Author: Daniel

President Donald Trump shared photos on Truth Social on Tuesday showing red “Trump 2028” hats strategically displayed on the Resolute Desk during an Oval Office meeting with Democrat leaders Monday in hopes of fending off a government shutdown.

Trump’s post came late Tuesday, hours before Washington grappled with its first shutdown since 2018-19. 

“The Trump administration wants a straightforward and clean CR [continuing resolution] to continue funding the government – the exact same proposal that Democrats supported just 6 months ago, 13 times under the Biden Administration,” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told Fox News Digital. 

“But radical Democrats are shutting the government down because they want a nearly $1.5 trillion wish list of demands, including free health care for illegal aliens. The Democrat’s radical agenda was rejected by the American people less than a year ago at the ballot box, now they’re shutting down the government and hold the American people hostage over it.”

JD VANCE SAYS GOVERNMENT LIKELY ‘HEADED INTO A SHUTDOWN’ AFTER TRUMP MEETS WITH DEMS

Vice President JD Vance warned, “I think we’re headed to a shutdown” after Monday’s meeting. 

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said at the time the sides “have very large differences.” 

Late Tuesday, the Senate failed a last-ditch vote on extending funding and barreled toward a shutdown as the clock struck midnight on Oct. 1.

SHUTDOWN EXPLAINED: WHO WORKS, WHO DOESN’T AND HOW MUCH IT COSTS

Trump posted the photos late Tuesday, a few hours before the shutdown was slated to begin. 

His campaign has sold “Trump 2028” hats since earlier this year.

Democrat leaders downplayed the stunt. 

Schumer said Trump “can avoid a shutdown if he chooses to,” while House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., added, “we will not back down” in defending healthcare and spending priorities.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Trump presided over a 35-day government shutdown in 2018–19, the longest in American history, during his first term in office.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., railed against Senate Democrats’ move to block the GOP’s short-term funding extension as Congress gears up for a government shutdown.

Democratic lawmakers led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., voted to block Republicans’ continuing resolution (CR) for a second time just hours ahead of the deadline to fund the government.

It’s unlikely that a deal will be struck in the waning hours of fiscal year (FY) 2025, and neither side is ready to blink.

Thune said there would be more votes to come on the same bill but noted that if Schumer wanted to talk, he knows where to find him. He also said there are Democrats who “are very unhappy with the situation that they are in.”

GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN RISK GROWS AFTER DEMS BLOCK TRUMP-BACKED EXTENSION FOR A 2ND TIME

“We didn’t ask Democrats to swallow any new Republican policies. We didn’t add partisan riders,” Thune said. “We simply asked Democrats to extend existing funding levels to allow the Senate to continue the bipartisan appropriations work that we started.”

“And Senate Democrats said no,” he continued. “Why? Because far left interest groups and far left Democrat members wanted a showdown with the president. And so, Senate Democrats have sacrificed the American people to Democrats’ partisan interests.”

Republicans tried and failed to again advance their CR, which would have extended government funding until Nov. 21 with the main goal of giving lawmakers more time to pass the dozen spending bills needed to fund the government, a feat that hasn’t been accomplished since the 1990s.

HOUSE DEMOCRATS’ GOVERNMENT FUNDING PROPOSAL GOES DOWN IN FLAMES WITH SHUTDOWN DEADLINE IN HOURS

Despite an impending shutdown, Thune and Senate Republicans found a bright spot in the failed vote: more Democrats crossed the aisle than the previous test earlier this month.

“The cracks in the Democrats are already showing,” Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., said. “When we had a vote on our proposal to keep the government open, the clean CR right before the recess, we had one Democrat vote. Tonight we had three.”

Sens. John Fetterman, D-Pa., Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., and Angus King, I-Maine, all crossed the aisle to support the bill.

GOP ACCUSES DEMS OF RISKING SHUTDOWN TO RESTORE ‘ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT HEALTHCARE’

Meanwhile, Schumer signaled that he was not ready to budge from his position and instead pointed the finger at the GOP and President Donald Trump for “plunging America into a shutdown, rejecting bipartisan talks, pushing a partisan bill, and risking America’s health care.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Senate Democrats pushed for an extension to expiring Obamacare tax credits, among other things, that Republicans argued were not provisions that should be tacked onto a short-term funding extension. 

