Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., on Sunday said he "couldn’t be happier" with President-elect Trump’s Cabinet nominees, saying he will work to push them through as quickly as possible.
When Paul was asked during an appearance on "Sunday Morning Futures" whether he would support all of Trump’s picks for his inner circle, the senator responded, "I couldn't have picked better."
"The vast majority I will support on day one," the senator said. "We’ll try to get Kristi Noem through Department of Homeland Security, Russ Vought for [Office of Management and Budget]. … I think in the first week you'll have half a dozen of them approved in the first week."
Paul said that he will control one committee in charge of confirming the nominees, adding, "I pledge to get them through as quickly as possible."
Paul has said that he will chair the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee with the start of the new Congress in January.
Trump has handpicked an array of establishment and unconventional officials for the 15 top posts in his Cabinet, including Health and Human Services pick Robert F. Kennedy Jr., FBI Director selection Kash Patel and Sen. Marco Rubio as the nominee for Secretary of State.
Some of Trump’s picks proved controversial, such as Patel, Defense Secretary pick Pete Hegseth and Director of National Intelligence nominee Tulsi Gabbard.
In late November, Fox News Digital learned that nearly a dozen of Trump’s Cabinet nominees and other appointees tapped for the incoming administration were targeted with "violent, unAmerican threats to their lives and those who live with them."
The chaotic collapse of the continuing resolution spending bill is putting House Speaker Mike Johnson’s, R-La., leadership under the spotlight and Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., has floated the idea of replacing him with Elon Musk, President-elect Trump's pick to co-chair his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Paul took to Musk’s X on Thursday morning to pitch the idea of the tech billionaire taking the House speaker’s gavel, noting that the speaker does not need to be a sitting member of Congress.
"The Speaker of the House need not be a member of Congress… Nothing would disrupt the swamp more than electing Elon Musk… think about it... nothing’s impossible. (not to mention the joy at seeing the collective establishment, aka ‘uniparty,’ lose their ever-lovin’ minds)," wrote Paul, a staunchly libertarian conservative on fiscal matters.
Musk, an outspoken critic of government waste, has weighed in on the spending bill debate and led a conservative revolt against the latest plan due to its bloated spending provisions — calling for lawmakers who supported the bill to lose their seats.
"Any member of the House or Senate who votes for this outrageous spending bill deserves to be voted out in 2 years!" Musk wrote on X. The legislation has angered conservatives, including President-elect Trump who also called for it to be scrapped.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., confirmed to reporters that the deal was dead while leaving the Capitol on Wednesday night. It came after GOP critics of the spending bill spent much of the day attacking Johnson's handling of the issue.
It's unclear if Paul was serious in his suggestion or if the post was made with tongue-in-cheek.
Democratic political strategist Jimmy Williams balked at the idea.
"Senators should stick to Senating and House Members should stick to their Chamber," Williams wrote on X. "No House Member gives a damn what a Senator thinks about who should be Speaker."
However, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., backed the idea.
"I’d be open to supporting @elonmusk for Speaker of the House," Greene wrote on X, replying to Paul. "DOGE can only truly be accomplished by reigning in Congress to enact real government efficiency. The establishment needs to be shattered just like it was yesterday. This could be the way."
Johnson ascended to the speakership after former House Speaker Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., was ousted late last year in a move initiated by eight Republican rebels, becoming the first House speaker to be voted out of the position in U.S. history.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D- N.Y., said last week that no Democrats will vote for Johnson on Jan. 3 when his leadership is scheduled to be voted on.
With Republicans set to hold a four-seat majority, Johnson retaining the gavel is not guaranteed.
Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., said Wednesday that he won’t vote for Johnson, barring a "Christmas miracle." Earlier this year, Massie supported Greene in pushing to remove Johnson from the speakership, but the vast majority of members in both parties ultimately voted to spike the ouster effort.
With Rep. Victoria Spartz, R-Ind., saying she will no longer caucus with Republicans while remaining a registered Republican, that may reduce Johnson's support to a single vote.
Paul is not the only senator to weigh in on Johnson’s leadership.
