The inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance will be moved indoors to the Capitol Rotunda on Monday because frigid temperatures are expected in the nation’s capital.
It’s set to be the coldest inauguration day in four decades.
“I have ordered the Inauguration Address, in addition to prayers and other speeches, to be delivered in the United States Capitol Rotunda, as was used by Ronald Reagan in 1985, also because of very cold weather,” Trump wrote on Truth Social Friday.
U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who has overseen a number of January 6 cases, said during a sentencing hearing Friday that her recent visit to the Capitol served as a reminder that “people came in and desecrated that beautiful space,” Politico reported.
This comes as South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem – Trump’s nominee to lead the Department of Homeland Security and best known for bragging about shooting dead her dog Cricket in her memoir – dodged questions by senators at her confirmation hearing on Friday on whether she would dare stand up to the president-elect if he threatened to withhold federal disaster relief funding from blue states.
Meanwhile, the number of Democrats who have reportedly said they will skip the inauguration, continues to grow.
Key Points
- Trump to head indoors for inauguration bucking outdoor ceremony to avoid frigid temps
- List of Democrats not attending Monday’s ceremony grows
- Kristi Noem’s grilled on whether she would stand up to Donald Trump at Senate confirmation hearing
- Trump reveals Xi Jinping call
- Supreme Court upholds TikTok ban
List of Democrats not attending Trump inauguration grows
02:50
,
Mike Bedigan
The list of Democrats who have announced they will not attend Donald Trump’s inauguration continues to grow:
While it isn’t mandatory for members of Congress to attend the inauguration, such high numbers are unusual. Those who have reportedly said they will not attend (so far) are:
- Former First Lady Michelle Obama
- Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
- Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman
- Rep. Adam Smith
- Rep. Deborah Ross
- Rep. Donald Beyer
- Rep. Steve Cohen
- Rep. Kweisi Mfume
- Rep. Jasmine Crockett
- Rep. Sean Casten
- Rep. Delia Ramirez
- Rep. Ilhan Omar
- Rep. Judy Chu
- Rep-elect. Lateefah Simon
- Rep. Veronica Escobar
‘First buddy’ Elon Musk is set to speak at Trump’s pre-inauguration rally. Here’s who will join
02:30
,
Gustaf Kilander
Elon Musk is set to speak at President-elect Donald Trump’s Washington, D.C., rally on Sunday alongside Hulk Hogan and Dana White, according to NBC News.
Trump family members will also speak at the rally at Capital One Arena — which is set to begin at 3 p.m. on Sunday — in between performances by Kid Rock, Billy Ray Cyrus, and the Village People. Anuel AA, a singer and rapper from Puerto Rico, will also speak at the event.
Musk spent more than $250 million to elect Trump last year. Not long after he won the election, Trump named Musk as one of the co-leaders of an outside advisory panel called the Department of Government Efficiency — DOGE. The committee will work on aggressively cutting government spending and the size of the federal workforce.
Read more:
VOICES: Trump can lay claim to the ceasefire in Gaza – doing the same in Ukraine will be much harder
01:45
,
Sam Kiley
When outgoing president Joe Biden was asked if he or Donald Trump deserved credit for the Gaza ceasefire deal struck in Qatar he shot back: “Is that a joke?” It wasn’t. Trump’s claim of having secured the “EPIC” deal was comic, but his contribution was real.
Biden’s team worked in tandem with Trump’s incoming administration – and his Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff – to deliver the agreement which had taken many months to thrash out.
It was no accident that it was struck in the dying days of the Biden years, less than a week before Trump was due to move back into the White House. Israel’s prime minister knew that involving Trump would set him up to warm relations with the 47th president.
Hamas knows he’ll always be an enemy, but one who might actually make good on a threat to “rain hell” on the movement if no deal was made.
Read more:
How TikTok grew from a fun app for teens into a potential national security threat
01:00
,
David Hamilton
If it feels like TikTok has been around forever, that’s probably because it has, at least if you’re measuring via internet time. What’s now in question is whether it will be around much longer and, if so, in what form?
Starting in 2017, when the Chinese social video app merged with its competitor Musical.ly, TikTok has grown from a niche teen app into a global trendsetter. While, of course, also emerging as a potential national security threat, according to U.S. officials.
