Donald Trump has a list of priorities ready to be executed on day one of his second term, as the American people look to the 47th president to deliver on his mandate of change.
After four years of Joe Biden's liberal presidency, Trump is inheriting a historic influx of illegal aliens, a major war in Europe and an inflationary economy that has crushed working Americans. To repair the damage, Trump has some 100 executive orders ready to be signed on his first day.
The list of topics covered by Trump's executive order blitz is extensive - from January 6th pardons to a potential lifeline for TikTok, which is facing an imminent ban.
Perhaps Trump's most dramatic domestic proposal is the deportation of millions of unlawful aliens living in the country. While some have balked at the scope of trump's mass deportation plan, the president-elect says there is no "price tag" for upholding national security.
“It’s not a question of a price tag,” Trump told NBC in his first post-election interview. "It’s not — really, we have no choice.”
Trump has also said he will target birthright citizenship, which grants automatic citizenship to anyone born on U.S. soil. Critics of the policy argue it has been exploited by illegal aliens to get a foothold in the country through their children - i.e., "anchor babies" - but defenders claim birthright citizenship is enshrined in the Constitution.
Trump's immigration agenda faced vigorous opposition during his first presidential term, and further legal challenges are certain in the months and years ahead. But in a sign of a possible shift, Democrats - reeling from an electoral thumping - have voted to advance the Laken Riley Act, which requires immigration officials to detain aliens suspected of certain crimes.
Concerning the economy, Trump has proposed sweeping tariffs to protect Americans' jobs and a drastic increase in domestic oil production to ease inflation. Trump has more broadly promised to undo Biden's climate agenda, including draconian regulations on emissions that would force automakers to sell electric vehicles.
On the foreign policy front, Trump has laid out an expansionist vision with calls to purchase Greenland and take back the Panama Canal. Trump has not ruled out using the military to achieve these goals.
At the same time, Trump - who has often touted "no new wars" during his first term - is eager to resume the role of peacemaker with a negotiated settlement in Ukraine, where a bloody conflict has grinded on for almost three years with Biden's backing.
Israel and Hamas agreed to a cease-fire and hostage release deal this week, ending 15 months of war.
Many have credited the 11th hour agreement to pressure from Trump and anticipated changes in foreign policy under his administration.
Biden, throughout his four years, used the muscle of the federal government to push a radical cultural agenda targeting parents and their kids.
Trump has pledged to reverse course, using the executive pen to undo the creep of transgenderism and its impact on women's sports - an issue that resonated with many Americans in the last election.
Among his more controversial "day one" promises, Trump has said he will pardon many of the people charged over the January 6th Capitol riot. However, Trump has said he will look at cases individually, with non-violent offenders most likely to receive a pardon.
Michelle Obama's recent public absences are fueling rumors of a rift in her marriage to President Barack Obama, with some questioning if the couple are headed for divorce.
While the Obamas normally put on a united front, Michelle is refusing to attend President Trump's inauguration on Monday.
"Former President Barack Obama is confirmed to attend the 60th Inaugural Ceremonies. Former first lady Michelle Obama will not attend the upcoming inauguration," the Obamas said.
It's the second major D.C. ceremony Michelle will miss, after skipping Jimmy Carter's state funeral earlier this month.
Unlike her husband, Michelle has no interest in standing on ceremony by attending the inauguration - given her well-publicized distaste for the president-elect.
"There's no overstating her feelings about [Trump]. She's not one to plaster on a pleasant face and pretend for protocol's sake," one source told People. "Michelle doesn't do anything because it's expected or it's protocol or it's tradition."
Never one to follow tradition, Michelle has sometimes overshadowed her husband throughout their years in the spotlight.
While some see signs of martial trouble in her recent public absences, others see a political message - one that is clearly at odds with her husband's wishes to respect tradition.
"An Obama divorce would not be on my 2025 predictions but it might happen," one person wrote on X.
"I don't know anything about their marriage, but it's very clear to me that Michelle Obama is making a very specific *political* statement with these absences. She would never choose Jimmy Carter's funeral to announce her divorce. Let's be sensible here," another wrote on X.
Whether there is anything to rumors of divorce, Michelle has made no secret of her ambivalent feelings about marriage and the high value she places on personal autonomy.
"Too many young people are rushing to check the box of marriage before they even know who they are, and then they're surprised when they pick the wrong person, or they don't know how to struggle through hard times," she once confessed.
Born Michelle Robinson, Obama met her husband at a law firm in Chicago. Their marriage has had its rough patches, with Michelle struggling early on to place her own ambitions on the back burner.
