Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk has officially stepped down from his role as head of the Department of Government Efficiency, ending his brief but high-profile stint as a special government employee.Walter Isaacson, author of the biography "Elon Musk," believes the SpaceX and Tesla mogul is leaving deeply "frustrated" by the limits of Washington.Isaacson says Musk's time in government wasn't a strategic move for his businesses but a personal mission to fix what he saw as a failing system."Whether it's him taking over Twitter or dealing with Tesla's crisis or SpaceX, you see that all-in intensity," Isaacson said. "Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesnt. But hes all-in."WHAT'S NEXT FOR DOGE AFTER ELON MUSK'S DEPARTURE? 'ONLY JUST BEGUN'According to Isaacson, that mindset ultimately clashed with the limitations of government."You cant do that in government," he said. "Because he doesnt own the federal government."MUSK OFFICIALLY STEPS DOWN FROM DOGE AFTER WRAPPING WORK STREAMLINING GOVERNMENTMusk's frustration was on display earlier this week when he criticized President Donald Trumps recently House-passed spending bill. During an appearance on "CBS Sunday Morning," Musk argued the bills increased spending worsens the national deficit and "undermines the work the DOGE team is doing."The comments have sparked speculation of a growing divide between Musk and Trump, who had previously aligned in their push to reduce government waste.Isaacson says the criticism wasnt personal but aimed at the broader system."He is frustrated that even the Republicans in the House and the Senate have been captured by Washington interests," he said.DAVID MARCUS: WHAT AMERICA OWES ELON MUSK AFTER DOGEMUSK NOT LEAVING YET, WRAPPING UP WORK ON SCHEDULE ONCE 'INCREDIBLE WORK AT DOGE IS COMPLETE': WHITE HOUSEThe One Big Beautiful Bill Act narrowly passed the House, with all Democrats and two Republicans voting against it. Several senators from both parties have also voiced concern over the bills lack of spending cuts.Despite their policy disagreements, Elon Musk and President Trump held a joint press conference on Friday before Musk returned full-time to his roles atTesla, X, and his other companies.PRESIDENT TRUMP TEASES LAST DAY, BUT NOT REALLY FOR ELON MUSK AT DOGE: OVAL OFFICE PRESSER SET FOR FRIDAYMusks time at DOGE officially ended at the legal 130-day limit for someone with a special government employee designation. In a post on X, Musk echoed Trumps sentiments, thanking the president for the opportunity to serve the country."As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President @realDonaldTrump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending," Musk posted on Wednesday."The @DOGE missionwill only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government."CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed a bill into law Friday limiting cellphone use for all Virginia public elementary, middle and high school students.Youngkin, who built his political career championing parents' rights in education, ceremoniously signed two versions of the bill, HB1961 and SB738, at the Carter G. Woodson Middle School in Hopewell, Virginia. Youngkin said it was a fitting location for a day filled with such "hope.""When we come together elected officials, administrators, teachers, parents and all of you we can move mountains, and we can change something that needs to be changed, and that is to find freedom, freedom from cellphones," said Youngkin, who was flanked by his wife, Virginia first lady Suzanne S. Youngkin; public school students; education advocates; and local politicians."We come together in order to move a mountain," Youngkin said, as he highlighted the negative effect of cellphones in schools on mental illness, conduct in class, academic performance and interpersonal relationships.TEENS SPEND MORE THAN A QUARTER OF THEIR TIME AT SCHOOL ON PHONES, NEW STUDY FINDSThe bill strictly limits the use of phones in classrooms to reduce distractions and disruptions, codifying Youngkin's executive order signed last year "to protect the health and safety of students in Virginias K-12 public schools by issuing guidance on the establishment of cellphone-free education policies and procedures."DC COUNCIL PROPOSES BILL TO BAN CELLPHONES IN DISTRICT'S PUBLIC SCHOOLS"We are building on the foundation laid by Executive Order 33 to make Virginia the national leader in restoring focus, academic excellence in the classroom and restoring health and safety in our schools. This legislation ensures that every school division adopts a full bell-to-bell policy and removes cellphones from classrooms, creating a distraction-free learning environment," Youngkin said as he signed the bill into law.Research indicates using cellphones in the classroom can have a negative effect on students' grades, social skills, emotional development and mental health.In a 2024 Pew Research Center study, more than 70% of high school teachers said cellphones distracting students in the classroom is a major problem."This wasn't just an issue. It's a crisis. And when we have a crisis, we have a unified call for action, and that's what this gathering is all about, this unified call for action," Youngkin said Friday.Hopewell City Public Schools adopted a "pouch system" in its secondary schools at the start of the 2022-2023 school year, which has been used as a case study and potential model for the Virginia Department of Education's cellphone-free education rollout."I want to add my appreciation for Hopewell's leadership because it was your leadership that inspired the executive order that I wrote last summer," Youngkin said.The statewide legislation requires school boards to develop and public schools to enact policies to restrict student cellphone use during the school day. The law includes exceptions for students with individualized education plans, Section 504 plans or health conditions, so cellphones can be used when medically necessary.The law also prohibits schools from suspending, expelling or removing students from class for violating cellphone policies.Florida became the first state to pass a law regulating cellphone use in schools in 2023. More than half of all states now have similar laws in place.

