‘Unlawful DEI-motivated’ workplace discrimination to be rooted out by Trump’s new acting EEOC chair
President Donald Trump’s pick to serve as acting chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) vowed to make rooting out illegal DEI practices in the workplace a priority, she said. “Consistent with the President’s Executive Orders and priorities, my priorities will include rooting out unlawful DEI-motivated race and sex discrimination; protecting American workers from anti-American national origin discrimination; defending the biological and binary reality of sex and related rights, including women’s rights to single-sex spaces at work; protecting workers from religious bias and harassment, including antisemitism; and remedying other areas of recent under-enforcement,” Andrea Lucas said in a press release provided to Fox News Digital on Tuesday. Lucas was appointed to the EEOC as a commissioner in 2020 under the first Trump administration and has served in the role since. The EEOC is the federal government’s only agency authorized to investigate and sue private companies and employers over employment discrimination. “I am honored to be chosen by President Trump to lead the EEOC, our nation’s premier civil rights agency enforcing federal employment anti-discrimination laws,” Lucas said of her appointment. “I look forward to restoring evenhanded enforcement of employment civil rights laws for all Americans. In recent years, this agency has remained silent in the face of multiple forms of widespread, overt discrimination.” FEDERAL COMMISSIONER FIRES BACK AT MARK CUBAN FOR DIVERSITY CLAIM, DELIVERS WARNING ABOUT DEI: ‘MORE PROBLEMS’ Trump signed a bevy of executive actions and orders on Monday after he was sworn in as the nation’s 47th president, including ones related to diversity, equity and inclusion, better known as DEI programs. “The Biden Administration forced illegal and immoral discrimination programs, going by the name ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion’ (DEI), into virtually all aspects of the Federal Government, in areas ranging from airline safety to the military,” Trump’s executive order on ending “radical and wasteful” DEI programs states. “This was a concerted effort stemming from President Biden’s first day in office.” “That ends today,” the executive order reads. “Americans deserve a government committed to serving every person with equal dignity and respect, and to expending precious taxpayer resources only on making America great.” EEOC COMMISSIONER RESPONDS TO SUPREME COURT RULING AGAINST RACE-BASED COLLEGE ADMISSIONS Lucas echoed Trump’s views on DEI programs within the federal government and beyond in her statement Tuesday, championing that the nation “must reject the twin lies of identity politics.” TRUMP PRAISED FOR EXECUTIVE ACTIONS ON BORDER, DEI, ENERGY: ‘COMMON SENSE DAY IN AMERICA’ “Our employment civil rights laws are a matter of individual rights,” Lucas said. “We must reject the twin lies of identity politics: that justice is measured by group outcomes and that civil rights exist solely to remedy harms against certain groups.” “I intend to dispel the notion that only the ‘right sort of’ charging party is welcome through our doors and to reinforce instead the fundamental belief enshrined in the Declaration of Independence and our civil rights laws—that all people are ‘created equal.’ I am committed to ensuring equal justice under the law and to focusing on equal opportunity, merit, and colorblind equality.”
