Democrats proved on Thursday during a press conference about protecting Medicaid that Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency has become an inevitable policy discussion under President Donald Trump's second term.  

Ahead of the National Governors Association’s winter meeting in Washington, D.C., this week, Democratic and Republican governors huddled within their respective parties to strategize and discuss policy. Democratic governors held a press conference on Tuesday, sounding the alarm on Trump’s threat to Medicaid and signaling a Democratic messaging priority. 

"This is a life-and-death situation for so many of our citizens in all of our states. I'm more worried about DOGE," Gov. Ned Lamont, D-Conn., said. "I find the Department of Government Efficiency is leaking its way into HHS and everyplace else."

DOGE headlines dominated Trump’s first month back in the White House as Democrats protested weekly and called his executive orders a "constitutional crisis." When asked by Fox News Digital whether there’s a consensus among Democratic governors that its a "constitutional crisis," Lamont said, "It’s a budgetary crisis."

WHITE HOUSE OUTLINES WHERE DOGE SAVINGS COULD GO AFTER TRUMP FLOATS RETURNING 20% TO AMERICANS

Lamont said it’s impossible to plan for unpredictable and last-minute budget cuts, adding that cutting Medicaid would cost $2 billion. 

"It's not DOGE. It ought to be called dodge, a way to just push the costs on to our people," Lamont said. 

The Connecticut governor said he supports rooting out fraud in the federal government, but he said that if DOGE expects states to pick up the costs on things like Medicare or Medicaid, then it would put people at risk. 

DOGE UNCOVERS OVER 4M GOVERNMENT CREDIT CARDS RESPONSIBLE FOR 90M TRANSACTIONS

"DOGE is pretty cruel. Let's be blunt about that," Gov. Josh Green, D-Hawaii, added. "These are people in our states that have worked long careers, very dedicated servants, and they're getting kicked out of their lives."

Green said he launched an initiative in Hawaii yesterday to hire employees who have been fired by the federal government. 

"We're hoping to bring good people into the fold and help them heal through this process, and we will hire them. But at the end of the day, if there are deep cuts in budgets, we will all suffer and struggle to do that. There's a lot of great human capital out there, and this is just not the right way to go about things," Green said. 

Fox News Digital asked the governors whether they had agreed on a messaging strategy to combat DOGE. 

"It’s just not American. Honestly, I don't know how they came up with the plan to slash trillions of dollars in order to pay for tax breaks. Most Americans are going to be really upset when they lose fundamental services. My message is, we can be caring about our country and not just play to bombastic news moments," Graham said. 

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, D-N.M., said that governors work to make government more efficient every day.

"I think another unified message is we all want efficient, effective government," Grisham said. "I predict it will spend more on itself than it actually saves or finds cost savings or fraud. You know who finds fraud in health care and any number of other things? Governors do! And then we work with the federal government to make sure that we stamp that out across the country. If they were really interested in that, they would be working with us."

The Democratic governors urged more Republicans to stand up against Trump’s agenda. In the meantime, Grisham said that Democratic governors will continue to hold them accountable. 

"They're not telling us the truth. They're using this effort to line the pockets of one or a few Americans and companies, and they have not found any significant waste or fraud. They have to keep correcting, or at least we're going to hold them accountable, and correcting those numbers. You want help making government meaningful and effective and efficient? You're looking at a team that delivers on that every single day," Grisham said. 

President Donald Trump unleashed an earthquake on the U.S. immigration system during his first full month in office, quickly overturning Biden-era policies and overhauling how authorities conduct enforcement in the interior and at the border.

An order late Wednesday, which was implemented a day ahead of the administration's one-month mark, directed all federal agencies to identify all federally funded programs currently providing any financial benefits to illegal immigrants and "take corrective action." The order is intended to ensure that any federal funds to states and localities "will not be used to support sanctuary policies or assist illegal immigration."

But it was just the latest in what has been a battery of overhauls to the U.S. immigration system.

TRUMP FREEZES APPLICATIONS FOR BIDEN-ERA MIGRANT PROGRAMS AMID FRAUD, NATIONAL SECURITY CONCERNS

Trump, who ran his campaign centered on border security and cracking down on illegal immigration, got to work on day one of his administration — signing executive orders that declared a national emergency at the border and deployed the U.S. military. He also signed orders ending birthright citizenship for children of illegal immigrants, suspending refugee admissions and also ending the use of the CBP One app at the southern border to admit migrants via humanitarian parole.

Other orders included moves to restart border wall construction, which had ended under the Biden administration.

It wouldn’t take long before the moves were followed up by additional decisions from Cabinet agencies. The Pentagon quickly deployed troops to the southern border and also opened up Guantánamo Bay to flights of migrants.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) also issued orders that ended limits on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) imposed by the Biden administration on "sensitive" places, and also took limits on the use of expedited removal, allowing the rapid-fire removal process to be used more broadly after being limited by the prior administration. Another order allowed ICE to review the parole status of migrants brought in under parole, opening them up to deportation.

DHS has also gone after federal funding to migrant causes. Most recently, four Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) employees were fired and tens of millions of dollars taken back from New York City designated for hotels where migrants are being housed.

"Secretary [Kristi] Noem has clawed back the full payment that FEMA deep state activists unilaterally gave to NYC migrant hotels," a DHS spokesperson told Fox News Digital. 

Meanwhile, the administration quickly moved to ramp up interior arrests and deportations. A number of high-profile raids were quickly launched across the U.S., particularly in "sanctuary" cities that do not cooperate with ICE agents. Daily arrests quickly moved above 1,000 a day, and officials pointed to a number of criminals and gang members that were picked up in the process.

According to DHS data, obtained by Fox News Digital, there were 11,791 interior ICE arrests from Jan. 20 to Feb. 8, compared to 4,969 during the same period in 2024. That’s a 137% increase.

Arrests of aliens with criminal histories have soared by nearly 100% from 4,526 in the same period in 2024 to 8,993 under Trump this year. Arrests of fugitive aliens at-large, meanwhile, have gone up from 2,164 to 5,538, a 156% increase. Arrests of criminal aliens in local jails have risen 59%.

DHS SAYS IT 'CAN, SHOULD AND WILL' ADMINISTER POLYGRAPH EXAMS AMID ICE RAID LOCATION LEAKS

The new Trump era has seen the rapid unwinding of a number of Biden-era programs. Fox News Digital confirmed on Wednesday that DHS has now paused pending applications for three Biden-era programs: Uniting for Ukraine; parole processes for Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela (CHNV); and family reunification programs.

Trump had already ordered an end to the use of some Biden-era parole programs on day one, including CHNV. He had also ordered the end to the practice of paroling migrants at ports of entry who had made appointments on the CBP One app. 

At the time, the Biden administration touted the expansion of "lawful pathways," claiming they were part of an effort to reduce illegal crossings, but Republicans accused the administration of abusing limited parole power and allowing in migrants who should not legally have entered. 

The Trump administration has also suspended refugee resettlement, which had expanded under the Biden administration. It has also frozen funding to foreign nations, which was a cornerstone of the "root causes" strategy championed by the prior administration.

Migration strategies often require foreign cooperation, and the Trump administration used diplomacy and tariff threats to secure additional cooperation with neighbors and other countries in the region. 

Both Canada and Mexico agreed to ramp up their border security efforts after Trump floated new tariffs on incoming goods from their countries. Meanwhile, both Venezuela and Colombia agreed to take back their immigrants being deported, with Colombia’s president backing down after a public clash with President Trump. 

Guatemala, separately, agreed to accept deportees from other countries as part of a deal hashed out with Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE

So far, there are indications that border numbers continue to trend lower with the new administration. 

