Trump pardons nearly all Jan. 6 defendants on inauguration day
President Donald Trump pardoned nearly all Jan. 6 defendants on Monday night, after promising at his inaugural parade to sign an executive order on the matter. Sitting at the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office, Trump signed off on releasing more than 1,500 charged with crimes stemming from the Jan. 6, 2021, attack at the U.S. Capitol. The order requires the Federal Bureau of Prisons to act immediately on receipt of the pardons. “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 in Washington. “I’m going to the Oval Office and we’ll be signing pardons for a lot of people.” Those pardoned include Enrique Tarrio, the former Proud Boys chairman, who faced a sentence of 22 years in prison for seditious conspiracy. Tarrio’s attorney told the Associated Press he expects Tarrio to face release Monday evening. Trump previously promised that he would be “acting very quickly” on his first day in office to pardon to the so-called “hostages.” TRUMP TO DEPLOY MILITARY TO BORDER, END BIDEN PAROLE POLICIES IN FLURRY OF DAY ONE EXECUTIVE ORDERS Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., called Trump’s pardon “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 Monday, said in a statement posted to X, formerly known as Twitter. “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 said. The pardon was one of more than 200 executive orders Trump was expected to sign on Inauguration Day. Other directives he signed on Monday include withdrawing the U.S. from the Paris climate agreement that the U.S. initially entered under former President Barack Obama’s administration in 2015. Trump previously withdrew the U.S. from the agreement during his first term in 2020. TRUMP TO TAKE MORE THAN 200 EXECUTIVE ACTIONS ON DAY ONE On Monday morning, then-President Joe Biden issued a series of pardons just hours before Trump’s swearing in at the U.S. Capitol. Those pardoned by Biden include former chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, retired Gen. Mark Milley, whom Trump has accused of committing treason. Others Biden pardoned were those involved in the Jan. 6 Select Committee investigation that conducted a probe into the attack. “The issuance of these pardons should not be mistaken as an acknowledgment that any individual engaged in any wrongdoing, nor should acceptance be misconstrued as an admission of guilt for any offense,” Biden said in a statement. “Our nation owes these public servants a debt of gratitude for their tireless commitment to our country.” Fox News’ Anders Hagstrom and Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
President Trump discovers letter from former President Biden in Resolute Desk
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 “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 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. 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.
Marco Rubio confirmed by Senate to be next secretary of state, becomes first Trump cabinet pick to be approved
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 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. 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.” 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.” 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.
Trump did not place hand on Bibles during 2025 swearing in
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 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 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 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. 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.
WATCH: Protesters rally against ‘fascist’ Trump as he becomes 47th president: ‘Socialism beats fascism’
WASHINGTON, DC— Several hundred protesters gathered in Washington, D.C. as President Trump was being sworn into office on Monday and several told Fox News Digital they braved the frigid temperatures to speak out against “colonialism” and “fascism” they believe is coming under Trump’s term. “I’m coming out because I think it’s important to make a stand against the country’s slide towards fascism and against war and genocide and to just show that people are going to keep fighting no matter what attacks come down, and we know that they’re going to happen,” Gregory, who said he traveled from New Orleans to attend the We Fight Back rally at Meridian Hill Park in Washington, D.C., told Fox News Digital. “We know the conditions are going to keep getting worse. We’ve just got to keep fighting.” Maxwell, who traveled to the inauguration protest from Baltimore, told Fox News Digital, “I’m here to make a stand to say that we’re not going away and that the dangers of poverty and wealth inequality, misogyny, discrimination against the LGBTQ community and immigrants who make up the people of our nation deserve to have a voice and deserve to have people stand up for them domestically and also to end imperialism and colonialism and, you know, to discontinue that oppression enacted by the United States government and that’s why we’re here today.” PRESIDENT BIDEN PARDONS HIS SIBLINGS JUST MINUTES BEFORE LEAVING OFFICE Many of the protesters brought signs and props, including one man who rolled a large guillotine replica, which he told Fox News Digital was an “art piece” that is “open to interpretation.” “I want people to know that they have the power to make themselves heard, to voice their anger and to say, you know, to send a message to the people that are above us, people that are ruling us, that, you know, we are here, we’re powerful, and they better, you know, tread lightly. You know, it’s just a sculpture, but it should be a little scary.” An inscription beneath the guillotine said, “come get