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Articles / Government / White House After a flurry of activity right out of the gate, Trump takes victory lap in speech to America During President Donald Trump’s speech to Congress and the American people, he broadcast a list of his initiatives promised during the campaign and, he says delivered upon, less than two months into his second term. By: President Donald Trump’s Tuesday night address to Congress beat his own last endurance record of an hour and 22 minutes, clocking in at an hour and 39 minutes. Differing from his style of speech used during his campaign rallies, his Tuesday night address showed an effort to detail his accomplishments in fewer than 50 days. From border security to deregulation, foreign investment to hostage releases, here are the most consequential initiatives just 3% into his second term: Energy policies On January 20, 2025 Trump signed the executive order titled  “Unleashing American Energy.” This order revoked several past executive orders mandating green energy initiatives including the Biden administration’s electric vehicle mandate. The order also included “Unleashing Energy Dominance Through Efficient Permitting” to streamline the regulatory process, confining it to 30 days to gain permitting approvals. In another section titled Prioritizing Accuracy In Environmental Analyses it mandates that “agencies shall strictly use the most robust methodologies of assessment at their disposal and shall not use methodologies that are arbitrary or ideologically motivated.” Another day-one initiative by the Trump administration was declaring an “energy emergency,” reducing red tape in the permitting process. A number of energy industry icons reacted positively, with Chevron announcing that they “are increasing production 50% between last year and what we will see next year.” BP announced that it would disregard a number of its green goals and increase oil production by between 2.3 million and 2.5 million barrels per day by 2030. The Trump administration granted its first approval for a liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminal, following years of stringent LNG regulation under Biden. The Washington Examiner reported that the Trump administration has also shut down the Biden Administration’s American Climate Corps, an environmental public works program that utilized taxpayer money for initiatives like hiring “garden educators” with a “commitment to social justice and anti-racism.” Immigration and securing the border Referring in the speech to one of his day-one Executive Orders, President Trump said “I declared a national emergency on our southern border, and I deployed the U.S. military and Border Patrol to repel the invasion of our country.” Indeed, on January 20, he declared a national emergency at the border to redirect efforts and resources to fortify this southern border. He also placed a pause on refugee admittance “until such time as the further entry into the United States of refugees align with the interest of the United States.” He reminded citizens and lawmakers that on the previous Saturday, he designated English as the official language of the United States and added that “As a result, illegal border crossings last month were by far the lowest ever recorded, ever.” As a result, Trump claimed, his administration is now deporting immigrants at a slower pace than Joe Biden did last year. However, with a “worst first” policy to be utilized during deportation efforts — not to mention the inevitable lawfare — it may become more logistically complex and may be protracted. Trump has in the past said because of his immigration policies and threats of deportation, many immigrants are self deporting, and leaving the United States voluntarily. Economy and foreign investment The Trump administration says it has secured nearly $2 trillion in foreign investments with the most recent being an injection of $165 billion from Taiwan’s semiconductor industry. Other investments purportedly include $500 billion in private sector investment for AI infrastructure by SoftBank, Oracle, and OpenAI. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia announced a $600 billion investment shortly after Trump took office. Trump reminded citizens and lawmakers that Apple will also be investing in the United States with a $500 billion initiative, which includes the hiring of roughly 20,000 workers over the next four years. On a kitchen table issue, after the price of eggs spiked under Biden to nearly $5 and grocery prices generally remain high, on February 26 Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced a $1 billion effort to combat Avian flu and bring down egg prices. Broken down, that effort is described as a: “five-pronged strategy includ[ing] an additional $500 million for biosecurity measures, $400 million in financial relief for affected farmers, and $100 million for vaccine research, action to reduce regulatory burdens, and exploring temporary import options.” Trump promised that “We will defeat inflation, bring down mortgage rates, lower car payments