Taylor Budowich, White House deputy chief of staff for communications and personnel, is set to leave the administration at the end of the month, Fox News has confirmed.

Budowich’s exit marks the most significant staff departure of President Trump’s current administration. 

A longtime Trump advisor and one of his most trusted communicators, Budowich is returning to the private sector. The California native’s role gave him broad influence over messaging and personnel decisions inside the West Wing.

Senior Trump advisor Stephen Miller, in a statement provided to Fox News Digital by the White House, called Budowich ‘one of the true MAGA faithful who has poured out his heart for this movement and our President. He is universally admired and respected. No matter the issue or need, his insights and talents are sought after and valued deeply. He is and remains a cherished and loyal ally to us all.’

Vice President JD Vance said Budowich is ‘an invaluable asset to this administration and someone I’ve personally relied on countless times during an amazing first year in office.’

‘His oversight of the White House’s communications team has been an incredible success, where they’ve done an outstanding job touting the truly historic accomplishments of President Trump’s second term,’ Vance continued in a statement provided to Fox News Digital. ‘In addition to all this, he’s played an integral role in coordinating this administration’s cabinet agencies and our Office of Public Liaison. He’ll be sorely missed, but I’m sure there are big things ahead for Taylor.’

Chief of staff Susie Wiles added that Budowich is ‘a dear friend, and I know that President Trump holds him in very high regard. I hate to see him go, personally and professionally, but obviously wish him well in whatever he decides is next.’

And longtime Trump aide Dan Scavino told Fox News Digital that Budowich is ‘an outstanding American patriot and an exceptional friend and colleague, both on the campaign trail previously and here at the White House. His unwavering dedication to advancing President Trump’s Make America Great Again agenda has made him a vital asset in Trump 2.0.

‘Taylor is the kind of person you want by your side in any type of challenge, on any day of the week,’ Scavino added. ‘I am grateful for his service to President Trump and the American people and have complete confidence that he will excel in his future endeavors. I wish him the best of luck.’

Budowich previously served as communications director for Save America PAC and as executive director of MAGA Inc., a pro-Trump super PAC.

He was a spokesman for Trump during and after the 2020 campaign and testified in the classified documents investigation in 2023.

In November 2024, Trump announced Budowich’s appointment as deputy chief of staff, giving him oversight of both communications strategy and personnel.

Budowich’s departure adds to speculation about who might fill his powerful West Wing role as the Trump White House continues shaping its agenda heading into the remainder of the term.

Budowich did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Eight federal inmates — once on death row for murders, including the killings of fellow prisoners, gang-related stabbings, and the slayings of two campers — have been transferred to a notorious ‘supermax’ prison in Colorado, the Justice Department told Fox News Digital. The news comes as U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi looks to crack down on the previous administration’s sweeping clemency actions.

The eight former death row inmates were transferred Tuesday to the U.S. Penitentiary Administrative Maximum Facility in Florence, Colorado, also known as ‘ADX,’ Justice Department officials confirmed. 

They were among the 37 death row inmates whose sentences Biden commuted in late December — prompting criticism and complaints that the record clemency and commutation actions were done as a political ‘Hail Mary,’ and without proper vetting.

More of the death row inmates are expected to be moved to ADX, some within weeks, according to one individual familiar with the matter.

The 37 death row inmates commuted by Biden are all expected to be moved to the facility by ‘early next year,’ the Justice Department source told Fox News Digital.

The effort comes as Bondi and the Trump administration have sought to reverse some of the Biden administration’s efforts on criminal justice reform for certain criminals, and instead moved to prioritize violent crime and cracking down on the nation’s worst offenders.

Though a commutation cannot be fully reversed, Justice Department officials told Fox News Digital, Bondi has prioritized ways to penalize these individuals, in coordination with directives from Trump, and to ensure that the ‘conditions of confinement’ are ‘consistent with the security risks those inmates present because of their egregious crimes, criminal histories, and all other relevant considerations,’ according to an earlier DOJ memo. 

The eight inmates sent to ADX this week were each convicted of first-degree murder within federal jurisdiction. 

Many had been convicted of crimes that were especially heinous or violent. One individual was convicted of murdering a married couple who was camping at a campsite in the Ouachita National Forest in July 2003. 

