COLUMBUS, Ga. — During a trip to Fort Benning on Thursday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the department is working on re-establishing deterrence, ‘so that when the enemy sees an American, they don’t want to f— with us.’

The comments came after Hegseth spoke at an Officer Candidate School (OCS) graduation ceremony, where candidates were commissioned as second lieutenants in the Army or ensigns in the Navy.

Following the ceremony, he made remarks at the Infantry Basic Officer Leader Course luncheon — sharing stories about his children wanting Army Ranger shirts, and noting the proudest moment of his life would be saluting them if they earned it.

Hegseth also touched on military priorities under the Trump administration, noting the Department of Defense’s focus is rebuilding the military to ensure it has the best possible equipment from the warfighter perspective, across all services. 

‘And then reestablishing deterrence, so that when the enemy sees an American, they don’t want to f— with us,’ Hegseth said. ‘Because they know they’ll get the business end of the best warrior on the planet. We’re reestablishing that. Whether it’s midnight hammer, or freedom of navigation, or narco-traffickers that are poisoning the American people.’

He said the world knows that when President Donald Trump speaks, he means business, adding that the graduates are the faces of that deterrence. 

‘It’s you that we remember, and we think of, when we make decisions,’ Hegseth said. ‘It’s the job of policymakers and leaders in our positions to look down and say, ‘We’ve asked you to do tough things, we’re going to have your back when you do it.’ We’re going untie your hands and make sure you can unleash hell in Yemen. Absolute violence of action. 

‘We’re going to push decision-making authority down to you, the platoon level, the company level, the battalion unit level, as much as possible.’

During the trip, the secretary also teased that the Defense Department may have a new name on Friday, which Fox News Digital’s Diana Stancy and Emma Colton were first to confirm.

Trump will sign an executive order allowing the department to use the ‘Department of War’ as a secondary title, along with phrases like ‘secretary of war’ for Hegseth.

The order also directs Hegseth to propose legislative and executive actions to make the name change permanent.

Fox News Digital’s Diana Stancy and Emma Colton contributed to this report.

The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court on Thursday to allow the president to fire a member of the Federal Trade Commission, after lower courts ruled he lacks the authority to remove members of independent agencies without cause.

President Donald Trump moved to fire Rebecca Slaughter earlier this year, but lower courts ruled she could keep her job because the law only allows commissioners to be removed for issues such as misconduct or neglect of duty.

Earlier this week, an appeals court said Trump unlawfully fired Slaughter and that her firing was squarely at odds with Supreme Court precedent.

The Justice Department contends that the FTC and other executive branch agencies are under Trump’s control and that the president has the power to remove commissioners without cause.

The testing of the president’s removal power could lead the nation’s highest court to consider overturning a 1935 Supreme Court decision known as Humphrey’s Executor, in which justices unanimously ruled that presidents cannot fire independent board members without cause.

The ruling brought in an era of powerful independent federal agencies charged with regulating labor relations, employment discrimination, the airwaves and other matters.

That case also centered around the FTC, which was highlighted by lower-court judges in the lawsuit filed by Slaughter, who has been fired and rehired multiple times this year as the case worked its way through the courts.

The FTC is a regulator created by Congress that enforces consumer protection measures and antitrust legislation. The agency’s seats are typically made up of three members of the president’s party and two from the opposing party.

Slaughter was first appointed by Trump in 2018, and then later reappointed by former President Joe Biden. She is the only remaining Democrat on the FTC.

The high court has already allowed the removal of several other board members from independent agencies. 

The justices have also suggested that Trump’s removal powers have limitations at the Federal Reserve, which could soon be tested as well in the case of Lisa Cook, a member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Senate Democrats found unlikely allies in Senate Republicans during a fiery hearing, where Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was grilled for his stance on vaccines.

Kennedy’s testimony before the Senate Finance Committee on Thursday was billed as a discussion on President Donald Trump’s healthcare agenda, but it quickly turned into a tongue-lashing from lawmakers, who accused the secretary of lying to the panel about how he would operate the HHS and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

While a barrage of heated exchanges between Kennedy and Democrats were expected, it was heat from Senate Republicans on the panel, including a pair of doctors turned legislators, who stood out.

