President Trump signs executive orders and pardons Jan. 6 defendants after his inauguration: Highlights

Newly confirmed Secretary of State Marco Rubio refused to comment this morning on Trump's pardons of 1,500 Jan. 6 rioters despite saying after the 2021 attack on the Capitol that it was "one of the saddest days in American history."

In an interview on NBC's "TODAY" show, Rubio was asked what message the pardons send to the rest of the world, but deflected the question as outside his foreign policy purview.

"We’re going to focus on what makes America stronger and more prosperous and safer," Rubio said. "I’m not going to engage in domestic political debates. I can’t in the role of State Department. My job is to focus on the president’s foreign policy."

Pressed again to react to the pardons, Rubio said, “My days at least in the time I’m at Department of State, my engaging in domestic politics will be put aside as I focus on the affairs of the United States has around the world."

Republican House and Senate leaders are expected to meet with Trump today, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told reporters yesterday.

The meeting will be at the White House in the afternoon, a congressional leadership source familiar with the meeting told NBC News.

Trump’s plan to roll back the constitutionally protected right to birthright citizenship is just one of several contentious executive actions that are likely to face pushback from judges and could be struck down by the Supreme Court.

Other policies that could be legally vulnerable include a plan to invoke an 18th century law called the Alien Enemies Act to round up and deport certain immigrants, legal experts said. Efforts to re-allocate congressional funding to build a border wall and refusing to spend money appropriated by Congress for environmental policies would also most likely be challenged.

Civil rights groups and Democratic attorneys general are likely to sue over a number of Trump policies. In fact, lawsuits were filed challenging Trump’s proposed Department of Government Efficiency within minutes of his taking the oath of office.

But not all lawsuits are created equal, and many will fail.

Read the full story here.

Trump's actions “hurt students, public schools, and communities,” the head of the nation's largest teacher's union has said in response to the president's slew of executive orders.

"Rather than listen to parents or work with educators to strengthen public schools, he is prioritizing the extreme Project 2025 playbook that aims to divide us," National Education Association President Becky Pringle said in a statement last night, refering to the conservative policy blueprint.

The National Education Association is one of the largest labor unions in the country, representing more than 3 million people. Among its members are public school teachers, retired educators, higher education faculty and school administrators.

One of Trump's executive orders yesterday proclaimed that the U.S. government would end diversity, equity and inclusion programs inside federal agencies, while another proclaimed the U.S. would recognize only two sexes, male and female.

Pringle said students "need to be respected for who they are, no matter their race, place, background, sexual orientation, or gender identity," adding that it is important to learn both the "good and bad of our history."

Thousands of Afghans cleared to resettle in the U.S. are facing flight cancellations after Trump ordered the suspension of refugee programs, a refugee resettlement advocate said.

They include unaccompanied minors, family members of active-duty U.S. service members and partner forces who fought alongside U.S. troops against the Taliban, in some cases saving their lives, said Shawn VanDiver, president of #AfghanEvac, a coalition of U.S. veterans and advocacy groups.

“It’s unconscionable to abandon them,” he said, noting that many of those remaining in Afghanistan are at great risk there.

The suspension of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, which takes effect next Monday, is one of a series of immigration-related executive orders Trump issued yesterday. The order does not say when the suspension will end, only that it will last “until such time as the further entry into the United States of refugees aligns with the interests of the United States.”

The World Health Organization said it regretted Trump's decision to withdraw U.S. membership in the global agency and that it hoped the U.S. would reconsider.

"WHO plays a crucial role in protecting the health and security of the world’s people, including Americans, by addressing the root causes of disease, building stronger health systems, and detecting, preventing and responding to health emergencies, including disease outbreaks," the Geneva-based agency said in a statement, noting that the U.S. was a founding member in 1948.

The withdrawal was one of a flurry of executive orders Trump issued after his inauguration yesterday. He had criticized the agency's handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, accused it of being politically influenced by member states and complained that U.S. payments were "unfairly onerous" compared with those made by larger countries such as China.

The agency said that with the participation of the U.S. and the other 193 member states, "WHO has over the past 7 years implemented the largest set of reforms in its history, to transform our accountability, cost-effectiveness, and impact in countries." 

Denuclearization of North Korea is a prerequisite for global stability, South Korea said Tuesday after President Donald Trump described the reclusive regime as a “nuclear power,” raising concern that the U.S. could be moving toward recognizing the North as a nuclear-armed state.

Since Trump was last in office, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has vowed to “exponentially” boost his nuclear arsenal and ramped up weapons testing, including of missiles that could potentially strike the continental United States and overwhelm U.S. treaty ally South Korea. 

The newly inaugurated Trump, who met with Kim three times during his first term to discuss North Korea’s U.N.-sanctioned weapons programs, spoke enthusiastically Monday about his past relationship with Kim, saying they liked each other.

“Now, he is a nuclear power,” Trump said while signing a series of executive orders in the Oval Office. “I think he’ll be happy to see I’m coming back.”

Read the full story here.

The Chinese government appears poised to overlook its sanctions against Marco Rubio now that he has been confirmed as Trump's secretary of state.

"China will firmly safeguard its national interests," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said in response to a question from NBC News at a regular briefing in Beijing today. "At the same time, high-level officials of both China and the U.S. need to maintain contact in an appropriate manner."

Rubio, one of many China hard-liners in the new Trump administration, was among multiple U.S. individuals and companies sanctioned by the Chinese government in 2020 over their criticism of Beijing's actions in the Chinese territory of Hong Kong and the western Chinese region of Xinjiang. This is the first time that a secretary of state has been sanctioned by China.

At least one American detained in Afghanistan was released amid the U.S. presidential transition, according to his family, in an apparent prisoner exchange with the Taliban.

The Taliban had confirmed that they were holding Ryan Corbett, an American arrested in Afghanistan in August 2022 and whom the State Department had classified as wrongfully detained.

“Today, our hearts are filled with overwhelming gratitude and praise to God for sustaining Ryan’s life and bringing him back home after what has been the most challenging and uncertain 894 days of our lives,” his family said in a statement on their website early Tuesday.

