Hegseth turns around Dem’s pointed question with response that sends room into laughter
Reactions poured in on social media and elsewhere as Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth was grilled by Democrats on Capitol Hill following a tense confirmation hearing that often got personal.
“Pete Hegseth is crushing it,” Former White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer posted on X. “It is refreshing to hear someone relentlessly focus on warriors and lethality, without playing Washington’s word-salad game of forcing nominees to talk like social workers who run government agencies.”
“The Senate likes to claim that hearings as serious, deliberative acts of policy making and statesmanship, but many Senate Armed Service Committee Democrats’ behavior during Pete Hegseth’s confirmation hearing on Tuesday revealed the sad truth that most Senate hearings, confirmation or not, are kabuki theater,” Bradley Devlin, The Daily Signal politics editor, told Fox News Digital.
Ned Ryun, President of ‘American Majority’, told Fox News Digital that Hegseth handled himself “magnificently.”
DEM SENATOR’S ‘LIES AND STUPIDITY’ AT HEGSETH HEARING ROASTED ON SOCIAL MEDIA: ‘CLOWN SHOW’
“He communicated a clear vision for a new day at the Pentagon where the Department of Defense leaves behind the weakness of woke and focuses on deterrence through strength,” Ryun said. “And when Democrats attempted to use the anonymously sourced attacks to undermine Pete, he handled those with grace. It really was a fantastic hearing for him and leaves little doubt in my mind that he’ll easily be confirmed.”
“They didn’t lay a glove on Hegseth today,” CNN political commentator Scott Jennings posted on X. “Why do Dems send their dumbest members to this important committee?”
THE TOP 5 MOMENTS FROM PETE HEGSETH’S SENATE CONFIRMATION HEARING
“This hearing has made two things abundantly clear: 1. The left remains fully committed to the disastrous, woke, weak, and failed policies that were soundly rejected in November,” the account belonging to former HUD Secretary Ben Carson and his wife Candy posted on X. “It’s actually sad. 2. Pete Hegseth is going to be a fantastic Secretary of Defense. This is how it’s done.”
“While Democratic senators distracted with hearsay allegations and character assassinations, Pete Hegseth stayed the course on what the military is about: lethality,” Caroline Downey, National Review Staff Writer and visiting fellow with Independent Women’s Forum, told Fox News Digital.
“As the daughter of a West Point graduate and Army Captain who served in Vietnam, I can say that those prime objectives have fallen subservient to progressive political goals,” she continued. “The military academies have surrendered to woke ideology, jeopardizing their purpose which is to form upstanding leaders of intellectual, mental, and physical fortitude that can protect and defend the United States. Despite Democratic lawmakers accusing him of forsaking veterans, Hegseth proved that he has always been dedicated to their welfare not just in words but in deeds.”
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Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., said after the hearing that it is important that Hegseth is confirmed “immediately” and allowed to start as soon as possible.
“To me, it’s important he gets on the job immediately,” Banks told reporters.
“We can’t vote on confirming him out of the committee until President Trump is President Trump again. So January 20th, the committee will meet and we’ll pass him out of the committee… and hopefully he immediately goes to a vote on the floor because we can’t wait,” he continued.
Following the hearing, several Senate Democrats expressed a continued unwillingness to support Hegseth and claimed he wasn’t qualified.
New photos show LA mayor’s whereabouts when deadly wildfires broke out
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass was taking photos at a cocktail party in Ghana when the Palisades Fire engulfed Los Angeles
on Jan. 7, according to a report.
Pictures posted on social media show Bass enjoying herself in the West African nation as part of a Biden administration delegation to the inauguration of Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama, the Los Angeles Times reported.
A spokesperson for the mayor told the paper the U.S. Ambassador to Ghana hosted the event before the group departed for the U.S. on a military plane after word reached the mayor of the growing crisis in her city. Bass spent most of the party in a separate room making calls, the spokesperson told the LA Times.