and grocery prices, protect our seniors and put more money in the pockets of American families.” DOGE and shrinking government size and waste Trump’s campaign extensively on reducing the size of the federal government, and his speech raised this issue with special emphasis. Despite the bureaucratic left’s war on Elon Musk’s aggressive quest to root out waste, fraud and abuse, Trump has urged him to be even more aggressive. According to the DOGE website tracking the amount of taxpayer dollars saved, it says it has saved $105 billion as of publishing time. Both Musk and Trump have floated the idea of returning 20% to the American people in the form of “DOGE dividend checks,” totalling about $20 billion. In the speech, he also expressed a desire to balance the budget in the near future, presumably during his second term in office. Terrorism and hostage releases in second term Trump boasted of securing the release of six American hostages in Venezuela, freedom for U.S./Israeli citizen Keith Siegel held by Hamas, and repatriated Pennsylvania teacher, Marc Fogel from Russian prison, and an American hostage from Belarus: all since the beginning of his new term. Fogel was in the gallery at the speech at the Capitol, and received a warm ovation from Republican lawmakers. Most Democrats, in what was possibly choreographed, did not rise to applaud Fogel’s new-found freedom. Trump also delivered breaking news in his speech, announcing the extradition of one of the ISIS-K terrorists responsible for the deadly August 2021 Abbey Gate suicide attack. That assault took the lives of 13 American

Articles / Government / White House Even before Congress acts, Trump’s border policies already crater illegal immigration by 95% The southern border of the U.S. looks drastically different under President Donald Trump than under former President Joe Biden, who claimed during his term that he could do nothing to secure the border without Congress. By: The first major step President Trump took upon re-entering the White House was declaring the border crisis a national emergency, allowing for reallocation of personnel and resources from the Armed Forces to support the activities of the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Homeland Security. In this case, the goal is to obtain complete operational control of the U.S.-Mexico border. The first major step President Trump took upon re-entering the White House was declaring the border crisis a national emergency, allowing for reallocation of personnel and resources from the Armed Forces to support the activities of the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Homeland Security. In this case, the goal is to obtain complete operational control of the U.S.-Mexico border. In another January 20 executive action without Congress, Trump suspended the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program indefinitely. Executive Order 12013 states that, “the United States has been inundated with record levels of migration, including through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP). Cities and small towns…have sought federal aid to manage the burden of new arrivals. This order suspends the USRAP until such time as the further entry into the United States of refugees aligns with the interests of the United States.” Criminal cartels The goal of the order is to fortify the United States’ capabilities to counter threats to the safety and security of its citizens. Even without Congress, Trump designated cartels as foreign terrorist organizations and its members as specially designated global terrorists. Criminal cartels like the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, Mexico’s Sinaloa, Jalisco, Zetas and Gulf cartels, and the Salvadorian gang MS-13, who have committed atrocities across the United States, were main targets by the Trump administration. The same tools with which the United States fights international terrorism will be used against these gangs: travel bans, asset forfeiture and freezes, and heightened penalties for anyone providing material support or association with known terrorists. Trump racked up seven immigration and border-related actions on his first day in office, with more following the initial batch. Those include: expanding migrant operations at Guantánamo Bay to full capacity for high-priority criminal aliens; the imposition and subsequent lifting of 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico; consolidating and reinforcing that the President has sole power to conduct foreign policy and clarifying the hierarchy stated in Article II of the United States Constitution; and ending the practice of using taxpayer money for subsidies for illegal immigrants or associated programs. Messaging  Trump’s rhetoric on immigration. Despite the narrative of both “woke” celebrities and outlets like MSNBC who four days ago blamed Trump’s rhetoric for a child’s suicide, the issue of deporting violent criminals who are here illegally is still popular with the American people. In a fresh Harvard CAPS/Harris poll, the deportation efforts show broad 81% support. Seventy-six