In a statement, the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs said “American citizens” had been released in exchange for Khan Muhammad, who was arrested in the eastern Afghan province of Nangarhar about two decades ago and who had been serving a life sentence in California.

Read the full story here.

Trump is at the second ball of the night, the Liberty Ball. He danced with his wife, Melania, again.

In remarks after the dance, he told the crowd it was a "good decision" to hold the inauguration inside, considering the cold weather.

"I wanted to put in some really rough stuff," he said about his inaugural address, adding that some of his team advised him not to put certain items in the speech. One of the paragraphs he agreed not to use was about Biden pardoning his family members, Trump said.

Trump spoke with U.S. service members stationed in South Korea while at the Commander in Chief Ball, asking them about the leader of neighboring North Korea.

“How’s Kim Jong Un?” he said in a video call from the stage.

About two dozen service members appeared to be on the call in U.S. ally South Korea, which hosts almost 30,000 American troops.

The American Civil Liberties Union sued the Trump administration today over Trump's executive order targeting birthright citizenship, it said.

“Denying citizenship to U.S.-born children is not only unconstitutional — it’s also a reckless and ruthless repudiation of American values,” ACLU Executive Director Anthony Romero said in a statement. “Birthright citizenship is part of what makes the United States the strong and dynamic nation that it is.”

The Trump administration's order argues the 14th Amendment "has always excluded from birthright citizenship persons who were born in the United States but not 'subject to the jurisdiction thereof.'"

Trump praised Pete Hegseth in remarks at the Commander in Chief Ball tonight, saying his nominee to lead the Pentagon would help him strengthen the U.S. military.

"We will again build the most powerful military the world has ever seen. We’re going to have it. You know, we did that four years ago, and then it was a little bit dissipated, but we’re going to do it again, but much bigger, much stronger than ever before," Trump said.

The Senate Armed Services Committee today advanced Hegseth's nomination to the full Senate on a party-line vote.

Holding the saber used to cut into the cake, Trump did his now-famous dance to "Y.M.C.A."

Trump then greeted service members as he left the stage.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., condemned Trump for pardoning of Jan. 6 defendants, saying in a statement that they tried to stop the peaceful transfer of power and that none of them — whether they committed violent acts or not — should have been pardoned.

"Donald Trump is ushering in a Golden Age for people that break the law and attempt to overthrow the government," Schumer said.

Trump and first lady Melania Trump are having their first dance at the first ball of the evening.

Shortly thereafter, the Trumps were joined by Vance and his wife, Usha, for their first dance as vice president and second lady.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., as chair of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, was in the car when Biden, Trump, Harris and Vance had what she described as a "very cordial" conversation.

She said that "there was not a moment of silence," adding that the group spoke about the wildfires in California, the ceasefire deal and even the NFL playoffs.

"I thought that was a safe area," Klobuchar said as she laughed, referring to the football part of the conversation.

Trump has arrived at the first of his inaugural balls of the evening: the Commander in Chief Ball, for military service members.

The ball is taking place at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.

Trump is expected to speak.

Gabriel Augustin Garcia celebrated Trump's pardoning Jan. 6 rioters by removing his ankle monitor. Garcia, a former Army captain, was charged with several crimes related to the Jan. 6 riot, including obstruction of an official proceeding and demonstrating in a Capitol building.

Among the blitz of executive actions Trump signed today is a memo allowing the White House counsel to issue immediate top-secret security clearances for whomever Trump chooses for a period of six months.

He said the move is necessary because of "a backlog created by the Biden Administration in the processing of security clearances of individuals hired to work in the Executive Office of the President."

Trump spoke in a video message that aired tonight during halftime of the college football national championship game.

Calling his inauguration an "historic and exciting day for our country," Trump echoed the message from his inaugural address. "In recent years, our people have suffered greatly, but starting now we're going to bring America back and make it safer, richer and prouder than ever before," he said in the video.

Trump referred to Ohio State and Notre Dame as "two tremendous teams" and urged them both to "go out and fight fair, and fight tough."

Ohio State led Notre Dame 21-7 at the half.

After less than a week, Cuba is back on the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism.

Among the 78 Biden executive orders and actions that Trump revoked was Biden's memorandum last Tuesday removing Cuba from a list of state sponsors of terrorism. Trump first added it to the list in January 2021, five years after President Barack Obama had removed it.

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel denounced Trump's action, calling it an act of "arrogance and disdain for the truth."

Trump tonight signed executive orders proclaiming that the U.S. government will recognize only two sexes, male and female, and ending “radical and wasteful” diversity, equity and inclusion programs inside federal agencies.

In a phone call this morning ahead of Trump’s swearing-in, senior White House officials detailed both orders, grouping them under the Trump administration’s wider “restoring sanity” agenda.

The officials presented the gender order as part of a policy “defending women from gender ideology extremism and restoring biological truth to the federal government.”

Read the full story here.

It's a festive scene outside the D.C. Jail.

Over the past several hours, in frigid temperatures, about two dozen friends and relatives of people convicted of crimes related to their actions on Jan. 6 have been dancing around, waving flags, listening to music and occasionally taking calls from inmates inside the jail who could be released in a matter of hours.

The crowd is small but jubilant. They view this as a reckoning, not revenge. “We are so grateful for President Trump,” Suzanne Monk of the J6 Pardon Project said.

“Never seen a room so excited in my life,” a D.C. jail inmate told the crowd here over the phone tonight about watching Trump’s Emancipation Hall speech when he mentioned the pardons of those involved in the Jan. 6 riot.

Vance said in a Fox News interview this month that violent Jan. 6 defendants should not be pardoned.

"If you committed violence on that day, obviously you shouldn’t be pardoned," Vance told Fox News on Jan. 12.

Tonight, however, Trump issued blanket pardons that do not distinguish between defendants who committed violent or nonviolent offenses during the Jan. 6 riot.

Trump's pardon tonight applies to "all other individuals convicted of offenses related to events that occurred at or near the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021."

Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., the former House speaker, slammed Trump's pardons and commutations related to the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.

In a post to X, she called his actions "an outrageous insult to our justice system and the heroes who suffered physical scars and emotional trauma as they protected the Capitol, the Congress and the Constitution."

