Eric Schmitt

It’s an important hire. It will be Jonsson’s job to coordinate with city departments to make them work, and troubleshoot problems when they don't.

Trump's plan to accept a $400M jet from Qatar sparks debate over constitutional legality and espionage risks, with mixed reactions from both political parties.

Congressional Cowards is a weekly series highlighting the worst Donald Trump defenders on Capitol Hill, who refuse to criticize him—no matter how disgraceful or lawless his actions.After Donald Trump said in a Truth Social post on Sunday that he wants to reopen the infamous Alcatraz prison to house some of the country's most violent offenders, experts chimed in to call it an idiotic plan that would cost hundreds of millions of dollars and have no actual benefit to the public.But GOP lawmakers had zero objections to the nutty notion.Indeed, a number of Republicans were gleeful at the thought of reopening the federal penitentiary located on an island in the San Francisco Bay and even shared sick fantasies about who they would send there first."President Trump is very smart to put this out there and have a place where the worst of the worst go in this country," Sen. Eric Schmitt of Missouri said in a Fox News appearance.Schmitt added that Alcatraz “means something” to people, and that Democrats who criticize reopening the prison—which closed because it was stupidly expensive to operate and would also lose the federal government $60 million in tourism revenue per year since it is currently operated as a national park—have so-called Trump Derangement Syndrome.xxYouTube VideoSen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma, one of the president’s biggest cheerleaders since Trump took office again in January, said reopening Alcatraz—which would take untold millions to make operational again—is a great idea from his Dear Leader."Let's have Riker and let’s have Alcatraz both open," Mullin said on Fox News, butchering the name of the state prison off the coast of Manhattan that is being closed in phases. "So we got East Coast and West Coast both covered, and put our most notorious criminals in them so people understand we're a nation of laws again, unlike under Biden."xxYouTube Video Of course Rikers Island is a state prison, so Trump and the federal government would not be sending any inmates there.Mullin added that Congress would be happy to look into giving Trump the money needed to reopen the prison, throwing the idea of cost savings and efficiency to the wind.“The president said it. If they want to do it, we’ll look into it,” Mullin told Semafor.Meanwhile, Rep. Lance Gooden of Texas tweeted an image of Alcatraz with the caption "ALCATRUMP!" If only our convicted felon president was housed there instead of the White House ...Related | Convicted felon Trump is obsessed with putting other people in prisonAnd Rep. Mary Miller of Illinois, best known for saying that Adolf Hitler was "right" about some things, gave Trump ideas of who she'd send to Alcatraz if it ever became operational."The first person to be sent to Alcatraz should be Anthony Fauci," Miller wrote in a post on X about the doctor and former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases who spent his career trying to save others.Honestly, Republicans cheering on every stupid idea that Trump blasts out in social media posts is the true definition of Trump Derangement Syndrome.Campaign Action

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill spoke with Fox News Digital about how their home states implemented the final phase of REAL ID, as President Donald Trump's administration signaled there would be no deadline extensions.

The Senate looks likely to sink the nomination of Ed Martin, President Trump’s pick for U.S. attorney for D.C., leaving his future in doubt amid a pressure campaign on the GOP from the president. Martin, who is already serving as interim U.S. attorney, can only do so for 120 days, leaving a May 20 deadline [...]

Kansas City firefighter-paramedic Graham Hoffman, 29, died April 27 in the line of duty after he was attacked while treating a patient.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker reignited speculation about his 2028 presidential ambitions this weekend, but his call for "mass protests" dominated headlines as Republicans accused him of "inciting violence."

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, a Democrat, lambasted President Donald Trump and his administration, calling for mass protests and declaring that Republican "cannot know a moment of peace."

A bipartisan group of U.S. representatives and senators will attend the funeral at St. Peter's Square in Vatican City on Saturday.

President Donald Trump's administration is launching an investigation into UC Berkeley's foreign funding, a week after it launched one into Harvard's records.

Former Missouri Congressman Billy Long received $137,000 in campaign contributions — just enough to pay off a personal loan to his campaign — after he was tapped to lead IRS.

