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Trump DHS repeals key Mayorkas memo limiting ICE agents, orders parole review

EXCLUSIVE: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Monday issued memos to repeal limits on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents imposed by former DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas — and order a review of the use of humanitarian parole to admit migrants. The first memo, a draft of which was reviewed by Fox News, rescinds a 2021 memo by Mayorkas, which provided an expanded list of areas that are “protected areas” where ICE could not engage in immigration enforcement. It said the policy was designed to make sure enforcement did not limit “people’s access to essential services or engagement in essential activities.” Those areas include schools, universities, healthcare facilities, places of worship, “places where children gather,” social service establishments, food banks, religious or civil ceremonies and disaster or emergency response and relief centers. “In our pursuit of justice, including in the execution of our enforcement responsibilities, we impact people’s lives and advance our country’s well-being in the most fundamental ways. As a result, when conducting an enforcement action, ICE and CBP agents and officers must first examine and consider the impact of where actions might possibly take place, their effect on people, and broader societal interests,” Mayorkas said in a statement at the time. ‘NATIONAL EMERGENCY’: TRUMP DECLARES AMBITIOUS ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN IN INAUGURAL ADDRESS The memo issued Monday rescinded that guidance and said that common sense should be used instead. “Going forward, law enforcement officers should continue to use that discretion along with a healthy dose of common sense,” the new memo said. “It is not necessary, however, for the head of the agency to create bright line rules regarding where our immigration laws are permitted to be enforced.” ICE agents who spoke to Fox News said they believe that rescinding the Mayorkas order is going to free them up to go after more illegal immigrants, because illegal immigrants have until now been able to hide near schools and churches and avoid arrest. TRUMP TO DEPLOY MILITARY TO BORDER, END BIDEN PAROLE POLICIES IN FLURRY OF DAY 1 EXECUTIVE ORDERS A separate memo, also reviewed by Fox, focuses on the use of humanitarian parole, which was used broadly by the Biden administration to allow hundreds of thousands of migrants to enter the U.S., including nearly 1.5 million via the CBP One app and parole processes for nationals from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela (CHNV.) The administration also launched parole programs for nationals from Ukraine and Afghanistan. The memo notes that the statute demands the authority be used on a “case by case basis,” something that Republican critics claim the administration has abused. It emphasizes that parole is “a limited use authority, applicable only in a very narrow set of circumstances.” It also claims that “it has been repeatedly abused by the Executive Branch over the past several decades in ways that are blatantly inconsistent with the statute.” CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE “Most important, the parole statute does not authorize categorical parole programs that make aliens presumptively eligible on the basis of some set of broadly applicable criteria,” it says. The memo directs the heads of (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to compile a list of instructions, policies and procedures related to parole, review them, and formulate a plan to phase out any that are not in accord with the statute. They will then provide a report to the DHS secretary, while also pausing, modifying or ending any programs that they believe were not enacted properly, and that they can do in a way that is consistent with statutes, regulations and court orders. The memos came just hours after Trump signed a slew of 10 border-related executive orders, including orders deploying the military to the border, ending Biden’s parole programs and ending birthright citizenship for children of illegal immigrants. The orders also declare a national emergency, and order the resumption of construction of the wall at the southern border. “All illegal entry will immediately be halted,” Trump said moments after being inaugurated. “And we will begin the process of returning millions and millions of criminal aliens back to the places from which they came.”

