The Trump administration's Treasury Department is in the midst of weighing a "wide range" of possibilities to streamline the Internal Revenue Service amid reports up to half of the IRS staff could be terminated, Fox News Digital learned Wednesday.

"In line with the Trump administration’s focus on efficiency and deficit reduction, the Treasury Department is considering a wide range of possible streamlining initiatives," a Treasury spokesperson told Fox News Digital Wednesday afternoon. 

"While no plan has been approved to date, modernization is necessary to keep up with the process by which Americans file their taxes, including the reality that over 90% of individual tax returns are filed electronically," the spokesperson continued. "These changes are aimed at improving taxpayer customer service and ensuring a smooth and successful filing season." 

TRUMP FLOATS GUTTING THE IRS, MOVING AGENTS TO THE BORDER ARMED WITH GUNS

The Treasury Department spokesperson spoke to Fox News Digital amid reports that up to half of the IRS' roughly 90,000-person staff could be terminated.

The nation's tax agency was drafting plans for the terminations as part of the Department of Government Efficiency's mission to audit federal agencies and remove government overspending, mismanagement and fraud, the Associated Press reported Tuesday. 

Thousands of employees across various agencies – including the Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Agency for International Development and the Department of Energy – have been terminated as the Trump administration works to slim down the federal government and realign its agencies with Trump's "America First" policies. Agencies notably have terminated probationary employees who have not yet achieved full-time employment with the federal government as they are recent hires or were just reassigned to a new role within the government.

So far, the IRS has already terminated roughly 7,000 probationary employees. 

In addition to more terminations, the Trump administration is reportedly planning to reassign some IRS agents to assist the Department of Homeland Security with immigration enforcement, the Associated Press reported. President Donald Trump floated sending IRS agents to the border in January following his inauguration. 

TRUMP VOWS TO DELIVER ON 'NO TAX ON TIPS' CAMPAIGN PROMISE DURING LAS VEGAS SPEECH: '100% YOURS'

"On day one, I immediately halted the hiring of any new IRS agents," Trump said during a rally at Circa Resort & Casino Las Vegas in January. "They hired, or tried to hire, 88,000 new workers to go after you. And we're in the process of developing a plan to either terminate all of them or maybe we'll move them to the border. And I think we're going to move them to the border."

"Where they're allowed to carry guns, you know, they're so strong on guns, but these people are allowed to carry guns, so we'll probably move them to the border," he continued. 

Certain special IRS agents are permitted to carry firearms as part of their duties, according to IRS Code, 26 U.S. Code § 7608. 

MAJOR TRUMP TARIFF MOVE LIKELY TO BENEFIT THIS HEARTLAND AMERICAN CITY

The Department of Homeland Security sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in February requesting that the IRS provide agents to be used for immigration enforcement efforts by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. 

TRUMP’S DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY LOOKING TO DEPUTIZE IRS AGENTS FOR IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, who signed the letter, said Trump directed her agency to "take all appropriate action to supplement available personnel to secure the southern border and enforce the immigration laws of the United States," even through use of the agency’s authority to deputize federal employees to perform immigration functions.

The Treasury Department's efforts to streamline the IRS come amid tax season, with the federal government expecting Americans' individual income tax returns to be submitted by April 15. 

Fox News Digital's Greg Wehner contributed to this report. 

The Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has terminated the lease at the Obama Presidential Library site, although it is unlikely to impact operations there since it is due to shutter later this year and move to a new location.

The library is located at the Hoffman Estates in the northwest of Chicago and is separate to the sprawling 19.3-acre Obama Presidential Center near Jackson Park in the southside of Chicago which is under construction and is expected to be completed next year.

The site at the Hoffman Estates is run by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), as are all presidential libraries, while the Obama Presidential Center is a private venture being overseen by the Obama Foundation. 

OBAMA CENTER SUBCONTRACTOR FILES $40M DISCRIMINATION LAWSUIT AGAINST ENGINEERING FIRM FOR OVERRUNS

DOGE this week updated its list of nearly 750 federal lease terminations, totaling around 9.6 million square feet in size, which included the Hoffman Estates site. The agency, which has been tasked by President Donald Trump to cut wasteful federal spending, said the terminations will save the taxpayer $468 million in lease savings.

The DOGE website did not provide a timetable for the closures, although a NARA spokesperson told Fox News Digital the Hoffman Estates library was scheduled to close in late Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 and move to College Park in Maryland. The government’s FY 2025 runs through Sept. 30, 2025.

There are about 25 million unclassified paper documents at the Hoffman Estate building, according to NARA’s estimate, and they are currently being digitized and will be available in digital format at the Obama Presidential Center when it opens. Under the 1978 Presidential Records Act, NARA gets custody of all presidential records and artifacts when a president leaves office.

CHICAGO SOUTH SIDE RESIDENTS SAY THEY'RE BEING DISPLACED BY OBAMA CENTER: CAUSING 'HARM TO BLACK FAMILIES'

Currently at the Hoffman Estates are also 35,000 physical artifacts, including gifts given to the Obamas. The library, a converted former furniture showroom, also houses former President Barack Obama’s silver BlackBerry, the draft of Obama’s first inaugural speech he wrote on a paper pad, a signed Pittsburgh Steelers football, a jeweled sword from Saudi Arabia and dresses worn by former first lady Michelle Obama.

Those artifacts will also be sent to Maryland and occasionally lent to the Obama Presidential Center, the Chicago Tribune reports.

NARA began leasing the building in 2016, paying $1.4 million each year in rent, according to the Chicago Tribune, citing the General Services Administration, which runs the government’s real estate portfolio.

The building is owned by Hoffman Estates Medical Development LLC, who bought it in 2011 and transformed it into a fortified, climate-controlled facility.

The Obama Presidential Library is expected to open some time next year and has been plagued by delays and cost overruns. It was initially expected to cost $350 million but that figure ballooned to $830 million in 2021. It is unclear what the total costs will be. 

It will consist of a 235-foot tower museum, a branch of the Chicago Public Library, conference facilities, a gymnasium and a regulation-sized NBA court. It will also house the nonprofit Obama Foundation, which is overseeing the center’s development.

Both Republican and independent voters reacted positively in the aftermath of Rep. Al Green’s disruption of President Donald Trump’s joint address to Congress, which resulted in the Texas Democratic lawmaker being removed from the House chamber.

Chants of "USA!" broke out in the House chamber as Green attempted to disrupt Trump’s speech, with Fox News voter dials showing that Republican and independent voters, represented by the red and yellow lines respectively, had a positive reaction to how the interruption was handled.

Meanwhile, Democratic voters, represented by the blue line, had a mostly neutral reaction that trended slightly toward negative as the "USA!" chants continued.

DEM REP. AL GREEN, BOOTED FROM TRUMP'S ADDRESS TO CONGRESS, DOUBLES DOWN ON IMPEACHMENT

Green was removed from Trump’s speech after repeatedly disrupting the beginning of Trump’s remarks Tuesday night, shouting that Trump had "no mandate" as the president attempted to tout the GOP’s control of both the White House and both chambers of Congress.

House Speaker Mike Johnson had the Texas lawmaker removed from the House chamber by the U.S. Sergeant-At-Arms, a punishment Green would later say he was okay with.

SOCIAL MEDIA ERUPTS AFTER HOUSE DEM AL GREEN INTERRUPTED TRUMP'S ADDRESS: ‘EMBARRASSING THEMSELVES’

"I'm willing to suffer whatever punishment is available to me. I didn't say to anyone, don't punish me. I've said I'll accept the punishment," Green later told reporters. "But it's worth it to let people know that there are some of us who are going to stand up against this president's desire to cut Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security."