Another was convicted of kidnapping, robbing, and murdering a 51-year-old local bank president by tying him to a concrete block and chain hoist, and tossing him off of a bridge and into a lake. 

Many had also killed prisoners while serving time — a factor that can be used in weighing whether to transfer a convicted felon to a higher-security prison.

ADX is the only true federal ‘supermax’ prison in the U.S., and its inmates are as notorious as the prison’s reputation. Among them are Ramzi Yousef, convicted in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing; Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, one of the Boston Marathon bombers; former Sinola Cartel leader Joaquín Guzmán, or ‘El Chapo’; and Mamdouh Mahmud Salim, the co-founder of al-Qaeda.

‘President Biden’s decision to commute the death sentences of these monsters showed abhorrent disregard for our justice system and total disrespect for victims’ families already suffering through immense loss,’ Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

‘After meeting with many of the victims’ families at the Department of Justice and promising to take action on their behalf, eight of these prisoners have been transferred to the Colorado super-max prison ADX. This will ensure that they spend the remainder of their lives in conditions consistent with the egregious crimes they committed,’ she added.

Shortly after her confirmation as attorney general, Bondi issued a memo aimed at ‘restoring a measure of justice’ to the victims’ families. 

The measures granted by Biden earned more criticism than former President Barack Obama: As Fox News reported at the time, the vast majority of Obama’s clemency actions focused on commuting the sentences of federal inmates who met certain criteria outlined under his administration’s Clemency Initiative.

Bondi hosted victims’ families earlier this year to hear their concerns about the commutations, DOJ said. Some said they had been stunned by the eleventh-hour commutations, and that they not been given a heads-up by the Biden administration.

In February, Bondi issued a memo to the Bureau of Prisons ordering an evaluation of where these prisoners should be detained.

Industry insiders are touting progress made by the Trump administration and local law enforcement to crack down on illicit Chinese vapes, which they say will both protect the youth and bring clarity to the domestic vape retail industry. 

The World Vape show announced earlier this month was forced to postpone a Miami, Florida event ‘due to customers experiencing difficulty importing products into the marketplace’ in an industry where the vast majority of imported vapes come from China. 

‘Illicit Chinese vapes are a clear warning sign of a broader and violent  criminal network. These same organizations trafficking fentanyl – and the violence that comes with it – are turning to counterfeit vapes as a low-risk source of cash flow,’ Hugo Barrera, director of South Florida High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, told Fox News Digital.

‘That’s why South Florida HIDTA is actively training law enforcement on how to combat this emerging threat, while also working with prevention partners to educate the public. We’re seeing progress – even trade shows where these illegal deals once took place are shutting down – but there’s still much more to do.’

Over the past 8 months, the administration has vowed to combat the problem of illicit Chinese vapes and choke off the supply chain at the borders and ports after critics in the industry hammered the Biden administration for not doing enough to combat the issue.

Those promises appear to be taking shape at the federal and local level including news of a federal raid earlier this month in Illinois where CBS News reported federal agents seized flavored vaping products. 

‘The Chinese are getting richer while our children get sicker,’ HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. posted on X at the time. ‘We’re putting an end to that.’

‘We are targeting illegal Chinese vapes and we will stop them from poisoning our children. Just last week, I stood with @AGPamBondi after law enforcement seized 50 truckloads of illegal vapes from a Chicago-area warehouse — 90% of them from China.’

In May, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced in a press release it seized almost two million units of ‘unauthorized e-cigarette products’ in Chicago that represented an estimated retail value of just over $33 million. 

‘Responsible community retailers are working hard to provide adult smokers with less harmful alternatives to cigarettes,’ Scott Shalley, president and CEO of Florida Retail Federation and Georgia Retailers, told Fox News Digital.

‘Unfortunately, years of inconsistent (or non-existent) regulatory enforcement has allowed unscrupulous retailers to knowingly sell illicit and illegal Chinese products that continue to flood the market and place consumers – and particularly, our youth – at risk. We applaud the recent uptick in enforcement as we work to weed out the bad actors, protect our youth and provide much needed clarity to the retail industry.’

