Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., had a tense interaction on Sunday during a live interview with Margaret Brennan on CBS' "Face the Nation."
Graham told Brennan he was "ready" to vote to confirm Kash Patel, President-elect Donald Trump's pick for FBI director, and believes Patel's confirmation hearing "will expose him to be a very qualified man of the law."
The remarks came after Brennan quoted former U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr's memoir about Patel.
"Patel had virtually no experience that would qualify him to serve at the highest level of the world's preeminent law enforcement agency," Barr wrote in his 2022 memoir.
Graham said Barr was wrong when he wrote it, and wrong now about Patel. He said he takes his advice on the nominee from former Rep. Trey Gowdy, who worked with Patel.
"Kash was a public defender, he was a prosecutor, he worked with Trey Gowdy about the Russia hoax," Graham said. "So I do think he has the experience. He has the trust of the president."
"I'm ready to vote for him because I know him too. See [you] never asked about the Russia hoax that he exposed," Graham continued. "People on the right believe that he was part of the solution, not the problem."
Graham then began to talk about this situation in the Middle East and its relation to the "world stage."
"You took me all the way to Israel from Kash Patel," Brennan said.
"You shouldn't worry about Kash Patel," Graham responded when Brennan asked about Patel "going after journalists."
"You should worry about reporting the news fairly, which you don't do when it comes to everything Trump," Graham concluded.
The CBS host then reminded Graham he is a guest on the show because "we wanted to hear you out," before cutting to a commercial break.
FIRST ON FOX: A coalition of hawkish immigration groups, ahead of President-elect Trump’s inauguration, are urging Republicans in Congress and officials in the incoming Trump administration to follow through on their promises to launch a mass deportation operation – urging them not to back down or compromise on key issues, and to use the upcoming reconciliation process to put those promises into action.
"The undersigned organizations and individuals write to express and pledge our support in fulfilling the promises you made to the American people," the coalition says.
The 10 groups include Heritage Action for America, NumbersUSA, the National Immigration Center for Enforcement and the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR). In their letter, obtained by Fox News Digital, they warn that work needs to start immediately.
"Due to limitations in Congressional calendars, the threat of litigation from open-borders zealots, the slow pace of regulatory action, as well as the complexity of promised law enforcement operations, work needs to begin immediately, in earnest," they say.
"Mass deportations and secure borders are not only cornerstones of public safety and national security, but they are also a critical means to protect American workers and stop employers from engaging in unscrupulous activities," they say. "Most importantly, they are not bargaining chips for other policies or political priorities."
Trump has promised to launch a "historic" deportation operation and to provide additional border security. Many Republicans in Congress ran on those issues, and polls showed many Americans saw illegal immigration as a top issue.
The groups note that the 2023 House-passed GOP border bill, which they repeatedly pushed lawmakers to pass, included a number of sweeping measures to secure the border and limit the ability of migrants to claim asylum. But they say now that the bill is a "floor, not a ceiling" and urge the incoming administration and Congress to go further, first with a funding package via the budget reconciliation process.
"Now, with unified control of government and a critical window opening, we also stand ready to help you assemble a bold reconciliation package that reflects President Trump’s commitment to the American people and the very laws that govern and protect our nation," they say.
Their recommendations for the reconciliation package include additional resources to make "millions of deportations" happen, end loopholes in immigration law, cut funding to nonprofits and "prioritize the American worker over foreign labor."
They also warn lawmakers: "NO amnesty of any kind. (If you have to say it isn’t one, it is.)"
"It is time to bring order to our immigration system and restore fidelity to the rule of law. The American people are waiting," they say.
Rosemary Jenks, police director at the Immigration and Accountability Project, said Congress must "act immediately to deliver the resources, including ICE ERO officers and detention beds, that are required for President Trump to carry out the mass deportations necessary to reverse the damage done by the Biden Administration."
Fox reported on Friday that the incoming administration is planning to start mass immigration arrests as soon as day one.
"What we’re telling ICE, you’re going to enforce the immigration law without apology," border czar Tom Homan told "Jesse Watters Tonight." "You’re going to concentrate on the worst first, public safety threats first, but no one is off the table. If they’re in the country illegally, they got a problem."
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., on Friday recounted a meeting with President Biden from early last year when the president appeared to forget he signed an executive order pausing the export of liquified natural gas (LNG).
Johnson publicly recalled the story for the first time to Bari Weiss during an episode of her podcast "Honestly" for The Free Press after saying that through his "personal observation" in dealing with Biden, the president "has not been in charge for some time." Johnson’s story was first reported by the Wall Street Journal in June, though the newspaper’s reporting relied on anonymous sources at the time.
When Weiss asked Johnson to elaborate on his observations, the speaker began his tale of how Biden’s staff kept brushing off his attempts to schedule a meeting with the president in January 2024 amid "big national concerns" that Johnson said he "was losing sleep over."
Johnson said that Biden’s staff finally relented after some pressure from the media and invited him to the Oval Office to meet with the president. Johnson, however, said the meeting did not start as expected.
"I show up and I realize it's actually an ambush 'cause it's not just me and the president," Johnson said. "It's also Kamala Harris, Chuck Schumer, Hakeem, you know, The CIA Director."
