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President-elect Trump is expected to pick Stephen Miller as deputy chief of staff for policy in his administration. 

Vice President-elect JD Vance posted a message of congratulations to Miller on X Monday morning.

“This is another fantastic pick by the president,” Vance wrote, following a CNN report about Trump’s pick. 

FORMER ICE DIRECTOR TOM HOMAN ‘HONORED’ TO BE APPOINTED TRUMP’S BORDER CZAR: ‘WE HAVE TO FIX IT’

Miller was a senior adviser in Trump’s first term. He helped craft many of Trump’s hard-line speeches and plans on immigration. 

Since Trump left office, Miller has served as the president of America First Legal, an organization of former Trump advisers fashioned as a conservative version of the American Civil Liberties Union, challenging the Biden administration, media companies, universities and others over issues such as freedom of speech and religion and national security.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Popular podcast host Joe Rogan revealed more details about how his attempt to interview Vice President Kamala Harris before the election never materialized.

“There were a few restrictions of things they didn’t want to talk about, but I said, ‘I don’t give a f—, get her in here.’ Like, whatever you want to talk about,” Rogan said on a Friday episode of “The Joe Rogan Experience.”

The comments come after Rogan made waves by endorsing President-elect Donald Trump the day before the election, a rare nod to a political candidate by a podcast host who has earned a legion of loyal followers.

TRUMP VICTORY PROVES IMPORTANCE OF CANDID, LONGFORM PODCASTS AS PLATFORM SHOWED ‘HUMAN SIDE’ OF ONE CANDIDATE

Rogan’s endorsement of Trump after he appeared for an interview on the podcast in late October, talking to Rogan for nearly three hours. Rogan would later go on to interview billionaire Elon Musk, who became a key Trump ally down the stretch run of the campaign.

However, similar attempts to get Harris on his show did not bear fruit for the podcast star, who revealed Friday that he would have talked about anything in an attempt to get to know the Democratic presidential candidate.

“I bet there’s a person in there. I bet I can get to that person,” Rogan said. “I would love to talk to her about all kinds of s—.”

JOE ROGAN SAYS HARRIS SITDOWN WAS SCRAPPED AFTER CAMPAIGN TOLD HIM SHE ‘ONLY WANTED TO DO AN HOUR’

Rogan had previously revealed that there was hope of a last minute chance to sit down with Harris before Election Day, but those plans were scrapped when her team asked Rogan to travel to her for only a one-hour interview.

“Also, for the record, the Harris campaign has not passed on doing the podcast,” Rogan said the day before the election. “They offered a date for Tuesday, but I would have had to travel to her, and they only wanted to do an hour. I strongly feel the best way to do it is in the studio in Austin.”

“My sincere wish is to just have a nice conversation and get to know her as a human being. I really hope we can make it happen,” Rogan added.

Rogan also revealed he was asked by Harris’ team if the show would be edited, something Rogan said he would not do.

“They want to know if I edit. I was like, there’s not going to be any editing, there’s no editing. We’re not going to edit,” Rogan said.

Rogan, who boasts 14.5 million followers on Spotify and 17.6 million followers on YouTube, said that at the end of the day, he was just hoping for a conversation with Harris, arguing you can find out a lot about a person over the course of a few hours.

“I just wanted to talk. I feel like you give someone a couple of hours and you start talking about anything, I’m going to see the pattern of the way you think, I’m going to see the way you process ideas, I’m going to see whether or not you’re calculated or whether you’re just free,” Rogan said.

The Harris campaign did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment.

New York Rep. Elise Stefanik, who hammered elite university leaders for their handling of anti-Israel agitators who stormed college campuses in the last year, will be nominated to serve as President-elect Donald Trump’s ambassador to the U.N. 

“I am honored to nominate Chairwoman Elise Stefanik to serve in my Cabinet as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. Elise is an incredibly strong, tough, and smart America First fighter,” Trump said in comment provided to Fox News Digital. A person with direct knowledge of the matter additionally confirmed to Fox News Digital that Trump has chosen the New York Republican for the role.

Stefanik is a longtime Trump ally who has chaired the House Republican Conference since 2021, serving as the fourth-most powerful Republican in the House. She was first elected to the House in blue New York in 2014 at the age of 30, making her the youngest woman elected to the House at the time. 

In the last year alone, Stefanik has been a conservative firebrand who grilled “morally bankrupt” college leaders over their handling of antisemitism on campus following Hamas attacking Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. 

“Northwestern, Rutgers and UCLA negotiated with pro-Hamas terrorist encampments, bent the knee to the radical antisemitic mob and surrendered their campuses to illegal antisemitic encampments while repeatedly ignoring the harassment and violence against Jewish students and faculty,” Stefanik told Fox News Digital back in May as she was set to grill another group of college leaders. 