Still, Schumer was resolute that Thune and the GOP needed to come to the negotiating table to solve that issue and craft a bipartisan CR.

“We hope they sit down with us and talk. Otherwise, it’s the Republicans who will be driving us straight towards a shutdown tonight, and at midnight,” Schumer said. “And the American people will blame them for bringing the federal government to a halt.”

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) accused congressional Democrats on Tuesday of forcing a government shutdown, warning that the “Radical Left” is putting vulnerable families at risk while pledging to keep critical housing services operating.

“The Far Left is barreling our country toward a shutdown, which will hurt all Americans,” a HUD spokesperson told Fox News Digital. 

“At HUD, we are working to keep critical services online and support our most vulnerable. Why is the media more focused on a banner than reporting on the impact of a shutdown on the American people?”

HUD is led by Secretary Scott Turner, a former NFL player and member of the Texas legislature.

HOUSE DEMOCRATS’ GOVERNMENT FUNDING PROPOSAL GOES DOWN IN FLAMES WITH SHUTDOWN DEADLINE IN HOURS

In a memorandum circulated to all federal agencies late Tuesday, Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought confirmed that government funding expires at 11:59 p.m. and instructed departments to execute their plans for an orderly shutdown.

“President Trump supports passage of H.R. 5371, but it is now clear that Democrats will prevent passage of this clean CR prior to 11:59 p.m. tonight and force a government shutdown,” Vought wrote. 

The OMB director said Democrats were blocking the House-passed measure over “insane policy demands,” including $1 trillion in new spending, and warned that the length of the shutdown is “difficult to predict.” 

Employees were told to report for duty to begin shutdown activities until a new appropriations bill is signed into law.

SHUTDOWN EXPLAINED: WHO WORKS, WHO DOESN’T AND HOW MUCH IT COSTS

HUD’s official website displayed a pop-up message on Tuesday stating, “The Radical Left are going to shut down the government and inflict massive pain on the American people unless they get their $1.5 trillion wish list of demands. The Trump administration wants to keep the government open for the American people.” 

Reuters also reported on the banner earlier in the day, which prompted pushback from Democrats.

Rep. Sylvia Garcia, D-Texas, said, “We should not be putting political messages on government webpages. I have never seen that kind of message. I don’t think that would be acceptable with any other prior administration.” 

Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., said, “Unfortunately, it’s become normal under the Trump administration, but it’s a radical departure from American history, and it is the use of public taxpayer funds for overtly political and polemical reasons.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

At midnight, parts of the federal government will shutter after Democrats rejected the Republican-backed seven-week continuing resolution that passed the House of Representatives Sept. 19. 

A yelling match between Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., and a former Biden administration official broke out in a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing over the need for “two spirit” safe spaces to combat gun violence.

Hawley challenged Gregory Jackson Jr., who served as deputy director of the Biden White House’s Office of Gun Violence Prevention and, more recently, as the head of Community Justice Action Fund (CJAF), over the organization’s policies on creating safe spaces for “two spirit” individuals.

Hawley was grilling Jackson over a CJAF report published while he led the group, titled “A Policymakers’ Playbook to Reduce Gun Violence Without Policing Communities,” which he said, “advocated for defunding the police,” and instead investing in “programs that acknowledge the need for safe space initiatives led by lesbian, gay, bisexual, two spirit, trans and gender-nonconforming people.”

“What’s two spirit?” Hawley asked.

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT MULLS RESTRICTING TRANSGENDER PEOPLE FROM BUYING GUNS

In response, Jackson said, “Well, I don’t know exactly.”

Jackson went on to say, “If you look at the report, the focus is on investing in violence intervention, outreach workers, victims’ services.”

“You say that we shouldn’t invest in the police, but we ought to invest in two spirit community programs that acknowledge two spirit individuals. What is that?” Hawley shot back. “I just want to know. I don’t know what that is. I have no idea what that is.”

