A group of racial justice protesters reached a settlement with the federal government in a lawsuit accusing law enforcement agents sent by President Trump of using excessive force to protect a federal courthouse in 2020.

Under the settlement, the federal government must compensate the plaintiffs for the injuries suffered at the hands of federal agents, the American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon said Tuesday.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the ACLU of Oregon for details surrounding the specific compensation amounts.

The plaintiffs included three military veterans, a college professor, several Black Lives Matter activists and a man who said agents grabbed him off a street for no reason while he was blocks from the federal courthouse in Portland.

MINNEAPOLIS TO OVERHAUL POLICE TRAINING, USE-OF-FORCE POLICIES IN WAKE OF GEORGE FLOYD'S MURDER

"We are proud to have represented our courageous clients," ACLU of Oregon legal director Kelly Simon said in a news release. "They suffered serious injuries because of federal law enforcement’s unlawful, aggressive actions, and it is just and fair that they are being compensated. Thank you to our clients and all people who stood up for Black lives and against government tyranny. The ACLU of Oregon will stand with you again and again to make sure everyone is treated with justice and fairness by the government."

Thousands of protesters in Portland and across the country took to the streets for months in 2020 in the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis. The demonstrators at times clashed with police, and militarized federal agents were ordered to Portland to stop the riots.

The lawsuit accused federal agents of exceeding the limits of their authority, making illegal arrests and using tear gas, rubber bullets and pepper spray when trying to stop the riots. Nearly all the plaintiffs alleged they suffered physical injuries and some were treated at hospitals.

A video showed Navy veteran Christopher David, a plaintiff in the suit, outside the courthouse being struck by an agent with a baton and another dousing him in the face with pepper spray. David suffered two broken bones in his hand during the protest.

The lawsuit alleges that then-Acting Director of Homeland Security Chad Wolf did not have the authority to send more than 100 agents to Portland because he was improperly appointed. Wolf abruptly resigned in 2021 — shortly before Trump was set to leave office — saying he was compelled to leave by "recent events," including court rulings that found his appointment to be unlawful.

A federal investigative report later found that the militarized federal agents did not have the proper training or equipment and that there was no plan for responding to protests without local police assistance.

BIDEN DOJ OPPOSES COURT DECISION ALLOWING DEREK CHAUVIN CHANCE TO EXAMINE GEORGE FLOYD'S HEART

Local police arrested hundreds of protesters over three months and federal agents arrested nearly 100 more during the height of the demonstrations.

"It shocked the conscience that this level of force was used against veterans, moms, and other nonviolent protesters. The way our own government treated us violated everything we learned in the military," plaintiff and veteran Nichol Denison said in the news release.

This was one of several lawsuits the ACLU of Oregon filed against the federal government on behalf of protesters and other groups, including journalists and legal observers.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., showed frustration with Democrats on Tuesday after a confirmation vote for President Trump's pick for CIA director in John Ratcliffe, who has bipartisan support, was blocked.

Speaking on the Senate floor after the vote was blocked by Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., Thune said the Senate can remain in session all weekend to confirm Trump's picks if progress continues to be delayed.

"Do we want a vote on these folks on Tuesday or vote on them on Friday, Saturday and Sunday? Because that's what we're going to do. This can be easy or this can be hard," Thune said. "This is about America's national security interests, and we're stalling, so that's not going to happen."

NEW GOP SENATOR TEARS INTO DEMS 'SEEKING TO DELAY' PETE HEGSETH DOD CONFIRMATION

Ratcliffe was approved by the Senate Intelligence Committee by a bipartisan vote of 14 to 3. Because of that, Thune said the vote to confirm him "shouldn't be hard."

"Democrats and Republicans, in a very big bipartisan fashion, agree that he is very qualified for this job," Thune said, adding that he isn't sure what stalling accomplishes.

When blocking the vote, Murphy said many Democrats have "serious concerns" about Ratcliffe's ability to work as CIA director because he "repeatedly politicized intelligence" during his eight months as National Intelligence director in 2020.

"I don't think it's too much to ask to make sure that we have a full, real debate that lasts two days on the Senate floor," Murphy said on Tuesday.

CONFIRMATION DELAYS STACK UP FOR TRUMP NOMINEES AS PAPERWORK LAGS IN FEDERAL OFFICES

Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., who leads the Senate Intelligence Committee, said the delay is for "no good reason" and is simply an attempt "to drag out all of these nominations to play procedural games."

Cotton noted that while the Democrats acted in similar fashion in 2017 with Trump's first administration and the Republicans in 2021 with Biden's picks, that this didn't happen during confirmation votes prior to the past two elections.

"We should especially get back to that practice when it is a highly accomplished, well-qualified nominee of integrity, like John Ratcliffe," Cotton said. "Now we're going to spin our wheels for two days. But, as I said, don't make plans for the weekend. Don't have any dinner dates scheduled starting on Thursday night because we're going to get these nominees done the easy, collegial way. Or apparently the hard way."

Only one of Trump's Cabinet nominees has been confirmed thus far, and that was former Florida senator Marco Rubio as Secretary of State. He was confirmed on Monday by a unanimous vote.

Several nominees have advanced out of committee votes while others still await confirmation hearings.

A day-one order from President Donald Trump puts on pause the plans of Afghan allies who have been approved for resettlement in the U.S., a delay that advocates say could be the difference between life and death at the hands of the Taliban. 

A pause on refugee resettlement in the U.S. will include Afghans who are in hiding after the Taliban takeover and the family members of U.S. troops.

"There are lawyers, doctors, journalists stuck in Pakistan who have been waiting for three and a half years to relocate to the U.S. We finally got the program moving, and we got the U.S. government to agree to allow them to relocate," Shawn VanDriver, president of resettlement group AfghanEvac, told Fox News Digital. 

"Now, they’re f***ing panicking." 

2 AMERICANS RELEASED IN EXCHANGE FOR TALIBAN PRISONER

The executive order, entitled "Realigning the United States Refugee Admissions Program, will take effect on Monday and will immediately pause the resettlement of those who have worked their way through a system to get approval to move to the U.S. 

 It will go on "until such time as the further entry into the United States of refugees aligns with the interests of the United States."

A report will be submitted to Trump every 90 days until he determines that refugees should be allowed in.

"They’re getting it wrong here," said VanDriver, worried the pause will be "indefinite." 

"It could be any day that the Taliban or ISIS-K shows up at your door," he said. "Can you imagine being a U.S. service member coming to work yesterday thinking that your mom is going to get out of Kabul and then they’re like ‘nope’?" 

The family members of roughly 200 U.S. service members will be immediately impacted, according to VanDriver. 

Some of those service members worked as combat interpreters for the U.S. during the war in Afghanistan, only to relocate to and join the service in the U.S. 

"The United States lacks the ability to absorb large numbers of migrants, and in particular, refugees, into its communities in a manner that does not compromise the availability of resources for Americans, that protects their safety and security, and that ensures the appropriate assimilation of refugees," the order says.

Since the end of the war in 2021, some 180,000 Afghans have resettled in the U.S. 

"How can the US government leave me behind in Afghanistan after I approved thousands of airstrike packages against the Taliban?" one Afghan who was in the final stages of case processing wrote in a text message shared with Fox News Digital. 

"Members of Trump’s cabinet are U.S. military veterans and they fully understand what someone in my situation must feel like right now," the Afghan wrote. "This was the only hope for me and my family." 

