Lawmakers questioned President-elect Trump's energy secretary on climate change, the Los Angeles wildfires, and the Biden administration's green energy agenda during his nomination hearing, which saw disruptions from several climate protesters.

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee held a confirmation hearing for Chris Wright, Liberty Energy Inc. CEO and Trump's pick to head the Energy Department, on Wednesday, which was also his birthday.

The Trump nominee was introduced by a Democratic senator, Sen. John Hickenlooper of Colorado, who described him as having "an unrestrained enthusiast for fossil fuels." Wright focused his responses on energy dominance, saying that climate change is a "real issue," global energy demand, and his focus on growing energy resources.

"America has an historic opportunity to secure our energy systems, deliver leadership in scientific and technological innovation, steward our weapons stockpiles and meet Cold War legacy waste commitments," Wright said in his opening statement.

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Wright said that he has identified three "immediate tasks" where he will focus his attention, if nominated: unleashing American energy, leading the world in innovation and technology breakthroughs and increasing production in America.

"President Trump shares my passion for energy, and if confirmed, I will work tirelessly to implement his bold agenda as an unabashed steward for all sources of affordable, reliable and secure American energy," Wright told the committee.

Republicans, such as Sen. Steve Daines of Montana, positioned their questioning on Biden administration policies, such as a ban on liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports, regulations on household appliances, and most recently blocking drilling along the coast.

Multiple Democratic senators claimed committee chairman Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, scheduled the confirmation hearing before all required paperwork on Wright was provided to the members of the committee. Other Democrats used their time at the mic to claim the Los Angeles fires were caused by "climate change."

"Despite the misinformation that's circulating here in the Capitol, into California, and everywhere in between, it's clear that these fires only reach the size and the scale that they have because of unseasonably dry vegetation and extremely high winds, both of which are a direct result of climate change," Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., said during the hearing. 

Asked about the issue of climate change, Wright said he believes it's a "real issue"

"I've studied and followed the data and the evolution of climate change for at least 20 years now. It is a global issue. It is a real issue. It's a challenging issue," Wright said, adding that he believes the solution to climate change "is to evolve our energy system."

Fox News Digital captured footage of several climate change protesters who disrupted Wright's hearing on Wednesday. 

One protester stood up while Wright was being questioned and asked if his policies would "put out the fires in LA." 

"Are you gonna ask any questions or just softball on the climate this entire time," said another protester who was removed from the hearing room.

Several other climate protesters were also stationed outside the hearing room, with shirts that read, "I won't let my future burn."

A new national poll indicates that President Biden's approval ratings remain well underwater as the nation's 46th president is only days from leaving office.

Just 36% of Americans approve of the job Biden's doing in the White House, according to the latest CNN poll conducted by SSRS, with 64% saying they disapprove. The approval rating matches the president's previous low mark in the cable news network's polling during Biden's single term in office.

The poll was released on Wednesday, just hours before the president delivers his prime-time farewell address to the nation, with just days left before Biden's term ends and he is succeeded by President-elect Trump in the White House.

Biden's approval rating stands at 43% – slightly higher but still in negative territory – in national polls by USA Today/Suffolk University and Marist College which, along with the CNN survey, were conducted earlier this month. 

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The trio of polls also indicates that many Americans view Biden's presidency as a failure.

Sixty-one percent of those questioned in the CNN survey said they see Biden’s presidency overall as a failure, with 38% viewing it as a success. 

According to the USA Today/Suffolk University survey, which was released on Tuesday, 44% of registered voters said history will assess Biden as a failed president, with 27% saying he will be judged as a fair president. Twenty-one percent of those questioned said history will view Biden as a good president, with only 5% saying he will be seen as a great president.

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Just over a third of adults nationwide questioned in the Marist poll, which was released on Wednesday, said Biden will be remembered as one of the worst presidents in American history, with 19% saying he will be considered a below-average president.

Twenty-eight percent of participants offered that Biden's legacy will be considered average, with 19% saying he would be regarded as above average or one of the best presidents in the nation's history.

In his Oval Office speech, Biden will likely aim to cement his legacy as a president who pushed to stabilize politics at home while bolstering America's leadership abroad, and as a leader who steered the nation out of the COVID-19 pandemic and made historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy while lowering prescription drug prices.

Biden, in a letter to Americans released early Wednesday morning, emphasized that when he took office four years ago "we were in the grip of the worst pandemic in a century, the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, and the worst attack on our democracy since the Civil War."

And he touted that "today, we have the strongest economy in the world and have created a record 16.6 million new jobs. Wages are up. Inflation continues to come down. The racial wealth gap is the lowest it’s been in 20 years."

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Biden’s approval rating hovered in the low to mid 50s during his first six months in the White House. However, the president’s numbers started sagging in August 2021 in the wake of Biden's much-criticized handling of the turbulent U.S. exit from Afghanistan, and following a surge in COVID-19 cases that summer that was mainly among unvaccinated people.

The plunge in the president’s approval rating was also fueled by soaring inflation – which started spiking in the summer of 2021 and remains to date a major pocketbook concern with Americans – and the surge of migrants trying to cross into the U.S. along the southern border.

Biden's approval ratings slipped underwater in the autumn of 2021 and never reemerged into positive territory.

The president's single term in the White House ends Monday, Jan. 20, as Trump is inaugurated as Biden's successor.

However, according to the USA Today/Suffolk University poll, 44% also said that Trump will be seen by history as a failed president. 

One in five said Trump would be viewed as a great president, with 19% saying good and 27% saying he would be judged a fair president.

Trump ended his first term in office with approval ratings in negative territory, including 47% approval in Fox News polling from four years ago.

In Marist polling four years ago, as Trump finished his first term, 47% thought he would be remembered as one of the nation's worst presidents.

As Trump gets ready to once again assume the presidency, the Marist poll indicates opinions of him remain low, with 44% of Americans viewing him favorably and 49% holding an unfavorable opinion of the incoming president.

However, opinions about Trump's first term have risen in numerous polls conducted since his convincing victory in November's presidential election over Vice President Kamala Harris. The vice president succeeded Biden in July as the Democrats' 2024 standard-bearer after the president dropped out of the race following a disastrous debate performance against Trump.

The poll also indicates that Americans have high expectations for Trump when it comes to the economy.

"While many Americans feel the current economy is not working well for them, residents nationally have grown more optimistic about the future of their own finances," the poll's release highlighted.

The survey also indicated Americans are divided about Trump’s proposed mass deportations of undocumented immigrants.

According to the poll, more than six in 10 disapprove of Trump's pledge to pardon his supporters who were convicted in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol. 

The Marist poll was conducted Jan. 7-9, with 1,387 adults nationwide questioned. The survey's overall sampling error is plus or minus 3.2 percentage points.

The CNN poll was conducted Jan. 9-12, with 1,205 adults nationwide questioned. The survey's overall sampling error is plus or minus 3.2 percentage points.

Government agencies are cautioning that President-elect Trump’s inauguration may attract violent extremists – especially those harboring "election-related grievances," according to a new report. 

While no specific credible threats have been identified, agencies like the FBI, Secret Service and Capitol Police authored a threat assessment asserting that extremists may view the inauguration as "their last opportunity to influence the election results through violence," Politico reports. 

The threat assessment identified foreign terrorists, domestic extremists or lone wolves who could pull off violent acts, including vehicle-ramming attacks, bomb hoaxes or swatting calls.

Likewise, law enforcement cited concerns about protests breaking into chaos, especially since certain groups who’ve faced arrests in previous protests have applied for demonstration permits. 

TRAVEL TIPS FOR ATTENDING PRESIDENT-ELECT TRUMP'S INAUGURATION AS EXPERTS WEIGH IN

"Past protests by some of these individuals have involved traffic blockades, trespassing, property destruction, and resisting arrest," the threat assessment said. 