TRUMP NAMES STEFANIK UN AMBASSADOR

“House Republicans will use every  tool at our disposal to ensure accountability from campus leadership for allowing self-proclaimed terrorists to turn once acclaimed American colleges into dens of antisemitic hate.”

During last year’s college school year, agitators and student protesters flooded college campuses nationwide to protest the war in Israel, which also included spiking instances of antisemitism and Jewish students publicly speaking out that they do not feel safe on some campuses. 

STEFANIK SPARS WITH HEAD OF TOP SCHOOL OVER FAILING GRADE ON ANTISEMITISM, STUNNING WHISTLEBLOWER CLAIM

Radicals on Columbia University’s campus, for example, took over the school’s Hamilton Hall building, while schools such as UCLA, Harvard and Yale worked to clear spiraling student encampments where protesters demanded their elite schools completely divest from Israel. 

Terrorist organization Hamas launched a war in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which initially fanned the flames of antisemitism on campuses in the form of protests, menacing graffiti and students reporting that they felt as if it was “open season for Jews on our campuses.” The protests then heightened to the point Jewish students at some schools, including Columbia, were warned to leave campus for their own safety. 

NEW BATCH OF ‘MORALLY BANKRUPT’ COLLEGE ADMINISTRATORS TO BE GRILLED OVER CAMPUS ANTISEMITISM BY HOUSE

Stefanik has served as a leading voice against antisemitism, including taking victory laps when University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill and Harvard President Claudine Gay resigned from their positions amid widespread backlash for waffling in their answers to Stefanik during a House hearing last year. 

Stefanik grilled Magill and Gay in December regarding whether “calling for the genocide of Jews” violates the respective school’s codes of conduct. The pair were both unable to provide direct answers. 

STEFANIK GRILLS HARVARD PRESIDENT OVER STUDENTS CALLING FOR ‘INTIFADA,’ RAMPANT ANTISEMITISM ON CAMPUS

“It can be, depending on the context,” Gay responded.

“Antisemitic speech when it crosses into conduct that amounts to bullying, harassment, intimidation – that is actionable conduct, and we do take action,” Gay said when pressed to answer “yes” or “no” if calls for the genocide of Jews breaks school rules. 

“So the answer is yes, that calling for the genocide of Jews violates Harvard code of conduct, correct?” Stefanik asked.

“Again, it depends on the context,” Gay said.

“It does not depend on the context. The answer is yes and this is why you should resign,” Stefanik responded. “These are unacceptable answers across the board.”

Magill answered similarly during the hearing, with both issuing apologies following outrage from Jewish groups, the public and lawmakers that the school presidents could not unequivocally answer Stefanik’s questions. The pair subsequently resigned from their Ivy League jobs as outrage mounted. 

CAMPUS ‘OCCUPATION GUIDE’ TAPS INTO AGITATORS’ ‘RAGE,’ INSTRUCTS HOW TO ‘ESCALATE’ CHAOS

“One down. Two to go,” Stefanik posted after their resignations. “This is only the very beginning of addressing the pervasive rot of antisemitism that has destroyed the most ‘prestigious’ higher education institutions in America. This forced resignation of the president of @Penn is the bare minimum of what is required. These universities can anticipate a robust and comprehensive Congressional investigation of all facets of their institutions negligent perpetration of antisemitism including administrative, faculty, funding, and overall leadership and governance.”

Stefanik continued grilling college administrators in other hearings, and has also publicly lambasted anti-Israel protests that have cropped up, including when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the United States in July and Vice President Kamala Harris skipping his address to Congress. 

STEFANIK FILES ETHICS COMPLAINT AGAINST TRUMP TRIAL JUDGE ALLEGING HARRIS CAMPAIGN PAID HIS DAUGHTER’S COMPANY

“Kamala Harris’ embarrassing snub of @netanyahu’s Joint Address to Congress was a stunt to appease the pro-Hamas base of the Democrat Party that just burned American flags, clashed with police, and spread dangerous pro-terror chaos and violence. Why won’t Kamala disavow these antisemitic terrorist sympathizers?” Stefanik posted to her X account of Harris. The vice president ultimately did condemn the protests in July during Netanyahu’s visit to the U.S., and met with Netanyahu one-on-one after skipping his address to Congress. 

Stefanik also supported Trump amid his Manhattan criminal trial, where he was found guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree in May. Trump has maintained his innocence in the case, calling the trial a “witch hunt” and “scam” promoted by Democrats to hamper his campaign for the White House. 

“Today’s verdict shows how corrupt, rigged, and unAmerican the weaponized justice system has become under Joe Biden and Democrats. I fully support President Trump appealing this decision and look forward to a higher New York Court to deliver justice and overturn this verdict,” Stefanik told Fox Digital following the verdict. 

STEFANIK FILES ETHICS COMPLAINT AGAINST TRUMP TRIAL JUDGE, CITES DAUGHTER’S WORK FOR GROUP PROMOTING DEMS

“The facts are clear: this was a zombie case illegally brought forward by a corrupt prosecutor doing Joe Biden’s political bidding in a desperate attempt to save Joe Biden’s failing campaign,” she continued. 