Prior to the executive order AfghanEvac sent a letter to the Trump team and other lawmakers urging them to continue resettling Afghan allies in the U.S. VanDriver said his letter has received no response from the new White House team.

Trump campaigned on the chaos that ensued when the U.S. military pulled out of Afghanistan in August 2021. President Joe Biden pointed his finger at Trump, who had agreed to a 2021 deadline with the Taliban, but Trump claimed the Taliban had not held up their end of the deal so he would not have stuck to the agreement. 

If the refugee program is paused for 90 days, it would affect some 2,000 people. If it is paused in definitely, it could affect between 25 and 30,000 people, according to Van Driver. 

Many of those who are waiting for approval to come to the U.S. are hiding out in Pakistan fearful of deportation back to Afghanistan where their lives are at risk before they get approval to come to the U.S. 

Advocates say the decision walks back on a promise the U.S. made to Afghans who aided U.S. troops and non-governmental organizations when the U.S. pulled out and the government collapsed to the Taliban. 

The order drew mixed reaction from Republicans. 

GOLD STAR FAMILIES DEVASTATED BY BIDEN'S BOTCHED AFGHANISTAN WITHDRAWAL ENDORSE HEGSETH FOR SECDEF

"It doesn't have to include the Afghans," Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis., a Navy SEAL veteran, told Fox News Digital. "I learned a long time ago there's waivers for everything. If you're a man, woman or child and you assisted us in Afghanistan –  I'm alive because of our Afghan allies.They’ve earned the right to come here. 

"I think the move itself is correct," said Rep. Morgan Luttrell, R-Texas, another former SEAL, said, adding that Afghan allies should be exempt from the order. "Those Afghan refugees fought alongside us. They have every single right, in my opinion, to be able to navigate these challenging waters to be in our country." 

"When you were bringing everybody out of Afghanistan, we were supposed to be targeting the civilians that helped us," said Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio,  a former Army ranger said. "[Biden] flooded everybody that had any proximity to Afghanistan through that program."

"There are people who were inside those C-17s [that evacuated Afghans in 2021] who should not have been there, who had been locked up in prison the day before," said Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif. 

"So we’re going to look carefully and review that. Are we going to pause it for five years and not keep our promise? No." 

The Trump administration "will be abandoning thousands of individuals who stood shoulder-to-shoulder with American service members, and who now, due to their loyal service and commitment to our shared values, remain at great risk in Afghanistan," VanDriver said in a statement.

"Even a temporary pause puts our allies in further danger, compromises our global standing with any current and future allies, and breaks the promises we made as a country," the AfghanEvac letter circulated among lawmakers reads. 

President Donald Trump's swearing-in ceremony Monday featured the largest, most complex security footprint of any inauguration in U.S. history. 

The nation's capital was transformed seemingly overnight from a pedestrian-friendly city into a daunting and impenetrable fortress – the result of a multi-agency task force that erected 30 miles of anti-scale fencing, coordinated aerial surveillance and drones, and saw the deployment of tens of thousands of law enforcement, military personnel, undercover agents, and national guard trucks across D.C.

The impressive, whole-of-government security effort on Inauguration Day was unprecedented, and not without reason: Trump was the victim of two assassination attempts during the 2024 campaign — including a shooter who came so close to him as to nick his ear — and a domestic threat landscape that was heightened further by the terrorist-inspired attack in New Orleans and the execution-style killing of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Midtown Manhattan late last year.

It's notable, then, that this year’s sprawling security footprint did not expressly include one key component considered fundamental to U.S. tradition: The naming of a designated survivor.

In D.C., the tightly coordinated federal protection efforts were carefully planned long ahead of Trump's inauguration ceremony by the Secret Service and many other federal agencies. 

It's both a nod to recent security concerns, and more largely an effort to protect the U.S. body politic, foreign dignitaries, donors, and thousands of attendees from any mass catastrophe or threat. 

The designated survivor, who in a catastrophic event would bear the responsibility of leading the U.S. in the aftermath of a crisis, is typically a Cabinet officer when major security events put elected officials all in one spot, such as inaugurations and State of the Union addresses.

WORLD LEADERS REACT AS TRUMP RE-ENTERS WHITE HOUSE

Previous designated survivors have included former DHS secretary Jeh Johnson, former Energy Secretary Rick Perry, and former Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who was tapped for the role during President Barack Obama's inauguration in 2009. 

Gates, a George W. Bush appointee, was kept on by Obama and served in his Pentagon role until July 2011, according to his official Defense Department biography.

The survivor's location, and sometimes identity, remains confidential until after the event disperses and its attendees have safely returned home. In high-profile events, a broader contingency plan is in place.

As Garrett Graff reported in 2016, Gates's role as designated survivor during Obama's inauguration also included the support of another government heavyweight — James Clapper, then the undersecretary of intelligence — who stowed away during the ceremony deep in an underground government bunker in Pennsylvania, a backup to the backup, if you will, and a nod at the detailed succession plan carefully crafted by a group defense, intelligence, and other federal agencies over the span of some 40-plus years.

So it was notable that no designated survivor was named during the 47th presidential inauguration.

TRUMP INAUGURATION GUEST LIST INCLUDES TECH TITANS MARK ZUCKERBERG, JEFF BEZOS, ELON MUSK
 

No reason was given for the absence of the designated survivor, which was first reported by NBC News.

It's possible that the sprawling security presence coordinated in the run-up to Jan. 20 was deemed sufficient to protect against any threats.

DEMS PROMISE TO 'STAND UP TO' TRUMP BUT LAUD 'PEACEFUL TRANSFER OF POWER' AFTER SPEECH

It's also possible the event, which was held indoors and thus restricted to the public and to members of the news media, was limited enough as not to warrant the designated survivor. 

Ahead of the event, FBI and Secret Service personnel stressed the stringent security measures in place and the tight vetting of any ticketed attendees.

David Sundberg of the FBI's Washington Field Office told Fox News earlier this week that the bureau was not tracking "any specific or credible threats" for Inauguration Day.

"All attendees will undergo screening," said Matt McCool, special agent in charge of the Secret Service's Washington Field Office. 

These individuals told Fox News that the fencing alone is more than any other designated National Special Security Event in the past.

"Designated checkpoints will be set up for members of the public interested in attending the inauguration," McCool said ahead of the inauguration — a protocol also applied to attendees of the modified Capital One festivities, which were moved inside due to frigid temperatures.

Neither the White House, DHS nor the FBI immediately responded to Fox News Digital's request for comment on the absence of a designated survivor.

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

A reported rising star in the Democratic Party, who is being recruited to run for office in Texas, has a social media footprint littered with racially charged posts as well as numerous crude comments about President Trump. 

Accomplished singer and songwriter Bobby Pulido is being "heavily recruited," according to a recent Politico report, to run as a Democrat in Texas’ 15th Congressional District and Pulido himself has said that he intends to put his singing career on hold to run for political office in 2026.

Pulido’s social media presence is littered with examples of racially charged posts along with vulgar posts about President-elect Trump which are likely to be used against him if he decides to run for Congress. 

"How convenient that Wikileaks only hacked the democrat party," Pulido said in a reply to the GOP Asian American account on X, then known as Twitter, in 2016. "Open your Asian eyes. That's more rigged than anything."

