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The Ohio state Senate has passed a bill that would prevent schools from allowing students of the opposite sex into restrooms and locker rooms. 

The legislation, which requires Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine to sign in order to become law, aims to prevent transgender students from using facilities associated with their gender identities.

Senate Bill 104, the Protect All Students Act, was voted 24-7 Wednesday on a party-line vote. The House version of the bill was passed before the chamber went on summer break in June. 

STEPHEN A. SMITH SAYS ‘WE ARE SICK’ OF ‘TRANSGENDER ISSUES AND CULTURE WARS’ AFTER TEASING PRESIDENTIAL BID

DeWine has 10 days to sign the bill into law or veto it. The governor has said he’s inclined to sign the bill, but will conduct a legal review first, the Associated Press reports.

The bill applies to public K-12 schools and institutions of higher education. It requires schools to designate separate bathrooms, locker rooms and overnight accommodations “for the exclusive use” of either males and females, based on one’s gender assigned at or near birth, in both school buildings and facilities used for a school-sponsored event.

The passage of the bill was welcomed by Republicans, including state Sen. Jerry Cirino, who said the bill “is about safety and security,” while the ACLU of Ohio condemned it as a violation of the right of privacy of LGBTQ+ Ohioans that will make them less safe.

“We are incredibly disheartened by the Ohio General Assembly’s continuous attacks against transgender and gender non-conforming individuals across Ohio,” Jocelyn Rosnick, policy director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio said in a statement. 

INSIDE SAN JOSE STATE’S POLICE BATTLE TO PROTECT WOMEN’S ATHLETES THREATENED BY A TRANSGENDER CULTURE WAR

“Senate Bill 104 is a cruel invasion of students’ rights to privacy, which could result in unwarranted governmental disclosures of private, personal information.”

The group called on DeWine to veto the bill and said it is “closely considering next steps. 

The Center for Christian Virtue, a lobbying organization focused upon implementing conservative Christian sexual morality, commended legislators for passing the bill and called on DeWine to sign it. 

“Today is a huge victory for children and families in Ohio,” CCV Policy Director David Mahan said in a statement, adding that it will guarantee the only people entering young ladies’ private spaces are female, “not men claiming to be female.”

Cirino, who introduced S.B. 104, which revises the state’s college credits program, says the legislation was about common sense.

“It protects our children and grandchildren in private spaces where they are most vulnerable,” Cirino said, per the Ohio Capital Journal. “It is us using our legislative authority to ensure schools are, in fact, safe environments. After all, bathrooms, showers, changing rooms should all be safe places for our students.”

Various battles regarding the issue of transgender people using bathrooms that align with their gender as well as participating in female sports are playing out across the nation. President-elect Trump has repeatedly vowed to keep men out of women’s sports.

At least 11 states have adopted laws barring transgender girls and women from girls’ and women’s bathrooms in public schools and, in some cases, other government facilities.

The laws are in effect in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Utah. A judge’s order putting enforcement on hold is in place in Idaho.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

A Texas man is in FBI custody on Thursday after authorities say he attempted to support ISIS and planned a terrorist attack on American soil – all from his apartment in Houston.

Authorities said 28-year-old Anas Said was searching for ways to commit violent acts on behalf of the Islamic State in the Houston area. He has been charged with attempting to provide material support to the terrorist group.

Said was arrested last week at the apartment complex where he lived, according to FBI Special Agent in Charge Douglas Williams. 

Williams said that while in custody, Said admitted to researching how to conduct an attack on local military recruiting centers, offering his home as sanctuary for ISIS operatives, bragging that he would commit a “9/11-style” attack if he had the resources and attempting to produce ISIS propaganda.

“We stopped a potential terrorist attack from happening right here in Houston! Any day we can publicly say that is a good day,” FBI Houston said. 

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody has filed a lawsuit against current and former officials of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for allegedly ordering its workers to ignore storm victims who support President-elect Trump.

The revelation made headlines following whistle-blower reports that FEMA workers in Lake Placid, Florida, were told to skip over households of storm victims who showed support for Trump.

“FEMA workers followed these instructions and entered in a government database messages such as ‘Trump sign no entry per leadership,’” the lawsuit states. “According to whistleblowers, ‘at least 20 homes with Trump signs or flags’ in Lake Placid, Florida ‘were skipped from the end of October and into November due to the guidance.’”

Moody vowed to investigate the allegations as Floridians still face the threat of damaging storms this season.

