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Latin American leaders are learning how to handle Trump. Colombia’s president showed how not to do it

A simmering diplomatic stand-off over deportation flights spilled onto social media Sunday, threatening the once close relationship between the United States and Colombia and further exposing the anxiety many feel in Latin America toward a second Trump presidency.

Angered by how deportees were being returned with their hands bound aboard military flights, Colombian President Gustavo Petro turned back two of the flights that were already in the air and heading to the South American nation, catching the Trump administration by surprise.

In several posts on X, he announced he was blocking US military deportation flights. Petro later directed a post at US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, warning, “I will never allow Colombians to be brought in handcuffs on flights. Marco, if officials from the Foreign Ministry allowed this, it would never be under my direction.” It was a bold position – and one he would soon be forced to back down from.

The sudden rift between the United States and Colombia, which has long been a major recipient of US military aid and until now had accepted deportation flights, immediately galvanized a region struggling over how to respond to the new US president.

Trump has vowed to deport scores of immigrants back to Latin American nations, carry out cross border attacks on Mexican drug cartels, increase economic sanctions on leftist governments in Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela, and seize control of the Panama Canal.

Some regional leaders were quick to cheer the Colombian on. “Our support to President Gustavo Petro in his worthy defense of the rights of Colombians and his response to the discriminatory treatment and blackmail with which they intend to pressure his people and Our America,” Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel wrote on X.

For Colombia – a country that has received billions of dollars in aid from the US to fight drug trafficking and militant groups over the years – to openly defy the US would have sent a powerful signal across the hemisphere. And it could have complicated the Trump administration’s efforts to force other countries to fall in line behind their campaign to accept the deportations, which are deeply unpopular in the region. By successfully pushing back, Petro could have opened the door for other regional leaders to do the same.

Already dealing with corruption scandals and worsening violence as two Colombian militant groups battle each other and the government, Petro may have thought that picking a public fight with the Trump administration would provide a welcome distraction.

But the former guerrilla-turned-Colombia’s first leftist president apparently misjudged how vociferously the new US administration would respond.

Petro did not follow Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum’s declaration that “it’s always important to keep a cool head” when dealing with Trump’s threats.

Instead, Petro tried to go insult for insult with Trump, writing in lengthy posts on X to the US president that he must consider Colombians to be “inferior” and that “I don’t shake hands with white slavers.”

Short-lived escalation

There is little patience for Petro in the new Republican administration, say experts.

“Donald Trump and the people around him, including Rubio, don’t like Gustavo Petro,” said Adam Isacson, the director of defense oversight for the Washington Office on Latin America think tank. “So he was like a perfect foil, somebody they could use to make an example of for every other country in the region that they want to threaten if they get in the way of deportation.”

The US is Colombia’s largest trading partner. As the Trump administration struck back with 25% tariffs among other things, Petro backed down later that day – and hopes that he would become the new standard bearer for an anti-Trump, Latin American left suddenly evaporated.

Washington’s threat of economic tit-for-tat and canceled visa services spooked not only Colombians but other countries in the region who saw even more clearly after Sunday how central arm-twisting will be to Trump’s foreign policy.

Many across the region were surprised that Petro – after initiating a diplomatic incident– had folded so quickly. Still, the possibility remained that a summit of leaders at the leftist regional CELAC body scheduled for Thursday could revive a unified anti-Trump bloc to push back against the deportations.

The dust-up between Colombia and the US showed once again that because of sheer proximity, Latin America will likely bear the brunt of many Trump policies and the wrath of US officials when regional leaders attempt to speak out.

However bitter the fallout from the incident, the heavy-handed US pressure campaign appeared to have achieved the desired result for the Trump administration – at least for the moment.

On Monday, Colombia announced it was sending its own military planes to pick up the migrants that were supposed to have arrived the day before.

This post appeared first on cnn.com

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Suicidal tendencies and ’80s battlefield tactics: How North Korean soldiers are operating in Russia’s war on Ukraine

Detonating a grenade under the chin rather than being captured. Using a fellow soldier to lure out attack drones. Removing body armor plates and helmets to enable faster attacks on foot. Writing pledges of allegiance to North Korea’s Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un.

These are the brutal and near-suicidal tactics of North Korean soldiers, who have, since November, been deployed to repel Ukraine’s incursion in the southern Russian border region of Kursk.

