June 2025

Poland has elected Karol Nawrocki, a conservative backed by President Donald Trump, in the country’s presidential runoff election, according to a final vote count issued Monday. 

Nawrocki won 50.89% of the vote, gaining a narrow victory over liberal Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski, who received 49.11%, the Associated Press reported. 

The first round of voting two weeks ago revealed deep divisions in the country along the eastern flank of NATO and the European Union. Nawrocki will succeed Andrzej Duda, a conservative whose second and final term ends on Aug. 6. 

Trzaskowski conceded defeat and congratulated Nawrocki on Monday, thanking all those who voted for him. 

‘I fought for us to build a strong, safe, honest, and empathetic Poland together,’ he wrote on X. ‘I’m sorry I wasn’t able to convince the majority of citizens of my vision for Poland. I’m sorry we didn’t win together.’

U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem last week stumped for Nawrocki at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Warsaw, where she also slammed ‘weak’ European leaders who she argued have allowed mass migration of having ‘destroyed their civilizations.’ Noem praised Poland’s strict border enforcement, warning that ‘socialists’ like Trzaskowski would take such protections away from the Polish people. 

Trump hosted Nawrocki at the White House in early May during the conservative candidate’s campaign. 

Under the Polish constitution, the president serves a five-year term and may be re-elected once. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was among the leaders offering their congratulations to Nawrocki on Monday morning. 

‘Poland, which preserves the strength of its national spirit and its faith in justice, has been and remains a pillar of regional and European security, and a strong voice defending freedom and dignity for every nation,’ Zelenskyy wrote. ‘By reinforcing one another on our continent, we give greater strength to Europe in global competition and bring the achievement of real and lasting peace closer. I look forward to continued fruitful cooperation with Poland and with President Nawrocki personally.’ 

The U.S. has about 10,000 troops stationed in Poland and Noem suggested that military ties could deepen with Nawrocki as president. A common refrain from Nawrocki’s supporters is that he will restore ‘normality,’ as they believe Trump has done. U.S. flags often appeared at Nawrocki’s rallies, and his supporters believed that he offered a better chance for good ties with the Trump administration.

Nawrocki, a 42-year-old amateur boxer and historian, has also echoed some of Trump’s language on Ukraine. He promises to continue Poland’s support for Ukraine but has been critical of Zelenskyy, accusing him of taking advantage of allies. He has accused Ukrainian refugees of taking advantage of Polish generosity, vowing to prioritize Poles for social services such as health care and schooling.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who shares Nawrocki’s national conservative worldview, hailed Nawrocki’s ‘fantastic victory.’

Meanwhile, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen offered measured congratulations, emphasizing continued EU-Poland collaboration rooted in shared democratic values: ‘We are all stronger together in our community of peace, democracy, and values. So let us work to ensure the security and prosperity of our common home.’

Nawrocki’s victory is a comeback for the Law and Justice party, which governed Poland from 2015 to 2023, when it lost power to Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s centrist coalition. 

Duda’s veto power has been one obstacle to the pro-European Union Tusk in fulfilling certain electoral promises, such as loosening restrictions on abortion or passing a civil partnership law for same-sex couples. Some observers in Poland have said the unfulfilled promises could make it more difficult for Tusk to continue his term until the next parliamentary election scheduled for late 2027, particularly if Law and Justice dangles the prospect of future cooperation with conservatives in his coalition.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk’s time as the face of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has come to an end following the expiration of his time as a special government employee. 

Since January, Musk has been heading up DOGE, which was tasked with cutting $2 trillion from the federal government’s budget through efforts to slash spending, government programs and the federal workforce.

But how will the Trump administration look at DOGE now that Musk is gone?

So far, there are no signs that DOGE is being dismantled or that its efforts will be reversed, and former DOGE employees are infiltrating other areas of the Trump administration. Plus, President Donald Trump signaled that Musk could return in some capacity, although he did not dive into specifics. 

