U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy surveyed the damage I-40 sustained at the Tennessee-North Carolina state line during last year’s Hurricane Helene on Monday.
Read the full storyTag: President Donald Trump
Tennessee U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn Attends Super Bowl LIX With President Trump
Tennessee U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) was among a group of senators who traveled with President Donald Trump to Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans on Sunday aboard Air Force One.
Read the full storyTennessee A.G. Skrmetti Praises Trump Admin for Reversing Biden’s Position State’s Right to Ban Transgender Surgeries for Kids
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti on Friday released a statement praising the Trump administration for reversing the position held by the Biden-era Department of Justice (DOJ) in the lawsuit targeting the Volunteer State’s law banning transgender surgeries, puberty blockers, and other treatments for children, which is now being decided by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Skrmetti made the statement in a post to the social media platform X yesterday, where he also cautioned that the Supreme Court has yet to release a final ruling, despite the federal government dropping its previous support for the non-government plaintiffs that sought to allow minors to receive transgender treatments.
Read the full storyRuss Vought Survives Democrats’ Protests, Confirmed to Lead Budget Office
Russell Vought, President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Office of Management and Budget, was confirmed by the Senate Thursday night on party lines by a margin of 53-47, as Democrat senators broke decorum by protesting against his confirmation as their names were called.
Almost every Democrat yelled in protest as the vote was called, each one saying on whose behalf they were voting against the confirmation.
Read the full storyPromises Made, Promises Kept: Trump’s Rapid-Fire Action Delivers Much of His Agenda in First 17 Days
When President Donald Trump affixed his signature on Executive Order 14168 at an Oval Office ceremony Wednesday afternoon, he drew smiles from the young female athletes who surrounded him. They knew he had delivered on his promise to protect women sports from the intrusion of transgender men.
Read the full story‘I Feel Like The Old Steve Again’: Steve Baker Describes Feeling of Having J6 Case Dismissed
Steve Baker, an opinion contributor for Blaze News and independent investigative journalist, said having the misdemeanor charges he faced stemming from his presence at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021 be dismissed with prejudice allowed him to feel like himself again.
Read the full storyLegal Expert Phill Kline: President Trump’s Plan to Take Over Gaza ‘Not a Bad Idea’
Phill Kline, former Kansas Attorney General and current law professor at Liberty University School of Law, said President Donald Trump’s proposal for the U.S. to “take over” the Gaza Strip is “not a bad idea.”
Read the full storyAttorney General Pam Bondi Pulls Funding for Sanctuary Cities
Newly-minted Attorney General Pam Bondi immediately ordered the Department of Justice (DOJ) to pull funding from sanctuary cities and called for an investigation into the funding of organizations that provide assistance to illegal migrants.
Just moments after being sworn in as the 87th Attorney General of the United States, Bondi on Wednesday issued a memo that pauses federal grants administered by the DOJ to localities that refuse to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The move will likely foment a court battle between the Trump administration and major sanctuary cities like Chicago, Boston and New York City that prohibit assistance to deportation officers.
Read the full storyFormer USAID Director Mark Moyar Spills Agency’s Abuse and Waste That He Says Runs Deep
A former U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) director appeared Wednesday on Fox News to reveal details on what he said were the agency’s misused resources and deeply rooted corruption.
Dating back to the early days of the Trump administration, former director Mark Moyar, who took office in February 2018, recounted, on “Jesse Watters Primetime,” what he said was an agency culture steeped in inefficiency and malpractice, starting with an unconventional orientation exercise that labeled him as a Scandinavian woman in a “privilege walk.” This exercise, meant to highlight systemic privileges and disadvantages, instead served as a prelude to the deeper issues plaguing USAID.
Read the full storyPat Herrity Says Lieutenant Governor Bid ‘About Getting Winsome over the Finish Line’ in Virginia Gubernatorial Race
Fairfax County Supervisor Pat Herrity, the only elected Republican in the county, today said that his campaign to become the next Lieutenant Governor of Virginia was motivated by an effort to help the Republican ticket on Election Day, and particularly to help Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears win her election to succeed Governor Glenn Youngkin.
Asked on Wednesday by The Virginia Star publisher John Fredericks how he expected to win in November if Earle-Sears should perform poorly, as a January poll showed former Representative Abigail Spanberger winning against Earle-Sears by 10 percent, Herrity pointed to his years of electoral success in Fairfax County.