On April 24, President Joe Biden signed legislation requiring TikTok parent ByteDance to sell to a U.S. owner within a year or to shut down. TikTok and its China-based parent company, ByteDance, filed a lawsuit against the U.S., claiming the security concerns were overblown and the law should be struck down because it violates the First Amendment.
The Supreme Court on Friday unanimously upheld the federal law banning TikTok beginning Jan. 19 unless it’s sold by ByteDance.
Here’s how TikTok came to this juncture:
Trump blasts FBI’s now-shuttered DEI office and hints at an investigation ahead of White House return
00:15
,
Gustaf Kilander
President-elect Donald Elect Donald Trump has indicated that he may order an investigation of the FBI’s shuttered Office of Diversity and Inclusion.
“We demand that the FBI preserve and retain all records, documents, and information on the now closing DEI Office—Never should have been opened and, if it was, should have closed long ago,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Thursday. “Why is it that they’re closing one day before the Inauguration of a new Administration? The reason is, CORRUPTION!”
The office was closed last month, following Trump’s November election win.
“In recent weeks, the FBI took steps to close the Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI), effective by December 2024,” the FBI told Fox News Digital Thursday.
Read more:
Obama pushed Chuck Schumer to convince Biden to drop out, citing his own ‘frigid relationship’ with the president
Friday 17 January 2025 23:30
,
Justin Baragona
Following last June’s disastrous debate performance by President Joe Biden, Barack Obama urged then-Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to be the bearer of bad news and convince Biden to drop out of the race, saying his own “fragile relationship” with the president prevented him from being the “best messenger.”
According to a deep-dive investigation by The New York Times, which was adapted from an upcoming book by reporters Annie Karni and Luke Broadwater, Schumer sat down with Biden in the president’s Delaware house last summer and told him he’d “go down in American history as one of the darkest figures” if he stayed in and lost to Donald Trump.
“The roughly 45-minute conversation, which took place on a screened-in porch overlooking a pond, was more pointed and emotional than previously known, and helps to explain how Mr. Biden came to the decision just over a week later to end his campaign,” the Times reported.
Read more:
Eight years ago 500,000 marched in DC against Trump. He has returned and so has the protest - just on a smaller scale
Friday 17 January 2025 22:45
,
Kelly Rissman
It’s been 8 years since nearly half a million demonstrators descended on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., to protest Donald Trump’s presidency on his first full day in office.
The inaugural Women’s March at the time was the largest single-day protest in U.S. history. Many sported pink knit “pussyhats,” a reference to Trump’s own words in the 2005 Access Hollywood tape, in which he bragged about “grabbing [women] by the pussy.”
“We are the popular vote!” some chanted, a reminder that he hadn’t captured the hearts of the majority of Americans, having lost the popular vote to Hillary Clinton by nearly 3 million votes.
“Welcome to your first day, we will not go away!” other marchers promised.
Read more:
Debt and deficits are set to reach record levels, Congressional Budget Office projects
Friday 17 January 2025 22:00
,
Gustaf Kilander
Debt and deficits are set to reach record levels, the Congressional Budget Office projected Friday.
The federal government will spend $2.7 trillion more than it collects by 2035, the office indicated.
That kind of borrowing means that the total debt held by the American people will reach $52 trillion — 118.5 percent of the U.S. economic output.
During his confirmation hearing this week, Trump’s Treasury Secretary nominee, Scott Bessent, said he’s “concerned, because several times the Treasury of the United States has been called upon to save the nation.”
“Whether it was the Civil War, the Great Depression, World War II or the recent covid epidemic, Treasury — along with the full government and Congress — has used its borrowing capacity to save the union, to save the world and to save the American people,” he added, according to The Washington Post. “What we currently have now, we would be hard-pressed to do the same.”
Sen. Bill Cassidy announces support for Hegseth
Friday 17 January 2025 21:40
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Gustaf Kilander
Sen. Bill Cassidy announced his support for Pete Hegseth as secretary of defense.
“The President’s pick for Secretary of Defense, Mr. Hegseth, has impressive academic qualifications, conducted himself very well in the Senate Armed Services hearing, and has a commendable record of service in uniform. He assured me he will surround himself with a strong support team,” said Cassidy. “I will vote for his confirmation.”
