What to know about Trump's and Congress' activities today
- President Donald Trump has concluded his tour of wildfire damage in California and is now speaking with locals. Earlier, he embarked on the first trip of his second term with a visit to North Carolina to survey damage caused by the recent hurricane.
- Trump suggested he could withhold disaster aid to California over disagreements about voter ID and water policies. He also said he would sign an executive order to overhaul or possibly eliminate FEMA.
- The Senate is expected to vote tonight on whether to confirm Pete Hegseth as defense secretary. The vote is likely to be close after two Republican senators, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, said yesterday that they couldn't support him amid concerns about his treatment of women and alcohol use and a sexual assault allegation. He has denied any wrongdoing.
- Trump also released a video message to anti-abortion demonstrators at the annual March for Life rally in Washington, D.C. Vice President JD Vance joined in person.
Trump signs new executive order enforcing the Hyde Amendment, banning the use of federal dollars for abortions
Trump has signed a new executive order tonight titled “Enforcing the Hyde Amendment.”
In the order, Trump invokes the 1977 Hyde Amendment to “end the forced use of Federal taxpayer dollars to fund or promote elective abortion.” The 1977 amendment bans the use of federal Medicare or Medicaid dollars to pay for abortions, save in cases in which the mother’s life is at risk.
Trump additionally rolled back two Biden-era executive orders signed in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to overrule Roe v. Wade: Executive Order 14076, or "Protecting Access to Reproductive Healthcare Services," and Executive Order 14079, or "Securing Access to Reproductive and Other Healthcare Services."
March for Life protesters want even more from a second Trump term
Reporting from Washington, DC
The March for Life, which drew tens of thousands of anti-abortion rights activists to the nation's capital, struck a positive, hopeful tone for its mission this year with Vance giving remarks in his first public appearance as vice president.
But for many protesters who spoke with NBC News, the White House can do more to combat access to abortions in America.
While Clare Rowan said Trump does a “pretty good job” supporting the movement, she wants his administration to go further by restricting IVF.
“I’m very hopeful that he will understand IVF better and realize that in vitro fertilization is not just getting more babies; it’s actually another way of aborting and creating human life and then just discarding it, which is something that I’m not for at all,” Rowan, 58, told NBC News.
“And so that’s a big hope: that the administration will come to understand that more deeply and see that that is not a path that we really want to go down.”
Tiffany Bone said she traveled from Fort Worth, Texas, and teared up as she shared that she’s marching for her son, whom she regrets not carrying to term.
"It’s very personal," she said. "I was once deceived. I was once hurting and in a place where I didn’t choose life."
Bone not only “100% without a doubt” wants Trump to sign a national abortion ban, but also wants him to explain his evolution on the issue.
“I would love for Trump to come out and even repent and share how his heart shifted,” said Bone, 42. “It’s evident that his heart is shifting. He has taken a stand in the past, but there’s also been some discrepancies of where his line was, and I believe we haven’t seen the full fruit of what’s transitioning in his heart."
Rallygoers were skeptical when asked about reported cases of women who have died due to not being able to access abortion care in states with strict restrictions on the procedure.
"I believe it’s all deception, that that’s not actually the truth," Bone said. "That’s just false, false narrative that’s been fed, and it’s just spreading.
Trump and Newsom embrace on the tarmac
Trump has landed in California, where the state’s governor, Gavin Newsom, was waiting for him on the tarmac. Upon seeing each other, the two politicians shared an uncharacteristically warm embrace and a brief exchange.
Trump and Newsom have had a contentious back-and-forth over the state's preparedness for and response to the wildfires that broke out in Los Angeles at the beginning of January. Trump has pointed a finger at the governor, accusing him of a botched response to the wildfires and saying the state’s wildlife protections have made accessing water difficult. Newsom, for his part, has accused Trump of spreading disinformation.
Trump has suggested federal disaster aid could come with strings attached — or even be withheld altogether — over policy disagreements.