Up to 12,000 North Korean soldiers have been sent to Russia, according to Western intelligence reports, which say around 4,000 troops have been killed or injured.

Ahead of a likely escalation before any peace talks, Moscow is experiencing manpower shortages and Pyongyang is expected to send reinforcements, according to Ukrainian defense intelligence.

The Ukrainians swiftly open fire and dive back. South Korean lawmakers were told by the country’s intelligence service, who have provided assistance to Kyiv, that the soldier in the video’s last words were: “General Kim Jong Un.”

“They can just brazenly go into battle until they are neutralized,” Pokémon said, adding: “Despite all attempts to call them to surrender, they will continue to fight.”

He added that the North Koreans were unprepared for Ukraine’s battlefield realities, where modern drone combat and archaic trench warfare have led to significant casualties.

While the North Korean soldiers are “all young, trained, hardy fighters,”Pokémon said, they would have not previously faced a UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) – which have transformed the war in Ukraine – in combat. “They are prepared for the realities of war in 1980 at best,” he said.

Amur, a company commander, said some North Koreans removed their helmets and the heavy protective plates from their body armour, to make them lighter on their feet and enable a faster assault at Ukrainian positions.

“They’re very maneuverable and they run and move very quickly,” he said. “They’re hard to catch, especially with a drone,” Amur added, explaining that they often weave an indirect path towards Ukrainian defenses, as if trained to not run in a straight line.

The North Koreans also leave anti-tank mines on roads as they go, Amur said. “Every shelter, every car they just destroy with anti-tank grenade launchers. They move very fast, (they) literally run,” he said.

“In their backpacks is the minimum of water, small bottles – up to a liter,” Amur said. “There are no additional warm clothes – no hats, no scarves, nothing.”

Amur said the North Koreans appear to have the more modern versions of Russian standard issue equipment, with most in possession of around 10 magazines, 5-10 grenades, machine gun ammunition and mines. The North Korean soldier was carrying an AK-12 assault rifle – the newer model of the standard issue AK-47, Amur said.

Notes, fake military ID found

Earlier this month, Ukraine captured two North Korean soldiers, and released video of the injured men, speaking Korean and receiving treatment, as evidence of Pyongyang’s robust military support for Moscow.

Russian shelling escalated as the soldier was captured, Ukrainian officials said, aimed at stopping the North Korean soldier from being taken alive.

Ukrainian troops have taken DNA samples – saliva swabs and locks of hair – from the dead, which they said showed them to be of East Asian extraction, and provided further evidence of North Korean involvement.

The North Korean soldier seen detonating the grenade in the video carried a fake Russian military ID which identified him as 29-year-old Ment Chat. The document said he joined the Russian army in October and was from the Russian border region of Tuva, near Mongolia.

One sheet of paper is peppered with pledges of allegiance to North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un and of victory in battle. It is unclear if the notes were meant to emphasize the soldier’s loyalty if killed in battle to protect their surviving families, or if it truly reflects their mindset.

Another note retrieved from the bodies extols North Korea’s prowess in combat and derides their enemy, Ukraine.

“The hammer of death to the unknown and the puppet trash is not far off. We wield the powerful force that makes them tremble in fear. An invincible and certain-to-win battle.”

Another note, from the collection said: “I will demonstrate unparalleled bravery to its fullest. World, watch closely.”

Acts of ‘disloyalty’ recorded

Ukrainian officials who reviewed the papers said the North Korean units consider their involvement in Russia’s war as an opportunity to gain battle experience to assist their leader in any future conflict nearer home.

While North Korea is one of the most militarized societies on earth – with an estimated 1.2 million armed service personnel and mandatory military service from age 17 – its troops have had very limited exposure to the battlefield since the Korean War, where an armistice brought hostilities to a halt in 1953.

Another document, likely written by an officer, recorded acts of disloyalty by North Korean subordinates – a common practice in the totalitarian state, where citizens are encouraged to inform on each other.

One note said a soldier had “engaged in an unimaginably disgraceful act by stealing supplies.” Another note said a different soldier had “failed to uphold the Supreme Commander’s dignity and placed his personal interests above all.”

Other papers contained the radio codes of the North Korean force, but also contained notes on new tactics to counter drone attacks, from which Amur said North Koreans had suffered major losses.

“My unit could take out about 30 enemy soldiers in a day’s work, just by throwing grenades on their heads. They didn’t understand what to do,” he said.

