Page 9 - Trump Inauguration 2025

After taking office, Trump issues sweeping pardon of 1,500 Jan 6 defendants

President Donald Trump on Monday said he was pardoning about 1,500 of his supporters who have been charged in the January 6, 2021, US Capitol attack, using his sweeping clemency powers on his first day back in office to dismantle the largest investigation and prosecution in Justice Department history. The pardons were expected after Trump's yearslong campaign to rewrite the history of the January 6 attack that left more than 100 police officers injured and threatened the peaceful transfer of power. Yet, the scope of the clemency still comes as a massive blow to the Justice Department's effort to hold participants accountable over what has been described as one of the darkest days in American history. Trump said he was also commuting the sentences of six defendants, though the White House did not immediately provide further details. Trump had suggested in the weeks leading up to his return to the White House that he was going to look at the January 6 defendants on a case-by-case ...

Trump inauguration highlights: Encounters, awkward moments among rivals

A president's inaugural address is typically a choreographed spectacle. A makeshift grandstand is erected next to the Capitol, hundreds of thousands of people line the National Mall and the images and words of the day endure for generations. This time was different. Forced inside to the Capitol Rotunda by frigid temperatures, Donald Trump was sworn in for a second term as president in an intimate setting for a man who has always favored the largest one possible. The day's pomp and unusual circumstances made for a lot of close-up encounters between political combatants, some awkward, some not. It also made for a pecking-order configuration for attendees top-level guests in the Rotunda and several hundred other VIPs watching from another room at the Capitol, as well as thousands of Trump supporters at a local arena outside the grounds of Congress. Associated Press reporters, photographers and videographers were in all those rooms, as part of a pool arrangement typically used to cove

Ready to respond if Trump imposes sweeping tariffs on Feb 1, says Canada

Canadian leaders expressed relief Monday that broad tariffs were not applied to Canadian products on the first day of Donald Trump's presidency, but Trump later said he could impose a 25 per cent tariff on Canada and Mexico on February 1. Trump has been threatening to impose sweeping tariffs on Canada, Mexico and other trading partners. An incoming White House official who insisted on anonymity pointed reporters on Monday morning to a Wall Street Journal story saying Trump will only sign a memorandum telling federal agencies to study trade issues. Still, Trump pledged in his inaugural address that tariffs would be coming and said foreign countries would be paying the trade penalties, even though those taxes are currently paid by domestic importers and often passed along to consumers. We're thinking in terms of 25 per cent on Mexico and Canada, Trump said Monday night in the Oval Office. I think February 1st." Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc earlier said reprieve is too strong of a

Trump temporarily halts leasing and permitting for wind energy projects

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday temporarily halting offshore wind lease sales in federal waters and pausing the issuance of approvals, permits and loans for both onshore and offshore wind projects. The interior secretary will review wind leasing and permitting practices for federal waters and lands. The assessment will consider the environmental impact of wind projects on wildlife, the economic costs associated with the intermittent generation of electricity and the effect of subsidies on the viability of the wind industry, the order states. Trump wants to increase drilling for oil and gas and has been hostile to renewable energy, particularly offshore wind. Trump's pick for interior secretary, Doug Burgum, was asked during his confirmation hearing whether he would commit to continuing with offshore wind leases that have been issued. Burgum said projects that make sense and are already in law will continue. Wind power currently provides about 10% of the ...

Trump signs executive order to withdraw US from World Health Organisation

US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order beginning the process of withdrawing America from the World Health Organisation, the second time in less than five years that the US has ordered to withdraw from the world body. It was among dozens of executive actions he signed after being sworn in on Monday for a second term, on issues ranging from immigration to foreign policy to climate change. The World Health Organisation (WHO) came under intense criticism from Trump in 2020 for its response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which grew into a worldwide health crisis during the final year of his first term. That's a big one, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office of the White House when an aid presented to him an executive order on this to be signed by him. We paid USD 500 million to World Health when I was here, and I terminated it. China, with 1.4 billion people, has 350 dependents... nobody knows what we have because so many people came in illegally. But let's say we have 325

Trump suspends foreign assistance programmes for 90 days pending reviews

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday temporarily suspending all US foreign assistance programmes for 90 days pending reviews to determine whether they are aligned with his policy goals. It was not immediately clear how much assistance would initially be affected by the order as funding for many programs has already been appropriated by Congress and is obligated to be spent, if not already spent. The order, among many Trump signed on his first day back in office, said the foreign aid industry and bureaucracy are not aligned with American interests and in many cases antithetical to American values and serve to destabilize world peace by promoting ideas in foreign countries that are directly inverse to harmonious and stable relations internal to and among countries. Consequently, Trump declared that no further United States foreign assistance shall be disbursed in a manner that is not fully aligned with the foreign policy of the President of the United ...

