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GOP senators rally behind Hegseth after Signal chat leak, say calls for his firing are ‘hot garbage’

Republican senators are standing behind Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth amid calls for his resignation over the Signal chat leak, telling Fox News Digital that calls for him to be fired are ‘hot garbage.’ 

Trump administration national security officials are facing a barrage of negative media coverage this week after Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg was included in a group chat on Signal, an encrypted messaging app, about a strike against the Houthis in Yemen. Goldberg later went on to publish the messages on Wednesday.

Hegseth has doubled down that no war plans or classified information were shared during the Signal group chat of Trump administration officials about possible strikes on Houthi targets, which was mistakenly shared with a journalist.

Amid Goldberg’s publication of the messages, Democrats have been calling for Hegseth and other officials to resign. 

But GOP senators are defending Hegseth. 

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., told Fox News Digital, ‘Defense Secretary Hegseth helped spearhead the successful strikes we saw against the Houthis to protect shipping lanes and keep Americans safe.’ 

‘That’s good policy — and a win for the Trump administration,’ Hawley said. ‘The Democrats are just trying to change the subject and trash Hegseth because Trump is on a roll.’ 

Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., also defended Hegseth, telling Fox News Digital that he is ‘a decorated war hero who understands the needs of the warfighter.’ 

‘In a matter of weeks, he’s taken bold action alongside President Trump to restore lethality, merit and peace through strength. Recruitment numbers show this administration is inspiring young Americans to serve their country in uniform,’ Mullin said. ‘The Defense Department has achieved great success under Pete’s leadership, and anyone saying otherwise isn’t paying attention.’

And Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, said that the calls for his resignation — especially after the successful strikes — are ‘amusing.’ 

‘In the wake of successful strikes against Houthi terrorists, it’s amusing to see two political camps attack the Secretary of Defense: radical progressives who are angry that he’s getting rid of woke DEI ideology and focusing on lethality, and armchair generals who are mad that he wants to keep America out of unnecessary foreign wars,’ Lee told Fox News Digital. 

And some senators blasted the press, with Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Alabama, saying that the ‘woke media has shown their true colors this week.’ 

‘For the past four years, we had a vegetable President who sat on his hands while the Houthis attacked the U.S. Navy more than 170 times while choking off a major trade route with devastating effects on our economy,’ Tuberville told Fox News Digital. ‘But thanks to the leadership of President Trump, Secretary Hegseth, and the entire national security team, we are protecting our ships and well on our way to restoring full freedom of navigation.’ 

Again, Tuberville said that ‘rather than celebrating the success of this operation, the same left-wing media who largely downplayed the botched Afghanistan withdrawal under Biden that cost 13 Americans their lives is working around the clock to try to get Secretary Hegseth pushed out.’ 

‘I’ve gotten to know Secretary Hegseth well over the past few months. Not only is he a patriot who bravely served two tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, but he is doing a great job as the Secretary of Defense,’ he continued. ‘Under his leadership, the Pentagon is focused once again on lethality, not woke politics. Secretary Hegseth has my 100% support, and any suggestion that he should be fired is hot garbage.’

And Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, doubled down, also saying that Hegseth has proven that ‘he is exactly the right person to cut red tape at the Pentagon, put an end to forever wars abroad and improve morale among our brave warfighters.’ 

Moreno told Fox News Digital that he is ‘proud to stand with him in the face of disgusting attacks from Democrats and their allies in the liberal media.’ 

Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., also came to Hegseth’s defense, saying he is ‘doing a great job, and is doing exactly what the American people elected President Trump to do: prioritize America’s core national interests in foreign policy decisions, strip woke programs and divisive DEI out of our military, and work to return our military’s focus to lethality and preparedness.’ 

And Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., told Fox News Digital that the ‘historic spike in military recruitment is no accident. America is safer. Our adversaries are weaker. And terrorists are dead. With Secretary Hegseth, America is winning.’

‘I’m confident Secretary Hegseth will continue to put our warfighters in the best position and return the Pentagon’s focus to our force’s lethality, providing a credible deterrent against our adversaries,’ Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., told Fox News Digital. ‘I remain steadfastly committed to advancing President Trump’s doctrine of peace through strength, which includes ensuring his national security team has the support needed to enact the President’s agenda.’

Hegseth has defended himself this week, saying, ‘Nobody’s texting war plans.’ 

