President Trump sees ‘great promise’ for the United Nations, provided it remains dedicated to its founding mission of promoting international peace and security, according to his U.N. ambassador nominee, Elise Stefanik.

‘When discussing this nomination with President Trump, the President shared with me that he sees great promise in the United Nations if it focuses on its founding mission of international peace and security. President Trump has long advocated for peace and no new wars,’ she will say, according to excerpts of her opening statement for Tuesday’s confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, obtained by Fox News Digital. 

She will pledge to support Israel – as it faces chronic criticism for the war in Gaza – and work to ensure the agency is using U.S. tax dollars to advance U.S. interests.

‘As the world faces crisis after crisis, with hostages including Americans still held in Hamas’ captivity, to national security challenges ranging from China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran, it has never been more critical for the United States to lead with strength and moral clarity,’ Stefanik plans to say. 

‘As a Member of Congress, I also understand deeply that we must be good stewards of U.S. taxpayer dollars. The U.S. is the largest contributor to the U.N. by far. Our tax dollars should not be complicit in propping up entities that are counter to American interests, antisemitic, or engaging in fraud, corruption, or terrorism.’

‘We must invest in programs that strengthen our national security and deliver results. To increase the efficacy of U.N. programs, we must drive reform. If confirmed, I will be the first U.N. Ambassador in over two decades to come directly from Congress – and I have a deep respect and understanding of the oversight and appropriations role of the legislative branch. I look forward to using my strong House and Senate relationships to deliver much needed reforms.’

After Tuesday’s hearing, where Stefanik will be grilled on her plans for representing the U.S. at the U.N., the Foreign Relations Committee will vote on her confirmation before it heads to a full Senate vote. 

Stefanik, who currently serves as the House GOP Conference chair, is expected to sail to confirmation in the U.N. role. Sen. John Fetterman, a Democrat from Pennsylvania, has already said he will vote for her – they are both strong Israel supporters. She served on the Intelligence and Armed Services Committees, but she went viral for her work on the other side of the table last year when she questioned university presidents and their policies surrounding pro-Gaza protests during Education Committee hearings.

The U.N. ambassador is a Cabinet-level position, meaning Stefanik will regularly meet with the president to share updates and suggestions, if confirmed. 

Both Trump and Stefanik have been critical of the U.N., and Trump slashed funding for certain U.N. agencies and programs during his first term. 

Founded with a mission to promote global peace, development and respect for human rights after World War II, the U.N. relies on the U.S. for about a third of its budget. President Biden increased U.S. financial contributions to the U.N. and its sister agencies, boosting it from $11.6 billion in 2020 to $18.1 billion in 2022.

The U.S. gave about three times as much that year as the next-highest contributors, Germany, at $6.8 billion, and Japan, at $2.7 billion. 

That amount of funding gives a new administration wiggle room to withhold funds to the U.N. if its global interests do not align with those of the U.S., a notion some Republicans have already pushed for.

Trump will be in office when the international body elects its next secretary-general in 2026, and the U.S. will have veto power over any candidate. 

The U.N. particularly relies on the U.S. for global aid programs.

In 2022, it provided half of all contributions to the World Food Programme, and about a third of all contributions to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), and the International Organization for Migration.

And critics have warned that China has infiltrated the agency – the CCP doubled the number of its nationals employed at the U.N. to nearly 15,000 from 2009 to 2021. 

President Trump named Brian Driscoll to serve as acting director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on Monday, marking one of his first moves on Inauguration Day.

According to the FBI website, Driscoll became a special agent in 2007. He has experience working in the agency’s New York field office and also worked on the FBI’s SWAT team.

The White House’s announcement came shortly after FBI acting director Paul Abbate retired on Monday, reportedly just minutes before Trump took office. Christopher Wray stepped down from the agency on Sunday, and Abbate only held down the acting director post for a day.

