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SCOOP: White House rallies House GOP on Trump tariff plan in secret call
FIRST ON FOX: The White House is taking a top-down approach in making sure Republicans are united on President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs plan.
U.S. trade representative Jamieson Greer briefed House Republican staffers on the administration's strategy on Wednesday evening, Fox News Digital was told.
Greer opened the call stressing that Trump was ushering in a magnitude of economic change not seen since the post-World War II era.
He also said the U.S. had been subjected to unfair trade practices for decades since lowering its own tariffs against other countries in a bid to bolster global trade, Fox News Digital was told.
WALL STREET FIRMS SEE RECESSION RISK RISING OVER TARIFFS, TRADE WAR
Examples Greer cited for Capitol Hill aides included both Brazil and the European Union, while stressing that exemptions would be made for foreign products already subject to U.S. penalties — rather than double up on the taxes.
While political communications offices often hold coordinated messaging calls on important issues, a source familiar with the matter told Fox News Digital that it was the first such communications policy call between this White House and House Republican staff.
It underscores tariffs' importance in the Trump administration's policy platform, as the White House works to ensure the GOP is in lock-step on its messaging.
When reached for comment by Fox News Digital, a White House official emphasized that the Trump administration has been the most transparent in history, and that the president wants to ensure his allies are armed with the most up-to-date information.
And while the vast majority of Republicans are praising Trump's moves, some GOP lawmakers have conceded to at least some concerns.
"I think tariffs that are equal to what they're charging are defensible. We want a level playing field," Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., told Fox News Digital on Wednesday evening. "The automobile one can be messy because the parts are from all over."
Meanwhile, Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine., spoke out in support of a Democratic bid to exempt Canada from tariffs on the Senate floor Thursday, hours before Trump's formal announcement.
"The price hikes that will happen for Maine families, every time they go to the grocery store, they fill their gas tank, they fill their heating oil tank, if these tariffs go into effect, will be so harmful," Collins said of the Canada tariffs specifically.
"And as price hikes always do, they will hurt those the most who can afford them the least. Therefore, I will support this resolution, and I urge my colleagues to do so likewise."
Another GOP lawmaker who spoke with Fox News Digital on Thursday, however, downplayed any longstanding concerns.
"I think as long as it's a short-term tool, folks will be OK with it," the GOP lawmaker said.
During the Thursday evening call rallying House GOP aides, first-term Rep. Julie Fedorchak, R-N.D., sent out a statement backing Trump's move but conceding she understood the concerns.
TRUMP TO DELIVER 'LIBERATION DAY' ANNOUNCEMENT FROM ROSE GARDEN FLANKED BY CABINET MEMBERS
"The U.S. is taking action to address decades of unfair trade barriers that have put American manufacturers, producers, and businesses at a huge disadvantage. I support President Trump's efforts to create a level playing field and his long-term strategy to strengthen our critical domestic supply chains," Fedorchak said.
"At the same time, I recognize the challenges these tariffs create for North Dakota’s farmers and producers, and I will continue to advocate for expanding market opportunities for our products as well as other policies to help counter the negative impacts tariffs may create for producers."
A number of Republican lawmakers were at the White House in support of the announcement on Thursday, including Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.
"President Trump is sending a clear message with Liberation Day: America will not be exploited by unfair trade practices anymore," Johnson said in a public statement. "These tariffs restore fair and reciprocal trade and level the playing field for American workers and innovators. The President understands that FREE trade ONLY works when it’s FAIR!"
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Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., a close Trump ally, wrote on X, "President Trump’s reciprocal tariffs are a brilliant economic strategy. Joe Biden left the United States with a whopping $1.2 trillion trade deficit at the end of his regime."
Fox News Digital also reached out to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative for comment but did not immediately hear back.
Trump's plan involves a 10% blanket tariff on all foreign imports into the U.S., as well as tariffs up to 50% on both adversaries and allies.
It also introduces some level of reciprocal tariffs on countries that tax U.S. exports, though in most cases, the U.S. rate is lower than the foreign country's.