Bass has been heavily criticized for leaving Los Angeles on an overseas trip while weather forecasts had warned of fire danger. She left the country on Jan. 4 as the National Weather Service intensified warnings about a coming windstorm and she returned to Los Angeles at around 11 a.m. on Jan. 8, more than 24 hours after the fires ignited, the LA Times reported.
The devastation from the ongoing wildfires in Southern California is expected to break property loss records, with an estimated 12,000 structures already burned.
With thousands of victims losing their homes, homeowners insurance in the state has been a major focus since the disaster began last week. But what about those who lost their vehicles to the fires?
It all comes down to what type of policy the owner has on the vehicle.
Robert Passmore, the Department VP of Auto and Claims at the American Property Casualty Insurance Association (APCIA), told FOX Business in an interview that there are two kinds of coverage for damage to a vehicle.
“That is collision coverage, for when you hit something or another object or another car, and then there’s comprehensive coverage, which is for pretty much everything else that can happen to your car – things like floods or a tree falling on it, or it gets hit by lightning, it burns up in a fire,” he explained. “So if you have comprehensive coverage on your car, then your loss would be covered under your auto policy.”
Passmore said most of the vehicles damaged in the fires that have been burning in the Los Angeles for the past week are going to be total losses, noting, “There’s no repairing a car that’s been in one of these fires, usually.”
He said that people with comprehensive coverage whose vehicles are totaled by the fires will be paid the market value of the vehicle at the time of the loss – before it was burned.
This is an excerpt from an article by Breck Dumas.
Nearly 40,000 people have applied for assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which has now distributed more than $8 million for immediate needs including food, baby formula and gas, officials said.
Cash assistance is directly deposited into bank accounts, regional FEMA administrator Robert J. Fenton, Jr. said Tuesday, countering false information about vouchers.
President Biden has pledged that the federal government would cover 100% of the firefighting and recovery costs accrued in the first 180 days of the LA fires. But that does not mean FEMA will not cover 100% of the costs to individual families – assistance is capped at $43,600, Fenton said.
Representatives from FEMA, the Small Business Administration, the state and several charities gathered to explain the process at a disaster recovery center at UCLA Research Park West and Pasadena City College Community Education Center, the Associated Press reported.
FEMA offers up to $770 to help cover the evacuees’ immediate needs, but its larger grants generally aren’t available until after insurance companies pay out. Someone who receives a maximum grant from FEMA might be eligible for another $10,000 grant from the state.
The Small Business Administration also offers low-interest loans to businesses for up to $2 million, while homeowners can borrow up to $500,000 for rebuilding and another $100,000 for personal property.
The Associated Press contributed to this update.
Long-time California resident and Fox News contributor Caitlyn Jenner predicts that there will be a “change” in thinking across the state after the way leadership handled the wildfires still affecting parts of Los Angeles County.
Jenner, who said she has lived in California since 1973, recalled the first time she saw the state’s “Welcome to California, the Golden State” sign on Highway 82.
“Boy, have I seen this state decline over the years. We’re not gold, we’re not silver, we’re not bronze. We don’t even make the finals anymore,” Jenner told “The Story,” arguing that the state’s decline is because of the politicians running it.
The former 2021 Republican recall election candidate argued that the details emerging from how officials failed to prepare for the wildfires are going to shine a “bright light” on California’s “weaknesses.”
“Light is good because it’s a disinfectant. I mean, we have so many issues here, mostly with the politicians,” said Jenner, likening the politician’s responses to problems like a game of “whack-a-mole.”
“You know that game when you play, when you have the mole and you have the board in front of you and the head pops up, you got a hammer, and you bang it down? And then another one comes up over here, and you bang it down,” she described.
“That’s what they do. Soon as the problem comes up, then they try to do what they can do to fix it. Instead of being on the offensive a year before the fires,” Jenner further explained her analogy.
Jenner criticized Gov. Gavin Newsom’s response to the LA fires
, highlighting how she has had properties affected by several fires over the years and that they happen “all the time.”
“This is devastating stuff. And they’re not on the offense,” said Jenner, acknowledging the massive winds that contributed to the level of devastation from the flames.
