Donald Trump News Highlights: US President says California must change policies or…

President Donald Trump came to Las Vegas on Saturday to crow about his campaign promise to eliminate taxes on tips, signalling to allies in Congress the importance of the policy but stopping well short of offering details for making the slogan a reality.

“But I have to be honest with you, I'm really here for a different reason, I'm here to say thank you," Trump told the crowd at Circa Resort and Casino.

Trump News LIVE: The Senate is voting to confirm Kristi Noem as homeland security secretary, putting the South Dakota governor in charge of a sprawling agency that is essential to national security and President Donald Trump's plans to clamp down on illegal immigration.

Republicans threatened to keep the Senate working through the weekend to install the latest member of Trump's national security team. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was confirmed Friday night, joining Secretary of State Marco Rubio and CIA Director John Ratcliffe. The Senate was voting on Noem's confirmation mid-Saturday.

Trump News LIVE: US President Donald Trump will hold a rally at a casino in Las Vegas on Saturday, wrapping up a tumultuous week that saw him double down on promises to reshape American politics and culture.

His arrival in the gambling capital coincided with a dramatic late-night purge of internal federal agency watchdogs, and a narrow confirmation victory for one of his most controversial cabinet picks.

Trump News LIVE: The Trump administration has fired more than a dozen independent inspectors general at government agencies, a sweeping action to remove oversight of his new administration that some members of Congress are suggesting violated federal oversight laws.

The dismissals began Friday night and were effective immediately, according to a person familiar with the actions who spoke on condition of anonymity to provide details that have not been made public. The firings were carried out without giving Congress 30-day notices of removal of inspectors general –- something that even a top Republican said violated the law.

The US Senate narrowly confirmed former Fox News co-host Pete Hegseth as Pentagon chief on Friday, despite allegations of alcohol abuse, sexual misconduct and other fears about his ability to lead the world's most powerful military.

President Donald Trump surveyed disaster zones in California and North Carolina on Friday and said he was considering “getting rid of” the Federal Emergency Management Agency, offering the latest sign of how he is weighing sweeping changes to the nation's central organization for responding to disasters.

President Donald Trump threatened to withhold federal aid for California as it grapples with massive ongoing wildfires, and he said he would condition any funds on California changing its water management policies and approving voter identification laws.

“We’re also surging federal resources and assistance to the state, and California must adopt the common sense policies to prevent fires, and we all know that,” the president said.

“We’re going to waive, just about essentially waive, all federal permits” to hasten rebuilding, Trump said. He also tasked his close ally Ric Grenell to help with the recovery efforts.

Mexico is ready to work with Washington as the administration of President Donald Trump deports Mexican citizens from the United States, the foreign ministry said in a statement Friday.

"We will always accept the arrival of Mexicans to our territory with open arms," the ministry said, after the White House press secretary posted on X that Mexico on Thursday had accepted a record four deportation flights in one day.

Mexico has refused a request from President Donald Trump's administration to allow a U.S. military aircraft deporting migrants to land in the country, a U.S. official and a Mexican official told Reuters.

The Donald Trump administration has directed federal agencies to start terminating employees working in positions related to diversity programs, after placing them on paid leave earlier this week.

According to a memo from the US Office of Personnel Management, "Each agency, department, or commission head shall take action to terminate, to the maximum extent allowed by law, all DEI, DEIA, and 'environmental justice' offices and positions within 60 days."

President Donald Trump said that targeting Russia's oil revenue is the best way to get Moscow to end its nearly three-year war against Ukraine. Trump, who pledged in the campaign that he'd broker a quick end to the grinding conflict, in his first days in office has leaned in on the idea that OPEC , the alliance of oil producing nations, holds the key to ending the war by reducing oil prices.

“One way to stop it quickly is for OPEC to stop making so much money," Trump told reporters. “So, OPEC ought to get on the ball and drop the price of oil. And that war will stop right away.”

The United States, the world's biggest donor, froze virtually all foreign aid on Friday, making exceptions only for emergency food, and military funding for Israel and Egypt.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio sent an internal memo days after President Donald Trump took office vowing an "America First" policy of tightly restricting assistance overseas.

"No new funds shall be obligated for new awards or extensions of existing awards until each proposed new award or extension has been reviewed and approved," said the memo to staff seen by AFP.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday he would work with California Governor Gavin Newsom to respond to the Los Angeles fires after earlier floating doing away with the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

"We're looking to get something completed. And the way you get it completed is to work together to govern the state, and we're going to get it completed. They're going to need a lot of federal help," Trump told reporters after Newsom met him on the tarmac when Air Force One landed in Los Angeles.