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) apprehended just 29,116 illegal immigrants along the southern border during the month of January, down from 47,000 in December and hitting a low mark not seen since May 2020, when 32,349 arrests were made at ports of entry, according to a White House press release.

Meanwhile, border czar Tom Homan said this week that Border Patrol "has encountered a total of 229 aliens across the entire southwest border" in a single day and rallied around President Trump, saying, "He is delivering."

"That is down from a high of over 11,000 a day under Biden," he said. "I started as a Border Patrol Agent in 1984, and I don’t remember the numbers ever being that low."

Fox News' Michael Lee and Bill Melugin contributed to this report.

Elon Musk’s remarks at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Thursday drew praise from those who were pleased with the cuts being made by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

"I wasn't really that interested in being political. It’s just like there was at a certain point no choice," Musk said at the event in Maryland while wearing a black MAGA hat and sunglasses. "The actions that we’re taking, with the support of the president and the support of the agencies, is what will save Medicare, what will save Social Security."

"That's the reason I'm doing this," he added. "Because I was looking at the big picture here, and it's like, man, it's getting out of control." 

ELON MUSK MAKES SURPRISE APPEARANCE AT CPAC

"A country is no different from a person," he continued. "[A] country overspends, a country goes bankrupt in the same way as a person who overspends usually goes bankrupt. So, it's not optional to solve these things, it's essential."

Matthew Kochman, a New York Real Estate broker, said that DOGE cuts "probably saved the country from financial collapse." 

"I thought it was all just common sense," Kochman said of Musk’s comments.

When attendees were asked about the proposal to use 20% of the money from the cuts across the board to go toward a stimulus check for American taxpayers, some raised questions about whether the funds should help pay down over $36 trillion in national debt. 

DOGE STIMULUS CHECKS: JOHNSON SIDE-STEPS QUESTION ON TRUMP PLAN, SAYS US HAS 'GIANT DEFICIT'

"I’m not sure I agree with the sending money back. I would just assume money going to pay down our debt, because it is an existential threat," Angie Carrai, of Vienna, Virginia, said, adding that Musk's comments have "tapped into what a lot of people feel" about taxes being wasted on "ridiculous" programs.

However, Kochman said he believes that taxpayers should get some of their money back but thinks it should also help pay off the debt.

Speaker Mike Johnson has also raised concerns about the pitch from Musk and Trump, saying that the United States needs to "pay down the credit card" with the $2 trillion objective amount to be slashed through DOGE. 

Pat Dennis, President of the left-wing American Bridge 21st Century opposition research firm, told Fox News Digital after watching Musk’s remarks that he’s concerned about cuts to programs that benefit Americans.

"He was talking about cutting programs that everyday Americans rely on, things like Medicaid," Dennis said. "The implication that massive percentages of these programs just can be unilaterally cut because they’re fraud is not real."

"People rely on these, voters rely on these, families rely on these, people in Republican districts rely on these," he added.

DOGE made headlines in recent weeks for taking aim at spending through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) as well as grants doled out through various cabinet agencies. 

Fox News' Peter Pinedo and Liz Elkind contributed to this report. 

A climate group linked to high-profile Democrat Stacey Abrams was granted $2 billion by the Biden administration in a "scheme" of "wasteful" spending, the Trump administration's leading environmental agency has revealed.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently made a revelation that the Biden administration was allowing just eight entities to distribute $20 billion of taxpayer dollars "at their discretion." 

Included in the funds was a $2 billion grant to Power Forward Communities, a nonprofit with ties to former Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams that seeks to "reduce our impact on the climate" by financing the replacement of household appliances in lower-income communities with green alternatives.

Abrams, who lost the Georgia gubernatorial race in the 2022 midterms, reportedly "played a pivotal role" in establishing the group, according to a LinkedIn post by Ian Magruder, who works at one of the coalition's partners, Rewiring America.

‘WASTEFUL AND DANGEROUS’: DOGE'S TOP FIVE MOST SHOCKING REVELATIONS

"If you care about clean air, land and water, if you think there are some communities that have been left behind, then why aren't you spending a dollar actually remediating that issue instead of paying off your friend," EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin told Fox News' Laura Ingraham.

The $2 billion was used for the "decarbonization of homes" in low-income communities and paid for new household appliances, such as water heaters, induction stoves, solar panels, EV chargers, and weatherization, according to an April 2024 press release from Power Forward Communities.

Zeldin told Fox News that in 2023, Power Forward Communities reported just $100 in revenue but was later granted $2 billion by the Biden-era EPA in 2024.

TRUMP TO SIGN EXECUTIVE ORDER INSTRUCTING AGENCIES TO HUNT DOWN REGULATIONS THAT VIOLATE CONSTITUTION

The climate group was given only 21 days to distribute the $2 billion, and another 90 days to complete a training session called "How to develop a budget," Zeldin said.

"I would say that if an organization needs to take a training on how to develop a budget, one, they should be taking the training before they are spending a dollar, but they definitely shouldn't be getting two billion [dollars]," the administrator told Fox News.

"The entire scheme as set up is fraud, it's wasteful, it's abuse," he said.

Zeldin also noted the EPA found a potential "conflict of interest" payment of $5 billion to the former director of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund under Biden.

"All this money was put up front," Zeldin said. "It was ‘here is $20 billion.’ And it was going to their friends on the left."

The news that the Biden administration gave $2 billion to a climate group linked to Abrams was first reported by the Washington Free Beacon.

Fox News Digital reached out to Rewiring America, Power Forward Communities and Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund for comment.

New York City filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration on Friday seeking to wrestle back more than $80 million previously sent to the city via the Federal Emergency Management Agency to house migrants.  

The suit argues that the funds were previously approved and then paid out by FEMA, only to be removed from a city bank account on Feb. 11 without notice or administrative process.

The funding had been revoked after Elon Musk claimed that the Department of Government Efficiency found a $59 million FEMA payment to New York City that was being used on luxury hotels to house illegal migrants. Trump later repeated Musk's claim and argued that "massive fraud" was happening.

New York City was awarded two separate grants during the Biden administration – one for $58.6 million and another for $21.9 million – as the city attempted to pay to house migrants, many of whom were sent by Texas officials who were frustrated with the Biden administration's handling of the influx of migrants entering the U.S. through the southern border.

NEW YORK CITY MAYOR ERIC ADAMS SAYS HE WILL RUN FOR RE-ELECTION AS A DEMOCRAT

The payments were made under the Shelter and Services Program (SPP) that Congress appropriated $650 million for last year to help local governments respond to the migrant crisis. There are currently fewer than 45,000 migrants staying at taxpayer-funded shelters in New York City, up from a high of 69,000 more than a year ago.

Friday’s lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York by the city’s law department, which handles the city’s legal affairs, against President Donald Trump, the U.S. Treasury, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

The lawsuit accuses the federal government of violating federal regulations and the terms of the SSP grant, as well as abusing the federal government’s authority and obligations to implement congressionally approved and funded programs. ­

The suit argues that on Feb. 19, the federal government belatedly provided the city with a "noncompliance" letter that did not identify any noncompliance by the city. 

"Rather, it announced ‘concerns,’ which are unfounded and do not comport with how the city has managed the unprecedented crisis brought to its doorstep," the law department said.

Citing the government’s actions as a "money grab," the law department said the letter was a "mere cover" to mask the federal government’s real purpose, which is to permanently withhold the funds because it opposes their use on migrants.

The city is looking to recoup the funds and is seeking a motion for a preliminary and permanent injunction, and motion for a temporary restraining order (TRO).

