President Donald Trump issues series of executive actions on Day 1

[CRAIG NIGRELLI]

“Please raise your right hand and repeat after me…congratulations Mr. President. [Cheers]” 

WITH THAT OATH IN THE U.S. CAPITOL MONDAY, DONALD TRUMP BECAME THE 47TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES AND IT DID NOT TAKE LONG FOR HIM TO GET HIS AGENDA STARTED FOR HIS SECOND TERM. 

DURING HIS 30-MINUTE INAUGURATION SPEECH IN THE CAPITOL ROTUNDA – PRESIDENT TRUMP PREVIEWED HOW HE WOULD SPEND MUCH OF HIS FIRST DAY IN OFFICE. 

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP 

“Today, I will sign a series of historic executive orders. With these actions, we will begin the complete restoration of America and the revolution of common sense. It’s all about common sense. First, I will declare a national emergency at our southern border. All 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. We will reinstate my remain in Mexico policy. I will end the practice of catch and release. And I will send troops to the southern border to repel the disastrous invasion of our country. Under the orders I sign today we will also be designating the cartels as foreign terrorist organizations.” 

THE PRESIDENT SIGNING THE SERIES OF EXECUTIVE ORDERS THROUGHOUT THE DAY. 

 FIRST — ON STAGE IN FRONT OF A CROWD AT THE CAPITOL ONE ARENA – WHERE HE RESCINDED 78 EXECUTIVE ACTIONS IMPLEMENTED UNDER THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION. 

AFTER FINISHING – TRUMP TOSSED PENS INTO THE CROWD OF SUPPORTERS. 

THE PRESIDENT WOULD FOLLOW THAT BY SIGNING MORE EXECUTIVE ACTIONS BACK AT THE WHITE HOUSE – INCLUDING PARDONING MOST OF THE INDIVIDUALS CONVICTED IN CONNECTION TO THE RIOTS AT THE CAPITOL ON JANUARY 6TH 2021 AND ORDERING A DELAY ON THE BAN ON TIKTOK. WE WOULD HAVE MORE ON BOTH OF THOSE ACTIONS COMING UP. 

BUT FIRST HERE’S A LOOK AT SOME OF THE OTHER EXECUTIVE ACTIONS TRUMP TOOK ON DAY ONE. 

HE ORDERED FLAGS TO BE FLOWN AT FULL STAFF ON INAUGURATION DAYS – FLAGS HAD BEEN LOWERED TO HALF STAFF IN HONOR OF THE PASSING OF FORMER PRESIDNET JIMMY CARTER.   

TRUMP SIGNED AN ORDER REQURING ALL FEDERAL WORKERS TO RETURN TO WORK IN-PERSON FULL TIME. 

THE PRESIDENT ISSUED A FREEZE ON FEDERAL HIRING WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE MILITARY AND OTHER EXCLUDED DEPARTMENTS. 

TWO EXECUTIVE ACTIONS SAW TRUMP WITHDRAWING THE UNITED STATES FROM THE PARIS CLIMATE AGREEMENT AND THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION. 

AND HE ORDERED CONSTRUCTION OF A WALL ON THE SOUTHERN BORDER TO RESTART – – AFTER ABOUT 450 MILES OF THE BARRIER WAS BUILT DURING HIS FIRST ADMINISTRATION.   

PRESIDENT TRUMP SIGNED AN EXECUTIVE ORDER ENDING BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP FOR CHILDREN OF PARENTS WHO ARE UNAUTHORIZED IMMIGRANTS. – LATE MONDAY NIGHT — THE ACLU FILED A LAWSUIT CHALLENGING THE ORDER. 

TRUMP DECLARED A NATIONAL EMERGENCY ON ENERGY COSTS FOR AMERICANS – 

HE ISSUED AN ORDER ELIMINATING A ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY RULE TO GET CAR MANUFACTURERS TO CUT GREENHOUSE GAS MISSIONS – THE SO-CALLED ‘ELECTRIC VEHICLE MANDATE.’ 

ANOTHER ORDER CALLS FOR THE REOPENING OF DRILLING IN PARTS OF ALASKA. 

AND PRESIDENT TRUMP SIGNED AN EXECUTIVE ORDER MAKING IT FEDERAL GOVERNMENT POLICY TO RECOGNIZE ONLY TWO SEXES – MALE AND FEMALE. 

AND ANOTHER ORDER CALLS FOR THE ELIMINATION OF ALL GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS THAT ARE PART OF DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION INITIATIVES. 

A REMINDER — THESE WERE JUST SOME OF THE EXECUTIVE ACTIONS TAKEN BY PRESIDENT DAY AND IT WAS JUST DAY ONE. 

