While delivering an update to the nation on “Operation Epic Fury” on Wednesday night, President Donald Trump said the families of the 13 slain U.S. service members have urged him to “please finish the job” to defeat Iran.

Trump emphasized that “every single one of the people, their loved ones, said, ‘Please, sir, please finish the job.’ Every one of them.”

He commended the fallen service members who served in the Army and Air Force.

“We salute them,” he said. “And now we must honor them by completing the mission for which they gave their lives.”

TRUMP TOUTS MILITARY MIGHT AGAINST IRAN AS ALLIES PUSH FOR DIPLOMACY

Thirteen U.S. service members, ages 20 to 54, have been killed in the Middle East since the Trump administration launched its Iran operation. 

Six U.S. Army soldiers were killed in a March 1 Iranian drone strike at a command center in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait. Six others, U.S. Air Force airmen, died in a refueling plane crash on March 12 in Iraq. Another, Army Sgt. Benjamin Pennington, died in an Iranian attack on Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia.

During his Wednesday night address, Trump announced that the “core strategic objectives” of the operation “are nearing completion.”

“As we celebrate this progress,” Trump said, “we think especially of the 13 American warriors who have laid down their lives in this fight to prevent our children from ever having to face a nuclear Iran.”

TRUMP DECLARES IRAN CONFLICT ‘NEARING COMPLETION’ AS POLL INDICATES AMERICANS’ DISAPPROVAL

Trump has traveled to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware twice since the start of the conflict to honor the fallen service members as their remains were returned to the U.S. in a dignified transfer for burial.

“I wanted to be with those heroes as they returned to American soil,” Trump said. “And I was with them and their families, their parents, their wives, their husbands.”

Trump touted America’s military might. He said the U.S. is “on track” to complete all of its objectives “very shortly.” However, he announced, “We are going to hit them extremely hard over the next 2 to 3 weeks,” adding, “We’re going to bring them back to the Stone Ages where they belong.”

TRUMP CALLS ON WORLD TO BUILD ‘DELAYED COURAGE,’ SEIZE KEY OIL ROUTE FROM IRAN

Despite their losses, Trump emphasized that “every one” of the fallen service members’ families asked him to keep going.

“Every one of them,” he repeated. “And we are going to finish the job, and we’re going to finish it very fast. We’re getting very close.”

The Democratic-controlled Colorado House passed a bill Thursday allowing people harmed by conversion therapy to sue therapists, just days after the Supreme Court blocked enforcement of the state’s ban on the method.

HB26-1322 would establish a pathway for Coloradans to bring civil claims against licensed mental health professionals accused of causing harm through efforts to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity.

The bill also allows people to seek legal action against the entities that hired and supervised a professional who conducted conversion therapy. The bill now heads to the state Senate, which is also controlled by Democrats, for consideration.

The measure could open the door to lawsuits years after therapy takes place and expose providers to significant financial liability.

KAGAN TURNS ON LIBERAL ALLY JACKSON WITH FOOTNOTE JAB OVER FREE SPEECH

The legislation was advanced just days after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Colorado cannot enforce its conversion therapy ban regarding conversations between therapists and LGBTQ+ minors, arguing the law likely violates the First Amendment by allowing some viewpoints but not others.

In an 8-1 decision Tuesday, the court said the law favors one viewpoint by allowing therapists to affirm a minor’s gender identity or sexual orientation, but not help them change it if they want to.

Matt Soper, a Republican in the Colorado House, told Fox News Digital that the new bill pushed by Democrats is a “slap in the face” to the Supreme Court.

SUPREME COURT RULING ON SECRETIVE CALIFORNIA GENDER POLICY COULD RESHAPE PARENT RIGHTS FIGHTS NATIONWIDE

“We have a bill that’s designed to be a de facto ban on conversion therapy moving forward,” Soper said.

“That just hits at the heartstrings of the average American, that the Supreme Court can’t even have a ruling be hot off the press before you have a legislature already pushing to undo what the Supreme Court just ruled,” he continued.

“At the bottom line, there’s not even a sense of what the law is or can be from the Supreme Court when you have states that are already working really hard to undermine an 8-1 ruling.

