Trump removes Antony Blinken, Letitia James, Alvin Bragg’s security clearances among others

President Donald Trump decided Saturday to remove security clearances for several Democrats, including former Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, and New York Attorney General Letitia James, both of whom are vocal Trump critics, Fox News has learned. 

"Bad guy. Take away his passes," Trump told the New York Post of Blinken, Biden's Secretary of State. 

James and Bragg were involved in prosecuting Trump in New York last year and James' office filed a lawsuit on Friday on behalf of 18 other Democratic state attorneys general over the Department of Government Efficiency's access to the Treasury Department's payment system.

Former National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, Biden’s Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, and attorneys Andrew Weissmann, Mark Zaid and Norm Eisen, also had their clearances revoked. 

‘JOE, YOU’RE FIRED': PRESIDENT TRUMP REVOKES BIDEN'S SECURITY CLEARANCES, INTEL BRIEFINGS 

Eisen, an anti-Trump lawyer, also represents anonymous FBI agents suing the Department of Justice to block the public identification of agents who investigated the Jan. 6 riot.

He also worked with House Democrats on Trump’s first impeachment. 

The move comes a day after Trump stripped his predecessor, former President Joe Biden, of his security clearance and his access to presidential daily briefs. 

"There is no need for Joe Biden to continue receiving access to classified information," Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social Friday night.

He added the precedent was set by Biden himself.

TRUMP CONSIDERS SHUTTING DOWN FEMA AS KRISTI NOEM MEETS HURRICANE HELENE SURVIVORS

"He set this precedent in 2021, when he instructed the Intelligence Community (IC) to stop the 45th President of the United States (ME!) from accessing details on National Security, a courtesy provided to former Presidents," Trump wrote.

At the time, Biden claimed Trump was exhibiting "erratic behavior." 

Former presidents usually continue to receive intelligence briefings after leaving office. 

"The Hur Report revealed that Biden suffers from ‘poor memory’ and, even in his ‘prime,’ could not be trusted with sensitive information. I will always protect our National Security — JOE, YOU’RE FIRED. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!" Trump wrote on Truth Social on Friday. 

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The 2024 Hur Report followed an investigation into Biden's handling of classified documents. 

Alexandra Koch contributed to this report. 

Who is Norm Eisen? Meet the anti-Trump attorney repping FBI agents suing the DOJ

One of the attorneys representing anonymous FBI agents suing the Department of Justice to block the public identification of agents who investigated Jan. 6 is a longtime anti-Trump lawyer who worked with House Democrats on President Donald Trump’s first impeachment. 

Norm Eisen is an attorney, CNN legal analyst and expert at the Brookings Institution public policy think tank who previously served as the U.S.' ambassador to the Czech Republic and special counsel for ethics and government reform under the Obama administration, when he earned the nicknames "Dr. No" and "The Fun Sponge" for reportedly ensuring the administration abide by ethics rules. 

Eisen appeared in court on Thursday for a hearing before U.S. District Judge Jia M. Cobb involving a pair of lawsuits filed by two groups of FBI agents who investigated the Jan. 6 breach of the Capitol Building as well as former special counsel Jack Smith's investigations and cases against Trump. 

Eisen serves as executive chair of State Democracy Defenders Fund, which filed a lawsuit Tuesday on behalf of the FBI agents who investigated Trump-related cases. State Democracy Defenders Fund is a nonprofit that bills itself as focused on defeating "election sabotage" and "autocracy in 2025 — and beyond."

FBI AGENTS SUE TRUMP DOJ TO BLOCK ANY PUBLIC IDENTIFICATION OF EMPLOYEES WHO WORKED ON JAN. 6 INVESTIGATIONS

"Credible reports indicate the FBI has been directed to systematically terminate all Bureau employees who had any involvement in investigations related to President Trump, and that Trump’s allies in the DOJ are planning to publicly disseminate the names of those employees they plan to terminate," State Democracy Defenders Fund wrote in its press release of the emergency order to block the public release of FBI personnel names involved in the Jan. 6 investigation. 

Fox News Digital took a look back on Eisen's rhetoric and actions across the past few years and found that he has repeatedly been at the forefront of the legal cases against Trump, notably serving as co-counsel for the House Judiciary Committee during the first impeachment of Trump beginning in 2019. 

FBI AGENTS GROUP TELLS CONGRESS TO TAKE URGENT ACTION TO PROTECT AGAINST POLITICIZATION

House Democrats tapped Eisen — who early in his career specialized in financial fraud litigation and investigations — to help lead the first impeachment against the 45th president, which accused Trump of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress related to allegedly seeking foreign interference from Ukraine to boost his re-election efforts in 2020. The House adopted two articles of impeachment against Trump, but the Senate ultimately voted to acquit him. 

Eisen revealed following the impeachment effort that he initially drafted 10 articles of impeachment against Trump, not just two, which would have included issues such as "hush money" payments to former porn star Stormy Daniels. Although the payments were not included in the impeachment articles, they were a focal point of the Manhattan v. Trump trial that found Trump guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records in May 2024. 

FBI AGENTS DETAIL J6 ROLE IN EXHAUSTIVE QUESTIONNAIRE EMPLOYEES 'WERE INSTRUCTED TO FILL OUT'

"This was only the third impeachment trial of a president in American history, so it's remarkable that we even got those two," Eisen said in an NPR interview in 2020. "I will tell you that those two articles are a microcosm of all 10 of the impeachment articles that we drafted. They have features of all 10." 

Eisen told Fox News Digital, when asked about his history of anti-Trump cases, that he was initially open to working with the first Trump administration, but that the president, "turned against the Constitution."

"I was initially open to Trump and even advised his first presidential transition," Eisen told Fox Digital in an emailed comment on Friday. "But he turned against the Constitution and laws."

