A small English town north of bustling Manchester just saw two controversial pro-Gaza candidates flip seats held by the mainstream Labour Party. Both candidates ran as independents in the May 1 local elections.

Maheen Kamran, 18, won the Burnley Central East seat on the Lancashire County Council, while Azhar Ali won the position of county councillor for the Nelson East ward. The Telegraph noted that their victories could be part of a growing trend, following a slew of pro-Gaza candidates—including former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn—winning seats in last year’s general election.

Ali is a former Labour Party member who was suspended from the party and lost its backing over allegations of antisemitism during an election last year. Labour initially supported Ali after he claimed that Israel ‘allowed’ Hamas’ Oct. 7 massacre to occur as a pretext to invade Gaza, according to the BBC. He later apologized for making what he called a ‘deeply offensive, ignorant and false’ claim. Labour withdrew its support for Ali and later suspended him from the party.

The Board of Deputies of British Jews did not accept Ali’s apology, calling his comments ‘disgraceful and unforgivable.’

‘It is clear to us that Mr. Ali is not [apologizing] out of a genuine sense of remorse. Despite what he says in his apology, we do not see how we could possibly engage with him at this time, and we believe other leading Jewish communal groups will feel similarly,’ the organization wrote in a 2024 statement.

Meanwhile, Kamran has taken radical stances of her own. She voted in favor of ending the ‘free mixing’ of Muslim men and women in public spaces. 

‘Muslim women aren’t really comfortable with being involved with Muslim men. I’m sure we can have segregated areas, segregated gyms, where Muslim women don’t have to sacrifice their health,’ Kamran told PoliticsHome.

In the same interview, Kamran said she entered politics because she believes there is a ‘genocide’ taking place in Gaza. While critics of Israel’s military actions use the term ‘genocide,’ supporters of the Jewish state often argue that Israel has the capability to destroy Gaza’s population but has chosen not to, thereby disputing the genocide claim.

Ali and Kamran’s victories come as mainstream parties lose influence in local elections. The right-wing populist Reform UK Party saw major gains in the latest election, according to the Telegraph. Meanwhile, despite its control of 10 Downing Street, Labour suffered losses in the recent local elections. 

The Trump administration on Friday officially designated two of Haiti’s most powerful gang networks, Viv Ansanm and Gran Grif, foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs) and specially designated global terrorists (SDGTs).

The move is aimed at disrupting the gangs’ operations and supporting efforts to restore order in the troubled Caribbean nation.

The announcement was made in a formal statement from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who declared that ‘the age of impunity for those supporting violence in Haiti is over.’

‘These gangs have killed and continue attacking the people of Haiti, Haitian security forces and multinational security support (MSS) mission personnel and are committed to overthrowing the government of Haiti,’ Rubio said. ‘Their ultimate goal is creating a gang-controlled state where illicit trafficking and other criminal activities operate freely and terrorize Haitian citizens.’

The designations bring serious legal consequences. Individuals or entities that provide material support to Viv Ansanm or Gran Grif could face criminal charges, loss of immigration benefits or removal from the U.S.

Viv Ansanm formed in September 2023 through an alliance between Haiti’s two main gang factions, G-9 and G-Pép. The coalition has carried out coordinated attacks on Haitian infrastructure, including prisons, government buildings and the Port-au-Prince international airport. These attacks were part of a broader campaign that helped force the resignation of former Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry.

Gran Grif operates mainly in the Artibonite region, a vital agricultural area. The State Department said the gang has been responsible for 80% of civilian death reports in that area since 2022. In February 2025, Gran Grif was linked to an attack that killed a Kenyan officer with the MSS mission.

According to NPR reporting from 2024, Viv Ansanm was spearheaded by Jimmy Chérizier, known as Barbecue, a former police officer turned gang leader. 

Chérizier helped unify rival gangs under a shared goal of opposing the Haitian government. In an interview with NPR, he defended the gang’s actions and blamed Haiti’s political elite for fostering the lawlessness. Though he acknowledged the violence, he claimed the government had enabled the conditions leading to it.

‘These designations play a critical role in our fight against these vicious groups and are an effective way to curtail support for their terrorist activities,’ Rubio said. He also warned that U.S. citizens and lawful residents who engage in transactions with these groups are exposing themselves to sanctions and prosecution.