On Wednesday, Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo, took aim at the House speaker for the chaotic situation playing out on Capitol Hill and suggested change.
"It's ridiculous. It's a horrible plan. I can't believe that Republican leadership ever cooked it up," Hawley told "Hannity."
"Clearly, they didn't talk to Trump about it, and I tell you what, we need to have a serious look at who's leading this Congress because if this is the best they could do, I mean, it's just it's total incompetence, this is a disaster."
Hawley said the latest plan would saddle the incoming administration with a "terrible spending bill" and it would need to be revisited again in March.
"Under this bill, they'd shut the government down again, have to do this all over again, have to raise the debt ceiling again later, the same year," he said.
"This bill right here would add hundreds of billions of dollars to the deficit, and the worst part is, it is all for Dem priorities."
Fox News’ Danielle Wallace and Alex Nitzberg contributed to this report.
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., blocked a Senate bill Wednesday that would have authorized resources for state and local authorities to track drones that have mystified residents across New Jersey and the Northeast in recent weeks.
Paul objected to the passage of the bill, citing his long-standing concerns over expanding governmental powers.
"This body must not rush to grant sweeping surveillance powers without proper consideration and debate by the committees of jurisdiction," he said.
Paul said the bill would "expand federal authority to intercept communications and disrupt drone activity – powers that raise serious concerns for Americans' privacy, civil liberties, and Fourth Amendment protections against unwarranted search and seizure."
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., sought to speed a bipartisan bill through the Senate by seeking unanimous consent on the floor before it was blocked by Paul.
"The people in New York and New Jersey have a lot of questions, and they’re not getting good enough answers," said Schumer. "The utter confusion surrounding these drone sightings shows that the feds can’t respond all on their own."
In addition to giving local authorities the ability to track drones, the proposed legislation would expand some federal agencies’ authority to start a pilot program to allow states and local authorities to disrupt, disable or seize a drone without prior consent of the operator.
The drone sightings across the Northeast have worried some local and state officials, but the Biden administration has said the drones don’t appear to be a sign of foreign interference or a public safety threat.
However, they have not determined who is responsible for them.
President-elect Trump last week called for the administration to release information on the drones or shoot them down. Paul, who has often called for limiting governmental powers, said he objected to the bill because it wasn't clear that urgent action was needed.
"We're being told that this legislation is urgent, that it is needed to address an imminent drone threat," he said. "Yet the government itself admits no such threat exists."
Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., has compared America's practice of doling out aid to foreign countries to a preposterous hypothetical scenario in which an individual waters their neighbor's yard while their own house burns.
"US foreign aid spending is like watering the neighbor’s yard while your house is on fire," he tweeted.
The congressman followed up his initial comment by sharing an AI-generated image of House Speaker Mike Johnson holding a hose as flames emerge from a house behind him.
Fox News Digital reached out to request comment from Massie and a spokesperson confirmed that the image was created using AI, specifically, Grok.
Vivek Ramaswamy replied to Massie's comment about foreign aid by noting, "It’s worse - because unlike a household, U.S. government actors are spending *other* people’s money to do it."
President-elect Donald Trump tapped Ramaswamy and Elon Musk to advocate government cost-cutting via an effort dubbed the Department of Governmental Efficiency (DOGE).
But getting Republicans on board with drastic spending cuts could prove problematic.
Massie colorfully warned during a WABC radio interview, "I have Republican colleagues who'd rather run over their own mom with a car than to vote to cut spending."
In a post on X, GOP Rep. Chip Roy of Texas agreed with Massie's take, noting, "He’s not wrong…."
Conservatives have been savaging a government spending proposal released at the last-minute to avert the prospect of a looming partial government shutdown, even as some Republicans, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, speak out in favor of it.
"I had hoped to see @SpeakerJohnson grow a spine, but this bill full of pork shows he is a weak, weak man. The debt will continue to grow. Ultimately the dollar will fail. Democrats are clueless and Big Gov Republicans are complicit. A sad day for America," Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., declared in a post on X.
