It’s Thursday. For all my tennis friends out there, American tennis player Madison Keys pulled off an incredible comeback this morning and made it to the Australian Open final! Here’s what else is happening: - Trump speaks to Davos, threatens tariffs.
- Trump administration deletes several websites, pauses health resources.
- Senate Republicans are hoping to confirm three nominees by Friday.
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The 2025 Oscar nominations are out.
I’m Cate Martel with a quick recap of the morning and what’s coming up. Send tips & feedback to cmartel@thehill.com. Someone forward this to you? Sign up. |
Allow me to reintroduce myself: |
President Trump made his virtual return to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, this morning, marking his first international appearance of his second term. Here are the newsiest bits: -
Trump bashed the Biden administration: He called it “a totally inept group of people.”
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And previewed his tariff threat: “My message to every business in the world is very simple, come make your product in America and we will give you among the lowest taxes of any nation of Earth … but if you don’t make your product in America, then very simply, you will have to pay a tariff.”
- His analysis of his first week in office: “We’ve accomplished more in less than four days … than other administrations have accomplished in four years.”
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Trump will be president when the U.S. hosts the World Cup and the Olympics: “Who would have known that by skipping a term that I would get the Olympics? I was upset. I said, ‘You know, I got the Olympics to come and I won’t be president.’ But turned out through a stroke of luck or whatever you might call it that I’m going to be president during the World Cup and the Olympics.”
💻 Watch his remarks
Tidbit: Axios’s Barak Ravid is in Davos and noticed that “in my three days here at the @wef in Davos, this is by far the session with the longest lines and biggest audience - and Trump isn't even here. It's on TV.” 📹 The crowd
An interesting shift this year: Reuters reports that Trump’s anti-diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) push has shifted the vibe at Davos. DEI initiatives are still a priority in other countries, so some are trying to find new ways to word it at the forum. |
Trump named former fast-food chain CEO Andrew Puzder as his ambassador to the European Union.
Other new nominations: Trump chose Secret Service agent Sean Curran (who protected him during his July assassination attempt) as his director of the Secret Service and conservative activist and media executive L. Brent Bozell III as the next CEO of the United States Agency for Global Media (USAGM).
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➤ TRUMP MADE MORE INTERNATIONAL NEWS: |
Saudi Arabia’s crown prince and Trump spoke early this morning. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman says he will invest $600 billion in the U.S. |
President Trump has begun nixing parts of the federal government and hitting the delete button on some internet resources.
First, there’s his anti-DEI efforts: The president has begun to dismantle the federal government's DEI efforts. All websites and social media accounts related to DEI and accessibility have been taken down — and all federal DEI staff have been put on paid leave with the intent to eventually lay them off.
Second, “abortion” search results have been altered on the HHS website: NPR reports that any search results for the word “abortion” on the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) website have been altered. The top hit is from January 2020 (during Trump’s first term) and when sorting by date, the message reads “search unreachable.” Plus, the website ReproductiveRights.gov, which was created by the Biden administration, now has a broken link. Read more: ‘Trump's federal health website scrubs 'abortion' search results’
Third, no external health communications for now: Trump officials have ordered federal health agencies to pause all external communications for the time being, according to The Washington Post. That includes health advisories, social media posts, etc. And fourth: The White House Spanish language page was shut down shortly after Trump took office.
💡 Why this matters: Some of these changes may seem minor, but they strongly signal the priorities of the new administration. The anti-DEI push has been long previewed by Trump on the campaign trail, but it’s unclear the extent of the health care communication changes — and how they could affect federal health resources. |
Trump sat down with Fox News’s Sean Hannity for his first Oval Office interview of his second administration. The freewheeling one-on-one touched on former President Biden’s pardons, natural disasters, TikTok and Jan. 6, 2021. The highlights: -
Trump suggests Biden should have pardoned himself: Trump said Biden “got very bad advice” for choosing not to pardon himself when he issued a number of preemptive pardons. He also said he would defer to Congress on whether to investigate Biden.
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He threatened withholding California wildfire aid: He claimed California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) is withholding water to fight the fires. FWIW, Newsom called Trump’s claims “pure fiction.”
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He bashed FEMA: Trump argued that states should handle their own response to natural disasters — and the federal government would just provide the funding.
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He announced his first trips: Trump said he will travel Friday to North Carolina and California to tour the disaster recovery efforts.
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He’s not concerned about TikTok: Trump brushed away national security concerns about TikTok. Keep in mind that Trump delayed the TikTok ban by 75 days earlier this week, but he also tried banning the app in 2020.
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He downplayed the Jan. 6 riots: Trump justified the Jan. 6, 2021, defendant pardons as “minor incidents.”
More takeaways from Trump’s Hannity interview |
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Who could make it to the finish line by tomorrow?: |
Senate Republican leaders are looking to confirm a batch of President Trump’s Cabinet nominees by the end of the week.
What’s happening today?: “A vote on John Ratcliffe as CIA director is expected Thursday afternoon, along with a vote to advance Pete Hegseth’s nomination as Defense secretary for a final vote on Friday. The GOP also wants to get Kristi Noem confirmed Friday as Homeland Security secretary.” 🗨️ Follow today’s live blog
In committee: The Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee easily advanced Doug Collins’s nomination this morning to be the secretary of Veterans Affairs in an 18-1 vote. The Senate’s Energy and Natural Resources Committee also advanced Interior Department pick Doug Burgum 18-2 and Energy Department nominee Chris Wright 15-5.
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➤ WHAT ABOUT RFK JR. … ?:
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Bipartisan opposition to Trump’s HHS pick, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is growing over his opposition to vaccines. Read Nathaniel Weixel’s reporting on how that could play out.
^ New reporting: Kennedy is keeping his financial stake in a lawsuit against Merck over a widely used vaccine, reports The New York Times. “That conflict of interest could raise questions for lawmakers as Mr. Kennedy aims to run agencies that regulate the drugmaker.” |
➤ MEANWHILE IN THE HOUSE:
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The House is expected to vote on a “born alive” abortion bill this afternoon, timed with Friday’s annual March for Life rally. |
🥧 Celebrate: Today is National Pie Day!
🏆 Who’s up for an Oscar?: The 2025 Oscar nominations were announced this morning after a delay due to the Los Angeles wildfires. “Emilia Pérez” received 13 nominations, followed by “The Brutalist” and “Wicked,” with 10 nominations apiece. More from Variety: ‘Oscar Noms Snubs and Surprises’
^ By the way: Sebastian Stan received an Oscar nomination for playing Trump in “The Apprentice.” |
🍽️ The best of the best: Washingtonian unveiled its list of the “100 very best restaurants” for 2025. Albi in Navy Yard won the top spot. 🔎 Washingtonian’s top 100 list |
The House and Senate are in. President Trump and Vice President Vance are in Washington. (all times Eastern) |
- This morning: Trump delivered virtual remarks at the Davos, Switzerland, economic forum. 💻 Watch
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Jan. 31: Secretary of State Marco Rubio will reportedly visit Panama as his first overseas trip.
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Let’s end this on a lighter note. Do you think this puppy could be cast as Elphaba in “Wicked?” |
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