‘When the director asked me to stay on past my mandatory date for a brief time, I did so to help ensure continuity and the best transition for the F.B.I. Now, with new leadership inbound, after nearly four years in the deputy role, I am departing the F.B.I.,’ Abbate said in an email obtained by the New York Times on Monday. ‘I have complete confidence in you and in your ability as a team to continue to carry out our mission of protecting the American people and upholding the Constitution.’

Last week, then-FBI director Wray named Driscoll as the special agent in charge of the FBI field office in Newark, New Jersey. In a press release published on Jan. 14, the agency noted that Driscoll ‘most recently served as the commander of the FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team (HRT) and Critical Incident Response Group’s (CIRG) Tactical Section chief.’

‘In March 2011, Mr. Driscoll was selected as an operator for FBI’s HRT,’ the press release noted. ‘Ultimately, he became an HRT team leader, responsible for the planning and execution of tactical solutions in furtherance of FBI global operations.’

‘He also collaborated with foreign law enforcement and military partners to conduct operations and training, strengthening FBI global partnerships.’

Driscoll’s time as acting director will presumably end when Kashyap ‘Kash’ Patel is confirmed as the FBI’s next director by the U.S. Senate. Patel was nominated by Trump in November, who called him an ‘America First fighter.’

‘Kash is a brilliant lawyer, investigator, and ‘America First’ fighter who has spent his career exposing corruption, defending Justice, and protecting the American People,’ Trump’s statement read. ‘He played a pivotal role in uncovering the Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax, standing as an advocate for truth, accountability, and the Constitution.’

Fox News’ David Spunt and Pat Ward and Fox News Digital’s Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.

Lauren Sanchez has sparked backlash on social media after unveiling a racy look at Donald Trump’s inauguration.

The fiancée of Jeff Bezos, the chairman of Amazon, wore a white Alexander McQueen pantsuit featuring a fitted satin-trimmed blazer with a dangerously low-cut V-neck and wide-leg trousers.

She skipped a traditional blouse and instead opted for a risqué white lace bustier. She completed the look with a fuzzy coat for the frosty day. Sanchez also made head turns with her signature smoky eye, glossy nude lips and a sleek updo.

According to reports, Sanchez’s eye-popping ensemble retails for at least $1,800.

The children’s book author, pilot and former journalist was accompanied by her billionaire beau, who sported a suit with an oxblood-hued tie.

Many quickly took to social media to criticize the 55-year-old’s look.

‘Jeff Bezos future wife Lauren Sanchez is incredibly inappropriately dressed for a state occasion,’ one critic wrote on X. ‘Someone should have told her that having her white lace bra out on display is not acceptable.’

‘Good grief, Lauren Sanchez. Put them away for one day,’ chimed another.

‘Really, a bra plainly visible,’ another user wrote. ‘Today is NOT a night club event. Show some class & dignity.’

When one user insisted that Sanchez ‘forgot to put a shirt on,’ another replied, ‘Maybe she can get one from Amazon same day shipping.’ Meanwhile, others joked that the mother of three was ‘dressed by Victoria’s Secret.’

‘Just when I was luxuriating in the beauty and class of @FLOTUS45, in walks Lauren Sanchez wearing only a bra,’ one user said, comparing the Emmy winner to Melania Trump.

The first lady, 54, wore a more modest navy Adam Lippes tailored navy silk wool coat to the inauguration. She completed her look with a navy silk wool pencil skirt and an ivory silk crêpe blouse, along with black leather gloves and a statement-making wide-brimmed hat.

Sanchez appears to have worn the same form-fitting suit at The New York Times DealBook event in December. She took a sultry selfie at the time for her nearly 900,000 followers.

Summer Anne Lee, a presidential fashion historian and professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) told Newsweek that Sanchez’s fashion statement on the historic day left her stunned.

‘I gasped when I saw it,’ Lee admitted about the jaw-dropping outfit. ‘I imagine this revealing lingerie moment has got to be a ‘first’ in inauguration fashion history, even if she is just an attendee and not a part of the ceremony.’

