Evening Report — Comeback complete, Trump hits the gas

Evening Report

Trump declares return to presidency 'Liberation Day'

PRESIDENT TRUMP COMPLETED his astonishing political comeback Monday, getting sworn in as the nation's 47th president and promising sweeping change with widespread ramifications in Washington and beyond.

In his second inaugural address, Trump detailed how he intends to reshape America through small symbolic moves and radical political undertakings, as he seeks to align the government with his “America First” agenda.

Trump’s first inaugural address was remembered as the “American carnage” speech, in which he outlined the ways he says the country had deteriorated and lost its standing in the world.

This time around, Trump used his speech to outline the specific actions he’ll take — many of them on his first day in office — to erase former President Biden’s legacy and steer the nation toward what he described as a new "golden age."

“It’s liberation day,” Trump said.

Trump immediately declared national emergencies on border security and energy production, giving him broad powers to enact changes on issues that were core to his campaign.

Trump also outlined several of the dozens of executive orders he’ll sign today. These include symbolic moves, such as renaming the Gulf of Mexico, as well as big policy changes like sending troops to the southern border and ending birthright citizenship.

In 2017, Trump only signed one executive order on his first day in office. Biden set the record in 2021, signing nearly two dozen in his first week. Trump reportedly plans to sign more than 200 executive actions this week.

“All of this will change starting today,” Trump said.

Trump has spoken about expanding America’s territories, musing about annexing Greenland and taking back the Panama Canal.

On Monday, he went bigger, saying America will “pursue manifest destiny into the stars,” while directing U.S. astronauts to “plant the stars and stripes on the planet Mars.”

It was a day full of ceremonies and rituals in Washington, with every living current and former president on hand to witness Trump’s second inauguration. Trump is the first president since Grover Cleveland in 1893 to be sworn in for a second nonconsecutive term.

Former secretary of State and one-time Trump opponent Hillary Clinton was seated next to her husband former President Clinton. She laughed when Trump said he'd rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.

At times, Trump reflected on his political fortunes — and his life — which was threatened twice by assassins during the 2024 campaign.

“Those who wish to stop our cause have tried to take my freedom, and indeed to take my life,” Trump said. “An assassin’s bullet ripped through my ear. I felt then and believe more now that my life was saved for a reason. I was saved by God to make America great again.”

There were plenty of awkward moments, with Biden and former Vice President Harris sitting by as Trump detailed what he described as their myriad failures.

Still, the Trump and Biden families interacted cordially throughout the day, first over tea at the White House, followed by shared limousine rides from one end of Pennsylvania Avenue to the other.

The new right-leaning tech contingent was out in force, with billionaires Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos, among others, seated behind Trump for his big speech.

Their presence underscored the rightward shift of Silicon Valley’s powerful and wealthy executives, many of whom were once hostile toward Trump. The arrangement also got plenty of side-eyes from lawmakers who felt sidelined by the billionaires.

The new CBS News/YouGov survey finds 60 percent feel optimistic about Trump’s second term, a complete reversal from when he left office in 2021 with his approval rating in the gutter following the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

“Many thought it would be impossible for me to launch a political comeback, but as you can see today, here I am, the American people have spoken,” Trump said. “I stand before you now as proof that you should never believe that something is impossible to do.”

A BLIZZARD OF EXECUTIVE ORDERS

Trump intends to sign scores of executive orders Monday, many of them controversial and expected to be challenged immediately in the courts.

The president's proposed Department of Government Efficiency is already facing multiple lawsuits over its right to exist.

Trump is signing some of those orders at a campaign-style rally at Capital One Arena on Monday evening in front of thousands of supporters.

Among his first moves:

• There are 10 executive orders expected on immigration, such as: Mobilizing the military at the southern border; ending birthright citizenship; designating drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations; pausing refugee programs; reinstituting the Remain in Mexico policy for asylum seekers; and ending Catch and Release for undocumented migrants.