Supreme Court to hear church-state fight over Oklahoma bid to launch first publicly funded religious school
Reporting from Washington, D.C.
In a sign that the barrier between church and state could be further weakened, the Supreme Court today agreed to hear a bid by Oklahoma officials to approve the nation’s first publicly funded religious charter school.
The court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority that consistently backs religious claims, will hear a dispute over the proposed St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School, which would serve students online throughout the state while maintaining its remit to promote the Catholic faith.
National Gallery of Art closes 'belonging and inclusion' office in response to Trump's DEI crackdown
The National Gallery of Art said today that it has closed an office dedicated to belonging and inclusion in response to Trump's crackdown of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
The New York Times first reported on the office’s closure.
In response to Trump's order and guidance from the Office of Personnel Management, "the National Gallery of Art has closed its office of belonging and inclusion and removed related language from our website," a spokesperson said in a statement.
“The employees of that office have been reassigned to already vacant positions elsewhere in the museum,” the spokesperson added.
The gallery removed the words "diversity, equity, access, and inclusion," from a list of its values on its website, swapping them with the words "welcoming and accessible."
The move comes after the Trump administration this week ordered all federal employees in diversity, equity and inclusion roles to be placed on paid leave. The president also signed an executive order on Monday ending what the White House called “radical and wasteful” diversity, equity and inclusion programs in federal agencies, with DEI offices and programs being ordered to shut down.
Stephen Miller on reported ICE actions in Chicago: 'There’s no sanctuary for criminal aliens in this country'
In response to reporting that ICE agents were seen at a Chicago school today, White House deputy chief of staff for policy Stephen Miller said "there's no sanctuary for criminal aliens in this country."
"ICE officers will take the actions necessary to protect the lives and safety of our children and to identify individuals who are involved in this smuggling and trafficking of our children," Miller told Fox News.
A spokesperson for ICE said “this was not an U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement encounter,” according to NBC 5 Chicago.
Last month, NBC News reported that the Trump administration plans to make arrests at schools, churches and hospitals.
Immigration raid in Newark, N.J., spurs anger from local officials
New Jersey officials and immigrant rights advocates blasted federal immigration authorities for conducting a workplace raid on a small business in the city of Newark without a warrant.
In a news conference this morning, Mayor Ras Baraka said several agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement entered the back of the business, arrested three undocumented workers, and detained and questioned employees who are U.S. citizens.
“People were fingerprinted. Pictures of their IDs and faces were taken there,” the Democratic mayor said. “I was appalled, upset, angry that this would happen here in this state, in this country, that this would be allowed.”
Baraka’s remarks came a day after ICE arrests spiked Thursday, signaling that President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown and his promises to carry out “the largest deportation program in American history” are starting to materialize.
ICE confirmed to NBC News that the agency arrested 538 people nationwide just on Thursday, doubling its daily arrests average. The news comes as reports of suspected immigration raids have emerged in cities like Boston.
Collins explains her decision to vote against Hegseth nomination
Sen. Susan Collins, one of only two Republicans to vote against advancing Hegseth's nomination, told NBC News that she had a "number of concerns" with his background.
"I ended up having a number of concerns," she said. "They had to do with his lack of experience in managing an organization as large and as complex as the Pentagon, given that he had a decidedly mixed record in managing two very small nonprofit veterans organizations where there were allegations of wasted money and mismanagement."
She added that she was also "disturbed about his comments on women in the military."
Collins said she has already faced blowback from Trump allies for her decision to vote against Hegseth, saying, “Oh, there already is, there already is, and I’m sure there will be more, but I have to do what I think is right, and in this case, I believe I made the right decision.”
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi calls out Trump for California aid comments
In a statement, California native and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi criticized Trump for posing conditions for delivering aid to California wildfire victims.
"Urgently-needed assistance for families and communities ravaged by natural disasters should never be used as a pawn for political games," she wrote. "We must work together to deliver relief aid for all Americans impacted by natural disasters across the country, including for Californians to rebuild and recover from the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles."