Rubio praised the Haitian National Police and international partners for their efforts in pushing back against the gangs. ‘We commend the extraordinary bravery of the Haitian National Police and all international partners supporting the MSS mission for their ongoing efforts to establish stability and security in Haiti,’ he said.

He called on Haitian political leaders to focus on restoring peace. 

‘We urge all of Haiti’s political leaders to prioritize the security of the Haitian people, find solutions to stop the violence and make progress toward the restoration of democracy through free and fair elections,’ Rubio said.

The State Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

A new report warns that NATO is unprepared for modern digital warfare. Without stronger leadership, especially from the U.S., the alliance could face serious security risks.

The Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) released a study showing that many NATO members are failing to modernize their military data systems.

Although NATO leaders talk about the importance of secure and shared cloud infrastructure, most countries still store critical military information in local servers that are vulnerable to cyberattacks.

The report calls data the ‘currency of warfare’ and urges NATO to improve how it stores and shares military information.

At the moment, most NATO countries are building separate national cloud systems. France uses Thales, Germany uses Arvato, and Italy is working with Leonardo to develop sovereign defense cloud services, according to the CEPA report Defend in the Cloud: Boost NATO Data Resilience.

The U.S. has its own approach, using Amazon, Google, Microsoft and Oracle to build a sovereign cloud for the Department of Defense, as noted in the same CEPA report.

This fragmented setup is creating major problems. The CEPA report explains that many of these national systems are not interoperable, which makes it difficult for NATO allies to share intelligence or respond rapidly in times of crisis.

Although 22 NATO members have pledged to build shared cloud capabilities, progress has been slow. CEPA describes a gap between what leaders promise and what is actually getting done, and the process remains slow and overly bureaucratic.

Some of the hesitation stems from political tensions. 

Since returning to office, President Donald Trump has reinforced his long-standing position that NATO members must meet their defense spending commitments. 

In early 2025, Trump proposed raising the target above the current 2% benchmark and stated publicly that the U.S. would only defend NATO allies who meet what he considers their ‘fair share’ of the burden.

At the same time, Trump has taken credit for strengthening the alliance by pushing European governments to boost their defense budgets. 

In March, he pointed to what he called ‘hundreds of billions of dollars’ in new allied defense spending as proof that his pressure was effective. His administration continues to engage in high-level NATO meetings and has publicly affirmed support for the alliance’s core mission.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has worked to reassure European partners. During an April meeting with NATO foreign ministers in Brussels, he stated that the U.S. is ‘as active in NATO as it has ever been,’ pushing back on claims that the administration is disengaging.

According to statements published by the State Department and reported by Reuters, Rubio emphasized that Trump is not opposed to NATO itself, but to an alliance that is under-prepared or underfunded.

Rubio is also playing a central role in U.S. efforts to broker peace in Ukraine. In early 2025, he led direct talks with Russian officials in Saudi Arabia and presented Trump’s terms for a possible ceasefire, according to official State Department readouts and contemporaneous reporting by Reuters and other outlets.

Rubio has emphasized that Ukraine and European allies will remain closely involved in the process. After a pause in U.S. aid earlier this year, he announced that military support would resume once Kyiv signaled agreement with the proposed framework for peace.

Meanwhile, NATO continues to provide assistance to Ukraine through a trust fund valued at nearly $1 billion. This figure is based on NATO’s own reporting on its Comprehensive Assistance Package, as cited in CEPA’s April report.

The alliance is also coordinating training and equipment donations, but the CEPA report makes it clear that efforts are being slowed by a lack of secure data sharing.

The report points to Estonia as a model for digital resilience. Estonia backs up its government data in Luxembourg through a ‘data embassy’ system, ensuring it remains protected even if local systems are attacked. NATO, according to CEPA, should encourage similar strategies across the alliance.

According to CEPA, the U.S. is best positioned to lead the way, with Trump and Rubio already taking the necessary steps to push NATO in the right direction.

The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

CEPA’s report can be reviewed here.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., is hosting an in-person town hall in Jackson Heights, Queens, on Friday night amid speculation she is considering a 2028 presidential run. 

