Latest news with #AndyOgles
Fox News
3 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Christian university rebranding DEI to evade Trump order, enroll illegals, Tennessee rep says
Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., is demanding an investigation into Belmont University after leaked recordings of a university faculty member admitting the school has maintained its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives but "just change[d] on how we talk about it" despite federal directives to end the programs deemed by many to be discriminatory. In undercover recordings, the same official can be heard admitting the school also enrolls illegal immigrants and hides that information from external entities, which Ogles suggested could violate state law against knowingly harboring illegal aliens for profit. "Belmont University claims to be a Christian institution grounded in Biblical principles, but its administration is injecting anti-gospel DEI ideology into its curriculum," Ogles told Fox News Digital. "President Trump has rightly demanded that colleges and universities dismantle the DEI cartel or lose federal funding. Belmont officials, however, have been caught on camera bragging about their 'clever' scheme to rebrand DEI and continue pushing the same radical agenda under a new name." Belmont is just one of the latest schools to come under fire for allegedly trying to skirt federal funding repercussions by re-branding DEI programs and policies. An investigation in April by conservative parental rights group Defending Education found that despite the president's executive directives, there are still 383 "currently active" DEI offices and programs with 243 universities maintaining institution-wide DEI offices or programming. In addition to tracking those DEI offices and programs that are still active, the group's investigation also highlighted dozens of universities that have taken steps to rebrand or reorganize their DEI efforts as opposed to shutting them down like others have done. Ogles pointed to Belmont's Office of Hope, Unity and Belonging (HUB), which engulfed the university's DEI efforts in 2022, as an example of how the school has rebranded its DEI efforts. "The HUB is hope, unity and belonging. That's DEI. Let's be real," Jozef Lukey, Belmont's assistant director of student success and flourishing, said in an undercover recording cited by Ogles. "We always try to just adapt to what's happening around us. But that doesn't mean, like, what we're focusing on completely stops. We just changed the terminology and the language that we keep moving forward. "We're always going to keep doing what we're doing. The work never stops. We just change on how we talk about it." After Ogles' public complaints, his office said, faculty and students have reached out to attest to the school's ongoing DEI initiatives. One professor allegedly shared a mandatory form for faculty members requesting to revise or propose a new course, which requires a "Diversity Impact Statement" outlining how the course supports "historically underrepresented populations." Another source, according to Ogles' office, shared screenshots of an email chain showing Belmont intends to keep its faculty DEI committee for the next academic year. Belmont has insisted attempts to portray the school as having a "shadow operation" are wholly inaccurate. "We are deeply saddened that these videos portray Belmont as having a 'shadow operation,' as nothing could be further from the truth. It's also disappointing that Rep. Ogles and others perceive such an approach as being representative of Belmont University's character and values," the university told local outlet Fox 17. In a statement to Fox News Digital, the school maintained it is "in compliance with federal laws." "We are aware of comments from government officials and maintain that the university is in compliance with federal laws," a university spokesperson told Fox News Digital. "We look forward to working together with the Tennessee delegation to address any concerns about legal compliance." In an email allegedly sent to the Belmont University community, university President L. Gregory Jones doubled down on the school's compliance with federal laws and argued HUB was established to "inspire the campus community to fully live in light of Christ's resurrection," adding it is not a DEI office even though the university's website described it like that when it was established in 2022. The email included references to counseling services for people who may be feeling uncomfortable as a result of the allegations the school is facing. The school did not respond to allegations from Ogles and others that the school is admitting and harboring illegal immigrants for profit. "We definitely have to navigate very carefully and just cautiously just because we just don't ever know, especially with like the ICE raids that are happening in the city that impacts our campus," Lukey was caught saying in the undercover recording. "We do have undocumented students here. Yeah. Oh, yeah. We don't communicate to anybody externally who's undocumented, who isn't. And, so, like, yes, we know who it is. Faculty don't really know. How could they? Unless it's indicated in the system somewhere." According to Ogles, such a move could potentially violate Tennesee's Senate Bill 392, which was passed recently and criminalizes 501(c)(3) institutions, known colloquially as nonprofits, for harboring illegal aliens for profit.