Republicans, meanwhile, were not impressed with the opposition party’s antics throughout Tuesday’s proceedings.

"What they've shown is ridiculous to the American people," House GOP Policy Committee Chair Kevin Hern, R-Okla., told Fox News Digital. "I can't see how any American would think that's right."

That sentiment was shared by Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga., who argued that there should be "consequences" for Green specifically.

"The Democrats' behavior last night was disappointing," Carter told Fox News Digital. "There must be consequences for Rep. Al Green's outburst, which displayed a clear lack of decorum and respect for the Office of the Presidency."

The Fox News Digital focus groups were conducted by maslansky + partners.

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

Competing resolutions to censure Rep. Al Green, D-TX, are causing some division within the House GOP on Wednesday.

The Texas Democrat was thrown out of President Donald Trump's address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night after repeatedly attempting to interrupt the speech, minutes after it began.

A resolution to punish Green over the incident is likely to pass, even with Republicans' razor-thin majority in the House. But differing ideas over how to get there have led to some frustrations between separate House GOP factions.

Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-WA, a moderate Republican, introduced his own resolution to censure Green on Wednesday. It accused Green of having "repeatedly violated the rules of decorum in the House of Representatives during President Donald J. Trump’s joint address to Congress," according to text provided to Fox News Digital.

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP CONCLUDES REMARKS AFTER DECLARING 'AMERICA'S MOMENTUM IS BACK'

Notably, Newhouse is one of two House Republicans left in Congress who voted to impeach Trump over the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot – a fact that backers of a competing censure resolution seized on.

Newhouse's introduction comes after the House Freedom Caucus announced it would be filing legislation to censure Green, led by Rep. Eli Crane, R-Ariz. 

Meanwhile, Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, began collecting signatures for a censure resolution against Green around 9 a.m. ET on Wednesday.

Nehls' bill currently has 24 Republican co-sponsors, including members of the House Freedom Caucus, a source told Fox News Digital.

But two other sources familiar with discussions told Fox News Digital that Newhouse's resolution is most likely to be taken up by House GOP leadership.

A House GOP senior aide said in response, "It's just tone-deaf to even think that leadership would run with a censure from one of the two remaining GOP members who voted to impeach President Trump."

TOP 5 MOMENTS FROM TRUMP'S ADDRESS TO JOINT SESSION OF CONGRESS

"It would be an obvious play to help shield him from another close primary challenge," the aide said.

But a second senior House GOP aide countered that, telling Fox News Digital that House GOP leadership had been aware of Newhouse's plans on Tuesday night.

Newhouse reached out to Speaker Mike Johnson, R-LA, immediately after Trump’s address and both agreed on the need to censure Green, the second aide said.

The senior aide said there was "no better individual" to lead the resolution given the level of respect afforded to Newhouse by fellow House Republicans. 

They also pointed out that Newhouse has already fended off tough primary challenges from his right, noting Trump likes winners, and that Newhouse praised Trump after the address on Tuesday night.

Green, for his part, told the Huffington Post he was "guilty" after being read the text of Newhouse's resolution.

House GOP leaders have already signaled they would look at punishing Green for his outburst.

Green remained defiant when he stopped to speak with the White House press pool on the first floor of the U.S. Capitol after being thrown out of the second floor House chamber, where Trump was speaking on Tuesday night.

"I'm willing to suffer whatever punishment is available to me. I didn't say to anyone, don't punish me. I've said I'll accept the punishment," Green said, according to the White House press pool report.

"But it's worth it to let people know that there are some of us who are going to stand up against this president's desire to cut Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security."

Fox News Digital reached out to Johnson's and Green's offices for comment.

President Donald Trump did not shy away from throwing political jabs when delivering his address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night, repeatedly slamming former President Joe Biden. He even declared Biden was "the worst president in American history."

Unsurprisingly, Trump hit Biden’s border policies several times in his speech, calling them "insane and very dangerous." Border security was one of his main focuses on the campaign trail in 2024 as well as in 2016, and last night, illegal immigration featured prominently in Trump’s address.

Trump drew contrasts between himself and Biden on the issue, accusing his predecessor of allowing "terrorists," "killers" and "criminals" into the country. This sentiment was particularly powerful as the mothers of Laken Riley and Jocelyn Nungaray were in attendance. Both Riley and Nungaray were murdered by alleged illegal immigrants.

Trump noted that the first bill he signed into law was the Laken Riley Act, and spoke about its significance. Later in the speech, he revealed an executive order renaming a wildlife refuge in Texas after Nungaray. He spoke about both of their deaths and touted his administration’s crackdown on the border.

At one moment during his speech, Trump said that illegal immigrants "chose not to come" based on his words, in contrast to Biden and the Democrats insisting that legislation was needed to stop the migrant influx.

"The media and our friends in the Democrat Party kept saying we needed new legislation. ‘We must have legislation to secure the border.’ But it turned out that all we really needed was a new president," Trump said as the room erupted with applause.

POLL SHOWS HOW AMERICANS FEEL AFTER WATCHING TRUMP'S ADDRESS TO CONGRESS

After last week’s tense Oval Office kerfuffle involving Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Trump and Vice President JD Vance, how the president would address the crisis in Ukraine was at the top of lawmakers’ minds. 

Trump repeatedly slammed Biden for sending billions in aid to help Ukraine fight Russia, which sparked applause from the Democrats. Trump quickly responded and asked if they wanted it to continue "for another five years." He then insulted Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., saying that she would like to see the war continue.

Trump said it was unfair that the U.S., under the Biden administration, spent more than Europe did on Ukraine’s defense, despite America being an ocean away. He also slammed Biden for not trying to get Europe to "equalize" its spending to at least match U.S. contributions.

In his address, Trump said that he had received a letter from Zelenskyy earlier that day indicating that Ukraine is "ready to come to the negotiating table" and "to bring lasting peace." Trump praised Zelenskyy for the letter and doubled down on his calls for peace talks, saying, "If you want to end wars, you have to talk to both sides."

Trump said that he brought an end to the weaponization of government, referring to multiple lawsuits that were brought against him that required him to spend days in court during his 2024 campaign. He held the Biden administration responsible for those legal battles.

"And we ended weaponized government where, as an example, a sitting president is allowed to viciously prosecute his political opponent like me," Trump said. The crowd had a strong reaction to the statement, prompting Trump to turn to Democrats and ask, "How did that work out?"

Trump has long claimed that the numerous legal cases open against him were politically motivated. He also called for an end to the weaponization of law enforcement against political opponents, once again using himself as an example.

SOCIAL MEDIA EXPLODES AFTER DEMS DO NOT STAND FOR YOUNG CANCER PATIENT HONORED AT TRUMP'S ADDRESS

Marc Fogel, a history teacher who was detained in Russia in August 2021, and his mother were guests at the joint session. Trump recalled how he promised Fogel’s 95-year-old mother, Malphine, that her son would be released just before he took the stage at his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Not long after making that promise, Trump was nearly killed when a gunman opened fire at the rally. Corey Comparatore, whose family was at the joint session, was killed in the attack, while then-candidate Trump was shot in the ear and two others were injured.

Trump slammed the Biden administration for not doing more to secure Fogel’s release after he was arrested and sentenced to 14 years in a penal colony. The president said the Biden administration "barely lifted a finger to help" Fogel, who was released from Russia last month.

RESOLUTION PUNISHING AL GREEN CIRCULATES HOUSE AFTER DEM IS THROWN OUT OF TRUMP SPEECH

The economy, one of Trump’s signature issues during the 2024 campaign, also made its way into his address. Trump criticized Biden’s economic policies and laid out his plan for combating inflation.