ONE OF THE EXECUTIVE ORDERS ISSUED BY PRESIDENT TRUMP ON DAY ONE INCLUDED THE PARDONING OF HUNDREDS OF AMERICANS WHO STORMED THE U-S CAPITOL BUILDING AS CONGRESS TRIED TO CERTIFY THE 20-20 ELECTION RESULTS ON JANUARY 6-TH, 20-21. 

HERE’S STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS REPORTER KARAH RUCKER WITH A CLOSER LOOK AT THIS EXECUTIVE ACTION.  

KARAH RUCKER 

PRESIDENT TRUMP PARDONED ROUGHLY 15 HUNDRED PEOPLE WHO WERE CHARGED, ARRESTED, AND JAILED FOR JANUARY SIXTH RELATED CRIMES. 

“ we have a list of pardons and commutations relating to events that occurred on january 6 2021.” 

“How many people is this?” 

“This order will apply to approximately 1500 people sir.” 

“This is January 6, the hostages, approximately 1500 for a pardon, full pardon!”  

IN ONE OF HIS FIRST ACTIONS AS THE 47TH PRESIDENT – 

TRUMP HAS GRANTED CLEMENCY – INCLUDING “FULL, COMPLETE, AND UNCONDITIONAL” PARDONS FOR JANUARY SIXTH PRISONERS. 

AMONG THOSE THAT ARE NOW FREED – 

“ENRIQUE TARRIO” – THE FORMER NATIONAL LEADER OF THE PROUD BOYS – WHO WAS SENTENCED TO 22 YEARS BEHIND BARS FOR “SEDITIOUS CONSPIRACY”. 

THE ORDER ALSO CALLED ON THE DOJ TO SHUT DOWN ITS PENDING PROSECUTIONS OF OTHER JANUARY SIXTH RELATED CRIMES. 

TRUMP ASKED THE BUREAU OF PRISONS TO FACILITATE THE RELEASES IMMEDIATELY. 

THE DOJ HAD CHARGED ABOUT 16 HUNDRED PEOPLE FOR HAVING A ROLE IN THE JANUARY SIXTH CAPITOL RIOT. 

WHILE MOST WERE GRANTED PARDONS – 

14 PEOPLE RECEIVED COMMUTATIONS. 

WHICH IS A LESSER FORM OF CLEMENCY. 

IT WILL STILL ALLOW FOR THEIR RELEASE FROM PRISON IMMEDIATELY – 

BUT THEY WILL HAVE FELONY CONVICTIONS ON THEIR RECORDS. 

ONE OF THOSE 14 PEOPLE INCLUDES ANOTHER HIGH PROFILE JANUARY SIXTH CASE – OF STEWARD RHODES – 

THE FOUNDER OF THE GROUP “OATH KEEPERS.” 

THIS NEARLY-BLANKET PARDON ALIGNS WITH TRUMP’S CALLS FOR THE PRISONERS’ RELEASE THAT HE MADE ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL – 

REFERRING TO THE PRISONERS AS “HOSTAGES” “PATRIOTS” AND “VICTIMS OF POLITICAL PERSECUTION.” 

FORMER HOUSE SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI DISAGREES – 

CONDEMNING THE PRESIDENT’S PARDON – 

SAYING “The President’s actions are 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. Despite the President’s decision, we must always remember the extraordinary courage and valor of the law enforcement heroes who stood in the breach and ensured that democracy survived on that dark day.” 

A CBS POLL RELEASED THIS MONTH SHOWED 72 PERCENT OF REPUBLICANS WERE IN SUPPORT OF JANUARY SIX PARDONS – 

AND 41 PERCENT OF DEMOCRATS SUPPORTED THE MOVE. 

CRAIG NIGRELLI 

THAT WAS KARAH RUCKER REPORTING. BEFORE LEAVING THE WHITE HOUSE, OUTGOING PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN ISSUED A SERIES OF LAST-MINUTE Preemptive PARDONS — — INCLUDING FOR DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, retired Gen. Mark Milley, and  members of the House committee that investigated Jan. 6. BIDEN ALSO PARDONED HIS SIBLINGS AND THEIR SPOUSES IN WHAT APPEARS TO BE A MOVE TO WARD-OFF ANY POSSIBLE FUTURE PROSECUTION — SAYING THEY HAD BEEN QUOTE “subjected to unrelenting attacks and threats, motivated solely by a desire to hurt me — the worst kind of partisan politics.” END QUOTE.

ALSO WITHIN THE FIRST FEW HOURS OF HIS NEW TERM — PRESIDENT TRUMP FOLLOWED THROUGH ON HIS PROMISE TO DELAY THE ENFORCEMENT ON THE TIKTOK BAN. 

