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Trump revokes security detail for Fauci

President Donald Trump confirmed on Friday that he has terminated the security detail provided to Dr. Anthony Fauci at the taxpayer's expense.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) requested security for Fauci in 2020 to protect him from threats he received as the top health official and public spokesperson during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Trump earlier revoked the security clearances of 51 intelligence officials who had wrongly claimed that Hunter Biden's laptop had "all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation," as well as the details provided to former national security advisor John Bolton and ex-CIA Director Mike Pompeo.

This is a breaking story and will be updated.

Who is John Fleming, the Freedom Caucus founding member challenging GOP Sen Bill Cassidy?

Louisiana State Treasurer John Fleming, who aims to unseat Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., during the Bayou State's 2026 U.S. Senate contest, assailed the incumbent as a "RINO Republican" during an interview with Fox News Digital, using the acronym that abbreviates the phrase "Republican in name only."

Fleming, who served as a U.S. House lawmaker from early 2009 through early 2017, was one of the founding members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus. 

He ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate in 2016 and held several posts during the first President Donald Trump administration. In 2023, with Trump's endorsement, he won election to serve as the Pelican State's treasurer.

When asked by Fox News Digital to name some lawmakers he largely aligns with ideologically, Fleming mentioned GOP Reps. Jim Jordan of Ohio, Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, House Freedom Caucus Chair Andy Harris of Maryland, as well as Republican Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Mike Lee of Utah.

RFK JR. ‘WRONG’ ABOUT VACCINATIONS, GOP SENATOR SAYS

When asked whether there are any federal departments or entities that he would like to see fully abolished, Fleming replied that if there are any federal entities he thinks should be eliminated, he said, "First on my list would be the Department of Education."

Regarding the debt ceiling, he said if he were in office, he would seek to "leverage" debt ceiling increases to lower spending, adding, "I don't think we should raise the debt ceiling."

Fleming indicated that he supports foreign aid in some cases.

"I do believe in some level of foreign aid, particularly military foreign aid, when it's in the best interest of the people of the United States," he noted, suggesting that the U.S. should assist Taiwan and Israel. 

Fleming said that America must "be careful about" involving itself in affairs abroad. Pointing to Afghanistan and Iraq, he said, "We seem to win the wars but lose the peace."

Fleming indicated that he is supportive of the TikTok ban that passed last year, because he does not believe it is "wise for us to allow the Chinese or any other foreign power, or even our own government, to spy on us through our social media." He opined that the social media platform should be banned until it is no longer under the influence of the Communist Chinese Party government of China.

PRO-TRUMP IMPEACHMENT REPUBLICAN SEN BILL CASSIDY TARGETED FOR OUSTER BY FREEDOM CAUCUS FOUNDING MEMBER

In Louisiana's jungle primary system, candidates of various parties run against each other, and if any candidate wins the majority, they win election to the role — but if no candidate gets the majority, the top two finishers compete in a runoff.

When Cassidy ran in 2014, he placed second in a field that included seven other candidates, advancing along with incumbent Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu to a runoff, which Cassidy won.

When Cassidy was re-elected in 2020, he won the majority and avoided a runoff, defeating a field of more than a dozen other candidates.

Cassidy was one of the seven GOP senators who voted to convict President Trump after the 2021 House impeachment in the wake of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. Trump had already departed from office by the time of the February Senate vote, and the number of senators who voted to convict ultimately fell short of the threshold necessary for conviction.

During a CNN appearance that the outlet shared on social media in 2023, Cassidy said he thought Trump should drop out of the presidential contest, though the lawmaker noted that the decision was up to Trump, who he said would lose to President Joe Biden based on the polls at the time.

HEGSETH BACKED BY LOUISIANA SEN. BILL CASSIDY TO LEAD THE PENTAGON UNDER TRUMP

After Trump had become the presumptive GOP presidential nominee last year, Kristin Welker asked Cassidy on "Meet the Press" whether he would endorse Trump. The senator responded by saying that he planned to vote for a Republican for president.

Cassidy in June pledged to work with Trump if the candidate returned to the White House. 

"Just met with my colleagues and President Trump. I was elected to work for Louisiana and the United States of America. I commit to working with President Trump if he is the next president—and it appears he is going to be—to make things better for all," the senator said in a statement at the time.

He congratulated Trump and Vice President JD Vance on their inaugurations earlier this week.

"Today, the American people start winning again. Republicans are going to secure the border, unleash American energy, and protect American manufacturing," he noted in the statement. "Congratulations to President Trump and Vice President Vance. Let’s get to work!"

The lawmaker, who has served in the U.S. Senate for just over a decade, previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Trump endorsed Cassidy when the senator sought re-election in 2020, thanking him for supporting the Make America Great Again agenda, and praising his "outstanding" work representing Louisianans and Americans at large.

"THANK YOU @BillCassidy for all of your support with our #MAGA Agenda. You are doing an outstanding job representing the people of Louisiana & the U.S.A. You have my Complete and Total Endorsement!" Trump declared in a post.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, a Cassidy campaign spokesman said of Fleming, "He came in 5th place last time he ran for Senate in 2016 and currently has $500k in campaign debt."

According to a Cassidy campaign press release, the senator "raised another $1 million across his reelection, leadership, and joint fundraising committees in the fourth quarter of 2024, bringing his campaign cash-on-hand to over $6.5 million."

The Fleming campaign responded to the Cassidy spokesperson's comment in a statement to Fox News Digital.

"The senate campaign loan is 100% owed to Treasurer Fleming, personally," Fleming's campaign noted. "With regard to placement, Sen Cassidy ran against a weak Republican and a politically-wounded Democrat who had voted for Obamacare among other things. And, he had the backing of the entire Republican Party." 

"Treasurer Fleming ran in an open seat against 23 opponents of all parties, some of whom divided his political base geographically as well as ideologically," the statement continued. "Sen. John Kennedy ultimately won Fleming's senate race as he was also the Louisiana State Treasurer and had run for the Senate before as Fleming is currently. What truly matters at this time is that Senator Cassidy voted to convict President Trump in the second impeachment trial during Trump's first term. Had Trump been convicted, it would have foreclosed any possibility to reelect Trump leading to either a second Biden term or a Kamala Harris Presidency."