‘I support vaccines. I’m a doctor. Vaccines work,’ Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., said. ‘Secretary Kennedy, in your confirmation hearings, you promised to uphold the highest standards for vaccines. Since then, I have grown deeply concerned.’

‘The public has seen measles outbreaks, leadership at the National Institutes of Health questioning the use of mRNA vaccines, the recently confirmed director of Center for Disease Control and Prevention fired,’ he continued. ‘Americans don’t know who to rely on.’  

When asked what he would do to ensure that vaccine guidance was clear, Kennedy said, ‘We’re going to make it clear, evidence-based and trustworthy for the first time in history.’

The hearing came on the heels of a week of turmoil at the CDC, where Kennedy fired former CDC Director Susan Monarez, which led to several senior officials resigning from the agency. Before that, the secretary had cleaned out the federal government’s vaccine recommendation panel and handpicked his own members to serve, and he also moved to cancel $500 million in mRNA vaccine contracts.

Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., also serves as the chair of the Senate’s health committee and was the decisive vote to confirm Kennedy. He argued that Kennedy’s actions on vaccines appeared to counter his support for Trump’s Operation Warp Speed, a sweeping executive program by the Trump administration at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic that jump-started the production of vaccines.

He noted that both Trump and Kennedy have vowed ‘radical transparency’ when it came to the administration’s healthcare agenda, but countered that the secretary’s move to put new members on the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices appeared to be a conflict of interest.

‘I am concerned though, because many of those that you have nominated for the [Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices] board… have received revenue as serving as expert witnesses as plaintiffs for attorneys suing vaccine makers,’ Cassidy said. ‘If we put people who are paid witnesses for people suing vaccines, that seems like a conflict of interest, real quickly do you agree with that?’

‘No I don’t,’ Kennedy said, arguing that while it may seem like a bias, it was not a conflict of interest.

Not every Republican doctor on the panel went after Kennedy. Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., has long been an ally of the secretary’s and gave him room to address accusations that he was anti-vaccine.

‘Saying I’m anti-vaccine is like saying I’m anti-medicine,’ Kennedy said. ‘I’m pro-medicine, but I understand some medicines harm people, some of them have risks, some of them have benefits that outweigh those risks for certain populations, and that’s true with vaccines.’

Marshall agreed that he was not ‘anti-vax either,’ and he listed several vaccines that he believed were good but argued that it was the transparency and approach to vaccines under the HHS and CDC that he was after.

‘What I feel the difference is sometimes my friends across the aisle feel like there’s a one-size-fits-all, that they should be telling parents what to do,’ Marshall said. ‘And what you and I are fighting for is that we want to empower parents to make these decisions.’

President Donald Trump has never played by the stale rules of Washington and Americans are grateful for it. His bold call for a 2026 pre-midterm convention is a political masterstroke that will cement America First policies, energize the Republican base, and ignite Generation Z voters. 

This convention is a seismic shift that sends a clear message to every politician: fight for the American people or step aside.

The GOP’s victories, from retaking the White House and strengthening congressional majorities to delivering real wins on border security, tax cuts, a stronger economy and energy independence, set the stage for Trump’s call for a pre-midterm national convention that breaks political tradition. 

While establishment Republicans cling to fundraising dinners, closed-door sessions and tired speeches that leave voters disengaged, Trump has mastered turning rallies into movements, from the electrifying 2016 campaign that flipped battleground states to the packed arenas of 2024 that reenergized the base. A pre-midterm convention would unite delegates from all 50 states to celebrate achievements, set a clear agenda and ignite voters. 

The contrast is clear. Conservative values of law and order through Trump’s National Guard blueprint to combat crime, economic freedom that fuels innovation, and family-first policies that honor tradition stand in sharp contrast to Democrat failures, including 9.1% inflation in 2022, open borders that allowed more than 11 million illegals, and foreign policy disasters that emboldened adversaries. 

By highlighting Republican successes like cutting gas prices through energy independence and appointing judges who defend constitutional rights, this convention would rebuke the Washington elite and prove Republicans deliver results while Democrats deliver excuses.

