Pope Francis signed a letter of resignation in 2013 to be used in case he was forced from his duties as a result of bad health.
"I have already signed my resignation. Tarcisio Bertone was Secretary of State. I signed it and I told him: ‘In case of impediment for medical reasons or whatever, here is my resignation,’" the Pope said during a 2022 interview, according to a report at the time from the New York Post.
The resurfaced interview comes as Francis has been hospitalized for over a week and was reported to be in critical condition after suffering an asthmatic respiratory crisis on Saturday, according to a report from the Associated Press.
Francis also received blood transfusions after tests revealed he had a low platelet count, according to a Reuters report.
Francis, who turned 88 in December, has long faced questions about what he would do if health issues left him unable to carry out his duties. Such questions would have been unheard of prior to 2013, when Pope Benedict XVI resigned, becoming the first papal resignation in over 600 years.
Francis revealed during the 2022 interview that he gave his resignation letter to the Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, a holdover from Benedict XVI, about six months after being elected to the papacy in March 2013.
"You have it. I don’t know to whom Cardinal Bertone may have given it, but I gave it to him when he was secretary of state," Francis said at the time.
As Francis continued his hospitalization in Rome on Sunday, he shared a message thanking those who have kept him in their prayers during his health struggle.
"I have recently received many messages of affection, and I have been particularly struck by the letters and drawings from children," Pope Francis posted on X Sunday. "Thank you for your closeness, and for the consoling prayers I have received from all over the world!"
"I urge you to continue your apostolate with joy and to be a sign of a love that embraces everyone, as the #GospelOfTheDay suggests," another post said. "May we transform evil into goodness and build a fraternal world. Do not be afraid to take risks for love!"
President Donald Trump's envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, said Sunday that he would aim to negotiate an "extension" of Phase One of the Israel-Hamas hostage release and ceasefire deal when he returns to the region this week.
"We have to get an extension of Phase One. And, so I'll be going into the region this week, probably Wednesday, to negotiate that," Witkoff said during an appearance on CNN's "State of the Union." "And we're hoping you have the proper time to finish off to begin Phase Two and finish it off and get more hostages released. And move this – move the discussion forward."
Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, a close confidante of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, reportedly met with Witkoff in Washington, D.C., last week.
In regard to the meeting, CNN's Jake Tapper asked Witkoff if he believes Netanyahu "wants to move forward with the ceasefire, or does he want to resume the war to try to eliminate Hamas?"
Witkoff said he believes the prime minister "is well-motivated" and wants to see "the hostages released," as well "to protect the state of Israel."
"And so he's got a red line," Witkoff said. "And he said what the red line is, and that is that Hamas cannot be involved in a governing body when this thing is resolved."
"They can't be any part of governance in Gaza," the U.S. envoy said of Hamas. "And, you know, as to existing, I'd leave that – that detail to the prime minister."
In another Sunday show appearance on CBS' "Face the Nation," Witkoff said he would arrive "probably Wednesday evening" in the Middle East and would visit various countries, including Qatar, Egypt, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. He added that the last remaining living American hostage, Edan Alexander, remains a top priority in negotiations.
"He's front and center for us," Witkoff said. "I know his parents. We talk all the time. He's critical. It's one of President Trump's most important objectives is to get all Americans home. And we're going to be successful in getting Edan home, I believe."
According to the May 27 protocol agreement, Witkoff explained that Phase Two involves both "a permanent ceasefire, a cessation of all violence," as well as "the fact that Hamas cannot be allowed to come back into the government" in Gaza.
"And I think the way you square that circle is that Hamas has to go. They've got to leave," Witkoff said, adding, "I would say physically, that's correct." The envoy said he was not at liberty to say which countries might take in people from Gaza during ongoing negotiations, but stressed that Gaza would not be a safe living environment for another 15 to 20 years following the war and requires an extension reconstruction plan.
The Israeli Prime Minister's Office announced Saturday night that "in light of Hamas's repeated violations, including the ceremonies that humiliate our hostages and the cynical exploitation of our hostages for propaganda purposes, it has been decided to delay the release of terrorists that was planned for yesterday until the release of the next hostages has been assured, and without the humiliating ceremonies."
In a video message Friday, Netanyahu condemned how Hamas "brutally murdered" two young Israeli boys, whose bodies were initially returned to Israel without the remains of their mother, Shiri Bibas. In what Netanyahu decried as a "brazen violation of their agreement," Hamas initially handed over the wrong body for Bibas, whose actual remains were later returned and identified Saturday following an intense standoff with the terrorist group.
Hamas handed over another six Israelis on Saturday in the latest scheduled release of living hostages.
The downtown Washington, D.C., Ronald Reagan building will undergo a dramatic shift as U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) takes over the longtime headquarters of the Agency for International Development (USAID), Fox News Digital has confirmed.
"CBP has signed a license agreement to occupy approximately 390,000 usable square feet in the USAID tower," a CBP spokesperson told Fox News Digital.
The news, which was originally reported by Politico, comes after a federal judge on Friday declined to keep in place a temporary block that was preventing President Donald Trump from removing all but a small number of USAID staffers, clearing the way for the administration to continue its dramatic cuts to federal departments, according to a report from the Associated Press.
USAID, a decades-old foreign assistance agency, was one of the first targets for cuts by the new administration, sparking a lawsuit filed by unions representing federal workers in an attempt to block the layoffs.
The suit accused the Trump administration of stalling medical evacuations for USAID staffers and family members overseas and cutting off contractors from emergency communications while also challenging the constitutionality of the administration’s sudden cuts, which the suit argues requires congressional approval.