Earlier this month, HHS announced a massive seizure of imported vaping products amounting to 4.7 million units of unauthorized e-cigarette products with an estimated retail value of $86.5 million.

‘Almost all the illegal shipments uncovered by the operation originated in China,’ the government said in a press release. ‘FDA and CBP personnel determined that many of these shipments contained vague and misleading product descriptions with incorrect values, in an apparent attempt to evade duties and the review of products for import safety concerns.’

State and local jurisdictions appear to have increased vigilance in pushing back on China flooding the market with illicit vapes as well.

In Louisiana, Operation ‘Vape Out’ has resulted in 34,000 illegal vapes being seized and at least 10 arrests while Operation ‘Smoke Signals’ in Florida has yielded at least 27 arrests across 20 vape stores. 

Edgar Domenech, former deputy director and COO of the DOJ’s Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms & Explosives and a strategic advisor for the Tobacco Law Enforcement Network, told Fox News Digital ‘this is more than unauthorized tobacco smuggling.’

‘Federal state and local law enforcement leadership is starting to recognize that these are sophisticated criminal networks trading Chinese vapes alongside hard drugs and guns while they launder profits and evade taxes to cover it all up,’ Domenech said. ‘We need an all-of-government approach to break this monster’s back once and for all.’

Dr. Ben Carson, a former neurosurgeon who served as secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development during President Donald Trump’s first term, was sworn in on Wednesday to serve as national advisor for nutrition, health and housing at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

‘As National Advisor for Nutrition, Health, and Housing, Dr. Carson will advise both President Trump and Secretary Rollins on policies related to nutrition, rural healthcare quality, and housing accessibility,’ a USDA news release states. 

‘He will serve as the Department’s chief voice on these matters, join Secretary Rollins for her work on the President’s Make America Healthy Again Commission, and partner closely with leadership in USDA’s Rural Development Mission Area.’

‘Today, too many Americans are suffering from the effects of poor nutrition. Through common-sense policymaking, we have an opportunity to give our most vulnerable families the tools they need to flourish,’ Carson noted, according to the release. ‘I am honored to work with Secretary Rollins on these important initiatives to help fulfill President Trump’s vision for a healthier, stronger America.’

Earlier this year, Trump signed an executive order to create a Religious Liberty Commission and tapped Carson to serve as vice chair.

While speaking at the American Cornerstone Institute’s Founders’ Dinner on Saturday, Trump announced that Carson will be awarded the presidential medal of freedom, noting there will be a ceremony at the White House to honor him. 

Then President George W. Bush awarded Carson the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2008.

Carson, who founded the American Cornerstone Institute, ‘is ensuring there is an organization fighting for the principles that have guided him through life, and that make this country great: Faith, Liberty, Community, and Life,’ according to ACI’s website.

Only ‘friends and weapons,’ not international laws, can protect against war and authoritarian ambitions, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned on Wednesday during an address to the United Nations General Assembly.

The Ukrainian leader, who has been pleading with the international community to do more to counter Russian President Vladimir Putin amid his more than three-and-a-half-year-long war, once again cautioned that Ukraine may have been the first European nation to bear Moscow’s affront to international order, but it will not be the last.

‘Putin will keep driving the war forward wider and deeper. And we told you before, Ukraine is only the first. And now Russian drones are already flying across Europe,’ Zelenskyy said. ‘Russian operations are already spreading across countries, and Putin wants to continue this war by expanding it.

‘No one can feel safe right now,’ he added. 

A general tone of dissatisfaction with the effectiveness of the rules-based system has repeatedly rung out during the UNGA as world leaders condemned a growing disregard of international law and human rights amid rising security threats and geopolitical conflicts. 

Zelenskyy again argued it is cheaper to stop Putin now than attempt to catch up in an arms race, build underground bunkers across cities and under kindergartens and to try and ‘protect every port and every ship from terrorists with sea drones.’

‘Stopping Russia now is cheaper than wondering who will be the first to create a simple drone carrying a nuclear warhead,’ he said.

But it wasn’t only the international community’s failure to stop Putin that Zelenskyy addressed. 

He pointed to the Israeli hostages who are still held in Gaza and the horrific conditions Palestinians live in.