Stefanik also railed against the presiding judge in the case, Juan Merchan, filing ethics complaints against him for an alleged conflict of interest pertaining to his daughter’s role at a firm known for representing Democratic politicians. She filed ethics complaints in both May and September, with the most recent complaint alleging Merchan’s daughter’s consulting firm was working with the Harris campaign. 

“On August 20, 2024, Vice President Harris’s campaign submitted its first Federal Election Commission (FEC) report that documented expenses and donations through July 31, 2024. In the report… a July 30, 2024, disbursement appears in the amount of $468.00 from Vice President Harris’s campaign to Authentic Campaigns Inc. (Authentic) for web hosting services,” Stefanik wrote in her complaint. “This indicates that one of the very first things that Harris did upon taking over the Biden campaign infrastructure is to hire this firm, Authentic.”

“Authentic is a digital consulting and marketing firm that services Democrat candidates. Loren Merchan, Justice Merchan’s daughter, is its president,” Stefanik added.

Under Trump’s first administration, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and former diplomat Kelly Craft served as U.N. ambassadors. 

The U.N. is currently bracing for a shake-up following Trump’s massive win last week over Harris. 

“They will have to recalibrate now very much again in the Trump administration that will, I believe, be much more attentive, engaged and monitoring of the U.N.,” predicted Hugh Dugan, a longtime member of the U.S. delegation to the U.N., Fox Digital previously reported. 

“There are teams there that have been sleepwalking the last few years without U.S. pressure on accountability, efficiency and effectiveness.”

‘POTENTIAL MISCONDUCT’ BEHIND JUDGE MERCHAN’S SEVERAL TRUMP TRIAL ASSIGNMENTS, STEFANIK SAYS

The U.N. will elect its next secretary general in 2026, when Trump will be back in the Oval Office and the U.S. has veto power over candidates. 

“Over the next year and a half, it’s going to make an effort to look more managerially competent to avoid some of the stern green eyes seated across here – attention that Elon Musk and the Trump team will want to bring to the consideration of the secretary general selection.”

In addition to the anticipated U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accords and the U.N. Global Compact on Migration, the Trump administration is expected to make financial cuts to the U.N., following his cuts to the international body during his first term. 

“There’s no doubt the U.N. is frightened and horrified,” of Trump taking office, said Hillel Neuer, executive director of U.N. Watch. 

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION COULD LEAD TO BUDGET CUTS, LEADERSHIP SHAKEUP AT UN

“We’re going to see budget cuts,” he said. “The most memorable being UNRWA.” 

Stefanik has shown herself as a fervent ally of Trump’s, who does not shy away from sparring with liberals or railing against what she views as corruption or mismanagement, likely teeing up fireworks for her role as U.N. ambassador. 

“I am truly honored to earn President Trump’s nomination to serve in his Cabinet as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations,” Stefanik told the New York Post, which first reported on the nomination Sunday. “During my conversation with President Trump, I shared how deeply humbled I am to accept his nomination and that I look forward to earning the support of my colleagues in the United States Senate. President Trump’s historic landslide election has given hope to the American people and is a reminder that brighter days are ahead — both at home and abroad.” 

Fox News Digital’s Morgan Phillips contributed to this report. 

California voters shut down a ballot effort that would have banned the use of forced labor as a punishment for crime in the state.

The measure, known as Proposition 6, would have amended the state’s constitution to ban forced labor in all circumstances. The state’s constitution currently allows for an exception for forced labor bans in the case of punishment for crimes.

The measure was part of a wider movement among far-left Democrats in California who want the state to atone for past racism against Black residents. Activists previously failed to push through reparations bills in September.

A representative for Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., who supported the measure, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

NATHAN HOCHMAN OUSTS EMBATTLED LIBERAL PROSECUTOR GEORGE GASCON AS LA COUNTY DA AMID CRIME CONCERNS

Democratic assembly member Lori Wilson, who helped push the ballot measure, addressed the failure in a statement.

“While it’s disappointing that our measure to remove slavery from California’s constitution was not approved by the voters, this setback does not end the fight,” Wilson wrote in a statement. “Together, we will continue pushing forward to ensure that our state’s constitution reflects the values of equality and freedom that all Californians deserve.”

The measure’s failure comes months after a pair of reparations-related bills for the descendants of enslaved Black Americans failed to pass in the California legislature in early September.

Authored by Democrat state Sen. Steven Bradford of Inglewood, Senate Bill 1331 would have created a new state fund for reparations, while Senate Bill 1403 would have established a state agency to oversee these efforts and determine who would be eligible. 