Medical schools ‘skirting’ SCOTUS ruling rejecting race in admissions: report

FIRST ON FOX: A new report conducted by nonprofit organization Do No Harm (DNH) is sounding the alarm on medical schools allegedly “skirting” a 2023 Supreme Court ruling rejecting the use of race-based factors in admissions.  DNH says it “represents physicians, nurses, medical students, patients, and policymakers” in an effort to keep “identity politics out of medical education, research, and clinical practice.” The organization had previously released a report where they found “many in the healthcare establishment nevertheless remain ideologically committed to the principle of racial favoritism and reject the virtue of race blindness” despite the high court ruling.  DNH states that a previous report also indicated that the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) “and several medical specialty societies and medical schools” “rebuked” the Supreme Court decision shortly after it was handed down through means that included “veiled threats to circumvent the Court’s decision.” ‘DEI PLEDGE’: WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY ISSUES STATEMENT AFTER ASKING EMPLOYMENT PARTNERS TO SIGN COMMITMENT The newly published data, titled “Skirting SCOTUS: How medical schools will continue to practice racially conscious admissions,” used both MCAT data and available admissions data. DNH noted that because AAMC does not publish school-level data, it is not “immediately clear” which medical schools are continuing to implement affirmative action and to what extent. The data also excludes public universities, which were already banned from engaging in such practices.  “Among the thirteen schools that published clear racial/ethnic demographic data for the class of 2027 and 2028, four experienced an increase in the proportion of black or Hispanic students,” the report states.  “Fidelity to SFFA is not only measured by year-to-year demographic changes but is also a function of the degree to which affirmative action informed admissions policies before SFFA,” the report continues. The report states if the penalty assigned to “white and Asian applicants was modest,” the demographic change would be reflected as such and vice versa.  NEARLY HALF OF ALL US COLLEGE STUDENTS REJECT MANDATORY DEI COURSES ON CAMPUS: STUDY The study stated that “outcomes at Quinnipiac, Maryland, Chicago, and Duke stand out as schools where admissions policies are particularly worthy of scrutiny” given that the schools “admit black and Hispanic medical students at a rate that far exceeds their representation in the applicant pool (13% in 2024).” “That fact, in conjunction with the reality that black and Hispanic matriculants to medical schools have significantly lower GPAs and MCAT scores than other matriculants, is a signal that the schools continue to penalize or reward students on the basis of race,” the report states.  “It’s pretty shocking and appalling how flagrantly some of these medical schools are ducking a Supreme Court ban on affirmative action,” Ian Kingsbury, research director at DNH, told Fox News Digital. “You can see it in the data, and then you can tie that data to the statements that the schools themselves are making, where they’re publicly rebuking the Supreme Court and where they’re talking about the importance of diversity in their admissions process.” THESE SIX STATES BANNED OR LIMITED DEI AT COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES IN 2024 “Whether the decision to stop publishing data after SFFA is coincidental, a gesture to disguise improper implementation of SFFA, or an effort to hide the statistical reality associated with proper implementation, is unclear,” the report continued. “Given pressure from the AAMC to continue to racially discriminate, coupled with the reality that many medical schools have been captured by far-left ideologues, these schools – as well as the dozens of others that didn’t publish any data – do not automatically earn a presumption of innocence.” “The sort of sobering reality is that, unfortunately, for the time being, Students for Fair Admissions has not resolved the issue of racial discrimination in higher education,” Kingsbury said. “And there’s more work to be done.” The U.S. Supreme Court rejected the use of race as a factor in college admissions in a 6-3 decision in 2023.  The justices decided two separate legal challenges over just how Harvard University – a private institution – and the University of North Carolina – a public one – decide who fills their classrooms. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Student activist group Students for Fair Admissions brought cases against both universities. The group initially sued Harvard in 2014 for violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which “prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin in any program or activity that receives Federal funds or other Federal financial assistance.” Fox News Digital reached out to AAMC, Quinnipiac University, University of Maryland, University of Chicago, and Duke University for additional comment. AAMC directed Fox News Digital to its most recent data publication on medical school applicants and enrollment in 2024.  “We are encouraged by the increase in first-time applicants to medical school. The AAMC and its member medical schools are committed to continuing our efforts to increase the supply of physicians and to increase the range of backgrounds and experiences in the applicant and matriculant pools that are critical to the future physician workforce. Evidence shows that a more varied workforce can improve access to health care and the health of our communities,” David J. Skorton, MD, AAMC president and CEO, said in the statement. 