'FEMA is not good:' Trump announces agency overhaul during visit to North Carolina

President Donald Trump said he plans to overhaul the Federal Emergency Management Agency as North Carolina still recovers from Hurricane Helene – more than 120 days after the storm struck the state. 

"I'll also be signing an executive order to begin the process of fundamentally reforming and overhauling FEMA, or maybe getting rid of FEMA," Trump told reporters in North Carolina Friday morning. I think, frankly, FEMA is not good."

Trump also promised his administration would step in and assist North Carolina to fix the damage quickly, vowing to "do a good job" for the state. 

"We're going to fix it, and we're going to fix it as fast as you can," Trump said. "It's a massive amount of damage. FEMA has really let us down. Let the country down. And I don't know if that's Biden's fault or whose fault it is, but we're going to take over. We're going to do a good job."

Trump also said he would like to see the states assume more responsibility when disaster strikes, arguing those familiar with the state are better equipped to provide disaster response and relief. 

TRUMP, GOP LEADERS MEET AT WHITE HOUSE AS PRESIDENT PLANS VISIT TO NC, DEFENDS EXECUTIVE ORDERS

Trump also promised to work with three of the lawmakers whose areas were affected by Hurricane Helene, claiming that FEMA was "not on the ball" in assisting North Carolina in the aftermath of the hurricane. 

"So we’re going to be doing something on FEMA that I think most people agree [with]," Trump said. "I’d like to see the states take care of disasters, let the state take care of the tornadoes and the hurricanes and all of the other things that happen. And I think you’re going to find it a lot less expensive. You’ll do it for less than half, and you’re going to get a lot quicker response."

So far, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers claim that only half of debris recovery for Hurricane Helene is complete. Additionally, thousands of families in North Carolina remain in hotels FEMA is footing the bill for under its Transitional Housing Assistance (TSA) program. 

TRUMP SAYS NEWSOM IS TO 'BLAME' FOR 'APOCALYPTIC' WILDFIRES

While these families were approaching a late January deadline that would have removed them from the hotels, FEMA announced this week it extended the deadline to May 26. In total, more than 3,000 families are eligible for the program extension. 

"It's been a horrible thing the way that's been allowed to fester and we're going to get it fixed up," Trump told reporters at the White House Friday prior to departing for North Carolina. "It should have been done months ago from the hurricane that took place almost four months ago. North Carolina's been treated very badly so we're stopping there." 

FAST-MOVING HUGHES FIRE ERUPTS IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY AS CALIFORNIA OFFICIALS ORDER EVACUATIONS

Trump said Wednesday in an exclusive interview with Fox News' Sean Hannity that "Democrats don’t care about North Carolina" and that’s why he would visit the state for his first official trip as president during his second term. 

Trump is slated to visit California on Friday as well to survey the damage from wildfires that have ravaged the state this month. 

"It looks like something hit it, we won’t talk about what hit it," Trump said. "But it is a bad, bad situation." 

Fox News’ Jacqui Heinrich and Aubrey Conklin contributed to this report.

Energy experts weigh in after Canadian premier says she wants to discuss Keystone Pipeline 2.0 with Trump

The premier of a key oil region in Canada is open to talking with President Donald Trump about reopening the Keystone Pipeline, which, according to experts, could strengthen energy security and affordability. 

Danielle Smith, the premier of Alberta, Canada, said on Tuesday that she was interested in talking to the Trump administration about potentially reopening the Keystone XL oil pipeline – a system that was designed to carry oil from Alberta to the U.S. through to states like Illinois, Texas and Oklahoma. 

The pipeline has been at the forefront of political debate since the project began construction in 2010, and was eventually halted by former President Barack Obama before it was finished. Trump revived it during his first term, but in 2021, former President Joe Biden again blocked the project.

Trump could resume construction during his second term, and do so with the help of Smith, who said that she wants to have conversations about potential cross-border pipelines, according to the Washington Free Beacon.

ALASKA LEADERS CHEER TRUMP OIL AND GAS DRILLING EXECUTIVE ORDER

"What I would propose is—are there ways that we can look at increasing pipeline access, perhaps some new routes or perhaps some new proposals on existing routes?" Smith told the outlet. "So, whether it's a Keystone 2.0 or something else, I'm looking forward to starting those conversations in earnest once the interior secretary is sworn in." Trump tapped Gov. Doug Burgum, R-N.D., to lead the U.S. Department of the Interior, but he has not yet been confirmed by the Senate.

TRUMP TELLS EU TO BUY MORE AMERICAN-MADE OIL AND GAS OR FACE ‘TARIFFS ALL THE WAY’

The White House did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment. However, this week, Trump rescinded Biden's executive order that canceled the pipeline's permits, a move that could reopen potential construction of the oil system.

"Restarting the Keystone XL pipeline aligns with President Trump’s agenda to lower food and energy costs by bolstering North American energy infrastructure and reducing reliance on costly imports," Jason Isaac, CEO of the American Energy Institute (AEI), told Fox News Digital. 

"The pipeline’s ability to transport heavy sour crude, rich in sulfur, will support the production of affordable fertilizers, a critical input for agriculture, ultimately lowering food-production costs," Isaac said. "Additionally, the increased supply of crude oil will stabilize fuel prices, reducing transportation and energy costs that significantly impact food prices. This project strengthens energy security, fosters economic growth, and directly contributes to making energy and food more affordable for American families."

Another expert said that Trump will likely face litigation if he chooses to proceed with construction of the pipeline, but that Congress could help limit legal action.

"The Trump administration will, no doubt, provide the needed permits for completing the Keystone XL, but litigation is sure to occur," Steve Milloy, a senior fellow at the Energy & Environmental Legal Institute and former Trump EPA transition team member, told Fox News Digital. "The trick will be to limit the litigation so that investors don’t get scared off. Congress could aid the process by ordering the pipeline completed and limiting the litigation."