PELOSI PRAISES CA BILL GIVING ILLEGAL MIGRANTS MONEY TO BUY HOMES: ‘AMERICAN DREAM’ ‘AVAILABLE TO MORE PEOPLE’

These measures were considered key components of some lawmakers’ ambitious efforts to pass legislation aimed at atoning for what they said was a legacy of racist policies that drove disparities for Black people, from housing to education to health.

Bradford said the bills didn’t move forward out of fear that Gov. Gavin Newsom would veto them.

“We’re at the finish line, and we, as the Black Caucus, owe it to the descendants of chattel slavery, to Black Californians and Black Americans, to move this legislation forward,” Bradford said, urging his colleagues to reconsider Saturday afternoon.

Thomas Homan, who President-elect Donald Trump appointed as “border czar” on Sunday night, has a clear message for any Democratic governors who oppose the planned mass deportation operation.

“If they’re not willing to help, then get the hell out of the way because [Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)] is going to do their job,” Homan, who was acting ICE director during the first Trump administration, told Fox News Digital in an interview on Friday.

Trump announced on Sunday that Homan will be appointed “border czar” and would be in charge of the borders and “all Deportation of Illegal Aliens back to their country of origin” in the new administration.

DEM GOVERNOR THREATENS TO USE ‘EVERY TOOL’ TO FIGHT BACK AGAINST TRUMP-ERA DEPORTATIONS

Before that announcement, Fox News asked Homan about comments by Democratic governors who have indicated they will not work with the administration on the mass deportation of illegal immigrants.

Mass. Gov. Maura Healey said last week that “every tool in the tool box has got to be used to protect our citizens, to protect our residents and protect our states and to hold the line on democracy and the rule of law as a basic principle.”

“No. Absolutely not,” she said last week when asked if state police would help with deportations.

Homan, a Fox News contributor, suspects some “sanctuary” jurisdictions will work with the administration.

“They’re not going to say it, but with all the alien crime and the young women being sexually assaulted and murdered, some sheriffs have been coming forward and working with us behind the scenes,” he said.

However, while he said it would be useful to have the “force multiplier” of assistance from state and local governments, and for agents to have access to county jails where serious illegal immigrant criminals are locked up, he said that a lack of that aid would not stop the operations.

“If you don’t want to work with us, then get the hell out all the way, we’re going to do it. What it means is, rather than send 100 people to Boston, we’re going to send 200 agents to Boston. We’re going to get the job done,” he said.

“We have a mandate. I think the American people just gave President Trump a mandate. That’s why he’s elected — to secure the border, save lives and deport people, especially national security threats and public safety threats. So if you’re not going to help us, step aside, but don’t get in our way, because there will be consequences.”

Homan said that the immediate focus will be on those illegal immigrants with criminal convictions or charges, as had been the focus under the first Trump administration.

‘LIBERATION DAY’: WHAT TO EXPECT FROM PRESIDENT-ELECT TRUMP ON BORDER SECURITY, IMMIGRATION

“It’s not going to be a massive sweep of neighborhoods, it’s not going to be massive raids. It’s going to be a targeted enforcement operation,” he said.

However, he warned that it does not mean anyone is off the table. “If you’re in a country illegally, you’ve got a problem.”

Homan argues that with millions of people having entered illegally across the southern border under the Biden administration, there has to be consequences for those who are found not to have a valid asylum claim, or else there is no true due process.

“There will be a massive deportation operation because we had massive never seen before illegal immigration where 90% will be ordered removed. It’s common sense,” he said.

He also said that many illegal immigrants will likely leave by themselves when incentives to cross the border are ended. As for how many can be removed, he says that will depend on the resources made available.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS

“It depends on resources, depends on the money. But I guarantee you that President Trump means what he says and there will be a green light to enforce our laws and secure that border. And that’s going to require a mass deportation operation,” he said.

Homan, a former New York police officer, Border Patrol agent and ICE chief, had been widely expected to play a key role in the mass deportation operation. A Washington Post article in 2016 said that Homan “deports people. And he’s really good at it.” 

Homan said Friday of his potential role in the administration, “Here’s what I’ll say. I have not asked for a position. I have certainly not asked for a cabinet position. President Trump knows that if he needs me to do a deportation operation, if he needs me to secure the border. I stand ready to help any way I can. And he’ll decide what he wants me to do or if he wants me to do it.”

Instead, he emphasized the threat posed at the border and the determination in the upcoming administration to solve it.

“The southern border is the biggest national security vulnerability I’ve seen in my lifetime. It should be a nonpartisan issue. People shouldn’t be making death threats against me, hating on me. Securing the border should be a nonpartisan issue,” he said. “And we’re going to do it …I don’t care what people’s opinions are, we’re going to get it done.” 

President-elect Donald Trump reportedly plans to install an “energy czar” to scale back energy and climate regulations implemented under the Biden administration.

Six sources familiar with Trump’s transition team told the New York Times that a series of executive orders and presidential proclamations have been drafted related to climate and energy, aimed at rolling back Biden-era clean energy regulations that some critics argue have hurt the economy. 