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Tennessee Republican sends Burgum letter calling for Trump to be added to Mount Rushmore
Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) urged Interior Secretary Doug Burgum this week to 'explore the addition' of President Trump's likeness to Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, citing 'the scale and scope of recent achievements,' including the president's domestic policy megabill that Congress passed Thursday and his administration's ongoing border security efforts. 'The legacy of Mount Rushmore cannot remain frozen in stone; it must evolve to reflect the full arc of American history, including its most recent and transformative chapter,' Ogles wrote in a post about his proposal on the social platform X. The Department of Interior declined to comment on Ogles's expansion idea, but a spokesperson told The Hill the agency 'takes all correspondence from Congress seriously and carefully reviews each matter.' In a letter to Burgum on Thursday, Ogles urged the Interior Department to start a feasibility study covering technical, legal and cultural concerns with input from the public and experts. Mount Rushmore has been a source of contention for some Native American groups because it was built on sacred Lakota Sioux tribal land. About 2 million visitors flock to the national park each year. 'We understand that physical modifications to Mount Rushmore raise logistical and preservation questions, but this discussion should not be foreclosed based on past bureaucratic resistance or political discomfort,' Ogles wrote in his letter to Burgum. 'While meeting the logistical challenges may require engagement with state and/or tribunal officials, the national benefit of promptly recognizing President Trump's accomplishments in restoring American greatness makes doing so a priority, and the benefits of elevating the dignity and relevance of the site, thus increasing both its grandeur and its visitor traffic, will accrue to South Dakota, the Lakota Sioux and the broader area,' he added. The National Park Service (NPS) didn't immediately respond to The Hill's request for comment, but an NPS official explained to The Black Hills Pioneer newspaper in 2020 that it would not be structurally possible to add another person to the massive mountain-side sculpture. 'The rock that surrounds the sculpted faces is not suitable for additional carving,' Mount Rushmore National Memorial Chief of Interpretation and Education Maureen McGee-Ballinger said at the time. NPS has had a longstanding partnership with a rock mechanics engineering firm (RESPEC) to continuously study the structural stability of the sculpture. 'RESPEC supports our long-held belief that no other rock near the sculpted faces is suitable for additional carving,' McGee-Ballinger told the local newspaper. 'RESPEC also believes that if additional work were undertaken it is possible that exposing new surfaces could result in creation of potential instabilities in the existing carving.' In addition to Ogles's appeal to Burgum, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) has proposed legislation that would direct the secretary of the Interior to 'arrange for the carving' of Trump's image on Mount Rushmore. The legislation hasn't been brought up for a hearing. Trump told The Hill in a 2019 interview that he couldn't answer whether he thinks he should be added to the colossal carving, which was completed in 1941. 'If I answer that question, 'Yes,' I will end up with such bad publicity,' he said. However, his desire to have his face alongside former Presidents Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson and Teddy Roosevelt has been previously revealed. Trump's Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, at the time running for South Dakota governor, recalled in a 2018 interview with a Coyote State newspaper that during her first meeting with Trump in the Oval Office, he told her it was his 'dream' to be immortalized on the monument someday. 'I started laughing,' Noem, at the time a Republican member of Congress, told the Argus Leader. 'He wasn't laughing, so he was totally serious.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Newsweek
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Fresh Push to Add Donald Trump to Mount Rushmore: 'Essential'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. House Republican Andy Ogles of Tennessee has asked Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to "put Trump on Mt. Rushmore," the South Dakota-based national memorial celebrating four iconic presidents, to mark his "recent achievements," and it's not the first time someone has suggested the addition. Newsweek contacted Representative Ogles and the Department of the Interior for comment on Friday via email outside of regular office hours. Why It Matters Ogles' proposal indicates the strength of grassroots Republican loyalty to President Trump, with a survey conducted between June 23 and 26 finding 79 percent of registered GOP voters approve of his performance. However, this was down from 86 percent in March. The National Park Service has previously said that any fresh carvings on Mount