"It is shameful that the President has decided to make one of his top priorities the abandonment and betrayal of police officers who put their lives on the line to stop an attempt to subvert the peaceful transfer of power," she continued.

Pelosi added that people "must always remember the extraordinary courage and valor" of the officers who protected the Capitol during the attack.

Trump signed an executive order tonight that a White House official described as "protecting women from radical gender ideology" when he presented the document to Trump for his signature.

The details of the order were not immediately clear.

Trump has frequently referred to transgender women as men, and he has vowed to bar transgender women from participating in women’s sports.

When Trump signed an executive order pulling the United States out of the Paris climate agreement, he made a point to say it would save the United States $1 trillion. 

How he got to that exact number is unclear. 

Trump signed an executive order withdrawing from the World Health Organization, the global agency that came into the spotlight at the height of the Covid pandemic.

"Oh, that's a big one," Trump said as he took the black folder containing the executive order.

Trump then lamented how much funding the United States gives the WHO per capita and compared it with the amount of money sent by China.

"Seemed a little unfair to me," he said.

Trump granted a "full, complete and unconditional pardon to all other individuals convicted of offenses related to events that occurred at or near the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021."

The pardon does not distinguish between violent and non-violent offenders.

Trump also commuted the sentences of 14 people who are serving sentences related to the Jan. 6 attack. Stewart Rhodes, the founder of the far-right group Oath Keepers, had been sentenced to 18 years in prison. Joseph Biggs, a Proud Boys leader, was sentenced to 17 years behind bars.

Here's a list of Jan. 6 defendants whose sentences have been commuted.

Trump bashed the pre-emptive pardons Biden issued before he left office earlier today.

"I think it makes Biden look very bad, very weak and very guilty," he said.

Those pardoned included members of Biden's family and the House Jan. 6 committee. Trump accused Biden of having pardoned them because "they're guilty as hell." The pardons do not signify any wrongdoing.

Among the actions Trump signed tonight was a declaration of a national energy emergency to enable additional resource extraction, which he referred to as "a big one."

"That means you can do whatever you have to do to get out of that problem," Trump said. "And we do have that kind of an emergency."

The declaration permits Trump to boost U.S. energy production, including drilling in Alaska.

Asked whether a security reason was why the inauguration was moved inside (as many right-wing X users were speculating), Trump dispelled that, saying, “No, no, no, no security,” adding: “No, it was just cold weather, and we made a good move, because first of all, I thought it was incredible in the Capitol today.”

Trump said that "if China didn't approve [a TikTok divestiture deal], we could put tariffs on China."

The remark came as he signed an order directing the attorney general not to take action related to the law banning TikTok for 75 days, starting today.

"If we wanted to make a deal with TikTok and it was a good deal and China wouldn't approve it ... we'd put tariffs on China," Trump said. "I'm not saying I would, but you certainly could do that."

Asked how confident he feels that he can keep the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, Trump said he is "not confident."

"That’s not our war; that’s their war," he said.

Discussing the process of rebuilding in Gaza, he said: "Gaza is interesting. It’s a phenomenal location on the sea — best weather, everything’s good. Some beautiful things could be done with it."

Trump falsely referred to Spain as being part of the so-called BRICS, a group of countries including Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

"Spain is very low. Aren't they a BRICS nation?" he said to a reporter, who had asked about countries' spending.

"What?" the reporter asked.

"They're a BRICS nation, Spain," Trump said. "You know what a BRICS nation is? You'll figure it out."

Trump signed an executive order tonight delaying implementation of the TikTok ban, saying the order will give him the right to "either sell it or close it."

Specifically, the order instructed the attorney general not to "take any action" for 75 days to enforce the ban until his administration can determine the appropriate path forward.

TikTok thanked Trump after it briefly went dark this weekend, crediting him with working to make sure the site remained accessible. Trump, now a proponent of the app, had previously denounced it over national security concerns.

Regarding his change in position, Trump said when he was asked that it will "depend on the deal."

Trump signed an executive order creating the "Department of Government Efficiency," or DOGE.

Asked whether Elon Musk, who is expected to helm DOGE, will get a West Wing office, Trump said he will get an office "for about 20 people that we're hiring to make sure these get implemented."

"We have a problem in this country. You sign an executive order and it doesn’t get done for six months," Trump said.

Trump has revoked Biden’s landmark executive order on artificial intelligence.

Biden’s broad order, signed in October 2023, was aimed at addressing risks and opportunities around the rapidly expanding technology. It called for several safety measures, including federal guidelines for American companies that make AI content to “watermark” it to make sure it’s clear it isn’t made by a human. It also added funding for AI research and a federal AI hiring surge.

While AI safety advocates largely praised Biden’s order, some Republicans and conservative lobbyists opposed it for its regulation of AI companies, particularly their use of massive amounts of computing power.

Trump said he is considering 25% tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada, the United States' top two trading partners.

Asked when he might impose the tariffs, Trump told a reporter in the Oval Office: "I think we'll do it February 1st."

Trump added that the reason for imposing tariffs was related to the fentanyl crisis.

Trump criticized the U.S. policy toward the Panama Canal, referring to when President Jimmy Carter transferred control of the canal from the United States to Panama.

He called Carter's move "a terrible mistake."

Trump claimed that "China controls" the canal, which Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino has rebuked. The canal is under Panama's control.

"Every square meter of the canal belongs to Panama and will continue to be so," Mulino said in a video statement last month.

Trump was asked by reporters tonight about the timing of raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement but didn't offer specifics on timing.

“I don’t want to say when. It has to happen,” he said.

Trump previously vowed to begin enacting the biggest mass deportation program in American history. NBC News reported this week that ICE was planning an operation targeting immigrants for several days after Trump's inauguration.

Trump this evening signed an executive order declaring a national emergency at the southern border, one of a flurry of executive actions he has taken so far as he tries to stem the flow of immigration into the United States.

"That's a big one," Trump said as he received and then signed the executive order.

Trump alluded to the executive order this afternoon, saying in his inaugural remarks as the 47th president that he intended to declare a national emergency at the southern border.