Johnson said the group began to "hot box" him on Ukraine funding when Biden asked if he could have the room with him, a request that Johnson said left the president’s staff visibly concerned.
Once Biden and Johnson were alone in the Oval Office, the speaker asked the president about his pause on LNG exports.
"I cannot answer this from my constituents in Louisiana," Johnson recalled telling Biden. "Sir, why did you pause LNG exports to Europe? Liquefied natural gas is in great demand by our allies. Why would you do that? Cause you understand we just talked about Ukraine, you understand you are fueling Vladimir Putin’s war machine, because they gotta get their gas from him."
Johnson recounted how a stunned Biden replied: "I didn’t do that."
Biden initiated a pause on new LNG export permits in January 2024, a move which has been widely criticized by the oil community and bipartisan lawmakers in the House.
Johnson said that when he reminded the president of the executive order he had signed just weeks ago, Biden denied that what he had signed was a pause on LNG.
Johnson said he argued that the pause would do "massive damage to our economy, national security," and he even suggested that the president’s secretary print out a copy of the order so that the two of them could read it together.
"He genuinely did not know what he had signed," Johnson said. "And I walked out of that meeting with fear and loathing because I thought, ‘We are in serious trouble—who is running the country?’ Like, I don't know who put the paper in front of him, but he didn’t know."
Biden’s LNG pause threatens nearly 1 million jobs over the next two decades if the restriction remains in place, according to a study by the National Association of Manufacturers, which Fox News Digital previously reported on.
The export ban would stifle the U.S. GDP by between $122.5 billion and $215.7 billion in 2044, while between $26.9 billion and $47.7 billion in tax and royalty revenues to federal, state and local governments would be at risk in 2044 if the permit pause persists, the study found.
President-elect Trump, however, reportedly "plans to go strong on the issue" of LNG exports when he assumes office, sources told Reuters in November.
Fox News Digital’s Aubrie Spady and Eric Revell contributed to this report.
President Biden issued five more pardons on Sunday on his last full day in office, including for political activist and Black nationalist Marcus Garvey.
"America is a country built on the promise of second chances," Biden said in a statement. "As President, I have used my clemency power to make that promise a reality by issuing more individual pardons and commutations than any other President in U.S. history. Today, I am exercising my clemency power to pardon 5 individuals and commute the sentences of 2 individuals who have demonstrated remorse, rehabilitation, and redemption. These clemency recipients have each made significant contributions to improving their communities."
In addition to Garvey, the clemency recipients are Darryl Chambers, Ravidath "Ravi" Ragbir,Don Leonard Scott, Jr., and Kemba Smith Pradia. Garvey was granted the pardon posthumously.
The Biden White House described Garvey, who influenced Malcolm X, as "a renowned civil rights and human rights leader who was convicted of mail fraud in 1923, and sentenced to five years’ imprisonment."
Former President Calvin Coolidge commuted his sentence in 1927. "Notably, Mr. Garvey created the Black Star Line, the first Black-owned shipping line and method of international travel, and founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association, which celebrated African history and culture. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. described Mr. Garvey as ‘the first man of color in the history of the United States to lead and develop a mass movement’," the White House said. "Advocates and lawmakers praise his global advocacy and impact, and highlight the injustice underlying his criminal conviction."
Congressional leaders had pushed for Biden to pardon Garvey. Supporters long argued that Garvey's conviction was politically motivated and an effort to silence the increasingly popular leader who spoke of racial pride.
Biden also pardoned Ragbir, an immigrant rights activist, and Smith Pradia, an advocate for criminal justice reform. Ragbir was convicted of a nonviolent offense in 2001 and was sentenced to two years in prison. Smith Pradia is an advocate convicted of a drug offense in 1994 when she was sentenced to 24 years behind bars. President Bill Clinton commuted her sentence in 2000.
Biden also announced he is commuting the sentences of 2 additional individuals – Michelle West and Robin Peoples – so that their sentences expire on Feb.18, 2025.
West was convicted in the '90s on charges that included conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, drug-related homicide and aiding and abetting in drug-related homicide, court records show.
The White House said West "is currently serving a life sentence for crimes she committed between 1987 and 1993."
"During her three decades of incarceration, Ms. West has demonstrated extraordinary rehabilitation and personal transformation," the Biden White House argued. "Ms. West’s clemency petition has received overwhelming support from the civil rights community, women’s rights advocates, former fellow inmates, and lawmakers. Supporters describe Ms. West as a role model who has built a 31-year record of rehabilitation and redemption."
Meanwhile, court records show Peoples was convicted of bank robbery and other associated offenses.
Peoples "is currently serving a 111-year sentence for crimes he committed in the late 1990s," the White House said in their announcement. "Mr. Peoples would likely face a significantly lower sentence under current law and policy. While in custody, he has demonstrated remarkable rehabilitation and courage. Mr. Peoples’s clemency petition has received overwhelming support from the civil rights community, government officials, friends, and family members. Mr. Peoples’s supporters describe him as a model inmate, an inspiring mentor, and someone deserving of a second chance."
It's still not clear whether Biden will use his last full day in office to give pardons to people who have been criticized by President-elect Donald Trump.
Biden had floated the idea of issuing preemptive pardons for possible offenses by Trump’s critics that could be investigated or prosecuted by the incoming administration. Doing so would stretch the powers of the presidency in untested ways.