On Monday, Trump was sworn in as the 47th president. The 78-year-old promised a ‘revolution of common sense’ as he sets out to reshape the country’s institutions.

A cadre of billionaires and tech titans — including Bezos, 61, as well as Mark Zuckerberg, Tim Cook and Sundar Pichai — were given prominent positions in the Capitol Rotunda, mingling with Trump’s incoming team before the ceremony began. Also, there was Elon Musk, the world’s richest man.

After five years of dating, Bezos proposed to Sanchez in May 2023. While the couple hasn’t publicly announced any details about their wedding, Sanchez teased on the ‘Today’ show that she was already prepping for the big day.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The men who held the nation’s highest office before President Trump have all remained mum on his taking the presidency on Monday. 

All four living former presidents – Bill Clinton, George Bush, Barack Obama and Joe Biden – attended the inauguration ceremony, and sat behind Trump as he gave a politically charged speech about his vision for the future of the country. 

None had any public well-wishes for the incoming president after the swearing-in ceremony. Asked whether they planned to put out a statement on it, none of their offices responded at press time. 

Biden only addressed his supporters and staffers in remarks before boarding a government helicopter to be whisked away from Washington, D.C. 

‘We’re leaving office, we’re not leaving the fight,’ he told them. 

Former first ladies Hillary Clinton, Laura Bush and Jill Biden all attended the ceremony alongside their husbands. Michelle Obama did not attend.

Sources reportedly close to Michelle Obama told People magazine that the former first lady intended to skip Trump’s inauguration because she cannot contain her disdain for the Republican president-elect.

Hillary Clinton chuckled when Trump suggested renaming the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America. Bill Clinton told CNN of his reaction to the speech: ‘I think you can figure it out for yourself.’ The Clintons did not stay for the inaugural luncheon. 

Trump and former first lady Melania Trump did not attend President Biden’s inauguration in 2021. At the late President Jimmy Carter’s funeral, Obama and Trump were seen chatting and laughing like old friends despite the history of political animosity between the former Democratic president and the returning Republican.

Trump, in his address, took shots at Biden without addressing him by name. 

‘My recent election is a mandate to completely and totally reverse a horrible betrayal, and all of these many betrayals that have taken place, and to give the people back their faith, their wealth, their democracy and indeed, their freedom,’ Trump said.

In a follow-up speech to supporters, Trump called out Biden’s last-minute moves as president. 

‘You’re going to see a lot of action on the J6 hostages,’ he said. 

‘And I was going to talk about the things Joe did today with the pardons of people that were very, very guilty of very bad crimes, like the UnSelect Committee of political thugs,’ he went on.

In an 11th hour move, Biden preemptively pardoned the members of the January 6th House Select Committee that investigated the role of Trump and his acolytes in the 2021 Capitol riot, along with Dr. Anthony Fauci and former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Mark Milley.

And just moments before leaving the White House, Biden preemptively shielded his siblings and their spouses from any prosecution.

President Trump sees ‘great promise’ in the United Nations, according to his U.N. ambassador nominee Elise Stefanik, who said she would bring ‘reform’ to the organization.

‘When discussing this nomination with President Trump, the President shared with me that he sees great promise in the United Nations if it focuses on its founding mission of international peace and security. President Trump has long advocated for peace and no new wars,’ she will say, according to excerpts of her opening statement for Tuesday’s confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, obtained by Fox News Digital. 

She will pledge to support Israel – as it faces chronic criticism for the war in Gaza – and work to ensure the agency is using U.S. tax dollars to advance U.S. interests.

‘As the world faces crisis after crisis, with hostages including Americans still held in Hamas’ captivity, to national security challenges ranging from China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran, it has never been more critical for the United States to lead with strength and moral clarity,’ Stefanik plans to say. 

‘As a Member of Congress, I also understand deeply that we must be good stewards of U.S. taxpayer dollars. The U.S. is the largest contributor to the U.N. by far. Our tax dollars should not be complicit in propping up entities that are counter to American interests, antisemitic, or engaging in fraud, corruption, or terrorism.’

