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President Donald Trump pulled the security clearances of more than 50 national security officials who said Hunter Biden’s laptop had “all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation.”

A total of 51 former national security officials released a public letter in 2020 claiming that even though the laptop did not have “any evidence of Russian involvement,” it looked like a “Russian information operation.”

The letter came after the New York Post reported they had emails showing Hunter Biden coordinated for Joe Biden to meet with a top executive at Ukrainian energy company Burisma months before pressuring Ukrainian officials to oust a prosecutor investigating the company. 

REPUBLICAN SENATOR SAYS TRUMP SHOULD NOT PARDON HUNTER BIDEN

U.S. President Donald Trump signs pardons for January 6 defendants in the Oval Office at the White House on Inauguration Day in Washington, U.S., January 20, 2025.   (REUTERS/Carlos Barria)

Included on the list are former director of National Intelligence James Clapper Jr., former directors of the Central Intelligence Agency Michael Hayden, John Brennan, former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, and former National Security Advisor John Bolton. 

Fox News Digital previously reported that federal investigators with the Department of Justice were aware that Hunter Biden’s laptop was not manipulated and contained “reliable evidence.” 

Republican lawmakers including Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina have previously suggested withdrawing the security clearances of these officials. 

BIDEN COMMITTED ‘IMPEACHABLE CONDUCT,’ DEFRAUDED UNITED STATES TO ENRICH HIS FAMILY’: HOUSE GOP REPORT

President Donald Trump holds up an executive orders after signing it at an indoor Presidential Inauguration parade event in Washington, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025.  (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

The order was one of more than 200 executive orders Trump approved on Inauguration Day, joining directives like withdrawing the U.S. from the Paris Climate Agreement that the U.S. initially entered under former President Barack Obama’s administration in 2015. 

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Trump previously withdrew the U.S. from the agreement during his first term in 2020. 

President Donald Trump signs executive orders on stage at an indoor Presidential Inauguration parade event in Washington, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025.  (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Other executive orders Trump signed on day one include rescinding nearly 80 executive orders and memoranda issued under Biden, issuing a regulatory and hiring freeze upon the federal government, preventing “government censorship” of free speech, and directing every department and agency to address the cost of living crisis. 

David Spector contributed to this report. 

President Trump’s youngest son Barron, 18, stepped into the spotlight at his father’s inauguration on Monday.  

Standing at a towering 6’9″, many attendees and viewers remarked about how mature the younger Trump has become since his father first took office back in January 2017.

At 10 years old, Barron Trump was often the victim of cruel jokes and rumors from his father’s critics. His mother, Melania Trump, attempted to shield him from unwanted scrutiny, though sometimes to no avail.

On Monday, the first son commanded respect from onlookers as he stood by his father’s side during the inaugural ceremonies. Here’s a look at how Barron Trump has grown up since 2017.

DOGE CAUCUS PLANS FOR BIGGEST IMPACT, EYEING KEY TOOLS TO EXPEDITE CUTTING WASTE

2017

At 10 years old, Barron Trump became the first son to reside in the White House since John F. Kennedy, Jr. in 1961.

Barron, who turned 11 in March of 2017, also lived at Trump Tower in New York at the same time, attending Columbia Grammar and Preparatory School on the Upper West Side.

Beginning in 2016, rumors swirled about Barron Trump possibly having autism, which comedian Rosie O’Donnell amplified. In 2024, Melania Trump said that the rumors deeply impacted her son, who was bullied at school.

“I was appalled by such cruelty,” Melania Trump wrote in her memoir. “It was clear to me that she was not interested in raising awareness about autism. I felt that she was attacking my son because she didn’t like my husband.”

“There is nothing shameful about autism (though O’Donnell’s tweet implied that there was), but Barron is not autistic,” she added. “Barron’s experience of being bullied both online and in real life following the incident is a clear indication of the irreparable damage caused.”

Barron Trump is seen with his mother Melania on the West Front of the Capitol before his father Donald J. Trump was sworn in as the 45th President of the United States, January 20, 2017. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

2018

Barron turned 12 years old in March 2018 and continued to be a common target for Trump’s enemies.

Actor Peter Fonda called for officials to “rip Barron Trump from his mother’s arms and put him in a cage with pedophiles.” He later apologized for the remarks.

“I tweeted something highly inappropriate and vulgar about the president and his family in response to the devastating images I was seeing on television,” Fonda said in the statement shortly after. “Like many Americans, I am very impassioned and distraught over the situation with children separated from their families at the border, but I went way too far.”

President Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump and son Barron Trump cross the South Lawn of the White House November 25, 2018, in Washington, DC.  (Zach Gibson-Pool/Getty Images)

2019

Barron was 13 years old when his family permanently relocated to Mar-a-Lago in 2019. That year, Trump said he would have a “hard time” allowing his son to play football.

“I just don’t like the reports that I see coming out having to do with football — I mean, it’s a dangerous sport and I think it’s really tough,” Trump said at the time. “I thought the equipment would get better, and it has. The helmets have gotten far better, but it hasn’t solved the problem.”

During a 2019 House Judiciary Committee impeachment hearing, Stanford law professor Pamela Karlan remarked that then-President Trump could “name his son Barron, he can’t make him a baron.”

Melania Trump was upset that her young son was mentioned at the hearing.

“A minor child deserves privacy and should be kept out of politics,” the first lady tweeted at the time. “Pamela Karlan, you should be ashamed of your very angry and obviously biased public pandering, and using a child to do it.”

President Trump, center, waves while walking with first lady Melania Trump, right, and son Barron Trump on the South Lawn of the White House before boarding Marine One in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2019. (Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

2020

As Trump was fighting for his re-election bid in 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic rocked the United States, Barron Trump continued to attend school and stayed out of the public spotlight. In 2020, “Jeopardy” host Ken Jennings apologized for a joke he told about Barron in 2017. 

“Barron saw a very long necktie and a heap of expired deli meat in a dumpster,” Jennings tweeted at the time. “He thought it was his dad & his little heart is breaking.”

“Hey, I just wanted to own up to the fact that over the years on Twitter, I’ve definitely tweeted some unartful [sic] and insensitive things,” Jennings wrote in 2020. “Sometimes they worked as jokes in my head and I was dismayed to see how they read on screen.”

OHIO GOV DEWINE PICKS LT GOV TO FILL VICE PRESIDENT-ELECT JD VANCE’S VACANT SEAT

Barron Trump, from right, U.S. First Lady Melania Trump, President Trump, and Tiffany Trump, stand in front of the White House during the Republican National Convention on the South Lawn in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2020. (Erin Scott/Polaris/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

2021

Barron Trump was 14 years old when his father left office in January. He lived with his mother at Mar-a-Lago full-time and stayed out of the spotlight.

In July 2021, he was seen leaving Trump Tower with Melania Trump.

Melania Trump and son Barron Trump leave Trump Tower in Manhattan on July 7, 2021, in New York City. (James Devaney/GC Images)

2022

Barron Trump was 16 when FBI agents raided his father’s Florida estate. He kept a low profile during this year, but he was seen in public with both of his parents at the funeral of Ivana Trump, Trump’s first wife, in July 2022.

In November 2022, his father announced his bid for the presidency.

Donald Trump, Melania Trump and Barron Trump are seen at the funeral of Ivana Trump on July 20, 2022, in New York City. (JNI/Star Max/GC Images)

2023

As President Trump’s campaign kicked up again in 2023, Barron was still absent from the public spotlight. In August of that year, his father’s mugshot was released.

A Secret Service agent guards the Mar-a-Lago home of former President Donald Trump on March 21, 2023, in Palm Beach, Florida. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

2024

Barron Trump matriculated at New York University (NYU) in the fall of 2024. He graduated from Oxbridge Academy in West Palm Beach in May, and was seen attending classes at NYU’S Stern School of Business.

