There is something deeply fascinating about Hill Republicans (sometimes stammering) and media conservatives (sometimes shouting) ripping President Trump for accepting a $400 million luxury jet from Qatar.

But he’s not the only president in trouble. More on that in a moment.

Daily Wire founder Ben Shapiro called the deal ‘skeezy,’ saying the gift isn’t coming ‘out of the goodness of their sweet little hearts…’It’s an equal opportunity influencer – as long as you can help whitewash their image or smooth over the fact that they are in fact the world’s largest proponents of terrorism on an international scale.’

National Review, under the headline ‘Poison Plane,’ said in an editorial:

‘For one thing, the plane is a potential security threat, given all of the possible places to hide listening devices within a jumbo jet. Assuming that issue could be dealt with through an extensive security sweep, there are the ethical concerns…

‘Making matters worse is that Qatar is no friend. Its government funds Al Jazeera, the anti-American propaganda channel. It funneled billions of dollars to Hamas, helping the terrorist group build up the infrastructure that allowed it to carry out the October 7 attacks. After the attacks, Qatar issued a statement calling ‘Israel alone responsible’ for the massacre…

‘There is absolutely nothing good that can come of an American president feeling he owes something to this terrorist-loving government.’

Veteran conservative radio host Erick Erickson points out that Attorney General Pam Bondi was a lobbyist for Qatar, paid $119,000 a month:  ‘I don’t think that we should agree with Pam Bondi saying, ‘Oh, yes, Qatar can gift this to the Department of Defense on condition it goes to the Trump Presidential Library.’’

And uber-Trump defender Laura Loomer called the deal a ‘stain’ on his presidency.

But the president isn’t backing down, saying he would have to be ‘stupid’ to pass up saving big bucks by accepting the gift.’

Now to the former president.

A new book out today, by CNN anchor Jake Tapper and Axios’ Alex Thompson, unearths devastating new material about the coverup of Joe Biden’s declining health. 

Now we’ve all known since the disastrous debate against Trump that Biden’s mental acuity had dramatically dropped, and this is the main reason he was sequestered from the press and even from much of his own staff.

But in a piece on Axios – wonder how it obtained an advance copy of the book – the authors reveal some stunning news:

‘Joe Biden’s physical deterioration was so severe in 2023 and 2024 that advisers privately discussed the possibility he’d need to use a wheelchair if he won re-election.’

In ‘Original Sin: President Biden’s Decline, Its Cover-up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again,’ the authors cite ‘the significant degeneration of his spine — and his aides’ alarm over it as Biden sought a second term at age 81.’

The book also reveals ‘the White House’s determination to conceal the reality of Biden’s condition, at the risk of his own health, while he faced a tough reelection bid against Donald Trump.’

Think about that for a second. While Trump has used poor judgment in accepting the Qatar plane, this is far worse. Yes, FDR was in a wheelchair, but the press agreed never to show him that way – that ain’t happening today. And he wasn’t 81.

In the Guardian, which also got the book in advance, these on-the-record quotes from top Harris adviser David Plouffe – that the campaign was an F—ing nightmare, that Biden F—-d us, he totally F—-d us – hey, I’m just quoting here – shows the depth of intense anger at the former president for running again. And they’re furious that he’s doing a rehab tour on The View and BBC. They want him to get off the stage – hopefully not tripping – and stay there.

Biden aides believed it was politically untenable to have Biden use a wheelchair amid his re-election campaign. Of course they did. It would be political suicide.

His White House doctor Kevin O’Connor, pleading for more rest time, would tell the staff, ‘I’m trying to keep him alive, and you’re trying to kill him.’

O’Connor ‘privately said that if he had another bad fall, a wheelchair might be necessary for what could be a difficult recovery,’ the authors report. One fall away.

Biden didn’t even recognize George Clooney, who had raised a record-breaking sum for him, and had to be prompted on who he was. Then Clooney wrote the New York Times op-ed urging Biden to drop out. The rest, as they say, is history.

President Donald Trump continued to defend his decision to accept a $400 million jet from Qatar during an exclusive interview with Sean Hannity on Air Force One on Tuesday.