‘I noticed this morning out came something that doesn’t look like war plans. And as a matter of fact, they even changed the title to attack plans because they know it’s not war plans,’ he explained Wednesday. 

‘There’s no units, no locations, no routes, no flight paths, no sources, no methods, no classified information,’ he added, saying no sensitive information was divulged in the chat. 

Hegseth said he was keeping President Donald Trump’s national security team informed in real time.

‘My job, as I said, on top of that, everybody’s seen it now,’ Hegseth said. The ‘team update is to provide updates in real time — general updates in real time. Keep everybody informed. That’s what I did. That’s my job.’

The fallout comes as Goldberg said he received a request to join the group chat on the encrypted messaging service Signal on March 11 from what appeared to be National Security Advisor Michael Waltz. Goldberg released screenshots of some of the message exchanges he observed.

He reported that officials had been discussing ‘war plans’ but didn’t publish some of the highly sensitive information he saw, including precise information about weapons packages, targets and timing, due to potential threats to national security and military operations.

Earlier in the day, Hegseth scolded Goldberg in a post on X, who he said has never ‘seen a war plan.’

‘So, let’s me get this straight. The Atlantic released the so-called ‘war plans’ and those ‘plans’ include: No names. No targets. No locations. No units. No routes. No sources. No methods. And no classified information,’ he wrote. ‘Those are some really s—– war plans.’

‘This only proves one thing: Jeff Goldberg has never seen a war plan or an ‘attack plan’ (as he now calls it). Not even close,’ he added.

Fox News’ Landon Mion, Louis Casiano and Liz Friden contributed to this report.  

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
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Look out, LSU’s Kim Mulkey sounds confident entering Sweet 16

LSU’s Kim Mulkey brims with confidence. Her point guards allow her to feel that way.
Kim Mulkey went back to drawing board to address point guard position after last year’s NCAA Tournament run ended in Elite Eight.
After rout of Florida State, No. 3 LSU remains longshot by oddsmakers to win national championship.

Kim Mulkey raised her fists, threw back her head, and cackled like a cartoon villain. Her LSU Tigers were cooking Florida State in the NCAA Tournament.

With a blur of buckets, LSU turned a close halftime score into a rout. Mulkey lived it up on the sideline, relishing the scoring barrage.

And the coach who owns four national titles smiled afterward, not just because of LSU’s slick shooting in a 101-71 second-round romp, but because of her point guards’ maestro-like orchestration of the assault that advanced LSU into the Sweet 16 for a third straight season.

Mulkey loved how Shayeann Day-Wilson and Last-Tear Poa distributed the ball and valued possession, while combining for 13 assists and just four turnovers throughout two rounds. Freshman guard Jada Richard played some valuable minutes, too.

Never mind that Day-Wilson and Poa totaled only two points against FSU. Mulkey doesn’t need her point guards to score. She’s got other players for that. Get the ball in their hands.

“You cannot win in any sport without a quarterback,” Mulkey said on ESPN, clapping with each word to emphasize her point, “and I thought ‘Shy’ was outstanding. I thought Poa and ‘Shy’ were outstanding this whole time this weekend. All they gotta do is run the show. I’m not going to ask them to do too much. You’ve got to lead around you, and just run the show.”

Against FSU, Mulkey got what she craves from the pivotal position she herself played as an All-America spitfire at Louisiana Tech.

With more point guard play like this, No. 3 LSU could keep humming into the Final Four – and who knows what comes after that? Few teams could have kept up with LSU on Monday.

Now, on to No. 2 North Carolina State on Friday.

“We don’t play to get to a Sweet 16 at LSU women’s basketball anymore,” Mulkey said.

LSU’s point guards will determine March Madness fate

Point guard performance became the biggest difference between LSU’s 2023 national championship and last season’s journey that ended in the Elite Eight.

The headlines gravitated to Angel Reese two years ago after LSU upset Iowa in the championship, but point guard Alexis Morris’ nine assists in her final college game fueled LSU’s stampede on the Hawkeyes and capped her splendid tournament.

To replace Morris, Mulkey tried to cram a shooting guard-sized peg into a point guard-shaped hole when she tapped ballyhooed Louisville transfer Hailey Van Lith with the assignment.

Van Lith arrived as a volume shooter who’d averaged more turnovers than assists in her final season at Louisville. She joined an LSU team filled with big personalities and pre-existing alpha scorers. Van Lith struggled to find her groove. She never really fit what Mulkey wanted out of the position.