President-elect Donald Trump will have his hand on two Bibles during his swearing-in ceremony on Monday, the culmination of the 60th Presidential Inauguration.
Trump will use his Bible, given to him by his mother in 1955, to "mark his Sunday Church Primary School graduation at First Presbyterian Church, in Jamaica, New York," a press release from his inaugural committee states.
The religious text is a 1953 revised standard version that was published by Thomas Nelson and Sons in New York. Trump's name is embossed on the lower portion of the front cover, and inside the cover are signatures of church officials, an inscription of the president's name and details of when it was presented to him.
In addition to the sentimental Bible, the Lincoln Bible, first used in 1861 to swear-in the 16th U.S. president, will be used.
"It has only been used three times since, by President Obama at each of his inaugurations and by President Trump at his first inauguration in 2017," Trump's team states. "The burgundy velvet-bound book is part of the collections of the Library of Congress."
President Obama also took the oath of office on two Bibles back in 2013, the Associated Press reported. One was owned by Martin Luther King Jr. and the other was the Lincoln Bible.
When Trump is sworn in as the 47th President of the United States inside the Capitol’s rotunda, he will do so facing a bust of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. on the federal holiday commemorating King’s legacy.
During a busy week in the nation's capital, far from the action, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis had no trouble keeping his name in the political spotlight.
"This is a time for action. And a time for Washington, D.C., to deliver results to the American people. There are no more excuses for Republicans," the conservative two-term governor and 2024 Republican presidential candidate said Thursday as he named Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody to succeed Sen. Marco Rubio in the Senate.
Two days earlier, President-elect Trump gave his onetime bitter GOP primary rival a shout-out after the governor called for a special state legislative session to implement Trump's expected immigration crackdown.
"Thank you Ron, hopefully other governors will follow!" the president-elect said in a social media post.
Due to the national profile he's built over the past four years, the governor of one of the country's most important states will likely continue to stay in the headlines as he takes a lead on some of the nation's most consequential issues.
The spotlight should help DeSantis if he ends up launching a second straight GOP presidential nomination run in 2028, a race in which soon-to-be Vice President JD Vance will be considered the clear early frontrunner as the perceived America First and MAGA heir apparent to Trump.
"He needs to do what he did in 2022, which is pick good fights. And he’s shown a lot of capability to pick good fights with the left both in Florida and nationally," longtime Republican strategist David Kochel said of DeSantis.
"I think he’ll be in demand to come do stuff in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina," Kochel, a veteran of numerous GOP presidential campaigns, predicted, pointing to the three key early voting states in the Republican presidential primaries.
"I wouldn’t change a lot from how he did the run-up to his 2024 campaign. The problem was he basically ran against an incumbent president. He didn’t have the wrong playbook. He had the wrong cycle."
While the initial moves in the 2028 White House run will likely start in the coming months, including some early state visits, most Americans won't be paying a lick of attention until after the 2026 midterms, when the next presidential campaign formally gets under way. And that's when DeSantis will be wrapping up his second and final four-year term steering Florida, allowing him to concentrate 100% on a White House run if that's in his cards.
But what about another high-profile Republican governor who likely has national ambitions in 2028?
The Virginia Constitution doesn't allow for incumbent governors to run for a second consecutive term, so Gov. Glenn Youngkin will be out of office in Richmond in a year.
Compared to DeSantis, who also enjoys large GOP majorities in his state legislature, which will allow him to continue to enact a conservative agenda, Virginia is a purple state where Democrats have a slight upper hand in the legislature.
"It might be a little tougher for Youngkin, a little tougher for him to find ways to stay in the news" after he leaves office in a year, Kochel suggested.
But, Younkin predicted, "You’re going to see me a lot."
"We’ve got a very aggressive agenda for being governor in the last 14 months," he said in a Fox News Digital interview in November. "But part of that agenda that I have is to make sure that we have [Lt. Gov.] Winsome Sears as our next governor. [Virginia Attorney General] Jason Miyares is back as our attorney general and a super lieutenant governor who we will pick at our primaries."
Youngkin, who energized Republicans nationwide in 2021 as a first-time candidate who hailed from the party’s business wing, edged former Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe to become the first GOP candidate in a dozen years to win a gubernatorial election in the one-time swing state that had trended toward the Democrats over the previous decade. He could also potentially end up in the Trump administration after his term in Richmond sunsets in a year.
"I told the president when I called him and told him that I wanted to finish my term that I would be available to help him at any time while I’m governor and afterwards," Youngkin told Fox News Digital, referring to a call he held with Trump right after the November election.
But if he doesn't enter the Trump administration, another route for Youngkin to stay in the spotlight in 2026 would be criss-crossing the country on behalf of fellow Republicans running in the midterm elections. It's a role Youngkin previously played in 2022, helping fellow Republican governors and gubernatorial candidates.
"He’s got to do the blocking and tackling, go state by state, help a lot of candidates, raise a lot of money for them. Get a bunch of governors elected," Kochel suggested. "That’s the playbook for him."
What about NIkki Haley, the former two-term Republican governor of South Carolina and former U.S. ambassador to the U.N. in Trump's first administration, who was the last rival standing against Trump in the 2024 GOP presidential primaries?
