Newly elected Democratic National Committee Vice Chair David Hogg has previously called on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to be abolished and for the defunding of police.

"Defund the police not USPS," Hogg, who first entered the national spotlight after surviving the 2018 Parkland, Florida, school shooting, said in an X post on Aug. 15, 2020.

"Abolish ICE," Hogg said in a different post two weeks earlier.

DAVID HOGG SAYS HE RECEIVED 'AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF VITRIOL' FOR ASKING ABOUT DEM OUTREACH TO YOUNG MEN

The posts, which were made more than two years after Hogg survived the Florida school shooting, came as he became increasingly involved in political activism, most notably by his staunch advocacy for stricter gun laws.

Hogg has also made controversial posts on other topics, including a January 2021 call to declare the NRA a "terrorist organization."

"The NRA needs to be designated a terrorist organization for the role their supporters played in staging an insurrectionist coup," Hogg said in the post.

Hogg also made posts about climate change and incorrectly predicted the outcome of the 2024 election.

"Unlike Covid there is no vaccine for climate change once we start feeling the impacts we can just implement and survive. There is only one solution – prevention," Hogg said in in one post.

"If this election is a match up between Taylor Swift and Ted Nugent I think it's safe to say I've seen enough – Biden wins the 2024 election," Hogg said before former President Joe Biden made the decision to drop out of the 2024 race.

Now just 24 years old, Hogg took to social media early Sunday to celebrate his election to leadership within the DNC.

DEMOCRATS CONSIDER REBRAND AFTER TRUMP WIN, WANT TO AVOID ‘FREAK SHOW’ PARTY LABEL: REPORT

"I’ve just been elected as a Vice Chair of the DNC. I’m deeply grateful to the members for their trust and belief in me and I don’t take it lightly. Now it’s time to get to work," Hogg said in a post on X, going on to promise a "Democratic Party that is authentic, relatable, earns people's trust, and wins again."

"It’s time we stop surrendering, go on offense, and take the fight to Donald Trump and every single Republican who is gutting our rights, attacking workers, and rigging the system for the wealthy and well-connected," Hogg said.

But the elevation of Hogg to vice chair of the DNC also comes at a time of deep soul-searching for the Democratic Party, with many analysts blaming the party’s poor 2024 showing on its seemingly soft stances on crime and illegal immigration.

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Nevertheless, Hogg called on the party to "rethink the way we've been doing things" in his post on X, arguing that it is vital "to rid our party of its judgmental attitudes, and do the work to win back every group we lost this year, from the working class to young people."

The DNC did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment.

Conservatives on social media are having a field day mocking the Democratic National Committee for featuring a handful of "beyond parody" moments during its leadership vote over the weekend, which critics say underscores that Democrats have "learned absolutely nothing" from their 2024 election losses. 

The DNC voted to elect Minnestota Democrat Party leader Ken Martin as its chair on Saturday, after eight candidates vied to succeed Jaime Harrison. Following the Democratic Party's losses in November, when Republicans reclaimed the White House and Senate and retained control of the House, the DNC's chair vote serves as a fresh slate for the party as they ramp up strategies and fundraising for the next election cycle. 

Conservatives and critics took to social media over the weekend to highlight what they viewed as the most out of touch speeches and comments from party leaders, including the election of left-wing activist David Hogg as one of its three co-chairs. Hogg is an outspoken gun control advocate and the co-founder of March for Our Lives, a gun control group that was formed after the Parkland school shooting in 2018. 

DEMOCRATS ELECT NEW CHAIR WHO BRANDED TRUMP A 'TRAITOR' AS PARTY AIMS TO REBOUND FROM DISASTROUS 2024 ELECTION

"DNC Vice Chair David Hogg has some legitimately INSANE views that are wildly out of step with the American people. Good to see that the Democrat Party has learned absolutely nothing," conservative communicator Steve Guest posted to X. 

Hogg, a Parkland school shooting survivor, said from the DNC vote in Maryland that the party will put Republicans "on the defense" in the coming days and reclaim lost political ground. 

"After Parkland, our country was in a similar moment – where we had a Republican trifecta in Washington," the 24-year-old said during the DNC election. "We went on the offense, put the Republicans on the defense, and we won. That’s what we need to do right now."

'IMPORTANT OPPORTUNITY': DNC CHAIR CANDIDATES REVEAL HOW THEY WILL REBOUND AFTER DISASTROUS 2024 RESULTS

"We’re going to show people that the reason people should vote for us isn’t just because we’re not Republicans – it’s because we’re damn Democrats. We give a s---," he pledged. "And we deliver. Now it’s time to rebuild the party and to rethink the way we’ve been doing things."

Amid the hours-long vote and gathering of Democrats on Saturday in Maryland, former DNC chief Harrison announced that the elections must be gender-balanced, including when a non-binary candidate is in the running, sparking condemnation from conservatives. 

DEMOCRATS RALLY AROUND LIGHTENING ROD ISSUE AT FINAL DNC CHAIR DEBATE

"We have an amazing group of new officers. So far, as you know, our three at large vice chair positions are used to ensure gender balance among seven offices: treasury secretary, national finance chair and vice chair for civic engagement and voter participation and the three at large vice chairs. Our rules specify that when we have a non-binary candidate or officer, the non-binary individual is counted as neither male nor female, and the remaining six offices must be gender balanced with the results of the previous four elections. Our elected officers are currently two male and two female. In order to be gender balanced… we must elect one male, one female, and one person of any gender."

Before the election kicked off on Saturday, the eight candidates had traveled to Georgetown University for a forum co-hosted by MSNBC on Thursday, where they declared "racism and misogyny" compounded former Vice President Kamala Harris' election loss. 

"So, I’m going to have a show of hands. How many of you believe that racism and misogyny played a role in Vice President Harris’ defeat?" MSNBC's Jonathan Capehart asked the eight candidates. 

"That’s good. You all passed," Capehart said after all candidates raised their hands in agreement. 

Republican lawmakers and pundits pounced on clips of the exchange, including Sen. Tommy Tubervile, R-Ala., who quipped that the GOP will expand its majority in the midterms. 

Singing also broke out both during the forum and the vote. Dr. Quintessa Hathaway was in the running for chair and belted out a song with the lyrics, "You fight on, when the government is doing you wrong, you fight on" during the Thursday forum. She also sang another song ahead of the vote on Saturday vowing, "We shall overcome."

FIRST ON FOX: AFTER 2024 ELECTION SETBACKS, DEMOCRATS EYE RURAL VOTERS

Harrison was also spotted on camera singing on Saturday, delivering a rendition of Stevie Wonder's "Happy Birthday." 

DEMOCRATS' HOUSE CAMPAIGN CHAIR TELLS FOX NEWS HER PLAN TO WIN BACK MAJORITY

DNC members also "acknowledged" during the vote that the U.S. was "built on indigenous lands."

Ken Martin, who previously slammed Trump as a "traitor" who should be prosecuted for treason, celebrated his win on Saturday, vowing to combat Trump and the Republican Party. 

"We have one team, one team, the Democratic Party," Martin said following his victory. "The fight is for our values. The fight is for working people. The fight right now is against Donald Trump and the billionaires who bought this country."

"We need to go on offense," Martin said. "We're going to go out there and take this fight to Donald Trump and the Republicans."