Fox News Digital reached out to request comment from Johnson about Paul and Massie's comments and the AI-generated image Massie shared, but a Johnson spokesperson pointed to the speaker's interview on "Fox & Friends."
Johnson noted during the interview that the spending measure kicks the government funding issue until March when Republicans will have control of Congress and the White House, enabling the GOP to "decide spending for 2025." The speaker also pointed to disaster relief in the measure as well as aid related to farmers.
"People call me ‘NostraThomas’ for accurately predicting @SpeakerJohnson would use the Christmas recess to force a massive spending bill through Congress. After claiming he would not, Johnson is embracing a D.C. tradition that's nearly as old as decorating Christmas trees," Massie tweeted.
Earlier this year Johnson said there would not be a "Christmas omnibus."
Pressed this week by Fox News senior congressional correspondent Chad Pergram, Johnson said the measure under consideration is "not an omnibus."
First on Fox – The Fraternal Order of Police sent letters to both President-elect Trump and Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., outlining their staunch support of South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem as secretary of homeland security, in what insiders say is the first in what will be a long list of law enforcement endorsements.
"Governor Noem has been a longtime ally of the FOP during both her tenure in the House of Representatives and as Governor of South Dakota. The South Dakota State Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police endorsed Governor Noem for her re-election campaign in 2022, citing her belief in the rule of law and commitment to public safety," Fraternal Order of Police national president Patrick Yoes wrote in a November letter to Trump, which was obtained by Fox News Digital.
"Once confirmed, the FOP will work with Governor Noem to secure our border, stop the flow of fentanyl into the United States, as well as support all the critical missions of the DHS – which has more law enforcement officers than any other Federal Department – in defending our homeland and keeping the American public safe," Yoes continued.
The FOP is the largest organization of sworn law enforcement officers, boasting roughly 377,000 members across the nation, with Yoes calling on both Trump and the Senate to swiftly confirm Noem in order for police and law enforcement officers to crack down on crimes ranging from illegal immigration to deadly fentanyl pouring over the border.
The DHS oversees U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the U.S. Secret Service and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
In his separate letter to Paul, Yoes called on the upcoming chairman of the committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs – who will preside over Noem's confirmation – to swiftly confirm Noem in the Senate, while arguing that under the Trump administration, DHS will be allowed "the opportunity to take bold actions towards protecting our communities."
"The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) employs more law enforcement than any other Federal department, and as such we ask the Committee to expeditiously review and confirm nominees as soon as possible to ensure a seamless transition. We especially encourage the committee to hold the earliest possible hearing on Governor Kristi L. Noem to be the next Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The FOP supports her nomination, and we look forward to working with her to secure our border," Yoes wrote.
Paul has already publicly said he would "expeditiously move President Trump’s critical nominees, including Governor Kristi Noem, in time for Inauguration Day."
Washington, D.C., insiders told Fox News Digital that the FOP's unwavering support of Noem is just the first in what is anticipated to be a long list of law enforcement support behind the nomination.
Trump, who ran in part on a platform of ending the immigration crisis at the southern border and cracking down on the deadly drug epidemic ravaging communities across the nation, announced his nomination of Noem just days after his massive win over Vice President Kamala Harris last month.
"She was the first Governor to send National Guard Soldiers to help Texas fight the Biden Border Crisis, and they were sent a total of eight times," Trump's announcement on Nov. 12 read.
"She will work closely with ‘Border Czar’ Tom Homan to secure the Border, and will guarantee that our American Homeland is secure from our adversaries," Trump added.
Noem has served as governor of the Mount Rushmore State since 2019, and notably gained national attention and praise from conservatives during the pandemic when she bucked lockdown orders and mask mandates common in liberal states such as California and New York.
Republican state leaders and others praised Trump's pick of Noem to lead DHS, citing her tough stance on illegal immigration that has rocked the nation since 2021, including Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott dubbing her a "border hawk."
"On behalf of the more than 377,000 members of the Fraternal Order of Police, I commend you on your selection of Governor Noem to lead the DHS, and we look forward to resuming our partnership with you and your Administration," Yoes wrote in his letters to both Trump and Paul.