Two GOP lawmakers in the House and Senate are leading the way on a new legislative proposal that could soon make Easter Monday a federal holiday.

'I can't think of a better person to negotiate with China'

In Missouri, Ed Martin’s professional career has been peppered with controversy; Republicans and Democrats alike say he is known for generating turmoil.

One change would require Congress to approve public health emergency declarations beyond 90 days. Bill also would change mission of NIH, CDC

EXCLUSIVE: Republican senators are standing behind Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth amid calls for his resignation over the Signal chat leak, telling Fox News Digital that calls for him to be fired are “hot garbage."

'Communism is a cancer, and it always produces the same results: oppression, suffering and death,” said Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.)

Missouri’s U.S. senators lambast lawyers’ group, saying it has become purely partisan political vessel and should not be used in considering judicial nominees.

He’s sued China, Starbucks, and the Biden administration, among others. Critics call it grandstanding.

State attorneys general have a higher profile than in years past, thanks to lawsuits against the federal government and others, and few have been as active as Republican Andrew Bailey of Missouri. He's said he'll seize Chinese-owned assets to force...

While Trump embraces some elements of realism — giving in to the strong and sacrificing the weak — his tariff wars and threats against peaceful neighbors could end up being as costly as the military adventurism of the previous liberal order.

FIRST ON FOX: Rep. Ashley Hinson and Sen. Pete Ricketts are rolling out a bicameral bill with bipartisan support that would secure agriculture supply chains in the United States from vulnerabilities and potential Chinese Communist Party exploitation, Fox News Digital has learned.

Republicans in Congress have long been intent on countering America’s rivals and spreading U.S. influence abroad. But when President Donald Trump spelled out a sharp turn from that approach in his recent address to Congress, lawmakers in his party couldn’t...

A federal judge ruled in Missouri's favor in its lawsuit against Beijing, accusing China of hoarding personal protective equipment during the coronavirus pandemic.

Senior U.S. District Judge Stephen Limbaugh said in a 32-page order Friday that defendants hoarded PPE and misled the world about the dangers and scope of the COVID-19 pandemic to facilitate and extend the hoarding campaign.

Conservatives in Congress are urging GOP leadership in both chambers not to agree to limiting DOGE in a spending bill, as Democrats are asking for.

Fox News Digital spoke with members of Congress about who they are bringing to President Donald Trump's joint address on Tuesday night.

President Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency is accomplishing in weeks what conservatives have been talking about for decades.

A developer has denied that work to shore up the building from break-ins violated federal rules after a St. Louis agency rescinded a $2 million HUD grant.

City records show several awards listed as viable four months ago are now considered questionable.

A Post-Dispatch review finds problems with dozens of grants slated to go to St. Louis businesses, with millions of dollars at stake.

Wheaton College deleted a message congratulating and expressing prayers for alumnus Russell Vought after he was confirmed to serve as Office of Management and Budget director.

