top of page

Washington on One Page - Jan 27, 2025


THE LEDE:   Well, that was a week…Donald J Trump inaugurated as the 47th President of the United States…Executive Orders fly as do pardons for all involved in January 6th…Birthright Citizenship gets first challenge as Reagan appointed judge temporarily blocks…Trump travels to NC and Southern California to view disasters…Immigrant deportations have begun…White House says US-Colombia agreement in place after back-and-forth over tariffs, immigration…The Pentagon is sending 1,500 active-duty troops to the U.S.-Mexico border, and that number could grow to 10,000. The Department of Defense will also support deportation flights and construct new barriers along the border. Mexico has begun building migrant shelters…Trump said Tuesday he intends on Feb. 1 to impose a 10 percent tariff on Chinese imports into the United States…Johnson invited Trump to address a joint session of Congress on March 4… Addressing Davos, Trump threatens tariffs…Appropriators are working to secure an initial agreement on defense and nondefense spending figures no later than early next week, marking a positive sign ahead of the March 14 government-funding deadline… The federal government is formally implementing President Trump’s directive to rename the Gulf of Mexico and Mount Denali…Pandas are back at the National Zoo. Bao Li and Qing Bao made their debut Friday.

 

NUMBERS:  Day One brought us: 26 executive orders with the temporary effect of law; 12 memos; four proclamations and the president’s withdrawal of 78 executive actions signed by his predecessor. 

 

THE WEEK AHEAD:   House out, Senate in…House GOP at policy retreat at Doral (they know the owner)…GOP Primaries Tuesday in Florida in the 1st District of ex-Rep. Matt Gaetz (R) and the 6th District that ex-Rep. Mike Waltz (R) vacated to become Trump’s national security adviser…

 

FIVE TAKE AWAYS FROM WEEK ONE:  President Trump began his second term with a flurry of actions, fulfilling campaign promises while reigniting controversies. Here are the highlights from his whirlwind first week: 

1. Swift Action on Immigration  Trump prioritized immigration, implementing aggressive measures on Day One. He paused refugee admissions, declared a national emergency at the southern border, designated cartels as terrorist organizations, and attempted to end birthright citizenship—though this was swiftly blocked by a federal judge. Trump also resumed arrests in sensitive locations like schools and churches and used military aircraft for deportations.  His administration’s message was clear: unauthorized immigrants would face severe consequences. “President Trump is sending a strong and clear message,” said Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. 

2. A Media Blitz  Trump engaged with the press daily, contrasting sharply with the quieter schedule under President Biden. He held extended Q&A sessions, appeared on Fox News, and took questions while traveling. The media whirlwind left reporters struggling to keep up, with Trump touting his openness: “Does Biden ever do news conferences like this? None. … Zero for the next infinity.” 

3. Targeting Opponents  Despite pledges to unify the country, Trump focused on critics. He rescinded Secret Service protection for former officials like John Bolton and Anthony Fauci, who had drawn his ire in the past. In an interview with Sean Hannity, Trump hinted at holding political rivals accountable: “It’s hard to say they shouldn’t have to go through it also.” 

4. Culture War Priorities  Trump moved swiftly to curb “woke” policies. He signed executive orders to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs within the federal government, placing DEI-focused employees on administrative leave. He also mandated that the government recognize only two sexes, calling his actions part of a campaign to combat “transgender insanity.”  Private companies, including Target and Walmart, followed suit by scaling back DEI initiatives. Speaking to the World Economic Forum, Trump declared his administration’s commitment to abolishing DEI policies as “absolute nonsense.” 

5. Limited Economic Action  While Trump campaigned on imposing steep tariffs on imports, he deferred action, announcing plans for tariffs on Mexican and Canadian goods starting February 1. He encouraged businesses to return operations to the U.S., offering low taxes as an incentive.  Democrats criticized his lack of immediate action on economic issues. Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) noted, “It’s striking that President Trump hasn’t produced a single executive order to lower costs for Americans.”  Despite his rapid pace, Trump’s first week left room for criticism and speculation about how his broader agenda will unfold.

 

DAY ONE ACTIONS:  Executive Orders (26)  Trump issued orders targeting immigration, including ending birthright citizenship, pausing refugee admissions, reinstating “Remain in Mexico,” and increasing migrant vetting. He eliminated federal DEI programs, recognized only two sexes, and restored the death penalty.  He also withdrew the U.S. from the WHO and began exiting the Paris Agreement, while establishing a “Department of Government Efficiency.” 

Memos (12)  Key memos included freezing regulations, mandating federal employees return to in-person work, and pausing offshore wind projects. 

Proclamations (4)  Trump pardoned 1,500 Jan. 6 defendants, declared the southern border an invasion and national emergency, and adjusted flag protocols to honor former President Carter. 