In November, he also voted for the first time, casting a ballot for his father in Florida.

Barron Trump leaves NYU’s Stern Business School in New York City, NY on Wednesday, September 4, 2024.  (Umar Abbasi for Fox News Digital)

2025

Barron looked sharp as he attended his father’s inauguration on Jan. 20. Later during the day, he waved to the crowd after his father mentioned his role in the 2024 campaign.

“I have a very tall son named Barron. Has anyone ever heard of him?” Trump said to cheers, as the first son waved at attendees.

“He knew the youth vote. You know, we won the youth vote by 36 points… He said, ‘Dad, you got to go out, do Joe Rogan, do all these guys,’” Trump recalled. “We did, we did. And Joe Rogan was great.”

The 18-year-old also wowed attendees when he shook hands with President Biden and then-Vice President Kamala Harris, with some social media users speculating that he may pursue a political career in the future.

“Barron Trump just shook hands with Joe Biden and Kamala Harris,” one X user wrote. “This kid will be our President one day. Bet on it.”

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Barron Trump at the inauguration of his father on January 20, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Chip Somodevilla/Pool via REUTERS)

“Barron Trump is a natural,” another said of Barron. “Totally owned the moment.”

Fox News Digital’s Brooke Curto and Kyle Schmidbauer contributed to this report.

Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., slammed President Trump on Monday night for pardoning more than 1,000 people involved in the Jan. 6, 2021, riots. 

Trump signed pardons for approximately 1,500 defendants who were charged with crimes stemming from the riot at the U.S. Capitol, fulfilling a promise he made in December to act quickly and pardon them. 

Trump also commuted the sentences of six people on Monday, including the leaders of the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys extremist groups.

BIDEN TAKES DEPARTING JAB AT TRUMP, SAYS HE WAS ‘GENUINE THREAT TO DEMOCRACY’

President Trump signed pardons for approximately 1,500 defendants who were charged with crimes stemming from the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. (Carlos Barria/Reuters)

But Pelosi called the move “shameful” and said to remember the “courage” of law enforcement “heroes” who “ensured that democracy survived.”

“The President’s actions are an outrageous insult to our justice system and the heroes who suffered physical scars and emotional trauma as they protected the Capitol, the Congress and the Constitution,” Pelosi, who didn’t attend Trump’s inauguration on Monday, said in a statement posted to X.

“It is shameful that the President has decided to make one of his top priorities the abandonment and betrayal of police officers who put their lives on the line to stop an attempt to subvert the peaceful transfer of power,” Pelosi wrote.

DOJ SEEKS TO BLOCK JAN. 6 DEFENDANTS FROM ATTENDING TRUMP INAUGURATION 

President Trump signs a second executive order during the inaugural parade inside Capital One Arena on the inauguration day of his second presidential term in Washington on Jan. 20, 2025. (Carlos Barria/Reuters)

The Justice Department reported that approximately 140 police officers were assaulted during the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021. That included law enforcement members from both the U.S. Capitol Police and about 60 from the Metropolitan Police Department.

President Trump announced at his inaugural parade that he would issue pardons for the “hostages.” (Carlos Barria/Reuters)

Trump announced earlier on Monday at his inaugural parade at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., he would issue pardons for the “hostages.”

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“Tonight I’m going to be signing on the J6 hostages, pardons to get them out,” Trump said at the parade at Capital One Arena. “I’m going to the Oval Office, and we’ll be signing pardons for a lot of people.”

So far, judges or a jury after a trial have convicted roughly 250 people who faced charges for their involvement in the riot, and more than 1,000 had pleaded guilty to crimes as of January.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump, while signing a flurry of executive orders from the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office of the White House as the now 47th President of the United States, discovered a letter from his predecessor inside one of the desk’s drawers with the help of a Fox News reporter.

Trump was in the process of signing one of many executive orders on Monday after returning to the White House when Fox News’ Peter Doocy asked if President Biden left him a letter.

“He may have. Don’t they leave it in the desk? I don’t know,” Trump told Doocy before discovering a white envelope with the number “47” written on it. “Thank you, Peter. It could have been years before we found this thing.”

Trump then teased everyone in the room by suggesting they all read the letter together, before pulling back the reigns.

DONALD TRUMP SWORN IN AS 47TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

US President Donald Trump holds up outgoing President Joe Biden’s letter as he signs executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on January 20, 2025.  (Jim WATSON /POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

“Well, maybe I’ll read it first and then make that determination,” the president said, once again thanking the White House correspondent.

“Happy to help with the passing of the torch,” Doocy said.

Trump was then asked if he left one for Biden, and he said he left one in the desk, just like Biden.

TRUMP TO TAKE MORE THAN 200 EXECUTIVE ACTIONS ON DAY ONE

President Donald Trump signs executive orders in the Oval Office on January 20, 2025 in Washington, DC.  Trump takes office for his second term as the 47th President of the United States.  (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

In leaving the letter for Trump, Biden kept with the now 36-year tradition of the departing commander in chief, writing a note to the incoming president.

As he left the White House in 1989 after two terms in office, President Ronald Reagan started the tradition – leaving a note for his successor, George H. W. Bush, who also happened to be his vice president.

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Four years later, despite losing to then-Gov. Bill Clinton of Arkansas, outgoing President Bush left Clinton a note in the Oval Office. The tradition has carried on to this day.

President Trump bucked tradition on Monday when he did not place his hand on the Bible while taking the oath of office during his second inauguration. 

Chief Justice John Roberts administered the oath, telling Trump, who was walking toward him, to raise his right hand and repeat the words he was about to say.

Trump then raised his right hand, and as Roberts said, “I, Donald John Trump,” first lady Melania Trump was seen approaching with a stack of Bibles.

Rather than place his left hand on the Bibles, he kept his hand by his side and continued to take the oath of office as his family filed in behind him.

TRUMP TO DEPLOY MILITARY TO BORDER, END BIDEN PAROLE POLICIES IN FLURRY OF DAY ONE EXECUTIVE ORDERS

Donald Trump is sworn in as the 47th President of the United States by Chief Justice John Roberts as Melania Trump holds the Bibles during the 60th Presidential Inauguration in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025.  (Morry Gash/AP Photo, Pool)

Melania Trump held two Bibles — one was the Lincoln Bible and the other was her husband’s personal Bible that was given to him by his mother when he was a child. Trump did place his hand on both those Bibles when he took the oath of office in 2017. 

Trump’s team did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on why the president did not place his hand on the Bibles.

Vice President JD Vance did place his hand on the Bible while he was sworn in.

Some people on social media say Roberts rushed the oath, while others appeared to be in disbelief that Trump did not place his hand on the Bibles, which is a tradition dating back to the very first inauguration of President George Washington.

TRUMP TO TAKE MORE THAN 200 EXECUTIVE ACTIONS ON DAY ONE

Donald Trump did not place his hand on the Bibles while he took the oath of office to become the 47th President of the United States.  (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP Photo)

While it is traditional for the incoming president to place a hand on the Bible while taking the oath of office, there is nothing in the U.S. Constitution that requires them to do so.

In fact, presidents “shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation,” according to Article VI of the Constitution. The same article states, “…no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.”

Article II of the Constitution also says the president must take the oath before entering office, though there is no mention of religion.

DONALD TRUMP SWORN IN AS 47TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

President Donald Trump takes the oath of office from Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts in 2017. (Joe Raedle)

The Constitution lays out the exact language to be used in the 34-word oath of office: “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

Many judges have tacked on four little words, “so help me God.” It is not legally or constitutionally required, unlike other federal oaths that invoke the words as standard procedure. Historians have been at odds over whether President Washington established precedent by adding the phrase on his own during his first acceptance, but contemporary accounts mention no such ad-libbing.