Meanwhile, U.S. Capitol Police Chief J. Thomas Manger cautioned Monday that "lone actors" are the most serious threat to inauguration festivities, during a press conference with federal and local law enforcement officials about the inauguration.

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"The biggest threat, I think, for all of us remains the lone actor," Manger said. "Just in the past week, while President Carter was lying in state, we had two lone actors show up at the Capitol: one trying to bring in knives and a machete; another one who was trying – what I believe – to disrupt the proceedings by setting their car on fire down in the peace circle area." 

"Capitol Police were able to interdict these folks before they had a chance to do any harm," Manger said. "But that threat of the lone actor remains the biggest justification for us being at this heightened state of alert throughout the next week."

As a result, the inauguration will feature a beefed up law enforcement presence. Approximately 4,000 local law enforcement officers have volunteered to assist, and 7,800 National Guard soldiers will also be deployed. 

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Matt McCool, the Secret Service’s special agent in charge of the agency’s Washington field office, said that altogether roughly 25,000 law enforcement officers will be working. McCool said this year’s inauguration plan features a "slightly more robust security plan," in comparison to President Biden’s inauguration in 2021. 

"What I can tell you is that we are 100% confident in the plan that we have put in place for this inauguration that the public and our protectees will be safe," McCool said.

Additionally, Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela Smith said it is bracing for 12 separate First Amendment demonstrations at the inauguration, noting that they will have a right to peacefully protest. Still, she said violence won’t be permitted.  

"I want to reiterate – as I always have – that violence, destruction and unlawful behavior will not be tolerated," Smith said Monday. "Offenders will face swift and decisive consequences."

Fox News Digital’s Alec Schemmel contributed to this report. 

A number of President-elect Donald Trump's choices for his second-term Cabinet have seen their scheduled confirmation hearings postponed, with Senate committees citing outstanding documents. 

Hearings for Doug Collins, tapped to serve as Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, who was chosen for Secretary of the Interior, were set for Tuesday as part of the Trump transition team and Senate Republicans' ambitious effort to confirm Trump's Cabinet. 

However, they were delayed at the last minute. This meant two of the three slated Tuesday hearings were pushed, leaving only one hearing for Secretary of Defense pick Pete Hegseth that day. 

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While more confirmation hearings took shape on Wednesday — including those for Secretary of Energy pick Chris Wright, Attorney General nominee Pam Bondi, CIA director selection John Ratcliffe, Transportation Secretary nominee Sean Duffy and Secretary of State nominee Marco Rubio — another key hearing for Trump's Secretary of Homeland Security nominee Gov. Kristi Noem, R-S.D., was postponed. 

According to a source familiar, Noem had completed all necessary paperwork in a timely manner, but the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC) is still waiting for the FBI's portion. 

Despite the hearings being moved, Trump's transition says there will not be delays in confirming his team. "There are no delays, and paperwork is being submitted quickly to ensure the confirmation process is smooth and President Trump is able to implement his agenda mandated by the American people on day one," Taylor Rogers, Trump-Vance transition spokesperson, said in a statement.

TRUMP ATTORNEY GENERAL NOMINEE PAM BONDI TO TESTIFY BEFORE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE

Each of the postponed hearings has gotten a new date, with Burgum's on Thursday and Noem's on Friday. But Collins' hearing will not take place until the day after Trump's inauguration, next Tuesday. 

The Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs hadn't received the FBI report on Collins as of Monday afternoon, Fox News was told. All other necessary paperwork had been transmitted to the committee, though. 

A committee aide told Fox News that the delay was not Collins' fault, emphasizing that he had submitted it all on time. 

"Congressman Doug Collins has submitted all his paperwork in a timely manner and has been transparent and forthcoming with the committee," committee Chairman Jerry Moran, R-Kan., said in a Monday statement. "At this time, the FBI has not completed its customary background check of Congressman Collins. In accordance with long-standing practice, the committee should have an opportunity to review Congressman Collins’ FBI file before the confirmation hearing. I expect the FBI to complete its review quickly so that the committee can move forward with its role of evaluating the President’s nominee."

GOP SEN. JONI ERNST OFFICIALLY BACKS PETE HEGSETH FOR DOD AFTER INITIAL UNCERTAINTY

The week's postponed hearings join others that have yet to be noticed or scheduled by committee chairs, such as those for Director of National Intelligence (DNI) pick Tulsi Gabbard, United Nations Ambassador nominee Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., and Secretary of Agriculture pick Brooke Rollins, among others. 

Republicans have blamed delays in paperwork processing on bureaucracy as documents were determined as the reason why confirmation hearings are postponed or unscheduled. 

One source familiar told Fox News that Senate Republicans and Trump's transition are doing everything they can, but given the two recent federal government snow days, the document processing has fallen victim to bureaucratic hold up. 

'WASTE LESS, SAVE MORE': DOGE CAUCUS MEMBER ROLLS OUT EXPANSIVE BILL PACKAGE AHEAD OF TRUMP INAUGURATION

According to a Senate Democrat source, Trump will have difficulty trying to get nominees confirmed on the day of his inauguration. "We know he wants to do so, but it will be challenging given the delays," they told Fox News Digital. 

Waiting for paperwork was "frustrating," a GOP source on one committee told Fox News Digital. Committees have also had difficulty trying to connect with the U.S. Office of Government Ethics regarding nominees' documents. The source added that at times it seemed that the media had more information than the committee itself. 

Conservatives on social media celebrated President-elect Trump's attorney general nominee Pam Bondi's response to a question from Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., during her confirmation hearing on Wednesday. 

"It would not be appropriate for a prosecutor to start with a name and look for a crime?" Whitehouse said during his line of questioning. "It's a prosecutor's job to start with a crime and look for a name. Correct?"

Bondi responded by highlighting the federal government’s investigations into Trump.

"Senator, I think that is the whole problem with the weaponization that we have seen the last four years and what's been happening to Donald Trump," Bondi said. 

TOP 5 MOMENTS FROM PETE HEGSETH'S SENATE CONFIRMATION HEARING

"They targeted Donald Trump. They went after him, actually starting back in 2016. They targeted his campaign. They have launched countless investigations against him. That will not be the case. If I am attorney general, I will not politicize that office," Bondi said. "I will not target people simply because of their political affiliation. Justice will be administered evenhandedly throughout this country. Senator, we've got to bring this country back together. We've got to move forward, or we're going to lose our country."

Conservatives on social media quickly took notice of the exchange. 

"Pam Bondi totally flips the script on Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D) who tried to make it seem like she will weaponize the DOJ," Florida’s Voice News assistant news director Eric Daughtery posted on X. "Masterclass."

"Pam Bondi is making Sheldon Whitehouse look stupid," Trump '24 deputy rapid response director Greg Price posted on X. 

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"Senator Whitehouse unironically explaining that prosecutors should have a crime and then look for a suspect, not the other way around," Fox News contributor Katie Pavlich posted on X. 

"Bondi responds by explaining DOJ did the opposite to Trump for years."

Fox News Digital reached out to Whitehouse's office but did not immediately receive a response.

Bondi is expected to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate and some have speculated that she will earn some votes from Democrats. 

The Biden administration is facing pushback from both sides of the political aisle for moving to cross Cuba off of the state sponsors of terrorism list.

The U.S. slapped Cuba with the designation in 2021 shortly before then-President Donald Trump left office. 

In a statement issued on Tuesday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre noted that the administration is "taking several steps to support the Cuban people as part of an understanding with the Catholic Church under the leadership of Pope Francis and improve the livelihood of Cubans." 

"First, today we notified Congress that President Biden determined Cuba should no longer be designated as a State Sponsor of Terrorism," she continued. 