Biden Actions Revoked (78)

Trump reversed Biden-era orders on DEI, climate change, Medicaid protections, and Cuba’s terrorism designation, reinstating his first-term policies.

 

NOMINATION HEARINGS: 

CONFIRMED:  Rubio @ State, Rarcliffe @ CIA, Hegseth @ DOD, Noem @ Homeland Security.   

VOTES:  Scott Bessent at Treasury on Monday.   Sean Duffy for Treasury Secretary on Tuesday

HEARINGS:   Health and Human Services secretary nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appears before the Finance Committee on Wednesday and then heads to the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee on Thursday.   

Commerce Howard Lutnick’s nomination  hearing in the Commerce Committee Wednesday. 

Attorney general nominee Pam Bondi gets a vote in the Judiciary Committee Wednesday. 

Small Business Administration Kelly Loeffler‘s bid to lead the SBA is the subject of a Wednesday.  Director of National Intelligence  Tulsi Gabbard’s nomination is slated for a Thursday hearing in the Intelligence Committee.  

FBI director nominee Kash Patel is scheduled for a hearing Thursday in the Judiciary Committee. 

US Ambassador to the United Nations Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) on Thursday.

 

JAN 6th :  Trump’s blanket pardons for approximately 1,500 Jan. 6 rioters sent shockwaves through Washington. Many were surprised he opted for a sweeping reprieve rather than a case-by-case review, as suggested by allies, including Vice President Vance. While numerous House Republicans defended Trump, a growing faction criticized the move, arguing it undermines the GOP’s commitment to law enforcement and insults the police officers who defended the Capitol that day. Critics contend that violent protesters should have been excluded from the pardons.

 

IMMIGRATION:  President Trump ordered 1,500 active-duty troops to the southern border Wednesday, supporting federal and local officials in deporting over 5,000 migrants detained in San Diego, Calif., and El Paso, Texas. Officials said the deployment could grow to 10,000 troops.  The administration’s focus has shifted from border wall construction to mass deportations, targeting individuals without legal status at workplaces, homes, schools, and churches.  Trump’s aggressive policies, including halting asylum applications and removing birthright citizenship protections, face legal challenges. Critics argue his use of troops for domestic immigration enforcement raises constitutional concerns.  The Justice Department is investigating state and local officials who resist enforcing these policies. Additionally, over 10,400 refugee flights under a legal travel program were canceled as Trump abruptly shut it down.

 

DEI:  President Trump has launched a sweeping campaign against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, claiming they undermine unity and promote division. In his first week, Trump issued an executive order dismantling DEI programs in the federal government, placing employees working on such efforts on leave and encouraging private companies to follow suit. The order also instructed agencies to investigate corporations, nonprofits, and schools for potential compliance violations.  Trump rescinded a 1965 executive order requiring federal contractors to take affirmative action, furthering his rollback of long-standing diversity policies. Federal agencies were directed to notify employees that DEI programs “divided Americans by race” and wasted taxpayer dollars, while a controversial provision encouraged reporting efforts to disguise such programs.  Critics, including the Congressional Black Caucus, condemned the moves as attacks on minorities and a reversal of progress. Some argue the measures foster distrust among employees and overreach government authority.  By targeting DEI, Trump is tapping into growing skepticism while deepening political and cultural divides over equity and inclusion. Critics see this as another attempt to reverse decades of progress.

 

DECLASSIFICATION:  President Trump signed an executive order to release all federal government documents surrounding the assassinations of former president John F. Kennedy, former attorney general Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr.

 

LAKEN RILEY ACT:  The Laken Riley Act heads to Trump’s desk after a bipartisan House majority voted to approve the final version Wednesday. Forty-six House Democrats joined 217 Republicans to pass the bill, which would require law enforcement to detain undocumented immigrants who are arrested for or charged with specified crimes — including theft, assaulting law enforcement officers, and other acts that result in bodily harm. Some of the 156 Democrats who opposed the measure, named after a Georgia nursing student killed by a Venezuelan man who had been paroled into the US, said it was overly broad and could harm asylum-seekers wrongfully accused of crimes.

 

HOUSE GOP:  House Republicans are meeting in Miami today at their annual policy retreat, hosted at Trump National Doral, to make plans for how to execute Trump’s ambitious legislative agenda. The president will address the conference this evening.  House GOP leaders have already indicated that they will try to move Trump’s priorities — encompassing an extension of 2017 tax cuts, energy policy, and border policy — in a single bill through the budget reconciliation process, rather than split it into two pieces. The process bypasses the threat of a Democratic filibuster in the Senate, but can be used only once or twice in a year — and will need near-unanimous support from the slim House GOP majority. Facing what will soon be a 217-215 margin, any GOP member could kill the bill, at least until early April.    Meanwhile, Democrats are raising the alarm over Trump's move to claw back funding approved in two of former President Biden's signature laws. Trump issued an executive order pausing the disbursement of funds appropriated in the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Democrats say Trump's order violates a law called the Impoundment Control Act (ICA), a measure enacted during the Nixon administration that put guardrails on the president’s powers to cut congressionally approved funding. Republicans have dismissed the attacks, defending Trump’s moves as within his powers as president.