TEXAS A&M CANCELS CONFERENCE TRIP EXCLUDING WHITE AND ASIAN STUDENTS AFTER GOVERNOR BACKLASH

"You are f---ing blind if you think she is worse than he is," Pulido said in another post regarding Trump’s 2016 opponent Hillary Clinton. 

"Chinga a tu madre," Pulido said in a tweet to then President-elect Donald Trump in December 2016, which translates in English to "F--- your mother."

"I'd like to give you the biggest ‘f--- you" you piece of s---, a--hole, d--- head, son of a bit--," Pulido said to Trump in another post. 

DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKER SUGGESTS 'SLAVE MENTALITY' BEHIND HISPANIC TRUMP VOTERS

Numerous examples of Pulido using crude language to attack Trump can be found on his page, which would presumably be unpopular with Republican voters in Texas, a state he won by 14 points in November while making historically significant strides with Hispanic voters in the Lone Star State. 

In 2015, a Twitter user asked Pulido in Spanish, "What would you say to people who bully me because I listen to your music?"

"Tell them I said f--- their race," Pulido posted in response.

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It is unclear what specific political race Pulido is planning on entering, but he has made it clear he intends to launch his candidacy in the near future and Politico reported he would likely be considered to run in Texas' 15th Congressional District against Republican Rep. Monica De La Cruz.

"Growing up I was always intrigued by the idea of public service," Pulido said in a recent livestream discussing retiring from music. "In 2026 I’ll be running for public office in the attempt to fulfill my lifelong dream to serve my people."

Fox News Digital reached out to Pulido, but he did not respond to a request for comment. 

WASHINGTON — The federal Office of Personnel Management (OPM) notified heads of agencies and departments that they must begin taking steps to close all diversity, equity and inclusion offices by the end of the day Wednesday and place government workers in those offices on paid leave, Fox News Digital has learned. 

Acting Director of the Office of Personnel Management Charles Ezell sent a memo to heads and acting heads of departments and agencies on Tuesday evening directing them that by no later than 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 22, they are to:

TRUMP VOWS 'NEW ERA OF NATIONAL SUCCESS,' SAYS AMERICA'S 'DECLINE IS OVER' IN INAUGURAL ADDRESS

INFLUENCERS PRAISE TRUMP FOR DECLARING 'ONLY 2 GENDERS' WILL BE RECOGNIZED BY US: 'TRUTH IS WINNING!'

The memo also directed the heads of agencies and departments that by noon Thursday, Jan. 23, they must share with OPM: 

By Friday at 5 p.m., agency heads must submit to OPM:

TRUMP TO TAKE MORE THAN 200 EXECUTIVE ACTIONS ON DAY 1

The memo comes after President Trump signed an executive order on Monday to eliminate all DEI programs from the federal government.

The president also signed an order making it "the official policy of the U.S. government to only recognize two genders: male and female."

Trump issued two other executive actions on Tuesday targeting DEI — an executive order to end discrimination in the workplace and higher education through race- and sex-based preferences under the guise of DEI and a memo to eliminate a Biden administration policy that prioritized DEI hiring at the Federal Aviation Administration.

In the executive order signed Tuesday, Trump sought to protect Americans from discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin. He said these civil-rights protections "serve as a bedrock supporting equality of opportunity for all Americans" and that he "has a solemn duty to ensure that these laws are enforced for the benefit of all Americans."

"Yet today, roughly 60 years after the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, critical and influential institutions of American society, including the Federal Government, major corporations, financial institutions, the medical industry, large commercial airlines, law enforcement agencies, and institutions of higher education have adopted and actively use dangerous, demeaning, and immoral race- and sex-based preferences under the guise of so-called 'diversity, equity, and inclusion' (DEI) or 'diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility' (DEIA) that can violate the civil-rights laws of this Nation," the order reads.

It adds that these "illegal DEI and DEIA policies also threaten the safety of American men, women, and children across the Nation by diminishing the importance of individual merit, aptitude, hard work, and determination when selecting people for jobs and services in key sectors of American society, including all levels of government, and the medical, aviation, and law-enforcement communities."

In the memo on Tuesday rolling back Biden's DEI hiring practices at the FAA, Trump orders the Secretary of Transportation and FAA Administrator to immediately stop Biden's DEI hiring programs and return to non-discriminatory, merit-based hiring.

The FAA Administrator must also review the past performance and performance standards of all agency employees in critical safety positions and make it clear that anyone who fails to demonstrate adequate capability is replaced by someone who will ensure flight safety and efficiency.

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"Illegal and discriminatory diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) hiring, including on the basis of race, sex, disability, or any other criteria other than the safety of airline passengers and overall job excellence, competency, and qualification, harms all Americans, who deserve to fly with confidence," the memo reads. "It also penalizes hard-working Americans who want to serve in the FAA but are unable to do so, as they lack a requisite disability or skin color. FAA employees must hold the qualifications and have the ability to perform their jobs to the highest possible standard of excellence."

The memo states: "All so-called DEI initiatives, including all dangerous preferencing policies or practices, shall immediately be rescinded in favor of hiring, promoting, and otherwise treating employees on the basis of individual capability, competence, achievement, and dedication."

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) reportedly reassigned multiple senior officials across various divisions ahead of the anticipated confirmation of President Donald Trump’s nomination for U.S. attorney general, Pam Bondi.

Fox News is told that multiple career staffers in the criminal and national security divisions at the DOJ were removed from their current posts and reassigned.

While it is difficult to fire a career person "just because," reassigning is possible, and that appears to have happened.

Of those who were moved to other positions within the DOJ was Bruce Schwartz, head of the office of internal affairs, which handles extradition matters, a person familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity told The Associated Press. The same person reportedly told the wire service that about 20 officials had been reassigned.

DONALD TRUMP SWORN IN AS 47TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

Also, reportedly moved was George Toscas, a veteran deputy assistant attorney general in the national security division who not only helped oversee major terrorism and espionage investigations but also was a key figure in politically motivated probes over the last 10 years.

Toscas was involved in the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s handling of classified information as well as the investigation into Trump’s possession of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago in Florida.

Toscas’ reassignment was confirmed to The Associated Press by another person familiar with the matter.

TRUMP TO TAKE MORE THAN 200 EXECUTIVE ACTIONS ON DAY ONE

"He has seen everything in both counterterrorism and counterintelligence," a former colleague of Toscas’ who spoke on condition of anonymity, told The Washington Post. "There is no one in the department who knows as much about prosecuting and investigating terrorists and spies as George Toscas."

The Washington Post also learned from sources familiar with the matter that Eun Young Choi, another deputy assistant attorney general in the national security division, was reassigned within the department, and was notified of the change by way of email on Monday afternoon.

The DOJ declined to comment on the changes.

PRESIDENT TRUMP DISCOVERS LETTER FROM FORMER PRESIDENT BIDEN IN RESOLUTE DESK

Hours after Trump took the oath of office, the DOJ removed at least four senior officials from the division that operates the nation’s immigration courts, which are currently backlogged.

The Washington Post reported that there is a 120-day moratorium on some staff reassignments after newly confirmed leaders begin their appointments, under federal guidelines. Bondi has not yet been confirmed; therefore, the moratorium is not yet in effect in the DOJ.

Currently, James McHenry is running the DOJ as acting U.S. attorney general after Merrick Garland left the department on Friday. 

The reasons for the moves were not immediately known, though it is common for a new administration to appoint its own hires to lead the DOJ.