Unity is part of the strategy, but this is also a pivotal opportunity to mobilize Gen Z, the 68 million young Americans born between 1997 and 2012 who are increasingly open to conservative policies but need a reason to show up. A midterm convention can be that reason. 

Their frustration with the Left is clear: sky-high inflation, record crime and the relentless push of woke ideology. The 2025 Harvard Youth Poll found that 75% of young voters believe the country is headed in the wrong direction, with 62% citing a worsening economy under current policies and nearly half naming cost of living such as housing, food and gas as their top concern. A Yale Youth Poll revealed 35% now favor Republicans in the midterms, a notable increase from past cycles. 

Gen Z does not trust institutions and is disillusioned by political posturing. They crave authenticity while being bombarded by liberal propaganda in schools, on social media and from Hollywood. They see through empty promises of equity, knowing it means higher prices, fewer jobs and more division, with nearly 60% of Gen Z college graduates unemployed compared to just 25% of prior generations. 

President Trump understands this. A high-energy convention featuring conservative stars like Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., and Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., along with influencers such as Charlie Kirk and Anthony Raimondi, known as Conservative Ant, can deliver messages tailored for TikTok and X. 

These voices can speak directly to Gen Z’s entrepreneurial spirit with policies that support small business tax cuts, energy independence to cut gas prices and unapologetic defenses of freedom. That spark could boost Gen Z turnout by 10% to 15% in the midterms, making them the GOP’s secret weapon. Failure to capture their energy risks apathy or a drift toward third parties.

This convention will energize the grassroots and unify the Republican Party. The GOP is already outpacing Democrats in record-breaking fundraising, but a unified front delivers more than dollars. It locks in a clear midterm agenda, quashes internal battles and promises a surge of support as Trump, Vice President JD Vance and other Republican stars deliver high-profile speeches that draw major contributions. 

By showcasing Republican successes in safety, job growth, lower gas prices and judicial appointments that protect constitutional rights, against Democrat failures like open borders and green energy disasters, the convention will mobilize voters. With the economy rebounding and Trump’s approval rising, it ensures Republicans avoid complacency and secure dominance.

A midterm convention also challenges GOP lawmakers to deliver results or leave Washington. Voters are demanding accountability, expecting politicians to prove their commitment to the America First agenda by securing the border, cutting red tape and prioritizing American workers, while elevating rising stars who represent the next wave of conservative leadership. This moment is an opportunity to purge establishment Republicans who align with elites and replace them with fighters for the American people, reshaping the future bench of Congress. 

Meanwhile, Democrats are leaderless and floundering in internal chaos and deeply unpopular policies. A 2025 CNN poll shows that while 72% of Democrats say they are motivated to vote, only 58% view their party favorably, compared to 76% for Republicans. Trump’s call for a midterm convention is another power move that highlights Democratic disarray, exposing their lack of leadership, failed policies and overall weakness.

Trump’s midterm convention is not just about exposing Democratic failure, it is about building the future of the movement and securing a foundation that lasts for generations. It is now or never for conservatives. 

A pre-midterm GOP convention led by Trump represents the next chapter in his revolution, timed to capture Gen Z’s openness to conservative ideas. By rallying young voters with authenticity and real solutions to their everyday struggles, amplifying momentum, and holding Republican leaders accountable, this convention can turn frustration into lasting America First policies. 

The GOP cannot afford to let woke politics or establishment complacency derail America’s future. Seizing this moment ensures 2026 delivers not just a victory but a generational turning point that will shape the direction of this country for decades to come.

Leading members of President Donald Trump’s political team met Wednesday behind closed doors with House Republicans to offer what’s being described as a ‘clear and simple’ message to sell the GOP’s sweeping domestic policy package to Americans.

The sales pitch, from top Trump pollster Tony Fabrizio, senior Trump political aide James Blair, and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, is part of an ongoing effort by the president and his team to rebrand the massive tax cuts and spending measure, which polls indicate isn’t popular with Americans.

‘The best marketer out there is our president,’ National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) chair Rep. Richard Hudson of North Carolina told Fox News’ Aishah Hasnie following the meeting.