WHITE HOUSE REMOVES CUBA'S STATE SPONSOR OF TERRORISM DESIGNATION, REVERSING TRUMP ADMINISTRATION MOVE

"Secondly, we notified Congress that the President issued a waiver for Title III of the Helms-Burton Act, otherwise known as the Libertad Act, for a period of six months.  Finally, President Biden rescinded the 2017 National Security Presidential Memorandum 5 on Cuba policy to eliminate the so-called 'restricted list' and by extension the additional regulations on engagement by U.S. persons and entities with Cuban persons and entities, beyond that which is currently prescribed in U.S. legislation," she noted. "We have also been informed by the Catholic Church that the Cuban government will soon begin releasing a substantial number of political prisoners."

Democrats are divided on the matter.

The chair of the Florida Democratic Party urged the administration to "reverse course immediately."

"I am disappointed at the Biden Administration's plan to remove Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism," Nikki Fried said in a statement shared on the Florida Democratic Party's X feed. "We condemn in the strongest terms Cuba's removal from this list, as well as any possible lifting of economic sanctions, and call on the Biden Administration to reverse course immediately."

Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., also disagreed with the administration's decision.

"Do the majority of Cuban Americans support the removal of Cuba, an adversary of the US, from the list of state sponsors of terrorism? If the answer is ‘no,’ then why is the Biden Administration unnecessarily alienating Cuban Americans? I agree with the Florida Democratic Party here," the congressman posted.

Rep. Cathy Castor, D-Fla., declared in a statement, "Autocratic Cuba has failed its people, and I disagree with the President that sanctions should be lifted without an end to the Cuban regime's repression."

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Some Florida Republicans have leveled fierce criticism.

Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., decried Biden's decision as "pathetic and cowardly." 

Rep. María Elvira Salazar, R-Fla., declared in a post, "Once again, the Democrats have BETRAYED the Cubans! Shame on the entire Biden Administration for taking Cuba off the State Sponsor of Terrorism list. Cuba is a LEADING sponsor of Terrorism, harboring, training & enabling Hamas, Hezbollah & other terrorist enemies of the USA."

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis also blasted the administration.

"The Biden Administration continues on its quest to leave as much wreckage behind on its way out the door as possible. Cuba should not be removed from the list of state sponsors of terrorism," he declared in a post on X.

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However, some Democrats have applauded the administration.

"I welcome the Biden administration's steps to remove Cuba from the state sponsor of terrorism list – a long overdue action that will help normalize relations with our neighbor," Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., said in a statement. 

Former Rep. Sean Duffy, R-Wis., was flanked by both sitting Wisconsin senators in a bipartisan show of support to kick off his Wednesday confirmation hearing before the Senate Commerce, Science & Transportation Committee.

Duffy, who served five terms after flipping a seat held by Democrat David Obey for decades, later moved on to work at Fox News; most recently co-hosting "The Bottom Line" with Dagen McDowell on FOX Business.

"I’m humbled by the fact that President Trump has nominated me to this very important position," Duffy said in his opening statement.

He also introduced the eight of his nine children present – as well as his wife, "Fox & Friends Weekend" co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy.

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He noted that his eldest son could not be in Washington on Wednesday, as he and his wife recently had a child and also live in Southern California, which is being ravaged by wildfires.

"No federal agency impacts Americans’ daily lives and loved ones like the Department of Transportation," he said, adding that President-elect Donald Trump "is a builder" and knows the importance of maintaining and building critical infrastructure. He also noted that Campos-Duffy survived a deadly head-on automobile collision, which brought highway safety to the forefront in his family.

Sen. Ben Ray Lujan, D-N.M., disclosed he too was involved in an accident with a drunk driver 30 years ago and does not like to talk about it.

Lujan appeared to get briefly emotional as he addressed Campos-Duffy in connecting over their shared experience – and praised Duffy for his stated goal to be remembered as a secretary who improved transportation safety.

Later in the hearing, Sen. Edward Markey, D-Mass., also stressed the importance of highway safety and disclosed he had been hit by a car at age 5.

Duffy also pledged to restore Americans’ trust in the airline industry amid some recent incidents, including problems at Boeing. "We want the best and the brightest air traffic controllers. We must modernize our systems with cutting edge technologies. I'll work with Congress and the FAA to restore global confidence in Boeing, and to ensure that our skies are safe," he said.

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Similarly, Alaska Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan noted the Last Frontier was not yet a state when President Dwight Eisenhower launched the federal interstate program – and that 251 communities in his state still are not connected by roads.

Duffy pledged support for the federal program that ensures essential air service to far-flung communities in Alaska and other sparsely-populated states.

Sens. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and Ted Budd, R-N.C., brought up the importance of making sure Hurricane Helene victims are "not forgotten."

Blackburn noted Interstate 40 – a crucial transcontinental artery from Wilmington, North Carolina, to Barstow, California, remains washed out across the Great Smoky Mountains.

During the September hurricane, a stretch of the eastbound lanes in Haywood County, North Carolina, collapsed into the then-raging Pigeon River, stymieing regional commerce and access to mountain communities. Parts of Virginia, North Carolina and Tennessee continue to see long-term closures of major arteries and communities trying to rebuild.

"We’re continuing to try to work through this process to get that rebuild, but we need to know this will be front and center with you so we can get that interstate rebuilt and reopened," Duffy told Blackburn.

He pledged to make his first official trip as secretary be one to the Helene-affected region of those states.

Speaking about support for alternative transportation means, ranking member Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., noted at one point that the monthly cost to own a car can be as high as $1,000, while riding public transit averages $100 per month.

Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., said one issue that the Department of Transportation must address is the lack of means for electric vehicle drivers to pay into the highway trust fund. At present, taxes on gasoline are the main component of that revenue source.

Duffy responded that there should be a method through which green vehicles help fund the roads they drive on.

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In a light moment partway through the hearing, Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, made mention of Duffy potentially visiting the Aloha State, to which Chairman Ted Cruz, R-Texas, joked that it may be a good junket for the entire panel.

Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., asked Duffy to bring attention to passenger rail service in the Heartland, remarking that many times the primary focus has been on Amtrak’s Northeast Regional – which runs between Newport News, Virginia, and Boston.

He mentioned the Southwest Chief, a key two-day run between Chicago and Los Angeles, and how it is key to his state.

Additionally, New Jersey Democratic Sen. Andy Kim discussed recent mysterious drone sightings across the Garden State, as well as regional transit issues plaguing New York City suburbs.

U.S. Attorney General nominee Pam Bondi clashed with a senior Democratic senator during her confirmation hearing to lead the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Wednesday.

Bondi was forced to defend President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the FBI, Kash Patel, when Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., pressed her on his past comments. 

He referenced Patel’s suggestion of closing down FBI headquarters and threatening an "enemies list," among other remarks.

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"Is that a person who, appropriately, should be the FBI director? Aren't those comments inappropriate? Shouldn't you disavow them and and ask him to recant them?" Blumenthal hammered.

Bondi replied, "Senator, I am not familiar with all those comments. I have not discussed those comments with Mr. Patel."

"What I do know, is Mr. Patel …" she began before Blumenthal attempted to cut her off.

Bondi pressed forward, "Excuse me. What I do know is Mr. Patel was a career prosecutor. He was a career public defender, defending people. And he also has great experience within the intelligence community."

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"What I can sit here and tell you is, Mr. Patel, if he works with running the FBI, if he is confirmed, and if I am confirmed, he will follow the law. If I am the attorney general of the United States of America, and I don't believe he would do anything otherwise," Bondi said.

Blumenthal replied, "Well, let me just submit that the response that I would have hoped to hear from you is that those comments are inappropriate, and that you will ask him to disavow or recant them when he comes before this committee, because they are indeed chilling to fair enforcement and the rule of law."

It comes after Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., similarly pressed Bondi on what Democrats have called Patel’s "enemies list."