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Fox News Digital reached out to the DNC on Sunday for comment on the negative backlash over the gathering, but did not immediately receive a reply.  

Fox News Digital's Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report. 

As the Democratic Party continues to grapple with former Vice president Kamala Harris' loss to President Trump, some leaders in the party think they should focus on their economic messaging and creating a coherent message to respond to the president.

"We have no coherent message," Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, told The New York Times on Sunday. "This guy is psychotic, and there’s so much, but everything that underlines it is white supremacy and hate. There needs to be a message that is clear on at least the underlying thing that comes with all of this."

The DNC elected Minnesota party leader Ken Martin on Saturday, who said during his victory speech they needed to "to rebuild our coalition."

"The policies that we support and the message that we have is not wrong," Martin told the NYT. "It is a messaging problem and a brand problem. Those voters are not connecting our policies with their lives."

FINAL DNC CHAIR DEBATE ROCKED BY PROTESTS 

Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., said the messaging should focus on the economy.

"There are people in the middle — and trust me, there’s a lot of them — that wanted costs to go down," Klobuchar said. "Instead, what they see is chaos going up, corruption going up with the firing of the inspector generals, and guess what else is going up? Egg prices."

Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., said Democrats needed to focus their message on lowering costs.

"Within the party, we need to make sure we have a very clear direction to go," he said. "We need to have our own ideas. We’ll never win again if we are just playing defense."

The New York Times reported that former President Obama compared this to when the Democratic Party had lost Congress and the presidency in 2005.

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Others suggested not honing in on everything the president said.

"We cannot get caught up in every egregious thing he says, every insult he hurls, every ally he attacks and every executive order," Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, told the NYT. "There’s just too much."

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries recently pledged that Democrats would fight against Trump "in the streets."

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"Right now, we're going to keep focus on the need to look out for everyday New Yorkers and everyday Americans who are under assault by an extreme MAGA Republican agenda that is trying to cut taxes for billionaires, donors, and wealthy corporations and then stick New Yorkers and working class Americans across the country with the bill," Jeffries said.

"That's not acceptable. We are going to fight it legislatively. We are going to fight it in the courts. We're going to fight it in the streets."

Veteran Democratic strategist James Carville compared Democrats running former Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election to starting a "7th string quarterback" in the Super Bowl, in an interview with PBS' Margaret Hoover on Friday.

"We ran a presidential election, if we were playing a Super Bowl, we started our 7th string quarterback. That's what happened, okay?," said Carville on "Firing Line." "You can't address a problem unless you're honest about a problem."

The Democratic strategist continued by noting that Democratic voters would've been enthralled to have a presidential candidate that could "actually complete a sentence."

JAMES CARVILLE SAYS NOBODY WANTS TO HEAR FROM BIDEN ANYMORE

"Now, if you would've put the staggering talent that exists in today's Democratic Party -- you heard what I said? The staggering talent that exists in today's Democratic Party. If people would have seen that, they'd have gone 'I didn't know they had people like that, that can actually complete a sentence, okay? That actually know how to frame a message, that actually have a sense of accomplishment of doing something,'" claimed Carville.

Kamala Harris faced harsh criticism while on the campaign trail for her struggles in dealing with unscripted conversations, which typically yielded word salad responses from the former vice president.

In the weeks leading up to the 2024 presidential election, Carville was so convinced that Kamala would win, he wrote a column for the New York Times titled, "Three Reasons I’m Certain Kamala Harris Will Win."

Carville's column slammed Trump as a "repeat electoral loser" and claimed "This time will be no different," while heaping praise on Harris.

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"On the other side, in just three months Ms. Harris has assembled a unified and electrified coalition. From Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to Liz and Dick Cheney, it is the broadest we have seen in modern political history… and if the bigger coalition turns out with equal enthusiasm, it will be lights out for Mr. Trump."

Carville's column also criticized the "sweaty Democratic operatives" who, in the weeks leading up to the election, were having doubts about Harris' chances of beating Trump.

"More than in any other election in my lifetime, I’ve been consistently asked by people of all stripes and creeds: ‘Can Kamala Harris win this thing? Are we going to be OK?’ This sentiment is heard over and over from sweaty Democratic operatives who all too often love to run to the press with their woes," said Carville.

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The Democratic National Committee (DNC) on Saturday elected Minnesota party leader Ken Martin, who once called for President Donald Trump to be tried for treason, as its next national chair in the wake of the party's disastrous performance in the November elections.

The election of Martin is the party's first formal step to try and rebound from the November elections, in which President Donald Trump recaptured the White House, and Republicans flipped the Senate, held on to their fragile majority in the House and made major gains with working-class, minority and younger voters.

"We have one team, one team, the Democratic Party," Martin said following his victory. "The fight is for our values. The fight is for working people. The fight right now is against Donald Trump and the billionaires who bought this country."

Martin, over the past eight years, has served as a DNC vice chair and has led the association of state Democratic Party chairs.

RNC CHAIR, AFTER CRUISING TO RE-ELECTION, VOWS TO BE ‘TIP OF SPEAR’ TO PROTECT TRUMP

He topped Wisconsin Democratic Party chair Ben Wikler by over 100 votes among the 428 DNC members who cast ballots as they gathered for the party's annual winter meeting, which this year was held at National Harbor in Maryland, just outside of Washington, D.C.

Martin O'Malley, the former two-term Maryland governor and 2016 Democratic presidential candidate who served as commissioner of the Social Security Administration during former President Biden's last year in office, was a distant third in the voting.

Among the longshot candidates were Faiz Shakir, who ran the 2020 Democratic presidential campaign of Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, and Marianne Williamson, who ran unsuccessfully for the 2020 and 2024 Democratic presidential nominations. Williamson endorsed Martin on Saturday, ahead of the vote.

FINAL DNC CHAIR DEBATE ROCKED BY PROTESTS 

The eight candidates in the race were vying to succeed DNC Chair Jaime Harrison, who decided against seeking a second straight four-year term steering the national party committee.

With no clear leader in the party, the next DNC chair could become the de facto face of Democrats from coast to coast and will make major decisions on messaging, strategy, infrastructure and where to spend millions in political contributions.

In his victory speech, Martin stressed unity and that the party needed "to rebuild our coalition."

"We need to go on offense," Martin said. "We're going to go out there and take this fight to Donald Trump and the Republicans."

Martin has used stronger language against Trump in the past.

In 2020, he called Trump a "traitor" who should be tried for treason.

"[Donald Trump] should be immediately impeached and then put on trial for treason," Martin wrote on June 29, 2020, citing an anonymously sourced news story. "His actions led to the deaths of American soldiers. He is a traitor to our nation and all those who have served."

Trump, during his first term in office, at times accused Democrats of being "un-American" and "treasonous."

An key Martin supporter, longtime New Hampshire Democratic Party Chair Ray Buckley, told Fox News Digital ahead of the chair election that "it's an important opportunity for us to not only refocus the party and what we present to voters, but also an opportunity for us to look at how we internally govern ourselves."

WHAT RNC CHAIR WHATLEY TOLD FOX NEWS 

Buckley, a former DNC vice chair and Martin's predecessor as head of the state party chairs, said he's "very excited about the potential of great reform within the party." He emphasized that he hoped for "significantly more support for the state parties. That's going to be a critical step towards our return to majority status."