"Grey's Anatomy" star Ellen Pompeo recently revealed how a healthy snack she had with her for a flight was flagged by airport security and led to an incident."I had a bag of sunflower seeds, like organic sunflower seeds from Erewhon, so they were probably the most expensive sunflower seeds money can buy," Pompeo recently told Travel + Leisure.The snack food, which she had in her travel bag during a flight in March, caught the attention of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Pompeo told the magazine, and resulted in her spending an hour in a room with the bomb squad.6 FOODS FLIGHT PASSENGERS SHOULD NEVER ORDER ON A PLANE"They said it was most likely a chemical on the packaging of these super-expensive, fancy, organic, clean sunflower seeds," Pompeo said, adding that she almost missed her flight.The revelation comes after Chloe Gray, a passenger on a flight from New Jersey to California, was stopped by TSA earlier this month for using a whole rotisserie chicken as her carry-on luggage.Gray said she was able to fly after convincing a TSA officer that it was her "designer bag."FLIGHT PASSENGER BRINGS WHOLE ROTISSERIE CHICKEN AS CARRY-ON, CALLING IT HER 'DESIGNER BAG'Although many foods are allowed in carry-on bags, there are a few rules travelers should know when it comes to bringing snacks on a flight.TSA guidelines state that all food must be in containers no larger than 3.4 ounces and should fit inside a quart-sized bag.Most outside solid foods are permitted on flights, while liquid-based foods are typically limited to checked luggage.Examples of approved food allowed in the cabin of a plane are sandwiches, granola bars, hard cheeses, candy, baked goods like muffins or cookies, dry snacks like chips and cereal without milk, meat and fast food like pizza or fried chicken, per the TSA's website.Foods that are not permitted include yogurt, peanut butter, jams and jellies, and soups.CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTERSyrups and gravies are also considered liquid-based foods by the TSA.Breast milk, formula and baby food are permitted as carry-on items when flying, but they must be declared and could be subject to additional screening, according to the agency.Fresh fruits and vegetables are allowed on domestic flights, but international flights could vary depending on the country.Some countries could restrict fruits, vegetables, meats and dairy products.Unopened sodas less than or equal to 3.4 ounces are allowed, according to the TSA website, while open sodas will be confiscated.Alcohol is also not allowed in carry-on luggage.For more Lifestyle articles, visit www.foxnews.com/lifestyle"TSA officers may instruct travelers to separate items from carry-on bags such as foods, powders, and any materials that can clutter bags and obstruct clear images on the X-ray machine," the website states."Travelers are encouraged to organize their carry-on bags and keep them uncluttered to ease the screening process and keep the lines moving."Final decisions on what is permitted on flights is at the discretion of TSA officers.

