The White House News

President-elect Trump announced on Sunday that he has picked Brendan Carr to serve as Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) starting in January.

“Commissioner Carr currently serves as the senior Republican on the FCC. Before that, he was the FCC’s General Counsel,” Trump’s statement read. “I first nominated Commissioner Carr to the FCC in 2017, and he has been confirmed unanimously by the United States Senate three times.”

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“His current term runs through 2029 and, because of his great work, I will now be designating him as permanent Chairman.”

This breaking news story is developing, check back with us for updates.

FIRST ON FOX: Sticker Mule CEO Anthony Constantino has officially tossed his hat in the ring to fill the vacancy left by New York Rep. Elise Stefanik’s appointment to serve in the Trump administration.

The pro-Trump businessman, who installed a 100-foot “Vote for Trump” sign in upstate New York before the election, tells Fox News Digital he will spend $2.6 million to self-fund his bid to succeed Stefanik once she becomes the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations in January.

“My phones are ringing off the hook with people encouraging me to run, who wanted me to run,” Constantino, 40, said in an interview. “And just like President Trump was an outsider who brought a great skill set to politics, a great skill set to government, I think the country needs more people with similar backgrounds that are outsiders, that are talented people. And I happen to be one of them.” 

Stefanik currently represents New York’s 21st Congressional District, which encompasses the solidly Republican North Country, a large swath of upstate New York that includes most of the Adirondack Mountains and Thousand Islands region. She is expected to resign from Congress after President-elect Trump tapped her to represent the United States at the U.N.

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“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. 

Stefanik gladly accepted the nomination, stating, “I am truly honored to earn President Trump’s nomination to serve in his Cabinet as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. 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.” 

Her appointment sets the stage for a special election to fill her seat in the 21st District following her successful re-election bid last week. Stefanik secured victory by more than 24% of the vote against her opponent, Paula Collins. 

Constantino filed paperwork with the Federal Elections Commission on Thursday to set up his campaign committee. Formerly a registered Democrat, he is now one of several Republicans expected to contend for the GOP nomination, a group that could include established state lawmakers, local officials and other experienced politicians. What makes him stand out, in his view, is that he had no intention of entering politics until about three months ago. 

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“The best thing about my situation is, until recently, I had no political ambitions, which I think makes me a better candidate,” he said. “I just got involved because a bullet hit President Trump, and immediately I spoke up, and I sent out a message to 5 million customers that was a massively viral message.”

A would-be assassin’s bullet struck Trump in the right ear during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13. The gunfire injured two others in the crowd and killed a third, volunteer firefighter Corey Comperatore. 

Constantino says he was inspired by that horrific act of violence to take a stand against “anti-Trump hate” and seek to unify the country. He worked “around the clock” to support Trump’s White House campaign, formed a political action committee and defeated local Democratic officials who had sued to remove his $125,000 pro-Trump sign on the repurposed Fownes glove factory building in Amsterdam.

“President Trump has really done great things. He’s a great human. He’s done great things for the world. And he doesn’t deserve all the hate directed at him, and his supporters don’t deserve it either,” Constantino previously told Fox News Digital. 

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Now that Trump has won in a historic victory, Constantino believes the anti-Trump fervor that consumed half of the country before the election is dying down. And with a desire to “do big things” and make an impact, he is eyeing a seat in Congress. 

“I like to be impactful. I like to do big things. And right now, this is probably the biggest, most impactful thing I can do with my life,” he said. 

If elected, Constantino said his priorities would be to support businesses and help make New York a happier place to live.

“The biggest problem in New York is people are leaving, and we’ve got to bring energy and enthusiasm back to New York. And we’ve got to show America that New York is safe for people from all parties, Democrats and Republicans alike,” he said. 

There will not be a traditional Republican primary for the special election. Instead, both the GOP and Democratic nominees will be chosen by party chairs in the district. It’s a process that could advantage political insiders – other candidates floated for the position include ousted Rep. Marc Molinaro, Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin, state Sens. Dan Stec and Jake Ashby and Assembly Members Chris Tague and Robert Smullen, according to City & State New York. 

But Constantino enters the fray as a wealthy self-made man and favorite of the online MAGA movement thanks to his viral pro-Trump sign. The $2.6 million he will inject into his campaign is the exact value of gains from his stock in Tesla, which he invested in after Trump-supporting billionaire Elon Musk purchased Twitter in 2022. 

“I made a bet on @Tesla when Elon Musk bought Twitter and everyone went nuts dumping the stock. It made me $2.6 million that I will use to fully fund my campaign for the NY-21 Congressional seat,” he posted Sunday on X. “Thank you @elonmusk!”

Constantino plans to meet with the GOP chairs in his district to discuss how he can fund his candidacy without relying on party resources. He also hopes to earn Stefanik’s support as she is likely to play kingmaker when it comes to her successor. 