Former Vice President Kamala Harris, who succeeded President Biden last July as the party's 2024 standard-bearer, spoke with Martin, Wikler and O'Malley in the days ahead of Saturday's election, Fox News confirmed. But Harris stayed neutral in the vote for party chair.

In a video message to the audience as the vote for chair was being tabulated, Harris said that the DNC has some "hard work ahead."

But she pledged to be with the party "every step of the way," which could be a signal of her future political ambitions.

The debate during the three-month DNC campaign sprint mostly focused on the logistics of modern political campaigns, such as media strategy and messaging, fundraising and grassroots organizing and get-out-the-vote efforts. On those nuts-and-bolts issues, the candidates were mostly in agreement that changes are needed to win back blue-collar voters who now support Republicans.

But the final forum included a heavy focus on race and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs, issues that appeared to hurt Democrats at the ballot box in November.

The forum, moderated and carried live on MSNBC and held at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., devolved into chaos early on as a wave of left-wing protesters repeatedly interrupted the primetime event, heckling over concerns of climate change and billionaires' influence in America's elections before they were forcibly removed by security.

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The chair election took place as a new national poll spelled more trouble for the Democrats.

Only 31% of respondents in a Quinnipiac University survey conducted over the past week had a favorable opinion of the Democratic Party, with 57% seeing the party in an unfavorable light.

"This is the highest percentage of voters having an unfavorable opinion of the Democratic Party since the Quinnipiac University Poll began asking this question," the survey's release noted. 

Meanwhile, 43% of those questioned had a favorable view of the GOP, with 45% holding an unfavorable opinion, which was the highest favorable opinion for the Republican Party ever in Quinnipiac polling.

Fox News' Matthew Reidy contributed to this report

Nearly three months after Democrats' major setbacks up and down the ballot in the 2024 elections, the party gathers on Saturday to choose new leadership.

It's the Democratic National Committee's (DNC) first formal step to try and emerge from the political wilderness and rebound in upcoming elections after President Donald Trump recaptured the White House and Republicans flipped the Senate, held onto their fragile majority in the House and made major gains with working-class, minority and younger voters.

And with no clear leader in the party, the next DNC chair will become the de facto face of Democrats from coast to coast and will make major decisions on messaging, strategy, infrastructure and where to spend millions in political contributions.

"It's an important opportunity for us to not only refocus the party and what we present to voters, but also an opportunity for us to look at how we internally govern ourselves," longtime New Hampshire Democratic Party Chair Ray Buckley told Fox News.

DEMOCRATS RALLY AROUND LIGHTENING ROD ISSUE AT FINAL DNC CHAIR DEBATE

Buckley, a former DNC vice chair, said he's "very excited about the potential of great reform within the party." And he emphasized he hoped for "significantly more support for the state parties. That's going to be a critical step towards our return to majority status."

Eight candidates are vying to succeed DNC Chair Jaime Harrison, who decided against seeking a second straight four-year term steering the national party committee.

FIRST ON FOX: AFTER 2024 ELECTION SETBACKS, DEMOCRATS EYE RURAL VOTERS

The next chair, as well as vice chairs and other officers, will be chosen by the roughly 450 DNC voting members gathered for the party's winter meeting, which is being held this year at National Harbor just outside Washington, D.C.

Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party Chair Ken Martin, a DNC vice chair who has led the association of state Democratic Party chairs, is considered to be the frontrunner for chair heading into Saturday's election, with Wisconsin Chair Ben Wikler close behind. 

Martin recently told Fox News Digital that if he becomes chair, the first thing he would do is "figure out a plan to win. And we need to start writing that plan, making sure we’re looking underneath the hood. How much money do we have at the party? What are the contracts? What contracts do we need to get rid of? And, frankly, bringing all of our stakeholder groups together. That’s the biggest thing."

DEMOCRATS' NEW SENATE CAMPAIGN CHAIR REVEALS KEYS TO WINNING BACK MAJORITY IN 2026

Wikler, in a Fox News Digital interview, emphasized that the party needs to show voters "that we're fighting for them against those who would try to rig the economy for those at the very top and deliver that message in places where people aren't paying attention to politics much. But they know what they're struggling with in their own lives."

Wikler, who pointed to the success of Democrats in his home state, a crucial battleground, added, "That means communicating in clear language in a way that shows people that we see them. And with our actions showing that we're fighting for them to bring costs down and make sure that working people have a fair shot in this country."

Also considered competitive is Martin O'Malley, the former two-term Maryland governor and 2016 Democratic presidential candidate who served as commissioner of the Social Security Administration during former President Biden's last year in office.

DEMOCRATS' HOUSE CAMPAIGN CHAIR TELLS FOX NEWS HER PLAN TO WIN BACK MAJORITY

O'Malley told Fox News Digital he's running for DNC chair "because I love my country, and the only way we're going to save the Republic is if the Democratic Party gets itself battle-ready as quickly as possible." 

Pointing to his past steering the Democratic Governors Association, he noted, "I'm the only candidate that's actually chaired a national committee — the Democratic Governors — and I'm the only candidate that's actually run for office and been elected to office, city council, mayor, governor. And we need to recruit people all across the ballot in order to bring our party back."

Among the longer-shot candidates for chair are late entry Faiz Shakir, who ran the 2020 Democratic presidential campaign of progressive champion Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, and Marianne Williamson, who ran unsuccessfully for the 2020 and 2024 Democratic presidential nominations.

"This party's not going to rise up unless there's some deeper honesty," Williamson told reporters Thursday after the final chair election forum, as she took aim at the Democrats' establishment.

The debate during the three-month DNC campaign sprint has mostly focused on the logistics of modern political campaigns, such as media strategy and messaging, fundraising and grassroots organizing and get-out-the-vote efforts. On those nuts-and-bolts issues, the candidates are mostly in agreement that changes are needed to win back blue-collar voters who now support Republicans.

But the final forum included a heavy focus on systemic racism and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs, issues that appeared to hurt Democrats at the ballot box in November.

And the forum, moderated and carried live on MSNBC and held at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., devolved into chaos early on as a wave of left-wing protesters repeatedly interrupted the primetime event, heckling over concerns of climate change and billionaires' influence in America's elections before they were forcibly removed by security.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The chair election comes as a new national poll spells more trouble for the Democrats.

Only 31% of respondents in a Quinnipiac University survey conducted over the past week had a favorable opinion of the Democratic Party, with 57% seeing the party in an unfavorable light.

"This is the highest percentage of voters having an unfavorable opinion of the Democratic Party since the Quinnipiac University Poll began asking this question," the survey's release noted. 

Meanwhile, 43% of those questioned had a favorable view of the GOP, with 45% holding an unfavorable opinion, which was the highest favorable opinion for the Republican Party ever in Quinnipiac polling.

California Democrats are attempting to make state oil and gas companies pay for damage caused by the Los Angeles wildfires, claiming that fossil fuel emissions are to blame for the deadly disaster.

A new Democrat-introduced bill, the Affordable Insurance and Climate Recovery Act, if passed, would allow for "victims of climate disasters," such as the L.A. fires, and insurance groups to sue oil and gas companies for damages under the claim that their emissions fueled the raging fires.

Democrat state Sen. Scott Wiener, who introduced the bill this week, said that fossil fuel companies should pay for fire damage, because they are "driving the climate crisis."

"Californians shouldn’t be the only ones to pay the costs of devastating climate disasters. From last year’s floods to the fires in LA, we know that the fossil fuel industry bears ultimate responsibility for fueling these disasters," state Sen. Scott Wiener wrote in a post on X announcing the legislation. 

