Donald Trump signed a sweeping executive order on the death penalty on Monday, hours after being sworn in as the 47th President of the United States, that directs the US attorney general to “take all necessary and lawful action” to ensure that states have enough lethal injection drugs to carry out executions.
After being inaugrated as commander-in-chief at the US Capitol rotunda and delivering an address that both chastized Joe Biden’s outgoing administration and promised a new “golden age of America”, Trump set to work, as he had promised, on signing a stack of executive orders.
On immigration alone, the commander-in-chief moved to declare a national emergency at the southern border, end birthright citizenship, designate Mexico’s cartels terrorist organizations, reinstate his old “Remain in Mexico” policy and ended “catch and release” practices.
He also pardoned 1,500 “J6 hostages”, withdrew the US from the World Health Organization and Paris climate accord, affirmed that US government recognizes only two genders, renamed the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska’s Mount Denali, overturned 78 Biden-era regulations, froze federal hiring and postponed the implementation of a law banning Chinese-owned social media platform TikTok for 75 days.
Key Points
- Donald Trump’s sworn in as 47th US president at Capitol rotunda
- Trump claims start of new American ‘golden age’ as he delivers scorched earth address
- Key moments from Trump’s inauguration
- Marco Rubio confirmed by Senate as Trump’s secretary of state
- Elon Musk accused of giving ‘Nazi salute’ at Trump inauguration celebration
Watch: White House website features montage of Trump marking start of new administration
06:55
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Joe Middleton
Trump meets released Israeli hostages at inauguration event – then talks about freeing Jan 6 ‘hostages’
06:00
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Kelly Rissman
One day after the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas officially began, some of the families of Israeli hostages, and at least one former hostage, joined Donald Trump on stage at his inauguration event — moments later, he discussed the January 6 “hostages.”
Steve Witkoff, Trump’s Middle East envoy, announced that some family members and released hostages were in attendance at the Capitol One Arena event hours after Trump was sworn in.
As crowds in the arena applauded, the hostages’ family members stood in a line wearing yellow scarves and holding photos of their family members kidnapped by Hamas on October 7, 2023.
Read the full story.
Imprisoned Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio to be released following Trump pardon
05:30
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Kelly Rissman
Enrique Tarrio, the now-former leader of the neo-fascist Proud Boys gang convicted on treason-related charges after fuelling a mob on January 6, is set to be released from federal prison following Donald Trump’s expected clemency order.
Tarrio, who was sentenced to 22 years in prison, was among four members of the group convicted of seditious conspiracy and other crimes following a four-month trial.
More than 1,500 people have been criminally charged in connection with a mob’s assault on the Capitol, fuelled by Trump’s bogus narrative that the 2020 presidential election was rigged and stolen from him.
Trump issued “full pardons” for virtually all of them on January 20, and commuted the sentences of 14 convicted members of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers to time served. Pending cases were dismissed.
“These are the hostages,” he said as he signed a series of orders from the Oval Office.
“We hope they come out tonight, frankly.” he said. “These people have been destroyed. What they’ve done to these people is outrageous. There’s rarely been anything like in the history of our country.”
Alex Woodward has the story.
From oversized hats to audio issues: Key moments from Donald Trump's inauguration
05:00
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Kelly Rissman
Health experts condemn Trump decision to withdraw U.S. from World Health Organization: ‘Enormous mistake’
04:51
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Kelly Rissman
Shortly after being inaugurated on Monday, Donald Trump signed an executive order initiating a U.S. withdrawal from the World Health Organization, the United Nations global health body that monitors pandemics and supports vaccinations efforts around the world.
“World Health ripped us off,” Trump said in the Oval Office as he signed.
Monday’s action starts a one-year countdown clock until the final exit, as WHO members are required to give one year’s notice and fulfill existing funding obligations before leaving the group.
Josh Marcus has the story.
Elon Musk and Barron Trump’s ‘very different energy’ noticed at inauguration
04:50
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Kelly Rissman
Social media users were quick to poke fun at the noticeably different “energy” brought by Barron Trump and “First Buddy” Elon Musk at Monday’s inauguration.
In a clip shared widely both men are seen rising to their feet as part of a standing ovation for the 47th president. The camera then showed a close-up in which Musk grins and laughs, giving a goofy thumbs up to the camera.
Barron, on the other hand, who is standing next to the tech billionaire, stares around with a mostly blank and disinterested expression.
Mike Bedigan has the story.
Inside the weirdest Inauguration ever
04:30
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Kelly Rissman
Donald Trump’s supporters returned to the nation’s capital after four years of exile emboldened, celebratory, and expecting revenge — just like the incoming president himself.
It’s a sign of how everything and nothing has changed in the last four years that extremist Proud Boys were on the march again and January 6 protesters returned to the Capitol.