New York City Mayor Eric Adams defended and supported the lawsuit in a series of posts on X late Friday, writing that the $80 million was approved, paid for and then rescinded – all while the city spent more than $7 billion of its own taxpayer money to tackle the crisis over the last three years.

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT MOVES TO DROP CASE AGAINST NYC MAYOR ERIC ADAMS

"We are going to work to ensure our city’s residents get every dollar they are owed," Adams wrote in on post. 

"Without a doubt, our immigration system is broken, but the cost of managing an international humanitarian crisis should not overwhelmingly fall onto one city alone. We have skillfully shouldered the cost of this humanitarian crisis almost entirely on our own, with more than 231,000 people entering our city seeking shelter."

Meanwhile, New York City Comptroller Brad Lander claimed the suit came about after he forced Adams’ hand on the matter. Adams has come under fire from New York Democrats over his decision to be more cooperative with federal immigration agencies in apprehending criminal illegal migrants amid the Justice Department efforts to dismiss corruption charges against him.

"After my office discovered that Elon Musk and his DOGE goon squad stole $80 million out of the City’s coffers, we successfully pressured Mayor Adams to allow the City’s lawyers to sue the federal government to get our money back," Lander said in a statement. 

"The lawyers who are standing up to President Trump and Eric Adams’ collusion deserve praise and we look forward to Donald Trump returning the money he stole from New York."

Lander is running against Adams in the mayoral election later this year.

READ THE LAWSUIT BELOW: APP USERS CLICK HERE.

Fox News’ Landon Mion, Maria Paronich and Jennifer Johnson contributed to this report. 

Richard Grenell, President Donald Trump's special envoy for special missions, defended Trump's recent criticism of Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy as being a "dictator," saying that the president is focused on what is best for the American people.

While speaking at the Conservative Political Action Committee Conference (CPAC) in National Harbor, Maryland, on Friday, Grenell said: "I'm so thankful that we have a president who's concentrating on peace. And that's what Donald Trump has just said: ‘You know, let's stop.'"

"Remember that we handed Joe Biden total peace in the Middle East and total peace in Europe. He handed us a war in the Middle East and a war in Europe," he added. 

GOP SENATORS BACK TRUMP'S DEMAND FOR UKRAINE ELECTIONS, BUT WON'T CALL ZELENSKYY 'DICTATOR'

Grenell is a former U.S. ambassador to Germany and previously served as Trump's Acting National Intelligence Director.

Pressed by a reporter on whether he stood by Trump recently calling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a "dictator," Grenell said, "I think when you reject having elections, and you're not moving towards that way that people get angry about that."

"I think the American people are really frustrated with Zelenskyy. I think that there's a big frustration that he's not making great choices for peace," he added. "And again, when the American people are spending hundreds of billions of dollars, there is a frustration."

TRUMP'S FRUSTRATIONS WITH ZELENSKYY ESCALATE AS US TURNS UP PRESSURE ON UKRAINE TO REACH PEACE DEAL

"What President Trump is saying very clearly: ‘We have to stop this war,’" he explained. "He's somebody who is concentrating on saying to both sides: ‘Let's talk to both sides and figure out how we stop this.’"

"But I want to say that’s really important in this conversation is Donald Trump has done something different than Republican foreign policy leaders have done for 25 years," he emphasized. "We articulate very clearly under Donald Trump, we don't do regime change. We are going to deal with the countries that are in front of us. And our criteria is not how do we make that country better [but] how do we make America better, stronger and more prosperous for the people that live here." 

TRUMP AND ZELENSKYY WAR OF WORDS HEATS UP EVEN AS US LOOKS TO WIND DOWN WAR IN UKRAINE

Grenell, who is a resident of California, also shared that he "may not be able to resist" running against former Vice President Kamala Harris if she decides to run to be California’s next governor.

"Honestly, it's not in my plan unless Kamala Harris runs for governor," he said.

"I mean, here's the thing. We already know who she is. We've spent hundreds of millions of dollars to define who Kamala Harris is," he went on. "If she thinks that she's going to run for governor of California, but a Republican is going to win, and I may not be able to resist trying to run against her."

VP JD VANCE SPEAKS ON 'FUNDAMENTAL GOAL' OF TRUMP ADMINISTRATION AT CPAC ADDRESS

Grenell has previously floated running for California governor as a Republican. He expressed interest in running to replace current Governor Gavin Newsom during the recall vote against the Democrat in 2021.

Despite the state’s notoriously liberal and leftist policies, Grenell has said that California is a "magnificent state" and expressed: "We deserve better than the failed leadership and partisan politics of our elected officials."

Grenell also criticized California political leaders for botching the response to the recent Los Angeles wildfires.

LOS ANGELES MAYOR KAREN BASS SACKS FIRE CHIEF WHO SAID CITY FAILED RESIDENTS IN WILDFIRES

He said that the Trump administration will be attaching strings on future federal funding to California to ensure such a disaster does not happen again.  

"There are going to be conditions," he said. "As a Californian, I'm all for it because I don't have faith that if we went back and we just gave California hundreds of millions of dollars, they were going to go back to their same old ways of not giving us enough water [and] having dangerous situations on the ground when it comes to forestry. It's going to happen again."

President Donald Trump and his administration continued to advance negotiations with Ukraine and Russia this week in an attempt to reach a peace deal to end the conflict between the two countries. 

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz met with Russian officials in Riyadh on Tuesday to discuss ways to end the war, while U.S. Special Envoy for Ukraine and Russia Keith Kellogg met with Ukrainian officials in Kyiv about a peace deal on Wednesday. 

The meetings increased tension between the U.S. and Ukraine when Ukrainian Volodymyr President Zelenskyy told reporters in Turkey that "nobody decides anything behind our back," claiming Ukraine wasn’t invited to the meeting between the U.S. and Russia. Zelenskyy has said that Ukraine won’t agree to a deal unless Ukraine is part of the talks. 

TRUMP'S FRUSTRATIONS WITH ZELENKSYY ESCALATE AS US TURNS UP PRESSURE ON UKRAINE TO REACH PEACE DEAL 

In response, both Trump and Zelenskyy exchanged barbs. Although Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Trump insinuated that Ukraine started the war and called Zelenskyy a "dictator." Meanwhile, Zelenskyy claimed Trump was dispersing Russian "disinformation." 

Even so, the Trump administration has defended its decision to meet with Russia, claiming it’s necessary to advance the negotiations. 

"How are you going to end the war unless you're talking to Russia?" Vice President JD Vance said at the Conservative Political Action Conference near the nation's capital on Thursday. "You've got to talk to everybody involved in the fighting. If you actually want to bring the conflict to a close."

Here’s what also happened this week at the White House:

Weeding out unconstitutional regulations

Trump signed an executive order Wednesday requiring federal agencies to assess regulations that could violate the Constitution as the administration seeks to cut red tape. 

Senior administration officials told Fox News Digital the order is first of its kind and an attempt to ensure the government isn't weaponized against the American people. It will require agencies to submit a list to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) within the next 60 days of all regulations that could be unconstitutional.

OMB’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) and the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) will oversee the effort and examine federal agencies’ regulations. 

TRUMP TO SIGN EXECUTIVE ORDER INSTRUCTING AGENCIES TO HUNT DOWN REGULATIONS THAT VIOLATE THE CONSTITUTION

DOGE officials at federal agencies will compose an inventory of regulations that could violate the Constitution and deliver the list to OMB. After the 60 days, the OIRA will go through the list of regulations and make individual decisions on which are unconstitutional and will launch the process of repealing the regulations on a case-by-case basis. 

OIRA oversees executive branch regulations, while the newly created DOGE aims to eliminate government waste, fraud and spending.

