Watching Washington: Updates From The Nation’s Capital
President Donald Trump promised to hit the ground running during his 2024 election campaign. The first week of his second presidential term has seemingly fulfilled that promise through hundreds of signed executive orders — some more surprising than others.
Trump signed an executive order Jan. 21 to release the previously classified documents regarding the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., President John F. Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy. This action is met with much support, including encouragement from the King family.
“For us, the assassination of our father is a deeply personal family loss that we have endured over the last 56 years,” they told Fox News. “We hope to be provided the opportunity to review the files as a family prior to its public release.”
The first legal case against one of Trump’s executive orders has also been established. The order would end immediate citizenship for children who are born in the U.S. to an undocumented mother, unless the child’s father has citizenship status or a green card.
According to ABC News, “Democratic attorney generals from 22 states and two cities have sued Trump over the executive order, and the president faces at least five separate lawsuits over the policy.”
It appears that Trump and his team had already anticipated this pushback, however, as he issued a statement regarding the matter.
“Obviously we will appeal it,” Trump said, according to ABC News, “There’s no surprises with that judge.”
The Department of Justice has also issued a statement regarding its support for the order and its own interpretation of the 14th Amendment.
“We look forward to presenting a full merits argument to the Court and to the American people, who are desperate to see our Nation’s laws enforced,” the DOJ said in a statement, according to a report by ABC News.
Another executive order receiving some resistance is Trump’s actions regarding federal DEI employees. These employees were placed on paid leave Jan. 22 through the Office of Personal Management, which subsequently set a deadline of Jan. 31 for all federal agencies to submit a plan to dismiss said employees.
Trump explained the reasoning behind his actions during his inaugural address.
“I will end the government policy of trying to socially engineer race and gender into every aspect of public and private life,” Trump said. “We will forge a society that is color blind and merit based. After today it will henceforth be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders: male and female.”
Trump has also continued holding rallies. His latest rally was held Jan. 25 at Circa Resort & Casino in Las Vegas to thank his supporters and encourage them that his promise for no taxes on tips was one he intended to keep.
“We’re going to get it for you — no tax on tips,” Trump said, according to the Associated Press.
Trump has the next four years to uphold the promises he made during his campaign. Other promises he is expected to work toward include ending the wars in Ukraine and Israel and imposing tariffs on goods from China and Mexico.
McKinnon is the off-campus news editor for the Liberty Champion.