It was a day of absolution for Trump and everyone in his orbit.
Richard Hall reports from Washington, D.C.:
Marco Rubio confirmed by Senate as Trump’s secretary of state
04:21
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Kelly Rissman
The U.S. Senate has voted to confirm Marco Rubio as Donald Trump’s secretary of state, making him the new president’s first high-level cabinet official to be approved.
Just hours after Trump was sworn in as president, senators voted 99 to 0 to confirm their longtime colleague, who represented Florida in the upper house of Congress from 2011 right up until his appointment to federal office.
It marks a stark contrast from the two men’s tussle for the Republican nomination back in 2016, when Rubio called Trump a “con artist” and Trump mocked Rubio as “Little Marco”.
Read the full story.
Jeff Bezos locked in conversation with Barron Trump at inauguration luncheon
04:10
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Kelly Rissman
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and other notable allies of President Donald Trump engaged in a lengthy conversation with 18-year-old Barron Trumpon Inauguration Day.
Bezos, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Senate Majority Leader John Thune all chatted with the New York University student for half an hour at Trump’s Inauguration Day Luncheon, Reuters journalist Bo Erickson reported.
Rubio was confirmed as Secretary of State by the US Senate just hours after his conversation with the 18-year-old.
Katie Hawkinson has the story.
Trump caps off his inaugural ball remarks by dancing with a sword to ‘YMCA'
03:59
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Kelly Rissman
Trump concludes his speech at the first inaugural ball by dancing while waving a sword in the air pic.twitter.com/6bx5rscAZo
— Acyn (@Acyn) January 21, 2025
Vivek Ramaswamy forced out of DOGE by Musk after calling US workers ‘mediocre,’ according to a report
03:50
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Kelly Rissman
Biotech entrepreneur and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy will no longer co-lead the Department of Government Efficiency alongside Elon Musk.
DOGE, which was announced by Trump soon after his electoral victory in November, is designed to slash federal spending through budget cuts and mass firings. The White House confirmed Ramaswamy’s departure as co-chair to the Associated Press just hours after President Donald Trump was sworn in for his second term. This announcement comes after several news outlets published reports late last week indicating Ramaswamy would leave his role.
Ramaswamy was forced out after claiming American work culture “venerated mediocrity over excellence” in a social media post last month during the debate on the H-1B skilled workers visa among Republicans, Politico reports. While Musk and Ramaswamy have both voiced support for the program, Politico reports the billionaire iced his co-chair out soon after the post angered allies.
Katie Hawkinson has the details.
Trump makes remarks at Commander-in-Chief inaugural ball
03:49
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Kelly Rissman
Talking about seeing the “fantastic” Pete Hegseth, his pick for secretary of defense, after seeing him backstage, Trump almost immediately remarked on the crowd size.
“How do you find anybody in this crowd? It’s a big crowd,” he said.
He pivoted to discussing the strength of the U.S. military.
Trump said the U.S. will not be defeated but will just “win, win, win.”
He said the country is going to “win like never before,” including the economy.
“We will measure our success not only by the battles we win, but also by the wars we end and perhaps most importantly the wars we never get into. It’s called peace through strength,” the president said. “We don’t have to fight the wars if we could do it without fighting.”
“This is going to the dawn of the golden age of America,” Trump said, noting he’s filled with optimism for what the next four years will bring.
He concluded: “It’s an exceptional honor to join you again in serving this magnificent nation that we all love.”
The crowd then chanted: “USA! USA! USA!”
The president and first lady share ‘first dance’ at inaugural ball
03:31
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Kelly Rissman
Donald and Melania Trump take the stage to share a “first dance” at the Commander-in-Chief Ball.
Kellyanne Conway digs out ‘revolutionary’ outfit for Trump’s inauguration
03:30
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Kelly Rissman
Kellyanne Conway appeared like the ghost of Inauguration Day past ahead of the swearing-in ceremony of Donald Trump, the 47th President of the United States, Monday morning.
Conway, 58, who served as senior counselor to the president throughout Trump’s first term, spoke inside the Capital One Arena wearing the same red, white, and blue double-breasted Gucci coat and bright red stockings that she wore to the inaugural festivities eight years earlier.
In 2017, the political consultant described the patriotic get-up as “Trump Revolutionary Wear” after several people online poked fun at her $3,600 ensemble.
Kaleigh Werner has the story.
Trump signs executive orders on immigration
03:18
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Kelly Rissman
Trump signed a handful of immigration-related orders on his first day back in office.
He declared a national emergency at the southern border, ordering members of the armed forces to be deployed to the area as well as the construction of additional physical barriers along the border.
In another order, he ended the practice known as “catch-and-release” and also ceased the CBP One app, which facilitated the entry of otherwise inadmissible aliens into the United States.