Trump nominees Collins, Stefanik to face senate grilling as VA, UN picks; Bessent gets committee vote

Two more of President Trump’s nominees will face questions from senators Tuesday, while a third, Treasury nominee Scott Bessent, will get a committee vote. Former Rep. Doug Collins, an Air Force Reserve chaplain, will testify before the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee as he seeks confirmation to lead the Veterans Affairs Department. And Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., will appear before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee as Trump’s nominee to be the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. The Senate Finance Committee, meanwhile, will convene at 10:15 a.m. and vote on whether to advance Bessent’s nomination to be secretary of the Treasury.  Collins will be the first potential cabinet official to receive a hearing after Trump’s whirlwind of a first day in office. After announcing that a “Golden Age of America” had begun in his inaugural address, the president swiftly took more than 200 executive actions on Monday to see his policy vision come to life. It remains for the Senate to confirm the key officials who will carry out Trump’s orders. MARCO RUBIO CONFIRMED BY SENATE TO BE NEXT SECRETARY OF STATE, BECOMES FIRST TRUMP CABINET PICK TO BE APPROVED Florida Sen. Marco Rubio became the first of Trump’s cabinet picks to receive congressional approval late Monday with a unanimous vote by the Senate. His confirmation was not surprising, as many of his colleagues on both sides of the aisle praised his strong foreign policy background as a longtime member of the Senate Foreign Relations and Intelligence Committees.  Collins is likewise not expected to face a difficult confirmation fight. A former congressman from Georgia and Navy veteran, as VA secretary he would be tasked with overseeing a beleaguered system of healthcare and benefits for the nation’s veterans. Long wait times to see providers, lack of access to community care, inadequate mental health support and budget shortfalls are just a few of many problems that have plagued secretaries past in both Republican and Democratic administrations. A report published by the VA last month showed that there were more than 6,400 suicides among veterans in 2022, fewer than 12 of 14 previous years but slightly more than in 2021. Ending veteran suicide was a top priority for the Biden administration. In November, the VA announced that veteran homelessness had fallen to the lowest number on record under President Biden, although more than 32,000 former service members remained on the streets between Jan. 2023 and Jan. 2024.  Under Trump’s direction, the next VA secretary will likely also be tasked with rooting out diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in the department, as well as ending Biden-era policies that provide abortions and transgender medical procedures. HUNDREDS OF VETERANS TO DESCEND ON DC TO MARCH IN SUPPORT OF PETE HEGSETH’S CONFIRMATION Collins was due to receive a confirmation hearing last week, but an incomplete background check delayed the proceeding. While the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee convenes to question Collins at 10 a.m., the Senate Foreign Relations Committee will meet elsewhere in the Dirksen Senate Office Building to consider Stefanik’s nomination to represent the U.S. at the U.N. Stefanik, the fourth-ranking Republican in the U.S. House, is likely to face questions about her relative lack of foreign policy experience and adamant support for Israel, as well as her views on the war between Russia and Ukraine. In her opening remarks, excerpts of which were obtained by Fox News Digital, Stefanik will say that Trump sees great promise in the U.N. “if it focuses on its founding mission of international peace and security. President Trump has long advocated for peace and no new wars.”  STEFANIK PLANS TO PUSH TRUMP’S ‘AMERICA FIRST’ AGENDA AT UN, MAKE SURE IT ‘SERVES THE INTERESTS’ OF US PEOPLE Stefanik is expected to sail to confirmation in the U.N. role. Sen. John Fetterman, a Democrat from Pennsylvania, has already said he will vote for her – they are both strong Israel supporters. She served on the Intelligence and Armed Services Committees, but she went viral for her work on the other side of the table last year when she questioned university presidents and their policies surrounding pro-Gaza protests during Education Committee hearings. Meanwhile, the Senate Finance Committee will vote on whether to advance the nomination of Bessent, a Wall Street investor and hedge fund manager, to lead the Treasury Department.  During his confirmation hearings, Bessent said the U.S. must extend the 2017 tax cuts Trump signed into law in his first term.  “This is the single most important economic issue of the day,” Bessent told senators. “This is pass-fail. If we do not fix these tax cuts, if we do not renew and extend, then we will be facing an economic calamity, and as always, with financial instability that falls on the middle and working class.” Democrats pressed Bessent on the impact Trump’s tax cuts have had on the federal deficit and whether they disproportionately benefit the rich at the expense of the poor and middle classes. They also asked whether Trump’s proposed tariffs on foreign imports would increase inflation, but Bessent insisted they would not. The Treasury nominee, who hails from South Carolina, emphasized that Trump’s policies would prioritize Main Street over Wall Street. “I believe Wall Street has done great the past few years, and that Main Street has suffered. I think it’s Main Street’s time,” Bessent said.