Chip Roy leads House Republicans in effort to repeal law used by Biden administration to prosecute pro-lifers
FIRST ON FOX: More than 20 House Republicans are backing a bill that would repeal the law used by former President Biden’s administration to prosecute dozens of pro-life activists. Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, is leading the effort to repeal the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances, or FACE Act, which Republicans argue has been selectively invoked to target pro-lifers who have protested outside of abortion clinics. He shared data his office obtained from the Justice Department under Attorney General Merrick Garland that showed 97% of FACE Act prosecutions in the last 20 years were against abortion opponents. “Americans just spent the last four years being targeted by a weaponized justice system. The FACE Act was one of the primary weapons of abuse – being used to politically target, arrest, and jail pro-life Americans for speaking out and standing up for life,” Roy said in a statement. TRUMP URGED TO PARDON 21 PRO-LIFE PROTESTERS PROSECUTED BY BIDEN’S JUSTICE DEPARTMENT “Now that we have a Republican trifecta in the House, Senate, and White House, Congress should move quickly to repeal this law and ensure that no future president can weaponize it against pro-lifers ever again.” The FACE Act makes it a federal crime to use “threats of force, obstruction or inflict property damage intended to interfere with reproductive health care services.” The 1994 law has been used by President Biden’s Justice Department to aggressively prosecute pro-life activists since the fall of Roe v. Wade, a landmark abortion rights case, in June 2022. It has rarely been used against those who have attacked pro-life organizations and pregnancy resource centers. According to Roy’s office, there have been at least 90 such attacks since May 2022, when draft text from the Supreme Court’s repeal of Roe v. Wade leaked to the public. The Biden administration prosecuted only five individuals for attacks on pro-life facilities, while many incidents targeting Catholic churches and pro-life centers were never prosecuted. In contrast, FACE Act prosecutions of pro-life activists like Mark Houck, who was later acquitted, inflamed the right and prompted accusations that the Biden DOJ was both overzealous and politically biased against abortion opponents. A SWAT team of around 25 people arrested Houck, a Catholic father of seven, in front of his children at their Pennsylvania home in October 2021. Conservative groups have petitioned President Donald Trump to pardon at least 21 other pro-life activists who had demonstrated at abortion facilities. PRO-LIFE ACTIVISTS’ YEARS-LONG PRISON SENTENCE SHOCKS SOCIAL MEDIA: ‘TWO-TIERED JUSTICE SYSTEM’ Ten defendants convicted of violating the FACE Act received prison sentences ranging from 10 months to 57 months for their participation in a 2020 “blockade” of an abortion clinic in Washington, D.C. In May, Paulette Harlow, 75, was issued a 2-year prison sentence, while Lauren Handy, 30, was sentenced to nearly five years in prison. Trump has criticized the Biden administration for prosecuting these pro-life protesters and signaled he would consider granting them pardons. Tom McClusky, director of government affairs for CatholicVote, called the prosecutions of pro-lifers under Biden “unfair” and praised Roy for introducing the repeal bill. “Now that we have a President who will sign the bill into law it is time to pass Rep. Chip Roy’s FACE Act Repeal,” McClusky said in a statement. FOUR MORE PRO-LIFE PROTESTERS FACE PRISON TIME AFTER BEING CONVICTED FOR VIOLATING FACE ACT Students for Life Action also called on Congress to repeal the FACE Act, labeling the law “a weapon for the Department of Justice to use against those who peacefully protest against the human rights abuse of our day – abortion.” “In ignoring violent pro-abortion protesters to focus on peaceful pro-life prayer warriors, the hypocrisy couldn’t be clearer. The FACE Act represents viewpoint discrimination, as punishments are supersized because of the beliefs of those targeted by the government. This abuse of prosecutorial pro-abortion aggression must end,” said Kristan Hawkins, President of Students for Life Action & Students for Life of America. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Roy expressed his hope that the Congress and administration would work quickly to advance his bill and pardon those he believes were unfairly treated. “While President Trump and his team are already fast at work reversing the damage of the J6 political prosecutions and persecutions through pardons and commutations, I am hopeful those targeted under the FACE Act will be given similar relief,” Roy said. “But importantly, we in Congress need to do our part to eliminate the laws used for the weaponization, including the FACE Act. ” “No more excuses, let’s get it done.”