"In his first administration and now, he was and is using the presidency to break the law and to help himself and his cronies like Elon Musk — not the American people," he continued. "To ensure the integrity of our democracy, I am pushing back through the bipartisan institutions I work with such as State Democracy Defenders Fund, which has strong conservative representation on our board." 

Eisen is the co-founder of the nonprofit Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, which made waves in 2023 and 2024 when it helped to initiate a Colorado court case to remove Trump from the primary ballot in the state, The New York Times reported.  

The lawsuit, which ultimately landed in the Supreme Court, argued that Trump should be deemed ineligible from holding political office under a Civil War-era insurrection clause and that his name should thus be barred from appearing on the 2024 ballot. The group said that Trump’s actions on Jan. 6, 2021, when supporters breached the U.S. Capitol, violated a clause in the 14th Amendment that prevents officers of the United States, members of Congress or state legislatures who "engaged in insurrection or rebellion" against the Constitution from holding political office.

Other states made similar legal claims to remove Trump, but each of the nine Supreme Court justices ruled in Trump’s favor in a decision released last March, ending the Colorado case and all others that were similar. 

DOJ DIRECTS FBI TO FIRE 8 TOP OFFICIALS, IDENTIFY EMPLOYEES INVOLVED IN JAN. 6, HAMAS CASES FOR REVIEW

The State Democracy Defenders Action, which Eisen co-founded, has also been involved with other Trump-involved court cases, including in the Manhattan v. Trump case. The group helped file an amicus brief in February, advocating that presiding Judge Juan Merchan sentence Trump just days ahead of his inauguration. Trump was ultimately sentenced to unconditional discharge, meaning he faces no fines or jail time. 

​​Trump was found guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records in the Manhattan case in May 2024. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office worked to prove that Trump had falsified business records to conceal a $130,000 payment to former porn star, Stormy Daniels, ahead of the 2016 election to quiet her claims of an alleged affair with Trump in 2006.

Eisen also founded another group, the States United Democracy Center, which filed an amicus brief in 2024 in Fulton County, Georgia, court, advocating that District Attorney Fani Willis' racketeering case against Trump not be dismissed. 

ANTI-TRUMP FBI AGENT RESPONSIBLE FOR OPENING JACK SMITH ELECTOR CASE AGAINST PRESIDENT: WHISTLEBLOWER

The Georgia Court of Appeals ruled in December 2024 that Willis and her office are barred from prosecuting the case. The case worked to prove that Trump had led a "criminal racketeering enterprise" to change the outcome of the 2020 election in Georgia. Trump has maintained his innocence in that case, as well as the other federal and state charges brought against him between the 2020 and 2024 election, slamming them as Democrat lawfare. 

Eisen, in his capacity as executive chair and founder of State Democracy Defenders Fund, also sent a letter to Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and ranking Committee Member Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill. on Monday to speak out against Kash Patel's nomination as director of the FBI under the second Trump administration. Eisen said he had ethics concerns surrounding Patel's previous work in Qatar. 

MAJOR FBI CHANGES KASH PATEL COULD MAKE ON DAY 1 IF CONFIRMED AS DIRECTOR

The FBI lawsuits followed acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove sending a memo to acting FBI Director Brian Driscoll in late January, directing him to fire eight FBI employees who worked on the Jan. 6 investigation, as well as a terror case related to Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack against Israel. The memo also informed the acting director to identify all current and former FBI personnel who took part in the case. 

The memo's directive to identify those involved in the case sparked the two FBI lawsuits filed Tuesday, which seek to stop the collection of names and their public release. 

"The individuals being targeted have served in law enforcement for decades, often putting their lives on the line for the citizens of this country," Eisen said in a statement provided in State Democracy Defenders Fund's press release announcing it filed an emergency order on behalf of the FBI agents. "Their rights and privacy must be preserved."

The judge temporarily barred the Trump DOJ on Thursday from disclosing information on the agents until she hears arguments and determines whether to issue a temporary restraining order. 

Fox News Digital's Breanne Deppisch and Brooke Singman contributed to this report. 

Out of power: Democrats disoriented in fight against Trump agenda

It’s a new season for Congressional Democrats.

And that’s not always a good thing.

New seasons bring change. New players. New coaches. New approaches.

The problem is finding the right approach.

Especially when you’re on the outside looking in.

SPENDING SHOWDOWN: REPUBLICANS WILL NEED TO CORRAL VOTES – BUT THEY HAVEN'T ASKED, YET

Democrats are now the loyal opposition. Effectively locked out of power in Washington as Republicans control the executive branch and both bodies of Congress.

Democrats have lobbed entire landfills at President Trump since 2015. Some of it worked – a little bit. But certainly not enough to permanently sidetrack Mr. Trump. He executed one of the most extraordinary, improbable comebacks in world political history.

On the TV show "The Office," secretary Pam Beesly noted that she only got ten vacation days a year.

"I try to hold off taking them for as long as possible," said Beesly. "This year I got to the third week in January."

So far, Democrats are flailing as they try to challenge President Trump in his second term. So, they’re dusting off some old plays from a tired, dog-eared playbook.

Like Beesly, they waited as long as they could.

It took precisely 16 days before a Democrat threatened to impeach the President.

DEMOCRATS CALL FOR ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT AGAINST TRUMP AMID GAZA COMMENTS

Rep. Al Green, D-Tex., prepped the first articles of impeachment against President Trump in 2017. He didn’t do so until October of that year. But now, Green is ready to impeach the President.

"I did it before. I laid the foundation for impeachment. And it was done. Nobody knows more about it than I. And I know that it’s time for us to lay the foundation again. On some issues, it is better to stand alone than not stand at all," said Green.

But two previous impeachments failed to suppress Mr. Trump. If nothing else, the impeachments may have emboldened him. Especially since despite the House impeaching him, he survived two Senate trials.