Earlier today, Trump suggested he could condition disaster aid to California over policy disagreements.
DOJ environmental division chiefs reassigned to sanctuary cities task force
All of the section chiefs in the Justice Department’s Environmental and Natural Resources Division have been reassigned to sanctuary cities task force, a source told NBC News.
One ENRD official wrote in an email they had been assigned to the “Sanctuary Cities Environmental Working Group,” citing an email they received from the acting attorney general that gave them a 15-day notice to move to the new Senior Executive Service position.
The Trump administration is directing DOJ resources toward immigration enforcement to prioritize identifying and prosecuting immigrants who have entered the country illegally, NBC News previously reported.
New Jersey Department of Education launches webpage on state, federal immigration requirements in schools
The New Jersey Department of Education launched a new webpage this week to provide guidance and resources to help educators understand state and federal requirements related to immigrant students and families.
Resources on the webpage include protocols to prepare for immigration enforcement activities in schools and practices to respond to students affected by deportation-related trauma.
The guidance is designed to “support school officials, staff, and communities in safeguarding the physical well-being of students and their fundamental right to be enrolled in New Jersey schools,” NJDOE wrote. The webpage will update as more resources become available.
Texas Gov. Gregg Abbott requests more than $11 billion to reimburse state for efforts to secure southern border
Texas Gov. Gregg Abbott has requested that Congress pass more than $11 billion in funding for his state's efforts to secure the southern border.
In a letter to congressional leadership, Abbott explained that his state's campaign to secure the border, called Operation Loan Star, came at a cost over the last four years, saying that they reduced illegal immigration by 87% in Texas.
Abbott said border wall construction and deployment of buoys cost nearly $3 billion; installation and fortification of border fencing cost $58 million and the deployment of more than 10,000 Texas National Guard soldiers cost nearly $6 billion.
"In total, Texas has spent over $11 billion to protect the nation and secure the border," he said. "I am formally requesting that the federal government reimburse Texas for these costs in full. The burden that our State has borne is a direct result of a refusal by the federal government to do its job. The work that Texas has done through Operation Lone Star has protected and will continue to benefit the entire country."
Mexico refused to accept a U.S. deportation flight
Two U.S. military C-17s flew immigrants to Guatemala last night, according to three U.S. defense officials and a source familiar with the situation.
Another flight that was supposed to fly to Mexico never took off after Mexican authorities denied it access to land, the officials said.
The two flights had approximately 80 passengers on each. There are no flights scheduled for today as of now, but that could change.
Senior DOJ officials being reassigned to target sanctuary cities
Several senior career Justice Department officials have been told they are being removed from their jobs and reassigned to a new effort to take legal action against so-called sanctuary cities, four department officials familiar with the matter told NBC News.
Two of those reassigned, one senior DOJ official said, were George Toscas, who had been deputy assistant attorney general in the National Security Division, and Cory Amundson, who had been head of the Public Integrity Section.
“Everyone they don’t like is being dumped there,” one official said.
NBC News had previously reported that Toscas had been removed from his job. He played a key role in pushing to overcome resistance within the FBI to conducting the search of Mar-a-Lago for classified documents in August 2022.
It was not previously known that Amundson had been reassigned. The Public Integrity Section prosecutes political corruption and played a role in both cases again Trump.
A DOJ spokesman did not have an immediate comment.
As NBC News previously reported, acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove sent a memo to the workforce on Wednesday outlining a series of policy changes designed to get the department more involved in finding illegal immigrants and enforcing violations of immigration law.
This afternoon, the leader of the Justice Department’s gender equality effort — a career official in the civil rights division — sent an email saying she was resigning. A source familiar with the matter said she made the move after she learned the Office of Personnel Management is moving to shut down employee affinity groups, also known as employee resource groups, across the government. Those groups aim to provide employees with others of similar backgrounds to associate with.