Republicans grouse over Biden’s pardon of family members: ‘A bunch of lying clowns’
03:10
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Kelly Rissman
Republicans and leading MAGA movement figures reacted with outrage to the preemptive pardons announced by Joe Biden in the final hours of his presidency.
Some, including GOP firebrand Marjorie Taylor Greene and Donald Trump Jr, claimed the action was indicative of the pardonees’ guilt, and accused the Democrats of closing ranks to protect their own.
On Monday, shortly before Trump’s swearing-ceremony, Biden pardoned Dr Anthony Fauci, retired General Mark Milley and members of the House committee that investigated the January 6 attack on the Capitol.
Read the full story.
Who’s attending the Commander-In-Chief inaugural ball?
03:00
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Kelly Rissman
ICYMI: From oversized hats to audio issues: Key moments from Donald Trump's inauguration
02:55
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Kelly Rissman
Billy Ray Cyrus gives disastrous performance at Trump’s Liberty Ball: ‘Is anyone awake’
02:45
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Kelly Rissman
Billy Ray Cyrus gave a disastrous performance during Donald Trump’s Liberty Ball, following the presidential inauguration.
The 63-year-old singer took the stage at the event in Washington, DC on Monday night (January 20). He performed a mix of his hit songs, including “Old Town Road” and “Achy Breaky Heart.”
However, his show didn’t go without a few issues.
At one point during his performance, he couldn’t hear his guitar playing. “Is my guitar still on?” he asked the stage crew. “I think they cut me off. I don’t hear my guitar anymore.”
Amber Raiken has the full story.
Trump signs sweeping order on death penalty
02:37
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Kelly Rissman
Donald Trump signed a sweeping executive order regarding the death penalty.
He condemned former President Joe Biden’s moratorium on federal executions as well as his commutations of 37 individuals on death row in December.
“When President Biden took office in 2021, he allowed his Department of Justice to issue a moratorium on Federal executions, in defiance of his duty to faithfully execute the laws of the United States that provide for capital punishment,” the order said.
He added: “Politicians and judges who oppose capital punishment have defied and subverted the laws of our country.”
The order also compels the Attorney General to “take all necessary and lawful action” to ensure that each state that permits capital punishment has a “sufficient supply” of lethal injection drugs.
ANALYSIS: TikTok realized the advantage of bowing to autocrats. The tech barons at Trump’s inauguration are following suit
02:30
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Oliver O'Connell
Io Dodds writes:
We’ll never know what prayers were whispered by the billionaire tech barons — Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, Amazon head Jeff Bezos, Apple CEO Tim Cook, and Google boss Sundar Pichai — as they sat together inside St John’s Church in Washington DC Monday morning.
First the men crowded together at Donald Trump’s pre-inauguration church service, then they attended the ceremony at the Capitol itself, along with Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, OpenAI chief Sam Altman, and TikTok boss Shou Zi Chew.
But while we don’t know what they spoke about, their companies have access to our deepest fears, desires, conversations, and life updates.
The power concentrated among these men is stunning when you stop to ponder it.
Continue reading...
Another inauguration, another Bernie Sanders meme
02:10
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Oliver O'Connell
Senator Bernie Sanders has gone viral yet again by staying seated amid a standing ovation during President Donald Trump’s inaugural speech.
Sometimes, you don’t need props like mittens when your expression says it all...
Katie Hawkinson has the story.
Trump withdraws U.S. from World Health Organization
02:10
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Josh Marcus
Donald Trump on Monday signed an executive order withdrawing the U.S. from the World Health Organization, the United Nations global public health body.
President Trump withdraws the United States from the World Health Organization pic.twitter.com/YyKYMP53Ur
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) January 21, 2025
In the Oval Office, Trump called the conditions of the U.S. membership in the body “pretty sad,” arguing other countries should pay more and the U.S. should pay less to fund it.
“China pays $39 million, and we pay $500 million,” Trump said. “And China’s a bigger country.”
The U.S. contribution to the WHO has ranged from $163 million to $816 million over the last decade, according to KFF.
Trump frequently criticized the WHO during the height of the Covid pandemic, and temporarily suspended its funding during his first term.
World leaders respond to Trump’s inauguration as Putin hails his ‘courageous’ victory
01:50
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Oliver O'Connell
Russian president Vladimir Putin hailed Donald Trump’s “courageous” victory as world leaders congratulated him on becoming the 47th president of the United States.
As Trump was sworn in as US president in Washington DC on Monday, Putin said Trump’s election campaign was “tough”, referring to his attempted assassination, and called for dialogue with Washington to reach a settlement in Ukraine.
Alexander Butler reports.