‘Majority of ticketed guests will not be able to attend’ inauguration 'in person’
Friday 17 January 2025 21:20
,
Gustaf Kilander
The majority of ticketed guests will not be able to attend the inauguration in person, according to a notice just sent to the hill.
“The House Sergeant at Arms (SAA) has been informed by the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies (JCCIC) that the 60th Inaugural Ceremonies will be held inside the U.S. Capitol,” the notice said, according to Punchbowl News. “As a result, the majority of ticketed guests will not be able to attend the ceremonies in person, although offices are welcome to distribute tickets to constituents in the manner they think best, if they would like to do so.”
“It is our understanding from the JCCIC that all Members of Congress will be invited to the indoor ceremony,” the notice added. “With the exception of tickets in sections three (3) and four (4), House Members of JCCIC recommend that your offices relay to constituents that their tickets will be commemorative. A decision on the seating of ticket sections three (3) and four (4) is still in development by JCCIC.”
Biden sets record and commutes sentences of 2,500 non-violent drug offenders in final days as president
Friday 17 January 2025 21:20
,
Josh Marcus
President Biden will commute the sentences of roughly 2,500 people convicted of non-violent drug offenses, the White House announced on Friday.
“This action is an important step toward righting historic wrongs, correcting sentencing disparities, and providing deserving individuals the opportunity to return to their families and communities after spending far too much time behind bars,” Biden said in a statement. “I am proud of my record on clemency and will continue to review additional commutations and pardons.”
The announcement, coupled with Biden’s decision last month to commute the sentences of about 1,500 people put on home confinement during the Covid pandemic, means the Democrat has issued the most individual pardons and commutations of any president, according to The Associated Press.
Read more:
WATCH: Kristi Noem Pressed On Role Of Trump Border Czar Tom Homan
Friday 17 January 2025 21:00
,
Gustaf Kilander
‘People came in and desecrated that beautiful space’
Friday 17 January 2025 20:40
,
Gustaf Kilander
On Monday, Trump will be inaugurated in the Capitol Rotunda, where his supporters laid siege to the Congress just four years previously.
On Friday, one of the participants in the riot, Brian Kelly, was sentenced to 10 days in prison by U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, according to Politico.
“I only wish the rest of the country could see some of the things I see,” she said before handing down the sentence.
“This may be, based on what happens outside these courthouse walls, the last one of these. I don’t know,” she added.
Chutkan noted she had never been to the Capitol before paying her respects during the lying-in-state of President Jimmy Carter. After overseeing a number of January 6 cases, she said the visit was a reminder that “people came in and desecrated that beautiful space.”
Rapper Nelly to perform at a Donald Trump’s inaugural ball
Friday 17 January 2025 20:20
,
Kaleigh Werner
Rapper Nelly is set to perform at the Inaugural Liberty Ball on January 20 with Donald Trump in attendance.
According to sources close to the event planning, the 50-year-old artist will join the Village People and country star Jason Aldean as the entertainment for the night, CBS reported.
Nelly previously confessed he didn’t care for Trump in 2017 amid his first term. “You know the thing about Donald Trump is that I liked Donald Trump, I did, I just don’t like Donald Trump as my president,” he told Page Six at the time. “He doesn’t surprise me as a person, he surprises me as a president because you don’t expect certain things, certain attitudes.”
Read more:
Trump sticking with fire-ravaged Los Angeles for Olympics despite calls from GOP to move it to a red-state
Friday 17 January 2025 20:00
,
Joe Sommerlad
Donald Trump has vowed to keep the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, despite calls from Republicans to move the games to a red state in the wake of the city’s devastating wildfires.
The president-elect promised to make the competition “the greatest Games” and said that they were “more important than ever to LA,” as city authorities continue to deal with the fallout from the blazes, which have so far claimed the lives of at least 25 people across southern California.
“These are America’s Olympics,” Trump said, according to Casey Wasserman, chairman of the LA 2028 organizing committee, who met with the president-elect at Mar-a-Lago on Wednesday.
Wesserman told Axios that Trump had added: “These are more important than ever to LA and I’m going to be supportive in every way possible to make them the greatest Games.”
Mike Bedigan has more.
