Republican Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, will not support the senate confirmation of Pete Hegseth, President Donald Trump's pick to lead the defense department, citing a lack of experience and concerns over his past comments regarding women.
Several Republican senators remained on the fence about Hegseth's nomination as he faced a grilling from members of the Armed Services Committee during his confirmation hearing in January.
"While I appreciate his courageous military service and his ongoing commitment to our servicemembers and their families, I am concerned that he does not have the experience and perspective necessary to succeed in the job," Collins wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter, on Thursday.
"His limited managerial experience involved running two small non-profit organizations that had decidedly mixed results," Collins wrote in a lengthy social media post. "I am also concerned about multiple statements, including some in the months just before he was nominated, that Mr. Hegseth has made about women serving in the military. He and I had a candid conversation in December about his past statements and apparently evolving views. I am not convinced that his position on women serving in combat roles has changed."
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said he supports the delay of all of President Donald Trump's Cabinet nominees who do not have unanimous support in the Senate.
Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., filed cloture on John Ratcliffe's nomination for CIA director, Kristi Noem's nomination for Homeland Security secretary and Pete Hegseth's nomination for defense secretary on Tuesday. But a last-minute objection from Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., held up a vote on Ratcliffe, triggering hours of debate that could delay confirmation votes on Trump's national security nominees late into the week and possibly into the weekend.
"I don't think it's too much to ask to make sure that we have a full, real debate that lasts two days on the Senate floor," Murphy said on the Senate floor, adding that Democrats have "serious concerns" about Trump's CIA pick.
The Senate voted to confirm Ratcliffe, 74-25, on Thursday afternoon.
Asked on Thursday if he supports slowing the confirmation process for Trump's nominees down, Schumer indicated that he does.
"Look, there are some nominees like [Secretary of State Marco] Rubio that got broad support, but a detailed discussion – I have some doubts about Mr. Ratcliffe, particularly when I asked him how he'd react if Tulsi Gabbard were put in charge of him in the DNI," Schumer said, referring to Trump's pick to lead the Office of National Intelligence.
"For a day or two, or a few hours to examine these nominees who have such power thoroughly, absolutely," he added. "Our idea is to let the whole truth come out if they try to rush them through. We don't want that to happen."
"Do we want a vote on these folks on Tuesday or vote on them on Friday, Saturday and Sunday? Because that's what we're going to do. This can be easy or this can be hard," Thune said. "This is about America's national security interests, and we're stalling, so that's not going to happen."
Ratcliffe was approved by the Senate Intelligence Committee by a bipartisan vote of 14-3. Because of that, Thune said the vote to confirm him "shouldn't be hard."
"Democrats and Republicans, in a very big bipartisan fashion, agree that he is very qualified for this job," Thune said, adding that he isn't sure what stalling accomplishes.
Pete Hegseth cleared a procedural hurdle Thursday to advance his confirmation to lead the Defense Department for a final Senate vote, setting up a high-stakes showdown.
A motion to invoke cloture, or begin up to 30 hours of debate, passed 51-49. Republican Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, voted no on advancing Hegseth's confirmation, Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., voted yes.
Hegseth’s nomination was dealt another hurdle this week when reports emerged that his ex-sister-in-law alleged Hegseth abused his second wife.
Two sources told CNN Hegseth’s ex-wife, Samantha Hegseth, gave a statement to the FBI about Hegseth’s alleged alcohol use. The outlet said one of the sources said Samantha Hegseth told the FBI, "He drinks more often than he doesn’t."
On Tuesday, Fox News obtained an affidavit from Hegseth's former sister-in-law, Danielle Hegseth, which alleges he has an alcohol abuse problem and at times made his ex-wife, Samantha, fear for her safety. Danielle Hegseth was previously married to Pete Hegseth's brother and has no relation to Samantha.
But Danielle Hegseth added that she never witnessed any abuse herself, physical or sexual, by Pete against Samantha.
Samantha Hegseth has also denied any physical abuse in a statement to NBC News.
Senate Armed Services Chair Roger Wicker said in a statement Wednesday night that reports "regarding a confidential briefing on the FBI background investigation of Pete Hegseth that I received last week are starkly and factually inaccurate" and that he stands by Hegseth’s nomination.
"It is disturbing that a sensitive, longstanding process used by committee leadership to vet presidential personnel is being litigated in the press by anonymous sources with ulterior motives," Wicker said, adding he has been briefed by the FBI three times about a background check into Hegseth.
The new reporting came after a slew of reports damaging to Hegseth’s character, including a sexual assault allegation that he denies and reports about his alleged penchant for drinking and financial mismanagement. Hegseth has said he would abstain from alcohol if confirmed.
Hegseth is expected to face one of the most vicious confirmation fights of any Trump Cabinet nominee. His confirmation hearing was heavy on personal character questions and interrogation over his opposition to female-specific standards for women in combat and light on policy inquiries.
Earlier Thursday, Sen. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., urged Republicans to join him in opposing the former Fox News host and Army national guardsman.
"Hegseth is so utterly unqualified, he ranks up there [as] … one of the very worst nominees that could be put forward," Schumer said.