Trump has received backlash for planning to accept the jumbo Boeing 747-8 jet from the Qatari royal family since news of the gift broke on Sunday.

‘Now, some people say, ‘oh, you shouldn’t accept gifts for the country.’ My attitude is, why wouldn’t I accept the gift? We’re giving to everybody else? Why wouldn’t I accept the gift?’ the president said to Hannity.

The luxury jet, which was offered to the United States because of delays in Boeing’s production of the new Air Force One fleet, will serve as a temporary method of transportation so that the current presidential plane doesn’t have to be flown. 

Trump has said AF1 is nearly 40 years old and looks ‘much less impressive’ when compared to the planes in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar.

‘You know, we’re the United States of America. I believe that we should have the most impressive plane,’ Trump told Hannity.

In addition to Boeing running behind on delivering the new fleet, the jumbo jet is a gift to the Department of Defense for ‘a job well done’ in successfully defending Qatar ‘for many years,’ Trump added on Truth Social a few hours after the interview.

‘Why should our military, and therefore our taxpayers, be forced to pay hundreds of millions of Dollars when they can get it for FREE from a country that wants to reward us for a job well done,’ he wrote.

Trump has said the plane will be retired to the presidential library once Boeing delivers its new AF1 fleet.

The president will be in Qatar on Wednesday for the next stop of his three-day visit to the Middle East, marking his first major international trip of his second term. 

He spent Tuesday in Saudi Arabia meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The U.S. State Department announced it has approved a potential sale of more than $1.4 billion in helicopters and F-16 fighter jet parts to the United Arab Emirates, just ahead of President Donald Trump’s visit to the Middle Eastern nation.

The proposed sale includes $1.32 billion for CH-47 F Chinook helicopters and $130 million for F-16s parts, the State Department said on Monday. 

The agency has notified Congress of the proposed sale, although some Democrats have previously signaled they may be hesitant to give the green light to such a sale.

This comes as Trump is expected to travel to the UAE later this week for the final stop on his four-day trip to the Middle East. He is also visiting Saudi Arabia and Qatar on his first major international trip of his second administration.

The UAE has already vowed to spend $1.4 trillion in U.S. investments over the next decade, which are expected to focus on semiconductors, manufacturing, energy and artificial intelligence.

Arms transfers and defense trade are overseen by the Pentagon’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency and the State Department.

The State Department first reviews deals wanted by other countries to ensure they meet the U.S. government’s goals. If approved, the agency notifies Congress of the sale. Federal lawmakers may reject a proposed sale, but if they elect not to, the U.S. government proceeds to negotiations.

Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said on Monday ahead of the State Department’s announcement that he would ‘block any arms sale to a nation that is doing direct personal business with Trump,’ citing the UAE-backed investment firm putting $2 billion into Trump’s crypto venture and the U.S. president’s administration accepting Qatar’s gift of a luxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet to serve as Air Force One.

‘We should have a full Senate debate and vote,’ Murphy wrote on X. ‘UAE’s investment in Trump crypto and Qatar’s gifting of a plane is nuclear grade graft. An unacceptable corruption of our foreign policy.’

‘Normally, arms sales go forward without a vote,’ he continued. ‘But any Senator can object and force a full debate and Senate vote. I will do that for any military deal with a nation that is paying off Trump personally. We can’t act like this is normal foreign policy.’

In January, Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., and Rep. Sara Jacobs, D-Calif., expressed opposition to a $1.2 billion arms sale to the UAE, pointing to the country providing weapons to the Rapid Support Forces in Sudan, which the U.S. has accused of war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Congress has previously attempted to block Trump from completing arms sales to Gulf nations, including in 2019 during his first term, when lawmakers placed holds on deals with Saudi Arabia and the UAE over concerns about civilian casualties in the war in Yemen, as the Saudi coalition has been accused of being responsible for the majority of civilian deaths.

However, Trump has invoked a provision allowing sales to go through immediately without a review period in cases considered an emergency.

