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Hegesth confirmed as defense secretary, Vance casts tie-breaking vote
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President Donald Trump visited wildfire-ravaged California and hurricane-hit North Carolina, using the first trip of his presidency to tour areas where politics has clouded the response to deadly disasters. In Los Angeles, he was greeted by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom on the tarmac. Earlier in the day, he described FEMA as “a very big disappointment” while in North Carolina.
Meanwhile, the Senate confirmed Pete Hegseth as the nation’s defense secretary in a dramatic late-night vote. Vice President JD Vance was on hand to cast a tiebreaking vote, unusual in the Senate for Cabinet nominees, who typically win wider support.
What the Trump administration has done today:
- Proposed axing FEMA: The president said he was considering “getting rid of” the Federal Emergency Management Agency as he arrived in North Carolina, a state in its fourth month of recovery from Hurricane Helene.
- Expanded fast-track deportations: The administration announced it would allow immigration officers to deport migrants without appearing before a judge, which critics say is prone to mistakes.
- Ended Fauci’s security detail: The infectious disease expert is the latest in a string of former Trump aides-turned-critics to see their federal protection canceled despite ongoing threats to their lives.
- Froze new funding for foreign aid: The sweeping order applies to almost all U.S. assistance, making exceptions to allow humanitarian food programs and military aid to Israel and Egypt to continue.
- Scrapped a rule on menthol cigarettes: Trump’s administration has withdrawn a federal rule which would have phased out the cigarettes that are disproportionately used by young and minority smokers.
▶ Read the AP’s list of executive actions Trump took in the first few days of his presidency.
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