"At present, the agency is still standing," U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols wrote in the ruling. "And so the alleged injuries on which plaintiffs rely in seeking injunctive relief flow essentially from their members’ existing employment relationships with USAID."
With the drastic reduction in staffing and the loss of its longtime headquarters, questions remain about the future of USAID and its mission. Earlier this month, the State Department announced that Secretary of State Marco Rubio had been appointed as acting administrator for the agency with an eye toward possible reorganization of its activities under the State Department.
"The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has long strayed from its original mission of responsibly advancing American interests abroad, and it is now abundantly clear that significant portions of USAID funding are not aligned with the core national interests of the United States," the State Department said in a statement. "As we evaluate USAID and ensure it is in alignment with an America First agenda and the efforts of the State Department, we will continue to protect the American people’s interests and ensure their tax dollars are not wasted."
Department of Government Efficiency chair Elon Musk announced that federal employees must report their accomplishments from the last week or face losing their jobs, which has roiled the federal workforce as some Democratic lawmakers and unions call on employees to flout the directive.
"This is a good opportunity for mass civil disobedience. Musk has no authority to do this. Encourage all federal employees to report to work, prepare GFY letters and continue to demonstrate the public service and patriotism he lacks," Illinois Democratic Rep. Sean Casten posted to X on Saturday evening.
The acronym GFY is internet slang typically meaning "go f--- yourself."
"It takes a remarkable combination of arrogance and stupidity to think that this is the best use of time for our intelligence officers, VA workers, air traffic controllers, and everyone else we depend on to do their job well," he continued.
Musk said on Saturday that federal employees would receive an email directing them to list their accomplishments from the week prior, with the DOGE leader adding later that day that the assignment should take less than five minutes to accomplish. Employees have until 11:59 pm on Monday to send the list or lose their employment, according to emails regarding Musk's directive that were sent by the Office of Personnel Management.
"Consistent with President @realDonaldTrump’s instructions, all federal employees will shortly receive an email requesting to understand what they got done last week," Musk wrote on X. "Failure to respond will be taken as a resignation."
"To be clear, the bar is very low here. An email with some bullet points that make any sense at all is acceptable! Should take less than 5 mins to write," Musk added.
Musk's message followed President Donald Trump remarking that he's been pleased with Musk and DOGE's work investigating various federal agencies for government overspending, fraud and mismanagement, but that he would like to see Musk "get more aggressive."
Unions lambasted Musk's directive that federal employees detail their work accomplishments to DOGE, with a chapter of the National Treasury Employees Union, which represents FDA employees, telling members they "strongly" encourage them to flout the order.
"We work for HHS/FDA, not OPM: OPM directives that have not been formally adopted or communicated by our employer, the FDA, do not create an obligation for you to respond," the NTEU chapter's guidance stated. The chapter's website states in bolded, all-capitalized letters: "NTEU ADVISES YOU NOT TO SIGN THAT EMAIL... UNTIL WE GET MORE INFO."
The chapter noted in a comment to Fox News Digital that it is only one chapter of hundreds under the national NTEU's umbrella, and only represents FDA employees in five states, as well as Washington, D.C. Fox Digital reached out to the national NTEU's press office on Sunday morning, but did not immediately receive a reply.
The national president of the American Federation of Government Employees, Everett Kelley, also released a statement on Saturday evening, arguing that Musk and the Trump administration were showing "their utter disdain for federal employees and the critical services they provide to the American people."
"It is cruel and disrespectful to hundreds of thousands of veterans who are wearing their second uniform in the civil service to be forced to justify their job duties to this out-of-touch, privileged, unelected billionaire who has never performed one single hour of honest public service in his life," Kelley said in a statement.
"AFGE will challenge any unlawful terminations of our members and federal employees across the country."
Trump joined the Conservative Political Action Conference on Saturday afternoon, where he took a victory lap for the breakneck pace of work his administration has accomplished in his first month back in the Oval Office, while lauding Musk for his DOGE efforts.
"I signed an order creating the Department of Government Efficiency – you probably haven't heard of it – which is now waging war on government waste, fraud and abuse. And Elon is doing a great job," Trump said at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center Saturday in Oxon Hill, Maryland, just outside the nation's capital. "He's doing a great job."
Trump also touted that his administration is gutting the government of "corrupt" and "incompetent" federal employees.
"We have a very corrupt group of people in this country, and we're finding them out," Trump said during his speech. "We're removing all of the unnecessary, incompetent and corrupt bureaucrats from the federal workforce."
The Senate confirmed Kash Patel as the new director of the FBI last week, and he reportedly told staffers on Saturday that his office will handle reviewing their productivity.
"FBI personnel may have received an email from OPM requesting information," Patel reportedly told employees. "The FBI, through the Office of the Director, is in charge of all of our review processes, and will conduct reviews in accordance with FBI procedures. When and if further information is required, we will coordinate the responses. For now, please pause any responses."
The State Department also reportedly issued a similar message to employees on Saturday, informing them that department officials "will respond on behalf of the Department," according to a message sent by Ambassador Tibor P. Nagy, who serves as acting under secretary of state for management.
The NSA told its employees that "NSA and CYBERCOM are awaiting further guidance" from the Defense Department, the Washington Post reported.
Musk doubled down on X on Sunday that the initiative is important due to an alleged swath of government employees who accomplish such little work that they are not even checking their government email accounts.
"The reason this matters is that a significant number of people who are supposed to be working for the government are doing so little work that they are not checking their email at all! In some cases, we believe non-existent people or the identities of dead people are being used to collect paychecks. In other words, there is outright fraud," Musk posted to X on Sunday.