They are referring to a list of 60 people in Patel’s book "Government Gangsters: The Deep State, the Truth, and the Battle for Our Democracy," who he branded as part of the "deep state."

Bondi defended Patel during Whitehouse’s questioning as well, while vowing there would never be an "enemies list" at the DOJ.

Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, who was tapped to lead the Department of State under the second Trump administration, was repeatedly interrupted by protesters during his Senate hearing on Wednesday. 

One female protester was heard shouting at Rubio in Spanish, while at least two men, including one wearing pink, were seen being pulled out of the hearing by Capitol Police after shouting. 

"I get bilingual protesters," Rubio quipped after a protester yelled at him in Spanish, earning laughter from the crowd.

Ahead of the hearing kicking off on Wednesday morning, Fox News Digital spotted Code Pink protesters wearing bright pink with shirts reading, "hands of Iran," and "stop killing the children of Gaza." They also sported anti-Rubio stickers on their headbands and hats.

HEGSETH INTERRUPTED BY MULTIPLE PROTESTERS DURING SENATE CONFIRMATION HEARING

Protesters were warned by the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee ahead of the hearing kicking off to not disrupt proceedings, saying they will be removed from the hearing and won't be permitted back to a public hearing for at least a year. 

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PROTESTS ERUPT IN CHRIS WRIGHT'S CONFIRMATION HEARING

"Distractions will include not only noise, not only standing up, not only holding up painted hands, painted signs. None of that will be allowed. If you do that, I'm going to pause the committee. I'm going to ask our friends, first of all, my, my faithful, Sergeant at Arms here -- who's, perhaps, tougher than the Capitol Police. But also the Capitol Police to assist. And, we will pause briefly … If you are removed, you'll not be permitted back into one of these public hearings for at least 12 months. And, that's the purpose of this is, as I've stated, and it's important work," Republican Idaho Sen. James Risch, chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said in opening remarks. 

A handful of President-elect Donald Trump's picks for his cabinet are facing Senate hearings this week ahead of his inauguration on Monday. 

Department of Energy nominee Chris Wright's confirmation hearing was also interrupted by protesters on Wednesday, who shouted if his policies will "put out the fires in LA."

Protesters also interrupted Pete Hegseth's senate confirmation hearing on Tuesday, when he joined the Senate Armed Services Committee, when he was grilled by lawmakers ahead of a committee vote and final confirmation vote on his nomination as secretary of Defense. 

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"Veterans are committing suicide and are homeless, but we send money to bomb children in Gaza," one female protester wearing fatigues shouted as she was escorted from the hearing, Fox News Digital video shows. 

An elderly man who was handcuffed with zipties was also seen being escorted out of the hearing. Another man, also appearing to wear fatigues, was seen being carried out by Capitol Police. 

Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., asked Hegseth about the protesters during his hearing, including regarding the war in Israel that has been ongoing since 2023. 

"Another protester, and I think this one was a member of Code Pink, which, by the way, is a Chinese communist front group these days, said that you support Israel's war in Gaza. I support Israel's existential war in Gaza. I assume, like me and President Trump, you support that war as well," Cotton said. 

"I support Israel destroying and killing every last member of Hamas," Hegseth responded. 

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee is calling a special legislative session to address his school choice bill, as well as other prioritizes of President-elect Trump's incoming administration, such as immigration law and disaster relief in the Volunteer State. 

Lee announced that he would call for the Tennessee General Assembly to convene a special session on Monday, Jan. 27, to pass the Education Freedom Act. The governor said he will introduce a disaster relief legislative package addressing recovery needs for Hurricane Helene, as well as future natural disasters, and that the session will also tackle public safety measures regarding immigration, "as the incoming Trump Administration has called on states to prepare for policy implementation."

The announcement from Tennessee came after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said on Monday that he was calling a special session of his own to help coordinate Trump's planned illegal immigration crackdown in the Sunshine State.

Lee issued a joint statement with Tennessee Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, state House Speaker Cameron Sexton, state Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson, and state House Majority Leader William Lamberth. 

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"We believe the state has a responsibility to act quickly on issues that matter most to Tennesseans, and there is widespread support in the General Assembly and across Tennessee for a special session on the most pressing legislative priorities: the unified Education Freedom Act and a comprehensive relief package for Hurricane Helene and other disaster recovery efforts," they said. "The majority of Tennesseans, regardless of political affiliation, have made it clear that they support empowering parents with school choice, and the best thing we can do for Tennessee students is deliver choices and public school resources without delay."

The statement added: "Hurricane Helene was an unprecedented disaster across rural, at-risk, and distressed communities that cannot shoulder the local cost share of federal relief funds on their own. The state has an opportunity and obligation to partner with these impacted counties and develop innovative solutions for natural disasters going forward." 

"Finally, the American people elected President Trump with a mandate to enforce immigration laws and protect our communities, and Tennessee must have the resources ready to support the Administration on Day One," they said. 

"Last year, Gov. Lee directed key state agencies to begin preparing for federal immigration policy implementation," Lee's press secretary, Elizabeth Lane Johnson, said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "In this special session, we will ensure the state is best positioned to coordinate with federal, state, and local law enforcement to implement the Trump Administration's plan to enforce the federal immigration laws on the books."

"President Trump has made it clear that states will play a major role in partnering with his Administration to make our communities safer. Tennessee is heeding the call," she added. 

Lee, whose initial school choice proposal failed in the state legislature earlier last year, spoke to Fox News Digital in November upon introducing a second package aimed at increasing parental rights. 

After Trump's decisive election win, the governor argued that the political environment on the ground in Tennessee is not what it was months before when the first school choice proposal failed. 

The election saw a wave of pro-school choice candidates win at the state level, and Trump succeeded in his bid for the White House. Lee told Fox News Digital that he agreed with Trump's promise to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education, echoing the president-elect's concern over the federal bureaucracy becoming entrenched with gender and race ideology rather than learning.

FORMER TRUMP EDUCATION SECRETARY LAYS OUT 'UNFINISHED BUSINESS' FOR NEW ADMIN ON SCHOOL REFORMS

"In this case, states certainly know best. We know best in Tennessee what our children need and how best to educate our kids. The parents of this state should be given a greater influence on how their kids are educated, and that will happen if the federal Department of Education is dismantled and those funds are delivered to states to be used in a more efficient and more effective way," Lee said at the time. "President Trump has long believed that school choice is important for the people of this country and that education freedom is something that all Americans could have. He's talked about it. He campaigned on it." 

Lee's new school choice bill, titled the Education Freedom Act of 2025, would draw from funding already approved by the state legislature to allow the state Department of Education to award up to 20,000 scholarships – valued at about $7,000 each – for the next school year to be spent on tuition, tutoring, technology and examination expenses. The first 10,000 scholarships would be set aside for low-income students whose parents might not otherwise afford to send their children to institutions other than the public schools in their districts. 

In addition to establishing Education Freedom Scholarships, Lee's office said the bill "further invests in public schools and teachers by delivering teacher bonuses to recognize their unwavering commitment to student success, increasing K-12 facilities funding, and ensuring state funding to school districts will never decrease due to disenrollment." The governor and the General Assembly "will maintain their commitment to public schools by further investing hundreds of millions of state dollars in the Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement (TISA) formula, and raising starting teacher pay," Lee's office said. 

The governor is also planning to invest more than $450 million in direct disaster relief.

Hurricane Helene "was an unprecedented disaster that primarily impacted at-risk and distressed counties, with eligible damage-related costs estimated at $1.2 billion," Lee's office said. 

The Disaster Relief Grants (DRG) Fund allocates $240 million "to bolster Tennessee’s existing disaster relief fund, as well as reduce the local cost-share burden from 12.5% to 5% and fund the state match requirement in order to access federal funds and cover administrative costs." Lee's package also establishes the Hurricane Helene Interest Payment Fund, which allocates $110 million to "help local governments manage loan interest for recovery costs by covering interest costs at 5% per year for three years on loans for recovery expenses."