“Americans don’t like it when you have a legislature immediately trying to overturn or undermine the highest court in the land before the printing has even cooled down.”

NJ SCHOOL DISTRICT’S SECRETIVE TRANSGENDER POLICY FACES LEGAL THREAT FOR BUCKING SUPREME COURT RULING

The sponsors of the bill in the Colorado House, Reps. Alex Valdez and Karen McCormick, released a statement following the high court’s ruling, reiterating that conversion therapy is “ineffective and harmful.”

“In Colorado, you belong just the way you are. Now more than ever, we must protect LGBTQ+ Coloradans from the harmful practice that is conversion therapy. We vow to keep moving forward to safeguard the rights of the LGBTQ+ community in Colorado,” the lawmakers said.

DAVID MARCUS: SCOTUS GETS CASE ON TRANSING KIDS RIGHT, DESPITE THREE CLUELESS JUSTICES

The Supreme Court’s decision stemmed from a lawsuit brought by Kaley Chiles, a licensed Christian therapist, who argued her conversations with youth clients were a form of protected speech.

The Colorado government argued the conversations amounted to professional conduct that the state was allowed to regulate.

The case centered on a law Colorado passed in 2019 banning what the state government described as conversion therapy.

JONATHAN TURLEY: JUSTICE JACKSON’S ‘CHILES’ DISSENT REVEALS NARROW VIEW OF THE FIRST AMENDMENT

While the 2019 law required that claims against providers be filed within two years, HB26-1322 would remove time limits for legal action, and if the victim has died, their representatives could pursue damages within five years of the individual’s death.

Soper criticized the bill for lacking a cap on recoverable damages or a statute of limitations on claims.

“A mental health therapist could actually be liable for their entire life,” he said.

Fox News Digital’s Michael Dorgan and Ashley Oliver contributed to this report.

There was no formal meeting and no big announcement, just a brief phone call.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Donald Trump informed her she had the job in a simple post-election call, telling her: “Oh, by the way, you know, you’re going to be the White House press secretary, right?”

Speaking at a Turning Point USA event at George Washington University on Thursday evening, Leavitt described the moment as “the most anti-climatic thing ever” and said the job offer came without any formal process.

“About a week after the election, we were on the phone about something, the president and me, just chit chatting,” Leavitt said.

KAROLINE LEAVITT STOPS BY ‘RUTHLESS’ TO TOUT TRUMP’S ‘INCREDIBLE’ FIRST SIX MONTHS OF SECOND TERM

“And it was the most anti-climatic thing ever. He goes, ‘Oh, by the way, you know, you’re going to be the White House press secretary, right?’” Leavitt said, to which she responded, “Oh, okay.”

“And he said, ‘So about that other thing, what do you think about that? What should we do? What should we say?’”

WHITE HOUSE HAS SUGGESTION FOR JASMINE CROCKETT AFTER DEM CALLS TRUMP SUPPORTERS ‘SICK’

“That was it. That’s how I got the job,” she said.

Leavitt added there was “no pomp and circumstance,” describing the moment as “true Donald Trump fashion.”

Leavitt said she had worked on Trump’s 2024 campaign after losing her congressional race in New Hampshire and was serving as a spokesperson before being tapped for the role following the election.

“There really wasn’t a process,” Leavitt said. “I thought, I hope I’ll get a job. I don’t know if I will.”

Leavitt, who gave birth to her son in July 2024, is currently nine months pregnant with a girl.

President Donald Trump on Thursday proclaimed that certain imported patented pharmaceuticals and related ingredients could face tariffs of up to 100%, framing the move as a national security measure and intensifying his push to bring drug manufacturing back to the United States.

The proclamation creates a tiered system for drugmakers: companies with Commerce Department-approved plans to onshore production could face a 20% tariff instead, while some firms that strike pricing and manufacturing agreements with the administration could receive zero-tariff treatment for a period.

A senior administration official said the policy amounts to a “100% tax” on drugs produced abroad.

Trump’s proclamation states that imported pharmaceuticals and key ingredients “are being imported into the United States in such quantities and under such circumstances as to threaten to impair the national security of the United States.”