The moves could also foreshadow additional changes, given Trump’s interest in the department, which investigated him during his first term and indicted him twice last year in separate cases that never reached trial and were withdrawn after Trump’s election win in November.

The U.S. Coast Guard on Tuesday announced the deployment of personnel and equipment to various maritime borders in the United States, a day after President Donald Trump dismissed the military branch's leader. 

In a statement, Coast Guard Acting Commandant Adm. Kevin Lunday said coast guardsmen would work to detect and deter illegal migration in support of Trump's executive orders issued this week. 

"The U.S. Coast Guard is the world’s premiere maritime law enforcement agency, vital to protecting America’s maritime borders, territorial integrity and sovereignty," Lunday said. "Per the President’s Executive Orders, I have directed my operational commanders to immediately surge assets—cutters, aircraft, boats and deployable specialized forces—to increase Coast Guard presence and focus…"

RETIRED COAST GUARD HELICOPTER COMMANDER DETAILS RISKS TO AIR CREWS FIGHTING LA FIRES

Key areas where authorities will focus their efforts include the waters off Florida to deter and prevent migrants from Haiti and Cuba from entering the U.S., and maritime borders around Alaska, Hawaii, as well as the U.S. territories of Guam, Puerto Rico, American Somoa and the U.S. Virgin Islands. 

Lunday also wrote in the release that the agency would target the "maritime border between Texas and Mexico in the Gulf of America." 

On Monday, Trump signed an executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico. In the federal executive order: "Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness," Section 4 rebrands the "area formerly known as the Gulf of Mexico… an integral asset to our once burgeoning nation …and an indelible part of America" – as the "Gulf of America."

The reference appears to be the first time a federal agency has acknowledged the name change.

The Coast Guard said it would also target the Bahamas and South Florida, and between the U.S. and Mexico in the Pacific Ocean. 

In addition, the Coast Guard will support U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) authorities on maritime portions of the southwest U.S. border.

"Together, in coordination with our Department of Homeland Security and Department of Defense teammates, we will detect, deter and interdict illegal migration, drug smuggling and other terrorist or hostile activity before it reaches our border," a news release states. 

6 SUSPECTS ALLEGEDLY INVOLVED IN DEADLY HUMAN SMUGGLING INCIDENTS OVER THE PAST WEEK, COAST GUARD SAYS

On Monday, Trump also issued a flurry of executive orders cracking down on illegal immigration. 

Among the many charges was the termination of Adm. Linda Lee Fagan, 61, who was fired by Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Benjamine Huffman.

Huffman didn't cite a reason for the dismissal, but a senior DHS official told Fox News that Fagan was removed for failure to address border security threats, insufficient leadership in recruitment and retention, mismanagement in acquiring key acquisitions such as icebreakers and helicopters, excessive focus on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and an "erosion of trust" over the mishandling and cover-up of Operation Fouled Anchor, which was the Coast Guard's internal investigation into sexual assault cases at the Coast Guard Academy.

Fox News Digital's Charles Creitz contributed to this report.

FIRST ON FOX: Republican Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas and Todd Young, R-Indiana are urging historical museums in Washington, D.C., to "respect" the First Amendment rights of pro-life protesters who are expected to descend upon the city on Friday.

"This peaceful exercise of First Amendment rights has historically provided participants with a positive, welcoming experience in our nation’s capital," the senators wrote in a letter to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum and the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).

Two years ago, the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum booted several Catholic students and their chaperones for wearing pro-life attire. Students and chaperones from Our Lady of the Rosary School in Greenville, South Carolina, traveled to Washington, D.C., to participate in the annual National March for Life. The group stood out in matching blue beanies emblazoned with the words "Rosary PRO-LIFE."

LEADERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD REACT TO PRESIDENT TRUMP'S WHITE HOUSE RETURN

At the time, the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), representing some students' parents, claimed museum staff mocked the group, used expletives, and argued the museum was a "neutral zone" prohibiting political or religious messages.

In a settlement reached on March 18, 2024, the Smithsonian Institution resolved a lawsuit with students removed from the National Air and Space Museum for wearing pro-life beanies. As part of the agreement, the Smithsonian committed to providing the students a tour and an apology, updating its policy on clothing with religious and political speech for public-facing security staff, sharing video footage and investigative details of the incident, and paying $50,000.

TRUMP PARDONS NEARLY EVERY JAN 6 DEFENDANT BUT SAYS HE'S JUST GETTING STARTED

"While we are pleased that the victims of this harassment received justice, it clearly never should have happened in the first place. No sum of money could truly undue the atrocious acts: officers bearing the badge and force of the federal government openly intimidated and violated the First Amendment rights of peaceful students," the senators wrote to the museums last week. 

"Moreover, American taxpayers footed the bill for the Smithsonian Institution employees’ egregious behavior and apparent lack of adequate training. This cannot happen again," they said.

TRUMP TO DEPLOY MILITARY TO BORDER, END BIDEN PAROLE POLICIES IN FLURRY OF DAY ONE EXECUTIVE ORDERS

That same year, NARA settled a lawsuit in December 2023 after staff reportedly asked visitors to remove pro-life clothing during the March for Life protest earlier that year. The visitors, represented also by the ACLJ, claimed their First Amendment rights were violated. NARA apologized, admitted the incident breached its policies, and agreed to pay $10,000 in legal fees while implementing staff training to prevent future violations.

The senators are urging the institutions to answer questions about whether they have honored prior settlements regarding the treatment of visitors displaying religious or political messages and whether staff have been reminded of policies protecting free speech. NARA is also being asked to commit to maintaining these protections after a key injunction expires in January 2025. Both agencies have been asked to provide detailed explanations of their actions and preparations.

In an email to Fox News Digital, Smithsonian Institution spokesperson Pamela Baker-Masson said, "We will correspond with the Senators."

NARA did not respond to a request for comment by press deadline.

President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed a full and unconditional pardon of Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the anonymous marketplace website Silk Road, which the president promised to do on the campaign trail "on day one."

"I just called the mother of Ross William Ulbright to let her know that in honor of her and the Libertarian Movement, which supported me so strongly, it was my pleasure to have just signed a full and unconditional pardon of her son, Ross," Trump wrote in a social media post on Tuesday. "The scum that worked to convict him were some of the same lunatics who were involved in the modern day weaponization of government against me. He was given two life sentences, plus 40 years. Ridiculous!"

Ulbricht was convicted because his website, which was founded in 2011 and used cryptocurrency for payments, was used to sell illegal drugs, even though he did not sell any of the illicit substances himself.

Republican Arizona Congressman Andy Biggs announced his interest Tuesday in running for governor in 2026 as the GOP looks to defeat incumbent Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs.

Biggs, an ally of President Donald Trump and former chair of the conservative Freedom Caucus, filed a statement of interest, which is required before he can start collecting signatures to qualify for the ballot. 

However, filing a statement doesn't mean a candidate will follow through. 

In a statement posted on X, Biggs said he "will bring my experience home to my native state to help it fulfill its tremendous capacity. I have a firm understanding of what the state needs to thrive."

INFLUENCERS PRAISE TRUMP FOR DECLARING 'ONLY TWO GENDERS' WILL BE RECOGNIZED BY US: 'TRUTH IS WINNING!'

Biggs chaired the Freedom Caucus from 2019 to 2021 and was one of eight Republicans who helped oust former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., in 2023. 