Abraham Lincoln was reported to have said it spontaneously in 1861, and other presidents over the years have followed suit. A Bible is traditionally used, with the president placing one hand on it while raising the other during the oath of office.

The Constitution also does not require the president or members of Congress or federal judges to be sworn in by a Supreme Court justice, though they just have for inaugurations, most of the time.

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When Washington took the first oath of office in 1789, the Supreme Court had not yet been formed, so New York’s highest-ranking judge did the honors at Federal Hall on Wall Street.

Four years later, Associate Justice William Cushing swore in Washington for a second term, beginning the Supreme Court tradition.

Fox News’ Shannon Bream and Bill Mears contributed to this report.

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio was confirmed unanimously by the Senate to be the next secretary of state, making him the first of President Trump’s Cabinet picks to receive congressional approval.

Rubio, a senator since 2011, was confirmed during a floor vote by the full Senate Monday night, several hours after Trump took his oath of office earlier in the day. The full Senate floor vote occurred following a separate vote by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which also voted unanimously in favor of Rubio’s nomination Monday.  

Rubio enters his role as secretary of state with a strong foreign policy background as a longtime member of the Senate’s Foreign Relations and Intelligence Committees. He is also a first-generation Cuban American.

DESANTIS ANNOUNCES CHOICE FOR SENATE APPOINTMENT AFTER RUBIO’S EXPECTED RESIGNATION 

Marco Rubio at President Donald Trump’s inauguration ceremony on Monday, ahead of his confirmation vote by the Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee and later by the full Senate.

His road to confirmation has been less controversial than many of Trump’s other Cabinet picks. At Rubio’s first confirmation hearing last week in front of the Foreign Relations Committee, the committee’s top-ranking Democrat, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, said she thought Rubio possessed “the skills” and is “well-qualified” to serve as the next secretary of state. She echoed this sentiment Monday evening as well before the full Senate vote.

“I’ve had a good working relationship with Sen. Rubio for many years, and I was very impressed during his hearing by his grasp of policy,” Shaheen said Monday evening. “While we may not always agree, I believe he has the skills, knowledge and qualifications to be secretary of state.”

MARK MILLEY PARDONED: GENERAL AT CENTER OF AFGHANISTAN WITHDRAWAL PREDICTED IT WOULDN’T BE A SAIGON MOMENT  

Rubio expressed during his initial confirmation hearing last week that under Trump the State Department’s “top priority” will be to put America first. 

“This will not be easy,” Rubio said. “And it will be impossible without a strong and a confident America that engages in the world, putting our core national interests, once again, above all else.”

Rubio will face some major challenges heading into his new role, notably the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine and the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

Hamas terrorists wave to Gazans during Sunday’s release of three Israeli hostages. (TPS-IL)

Rubio described the fighting between Ukraine and Russia as a “stalemate” that “has to end” during his confirmation hearing last week, adding that under Trump’s proposed peace deal both countries will have to make “concessions.” Meanwhile, despite Trump’s past criticisms of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Rubio called the alliance “very important” and insisted that Trump was also a NATO supporter.

On Gaza, Rubio supported Israel’s actions to defend itself against Hamas but stopped short of indicating one way or the other if he thought Israel’s annexation of parts of the West Bank was something he supported. 

TRUMP’S UN AMBASSADOR NOMINEE ELISE STEFANIK SAYS PRESIDENT SEES ‘GREAT PROMISE’ IN THE UNITED NATIONS

“The idea would be that there not be conflict and the people could live side-by-side with one another without being in conflict and with the ability to pursue prosperity,” Rubio said. “Sadly and unfortunately the conditions for that to exist have not been in place for a substantial period of time.”

Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) walks on the stage during Day 2 of the Republican National Convention (RNC), at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S., July 16, 2024.  (REUTERS/Brian Snyder)

Rubio also repeatedly singled out China during his remarks in front of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee last week. “We welcomed the Chinese Communist Party into this global order. And they took advantage of all its benefits. But they ignored all its obligations and responsibilities,” Rubio posited at his hearing. “Instead, they have lied, cheated, hacked and stolen their way to global superpower status, at our expense.”

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While Rubio did not face significant opposition to his confirmation, some Trump-aligned Republicans have expressed disdain over Rubio’s willingness to certify the results of the 2020 election that Trump alleged was “stolen” from him. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who has been an outspoken supporter of less U.S. intervention, also questioned Rubio’s hawkish stance on American intervention amid his confirmation to be secretary of state.

Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, exclusive interviews and more Fox News politics content.

Here’s what’s happening…

– Trump fans endure frigid temps, sleet, and snow for a chance to see 47th president

– Trump vows ‘new era of national success,’ says America’s ‘decline is over’ in inaugural address

– Trump sworn in as 47th president of the United States

‘Tide of Change’

President Trump said a “tide of change is sweeping the country,” striking an optimistic note as he told Americans during his inaugural address Monday that the U.S. is beginning a “new era of national success,” while declaring that the country’s “decline is over.”

Trump addressed the nation on Monday after taking the oath of office for the second time and being sworn in as the 47th President of the United States. 

“In recent years, our nation has suffered greatly. But we are going to bring it back and make it great again, greater than ever before. We will be a nation like no other, full of compassion, courage and exceptionalism. Our power will stop all wars and bring a new spirit of unity to a world that has been angry, violent, and totally unpredictable. America will be respected again and admired again, including by people of religion, faith, and goodwill,” he said…Read more

Donald Trump is sworn in as the 47th president of the United States by Chief Justice John Roberts as Melania Trump holds the Bible during the 60th Presidential Inauguration in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025.  (Morry Gash/AP Photo, Pool)

Biden’s Last-Minute Moves

BEG YOUR PARDON: GOP lawmakers pledge to investigate Biden’s last-minute pardons…Read more

‘THIS IS DESPICABLE’: Virginia governor, AG react to Biden granting clemency to ‘cop killers’…Read more

LAST-MINUTE PARDONS: High-profile Dems warned Biden against preemptive pardons before giving Fauci, Milley passes…Read more

US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden greet President-elect Donald Trump and Melania Trump as they arrive at the White House in Washington, DC, on January 20, 2025, before departing for the US Capitol where Trump will be sworn in as the 47th US President.   (Jim Watson / AFP via Getty Images)

BROTHERLY LOVE: President Biden pardons his siblings just minutes before leaving office…Read more

‘DONE NOTHING WRONG’: Biden pardons Mark Milley, Anthony Fauci, J6 committee members…Read more

Trump Inauguration 

TIME FOR TRUMP: Laken Riley Act set to become one of first bills to hit Trump’s desk…Read more

BORDER BLITZ: Trump to end birthright citizenship for children of illegal immigrants, halt refugee flow…Read more

IN COURT: Elon Musk’s DOGE faces first legal challenge within hours of Trump inauguration…Read more

PAGE REFRESH: White House website now lists Trump as president, removes Biden, Harris content…Read more

A screenshot of the new, updated White House website on Monday following the inauguration of President Donald Trump. (Whitehouse.gov)

CULTURE WAR: Trump targets culture war lightning rods in early slate of executive orders…Read more

NO-SHOW MICHELLE: Former first lady skips Trump inauguration as Barack arrives solo…Read more

NEW YORK, NEW YORK: NYC Mayor Adams attends inauguration at Trump team’s request…Read more

SILENCE SPEAKS VOLUMES: Former presidents mum following Trump’s second inauguration…Read more

Capitol Hill

ALL THAT GLITTERS: ‘New Golden Age’: Republican lawmakers ecstatic as Trump takes office with slate of new orders…Read more

President-elect Donald Trump is pictured in front of the U.S. Capitol. (Getty Images)

FEELING BLUE: Dems promise to ‘stand up to’ Trump but laud ‘peaceful transfer of power’ after speech…Read more

LONG-AWAITED MOVE: Trump national security adviser pick Waltz resigns from House, shrinking GOP majority…Read more

DONE AT DOGE: Ramaswamy launching Ohio governor run early next week, say sources…Read more

Across America 

MARK MILLEY PARDONED: General at center of Afghanistan withdrawal predicted it wouldn’t be a Saigon moment…Read more

CLEARING OUT: Acting FBI Director Paul Abbate retires just minutes before Trump takes office: report…Read more

WASHINGTON, DC – JULY 30: Deputy Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Paul Abbate  prepares to testify before a joint hearing of the Senate Judiciary and Homeland Security and Government Affairs committees on Capitol Hill on July 30, 2024 in Washington, DC. Senators questioned Acting Director Rowe and Deputy Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Abbate about the events of the July 13 attempted assassination of former U.S. President Donald Trump.  (Michael A. McCoy for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

WORLD OF DIFFERENCE: Trump’s UN ambassador nominee says she sees ‘great promise’ in United Nations…Read more

Get the latest updates on the Trump administration, Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.

