President Donald Trump notched two victories on Thursday as he pushed to get his top officials in place, but he also faced new legal challenges for one of his signature first acts in office.
A federal judge temporarily blocked the president’s effort to end birthright citizenship, calling it “blatantly unconstitutional” after multiple states tried to stop it in court.
On Capitol Hill, though, Trump scored a pair of significant wins. The Senate confirmed his pick to lead the CIA, John Ratcliffe, in a bipartisan vote. Trump’s nominee to lead the Defense Department, Pete Hegseth, also passed a key test in the Senate, even though two Republicans voted against his nomination.
Meanwhile, Trump took steps toward fully releasing government documents related to the assassinations of former President John F. Kennedy, his brother Robert F. Kennedy and civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr.
Trump also addressed the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, telling business and political leaders from around the world that he would demand interest rates be lowered immediately, and that other countries should follow his lead.
Here’s a recap of the day’s news from the USA TODAY Network:
The FBI said in a statement Thursday evening that it is working to identify records related to the assassinations of former President John F. Kennedy, his brother Robert F. Kennedy, and civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
President Donald Trump issued an executive order on Thursday requiring the intelligence and Justice Department leaders to present him with a plan for the “the full and complete release of records” on the assassinations. The attorney general leads the Justice Department, which includes the FBI.
The plan for John F. Kennedy’s records release needs to be at the president’s desk within 15 days. The plan for releasing Robert F. Kennedy and King’s records can be submitted anytime within 45 days, after intelligence and justice officials have been able to review what they have.
The murder of John F. Kennedy in particular has spurred speculation and conspiracy theories for decades. A 1992 law required a full release of records by late October 2017 unless the president certified that disclosure would be too harmful to certain government interests. Trump in his first term and former President Joe Biden both issued certifications that blocked or delayed release of some records.
– Aysha Bagchi
Americans may finally get a look at what’s inside classified government documents on the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr.
President Trump signed an executive order Thursday requiring the full release of government documents related to the assassinations of the former president, his brother (killed when he himself was a presidential candidate) and the civil rights icon.
There has been intense speculation about what the government knows about the assassinations. Trump’s order requires the director of national intelligence and attorney general to work with White House officials on a plan to release the JFK records and present them to Trump within 15 days. A plan for releasing the other records must be presented to Trump within 45 days.
“Everything will be revealed,” Trump said.
–Zac Anderson
It was another day of action on Capitol Hill for President Trump’s cabinet nominees.
The Senate confirmed John Ratcliffe to serve as the next director of the Central Intelligence Agency in a 74-25 bipartisan vote. Ratcliffe previously served as Director of National Intelligence during Trump’s first administration.
He is the second member of Trump’s Cabinet to be confirmed, after Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs voted former NFL football player Scott Turner out of committee 13-11 along party lines. He is nominated to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Democrats raised concerns over a FBI background check on Turner had not yet been completed.
The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee voted to advance two of Trump’s picks Thursday: North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, who is tapped to lead the Interior Department, and oil executive Chris Wright, who is nominated to lead the Department of Energy. The panel voted 18-2 for Burgum and 15-5 for Wright.
Former Rep. Doug Collins, Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs, was voted out of committee 18-1.
The Senate Intelligence Committee decided to hold a hearing for former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, Trump’s nominee to be Director of National Intelligence, on Jan. 30.
Gabbard is one of Trump’s more controversial nominees, as some GOP lawmakers remain concerned about her lack of intelligence experience and her 2017 visit to meet then-Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
The Senate Agriculture Committee also held a hearing to consider Brooke Rollins for Agriculture Secretary.
– Riley Beggin
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, announced on X that she would not support Pete Hegseth, Trump’s nominee to serve as secretary of defense.
“While I appreciate his courageous military service and his ongoing commitment to our servicemembers and their families, I am concerned that he does not have the experience and perspective necessary to succeed in the job,” she wrote.
She added that she is “not convinced that his position on women serving in combat roles has changed,” despite him repeatedly claiming during his confirmation hearing that he has changed his position.
Collins is the second Republican on Thursday to announce her opposition to Hegseth, who the Senate just voted to advance 51-49.
The full chamber is expected to vote on his candidacy Friday night. He can lose only one more Republican and still be confirmed.−Riley Beggin
Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Defense Department, faces a key vote on Thursday.
It’s a procedural requirement and not his final confirmation vote, but it’ll reveal whether any Republican senators are refusing to support him in the face of accusations of sexual assault and excessive drinking.
If more than three Republicans vote against him, his nomination would fail.
– Marina Pitofsky and Riley Beggin
The Senate easily confirmed CIA Director John Ratcliffe with a bipartisan 74-25 vote Thursday afternoon, making him the second of Trump’s cabinet picks to clear the chamber after Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Ratcliffe previously served as the director of national intelligence during the first Trump administration.
– Riley Beggin
A federal judge in Seattle on Thursday blocked President Donald Trump’s administration from implementing an executive order curtailing the right to automatic birthright citizenship in the United States, calling it “blatantly unconstitutional.”U.S. District Judge John Coughenour, at the urging of four Democratic-led states, issued a temporary restraining order preventing the administration from enforcing the order, which the Republican president signed on Monday during his first day on office.
The order has already become the subject of five lawsuits by civil rights groups and Democratic attorneys general from 22 states, who call it a flagrant violation of the U.S. Constitution.
