Latest news with #AmericaFirstPolicyInstitute
New York Post
3 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Oregon track star wages legal battle against trans athlete policy after medal ceremony protest
An Oregon high school track star is speaking out after refusing to stand on the podium with a transgender athlete, saying her protest was about fairness – not hate. 'I just didn't think that it's fair to biological females to allow and encourage biological males to compete among us, not only for myself and the other girl that stepped down, but the girl who should have been on the podium and the girl who didn't even get to go to state because she was beaten by a biological male at districts,' athlete Alexa Anderson said on 'Fox & Friends.' Advertisement 'It is not about hate or transphobia at all. It's about protecting women's rights and their right to fair and equal competition within sports.' Anderson and another athlete named Reese Eckard, who finished in third and fourth place in the Oregon State Athletic Association's Girls High Jump finale, respectively, stood behind the podium during the ceremony because they refused to stand next to the transgender student, Liaa Rose, who placed fifth, according to the New York Post. An official behind the event allegedly told those protesting to 'step aside' and 'get out' of the photos. 3 Reese Eckard and Alexa Anderson protest the girls' high jump medal ceremony at the Oregon State high school championships at Hayward Field on May 31, 2025. America First Policy Institute Advertisement 3 Alexa Anderson speaks out on her legal battle during a recent interview with 'Fox and Friends.' 'I was very shocked and kind of stressed with all the eyes and attention on us, so I complied with what he said, but I am a little bit frustrated that people were angry with us rather than supportive of our movement,' Anderson continued. During the 'Fox & Friends' appearance, Anderson's attorney Jessica Steinmann spelled out the legal action currently in motion, sharing that America First Policy Institute filed a complaint with the US Department of Education to request that they investigate the Oregon Department of Education. 'The law that was meant to protect our girls, Title IX, is now being weaponized against them. On top of that, they are now being sidelined and there's clear First Amendment issues as well,' she shared. Advertisement 3 Eckard and Anderson refused to share the podium with transgender athlete Liaa Rose who tied for fifth in the event. @LaLONeill/X Steinmann said female athletes today are losing medal access, scholarships and economic opportunities to biological males allegedly stealing their thunder. The incident came on the heels of a controversy in neighboring California, where trans athlete AB Hernandez won two state titles against female competitors.
Fox News
6 days ago
- General
- Fox News
Erika Donalds: The Trump Administration Has To Make An Example Out Of California Over Title IX Compliance
America First Policy Institute's Center for Education Opportunity chair Erika Donalds joins Fox Across America With Jimmy Failla to explain why she believes the Trump administration ultimately must take legal action against California over the state's apparent Title IX violation regarding transgender athletes. Erika Donalds On The Problems With Teachers Unions PLUS, check out the podcast to hear Monday's full show!
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump is losing patience with Putin but unsure of his next move
President Donald Trump on Tuesday signaled that his patience with Vladimir Putin is running thin, warning the Russian leader that he is 'playing with fire' by refusing to engage in serious peace talks about ending the war in Ukraine. But Trump, frustrated that Putin has shrugged at his offer to reset relations with the U.S. following a peace settlement, still hasn't decided to shift gears. "Putin is getting dangerously close to burning the golden bridge that Trump has set out before him,' said an administration official, who, like others, was granted anonymity to share details about the president's current thinking. Trump has yet to make a decision on whether to impose additional sanctions on Moscow in response to Putin ramping up attacks on Ukraine, according to four U.S. officials. Pro-Ukraine allies on Capitol Hill are treading carefully as they urge the White House to consider following up on his threats to Putin by backing their effort to enact new sanctions. And allies in Europe, facing the possibility that Trump could walk away from peace talks without punishing Russia, are scrambling to figure out how they could tackle taking the lead on support for Ukraine 'What Vladimir Putin doesn't realize is that if it weren't for me, lots of really bad things would have already happened to Russia, and I mean REALLY BAD,' Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Tuesday. 'He's playing with fire!' Trump also told reporters on Sunday that he was 'absolutely' considering additional economic sanctions on Russia and described Putin as having 'gone absolutely CRAZY' in a social media post. The president has issued similar, yet sporadic, threats since his first days in office. But at no point has he followed through and ratcheted up pressure on Moscow — despite Putin repeatedly telling Trump he supports peace while intensifying his bombing campaign in Ukraine. 