Pinned
WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump on Jan. 21 announced $500 billion in private sector investment to build artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure in the United States.
OpenAI, Softbank, and Oracle will invest in the infrastructure through their joint venture, Stargate.
Trump described it as the “largest AI infrastructure project by far in history.”
WASHINGTON—Stewart Rhodes, founder of the Oath Keepers, addressed the media outside the D.C. Jail, where defendants are being held over their alleged participation in the Jan. 6, 2021, storming of the Capitol.
He thanked President Donald Trump for commuting his 18-year sentence.
Rhodes was released from a federal prison in Maryland earlier on Tuesday, after Trump announced 14 commutations on Monday, along with clemency to about 1,500 others who were convicted or pleaded guilty to crimes related to the riot.
WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump has rescinded former national security adviser John Bolton’s Secret Service detail; while Bolton maintains he is under threat from Iran.
“Notwithstanding my criticisms of President Biden’s national-security policies, he nonetheless made the decision to extend that protection to me in 2021.”
President Donald Trump said it “sounds likely” the United States will sanction Russia if it does not come to the negotiating table to end its war in Ukraine.
Trump has pledged to broker an end to the war, which began in February 2022.
WASHINGTON—A crowd of supporters has gathered outside the Washington jail to celebrate the impending release of the pardoned Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol breach defendants.
Among them is Chaplain Joshua Macias, who says he was among the first to face jail time over the breach.
“I was thrown in jail in the Philly gulag for asking if every legal vote was counted. And then after J6, they put me in jail again because I was here on J6 as one of the openers and introducing veterans on stage,” Macias told The Epoch Times. The Philadelphia District Attorney's office in 2022 sought to hold Macias in criminal contempt and requested the maximum penalty of five months and 29 days in jail, regarding his alleged meeting with the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys leaders on Jan. 5, 2021. He was not found to be in contempt of court.
WASHINGTON—James Justice said he was at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, when events took a turn for the worse.
“We were peacefully protesting and then chanting, ‘USA!’ Then all of a sudden, there’s rubber bullets flying, and flash bangs, and tear gas, grenades getting shot right into the crowd,” Justice told The Epoch Times as he stood outside the Washington jail, where many of his fellow protesters are awaiting release after being pardoned by President Donald Trump on Monday.
Justice said the U.S. Capitol Police “agitated” the crowd and chaos ensued. He believes undercover federal agents were in the crowd that day.
Trump announced earlier in the day that one of his first actions as the 47th president would be undoing much of the previous administration’s work, targeting former President Joe Biden’s executive orders (EOs) on policies related to COVID-19, immigration, the environment, gender and race, health care, and others.
Actions on COVID-19
Trump rescinded multiple executive orders Biden signed regarding the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including one that created a government-wide response to the pandemic to expand testing and vaccine distribution and another that developed a plan to conduct studies, large-scale trials, and novel therapies to combat the coronavirus.
WASHINGTON—Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) appeared before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Jan. 21 as President Donald Trump’s nominee for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and criticized the multilateral organization over its stances against Israel.
In her opening statement, Stefanik said that the U.S. agenda at Turtle Bay will reflect Trump’s “America First” agenda, which includes standing with the Jewish state.
“As the world faces crisis after crisis, with hostages including Americans still held in Hamas’s captivity, to national security challenges ranging from China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran, it has never been more critical for the United States to lead with strength and moral clarity,” she said.
WASHINGTON—Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) appeared outside the jail in Washington as supporters of the pardoned Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol breach defendants awaited their release.
Speaking with reporters, Boebert said she laments “the time that has been spent locked up unjustly, the amount of time that has been spent in court and on probation and defending oneself against something they shouldn’t have had to defend.”
The congresswoman added that she would be the first to offer the prisoners a tour of the Capitol upon their release.
President Donald Trump’s border czar Tom Homan said Tuesday that U.S. immigration officials have already started carrying out deportations, targeting illegal immigrants who are deemed a threat to public safety.
“ICE teams are out there as of today,” he said, without providing details on where. Homan then made note of leaks to the media about ICE targeting areas in Chicago and suggested that a different plan was initiated.
A coalition of 22 state attorneys general and two cities have filed lawsuits seeking to block President Donald Trump’s executive order denying citizenship to children born in the United States to illegal immigrants and other non-citizens.
President Donald Trump criticized the National Prayer Service upon his return to the White House, stating that the faith leaders involved “could do much better.”
Trump’s comments were made in response to a reporter’s question about what he thought of the sermon.
“What did you think? Did you like it? Did you find it exciting?” Trump asked the reporter in reply.
WASHINGTON—While the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is not a high-profile federal agency, some people are paying close attention to who President-elect Donald Trump chooses to lead it.
“Any Big Tech ally would be a huge problem,” inventor Randy Landreneau told The Epoch Times.
Landreneau’s group, the nonprofit U.S. Inventor, represents small inventors dissatisfied with how recent legislation and court decisions have affected their patents.
WASHINGTON—The newly sworn-in Secretary of State Marco Rubio on his first day at the job pledged to make the agency the “centerpiece” of foreign policy making.
In a speech to department employees, Rubio said he wants the agency to be “relevant.”
From the congressional side, he said he has watched the Department of State “sort of relegated to a secondary role because some other agency can move faster or seems to be bolder or more creative.”
Fagan assumed the duties in June 2022 under the Biden administration. President Donald Trump has named Adm. Kevin Lunday, the vice commandant, to become the Coast Guard’s commandant, and he must be confirmed by the Senate.
The message, released by Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Benjamine Huffman, said that he has relieved Fagan “of her duties as Commandant of the United States Coast Guard,” saying she “served a long and illustrious career, and I thank her for her service to our nation.”
WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump’s decision to pardon most of the Jan. 6 defendants on his first day in office brought excitement and hope to those close to the detained.