She admitted on her podcast to wanting to "push Barack out of the window" at times, but she insists her marriage is "strong" despite its challenges.
"You've got to know that there are going to be times, long periods of time, when you can't stand each other," she said.
"The feelings will be intense. But that doesn't mean you quit and these periods can last a long time - they can last years."
"'[Me and Barack] have a very strong marriage. If I had given up on it, if I had walked away from it, in those tough times, then I would've missed all the beauty that was there as well.'
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has picked his state attorney general, Ashley Moody, already known for defending Americans against the leftist ideologies of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, to replace Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., who has been nominated by President-elect Donald Trump to be the secretary of State.
The Gateway Pundit reported Moody already is known as being tough on crime, having warned potential looters as the state experienced Hurricane Idalia that "We are a law and order state."
"Today I am proud to announce that I am selecting our attorney general, Ashley Moody, to serve as our next U.S. senator," DeSantis explained. "These are always significant appointments, but I think right now appointments like these are more significant than ever."
He said, "This is a time for action and a time for Washington, D.C., to deliver results for the American people."
The 49-year-old Moody has been the state's AG since 2019, following the then-term limited Pam Bondi, who now is Trump's nominee for U.S. attorney general.
Rubio's seat is expected to open as he is confirmed, and under Florida law, the governor appoints a replacement to serve until the next statewide election.
DeSantis pointed out Moody wants Mexican drug cartels classified as terrorists and has demanded the impeachment of Biden's officials who were assigned to protect Americans with a secure border, but haven't.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
One of the agendas for Joe Biden's administration was to push gun control.
His surrogates would erupt every time some criminal used a weapon to hurt someone with charges that gun control was the answer, that there would be no reduction in violence until the American public lost access to firearms.
One part of that agenda was his decision, through Merrick Garland, his attorney general, to order an in-depth analysis of how firearms enter illegal markets and get into the wrong hands, including Mexico drug cartels.
In a four-part series, it now has been released by the Department of Justice, covering "20 years of data."
It, Garland has claimed, is "vital to helping law enforcement nationwide solve crimes and take shooters off the street."
But it entirely ignores what many would consider the most egregious, the most offensive, the most awful gun-trafficking circumstances, when the Barack Obama administration actually delivered guns into the pipeline supplying Mexican drug gangs.
It is Judicial Watch, in its "Corruption Chronicles," that explains what has happened.
"In 2021 Attorney General Merrick B. Garland directed the same agency that orchestrated that fiasco, the ATF, to lead a drawn-out comprehensive study, known as National Firearms Commerce and Trafficking Assessment (NFCTA), aimed at curbing gun violence and illegal gun trafficking across the nation."
Those results, Garland claimed in a DOJ statement, represent "the most thorough research, analysis, and examination ever of firearms commerce and how firearms enter illegal markets and fall into the wrong hands."
Except for the fact it "conveniently omits Obama's disastrous Mexican gunrunning operation that let drug traffickers obtain U.S.-sold weapons."
That was run by the ATF and sent guns from the U.S. "to be smuggled into Mexico so they could eventually be traced to drug cartels."
What actually happened was that federal law enforcement officers lost track of hundreds of weapons "which were used in an unknown number of crimes, including the murder of a U.S. Border Patrol agent in Arizona."
In the press release Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said, "From conducting enhanced background checks to stopping firearms trafficking by cartels, the department has prioritized addressing the most significant drivers of violent crime and identifying emerging threats to our communities."
Fast and Furious isn't 'there.
It was, Judicial Watch reported, "a major scheme that illicitly sent firearms south of the border under the leadership of Obama Attorney General Eric Holder, who was cited for contempt by Congress for refusing to turn over documents related to the botched operation."
Judicial Watch reported the part of the report addressing the southwest border "only reveals that firearms originating in the U.S. and recovered in Mexico between 2017 and 2021 represented 74% of all international crime guns traced to a purchaser."
"Further analysis indicates that transnational gun traffickers exploit the same criminal channels to divert firearms from legal commerce as domestic gun traffickers," the report finds.
"Judicial Watch obtained Justice Department documents showing that Fast and Furious weapons were widely used by members of major Mexican drug cartels, including Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman, head of the Sinaloa drug cartel," the report said.
Eventually, 94 of the weapons unleashed by Obama were later found in Mexico City and 12 Mexican states.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Another complaint has been filed against members of the Biden administration for using their tax-paid time for political purposes, and one critic of the agenda charges that they are treating the Hatch Act law as "a suggestion."