The official, Stacey Young, had written an opinion piece on The New York Times earlier this month about the concerns of career employees.
“To stay in our jobs, we will need more than exhortation; we will need legal, psychological and other practical support,” she wrote. “One reason many federal employees are thinking of leaving government — often after decades of serving our country, under Republican and Democratic presidents — is that we’re afraid. The incoming leaders of the government have told us in aggressive terms that they want us either gone or miserable.”
Two Justice Department officials say the DOJ rescinded job offers made to dozens of people through the Attorney General’s Honors Program, a time-honored recruiting effort aimed at top law school graduates. Officials say that move was required as part of Trump’s order imposing a 90-day federal hiring freeze.
The DOJ also imposed a freeze on all action on civil rights cases, according to a separate memo obtained by NBC News.
Newark officials demand answers after ICE raid
Officials in Newark, along with immigrant rights activists, are criticizing a warrantless ICE raid targeting a New Jersey seafood business. Several people were detained during the operation.
Vance addresses March for Life in first public event as VP
In his first public event since becoming vice president, Vance spoke to March for Life participants and commented on Trump's pardon of pro-life activists this week.
“No longer will our government throw pro-life protesters and activists, elderly grandparents or anybody else in prison,” Vance said. “It stopped on Monday, and we’re not going to let it come back to this country.”
Yesterday, Trump signed an executive order pardoning 23 anti-abortion-rights activists, saying, "they should not have been prosecuted."
Trump takes off for Los Angeles
Trump and first lady Melania Trump boarded Air Force One and are flying to Los Angeles to survey the wildfire destruction.
Trump's chief of staff Susie Wiles, national security adviser Mike Waltz and White House staff secretary Will Scharf are also aboard.
Exclusive: Defense Department pauses all official social media accounts for review
Word is spreading throughout the U.S. military about a worldwide stand-down order by the Defense Department regarding all official social media accounts, according to three U.S. defense officials.
While no official memo has been distributed, service members and civilians throughout the world have been told through word of mouth not to tweet or post anything on any official accounts unless it has to do with the Trump administration's mission at the southern border, the officials said. Two of the officials said they are allowed to repost announcements from the official White House account, as well.
The Pentagon is preparing guidance instructing members of the military worldwide about the halt or pause on official social media accounts while there is a review of content, the officials said.
The review is to ensure that messages are focused on new department priorities, including lethality, and that messages are not being posted that are inconsistent with that. Social media posts are not expected to resume until new guidance can be issued about how they will be handled going forward.
The Pentagon didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
GOP ponders how to raise the debt ceiling despite dozens of members who’ve always held out
Members of Trump’s own party could complicate his effort to avoid a standoff over extending the nation’s borrowing limit — which means a complication for Trump’s legislative plans overall as he manages big promises and small Republican congressional majorities.
A dozen GOP senators and 49 House Republicans — more than 20% of each conference — have never previously voted for a law raising the debt ceiling, according to an analysis of roll call votes and data from the Congressional Research Service.
While many GOP lawmakers have supported debt ceiling increases as part of messaging votes that were destined to fail, this group suggests there is a sizable number of Republicans who may be more hesitant to support increases that could actually take effect.
That means raising the debt limit, a must-do for Trump, may not be as simple as just packaging an increase with the “one big, beautiful bill” that Trump wants to use as the main vehicle for his second-term agenda, since that is unlikely to attract much in the way of Democratic support.
Surveillance video obtained by WNBC appears to show an Immigration and Customs Enforcement raid at a small business in New Jersey. Newark’s mayor said the agents entered the back of Ocean Seafood Depot, arrested three undocumented workers and detained and questioned U.S. citizen employees.
Trump administration tests the power to email every federal employee at once
Trump’s administration is testing a new capability that would allow officials to email the entire federal government workforce from a single email address, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) said in a statement today.
The new capability could allow Trump to communicate directly with millions of federal workers across dozens of agencies simultaneously, with a single click of a mouse.