President Donald Trump fired the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Air Force Gen. C.Q. Brown, and a number of other top military officers over the weekend in a dramatic shakeup of Pentagon leadership.
Trump announced on social media Friday that he was replacing Brown and planned on nominating retired Lt. Gen. Dan "Razin" Caine to fill his role as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, making him the military’s top officer.
A report from Reuters noted Trump’s move was "unprecedented," becoming the first time a president has pulled a military officer out of retirement to head the Joint Chiefs.
The move was just one of many changes Trump announced to top military brass in recent days, including plans to replace the U.S. Navy's top officer, Adm. Lisa Franchetti, the first woman to lead one of the military branches. Trump is also removing the Air Force vice chief of staff, Gen. Jim Slife, and the judge advocates general of the Army, Navy and Air Force.
"I want to thank General Charles 'CQ' Brown for his over 40 years of service to our country, including as our current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He is a fine gentleman and an outstanding leader, and I wish a great future for him and his family," Trump wrote in a social media post.
Trump campaigned heavily on the idea of removing "woke" generals from the top of the military, especially those he believed were responsible for botching the U.S. exit from Afghanistan in 2021.
Trump’s defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has also made it a point to root out Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives in the military, going so far as to question whether Brown was given the nod as the nation’s top military officer as a result of his race.
"Was it because of his skin color? Or his skill? We'll never know, but always doubt – which on its face seems unfair to CQ. But since he has made the race card one of his biggest calling cards, it doesn't really much matter," Hegseth wrote in his 2024 book.
The decision to move on from Franchetti also reverses a 2023 decision by former President Joe Biden, who surprised Pentagon leaders by tapping Franchetti over Adm. Samuel Paparo, who at the time led the Navy’s Pacific Command and was widely expected to be in line for the service’s top job.
But Trump’s decision has also caused "upheaval" at the Pentagon, according to the Reuters report, where the Defense Department was already bracing for mass cuts to its civilian staff.
The moves were also condemned by the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, Sen. Jack Reed, of Rhode Island, who called the firings "political."
"Firing uniformed leaders as a type of political loyalty test, or for reasons relating to diversity and gender that have nothing to do with performance, erodes the trust and professionalism that our service members require to achieve their missions," Reed told Reuters.
The White House did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is defending the state’s congestion pricing program in New York City and pushing back against President Donald Trump’s "king" remark after his administration moved to block the scheme.
Hochul appeared on CBS’ "Face the Nation" on Sunday and was asked about her one-on-one Oval Office meeting with Trump at the White House last week. The governor said she wanted to use the meeting with Trump to make a case for the toll program "because our city is paralyzed with gridlock, and we had a path forward to be able to make the city move again, and it's working."
"It was an adversarial meeting," the Democrat said, "but I was very clear, especially after I found that the Trump administration had ended a program that was put in place, congestion pricing, by the duly elected members of our legislature representing the voice of the people, and with a tweet, he claims that he is the king, and therefore he has the power to destroy it."
The Trump administration on Wednesday ordered a stop to the program, which launched Jan. 5 with the goals of thinning traffic and funding mass transit by imposing a $9 toll on most vehicles entering Manhattan's core south of Central Park.
Trump declared victory on Truth Social after the announcement, writing, "CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD. Manhattan, and all of New York, is SAVED. LONG LIVE THE KING!"
Hochul immediately fired back on Wednesday, criticizing the remark. She reiterated her stance Sunday.
"And I have a problem with that characterization, because we labored under a king 250 years ago, and as I said, we're not going back there," Hochul said.
Despite the federal order, the tolls are remaining in place for now because of a federal lawsuit aiming to keep them alive that was filed by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, a state agency that runs public transit in New York City.
The congestion tolling has been divisive in New York, with most opposition coming from suburban commuters or from those living in areas not well-served by the subway system. Advocates say it is an innovative way to speed up traffic and reduce air pollution.
Hochul said that while her meeting with Trump may not have persuaded the president to rethink his move to block the program, she will continue to fight for it.
"The people in my state need to know I'm willing to take the fight wherever I have to," she said.
Hochul said that she believes the state’s case will be won in the courts and that the congestion pricing toll program will continue.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will release parts of Prince Harry’s immigration records with some redaction, in the ongoing lawsuit over the royal's move to the United States.
The move comes after federal Judge Carl Nichols ordered the agency to provide the court with a redacted version of Harry’s file for review with the ultimate goal of making the records public, according to a New York Post report Friday.
At issue is whether the British royal lied on immigration documents or was given preferential treatment when he moved to the U.S. in 2020, with Harry later revealing in his memoir "Spare," which was released in 2023, that he had used illegal drugs.
The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, sued DHS in an attempt to get Harry’s record released, hoping to find out if the 40-year-old royal failed to disclose his former drug use on his immigration application.
In a DHS filing to the court, the agency said it could turn over "items 1-3" of Harry’s records with some redactions, but would not release "item 4."
It is unclear what information the items DHS is set to release will contain, though Nichols said at the hearing earlier this month that he wanted the records to be disclosed "in stages" in order to prevent violating U.S. privacy laws.
DHS will have until March 6 to provide the redacted version of the records for the judge’s review, the report notes.
Nile Gardiner, the director of the Heritage Foundation’s Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom, has argued that "transparency" is important when it comes to how immigration cases are handled.
"It’s important because this is an issue of the rule of law, transparency and accountability. No one should be above the law," Gardiner said earlier this month. "Donald Trump is ushering in a new era of strict border control enforcement, and you know, Prince Harry should be held fully to account as he has admitted to extensive illegal drug use."
DHS did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth denied rumors that he drafted a list of senior military leaders he allegedly planned to purge after the rumor tore through the Pentagon last week and reportedly kept flag officers on their toes.