'I am now very, very skeptical that Trump will ever apply any serious sanctions or measures on Russia,' said Kurt Volker, who served as Trump's special envoy to Ukraine during his first term. 'He has had so many opportunities to do it and he has always ducked.' And many of Trump's broadsides criticizing Putin have been diluted with strong words for other parties. Trump wrote on Sunday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and former President Joe Biden share some of the blame for the war that Putin initiated, now in its fourth year. 'This war is Joe Biden's fault, and President Trump has been clear he wants to see a negotiated peace deal,' press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement to POLITICO. 'President Trump has also smartly kept all options on the table.' Fred Fleitz, a vice chair at the America First Policy Institute who is close to the administration, praised Trump for 'do[ing] his best to solve it,' but asserted that 'if for some reason they can't solve it, that failure is Biden's.' Fleitz said Trump's patience with Putin is running thin. 'The time is coming within the next month or six weeks where Trump may end negotiations and put in place tough sanctions,' he said. When Trump spoke with several European leaders last week following his phone calls with both Zelenskyy and Putin, he seemed to be making excuses for Putin's reluctance to engage in peace talks, according to two people familiar with the call. Trump, the people said, hypothesized that Putin may have balked at joining ceasefire talks after the threats of new economic sanctions by Europe and the U.S. As frustrated as Trump has gotten with Putin, the people said, he's given Europeans a clear sense that he doesn't like sanctions and had hoped he could get the Russian leader to engage without forcing his hand. European leaders hope that Trump is coming to understand that the light touch with the Kremlin isn't going to work and adjust, they said. There are also some people inside and outside the administration who have told Trump that 'sanctions will hurt U.S. companies and drive Russia away from talks,' a U.S. official said. Several Republican lawmakers are now encouraging Trump's sanction threats. Senate Republican leadership backs a bipartisan sanctions bill but has been looking for a formal green light from Trump that he would support the legislation. Without his blessing, Republicans worry that it could be dead on arrival in the House, where leadership is wary of getting sideways with the president. And if he were to formally come out against more sanctions, it could bleed support for the bill or force Republicans to formally break with Trump. Majority Leader John Thune has said the sanctions bill would easily pass the Senate, and that he would support putting it on the floor. But he's also been careful not to get ahead of the administration. If Russia doesn't 'engage in serious diplomacy, the Senate will work with the administration to consider additional sanctions,' he said last week. Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), the No. 2 Senate Republican, added in a Tuesday post on X that 'if Russia stalls, the Senate will act decisively to move to bring lasting peace.' But Thune is also facing pent-up desire from within his own conference to take up sanctions legislation even if Trump doesn't offer his clear blessing. GOP senators discussed the sanctions legislation during a closed-door lunch last week, according to two attendees, who were granted anonymity to disclose private discussions. Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) said on Tuesday that he could see Thune bringing the bill to the floor without Trump's blessing, although said the leader would prefer a signal from the White House. 'We want to be part of the solution and give leverage to the president, but it's not like he doesn't know what we're up to,' Cramer said. Republicans have largely left pressing Trump for more Russia sanctions to Sen. Lindsey Graham. The South Carolina Republican noted in a letter to the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday that he's worked closely with the administration to calibrate his sanctions bill. Graham also recently traveled with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and said he used the trip to talk up the sanctions bill and tell foreign allies that the Senate is 'an independent body and that we are moving down the road to holding Putin accountable.' European officials and longtime Russia watchers note that Moscow has sought to try and separate the war in Ukraine from the broader U.S.-Russia relationship, where both Putin and Trump see significant potential for economic rapprochement. 'It seems to us that the Russians would like to separate two topics,' said a European official.'One is Russia-U.S.-relations. And then Ukraine, as a separate topic.' U.S. and Russian officials have both hinted at the lucrative opportunities that could follow if the two countries were to normalize bilateral relations in the wake of peace talks. 'Russia wants to do largescale TRADE with the United States when this catastrophic 'bloodbath' is over, and I agree,' Trump posted on social media following his most recent call with Putin.