'False': Trump admin rebukes claims intel officials are frequently using Signal to send classified info
The White House is clapping back against media reports alleging intelligence officials have been using the end-to-end encrypted messaging app Signal to send classified information, describing the allegations as "false" in a statement to Fox News Digital.
The statement from National Security Council (NSC) spokesman Brian Hughes comes after Politico published a report suggesting Trump National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and his team have used the app frequently to discuss sensitive communications on a variety of different issues.
"This is a clear attempt by some in media and the Democrats to obscure the simple truth: The President and his national security team are delivering for the nation by confronting our adversaries and standing with our allies to bring peace through strength," Hughes said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
Hughes added that Signal is "an approved" messaging app, particularly as it pertains to unclassified info, "and any claim NSC officials are sending classified information over these channels is false."
Questions have circulated about the Trump administration's use of Signal since The Atlantic's Jeffrey Goldberg released his exposé alleging he was accidentally invited by Waltz to a sensitive group chat on the encrypted messaging app. Critics of the Trump administration have said the messages included "war plans" for an attack on Houthi rebels in Yemen.
There have also been debates over whether the information discussed in the chat uncovered by Goldberg was classified information or contained "war plans."
Media reports from The Wall Street Journal, Politico and The Washington Post have claimed Waltz and his team have frequently used Signal and other public messaging platforms to discuss sensitive topics and official government business.
"Using Signal to send unclassified information is appropriate, and these same facts have been reported multiple times in the last few days," Hughes said, noting there are federal agencies that "automatically install" Signal on government devices.
"Some in NSC, like those in the media and many areas across the federal government, use the Signal app," Hughes added. "All communications are a reflection of a thoughtful dialog of those committed to the effective implementation of the president’s agenda."
In December, before President Trump took over the White House from Joe Biden, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency called on senior government and political officials to switch to end-to-end encrypted messaging platforms like Signal.
DEMS HAVE LONG HISTORY OF SUPPORTING ENCRYPTED SIGNAL APP AHEAD OF TRUMP CHAT LEAK
Still, critics of the Trump administration are demanding answers. On Tuesday, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee sent letters to "non-principal agency officials" who were part of the original Signal group chat that accidentally included Goldberg.
The letters call for the individuals, who Democrats say may have "firsthand knowledge concerning the discussion of sensitive and/or classified national security information on Signal," to appear before Congress for transcribed interviews.
Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, sent another letter to Waltz Tuesday as well, demanding he and his staff stop using Google's Gmail for official government business after The Washington Post published a report claiming members of the president's National Security Council were using personal Gmail accounts to discuss official business.
The letter to Waltz demanded he turn over all communications relating to official government business that he or his staff sent over Signal or other "unauthorized messaging and email applications and platforms."
Waltz has taken responsibility for the leaked Signal chat that Goldberg accidentally accessed, but he also insisted "no classified information" was ever discussed in the messaging thread.
GOP defectors help Senate advance resolution to cancel Trump tariffs despite White House veto warning
A Democrat-led resolution undoing President Donald Trump's tariffs against Canada advanced past the Senate on Wednesday after multiple Republicans joined their counterparts in support of it.
Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul of Kentucky supported the resolution, bucking the president to do so. The final vote was 51 to 48.
"As I have always warned, tariffs are bad policy, and trade wars with our partners hurt working people most. Tariffs drive up the cost of goods and services," former GOP Senate leader McConnell said in a statement afterward.
SENATE DEMS FORESHADOW MORE FORCED VOTES TO BLOCK TRUMP'S EMERGENCY ORDERS
Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso slammed the resolution's passage, saying in a statement, "Senator Kaine’s goal was not to make law. It was simply an effort to undermine President Trump’s successful work to secure the Northern Border."
"Speaker Johnson already declared Senator Kaine’s resolution dead on arrival in the House of Representatives. It will never make it to President Trump’s desk," he explained. "This meaningless messaging resolution will not stop Senate Republicans from making America’s communities safer."