"I gotta ask you about this rumored list of people that you allegedly put together that we're all going to be cleaned out. Is there a list? Is there anybody left on the list if it exists?" "Fox News Sunday" host Shannon Bream asked Hegseth in an exclusive interview on Sunday morning.
"There's no list, Shannon," Hegseth responded. "I've heard that, seen that very rumor, although we have a very keen eye toward military leadership and their willingness to follow lawful orders."
Republican lawmakers on the House and Senate Armed Services Committees said Thursday that they had heard about such a list of senior military officials facing the chopping block, but had not been presented anything.
The rumors flew through the Pentagon Thursday, creating fear among top-ranked officers, as reports that thousands of probationary DOD employees, including many military veterans, could be affected by the federal workforce reductions ordered by the White House, Fox News Digital reported last week.
The list allegedly contained a "handful of names."
"I may have heard a rumor, but I'm not going to speculate on rumors," Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Roger Wicker, R-Miss., told Fox News. "No one has approached me about such a list other than people asking me questions."
Concerns over an alleged list mounted on Friday when Hegseth was slated to travel to Guatanomo Bay in Cuba to hold a media availability, but the trip was postponed until later this week. Some officials viewed the postponement as a signal the firings would be imminent, Fox Digital reported.
The Trump administration on Friday did fire six Pentagon officials, including Air Force Gen. C.Q. Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Adm. Lisa Franchetti, who was the first woman to serve as chief of naval operations.
"This is all about defending the Constitution," Hegseth continued in his remarks to Bream after denying the existence of any "list." "Joe Biden gave lawful orders. A lot of them are really bad, and it's unfortunate how they eroded our military, ideological, COVID mandates. President Trump has given another set of lawful orders, and they will be followed."
"And all these orders are in keeping with the Constitution, and norms inside the military. If they're not followed, then those officers will find the door. And that's not a tough calculation. We feel really good about the direction the Pentagon is headed under President Trump. We're going to focus on war fighting and lethality and accountability, and be the most transparent Pentagon that folks have seen in a long time," he added.
Earlier in the interview, Hegseth added that the former Joint Chiefs chairman, Gen. Brown, is an "honorable man, not the right man for the moment."
Fox News' Louis Casiano, Alexandra Koch and Jennifer Griffin contributed to this report.
President Donald Trump’s White House is looking to sell two prominent federal buildings in San Francisco, including the recently dubbed Nancy Pelosi Federal Building, according to local reports.
The Nancy Pelosi Federal Building, a two-decade-old, 18-story tower known as the San Francisco Federal Building until its formal dedication to the former House speaker in December, sits on Mission and 7th streets in an area that has been for years plagued by open-air drug dealing, illegal markets reselling stolen goods and other crime.
In addition to Pelosi’s namesake building, the Trump administration is reportedly also considering selling the 1930s-era federal building at 50 United Nations Plaza, which currently serves as the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) regional headquarters. The potential sales were reported by KGO-TV, as well as the San Francisco Chronicle, which cited a GSA document earmarking both federal properties in San Francisco as "non-core" assets to possibly be sold off.
In 2023, hundreds of federal employees at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) assigned to the building were instructed to work from home amid worsening safety concerns, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. At the time, Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, demanded its closure due to the drug dealing at the building’s doorstep.
"It's another example of how he is coming after Democrats. He's coming after California, and it's all about payback," former Democratic Rep. Jackie Speier told KGO, referring to Trump. "The lease will keep going up and you will end up paying the property taxes of the lessor, whereas you don't pay federal taxes when you are a federal government."
In a 2020 executive order, Trump described the 7th Street federal building – an energy-efficient "green" structure opened in 2007 at a cost of $144 million – as being considered by San Franciscans as "one of the ugliest structures in their city."
Andy Ball, a developer who worked as a concrete subcontractor on the building two decades ago, told the Chronicle the project was a "waste of taxpayer money from day one."
"No investor would have built this building," Ball said, estimating the costs were about "50% greater" than if the project had been funded by the private sector. "In this market, it will represent the greatest difference between cost to build and its sale value."
The potential building sales come as the Trump administration, through Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), continues efforts to downside federal government bureaucracy. Though the lease remains active for the 800,000-square-foot former Twitter headquarters in San Francisco, Musk moved his tech company, rebranded as X Corp., to Texas last year.
Last year, the overall vacancy for downtown San Francisco reached 37%, with the vacancy rate specifically in the Mid-Market area sitting at 55%, according to the Chronicle.
As of December, the Federal Protective Service ramped up security at the corner since the 7th Street federal building was formally named after Pelosi, who has represented San Francisco for more than 37 years in Congress. Residents who spoke to KGO-TV lamented that the problems just seemed to have been moved a block over, as federal employees would now enjoy the benefit of armed security, while everyday citizens do not. The building, which can accommodate roughly 2,000 workers, currently houses offices for Pelosi, HHS, as well as the Social Security Administration, the Department of Transportation, the Department of Labor, the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Fox News Digital reached out to Pelosi's office, as well as the GSA and the White House, for comment Sunday but did not immediately hear back.
A group of veterans and lawmakers is urging President Donald Trump to award an 87-year-old Marine Corps "legend" and war hero the Medal of Honor after he was snubbed by former President Joe Biden.
The veteran, Maj. James Capers, served in the Vietnam War and saved seven fellow Marines when his recon group was ambushed and outnumbered by North Vietnamese troops in Phú Lộc in 1967.