Chalk it up as a rare roster miscalculation by the Hall of Fame coach.

Van Lith made 6 of 30 field goal attempts during last year’s NCAA Tournament. For Van Lith, all’s well that ends well. She transferred to TCU, and she’s rebounded with a career-best season, leading the Horned Frogs to the Sweet 16 in a region opposite from LSU.

Mulkey took another crack at solving LSU’s point guard needs with Day-Wilson, a Miami transfer. This time, she secured a player who specializes in involving others and limiting mistakes. Day-Wilson has more than 400 career assists, and although she’s shooting less than 30% from the field for the season, LSU outscored FSU by 41 points while Day-Wilson was on the court. There’s no higher compliment for a point guard than that.

Can Kim Mulkey’s LSU Tigers recapture 3-seed magic?

Mulkey magnetizes the spotlight. She dresses audaciously, complete with vibrant colors, distinct designs or feathers. She’s a fully loaded pistol of personality. Throughout Mulkey’s years coaching LSU, she and her cast of stars captured and held our attention.

Mulkey and her Tigers flying under the radar sounds contradictory on its surface, and yet, here they are, still a 35-to-1 longshot to win the national championship. Those odds sound like an investment opportunity.  

Never mind LSU’s No. 3 seeding. The Tigers won two years ago as a 3-seed, and they smashed their next opponent, N.C. State, in November.

True, a No. 1 or No. 2 seed has won the women’s tournament 90% of the time since it expanded to 64 teams in 1994, but LSU isn’t a typical No. 3 seed. Three LSU starters contributed on the 2023 national championship team. Elite scorers populate this roster, and all cylinders were all firing against FSU. The point guards ran the show, while the wings and the posts knocked down shots.

‘We weren’t talked about at all when we won it two years ago,” Mulkey said. “So, let’s go see what we can do.”

That’s the sound of a coach brimming with confidence, buoyed by how her point guards are playing.

Blake Toppmeyer is a columnist for the USA TODAY Network. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer. Subscribe to read all of his columns.

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Jake Paul, Logan Paul launch ‘reality’ show, but they aren’t the stars

They fight. They make up.

They laugh. They cry.

They love.

“Paul American,’’ the new reality show starring Jake Paul and Logan Paul, premieres Thursday night on HBO Max. In many ways, the famous brothers and their family will remind you of your own.

Well, perhaps with the exception of Logan Paul apparently smoking weed with his father, Greg, who carries a hunting knife and muses about blowing up Los Angeles.

Or Jake Paul having a romantic anniversary dinner with his girlfriend, only to leave her at the table and loudly relieve himself nearby.

Season 1 of ‘Paul American” is eight episodes, with a new episode available to HBO Max subscribers every Thursday. USA TODAY Sports viewed the first four episodes, and at times found the series endearing, entertaining, funny and dull.

The bottom line: If you’re fans of Jake Paul, the 28-year-old YouTuber-turned-boxer, and Logan Paul, the 29-year-old YouTuber-turned-pro wrestler, their reality show will be mandatory viewing.

If you’re not fans, however, the show probably won’t change your opinion of them. Although some Paul critics might develop an appreciation, if not affection, for the brothers who rocketed to fame via social media.

Their divorced parents add a nice touch to the show. But “Paul American’’ is at its best when the brothers are interacting with their significant others.

Logan is engaged to Nina Agdal, a Danish model who was on the 50th anniversary cover of Sports Illustrated’s Swimsuit Issue in 2014. Jake recently got engaged to Jutta Leerdam, a Dutch speedskater, who clearly adores him but in one scene shows a flash of annoyance as Jake starts hamming it up for the cameras.

 “You’re in your character a lot,’’ Leerdam says. “This is reality, so snap out of it.’’

Trying to discern how much of this show is ‘reality” is part of the challenge.

Prepare for slow start for ‘Paul American’

Episode 1 of ‘Paul American’ is about as entertaining as the Jake Paul-Mike Tyson fight. You might even find yourself briefly rooting for buffering issues.

The episode focuses on the Paul brothers pitching the reality show to Hollywood producers while simultaneously engaged in a fight meant to underscore their sibling rivalry. It’s not convincing.

Logan calls Tyson old during a podcast. Jake angrily accuses Logan of undermining the fight. Hostility spikes as they’re trying to sell a reality show!

Reality or ‘reality?”