If Biggs does run, it could result in a fight between him and Karrin Taylor Robson, also a Trump ally. 

JOE ROGAN SAYS HARRIS SITDOWN WAS SCRAPPED AFTER CAMPAIGN TOLD HIM SHE 'ONLY WANTED TO DO AN HOUR'

"Are you running for governor? I think so Karrin, because, if you do, you’re going to have my support, OK?" Trump told a crowd last month at Turning Point USA’s Americafest event in Phoenix. 

Robson ran for governor in 2022 but lost to Kari Lake, who Trump endorsed. Lake lost that year's election to Hobbs and recently lost a bid for the U.S. Senate.

In his statement, Biggs said he looks "forward to conversing with my fellow Arizonans as I consider this weighty decision."

State Sen. Jake Hoffman, a Republican and founding chair of the Arizona Freedom Caucus, endorsed Biggs on X. 

"Andy will make an INCREDIBLE Governor and ensure Arizona is safe & prosperous for everyone," he wrote. 

President Donald Trump revoked former National Security Advisor John Bolton's Secret Service protection after his inauguration as the 47th president on Monday, Bolton told Fox News Digital. 

"I am disappointed but not surprised that President Trump has decided to terminate the protection previously provided by the United States Secret Service," Bolton said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital on Tuesday. "Notwithstanding my criticisms of President Biden's national-security policies, he nonetheless made the decision to extend that protection to me in 2021. "

Bolton has faced threats from Iran going back years, including an alleged plot to assassinate him in 2021 and the Department of Justice subsequently charging a member of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps for the plot in 2022. Trump had ousted Bolton from his first administration in 2019, and Biden had granted him a security detail in 2021. 

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House regarding Bolton's claim, but did not immediately receive a reply. 

US OFFERS $20M FOR IRANIAN IN PLOT TARGETING TRUMP’S EX-NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR JOHN BOLTON

"The Justice Department filed criminal charges against an Iranian Revolutionary Guard official in 2022 for attempting to hire a hit man to target me. That threat remains today, as also demonstrated by the recent arrest of someone trying to arrange for President Trump's own assassination," Bolton continued in his statement. "The American people can judge for themselves which President made the right call."

The Iranian threats against Bolton were likely sparked by the January 2020 U.S. strike that killed Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran’s Quds Force, the Department of Justice reported in 2022. 

Bolton served as Trump's national security advisor between 2018 and 2019, before Trump ousted him because they "disagreed strongly" on policy issues. 

BIDEN SAYS TRUMP HAS NO ‘REDEEMING VALUE,' PRETENDS TO SQUASH HIM LIKE A BUG AMID IRANIAN ASSASSINATION THREAT

"I informed John Bolton last night that his services are no longer needed at the White House," Trump tweeted in 2019. "I disagreed strongly with many of his suggestions, as did others in the Administration, and therefore I asked John for his resignation, which was given to me this morning. I thank John very much for his service. I will be naming a new National Security Advisor next week."

In the following years, Trump repeatedly has slammed Bolton, including claiming he would have sparked "World War Six," and calling him "one of the dumbest people in Government" back in 2023. 

TRUMP SAYS IRANIAN PRESIDENT BEING GUARDED AT UN WHILE PLOTTING ASSASSINATION ‘A STRANGE SET OF CIRCUMSTANCES’

Bolton also has taken his shots at Trump, claiming in a 2020 interview that Trump lacks "the competency to carry out the job." 

"I don’t think he’s fit for office," Bolton said in 2020. "I don’t think he has the competency to carry out the job. There isn’t really any guiding principle that I was able to discern, other than what’s good for Donald Trump’s reelection."

Sens. Ashley Moody, R-Fla., and Jon Husted, R-Ohio, were sworn in on Tuesday following the resignations of both Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance. 

With the two new senators, Republicans officially have 53 members in their Senate conference. 

Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., recently announced Moody to be the next senator from Florida, taking over Rubio's seat. She was the state's attorney general prior. 

LAKEN RILEY ACT SET TO BECOME ONE OF FIRST BILLS TO HIT PRESIDENT TRUMP'S DESK

Shortly after DeSantis made his pick, Gov. Mike DeWine, R-Ohio, revealed his choice of his then-Lt. Gov. Jon Husted to replace Vance.

The final breakdown in the upper chamber is 53 Republicans and 47 senators in the Democratic caucus. 

NEXT OHIO SENATOR, A 'FISCAL CONSERVATIVE,' AIMS TO 'GET GOVERNMENT OUT OF PEOPLE'S LIVES'

While the GOP has a several seat majority, they will need the assistance of some Democrats to defeat the legislative filibuster's 60-vote threshold to consider most legislation. 

However, on nominations and budget reconciliation, that threshold is lowered to 51. 

DOGE CAUCUS PLANS FOR BIGGEST IMPACT, EYEING KEY TOOLS TO EXPEDITE CUTTING WASTE

"Thank you so much. I will bring the same persistence and passion and tenacity as a United States senator that I have brought as Florida's Attorney General," Moody said after accepting DeSantis's appointment. 

"If you have worked with me and fought with me over the last six years, you know, I don't think of this as a job. I think of it as a calling," she added. 

OHIO GOV DEWINE PICKS LT GOV TO FILL VICE PRESIDENT-ELECT JD VANCE'S VACANT SEAT

Following DeWine's announcement, Husted said, "Governor, I just want to say thank you. It is my honor to accept the appointment to serve the people of the state of Ohio in the U.S. Senate. I just appreciate that you have placed so much trust in me. First as a running mate, and then as lieutenant governor, and now as your appointee to the Senate."

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

Here's what's happening…

- 'Class act' Barron Trump sets social media ablaze for shaking hands with Biden at dad's inauguration

- Trump 'articulated a playbook,' experts say of his policy-oriented inaugural address

- Top 5 Inauguration Day moments

President Donald Trump pulled the security clearances of more than 50 national security officials who said Hunter Biden’s laptop had "all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation."

A total of 51 former national security officials released a public letter in 2020 claiming that even though the laptop did not have "any evidence of Russian involvement," it looked like a "Russian information operation."

The letter came after the New York Post reported they had emails showing Hunter Biden coordinated for Joe Biden to meet with a top executive at Ukrainian energy company Burisma months before pressuring Ukrainian officials to oust a prosecutor investigating the company…Read more

FAILED TO DELIVER: Trump did not keep 'Day 1' promise to grant clemency to Ross Ulbricht, founder of Silk Road…Read more

READY, SET, GO: President Trump signed a record number of EOs on his first day in the Oval Office…Read more

'UNACCEPTABLE RISK': Federal judge blocks release of second volume of special counsel report to certain lawmakers…Read more

'COMMON SENSE': Trump DHS repeals key Mayorkas memo limiting ICE agents, orders parole review…Read more

JUST FOR THE TASTE OF IT: Trump brings back famous soda button to Oval Office desk…Read more

NEW HIRES: Trump nominees Collins, Stefanik to face Senate grilling while Bessent gets committee vote…Read more

TRUMP PROSECUTIONS: 4 Trump rivals that Biden didn't pardon…Read more

'READY TO FACE THEM': Trump admin hits back as ACLU launches lawsuit on birthright citizenship: ‘Ready to face them’…Read more

'HEARD AROUND THE WORLD': Stefanik looks back to fiery exchanges with college leaders in Senate confirmation hearing: 'watershed moment'…Read more