Tim Walz mocks Trump for moving inauguration indoors
Friday 17 January 2025 19:40
,
Gustaf Kilander
There’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing. https://t.co/t4EIhA31n0 pic.twitter.com/vndLPf4Bot
— Tim Walz (@Tim_Walz) January 17, 2025
‘The Equal Rights Amendment belongs in our Constitution,’ Harris says
Friday 17 January 2025 19:20
,
Alex Woodward
Senator Kristen Gillibrand, who launched a one-woman lobbying effort to convince Joe Biden to get the Equal Rights Amendment into the Constitution, told reporters Friday that the president’s announcement today “superseded” the national archivist, which is responsible for physically amending it.
“The only thing we have to do now is enforce what is the 28th amendment to the constitution,” she said.
The archivist’s role is a “ministerial” one, and “she has no constitutional role and no right to insert herself into the constitutional process.”
“He has just done her job for her. He is her boss,” she said. “He issued the statement that it is the law of the land … He’s done it for her.”
Equality is a fundamental promise of our democracy. That is why the Equal Rights Amendment belongs in our Constitution. It makes our nation stronger, and it is the law of the land because the American people have spoken in states across our nation.
History teaches us that civil rights are fought for and won with every generation. That continues to be true today, which is why I have spent my career fighting for freedoms and to expand opportunities for women and girls. It has always been clear that when we lift up women, we lift up children, families, communities, and all of society. Now, Americans must continue to fight for a more equal and just nation where everyone has the opportunity to realize the promise of America.
Vice President Kamala Harris
Georgia Court of Appeals reject attempt by Fulton prosecutors to restore counts removed from indictment against Trump and others
Friday 17 January 2025 19:00
,
Gustaf Kilander
They affirmed Fulton Judge Scott McAfee, who said the charges lacked enough detail for attorneys to mount a suitable legal defense for their clients.
— Tamar Hallerman (@TamarHallerman) January 17, 2025
All six relate to allegations that defendants had illegally urged Georgia elected officials to violate their oaths of office
Trump’s DOGE co-chair Vivek Ramaswamy reportedly announcing campaign for Ohio governor
Friday 17 January 2025 18:40
,
Alex Woodward
Vivek Ramaswamy, the billionaire biotech entrepreneur joining Elon Musk to recommend drastic cuts to federal spending in Donald Trump’s administration, reportedly plans to run for governor of Ohio.
Ramaswamy — who was reportedly considering a run for J.D. Vance’s open U.S. Senate seat, with Trump’s encouragement — is expected to announce a campaign to replace the state’s term-limited Republican Governor Mike DeWine, according toThe Washington Post.
On Friday, DeWine is expected to tap the state’s Lt. Gov Jon Husted to fill the vacant Senate seat, after Vance’s resignation to serve as vice president under Trump.
Read more:
Ohio Governor announces Lt Gov Jon Husted as Vance replacement in Senate
Friday 17 January 2025 18:29
,
Gustaf Kilander
I'm proud to announce that I have selected @LtGovHusted to serve in the U.S. Senate, replacing Vice President-elect @JDVance. pic.twitter.com/W5918DDaCz
— Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) January 17, 2025
Kevin McCarthy: John Fetterman should be next Democrat leader
Friday 17 January 2025 18:20
,
Joe Sommerlad
The former House speaker has noted the Pennsylvania senator’s slight shuffle to the right in recent months and thinks he might have a future in politics.
McCarthy: Fetterman should be the leader of the Democratic Party.. pic.twitter.com/Z2W6XZoOUO
— Acyn (@Acyn) January 17, 2025
In other Republicans-on-television news, Markwayne Mullin continues to suggest that mere character defects and personal failings are no reason to write off Trump’s cabinet picks, which is a new one.
Markwayne Mullin keeps telling us that he's a bad person pic.twitter.com/cmBFhZKlpx
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 16, 2025
Watch: Ontario Premier Doug Ford takes swipe at Trump with ‘Canada is not for sale’
Friday 17 January 2025 18:00
,
Joe Sommerlad
CNN reportedly looking to bury Jim Acosta in graveyard shift to ‘throw a bone to Trump’
Friday 17 January 2025 17:40
,
Joe Sommerlad
One of the network’s most popular news anchors has reportedly been approached by bosses about moving his weekday show from its current mid-morning perch to the graveyard midnight shift, apparently to appease the president-elect.
Justin Baragona has the story.
How Team Trump feels about Michelle Obama avoiding Trump’s inauguration
Friday 17 January 2025 17:20
,
Joe Sommerlad
Kid Rock, for one, has been gloating.