Trump placed the blame for rising egg prices on former Biden’s policies, saying he let them "get out of control." Trump seemed to focus on eggs for a moment while staring down Democrats, who were reportedly planning on using eggs or empty egg cartons as protest props during the speech, according to Axios.

He also addressed energy prices and said the previous administration’s cutting of new oil and gas leases was a major contributor to rising prices and inflation. Trump then promised to go after the "liquid gold under our feet" and "drill, baby, drill."

In addition to eggs and energy, Trump pointed to government spending as a source of inflation. He read a long list of alleged Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) findings, saying it was just "some of the appalling waste" that was uncovered. At one point while reading the list, Trump paused and confirmed that "this is real." 

Despite trying to distance himself from "the Green New Deal," which Trump calls "the green new scam," in 2020, Biden put a large emphasis on climate policy in his administration. In 2022, he signed the Inflation Reduction Act, which included the largest investment in climate policy in U.S. history. 

Trump, however, used Biden’s climate change policies as a point to bash his predecessor.

"We ended all of Biden’s environmental restrictions that were making our country far less safe and totally unaffordable. And importantly, we ended the last administration's insane electric vehicle mandate," Trump said.

He went on to boast about ending "the ridiculous green new scam" and exiting what is known as the "Paris Agreement." Trump reiterated his stance that the U.S. was paying too much in the Paris Agreement, while other countries "were not paying."

Democrats in a Fox News Digital focus group were unimpressed by President Donald Trump’s gesture to the family of Jocelyn Nungaray during a speech to a joint session of Congress, as Republicans and independents approved of the move.

Trump used the address to announce that a wildlife sanctuary would be renamed in honor of Nungaray, a 12-year-old girl sexually assaulted and murdered at the hands of Venezuelan illegal migrants last year.

"One thing I have learned about Jocelyn is that she loved animals so much. She loved nature. Across Galveston Bay, from where Jocelyn lived in Houston, you will find a magnificent National Wildlife Refuge, a pristine, peaceful, 34,000-acre sanctuary for all of God's creatures on the edge of the Gulf of America," Trump said.

TRUMP HONORS LIVES OF LAKEN RILEY, JOCELYN NUNGARAY WHILE CELEBRATING STRIDES ON SECURING BORDER

He then showed an executive order renaming the refuge in honor of Jocelyn, whose mother Alexis was in the audience for the address.

"Alexis, moments ago, I formally renamed that refuge in loving memory of your beautiful daughter, Jocelyn," he said. 

Republicans and independents who were part of a Fox News Digital focus group, who were given dials to show their approval or disapproval of the speech, showed that they approved of the move – with Republicans registering support slightly higher than independents. Democrats, however, appeared unmoved by the gesture, with their support staying flat.

The focus group was conducted by maslansky + partners.

TRUMP SIGNS LAKEN RILEY ACT INTO LAW AS FIRST LEGISLATIVE VICTORY IN NEW ADMINISTRATION

Trump used the address to tout his progress on combating illegal immigration and take a tough stance on Venezuelans who are part of the bloodthirsty street gang Tren de Aragua. Trump highlighted both Nungaray and Georgia nursing student Laken Riley, who was also killed by illegal immigrants during the Biden administration.

"All three savages charged with Jocelyn and Laken's murders were members of the Venezuelan prison gang, the toughest gang, they say, in the world known as Tren De Aragua. Two weeks ago, I officially designated this gang, along with MS-13 and the bloodthirsty Mexican drug cartels, as foreign terrorist organizations," Trump said. 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE

Fox News' Emma Colton contributed to this report.

Most people who watched President Donald Trump's primetime address to a joint session of Congress had a positive opinion of what he spelled out in his speech, according to snap polls. 

Trump has been moving at warp speed since his Jan. 20 inauguration, and he used his speech to deliver a full-throated defense of his avalanche of activity, while repeatedly targeting former President Joe Biden and congressional Democrats.

The speech, lasting more than 90 minutes, was the longest address to a joint session of Congress or a State of the Union address in 60 years.

WATCH TRUMP'S FULL ADDRESS TO CONGRESS 

According to a CNN instant poll, nearly seven in 10 respondents viewed Trump's speech as positive {44% said very positive and 25% said somewhat positive), while 31% offered that they had a negative reaction (15% somewhat negative and 16% very negative).

There was a similar response in a snap survey conducted for CBS News.

TOP FIVE MOMENTS FROM TRUMP'S PRIMETIME SPEECH 

Instant polls of State of the Union addresses or speeches to joint sessions of Congress are often favorable to the presidents delivering those speeches. That is because speech-watchers represent a small portion of the public, and they are usually much more likely to be from the president's own party, which is reflected in the poll results. 

The CNN survey included 431 respondents who watched Trump's speech. Forty-four percent of those questioned described themselves as Republicans, 35% as independents or members of a third party, and just 21% said they were Democrats.

CNN noted that 44% who had a very positive view of Trump's speech is lower than the 57% who felt the same way in their instant poll of Trump's address to Congress eight years ago, near the start of his first administration. Additionally, they pointed out that it was also four points lower than the 48% who gave Biden a big thumbs up in his initial address to Congress in 2021, at the start of his single term in the White House.

FIRST ON FOX: Top brass at the Department of State are questioning if the U.S. government's role should include working "in the philanthropy business" as the Trump administration uncovers a trove of mismanagement and overspending in recent years. 

"No one will argue with the philanthropic nature of foreign assistance," Pete Marocco, the director of the Office of Foreign Assistance — which sits under the State Department's federal umbrella — said to a group of faith-based organizations Friday. "So, this leads to another question I put before you today. Is it the proper role of government to be in the business of philanthropy?" 

"If U.S. foreign aid is only reaching 10% of its intended target, and the private sector is reaching the right people 87% of the time, this is a fundamental, age-old question we must return to and take seriously," he continued. "It’s imperative for foreign assistance to land in the right hands of the right people for the right reasons." 

Marocco's comments were detailed in an internal State Department memo obtained by Fox News Digital that recapped a meeting between government officials and a group of roughly 25 faith-based organizations, which worked to engage the organizations in a "candid discussion about how their work supports and enhances U.S. foreign assistance goals under the America First framework." 

The "listening session" meeting was invitation-only and moderated by Albert T. Gombis, acting under secretary for civilian security, democracy and human rights, and director of global criminal justice, Fox Digital learned. 

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

Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Chair Elon Musk and the Trump administration have been on a warpath in recent weeks against the United States Agency for International Development's history of reported overspending and mismanagement. USAID is an independent U.S. agency that was established under the Kennedy administration to administer economic aid to foreign nations. 

Musk has characterized the agency as "a viper’s nest of radical-left marxists who hate America."

ELON MUSK DESCRIBES LIMESTONE MINE USED FOR PROCESSING FEDERAL WORKERS' RETIREMENT PAPERS: ‘LIKE A TIME WARP’

In January, President Donald Trump issued a near-total freeze on foreign aid through the agency and has since terminated thousands of employees and appointed Secretary of State Marco Rubio as the agency's acting director, moves that have received staunch pushback from Democrats and federal employees. 

The freeze on payments was hit with lawsuits, with the Supreme Court Wednesday dealing a blow to the administration when it denied its request to block a lower court's ruling for the administration to pay nearly $2 billion in foreign aid money. 

In a 5–4 ruling, the justices said a Feb. 26 deadline imposed by a lower court for the Trump administration to pay the funds already had expired, and directed the case back to the district court to clarify any additional details on payment.

The internal State Department memo continued that Marocco explained to the group of faith-based organizations that the Trump administration is "intentionally disrupting the system to identify and root out significant problems" with its foreign aid programs. 