FEMA OFFICIAL FIRED FOR TELLING STAFF TO AVOID HELPING TRUMP SUPPORTERS SAYS AGENCY SCAPEGOATING HER

“Hurricane season is not over, and the federal agency in charge of emergency response is embroiled in scandal – caught withholding aid from storm victims in Florida who support President Trump,” the attorney general said. “I am taking swift legal action to find out how far this political discrimination reaches and to make sure all Americans who fall victim to devastating storms are served, regardless of their political affiliation.”

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said he supports the legal action and further instructed other state agencies to take “any action necessary” to investigate and hold alleged wrongdoers accountable.

“It’s unacceptable for the federal government to discriminate against Floridians who voted for Trump, and especially egregious in the aftermath of a hurricane,” he said.

When Fox News Digital reached FEMA for comment about the legal action, a FEMA spokesperson said, “FEMA does not comment on pending litigation,” and provided a statement that FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell issued over the weekend about the incident and the firing of the employee.

FIRED FEMA EMPLOYEE SAYS INSTRUCTIONS TO SKIP TRUMP HOMES WERE PART OF ‘COLOSSAL AVOIDANCE’ POLICY

On Saturday, Criswell confirmed to Fox News Digital that the employee had been fired, calling her actions “reprehensible” and a clear violation of FEMA’s core values and principles to help people regardless of their political affiliation.

A FEMA spokesperson told Fox News on Friday that the agency was “deeply disturbed” by the fired worker’s actions but insisted it was an “isolated incident.”

The fired FEMA supervisor, Marn’i Washington, has said her actions were consistent with agency guidance and were not isolated to her team alone and claimed FEMA is scapegoating her.

“Why is this coming down on me? I am the person that jotted down the notes from my superiors and my notation in [Microsoft] Teams chat was exposed from their search capacity team,” Washington told “Fox News @ Night” on Wednesday.

The lawsuit is seeking punitive damages against Washington and Criswell in their individual capacities.

Fox News Digital’s Gabriel Hays, Michael Dorgan, Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, and Peter Pinedo contributed to this report.

More than a week after Election Day, the final outcome of the 2024 election is still yet to be decided as eight House races remain uncalled.

Republican Donald Trump won the presidency again and the GOP will have the Senate majority. The GOP is projected to maintain a majority in the House of Representatives, but the size of that majority will be unclear until all the votes are counted. The balance of power currently sits at 218 seats for Republicans and 209 for the Democrats. 

Oregon’s 5th Congressional District was the latest race to be called Thursday, where Democrat Janelle Bynum is projected to oust Republican incumbent Rep. Lori-Chavez-DeRemer.

Here’s where things stand with the uncalled House races: 

GOP INCUMBENT PROJECTED TO DEFEAT DEM CHALLENGER IN CLOSELY WATCHED ARIZONA HOUSE RACE

Democratic incumbent Rep. Mary Sattler Peltola is in a tight race in Alaska’s at-large congressional district, where she is trailing Republican entrepreneur Nick Begich.

As of Thursday morning, Begich holds more than a 3-point lead at 49% of the vote compared to Peltola’s 45.9%. The vote count sits at 145,754 to 136,319, with roughly 94% of the vote counted.

Democratic incumbent Josh Harder leads Republican challenger Kevin Lincoln by more than 3 percentage points. Though the race is uncalled, Lincoln has conceded to Harder.

“While the results are not what we had hoped for, I remain incredibly proud of the journey we’ve shared and the incredible progress we’ve made together,” Lincoln said in a statement. 

“This campaign may have ended, but the work continues.” 

The district had about 86% of the vote recorded as of Thursday, and Harder’s lead expanded to 8,125 votes. 

Republican Rep. John Duarte is leading former Democratic state assembly member Adam Gray in California’s 13th Congressional District, but the highly contested race remains uncalled as of Thursday.

Roughly 74% of the vote has been counted, and Duarte holds a 51.2% to 48.8% lead. The pair is separated by just under 4,000 votes.

Incumbent Democratic Rep. Jim Costa leads his Republican challenger, Michael Maher, in a 51.6% to 48.4% race as of Thursday morning.

So far, 81.7% of the vote has been counted, and Costa’s lead is more than 5,000 votes. 

Incumbent Republican Rep. Michelle Steel leads her Democratic challenger Derek Tran by a few hundred votes as of Thursday morning. A little more than 92% of the votes have been counted, and Steel’s lead has shrunk to 349 votes.