But Democratic leaders are leery of impeachment freelancing.

"This isn't a focus of the Democratic Caucus," said House Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar, D-Calif. "We've laid out our strategy. Legislative. Litigation. Outreach. Communication. That continues to be the focus."

Democrats are united in their opposition of President Trump. But finding a unifying, resonant message is another thing.

SOCIAL MEDIA, TEAM TRUMP REACT TO CORY BOOKER'S 'MELTDOWN' OVER ELON MUSK'S USAID CRACKDOWN

"In the United States Senate, we will not cooperate!" thundered Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J. "We’ll cooperate with no appointments when it comes to the State Department!"

"There should be hundreds of thousands and millions of people descending on Washington, DC!" declared Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass.

"We must resist. We must be in the streets!" said Rep. John Garamendi, D-Calif.

Democrats used to have only one target. That was President Trump.

"They have no rudder. They have no vision. They have no clear leader," observed House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. "The only message they have is anti-President Trump."

THE SPEAKER’S LOBBY: A PALPABLY UNFAIR ACT

But opponents evolve.

The arch-enemy of Batman was always the Joker. But the Penguin, Riddler and Catwoman were worthy foes, too.

And so Democrats now have a new nemesis: Elon Musk.

Democrats are peppering him with inflammatory rhetoric.

"A godless, lawless billionaire. You know who elected Elon? This is the American people. This is not your trashy Cybertruck that you can just dismantle, pick apart, and sell the pieces of," said squad member Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass.

"God damn it. Shut down the Senate. We are at war. Any time, any time a person can pay $250 million into a campaign, and they've been given access to the Department of Treasury of the United States of America. We are at war," said Rep. LaMonica McIver, D-N.J. "We will not take this sh*t from Donald Trump and Elon Musk."

"What we not going to do is stand around while they pull this bullsh*t that they're trying to pull right now," excoriated Rep. Jasmine Crockett,. D-Tex., of Musk and DOGE. "You all know he likes to pal around with Putin, right? He's trying to turn us into Russia."

MUSK'S DOGE TAKES AIM AT 'VIPER'S NEST' FEDERAL AGENCY WITH GLOBAL FOOTPRINT

"He is a low down, dirty, no good person that along with Trump cannot be trusted," said Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif. "We have got to tell Elon Musk, nobody elected your ass."

White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt blasted Democrats for their incendiary language.

"President Trump was elected with a mandate from the American people to make this government more efficient. He campaigned across this country with Elon Musk vowing that Elon was going to head up the Department of Government Efficiency," said Leavitt. "For Democrat officials to incite violence and encourage Americans to take to the streets is incredibly alarming. They should be held accountable for that rhetoric."

But at least one Democrat urges discipline for his colleagues when attacking the President – or Musk.

"There's going to be a lot of balls coming down to the plate. And I'm only waiting for a strike when I'm going to start to swing," said Sen. John Fetterman, D-Penn.

Democrats executed another gambit Wednesday. They kept the Senate in session all night to postpone the confirmation of Budget Director nominee Russ Vought. The Senate broke a filibuster earlier on Wednesday. But Vought is someone who would have great influence over DOGE and potentially efforts by the administration to withhold or contour spending. Since the Senate voted to end the filibuster around 1 pm et Wednesday, Democrats opted to burn all time available to them just to protest Vought and DOGE.

SENATE DEMOCRATS SPEAK ALL NIGHT AGAINST TRUMP OMB NOMINEE, DELAYING CONFIRMATION VOTE

"Russ Vought represents a very specific view of presidential power, which is essentially unitary executive," said Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, at 1:45 am et Thursday. "It's this view that once you win, you're basically a monarch."

A cavalcade of Democrats seized the floor throughout the night. Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., at 5 am et. Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., at 6 am et. Booker at 9 am et.

"Whatever the challenges, whatever the fear, is what I want to tell you right now is don't normalize a president who is violating the separation of powers," said Booker on the floor just after 10 am et. "Don't normalize a president who is violating civil service laws. Don't normalize a president who is ignoring the dictates of Congress and establishing agencies."

Around the same time, Democrats on the Judiciary Committee requested, and received - under the rules - a one-week delay on the nomination of FBI Director nominee Kash Patel.

"Kash Patel has a goal. It's to wreck the FBI," said Welch.

The Democrats’ maneuver chokes off Patel’s nomination from the Senate floor. But only for a week.

"It means that about 168 hours from right now, he'll be confirmed by our committee," said Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa.

Democrats can’t do much but delay the inevitable. Republicans can confirm Patel on the floor if they stick together. The same with Vought. Vought is only the second nominee to score a partisan confirmation without Democratic assistance. The other was Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

"We are out of power. But we are not powerless," said Schatz.

But that power is low voltage. Measured in foot candles, not watts.

There are limits to their power. And Democrats are now feeling it.

Russell Vought confirmed to head government’s leading budget office after Dems hold 30-hour protest

Despite Democratic tactics to delay the confirmation vote, the Senate confirmed Russell Vought to lead the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

Republicans backed Vought’s nomination, arguing he proved a qualified candidate for the role since he previously held the position during President Donald Trump’s first term. Democrats, however, raised multiple concerns about his nomination and said his views on the Impoundment Control Act, which reinforces that Congress holds the power of the purse, disqualified him from the role. 

Democrats held a 30-hour-long protest against Vought's nomination, delivering speeches in the middle of the night on Wednesday in an attempt to delay the confirmation vote. 

The Senate, in a chaotic final floor vote on Thursday evening, voted to confirm Vought to lead the OMB, 53 to 47.

SENATE DEMOCRATS SPEAK ALL NIGHT AGAINST TRUMP OMB NOMINEE, DELAYING CONFIRMATION VOTE

Democratic senators repeatedly injected themselves during the confirmation vote, protesting the nomination until the last second.