Three key committees in the process of putting together President Donald Trump’s ‘one big, beautiful bill’ are expected to work through the night to advance their respective portions of the Republican agenda.

The House Agriculture Committee, the Energy & Commerce Committee and the Ways & Means Committee are all holding meetings aimed at advancing key parts of Trump’s bill.

Sources told Fox News Digital they expected the Energy & Commerce and Ways & Means meetings, which began on Tuesday afternoon, to last upwards of 20 hours each. The Agriculture panel’s markup is also expected to last into Wednesday.

Democrats on each committee, meanwhile, have prepared a barrage of attacks and accusations against GOP lawmakers looking to gut critical welfare programs.

Sparks flew early at the Energy & Commerce Committee meeting with protesters both inside and outside the room repeatedly attempting to disrupt proceedings – with 26 people arrested by Capitol Police.

Protesters against Medicaid cuts, predominately in wheelchairs, remained outside the budget markup for several hours as representatives inside debated that and other critical facets under the committee’s broad jurisdiction.

Inside the budget markup, Democrats and Republicans sparred along party lines over Medicaid cuts. Democrats repeatedly claimed the Republican budget proposal will cut vital Medicaid services. 

Many Democrats shared how Medicaid services have saved their constituents’ lives and argued that millions of Americans could lose coverage under the current proposal.

Meanwhile, Republicans accused Democrats of lying to the American people about Medicaid cuts – a word Kentucky Republican Rep. Brett Guthrie, Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, deterred his colleagues from using. Tensions arose when the word was repeated as Democrats called it a mischaracterization of their testimonies.

Republicans have contended that their bill only seeks to cut waste, fraud, and abuse of the Medicaid system, leaving more of its resources for vulnerable populations that truly need it. 

That committee was tasked with finding $880 billion in spending cuts to offset Trump’s other funding priorities. Guthrie told House Republicans on a call Sunday night that they’d found upwards of $900 billion in cuts.

Democrats have seized on Republican reforms to Medicaid, including heightened work requirements and shifting more costs to certain states, as a political cudgel. 

At one point late in the evening, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., made an appearance at the Energy & Commerce panel’s meeting.

‘I just want to mention our Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries is here because of his concern about Medicaid. Thank you,’ the committee’s top Democrat, Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J., said.

But tensions remain between moderate Republicans and conservatives about the level of cuts the committee is seeking to the former Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act green energy tax subsidies.

The meeting at the Ways & Means Committee, the House’s tax-writing panel, had relatively little fanfare but was equally contentious as Democrats attempted to offer amendments to preserve Affordable Care Act tax credits and changes to the state and local tax (SALT) deduction cap.

At one point, Reps. Beth Van Duyne, R-Texas, and Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y., got into a heated exchange over SALT, with Suozzi pushing Van Duyne on whether she’d ever been to New York.

Van Duyne earlier called Texas a ‘donor state’ in terms of taxes, arguing, ‘We should not have to pay to make up for the rich folks in New York who are getting raped by their local and state governments.’

Suozzi later pointed out Van Duyne was born and went to college in upstate New York – leading to audible gasps in the room.

Van Duyne said there was ‘a reason’ she left.

‘We’re sorry you left New York, but in some ways it may have worked out better for all of us,’ Suozzi said.

The SALT deduction cap, however, is still a politically tricky issue even as House lawmakers debate what Republicans hoped would be the final bill.

The legislation would raise the $10,000 SALT deduction cap to $30,000 for most single and married tax filers – a figure that Republicans in higher cost-of-living areas said was not enough.

Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., threatened to vote against the final bill if the new cap remains.

As the committee’s marathon meeting continued, a group of blue state Republicans are huddling with House GOP leaders to find a compromise on a way forward.

Rep. Nick LaLota, R-N.Y., hinted at tensions in the meeting when he posted on X that Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., a member of the SALT Caucus and Ways & Means Committee, ‘wasn’t involved in today’s meeting’ because her district required ‘something different than mine and the other most SALTY five.’

Malliotakis had told Fox News Digital she was supportive of the $30,000 cap. She’s also the only member of the SALT Caucus on the critical tax-writing panel.

