President Donald Trump’s Federal Reserve chair nominee, Kevin Warsh, will meet Tuesday with Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., the Republican who has been holding up his nomination amid GOP concerns tied to a criminal probe involving Fed Chair Jerome Powell.

Tillis told Fox News Digital he supports Warsh, whom Trump tapped in January, but said he wants the Powell investigation resolved before he can vote to move the nomination forward.

On Jan. 11, Powell confirmed that the Justice Department had opened a criminal investigation into his congressional testimony related to the renovation of the Federal Reserve’s two historic main buildings on Washington, D.C.’s National Mall. 

TRUMP NOMINATES KEVIN WARSH TO SUCCEED JEROME POWELL AS FEDERAL RESERVE CHAIR

“I have very few questions. I’m a real fan of [Warsh] and I’m hoping we can get disposed of the Powell investigation, so I’d be in a position to vote for him,” Tillis told Fox News Digital.

“I have no problems at all with him. I’m looking forward to meeting him, because, like I said, I’ve been a fan,” he added.

Tillis has vowed to block any Federal Reserve nominee until the Trump administration concludes its criminal probe involving Powell. As a member of the Senate Banking Committee, his hold is especially consequential. Overriding it would require a discharge vote on the Senate floor, an extraordinary step that needs 60 votes and is widely seen as a long shot.

Trump tapped Warsh to succeed Powell, whose term as chair ends in May, but he must first win Senate confirmation by a simple majority — a process that typically starts with a hearing and vote in the Senate Banking Committee.

TRUMP’S FED PICK KEVIN WARSH FACES UNEXPECTED ROADBLOCK OVER ONGOING POWELL PROBE

Warsh’s potential ascent to the top of the world’s most powerful central bank comes at a turbulent moment for the Federal Reserve. 

With the Justice Department conducting a criminal probe involving Powell, the Supreme Court weighing limits on the Fed’s independence and rising cost-of-living pressures testing Trump’s economic agenda, the stakes for the next chair are intensifying.

What began as tension over interest-rate policy has spiraled into a broader confrontation, marking one of the most challenging stretches of Powell’s eight-year tenure leading the Fed.

Powell called the DOJ investigation “unprecedented” in a video statement and another example of what he described as Trump’s ongoing threats lobbed at the central bank. His unusually public response, after days of private consultation with advisors, marked a sharp departure from his typically measured approach.

TRUMP VS THE FEDERAL RESERVE: HOW THE CLASH REACHED UNCHARTED TERRITORY

Powell, widely viewed as one of the most crisis-tested Federal Reserve chairs in modern U.S. history, built his career as a lawyer and investment banker in New York before entering public service in the administration of President George H.W. Bush. 

He joined the Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors in 2012 and was nominated by Trump to lead the central bank in 2017.

Like Powell, Warsh is not an economist by training. Instead, he brings a background in law and finance that has shaped his views on the Federal Reserve.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in public policy from Stanford University in 1992 and a law degree from Harvard in 1995. He built his career at Morgan Stanley and, at 35, became the youngest person to serve on the Fed’s board in 2006.

Though he stepped down in 2011, he was widely recognized as the Fed’s key liaison to Wall Street during the 2008 financial crisis. He previously worked in the Bush administration as a special assistant to the president for economic policy and executive secretary at the National Economic Council.

Warsh was among Trump’s leading candidates to replace Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen in 2017. However, Trump ultimately appointed Powell to the role.

A judge in Fulton County, Georgia, ruled Monday that District Attorney Fani Willis cannot participate in a fight over President Donald Trump’s and his co-defendants’ attempts to recoup millions of dollars in legal fees spent during her failed racketeering case against them.

Judge Scott McAfee said in an order that because Willis was already “wholly disqualified” from the prosecution, she could not be party to the battle over what amounted to $16.8 million in fees sought by Trump and his co-defendants. Trump requested Willis’ office reimburse him more than $6.2 million in attorney fees and costs earlier this year. 

 McAfee’s order marks a victory for Trump in his yearslong feud with Willis, who he said was a “rabid partisan” on a “witch hunt” during the prosecution.