"People's lives depend on it — civilians and, of course, the men and women in the armed services — and Pete Hegseth has shown himself not only incapable of running a large organization, he often shows himself incapable of showing up or showing up in a way where he could get anything done. He is so out of the mainstream and so unqualified for DOD that I am hopeful we will get our Republican colleagues to join us. There will be a vote this afternoon."
Hegseth, who has been married three times, has admitted he was a "serial cheater" before he became a Christian and married his current wife, Jenny.
The 44-year-old Army National Guard veteran, who did tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, is relatively young and inexperienced compared to defense secretaries in the past, retiring as a major. But Republicans say they don’t want someone who made it to the top brass who’s become entrenched in the Pentagon establishment.
Hegseth has made it clear he will work to fight "woke" programs in the Pentagon that promote diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). He originally said he opposed women in combat before later clarifying he only opposes standards for women in combat that are different from men.
"I’m straight up just saying that we should not have women in combat roles," Hegseth said on the "Shawn Ryan Show" podcast. "It hasn’t made us more effective, hasn’t made us more lethal, has made fighting more complicated."
Additionally, in 2019, he successfully lobbied Trump to pardon three service members convicted or accused of war crimes in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Trump may have looked ahead to sparing himself the headache this role caused him during his first administration. Only Jim Mattis and Mark Esper lasted more than a year. Three others served in an acting capacity. Hegseth is more likely to align himself with Trump's goals for the department.
Fox News' Stephen Sorace, Julia Johnson and Tyler Olson contributed to this report.
A federal judge in Seattle on Thursday temporarily blocked President Donald Trump's executive order banning birthright citizenship for children of illegal immigrants, describing the action as "blatantly unconstitutional."
The decision by U.S. District Judge John Coughenour, a Ronald Reagan appointee, comes in response to four U.S. states — Arizona, Illinois, Oregon and Washington — who sued to block Trump's executive order, which was signed by Trump shortly after being sworn in as president.
Coughenour said Thursday that the executive order banning birthright citizenship "boggles the mind," and told the court he could not remember in his more than 40 years on the bench seeing a case so "blatantly unconstitutional."
The 14-day restraining order granted by Coughenour will apply to the entire U.S.
The ruling is a blow to the new Trump administration, and comes as 22 U.S. states and immigrants rights groups have sued the Trump administration over the ban on birthright citizenship, arguing in court filings that the executive order is both unconstitutional and "unprecedented."
Trump's ban is slated to come into force Feb. 19, and would impact the hundreds of thousands of children born in the U.S. annually.
Trump's order seeks to clarify the 14th Amendment, which states: "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside."
It clarifies that those born to illegal immigrant parents, or those who were here legally but on temporary nonimmigrant visas, are not citizens by birthright.
The U.S. is one of roughly 30 countries where birthright citizenship is applied.
States who have challenged the law have argued that the 14th Amendment does in fact guarantee citizenship to persons born on U.S. soil and naturalized in the U.S.
This is a breaking news story, more updates to come.
John Ratcliffe was confirmed to be the next director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) on Thursday, making him the second of President Donald Trump's cabinet picks to secure their position.
By a vote of 74-25, Ratcliffe was confirmed.
The Senate's full approval of Ratcliffe came after a 14-3 vote by the Senate Intelligence Committee on Monday evening, which advanced Ratcliffe's nomination to the Senate floor Thursday.
Ratcliffe previously served as Trump's Director of National Intelligence (DNI) from May 2020 until January 2021, during the president's first term in office. At the time, Ratcliffe faced scrutiny over whether he was adequately qualified for the role and whether his loyalty to Trump might cloud his judgment. Ratcliffe's eventual nomination was approved along party lines.
Prior to Ratcliffe's role as DNI, he was a member of the House of Representatives since 2015, serving Texas's 4th Congressional District. During Ratcliffe's tenure in Congress, he served on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence from 2019 until his move to DNI the following year.
Ratcliffe's confirmation this time around has garnered support from some Democrats, including from the top Democrat on the Senate's intel committee, Rep. Mark Warner of Virginia, who voted in favor of Ratcliffe's confirmation.
During Ratcliffe's first confirmation hearing last week, when lawmakers probed him over how he would handle the role as CIA director if confirmed, Ratcliffe said he would eliminate politicization and "wokeness" in the agency's workforce. Ratcliffe added that he plans on focusing on the agency's approach to technology, saying that he thinks it has struggled to keep pace with the tech evolution occurring in the private sector.
Ratcliffe will also take a hawkish stance towards China, too, according to people close to Ratcliffe, the Wall Street Journal reported last week.
Ratcliffe's confirmation makes him the second of Trump's nominees to garner congressional approval, after Marco Rubio. The Republican-controlled Senate said it plans to work overtime to get the rest of Trump's nominees approved quickly, with Senate Majority Leader John Thune insisting in a post on X, formerly Twitter, Tuesday evening, that they would work "nights, weekends, recesses" until the process is complete.
EXCLUSIVE: The U.S. southern border has seen a sharp drop in illegal immigrant encounters in the first days of the Trump administration, compared to the final few days of the Biden administration, a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) source tells Fox News Digital.