sum.” Mara, who identifies as transgender, told Fox News Digital that Trump is a “fascist.” TRUMP VOWS THE ‘BIGGEST FIRST WEEK’ IN PRESIDENTIAL HISTORY DURING VICTORY RALLY: ‘EXTREMELY HAPPY’ “It’s important for me to be here. First of all, Donald Trump, with his extreme right wing agenda, has, among other things, to label trans people as pedophiles and then execute them,” Mara said. “So as a trans person, that’s kind of alarming. In addition to that, he has been said not just by left-wing people, but by his own conservative generals, he’s been called a fascist. So I’m out here to reject fascism and say it has no place in our America.” The signs in the crowd contained phrases that included “socialism beats fascism” and “fight Trump’s agenda.” After the speeches wrapped up, many of which included rallying cries to “Free Palestine” and end Israel’s “genocide” in Gaza, the group walked out of the park and marched down the local streets. Counter-protesters showed up as the march got underway, and several individuals engaged in shouting matches. Protests against Trump’s inauguration were far more subdued than the protests that took place at the start of his first term in office and do not appear to have been violent, which it was eight years ago when hundreds of protesters were arrested. Trump was sworn in as the 47th president of the United States on Monday, marking his return to the Oval Office with a pledge to restore America to a “golden age.” Trump addressed the nation after taking the oath of office for the second time and used his inaugural address remarks to call for a “revolution of common sense.” “I return to the presidency confident and optimistic that we are at the start of a thrilling new era of national success. A tide of change is sweeping the country,” Trump said. “My message to Americans today is that it is time for us to once again act with courage, vigor, and the vitality of history’s greatest civilization.” Fox News Digital’s Brooke Singman contributed to this report
Fox News Politics Newsletter: Dawn of a New Era
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 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 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 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 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 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 ALL THAT GLITTERS: ‘New Golden Age’: Republican lawmakers ecstatic as Trump takes office with slate of new orders…Read more 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 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 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.
‘National emergency’: Trump declares ambitious illegal immigration crackdown in inaugural address
President Trump on Monday made a number of ambitious announcements on border security and immigration, eyeing a sweeping overhaul of U.S. policy and likely fueling pushback from Democrats and immigration activists in the weeks and months ahead. Trump used his inaugural address to outline his plans to fulfill his campaign promises to seal the southern border and launch a historic mass deportation campaign. “First, I will declare a national emergency at our southern border. All illegal entry will immediately be halted,” Trump said moments after being inaugurated. “And we will begin the process of returning millions and millions of criminal aliens back to the places from which they came.” TRUMP VOWS ‘NEW ERA OF NATIONAL SUCCESS,’ SAYS AMERICA’S ‘DECLINE IS OVER’ IN INAUGURAL ADDRESS Fox News had previewed Trump’s immigration moves, which include deploying the military to the border, ending Biden-era parole policies, restoring border wall construction and designating international cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. Trump also will be ending birthright citizenship for illegal immigrants, suspending refugee resettlement and creating a rapid removal process that does not allow for an asylum claim, officials told reporters. Officials told reporters in a press call that Trump would sign an order clarifying language in the 14th Amendment and stating that the federal government “will not recognize automatic birthright citizenship for children of illegal aliens born in the United States.” Trump reiterated many of these promises in his address. TRUMP TO DEPLOY MILITARY TO BORDER, END BIDEN PAROLE POLICIES IN FLURRY OF DAY 1 EXECUTIVE ORDERS “We will reinstate my Remain in Mexico policy. I will end the practice of catch-and-release. And I will send troops to the southern border to repel the disastrous invasion of our country. Under the orders I signed today, we will also be designating the cartels as foreign terrorist organizations,” he said. “And by invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, I will direct our government to use the full and immense power of federal and state law enforcement to eliminate the presence of all foreign gangs and criminal networks bringing devastating crime to U.S. soil, including our cities and inner cities.” TRUMP TO TAKE MORE THAN 200 EXECUTIVE ACTIONS ON DAY 1 “As commander in chief, I have no higher responsibility than to defend our country from threats and invasions,” he said. “And that is exactly what I am going to do. We will do it at a level that nobody has ever seen before.” Trump made tackling illegal immigration, including a mass deportation operation, a central theme of his 2024 campaign. Polls showed Americans saw illegal immigration as a top issue during the 2024 election, and some Democrats in Congress recently have supported legislation to require the detention of certain illegal immigrants by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Fox News’ Brooke Singman and Bill Melugin contributed to this report.
Trump supporters celebrate Inauguration Day in DC streets: ‘Today is a day of freedom’
Spirits were high in the streets of Washington, D.C., this Monday as Americans from across the country converged on the nation’s capital to celebrate the second inauguration of President Trump. Fox News Digital spoke to many Trump supporters who, despite frigid temperatures and a biting wind chill, expressed optimism and hope for the future of America under the new Trump administration. “It’s a happy day,” said a group of women from South Georgia who were wearing huge star-spangled hats and “Make America Great Again” scarves and were standing by the U.S. Capitol. “It’s amazing to have freedom again,” said one of the women named Tanya Garrett. “Today is a day of freedom,” chimed in another woman named Angela Anderson. WATCH: TRUMP SPEAKS TO SUPPORTERS AT THE CAPITOL Anderson said she believes the Trump administration will bring “the respect of America back.” “I think that’s one of the greatest things,” she said. “We’re going to have respect from other countries, and we’re going to prosper and bring safety on our borders and the respect for the people that there should be.” Most of the Trump supporters who spoke with Fox News Digital said the most important thing the new president could do is move quickly to undo the damage done during the Biden administration by securing the southern border, restoring the economy and American energy, and projecting American strength against the nation’s enemies. “I am very, very excited,” said Rachel Quy, who traveled from Atlanta and was standing outside Union Station. “I’m Vietnamese American and I do not like communists, and a lot of us who are anti-communist we hope that Trump can stop that or at least make them weaker so we can make America stronger.” WATCH TRUMP’S FULL INAUGURAL ADDRESS In a pub just blocks from the Capitol, the celebrations began as early as 10 in the morning. As televisions showed Trump emerging from St. John’s Episcopal Church after morning services, crowds in the bar broke into cheers and applause. “A lot of changes are going to happen,” said Jeff, a Trump fan sitting by the bar who traveled for the inauguration from Alaska. “We’re going to make immigration a big deal, bringing things back to America, businesses. It’s a new era, I’m looking forward to it.” Another Trump supporter named Will, who was sitting nearby, chimed in by saying he had never felt the same type of energy for another president. “We’re from Oregon, so it’s a blue state, so it’s nice to be around like-minded people,” he said. TRUMP SUPPORTERS SWARM OUTSIDE CAPITAL ONE ARENA AHEAD OF DC VICTORY RALLY Outside, supporters lined Pennsylvania Avenue where Trump and his motorcade were expected to pass through on their way to Capital One Arena. “We were doing much better under Trump, so we’re excited for another four years,” said Philip Swinson, a construction business owner from Southern California. Standing by Swinson was his father and business partner, Brad Swinson. “I’m almost 72, and I’m going to remember [Biden] as the worst president of my lifetime by far,” said Brad. “We’re big on freedom, the Constitution, free enterprise, all the things that they seem to be pushing against, at least the Democrats [and] the deep state, and I think people can see through that.” Some said that they have noticed a shift in energy in their communities with more and more people willing to openly agree with and support Trump and his agenda. “Anything is better than what we’ve had for the last four years,” said Levi, a young man from Wisconsin. “People that were my friends that were liberals, hard-core lefties, now they’re like, ‘You know what? We’ve got to change something here.’” “It’s been embarrassing for the last four years. We have not had anybody in charge, anybody running the show,” said Deanna, from Illinois. “America has got somebody in charge now.”