The defendants, whom Willis criminally charged with conspiring to illegally overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia, are pushing for legal fees based on a state law passed in 2025 that allows them to be paid back for cases in which prosecutors are disqualified.

JONATHAN TURLEY: FANI WILLIS’ CASE AGAINST TRUMP COLLAPSES UNDER ITS OWN INSANITY

McAfee said Fulton County could be involved since the money would come out of the county’s budget, but Willis’ lawyers argued in court filings that she too should have a say.

“Without intervention by the District Attorney, any award would violate basic fundamental notions of due process by denying her an opportunity to be heard or even challenge the reasonableness of the claimed attorney fees before it is taken from her budget,” the lawyers wrote.

Trump’s lead attorney in the case, Steve Sadow, said in a statement that McAfee’s decision was correct.

“Judge McAfee has properly denied DA Willis’ motion to intervene in POTUS’ action for reimbursement of attorney fees because her disqualification for improper conduct bars Willis and her office from any further participation in this dismissed, lawfare case,” Sadow said. 

Willis brought a sprawling Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations case against Trump and 18 co-defendants in August 2023, alleging they conspired to interfere with the 2020 election, but the case was whittled down significantly because of plea deals and dismissed charges.

The biggest blow to the prosecution came in 2024, however, when the Georgia Court of Appeals disqualified Willis, finding that an undisclosed romantic relationship she had with her lead prosecutor, Nathan Wade, presented a conflict of interest. Her disqualification flipped the case into the hands of the Georgia Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council to decide what to do with it. The council’s director, Peter Skandalakis, moved to dismiss the case, and McAfee granted his request.

“In my professional judgment, the citizens of Georgia are not served by pursuing this case in full for another five to ten years,” Skandalakis said.

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment.

President Donald Trump is taking his feud with Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., to the libertarian lawmaker’s home turf on Wednesday.

Trump is expected to hold an event in Hebron, Kentucky, on Wednesday, the Republican Party of Kentucky announced on social media Monday. It’s located in the northern part of the state’s 4th Congressional District, which Massie represents.

Massie’s primary rival, Ed Gallrein, will attend the Hebron event, his campaign confirmed to Fox News Digital on Tuesday, while deferring all other questions on the matter to the White House.

Massie himself will miss the event due to a previously scheduled official engagement, his spokesperson told Fox News Digital.

KHANNA AND MASSIE THREATEN TO FORCE A VOTE ON IRAN AS PROSPECT OF US ATTACK LOOMS

When asked about the visit, White House spokeswoman Liz Huston told Fox News Digital, “President Trump will visit the great states of Ohio and Kentucky on Wednesday to tout his economic victories and detail his Administration’s aggressive, ongoing efforts to lower prices and make America more affordable.”

The president has thrown his considerable influence behind Gallrein to unseat Massie after the GOP lawmaker publicly defied Trump on multiple occasions.

MASSIE, KHANNA TO VISIT DOJ TO REVIEW UNREDACTED EPSTEIN FILES

Massie most recently was one of two House Republicans to vote to stop Trump’s joint operation in Iran with Israel, though the legislation was successfully blocked by the majority of GOP lawmakers and a handful of Democrats.

He was also one of two Republicans to vote against Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” last year.

Trump in turn has hurled a slew of personal attacks against Massie, including calling him “weak and pathetic” in a statement endorsing Gallrein in October.

“He only votes against the Republican Party, making life very easy for the Radical Left. Unlike ‘lightweight’ Massie, a totally ineffective LOSER who has failed us so badly, CAPTAIN ED GALLREIN IS A WINNER WHO WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN,” Trump posted on Truth Social at the time, one of numerous criticisms targeting the Kentucky Republican through the years.

He called Massie the “worst Republican congressman” in July amid Massie’s bipartisan push to force the Department of Justice (DOJ) to release its files on Jeffrey Epstein.

But Massie has so far appeared to defy political gravity despite making political enemies out of both Trump and House GOP leaders.