The number of Border Patrol encounters at the southern border in the first three days of the Trump administration is 35% lower than the final three days of the Biden administration, the source said. The numbers do not include encounters at the northern border, or encounters at ports of entry by CBP's Office of Field Operations.
On Jan 17, there were 1,288 encounters nationwide, then 1,266 on Jan 18 and 1,354 on Jan 19. That is 3,908 encounters in total.
Trump took office on the 20th, when there were 1,073 encounters. It then declined further to 736 encounters on the 21st and again to 714 on the 22nd – making up 2,523 encounters.
Numbers fluctuate sharply at the border on a daily and weekly basis, but numbers have been relatively low since June, when President Biden signed an executive order limiting asylum. That followed a historic migrant crisis from 2021 that had shattered records repeatedly.
President Donald Trump implemented additional restrictions. On taking office, he signed orders declaring a national emergency at the border, deploying the military to the border and ended the use of the CBP One app to process migrants at ports of entry via humanitarian parole.
His administration has also launched a mass deportation operation, with ICE agents active in multiple cities and states across the United States.
The Department of Homeland Security has also issued memos rescinding limits placed on ICE by the Biden administration, ordering a review of parole, and expanding the use of expedited removal for recently-arrived illegal immigrants.
Trump’s administration has also moved to restore border wall construction and reinstate the Remain-in-Mexico policy, which requires migrants to stay in Mexico for the duration of their asylum cases.
Trump also signed an executive order ending birthright citizenship for illegal immigrants -- a move which quickly sparked a lawsuit from nearly two dozen Democratic-led states.
Although the data is preliminary, lower numbers will likely fuel speculation about a "Trump effect," in which migrants are discouraged from making their way to the border if they believe they are less likely to be admitted, or more likely to be deported if they are.
FIRST ON FOX: A bill to restore the Trump-era "Remain in Mexico" policy, introduced recently in the House, is racking up cosponsors as it becomes the latest immigration bill to pick up bipartisan support in the chamber.
Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, a freshman lawmaker, introduced the Remain in Mexico Act this month.
The bill would require the Department of Homeland Security to reinstate the Migrant Protection Protocols, which were introduced during the first Trump administration and required migrants to wait in Mexico while their asylum cases were heard, part of an effort to end the practice known as "catch and release." The protocols were scrapped by the Biden administration, which argued they were cruel and ineffective.
President Donald Trump has signed an order requiring the protocols to be restored, but codifying the policy in federal law would make it significantly harder for critics to then repeal it under a different administration.
However, with the bill now before Congress, it has already picked up over 100 cosponsors, Fox News Digital is told. That includes two Democrats, Rep. Marie Glusenkamp Perez, D-Wash., and Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine.
"I am overwhelmed with gratitude that over one hundred of my colleagues have shown bipartisan support for my REMAIN in Mexico Act that codifies President Trump’s executive border action into law," Gill said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
"The tides are shifting under President Trump—Congress knows we must strengthen our national security, prevent fraudulent asylum claims, and put our citizens first," he said.
The bill is one of a number of pieces of immigration legislation that have been introduced, with increasing signs of support from Democrats after a year in which illegal immigration was a top issue for voters and resulted in Republicans controlling the House, Senate and White House.
On Wednesday evening, the House passed the Laken Riley Act, which requires the detention of illegal immigrants accused of theft-related crimes. It had previously passed the Senate. In the House, 46 Democrats voted in favor of it.
The House is expected to be active on illegal immigration, reflecting a flurry of orders coming from the White House. Those orders include declaring a national emergency at the border, sending troops to the border and canceling a slew of Biden-era parole programs.
FIRST ON FOX: Rep. Barry Loudermilk rolled out a measure Thursday that would reform and restructure the federal workforce by focusing on hiring and retaining officials on a merit basis, modeling employee dismissal with that of the private sector, Fox News Digital has learned.
Loudermilk, R-Ga., re-introduced the Modern Employment Reform, Improvement and Transformation (MERIT) Act on Thursday in an effort to hold "inefficient, corrupt government bureaucrats accountable."
The rollout comes after President Donald Trump signed several Day One executive actions focused on reforming the federal workforce.
"Over the past four years, most Americans feared the federal government and its ability to unjustly wield power and have become tired of funding the fraud, waste, and abuse within our bloated federal bureaucracy," Loudermilk told Fox News Digital. "With President Trump back in office, and the passage of my MERIT Act, Americans will have a government they can be proud of again, not one they fear and distrust."
Loudermilk says he intends to "return our government to one that works for the people, not one that works for self-interests or political agendas."
The bill would address misconduct and poor performance by repealing the Chapter 43 special process for action against poor performers and bad actors, which Loudermilk said is "unnecessarily time-consuming," and instead, streamlines the Chapter 75 process for removal or suspension of employees and supervisors.
The bill also permits agencies to remove a senior executive from the civil service for performance reasons, rather than merely demoting the individual to a non-Senior Executive Service (SES) position.
The MERIT Act also authorizes agencies to order recoupment of bonuses and awards when performance or conduct issues are discovered and it is determined the bonus or award would not have been paid had those issues been known at the time.
The bill also affects the retirement benefits of employees who are removed based on a felony conviction for actions taken in furtherance of official duties. The period of service during which the felonious activities occurred will be eliminated for purposes of any annuity computation under the bill.
"The reforming of the federal government must begin with a dedicated, efficient, and committed workforce, which is why the MERIT Act is an essential step in fixing our broken system," Loudermilk said. "Our federal employment system should reward hard work and dedication; however, the current federal employment code protects poor performers and corruption."
Loudermilk said he has been working on the bill for "several years" and that "now is the time to reform our outdated system."
"MERIT would create a more efficient and effective government that works for the benefit of the American people," he said. "It would restructure the federal employment code by modeling employee dismissal with that of the private sector, and lessen the time it takes to root out misconduct and poor performers."
Loudermilk told Fox News Digital he is "encouraged" that Trump and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) will "complement MERIT."
"I look forward to working with them and my colleagues to get it passed in the U.S. House," Loudermilk said.
The bill’s original co-sponsors are Reps. Buddy Carter, Mike Collins, Erin Houchin, Burgess Owens, Anna Paulina Luna, Scott Franklin, Dan Webster, Tracy Mann, Dan Meuser, Brian Babin, Claudia Tenney, Jim Baird, Greg Steube and Tim Burchett.
The rollout of the legislation comes as Trump has already taken steps to reform the workforce during his first week in office.
Trump directed all agencies and departments to close their Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) offices by Wednesday evening and place all DEI office employees on paid administrative leave.
Trump issued two other executive actions on Tuesday targeting DEI: An executive order to end discrimination in the workplace and higher education through race- and sex-based preferences under the guise of DEI, and a memo to eliminate a Biden administration policy that prioritized DEI hiring at the Federal Aviation Administration.
By the end of the day Friday, Trump ordered all agency and department heads to notify their workforce of a return to in-person, in-office work. The White House has recommended a target return-to-work start date for 30 days from the original notice.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said on Thursday she can't support Pete Hegseth to be President Donald Trump's secretary of Defense.
"Given the global security environment we’re operating in, it is critical that we confirm a Secretary of Defense, however, I regret that I am unable to support Mr. Hegseth," she concluded in a lengthy statement posted to X.
In her reasoning, Murkowski cited infidelity, "allegations of sexual assault and excessive drinking" and Hegseth's previous comments on women serving in the military.
The behaviors that he has admitted to alone, she said, show "a lack of judgment that is unbecoming of someone who would lead our armed forces."
While Hegseth has admitted to past infidelity, he has denied claims of excessive drinking and sexual assault.
JD Vance's first big moment as vice president is on the horizon as the Senate prepares confirmation votes on President Donald Trump's picks to lead the CIA and Defense Department, which could require Vance stepping in with a tiebreaking vote.
Under the Constitution, vice presidents serve as the president of the Senate and are charged with the sole power of breaking tied votes in the chamber. Vance, who previously served in the Senate before his election as vice president, could employ this power in the coming days as lawmakers make their way through Trump's cabinet picks.
Senate lawmakers swiftly and unanimously confirmed Marco Rubio as secretary of state in a 99–0 vote on Monday. Other cabinet and administration picks, however, are still making their way through committee hearings and final votes.
Senate lawmakers are set to vote on Trump's pick for CIA director, John Ratcliffe, before voting on Trump's pick to lead the Department of Defense, Pete Hegseth. Fox News learned earlier this week that lawmakers could deadlock on the confirmation vote for Hegseth, which would require Vance to step in.
Republicans hold control of the Senate at 53 seats, compared to Democrats' 45 seats and two independent seats. Fox News was told that Sens. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, could break with Trump's secretary of defense nominee and vote against his confirmation.
Ratcliffe is scheduled for a confirmation vote Thursday, which will be followed by a procedural vote to advance Hegseth's nomination. Vance could be called to Capitol Hill to break a tied vote if a handful of Republicans deny confirming the nominees.
Ratcliffe previously served as director of national intelligence under the first Trump administration, and was confirmed by the Senate in 2020 by a 49–44 vote.
Kamala Harris broke a nearly 200-year-old record for casting the most tiebreaking votes in her role as vice president when she issued her 32nd tiebreaking vote in 2023 regarding the confirmation of a federal judge. Democrats only had a 51-member majority over Republicans, who had a 49-person conference, during the 118th Congress.
The first Trump administration made history in 2017 when Mike Pence became the first vice president to deliver a tiebreaking vote to confirm a cabinet secretary. Pence voted to confirm Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education after a 50–50 deadlock over the nominee. Pence also broke tie votes in 2018 to confirm Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., as ambassador for religious freedom and to confirm Russ Vought as deputy director for the Office of Management and Budget.
Vance could see himself in a similar position as Republicans hold a tight majority in the chamber.
Hegseth appeared before the Senate Armed Services Committee last week, where he faced a grilling from Democrats over his views on women serving in combat roles, infidelity and drinking habits.
