What's happening today
- President Donald Trump said he plans to impose tariffs on China, Canada and Mexico tomorrow. Goods from China would be subjected to a 10% tariff, compared with 25% for Mexico and Canada.
- The Trump administration forced out multiple senior fBI officials as part of the president's purge of bureau leadership.
- Some federal websites temporarily went down this afternoon after an order by the administration to remove references to "gender ideology" by 5 p.m. ET.
- Separately, the Defense Intelligence Agency paused activities related to Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Black History Month and other such observances as part of Trump's efforts to scrap federal DEI programs.
Some federal websites temporarily go dark after order to comply with Trump DEI directive
Some government webpages briefly went dark today after federal agencies were told to comply with a White House order on removing certain language pertaining to diversity, equity and inclusion.
Pages for the federal Aviation Administration, the Census Bureau and the Justice Department were among those that went blank. The fAA and Justice Department later came back online.
Trump signed an executive order this week that stated only the genders male and female are to be recognized by the federal government. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) distributed a memo, obtained by NBC News, ordering that all federal government references to “gender ideology” be removed by 5 p.m. today.
Second judge blocks Trump’s federal aid funding freeze
A federal judge today sided with a coalition of 22 states and temporarily blocked a federal aid funding freeze directed by the Trump administration — the second such order this week.
U.S. District Judge John J. McConnell, in Rhode Island, said in his ruling that the wide-ranging directive in the Office of Management and Budget memo that caused chaos and confusion this week in Washington and across the country appeared to violate the law.
“The Executive’s action unilaterally suspends the payment of federal funds to the States and others simply by choosing to do so,” the judge wrote.
Trump administration forces out multiple senior fBI officials
Trump administration officials have forced out all six of the fBI’s most senior executives and multiple heads of various fBI field offices across the country, current and former fBI officials told NBC News.
They included the high-profile leader of the Washington, D.C., field office, which was involved in the prosecutions of Trump.
It was not immediately clear why the officials had been ousted. The fBI declined to comment.
Asked by a reporter about the removals this afternoon, Trump said he was not aware of them.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to visit border tomorrow
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem will travel to the U.S.-Mexico border tomorrow, according to a DHS news release.
It will be her first trip to the border as head of Homeland Security.
The former South Dakota governor will visit Del Rio, Texas, until Sunday, where she will meet with Customs and Border Protection workforce, review operations and tour the border, DHS said.
Republican senators introduce bill to restrict birthright citizenship
Three Republican senators introduced legislation that would restrict birthright citizenship by specifying who would be eligible for citizenship if they're born in the U.S.
The measure — introduced by Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and co-sponsored by Sens. Katie Britt, R-Ala., and Ted Cruz, R-Texas — would limit citizenship to children born to at least one parent who is either a U.S. citizen, a permanent resident or an immigrant performing active service in the armed forces. The provisions would apply only to children born after the date of the bill's enactment.
Its introduction comes after Trump’s executive order targeting birthright citizenship, which has prompted a series of lawsuits from state attorneys general and immigrant rights groups. A federal judge in Seattle last week issued a temporary injunction of Trump's order, calling it "blatantly unconstitutional."
The 14th Amendment has long been interpreted as granting automatic citizenship to anyone born on U.S. soil except the children of foreign diplomats.
Trump says DEI initiatives would have 'ruined our country'
Trump said diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, if he didn't roll them back, posed a threat to the country.
"DEI would have ruined our country, and now it’s dead," he said.
He also added that removing DEI initiatives from federal websites "doesn't sound like a bad idea."
Trump: Tariffs are not 'a negotiation tool'
Speaking to reporters today in the Oval Office, Trump said the tariffs he's set to impose tomorrow on China, Mexico and Canada are not a negotiating tactic.
He also said there's nothing those countries could do to avoid the tariffs taking effect. "No, we’re not looking for a concession. We’ll just see what happens," he said.
"In one case," Trump said, seemingly referring to China, "they’re sending massive amounts of fentanyl, killing hundreds of thousands of people a year with the fentanyl."
"And in the other two cases," he said, seemingly referring to Canada and Mexico, "they’re making it possible for this poison to get in."
Trudeau warns of 'forceful and immediate response' if U.S. follows through on tariff threat
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the country is "ready with a forceful and immediate response" if the U.S. moves ahead with its threatened tariffs tomorrow.
"I met with our Canada-U.S. Council today. We’re working hard to prevent these tariffs, but if the United States moves ahead, Canada’s ready with a forceful and immediate response," Trudeau said on X.
