Pentagon official says talk with Hegseth sparked his sudden departure from high-level post

Former Trump national security aide and Pentagon press secretary John Ullyot reportedly will resign at the end of the week. 

His sudden departure comes after Sean Parnell took over the role of the Pentagon’s chief spokesperson in February. 

“I made clear to Secretary [Pete] Hegseth before the inauguration that I was not interested in being number two to anyone in public affairs,” Ullyot told Politico, reportedly adding that he had offered to help on an acting basis for two months. 

“Last month, as that time approached, the secretary and I talked and could not come to an agreement on another good fit for me at DOD. So I informed him today that I will be leaving at the end of this week,” Ullyot said. 

PENTAGON DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF IS SECOND HEGSETH ADVISOR REMOVED DURING LEAK INVESTIGATION 

The Department of Defense did not immediately respond Thursday to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. 

During the first Trump administration, Ullyot served as the spokesperson for the National Security Council and was an assistant secretary for public and intergovernmental affairs at the Department of Veterans Affairs. 

The Marine Corps veteran also served as a senior adviser in President Donald Trump’s 2016 election campaign. 

TOP HEGSETH ADVISOR DAN CALDWELL PLACED ON ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE 

Ullyot’s resignation will come as three Pentagon officials have been placed on administrative leave this week as part of a leak investigation. 

Colin Carroll, chief of staff to Deputy Defense Secretary Stephen Feinberg, was put on leave on Wednesday, according to Politico. 

The day before, Darin Selnick, the deputy chief of staff for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Hegseth aide Dan Caldwell were removed. 

Reuters reported that Caldwell was placed on leave for an “unauthorized disclosure,” as part of an investigation into leaked Pentagon documents. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP 

The probe was announced last month and concerned itself over “recent unauthorized disclosures of national security information.” 

Harvard responds to Trump admin pulling millions in grants after refusing to meet demands

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem canceled $2.7 million in DHS grants to Harvard University on Wednesday.

In a statement, Noem announced the cancelation of two grants for the university, and declared the elite Massachusetts Ivy League institution “unfit to be entrusted with taxpayer dollars.” 

The university has been ordered to submit records by April 30, or risk losing its certification to enroll international students under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP).

“With anti-American, pro-Hamas ideology poisoning its campus and classrooms, Harvard’s position as a top institution of higher learning is a distant memory,” Noem said in the statement. “America demands more from universities entrusted with taxpayer dollars.”

A Harvard spokesperson responded Thursday morning, “The government has long exempted universities from taxes in order to support their educational mission. The tax exemption means that more of every dollar can go toward scholarships for students, lifesaving and life-enhancing medical research, and technological advancements that drive economic growth. There is no legal basis to rescind Harvard’s tax-exempt status.”

TRUMP ADMIN ASKS IRS TO REVOKE HARVARD’S TAX-EXEMPT STATUS

The canceled grants include an $800,303 “Implementation Science for Targeted Violence Prevention” award, which DHS says classified conservatives as far-right extremists, and a $1,934,902 “Blue Campaign Program Evaluation and Violence Advisement” grant, which funded public health messaging that Noem’s office described as ideologically skewed.

The move follows President Donald Trump‘s decision to freeze $2.2 billion in federal funding to Harvard and ask for the IRS to revoke its tax-exempt status. 

The IRS is currently reviewing the university’s 501(c)(3) nonprofit designation, according to sources within the Department of Justice (DOJ). A final decision has not yet been made.

Harvard’s statement continued to say that rescinding its tax-exempt status “would endanger our ability to carry out our educational mission. It would result in diminished financial aid for students, abandonment of critical medical research programs, and lost opportunities for innovation. The unlawful use of this instrument more broadly would have grave consequences for the future of higher education in America.”

In a social media post, Trump criticized Harvard’s leadership and faculty, writing, “Harvard has been hiring almost all woke, Radical Left, idiots and ‘birdbrains’ who are only capable of teaching FAILURE to students and so-called ‘future leaders.’” He continued, “Harvard is a JOKE, teaches Hate and Stupidity, and should no longer receive Federal Funds.”