Politico
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Politico
Trump is losing patience with Putin but unsure of his next move
President Donald Trump on Tuesday signaled that his patience with Vladimir Putin is running thin, warning the Russian leader that he is 'playing with fire' by refusing to engage in serious peace talks about ending the war in Ukraine. But Trump, frustrated that Putin has shrugged at his offer to reset relations with the U.S. following a peace settlement, still hasn't decided to shift gears. 'Putin is getting dangerously close to burning the golden bridge that Trump has set out before him,' said an administration official, who, like others, was granted anonymity to share details about the president's current thinking. Trump has yet to make a decision on whether to impose additional sanctions on Moscow in response to Putin ramping up attacks on Ukraine, according to four U.S. officials. Pro-Ukraine allies on Capitol Hill are treading carefully as they urge the White House to consider following up on his threats to Putin by backing their effort to enact new sanctions. And allies in Europe, facing the possibility that Trump could walk away from peace talks without punishing Russia, are scrambling to figure out how they could tackle taking the lead on support for Ukraine 'What Vladimir Putin doesn't realize is that if it weren't for me, lots of really bad things would have already happened to Russia, and I mean REALLY BAD,' Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Tuesday. 'He's playing with fire!' Trump also told reporters on Sunday that he was 'absolutely' considering additional economic sanctions on Russia and described Putin as having 'gone absolutely CRAZY' in a social media post. The president has issued similar, yet sporadic, threats since his first days in office. But at no point has he followed through and ratcheted up pressure on Moscow — despite Putin repeatedly telling Trump he supports peace while intensifying his bombing campaign in Ukraine. 'I am now very, very skeptical that Trump will ever apply any serious sanctions or measures on Russia,' said Kurt Volker, who served as Trump's special envoy to Ukraine during his first term. 'He has had so many opportunities to do it and he has always ducked.' And many of Trump's broadsides criticizing Putin have been diluted with strong words for other parties. Trump wrote on Sunday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and former President Joe Biden share some of the blame for the war that Putin initiated, now in its fourth year. 'This war is Joe Biden's fault, and President Trump has been clear he wants to see a negotiated peace deal,' press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement to POLITICO. 'President Trump has also smartly kept all options on the table.' Fred Fleitz, a vice chair at the America First Policy Institute who is close to the administration, praised Trump for 'do[ing] his best to solve it,' but asserted that 'if for some reason they can't solve it, that failure is Biden's.' Fleitz said Trump's patience with Putin is running thin. 'The time is coming within the next month or six weeks where Trump may end negotiations and put in place tough sanctions,' he said. When Trump spoke with several European leaders last week following his phone calls with both Zelenskyy and Putin, he seemed to be making excuses for Putin's reluctance to engage in peace talks, according to two people familiar with the call. Trump, the people said, hypothesized that Putin may have balked at joining ceasefire talks after the threats of new economic sanctions by Europe and the U.S. As frustrated as Trump has gotten with Putin, the people said, he's given Europeans a clear sense that he doesn't like sanctions and had hoped he could get the Russian leader to engage without forcing his hand. European leaders hope that Trump is coming to understand that the light touch with the Kremlin isn't going to work and adjust, they said. There are also some people inside and outside the administration who have told Trump that 'sanctions will hurt U.S. companies and drive Russia away from talks,' a U.S. official said. Several Republican lawmakers are now encouraging Trump's sanction threats. Senate Republican leadership backs a bipartisan sanctions bill but has been looking for a formal green light from Trump that he would support the legislation. Without his blessing, Republicans worry that it could be dead on arrival in the House, where leadership is wary of getting sideways with the president. And if he were to formally come out against more sanctions, it could bleed support for the bill or force Republicans to formally break with Trump. Majority Leader John Thune has said the sanctions bill would easily pass the Senate, and that he would support putting it on the floor. But he's also been careful not to get ahead of the administration. If Russia doesn't 'engage in serious diplomacy, the Senate will work with the administration to consider additional sanctions,' he said last week. Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), the No. 2 Senate Republican, added in a Tuesday post on X that 'if Russia stalls, the Senate will act decisively to move to bring lasting peace.' But Thune is also facing pent-up desire from within his own conference to take up sanctions legislation even if Trump doesn't offer his clear blessing. GOP senators discussed the sanctions legislation during a closed-door lunch last week, according to two attendees, who were granted anonymity to disclose private discussions. Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) said on Tuesday that he could see Thune bringing the bill to the floor without Trump's blessing, although said the leader would prefer a signal from the White House. 'We want to be part of the solution and give leverage to the president, but it's not like he doesn't know what we're up to,' Cramer said. Republicans have largely left pressing Trump for more Russia sanctions to Sen. Lindsey Graham. The South Carolina Republican noted in a letter to the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday that he's worked closely with the administration to calibrate his sanctions bill. Graham also recently traveled with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and said he used the trip to talk up the sanctions bill and tell foreign allies that the Senate is 'an independent body and that we are moving down the road to holding Putin accountable.' European officials and longtime Russia watchers note that Moscow has sought to try and separate the war in Ukraine from the broader U.S.-Russia relationship, where both Putin and Trump see significant potential for economic rapprochement. 'It seems to us that the Russians would like to separate two topics,' said a European official.'One is Russia-U.S.-relations. And then Ukraine, as a separate topic.' U.S. and Russian officials have both hinted at the lucrative opportunities that could follow if the two countries were to normalize bilateral relations in the wake of peace talks. 'Russia wants to do largescale TRADE with the United States when this catastrophic 'bloodbath' is over, and I agree,' Trump posted on social media following his most recent call with Putin.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