The White House declined to comment.
The effort aligns with the government modernization goals of the new Department of Government Efficiency, headed by tech billionaire Elon Musk, and could take advantage of his team’s engineering experience as they seek to wring savings and efficiencies from government systems.
Judge orders Jan. 6 defendants to keep out of Washington, D.C.
A federal judge today ordered a number of Jan. 6 defendants who had their prison sentences commuted by Trump not to enter Washington or the Capitol complex without his permission.
The order by U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta comes two days after one of those defendants, Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes, was seen at the Capitol following his surprise release. Rhodes had been spotted in one of the House of Representatives’ office buildings in the Capitol complex, where he said he was advocating for the release of another Oath Keeper who's locked up on charges not related to Jan. 6.
Mehta's order, which took effect today at noon, makes his approval of the defendants' presence in D.C. a condition of their supervised release. All eight covered by the order were members of the Oath Keepers, and were part of the 14 Jan. 6 defendants who had their sentences commuted by Trump.
The president gave approximately 1,500 other Jan. 6 defendants full pardons.
John Bolton slams Trump's decision to revoke his government security
Former Ambassador John Bolton said in an interview on MSNBC today that it makes sense for the government to provide protection for someone like him, who has served the country and "come under threat like this from a bunch of barbarians, like the regime in Tehran."
This week Trump revoked the government security for Bolton, who served as national security adviser to Trump in his first term.
“If you believe that the decision to extend protection should be threat-based, then the decision to remove protection should be threat-based," he said during an interview on MSNBC's "Andrea Mitchell Reports."
“These Iranian threats, I think, are tantamount to threats of war against the United States,” Bolton continued. “If one of us did suffer harm or were killed by the Iranians or through a proxy, I would think the United States would have to retaliate."
Trump cancels Fauci’s security detail
Anthony Fauci’s security protections have been revoked and he has now hired his own security, a source familiar with the matter told NBC News.
“I think, you know, when you work for government, at some point your security detail comes off, and you know, you can’t have them forever. So I think it’s very standard,” Trump said at a briefing in North Carolina.
During the pandemic, Fauci received a security detail from the federal government after facing threats to his personal safety.
Trump this week also pulled the security details of former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and former national security adviser John Bolton, who had also both received threats.
“They all made a lot of money. They can hire their own security too,” he said of Fauci and Bolton.
ICE arrests took place in Chicago, San Francisco and New York, among other cities, official says
A Trump administration official says Immigration and Customs Enforcement has arrested people across the U.S., including in Illinois, Utah, California, Minnesota, New York, Florida and Maryland.
The cities where the arrests have taken place include Buffalo, New York, Chicago, St. Paul, Salt Lake City, San Francisco and Denver.
Of the 538 arrests ICE made yesterday, 373 were for criminal allegations and 165 were for noncriminal reasons.
Trump says he may withhold disaster aid to California over voter ID and water policies
In a briefing in North Carolina, Trump commented on his plans to visit California later today and the water situation in the state. He said his goal with his visit today is two-fold, as he may withhold disaster aid to California if both are not accomplished.
"I have a condition. In California, we want them to have voter ID so the people have a voice, because right now, the people don’t have a voice because you don’t know who’s voting, and it’s very corrupt," he said. "If they released the water when I told them to, because I told them to do it seven years ago, if they would've done it, you wouldn’t have had the problem."
Migrant deportation flight lands in Guatemala
The Guatemalan vice president’s office posted a video on Instagram of a military plane that transported migrants who were deported from the U.S. landing in Guatemala this morning.
“Accompanying returned compatriots with humanitarian support and the assistance they need, from the national immigration authority,” the Instagram story’s caption read in Spanish.
The Guatemalan Migration Institute wrote in a press release that 79 Guatemalans returned, all of whom were adults, including 31 women and 48 men.
Two U.S. military plane flew immigrants to Guatemala last night, according to three U.S. defense officials and a source familiar with the situation. Another flight that was supposed to fly to Mexico never took off after Mexican authorities denied it access to land, the officials said.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced in an X post earlier today that migrant deportation flights have begun.
Trump says he'd love to see Canada become the 51st state
Trump said during a briefing in Fletcher, North Carolina, that he'd love to see Canada become the 51st state.
"We take care of their military. You know, we ordered about 40 Coast Guard, big icebreakers, big ones, and all of a sudden Canada wants a piece of the deal," Trump said.
He continued, "They’ve been very nasty to us on trade. Historically, Canada has been very, very bad to us, very unfair to us on trade. So we’ll see how it all works out. I would love to see Canada be the 51st state. The Canadian citizens, if that happened, would get a very big tax cut, tremendous tax cut, because they’re very highly taxed."
Trump has made similar comments in the last month or so, saying that he plans to impose tariffs on Canada. Meanwhile, Canada has rejected his remarks about joining the United States.
Trump suggests eliminating Federal Emergency Management Agency
Trump said today in North Carolina that he is planning to sign an executive order to reform the Federal Emergency Management Agency, otherwise known as FEMA. He went further to say that he might recommend eliminating it entirely.
"I’ll also be signing an executive order to begin the process of fundamentally reforming and overhauling FEMA or maybe getting rid of FEMA, I think, frankly, FEMA is not good," Trump said.
As for North Carolina aid, he said "we're going to do a lot for North Carolina," he said.
"They’ve been very slow. I don’t know why it’s been so bad. This has been one of the worst I’ve seen," he said.
He also called the agency a "very big disappointment."
Trump ‘surprised’ about Republican senators who oppose Hegseth
Trump told reporters today that he was “surprised” Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins — both moderates and sometime critics of Trump — planned to vote against former Fox News host Pete Hegseth’s nomination to lead the Defense Department.
“I was very surprised that Collins and Murkowski would do that,” Trump told reporters.
The president also hinted that former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who has had at times a contentious relationship with Trump, could vote no in today’s highly anticipated vote.
“Of course Mitch is always a no vote I guess,” the president said before asking reporters, “Is Mitch a no vote? How about Mitch?”
McConnell has not publicly revealed how he’ll vote on Hegseth’s nomination, but he and several other Republican senators who have expressed reservations about Hegseth — including Sens. Todd Young of Indiana, Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia — voted for a procedural motion to advance Hegseth’s nomination to a final vote.
Murkowski, of Alaska, and Collins, of Maine, voted against that procedural step.
Trump again says he wants OPEC to bring down oil prices
After landing in Asheville, North Carolina, Trump told reporters that he wants OPEC to cut the price of oil, saying that he thinks it would immediately bring an end to Russia's war in Ukraine.
"We want to see OPEC cut the price of oil, and that will automatically stop the tragedy that’s taking place in Ukraine. It’s a butchering tragedy for both sides," Trump said.
He continued, "One way to stop it quickly is for OPEC to stop making so much money and to drop the price of oil." He said that if OPEC drops oil prices, then the "war will stop right away."
Trump made similar comments yesterday during the World Economic Forum.
Trump lands in Asheville, N.C., to view damage from Hurricane Helene
Trump is visiting Asheville, North Carolina, which was devastated by flooding resulting from Hurricane Helene last fall.
The storm wiped out towns and neighborhoods in the western part of the state in late September.
According to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, as of Dec. 23, officials verified that 104 people died in the state as a result of Helene.
During the presidential campaign, Trump promoted false claims about FEMA disaster aid not being distributed to communities affected by the storm and said it was instead diverted for use on undocumented people.
Schiff and Padilla to stay in D.C. for Hegseth vote while Trump visits their state
Democratic Sens. Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla, both of California, are staying in Washington for the confirmation vote of Hegseth for defense secretary while Trump visits their state today to survey wildfire damage.
A Schiff spokesperson said the senator “greatly appreciates the President’s visit to see the devastation of these wildfires firsthand and the invitation to accompany him, and regrets that he’s unable to join the President in Los Angeles due to scheduled nomination votes."
