Midwest
GOP Rep-elect outlines how DOGE, Trump agenda will get country 'back on track': 'No more business as usual'
Newly elected GOP Congressman Derek Schmidt told Fox News Digital that the efforts of DOGE will be critical in the next Congress and explained why he is optimistic that Republicans will be on the same page in January to push through President-elect Trump’s agenda.
“It’s no more business as usual,” Schmidt, elected in November to represent Kansas’ 2nd Congressional District, told Fox News about the impact of the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy as the two lobbied against a 1,500 page continuing resolution that was being debated in the House and opposed by some conservatives for containing too much “pork.”
“Look, that was the top-line message from the voters last November. They want us to make progress on some of these issues, and we’re not going to make progress by continuing to do the same things and expecting a different result. So, you know, it’s going to be messy. It’s going to be tumultuous, but that’s what it takes in order to get this country back on track.”
Schmidt told Fox News Digital that DOGE reforms are part of what Trump ran on.
‘NO CHOICE’: DOGE LEADERS RALLY HOUSE CONSERVATIVES AGAINST 1,500+ PAGE ‘PORK-FEST’
Former Kansas AG Derek Schmidt will represent Kansas’ 2nd District in Congress in January (Getty Images)
“That’s what President Trump promised. That’s what many of us ran on. And that’s what I at least intend to be part of accomplishing,” Schmidt said.
“So anything that helps put the genie back in the bottle, that helps move us back in the direction of this, you know, this federal system, this remarkable system of self-government that our founders gave us and that we have drifted so far from, especially since the New Deal, I think is something I want to be part of trying to help fix. I want to leave this country better for my kids than I found it, and that will not be true if we don’t start getting a handle on runaway federal spending. And on this, the sprawling, grotesque federal bureaucracy that is unaccountable to voters.”
Despite a net loss of two seats in the 435-member House in November, Republicans will hold a fragile 220-215 majority when the new Congress convenes next month giving them a razor-thin margin for error when attempting to advance Trump’s agenda.
Schmidt told Fox News Digital that he expects some “dissension” in the next Congress, which he called “the nature of Democratic self-government” but says he feels confident Republicans will unite on the big issues.
“I think we’re going to get the president’s agenda adopted, look, I think a couple of things are true. One, to the extent that I’ve met my fellow incoming class members in the House and to the extent I’ve talked with current House members, there seems to be a broad sense that everybody knows we’ve got to deliver,” Schmidt, who served as Kansas attorney general for over a decade, said.
“We have this trifecta, so-called, that the voters have given us. They’ve trusted us to do what we said we’re going to do, and everybody, even though they may have different perspective disagreements, understands we’ve got to deliver, and that means we’ve got to find ways to hang together.”
TOP DOGE SENATOR TO DEMAND LAME-DUCK BIDEN AGENCIES HALT COSTLY TELEWORK TALKS, CITING VOTER MANDATE
Current Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt gives his “Stump “speech during the Gubernatorial debate at the Kansas State Fair, Hutchinson, Kansas, September 8, 2018
Schmidt continued, “Number two. What’s different now from, you know, a few times in the past when things have lined up is we have a strong Republican president. President Trump pulled no punches. He was very clear on the campaign trail the direction he wants to take the country, the types of policies that he wants enacted, and the voters approve that, not with just a win in the Electoral College, not with just a win for him in the popular vote, but also with the trifecta to help deliver that so we don’t have to figure out what the agenda is. We have to listen to what the voters said by electing President Trump, what he articulated on the voter’s behalf. And we have to step up, hang together and deliver results.”
After winning both the Electoral College and the popular vote, Schmidt told Fox News Digital it is clear that Trump has a “mandate” from the American people and that House Republicans understand that a deadlock in Congress won’t be something the voters are content with.
“I think the voters knew what they were choosing, and they made that decision and I also think it’s very important, you know, to keep in line what I believe was the top line message, which is do something, make progress on these issues,” Schmidt said.
“If we don’t like as the electorate, if we don’t like what you’ve done, will judge that two years, four years, six years down the road. But do something. This sort of deadlock of accomplishing very little is an unacceptable way to lead the greatest nation on earth. And so I think that sense is pretty widely accepted among at least most of us who are entered into public office, and we’ve got a spirit of let’s get together and act.”
President-elect Donald Trump speaks during a news conference at Mar-a-Lago, on Monday, Dec. 16, 2024, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP/Evan Vucci)
Fox News Digital asked Schmidt what he is most looking forward to when serving in Congress, and he outlined his excitement about taking part in what he called the “extraordinary experiment” of American governance.
“I don’t I don’t mean to sound like Mr. Smith goes to Washington, but there is a certain element of truth in the idea that each of us who is allowed to represent a group of Americans has an opportunity to be part of this extraordinary experiment in self-government that is still going despite all of its warts and imperfections,” Schmidt said.
“A lot of people who came before us paid great price at great personal expense to build this country into what it is today. We have an opportunity, those of us serving, myself included, to be part of rewriting or writing the next chapter in the American story. And I get excited about that every single morning. Whatever my service in public office ends, whether it’s in two years, ten years or somewhere down the road, I want to be able to look back and say, I made a difference. I left America better than I found it. And so few people have that opportunity and a direct way. I will never lose sight of what I’ve been entrusted with.”
Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report
Read the full article from Here
MADISON – It appears that the Wisconsin football team will have almost a completely new quarterback room next season.
Mabrey Mettauer, the last scholarship player left at the position on the roster from this season, is expected to enter the transfer portal, according to 247sports. The 6-foot-4, 230-pound true freshman from The Woodlands, Texas, was a consensus four-star recruit coming out of high school.