Expanding IVF coverage 

Trump signed an executive order Tuesday requesting the Domestic Policy Council examine ways to make in vitro fertilization, known as IVF, more affordable and accessible for Americans. 

"Americans need reliable access to IVF and more affordable treatment options, as the cost per cycle can range from $12,000 to $25,000," the executive order said. "Providing support, awareness, and access to affordable fertility treatments can help these families navigate their path to parenthood with hope and confidence."

‘PROMISES KEPT’: TRUMP SIGNS EXECUTIVE ORDER TO ‘AGGRESSIVELY’ MAKE IVF MORE AFFORDABLE AND ACCESSIBLE 

The assistant to the president for domestic policy will provide policy recommendations with the goal of "protecting IVF access and aggressively reducing out-of-pocket and health plan costs for IVF treatment" within 90 days. 

Ending taxpayer funding for illegal immigrants 

Trump also signed an executive order that ensures tax-payer benefits do not go toward illegal immigrants in an attempt to better protect the interests of American citizens. 

The directive requires federal agencies to determine if any federally funded programs are providing financial benefits to illegal immigrants and immediately take "corrective action" so that these federal funds don’t bolster illegal immigration. Likewise, the order instructs agencies to implement stricter eligibility verification to ensure that these benefits don’t go to those in the U.S. illegally. 

The order did not identify specific benefits, and notes that illegal immigrants are largely barred from qualifying for welfare programs. However, the order states without providing evidence that past administrations have "repeatedly undercut the goals of that law, resulting in the improper expenditure of significant taxpayer resources."

"My Administration will uphold the rule of law, defend against the waste of hard-earned taxpayer resources, and protect benefits for American citizens in need, including individuals with disabilities and veterans," the order states.

"President Trump is committed to safeguarding Federal public benefits for American citizens who are truly in need, including individuals with disabilities and veterans," a White House fact sheet on the executive order said.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senate Democrats who spoke with Fox News Digital said they do support cutting some wasteful spending from the federal government, but not by Elon Musk.

"Of course there's some wasteful spending, but you don't use a meat ax and cut everything," Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Wednesday after Fox News Digital asked whether there was some waste worth cutting. 

"We need to look at each program. We need to go through Congress and see what's wasteful and move to eliminate it," he said.

Democrats have been critical of Elon Musk's efforts at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to slash "wasteful" federal spending, as the newly formed cost-cutting department rescinds hundreds of millions of dollars dished out by the previous administration.

Democratic lawmakers told Fox News Digital on Capitol Hill they are generally in favor of cuts to federal spending but aren't in support of how DOGE is conducting its sweep. 

VOCAL OPPOSITION TO ELON MUSK'S CUTS IS A ‘TERRIBLE’ STRATEGY, WARNS EX-DEMOCRAT ADVISOR

"DOGE is turning the country over to the billionaires. They're looking to make money for themselves," said Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn. "They're not interested in government efficiency."

Murphy told Fox "there's plenty of money to be cut," such as on prescription drugs, but "that's not what DOGE is doing."

"We spent way too much money on prescription drugs. We pad the pockets of the drug industry every single year. We should be negotiating all of our prescription drug costs. We waste a ton of money on overspending," Murphy said.

JUDGE DENIES DEMOCRAT-LED EFFORT TO BLOCK DOGE ACCESS, CITING LACK OF PROVEN HARM

Sen. John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., laughed, saying, "There's always things that can be improved."

Democratic Sen. Andy Kim of New Jersey said, "There's certainly waste and efficiencies that we can get better at," but "the way in which it's happening right now is not the right way to do it.

"I mean, you're having federal employees getting kicked out, and then we realize that we need them for bird flu or nuclear regulation and other things like that," Kim told Fox News Digital. "It's causing way too much chaos. But I would have been prepared to work in a bipartisan way. I still am."

Senators Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., told Fox they think there should be cuts to wasteful spending but did not elaborate on where that should be.

DOGE has spent the past month entering federal agencies and uncovering billions in spending from the federal government that the Trump administration considers wasteful.

The method sparked opposition from critics such as Schumer, who claimed DOGE "went after community health centers in Medicaid" and "many things that American families need, want and approve of."

Trump on Wednesday floated the idea of delivering 20% of the DOGE savings to taxpayers directly through personal checks to taxpaying households, while another 20% would be used to pay down the national debt. 

Call it Sen. Tim Scott's 55-seat strategy.

Scott, the conservative senator from South Carolina, told Fox News Digital soon after taking over late last year as chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) he aimed to expand the GOP's current 53-47 majority in the Senate.

And Scott, in a Fox News Digital interview this week on Capitol Hill, is standing by his goal.

"One hundred percent. It's my stretch goal," the senator reiterated. "The bottom line is, I believe that we can defend our current seats while adding at least two more seats to our numbers."

TOP POLITICAL HANDICAPPER REVEALS DEMOCRATS CHANCES OF WINNING BACK THE SENATE MAJORITY

Scott, who last month became the longest-serving Black senator in the nation's history, launched a campaign two years ago for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination before dropping out and endorsing Donald Trump.

The senator, who was a top Trump surrogate on the campaign trail last year, emphasized that "the good news is, with President Donald Trump leading this country, the field is wide open, which means that we have more places to play, and the game is on."

Scott added the NRSC needs "to focus on the mechanics of making sure that the Donald J. Trump brand is reflected in our candidates."

Senate Republicans enjoyed a favorable map in the 2024 cycle as they flipped four seats from blue to red to win back control of the chamber.

But the party in power — clearly the Republicans right now — traditionally faces political headwinds in the midterm elections. Nevertheless, an early read of the 2026 map indicates the GOP may be able to go on offense in some key states.

FIRST ON FOX: SENATE GOP CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE SPOTLIGHTS ‘TEAM EFFORT’

Republicans will be targeting battleground Michigan, where Democratic Sen. Gary Peters recently announced he won't seek re-election next year, as well as Georgia, another key battleground state, where first-term Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff is considered vulnerable.

And in swing state New Hampshire, longtime Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen has yet to say whether she'll seek another term in the Senate when she's up for re-election next year.

Days before Scott was interviewed by Fox News Digital, Democratic Sen. Tina Smith in blue-leaning Minnesota announced she wouldn't run again in 2026.

"Minnesota is an open seat. That's a four-point state," Scott said as he pointed to Trump's better-than-expected performance in the state in November's presidential election.

"We can actually make gains there and bring home another red seat in Minnesota for the first time in a long time," Scott predicted.

Asked about GOP recruitment efforts in Minnesota, Scott responded, "I’m pleasantly surprised. We've already talked to two very highly qualified candidates and more to come."

Pointing to the current political landscape across the country, Scott touted that "we have a map that is wide open. All we need is time. Time is on our side right now. So, we're excited about what's going to happen over the next several weeks."

But Republicans are also playing defense in the 2026 cycle.

Democrats plan to go on offense in blue-leaning Maine, where GOP Sen. Susan Collins is up for re-election, as well as in battleground North Carolina, where Republican Sen. Thom Tillis is also up in 2026. 

Scott acknowledges that the GOP will have to spend big bucks to defend those two seats, as well as in Ohio, where Republican Lt. Gov. Jon Husted was appointed last month to succeed Vice President JD Vance in the Senate. Husted will run next year to finish out Vance's term.

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Pointing to a likely price tag of well over $1 billion in those three races, Scott acknowledged that "we need to continue to have strong fundraising numbers and support our candidates as we defend our seats."

The NRSC recently announced a record $8.5 million in fundraising in January, which the committee says is its best ever off-year January haul.