Read the full storyHouse Democrat Moves to Impeach Trump over His ‘Dastardly Deeds’
It’s only 16 days into President Donald Trump’s second term, and a Democrat is already threatening to impeach him for his “dastardly deeds.”
“The movement to impeach the president has begun,” Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) declared on the House floor, Wednesday.
Read the full storyReagan-Appointed Judge Temporarily Stops Trump Admin from Pulling Men Out of Women’s Prisons
A Reagan-appointed federal judge temporarily stopped the Trump administration from moving three male inmates out of women’s prison facilities on Tuesday in part because they don’t “present any threat” to female inmates.
District Judge Royce Lamberth, who took the bench in 1987, ruled on Tuesday to temporarily block President Donald Trump’s executive order to keep men in men’s prisons even if they identify as women. The ruling was in favor of “three male-to-female transgender women” who sued the Department of Justice (DOJ) in the Washington, D.C., district court to stop their transfer, alleging that Trump’s directive violates federal law and their constitutional rights.
Read the full storyU.S. Army Recruitment in December Hit 15-Year High, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth Announces
Recruitment for the U.S. Army hit a 15-year high in December, U.S. Department of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced.
Read the full storyImmigration Expert Todd Bensman: Trump Tariff Threat ‘Highly Effective,’ ‘Should Have Been Done for Years’
Todd Bensman, a senior national security fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies, said President Donald Trump’s 25 percent tariff threat on Mexican imports was a “highly effective” strategy that should have been implemented by prior administrations “for years” as a way to push Mexico to cooperate with border security efforts.
Read the full storyTrump Declares National Emergency at Northern Border
President Donald Trump on Saturday declared a national emergency at the U.S.-Canada border, citing an influx of human and drug smuggling coming from Canada presenting a national security threat to Americans.
He did so after a record number of illegal border crossers were reported entering the U.S. from Canada, the greatest number of known or suspected terrorists were apprehended coming from Canada, and northern border terrorist arrests soared under the Biden and Trudeau administrations, The Center Square first reported.
Read the full storyNashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell Confirms Parts of Transit Plan Jeopardized by Federal Funding Cuts Under Trump
Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell told reporters that termination of federal funding sources under President Donald Trump could jeopardize elements of the Choose How You Move transit plan that was passed by voters last November, but claimed a possible lack of federal money will not mean Nashvillians pay higher taxes.
O’Connell acknowledged in a Monday press conference reported by Fox 17 that the transportation plan he championed “does have some expectations about federal funding, and if programs evaporate from a federal level,” the speed at which parts of the 15-year program are set to be completed would need to be reconsidered.
Read the full storyTennessee U.S. Reps. Andy Ogles and Tim Burchett Cosponsor Bill to Terminate the Department of Education
U.S. Representatives Tim Burchett (R-TN-02) and Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) are among a group of Republicans who are original cosponsors of a bill that would terminate the U.S. Department of Education.
As written, the one-page, one-sentence bill would “terminate” the Department of Education on December 31, 2026.
Read the full storySteve Cortes: President Trump Played the ‘Strong Hand’ with Tariffs, Now Mexico Is ‘Crying Uncle’
Steve Cortes, former senior spokesman and strategist for the 2016 and 2020 Trump campaigns and current head of the League of American Workers, said President Donald Trump’s 25 percent tariff threat on Mexican imports shows that the president “knows how to wield the power of the United States” as a negotiator.
On Monday, Trump announced that he and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum participated in a “very friendly conversation” in which the pair negotiated a deal which will see Mexico supply 10,000 troops to the U.S.-Mexico border to “stop the flow of fentanyl and illegal migrants” into the U.S. in exchange for Trump pausing the anticipated 25 percent tariffs on Mexican imports for a one month period.
Read the full storyMexico Caves, Deploys 10,000 Troops to Border in Exchange for Trump Pausing Tariffs
Mexico is immediately deploying thousands of troops to the U.S. southern border in response to President Donald Trump’s tariffs against the country’s imports.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Monday announced she is immediately deploying 10,000 National Guard soldiers to the southern border to help mitigate the flow of drugs and illegal immigration through the U.S.-Mexico border. In exchange, the Trump administration will pause its 25% tariff on Mexican imports for one month and work to quell the flow of arms south of the border.
Read the full storyTrump Reportedly Eyes 70 Percent Cut to Federal Agency with Virginia Footprint
The Trump administration has reportedly ordered a 70 percent cut to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), the agency which manages personnel for the federal bureaucracy. According to OPM, about 160 of its jobs are located in Virginia.