This season he served as the top backup to Braedyn Locke after Tyler Van Dyke suffered a season-ending knee injury against Alabama. Mettauer appeared in one game and completed his only pass attempt.
He maintained his redshirt status and will have four years of eligibility remaining.
Mabrey’s departure was the last domino to fall from the firing of Phil Longo as offensive coordinator. Like Van Dyke and Locke, Mettauer came to Wisconsin with the idea that he would play in Longo’s pass-friendly offense.
Locke’s brother, Landyn, a member of the 2025 recruiting class, was also recruited by Longo. Landyn Locke has been released from his letter of intent and has re-opened his recruitment.
After 247sports broken the news of Mettauer’s expected departure he reposted the post on his X and Instagram accounts.
The loss of Mettauer means Wisconsin has three scholarship quarterbacks plus walk-on Milos Spasojevic on the roster for next season:
* Billy Edwards Jr., who started this season at Maryland and threw for 2,800 yards. He has one year of eligibility left.
* Danny O’Neil, who started at San Diego State as a true freshman and threw for 2,000 yards this season. He has three years of eligibility remaining.
* Carter Smith, a four-star prospect from Florida, will enroll early and participate in spring practice.
Midwest
Potential Vance Senate replacement travels to Mar-a-Lago as speculation on filling seat intensifies
One of the leading candidates to fill Vice President-elect JD Vance’s Ohio Senate seat recently traveled to President-elect Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence as a decision from the state’s governor draws closer.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine traveled to Trump’s Florida home with fellow Republican Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, who is believed to be a top candidate to replace Vance, in recent days, although the specifics of any conversation are unclear, News 5 Cleveland first reported, and Fox News Digital has confirmed.
State law dictates that DeWine will select a Republican to take Vance’s spot in the Senate until a special election is held in November 2026 to determine who will serve the rest of Vance’s term, which ends in 2028. The winner of that special election could then run again in 2028 in order to start a new six-year term.
Multiple sources told Fox News Digital that a final decision on the Senate appointment is expected in the next few weeks as the new Congress will be sworn in on Jan. 3.
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Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine will name the replacement for VP-elect JD Vance in the Senate (Getty Images)
DeWine’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
The Governor’s spokesperson, Dan Tierney, told Fox News Digital last month that DeWine will be looking for a “workhorse” who is “qualified and ready to earn the trust of Ohio voters for another term.”
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Ohio Lt. Gov. Jon Husted speaks during the Republican National Convention (RNC) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on July 15, 2024. (Getty Images)
Fox News Digital previously reported that DeWine is considering, along with Husted, several candidates for Senate, including attorney Mehek Cooke, Ohio’s Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose, former Ohio GOP Chair Jane Timken, Rep. Mike Carey and others.
“Governor DeWine has a crucial decision ahead in selecting Ohio’s next Senator,” Cooke told Fox News Digital on Friday night. “If Jon is the workhorse he picks, he is the right choice.”
“He’s battle-tested, with decades of experience fighting for Ohioans and securing a stronger future for our state. If Jon is the pick, I’m 100% behind him—there’s too much at stake, and we need someone who will put Ohio first. It was an honor to interview with the Governor, and he knows my commitment is to always put Ohio’s interests first.”
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An endorsement from Trump and Vance will be critical for any DeWine appointment, given that both are popular in the Buckeye State, where their ticket won by 11 points in November.
Husted has served as Ohio’s lieutenant governor since 2019 after serving eight years as Secretary of State and a member of both the state Senate and Ohio House of Representatives before that.
Husted has widely been expected to run for governor to replace DeWine, and his team has recently taken steps to allocate resources to that race. Sources tell Fox News Digital that former presidential candidate Vivek Ramawamy’s interest in running for governor has caused some potential gubernatorial candidates to re-evaluate their options, given Ramaswamy’s deep pockets.
Husted has remained tight-lipped about the potential Senate appointment other than to say, “I will continue serving this state as long as the people of Ohio will have me. As for the future, I intend to make my plans known early next year.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the Trump transition team for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
Read the full article from Here
Following a disappointing loss against the Utah Jazz on Thursday, the Detroit Pistons will get an opportunity to get back on track with a matchup against the Phoenix Suns on Saturday night.
Fortunately for Detroit, they will be getting a reinforcement as the veteran guard, Jaden Ivey, has been cleared to return to action.
Leading up to Saturday’s game, the Pistons listed Ivey on the injury report as probable. Barring any unexpected changes, he had a great chance to return to the court, which will once again change up the Pistons’ starting five.
Jaden Ivey (knee) listed available to play Saturday.
— Underdog NBA (@Underdog__NBA) December 22, 2024
Ivey’s recent knee concerns started on Monday when the Pistons hosted the Miami Heat. Although Ivey wasn’t believed to be dealing with any setbacks beforehand, he was shockingly ruled out right before the game tipped off.
At the time, Ivey was dealing with sudden soreness in his knee. The Pistons didn’t risk trotting him out on the court to play through it. He got the night off as the Pistons took care of business in an overtime thriller with the Heat.
Before the Pistons faced the Jazz, Detroit head coach JB Bickerstaff noted that Ivey’s timeline was day-to-day, which suggested he could be back on the court sooner rather than later.
After missing two games, Ivey is back in the mix. He’s off to a nice start this season, averaging 17 points on 44 percent shooting from the field and 37 percent shooting from beyond the arc. He’s also dishing out four assists per game, while coming down with a career-high four rebounds per game.
Ivey and the Pistons will tip-off against the Suns at 9 PM ET.
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