With President Biden now in political retirement, California Gov. Gavin Newsom is quickly becoming one of President Trump’s top targets.

And Trump, minutes into his second term as president, used his inauguration address inside the U.S. Capitol to take aim at the Democratic governor of the nation’s most populous state.

“Our country can no longer deliver basic services in times of emergency,” Trump argued. And he pointed to “Los Angeles, where we are watching fires still tragically burned from weeks ago without even a token of defense.”

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President Trump gives his inaugural address after being sworn in inside the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol on Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Trump this month has repeatedly criticized Newsom’s handling of the horrific wildfires that have razed parts of metropolitan Los Angeles, killing nearly 30 people and forcing tens of thousands to flee their homes.

POLITICAL FIRESTORM: NEWSOM DEFENDS HIS EFFORTS TO FIGHT CALIFORNIA’S HORRIFIC BLAZES

The governor’s press office quickly pushed back, posting on social media four photos of firefighters tackling the blazes.

Trump will head to California on Friday to get a firsthand view of the firefighting and recovery efforts.

“I’m going to go out there on Friday to see it and to get it moving back,” Trump said at an inaugural eve rally in the nation’s capital. “We’re going to get some of the best builders in the world. We’ll get it moving back.”

Newsom, who over a week ago invited Trump to California, said in a statement on Monday following the inauguration ceremony, “I look forward to President Trump’s visit to Los Angeles and his mobilization of the full weight of the federal government to help our fellow Americans recover and rebuild.”

And he emphasized “finding common ground and striving toward shared goals” with the Trump administration.

“In the face of one of the worst natural disasters in America’s history, this moment underscores the critical need for partnership, a shared commitment to facts, and mutual respect – values that enable civil discourse, effective governance, and meaningful action,” the governor said.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom tours the downtown business district of Pacific Palisades on Jan. 8, 2025, in Los Angeles. (Eric Thayer/Getty Images)

Newsom added that “where our shared principles are aligned, my administration stands ready to work with the Trump-Vance administration to deliver solutions and serve the nearly 40 million Californians we jointly represent.”

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Newsom was a top surrogate on the 2024 campaign trail for Biden and later former Vice President Kamala Harris, who replaced Biden last summer as the Democrats’ nominee.

The governor, who is term-limited and likely has national ambitions in 2028, was a vocal Trump critic on the 2024 campaign trail and has taken a lead in leading the Democratic Party’s resistance in the wake of Trump’s presidential election victory.

Republican lawmakers are jubilant after President Trump was sworn in for a second term on Monday, followed by a speech promising massive policy changes in the U.S.

“President Trump’s speech was a breath of fresh aid for Americans – he will bring down costs, close the southern border, deport illegal immigrants, bring back free speech, and unleash American energy dominance,” House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris, R-Md., told Fox News Digital. “The Golden Age of America begins today.”

House GOP leaders, meanwhile, reaffirmed their promise to execute Trump’s policies as quickly as possible, with the commander in chief angling for an active first 100 days in office beginning with a sweeping set of executive orders.

“This is America’s moment of redemption, and under President Trump’s leadership, our nation will usher in a new Golden Age,” said House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn. “House Republicans are fully committed to making his America First vision a reality and are ready to hit the ground running on day one.”

DONALD TRUMP SWORN IN AS 47TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

House Republican leaders are signaling their eagerness to get started on President Trump’s envisioned policy overhaul. (Getty Images)

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., meanwhile, hailed Trump’s address as “a powerful speech outlining his vision for an America that’s safe, strong, free, and full of opportunity.”

Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Okla., chair of the House GOP Policy Committee, compared Trump’s inauguration to former President Ronald Reagan’s in 1985 – which was also held indoors. 

“Like Reagan, who ushered in a renaissance of American greatness, President Trump’s inauguration marks the beginning of a new golden age in America. His vision and leadership will secure a brighter future for our nation. Today, we witness the dawn of a new era,” Hern said.

Like Trump, Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, called for legislative action to begin without delay. He said, “Today is a day for celebration, but our work begins immediately. There is no room for excuses. Congress must work with the president to deliver fully, not partially. I stand ready and resolved.”

Meanwhile, Rep. Randy Feenstra, R-Iowa, urged Congress to now work with Trump “to pass the Farm Bill, extend the Trump Tax Cuts, lock down our border, end the electric vehicle mandates, support our small businesses, and lower costs for our families and farmers.”

TRUMP TO TAKE MORE THAN 200 EXECUTIVE ACTIONS ON DAY ONE

House GOP Policy Committee Chair Kevin Hern also praised Trump. (Getty Images)

Several of those goals were also mentioned by Trump himself during his inaugural speech in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda.

“I will direct all members of my Cabinet to marshal the vast powers at their disposal to defeat what was record inflation, and rapidly bring down costs and prices. The inflation crisis was caused by massive overspending and escalating energy prices. And that is why today I will also declare a national energy emergency. We will drill, baby, drill,” Trump said.

“With my actions today, we will end the Green New Deal, and we will revoke the electric vehicle mandate, saving our auto industry and keeping my sacred pledge to our great American autoworkers.”

He also repeated promises to crack down on crime at the border as well as target foreign nations with high tariffs as a means to bring down the deficit.

Donald Trump is sworn in as the 47th president in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda on Jan. 20, 2025. (Saul Loeb/Pool via Reuters)

Trump later gave roughly half an hour’s worth of further remarks in the Capitol’s Emancipation Hall. 

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The second speech, more freewheeling than his first, saw Trump criticize his predecessor, former President Biden, for issuing pardons to members of the former House Select Committee on Jan. 6 and others, like retired Gen. Mark Milley.

“We’re going to turn our country around, and we’re going to turn it around fast. And I think it was a better speech than the one I made upstairs,” Trump joked in those remarks.

The Laken Riley Act is expected to be headed back to the House after the Senate likely passes an amended version on Monday night. 

The legislation is set to be one of the first pieces of legislation sent to President Trump’s desk after it overcame the legislative filibuster’s 60-vote threshold twice this month. 

The bill, introduced in the new Congress by Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., in the Senate and Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga., in the House, was named for a 22-year-old Augusta University nursing student who was found dead on the University of Georgia’s campus in February. 

NEXT OHIO SENATOR, A ‘FISCAL CONSERVATIVE,’ AIMS TO ‘GET GOVERNMENT OUT OF PEOPLE’S LIVES’

Republicans plan to push through the Laken Riley Act now that they have an incoming trifecta in Washington. (Getty Images)

Jose Ibarra, a 26-year-old illegal immigrant, was found guilty of 10 total counts, including felony murder. He initially pleaded not guilty but was ultimately sentenced to life without the possibility of parole in November. 