Asked if the NRSC could keep up the pace, Scott said, "Absolutely we can. The good news is we're already on pace for February to have another record-breaking month."

And pointing to the president, Scott argued that "Trump brings a lot of enthusiasm. He made promises on the campaign trail, and now, as president, he's keeping those promises. What does that convert to? Cash is king. People love a man who says what he's going to do, he gets a job, he goes to work doing those things. It makes our job infinitely easier at the NRSC."

In the 2022 election cycle, when the Republicans blew a chance to win back the majority, NRSC Chair Rick Scott of Florida was criticized for a hands-off approach in the GOP Senate primaries. 

Last cycle, NRSC Chair Sen. Steve Daines of Montana got involved in Senate Republican nomination battles.

Asked what he'll do when it comes to contested GOP Senate primaries this cycle, Scott answered, "Whatever is in the best interest of the voters in each state, I will make a state-by-state decision on how we play and where we play."

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has sent a written complaint about U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes to the Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, Sri Srinivasan, following a tense case between the Trump administration and two LGBTQ groups.

The letter, signed by Attorney General Pam Bondi’s Chief of Staff, Chad Mizelle, concerns what the DOJ characterized as Reyes’ "misconduct" during the proceedings in Nicolas Talbott et al. v. Donald J. Trump et al., a case brought by two LGBTQ groups challenging the Trump Administration’s Executive Orders barring transgender individuals from serving in the U.S. military. 

According to the complaint, the transcript "reveals multiple instances where Judge Reyes’ misconduct compromised the dignity of the proceedings and demonstrated potential bias, raising serious concerns about her ability to preside impartially in this matter." 

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During the proceedings, Judge Reyes listed off executive orders signed by President Trump since taking office, including recognizing only two sexes, blocking school funding from promoting the idea that gender can be fluid, directing the State Department to stop issuing documents allowing a third gender marker, and revoking the ability of trans federal employees to receive a sex change. She also called out the Trump administration for revoking an earlier regulation concerning trans people having equal access to homeless shelters. 

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The letter says Judge Reyes asked DOJ attorney Jason Lynch, "what do you think Jesus would say to stelling a group of people that they are so worthless … that we’re not going to allow them into homeless shelters? DO you think Jesus would be, ‘Sounds right to me’? Or do you think Jesus would say, WTF? Of course, let them in?"

DOJ attorneys asserted that the line of questioning was "deeply problematic for several reasons" – including placing DOJ counsel in an untenable position of either appearing unresponsive or speculating about how an incoherent hypothetical aligns with Reyes’ personal religious beliefs.

The letter highlighted another incident in which Judge Reyes engaged in a rhetorical exercise to draw parallels to trans people being barred from military service. The judge instructed DOJ counsel, "My new standing order says that no one who graduated from UVA Law School can appear before me. So, I need you to sit down, please. I need you to sit down." 

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When counsel complied with this directive, the judge continued her hypothetical about UVA law graduates being banned from her courtroom because "they’re all liars and lack integrity." The letter alleged that only after Judge Reyes used counsel as a physical prop did she allow him to continue the proceedings. She then asked counsel if he saw how unfair the reasoning was. 

Still, the DOJ asserted in its complaint that such treatment "undermines the dignity of counsel and the decorum of the courtroom." 

There were times when Judge Reyes commended DOJ lawyer Jason Lynch, telling him and the gallery that he was doing a credible job arguing for the government in a difficult situation.

The letter closes by requesting that "appropriate action be taken to address these violations," saying that at a "minimum, this matter warrants further investigation to determine whether these incidents represent a pattern of misconduct that requires more significant remedial measures."

U.S. District Court judges sit on the bench as a lifetime appointment. However, it is possible that Chief Judge Srinivasan could reprimand Judge Reyes, or possibly suggest she recuse herself from the case.

A federal judge on Friday granted a preliminary injunction over parts of the Trump administration’s executive orders on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).

The injunction largely blocks the sections of President Donald Trump's orders that seek to end federal support for programs deemed to be DEI-related, and prevents the Trump administration from canceling contracts that they believe promote diversity, equity or inclusion. 

U.S. District Judge Adam Abelson in Baltimore, a Biden nominee, ruled that parts of the executive orders likely violate the Constitution and free speech.

"The harm arises from the issuance of it as a public, vague, threatening executive order," Abelson said in a hearing this week, adding that it would discourage businesses working with the government from openly supporting DEI. 

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The ruling comes after the city of Baltimore, the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education, the American Association of University Professors and the Restaurant Opportunities Centers United – which represents restaurant workers – sued the Trump administration over the executive orders, calling them presidential overreach and anti-free speech. 

"Ordinary citizens bear the brunt," attorneys for the plaintiffs wrote in the complaint. "Plaintiffs and their members receive federal funds to support educators, academics, students, workers, and communities across the country. As federal agencies make arbitrary decisions about whether grants are ‘equity-related,’ Plaintiffs are left in limbo."

They argued that Trump was encroaching on Congress’ powers in order to champion his personal beliefs. 

"But the President simply does not wield that power," they wrote in the complaint. "And contrary to his suggestions otherwise, his power is not limitless."

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Trump signed an order on his first day in office directing federal agencies to terminate all "equity-related" grants or contracts. He signed a follow-up order requiring federal contractors to certify that they don’t promote DEI. 

The Trump administration argued in a Wednesday hearing that the president was only banning DEI programs that violate federal civil rights laws. 

"What’s happening is an overcorrection and pulling back on DEI statements," attorney Aleshadye Getachew said in a hearing. 

A second federal lawsuit was also filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on Wednesday targeting Trump's DEI executive orders. The new complaint was filed by the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and Lambda Legal on behalf of nonprofit advocacy organizations. 

The lawsuit is aimed at Trump's executive orders: "Ending Radical and Wasteful DEI Programs and Preferencing," "Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government," and "Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity." 

White House spokesman Harrison Fields said both lawsuits represented "nothing more than an extension of the left’s resistance," adding in a statement to the New York Times that the administration was "ready to face them in court."

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"Radical leftists can either choose to swim against the tide and reject the overwhelming will of the people, or they can get on board and work with President Trump to advance his wildly popular agenda," Fields said.

Fox News' Danielle Wallace and The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

President Donald Trump on Friday said his administration is "pretty close" to striking a deal with Ukraine for rights to access its natural resources in exchange for the United States’ billions of dollars in support for the country against Russia. 

"You know, I think they want it, and they feel good about it," Trump told reporters on Friday in the Oval Office after the swearing-in ceremony of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. "And it's significant. It's a big deal. But they want it, and it keeps us in that country. And they're very happy about it.

"We get our money back. They should have been signed long before we went in. They should have been signed by Biden. But Biden didn't know too much about what he was doing. The war should have never happened, No. 1. When it did happen, it could have been settled. 

"The first week or two weeks after that, it got bad. It got really bad, but it should have been, it should have never happened. And it should have been settled, and it could have been settled very easily at the beginning. Now it's tougher, but we'll get it settled."

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During his speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) Friday, Trump’s National Security Advisor, Mike Waltz, said, "Here’s the bottom line: President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is going to sign that deal, and you will see that in the very short term." 

Waltz also told "Fox & Friends" this week that Ukraine should "tone down" its criticism of Trump and "come back to the table" to work out an economic deal with the U.S.

The deal for U.S. access to Ukraine’s rare earth minerals is part of broader negotiations to end the war in Ukraine after Russia invaded the country in 2022. 

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox News Wednesday Trump is creating a "win-win" partnership between the United States and Ukraine with the deal days after meeting with Zelenskyy in Kyiv.