The White House announced the pardons shortly after Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20, more than four years after the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol breach and after the pardoned individuals spent years dealing with the legal system. His pardon affected about 1,500 people, and he commuted the sentences of others.
As leaders from various faiths came together for the National Prayer Service on Tuesday, the service at one point struck a political tone when a reverend directly addressed President Donald Trump.
Warning of the threats posed by the nation’s increasingly normalized “culture of contempt,” Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde called on the president to “have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now.”
Budde claimed that there are “gay, lesbian, and transgender children in Democratic, Republican, and independent families, some who fear for their lives.”
The Senate Finance Committee greenlit billionaire financier Scott Bessent’s nomination as President Donald Trump’s U.S. Treasury secretary.
Two Democrat senators—Sens. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) and Mark Warner (D-Va.)—voted in favor with all Republicans.
President Donald Trump’s order removing job protections from federal officials violates federal law, according to a Jan. 20 lawsuit.
President Donald Trump on Monday declared a national emergency over what he called “an invasion” at the U.S.–Mexico border.
“I have determined that the current state of the southern border reveals that the Federal Government has failed in fulfilling this obligation to the States and hereby declare that an invasion is ongoing at the southern border, which requires the Federal Government to take measures to fulfill its obligation to the States,” Trump said in the proclamation.
Speaking at his Senate confirmation hearing on Jan. 21, former Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.), President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), pledged to work with lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle to improve services for veterans.
Collins, who represented Georgia's Ninth Congressional District from 2013 to 2021, said that while he has had political differences with some lawmakers, he believes caring for veterans is an area of strong bipartisan agreement.
“As a former congressman, I know success requires your help and support as well as that of
The former co-chair of the President’s Council on Sport, Fitness, and Nutrition responded to his late-night firing by President Donald Trump on Tuesday by revealing that he handed in his resignation last week.
“My 2 year term was already up,” chef José Andrés wrote in a social media post on X.
Trump announced the dismissal of Andrés, retired Gen. Mark Milley, and two others whom he said were “not aligned” with his agenda in a Truth Social post after midnight.
President Donald Trump on Jan. 20 signed an executive order that directs the U.S. attorney general to help states obtain drugs to carry out executions and seek the death penalty in appropriate cases.
It also specifies that in murders of law enforcement officers, or capital crimes committed by illegal immigrants, the federal government shall pursue jurisdiction and seek the death penalty regardless of other factors.
U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon on Jan. 21 blocked a redacted release of the second volume of former special counsel Jack Smith’s report on President Donald Trump’s classified documents case to four members of Congress.
Cannon sided with an emergency motion brought forward by Trump’s co-defendants, Waltine Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira, to prevent the report from being released until all matters concerning the criminal case were concluded, stating the release “presents a substantial and unacceptable risk of prejudice to the defendants.”
Cannon previously dismissed the case, ruling Smith’s appointment a violation of the appointments clause of the U.S. Constitution, and the indictment against Trump was dismissed after his election victory. However, her ruling was quickly appealed and is still waiting for an appellate decision concerning Nauta and De Oliveira.
Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), President Donald Trump’s nominee to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said the United States's goals at the global agency will align with Trump’s “America First” agenda.
“If confirmed, I will work to ensure that our mission to the United Nations serves the interests of the American people and represents President Trump’s America First peace-through-strength foreign policy,” she said at her nomination hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Jan. 21.
Issues she laid out include hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza, as well as “national security challenges” from Iran, China, North Korea, and Russia.
The outcome of several international crises will depend on decisions made by the Trump administration, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said.
President Donald Trump returned to the White House on Jan. 20 for his second, albeit non-consecutive, four-year term in office.
“A lot depends on the United States,” Lavrov said at a meeting of Russia’s Security Council held only hours before Trump’s inauguration in Washington.
President Donald Trump announced the firing of four high-profile appointees early Tuesday morning, according to a post he made on Truth Social.
“You’re fired!” he wrote at the end of his post.
President Donald Trump ordered the removal of incentives for electric vehicles and promoted market choice for consumers as part of the executive orders issued on his first day in office.
In conjunction with this initiative, the “electric vehicle (EV) mandate” will be eliminated, and “true consumer choice” will be promoted, along with the removal of regulatory barriers to motor vehicle access, according to the order.
President Donald Trump begins his first full day in the Oval Office on Tuesday.
Here’s a rundown of the day’s events as he settles in:
Former Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) was sworn in as the 72nd secretary of state on Jan. 21, one day after President Donald Trump took office. Rubio was confirmed by the Senate on Jan. 20 in a 99–0 vote and is Trump's first official Cabinet member.
He was sworn in by Vice President JD Vance.
Groups sued President Donald Trump and his administration on Jan. 20 over his order ending birthright citizenship for certain individuals born in the United States in the future.
President Donald Trump’s second inauguration has dominated the front pages of the world’s newspapers.
Across the West from London to Sydney and throughout the world, including Vietnam, Iran, and Indonesia, the media splashed on images of the Washington ceremony as their lead story.
Several of the UK’s biggest papers quoted Trump as saying, “The golden age starts now,” while London’s Daily Mirror said, “He’s back … and waging war on everything.”
President Donald Trump on Monday evening suspended U.S. foreign aid for 90 days, pending further review to determine whether those programs align with American interests.
The orders stated that the U.S. government’s foreign policy is “not aligned with American interests and in many cases antithetical to American values.”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has said countries in the European Union intend to adhere to the Paris Climate Agreement, even though President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from it on his first day in office.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, on Tuesday, Von der Leyen said that the agreement "continues to be the best hope for all humanity. So Europe will stay the course, and keep working with all nations that want to protect nature and stop global warming."
During a session at the WEF looking at Europe’s transition to clean energy, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo responded to Trump's decision by saying: “I mean, the world is full of uncertainty after yesterday even more, and maybe tomorrow there might be even more uncertainty. Let’s please, as Europeans within the European Union, not add to the uncertainty by creating ambiguity on our goals.”