Algerian boxer Imane Khelif will not be competing as expected in an upcoming World Boxing women's competition until completing a mandatory sex test, the organization announced on Friday."Imane Khelif may not participate in the female category at the Eindhoven Box Cup, 5-10 June 2025 and any World Boxing event until Imane Khelif undergoes genetic sex screening in accordance with World Boxings rules and testing procedures," a letter sent by World Boxing to the Algerian Boxing Federation read.CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COMThe letter also stated that World Boxing decided to adopt mandatory sex tests this month."These new eligibility rules were developed with the express purpose of safeguarding athletes in combat sports, particularly given the physical risks associated with Olympic-style boxing," the letter read.World Boxing added in a statement that the new policies are "designed solely to ensure the health and safety of all participants in World Boxing competitions (including Imane Khelif) and is not deemed to in any way pre-judge the outcome of any testing that will be introduced as part of the new policy on Sex, Age and Weight."The controversial gold medalist was slated to return to the sport at the Eindhoven Box Cup in The Netherlands in June. Now, Khelif will only be able to compete if a polymerase chain reaction genetic test a laboratory technique used to detect specific genetic material is passed.RILEY GAINES CALLS FEMALE BOXER A 'HERO' FOR FORFEITING MATCH AGAINST FIGHTER WITH XY CHROMOSOMES, SLAMS IOCWorld Boxing claims the policy will include an appeals process and support will be offered to any boxers that provide an adverse test result.Khelif, who was the subject of global controversy during the Paris Olympics, was previously disqualified from the International Boxing Association for failing a gender eligibility test. IBA President Umar Kremlev claimed unpublished DNA test results showed Khelif had XY chromosomes, which is the default combination for men. Then, en-route to winning women's gold in Paris, Khelif infamously beat Italy's Angela Carini by forfeit, as Carini cried after the match because of how hard Khelif's punches were.The incident even prompted the backlash of President Donald Trump during his campaign last summer, who spoke out against the International Olympic Committee for allowing Khelif to compete. Former IOC President Thomas Bach defended Khelif's participation, as IOC's gender eligibility policies permitted Khelif's participation.Khelif later filed a lawsuit in France citing "acts of aggravated cyber harassment" over the public response to her participation.Khelif announced intentions to compete in the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics in an interview with ITV in March.Follow Fox News Digitalssports coverage on X, and subscribe tothe Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Speaking with members of the press on Friday afternoon, President Donald Trump floated the possibility of issuing a presidential pardon to disgraced rapper Sean "Diddy" Combs, saying "it's not a popularity contest" and "I would certainly look at the facts" if asked.In a federal indictment unsealed on Sept. 17, Combs was charged with racketeering conspiracy (RICO); sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; and transportation to engage in prostitution. If found guilty, he faces a minimum of 15 years behind bars or a maximum sentence of life in prison.He has maintained his innocence throughout the ongoing trial in which witnesses have testified to alleged rape, sexual assault, severe physical abuse, forced labor and drug trafficking.EX-ASSISTANT'S HARROWING TESTIMONY EXPOSES ALLEGED ABUSE, FORCED LABOR AND DRUG TRAFFICKING BY DIDDY: EXPERTIn response to a question by Fox News reporter Peter Doocy about his previous friendship with Diddy and whether he would consider a pardon of the former rapper, Trump indicated that he would consider "if I think somebody was mistreated."The president said that so far "nobodys asked" for any such pardon, but noted: "I know people are thinking about it. I know that they're thinking about it. I think people have been very close to asking.""First of all, I'd look at what's happening, and I haven't been watching it too closely, although it's certainly getting a lot of coverage," said Trump.USHER, OBAMA NAME-DROPPED IN DIDDY'S TRIAL AS SEX TRAFFICKING CASE HEATS UP"I haven't seen him. I haven't spoken to him in years," he went on, adding that Diddy "used to really like me a lot, but I think when I ran for politics that relationship busted up."Trump said that though he never had a falling out with Diddy per se, after entering politics, he would "read some little bit nasty statements in the paper all of a sudden.""It's different," he went on. "You become a much different person when you run for politics, and you do what's right. I could do other things, and I'm sure he'd like me, and I'm sure other people would like me, but it wouldn't be as good for our country."DIDDY EX-ASSISTANT CAPRICORN CLARK DELIVERS 'MOST EXPLOSIVE' TESTIMONY YET IN RAPPER'S FEDERAL TRIAL: EXPERTCLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP"As we said, our country is doing really well because of what we're doing, so it's not a popularity contest, so I dont know, I would certainly look at the facts. If I think somebody was mistreated. Whether they like me or don't like me, it wouldn't have any impact on me," Trump concluded.