He handily defeated multiple primary challengers in 2024 and 2022, despite public feuds with Trump, and has served his district since 2012.

Gallrein is a retired Navy SEAL and farmer who launched his campaign days after Trump made his endorsement. Their primary election day is May 19.

War Secretary Pete Hegseth said Tuesday that Russia “should not be involved” in the escalating conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran, even as analysts point to Russian military activity that aligns with reports Moscow may be aiding Tehran.

“The president maintains strong relationships with world leaders, which creates opportunities and options for us in very dynamic ways,” Hegseth said when asked about President Donald Trump’s recent call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. 

But as it relates to the Middle East conflict, he added, Russia “should not be involved.”

IRAN LAUNCHES SATELLITES ON RUSSIAN ROCKETS AS MOSCOW-TEHRAN TIES DEEPEN

The administration’s messaging comes amid reports that Russia has provided information that could help Iran identify U.S. military assets in the Middle East. Moscow has not publicly confirmed the claims. 

Intelligence assessments have reportedly said Russia provided Iran with information that could help identify the locations of American warships, aircraft and other military assets. Officials reportedly stressed there is no public evidence that Moscow is directing Iranian strikes, but said the information could assist Tehran’s targeting efforts.

The scope, timing and operational impact of that information have not been publicly detailed.

While there is no public evidence definitively proving Russia is providing real-time targeting data, George Barros, a Russia expert at the Institute for the Study of War, said open-source indicators are consistent with the type of support described in the reports.

Barros pointed to Russian military reconnaissance satellites, including Cosmos-2550, a radar and electronic signature spacecraft that recently passed over the Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea — areas where U.S. forces have been operating.

“They’re specialized for naval reconnaissance and detecting ships, because the radar signature off the water really pings it quite well,” Barros said. “These are known capabilities of the Russians.”

Such radar systems can detect maritime targets and electronic emissions that reveal force positioning. Barros said those capabilities align with known gaps in Iran’s own space-based intelligence collection.

Although he cautioned that he does not have dispositive proof of real-time targeting support, Barros said the convergence of Russian reconnaissance capabilities, satellite positioning and reported cooperation “makes total sense.”

Trump on Monday described his recent conversation with Putin as “very good” and “constructive,” saying the Russian leader “wants to be very constructive.” Trump suggested Moscow could be more helpful by helping bring the war in Ukraine to an end.

Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, acknowledged over the weekend that Russia is assisting Iran “in many different directions” in its war with the United States and Israel. Pressed on whether that includes intelligence sharing, Araghchi said, “They are helping us in many different directions,” but added, “I don’t have any detailed information.”

AS UKRAINE WAR DRAGS ON, TRUMP HITS PUTIN BY SQUEEZING RUSSIA’S PROXIES

Beyond intelligence collection, analysts say battlefield patterns suggest tactical cross-pollination between Russia and Iran. 

During the war in Ukraine, Iran supplied Russia with Shahed one-way attack drones, which Moscow deployed extensively against Ukrainian cities and infrastructure. Over time, Russian forces refined strike packages combining drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles to overwhelm integrated Western air defense systems.

“The Russians got really, really good at learning how to launch drones against integrated Western air defense systems,” Barros said.

Those lessons, he said, appear to have informed Iranian strike tactics in the Middle East, where Tehran has launched large-scale combined missile and drone attacks against U.S. and allied targets.

If confirmed, Barros argued, intelligence sharing that materially supports Iranian targeting would amount to Moscow acting as a “co-belligerent.”

“The Russians are coming out with Iran as a co-belligerent,” he said, adding that the Kremlin has long viewed the United States as a geopolitical adversary.

At the same time, Russia remains constrained in how far it can go. 

Russian ground forces are tied down in Ukraine and are not in a position to deploy to assist Iran. Analysts say any Russian support is far more likely to come in the form of intelligence sharing, technology transfers or drone production rather than boots on the ground.

One potential avenue involves drone manufacturing.