A Federal News Network report published Friday claimed that top members of the Trump administration directed OPM officials to draft plans to cut both programs and personnel by 70 percent, with the Washington, D.C. outlet citing multiple sources with knowledge of the meeting with Trump officials.
Read the full storyVanderbilt University Scrubs DEI Page as Trump Bans Federal Funding for ‘Radical’ Diversity Programs
Vanderbilt University scrubbed its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) web page after a source told The Tennessee Star the institution planned to remove references to the controversial program over a two-day period.
According to archived internet sources, the Vanderbilt web page previously page titled, “Our Commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion)” was changed significantly some time between November 2, 2024 and February 2, 2025, with the information containing a new version of the page bearing no reference to DEI.
Read the full storyTrump Removes Director of Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
President Donald Trump has removed the director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Rohit Chopra, who announced his departure on Saturday.
“Every day, Americans from across the country shared their ideas and experiences with us,” Chopra posted.
Read the full storySix Americans Held Hostage in Venezuela Freed After President Trump’s Special Missions Envoy Ric Grenell Meets with Maduro
Six Americans being held hostage in Venezuela were released on Friday after Ric Grenell, President Donald Trump’s envoy for special missions, met with Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.
Read the full storyAG Jason Miyares Sends Legal Notice to VCU, UVA on Compliance with Trump’s Order Banning Federal Funds for Minors’ Trans Surgeries
Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares reportedly sent a legal notice to the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) and University of Virginia (UVA) health systems, offering guidance on the executive order banning federal spending on transgender surgeries or medicines signed by President Donald Trump, which states that his office is monitoring for compliance.
The legal notice, published by ABC 8 News on Friday, references the Tuesday executive order Trump signed, titled “Protecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Castration.”
Read the full storyMinnesota J6er Shares Story for First Time After President Trump Ordered Charges Dismissed
He was facing two years in prison for Jan. 6, but Jonah Westbury is ready to move on with his life after the charges against were dropped thanks to actions taken by President Donald Trump within hours of his inauguration last week.
Westbury shared his story exclusively with Liz Collin on her podcast. Alpha News has profiled his family’s story in the past. Westbury, along with his two brothers, Aaron and Issac, and his father, were charged in the wake of Jan. 6. Westbury was the first of his family to be arrested after an FBI raid on his home.
Read the full storyTrump Birthright Citizenship Order Leaves Loophole Allowing ‘Birth Tourism’ Method Used by Chinese Nationals
One loophole in President Donald Trump’s executive order banning birthright citizenship could permit Chinese nationals, along with other non-citizens, to continue obtaining U.S. citizenship for their children.
The order’s language leaves room for the growing international surrogacy industry — which allows intended parents from across the word to hire an American woman to carry their child to term — to continue operating as the newest means of “birth tourism.”
Read the full storyTom Zawistowski: Vivek Ramaswamy Likely to be Favorite Gubernatorial Candidate Among Ohioans
Tom Zawistowski, president of the Ohio-based We the People Convention, said businessman and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy is likely to be the favorite Republican candidate among Ohioans in the 2026 gubernatorial race.
While Ramaswamy has not officially launched a bid for Ohio governor, reports have recently confirmed that the businessman and former presidential candidate has hired Vice President JD Vance’s top political advisers to head his expected campaign.
Read the full storyTrump to Slap Mexico, Canada and China with Tariffs Saturday
President Donald Trump will be following through on his threat to hit Mexico, Canada and China with sweeping tariffs over complaints about illegal immigration and illicit drugs entering the U.S.
The administration will begin hitting Mexico and Canada with a 25% tariff and China with a 10% tariff beginning Saturday, White House Spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt announced during a press briefing Friday. The announcement follows import tax threats long made by the Republican unless all three countries do more to address the illegal immigration crisis and the smuggling of fentanyl into the United States.
Read the full storyLegal Expert Phill Kline: Trump’s Work to Address the ‘Unaccountable Government’ Will Be Hard for the Left to Stop Through the Courts
Phill Kline, former Kansas Attorney General and current law professor at Liberty University School of Law, said he believes President Donald Trump’s work to address the “unaccountable government” through the temporary pause of federal financial assistance programs to review such funding is likely to be “backed up” by the courts as the Left attempts to derail the president’s actions through litigation.