Labelled “How to destroy drones,” the handwritten North Korean note suggested using soldiers as bait.

“When a drone is spotted… at a distance of about 10-12 meters, one out of three people should unconditionally lure it, and the other two should take aim and shoot.

“Another method is, since shells will not fall again in the same crater, take cover in the crater…” it read.

Amur described a ruthless opponent. “They don’t take our prisoners. All of our servicemen we found are shot in the back of the head.”

This post appeared first on cnn.com

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Trump to address House GOP in his own backyard during Miami-area working retreat

President Donald Trump is expected to address House Republicans at their annual retreat on Monday as lawmakers work to enact his goal for a busy first 100 days of the new administration.

It’s another sign of the House GOP conference’s push for unity with Trump that the conference is being held at Trump National Doral, his golf course and resort near Miami.

‘He’s going to come and address the Republicans there, and we’re looking forward to that,’ Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., confirmed to reporters last week.

Johnson told reporters on Monday that he expects to discuss several issues with Trump, including potentially conditioning wildfire aid to California. It comes after Trump suggested pairing aid to the liberal stronghold with a crackdown on noncitizen voting.

Trump has made no secret of his intent to keep a close eye on the Republican majorities in the House and Senate this year, particularly as they discuss how to use their numbers to pass a massive conservative policy overhaul via the budget reconciliation process.

By reducing the threshold for Senate passage from 60 votes to a 51-seat simple majority, reconciliation allows a party in control of both congressional chambers to enact sweeping changes, provided they’re relevant to budgetary and fiscal policy.

A copy of lawmakers’ schedule obtained by Fox News Digital shows a heavy focus on reconciliation this week, with several closed-door meetings on the matter scheduled for Tuesday. 

Johnson also suggested on Monday that it could be a key part of Trump’s speech as well.

‘You all heard me talk about the proverbial playbook that we developed over the last year leading up to this moment, that we knew what would happen. And now we’re working out the final sequence of the plays. And so some big decisions will be made here in the next few days and will align with the Senate and our colleagues there,’ Johnson said.

Meanwhile, lawmakers are also contending with the debt ceiling being reinstated this month after it was temporarily suspended in a bipartisan deal during the Trump administration.

And coming on March 14 is the deadline to avert a partial government shutdown, which Congress has extended twice since the end of the previous fiscal year on Oct. 1.

‘I think obviously everyone is ready to get to work,’ Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., told Fox News Digital. ‘With President Trump’s inauguration behind us, now we’re focused on the task at hand – everything from the border to the tax package, energy and defense and national security, and our debt. What we need to do over the next two years to really fulfill the agenda that we laid out for the American people.’

Lawler said he anticipated reconciliation would be a key focus of Trump’s remarks.

With razor-thin margins in the House and Senate, Republicans can afford few dissenters if they are going to get to the finish line. 

Lawler is one of several Republicans who have drawn red lines in the discussions, vowing not to vote for a reconciliation bill that does not lift state and local tax (SALT) deduction caps – limits that have put a strain on suburban districts outside major cities.

He was realistic about setting expectations for their short Florida trip but was optimistic Republicans would eventually come together.

‘I think we’re in the middle of the process and, you know, this is obviously not going to be resolved over these three days,’ Lawler said. ‘But this is, I think, an important opportunity for everyone to really sit down and spend their time going through a lot of these issues.’

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DR. MARC SIEGEL: Make America Healthy Again needs bipartisan support

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Back when Obamacare (Affordable Care Act) first passed in 2010, I knew we were heading for deep water, and not because I am against expanding insurance coverage per se, but because, as a practicing physician, I knew that coverage didn’t guarantee you care. Not only that, but I knew that the combination of big insurance which can justify higher premiums if everyone is sicker or at risk of chronic illness, and big pharma, which also benefits from sicker patients, meant that there were built in incentives for our worst health habits to be reinforced.

The COVID pandemic worsened these bad habits as we became more sedentary, isolated, more anxious, drank more, exercised less, and our weight ballooned. These days, over 40% of American adults are obese, and twenty percent of children, compared with only 12% of adults in the early 1990s. This obesity is precisely the reason I treat so much hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and even lower back and joint pain, all of which worsen with excess weight and the inflammation it causes. Surgeries of the hip, knee, and back could often be avoided if people weighed less.