"Part of my trip was to go and tell the Ukrainian people that we wanted an economic partnership with them," Bessent told Bret Baier on "Special Report." 

"So, President Trump's vision is [to] bring the Ukrainian people and the American people closer together economically, show the Ukrainian people that we support them, show the American people that the money that is going into Ukraine, that there is going to be a return, that there's going to be a long-term partnership."

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The Trump administration is seeking to recoup the cost of aid sent to the war-torn country by gaining access to rare earth minerals like titanium, iron and uranium.

The delay also comes amid rising tensions between Trump and Zelenskyy as the U.S. works with Russian officials to broker a peace deal in the ongoing war. 

Trump argued on Fox News Zelenskyy has "no cards" to negotiate leverage for a deal as the pair have publicly hurled insults at one another in recent days. 

"I've been watching this man for years now as his cities get demolished, as his people get killed, as his soldiers get decimated," Trump told Fox News co-host Brian Kilmeade.

"I've been watching him negotiate with no cards. He has no cards, and you get sick of it," he added. "You just get sick of it, and I've had it."

Trump argued Zelenskyy is a poor negotiator, noting Bessent traveled to Ukraine last week to broker a mineral agreement, worth hundreds of billions of dollars, but said the pair "couldn't even come close" to a deal.

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The president said the trip was dangerous for Bessent and a waste of time. 

The deal would have helped U.S. investment in the war-torn nation and also provided "the best security guarantee they could ever hope for," according to Waltz.

Fox News' Bailee Hill contributed to this report.

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday paused the Trump administration's efforts to dismiss the head of an independent agency charged with investigating whistleblower claims as the president seeks to remake the federal government. 

The decision allows Hampton Dellinger, a Biden appointee, to remain as head of the Office of Special Counsel at least through Feb. 26. The high court kept that deadline in place and won't take any further action until then.

The Trump administration asked the court to overturn a lower court's temporary reinstatement of Dellinger. A district court hearing is scheduled to consider whether to extend the pause on Dellinger’s firing. 

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Liberal justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson voted to outright deny the administration’s request to OK the firing.

Conservative justices Neil Gorsuch and Samuel Alito dissented, saying the lower court overstepped, and they cast doubt on whether courts have the authority to restore to office someone the president has fired. While acknowledging that some officials appointed by the president have contested their removal, Gorsuch wrote in his opinion that "those officials have generally sought remedies like backpay, not injunctive relief like reinstatement." 

The dispute over Dellinger is the first legal challenge to reach the Supreme Court after several firings under the Trump administration.

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Dellinger sued the Trump administration in Washington, D.C., federal court after his Feb. 7 firing.

"I am glad to be able to continue my work as an independent government watchdog and whistleblower advocate," Dellinger said in a statement after Friday's proceedings. "I am grateful to the judges and justices who have concluded that I should be allowed to remain on the job while the courts decide whether my office can retain a measure of independence from direct partisan and political control."

He has argued that, by law, he can only be dismissed from his position for job performance problems, which were not cited in an email dismissing him from his post.

Trump began his second term in the White House with a flurry of executive orders and directives that have since been targeted by a flood of legal challenges.

Since Jan. 20, dozens of lawsuits have been filed over the administration's actions, including the president's birthright citizenship order, immigration policies, federal funding freezes, federal employee buyouts, Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency and legal action against FBI and DOJ employees.

President Donald Trump on Friday night nominated Air Force Lt. Gen. Dan "Razin" Caine to be the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. 

"General Caine is an accomplished pilot, national security expert, successful entrepreneur, and a "warfighter" with significant interagency and special operations experience," Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social announcing the nomination.

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Trump said during his first term, Caine was "instrumental" in the "complete annihilation" of the ISIS caliphate.

"It was done in record setting time, a matter of weeks. Many so-called military ‘geniuses’ said it would take years to defeat ISIS," the president wrote. "General Caine, on the other hand, said it could be done quickly, and he delivered."

Trump said despite Caine "being highly qualified and respected," he was "passed over for promotion by Sleepy Joe Biden."

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"But not anymore! Alongside Secretary Pete Hegseth, General Caine and our military will restore peace through strength, put America First, and rebuild our military," Trump wrote. "Finally, I have also directed Secretary Hegseth to solicit nominations for five additional high level positions, which will be announced soon."

"General Caine embodies the warfighter ethos and is exactly the leader we need to meet the moment. I look forward to working with him," Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote in a statement to Fox News Friday night. 

While it is typical for Joint Chiefs chairmen to remain in their positions during shifts of power, Trump made the decision to find a replacement. 

Both Trump and Hegseth gave a nod to the departing chairman, four-star fighter pilot General Charles "CQ" Brown.

"I want to thank General Charles "CQ" Brown for his over 40 years of service to our country, including as our current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff," Trump wrote. "He is a fine gentleman and an outstanding leader, and I wish a great future for him and his family."

Hegseth added Brown served with "distinction in a career spanning four decades of honorable service."

"I have come to know him as a thoughtful adviser and salute him for his distinguished service to our country," he wrote. 

The Secretary of Defense has been outspoken about Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) policies adversely affecting military operations, and previously suggested firing Brown and other top leaders.

Hegseth said he is requesting nominations for the positions of Chief of Naval Operations and Air Force Vice Chief of Staff.

"The incumbents in these important roles, Admiral Lisa Franchetti and General James Slife, respectively, have had distinguished careers," Hegseth wrote. "We thank them for their service and dedication to our country. "

Hegseth said the department is also requesting nominations for the Judge Advocates General for the Army, Navy and Air Force.

"Under President Trump, we are putting in place new leadership that will focus our military on its core mission of deterring, fighting and winning wars," he wrote.

A federal judge on Friday granted an injunction requested by 19 attorneys general to prevent the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from having access to the Treasury Department's central payment system.

The ruling by U.S. District Judge Jeannette Vargas extends the pause by issuing a preliminary injunction, a legal step that blocks access to the records while the case is litigated on the merits.

In her 64-page decision, Vargas noted she was granting the preliminary injunction preventing DOGE from accessing the payment records because of the possible disclosure of the states’ bank records. However, she also said the plaintiffs "have not demonstrated that they are entitled to the broad and sweeping relief they seek, which would far exceed the scope of the present TRO (Temporary restraining order)."

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Vargas is giving Trump administration attorneys the chance to fix any defects so that the sensitive information will be protected.  

A report is due March 24. Last week, a federal judge extended a temporary order to block DOGE from accessing Treasury payment systems. 

A lawsuit filed by the 19 AGs claims DOGE illegally accessed the Treasury Department’s central payment system at the Trump administration’s behest. The payment systems have information about Americans’ Social Security, Medicare and veterans’ benefits; tax refund information; and much more. 

Lawyers for the administration argued that the temporary restraining order "causes ongoing constitutional harm to the Treasury Department's ability to make management decisions within its lawful discretion."  

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Defense attorneys argued that there is nothing unlawful about the Treasury Department's actions. Treasury officials have denied violating privacy laws, saying only two members of the DOGE team had been given "read-only" access to information in the payment systems. 

The lawsuit was filed in New York by the office of New York Attorney General Letitia James, a vocal Trump critic. 

It includes attorneys general from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin. 

"We just won a court order stopping DOGE and unauthorized, unelected, and unvetted individuals like Elon Musk from accessing people's private data and blocking federal funds," James wrote Friday on X. "We will keep fighting to protect all Americans from this administration’s destruction."

The AGs argue that granting DOGE access to the payment system puts Americans' sensitive, personal information, such as bank account details and Social Security numbers, at risk.

Fox News' William Mears and Maria Paronich contributed to this report. 