“She seems a little angry.” Kid Rock slams Michelle Obama for skipping Trump’s inauguration.
— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) January 17, 2025
Where was he when his buddy Trump skipped Biden’s inauguration, the first president in 152 years to skip his successor’s swearing-in? pic.twitter.com/cZTVbzydee
Here’s Kelly Rissman on how the rest of Trumpworld has reacted to the former first lady’s snub.
Trump to head indoors for inauguration bucking outdoor ceremony to avoid frigid temps
Friday 17 January 2025 17:07
,
Kelly Rissman
The cold weather has thrown President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration into chaos, as the ceremony will be moved inside Monday due to temperatures forecast to be below-freezing, the president-elect said.
“I have ordered the Inauguration Address, in addition to prayers and other speeches, to be delivered in the United States Capitol Rotunda, as was used by Ronald Reagan in 1985, also because of very cold weather,” Trump wrote on Truth Social Friday.
High temperatures are expected to be in the low 20s in the nation’s capital on Monday.
Read more:
Trump announces that inauguration will be moved indoors
Friday 17 January 2025 17:06
,
Gustaf Kilander
January 20th cannot come fast enough! Everybody, even those that initially opposed a Victory by President Donald J. Trump and the Trump Administration, just want it to happen. It is my obligation to protect the People of our Country but, before we even begin, we have to think of the Inauguration itself. The weather forecast for Washington, D.C., with the windchill factor, could take temperatures into severe record lows. There is an Arctic blast sweeping the Country. I don’t want to see people hurt, or injured, in any way. It is dangerous conditions for the tens of thousands of Law Enforcement, First Responders, Police K9s and even horses, and hundreds of thousands of supporters that will be outside for many hours on the 20th (In any event, if you decide to come, dress warmly!). Therefore, I have ordered the Inauguration Address, in addition to prayers and other speeches, to be delivered in the United States Capitol Rotunda, as was used by Ronald Reagan in 1985, also because of very cold weather. The various Dignitaries and Guests will be brought into the Capitol. This will be a very beautiful experience for all, and especially for the large TV audience! We will open Capital One Arena on Monday for LIVE viewing of this Historic event, and to host the Presidential Parade. I will join the crowd at Capital One, after my Swearing In. All other events will remain the same, including the Victory Rally at Capital One Arena, on Sunday at 3 P.M. (Doors open at 1 P.M.—Please arrive early!), and all three Inaugural Balls on Monday evening. Everyone will be safe, everyone will be happy, and we will, together, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!
Donald Trump on Truth Social
Watch: Preparations underway at the White House ahead of Trump’s inauguration
Friday 17 January 2025 17:00
,
Joe Sommerlad
We’re hearing that talks are underway about moving Monday’s swearing-in ceremony indoors, such are the freezing temperatures set to hit DC, although nothing has yet been decided for certain.
For now, here’s the scene on the ground.
Noem’s Senate confirmation hearing hearing wraps up
Friday 17 January 2025 16:40
,
Joe Sommerlad
That’s all folks from Kristi Noem in the Senate, with Chairman Paul gavelling proceedings to a close.
The session’s key line of questioning came from Democrats Richard Blumenthal and later Elissa Slotkin, as they pushed Noem on whether she, unlike Trump, could keep politics out of her decision-making, without yielding a very definite answer from the candidate.
Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., asks homeland security secretary nominee Kristi Noem about her ability to not inflate the politics of an issue to please President-elect Trump.
— PBS News (@NewsHour) January 17, 2025
Noem: "I will be as transparent and factual every day, with you and the American people, as possible… pic.twitter.com/SO8e2ifOPc
Trump on Supreme Court TikTok ruling: 'I must have time to review the situation’
Friday 17 January 2025 16:30
,
Joe Sommerlad
Here’s the latest from the president-elect, effectively calling for more time to tackle the issue.
President-Elect DJT on Tik Tok: pic.twitter.com/m7ScFOxYV8
— Karoline Leavitt (@karolineleavitt) January 17, 2025
Noem succeeding Mayorkas would be ‘greatest upgrade in history’
Friday 17 January 2025 16:20
,
Joe Sommerlad
The governor’s Senate confirmation hearing in front of Rand Paul’s committee is still ongoing and has taken in everything from the mysterious drones over New Jersey to the dangers of remote working.