And the tools we use to treat these problems are often too aggressive. Yoga, acupuncture, physical therapy, and even chiropractic care can and should delay or even take the place of some of our most costly pills and surgeries.

 

Now along comes Make America Healthy Again, led by RFK Jr, with its hyper focus on battling ultra-processed foods, food dyes, seed oils, obesity, excessive pill popping, and sedentary behavior. The more food and insurance and pharmaceutical lobbies push back against this approach, the more I am hoping and rooting for bipartisan support. Bobby Kennedy comes from a long line of reformers, from his two uncles to his father. He is carrying on in their tradition when it comes to food and lifestyle.

Add to this Artificial Intelligence and the personalized biotechnological solutions of the near future, which President Donald Trump had on full display last week during his press conference with Open AI CEO Sam Altman, Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, and SoftBank CEO Maoyoshi Son, and I dream of a far different doctor’s office of the near future especially if MAHA catches on. My patients will be monitoring themselves with wearables and I will be receiving data (including exercise, weight, metabolism, and blood pressure) remotely and serving more as a coach than a doomsayer.

I am confident that once America’s patients start to feel better, they will endorse Make America Healthy Again.

In my dream, I will be testing the blood of my patients for any and all abnormal proteins and markers to monitor and treat. There will be far fewer elaborate tests, though the technology itself will be far more advanced. 

My patients will weigh less and exercise more and make healthier food choices. Chemical exposure from the environment and from our food will be carefully monitored and limited, and health care prevention will be seen as something that takes place before you ever get to a doctor’s office or a clinic or a hospital. 

Private health care solutions will be geared towards keeping you healthy rather than profiting off the sick. The cost to the health care system will be hundreds of billions less and we will be able to afford to spend more on true emergencies and researching unavoidable chronic illnesses that are genetically determined and not self-imposed.

I am confident that once America’s patients start to feel better, they will endorse Make America Healthy Again. It won’t matter whether you are a Republican or a Democrat, you will vote yes to good health.

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Justice Department fires more than a dozen key officials on former Special Counsel Jack Smith’s team

The Justice Department is firing more than a dozen key officials who worked on Special Counsel Jack Smith’s team prosecuting President Donald Trump, after Acting Attorney General James McHenry said they could not be trusted in ‘faithfully implementing the president’s agenda,’ Fox News Digital has learned. 

McHenry has transmitted a letter to each official notifying them of their termination, a Justice Department official exclusively told Fox News Digital.

It is unclear how many officials received that letter. The names of the individuals were not immediately released. 

‘Today, Acting Attorney General James McHenry terminated the employment of a number of DOJ officials who played a significant role in prosecuting President Trump,’ a DOJ official told Fox News Digital. ‘In light of their actions, the Acting Attorney General does not trust these officials to assist in faithfully implementing the President’s agenda.’ 

This action ‘is consistent with the mission of ending the weaponization of government,’ the official told Fox News Digital.

The move comes after the Justice Department reassigned more than a dozen officials in the first week of the Trump administration to a Sanctuary City task force and other measures. 

It also comes after Trump vowed to end the weaponization of the federal government. 

Former Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Smith, a former Justice Department official, as special counsel in November 2022. 

Smith, a former assistant U.S. attorney and chief to the DOJ’s public integrity section, led the investigation into Trump’s retention of classified documents after leaving the White House and whether the former president obstructed the federal government’s investigation into the matter. 

Smith was also tasked with overseeing the investigation into whether Trump or other officials and entities interfered with the peaceful transfer of power following the 2020 presidential election, including the certification of the Electoral College vote on Jan. 6, 2021. 

Smith charged Trump in both cases, but Trump pleaded not guilty.

The classified records case was dismissed in July 2024 by U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida Judge Aileen Cannon, who ruled that Smith was unlawfully appointed as special counsel. 

Smith charged Trump in the U.S. District Court for Washington D.C. in his 2020 election case, but after Trump was elected president, Smith sought to dismiss the case. Judge Tanya Chutkan granted that request. 

Both cases were dismissed. 

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Republican state AGs await Trump-brokered TikTok deal, remain skeptical on app safety

President Donald Trump signaled Saturday a deal could be underway soon to ‘save’ TikTok from a looming ban, and Republican state attorneys general – many skeptical of the app’s security – are waiting to see if it comes to fruition.