In December 2022, the Biden administration's Department of Energy (DOE) published a report that said the Keystone XL project would have created between 16,149 and 59,000 jobs and would have had a positive economic impact of between $3.4 and 9.6 billion, citing various studies.

Flashback: Murkowski voted to confirm 19 Biden Cabinet picks in defiance of GOP

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, voted in favor of 19 out of 21 of former President Joe Biden's Cabinet nominees in 2021, a Fox News Digital analysis shows.

Murkowski voted against the confirmation of former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra and did not vote on former Labor Secretary Marty Walsh's appointment.

She did vote in favor of Biden's Supreme Court nominee, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.

SENATE CHAIRMAN CRITICIZES ‘ANONYMOUS SOURCES WITH ULTERIOR MOTIVES,’ STANDS BY HEGSETH NOMINATION

Alaska's senior senator is facing a barrage of attacks from President Donald Trump's supporters over her opposition to his nominee to lead the Department of Defense, Pete Hegseth.

"I commend Pete Hegseth’s service to our nation, including leading troops in combat and advocating for our veterans. However, these accomplishments do not alleviate my significant concerns regarding his nomination," Murkowski said in a lengthy statement posted to X this week.

She expressed concerns about his lack of relevant experience on Pentagon policy, as well as allegations that he mismanaged two veterans organizations he previously led, and accusations of sexual assault and excessive drinking – all of which Hegseth has denied.

"While the allegations of sexual assault and excessive drinking do nothing to quiet my concerns, the past behaviors Mr. Hegseth has admitted to, including infidelity on multiple occasions, demonstrate a lack of judgment that is unbecoming of someone who would lead our armed forces," Murkowski wrote.

MODERATE REPUBLICAN MURKOWSKI WON'T BACK TRUMP PICK HEGSETH FOR DEFENSE SECRETARY

Among those who criticized her stance was Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis., a former Navy SEAL. Van Orden targeted Murkowski for voting for Biden Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin over his leadership during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

"You voted for the two men responsible for the murder of these 13 heroes. The internet is forever, your time in office is not," Van Orden wrote on X, in reference to the service members killed during a suicide bombing in Kabul.

"I strongly encourage you to fire the staff that gave you this horrible advice and wrote your X post."

However, some on the right agree with Murkowski. One GOP lawmaker previously told Fox News Digital about Hegseth, "The military fired people who behaved like Hegseth. Him being [Defense Secretary] will cause issues with discipline."

Murkowski told Politico in 2020 that "all presidents have right to their Cabinet" but it was the Senate's responsibility to make sure those people "are good, qualified credible candidates."

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, who is also opposing Hegseth, voted in favor of all of Biden's Cabinet nominees in 2021.

Fox News Digital reached out to Murkowski's office for comment.

Commuted Jan 6 defendants barred from DC, Capitol building by federal judge

A federal district judge issued an order Friday barring certain Jan. 6 defendants with commutations from entering Washington, D.C., or the U.S. Capitol building. 

In the filing, Judge Amit P. Mehta specified the order applied to "Defendants Stewart Rhodes, Kelly Meggs, Kenneth Harrelson, Jessica Watkins, Roberto Minuta, Edward Vallejo, David Moerchel, and Joseph Hacket," whose sentences were commuted. 

Those pardoned are not subject to the order.

The order states "You must not knowingly enter the District of Columbia without first obtaining the permission from the Court" and "You must not knowingly enter the United States Capitol Building or onto surrounding grounds known as Capitol Square."

TRUMP PARDONS FORMER DC POLICE OFFICERS CONVICTED IN DEATH OF MAN DURING DEADLY PURSUIT

The filing says the order is effective as of Friday at noon. 

Rhodes, founder of Oath Keepers, was previously seen in the Capitol complex's Longworth House office building. He was convicted of seditious conspiracy.

President Donald Trump pardoned nearly all Jan. 6 defendants earlier this week, after promising to do so at his inaugural parade.

Trump signed off on releasing more than 1,500 charged with crimes stemming from the Jan. 6, 2021, attack at the U.S. Capitol on Monday. The order required the Federal Bureau of Prisons to act immediately on receipt of the pardons.

Those pardoned in his initial order included Enrique Tarrio, the former Proud Boys chairman, who faced a sentence of 22 years in prison for seditious conspiracy.

SCHUMER BLASTS TRUMP’S J6 PARDONS AS ‘UN-AMERICAN’

Several prominent figures on the Hill came after Trump and his decision to pardon the defendants. 

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., told reporters the pardons were "deeply un-American."

"There is no other way to describe President Trump's pardon of Jan. 6th defenders than un-American," Schumer said. "It is so deeply un-American to do that, to pardon. And let's be clear, President Trump didn't just pardon protesters. He pardoned individuals convicted of assaulting police officers. He pardoned individuals convicted of seditious conspiracy. And he pardoned those who attempted to undermine our democracy." 

TRUMP REVOKES SECURITY CLEARANCES OF 51 INTEL OFFICIALS WHO SIGNED DISCREDITED HUNTER BIDEN LAPTOP LETTER

Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., called Trump's pardon "shameful," and "a betrayal" to those police officers "who put their lives on the line to stop an attempt to subvert the peacefyl transfer of power."

"The President's actions are an outrageous insult to our justice system and the heroes who suffered physical scars and emotional trauma as they protected the Capitol, the Congress and the Constitution," Pelosi said in a statement posted to X, formerly known as Twitter.  

Fox News Digital's Diana Stancy and Jamie Joseph contributed to this report. 

Date set for Robert F Kennedy Jr's Health secretary confirmation hearings

The Senate committees on health and finance have announced the upcoming hearing dates for Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s bid to be the next secretary of Health and Human Services. 

The Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary nominee will participate in hearings with two committees, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) and the Senate Committee on Finance. The first hearing will occur next week, on Wednesday, in front of the Senate finance committee, which oversees HHS. The Senate's chief committee covering issues tied to health and healthcare, the HELP committee, will probe Kennedy the following day, on Thursday.

Kennedy's nomination could face opposition, even from Republicans. In particular, Kennedy's views and past statements about vaccines have been scrutinized by both GOP and Democratic lawmakers. Additionally, GOP lawmakers have been concerned about Kennedy's pro-abortion views that he has espoused in the past and his potential impact on the agriculture sector.

TRUMP INAUGURATION: CHERYL HINES EMBRACES RFK JR'S MAHA MISSION

In an interview with "Fox News Sunday" earlier this month, Louisiana GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy, the top lawmaker on the Senate HELP committee, said Kennedy was "wrong" on vaccinations. One example that has been raised was Kennedy's alleged efforts, which he has denied, to promote doubts around vaccine efficacy during a 2019 measles outbreak in Samoa. Those efforts included a letter Kennedy sent to the country's prime minister, as chairman of Children's Health Defense, suggesting that the measles vaccine could have potentially exacerbated the outbreak.

In the past, Kennedy has also suggested that vaccines can be linked to autism.

"The scientific research has been done and the results are clear – vaccines do not cause autism," Autism Science Foundation President Alison Singer wrote in a statement. Kennedy suggested to journalist John Stossel that such studies are "propaganda."

AARON RODGERS WARNS SENATORS ABOUT RFK JR'S INTELLECT AS CONFIRMATION HEARING LOOMS: ‘BETTER COME READY’

Kennedy's past pro-abortion views, and what he might do to the agriculture sector in his push to implement his "Make America Healthy Again" platform, have also raised concerns for some Republican members of the Senate.

"He’s made some statements about pigs and about GMO corn and soybeans. I can’t believe that he’s going to have a problem with that. But if he does, he has a problem with me," Sen. Chuck Grassley, a member of the Senate finance committee, told Semafor. 

Following a meeting with conservative Alabama GOP Sen. Tommy Tuberville, a staunch pro-life lawmaker, the senator said that Kennedy told him that he agrees with Trump on abortion "100%" and will have a light touch on regulating farmers.

"We talked about abortion and the big thing about abortion is he's telling everybody, 'Listen, whatever president Trump [supports] I'm going back him, 100%,'" Tuberville told reporters following his meeting with Kennedy.

Fox News Digital reached out to Kennedy's representatives for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.

'We can’t wait': Issa fights back against 'green tape' regulations impacting firefighters

FIRST ON FOX: GOP Congressman Darrell Issa has introduced a bill in response to the devastating California wildfires aimed at slashing through the regulatory burdens that prevent firefighters from most effectively preventing the fires.

Issa, who represents California’s 48th Congressional District, is putting forward the Green Tape Elimination Act which would exempt hazardous fuel reduction activities on federal lands from federal regulations for a decade. 

Eliminating those regulatory burdens, Issa says, will allow firefighters to clear brush, cut shrubs, prescribe fires, along with other fire prevention activities without being hindered by six major federal environmental regulations.

Those regulations include the National Environmental Policy Act, Endangered Species Act, National Historic Preservation Act, Clean Air Act, Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and Migratory Bird Conservation Act.

BILL MAHER TRASHES KAREN BASS, CALI OFFICIALS FOR RESPONSE TO FIRES: 'FIDDLING IN GHANA WHILE THE CITY BURNED’

"For years, environmental rules have become regulatory ‘green tape’ — locking in dangerous conditions and contradicting common sense reforms," Issa, who will be touring the Palisade Fire devastation with President Trump on Friday, told Fox News Digital. "That’s why this is no time for tinkering around the edges. We can’t wait for the next deadly disaster."

"Giving a blank check to finance even more of California’s mismanagement would be like giving matches to an arsonist," Issa continued. "We’re dedicated to helping the victims of this disaster first and working to prevent the next one. It’s a message I’ll bring to President Trump when I see him today in Los Angeles."

The Golden State's struggles with preventing or at least moderating severe wildfires over the past few decades has been a longstanding concern that was only exacerbated by the recent Eaton Fire and Palisades fire which killed at least 28 people. 

CALIFORNIA WATER SUPPLY CRUCIAL FOR LA WILDFIRE RESPONSE ALLOWED TO RUN DRY MONTHS BEFORE INFERNOS: LAWSUIT

Many have argued that a wide range of federal and state regulations make it more difficult to conduct mitigation activities, like prescribed burns or treatments to remove hazardous trees and vegetation.

Chuck Devore, a former member of the California State Assembly and the chief national initiatives officer at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, told FOX Business in a recent interview that federal and state rules have hampered wildfire mitigation efforts, resulting in larger fuel loads that drive more intense wildfires."

"The nature of the wildfire problem changes a little bit from north to south… In both cases, you have the issue of air quality management districts that are under both federal and state mandate to clean up the air. That makes it difficult to have prescribed burns with the sort of frequency that needs to happen to be able to reduce the fuel load," Devore said.

Trump hiring freeze prompts DOJ to pull job offers in AG's honors program: report

The Department of Justice is rescinding job offers for the Attorney General’s Honors Program amid President Donald Trump’s federal hiring freeze, according to a new report. 

The Attorney General’s Honors Program, established in 1953, hires graduating law students or recent law school graduates from top law schools such as Harvard, Duke, Georgetown, Stanford and the University of Virginia. 

But the Department of Justice notified those who had been selected for the program, which serves as a pipeline to recruit top legal talent into the public sector, that their offers were being revoked, several people familiar with the decision told the Washington Post

CAREER JUSTICE DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS REASSIGNED TO DIFFERENT POSITIONS: REPORTS

The Department’s Office of Attorney Recruitment and Management distributed an email to those affected via email on Wednesday. 

"Pursuant to the hiring freeze announced Jan. 20, 2025, your job offer has been revoked," said the email," according to an email the Post obtained. 

Those familiar with the program said it may take on more than 100 lawyers annually, with recent hires assigned to the antitrust, national security, criminal and other divisions. 