“Illegal entry will immediately be halted, and we will begin the process of returning millions and millions of criminal aliens back to the places from which they came,” he said.

Trump signed an executive order addressing birthright citizenship, though the text has not yet been published on the White House website.

The move will almost certainly face swift legal pushback.

Trump, who has frequently criticized birthright citizenship on the campaign trail, called the concept "absolutely ridiculous."

Birthright citizenship is a right guaranteed by the 14th Amendment.

Trump also false claimed that the U.S. is the only country in the world with birthright citizenship (Mexico and Canada both have it, for a start). 

Asked whether if Biden left him a letter, as is tradition for an outgoing president to do, Trump opened the drawer of the Resolute Desk to search.

He found an envelope addressed to "47," flashing it to the cameras.

Trump thanked the reporter who asked the question: "Thank you very much. I may not have seen this for months."

Trump signed an executive order tonight designating cartels as foreign terrorist organizations.

When a reporter asked what he would do if Mexico is not on board, Trump said, "I don't know; you'll have to ask them."

Asked if he would consider sending U.S. Special Forces to Mexico to "take them out," he said it "could happen. Stranger things have happened.”

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum Headquarters, a group representing the families of people held captive, shared a statement from hostages' families amid the inaugural parade.

The families said they were “aware of and appreciative of President Trump’s commitment to bringing home every single hostage” and that they had met with members of his team, including Steve Witkoff, Trump's Middle East envoy, who introduced Trump at today's event at Capital One Arena.

Noa Argamani and Shoshan Haran, who were held captive by Hamas, and families representing six American and four Israeli hostages were among those who appeared at the parade.

Haran was released in November 2023, and Argamani was rescued in June.

Trump signed an executive order that an official said altered the U.S. refugee admissions program "to better align with American principles and American interests."

The text of the order has not yet been released.

A spokesperson for the Democratic National Committee slammed Trump's slew of executive orders, arguing they would lead to "higher prices and fewer American jobs in the clean energy economy."

"Donald Trump’s first day in office shows where his priorities lie: with the billionaire backers he put front row at his inauguration, while leaving his supporters out in the cold," spokesperson Rosemary Boeglin said in a statement. "As we heard today, Trump’s more focused on renaming geographical landmarks than on the campaign promises he made to lower costs and grow the economy for the American people."

Trump's swearing-in ceremony was moved inside because of the cold weather.

Trump signed a pardon for about 1,500 Jan. 6 defendants, he said.

He had often referred to them as "hostages." This appeared to be the first executive action he took in the Oval Office.

The names of those pardoned have not been released.

Nayib Hassan, a lawyer for former Proud Boys chairman Enrique Tarrio, told NBC News tonight that his client is being processed for release from federal prison because of an expected grant of clemency from Trump.

“He is being processed out,” Hassan said. “We do not know what type of clemency he is receiving.

Tarrio is serving a 22-year sentence at FCI Pollock, a medium-security prison in Louisiana. He was sentenced in September 2023 after he was convicted of seditious conspiracy in one of the highest-profile Jan. 6 cases.

Trump told NBC News' Peter Alexander inside the West Wing, "We're going to have some fun."

Trump is expected to sign additional executive orders and actions this evening.

Harris posted to X for the first time since having left office, saying it "has been the honor of my lifetime to serve as your Vice President."

She dropped a link to her revamped website, saying people could stay connected with her there.

The website lays out what she views as her accomplishments and legacy as vice president. It appears to be the same URL her presidential campaign used.

Just hours after being sworn in as the 47th president, Trump was already back to rally mode.

Bitterly cold temperatures forced Trump’s swearing-in ceremony indoors to the Capitol rotunda, meaning his supporters couldn’t congregate on the National Mall for the event. Instead, thousands packed into Capital One Arena downtown to celebrate the man to whom many here had dedicated years to trying to return to the White House.

Trump entered the arena around 5:30 p.m. through the crowd, which was chanting “USA” as he approached the stage, where his family members were seated.

Read the full story here.

Trump just arrived at the White House, the first time he has been there as the 47th president of the United States.

He will spend time at the White House before he heads to celebratory balls tonight.

The Anti-Defamation league said today that Elon Musk "made an awkward gesture in a moment of enthusiasm, not a Nazi salute," as video and images of the gesture continued to spread across the internet.

"In this moment, all sides should give one another a bit of grace, perhaps even the benefit of the doubt, and take a breath," the group said on X. "This is a new beginning. Let’s hope for healing and work toward unity in the months and years ahead."

Musk later thanked the ADL on X.

The ADL post comes as fallout from Musk's gesture earlier today at a Trump rally spread quickly across social media, sparking celebrations from far-right extremists and condemnations from many on the left.

See how Americans on both sides of the aisle are gearing up for a new Trump term in photos from a bitterly cold weekend.

Read full story here.

Two more of Trump’s Cabinet nominees were just reported out of their respective committees.

The Senate Homeland Security Committee voted to advance Kristi Noem for homeland security secretary by a vote of 13-2.

The Senate Governmental Affairs Committees voted to move Russell Vought forward for Office of Management and Budget director by a vote of 8-7.

We do not know who voted no, and it’s not yet clear when the nominees will get full Senate votes.

Trump, Vance and their families have left the arena as the Village People's "Y.M.C.A." plays in the background.

It's a classic song that Trump played at his campaign rallies throughout the campaign, and last night, the band performed it at his pre-inauguration rally.

The Senate has voted unanimously, 99-0, to confirm Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., as secretary of state.

Rubio also voted for himself and got hugs from fellow senators on the floor.

The reason it was not 100-0 is that Vance does not yet have a replacement for the Ohio Senate seat he left open after he resigned.

This is the last vote of the day.

One of the documents Trump signed was a letter addressed to the United Nations saying the United States is withdrawing from the Paris Agreement.

As he got up from the desk after having signed orders, Trump threw the pens he used to sign them into the crowd.

Earlier, an audience member yelled out that they wanted a pen.

In his sixth executive order signing of the night, Trump withdrew from the Paris climate treaty, which the United States rejoined in 2021.