The Agriculture Committee, which began its meeting on Tuesday evening, saw Democrats waste no time in accusing Republicans of trying to gut the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), colloquially known as food stamps.

Rep. Adam Gray, D-Calif., accused Republicans of worrying that ‘somebody is getting a meal they didn’t deserve or kids are getting too fat’ instead of more critical issues.

Republicans, like Rep. Randy Feenstra, R-Iowa, touted the bill’s inclusion of crop insurance for young farmers, increasing opportunity for export markets, and helping invest in national animal disaster centers aimed at preventing and mitigating livestock illness.

He also said Republicans were working to ‘secure’ SNAP from waste and abuse.

House and Senate Republicans are working on Trump’s agenda via the budget reconciliation process, which allows the party in power to sideline the minority by lowering the Senate’s threshold for passage to a simple majority, provided the legislation at hand deals with spending, taxes or the national debt.

Trump wants Republicans to use the maneuver for a sweeping bill on his tax, border, immigration, energy and defense priorities.

Two sources familiar with the plan said the House Budget Committee intends to advance the full bill, the first step to getting the legislation to a House-wide vote, on Friday.

The U.S. State Department has determined and certified Cuba as a ‘not fully cooperating country’ (NFCC) for not helping with counterterrorism efforts after the island nation failed to turn over at least 11 fugitives in 2024 to U.S. custody.

State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce made the announcement on Tuesday that the certification, which falls under Section 40A of the Arms Export Control Act, will result in the prohibition on the sale or license for export of defense services to Cuba.

‘In 2024, the Cuban regime did not fully cooperate with the United States on counterterrorism,’ Bruce said in a statement. ‘There were at least 11 U.S. fugitives from justice in Cuba, including several facing terrorism-related charges, and the Cuban regime made clear it was not willing to discuss their return to face justice in our nation.’

‘The Cuban regime’s refusal to engage on this important issue, as well as other recent circumstances of non-cooperation on terrorism-related law enforcement matters, made efforts to cooperate on counterterrorism issues futile in 2024,’ she continued.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio not only certified Cuba as an NFCC, he also re-certified Iran, Syria, Venezuela and North Korea as NFCCs.

In January, the Biden administration lifted Cuba’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism, reversing a move made by the Trump administration in 2021.

Former President Joe Biden said at the time that the Cuban government ‘has not provided any support for international terrorism during the preceding six-month period’ as well as ‘provided assurances that it will not support acts of international terrorism in the future.’

Cuba was given the designation in January 2021, shortly before Biden took office. At the time, the U.S. Embassy in Cuba accused the country of ‘repeatedly providing support for acts of international terrorism in granting safe harbor to terrorists.’

The designation returned the Caribbean nation to a list that it was on from the Reagan administration to that of former President Barack Obama. In 2016, Obama became the first U.S. president to visit Cuba since 1928.

The Obama administration attempted to normalize relations in 2015 but encountered resistance from President Donald Trump, whose administration recently argued that Cuba has failed to cooperate on counterterrorism.

State Department officials said Cuba refused to extradite 10 suspects wanted in Colombia for a police academy bombing that killed 22 people and injured dozens more. 

Authorities also accused Cuba of harboring multiple American fugitives, including Joanne Chesimard, also known as Assata Shakur. She was convicted of killing New Jersey State Trooper Werner Foerster in 1973.

In the summer of 2017, Trump imposed travel and financial restrictions on Cuba while blasting as ‘one-sided’ Obama’s 2016 deal with the regime.

Fox News Digital’s Andrea Margolis contributed to this report.

The Trump administration sanctioned nearly two dozen firms operating in Iran’s illicit international oil trade, as President Donald Trump delivered remarks in the Middle East – tempting the Islamic Republic with a ‘much brighter future’ should it come to a nuclear agreement with the United States. 

The sanctions, announced by the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control Tuesday, target firms that operate in Iran’s oil trade. 

Officials said the Iranian government allocates billions of dollars worth of oil annually to its armed forces to supplement budget allocations, underwriting the development of ballistic missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles, and financing regional terrorist groups. 