MAGA Think Tank Staffing Trump 2.0: America First Policy Institute
Dubbed a White House-in-waiting during his exile, the America First Policy Institute now seems nearly like another White House campus - almost half of President Trumps Cabinet is expected to address the AFPI policy summit this week in Washington, D.C. The roster of speakers reflects not just the rising influence of the new think tank but also the stunning reversal in Republican political fortunes. AFPI was born from failure. After the 2020 election, founder and then-CEO Brooke Rollins was looking to salvage the "Trump 2.0" policy portfolio, the detailed plans for a second presidential term that never came, or rather, one that was delayed. Her motivating question at the time: "How do we continue moving forward when we are no longer in the White House?" The answer will be on full display when assorted MAGA dignitaries kick off the summit Tuesday at the Kennedy Center by toasting "the America First Moment." After decamping to the Waldorf Astoria for the next two days, they will celebrate the crowning achievement of the young institute. Over 86% of the 196 federal policies that AFPI drafted and recommended in 2022, while Republicans were still in the wilderness, have been advanced or enacted during the first 100 Days of the Trump administration, RealClearPolitics is first to report. "President Trump has kept his promises. His administrations speed and clarity in acting on these priorities is not just impressive, its historic," said Greg Sindelar, who took over as interim CEO earlier this year. "The America First Agenda was always rooted in the needs of real people, not the whims of Washington. What were seeing now is the natural result of a movement that's aligned with the public, led by conviction, and governed with urgency." Some of the policies now implemented were already standard GOP boilerplate, like border security and economic deregulation, when AFPI made their recommendations. Others directly mirror institute white papers, like the plan to reclassify the employment status of thousands of civil servants, lay off large portions of the federal workforce, and remake the bureaucracy in Trumps own image. Known as "Schedule F," the expansion of executive authority was an Institute brainchild. Its mastermind, a policy wonk named James Sherk, went with Trump into the White House. So did many of the AFPI staff, and while some in the beltway will quibble over who originated what policy idea, what is undeniable is that the Trump think tank maxed out the maxim that personnel is policy. The AFPI people are everywhere in the White House and in key positions across the administration. By their count - and reported here for the first time - no less than 73 institute alumni now work for the president. The most prominent can be found seated next to Trump in the Cabinet Room. Rollins took a hiatus from the think tank to lead the Agriculture Department, while Linda McMahon, who chaired the AFPI board and later co-chaired the second Trump transition, now serves as the head of the Education Department. They are not the only former colleagues around the Cabinet table. Attorney General Pam Bondi led the think tanks legal arm before taking over the Department of Justice. Veteran Affairs Secretary Doug Collins was previously the chair of the AFPI state chapter in Georgia. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin helmed the institutes China initiative. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner led the Center for Education Opportunity. Other Cabinet-level officials who are AFPI alums include CIA Director John Ratcliffe, FBI Director Kash Patel, and National Economic Council director Kevin Hassett. It is a full house. And by design. "When we roll into 2024, we will have policies and we will have the people that are set to go," predicted Keith Kellogg before the Biden presidency had even reached the halfway point. When they were new in town, the first Trump transition team faced a personnel crisis, the retired Army lieutenant general told RCP, forcing the incoming White House to scramble to find qualified staff. But with AFPI as a talent scout, he said, Trump will not "have the JV team." Kellogg now serves as U.S. special envoy to Ukraine. And in this way, by identifying key personnel early and by hammering out policy ahead of time, AFPI built out-of-the-box instructions for the current president. More efficient than the original, Trump 2.0 has been defined by a flood-the-zone strategy. The speed has even awed some former Biden officials. One told Axios recently, "Gosh, I wish I could work for an administration that could move that quickly." While the administration raided the AFPI bench for talent, the think tank continues to churn out policy from its new headquarters in the offices adjacent to the luxurious Willard Intercontinental Hotel across the street from the White House. They have already replenished their ranks with 56 new hires this year. It is designed to be a full-stack operation. Kellyanne Conway, who served as senior counselor to the president in the first Trump White House, leads the AFPI polling operation. The topline of a poll commissioned ahead of the policy summit: "America First" policies are supported by the public by a 12-point margin (47% to 35%). Those numbers are central to the current and overall argument of the institute. The populism of Trump is more durable than just the current moment, they insist. They believe that it can and ought to serve as an enduring foundation for the next several decades of the GOP. Their ambitions are grand. "The road ahead is clear," said AFPI spokeswoman Jen Pellegrino. "Build on this foundation and lay the groundwork for an America First century." Philip Wegmann is White House correspondent for RealClearPolitics.