Out of office and shut out of the Trump world while still facing social media zingers by the president-elect, Haley's ability to grab attention should she seek the presidency again may be a more difficult climb within a party once again on bended knee to the former and future president.
Haley does have a weekly national radio show on Sirius XM, where she noted a few weeks ago, "I had no interest in being in [Trump's] Cabinet."
But a lot can happen in the two years until the next White House race officially gets under way. There could be some buyer's remorse among voters if the new administration is not successful in enacting some of its goals.
"While JD Vance starts as the presumed frontrunner right now, there’s a million miles to go between now and then," seasoned Republican strategist Colin Reed told Fox News.
And Kochel added that for some Republicans mulling a 2028 presidential bid, "I think a little strategic distance is not a bad idea. Because you don’t know what’s going to happen over the next two years."
But holding statewide office — either as a governor or senator — doesn't guarantee favorable coverage.
"Having a day job cuts both ways. It gives you a platform, a megaphone, and an ability to make news whenever you want. But it also carries with it the responsibilities of governing or legislating or being part of government bodies, whether it’s Congress or the state you are running, where things can go wrong and end up on your doorstep and become political baggage," Reed noted.
Reed warned that "history is littered with those officeholders who ran and won for a second term only to have political baggage at home become political headaches on the campaign trail."
EXCLUSIVE: Private citizens — right up to the governor himself — are primed to be part of a new Alaskan initiative aimed at promoting policies that have been effective in Juneau at a national level as a new administration signals a willingness to listen and adapt to new strategies.
Just as Florida's education policy under Gov. Jeb Bush served as a blueprint for national education reform, the nonprofit Future 49 aims to position Alaska as today's model, focusing primarily on national security and energy.
Its top funders are a group of Alaskans of all stripes as well as a few Washington, D.C.-based advocates. It is nonpartisan and simply pro-Alaskan, according to one of its proponents.
It also seeks to dispatch with what one source familiar with its founding called the "out of sight, out of mind" feeling of some in the Lower 48 when it comes to how far-flung Alaska can translate its own successes in the cold north to a federal government that could benefit from its advice.
One of Future 49's founders is a commercial airline pilot whose family has lived in Alaska for more than 125 years. He said he wanted to show Washington issues Alaska deals with every day.
Bob Griffin's family has lived in Alaska since 1899, he said, remarking he is an example of grassroots support behind showcasing Alaska’s potential to be the driving force in key sectors for the rest of the country.
Griffin said while there has not been any direct contact yet with the new administration, Gov. Mike Dunleavy is an ally of Trump’s and, in turn, primed to have a role in the group.
"We’re focused on not only the Trump administration, but other decision makers, to just highlight and advertise that the successes we've had in Alaska in energy, natural resources and other policy priorities are a good fit and benefit to all Americans."
He noted the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge region spans the size of West Virginia, but the part of it federally budgeted for exploration in a recent fiscal year was only an area half the size of Ted Stevens International Airport in Anchorage, illustrating how Juneau must guide Washington.
A source familiar with the founding of Future 49 told Fox News Digital how the group's launch comes at a key juncture as one advice-averse administration transitions into one that has signaled its openness to undertake recommendations from states and local groups.
"The resources our nation needs to be energy-dominant are in Alaska, not in unfriendly nations like Russia and Iran who despise what we stand for and commit egregious environmental offenses on a daily basis," the source said.
While the group is primed to express a pro-development approach to energy, it will remain nonpartisan and offer Washington successful strategies to develop both green and traditional energy based on work done in Alaska.
Dunleavy has offered a similarly two-fold approach, saying in a recent interview that opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to responsible development may yield just as much economic growth for the nation as emerging green technology, such as a proposal to harness the second-strongest tides in the world churning in Cook Inlet outside Anchorage.
Those parallels show why Future 49's advent is coming at the right time, a source told Fox News Digital.
Future 49's plan to use Alaska's long-term goal to utilize its energy resources as a roadmap was a sentiment also voiced in another confirmation hearing Thursday. Interior nominee Doug Burgum highlighted the need for domestic "energy dominance" for both economic and security reasons.
With Russia having invaded Ukraine, Dunleavy said most sensitive national defense assets are housed in Alaska, so the state has a deep background in what is needed to deter malign actors.
Lessons learned from managing a National Guard force so closely tied to top-level national security concerns is another avenue Future 49 will likely seek to aid Washington in.
The group plans to commission a survey of Lower 48 Americans on their view of the Last Frontier and how they perceive Alaska from thousands of miles away, said Alaska pollster Matt Larkin.
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a Republican, ordered flags to temporarily fly at full-staff for President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration on Monday.
"I hereby order that the flags of the United States of America and the Commonwealth of Virginia are to be flown at full-staff on all state and local buildings and grounds in the Commonwealth in recognition of the inauguration of the 47th President of the United States," Youngkin said on Saturday.
Youngkin's directive comes despite President Biden's order after the death of former President Jimmy Carter on Dec. 29 that flags at all government and public buildings and grounds across the country should fly at half-staff for a 30-day mourning period, which just happens to include Inauguration Day.
It is a tradition when a former president dies to order a 30-day mourning period and order flags to be displayed at half-staff.
Biden said the U.S. flag "should be displayed at half-staff at the White House and on all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions."