Trump's biggest China threat is not TikTok but critical infrastructure

Chinese hackers are burrowing into the networks of major critical US infrastructure, including energy grids, water treatment plants and transportation networks

President Trump signs executive order extending TikTok ops for 75 days

US President Donald Trump on Monday signed an executive order that extended the operations of TikTok, the Chinese controlled video short sharing platform, by 75 days, during which he plans to pursue a resolution that protects national security while saving a platform used by 170 million Americans. I am instructing the attorney general not to take any action to enforce the Act for a period of 75 days from today to allow my Administration an opportunity to determine the appropriate course forward in an orderly way that protects national security while avoiding an abrupt shutdown of a communications platform used by millions of Americans, said the executive order signed by Trump. Signed into law by Joe Biden in April last year, the bill passed by wide bipartisan majorities in the House and the Senate gave TikTok's parent company ByteDance 270 days to divest from the app or face a ban from US app stores. January 19 was the last date for this. The popular video sharing app went dark on

Donald Trump issues executive order to suspend TikTok ban; can it stick?

US President Donald Trump on Monday signed an executive order to keep TikTok operating for 75 days, a relief to the short video app's users even as national security questions persist. TikTok's China-based parent ByteDance was supposed to find a US buyer or be banned on January 19. Trump's order could give ByteDance more time to find a buyer. "I guess I have a warm spot for TikTok," Trump said. Trump has amassed nearly 15 million followers on TikTok since he joined last year, and he has credited the trendsetting platform with helping him gain traction among young voters. Yet, its 170 million US users could not access TikTok for more than 12 hours between Saturday night and Sunday morning. The platform went dark before the ban approved by Congress and upheld by the US Supreme Court took effect on Sunday. After Trump promised to pause the ban, TikTok restored access for existing users. Google and Apple, however, still have not reinstated TikTok to their app stores. Business leader

All you need to know about executive order a Trump tool to reshape govt

Donald Trump returned to the White House on Monday, ready to immediately overhaul the government using the fastest tool he has -- the executive order. He's looked on his first day to increase domestic energy production and stop diversity, equity and inclusion programmes within the federal government, among other actions. An incoming president signing a flurry of executive orders is standard practice. Executive orders allow a president to wield power without action from Congress. But there are also limits to what the orders can achieve. A primer on how the presidential power works and its often fleeting impact: What are executive orders? Basically, they are signed statements about how the president wants the federal government to be managed. They can be instructions to federal agencies or requests for reports. Many orders can be unobjectionable, such as giving federal employees the day after Christmas off. They can also lay out major policies. For example, Joe Biden signed as pre

Great honour to represent India at Trump inauguration ceremony: Jaishankar

After taking the oath, Trump declared that the golden age of America had begun and today marks the 'Liberation Day' for the country

A look at false and misleading claims Trump made at inaugural event

In his first address after being sworn in on Monday, President Donald Trump repeated several false and misleading statements that he made during his campaign. They included claims about immigration, the economy, electric vehicles and the Panama Canal. In remarks later at the Capitol's Emancipation Hall, he issued a number of other false claims, including one that distorts pardons made by President Joe Biden as he left office. Here's a look at the facts. Biden did not pardon 33 murderers CLAIM: Trump, at Emancipation Hall, said Biden pardoned what is it, 33 murderers, absolute murderers, the worst murderers. You know, when you get the death sentence in the United States, you have to be bad. THE FACTS: Biden announced on December 23 that he was commuting the sentences of 37 of the 40 people on federal death row, converting their punishments to life imprisonment. A commutation does not exonerate the person. In making the announcement, Biden said: These commutations are consistent wit

Rubio confirmed as secy of state, becomes 1st member of Trump's Cabinet

Marco Rubio, the US Senator from Florida, was on Monday unanimously confirmed as the Secretary of State, making him the first member of the Cabinet of President Donald Trump to be confirmed. Rubio, 53, as a Senator last year had introduced a bill in the Congress that proposed to treat India at par with its allies such as Japan, Israel, Korea, and NATO allies regarding technology transfers and support India in its response to growing threats to its territorial integrity. The bill also sought to bar Pakistan from receiving security assistance if it is found to have sponsored terrorism against India. All the existing 99 senators voted in favour of Rubio, including Rubio himself. There is currently one vacancy in the Senate after Vice President J D Vance resigned as the US Senator from Ohio. A US Senator from Florida since January 3, 2011, Rubio is considered as a hawkish US Senator with regard to China. He is banned from entering China, which sanctioned him twice in 2020. The top ...