Finally, the Governor’s Response and Recovery Fund allocates $100 million "to create a new program inspired by the HEAL Program that will provide flexible financial resources for future emergencies, including agricultural recovery, unemployment assistance, and business recovery efforts." The package also sets aside $20 million for the rebuilding of Hampton High School in Carter County, which was destroyed in Hurricane Helene.

Conservatives erupted on social media Tuesday following an exchange between Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth and freshman Sen. Tim Sheehy regarding gender identity. 

"How many genders are there?" the Montana senator asked Hegseth on Tuesday. "Tough one."

Hegseth responded, "Senator, there are two genders."

"I know that well, I’m a Sheehy, so I’m on board," Sheehy responded, referencing the "she" and "he" that make up his last name.

TOP 5 MOMENTS FROM PETE HEGSETH'S SENATE CONFIRMATION HEARING

After Hegseth laughed at the freshman senator's joke, Sheehy then went on to ask Hegseth, a fellow combat veteran, the diameter of a round fired out of a M4A1 rifle and how many pushups he could do.

The line of questioning, particularly the exchange on gender which Sheehy previously joked about on the campaign trail, immediately drew a response from conservatives. 

"Right on," GOP Congressman Darrell Issa posted on X.

'CLEAR VISION': CONSERVATIVES RALLY AROUND HEGSETH AFTER 'CRUSHING' FIERY CONFIRMATION HEARING

"QUESTION OF THE DAY," conservative influencer Benny Johnson posted on X.

"Legitimately the best joke every [ever] told in Congress," conservative commentator Ian Haworth posted on X.

"BEST EVER!" radio host Steve Gruber posted on X.

"Well, it looks like the new senator from Montana is a huge upgrade," RealClearInvestigations senior writer Mark Hemingway posted on X in reference to former Democratic Sen. Jon Tester, who Sheehy defeated in November.

"Montana knew what they were doing when they put @TimSheehyMT in the Senate," conservative commentator and former NCAA swimmer Riley Gaines posted on X.

"A-freakin’-MEN!" Wendy Rogers, Republican state senator from Arizona, posted on X.

Sheehy told Fox News host Sean Hannity on Tuesday night that Hegseth is going to do a "great job" and "we support him."

"That's why my questions were directed the way they were," Sheehy said. " I wanted to remind people what this job is really about and it's supporting the war fighter and protecting America."

The Senate will likely have a few Cabinet nominees who are relatively non-controversial. In the interest of time, senators could agree to expedite the process and confirm an individual nominee or several nominees by voice vote or unanimous consent.

As long as there are no objections among all 100 (currently 99) senators.

This speeds things up in the Senate, where floor time is at a premium.

However, there’s a good reason why some Democrats may oppose a streamlined process for this.

It’s not because they’re trying to clog up the Senate plumbing. Democrats may demand a roll call vote on nominees they support in order to show that they voted in a bipartisan fashion to confirm some of President-elect Donald Trump’s nominees.

Democrats are likely to reject the nomination of Pete Hegseth to be Defense secretary. However, other relatively easy to confirm nominees like Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., picked to serve as secretary of state, or Sean Duffy for Transportation secretary, could require roll call votes.

As a result, Democrats can then argue that they voted in favor of "X" number of Mr. Trump’s nominees – and argue they operated in a bipartisan fashion.

The Biden administration's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) took a significant new step on Wednesday that would effectively ban cigarettes currently on the market in favor of those with lower levels of nicotine.

"Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a proposed rule that, if finalized, would make cigarettes and certain other combusted tobacco products minimally or nonaddictive by limiting the level of nicotine in those products. If finalized, the United States would be the first country globally to take such a bold, life-saving action to prevent and reduce smoking-related disease and death," the FDA said in a statement on Wednesday. 

"The FDA first announced its intent to propose such a rule in 2018, and today’s announcement is an important next step in the rulemaking processExternal Link Disclaimer. The agency intends to seek input on the proposal, including through public comment and the FDA’s Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee," it added. 

The "Tobacco Product Standard for Nicotine Level of Certain Tobacco Products" cleared a regulatory hurdle earlier this month. The rule is not yet published or finalized. 

BIDEN ADMIN WORKING TO EFFECTIVELY BAN CIGARETTES IN 11TH HOUR PROPOSAL A 'GIFT' TO CARTELS, EXPERT SAYS 

"Multiple administrations have acknowledged the immense opportunity that a proposal of this kind offers to address the burden of tobacco-related disease," said FDA Commissioner Robert M. Califf, M.D. "Today’s proposal envisions a future where it would be less likely for young people to use cigarettes and more individuals who currently smoke could quit or switch to less harmful products. This action, if finalized, could save many lives and dramatically reduce the burden of severe illness and disability, while also saving huge amounts of money. I hope we can all agree that significantly reducing the leading cause of preventable death and disease in the U.S. is an admirable goal we should all work toward."

The FDA's press release states that "the proposed rule would not ban cigarettes or any other tobacco products," and instead "cap the nicotine level at 0.7 milligrams per gram of tobacco in cigarettes and certain other combusted tobacco products, which is significantly lower than the average concentration in these products on the market today."

Fox News Digital reported earlier this month, when the rule cleared an FDA regulatory review, that if nicotine levels in cigarettes are lowered under federal regulation, experts say cartels running black market sales of cigarettes will likely benefit.

"Biden's ban is a gift with a bow and balloons to organized crime cartels with it, whether it's cartels, Chinese organized crime, or Russian mafia. It's going to keep America smoking, and it's going to make the streets more violent," Rich Marianos, former assistant director of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the current chair of the Tobacco Law Enforcement Network, told Fox News Digital earlier this month. 

Marianos said that criminal groups would likely quickly catch on to the proposal if it takes effect and subsequently amplify their tobacco operations – which he says will serve as an economic boon for the criminals. 

Americans who want to purchase cigarettes with higher levels of nicotine would then need to go through the illicit channels to obtain them, similar to buying "loosie" cigarettes on the streets of New York, putting average Americans at further criminal risk while also offering them cigarettes that are not regulated and originating from foreign nations. 

BIDEN ADMIN FACING CONGRESSIONAL PROBE OVER PROPOSED BAN ON MENTHOL CIGARETTES

The Biden administration pushing the cigarette rule at the 11th hour of his administration comes after its previous effort to ban menthol cigarettes ​​in what was described as a "critical" piece of President Biden's Cancer Moonshot initiative. The administration announced last year, however, it was abruptly delaying such regulations as the public decried the move. A handful of groups argued that banning menthol unfairly targeted minority communities, while others argued the ban would open the floodgates to illicit menthol sales.

"This rule has garnered historic attention and the public comment period has yielded an immense amount of feedback, including from various elements of the civil rights and criminal justice movement," Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said at the time. "It’s clear that there are still more conversations to have, and that will take significantly more time."

POPULAR ITALIAN CITY OFFICIALLY BANS CIGARETTE SMOKING OUTDOORS

The state of Massachusetts banned menthol cigarettes and flavored tobacco in 2020, with local police since uncovering illegal menthol cigarette sales in the state, including just this month when a man was busted with 700 packs of unstamped menthol cigarettes, as well as 38 bags of crack cocaine, the Boston Herald reported. 

"Mass. banned menthols and dangerous criminals stepped right in to create an illegal supply chain and make millions in the underground market," Marianos' Tobacco Law Enforcement Network posted to X this week about the bust. 

Former President Barack Obama signed the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act in 2009, which granted the FDA the power to regulate tobacco products. In the years since, the agency has worked to lower nicotine levels, including in July 2017 under the Trump administration, when then-FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb announced it would seek to require tobacco companies to drastically cut nicotine in cigarettes in an effort to help adult smokers quit.