This is an excerpt from an article by Kira Mautone.
Dolvett Quince, a personal trainer best known for appearing on “Biggest Loser” seasons 12 to 17, has been taking to social media as one of many Californians displaced from their homes as wildfires spread across Los Angeles County.
Quince told Fox News Digital that he first heard about the fires on social media and that he could see the smoke from his home only two miles from the Pacific Palisades.
“I stayed that night. It was very difficult to breathe in my home because you could smell the ashes and there was just the smoke in the air. It was getting in my throat, through my nose, through my eyes, to my dogs the same thing, and we all decided to just have a bag packed just in case. And then we got an evacuation notice the next day. There was a warning,” he said.
Quince says when he first saw the smoke as the fires began, he thought what a shame. At the time, he didn’t realize the severity of what was happening, but when he came back to his home today, it was bad.
“Lot of tree shrubs, a lot of things the wind blew over. The roads have a lot of debris still in them from the damage of the trees. I think we have a long way to get things cleaned up…it looks pretty bad,” he said.
He remains, as always, optimistic – recalling that there have been so many other disasters throughout the years.
“Katrina survived; Puerto Rico survived. Right? They were able to bounce back. I think because California has so many resources, people who live here wanna see that their city is better handled, better governed. I think people will take action to ensure that we come back stronger. I’m hopeful for that,” said Quince.
A Los Angeles family in the Palisades Highlands shared this week how they used their swimming pool, a generator, sprinkler, pump and a fire hose to save their house from the wildfires, which have destroyed thousands of homes.
The system is “very budget friendly and easy to operate,” Instagram user Cali_._love wrote along with a video showing them pumping water out of their pool and spraying it on vegetation around their hillside home.
“There is no doubt in my mind that this generator, pump, pool, sprinkler and fire hose contributed to saving our family home,” Cali_._love wrote. “My dad was so adamant about all the neighbors having one. He was correct as he has been so many times in his career.”
They said they drained two swimming pools — theirs and their neighbors — running their equipment for 10 hours over two days, soaking the plants and their roof “just to come back the next day to find the bottom half of the palm tree burnt along with the whole hillside.
“Without this, there would be no more house and possibly no more neighbors. Were we lucky? Extremely. Were we prepared? Yes. Were there things we would have done differently? Absolutely,” they wrote.
Seeing that their house didn’t burn down, they said they’re “adamant” that everyone who has a swimming pool should use their system.
This is an excerpt from an article by Brie Stimson.
Approximately 29 people have been arrested in Los Angeles so far in connection to criminal activity related to the ongoing wildfires, including a burglary suspect who allegedly attempted to disguise himself as a firefighter, officials said Sunday.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said 25 of those arrested were in the area of the Eaton Fire, while four others came from the Palisades Fire evacuated zone.
“When I was out there in the Malibu area, I saw a gentleman that looked like a firefighter. And I asked him if he was okay because he was sitting down. I didn’t realize we had him in handcuffs,” Luna recalled to reporters. “We are turning him over to LAPD because he was dressed like a fireman, and he was not. He just got caught burglarizing a home. So those are issues that our front line deputies and police officers are dealing with.”
Los Angeles Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell said one person was arrested Saturday night for violating a curfew order in the city, and three others were arrested the night before in connection to an alleged burglary.
“There were three individuals in a vehicle. They were stopped. They were where they weren’t supposed to be. One had on a fire jacket and a fire hat. And he was additionally arrested for impersonating a firefighter,” McDonnell said. “We have people who will go to all ends to be able to do what it is they want to do to exploit the victims of this tragedy.”
This is an excerpt from an article by Danielle Wallace.
“Million Dollar Listing” stars Josh Flagg and Josh Altman are already getting to work attempting to help the victims of the Los Angeles fires navigate the real estate market after losing their homes.
In an interview with Fox News Digital, Flagg addressed concerns over illegal price gouging within the rental and housing market.
“Well, the thing is, you know, I don’t know the exact laws, but there are legal consequences for price gouging. For example, if the house was on the market prior to this happening, and then you just raise it five times the price during a natural disaster, that’s against the law,” Flagg said.
He continued, “So, what people are doing and, to not do it illegally, is… people that were not marketing their homes before are just now taking advantage because you can ask whatever you want for a house. You just can’t do it, then a natural disaster happens, and then you triple the price. That’s the problem.”
Homes in Pacific Palisades and Altadena have been demolished after the Los Angeles fires. Both the Palisades Fire and Eaton Fire remain active in Los Angeles County, according to Cal Fire.
Per Cal Fire, more than 12,000 homes, businesses and schools have been lost to the fires and more than 100,000 people have had to leave their homes.
According to Flagg, there is not enough inventory in Los Angeles for all the people who have been displaced.
“This is why there’s like, you know, open houses with a line around the block of people. There’s just not enough inventory. A lot of my clients have investment properties, so you fill up the investment properties. I mean, look, at the end of the day, it’s not like these people are going to be on the streets.
“Right now, this is very scary. But at the end of the day, there will be a place for everyone to go. It’s just determining that now and everyone’s scrambling. It’s like any disaster. In the beginning, it’s a nightmare and then everything just works itself out. But it’s not fun while you’re waiting,” he continued.
This is an excerpt from an article by Janelle Ash and Larry Fink.
Golf icon and Southern California native Tiger Woods is speaking out as wildfires continue to wreak havoc on the Los Angeles region.
Woods was born in Cypress, California, which is located roughly 45 miles from Los Angeles’ Pacific Palisades neighborhood. The Palisades fire is one of the largest and one of the most destructive wildfires sweeping across the area.
Woods had been publicly silent about the tragedy, until Tuesday. He released a statement saying his heart was with those who have been impacted by the devesting wildfires.
“The devastation that is ongoing with the LA fires is such a tragedy and being from California, it hits home,” Woods said in a statement shared to his social media platforms. “My heart is with those who have suffered unimaginable loss. Thank you to the incredible heroes that are the first responders helping to contain and save the community of Los Angeles.”
The 15-time major winner also vowed to release more details about his personal contributions to the communities affected by the disasters.
“We plan to provide an update on our own charitable efforts to help these communities in the coming weeks. Stay strong LA!”
This is an excerpt from an article by Chantz Martin.
A California utility company is facing a pile of lawsuits claiming its equipment started the Eaton Fire, one of the largest of multiple blazes sparked last week and still burning in the Los Angeles area.
Southern California Edison, owned by Edison International, was hit with four lawsuits on Monday, all of which accuse the company of igniting the fire, according to the Los Angeles Times. The Eaton Fire alone has burned more than 14,000 acres, destroyed more than 2,700 structures and left 15 people dead.
The lawsuits were filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on behalf of homeowners, renters, business owners and others with properties destroyed by the Eaton Fire in the Pasadena area.
At least 24 people have died since multiple fires began last Tuesday, and more than 90,000 residents have been forced to flee their homes. More than two dozen people are reported missing, authorities said.
This is an excerpt from an article by Breck Dumas.
Actor Michael Rapaport went off on California Gov. Gavin Newsom in a video on Tuesday, telling the Democrat “there’s no more mistakes for you, you’re done!”
The “Only Murders in the Building” actor said that “Gavin with the good hair Newsom” was talking about “Trump-proofing” California when he should have been focused on “fire-proofing” the state.
“You’re talking about Trump this, Trump that. He’s not even president,” the 54-year-old said in a video he posted to Instagram as the Southern California fires, which have burned thousands of homes, entered their second week.
Rapaport has also been critical of Trump in the past, but said that Vice President Kamala Harris lost his vote in the 2024 election because of Israel.
“Get the f— out of here!” he said of Newsom. “‘We’ll do better next time. We need to learn from our mistakes,’” he mocked.
“You’re not running for sixth grade class president, he added,” jokingly calling him “Nancy’s nephew,” referring to former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. “Them days are over.”
“What a good old boy you turned out to be, you little bulls— artist,” he added.