THE EXECUTIVE ORDER DIRECTS THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE **NOT** TO ENFORCE THE LAW FOR AT LEAST 75 DAYS. 

THE LAW — PASSED DURING THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION WITH STRONG BIPARTISAN SUPPORT — SAID TIKTOK’S PARENT COMPANY, BYTEDANCE, HAD TO SELL THE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM TO A BUYER FROM AMERICA OR ONE OF ITS ALLIES BECAUSE OF NATIONAL SECURITY CONCERNS– OR BE BANNED STARTING JANUARY 19-TH.  MORE SPECIFICALLY, THE CONCERN WAS CHINA MIGHT BE ABLE TO INFLUENCE OR TAP INTO AMERICAN DATA THRU BYTEDANCE AND TIKTOK. 

 THE U-S SUPREME COURT ALLOWED THE LAW TO GO FORWARD LAST FRIDAY.  

THE TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDER SAYS THE 75-DAY DELAY WILL HELP HIS ADMINISTRATION ATTEMPT TO QUOTE “DETERMINE THE APPROPRIATE COURSE FORWARD IN AN ORDERLY WAY THAT PROTECTS NATIONAL SECURITY, WHILE AVOIDING AN ABRUPT SHUTDOWN OF A COMMUNICATIONS PLATFORM USED BY MILLIONS OF AMERICANS.”

LONGTIME FLORIDA SENATOR MARCO RUBIO IS NOW SECRETARY OF STATE MARCO RUBIO — MAKING HIM THE FIRST OFFICIAL MEMBER OF TRUMP’S NEW CABINET. 

SENATORS VOTED UNANIMOUSLY MONDAY TO APPROVE THE SELECTION. 

THE REPUBLICAN HAS SERVED ON THE SENATE SINCE 20-11… AND HIS NOMINATION DREW STRONG SUPPORT FROM NOT JUST SENATE REPUBLICANS — BUT DEMOCRATS AS WELL, WHO SAY HE’S HIGHLY QUALIFIED FOR THE JOB. 

MEANWHILE, ANOTHER ONE OF TRUMP’S CABINET NOMINEES — IS ONE STEP CLOSER TO LANDING THE ROLE OF DEFENSE SECRETARY. 

YESTERDAY, THE SENATE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE VOTED TO SEND PETE HEGSETH’S NOMINATION TO THE SENATE FLOOR — BUT JUST BARELY. 

ALL 14 OF THE COMMITTEE’S REPUBLICANS VOTED IN FAVOR OF HEGSETH, WHILE ALL 13 DEMOCRATS VOTED AGAINST HIM. 

THE FORMER FOX NEWS HOST IS A CONTROVERSIAL PICK BECAUSE OF ALLEGATIONS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT, ALCOHOL ABUSE AND FINANCIAL MISMANAGEMENT.   SOMETHING THE ARMY AND IRAQ WAR VET HAS DENIED SAYING HE’S A CHANGED MAN.  

AT THIS POINT, NOT ONE SENATE REPUBLICAN HAS INDICATED THEY WILL VOTE “NO” ON HEGSETH GETTING THE JOB — MEANING HE WILL VERY LIKELY **BE** THE NEXT SECRETARY OF DEFENSE.

ANOTHER HIGH-PROFILE MOVE YESTERDAY  — THE U-S SENATE PASSED LEGISLATION KNOWN AS THE “LAKEN RILEY ACT”. 

12 DEMOCRATS CROSSED PARTY LINES TO JOIN **ALL** REPUBLICAN SENATORS IN VOTING TO SEND THE IMMIGRATION BILL TO THE HOUSE. 

THE MEASURE WOULD MANDATE THE DETENTION OF MORE UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS, WHO ARE CHARGED WITH CRIMES SUCH AS SHOPLIFTING.  

THE ACT CAME TO BE AFTER UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANT, JOSE IBARRA FROM  VENEZUELA, MURDERED LAKEN RILEY, LAST YEAR WHEN SHE WAS OUT FOR A JOG ON THE CAMPUS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA.   IBARRA HAD PREVIOUSLY RECEIVED A MISDEMEANOR FOR SHOPLIFTING BUT NO IMMIGRATION ACTION WAS TAKEN.  

THE HOUSE PASSED A SIMILAR  BILL EARLIER THIS MONTH. 

THIS AMENDED BILL IS EXPECTED TO PASS THE HOUSE AND BECOME THE FIRST PIECE OF LEGISLATION APPROVED BY PRESIDENT TRUMP IN HIS NEW TERM.