percent of those polled support closing the border with added security and policies that discourage illegal crossings. A separate poll conducted by Gallup found that 55% of respondents want less immigration. That is the highest it’s been in 24 years. During this past weekend’s annual Conservative Political Action Conference, border czar Tom Homan touted some of the latest immigration statistics: after 10.5 million encounters with illegal aliens at the southern border the last four years and 8 million of them getting released into the country, border crossings are down 95%. “a stunning lack of leadership” In less than a month, Immigration and Customs Enforcement have arrested more than 21,000 people. Under Biden, the “gotaway” figure totaled 2.2 million overall, 1,800 a day in 2023. The day before his CPAC speech, Tom Homan cited that the day prior they only had 48 gotaways. According to the Department of State, under Biden there was an enormous increase in sex trafficking of women and children. While during Trump’s first term, there were only 14 individuals on the terror watchlist apprehended at the border, under President Joe Biden, that number was close to 400. Homan told the crowd that the last four years he was “pissed off” because the Biden administration took “the most secured border of my lifetime and unsecured it on purpose.” Further attesting to that notion, retired FBI Executive Assistant Director Chris Piehota joined the “Furthermore with Amanda Head” podcast Monday and said, “well, the only thing I can say is that the previous administration displayed a stunning lack of leadership and a lack of gumption when it came to closing down the border. And the only reason they didn’t close down the border is because they didn’t want to.” In Tuesday’s briefing at the White House, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt disclosed new immigration data: there were only 220 illegal border crossings on Saturday, a 15-year-low. In conjunction with the messaging from the Oval Office and the Press Office, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is doing her part as well. In commercials sponsored by DHS, she tells viewers that, “if you are in our country illegally, leave now. If you don’t, we will find you and we will deport you. If you leave now, you may have an opportunity to return and enjoy our freedom and live the American dream. America’s borders are closed to lawbreakers. The choice is yours. America welcomes those who respect our laws because a strong nation is a safe nation.” The Trump administration is making sure their message is heard loud and clear. If you want to read more of the latest by Amanda Head or the team of world class journalists at Just The News, feel free to read or subscribe by visiting JustTheNews.com today. TOP STORIES Even before Congress acts, Trump’s border policies already crater illegal immigration by 95% Trump’s art of the deal is now becoming the art of the clawback Velocity of early Trump action far surpasses the Gipper’s, Reagan

Articles / Government / White House Trump’s art of the deal is now becoming the art of the clawback Gone are the days of leaving the past behind and moving on. “Clawing back” is the new Republican Party aesthetic and President Donald Trump is leading the charge, trying to claw back not just taxpayer money, but also culture and justice. By: The new target of the Democrats’ ire is Elon Musk, who is replacing, for the time-being, their obsessive hatred for Donald Trump. In their promise to oppose Donald Trump every step of the way, liberals across the country have found themselves in the uncomfortable position of opposing the popular initiative exacted by DOGE — rooting out waste, fraud and abuse, even going so far as suggesting a “street fight” is necessary. The latest clawback iteration lies within the working (and lodging) walls of DOGE. Elon Musk, who is heading up the department’s efforts and frequently sleeps on the floor is now launching an initiative to cut taxpayers a dividend check floated straight out of money saved by his team’s efforts.  The goal for Musk and his team of waste-finders is $2 trillion. The working breakdown is to allot 80% to reduce the deficit, 20% to service the debt and 20% to the taxpayers. With $400 billion dispersed among roughly 79 million taxpayers, that equates to a little over $5,000 per taxpaying household. They even set up a website for taxpayers to explore and learn more about the plan.  Where does the money come from? So far, DOGE has announced roughly $55 billion in cuts and posted to the social media platform X some of the already-cancelled programs, including $40 million for “gender equality and women empowerment hub,” $29 million to “strengthening political landscape in Bangladesh,” $20 million for “fiscal federalism” in Nepal, $19 million for “biodiversity conversation” in Nepal and about a dozen other items.   