REPUBLICANS PROJECTED TO KEEP CONTROL OF HOUSE AS TRUMP PREPARES TO IMPLEMENT AGENDA

Republican incumbent Rep. Mariannet Miller-Meeks holds a less than 1% lead over challenger Christina Bohannan with 99% of the vote counted. Miller-Meeks’ lead sits at just under 1,000 votes.

Democratic incumbent Jared Golden holds a razor-thin lead over Republican challenger Austin Theriault as of Thursday morning.

With 98% of the votes counted, Golden’s lead sits at less than 800 votes.

TRUMP THROWS FULL SUPPORT BEHIND MIKE JOHNSON BEFORE SPEAKER ELECTION

Democratic incumbent Marcy Kaptur leads her Republican challenger, Derek Merrin, by less than 1 point with 99% of the votes counted. Kaptur’s lead sits at just over 1,000 votes as of Tuesday.

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Oregon Republican Rep. Lori-Chavez-DeRemer has been ousted by Democratic challenger state Rep. Janelle Bynum in the state’s 5th Congressional District, The Associated Press projected Thursday, more than a week after Election Day.

The win narrows the Republican majority in the House to 218 seats to Democrats’ 209.

The race was rated a toss-up by the Fox News Power Rankings.

Chavez-DeRemer was elected to Congress in 2022, defeating her Democratic opponent by two points. With the victory, Chavez-DeRemer became the first woman to represent Oregon in the House of Representatives.

Bynum, who previously defeated Chavez-DeRemer in Oregon legislature races multiple times, was elected to the Oregon House in 2016 and has served on the chamber’s small business committee. She is also the owner of four McDonald’s franchises.

PACIFIC NORTHWEST COULD DECIDE WHICH PARTY CONTROLS THE HOUSE

The two candidates engaged in a contentious race in recent months, with Bynum attempting to link Chavez-DeRemer to President-elect Donald Trump and her position on abortion, as the congresswoman hit Bynum on crime and illegal immigration. 

Last month, it was first reported by Fox News Digital that Bynum was the subject of an ethics complaint for allegedly failing to properly report allegations of sexual harassment and assault against a PAC staffer that worked on her campaign. Bynum has denied those allegations, which the two candidates sparred over in multiple debates.

‘INCENDIARY DEVICE’ SPARKS FIRE AT PORTLAND, OREGON BALLOT BOX

Election experts predicted that the race between Chavez-DeRemer and Bynum could play a key role in deciding which party controls Congress.

High-profile figures campaigned for both candidates in the campaign’s closing weeks, with GOP House Speaker Mike Johnson rallying with Chavez-DeRemer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries stumping for Bynum. 

Oregon’s recently redrawn 5th Congressional District covers Linn County, most of Clackamas, Deschutes, and parts of Multnomah and Marion counties.

Some Democratic lawmakers blasted former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard after President-elect Donald Trump tapped her to serve as director of National Intelligence, a cabinet-level post.

Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., declared in a post on X that she was “appalled” by the selection of Gabbard for the role. 

“Not only is she ill-prepared and unqualified, but she traffics in conspiracy theories and cozies up to dictators like Bashar-al Assad and Vladimir Putin,” Spanberger claimed in a post on X.

TRUMP APPOINTS TULSI GABBARD AS DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE: ‘FEARLESS SPIRIT’

Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., called the choice of Gabbard as DNI “incredibly reckless,” declaring in a tweet, “Putting someone with known sympathies for foreign adversaries is not putting America’s interests first – it’s putting our security at risk.”

Rep. Seth Magaziner, D-R.I., seemed to suggest that having Gabbard serve as DNI would place national secrets at risk.

“Tulsi Gabbard’s deep ties to some of our nation’s most dangerous adversaries, including Bashar al-Assad of Syria and Vladimir Putin of Russia, make her an untrustworthy guardian of our nation’s most closely held secrets,” Magaziner said in the statement. 

“As the highest-ranking intelligence official in the federal government, she would have access to information spanning everything from our nation’s nuclear weapons program to the location and activities of our military service members, and we cannot risk this information falling into the hands of our adversaries,” he asserted.

TRANS ATHLETES IN WOMEN’S SPORTS WILL GET ‘RADICALLY WORSE’ UNDER A HARRIS PRESIDENCY, WARNS TULSI GABBARD

Gabbard served in the U.S. House of Representatives from early 2013 through early 2021 as a Democrat. She mounted a presidential bid in 2019 but ultimately dropped out in 2020 and backed Joe Biden.