TRUMP’S NEW TARIFF PLAN BARRELS BACK TO COURT FOLLOWING MULTISTATE LAWSUIT

The move sets up a major clash over the cost and supply of brand-name medicines, as Trump argues the U.S. is overly dependent on foreign pharmaceutical manufacturing while offering lower tariffs to companies that build in America.

According to the proclamation, about 53% of patented pharmaceutical products distributed in the U.S. are produced abroad, while only 15% of patented active pharmaceutical ingredients by volume are made domestically.

VOTERS REACT AS TRUMP TOUTS SIGNATURE TARIFF PLAN AT STATE OF THE UNION

Under the framework, imports of patented pharmaceuticals listed in Annex I will face a 100% tariff, unless they qualify for lower rates.

Companies with approved onshoring plans can instead receive a 20% tariff, though that rate rises to 100% in 2030, according to the proclamation.

The administration is using that structure to push companies to shift production to the United States, officials said.

TRUMP RAISES GLOBAL TARIFF TO 15%

The proclamation also sets lower tariff rates for certain allies: 15% for products from Japan, the European Union (EU), South Korea, and Switzerland, and 10% for the United Kingdom (UK), which could fall to zero under a future agreement.

It also creates a zero-tariff lane for companies that both onshore production and enter “Most-Favored-Nation” pricing agreements with the administration.

Not all drugs are affected. The proclamation says generic pharmaceuticals will not be subject to tariffs “at this time,” and U.S.-origin drugs are also excluded.

The broader push ties into the administration’s TrumpRx initiative, including the recently launched TrumpRx.gov platform, which the White House says gives Americans access to lower prices on some high-cost brand-name drugs through “Most-Favored-Nation” pricing agreements with pharmaceutical companies.

The tariffs will take effect July 31, 2026, for some companies and Sept. 29, 2026, for others, according to the proclamation.

Trump issued the order under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, which allows the president to restrict imports deemed a national security threat.

War Secretary Pete Hegseth signed a memo on Thursday ordering a major shift in base security policy, allowing service members to request permission to carry personal firearms for self-defense amid growing concerns about threats on U.S. installations.

In an announcement on social media, Hegseth said all American citizens have a God-given right under the Second Amendment to carry weapons for protection. 

However, he said that right has not been extended to uniformed service members, who are “trained at the highest and unwavering standards.”

“These war fighters, entrusted with the safety of our nation, are no less entitled to exercise their God-given right to keep and bear arms than any other American,” Hegseth said. “Our war fighters defend the right of others to carry. They should be able to carry themselves.”

HEGSETH INSTATES ‘HIGHEST MALE STANDARD ONLY’ FOR COMBAT, OTHER CHANGES, DECLARING DEPT. OF DEFENSE ‘IS OVER’

Citing recent tragedies at Fort Stewart, Holloman Air Force Base and Pensacola Naval Air Station, Hegseth said the incidents have “made clear” that “some threats are closer to home than we would like.” 

“In these instances, minutes are a lifetime, and our service members have the courage and training to make those precious short minutes count,” he said. “Before today, it was virtually impossible … for War Department personnel to get permission to carry and store their own personal weapons aligned with the state laws where we operate our installations.”

While service members can already own personal firearms, concealing and carrying a weapon was previously not permitted on federal sites — including military installations.

HEGSETH APPEALS RULING BLOCKING PUNISHMENT OF DEM SENATOR OVER ‘ILLEGAL ORDERS’ VIDEO

Those who owned personal weapons had to register their guns with base authorities and storage was often controlled by the installation.

Carrying on post was often restricted to military police, security and personnel on official duty.

“Effectively, our bases across the country were gun-free zones,” Hegseth said. “Unless you’re training, or unless you are a military policeman, you couldn’t carry. You couldn’t bring your own firearm for your own personal protection onto post. Well, that’s no longer.”

PENTAGON CITES ‘MERITOCRACY’ AS OFFICER REMOVALS DRAW DEMOCRATIC CRITICISM

The memo signed Thursday directs installation commanders to allow requests to carry a privately owned firearm, with the presumption that it is necessary for personal protection. 

If a request is denied, Hegseth said the reason for that denial will be put in writing and will explain, in detail, the basis for that direction. 