CDC site scrubs HIV content following Trump DEI policies
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is scrubbing a swath of HIV-related content from the agency’s website as a part of President Donald Trump’s broader effort to wipe out diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives across the federal government.
The CDC’s main HIV page was down temporarily but has been restored. The CDC began removing all content related to gender identity today, according to one government staffer. HIV-related pages were apparently caught up in that action.
CDC employees were told in a Jan. 29 email from Charles Ezell, the acting director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, titled “Defending Women,” that they’re not to make references or promote “gender ideology” — a term often used by conservative groups to describe what they consider “woke” views on sex and gender — and that they are to recognize only two sexes, male and female, according to a memo obtained by NBC News.
Employees initially struggled with how to implement the new policy, with a deadline of friday afternoon, the staffer said. Ultimately, agency staffers began pulling down numerous HIV-related webpages — regardless of whether they included gender — rushing to meet the deadline. It was unclear when the pages might be restored.
State Department staff told to remove gender pronouns from email signatures
In line with the new Office of Personnel Management memo, State Department employees have also been instructed to remove all gender-identifying pronouns from their email signatures by 5 p.m.
“The Department of State is reviewing all agency programs, contracts, and grants that promote or inculcate gender ideology, and we are removing outward facing media that does the same,” The new Under Secretary for Management Ambassador Tibor P. Nagy wrote in an email reviewed by NBC News. “Bureaus have already been alerted to review trainings, forms, and plans that involve gender ideology.”
The subject line of the email sent friday afternoon just hours before the imposed deadline was “Defending Women.”
“Your cooperation is essential as we navigate these changes together,” Tagy wrote in closing.
federal government orders removal of all references to 'gender ideology'
NBC News has obtained a memo from the Office of Personnel Management ordering that all references to “gender ideology” be removed by 5 p.m. ET today across the federal government.
The memo orders agencies to, among other things, take down all public-facing websites and social media accounts that "promote gender ideology" and turn off Microsoft Outlook features that prompt staff to write out their pronouns.
It also orders an end to any "employee resource groups" that "promote gender ideology."
Trump to impose tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China tomorrow, White House says
The White House said today that President Donald Trump would impose a 25% tariff on goods coming to America from Canada and Mexico and a 10% tariff on those from China tomorrow, a move that could drive up prices for products coming into the U.S. from those countries.
Trump had previously said he would issue those tariffs on the first day of his presidency, then said on Inauguration Day that the tariffs would be put in place feb. 1. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters today that Trump would carry through on that feb. 1 deadline.
Leavitt said the tariffs were being put in place in response to “the illegal fentanyl that they have sourced and allowed to distribute into our country, which has killed tens of millions of Americans.”
The tariffs could increase how much U.S. consumers and businesses pay for goods coming from Canada, Mexico and China — including electronics, toys, shoes, fresh produce, lumber and cars. Tariffs are paid by companies importing goods into the U.S., similar to a tax.
Democratic National Committee prepares to elect a new party chair
Reporting from NATIONAL HARBOR, Md.
Democrats will take their first tangible step this weekend to drag themselves forward from their 2024 election loss: electing the next chair of the Democratic National Committee.
The party’s committee members will meet tomorrow to vote on a new slate of officers, chief among them the person who will replace outgoing chair Jaime Harrison, the former South Carolina Democratic Party leader whom Joe Biden tapped to helm the party during his time in office.
But while Democrats are set to pick their party’s next chair, they’re not anointing the party’s next leader.
Top fBI field agent dismissed in Trump purge of the bureau
The assistant director in charge of the fBI's Washington field office, David Sundberg, has been fired, two senior law enforcement sources told NBC News.
Sundberg is the highest-ranking field agent to be ousted so far in the Trump administration's purge of top executives at fBI headquarters and leaders of the bureau's field offices across the country.
Sundberg, who joined the fBI in 2002, was notified yesterday that he was going to lose his job and is preparing to exit in the next few days, the law enforcement sources said.
Sundberg was named to the post by then-fBI Director Christopher Wray in December 2022; the position is one of highest-profile spots that an agent can assume in the field.
In that role, Sundberg was in charge of nearly 1,600 employees and led fBI operations across Washington, D.C., and northern Virginia, including major cases involving terrorism and public corruption.
Agents from the Washington field office were heavily involved in both of special counsel Jack Smith’s investigations of Trump.
Pentagon ends policy funding travel for abortion and other reproductive care
The Pentagon has rescinded a Biden administration policy that reimbursed service members and dependents for travel to states where abortions and other reproductive health procedures are legal.
