauling these people for money," one trooper said.

Troopers found $1,400 in cash and flagged Garcia in the National Crime Information Center, which returned a gang/terrorism alert. ICE was called, but never showed up.

This development comes after controversy erupted in March when Abrego Garcia was deported to El Salvador, a move many politicians on the Left claimed was unjust. 

KILMAR ABREGO GARCIA SUSPECTED OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN REPORT OBTAINED BY FOX NEWS

However, according to the Trump administration, Abrego Garcia’s deportation stemmed from MS-13 affiliations. His lawyers dispute the gang connection.

ABC reports that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been in direct contact with El Salvador’s president Bukele to coordinate Garcia’s return to U.S. custody.

Abrego Garcia was reportedly sent to the notorious CECOT mega-prison in El Salvador after deportation, despite a 2019 court order temporarily blocking his removal due to claimed fears of persecution. 

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The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

Fox News' Adam Sabes contributed to this report.

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said he hopes President Donald Trump and Elon Musk "reconcile" after a furious public feud over Republicans' "one big, beautiful bill."

"I was with the president in the Oval Office yesterday afternoon as some of this was unfolding, and I can tell you, as he said in his own words, he was just, he was disappointed, and I was surprised by Elon's sudden opposition," Johnson told reporters on Friday.

"I believe in redemption. That's part of my worldview, and I think it's good for the party and the country if all that's worked out."

Then, without addressing Musk directly, Johnson appeared to chide him for attacking Trump.

MEET THE TRUMP-PICKED LAWMAKERS GIVING SPEAKER JOHNSON A FULL HOUSE GOP CONFERENCE

"I'll tell you what, do not doubt and do not second guess and don't ever challenge the President of the United States, Donald Trump. He is the leader of the party, he’s the most consequential political figure of this generation, in probably the modern era, and he's doing an excellent job for the people," Johnson said.

Asked whether he'd spoken to Musk since the tirade, Johnson said earlier Friday morning, "We exchanged texts, but I'm not going to talk about the content of it."

Johnson also said Republicans were unfazed by the criticism coming from the tech billionaire often called the richest man in the world.

MIKE JOHNSON, DONALD TRUMP GET ‘BIG, 'BEAUTIFUL’ WIN AS BUDGET PASSES HOUSE

"Members are not shaken at all. We are going to pass this legislation on our deadline, and we're very bullish about it," he said.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News Digital when asked about Johnson's call for unity, "President Trump is focused on making our country great again and passing the One Big Beautiful Bill."

Trump told Fox News' Bret Baier in an interview on Friday that he was not interested in speaking with Musk, nor was he worried about Musk's threat to launch a third political party.

"Elon's totally lost it," the president said.

Musk accused Republicans of not working hard enough to cut federal spending with their budget reconciliation bill, which is aimed at advancing Trump's priorities on tax cuts, immigration, energy, defense and the debt limit.

The Tesla CEO called out Trump, Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., all by name as well.

Republicans, for the most part, have closed ranks around Trump and their bill.

Kat Abughazaleh, a 26-year-old Democratic candidate for Illinois' ninth congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives, said "every single person in the world deserves healthcare," even illegal immigrants. 

"How is it controversial?" Abughazaleh asked a CNN "NewsNight" panel on Thursday night. 

The young progressive candidate, with a campaign website that reads, "I don't have health insurance, and I'm running for Congress," repeatedly told the panel that every person is entitled to healthcare when asked if that includes illegal immigrants. 

"I'm such a monster… How is it controversial that I don't want someone to die in the hospital if they can't afford it?" Abughazaleh asked. 

DEMS WARN HOUSE REPUBLICANS WILL PAY PRICE AT BALLOT BOX FOR PASSING TRUMP'S 'BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL'

President Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act is currently under consideration by a Republican-led White House and Congress. The president has championed the legislation as fulfilling his key campaign promises, including border security, American energy production and tax cuts. 

GOP RAILS AGAINST 'BLATANTLY FALSE' DEM CLAIMS ABOUT MEDICAID REFORM IN TRUMP'S 'BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL'

House Republicans have celebrated Medicaid reform included in the megabill, which they say eliminates waste, fraud and abuse in the welfare program to deliver for Americans who need coverage most. 