“Again, the presumption is service members will be able to have their Second Amendment right on post,” he said. “Not all enemies are foreign, nor are they all outside our borders. Some are domestic. Confirming your God-given right to self-protection is what I’m signing into action today, and I’m proud to do so.”

Hegseth did not specify if training or certification will be required, or if storage and transport of weapons will be regulated.

It is also unclear if there will be uniform rules across all military branches.

Florida and Mississippi voters will soon face new citizenship verification rules after governors signed the measures into law Wednesday, triggering at least two lawsuits in the Sunshine State.

The measures, signed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves, are aimed at upholding election integrity as similar legislation by President Donald Trump remains stalled in Congress.

Mississippi’s measure is expected to take effect on July 1, with Florida’s law following on Jan. 1, 2027. 

Under both laws, voters will be required to provide citizenship documents — such as birth certificates, passports, or naturalization certificates — if local officials challenge their eligibility after cross-referencing databases for voter registration applications. If individuals fail to provide the required proof of citizenship after being flagged, both states are required to remove them from its voter registration rolls.

THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO THE ‘TALKING FILIBUSTER’ AND THE SAVE ACT

DeSantis said the Florida SAVE Act will improve the security and transparency of the state’s election system. 

“Safeguarding the electoral process to improve oversight and prevent unlawful influence has been a top priority for my administration since my first days in office,” he said in a social media post. “This legislation strengthens the security, transparency, and reliability of Florida’s election system.”

Lawsuits challenging the bill quickly followed, with one civil rights group arguing that some voters may not have the required documents and could face difficulties obtaining them.

“Many eligible voters do not have these documents and cannot obtain them for a variety of reasons—including because they were born without a birth certificate in the segregated South, because their documents were destroyed in a hurricane, or because they cannot afford the hundreds of dollars it costs to replace them,” the lawsuit filed in federal court in South Florida by the League of Women Voters of Florida stated.

Under the law, student IDs and retirement community identifications can no longer be used as polling identifications. New driver’s licenses must also reflect citizenship status starting July 2027.

GOP TRIGGERS MARATHON SENATE FIGHT TO EXPOSE DEMS’ OPPOSITION TO TRUMP-BACKED VOTER ID BILL

Separately, the Mississippi SHIELD Act does not mandate driver’s licenses to reflect citizenship. 

However, it does require local officials registering voters to run additional citizenship checks if applicants do not provide a driver’s license number on their voter application.

Mississippi officials must also perform an annual statewide check against the federal database before a federal election to flag potential noncitizens.

“While states like California and New York flood their voter rolls with illegal aliens, Mississippi will do the opposite and defend Americans’ right to determine the outcome of elections,” Reeves said in a social media post. “We will continue to do everything in our power to make it infinitely harder – with a goal to make it impossible – to cheat in our elections!”

Civil rights group Southern Poverty Law Center noted that the measure could disenfranchise Mississippi residents who lack the proper paperwork, including women whose last names changed upon marriage.

The new laws follow similar measures signed in late March by South Dakota and Utah to strengthen proof-of-citizenship requirements for voters.

Meanwhile, Trump’s own voting legislation — the Republican‑backed SAVE America Act, which would require proof of citizenship and photo ID for federal elections — has been approved by the U.S. House but remains stalled in the Senate amid insufficient support to overcome the Democratic-led filibuster.

FIRST ON FOX: President Donald Trump’s fiscal year 2027 budget proposal focuses on combating violent crime while boosting immigration enforcement, including funding for more agents, alongside additional resources for expanded detention capacity and removal operations, according to information provided exclusively to Fox News Digital by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) led by Director Russ Vought.

The plan calls for more than $19 billion in federal law enforcement funding — a 15% increase over current levels — which the administration says would go toward targeting violent criminals, drug traffickers and illegal immigrants.

“The President’s FY 2027 Budget fully funds a strong border, the removal of violent criminal aliens from our streets, and stops the endless stream of benefits to illegal aliens given preference over American citizens,” an OMB spokesperson said in materials shared with Fox News Digital.

OMB said the administration is building on what it described as “great success in reducing crime under President Trump’s leadership.”