Immigrants and U.S. cities prepare for Trump’s ‘devastating’ executive orders
01:40
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Alex Woodward
Immigrant communities across the country have been bracing for Donald Trump’s avalanche of anti-immigration actions, which are already drawing legal fire and constitutional challenges while stranding thousands of people across the U.S. Mexico border, desperate for a better life.
In Chicago, where Trump’s “border czar” Tom Homan promised to launch the president’s mass deportation operation, community groups have been preparing “know your rights” training and fielding dozens of questions from immigrants and their families about what the future holds, including what happens if federal law enforcement agents descend in their schools and workplaces.
“I think the idea that there is some sort of an emergency here in Chicago will come as a surprise to people who live here,” Ed Yohnka, director of communications and public policy at the ACLU of Illinois, told The Independent.
Read the full story.
Report: TikTok executives schmoozed US business leaders at Trump inauguration as app’s future in balance
01:30
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Oliver O'Connell
Top TikTok executives reportedly rubbed shoulders with American tech leaders and handed out business cards at an elite pre-inauguration donor event on Sunday featuring members of the Trump administration, as the app’s future in the U.S. remains uncertain.
Josh Marcus reports.
Guests mingle as the Liberty Ball gets underway before President Donald Trump arrives
01:20
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Kelly Rissman
The best and worst outfits at Donald Trump’s inauguration
01:10
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Brittany Miller
Although the goal of the inauguration may have been to celebrate the start of a new political term, the subject of many viral social media posts came from the attendees and what they were wearing.
In some cases, the outfit was too casual or didn’t fit the proper aesthetic of the event, and in others, it stood out in just the right way.
Here are the best and worst-dressed attendees at Trump’s inauguration.
Trump threatens to impose tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico as soon as Feb. 1
01:00
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Kelly Rissman
Trump on tariffs: We are thinking in terms of 25% toward Mexico and Canada.. I think we’ll do it on February 1st pic.twitter.com/D5JteJNkND
— Acyn (@Acyn) January 21, 2025
Trump pardons 1,500 defendants charged in Jan. 6 attack
00:52
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Kelly Rissman
At the inauguration event at Capitol One Arena, Trump promised to sign an executive order referring to the “J6 hostages,” meaning those convicted of or charged with crimes related to the Capitol riot.
Not long after, Trump headed to the White House to sign additional executive orders. He started with a full pardon for about 1,500 individuals charged with January 6-related crimes and issued six commutations.
“I hope they come out tonight,” he said.
According to DOJ totals, approximately 1,583 individuals have been charged criminally in federal court as of January 6, 2025. It’s not immediately clear if Trump pardoned all of them.
Indoor inauguration seating plan still proving controversial as Marjorie Taylor Greene says she cut line
00:50
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Oliver O'Connell
Diehard Maga supporter Marjorie Taylor Greene admitted she cut the line at Donald Trump’s inauguration because she believed seating arrangements should have been based on who supported the president most.
The Georgia congresswoman claimed that Democratic lawmakers did “not belong” at Monday’s ceremony, especially those who previously voted to impeach Trump.
Here’s Mike Bedigan with the latest.
Which Democrats voted for the Laken Riley Act?
00:43
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Kelly Rissman
The immigration-related legislation passed the Senate 64-35 with bipartisan support Monday night. The bill would mandate the detention of more undocumented immigrants charged with crimes. It now has to go to the House.
Here are the Senate Democrats who voted for the bill:
-Cortez Masto-Fetterman-Gallego-Hassan-Kelly-Ossoff-Peters-Rosen-Shaheen-Slotkin-Warner-Warnock
Biden leaves Trump letter as he hands over power — as with every presidential handover, we don’t know what it says
00:30
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Oliver O'Connell
President Joe Biden has adhered to the tradition started by Ronald Reagan and left his successor, Donald Trump, a letter as he hands over power.
Biden confirmed that he wrote Trump a letter, but he didn’t say what he wrote to the 47th president, choosing to let that remain between the two leaders, according to ABC News.
Gustaf Kilander has the story.
One of Trump’s very first moves? Ordering flags at full mast on his inauguration despite official mourning period for Jimmy Carter
00:10
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Oliver O'Connell
Among President Donald Trump’s first priorities after assuming the White House is ordering all American flags be flown at full mast on inauguration day, regardless of any mourning periods.
Hours after being sworn into office, Trump signed five executive orders – the first four being a series of appointments within his administration. But executive order No. 5, the first non-appointment related order, declares the flags be flown at full mast for the remainder of Monday and any future inauguration days.
Ariana Baio reports.
Watch LIVE: Trump motorcade heads to White House
00:06
,
Oliver O'Connell
After he finished signing executive orders at the Capital One Arena, Trump threw pens to the crowd
00:02
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Oliver O'Connell