"As you know, we’re in the midst of conducting a review of U.S. foreign aid programs," the memo said of the director's opening remarks. "It’s challenging because we’re taking a very different approach from other reviews. Our review is starting from zero – a zero-based methodology. That means we are intentionally disrupting the system to identify and root out significant problems. Yes, this is causing unintended consequences for some programs, and those issues are being addressed separate from this forum." 

'VIPER'S NEST': USAID ACCUSED OF CORRUPTION, MISMANAGEMENT LONG BEFORE TRUMP ADMIN TOOK AIM

"The truth is: the American people have lost faith in foreign assistance. They’ve lost faith in how we carry out this work. Nevertheless, today you’re here to think big and tell us how foreign assistance can be optimally effective," he added. 

Trump went to Capitol Hill Tuesday evening to deliver his first address to a joint session of Congress since returning to the White House in January. In the speech, Trump celebrated his administration's immediate pause to foreign aid. 

"Every day my administration is fighting to deliver the change America needs to bring a future that America deserves, and we're doing it," Trump said Tuesday evening. 'This is a time for big dreams and bold action. Upon taking office, I imposed an immediate freeze on all federal hiring, a freeze on all new federal regulations and a freeze on all foreign aid." 

GOP HARDLINERS RALLY AROUND TRUMP, MUSK SCALING BACK USAID

The 47th president continued in his speech that Musk and DOGE have identified $22 billion in government "waste" across various federal agencies, including USAID. 

"Forty-five million dollars for diversity, equity and inclusion scholarships in Burma," Trump said as he rattled off various examples of federal waste. "Forty million to improve the social and economic inclusion of sedentary migrants. Nobody knows what that is. Eight million to promote LGBTQI+ in the African nation of Lesotho, which nobody has ever heard of. Sixty million dollars for indigenous peoples and Afro-Colombian empowerment in Central America. Sixty million. Eight million for making mice transgender."

Democrats and government employees have railed against the Trump administration and DOGE's work auditing the federal government, and some Democratic lawmakers even held up signs reading "Musk lies" during Trump's address Tuesday.

Fox News Digital's Breanne Deppisch and Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report. 

President Donald Trump’s declaration that "America is back" during his joint address to Congress was well-received by both Republicans and independents.

"Members of the United States Congress, thank you very much. And to my fellow citizens, America is back!" Trump said at the conclusion of his speech Tuesday.

The moment received an ovation from many of those in attendance and sparked a positive reaction among Republican and independent viewers, with Fox News voter dials showing those two groups, which were represented on the screen by red and yellow lines, immediately shooting up on the screen, indicating a positive response. Democrats, meanwhile, who were represented by the blue line, had a largely neutral reaction to the moment, with the line not deviating far from the middle of the screen.

CONSERVATIVES ERUPT WITH PRAISE ON SOCIAL MEDIA AFTER TRUMP'S SPEECH TO CONGRESS: 'RUN THROUGH A WALL' 

The moment was followed by chats of "USA" from those in attendance, with Trump as well as Vice President JD Vance and House Speaker Mike Johnson joining in. That moment continued to receive a positive reaction from Republican and independent viewers, while Democrats remained neutral throughout.

Tuesday night’s joint address to Congress was Trump’s second, coming eight years after his first speech in Congress in 2017. The speech is structured similarly to a State of the Union Address, though Trump will not give the first official State of the Union of his second term in office until next year.

'HE'S BACK': TRUMP'S JOINT ADDRESS TO CONGRESS TO BE BLANKETED WITH 6-FIGURE AD BUY TOUTING TAX PLAN

Tuesday’s speech saw Trump boast about the early accomplishments of his second administration and lay the groundwork on the agenda for the rest of his presidency.

"Six weeks ago, I stood beneath the dome of this Capitol and proclaimed the dawn of the golden Age of America," he said at the conclusion of his speech. "From that moment on, it has been nothing but swift and unrelenting action to usher in the greatest and most successful era in the history of our country. We have accomplished more in 43 days than most administrations accomplished in four years or eight years. And we are just getting started.

"Every single day, we will stand up, and we will fight, fight, fight for the country our citizens believe in and for the country people deserve," Trump added. "My fellow Americans, get ready for an incredible future, because the golden age of America has only just begun. It will be like nothing that has ever been seen before. Thank you. God bless you and God bless America."

The Fox News Digital focus groups were conducted by maslansky + partners.

A majority of speech viewers (69%) had a very or somewhat positive reaction to President Donald Trump's Tuesday address before a joint session of Congress, according to a CNN poll by SSRS.

While 44% indicated that they had a "Very positive" reaction to the speech, 25% felt "Somewhat positive," 16% had a "Very negative" reaction and 15% had a "Somewhat negative" reaction to the address.

"A total of 431 adults nationwide were surveyed via text message," according to a document about the poll. "Among the entire sample, 21% described themselves as Democrats, 44% described themselves as Republicans, and 35% described themselves as independents or members of another party," the document notes. "The margin of sampling error for total respondents is +/-5.3 at the 95% confidence level."

TRUMP SAYS AMERICA WOULD WELCOME GREENLAND DURING JOINT ADDRESS TO CONGRESS

Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, who was removed from the event for being disruptive, did not fare well in the court of public opinion.

A whopping 80% found Green's behavior to be inappropriate, while just 20% felt it was appropriate, according to the poll.

CONSERVATIVES ERUPT WITH PRAISE ON SOCIAL MEDIA AFTER TRUMP'S SPEECH TO CONGRESS: ‘RUN THROUGH A WALL’

Trump's address on Tuesday came less than two months into his second term in office. 

However, while he is still chipping away at the early days of his new term, the president is a well-known figure who has been on the political scene for years. 

TRUMP DECLARES ‘AMERICA IS BACK' IN SPEECH BEFORE CONGRESS

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He is now the second U.S. president to serve non-consecutive terms — the first was Grover Cleveland in the 19th century.

Pete Buttigieg said he's contemplating a run for the Senate next year in his adopted home state of Michigan.

"I’ve been looking at it," the former Department of Transportation secretary and former presidential candidate acknowledged in his latest interview, as he pointed to the emerging race to succeed Sen. Gary Peters. The two-term Democrat announced in January that he won't seek re-election in 2026.

"I’m going to continue to work on the things that I care about," Buttigieg elaborated as he appeared Tuesday night on CBS' "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert."

Buttigieg emphasized, "I have not decided what that means professionally, whether that means running for office soon or not. But I will make myself useful."

WHY PETE BUTTIGIEG MET WITH THIS TOP DEMOCRAT

In a sign of just how seriously he is contemplating a Senate campaign in the pivotal Great Lakes battleground state, a source familiar confirmed to Fox News that Buttigieg met last week with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, the longtime leader of the chamber's Democrats.

The 43-year-old Buttigieg, a former naval intelligence officer who deployed to the war in Afghanistan and who served eight years as mayor of South Bend, Indiana, was a long-shot candidate when he launched his 2020 presidential campaign. 

BUTTIGIEG APPEARANCE ON THIS RADIO SHOW SPARKS MORE 2028 SPECULATION

But his campaign caught fire, and he narrowly edged Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont to win the Iowa caucuses before coming in close second to Sanders in the New Hampshire presidential primary. But Buttigieg, along with the rest of the Democratic field, dropped out of the race and endorsed Joe Biden as the then-former vice president won the South Carolina primary in a landslide, swept the Super Tuesday contests and eventually clinched the nomination before winning the White House.

The millennial Democrat, who served as Biden's transportation secretary for four years, has maintained popularity within the Democratic Party as one of its younger stars.

Buttigieg in recent months has highlighted that he aims to stay involved. In a radio interview in December near the end of his tenure as transportation secretary, he said, "I will find ways to make myself useful, and maybe that's running for office, and maybe that's not. I'll take the next few weeks and months to work through that."