GOP, DEMOCRATS CLASH ON CAPITOL HILL AS REPUBLICANS TARGET CARTELS AND DEMS PUSH TO CURB ICE PARTNERSHIPS

“[We] will continue undeterred in removing the criminal illegal aliens terrorizing innocent Americans and arresting the criminals who bring drugs, crime, and chaos to our streets,” the office said.

The proposal would fund more federal agents “working to capture illegal aliens,” expand task forces targeting transnational criminal groups like Tren de Aragua and MS-13 as well as drug cartels, and increase the number of prosecutors handling violent crime cases, according to OMB.

The budget also relies heavily on funding from the Working Families Tax Cut Act (WFTC), which OMB said provides more than $190 billion for homeland security efforts over multiple years, including at least $31.4 billion in 2027.

TRUMP DEFENDS MINNEAPOLIS FEDERAL ENFORCEMENT, SAYS CRIME PLUNGED AFTER ‘THOUSANDS OF CRIMINALS’ REMOVED

That funding would be used to finish construction of the southern border wall, deploy new border security technology and support large-scale immigration enforcement operations, according to OMB.

A major focus is expanding detention and deportation capacity.

OMB said WFTC provides $75 billion for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), including funding to expand detention space to as many as 100,000 single-adult beds and 30,000 family-unit beds. It also includes $15.4 billion for transportation to increase removals and allows for a 67% increase in ICE staffing through 2029.

TRUMP UNLEASHES ‘TOUGHEST FENTANYL CRACKDOWN IN HISTORY’ AS GOP VOWS ‘CONSEQUENCES’ FOR CHINESE PRODUCERS

The proposal also includes $899 million for immigration courts — a $99 million increase — which the administration says would help speed up deportation proceedings by adding judges and expanding courtroom space.

The administration has pointed to prior federal enforcement surges as evidence that a heavier law enforcement footprint can quickly reduce crime.

In Memphis, Tennessee, a Department of Justice-led operation involving federal agents and National Guard troops resulted in more than 1,700 arrests in a single month, including suspects tied to homicide, drug trafficking and gang activity, according to data previously reported by Fox News Digital. The operation also recovered nearly 300 firearms and located dozens of missing children.

TRUMP TASK FORCE RACKS UP 500 ARRESTS IN JANUARY AS PRESIDENT BRANDS CARTELS ‘ISIS OF THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE’

A similar federal task force effort in Washington, D.C., has led to more than 10,000 arrests since 2025 and the seizure of over 1,000 illegal firearms, according to prior Fox News Digital reporting. Violent crime in the district has dropped sharply during that period, including declines in homicides and robberies.

The Coast Guard would also see increased funding, with a $2.1 billion boost to operations aimed in part at stopping migrants and illegal drugs at sea, according to OMB. 

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The broader fiscal 2027 budget is expected to include a significant increase in defense spending as well. Reuters reported that Trump is preparing to request a $1.5 trillion defense budget, potentially the largest year-over-year increase in post-World War II history, with funding for missile defense systems, fighter jets and warships.

Trump’s proposed FY 2027 budget is expected to be presented to Congress on April 3, Good Friday.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has released additional evidence it says confirms that a staffer for Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, lied about being an attorney for detainees at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in an effort to meet with them and sneak in smuggled cell phones.

In March, Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons informed Escobar in a letter about Benito Torres, a senior caseworker on the congresswoman’s staff, who he said lied about being a lawyer for detainees in ICE custody at the Camp East Montana facility at Fort Bliss in El Paso.

Lyons requested that Escobar answer several questions about Torres’ alleged actions.

“Rep. Escobar refused to respond honestly. Instead, she took to X to defend Torres and gaslight the public,” DHS said Thursday.

ILHAN OMAR KICKED OUT OF ICE FACILITY AFTER DHS REQUIRES WEEK’S ADVANCE NOTICE

Initially, DHS released an image of a sign-in log showing Torres allegedly claiming to be a “lawyer” visiting a “client.” ICE records show that he first misrepresented himself as a legal professional in September 2025, Lyons said.