Trump brings back Diet Coke button to White House Oval Office

The White House has brought back the famous Diet Coke button so that President Trump can order his drink of choice easily from the Oval Office.  The red button, which is hidden in a wooden box and was used by Trump during his first term, was again spotted on the Resolute Desk after he was sworn in as the 47th president Monday, the Wall Street Journal reported.  The Oval Office, where presidents meet with foreign heads of state, congressional leaders and deliver the presidential address, is an area of the White House often personalized to reflect the values and goals of the incoming commander in chief.  PRESIDENT TRUMP DISCOVERS LETTER FROM FORMER PRESIDENT BIDEN IN RESOLUTE DESK “We’re going to be going over to the beautiful Oval Office, one of the great offices in history, even if it wasn’t beautiful, it’s the Oval Office, but it is beautiful, and we love the Oval Office,” Trump said at the Capitol One Arena on Monday following the inauguration ceremony at the Capitol. “Wars start and then there. Everything starts and ends at the Oval Office.”  Trump has a well-known affinity for Diet Coke and has repeatedly shared that he does not drink alcohol given his brother, Fred Trump Jr., died from complications of alcoholism in the early 1980s.  On Monday, the Journal noted that a portrait of George Washington was now hanging over the fireplace in the Oval Office, and portraits of Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson were on each side.  Biden had removed military flags for each service branch from the Oval Office four years ago, and Trump’s team had them reinstated there on Monday.  TRUMP SIGNS DOZENS OF EXECUTIVE ORDERS, FULFILLING MANY BUT NOT ALL CAMPAIGN PROMISES When he was sworn in as president in 2021, Biden had a bust of Winston Churchill removed from the Oval Office. Churchill’s bust was returned on Monday and spotted in the same place it was four years ago on a table near the fireplace.  Trump and Biden both displayed a bust of Martin Luther King Jr. in the Oval Office, and it remained there Monday at the start of Trump’s second term, according to the Journal.  The Oval Office also has new silver eagle figures on the fireplace mantel as of Monday.  Like he had during his first term, Trump again has a portrait of Andrew Jackson in the Oval Office. The one from four years ago was on loan from the U.S. Naval Academy, while the one added on Monday is from the White House art collection, the Journal reported, citing a White House aide. Trump has resonated with Jackson, whose populist, anti-establishment movement landed him in the White House despite critics of the time.  Trump kept Biden’s addition of a Benjamin Franklin portrait, which the Democrat initially chose to represent a focus on science. 