According to the sworn testimony of the surviving Marines, then-Lt. Capers’ unit was ambushed in the jungle, with blasts from claymore mines inflicting devastating injuries on him and his men. Despite the blasts ripping open his stomach and breaking his leg, a heavily bleeding Capers kept command of his Marines and led two in holding off the enemy long enough for the medevac flight to arrive.
When the overloaded aircraft struggled to take off, Capers attempted to sacrifice himself by jumping from the helicopter and insisting he be left behind until he was pulled back on board by the medevac crew chief.
Capers received multiple gunfire wounds and 19 pieces of shrapnel in the firefight. He continues to suffer from the wounds to this day. But due to his heroic actions, Capers and all of his Marines survived.
For his heroism, Capers was awarded the Bronze Star, which was later upgraded to the Silver Star. However, many believe that Capers rightfully should have received the nation’s highest military honor, the Medal of Honor, for his actions at Phú Lộc.
Unconcerned about his own recognition, Capers continued to serve in the Marines after the war and became a central figure in the "Ask a Marine" program, where he shared his experiences and inspired countless young Americans to serve their country.
For years now, a collection of Marine and other military veterans has been advocating for Capers to finally receive the recognition they believe he deserves. But despite their efforts, Capers, who happens to have also been the first African American to serve in a recon battalion in Vietnam, continued to be ignored by the Biden administration.
With his advanced age and frail health, friends of Capers are worried he may never get the recognition they feel he deserves.
But with Trump in the Oval Office, Bill Cortese, one of Capers’ supporters, feels confident it will finally happen.
Cortese, who is also a Marine Corps vet, told Fox News Digital that he believes Capers could be an inspiring and unifying force in the country.
"When you are overseas, when those bullets start flying, no one's a Democrat or a Republican. No one's a conservative or a progressive. And I think Maj. Capers is sort of the example of someone who just did what had to be done," he explained. "This is someone who led the way, who grew up in Jim Crow South Carolina, overcame incredible racism and incredible obstacles to join the Marine Corps and serve his country, and not once did he ever look for anyone to give him anything based on the color of his skin. It was entirely on his merit and his actions. And so that's something that we can rally around."
Despite this, Cortese said he found it "mind-boggling" how the previous administration "found every reason why not to upgrade this award to the Medal of Honor."
"It's strange, but it seems we received every excuse under the sun." he explained.
He suspects Biden snubbed Capers because he does not fit into the left’s political box and narrative.
"Anyone who knows Maj. Capers knows that he is not someone who bought into any of the woke ideology the last administration was pushing," he explained. "He wouldn't, I think, sing the song that they wanted, and so, I think they just decided to sit on their hands and not do anything, which is sad and unfortunate."
"That's why we're just trying to do the right thing," he continued. "And we know this administration knows how to do the right thing when it comes to veterans."
"We know President Trump cares about our veterans. We know he cares about recognizing their heroic actions. And so, we feel very positive about this new administration that they're going to recognize the value in this both for the veteran community itself, but also for the country as a whole."
The push recently gained even more momentum when 47 members of the U.S. House and Senate formally signed a letter asking Trump to give Capers the recognition he deserves.
"We firmly believe that Major James Capers, Jr., has met the stringent criteria for the Medal of Honor," the lawmakers wrote. "His selfless actions, leadership, courage, and initiative uphold the highest traditions of the United States Armed Forces. The exceptional valor displayed by Major Capers during his missions in the Republic of Vietnam from March 31 to April 3, 1967, serves as a shining example for all servicemen and women, and it is deserving of the highest recognition."
Cortese said he is very grateful for the lawmakers and that he is thankful just to be a part of the movement to finally give Capers the honor he deserves.
"We stand on the shoulders of people like Maj. Capers," he said. "So, we think it's very important to make sure that we honor those who have come before us, honor those who have served, put their lives on the line like Maj. Capers."
"As a Marine Corps veteran myself, I think it's important to recognize tradition, and it's important to recognize those who have paved the way before you," he explained. "I think that's something that is instilled in us as Marines to always remember that, to keep those traditions alive and to recognize those like Maj. Capers who are Marine Corps legends."
President Donald Trump is calling for an audit that could kill California's high-speed rail proposal, which has been around for nearly two decades and has made very little progress.
Many union workers who depend on the federal lifeline turned out to Union Station in Los Angeles on Thursday to throw tomatoes and heckle Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, as his department will lead the charge of figuring out how the funds are being utilized.
"It's been 17 years and $16 billion and no rail has been built," Duffy said while the protesters were in the room reacting to his comments.
"So, if you want to go protest somewhere, if you want to go shout at someone, go to the governor's mansion – go talk to Democrats in the legislature who have brought us this crappy project," he added.
Specifically, the secretary wants to investigate if there were any shady business dealings tied with the rail project's failure so far. As of January, the state was touting a small development in the project's Bakersfield section.
"No state in America is closer to launching high-speed rail than California – and today, we just took a massive step forward. We’re moving into the track-laying phase, completing structures for key segments, and laying the groundwork for a high-speed rail network," Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement last month.
"The future of transportation is being realized right here in the Central Valley with thousands of good-paying jobs already created and 171 miles being worked on. As only California can, we’re building America’s biggest infrastructure project," he added.
Federal taxpayers spent almost $3 billion on the project – with another $4 billion promised by, but not already spent, from President Joe Biden. The audit could provide Trump with the legal authority to claw that money back.
Still, there is almost nothing to show for the project, which is projected to cost $106 billion to achieve its final goal of stretching from Los Angeles to San Francisco, according to the Associated Press. Proponents have argued that the rail would make California, one of the nation's largest states, more connected.
Congressman Kevin Kiley, R-Calif., is pleased to see the project getting federal attention.
"We have been fighting against this disastrous project for years, and now, thanks to Secretary Duffy and President Trump, we finally have an opportunity to hopefully bring it to an end," he told Fox News Digital.
"I'm not sure why anyone would be in favor of what's going on in California. We're wasting taxpayer money in a really, just on an epic scale and not getting anything in return for it," he added.
In addition, Congresswoman Young Kim, R-Calif., argued "it's about time" for accountability on the project.
"We'll see if this investigation leads to finding any fraud and waste. If there is fraud, I know it would probably be in the areas of whether or not the contractors, subcontractors, the designer, the builders, anyone who's involved with the high-speed rail project is somehow involved in this process," she said.
Fox News Digital caught up with CPAC 2025 attendees on Saturday ahead of President Donald Trump’s headlining speech to discuss how Republicans are dominating the modern media narrative.
The Conservative Political Action Conference is an annual meeting of conservative minds to discuss policy and hear from leading voices in the party. CPAC dates back to 1974, but it was Trump’s speech in 2017 that ushered the conservative conference into its modern era.
Conservative media has erupted in the Trump years, and CPAC had that evidence on full display this year. Media rows, with space for everyone from legacy mainstream media to independent podcasters, spanned several floors of the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland, during CPAC 2025.
The Trump administration has embraced this new media landscape, most notably by opening up a coveted "new media seat" in the White House press briefing room for influencers, podcasters, content creators and independent journalists. The White House received thousands of media applications following White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt’s announcement last month.
"I think the diversity of new media would be a great addition to the media landscape, and it's been great to see them in the press briefing room, too. I think that all the new conservative influencers who have been utilizing channels like TikTok and Instagram have really connected with the youth, and obviously, that was a new group in terms of demographics that President Trump was able to reach with this election," CPAC attendee Kellie Lynch told Fox News Digital.
Trump leaned into the podcast space during his 2024 presidential campaign under the advisement of his Gen Z son, Barron Trump. Trump appeared on Theo Von’s "This Past Weekend," Joe Rogan’s widely popular "The Joe Rogan Experience" and Logan Paul’s "IMPAULSIVE." The episodes amassed millions of views each, with as many as 26 million views on Rogan’s podcast.
"I was watching Joe Rogan," John Taber, a young CPAC attendee, told Fox News Digital. "I listened to President Trump's interview. I listened to JD Vance's interview with Joe Rogan. I think that really spoke to a demographic that's typically not spoken to by politicians, both Republicans and Democrats. They saw hope in that interview. I think that's why a lot of conservatives flocked over to President Trump."
"It goes to show that Donald Trump was very open about his views. He doesn't hide behind anything, and he went on a podcast not even knowing what was going to be asked of him, and he was able to answer," conservative TikToker Harley Richards added.
"It's a great strategy," CPAC attendee Jacob Lee said. "So many young people today are so hooked on podcasts. They love podcasts. They love Joe Rogan. They love the Nelk boys. They love all of these interactive podcast stars that Kamala Harris and the Democrats didn't really go for a lot. They did go on other podcasts that are kind of inflammatory, in my opinion, but they're not engaging. They're not engaging the younger male voter. I think that's what really put Trump over the top with younger men."
The White House announced an official rapid response account @RapidResponse47 during Trump’s first month back in office, led by White House Rapid Response director Jake Schneider. The accounts aggregate key interview moments, share fast facts and create headlines, to highlight Trump’s best moments and clip the Democrats' worst.
"I follow the White House Trump Rapid Response, and it provides a great commentary on what's going on, and you can respond to it and debate with people who are not conservative. I find that very useful," Taber said.
"That's where most of the youth group is looking at right now: social media. They don't really get their news from larger news sources most of the time," Lee explained.
Tiffany Cianci, who runs a social media channel called TikTok Town Hall, told Fox that Trump "made his presence known on TikTok and saw the benefits of how it could connect him to his audience," and that during the election cycle, people "realized they wanted that accountability" and "engagement with our politicians."
"Special government employee" Elon Musk uses X to communicate with Americans directly, sharing information about his Department of Government Efficiency in real time. As the owner of X, Musk is the most-followed person on the app with a whopping 218.5 million followers.
"Especially with Elon Musk's purchase of X and the re-platforming of conservatives who had previously been de-platformed when it was Twitter. I think it's been great to see those voices be amplified again, and for free speech to return to X," Lynch said.
"Before, it would have been very difficult to say something, even moderately conservative. Now, I can't scroll on X, you know, two posts deep without seeing something to the tune of conservatism," another CPAC attendee, Daniel McBride, said.
As social media shifts more conservative, legacy media is embracing the change too. Bill Abbott, president and CEO of Great American Media, spoke with Fox News Digital on Friday ahead of his CPAC panel about faith, family and the future of media. Recognizing a gap in the industry three years ago, the former Hallmark CEO launched his family-friendly media company.
Abbott, who attended CPAC to meet his audience where they are, said viewers have always enjoyed conservative media but, now, demands are being met by a growing supply of conservative channels.
"I'm not so sure if it's a shift or people now feel free to speak up," Abbott said. "I think back in 2016 or 2017, there was a tremendous fear you could get canceled if you had freedom of speech or if you actually said something that was positive about the administration or about the president or about being conservative. Those values were very much held in contempt."
"Now, with the election and winning in a landslide, clearly, people feel more comfortable expressing what they really think. So, I think that it's not so much a shift, but I think the majority of the country has always been in this camp," Abbott added.
"It was never really liberal-dominated," Bode Brewer, a CPAC attendee from Pennsylvania, echoed. "There was no conservative strength to uplift people that were conservative. The conservatives were always there, they were just never activated."
Truckers are "very hopeful" about the trajectory of the auto industry under President Donald Trump after years of feeling like the Biden administration "completely fell asleep behind the wheel," a trucking executive told Fox News Digital.
"We're excited, hopeful, because the new administration will help with the issues that we're having," Mike Kucharski, co-owner and vice president of JKC Trucking, told Fox News Digital as the Trump administration walks back on Biden-era regulations mandating the sale of more electric vehicles (EVs).
Former President Joe Biden granted California a waiver allowing them to enforce emissions standards that are more stringent than other states, including the Advanced Clean Trucks regulation, which mandates that truck manufacturers sell more zero-emission heavy-duty trucks. However, in February, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sent the previously granted waiver to the Republican-controlled Congress for review.
If Congress decides to strike down the waiver, California could lose its ability to enforce the independent emissions standards, which truckers believe would be "a huge win for the industry," according to Kucharski.
"California doesn't dictate the nation," the trucking executive told Fox. "And the frustrating part is, we're in Illinois, we're not in a much better state than California. But we need a technology that we can use across the whole U.S., not one state demanding that they do it."
Kucharski says that truckers are in support of green energy alternatives, but that the industry does not have the infrastructure for such strict mandates, citing the 2023 California heatwave when residents were told to avoid charging their electric vehicles due to the heat.
The big-rig executive also raised concerns over the ability to charge a large quantity of electric big-rig trucks in California if the emissions standards remain in place.
"Where's that power going to come from? We would need a miracle or some super-alien technology to make that work," he told Fox News Digital.
California's standards, which are the strictest in the country, also "cost truckers money," he said.
"Right now, we don't have the money, we're still dealing with aftershocks of COVID," Kucharski told Fox. "We hope that this administration can pull us out of this black hole."
"Truckers are seeing a light at the end of the tunnel. I'm very hopeful," Kucharski said. "This administration, they're at least looking out for the good of the American people and for the truckers. And I hope they can get this economy roaring again, as they did in the first administration."
As the EPA pulls back on the green energy push, Kucharski said there are three issues truckers hope to see addressed under the Trump administration: overregulation, the cost of diesel and achieving energy independence.
Hunter Schafer, a transgender actor and star of the HBO series "Euphoria," revealed that her new passport was issued with a male gender marker because of an executive order signed by President Donald Trump.
Schafer, 26, posted a video on social media detailing how her passport had been stolen while she was filming in Spain. After receiving an emergency passport, she later had to apply for a new, permanent one in Los Angeles. Schafer, who transitioned to female when she was a teenager, said her original passport identified her as female, but the new one she received marked her as male.
Schafer said she wasn’t posting the video to "create drama," "fearmonger" or "receive consolation," but rather because she thought it was worth noting "the reality of the situation and that it is actually happening."
"Trans people are beautiful. We are never going to stop existing. I’m never gonna stop being trans," she said in the video. "A letter and a passport can’t change that. And f--- this administration."
Trump signed the executive order, "Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government," on his first day in office. The order mandates the federal government to recognize only two sexes — male and female — based on immutable biological characteristics, which must be reflected on official documents, like passports.
The State Department, responsible for passports, is no longer issuing passports with the "X" marker that’s been available since 2021 and is not honoring requests to change gender markers between "M" and "F."
Schafer acknowledged the executive order in her TikTok video: "Because our president, you know, is a lot of talk, I was like, ‘I’ll believe it when I see it.’ And, today, I saw it," Schafer said, holding up her new passport page with the "M" marker.
The 26-year-old said she has had female gender markers on her license and passport since she was a teenager, though she noted that she did not have her birth certificate amended.
"It doesn’t really change anything about me or my transness. However, it does make my life a little harder," Schafer said in the video, saying she has to travel for the first time with the new passport next week.
"Trans people are beautiful. We are never going to stop existing. I’m never going to stop being trans. A letter and a passport can’t change that," she concluded.
Seven people represented by the American Civil Liberties Union have already filed a lawsuit claiming the policy violates privacy and First Amendment rights.
The ACLU has said it has been contacted by more than 1,500 transgender people or family members, "many with passport applications suspended or pending, who are concerned about being able to get passports that accurately reflect their identity."
Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Billionaire Elon Musk said Saturday that "the bar is very low" after announcing that all federal employees must report their productivity if they wish to keep their jobs.
Musk, a senior advisor to President Donald Trump, said earlier on Saturday that employees will receive an email giving them a chance to explain how productive they were the previous week. If an employee fails to respond to the email, Musk said the government will interpret that as a resignation.
"Consistent with President @realDonaldTrump’s instructions, all federal employees will shortly receive an email requesting to understand what they got done last week," Musk wrote on X. "Failure to respond will be taken as a resignation."
Later on Saturday, Musk said the report should take under five minutes for employees to write. The deadline to respond to the email is 11:59 p.m. Monday.
"To be clear, the bar is very low here. An email with some bullet points that make any sense at all is acceptable! Should take less than 5 mins to write," Musk wrote on X.
In another post, Musk responded to the White House's Rapid Response account in which it laid out what the administration has done in the last week, which included Trump signing executive orders to expand access to in vitro fertilization (IVF) and to end benefits for illegal immigrants.
"That would be a very impressive and long list indeed for you!" Musk responded.
"However, the passing grade is literally just 'Can you send an email with words that make any sense at all?'" he continued. "It's a low bar."
A spokesperson from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) confirmed Musk's plans.
"As part of the Trump Administration's commitment to an efficient and accountable federal workforce, OPM is asking employees to provide a brief summary of what they did last week by the end of Monday, CC'ing their manager," the spokesperson said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "Agencies will determine any next steps."