President Donald Trump said on Jan. 20—moments after being sworn into office—that he would reinstate former members of the military who refused to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.
“And I will sign an order to stop our warriors from being subjected to radical political theories and social experiments while on duty. It’s going to end immediately.”
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday revoking the security clearances of 51 former U.S. intelligence officials who signed a letter discrediting credible reports about emails found on Hunter Biden’s laptop.
The letter was issued just weeks ahead of the 2020 presidential election in which Hunter Biden’s father, then-candidate former Vice President Joe Biden, was a contender. The signatories said that a news report about emails found on the laptop that Hunter Biden allegedly abandoned at a Delaware repair shop were false and “part of a Russian disinformation campaign.”
President Donald Trump has issued several executive actions aimed at reforming public education in the United States, including one that targets transgender ideology, keeping a promise he made after winning the 2024 election.
“We will get critical race theory and transgender insanity the [expletive] out of our schools, and we’re going to get it out of our schools very fast,” he said during a Dec. 22, 2024, rally in Arizona.
President Donald Trump put more than 1,000 Biden administration appointees on notice with a post-midnight statement early Tuesday.
“Our first day in the White House is not over yet!” the president wrote in a post on Truth Social.
“My Presidential Personnel Office is actively in the process of identifying and removing over a thousand Presidential Appointees from the previous Administration, who are not aligned with our vision to Make America Great Again.”
Within hours of his inauguration, President Donald Trump took action to fulfill his promise to dismantle the diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) agenda of the Biden administration.
The Trump directive orders the director of the Office of Management and Budget, the U.S. Attorney General, and the director of the Office of Personnel Management to terminate “all discriminatory programs, including illegal DEI and ‘diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility’ (DEIA) mandates, policies, programs, preferences, and activities in the federal government, under whatever name they appear.”
Newly inaugurated President Donald Trump signed a detailed executive order late Monday in the Oval Office that’s intended to make it easier to fire poor performers among the managerial ranks of the 2.3 million members of the career federal workforce.
The new EO resurrects and makes multiple amendments to the controversial “Schedule F” EO Trump signed near the end of his first term in the White House. That EO was initiated by his Office of Management and Budget (OMB) director, Russ Vought, but it was issued too late to have any measurable impact on federal workers.
WASHINGTON—On inauguration night, music played as supporters of Jan. 6 defendants stood across from the D.C. Central Detention Facility, where many have been detained. After being sworn in earlier in the day, President Donald Trump issued full pardons to roughly 1,500 defendants and commuted 14 sentences.
Demonstrators were standing across the street from the facility but at one point, moved across the street to the doors of the facility. Police responded by pushing the crowd back steadily until it returned to the park across the street.
Among those gathered was Micki Witthoeft, the mother of Ashli Babbit, who was fatally shot by a Capitol police officer on Jan. 6, 2021. Witthoeft told The Epoch Times that for her, the pardons mean “victory for Ashli.”
President Donald Trump delivered a speech to service members from every branch of the military and their spouses, thanking them for their service and sacrifice, and promising to “win, win, win” against the nation’s adversaries.
The president also vowed to make America stronger by preventing wars from breaking out.
“We will again build the most powerful military the world has ever seen,” Trump said.
President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump held their first dance at the Inaugural Ball in Washington to a slowly crooned rendition of Battle Hymn of the Republic.
The president and first lady were then joined by Vice President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance, followed by members of the United States military, with whom the couples took turns dancing in celebration of the beginning of Trump’s second term in office.
Among the executive actions Trump signed on Monday evening was an order revoking the security clearances for his former national security adviser John Bolton, as well as 49 other former intelligence community officials who signed a letter in 2020 insinuating that reporting on Hunter Biden’s laptop was a Russian disinformation operation.
Trump’s order specifically faults Bolton for publishing a White House memoir following his departure from his administration. The order states Bolton’s memoir was “rife with sensitive information drawn from his time in government.”
In the fall of 2020, as The New York Post began to publish reports on the contents of a laptop Hunter Biden had reportedly abandoned at a computer repair shop, 51 former members of the U.S. intelligence community signed onto a letter stating the laptop story “has all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation.”
Among the nine executive orders President Trump signed at Capital One Arena was one that dissolved 78 executive orders issued by former President Joe Biden with one pen-stroke.
The presidential actions mostly rid federal agencies of diversity, equity, and inclusion policies, but also unplugged two Biden executive orders from January restricting offshore drilling across 625 million acres of U.S. coastal waters.
Trump is expected to issue a separate executive order revising the five-year offshore leasing plan approved under the Biden administration. It schedules just three auctions through 2029 compared to 47 during Trump's first term.
President Trump’s executive order imposing a temporary moratorium on wind energy development in federal coastal waters also includes a provision pulling a federal agency’s approval for a controversial Idaho windmill project.
The moratorium will stand until “a comprehensive assessment and review of federal wind leasing and permitting practices” is completed.
The directive calls for the Bureau of Land Management’s June Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) approval of the proposed Lava Ridge wind project to be suspended until the Department of the Interior conducts “a new, comprehensive analysis of the various interests implicated … and the potential environmental impacts” of the project.
Newly-inaugurated President Donald Trump issued an executive order on Monday withdrawing the United States from the World Health Organization (WHO) and halting U.S. funding to the United Nations body.
It also stated that the WHO failed to “adopt urgently needed reforms” and was unable to demonstrate independence from “the inappropriate political influence” of member states.
President Donald Trump said that he could travel to China this year to meet with the leadership there.
Asked if he would travel to China amid strained diplomatic, economic, and military relations, Trump said that he had an invitation to visit leadership in Beijing.
“Yeah, I could be, I’ve had the invite,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence has voted to move forward with John Ratcliffe’s nomination to be the next director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
The select committee voted 14–3 in a closed hearing on Jan. 20 to recommend that the Senate take a full vote to confirm Ratcliffe.