 

COLUMBIA:  The US will not levy threatened tariffs on Colombia after reaching a deal, the White House said.  The South American country’s government “agreed to all of President Trump’s terms, including the unrestricted acceptance of all illegal aliens from Colombia returned from the United States, including on U.S. military aircraft, without limitation or delay,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.

 

PETTY?:  Trump sparked fresh controversy in his first week back in office with his decision to remove security details from several prominent people with whom he has fallen out. Anthony Fauci, John Bolton, Mike Pompeo and Brian Hook all saw their government-provided security teams taken away last week.  Speaking to reporters in North Carolina on Friday, Trump said he would not feel a sense of responsibility if any of the people from whom he had pulled security came to harm, noting, “You can’t have a security detail for the rest of your life because you worked for the government.”  “They all made a lot of money,” he said. “They can hire their own security, too.”  But Republican Sens. Lindsey Graham (S.C.) and Tom Cotton (Ark.) on Sunday both called on Trump to rethink his revocation of security protections in the face of threats from Iran, arguing it could affect how current officials do their jobs.  

 

GAZA:  Trump this weekend suggested to “clean out” Gaza and asked Egypt and Jordan to take in more Palestinians, raising new questions about U.S. policy toward the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and two of its most important Middle East allies. Trump’s comments are aligned with the Israeli far right. They say Palestinians should be encouraged to leave Gaza — a suggestion that is likely to be rejected by Egypt and Jordan.   “You’re talking about probably a million and a half people, and we just clean out that whole thing,” Trump said of Gaza on Saturday. “I don’t know. Something has to happen, but it’s literally a demolition site right now.”  Jordan said it is committed to “ensuring that Palestinians remain on their land,” its minister of foreign affairs said in a statement Sunday.

 

UKRAINE:  President Trump has prioritized ending the war in Ukraine, promising swift action. Just 48 hours into his term, Trump mocked Russian President Vladimir Putin as “destroying his country” and threatened tougher sanctions if a deal isn’t reached.  “Let’s get this war, which never would have started if I were President, over with!” Trump wrote on Truth Social, touting his “peace through strength” approach.  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed optimism, saying Trump’s decisiveness could help stop Putin and end Europe’s largest land war in nearly a century.

 

DAVOS:  President Trump addressed the World Economic Forum in Davos via video Thursday, urging global businesses to relocate to the U.S. or face steep tariffs.  “Make your product in America, and we’ll offer the lowest taxes. Otherwise, you’ll pay a tariff directing billions into our treasury,” Trump warned.  He blamed OPEC for prolonging the Russia-Ukraine war, claiming lower oil prices would end the conflict. Trump also expressed willingness to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin to negotiate peace.  Trump criticized EU fines on U.S. tech firms as “taxation” and defended Silicon Valley leaders aligned with his administration.  His speech drew a packed audience, underscoring his influence amid a global shift toward right-wing politics. Argentine President Javier Milei echoed Trump’s sentiment, declaring the “global hegemony” of left-wing politics was crumbling.  Trump’s assertive economic and geopolitical stance continues to resonate internationally.

 

TIK TOK:  President Trump expressed confidence in reaching a deal with TikTok's Chinese owner, ByteDance, to divest and allow the app to continue operating in the U.S.  In a Fox News interview, Trump dismissed spying concerns, calling TikTok data “just young people watching crazy videos.”  He signed an executive order extending ByteDance’s timeline to divest after Congress passed a bipartisan bill mandating a divest-or-ban approach, citing national security risks.  At Davos, ByteDance board member Bill Ford echoed optimism, stating TikTok is likely to secure a deal to remain in the U.S.

 

OUT WITH THE OLD:  President Trump has begun a sweeping overhaul of federal agencies, targeting what he calls "deep state" disloyalty. On Wednesday, National Security Council staff were told to pack up and await further instructions, marking a dramatic shift in foreign policy operations.  Trump’s new executive order, Schedule F, grants him expanded authority to fire civil servants, potentially impacting 50,000 jobs. Critics, including the National Treasury Employees Union, warn this threatens the merit-based civil service system.  Changes have also hit the Justice Department, State Department, and Pentagon, where senior officials were reassigned or replaced. At the FBI, Trump bypassed top-ranking agents to install new leadership, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio began reshuffling diplomatic posts.  The Pentagon saw acting leadership installed and the removal of Gen. Mark Milley’s portrait, signaling loyalty concerns. Critics fear widespread dismissals, but Trump allies insist the moves are necessary to realign government with his agenda.

0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

Comments


bottom of page