After speaking at a May Day protest in New York City on Thursday, rejecting Trump’s agenda and warning protesters that Republicans ‘are going after Medicaid next,’ Ocasio-Cortez is returning home to New York’s 14th congressional district to ‘share updates on her work in D.C., provide important constituent updates, and take questions from the audience.’

Ocasio-Cortez has been jet-setting across the United States with Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., on his ‘Fighting Oligarchy’ tour. The campaign confirmed to Fox News Digital that Friday night’s town hall was originally scheduled for the April congressional recess, but had to be rescheduled because Ocasio-Cortez was sick. She posted an Instagram story two weeks ago apologizing for canceling. 

Earlier this week, Ocasio-Cortez did not rule out 2028 presidential aspirations when asked by Fox News Digital about the viral video that had pundits guessing whether she were soft-launching her campaign. 

‘I think what people should be most concerned about is the fact that Republicans are trying to cut Medicaid right now, and people’s healthcare is in danger. That’s really what my central focus is,’ the New York Democrat said when asked whether she is considering a run for president, despite President Donald Trump’s assurances that he wouldn’t cut Medicaid. 

‘This moment isn’t about campaigns, or elections, or about politics. It’s about making sure people are protected, and we’ve got people that are getting locked up for exercising their First Amendment rights. We’re getting two-year-olds that are getting deported into cells in Honduras. We’re getting people that are about to get kicked off of Medicaid. That, to me, is most important,’ Ocasio-Cortez said on Capitol Hill on Trump’s 100th day in office. 

Ocasio-Cortez’s campaign account posted a video on X last week that invigorated those rumors as the four-term Democrat from New York City and a progressive leader proclaimed, ‘We are one.’

‘I’m a girl from the Bronx,’ Ocasio-Cortez said on a campaign-style stage in Idaho. ‘To be welcomed here in this state, all of us together, seeing our common cause, this is what this country is all about.’

Americans reposted Ocasio-Cortez’s video across X, pointing to the video as proof of her 2028 presidential ambitions. ‘Get ready America. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez will almost undoubtedly run for president in 2028,’ political reporter Eric Daugherty said in response to the video. 

As rumors swirl over Ocasio-Cortez’s ambition for higher office, back at home in New York, a Siena College poll found that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s favorability is down, at 39% among New York state voters questioned in the poll, which was conducted April 14 through 16. Meanwhile, Ocasio-Cortez’s favorability soared to 47%.

The longtime senator from New York faced pushback from the Democratic Party in March for supporting the Republican budget bill backed by Trump that averted a government shutdown and stirred up outrage among congressional Democrats who planned to boycott the bill.

That growing disapproval among Democrats was reflected in the poll, and the shifting perception comes as DNC vice chair David Hogg, through his political arm, Leaders We Deserve, faced blowback from the DNC for investing $20 million into electing younger Democrats to safe House Democrat seats.

Ocasio-Cortez raked in a massive $9.6 million over the past three months. The record-breaking fundraising haul was one of the biggest ever for any House lawmaker. Ocasio-Cortez’s team highlighted that the fundraising came from 266,000 individual donors, with an average contribution of just $21.

‘I cannot convey enough how grateful I am to the millions of people supporting us with your time, resources, & energy. Your support has allowed us to rally people together at record scale to organize their communities,’ Ocasio-Cortez emphasized in a social media post.

Ocasio-Cortez’s campaign did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment about the 2028 presidential speculation. 

Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.

President Trump announced his first judicial nominee of his second term, kicking off what will be a historic next four years as he continues to build on the most consequential accomplishment of his first term by appointing even more bold and fearless judges. The stakes could not be higher as Democrat activist judges are actively sabotaging American voters, the presidency, our Constitution, and our country.   

Trump nominated Whitney Hermandorfer to a Tennessee-based seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. She is a brilliant legal mind and committed constitutionalist who has litigated critical First Amendment issues. Trump’s first nomination stands in stark contrast to the Obama- and Biden-appointed Democrat activist judges who have repeatedly attempted to sabotage the president’s core Article II executive powers during these first months of Trump’s historic second term. These anti-American judges, who side with Hamas supporters, MS-13 gang members, and no-show federal bureaucrats leeching on the taxpayer, need to be countered. Trump’s nominees promise a return to the original vision of a judiciary grounded in constitutionalism and judicial restraint.