They told the Post that the program is critical in recruiting new top talent to the Justice Department in order to replace outgoing legal talent. The two-year program places young attorneys on a career path to stay at the Department once the program concludes. 

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE FREEZES ALL CIVIL RIGHTS DIVISION CASES: REPORT

The Post reports that it is uncertain whether the program will resume once federal hiring starts again. 

The Department of Justice did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. 

Trump signed a series of executive orders on Inauguration Day this week, including those initiating the federal hiring freeze as well as withdrawing the U.S. from the Paris climate agreement, and directing every department and agency to address the cost-of-living crisis.

DOJ RACING THE CLOCK TO ENSHRINE ‘WOKE’ POLICING RULES, LAWYER SAYS, AS JUDGE HEARS BREONNA TAYLOR REFORM CASE

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"As part of this freeze, no Federal civilian position that is vacant at noon on January 20, 2025, may be filled, and no new position may be created except as otherwise provided for in this memorandum or other applicable law," a White House memo said. "Except as provided below, this freeze applies to all executive departments and agencies regardless of their sources of operational and programmatic funding."

Those exempt from the hiring freeze include military personnel and other federal jobs pertaining to immigration, national security or public safety. 

President Trump, Melania board Air Force One for first time in 4 years, photo shows

President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump were photographed Friday boarding Air Force One for the first time in four years. 

Trump and his wife — who was wearing a green jacket and aviator sunglasses — were seen getting onboard the aircraft at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.  

The president is heading to North Carolina to survey damage from Hurricane Helene last September. 

NORTH CAROLINA RESIDENT CALLS FOR ‘LARGER FEDERAL RESPONSE’ TO HELENE DAMAGE AHEAD OF TRUMP VISIT 

"We're going to North Carolina. It's a horrible thing, the way that's been allowed to fester. And we're going to get it fixed up. Should have been done months ago from the hurricane that took place almost four months ago," Trump told reporters after leaving the White House. "North Carolina has been treated very badly." 

TRUMP TO VISIT CALIFORNIA AFTER RIPPING ‘IDIOT’ NEWSOM ON WILDFIRE 

"So we're stopping there and we are then going to go to Los Angeles and take a look at a fire that could have been put out if they let the water flow but they didn't let the water flow, and they still haven't for whatever reason. So, I think we're going to have a very interesting time," Trump added. 

Trump was last photographed stepping off Air Force One on Jan. 20, 2021, while Joe Biden was being sworn in as president that day. 

Oklahoma Sen Mullin confident Hegseth will be confirmed, predicts who Democrats will try to sink next

Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin expressed confidence that Pete Hegseth would be confirmed as Defense secretary, despite opposition from GOP moderates.

Hegseth cleared a procedural hurdle in the Senate on Thursday, setting up a final confirmation vote expected Friday evening. However, Republican Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, both publicly declared their opposition to his nomination, meaning the GOP can only afford one more defection before Hegseth's confirmation is lost.

Mullin, in an interview on the "Guy Benson Show" with guest host Jason Rantz, said there are 50 "hard yes" votes for Hegseth to be confirmed and estimated he will receive as many as 52 votes, with all Democrats and the moderate Republicans from Alaska and Maine voting against.

"He's definitely being confirmed tomorrow," Mullin told Rantz. "I don't know what the White House schedule is, but I wouldn't be surprised if he was sworn into office on Saturday."

HEGSETH CLEARS SENATE HURDLE AND ADVANCES TO A FINAL CONFIRMATION VOTE

The Senate voted 51-49 to advance Hegseth's nomination on Thursday, which triggered up to 30 hours of debate before a final vote. President Donald Trump's embattled Defense nominee has faced intense grilling from Democrats on his qualifications for the position, as well as personal questions about his drinking habits and alleged sexual misconduct, which he has vigorously denied. Hegseth has said he would abstain from alcohol if confirmed. 

Hegseth's nomination faced another hurdle this week when reports emerged that his ex-sister-in-law alleged that Hegseth had 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.

KEY SENATE CHAIRMAN CRITICIZES 'ANONYMOUS SOURCES WITH ULTERIOR MOTIVES,' STANDS BY HEGSETH NOMINATION

However, 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 Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., slammed Hegseth at a news conference on Thursday and urged Republicans to join Democrats in opposition to 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.

HEGSETH LAWYER SLAMS ‘FLAWED AND QUESTIONABLE AFFIDAVIT’ FROM EX-SISTER-IN-LAW

"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."

Mullin predicted that once Hegseth is confirmed, Democrats will turn their attention to another of Trump's nominees, Tulsi Gabbard, who is the president's choice to be director of national intelligence.

"I think they're going to turn their attention from Pete straight to Tulsi Gabbad," Mullin said, noting that Gabbard's confirmation hearing is scheduled for next week. "They went from Matt Gaetz to Pete Hegseth. Now they're going to go to Tulsi, and then after that I'm sure they'll probably move on to [health secretary nominee] Bobby Kennedy."

The Oklahoma Republican also suggested that Democratic senators who may harbor presidential ambitions stand to gain from making a show of opposition to Trump's nominees.

"You have all these Democrat senators now that are jumping up and down wanting attention so they can be the champion of the Democrat Party. What they don't realize is the position they took underneath Biden and when Trump was in office is exactly why they got kicked out of office."

Trump DHS makes key move against migrants allowed in via controversial Biden parole programs

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is allowing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials to review the parole status of migrants who were brought in under a dramatic expansion of humanitarian parole by the Biden administration, opening the door for their quick removal from the country.

In an internal memo signed Thursday, and obtained by Fox News Digital, acting DHS Secretary Benjamine Huffman noted moves he made this week to take limits off expedited removal, which allows for the rapid removal of recently-arrived migrants if they do not claim asylum or fail to meet an initial standard. The power can now be used anywhere in the U.S. for migrants in the U.S. for less than two years.