The Hill reports: “Some of the actions stretch the bounds of executive authority and are sure to be immediately challenged by immigration and civil rights groups.”

Shortly after taking office, Trump administration officials shut down a mobile app for migrants to make appointments at the U.S.-Mexico border.

There were reports that the Trump administration was set to begin raids and mass deportations Tuesday in Chicago. However, Trump’s border czar Tom Homan said over the weekend they’re “reconsidering” after their plans leaked.

• Trump will take aim at several cultural issues. One executive order will direct the U.S. government to recognize only male and female genders, while another will end diversity, equity and inclusion practices.

Via The Hill’s Alex Gangitano:

“The order aims to direct agencies to enforce laws to protect men and women as biologically distinct sexes, according to the officials, and not enforce laws as if sex includes gender identity. It will also direct the secretaries of State and Homeland Security to ensure official government documents such as passports and visas reflect male and female.”

• Trump announced the withdrawal of the U.S. from the Paris Climate Agreement. He did that in his first term, but the move was reversed by Biden.

Trump declared a national energy emergency and will sign executive orders focused on cutting red tape, rolling back regulations and opening up new areas for energy exploration. He’ll reverse the Green New Deal and other Biden era energy policies.

“We we will be a rich nation again and it’s that liquid gold under our feet that’s going to do it … We will drill baby drill," he said.

• Fox News reports that Trump will suspend security clearances for the 51 former intelligence officials that signed onto a letter characterizing Hunter Biden’s laptop as a Russian disinformation campaign.

• Trump has promised to release assassination files on President John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr. in the “coming days.”

UP NEXT: CABINET CONFIRMATIONS, TRUMP TRAVEL

Trump’s first Cabinet nominees are expected to be confirmed today:

• Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) will be confirmed as the secretary of State by the Senate.

• There will be a closely watched vote on whether to confirm Pete Hegseth as Defense secretary. Hegseth is expected to have the votes.

• South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) is expected to be confirmed to lead the Department of Homeland Security, a key role amid Trump's broader border security and immigration initiatives.

• John Ratcliffe is expected to be confirmed to lead the Central Intelligence Agency.

Next up: Trump will visit fire-ravaged Los Angeles on Friday. He says he also wants to visit China during his first 100 days in office.

💡Perspectives:

• Fox News: Inauguration Day spotlights America's perpetual promise.

• Bloomberg: Emboldened Trump returns with new allies, clear goals.

• The Hill: Trump did not win a landslide victory.

• The Free Press: My decade with Trump.

• The New York Times: Birthright citizenship defined America.

• The Hill: Gabbard deserves to be confirmed ASAP.

Read more:

• New Trump era launches with second inauguration.

• Trump inauguration kicks off 100 day rush.

• Trump return prompts reset by struggling media outlets.

• Vance becomes America’s first millennial vice president.

• Fearing Trump deportations, migrants start leaving US voluntarily.

CATCH UP QUICK

Israel has released 90 Palestinian prisoners as part of the ceasefire deal with Hamas. Hamas has freed three Israeli hostages, with 30 more to be released in the coming weeks.
Life-threatening cold weather is expected to expand across the country, affecting some 235 million Americans. Snow and ice will hit broad swaths of the South that haven't seen a storm like this in decades.
Cecile Richards, the former president of Planned Parenthood, died at 67.

NEWS THIS AFTERNOON

Biden shocks with last-minute family pardons

Former President Biden issued blanket preemptive pardons to his family members during the final minutes of his presidency, a shocking move that came just moments before President Trump was sworn in for a second term.

Shortly before noon, as all of Washington was gathered at the Capitol Rotunda for Trump’s inauguration, the Biden White House released a statement saying he’d pardoned his family members, including his brothers, James Biden and Francis Biden; Sara Jones Biden, his sister-in-law; his sister, Valerie Biden Owens; and John T. Owens, his brother-in-law.