Senate passes immigrant detention bill, likely to be Trump's 1st signed law

Fresh off President Donald Trump's inauguration, the Senate on Monday passed a bill that would require federal authorities to detain migrants accused of theft and violent crimes, the first measure he likely will sign into law and giving more weight to his plans to deport millions of migrants. Trump has made a broad crackdown on illegal immigration his top priority, and Congress, with Republicans in control and some Democrats willing to go along, is showing it is ready to follow suit. Passage of the Laken Riley Act named after a Georgia nursing student whose murder by a Venezuelan man last year became a rallying cry for Trump's White House campaign was a sign of how Congress has shifted sharply right on border security and immigration. We don't want criminals coming into our country, Trump told supporters at the Capitol, adding he looked forward to holding a bill signing within a week or so. Trump is already ending many of former President Joe Biden's border and immigration progra

Ramaswamy leaves DOGE after Trump takes office, to run for Ohio governor

Ramaswamy, 39, was chosen by the 47th President of the United States, Donald Trump, to lead the department alongside billionaire Elon Musk

Wake up, spend more on defence, Macron tells Europe as Trump takes office

French President Emmanuel Macron called on Europe Monday to wake up and spend more on defence in order to reduce its reliance on the United States for its security, in a speech to the French military as Donald Trump returns to power. Macron referred to expected changes in Washington's foreign policy, especially regarding the war in Ukraine, saying it was an opportunity for a European strategic wake-up call, in his New Year's speech to the military at the Army Digital and Cyber Support Command based in western France. What will we do in Europe tomorrow if our American ally withdraws its warships from the Mediterranean? If they send their fighter jets from the Atlantic to the Pacific? he asked. Trump has criticised the cost of the war in Ukraine for US taxpayers through major military aid packages and has made it clear that he wants to shift more of the fiscal burden onto Europe. He has vowed to bring the conflict to a swift end, voicing hope that peace could be negotiated in six ...

Trump has 'America First' as his top most priority, says White House

US President Donald Trump has "America First" as his priorities and this includes making America safe again, making the country affordable, achieving energy dominance, draining the swamp and bringing back American values, the White House said on Monday. Minutes after Trump's inauguration as the 47th president of the United States, the White House said he would take bold action to secure the border and protect American communities. This includes ending Biden's catch-and-release policies, reinstating Remain in Mexico, building the wall, ending asylum for illegal border crossers, cracking down on criminal sanctuaries, and enhancing vetting and screening of aliens. Trump's deportation operation will address the record border crossings of criminal aliens under the prior administration. The President is suspending refugee resettlement, after communities were forced to house large and unsustainable populations of migrants, straining community safety and resources, it said. The Armed Forces

Trump vows to change name of N America's tallest peak to Mount McKinley

President Donald Trump on Monday vowed to rename North America's tallest peak, Denali in Alaska, as Mount McKinley reviving an idea he'd floated years ago that at that time saw strong pushback from state political leaders. Trump, who took office for a second time Monday, said he planned to restore the name of a great president, William McKinley, to Mount McKinley, where it should be and where it belongs. President McKinley made our country very rich through tariffs and through talent. Trump also announced plans to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. Messages left for Alaska's three-member Republican congressional delegation and Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy weren't immediately returned. Alaska's US senators in 2017 vehemently opposed a prior suggestion by Trump that the name Denali be changed back to Mount McKinley. In 2015, then-President Barack Obama changed the name to Denali to reflect the traditions of Alaska Natives and acknowledge the preference of

Trump signs first round of orders, ends federal work from home rule

Soon after taking charge as the 47th US president on Monday, Donald Trump signed a first round of executive orders aiming to assert control of the federal workforce, and withdraw from the Paris climate treaty, among others, to halt a slew of orders passed by the previous Joe Biden administration. Among the executive orders Trump signed with a flourish in front of a cheering crowd was one mandating that federal workers return to their offices five days a week. The move followed the new president's pledge to end the work-from-home culture that became common during the Covid-19 pandemic. Last month, at a news conference at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida, Trump said he planned to dismiss federal employees who don't return to office to comply with the order. Trump also ordered a federal hiring freeze on his first day back in office, mirroring an action he took at the start of his first term to try to reduce the size of government. The order suspends hiring for new positions and many op

Wave of Trump-demanded departures hits leadership at State Department

A large number of senior career diplomats who served in politically appointed top leadership positions at the State Department have left their posts at the demand of the incoming Trump administration, which plans to install its own people in those positions, according to current and outgoing US officials. Personnel changes in the senior ranks of the department, like those at all federal agencies, are not uncommon after a presidential election, and career officials serving in those roles are required, just as non-career political appointees, to submit letters of resignation before an incoming administration takes office. In the past, some of those resignations have not been accepted, allowing career officials to remain in their posts at least temporarily until the new president can nominate his team. That offers some degree of continuity in the day-to-day running of the bureaucracy. Among the career officials to be reassigned are acting Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs