Politics

China is the most active and persistent cyberthreat to American critical infrastructure, but that threat has changed over the last two decades, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) says. “I do not think it is possible to design a foolproof system, but I do not think that should be the goal. The goal should be to make it very difficult to get in,” Cris Thomas, sometimes known as Space Rogue, a member of L0pht Heavy Industries, said during testimony before the Governmental Affairs Committee May 19, 1998. L0pht Heavy Industries was part of one of the first congressional hearings on cybersecurity threats. Members of the group warned it was possible to take down the internet in 30 minutes and that it was nearly impossible to make a defense system that was 100% foolproof. It also had difficulties when it came to tracking where threats came from. FBI, CISA SAY CHINESE HACKERS BREACHED MULTIPLE US TELECOM PROVIDERS IN TARGETED ATTACK “Backtracking and reverse hacking is a relatively tricky area. Based upon the relatively antiquated protocols that you are dealing with, there is not a tremendous amount of information as to where things came from, just that they came,” said another member of the group, Peiter Zatko, who testified under his codename, “Mudge.” By the time the hearing took place, China was likely already at work. In the early 2000s, the U.S. government became aware of Chinese espionage targeting government entities. One string of operations known as Titan Rain started as early as 2003 and included hacks on the U.S. departments of State, Homeland Security and Energy. The public became aware of the attacks several years later. Around that time, the current CISA Director, Jen Easterly, was deployed to Iraq to investigate how terrorists were using new technology. “I actually started in the world of counterterrorism, and I was deployed to Iraq and saw how terrorists were using communications technologies for recruitment and radicalization and operationalizing improvised explosive devices,” Easterly said. T-MOBILE HACKED BY CHINESE CYBER ESPIONAGE IN MAJOR ATTACK ON US TELECOMS At that time the U.S. government was investing in cyberwarfare. The Bush administration had ordered studies on computer network attacks, but officials eventually expressed concern over the amount of damage those attacks could cause. Instead, the U.S. moved to a more defensive posture that focused on defending against attacks. “When I stood at the Army’s first cyber Battalion and was involved in the stand-up of U.S. Cyber Command, we were very focused on nation-state adversaries,” Easterly said. “Back then, China was really an espionage threat that we were focused on.” Threats from China would eventually intensify. According to the Council on Foreign Relations’ cyber operations tracker, in the early 2000s, China’s cyber campaigns mostly focused on spying on government agencies. “Officials have rated China’s aggressive and wide-ranging espionage as the leading threat to U.S. technology,” Sen. Kit Bond, R-Mo., warned in 2007. By then, China had a history of spying on U.S. innovation and using it to replicate its own infrastructure. In 2009, Chinese hackers were suspected of stealing information from Lockheed Martin’s Joint Strike Fighter Program. Over the years, China has debuted fighter jets that look and operate like U.S. planes. CHINESE HACKERS OUTNUMBER FBI CYBER PERSONNEL ‘BY AT LEAST 50 TO 1,’ WRAY TESTIFIES “China is the preeminent threat to the U.S.,” Easterly said. “We are laser-focused on doing everything we can to identify Chinese activity, to eradicate it and to make sure we can defend our critical infrastructure from Chinese cyber actors.” In 2010, China shifted its targets to the public sector and began targeting telecommunications companies. Operation Aurora was a series of cyberattacks in which actors conducted phishing campaigns and compromised the networks of companies like Yahoo, Morgan Stanley, Google and dozens more. Google left China after the hacks and has yet to return its operations to the country. By the turn of a new decade, evidence showed China was also spying on critical infrastructure in the U.S. and abroad. “Now we are looking at them as a threat to do disruptive and destructive operations here in the U.S. That is really an evolution that, frankly, I was not tracking and was pretty surprised when we saw this campaign,” Easterly said. The Council on Foreign Relations Cyber Operation Tracker reveals China has frequently targeted trade operations and military operations in the South China Sea, and one of its favorite targets in the past decade has been Taiwan. “We have seen these actors burrowing deep into our critical infrastructure,” Easterly said. “It’s not for espionage, it’s not for data theft. It’s specifically so that they can launch disruptive or destructive attacks in the event of a crisis in the Taiwan Strait.” Taiwan is the world’s largest producer of semiconductors, and data shows how China has spied on all companies involved in all parts of that supply chain from mining to semiconductor producers. “A war in Asia could have very real impacts on the lives of Americans. You could see pipelines blowing up, trains getting derailed, water getting polluted. It really is part of China’s plan to ensure they can incite societal panic and deter our ability to marshal military might and citizen will. This is the most serious threat that I have seen in my career,” Easterly said. China’s public and private sector are closely intertwined by regulation, unlike in the U.S., where partnerships are key for defense. “At the end of the day, it is a team sport. We work very closely with our intelligence community and our military partners at U.S. Cyber Command. And we have to work together to ensure that we are leveraging the full tools across the U.S. government and, of course, working with our private sector partners,” Easterly said.  “They own the vast majority of our critical infrastructure. They are on the front lines of it. And, so, ensuring that we have very robust operational collaboration with the private sector is critical to our success in ensuring the