After Hawley repeated the question, Jackson admitted, “I’m not completely aware of the language,” but added, “I feel like I’m looking at a two-faced individual because you talk about reducing violence but also speak out against violence reduction programs.”

“Oh no, sir, you’re looking at somebody who’s reading you your own words, and I’d like to hear an answer,” retorted Hawley.

FOLLOWING KIRK’S ASSASSINATION, LAWMAKERS REACT TO LETHAL POLITICAL CLIMATE: ‘VIOLENT WORDS PRECEDE VIOLENT ACTIONS’

“Here’s the answer,” he went on. “The answer is you don’t have any solutions. You want to invest in gobbledygook and take away money from police officers who actually keep our community safe, and when you’re called on the record, you deny it. It’s all there in black and white, and your record is there in black and white, and it’s a disgrace.”

Raising his voice, Jackson, who was seriously injured in a Washington, D.C., shooting in 2013, answered, “As somebody who’s been shot and nearly killed, I take offense that you would think that the last 13 years were not focused on reducing violence.”

Hawley shouted back, “I take offense that you do not answer my questions, that you deny your own words, and that you are leading this committee astray. And frankly, sir, your policies are absurd, they’re absurd.”

EXCLUSIVE: UNEARTHED BIDEN NOTE CARDS REVEAL HE HAD BIOS, PHOTO REMINDERS ON HILLARY CLINTON, SCHUMER

After this exchange, Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, slammed his gavel, saying, “I don’t think we’re getting any place.”

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

“Oh, I think we’ve gone a long way, senator,” Hawley answered.

Maryland Democratic Gov. Wes Moore and other Democratic leaders have fallen silent after it was discovered that illegal alien Ian Andre Roberts, who was recently arrested by ICE, is registered as an active Democratic voter in the state.

Fox News Digital reached out to Moore’s office and the offices of Maryland’s two Democratic senators, Sen. Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks, and Rep. Glenn Ivey, D-Md., asking for their response to an illegal alien being a registered Democratic voter in their state, but did not receive a response by the time of publication.

This week, the Maryland Freedom Caucus blew the whistle on Roberts being listed as an active Democratic voter on the state’s official elections board website despite not being a U.S. citizen and not having lived in Maryland for years.

IOWA SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT ARRESTED BY ICE, FACING PRIOR WEAPONS CHARGES, ALLEGEDLY FOUND WITH LOADED HANDGUN

On Tuesday, SBE sent a statement to Fox News Digital that a review of public information available through Maryland’s Public Information Act “did not show any voting history for any individual with the name Ian Andre Roberts in Maryland.”

The statement further said that due to Maryland law protecting personal identifying information from disclosure, SBE “cannot and will not publicly announce whether media reports about the individual in question is or is not or was or was not a registered voter in Maryland.”

Finally, SBE noted that according to Maryland law, it is not a crime to unintentionally register to vote despite not being eligible. The office added that “the right to vote is a sacred right that has been expanded through sacrifices of many before us” and “this office will not disenfranchise a voter based upon partial or unsubstantiated evidence.”

EX MICHELLE OBAMA AIDE LEADS DES MOINES SCHOOL BOARD’S DEFENSE OF SUPERINTENDENT ARRESTED BY ICE

In response, Republican state Delegate Matt Morgan, who is chair of the Maryland Freedom Caucus, told Fox News Digital that SBE’s statement only leads to more questions. The Maryland Freedom Caucus sent a letter to SBE on Monday demanding answers about “gaping holes” in the state’s election integrity systems.

“Basically, the board of elections has the excuse that Mr. Roberts was registered accidentally, and therefore he didn’t break a law. This leads me to ask how many other people are accidentally automatically registered? Why was he automatically registered as a Democrat?” said Morgan.

“The Maryland Freedom Caucus looks forward to receiving answers from the state [Board of Elections] on these questions soon,” he added.

SOCIAL MEDIA ERUPTS AFTER ICE ARREST OF SUPERINTENDENT IN IOWA: ‘CRAZY STORY’

According to Morgan, Roberts’ registration means that he is eligible to vote in all federal, state and local elections despite not being a U.S. citizen, and also despite likely not having lived in Maryland for the past decade.