Soon enough they reconcile and are pitching the show on a joint phone call and celebrating news that they’ve landed a deal.

It’s some of the least compelling content in the first four episodes. But it’s useful as a means of introducing their parents and their dad’s hunting knife to the TV audience, along with Agdal and Leerdam, who establish themselves as pivotal to the show’s success.

Agdal, for example, has a surprise for Logan. A surprise that should help keep viewers tuned in to episodes 3 and 4, when the series picks up steam.

‘Paul American’ does pack some surprises

Leerdam says Jake’s a romantic. Outrageous? Well, it appears to be undeniably true, despite his relieving himself near the table during their one-year anniversary dinner.

For years, Jake has ranted that his critics don’t know “the real’’ Jake Paul. This is his chance to present that person.

The show takes us behind the scenes during Jake’s preparation for a fight against Mike Perry on July 20. Perhaps there is a piece of the real Jake, engaged in meditation, breathwork and a spiritual ceremony as the fight approaches.

You might not know the ‘real” Jake better than the bombastic YouTuber-turned-boxer, but you’ll probably feel like you know him better.

If there’s a sense of true “reality,’’ it’s Leerdam, who comes across as the most authentic person in the show. Although it’s not entirely clear how much Agdal and Jake’s mother, Pam, approve of her. Perhaps that’ll become clearer as the show progresses and the Pauls wrestle with something that feels real.

“Views and followers and subscribers is a very lethal drug,’’ Jake Paul says at one point. “It’s the YouTuber disease. …

“The cameras are always around.”

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
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LeBron James shared his candid thoughts about ESPN’s Brian Windhorst

‘I see Brian Windhorst on one of these shows not too long ago. The guy who says he’s like my (expletive) best friend,’ James said. ‘These guys … it’s weird.’

In another exchange, the Lakers star referenced previous comments about his early deal with Nike. Windhorst had previously mentioned that LeBron chose the number 23 because he wanted to be the face of the NBA, inspired by Michael Jordan and his partnership with Nike.

However, during the ‘The Pat McAfee Show,’ LeBron clarified that he signed with Nike primarily for the signing bonus, which would allow him to help move his mom out of a difficult living situation. He also expressed a desire to wear Nike gear off the court.

Brian Windhorst and LeBron James history

Brian Windhorst, a seasoned NBA reporter, has been covering the league for several years. He started his career reporting on the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2003 to 2008 and later joined ESPN in 2010. His association with LeBron James dates back to James’ high school days, and he has been following his career closely ever since.

LeBron James-Stephen A. Smith feud

James and ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith have an ongoing feud that started when Smith commented on James’ son, Bronny. He expressed doubts about Bronny’s readiness for the NBA, suggesting that he was only in the position he was in due to his father’s influence. In response to the situation, James referred to the fallout as a ‘Taylor Swift tour run’ for Smith.

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Georgia receiver driving 107 mph before arrest, police say

Georgia football receiver Nitro Tuggle was driving 107 miles per hour when the Athens-Clarke County (Georgia) police pulled him over and arrested him on March 19.

According to a police incident report obtained Wednesday by the Athens Banner-Herald, part of the USA TODAY Network, Tuggle was driving his 2021 Dodge Charger in the inside lane of Georgia State Route 10 Loop outside Athens with other motorists on the road. His girlfriend was also in the car with him.

The report added that Tuggle was going 42 miles over the speed limit and when asked to pull over, Tuggle ‘nearly exited without placing the vehicle in park.’

‘I instructed Tuggle to exit the vehicle, at which point he nearly exited without placing the vehicle in park,’ the report said. ‘Due to his reckless disregard for the safety of others – including himself, his passenger, other motorists, and myself – by operating the vehicle at a speed 42 mph over the limit and exceeding triple-digit speeds, I placed him under arrest.’

He was charged with misdemeanor speeding and reckless driving.

Tuggle was suspended indefinitely from team activities last Friday. According to 247 Sports Composite Rankings, the rising sophomore was the 102nd-ranked prospect in the country in the 2024 recruiting class. He caught three passes for 34 yards last season.

Offensive lineman Marques Easley was also suspended from team activities on Friday. The sophomore from Peoria, Illinois, was arrested for reckless driving and reckless conduct after crashing his Dodge Challenger into a power distribution box in Oconee County on March 17. The incident also damaged other cars.

“Disappointed, obviously, in those two young men in their decision-making process for each one,’ Georgia coach Kirby Smart said Tuesday night. ‘Both of them are younger players that made crucial mistakes.”

