Latest news with #ex-FoxNews
USA Today
29-07-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Ex-Trump staffer Hope Hicks to join Megyn Kelly's media company as COO
Hope Hicks, a former Trump staffer, is set to join ex-Fox News host Megyn Kelly for a new media venture. Megyn Kelly is tapping a well-known ex-Trump official for her growing media business. Kelly, 54, once a mainstay on cable news, has since launched her own podcast and YouTube show, following a tumultuous exit from the traditional format. Now she's creating her own brand with Devil May Care Media, which will serve as home to the "Megyn Kelly Show" and others, and to do it, she's bringing on Hope Hicks. Kelly first shared the news with the New York Post, later confirming it with a post on X. Hicks, 36, who served as communications director during President Donald Trump's first term and later as an executive at Fox Corp., will take on the role of chief operating officer, helping grow the business in an ever-evolving media landscape. Megyn Kelly and Bill Maher get candid on cancel culture: 'Even liberals hate this' "Hope Hicks is exactly the kind of woman I want running my company with me – strong, smart, strategic and the embodiment of class and poise," Kelly said in a statement to the Post. "She's at the top of a growing media conglomerate and there's no limit to where she can take it; my best-in-the-business staff and I are thrilled to have her on board." Hicks, who has been working in corporate consulting since her exit from the White House, shared in Kelly's excitement over the partnership. "Megyn has used her talent, integrity, and unparalleled credibility to create content unlike anything else available today," Hicks told The Post. "I am incredibly humbled and thrilled to be joining Megyn and her team in continuing to build what is undoubtedly a flourishing business." USA TODAY has reached out to Devil May Care Media for comment. Once one of Trump's closest advisors, Hicks began working in the White House in 2017 and filled various roles intermittently before exiting the administration permanently following his loss in the 2020 presidential election and the subsequent campaign to overturn the election results. Now she is joining forces with Kelly, an intermittent subject of Trump's ire, who in recent years generated a massive audience outside of traditional media with her daily news podcast and commentary show. A time-honored conservative commentator, Kelly left Fox News in 2017 after more than a decade, moving to NBC, much to the chagrin of liberal viewers, and exiting that network just a year later following controversial on-air remarks she made defending the use of blackface. She has now proved a case-study for new media, however, bringing her personal brand and audience with her to launch a popular podcast and a burgeoning conservative media company.
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘You cheer against Trump so hard': Hegseth scolds Iran nuclear strike reporting with no proof of ‘devastation'
The former Fox News weekend presenter who now serves as the head of the massive American defense establishment baselessly accused the Pentagon press corps — including one of his former colleagues — of deliberately trying to cast doubt on the success of last weekend's U.S. airstrikes against Iranian nuclear sites out of a desire to undermine the Trump administration in a bizarre rant-filled press conference aimed at the Pentagon on Thursday. Speaking alongside the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the Pentagon briefing room, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth laid into the assembled reporters from the start by grousing about how news outlets hadn't given President Donald Trump enough credit for NATO members' decision to increase defense spending to an annual five percent of GDP at this week's summit in The Hague. He also accused them of missing 'historic moments' while trying to 'find wedges and spin stories' before claiming the airstrikes aimed at Iran's Esfahan, Fordow and Natanz nuclear sites on Saturday had been 'the most complex and secretive military operation in history' and 'a resounding success.' The airstrikes, which were conducted by seven B-2 Spirit bomber aircraft with the aid of numerous fighters and an Ohio-class guided missile submarine that fired dozens of Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles at one of the target sites, appear to have inflicted significant damage on the sites. But Hegseth and President Donald Trump have become increasingly irate over press coverage of the action because of reporting in the last few days which cited a preliminary report stating that the damage to the underground Fordow site wasn't enough to match their claims to have 'obliterated' the facilities. Hegseth complained that the press had reported on the preliminary document and cited other more recent statements from some of Trump's political appointees which assessed that the strikes had 'severely damaged' Iran's nuclear program before returning to attacking journalists and accusing them of wanting the military to fail because it would look bad for Trump. 'You cheer against Trump so hard, it's like in your DNA and in your blood to cheer against Trump,' he said. 