Kline said Trump’s use of the presidential impoundment power to potentially save federal funds by pausing federal financial assistance programs pending further review is “clearly” appropriate.
Read the full storyGovernor Bill Lee to Meet with President Trump Day After Tennessee General Assembly Passes Universal School Choice
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee is traveling to Washington D.C. on Friday to meet with President Donald Trump and other school choice advocates at the White House for a roundtable discussion on school choice.
Friday’s roundtable discussion will close out the 15th annual National School Choice Week.
Read the full storyRep. Andy Ogles Questions Whether DEI Played Role in American Airlines Crash
U.S. Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) questioned on Thursday whether the American Airlines crash into the Potomac River outside Washington, D.C. could have been a consequence of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) hiring practices that critics argue require employers to choose applicants based on immutable characteristics, like gender or race, rather than qualification.
Ogles, during an appearance on Fox Business’ “Mornings with Maria,” told host Maria Bartiromo that DEI should be among the possibilities considered by investigators for the cause of the American Airlines jetliner into a military helicopter that officials say may have caused the deaths of 67 people on Wednesday night.
Read the full storyCommentary: The Left and Global Elites Misunderstand Trump’s Popularity
President Donald Trump is popular among just over half the country – with a recent YouGov poll showing 49 percent of Americans have a favorable view of the president while 48 percent have an unfavorable view. That said, support for the bedrock of Trump’s America First governing philosophy extends well beyond support for Trump himself.
Trump’s popularity is baffling to those on the left and to certain so-called global allies who are in shock over our decision to re-elect him. But what the global political apparatus really missed leading up to Trump’s second victory – and historic win of the popular vote – is just how popular Trump’s ideas are, far beyond his base, and far beyond how people feel about Trump himself.
Read the full storyEJ Haust Discusses ‘Symbolism’ Portrayed in First Lady Melania Trump’s Official Portrait
EJ Haust, a digital marketing expert and official guest host of The Michael Patrick Leahy Show, pointed out the significant “symbolism” in First Lady Melania Trump’s official portrait, detailing how the first lady’s portrait seems to mark a shift in how her role will differ from the first Trump administration.
Read the full storyClint Brewer: Actions Taken in the First Eight Days of the Trump Administration Have Been ‘Remarkable’
Recovering journalist and Nashville-area public policy expert Clint Brewer said the depth of reform that has come as a result of actions taken during the first eight days of the Trump administration has been simply “remarkable.”
Read the full storyElon Musk Says SpaceX Will Carry Out Mission to ‘Go Get’ Astronauts Stranded at Space Station at Request of President Trump
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said his company will carry out a mission at the request of President Donald Trump to bring two NASA astronauts who have been stranded at the International Space Station since June back home.
Read the full storyIneffective GOP State Rep. Jody Barrett Defies President Trump’s Support for Tennessee School Choice Bill
Tennessee State Representative Jody Barrett (R-Dickson) confirmed to The Tennessee Star on Tuesday that he remains opposed to the Education Freedom Act despite the legislation’s recent endorsement by President Donald Trump.
Barrett, who has publicly confirmed his opposition to the universal school choice bill, was asked on Tuesday whether Trump’s support for the legislation put forward by Governor Bill Lee and Republican leadership.
Read the full storyGoogle Maps to Reflect Trump’s Executive Order Renaming Key U.S. Landmarks, Company Says
Google announced on Tuesday that it will update its Google Maps application in the United States to reflect the new names for two significant geographic features, as directed by President Donald Trump.
Read the full storyPresident Donald Trump Applauds Tennessee School Choice Bill
President Donald Trump weighed in on the Education Freedom Act of 2025 filed in the Tennessee General Assembly on Tuesday, voicing support for the legislators who are working to pass the school choice bill.
Read the full storyFort Campbell Air Assault Soldiers Deploy to the U.S. Southern Border
U.S. Army soldiers stationed at Fort Campbell deployed to the southern border on Saturday to assist the U.S. Northern Command’s mission in carrying out President Donald Trump’s executive orders on protecting the territorial integrity of the United States.
Read the full storyAbbott Deploys Texas Military to Rio Grande Valley to Assist Trump Administration
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott surged additional Texas military resources to the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) to assist President Donald Trump with his border security efforts.
Abbott did so as removal operations are already underway in Trump’s first week in office after he issued a series of executive orders to secure the border, including sending 1,500 troops to Texas and California, The Center Square reported.