Flags in Virginia will return to half-staff to honor Carter on Tuesday following the presidential inauguration, Youngkin said.
"The flags will be lowered back to half-staff the following day to continue honoring former President James Earl Carter, Jr. and remain at half staff through January 28, 2025," the governor wrote.
Youngkin joins several Republican governors who have also broken tradition and ordered flags to be raised on Monday, including Idaho Gov. Brad Little, North Dakota Gov. Kelly Armstrong, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.
A trio of Democratic governors — California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis and Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson — have also ordered flags to fly at full-staff for Trump's inauguration before the mourning period ends Jan. 28.
House Speaker Mike Johnson also ordered flags at the U.S. Capitol to be flown at full-staff on Inauguration Day.
Trump has criticized the idea of flags being displayed at half-staff for his inauguration following Carter's death.
"The Democrats are all 'giddy' about our magnificent American Flag potentially being at 'half mast' during my Inauguration," Trump wrote on Truth Social on Jan. 3. "They think it’s so great, and are so happy about it because, in actuality, they don't love our Country, they only think about themselves."
"Look at what they’ve done to our once GREAT America over the past four years - It’s a total mess! In any event, because of the death of President Jimmy Carter, the Flag may, for the first time ever during an Inauguration of a future President, be at half mast," he continued. "Nobody wants to see this, and no American can be happy about it. Let’s see how it plays out. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!"
Flags were flown at half-staff when former President Nixon was sworn-in for his second term in 1973 after Nixon ordered the flags to be lowered following the death of former President Truman.
Fox News Channel and Fox News Digital will be your home for wall-to-wall coverage of the 60th Presidential Inauguration – the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump.
Start your day with "Fox & Friends First" at 5AM ET when hosts Todd Piro and Carley Shimkus will preview the events of the day, including the latest updates since Trump ordered most inaugural events be held indoors due to the Arctic chill forecasted to overtake the District of Columbia on Monday.
Follow up with "Fox & Friends" at 6 AM ET.
Hosts Steve Doocy, Brian Kilmeade, Lawrence Jones and Ainsley Earhardt will have up-to-the-minute coverage of the lead-up to Trump’s inauguration.
Dana Perino and Bill Hemmer take the reins at 9 AM ET for "America’s Newsroom."
Hemmer will broadcast live from Capitol Hill and Perino will co-host from elsewhere in the District.
Fox News Channel’s Washington, DC-based coverage will continue at 11 AM ET when Harris Faulkner hosts "The Faulkner Focus" – with last-minute news and updates ahead of the constitutionally prescribed 12 NOON ET inauguration.
At 11:30 AM ET, Fox News chief political anchor Bret Baier and anchor Martha MacCallum will begin Fox News Channel’s main inauguration coverage.
They will be joined by Faulkner and Hemmer as well as Sandra Smith and former Rep. Harold Ford Jr., D-Tenn.
Trump will be inaugurated from inside the Capitol, a rare occurrence over the past few decades.
Only Presidents Ronald Reagan – for his second inaugural – and John F. Kennedy had their oath of office administered indoors in the contemporary era.
Ford and his regular colleagues will host "The Five" at 5PM ET with the latest reaction to the historic events of the day.
Baier anchors "Special Report" from Washington at 6 PM ET and hands off to Laura Ingraham at 7PM ET.
Ingraham’s "The Ingraham Angle" will broadcast live from the Commander-in-Chief Ball, as will "Jesse Watters Primetime," and its eponymous host, at 8PM ET.
At 9PM, Sean Hannity will take over Fox News Channel coverage and offer both his own and his guests’ reaction and analysis from inside the Liberty Ball.
Greg Gutfeld will host "Gutfeld!" at 10PM ET from the Daughters of the American Revolution Constitution Hall just southwest of the White House at 10PM ET.
Anchor Trace Gallagher wraps up Fox News Channel’s live coverage of Trump’s Second Inauguration at 11PM ET – broadcasting from Washington instead of Los Angeles.
Former presidents, politicians, tech giants, world leaders and others will convene in Washington, D.C., on Monday for President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration – while a few key figures will skip the event altogether.
Traditionally, most departing presidents do attend the inauguration of those taking over the White House. Outgoing President Biden told MeidasTouch network last month he would attend Trump’s second inauguration – even though Trump didn't show up to Biden’s inauguration four years ago. Additionally, the White House confirmed first lady Jill Biden will attend.
Likewise, all three living former presidents, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama, confirmed they will partake in the inauguration festivities, the Associated Press reports. Former first ladies Laura Bush and Hillary Clinton will also join their spouses for Trump’s second inauguration.
But some prominent Democrats will not appear at the inauguration. Former first lady Michelle Obama and former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., announced this week that they will skip the event.
A spokesperson for the Obamas did not provide additional information to the AP regarding Michelle Obama’s absence, although the former first lady also did not attend former President Jimmy Carter’s funeral earlier this month.
Likewise, tech giants including Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and TikTok CEO Shou Chew will attend and sit up front on the dais alongside other VIP guests.
A source familiar with the plans told Fox News Digital Chew received an invitation from the Inaugural Committee. The New York Times broke the news that Chew would attend.
Trump also extended invites to several world leaders – including Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Incoming White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told "Fox & Friends" in December that Xi had received an invitation after Trump said that he would "love to have" the Chinese leader there at the inauguration.