As trade war fears circulate, lawmakers are manning their posts: Democrats are warning prices will skyrocket — while Republicans say the potential discomfort will be worth it in the end.The big picture: Economists fear the across-the-board tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China — and the immediate retaliation that followed — could further stress already strained U.S. households and walk back recent economic gains.Trump's 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico and additional 10% tariffs on China could effectively tax the average U.S. household an extra $830 this year, an analysis from the nonpartisan nonprofit Tax Foundation found.The president conceded in a Sunday Truth Social post that there may be "SOME PAIN" as a result of his tariffs on the U.S.' top three trading partners, but he contended "IT WILL ALL BE WORTH THE PRICE THAT MUST BE PAID."Zoom out: Some of his close allies on Sunday echoed that sentiment.Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said on NBC News' "Meet the Press" that if "prices go up, it's because of other people's reactions to America's laws." Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) characterized Trump's tariffs as a border tool, telling NBC's Kristen Welker they "are meant to bring Canada and Mexico the table for the fentanyl that is streaming into our communities." Almost all of the 21,900 pounds of fentanyl seized last year was at the southwestern border, but 43 pounds was recovered at the northern border, according to Customs and Border Patrol statistics.Vice President JD Vance said before Trump signed off on his anticipated tariffs that "we'll see what happens" regarding retaliation. He argued in an interview aired Sunday on Fox's "Sunday Morning Futures" that the real retaliation was "Donald Trump saying, 'no more.'"Yes, but: Trump's campaign-trail vision for tariffs as a cure-all does not align with the consumer consequences and supply chain disruptions economists and business interest groups foresee.Tariffs can raise revenue for the governments imposing them — but the impact of tariffs can be passed on to consumers through a wide array of everyday products. Most of the country's avocados and beer, for example, come from Mexico. Auto parts, oil and gas are also key resources the U.S. imports from Canada. Former Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-Wash.) said on CNN's "State of the Union" said she's concerned that the president doesn't know his "end game" on his tariffs, adding, "If you're going to pick a fight in a bar, maybe you should scope the exits."Between the lines: For months, senators stressed they saw Trump's tariff threats as a negotiating tactic, Axios' Stef W. Kight, Justin Green and Hans Nichols report.Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) told "Fox News Sunday" that "these tariffs are designed to get these countries to change their behavior" and that if those changes are made, "I think the tariffs probably go away."Lawmakers who spoke to Axios ahead of Trump's tariff kickoff often pointed to concerns about the taxes on imported goods triggering a rise in inflation, which was a sore spot for Democrats in November.But the tariffs happened — and now Democrats are on offense. Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) characterized the move as the "Donald Trump Super Bowl tax," on CBS News' "Face the Nation," noting key imports from Mexico — like beer, avocados and tomatoes — could carry a larger price tag. His fellow Virginian, Sen. Tim Kaine (D), said Trump's first-term tariffs were "a tax on Virginia consumers," predicting Americans will see "higher prices for energy, higher prices for groceries."Kaine said he was struck by what he saw as the "irony" of Trump's executive order declaring an "energy emergency" followed by 10% tariffs on Canadian energy."The emergency is self-created," Kaine said.Go deeper: Trump builds a tariff wall

'Will there be some pain? Yes, maybe ... it will all be worth the price that must be paid,' Trump said.

Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) on Sunday mirrored ex-Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, Trump's nominee for director of national intelligence, when he dodged classifying Edward Snowden as a traitor.Why it matters: Gabbard's refusal to call Snowden a traitor during her Senate confirmation hearing Thursday reportedly prompted some GOP discomfort.What they're saying: Schmitt danced around the same question during a Sunday interview on "Meet the Press.""I think people are tired of these games, of sort of this 'gotcha' stuff. Look, he's [Snowden] been indicted," Schmitt said when pressed by NBC News' Kristen Welker. "If he ever comes back to the United States he's going to have a trial. But this idea of you trying to disqualify people by using these terms is ridiculous."When asked again about Snowden, Schmitt said: "I think it's totally ridiculous to try to smear people who are trying to serve this country because, again, it's sort of 'gotcha.'"Catch up quick: Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) said that when he posed the question to Gabbard, for whom he has expressed his support, he expected it to be "an easy softball question."But when Lankford asked Gabbard if Snowden was a traitor for leaking highly classified information, the ex-Democrat did not give a yes-or-no answer.She instead said she would be "committed if confirmed as director of national intelligence to join you in making sure that there is no future Snowden-type leak."Between the lines: Schmitt said he is still "100%" a yes on Gabbard and predicted she will "do just fine" when senators gather to cast their votes. The Senate Intelligence Committee vote on Gabbard has not been scheduled.Elon Musk and the MAGA masses have also mobilized behind Gabbard, turning the heat on those who could tank her confirmation chances, including Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.). Media reports have indicated that Young is reluctant to vote for Gabbard, prompting Musk to accuse the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), an NGO where Young is a board member, of being "RIFE with CORRUPTION." An X account, which Musk retweeted, claimed Young's involvement with NED creates a conflict of interest when it comes to opposing Gabbard.Go deeper: Snowden support threatens Tulsi Gabbard's Senate confirmation

Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) joins Meet the Press to discuss his support for Tulsi Gabbard, after President Trump’s nominee to be the nation’s top spy would not call whistleblower Edward Snowden a “traitor” during her confirmation hearing.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem joins Meet the Press in an exclusive interview from the southern border. Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) weighs in on President Trump’s Cabinet nominations. Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) talks about bipartisan immigration legislation. Former Rep. Stephanie Murphy (D-Fla.), Ryan Nobles, Kelly O’Donnell and Marc Short join the Meet the Press roundtable.