‘I have spoken to many people about TikTok and there is great interest in TikTok,’ Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on a flight to Florida, Reuters reported. 

The reported deal Trump is working on involves partnering with software company Oracle and a group of outside investors to take control of the app’s operations. According to sources familiar with the matter, ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent company, would maintain a stake in the platform under the proposed deal. However, Oracle would take control of data management and software updates, leveraging its existing role in supporting TikTok’s web infrastructure, two sources told Reuters.

‘President Trump has repeatedly expressed his desire to save TikTok, and there’s no better dealmaker than Donald Trump,’ Trump’s national press secretary Karoline Leavitt previously told Fox News Digital.

Several Republican state attorneys general have actively pursued actions to ban TikTok, citing national security concerns and potential data privacy issues. In December 2024, 22 attorneys general, including those from Virginia and Montana, filed an amicus brief urging the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold the ‘divest-or-ban’ law against TikTok. The law mandates that TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, divest its U.S. operations or face a potential ban due to national security concerns.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton also initiated legal action against TikTok earlier this month, alleging ‘TikTok lied about its safety standards and concealed the truth about the prevalence of inappropriate and explicit material,’ according to his office’s news release. Paxton’s lawsuit doesn’t mention the app’s ban.

A source close to several Republican state attorneys general told Fox News Digital on Monday that they’re confident if anyone can make a deal to protect the U.S. from the Chinese Communist Party, it’s Trump, but if it poses a threat to national security, then it should be banned. 

Republicans aren’t the only ones concerned about TikTok. Several Democratic state attorneys general have actively pursued legal actions against the social media app, too. In October 2024, California Attorney General Rob Bonta and New York Attorney General Letitia James, along with 12 other states and the District of Columbia, filed a lawsuit alleging that TikTok exploits and harms young users and deceives the public about the social media platform’s dangers.

While Trump tried to ban the app from U.S. access during his first administration, he credited TikTok for reaching young voters during the 2024 presidential campaign. 

TikTok went dark earlier this month after ByteDance had nine months to sell TikTok to an approved buyer but opted, along with TikTok, to take legal action against the law. The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the law, citing national security risks because of its ties to China.

The app was reinstated for U.S. users the following day, with Trump promising an executive order to extend TikTok’s sale. 

‘Welcome back!’ the TikTok message read. ‘Thank you for your patience and support. As a result of President Trump’s efforts, TikTok is back in the U.S.!’

Fox News Digital has reached out to TikTok for comment.

Fox Business’ Alexandra Koch, Bradford Betz and Landon Mion contributed to this report.

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First lady Melania Trump’s new official portrait revealed

Strike a pose.

That’s exactly what first lady Melania Trump is doing in her new official White House portrait that was released Monday afternoon.

The first lady is seen in a striking power pose – leaning slightly forward with her hands resting on a table. 

The black and white portrait was captured by esteemed photographer Régine Mahaux. It was taken on January 21, 2024, in the Yellow Oval Room of the White House, according to the office of the first lady.

Trump, a former fashion model, is seen posing in business attire – opting for a dark-colored suit with a crisp white shirt underneath. Trump’s hair is down and wavy. Her nails are meticulously manicured. 

The portrait was met with praise online.

‘Easily the most stunning First Lady in American history,’ one user wrote on X.

‘Melania really exudes power in this photo — especially with the Washington Monument standing tall in the background,’ another praised.

Others speculated the first lady was attempting to send a message. 

‘This time, Melania is out for revenge,’ an X user wrote.

While another said, ‘Her revenge tour is going to be awesome!’

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Health experts prep Dem lawmakers on anti-vaccine arguments ahead of RFK Jr’s confirmation hearings

A group of Democratic senators previewed several anti-vaccine arguments during a roundtable discussion, including a claim that vaccines cause autism, several days before Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s scheduled confirmation hearings later this week.

Even though Kennedy’s name was ‘not supposed’ to come up during the hearing, according to at least one of the health experts present at the discussion, his nomination to be the next secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) was invoked frequently by lawmakers seeking answers about how to combat anti-vaccine claims and so-called ‘misinformation,’ including arguments about vaccines that Kennedy has promoted in the past.

One claim the senators asked the public health experts at the roundtable about was whether vaccines cause autism, a claim Kennedy has discussed publicly in interviews.

‘This is something that I hear a concern about quite a lot,’ Sen. Angela Alsobrooks, D-Md., asked the panel. ‘What, if any information, can you give us to help us push back against that?’ 