"We're going to save a trillion dollars by withdrawing from that treaty," an aide said as he signed the order.

One of the executive orders Trump signed onstage addresses what he called a regulatory freeze that he said would prevent the issuance of new regulations for now.

Trump signs his fourth executive order, requiring all federal workers to return to in-office work.

Trump discussed defeating Harris in tonight's remarks.

He first criticized Biden's debate performance, which took place more than six months ago, saying, "That's what killed him," before he recounted that Democrats "put somebody else in to finish up the fight."

"They gave us somebody new, but we took care of both of them. So we beat actually two," Trump said.

Trump signed an executive order freezing the hiring of new federal workers, with exceptions for some departments and agencies like the military.

"Could you imagine Biden doing this? I don't think so," Trump told the crowd after he signed the third order.

Trump signed his first executive order at the arena.

An announcer said it rescinded 78 Biden-era executive actions. The exact actions were not specified.

Trump has wrapped up his remarks.

Afterward, he made his way over to the desk positioned on the side of the stage to sign multiple executive orders.

On his way, he shook the hands of several members of family of hostages still being held by Hamas.

Onstage, Trump blasted former special counsel Jack Smith, who resigned this month after he submitted his report on the cases against Trump that he prosecuted to the Justice Department.

In his final report, Smith wrote that Trump “inspired his supporters to commit acts of physical violence” on Jan. 6. Smith said Trump would have been convicted had he not been elected in November.

As he did often on the campaign trail, Trump called Smith "deranged" and said he was probably "going back to the Hague or wherever he came from." Smith was the chief prosecutor for the special court in The Hague, investigating war crimes that happened during the Kosovo War.

Advocates for hostages who remain in Gaza have stayed onstage, standing behind Trump during his speech.

Steve Witkoff, Trump’s Middle East envoy, brought them onstage right before he introduced Trump, and they have remained there since. Among the advocates are families of hostages and at least one former hostage.

Advocates for the hostages have appeared at many events for both Democrats and Republicans, including both parties' convention. But it is uncommon for them to be ushered to stand behind politicians during intensely partisan speeches like this one.

Trump discussed the hostages in Gaza at the beginning of the speech. He also described Jan. 6 defendants facing prison time as "hostages."

During his speech, Trump commented for the first time publicly on Biden's decision to pardon several of his family members in the final minutes of his presidency.

"Did you know that Biden, while I was making my speech, pardoned his whole family?" Trump asked the crowd at Capital One Arena, who responded with resounding boos and jeers.

"The brother, the whole deal was pardoned. Can you imagine that?" Trump added.

The Senate voted tonight to pass an immigration crackdown bill, the first piece of legislation congressional Republicans hope to send newly sworn-in Trump for a signature.

The vote for final passage of the Laken Riley Act was 64-35, with 12 Democrats joining Republicans to approve it.

The bill, which was amended in the Senate last week, will be sent back for another vote to the Republican-led House, where it is expected to pass easily before it goes to Trump’s desk to become law. The House passed a version of the bill 264-159 this month, with 48 Democrats voting for it.

Read the full story here.

Trump is preparing to sign his first batch of executive orders as president.

"First, I’ll revoke nearly 80 destructive and radical executive actions of the previous administration, one of the worst administrations in history," he said.

Trump said he would also issue a hiring freeze "to ensure that we’re only hiring competent people who are faithful to the American public, and we will pause the hiring of any new IRS agents."

Among other actions, Trump will also sign a presidential memo, he said, that directs his Cabinet "to marshal every power at their disposal to defeat inflation and rapidly bring down the cost of daily life because your costs have gone through the roof in the last four years."

Vivek Ramaswamy addressed his leaving the Department of Government Efficiency, saying on X that it was his "honor to help support the creation of DOGE."

"I’m confident that Elon & team will succeed in streamlining government," he continued, referring to his former co-director, Elon Musk. "I’ll have more to say very soon about my future plans in Ohio. Most importantly, we’re all-in to help President Trump make America great again!"

NBC News has reported that Ramaswamy is expected to launch a bid to be Ohio's governor.

Trump kicked off his speech to supporters saying he would pardon Jan. 6 defendants today.

"We'll be signing pardons for a lot of people," he said.

He also thanked Steve Witkoff, his Middle East envoy, and addressed the hostage release yesterday.

"It should've never happened," Trump said about hostages' being taken.

The families of people still held hostage by Hamas in Gaza walked onstage.

As Witkoff spoke, several hostages' family members stood on the floor of the arena, donning yellow sashes and holding photos of their relatives.

“President Trump’s reputation as a leader who delivers results resonates beyond Washington,” Witkoff added. “It allows me to approach delicate negotiations with the confidence that the full weight of the United States is behind me.”

As Trump took the stage, he said: "So now the work begins; we won. We won, but now the work begins; we have to bring them home."

Real estate mogul Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, introduced Trump after a lengthy procession of marching bands and honor guards at Capital One Arena.

"It is an honor to stand before you today. As I reflect on the enormity of the role that President Trump has tasked me with, I am constantly reminded of the privilege it is to serve under the leadership of my boss, President Donald J Trump," Witkoff said, pausing for applause.

"President Trump's leadership has redefined what is possible in the pursuit of progress and stability in the Middle East," Witkoff said. "His policies have already delivered remarkable successes such as yesterday's release of hostages in Gaza."

Witkoff joined members of Biden's outgoing administration in the Middle East several days ago to negotiate a so-far successful ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which included the release of several hostages of Hamas who were captured during the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack in Israel.

Trump and Vance chatted as they stood on the dais with their families, watching several honor guards and marching bands parade around the arena.

The groups included the Palm Beach, Florida, Police and Fire Department Honor Guard; the New York Police Department Emerald Society, who played bagpipes and drums as they marched; and the Middletown, Ohio, High School marching band and cheerleading team.

Vance is a 2003 graduate of Middletown High School.

The New York Military Academy is taking part in today's parade. Trump, a 1964 graduate, is a distinguished alumnus of the school.

Emergency responders from Butler, Pennsylvania, the town where Trump was shot during a campaign event in July, marched in the procession at Capital One Arena.