"This is an example of President Trump creating an open dialogue with leaders of countries that are not just our allies but our adversaries and our competitors, too. We saw this in the first term, before," Leavitt said. "He is willing to talk to anyone, and he will always put America’s interests first."
Although Jinping will not attend, China’s Foreign Ministry announced on Friday that Chinese Vice President Han Zheng would visit Washington for the occasion.
The AP also reported that Trump had invited Javier Milei, the president of Argentina, and Nayib Bukele, the president of El Salvador. Likewise, CBS first reported that Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán was invited to the inauguration, but Hungarian media reported he would not make the trip, according to Politico.
However, Milei is expected to attend, as is Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Politico reports.
Such appearances are unique. The AP previously reported that no foreign leaders have attended any U.S. inaugurations, according to State Department historical records.
Musical performances by Carrie Underwood, the Village People and Lee Greenwood are also scheduled for the inauguration. Underwood is slated to perform "America the Beautiful" during the swearing-in ceremony for Trump and President-elect JD Vance, a Trump Transition spokesperson told Fox News Digital.
Trump and former first lady Melania Trump skipped Biden’s inauguration in 2021. Other presidents have also missed their successors’ inaugurations. Six other former presidents, dating back to John Adams, also skipped inaugurations for the incoming president, according to the White House Historical Association.
Fox News’ Michael Dorgan, Brooke Singman, and Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.
Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson, a Democrat, has ordered flags to fly at full-staff on Monday for President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration.
"I hereby direct that Washington State and United States flags at all state agency facilities be raised to full-staff on Monday, January 20, 2025, in honor of Inauguration Day," Ferguson said.
This, despite the official order by President Biden after the death of former President Jimmy Carter on Dec. 29 that flags at all government and public buildings and grounds across the country fly at half-staff for a 30-day mourning period, which just happens to include Inauguration Day.
It is a tradition when a former president dies to order a 30-day mourning period and order flags at half-staff.
Biden said the U.S. flag "should be displayed at half-staff at the White House and on all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions."
Flags will return to half-staff in Washington state on Tuesday to continue the mourning period for Carter.
"Flags should return to half-staff at sunrise on Tuesday, January 21, 2025, and should remain at half-staff until the close of business or sunset on Wednesday, January 29, 2025, in continuance of honoring former President Jimmy Carter for 30 days following his death," Ferguson said.
Ferguson joins California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Colorado Gov. Jared Polis as the Democrats who have broken tradition and ordered flags to be raised for Trump's inauguration before the mourning period ends Jan. 28.
The orders from the Democratic governors follow several Republicans who have directed flags to be raised on Monday, including Idaho Gov. Brad Little, North Dakota Gov. Kelly Armstrong, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.
House Speaker Mike Johnson also ordered flags at the U.S. Capitol to be flown at full-staff on Inauguration Day.
Trump has criticized the possibility of flags being displayed at half-staff for his inauguration following Carter's death.
"The Democrats are all 'giddy' about our magnificent American Flag potentially being at 'half mast' during my Inauguration," Trump wrote on Truth Social on Jan. 3. "They think it’s so great, and are so happy about it because, in actuality, they don't love our Country, they only think about themselves."
"Look at what they’ve done to our once GREAT America over the past four years - It’s a total mess! In any event, because of the death of President Jimmy Carter, the Flag may, for the first time ever during an Inauguration of a future President, be at half mast," he continued. "Nobody wants to see this, and no American can be happy about it. Let’s see how it plays out. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!"
Flags were flown at half-staff when former President Nixon was sworn-in for his second term in 1973 after Nixon ordered the flags to be lowered following the death of former President Truman.
President-elect Trump is discussing the possibility of visiting China again as president with aides, according to a report.
The incoming president, who takes office on Monday, visited Beijing during his first term in 2017, and spoke to Chinese President Xi Jinping over the phone on Friday.
Trump has been threatening China with tariffs but has told advisers that he wants to strengthen ties with the communist country with the visit, possibly even traveling there within his first 100 days in office, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing sources familiar with the matter.
"I just spoke to Chairman Xi Jinping of China. The call was a very good one for both China and the U.S.A.," Trump wrote on Friday on Truth Social. "It is my expectation that we will solve many problems together, and starting immediately. We discussed balancing Trade, Fentanyl, TikTok, and many other subjects. President Xi and I will do everything possible to make the World more peaceful and safe!"
Xi also met with Trump at Mar-a-Lago in Florida in 2017.
Xi was invited to Trump’s Monday inauguration – no senior Chinese official has ever attended a U.S. presidential inauguration – but Chinese Vice President Han Zheng will be attending instead, in a first.
Trump and Xi plan to establish a strategic communication channel, China said of their Friday phone call, adding that Trump said he was "looking forward to meeting with President Xi as soon as possible."
President-elect Trump returned to Washington Saturday evening, after boarding a special mission Air Force plane for his historic return after four years.
Trump and wife Melania and their youngest son, Barron, embarked on their trip from West Palm Beach, Florida, to the nation's capital, waving to crowds before ascending the steps.
Trump marked his return to power with a celebration at his Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia, about 30 miles outside Washington.
He addressed the crowd, giving shoutouts to Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, and declaring his Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff a "great negotiator." Witkoff this past week helped negotiate a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas that's scheduled to take effect on Sunday.
