Upon returning to the Oval Office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order pardoning around 1,500 January 6 defendants and declaring Mexican drug cartels as “terrorists.” He also directed the Attorney General to dismiss approximately 450 related cases. Trump emphasized these individuals as “hostages” and upheld his commitment to support his supporters. Additionally, he found a letter from Biden during a press interaction, promising to read it privately. Trump also enacted various executive orders, including withdrawing from the World Health Organization, halting refugee resettlement, and declaring a national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border while reinstating strict immigration policies.
Donald Trump spent his first session back in the Oval Office signing an executive order pardoning all of the January 6 defendants and declaring dangerous Mexican drug cartels “terrorists,” while I found a letter that Biden wrote to himself.
President Trump said he would pardon about 1,500 defendants and give them six commutations. He also directed the Attorney General to seek dismissal of approximately 450 criminal cases pending against the January 6 defendants.
The pardon fulfills President Trump’s promise to release supporters who tried to help him overturn his election defeat four years ago.
“These are hostages,” he said while signing documents in the Oval Office.
After spending hours celebrating the new administration, President Trump invited the press into the Oval Office for the first time.
President Trump found a letter from Biden on Resolute’s desk, but only after a journalist urged him to look for it.
As he signed a series of executive orders, a reporter asked President Trump if he had received the letter. President Trump said he didn’t know, holding up a letter to the camera and searching his desk drawer.
“Maybe we should all read it together,” Trump said before setting it aside. He said he planned to read it himself before sharing it publicly.
President Donald Trump granted clemency to people charged with participating in the January 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.
President Trump said he would pardon about 1,500 defendants and give them six commutations of their sentences.
The letter’s envelope had “47” underlined in pencil-like handwriting.
He signed his first executive order at Capital One Arena in downtown Washington. Thousands of supporters gathered there to celebrate the inaugural parade, which was moved indoors due to the cold weather.
The president signed several other orders, including overhauling the refugee admissions program to make it more consistent with U.S. principles and interests and declassifying drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. This includes declaring a “national emergency” at the U.S.-Mexico border.
President Trump signs order declaring national emergency at U.S.-Mexico border, supports legal immigration on halting refugee resettlement and ending automatic citizenship for U.S.-born persons Then he said.
He acknowledged that a legal challenge to overturn birthright citizenship, which has been enshrined in the U.S. Constitution since 1868, is imminent.
President Trump called automatic citizenship “absolutely ridiculous” and said he believed there was “sufficient (legal) basis” to change it.
“That’s a big problem,” he joked with reporters as he signed an order declaring a border emergency.
President Trump has said that immigrant workers are needed as an investment to raise tariffs.
President Trump found a letter from Biden on the resolution desk in the Oval Office, but only after a journalist urged him to look for it.
The president has signed several other orders, including an overhaul of the refugee admissions program to bring it more in line with U.S. principles and interests and the designation of drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. This includes declaring a “national emergency” at the U.S.-Mexico border.
“I’m fine with legal immigration. I like it. We need talent,” he said.
President Trump also signed an executive order beginning the process of withdrawing the United States from the World Health Organization.
Even though many scientists fear the move could undo decades of gains in the fight against infectious diseases such as AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis, he This is the second time in the last five years that the country has been ordered to withdraw from the United Nations.
Experts also warn that it could weaken the world’s defenses against dangerous new outbreaks that could lead to pandemics.
President Trump continued to answer questions from reporters in the Oval Office while signing his next executive order.
The president said he could impose 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico starting February 1, but did not give a timeline for the tariffs on China.
President Trump spoke extensively about his tariff plans and love of taxing imports during multiple public remarks today.
He later rescinded protections for transgender troops established by Biden.
“The previous administration has embedded deeply unpopular, inflationary, illegal, and extremist practices in every agency and office of the federal government,” President Trump said in a statement accompanying the executive order, adding that “the previous administration has embedded deeply unpopular, inflationary, illegal, and extremist practices in every agency and office of the federal government.” It rescinded dozens of Biden’s previous orders, including:
The number of transgender soldiers known to be serving may range from about 9,000 to as many as 14,000.