Morgan pointed to a letter the elections board sent to the Justice Department in August in which State Administrator of Elections Jared DeMarinis expressed concern that if the board gave over voter information to the federal government, that data would be “used for enforcement of immigration laws against Maryland residents.”

Roberts was working as the superintendent of public schools in Des Moines, Iowa, until he was arrested by ICE last week. According to officials, he attempted to flee ICE agents and was taken into custody on a fugitive warrant. He was found with $3,000 in cash, a fixed-blade hunting knife and a loaded Glock 19 firearm, according to ICE.

MARYLAND SENATOR SAYS ICE FACILITY HIDES ‘EVIL PERSISTING IN DARKNESS’ AFTER DENIED ACCESS

He came to the U.S. in 1999 from Guyana on a student visa and was arrested by ICE last week after having a final order of removal issued against him in 2024. He was hired as head of the Des Moines public schools in 2023 despite having illegal weapons possession charges against him from 2020.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

This comes after several Maryland Democrats, including Van Hollen and Ivey, have been outspoken in their support for the rights of illegal immigrants, even flying to El Salvador earlier this year to visit a suspected MS-13 gang member named Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who at the time was imprisoned after being deported by the Trump administration.

Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content. Here’s what’s happening…

-Who is Virginia’s next Glenn Youngkin: How the GOP wins statewide again

-Vance, Trump Jr’s plans to bolster Charlie Kirk’s ‘political legacy’ revealed: ‘Help grow it’

-DOJ sues LA sheriff’s office in first-ever gun-rights lawsuit over carry delays

Hegseth tells troops to resign if they oppose his plan to scrap ‘woke’ policies and restore warrior ethos

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth told service members to “resign” if they don’t like his message of eliminating “woke” diversity measures and removing restrictions on lethal force on the battlefield.

In a speech before hundreds of commanders at Quantico Marine Corps Base in Virginia, Hegseth declared the Defense Department “dead” in favor of the War Department and told troops that the military’s sole mission is “preparing for war and preparing to win.”

“If the words I’m speaking today are making your heart sink, then you should do the honorable thing and resign,” Hegseth told the audience. “We would thank you for your service. But I suspect the overwhelming majority of you feel the opposite. These words make your hearts full.”…READ MORE.

White House

DOLLAR DIPLOMACY: US companies secure record $170B in global contracts under Trump so far, Commerce says

ELITE SCHOOL AXED: Trump admin renews effort to exclude Harvard from billions in federal research grants

SCRIPTED PRESIDENCY: EXCLUSIVE: Unearthed Biden note cards reveal he had bios, photo reminders on Hillary Clinton, Schumer

WORST OF THE WORST: Illegal alien who sent ‘vulgar, racist’ bomb threat to female member of Congress arrested by ICE

‘WARRIOR SPIRIT’: Trump declares ‘reawakening’ of ‘warrior spirit,’ unwavering support for the military: ‘I have your backs’

‘WEAPONIZED’ POWER: Biden admin put some Americans who resisted mask mandates or were involved in Jan 6 on severe no-fly list: TSA

Capitol Hill

THE BIG WALKOUT: Shutdown fight casts a shadow over jobs as Trump prepares for largest federal resignation in US history

BLAME GAME: Nearly two-thirds say Democrats should not shut down the government: poll

BLOCKED BY THE RIGHT: House Democrats’ government funding proposal goes down in flames with shutdown deadline in hours

FUNDING FIASCO: House Democrats threaten shutdown fight to protect Obamacare perks

Across America 

JUSTICE DENIED: North Carolina father slams crime policies after daughter’s murder: ‘Stop protecting’ repeat offenders

VIRGINIA GRIM: VIDEO: Loudoun County leader says Charlie Kirk ‘promoted political violence’

ELECTION COUNTDOWN: Tennessee governor backs military veteran just days before crowded primary election

CLASH OVER CASH: Zohran Mamdani vows to fight back against Trump’s threat to withhold federal funding for NYC

‘WILL NOT TOLERATE’: FBI takes 4 illegal immigrants in Portland into custody after lasers aimed at CBP aircraft

SPECIAL TREATMENT?: Dem gubernatorial nominee hit with accusations of nepotism over children’s acceptance into Naval Academy

Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.