Soon after his remarks, Trump stepped out onto a clubhouse balcony while guests gathered on the patio below him for a fireworks display and performance by tenor Christopher Macchio.
Hours earlier, Trump and his family landed in Sterling, Virginia, where they met with Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin and first lady Suzanne Youngkin at Trump National Golf Club.
Youngkin welcomed the president-elect and first lady to be Melania Trump at the club, presenting them with a stately gift.
A photo of the Trumps and Youngkins, posted to X at about 8 p.m., showed the exchange.
The Trumps will host an evening reception and fireworks show later in the night.
Trump's daughter, Ivanka, and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, joined the president-elect on the trip.
Trump's middle son, Eric, and daughter-in-law, Lara, departed Florida separately on the president-elect's private plane.
During the plane ride, Eric Trump took to X, sharing his "renewed hope and spirit for [the] country."
"The past 10 years have been a constant fight — countless rallies, TV appearances, subpoenas, depositions, and weeks in cold courtrooms," Eric Trump wrote in the post. "Through endless attacks on my family, the company I run, and the employees I care for, we faced slander, fake news, home raids, and countless games designed to break us."
His immediate family, including wife Lara and children Luke and Carolina, joined him on the trip to D.C.
Eric Trump wrote that "every ounce of [his] fight" has been for his children and the future of their generation.
"This time, America won," he added.
"Against all odds, we did it—together, with the incredible people of this nation and the greatest political movement in history," Eric Trump wrote. "I’ve never been prouder of anyone than I am of [Donald Trump]. He stood unwavering, truly having the courage of steel. Our country is in great hands. The madness is over. America is in an age of renewal."
On Sunday, Trump will attend a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery and a "Make America Great Again" rally, followed by a candlelit dinner.
The inauguration will take place at noon Monday in the Capitol Rotunda due to frigid temperatures in the forecast. Then Trump, just the second president in history to win non-consecutive terms, will give his inaugural address.
Hours before the Trump family boarded the plane Saturday, thousands of protesters descended on the streets of Washington, D.C., to protest.
The "People's March," originally referred to as the "Women’s March," had three meeting locations, each championing a different cause.
Some topics included "gender justice," democracy and immigration and local Washington issues.
Demonstrators carried posters that said "Feminists v. Fascists" and "People over politics," Fox News Digital reported.
Fox News Digital's Michael Dorgan contributed to this story.
Fox News has learned that House and Senate offices are growing increasingly frustrated about who may be allowed to attend President-elect Trump’s inauguration inside the Capitol Rotunda Monday.
Fox is told that member offices were asked to "resubmit" paperwork about whether a lawmaker wants to attend and if the lawmaker's spouse wants to attend. However, there are no "plus-ones." And Fox was told the attendance of spouses could be "iffy."
One lawmaker said members were trying to get governors or other state officials into the Capitol Rotunda. But it was far from clear if officials could accommodate those requests.
There is an effort to get a small group of people into the Capitol Rotunda who were slated to be seated down in front but were not House and Senate members. One official refused to identify to Fox who those with "special status" could be.
This likely means very few dignitaries or others are allowed inside for the inauguration. One Trump-supporting lawmaker was "happy" it was moving inside so the lawmaker didn’t have to sit outside in the cold "for an hour-and-a-half." The lawmaker also noted that House members would likely have had the most uncomfortable experience had the inauguration been outside. That’s because of the way the wind blows across the platform and where House members were to be seated on the West Front.
One lawmaker told Fox about having 700 people traveling to Washington for the inauguration, and now none of them would be seated anywhere. But the lawmaker had "not heard one complaint" from people traveling to see the inauguration in person who now can’t.
President Reagan’s 1985 inauguration, moved inside because of extreme cold and a temperature of 7 degrees, accommodated a crowd of 1,000 in the Capitol Rotunda. Fox colleague Aishah Hasnie reports the grand total allowed inside the Capitol Rotunda for this inauguration will likely be 600. In addition, Fox is told that "600 is pushing it" due to fire concerns. One source says the figure may be closer to 500 before all is said and done.
Fox is told that there were concrete plans for inaugurations in 2017 and 2021 to move ceremonies indoors. Officials even rehearsed those scenarios. In addition, Fox is told there was serious discussion about moving the 2017 inauguration inside because of rain and concern about umbrellas.
While the weather is the primary reason for moving the inauguration indoors, multiple sources close to the planning of the event have expressed concerns about security.
"My Spidey senses are up," said one lawmaker who asked not to be identified and is steeped in the planning of this event. But when Fox pressed various lawmakers and other sources, no one could identify a specific threat.
That said, more than one lawmaker contacted by Fox noted there were multiple outdoor events with the President-elect prior to the July assassination attempt, and every other event since has been indoors.
Fox is told that security officials will erect what was described as a "geo-fence" around the Capitol to interfere and jam nefarious communications and/or drones. At one point, there was talk of shutting off all cell communications during the time period when President-elect Trump was on the platform.
That said, a forecast of about four inches of snow in Washington Sunday night began to change thinking around this year’s inauguration. There is genuine concern about thousands of people on the National Mall standing in cold, fresh snow for hours. There was worry about emergency personnel being able to reach those who may have medical emergencies while on the National Mall because of the inclement weather. Another issue is how snow that melted today could refreeze, creating significantly slick surfaces around the Capitol.