This is an excerpt from an article by Brie Stimson.
One week since deadly and massive wildfires broke out in the Los Angeles area, Southern California remains under a “particularly dangerous situation” warning from the National Weather Service.
Historic wildfires have forced tens of thousands of residents to flee as their homes and businesses were destroyed. At least 24 people have been killed and dozens more are missing, officials said.
New smaller fires have ignited in Ventura County since Monday, but thanks to the heroic effort of firefighters they have been kept much smaller than the Palisades and Eaton Fires, which together burned more than 38,000 acres in Los Angeles County.
The Palisades Fire is 18% contained as of Wednesday morning, and the Eaton Fire is 35% contained, but the rate of spread for both fires is much diminished since last week.
Weather conditions are expected to improve after Wednesday, with calmer winds and higher humidity forecast. Gusts of up to 60 mph will still be possible for areas that are still burning out of control, “Fox & Friends” weather anchor Janice Dean reported.
Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order on Tuesday, protecting victims of the Los Angeles area fires from real estate speculators making aggressive and unsolicited cash offers for their property.
Newsom’s office said in a press release that the predatory and exploitative practices not only endanger the financial well-being and security of victims, but also takes advantage of the disaster and any associated trauma the victims may be enduring.
“As families mourn, the last thing they need is greedy speculators taking advantage of their pain,” Newsom said. “I have heard first-hand from community members and victims who have received unsolicited and predatory offers from speculators offering cash far below market value — some while their homes were burning. We will not allow greedy developers to rip off these working-class communities at a time when they need more support than ever before.”
Newsom’s order protects residents in hard-hit areas of Los Angeles County from these predators, including the community of Altadena, described by his office as a working-class neighborhood in which large swathes of land were damaged or destroyed.
Opportunistic investors who make undermarket offers on properties threaten the character and vibrancy of the community, but also could displace residents who hold long ties and investments in the community.
Unsolicited and undervalued offers to buy property in specific neighborhoods hit hard are unlawful under Newsom’s order for three months after Jan. 14, 2025.
Anyone who violates the order could be charged with a misdemeanor and prosecuted by the attorney general or local district attorneys.
Harris shredded for word salad to fire victims days before term ends
Vice President Kamala Harris was ripped online after she offered a confusing consolation for Californians besieged by ongoing fires on Monday.
President Biden, Harris and White House officials gave remarks during a briefing on the federal response to the wildfires across Los Angeles. Many people, including celebrities, have lost their homes in the Pacific Palisades area as wildfires continue to rage there and elsewhere in Los Angeles County, burning more than 27,000 acres, destroying over 10,000 structures and killing at least 25 people, according to local officials.
Harris argued that, amid all of this, her fellow Californians must remember that this is a time to be “patient.”
“Lots of people who still have a home who are under evacuation order, I know you want to get back home, but this is a time to be patient,” she said. “There is still so much work that firefighters, police officers, FEMA, and others are doing that is about search and rescue. The work that still needs to be done to ensure the safety around utility lines — this work is still very much in progress.”
ESSENTIAL PHONE NUMBERS FOR LOS ANGELES-AREA RESIDENTS AND HOW YOU CAN HELP THEM
She then offered a confusing statement some would refer to as one of her trademark “word salads” in telling those affected by the fires, “It’s critically important that, to the extent you can find anything that gives you an ability to be patient in this extremely dangerous and unprecedented crisis, that you do.”
Her statement was quickly skewered across social media.
Media Research Center President Brent Bozell said, “It’s terrifying to think how Kamala would have treated the American people if this is how she treats her home state supporters.”
“No thoughts just word salad,” American Family Association senior policy advisor Jenna Ellis said.
“We really dodged a bullet!” New Jersey assemblyman John Azzariti declared.
CALIFORNIANS ‘ANGRY’ AMID DEVASTATING WILDFIRES, ASKING WHERE HIGH TAX DOLLARS WENT: LOCAL RESEARCHER
The Federalist’s senior legal correspondent Margot Cleveland rewrote Harris’ words as: “Those of you fleeing the fire, the most critical thing for you to pack is your patience.”