During his 2016 campaign, Trump boldly and brilliantly ran on the issue of judicial nominations in an unprecedented way. He released a list of potential Supreme Court candidates from which he would choose to fill the vacancy arising from Justice Antonin Scalia’s death. This list of nominees set him apart from his rival at the time, Hillary Clinton. Had Clinton won, we would have been subjected to leftist judicial tyranny for at least a generation. Fortunately for the Constitution and the American people, Trump prevailed, and the country was rewarded with Justice Neil Gorsuch instead of Justice Merrick Garland. Given his horrendous and truly shameful service as attorney general, Garland would have been an unmitigated disaster had he received a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court.

Trump did not stop after the confirmation of Gorsuch. Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation shifted the balance of the Court in 2018, as he replaced Anthony Kennedy, the pivotal justice in countless landmark cases. The coup de gras came in 2020, when Trump replaced liberal lion Ruth Bader Ginsburg with the more conservative Amy Coney Barrett. This dramatic shift paid dividends in short order and in many consequential ways.

In 2022, the Court overruled Roe v. Wade (1973) in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization and restored the issue of abortion to its rightful place: the states. The justices also strengthened the Second Amendment in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, ruling that the Second Amendment requires ‘shall-issue’ concealed-carry permits. No longer can states have foggy standards where bureaucrats whimsically decide whether to allow citizens to carry concealed weapons. States must set forth standards, and citizens who satisfy those standards will be able to carry such firearms.

The next year, the Court put a stop to the practice of race-based college admissions policies in two cases involving Harvard and the University of North Carolina. Thanks to the rulings in Students for Fair Admissions, students must be evaluated based on merit. Conservatives had been trying for decades to eliminate affirmative action, just as they had abortion. Trump made these dreams come true. Last year, the Court struck a giant blow against the administrative state in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, a decision that overturned the requirement that courts defer to administrative agencies when a statute is ambiguous.

He will look beyond the garden-variety Federalist Society choices and install a new generation of judicial titans who will change the landscape for generations to come in line with our Founders’ intent.

Just days after Loper Bright, the justices strengthened the presidency in Trump v. United States. There, the Court held that presidents are absolutely immune when exercising core Article II powers like pardons and at least presumptively immune for acts done within the outer perimeters of their official duties. This ruling enormously aided Trump against the lawfare perpetrated by the Biden Justice Department.

Trump’s judicial impact extended beyond the Supreme Court. He appointed 54 circuit judges in his first term, second only to President Jimmy Carter’s 56 in a single term. Carter benefited enormously from the Democrat-controlled Congress’s creation of 35 new circuit judgeships during his term. Congress created none for Trump. More importantly, Carter did not appoint any Supreme Court justices. Trump’s impact on the judiciary dwarfs Carter’s by any reasonable metric. Trump appointed only one fewer circuit judge in one term than did President Obama in two, and several of Obama’s appointees were to the Federal Circuit, a court with comparatively less impact than the other circuits on crucial issues. More importantly, Obama’s two Supreme Court appointments did not shift the balance of the Court; he replaced two leftist justices with two others. Trump also has an excellent chance to surpass President Ronald Reagan’s record for circuit confirmations of 83.

The accomplishments of Trump’s first term were excellent, but there is still work to be done. At times, the Supreme Court has been frustrating with rulings, mainly on the emergency docket with respect to Trump’s policies and the leftist inferior court judges who have enjoined them. Thanks to the Republican-controlled Senate—and a wider majority than existed in the first two years of his first term—Trump will select even more bold and fearless nominees. He will look beyond the garden-variety Federalist Society choices and install a new generation of judicial titans who will change the landscape for generations to come in line with our Founders’ intent.

Trump has assembled an excellent judicial nominations team in Attorney General Pam Bondi, White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, White House counsel Dave Warrington, and his deputy Steve Kenny to help him identify, vet, and nominate bold and fearless judges. The Article III Project, which I founded, is proud to support and assist their efforts and these excellent nominees, who will uphold the law and Constitution without fear or political consideration. We will continue to dedicate our resources and expertise to ensure only the most bold and fearless judges are nominated and confirmed to the bench.