The Pentagon’s Defense Travel Management Office issued the memo Wednesday, ending reimbursements immediately.
Leavitt says tariffs to go into effect tomorrow
Leavitt said at today's press briefing that, contrary to a news report, Trump's planned tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China will go into effect tomorrow, but she refused to say whether the administration would reverse the levies if prices of imported goods rise as a result.
"The president is intent on ensuring that he effectively implements tariffs while cutting inflation and costs for the American people," she said.
"If the president at any time decides to roll back those tariffs, I’ll leave it to him to make that decision," she added. "But starting tomorrow, those tariffs will be in place."
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said earlier today that he "won't relent until tariffs are removed" and that Canada "won't back down" on the issue.
Leavitt responded to Trudeau's comments by saying he "would be wise to talk to President Trump directly before pushing outlandish comments like that."
Member of the Ruthless Podcast gets the first question in the White House briefing
Occupying the "new media seat" in the White House briefing room today is a member of the Ruthless Podcast, a conservative talk show.
John Ashbrook, one of the podcast's hosts, asked press secretary Karoline Leavitt if the media is "out of touch with Americans demanding action on our border crisis?"
"The media out of touch? I think that the media certainly is out of touch," Leavitt answered.
White House press secretary says Trump will sign Black History Month proclamation
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump will sign a proclamation honoring Black History Month.
"It’s in the works of being approved, and it’s going to be ready for the president’s signature to signify the beginning of that tomorrow," she said.
NBC News obtained a memo from the Defense Intelligence Agency that indicated it has ordered a pause of all activities and events related to Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Black History Month, Juneteenth, LGBTQ Pride Month, Holocaust Remembrance Day and other "special observances" to bring the agency into alignment with Trump's cancellation of diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
12 attorneys general call Trump's DEI statements 'misleading' to the American people
A dozen attorneys general from blue states called Trump's recent executive orders seeking to dismantle federal diversity, equity and inclusion programs "unnecessary and disingenuous."
"We strongly oppose the President’s attempts to weaponize decades-old policies, which have been supported by Democratic and Republican administrations alike, to combat historical inequities faced by underrepresented communities and the ongoing, insidious discrimination that still exists in our country," they said in a joint statement.
Trump signed an executive order on his first day in office ending DEI programs at federal agencies, leading to hundreds of thousands of federal workers being put on leave. On Thursday, Trump blamed DEI hires within the federal Aviation Administration for the fatal plane crash in Washington, D.C.
In their statement, the attorneys general from Connecticut, California, Delaware, Illinois, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Vermont and Washington said the orders "have nothing to do with combatting discrimination."
"The Trump administration has longstanding civil rights laws at its disposal to combat real discrimination, and we would be willing partners if it chose to pursue this path," they said. "Instead, the administration is targeting lawful policies and programs that are beneficial to all Americans."
"Contrary to President Trump's assertions," they said, the DEIA policies Trump has attacked "do not diminish the importance of individual merit, nor do they mean that employers are lowering their standards, hiring unqualified candidates, or engaging in race-and-sex-based preferences."
Defense agency bans Black History Month and other ‘special observances’
The Defense Intelligence Agency has ordered a pause of all activities and events related to Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Black History Month, Juneteenth, LGBTQ Pride Month, Holocaust Remembrance Day and other “special observances” to comply with Trump’s executive order, according to a memo obtained by NBC News.
It comes as the Trump administration has made it a top priority to go after any programs perceived to be related to promoting diversity, equity and inclusion in the federal government.
Tulsi Gabbard, Kash Patel, RfK Jr.: Latest confirmation vote count
Lawmakers are weighing the fates of some of Trump’s most controversial Cabinet picks, including Robert f. Kennedy Jr., Tulsi Gabbard and Kash Patel. With none expected to receive a single Democratic vote, the nominees will need strong support from Republicans, but it remains unclear if all three have cleared that threshold. NBC’s Ryan Nobles reports for "TODAY."
USAID removes pictures of global missions from walls
U.S. Agency for International Development officials have removed artwork on the walls of the agency's offices to ensure the decor aligns with the new administration’s "America first" mission, multiple current and former USAID employees told NBC News.
The removal of the images depicting the agency’s various global missions is reflective of the near total freeze on foreign aid, the placing of dozens of senior civil servants on leave, and the furloughing of hundreds of contractors that carry out the work of the agency, the employees said.
The taking down of artwork is not typical in the change of administrations.
New EPA administrator vows to link 'American innovation' with 'environmental stewardship'
In his first video remarks as EPA administrator, former Rep. Lee Zeldin, R-N.Y., sounded an optimistic note, expressing his dual goals of safeguarding environmental stewardship alongside the pursuit of “exciting” opportunities in American innovation and U.S. energy dominance.