FIRST ON FOX: The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) office conducted an unprecedented large-scale investigation in Minneapolis this month, focused on those who were committing marriage and asylum fraud.

Under a mission known as Operation Twin Shield, officers targeted 1,000 cases, knocking on doors at more than 900 sites to conduct interviews and review immigration criteria. Coordinating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the FBI, they found fraud, non-compliance, or public safety and national security concerns in 275 cases.

It’s the first operation after a new rule finalized earlier this month allowed USCIS to expand its law enforcement duties.

In 44 of those cases, the immigrants were referred to ICE or given a notice to appear (NTA) in court. Two were detained on-site. The rest are still being investigated.

PATEL’S IMMIGRATION PUSH AT FBI YIELDS 10,000 ARRESTS SINCE JANUARY

In one example, an immigrant engaged in a sham marriage with an elderly U.S. citizen and subjected the citizen to “elder abuse and exploitation,” according to USCIS. Another immigrant admitted to fabricating a death certificate from Kenya for $100 to falsely claim the termination of a marriage — the spouse in question was alive, living in Minneapolis and the mother of five of his children.

Other cases included a petitioner who confessed to marriage fraud just hours after swearing under oath that her marriage was legitimate, and another involving an immigrant who had overstayed a visa waiver, was the son of a suspected terrorist, and had previously been denied benefits for fraud.

USCIS Director Joseph Edlow described the operation as part of a broader shift in enforcement posture under President Donald Trump. “USCIS is declaring an all-out war on immigration fraud. We will relentlessly pursue everyone involved in undermining the integrity of our immigration system and laws. With help from ICE and the FBI, USCIS’ Operation Twin Shield was a tremendous success — hundreds of bad actors will be held accountable,” Edlow said.

DHS ‘BLITZES’ CHICAGOLAND, NETTING ‘MANY ARRESTS’ AS NOEM ONSITE FOR IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN

The operation was conducted between Sept. 19 and 28 across the Minneapolis–St. Paul region. USCIS said it is the first time the agency has committed resources on this scale to a single geographic area and signaled more such crackdowns could follow.

Officials expect the number of NTAs, referrals to ICE and adverse adjudications to increase as investigations continue.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

The agency pointed to Executive Order 14161, which directs federal agencies to protect the United States from foreign terrorists and other public safety threats, as the framework guiding the operation. Officials emphasized that unlike during the Biden administration, USCIS officers are now empowered to thoroughly vet applicants and aggressively pursue fraud wherever it is encountered.

The Minneapolis surge marks the first time USCIS has deployed resources at this scale in a single region, and leadership suggested it could become a model for future crackdowns in other parts of the country. With more administrative investigations still underway, the number of arrests and court referrals is expected to rise.

House Democrats made a last-ditch effort to pass their own government funding proposal on Tuesday, which was quickly scuttled by the GOP.

Democrats are pushing a short-term extension of the current federal funding levels — called a continuing resolution (CR) — through Oct. 31, which also includes a host of left-wing policy riders derided by Republicans as non-starters.

With the deadline to avert a government shutdown less than 12 hours away, Democrat lawmakers gathered on the House floor with the intent of calling for unanimous consent to pass their bill. 

It takes just one House Republican to block such a move, which appears to be what Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, was poised to do. Dozens of Democrats, meanwhile, were gathered on the House floor to await the move.

SHUTDOWN EXPLAINED: WHO WORKS, WHO DOESN’T AND HOW MUCH IT COSTS

But the Republican designated to run the floor for the day, Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Va., ignored their yells of “Mr. Speaker.” He instead gaveled out the House’s brief session without acknowledging them at all.

Sparse chants of “shame on you” could be heard from Democrats after the session ended.

Under rules dictated by the Constitution, the chamber must meet for brief periods every few days called “pro forma” sessions to ensure continuity, even if there are no formal legislative matters at hand.

