U.S. Capitol Police suspend officer who let visitor in with a gun
Capitol Police said they suspended an officer who let a man with a gun into the Capitol Visitor Center on Thursday.
The man, who had been arrested Tuesday, was also able to enter the Library of Congress with a firearm.
In a statement, USCP said that they had received a lookout for a man on Tuesday “with reported mental health issues and suicidal thoughts who was believed to be armed and in the area.”
Banks respond to Trump's claim that they 'don't take conservative business'
Two of the big four U.S. banks responded to Trump's claims in remarks to the World Economic Forum earlier today that they were not doing business with conservative business leaders.
Speaking to Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan at Davos, Trump said he hopes "you start opening your bank to conservatives, because many conservatives complain that the banks are not allowing them to do business within the bank, and that included a place called Bank of America."
"And I don’t know if the regulators mandated that because of Biden or what, but you and [JPMorgan Chase CEO] Jamie [Dimon] and everybody, I hope you’re going to open your banks to conservatives, because what you’re doing is wrong," Trump continued.
In a statement, a Bank of America spokesperson told NBC News, "We welcome conservatives and have no political litmus test.”
A spokesperson for JPMorgan Chase said, "We have never and would never close an account for political reasons, full stop."
JPMorgan Chase added that it would welcome "the opportunity to work with the new Administration and Congress on ways to remove regulatory ambiguity while maintaining our country’s ability to address financial crime."
Federal district court judge temporarily blocks Trump’s birthright citizenship order
SEATTLE — A federal district court judge today temporarily blocked Trump’s executive order aimed at limiting birthright citizenship — the first skirmish in what promises to be a protracted legal battle over the new administration’s agenda.
Senior U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour heard 25 minutes of arguments and then issued an order from the bench blocking the policy from taking effect for 14 days. There will be a further briefing on a preliminary injunction to permanently block the executive order while the case proceeds.
“I’ve been on the bench for over four decades,” Coughenour, a Ronald Reagan appointee, said. “I can’t remember another case where the question presented is as clear as this one. This is a blatantly unconstitutional order.”
Sen. Lisa Murkowski is first GOP 'no' vote on Pete Hegseth for defense secretary
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, announced in a statement today that she will vote against the nomination of Pete Hegseth for defense secretary, becoming the first Republican to voice opposition.
“Above all, I believe that character is the defining trait required of the Secretary of Defense, and must be prioritized without compromise," Murkowski said in her statement posted on X. "The leader of the Department of Defense must demonstrate and model the standards of behavior and character we expect of all servicemembers, and Mr. Hegseth’s nomination to the role poses significant concerns that I cannot overlook."
Hegseth's nomination has been mired in allegations of sexual assault and alcohol abuse, among other things — which he denies — and many Democrats have voiced concerns about the prospect of his taking over the Defense Department.
If all Democrats vote against Hegseth, Republicans can afford to lose just three Republican votes to confirm him because Vice President JD Vance can break a tie.
Trump's expansion of federal law enforcement search authorities is 'despicable,' Arizona state lawmaker says
An Arizona state lawmaker condemned the Trump administration’s ending of restrictions on where federal agencies can carry out arrests of undocumented immigrants, calling the move a "despicable act."
State Sen. Lela Alston, a Democrat, said in a statement that the action, part of Trump's effort to carry out mass deportations, "will not actually help increase public safety. It will instead lead to nearly six million kids in the U.S. living in fear everyday that they may be separated from their families."
Arizona’s immigrant population comprises nearly 13% of the state’s total population, nearly half of whom are naturalized citizens who contribute to their communities and the state’s economy, Alston said.
Identifying herself as a former educator, Alston said it is “heartbreaking to think of how this will traumatize children,” noting that “in Arizona, there are close to 150,000 U.S. citizen children living with at least one undocumented family member.”
With Trump's move, "the likelihood of these children watching their parents or family members be detained, arrested and deported increases exponentially," Alston said.
Before the move, key federal immigration agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection, could not make arrests in schools, churches or hospitals without first obtaining approval.
Rubio to travel to Panama in first trip as secretary of state
Marco Rubio will travel to Panama as part of his first trip as secretary of state next week, which will also include stops in Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic, State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said.
Panama, one of the United States' closest allies in Latin America, has been in the spotlight ever since Trump said he wants to take back control of the Panama Canal.
The president has argued that China controls the waterway, but both China and Panama have denied that claim.