TRUMP MEETS WITH CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS, FIRE AND LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS TO SEE LA WILDFIRE DAMAGE FIRST HAND

The bill, which received the backing of several state lawmakers, comes as Democrats have attempted to blame the recent fires on climate change rather than state and city policies, which have faced heightened criticism in the weeks following the deadly blaze.

Just months before the wildfire, the city of Los Angeles slashed the fire department funding by over $17 million. The L.A. fire chief said that there are "not enough firefighters in L.A. County to address four separate fires of this magnitude."

NEWSOM THANKS TRUMP FOR COMING TO CALIFORNIA TO TOUR FIRE DAMAGE IN TARMAC FACE-OFF

"We pay the highest taxes in California. Our fire hydrants were empty. Our vegetation was overgrown, brush not cleared. Our reservoirs were emptied by our governor because tribal leaders wanted to save fish. Our fire department budget was cut by our mayor. But thank god drug addicts are getting their drug kits," actress Sara Foster wrote in a post on X. "@MayorOfLA @GavinNewsom RESIGN. Your far-left policies have ruined our state. And also our party."

Trump used the power of his pen this week to sign an executive order to override the state's environmental policies in order to create more water availability in the L.A. area. 

In the executive order issued on Sunday, Trump called on federal agencies to override regulations potentially limiting water availability in the area, such as the Endangered Species Act (ESA), which seeks to minimize water infrastructure to protect certain fish species, such as the Delta smelt. 

The order comes just weeks after Trump accused Gov. Gavin Newsom, D-Calif., of caring more about protecting an endangered fish species than the state's residents amid the wildfires.

Congressional Democrats are dismissing the White House's demand for an apology after House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., urged people to "fight" President Donald Trump's agenda "in the streets."

"Right now, we're going to keep focus on the need to look out for everyday New Yorkers and everyday Americans who are under assault by an extreme MAGA Republican agenda that is trying to cut taxes for billionaires, donors, and wealthy corporations and then stick New Yorkers and working class Americans across the country with the bill," the Democrat said during a press conference. 

"That's not acceptable. We are going to fight it legislatively. We are going to fight it in the courts. We're going to fight it in the streets," he continued. 

ELIZABETH WARREN GRILLED RFK JR ON DRUG COMPANY MONEY, BUT RECEIVED OVER $5M FROM HEALTH INDUSTRY

A spokesperson for Jeffries, Christie Stephenson, told Fox News Digital, "The notion that Leader Jeffries supports violence is laughable. Republicans are the party that pardons violent felons who assault police officers. Democrats are the party of John Lewis and the right to petition the government peacefully."

She also referred to the comments as promoting "nonviolent protest" on X.

'OVERDOSE EPIDEMIC': BIPARTISAN SENATORS TARGET FENTANYL CLASSIFICATION AS LAPSE APPROACHES

"You should really get a quote from one of the violent criminals President Trump just let on the streets. Or the one who immediately got picked up on child pornography charges," a spokesperson for House Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., told Fox News Digital.

The lawmakers were likely referencing Trump's recent move to pardon nearly all defendants with charges related to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Minority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., did not immediately provide comment to Fox News Digital.

TENSION BUILDS AROUND TULSI GABBARD’S CONFIRMATION WITH KEY GOP SENATORS UNDECIDED

Jeffries' remark was quickly shared by the Trump White House's rapid response team Friday on X before Republicans began calling for an apology. 

A senior White House official told Fox News Digital, "Hakeem Jeffries must apologize for this disgraceful call to violence."

House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., also demanded an apology, writing on X, "House Minority Leader [Jeffries] should promptly apologize for his use of inflammatory and extreme rhetoric.

"President Trump and the Republicans are focused on uniting the country; Jeffries needs to stop trying to divide it."

SCOOP: KEY GOP SENATOR WHO HESITATED ON PETE HEGSETH PUSHES KASH PATEL FOR FBI

Senate Republican Conference Chairman Tom Cotton, R-Ark., told Fox News Digital in a statement, "The Democratic Leader’s comments are deranged but not unexpected. Senate Republicans are fighting to make America safer and more prosperous while the Democrats remain obsessed with protecting criminal illegal aliens, identity politics, and unhinged attacks on President Trump."

On social media, rank-and-file Democratic lawmakers remained silent on the comment from Jeffries. 

There was a heavy focus on systemic racism and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs during the final debate among the eight candidates vying to chair the Democratic National Committee (DNC), as the party aims to exit the political wilderness.

The forum, moderated and carried live on MSNBC and held at Georgetown University in the nation's capital city, develed into chaos early on as a wave of left-wing protesters repeatedly interrupted the primetime event, heckling over concerns of climate change and billionaires' influence in America's elections before they were forcibly removed by security.

Thanks in part to their repeated targeting of DEI efforts under former President Joe Biden's administration, President Donald Trump recaptured the White House in November's elections, with Republicans also retaking control of the Senate from the Democrats and the GOP holding onto its razor-thin majority in the House.

Jaime Harrison, the DNC chairman for the past four years, declined to seek another term steering the Democrats' national party committee. The DNC will vote for a new chair on Saturday, as they hold their annual winter meeting this year at National Harbor, Maryland, just outside of Washington, D.C.

FIRST ON FOX: AFTER 2024 ELECTION SETBACKS, DEMOCRATS EYE RURAL VOTERS

"Unlike the other party, that is demonizing diversity, we understand that diversity is our greatest strength," Harrison said at the start of the debate before bringing the candidates out.

Biden and many Democrats portrayed DEI efforts as a way to boost inclusion and representation for communities historically marginalized. However Trump and his supporters, on the 2024 campaign trail, repeatedly charged that such programs were discriminatory and called for restoring "merit-based" hiring.

DEMOCRATS' NEW SENATE CAMPAIGN CHAIR REVEALS KEYS TO WINNING BACK MAJORITY IN 2026

Since his inauguration on Jan. 20 and his return to power in the White House, Trump has signed a slew of sweeping executive orders and actions to end the federal government's involvement in DEI programs, reversing in some cases decades of hiring practices by the federal government. Trump's actions are also pushing large corporations in the private sector to abandon their diversity efforts.

At Thursday's showdown, there was plenty of focus on diversity and racism.

At one point, the candidates were asked for a show of hands about how many believed that racism and misogyny played a role in former Vice President Kamala Harris' defeat in the 2024 election to Trump.

All eight candidates running for DNC, as well as many people in the audience, raised their hands.

"That's good. You all pass," MSNBC host Jonathan Capehart, one of the moderators of the forum, quipped.

However, far from everyone in the party wants to see such issues dominate the discussion without the added inclusion of economic concerns such as inflation, which were top of mind at the ballot box in November.

DEMOCRATS' HOUSE CAMPAIGN CHAIR TELLS FOX NEWS HER PLAN TO WIN BACK MAJORITY

"The Democrats pathway to power runs directly through kitchen table economics and the notion we can fight for economic opportunity and ensuring everyone is treated with dignity and respect," said Democratic strategist Joe Caiazzo, a veteran of Sen. Bernie Sanders' 2016 and 2020 presidential campaigns, who is attending the party's winter meeting.