Treasury Department officials said Iran’s Armed Forces general staff and its main commercial affiliate, Sepehr Energy Jahan Nama Pars Company, continue to establish front companies and rely on buyers and facilitators to enable their sanctioned oil trade. 

Sepehr Energy often carries out its oil shipments through a series of ‘deals’ between multiple front companies that it owns or controls, according to the Treasury Department, creating the ‘illusion of non-sanctionable trade between separate entities.’ 

‘Many of the entities involved in Sepehr Energy’s oil shipments are part of an elaborate system of oil smuggling and money laundering, directly controlled by or acting on behalf of Sepehr Energy,’ the Treasury Department said, adding that it also controls Hong Kong-based front companies and uses them to’broker and receive shipments of Iranian oil delivered to independent so-called teapot refineries in China.’  

The sanctions came shortly after Trump delivered a speech in Riyadh, Saudia Arabia, urging Iran to take a ‘new and a better path.’ The Trump administration is in talks with Iran for a new nuclear deal. 

The president, during his speech, though, warned of ‘massive maximum pressure’ if Iran does not come to an agreement. 

‘As I have shown repeatedly, I am willing to end past conflicts and forge new partnerships for a better and more stable world, even if our differences may be profound,’ Trump said. ‘If Iran’s leadership rejects this olive branch… we will have no choice but to inflict massive maximum pressure, drive Iranian oil exports to zero.’

‘Iran can have a much brighter future, but we will never allow them to threaten America and our allies with terrorism or a nuclear attack,’ Trump said. 

Trump had announced a 60-day time frame to reach an agreement with Iran over its illegal atomic weapons program. The first U.S. negotiating session with Iran commenced April 12. 

Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff met with Iranian officials for a fourth round of nuclear talks over the weekend. 

The nuclear talks were ‘difficult but useful,’ Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said. A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the closed-door negotiations, offered more, describing the talks as being both indirect and direct, The Associated Press reported.

An ‘agreement was reached to move forward with the talks to continue working through technical elements,’ the U.S. official said. ‘We are encouraged by today’s outcome and look forward to our next meeting, which will happen in the near future.’

The Trump administration has said the flawed 2015 Obama-era Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), also known as the Iran nuclear deal, did not prevent Iran from building an atomic bomb. 

Before leaving for his trip to the Middle East, Trump reiterated his stance on Iran’s nuclear goals. 

‘You can’t have a nuclear weapon, but I think that they are talking intelligently,’ Trump said. ‘We’re in the midst of talking to them, and they’re right now acting very intelligent. We want Iran to be wealthy and wonderful and happy and great, but they can’t have… nuclear weapons. Very simple. So I think they understand that.’

A day before the start of talks, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei welcomed chants of ‘Death to America’ in Iran’s capital, Tehran. 

‘Your judgment is right,’ Khamenei told a crowd of supporters who called for the destruction of the U.S.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday instructing drug companies to reduce prices of prescription drugs or face consequences from the federal government. 

But the effort amounts to price control since it’s not limited to just government programs — and similar policy initiatives in other sectors have prompted shortages, according to Michael Cannon, director of health policy studies at the Washington-based libertarian-leaning Cato Institute think tank. 

‘We have seen government price controls in housing,’ Cannon told Fox News Digital Monday. ‘We call it rent control, and it creates shortages. We have seen it when it comes to food. We call them price caps there too, and it produces shortages.’ 

‘We see price caps after natural disasters,’ he continued. ‘We call them anti-gouging laws, and they produce shortages. And so that’s what we can expect price controls to produce when it comes to pharmaceuticals as well — that’s if you have a binding price ceiling, you’re going to get a shortage, and I think it’s totally a wrong-headed thing.’ 

Price control occurs when the government steps in to impose limits on how much one can charge for various goods or services in the free market. 

While price controls may lower costs for some consumers, they have largely been ineffective in American history. For example, former President Richard Nixon implemented price controls in the 1970s in an attempt to fix wages and other prices — which backfired and resulted in the gas crisis and other shortages across the country. 