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

And soon after Peters revealed in January he wouldn't seek re-election, a source familiar with Buttigieg's thinking told Fox News Digital, "Pete is exploring all of his options on how he can be helpful and continue to serve… he's honored to be mentioned for this, and he's taking a serious look."

After his 2020 presidential campaign, Buttigieg and his spouse, Chasten, moved from red-state Indiana to neighboring Michigan, and have a home in Traverse City.

Buttigieg isn't the only Democrat taking a hard look to succeed Peters.

State Sen. Mallory McMorrow is likely to launch a Democratic campaign. McMorrow grabbed national attention in 2022 after delivering a floor speech in the Michigan Senate which was seen as a model for countering GOP attacks.

Among the other Democrats who've expressed interest in running are two-term Michigan Attorney General Dana Nesse and Congresswoman Haley Stevens.

ONLY ON FOX: SENATE GOP CAMPAIGN CHAIR REVEALS HOW MANY SEATS HE'S GUNNING FOR IN 2026

Former Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., announced at the end of January that he was "strongly considering" a second straight Republican run for the Senate in Michigan.

Rogers won the 2024 GOP Senate nomination in Michigan but narrowly lost to Rep. Elissa Slotkin, the Democrats' nominee, in last November's election in the race to succeed longtime Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow, who retired. Slotkin, who vastly outspent Rogers, edged him by roughly 19,000 votes, or a third of a percentage point.

Rogers is a former FBI special agent who later served as chair of the House Intelligence Committee during his tenure in Congress.

While Rogers was the first Republican to publicly make a move toward launching a 2026 Senate campaign in Michigan, GOP sources told Fox News last month that others who may consider running are Rep. John James – who's in his second term in the House and was the GOP Senate nominee in Michigan in 2018 and 2020 – and longtime Rep. Bill Huizenga.

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

The Michigan Senate race is considered a "Toss Up" by top nonpartisan political handicapper the Cook Political Report. 

The Republicans currently control the Senate 53-47, after flipping four seats from blue to red in last November's elections.

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.

Along with Michigan, Republicans will also be targeting battleground Georgia, 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 when she's up for re-election next year.

The GOP is also eyeing blue-leaning Minnesota, where Democratic Sen. Tina Smith last month announced she wouldn't seek re-election in 2026.

But Republicans are also playing defense in the 2026 cycle.

Democrats plan to go on offense in blue-leaning Maine, where moderate 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. 

And Democrats are looking at red-leaning Ohio, where Republican Lt. Gov. Jon Husted was appointed in January to succeed Vice President JD Vance in the Senate. Husted will run next year to finish out Vance's term.

Fox News' Julia Johnson contributed to this report

Rep. Sylvester Turner, D-Texas, died Tuesday night at the age of 70, according to top Democrats.

Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., announced Turner's passing at a House Homeland Security hearing on Wednesday. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., later issued a statement expressing his shock and sadness.

Turner, who previously served as the mayor of Houston, Texas, was elected to replace the late Rep. Shiela Jackson Lee, who died in July of last year.

Turner served 27 years in the Texas House of Representatives, and was elected mayor of Houston in 2015 and again in 2019.

Turner was on Capitol Hill as recently as Tuesday afternoon ahead of President Donald Trump's address to a joint session of Congress.

STATE TROOPERS, NYPD DESCEND ON AOC'S 'RED LIGHT' NEIGHBORHOOD TO CLAMP DOWN ON RAMPANT PROSTITUTION, CRIME

The lawmaker was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a form of bone cancer, in 2022.

Jeffries honored Turner in a statement Wednesday.

"As the Representative for the 18th Congressional District in Texas, Sylvester followed in the hallowed footsteps of trailblazers like the great Barbara Jordan and our late sister, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee. We all stand on the shoulders of these incredible giants and join Texans in mourning the tremendous loss of another iconic leader. Like those before him, Rep. Turner was a fighter until the end – he was present yesterday evening to ensure that the voice of one of his constituents, who relies on Medicaid, was heard. In what would be his final message to his beloved constituents last night he reminded us 'don’t mess with Medicaid,'" Jeffries wrote.

'SHE'S REALLY THIS DUMB': HOUSE DEM RIPPED AFTER CALLING TRUMP 'ENEMY OF THE UNITED STATES'

Turner's office has yet to release a statement on the congressman's death.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott also remarked on Turner's death, praising him as "a man of character who served his fellow Texans for more than 36 years."

"From his time as State Representative, to Mayor of Houston, and finally representing Texas' 18th Congressional District, Congressman Turner leaves behind a legacy of service to our great state. Congressman Turner will be missed, and our prayers go out to his family and loved ones during this time of grief," Abbott wrote.

This is a developing story. Check back soon for updates.

Vice President JD Vance on Wednesday is heading to the southern border, a day after President Donald Trump touted a sharp drop in border crossings amid a ramping up of border security and interior arrests of illegal immigrants.

Vance is touring the border in Eagle Pass, Texas, and will be joined by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. Eagle Pass was one of the hot spots for border crossings at the height of the historic Biden-era border crisis.

Trump had centered his 2024 campaign on a promise to crack down on illegal immigration, and he deployed a slew of measures early on. On Day One, he signed executive orders to declare a national emergency at the border and deploy the military. He also ordered the resumption of border wall construction and the end of Biden parole policies.

TRUMP HONORS LIVES OF LAKEN RILEY, JOCELYN NUNGARAY WHILE CELEBRATING STRIDES ON SECURING BORDER

The Pentagon quickly deployed troops and opened up Guantánamo Bay to flights of migrants. The Department of Homeland Security has taken limits off of interior enforcement and expanded the use of expedited removal, while the State Department secured additional cooperation with countries to return migrants.

The administration has launched a massive interior enforcement operation, where daily arrests have regularly hit 1,000+ a day, although officials have indicated they want to see numbers go even higher.

NOEM SAYS DHS WILL ‘NOT BE DETERRED’ AFTER ICE HIT BY NEW LEAKS AHEAD OF VIRGINIA RAID

The administration has pointed to figures showing sharp increases in interior arrests compared to the Biden era and a sharp drop in encounters at the border.

In February, there were just 8,326 southern border encounters, down from 189,913 in February 2024. The administration has so far removed more than 55,000 illegal immigrants from the U.S.

Trump touted those numbers in a speech to Congress on Tuesday night.

"Within hours of taking the oath of office, I declared a national emergency on our southern border and I deployed the U.S. military and Border Patrol to repel the invasion of our country. And what a job they've done. As a result, illegal border crossings last month were by far the lowest ever recorded, ever," he said.

"They heard my words, and they chose not to come."

CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE

He also mocked the claim by Democrats and the Biden administration that legislation was needed to fix the crisis.

"But it turned out that all we really needed was a new president," he said.

Meanwhile, a Border Patrol source told Fox News that there were just 271 total encounters for the entire southern border on Tuesday, and just 14 in the Del Rio Sector where Vance is visiting.

Fox News' Brooke Taylor and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The ISIS-K member described by President Donald Trump as the "top terrorist" suspect behind the 2021 Abbey Gate bombing in Afghanistan confessed to scouting the attack route and training gunmen involved in a terrorist attack near Moscow last year, according to a Justice Department affidavit. 

Muhammed Sharifullah, who was charged with providing and conspiring to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization resulting in death, is expected to make his first federal court appearance in Virginia Wednesday. He faces a maximum penalty of life in prison if convicted. 

The Justice Department released photos showing FBI Director Kash Patel, Attorney General Pam Bondi and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard at an airport awaiting Sharifullah’s arrival this morning in the U.S.  