Removing illegal immigrants from Medicaid is one of the key provisions of that Medicaid reform. 

Meanwhile, Democrats have railed against possible Medicaid cuts since Trump was elected in November. Every House Democrat voted against the bill, and Democrats are already defining Medicaid cuts as a driving issue ahead of competitive midterm elections in 2026.

The bill does not cut Medicaid for the most vulnerable, according to Rep. Erin Houchin, R-Ind., who served on three major committees leading budget markup in the reconciliation process. 

Houchin told Fox News Digital that targeting waste, fraud and abuse in the Medicaid program cuts benefits to illegal immigrants, those ineligible to receive benefits who are currently receiving benefits, duplicate enrollees in one or more states and those who are able-bodied but are choosing not to work. 

"Your bill is going to cut coverage for 11 million Americans and it’ll still cost more than universal healthcare. Healthcare is a human right, you absolute ghouls," Abughazaleh said in response to a Republican National Committee (RNC) rapid response account calling her comments, "madness."

Abughazaleh said she is running for the U.S. House of Representatives because, "Our leaders are out of touch."

The young Democrat is challenging Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., who has served decades in congress. Abughazaleh is a former staffer for the progressive watchdog group, Media Matters, and a progressive influencer. 

President Donald Trump signed three new executive orders Friday aimed at accelerating American drone innovation and supersonic air travel, while also restoring security to American airspace. 

The three orders will be critical to American safety and security, White House officials involved in the drafting of the orders indicated, particularly in light of major worldwide events coming to the United States in the next few years, such as the World Cup and the Olympics. 

In addition to bolstering safety and security, the new orders will also spur greater innovation in the aerospace and drone sectors, something White House officials said has been stifled in recent years as a result of burdensome regulations.   

"Flying cars are not just for the Jetsons," Michael Kratsios, a lead tech policy advisor at the White House said. "Since the beginning of his first term, President Trump has recognized the incredible potential of drones to boost American productivity, create high-skilled jobs and meet national needs in areas like public safety, infrastructure, inspection, agriculture and more. But, for too long, red tape has hindered homegrown drone innovation, restricting commercial drone use and burdening their development."

DUFFY CONTRASTS BIDEN-ERA 'DRONE FIASCO' WITH TRUMP ADMIN'S 'RADICAL TRANSPARENCY' AFTER FAA ANNOUNCES TESTING

Kratsios said the same about supersonic aviation, noting "Americans should be able to fly from New York to LA in under four hours."

Besides promoting innovation, the orders seek to shore up American airspace sovereignty. This directive is aimed at not only addressing potentially criminal or terror-related threats. It also aims to increase penalties for and reduce the prevalence of drone misuse in American airspace. 

"The president week one wanted us to take this issue seriously because of the national fury over the events over New Jersey," Sebastian Gorka, senior director of counterterrorism on the Trump administration's National Security Council, said of the new executive orders signed Friday. 

"For far too many years, we have not had a requisite, necessary federal response — not only to the dominance of non-U.S. platforms in this field, but also protecting sensitive sites, military sites, critical infrastructure, but also just sporting events, mass events." 

REBECCA GRANT: AMERICA HAS A DRONE PROBLEM, AND NO ONE IS IN CHARGE

White House officials who advised the president on these new executive orders said there will be more protection for critical infrastructure for sporting venues as a result of the new directives, including the upcoming FIFA World Cup. They will also enable "routine beyond visual line of sight commercial operations," such as drone deliveries, infrastructure maintenance and emergency response to incidents like wildfires.

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The orders will also reduce the United States' reliance on foreign countries for drone and other aviation technology, officials added.

"These executive orders will accelerate American innovation in drones, flying cars and supersonic aircraft and chart the future of America's skies for years to come," Kratsios said. "Our message is simple. American innovation belongs in American aerospace."

A "big, beautiful" brawl erupted on social media Thursday as President Donald Trump and Elon Musk aired their grievances for all to see after months of working together to cut government waste. 

House Republicans rallied behind the president and continued to support Musk when discussing the fallout with Fox News Digital.

"Obviously, I have President Trump's back. I don't think that he should be impeached. Do I think that he was on the Jeffrey Epstein island? I don't think so," Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., said, referring to Musk calling for Trump's impeachment and suggesting Trump was "in the Epstein files."