Trump News LIVE: President Donald Trump has recently questioned whether the agency the US turns to whenever major disasters strike should continue to play that role — while also installing a former Navy SEAL without prior FEMA experience as interim chief.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has deployed roughly 550 experts to help displaced residents find shelter, access aid and coordinate debris removal in neighborhoods reduced to ash in recent weeks. They’re also staffing help centers and working with fire survivors, while more than 2,600 of their colleagues are still aiding in recovery efforts from last year’s hurricanes in North Carolina and Florida.

Trump News LIVE: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday praised Donald Trump as "pragmatic" and "smart", saying he did not believe the US president would force global oil prices lower in a bid to damage Moscow.

"He is not only a smart person, but a pragmatic person," Putin told state media. 

He said oil prices that were either "too high or "too low" were bad for both the Russian and American economies, adding: "I have a hard time imagining there will be decisions taken that are detrimental to the American economy."

Trump News LIVE: Grant reviews, travel and hiring appear to be on indefinite hold after the Trump administration pressed pause on the National Institutes for Health.

The upheaval isn’t limited to NIH. Within days of President Donald Trump’s inauguration, the Department of Health and Human Services, which includes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration, issued a communication blackout. That order has affected everything from communicating with state and local health officials about the bird flu outbreak to issuing regulations and guidance to social media posts and updating agency websites.

But the situation with the NIH seems the direst. It unfolded in real time Wednesday as academic researchers took to social media to share experiences of abruptly canceled NIH meetings—some reportedly halted mid-session—and travel disruptions. Job offers were rescinded, and review panels on cancer research were canceled.

(via Bloomberg)

Trump News LIVE: The dollar dropped to a one-month low after President Donald Trump appeared to soften his approach toward tariffs on China. Stock futures fluctuated after the S&P 500 scaled a fresh peak.

The president said in an interview with Fox News that he would “rather not” use tariffs against the world’s second-largest economy. He has also, so far, held back from imposing tariffs on Europe, though he warned of levies against Canada and Mexico.

Trump News LIVE: The president will head to hurricane-battered western North Carolina and wildfire-ravaged Los Angeles — using the first trip of his second administration to tour areas where politics has clouded the response to deadly disasters.

Trump News LIVE: Federal banking and securities regulators, including several intended to operate independently from the White House, are starting to delete references to internal diversity and inclusion offices from their websites following executive orders from President Donald Trump.

Several agencies—including the Federal Reserve, Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, and Commodity Futures Trading Commission—had removed webpages for their DEI programs and for their offices of minority and women inclusion as of late Thursday.

Birthright citizenship is the principle that someone born in a country is a citizen of that country. In the United States, it's enshrined in the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, which states: “All persons born or naturalised in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.” It was ratified in 1868 to ensure the citizenship of former slaves after the Civil War. (PTI)

John Ratcliffe has been confirmed to lead the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) after the Senate confirmed his appointment.

Notably, this is the second major appointment under the second Trump administration after Marco Rubio was appointed the US Secretary of State, earlier this week.

Confirming the news, the White House shared a post on X and wrote, "@JohnRatcliffe 's confirmation as Director of the CIA marks a significant step in advancing President Trump's vision to restore America's strength on the world stage."

As President Donald Trump prepares to tour wildfire damage in California, he's zeroing in on one of his frequent targets for criticism: State water policy.

Since the fires broke out Jan. 7, Trump has used social media and interviews to accuse the state of sending too much water to the Pacific Ocean instead of south toward Los Angeles and highlighted how some hydrants ran dry in the early hours of the firefight in Pacific Palisades. (AP)

Outgoing Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Thursday American consumers will pay more whenever President Donald Trump decides to apply sweeping tariffs on Canadian products.

Trump told reporters in the Oval Office Thursday that he still plans to tariff Canada and Mexico at 25% rates starting as soon as Feb. 1. Trump previously threatened to impose sweeping new tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China as soon as he took office but the tariffs weren't applied on day one. (AP)

A federal judge in Seattle has temporarily blocked former President Donald Trump's executive order seeking to terminate birthright citizenship in the United States, calling the policy "blatantly unconstitutional," CNN reported.

Issuing a temporary restraining order on Thursday, Judge John Coughenour, a Reagan appointee, responded to a legal challenge by Washington Attorney General Nick Brown and three other Democratic-led states. The restraining order halts the implementation of the policy for 14 days, allowing for further legal briefings.

U.S. President Donald Trump said in an interview broadcast on Thursday that he plans to seek to engage North Korean leader Kim Jong Un anew after the two men developed a working relationship in Trump's first term.