The former lawmaker supported Trump during the 2024 election and announced that she was joining the Republican Party.

“I’ve been a soldier for over 21 years, and currently serve as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Army Reserve,” she noted in a post on Veterans Day this week. 

TULSI GABBARD SAYS TRUMP ‘LISTENS’ AND ‘RECOGNIZES’ CHALLENGES AMERICANS FACE

“The best way for us to honor our veterans, not just on #VeteransDay, but every day, is to make sure that our men and women in uniform are only sent into harms’ way as a last resort when all diplomatic measures have been exhausted, and actually take care of them and their families, if and when they return home,” she noted.

Fox News Digital attempted to reach out to Gabbard for comment on Thursday.

The Republican National Committee (RNC) filed two new lawsuits in Pennsylvania after several state boards of elections voted to count several undated mail ballots following the state supreme court’s ruling on the issue.

The two suits come in light of Democrat incumbent Sen. Bob Casey refusing to concede the tightly run race to his GOP challenger, Sen.-elect Dave McCormick.

“Tonight the RNC is filing two new lawsuits — in Bucks County and the Pennsylvania Supreme Court — to STOP the counting of illegal ballots. We have won this court battle several times already,” GOP Chairman Michael Whatley tweeted on X Wednesday evening. 

“The RNC is filing a motion in the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to ensure that Pennsylvania’s democratic process is not undermined by the inclusion of illegal ballots in the final vote count,” Whatley said in a statement released. “Pennsylvanians are ready to move forward with Dave McCormick representing them in the Senate as Bob Casey torches whatever legacy he had with these anti-democratic schemes.”

CASEY CAMPAIGN, REFUSING TO CONCEDE, ACCUSES MCCORMICK OF TRYING TO ‘DISENFRANCHISE’ VOTERS WITH LAWSUITS

The Philadelphia City Commissioners told Fox News Digital in a statement that several Pennsylvania county boards of elections, including Philadelphia, had voted to count a “relatively small number of undated and incorrectly dated mail ballots.”

“Republicans filed a petition to the PA Supreme Court against all counties to attempt to stop all counties from counting these ballots,” the statement said. “They also filed a statutory appeal challenging Bucks County’s decision to count undated and incorrectly dated mail ballots. We are reviewing the filings.”

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court previously sided with the GOP in its effort to block the counting of undated mail-in ballots ahead of the 2024 general election. 

PENNSYLVANIA SENATE RACE TRIGGERS RECOUNT, WITH MCCORMICK PROJECTED TO WIN AND CASEY YET TO CONCEDE

“It’s ridiculous,” an RNC official told Fox News Digital. “The court just ruled on this two weeks ago. And it’s just very clear to us that Democrat lawyers and officials see a way to kind of make money off of Bob Casey by trying out this process, but Dave McCormick is already in D.C. to attend Senate orientation.”

Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt announced in a press statement Wednesday that the “unofficial results in the Nov. 5 general election race for U.S. Senate” had triggered an automatic statewide recount. 

As of Wednesday, Casey had won 3,350,972 votes (48.50%), while McCormick had won 3,380,310 votes (48.93%), according to the statement released. 

BOB CASEY REFUSES TO CONCEDE PA SENATE RACE AS SCHUMER WELCOMES REPUBLICAN MCCORMICK AMONG NEW SENATORS

Once the counties have finalized counting their ballots, they must begin their recounts no later than Wednesday, Sept. 20 and finish by Nov. 26 at noon. Results reports must then be submitted to the secretary by noon on Nov. 27.

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling effectively overturned a decision from a Commonwealth Court just days ahead of the Nov. 5 election, which held that the state law requiring a handwritten date was unconstitutional. The Pennsylvania GOP appealed that ruling to the state supreme court. 

Pennsylvania Republicans applauded the ruling at the time, saying Democrats have repeatedly tried to subvert the dating requirement.

“The Pennsylvania Supreme Court upheld the law, and the dated ballot requirement will be in effect for this election. Democrats have repeatedly tried to eliminate this important ballot safeguard, and we have stopped them each time,” Whatley said in a statement at the time. 

Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., is planning to make ushering in President-Elect Donald Trump’s immigration agenda the first item on his to-do list when he succeeds Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., in the new Congress, when Republicans will have a majority in both the upper chamber and the House. 