The measure would require ICE to arrest and detain illegal immigrants that have committed theft, burglary or shoplifting until they are deported. States would also be granted standing under the legislation to take civil action against members of the federal government that do not enforce immigration laws. 

DOGE CAUCUS PLANS FOR BIGGEST IMPACT, EYEING KEY TOOLS TO EXPEDITE CUTTING WASTE

The bill would require ICE detainment for certain crimes by illegals. (Todd Packard, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) )

A Republican amendment that added assault of law enforcement officers to the list of crimes that would trigger ICE detainment was added last week in the Senate. The upper chamber will also vote on Monday afternoon on whether to add “Sarah’s Law” as an amendment. The legislation, led by Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, would require ICE to detain illegal immigrants charged with killing or seriously injuring another person. 

A final vote on the immigration bill is expected around 6 p.m. in the upper chamber. 

OHIO GOV DEWINE PICKS LT GOV TO FILL VICE PRESIDENT-ELECT JD VANCE’S VACANT SEAT

Laken Riley poses for a photo posted to Facebook. Riley, a nursing student at the University of Georgia, was found dead near a lake on campus on Thursday, February 22, 2024. (Laken Riley/Facebook)

Afterward, the House will need to talk up the measure once again and approve the final version as amended by the Senate. 

The prioritization of the bill ahead of Trump’s swearing in on Monday came as the new president is expected to make immigration law enforcement a top goal of his administration. 

DESANTIS ANNOUNCES CHOICE FOR SENATE APPOINTMENT AFTER RUBIO’S EXPECTED RESIGNATION

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump arrives prior to the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump at the United States Capitol on January 20, 2025, in Washington, DC. Donald Trump takes office for his second term as the 47th President of the United States.  (Melina Mara – Pool/Getty Images)

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Trump’s administration has already revealed several actions he is taking on the first day of his term, with many addressing immigration. Incoming White House officials revealed on Monday that he would sign an executive order ending birthright citizenship for the children of illegal immigrants, in addition to several other day-one actions tackling the border crisis. 

Fox News Digital’s Adam Shaw contributed to this report. 

Congressional Democrats are balancing efforts to stand tough against President Trump while also pledging to work with him where possible after the Republican commander in chief took office.

It comes as moderate Democrats and Democrats in vulnerable seats have made overtures toward Republicans in areas like border security and transgender youth after the GOP’s commanding victories in the 2024 elections – which the right has widely interpreted as a mandate for a more conservative America.

“My job is to fight to make life better for Texas families, and I will work with anyone, Democrat or Republican, who is interested in lowering costs, securing our border, and keeping our communities safe,” freshman Rep. Julie Johnson, D-Texas, who attended the inauguration, said in a statement. 

“But make no mistake, I will always stand up to President Trump, his administration, division, and far-right extremism when any of those individuals or entities threaten our way of life.”

DONALD TRUMP SWORN IN AS 47TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

Democrats in purple and red states, like Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto and Rep. Julie Johnson, said they would work with President Trump when possible but also stand up to him. (Getty Images)

Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., who ran tight races in 2016 and 2022 and is expected to do so again in 2028, said in a statement, “I look forward to working with the incoming administration to lower prices, create jobs, and keep our communities safe. But make no mistake, if President Trump uses his position to hurt hardworking Nevadans, I will always stand strong to protect them.”

Rep. Jimmy Panetta, D-Calif., took a similar conciliatory tone.

“There is progress to be made on housing, environmental stewardship, public safety, immigration reform, national security, and more. I will work with anybody and any administration to pursue areas of agreement and aggressively deliver for the people I serve,” he said.

Trump was sworn in on Monday. (Kevin Lamarque/AFP via Getty Images)

“I also firmly believe that our diversity is our strength and our unity is the power to endure and succeed no matter the many challenges that we face. Law-abiding immigrants, the LGBTQ+ community, women, and families recovering from devastating natural disasters are understandably worried by the rhetoric from the campaign trail and potential policies from the Trump Administration.”

Other Democrats were more guarded in their statements, like Rep. Chris Deluzio, D-Pa., who said on X, “Today, and always, I root hard for this country of ours, and I wish [President Trump] well as he takes on the responsibility of leading America.”

TRUMP TO TAKE MORE THAN 200 EXECUTIVE ACTIONS ON DAY ONE

Progressive Rep. Becca Balint said, “We must face these challenges with courage and clarity.” (AP/Lisa Rathke)

Progressive Rep. Becca Balint, D-Vt., however, made clear that she would take a more hard-line approach against Trump.

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“Day 1 under Trump. We must face these challenges and attacks with courage and clarity. I’m ready for the work ahead to defend our Constitution and will be working tirelessly to address the urgent needs of Vermonters and working people across America,” she wrote on X.

Trump was sworn into office for his second term in an inauguration ceremony inside the U.S. Capitol.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Trump said a “tide of change is sweeping the country,” telling Americans during his inaugural address Monday that he is “optimistic” that the U.S. is beginning a “new era of national success,” while declaring that the country’s “decline is over.”

Trump addressed the nation on Monday after taking the oath of office for the second time and being sworn in as the 47th president of the United States. 

“The golden age of America begins right now,” Trump said in his inaugural address. “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.” 

DONALD TRUMP SWORN IN AS 47TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

Donald Trump is sworn in as the 47th president of the United States by Chief Justice John Roberts as Melania Trump holds the Bible in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. (Morry Gash/AP Photo, Pool)

“During every single day of the Trump administration, I will very simply put America first,” Trump said. 

Trump vowed that U.S. “sovereignty will be reclaimed, our safety will be restored. The scales of justice will be rebalanced. The vicious, violent and unfair weaponization 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.” 

Trump promised that he would not use the government to go after political opponents, saying it was something he knew something about, a reference to his claims of persecution by the Biden administration.

“But first, we must be honest about the challenges we face,” Trump said. “While they are plentiful, they will be annihilated by this great momentum that the world is now witnessing in the United States of America.” 

But, the president said in his first remarks to the nation as the 47th president, “our government confronts a crisis of trust.” 

“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,” Trump said. 

TRUMP TO TAKE MORE THAN 200 EXECUTIVE ACTIONS ON DAY ONE

The president delivered his remarks from the Capitol Rotunda Monday due to an arctic blast that hit the nation’s capital, with frigid temperatures forcing the inaugural ceremonies to be moved indoors for the first time in four decades. 

Trump, who won the Electoral College and popular vote, defeating now-former Vice President Kamala Harris in a landslide, has vowed that his second administration will bring “the golden age of America.” 

Trump was running against then-President Biden, who was seeking re-election, until July 2024. But after the two debated for the first time, and after a disastrous performance by Biden, the incumbent was pressured by Democrat insiders to suspend his presidential bid. 

Biden made the announcement in a social media post and endorsed Harris to be the Democratic presidential nominee in his place, moving his vice president to the top of the ticket. 

The decision for Biden to drop out of the race came just days after the Republican National Convention (RNC) finished, and after Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, formally accepted the GOP nomination. 

But Trump, just days before accepting the Republican nomination, survived an assassination attempt at a rally on July 13 in Butler, Pennsylvania. During the event, Trump was showing off a chart highlighting how illegal immigration skyrocketed under the Biden-Harris administration. As he turned toward the chart, he was hit by a bullet that pierced the upper part of his right ear by the now-deceased would-be-assassin, Thomas Matthew Crooks. 

Weeks later, in September, another would-be-assassin hid himself in the bushes at Trump International Golf Course in West Palm Beach, Florida. The gunman, Ryan Wesley Routh, had an AK-47-style rifle pointing through the fence toward Trump as he was golfing. Trump was rushed off the golf course by U.S. Secret Service agents, unharmed.