Skepticism in media Some news outlets have reported that the DOGE team’s “wall of receipts” shows errors in tallying billions in savings. Axios published a story casting doubt on the actual savings made by DOGE, saying DOGE claims that its “total estimated savings” to date are roughly $55 billion. But there are questions about whether that sum is inflated. Bloomberg said the website lists $16.6 billion in savings.”  While it may take quite some time for the actual savings to be tallied up, the key will be in Congress codifying these efforts. The House Oversight Committee’s Subcommitee Chairwoman Rep. Marjorie Taylor-Green (R-Ga.) told Just The News that “the amount of fraud and waste DOGE is exposing is unbelievable. Taxpayer money should only be spent to help Americans and I’m glad money is being returned. But Congress has to do our job. During the reconciliation process, we can put restrictions on funding to ensure that money is only spent where it’s supposed to be spent. That’s what my DOGE subcommittee is all about.” Clawing back culture Clawing back culture is a multi-tiered process. At the top of that list: removing DEI. Donald Trump has been trying to ensure that Democrat-pushed aspects like diversity, equity and inclusion are replaced with merit in his January 22 Executive Order.  Additionally, White House deputy chief of staff, Stephen Miller said that “this includes making clear to every educational institution in this country that ending diversity, equity, and inclusion, ending unlawful race discrimination is a precondition of receiving federal funds.” Educational institutions must now choose between pushing DEI in schools and in hiring practices or receiving aid from the federal government.   Another important aspect of bringing American values back to culture is restoring our history – the good, the bad and the ugly – and learning from it. During the summer of 2020’s George Floyd riots, many historical monuments across this country were torn down. Important symbols of our history like statues of Presidents George Washington and Thomas Jefferson in Portland, Oregon and President Theodore Roosevelt in New York City, were either destroyed by rioters or taken down by local municipalities in the aftermath.  In an effort to restore the history and remembrance of American figures, at the February 6 National Prayer Breakfast, Trump announced his reinstated plans to construct the National Garden of American Heroes.  “I have signed an Executive Order to resume the process of creating a new national park full of statues of the greatest Americans who ever lived. We’re going to be honoring our heroes, honoring the greatest people from our country. We’re not gonna be tearing down, we’re gonna be building up,” he said. The memorial park concept was synthesized during the violent protests that brought down the likenesses of hundreds of American figures, all flawed, but all important to this country. Some of the figures to be included in the National Garden of American Heroes include John Adams, Susan B. Anthony, Daniel Boone, Davy Crockett, Frederick Douglass, Amelia Earhart, Benjamin Franklin, Billy Graham, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, Martin Luther King, Jr., Abraham Lincoln, Douglas MacArthur, James Madison, George S. Patton, Jr., Ronald Reagan, Jackie Robinson, Betsy Ross, Antonin Scalia, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Harriet Tubman, Booker T. Washington, and George Washington. Clawing back justice  In the justice arena, it is a given that transparency for the American people must prevail. With Kash Patel confirmed Thursday as the new Director of the FBI, the investigative relationship between Congress and that agency should — it is hoped — run smoothly. Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., is one House investigator who will be continuing his quest to uncover the full scope of the crimes attributed to the Biden family and their associates.  In a recent interview on the “Just the News, No Noise” TV show, he said that it will be up to the new DOJ to carry it through to a conclusion, explaining that “at the end of the day, the Department of Justice is going to have to do that. Hopefully, [Attorney General] Pam Bondi is willing, which I hope she will be. Then I can assure you the House Oversight Committee, and I hate to speak for Jim Jordan, but I’ll go on

Articles / Government / White House Velocity of early Trump action far surpasses the Gipper’s, Reagan biographer says Presidential historian Craig Shirley believes that no matter who is chronicling his time in office, historians will have to say that President Donald Trump is a consequential president. By: President Donald Trump has taken Washington by storm at the start of his second term, far surpassing the velocity of another Republican president who prided himself on speedy results, according to Ronald Reagan’s biographer. Trump’s first 30 days blow those of Reagan’s first and second terms in 1980 and 1984 out of the water “in a nice way, but times have changed,” says presidential historian Craig Shirley, who wrote one of the authoritative biographies on the 40th president. Trump also is outpacing Franklin Delano Roosevelt, a president who set the standard for the first 100 days with his New Deal agenda, he added. The 47th