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt offered words of wisdom to young women across the nation from the stage at the Conservative Political Action Conference Friday evening, urging them to "stay strong, speak the truth," and believe in themselves. 

Leavitt sat down for a fireside chat hosted by former White House communications director Mercedes Schlapp, who served during the first Trump administration. 

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Schlapp said young women across the country admire Leavitt, who is the youngest White House press secretary in United States history and are inspired by her. 

Schlapp asked Leavitt what her message to young women is. 

"Stay strong, speak the truth and don’t let anybody tell you that you can’t achieve your dream, or you can’t get to that next step. Just believe in yourself," Leavitt said. 

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"Because there will be a lot of people who don’t believe in you—who cast doubt on you, who talk bad about you," Leavitt said. 

"Screw ‘em," she said, drawing laughter and applause from the CPAC audience. "It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter." 

Leavitt, 27, served in the first Trump administration as a White House press aide. She then worked for Rep. Elise Stefanik, and later launched her own campaign for New Hampshire’s 1st congressional district in 2022. Leavitt served as national press secretary for the 2024 Trump campaign. 

But Leavitt also praised the "amazing" women working in the second Trump administration. 

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"Look at the White House and look at the exceptional Cabinet President Trump has put together," Leavitt said. "While we don’t care about identity politics…the president has appointed Susie Wiles, our first female chief of staff in United States history; Brooke Rollins heading up as our secretary of agriculture—look across the entire Cabinet. There are incredible women—Linda McMahon, leading the Department of Education—the list goes on and on." 

"The White House is full of working women," she continued. "In fact, I was going up the staircase in the West Wing today and saw two of my female colleagues, both of whom are pregnant having babies this year and they are working and they are saving America because President Trump believes in the best people for the job—the brightest people for the job." 

Leavitt is also a new mother to a seven-month-old baby boy. 

"It is the best thing ever," Leavitt said of being a mother.

When asked why she is doing what she is doing, Leavitt replied: "For him and for all of the other children in this country." 

"We have a country to save," Leavitt said. "I want my son to grow up in a free and patriotic America that we can be proud of." 

"It shouldn’t take longer to approve an [energy] project than it takes to build it," said National Governors Association Vice Chair Kevin Stitt at Friday’s conference in Washington.

That, the Oklahoma Republican said, is the collective picture painted of all the problems with government bureaucracy at all levels that imperils the U.S.’ ability to stay ahead of China in terms of cyberthreat-prevention and energy dominance.

Permitting reform is one of the most important things to address with a new administration and new state government sessions beginning, the governors collectively expressed.

There was bipartisan consensus at the NGA that America must move responsibly toward a future secure from malign foreign actors in both cybersecurity and energy development.

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"Permitting reform is one of those issues where both Republicans and Democrats recognize the problem, we largely agree on solutions," Stitt said, adding it is a national security issue that the U.S. must streamline permitting.

"Our allies need affordable, reliable energy and the US has the resources to provide that," he said.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum spoke at length on that matter, saying America is in competition with foreign rivals like Russia, China, Iran and North Korea whether they like it or not.

"It’s key that we win the AI arms race with China," he said, citing bot-powered attacks that can be much more effective than human hackers.

"They would have the ability to take down the electric grid. They have the ability to disrupt everything that we know in our country. And they wouldn't have to put a single soldier on the ground, but it could completely disrupt us and our economy. So, winning that AI arms race doesn't just take software developers, it takes more electricity."

"We’re in a competition… against other countries that aren't slowing themselves down with the level of bureaucracy that we have," Burgum said, citing the threat of cyberattacks from Russia, China, Iran and North Korea.

Burgum and the governors discussed the promise of nuclear energy and new technology that allows for the portability of such operations, where plants that generate power can be placed much closer to where that power is needed.

Stitt remarked that when Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro issued an order mandating his own government to rule on infrastructure permit applications within two weeks or give the applicant their money back, he didn’t want to get "beat by a Democrat" in that idea so he quickly issued his own order.

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Shapiro also said Pennsylvania conducted an audit of permit applications earlier in his term and found 3,400 – leading him to order there be cataloging going forward.

Despite Bethlehem Steel’s stacks laying dormant 25 years on, and the massive St. Nicholas Breaker coal processor long gone, Pennsylvania remains the nation’s second-largest energy net-exporter – a fact noted by the governor.

The first North American discovery of oil occurred in the mid-1800s in Venango County, and some of the longest-producing wells remain active in Pennsylvania, though the Commonwealth has been far surpassed in that regard by Texas, Alaska and other states.

"We're proud of our legacy as a national energy leader," Shapiro said. "We’ve got to get to-market quickly [regarding] energy projects."

Pennsylvania produced more than 7 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in 2023. But there has been a push-pull effect of former Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell banning fracking on state parkland, Republican Gov. Tom Corbett reversing that, and Shapiro's Democratic predecessor Tom Wolf then restoring Rendell's moratorium.

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Shapiro indicated Friday he would be taking a more measured approach to responsibly developing the Commonwealth’s resources. 

He cited the bipartisan SPEED Act out of Harrisburg, which provides for third-party permitting review while also accelerating the overall process.

Burgum called the work of a governor one of the hardest, but remarked that it is about to "become more fun than it’s ever been" with the accessibility of the Trump administration.

In that regard, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster described how cabinet secretaries had shared their own personal contact information following a Friday White House meeting – and that President Donald Trump invited calls as well but did not share his own number.

"I’ve got it, but I’m going to hold onto it," he joked.

A high school female track and field athlete is praising President Donald Trump for doing what she said state lawmakers won't: protect women from biological males competing against them in sports.

Zoe, who competed in shot put at Maine's Class B state indoor championship meet on Monday, said she is "grateful" for the president's announcement that he will be cutting federal funding to Maine over its defiance of Trump's order to keep men out of women's sports, adding that leaders in the state "have failed our female athletes." 

"State leaders have failed our female athletes and there needs to be repercussions for their neglect," Zoe said. "We feel seen and heard because of this announcement and hope that steps will continue to be made to protect women's sports in Maine."

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During the state championship meet, Katie Spencer, who competed as a male named John Rydzewski in pole-vaulting as recently as June 2024, out-jumped every other female by half a foot. Spencer's winning pole vault was pivotal in helping Spencer's track and field team at Greely High School in Cumberland, Maine, win the Class B state championship meet by just a single point.

Following news of what happened, Trump announced that Maine would lose public funding until "they clean that up."

Republican Maine state Rep. Laurel Libby began sounding the alarm after Spencer won the women's pole-vaulting state championship on Monday.

In an interview with Fox News Digital, she reiterated Zoe's concern that without some sort of federal intervention nothing was going to change. 

Several years ago, the state amended its state Human Rights Act to include protections for gender-identity, and since Democrats control both chambers of the legislature and the governor's office, Libby said there is "a 0% chance" they will repeal it.

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Following Trump's Feb. 5 executive order threatening to end public funding to schools that do not keep men out of women's sports, the Maine Principals' Association, the primary governing body for high school athletics in the state, said that the president's order conflicts with state law aimed at protecting human rights. As a result, the association said it will defer to the latter when it comes to determining athletic eligibility.

Sarah Perry, a civil rights attorney who has extensive experience litigating Title IX issues, said that in addition to Trump's executive order, the association is also flouting directives from the Department of Education and previously established precedent from a slew of cases that challenged former President Joe Biden's Title IX regulations allowing athletic eligibility to be determined by one's preferred gender identity. Perry noted that besides the obvious risk of losing funding, these states also open themselves up to federal Title IX investigations, something she said could potentially force them to comply with Trump's demands.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Maine Principals' Association for comment but did not receive a response by publication time.