Pakistan’s ambassador to the U.S. is warning of potentially catastrophic consequences if India follows through with what Islamabad claims could be an imminent military strike in response to a recent attack in the disputed Kashmir region.

War between the two nuclear-armed states could get ugly quickly, and Pakistan’s Ambassador to the U.S. Rizwan Saeed Sheikh is calling on President Donald Trump to leverage his self-professed dealmaker credentials to hammer out an agreement with India.

‘This is one nuclear flashpoint,’ the ambassador said in an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital. ‘It could be an important part of President Trump’s legacy to attend to this situation — not with a Band-Aid solution, but by addressing the core issue: the Kashmir dispute.’

Saeed described India’s response to the attack in Pahalgam — which left several Indian security forces dead — as dangerously premature and inflammatory. ‘Within minutes of the attack, India began leveling accusations against Pakistan,’ he said, noting that a post-investigation report was filed just 10 minutes after the incident occurred, despite the remote and rugged terrain near the scene. 

Pakistan claimed this week to have ‘credible intelligence’ that an Indian counter-attack on its territory is imminent. The Indian Embassy in the U.S. did not respond to requests for comment on this story before publication time. 

The dust-up began with a tourist massacre on April 22 in Belgaum, Kashmir. All but one of the victims were Indian citizens, and India swiftly pointed the finger at Pakistan, which rejected the charge. 

The attack occurred in a remote valley only accessible on foot or by horse, and survivors claimed after the attack that the gunmen had accused some of the victims of supporting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 

The ambassador warned that the region, home to over 1.5 billion people, is once again being held ‘hostage to the war of hysteria’ by India’s government and media, who immediately ‘began beating war drums.’ The pair of rivals have exchanged gunfire across their heavily militarized borders since the attack. 

He cited Pakistan’s request for evidence linking it to the attack and Islamabad’s offer to participate in a neutral, transparent inquiry — both of which he said have gone unanswered.

‘Any misadventure or miscalculation can lead to a nuclear interface,’ the ambassador said. ‘That is certainly not desirable in such a densely populated region.’

While Pakistan denies any involvement in the attack, the ambassador said those suspected are reportedly Indian nationals whose homes have already been raided. He questioned why India is looking outside its borders rather than addressing what he characterized as ‘administrative inadequacies’ in Jammu and Kashmir, a territory he repeatedly referred to as ‘illegally occupied.’

He also criticized India’s broader policies in Kashmir, including the alleged settlement of non-residents into the region, and what he called threats to unilaterally block water flows from Pakistan’s rivers — a move he said violates the long-standing Indus Waters Treaty.

‘That is as grossly illegal as it can get,’ said Saeed. ‘This is one treaty that has withstood wars between India and Pakistan.’ Pakistan has said they would consider the cutting off of water supplies an act of war — and made pleas to The Hague, accusing New Delhi of water terrorism.

The ambassador called on nations around the globe to help with a lasting settlement. 

‘Previously, when the situation has been at this level or the tensions have escalated, the international community has attended to the situation, but taken their eyes, their attention away, even before the situation could fully diffuse,’ said Saeed. ‘This time, perhaps it would be… timely in terms of the situation elsewhere on the globe, with similar instances, which one can note and see and are being attended to to perhaps not afford a Band-Aid solution, but to address the broader problem.’

India and Pakistan each control parts of the Kashmir region, but both claim it in full. They have fought three wars over the territory.

In 2019, a cross-border attack carried out by militants killed at least 40 Indian paramilitary personnel in Kashmir. India responded by bombing targets inside Pakistan. 

Modi’s government revoked Muslim-majority Kashmir’s autonomy in 2019, bringing it back under Indian control and prompting protests. 

Kashmir has been a disputed region since both India and Pakistan gained their autonomy from Britain in 1947. The region is now one of the most militarized in the world. Violence by regional militant groups has left tens of thousands dead. 

But Modi’s aggressive stance in Kashmir has precipitated relative peace over the past five years, boosting his popularity domestically. He may feel political pressure to respond with force to the most recent dust-up. 