The new memo says that with those expanded powers, any immigrant whom DHS knows who could be put on expedited removal, but has not, should have their case reviewed and "consider, in exercising your enforcement discretion, whether to apply expedited removal." The memo was first reported by The New York Times.

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"This may include steps to terminate any ongoing removal proceeding and/or any active parole status," it says.

It also says that for any immigrant who has been granted parole under a policy paused, modified or terminated by the Trump administration, officers can decide whether they should be placed in removal proceedings and "review the alien’s parole status to determine, in exercising your enforcement discretion, whether parole remains appropriate in light of any changed legal or factual status."

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The memo also notes that parole is a "positive exercise of enforcement discretion to which no alien is entitled and that parole ‘shall not be regarded as an admission of the alien.’"

This would mean that migrants who were granted parole at ports of entry after making an appointment via the CBP One app, or who were given travel authorization to be paroled under the parole processes for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans (CHNV), could be eligible for removal. The administration also launched parole programs for nationals from Ukraine and Afghanistan.

Nearly 1.5 million migrants were allowed in under CBP One and CHNV, and both parole channels were closed by President Donald Trump on his first day in office. The Biden administration said the expanded "lawful pathways" were part of an effort to reduce illegal crossings, but Republicans accused the administration of abusing limited parole power and allowing in migrants who should not legally have entered.

Huffman’s memo follows a memo from earlier this week in which he ordered a review of the use of parole. The memo notes that the statute demands the authority be used on a "case by case basis," something that Republican critics claim the administration has abused. It emphasizes that parole is "a limited use authority, applicable only in a very narrow set of circumstances."

It also claims that "it has been repeatedly abused by the Executive Branch over the past several decades in ways that are blatantly inconsistent with the statute."

"Most important, the parole statute does not authorize categorical parole programs that make aliens presumptively eligible on the basis of some set of broadly applicable criteria," it says.

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The memo directs the heads of (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection to compile a list of instructions, policies and procedures related to parole, review them and formulate a plan to phase out any that are not in accord with the statute.

The latest memo comes amid a flurry of moves by the administration on illegal immigration and immigration, including moves to send military to the border, end refugee resettlement, build the border wall and launch a massive deportation operation. 

ICE on Thursday arrested more than 530 illegal immigrants in another day of raids across the U.S. Agents have focused on public safety threats, but officials have said that no-one is off the table if they are in the country illegally.

Massie and other Republicans push 'National Constitutional Carry Act' to protect Americans' gun rights

Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and a slew of other House Republicans are pushing a proposal that would compel states to allow Americans to carry guns in public areas.

The measure, dubbed the "National Constitutional Carry Act," would prohibit states and localities from limiting U.S. citizens from carrying firearms in public if they are eligible to have the weapons under state and federal law

"By prohibiting state or local restrictions on the right to bear arms, H.R. 645 upholds the original purpose of the Second Amendment—to ensure the security of a free state—while safeguarding individual liberties against government infringement," Massie noted, according to a press release.

MASSIE DROPS COLORFUL ANALOGY OPPOSING FOREIGN AID, MOCKS SPEAKER JOHNSON WITH AI-GENERATED IMAGE

Specifically, the text of the measure stipulates that "No State or political subdivision of a State may impose a criminal or civil penalty on, or otherwise indirectly limit the carrying of firearms (including by imposing a financial or other barrier to entry) in public by residents or nonresidents of that State who are citizens of the United States and otherwise eligible to possess firearms under State and Federal law."

"Any statute, ordinance, regulation, custom, or usage of a State or a political subdivision of a State that criminalizes, penalizes, or otherwise indirectly dissuades the carrying of firearms (including by imposing a financial or other barrier to entry) in public by any resident or nonresident who is a United States citizen and otherwise eligible to possess firearms under State and Federal law, shall have no force or effect," the measure reads.

The measure would not apply to locations "where screening for firearms is conducted under state law," and it would not block the owners of privately-owned facilities from banning guns on their premises. 

Massie and others had previously pushed such a proposal last year as well.

IN ONE U.S. TOWN, RESIDENTS ARE LEGALLY REQUIRED TO OWN GUNS AND AMMO

In 2021, Massie shared a family Christmas photo in which each person was holding a gun.

"Merry Christmas!" the staunch gun rights advocate wrote when sharing the photo, adding, "ps. Santa, please bring ammo."

In a 2022 post, he criticized the term "Gun Violence," asserting that it "is part of the language leftists use to shift blame away from evil perpetrators of violence" and that it "suggests that guns are to blame instead of people, which sets the table for their anti-second amendment agenda."

"There’s a reason you never see a Communist, a Marxist, or even a Socialist politician support the right of common people to keep and bear arms: Those forms of government require more submission to the state than armed citizens would tolerate," Massie also tweeted in 2022.

REP. MASSIE LAUNCHES ‘MAXIMUM TRIGGERING’ WITH FAMILY CHRISTMAS PHOTO: ‘SANTA, PLEASE BRING AMMO’

The congressman's press release lists dozens of House Republicans as original cosponsors, including: Reps. Andy Biggs of Arizona, Lauren Boebert of Colorado, Josh Brecheen of Oklahoma, Tim Burchett of Tennessee, Eric Burlison of Missouri, Ben Cline of Virginia, Michael Cloud of Texas, Mike Collins of Georgia, Eli Crane of Arizona, Brandon Gill of Texas, Paul Gosar of Arizona, Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Andy Harris of Maryland, Clay Higgins of Louisiana, Nick Langworthy of New York, Anna Paulina Luna of Florida, Mary Miller of Illinois, Barry Moore of Alabama, Nathaniel Moran of Texas, Andrew Ogles of Tennessee, John Rose of Tennessee, Chip Roy of Texas, Keith Self of Texas, Victoria Spartz of Indiana, Claudia Tenney of New York, Tom Tiffany of Wisconsin, Randy Weber of Texas and Tony Wied of Wisconsin.

House Republicans clear path for Trump to act on tariff plans

House Republicans are unveiling a new bill to clear a path for President Donald Trump to enact his sweeping tariff plans.