Deputies in California will keep open an investigation into a golf cart accident reportedly involving Denver Broncos legend John Elway but say all witnesses have been interviewed, and nothing indicates foul play was involved.TMZ reported John Elway was driving a golf cart at The Madison Club in La Quinta, California, April 26 when his longtime agent and friend, Jeffrey Sperbeck, 62, fell out and hit his head.The two were leaving a Stagecoach after-party, the outlet reported.A spokesperson for Cal Fire told Fox News Digital Sperbeck sustained "serious injuries" and was transported to a hospital. He was initially listed in critical condition, but he died April 30.CORONER REVEALS JEFF SPERBECK, JOHN ELWAY'S FORMER AGENT, CAUSE OF DEATH FOLLOWING GOLF CART CRASHRiverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco told Fox News Digital the case will remain open until all residents who may have video are contacted, but there's nothing indicating foul play."We determined the case would remain open until we contacted all residents who might have video of the path traveled. All potential witnesses have been interviewed. There is no evidence or statement to indicate this is nothing more than a tragic accident," Bianco said.The Riverside County Sheriff's Office Coroner's Bureau previously ruled Sperbeck's death accidental, saying his death was the result of blunt head trauma, according to a statement obtained by Fox News Digital.The coroner's office said the injury happened when the "passenger fell from" the golf cart.'STRANGE' HANDLING OF JOHN ELWAY GOLF CART INCIDENT CALLED OUT BY EX-PROSECUTOR WHO SAYS MISTAKES WERE MADEIn a statement released after Sperbeck's death, Elway said he was "devastated," according to ESPN."I am absolutely devastated and heartbroken by the passing of my close friend, business partner and agent Jeff Sperbeck," Elway said. "There are no words to truly express the profound sadness I feel with the sudden loss of someone who has meant so much to me."Sperbeck's family also released a statement."We are deeply saddened to share the passing of our beloved Jeff Sperbeck. He was a wonderful father, husband, brother, son and friend to many and will be profoundly missed by all," the Sperbeck family said. "We are grieving this unimaginable loss as a family alongside our dearest friends the Elways and the many other clients Jeff called friends."Sperbeck became Elway's manager in 1990. Among Sperbeck's clients were Pro Football Hall of Famers Ronnie Lott and Jim Plunkett, in addition to hundreds of other NFL players.Fox News' Chantz Martin and Scott Thompson contributed to this report.

CNN's Jake Tapper said during an interview on Wednesday that the many Democratic sources he and Axios reporter Alex Thompson spoke to for their book about the cover-up of former President Biden's decline didn't really express remorse or acknowledgment that a mistake was made."We never got somebody that said, 'We should never have done this. I can't believe we did it. In retrospect, it was a mistake. How arrogant we were.' I mean, even, you know, there was a top aide, a top White House aide, who acknowledged to me that this short 10-15 minute interview I did with Joe Biden in October 2022, he would not have been capable of doing in October 2023. That admission was stunning to me," Tapper said on The Stephen A. Smith Show.He added, "But it did not come with, 'And we really made a mistake, we shouldn't have run him. What an error. I can't believe we did it.' It didn't come with that."Tapper and Thompson's book, "Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again," has detailed the length at which those closest to Biden went to cover up his limitations while in office. The CNN host recently said the scandal may even be "worse than Watergate."AXIOS REPORTER PUSHES BACK ON BIDEN'S DENIAL OF MENTAL DECLINE, SAYING WHITE HOUSE INSIDERS DISAGREETapper said the sources said they thought Biden was the only one who could beat President Donald Trump."So I think that most were telling the truth, as much as they had come to terms with it themselves, but I do wonder where they will be in a year, because I heard from one of the people, one of the Democrats I interviewed for the book, who gave me one of the most shocking revelations, and I checked in, How are you doing, they're upset. But they're not upset at us, not upset at the book, they're just upset that it happened and now everybody is talking about it," he added. "They're still working through a lot."Thompson also discussed one interview he did that occurred before the election for the book, who he described as saying that all the former president had to do was win and "occasionally show proof of life and the people around him would run the country.""And their justification was when you, first of all, you're not bringing back Trump. And when people vote for president, they're also voting for the people around them, and some people in the Biden world, that is how they justified keeping this going," Thompson added.Tapper added that view was "crazy."SHIELDING BIDEN: JOURNALISTS SHED LIGHT ON THE MEDIA'S COVER-UP OF A WEAKENED PRESIDENT"That was somebody who worked for the White House before the election, before Biden dropped out, saying like, it's no big deal, he just needs to show proof of life. That was the term, proof of life.' I mean, that's so offensive," Tapper said.The CNN host also accused the former president, and those around him, of being anti-democratic."And like the idea that Biden thought only he could beat Trump and that he could be president for another four years, both of those are not facts and they both seem odd to me. But the idea that he would deny the Democratic Party an opportunity to have a primary system that would produce, among possible candidates, whether you or Gretchen Whitmer or Josh Shapiro or Gavin Newsom or whoever, that he would deny that to the party, so that this small group of people, including him, and one cabinet secretary said to us that it was, at best, he was a senior member of a board that ran the country. It's anti-democratic, really," he said, speaking to Smith, who has suggested that he was open to a potential bid for the presidency.CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURECLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPTapper has admitted that he didn't cover Biden's decline extensively enough since the book's release and has said he looks back on it with "humility."