Russia operates large-scale Shahed-derived drone production facilities that were initially enabled by Iranian technology transfers. If Iran’s domestic drone factories are degraded by strikes, Russian production could theoretically help sustain Tehran’s aerial campaign, though there is no confirmed evidence that such transfers are occurring.

Defense officials have publicly downplayed the operational impact of any reported Russian assistance, saying U.S. commanders are tracking foreign intelligence activity and factoring it into planning.

The contrast between Trump’s characterization of Putin as “constructive” and Hegseth’s warning that Russia should stay out of the conflict underscores the delicate balance the administration is attempting to strike — pursuing diplomacy in Ukraine while confronting the possibility of deeper cooperation between Moscow and Tehran in the Middle East.

For now, analysts say the evidence stops short of conclusive proof. But the alignment of Russian reconnaissance capabilities, battlefield tactics refined in Ukraine and Tehran’s own acknowledgment of assistance has intensified scrutiny of Moscow’s role as the regional war unfolds.

Russia has not publicly responded to the allegation of intelligence sharing with Iran, but has broadly called for de-escalation of the conflict. 

The Russian embassy could not immediately be reached for comment.

A week and a half into the U.S. and Israeli strikes against Iran, the latest national public opinion poll indicates that more than half of American voters oppose U.S. military action.

But the survey from Quinnipiac University in Connecticut is the latest to indicate a wide partisan divide when it comes to support for the U.S. military operation, known as Epic Fury, which has resulted in the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and the decimation of the country’s military.

Fifty-three percent of voters questioned in the poll, which was conducted Friday through Sunday, said they oppose the U.S. military action against Iran, which was ordered by President Donald Trump, with 40% supporting the operation.

The Quinnipiac poll joins other recent surveys from NPR/PBS/Marist (44%–55%), CBS News (44%–56%), NBC News (41%–54%), Washington Post (39%–52%), CNN (41%–59%), and Reuters/Ipsos (27%–43%), in indicating minority support for U.S. military action.

HEAD HERE FOR FOX NEWS LIVE UPDATES ON THE ATTACK ON IRAN

But the latest Fox News poll, conducted Feb. 28–March 2, showed Americans split at 50% in their support or opposition to the fighting.

And three other national polls conducted over the past week and a half indicated majority or plurality support for the operation.

The surveys highlight the divergence between Democrats and Republicans over the fighting.

TRUMP’S TWO WORD ANSWER AFTER IRAN PICKS NEW SUPREME LEADER

More than 8 in 10 Republicans surveyed by Fox News said they approved of the U.S. use of force against Iran, with 6 in 10 saying the president’s actions on Iran are making the U.S. safer. 

But nearly 8 in 10 Democrats and 6 in 10 independents disapproved of the U.S. strikes and said things are less safe because of Trump’s performance.

The vast majority of Democrats surveyed by Quinnipiac University, as well as 6-in-10 independents, said they opposed the strikes on Iran, with 85% of Republicans supporting the military action.

A majority (55%) questioned by Quinnipiac said they didn’t think Iran posed an imminent military threat to the U.S. before the attacks, with nearly four in ten disagreeing. 

Again, there was a partisan divide, with 83% of Democrats and 63% of independents saying Iran didn’t pose an imminent threat, while nearly three quarters of Republicans said Tehran did pose an imminent threat.

But there was no partisan gap when it came to the possibility of sending U.S. ground troops into Iran.

HEAD HERE TO CHECK OUT THE LATEST FOX NEWS POLLS 

Nearly three quarters of voters opposed sending U.S. ground troops into Iran, including 95% of Democrats, 75% of independents and 52% of Republicans.

Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have repeatedly not ruled out using ground troops in Iran.

Asked how long the fighting between the U.S. and Iran, which has retaliated with strikes against Israel and other nations in the volatile Middle East, will last, just 3% of Quinnipiac pollees said days, 18% offered weeks, 32% guessed months, 13% thought the attacks could last a year, and just over a quarter said more than a year.

“Very soon,” Trump said at a news conference Monday, when asked when the strikes would end. “Look, everything they have is gone, including their leadership.”

And the president described the operation as an “excursion.”