The emergency responders carried a jacket bearing the name of Corey Comperatore, the rallygoer and firefighter who was shot and killed at the rally.

The arena then observed a moment of silence in his honor.

The Senate Armed Services Committee voted along party lines today to send Pete Hegseth’s nomination to be defense secretary to the Senate floor as Trump tries to move quickly to get critical members of his Cabinet in place. 

All 14 Republicans on the committee voted in favor of Hegseth, while all 13 Democrats voted against him. Despite initial concerns about allegations of sexual assault, alcohol abuse and financial mismanagement — all of which Hegseth has denied — not a single Republican senator has said so far that he or she will vote no, meaning he is most likely on track to be confirmed.

Read the full story here.

Former presidents, technology CEOs, senators and Supreme Court justices watched onstage as Trump took the oath of office. Explore the crowd using the graphic below.

Vance has entered the hall, holding his daughter, Mirabel, with his two sons and his wife, Usha, accompanying him.

He gave a quick thumbs up to the crowd, who replied by chanting "JD! JD! JD!"

Trump entered the arena to cheering supporters, with a live band playing "Hail to the Chief."

Vance and his family entered moments earlier.

Trump and Vance walked down an aisle, flanked by supporters. Trump shook people's hands as many of them took pictures of him.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops said in a statement today that it intends to carefully review the executive orders Trump is preparing to sign this evening, specifically those that have to do with implementing strict immigration policies.

“The Catholic Church’s foundational teaching calls us to uphold the sacredness of human life and the God-given dignity of the human person. This means that the care for immigrants, refugees, and the poor is part of the same teaching of the Church that requires us to protect the most vulnerable among us, especially unborn children, the elderly and the infirm,” the group said in the statement.

Trump's expected Day One executive orders include initiatives like ending birthright citizenship, which is widely understood to be guaranteed by the 14th Amendment, and reinstating the Remain in Mexico policy from his first term. Some migrants' long-awaited asylum appointments have already been canceled after the Trump administration ended the CBP One app, which was used to facilitate asylum appointments under the Biden administration.

As Trump's family entered the private box at Capital One Arena, no family member received a more enthusiastic reception than the president's youngest son.

Cameras focused on Barron Trump as he took his seat, his image front and center on the arena's massive scoreboard. Chants of "Barron! Barron! Barron!" briefly rang out before he offered a wave.

Barron Trump has not been in the spotlight as much as his older siblings, but his father has credited him with pushing a campaign strategy that prioritized podcasts popular with young male voters.

As the second Trump term begins, there are many familiar faces. But one who may not be familiar to many people is the man who has been standing next to Barron Trump at many of the inauguration events.

The older man is Viktor Knavs, the first lady's father and Barron Trump's grandfather. A 2024 story in People magazine noted he "was a chauffeur and car salesman" in Slovenia who moved to America and became a citizen in 2018. His wife, Amalija Knavs, died about a year ago.

Trump's family is onstage at Capital One Arena.

Trump's children, Ivanka, Don Jr., Eric, Ivanka and Barron, are onstage. Barron received a loud cheer from the audience.

Melania's father, Viktor Knavs, is onstage, as well, joined by former RNC Co-Chair Lara Trump, Trump's daughter-in-law.

The White House confirmed that Vivek Ramaswamy is no longer a part of the Department of Government Efficiency.

Ramaswamy is instead planning to run for governor of Ohio, a move confirmed by Anna Kelly, a Trump transition spokesperson.

“He intends to run for elected office soon, which requires him to remain outside of DOGE based on the structure that we announced today. We thank him immensely for his contributions over the last 2 months and expect him to play a vital role in making America great again," she said.

Hours after Trump declared he would rename the "Gulf of Mexico" the "Gulf of America," Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is already using the name in an official news release.

Issuing an executive order related to potential bad weather stretching across the Southeast, DeSantis' order says that "an area of low pressure moving across the Gulf of America, interacting with Arctic air, will bring widespread impactful winter weather to North Florida beginning Tuesday, January 21, 2025."

The White House has published a full list of officials who will serve as acting department and agency secretaries and leaders until Trump’s Cabinet nominees are sworn in. Trump has tapped, among the picks, career diplomat Lisa Kenna as acting State Department head; immigration attorney James McHenry as acting attorney general; the Treasury Department’s highest-ranking civil servant, David Lebryk, as acting director; and Bryan Driscoll as the FBI’s acting head. 

The Senate Intelligence Committee just voted 14-3 to report John Ratcliffe’s nomination to be CIA director to the full Senate, according to a spokesperson for the committee.

Ratcliffe, the former Texas congressman who was Trump's director of national intelligence during his first term, is expected to be confirmed to the new position in the coming days once the full Senate votes on his nomination.

The inaugural parade is underway at Capitol One Arena. It was moved indoors because of the cold weather.

Stephen Miller — the incoming White House deputy chief of staff and architect of the first Trump administration's immigration policies — warned migrants trekking to the United States to "turn back now" within hours of Trump's swearing-in.

Trump has officially announced his nominations to his Cabinet.

The White House Office of Communications circulated an email formally nominating and appointing Trump's intended picks, which he announced during the transition but were not official until he took office and subsequently announced them today.

Among those named are Marco Rubio for secretary of state; John Ratcliffe for CIA director; Pete Hegseth for defense secretary; Russell Vought for White House budget director; and Kristi Noem for secretary of homeland security. Senate committees that oversaw respective hearings will vote on these nominees today; those who receive a majority vote will proceed to be voted on in the full chamber.

The Republican-led Senate is hoping to confirm some of the nominees today, hitting the ground running on Trump's first day back in office. Rubio and Ratcliffe are viewed as most likely to be able to proceed to a full Senate vote.

Trump has entered the Capital One Arena in the next part of his inauguration celebrations, returning to the arena one day after he delivered remarks to supporters.

Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., criticized Biden for pardoning him and other members of the Jan. 6 committee. The senator, who had previously expressed opposition to the notion of receiving a pre-emptive pardon, called the move "unnecessary" and "unwise," but noted he was proud of the work of the committee.