Ratcliffe could become the second of President Donald Trump’s appointees to be confirmed, following the approval of Marco Rubio for Secretary of State in a 99–0 vote on Jan. 20.
WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump has followed through on his vows to move swiftly in pardoning almost all of those charged in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, demonstrations at the U.S. Capitol—a group he referred to as “J6 hostages.”
After leaving the Capital One Arena late on Jan. 20, he went back to the Oval Office and pardoned roughly 1,500 individuals involved in the breach while commuting sentences of 14 individuals still serving time.
Trump had reiterated his pledges at the Capitol earlier in the day soon after his inauguration.
President Donald Trump reiterated that he remains open to approving a deal to allow TikTok to continue operating in the United States.
He signed an executive order on Monday evening, pausing the enforcement of the divest-or-ban law for 75 days until his administration determines the best solution that “protects national security while avoiding an abrupt shutdown of a communications platform used by millions of Americans.” The enforcement freeze would cover the time between the original deadline of Jan. 19 and the timing of the EO, according to the order.
“I may not do the deal, but I may do the deal. TikTok is worthless, worthless if I don't approve it. It has to close,” Trump told reporters as he signed the EO.
Back in the Oval Office, President Donald Trump issued a full pardon of around 1,500 people and several commutations who are serving time for Jan. 6-related charges.
The order requires the Bureau of Prisons to act immediately on the order, and Trump said he hopes that prisons get going tonight.
Trump also suggested that the six commutations could become full pardons.
The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee voted on Jan. 20 to advance two of President Donald Trump’s cabinet-level nominees, Kristi Noem for Department of Homeland Security (DHS) secretary and Russ Vought for Office of Management and Budget (OMB) director.
The committee advanced Noem’s nomination on a 13-2 vote.
Vought’s nomination advanced through the committee by an 8-7 vote.
President Donald Trump entered the White House as president after leaving his post-inauguration parade in Capital One Arena.
This is the first time he’s entered the White House as president since vacating it in January 2021.
Several more executive orders are awaiting his signature in the Oval Office.
President Donald Trump signed nine executive orders at Capital One Arena in front of his supporters on Monday, marking the first orders of this second term.
Here are the executive orders:
The Senate unanimously approved the nomination of Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) as secretary of state on Jan. 20, making him the first of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet picks to receive the green light on Inauguration Day.
Sen. Jim Risch (R-Idaho), chairman of the committee, said he encourages anyone who wants a clear understanding of U.S. foreign policy to watch Rubio’s testimony.
President Donald Trump said that to “stop the weaponization of law enforcement and our government,” he will immediately sign an executive order directing all federal agencies to preserve and retain all records “pertaining to political persecutions under the last administration.”
Trump said the process will expose “any and all abuses of power,” even though “[former President Joe Biden] pardoned many of these people.”
Moments before leaving office today, Biden signed preemptive pardons for members of the House Jan. 6 Select Committee.
President Donald Trump said during his Capital One Arena speech that he would immediately begin signing a stack of executive orders, including the revoking of 80 executive actions from former President Joe Biden.
“I'm revoking nearly 80 destructive, radical executive actions of the previous administration. They'll all be null and void within about what five minutes,” Trump said, adding that he would also implement “an immediate regulation freeze, which will stop Biden bureaucrats from continuing to regulate.”
Trump said he would fire “most of those bureaucrats” and issue a temporary hiring freeze, including a pause in hiring any new Internal Revenue Service agents. Federal workers will also be required to return to in-person work.
President Donald Trump commented on former President Joe Biden’s decision to pardon his family in the final hours of his term.
“Did you know that Biden, while I was making my speech, pardoned his whole family?” Trump asked his audience at Capital One Arena. “The brother, the whole deal, was pardoned. Can you imagine that while I was making my speech?”
Trump said he wanted to talk about it but was advised not to in the name of unity.
In the opening words of President Donald Trump’s speech at the Capital One Arena, he said he will sign pardons for Jan. 6 defendants as soon as he gets to the Oval Office.
“Now the work begins,” Trump said. “Tonight, I’m going to be signing J6 hostages' pardons to get them out.
“And as soon as I leave, I'm going to the Oval Office, and we'll be signing pardons for a lot of people, a lot of people.”
President Donald Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, took the stage to share the new administration’s four-part approach to the region.
The first point is respect for sovereignty, on which Witkoff said, “Every nation deserves the right to determine its own destiny,” free from external interference.
The second point is building economic prosperity through economic partnerships and investments as “a bridge to stability.”
The Senate Armed Services Committee voted along party lines on Jan. 20 to advance President Donald Trump’s defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth to a full Senate floor vote.
The committee voted 14–13 to advance Hegseth’s nomination.
WASHINGTON—Family members of those being held hostage in Israel went on stage at Capital One Arena after being introduced by Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, who helped broker a deal a few days ago that resulted in at least three hostages being released in exchange for 90 Palestinian prisoners, with hopes of more releases to come in the next few weeks.
They shook hands with President Donald Trump.
The Senate unanimously approved the nomination of Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) as secretary of state on Jan. 20, making him the first of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet picks to receive the green light on Inauguration Day.
Sen. Jim Risch (R-Idaho), chairman of the committee, said he encourages anyone who wants a clear understanding of U.S. foreign policy to watch Rubio’s testimony.
Corey Comperatore was honored once again by President Donald Trump and his supporters on Jan. 20.
First responders from Butler County, Pennsylvania, were present at Trump's indoor inauguration parade in Washington's Capital One Arena, and carried the uniform of their fallen former fire chief.
Comperatore died after being shot during the assassination attempt on Trump at the Butler County rally on July 13, 2024. Comperatore’s uniform was also on display during Trump’s speech at the Republican National Convention.
President Donald Trump took the stage at Capital One Arena in downtown Washington at about 5:30 p.m. ET. He was joined on stage by members of his family as well as appointees to his Cabinet.