Quinnipiac University Polling Analyst Peter Malloy noted that “perhaps compelled by memories of long wars, Americans see no early end to the enormous upheaval in the Middle East.”

Trump recently dismissed the polling on Iran, telling the New York Post March 2: “I don’t care about polling. I have to do the right thing. I have to do the right thing. This should have been done a long time ago.”

Trump’s overall approval rating stood at 37% in the Quinnipiac poll, with 57% giving the president a thumbs down on the job he’s doing in the White House.

The president stood at 43% approval in the Fox News poll, and at 44% in the NBC News survey. An average of the latest national surveys that gauged the president’s performance put Trump at 43% approval and 54% disapproval.

The family of Ashton Minter believes it’s time to vote a Virginia county attorney out of office after he allegedly let her suspected killer out of prison — even in the face of a long rap sheet multiple times.

“Steve Descano completely failed Stephanie. He’s failed other people, and he will continue to fail other people unless he is just voted out of office,” Ashton Minter, one of Stephanie Minter’s brothers, told local reporters.

Another one of her siblings, Gary Minter, echoed his thoughts.

“It should never have happened. [Jalloh should’ve] never been out in the streets,” Gary said.

VIRGINIA MURDER SUSPECT IN BUS STOP STABBING HAD LENGTHY CRIMINAL HISTORY, MULTIPLE DROPPED CHARGES

Ashton Minter was stabbed to death at a bus stop late last month in Fairfax, Virginia. She was discovered with multiple stab wounds to her upper body, according to reports from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Security camera footage at the scene led authorities to charge Abdul Jalloh, 32, with second-degree murder for Minter’s death. Ahead of the attack, Fairfax County Descano’s office was reportedly warned several times about Jalloh and his conduct. But despite 30 prior arrests, Descano opted to release him.

Jalloh reportedly arrived in the United States illegally in 2012 from Sierra Leone. Despite receiving an order of removal in 2020, he was not deported.

MIKE DAVIS: VIRGINIA RETURNS TO THE CONFEDERACY WITH A SEDITIOUS CONSPIRACY AGAINST ICE

According to the Department of Homeland Security, Jalloh has been charged with rape, malicious wounding, assault, drug possession, identity theft, trespassing, larceny, firing a weapon and more.

Cheryl Minter, Ashton’s mother, expressed alarm that Jalloh’s record hadn’t stopped his release.

“I just know that what is in your heart, it’s got to be horrible to be able to do things like that and allow somebody, anybody back onto a street that’s capable of what they’re saying,” Cheryl Minter said.

VIRGINIA DEMS PUSH ANTI-ICE BILLS DAYS AFTER SPANBERGER REJECTS DETAINER FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT MURDER SUSPECT

Descano, the Fairfax County attorney, was sworn into office in Jan. 2020 and has made leniency reforms a focus of his tenure.

According to his webpage on the Fairfax County government website, Descano aimed at “mitigating racial and socioeconomic disparities and countering mass incarceration in Fairfax County’s justice system.” He has also led efforts to end cash bail in the county.

Prior to his time as an attorney, Descano served as a U.S. Army Aviation Officer.

SPANBERGER REFUSES TO HONOR ICE DETAINER IN MURDER CASE, ESCALATING SHOWDOWN WITH TRUMP DHS

His handling of Jalloh has drawn condemnation from both local and federal voices.

“Under no circumstances should repeat violent offenders be released back into our communities,” Rep. Rob Wittman, R-Va., wrote in a post to X following the news of Minter’s death.

DHS similarly condemned Jalloh’s past releases and urged Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger to hold Jalloh in custody.

“We are calling on Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger and Virginia’s sanctuary politicians to commit to not releasing this murderer and violent career criminal from their jail without notifying ICE,” DHS Deputy Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said in a statement.

Fox News Digital reached out to Descano’s office for comment.

One of the Democratic Party’s newest rising stars, James Talarico, is being mocked for a “creepy” comment he made about children who identify as transgender in an unearthed podcast episode.