'Because you want him not to be successful so bad, you have to cheer against the efficacy of these strikes.' 'You have to hope maybe they weren't effective, maybe the way the Trump administration is representing them isn't true. So let's take half truths, spun information, leaked information, and then spin it, spin it in every way we can, to try to cause doubt and manipulate the mind, the public mind over whether or not our brave pilots were successful,' he added. The ex-Fox News host's combative demeanor at the early-morning press conference matched the performative outrage he displayed alongside Trump less than a day before, when he called the bombing mission 'flawless' and said the 30,000 pound Massive Ordnance Penetrator weapons dropped onto the hardened Fordow site had created 'devastation underneath' before attacking the motives of the Defense Intelligence Agency analysts who'd written the intelligence assessment and accusing news outlets that have reported on it of 'trying to spin it to make the president look bad when this was an overwhelming success.' It appeared to find favor with Trump, who posted on Truth Social that the briefing was 'one of the greatest, most professional, and most 'confirming' News Conferences' he'd ever seen and said the news outlets that reported on the DIA assessment should 'fire everyone involved.' But what he and Joint Chiefs chair General Dan Caine did not provide during the combative session with reporters was any information on whether the U.S. knows the location of the enriched uranium that was previously thought to be stored at Fordow. Several reporters asked him about the uranium, which is feared to have been moved from the facility in trucks seen in satellite photos in the days leading up to the airstrikes. 'We're looking at all aspects of intelligence and making sure we have a sense of what was where,' he said. When pressed further, Hegseth said: 'I'm not aware of any intelligence that I've reviewed that says things were not where they were supposed to be moved or otherwise.' He also claimed that 'anyone with two eyes' could see the MOP munitions dropped onto Fordow and another target site would have had a 'devastating effect.' For his part Caine, said the bunker-buster bombs 'went exactly where they were intended to go' and pointed out that the weapons don't leave a traditional impact crater 'because they're designed to deeply bury and then function.' 'I know there's been a lot of questions about that all six weapons at each vent at Fordow went exactly where they were intended to go,' he said. He explained how two American officers had spent 15 years working in the Defense Threat Reduction Agency to gather intelligence on Iran's nuclear facilities that was put to use in the airstrikes on Saturday. According to the general, the pair spent years watching Iran build the facilities, watching all the equipment going in, and working out what they were for. They also helped develop the bunker busting bombs used to destroy the facilities, including one at Fordow. 'Operation Midnight Hammer was the culmination of those 15 years of incredible work,' he said.
Time of India
17-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
'Please explain kooky Tucker Carlson': Trump dismisses war criticism; says 'Iran can't have nuclear weapon'
. US President Donald Trump hit back at political commentator Tucker Carlson on Monday, following the ex-Fox News journalist's sharp critique of the administration's stance on Iran. In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote, 'Somebody please explain to kooky Tucker Carlson that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon!' . Earlier, asked about Carlson by a reporter at the G7 summit in Canada, Trump replied, 'I don't know what Tucker Carlson is saying. Let him go get a television network and say it so that people listen.' The comment seemed to mock Carlson's media relevance since leaving Fox News. 'End of American empire' Tucker Carlson has emerged as a vocal critic of the US involvement in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran. Following Israeli missile strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities that killed several top Iranian officials, Carlson accused Trump of enabling a broader war. He wrote on X that Trump was 'complicit in the act of war' and warned that the outcome 'will define Donald Trump's presidency.' He also criticised former Fox News colleagues like Sean Hannity and Mark Levin, calling them 'warmongers' for allegedly pushing for direct US military involvement. Speaking on Steve Bannon's 'War Room' podcast, Carlson said, 'I actually really love Trump. I think he's a deeply humane, kind person. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Free P2,000 GCash eGift UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now But I'm really afraid that my country's going to be further weakened by this. I think we're gonna see the end of the American empire.' Friends turn foes The clash is notable, given their long-standing relationship. Carlson had supported Trump throughout his presidency, spoke at the 2024 Republican National Convention, and featured him during a speaking tour. Buckley Carlson, the son of Tucker Carlson, was appointed deputy press secretary to US vice president JD Vance in January.