And then there is another factor: snowball fights.
One senior source tells Fox there was actual discussion about snowball fights interfering with the event if Washington got a fresh coating of snow. One source said planners worried it could "get out of hand" and could contribute to injuries.
Inside or out, this could be the snowiest inauguration since the swearing-in day was moved to Jan. 20 in 1937. The previous record for snow on inauguration day came in 1961, for the swearing-in of President John F. Kennedy. Washington received seven-tenths of an inch of snow that day.
And considering the weather, perhaps it was only appropriate that the poet Robert Frost spoke at JFK’s inauguration.
As wildfires wreaked devastation across Los Angeles, the city official in charge of the fire department was out of the picture – placed on administrative leave in December while he remains under investigation for an alleged bomb threat against City Hall earlier this year.
LA Deputy Mayor Brian Williams’ Pasadena, California home was raided by the FBI last month in connection to the investigation of a bomb threat which was made against City Hall in September. The Los Angeles Police Department referred the case to the FBI after it determined Williams was likely the "source of the threat," FOX 11 Los Angeles reported.
"Due to the department’s working relationship with Mr. Williams, the investigation was referred to the FBI," the LAPD said in a statement at the time. "The FBI remains the investigating agency."
Embattled Mayor Karen Bass' office said Williams was placed on administrative leave immediately after the FBI notified the mayor of the search. That happened three weeks before the fires erupted in Los Angeles County, scorching nearly four square miles of urban area, according to the Associated Press.
The Palisades and Eaton Fires are still burning, though heroic efforts by firefighters and calming winds have greatly reduced the rate of spread. At least 27 people have been killed and more than 12,000 buildings and homes destroyed in the blazes. The fires are likely to be among the most destructive in California history, the state fire agency CalFire said.
When the first flames ignited, Bass, 71, was overseas on a diplomatic mission to Ghana. She was part of a delegation President Biden sent to the African nation for the inauguration of Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama. She hurried home on a military plane soon after news of the fire emergency reached her, but she did not return to Los Angeles for a full 24 hours after disaster struck.
Her initial absence has prompted harsh criticism from LA residents, who are questioning Bass' leadership amid the crisis. In that context, her decision to put Williams on administrative leave is also under fresh scrutiny.
The Los Angeles mayor's office did not respond to requests for comment.
Bass appointed Williams to be deputy mayor in February 2023 and charged him with overseeing public safety in the city.
Williams was placed in charge of the city's police department, fire department, the Port of Los Angeles Police, the Los Angeles World Airport Police and the city's Emergency Management Department, local news station KABC reported. Williams previously served seven years as the executive director of the Los Angeles County Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission.
He also served as deputy mayor under Mayor James Hahn, during which time he oversaw the Department of Transportation, Public Works and Information Technology Agency.
Williams' attorney Dmitry Gorin did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Gorin previously released a statement denying that his client had anything to do with the bomb threat made against City Hall.
"Mr. Williams strongly maintains his innocence and intends to vigorously fight the allegations. Importantly, he has not been arrested, nor charged, and will continue cooperating with the investigation through attorneys. He has a lengthy career of public service and is presumed innocent of these allegations. We urge the public to allow the investigation process to play out and not to prejudge the facts of this case before they are known," Gorin said last month.
On Saturday morning, Trump announced he nominated Penny Schwinn, the former commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Education, as deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Education.
While in Tennessee, Schwinn oversaw the department's response to the coronavirus pandemic, implemented Gov. Bill Lee's school voucher program and overhauled the state's school funding formula, the Associated Press reported.
Schwinn previously worked at the Texas Education Agency as the deputy commissioner of standards and engagement, deputy commissioner of special populations and monitoring, and chief deputy commissioner of academics.
Trump congratulated Schwinn on Saturday in a post on Truth Social.
"A former teacher herself, Penny became the founding principal of a charter school, because she believes in the power of School Choice, and is committed to delivering the American Dream to the next Generation by returning Education BACK TO THE STATES," Trump wrote. "Congratulations to Penny and her wonderful family!"
Schwinn holds a master’s degree from Johns Hopkins, and a Ph.D. from Claremont.
On Saturday afternoon, Trump announced Jay Fields, Jeffrey Freeland, and Pace McMullan as deputy assistants to the president and deputy directors of the White House Office of Legislative Affairs.
Fields started his career in Congress in 2015, most recently serving as deputy policy director for Speaker of the House Mike Johnson.
Prior to his most recent role, Fields was the executive director of the House Republican Study Committee (RSC), an organization comprised of more than 170 House Republican members. He also served in multiple policy roles for the RSC and other House Republican offices.
Freeland began working for Trump as a congressional liaison during the early part of the 2016 Republican primaries, helping to build support among House Republicans.
The role led him to the White House, where he initially served as the House liaison for the Office of Management and Budget.
In the second year of the administration, Freeland transitioned to the East Wing, where he worked as a special assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs until the end of Trump's first term.
McMullan has worked in Congress since 2013, beginning in the House of Representatives, where he served as a legislative director.
Since 2019, McMullan has worked in the Senate as a legislative director, and most recently as executive director of the Senate Steering Committee.