Rushmore would be impractical, and any official move to add Trump would almost certainly spark serious opposition. What To Know Ogles sent a letter to Burgum, a copy of which was seen by The Hill, on Thursday, urging him to "explore the addition" of Trump's sculpture to Mount Rushmore to recognize the president's "accomplishments in restoring American greatness." The Tennessee Republican added that such a move would have the "benefits of elevating the dignity and relevance of the site, thus increasing both its grandeur and its visitor traffic, will accrue to South Dakota, the Lakota Sioux, and the broader area." In an X post also made on Thursday, Ogles said: "I'm asking Secretary Burgum to put Trump on Mt. Rushmore. "Given the scale and scope of President Trump's recent achievements—especially the impending enactment of the Big Beautiful Bill, the historic act that will ignite America's Golden Age—it is essential that we immortalize President Trump's likeness on Mount Rushmore." A mock-up depicting President Trump on Mount Rushmore released by GOP Representative Andy Ogles. A mock-up depicting President Trump on Mount Rushmore released by GOP Representative Andy Ogles. Rep. Andy Ogles/X Thursday saw the House approve Trump's 'One Big Beautiful Bill' in a 218 vs 214 vote, meaning the president will now be able to sign it into law as it narrowly passed the Senate earlier this week. The package includes tax cuts, additional funding for border security and the military, cuts to Medicaid and food stamps and a $5 trillion increase in the U.S. debt ceiling. Mount Rushmore was constructed in South Dakota's Black Hills between 1927 and 1941 and features head sculptures of iconic presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. The site is controversial as it was taken from the Sioux Nation illegally, and in the 1980s, the Supreme Court ordered the federal government to pay $105 million in compensation. In January, Florida House Republican Anna Paulina Luna announced a bill calling for Trump to be added to Mount Rushmore, though it didn't proceed to a hearing. What People Are Saying In his X post, Ogles added: "Like Washington, Trump did not seek his position for glory but out of love for his country, championing American independence and reshaping the presidency with dynamism, clarity, and purpose. "Like Jefferson, he expanded America's horizons by pursuing new frontiers and breaking away from deep state tyrants. "Like Teddy Roosevelt, Trump took on entrenched interests, reinvigorated American industry, and avenged the working class against bureaucratic bloat and corporate corruption. "The legacy of Mount Rushmore cannot remain frozen in stone; it must evolve to reflect the full arc of American history, including its most recent and transformative chapter." Speaking to the Black Hill Pioneer newspaper in 2020, Mount Rushmore National Memorial Chief of Interpretation and Education Maureen McGee-Ballinger said: "The rock that surrounds the sculpted faces is not suitable for additional carving." What Happens Next There is no indication that the federal government has any immediate plans to add Trump to Mount Rushmore, and any such move would almost certainly spark controversy and legal challenges.
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
House Republican calls for third Trump term over passage of ‘historic' tax bill
A key House ally of President Donald Trump is calling for the Republican leader to be eligible for a third White House term over passage of his "big, beautiful bill." Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., also called for Trump to be added to Mount Rushmore in South Dakota alongside George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. "I was at the White House with President Trump for several hours yesterday and spent countless hours whipping votes with Speaker Johnson for the One Big Beautiful Bill. This historic legislation will unleash our economy and usher in a new golden age for America," Ogles told Fox News Digital after the bill passed. "Thanks to President Trump, we're finally reversing the damage caused by Big Government and Democrat cronies. Wins like this are exactly why he deserves serious consideration for a third term—AND why so many believe he belongs on Mt. Rushmore." Tax Cuts, Work Requirements And Asylum Fees: Here's What's Inside The Senate's Version Of Trump's Bill Ogles had previously introduced a resolution to give Trump the ability to run for a third term as president. Read On The Fox News App He was also seen at the White House in the lead-up to the last step of Congress advancing Trump's massive tax and immigration bill. Ogles was also present on the House floor during tense negotiations on the bill, speaking to both Republican holdouts and House leaders at times. The legislation narrowly passed on Thursday afternoon after a marathon session in the House of Representatives that began with a House Rules Committee meeting to advance it at 1:30 p.m. ET Tuesday, which ended nearly 12 hours later on Wednesday morning. House lawmakers then met to debate the bill at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, though those proceedings were delayed for hours