Hegseth, a former Fox News host, has battled allegations of sexual misconduct, excessive drinking and mismanaging a veterans nonprofit organization. He has denied the allegations and vowed that he won't drink "a drop of alcohol" if confirmed to Trump's cabinet.
"Thank you to my incredible wife, Jennifer, who has changed my life and been with me throughout this entire process. I love you, sweetheart, and I thank God for you," Hegseth said before the committee on Jan. 14, beginning to choke up in his emotional opening remarks.
"And as Jenny and I pray together every morning, all glory, regardless of the outcome, belongs to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ," he said. "His grace and mercy abounds each day. May His will be done."
Earlier this week, Democratic senators on the Armed Services Committee reviewed an affidavit that alleged Hegseth abused alcohol and, at times, made his ex-wife, Samantha, fear for her safety. The affidavit was filed by Danielle Hegseth, who was married to Pete Hegseth's brother.
Pete Hegseth's lawyer pushed back in a statement that Hegseth's ex-wife has never alleged abuse.
"Sam has never alleged that there was any abuse," attorney Tim Parlatore said in a comment to Fox News Digital on Tuesday. "She signed court documents acknowledging that there was no abuse and recently reaffirmed the same during her FBI interview. Belated claims by Danielle Dietrich, an anti-Trump, far-left Democrat who is divorced from Mr. Hegseth’s brother and never got along with the Hegseth family, do nothing to change that."
Hegseth's final leg of the confirmation process will unfold after lawmakers vote on Ratcliffe for CIA director — a process that could pour over into the weekend.
Fox News' Chad Pergram contributed to this report.
The Mexican government is building large encampments in Ciudad Juárez to receive an expected influx of Mexicans returned to their native country by President Donald Trump's promised mass deportations.
Tent shelters in Ciudad Juárez are made to temporarily house thousands of people and will be prepared in just a few days, city official Enrique Licon told Reuters.
"It's unprecedented," Licon said Tuesday of Mexico's plan to build shelter and reception centers in nine cities south of the U.S.-Mexico border.
Authorities at the site will reportedly provide deported Mexicans with food, temporary housing, medical care and assistance in obtaining identity documents, Reuters reported.
The government will also provide transportation for Mexican nationals to return to their hometowns.
Trump campaigned on launching the largest mass deportations of illegal immigrants in U.S. history and began that effort after assuming office on Monday. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has already made more than 460 arrests, targeting illegal immigrants with criminal records, including for violent crimes.
Information obtained by Fox News Digital shows that between midnight Jan. 21 and 9 a.m. on Jan, 22, a 33-hour period, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) arrested more than 460 illegal immigrants whose criminal histories include sexual assault, robbery, burglary, aggravated assault, drugs and weapons offenses, resisting arrest and domestic violence.
Agents arrested nationals from a slew of countries, including Afghanistan, Angola, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Senegal and Venezuela.
Arrests took place across the U.S. including Illinois, Utah, California, Minnesota, New York, Florida and Maryland.
Nearly five million Mexicans are living in the United States without authorization, according to an analysis by Mexican think tank El Colegio de la Frontera Norte (COLEF) based on recent U.S. census data.
Many are from parts of central and southern Mexico wracked by violence and poverty. Some 800,000 illegally present Mexicans in the United States are from Michoacan, Guerrero and Chiapas, according to the COLEF study, where fierce battles between organized crime groups have forced thousands to flee in recent years, sometimes leaving whole towns abandoned.
Trump has swiftly restarted policies aimed to halt the flow of migrants into the U.S. that former President Biden had ended. On Monday, the Trump administration ended the CBP One app program, which allowed migrants waiting in Mexico to schedule an appointment to enter the U.S. legally. Then on Tuesday, Trump reinstated Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), a requirement that non-Mexican asylum seekers wait in Mexico until their cases are resolved.
Immigration activists worry that Trump's strict immigration policies will overwhelm Mexico with deportees, but the government insists it is prepared.
"Mexico will do everything necessary to care for its compatriots, and will allocate whatever is necessary to receive those who are repatriated," Mexico's Interior Minister Rosa Icela Rodriguez said on Monday at a press conference, according to Reuters.
President Donald Trump is expected to pardon pro-life activists convicted under the FACE Act during President Joe Biden's administration in the coming days.
The pardons, first reported by The Daily Wire, would apply to activists convicted of protesting near abortion clinics during various demonstrations. The details and scope of the pardons have yet to be revealed.
Thomas Ciesielka, a spokesman for the pro-life law firm the Thomas Moore Society, confirmed plans for the pardon to Fox News Digital.
News of the plan comes just one day before the March for Life, an annual pro-life march that takes place in Washington, D.C.
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., had called on Trump to pardon activists convicted under the FACE Act since the president was sworn into office.
"No administration in history has targeted Christians like the Biden Admin. We saw one persecution after another, from shutting down churches during COVID to raiding pro-lifers homes at the crack of dawn. EVERY pro-life prisoner Biden wrongly imprisoned should be pardoned," Hawley wrote on X.
Hawley said he spoke with Trump about a potential pardon plan on Thursday morning, saying they had a "great conversation."
Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, has also introduced legislation that would dismantle the FACE Act. Many lawmakers have argued that Democratic administrations have weaponized it against pro-life groups and Christians.
"97% of FACE Act prosecutions between the years of 1994-2024 were initiated against pro-life Americans; it is laughable to argue that the law hasn't been weaponized. Let's put H.R. 589 on the President's desk and end this once and for all," Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, said in a statement reacting to the pardon news.
Trump also issued a blanket pardon for nearly all January 6 prisoners shortly after he took the oath of office.
Donald Trump is expected to pardon pro-life activists convicted under the FACE Act during President Biden's administration in the coming days.
The pardons, first reported by The Daily Wire, would apply to activists convicted of protesting near abortion clinics during various demonstrations. The details and scope of the pardons have yet to be revealed.
Thomas Ciesielka, a spokesman for the pro-life law firm the Thomas Moore Society, confirmed plans for the pardon to Fox News Digital.
News of the plan comes just one day before the March for Life, an annual pro-life march that takes place in Washington, D.C.
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., had called on Trump to pardon activists convicted under the FACE Act since the president was sworn into office.
"No administration in history has targeted Christians like the Biden Admin. We saw one persecution after another, from shutting down churches during COVID to raiding pro-lifers homes at the crack of dawn. EVERY pro-life prisoner Biden wrongly imprisoned should be pardoned," Hawley wrote on X.
Hawley said he spoke with Trump about a potential pardon plan on Thursday morning, saying they had a "great conversation."
Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, has also introduced legislation that would dismantle the FACE Act. Many lawmakers have argued that Democratic administrations have weaponized it against pro-life groups and Christians.
"97% of FACE Act prosecutions between the years of 1994-2024 were initiated against pro-life Americans; it is laughable to argue that the law hasn't been weaponized. Let's put H.R. 589 on the President's desk and end this once and for all," Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, said in a statement reacting to the pardon news.
Trump also issued a blanket pardon for nearly all January 6 prisoners shortly after he took the oath of office.
Rep. Nancy Mace says if she moves ahead and launches a 2026 Republican run for South Carolina governor, she'll aim "to lock down support" from President Trump.
"I had Pres. Trump's endorsement in the House and I am working hard to lock down support in this race. He said I am a strong conservative voice, he knows I'm a fighter," Mace said Thursday in a statement to Fox News Digital.
A day earlier, Mace took to social media to reiterate what she first told the AP, that's she's seriously considering a gubernatorial run in the race to succeed GOP Gov. Henry McMaster, who is term-limited.
"President Trump needs bold leaders to implement his agenda in every state across the nation. It will take grit. It will take strength. It will take hard work. I can confirm, affirmative, yes, we are considering a run in 2026. South Carolina First," Mace said in her social media post.
Mace, who was first elected to the House in the 2020 election, didn’t vote to impeach Trump for inciting the Jan. 6, 2021 storming of the U.S. Capitol by right-wing extremists and other Trump supporters who aimed to disrupt congressional certification of former President Biden’s 2020 election victory.
But she later blamed Trump for the attack on the U.S. Capital, and in 2022 faced - but survived - a Republican primary challenge from a rival backed by Trump.
Mace endorsed the former president as he ran for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination and campaigned for him in South Carolina’s crucial early voting presidential primary.
Trump returned the favor, backing Mace as she ran for re-election last year.
Mace told Fox News Digital that "I’ve proven my leadership, from the state legislature to Washington, my bold conservative policies are rooted in the Constitution, liberty, small government, and common sense."
"I believe in a government small enough to fit into the Constitution," she added.
And Mace emphasized that "I kick a-- and take names from South Carolina to DC and back. That's the leadership the Palmetto State is looking for."
Mace recently made headlines by introducing a resolution to ban transgender women from using women’s bathrooms at the U.S. Capitol or the adjoining House office buildings. It's an issue of high interest to many voters on the right.
Trump is very popular in Republican-dominated South Carolina, and his endorsement in a GOP gubernatorial primary would be immensely influential among the state's conservative electorate.
Attorney General Alan Wilson, Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, and state Sens. Josh Kimbrell and Sean Bennett are among those also considering gubernatorial bids.
It's going to be a crowded field, veteran South Carolina-based Republican consultant Dave Wilson told Fox News. "There's going to be a lot of people who are going to throw their hat in the ring."
"It's going to be a battle of the conservatives - how conservative you can be in South Carolina," Wilson emphasized.
McMaster, another top Trump ally, is on track to become South Carolina's longest serving governor. The then-lieutenant governor succeeded Gov. Nikki Haley in 2017 when she stepped down to become ambassador to the United Nations in Trump's first term. McMaster went on to win election in 2018 to a full four-year term, and re-election in 2022.
EXCLUSIVE: Leading the House Republican communications policy under a president like President Donald Trump, who is known to frequently air his thoughts on the public stage, is likely not an easy task.
However, Rep. Lisa McClain, R-Mich., the new House GOP Conference chair, argues that the outspoken commander in chief makes her job easier – in part, because of his simple but ubiquitous tagline.