President Donald Trump fired the director of the National Portrait Gallery, Kim Sajet, for being a "strong supporter" of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).Trump announced the termination in a post on Truth Social on Friday afternoon."Upon the request and recommendation of many people, I am hereby terminating the employment of Kim Sajet as Director of the National Portrait Gallery," the president wrote. "She is a highly partisan person, and a strong supporter of DEI, which is totally inappropriate for her position. Her replacement will be named shortly. Thank you for your attention to this matter!"A White House official told Fox News Digital that Sajet had donated $3,982 to Democrats, including presidential campaigns for former President Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton. Sajet also reportedly donated to other Democrats, including former Vice President Kamala Harris.DEMS ERUPT AFTER REPORT OF TRUMP FIRING LIBRARIAN OF CONGRESS: A DISGRACEThe White House also pointed to the gallery's photo of Trump, which was curated by Sajet. The caption of the photo reads, "Impeached twice, on charges of abuse of power and incitement of insurrection after supporters attacked the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, he was acquitted by the Senate in both trials. After losing to Joe Biden in 2020, Trump mounted a historic comeback in the 2024 election. He is the only president aside from Grover Cleveland (1837-1908) to have won a nonconsecutive second term."The White House official also said it was ironic that Sajet said, "We try very much not to editorialise. I dont want by reading the label to get a sense of what the curators opinion is about that person. I want someone reading the label to understand that its based on historical fact."The National Portrait Gallery did not immediately respond to Fox News Digitals request for comment on the matter.WHITE HOUSE VOWS TO IMPLEMENT 'SYSTEM OF MERIT' IN US, DISMANTLE DEI 'STRANGULATION'According to the National Portrait Gallery website, Sajet was the first woman to serve as the director of the National Portrait Gallery, and she spent time in the role looking for ways to put her experience and creativity at the center of learning and civic awareness.Prior to taking the position, Sajet was the president and CEO of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, and held other positions at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.Her biography notes that she was born in Nigeria, was raised in Australia and is a citizen of the Netherlands. She came to the U.S. with her family in 1997.DEFUNDING DEI: HERES HOW THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION HAS UNDONE BIDENS VERY PRIZED PROGRAMSHours after taking the Oath of Office on Inauguration Day on Jan. 20, Trump signed an executive order to eliminate all DEI programs from the federal government.A day later, the president directed the Office of Personnel Management to notify heads of agencies and departments to close all DEI offices and place those government workers in those offices on paid leave.Earlier this month, Trump fired Shira Perlmutter, who was in charge of the U.S. Copyright Office, which came just days after terminating the Librarian of Congress, Carla Hayden. The termination was part of the administrations ongoing purge of government officials who are perceived to be opposed to Trump and his agenda.Both women were notified of their termination by email, The Associated Press previously reported.Hayden tapped Perlmutter to lead the Copyright Office in October 2020.Fox News Digital's Brooke Singman and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Loretta Swit, who starred as quick-witted Major Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan in the TV series "M*A*S*H," has died. She was 87.A spokesperson for the actress confirmed to Fox News Digital that Swit passed away on Friday at her home in New York City. The suspected cause of death is natural causes.In her lifetime, Swit was honored with several awards for her acting, including the People's Choice Award, The GenieAward, TheSilver Satellite Award, The Jean Golden Halo Award, the PacificBroadcasters Award, and two EmmyAwards. With 10 Emmy nominations and four nominationsfor the Golden Globe, she most recentlyreceived her third CareerAchievement Award.ALAN ALDA'S PARKINSON'S DISEASE MANAGEMENT HAS BECOME 'ALMOST A FULL-TIME JOB'Swit previously made her Broadway debut in "Same Time, Next Year" opposite Ted Bessell and toured with Susan Hayward and Celeste Holm. She would go on to play the title role of "Mame" in New York and Pennsylvania.Her television career boasts over 25 movies. She appeared in "Games MotherNever Taught You" with Sam Waterston,"Hell Hath No Fury"with BarbaraEden,"The Execution"with Rip Torn,"Dreams of