An indoor parade is set to take place in the 20,000-seat arena.
Trump is expected to deliver remarks at the arena and sign a number of executive orders. A small desk was placed on the stage in front of the presidential dais.
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) confirmed on Monday that former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy is leaving the department after President Donald Trump last year tapped him to co-lead it with SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
“Vivek Ramaswamy played a critical role in helping us create DOGE,” Anna Kelly, a spokesperson for the department, said in a statement to The Associated Press.
“He intends to run for elected office soon, which requires him to remain outside of DOGE, based on the structure that we announced today,” she said.
WASHINGTON—Executive orders for President Donald Trump to sign are sitting on a desk on stage inside Capital One Arena, where he will be addressing supporters in lieu of the traditional parade down Pennsylvania Ave. from the Capitol to the White House.
Trump is set to sign executive orders related to border security, energy, and the rescission of policies enacted by his predecessor. It is unclear exactly which orders will be signed at the arena.
After spending most of his day at the U.S. Capitol, President Donald Trump is on his way to an indoor parade at Capital One Arena in downtown Washington.
The arena is home to the Washington Capitals National Hockey League and Washington Wizards National Basketball Association teams.
Trump and his motorcade departed the U.S. Capitol at about 4:30 p.m. ET to make the one-and-a-third-mile trip to downtown Washington for an indoor parade.
President Donald Trump participated in his first honors ceremony inside the U.S. Capitol on Monday.
During the brief ceremony, he saluted and inspected the troops from each branch of the armed forces, including the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Space Force.
Music was performed by “The President’s Own” Marine Band and the U.S. Army Old Guard and Fife Drum Corps.
President Donald Trump has signed an executive order withdrawing the United States again from the Paris climate accord.
The order mandates the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations to notify the U.N. secretary-general of the withdrawal.
A portrait of former U.S. Army General and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley was removed from view in the Pentagon within hours of Trump’s inauguration.
Lawmakers from both parties have been highly critical of Milley in the past, particularly following reports in 2020 and 2021 that Milley feared Trump would initiate the use of nuclear weapons. Milley went outside the chain of command and held a back-channel phone call with Chinese military leaders to assuage their fears.
Former President Joe Biden, in his last act as president, included Milley in a series of pardons that included Biden's family members and several former officials.
Kash Patel, President Donald Trump’s nominee for FBI director, vowed not to back down as he prepares for what could be a difficult Senate confirmation process.
Addressing thousands of Trump supporters at Capital One Arena in Washington, Patel promised not to quit in his efforts to “end the two-tier system of justice” in the United States.
Elon Musk jumped on stage in Capital One Arena, exclaiming his excitement for the future and thanking the voters present for making Donald Trump's election victory happen.
“It is thanks to you that the future of civilization is assured,” he said.
The SpaceX founder then asked the crowd, “How awesome it will be to have American astronauts plant the flag on another planet for the first time?”
Foreign leaders from around the world are issuing statements of congratulations to President Donald Trump on Inauguration Day and expressing wishes to foster better ties with the United States.
Allies and adversaries alike have lifted their pens to laud Trump and to comment on the proposed policies that will shape the world over the next four years.
Russian President Vladimir Putin was among the first, commending Trump’s desire to restore diplomatic contact with Moscow.
The White House has issued its first public statement since President Donald Trump was sworn in for a second time, laying out a set of administration priorities as he begins his term.
Topping the list of priorities on the White House website is a set of “Make America Safe Again” actions. The section reiterates Trump’s pledges to strengthen border security by ending “catch-and-release” policies for dealing with illegal border crossings, restarting wall construction, and deploying U.S. military personnel to assist in border security efforts. The White House said Trump also plans to designate cartels as foreign terrorist organizations and use the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to remove their members from the United States.
A second section of the priorities list, titled “Make America Affordable and Energy Dominant Again,” states Trump will reverse the climate policies of former President Joe Biden, and streamline permitting processes for mineral extraction and energy production industries. The White House said Trump will order executive branch agencies to take emergency measures in their powers to reduce the cost of living for Americans, and take other actions to expand consumer choices for vehicles and household appliances.
Multiple lawsuits were filed against the Trump administration regarding the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) as President Donald Trump was sworn into office on Jan. 20.
After his election win in November 2024, Trump announced he would set up DOGE with co-chairs Elon Musk, the owner of social media platform X, and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy.
Trump tapped the two business titans to head DOGE, a nongovernmental task force assigned to find ways to terminate federal workers, cut programs, and slash federal regulations. The three have said they want to cut as much as $2 trillion in government spending.
As part of his first-day executive actions, President Donald Trump signed an order decreeing that U.S. flags be flown at full staff on all future Inauguration Days.
On Dec. 29, 2024, outgoing President Joe Biden ordered that flags be flown at half staff for 30 days as part of a national period of mourning for former President Jimmy Carter. Carter died on Dec. 29, 2024, at the age of 100.
For the Trump inauguration, House Speaker Mike Johnson ordered that the flags at the U.S. Capitol be flown at full staff for the day.
WASHINGTON—Soon after President Donald Trump was inaugurated, his new press officers entered the West Wing of the White House. The new team received a briefing on how to operate the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room where the White House press secretary holds news conferences with journalists.
Trump announced on Nov. 15 that Karoline Leavitt, his former campaign spokesperson, will be his press secretary. Leavitt, 27, is the youngest press secretary in U.S. history.
"Karoline is smart, tough, and has proven to be a highly effective communicator," Trump said in a statement. "I have the utmost confidence she will excel at the podium, and help deliver our message to the American people."
President Donald Trump signed official documents in the president’s room of the White House early Monday afternoon, including formal nominations to 22 Cabinet-level positions and 47 sub-Cabinet level appointments.
He then signed 31 acting-designation appointments to allow his team to effectively take control of the government, to which Vice President JD Vance jested, “that’s important.”