Pakistan has been ravaged by terrorism for decades, and Saeed said the nation has lost anywhere between 70,000 and 90,000 lives over the past 20 years to terror attacks. 

‘We cannot afford any instability in the neighborhood,’ said Saeed. ‘We want a peaceful neighborhood. But as we have been repeatedly mentioning at all levels, leadership level and all the other levels, that we want peace, but that should not in any way be misconstrued as a sign of weakness. We want peace with dignity.’

The same day that National Security Advisor Mike Waltz exited his job at the White House, President Donald Trump announced a new job offer for the former Florida congressman: United Nations ambassador. 

But there are some hurdles Waltz must clear first before the New York job is his — including undergoing a Senate confirmation process amid scrutiny after the Atlantic magazine exposed a Signal group chat that his team had set up to discuss strikes against the Houthis in March. 

And receiving full support from the slim Republican majority in the Senate isn’t guaranteed, and not all Republicans got on board backing Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. Vice President JD Vance ultimately cast the tie-breaking vote securing Hegseth’s nomination. 

Democrats appear hungry to use Waltz’s nomination as a forum to air grievances against other foreign policy leaders in the Trump administration — particularly Hegseth. 

Still, Waltz’snomination to represent the U.S. at the U.N. will likely attract support from establishment Republicans in the Senate who weren’t on board with Hegseth in the Pentagon, given that the ideological divide between these Republicans and Waltz is much smaller than it was in Hegseth’s case, according to one Florida GOP source.

‘He’s been able to thread the needle really, really well between traditional conservative foreign policy voices and the more populist America First policy voices,’ the Florida GOP source said of Waltz.

HEAT ON WALTZ

Waltz, who previously represented Florida’s 6th congressional district, is a retired Army National Guard colonel and former Green Beret who served four deployments to Afghanistan and earned four Bronze Stars — the fourth-highest military combat award, issued for heroic service against an armed enemy. 

While Waltz and Hegseth both were embroiled in the Signal chat discussing strike plans against the Houthis, Hegseth has attracted more of the heat, at least publicly, stemming from the incident. Democrats have called for Hegseth’s resignation as a result of the chat, but staffers at the White House — including Waltz — have openly backed Hegseth and shut down reports that the administration is seeking his replacement. 

But Waltz could get his turn attracting the ire of lawmakers as Democrats find an opportunity to openly grill him in front of the Senate, amid displeasure with Trump’s foreign policy and national security agenda. 

‘The second hundred days of national security under President Trump will apparently be just as chaotic as the first hundred,’ Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., said in a statement to Fox News Digital about Waltz’s departure from the White House. 

‘President Trump’s consistent hirings, firings and upheaval sap morale from our warfighters and intelligence officers, degrade our military readiness, and leave us less prepared to respond to threats from our adversaries,’ Coons said. ‘American citizens at home and around the world are less safe because of President Trump’s non-existent national security strategy.’

Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., also took aim at Waltz — although she labeled Hegseth the worst offender affiliated with ‘Signalgate.’  

‘Took them long enough. Mike Waltz knowingly made an unclassified chain to discuss classified matters,’ Duckworth said in a Thursday X post ahead of Waltz’s U.N. ambassador nomination. ‘But of all the idiots in that chat, Hegseth is the biggest security risk of all—he leaked the info that put our troops in greater danger. Fire and investigate them all.’

In addition to the Signal chat, Waltz’s exit from the White House was tied to several other issues. For example, Axios reports that Waltz treated White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles like ‘staff,’ and his disrespect rubbed her the wrong way. 

‘He treated her like staff and didn’t realize he’s the staff, she’s the embodiment of the president,’ a White House official told Axios. ‘Susie is a deeply loyal person and the disrespect was made all the worse because it was disloyal.’

Waltz reportedly discussed different roles he could take on following his stint at the White House with Wiles, according to CBS News. Waltz was reportedly offered jobs, including the ambassador to Saudi Arabia, but ultimately settled on U.N. ambassador. 

A spokesperson for the National Security Council did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. 

NEXT STEPS

With Waltz out as national security advisor, Secretary of State Marco Rubio will temporarily step into that role. 

