What to know about Trump's and Congress' activities today
- President Donald Trump has arrived in Miami after delivering remarks in Las Vegas regarding his first week in office and his campaign promise to eliminate taxes on tips.
- Trump fired at least 12 inspectors general across the federal government in a late-night move. The move did not affect the inspectors general for the Department of Justice or the Department of Homeland Security.
- The Senate voted to confirm former South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem as the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security in a 59-34 vote. Shortly after her confirmation, she resigned as governor.
- Pete Hegseth was sworn in as defense secretary by Vice President JD Vance after the vice president cast a tie-breaking vote yesterday to confirm Hegseth's nomination. Three Republican senators joined Democrats in voting against him following concerns about alcohol use, his treatment of women and a sexual assault allegation. Hegseth has denied any wrongdoing.
New York inspector general calls Trump's firings a 'threat to democracy'
New York State Inspector General Lucy Lang condemned Trump's firing of 18 inspectors general in the federal government yesterday, calling his actions a “threat to democracy.”
“Inspectors General are the taxpayers’ guardians, ensuring oversight of agencies responsible for billions of dollars and countless programs affecting daily life," she said in a release today. "Without their independence, our government risks spiraling into unchecked power and corruption.”
Before the terminations — which impacted inspectors general from the Defense Department, State Department, Health and Human Services Department and the Department of Labor — Lang published an opinion piece in City & State, writing that inspector generals are at risk under the Trump administration.
In the opinion piece, published on Jan. 18, Lang argued that Congress needs to create "explicit protections against presidential retaliation for doing their jobs."
Now, Lang is calling for renewed bipartisan efforts to protect inspectors general.
“The history of bipartisan support for IG independence must prevail over the dangerous precedent of partisanship that undermines their work,” she said.
Trump said he wants Jordan and Egypt to house more Palestinian refugees
Trump said today he would like for Jordan, Egypt and other Arab nations to accept more Palestinian refugees from the Gaza Strip, floating an idea to "just clean out" the enclave to start anew.
"You're talking about a million and a half people and we just clean out that whole thing," Trump said of the Gaza Strip in a press gaggle aboard Air Force One.
Trump spoke about his call yesterday with Jordan's King Abdullah II, who the president lauded for housing "millions of Palestinians" in a "very humane way."
On the call, Trump said he urged Abdullah to take even more Palestinians into his country "'cause I'm looking at the whole Gaza Strip right now and it's a mess. It's a real mess," Trump said.
He added at the gaggle that he'd like for Egypt to accept more Palestinian refugees as well and that he'd discuss it with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi on a call tomorrow.
"I don't know. Something has to happen, but it's literally a demolition site right now. Almost everything's demolished and people are dying there, so I'd rather get involved with some of the Arab nations and build housing in a different location where I think they could maybe live in peace for a change," Trump said.
He suggested accepting refugees could be a temporary or long-term solution.
CBP directs officers to revert back to using the term 'illegal alien'
Customs and Border Patrol is directing officers to use the term “illegal alien.”
The guidance reverts policy from 2021 when former President Joe Biden's administration directed CBP to deter from using words such as “alien” or “illegal alien” and opt instead for “noncitizen.”
An email describing policy changes as of Monday declared that moving forward the agency would revert back to the terminology policy which uses "illegal alien," National Border Patrol Council vice president Art Del Cueto confirmed.
The news was first reported by journalist Ken Klippenstein.
Trump heavily campaigned on cracking down on illegal crossings at the southern border and has already taken several actions surrounding mass deportations.
Arizona Rep. Andy Biggs announces he will run for governor
Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., announced today that he plans to run for governor in 2026 in the competitive swing state.
"It’s time to Make Arizona Great Again!" Biggs said in a post to X. "I am excited to be in the race for Governor and look forward to serving all Arizonans!"
Biggs, who was the former chair of the right-wing Freedom Caucus, announced his interest in running for governor earlier this week.
"I have a firm understanding of what the state needs to thrive," he said in the earlier statement.
Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs was elected in 2022 and can run for another term. Hobbs defeated Kari Lake by less than a percentage point.
Speaker Mike Johnson invites Trump to deliver address to Congress
House Speaker Mike Johnson today invited Trump to deliver an address to Congress in March, a speech that would mark Trump’s first joint address to Congress of his second term.
In the letter, Johnson asked that Trump speak to both chambers of Congress on March 4 “to share your America First vision for our legislative future.”
“I eagerly await your response,” added Johnson, R-La.
Florida Republican pleads with Trump to leave out some migrants under deportation plan
Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, R-Fla., is asking Trump's Department of Homeland Security to spare some migrants from deportation, even though they are otherwise not protected under the new guidelines put forth by the Trump administration.
Salazar wrote in a letter to acting DHS Secretary Benjamine Huffman that she was concerned about how the new guidance may affect "individuals in Miami," a city which according to Pew Research Center accounts for one of the three largest populations of immigrants in the U.S. It is unclear how many of the people described as immigrants by Pew are in the U.S. legally.
Salazar expressed concern over Trump's decision to end a Biden-era program that afforded some protections to Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan and Venezuelan (CHNV) immigrants. In the letter, published yesterday, Salazar said Biden had created the program "on dubious legal ground" but that those who were "still enrolled under" the program and should be protected until their cases are resolved.
"Since many of these individuals currently reside in Miami, there are open questions on how exactly this will be implemented," Salazar wrote.
Trump departs Las Vegas for Miami
Trump has left Las Vegas en route to Miami.
Before taking off, Trump made an impromptu stop to watch a round at the craps table in the Circa Resort & Casino, greeting supporters and posing for a selfie.
Trump has call with King Abdullah II of Jordan
Trump held a call today with King Abdullah II of Jordan, according to a readout from the White House.
During the call, Abdullah congratulated Trump on his inauguration, and Trump thanked the king for his "longtime friendship."
They additionally discussed the importance of "regional peace, security and stability."
Trump concludes Las Vegas rally
Trump has concluded remarks at his Las Vegas rally after roughly 40 minutes of speaking.
Trump jokes about serving three or four terms
During his remarks in Las Vegas Trump said it "will be the greatest honor of my life to serve not once, but twice — or three times or four times. No."
"Headlines," Trump said, laughing.
"No, it will be to serve twice," he added.
Earlier this week, Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., introduced a resolution calling for the Constitution to be amended in order for Trump to be allowed to serve a third term. There is a high bar for a Constitutional amendment, so it would face a steep uphill battle and appears unlikely to pass.