The privileged resolution was introduced by Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., and would end the emergency Trump declared at the northern border on Feb. 1.
In a statement of administrative policy ahead of the vote, Trump's White House said his advisors would urge the president to veto the resolution if it passed the Senate.
"President Trump promised to secure our borders and stop the scourge of fentanyl that’s poisoning our communities, and he’s delivering. Democrat Senator Tim Kaine is trying to undermine the President’s Emergency Declaration at our Northern Borders—a measure that prioritizes our national security—for reasons that defy logic," a White House official told Fox News Digital in an exclusive statement on Tuesday.
"Under Joe Biden’s failed leadership, criminal networks, fentanyl, and terrorists ran rampant along the northern border. Today’s stunt by Tim Kaine proves once again how woefully out of touch the Democrat Party is with the American people as they use a matter of national security for political gamesmanship. The stakes are too high to reverse course; the declaration must stay in place," they continued.
SCOOP: LINDSEY GRAHAM AMENDMENT SIGNALS GOP BUDGET BREAKTHROUGH, SETS STAGE FOR TRUMP AGENDA
Kaine pushed back, telling Fox News Digital in a statement, "The Trump Administration’s own threat assessment report on fentanyl did not mention Canada—not even once. Trump’s order is a blatant abuse of his authority, and it is critical that Congress push back before he inflicts even more damage to our economy and to the relationship with one of our top trading partners and closest allies."
The resolution was required to be brought to the floor for a vote, due to its privileged nature, and it only required a simple majority vote of 51 senators to pass.
TRUMP, SENATE GOP BUDGET LEADERS HUDDLE AT WHITE HOUSE ON RECONCILIATION BILL
Trump took to Truth Social on Wednesday to call out multiple Republicans he warned against voting in favor of the resolution.
"Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Rand Paul, also of Kentucky, will hopefully get on the Republican bandwagon, for a change, and fight the Democrats wild and flagrant push to not penalize Canada for the sale, into our Country, of large amounts of Fentanyl, by Tariffing the value of this horrible and deadly drug in order to make it more costly to distribute and buy," he said in a post.
Collins revealed in floor remarks earlier in the day that she would vote in favor of the resolution.
"Mr. President, the price hikes that will happen for Maine families, every time they go to the grocery store, they fill their gas tank, they filled their heating oil tank, if these tariffs go into effect, will be so harmful. And as price hikes always do, they will hurt those the most who can afford them the least. Therefore, I will support this resolution, and I urge my colleagues to do so likewise," she said.
DISTRICT JUDGES' ORDERS BLOCKING TRUMP AGENDA FACE HEARING IN TOP SENATE COMMITTEE
Paul has been a vocal critic of tariffs during his entire tenure, including during the Trump administration. He is a co-sponsor of the Kaine resolution.
He told reporters before the vote, "I think tariffs on trade between US and Canada will threaten our country with a recession. I think they're a terrible idea economically and will lead to higher prices. Tariffs are simply taxes. Republicans used to be and conservatives, in particular, used to be against new taxes."
EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: AOC refuses to say whether Democrats' rhetoric is responsible for Tesla attacks
Questioned by Fox News Digital, "Squad" member and leading Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York refused to answer whether she believes Democrats’ inflammatory rhetoric against Elon Musk has any connection to the violent attacks and vandalism against Tesla owners and dealers across the country.
Ocasio-Cortez also refused to answer whether she still owns a Tesla, citing "security reasons."
Democrats have been critical of Musk for his role leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), with some labeling him a "Nazi" and a "threat to democracy."
The congresswoman has also been critical of the DOGE chief, saying in a March 1 X post, "this guy is a leech on the public."
"No matter how many billions he gets in tax cuts and government contracts, it will never be enough for him. Now he’s going after the elderly, the disabled, and orphaned children so he can pocket it in tax cuts for himself. It’s disgusting," she wrote.