President-elect Trump expressed public support for embattled defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth Friday, and the nominee said he had a “substantive conversation” with Sen. Joni Ernst.  Hegseth, a former National Guard officer, has been meeting with Republican senators this week to rally support as allegations of sexual misconduct and excessive drinking have surfaced. He has denied any wrongdoing.  Ernst has not committed to voting for Hegseth.  “Looks like Pete is doing well now,” Trump told Kristen Welker on “Meet the Press” Friday. “I mean, people were a little bit concerned. He’s a young guy with a tremendous track record, actually. Went to Princeton, went to Harvard. He was a good student at both, but he loves the military. And I think people are starting to see it. So, we’ll be working on his nomination along with a lot of others.” PETE HEGSETH SAYS HE WILL BE ‘STANDING RIGHT HERE IN THIS FIGHT’ AFTER MEETING WITH SENATORS Trump confirmed he still has confidence in Hegseth. “He’s a very smart guy,” Trump said. “I’ve known him through Fox, but I’ve known him for a long time. I mean, he’s basically a military guy. I mean, every time I talk to him, all he wants to talk about is the military.” Trump said that while he didn’t have assurances from senators that his nomination would be confirmed, he believes he will get it through.  “I’ve had a lot of senators calling me up saying he’s fantastic,” Trump said.  Asked by Welker about the allegations of excessive drinking, Trump said, “Well, I’ve spoken to people that know him very well, and they say he does not have a drinking problem.”  INCOMING WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY ADDRESSES TRUMP’S SUPPORT OF HEGSETH Trump also supported Hegseth on Truth Social on Friday, writing, “Pete Hegseth is doing very well. His support is strong and deep. He was a great student – Princeton/Harvard educated – with a Military state of mind. He will be a fantastic, high energy, Secretary of Defense, one who leads with charisma and skill. Pete is a WINNER, and there is nothing that can be done to change that.” Hegseth wrote on his X account Friday: “I just had another substantive conversation with Senator Ernst, I appreciate her sincere commitment to defense policy, and I look forward to meeting with her again next week.” Ernst also called their meeting “constructive” on her account, adding that the two plan to meet again next week.  “Pete Hegseth and I will continue our constructive conversations as we move forward together in this process. We plan to meet again next week. At a minimum, we agree that he deserves the opportunity to lay out his vision for our warfighters at a fair hearing,” she said.  Vice President-elect JD Vance also told reporters Friday that Hegseth has the incoming administration’s full support and won’t face a “sham hearing before the American media.” TRUMP FLOATS DESANTIS AS POTENTIAL DEFENSE SECRETARY REPLACEMENT IF HEGSETH FALTERS “Pete Hegseth is going to get his hearing before the Senate Armed Forces Committee, not a sham hearing before the American media,” Vance told reporters while in North Carolina. “We believe Pete Hegseth is the right guy to lead the Department of Defense. That’s why Trump nominated him. We’re not abandoning this nomination. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “I fully support Pete. I think Pete’s going to get confirmed, and we are completely behind him. I have talked to Joni [Ernst]. I’ve talked to a number of my colleagues about this nomination and about other nominations. All I’m asking is people actually allow the Senate nomination process to work. We do not determine important government officials based on anonymous sourcing from the American media.” Latest Political News on Fox News Read More

In 2025, the Trump administration and Congress are poised to represent a significant realignment of political power, moving its focus from the East and West coasts to the heartland after decades of coastal dominance. Republicans chose Sen. John Thune of South Dakota as majority leader of the upper legislative chamber. President-elect Trump nominated South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to lead Homeland Security and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum as secretary of the interior. Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., figures to hold a top cybersecurity subcommittee post. In that regard, Dakota State University President José-Marie Griffiths, who has advised Noem, Burgum and other regional figures, particularly on cybersecurity issues, said it’s about time the region received attention. TIK TOK’S BIPARTISAN BACKLASH A ‘WONDERFUL SIGN’: NOEM “These people all have a worldview that’s much larger than just the middle of the country, obviously. But it’s nice to know that the voices of the people in this part of the country will be heard and presumably considered and taken into account on a larger scale,” she said. During Bill Clinton’s first run for president, his top strategist James Carville called Pennsylvania “Philadelphia and Pittsburgh with Alabama in the middle,” which led to “Pennsyltucky” becoming part of the national lexicon as a punchline. Recent legislative leaders also hailed largely from California and New York with Kentucky’s Mitch McConnell being an exception. In her interview with Fox News Digital, Griffiths added that the idea of bringing more prominence both institutionally and occupationally to the heartland does have a few proponents on the coasts. NOEM BLASTS FAUCI, CONTRASTS WITH SD COVID MEASURES She noted Rep. Ro Khanna’s past comments about expanding his district’s “Silicon Valley” economy to other underserved parts of the country. The Democrat visited rural Kentucky and West Virginia to support emerging tech programs and to study how the private sector and federal funds can enhance such efforts. “No person should be forced to leave their hometown to get a new economy job,” Khanna previously said. On Friday, Griffiths added that in the 7,000-person town of Madison, South Dakota, where she lives and works, people are happy with their environs and don’t wish to relocate to Khanna’s California or commercial hubs like New York with its population of 8.3 million. “We have a tremendous number of really good young people in this part of the world,” she said. “They want to [stay] here, and we want to make sure that there’s opportunity for them to do the kinds of work that they’re well qualified for.” Griffiths isn’t the only South Dakotan anxious to see what the new year brings for her region. Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., who represents the entire state in Congress, spoke briefly on the matter after a meeting with DOGE figureheads Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy Thursday. One proposal from DOGE proponents is to shift bureaucratic power outside of Washington, D.C., to areas where its work is relevant and people can interact better with agencies. “The U.S. Forest Service should be moved to Rapid City, South Dakota,” Johnson said. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “The Black Hills of South Dakota offer an incredible natural resource, and it is a forest that has faced all of the major challenges facing our forests across this country. I would tell you the people in the Black Hills love that forest, and they want to make sure that it exists for generations.” Johnson said it would be easier to move the agency, founded by former Pennsylvania Republican Gov. Gifford Pinchot and long anchored in Washington, closer to the areas it affects. Meanwhile, Griffiths said that with Noem potentially succeeding Alejandro Mayorkas, a South Dakotan will be primed to shift more attention to the issue of cybersecurity in the regionally relevant agriculture sector. “Not only does she have the borders to protect, but there’s a strong cybersecurity component to her mandate there. And then Doug being in Interior and chairing that Energy Council energy consortium will be very, very interesting because that also goes to support the efforts in terms of having the United States retain its lead role in new and emerging technologies,” Griffiths said, noting DSU is a STEM university. To the north, Mark Jorritsma of the North Dakota Family Alliance, which works to “strengthen faith, family and freedom” and works closely with state leaders, said he is also encouraged by the federal leadership shift. “We are excited that the Dakotas will have an even more significant influence on the path our country takes,” Jorritsma said Friday. “President-elect Trump continues to show his support for things that have made our country great — an abundance of resources and energy, the importance of the agricultural sector and an emphasis on faith, family and freedom. “We look forward to strong leadership by these individuals, representing not only the Midwest, but advancing the values that have been foundational to the success of our entire nation.” Fox News Digital reached out to Burgum, Noem, Rounds and Thune, but did not receive responses by press time.  Latest Political News on Fox News Read More

President-elect Trump is in Europe this weekend for his first overseas trip since his convincing victory in last month’s presidential election. Trump will meet with Emmanuel Macron after the French president invited him to attend Saturday’s star-studded VIP event for the official reopening of the newly restored Notre Dame Cathedral, five years after a devastating fire wrecked the centuries-old Paris landmark. First Lady Jill Biden will also attend the ceremonies, but it’s Trump who will be holding court with world leaders. The president-elect’s appearance will serve as Trump’s unofficial return to the global stage, and it is another reminder that he is quickly becoming the center of the world’s attention. TRUMP RETURNING TO EUROPE FOR FIRST TIME SINCE ELECTION “This is without question a major moment in French history and the fact that Macron wanted to share it with Trump speaks to the significance of what Trump is achieving even before he gets to the Oval Office again, said Brett Bruen, a public affairs and strategic communications veteran, and former U.S. diplomat who served under both Democratic and Republican administrations. “He is being feted quite literally in Paris with all the glitz and glamour,” Bruen, president of the Global Situation Room, added. WHY BIDEN’S PARDON OF HIS SON HUNTER IS A POLITICAL GIFT FOR TRUMP And Bruen and other analysts give credit to Macron for inviting Trump to this weekend’s festivities. “This is a really smart move by Macron to get things rolling in the right direction when it comes to U.S.