The right of preemptive pardons has been upheld as a broad privilege since the time of George Washington. President Joe Biden on his final day in office on Jan. 20 issued several preemptive pardons, including for family members. He issued pardons for Dr. Anthony Fauci, retired Gen. Mark Milley, and those who served on the
President Donald Trump pardoned roughly 1,500 defendants and and commuted the sentences of others. WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump’s decision to pardon Jan. 6 defendants on his first day in office brought excitement and hope to those close to the detained. The White House announced the pardons shortly after Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20, more than four
If Moscow doesn’t end its war with Ukraine, ‘Russia is going to be in big trouble,’ Trump said while signing executive orders on Jan. 20. Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Jan. 21 held a virtual meeting in which they pledged to strengthen the two regimes’ relationships further in 2025. Putin
President Donald Trump has named a veteran agent to serve as acting director of the FBI. The White House on Monday included Brian Driscoll on a list of officials being tapped to lead agencies on an acting basis. Driscoll was tapped to lead the FBI pending the Senate confirmation of Kash Patel, Trump’s nominee for
Scott Bessent inches one step closer to Treasury secretary. The Senate Finance Committee greenlit billionaire financier Scott Bessent’s nomination as President Donald Trump’s U.S. Treasury secretary. Senators voted 16–11 to approve the hedge fund manager’s nomination to head the Treasury Department. Two Democrat senators—Sens. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) and Mark Warner (D-Va.)—voted in favor with all
Trump’s order made it easier to fire federal officials. President Donald Trump’s order removing job protections from federal officials violates federal law, according to a Jan. 20 lawsuit. Trump’s order, signed earlier on Monday, reclassifies certain employees into the same category as political appointees, thereby removing some job protections. “The President’s Executive Order is unlawful
The former Florida senator said during his confirmation hearing that the Chinese Communist Party is a ‘dangerous’ and ’potent’ foe. Vice President JD Vance conducted the swearing-in ceremony for Marco Rubio as the 72nd secretary of state on Tuesday, who became the first of President Donald Trump’s official Cabinet members. On Monday, the Senate voted