President Trump announced Sharifullah’s capture last night during his address before a joint Congress, saying he was "pleased to announce that we have just apprehended the top terrorist responsible for that atrocity" that left 13 U.S. service members dead in August 2021. 

TRUMP REVEALS TOP TERRORIST BEHIND ABBEY GATE ATTACK APPREHENDED 

During the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan in the summer of 2021, American and coalition forces were conducting an evacuation operation at Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport. 

Abbey Gate was the main entry point for the operation, and thousands of civilians were in the area on Aug. 26, 2021, according to the Justice Department. 

Around 5:36 p.m. that day, Abdul Rahman al-Logari – a member of the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham-Khorasan Province (ISIS-K), "detonated a body-worn suicide bomb at Abbey Gate, killing 13 U.S. military service members and approximately 160 civilians," the Justice Department said.  

The U.S. withdrawal was completed a few days later and the Taliban later claimed control of Afghanistan.  

An affidavit released by the Justice Department said FBI Special Agents interviewed Sharifullah around the start of this week, during which he revealed that he was in prison in Afghanistan from 2019 until approximately two weeks before the Abbey Gate attack. 

"Upon Sharifullah’s release, an ISIS-K member contacted Sharifullah to arrange for his assistance in an upcoming attack," the affidavit cited Sharifullah as saying in an interview. 

"ISIS-K members provided Sharifullah with a motorcycle, funds for a cell phone and a SIM card, and instructions to open an account on a particular social media platform to communicate with them during the attack operation. After making these preparations for the attack, Sharifullah was tasked with scouting a route near Hamid Karzai International Airport for an attacker," the affidavit said. "Sharifullah conducted surveillance on a route, specifically checking for law enforcement and American or Taliban checkpoints. 

"Sharifullah communicated to other ISIS-K members that he believed the route was clear and that he did not think the attacker would be detected while proceeding through that route.  ISIS-K members then instructed Sharifullah to leave the area of HKIA," it continued. "Later that same day, Sharifullah learned of the attack at HKIA... and recognized the alleged bomber as an ISIS-K operative he had known while incarcerated." 

TRUMP PUSHES TO RECOVER ‘BILLIONS OF DOLLARS’ OF MILITARY EQUIPMENT LEFT BEHIND IN AFGHANISTAN WITHDRAWAL 

The affidavit also alleged that Sharifullah trained gunmen who were involved in a terrorist attack at the Crocus City Hall concert venue in Moscow in March 2024, which left around 130 people dead. 

"In an interview with FBI Special Agents after waiving his Miranda rights on or about March 2, 2025, Sharifullah stated the following: Sharifullah received an order from a known ISIS-K senior leader to provide instructions on how to properly use AK-style rifles and other weapons to would-be attackers in Moscow," it said. "Sharifullah shared video instructions with several individuals. Following the attack, Russian authorities arrested four gunmen in connection with the attack. Sharifullah recognized two of those individuals as the same people to whom he provided the firearms training video." 

National security advisor Michael Waltz told "Fox & Friends" Wednesday that the Abbey Gate victims’ family members were "emotional" when Trump called them to inform them of Sharifullah’s capture. 

"The president said to these families at Arlington, ‘we are going to get this guy.’ We shared the intelligence with Pakistan, and he’s rolled up, and he will be tried in a U.S. court," Waltz said. 

Bondi added Wednesday that "Under President Trump’s strong leadership on the world stage, this Department of Justice will ensure that terrorists like Mohammad Sharifullah have no safe haven, no second chances, and no worse enemy than the United States of America." 

Patel also said his agency "will never forget the loss of these American heroes" at Abbey Gate and "will continue to hunt down those who viciously murdered our warriors... and bring them to justice." 

Fox News’ Emma Colton contributed to this report. 

China has vowed to "fight till the end" against President Donald Trump’s tariffs, warning that it is ready for any "type" of war with the U.S.

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement on Tuesday that pushed back against tariffs against the Chinese government that Trump bumped up from 10% to 20% earlier this week over Beijing’s failure to address the flow of fentanyl entering the U.S.

"If war is what the U.S. wants, be it a tariff war, a trade war or any other type of war, we’re ready to fight till the end," ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said in the statement. China has already responded to the tariffs by imposing a 15% tariff on American agricultural goods. 

Jian’s statement, which was quoted by the Chinese Embassy in Washington, argued that the fentanyl issue is a "flimsy excuse" to raise tariffs on Chinese imports. Jian cautioned that "intimidation does not scare us" and "bullying" would not work.

TRUMP'S LATEST TARIFFS: HERE IS WHAT WIL COST CONSUMERS MORE

"Pressuring, coercion or threats are not the right way of dealing with China," Jian said. "Anyone using maximum pressure on China is picking the wrong guy and miscalculating."

The tariffs against China went into effect on Tuesday. Trump increased the tariffs on Monday with an executive order that stated the Chinese government has failed "to blunt the sustained influx of synthetic opioids, including fentanyl, flowing from [their country]," and that such failure constitutes an "unusual and extraordinary threat."

Trump also said that the crisis jeopardizes the "national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States."

LUTNICK SAYS TRUMP TARIFF WITH CANADA, MEXICO LIKELY ENDS WITH MEETING IN THE MIDDLE, POSSIBLE DEAL SOON

Beijing, however, claimed that only the U.S. is responsible for the fentanyl crisis inside the U.S., though left the door open for "cooperation" in solving the fentanyl crisis.

"If the U.S. truly wants to solve the fentanyl issue, then the right thing to do is to consult with China by treating each other as equals," Jian said in the statement.

The Chinese government has opposed the tariffs since they were announced. 

The Trump administration is already imposing 25% tariffs on Canadian and Mexican goods, which were announced last month and also went into effect on Tuesday.

Trump addressed the tariffs during his address before a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night, saying that while the objective is to make the nation "rich" and "great again," there will "be a little disturbance" for American consumers.

Fox News Digital’s Andrea Margolis contributed to this report.

FIRST ON FOX: A resolution by Rep. Troy Nehls, R-TX, is being circulated among Republican lawmakers on Wednesday to punish the House Democrat who was thrown out of President Donald Trump's speech for protesting.

Nehls is leading the censure resolution against Rep. Al Green, D-TX, and is expected to make it public sometime today, a source with knowledge of the document told Fox News Digital.

It accuses Green of having "willfully disrupted the joint session, remained defiant," and "brought disrepute to the United States Congress," according to a draft text viewed by Fox News Digital.

The 77-year-old Democrat was removed from Trump's joint address to Congress on Tuesday night after repeatedly disrupting the beginning of the president's speech.

'SHE'S REALLY THIS DUMB': HOUSE DEM RIPPED AFTER CALLING TRUMP 'ENEMY OF THE UNITED STATES'

He shouted, "You have no mandate," at Trump as he touted Republican victories in the House, Senate and White House.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-LA, had Green removed by the U.S. Sergeant-At-Arms.

Green remained defiant when he stopped to speak with the White House press pool on the first floor of the U.S. Capitol after being thrown out of the second floor House chamber, where Trump was speaking.

"I'm willing to suffer whatever punishment is available to me. I didn't say to anyone, don't punish me. I've said I'll accept the punishment," Green said, according to the White House press pool report.

"But it's worth it to let people know that there are some of us who are going to stand up against this president's desire to cut Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security."

Republicans, meanwhile, responded to Green and other Democratic attempts to disrupt the speech with fury.

The House Freedom Caucus announced on Wednesday morning that it would be filing its own censure resolution against Green.

"What they've shown is ridiculous to the American people," House GOP Policy Committee Chair Kevin Hern, R-OK, told Fox News Digital on Tuesday night. "I can't see how any American would think that's right."