While Trump originally nominated Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., to represent the U.S. at the U.N., he rescinded her nomination in March, citing that the House could not afford to lose another Republican seat. 

Stefanik’s nomination lagged in the Senate in comparison to other U.N. ambassador nominees, including Trump’s first U.N. ambassador and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley. The Senate confirmed Haley in January, just after Trump’s first inauguration. 

While the exact timeline for a potential confirmation vote in the Senate is unclear, the first hurdle that Waltz must clear is a confirmation vote out of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Although it is uncertain when the Senate Foreign Relations Committee will schedule the nomination hearing for Waltz and the subsequent vote, the committee said his nomination is a ‘priority.’ 

‘The committee has been working at a historically fast pace and this nomination will be a priority moving forward,’ a GOP staffer on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee told Fox News Digital. 

The 80th session of the U.N. General Assembly is scheduled for September 9, so there are a few months for Waltz’s confirmation to play out, the Florida GOP source said. That means that Waltz could take a few months off, start the confirmation process in June or July and wrap up his confirmation by September at the latest, the source said. 

‘He’s got plenty of time. So, this isn’t a looming fight that’s going to happen next week,’ the Florida GOP source said. ‘This is going to play out probably in June or July, which by then, people are going to forget about the Signalgate stuff, or at the very, very least, they’re going to forget about Mike Waltz’s role in it.’ 

But there are a few Republican wildcards in the Senate who have voted against several of Trump’s nominees, most prominently Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who voted against Hegseth, Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer.  

A spokesperson for McConnell did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

Other Republicans who have opposed Trump nominees include Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine, both of whomvoted against Hegseth, as well as Sens. Ted Budd of North Carolina and Rand Paul of Kentucky, both of whom voted against Chavez-DeRemer. 

Aside from former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., whom Trump initially nominated to serve as attorney general, Trump’s entire cabinet has been approved. Gaetz withdrew his nomination amid a House Ethics Committee investigation into sexual misconduct and drug-use allegations. 

Despite opposition from Democrats, and possibly a few Republicans, it appears unlikely that any fire that Waltz will face will sink his nomination. 

‘The reality of it is, the president can lose three votes in the Senate, and the vice president can still vote to break a tie,’ the Florida GOP source said. ‘There’s no way he’s probably going to lose three votes.’

Meanwhile, other Republicans have openly stated they endorse Waltz’s nomination, including Senate Foreign Relations Chairman John Risch, R-Idaho, who lauded Trump’s decision to nominate Waltz for the role. 

‘Great choices. America is safer and stronger under President Trump and his national security team,’ Risch said in a Thursday X post. ‘I thank Mike Waltz for his service as NSA, and look forward to taking up his nomination in our committee.’ 

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., also posted on X on Friday that Waltz would be confirmed ‘for sure.’ 

Vance also voiced support for Waltz and billed the nomination as a ‘promotion,’ pushing back on any suggestions that Waltz’s removal amounted to a firing. 

‘Donald Trump has fired a lot of people,’ Vance said in an interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier Thursday. ‘He doesn’t give them Senate-confirmed appointments afterward. What he thinks is that Mike Waltz is going to better serve the administration, most importantly, the American people in that role.’

Fox News’ Charles Creitz contributed to this report. 

As President Donald Trump celebrated his 100th day in office this week, Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) said it has cut at least $160 billion in waste, fraud and abuse in the federal government. 

When Trump signed an executive order establishing the agency on his Inauguration Day, DOGE set an ambitious goal of cutting $2 trillion from the federal budget. 

According to the Office of Government Ethics, ‘special government employees’ like Musk can work for the federal government no more than 130 days a year, which in Musk’s case will fall on May 30. He has already started pairing back his hours leading the controversial agency. 

Fox News Channel’s ‘Jesse Watters Primetime’ had the opportunity to see behind the curtain of Musk’s infamous DOGE, which Democrats have railed against and Republicans have celebrated since Trump returned to the White House this year. The ‘DOGE boys’ reminded Watters on Thursday of some of the most shocking savings secured by the department this year. 

Funding a former Taliban member

Earlier this year, DOGE discovered the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) had transferred $132,000 to Mohammad Qasem Halimi, a former Taliban member who was Afghanistan’s former Chief of Protocol. DOGE announced on March 31 that the contract was canceled. 