DeSantis cites ‘Gulf of America’ in winter storm order after Trump rebranding
On the same day President Donald Trump announced a plan to formally change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America,” one fellow Republican took the cue in a winter weather emergency order on Monday. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis issued Executive Order 25-13 in response to a historic 1,500-mile long meteorological system pushing rainy and blizzard conditions east along the gulf and the Interstate 10 corridor. “Whereas, an area of low pressure moving across the Gulf of America, interacting with Arctic air, will bring widespread impactful winter weather to North Florida beginning Tuesday, January 21, 2025…,” DeSantis’ order began. “…therefore, I, Ron DeSantis… promulgate the following executive order to take immediate effect…,” the order went on, listing out an expansive series of actions to be taken by state, local and other authorities. TRUMP PLEDGES DITCHING ‘DENALI’ IN FAVOR OF MT MCKINLEY, AS ALASKA LAWMAKERS PAN PLAN The ice and snow totals are projected to be “meager, by northern standards,” according to FOX Weather, but are likely to lead to “paralyzing impacts across the [affected] region,” which includes Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. Depending on the location, residents are in for one to five inches of snow in an area that is more accustomed to tropical cyclones than a whiteout. DeSantis’ order appeared to be released just prior to Trump signing his own executive order fulfilling his earlier pledge. In the federal executive order: “Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness,” Section 4 rebrands the “area formerly known as the Gulf of Mexico… an integral asset to our once burgeoning nation …and an indelible part of America” – as the “Gulf of America.” FLASHBACK: DESANTIS, NEWSOM DEBATE Trump noted the gulf spans more than 1,000 miles from South Padre Island, Texas; arching along Pascagoula, Mississippi; Orange Beach, Alabama; and Pensacola, Florida, and down to the Straits of Florida. Florida’s gulf shoreline is the longest of any state – from the famous FloraBama Lounge on Perdido Key and arcing 775 miles down to the “Southernmost Point in the Continental United States” marker in Key West. On Monday, Trump ordered the Interior Department to take appropriate actions to change the name within 30 days. His predecessor also engaged in a slew of landmark rebranding – mostly U.S. military bases from Virginia and farther south. Fort Lee in Petersburg, Virginia, named for Gen. Robert E. Lee, became Fort Gregg-Adams. Fort Bragg in North Carolina, named for Gen. Braxton Bragg, became Fort Liberty. Fort A.P. Hill in Bowling Green, Virginia, named for Gen. Ambrose Powell Hill, became Fort Walker, and Fort Hood in El Paso, Texas, named for Gen. John Bell Hood, became Fort Cavazos. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Those name changes came amidst a push by the political left to dispatch memorials and other reminders of the Confederacy. In Trump’s case, he also reverted the name of the continent’s highest peak – Denali, in Talkeetna, Alaska — to Mount McKinley after fellow Republican President William McKinley — the one rare change that ruffled feathers on his own side of the aisle. In his order, Trump said it is in the nation’s interest to promote American heritage and honor the contributions of “visionary and patriotic Americans.” A representative for DeSantis declined comment.
Stefanik excoriates Dem for Elon Musk ‘Nazi salute’ accusation at UN ambassador hearing
Democratic Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy pressed New York Rep. Elise Stefanik on claims Elon Musk gave a Nazi salute at President Donald Trump’s inaugural parade when she appeared before Senate lawmakers as part of her confirmation process to serve as ambassador to the U.N. “What do you think of Elon Musk, perhaps the president’s most visible adviser, doing two heil Hitler salutes last night at the president’s televised rally?” Murphy asked Stefanik on Tuesday morning as she appeared before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. “No, Elon Musk did not do those salutes,” Stefanik said. “I was not at the rally, but I can tell you, I’ve been at many rallies with Elon Musk, who loves to cheer when President Trump says, ‘We need to send, you know, our U.S. space program to Mars,’ Elon Musk is a visionary. I’m looking forward to his work in DOGE,” the Department of Government Efficiency. Musk attended Trump’s inaugural parade on Monday, where he spoke to supporters and was accused of giving a Hitler-style salute to the crowds. Musk has since brushed off the accusations as a tired attack from the left, saying on X that “they need better dirty tricks.” MEDIA OUTLETS ACCUSE ELON MUSK OF GIVING ‘FASCIST SALUTE’ AT TRUMP INAUGURATION RALLY The New York Republican continued in her response, “American people are smart. They see through it, they support Elon Musk. We are proud to be the country of such successful entrepreneurs. That is one of our greatest strengths as Americans.” Murphy continued pressing Stefanik on the matter, rattling off a list of “White supremacist groups and neo-Nazi groups” who had described and celebrated Musk’s gesture as a Hitler salute. “Evan Kilgore, a right-wing political commentator, wrote on X, ‘Holy crap, did Elon Musk just Heil Hitler at the Trump inauguration rally. This is incredible. We are so back.’ Andrew Torba, who’s the founder of the right-wing Christian nationalist social platform Gab, said ‘incredible things are happening,’ … as he amplified the visual, the Proud Boys chapter in Ohio posted the clip, on a Telegram channel with the text ‘Heil Trump,’” Murphy said of the examples. ELON MUSK JOINS TRUMP AT DC RALLY: ‘LOOKING FORWARD TO MAKING A LOT OF CHANGES’ “Over and over last night, White supremacist groups and neo-Nazi groups in this country rallied around that visual,” Murphy said. “Does it concern you that those elements of the neo-Nazi and White supremacist element in the United States believe that what they saw last night was a neo-Nazi salute?” Stefanik shot back that she and Trump both have a long record combating antisemitism. STEFANIK PLANS TO PUSH TRUMP’S ‘AMERICA FIRST’ AGENDA AT UN, MAKE SURE IT ‘SERVES THE INTERESTS’ OF US PEOPLE “What concerns me is this is… these are the questions you believe are most important to ask to the U.N. ambassador,” she said. “I have a very strong record when it comes to combating antisemitism. We just had a historic election where President Trump earned historic support from American voters because of his strong leadership combating antisemitism, which has been a scourge across the country, skyrocketing since Oct. 7. So I intend to bring moral clarity to this position and continue to speak out as a voice, as a beacon of light condemning antisemitism at the United Nations, which is representative of President Trump’s record and President Trump’s promises that he made on the campaign trail.” Murphy explained that he asked about Musk’s gesture “because I think that your work and the administration’s work on antisemitism only comes with real impact and credibility if it holds both right and left accountable.” “I simply don’t believe that if a member of the Squad made that same gesture last night, that there wouldn’t be commentary from you and others,” he said. “So I want to make sure that our work has credibility and credibility comes with calling antisemitism and antisemitism behavior out when it comes from both the right and the left.”
‘Loud and clear’: Border state’s legislature moves to back Trump’s ICE on deportations
FIRST ON FOX: Arizona’s legislature is considering significant legislation to ensure the key border state cooperates with the mass deportation push by the new Trump administration amid questions about the extent to which states will aid the government. Senate President Warren Petersen, a Republican, is introducing the “AZ ICE Act,” which would require sheriff’s departments and the Arizona Department of Corrections to enter into co-operative agreements with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The agreements are based on 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which allows ICE to delegate to state and local law enforcement officers certain immigration functions, including identifying and detaining suspected illegal immigrants. TRUMP DHS REPEALS KEY MAYORKAS MEMO LIMITING ICE AGENTS, ORDERS PAROLE REVIEW “The 287(g) program allows ICE — through the delegation of specified immigration officer duties — to enhance collaboration with state and local law enforcement partners to protect the homeland through the arrest and removal of noncitizens who undermine the safety of our nation’s communities and the integrity of U.S. immigration laws,” ICE’s website says. Petersen’s bill would also require law enforcement to comply with ICE detainers — which are requests that ICE be notified when an illegal immigrant is being released from state or local custody. “Sanctuary” jurisdictions do not comply with detainers. ‘NATIONAL EMERGENCY’: TRUMP DECLARES AMBITIOUS ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN IN INAUGURAL ADDRESS The bill would also direct additional funding to local law enforcement. “Ending the border crisis requires an all-hands-on-deck approach. This commonsense legislation will not only allow federal and local law enforcement to work together to protect our citizens, but it will also prevent government obstruction,” Petersen said in a statement. “Arizona voters spoke loud and clear last November. They overwhelmingly approved the ‘Secure the Border Act’ that Republicans referred to the ballot because they want the law enforced, and they want safe communities,” he said. “I look forward to the AZ ICE Act passing the Legislature, and I’m hopeful the Governor will listen to our citizens by signing the bill when it hits her desk.” President Donald Trump was sworn into office on Monday and immediately signed a slew of executive orders to tackle border security and illegal immigration. His administration is planning to launch a mass deportation operation and is already taking steps to make that happen. CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE Some local jurisdictions have pledged their support for the measures, but other officials have promised to either resist or not comply with the upcoming deportation operation. Gov. Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, told ABC News in November that she was hopeful that ongoing partnerships with the federal government can continue, but she said the state would not be complying with what she called a “misguided” deportation operation. “I am very hopeful that that partnership can continue, and that the incoming administration will listen to, not only my administration, but the experts here on the ground, the people that are doing the work about what is most needed, and what we can continue to do that will be most helpful in securing our border,” she said. She then added, “What I will unequivocally say is that, as governor, I will not tolerate efforts that are part of misguided policies that harm our communities, that threaten our communities, that terrorize our communities, and Arizona will not take part in those.”