"If you take a look at the last election cycle, Republicans had the winning message, and it was simple, it was consistent, and it was easily repeatable, right?" McClain said. "So, ‘Make America Great.’ Make America ‘blank’ again. Make America strong again. Make America energy independent. It was simple and it was concise. And the message worked so well that it didn't matter if you were in a [moderate or heavily Republican] district."
"Everyone's not trying to reinvent the wheel. They have a playbook that they can all sing from, so to speak."
McClain, now the No. 4 House GOP leader, has been in senior leadership for just over three weeks, but she has largely shunned the solo stage that comes with the role in favor of shining that spotlight on lesser-known members of the GOP.
She has co-authored op-eds with rank-and-file lawmakers and promoted interview opportunities on issues that affect their home states. McClain told Fox News Digital that she saw her job as elevating the existing qualities that helped members of the conference win their elections.
"People want to help. They want to be engaged. They want to feel part of something. And I think my job as conference chair, I can help give them a platform," she said.
Like Trump, she made her living in business before coming into politics. Before being elected to Congress in the 2020 races, McClain ran a 700-person financial planning company in her home state of Michigan.
When asked why she decided to run, McClain joked, "I blame it on my daughter."
"So we have Sunday dinner, and that's kind of my time to hold court," she recalled. "I was on my soapbox about something. And my daughter Ryan looked at me… ’You can either be part of the problem or part of the solution.’ She was being sassy. ‘Why don't you run for Congress and do something about it?’ So that kind of planted the seed."
However, since being elected, McClain said she has carried at least one lesson over from the business world – relationships.
"We are stronger together as a team. And the more people you have on the team, the better you are," she said.
Just this week, she and a team of House GOP leaders sat down with Trump to discuss his agenda.
Those relationships extend past her fellow lawmakers, however.
Her predecessor, Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y. – whom McClain heaped praise on during her interview – was known to operate with a tight circle and largely kept the media at arm’s length.
However, McClain is known for her open demeanor with journalists, both through informal chats on Capitol Hill and occasionally sparring with members of the media on more difficult issues.
"You want to tell a story, I also want to tell a story. So if we work together, as long as we're fair or respectful to each other, I think we can work together to help shape that narrative on what the story is we're trying to tell," McClain said. "Because at the end of the day, if I don't share my narrative with you on what's the story we're trying to tell, you're going to come up with a story on your own. So why wouldn't we work together to share that story? It just makes sense."
FIRST ON FOX: National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman Tim Scott, R-S.C., is not getting caught up in the details of how exactly Republicans package key legislation during the crucial budget reconciliation process before sending it to President Donald Trump's desk.
"I think for us, results are more important than process," he told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview following a meeting between Trump and House and Senate GOP leaders.
"And if that requires us to have border security, tax reform, deportation — whatever we can get into a package or multiple packages — we have to produce results for the people," he explained.
The benefit of the budget reconciliation process is that the threshold to end debate in the Senate is lower, allowing Republicans to defeat the legislative filibuster with just their conference's support rather than the usual 60 votes. However, use of the process is limited and must not include what are considered "extraneous provisions."
Scott is "agnostic about the process," he said. This is a different attitude than that of Republican leaders in the House, who have been adamant about fitting everything into one measure.
The South Carolina Republican joined other members of the Senate GOP leadership and their counterparts in the House at a meeting with Trump on Tuesday.
According to him, "We did not have any objective of reaching consensus on reconciliation," despite reports that a certain approach to reconciliation was agreed to. "I would consider it the inaugural meeting, an opportunity for us to recognize that President Trump is the visionary leader that we need."
He acknowledged that budget reconciliation was discussed, "but the important part was that the goal was achieved of creating a one-team approach to the problems that we must solve for the American people. And President Trump was very clear that this is not about us."
When asked whether that meant the approach to the reconciliation process was still undecided or subject to change, Scott said, "I would imagine it depends on who you're talking to."
He noted that the House Republican leaders did reinforce "the importance of one big, beautiful bill."
"I think the House definitely sees a path for one big, beautiful bill to become law and that they have the votes for that. That's their objective."
However, Scott said, "I think we're still open to finding the path to victory," whether it be one or two bills.
Many Republicans in the Senate have espoused their general preference for making two separate budget reconciliation bills, with one addressing the border and another tackling taxes.
As for whether these joint meetings with Republican leaders and the president will become routine, Scott said, "I certainly hope so."
"I think one of the things we have to really appreciate about President Trump is he's looking for results. And that means that we all have to hear the same thing, as often as possible, at the same time, so that there is no difference in our understanding and there's no daylight between us."
It is still unclear how the reconciliation bill or bills will take shape, but the South Carolina senator said the president wants to get it done as quickly as possible.
Former White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre gave Americans a look behind the podium in a telling Vanity Fair piece published on Tuesday.
Jean-Pierre, who chose to keep her personal life private while working in the Biden-Harris administration, revealed a private health battle that put significant weight on her and her family.
Jean-Pierre recalled attending the Bidens’ first state dinner in December 2022, saying it was "the first time the administration felt a dinner was safe to host since the pandemic began." That evening Jean-Pierre was accompanied by her mother, who told her that it was "the happiest day of my life."