Rep. Buddy Carter, R-GA, told Fox News Digital, "The Democrats' behavior last night was disappointing. There must be consequences for Rep. Al Green's outburst, which displayed a clear lack of decorum and respect for the Office of the Presidency."

STATE TROOPERS, NYPD DESCEND ON AOC'S 'RED LIGHT' NEIGHBORHOOD TO CLAMP DOWN ON RAMPANT PROSTITUTION, CRIME

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-LA, told Fox News Digital that leadership would be "looking at" whether to punish Green.

Johnson signaled to reporters on Tuesday night that such a move would have his support.

Fox News Digital reached out to Green's office for a response but did not immediately hear back.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday denied the Trump administration's request to block a lower court's order for the administration to pay nearly $2 billion in foreign aid money, delivering a near-term reprieve to international aid groups and contractors seeking payment for previously completed projects.

In a 5-4 ruling, the justices said that the Feb. 26 deadline imposed by a lower court for the Trump administration to pay the funds had already expired and directed the case back to the district court to clarify any additional details on payment.

"Given that the deadline in the challenged order has now passed, and in light of the ongoing preliminary injunction proceedings, the District Court should clarify what obligations the Government must fulfill to ensure compliance with the temporary restraining order, with due regard for the feasibility of any compliance timelines," the Court said.

Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh dissented.

TRUMP TEMPORARILY THWARTED IN DOGE MISSION TO END USAID

"Does a single district-court judge who likely lacks jurisdiction have the unchecked power to compel the Government of the United States to pay out (and probably lose forever) 2 billion taxpayer dollars? The answer to that question should be an emphatic ‘No,’ but a majority of this Court apparently thinks otherwise," Alito wrote. "I am stunned."

Chief Justice John Roberts agreed last Wednesday to temporarily pause a lower court’s decision requiring the Trump administration to pay by 11:59 p.m. all outstanding invoices to foreign aid groups, an amount totaling roughly $1.9 billion – a timeline the Justice Department had argued was "impossible" to comply with. Roberts did not give a reason for agreeing to pause the order issued by U.S. District Judge Amir Ali, a Biden appointee, though the chief justice had widely been expected to refer the matter to the full court for review.

Still, the decision to send the case back to the lower court to hash out what, exactly, must be paid out by the Trump administration – and when – could allow Trump officials to further stall on repayment.

Foreign aid groups had argued last week that Roberts' pause prevented them from filing a motion of civil contempt against the Trump administration, a legal maneuver that employees from the affected groups said in interviews this week could have expedited their process to claw back the unpaid debt.

At issue is how quickly the Trump administration needs to pay the nearly $2 billion owed to aid groups and contractors for completed projects funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), at a time when the administration has issued a blanket freeze on all foreign spending in the name of government "efficiency" and eliminating waste.

In a new court filing Monday, Acting U.S. Solicitor General Sarah Harris said that while the plaintiffs' claims were likely "legitimate," the time U.S. District Judge Amir Ali gave them to pay the outstanding invoices was "not logistically or technically feasible."

Harris also argued Monday that the order could be a violation of executive branch authorities granted by the Constitution to an elected president.

Ordering the Trump administration to make payments on a timeline of the lower court’s choosing, and "without regard to whether the requests are legitimate, or even due yet," Harris said, "intrudes on the president’s foreign affairs powers" and executive branch oversight when it comes to distributing foreign aid.

HERE'S WHY DOZENS OF LAWSUITS SEEKING TO QUASH TRUMP'S EARLY ACTIONS AS PRESIDENT ARE FAILING

Plaintiffs, for their part, rejected that notion in full. They argued in their own Supreme Court filing that the lower court judge had ordered the Trump administration to begin making the owed foreign aid payments more than two weeks ago – a deadline they said the government simply failed to meet, or to even take steps to meet – indicating that the administration had no plans to make good on fulfilling that request.

The Trump administration "never took steps towards compliance" with Judge Ali's order requiring the administration to unfreeze the federal funds to pay the $1.9 billion in owed project payments, attorneys for plaintiffs argued in their own Supreme Court filing. 

They also rejected the administration's assertion in court last week that it would need "multiple weeks" to restart the payment system.

Rather, they said, the Trump administration had moved too quickly to dismantle the systems required to send payments to foreign aid groups in the first place— and to purge the many USAID staffers who could have facilitated a smoother, faster repayment process.

"All of these invoices have already been approved by the front-line managers at USAID, and it's really these payment bottlenecks that the government has itself created" that have caused the problems with repayment, one individual with knowledge of the USAID payments and contractors affected told Fox News Digital in an interview.

LAWSUIT TRACKER: NEW RESISTANCE BATTLING TRUMP'S SECOND TERM THROUGH ONSLAUGHT OF LAWSUITS TAKING AIM AT EOS

The high court challenge comes as many of the foreign aid groups who sued the administration earlier this year have already been stripped of the bulk of their funding. This aligns with President Donald Trump's stated plans to cut some 90% of USAID foreign aid contracts and to slash an additional $60 billion in foreign aid spending.

The White House has not yet released a list of which contracts and grants were scheduled for elimination or those to be continued. However, critics have argued that the abrupt withdrawal of U.S. investment and presence around the world risks economic harm, reputational damage and new security risks, both at home and abroad.

Scott Greytak, a director at the group U.S. Transparency International, said in a statement that cutting such a large amount of U.S. foreign aid carries significant economic and security risks. The elimination of U.S. funding for certain projects, especially in countries with higher risks of corruption, could "open the door for increased cross-border corruption, fraud, and other crimes," he said. 

This could create new obstacles for U.S. businesses seeking to open or expand into foreign markets, said Greytak, whose group has active chapters in more than 100 countries globally, and could serve "as an invitation for U.S. competitors, especially China, to fill the vacuum created by the absence of U.S. engagement."

This is a breaking news story. Check back soon for updates.

FIRST ON FOX: Elon Musk's PAC is going live on the national airwaves for the first time with a $1 million spot thanking President Donald Trump for delivering on his campaign promises, such as deporting illegal immigrants and "draining the swamp" with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which Musk himself was tapped to lead. 

This is the first-ever television ad buy from Musk's PAC. 

"After four long years of humiliation, of failure at home and embarrassment abroad, our long national nightmare is finally over," the ad from America PAC says while displaying past viral footage of former President Joe Biden, such as him tripping on the stairs of Air Force One. 

"Strength is back. Common sense is back. AMERICA IS BACK," it continues. 

GOP REBELS FIRE WARNING SHOT IN SHUTDOWN SHOWDOWN: NO DOGE, NO DEAL

Trump led his joint address to Congress on Tuesday night, echoing this. "Members of the United States Congress, thank you very much. And to my fellow citizens, America is back," the president said, and was immediately met with a chorus of Republican cheers. 

"Thank you, President Trump, for saving the American Dream," the ad from America PAC concludes. 

SENATE BID TO PREVENT BOYS FROM PLAYING GIRLS' SPORTS GETS STUCK ON FILIBUSTER

The 60-second ad is airing in Washington, D.C., and throughout the country during the week after Trump's address. It is backed by a $1 million television ad purchase. 

The spot goes through various areas of accomplishments for the new president in his first several weeks, during which Trump's team has debuted countless executive orders and hit the ground running on key policy items.

The group was founded by Musk last year in order to back candidates who support conservative agenda items, like lower spending, secure borders and free speech.

FLASHBACK: DEM SENATOR EMBROILED IN CONFLICT OF INTEREST ROW TARGETED SCOTUS IN ETHICS CRUSADE

Musk is notably the owner of X, as well as the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX. More recently, he became a special government employee as he continues to guide DOGE through aggressive auditing of federal entities. 