Talarico, a Texas state representative, is the Democratic Party’s nominee for the U.S. Senate. Since beating Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, for the nomination, Talarico has been in the spotlight for his track record of highly progressive comments and stances.

The latest is from a 2023 episode of the Superbloom Podcast in which host Candice King asks Talarico, “What is something that you love, other than family and friends?”

Talarico responds, “I love, I’m just saying this because it’s on my mind, the trans children who showed up yesterday at the state capitol to advocate for their humanity.” He added that “they shouldn’t have to, but it was an inspiration to watch.”

Congressman Brandon Gill, R-Texas, responded to the video on X, writing, “Something that you love that’s not family or friends?” TALARICO: “Trans children.” Now that’s just creepy.”

‘GOD IS NON-BINARY’: TEXAS DEM NOMINEE TALARICO’S PAST REMARKS ON ABORTION, RACE AND GENDER DRAW SCRUTINY

Sen. Tim Sheehy, R-Mont., piled on as well, calling Talarico a “creepy goofball.”

Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., called Talarico’s remark “Incredible,” saying that “Talarico really does make Kamala Harris look like a social conservative.”

In the same vein, conservative commentator Paul Szypula reacted, “And we all thought Crockett was woke.”

The National Republican Senatorial Committee wrote, “Your Democrat nominee in Texas, folks.”

Women’s sports activist Riley Gaines wrote, “James Talarico loves ‘trans kids’ so much that he advocates for them to cut off healthy, functioning body parts. Quite the display of love.”

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, even joined in, writing that “James Talarico needs to learn the definition of ‘humanity.’”

“It is the opposite of humane to advocate for the gender-mutilation of children,” wrote Abbott, adding, “Texas rejects this radical ideology & will again in November.”

SENATE CAMPAIGN CHIEF ‘OPTIMISTIC’ FOR GOP MAJORITY DESPITE DARKENING MIDTERM CLIMATE

Democrats are hoping that Talarico will be able to pull off a victory in November to become the first Democratic senator from Texas in decades. He will face either long-time incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, or state Attorney General Ken Paxton, who are currently locked in a bitter primary runoff.

In response to his comment going viral, JT Ennis, a spokesperson for Talarico’s campaign, dismissed the criticisms as “stale attacks” from Republicans and billionaires. 

Ennis told Fox News Digital that “John Cornyn, Ken Paxton, Greg Abbott, and the billionaires who prop them up are scared of James and are lobbing stale attacks for good reason: Our campaign is building a movement poised to change the politics of this state and unite the people of Texas to win in November.”

Talarico, who is a Presbyterian seminarian, has made transgender advocacy a staple of his political career. He has often couched his advocacy in Christian and biblical terms.

In 2021, while opposing a Texas bill to keep men out of women’s sports, Talarico said on the state House floor that “trans children are God’s children, made in God’s own image. There’s nothing wrong with them. Nothing at all. They are perfect. They are beautiful and they are sacred.”

MS NOW ANALYST ADMITS TALARICO ‘NOT A MODERATE,’ HAS PROGRESSIVE VIEWS LIKE CROCKETT

In the same speech, Talarico also said that “God is both masculine and feminine and everything in between. God is non-binary.”

At the end of his speech, Talarico shared a message to children directly, saying, “To the trans kids watching at home, I just want to say, I love you and so do a lot of people in this room, and so do a lot of people around this big state. I know it may not seem like it tonight, but you are loved beyond measure.”

FIRST ON FOX: Taxpayers are seeing an average refund above $3,700 halfway through the filing season, and the Trump administration is pointing to its new tax breaks as a driver of higher take-home pay.

Treasury figures reviewed by Fox News Digital show the IRS has processed nearly 63.5 million returns so far, or about 45% of the total expected by April 15.

In the same update, more than 27.5 million filers claimed at least one of President Donald Trump’s new tax cuts using Schedule 1-A, a new IRS form for deductions tied to tips, overtime, certain car loan interest and an enhanced senior deduction.