There has also been plenty of backslapping and compliments flying, with none oilier than this offered by freshman Ohio Republican Senator Bernie Moreno, who told Noem that her replacing Alejandro Mayorkas would be the “greatest upgrade in history”.
“When Mayorkas was confirmed, every single Democrat voted to confirm him, and six Republicans joined,” Moreno tutted with disgust.
“If we get to the vote, hopefully, chairman, we could do that Monday because we cannot wait one single day without you being in charge of that department.
“We should have 100 percent, 100 senators vote for your confirmation. This will be the litmus test in my mind as to whether we have a Democrat party that’s actually serious about doing bipartisan things like securing this country.”
Ohio Governor set to announce pick for JD Vance’s Senate seat
Friday 17 January 2025 16:10
,
Joe Sommerlad
Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted appears to be Mike DeWine’s choice to succeed the Vice President-elect in the Senate, according to NBC News.
There will be a 1pm ET (6pm GMT) press conference with DeWine at which that will be confirmed.
We’ll bring you the latest on that as it happens.
Ohio Gov. Mike Dewine will announce his pick for the Senate seat vacated by JD Vance at 1pm today. Lt. Gov. Jon Husted expected to be announced as the pick
— Andrew Desiderio (@AndrewDesiderio) January 17, 2025
Donald Trump Jr announces father’s new Secret Service pick
Friday 17 January 2025 15:55
,
Joe Sommerlad
The president-elect himself hasn’t posted anything on this yet so appears to have been scooped by his own son.
#BREAKING: President Trump will be naming Sean Curran, who heads his personal detail, to be Secret Service Director.
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) January 17, 2025
Sean is a great patriot and will stop all the insanity once and for all. There’s not a better person to be in this position!
pic.twitter.com/HWdIxuidYI
Watch: ‘The southern border is not secure’, says Noem
Friday 17 January 2025 15:45
,
Joe Sommerlad
This was the governor’s big line a short while earlier, given in response to a lay-up from Missouri Republican Josh Hawley.
"The southern border is not secure today, but in just three days, we will have a new president in this country, President Donald J. Trump, and he will secure our border," said homeland security secretary nominee Kristi Noem. pic.twitter.com/RmzBLZKbc8
— PBS News (@NewsHour) January 17, 2025
Hawley called the incumbent secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas a “disgrace” and called Noem’s honesty “refreshing”.
The same exchange also saw her back the return of the “Remain in Mexico” policy.
Kristi Noem, Trump's pick for DHS secretary, says she would work with President-elect Trump to reinstitute the "Remain in Mexico" policy from his first term.
— The Recount (@therecount) January 17, 2025
The policy required asylum-seekers to stay in Mexico while U.S. courts reviewed their cases. pic.twitter.com/QRlwkMxQgq
Noem asked whether she will actually be in charge of the border
Friday 17 January 2025 15:35
,
Joe Sommerlad
New Jersey Democrat Andy Kim asks the governor who will really be in charge of border security under the incoming administration.
She answers that Trump will, given that it is a national security concern.
Kim then raises conflicting comments made on the issue by the president-elect and by his border czar Tom Homan, each indicating that they will be taking charge, prompting the senator to say he is concerned that the Department of Homeland Security will not be “empowered” and imply that confusion could reign.
Biden claims Equal Rights Amendment is ‘law of the land’ after decades-long ratification fight
Friday 17 January 2025 15:25
,
Joe Sommerlad
Joe Biden is claiming to recognize a new constitutional amendment to enshrine protections against sex discrimination, but it’s unclear whether the president intends to take any action to publish it before Donald Trump enters office.
Biden’s statement is just a statement and not an order, proclamation or other presidential action and it carries absolutely zero legal force, as abortion rights advocates and LGBT+ civil rights groups demand urgent protections with just days before Trump returns to the White House.
A senior administration official refused to say whether there had been any communications with the National Archivist’s office during a briefing early on Monday and repeatedly demurred when asked about the meaning or effect of the president’s statement.
The Equal Rights Amendment was passed by Congress in the 1970s and gradually, over decades, approved by enough states to make it the 28th Amendment. But that ratification effort blew past the deadline, so it was never officially published.
Alex Woodward has this report.