For example, there was a series of initiatives that states unveiled in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 to address price-gouging, although they were difficult to enforce. In Michigan, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed an executive order in March 2020 that barred individuals or businesses from selling any products in the state ‘at a price that is more than 20 percent higher than what the business or individual offered or charged,’ according to a 2020 news release. 

Trump announced Monday that the executive order directs the Department of Health and Human Services to establish price targets for pharmaceutical manufacturers. But Cannon noted that the order isn’t just for prices for the government — it also applies to the free market and private sector.

Failure to comply will prompt the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission to ‘undertake enforcement action against any anti-competitive practices,’ along with other consequences. Additionally, Trump introduced plans to launch ‘most favored nations drug pricing.’

‘The principle is simple — whatever the lowest price paid for a drug in other developed countries, that is the price that Americans will pay,’ Trump said at the White House Monday. ‘Some prescription drug and pharmaceutical prices will be reduced almost immediately by 50 to 80 to 90%.’

‘We’re going to equalize,’ Trump said. ‘We’re all going to pay the same. We’re going to pay what Europe pays.’

The White House pushed back against comments that the move equated price control. 

‘If Americans had a truly free and fair market, they would not be paying several times more for the same exact prescription drugs as Europeans do,’ White House spokesperson Kush Desai said in a Tuesday statement to Fox News Digital. ‘President Trump’s historic executive order is fixing the anti-competitive behavior that’s forcing everyday Americans to subsidize the health care of other developed nations.’

Drug prices have dramatically climbed in recent years. From January 2022 and January 2023, prescription drug prices increased more than 15%, reaching an average of $590 per drug product, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. Of the 4,200 prescription drugs included on that list, 46% of the price increases exceeded the rate of inflation. 

The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America trade group argued the executive order would harm American patients. 

‘Importing foreign prices from socialist countries would be a bad deal for American patients and workers,’ Stephen J. Ubl, the president and CEO of PhRMA, said in a Monday statement. ‘It would mean less treatments and cures and would jeopardize the hundreds of billions our member companies are planning to invest in America.’

In April, Trump signed another executive order that aimed to tackle Medicare drug prices. Specifically, that order required HHS to standardize Medicare payments for prescription drugs, including those used for cancer patients, regardless of where a patient receives treatment. 

Patients could face a drop in prices by as much as 60%, according to a White House fact sheet.

The order also called to match the Medicare payment for certain prescription drugs to the price that hospitals pay for those drugs, up to 35% lower than what the government pays to acquire those medications, per the White House. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

President Donald Trump went after Iran in his first major speech in Saudi Arabia, warning that Tehran must choose between never having a nuclear weapon or dealing with his wrath.

‘If Iran’s leadership rejects the olive branch and continues to attack their neighbors, then we will have no choice but to inflict massive maximum pressure,’ Trump said during an address to business leaders in Riyadh.

‘The choice is theirs to make,’ he added.  

Though Trump said he wants to make a deal with Iran and see Tehran prosper, his comments came after he first went after the Iranian regime and accused it of not only deteriorating its own nation, but the region at large. 

‘Iran’s leaders have focused on stealing their people’s wealth to fund terror and bloodshed abroad. Most tragic of all, they have dragged down an entire region with them,’ Trump said. 

The president pointed to the ‘countless lives lost’ in Iran’s effort to prop up the former Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria – which collapsed in December – and accused its support of Hezbollah for the downfall of Beirut, which he said was ‘once called the Paris of the Middle East.’

‘Can you imagine all of this misery and so much more was entirely avoidable, absolutely avoidable,’ Trump said. 

Trump asserted the Biden administration’s removal of some sanctions on Tehran as the chief method in how Iran financed terrorist organizations, including Hamas, which he argued led to the deadly Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on Israel.

Fox News Digital reached out to a spokesperson for President Joe Biden for comment on Trump’s claims.

‘If only the Iranian regime had focused on building their nation up instead of tearing the region down,’ Trump continued. ‘Yet I’m here today not merely to condemn the past chaos of Iran’s leaders, but to offer them a new path and a much better path toward a far better and more hopeful future.