"We must connect the greatness of American innovation with the greatness of conservation and environmental stewardship," Zeldin said in the video posted to X. "We will and we must ensure our nation is energy dominant, whether bringing back American auto jobs, or turning the U.S. into the AI capital of the world."
At the same time, Zeldin vowed that his EPA would "respect the rule of law" and protect human health and the environment, calling it a cause that's personal to him, harking to his early years growing up on the east end of Long Island, "an area almost completely surrounded by water."
“I am committed to this cause. President Trump is committed to this cause," he said. "And I’m confident we will be able to look back on this moment four years from now and feel extraordinarily proud of our effort, our progress, and our achievements."
Trump is reversing the Justice Department’s civil rights policies
Trump kicked off his second presidential term with dozens of executive orders, many of which focus on hot-button culture war issues, from transgender and abortion rights to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
The job of enforcing the administration’s position on those issues will largely fall to the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
During past handovers between Democratic and Republican administrations, the Civil Rights Division has undergone major policy shifts. During the George W. Bush administration, for example, the division focused resources on fighting religious discrimination. After Barack Obama took office, the division prioritized preventing racial and ethnic discrimination.
The scale of the expected civil rights policy changes between the Biden and Trump administrations may eclipse those of past transitions.
RfK Jr. wants to ‘Make America Healthy Again,' but he harks back to a time that wasn’t the healthiest
During RfK Jr.’s two-day confirmation hearings for health secretary, he repeatedly compared the health of Americans in 2025 to the 1960s, specifically the years during his uncle John f. Kennedy’s presidency, from 1960 to 1963.
“When my uncle was president, 3% of Americans were obese, and today 74% are obese or overweight,” he said in his prepared statement for the Senate committees.
When promoting the theme of “Make America Healthy Again,” Kennedy hasn’t explicitly identify when America was at its healthiest.
The 1960s might be a touchstone of American health in Kennedy’s view, but many in the U.S. weren’t at their healthiest during those years. In 1960, heart disease was the leading cause of death for adults, men and women, the same as it is now, but the number of people who died from a heart attack was 1 in 2 in the 1950s.
Now, it’s an estimated 1 in 8.5, according to the American Heart Association. Heart attacks have become less deadly, partly because of prescription medications and surgical procedures such as angioplasty.
In the statement, Kennedy said: “Diabetes is 10 times more prevalent than in 1960.”
According to government research, from 1960–1962 and 1999–2000, the prevalence of diagnosed diabetes in the U.S. population increased from 1.8% to 5.8%. In 2023, 11.6% of the U.S. population had a diagnosis of diabetes.
Tobacco use reached its peak in 1964, when more than half of men smoked and most smokers, both men and women, began smoking in their teens, setting a deadly stage for lung diseases and many other types of cancer.
In 1960, the life expectancy for men and women in the U.S. was 69.7 years, according to U.S. Census data. Last year, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report found that life expectancy at birth was 78.4 years.
Life expectancy increased for most of the last six decades, although those improvements have taken a hit in recent years, mostly due to opioid drug overdoses, Covid and deaths from cardiovascular disease. At the same time, fewer people are dying from chronic lung disease because of a steep drop in smoking since the 1960s.
Kennedy has also criticized the number of vaccines recommended for children now compared to the early 1960s, when children were routinely given vaccines for diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis vaccine, polio and smallpox. The CDC currently recommends vaccinating children for 14 potentially deadly infectious diseases, including measles, rubella, diphtheria, polio and pneumococcal disease before the age of 2.
Smallpox was declared eradicated around the world in 1980, thanks to vaccination. After the measles vaccine was approved in 1963, the highly contagious and deadly infection was eliminated in the U.S. in 2000, until the anti-vaccination movement began to take hold among parents.
Trudeau : 'We won't back down' if Trump implements tariffs
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canada has been responding to what Trump is "focused on and what is motivating him to consider applying tariffs as early as tomorrow.”
“Right now, we’re showing the new American administration that they have a strong partner in Canada when it comes to upholding border security, all while simultaneously underscoring that we won’t back down, that if tariffs are implemented against Canada, we will respond. We won’t relent until tariffs are removed and, of course, everything is on the table.”
However, Trudeau warned that Canada “could be facing difficult times in the coming days and weeks” if Trump does follow through with his promise of 25% tariffs.