Hudson noted that Trump ‘used the name One Big Beautiful Bill to help get it passed. And now, to try and explain to the American people, he’s suggesting we call it the Working Families Tax Cut, which is exactly what it is. It’s a big component of it.’

But the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) argued that ‘the so-called rebrand of the Big, Ugly Law is an admission that the GOP’s signature legislative ‘achievement’ is a toxic failure.’

‘Only Republicans seem surprised that ripping away health care and gutting rural hospitals just to hand billionaires a massive tax break is completely out of step with what the American people want,’ DCCC spokesperson Justin Chermol claimed in a statement to Fox News Digital.

The package narrowly passed through the Republican-controlled Congress earlier this summer, nearly entirely along party lines, and Trump signed it into law during a July 4 ceremony at the White House.

For months, Trump touted his Big Beautiful Bill, but at a Cabinet meeting last week he seemed to acknowledge the difficult sales job he and his party face.

‘I’m not going to use the term great, big, beautiful – that was good for getting it approved, but it’s not good for explaining to people what it’s really about,’ Trump said.

And he described the package as a ‘major tax cut for workers.’

The measure is stuffed full of Trump’s 2024 campaign trail promises and second-term priorities on tax cuts, immigration, defense, energy and the debt limit. 

It includes extending the president’s signature 2017 tax cuts, which were set to expire later this year, and eliminating taxes on tips and overtime pay. 

The shift in branding that Trump noted last week has already been reflected by Vice President JD Vance, who has been stopping in key 2026 midterm states to sell the measure.

At his earlier stops on his tour, Vance called the package the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill.’ But the vice president now refers to the measure repeatedly as the ‘Working Families Tax Cut.’

The package also provides billions for border security and codifies the president’s sweeping and controversial immigration crackdown.

And the new law also restructures Medicaid — the almost 60-year-old federal program that provides health coverage to roughly 71 million low-income Americans. 

The changes to Medicaid, as well as cuts to food stamps, another one of the nation’s major safety net programs, were drafted in part as an offset to pay for extending Trump’s tax cuts. The measure includes a slew of new rules and regulations, including work requirements for many of those seeking Medicaid coverage.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates the new law could result in roughly 10 million people losing health coverage, and $3.4 trillion added to the nation’s already massive federal deficit. Republicans dispute those projections.

Regardless, some Republican House members who’ve held town halls this summer have faced vocal constituents angry over the social safety net cuts in the GOP’s measure.

And Democrats for months have repeatedly blasted Republicans over those social safety net changes. They charge it will gut Medicaid, forcing rural hospitals and nursing homes to close their doors. 

‘Rural hospitals were already on the brink of collapse thanks to Donald Trump, but now he has put the last nail in the coffin for rural hospitals with his billionaire budget bill,’ Democratic National Committee (DNC) chair Ken Martin claimed.

Republicans have pushed back on the Democrats’ criticism.

‘Overall, most people’s awareness comes from the lies they’ve heard from Democrats and our mainstream media. But when they hear the details of what’s in the actual bill, it’s very, very popular,’ Hudson told Fox News.

According to sources in the room, the president’s political advisers urged House Republicans to court low-propensity Trump voters who supported the president in 2024 but traditionally don’t turn out for midterm elections. 

The GOP is aiming to defend its fragile House majority in next year’s midterms, when the party in power normally faces political headwinds and ends up losing congressional seats. 

‘We got a lot of good information about where voters are on the working families tax cuts,’ Hudson said.

And the NRCC chair highlighted, ‘There’s a segment of our voting population that only vote in presidential elections. There’s also a very specific group that show up for President Trump.’

‘I don’t need all of them to show up, but I need some of them to show up. And the good news is, we know who they are. We know what they care about. And the message today was, communicate with them and let them know what we’re doing,’ Hudson said.

The House Budget Committee has begun having early discussions on a second Republican megabill, eyeing more potential reforms to Medicaid, sources told Fox News Digital.

Republicans on the panel are expected to hold closed-door talks in the coming days, as lawmakers return from the August recess, three people familiar with the matter said. 