Lastly, Trump signed 15 commission chairman and acting chairman appointments.
In remarks following his inaugural address, President Donald Trump criticized former President Joe Biden's last-minute pardons of political figures and family members.
On Jan. 20, Biden preemptively pardoned members of his family, Dr. Anthony Fauci, retired Gen. Mark Milley, and members of the House committee that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol breach.
Trump called the members of the House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack "political thugs" that are "very, very guilty of very bad crimes."
Speaking at the U.S. Capitol, President Donald Trump hinted at upcoming action on those charged in connection with Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol breach, referring to them as “hostages.”
“I was going to talk about the J6 hostages,” Trump said of his post-inauguration speech. “But you'll be happy because, you know, it's action, not words, that count, and you're going to see a lot of action on the J6 hostages.”
Within minutes of his inauguration, President Donald Trump ended the Biden administration’s CBP One app, which facilitated applications to allow nearly 1 million would-be illegal immigrants to enter the United States and be shielded from deportation.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) posted a notice on its website, stating: “Effective January 20, 2025, the functionalities of CBP One that previously allowed undocumented aliens to submit advance information and schedule appointments at eight southwest border ports of entry is no longer available, and existing appointments have been cancelled.”
The app was able to distribute appointments at a rate of 1,450 people per day and CBP allowed them to enter under humanitarian parole authority.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Jan. 20 congratulated President Donald Trump on becoming the 47th president of the United States and said he looks forward to talks on the Russia–Ukraine war that would lead to lasting peace rather than just a temporary cease-fire.
“We congratulate Donald Trump on entering the office,” Putin said during a meeting of Russia’s Security and Defense Council.
“Moscow is open for dialogue with the United States that will be built on an equal and mutually respectful basis.”
After President Donald Trump's inauguration ceremony at the U.S. Capitol, former President Joe Biden boarded Marine One and departed.
Biden and his wife, former First Lady Jill Biden, were sent off by Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, and Vice President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance.
After the farewell, Trump and Vance are expected to return to the halls of Congress for a signing room ceremony.
Usha Vance wait for former President Joe Biden and Jill Biden to depart from the US Capitol on Jan. 20, 2025. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times
Father Frank Mann concluded the benediction for the presidential inaugurations by calling upon God to remember the American people who voted against President Donald Trump and might view the day as anything but celebratory.
"As we embark on this new chapter, we also seek your comfort, oh God, for those who feel lost or disheartened in this time of transition,” prayed the retired priest of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn, New York. “May Your light shine upon them, reaffirming their belief in a brighter tomorrow.
“May we all strive to lift one another, supporting our fellow citizens with kindness and empathy, recognizing that together we can overcome any adversity.”
WASHINGTON—Donald Trump, inaugurated as the 47th president of the United States, called for a “revolution of common sense” as he began a historic non-consecutive second term.
“I return to the presidency confident and optimistic that we are at the start of a thrilling new era of national success. A tide of change is sweeping the country,” Trump said in his inaugural address.
“My message to Americans today is that it is time for us to once again act with courage, vigor, and the vitality of history’s greatest civilization.”
President Donald Trump vowed to take back the Panama Canal, which he said was “foolishly” given to Panama.
He said the canal was the most expensive U.S. project at the time and thousands of American lives were lost during its construction.
“We have been treated very badly from this foolish gift that should have never been made, and Panama’s promise to us has been broken. The purpose of our deal and the spirit of our treaty has been totally violated,” Trump said.
President Donald Trump vowed to take action this week to reinstate U.S. service members who were discharged from the military for refusing to take the COVID-19 vaccine.
The vaccines came to fruition through Operation Warp Speed, an initiative, begun during Trump’s first term in office, that sought to rapidly develop protections against the virus.
After taking office, President Joe Biden mandated all service members be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, but many troops objected to the mandate over concerns about the short vaccine development cycle or for religious reasons.
President Donald Trump announced a dedication to space exploration, and a promise to put American astronauts on the surface of Mars.
“We will pursue our manifest destiny into the stars, launching American astronauts to plant the stars and stripes on the planet Mars,” he said.
The audience erupted in applause and Elon Musk, founder of SpaceX and major supporter of Mars colonization, gave a thumbs up.
President Donald Trump talked about the parameters under which America’s military success will be judged.
"We will measure our success, not only by the battles we win, but also by the wars that we end, and perhaps most importantly, the wars we never get into," he said.
Trump said his proudest legacy would be that of a peacemaker and unifier.
WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump announces the Gulf of Mexico will be renamed “Gulf of America” and that Alaska's Denali will be renamed back to Mount McKinley.
Ahead of Inauguration Day, Trump said he would look into taking back U.S. control of the Panama Canal. He did not rule out using military force. The United States gave the canal to the country in 1999.
In his inaugural address, President Donald Trump said he will sign an executive order to "stop all government censorship and bring back free speech to America."
In his remarks, given on Jan. 20, Trump said there has been an "unconstitutional" federal effort to restrict free speech.
"Never again will the immense power of the state be weaponized to persecute political opponents, something I know something about," Trump said. "We will restore fair, equal, and impartial justice under the constitutional rule of law."
President Donald Trump said he will kick off his second presidency by signing a series of executive orders to secure the U.S. border.
“With these actions, we will begin the complete restoration of America and the revolution of common sense. It's all about common sense,” he said, noting that his first action will be to declare a national emergency at the southern border.
The announcement prompted a standing ovation among many inside the Capitol and at the nearby Capital One Arena. Notable exceptions included former President Joe Biden, former Vice President Kamala Harris, and other Democrats.
President Donald Trump, in remarks following his swearing-in, reflected on challenges he’s faced over the course of his political career, including an attempt on his life at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July.
“Those who wish to stop our cause have tried to take my freedom and indeed to take my life,” Trump said.
Trump survived the assassination attempt with a grazing wound to his ear, while an attendee at the event, Corey Comperatore, sustained a fatal gunshot wound. Two others were hospitalized.