“I’m going to be funding my own campaign. I don’t want to be a drain on the party,” Constantino told Fox News Digital. “I want people to know that I won’t be beholden to any special interests. I’m doing this for the right reasons. I will always do what I think is right, what I think is ethically right, morally right and what’s best for people.” 

Fox News Digital’s Bailee Hill contributed to this report.

Chinese President Xi Jinping told President Biden on Saturday that he will work with the incoming administration of President-elect Trump, as the two current leaders spoke on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in Lima, Peru.

The meeting between Biden and Xi marked the first time in seven months the two had spoken, Reuters reported, and may be the last time the two meet on conflicts from cybercrime to trade, Taiwan, the South China Sea and Russia before Trump returns to the Oval Office in January 2025.

Xi told Biden, “China’s goal of a stable, healthy and sustainable China-U.S. relationship remains unchanged,” acknowledging the “ups and downs” between the two countries.

“China is ready to work with the new U.S. administration to maintain communication, expand cooperation and manage differences,” Xi said.

BIDEN, XI MEETING WILL BE FORUM FOR ‘INTENSE DIPLOMACY’ AMID TENSIONS BETWEEN US, CHINA: OFFICIALS

Biden told Xi that maintaining leader-to-leader talks will be vital after Biden leaves office, according to national security adviser Jake Sullivan, who was seen sitting next to Biden during the meeting.

He also acknowledged to the Chinese leader that while the two of them may not have always agreed, their discussions have been “frank” and “candid.”

XI JINPING WARNS TRUMP US WOULD ‘LOSE FROM CONFRONTATION’ WITH CHINA AS RENEWED TRADE WAR LOOMS

China and other members of the G-20 will likely brace for a reboot of Trump’s “America First” policy, placing a heavy emphasis on higher tariffs. Trump famously launched a trade war with China in his first term in 2018, raising tariffs up to 25% on steel, aluminum and other Chinese-made products. China responded with reciprocal tariffs against the U.S. Trump promised to raise tariffs up to 60% on Chinese imports while running for president, although it’s unclear if he would actually go that high.

Biden has aimed to lessen tensions with China, but during his meeting with Xi on Saturday, there appeared to be few signs of breakthroughs on the major issues.

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Still, the two agreed that humans, not artificial intelligence, should make the ultimate decisions when it comes to the use of nuclear weapons, the White House noted, marking the first time the two countries have raised the issue.

Biden and Xi also talked about China’s ally, North Korea, which is deepening ties with Russia and even deployed troops in Moscow’s war with Ukraine. The move has raised concerns not just with Washington, but also with European capitals and Beijing.

“President Biden pointed out that the (People’s Republic of China’s) publicly stated position with respect to the war in Ukraine is there should be no escalation, no broadening the conflict, and the introduction of (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) troops runs foursquare against that,” Sullivan said. “He also pointed out that the PRC does have influence and capacity, and should use it to try to prevent a further escalation or further expansion of the conflict with the introduction of even more DPRK forces.”

Reuters contributed to this report.

President Biden has authorized Ukraine’s military to use U.S.-provided long-range missiles on targets inside Russian territory, senior U.S. officials confirmed to Fox News on Sunday. 

The senior U.S. official said the weapons will mostly focus on the Kursk region of Western Russia. The decision was first reported by The New York Times.

According to the official, Biden’s decision was spurred by the Russian decision to invite 10,000 North Korean soldiers into the fight against Ukraine in Kursk. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously said the U.S.’s approval of such missile strikes would constitute an act of war. He has yet to react to Biden’s announcement Sunday.

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The announcement came after Great Britain and France authorized Ukraine to launch SCALP/Storm Shadow missile strikes, according to French outlet Le Figaro.

Biden’s announcement also came just hours after Russia concluded one of its largest missile and drone attacks in months, launching over 200 targeting Ukraine’s power and energy infrastructure.

Putin has previously said that giving Ukraine the green light on missile use would effectively mean that the U.S. and NATO are “in the war.”

“Flight assignments for these missile systems can, in fact, only be entered by military personnel from NATO countries. Ukrainian servicemen cannot do this. And therefore, it is not a question of allowing the Ukrainian regime to strike Russia with these weapons or not. It is a question of making a decision whether NATO countries directly participate in the military conflict or not,” Putin said in September.

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“If this decision is made, it will mean nothing less than the direct participation of NATO countries, the United States, and European countries, in the war in Ukraine,” he added.

Meanwhile, President-elect Trump’s transition team is expected to soon announce a peace envoy to assist in negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. Trump argued on the campaign trail that he could solve the conflict before entering office.

Trump has been rolling out appointee names of those he wants to fill his Cabinet and advise him on top issues at a lightning-quick pace.

Some advisers are reportedly encouraging Trump to push Kyiv to agree to terms that would freeze the frontlines by creating an 800-mile-long demilitarized zone and allow Russia to keep the land it has illegally seized, which amounts to roughly 20% of Ukraine.

It has also been suggested that Kyiv should agree not to pursue NATO membership for 20 years, a stipulation that critics of this plan argue kowtows to Putin.

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