“My family has been subjected to unrelenting attacks and threats, motivated solely by a desire to hurt me — the worst kind of partisan politics,” Biden said in a statement. “Unfortunately, I have no reason to believe these attacks will end.”

Biden said the pardons should not be “misconstrued as an admission of guilt for any offense.” The pardons cover nonviolent offenses between Jan. 1, 2014, to Jan. 19, 2025.

Biden previously pardoned his son Hunter Biden for several gun convictions and outstanding charges pertaining to tax fraud, as well as for any potential crimes he may have committed over an 11-year period.

He also issued pardons for the following people:

• All of the members of the House committee that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021 riot, including former Reps. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo) and Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.).

• Anthony Fauci, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, who led the nation’s COVID-19 pandemic response.

• Gen. Mark Milley, the former chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and a vocal Trump critic. The Pentagon removed Milley's portrait almost immediately after Trump was sworn in.

“These public servants have served our nation with honor and distinction and do not deserve to be the targets of unjustified and politically motivated prosecutions,” Biden said.

This comes as Trump prepares to pardon scores of his own supporters, who have been accused or convicted of rioting at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

The moves from Biden and Trump underscore the era of political prosecutions that has taken hold over the past four years, with Republicans and Democrats accusing each other of weaponizing the justice system to retaliate against political enemies and dissenters.

"The scales of justice will be rebalanced, the vicious and violent weaponization of the Justice Department will end," Trump said Monday in his inauguration speech.

💡 Perspectives:

• Chicago Tribune: Dr. King’s agenda still offers a great agenda.

• The Hill: What CNN’s defamation loss says about journalism today.

• Foreign Affairs: The Trump-Biden-Trump foreign policy.

• Bloomberg: The Fed’s stress test faces a stress test.

CONGRESS

Trump poised for early legislative victory

President Trump is poised to earn an early legislative win on immigration, but future victories might be more hard-fought, with slim GOP majorities in the House and Senate.

The Senate will vote tonight on the Laken Riley Act, named after the Georgia nursing student killed by an immigrant that was in the country illegally and had a criminal record. The law will require immigrants in the country illegally who are charged with theft-related crimes to be detained while their cases play out in court.

The House must vote again on the bill after it was amended by the Senate, but final passage is expected this week.

The bill has earned support from some Democrats in the House and Senate, but that’s unlikely to be the norm for Trump’s agenda going forward.

In the House, the GOP majority is so narrow that Trump can scarcely afford to lose any support for key agenda items. That could be a problem, particularly on budget-related matters, where House fiscal hawks have been an early thorn in Trump’s side.

Trump’s relationship with the GOP-controlled Senate was rife with tension during his first term. Newly elected Senate GOP leader John Thune (S.D.), who replaces Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), will be closely watched for how he’s able to work with Trump and whether he finds instances to push back.

The Hill’s Alexander Bolton reports:

“Senate Republicans say they’re ready for a new start with President-elect Trump after years of misgivings and mistrust that sometimes boiled over into all-out war between the disruptor-in-chief and members of Washington’s traditional GOP establishment.”

IN OTHER NEWS

Biden exits with low approval ratings

Former President Biden vowed to remain politically active, even as polls show him leaving office with historically low approval ratings.

“We must hold on to hope. We must stay engaged,” Biden said during a service at the Royal Missionary Baptist Church in North Charleston, S.C. “Must always keep the faith in a better day to come. I’m not going anywhere. I’m not kidding.”

Biden swept into office promising to bring unity to a country that was deeply divided after President Trump’s first term in office.

He leaves office with his party seeking a new way forward after sweeping losses at the ballot box.

Many Democrats are angry that Biden clung to power and refused to allow for an open primary, only stepping aside after a disastrous debate performance provoked an internal revolt against his candidacy.

The final CBS News poll finds Biden leaving office with the second lowest approval rating in modern times, ahead of only former President George W. Bush, who served two terms.