Former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, considered one of the frontrunners in the DNC chair race, in speaking with reporters after the forum, pointed to the gains made by Trump and Republicans among diverse voters in the 2024 election and argued that the party did not spend enough time concentrating on "the kitchen table issues."

"Whether you're Hispanic, whether you're transgender, whether you're gay, whether you're straight, whether you're Black, whether you're White. Everybody needs to eat. And the people we lost in every segment were people who struggled the most to put food on their family's table. And they were the ones we lost across the board," O'Malley argued.

The protests, staged in waves, include calls for the DNC chair candidates to bring back the party's ban on corporate PAC and lobbyist donations that was in effect during former President Barack Obama's administration.

The youth-led, left-wing climate action organization known as the Sunrise Movement, said the first three protesters were affiliated with their group.

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Another protester, who was not believed to be affiliated with the Sunrise Movement, as he was dragged out of the debate hall by security, yelled, "What will you do to get fossil fuel money out of Democratic politics? We are facing a climate emergency!"

Much of the audience, which consisted of many DNC voting members, appeared frustrated by the repeated interruptions.

"Protest the Republicans. Protest the people who are actually hurting you!" a member of the audience shouted out.

Environmental groups appear to be breaking with the Democratic Party after protesters disrupted a recent leadership meeting, which comes as the party attempts to regain its footing after suffering defeat in the 2024 presidential election.

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) held a candidate forum on Thursday evening in Washington, D.C., ahead of their upcoming election to determine who will lead the campaign arm into the next election cycle. 

While the event was intended to showcase some of the party's potential new faces, it was interrupted by several protesters, including climate activists from the Sunrise Movement, a youth-led, left-wing climate action organization, who demanded the DNC establish a working election strategy for the party after the 2024 loss.

"What will you do to get fossil fuel money out of Democratic politics? We are facing a climate emergency!" Fox News Digital heard one protester shout.

AFTER STINGING ELECTION DEFEATS, DNC EYES RURAL VOTERS AS KEY TO 2026 MIDTERM SUCCESS

Other protesters made calls for the DNC chair candidates to bring back the party's ban on corporate PAC and lobbyist donations.

"To defeat Trump, the Democratic Party needs to loudly and proudly take a stand against billionaires and show voters that Democrats are the only party ready to fight for working people," Adah, an activist from the Sunrise Movement who made an interruption, said in a statement issued by Sunrise.

DNC HIRES FORMER HARRIS STAFFERS BEHIND @KAMALAHQ FOR SOCIAL MEDIA RESPONSES TO TRUMP

"That’s how we will win back young voters and working class voters and defeat Trump," Adah added.

About a dozen protesters interrupted and were kicked out of the event — the final meeting ahead of Saturday's DNC election. 

The Democratic candidates and moderates grew frustrated with the protesters who were interrupting the event. 

Jason Paul, a candidate running for DNC chair, said the protesters were "hijack[ing] the whole evening" and turning the event "into scream night."

"I’m surprised I haven’t seen more of it," former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley told reporters after the event. "They’re going to be on this planet a lot longer than I am, and if they stop caring passionately about the planet, then we have no hope at all. So it didn’t bother me."

Eight candidates are running to serve as chair of the DNC next cycle, including O'Malley, Wisconsin chair Ben Wikler, Minnesota chair Ken Martin, and former two-time Democratic presidential candidate Marianne Williamson.

The DNC chair election will be held Saturday.

Authorities arrested a Florida Democratic Party official and prominent LGBTQ activist on child pornography charges this month after he allegedly shared content with an undercover officer.

Matthew Inman, 39, served as treasurer for the Orange County Democratic Party and also as president of Rainbow Democrats, an LGBTQ activist group. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the middle district of Florida charged Inman with the transportation of child sexual abuse material. Authorities say Inman received and saved several videos "depicting adults sexually abusing young children."

"In October 2024, Inman traveled to Las Vegas and began talking online with an undercover law enforcement officer posing as the father of a 9-year-old boy. During this conversation, Inman expressed interest in meeting and sexually assaulting the purported child. He also sent [child sexual abuse material] videos to the undercover officer," the attorney's office added.

The FBI soon obtained a search warrant for Inman's house, and authorities say the suspect tried to delete videos from his phone as he hid from officers in the attic of his home.

INDIANA JUDGE RULES PRISON MUST PROVIDE TRANSGENDER SURGERY FOR INMATE WHO KILLED BABY

Rainbow Democrats issued a public statement on social media just days after Inman's arrest, saying they were "shocked."

"We offer our condolences to any victims of child sexual abuse and hope justice will be served to the fullest extent of the law," the organization's board of directors wrote. "We have suspended Mr. Inman from the Caucus. He has no acting role in any capacity with the organization as of now. He will be officially removed at our next general meeting."

SON OF SUSPECTED WOULD-BE TRUMP ASSASSIN ARRESTED ON CHILD PORN CHARGES

"The Rainbow Democrats are working to move beyond this horrible incident to continue our service to the community," the statement finished.

An X account appearing to belong to Inman identified him as an "LGBTQ+ rights and civil rights activist." The account also notes his roles with Rainbow Democrats and Orange County Democrats.

Orange County Democrats also released a statement regarding Inman's arrest, and has since elected a new treasurer.

"We are deeply appalled and horrified by the news that Matthew Inman has been arrested on charges of sexual abuse involving a minor. We unequivocally condemn child sexual abuse in the strongest possible terms and hope that any victims involved receive the support and resources they need moving forward," the party wrote.

ACLU SUES INDIANA OVER DENIAL OF SEX REASSIGNMENT SURGERY FOR INMATE WHO STRANGLED 11-MONTH-OLD TO DEATH

"After learning of the allegations against Mr. Inman, the Orange County Democratic Party acted swiftly to suspend him from all voluntary roles and responsibilities. We will continue to uphold the highest standards of accountability and integrity," the statement continued.

Inman was booked by the Seminole County Sheriff's Office on Jan. 16 and remains in custody at the John E. Polk Correctional Facility, according to state records.

United Mine Workers of America President Cecil Roberts Jr. hopes that the Democrats’ election loss can be the much-needed "wake-up" call the party needs to reach the "next generation."

Roberts was one of several Democrats featured in a lengthy Vanity Fair article Tuesday about the aftermath of the 2024 election which saw President Donald Trump win the popular vote and sweep all seven swing states.

Based on the results showing Vice President Kamala Harris largely winning voters earning $100,000 or more, Roberts warned that could mean "the age of Democrats being able to present themselves as the party of the working class [is] likely over."

"Union members voted for the vice president," Roberts said, "based on what we’ve seen from the polls. But working people didn’t do that."

FORMER OBAMA STAFFERS URGE DEMOCRATS TO STOP SPEAKING LIKE A 'PRESS RELEASE,' LEARN 'NORMAL PEOPLE LANGUAGE'

He added, "I’m a Democrat. I’m going to die one, because I’ve been one forever. But here’s the problem. What about the next generation and the next generation?"

The article’s author, James Pogue, described seeing clips of Roberts attacking the rich for dismissing manufacturing workers from places like the mining industry, a sentiment he'd begun feeling among Democrats.

"When you hear some rich person," Roberts said, "some CEO, some chairman of the board, talk about the patriotism of their company, or the patriotism of their board, understand something: Forgive me for what I’m about to say, but that’s pure bullsh--. That’s what that is."