Despite her defense, Luna admitted Musk is not a "terrible person," and both men have made "great contributions" to the Republican Party. 

FETTERMAN DISSES DEMS FOR SUDDENLY EMBRACING MUSK AMID TRUMP FALLOUT

"I assure you he crossed the line on what he said about the sitting president of the United States today," Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, said of Musk's allegations about Trump. 

'GONE TOO FAR': GOP LAWMAKERS RALLY AROUND TRUMP AFTER MUSK RAISES EPSTEIN ALLEGATIONS

But Roy joined Luna in defending Musk's contribution to cutting government waste through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). 

"The bottom line is, we have a job to do. Elon is doing a great job in terms of the rescissions in terms of the DOGE cuts they identified, and I don't disagree with him about our need to go find more spending cuts. I don't. But you know, guys, keep it in the lines," Roy added. 

Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., praised Trump on Thursday for saving the country. 

"What's broken apart can be put back together, but you've got two strong personalities," Norman said of Trump and Musk. 

Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn, dismissed the men's social media brawl, telling Fox News Digital, "They're the two biggest dogs in the pound. They're going to fight."

"It's going to settle down at some point," Rep. Burgess Owens, R-Utah, added. 

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt attributed Musk's tirade to Trump's bill, which is focused on working- and middle-class tax relief and not benefiting Musk and his companies enough.

"This is an unfortunate episode from Elon, who is unhappy with the One Big Beautiful Bill because it does not include the policies he wanted. The president is focused on passing this historic piece of legislation and making our country great again," Leavitt said.

In the first of several posts targeting the bill, and then Trump directly, Musk said, "I’m sorry, but I just can’t stand it anymore. This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination. Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it."

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

EXCLUSIVE: After a dangerous fungus was intercepted in Detroit, Michigan House Speaker Matt Hall spoke out to Fox News Digital about the legislature's efforts to blunt Chinese influence and espionage.

The fungus, Fusarium graminearum, is considered capable of "agroterrorism" and was allegedly smuggled into the country by two Chinese nationals studying at the University of Michigan.

Hall, R-Kalamazoo, said he and colleagues have sounded the alarm for months about Beijing’s efforts and that the incident shows Michigan and other states need to be vigilant and prepared.

"As speaker, I led our Foreign Influence Protection package through the State House to block CCP operatives from buying Michigan farmland, infiltrating our universities and accessing our most sensitive data," he said.

CHINESE OFFICIAL CLAIMS NO KNOWLEDGE OF FUNGUS SITUATION, SAYS CHINA REQUIRES CITIZENS ‘ABIDE BY LOCAL LAWS’

"Our plan would have tackled this head-on and prevented Chinese government interference with our food supply and our universities."

He called the bill package the strongest collection of protections against CCP interference nationwide but said it is being held up by Senate Democrats and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

Requests for comment from Whitmer and Senate President Pro Tempore Jeremy Moss, D-Bloomfield, were not immediately returned.

"Their inaction means our farmland, our military bases and our universities are still at risk," Hall lamented while praising President Donald Trump for taking action to protect U.S. land and people from Chinese "schemes."

"Too many professors and administrators have let Beijing use our campuses as pawns. We will expose every CCP operation, root out every vulnerability and mobilize every state resource to secure Michigan — farmland, universities and beyond." 

While a Chinese embassy official claimed earlier this week to have no knowledge of the case involving two Chinese students allegedly attempting to bring a fungus to the University of Michigan, experts said the pathogen was capable of causing billions in damage to U.S. grain supplies.

PATEL: CHINESE NATIONALS CHARGED WITH SMUGGLING 'KNOWN AGROTERRORISM AGENT' INTO US IS A 'DIRECT THREAT'

The case drew some parallels to the coronavirus pandemic, which sparked global debate over whether a viral pathogen may have emerged from a lab and infected the world.

A Michigan House Republican Communications Office official said too many federal and state oversight bodies can be infiltrated by CCP sympathizers, and they have allowed foreign agents to run rampant on college campuses with CCP-backed research grants on dangerous things like Fusarium graminearum.

While state officials like Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs have vetoed attempts to block Chinese-linked land purchases, Michigan House leaders have said security breaches like the Fusarium graminearum incident prove the issue cannot go unchecked.