BIDEN ADMIN ABRUPTLY DELAYS PLAN TO BAN MENTHOL CIGARETTES AMID WIDESPREAD OPPOSITION

The FDA announced in 2022 plans for the proposed rule that would lower levels of nicotine so they are less addictive or non-addictive.

"Lowering nicotine levels to minimally addictive or non-addictive levels would decrease the likelihood that future generations of young people become addicted to cigarettes and help more currently addicted smokers to quit," FDA Commissioner Robert Califf said at the time. 

EXCLUSIVE: A new, GOP-introduced congressional resolution could block President Biden's recent ban on natural gas water heaters, Fox News Digital has learned.

In the waning days of the Biden administration, the Department of Energy announced a new rule banning non-condensing, natural gas-fired water heaters by 2029 in an effort to reduce carbon emissions. Republicans in Congress, however, are seeking to intervene.

On Wednesday, Rep. Gary Palmer, R-Ala., introduced a Congressional Review Act (CRA), which allows Congress to overturn rules enacted by federal agencies to circumvent the administration's appliance crackdown, shared first with Fox News Digital.

"It's a radical ban on water heaters. Another example of government overreach under the Biden administration on their way out the door. They care nothing about consumers," Palmer told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview. 

NEW BIDEN WATER HEATER BAN WILL DRIVE UP ENERGY PRICES FOR POOR, SENIORS: EXPERT

Proponents of Biden's regulation, such as the Appliance Standards Awareness Project, suggest it will eliminate 32 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions from water heaters sold over 30 years. 

However, Palmer said it will have serious economic implications on working Americans given the amount a household would have to pay out of pocket for a new water heater that complies with the rule.

The Alabama congressman expressed confidence that the CRA is going to pass in the House, as several other Republican lawmakers have signed on as sponsors.

Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., one of the cosponsors of the CRA, told Fox News that "Joe Biden's last-ditch effort to ban gas water heaters in his final days in office is nothing short of another green energy scam."

"This latest assault on American consumers isn't about saving the planet; it's about control, higher costs, and forcing an unsustainable, radical agenda on every household," Burlison said in a statement shared with Fox News Digital. "It's time we stand up against this tyranny of regulations and protect the freedoms and choices of the American people." 

NEW. NYC ‘CHAR BROIL’ RULE WOULD FORCE RESTAURANTS TO CUT EMISSIONS BY 75%

Other Republican co-sponsors include Reps. Julia Letlow of Louisiana, Mike Collins of Georgia, Randy Weber of Texas, Stephanie Bice of Oklahoma, Barry Moore of Alabama, Andy Ogles of Tennessee, Claudia Tenney of New York, Russ Fulcher of Idaho, Jack Bergman of Michigan, Dan Crenshaw of Texas, Michelle Fischbach of Minnesota, Jeff Hurd of Colorado, and Jim Baird of Indiana.

The National Propane Gas Association also supports overturning the ban, telling Fox News that it "threatens to eliminate the non-condensing instantaneous gas water heaters market."

"This rule would compel families to replace their existing equipment with unnecessary expensive retrofits, imposing an undue financial burden for a marginal level of energy savings and questionable economic benefits," Steve Kaminski, president and CEO of the National Propane Gas Association told Fox News Digital.

Biden has introduced regulations on several different household appliances during his term, such as washing machines, gas stoves, and ceiling fans. 

However, the Republican-controlled congress is reportedly going to be "very aggressive in rolling back" some of the regulations that evolved from Biden's climate agenda, Palmer said.

CIA nominee John Ratcliffe is telling senators on Wednesday about how he’ll reshape the intelligence community in what he calls "the most challenging national security environment in our nation’s history." 

Ratcliffe, who served as director of national intelligence during President-elect Trump's first term, is testifying before the Senate Intelligence Committee. The committee will then vote on his nomination before a full Senate vote to confirm him as director of the Central Intelligence Agency. 

Ratcliffe ticked off the nation’s biggest threats – China, the border, the Russia-Ukraine war and risk of nuclear fallout, Iran, North Korea and "increasing coordination among America’s rivals."

At a time when intelligence and law enforcement agencies have found themselves front and center in the political realm, a source familiar with Ratcliffe told Fox News Digital he’s focused on "depoliticizing" the agency, and "eliminating any distractions" to its core mission of obtaining intelligence. 

TOP 5 MOMENTS FROM PETE HEGSETH'S SENATE CONFIRMATION HEARING

Ratcliffe is also expected to push for more aggressive spying operations, particularly on Beijing, where CCP operatives have been spying on the U.S. for years. 

"With Trump and Ratcliffe, the days of China pillaging American companies, infecting American infrastructure, and otherwise targeting and abusing the American people are over. The jackals can only scavenge in the lion's domain for so long before they get their heads ripped off," the source said. 

Ratcliffe signaled plans in his opening statement to increase the agency’s capacity to obtain human intelligence "in every corner of the globe, no matter how dark or difficult."

"We will produce insightful, objective, all-source analysis, never allowing political or personal biases to cloud our judgment or infect our product," Ratcliffe will say in his opening statement. 

"We will conduct covert action at the direction of the president, going places no one else can go and doing things no one else can do. To the brave CIA officers listening around the world, if all of this sounds like what you signed up for, then buckle up and get ready to make a difference. If it doesn’t, then it’s time to find a new line of work."

RUBIO TO PITCH FOREIGN POLICY CREDENTIALS TO SENATE AS HE VIES TO BECOME AMERICA'S TOP DIPLOMAT

Ratcliffe said he would try to recruit agents that could be described as "a Ph.D. who could win a bar fight," but promised to fully investigate anomalous health incidents like Havana Syndrome. 

Ratcliffe also hopes to increase coordination with the CIA and the private sector – potentially through rotations that allow CIA agents to do a stint in the private sector or allowing private employees at AI and tech companies to join the CIA in mid-career appointments, according to the source. 

Ratcliffe's hearing is expected to have a more policy-heavy focus than some of Trump's more controversial nominees like Pete Hegseth, picked to lead the Defense Department. Hegseth faced senators on the Armed Services Committee on Tuesday where he was questioned on his drinking, sexual assault allegations and reports of financial mismanagement. 

Trump's choice to oversee all intelligence agencies, Tulsi Gabbard, has also been met with skepticism by some in the Senate over her past opposition to U.S. surveillance laws and seeming closeness to U.S. adversaries, in particular a meeting she took with former Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad. She's since walked back her opposition to a surveillance program known as Section 702.

Gabbard's hearing is not yet on the books, neither is Trump's nominee to lead the FBI, Kash Patel. 

Trump's national security nominees are in lockstep on at least one thing – the threat of China – and the need to update technologies and defenses to thwart the CCP's chronic attacks on U.S. infrastructure. 

"We have to stop trying to just play better and better defense," Mike Waltz, Trump's national security adviser pick, recently told FOX Business. "We need to start going on offense."

President-elect Donald Trump's transition team tapped a former senior health official from Trump's first administration and an ally to top Trump loyalist, Harmeet Dhillon, to be Health and Human Services Secretary-nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s chief of staff, a new report indicated Monday. 

Heather Flick, a lawyer who previously served in multiple top roles at the Health and Human Services (HHS) Department during the first Trump administration, has been working closely with Kennedy over the last few weeks as an informal chief of staff, according to Politico. The outlet added Monday that she had been tapped by Trump's transition team to fill the role permanently, according to four sources familiar. The announcement has yet to be made public.

Meanwhile, the law firm that currently employs Flick, as well as its founder, congratulated her on the new position this week on their social media accounts. Fox News Digital reached out to the Trump-Vance transition team for confirmation but did not hear back in time for publication. 