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Pogue wrote that many senior Democrats "at least in private" consider Roberts and others like him as people who "cling" to "a lost world." Roberts said these party members have trouble listening to the working class because they don't interact enough.

"Democrats have needed a wake-up call now for some time," he said. "And if there’s anything good that came out of this, I hope that they listen. At one time, everybody listened to me."

Pogue appeared to agree with this idea, writing that the Democratic Party, the once "home of the outsiders," has now become defenders of the status quo.

"[I]n an era when 60 percent of Americans believed our democracy needed major changes, it looked to many voters like this coalition represented a well-off and well-educated establishment interested in preserving a status quo many regular Americans had come to despise," Pogue wrote.

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He added, "Democrats, by dint of standing in opposition to a populist insurgency, had started to morph into what looked like America’s establishment."

Veteran Democratic strategist James Carville pleaded with Democrats to let President Donald Trump "punch himself out," on MSNBC's "The Beat" with Katie Phang on Friday.

"I mean, look, he just says anything that he wants to say. I mean, how many stories do I have to read that the delta smelt has nothing to do with this, but he’s just going to keep plowing through? OK. And we have to learn as Democrats just let him punch himself out," said Carville, referencing Trump's comments accusing Calif. Gov. Gavin Newsome of prioritizing the endangered fish over protecting the state's residents from wildfires.

Carville expressed that Democrats need to take a page from Muhammad Ali's book, saying, "Just remember, this is a little bit before your time, but people of my generation remember Muhammad Ali and his rope-a-dope. He just let you just go… the first 6 or 7 rounds, and then you come in and you match up, and then you start launching bombs."

JAMES CARVILLE CALLS ON DEMOCRATS TO 'TONE IT DOWN' WITH 'IDIOTIC NPR JARGON'

As noted by Breitbart, he also warned Democrats to not lose the forest for the trees, and to keep their focus on whether Trump has fulfilled the key promises of his campaign, rather than fighting him on each small issue.

"It’s hard to sit here and just look at one, you know, Greenland, Canada, Panama Canal Zone, delta smelt that, you name it. But you just got to keep bobbing and weaving and bobbing and weaving. and then in due course you’re going to be able to come in. But the big thing is his number one promise, the biggest political promise this generation is he would get food prices down. Then he got into office and said, ‘There’s nothing I can do about it. Of course, eggs are $4 and something a dozen.’"

Carville believes that if Democrats resist the urge to fight Trump on every issue, and focus on the big picture, they'll be back in the saddle soon enough.

"He keeps distracting us and we keep getting distracted. But we’ll come back in and we’ll we’ll straddle this target and get it in range here before long, I think."

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These comments from Carvile come on the heels of similar comments made by the strategist recently. 

He told CNN's Michael Smeconish on Jan. 4 that Democrats focused too heavily on attacking Trump in the 2024 election, and that voters "don’t want an election about you or your opponent. And for too much, we lost that. I lost it myself. We made it about Trump and we didn‘t make it about voters."

Carville was a prominent media presence throughout the 2024 presidential race, advising his party on how to beat Trump and being critical of its messaging when he deemed it necessary.

Fox News' Gabriel Hays contributed to this report. 

Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., rebuked Democratic Party figures who attended President Donald Trump’s inauguration on Monday.

Omar, a member of the progressive "Squad," told CNN host Kaitlan Collins on Thursday night that because of Trump’s alleged lack of respect for his political opponents and his "dismantling" of democracy, Democratic lawmakers should not have shown him respect by attending his swearing-in. 

"So just the level of indignity that was shown and disrespect to tradition, to me, said, no one should show him dignity and respect," the lawmaker said on CNN.

BIDEN PARDONS MARK MILLEY, ANTHONY FAUCI, J6 COMMITTEE MEMBERS

The lawmaker grilled Democratic Party members for attending the event on X earlier this week, stating, "People are more upset at performers/artists attending Trump’s inaugural events but not upset at all the politicians who told them he was a ‘threat to democracy’ going to these events are not serious."

She added, "Performers at least know they are there to perform and get paid, but these politicians who ran their mouth for 4 yrs and are now willing to be there and clap for him, that’s who they should be mad at. They lied to you and your criticism/anger should be rightfully directed at them."

When Collins asked about the statement Thursday night, Omar wondered why prominent members of her party, like Biden, Vice President Harris, former President Barack Obama, and others were guests at the inauguration when Trump didn't show up for Biden’s swearing-in four years ago, nor invite the new first family to the White House during the presidential transition, as is customary.

"You have to remember, Trump himself did not attend Biden's inauguration, even though he was the outgoing president that was supposed to, you know, help with that transition. They didn't have the decency to invite the Bidens to the White House," the lawmaker said.

Collins then asked if Biden should have stayed away from the swearing-in ceremony entirely. Omar didn’t say, instead arguing that his attendance showcased his patriotism.

"President Biden has always been a real American, a patriot. And I think the fact that he did not have a peaceful transition, and it was challenging for him, wanted to show the American people how to do it and remind them."

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She did say that there were too many party leaders at the inauguration for a figure they should be standing against. 

"And I think there were some exceptions of some of the folks that could have been there for that sort of purpose. But to have the mass number of people that showed up that really didn't have a reason to be there, um… to me it sends the wrong message."

When Collins asked what that message is, the lawmaker replied, "That message is that this person that we told you is like going to destroy our democracy and is currently in the process of dismantling everything we hold dear – I‘m going to sit here and congratulate him and pat him on the back and clap for him – that‘s not a good message."

The host asked if Omar was talking about Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton attending the inauguration. 

"I just do not understand why they would attend," Omar stated.

A New Jersey mayor and other leading Democrats have blasted an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid on a worksite which they say resulted in undocumented residents as well as a U.S. citizen being "detained."

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka slammed the operation as an "egregious act" and a violation of the Fourth Amendment after agents reportedly swooped in to raid a business establishment "without producing a warrant."

Baraka said that one of those detained is a U.S. military veteran who "suffered the indignity of having the legitimacy of his military documentation questioned." 

TRUMP BORDER CZAR TOM HOMAN REVEALS ICE TEAMS ARE ALREADY ARRESTING ‘PUBLIC SAFETY THREATS’

"This egregious act is in plain violation of the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees ‘the right of the people be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures….’" Baraka wrote in a statement.

"Newark will not stand by idly while people are being unlawfully terrorized," Barak said, adding that he is "ready and willing to defend and protect civil and human rights."

It is not clear if the U.S. citizen in the Newark case was taken into custody, with an ICE spokesperson telling Fox News that the U.S. citizen was asked to produce identification. 

"U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement may encounter U.S. citizens while conducting field work and may request identification to establish an individual’s identity as was the case during a targeted enforcement operation at a worksite today in Newark, New Jersey," an ICE spokesperson told Fox News in relation to Thursday’s Newark operation. "This is an active investigation, and, per ICE policy, we cannot discuss ongoing investigations."

ICE raids have ramped up across the country this week as President Donald Trump looks to clamp down on illegal immigration, a key campaign promise. Trump’s "border czar" Tom Homan has said ICE agents will focus on the "worst first, public safety threats first, but no one is off the table. If they're in the country illegally, they got a problem."

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New Jersey senators Cory Booker and Andy Kim joined Baraka in condemning the raid. 

"We are deeply concerned about the news of an ICE raid in Newark today. Our offices have reached out to the Department of Homeland Security to demand answers," the senators said in a joint statement.