president is “moving faster and better, but he’s handling a different set of issues,” Shirley told Just the News. “The border was not an issue for FDR or for Ronald Reagan; the border is the number one issue and polls show it with the American people.” “He’s got to deal with inflation that Reagan had to deal with and he’s got to deal with economic malaise from the Great Depression that FDR had to deal with,” he added. Former Deputy National Security Adviser Victoria Coates agreed. “I think we all have the sense that we’re experiencing the second Trump term in dog years. He seems to be pretty determined to pack seven years of stuff in every year,” she quipped in an interview on the John Solomon Reports podcast on Tuesday. Coates noted that foreign policy achievements often take presidents some time to assemble but that Trump has begun his second term with an unexpected flurry: a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war, a thawing of icy Russia relations and a pathway to a Ukraine peace deal to name a few. “He’s got NATO suddenly pledging to get to 3.5% within three weeks of inauguration. He’s got the Russia-Ukraine talks started, he has completely changed the conversation on Israel and Gaza and Hamas. He’s the only person who’s put a plan on the table for that,” she noted Coates said Trump’s quick progress on Russia —  Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced formal negotiating teams for a peace deal — stands in stark contrast to France’s Emmanuel Macron who spent three years negotiating but yielded no measurable progress. Shirley said Trump’s blazing speeds can be attributed to three dynamics: 1) the dire situation the country and the world faces demanded immediate action; 2) the force of Trump’s personality; and 3) the accessibility of television, internet, podcasts, emails…coupled with the hyper speed with which information now travels. The concept of the “first 100 days” agenda began under FDR when he instituted the New Deal to tackle a crushing economy. Pushing 15 major bills through Congress, he addressed the most pressing issues of banking, manufacturing, agriculture and social welfare. By his 100th day in office, Roosevelt had signed 99 executive orders in his first three months. Reagan, who delivered his own version of FDR’s fireside chats every Saturday on radio, was trying to heal an economy left behind by one-term president Jimmy Carter. In his first 100 days in office, Reagan signed 18. Not yet even a month into this term, Trump has signed 68. In this wide-ranging Presidents’ Day interview on the Furthermore with Amanda Head podcast, Shirley also discussed the media’s coverage of the Trump White House and the president’s distrust of so-called “fake news.” Shirley compared that with the Founding Fathers, who also were distrusting and soured on the media of their day. “In the 1770’s the framers and the founders hated the pamphleteers and the newspapers of the era. They despised them,” Shirley noted, However, the founders saw value in the media’s alliance with and representation of the American people against government. That dynamic, he said, has recently changed. “Only recently have we seen the government, the press, ally with the government against the people,” he noted. “They no longer are an ally of the American people. They’re an ally of government. And of course, you have two power centers: the press and the government allied against the American people.” He predicts that the result of this phenomenon nearly 250 years after our founding is that traditional media will be eliminated and new media will move in on their market share. “Because of that, a void has been created, and so you’ve seen the growth of alternative media…what I’m telling you is that we will see in the next four or five years, the collapse of the Washington Post, the collapse of CNN, the collapse of maybe another network,” Shirley warned. Traditional news media has had a tough time coping with Trump’s barrage of actions from the Oval Office and are worried there’s no one to stop him. On the Politics War Room podcast, veteran democrat consultant James Carville mocked liberal talking heads who after their election loss in November, expressed optimism that there would be road blocks along the way. Carville teared into them saying, “they didn’t come, they’re not there, OK? Let’s just get over it. They’re not coming. The cavalry is not coming, the courts are not coming, nothing.” It’s not just the media that has lost its way. According to Shirley, historians no longer adhere to the core values of chronicling events honestly through a neutral prism. “You know that there are liberal historians. Some of them used to be friends of mine, but they really turned south over the first election of Donald Trump, and they really, let’s face it, they lost their minds,” he said. “There’s no talking to them. So the conservative historians, the common sense historians, are few and far between, but they [liberals] still control a lot of the institutions of universities and presidential libraries, things like that. So conservative historians are kind of