“Now the real work begins delivering on our agenda,” he said in a floor speech on Thursday. “That starts with ending the Biden-Harris border crisis and deporting illegal immigrants.”

He said repairing the economy is also near the top of his list. As crucial elements of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 passed by Trump are set to expire in 2025, Thune said Republicans will take action through the budget reconciliation process to renew them. 

MATT GAETZ FACES GOP SENATE OPPOSITION AFTER TRUMP SELECTION FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL

The budget reconciliation process would allow Republicans to avoid Democrats blocking action on the economy, because it cannot be filibustered or delayed as bills can be. The 53-member incoming Republican majority would be able to push the item through without issues. 

The South Dakota Republican further highlighted the significant communication and procedural changes that his leadership will usher in, which have been a frequent point of criticism by senators under McConnell’s reign. 

According to Thune, his office would be “a resource, not a roadblock” for his conference members. 

THUNE WINS SECRET BALLOT TO BECOME NEW SENATE GOP LEADER, SUCCEEDING MCCONNELL

In a notable win for many outspoken conservative hard-line senators, he stressed his “commitment to amendments.” 

“[A]ll members of the Senate, and not just the members of a particular committee, should have a voice in final legislation through amendments on the floor. Members should assume that amendment votes will be the norm,” he said. 

RICK SCOTT KNOCKED OUT OF SENATE LEADER RACE ON FIRST BALLOT AS THUNE AND CORNYN ADVANCE

The Senate has operated in recent history by often using amendment trees, which are filled with pre-determined amendments offered by the majority leader. This prevented individual senators from offering their own amendments on the floor.

In another achievement for vocal GOP critics of both McConnell and the current Congress, Thune made clear, “Members should also expect a return to regular order in the Senate next year.” This, he said, includes the appropriations process, “so that we don’t constantly wind up with an end of the year pileup and problematic continuing resolutions.”

TED CRUZ GETS BEHIND RICK SCOTT FOR LEADER, IN BLOW TO FELLOW TEXAN JOHN CORNYN

The Congress is notably on track for another potential stopgap spending bill ahead of Christmas when the deadline for the last continuing resolution expires. 

The minority whip added that confirming Trump’s nominees will also be high on his to-do list “and members should expect an aggressive schedule until those nominees are confirmed.”

Further, he foreshadowed open lines of communication with both House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Trump in order to deliver on these priorities with the new federal GOP trifecta. 

The Biden administration’s National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued an opinion on Wednesday that bars businesses from expressing their views on unionization to a “captive audience” of employees.

The ruling came in response to a series of labor complaints issued against Amazon over mandatory meetings during which representatives of the company allegedly urged employees to reject unionization. According to the board, such meetings violate the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), which was passed in 1935 to protect workers’ ability to organize. 

“Ensuring that workers can make a truly free choice about whether they want union representation is one of the fundamental goals of the National Labor Relations Act. Captive audience meetings—which give employers near-unfettered freedom to force their message about unionization on workers under threat of discipline or discharge—undermine this important goal,” NLRB Chairman Lauren McFerran said in a Wednesday press release. “Today’s decision better protects workers’ freedom to make their own choices in exercising their rights under the Act, while ensuring that employers can convey their views about unionization in a noncoercive manner.”

The NLRB, an independent federal agency with leaders who were appointed by President Biden, articulated multiple reasons for why they believe “captive audience” meetings violate the law.

NEW YORK TIMES TECH EMPLOYEES REMAIN ON STRIKE, GUILD TARGETS HIGH-PAID CEO MEREDITH KOPIT

Among them was that these meetings violate employee rights under Section 7 of the NLRA. Section 7 protects employees’ ability to engage in, or not engage in, “concerted efforts” for the purposes of collective bargaining.

The ruling did leave employers the right to engage in voluntary meetings that express their views on unionization.

In a dissenting opinion, the NLRB’s only Republican member, Marvin Kaplan, wrote that the board’s ruling banning “captive audience” meetings was “flagrantly unconstitutional.”

LABOR DAY A HARSH REMINDER UNIONS TURNED INTO THE BOSSES THEY PRETEND TO DISLIKE

“The majority’s attempt to ban so-called ‘captive-audience speeches’ harkens back to an earlier era when the Board sought to impose on employers a policy of strict neutrality regarding unionization,” Kaplan also wrote. 

Meanwhile, an Amazon spokesperson echoed Kaplan’s points in a statement to Courthouse News Service.