-French relations under Trump,” he said. “But let’s also not forget the fact that Macron is both badly weakened in his own country and on the European continent…[Macron] may see in Trump an opportunity to restore his lost luster as the European leader who can most effectively engage with the new American president.” Trump has taken a slew of calls in the weeks since the November election from international leaders congratulating him on his White House victory.  The trip to Paris comes a week after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau hastily made an unannounced stop in Mar-a-Lago to dine with Trump after the president-elect threatened a trade war with Canada and Mexico.  DEMOCRATIC GOVERNORS SAY THEY’RE THE ‘LAST LINE OF DEFENSE’ AGAINST TRUMP Trump argued that Canada had failed to prevent large amounts of drugs and undocumented people from crossing the northern border into the U.S. and also pointed to America’s massive trade deficit with Canada. According to reporting from Fox News’ Bret Baier, Trump suggested to Trudeau that Canada could become the 51st state. Trump has also weighed in recently on a number of international conflicts. In the volatile Middle East, the president-elect warned this week in a social media post that there would be “ALL HELL TO PAY” if Hamas does not release all the hostages held in Gaza before he is inaugurated on Jan. 20. News of Trump’s invitation to Paris came earlier this week as President Biden was on a history-making trip to Angola, as he became the first American president to visit the sub-Saharan African nation. But Biden, likely on his last overseas trip before Trump takes over in the White House next month, is already being overshadowed on the world stage by his predecessor and successor. “While President-elect [Trump] is still weeks away from taking the oath of office, loyalties and the attention of world leaders has shifted to the incoming President and from Washington to Mar-a-lago with breathtaking speed,” Wayne Lesperance, a veteran political scientist and president of New England College, told Fox News. Matt Mowers, a veteran GOP national public affairs strategist and former diplomat at the State Department during Trump’s first administration, made the case that “Biden’s essentially been a lame duck” for months and that “world leaders have been shifting their gaze to the next administration. While members of the Biden White House would likely disagree with such sentiments – especially after the current administration played a large role in hammering out the cease-fire that halted fighting in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah – it is undeniable that world leaders have already started to engage directly with the incoming president and administration. While the spotlight traditionally shifts from the outgoing to the incoming president, Mowers argued that “it is more pronounced this time because the difference in the Biden and Trump approach to foreign policy is so different.” Mowers emphasized that Trump is already aiming “to shape world events” by “being bold, not timid, in the statements he’s putting out, and the world is already reacting to that kind of American strength.” “World leaders that want to get something done… have to engage with Trump,” he added. Matthew Bartlett, a Republican strategist who served at the State Department during Trump’s first term, told Fox News that “the world is demanding leadership” and that “the Oval Office has been replaced by Mar-a-Lago.” Lesperance, pointing to Biden’s swing through Africa, noted that lame duck presidents’ final weeks are “usually filled with celebratory moments and efforts to cement one’s legacy. Often the focus is on their role on the world stage on behalf of America and its allies.’ However, he argued that “Biden’s pronouncements on Ukraine, Gaza and the importance of climate change go largely ignored by world leaders. Instead, they focus on Trump’s picks for his foreign policy team and pronouncements about changes in U.S. foreign policy position. It’s pretty evident that while Biden attempts a victory tour, the world has turned the page.” Latest Political News on Fox News Read More

Special Counsel Jack Smith is required to submit to the Justice Department a report summarizing the results of his dual investigations into President-elect Trump — an action that will put a formal end to his two-year probe and one that will punt all next steps, including whether to make public the results of the report, to outgoing Attorney General Merrick Garland. Smith — a longtime prosecutor who worked in The Hague and at the Justice Department, including as chief of the DOJ’s Public Integrity Section — was tapped by Garland in 2022 to investigate both the alleged effort by Trump and his allies to overturn the results of the 2020 election, as well as Trump’s keeping of allegedly classified documents at his Florida residence.  Justice Department regulations mandate that a special counsel submit to the attorney general a confidential report detailing the findings of their investigation after it is concluded, and explaining any prosecution or declination decisions they reached as a result of the probe. In Smith’s case, the prosecution decision is immaterial, given Trump’s status as president-elect and longstanding Justice Department policy against bringing criminal charges against a sitting president.  