The doctors on the panel explained the lack of robust studies proving this link while highlighting the wide breadth of studies that have shown no links between vaccines and autism.

‘Academic researchers, pediatricians, scientists took that concern seriously enough to spend tens of millions of dollars to answer the question,’ said Dr. Paul Offit, a pediatrician with an expertise in virology and immunology. ‘The more impactful part of your question is how do you get that information out there, because frankly, once you’ve scared people it’s hard to unscare them.’ 

Offitt added that since there is no clear cause of autism, it makes it harder to refute claims from Kennedy and others. Dr. Joshua Sharfstein of Johns Hopkins pointed lawmakers to preeminent medical authorities within the U.S., such as the National Academy of Sciences, as places they could go for evidence that vaccines do not cause autism.

The Democratic group of lawmakers, led by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who caucuses with Democrats, asked questions about, and learned ways to refute, other anti-vaccine claims, such as whether vaccine manufacturers are immune from being held accountable for vaccine injuries.

The experts pointed out the presence of a National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program that allows certain vaccine injury victims to receive compensation from the government, but they suggested that if Kennedy upended the current system and opened up more companies to liability, it could potentially put vaccine manufacturers out of business.

‘Am I right that the HHS secretary has some discretion about removing vaccines from that list [and opening them up to civil litigation] if they were to choose?’ asked Sen. Time Kaine, D-Va. ‘Because if that were the case, I would obviously worry about – that would be one worry I would have and a set of questions I might like to ask people nominated for positions within HHS.’

Other questions from lawmakers that the health experts helped answer included queries about how to distinguish between vaccine side effects versus vaccine complications, how to combat claims that vaccines are not studied enough, questions about how the government monitors the safety of vaccines, questions about how undermining vaccine efficacy can impact public health and more. 

Kennedy will face tough questions about his stance on vaccines this week during his confirmation hearings in front of both the Senate Committee on Finance and the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP).

The chair of the Senate’s HELP committee, Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., called Kennedy ‘wrong’ on vaccines during an interview earlier this month. 

Democrats, meanwhile, have been more pointed about their criticism. During the roundtable discussion with public health experts, Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., called Kennedy ‘dangerous’ and ‘unqualified’ for the position of HHS secretary. 

‘The bird flu, if it explodes, we’re going to need to have some confidence, especially in those people who should be vaccinated, that they can trust the government when they say that it’s safe, they can trust the medical community, and I’m just very afraid of Robert F. Kennedy’s candidacy,’ Markey said. 

‘Say goodbye to your smile and say hello to polio,’ Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., said after news of Kennedy’s nomination to head HHS. ‘This is a man who wants to stop kids from getting their polio and measles shots. He’s actually welcoming a return to polio, a disease we nearly eradicated.’

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Ecstatic House Republicans cry unity after Trump speech in Miami: ‘Made politics fun again’

DORAL, Fla. — House Republicans brimmed with optimism after President Donald Trump’s speech at their annual retreat on Monday evening, where the new commander in chief detailed his policy goals for a busy first 100 days of the new administration.

Trump’s speech, which ran just over an hour, covered a wide range of issues, from post-election unity to his wishlist for Republicans’ conservative policy overhaul via the budget reconciliation process.

‘It was fun, you know? I mean, if you’re a Republican, Trump made politics fun again,’ House Appropriations Committee Chair Tom Cole, R-Okla., told Fox News Digital. ‘I mean, it’s been an extraordinary week. There’s a blizzard of executive orders and actions. It’s actually pushed Congress on some action.’

Rep. Mike Haridopolos, R-Fla., a first-term member of Congress, was buoyant when approached by Fox News Digital on the first night of his first House GOP issues conference, an annual Republican event.

‘This is exactly why we ran for office, to turn around this country as quickly as possible. And that the president was in full form tonight. And I’m so excited to be a part of this change,’ Haridopolos said. ‘You could feel the energy in the room, and I think people are very excited to get this agenda through, and more importantly see the results.’

It comes as Republicans negotiate on how to use their razor-thin majorities in the House and Senate to pass massive conservative policy changes through budget reconciliation.

By reducing the threshold for Senate passage from 60 votes to a 51-seat simple majority, reconciliation allows a party in control of both congressional chambers to enact sweeping changes, provided they’re relevant to budgetary and fiscal policy.