"No debate is permitted during a vote," Sen. Ashley Moody, R-Fla., told the lawmakers.

The OMB is responsible for developing and executing the president’s budget, as well as overseeing and coordinating legislative proposals and priorities aligned with the executive branch. 

Vought appeared before the Senate Budget Committee and the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee for confirmation hearings, where he defended statements asserting that the Impoundment Control Act is unconstitutional. 

TRUMP HEALTH SECRETARY NOMINEE RFK JR CLEARS SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE CONFIRMATION VOTE

The law, adopted in 1974, stipulates that Congress may oversee the executive branch’s withholdings of budget authority. But Vought encountered criticism from Democrats for freezing $214 million in military aid for Ukraine in 2019 — a decision that ultimately led to Trump’s first impeachment.   

"You’re quite comfortable assuming that the law doesn’t matter and that you’ll just treat the money for a program as a ceiling … rather than a required amount," Senate Budget Committee ranking member Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., said Wednesday. "Well, the courts have found otherwise." 

In the 1975 Supreme Court ruling Train v. New York, the court determined the Environmental Protection Agency must use full funding included in the Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972, even though then-President Richard Nixon issued orders to not use all the funding. 

Even so, Vought told lawmakers that Trump campaigned on the position that the Impoundment Control Act is unconstitutional — and that he agrees with that. 

Vought’s statements on the issue left Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., "astonished and aghast" during one confirmation hearing. 

"I think our colleagues should be equally aghast, because this issue goes beyond Republican or Democrat," Blumenthal said on Jan. 15. "It’s bigger than one administration or another. It’s whether the law of the land should prevail, or maybe it’s up for grabs, depending on what the president thinks."

Vought also faced questioning from Democrats on his views regarding abortion as an author of Project 2025, a political initiative conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation released in 2023 that called for policy changes that would implement a national ban on medication abortion. 

Other proposals included in Project 2025 include eliminating the Department of Education; cutting diversity, equity and inclusion programs; and reducing funding for Medicare and Medicaid. 

"You have said that you don’t believe in exceptions for rape, for incest, or the life of the mother," Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., said during a confirmation hearing on Wednesday. "Is that your position?"

"Senator, my views are not important," Vought said. "I’m here on behalf of the president." 

Trump repeatedly has stated that he backs abortion in certain instances, and stated that "powerful exceptions" for abortion would remain in place under his administration.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Singer, songwriter Joy Villa wears DOGE coin dress to Grammys, supports Trump’s deportation crackdown

Singer and songwriter Joy Villa, well-known for her contentious attire at Grammy Award shows, strutted the red carpet once again on Sunday in a gown that served up a strong message.

Villa was spotted at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards in a gold dress and necklace dispersed with images of the DOGE Shiba Inu dog meme, a necklace featuring his face and a red hat that read "The hat stays on."

"I was kind of a walking meme," Villa told Fox News Digital. "Obviously, I’m a MAGA girl and MAGA and crypto are starting to bridge the gap."

JOY VILLA TURNS HEADS WITH PRO-LIFE OUTFIT AT THE GRAMMYS

"Cryptocurrency represents freedom," she added. "We can disengage from the big banks. As artists, we can dictate our own financial independence."

The dress was tailored by atelier dress designer Andre Soriano, who also curated the controversial "Make America Great Again" dress Villa first wore to the 2017 Grammys.

"I’ve had people try to snatch my MAGA hats off," Villa said.

Villa said that among the vicious rhetoric she has received since expressing her support for President Donald Trump and his policies eight years ago are threats of sexual assault and death in addition to racial slurs. Despite having experienced vocal and physical backlash, Villa said the hat sends a message of her courage, resilience and vibrancy.

'MAGA' DRESS DESIGNER FORCED TO REMOVE TRUMP SIGNS FROM BUSINESS, RESIDENCE WHEN 'KAREN' CALLED POLICE

"I don’t worship Trump, but I worship Jesus Christ as my Lord and savior, and I know that God gave me a voice to speak in Hollywood as an artist, as an actress, as a musician," Villa told Fox News Digital. "The red carpet is my battlefield."

A focal point of Villa’s conservative messaging at high-profile events is her religious devotion.

"I shared Jesus Christ with every single person I interviewed and none of them posted that," she said.

"America needs to bless God because the fight is not over yet," she added. "We got to stop aborting babies. We got to put prayer back in schools. Nobody needs to have their religion demonized and, for some reason, you can say every other name at the Grammys or the red carpet awards except for Jesus Christ."

SINGER JOY VILLA MAKES A POLITICAL FASHION STATEMENT AGAINST PLANNED PARENTHOOD

While Villa’s remarks about religion were passed over by the media, her message in support of the deportations of illegal immigrants in the U.S. was publicized.

"I’m a proud Afro-Latina," she said. "I know being in the Latina community, being a woman of color, I know how much illegal immigration hurts us, and people won’t talk about that."

Since taking office on Jan. 20, Trump has acted on his promise of mass deportations and cracked down on illegal immigration. This has included ending deportation protection for hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans and deporting thousands of illegal immigrants to Mexico.

"It is a crime to come here illegally," Villa said. "I’ve traveled to 39 countries and in every single one of them I had to get the proper documentation and show my ID."

Villa scrutinized actress Selena Gomez for taking to social media recently to cry about President Trump’s swift action removing illegal immigrants.

"Girl, sit all the way down," Villa said. "You are an American citizen and those are not your people."

"Deport everyone who's coming here illegally," she said.

Trump fires 17 government watchdogs at various federal agencies

President Donald Trump fired 17 independent watchdogs at various federal agencies late Friday, a Trump administration official confirmed to Fox News, as he continues to reshape the government at a blistering pace.

Trump dismissed inspector generals at agencies within the Defense Department, State Department, Energy Department, Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Department of Veterans Affairs and more, notifying them by email from the White House Presidential Personnel Office, the Washington Post first reported.