New FBI Director Kash Patel, however, has instructed agency employees not to respond yet to the OPM email, according to ABC News.
"FBI personnel may have received an email from OPM requesting information," Patel told employees. "The FBI, through the Office of the Director, is in charge of all of our review processes, and will conduct reviews in accordance with FBI procedures. When and if further information is required, we will coordinate the responses. For now, please pause any responses. Thank you, Kash Patel."
The American Federation of Government Employees labor union said it plans to "challenge any unlawful terminations of our members and federal employees across the country."
"It is cruel and disrespectful for federal employees to be forced to justify their job duties to this out-of-touch, privileged, unelected billionaire who has never performed one single hour of honest public service in his life," the union wrote on X.
The productivity reports came as the Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency continues efforts to cut suspected waste across the federal government.
Fox News' Andrea Margolis and Patrick Ward contributed to this report.
With the successful confirmation of Loeffler, Republicans and Trump officially outpaced former President Joe Biden, who had just seven nominees confirmed at the same point in 2021.
Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso's office pointed out that former President Barack Obama had only 17 Cabinet officials confirmed by February 19, 2009, during his first term, meaning that Trump outpaced him as well with Loeffler's confirmation.
His office noted that 18 Cabinet nominees were not confirmed for Obama in 2009 until he had been in office for 36 days, citing official congressional records. Biden did not see 18 Cabinet nominees confirmed for 57 days.
The GOP-led Senate confirmed Kash Patel as FBI director last week, giving Trump another win, even though Patel is not a member of the president's Cabinet.
"By the end of today, we will have confirmed 18 of President Trump’s nominees. These nominees are bold and well-qualified," Barrasso said on the Senate floor before Patel's vote.
"That is more nominees than President Obama had in 2009. It is more than President Biden had in 2021. More than twice as many," he said.
"Americans voted for a bold, new direction in Washington. Senate Republicans are delivering it," he said.
While they still have a handful of Cabinet nominees left to confirm, the approval of Patel marked a crucial accomplishment for the party, as they officially put in place each of the president's most controversial picks.
Trump nominated Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard and Patel, each of whom managed to lose the support of at least one Republican.
And while their confirmations were at some points uphill battles for the administration, each of them successfully got past the finish line.
Those still left to be confirmed to Trump's Cabinet are Lori Chavez-DeRemer for Secretary of Labor, Linda McMahon for Secretary of Education, U.S. Trade Representative nominee Jamieson Greer and Elise Stefanik to be ambassador to the United Nations.
Republican Gov. Brian Kemp of Georgia is well aware that plenty of people are waiting for his decision on whether to run for the Senate next year.
The popular term-limited conservative governor is the GOP's dream candidate to take on Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff, who is considered vulnerable, in the key southeastern battleground state, as Republicans aim to expand their 53-47 Senate majority in the 2026 midterm elections.
"We need to flip that seat. We should have a Republican in that seat, and I believe we'll have one after the '26 election," Kemp said in a Fox News Digital interview this past week.
Kemp isn't ready to make an announcement, emphasizing that he's "really got a lot on my plate right now."
"I'm in the middle of my legislative session. We've got a big tort reform fight going on. I'm chairing the Republican Governors Association. I made a commitment on that," he added.
But the governor acknowledged that "I know I can't keep holding out forever, so we'll have something to say on that down the road."
Georgia's legislative session is scheduled to adjourn on April 4.
Sen. Tim Scott, chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which is the Senate GOP's campaign arm, has said that Kemp is a top recruit, and he hopes the governor will run.
And recent partisan polling in Georgia indicated Kemp topping Ossoff in a hypothetical matchup.
But the NRSC is confident of flipping the seat in Georgia even if Kemp decides to take a pass on a 2026 run.
Among the Republicans who've expressed interest in a run for the Senate seat in Georgia if Kemp opts out are Reps. Buddy Carter, Rich McCormick, Mike Collins, and Marjorie Taylor Greene, a top ally of President Donald Trump and a political rockstar on the far right with a very large national profile, along with state Insurance Commissioner John King.
Kemp was interviewed as he chaired the Republican Governors Association's (RGA) winter meeting in Washington D.C.
The governor, who has been steering the RGA for three months, emphasized his frenetic schedule to fundraise and recruit candidates.
"Doing a lot of stuff in Florida, Texas, been to California, will be traveling to help other governors, but also just in DC, you know, continuing to work hard to raise money, really, all across the board," he said.
And Kemp said he's aiming to "really grow the organization, grow the donor base, and make people understand why it's so important to have Republican governors, because we are the incubators of democracy. We're the ones that are implementing a lot of these new and efficient things that we're doing that then may filter out to another state and then another state after that."
Republicans held onto their 27-23 gubernatorial advantage in the 2024 elections, thanks in part to the efforts of the RGA.
Looking ahead, New Jersey and Virginia are the only two states to hold gubernatorial elections this year, giving them outsized national attention and making them key barometers for the mood of Americans during the start of a new presidential term.
A competitive GOP primary is underway in blue-state New Jersey, where Republicans hope to win a gubernatorial election for the first time in a dozen years.
And in Virginia, GOP Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears is aiming to succeed term-limited Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin [Virginia governors can only serve one consecutive four-year term] and make history as the state's first woman governor and the nation's first Black female governor.
Next year, 36 states will hold gubernatorial elections.
Pointing to the two-year cycle, Kemp said, "There's a lot of work to do, but we are right on the ideas, and we just got to have the money and the fundamentals to be able to have a playbook and a plan and all these races to make sure we continue to have great Republican governors that are elected around the country."