Stefanik looks back to fiery exchanges with college leaders in Senate confirmation hearing: ‘watershed moment’
Republican New York Rep. Elise Stefanik touted her fiery grillings of college administrators on Tuesday when she appeared before Senate lawmakers as part of her confirmation process to serve as the ambassador to the U.N., saying it was a “watershed moment” that exposed “antisemitic rot” in the U.S. colleges. “My oversight work led to the most viewed testimony in history, in the history of Congress. This hearing with university presidents was heard around the world and viewed billions of times because it exposed the antisemitic rot in colleges and universities, and was a watershed moment in American higher education,” Stefanik said Tuesday while speaking before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Since 2023, Stefanik has served as a conservative firebrand who has repeatedly grilled “morally bankrupt” college leaders over their handling of antisemitism on campus following Hamas attacking Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. During last year’s college school year, agitators and student protesters flooded college campuses nationwide to protest the war in Israel, which also included spiking instances of antisemitism and Jewish students publicly speaking out that they do not feel safe on some campuses. AS A HARVARD JEWISH STUDENT, I KNOW ELISE STEFANIK IS THE RIGHT PERSON TO FIGHT ANTISEMITISM AT THE UN Most notably, Stefanik grilled Ivy League college administrators from Penn and Harvard, her alma mater, in December 2023 regarding whether “calling for the genocide of Jews” violates the respective school’s codes of conduct. The school leaders, however, waffled in their responses. “It can be, depending on the context,” Harvard’s then-President Claudine Gay responded when asked if “calling for the genocide of Jews” violated school conduct rules. STEFANIK PLANS TO PUSH TRUMP’S ‘AMERICA FIRST’ AGENDA AT UN, MAKE SURE IT ‘SERVES THE INTERESTS’ OF US PEOPLE “Antisemitic speech when it crosses into conduct that amounts to bullying, harassment, intimidation – that is actionable conduct, and we do take action,” Gay said when pressed to answer “yes” or “no” if calls for the genocide of Jews breaks school rules. Both Gay and Penn’s then-President Liz Magill resigned from their high-profile positions shortly after the hearing, while footage of the exchanges spread like wildfire on social media. WHAT STEFANIK’S HOUSE TENURE REVEALS ABOUT WHAT TYPE OF UN AMBASSADOR SHE MAY BE President Donald Trump nominated Stefanik to serve as ambassador to the U.N. back in November, celebrating her as an “incredibly strong, tough, and smart America First fighter.” Stefanik said in her opening remarks on Tuesday that Trump sees “great promise” for the United Nations if it returns to its roots of promoting peace around the globe. “When discussing this nomination with President Trump, the President shared with me that he sees great promise in the United Nations if it focuses on its founding mission of international peace and security. President Trump has long advocated for peace and no new wars,” she said.