Trump, however, said before leaving the White House this morning that he didn't invite Schiff to accompany him on Air Force One, saying someone else must have.
"Senator Padilla regrets not being able to join President Trump in Los Angeles due to the Senate vote schedule," a spokesperson for the senator said. "He welcomes the President’s support for federal disaster aid to assist the thousands of families and businesses impacted by these devastating fires."
Hegseth says he paid $50,000 to sexual assault accuser
A written response from Hegseth to senators reportedly shows he paid $50,000 to the woman who accused him of sexual assault in 2017. Hegseth’s attorney previously said the former Fox News host had paid that settlement because he “strongly felt he was the victim of blackmail.” Hegseth has denied any wrongdoing and said the encounter was consensual. NBC’s Garrett Haake reports for "TODAY."
Trump says he hopes Hegseth 'makes it,' but 'you never know'
Before departing for North Carolina, Trump talked briefly about the Senate confirmation vote on Hegseth tonight.
"I don't know what's gonna happen," Trump said. "You never know in those things. Pete's a very, very good good man, I hope he makes it."
Trump added, "I was very surprised that Collins and Murkowski would do that," referring to the two Republican senators, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, who voted last night against ending debate and proceeding to a vote on Hegseth's nomination.
N.J. attorney general says local and state law enforcement were not involved in Newark ICE raid
New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin said the Trump administration's deportation tactics could “very well make us less safe” in a statement today in response to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement raid in Newark.
“As I have said many times, we regularly work with our federal partners to remove violent criminals from our communities and we will continue to do so," Platkin, a Democrat, said. But Trump's "stated desire to deport millions of people clearly goes beyond removing dangerous criminals," he added.
"And some of the tactics could very well make us less safe, for instance, by making people in our communities fearful of coming forward and reporting crimes," Platkin said.
A spokesperson for Platkin's office told NBC News that while they are still in the process of gathering information on the ICE raid that happened in Newark yesterday, what they "do know is that no local or state law enforcement was involved.”
Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka, also a Democrat, said yesterday that ICE agents raided a local establishment in the city, detaining undocumented people, as well as citizens, without producing a warrant.
Baraka added that one of the detainees is a U.S. military veteran, "who suffered the indignity of having the legitimacy of his military documentation questioned." The mayor said that the raid was an "egregious" act that violated the Fourth Amendment.
“Newark will not stand by idly while people are being unlawfully terrorized," Baraka said.
The mayor will hold a news conference today at 11:30 a.m. ET in Newark "in alliance with partners ready and willing to defend and protect civil and human rights."
ICE confirms more than 500 migrants were arrested yesterday
Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested 538 people yesterday, an ICE spokesperson confirmed to NBC News. That almost doubles the agency's average of 282 arrests a day during the month of September 2024, the most recent month for which data was available.
ICE did not immediately respond to NBC News' request for more details on yesterday's arrests, including how many of those arrested had criminal backgrounds.
The Trump administration has said its priority is to arrest migrants with criminal backgrounds. The Department of Homeland Security said Tuesday that it would allow ICE to arrest undocumented people at places such as schools and churches, which was barred under previous administrations.
“Criminals will no longer be able to hide in America’s schools and churches to avoid arrest," the department said. "The Trump Administration will not tie the hands of our brave law enforcement, and instead trusts them to use common sense."
Newsom to greet Trump on tarmac in L.A.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom says he plans to be on the tarmac to greet Trump when he visits Los Angeles today to view the devastation from the wildfires.
"I look forward to being there on the tarmac to thank the president, welcome him and we’re making sure that all the resources he needs for a successful briefing are provided to him," Newsom told NBC News' Los Angeles station.
Trump had said this week that he was unsure if he would meet with Newsom during his trip to California and he has also said that he would support conditioning disaster aid.