He was recognized by Trump during the Tuesday joint address for his assistance in taking on the federal bureaucracy and spending. "I have created the brand new Department of Government Efficiency, DOGE, perhaps you've heard of it — perhaps — which is headed by Elon Musk, who is in the gallery tonight. Thank you, Elon. You're working very hard."

The billionaire Trump ally and DOGE head has quickly earned the ire of Democrats for his unapologetic and aggressive approach to slashing spending and transforming the executive branch and its agencies. In fact, Musk's image was featured in demonstrations against Trump during his address on Tuesday, with Democratic lawmakers holding signs that read "Musk steals." 

SEE THE STAR-STUDDED LIST OF TRUMP ALLIES DESCENDING ON DC TO CHART FURTHER 100-DAY WINS

He was even mentioned in the Democrats' rebuttal to Trump's address, delivered by Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich.

"Is there anyone in America who is comfortable with him and his gang of 20-year-olds using their own computer servers to poke through your tax returns, your health information, and your bank accounts? No oversight, no protections against cyberattack, no guardrails on what they do with your private data," she said. 

"We need a more efficient government. You want to cut waste? I'll help you do it. But change doesn't need to be chaotic or make us less safe." 

South Dakota Sheriff Pat West told Fox News Digital he is already feeling the impact of Trump's crackdown on border security ahead of President Donald Trump's address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night.

West, the Meade County sheriff and a guest of Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D. for Trump's speech, said the supply of drugs crossing the southern border is no longer meeting the high demand for drugs like methamphetamine and fentanyl in South Dakota, which he said proves "the impact that's already taking place with that secure border."

"We are seeing a big impact on the border. Methamphetamine and fentanyl [are] our biggest problems that we've had in the past, and it's been running rampant. The shutdown of the border recently has already made an impact on us up north in South Dakota," West said. 

Johnson touted Trump's progress in his first six weeks in office to secure the border. 

THEME OF TRUMP’S ADDRESS TO CONGRESS REVEALED

'SHE'S REALLY THIS DUMB': HOUSE DEM RIPPED AFTER CALLING TRUMP 'ENEMY OF THE UNITED STATES'

"I know that people think that the federal government never gets its work done, but we have seen illegal border crossings down 95% just in the last 40 days of the Trump administration. That has been the White House and Congress working together. Great law enforcement officers like Sheriff West are seeing those impact in South Dakota communities," Johnson said. 

Border Patrol Chief Mike Banks told CBS News last month that illegal crossings at the southern border are down 94% from the same period last year. Trump's border czar, Tom Homan, echoed that statistic in a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), saying known "gotaways" are down 95% at the southern border. 

"Overall our drug problem is connected to a lot of our other crimes that we have in the community. By controlling the border, it eliminates the amount of unnecessary methamphetamine and fentanyl that is coming across the border and then ultimately getting to South Dakota," West added. 

West said he hopes Trump continues to fund border security "because that's extremely important for our home front."

"The other thing is to continue to support law enforcement and military. I've got two boys in the United States Marine Corps, so that gets pretty close to me. But he's putting the right people in the right positions to support the military and keep us secure."

West solved a sex trafficking case in South Dakota last year when he found a missing 13-year-old girl who had been abducted by a 33-year-old male sex offender. He also arrested a man who was in possession of approximately 2 grams of methamphetamine and 20 grams of fentanyl, which is about 200 pills. 

"Illicit drugs, especially fentanyl and methamphetamine, continue to be a scourge on our communities. The devastation these drugs cause can’t be measured. We will continue to do all we can to get this poison off the streets in Meade County and hold those who bring this poison here accountable," West said in a statement following the arrest. 

Socialist firebrand Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., is calling on Democrats to organize in GOP-heavy districts to push back against the Trump agenda and what she claims will be drastic cuts to Medicaid.

Ocasio-Cortez took to Instagram Live late Tuesday night to rebut President Donald Trump’s address to a joint session ­of Congress and told her followers that Trump spewed a lot of misinformation but, ultimately, he and Republicans are coming for Medicare to buttress the pockets of billionaires like Elon Musk, who she labeled as an "a--hole."

She said that Trump craftily didn’t mention cuts to Medicare in his speech because that is his goal, and Democrats should host town halls and various other events in GOP districts to resist such cuts and expose local lawmakers. Trump has repeatedly said he will not cut people's Medicare benefits. 

STATE TROOPERS, NYPD DESCEND ON AOC'S 'RED LIGHT' NEIGHBORHOOD TO CLAMP DOWN ON RAMPANT PROSTITUTION, CRIME

"These Republicans, I'm telling you all, they are getting scared," Ocasio-Cortez said to her 8.7 million followers on the platform in the 54-minute video. 

"Trump not mentioning Medicaid at the State of the Union is the game. He doesn't talk about it. [It's] what he fears and he knows it's dynamite. The House Republicans know that it's dynamite for them and that's why they're talking about not hosting town halls."

"We need to be creatively organizing in Republican districts. And I don't want to hear, okay, Republicans don't listen. They are afraid of this. I'm telling you."

Ocasio-Cortez called on Democrats to host town halls in Rep. Nicole Malliotakis' districts of Staten Island and Brooklyn in New York, Rep. Mike Lawler’s district of Westchester County in New York and Rep. Jeff Van Drew’s district in New Jersey. 

AOC'S 'RED LIGHT DISTRICT' PLAGUED BY CRIME AS DEMOCRAT WHO HELPED HER RISE TO POWER SAYS SHE 'DISAPPEARED'

"If you're near a Republican, if you are in a Republican district and your Republican is not hosting a town hall, it's time to do community town halls," Ocasio-Cortez said. "It's time to do community teachings. It's time to do community town halls. It is time to start advertising their absence."

Medicaid has quickly emerged as a political lightning rod as House Republicans negotiate on a massive bill to advance President Donald Trump's agenda. Trump has said he is committed to protecting Medicare and Medicaid. The White House has emphasized reforms aimed at reducing waste within these programs.

Some Republican lawmakers are worried about the level of spending cuts being sought by fiscal hawks to offset the cost of Trump's policies, arguing the current deal could force potentially unworkable cuts on Medicaid and other federal safety net programs.

WATCH: Trump talks creation of DOGE, praises Elon Musk in speech to Congress

Ocasio-Cortez emphasized that Democrats should take advantage of these doubts and hammer home the pitfalls of potential cuts to Medicaid.

"If Democrats can step on a rake, Republicans can step on a rake. And I am telling you, they are stepping on one of the biggest rakes in modern American history," Ocasio-Cortez said.  

"They are messing with social security y'all. I need you to understand how much of a political no-go that has been for both parties for a very long time, for a reason. Because your stuff will collapse."

Ocasio-Cortez said that for those who say the U.S. doesn’t have enough money to pay for social safety nets, they should look at Musk and other billionaires making bank by getting government contracts.

"We let a--holes like Elon Musk cut Medicaid and cut social security in order for him to pay for his own tax cuts and his own billion dollars in private federal contracts."

"This guy takes billions and billions of your tax dollars, of your public funds. And it's not just Elon. All these guys, a lot of a lot of these tech guys that were standing behind Trump at the inauguration."

She likened them to defense contractors like Boeing and Lockheed Martin and said she believes that healthcare is a human right. 

"They are robbing us of the tiny slivers of what we have left in our collective public social safety net in order to get $1 billion defense contracts… They fund propaganda for it and they buy platforms like Twitter and, yeah, Meta, and all these other things."

She said the stakes are high, and it will take people going out and speaking to Republicans and convincing them of the Democrat message.

"We cannot give up on winning the hearts and minds of our fellow Americans."

Fox News' Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.