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"It is absolutely reprehensible that people in a position of power would allow this against children who are trying to compete," Libby said. "There will not be enforcement from the state level, that is absolutely clear. So the only mechanism of enforcement that we have is for the administration to intervene."

Libby noted that after posting about Spencer's state championship title on social media, a young female competitor at the meet commented that she and her teammates did not even know they would be competing against a biological male until they arrived at the state championship meet on Monday. "It was so disheartening to find out, because, you immediately know the result," Libby told Fox News Digital. 

Libby also pointed out that it was illustrative of a larger problem in Maine when it comes to protecting women's rights in athletics.

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"This is not a first-time scenario here," she said. "There is another boy who has been running girls' cross-country for several fall seasons now. He was a mediocre athlete as a boy, but as a girl he is doing extremely well. This is increasing in Maine. And unless something is done at the federal level, I think we're just going to see more and more of it." 

Due to the win, Spencer has now automatically qualified for the multistate regional championships, taking the spot that would have been awarded to the female athlete who garnered second place had Spencer competed in the boys' division.

Trump on Thursday said that Maine will not receive federal funding until it complies with his executive order requiring schools and athletic associations to ensure biological males do not compete on women's sports teams. 

"I heard men are still playing in Maine," the president said Friday during a speech at the annual National Governors Association conference in Washington, D.C. "I hate to tell you this, but we're not going to give any federal money. They are still saying, ‘We want men to play in women’s sports,' and I cannot believe they are doing that… so we're not going to give them any federal funding, none whatsoever, until they clean that up." 

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Trump met with governors at the White House on Friday, including Maine's Democratic Gov. Janet Mills, amid the conference taking place in the nation's capital. For a brief moment, Trump and Mills got into a verbal skirmish over his move to slash the state's federal funding due to its defiance against Trump's executive order barring men from competing in women's sports.

"You better do it because you're not going to get federal funding," Trump said to Mills, to which she responded: "We're going to follow the law, sir. We'll see you in court."

"Enjoy your life after governor, because I don't think you'll be an elected official afterward," Trump shot back. 

In a statement to Fox News Digital, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said, "Partisan elected officials and judicial activists who seek to legally obstruct President Trump’s agenda are defying the will of 77 million Americans who overwhelmingly re-elected President Trump," and added that "their efforts will fail."

"All of President Trump’s executive actions are lawful, constitutional and intended to deliver on the promises he made to the American people," Leavitt said. "The Trump Administration is prepared to fight these battles in court and will prevail."

New exclusive video obtained by Fox News reveals intense moments from a high-speed vehicle chase as law enforcement pursued two illegal immigrants suspected of carrying fentanyl through a cornfield in Grundy County, Illinois, late last year. 

A Grundy County official told Fox News that Illinois sanctuary state policies allowed the two Honduran illegal immigrants to travel through the county unchecked. 

Grundy is a primarily rural county northwest of Chicago. 

The footage, taken Oct. 24, shows the two immigrants, Roybin Barahona, 18, and Cristhian Anahel Erazo Velasquez, 23, swerving in a vehicle through the cornfield, and authorities rammed a vehicle into their car to get them to stop. After their car was rammed, the two men fled their sedan, and officers continued their pursuit. 

ACTIVISTS IN MEXICO REPORT FLOW OF MIGRANTS HAS 'ENORMOUSLY DECREASED' ONE MONTH INTO TRUMP ADMIN

Footage taken later shows law enforcement discovering a deadly payload of seven pounds of fentanyl in the immigrants’ burned-out vehicle. Both were charged with controlled substance trafficking, possession with intent to deliver fentanyl and resisting arrest, according to local outlet WSPY News. 

Due to the Illinois SAFE-T Act, which abolished Illinois’ cash bail system in 2023, Barahona was released without bail, after which he allegedly fled to California. 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE

Velasquez, meanwhile, remains in custody, and the Department of Homeland Security has filed a detainer against him. Despite the detainer, Illinois sanctuary laws continue to prevent local law enforcement from sharing information with federal immigration officials about Velasquez. 

Speaking with Fox News, Grundy County Board Chairman Drew Muffler voiced his frustration with the Illinois sanctuary law. He said that "because we are a sanctuary state, it allowed for illegal bad actors to be traveling with seven pounds of fentanyl through our county.

PRESIDENT TRUMP: FOUNDING FATHERS ‘SPINNING IN THEIR GRAVES’ BECAUSE OF BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP ABUSE

"I don’t agree with putting handcuffs on law enforcement and preventing them from working effectively with federal authorities," he said. "By restricting law enforcement’s ability to enforce the law, we are undermining public safety." 

Grundy County was the first of several dozen counties in Illinois that defied the state by enacting a non-sanctuary ordinance. This comes after an influx of over 51,000 immigrants were bussed to Chicago since the summer of 2022.

During the migrant crisis, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has doubled down on the city’s sanctuary policies, saying in a recent ABC 7 Chicago interview, "We will always remain a welcoming and sanctuary space."

Johnson vowed to resist the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration and called the decision to allow ICE to carry out enforcement and removal operations on church and school properties "unconscionable and reprehensible." 

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

Here's what's happening…

-White House protector and most-decorated K-9 in US history dies: 'A very good boy'

-Noem makes aggressive new move to ramp up arrests, deportations of illegal immigrants

-Luigi Mangione's CEO murder case raises concerns activist jurors may ignore evidence

President Donald Trump on Thursday announced that he will cut off federal funding to the state of Maine if it continues to defy his executive order preventing trans athletes from competing in girls' and women's sports. 

"I heard men are still playing in Maine," Trump said to a gathering of Republican governors in Washington on Thursday. 

"I hate to tell you this, but we're not going to give them any federal money, they are still saying ‘we want men to play in women’s sports' and I can not believe that they're doing that… So we’re not going to give them any federal funding, none whatsoever, until they clean that up."…Read more

NO TROs: Trump's DOGE stays on track after pair of federal judge rulings…Read  more

'PARDON CZAR': Trump appoints Alice Marie Johnson 'pardon czar' during Black History Month event at White House…Read more

NOT LEAVING?: Group of Venezuelans sue Trump admin for temporary immigration protections…Read more

MIDDLE EAST: Hamas claims remains of mother of two young boys mixed with other human remains after Israeli airstrike…Read more

'VERY FRUSTRATED': US turns up pressure on Ukraine to reach peace deal as Trump’s frustrations with Zelenskyy escalate…Read more

PUTTING UP A WALL: Joint Chiefs chairman heads to US-Mexico border to review troops…Read more

'BRAZEN VIOLATION': Israel's Netanyahu calls for 'revenge' after Hamas returns wrong remains…Read more

SENATE OUT-HUSTLES HOUSE: Senate border budget triumphs after all-night session while Trump-backed House bill lags…Read more

WHO LET THE DOGE OUT?: Red state governor says DOGE aligns with GOP’s ‘fiscal sanity’…Read more

CUT THE 'BS': Defense Sec. Hegseth on working with DOGE…Read more

TRUMP WEIGHS IN: Trump says this congressman would have his 'Total Endorsement' if he runs for Florida governor…Read more

'OUT OF CONTROL': Chainsaw-wielding Elon Musk makes ‘Dark MAGA’ appearance with Javier Milei at CPAC…Read more

'FULL TRANSPARENCY': Kash Patel lays out FBI's top priorities in letter to subordinates…Read more

'KICKED OUT': AG Bondi on how to deal with violent anti-Israel student protesters in the US on visas…Read more

DOGE DISCIPLE: Sec. Doug Burgum says Interior Dept. is 'completely embracing the DOGE effort'…Read more

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