‘Elon’s really not leaving,’ Trump said Friday in the Oval Office. ‘He’s going to be back and forth … it’s his baby. And I think he’s going to be doing a lot of things. But Elon’s service to America has been without comparison in modern history.’

DOGE’s efforts to cut waste have led to roughly $175 billion in savings due to asset sales, contract cancellations, fraudulent payment cuts, in addition to other steps to eliminate costs, according to a May 26 update from DOGE’s website. That translates to roughly $1,086.96 in savings per taxpayer, according to the website. 

Meanwhile, Musk signaled that despite his departure as a special employee, DOGE would only continue to pick up steam and that DOGE is now an essential aspect of the federal government. 

‘This is not … the end of DOGE, but really the beginning. My time as a special government appointee necessarily had to end,’ Musk said Friday in the Oval Office. ‘The DOGE team will only grow stronger over time. The DOGE influence will only grow stronger. I liken it to a sort of person of Buddhism. It’s like a way of life, so it is permeating throughout the government. And I’m confident that over time, we’ll see $1 trillion of savings, and a reduction in $1 trillion of waste, fraud reduction.’ 

The White House has said that DOGE leadership following Musk’s departure will continue through members of Trump’s Cabinet. 

‘The DOGE leaders are each and every member of the president’s Cabinet and the president himself, who is wholeheartedly committed to cutting waste, fraud and abuse from our government,’ White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Thursday at a White House press briefing. 

‘The entire Cabinet understands the need to cut government waste, fraud and abuse,’ Leavitt said. ‘And each Cabinet secretary at their respective agencies is committed to that. That’s why they were working hand in hand with Elon Musk. And they’ll continue to work with their respective DOGE employees who have onboarded as political appointees at all of these agencies. So surely the mission of DOGE will continue, and many DOGE employees are now political appointees and employees of our government.’

A senior White House official previously told Fox News Digital that DOGE is now part of the ‘DNA’ of the federal government, and that the agency will continue to function as it has done so far. 

‘The DOGE employees at their respective agency or department will be reporting to and executing the agenda of the president through the leadership of each agency or department head,’ the official said.

Fox News’ Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report. 

The White House on Saturday said it is in Iran’s ‘best interest to accept’ its proposal on a nuclear deal following a report from the International Atomic Energy Agency saying the country is swiftly increasing its stockpile of near weapons-grade enriched uranium. 

‘President Trump has made it clear that Iran can never obtain a nuclear bomb,’ White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement. ‘Special Envoy [Steve] Witkoff has sent a detailed and acceptable proposal to the Iranian regime, and it’s in their best interest to accept it. Out of respect for the ongoing deal, the administration will not comment on details of the proposal to the media.’ 

The IAEA’s report said Iran had increased its stockpile to 900.8 pounds of uranium enriched by up to 60% as of May 17, a nearly 50% increase since the agency’s last report in February, which put the stockpile at 605.8 pounds. 

The report said Iran is ‘the only non-nuclear-weapon state to produce such material,’ which is a ‘serious concern.’

The IAEA added that just 92 pounds of 60% enriched uranium is enough to produce an atomic bomb if it is enriched to 90%. 

Iran maintains that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, but U.S. intelligence agencies say the country has ‘undertaken activities that better position it to produce a nuclear device, if it chooses to do so.’

Iran’s Foreign Ministry and the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran said in a joint statement that the report was based on ‘unreliable and differing information sources,’ claiming that it was biased and unprofessional. 

The statement added, ‘The Islamic Republic of Iran expresses its disappointment about the report, which was prepared by imposing pressure on the agency for political purposes, and expresses its obvious objection about its content.’

On Thursday, Iran Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote on X that he was unsure a U.S.-Iran nuclear deal could be imminently reached.

‘Iran is sincere about a diplomatic solution that will serve the interests of all sides. But getting there requires an agreement that will fully terminate all sanctions and uphold Iran’s nuclear rights — including enrichment,’ he wrote. 