TRUMP TO DEPLOY MILITARY TO BORDER, END BIDEN PAROLE POLICIES IN FLURRY OF DAY ONE EXECUTIVE ORDERS

Donald Trump is sworn in as the 47th president in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda on Jan. 20, 2025. (Saul Loeb/Pool via Reuters)

Trump reflected on his near-death experience, and his unprecedented trials and legal battles throughout the 2024 campaign cycle. 

“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, and that I can tell you. Those who wish to stop our cause have tried to take my freedom and indeed to take my life,” Trump said. “Just a few months ago, in a beautiful Pennsylvania field, an assassin’s bullet ripped through my ear.” 

He added: “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.” 

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Trump, on his first day in office, is expected to take more than 200 executive actions – a massive, first wave of policy priorities focused on border security, energy, reducing the cost of living for American families, ending DEI programs across the federal government, and more, Fox News Digital exclusively reported. 

Trump will also deliver on his campaign promise to roll back the policies of his predecessor on his first day in office. Trump will end “catch and release”; pause all offshore wind leases; terminate the electric vehicle mandate; abolish the Green New Deal; withdraw from the Paris climate accord; and take several major steps to assert presidential control over the federal bureaucracy. 

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates. 

President Biden delivered a two-word message to President-elect Trump at the White House on Monday. 

“Welcome home,” Biden shouted to Trump, as the soon-to-be 47th president arrived outside the White House with his wife, Melania Trump. 

Trump walked up the steps and greeted Biden and first lady Jill Biden. The couples posed for photos, but did not answer questions shouted by the press. The Bidens and the Trumps turned around and entered the White House together to have tea. 

BIDEN BALKS WHEN ASKED IF TRUMP DESERVES CREDIT FOR ISRAEL-HAMAS CEASE-FIRE DEAL: ‘IS THAT A JOKE?’

President Biden and first lady Jill Biden greet President-elect Trump and Melania Trump upon arriving at the White House, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

After the private tea concluded, Biden and Trump got into their motorcade and traveled together to the Capitol for the inauguration ceremony. Trump will be sworn in as president around noon ET. 

The two-word message mirrored the “welcome back” Biden told Trump when the two met in the Oval Office on Nov. 13 following the Republican’s decisive victory over Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris. 

President-elect Trump and Melania Trump are greeted by President Biden and first lady Jill Biden upon their arrival at the White House, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

‘WORST FAREWELL SPEECH IN PRESIDENTIAL HISTORY’: BIDEN’S OVAL OFFICE GOODBYE PANNED AS ‘DARK’

The welcoming tone is a stark contrast to the combative nature of the June debate between Biden and Trump, as the Democratic president’s rocky performance ultimately led to him suspending his re-election campaign and Harris topping the ticket.

Just weeks later, Trump survived a July 13 assassination attempt during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, that sent shock waves through the 2024 election cycle. 

President-elect Trump and Melania Trump arrive at the White House, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

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Over concern about Biden’s age and mental fitness, Democratic donors and insiders pushed for his ouster from the race, and Harris became the nominee without any primary. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz was her vice presidential running mate. 

Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., called out the hypocrisy of politicians attending inaugural festivities for President-elect Donald Trump after having previously decried the Republican figure as a “threat to democracy.”

“People are more upset at performers/artists attending Trump’s inaugural events but not upset at all the politicians who told them he was a ‘threat to democracy’ going to these events are not serious,” the progressive congresswoman declared in a post on X. 

“Performers at least know they are there to perform and get paid, but these politicians who ran their mouth for 4 yrs and are now willing to be there and clap for him, that’s who they should be mad at. They lied to you and your criticism/anger should be rightfully directed at them,” she continued.

TRUMP’S 2ND PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURATION KICKS OFF IN DC AS FRIENDS AND FOES FLOCK TO NATION’S CAPITAL

Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., speaks during a news conference on possible government shutdown at the U.S. Capitol on Sept. 20, 2023, in Washington, D.C. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Omar suggested that performers should not be expected to have loyalty to a political party.

“Also, no one should ask people who are performers/artists to be loyal to a party because that’s what dictatorships do. In a free country like ours, people should be able to support any party they want without having their livelihood compromised,” the lawmaker concluded.

Fox News Digital emailed the Trump-Vance transition team and the Trump Vance Inaugural Committee on Monday to ask whether any of the performers at the inauguration ceremony or related celebrations are being paid. 

A committee spokesperson replied, stating that the committee did not pay for performances. 

ILHAN OMAR BLASTS HARRIS-WALZ CAMPAIGN FOR COURTING LIZ CHENEY: ‘HUGE MISSTEP’

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have both previously described Trump as “a threat to our democracy,” but are expected to attend Trump’s inauguration ceremony.

Omar has previously described Trump as “an existential threat to our democracy.” 

BIDEN PARDONS MARK MILLEY, ANTHONY FAUCI, J6 COMMITTEE MEMBERS

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris laugh as they view the fireworks on the National Mall from the White House balcony during a 4th of July event on the South Lawn of the White House on July 4, 2024 in Washington, D.C. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images)

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The Trump Vance Inaugural Committee announced that Carrie Underwood, Christopher Macchio, and Lee Greenwood will perform at the swearing-in ceremony. 

Various celebratory ball events will also feature performers, including Rascal Flatts and Parker McCollum at the Commander-in-Chief Ball, as well as Jason Aldean, The Village People, and Nelly at the Liberty Ball, and Gavin DeGraw at the Starlight Ball, according to the committee’s announcement.

Republican lawmakers are reacting furiously to President Joe Biden’s eleventh-hour decision to pardon several allies who President-elect Donald Trump and his circle have threatened retribution against, made hours before ceding power to the new commander-in-chief.

“Implication is that they needed the pardons,” Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “So, let’s call them all before Congress and demand the truth. If they refuse or lie – let’s test the constitutional ‘reach’ of these pardons with regard to their future actions.”

Biden announced early on Monday that he was issuing preemptive pardons for Dr. Anthony Fauci, retired Gen. Mark Milley, and members and staff of the now-defunct House select committee on the Jan. 6 Capitol attack.

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., now the chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee after Republicans swept the Senate and White House in November, pledged to investigate Fauci in particular with his new leadership power. Fauci has already been the subject of multiple inquiries and public attacks by Paul, who accused him of mismanaging the COVID-19 pandemic, along with other government officials. Fauci has consistently defended his actions, stating that they were solely guided by science.

BIDEN COMMUTES NEARLY 2,500 MORE SENTENCES IN FINAL DAYS OF PRESIDENCY

Biden issued several preemptive pardons of prominent critics of Donald Trump on Monday. (Left to right: (Photo by: William B. Plowman/NBC via Getty Images), (Photo by Mandel Ngan – Pool/Getty Images), (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images),  (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images))

“If there was ever any doubt as to who bears responsibility for the COVID pandemic, Biden’s pardon of Fauci forever seals the deal. As Chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, I will not rest until the entire truth of the coverup is exposed,” Paul wrote on X. “Fauci’s pardon will only serve as an accelerant to pierce the veil of deception.”

Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., said in his own statement: “Joe Biden just issued preemptive pardons for Mark Milley, Anthony Fauci, and Members of Congress and staff of the sham J6 Committee. In its final hours, the most CORRUPT Administration in American history is covering up Democrats’ trail of criminal activity.”

“Sneaking this through in the last hours of his presidency only makes them look more guilty. What’s he so desperate to hide? It’s been clear to any honest observer that there is plenty to investigate,” said Rep. Doug LaMalfa, R-Calif., chairman of the House Western Caucus.