‘In the case of Iran, I have never believed in having permanent enemies,’ he said. ‘Enemies get you motivated. 

‘In fact, some of the closest friends of the United States of America are nations we fought wars against in generations past,’ Trump pointed out. 

It is unclear how Trump’s negative comments toward Tehran could impact ongoing nuclear negotiations with Iran. 

The Iranian representative to the U.N. Mission in New York did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s questions. 

: Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has fired the top officials leading the National Intelligence Council — whom whistleblowers describe as ‘radically opposed to Trump’ — and has moved the agency to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, or ODNI, to ensure she can block any ‘politicization of intelligence,’ Fox News Digital has learned. 

Gabbard fired Mike Collins, who was serving as the acting chair of the National Intelligence Council, and his deputy, Maria Langan-Riekhof, Tuesday, senior intelligence officials told Fox News Digital.

Fox News Digital reached out Langan-Riekhof for comment and did not immediately hear back, and couldn’t immediately find contact information for Collins. 

Collins also has whistleblower complaints against him for political bias and ‘deliberately undermining the incoming Trump administration,’ officials said. 

They added that Collins was closely associated with Michael Morrell, the former deputy director of the CIA who worked to write a public letter in 2020 claiming that Hunter Biden’s laptop had ‘all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation,’ and to get signatures from top ex-intelligence officials. 

As for Langan-Reikhof, officials said she has been a ‘key advocate’ for diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, and is someone who whistleblowers allege is ‘radically opposed to Trump.’

Meanwhile, Gabbard is moving the National Intelligence Council from the CIA to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence to ‘directly hold accountable any improper action and politicization of intelligence,’ Fox News Digital has learned.

Many intel community leakers are ‘career bureaucrats that are entrenched in Washington politics,’ officials said. 

‘It takes time to weed them out and fire them,’ one official told Fox News Digital, adding that ‘plans to eliminate non-essential offices within ODNI that we know are housing deep state leakers are underway.’

A CIA official told Fox News Digital Tuesday that the National Intelligence Council ‘has always been a DNI component. It makes sense for them to be physically located at DNI.’

The moves come as Gabbard has taken steps to root out leakers and alleged ‘deep state holdovers’ who officials say are politicizing intelligence analysis and ‘trying to sabotage President Trump’s agenda.’ 

So far, Gabbard has referred three intelligence community professionals to the Department of Justice for criminal prosecution over alleged leaks of classified information. Fox News Digital first reported on those criminal referrals in April. 

An ODNI official at that time told Fox News Digital that the intelligence community professionals allegedly leaked classified information to the Washington Post and The New York Times. 

‘Politicization of our intelligence and leaking classified information puts our nation’s security at risk and must end,’ Gabbard told Fox News Digital in April. ‘Those who leak classified information will be found and held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.’ 

A senior intelligence official told Fox News Digital Tuesday that the Office of the Director of National Intelligence is investigating 12 other intelligence officials over alleged leaks of classified information. 

For example, officials told Fox News Digital that ODNI fired two bureaucrats in early May who they say leaked information from an assessment about the violent Tren de Aragua gang to the Times. Officials said those bureaucrats were ‘CIA detailees’ who were fired for ‘not following proper procedures.’ 

In April, Gabbard established a task force to restore transparency and accountability in the intelligence community. Fox News Digital first reported on the Director’s Initiative Group (DIG), which started by investigating weaponization within the intelligence community.

Officials said the group will also work to root out politicization and expose unauthorized disclosures of classified intelligence. In addition, it will work to declassify information ‘that serves a public interest.’ 

Gabbard also has held to account employees who participated in sexually explicit National Security Agency chatrooms, and is pursuing action against those who have made unauthorized leaks of classified information within the intelligence community. 

All the while, officials have complained about the hold up in confirming intelligence nominees, which they say are ‘essential’ to enacting the Trump agenda.

Currently, ODNI is without its nominees for principal deputy director of national intelligence; National Counterterrorism Center; National Counterintelligence and Security Center; intelligence inspector general; and general counsel; among others.