Trump rolls out death penalty laws in first slew of executive orders: Live

Donald Trump signed a sweeping executive order on the death penalty on Monday, hours after being sworn in as the 47th President of the United States, that directs the US attorney general to “take all necessary and lawful action” to ensure that states have enough lethal injection drugs to carry out executions.

Trump’s order compels the Justice Department to not only seek the death penalty in appropriate federal cases but also to help preserve capital punishment in states that have struggled to maintain adequate supplies of lethal injection drugs.

Trump had been expected to restart federal executions, which have been on hold since a moratorium was imposed by former attorney general Merrick Garland in 2021.

Only three defendants remain on federal death row after Democratic President Joe Biden recently converted 37 of their sentences to life in prison.

Trump directed his new attorney general – likely to be former Florida attorney general Pam Bondi, assuming she is confirmed by the Senate – to pursue federal jurisdiction and seek the death penalty “regardless of other factors” when the case involves the killing of a law enforcement officer or capital crimes “committed by an alien illegally present in this country.”

He’s also instructing the attorney general to seek to overrule Supreme Court precedents that “limit the authority of State and Federal governments to impose capital punishment.”

“The government’s most solemn responsibility is to protect its citizens from abhorrent acts, and my administration will not tolerate efforts to stymie and eviscerate the laws that authorize capital punishment against those who commit horrible acts of violence against American citizens,” Trump’s order said.

Trump’s administration carried out 13 federal executions during his first term, more than under any president in modern history, and the president has spoken frequently of expanding executions. In a speech announcing his 2024 campaign, Trump called for those “caught selling drugs to receive the death penalty for their heinous acts.”

He later promised to execute drug and human smugglers and even praised China’s harsher treatment of drug peddlers.

Tesla CEO and “first buddy” Elon Musk was hit with a wave of immediate outrage online and on cable news after he made a salute that many felt was fascist during his speech at the Capitol One Arena on Monday to celebrate President Donald Trump’s inauguration.

While getting extremely excited about the prospect of landing a man on Mars and planting an American flag, the X (formelyTwitter) owner pounded his chest and shot his right arm in an angular motion toward the sky, saying he felt it in his “heart.” He also turned his back to the audience and repeated the gesture towards the American flag hanging over the stage.

“Standing ovation for Elon Musk. By far the biggest reception of the day,” CNN anchor Erin Burnett noted. “You saw him come out with that odd-looking salute.”

Justin Baragona has the story.

Welcome to the second Donald Trump era in Washington, although in practice, the first never really ended.

A majority of Republicans in the House Representatives voted to overturn the 2020 election results. Much of the party referred to him as “President Trump,” even after he left D.C.

Now back as president, Trump delivered a dark and heavily partisan inaugural address Monday. He used it to rehash plenty of his old scores, from arguing that he had been politically persecuted to promising that “the violent and unfair weaponization of the Justice Department and our government will end.”

Eric Garcia has the story.

One day after the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas officially began, some of the families of Israeli hostages, and at least one former hostage, joined Donald Trump on stage at his inauguration event — moments later, he discussed the January 6 “hostages.”

Steve Witkoff, Trump’s Middle East envoy, announced that some family members and released hostages were in attendance at the Capitol One Arena event hours after Trump was sworn in.

As crowds in the arena applauded, the hostages’ family members stood in a line wearing yellow scarves and holding photos of their family members kidnapped by Hamas on October 7, 2023.

Enrique Tarrio, the now-former leader of the neo-fascist Proud Boys gang convicted on treason-related charges after fuelling a mob on January 6, is set to be released from federal prison following Donald Trump’s expected clemency order.

Tarrio, who was sentenced to 22 years in prison, was among four members of the group convicted of seditious conspiracy and other crimes following a four-month trial.

More than 1,500 people have been criminally charged in connection with a mob’s assault on the Capitol, fuelled by Trump’s bogus narrative that the 2020 presidential election was rigged and stolen from him.

Trump issued “full pardons” for virtually all of them on January 20, and commuted the sentences of 14 convicted members of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers to time served. Pending cases were dismissed.

“These are the hostages,” he said as he signed a series of orders from the Oval Office.

“We hope they come out tonight, frankly.” he said. “These people have been destroyed. What they’ve done to these people is outrageous. There’s rarely been anything like in the history of our country.”

Alex Woodward has the story.

Shortly after being inaugurated on Monday, Donald Trump signed an executive order initiating a U.S. withdrawal from the World Health Organization, the United Nations global health body that monitors pandemics and supports vaccinations efforts around the world.

“World Health ripped us off,” Trump said in the Oval Office as he signed.

Monday’s action starts a one-year countdown clock until the final exit, as WHO members are required to give one year’s notice and fulfill existing funding obligations before leaving the group.

Josh Marcus has the story.

Social media users were quick to poke fun at the noticeably different “energy” brought by Barron Trump and “First Buddy” Elon Musk at Monday’s inauguration.

In a clip shared widely both men are seen rising to their feet as part of a standing ovation for the 47th president. The camera then showed a close-up in which Musk grins and laughs, giving a goofy thumbs up to the camera.

Barron, on the other hand, who is standing next to the tech billionaire, stares around with a mostly blank and disinterested expression.

Mike Bedigan has the story.