STEFANIK SHREDS HARVARD OVER ‘COMPLETE MORAL FAILURE’ AFTER ALLOWING CLAUDINE GAY TO REMAIN PRESIDENT

The DHS action comes amid a broader federal crackdown on campus antisemitism following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel. 

In the months since, Harvard has faced criticism over antisemitic rhetoric and protests involving students and faculty. Noem’s letter references “foreign visa-holding rioters” and calls for Harvard to provide documentation of their conduct.

With a $53.2 billion endowment, Harvard is one of the wealthiest institutions in the world. DHS emphasized that the university can afford to fund its own programs and should not rely on taxpayer money if it is not meeting federal standards for student conduct and institutional accountability.

The Department of Education is also scrutinizing the university. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon recently launched a review of more than $255.6 million in federal contracts and nearly $9 billion in grants involving Harvard and its affiliates.

“Harvard’s failure to protect students on campus from anti-Semitic discrimination — all while promoting divisive ideologies over free inquiry — has put its reputation in serious jeopardy,” McMahon said.

This move comes shortly after similar action was taken against Columbia University, as the federal government steps up enforcement on institutions it says are failing to meet civil rights and national security obligations.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Noem’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

UFO footage captured by US Navy shows mysterious aircraft launching from sea, expert says

A group of unidentified flying objects spotted by Navy sailors is raising eyebrows after witnesses reported watching the oddly-shaped aircraft rise from the ocean before jetting off in a synchronized fashion last year. 

The four aircraft were spotted by sailors aboard USS Jackson while off the coast of California last year, Jeremy Corbell, co-host of the “Weaponized” podcast, told Fox 11. 

“[This] is a machine that is able to outpace, outmaneuver, and outperform anything that we know of that’s been made by technology and terrestrial nations,” Corbell said. 

VIRAL CIA FILE ABOUT ALIENS ATTACKING SOLDIERS TAKES OFF WITH UFO INTRIGUE

The UFOs reportedly emerged from the Pacific Ocean and were spotted by sailors before showing up on the ship’s radar, an unnamed witness told Corbell. 

Footage recorded by the Navy warship and obtained by Corbell shows the four aircraft grouping together before racing off in unison. 

“Everybody on the ship knew they were seeing something extraordinary,” Corbell said. “So obviously people thought it was important to document and then finally witnesses came forward.” 

PENTAGON SOLVES ONE OF ITS HIGHEST-PROFILE UFO MYSTERIES

The Navy and Corbell did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. 

Corbell noted the footage shows the objects do not have a wing or tail, raising questions regarding the aircraft’s ability to fly. However, Corbell does not believe the unidentified objects are nefarious or operated by a foreign adversary. 

“I’d rather these things be from another planet than an adversarial nation, because if it was an adversarial nation then their ability to weaponize that technology would be unprecedented,” Corbell said. “Luckily, we don’t see a fingerprint for that.”

However, military officials claim the sighting was never recorded.

FORMER DEFENSE OFFICIAL MAKES EARTH-SHATTERING UFO REVELATION AS UNEXPLAINED DRONES LEAVE MILLIONS ON EDGE

“[The All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office] has no record of this alleged UAP incident,” a Pentagon spokesperson told Fox News Digital in a statement. 

The flying objects draw striking similarities to the infamous “Tic Tac”- shaped aircraft sighting by USS Nimitz off the coast of Southern California in 2004. The incident drew national attention in 2017, exposing previously unknown programs within the Department of Defense relating to UFO research. 

In 2020, the Pentagon released three unclassified Navy videos from November 2004 and January 2015. 

UFO HEARING: EX-PENTAGON OFFICIAL SAYS GOVERNMENT ‘CABAL’ IS HIDING ‘THE FACT THAT WE ARE NOT ALONE’

“The aerial phenomena observed in the videos remain characterized as ‘unidentified’,” the Pentagon said in a statement. 

Last year, a Pentagon official testified to Congress that the Pentagon had solved a well-known mystery surrounding a flying object spotted by USS Theodore Roosevelt in 2016. 