RFK JR. TO MEET WITH SLEW OF DEMS INCLUDING ELIZABETH WARREN, BERNIE SANDERS

Flick's selection to work in Trump's second administration is just the latest pick among a list of Trump loyalists who have been given jobs in the administration during his second term. When Flick first joined the Trump administration, she was HHS' acting general counsel before becoming its acting secretary for administration and then eventually a senior adviser to then-HHS Secretary Alex Azar.

Before joining HHS the first time, Flick was an attorney at Dhillon Law Group, a firm founded by Dhillon, who Trump has tapped this time around to be his assistant attorney general. 

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

Dhillon has represented clients in big conservative civil rights cases and defended Trump supporters in court. During the pandemic, she challenged Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom's stay-at-home orders, and in 2020, she served as the co-chairwoman of Lawyers For Trump, a conservative group of lawyers supporting Trump throughout the 2020 election. Most recently, Dhillon helped lead Trump's election integrity team in Arizona during the 2024 election.

"Heather Flick is outstanding and will most definitely help soon to be Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.," former Trump National Security Adviser Michael Flynn said in a post on X after news of Flick's new role.

Flick's appointment comes amid rumblings from some of Kennedy's allies that he could advance an agenda that is not completely in line with the Trump world, but rather more centered around Kennedy's priorities, Politico reported.

The potential HHS secretary has been taking meetings with lawmakers on Capitol Hill recently in an attempt to shore up support. Democrats and Republicans have both been very critical of the HHS secretary-nominee's opinions about vaccines, while Republicans have also been probing Kennedy during meetings about his past pro-choice views on abortion.

PHYSICIAN GOVERNOR URGES CAPITOL HILL TO BLOCK RFK JR.'S CONFIRMATION: ‘OUR CHILDREN’S LIVES DEPEND ON IT'

Critics of Kennedy have questioned his ability to handle major crises like the COVID-19 pandemic and posited that Kennedy pushes conspiracy theories about things like vaccines and antidepressants. Meanwhile, business leaders have suggested there is reason to worry as well, on account of past claims Kennedy has made about the dangers of food additives, pesticides and vaccines.

Flick will be tasked with helping Kennedy clean up some of those criticisms. One former Food and Drug Administration Official, granted anonymity to speak openly, told Politico that depending upon how involved HHS Secretaries are in the agency's work, their chief of staff can end up being "very, very involved."

"On really high-profile things, if she’s an effective chief of staff, she could be super involved," the former official added. "I certainly saw that happen across multiple administrations." 

President Biden is set to deliver his farewell address to the nation Wednesday evening as he closes out four years in the White House.

Biden will deliver the address at 8 p.m. ET from the Oval Office, having earlier Wednesday published a farewell letter to the country. 

"Four years ago, we stood in a winter of peril and a winter of possibilities. We were in the grip of the worst pandemic in a century, the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, and the worst attack on our democracy since the Civil War," Biden wrote.

 "But we came together as Americans, and we braved through it. We emerged stronger, more prosperous, and more secure."

PRESIDENT BIDEN RELEASES FAREWELL LETTER, SAYS IT’S BEEN ‘PRIVILEGE OF MY LIFE TO SERVE THIS NATION'

Biden will officially exit the Oval Office on Jan. 20, when President-elect Trump will be sworn in as the 47th president around noon that day. 

BIDEN SAYS HE'S BEEN CARRYING OUT ‘MOST AGGRESSIVE CLIMATE AGENDA’ IN HISTORY AS HE DESIGNATES CALIFORNIA MONUMENTS

Biden has spent more than 50 years in public office, making his mark on the national map in 1972, President Richard Nixon's landslide re-election year, when he beat a Republican incumbent in a long-shot Senate race in Delaware at the age of 29.

"I ran for president because I believed that the soul of America was at stake. The very nature of who we are was at stake. And, that’s still the case," he added in his farewell letter. 

BIDEN STILL REGRETS DROPPING OUT OF 2024 PRESIDENTIAL RACE, BELIEVES HE COULD HAVE BEATEN TRUMP: REPORT

"America is an idea stronger than any army and larger than any ocean. It’s the most powerful idea in the history of the world. That idea is that we are all created equal, endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights, among them life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. We’ve never fully lived up to this sacred idea, but we’ve never walked away from it either. And I do not believe the American people will walk away from it now."

Biden served 36 years in the U.S. Senate, one of the longest Senate careers in the chamber’s history, before joining former President Barack Obama’s ticket during the 2008 election and serving as vice president for eight years. 

DONALD TRUMP ELECTED AS THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

The 46th president defeated Trump during the 2020 election, and was set to square up against him again last year, but abruptly dropped out of the presidential race as concerns surrounding his mental acuity mounted. Vice President Kamala Harris was soon quickly endorsed by Biden and other high-profile Democrats to take up the mantle as the party’s presidential nominee, but lost the election as Trump swept all seven battleground states. 

Biden has been an outspoken and repeated critic of Trump’s, calling him a "genuine threat to this nation," but vowed to ensure a peaceful transfer of power and that "of course" he will attend Trump’s inauguration.

Ahead of his final address to America, Biden also delivered a foreign policy-focused farewell address at the State Department on Monday.  

"The United States is winning the worldwide competition compared to four years ago," Biden said in his final foreign policy speech Monday. 

"America is stronger. Our alliances are stronger, our adversaries and competitors are weaker," he added. 

More than half of Americans say that President Biden will be remembered as a below-average or one of the worst presidents in the nation's history, according to a new national poll.

Just over a third of adults nationwide questioned in a Marist poll released on Wednesday said Biden will be remembered as one of the worst presidents in American history, with another 19% saying he will be considered a below-average president.

Twenty-eight percent of participants offered that Biden's legacy will be considered average, with 19% saying he would be regarded as an above average or one of the best presidents in the nation's history.

The poll was released just hours before the president delivers his farewell address to the nation, with just days left before Biden's term ends and he is succeeded by President-elect Trump in the White House.

WILL HISTORY BE KIND OR UNKIND TO PRESIDENT BIDEN?

In his Oval Office speech, Biden will likely aim to cement his legacy as a president who pushed to stabilize politics at home while bolstering America's leadership abroad, and as a leader who steered the nation out of the COVID-19 pandemic and made historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy while lowering prescription drug prices.

Biden, in a letter to Americans released early Wednesday morning, emphasized that when he took office four years ago "we were in the grip of the worst pandemic in a century, the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, and the worst attack on our democracy since the Civil War."

And he touted that "today, we have the strongest economy in the world and have created a record 16.6 million new jobs. Wages are up. Inflation continues to come down. The racial wealth gap is the lowest it’s been in 20 years."

But the Marist poll is the second straight national survey to indicate history will likely not view Biden kindly.

According to a USA Today/Suffolk University survey released on Tuesday, 44% of voters nationwide said history will assess Biden as a failed president, with another 27% saying he will be judged as a fair president.

HEAD HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS POLLING RESULTS

Twenty-one percent of those questioned said history will view Biden as a good president, with only 5% saying he will be seen as a great president.

The president's single term in the White House ends next Monday, Jan. 20, as Trump is inaugurated as Biden's successor.

However, according to the USA Today/Suffolk University poll, 44% also said that Trump will be seen by history as a failed president. 

One in five said that Trump would be viewed as a great president, with 19% saying good and 27% saying he would be judged a fair president.

Trump ended his first term in office with approval ratings in negative territory, including 47% approval in Fox News polling from four years ago.

In Marist polling four years ago, as Trump finished his first term, 47% thought he would be remembered as one of the nation's worst presidents.

A MAJORITY OF AMERICANS SAY THIS IS HOW THEY'LL VIEW BIDEN'S PRESIDENCY

Biden stands at 42% approval and 50% disapproval in Marist's new survey, as the president departs the White House. He stood at 43%-54% approval/disapproval in the USA Today/Suffolk University poll.