During her "fight oligarchy" rally tour with Sen. Bernie Sanders, D-Vt., Cortez claimed "an extreme concentration of power and corruption is taking over this country like never before."
Fox News Digital asked Cortez whether she sees a connection between language against Musk and the violent incidents across the nation.
Cortez began to answer, saying, "Yeah, I mean, again, I’ve seen Republicans call me communist and that I hate this country," before trailing off.
NUMBER OF TESLA ATTACKS SOARS PAST 50 AS VIOLENCE TARGETING MUSK'S COMPANY ESCALATES
Pressed whether she still owns the Tesla Model 3 she bought in 2020, Cortez declined to answer, saying, "Um, for security reasons, I’m not commenting."
After weeks of Democrats condemning Musk for his role at DOGE, there have been at least 80 acts of vandalism against Tesla vehicles in the U.S. and Canada and at least 10 incidents of vandalism and arson against Tesla dealerships, charging stations and properties.
EXCLUSIVE: GOP FIREBRAND DARES DEMS TO CONDEMN ATTACKS ON ELON MUSK'S TESLA
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has said the Justice Department is treating the incidents as "domestic terrorism."
On March 20, the Justice Department charged three people with domestic terrorism after they allegedly used Molotov cocktails to attack Tesla properties around the country.
"The days of committing crimes without consequence have ended," Bondi said. "Let this be a warning: If you join this wave of domestic terrorism against Tesla properties, the Department of Justice will put you behind bars."
All three face charges carrying a minimum penalty of five years and up to 20 years in prison, the department said.
Despite this, few Democrats have spoken out against the vandals, and key leaders like House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-New York, and Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., declined to comment on the issue.
Though she would not comment on the acts of terror against Tesla owners and workers, Ocasio-Cortez, considered one of the country’s leading Democratic voices, has previously accused her Republican opponents of engaging in "stochastic terrorism," using inflammatory language to incite violent action, by criticizing her, which she said prompted her to hire security.
Speaking on CNN in 2023, she said, "It’s uncomfortable serving with people who engage in what many experts deem stochastic terrorism, which is the incitement of violence using digital means and large platforms so that individuals themselves may not be the one that’s wielding a weapon.
"I’ve consistently had to ride in 20,000-pound armored vehicles, engaging in some of the most gruesome threats that you can imagine that were incited by Republican members," she said. "This is not just about a tweet. It's about what life looks like and the marshaling of hundreds, thousands, if not millions of people into doing something."
During the same interview, she also accused President Donald Trump of being aware his rhetoric stokes violence, saying, "He uses and used his rallies very strategically in order to engage in political intimidation that he deems his political enemies."
Fox News Digital's Peter D'Abrosca and Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report.
DeSantis blasts newly elected Florida GOP congressman, continuing history of attacks: 'He's a squish'
Ron DeSantis intensified his attacks on Randy Fine Wednesday, blaming the representative-elect's "unique problems" for a thin special election victory in a district known as a Republican stronghold.
The Trump-endorsed candidate won Tuesday night's special election to take over former Congressman Mike Waltz's seat by 14 points, the slimmest margin of victory for a Republican in the district since 2018.
DeSantis, who had already been criticizing Fine's ability to pull out a victory, called the representative-elect a "squish" who Republican voters didn't even want to cast their ballots for Tuesday night.
"The president really had to bail him out at the end because this race would have been much closer had the president sat on the sidelines," DeSantis said. "I think these were voters who didn't like Randy Fine but who basically were like, ‘You know what? We’re going to take one for the team.'"
EXCLUSIVE: JUBILANT MIKE JOHNSON CLAIMS VICTORY AS FLORIDA HELPS HOUSE GOP GROW MAJORITY
The governor also challenged media reports characterizing the close race as a reflection of President Donald Trump's agenda.
"I don't think that's true at all for this district," DeSantis said at the press conference. "I think you have a candidate in Randy Fine, who, one, he's a squish."