‘We must invest in programs that strengthen our national security and deliver results. To increase the efficacy of U.N. programs, we must drive reform. If confirmed, I will be the first U.N. Ambassador in over two decades to come directly from Congress – and I have a deep respect and understanding of the oversight and appropriations role of the legislative branch. I look forward to using my strong House and Senate relationships to deliver much needed reforms.’

After Tuesday’s hearing, where Stefanik will be grilled on her plans for representing the U.S. at the U.N., the Foreign Relations Committee will vote on her confirmation before it heads to a full Senate vote. 

Stefanik, who currently serves as the House GOP Conference chair, is expected to sail to confirmation in the U.N. role. Sen. John Fetterman, a Democrat from Pennsylvania, has already said he will vote for her – they are both strong Israel supporters. She served on the Intelligence and Armed Services Committees, but she went viral for her work on the other side of the table last year when she questioned university presidents and their policies surrounding pro-Gaza protests during Education Committee hearings.

The U.N. ambassador is a Cabinet-level position, meaning Stefanik will regularly meet with the president to share updates and suggestions, if confirmed. 

Both Trump and Stefanik have been critical of the U.N., and Trump slashed funding for certain U.N. agencies and programs during his first term. 

Founded with a mission to promote global peace, development and respect for human rights after World War II, the U.N. relies on the U.S. for about a third of its budget. President Biden increased U.S. financial contributions to the U.N. and its sister agencies, boosting it from $11.6 billion in 2020 to $18.1 billion in 2022.

The U.S. gave about three times as much that year as the next-highest contributors, Germany, at $6.8 billion, and Japan, at $2.7 billion. 

That amount of funding gives a new administration wiggle room to withhold funds to the U.N. if its global interests do not align with those of the U.S., a notion some Republicans have already pushed for.

Trump will be in office when the international body elects its next secretary-general in 2026, and the U.S. will have veto power over any candidate. 

The U.N. particularly relies on the U.S. for global aid programs.

In 2022, it provided half of all contributions to the World Food Programme, and about a third of all contributions to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), and the International Organization for Migration.

And critics have warned that China has infiltrated the agency – the CCP doubled the number of its nationals employed at the U.N. to nearly 15,000 from 2009 to 2021. 

Republican lawmakers are jubilant after President Trump was sworn in for a second term on Monday, followed by a speech promising massive policy changes in the U.S.

‘President Trump’s speech was a breath of fresh aid for Americans – he will bring down costs, close the southern border, deport illegal immigrants, bring back free speech, and unleash American energy dominance,’ House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris, R-Md., told Fox News Digital. ‘The Golden Age of America begins today.’

House GOP leaders, meanwhile, reaffirmed their promise to execute Trump’s policies as quickly as possible, with the commander in chief angling for an active first 100 days in office beginning with a sweeping set of executive orders.

‘This is America’s moment of redemption, and under President Trump’s leadership, our nation will usher in a new Golden Age,’ said House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn. ‘House Republicans are fully committed to making his America First vision a reality and are ready to hit the ground running on day one.’

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., meanwhile, hailed Trump’s address as ‘a powerful speech outlining his vision for an America that’s safe, strong, free, and full of opportunity.’

Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Okla., chair of the House GOP Policy Committee, compared Trump’s inauguration to former President Ronald Reagan’s in 1985 – which was also held indoors. 

‘Like Reagan, who ushered in a renaissance of American greatness, President Trump’s inauguration marks the beginning of a new golden age in America. His vision and leadership will secure a brighter future for our nation. Today, we witness the dawn of a new era,’ Hern said.

Like Trump, Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, called for legislative action to begin without delay. He said, ‘Today is a day for celebration, but our work begins immediately. There is no room for excuses. Congress must work with the president to deliver fully, not partially. I stand ready and resolved.’

Meanwhile, Rep. Randy Feenstra, R-Iowa, urged Congress to now work with Trump ‘to pass the Farm Bill, extend the Trump Tax Cuts, lock down our border, end the electric vehicle mandates, support our small businesses, and lower costs for our families and farmers.’

