Trump unleashes wave of executive orders in promised overhaul of U.S. policies

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• Amna Nawaz:

  In less than 24 hours, President Donald Trump unleashed a wave of executive actions, some that will take effect immediately, some that will be challenged in court, and some whose potential impacts are more vague.

• Geoff Bennett:

  And the president promises more executive actions in the near future. That's as his Cabinet takes shape and as he moves to purge the federal government of those he views as disloyal to him.

  On the second day of President Donald Trump's second term…

• Man:

  Take away the arrogance and hatred which infect our hearts.

• Geoff Bennett:

  … he and his family attended the National Cathedral prayer service, a bit of tradition for a president who so often defies them.

  Donald Trump, President of the United States: So this is a big one.

• Geoff Bennett:

  Within hours of taking the oath of office, a historic blitz of executive actions signed on his first day.

• Donald Trump:

  We're getting rid of all of the cancer. I call it cancer, the cancer caused by the Biden administration.

• Geoff Bennett:

  Nearly 80 of them, immediate reversals of Biden era policies, as well as withdrawals from things like the Paris climate agreement and the World Health Organization, many more of them also controversial.

• Donald Trump:

  So this is January 6. These are the hostages, approximately 1,500 for a pardon, full pardon.

• Geoff Bennett:

  With the stroke of a pen undoing the largest criminal investigation and prosecution in U.S. history, blanket pardons or commutations of sentences for those charged with crimes for the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, among them, rioters who violently attacked police and more than a dozen members of far right groups, including Enrique Tarrio of the Proud Boys and Stewart Rhodes of the Oath Keepers, who are convicted of seditious conspiracy in plotting the Capitol attack.

  At a rally before signing the order, President Trump repeatedly referred to January 6 rioters as hostages, while standing on stage with families of Israeli hostages.

• Donald Trump:

  We're going to release our great hostages that didn't do — for the most part, they didn't do stuff wrong.

• Geoff Bennett:

  In a memo today, U.S. Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger took objection to that: "When people attack law enforcement officers, the criminals should be met with consequences, condemnation, and accountability."

  On the issue of immigration, President Trump declared a national emergency at the southern border. Cities like Chicago and Washington, D.C., are now bracing for widespread raids to deport unauthorized immigrants.

• Tom Homan, Trump Administration Border Czar:

  I wouldn't call them raids. They're targeting enforcement operations. They know exactly who they're looking for. They know pretty much where they will find them. There's going to be more collateral arrests in sanctuary cities because they forced us to go in the community and find the guy we're looking for.

• Man:

  It's an executive order relating to reforms to the federal work force, including to the Senior Executive Service.

• Geoff Bennett:

  Another sweeping executive order will make it easier to fire federal employees considered disloyal to the administration, converting career federal workers into essentially political appointees the president could fire at will.

  Mr. Trump already taking action that front, posting on his social media platform that he will be firing more than 1,000 political appointees across the government, as his new administration ousted U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Linda Fagan, the first woman in charge of a U.S. military branch, a top Trump DHS official accusing her of — quote — "leadership deficiencies for prioritizing diversity initiatives over border security."

  And President Trump continues to threaten tariffs against China, Canada and Mexico, saying he may even go beyond that.

• Donald Trump:

  Well, you put a universal tariff on anybody doing business in the United States because they're coming in and they're stealing our wealth. They're stealing our jobs. They're stealing our companies.

• Geoff Bennett:

  Today, the president continued his breakneck pace of laying out his priorities and staffing up his new administration, sitting down with Republican House and Senate leadership to discuss the legislative agenda of the new Congress.

  Marco Rubio, U.S. Secretary of State: Marco Rubio…

  J.D. Vance, Vice President of the United States: … do solemnly swear.

• Marco Rubio:

  … do solemnly swear.

• Geoff Bennett:

  And he already has his first Cabinet member, newly sworn in Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was confirmed by the Senate unanimously last night.

  Two more Cabinet picks had hearings today, Elise Stefanik for the U.S. ambassador role at the U.N. and Doug Collins to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs. And others like defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth and Mr. Trump's pick to lead Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, could see their final confirmation votes this week.