Gold" with CliffRobertson and"A KillerAmong Friends" with Patty Duke. Swit also appeared in "The Muppet Show" with Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy.She starred in "StandUp and Be Counted"with Jacqueline Bisset,"Freebie and the Bean" withJames Caan and AlanArkin,"Race With the Devil" with Peter Fonda,"Beer"opposite Rip Torn,"S.O.B." with Julie Andrews andWilliam Holden,"WhoopsApocalypse"with Peter Cook and Herbert Lom,"Forrest Warrior" withChuckNorris, and"BoardHeads" with Bronson Pinchot.Swit was also known for her passion for animals. She set up the SwitHeartAnimal Alliance to prevent cruelty and endanimal suffering. She also raised awareness of other nonprofit organizations and programs that protected and rescued animals in need, as well as wildlife preservation. She created her critically-acclaimed art book, "SwitHeart," which featured 65 full-color paintings and drawings. It raised money for numerous animal causes. She also launched a fragrance, SwitHeart, where all proceeds go to SwitHeart.Back in 2023, Swit spoke to Fox News Digital about Major Margarets famous nickname."I understand nicknames come with great love and admiration for a character," the star explained at the time. "But it was an insult as far as I was concerned. She wasnt just a piece of anatomy. She was a major in the United States Army, and she should not be disrespected."WATCH: MIKE FARRELL TALKS ABOUT HIS FRIENDSHIP WITH ALAN ALDA"This was a woman who had rank, who worked hard and wanted to be good at her job," Swit shared. "She was an inspiration. I was proud of her. I was proud to represent all the servicewomen out there. I wanted to make a change."Swit said she was also proud ofbeing part of the celebrated sitcom, so much so she was worried the nickname would overshadow the heroic efforts of real-life servicewomen, belittling them to a punchline."I didnt want those women to be disrespected," Swit reflected. "Obviously, people are going to see it differently. Margaret did not see [the nickname] as a compliment. She saw it as disrespect. So, yes, I would say it was never a comfort zone."Looking back, Swit admitted she even approached the writers of the show to phase out "Hot Lips.""I think my perseverance probably became very annoying," she chuckled. "But I felt it was important for the women out there who were supporting our country. I kept telling the writers, Shes so much more than this.""M*A*S*H" was based onthe 1968 novel by Richard Hooker, which led to the 1970 film by the same name. The series, set during the Korean War, aired from 1972 to 1983. The finale was watched in over 60% of U.S. homes.CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTEROver the years, Swit stayed in touch with veterans. Many also flock to her appearances. Those encounters, she said, made her fight to ditch the "Hot Lips" title worth it."I worked for a long time withWorld War II vets and got to know them really well," she explained. "It made you realize how much work we needed to do in this country to support them. So many of them came back to a life that was foreign to them. It took them a long time to grasp the situation. They endured so much and many faced those struggles in silence. It has been the honor of my life to help get their stories out there."It has been a privilege, an honor, to meet so many of these wonderful heroes theyre still my heroes," she explained. "The very fact that a serviceman or woman puts themselves on the front lines and says, I give you my life thats the ultimate sacrifice. And we just dont thank them enough. They give their lives to our country. These are the best friends Ill ever have. And they always deserve our respect."I often quote this wonderful thing that I read," she continued. "Its a statement: What is a veteran? A veteran is someone who at one time in their lives wrote out a blank check made out to the United States of America, giving them the sum of up to and including their life. That says it all to me what exactly our servicemen and women do. How could such a statement not make you emotional? Its a lasting feeling. Its a feeling that will always stay with me."Swit said,hearing the stories of veterans has "enhanced" her life."It gives you such a deep appreciation for our country, for the sacrifices they made, even after they come back home," she said. "It can be difficult to absorb their stories. But they need us. So many of them are misunderstood. And a simple thank-you goes such a long way."LIKE WHAT YOURE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSWhile Swit played an army brat on TV, the role has given her more than fame, she pointed out."It introduced me to the real experiences of our servicemen and women," she said. "And I gained so many friends along the way. These friendships will last forever. And that has truly been a gift."