A Feb. 18 memo states that on a Jan. 23 visit to the facility, Torres falsely claimed to be an attorney while requesting to see 22 detainees. It was determined that he was not a legal professional, the memo said.

The most recent incident allegedly happened on Jan. 30.

ICE DIRECTOR STANDS HIS GROUND AFTER SWALWELL BLOWUP, SAYS DEMOCRATS ARE ‘MISLEADING THEIR CONSTITUENTS’

“Torres lied about being an attorney in order to gain access to an ICE detention facility,” a DHS statement said. “He misrepresented himself repeatedly over the course of several months, talking directly to detainees even though he was NOT their legal counsel. He even passed a phone around multiple detainees during a January 2026 visit, a dangerous violation of security protocols.”

“Actions like Mr. Torres’ are meant to undermine ICE’s statutory mission to enforce immigration laws and remove illegal aliens from the interior,” the statement continued.

Fox News Digital has reached out to DHS and Escobar’s office.

SHUTDOWN FLIPS ICE OVERSIGHT FIGHT AS DHS MOVES TO BLOCK SURPRISE LAWMAKER VISITS

At the time of the initial allegations by DHS, Escobar described Torres as “a dedicated public servant” and “Army veteran,” saying the accusations against him were “unfounded.”

She also criticized the facility and accused the Trump administration of retaliatory tactics.

“It is worth noting that ICE has refused to respond to multiple letters I’ve sent about Camp East Montana regarding deaths, including a homicide; outbreaks of diseases including COVID-19, measles, and tuberculosis; waste, fraud, and abuse; a lack of legal representation or medical care; and so much more,” she said. “This administration has a history of engaging in intimidation tactics against Members of Congress as well as continuously attempting to obstruct our ability to provide oversight.”

ICE DIRECTOR REFUSES TO RESIGN UNDER PRESSURE FROM ERIC SWALWELL NOT TO ‘SIDE WITH KILLERS’

“I stand proudly by the members of my team who have demonstrated nothing but dedication and integrity to serving our nation and our community,” Escobar added.

The congresswoman has previously demanded the Camp East Montana facility be shut down, describing it as “disastrous and inhumane.”

“The United States already has the largest immigration detention network in the world, and these added facilities serve only as tools for the administration’s inhumanity,” she wrote in a March post on X.

Torres has been banned from ICE facilities.

War Secretary Pete Hegseth asked Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George to step down and take immediate retirement Thursday in a sweeping leadership shakeup as the U.S. military remains engaged in combat with Iran. 

A senior War Department official told Fox that Hegseth called George Thursday and asked for his immediate retirement, saying, “It was time for a leadership change in the Army.”

Chief spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a statement on X, “General Randy A. George will be retiring from his position as the 41st Chief of Staff of the Army effective immediately. The Department of War is grateful for General George’s decades of service to our nation. We wish him well in his retirement.” 

PENTAGON CITES ‘MERITOCRACY’ AS REPORTED OFFICER PROMOTION REMOVALS DRAW DEMOCRATIC CRITICISM

An Army official told Fox News Hegseth did not give George any reason for asking him to step down.

George, the Army’s top uniformed officer and a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was nominated by President Joe Biden and confirmed by the Senate in 2023. He had been expected to serve a four-year term through roughly 2027.

Prior to becoming Army chief, George, a career infantry officer with combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, served as senior military assistant to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin from 2021 to 2022, according to his official biography. 

Gen. Christopher LaNeve, the Army’s vice chief of staff, will serve as acting chief, according to a senior War Department official.

The move underscores growing tensions between Hegseth and Army Secretary Dan Driscoll. 

Hegseth recently intervened to remove multiple Army officers from a promotion list after Driscoll refused to do so, an unusual step, a U.S. official told Fox News.

PETE HEGSETH SLASHES MILITARY ‘FAITH CODES’ FROM OVER 200 TO 31 IN PENTAGON CHAPLAIN CORPS OVERHAUL

The disagreement caught the attention of the White House, which reviews senior military promotion lists before they are sent to the Senate, the official said.

The abrupt removal also marks the latest in a series of high-level military leadership changes under Hegseth, who has moved aggressively to reshape senior ranks.