Read the full storyAmerica First Policy Institute Announces Support for Tennessee Governor’s School Choice Bill
America First Policy Institute (AFPI) declared support for Tennessee Governor Bill Lee’s universal school choice bill filed in the Tennessee General Assembly, arguing that the bill embodies the organization’s “America First, Always” motto.
Read the full storyFederal Agency Pauses Requirement for Small Businesses to File ‘Beneficial Ownership Reports’ amid Lawsuit, New Administration
The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FINCEN) on Friday paused its requirement for 33 million small business owners to file “beneficial ownership reports” with the federal government, under penalty of heavy fines and imprisonment, as a lawsuit seeking to prevent the enforcement reaches the U.S. Supreme Court.
While the U.S. Supreme Court reversed a lower court’s ruling which prevented FINCEN from requiring small business owners file the reports, the agency announced Friday that enforcement of the data collection will remain paused due to a lower court’s ruling in another case seeking to block the enforcement.
Read the full storyNo Taxes on Tips Proposal Passes Arizona House Committee
Arizona legislation to end state income taxation of tips advanced out of the House Ways and Means Committee.
“I worked in the service industry years ago and understand the challenges tipped employees face,” state Rep. Gail Griffin, R-Hereford, said in a statement.
Read the full storyNew Bill Would End Federally Funded Transgender Surgeries, Hormones for Minors
Republican lawmakers have introduced a new bill that would block Medicaid from paying for gender transition drugs and surgeries for minors.
U.S. Reps. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, and Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., introduced the bill, first obtained by The Center Square.
Read the full storyPro-Life Protesters Pardoned by Trump Include Tennessee Activist Bevelyn Williams, Who Biden DOJ Sentenced to Years in Prison
President Donald Trump on Thursday pardoned 23 protesters prosecuted under the Biden Department of Justice for violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act of 1994, including Tennessee activist Bevelyn Williams, who confirmed her release in a post to the social media platform X.
Williams confirmed she was home in a video posted to X late on Thursday, showing the pro-life activist greeted by her husband and child after leaving the Federal Correctional Facility (FCI) in Aliceville, Alabama.
Read the full storyEJ Haust: Proposal Allowing Trump a Third Term Shuts Down Seriousness Surrounding Biden’s 28th Amendment Claim
EJ Haust, a digital marketing expert and official guest host of The Michael Patrick Leahy Show, said Tennessee U.S. Representative Andy Ogles’ (R-TN-05) proposal to amend the U.S. Constitution allowing President Donald Trump to serve a third term shuts down the conversations about former President Joe Biden’s claim that a 28th Amendment to the Constitution has been ratified.
Read the full storyTrump Pulls Fauci’s $15 Million Security Detail
President Donald Trump confirmed on Friday that he pulled the security detail for Dr. Anthony Fauci.
Fauci’s security detail was pulled Thursday night.
Read the full storyTennessee Governor Meets with President Trump to Discuss Hurricane Helene Recovery Efforts
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee was among the officials who met with President Donald Trump for a roundtable discussion and emergency responder briefing on the impact of Hurricane Helene on Friday in North Carolina.
Read the full storyCommentary: Trump Stands with the Founders on Trade
When President Donald Trump gave his inaugural address in the U.S. Capitol on Monday, he included an explanation of his trade policy.
“I will immediately begin the overhaul of our trade system to protect American workers and their families,” he said.
Read the full storyCommentary: Trump Is Already Challenging the Public Health Industrial Complex
by Judson Phillips The beloved holiday classic Planes, Trains, and Automobiles features one of the funniest scenes in movie history. John Candy and Steve Martin drive the wrong way down a highway, oblivious to the danger. When concerned drivers warn them that they are “going the wrong way,” they laugh and mock the onlookers — until they face a speeding Mack truck. The American people repeatedly warned the Biden administration that it was “going the wrong way,” but like Candy and Martin, it put the gas pedal to the floor instead of correcting course. On Inauguration Day, the American people grabbed the wheel of its government and began a course correction — and within hours of being sworn into the presidency, President Donald J. Trump issued new marching orders to every government agency, department, and bureau, steering the government in a new direction. Overnight, agencies with jurisdiction over our border transitioned from facilitating an invasion to being given the tools to end it. The Environmental Protection Agency shifted its focus from undermining energy producers to promoting balanced regulations encouraging innovation and job creation. Education policy pivoted from enforcing ideological agendas to emphasizing parental rights and local decision-making. Meanwhile, the Department of Justice…
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