"It’s a widespread massacre," one of the terminated inspector generals told the Post. "Whoever Trump puts in now will be viewed as loyalists, and that undermines the entire system."

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said that Trump's action may violate federal law that requires the president to give 30 days' notice to Congress of his intent to fire any independent watchdog, the Associated Press reported. 

‘FLOODING THE ZONE’ TRUMP HITS WARP SPEED IN FIRST WEEK BACK IN OFFICE

"There may be good reason the IGs were fired. We need to know that if so," Grassley said in a statement. "I’d like further explanation from President Trump. Regardless, the 30 day detailed notice of removal that the law demands was not provided to Congress." 

The White House did not respond to a request for comment. 

Inspector generals at federal agencies are called on to investigate government waste, fraud and abuse. They operate independently and can serve in multiple administrations.

The mass firing is Trump's latest attempt to force the federal bureaucracy into submission after he shut down diversity, equity and inclusion programs, rescinded job offers and sidelined more than 150 national security and foreign policy officials. Trump began his second term with the intent of purging any opponents of his agenda from the government and replacing them with officials who would execute his orders without hesitation. 

TRUMP TO DECLASSIFY JFK FILES: FAMED DOCTOR WHO INVESTIGATED ASSASSINATION PREDICTS WHAT AMERICANS COULD LEARN

Among those spared from Trump's wrath was Department of Justice inspector general Michael Horowitz, the New York Times reported. Horowitz led the investigation of the FBI's Russian collusion probe, which exposed at least 17 "significant inaccuracies and omissions" in the FBI's application for a FISA warrant in the Crossfire Hurricane investigation. 

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., slammed Trump's firings, calling them a "purge of independent watchdogs in the middle of the night." 

TRUMP MEETS WITH CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS, FIRE AND LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS TO SEE LA WILDFIRE DAMAGE FIRST HAND

"President Trump is dismantling checks on his power and paving the way for widespread corruption," Warren posted on X.

During his first term, Trump fired five inspectors general in less than two months in 2020. This included the State Department, whose inspector general had played a role in the president's impeachment proceedings.

Last year, Trump's predecessor Joe Biden fired the inspector general of the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board, after an investigation found the official had created a hostile work environment.

In 2022, Congress passed reforms that strengthened protections for inspectors general and made it harder to replace them with political appointees, requiring the president to explain their removal.

‘Ultra-right’: Trump budget chief pick Russell Vought faces fire from Dem senators

Democratic lawmakers grilled President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on a series of issues Wednesday, ranging from abortion to the constitutionality of the Impoundment Control Act. 

While Republicans argue that Russell Vought is qualified for the role because he served as Trump’s OMB director during the president's first term, Democrats like Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., have labeled Vought an "ultra-right" ideologue. 

Vought appeared before the Senate Budget Committee on Wednesday for a confirmation hearing and defended his previous statements that the Impoundment Control Act is unconstitutional — an issue Democrats claim should disqualify him from leading the Office of Management and Budget.

TRUMP'S TREASURY NOMINEE TURNS THE TABLES ON SANDERS IN TESTY EXCHANGE ABOUT BIDEN'S ‘OLIGARCHY’ COMMENTS 

The law, adopted in 1974, stipulates that Congress may oversee the executive branch’s withholding of budget authority, and affirmed that Congress holds the power of the purse. Ultimately, the law bars the executive branch from circumventing Congress and withholding appropriated funds.

The first Trump administration and Vought have come under fire after the Office of Management and Budget held up $214 million in military aid for Ukraine in 2019, a decision that ultimately led to Trump’s first impeachment.

"You’re quite comfortable assuming that the law doesn’t matter and that you’ll just treat the money for a program as a ceiling… rather than a required amount," Senate Budget Committee ranking member Jeff Merkley said. "Well, the courts have found otherwise."

TRUMP TREASURY PICK: EXTENDING TRUMP TAX CUTS ‘SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT ECONOMIC ISSUE’

Additionally, the Supreme Court also ruled in 1975 that the executive branch cannot impound funds without congressional oversight. 

In that case, Train v. City of New York, the Supreme Court determined the Environmental Protection Agency must use full funding included in the Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972, even though then-President Richard Nixon issued orders not to use all the funding. 

Lawmakers have pointed to this case in Vought's confirmation hearings as further evidence that the executive branch cannot tie up funding Congress has approved. 

Even so, Vought told lawmakers in multiple exchanges he believes the Impoundment Control Act is unconstitutional, because presidents historically could spend less than what Congress had approved prior to the Impoundment Control Act, and that Trump campaigned on that position.

Democrats aren’t the only ones worried about Vought’s views on the Impoundment Control Act. Senate Budget Committee chair Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said he also shared some concerns and would disclose them at a markup hearing for Vought’s nomination. 

Vought also faced questioning on his views regarding abortion, given his connection as an author of Project 2025, a political initiative The Heritage Foundation released in 2023 that called for policy changes, including instituting a national ban on abortion medication. 

Other proposals included in Project 2025 include eliminating the Department of Education, cutting DEI programs, and reducing funding for Medicare and Medicaid. 

"You have said that you don’t believe in exceptions for rape, for incest, or the life of the mother," said Democratic Sen. Patty Murray of Washington. "Is that your position?"

"Senator, my views are not important. I’m here on behalf of the president," Vought said. 

GET TO KNOW DONALD TRUMP'S CABINET: WHO HAS THE PRESIDENT-ELECT PICKED SO FAR?

Trump has repeatedly stated that he backs abortion in certain instances, and stated that "powerful exceptions" for abortion would remain in place under his administration.

Meanwhile, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., pressed Vought on whether healthcare is a "human right." Sanders has previously introduced legislation called the Medicare for All Act that would establish a federal, national health insurance program. 