“Such sage advice from a gifted communicator,” journalist Miranda Devine quipped sarcastically.
Breitbart’s Joel Pollak offered his “Translation” of her statement: “it’s not our fault! Wait a week, and then you can blame Trump.”
“Harris wants us to know the wildfires in California are not because of bad Democrat management of fire risk,” cartoonist Scott Adams replied, making a similar attempt to translate Harris’ thoughts.
“The real problems are citizens being impatient and citizens causing too much climate change. Will there be some kind of punishment for the bad citizens so we can avoid this in the future?”
“What she’s trying to express here with this confusing word salad is that it’s super important for LA residents to be patient with the bungling incompetence & appalling stupidity of CA Democrats & not to link the ongoing disaster to their woke, civilization-destroying policies,” Deb Heine of American Greatness said.
Since the fires broke out last week, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and other local officials have faced backlash over their lack of preparation and response to the crisis as the flames continue to wreak havoc on the area.
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Eagles fan seen in vile tirade against female Packers supporter loses job
A Philadelphia Eagles fan at the center of a vile incident at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday lost his job at a New Jersey-based DEI-focused consulting firm this week.
The fan, who was identified as Ryan Caldwell, was seen in the viral video getting into the face of a female Green Bay Packers fan and calling her a “dumb c—” while her fiancé recorded the situation. He also taunted the man with other disgusting gestures.
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The fan and his employer have since “parted ways,” the company said.
“We, the management of BCT Partners, have concluded the international personnel investigation regarding an employee who was caught on a video outside of the workplace making highly offensive and misogynistic statements,” the company said in a statement Tuesday. “In keeping with our company values, which are firmly centered in respect, dignity, and inclusion, we have decided to part ways with the employee. This separation is effective immediately.
“We condemn our former employee’s conduct in the strongest possible terms. This individual’s conduct and language were vile, disgusting, unacceptable, and horrific and have no place in our workplace and society. Such conduct is not who we are and not what we stand for.
“At the same time, again, to be true to our values, we can condemn the actions without condemning the individual. None of us deserve to be remembered for actions taken on our worst day. We have offered grace and support to our former employee. We hope that he will grow, and we all can learn from this deeply disturbing incident. That’s what real inclusion is and does. That is also who we are and what we stand for.
EAGLES COACH CALLS OUT ‘LAZY’ TAKES ABOUT AJ BROWN AFTER HE’S CAUGHT READING BOOK DURING GAME
“We sincerely apologize to the victim and for the many ways in which these events already have impact so many people. We remain committed to gender equity and fostering a culture of respect and dignity for all.”
Caldwell’s tirade was caught as the Eagles topped the Packers in the wild-card game over the weekend. Aside from just calling the woman a “dumb c—,” he also called her an “ugly dumb c—.” Caldwell asked her fiancé if he was going to do anything about the name-calling, and if not, then he should turn around and watch the game.
The woman’s fiancé identified himself on social media as Alexander Basara and posted the video on social media. He wrote on X he did not want to get into a physical altercation with Caldwell.
He mentioned in one post that he definitely was not going to start painting all Eagles fans with a broad brush.
“A lot of you guys were very nice. Trust me. The normal banter but a handshake at the end. This was out of line tho for sure,” he wrote on X.
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The Eagles fan was also banned from all games at Lincoln Financial Field, according to USA Today.
Company behind Trump’s favorite drink goes above and beyond for the inauguration
Coca-Cola Company chairman and CEO James Quincey presented President-elect Donald Trump with a special bottle of Diet Coke ahead of the upcoming inauguration.
Trump’s affinity for Diet Coke is well-known.