Trump orders US withdrawal from World Health Organization

Newly-inaugurated President Donald Trump signed an executive order calling for the U.S. to withdraw from the World Health Organization (WHO). In 2020, Trump started the ball rolling toward extricating the U.S. from the United Nations agency, but President Joe Biden reversed course after taking office in 2021. “The United States intends to withdraw from the WHO. The Presidential Letter to the Secretary-General of the United Nations signed on January 20, 2021, that retracted the United States’ July 6, 2020, notification of withdrawal is revoked,” Trump’s order declares. TOP 5 INAUGURATION DAY MOMENTS “The Secretary of State shall immediately inform the Secretary-General of the United Nations, any other applicable depositary, and the leadership of the WHO of the withdrawal,” the order instructs. The U.S. Senate voted 99-0 on Monday to confirm Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., to serve as Secretary of State — Rubio voted for himself before resigning from the Senate. Trump’s order calls for the Secretary of State and director of the Office of Management and Budget to “pause the future transfer of any United States Government funds, support, or resources to the WHO;” “recall and reassign United States Government personnel or contractors working in any capacity with the WHO;” as well as “identify credible and transparent United States and international partners to assume necessary activities previously undertaken by the WHO.” TRUMP FAILED TO DELIVER ‘DAY 1’ PROMISE TO GRANT CLEMENCY TO ROSS ULBRICHT, FOUNDER OF SILK ROAD The WHO issued a statement on Tuesday lamenting Trump’s decision, and expressing hope that the U.S. will rethink the move. “The World Health Organization regrets the announcement that the United States of America intends to withdraw from the Organization,” the globalist body noted. “We hope the United States will reconsider and we look forward to engaging in constructive dialogue to maintain the partnership between the USA and WHO, for the benefit of the health and well-being of millions of people around the globe.” Trump signed a flurry of orders after taking office on Monday. One of them declares it U.S. policy “to recognize two sexes, male and female,” which “are not changeable and are grounded in fundamental and incontrovertible reality.” NANCY PELOSI SLAMS TRUMP’S ‘SHAMEFUL’ PARDONS OF JAN 6 DEFENDANTS Trump is only the second president in U.S. history to win election to two non-consecutive terms — the first was Grover Cleveland in the 19th century. Fox News’ Chad Pergram contributed to this report

2 Americans released in exchange for Taliban prisoner

Two Americans have been freed in a prisoner swap between the U.S. and Afghanistan’s Taliban in exchange for a Taliban figure imprisoned for life in California, officials said Tuesday. The family of Ryan Corbett, one American freed by the Taliban in the deal, told Fox News that he is finally on his way back home to the U.S. after being detained for more than two years ago while on a business trip. “Today, our hearts are filled with overwhelming gratitude and praise to God for sustaining Ryan’s life and bringing him back home after what has been the most challenging and uncertain 894 days of our lives,” a statement from Corbett’s family said.  Corbett’s family thanked both President Trump and former President Biden, along with National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and other current and former government officials. WIFE OF AMERICAN HELD HOSTAGE IN AFGHANISTAN REVEALS ‘INCREDIBLY CRUSHING’ CALL WITH BIDEN AFTER TWO-YEAR WAIT Fox News is working to confirm the identity of the second American freed in the deal. Corbett was abducted Aug. 10, 2022, after returning to Afghanistan, where he and his family lived during the collapse of the U.S.-backed government a year prior. He arrived in Afghanistan on a valid 12-month visa to pay and train staff, as part of a business venture he led aimed at promoting Afghanistan’s private sector through consulting services and lending. Corbett’s family also praised the Middle Eastern nation of Qatar, which hosted negotiations between the U.S. and the Taliban over the years, “for their vital role in facilitating Ryan’s release, and for their visits to Ryan as the United States’ Protecting Power in Afghanistan.” WIFE OF DETAINED AMERICAN IN AFGHANISTAN MEETS WITH TRUMP’S NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER The Taliban’s Foreign Ministry in Kabul confirmed the swap, saying two unidentified U.S. citizens had been exchanged for Khan Mohammed, who was sentenced to two terms of life imprisonment in 2008 on drug trafficking and terrorism charges. He was being held in California. Mohammed was detained on the battlefield in Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province. The Justice Department at the time referred to Mohammed as “a violent jihadist and narcotics trafficker” who “sought to kill U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan using rockets.” He was the first person to be convicted on U.S. narco-terrorism laws. The deal comes less than a day after President Trump was sworn in as commander in chief, succeeding former President Biden, who oversaw the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. The Taliban called the exchange the result of “long and fruitful negotiations” with the U.S. and said it was a good example of solving problems through dialogue. “The Islamic Emirate looks positively at the actions of the United States of America that help the normalization and development of relations between the two countries,” it said. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Can Trump really take over the Panama Canal, rename the Gulf of Mexico?