The troubling trend of arrests continues for Smart and the Bulldogs. According to the Athens Banner-Herald, since a Jan. 15, 2023, fatal crash that killed offensive lineman Devin Willock and support staffer Chandler LeCroy, 32 Georgia football players or a member of the support staff have been charged for speeding, reckless driving, or racing.

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Tension over upstate New York race helps put Elise Stefanik Trump role in jeopardy

The nomination of Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations appears to be in trouble, a source familiar with the matter told Fox News Digital.

Stefanik is under pressure to take herself out of contention for the role despite appearing poised to sail through Senate confirmation with bipartisan support, CBS News first reported. 

Sources told the outlet that House Republicans’ razor-thin majority is a major factor in the current considerations, but Fox News Digital was also told that internal politics in Stefanik’s home district are at play as well.

New York state’s primary structure and the lack of GOP cohesion over choosing a candidate to run in Stefanik’s place have led to concerns about a future special election there, two sources familiar with Empire State politics said.

Some people are blaming Stefanik herself for not stepping in earlier, with one of the two sources telling Fox News Digital, ‘Elise has been saying [they] need to wait for Trump, and it’s allowed the process to grow out of control.’

But that source also said they ‘don’t think it’s fair’ to fully blame Stefanik, arguing that it was a failure of Republican Party leaders in general for letting the divisions ‘fester.’

‘Nature abhors a vacuum. And you have 15 different county chairs, basically like three different regions of the state, pushing their own person. It’s a really messy, ugly process,’ the source said. ‘When you have a party leader making a decision versus a primary where you can run a race – it’s the kind of thing you have to wrap up quickly.’

The second source, however, said of the situation in New York’s 21st Congressional District, ‘She let that happen.’

The second source said Stefanik ‘didn’t want to lean in on someone,’ which resulted in no one having ‘a clear understanding of what the process is and who has a lane.’

Both sources pointed to concerns about a conservative candidate who is threatening to run in a third-party lane if he fails to win the Republican primary.

Meanwhile, the candidate who was endorsed by the New York Conservative Party ‘never supported Trump,’ the first source said.

It’s not out of the realm of possibility for two right-wing candidates to split their base enough for a Democrat to prevail, though it’s a longshot in Stefanik’s heavily Republican, upstate New York district.

Still, Republicans in Washington can afford few missteps with a thin majority and a candidate in Florida, Randy Fine, being outraised by his Democratic challenger ahead of an April 1 special election for another GOP-favored seat.

New York state special elections are not open primaries. Instead, both the Republican and Democratic candidates are chosen by the district’s 15 county party chairs. 

Meanwhile, Republicans have also been concerned that New York Gov. Kathy Hochul could seek to slow-walk the election, leaving Stefanik’s seat open for as long as possible if she ascended to the Trump administration.

Fox News Digital reached out to a spokesperson for Stefanik for comment but did not immediately hear back.

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Trump admin urged to probe allegations pro-Hamas college groups had ‘prior knowledge’ of Oct 7 attack

A group of Republican lawmakers is asking the Trump administration to open a probe into whether any anti-Israel groups that have been protesting on college campuses had any prior knowledge of Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, terror attack.

It comes after similar claims were lodged in an explosive lawsuit that accused specific anti-Israel groups of having prior knowledge of the surprise attack in southern Israel that left more than 1,000 people dead. The lawsuit was filed by people linked to victims of the attack.

‘US foreign adversaries are engaged in dynamic campaigns to target US students. In the interest of US national security, we should not tolerate any organizations that coordinate with terrorist groups like Hamas on American university campuses or anywhere in our country for that matter,’ read a letter led by Rep. Pat Fallon, R-Texas.

Fallon and four other House Republicans wrote to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Attorney General Pam Bondi on Thursday, praising them for working ‘to remove pro-Hamas agitators from our university campuses.’

‘We are thrilled that the Trump administration has made it a priority to hold these individuals responsible and, in some cases, begin the process of deportation,’ they wrote.

Meanwhile, there have been political clashes over the detention of Mahmoud Khalil, a 29-year-old green card holder and Palestinian activist who was a central figure in Columbia University’s controversial anti-Israel protests.

Khalil was among those named in the lawsuit as allegedly having prior knowledge of Hamas’ attack. His lawyers previously told other outlets that he has no ties to Hamas.