The Department of Defense contacts each unit with questions about the number of transgender soldiers they have, but it is difficult to track transgender soldiers because of differences in how they identify them and confirm whether they have received medical treatment. There is no single database.
As Trump sat down to sign the executive order, he was asked which former president he would turn to for advice.
In response, he said Bill Clinton is a “very interesting politician” and has “great political sense.”
President Trump said that Clinton had been “disrespected” and “not properly utilized.”
Trump was also asked about his friendly conversation with former President Barack Obama during former President Jimmy Carter’s state funeral.
“We were having crazy conversations,” he said.
As Trump sat down to sign the executive order, he was asked which former president he would turn to for advice. In response, he said Bill Clinton is a “very interesting politician” and has “great political sense.” Trump was also asked about his friendly conversation with former President Barack Obama during former President Jimmy Carter’s state funeral.
President Trump also said Elon Musk would not be given a desk in the West Wing.
President Trump spoke about the war between Russia and Ukraine and said he planned to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin soon.
“Russia is going to be in real trouble,” Trump said. “I think he’s destroying Russia.”
President Trump said of Russia’s nearly three-year war with Ukraine, “Most people thought it would be over in a week.” “I think he can end that war.”
President Trump has indicated that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy wants an agreement to end the conflict.
He also said Elon Musk will not be given a desk in the West Wing.
President Trump nominated Musk, CEO of Tesla and X, to head the Department of Government Efficiency.
He also predicted that Greenland would become a U.S. territory, fulfilling Trump’s long-held wish.
“Greenland is a great place. We need it for international security, and I’m sure Denmark will help,” Trump said.
President Trump talks about war between Russia and Ukraine and says he plans to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin soon
President Trump said he believes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy wants a deal to end the conflict.
“I think it costs a lot of money to maintain it,” President Trump said. “The Greenlanders are not happy with Denmark. I think they are happy with us. They can’t keep it that way.
Earlier, President Trump put pen to paper and activated multiple executive actions to make major policy changes, turning a rally at an arena in downtown Washington into a signing ceremony.
President Trump has formally suspended more than 78 executive orders from the Biden administration, imposing a regulatory freeze that prohibits bureaucrats from issuing regulations until the Trump administration takes full control of the government, and a regulatory freeze that prohibits the military and several other key announced a freeze on all federal hiring except in the field.
He also ordered federal employees to return to full-time, in-person work, directed departments and agencies to address the cost-of-living crisis, and announced withdrawal from the Paris climate change agreement.
President Trump also signed an executive order restoring free speech, preventing censorship of free speech, and ending “the weaponization of the government against the political opponents of the previous administration.”
The first orders he signed included the Biden border bill, a regulatory freeze and a federal hiring freeze.
The setup included a small desk, chair and microphone, where President Trump sat and affixed his signature to official actions.
He showed off his signature as he signed his first executive order, before tossing a pen into the crowd.
President Trump signs order declaring national emergency at U.S.-Mexico border, supports legal immigration on halting refugee resettlement and ending automatic citizenship for U.S.-born persons Then he said.
A volunteer with an immigration advocacy group displays the latest message in the CBP One app advising immigrants planning to enter the U.S. to cancel existing reservations.
President Trump announced at an indoor parade that he would sign pardons for “many people” convicted of storming the Capitol, as the crowd cheered wildly.
At the end of the parade at a packed Capitol One Arena in Washington, D.C., President Trump began his speech by saying, “We won, we won, and now the work begins.”
The order is a signed statement of how the president wants the federal government to operate.
It may also include instructions to federal agencies or requests for reports.
Many orders, such as giving federal workers the day after Christmas, could be irresistible.
They can also come up with major policies. For example, President Joe Biden signed an order creating a structure to establish regulations around artificial intelligence.
But executive orders, and the proclamations and political memorandums that dictate their policies, are also used by the president to pursue agendas that cannot be passed by Congress.
New presidents can, and often do, issue orders revoking the orders of their predecessors.
On his first day in office, Trump rescinded 78 orders and actions signed by Biden. Trump’s revocations included a Biden order revoking some of the orders Trump signed during his first term.
As the American Bar Association points out, the order does not require Congressional approval and cannot be directly overturned by lawmakers. Still, Congress could block implementation of the order by cutting off funding or creating other hurdles.