There has been some disagreement for weeks over how to package the GOP’s priorities, however. Senate Republicans have pushed for breaking the package up into two bills in order to score early victories on border security and energy policy while leaving the more complex issue of tax reform for a second bill.

House Republican leaders, however, are concerned that the heavy political lift that passing a reconciliation bill entails would mean lawmakers run out of time before they can extend Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, which expire at the end of this year.

Trump, who previously said he favors ‘one big beautiful bill,’ was noncommittal on the strategy during his speech. 

‘Whether it’s one bill, two bills, I don’t care,’ he said.

He was more specific about what policies he wanted to see passed, however, including more funding for border security, permanently extending his 2017 tax cuts and ending taxation for tips, Social Security benefits and overtime pay. Trump also has vowed to end green energy policies in favor of bolstering the fossil fuel sector.

Cole said he was concerned about the increase in federal spending that some of Trump’s specific policy goals would entail, but he conceded the president was likely speaking in generalities. 

‘I think Trump, when he thinks about these things, he’s thinking about just the average person and what a burden it is on them,’ Cole said.

Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., one of three House Republicans who won in a district that voted for former Vice President Kamala Harris in November, praised Trump’s speech as ‘unifying’ but shared concerns with Trump’s broad-brush approach.

‘I thought that message is pretty unifying. I do. I think sometimes the execution gets all messy,’ Bacon said. 

‘While I was in there, I had a businessman from Omaha that does wind energy, and he’s worried about what that means. So I think it … could be a little more targeted. Sometimes I think people on the periphery are scared that their business will be impacted.’

But National Republican Congressional Committee Chair Richard Hudson, R-N.C., who is tasked with leading Republicans through the 2026 midterm elections, said leaders would hash out specifics as needed while crediting Trump with bringing the GOP together.

‘We’ll see how the details shake out in these couple of days. But what I thought was great is he kept coming back to his theme: If all Republicans stick together, we can be successful. And I thought that was a good message for all members,’ Hudson said.

Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., said she was ‘very happy to hear’ Trump call for a lower tax rate for new domestic manufacturing, particularly in relation to pharmaceuticals.

It’s an issue she hopes Republicans will tackle in their reconciliation process.

‘It was important that President Trump stressed unity as we enter the timeframe for drafting and passing reconciliation, extending the tax package,’ Malliotakis said. 

And Rep. Nathaniel Moran, R-Texas, also praised Trump’s speech while dismissing concerns about his lack of commitment toward a one- or two-reconciliation bill strategy.

‘He’s a results-oriented guy, and we all know that. And what we need to do is whatever is necessary to get the results for the American people and put his policies in place,’ Moran said.

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Trump transportation secretary pick Sean Duffy to face Senate confirmation vote

The Senate is poised to vote on whether to confirm President Donald Trump’s nominee to head the Department of Transportation over the next four years.

Trump tapped Sean Duffy, a former congressman, a father of nine and a former Fox News host, to serve as secretary of transportation under his administration, calling him a ‘tremendous and well-liked public servant.’

Duffy underwent a grilling by the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee this month, eventually advancing to a full Senate vote with unanimous, bipartisan support.

A cloture vote for Duffy’s confirmation was held Monday evening, which, upon its passing, meant the chamber would conclude its debate over his nomination and proceed to a final vote.

The Senate is scheduled to vote on whether to confirm Duffy on Tuesday afternoon.

If confirmed, Duffy will assume the position last held by former President Joe Biden’s transportation secretary, Pete Buttigieg.

Buttigieg faced criticism from both Democrats and Republicans for his handling of transportation issues over the years, such as waiting 10 days to address the 2023 Ohio train derailment and widespread calls to hold airlines accountable for flight delays.

As the new administration takes shape, lawmakers are making suggestions about what they would like to see in the new transportation head.

Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah called for the Trump administration to abolish the Transportation Security Administration. 

Additionally, during Duffy’s confirmation hearing, Sens. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and Ted Budd, R-N.C., highlighted the importance of making sure Hurricane Helene victims are ‘not forgotten’ after a stretch of a highway in North Carolina collapsed into the Pigeon River.

Tuesday’s vote comes as Senate Republicans have been working to confirm Trump’s Cabinet nominees, holding a rare vote on Saturday to push through Kristi Noem as secretary of Homeland Security.

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