"Actions like this one sow fear in all of our communities — and our broken immigration system requires solutions, not fear tactics. We will continue to work with Mayor Baraka and other local officials to gather more information to ensure all New Jerseyans are safe and their dignity and rights are protected."

Baraka, a progressive Democrat, has been mayor of Newark since 2014 and is running for New Jersey governor this year. He has called for a "progressive overhaul" of the blue state and his campaign agenda includes reparations, sanctuary state laws, baby bonds, and a universal basic income."

Rep. LaMonica McIver, D-N.J., also slammed the raid in a statement. 

"Already, Trump’s attacks on immigrant communities are hitting home and we will not back down," she said. "We will always fight for the dignity and rights of everyone in our district and across the country."

In the first days of the Trump administration, ICE has made more than 460 arrests of illegal immigrants, including those with criminal histories that include sexual assault, domestic violence and drugs and weapons crimes. Arrests took place across the U.S., including Illinois, Utah, California, Minnesota, New York, Florida and Maryland. 

Agents arrested nationals from a slew of countries, including Afghanistan, Angola, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Senegal and Venezuela.

Fox News’ Bill Melugin, Stephen Sorace and Adam Shaw contributed to this report.

After alienating Democratic voters with unsubstantiated claims that the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act would empower child predators to give genital examinations to young girls, the two most prominent figures on the left in the House of Representatives are not addressing the issue. 

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. were among 206 Democrats who voted against a bill that would prevent transgender athletes from competing against girls and women last week. 

Jeffries and Ocasio-Cortez pushed the unsubstantiated claims it would subject girls to genital examinations by child predators. No language exists in the bill suggesting genital examinations would occur, and Republicans argued proof of birth sex could be determined by a birth certificate. 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Jeffries and Ocasio-Cortez have not responded to multiple requests for comment from Fox News Digital regarding their arguments, subsequent backlash from Democratic voters who have said they are leaving the party in response to the arguments and data that suggests that a majority of Democrats oppose transgender inclusion in women's sports. 

However, Ocasio-Cortez addressed the idea of culture wars about transgender people being a distraction during an interview on "The Daily Show" Thursday.

"When we allow ourselves to constantly be distracted by these culture wars around trans people, it's a new thing every day, and the answer isn't that we just let those people be attacked, it's that we say, ‘What are you doing, man?’ I think we need to make standing up for those folks just such an afterthought that it's not even a debate," Ocasio-Cortez said. 

"Like, we need to understand and see the bait for what it is, but we don’t take the bait by letting those rights just erode and go by the wayside."

HOW TRANSGENDERISM IN SPORTS SHIFTED THE 2024 ELECTION AND IGNITED A NATIONAL COUNTERCULTURE

Ocasio-Cortez's suggestion that the party should make protecting transgender people an afterthought comes after she delivered a tirade in defense of transgender people and in opposition to the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act on the floor of the House of Representatives last week.

Her rant prompted widespread mockery, and Democrats have since spoken up about their distaste for her and the party's handling of the issue. 

Prominent Rutgers law professor Gary Francione, a lifelong Democrat and advocate for LGBTQ rights, told Fox News Digital he left the Democratic Party in response to its opposition to the bill. 

"That just made me very upset because it screamed out lack of integrity, lack of honesty," Francione told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview. "This is the way you fight battles? By trying to insult other people who oppose you and disagree with you and insinuate that they're child molesters or pedophiles? It seems to me you've lost the game. … I don't know how they're ever going to come back from this." 

Francione said many of the other Democrats in his network of law and education share his disdain for the party's response to the bill and will also be leaving the party. 

"I can say confidently of the people I know who are Democrats who I've spoken to, the vast majority of them are very unhappy about all of this stuff and feel that the party has lost its way," Francione said. "I know a couple who said they are going to [unregister]." 

Voter registration data suggests the party is losing members in Francione's home state of Pennsylvania. However, no specific information for why is available. Prominent political organizer Scott Pressler announced on X the voter registration data shows that the number of Democratic voters declined by 24,867 from Jan. 14 to Jan. 21, the week that followed the House of Representatives hearing. 

Just two Democrats joined the Republican majority in voting in favor of the bill, representatives Henry Cuellar and Vicente Gonzalez, both of Texas. Their decision to defect from the rest of the party and vote for the protection of women and girls in sports reflects a growing position of many voters in their party and independents, according to recent data. 

A recent New York Times/Ipsos survey found the vast majority of Americans, including a majority of Democrats, don't think transgender athletes should be permitted to compete in women's sports. Of the 2,128 people polled, 79% said biological males who identify as women should not be allowed to participate in women's sports. Of the 1,025 people who identified as Democrats or leaning Democrat, 67% said transgender athletes should not be allowed to compete with women. 

The Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act is headed to the Senate after passing in the House, and it will need more votes by Democrats to get past a filibuster and move to President Donald Trump's desk. 

Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn, told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview she expects and hopes the bill will get the Democratic votes it needs to pass the Senate. 

"I would expect there would be. I would hope there would be," she said. 

"Many of my friends who are Democrats will tell you that they think Title IX is a thing, and to have biological males competing against women is inappropriate. And they want opportunities for their daughters or nieces or granddaughters. And it's frustrating to them when they hear about or witness a transgender male playing in a women's or girls league."

Blackburn added she has "no idea" what the Democrats who suggested the law would subject girls to genital examinations were thinking when they made that argument. 

"I find it very difficult to believe that protecting girls in sports would have such an adverse effect," Blackburn said. "Looking at the content of the bill is the best way to argue against it and know that a vast majority of Americans support protecting girls in girls' sports." 

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

WASHINGTON — Lawmakers refused to say how many genders there are when confronted just days after President Donald Trump proclaimed that there are only two "not changeable" sexes: male and female.

Former President Joe Biden refrained from defining gender as strictly binary and issued directives supporting the recognition of individual gender identity on federal documents. This included allowing Americans to select "X" as a gender option on their passports, alongside male and female. In contrast, Trump's order, declaring the existence of only two genders, will reverse efforts allowing the use of a gender different from that assigned at birth on documents like driver's licenses.

In the wake of Trump's order, Fox News Digital surveyed lawmakers on Capitol Hill about the number of recognized genders, but most members of Congress refused to answer the question.

"I have one meeting to go to, that's all I'm worried about right now," Rep. Sylvia Garcia, D-Texas, told Fox when asked how many genders there are.

TRUMP PUTS HIGHER EDUCATION ON NOTICE FOR ‘DANGEROUS, DEMEANING, AND IMMORAL’ DEI TEACHING

Another Democrat, Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va., told Fox that there are "two" genders but that "people are often uncertain what there is."

TRUMP TARGETS CULTURE WAY LIGHTENING RODS IN EARLY SLATE OF EXECUTIVE ORDERS

"These people are ridiculous," Democrat Rep. Greg Casar of Texas said as he walked away. 

Other lawmakers who did not say how many genders there are included Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., and Rep. Pete Stauber, R-Minn.

Trump is taking aim at several of Biden's federal orders surrounding gender identity, such as revoking the Enabling All Qualified Americans to Serve Their Country in Uniform order, which allowed transgender people to serve in the military. 

Fox News' Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump has made no secret that his – second – first 100 days in office will be incredibly fast paced. 