But the Republican lawmakers are raising questions of whether groups that fomented demonstrations there and on other college campuses are more intimately familiar with Hamas’ plans than previously known.

‘With the lawsuit filed this past Monday in the New York Southern District Court against the anti-western activist organizations Within Our Lifetime, Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), and other pro-Hamas agitators, evidence has surfaced that suggests these groups may have had prior knowledge of the barbaric attacks planned for October 7, 2023,’ they wrote.

‘For example, Columbia SJP reactivated its dormant Instagram account just minutes before the attacks began and engaged in pro-Hamas messaging afterwards, even going so far as to issue a statement in support of the massacre.’

Fox News Digital reached out to an attorney for Khalil but did not immediately hear back.

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Chinese tea chain Chagee files for U.S. initial public offering

Chinese tea chain Chagee filed for a U.S. initial public offering on Tuesday, seeking to trade on the Nasdaq using the ticker “CHA.”

The IPO filing comes as the company prepares to open its first U.S. store in the Westfield Century City mall in Los Angeles this spring.

Since its founding in 2017, the company has grown to more than 6,400 teahouses across China, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand, as of Dec. 31, according to a regulatory filing. Roughly 97% of its locations are in China.

Chagee said it generated net income of $344.5 million from revenue of $1.7 billion in 2024.

Founder and CEO Junjie Zhang created the chain to modernize tea drinking after being inspired by the success of international coffee companies, according to a regulatory filing. China is Starbucks’ second-largest market.

Looking ahead, Chagee wants to “serve tea lovers in 100 countries, generate 300,000 employment opportunities worldwide, and deliver 15 billion cups of freshly brewed tea annually,” according to the company’s website.

If Chagee goes public on the Nasdaq, it will join the dwindling number of Chinese companies seeking a U.S. listing. From January 2023 to January 2024, the number of Chinese companies listed on the three largest U.S. exchanges fell 5%, according to the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission.

As relations between the U.S. and Beijing have grown frostier, political scrutiny has dashed some Chinese companies’ hopes of a U.S. IPO. Shein is now planning a London IPO for later this year after lawmakers pushed back on its plans to go public on a U.S. exchange.

U.S. investors might also be wary to invest in another Chinese beverage chain after the example set by Luckin Coffee.

Luckin was founded in 2017 and grew quickly. By 2019, it had outnumbered the number of Starbucks locations in China and gone public on the Nasdaq.

But in 2020, Luckin disclosed that it had inflated its sales, resulting in its delisting from the Nasdaq. The company filed for Chapter 15 bankruptcy. Luckin emerged from bankruptcy by 2022, minus the executives that were responsible for the fraud.

Since then, it has overtaken Starbucks as China’s largest coffee retailer by sales.

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Dollar Tree says it’s winning over higher-income shoppers and may offset tariffs with price hikes

Dollar Tree said Wednesday that it’s gaining market share with higher-income consumers and could raise prices on some products to offset President Donald Trump’s tariffs.

The discount retailer’s CEO, Michael Creedon, said the company is seeing “value-seeking behavior across all income groups.” While Dollar Tree has always relied on lower-income shoppers and gets about 50% of its business from middle-income consumers, sustained inflation has led to “stronger demand from higher-income customers,” Creedon said.

Dollar Tree’s success with higher-income shoppers follows similar gains from Walmart, which has made inroads with the cohort following the prolonged period of high prices.

Trump’s tariffs on certain goods from China, Mexico and Canada — and the potential for broad duties on trading partners around the world — have only added to concerns about stretched household budgets. While Dollar Tree will use tactics like negotiating with suppliers and moving manufacturing to mitigate the effect of the duties, it could also hike the prices of some items, Creedon said.

Dollar Tree has rolled out prices higher than its standard $1.25 products at about 2,900 so-called multi-price stores. Certain products can cost anywhere from $1.50 to $7 at those locations.

The retailer weighed in on higher-income customers and the potential effect of tariffs as it announced its fourth-quarter earnings. Dollar Tree also said it will sell its struggling Family Dollar chain for about $1 billion to a consortium of private-equity investors.

Dollar Tree said its net sales for continuing operations — its namesake brand — totaled $5 billion for the quarter, while same-stores sales climbed 2%. Adjusted earnings per share came in at $2.11 for the period.

It is unclear how the figures compare to Wall Street estimates.