Other plans Trump and his transition team are reportedly discussing include installing an “energy czar” to help cut regulations on domestic energy production and potentially moving the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) headquarters outside of Washington, D.C.

“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,” Trump-Vance Transition spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told Fox News Digital when asked to confirm the details about Trump’s reported plans. “He will deliver.”

News of the policy plans from Trump and his transition team comes amid speculation over who will staff his various agencies, including those governing environmental policies. The Times suggested that former Republican presidential candidate and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum was being floated as a potential candidate to be Trump’s “energy czar.” The outlet also pointed to Dan Brouillette, who served as Trump’s energy secretary during his first tenure as president. 

US TO TIGHTEN RESTRICTIONS ON ENERGY DEVELOPMENT TO PROTECT STRUGGLING SAGE GROUSE

“President-elect Trump will begin making decisions on who will serve in his second administration soon,” Leavitt told the Times when it reached out to confirm details about the new post. “Those decisions will be announced when they are made.”

Besides plans to install an “energy czar” and potentially move the EPA’s headquarters out of Washington, the potential executive actions reportedly drafted by Trump’s transition team would pull the U.S. out of the Paris Climate Agreement, expand drilling and mining on federal lands, and would loosen regulations around fossil fuel pollution.

BIDEN-HARRIS EPA FUNDING ‘RADICAL, LEFT-LEANING’ ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS CALLING TO END FOSSIL FUELS: REPORT

Prior to the Times’ report on Trump’s potential energy policy plans, the president-elect said while running his campaign that he would peel back Biden administration regulations intended to cut carbon emissions, and has also said he would stymie green energy initiatives within Biden’s signature climate legislation, the Inflation Reduction Act.

“The green agenda is an elitist agenda,” Trump transition team co-chairman Howard Lutnick told Fox Business’s Maria Bartiromo. “Who is the strongest? Where? The Ivy League on the East Coast. Right? They’re the ones that are [pushing] climate change.” 

Lutnick added that “real” Americans are “not talking climate change” but are focused on kitchen-table issues impacting their pocketbooks.

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, has offered to “personally escort” Republican Pennsylvania Senator-elect Dave McCormick into the Capitol to attend the new-senator orientation after Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., moved to block him. 

“I’m willing to personally escort @DaveMcCormickPA into the Capitol for new-senator orientation. I’d like to see how they’d keep him out if he literally walked into ‘the room where it happens’,” Lee wrote from his personal X account Sunday.

Lee said Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Missouri, “has indicated he’ll join the effort.” 

“I’d welcome other senators to join us!” Lee added. 

“I’ll be right there alongside you, Mike,” Sen. Katie Britt, R-Alabama, responded. “Dave McCormick is the Senator-elect for Pennsylvania. And deserves to be at orientation alongside every other member of his freshman class.”

SCHUMER WON’T ALLOW DAVE MCCORMICK AT SENATE ORIENTATION, CITING OUTSTANDING PA BALLOTS
 

A Schumer spokesperson told Fox News Digital that McCormick was not invited because at the time there were still “over 100,000 ballots left to be counted” in Pennsylvania’s Senate race, claiming that the contest “has not been decided.” 

“As is custom, we will invite the winner once the votes are counted,” the spokesperson said.

Fox News Digital reached out to McCormick’s campaign for comment on Schumer’s refusal and Lee’s offer, but they did not immediately respond.

The Associated Press on Thursday called the race in favor of McCormick over three-term Democratic incumbent Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey. Casey has not conceded, citing the thousands of ballots still to be counted. 

“I have dedicated my life to making sure Pennsylvanians’ voices are heard, whether on the floor of the Senate or in a free and fair election,” Casey wrote on X on Thursday. “It has been made clear there are more than 100,000 votes still to be counted. Pennsylvania is where our democratic process was born. We must allow that process to play out and ensure that every vote that is eligible to be counted will be counted. That is what Pennsylvania deserves.” 

According to the Pennsylvania elections results website, McCormick led Casey by 40,145 votes as of Monday morning, a margin of 0.58%, just above the margin that triggers an automatic recount.

McCormick was leading by more than 30,000 votes when the AP called the race at 4:09 p.m. Thursday. Though there were an estimated 91,000 votes still outstanding at that time, the AP asserted that there were not enough in areas supporting Casey for him to make up the difference. In an appearance on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures,” McCormick said he was up by “by something like 40,000 votes, which is a very significant margin,” so “mathematically, there’s no path for Senator Casey to win.” 

“And ultimately, Senator Casey’s going to have to decide when he’s willing to acknowledge that,” McCormick added. 

PA SEN-ELECT MCCORMICK THANKS CASEY FAMILY FOR DECADES OF SERVICE AS DEMOCRAT DECLINES TO CONCEDE

“Schumer is not allowing @DaveMcCormickPA to participate in Senate orientation this week because Casey refuses to concede the race,” Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., wrote on X. “What happened to all the demands that our leaders accept the outcome of the elections?” 

Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego, of Arizona, also had not been invited to the new-senator orientation. While he is ahead, the AP has yet to call the Arizona Senate race between Gallego and Republican Kari Lake. 

The winner will replace outgoing Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, who left the Democratic Party two years ago. 

“In 2018 my race wasn’t called for 6 days. I jumped on a redeye to DC to make senate orientation-I learned so much & made lasting relationships that week,” Sinema wrote on X. “Dave McCormick & Ruben Gallego will be Senators for PA & AZ. They should be invited to orientation & start learning the job.”

Fox News’ Julia Johnson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., began receiving a deluge of endorsements from Trump-aligned conservatives following his decisive re-election victory last week, including support from billionaire X owner Elon Musk and several of his Senate colleagues. 

“Rick Scott for Senate Majority Leader!” Musk wrote on his platform on Sunday. The Tesla CEO endorsed President-elect Donald Trump in the 2024 election and became a fixture of his campaign as the election inched closer. 

In fact, Trump has reportedly vowed to include Musk in his administration, claiming he will tap him to run a commission on government efficiency. 

SCHUMER WON’T ALLOW DAVE MCCORMICK AT SENATE ORIENTATION, CITING OUTSTANDING PA BALLOTS

Scott also racked up endorsements from former presidential candidates Vivek Ramaswamy and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Sens. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., Rand Paul, R-Ky., Ron Johnson, R-Wis., Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., and Marco Rubio, R-Fla.

Prior to last week, there were only two public endorsements in the Senate Republican leader race. Sens. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., and Mike Rounds, R-S.D., backed Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., soon after he launched his bid for leader in the spring. 

SENATE LEADER CONTENDER JOHN THUNE RESPONDS TO NEW TRUMP LITMUS TEST AHEAD OF ELECTION

Before endorsing Scott, Musk criticized Thune, writing on X, “(Republican) Senator Thune is the top choice of Democrats.”

Scott, Thune and Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, are the current contenders to succeed Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. The election will be conducted via secret ballot on Wednesday. 

Cornyn received his first public endorsement from Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., who cited the Texas senator’s support for legislation that he has spearheaded. 

While many figures close to Trump have gotten behind Scott, the president-elect himself has not made an endorsement. He also has not said whether he plans to. 

CORNYN TOUTS LIFETIME FUNDRAISING PROWESS FOR GOP IN FINAL CASE TO SUCCEED MCCONNELL

However, Trump has made some requests of the candidates. 

“Any Republican Senator seeking the coveted LEADERSHIP position in the United States Senate must agree to Recess Appointments (in the Senate!), without which we will not be able to get people confirmed in a timely manner,” he wrote on X. 

“Sometimes the votes can take two years, or more. This is what they did four years ago, and we cannot let it happen again. We need positions filled IMMEDIATELY! Additionally, no Judges should be approved during this period of time because the Democrats are looking to ram through their Judges as the Republicans fight over Leadership. THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. THANK YOU!”

Scott quickly shared his agreement with Trump. Cornyn, who spoke with Trump on the subject on Sunday, vowed to stay in session until the president-elect’s appointments can be confirmed, including on weekends. He also noted that “the Constitution expressly confers the power on the President to make recess appointments.”

TIM SCOTT LAUNCHES BID TO CHAIR NRSC AS GOP SEEKS TO CAPITALIZE ON NEW MINORITY GAINS

Thune responded exclusively to Fox News Digital, signaling he was open to Trump’s request. 

“I’ve spent eight months carefully listening to my colleagues about their vision for the next chapter of the Senate Republican Conference, especially as we hit the ground running with President Trump,” he said in a statement.

“One thing is clear: We must act quickly and decisively to get the president’s cabinet and other nominees in place as soon as possible to start delivering on the mandate we’ve been sent to execute, and all options are on the table to make that happen, including recess appointments. We cannot let Chuck Schumer and Senate Democrats block the will of the American people.” 

Recess appointments refer to the president’s ability to fill federal vacancies that occur while the Senate is in recess. This power is outlined in the Recess Appointments Clause of the Constitution. For the president to unilaterally make these appointments, the Congress must be in recess, which the House and Senate leadership must agree to go into. 

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

Pro-Palestinian protesters at Columbia University are coordinating an anti-Veterans Day gathering to instead celebrate “those martyred by the Israel-US war machine,” just months after a congressional probe was launched into antisemitism on the Ivy League campus.

According to a flyer for the gathering, the protest is scheduled for noon on Monday, Veterans Day, at the Sundial, which the university describes as “a highly trafficked location and is often used as a campus landmark for gathering.”

“We reject this holiday and refuse to celebrate it. The American war machine should not be honored for the horrors unleashed on others,” the flyer promoted on social media reads.

“Instead we will celebrate martyrs day in honor of those martyred by the Israel-US war machine,” the flyer says.