STEPPING IN: Trump's House GOP allies push birthright citizenship bill after progressive fury at presidential order…Read more

'UNCONSTITUTIONAL ORDER': Blue-state governor bashes Trump birthright citizenship move…Read more

DEFENDING 'BINARY REALITY OF SEX': 'Unlawful DEI-motivated' workplace discrimination to be rooted out by Trump's new acting EEOC chair…Read more

UTTER NEIN-SENSE: Stefanik excoriates Dem for Elon Musk 'Nazi salute' accusation…Read more

TAKING IT BACK': Russia sounds off on Trump’s threat to retake the Panama Canal…Read more

'WEIGHS ON ME EVERY DAY': Israeli military chief steps down, citing responsibility for October 7 Hamas massacre…Read more

LAST ACT OF CRUELTY: What was in the brown bags handed to Israeli hostages released by Hamas?…Read more

AMERICA FIRST: World leaders react as Trump re-enters the White House…Read more

DC CRACKDOWN: Bipartisan lawmakers join forces to break up 'out-of-touch' DC power structure…Read more

'WEAPON OF ABUSE': Chip Roy leads House Republicans in effort to repeal law used by Biden administration to prosecute pro-lifers…Read more

TERMINATED: Coast Guard commandant terminated over border lapses, recruitment, DEI focus…Read more

CAUGHT: Massachusetts must pay feds $2.1B after mistakenly using pandemic funds to cover unemployment benefits…Read more

'SKIRTING' SCOTUS: Medical schools evading high court precedent on race-based admissions…Read more

'LOUD AND CLEAR': Border state's legislature moves to back Trump's ICE on deportations….Read more

BACK HOME: 2 Americans released in exchange for Taliban prisoner…Read more

COLD MURDER: Border Patrol agent killed in Vermont identified…Read more

TIDE CHANGE: DeSantis cites ‘Gulf of America’ in winter storm order after Trump rebranding…Read more

NUMBERS GAME: 4 states sue to block illegal migrants from census count used to assign congressional seats, electoral votes…Read more

'LOUD AND CLEAR': Border state's legislature moves to back Trump's ICE on deportations….Read more

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

Democratic senators on the Armed Services Committee are currently reviewing an affidavit that alleges Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth made his second wife fear for her safety. 

Fox News has obtained an affidavit from Hegseth's former sister-in-law, Danielle Hegseth, which alleges that he both has an alcohol abuse problem – and he at times made his ex-wife, Samantha, fear for her safety. Danielle Hegseth was married to Pete Hegseth's brother. She is not the sister of Samantha, Pete Hegseth's second wife.

The Senate Armed Services Committee was provided the affidavit and members are in the process of reviewing it. 

LAKEN RILEY ACT SET TO BECOME ONE OF FIRST BILLS TO HIT PRESIDENT TRUMP'S DESK

In a statement to Fox News, Pete Hegseth's lawyer, Tim Parlatore said, "Sam has never alleged that there was any abuse, she signed court documents acknowledging that there was no abuse and recently reaffirmed the same during her FBI interview. Belated claims by Danielle Dietrich, an anti-Trump, far-left Democrat who is divorced from Mr. Hegseth’s brother and never got along with the Hegseth family, do nothing to change that.  After an acrimonious divorce, Ms. Dietrich has had an ax to grind against the entire Hegseth family.  Ms. Dietrich admits that she saw nothing but is now falsely accusing Sam of lying to both the Court and to the FBI because of private, undocumented statements that she allegedly made 10 years ago."

Danielle Hegseth provided an anecdote in the document, recalling that Samantha once hid in a closet from her husband.

NEXT OHIO SENATOR, A 'FISCAL CONSERVATIVE,' AIMS TO 'GET GOVERNMENT OUT OF PEOPLE'S LIVES'

But, Danielle Hegseth added that she never witnessed any abuse herself, physical or sexual, from Pete against Samantha. 

The affidavit provided additional anecdotes about Hegseth's alleged heavy drinking, referring to several specific occasions, including one in a strip club. 

In the document, Danielle Hegseth also concluded her former brother-in-law is not fit to be Secretary of Defense, in her opinion. 

The committee's Ranking Member Jack Reed, D-R.I., said in a statement, "As I have said for months, the reports of Mr. Hegseth’s history of alleged sexual assault, alcohol abuse, and public misconduct necessitate an exhaustive background investigation. I have been concerned that the background check process has been inadequate, and this affidavit confirms my fears. The alleged pattern of abuse and misconduct by Mr. Hegseth is disturbing. This behavior would disqualify any servicemember from holding any leadership position in the military, much less being confirmed as the Secretary of Defense."

Samantha Hegseth denies any physical abuse in a statement first reported by NBC News. "There was no physical abuse in my marriage. This is the only further statement I will make to you, I have let you know that I am not speaking and will not speak on my marriage to Pete. Please respect this decision," she reportedly said. 

DOGE CAUCUS PLANS FOR BIGGEST IMPACT, EYEING KEY TOOLS TO EXPEDITE CUTTING WASTE

Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., who is on the committee, told reporters, "This only confirms what we already know about Mr. Hegseth's behavior and the way he has lived his life, and the kinds of opinions that he had towards women."

"So we'll let the Republicans make their own statement, but I think it just confirms we already know that he is absolutely 100% unqualified for this job, his disposition, his demeanor, the issues we have with sexual abuse, with financial mismanagement," she said. 

"I am telling you, there is a great deal in this affidavit, and, any part of which would disqualify a candidate to lead our military," Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., another member of the committee, told reporters. 

OHIO GOV DEWINE PICKS LT GOV TO FILL VICE PRESIDENT-ELECT JD VANCE'S VACANT SEAT

However, Republicans on the committee aren't necessarily going to be swayed by the allegations. 

New Sen. Tim Sheehy, R-Mont., who also sits on the committee, wrote on X: "This is a desperate, last-minute attempt by Dems and the media to smear Pete Hegseth and tank his nomination. Pete’s ex-wife is on record saying the claims are false, but the media doesn’t care because it hurts a Republican. Nobody should fall for this."

Border czar Tom Homan on Tuesday said that the mass deportation operation has already started, as the Trump administration looks to make good on promises to tackle the border crisis and crack down against illegal immigration.

"No, it started [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] teams are out there as of today," Homan said on "America’s Newsroom." "We gave them direction to prioritize public safety threats that we're looking for. We've been working up the target list."

The administration has promised to launch a "historic" mass deportation operation, and sources told Fox News Digital that arrests were being planned on "day one." Some media outlets reported on Friday about an operation in Chicago, but Homan said that was re-evaluated due to the leak of information.

TRUMP DHS REPEALS KEY MAYORKAS MEMO LIMITING ICE AGENTS, ORDERS PAROLE REVIEW

"There was some discussion about Chicago because the specific operational plan was released. So we had to look at and reevaluate, ‘Does this raise officer safety concerns?’ And it does. But we've addressed that  and teams are out there, effective today," he said.

As for who will be targeted in the operation, Homan said that the priority are public safety threats, but he has said repeatedly that no-one is "off the table" when it comes to arrests if they’re in the U.S. illegally.

"Right out of the gate it’s public safety threats, those who are in the country illegally that have been convicted, arrested for serious crime," he said. "But let me be clear. There's not only public safety threats that will be arrested, because in sanctuary cities, we're not allowed to get that public safety threat in the jail, which means we got to go to the neighborhood and find him."

CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE

"And when we find him, he may be with others. And unlike the last administration, we're not going to tell ICE officers not to arrest an illegal alien. So if they find, others will be arrested. So sanctuary cities will get exactly what they don't want, more agents in their neighborhoods and more collateral arrests," he said.

Homan spoke hours after Fox News reported on two DHS memos, including one that rescinded a 2021 memo by then-DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas -- which provided an expanded list of areas that are "protected areas" where ICE could not engage in immigration enforcement. It said the policy was designed to make sure enforcement did not limit "people’s access to essential services or engagement in essential activities."

‘NATIONAL EMERGENCY': TRUMP DECLARES AMBITIOUS ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN IN INAUGURAL ADDRESS

Those areas include schools, universities, healthcare facilities, places of worship, "places where children gather," social service establishments, food banks, religious or civil ceremonies and disaster or emergency response and relief centers.

The memo issued Monday rescinded that guidance and said that common sense should be used instead.

"Going forward, law enforcement officers should continue to use that discretion along with a healthy dose of common sense," the new memo said. "It is not necessary, however, for the head of the agency to create bright line rules regarding where our immigration laws are permitted to be enforced."

FIRST ON FOX: The anti-woke beer company Ultra Right has officially released its annual swimsuit calendar highlighting "MAGA Babes" after the calendar went viral on social media last year.

The calendar, named "Conservative Dad’s™ MAGA Babes: Make America Hot & Healthy Again," is being billed by Ultra Right as "a bold and unapologetic celebration of health, beauty, and American values."

"America is entering a new golden age in 2025—leaving woke culture in the dust. Companies like Sports Illustrated clearly missed the memo," Ultra Right said in a press release. " Their 2025 bikini calendar features a morbidly obese woman, promoting poor health as something to celebrate. The MAGA Babes Calendar is here to set the record straight: it’s time to take health and fitness seriously—and look hot doing it."

The calendar is available for purchase on the company’s website and has over $200 in discounts. 

'CRAZY PLANE LADY' TIFFANY GOMAS COMES OUT AS 'ANTI-WOKE' WITH BIKINI-AND-BEER PIC

"Each month highlights a different MAGA Babe wearing a MAGA hat and how they stay ‘Hot & Healthy’, hilarious woke-free holidays and fun, includes an exclusive discount or promo code, and showcases the "Dad Joke of the Month,’" the press release states.

Seth Weathers, Ultra Right’s CEO, told Fox News Digital in a statement that "MAGA Babes are in and woke is out."

ULTRA RIGHT BEER CREATOR RECOUNTS TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS OF LAUNCHING SUCCESSFUL BRAND IN 12 DAYS

"The left tried to drag us down to their drab, overweight, blue-haired level—but on November 5th, America said no!" Weathers said. "Throughout history, men have conquered nations and waged wars for the love of beautiful, cheerful women. We're bringing that attitude back. We'll probably start with Greenland, but who knows what we'll conquer for these MAGA Babes!"

"Led by our iconic First Lady, real beauty is finally being celebrated once again."

Ultra Right, a 'woke-free' beer company that was launched as an alternative to Bud Light after its promotion of transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney that received significant pushback from conservatives, released a similar calendar last year featuring former NCAA swimmer Riley Gaines and several other conservative influencers. 

The company devoted 10% of its calendar sales to the Riley Gaines Center to defend women's sports from "extreme leftist ideology seeking to destroy women's athletics."

Gaines told FOX Business after the calendar was released that the campaign raised $20,000 for her group. 

"Beer companies used to be about great beer, American patriotism, fun, fast cars, and beautiful real women," Weathers said at the time. "We're bringing back all these things, but better than ever."

After four years of the Biden administration pushing executive policies to allow biological males into female spaces, Parents Defending Education Action (PDE) is pushing for Congress to address violence against women in athletics and calling on the NCAA to revoke its transgender policy and declare Oct. 10 "American Girls in Sports Day."

The measures have been introduced as a bill and two resolutions sponsored by Tennessee Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn.

In an interview with Fox News Digital, Nicole Neily, president of PDE, called the Biden administration’s actions regarding girls’ sports over the previous four years "appalling."

"Let's think about the original intent of Title IX," she said "It was put in place to protect and ensure that women weren't losing out on opportunities as a result of their sex. And now we're watching that happen and we're watching girls’ sex be weaponized against them. It really turns the whole intent of the law upside down."

LEADERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD REACT TO PRESIDENT TRUMP'S WHITE HOUSE RETURN

Neily said that designating an American Girls in Sports day would "commemorate all the sacrifices and the hard work that has been put in to get to a place of equality only to watch it stripped away by the Biden administration that refuses to even respect the definition of the word ‘woman.’"

Despite President Donald Trump returning to the White House this week, Neily said that it is crucial for Congress to act now.  

"We can't keep doing this whiplash back and forth every four years," she said. "It's critical that Congress get involved in these issues because it codifies it and locks it in."

"It turns out all these administrators, all these bureaucrats, any kind of wiggle room they have to reinterpret something they will," she said. "I mean, let’s look at how even Title IX has been weaponized and interpreted by administrative agencies over the past several years. Title IX was part of the education amendments, it was ratified in 1972, and it's 37 words, but we're now watching Democrats interpret one simple word ‘sex.’ They're totally rewriting what that means [to include] sexual orientation, gender identity, and that's not what's in there."

Blackburn introduced the measures in the Senate earlier this month. 

JK ROWLING TORCHES LEFT FOR GENDER IDEOLOGY 'CALAMITY' AFTER TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDER: 'THEY DIDN'T LISTEN'

The bill – which is titled the "Fair Play for Girls Act" – would require the U.S. attorney general to submit an analysis of violence against women in sports to Congress along with policy recommendations to protect young women competing. The analysis would include impediments to fair and safe competition for biological female athletes, the prevalence of girls losing female sports opportunities to biological males and the prevalence of sexual harassment and abuse of women and girls in athletics.

Another resolution introduced by Blackburn would call on the NCAA – which manages intercollegiate sports for over a thousand universities across the country – to revoke its policy allowing transgender athletes to compete in sports of the opposite sex and to conform to a biological sex-based policy across all sports.

Finally, the "American Girls in Sports Day" resolution would recognize Oct. 10 as a day to celebrate the accomplishments of female athletes.

In addition to PDE, Blackburn’s measures have also been endorsed by celebrity female sports activist Riley Gaines, Caitlyn Jenner, the Independent Women’s Forum and several others.

TEXAS AG SUES NCAA OVER TRANS INCLUSION IN WOMEN'S SPORTS

Neily believes there should be bipartisan support for these measures, which she said both simply protect vulnerable girls and recognize their achievements.

"Everyone has seen the videos over the past few years of the women in sports who have been physically injured, be it from a volleyball being spiked into their face [or] a field hockey ball being whipped at somebody," she said.

"There are significant biological differences between men and women," she went on. "I mean, even let's think about lacrosse. A male lacrosse player throws a ball an average of 85 to 95 miles an hour. And male lacrosse players wear chest protectors and helmets for that very reason. Female lacrosse players throw a ball an average of 45 to 65 miles an hour, and they do not. And so, if you have a biological male with that muscle mass, with that bone structure, throwing a ball at a girl and it hits her, I mean, there's the real risk of serious severe bodily injury or even death."