as House GOP leaders – and Trump himself – worked to persuade critics behind closed doors. Thom Tillis Announces Retirement From Senate After Clash With Trump The bill numbers more than 900 pages and advances Trump's agenda on taxes, the border, defense, energy, and the national debt. The bill would permanently extend the income tax brackets lowered by Trump's 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), while temporarily adding new tax deductions to eliminate duties on tipped and overtime wages up to certain caps. It also includes a new tax deduction for people aged 65 and over. The legislation also rolls back green energy tax credits implemented under former President Joe Biden's Inflation Reduction Act, which Trump and his allies have attacked as "the Green New Scam." The bill would also surge money toward the national defense, and to Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the name of Trump's crackdown on illegal immigrants in the U.S. The bill would also raise the debt limit by $5 trillion in order to avoid a potentially economically devastating credit default sometime this summer, if the U.S. runs out of cash to pay its obligations. New and expanded work requirements would be implemented for Medicaid and federal food assistance, respectively. Democrats have blasted the bill as a tax giveaway to the wealthy while cutting federal benefits for working-class Americans. But Republicans have said their tax provisions are targeted toward the working and middle classes – citing measures eliminating taxes on tipped and overtime wages – while arguing they were reforming federal welfare programs to work better for those who truly need article source: House Republican calls for third Trump term over passage of 'historic' tax bill
Fox News
03-07-2025
- Business
- Fox News
House Republican calls for third Trump term over passage of ‘historic' tax bill
A key House ally of President Donald Trump is calling for the Republican leader to be eligible for a third White House term over passage of his "big, beautiful bill." Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., also called for Trump to be added to Mount Rushmore in South Dakota alongside George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. "I was at the White House with President Trump for several hours yesterday and spent countless hours whipping votes with Speaker Johnson for the One Big Beautiful Bill. This historic legislation will unleash our economy and usher in a new golden age for America," Ogles told Fox News Digital after the bill passed. "Thanks to President Trump, we're finally reversing the damage caused by Big Government and Democrat cronies. Wins like this are exactly why he deserves serious consideration for a third term—AND why so many believe he belongs on Mt. Rushmore." Ogles had previously introduced a resolution to give Trump the ability to run for a third term as president. He was also seen at the White House in the lead-up to the last step of Congress advancing Trump's massive tax and immigration bill. Ogles was also present on the House floor during tense negotiations on the bill, speaking to both Republican holdouts and House leaders at times. The legislation narrowly passed on Thursday afternoon after a marathon session in the House of Representatives that began with a House Rules Committee meeting to advance it at 1:30 p.m. ET Tuesday, which ended nearly 12 hours later on Wednesday morning. House lawmakers then met to debate the bill at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, though those proceedings were delayed for hours as House GOP leaders – and Trump himself – worked to persuade critics behind closed doors. The bill numbers more than 900 pages and advances Trump's agenda on taxes, the border, defense, energy, and the national debt. The bill would permanently extend the income tax brackets lowered by Trump's 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), while temporarily adding new tax deductions to eliminate duties on tipped and overtime wages up to certain caps. It also includes a new tax deduction for people aged 65 and over. The legislation also rolls back green energy tax credits implemented under former President Joe Biden's Inflation Reduction Act, which Trump and his allies have attacked as "the Green New Scam." The bill would also surge money toward the national defense, and to Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the name of Trump's crackdown on illegal immigrants in the U.S. The bill would also raise the debt limit by $5 trillion in order to avoid a potentially economically devastating credit default sometime this summer, if the U.S. runs out of cash to pay its obligations. New and expanded work requirements would be implemented for Medicaid and federal food assistance, respectively. Democrats have blasted the bill as a tax giveaway to the wealthy while cutting federal benefits for working-class Americans. But Republicans have said their tax provisions are targeted toward the working and middle classes – citing measures eliminating taxes on tipped and overtime wages – while arguing they were reforming federal welfare programs to work better for those who truly need them.