‘There is simply no other way left [that] nations can speak about the pain from stages like this,’ Zelenskyy said. ‘But even during bloodshed, there isn’t a single international institution that can truly stop it. That’s how weak these institutions have become. 

‘What can Sudan or Somalia or Palestine or any other people living through war really expect from the UN or the global system? Just statements,’ he said. 

‘In the end, peace depends on all of us, on the United Nations,’ Zelenskyy said. ‘So don’t stay silent while Russia keeps dragging this war on. Please speak out and condemn it. 

‘Please join us in defending life and international law and order,’ he added. ‘People are waiting for action.’

The Democrats have a huge political opening.

With President Trump under fire from all directions — including some in his own party — it’s a rare chance for the opposition to put some points on the board.

And who are the most prominent Dems right now?

One is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

The other is Zohran Mamdani.

AOC is uber-liberal, and the New York mayoral candidate is a self-proclaimed democratic socialist.

Many party office-holders, not to mention media and political analysts, say the Democrats’ biggest problem is having lurched too far to the left. A fixation on pronouns, transgender sports and Palestinian rights. 

Does that sound like where most of America is in the fall of 2025?

There are plenty of clickbait headlines out there about AOC weighing a presidential race. But what Axios’ Alex Thompson, who had the scoop, actually reported is that she’s considering a White House run or a Senate race, against Chuck Schumer. So not much has changed.

AOC, now in her fourth term, just barely meets the constitutional requirement that a president be at least 35.

But there’s no question that she’s a dynamic campaigner, prodigious fundraiser and social media phenomenon, with an aura of authenticity.

Even Trump told Fox News, ‘She’s got a little spunk, she’s got a little something.’ But, he said, ‘her philosophy is bad for the country. I don’t think that philosophy can come close to winning.’

It’s true that what plays in her Queens-Bronx district doesn’t necessarily play in Peoria. I think she would beat Schumer, an establishment figure who seems to read all his statements, but even in the state there are plenty of conservative regions between the Bronx and Buffalo. 

On the House floor, the congresswoman condemned Charlie Kirk’s murder, but said:

‘We should be clear about who Charlie Kirk was: a man who believed that the Civil Rights Act that granted Black Americans the right to vote was a mistake, who, after the violent attack on Paul Pelosi, claimed that ‘some amazing patriot’ should bail out his brutal assailant, and accused Jews of controlling ‘not just the colleges — it’s the nonprofits, it’s the movies, it’s Hollywood, it’s all of it.’

She added: ‘His rhetoric and beliefs were ignorant, uneducated and sought to disenfranchise millions of Americans.’ 

So she wouldn’t even vote for a symbolic resolution honoring Kirk, the 31-year-old victim of a targeted assassination. That sort of rhetoric excites her base but isn’t exactly a step toward unity.

Mamdani, who is very likely to become mayor, has a history of socialist rhetoric that he’s trying to soften without retracting it. The inexperienced assemblyman clung to ‘Globalize the Intifada’ — meaning, wipe out Israel — but now says he can see how it’s misinterpreted and won’t encourage its use. He insists that as mayor he would have Bibi Netanyau arrested if he came to the U.N.  

And this isn’t ancient history. In 2022, he wrote on his website: ‘We need to dramatically curtail the power and presence of the N.Y.P.D.,’ cut the force by 1,300 officers through attrition, and cut police overtime and freeze hiring.

Why? ‘A racist police system’ aimed at controlling ‘Black & brown New Yorkers.’

Andrew Cuomo, who has been visiting mosques and churches, has turned much more aggressive, calling Mamdani ‘a man with no beliefs’ and ‘a hypocritical chameleon desperate for attention and adulation.’ But, of course, Cuomo was forced to resign as governor. No one remembers that he pledged to drop out of the race unless he was leading Mamdani by September. 

The democratic socialist has a double-digit lead, which is why Gov. Kathy Hochul endorsed him — she saw the train leaving the station. That prompted a swipe by President Trump, who regularly denounces Mamdani — which might not be helpful in New York City — said he’d have to look closely at federal money going to the Apple.