As United States President Donald Trump was sworn in for his second term on Monday, he repeated his wishes to acquire the Panama Canal and rename the Gulf of Mexico in his inaugural speech. Trump has spoken about the canal and the Gulf of Mexico previously. On Monday, he signalled he was serious about moving ahead with both those ideas – and soon. But as powerful as the US president is, can Trump really take over the Panama Canal and rename the Gulf of Mexico? And what would that involve? ‘Manifest Destiny’: What did Trump say during his inauguration? During his inaugural address, Trump voiced dreams of American territorial expansion. While unfurling plans of space exploration, he invoked the 19th-century expansionist doctrine of “Manifest Destiny” which decrees that the US is destined to expand territorially. “We are going to be changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America,” he said, his ambitious tone punctuated with pauses to contain his excitement. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who Trump defeated in the 2016 election to first come to power, burst out laughing in the audience behind him as he finished the sentence. Advertisement Trump lauded former US presidents including Republican William McKinley, who was president from 1897 to 1901. He also acknowledged former President Theodore Roosevelt Jr, the Republican who held office from 1901 to 1909. He issued an executive order for Alaskan Mount Denali to be renamed Mount McKinley after the former president. The mountain’s name was changed from McKinley to Denali by former Democrat President Barack Obama in 2015, reflecting the name that the Indigenous Alaskan people and residents have been using for the mountain. To Roosevelt, he attributed the construction of the Panama Canal, a man-made waterway on the Panama Isthmus, linking the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean. The canal was built mostly by the US between 1904 and 1914, under Roosevelt’s supervision. Trump said the canal had “foolishly been given to the country of Panama” by the US. He added: “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. “Above all, China is operating the Panama Canal. And we didn’t give it to China. We gave it to Panama, and we’re taking it back.” Trump has had a contentious history with Panama. In 2018, Trump had to surrender his name from the Trump International Hotel and Tower in Panama after a dispute with the majority hotel owner. On Monday, Panama President Jose Raul Mulino rejected the claims Trump made in his inaugural address. “On behalf of the Republic of Panama and its people, I must reject in a comprehensive manner the words outlined by President Donald Trump regarding Panama and its canal, in his inaugural speech,” he said in a statement translated by news agencies. “There is no presence of any nation in the world that interferes with our administration.” Advertisement Who owns the Panama Canal? The government of Panama owns the 82km (51 mile) canal. Panama was handed ownership of the canal on December 31, 1999, under a 1977 treaty signed by former US President Jimmy Carter and former Panamanian leader Omar Torrijos. Under the treaty, the US government relinquished control of the canal by the year 2000. The treaty grants the US the authority to maintain and operate the canal. Ships from any country can traverse the canal. The treaty does not have a clause allowing the US to take over ownership of the canal. The treaty decrees that the fees to transit the canal must be “just, reasonable, equitable, and consistent with international law”. “The purpose of our deal and the spirit of our treaty has been totally violated. American ships are being severely overcharged and not treated fairly in any way, shape, or form. And that includes the United States Navy,” Trump said during the inaugural address. In 2023, the Panama Canal was affected by drought conditions in Central America. Traffic traversing through the waterway has reduced by 29 percent in the past fiscal year. Between October 2023 and September 2024, 9,944 vessels traversed the canal, compared with 14,080 in the year prior. Panama President Mulino said that the tariffs which have hiked the fee for the canal “are not set on a whim” in late December 2024, after Trump had first talked about acquiring the canal. China does not own the canal. Although, CK Hutchison, a Hong Kong-based corporation, has run two of the canal’s ports, located on the Caribbean and Pacific entrances, since 1997. In his December statement, Mulino also said that China does not own the Panama Canal, and “every square metre of the Panama Canal and the surrounding area belongs to Panama and will continue belonging [to Panama]”. Advertisement Can Trump take the Panama Canal? An article published by Washington, DC-headquartered think tank Atlantic Council on Monday said one way Trump could “take back” the canal is by increasing US investment in it, and by investing in the businesses that directly and indirectly operate the canal. Trump has not specified how he would go about taking the canal, but he has not ruled out the possible use of military or economic force for territorial expansion. He has also talked about wanting to acquire Greenland and Canada since he has been voted in. The canal accounts for an estimated 2.5 percent of global sea trade and 40 percent of all US container traffic. If Trump takes the Panama Canal, “that would be a breach of the UN Charter, the governing document that has framed international relations since the second world war,” according to Al Jazeera’s James Bays. This is because the canal is part of Panama, a sovereign country. How many people died building the Panama Canal? During his inauguration, Trump said the US “lost 38,000 lives in the building of the Panama Canal”. In an August 2023 interview, Trump told conservative host Tucker Carlson, “So we built a

Video: What Gaza doctors are saying about the ceasefire

[unable to retrieve full-text content] The ceasefire in Gaza has brought respite for doctors after 15 months of relentless work helping casualties of war.

Full speech: Donald Trump’s second inauguration address

In his inaugural address, President Donald Trump promised a “golden age” for the United States, casting himself as a uniter. But for a speech that heralded a bright future, it often echoed the past. Much of Trump’s rhetoric mirrored his words eight years ago, when he was first sworn in as president and spoke about a country with a failing economy and cities torn apart by crime. Trump said he had the mandate to carry out his vision for the country after winning the popular vote in an improbable political comeback that culminated in his taking the oath of office in the very building his supporters stormed four years ago in a failed attempt to overturn his 2020 election loss. “From this moment on, America’s decline is over,” Trump said, speaking in the US Capitol Rotunda. “Our golden age has just begun.” Read his full inauguration speech below: ‘Stronger, greater, and far more exceptional’ Thank you. Thank you very much, everybody. Wow. Thank you very, very much. Vice President Vance, Speaker Johnson, Senator Thune, Chief Justice Roberts, justices of the Supreme Court of the United States, President Clinton, President Bush, President Obama, President Biden, Vice President Harris, and my fellow citizens, the golden age of America begins right now. Advertisement 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. During every single day of the Trump administration, I will, very simply, put America first. Our sovereignty will be reclaimed. Our safety will be restored. The scales of justice will be rebalanced. The vicious, violent, and unfair weaponisation of the Justice Department and our government will end. And our top priority will be to create a nation that is proud, prosperous, and free. America will soon be greater, stronger, and far more exceptional than ever before. Current government ‘refuses to defend Americans’ 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, sunlight is pouring over the entire world, and America has the chance to seize this opportunity like never before. But first, we must be honest about the challenges we face. While they are plentiful, they will be annihilated by this great momentum that the world is now witnessing in the United States of America. As we gather today, our government confronts 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. We now have a government that cannot manage even a simple crisis at home while, at the same time, stumbling into a continuing catalogue of catastrophic events abroad. Advertisement It fails to protect our magnificent, law-abiding American citizens but provides sanctuary and protection for dangerous criminals, many from prisons and mental institutions, that have illegally entered our country from all over the world. We have a government that has given unlimited funding to the defence of foreign borders but refuses to defend American borders or, more importantly, its own people. Our country can no longer deliver basic services in times of emergency, as recently shown by the wonderful people of North Carolina — who have been treated so badly — and other states who are still suffering from a hurricane that took place many months ago or, more recently, Los Angeles, where we are watching fires still tragically burn from weeks ago without even a token of defence. They’re raging through the houses and communities, even affecting some of the wealthiest and most powerful individuals in our country — some of whom are sitting here right now. They don’t have a home any longer. That’s interesting. But we can’t let this happen. Everyone is unable to do anything about it. That’s going to change. Trump prays with businessman Mike Stewart in Asheville on his visit to a site damaged by Hurricane Helene in North Carolina, October 21, 2024 [Brian Snyder/Reuters] We have a public health system that does not deliver in times of disaster, yet more money is spent on it than any country anywhere in the world. And we have an education system that teaches our children to be ashamed of themselves — in many cases, to hate our country despite the love that we try so desperately to provide to them. All of this will change starting today, and it will change very quickly. Advertisement End of ‘America’s decline’ My recent election is a mandate to completely and totally reverse a horrible betrayal and all of these many betrayals that have taken place and to give the people back their faith, their wealth, their democracy, and, indeed, their freedom. From this moment on, America’s decline is over. Our liberties and our nation’s glorious destiny will no longer be denied. And we will immediately restore the integrity, competency, and loyalty of America’s government. Over the past eight years, I have been tested and challenged more than any president in our 250-year history, and I’ve learned a lot along the way. The journey to reclaim our republic has not been an easy one — that, I can tell you. Those who wish to stop our cause have tried to take my freedom and, indeed, to take my life. Just a few months ago, in a beautiful Pennsylvania field, an assassin’s bullet ripped through my ear. But I felt then and believe even more so now that my life was saved for a reason. I was saved by God to make America great again. (Applause.) Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much. That is why each day under our administration of American patriots, we will be working to meet every crisis with dignity and power and strength. We will move with purpose and speed to bring back hope, prosperity,

‘Definitely worth it’: Trump supporters share their inauguration day experiences

Donald Trump supporters who attended the president’s inauguration parade at Capital One Arena in downtown D.C. on Monday shared their experiences braving the cold in the nation’s capital. Trump supporters told Fox News Digital they arrived as early as 4:30 a.m. Monday and stood for hours in the cold weather to secure a seat at the arena for the inaugural parade, noting that the line to get in had already formed by the time they arrived bright and early. Reports indicated that supporters had begun lining up as early as the night before. The parade got moved indoors amid concerns about the cold weather, but one supporter noted that it wasn’t as cold as she had expected.  “This morning we got up at 4. We got on the train at 5 [in the morning] and got here, and already the line was forming,” a supporter who traveled from Texas said. “We stayed in the cold weather for five hours.” TRUMP SUPPORTERS WAIT OVERNIGHT OUTSIDE CAPITAL ONE ARENA IN FRIGID TEMPERATURES  “We got here [Sunday] night, but we stayed closer to the airport just to not fight traffic,” added Kaitlin Rogers, who traveled from Delaware. “Ubered in, got here at what? 6:30 [in the morning]? Stood in line for four and a half hours.” Gina Raper, a Trump fan from North Carolina, said she arrived as early as Friday to attend Trump’s Sunday rally ahead of the formal swearing-in ceremony and “stood out all day in the rain” to secure a seat there as well.      “We were there 5 o’clock yesterday morning and stood out all day in the rain. We got in, it was awesome,” said Raper. “Then we were there at, like, 4:30 or 5 this morning, all day.” TRUMP SUPPORTERS CELEBRATE INAUGURATION DAY IN DC STREETS: ‘TODAY IS A DAY OF FREEDOM’ When asked if their experience was worth braving the cold, the answer was a resounding yes.  “We’re so thankful,” Raper said after gaining entrance to Capital One Arena on Saturday.  “It wasn’t as cold as we thought it was going to be. It was definitely worth the wait,” added Andrea Rogers, who was traveling with Kaitlin from Delaware. “We are so happy to be here.” When asked what they hope to see out of the new Trump administration, the supporters who spoke to Fox News Digital highlighted Trump’s plans to secure the border and “rebuild” the military. One supporter said he was hoping to see the new Trump administration challenge the pharmaceutical and food industries, which are priorities of Trump’s nominee for Health and Human Services secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.  “Good leaders train good leaders, and he’s got the best team I have ever – well, everybody would agree, everybody in America – this is the best team,” said Raper. “Trump will fix it!” one supporter said.