– Reuters
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, announced in a post on X that she would not vote to support Pete Hegseth, Trump’s nominee to serve as Defense Secretary.“I believe that character is the defining trait required of the Secretary of Defense, and must be prioritized without compromise,” she wrote. “Mr. Hegseth’s nomination to the role poses significant concerns that I cannot overlook.”Murkowski is one of just a handful of Republican senators who have publicly expressed doubts they could support the nominee, who has been accused of sexual assault, domestic abuse, and alcohol abuse.If more than three Republicans vote against him, his nomination would fail.– Riley Beggin
Donald Trump said on Thursday that the “Golden Age” of America had begun and that it was “back and open for business” while addressing business and political leaders gathered at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland.
Trump, who joined the gathering via video from the White House, talked about declaring a national energy emergency as one of his first acts as president “to unlock the liquid gold under our feet and pave the way for rapid approvals of new energy infrastructure.”
“The United States has the largest amount of oil and gas of any country on Earth, and we’re going to use it,” he said.
He also said he was going to ask Saudi Arabia and OPEC to bring down the cost of oil.
– Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy
Several of Trump’s Cabinet picks moved one step closer to confirmation Thursday morning.
The Senate Banking Committee voted along party lines to approve Scott Turner’s nomination for Housing and Urban Development secretary. He previously served as the executive director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council during Trump’s first term. He also played nine seasons in the NFL.
Doug Collins, a former GOP lawmaker and Trump’s pick to run the Department of Veterans Affairs, picked up nearly full support in the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee. The panel voted 15-1, with Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, the only member not backing him.
It wasn’t immediately clear when the full Senate would hold a final confirmation vote on the two Trump Cabinet picks.
– Marina Pitofsky
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., one of Trump’s most controversial nominees, will face questions from senators beginning on Jan. 29.
Expect the confirmation hearing to get heated. Lawmakers on the Senate’s Finance and Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committees are set to press the potential Health and Human Services secretary on his history of promoting vaccine skepticism and spreading conspiracy theories.
It wasn’t immediately clear when senators would vote on RFK Jr.’s nomination.
– Marina Pitofsky
President Donald Trump will virtually address the World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday morning. In the early afternoon, he will also receive an intelligence briefing, according to a schedule shared with reporters by the White House.
Then, he’ll sign additional executive orders in the Oval Office and have a call with El Salvador President Nayib Bukele.
In the afternoon, Trump will also record a video message and swear in senior members of his staff.
– Francesca Chambers
The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee gave its seal of approval on Thursday to Trump’s Energy Department nominee, Chris Wright. The committee voted 15-5 to send Wright’s nomination to the Senate floor for a final vote, with Sens. Angus King, I-Maine, John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., and Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., joining Republicans to back him.
It’s not clear when Wright, an oil industry CEO, will receive a vote among the full Senate.
– Marina Pitofsky
Doug Burgum, a former North Dakota governor who became one of Trump’s most vocal supporters on the 2024 campaign trail, looks like he’s on his way to becoming the nation’s interior secretary.
The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee voted 18-2 to approve his nomination. Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, were the only senators to reject Trump’s interior department pick.
Now, the Senate as a whole will take up Burgum’s nomination. If confirmed, he would play a major role in some of Trump’s top priorities: increasing American energy production and cutting regulations for the energy sector.
– Marina Pitofsky
Lee Zeldin, a former GOP lawmaker and Trump’s pick to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, cleared an important hurdle Thursday morning. The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee approved his nomination and sent it to the entire Senate for a final vote.
Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., was the only Democrat to join Republican committee members in backing Zeldin. If confirmed, Zeldin will prioritize sweeping deregulation for the fossil fuel industry, likely sparking immediate challenges from environmental groups.
– Marina Pitofsky
Asked about what it felt like returning to the Oval Office, the president said it will be “a lot of work” reversing his Democratic rival’s tenure and that many things should not have happened during the Biden years.
“We wouldn’t have inflation, we wouldn’t have had the Afghanistan disaster, we wouldn’t have Oct. 7 in Israel where so many people were killed, and you wouldn’t have a Ukraine war going on,” Trump said.
Trump promised at his inaugural address that “national unity” would return. But much of this week has seen the returning president continue to pummel out-of-power foes. He called former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney, of Wyoming, a “crying lunatic.”
– Phillip M. Bailey and Francesca Chambers
Donald Trump issued an executive order Monday that will end automatic citizenship for children whose parents are foreign nationals, whether they’re here legally or not.
On Tuesday, a coalition of 18 states sued Trump and federal agencies in U.S. District Court in Massachussetts, claiming the order violates the Constitution. The ACLU filed a separate legal challenge in New Hampshire on behalf of immigrant advocacy organizations on similar grounds.
It would, they said, upend a foundational aspect of the United States: that anyone born here is from here.
The executive order, called “Protecting the Value and Meaning of American Citizenship,” would prevent federal agencies from issuing Social Security cards, passports or welfare benefits to U.S.-born children in a sweeping reinterpretation of the 14th Amendment, which guarantees citizenship to anyone born in the United States.
−Lauren Villagran
Donald Trump started issued a deluge of executive orders and directives just hours after taking office.
Using a Sharpie pen, Trump signed a hefty stack of executive orders, many that he had long vowed to implement, like declaring a state of emergency at the southern border and pardoning around 1,500 people charged in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
But what is an executive order? It’s a signed directive by a U.S. president on how he wants the federal government to operate.
Using the force of the law, these orders range from federal employee holidays to major policy plans. A president may use an executive order to establish a new commission or an administration-wide policy.
−Anthony Robledo and Cybele Mayes-Osterman
