President Donald Trump is off and running on his first full day in office on Tuesday.
Trump kicked off his term with a series of sweeping immigration executive actions, including language that leaves the door open for him to invoke the Insurrection Act at the southern border. State and city officials have been making preparations for the inevitable immigration crackdown.
In Congress — where Republicans control both chambers — leaders are working to figure out how to pass Trump’s full agenda and quickly confirm key Cabinet nominees.
Here are the top headlines today:
Immigration: Acting homeland security secretary Benjamine Huffman announced Tuesday that ICE agents can arrest people at churches and schools, a reversal of previous policy. US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has also been directed to hold migrants in custody and not release them in an attempt to swiftly remove those who aren’t eligible for asylum, a source familiar with the discussions told CNN. Trump’s border czar Tom Homan said Tuesday that undocumented migrants with no criminal records could be arrested in sanctuary cities.
Legal action: The National Treasury Employees Union filed a lawsuit seeking to halt Trump’s executive order that aims to wipe away certain federal workers’ civil service protections. Additionally, two dozen Democratic-led states and cities are suing over Trump’s bid to end birthright citizenship in court, alleging that a Trump executive order signed Monday violates the 14th Amendment.
Reaction to January 6 pardons: Lawmakers on both sides reacted to Trump’s decision to commute the sentences or pardon January 6 insurrectionists — including those who were convicted of assaulting police officers. Trump, himself, defended his move. Some Republican senators dodged questions or seemed to stand by Trump, while others expressed uneasiness or objected to the pardons. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries slammed the Republicans celebrating the decision. The nation’s top police organizations say they are “deeply discouraged” by the pardons.
Trump’s Cabinet: Senate Republicans want to confirm Trump’s top national security nominees this week, Majority Whip John Barrasso said. That includes Pete Hegseth, Kristi Noem and John Ratcliffe. Trump’s nominee to be US ambassador to the United Nations, Rep. Elise Stefanik, had her confirmation hearing on Tuesday. The Senate Judiciary Committee will vote on Pam Bondi, Trump’s pick for attorney general, next Wednesday, it announced. Meantime, Trump has granted temporary security clearances to officials who have not been fully vetted.
New secretary of state: Marco Rubio was sworn in as secretary of state on Tuesday, marking the first of Trump’s Cabinet nominees to take office. In remarks to state department employees, he said the mission of the agency is centered around “the advancement of our national interests.” He also warned there would be changes within department, but that they are not meant to be “punitive.”
Trump’s agenda: The House is planning to try to advance Trump’s agenda in one major bill they hope to pass this spring, Majority Leader Steve Scalise said. But, Senate Majority Leader John Thune would not commit to a one bill strategy and House Speaker Mike Johnson has declined to comment how his chamber would proceed. However, already, House Republicans are introducing bills to try to bolster Trump’s executive orders related to immigration.
Potential tariffs: Trump’s potential 25% tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada could mean higher costs for Americans on things like cars, gas, food and alcohol. Trump said the tariffs may come as soon as February 1. Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday his country will respond “robustly” if Trump follows through with the tariffs. Meantime, Trump’s senior counselor for trade and manufacturing, hinted that the administration may consider strengthening tariffs on aluminum and steel imports.
AI announcement: Trump announced that OpenAI, SoftBank and Oracle are set to partner on a new, $500 billion AI infrastructure “company” called Stargate — a massive private sector investment in artificial intelligence infrastructure in the United States. The leaders of the three companies appeared with the president on Tuesday.
0 Comments