WHAT TRUMP’S NEXT PICK TO LEAD THE FEDERAL RESERVE MEANS FOR YOUR WALLET

Among the most widely claimed new tax breaks so far, Treasury said more than 15.5 million returns took the “No Tax on Overtime” break, while more than 3.5 million claimed “No Tax on Tips,” provisions the administration says allow eligible workers to exclude those earnings from taxable income.

Treasury also reported more than 9.2 million returns claiming the Enhanced Deduction for Seniors, and more than 690,000 claimed “No Tax on Car Loan Interest.”

Signed into law on July 4, 2025, Trump’s landmark One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) is a sweeping tax and spending package that builds on the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), enacted during his first term, while introducing new federal initiatives. 

The law extends tax cuts originally enacted under the TCJA that were scheduled to expire at the end of last year, preventing a broad tax increase for individuals. Several provisions are made permanent, including lower individual income tax rates and an expanded standard deduction.

It also extends other provisions temporarily, reshaping the tax landscape for households and businesses while adding new programs aimed at long-term savings.

One of the new initiatives tucked in the OBBBA is “Trump Accounts,” a government-created investment program for children.

YEAR IN REVIEW: HOW PRESIDENT TRUMP’S ECONOMIC AGENDA IS SHAPING UP SO FAR

The accounts function much like traditional long-term investment vehicles, but with rules specifically designed to protect young savers. Available only to those under 18, they’re funded through federal seed money, private contributions from families and, when applicable, supplemental deposits from employers or nonprofit organizations.

Treasury said nearly 3.5 million “Trump Accounts” have been opened so far, and more than 800,000 qualify for the $1,000 pilot program.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent pointed to the mid-season data as evidence the tax cuts are delivering relief.

“Treasury and the IRS have worked tirelessly to ensure that relief was delivered efficiently, securely, and on time,” Bessent said.

“This filing season reflects our commitment to making the tax system work for working families. Because of the landmark legislation signed into law by President Trump, millions of Americans are keeping more of what they earn and seeing their paychecks go further than ever before,” he added.

New York City’s democratic socialist mayor, Zohran Mamdani, sparked online backlash this week after posting a photo showing him hosting one of the most prominent anti-Israel activists for dinner inside Gracie Mansion. 

In a Monday night post on X, Mamdani released a photo from inside Gracie Mansion of his dinner with Khalil, who was facing deportation by the Trump administration, which labeled him a Hamas supporter.

“For Mahmoud Khalil, this past year has been marked by profound hardship—and by profound courage,” Mamdani wrote in the post, which has been viewed almost three million times. 

“Last night, as we marked the one-year anniversary of his detention, Rama and I were honored to welcome Mahmoud, Noor, and their son Deen to Gracie Mansion to break our fast together,” Mamdani said. “Mahmoud is a New Yorker, and he belongs in New York City.”

MAMDANI’S RESPONSE TO TRUMP’S IRAN STRIKE SPARKS CONSERVATIVE BACKLASH: ‘ROOTING FOR THE AYATOLLAH’

The post was quickly criticized by conservatives on social media.

“Posting a celebratory photo of an anti-Israel college protester who should be deported next to your ‘non public figure’ wife, who cheered the rape and murder of Jews on 10/7, the day after two radical Muslims threw pipe bombs on your sidewalk is a hell of a choice, Mamdani,” Outkick founder Clay Travis posted on X.

Travis’s post referenced reports over the weekend that put Mamdani in hot water after it was revealed that his wife “liked” a variety of social media posts celebrating the Oct. 7 Hamas massacre in Israel.

Mamdani responded to those reports by claiming his wife, who was pictured at the dinner smiling, is not a “public figure.”

“Nothing says that the NY City Mayor condemns Islamic terrorism quite like having dinner in Gracie Mansion with those who actively promote it,” Superintendent of the Kiryas Joel School District Joel M. Petlin posted on X. 

“Just a casual dinner at Gracie with the lovely, private citizen, shy wifey whose fingers could not keep up with liking posts about the MASSACRE of Jews, and the RING LEADER & CHIEF ‘NEGOTIATOR’ of Columbia’s antisemitic encampments where Jewish students were harassed and intimidated, and where they literally glorified convicted terrorists,” New York City Republican Councilwoman Inna Vernikov posted on X. 