Two sources familiar with discussions said the committee has begun early talk on mapping out further reforms to Medicaid, including revisiting and modifying measures that did not make the Senate’s final version of the bill. 

‘I think you can kind of put this puzzle together, but I think we were talking about things that last time didn’t go through,’ one person said.

Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., said committee Republicans would meet this week to discuss ‘Medicaid reform.’

‘Same thing we debated before, same thing that we were fighting for,’ Norman told Fox News Digital. ‘I don’t know that the appetite is there right now, but we’ll see.’

Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, chair of the House Budget Committee, confirmed to Fox News Digital that his panel had begun laying the groundwork for a second reconciliation package.

‘Reversing the curse is a continuous effort when you’re $36-plus trillion in the hole,’ Arrington said, referencing the national debt. ‘It’s going to take more than one reconciliation bill to get out of it. So that process is underway.’

He added that details remain fluid, with ongoing talks between his committee and leaders of other House panels on what should be included.

When asked about Medicaid specifically, Arrington said he supported proposals potentially blocking federal dollars from covering transgender medical procedures and from going to illegal immigrants.

‘I’d be shocked if those don’t go back in, in some form,’ he said. ‘They also happen to be 80-20 issues, like 80% of the American people would expect that that already happens and are shocked that it’s not happening.’

Arrington suggested that more contentious ideas, such as altering the federal-state cost sharing ratio for Medicaid — known as FMAP — would likely not be central to the new bill. Conservative Republicans had pushed for changes to FMAP during the first reconciliation effort, but the proposal divided the party.

‘I guess the two big ones would be the transgender procedures and then prohibiting states from using federal funding, which is fungible, to support their extending Medicaid services to illegals. Those are absolutely two that should be included,’ Arrington said. 

‘The FMAP is, it’s unfortunately an unfair situation set up by Democrats through the Obamacare expansion, and I think a lot of members feel like it should be addressed. But again, it was debated, and it wasn’t included in the first one, so I don’t know how much time we’ll be spending on it.’

Republicans have long argued that Medicaid is plagued by waste, fraud, and abuse, framing reforms as necessary to protect benefits for the most vulnerable.

Any final decisions on policy related to Medicaid would have to go through the House Energy & Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over federal healthcare programs. 

A spokesperson for that committee told Fox News Digital, ‘Energy and Commerce Republicans have not proposed policies to be considered for a potential second reconciliation effort.’

The first reconciliation bill — signed into law on July 4 — advanced several of President Donald Trump’s campaign priorities, including tax cuts on tipped and overtime wages, increased immigration enforcement, and rollbacks of green energy initiatives.

Trump branded the package his ‘one big, beautiful bill,’ though he later sought to shift that to reflect its middle- and working-class tax relief. The legislation also imposed 20-hour-per-week requirements for some able-bodied adults on Medicaid and strengthened work requirements for federal food benefits.

The White House has not been making a public push for a second bill, however.

Democrats have seized on the GOP’s Medicaid proposals as a political weapon, accusing Republicans of pushing millions off the program to fund tax breaks for the wealthy. GOP lawmakers have pushed back on that charge and even accused Democrats of lying about the bill.

The path forward remains uncertain, however, with skepticism about whether both chambers have the appetite for another reconciliation bill. 

The first package, though a major GOP victory, took months of negotiation and internal wrangling.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., declined to directly assess the odds of a second reconciliation bill when asked Tuesday.

‘If we’re going to go down the road of a second reconciliation bill, we suggest cancel the healthcare cuts and save our hospitals,’ Jeffries said. ‘That should be the focus of a second reconciliation bill. It’s something that Democrats will broadly support.’

Budget reconciliation allows the party in power to pass vast pieces of policy legislation while sidelining opposition, in this case Democrats, by lowering the Senate’s passage threshold from 60 votes to 51. It can only be used three times in a single congressional term.

Leading members of President Donald Trump’s political team met Wednesday behind closed doors with House Republicans to offer what’s being described as a ‘clear and simple’ message to sell the GOP’s sweeping domestic policy package to Americans.