Trump, Newsom clash over wildfires, but California governor says he’ll work with president
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.” CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING ON THE SECOND INAUGURATION OF PRESIDENT TRUMP 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. 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.” 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.
Trump’s UN ambassador nominee Elise Stefanik says president sees ‘great promise’ in the United Nations
FIRST ON FOX: President Trump sees “great promise” in the United Nations, according to his U.N. ambassador nominee Elise Stefanik, who said she would bring “reform” to the organization. “When discussing this nomination with President Trump, the President shared with me that he sees great promise in the United Nations if it focuses on its founding mission of international peace and security. President Trump has long advocated for peace and no new wars,” she will say, according to excerpts of her opening statement for Tuesday’s confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, obtained by Fox News Digital. She will pledge to support Israel – as it faces chronic criticism for the war in Gaza – and work to ensure the agency is using U.S. tax dollars to advance U.S. interests. “As the world faces crisis after crisis, with hostages including Americans still held in Hamas’ captivity, to national security challenges ranging from China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran, it has never been more critical for the United States to lead with strength and moral clarity,” Stefanik plans to say. “As a Member of Congress, I also understand deeply that we must be good stewards of U.S. taxpayer dollars. The U.S. is the largest contributor to the U.N. by far. Our tax dollars should not be complicit in propping up entities that are counter to American interests, antisemitic, or engaging in fraud, corruption, or terrorism.” “We must invest in programs that strengthen our national security and deliver results. To increase the efficacy of U.N. programs, we must drive reform. If confirmed, I will be the first U.N. Ambassador in over two decades to come directly from Congress – and I have a deep respect and understanding of the oversight and appropriations role of the legislative branch. I look forward to using my strong House and Senate relationships to deliver much needed reforms.” After Tuesday’s hearing, where Stefanik will be grilled on her plans for representing the U.S. at the U.N., the Foreign Relations Committee will vote on her confirmation before it heads to a full Senate vote. FORMER HIGH-LEVEL UNITED NATIONS OFFICIALS TO LAUNCH ‘DOGE-UN’ TO HIGHLIGHT AGENCY INEFFICIENCIES Stefanik, who currently serves as the House GOP Conference chair, is expected to sail to confirmation in the U.N. role. Sen. John Fetterman, a Democrat from Pennsylvania, has already said he will vote for her – they are both strong Israel supporters. She served on the Intelligence and Armed Services Committees, but she went viral for her work on the other side of the table last year when she questioned university presidents and their policies surrounding pro-Gaza protests during Education Committee hearings. The U.N. ambassador is a Cabinet-level position, meaning Stefanik will regularly meet with the president to share updates and suggestions, if confirmed. Both Trump and Stefanik have been critical of the U.N., and Trump slashed funding for certain U.N. agencies and programs during his first term. Founded with a mission to promote global peace, development and respect for human rights after World War II, the U.N. relies on the U.S. for about a third of its budget. President Biden increased U.S. financial contributions to the U.N. and its sister agencies, boosting it from $11.6 billion in 2020 to $18.1 billion in 2022. US FOES IRAN, RUSSIA, OTHER UN DIPLOMATS EXEMPT FROM NYC CONGESTION PRICING AS TAXPAYERS FORCED TO FOOT BILL The U.S. gave about three times as much that year as the next-highest contributors, Germany, at $6.8 billion, and Japan, at $2.7 billion. That amount of funding gives a new administration wiggle room to withhold funds to the U.N. if its global interests do not align with those of the U.S., a notion some Republicans have already pushed for. Trump will be in office when the international body elects its next secretary-general in 2026, and the U.S. will have veto power over any candidate. The U.N. particularly relies on the U.S. for global aid programs. In 2022, it provided half of all contributions to the World Food Programme, and about a third of all contributions to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), and the International Organization for Migration. And critics have warned that China has infiltrated the agency – the CCP doubled the number of its nationals employed at the U.N. to nearly 15,000 from 2009 to 2021.