President Donald Trump stated in his post-inauguration address that the U.S. government is currently confronting a “crisis of trust.”
“For many years, a radical and corrupt establishment has extracted power and wealth from our citizens while the pillars of our society lay broken and, seemingly, in complete disrepair,” he said.
He criticized the previous administration for its involvement in “catastrophic events abroad” and for providing protection to criminals who entered the country illegally, while failing to protect law-abiding American citizens, and failing to provide basic services to those affected by disasters.
Newly inaugurated President Donald Trump began his first speech as president by stating that America’s best days are beginning.
“The golden age of America begins right now,” Trump said inside the Capitol Rotunda.
“From this day forward, our country will flourish and be respected again all over the world. We will be the envy of every nation, and we will not allow ourselves to be taken advantage of any longer.”
President Donald Trump has been sworn in as the 47th President of the United States.
On Jan. 20, in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol, Trump took the oath of office on the Lincoln Bible and a Bible given to him by his mother, Mary Trump. As First Lady Melania Trump held the bibles, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts conducted the swearing in, making Trump the second president in U.S. history to be elected to two nonconsecutive terms in the White House.
Trump is expected to give remarks following the swearing-in ceremony.
Former President Joe Biden’s final act as president was to preemptively pardon several members of his family.
The sweeping pardon covers the president’s brother, James B. Biden; sister-in-law, Sara Jones Biden; sister, Valerie Biden Owens; brother-in-law, John T. Owens; and brother, Francis W. Biden. The pardons were announced minutes before President Donald Trump was sworn in.
“The issuance of these pardons should not be mistaken as an acknowledgment that they engaged in any wrongdoing, nor should acceptance be misconstrued as an admission of guilt for any offense,” Biden said in a statement.
JD Vance has been sworn in as the Vice President of the United States.
Vance’s wife, Usha Vance, held a copy of the Bible for her husband as Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh administered the oath of office.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) opened the 60th Presidential Inauguration, praising the “enduring democracy” of the United States as it nears its 250th anniversary.
“It is the moment when leaders, elevated by the will of the people, promise to be faithful to our Constitution, to cherish and defend it,” Klobuchar said. “It is the moment when they become, as we all should be, the guardians of our country, through war and peace, through adversity and prosperity, we hold this inauguration every four years.”
Highlighting that Jan. 20 is also Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, she called it a reminder to uphold freedoms, liberties, and values enshrined in the Constitution.
President-elect Donald Trump will not impose new tariffs on day one of his new term in office. Instead, he will sign a memorandum directing federal agencies to investigate unfair trade practices by foreign countries and recommend associated trade policies.
The memo singles out China for a review of its compliance with the 2020 Phase One trade deal and includes an assessment of the U.S.–Mexico–Canada Agreement trade pact, which is up for renewal in 2026, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Previously, Trump has repeatedly said he would impose 10 percent additional tariffs on all goods imported from China and 25 percent on those from Canada and Mexico.
President-elect Donald Trump has arrived in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol for his official swearing-in as president of the United States. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts will preside over the oath of office ceremony.
The Rotunda is filled with political and business figures as well as members of the Trump family. Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton are present at the event.
A number of Trump's Cabinet nominees are in the room. Leading technology figures Apple CEO Tim Cook, former Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai are present, too.
Outgoing President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris both made their final posts on social media on Monday ahead of the inauguration ceremony for the 47th president, Donald Trump.
The two posts both featured a portrait of Biden, First Lady Jill Biden, Harris, and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff.
Ending federal diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies and declaring that there are only two sexes were among President-elect Donald Trump’s first actions after he was sworn in as president on Jan. 20, according to incoming White House officials.
The Trump administration will define a female as “a person belonging at conception to the sex that produces the large reproductive cell,” with the large reproductive cell being an egg cell or ovum.
Notably, the definition does not rely on chromosomes—a fact that should clear up confusion regarding intersex individuals, who may have an irregular combination of chromosomes.
President Donald Trump issued 10 executive actions on border security Monday evening, including one declaring a national emergency at the U.S. southern border that will pave the way for military deployment.
After taking the oath of office, Trump described big changes coming to the U.S.–Mexico border.
The executive order would enable the United States to accelerate oil and gas production by encouraging energy exploration and production on federal lands, cutting red tape and regulations, and eliminating the electric vehicle mandate.
The national energy emergency was invoked under the National Emergencies Act, extending Trump’s emergency powers. It orders the heads of federal departments and agencies to find emergency authorities to bolster production and possibly issue emergency fuel waivers to permit the year-round sale of gasoline containing high ethanol volumes.
President-elect Donald Trump and President Joe Biden arrived at the U.S. Capitol just before 11 a.m. ET.
The incoming and outgoing presidents entered the seat of Congress ahead of the official swearing-in ceremony, which will take place in the Capitol Rotunda.
A trio of leading figures in the technology industry joined President-elect Donald Trump at St. John's Episcopal Church, Lafayette Square, on Jan. 20.
On Monday, Apple CEO Tim Cook, TikTok CEO Shou Chew, and Tesla CEO Elon Musk were also present at the service.
Both Chew and Musk have been politically active in the lead-up to the inauguration.
President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden greeted President-elect Donald Trump and his wife, Melania, as they pulled up in front of the White House for tea.
The outgoing first lady was dressed in a deep purple coat and gloves—potentially as a symbol of unity as the nation transitions to a new administration.
Ending birthright citizenship will be one of President-elect Donald Trump’s first moves upon his return to the Oval Office, according to incoming White House officials.
The executive order Trump plans to sign will clarify that the federal government does not recognize birthright citizenship for children born to illegal immigrants, members of Trump’s staff told reporters on a press call.
Other executive actions will include declaring a national emergency at the southern border, deploying the military to help secure the border, reinstating Trump’s previous Remain in Mexico policy, and ordering the resumption of border wall construction.
President-elect Donald Trump has left St. John's Episcopal Church, Lafayette Square, and is heading to Blair House and then the White House.
At the White House, Trump and his wife, soon-to-be-First Lady Melania Trump, are expected to meet with outgoing President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harrisand their spouses, First Lady Jill Biden and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff.
President-elect Donald Trump and his wife, Melania Trump, have arrived at St. John’s Church.
The traditional pre-inauguration service is expected to be brief, lasting around a half hour.
The church holds some significance to Trump’s presidency.
As Vice President-elect JD Vance and his wife, Usha Vance, arrived at St. John’s Episcopal Church, members of President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet team and family were already gathered inside.
Ivanka Trump and Lara Trump were spotted in the pews, along with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Tulsi Gabbard, the president-elect’s respective nominees for Health and Human Services Department secretary and director of national intelligence.
Argentine President Javier Milei was also seated inside.
President-elect Donald Trump and First Lady-elect Melania Trump have left Blair House and are heading to Washington’s historic St. John’s Episcopal Church, where they will attend a morning prayer service.
Vice President-elect JD Vance and his wife, Usha Vance, will also be in attendance.
The service, an Inauguration Day tradition for presidents-elect, was slated to begin at 8:30 a.m.
President-elect Donald Trump will be inaugurated as the 47th president of the United States on Monday in a full day of ceremonies, celebrations, and rituals.
On Jan. 20, the president-elect will become the second person in U.S. history to serve nonconsecutive terms in office. Trump defeated Vice President Kamala Harris in the November 2024 election after President Joe Biden dropped his reelection bid in July.
With cold and windy weather expected in Washington, this Inauguration Day will look different than previous ones, with numerous events moved indoors. Events will begin early in the morning and go late into the night.
President Joe Biden on Jan. 20 issued preemptive pardons to Dr. Anthony Fauci, ret. Gen. Mark Milley, and people who served on the U.S. House of Representatives committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol.
Biden is also issuing preemptive pardons to law enforcement officers who testified to the House panel.
“I believe in the rule of law, and I am optimistic that the strength of our legal institutions will ultimately prevail over politics. But these are exceptional circumstances, and I cannot in good conscience do nothing,” Biden said in a statement, alleging that the individuals for whom he issued the pardons “do not deserve to be the targets of unjustified and politically motivated prosecutions.”
President-elect Donald J. Trump returns to the White House as a seasoned executive intent on ending a decades-long approach to governance in ways that could reshape the presidency and the country well into the future.
Trump plans an about-face from the expansion of domestic programs and regulations and globalist foreign policy of the post-Cold War era. Instead, he’ll govern by an “America First” doctrine focused on border security, deregulation, energy production, and strategic engagement with other nations.
To achieve that, he proposes a further expansion of presidential power and a reduction of the size and authority of the federal bureaucracy.
President-elect Donald Trump will be inaugurated as the country’s 47th president on Jan. 20 in an event that will include welcoming ceremonies from business and global leaders and feature extravagant celebrations from well-known performers.
After weather forecasts predicted temperatures as low as 22 degrees Fahrenheit during the time Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance are set to take the oath of office, the swearing-in ceremony was moved inside the Capitol rotunda. This will be the first time a commander-in-chief has been inaugurated indoors since President Ronald Reagan was sworn in for his second term 40 years ago.
The musical performers include country music stars Carrie Underwood and Lee Greenwood, tenor Christopher Macchio, and the Village People. Among the business moguls planning to attend Trump’s inauguration are Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, and SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
WASHINGTON—President-elect Donald Trump spoke at a rally on Sunday, the eve of Inauguration Day, at the Capital One Arena in downtown Washington.
At the “Make America Great Again” victory rally, Trump offered a preview of the actions he would take upon being sworn in on Jan. 20 as the 47th president of the United States.
“We won,” Trump said, before beginning his speech.
How to Watch
The Epoch Times and its sister media NTD Television will host live coverage of Trump’s inauguration on The Epoch Times website and NTD’s website starting at 9 a.m. ET.When Is It Being Held?
The swearing-in ceremony is slated to begin just before 12 p.m. ET on Monday, Jan. 20, which is Martin Luther King Day, according to the National Park Service.“The terms of the President and the Vice President shall end at noon on the 20th day of January, and the terms of Senators and Representatives at noon on the 3rd day of January, of the years in which such terms would have ended if this article had not been ratified; and the terms of their successors shall then begin,” it reads in full.
After years of applying the progressive environmental, social, and governance (ESG) ideological framework to their corporations, executives appear to now be realizing that these programs could be driving their companies into a legal and financial wall.
The past year has seen a growing list of Fortune 500 companies announcing that they are dropping race- and gender-based programs for their employees and pulling out of global net zero climate clubs.
Companies that have announced they are canceling or dialing back their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs include Meta, Walmart, Ford, McDonald’s, Harley-Davidson, John Deere, Tractor Supply Company, Lowe’s, Molson Coors, Nissan, Toyota, and Stanley Black & Decker.
President-elect Donald Trump said on Jan. 19 that he is asking tech companies to keep social media platform TikTok online and would sign an executive order postponing the federal ban of the social media website in the United States.
Trump’s announcement was made as millions of U.S. users found they could no longer access the TikTok app or platform.
WASHINGTON—President Joe Biden took office amid one of the most sweeping public health crises in the nation’s history, promising to “restore the soul” of the country and bring unity. As his term comes to an end, his presidency has been met with a mix of praise and criticism, leaving behind a divided legacy.
In his inaugural address in 2021, Biden described the moment as a “winter of peril and possibility.” Four years later, in his farewell speech to the nation on Jan. 15, he expressed pride in his administration’s achievements.
“I’ve kept my commitment to be president for all Americans through one of the toughest periods in our nation’s history,” Biden said, reflecting on the successes and challenges of his tenure.