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Republicans similarly criticized Whitmer for touting "corporate subsidy" deals with Chinese EV battery companies and a proposed Gotion vehicle plant in Big Rapids, Michigan.

In 2024, House Chinese Communist Party Select Committee Chairman John Moolenaar, also a Michigan Republican, said he uncovered "indisputable evidence" that Gotion High Tech was connected to supply chains involving forced labor in China.

"The American people expect companies in the U.S. to avoid all involvement with the Chinese Communist Party’s campaign of genocide," Moolenaar said.

The company, reportedly tied to both China and German-owned Volkswagen, denied the committee’s findings, calling them "baseless and absolutely false." 

In October, five Chinese nationals studying in the Great Lakes State in partnership with a Chinese school were charged with espionage for what was an alleged spying operation outside Michigan National Guard Camp Grayling.

A Michigan House source said the package would also block schools from accepting foreign grants if found to be promoting any anti-American agenda and strip foreign data-mining apps from government devices through provisions from Reps. Rachelle Smit, R-Allegan; Nancy Jenkins-Arno, R-Lenawee; and William Bruck, R-Erie.

Michigan lawmakers are also trying to address another perceived threat from China: the use of drones and other technology linked to Chinese companies that are being employed by certain law enforcement agencies and municipal governments.

House Speaker Mike Johnson told Fox News on Friday that Democrats pushing for ICE agents to unmask themselves are the same "people who mandated mask wearing for years in America" during the coronavirus pandemic. 

Johnson was asked by Fox News for his reaction as "some Democrats, including [House Minority] Leader [Hakeem] Jeffries, have suggested that the ICE agents who are arresting some of these migrants should not be wearing masks." 

"From the people who mandated mask wearing for years in America. It's absurd. They need to back off of ICE and respect our agents and stop protesting against them," Johnson said. "They're trying to uphold the rule of law, and they don't want to be targeted by Democrat activists. So I'm in favor of whatever protocol." 

Jeffries said Tuesday that ICE agents who attempt to conceal "their identities from the American people, will be unsuccessful in doing that" and they will all be identified "no matter what it takes, no matter how long it takes." 

ICE OFFICIAL PUTS POLITICIANS ON BLAST, DEMANDING THEY ‘STOP PUTTING MY PEOPLE IN DANGER’ 

Johnson was then asked Friday "so you're okay with these agents sort of not identifying themselves when they're arresting migrants?" 

"Why? So that they can target them?" he responded. "So they can put their names and faces online and dox them? That's what these activists do. So we have to protect those who protect our communities.  

"And it's absurd for anybody, members of Congress or any other elected leader, to be calling out ICE for trying to do their job. They've made it difficult for them to do it for years, and I just think it's patently absurd," Johnson also said. 

At his weekly press conference Friday, Fox News asked Jeffries if he was concerned that possibly demasking some ICE agents puts them or their families’ safety at risk. 

"It seems to me that the officials at the Department of Homeland Security, including ICE, should be held to the same standards as every other part of law enforcement in terms of transparency," the Democrat from New York said. 

HOMELAND SECURITY SAYS BOSTON’S MAYOR COMPARING ICE AGENTS TO NEO-NAZIS IS ‘SICKENING’ 

On Jeffries’ official X account, in September 2020, he wrote "It’s not that complicated. Wear. A. Mask." 

Then around a year later, in August 2021, Jeffries said "Get vaccinated. Wear a mask. Crush the virus." 

Two Democrat senators from Virginia, Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, also wrote a letter last month to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons and other top officials about ICE’s recent immigration enforcement operations taking an "alarming and dangerous turn." 

"We urge you to direct ICE officers and agents to promptly and clearly identify themselves as law enforcement officers conducting law enforcement actions when arresting subjects, and limit the use of face coverings during arrests and other enforcement actions to avoid intimidation and reduce safety risks to the public," they said.

WHITE HOUSE BACKS MAJOR LEGISLATION TO SPEED UP DEPORTATIONS 

In August 2021, Kaine pushed mask wearing as well, writing in a Facebook post that he was "Deeply concerned about the rapid rise of COVID-19 delta variant infections we are seeing across the Commonwealth" and that "We should do all we can to help stop the spread of the virus and keep ourselves and our loved ones safe, including following CDC guidance such as getting vaccinated, masking up indoors, and social distancing." 