MAMDANI PUTTING NYPD ‘BETWEEN ROCK AND A HARD PLACE’ IN MOVE THAT COULD ULTIMATELY HELP HIS GOAL: EXPERT

“This is what Zohran Mamdani stands for,” journalist Neria Kraus posted on X. “Mahmoud Khalil justified October 7th. ‘We couldn’t avoid such a moment,’ he viciously explained in an interview. Well, he was invited to the people’s house of NYC, Gracie Mansion, to a celebratory dinner. This is everything you need to know.”

“Syrian national Mahmoud Khalil, refers to Hamas as as ‘we’. Tonight, he dined with Zohran Mamdani in the mayor’s mansion,” UPenn student Eyal Yakoby posted on X. “It shouldn’t be a surprise that Islamists launched an IED at New Yorkers over the weekend—they feel empowered.”

“After getting exposed for liking posts about Oct. 7, why waste any time before hosting a man who justifies terrorism too?”  Leo Terrell, civil rights attorney and chair of the Department of Justice Taskforce on Antisemitism and senior counsel at the Justice Department, posted on X. “These people are proud!”

“In NYC, terrorist sympathizers have a seat at Zohran Mamdani’s table,” The Republican Jewish Coalition posted on X. “Mahmoud Khalil should be deported, not  fluffed by the Mayor of the City of New York. Disgraceful.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Mamdani’s office for comment.

Mamdani, who was widely criticized during his mayoral campaign for his comments and stances on Israel, was already under scrutiny over his reaction to an attack over the weekend involving two men accused of throwing improvised explosive devices (IEDs) near Gracie Mansion that is being investigated as an “act of ISIS-inspired terrorism.”

President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has a confirmation hearing ready to go, and he will have to reckon with an intraparty feud in the process.

Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., will soon undergo the rigorous confirmation process in the Senate after being tapped by Trump to replace embattled DHS Secretary Kristi Noem.

He will first go through the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee before heading to a full confirmation vote in the Senate.

KATIE BRITT BLASTS DEMOCRATS FOR PLAYING ‘POLITICAL GAMES’ WITH SHUTDOWN AMID AIRPORT CHAOS

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who chairs the Homeland Security panel, wants to hold Mullin’s hearing next week. The White House formally sent over Mullin’s nomination to the Senate on Monday, according to the congressional record.

“We’re shooting for a week from Wednesday if all the paperwork comes in,” Paul said.

But Mullin and Paul have a personal rift that could spill out into the confirmation hearing.

TEAMSTERS BOSS PRAISES MULLIN DHS NOMINATION DESPITE PAST HEATED HEARINGS

In February, Mullin slammed Paul during an event with voters for his perennial votes against Republican priorities, like spending bills or other elements of Trump’s agenda, such as the “big, beautiful bill” last year.

Oklahoma reporter David Arnett reported in a lengthy profile of Mullin that, during the event, the lawmaker was asked about an amendment to a spending package from Paul that he voted against.

Mullin warned that Paul was “trying to kill the farm bill because he’s trying to legalize hemp for drinks in Kentucky because of tobacco industry shifts,” and then went after Paul’s voting history before taking a jab at the 2017 incident in which the Kentucky Republican was attacked by his neighbor over a lawn dispute.

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“I respect Bernie Sanders because he’s an open socialist, and you know that he’s a communist, so you know what you’re getting,” Mullin said. “Rand Paul’s a freaking snake. And I understand completely why his neighbor did what he did. And I told him that to his face.”

That slight at Paul may come to bear during his confirmation hearing, but Mullin is expected to easily move through that first hurdle, given that most Republicans on the panel will back him, and he has the support of Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa.

Paul shrugged off the incident on Monday when he told reporters, “I’m going to reserve judgment now, and we’ll probably find out a lot more.”

“I would suggest coming to the hearing, though,” Paul said. “I think it’ll be interesting.”