Posts on Tuesday, January 21, 2025

Two brothers convicted in connection to the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol attack became the first of the rioters to be freed late Monday after President Trump issued Day 1 pardons to hundreds of the participants. Andrew and Matthew Valentin, from Stroudsburg, Pa., were released from the Central Detention Facility in Washington, DC just before midnight, Trump administration officials announced outside the jail — adding that Elon Musk was “the mastermind” behind their sudden freedom. “The first two January 6 defendants have been released. This is a few hours after President Trump signed his historic pardon,” the White House liaison to the Justice Department Paul Ingrassia told reporters,

Breathtaking: There's no other word for the sheer ambition and scope of Donald Trump's second inaugural address. President Trump is back with all the confidence of a man delivered from death for a purpose. Voters save his political life and legacy, too, by reelecting him in the face of every accusation and criminal charge against him. Trump has been given a second chance -- by God and the country alike -- and his address left no doubt he intends to use it to transform America. "The future is ours, and our golden age has just begun," he promised. Other presidents have struck optimistic notes,

Former U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) slammed freshly sworn-in President Donald Trump’s remarks from his inauguration ceremony, calling him a “liar” for calling out the House Select Committee on January 6 and former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D), right after she received a preemptive pardon from outgoing President Joe Biden. During his speech in front of dignitaries and family members in the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol, Trump lamented how he offered Pelosi “10,000 soldiers” to mitigate the risk of unrest on January 6, 2021, “but she rebuffed them”: (X Video)

I’ve never really been in favor of the idea of endless investigations into people just because they are your political opponent. I didn’t like it when Democrats did it to Donald Trump, and I wasn’t keen on the idea of Republicans doing it to Democrats. But notice how that sentence is in the past tense. Screw those people, unleash the hounds. I have known Joe Biden was a vindictive, corrupt little man. On his last day in office he showed just how far down the toilet he now lives. My former boss, the late Montana Senator Conrad Burns,

President Donald Trump slammed former President Joe Biden for pardoning members of the Biden family business during his inaugural address. Joe Biden pardoned James Biden, Sara Jones Biden, Valerie Biden Owens, John Owens, and Francis Biden just before noon Monday. Breitbart News has previously reported on their participation in the family business.“Did you know that Biden, while I was making my speech, pardoned his whole family?” Trump asked the crowd at Capitol One Arena in Washington, DC. The crowd replied by booing the family that made millions while Joe Biden was an elected official. Republicans say the family members only made millions due to peddling influence to the elected official.

Former President Joe Biden, just hours before he left office, issued a flurry of preemptive pardons for his political allies — including retired Gen. Mark Milley, Dr. Anthony Fauci, and members of the J6 Committee — but skipped one for Ukraine impeachment hoaxer Alexander Vindman. Vindman’s wife, Rachel Vindman, took to Bluesky to whine about being left off the pardon list. “Whatever happens to my family, know this: No pardons were offered or discussed. I cannot begin to describe the level of betrayal and hurt I feel,” she posted.

Nearly 1,660 Afghans cleared by the U.S. government to resettle in the U.S., including family members of active-duty U.S. military personnel, are having their flights canceled under President Donald Trump's order suspending U.S. refugee programs, a U.S. official and a leading refugee resettlement advocate said on Monday. [SNIP] Nearly 200,000 Afghans have been brought to the U.S. by former President Joe Biden's administration since the chaotic U.S. troop withdrawal from Kabul.

In a surprising move, just minutes before President Donald Trump was officially sworn in for his second term, FBI Director Paul Abbate announced his retirement. The timing of his departure, coinciding with the beginning of a new administration, raised eyebrows, particularly given the ongoing scrutiny surrounding the FBI’s actions during the last eight years. Abbate, who had served as deputy director before taking the helm, left behind a bureau at the center of political controversy, leaving many to wonder about the potential implications for the agency under the incoming administration.