To that end, the country should be prepared for a "shock and awe" period of executive orders, addressing everything from mass deportations of illegal migrants, tariffs, ending sanctuary cities and more. 

Where executive orders fall short, Trump is pushing his allies in Congress to take up parts of his agenda as legislation.  

DNC HIRES FORMER HARRIS STAFFERS BEHIND @KAMALAHQ FOR SOCIAL MEDIA RESPONSE TO TRUMP

Among other things, Trump wants to push through legislation extending the 2017 tax cuts, increasing the debt limit while also slashing federal spending, comprehensive immigration reform and giving tax breaks to energy companies. 

However, what Trump envisions, and the realities of Congress are two different things. 

With Republicans’ ultra-slim majority in the House, and divisions in the Republican caucus and party generally – as the conflict between Steve Bannon and Elon Musk suggests – there is the potential for problems in various areas of Trump’s proposed agenda. 

That being said, presidential powers in certain areas like immigration, national security and even tariffs, are broad enough that much, if not all, of Trump’s agenda will likely be enacted rather quickly.  

All of this leaves Democrats, dispirited after an election that saw Republicans sweep the White House and both chambers of Congress, in a precarious position.

Do they continue blindly opposing Trump, despite the will of the voters who decisively elected him and handed Congress to the GOP?  

Or, recognizing that "resistance at all costs" is an exercise in futility, do Democrats adopt a policy of strategic bipartisan cooperation?  

With pre-election polling from Fox News showing that voters trusted Donald Trump rather than VP Kamala Harris by wide margins on issues like immigration (+15%), as well as the economy and crime (+8% each), doubling down on resistance would be a costly mistake. 

In no uncertain terms, Democrats would be significantly better served – as would the country – if they choose the latter, and emphasize a new, moderate agenda centered on bipartisan compromise on key issues such as the economy, immigration, crime and government excess.  

Positively, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jefferies has indicated that he understands the importance of this cooperation. He recently said, "House Democrats will work to find bipartisan common ground whenever and wherever possible with the incoming administration." 

Indeed, moderate Democrats should take the lead and work with their GOP colleagues to forge compromise where it can easily be found. Securing the border, for example, is a commonsense policy that both parties can work towards together.  

Moreover, by working with Republicans, Democrats would be able to ensure some of their own policies make it into final legislation.  

Returning to the border and immigration, a compromise could surely be struck that minimizes the extent of Trump’s planned mass deportations by limiting them to adults who entered the country illegally and those who have committed crimes while here. 

In exchange, Democrats could push for a pathway to citizenship for children who were brought here. 

Further, bipartisan efforts can be made to increase the number of H1B visas for the highest skilled migrants so that America preserves its technological advantage over China.  

Over the objections of many on the far-right, Trump recently came out in support of the H1B program. Democrats should take him up on that in exchange for wholly necessary steps to address illegal immigration.  

Similarly, a moderate Democratic agenda must entail the end of support for sanctuary cities and soft-on-crime policies. Too often, progressives have been allowed to dictate Democrats’ position on these related issues, damaging the entire party.   

To be sure, while immigration is one high-profile area for compromise, Democrats would be wise to adopt a moderate agenda across the board.  

On the economy, there are middle-of-the-road policies that can keep taxes low, spur growth, and lower the cost of living – an issue that seriously hurt Democrats in the election. 

A key part of this would be working with Republicans to reform education and job training programs.  

There are potential deals to be made that increase funding for vocational training and school choice programs while also making education more accessible for all Americans. 

In that same vein, with Republicans targeting federal spending, Democrats must finally admit that they cannot simply spend with impunity.  

The national debt, now sitting at more than $36 trillion was a significant concern for voters, and the combination of inflation and high interest rates needed to combat it risk strangling the American economy.  

By working with the Department of Government Efficiency, Democrats can contribute to reining in the debt while protecting core programs such as social security and Medicare.  

Finally, even though foreign policy is largely the purview of the president, the challenge for Democrats here is two-fold.  

They must embrace a more moderate foreign policy that recognizes the need to expand the Abraham Accords and support Israel, while finding a compromise with Trump on other issues. 

Under President Joe Biden, America’s foreign policy was often prodding, weak, and relied on the misguided strategy of "diplomacy at all costs."

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Democrats should look to support Trump’s more muscular foreign policy, in exchange for Trump’s commitment to NATO and not forcing Ukraine into a deal that overly favors Russian President Vladimir Putin.  

Taken together, Democrats would be wise to heed the lessons of former President Bill Clinton. During my time in that administration, Clinton moved to the right on certain issues – the debt, crime and welfare reform – taking the mantle from Republicans and contributing to a boost in his approval. 

Ultimately, during and after Trump’s first 100 days, Democrats cannot afford a strategy of total resistance, lest they be consigned to minority status for the foreseeable future. 

If Democrats hope to demonstrate that they are a viable alternative, they must develop a new, moderate agenda that shows the American people that they are capable of putting actual governance over petty politics. 

Importantly, this is not to say that Democrats need to surrender on everything, particularly on issues that go against their core principles.  

Rather, it is to underscore that working with Trump and Republicans to find compromise and address issues facing all Americans is to everyone’s benefit. 

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM DOUG SCHOEN

A recent New York Times/Ipsos survey found the vast majority of Americans, including a majority of Democrats, don't think transgender athletes should be permitted to compete in women's sports. 

"Thinking about transgender female athletes — meaning athletes who were male at birth but who currently identify as female — do you think they should or should not be allowed to compete in women’s sports?" the survey asked. 

Of the 2,128 people who participated, 79% said biological males who identify as women should not be allowed to participate in women's sports. 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Of the 1,025 people who identified as Democrats or leaning Democrat, 67% said transgender athletes should not be allowed to compete with women. 

Among 1,022 Republicans, that number was 94%. 

The 81 independents who were interviewed represented the group with the most reluctance to say transgender athletes shouldn't be allowed to compete. Just 64% said they were against it, while 26% refused to answer. Just 3% of the Democrats and 1% of the Republicans refused to answer.

The country saw a notable shift in awareness and opposition to the issue of transgender athletes in women's sports in 2024, when a number of stories sparked national attention and controversy. The issue became a key campaign issue in November's election for President-elect Trump and other Republicans. 

A national exit poll conducted by the Concerned Women for America (CWA) legislative action committee found that 70% of moderate voters saw the issue of "Donald Trump’s opposition to transgender boys and men playing girls' and women’s sports and of transgender boys and men using girls' and women’s bathrooms" as important to them. 

And 6% said it was the most important issue of all, while 44% said it was "very important."

HOW TRANSGENDERISM IN SPORTS SHIFTED THE 2024 ELECTION AND IGNITED A NATIONAL COUNTERCULTURE

Nearly 70% of Americans say biological men should not be permitted to compete in women's sports, according to a Gallup poll last year.

In June, a survey conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago asked respondents whether transgender athletes of both sexes should be permitted to participate in sports leagues that correspond to their preferred gender identity instead of their biological sex. In that survey, 65% answered that it should never or rarely be allowed. When those polled were asked specifically about adult transgender female athletes competing in women’s sports, 69% opposed it.

With Trump about to return to office Monday, Republicans are pushing a bill that will address the issue in Congress. 

The Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act passed in the House of Representatives Tuesday and even had support from two Democrats. 

That bill will advance to the Republican-controlled Senate, and, if it passes there, Trump will get to sign it into law early in his term. 

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