"Folks, let’s continue to protect ourselves by getting vaccinated, masking up, and social distancing so we can safely return to all of the activities we love," Warner added at the time. 

In a statement Friday to Fox News Digital, Kaine said "Masked agents conducting enforcement without any clearly visible law enforcement identification pose a danger to everyone, including themselves.

"Recently, ICE agents with nothing identifying them as law enforcement – one of whom was wearing a ski mask – initiated arrests inside a Virginia courthouse. In settings like courthouses, where there are armed officers, it’s important that officers are clearly identified to help avoid misunderstandings that could lead to escalation of violence, even to include officer-on-officer fire," he continued. "To help mitigate risk and enhance safety, ICE and DHS should provide clear guidance to law enforcement ICE agents and officers regarding when and how to use face coverings, organizational clothing, or reveal officer and agent identities."

Representatives for Jeffries and Warner did not immediately respond Friday to requests for comment from Fox News Digital. 

Fox News’ Chad Pergram, Tyler Olson and Alex Nitzberg contributed to this report. 

The White House and congressional Republicans have said that President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs would help pay for his mammoth tax bill, but tax experts say it depends on whether the president stays consistent.

Senate Republicans are in the midst of hashing out their plan to tweak and reshape the president’s "big, beautiful bill," which includes Trump’s desire to extend and make permanent his first-term tax policies.

SENATE REPUBLICANS EYE CHANGES TO TRUMP'S MEGABILL AFTER HOUSE WIN

However, the tax portion of the bill alone is expected to cost roughly $4 trillion. And when factoring in spending cuts and other revenue and economic drivers, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office found in a report earlier this week that, in all, the colossal legislative package would add $2.4 trillion to the deficit over the next decade.

The CBO, which has come under recent scrutiny from congressional Republicans unhappy with the scoring of the president’s "big, beautiful bill," also found that Trump’s tariffs would reduce the deficit by $2.8 trillion over the same period.

Joe Rosenberg, a senior fellow at the left-leaning Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center, told Fox News Digital that the reconciliation package’s potential impact on the debt is more concerning now than in 2017, due to higher debt levels and rising interest rates.

'GONE TOO FAR': GOP LAWMAKERS RALLY AROUND TRUMP AFTER MUSK RAISES EPSTEIN ALLEGATIONS

When Republicans were putting together the president's original tax package, the national debt was roughly $20 trillion. Eight years later, that number has ballooned to over $36 trillion and counting. 

Rosenberg contended that if the CBO’s report were taken as is, then Trump’s tariffs would make the bill deficit neutral and then some. But the report assumed that the eye-popping sums that Trump’s tariffs could generate were based on whether they were permanent.

"I think what we've seen is that the tariff policy, again, seems to change day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute," he said. "And the administration is a little bit inconsistent about whether they view tariffs as purely a revenue source versus essentially a negotiating tool."

The report also found that in exchange for trillions in deficit reduction, household wealth would drop, and the economy would shrink each year over the next decade.

Tad Dehaven, a policy analyst at the Cato Institute, argued that this factor—along with Trump’s tariffs being tied up in court over constitutional challenges and their shifting application—makes any projected benefits "extraordinarily unlikely."

"Let's pretend that these tariffs are going to remain in place for 10 years at some level delineated today. That's a major tax increase, so whatever alleged benefit you're receiving from the tax cut in the reconciliation package, it's being offset by a tax increase," he said. "And a rather economically inefficient one."

TRUMP'S TARIFFS AND TAX CUTS ARE CRUSHING MAIN STREET AND MAKING MAR-A-LAGO ELITES RICH

Mike Palicz, director of tax policy at the conservative Americans for Tax Reform, scoffed at the CBO’s recent scoring, and lamented the agency as "a bunch of bean counters" that often miss the mark on key pieces of legislation, like the president’s original Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

He argued that none of the outside noise should matter, telling Fox News Digital that "you cannot go out and explain to a normal person or business that their taxes aren't increasing next year if the Trump tax cuts are allowed to expire."

"That's what the whole point of this exercise is, preventing the expiration of tax cuts, preventing the largest tax increase in American history," he said. "And no conservative, no Republican, should think that you address the deficit by raising taxes."