It is Michael Chamberlain, of the Protect the Public's Trust organization, that unleashed on the Democrats regarding the latest situation.
"The Office of Special Counsel's direction to all federal government agencies not to use the term 'MAGA' in official communications could not have been clearer. But in the Biden administration, the Hatch Act appeared to be only a suggestion, not a law," Chamberlain told Just the News.
PPT, a government watchdog group, obtained copies of communications that were passed back and forth in the Biden administration, and then identified three Biden officials in the Department of Transportation, assistant administrator for Communications Matt Lehner, press secretary Kerry Arndt and assistant to the Secretary and Director of Public Affairs Dani Simons."
The complaint has been delivered to the U.S. Office of Counsel and others.
The report explains PPT charges the various officials used "Extreme MAGA Republicans" and "Finish the Job," a Biden campaign slogan, while communicating officially with Pete Buttigieg, the transportation chief for Biden, and others.
That, the complaint assesses, likely is a violation of the Hatch Act, which is intended to stop federal workers from doing political campaigns while being paid by taxpayers.
Some of the comments apparently originated at the White House, too, the report said.
"The White House seems to have ignored OSC's mandate and advised the DOT (and perhaps many other agencies) to use that forbidden political language in a derogatory fashion in the run-up to the 2024 elections. Dutifully, DOT sent the standardized messaging to all of its political appointees. From both press secretaries to the chief of staff to numerous agency leaders and on down, contempt for the Hatch Act has permeated the federal government during the self-proclaimed most ethical administration in history," Chamberlain told Just the News.
The Office of Special Counsel had said, when Trump assembled a bid for his second term in the White House, that using "campaign slogans" was not allowed on duty.
PPT said it obtained emails that showed various political appointees referring to Republicans as "Extreme MAGA Republicans in Congress," and referencing Biden's slogan.
The report said another email pushed "investing" in America and blasted "extreme MAGA Republicans in Congress."
The OSC previously concluded White House press secretary Karine Jean Pierre was in violation of the Hatch Act for using "MAGA" to describe Republicans.
Further, WND reported when Kamala Harris came under the same suspicion when Rep. Cory Mills., R-Fla., filed a complaint about her.
He wrote to Attorney General Merrick Garland seeking an investigation of Harris after she made "vicious" comments about Trump, including likening him to Adolf Hitler.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Not many American taxpayers would refuse this deal: Their boss says they can cut their work time by 20% and keep the same pay and benefits.
But likely not many would demand that.
But a coalition of "progressive" staff members on Capitol is making that exact demand, a plan that would cost taxpayers the same in salary and benefits but would dramatically reduce the work load, by giving those employees a 32-hour work week instead of 40.
The Washington Examiner has documented that the "Congressional Progressive Staff Association" has written to Congress to insist on less work for the same pay.
The letter claims the move would increase staff retention, prevent burnout and serve as a national model.
The Examiner said it obtained a copy of the letter that explains that congressional work is "demanding and intensive" because they have to draft legislation, and analyze it. And meet with people, and communicate with constituents.
The report explained, "The association is an official staff organization to advance the progressive movement and advocate for Capitol Hill employees. The group formed in 2021 and currently has a membership of over 1,500."
The organization previously worked to orchestrate a $45,000 salary floor.
The letter complains some staff members already are looking for other jobs "earlier than they would in a more predictable and sustainable work environment."
The move comes after leftists in Congress, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif., have made similar proposals legislatively.
The staff association claimed, "Working 32 hours, employees have a more substantial reprieve from work and therefore are able to complete the same tasks in less time."
Social media concluded that the association's members were "tone-deaf and lazy."
"Why not be bold and ask for a 0-hour workweek? I wonder how blue-collar Americans would feel about white-collar workers demanding a 32-hour workweek," said Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y.
Illegal immigrants from China are uneasy after President-elect Donald Trump announced plans to prioritize their deportation, NBC News reported. Trump is concerned about the number of military-aged men that have crossed the border from all nations, including the communist adversary.
The leftist news outlet's report ridicules Trump and sides with the "undocumented immigrants" from China. NBC News focuses on 46-year-old Kevin Yang and his disillusionment brought on by Trump's commitment to national security.
"The gratitude I once felt toward the U.S. for accepting me into the country … has now shifted to anxiety and fear. And I know others in my situation feel the same," Yang told the news outlet.
"We’re not military spies. Do you see anyone buying heavy weaponry or weapons here? The fact that Trump says this is completely crazy," Yang claimed. Of course, one man's denial does not mean that the threat isn't real.