First-term Rep. Riley Moore, R-W.Va., is reintroducing the U.S. Reciprocal Trade Act on Friday, which, if passed, would allow Trump to unilaterally make moves on import taxes from both adversaries and allies.

He would be required to notify Congress, however, which could file a joint resolution of disapproval against the moves.

"American manufacturing has endured decades of decline under the globalist system that has hollowed out our industrial base and shipped countless jobs overseas. Leaders in both political parties deserve blame. But those days are over," Moore said in a statement.

TRUMP CONFRONTS BANK OF AMERICA CEO FOR NOT TAKING 'CONSERVATIVE BUSINESS'

Moore said Trump was "the first national politician in my lifetime to recognize this problem, campaign on it, and work to reverse that trend."

"With the U.S. Reciprocal Trade Act, we’ll give the executive the leverage necessary to go to bat for the American people and achieve tariff reductions on U.S. goods," he said.

Trump released a campaign video in 2023 pledging to work with Congress to pass the Reciprocal Trade Act, declaring, "Under the Trump Reciprocal Trade Act, other countries will have two choices—they’ll get rid of their tariffs on us, or they will pay us hundreds of billions of dollars, and the United States will make an absolute FORTUNE."

TRUMP'S PROPOSED TARIFFS ON MEXICO, CANADA, CHINA WILL INCREASE INFLATION, GOLDMAN SACHS WARNS

This week, the president announced that he wanted to impose a 10% tariff on Chinese imports, making good on a campaign promise to use such taxes to lower the U.S. national debt, which is currently over $36 trillion.

"We're talking about a tariff of 10% on China, based on the fact that they're sending fentanyl to Mexico and Canada," Trump said Tuesday. "Probably February 1st is the date we're looking at." 

During his campaign, Trump promised to levy a 60% tariff on goods from China and as much as 20% on other countries the U.S. trades with.

He also recently pledged on Truth Social to create an "External Revenue Service" to "collect our Tariffs, Duties, and all Revenue that come from Foreign sources."

Trump has praised the U.S. Reciprocal Trade Act by name multiple times, including during a January 2019 meeting with House Republicans, including the bill's former lead, ex-Rep. Sean Duffy, R-Wis. Trump recently nominated Duffy to be secretary of Transportation.

"The United States Reciprocal Trade Act — this legislation will help, finally, to give our workers a fair and level playing field against other countries. Countries are taking advantage of us, whether they think we’re very nice or not so smart.  They’ve been doing it for many, many years, and we want to end it," Trump said at the time.

However, not everyone is in agreement that tariffs are an effective way to bolster the U.S. economy, with some economists warning it would only raise costs for consumers.

"Not only would widespread tariffs drive up costs at home and likely send our economy into recession, but they would likely lead to significant retaliation, hurting American workers, farmers, and businesses," Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Wash., said while unveiling a measure to block Trump from using unilateral tariff powers by declaring a trade emergency.

ATF accused of 'circumventing' Trump order to place DEI staff on paid leave

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has been accused of allegedly quietly changing the job title of its former diversity officer as President Donald Trump ordered all federal diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) employees be placed on paid leave. 

"The ATF defied @realDonaldTrump’s order to place DEI workers on leave, instead giving their DEI officer a new title. They attack citizens’ rights, ignore leadership, and act as though they’re above the law. Enough is enough. Time to abolish the ATF!" Republican Missouri Rep. Eric Burlison posted to X. 

The ATF, a federal law enforcement agency under the Department of Justice’s umbrella, previously employed Lisa T. Boykin as its chief diversity officer before her title was changed on the ATF’s website this week to "senior executive" with the ATF. An archived link of the ATF’s website reviewed by Fox Digital shows Boykin was listed as the chief diversity officer as recently as Tuesday – Trump’s second day in the Oval Office – and now shows her as working as the agency's "senior executive." 

Trump had railed against DEI programs and offices at the federal level, as well as in the education system, throughout his campaign. Upon taking office on Monday, he inked an executive order terminating ​​"illegal DEI and 'diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility' (DEIA) mandates, policies, programs, preferences, and activities in the Federal Government, under whatever name they appear."

TRUMP REVOKES BIDEN ORDER ALLOWING TRANSGENDER TROOPS IN BID TO RID DEI FROM MILITARY

The following day, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) told agency and department leaders to begin shutting down DEI offices and to place DEI employees on paid leave. 

TRUMP'S DISMANTLING OF DEI IS DEEPER AND BIGGER THAN YOU EVEN KNOW

"Send a notification to all employees of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) offices that they are being placed on paid administrative leave effective immediately as the agency takes steps to close/end all DEIA initiatives, offices and programs," the OPM directive, which was obtained by Fox News Digital, read. 

A biography for Boykin from 2023 detailed that she began working as ATF’s Human Resources Operations Division in 2016 and "as a collateral duty, in 2021, Mrs. Boykin also began serving as the Bureau’s Chief Diversity Officer," the New York Post reported. 

"With the Bureau’s continued focus on enhancing DEIA, Mrs. Boykin currently assumes the work of the CDO in a fulltime capacity, leading and implementing departmental programs and mandates, while bringing renewed vision and effective strategies to maintain an informed DEIA culture for the Bureau," Boykin’s bio added.

WHITE HOUSE OPM ORDERS ALL DEI OFFICES TO BEGIN CLOSING BY END OF DAY WEDNESDAY

When asked about the title change and subsequent criticism on social media, an ATF spokesman responded that the agency has followed DEI directives from the Trump administration. 

"ATF began implementing OPM’s Initial Guidance on DEIA immediately after its issuance on January 21, 2025, in response to the President’s Executive Orders. We have proactively taken the necessary steps to ensure compliance with this guidance, including by placing impacted personnel on administrative leave," an ATF spokesman told Fox News Digital. 

Fox News Digital asked for clarification on whether Boykin's new title protects her from administrative leave but did not immediately receive a reply. 

Fox News Digital also reached out to Boykin on her ATF email and received an automatic response noting she was unavailable to reply. 