“The grant of pardons to a committee that undertook such important work to uphold the law was unnecessary, and because of the precedent it establishes, unwise," he said. "I certainly understand why President Biden believed he needed to take this step in light of the persistent and baseless threats issued by Donald Trump and individuals who are now some of his law enforcement nominees."

The Pentagon unveiled a portrait of retired Gen. Mark Milley, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, earlier this month.

But now that Trump is president, and hours after Milley received a pre-emptive pardon from Biden on his way out the door, Milley's portrait appears to have been taken down.

Milley served in his Joint Chiefs role under both Trump and Biden, and according to a book by journalist Bob Woodward, Milley called Trump “a fascist to the core.”

It didn't get the same level of fanfare as some of Biden's other final pardons, but in the same statement pardoning members of his family, Biden also issued a pardon to Gerald G. Lundergan.

Lundergan, the former Kentucky Democratic Party chairman, was sentenced in 2020 after convictions related to what the Justice Department called "his role in orchestrating a multi-year scheme to funnel more than $200,000 in secret, unlawful corporate contributions" to his daughter's Senate campaign in 2014. Alison Lundergan Grimes, his daughter, was Kentucky's secretary of state and was running against Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell at the time.

According to a statement provided to the Courier Journal, Lundergan responded to the pardon by saying: "I have taken responsibility for my actions, sought atonement, and am working to make a positive difference in the lives of the most vulnerable, including the homeless, those recovering from addiction, and those re-entering society."

Former Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., criticized Trump's comments to supporters in the Capitol today, saying in a post to X that his remarks "were a reminder that neither lies nor the liar who tells them get better with age."

She rebutted Trump's unfounded claims about the Jan. 6 Committee committing wrongdoings, saying that Trump "has had access to all the transcripts for years."

"Remember Trump’s character: He sat in his dining room watching on television as his supporters attacked our Capitol and brutally assaulted law enforcement," she said. "For hours, he refused to instruct the mob to leave. The truth will never change."

First lady Melania Trump's hat has been the source of dozens of viral memes today, many of them spurred after a funky moment on the inaugural stage that was captured on camera.

Moments before he was sworn in, Trump leaned in to kiss his wife, but couldn't reach her face under the wide brim of her hat.

In one post on X, Comedy Central's "The Daily Show" compared the first lady's hat to the Pizza Hut logo, writing, "No one out-pizzas the Hut."

Another X user edited the first lady's hat to appear comically large in a photo. Yet another post mocked the first lady's line of vision in the Capitol, as most viewers couldn't see her eyes under her hat during today's ceremonies.

Trump is leaving the Capitol. He shook hands with Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Senator Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Speaker Mike Johnson and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., praised Trump's remarks after being sworn in today, saying he reflected the sentiment and issues that matter most to Americans.

Asked by NBC News' Lester Holt if she agrees with the negative picture Trump painted of American life, Britt said, “President Trump spoke directly to the issues that matter to these Americans.”

Britt also echoed Trump’s campaign comments on inflation over the last four years, saying Americans don’t feel that their dollar goes as far “every single time they go to the grocery store and the gas pump.”

Trump and Melania Trump arrived at Emancipation Hall for the First Honors Ceremony.

The ceremony takes the place of the traditional Review of the Troops that usually occurs on the East Front steps just before the president departs the U.S. Capitol on Inauguration Day. The First Honors ceremony in Emancipation Hall is the inclement weather version of these events. 

The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Air Force Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., was asked by NBC News whether he will stay in the role.

“That’s my plan,” he said.

Trump and his close circle had planned to fire military leaders whom they viewed as too involved with diversity initiatives, specifically name-checking Brown. The president reconsidered that promise last month after Trump and Brown spoke at the Army-Navy football game.

Several Trump supporters have gathered outside the D.C. Central Detention Facility, colloquially known as the D.C. jail, excitedly awaiting the potential release of those incarcerated due to their actions at the Capitol riot four years ago.

A handful of friends and family members have gathered nearly every night over the past several years, and it's where the “J6 Prison Choir” began.  Suzanne Monk, founder of the J6 Pardon Project, spoke to a small crowd outside of the jail.

“We are going to continue to get justice. We are going to continue to get rectification. This is not revenge,” she said. “It’s a reckoning.”

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., in a brief interview with NBC News after leaving the inaugural luncheon in Statuary Hall, criticized Biden's pardons issued in the final hours of his presidency.

“It’s political theater, kind of a jab at Trump. It’s just kind of a sour note in a sad song, anyway. It’s his right to do it, I guess, but it just reinforced a narrative that needs to stop. And I think his last act out the door is not going to be remembered fondly," Graham said.

Asked what he thinks of Trump’s return to the White House, Graham said: “I talked to Melania, she said it the best: ‘America’s kind of sleepy; we’re awake.’ We’re awake and ready to go. Everybody’s excited about the opportunity here.”

In a toast at the inaugural lunch, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., compared Trump to former President Ronald Reagan.

Thune said Reagan stood for "peace through strength," "optimism" and a "belief in America."

"Mr. President, those are qualities that I see in you," Thune said.

A large group of Proud Boys, the white nationalist organization whose leaders were sentenced to prison for their roles in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, has amassed in a march across downtown D.C.

The group of about 50, clothed in signature colors of black and gold, had begun marching through the streets of D.C. this morning, waving flags that read "The Proud Boys did nothing wrong” and “Trump 2024!

Nearly two minutes after Trump took the oath of office, the Proud Boys could be heard chanting "Free our boys! Free our boys!" outside the Capital One Arena where Trump supporters watched a live broadcast of the inaugural ceremony.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., and House Minority leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., presented Vance with a U.S. flag as a gift at the inaugural luncheon.

In his remarks, Jeffries referenced Vance's early roots in Appalachia and his journey to leading the country. Echoing the same sentiment in his toast, House Speaker Mike Johnson said Vance's rise through American politics is an inspiration for the young men watching him, making callbacks to the upbringing Vance described in his memoir "Hillbilly Elegy."

“I pray specifically that you inspire a lot of the young men in America. Some of them feel stagnant and hopeless sometimes,” Johnson said.

Vermont Sen. Peter Welch was one of the first Democratic senators to react to former President Joe Biden pardoning members of his family on his last day in office.