Oman Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi presented the Trump administration’s first formal proposal in Tehran Saturday, which calls for Iran to cease all uranium enrichment and for a regional consortium that includes Iran, Saudi Arabia and other Arab states and the U.S. for producing nuclear power, The New York Times reported, citing people familiar with the document. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office also put out a rare statement on a Saturday about the IAEA’s report, calling it ‘grave.’

‘The agency presents a stark picture that serves as a clear warning sign: Despite countless warnings by the international community, Iran is totally determined to complete its nuclear weapons program,’ Netanyahu’s office said. 

‘The report strongly reinforces what Israel has been saying for years — the purpose of Iran’s nuclear program is not peaceful. This is evident from the alarming scope of Iran’s uranium enrichment activity. Such a level of enrichment exists only in countries actively pursuing nuclear weapons and has no civilian justification whatsoever.

‘The report clearly indicates that Iran remains in non-compliance of its fundamental commitments and obligations under the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and continues to withhold cooperation from IAEA inspectors. The international community must act now to stop Iran.’

President Donald Trump on Saturday warned Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., he would be ‘playing right into the hands of the Democrats’ if he votes against Trump’s ‘Big, Beautiful Bill.’ 

‘If Senator Rand Paul votes against our Great, Big, Beautiful Bill, he is voting for, along with the Radical Left Democrats, a 68% Tax Increase and, perhaps even more importantly, a first time ever default on U.S. Debt,’ Trump wrote on Truth Social Saturday afternoon. 

‘Rand will be playing right into the hands of the Democrats, and the GREAT people of Kentucky will never forgive him! The GROWTH we are experiencing, plus some cost cutting later on, will solve ALL problems. America will be greater than ever before!’

Paul told ‘Fox News Sunday’ last weekend he supports the tax and spending cuts in the bill, which he still slammed as ‘wimpy and anemic, but I still would support the bill, even with wimpy and anemic cuts if they weren’t going to explode the debt. The problem is the math doesn’t add up. They’re going to explode the debt by, the House says, $4 trillion. The Senate’s actually been talking about exploding the debt $5 trillion.’ 

The bill narrowly passed the House May 22 and will soon be voted on in the Senate, where Republicans can only afford to lose three votes. 

Others, like Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., have also expressed concerns about the bill. 

Last weekend, Trump told reporters he was open to changes in the bill.

‘I want the Senate and the senators to make the changes they want,’ he said. ‘It will go back to the House, and we’ll see if we can get them. In some cases, the changes may be something I’d agree with, to be honest.’ 

Along with tax cuts, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act also includes stricter requirements for accessing Medicaid, changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) program and no taxes on overtime or tips. 

Democrats have slammed the Medicaid reform section of the bill, mentioning possible cuts as a driving issue ahead of competitive midterm elections in 2026. 

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO), a nonpartisan analyst for the U.S. Congress, estimates that 8.6 million people in the United States will lose health insurance by 2034 through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act’s Medicaid reform. 

‘The Democrats have been focusing on this specific line of attack that 13.7 million Americans are going to lose their health care, and that’s just blatantly false,’ Rep. Erin Houchin, R-Ind., told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview this week. 

‘Five million of those people are receiving a tax credit under the Affordable Care Act that was passed by the Democrats with a sunset date that was implemented by the Democrats. We’re simply allowing the sunset date to expire as the Democrats originally intended,’ Houchin said. 

CBO estimates that 13.7 million Americans will lose coverage by 2034, which also includes the 5 million Americans who were already about to lose coverage. A number of Democrats have already deployed the figure in campaign messages rejecting Trump’s bill passing in the House.

‘I don’t trust the CBO score, nor should the American people, because it’s been proven again and again to be wildly off,’ added Houchin, who served on three major committees leading budget markup, including the House Rules, Budget and Energy and Commerce committees. 

Fox News’ Deirdre Heavey contributed to this report.