New York Post
22-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Woman accused of spitting on ex-acting DC US Attorney Ed Martin arrested on assault charge
WASHINGTON — A woman accused of spitting on President Trump's former top federal prosecutor in DC while he was giving a live TV interview was arrested Thursday and charged with assault. Emily Gabriella Sommer, 32, interrupted then-interim DC US Attorney Ed Martin in the middle of a May 8 Newsmax broadcast discussing the withdrawal of his nomination by Trump. 'Who in the f— are you?' Sommer, who goes by the moniker 'lefttits' on X, butted in while walking her dog. Advertisement 'Are you Ed Martin? You are Ed Martin,' she shrieked before hocking a loogie right on the bewildered prosecutor's tan duster. 'You are a disgusting man. F— you, Ed Martin. My name is Emily Gabriella Sommer, and you are served,' she declared before marching away. Though Sommer hadn't posted tweets since 2020, she hopped back on X after the incident to cop multiple times to the disgusting deed, according to a complaint filed Wednesday in DC federal court. Advertisement 'ED, that was me that spit in your face today in front of your not USDC for D.C. Courthouse, that absolutely definitely spit in your face on camera. Hi, hello. A pleasure to hawk a dehydrated, pithy white foam spit into your face,' she posted. 'I only apologize that this city left me so dehydrated and unable to get water that I couldn't produce more to stain and drip down your face @EagleEdMartin you punk ass bitch cuckold,' she added. 'That was meant exactly and every bit for your disgusting pig-headed swine blooded white privileged racist, misogynist, and nepotism hire. That now can't even hold that down. LOL. Bye, enjoy that spit on your $6k lapel, your other white bitch CRACKER. I'll find that footage and laugh for a lifetime.' Advertisement Trump tapped ex-Fox News host Jeanine Pirro to replace Martin as interim US attorney, and the former Fox News star announced the complaint against Summer in one of her first acts since assuming the post. Sommer faces one misdemeanor count of assaulting, resisting, or impeding a government official, which could earn her up to one year in prison. The expectoration came after Martin left the US Attorney's Office following concerns from Republicans and Democrats about his past defenses of Jan. 6 rioters — including praise for one Nazi-sympathizing former defendant who had taken a picture of himself dressed as dictator Adolf Hitler. 4 Sommer called Martin a 'a disgusting man.' NEWSMAX Advertisement 4 Emily Gabriella Sommer was arrested on a federal assault charge for spitting on then-acting US Attorney Ed Martin Jr. during a TV interview. NEWSMAX 4 Sommer identified herself on camera before spitting on Martin. NEWSMAX 'I had known vaguely that he had a photo that was leaked … in the course of his prosecution,' Martin told The Post, before discussing how Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) and he disagreed over his handling of Capitol riot cases early in his acting tenure. 'What I said to Senator Tillis about that situation and others was there were lots of people that were in jail for years who were freed from jail by the bipartisan Supreme Court decision,' he added, referencing a Supreme Court ruling throwing out hundreds of obstruction charges against riot defendants. 'They were people that had not hit a cop,' he also said. 'These people were really wronged — and they may not be nice people.' 4 The incident happened on the same day President Trump pulled Martin's nomination for US Attorney for the District of Columbia. AP Trump later appointed Martin to be the associate deputy attorney general and pardon attorney. Advertisement 'He's a terrific person, and he wasn't getting the support from people that I thought,' the president said before Pirro's nomination was announced. 'I can only lift that little phone so many times in a day, but we have somebody else that will be great.'
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump's Pro-Nazi Nominee Just Failed up Into Another Federal Job
Donald Trump's nominee to serve as permanent U.S. attorney for Washington will soon start walking in a different direction. Ed Martin has served as acting U.S. attorney for Washington, D.C., since Trump's inauguration. But mounting pressure from Senate Republicans, who seemed increasingly unlikely to advance Martin's nomination to keep the job, forced the White House to look elsewhere. Martin, a conservative political operative from Missouri who garnered national attention for his staunch support of January 6 rioters, had used his time at the U.S. attorney's office to help Trump transform the key prosecutor's chair into a tool for the president's political retribution. He threatened to investigate some of Trump's purported enemies, including Democratic lawmakers, universities and schools, and critics of tech billionaire Elon Musk. But on Thursday, Martin found out that his time at the office was coming to an end. Instead, he'd be the recipient of an entirely different title. 'Ed Martin has done an AMAZING job as interim U.S. Attorney, and will be moving to the Department of Justice as the new Director of the Weaponization Working Group, Associate Deputy Attorney General, and Pardon Attorney,' Trump wrote on Truth Social Thursday evening. 'In these highly important roles, Ed will make sure we finally investigate the Weaponization of our Government under the Biden Regime, and provide much needed Justice for its victims. Congratulations Ed!' In Martin's place, Trump tapped ex-Fox News host Jeanine Pirro. The former prosecutor has been one of Trump's most ardent defenders at a network that already has an apparent soft spot for him. In internal emails made public by the conservative media behemoth's lawsuit with Dominion Voting Systems, Pirro's former executive producer once described the election conspiracist's beliefs as 'completely crazy.' Pirro has not held a law enforcement job in roughly two decades. But the tap-and-replace strategy may have an underlying motive. 'By replacing one interim U.S. attorney with another, the Trump administration appears to be trying a legal tactic that could essentially eliminate any need to submit U.S. attorney picks to the Senate for confirmation,' assessed The New York Times. Martin's not the only member of Trumpverse to receive a cozy new assignment. After he publicized massive national security risks in the Trump administration's communication channels by accidentally inviting a journalist to Signal group chat, former National Security adviser Mike Waltz was 'promoted' to the role of U.N. ambassador. Trump was reportedly sensitive to the idea of ousting Waltz, believing that doing so would be interpreted as a bend to public pressure. One source familiar with the situation at the National Security Council told CBS News last week that the president believed enough time had passed that the administration could reasonably reframe Waltz's departure as part of a larger 'reorganization.'