Kash Patel, President Trump’s nominee to lead the FBI, was at the center of a contentious confirmation hearing Thursday, facing intense grilling from Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee about his past comments and allegiance to Trump. To Republicans, Patel is a chance to reform an agency whose public image has taken a hit and [...]

Donald Trump's pick for Defense Secretary, faced stiff criticism from Democrats and some Republicans—requiring a tie-breaking vote from JD Vance.

Donald Trump's pick for Defense Secretary, faced stiff criticism from Democrats and some Republicans—requiring a tie-breaking vote from JD Vance.

Donald Trump's pick for Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth, is facing stiff criticism from Democrats—but most Republicans back him.

"It's 'Real Housewives' meets 'The Bachelor' meets 'The Apprentice,'" one source said of the scene at Mar-a-Lago. "Viper pit."

Data: Harris/Axios Vibes Poll. Chart: Axios VisualsA majority of Americans across nearly all demographic groups said DEI initiatives have made no impact on their personal careers, according to a newly released Harris Poll/Axios Vibes survey.Why it matters: Republican lawmakers and activists have vilified DEI, a term for diversity, equity and inclusion policies used by employers. Companies have responded by rolling back programs.Yet Americans — and businesses — have a generally positive to at least indifferent view on the subject.On balance, most demographic groups were more likely to say DEI benefited their career than hindered it.Zoom out: The current enmity for DEI was on display this week in the congressional hearings for President-elect Trump's Cabinet nominees.At Pete Hegseth's hearing, the Defense secretary nominee railed against DEI, as did some lawmakers.DEI is "race essentialism," Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) said. "I think the American people have spoken loudly and clearly about this."Trump's opposition to anything DEI-related is well known.By the numbers: While 41% of those surveyed said they support efforts to roll back diversity initiatives, the majority — nearly six in 10 — either oppose those efforts or are unsure about them.57% said DEI initiatives have had no impact on their career, while 16% explicitly said they have been hindered.39% of Democrats said they have benefited from DEI, compared to 26% of Republicans.At least half of all demographic groups — including people of different races, ethnicities and sexual orientations — said DEI had no impact on their personal careers.51% of respondents said DEI is primarily a symbolic gesture, while the rest said it is essential for equality."With all the backlash to DEI, you'd expect a public mandate to do so. But Americans are telling us they see the benefits of diversity, even if their support is more mild than passionate," John Gerzema, CEO of the Harris Poll, told Axios.The big picture: There is broad support for the idea of diversity inside companies.61% of those surveyed said diverse employees have a positive impact on organizations, and 75% agreed that more needs to be done to guarantee everyone is advancing.Between the lines: Even as they feverishly cut programs, business leaders appear to have good feelings about DEI, according to a separate survey out this week.Nearly three-quarters of 3,200 global CEOs and business leaders said initiatives tied to social issues — such as diversity and inclusion — have had a positive impact on their company's economic performance, per the AlixPartners Disruption Index.94% of executives whose companies lead their industries in growth and profitability view diversity and inclusion as a competitive advantage.The bottom line: There is a big disconnect between political rhetoric and reality.

Pete Hegseth dismissed the allegations as a “smear campaign" while being questioned by the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Pete Hegseth vows to bring “warrior culture’” to the military if confirmed as President-elect Donald Trump’s defense secretary pick. Questioned by senators during Tuesday's confirmation hearing, Hegseth deflected allegations of sexual assault and excessive drinking. Instead he focused on his...

Pete Hegseth: Here’s What To Know About Trump’s Department Of Defense Pick—Amid Senate Grilling

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President-elect Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he has not changed his mind on the H-1B visa program, as it continues to spark debate within the Republican/MAGA coalition.