Biden’s approval rating is lower than Trump’s when he left office the first time enshrouded in controversy following the Jan. 6, 2021 riots.

The news media has recently been emboldened to tell the story of how those around Biden conspired to hide his decline.

The New York Times has the latest, titled: “How Biden’s Inner Circle Protected a Faltering President.”

Biden and former first lady Jill Biden left the Capitol grounds in a helicopter after Trump's inauguration. They'll fly out of Joint Base Andrews and to Santa Ynez, Calif.

The Hill’s Amie Parnes reports on how former Vice President Harris faces difficult decisions about her political future after losing to Trump in November:

“Harris… could use the next four years to set up a new run for the White House in 2028…She could also consider a gubernatorial bid in her home state of California, or make her exit from public service altogether.”

💡Perspectives:

• The Free Press: The rising Democratic coalition fell. Now what?

• City Journal: Dems lost in the funhouse.

• Sanity Clause: What Democrats refuse to see.

• Slate: Biden never managed to adjust.

Read more:

• Democrats seek a ‘political exorcism’.

• 6 dramatic moments that shaped Biden’s presidency.

Stay Engaged

Did I miss a story? Drop me a line. Follow TheHill.com for the latest and recommend us to others: TheHill.com/Evening. See you next time.

Topics

Trump completes historic comeback, vowing to turn around nation in decline

President Trump completed a monumental political comeback on Monday, taking the oath of office for a second time and vowing to turn around a nation he insisted was in decline. Trump became the ...
The Hill - 2h
12:30 Report — Trump hits the ground running

{beacon} 12:30 REPORT Welcome to Inauguration Day, with ceremonies at the U.S. Capitol underway indoors amid absolutely frigid weather in Washington. In today's issue: Trump swearing in, ...
The Hill - 7h
Ollie Watkins completes comeback as Aston Villa dent Arsenal’s title bid

Mikel Arteta looked like he had seen a ghost. With his side leading 2-0 against Aston Villa thanks to goals from Gabriel Martinelli and Kai Havertz, the Arsenal manager must have felt they were ...
The Guardian - 2d
Evening Report — Trump eyes quick legislative win

{beacon} Evening Report = © AP Photo Laken Riley Act primed to give Trump early win THE SENATE ON FRIDAY voted to advance an immigration bill championed by President-elect Trump, setting him up ...
The Hill - 3d
Evening Report — Democrats take 'class war' to Trump's Cabinet picks

💸 Plus: Rudy Giuliani's surprise settlement {beacon} Evening Report © Greg Nash Trump Cabinet picks' wealth draws Dem scrutiny DEMOCRATS ARE TAKING AIM at the accumulated wealth of ...
The Hill - 4d
Evening Report — Trump plots governing strategy

👨🏼‍⚖️Plus: Judge holds Giuliani in contempt {beacon} Evening Report Friday, Jan. 10 © Evan Vucci, Associated Press Trump turns to governing as investigations fizzle PRESIDENT-ELECT TRUMP IS ...
The Hill - Jan. 10
Evening Report — Trump investigations speed to an end

Plus: 🔥Thousands flee as Los Angeles burns {beacon} Evening Report © AP Photo: Charlie Neibergall, Jacquelyn Martin Trump's legal troubles barrel toward a conclusion THE INVESTIGATIONS AND ...
The Hill - Jan. 8
Evening Report — Trump vows to reshape global order

👨🏼‍⚖️Plus: Trump praises one judge, blasts another {beacon} Evening Report © AP Trump promises a global shakeup PRESIDENT-ELECT TRUMP on Tuesday vowed to upend the global order, promising big ...
The Hill - Jan. 7
How will 'A Complete Unknown' stack up against Timothée Chalamet's biggest hits?

Timothée Chalamet already has one big box-office hit under his belt for this year — 'Dune: Part Two.' How will 'A Complete Unknown' compare?
Los Angeles Times - Jan. 2