The UFO spotted flying at high speeds above the Atlantic Ocean was nothing out of the ordinary, but instead a trick of the eye causing objects to appear as if they were moving much faster, referred to as a “parallax,” according to Dr. Jon Kosloski, the director of the All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office. 

RUSSIAN UFO ENGAGEMENTS, SECRET ‘TIC TAC’ REPORT AND 3 KEY FIGURES SLIP UNDER RADAR AT CONGRESSIONAL HEARING

“Through a very careful geospatial intelligence analysis and using trigonometry, we assess with high confidence that the object is not actually close to the water, but is rather closer to 13,000 feet,” Kosloski said. 

As for the four aircraft spotted by Navy sailors last year, Corbell believes there is no cause for alarm. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“This UFO phenomenon has been here for a long time, this is not something new, it’s nothing to worry about,” Corbell said. “It is something that we need to face head on and that’s what Congress is trying to do, is get people to get past the stigma so we can know and understand what is this technology, who is operating it and what is the intent.”

Carville says getting back alleged MS-13 gang member should be Dems’ top priority

Democratic strategist James Carville said Wednesday the party’s “top agenda” needs to be focused on retrieving deported El Salvadoran Kilmar Abrego Garcia.

“People say, ‘Well, should we really fight on this turf or should we fight more on ordinary people?’ This we should fight on. You can’t pivot to an economic issue. This is why we think we’re a country,” Carville said on his “Politics War Room” podcast.

A U.S. court granted Abrego Garcia temporary protected status in 2019, finding he faced a “clear probability of future persecution” if returned to his home country because “El Salvadoran authorities were and would be unable or unwilling to protect him.”

He was deported by the Trump administration in March to El Salvador’s sprawling, maximum-security prison. However, both a federal court and the Supreme Court ordered the Trump administration to “facilitate” his release and return to the U.S. for proper deportation proceedings.

JAMES CARVILLE WARNS COUNTRY SHOULD BE ON ‘HIGH ALERT’ WHEN ASKED IF TRUMP MIGHT TRY TO RIG MIDTERMS

Though the Trump administration acknowledged that his deportation was an “administrative error,” it has since defended the decision and suggested El Salvador’s authorities should have the final say on Abrego Garcia’s status.

Carville alluded to the famous “First They Came for the Jews…” Holocaust poem and warned Democrats that they need to take a firm stance on this as soon as possible.

“There’s real wisdom in that and history has taught us that. First, they came for him, and then we’re going to say no right there. We got to keep fighting this. I think this is worthy of being at the top agenda of things that we’re going to fight over is get this guy back home,” Carville said.

Many Democrats have spoken out against Abrego Garcia’s deportation, making him a cause célèbre and describing the El Salvadoran national and accused MS-13 gang member in the U.S. illegally as a “Maryland father” who was “abducted.” 

On Wednesday, Democratic Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen traveled to El Salvador in an attempt to visit Abrego Garcia and negotiate his release with El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, but he was turned away. 

Patty Murin, the mother of Rachel Morin, who was murdered by a different illegal immigrant from El Salvador, spoke at the White House press briefing Wednesday and called out Van Hollen’s support for illegal immigrants over her daughter.

“To have a senator from Maryland who didn’t even acknowledge – barely acknowledged my daughter and the brutal death that she endured, leaving her five children without a mother, and now a grandbaby without a grandmother, so that he can use my taxpayer money to fly to El Salvador to bring back someone that is not even an American citizen,” Morin said. “Why does that person have more right than I do for my daughter or my grandchildren? I don’t understand this.” 

The Department of Homeland Security also released court records that it claims prove Abrego Garcia’s ties to the MS-13 gang. According to a Prince George’s County, Maryland, Police Department interview sheet shared with Fox News by DHS, local police discovered Abrego Garcia during a murder investigation. Police found him loitering in a Home Depot parking lot with other known MS-13 gang members in possession of illicit drugs in 2019. 