BIDEN COMMUTES SENTENCES OF 37 FEDERAL DEATH ROW INMATES IN FINAL MONTH OF PRESIDENCY

On the other side of the aisle, Rep. Brendan Boyle, D-Pa., the top Democrat on the House Budget Committee, praised the decision and accused Trump of abusing his power.

“As someone who strongly advocated for these pardons, I applaud President Biden for making this bold and righteous decision. Trump has repeatedly abused power to serve his own interests and threatened to punish his political opponents,” Boyle said in a statement. “These pardons are essential to protecting the public servants and law enforcement who defended our democracy and worked tirelessly to keep us safe.”

Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, is seen outside the U.S. Capitol after the last votes before the August recess on Thursday, July 25, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Trump has previously threatened retribution against his critics when he returned to the White House, though he’s also clarified at times that he believed his second term would be retribution enough.

Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Ga., who leads a subcommittee investigating the Jan. 6 committee’s probe, called for the criminal prosecution of the former panel’s vice chair, ex-Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., in a 128-page report. Cheney said the report “intentionally disregards the truth and the Select Committee’s tremendous weight of evidence, and instead fabricates lies and defamatory allegations in an attempt to cover up what Donald Trump did.”

The incoming president has pardoned political allies like Paul Manafort and Michael Flynn, though unlike Biden’s latest decision, both were charged by the Department of Justice (DOJ) when those pardons were issued.

There is precedent for preemptive pardons, however. Former President Gerald Ford preemptively pardoned Richard Nixon after the Watergate scandal.

Former President Gerald Ford issued a preemptive pardon for predecessor Richard Nixon.

Fauci said in a statement regarding the pardon, “Despite the accomplishments that my colleagues and I achieved over my long career of public service, I have been the subject of politically motivated threats of investigation and prosecution. There is absolutely no basis for these threats. Let me be perfectly clear: I have committed no crime and there are no possible grounds for any allegation or threat of criminal investigation or prosecution of me. The fact is, however, that the mere articulation of these baseless threats, and the potential that they will be acted upon, create immeasurable and intolerable distress for me and my family. For these reasons, I acknowledge and appreciate the action that President Biden has taken today on my behalf.”

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Milley said he and his family were “deeply grateful” for Biden’s decision.
 
“After forty-three years of faithful service in uniform to our Nation, protecting and defending the Constitution, I do not wish to spend whatever remaining time the Lord grants me fighting those who unjustly might seek retribution for perceived slights. I do not want to put my family, my friends, and those with whom I served through the resulting distraction, expense, and anxiety,” Milley said. “It has been an honor and a privilege to serve our great country in uniform for over four decades, and I will continue to keep faith and loyalty to our nation and Constitution until my dying breath.”

Fox News Digital has reached out to the members of the Jan. 6 committee who are still serving in Congress for comment. 

Fox News’ Jennifer Griffin contributed to this report

EXCLUSIVE: President-elect Trump on Monday will order the deployment of U.S. troops to the southern border, stamp out Biden-era parole policies and designate international cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations — in a slew of nearly a dozen executive orders designed to drastically overhaul U.S. border and immigration policy.

Fox News obtained exclusive details of three of the expected 11 executive orders Trump will sign related to border security and immigration after he is inaugurated. 

In one order, Trump will immediately direct the federal government to resume construction of the border wall, which was largely ended under the Biden administration. That order will also end Biden-era parole policies, including the use of the CBP One app to parole migrants into the U.S., and the parole processes for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans (CHNV) — under which 30,000 nationals a month were allowed to fly in and be admitted under parole.  Nearly 1.5 million migrants have been allowed in under CHNV and CBP One.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION PLANNING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ARRESTS THROUGHOUT US ON ‘DAY ONE’ 

SIERRA VISTA, ARIZONA – AUGUST 22: Republican Presidential Candidate and former President Donald Trump walks along the U.S.-Mexico border on August 22, 2024 south of Sierra Vista, Arizona. (Photo by Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)

The order will also order government agencies to reinstate the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), known as the Remain-in-Mexico policy. That Trump-era policy, ended by the Biden administration, required migrants to stay in Mexico for the duration of their asylum hearings. 

A second order will order U.S. troops to be deployed to the border under U.S. Northern Command and will “instruct the military to prioritize our own borders and territorial integrity in strategic planning for its operations.” It will direct the military to prioritize U.S. border and territorial integrity in strategic planning.

The Secretary of Defense will be required to provide a Unified Command Plan and military resources will be integrated with federal law enforcement and intelligence “to ensure seamless operations and maximum effectiveness,” according to a fact sheet on the order.

TRUMP DHS PICK NOEM PLEDGES TO END CONTROVERSIAL APP USED BY MIGRANTS ON ‘DAY ONE’ 

“This Executive Order sends a clear message that the United States intends to exercise its sovereignty over its land and borders and that the Armed Forces have a role to play in protecting our borders,” Fox News is told.

A third order will designate international cartels and organizations, including MS-13 and the bloodthirsty Tren de Aragua, as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) and Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGT). An FTO designation allows for targeted action against members, including financial penalties.

This March 2, 2019, file photo, shows a Customs and Border Control agent patrolling on the US side of a razor-wire-covered border wall along the Mexico east of Nogales, Ariz. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Declaring that the organizations function as quasi-governments in some regions, and flood the U.S. with criminals and drugs, the order will declare the groups a national security threat and invokes the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to stop their operations.

The orders will be three of the expected 11 border-related executive orders that Trump is expected to sign on Monday. He is expected to announce some during his inauguration address, and others during signings at the White House.

It is the clearest sign yet from the incoming administration that it fully intends to deliver on its cornerstone campaign promise of securing the southern border and launching an historic mass deportation campaign.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS

It comes after a years-long crisis at the southern border which began in 2021 and continued through into 2024, slowing down after increased action from Mexico and a June Biden executive order that prevented migrants from claiming asylum.

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Trump has appointed former Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) director Tom Homan as “border czar” to oversee border security and the deportation operation. He has also nominated South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to serve as the next DHS secretary.

“Border security must remain a top priority,” Noem told lawmakers on Friday.

FIRST ON FOX: President-elect Trump says his second term represents a “new chapter” for America and promises the American people that the country’s “best days are yet to come.” 

Trump makes that pledge in a video released by his team Monday morning, just hours before he will take the presidential oath of office and be sworn in as the 47th president of the United States. 

The video, titled “It all comes down to this: Inauguration Day 2025,” features the president’s journey from leaving office in 2021, to the FBI’s unprecedented raid on his Mar-a-Lago home, to days in court, to the rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where he was nearly assassinated, to highlights from the campaign trail. 

DONALD TRUMP WINS 2024 ELECTION

The official portraits of President-elect Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance (Trump-Vance Transition Team)

“If I give you one message to hold in your hearts today, it’s this: never ever give up,” Trump says in the video.

Then, reporter voices reflecting on the “FBI raid at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence… Deadly force being authorized.” 

“Nothing worth doing ever, ever, ever came easy,” Trump says, followed by clips of the news of his indictment from Special Counsel Jack Smith and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. 

Smith’s cases against Trump were both dismissed. Trump sat through a six-week-long unprecedented trial in Manhattan for Bragg’s charges, and was found guilty by a jury, but was given a sentence of an unconditional discharge by the judge – meaning no punishment whatsoever. 

“Over the course of your life, you will find that things are not always fair,” Trump says. “You will find that things happen to you that you do not deserve.” 

TRUMP SWEARING-IN TO MOVE INDOORS DUE TO COLD WEATHER, SOURCE TELLS FOX NEWS

 The video shifts to Trump during his Butler rally, just moments before he was shot. 