"Do you think we should join every other major country on Earth and say, ‘You know what? Whether you’re poor, you’re rich, you’re young, you’re old, healthcare is a human right,’" Sanders said. "We have the richest country in the history of the world. Do you think we should do what every other major country on Earth does?"

Vought declined to disclose specifics, but said that he believed it's critical to provide "legitimate, evidence-based outcomes for people within the healthcare system, and to make sure that we tailor all of the dollars that are spent toward that." 

After serving as director of the Office of Management and Budget under the first Trump administration, Vought founded the Center for Renewing America in 2021. The organization claims its mission is to "renew a consensus of America as a nation under God," according to its website. Vought also served as the vice president of Heritage Action for America. 

Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. said his meeting with Vought only exacerbated his concerns about the nomination. 

"I walked out of the meeting even more deeply troubled," Schumer said on the Senate floor on Wednesday. "Of all the extremists President Trump could have picked for OMB, he picked the godfather of the ultra-right."

Vought has repeatedly told lawmakers that he would uphold the law and that his personal views aren’t important — carrying out Trump’s vision is what matters. 

The OMB is responsible for developing and executing the president’s budget, as well as overseeing and coordinating legislative proposals and priorities aligned with the executive branch. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Barron Trump is all grown up: A look at the first son’s transformation from 2017 to 2025

President Trump's youngest son Barron, 18, stepped into the spotlight at his father's inauguration on Monday.  

Standing at a towering 6'9", many attendees and viewers remarked about how mature the younger Trump has become since his father first took office back in January 2017.

At 10 years old, Barron Trump was often the victim of cruel jokes and rumors from his father's critics. His mother, Melania Trump, attempted to shield him from unwanted scrutiny, though sometimes to no avail.

On Monday, the first son commanded respect from onlookers as he stood by his father's side during the inaugural ceremonies. Here's a look at how Barron Trump has grown up since 2017.

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At 10 years old, Barron Trump became the first son to reside in the White House since John F. Kennedy, Jr. in 1961.

Barron, who turned 11 in March of 2017, also lived at Trump Tower in New York at the same time, attending Columbia Grammar and Preparatory School on the Upper West Side.

Beginning in 2016, rumors swirled about Barron Trump possibly having autism, which comedian Rosie O'Donnell amplified. In 2024, Melania Trump said that the rumors deeply impacted her son, who was bullied at school.

"I was appalled by such cruelty," Melania Trump wrote in her memoir. "It was clear to me that she was not interested in raising awareness about autism. I felt that she was attacking my son because she didn’t like my husband."

"There is nothing shameful about autism (though O’Donnell’s tweet implied that there was), but Barron is not autistic," she added. "Barron’s experience of being bullied both online and in real life following the incident is a clear indication of the irreparable damage caused."

Barron turned 12 years old in March 2018 and continued to be a common target for Trump's enemies.

Actor Peter Fonda called for officials to "rip Barron Trump from his mother's arms and put him in a cage with pedophiles." He later apologized for the remarks.

"I tweeted something highly inappropriate and vulgar about the president and his family in response to the devastating images I was seeing on television," Fonda said in the statement shortly after. "Like many Americans, I am very impassioned and distraught over the situation with children separated from their families at the border, but I went way too far."

Barron was 13 years old when his family permanently relocated to Mar-a-Lago in 2019. That year, Trump said he would have a "hard time" allowing his son to play football.

"I just don't like the reports that I see coming out having to do with football — I mean, it's a dangerous sport and I think it's really tough," Trump said at the time. "I thought the equipment would get better, and it has. The helmets have gotten far better, but it hasn't solved the problem."

During a 2019 House Judiciary Committee impeachment hearing, Stanford law professor Pamela Karlan remarked that then-President Trump could "name his son Barron, he can’t make him a baron."

Melania Trump was upset that her young son was mentioned at the hearing.

"A minor child deserves privacy and should be kept out of politics," the first lady tweeted at the time. "Pamela Karlan, you should be ashamed of your very angry and obviously biased public pandering, and using a child to do it."

As Trump was fighting for his re-election bid in 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic rocked the United States, Barron Trump continued to attend school and stayed out of the public spotlight. In 2020, "Jeopardy" host Ken Jennings apologized for a joke he told about Barron in 2017. 

"Barron saw a very long necktie and a heap of expired deli meat in a dumpster," Jennings tweeted at the time. "He thought it was his dad & his little heart is breaking."

"Hey, I just wanted to own up to the fact that over the years on Twitter, I've definitely tweeted some unartful [sic] and insensitive things," Jennings wrote in 2020. "Sometimes they worked as jokes in my head and I was dismayed to see how they read on screen."

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Barron Trump was 14 years old when his father left office in January. He lived with his mother at Mar-a-Lago full-time and stayed out of the spotlight.

In July 2021, he was seen leaving Trump Tower with Melania Trump.

Barron Trump was 16 when FBI agents raided his father's Florida estate. He kept a low profile during this year, but he was seen in public with both of his parents at the funeral of Ivana Trump, Trump's first wife, in July 2022.

In November 2022, his father announced his bid for the presidency.

As President Trump's campaign kicked up again in 2023, Barron was still absent from the public spotlight. In August of that year, his father's mugshot was released.

Barron Trump matriculated at New York University (NYU) in the fall of 2024. He graduated from Oxbridge Academy in West Palm Beach in May, and was seen attending classes at NYU'S Stern School of Business.

In November, he also voted for the first time, casting a ballot for his father in Florida.

Barron looked sharp as he attended his father's inauguration on Jan. 20. Later during the day, he waved to the crowd after his father mentioned his role in the 2024 campaign.

"I have a very tall son named Barron. Has anyone ever heard of him?" Trump said to cheers, as the first son waved at attendees.

"He knew the youth vote. You know, we won the youth vote by 36 points… He said, ‘Dad, you got to go out, do Joe Rogan, do all these guys,’" Trump recalled. "We did, we did. And Joe Rogan was great."

The 18-year-old also wowed attendees when he shook hands with President Biden and then-Vice President Kamala Harris, with some social media users speculating that he may pursue a political career in the future.

"Barron Trump just shook hands with Joe Biden and Kamala Harris," one X user wrote. "This kid will be our President one day. Bet on it."

"Barron Trump is a natural," another said of Barron. "Totally owned the moment."

Fox News Digital's Brooke Curto and Kyle Schmidbauer contributed to this report.

Trump gets inaugurated Monday; here’s how the Supreme Court swears in new presidents

Top members of the three branches of government will come together in a rare display of national unity and tradition when the presidential and vice-presidential oaths of office are delivered at Monday's inauguration. A swear-in rookie, and perhaps funny hats, will be indispensable parts of the ceremonies.

Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Brett Kavanaugh will continue a nearly 240-year-old tradition of administering the oaths to President-elect Trump and his No. 2, JD Vance. The other seven members of the high court are expected to attend the event in the Capitol Rotunda, all in their judicial robes. 

Whatever political differences exist, they surely will not be on display at this most cordial and dignified of ceremonies. After all, the first person the president thanks will likely be the chief justice. But an undercurrent of tension remains.

During his first run for high office in 2016, candidate Trump took the unusual step of attacking a member of the federal judiciary, labeling Roberts "an absolute disaster" among other personal insults. This will be the "Chief's" fifth presidential swearing-in, his second with Trump.

HOW TO WATCH, STREAM TRUMP'S 2025 INAUGURATION ON JANUARY 20TH

The choice of Kavanaugh is no surprise: incoming second lady Usha Vance clerked for Kavanaugh when he was a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington.

She then went on to a prestigious law clerkship at the Supreme Court with Roberts. Sources say Kavanaugh gave an especially strong job recommendation for Usha Vance to his now bench colleague.

In an August interview with "Fox and Friends," Usha Vance said Kavanaugh was "such a good boss" and "decent person" who "hired people from all over the political spectrum."

"My experience working for him was overwhelmingly positive," she added.

Sandra Day O'Connor, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Clarence Thomas are among recent justices who have performed similar vice-presidential swear-in honors.

While chief justices have normally sworn in the president, a broader mix of officials have handled the vice-presidential duties. Then-House Speaker Dennis Hastert swore in Vice President Dick Cheney in 2005.

Thomas did the honors when Mike Pence was sworn in 2017 as vice president for Trump's first term.

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Article VI of the Constitution requires executive officers, including the president, as well as members of Congress and federal judges, to "be bound by oath or affirmation," but nothing mandates that a Supreme Court justice administer it. When it comes to the presidential inauguration, they just have, most of the time.

There was no Supreme Court yet formed when George Washington took the first oath of office in 1789, so New York's highest ranking judge did the honors at Federal Hall on Wall Street. Four years later, Associate Justice William Cushing swore in Washington for a second term, beginning the Supreme Court tradition.

Early swear-ins were usually conducted in the House or Senate chamber. The 1817 inaugural was held outdoors for the first time when James Monroe took the oath in front of the Old Brick Capitol, where the legislature met temporarily after the original Capitol was burned by invading British troops in the War of 1812. The Monroe swear-in site is now occupied by the Supreme Court, which opened its building in 1935.

The man who handled the duties more than 200 years ago was John Marshall, widely acknowledged as the most influential chief justice in U.S. history. He participated in a record nine swear-ins, from Thomas Jefferson to Andrew Jackson. For Roberts, this will be his fifth.

The Constitution lays out the exact language to be used in the 34-word oath of office: "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

Many judges have tacked on four little words, "so help me God." It is not legally or constitutionally required, unlike other federal oaths that invoke the words as standard procedure. Historians have been at odds over whether President Washington established precedent by adding the phrase on his own during his first acceptance, but contemporary accounts mention no such ad-libbing.

Abraham Lincoln was reported to have said it spontaneously in 1861, and other presidents over the years have followed suit. A Bible is traditionally used, with the president placing one hand on it while raising the other during the oath of office.

The 16th president and Chief Justice Roger Taney shared a mutual animosity. When the oath was administered just days before the Civil War erupted, many attending the ceremony noticed the frosty demeanor both men showed each other, befitting the late winter chill. Several historians have said Lincoln later that year secretly issued an arrest warrant for Taney, who tried to block the president's suspension of habeas corpus during the conflict. The warrant was never served.

President Barack Obama used Lincoln's Bible for his two swear-ins.

Trump is expected to again use the Lincoln Bible and a family Bible.

TRUMP, VANCE OFFICIAL PORTRAITS RELEASED AHEAD OF INAUGURATION

Roberts, administering his first presidential oath in 2009, strayed slightly from the text, which prompted its re-administration for protective purposes the following day, in a private White House ceremony.

Those Jan. 20 ceremonies at the Capitol also ran long, so that the presidential oath was not completed until five minutes past noon. Nonetheless, Obama under the 20th Amendment had officially assumed the presidency at noon.

At the time, a California atheist, Michael Newdow, objected and went to federal court to prevent Roberts from prompting Obama to repeat the "so help me God" phrase. Newdow, along with several non-religious groups, argued the words violated the constitutional ban on government "endorsement" of religion.

The high court ultimately rejected the lawsuit, and no such legal challenges are expected this time.

Four years later, Justice Sonia Sotomayor swore in Biden for a second term as vice president in 2013. She was asked by Vice President Harris to do the honors again, with the first female vice president citing the fact both women once served as government prosecutors.

Pence used the family Bible of the late President Ronald Reagan, telling Fox News at the time, "It's just very humbling for me. We are approaching it with prayer, but with deep, deep gratitude to the president-elect for his confidence and deep gratitude to the American people." 

Trump also broke tradition by not attending the swear-in of his successor four years ago.

Lyndon Johnson's swear-in from 1965 marked a change from tradition. His wife Claudia – known as Lady Bird – held the Bible, a job previously managed by the high court's clerk. Spouses have since had the honor, and Melania Trump and Usha Vance are expected to continue that role.   

Hopefully, nerves won't result in a repeat of the 1941 goof, when then-clerk Elmore Cropley dropped the Bible just after Franklin Roosevelt took the oath to begin his third presidential term.

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It usually is not hard at the inauguration to spot the justices, who are normally shielded from broad public view in the camera-barred court. They are announced as a group, arrive wearing their black robes – usually covering bulky winter coats – and are given prominent seats on the specially built platform on the West Front of the Capitol.

Before Marshall took over the court in 1801, the justices wore red robes with fur trim and white wigs in all public settings. His practice of a simple black silk robe without wig remains the American judicial standard.

And if there is any doubt about their identities, look for some unusual-looking headgear several justices may be sporting. The large black "skullcaps" have no brims and can be made of wool, silk or even nylon. Perhaps to keep them from looking like a Jewish yarmulke, the hats are usually pleated upward, which one federal judge privately told Fox News made him look like he was wearing a dirty napkin.

Given the inauguration ceremony is indoors this year because of expected frigid weather, the skullcaps may be an afterthought.

They have been around in British courts since the 16th century, and at least a century in the United States. Only judges wear them, and only at formal ceremonies, not in court.

Official records are hazy on the hats, but Chief Justice Edward White proudly wore one in 1913 when Woodrow Wilson became president. The "age of the skullcap" peaked in 1961 when seven of the nine justices wore them at the bitterly cold inauguration of President John F. Kennedy.

The last time around, only now-retired Justice Stephen Breyer was brave enough to sport one, though Thomas, Anthony Kennedy, and the late Antonin Scalia had worn them previously. None of the six current or former women justices ever used them.

Scalia told an audience a few years ago why he favored skullcaps. "If you've ever seen an inauguration, you will see me wearing the old hats judges used to wear. It's a ridiculous-looking hat, but it's a tradition. Yes, it's silly looking."

Scalia's headgear was a replica of one worn by St. Thomas More, a gift from the St. Thomas More Society of Richmond, Virginia

The late Chief Justice William Rehnquist also sported them, not surprising, given his role as an unofficial historian of court procedure and tradition.

He made one of the most dramatic appearances in inaugural history while suffering from thyroid cancer in 2005. There was speculation he would be too ill to attend, but he assured officials he would be there, and he kept his word.

After three months away from the public eye while he received chemotherapy, the ailing 81-year-old chief was introduced to the audience just before President George W. Bush was to take the oath. Using a cane, Rehnquist walked slowly to the podium without assistance – wearing a dark baseball cap – and did the honors. His voice was clear but raspy, because of a trachea tube in his throat, which was hidden by a scarf.

Afterward, Rehnquist wished Bush good luck, then was quickly escorted out of the cold.

Rehnquist also swore in President Bill Clinton eight years earlier. Unbeknownst to Clinton or the public, the justices days earlier had taken a private vote in Clinton v. Jones. Their ruling said the president could not refuse to testify in an ongoing civil lawsuit against him by Paula Jones, who alleged sexual harassment. That triggered a series of events leading to Clinton's 1999 impeachment trial in the U.S. Senate, presided over by Rehnquist himself, without the skullcap.

Trump’s ‘blacklist’: President-elect describes the type of people he doesn’t want to hire

Days away from his upcoming Jan. 20 inauguration, President-elect Donald Trump declared in a Truth Social post that the incoming administration had already hired more than 1,000 people to work for the U.S. government.

He also indicated that individuals who have worked with or been backed by "people suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrome," are not desirable job candidates.

Trump named former National Security Adviser John Bolton, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, former Vice President Mike Pence and others, noting that those who have worked with or been endorsed by those individuals should not be floated as job candidates.

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"As of today, the incoming Trump Administration has hired over 1,000 people for The United States Government. They are outstanding in every way, and you will see the fruits of their labor over the coming years. We will MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, and it will happen very quickly!" the incoming commander-in-chief said in the post.

"In order to save time, money, and effort, it would be helpful if you would not send, or recommend to us, people who worked with, or are endorsed by, Americans for No Prosperity (headed by Charles Koch), "Dumb as a Rock" John Bolton, ‘Birdbrain’ Nikki Haley, Mike Pence, disloyal Warmongers Dick Cheney, and his Psycho daughter, Liz, Mitt Romney, Paul Ryan, General(?) Mark Milley, James Mattis, Mark Yesper, or any of the other people suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrome, more commonly known as TDS. Thank you for your attention to this matter!" he added.

Haley and Pence each mounted bids for the GOP presidential nomination during the recent election cycle, but both ultimately dropped out. While Haley endorsed Trump, Pence did not.

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Cheney, who was one of the 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump in the wake of the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot, has been a vociferous Trump critic over the years. Last year she backed Vice President Kamala Harris, and campaigned with the 2024 Democratic presidential nominee.

Ryan, a former House Speaker, told Yahoo Finance last year that he would not vote for Trump, but planned to write in a Republican, as he had done the last time.

Romney was one of the seven GOP senators who voted to convict Trump after the 2021 House impeachment. In 2020, Romney voted to convict on one of the two impeachment articles levied against Trump. Romney, who has indicated that he did not vote for Trump in 2016 or 2020, declared last year that he would not vote for Trump in 2024.

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Bolton, an outspoken Trump detractor, said last year on BBC's "HARDtalk" that he did not think the candidates were fit to serve as president, and he would not vote for either one.