DeSantis added that Fine "repels" people, including his former colleagues in the state legislature. During the press conference Wednesday, the governor recounted how lawmakers in the state requested he nominate Fine to be the president of Florida Atlantic University so he would not have to serve in the legislature anymore.
TIME TEBOW, WIFE PAY VISIT TO TRUMP, FELLOW FLORIDA ALUM MARCO RUBIO IN OVAL OFFICE
"I did, and the whole board [at Florida Atlantic] would have resigned rather than make him president," DeSantis said.
DeSantis and Fine have had a contentious relationship for some time, which can be traced back to at least 2023, when Fine was the first Florida Republican to switch his endorsement from DeSantis to Trump during the 2024 Republican presidential nomination battle. Fine articulated his decision to endorse Trump over DeSantis during the 2024 presidential primary in a subsequent op-ed that slammed the Florida governor for failing to tamp down antisemitism after Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on innocent Israelis.
According to DeSantis, Fine has supported restrictions on the Second Amendment, tried to defeat his immigration proposal earlier this year aimed at boosting the enforcement of immigration laws and tried to enact a de facto sanctuary city policy.
3 TAKEAWAYS FROM FLORIDA'S SPECIAL ELECTION
In response to DeSantis' criticisms, Fine responded on X alongside video of the governor's remarks at the press conference Wednesday.
"A dying star burns hottest before it fades into oblivion. I’m focused on working with President Donald Trump to stop Democrats from taking this country backwards, not working with them," Fine wrote. "Let’s go."
Allies of Fine have been unhappy about DeSantis' public criticisms of the representative-elect, who will now add another crucial vote to the GOP's narrow House majority that had dwindled as a result of several members going to work in the Trump administration.
"Ron and Casey DeSantis are disloyal and consistently put their agenda ahead of the president’s," a national Republican operative in Trump's orbit told Fox News Digital. "With the congressional majority on the line in their own backyard, Ron and Casey didn’t lift a finger to help President Trump’s endorsed candidates. Worse, Ron undermined President Trump, openly attacked his candidates leading up to the special election, which could have suppressed Republican turnout, and then crowed about it on Fox News.
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"DeSantis’ personal politics once again betrayed the Trump agenda and the MAGA movement."
Gov. DeSantis' office declined to provide comment for this article.
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He has been a member of a church affiliated with the racist Black Liberation Theology movement for twenty years.
The Obamas, until recently, had been active members in the Trinity United Church of Christ of Chicago for about 20 years. The "About Us" section of Trinity United website underscores the racial tone and tenor of the church and its purpose: "We are a congregation which is Unashamedly Black and Unapologetically Christian . . .Our roots in the Black religious experience and tradition are deep, lasting and permanent. We are an African people, and remain true to our native land . . .We constantly affirm our trust in God through cultural expression of a Black worship service and ministries which address the Black Community." For new attendees, the church offers a "Black and Christian New Member Class," clearly implying that one cannot be a member of this church if one is not black.
The Trinity United Church of Chicago is a proud member-church of the Black Liberation Theology movement. Much like the Holy Roman Empire was neither Holy nor Roman nor an Empire, Black Liberation Theology is neither a theology, nor about Liberation, nor strictly about black people. Black Liberation Theology is a subset of the global Liberation theology movement which was founded in Nicaragua and spawned vicious socialist dictators and rebels such as Che' Guevara. Black Liberation Theology is predicated on the notion of saving dark-skinned people through the gradual extermination of light-skinned people and their beliefs. The father of the Black Liberation Theology movement is James H. Cone and the bible of the Black Liberation Theology Movement is Cone's Black Theology and Black Power. The following is a quote from same book: "Black Theology refuses to accept a God who is not identified totally with the Black community. If God is not for us, and against white people, then he is a murderer and we had better kill him. The task of black theology is to kill gods who do not belong to the black community. . . . Black Theology will accept only the love of God which participates in the destruction of the white enemy."