Biden’s approval rating hovered in the low to mid 50s during his first six months in the White House. However, the president’s numbers started sagging in August 2021 in the wake of Biden's much-criticized handling of the turbulent U.S. exit from Afghanistan, and following a surge in COVID-19 cases that summer that was mainly among unvaccinated people.

The plunge in the president’s approval rating was also fueled by soaring inflation – which started spiking in the summer of 2021 and remains to date a major pocketbook concern with Americans – and the surge of migrants trying to cross into the U.S. along the southern border.

Biden's approval ratings slipped underwater in the autumn of 2021 and never reemerged into positive territory.

As Trump gets ready to once again assume the presidency, the Marist poll indicates opinions of him remain low, with 44% of Americans viewing him favorably and 49% holding an unfavorable opinion of the incoming president.

However, opinions about Trump's first term have risen in numerous polls conducted since his convincing victory in November's presidential election over Vice President Kamala Harris. The vice president succeeded Biden in July as the Democrats' 2024 standard-bearer after the president dropped out of the race following a disastrous debate performance against Trump.

The poll also indicates that Americans have high expectations for Trump when it comes to the economy.

"While many Americans feel the current economy is not working well for them, residents nationally have grown more optimistic about the future of their own finances," the poll's release highlights.

The survey also indicates Americans are divided about Trump’s proposed mass deportations of undocumented immigrants. 

According to the poll, more than six in 10 disapprove of Trump's pledge to pardon his supporters who were convicted in the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol.

The Marist poll was conducted Jan. 7-9, with 1,387 adults nationwide questioned. The survey's overall sampling error is plus or minus 3.2 percentage points.

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti is cautiously optimistic about the future success of his Supreme Court gender case after he secured another legal win in Kentucky that will reverse the Biden administration's Title IX rewrite nationwide.

The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky Northern Division made the ruling in Cardona v. Tennessee on Thursday.

Skrmetti told Fox News Digital in a Tuesday interview, "Every win we get is another break in the wall of ensuring that the law means what the people who voted for it thought it meant." 

GOP AG PREDICTS WHICH SIDE HAS ADVANTAGE IN HISTORIC SCOTUS TRANSGENDER CASE WITH 'DIVIDED' JUSTICES

The ruling came months after the Supreme Court rejected the Biden administration’s emergency request to enforce portions of a new rule that would have included protections from discrimination for transgender students under Title IX.

The sweeping rule was issued in April and clarified that Title IX’s ban on "sex" discrimination in schools covered discrimination based on gender identity, sexual orientation and "pregnancy or related conditions."

The rule took effect Aug. 1, 2024, and the law stated, for the first time, that discrimination based on sex includes conduct related to a person’s gender identity.

"The Title IX rule was the height of overreach, administrative overreach by the Biden administration, and we were very happy to be able to stop that," Skrmetti said on Tuesday. 

SOTOMAYOR COMPARES TRANS MEDICAL 'TREATMENTS' TO ASPIRIN IN QUESTION ABOUT SIDE EFFECTS DURING ORAL ARGUMENTS

Now, he is looking ahead to the court's highly anticipated decision in the United States v. Skrmetti case, which is expected by June. 

The Supreme Court is weighing whether the equal protection clause, which guarantees equal treatment under the law for individuals in similar circumstances, prevents states from banning medical providers from offering puberty blockers and hormone treatments to children seeking transgender surgical procedures. 

The lawsuit against Tennessee's law banning transgender treatment for minors was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of several transgender minors and their parents. The families argue the law infringes on parental rights to make medical decisions for their kids and forces them to go out-of-state to receive transgender procedures.

"It seems like the momentum has really shifted almost culturally on these issues," Skrmetti said. "And when you see people trying to rewrite laws through creative judging, through creative regulating, that alienates the people from the laws that bind them, and it's bad for America."

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Skrmetti described the recent developments as part of a broader "vibe shift" in the country, noting that they reflect a "great data point" indicating a decline in efforts to reshape American law through "non-democratic" processes.

"We'll know what the Supreme Court does when the Supreme Court does it," he said.

Fox News Digital's Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report. 

Chris Wright, President-elect Trump's nominee to lead the U.S. Department of Energy, is planning to tell senators in charge of his confirmation that he will focus on restoring American "energy dominance" at home and abroad. 

Wright, a fossil fuel executive who in the past has been critical of the media blaming climate change for repeated wildfires, is expected to deliver his opening statement before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on Wednesday morning. Fox News Digital obtained a copy of the statement in advance ahead of the hearing scheduled to start at 10 a.m. ET.

"I am humbled by the great responsibility this position holds," Wright is expected to say in his opening statement. "America has a historic opportunity to secure our energy systems, deliver leadership in scientific and technological innovation, steward our weapons stockpiles, and meet Cold War legacy waste commitments." 

Describing himself as a "science geek, turned tech nerd, turned lifelong energy entrepreneur," Wright will tell the committee how his "fascination with energy started at a young age in Denver, Colorado." His opening statement discusses how he enrolled at MIT "specifically to work on fusion energy" and later started graduate school at the University of California at Berkeley where he worked "on solar energy as well as power electronics."

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"Energy is the essential agent of change that enables everything that we do. A low energy society is poor. A highly energized society can bring health, wealth, and opportunity for all," Wright will say. "The stated mission of the company that I founded – Liberty Energy – is to better human lives through energy. Liberty works directly in oil, natural gas, next generation geothermal and has partnerships in next-generation nuclear energy and new battery technology." 

"Energy has been a lifelong passion of mine, and I have never been shy about that fact," Wright plans to tell the committee. "Then again, I have never been shy about much. President Trump shares my passion for energy and, if confirmed, I will work tirelessly to implement his bold agenda as an unabashed steward for all sources of affordable, reliable and secure American energy."

On Tuesday, committee Democrats led by Sen. Martin Heinrich of New Mexico called for Wright's confirmation hearing to be delayed by at least a week, citing how they had not yet received "the standard financial disclosure report, ethics agreement, or the opinions from the designated agency ethics officer and the Office of Government Ethics stating that the nominee is in compliance with the ethics laws." 

Chairman Mike Lee, R-Utah, has already pushed back the confirmation hearing for Doug Burgum, Trump's pick for interior secretary, by two days until Thursday due to an OGE paperwork delay, but Wright's remained on the schedule Wednesday. 

If approved as secretary, Wright would manage energy policy and production in the United States, as well as the nation's nuclear weapon stockpile. He would also work with Burgum on the National Energy Council, where they would develop Trump's energy dominance policy involving increased production of U.S. oil and gas.

Wright has indicated that he plans to resign as CEO and chairman of his fracking company, Liberty Energy, if approved.

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In his opening statement, Wright identifies three "immediate" tasks that he would focus his attention on if confirmed.

"The first is to unleash American energy at home and abroad to restore energy dominance," Wright will say. "The security of our nation begins with energy. Previous administrations have viewed energy as a liability instead of the immense national asset that it is. To compete globally, we must expand energy production, including commercial nuclear and liquified natural gas, and cut the cost of energy." 

"Second, we must lead the world in innovation and technology breakthroughs," the statement continues. "Throughout my lifetime, technology and innovation have immeasurably enhanced the human condition. We must protect and accelerate the work of the Department’s national laboratory network to secure America’s competitive edge and its security. I commit to working with Congress on the important missions of the national laboratories." 

"Third, we must build things in America again and remove barriers to progress," Wright will say. "Federal policies today make it too easy to stop projects and very hard to start and complete projects. This makes energy more expensive and less reliable. President Trump is committed to lowering energy costs and to do so, we must prioritize cutting red tape, enabling private sector investments, and building the infrastructure we need to make energy more affordable for families and businesses."