“The Coca-Cola Company has a tradition of creating commemorative Coca-Cola bottles in celebration of U.S. presidential inaugurations, dating back to 2005. James Quincey, CEO of The Coca-Cola Company, met with President Elect Donald Trump to present a commemorative bottle of Diet Coke and to highlight Coca-Cola’s contributions to the U.S. economy,” a Coca-Cola Company spokesperson said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
TRUMP ANNOUNCES NEW EXTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE TO COLLECT FOREIGN MONEY
“With over 60 bottling partners, we generate $58 billion in U.S. economic activity and support 860,000 jobs annually. This meeting reinforces our commitment to strengthening America’s economic future.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the Trump team for comment on Wednesday, but did not receive a response in time for publication.
“A limited quantity of Diet Coke bottles commemorating the 47th President of the United States— which will not be available for sale — will be distributed to the White House, as well as inauguration events,” the Coca-Cola Company notes on its website.
PRESIDENT BIDEN APPEARS TO REMOVE TRUMP’S DIET COKE BUTTON FROM OVAL OFFICE
The New York Times suggested in 2017 that Trump imbibed a dozen diet cokes per day.
Years before his first presidential bid, Trump declared in a 2012 tweet, “I have never seen a thin person drinking Diet Coke.”
Two days later Trump tweeted, “The Coca Cola company is not happy with me–that’s okay, I’ll still keep drinking that garbage.”
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Trump, who made history as the second U.S. president to win election to non-consecutive terms, will be inaugurated on Monday.
Them’s fightin’ words.
The House Oversight Committee devolved into chaos on Tuesday after Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., challenged Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, to a fight.
“If you wanna take it outside, we can do that,” Mace said.
The squabble was sparked when Crockett said “child, listen” during a back-and-forth about civil rights, women’s rights and transgender rights.
TWO HOUSE DEMS JOIN GOP TO BAN BIOLOGICAL MALES FORM GIRLS’ SCHOOL SPORTS
“Somebody’s campaign coffers are struggling right now. So she gon’ keep sayin’ ‘trans, trans trans’ so that people will feel threatened and child, listen,” Crockett said.
Mace erupted in anger.
“I’m no child! Do not call me a child! I’m no child. Don’t even start,” Mace said, interrupting Crockett. “I’m a grown woman. I’m 47 years old. I’ve broken more glass ceilings than you ever have… You will not do that. I’m not a child… If you wanna take it outside, we can do that.”
TRANS VOLLEYBALL PLAYER ACCUSED OF PLAN TO HARM TEAMMATE AFTER TAKING SCHOLARSHIPS FROM FEMALE PLAYERS
The two talked over each other as House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., attempted to control the chaos as he slammed his gavel.
“Order! Order! Order!,” members could be heard saying.
Crockett later attacked Republicans, accusing them of going after “the most vulnerable in our country.”
She said, “Trans people ain’t goin’ no where. Just like when the racists wanted to make sure that Black people somehow were going to be dismissed in this country. We ain’t left either.”
Mace later took to X to continue her war of words with Crockett.
DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKER SUGGESTS ‘SLAVE MENTALITY’ BEHIND HISPANIC TRUMP VOTERS
“I’m no child. And if I wanted a physical fight, you’d know it. That’s not what this was,” she wrote. “I won’t be bullied by someone who wants to take away women’s rights while lecturing about civil rights. I won’t be bullied by someone who thinks being scared of rape is a ‘fantasy.’ This ain’t political, it’s personal.”
Mace further attempted to clarify her comments in a statement to Fox News Digital.
“There’s been a lot of speculation about my intentions during a heated exchange on women’s rights earlier today on Oversight,” she said in the statement. “Let me be clear: I wanted to take the conversation off the floor to have a more constructive conversation, not to fight. At no point was there any intention of causing harm to anyone. I was just assaulted by a pro tr*ns man a few weeks ago and am still in physical therapy for my injuries. I know firsthand how the Left is capable of doing real physical harm. I will not be bullied into submission, I will not be called names by my colleagues like I was today, I will not be belittled, or invalidated—especially as a rape survivor. I will always stand up for women and push back against left-wing extremism that seeks to silence our voices and dismiss our rights.”