"I'll reach out to him again," Trump told Fox News' Sean Hannity. (Reuters)

Trump News LIVE: US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he wants to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin soon and to get the war with Ukraine stopped. He also said that he wanted to work towards cutting nuclear arms. Trump added that he thought Russia and China might support reducing their own weapons capabilities.

Trump News LIVE: Recent territorial assertions have sparked a round of rethinking by mapmakers and teachers, snark on social media and sarcasm by at least one other world leader. While Republican leaders are already putting ‘Gulf of America’ on official documents, it was not immediately clear how many others would follow Trump's lead. As of Wednesday night, map applications for Google and Apple still called it Mount Denali and Gulf of Mexico. 

Trump News LIVE: A federal judge in Seattle is set to hear the first arguments in a multi-state lawsuit seeking to block President Donald Trump’s executive order. US District Judge John Coughenour scheduled the session to consider the request from Arizona, Illinois, Oregon and Washington. 

The case is one of five lawsuits being brought by 22 states and a number of immigrants rights groups across the country. The suits include personal testimonies from attorneys general who are US citizens by birthright, and names pregnant women who are afraid their children won't become US citizens.

Trump News LIVE: Oil prices remained nearly unchanged on Thursday amid continued uncertainty over tariffs. President Donald Trump's proposed tariffs and energy policies are likely to affect global economic growth and energy demand — including expectations of increased production under his pro-drilling policies. Easing geopolitical stress in Gaza is also likely to play a role as it lifts fears of further escalation in supply disruption from key producing regions.

Trump News LIVE: US President Donald Trump on Wednesday ordered signed an executive order to suspend phyiscal enty of “aliens engaged in an invasion of the US through southern border”, reported CNBC. 

He also ordered to send 1,500 ground troops to the south to defend border from “illegal aliens”.

Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde stood by her remarks during Trump's inaugural prayer service, where she urged him to show "mercy" to marginalized groups, including LGBT youth and undocumented immigrants.

"I wanted to emphasize respecting the honor and dignity of every human being, basic honesty, and humility," she said in an interview on ABC's "The View." "I was trying to counter the narrative that is so, so divisive and polarizing and in which people, real people, are being harmed."

“In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now,” Budde said during her sermon yesterday. “There are gay, lesbian and transgender children in Democratic, Republican and independent families. Some who fear for their lives.”

She added: “They may not be citizens or have the proper documentation, but the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. They pay taxes and are good neighbors. They are faithful members of our churches and mosques, synagogues.”

Senate Budget Committee held final confirmation hearing for Russell Vought's OMB director nomination.

The hearing lasted for nearly two and a half hours, involving extensive questioning.

The session concluded with no immediate decision on Vought's nomination.

Donald Trump administration plans to send 1,000 more active-duty troops to the southern border.

Deployment will involve soldiers and Marines from across the US.

Specific units and tasks for the troops are unclear.

Troops are expected to start being deployed within days.

Announcement was confirmed by a defense official and senior White official. (NBC News)

US President Donald Trump sharing a post on social media platform Truth Social, wrote, "I'm not looking to hurt Russia. I love the Russian people, and always had a very good relationship with President Putin - and this despite the Radical Left's Russia, Russia, Russia HOAX. We must never forget that Russia helped us win the Second World War, losing almost 60,000,000 lives in the process. All of that being said, I'm going to do Russia, whose economy is failing, and President Putin, a very big favour."

"Settle now, and stop this ridiculous war! It's only going to get worse. If we don't make a "deal," and soon, I have no other choice but to put high levels of taxes, tariffs, and sanctions on anything being sold by Russia to the United States, and various other participating countries. Let's get this war, which never would have started if I were President, over with! We can do it the easy way, or the hard way - and the easy way is always better. It's time to 'make a deal.' No more lives should be lost," the post added.

Donald Trump administration removed the Spanish-language version of the White House website.

Visitors to www.whitehouse.gov/es are now greeted with an "Error 404" message.

The site featured a "Go Home" button, directing users to White House English language website.

The Trump administration has canceled travel plans for refugees who had already been cleared to resettle in the United States. This decision, part of the administration's broader immigration policies, has left thousands of refugees stranded and uncertain about their future.

Donald Trump's administration has mandated the shutdown of all diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs across federal government departments.

Employees working in diversity offices are required to be placed on paid leave by Wednesday evening.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the directive, aligning with Trump’s new policies.

Acting OPM Director Charles Ezell issued a memo instructing department and agency heads to send notice to affected staff by 5:00 pm Wednesday.

The memo criticized DEI programs, stating they "divided Americans by race," wasted taxpayer funds, and led to discrimination.

Actions ordered:

Cancel all DEI training sessions.

Terminate contracts related to DEI initiatives.

Take down all DEI-related websites and social media accounts by Wednesday evening.

The administration claims these programs have caused division and misused public resources.

The Kremlin sees a "small window of opportunity" to forge agreements with the Trump administration.

Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov emphasized the importance of understanding "with what and whom" Russia must negotiate.

Ryabkov highlighted the contrast with the previous US administration, describing it as "hopeless" in terms of diplomatic engagement.

Ryabkov stressed the need to determine the best approach for building relations with Washington, maximizing opportunities, and minimizing risks.

"We cannot say anything today about the degree of the incoming administration's capacity to negotiate, but still, compared to the hopelessness in every aspect of the previous White House chief, there is a window of opportunity today, albeit a small one," Ryabkov said.

"It's therefore important to understand with what and whom we will have to deal, how best to build relations with Washington, how best to maximise opportunities and minimise risks."

Jose Raul Mulino Quintero, the President of Panama, was approached by Sky News at the World Economic Forum in Davos, over Donald Trump mentioning in his inauguration speech that the US would "take back" the Panama Canal.

When asked if he was worried about an "American invasion," Quintero remained tight-lipped and did not provide a response.

The Panamanian president gave only two words 'be serious' when asked if he had congratulated Trump. (Sky news)

Donald Trump, on his first day in office, issued approximately 1,500 pardons, including hundreds convicted of crimes related to the January 6 Capitol attack.

Many of those pardoned and released reunited with their families.

Stewart Rhodes, former leader of the Oath Keepers, was among those released. He had been serving an 18-year sentence for seditious conspiracy, convicted in 2021.

Upon release, Rhodes expressed "relief" and "joy" about his newfound freedom.

As per the Federal Bureau of Prisons, more than 200 individuals convicted of January 6-related offences have been released as part of the pardons. (Sky News)

Trump News LIVE: After the unexpected disappearance of the US Constitution from the White House website, a federal site dedicated to reproductive rights and healthcare access is down. This occurs days after newly elected 47th US President took oath of office. According to CBS News report, ReproductiveRights.gov appears to be unavailable.

Trump News LIVE: Donald Trump issued a radical executive order on the first day of his second term, titled “Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship.” The 47th President stripped away birth right citizenship in the country and announced that a new-born child in the US will be given American citizenship only if one of the parents is an American citizen or a green card holder.

Trump News LIVE: Newly sworn-in US President Donald Trump on Tuesday, said that he likes both sides of the debate on the H-1B foreign guest workers' visa. He made this remark during a press conference at the White House. Adding, he said “competent people” coming into the country are welcomed, PTI reported.

Trump said, “I like both sides of the argument, but I also like very competent people coming into our country, even if that involves them training and helping other people that may not have the qualifications they do. I don't want to stop."

Trump News LIVE: Donald Trump shared plans to bring sweeping changes to global trade with tariff hikes, a day after taking over as the President of the United States. On Tuesday, he warned against imposition of fresh sanctions on Russia if it fails to negotiate a deal on Ukraine. He had also made his intentions clear of imposing a 10% tariff on imports of Chinese-made goods from February 1.

Trump News LIVE: US President Donald Trump signed multiple orders on first day which included withdrawal from Paris Agreement, ending birthright citizenship, crackdown on immigration, TikTok ban, etc.

Trump News LIVE: US President Donald Trump on Monday signed the executive order against birthright citizenship. The Republican leader signed the order after dubbing it as an ‘absolutely ridiculous’ concept.

He also claimed that America was the ‘only country in the world’ to have such a rule.

Trump News LIVE: Several civil rights activists and Democrats have alleged that the order is unconstitutional, reported AP.  As more than 22 Attorneys of US states have legally challenged the order, the consitutional validity of the order will be decided on court.

Trump News LIVE: US President Donald Trump on Monday passed an order to end birthright citizenship. Within hours, more than twenty US states sued the order. Many civil righ advocates have also challenged the order calling it against the US Constitution.

Donald Trump News LIVE: Birthright citizenship in the United States is a legal principle which allows everyone born in US soil to become an American citizen. It is also known as the legal principle of jus soli or “right of the soil” in Latin. (Read here to know more)

Donald Trump News LIVE: Aditya Birla Group Chairman, Kumar Mangalam Birla, on Monday, said in an annual reflection note that ‘T factor’ could influnce the geopolitical dynamics. 

Refering to Donald Trump as ‘T’ factor, Birla said, "The one factor that could disproportionately influence the course of the year is…(Read full story)