Trudeau was speaking at the Council on Canada-U.S. Relations, a group of Canadian business executives and politicians that he launched to evaluate how to respond to Trump’s tariff threat.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker blocks Jan. 6 rioters from state jobs after Trump pardons
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker is blocking those who took part in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol from working in state jobs, ignoring Trump’s attempt to offer them a clean slate last week in a sweeping set of pardons and commutations.
Late Thursday, Pritzker directed the state’s Department of Central Management Services, the state’s primary hiring authority, to restrict hiring those who took part in the attack on the Capitol, saying their “infamous and disgraceful conduct ... is antithetical to the mission of the State.”
Sen. Tim Kaine says RfK Jr. is unfit after 9/11 comments
Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., said RfK Jr. is unfit to lead the Department of Health and Human Services after he couldn't answer yesterday in his hearing what he meant by saying he couldn't take sides on 9/11.
"As I was looking at my Republican colleagues across the aisle that they were having some significant concerns about a guy who won't even take sides on 9/11," he said. "I don't even know what that means."
In July 2024, Kennedy posted that he "won't take sides on 9/11 or any of the other debates."
Trade adviser can’t say if Trump will impose tariffs on Canada and Mexico tomorrow
Peter Navarro, Trump’s senior trade and manufacturing adviser, told CNBC that he does not know when the president will impose tariffs on Canada and Mexico that the president promised to implement by Saturday, feb. 1. Trump reiterated the pledge as recently as yesterday afternoon.
“I have no breaking news for you on that,” he said. “I can’t tell you when; I can talk a little about why.”
“One of the big reasons we think about tariffs, and that’s the fentanyl.” Navarro also mentioned immigration and trade deficits as a reason why tariffs have been threatened against two of the United States’ top trading partners.
“The boss wants to do something about that,” Navarro said, referring to the president.
Hegseth doesn’t rule out military going into Mexico to target cartels
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in an interview on "fox and friends" did not rule out the military going into Mexico to target cartels now that they are designated foreign terrorist organizations — saying “all options will be on the table” but the decision is up to the president.
"Ultimately, we will hold nothing back to secure the American people," he said.
Hegseth also said the Defense Department is “preparing options for the actual detention facilities” at Guantanamo Bay to be used to temporarily house the most violent criminals in transit upon deportation.
This is a shift, as the administration had previously talked about housing migrants at the current migrant facility there, distinguishing that from the prison facilities.
USAID labor director pushed out after fighting back against removal of career leadership
An order sidelining almost 60 senior career leaders at the U.S. Agency for International Development was temporarily rescinded yesterday by one of the few remaining senior career civil servants with the authority to do so, two current and two former USAID employees told NBC News.
Hours later, the same career employee was also placed on administrative leave.
“The materials show no evidence that you engaged in misconduct,” Nick Gottlieb, USAID’s director of employee and labor relations, said in an email to the dozens of senior USAID employees placed on paid leave Monday. “As a result, I no longer have authority to maintain you in this status.”
Gottlieb acknowledged that he did not know how long his decision would hold.
Colombian president asks undocumented Colombians in the United States to return
Colombian President Gustavo Petro today urged undocumented Colombians in the United States to quit their jobs “immediately” and return to Colombia.
He added in a post on X that the Department of Social Prosperity would offer credits to returnees who enroll in its programs.
Trump’s key national security nominees grilled at confirmation hearings
Kash Patel, Trump’s nominee for fBI director, and Tulsi Gabbard, Trump’s nominee for director of national intelligence, faced intense questioning at their Senate confirmation hearings. When pressed about his independence, Patel said he would “always obey the law.” Gabbard pushed back on accusations that she parroted Russian talking points. NBC News’ Ryan Nobles reports.
Trump is reversing the Justice Department’s civil rights policies
Trump kicked off his second presidential term with dozens of executive orders, many of which focus on hot-button culture war issues, from transgender and abortion rights to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. The job of enforcing the administration’s position on those issues will largely fall to the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
During past handovers between Democratic and Republican administrations, the Civil Rights Division has undergone major policy shifts. During the George W. Bush administration, for example, the division focused resources on fighting religious discrimination. After Barack Obama took office, the division prioritized preventing racial and ethnic discrimination.
The Republican doctor who could be a hurdle to RfK Jr.’s confirmation
Reporting from Washington, D.C.
Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., cast doubt yesterday over whether Robert f. Kennedy Jr. is qualified to be the next leader of the government’s largest and most powerful health agency.
Cassidy, a doctor, has emerged as a key swing vote in Kennedy’s bid to be the secretary of health and human services. He chairs the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee and sits on the finance Committee, the two panels Kennedy testified before this week.