For fiscal 2025, Dollar Tree expects net sales of $18.5 billion to $19.1 billion from continuing operations, with same-store sales growth of 3% to 5%. It anticipates it will post adjusted earnings of $5 to $5.50 per share for the year.

Creedon said the expected hit from the first round of 10% tariffs Trump levied on China in February would have been $15 million to $20 million per month, but the company has mitigated about 90% of that effect.

Additional 10% duties on China imposed this month, along with 25% levies on Mexico and Canada that have only partly taken effect, would hit Dollar Tree by another $20 million per month, Creedon said. The company is working to offset those duties, but did not include them in its financial guidance due to the confusion over which tariffs will take effect and when.

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MLB starting lineups today, probable pitchers for Opening Day

Earning a start on the opening day lineup card etches your name in a team’s lore forever. particularly those pitchers bestowed the honor of taking the mound. While the 2025 campaign officially began in Tokyo last week with two games between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs, 28 of 30 teams are in action Thursday for the stateside opener.

The slate of 14 games begins at 3:05 p.m. in the Bronx with the defending American League champion New York Yankees taking on the Milwaukee Brewers.

Here’s a look at all the probable pitchers and lineups Thursday as they are announced:

Milwaukee Brewers at New York Yankees, 3:05 p.m. ET

Austin Wells (L) C
Aaron Judge (R) RF
Cody Bellinger (L) CF
Paul Goldschmidt (R) 1B
Jazz Chisholm Jr. (L) 2B
Jasson Domínguez (S) LF
Anthony Volpe (R) SS
Ben Rice (L) DH
Oswaldo Cabrera (S) 3B

Baltimore Orioles at Toronto Blue Jays, 3:07 p.m.

Orioles: RHP Zach Eflin

Bo Bichette (R) SS
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (R) 1B
Anthony Santander (S) LF
Andrés Giménez (L) 2B
Alejandro Kirk (R) C
George Springer (R) CF
Will Wagner (L) DH
Ernie Clement (R) 3B
Alan Roden (L) RF

Boston Red Sox at Texas Rangers, 4:05 p.m.

Rangers: RHP Nathan Eovaldi

Philadelphia Phillies at Washington Nationals, 4:05 p.m.

Nationals: LHP MacKenzie Gore

Cleveland Guardians at Kansas City Royals, 4:10 p.m.

Guardians: RHP Tanner Bibee

Royals: LHP Cole Ragans

New York Mets at Houston Astros, 4:10 p.m.

Mets: RHP Clay Holmes

San Francisco Giants at Cincinnati Reds, 4:10 p.m.

Giants: RHP Logan Webb

TJ Friedl (L) CF
Matt McLain (R) 2B
Elly De La Cruz (S) SS
Gavin Lux (L) LF
Jeimer Candelario (S) 3B
Spencer Steer (R) DH
Christian Encarnacion-Strand (R) 1B
Jake Fraley (L) RF
Jose Trevino (R) C

Atlanta Braves at San Diego Padres, 4:10 p.m.

Padres: RHP Michael King

Los Angeles Angels at Chicago White Sox, 4:10 p.m.

Angels: LHP Yusei Kikuchi

White Sox: RHP Sean Burke

Pittsburgh Pirates at Miami Marlins, 4:10 p.m.

Pirates: RHP Paul Skenes

Marlins: RHP Sandy Alcantara

Minnesota Twins at St. Louis Cardinals, 4:15 p.m.

Matt Wallner (L) RF
Carlos Correa (R) SS
Byron Buxton (R) CF
Trevor Larnach (L) DH
Ryan Jeffers (R) C
Ty France (R) 1B
Willi Castro (S) 2B
Jose Miranda (R) 3B
Harrison Bader (R) LF

Lars Nootbaar (L) LF
Willson Contreras (R) 1B
Brendan Donovan (L) 2B
Nolan Arenado (R) 3B
Alec Burleson (L) DH
Iván Herrera (R) C
Jordan Walker (R) RF
Victor Scott II (L) CF
Masyn Winn (R) SS

Detroit Tigers at Los Angeles Dodgers, 7:10 p.m.

Tigers: LHP Tarik Skubal

Dodgers: LHP Blake Snell

Chicago Cubs at Arizona Diamondbacks, 10:10 p.m.

Cubs: LHP Justin Steele

Athletics at Seattle Mariners, 10:10 p.m.

Athletics: RHP Luis Severino

Mariners: RHP Logan Gilbert

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