Several of those goals were also mentioned by Trump himself during his inaugural speech in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda.

‘I will direct all members of my Cabinet to marshal the vast powers at their disposal to defeat what was record inflation, and rapidly bring down costs and prices. The inflation crisis was caused by massive overspending and escalating energy prices. And that is why today I will also declare a national energy emergency. We will drill, baby, drill,’ Trump said.

‘With my actions today, we will end the Green New Deal, and we will revoke the electric vehicle mandate, saving our auto industry and keeping my sacred pledge to our great American autoworkers.’

He also repeated promises to crack down on crime at the border as well as target foreign nations with high tariffs as a means to bring down the deficit.

Trump later gave roughly half an hour’s worth of further remarks in the Capitol’s Emancipation Hall. 

The second speech, more freewheeling than his first, saw Trump criticize his predecessor, former President Biden, for issuing pardons to members of the former House Select Committee on Jan. 6 and others, like retired Gen. Mark Milley.

‘We’re going to turn our country around, and we’re going to turn it around fast. And I think it was a better speech than the one I made upstairs,’ Trump joked in those remarks.

The acting director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Paul Abbate, reportedly retired just minutes before Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th president.

Former FBI Director Christopher Wray announced on Dec. 11 that he would step down from the bureau before Trump took office, and Wray’s resignation went into effect Sunday.

Abbate, who took the helm from Wray, stepped down from the bureau just a day later, the New York Times reported.

His departure took effect at noon ET Monday, around the same time Trump was slated to take his oath of office at the U.S. Capitol. It was not immediately clear who will replace Abbate as acting FBI director.

‘When the director asked me to stay on past my mandatory date for a brief time, I did so to help ensure continuity and the best transition for the F.B.I. Now, with new leadership inbound, after nearly four years in the deputy role, I am departing the F.B.I.,’ Abbate wrote in an internal email on Monday, according to the New York Times. ‘I have complete confidence in you and in your ability as a team to continue to carry out our mission of protecting the American people and upholding the Constitution.’

Wray selected Abbate as deputy FBI director in 2021 and extended his length of service. At 57, Abbate is the mandatory retirement age for some FBI agents, according to the New York Times.

Trump appointed Wray to lead the bureau in 2017, but relations between the two soured amid repeated federal investigations into the 45th and now-47th president. The FBI raided Trump’s home at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, in August 2022. 

Trump decried the ‘weaponization’ of the Justice Department during his 2024 presidential campaign, and he has since tapped Kash Patel to lead the FBI. Patel’s Senate confirmation hearing has not yet been scheduled.

‘The scales of justice will be rebalanced,’ Trump said in his inauguration speech. ‘The vicious, violent and unfair weaponization of the Justice Department and our government will end.’

President Donald Trump left Washington four years ago a beaten man.

He lost a bitter election battle. Faced recriminations over the Capitol riot. That’s to say nothing of a host of criminal charges.

F. Scott Fitzgerald famously pronounced ‘there are no second acts in American lives.’

But he may not have been writing about sports or politics. In athletics, Rocky Bleier, Tommy John and even Michael Jordan come to mind.

Politics is replete with comebacks – Richard Nixon, Winston Churchill and Vladimir Lenin make the cut.

And so does President Donald Trump.

He’s now only the second American President to return to office. President Grover Cleveland served his first term from 1885 to 1889. But Cleveland lost the presidency in 1888. Cleveland won the popular vote – but lost the Electoral College to President Benjamin Harrison. However, Cleveland rallied to vanquish Harrison in 1892, returning to the White House.

So this is a second act for Mr. Trump. At least in the presidency.

For him, the president enjoys unprecedented public support. He commanded 77 million votes – but failed to reach 50 percent. But, the president did score a robust 312 electoral votes.

And so, Mr. Trump, like Cleveland, is into his second act. What’s ahead?

The expectations are astronomical.