The shakeups have included the removal or sidelining of several top uniformed leaders across the services, such as former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. and Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti, both of whom were pushed out earlier in the second Trump administration.

Other moves have reached deep into the military’s senior leadership pipeline. Hegseth replaced the Army’s vice chief of staff earlier in 2026 and removed Lt. Gen. Jennifer Short from her role as senior military assistant, installing close allies in key advisory positions. 

The House is primed to end the record-breaking Homeland Security shutdown, but Republicans are still fuming over a “s— sandwich” deal from the Senate. 

The Senate again advanced its partial Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding bill on Thursday after being derailed by a House GOP rebellion. The frustration among House Republicans hasn’t gone anywhere, however, with lawmakers railing against House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., during a members-only call on Thursday afternoon.

The simmering anger comes after Johnson made a swift reversal, spurred by President Donald Trump, and backed Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s, R-S.D., on a two-track approach Wednesday that would pass the Senate’s partial DHS bill while funding Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in a forthcoming party-line reconciliation package.

A senior GOP aide told Fox News Digital that House Republicans wanted to see action from their Senate counterparts on reconciliation and were frustrated with how the upper chamber handled the DHS deal, which the source said amounted to a “s— sandwich.”

BEHIND THE SCENES OF CONGRESS’ ELEVENTH-HOUR RUSH TO FUND THE DHS

House Republicans are incensed at the Senate plan, which carves out funding for ICE and CBP. Still, the bill is expected to pass with bipartisan support.

“People are mad at Johnson,” one source familiar with the call told Fox News.

But for now, House Republicans are in no hurry to return to Washington, D.C., to end the 48-day shutdown. The House is next scheduled to return on April 14. A source familiar with the call told Fox News Digital that leadership is not expected to ask members to return to Washington early to vote on the measure. 

A source told Fox News that there was “a lot of frustration” with the situation.

“Does feel like whiplash,” the source said.

“Not happy,” another person familiar with the call said. “Not willing to vote for anything that defunds law enforcement absent tangible action from Senate. Thune should call Senate back today.”

Some House Republicans argued the chamber must fund the president’s immigration and border security efforts through reconciliation before considering the Senate bill — despite the budget reconciliation process expected to take months.

This viewpoint was expressed by a broad group within the conference, not just the conservative flank, according to a source familiar with the call.

If Johnson proceeded first with the Senate bill, conservative opposition could determine how he brings the legislation to the floor. In the event he lacks conference-wide support for the upper chamber’s partial DHS bill, he could be forced to call up the Senate bill under suspension of House rules.

That strategy — requiring a two-thirds majority to pass — risks upsetting conservatives if the DHS bill relies on Democratic votes to clear the chamber.

HOUSE REPUBLICANS PASS RIVAL DHS PLAN, SETTING UP SENATE FIGHT AS SHUTDOWN SET TO BECOME LONGEST IN HISTORY

House lawmakers could have used the same fast-track process Thursday to pass the DHS bill that was done in the Senate, but opted not to. 

Thune said Thursday that he didn’t know when the House would move on the bill, but noted that when they did, Republicans would begin a sprint to complete the budget reconciliation process.

“My assumption is, at some point, hopefully they’ll move it,” Thune said. “And you know, [with] the understanding that we’re going to come behind it with the Recon bill. I mean, I think this whole — where we are is just a regrettable place.” 

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s, D-N.Y., demanded that the House GOP immediately take up the bill and accused them of now owning “the longest government shutdown in history.” 

“The deep division and dysfunction among House Republicans is needlessly extending the DHS shutdown and hurting federal workers who are missing another paycheck,” Schumer said. “The Senate did its work twice to fund key parts of DHS without funding the lawlessness of ICE and Border Patrol.”

But Trump has already teed up a counter, and plans to pay DHS employees through an executive order.

“Because the Democrats are fully and 100% committed to the Radical Left Policy of Open Borders and Zero Immigration Enforcement (which will hopefully cost them dearly in the Midterms!), allowing Murderers and Criminals of all types into our Country, totally unchecked and unvetted, I will soon sign an order to pay ALL of the incredible employees at the Department of Homeland Security,” Trump said on Truth Social.