TRUMP SIGNS DOZENS OF EXECUTIVE ORDERS, FULFILLING MANY BUT NOT ALL CAMPAIGN PROMISES

All this, she said, works to limit girls' opportunities to fairly compete.

"Having known many college athletes over the course of my life, the amount of effort that it takes to be a D1, a D2, a D3 athlete, I mean, these are students who have spent thousands of hours over the course of their life going back to a very, very young ages to get to this elite position where they are in colleges and universities," she explained. "And so, to have a spot on a team, to have a scholarship opportunity taken away from them by someone who is deemed to be faster, purely because of their biology is something that I think is a real slap in the face to these girls who have sacrificed so much, who have worked so hard."  

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said President Donald Trump's decision to pardon more than 1,000 people involved in the Jan. 6, 2021 riots was "un-American."

Schumer told reporters Tuesday that the pardons were "deeply un-American," noting that some of those pardoned were convicted for crimes like seditious conspiracy. 

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

Trump signed pardons Monday evening for approximately 1,500 defendants who were charged with crimes stemming from the riot at the U.S. Capitol, keeping a vow he made in December to move quickly and pardon them.

BIDEN TAKES DEPARTING JAB AT TRUMP, SAYS HE WAS ‘GENUINE THREAT TO DEMOCRACY’

Additionally, he commuted the sentences of six people on Monday, including the leaders of the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys extremist groups.

Schumer echoed sentiments former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., shared about the pardons. Pelosi characterized the pardons as "shameful" and said to remember the "courage" of law enforcement "heroes" who "ensured that democracy survived."

"The President's actions are an outrageous insult to our justice system and the heroes who suffered physical scars and emotional trauma as they protected the Capitol, the Congress and the Constitution," Pelosi, who didn’t attend Trump’s inauguration on Monday, said in a statement posted to X.

DOJ SEEKS TO BLOCK JAN. 6 DEFENDANTS FROM ATTENDING TRUMP INAUGURATION 

"It is shameful that the President has decided to make one of his top priorities the abandonment and betrayal of police officers who put their lives on the line to stop an attempt to subvert the peaceful transfer of power," Pelosi wrote.

Rioters assaulted approximately 140 police officers from both the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department during the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021, the Justice Department reported. 

NANCY PELOSI SLAMS TRUMP'S ‘SHAMEFUL’ PARDONS OF JAN 6 DEFENDANTS

Trump announced plans to issue the pardon on Monday, labeling those charged with crimes for their involvement storming the Capitol as "hostages." 

"Tonight I'm going to be signing on the J6 hostages, pardons to get them out," Trump said at an inaugural parade at Capital One Arena. "I'm going to the Oval Office, and we'll be signing pardons for a lot of people."

Trump signed a series of executive orders on Inauguration Day, along with the pardons. Other directives included withdrawing the U.S. from the Paris climate agreement that the U.S. initially entered under former President Barack Obama’s administration in 2015, but that Trump withdrew from during his first term. 

President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance looked visibly irritated during the national prayer service at the Washington National Cathedral on Tuesday when the sermon took a political turn. 

Among the faith leaders who spoke was Right Reverend Mariann Edgar Budde, who had been a vocal critic of Trump and the U.S. government following George Floyd's death. 

On Trump's first full day back in office, Budde, of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, delivered a sermon focused on "unity," but her remarks grew pointed when she brought up immigrants and LGBTQ youth. 

The reverend spoke directly to the president, saying "Let me make one final plea, Mr. President, millions have put their trust in you, and as you told the nation yesterday, you have felt the providential hand of a loving God. In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy on the people in our country who are scared. There are gay, lesbian, and transgender children in Democratic and Republican and Independent families, some who fear for their lives." 

TRUMP NOMINEES COLLINS, STEFANIK TO FACE SENATE GRILLING AS VA, UN PICKS; BESSENT GETS COMMITTEE VOTE

"And the people – the people who pick our crops and clean our office buildings, who labor in poultry farms and meet packing plants, who wash the dishes at their restaurants and work the night shifts in hospitals, they – they may not be citizens or have the proper documentation, but the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. They pay taxes and are good neighbors," Budde said. "They are faithful members of our churches and mosques, synagogues… and temples." 

The reverend asked Trump to have "mercy on those in our communities whose children fear that their parents will be taken away, and that you help those who are fleeing war zones of persecution in their own lands to find compassion and welcome, our God teaches us that we are to be merciful to a stranger."

The vice president and second lady leaned over and whispered to one another during the sermon. 

At the start of her remarks, Budde began to "pray for unity as people and nation, not for agreement, political or otherwise, but for the kind of unity that fosters community across diversity and division, a unity that serves the common good."

"Unity, in this sense, is a threshold requirement for people to live in freedom and together in a free society," she said. 

 "Rather," Budde continued, "Unity is a way of being with one another, and it encompasses and respects differences that teaches us to hold multiple perspectives and life experiences as valid and worthy of respect that enables us in our communities to genuinely care for one another, even when we disagree."

TRUMP BRINGS BACK DIET COKE BUTTON TO WHITE HOUSE OVAL OFFICE

She went on to say, "Those of us gathered here, we are not naive about the realities of politics when power and wealth and competing interests are at stake, when views of what America should be are in conflict. When there are strong opinions across a spectrum of possibilities and starkly different understandings of what the right course of action is there, there will be winners and losers when those witness decisions made that set the course of public policy and the prioritization of resources."

"Not everyone's prayers will be answered in the way we would like. But for some, the loss of their hopes and dreams will be far more than political," she said, adding that "all the faiths represented here affirm the birthright of all people as children of our one God. In public discourse, honoring each other's dignity means refusing to mock and model, discount, demonize those with whom we differ, choosing instead to respect, respectfully, to make our differences, and whenever possible, to seek common ground."

In his inaugural address, Trump asserted that there are "two genders, male and female," to thunderous applause. 

"I will also end the government policy of trying to socially engineer race and gender into every aspect of public and private life," he said. "We will forge a society that is colorblind and merit based."

The president has promised mass deportations of criminal illegal immigrants and further sparked controversy by signing an executive order eliminating birthright citizenship for the children of illegal immigrants. 

It's not the first time Budde made her left-leaning political views known. A video clip from 2020 shows Budde speaking to an ABC News reporter while protesting in Washington, D.C. 

"It is a message for a call to justice – for swift justice for George Floyd," Budde, wearing a face mask, said at the time. "For systemic justice for all brown and Black people who have been under the knee of this country in ways that we have witnessed time and time again." She went on to say, "This is wrong, and this rising up – this spontaneous uprising of people mostly half my age or younger, they are the ones we should be listening to." 

Budde also testified before Congress regarding a June 1, 2020, confrontation between demonstrators and law enforcement near St. John's Church in Lafayette Square.

She said "our government resorted to acts of violence against peaceful protesters" and said the Episcopal church believes the issues of "racial and social justice are core tenants of the Christian faith." 

Budde also condemned Trump for holding up a Bible outside the church following the unrest. Testifying virtually at the time, she told a House committee, "When the President held up a Bible outside our church as if to claim the mantle of spiritual authority over what had just transpired, I knew that I had to speak. Nowhere does the Bible condone the use of violence against the innocent."

Trump revisited that same church on Monday morning before he was sworn in as the 47th president.

Fox News' Sarah Tobianski contributed to this report