The state dinner was the last time Jean-Pierre "recognized my mother as the woman I grew up with." Unfortunately, things took a turn, and just a couple of months later, her mother was diagnosed with stage II colon cancer. Jean-Pierre found out that her mother was sick while visiting Poland with then-President Joe Biden.
"My mother has always been a private person. When she finally acquiesced to reality, she told me: ‘Don’t tell anyone. Do not tell the president I have cancer,’" the former press secretary wrote.
Biden was supposedly "one of only a few people at the White House" who knew about what Jean-Pierre’s mother was going through. Jean-Pierre said Biden "showed up for me" during the difficult time.
While navigating her mother’s care alongside her siblings, Jean-Pierre was driving to New York "every weekend I could to see my mom," only to return late at night to catch "a few hours of sleep" before heading to the White House.
Despite serving in a very public-facing role in the Biden-Harris administration with her "second full-time job" coordinating her mother’s care, Jean-Pierre explained that being a "private person" is only one of the reasons why she did not make her mom’s cancer battle public. The former press secretary said she was also working under the "weight" of being a "first."
"I’m the first Black press secretary. The first person of color press secretary. The first openly queer press secretary. The first Haitian American immigrant press secretary. The first press secretary to be all of the above. Being a first meant that my responsibilities were beyond those in the job description, the load heavier. I bear a certain responsibility to the communities I represent," Jean-Pierre wrote.
Jean-Pierre also claimed that she believed sharing her mother’s diagnosis would have been seen "as an excuse" because "society doesn’t allow women of color to be vulnerable at work. When you’re a first, you don’t get the benefit of the doubt."
During her time in the White House briefing room, Jean-Pierre faced criticism for a series of embarrassing and controversial moments.
In one of her more infamous moments, Jean-Pierre accused the media and others of making "cheap fakes" that made Biden "appear especially frail or mentally confused." As the American people wondered if the commander in chief was capable of carrying out the duties of his office, Jean-Pierre was gaslighting them by chalking it up to "misinformation" and "disinformation."
After Biden spoke out against Georgia's voting laws, dubbing them "Jim Crow 2.0," Jean-Pierre raised eyebrows with her claim that "high turnout and voter suppression can take place at the same time."
Jean-Pierre was also tasked with walking back denials of the possibility that the president would pardon his son, Hunter Biden. Once the president issued his son's pardon, despite repeatedly vowing not to do so, Jean-Pierre explained the pivot by saying that the "circumstances have changed." She also placed the blame on then-President-elect Trump, saying that the president was trying to protect his son from Republican "retribution."
In May 2022, Jean-Pierre took over for her predecessor Jen Psaki, who served as Biden’s press secretary for nearly a year and a half. When handing the reins over to Jean-Pierre, Psaki called her successor a "remarkable person" before listing her qualifications for the position.
EXCLUSIVE: A new, bipartisan, bicameral bill would boost pensions for Medal of Honor recipients six-fold.
The legislation, reintroduced by Texas Republicans Rep. Troy Nehls and Sen. Ted Cruz and New Hampshire Democrat Rep. Chris Pappas, would bring pay for those who receive the nation's highest military award from $16,880 per year to $100,000 per year.
Proponents of the bill say the pay would ease the financial burden for medal recipients who often traverse the country for speaking engagements on their own dime.
The legislation would affect the 60 living Medal of Honor recipients. Some 3,500 have been awarded the medal since its inception in 1863.
Pension rolls for Medal of Honor recipients were first created in 1916, with pensioners receiving $10 per month from the federal government. The monthly stipend was raised to $100 in 1961 and $1,000 in 2002.
"I’m proud to reintroduce the Medal of Honor Act to ease the financial burdens of our nation’s Medal of Honor recipients," Nehls said in a statement. "While we will never be able to repay these courageous individuals for their extraordinary acts, we must do everything we can to show our unwavering support and gratitude for their service."
Former President Joe Biden awarded the Medal of Honor to seven U.S. Army soldiers, six posthumously and one who attended the White House ceremony in person – Pfc. Kenneth J. David – for their actions in the Korean and Vietnam wars.
Those honored posthumously were Pvt. Bruno R. Orig, Pfc. Wataru Nakamura, Cpl. Fred B. McGee, Pfc. Charles R. Johnson, Gen. Richard E. Cavazos and Capt. Hugh R. Nelson Jr.
In May 1970, David's company had come under attack by enemy forces. Then a radio-telephone operator, David engaged the enemy and drew fire away from his fellow soldiers. He distracted them by yelling, firing his rifle and throwing hand grenades while friendly helicopters swooped in to evacuate the wounded.
"Our Medal of Honor recipients are heroes who embody the highest ideals of courage, sacrifice and selflessness. They continue to serve our nation by sharing their stories, inspiring generations and encouraging the next wave of America's heroes," said Cruz. "Yet, they often lack the financial resources for these activities. The MEDAL Act addresses those shortfalls."
The bill has been introduced in two previous congressional terms, but has not yet received a floor vote. It's not yet clear whether it will make it to the House and Senate floor this Congress.