Sen. Chris Murphy warns Trump's pardons will invite violence against Democrats
Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., warned today on MSNBC's "Andrea Mitchell Reports" that Trump's pardons for Jan. 6 rioters will lead to further violence against Democrats.
"Political violence just got legitimized in this country, and you’re going to see it again and again and again, specifically directed towards Democrats, because Donald Trump has said, 'If you beat up a police officer to further my political agenda, if you terrorize Democrats, I will let you off,'" he told Andrea Michell. "We have never, ever, in the 240-year history of this country, seen anything like this."
"Our country is fundamentally different today than it was before these pardons," he added.
Key Republican senator suggests Hegseth vote could be close
Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., hinted to reporters that the vote on Pete Hegseth’s nomination for secretary of defense might be very tight.
“If I were JD Vance, I’d stick around,” Wicker said.
Vance would need to stick around to break a tie in the event that three Republicans vote no with all Democrats voting no.
A procedural vote to end debate on Hegseth’s nomination is expected today around 2:15 p.m. The final confirmation vote for Hegseth is expected late on Friday, probably around 8 or 9 p.m. Both of those votes need only a simple majority to pass.
Durbin presses Trump's agriculture secretary pick on impact of mass deportation plans
In her Senate confirmation hearing for agriculture secretary, Brooke Rollins was pressed by Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., about whether Trump’s promise of mass deportations of undocumented individuals would negatively affect the agriculture industry and force small producers to shut down.
Durbin noted that “40% of the farmworkers in this country are undocumented,” saying his constituents with family farm business in dairy and produce have expressed concerns over their ability to remain viable should ICE deport the immigrants whose labor they heavily rely on.
“You know what that means? They’re vulnerable to being deported, and if they’re deported, what are the farmers going to do for a lot of them? For a lot of different industries, immigration is critical,” Durbin said. “So I just need to ask you, what is your policy on immigration we got in the real world, not the criminals?”
Rollins, who is the CEO and president of the conservative think tank America First Policy Institute, which has advocated for mass deportation policies, said that “the president’s vision of a secure border and a mass deportation at a scale that matters” is something she supports, but noted she is also committed to defending America’s farmers and ranchers.
“I want to be extremely transparent, and I think that you deserve that,” Rollins said. “That is my commitment, is to help President Trump deploy his agenda in an effective way, while at the same time defending, if confirmed as secretary of agriculture, our farmers and ranchers across this country.”
Rollins admitted the two priorities may seem to be in conflict, but floated the idea of expanding and modernizing the H-2A visa program. The program allows American businesses to employ foreign workers for seasonal agriculture jobs for the purpose of reducing agricultural labor shortages.
“I just wonder if we ought to give fair warning to farmers and ranchers across America that if you have immigrant labor, you can expect federal agents to come and search your property?” Durbin asked. “Is that in the future for farmers and ranchers under the mass deportation plan?”
Rollins said she has not been involved in designing Trump’s deportation plans, and thus could not answer the question, but noted she would ensure that the president understands key agriculture workforce data.
Ohio attorney general sets up primary clash with Vivek Ramaswamy in run for governor
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost launched a long-anticipated campaign for governor today, saying he was "answering the call to duty" after receiving a "groundswell" of encouragement to seek the post.
Yost's announcement makes him the first formally declared Republican in the race — and sets up a likely clash with Vivek Ramaswamy, the biotech entrepreneur who left Trump's Department of Government Efficiency this week, just as it was starting, to prepare his own campaign launch.
“This is my heart, my home,” Yost said in a statement declaring his candidacy. “I work for the people of Ohio, and I love my bosses. From the time I get up in the morning until I go to bed at night, I’m thinking about them and our future.”
Ramaswamy's maneuvers have not scared off Yost or other Republicans interested in succeeding term-limited Gov. Mike DeWine, who is also a Republican. As NBC News first reported Saturday, Yost has brought on Justin Clark, a former top Trump adviser, as his campaign's general consultant. And state Treasurer Robert Sprague has signaled that he soon plans to enter the GOP primary for governor.
On the Democratic side, Dr. Amy Acton, who served as DeWine's health director during the early days of the pandemic, has declared her candidacy for governor.
Yost, 68, is in his second term as the state's attorney general, following two terms as state auditor. He also previously served as the prosecutor in Delaware County, north of Columbus, where decades ago he was a newspaper reporter.