Halimi was detained by the U.S. and held at Bagram Air Base for a year beginning Jan. 2, 2002. He held several positions in Afghanistan’s government following his release and was appointed as the Minister of Hajj and Religious Affairs in Afghanistan in 2020. 

‘A small agency called the United States Institute of Peace is definitely the agency we’ve had the most fight at. We actually went into the agency and found they had loaded guns inside their headquarters — Institute for Peace,’ a DOGE staffer told Watters. ‘So by far, the least peaceful agency that we’ve worked with, ironically. Additionally, we found that they were spending money on things like private jets, and they even had a $130,000 contract with a former member of the Taliban. This is real. We don’t encounter that in most agencies.’

USIP did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s inquiry. 

Parties at Caesars Palace 

Fox News Digital reported earlier this year that the nation’s schools spent $200 billion in COVID-relief funds on expenses ‘with little oversight or impact on students,’ such as Las Vegas hotel rooms and buying an ice cream truck, according to DOGE’s audits. 

Granite School District in Utah spent their COVID-relief funds on $86,000 in hotel rooms for an educational conference at Caesars Palace, a ritzy Las Vegas casino, while Santa Ana Unified in California spent $393,000 to rent out a Major League Baseball stadium, according to a report by Parents Defending Education and shared by DOGE. Granite School District has since denied ‘any impropriety for having our educators participate’ in the Las Vegas conference.

The cost-cutting department also revealed that schools spent $60,000 of COVID-relief funds on swimming pool passes, while a California district used its funds to purchase an ice cream truck.

‘They were basically partying on the taxpayers’ dollars,’ Musk told Watters on Thursday. 

Millions for ‘Sesame Street’ in Iraq

Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, who is chairwoman of the Senate DOGE Caucus and who has collaborated closely with Musk to identify waste to cut, revealed that the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) ‘authorized a whopping $20 million to create a ‘Sesame Street’ in Iraq.’ 

Ernst said that under the Biden administration, USAID awarded the $20 million to a nonprofit called Sesame Workshopto produce a show called ‘Ahlan Simsim Iraq’ in an effort to ‘promote inclusion, mutual respect and understanding across ethnic, religious and sectarian groups.’ 

Billions in ‘improper payments’ in 2024 alone 

DOGE received a hand from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), which released a report in March revealing that federal agencies wasted $162 billion in ‘improper payments,’ which was actually a decrease of $74 billion from the previous fiscal year. 

GAO’s analysis revealed that of the 16 government agencies reporting improper payments, 75% of the waste found was concentrated in five programs: $54 billion from three Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Medicare programs; $31 billion in HHS Medicaid; $16 billion from the Department of the Treasury’s earned income tax credit; $11 billion from the Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program; and $9 billion from the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Restaurant Revitalization Fund. 

Large amounts of DEI spending within the federal government

On the campaign trail and since taking office, Trump has made it clear he aims to slash diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) spending in the federal government, while making the case that a system of meritocracy should be the focus.

DOGE has announced over the last few months that it has cut hundreds of millions in DEI contracts. 

Earlier this month, DOGE announced it had worked with the U.S. National Science Foundation to cancel 402 ‘wasteful’ DEI grants, which will save $233 million, including $1 million for ‘Antiracist Teacher Leadership for Statewide Transformation.’

The Department of Defense could save up to $80 million in wasteful spending by cutting loose a handful of DEI programs, the agency announced last month.

The Defense Department has been working with DOGE to slash wasteful spending, DOD spokesman Sean Parnell said in a video posted to social media.

Parnell listed some of the initial findings flagged by DOGE, much of it consisting of millions of dollars given to support various DEI programs, including $1.9 million for holistic DEI transformation and training in the Air Force and $6 million to the University of Montana to ‘strengthen American democracy by bridging divides.’

The Trump administration announced earlier this month it is slashing millions of dollars in DEI grants from the Institute of Museum and Library Services as part of its overall DOGE push.

And in February, the Department of Education said it is canceling more than $100 million in grants to DEI training as part of DOGE’s efforts. 

Fox News Digital’s Aubrie Spady contributed to this report.