Pro forma sessions can also be opportunities for lawmakers to give brief speeches or introduce legislation that they otherwise would not have. 

SCHUMER, DEMOCRATS FACE HEAT FOR SHIFTING STANCE ON GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN THREAT

The House passed a GOP-led CR largely along party lines earlier this month. It would keep current government funding levels roughly flat until Nov. 21 to give Congress more time to strike a deal on fiscal year 2026 spending levels.

The measure is free from other policy riders, save for about $88 million toward enhanced security for lawmakers, the White House and the judicial branch — which has bipartisan support.

But Democrats, furious at being sidelined in those government funding discussions, are calling for both an extension of COVID-19 pandemic-era Obamacare subsidies and an end to Republicans’ recent Medicaid cuts in exchange for their support.

Their CR proposal would have reversed those Medicaid changes and restored federal funding to NPR and PBS that Republicans cut earlier this year.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Republicans, including President Donald Trump, have accused Democrats of making unreasonable partisan demands while holding federal government operations hostage in the process.

The House-passed CR is expected to be considered in the Senate later on Tuesday, where at least some Democrat support is needed to meet the 60-vote threshold to overcome a filibuster.

The government will likely enter into a partial shutdown at midnight if that legislation fails.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth told service members to “resign” if they don’t like his message of eliminating “woke” diversity measures and removing restrictions on lethal force on the battlefield.

In a speech before hundreds of commanders at Quantico Marine Corps Base in Virginia, Hegseth declared the Defense Department “dead” in favor of the War Department and told troops that the military’s sole mission is “preparing for war and preparing to win.”

“If the words I’m speaking today are making your heart sink, then you should do the honorable thing and resign,” Hegseth told the audience. “We would thank you for your service. But I suspect the overwhelming majority of you feel the opposite. These words make your hearts full.”

Last week, Hegseth called back generals and flag officers ranked one star and above from across the world for an unprecedented in-person address.

CALLING IN THE GENERALS: WHAT HEGSETH’S TOP-BRASS MEETING SHOULD — AND SHOULDN’T — MEAN

The secretary has already fired a dozen senior-ranking general officers.

Throughout the 45-minute address, Hegseth repeatedly attacked what he called decades of “decay” in the ranks, driven by diversity programs, lowered standards, and politicized leadership.

“We became the woke department. But not anymore,” Hegseth said. “No more identity months, DEI offices, dudes in dresses, no more climate change worship. No more division, distraction or gender delusions. No more debris. We are done with that.”

HEGSETH ORDERS ‘HISTORIC’ REDUCTION IN GENERAL OFFICERS IN THE MILITARY

The secretary said his directives will reestablish rigorous physical, grooming, and leadership standards — including requiring all combat positions to meet “male level” physical benchmarks. He said this would apply equally to men and women, even if it meant fewer female troops in certain roles.

“If women can make it, excellent. If not, it is what it is,” Hegseth said. “Weak men won’t qualify either. We’re not playing games.”

Hegseth announced ten new directives aimed at restoring what he called a “warrior ethos” across all branches, beginning with a return of all combat standards to their pre-2015 levels, reversing changes made to expand female participation. Fitness tests will be gender-neutral and administered twice a year for every rank, from privates to four-star generals, while grooming rules — including bans on beards and long hair — will be strictly enforced.

HEGSETH VOWS TO RESTORE WARRIOR MENTALITY AND RAISE STANDARDS IN SWEEPING MILITARY TRANSFORMATION

Training, he said, will pivot away from mandatory PowerPoint courses toward more time in the field and on weapons ranges. Basic training will also be reset to “scary, tough and disciplined” practices, with drill sergeants empowered to use physical intensity to forge recruits.

“Standards must be uniform, gender-neutral, and high,” Hegseth said. “If not, they’re just suggestions. And suggestions get our sons and daughters killed.”

Hegseth also criticized how terms like “toxic leadership,” “bullying,” and “hazing” have been applied, saying they were “weaponized” to punish tough leaders and promote risk-averse officers.