"Candidate Donald Trump explicitly stated he was going to use the Department of Justice to go after his political adversaries," Welch said in a statement.

"Joe Biden was in a ‘damned if you do, damned if you don’t’ position. It’s really distressing how the pardon system has gotten out of hand, but given the threats made by President Trump, the pardons are sadly understandable," Welch added.

Trump supporters have started doing the wave here at Capital One Arena as the program has hit a lull.

Kash Patel, Trump's choice to serve as FBI director, delivered a campaign-style speech at Trump's inaugural day rally.

It's the kind of speech that is very out of place for an FBI director to deliver. It would be difficult to point to a past director speaking at such an event.

Patel did seem to be somewhat cautious, though, seemingly conscious of avoiding any content that could come up in his confirmation hearing.

Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., told NBC News that Trump's first priority is executing the mass deportations that he promised on the campaign trail. Then, Donalds said, Trump and Republicans will focus on the economy and inflation.

"President Trump is committed, his Cabinet is committed and so are members of Congress," Donalds said, speaking from Trump's upcoming rally at Capital One Arena in Washington.

There is a table set up onstage at the Capitol One Area, where Trump is expected to sign a number of executive orders later in front of the crowd.

In one of his final acts as president, Biden commuted the life sentence of Native American rights activist Leonard Peltier, who was convicted of killing two FBI agents on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and of escaping from federal prison.

The act came despite the fact that former FBI Director Christopher Wray appealed directly to Biden to not do so.

Nearly everyone in the crowd at Capital One Arena took to their feet and cheered as billionaire Elon Musk walked the stage to deliver an address.

Musk started pumping his fists wildly, gesticulating across the platform.

The SpaceX and Tesla executive kept his speech brief, pledging to "work my ass off for you guys" and reiterating multiple times how "excited" he was for the Trump administration to get underway.

At one point, the crowd chanted, "Elon! Elon!"

Musk then forcefully touched his heart, before raising his hand and saluting supporters.

Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino reiterated today that the Panama Canal “is and will continue” to belong to the Latin American nation.

His remarks respond to what President Donald Trump said about the canal during the first speech of his second term.

Behind the head table in Statuary Hall hangs this year’s expansive inaugural painting, “American Sky,” by expressionist painter Jane Wilson.

The painting is the first by a female artist to be dedicated at an inaugural luncheon, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, the chair of the Inaugural Ceremony Committee, said, marking a deviation from other works that have defined the long-standing practice of selecting a painting reflective of the year’s inaugural theme to hang behind the head table. 

Klobuchar, D-Minn., noted in dedicating the painting that it’s particularly special because it reflects America’s heartland. Wilson grew up on a farm in Iowa, which she often credited as the inspiration for her famous sprawling landscape portraiture, like that seen in “American Sky.”

Wilson, who died in 2015, was known for blending expressionism and realism in her work.

At one of the tables just in front of the president and the first lady, Senate Majority Leader John Thune shared a table with Barron Trump, the president's youngest son.

Also spotted at their table was Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., Trump's pick to be his next secretary of state, and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, alongside his fiancée, Lauren Sanchez.

The GOP-led Senate hopes to hit the ground running today and begin confirming the newly inaugurated president's nominees on his first day.

Republican leaders will be looking for unanimous agreement among senators to hold votes on the floor on one or more of Trump’s picks for his administration. If they are granted speedy consideration, each nominee will take 51 votes to secure confirmation.

When the chamber gavels in at 4:30 p.m. ET, five nominees are scheduled to receive votes from the committees that oversaw their confirmation hearings: Marco Rubio for secretary of state in the Foreign Relations Committee; John Ratcliffe for CIA director in the Intelligence Committee; Pete Hegseth for defense secretary in the Armed Services Committee; and both Russell Vought for White House budget director and Kristi Noem for homeland security secretary in the Homeland Security and Governmental Committee.

Read the full story here.

The first days of a new administration are regularly filled with shuffling of personnel, particularly at the top of federal agencies and departments, where previous heads have resigned and new leaders haven't yet been confirmed.

At the moment, the acting attorney general is James R. McHenry III, and the acting deputy attorney general is Emil Bove. McHenry previously served as the chief administrative hearing officer at the DOJ, and in the department's Executive Office for Immigration Review. Bove is a former assistant U.S. attorney who defended Trump in his hush money case.

Trump's pick to lead the department, former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, is still awaiting Senate confirmation but is expected to be confirmed.

While waiting for Trump, supporters have been hearing from a roster of Trump world allies, like Republican Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders and former White House adviser Kellyanne Conway. For the most part, they have been greeted with polite applause — no more, no less.

That changed moments ago when Turning Point USA's Charlie Kirk, a right-wing activist popular on college campuses, took the stage.

Kirk earned a standing ovation from the audience and rowdy applause throughout his remarks, which touched on the importance of the youth vote in Trump's victory. Trump didn't win the demographic but cut deeply into Democrats' long-running dominance with young voters.

Trump won, in part, because "younger voters trusted Donald Trump with their vote," Kirk said.

While many of the luncheon attendees are being served wine, Trump (who does not drink) was just handed a Diet Coke.

Incoming White House staff secretary Will Scharf, who was a member of Trump’s legal team in his federal election case and his Supreme Court immunity case, stands behind the new president, next to Melania Trump, as Trump completes the President’s Room signings. Vance is standing to Trump’s right, with Mike Johnson on his left. 

Still in the Capitol, Trump signed his distinct signature on several Cabinet and sub-Cabinet-level appointments.

The president signed these in batches, putting his signature on just one document with 47 sub-Cabinet appointments.

Next to him, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer joked, "But you don't have to sign it 47 times."

Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy took some swipes at Matt Gaetz during an interview with NBC News, saying that there's nothing that would happen if there's another challenge for the speakership because "Gaetz is gone."

In October 2023, Gaetz filed a resolution that ultimately led to McCarthy's ouster as House speaker.

"It was all about an ethics report he didn't want to come out," McCarthy said during the interview. "Don't sleep with 17-year-olds and then we'll be OK. That's his problem."