‘America issued a verdict on November 5th. They spoke loud and clear,’ said Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., on Fox.

Republicans promised a makeover.

‘When I see peace starting to break out again around the world. They’re going to be like, ‘this is the stability that we were asking for,’’ said Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., on Fox. ‘Daddy’s back.’

Crackdowns are coming.

‘When you have a wide open border, you don’t have safety, security or even sovereignty,’ said House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., on NBC.

The president returns to power with more GOP unity than he had in 2016. Congressional Republicans were far from standing foursquare behind him. House Republicans had 241 seats then. His most ardent supporters on Capitol Hill were people who no longer serve. Former Reps. Chris Collins, R-N.Y., and Duncan Hunter Jr., R-Calif., were his first supporters in the House. Both were convicted on unrelated criminal matters and left Congress. Mr. Trump then pardoned them. His biggest advocate in the Senate was former Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala. Sessions left the Senate to serve as Mr. Trump’s first Attorney General. He lasted less than two years, stepping down at the president’s request.

Congressional Republicans were skeptical of Trump back then. Former House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wisc., led the charge to unwind Obamacare. After the GOP had to pull the bill in the House, Republicans finally cobbled together the votes to kill it a month later. The bill stumbled in the Senate after the late Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., voted no. But the House failure on the first try told you everything you need to know about where the party stood and how much influence Mr. Trump wielded.

But lawmakers did muscle through the vaunted Trump tax cuts later in the year.

The unity is different among Republicans this time around. And the administration and lawmakers start with an agenda of slashing taxes and cleaving the deficit.

‘Right now there’s a discussion about whether we’ll have one bill or two bills up here. The process doesn’t matter to us. We just know that we’ve got to accomplish this for the American people,’ said Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., on Fox. ‘He’s way ahead of where he was eight years ago.’

But one GOP senator has a warning for his colleagues.

‘I think the number one priority for the Republican party should be to secure that border,’ said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., on CBS. ‘Get the tax cuts and spending reductions put together later.’

It will be about the math. Despite their ambitious legislative ambitions to approve tranches of money for the border – but simultaneously slash spending and cut taxes. And Republicans have a miniscule majority in the House. With the resignation of former Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., to become National Security Advisor, House Republicans will be down to 218 votes. That majority dwindles to 217 when Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., resigns to become Ambassador to the United Nations – presuming she receives Senate confirmation.

So, advancing anything through the House is going to be challenging despite the goals.

Frankly, they may need help from Democrats on some issues – like avoiding a government shutdown or lifting the debt ceiling.

‘Even though my colleagues have been talking about that the president got a mandate and he did electorally, that mandate does not exist in the House,’ said Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., on Fox. ‘They barely have a majority. And so if they want to work with us, I think they’re going to find a willing partner.’

Confirmation votes are coming soon on Trump cabinet picks.

‘He needs a team that can be disruptive,’ said Sen. Dave McCormick, R-Penn., on Fox. ‘They want disrupters. They want outside the box thinking.’

But some picks could be too disruptive.

Think Director of National Intelligence nominee Tulsi Gabbard and the selection of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., for Health and Human Services Secretary. Senate committees have not yet scheduled hearings for either of them. Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth likely has the votes for confirmation. But the Senate may need to take a procedural vote to break a Democratic filibuster to muscle through Hegseth to confirmation.

Still, Democrats are recalibrating their approach for Trump 2.0.

‘I think Democrats last time around just resisted the president on everything. It was just constant outrage. And I think this time they need to shift to a different strategy of selective resistance,’ said Moskowitz.

So Trump’s second act is on. The issues that Grover Cleveland grappled with? Tariffs and silver policy. Mr. Trump won’t need to wrestle with the latter subject (we presume). But you know about the pending battle about tariffs and issues with China, Canada, Mexico and elsewhere.

The new president has about two years to implement his policies and get his legislative agenda through Congress. But people are expecting results.

And that’s the thing about second acts. In sports. And in politics. Only in the theatre is there a third.