“This decision ignores over 75 years of precedent, contradicts the express language of the NLRA, and violates the First Amendment – it’s wrong on the facts and the law, and we intend to appeal,” said Amazon spokesperson Mary Kate Paradis. “Meetings like this are held by many companies because the decision about whether or not to join a union is an important one – and employees deserve to understand the facts so they can make an informed choice.”

Neither the NLRB nor Amazon responded to inquiries from Fox News Digital in time for publication.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – President-elect Donald Trump is on a Cabinet announcement spree just a week after his massive win against Vice President Kamala Harris, with his eyes locked on who he will announce to head up his White House communications team. 

Karoline Leavitt is the leading name for press secretary after she worked as the Trump campaign’s national press secretary throughout the high-stakes election cycle. Alina Habba, Trump’s legal spokeswoman and adviser, was also viewed as a front-runner for the position but said Thursday she would “be better served in other capacities.”

“While I am flattered by the support and speculation, the role of Press Secretary is not a role I am considering. Although I love screaming from a podium I will be better served in other capacities. This adminstration is going to be epic! So proud of the Trump team, the latest appointments and 47!” she posted to X on Thursday morning. 

Speculation has mounted that in addition to Leavitt – and previously Habba – Trump could potentially announce former President George W. Bush aide and CNN contributor Scott Jennings for the role, or longtime Trump adviser and ally Jason Miller, or campaign spokesman and adviser Steven Cheung. Other names floated as potential contenders include former ESPN host Sage Steele, RNC spokeswoman Elizabeth Pipko and former Trump administration official Monica Crowley.

TRUMP’S PICKS SO FAR: HERE’S WHO WILL BE ADVISING THE NEW PRESIDENT

During Trump’s first administration, the communications team saw, at times, a revolving door of press secretaries and communications directors. 

TRUMP’S VICTORY IS THE ‘REVENGE OF THE WORKING-CLASS AMERICAN,’ SAYS CNN’S SCOTT JENNINGS

Back in 2016, Trump announced Sean Spicer as his first press secretary, who served in the position from Jan. 20, 2017 to July of that year. Spicer resigned after Trump named Anthony Scaramucci as communications director in a communications team shake-up. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who currently serves as governor of Arkansas, took over the position from July 2017 until July 2019. 

Scaramucci served as communications director for about 10 days before he was shown the door and has since been a top critic of the former and upcoming president. Spicer had also served as acting communications director during Trump’s first administration and was followed by Scaramucci, Hope Hicks, Bill Shine and finally Stephanie Grisham as communications directors. 

TRUMP’S SPEEDY CABINET PICKS SHOW HIS ‘PRIORITY TO PUT AMERICA FIRST,’ TRANSITION TEAM SAYS

On the press secretary front, Grisham followed Sanders as press secretary, notably serving in the role in the early days of the pandemic before Kayleigh McEnany took over the role, serving in the position until President Biden’s inauguration in 2021. 

Trump’s second administration is already coming together at a much faster pace than during his 2016 transition phase, with Trump announcing 20 individuals for key Cabinet and administration positions as of Thursday. 

“The American people re-elected President Trump by a resounding margin, giving him a mandate to implement the promises he made on the campaign trail — and his Cabinet picks reflect his priority to put America First. President Trump will continue to appoint highly qualified men and women who have the talent, experience and necessary skill sets to Make America Great Again,” Leavitt told Fox News Digital when asked about Trump’s speedy roll-out of Cabinet picks earlier this week. 

LOYALTY MATTERS: TRUMP PICKS ALLIES AND SUPPORTERS TO FILL OUT HIS ADMINISTRATION

Trump tapped Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., for example, to serve as his national security adviser, announcing that pick on Tuesday, about three days ahead of his announcement for the same role in 2016, when he chose former Army Gen. Mike Flynn for the position about 10 days after Election Day. 

Trump also announced he chose former New York Republican Rep. Lee Zeldin to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, a pick Trump did not make until Dec. 7, 2016, when he tapped Scott Pruitt to serve in the role.

Trump’s first pick for his administration, Susie Wiles for chief of staff, was announced the day after the election, while his 2016 announcement of Reince Priebus as chief of staff was made five days after the election. 

Trump has made one communications appointment announcement, revealing on Wednesday that Taylor Budowich will serve as an assistant to the president and deputy chief of staff for communications and personnel. 

Trump did not announce his first press secretary pick back in 2016 until Dec. 22, 2016, though this year’s pick is anticipated to be publicly announced much sooner, similar to his Cabinet announcements.