NETANYAHU CONDEMNS ANTISEMITIC POGROM IN AMSTERDAM, WARNS WORLD LEADERS ATTACKS WILL SPREAD IF DON’T ACT

News of the gathering garnered backlash on social media, including from the Columbia Jewish Alumni Association, who condemned the “atrocious behavior.”

“This post by CUAD is absolutely DISGUSTING,” the group wrote in a post on X. “They ‘reject’ VETERAN’S DAY??? We unequivocally condemn this disgraceful attempt to pervert and disrespect the sacrifices of our military veterans.”

TWO JEWISH STUDENTS AT DEPAUL UNIVERSITY TARGETED ON CAMPUS BY MASKED ATTACKERS

“Wonder if these activists at @Columbia realize that veterans won and preserved their right to protest?” Craig Bruce Smith, an associate professor of National Defense University, wrote on X.

“In an attempt to become even more unpopular, the students in Columbia University Apartheid Divest say they will reject Veterans Day and celebrate ‘martyrs day’ instead,” wrote Steve McGuire, Paul & Karen Levy Fellow in Campus Freedom at the American Council of Trustees and Alumni, on X.

The protest comes just months after the Ivy League university was plagued with anti-Israel protests following the Oct. 7 massacre in Israel.

The House Ways and Means and the Education and the Workforce committees have been leading an investigation into antisemitism on college campuses, including Columbia University, since April that they say has “uncovered a deeply worrisome, systemic culture of antisemitism at a large number of elite American universities across the country.”

A spokesperson for Columbia University told Fox News Digital that they will be monitoring the gathering.

“Columbia is proud of our students, faculty and staff who are veterans, and we are grateful for their service and sacrifice and the invaluable contributions they offer to our community. The University honors its veterans on Veterans Day and every day, and we are proud to be participating in the New York Veterans Day Parade tomorrow, as we have for more than a decade,” the university said in a statement. “We are aware that a small group has called for a demonstration today, and our public safety team is monitoring for any disruptions to campus activity.  As always, we are committed to preserving our core mission to teach, create, and advance knowledge.”

The Democratic Party is soul-searching in the wake of last week’s stunning setbacks both in the presidential election and down-ballot races.

A wave of incriminations and finger pointing is well underway, and more earnest autopsies of what went wrong and how to make corrections will soon commence.

Concurrent with those efforts are talks about who will steer the Democratic Party going forward, and looking down the road, which potential contenders may eventually make a bid to lead the party in the next presidential election.

While 2028 may seem like a long way away, recent history shows that the early moves in the next White House race start – well – very early.

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The unofficial starting gun for the 2024 race was fired by former President Trump less than two months after leaving the White House, with a CPAC speech that teased his eventual 2024 presidential campaign.

And a few weeks later, the first visits to the key early voting states of Iowa and New Hampshire by potential GOP presidential contenders were also underway.

Fast-forward four years – and expect similar actions by Democratic politicians who may harbor national ambitions. And with the soon-to-be 82-year-old President Biden exiting the national stage, and Vice President Harris, in the wake of her sound defeat last week by Trump, retrenching, the road to the 2028 nomination appears wide open.

“The jockeying for 2028 took a brief pause when Harris became the nominee and looked to be in a strong position, which would have meant shutting out potential candidates for the next 4 to 8 years. Now, though, it’s wide open, and it won’t be long before we see clear maneuvering from a litany of candidates,” seasoned Democratic political strategist Chris Moyer told Fox News.

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Moyer, a veteran of a handful of presidential campaigns, noted that “this will include travel to states like New Hampshire and South Carolina and Nevada, presumably under the auspices of helping candidates in the midterms. Democratic voters in the early states will soon want to find someone they can get excited about and a future to look forward to in the midst of the misery of another four years of Trump in the White House. These potential candidates will be more than happy to oblige.”

The results of the 2026 midterm elections will make a major impact on the shape of the next White House race.

But for now, here’s an initial look at Democratic Party politicians considered to be potential 2028 presidential contenders.

Gov. Gavin Newsom of California 

Newsom was a top surrogate for President Biden during the president’s re-election bid. And with the blessing of the White House, the two-term California governor debated then-Republican presidential candidate and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis last year on Fox News. 

Newsom’s travels on behalf of Biden brought him to New Hampshire and South Carolina, two crucial early voting states in the Democratic Party’s nominating calendar.

After the vice president, his friend and fellow Californian, replaced Biden atop the Democrats’ 2024 ticket, the governor continued – after a pause – his efforts to keep Trump from returning to the White House.

And with Trump’s election victory last week, Newsom became one of the Democratic Party leaders getting ready to lead the opposition. The governor announced that California state lawmakers would meet to quickly take legislative action to counter Trump’s likely incoming agenda.

The 57-year-old Newsom’s second term in Sacramento will finish at the end of next year, right around the time the 2028 presidential election will start to heat up.