NANCY MACE SETS THE RECORD STRAIGHT ON HOW SHE FEELS ABOUT DONALD TRUMP
Crockett also took to X to address the exchange, writing, in part: “Today, I introduced an amendment to reinstate the Oversight Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. My Republican colleague threatened to physically fight me about it. Bless her heart.”
Crockett’s office also fired back at Mace, claiming it was clear Mace was threatening physical violence against Crockett.
“It was clear that Rep. Mace was threatening physical violence against Congresswoman Crockett as part of her performative, ridiculous meltdown,” Crockett’s office said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Her slur-ridden screed exemplifies exactly why the House Oversight Committee needs to pass Congresswoman Crockett’s amendment to reinstate the Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. Congresswoman Crockett ignored her obvious, desperate baiting – if Rep. Mace wants to raise money off of the back of a qualified Black woman, she can try someone else.”
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The brouhaha between Mace and Crockett happened on the same day the House passed a bill banning transgender athletes from participating in women’s sports at schools that receive federal funding.
Two House Democrats voted alongside Republicans to pass the Protection of Women and Girls In Sports Act. Reps. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, and Vicente Gonzales, D-Texas, were the lone Democrats to vote for the bill when it passed 218 to 206. Rep. Don Davis, D-N.C., voted “present.”
Lawmakers taking strides to reverse Biden’s ban on essential gas-powered appliance
EXCLUSIVE: A new, GOP-introduced congressional resolution could block President Biden’s recent ban on natural gas water heaters, Fox News Digital has learned.
In the waning days of the Biden administration, the Department of Energy announced a new rule banning non-condensing, natural gas-fired water heaters by 2029 in an effort to reduce carbon emissions. Republicans in Congress, however, are seeking to intervene.
On Wednesday, Rep. Gary Palmer, R-Ala., introduced a Congressional Review Act (CRA), which allows Congress to overturn rules enacted by federal agencies to circumvent the administration’s appliance crackdown, shared first with Fox News Digital.
“It’s a radical ban on water heaters. Another example of government overreach under the Biden administration on their way out the door. They care nothing about consumers,” Palmer told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview.
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Proponents of Biden’s regulation, such as the Appliance Standards Awareness Project, suggest it will eliminate 32 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions from water heaters sold over 30 years.
However, Palmer said it will have serious economic implications on working Americans given the amount a household would have to pay out of pocket for a new water heater that complies with the rule.
The Alabama congressman expressed confidence that the CRA is going to pass in the House, as several other Republican lawmakers have signed on as sponsors.
Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., one of the cosponsors of the CRA, told Fox News that “Joe Biden’s last-ditch effort to ban gas water heaters in his final days in office is nothing short of another green energy scam.”
“This latest assault on American consumers isn’t about saving the planet; it’s about control, higher costs, and forcing an unsustainable, radical agenda on every household,” Burlison said in a statement shared with Fox News Digital. “It’s time we stand up against this tyranny of regulations and protect the freedoms and choices of the American people.”
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Other Republican co-sponsors include Reps. Julia Letlow of Louisiana, Mike Collins of Georgia, Randy Weber of Texas, Stephanie Bice of Oklahoma, Barry Moore of Alabama, Andy Ogles of Tennessee, Claudia Tenney of New York, Russ Fulcher of Idaho, Jack Bergman of Michigan, Dan Crenshaw of Texas, Michelle Fischbach of Minnesota, Jeff Hurd of Colorado, and Jim Baird of Indiana.
The National Propane Gas Association also supports overturning the ban, telling Fox News that it “threatens to eliminate the non-condensing instantaneous gas water heaters market.”
“This rule would compel families to replace their existing equipment with unnecessary expensive retrofits, imposing an undue financial burden for a marginal level of energy savings and questionable economic benefits,” Steve Kaminski, president and CEO of the National Propane Gas Association told Fox News Digital.
Biden has introduced regulations on several different household appliances during his term, such as washing machines, gas stoves, and ceiling fans.
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However, the Republican-controlled congress is reportedly going to be “very aggressive in rolling back” some of the regulations that evolved from Biden’s climate agenda, Palmer said.