Trump already intervened in the mayor’s race by dropping an indictment against Mayor Eric Adams, though he failed to lure him out of the race with offers of an administration job.

AOC initially declined the back the long-shot Mamdani, the New York Times reports, but when he got hot she endorsed him as having the best chance to beat Cuomo.

The Republicans would like nothing better than to run against Instagram star AOC and Mayor Mamdani as the face of a hyper-liberal party.

And then there’s Kamala Harris, who’s out peddling her bridge-burning book ‘107 Days,’ starting with a Rachel Maddow sit down. I don’t think she could have beaten Trump in 1,000 days. Harris was a terrible candidate — cautious, risk-averse, hiding from the press for a month, unable to separate from Joe Biden.

I assume she has the self-awareness to realize another run for the White House would damage her further. The book takes shots at Biden (‘reckless’ to run again), Pete Buttigieg (couldn’t pick a gay guy), Josh Shapiro (wanted too much power), and Tim Walz (blew the veep debate). Some have clapped back, often through surrogates (Biden folks calling her a lousy VP).  

To bring things full circle, Harris just endorsed Mamdani. But Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries have not, undoubtedly for fear of being tied to whatever he does.

There are, of course, whole swaths of the country that want nothing to do with socialism or the far left.

Kamala Harris’ book focuses attention on the past just when the Democrats are desperate to turn the page.

A shocking new report has found that Jew-hatred in the U.S. dramatically spiked in August.

The report from the Combat Antisemitism Movement monitored 694 antisemitic global incidents, an average of 22.4 incidents per day. The volume of antisemitism amounts to more than15.7% more incidents worldwide compared with August 2024.

The United States recorded the highest number of antisemitism incidents in August, with 162 incidents. That represented a 13.3% increase from the 143 incidents recorded in July, noted the CAM report.

Some telling examples cited were in Oregon, where swastikas were painted on the Jewish Museum and ‘Death to the IDF [Israel Defense Forces]’ vandalism in St. Louis, where cars were torched. 

CAM stated’ 458 of the 694 incidents (66.3%) recorded in August involved Israel-related antisemitism, reflecting the persistent trend of anti-Zionist rhetoric and attacks directed at Jewish individuals and institutions in the ongoing aftermath of the October 7th massacre.’

Anti-Zionism is defined as the rejection of the Jewish state and translates into efforts to dismantle Israel via the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions campaign (BDS) and comparisons with Hitler movement. The German and Austrian parliaments define BDS as antisemitic campaign that recalls the Nazi boycott campaign of Jewish businesses during the Holocaust.

The clear spike of Israel-related antisemitism in August unfolded in multiple examples, according to CAM. In Utah, a brewer built a ‘Dropkick a Zionist’ cider. In France, a Paris air traffic controller blurted out ‘Free Palestine’ to an El Al flight crew.

 In Germany, a Russian national sought to attack the Israeli embassy in Berlin.

 In Spain, the anti-Israel musician Bob Vylan articulated support for ‘armed resistance’ to oppose ‘Israel’s genocide.’  Israel and the Trump administration deny that Israel is engaged in genocidal activity. Critics argue that pro-Hamas and pro-Palestinian activists are spreading disinformation. 

Hamas’ charter calls for a genocide of Israel and its October 7, 2023 invasion of Israel, causing the murder of over 1,200 people and the kidnapping of more than 250, was Hamas’ attempt to destroy the Jewish state.

Antisemitism on college campuses across the globe continued to proliferate. CAM noted that in August there 19 acts of antisemitism on institutions of higher learning, 14 of which unfolded in the U.S. The Trump administration launched an aggressive crackdown on academic antisemitism, in contrast to former President Joe Biden’s administration, noted observers of the world’s oldest hatred.

The global surge in denial of the Holocaust also continued. Anti-Israel protesters in Sydney held signs declaring ‘Zionists are neo-Nazis’ and ‘Never again means never again for anyone.’

 In Germany, antisemites vandalized a stone column at a Holocaust memorial in Baden-Baden in the state of Baden-Württemberg.

In France, a Lyon Holocaust memorial was vandalized with the words ‘Free Gaza.’ In the U.S., the radical left-wing and pro-Iran regime group CodePink protested outside the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. Fox News Digital has documented the global antisemitic movement on its website titled Antisemitism Exposed.