Trump admin hits back as ACLU launches lawsuit on birthright citizenship: ‘Ready to face them’
The Trump administration says it is ready to push back against “the Left’s resistance” in court, after a top civil rights group filed a lawsuit challenging President Trump’s order ending birthright citizenship for illegal immigrants. “Radical Leftists can either choose to swim against the tide and reject the overwhelming will of the people, or they can get on board and work with President Trump to advance his wildly popular agenda,” Harrison Fields, White House principal deputy press secretary, told Fox News Digital. “These lawsuits are nothing more than an extension of the Left’s resistance – and the Trump administration is ready to face them in court,” he said. TRUMP DHS REPEALS KEY MAYORKAS MEMO LIMITING ICE AGENTS, ORDERS PAROLE REVIEW Trump signed the order, “Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship,” which ends birthright citizenship for illegal immigrants. The order seeks to clarify the 14th Amendment, which states:”All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.” Some legal scholars and immigration groups argue that the amendment clearly includes those of illegal status, but some conservatives have said that it does not because they are not under the jurisdiction of the U.S. The American Civil Liberties Union immediately filed a lawsuit “on behalf of organizations with members whose babies born on U.S. soil will be denied citizenship under the order…” and claimed the order is unconstitutional and against congressional intent and Supreme Court precedent. TRUMP TO DEPLOY MILITARY TO BORDER, END BIDEN PAROLE POLICIES IN FLURRY OF DAY 1 EXECUTIVE ORDERS “Denying citizenship to U.S.-born children is not only unconstitutional – it’s also a reckless and ruthless repudiation of American values,” Anthony Romero, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union, said. The Trump order argues: “Among the categories of individuals born in the United States and not subject to the jurisdiction thereof, the privilege of United States citizenship does not automatically extend to persons born in the United States: (1) when that person’s mother was unlawfully present in the United States and the father was not a United States citizen or lawful permanent resident at the time of said person’s birth, or (2) when that person’s mother’s presence in the United States at the time of said person’s birth was lawful but temporary (such as, but not limited to, visiting the United States under the auspices of the Visa Waiver Program or visiting on a student, work, or tourist visa) and the father was not a United States citizen or lawful permanent resident at the time of said person’s birth.” CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE But the ACLU argues that “every baby born in the United States is a U.S. citizen.” It allows for one exception – children of foreign diplomats. “Birthright citizenship is part of what makes the United States the strong and dynamic nation that it is. This order seeks to repeat one of the gravest errors in American history, by creating a permanent subclass of people born in the U.S. who are denied full rights as Americans. We will not let this attack on newborns and future generations of Americans go unchallenged. The Trump administration’s overreach is so egregious that we are confident we will ultimately prevail,” Romero said. ‘NATIONAL EMERGENCY’: TRUMP DECLARES AMBITIOUS ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN IN INAUGURAL ADDRESS The order is one of many Trump signed on Monday related to border security and illegal immigration on his first day in office. Trump also signed an order declaring a national emergency at the border. Trump also ordered the resumption of border wall construction, the ending of Biden’s parole policies and the designation of international cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations. Other orders suspended refugee resettlement for four months and ended the ability for migrants to claim asylum by creating an immediate removal process without the possibility of asylum.