The president has suggested that aid would be withheld unless water supply policies in the state are changed, which he blamed on efforts to preserve endangered fish. Newsom has disputed that characterization.
Here's what two GOP senators said about Hegseth yesterday
Two Republican senators said yesterday that they would vote against Hegseth's nomination to be defense secretary.
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said in a statement posted on X that she is "concerned that he does not have the experience and perspective necessary to succeed in the job."
"I am also concerned about multiple statements, including some in the months just before he was nominated, that Mr. Hegseth has made about women serving in the military," Collins added later.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said in a statement posted on X that she "cannot in good conscience support his nomination."
"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," she said.
White House says deportation flights have begun
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a post on X this morning that migrant deportation flights have begun.
"President Trump is sending a strong and clear message to the entire world: if you illegally enter the United States of America, you will face severe consequences," Leavitt said.
A military plane departed from Biggs Army Airfield in El Paso, Texas, yesterday afternoon, a source familiar with the operation told NBC News. The plane had 81 seats and about 75 to 80 migrants on it, the source said, adding that the plane was bound for Guatemala to repatriate those aboard.
Heinrich to forgo bid for New Mexico governor
Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., announced in a statement this morning that he plans to stay in the Senate and forgo a run for governor of New Mexico following Trump's actions in his first week as president.
“After careful consideration and many conversations with my family, constituents, and colleagues, I’ve decided to remain in the United States Senate," he said. "It’s clear to me that New Mexico needs a strong voice in Washington now more than ever — the stakes are simply too high."
Heinrich, who was re-elected to his third term in the Senate in November, said he believes he can have the "most impact" in the Senate fighting back against Trump's actions and policies.
“I will stand up to the President when needed, but I’m also ready to work with him and my Senate colleagues to move New Mexico and our nation forward," he said.
Heinrich's six-year term is not up until 2031.
MLK's family seeks to view declassified files before public release
Martin Luther King Jr.'s family said in a statement last night that it hopes to be able to review the records regarding his assassination before they are released to the public.
Trump signed an executive order yesterday afternoon to declassify the records, along with the files related to the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, D-N.Y., and King.
"For us, the assassination of our father is a deeply personal family loss that we have endured over the last 56 years," the statement said, which was posted by King's daughter Bernice King. "We hope to be provided the opportunity to review the files as a family prior to its public release.”
The family members added in the statement that they are not taking any interviews at this time "as they await further information."
Trump expected to make the first trips of his second term today
Trump is expected to travel to Asheville, North Carolina, today, according to a source familiar with the planning. The city was hit hard during floods brought by Hurricane Helene in September of last year.
Trump also said during a rally Monday that he would visit California today to survey wildfire damage.
Today's travels mark Trump's first trip as a second-term president.
Vance to speak at March for Life
Vice President JD Vance is set to speak at today's March for Life in D.C., according to the group's press release.
"We are thrilled that Vice President Vance has chosen the National March for Life for his first public appearance in his new role — a sign of his commitment to standing up for life," said Jeanne Mancini and Jennie Bradley Lichter, the president and president-elect of the group, respectively.
Vance spoke at the Ohio march in 2023, the group said.
Trump pardons anti-abortion protesters a day before annual March for Life rally
WASHINGTON— President Donald Trump signed an executive order pardoning 23 anti-abortion activists yesterday, one day before he is expected to address thousands of anti-abortion demonstrators at their annual march in Washington.
“Twenty-three people were prosecuted; they should not have been prosecuted,” Trump said at the Oval Office signing ceremony, noting that “many of them” are elderly. “This is a great honor to sign. They will be very happy.”
Hegseth’s remarks about women in combat are met with disgust and dissent
They lost limbs in battle, led security convoys and survived several combat tours.
Now, some female veterans and service members are railing against remarks Pete Hegseth, Trump’s pick for defense secretary, has made about women’s ability to fight on the front lines.
“I don’t even know how to express the disgust,” said a current Army colonel, who spoke on the condition of anonymity out of fear of retaliation.