TIM WALZ ADMITS HE WAS SURPRISED BY ELECTION DEFEAT: ‘THOUGHT THE COUNTRY WAS READY’ But he still must outline the investigation and its findings in his report to Garland, who will then decide whether to share it publicly.  Notably, Garland has opted to release the reports from two other special counsels whose investigations concluded during his tenure — publishing both the summary reports submitted by John Durham, who was tapped by then-Attorney General Bill Barr in 2019 to review law enforcement and intelligence gathering during the 2016 presidential campaign and the origins of the Trump-Russia probe, as well as the final report from Robert Hur, a former U.S. attorney whom he tapped in 2023 to investigate President Biden’s handling of classified documents. These reports were made public at the same time as they were shared with members of Congress. But it is unclear whether Garland will move to do the same with Smith’s findings, given their sensitivity and Trump’s status as president-elect. The Justice Department declined to respond to Fox News’s request for comment on the status of the report or whether Garland plans to share it publicly.  Smith has long pointed to Dec. 2 as the deadline for his team to submit their final status reports to the federal judges in the D.C. and the 11th Circuit Courts summarizing the results of their investigations into the cases against Trump, which were dismissed without prejudice late last month. Under Justice Department regulations, a special counsel is required at the conclusion of their work to “provide the Attorney General with a confidential report explaining the prosecution or declination decisions reached.” TRUMP’S AG PICK HAS ‘HISTORY OF CONSENSUS BUILDING’ Garland has the authority to decide whether to make Smith’s report public before Biden leaves office, or whether to punt it to the incoming Trump administration.  It is unclear how he will act, however, and the Justice Department did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for more information on the matter. Smith had indicted Trump in D.C. earlier this year on charges stemming from the former president’s alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election outcome, and his team also brought federal charges against Trump in Florida in the classified documents case.  Trump, for his part, had railed against the special counsel investigation as a politically motivated “witch hunt” and vowed during his presidential campaign to fire Smith “within two seconds,” if elected. Smith, for his part, is expected to resign before Trump’s inauguration, and his team of prosecutors has moved in recent weeks to wind down their cases against Trump. ‘IT’S A SETBACK’: DEMOCRATS CRITICIZE BIDEN OVER HUNTER PARDON Late last month, Smith filed motions to vacate deadlines in both cases against Trump following his election, citing an Office of Legal Counsel memo that states it is against Department of Justice policy to investigate a sitting president for federal criminal charges and is a violation of the separation of powers doctrine.  They have also cited a July Supreme Court decision that widened the criteria for immunity for sitting presidents. Smith’s team stressed in their most recent court filing that their motion to vacate the case is based solely on the Office of Legal Counsel policy, and not on the merits of the investigation itself. “That prohibition is categorical and does not turn on the gravity of the crimes charged, the strength of the Government’s proof, or the merits of the prosecution, which the Government stands fully behind,” Smith’s office wrote in their motion to dismiss the election interference case. “The Government’s position on the merits of the defendant’s prosecution has not changed. But the circumstances have,” they added.  Latest Political News on Fox News Read More

Conservatives on social media blasted former President Obama after his first speech since the presidential election in which he lamented polarization in politics.  During a speech Thursday at the Obama Foundation’s Democracy Forum, Obama made the case that if “one side” attempts to cement “a permanent grip on power” through “suppressing votes,” “politicizing” the military or weaponizing the judiciary and criminal justice system to target opponents, “a line has been crossed.” “Pluralism is not about holding hands and singing ‘Kumbaya,’” Obama said. “It is not about abandoning your convictions and folding when things get tough. It is about recognizing that, in a democracy, power comes from forging alliances and building coalitions and making room in those coalitions not only for the woke, but the waking. “Purity tests are not a recipe for long-term success.” ‘DEPORTER-IN-CHIEF’ OBAMA SURPASSED DEPORTATIONS UNDER TRUMP’S FIRST TERM Obama’s speech quickly drew strong criticism from conservatives.  “It’s over for Obama,” journalist Miranda Devine posted on X. “The spell is broken. Donald Trump vanquished him, Biden, Harris, the Bushes, the Cheneys. All of them, with a spring in his step.” “Ever since his last minute desperate smear of Trump with the ‘very fine people on both sides’ lie, Barack Obama has been slowing realizing his status as false prophet of the Democrat party is no more,” conservative radio host Buck Sexton posted on X.  