It's a logical strategy for Trump to worry about illegal immigration from China. The communist nation has been saber-rattling for years against Taiwan and has recently begun constructing "D-Day style" barges, Fox News reported.
Stunningly, indications stateside reveal that Chinese companies have already waged attacks on intellectual property. According to the Department of Justice, the Chinese telecommunications company Hytera Communications Corp. Ltd. pleaded guilty Tuesday to federal charges relating to the theft of trade secrets from Motorola.
Charges stem from a 2008 scheme to steal coding and digital mobile radio technology from the Illinois-based company. Individuals from Hytera "knew and/or reasonably believed that some of the information they agreed to steal was reasonably protected and kept secret by Motorola, and that taking at least one trade secret would potentially injure Motorola," the plea deal said.
Hytera will be sentenced in a federal court in Chicago on Nov. 6, 2025, for the crimes. The plea agreement could cost the company as much as $60 million in fines and penalties.
This was just one of several cases the House Committee on Foreign Affairs called "Egregious Cases of Chinese Theft of American Intellectual Property" in a report. In one case, the committee concluded, "The Chinese government fosters an environment that condones theft of foreign technology in strategically important sectors."
Despite these facts, NBC News attempted to make it seem like Trump's rhetoric was grounded in xenophobia. It quoted Trump explicitly warning about the imprudence of importing thousands of people from China during a campaign rally in April.
“They’re coming in from China — 31, 32,000 over the last few months — and they’re all military age and they mostly are men. And it sounds like to me, are they trying to build a little army in our country? Is that what they’re trying to do?" Trump said in Schnecksville, Pennsylvania.
"This is country changing, this is country threatening, and its country wrecking," Trump warned. Leftists would prefer to ignore this problem and blame Trump for being divisive or racist rather than working to prevent it from wreaking havoc on the nation.
Border security aims to keep people who might want to harm the nation out. While it's impossible to predict with certainty who will be a good citizen, it makes perfect sense to focus on keeping out those unvetted migrants from adversarial nations.
First lady Jill Biden shared that she good-naturedly called President-elect Donald Trump "a talker" during their viral exchange captured last month at the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, Fox News reported. Trump seems to be getting along better with his so-called enemies since winning the 2024 presidential election.
Trump rocked the White House when he had fun with the viral photo and used it to hawk his cologne and perfumes. "Here are my new Trump Perfumes & Colognes! I call them Fight, Fight, Fight, because they represent us WINNING," he captioned his Truth Social post on Dec. 8.
"Great Christmas gifts for the family," the ultimate pitchman captioned his version of the photo. He added a tagline on the photo: "A fragrance your enemies can't resist."
Trump released a fragrance called "Fight, Fight, Fight!" and used a photo of him and Jill Biden to announce it – "A fragrance your enemies can't resist!"
LMAO pic.twitter.com/qz9l8e2RdF— Evelyn Janeidy Arevalo (@JaneidyEve) December 8, 2024
There was much speculation about what the two were talking about when an iconic photo was snapped of Trump and Biden appearing to share a moment. French first lady Brigitte Macron, who was sitting between them, had just gotten up, allowing the pair to chat.
Despite all of the fun speculation, the exchange was little more than a cordial chat, according to Jill Biden. Trump had recently met with President Joe Biden following his victory on Election Day over Vice President Kamala Harris.
The nastiness of the last four years, including the campaign, appeared to be over as the men were all smiles and laughter together. "I had a good meeting with your husband in the Oval Office," Trump said to Jill Biden.
"Yes, because you’re both talkers," Jill Biden quipped, lending the situation to the now infamous photo. While presenting the contents of the chat, Jill Biden explained that she and her husband "respect our institutions, our traditions," so they felt being friendly was "very important" in this situation.
Moreover, civility was required, given that the exchange happened at the momentous reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral. The historic building sustained significant damage in a fire on April 15, 2019, and only recently was restored to its former glory.
There is no doubt there's a new warmth between Trump and his former enemies. Not only is Jill Biden open getting along with Trump, but so is former President Barack Obama.
During the late President Jimmy Carter's funeral services last week, Trump and Obama looked like old friends as they chatted while mourners were filtering in. At one point, Trump said something that made Obama laugh, though nobody knows what the two were saying.
This is incongruous considering what was said about Trump during the election by people like Obama and the Bidens. According to The Hill, sports commentator Stephen A. Smith said this "wasn't a good look" for the political class.