Prince George’s County Gang Unit MS-13 Intelligence Squad conducted an interview with Abrego Garcia and contacted a “past proven and reliable source” who identified him as an active member of MS-13 with the “Westerns” clique, with the rank of “Chequeo” and the moniker of “Chele.”

CRITICS BLAST DEMOCRATS’ ‘PATHETIC’ PLAN TO VISIT ALLEGED MS-13 GANG MEMBER DEPORTED TO EL SALVADORAN PRISON

A federal immigration court in Baltimore further determined Abrego Garcia was not eligible for release because he “failed to meet his burden of demonstrating that his release from custody would not pose a danger to others, as the evidence shows that he is a verified member of MS-13.”

Press secretary Karoline Leavitt spoke about the documents and lambasted the Democratic Party for their “lies” about Abrego Garcia and how they keep referring to him as a “Maryland father.”

“There is no Maryland father. Let me reiterate. Kilmar Abrego Garcia is an illegal alien, MS-13 gang member and foreign terrorist who was deported back to his home country. And when Kilmar Abrego Garcia was originally arrested, he was wearing a sweatshirt with rolls of money covering the ears, mouth and eyes of presidents on various currency denominations,” Leavitt said on Wednesday. “This is a known MS-13 gang symbol of hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil.”

She continued, “Abrego Garcia was also arrested with two other well-known members of the vicious MS-13 gang. Two separate judges found that Abrego Garcia was a member of MS-13. That finding has never been disputed.”

Leavitt also produced Maryland court documents released that morning that showed Abrego Garcia’s wife had petitioned an order of protection against him for two counts of domestic violence in 2021, alleging that he punched, scratched, grabbed and bruised her.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Abrego Garcia’s attorneys maintain he was living in the U.S. legally and does not have any gang ties.

Trump officials scorch Dems as ‘horrific’ details emerge about deported alleged gangbanger

Attorney General Pam Bondi and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt unloaded on “deranged” Democrats pushing for alleged MS-13 gang member Kilmar Abrego Garcia to return to the U.S. as court records appear to expose the El Salvadoran illegal immigrant’s past domestic violence against his wife.

Bondi, speaking on the records Wednesday night on “Hannity,” said the media-dubbed “Maryland man” is back where he belongs.

“He is sitting in a prison and every American should be thanking President Trump tonight and every liberal journalist who has called him a ‘Maryland man’ and saying he was rightfully in this country should be apologizing tonight to President Trump,” she said.

Fox News has obtained the written domestic violence allegations filed in court against 29-year-old Kilmar Abrego Garcia by his wife, Jennifer Vasquez, in 2021.

PAM BONDI CALLS OUT ‘DETACHED FROM REALITY’ DEMS FOR DEMANDING ALLEGED MS-13 GANG MEMBER BE RETURNED TO US

In a filing written in Vasquez’s own handwriting, she alleged Abrego Garcia repeatedly beat her, writing: “At this point, I am afraid to be close to him. I have multiple photos/videos of how violent he can be and all the bruises he [has] left me.”

Bondi pointed to the records, which detailed that Abrego Garcia had punched Vasquez in the eye and ripped off her clothes, calling the descriptions “horrific.”

Amid a lengthy legal tussle surrounding the suspected gang member’s deportation to an El Salvador megaprison, the Supreme Court recently upheld a lower court’s order, requiring “the government to ‘facilitate’ Abrego Garcia’s release from custody in El Salvador and to ensure that his case is handled as it would have been had he not been improperly sent to El Salvador.”

However, both Trump officials and El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele agreed they didn’t have the authority to return Abrego Garcia to the U.S., with Bukele saying he lacked the power to “smuggle a terrorist into the U.S.”

BUKELE SAYS TRUMP HAS 350 MILLION AMERICANS TO ‘LIBERATE’ BY ENDING CRIME, TERRORISM

The issue fomented outrage among Democrats, including Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., who insisted Abrego Garcia had been “illegally abducted” from the U.S.

He caught ire from Republicans this week for traveling to El Salvador to push for Abrego Garcia’s return.

“This shows you how deranged the modern-day Democrat Party has truly become,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told host Sean Hannity on Wednesday.