EAGLES’ JALEN HURTS WOULDN’T GOLF WITH OBAMA AND MADE A DISPUTED EXCUSE WHY: ‘HE DIDN’T WANT THESE PROBLEMS’ “Obama turned our politics into ‘if you disagree with me, you are a bad person,’” Republican communicator Matt Whitlock posted on X. “Few people did more to pave the way for Trump. So he can take a seat.” “By voting in a democratic election, millions of people proved they hate democracy,” author Jon Gabriel posted on X. “Yes, this Obama fellow is quite the intellect.” “Setting aside the unbelievable hypocrisy here, this is also the guy who’s launching a project to lessen our political divisions. Being the problem — way up on his high horse, looking down disappointedly at the unwashed masses — while publicly lamenting the problem is peak Obama,” Fox News contributor Guy Benson posted on X. Obama, in his remarks, insisted he is “convinced that if we want democracy as we understand it to survive,” people must work for a renewed dedication to pluralist principles.  “Because the alternative is what we’ve seen here in the United States and in many democracies around the globe. Not just more gridlock. Not just public cynicism. But an increasing willingness” among “politicians and their followers to violate democratic norms. To do anything they can to get their way. To use the power of the state to target critics and journalists and political rivals and to even resort to violence” to obtain and retain power.  Fox News Digital’s Alex Nitberg contributed to this report Latest Political News on Fox News Read More

President-elect Trump announced last week that he intends to nominate former White House aide and longtime ally Kash Patel to serve as FBI director, potentially making him the only U.S. president to have fired and installed two separate FBI directors in the middle of their 10-year terms.  “Kash is a brilliant lawyer, investigator, and ‘America First’ fighter who has spent his career exposing corruption, defending Justice, and protecting the American People,” Trump said in a social media post announcing his intent to nominate Patel for FBI director.  “He played a pivotal role in uncovering the Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax, standing as an advocate for truth, accountability, and the Constitution.” Patel is a close ally of the president-elect and served in the first Trump administration both as a deputy assistant and as the senior director for counterterrorism. He was endorsed on Friday by the National Police Association, which praised Patel’s record of “transparency” and “accountability” that it said makes him well-positioned to head up the nation’s sprawling law enforcement agency.  KASH PATEL: MILLEY, BIDEN ADMIN ‘PEDDLING FALSE FACTS’ ON CHINA PHONE-CALL CONTROVERSY  Still, news of Trump’s plans to nominate Patel was met with criticism — if not shock — from others in the law enforcement community.  That’s because replacing a sitting FBI director is a controversial move that breaks with the express purpose of the role, which, under post-Watergate laws, mandated that directors are nominated for 10-year terms: an express length of time designed to allow the directors — at least in theory — to operate outside political pressure or interference from a sitting president. Trump sent shock waves through the law enforcement community in 2017 when he fired then-FBI Director James Comey, who at the time was less than four years into his 10-year term. Trump also personally selected current FBI Director Christopher Wray — whom he praised at the time as a “fierce guardian of the law and model of integrity” — to replace him. For Trump to install Patel as FBI director, two things must happen: Wray must exit the job, and Patel must earn Senate confirmation.  How Wray will leave remains unclear.  He could opt to voluntarily vacate the position on his own before Trump’s inauguration, though he has not yet said whether he plans to do so. If Wray does not voluntarily vacate his position, Trump could be the only president in U.S. history to have fired and installed two separate FBI directors. TRUMP TRANSITION SIGNS AGREEMENT FOR FBI BACKGROUND CHECKS Patel must also be confirmed by the Senate, though it is likely that the Republican-led chamber will move to approve him for the role. Patel’s nomination has sparked early criticism from some Democrats ahead of his confirmation hearing, who have cited his previous vows to prosecute journalists and career officials at the Justice Department and FBI that he sees as being part of the “deep state.” He has since attempted to clarify some of those remarks. Only one other FBI director has been fired in U.S. history: William Sessions, a Reagan appointee who was widely disliked both for being an ineffective leader and for using his post to commandeer limousines and private government flights for personal business, among other things. Latest Political News on Fox News Read More