Gov. JB Pritzker of Illinois

Pritzker, similar to Newsom, is already taking steps to Trump-proof his state.

“You come for my people, you come through me,” Pritzker told reporters of his efforts to protect Illinois.

And Pritzker was also a high profile surrogate on behalf of Biden and then Harris during the 2024 cycle. Those efforts brought Pritzker to Nevada, a general election battleground state as well as an early voting Democratic presidential primary state, and New Hampshire.

But before he makes any decision about 2028, the 59-year-old governor must decide if he’ll run in 2026 for a third term steering Illinois.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan

The two-term Michigan governor grabbed plenty of attention and became a Democratic Party rising star in 2020 when she feuded with then-President Trump over COVID pandemic federal assistance and survived a foiled kidnapping attempt.

Trump, at the time, called her “that woman from Michigan.”

Along with Newsom and Pritzker, Whitmer’s name was floated as a possible replacement for Biden following his disastrous debate performance against Trump in late June, before the president endorsed Harris and the party instantly coalesced around the vice president.

Whitmer was a leading surrogate for Biden and then for Harris and made a big impression on Democratic activists during a stop this summer in New Hampshire on behalf of Harris.

The governor is term-limited and will leave office after the end of next year.

Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania

The 51-year-old first-term governor of Pennsylvania was on Harris’ short-list for vice presidential nominee.

Even though the vice president named Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, Shapiro remained a top surrogate on behalf of his party’s 2024 national ticket. 

But his two-day swing in New Hampshire – during the final full week ahead of Election Day – did raise some eyebrows and 2028 speculation.

And after Harris lost battleground Pennsylvania to Trump, there was plenty of talk within the party that Harris had made the wrong choice for her running mate.

Shapiro, who has a track record of taking on the first Trump administration as Pennsylvania attorney general, is expected to play a similar role with the former president returning to the White House.

The governor will be up for re-election in 2026.

Gov. Wes Moore of Maryland

Gov. Wes Moore of Maryland is considered by many to be another Democratic Party rising star.

The 46-year-old Army veteran, Rhodes Scholar, and CEO of the charitable organization the Robin Hood Foundation during the coronavirus pandemic, was elected two years ago.

Moore will be up for re-election in 2026.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg

Buttigieg, who surpassed expectations during his 2020 Democratic presidential nomination run, was a very active surrogate on behalf of Biden and later Harris, during the 2024 cycle.

And he helped raised a lot of money for the Democratic Party ticket, including heading a top-dollar fundraiser in New Hampshire.

The 42-year-old former South Bend, Indiana mayor and former naval officer who served in the war in Afghanistan, is considered one of the party’s biggest and brightest stars. And he was known as a top communicator for the administration, including making frequent appearances on Fox News.

Gov. Andy Beshear of Kentucky

The 46-year-old Beshear, who was elected governor in 2019 and then re-elected in 2023 in red-state Kentucky, was also on Harris’ larger list for running mate.

Beshear served as Kentucky’s attorney general before running for governor.

Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia

The 55-year-old Warnock will likely be a major player in Washington as the Democratic minority in the Senate fights back against the second Trump administration.

Warnock, who won Senate elections in 2020 and 2022 in battleground Georgia, served as senior pastor at the famed Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, where Martin Luther King Jr. once preached.

He’s up for re-election in the Senate in 2028.

Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey

The 55-year-old Booker, who ran for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, is considered one of the party’s most talented orators.

Thanks to his 2020 run, Booker made plenty of friends and allies in such early states as New Hampshire and South Carolina.

The senator is up for re-election in 2026.

Rep. Ro Khanna of California

The 48-year-old Khanna was a tireless surrogate on behalf of Biden and then Harris. 

And he’s been a regular visitor to New Hampshire the past couple of years, including a high-profile debate last year against then-GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.

Gov. Roy Cooper of North Carolina

The 67-year-old Cooper, who’s finishing up his eighth and final year as North Carolina governor, took his name out of the Harris running mate speculation early in the process this summer.

Cooper served 16 years as North Carolina attorney general before winning election as governor.

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico

The 65-year-old governor is halfway through her second term steering New Mexico.

The governor, a former member of Congress, was a high-profile and busy surrogate on behalf of Harrs during the final weeks of the 2024 campaign.

Vice President Kamala Harris

No list would be complete without including the vice president.

The 60-year-old Harris finishes up her term as vice president in just over two months, with no concrete plans for what’s next.

But while the party wants to move on from the Biden/Harris era following Trump’s sweeping victory, and there’s little history of Democrats yearning for past defeated presidential nominees, potential buyers’ remorse of a second Trump administration could boost Harris in the years to come.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz

The 60-year-old Minnesota governor has two years remaining in his second term in office.

While his energy and enthusiasm on the campaign trail the past three months impressed plenty of Democratic strategists, the final results of the election will make any potential future national run for Walz difficult.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.