"It wasn’t a good look because of all the things that were said about Trump during the campaign while you were trying to convince tens of millions of people to vote for Kamala Harris. Fascist, threat to democracy. You know, people bringing up Nazis and all of this stuff when they talked about Trump," Smith pointed out.
The change in how Trump's former enemies treat him is remarkable. Perhaps they know that they've been beaten, but more so that what they were saying about him was a lie the whole time.
Some of the previous president's favorite musicians are scheduled to sing at President-elect Trump's inauguration next week, ensuring a star-studded lineup.
Preliminary editions of the inaugural program indicate that three additional performers, including country music sensation Carrie Underwood, would grace the stage during Trump's swearing-in event, as The Independent reported.
“I love our country and am honored to have been asked to sing at the Inauguration and to be a small part of this historic event,” Underwood said.
“I am humbled to answer the call at a time when we must all come together in the spirit of unity and looking to the future,” she continued.
Underwood will perform "America the Beautiful" with the help of the United States Naval Academy Glee Club and the Armed Forces Chorus.
The American Idol star will be joined on stage by opera singer Christopher Macchio, country singer Lee Greenwood, and the Village People, a disco trio from the 1970s.
Notable performances by the Village People include the inaugural ball and a rally in Washington, DC, the day before Trump's swearing-in.
The trio, who are famous for the song "Y.M.C.A.," announced the announcement on social media and reiterated that their music is not targeted at a particular demographic and should be played "without regard to politics."
“Our song Y.M.C.A. is a global anthem that hopefully helps bring the country together after a tumultuous and divided campaign where our preferred candidate lost,” they wrote in a Facebook post.
“Therefore, we believe it’s now time to bring the country together with music which is why VILLAGE PEOPLE will be performing at various events as part of the 2025 Inauguration of Donald J. Trump.”
Macchio will sing the National Anthem at Trump's request, and Greenwood, who sang for Trump before being sworn in in 2017, will perform as Trump leaves to take the oath.
Over four days, the 60th Presidential Inaugural Ceremony will include cabinet receptions, firework displays, a Make America Great Again victory rally, parade, prayer service, and more.
“These special events will honor the rich history and tradition of our great nation, the American people, and the promise our country holds for future generations,” said a statement from the Trump Vance Inaugural Committee schedule.
As part of the celebrations, President Joe Biden is expected to attend, and the soon-to-be First Lady Melania Trump will also partake in tea with the Bidens.
The swearing-in event is set to commence at the United States capitol prior to noon Eastern time on January 20.
Jill Biden has been a loyal supporter of her husband throughout his political career, but she wasn't quick to say "yes" when he proposed to her.
The couple met a few years after Biden's first wife, Neilia, and baby daughter Naomi died in a tragic car accident. Jill Biden was a college student when she was introduced to the young senator Biden by his brother, Frank.
It took some convincing for Jill Biden to accept Joe Biden's proposal, as she would later recall. A free-spirited young woman, Jill - who was recently divorced - was reluctant to sacrifice her career ambitions by becoming a politician's wife.
"Being Joe's wife would mean a life in the spotlight that I had never wanted," she wrote in her 2019 memoir. "I was a college student when we'd first met, and I liked living under the radar. Joe lived with constant public visibility."
Eventually, after five proposals, the couple married in 1977 at the Chapel at the United Nations in New York. With time, whatever doubts Jill had about marrying a politician faded away as she took on the role of an adviser.
When Democrats tried to convince Biden to challenge George W. Bush in 2004, Jill made her feelings known.
"As I walked through the kitchen, a Sharpie caught my eye. I drew NO on my stomach in big letters, and marched through the room in my bikini. Needless to say, they got the message," she recalled.
Jill Biden fell under greater scrutiny throughout her husband's presidency, with some labeling her a shadow president as Joe Biden frequently showed signs of cognitive decline.
In a notorious moment last summer, Jill complimented her husband for knowing "all the facts" after a televised debate against Donald Trump. But Democrats, horrified by Biden's feeble debate performance, turned on him and began pushing for Biden to end his re-election campaign.
As pressure mounted on Biden to quit, Jill was vehemently opposed, telling Vogue that the family would not allow a single night to define Joe's entire presidency. But in the end, Biden gave in to the pressure and bowed out.
In an exit interview with the Washington Post, Jill expressed "disappointment" in Nancy Pelosi (D-Ca.), a longtime friend of the family who led the successful effort to force Biden off the ticket.
“I don’t know. I learned a lot about human nature,” Jill said, adding, “I think that’s all I’m going to say.”