Leavitt stood near Patty Morin, the mother of illegal immigrant murder victim Rachel Morin, earlier on Wednesday in the White House briefing room as she shared gruesome details about her daughter’s brutal rape and murder at the hands of Victor Antonio Martinez-Hernandez, a 23-year-old from El Salvador recently convicted of the crimes.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Leavitt said hearing the story was “incredibly difficult,” but also a “powerful” truth. She also slammed Van Hollen for allegedly prioritizing an accused gang member instead of heeding the concerns of constituents like Morin and her family.

Democrats and Abrego Garcia’s attorney have disputed the Trump administration’s claims that he was a member of the violent MS-13 gang. DHS released new documents this week, which it says definitively proves Abrego Garcia, who was deported to the El Salvadoran mega prison “Terrorism Confinement Center” (CECOT) last month, is a member of the notorious MS-13 gang.

Americans turning to other options to get their hands on REAL ID before May deadline

Americans coast to coast are rushing to obtain REAL IDs while many motor vehicle bureaus are grappling to accommodate appointments. 

With the deadline of May 7 approaching, air travelers at domestic airports and people entering some federal buildings must have a REAL ID.

Some Americans are considering alternatives if they’re struggling to get DMV appointments to obtain the new identification. 

REAL ID APPOINTMENTS ADDED AS NEW JERSEY RESIDENTS STRUGGLE TO GET NEW IDENTIFICATION

On Monday in New Jersey, the Department of Motor Vehicles (NJDMV) website showed “0 appointments available” for REAL ID services on its site; it has now added additional time slots. 

Virginia DMVs have launched Saturday events for people to get their REAL IDs, while some offices in California have extended their hours.

Other identification forms that will be accepted in lieu of a REAL ID are a valid U.S. passport or passport card; DHS trusted traveler cards such as Global Entry; Department of Defense IDs; permanent resident cards; and border crossing cards. 

For those who do not have those IDs on hand, some AAA branches in six states are offering services to get a REAL ID. 

NO ‘REAL ID’ APPOINTMENTS OPEN IN NEW JERSEY AS RESIDENTS SOUND OFF: ‘GET WITH THE TIMES, NJ’

“In Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New York, DMV/RMV services at AAA branches are free for all AAA members,” the AAA site notes.

“In Connecticut, AAA members from outside AAA Northeast territory pay $6 for DMV services and non-members pay $8,” the site adds.

The site says there is no additional cost for the REAL ID itself. 

“If not at renewal, only the standard duplicate license fees would apply,” states the site.

“AAA offers DMV services in 22 states, ranging from vehicle registrations, titling, tags, license renewals, issuing new licenses, and/or REAL ID,” an AAA spokesperson told Fox News Digital on Wednesday.

“Got the passport card in addition to my book and I just carry that.”

“Of those 22 states, 6 states offer REAL ID services: FL, KS, MA, MN, OH, and RI. Regulations regarding private organizations offering DMV services (and what type of services offered) vary by state,” the spokesperson added.

AAA does not have plans to roll out DMV services in additional states, the organization said.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER

The processing time for an expedited passport is two to three weeks with additional fees, according to the State Department’s website.

Many Americans have taken to social media to share their frustrations, with some seeking more alternatives.

“The REAL ID situation in Kentucky is such a sh–show that I’m completely bypassing it and just getting a passport next week,” a man posted on X.

“To all the PANICANS, you do NOT need a REAL ID if you have a passport,” posted one X user.

Another user responded, “That’s what I did… Got the passport card in addition to my book and I just carry that.”

“I’m in SC and it was easier getting a passport,” shared one X user.

A woman on X shared, “Not everyone wants, or needs, a REAL ID. A passport or passport card (less expensive) can be used for domestic air travel and entrance to restricted federal buildings.”

“If you need to switch and the DMV is too crazy where you are, just apply for a passport with the passport card, and you can use that instead,” advised one user.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

A man posted, “Use your passport. It works when you don’t have a REAL ID yet.”

Menendez brothers to appear at critical hearing on potential release in less than an hour