Texas Democratic Rep. Greg Casar, the newly elected chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, spent years as a City Council member in Austin and led the charge to strip funding from local law enforcement — at one point bragging about it on social media. “We did it!!” Casar wrote on X after legislation he drafted in the Austin City Council passed, resulting in a more than $100 million cut in local police funding and an end to three incoming cadet classes. The measure passed unanimously in 2020 after a stint of police shootings involving people of color.  Casar on Thursday was elevated to the highest-ranking leadership position for progressives in the House of Representatives, following a unanimous vote from his peers in the caucus. The move comes as Democrats continue to conduct a forensic analysis following the election, many of whom have called on the party to take a more centrist approach in the future.  Casar’s history as a public official, particularly at the local level, does not illustrate moderation, according to Dennis Farris, president of the Austin Police Retired Officers Association.  “‘Far-left radical’ is a really good way to describe what he did in [Austin],” said Farris. EVEN DEMOCRATIC VOTERS REJECTED LEFTIST POLICIES AND POLITICIANS IN THE MOST SURPRISING PLACES In 2017, Casar led a charge to reject a mutually agreed upon contract between the City of Austin and the Austin Police Association, setting off a wave of retirements and hiring issues due to the uncertainty around job security and benefits for officers. Meanwhile, in 2020, Casar led the drafting of legislation to strip more than $100 million in funding to the police department, which included the elimination of funding from three planned police cadet classes. Instead, the reallocated funds went to programs related to abortion access, affordable housing and food security.  Shortly thereafter, the City of Austin began redirecting certain 911 calls to mental health professionals. Additionally, last year, a shortage of officers compelled police in Austin to ask residents to dial 311, instead of 911, if they got robbed near an ATM.  BLUE STATE MAKES $350M ‘DEFUND POLICE’ COMEBACK AFTER RECORD HOMICIDES, VIOLENT GANG TAKEOVERS During his time as a City Council member in Austin, Casar also authored two “Freedom City” resolutions, which eliminated the use of discretionary arrests for certain non-violent crimes and required police to inform people that they are legally allowed to deny requests for immigration papers. Other policies Casar supported in his position as City Council member included a ban on non-lethal police munitions and certain chokeholds. As a member of Congress, Casar has continued putting pressure on Austin’s police officers, as well.  Last year, he called on the Department of Justice to conduct oversight into “the Department’s policies and practices of excessive and lethal use of force, racial discrimination, and discrimination against people with mental health conditions.” JORDAN PETERSON SAYS TRUMP’S ELECTION WAS BLOW TO WOKEISM: REJECTION OF ‘HEDONISTIC, POWER MAD PROGRESSIVES’ “There was a thought in 2020 that the Democrats were actually going to flip the Texas House, and Casar was used in several campaign ads by Republicans all over the state. Democrat friends of mine thought the ‘defund the police movement’ was the reason that Democrats didn’t win,” Farris said. “I’ve spoken to several Democratic friends of mine, and they will tell you that [Casar] was a hindrance to the state-level Democrats in 2020.” Following last month’s elections, progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., was among a score of Democratic lawmakers who argued the party has lost its centrist, working-class base. SANDERS DOUBLES DOWN ON HIS CRITICISM OF DEMOCRATS, FIRES BACK AT PELOSI’S PUSHBACK “There is more to lose than there is to gain politically from pandering to a far left that is more representative of Twitter, Twitch, and TikTok than it is of the real world,” Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., said following the election. “The working class is not buying the ivory-towered nonsense that the far left is selling.” Meanwhile, on Thursday, the same day as Casar’s caucus election victory, NBC News published a story about the sophomore congressman in which he echoed much of the analysis from other Democrats that an intra-party shift is necessary.    “We are now at a place where we have to put winning way above being right all the time,” he told the outlet. “It’s less of a left-right fight and more of a getting back to a Democratic Party that’s for everyday people, no longer being seen as preachy or disconnected.” Nonetheless, during a press conference following his victory, Casar said, “If the Democratic Party was a little more like Chairwoman [Washington Rep. Pramila] Jayapal and a little less like [West Virginia Sen.] Joe Manchin, I think we would have won this election.” Jayapal is the outgoing chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and has similarly led efforts to defund the police. Fox News Digital reached out to Casar’s office for comment but did not hear back in time for publication. Latest Political News on Fox News Read More

Sen. Marsha Blackburn will roll out a package of legislation backing up Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) objectives, as Republican lawmakers launch legislative efforts to rally behind the cost-cutting efforts.  The Tennessee Republican announced her plans to unveil the “DOGE Acts” in a post on X, formerly Twitter, on Thursday. They would seek to move federal agencies out of Washington, D.C., freeze federal hiring and salaries for one year, and get federal workers back in the office. The GOP senator will reportedly unveil a series of measures that will mirror more of the framework being pushed by the new agency to cut government spending, according to the senators’ spokesperson. “I will be introducing legislation that coincides with @DOGE’s plan to make the federal government more efficient,” Blackburn said in a post on X.  ‘WE’RE GOING TO GUT THE FISH’: REPUBLICANS GIVE DETAILS FROM CLOSED-DOOR MEETINGS WITH DOGE’S MUSK, RAMASWAMY “My DOGE Act will freeze federal hiring, begin the process to relocate agencies out of the D.C. swamp, and establish a merit-based salary system for the federal workforce,” Blackburn said.  A spokesperson for the senator later revealed that she plans to announce several of these bills. REP. JARED MOSKOWITZ FIRST DEMOCRAT TO JOIN CONGRESSIONAL DOGE CAUCUS “Senator Blackburn is planning to introduce a package of bills – known as the DOGE Acts – aimed at holding the federal government more accountable for managing taxpayer dollars next week,” Blackburn’s spokesperson said in a statement, the Hill reported. “The DOGE Acts coincides with Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy’s plan to make the federal government more efficient.” Musk responded to the senator’s tweet, writing “thank you” in a post. The announcement came after Musk and Ramaswamy, the pair appointed by President-elect Donald Trump to lead the efforts, spent the day meeting with lawmakers to discuss cost-cutting opportunities and objectives. Lawmakers told Fox News Digital that they were “very impressed” with the DOGE framework following their meetings with the duo. Along with Blackburn’s legislative plans, Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, chair of the Senate’s DOGE Caucus, unveiled a 60-page cost-cutting proposal during a meeting with GOP senators and Ramaswamy on Thursday. The DOGE efforts have already gained bipartisan support from Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., joining the House’s GOP-led congressional caucus. Ahead of the meeting with Congress, Musk was asked whether he wanted Democratic members to be part of DOGE conversations, to which he was heard answering, “Yes.” Latest Political News on Fox News Read More

The University of Michigan is the latest public university to dismantle its Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI) as part of its faculty requirements, making it one of several universities this year to roll back DEI initiatives. “The University of Michigan will no longer solicit diversity statements as part of faculty hiring, promotion and tenure,” the school said in a news release Thursday. University of Michigan Provost Laurie McCauley announced the decision to stop using the diversity statements following an Oct. 31 recommendation from a faculty working group, the university said. The group reportedly criticized the statements “for their potential to limit freedom of expression and diversity of thought on campus.” DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKER RANTS ABOUT ‘THE WHITE MAN’ DURING HEARING ON THE DISMANTLE DEI ACT “As we pursue this challenging and complex work, we will continuously refine our approach,” McCauley said. The university chose not to implement two other recommendations from the working group: integrating DEI content into teaching, research and service statements, and enhancing training on how to write and assess them. Several other public universities this year have also rolled back their DEI initiatives and requirements.  CALIFORNIA SCHOOL OFFICIAL COMPARED ‘SAVE GIRLS SPORTS’ SHIRT TO SWASTIKA, REBUKED GIRLS WEARING IT: LAWSUIT Following Senate Bill 17 being signed into law this year, Texas public universities eliminated DEI offices, DEI-related positions and mandatory DEI training. This included layoffs and restructuring at institutions like the University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M.  The University of North Carolina system redirected millions from DEI initiatives to public safety and discontinued DEI programs on campuses in May. The state also prohibited mandatory diversity statements for job applications in academia​. SOTOMAYOR COMPARES TRANS MEDICAL ‘TREATMENTS’ TO ASPIRIN IN QUESTION ABOUT SIDE EFFECTS DURING ORAL ARGUMENTS Iowa’s three public universities — the University of Iowa, Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa — began eliminating DEI offices and reallocating funds after a state law was passed earlier this year. Last year, Florida’s restrictions on DEI in public universities were part of a broader set of education reforms implemented under Gov. Ron DeSantis, following the passage of legislation targeting DEI programs. Universities aren’t the only institutions rolling back DEI initiatives, and during his campaign, President-elect Trump vowed to eliminate DEI programs in federal agencies. In 2020, then-President Trump issued an executive order to ban “divisive” training for federal contractors. And the House Oversight Committee held a hearing last month about dismantling DEI policies.  “It is a multibillion-dollar industry that pushes a left-wing, far-left ideological orthodoxy in essentially every area of American life, which is why I’ve begun to call it the ‘DEI enterprise,’ instead of just DEI, so that people have a sense of what I’m talking about,” Devon Westhill, a constitutional and civil rights attorney, told Fox News Digital in an interview.  Over the last four years, the Biden-Harris administration has encouraged DEI initiatives across several sectors of the federal government. In 2021, President Biden widened an executive order directing agencies to assess and “remove barriers” to equal opportunity through DEI policies. Another executive order signed that year was a government-wide initiative to embed DEI principles in federal hiring. Latest Political News on Fox News Read More