“Real toxic leadership is promoting people based on immutable characteristics or quotas instead of merit,” he said. “If that makes me toxic, then so be it.”

He announced changes to inspector generals, aiming to reduce what he called “frivolous complaints” and to put “power back in the hands of commanders and NCOs.”

Framing his remarks with references to George Washington and the Roman Empire, Hegseth said the War Department’s mission is to deter adversaries through “peace through strength,” warning that the U.S. faces mounting threats from China and other rivals.

“To our enemies, FAFO,” Hegseth said, using an acronym for “f*** around and find out.” “If necessary, our troops can translate that for you perfectly.”

Hegseth concluded by casting his directives as a liberation for troops stifled by political correctness.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

“Today is another Liberation Day, the liberation of America’s warriors in name, indeed, and in authorities,” he said. “You kill people and break things for a living. You are not politically correct and don’t necessarily belong always in polite society. You are warriors.”

He closed the address with a prayer. 

A government shutdown is all but assured to begin at 12:01 a.m. ET Wednesday. 

The Senate will take a test vote to break a filibuster on a House-passed interim spending bill later today. But that needs 60 yeas. That means Democratic votes are necessary, and that’s why the government likely shuts down. 

The House is not even in session this week. 

Plus, Yom Kippur begins Wednesday night at sundown. That means the government is closed for a minimum of several days. 

REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: DEMOCRATS’ SHUTDOWN GAMBLE REVEALS PARTY DIVISIONS, SCHUMER’S WEAK SPOT WITH THE LEFT 

The last time the government shut down was in 2018-2019. That 35-day shutdown was the longest in history. 

The Trump administration will determine which agencies and services are essential. For instance, those in the military, national security and intelligence personnel remain on the job. 

Lawmakers must be paid, under the 27th Amendment to the Constitution. 

REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: TRUMP HOLDS BIPARTISAN MEETING WITH CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS AS WEDNESDAY SHUTDOWN LOOMS

National Parks and museums usually close. However, the Postal Service continues to operate. Passport processing usually stops. Air traffic controllers continue to work. But they aren’t paid until there’s a resolution. The government continues to pay Social Security and other retirement or health benefits. But, there’s always the possibility that federal workers who process those checks could refuse to come to work if they’re not getting paid and a shutdown drags on. 

There’s often a tipping point in each government shutdown that triggers both sides to lay down their political swords and forge an agreement. That returns everyone to work. 

In 2013, U.S. Capitol Police officers were still on the job without pay when they got involved in a high-speed chase and shooting that started at the White House and wound up near the Hart Senate Office Building. Officers were injured in the mayhem. That prompted lawmakers from both sides to sober up and re-open the government.

Growing concern about aviation safety helped end a 2019 shutdown. Air traffic controllers worked for more than a month without pay. A small group of controllers elected to stay home. That prompted a temporary shutdown at LaGuardia Airport in New York. Issues also materialized in Newark, N.J., Atlanta and Philadelphia. Fear of a major air disaster prompted lawmakers and the first Trump administration to terminate the shutdown.

Who prevails in government shutdowns? It’s hard to gauge the political benefit. It’s widely believed that former President Bill Clinton won his standoff with former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., in 1995-1996. Clinton rode easily to reelection in the fall of 1996. Gingrich seemed to bleed support on Capitol Hill after the shutdown. But Gingrich secured significant spending reforms that ultimately resulted in a federal surplus a few years later. And Republicans maintained control of the House and Senate in 1996.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, engineered the 2013 shutdown over repealing Obamacare. Obamacare remains the law of the land. Cruz won reelection in 2018. Democrats didn’t flip the House in the 2014 midterms as Republicans expanded their majority, and the GOP gained control of the Senate.

The 2018-2019 shutdown started even before the House and Senate swore in freshmen elected in the 2018 midterms. So divining a political impact from that particular shutdown is challenging. A host of other factors — including the COVID-19 pandemic — were much bigger than the shutdown by the time we got to November 2020. Trump lost reelection that year. Democrats maintained control of the House in 2020. And Democrats narrowly flipped the Senate.