"I am currently unavailable and unable to return e-mails at this time," the email read. 

Social media commenters and critics of the Biden administration’s diversity initiatives slammed the ATF employee’s title change on social media, clamming the agency is "circumventing" the Trump administration's orders. 

3 IN 10 VOTERS THINK ENDING DEI PROGRAMS IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT, POLL SHOWS, AS FEDERAL DEADLINE LOOMS

Biden championed diversity initiatives under his administration, rolling back the first Trump administration's policies that banned diversity training in government agencies during his first week in office in 2021. 

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"In the weeks ahead, I will be reaffirming the federal government’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion and accessibility, building on the work we started in the Obama-Biden administration. That’s why I’m rescinding the previous administration’s harmful ban on diversity and sensitivity training," Biden said in January of 2021. "Unity and healing must begin with understanding and truth, not ignorance and lies."

DeSantis pushes Florida lawmakers to take action on illegal immigration, warns of consequences for defiance

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday pushed Republican state lawmakers to take urgent action on illegal immigration, voting to fight like a "junkyard dog" and warning of political consequences for defiance.

The governor leaned on the Florida legislature ahead of a special session next week, during which he wants legislators to pass new bills to crack down on illegal immigration in sync with President Donald Trump's administration at the federal level. But GOP leaders have called the session "premature" and signaled that they may gavel out without taking action on the governor's agenda items.

DeSantis warned that would be a costly mistake. "It would be very, very hazardous politically," he told reporters during a roundtable discussion at the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office. He also suggested that he will call for another special session of the legislature if GOP leaders delay action.

BORDER ENCOUNTERS DROP SHARPLY AS TRUMP LAUNCHES CRACKDOWN ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION

"I have my constitutional authority to wield in this process and I will continue to wield it as appropriate so that we're able to get the job done," he said, adding that he would fight like a "junkyard dog" to get his immigration policies enacted. 

"You don't let go." 

DeSantis wants Republicans to enact laws that would require state and local officials to comply with the new immigration orders issued by the White House and provide funding for them to do so. He has also called for legislation that would penalize state and local officials who violate Florida's "anti-sanctuary policies," WPTV reported. 

The governor also directed lawmakers to consider additional hurricane aid, crack down on ballot initiative signature fraud and address rising HOA fees. 

DESANTIS CITES ‘GULF OF AMERICA’ IN WINTER STORM ORDER AFTER TRUMP REBRANDING

House Speaker Daniel Perez and Senate President Ben Albritton reacted coolly when the governor called for a special legislative session starting on Jan. 27. In a joint statement on Jan. 13, they called it "irresponsible" for the legislature to act ahead of any announcements Trump may make on immigration and criticized DeSantis, stating the governor had offered only "fragmented ideas" and had not released any bill language or details for legislators to consider.

Lawmakers "will decide when and what legislation we consider," the Florida House and Senate leaders said. 

Trump has already issued a flurry of executive orders to begin promised "mass deportations" of illegal immigrants present in the United States. On Monday, Trump declared an emergency on the southern border, deployed 1,500 soldiers to the border and ended the Biden administration's CBP One app program to process migrants at ports of entry via humanitarian parole. 

His administration then launched a mass deportation operation, with ICE agents active in multiple cities and states across the U.S.

DESANTIS' CHOSEN RUBIO REPLACEMENT MOODY WANTS TO TACKLE INFLATION, SPENDING, BORDER: ‘AUDIT THE FED!’

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.

And Trump’s administration has 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.

These combined policies have resulted in a sharp 35% drop in illegal immigrant encounters at the southern border, multiple Department of Homeland Security sources told Fox News Digital. 

DeSantis rejected the concerns of the legislature, telling reporters Thursday, "we've been waiting years for this moment. It's not premature." 

"We can't drag our feet. We can't wait for something to go into effect in July. We need something immediately and we need to get everything moving, and we need to do what we told the people that elected us that we would do." 

JFK's grandson says there is 'nothing heroic' about Trump's declassification order

President Donald Trump’s executive order to declassify the JFK files left one of the 35th president’s descendants unimpressed. Jack Schlossberg, former President John F. Kennedy’s grandson, made his stance on the order clear in a post on X, saying that there was "nothing heroic" about Trump’s latest move.

"Declassification is using JFK as a political prop, when he’s not here to punch back," Schlossberg wrote. "There’s nothing heroic about it."


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

After signing the order, which included the declassification of files on the assassinations of JFK, his brother Robert F. Kennedy and civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr., Trump told reporters that "everything will be revealed."

RFK Jr., son of the late senator and Trump’s HHS nominee, told press that the order was a "great move" on the president’s part. He believes that the move will bring "more transparency" and it shows that Trump is "keeping his promise to have the government tell the truth to the American people about everything." Kennedy has called for answers on his father and uncle’s assassinations.

TRUMP'S AI 'DECLARATION' REMINISCENT OF JFK PLEDGE TO PUT A MAN ON THE MOON: FORMER WHITE HOUSE IT OFFICIAL

"I have now determined that the continued redaction and withholding of information from records pertaining to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy is not consistent with the public interest and the release of these records is long overdue," Trump's order reads.

The order gives officials just over two weeks (15 days) to give Trump a plan for "the full and complete release of records" on the JFK assassination. Additionally, officials have 45 days to present a plan on files relating to RFK and MLK Jr.’s assassinations.

King’s family reacted to the order in a statement, saying that they "hope to be provided the opportunity to review the files as a family prior to its public release."

While Trump promised to release the JFK files during his first administration, there is still an undisclosed amount of material that remains under wraps more than 60 years later.

Trump ultimately agreed to block the release of the files after pleas from the CIA and FBI. At the time, he said that the threat of making the documents public were of "significant gravity" that they outweighed "public interest." In a recent appearance on "Hannity," Trump said that then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo asked him not to release the documents, though he did not say if Pompeo explained why the files should remain classified.

Fox News Digital's Louis Casiano contributed to this report.

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