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa made history at the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday, delivering a speech that marked the first time in nearly six decades a Syrian leader has addressed the world body. His appearance in New York drew thousands of Syrian supporters who gathered outside UN headquarters, celebrating what they described as a new chapter for their war-torn country and urging U.S. President Donald Trump to back Syria’s reintegration into the international community.

The moment carried special weight for Syrians abroad, many of whom fled during the country’s 14-year civil war. They waved flags, carried banners, and chanted calls for peace and reconstruction. For them, the sight of a Syrian president welcomed at the U.N. was both symbolic and deeply personal.

Hamza Mustafa, Syria’s information minister, joined the demonstration and told Fox News Digital it was an emotional day. ‘It’s a historical moment for all the Syrian people — after 14 years of conflict, after revolution, after a lot of sacrifice, now we are here representing the Syrian people,’ he said. ‘We are gathering with the Syrian people to say that we are all serious in our struggle for a united and sovereign Syria.’

Mustafa also thanked the Trump administration for steps to ease sanctions, saying, ‘As a government, we say thank you to Mr. Trump for his courage in lifting sanctions on Syria.’

In his U.N. address, President al-Sharaa called for lifting sanctions, pledging to pursue ‘a new Syria built on unity, sovereignty, and peace with its neighbors.’ He said the conflict had brought ‘untold suffering’ and emphasized that ‘Syrians deserve the right to rebuild their lives, their homes, and their country.’

Syria’s Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management, Raad Saleh, addressed reports of a U.S.-brokered security agreement with Israel, telling Fox News Digital: ‘It’s a political decision, and we are leaving it to our president to take that decision. But Syrians are not looking for any conflict anymore — Syrians are only looking for reconstruction and rebuilding.’

The stakes are high: Israel has carried out dozens of strikes across Syria in recent months, targeting what officials say are Iranian-backed forces, weapons depots and positions near the Israeli border. Israeli officials have framed the operations as both a warning to Syria’s new leadership and a move to protect vulnerable minorities such as the Druze, who have faced attacks and massacres under al-Sharaa’s government.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who will speak at UNGA on Friday, said in a statement that any deal ‘is contingent on securing Israel’s interests,’ including the ‘demilitarization of southwestern Syria and safeguarding the Druze.’

The rally outside the UN was organized by Dr. Hicham Alnachawati, who emphasized that the new Syrian leadership wants peace — including with Israel.

‘This is a historic moment for us as Syrians. We haven’t seen a president give such a speech at the UN in over 57 years,’ Alnachawati said. ‘We are hoping that this message of peace and prosperity will encourage other world leaders, and especially President Trump, to support lifting the remaining sanctions so we can rebuild a new Syria.’

Alnachawati went further, directly linking Syria’s future to regional reconciliation. ‘We sent a message of peace to establish relations with our neighbors, especially Israel,’ he said. ‘Let’s extend the Abraham Accords here — this is an opportunity for the Trump administration to lead a peace process. Israelis are looking for the same thing, and Syrians are ready for peace, reconstruction, and development.’

Al-Sharaa’s past as a wanted terrorist has drawn sharp criticism from Western officials. When asked about it, Alnachawati responded that people can change, citing U.S. General David Petraeus, who has previously suggested Sharaa had the capacity to evolve into a statesman. 

‘I listened to Petraeus, and he said he saw this man as having hope to change,’ Alnachawati said. ‘He wants to unite Syria, achieve peace in the region, and reflect that peace on the whole world. Syrians are ready to reestablish themselves, to live a normal life like any other citizen, and to extend their hands for peace.’

For many Syrians who resettled in the United States, the day was especially poignant. Shadi Martini, CEO of the Multifaith Alliance and a Syrian who fled at the start of the war and personally met President al-Sharaa in Syria a few months ago, told Fox News Digital, ‘It’s probably been 50 or 60 years since a Syrian president came to the U.N., so it’s very historic and emotional for a lot of Syrian Americans to see. President Sharaa was greeted by so many presidents and foreign dignitaries, and hopefully there will also be a meeting with President Trump.’