The sales pitch, from top Trump pollster Tony Fabrizio, senior Trump political aide James Blair, and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, is part of an ongoing effort by the president and his team to rebrand the massive tax cuts and spending measure, which polls indicate isn’t popular with Americans.

‘The best marketer out there is our president,’ National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) chair Rep. Richard Hudson of North Carolina told Fox News’ Aishah Hasnie following the meeting.

Hudson noted that Trump ‘used the name One Big Beautiful Bill to help get it passed. And now, to try and explain to the American people, he’s suggesting we call it the Working Families Tax Cut, which is exactly what it is. It’s a big component of it.’

But the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) argued that ‘the so-called rebrand of the Big, Ugly Law is an admission that the GOP’s signature legislative ‘achievement’ is a toxic failure.’

‘Only Republicans seem surprised that ripping away health care and gutting rural hospitals just to hand billionaires a massive tax break is completely out of step with what the American people want,’ DCCC spokesperson Justin Chermol claimed in a statement to Fox News Digital.

The package narrowly passed through the Republican-controlled Congress earlier this summer, nearly entirely along party lines, and Trump signed it into law during a July 4 ceremony at the White House.

For months, Trump touted his Big Beautiful Bill, but at a Cabinet meeting last week he seemed to acknowledge the difficult sales job he and his party face.

‘I’m not going to use the term great, big, beautiful – that was good for getting it approved, but it’s not good for explaining to people what it’s really about,’ Trump said.

And he described the package as a ‘major tax cut for workers.’

The measure is stuffed full of Trump’s 2024 campaign trail promises and second-term priorities on tax cuts, immigration, defense, energy and the debt limit. 

It includes extending the president’s signature 2017 tax cuts, which were set to expire later this year, and eliminating taxes on tips and overtime pay. 

The shift in branding that Trump noted last week has already been reflected by Vice President JD Vance, who has been stopping in key 2026 midterm states to sell the measure.

At his earlier stops on his tour, Vance called the package the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill.’ But the vice president now refers to the measure repeatedly as the ‘Working Families Tax Cut.’

The package also provides billions for border security and codifies the president’s sweeping and controversial immigration crackdown.

And the new law also restructures Medicaid — the almost 60-year-old federal program that provides health coverage to roughly 71 million low-income Americans. 

The changes to Medicaid, as well as cuts to food stamps, another one of the nation’s major safety net programs, were drafted in part as an offset to pay for extending Trump’s tax cuts. The measure includes a slew of new rules and regulations, including work requirements for many of those seeking Medicaid coverage.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates the new law could result in roughly 10 million people losing health coverage, and $3.4 trillion added to the nation’s already massive federal deficit. Republicans dispute those projections.

Regardless, some Republican House members who’ve held town halls this summer have faced vocal constituents angry over the social safety net cuts in the GOP’s measure.

And Democrats for months have repeatedly blasted Republicans over those social safety net changes. They charge it will gut Medicaid, forcing rural hospitals and nursing homes to close their doors. 

‘Rural hospitals were already on the brink of collapse thanks to Donald Trump, but now he has put the last nail in the coffin for rural hospitals with his billionaire budget bill,’ Democratic National Committee (DNC) chair Ken Martin claimed.

Republicans have pushed back on the Democrats’ criticism.

‘Overall, most people’s awareness comes from the lies they’ve heard from Democrats and our mainstream media. But when they hear the details of what’s in the actual bill, it’s very, very popular,’ Hudson told Fox News.

According to sources in the room, the president’s political advisors urged House Republicans to court low-propensity Trump voters who supported the president in 2024 but traditionally don’t turn out for midterm elections. 

The GOP is aiming to defend its fragile House majority in next year’s midterms, when the party in power normally faces political headwinds and ends up losing congressional seats. 

‘We got a lot of good information about where voters are on the working families tax cuts,’ Hudson said.

And the NRCC chair highlighted, ‘There’s a segment of our voting population that only vote in presidential elections. There’s also a very specific group that show up for President Trump.’

‘I don’t need all of them to show up, but I need some of them to show up. And the good news is, we know who they are. We know what they care about. And the message today was, communicate with them and let them know what we’re doing,’ Hudson said.