Aerial footage of police stationed outside of Mar-a-Lago during the FBI raid. (WFOR)

Trump, just days before accepting the Republican nomination, survived an assassination attempt at a rally on July 13 in Butler, Pennsylvania. During the event, Trump was showing off a chart highlighting how illegal immigration skyrocketed under the Biden-Harris administration. As he turned toward the chart, he was hit by a bullet that pierced the upper part of his right ear by the now-deceased would-be-assassin, Thomas Matthew Crooks. Trump credits the chart for saving his life. 

“But you have to put your head down, and fight, fight, fight,” Trump narrates. “Never ever, ever give up. The more people tell you it’s not possible, that it can’t be done, the more you should be absolutely determined to prove them wrong.” 

Former President Trump is surrounded by U.S. Secret Service agents after being shot at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Trump says to “treat the word ‘impossible’ as nothing more than motivation.” 

“Relish the opportunity to be an outsider because it’s the outsiders who change the world,” Trump says, “and who make a real and lasting difference.” 

CARRIE UNDERWOOD TO PERFORM ‘AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL’ AT TRUMP INAUGURATION

Former President Trump stands on stage with former first lady Melania Trump, as Lara Trump watches, at an election night watch party, Nov. 6, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Florida. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

He also says, “The more that a broken system tells you that you’re wrong, the more certain you should be that you must keep pushing ahead, you must keep pushing forward.” 

Trump continues his narration, saying, “Never stop fighting for what you believe in and for the people who care about you.” 

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“America is beginning a new chapter,” Trump says. “Our best days are yet to come – I can promise you that.” 

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., are both calling for the destruction of Iran’s nuclear program.

“I don’t think diplomacy works,” Graham declared during an interview on “Face the Nation,” calling Iran a “religious Nazi regime,” that wants “to destroy the Jewish State.” 

“I am hoping there will be an effort by Israel to decimate the Iran nuclear program, supported by the United States. And if we don’t do that it will be a historical mistake,” Graham said.

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Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., left, and Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa. (Left: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images; Right: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Fetterman agreed with Graham’s call for the decimation of Iran’s nuclear program.

“One Hundred Percent,” the Democratic lawmaker declared in a post on X.

Graham responded, “Spot on, @SenFettermanPA. You get it.”

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Fetterman, an unwavering and outspoken supporter of Israel, has previously advocated for the destruction of Iran’s nuclear program.

“Whatever remains of Iran’s nuclear program needs to be destroyed and I fully support efforts to do so,” he declared in a tweet earlier this month.

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Fetterman recently met with President-elect Donald Trump, later describing the meeting as a “positive experience.”

Educational institutions and college-affiliated groups are preparing for President-elect Trump’s inauguration by offering mental health advice, delivering travel notices to international students, and organizing anti-Israel rallies.

Most schools will be closed on Inauguration Day, Jan. 20, due to it falling on a federal holiday, Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Similar to Trump’s first inauguration and the weeks following his victory in the 2024 election, universities and education groups are offering different outlets for students on Monday.

Several anti-Israel college groups in Chicago are planning demonstrations. The University of Illinois Chicago’s Students for Justice in Palestine (SJPUIC) and Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) chapters intend to hold an anti-Israel protest, according to social media posts.

The groups will reportedly meet to “fight back against Trump’s racist and reactionary program,” wrote SJPUIC in a post on Instagram. 

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Anti-Israel activists gather at Harvard University to show their support for Palestinians in Gaza at a rally in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on Oct. 14, 2023. (Joseph Prezioso)

Other schools are offering mental health advice ahead of the Republican’s swearing-in.

Emory University’s Rollin School of Public Health conducted an interview with clinical psychologist Rachel Waford, published in December, about how to deal with “anxiety” during presidential transitions. 

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“Americans are experiencing a mix of emotions as Trump prepares to start his second term as President of the United States. For some, a second Trump administration is stirring up fear and anxiety,” the article reads. 

Waford suggested those who have anxiety should stay off social media or unsubscribe from news outlets. “I would encourage anybody who is in that state right now to think about the ways that you can plug into your life tangibly. Plug into your community, social supports, and the things that bring a sense of security, safety, and control,” the psychologist said.

President-elect Trump will be sworn in as president on Jan. 20. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

The Close Up Foundation, a nonprofit civic education organization, offered middle school students the opportunity to take a seven-day trip to Washington, D.C., for the inaugural celebration in an effort to help “young people see how our national ideals impact us today.”

Meanwhile, in recent weeks, international students have been urged by their universities to return to the U.S. before the inauguration, claiming that Trump’s plans to crack down on illegal immigration could impact them. Several of the schools giving such notices include Cornell University, the University of Southern California (USC), Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and Penn State.

“A travel ban is likely to go into effect soon after inauguration,” said Cornell University’s Office of Global Learning in a message to students. “The ban is likely to include citizens of the countries targeted in the first Trump administration: Kyrgyzstan, Nigeria, Myanmar, Sudan, Tanzania, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Syria, Venezuela, Yemen, and Somalia. New countries could be added to this list, particularly China and India.”

A statement from USC said that “this is especially important given that a new presidential administration will take office on January 20 and – as is common – may issue one or more executive orders impacting travel to the US and visa processing.”

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LAPD surrounds students protesting in support of Palestinians at an encampment at the University of Southern California’s Alumni Park, in Los Angeles, April 24, 2024. (Zaydee Sanchez)

The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) has also directed teachers to evade Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) if they show up to schools.

“We will not allow any law enforcement entity to take any type of immigration action against our students or their families within our care,” LAUSD Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said during a press conference in January.

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After Trump won the presidential election in November, Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy offered a “Self-Care Suite” at school, while Northwestern University offered a “post-election wellness space” that provided puzzles, snacks, and “brain break activities” for students.

Fox News’ Alec Schemmel contributed to this report.

The Justice Department has recommended that a Pennsylvania barber convicted in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot face 20 years behind bars.

Ryan Samsel was found guilty in February 2024 on several charges, including assaulting federal officers, carrying out an act of physical violence on the Capitol grounds and obstruction of an official proceeding.

The DOJ proposed a sentence of 240 months in prison, three years of supervised release, $2,000 restitution and a fine, according to court documents.

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The Justice Department has recommended that a Pennsylvania man convicted of multiple charges in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol spend 20 years in prison. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)

“A sentence of 240 months of incarceration reflects the gravity of Samsel’s conduct and provides sufficient deterrence given Samsel’s continued lack of remorse, active and public rehashing of false narratives, violent criminal history, and interest in assaulting the Capitol again,” the DOJ wrote in a memorandum.

Samsel was the first rioter to breach the restricted perimeter of the Capitol with other supporters of now-President-elect Donald Trump in an effort to delay the certification of President Biden’s 2020 election victory, according to the DOJ.

He was found guilty of verbally abusing officers, forcibly pushing and pulling on metal barricades, and assaulting an officer by lifting a metal barricade and striking him in the face with it.

Ryan Samsel, who was convicted of multiple charges for his role in the Jan. 6 riot, was the first person to breach the Capitol perimeter that day, the DOJ said. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)

Police subsequently became overwhelmed as “the floodgates opened” and “thousands of rioters poured onto the West Front of the U.S. Capitol grounds,” the DOJ said in the document.

“Samsel spent the next hour and a half terrorizing the police on the West Front,” the document said. “He assaulted the police with his flag, grabbed another officer’s shield, tore at scaffolding, flashed officers, grabbed a 2×4 plank and hurled it at the police line, and threw a pole at a different police line.”

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Ryan Samsel was found guilty of verbally abusing officers at the Capitol, forcibly pushing and pulling on metal barricades, and assaulting an officer by lifting a metal barricade and striking him in the face with it. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)

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“Samsel was proud of his actions on that day, taking the time to record a selfie video during the riot and announce with a smile that he had breached the Capitol,” the DOJ wrote. “Samsel was still proud of his actions years later when he told an interviewer that his actions on January 6th were justified, because ‘sometimes civil disorder is needed.'”