‘Class act’: Barron Trump sets social media ablaze for shaking hands with Biden at dad’s inauguration
President Donald Trump’s youngest son, Barron Trump, is garnering praise online for shaking hands with former President Joe Biden and former Vice President Kamala Harris at his father’s inauguration on Monday. “Barron Trump just shook hands with Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. This kid will be our President one day. Bet on it,” conservative personality Nick Sotor posted to X of the exchange. The youngest first son shook Biden’s and Harris’ hands shortly after his father took the oath of office as the 47th president of the United States. The 18-year-old New York University freshman participated in a handful of inaugural festivities on Monday, including attending a church service at St. John’s that morning with his family, as well as the inaugural parade later in the day. Conservatives and other social media commenters praised Barron Trump on X, formerly Twitter, and TikTok for the handshakes, speculating he could one day launch a political career, while others pondered what the first son said to Biden during the quick exchange. BARRON TRUMP IS ALL GROWN UP: A LOOK AT THE FIRST SON’S TRANSFORMATION FROM 2017 TO 2025 Others joked on social media that Barron whispered “you forgot to pardon yourself” when shaking Biden’s hand. Barron Trump also attended the inaugural parade later that day, where he received applause from Trump supporters when the first son was broadcast on the Capital One Arena’s jumbotron. “And then I have a very tall son named Barron. Has anyone ever heard of him?” President Trump said to the crowd as the arena’s camera panned to Barron. TRUMP FAMILY RETURNS TO NATION’S CAPITAL AHEAD OF INAUGURATION DAY: ‘THIS TIME, AMERICA WON’ The youngest Trump child waved to the crowd as supporters broke out into applause and cheers, before raising his fist like his father after his first assassination attempt in July. Barron also egged on the crowd for more applause before his dad praised him for his efforts to rally the youth vote while on the campaign trail. UNEARTHED FOOTAGE OF BARRON TRUMP SPEAKING WITH MOM’S ACCENT SPREADS LIKE WILDFIRE AFTER DAD’S MASSIVE WIN “He knew the youth vote. You know we won the youth vote by 36 points,” Trump said, lauding him for encouraging him to join podcasts while on the campaign trail in order to reach younger voters. Trump kicked off his first day in office by signing at least 42 executive orders, memoranda or proclamations, delivered three separate speeches and fielded roughly an hour of media questions. Inauguration festivities were moved indoors this year, as frigid temperatures gripped the nation’s capital. Trump’s inauguration was held in the Capitol Rotunda, and the inaugural parade at the Capital One Arena.
4 Trump rivals that Biden didn’t pardon
Former President Joe Biden doled out a flurry of pardons during his final days in office, but he did not issue a pardon for Jack Smith, or other figures connected to cases involving President Donald Trump, who has frequently castigated those he feels have unjustly targeted him. In a post on Truth Social earlier this month, Trump asserted that “Corrupt Democrat judges and prosecutors” had targeted him “at levels of injustice never seen before.” Biden also did not pardon figures Trump has publicly assailed, including Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, New York Judge Juan Merchan, and Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. SPECIAL COUNSEL JACK SMITH RESIGNS AFTER 2-YEAR STINT AT DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE Trump has often decried Jack Smith, the special counsel who sought to wage two federal cases against him, but who has now resigned. Trump has repeatedly called the man “Deranged Jack Smith.” In a report issued earlier this month ahead of Trump’s inauguration, Smith asserted, “with respect to both Mr. Trump’s unprecedented efforts to unlawfully retain power after losing the 2020 election and his unlawful retention of classified documents after leaving office, the Principles [of Federal Proseuction] compelled prosecution.” “While we were not able to bring the cases we charged to trial, I believe the fact that our team stood up for the rule of law matters,” he noted. ‘ANYTHING BUT ORDINARY’: LEGAL EXPERTS SHRED NY V. TRUMP AS ‘ONE OF THE WORST’ CASES IN HISTORY Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg brought a case that led to a jury finding Trump guilty of charges of falsifying business records. Bragg has been one of the targets of Trump’s ire. On Truth Social, Trump has called him “Soft on Crime Alvin Bragg” and “Corrupt Soros Funded District Attorney, Alvin Bragg.” Trump has also excoriated Judge Juan Merchan, who was involved in Trump’s New York criminal trial. For example, Trump has called him “Corrupt, Deeply Conflicted, Democrat Appointed Acting Judge Juan Merchan,” and claimed that the judge was aiming to “RIG the Manhattan Sham ‘Trial.’” Earlier this month, ahead of Trump’s inauguration as president, Merchan sentenced Trump to an unconditional discharge. TRUMP CHEERS DISQUALIFICATION OF ‘CORRUPT’ FANI WILLIS, SAYS CASE IS ‘ENTIRELY DEAD’ The Georgia Court of Appeals declared Fulton County Georgia District Attorney Fani Willis disqualified from a Trump-related election interference case. “There is no way such corrupt people can lead a case, and then it gets taken over by somebody else,” Trump told Fox News Digital. “It was a corrupt case, so how could it be taken over by someone else?” Fox News Digital’s Brooke Singman contributed to this report
Trump’s House GOP allies push birthright citizenship bill after progressive fury at presidential order
EXCLUSIVE: House Republicans are moving to back up President Donald Trump’s executive order limiting birthright citizenship as it faces an expected flurry of legal challenges. House Science and Technology Committee Chairman Brian Babin, R-Texas, is planning to introduce a new bill on the issue this week, Fox News Digital was told, with more than 20 GOP lawmakers already signing on to co-sponsor the effort. Babin told Fox News Digital that he saw an issue both with people coming over the U.S.-Mexico border illegally and having children here, and wealthier foreigners coming to the U.S. just to have children, colloquially known as “birth tourism.” “It’s going to have a huge impact on our immigration system because it’s going to close loopholes that exploit birthright citizenship, and discourage illegal immigration and end the misuse of this really, this completely misinterpreted privilege,” Babin said. “I don’t want anyone saying that I am opposed to immigration. My ancestors immigrated as well. I have a daughter-in-law… she is from Brazil, married my son, and she is a proud U.S. citizen. But she did it the legal way. And we cannot continue to have this abuse.” MARCO RUBIO CONFIRMED BY SENATE TO BE NEXT SECRETARY OF STATE, BECOMES FIRST TRUMP CABINET PICK TO BE APPROVED Minutes after being sworn in on Monday, Trump got to work signing dozens of executive orders, from measures repealing Biden administration policies on climate and gender to renaming the “Gulf of Mexico” as the “Gulf of America.” But ending the current birthright citizenship policy in the U.S. has been widely seen as one of the most controversial, if not legally tenuous, executive actions Trump has taken so far. Multiple progressive groups pounced on the order just hours after it got the president’s signature, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). ACLU executive director Anthony Romero said Trump’s move was “unconstitutional” and “a reckless and ruthless repudiation of American values.” Babin said, “I welcome this lawsuit because we have to get this into the U.S. Supreme Court. It’s probably going to take several years for this to wind its way through the court system. But we want the U.S. Supreme Court to rule on this and give us a final ruling, because it has been misinterpreted.” Like Trump’s order, his bill would limit birthright citizenship to babies born with at least one parent who is a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, or a lawful non-citizen serving in the U.S. military. It would exclude children born to illegal immigrants or parents on temporary visas. At the heart of the argument is whether the Constitution grants birthright citizenship to anyone born on U.S. soil. The citizenship clause of the Constitution reads, “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.” The long-standing interpretation of unrestricted birthright citizenship comes from the 1898 Supreme Court decision in United States v. Wong Kim Ark, which said “a child born in the United States, of parents of Chinese descent, who, at the time of his birth, are subjects of the Emperor of China, but have a permanent domicile and residence in the United States” was a lawful U.S. citizen. But opponents of that interpretation have pointed to other Western countries like France and the United Kingdom, where citizenship hinges on at least one parent already being a permanent resident. TRUMP TO DEPLOY MILITARY TO BORDER, END BIDEN PAROLE POLICIES IN FLURRY OF DAY ONE EXECUTIVE ORDERS While signing the order on Monday night, Trump dismissed concerns of a legal challenge. “It’s ridiculous. We’re the only country in the world that does this with birthright, as you know. And it’s just absolutely ridiculous. But, you know, we’ll say we think we have very good grounds. Certain people have wanted to do this for decades,” Trump told reporters. But having a bill clarifying boundaries for the 14th Amendment’s citizenship clause would undoubtedly give Trump more solid legal standing. Babin is not expected to introduce his legislation as a constitutional amendment, given his disagreement not with the text itself but rather the interpretation of the 14th Amendment and the 1898 Supreme Court opinion. Introducing it as an amendment could imply that the words in the Constitution themselves were thought to be flawed, Fox News Digital was told. Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment on whether Trump would sign such a bill.