This is the theological backdrop for Barrack Obama' s political activism. This is the church where the bombastic and racist Rev. Jeremiah Wright had served as pastor for the span of that time. Obama has described Wright as his "moral compass," "sounding board," "confidant," and "mentor." Wright married the Obamas and baptized their children. Only after 20 years, strong political pressure, and Wright disavowing Obama, did Obama finally disavow Wright. But Obama never thought to disavow Wright after any of the numerous racist and anti-Israel remarks made by Wright both at and away from the pulpit over the course of 20 years! Obama was also reluctant to reject Louis Farrakhan's endorsement until there was enough media scrutiny on the part of Tim Russert to make that endorsement another liability. Obama has a proven track record in doing what is politically wise, not morally wise.
Indeed, The Obamas not only had a personal relationship with Wright, but also a professional and financial one; The Obamas donated over $20,000 toward subsidizing Wright's activities, and until a few months ago, Wright sat on Obama's "African American Religious Leadership Committee." Obama misused the Trinity Church's tax-exempt status by giving a campaign speech which included campaign promises in a lecture he gave to the congregation in June of 2007. Obama borrowed the title of his book – "The Audacity of Hope" – from one of Reverend Wright's sermons.
The following words contained in Wright's sermons are well known, but what's not known is how they represent just the tip of the racist iceberg that is the Trinity United Church of Chicago:
"Barack knows what it means living in a country and a culture that is controlled by rich, white people; Hillary would never know that, Hillary ain't never been called a nigger".
"God damn America!"
Wright's explanation of the horrors of 9-11 is "America's chickens coming home to roost." Wright typically refers to America as the "U.S. of KKK A."
"We have supported state terrorism against the Palestinians and black South Africans," he said, "and now we are indignant because the stuff we have done overseas is now brought right back to our own front yards."
When many of these comments finally surfaced in the media, Obama originally responded by saying, "I can no more disown him than I can disown the black community," implying that the entire black community is racist and ignorant, and we should all come to expect and accept that fact!
Rev. Wright is an anti-Israel activist who has given sermons at Trinity United calling for the US to cease and desist from all aid to Israel. Wright publicly accused Israel of working with South Africa to build an "ethnic bomb" to kill Negroes and Arabs. Rev. Wright also allowed his church bulletin to publish an editorial by a Hamas terrorist named Marzook entitled, "A Fresh View of the Palestinian Struggle." Wright is also good friends with fierce and notorious anti-Semite, Louis Farrrakhan, leader of the Nation of Islam movement. This same Farrakhan, who called Jews "bloodsuckers," was the recipient of an award from the Trinity United Church. The church's magazine also honored Louis Farrakhan in its front cover. Barrack Obama has yet to publicly condemn the granting of this award. In fact, all the evidence suggests that Obama, himself, has had a close relationship with Farrakhan. Obama even chose to march with Farrakhan in the Million Man March of 1995 despite the Anti-Defamation League pleading with African American leaders not to attend.
And it wasn't just Wright who gave anti-Israel and anti-Semitic sermons at Trinity. Father Pfleger and Reverend James Meeks, both supporters of Louis Farrakhan, have been regular guest speakers at Trinity over the years. When Jewish members of an Illinois state board, mandated with monitoring hate speech, resigned after a fellow board member affiliated with the Nation of Islam refused to denounce Farrakhan's anti-Semitism, Pfleger retorted with the words, "good riddance." Reverend Meeks has been known to scapegoat "Hollywood Jews" for corrupting the moral climate in America.
Barrack Obama may not be racist, much like Wright and Meeks and others who frequented Trinity United; Obama may have just been using the church for his political advantage. As Stanley Kurtz writes in a June 2 National Review Online article, "So Obama's political interest in Trinity went far beyond merely gaining a respectable public Christian identity. On his own account, Obama hoped to use the untapped power of the black church to supercharge hard-left politics in Chicago. He created a personal and institutional political base that would be free to part with conventional Democratic politics." The question voters must pose is, "does it matter?" If a candidate were a member of the KKK for 20 years just for his political advantage, would voters forgive him? So why should they forgive a member of the black version of the KKK?