President Trump entered the Commander-in-Chief ball with first lady Melania Trump to a thunderous ovation as the inaugural events continued late into the night on Monday. The 54-year-old first lady dazzled the crowd as she walked out in a striking black-and-white strapless gown, white high-heeled shoes and black choker with an elegant broach resembling a floral bouquet affixed to it. (Photo) The dress was reportedly designed by Hervé Pierre, the same couturier behind Melania’s 2017 Inauguration ball dress. Trump, wearing a black tuxedo and bow tie, promptly began dancing with his wife at the event aimed at military service members.

The commander of the U.S. Coast Guard was fired, citing border, recruiting concerns and “eroded trust,” a senior Department of Homeland Security official confirmed to Fox News. Adm. Linda Lee Fagan was fired by Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Benjamin Huffman, officials said. Mr. Fagan has demonstrated poor leadership, operational failures, and an inability to advance the Coast Guard's strategic objectives. These include failures to address border security threats, poor leadership in recruitment and retention, mismanagement of key acquisitions such as icebreakers and helicopters, and commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion. These include excessive focus and a “loss of trust” in mismanagement and compensation.

Demonstrators rally outside the Central Detention Facility, also known as the D.C. Jail, after President Donald Trump pardoned and commuted thousands sentences of of participants in the January 6 Capitol riot. Trump pardoned or commuted the sentences of around 1,500 protesters involved in the January 6 riot after referring to them as “hostages” and “political prisoners” at times on Inauguration Day. Former President Joe Biden announced preemptive pardons for Anthony Fauci, Gen. Mark Milley, and members of the January 6 committee on Monday as one of his last acts, as well as blanket pardons for multiple members of his own family.

As the Gateway Pundit reported earlier today, Joe Biden issued a number of questionable preemptive pardons on his way out the door to members of his family as well as Tony Fauci, General Mark Milley, and the entire J6 Select Committee. The stench of corruption on display here is so obvious that even some major Democrat figures are speaking out. Mark Penn is a former Clinton pollster and he published a lengthy screed on Twitter/X, absolutely slamming Joe Biden for doing this. Penn’s tweet reads: The last straw Last minute pardons for Biden’s political accomplices were the plan all along.

Soon after Trump won the 2024 election, Joe Biden started going on a clemency blitz, granting a full and unconditional pardon for his son Hunter, and then issuing blanket pardons for thousands of other criminals, commuting the death sentences of death row inmates, and then, on his last day in office, issuing preemptive pardons to his political allies and then -- finally, with mere minutes left in his presidency -- members of his family. Biden issued a “full and unconditional pardon” to his brother, James B. Biden, his sister-in-law, Sara Jones Biden, his sister, Valerie Biden Owens, and her husband, John T. Owens.

What a day it has been, fellow patriots. Donald Trump is the 47th president of the United States. (X) He issued a slew of executive orders to undo the damage done by Joe Biden over the last four years, declaring the southern border situation a national emergency, nuked wasteful federal DEI programs, and withdrew again from the Paris Climate Treaty. (X Video) It’s just the beginning of how this administration will set us back on track, back to greatness and national revival. Yet, after the ceremonies, Trump attended the various balls last evening,

Donald Trump issued two executive orders launching investigations into Joe Biden's White House over institutional censorship and weaponization of law enforcement. The president signed at least 78 bills on Monday overturning various declarations and orders given out by his predecessor. Trump ordered that no federal officer, employee or agent may unconstitutionally abridge the free speech of any American citizen, an early step toward his campaign promise to dismantle what he called government 'censorship' of U.S. citizens. The president´s executive order, issued just hours after he was sworn in to a second term.

John F. Kennedy’s grandson, Jack Schlossberg, questioned whether Vice President JD Vance’s wife, Usha Vance, was “hotter” than his grandmother Jackie Kennedy. “True or false: Usha Vance is way hotter than Jackie O?” the political correspondent asked his followers via X during President Trump’s inauguration ceremony Monday. One user responded to Schlossberg, arguing that Usha was “a little hotter than Jackie,” writing, “I think we can both agree that they are two *very* foxy ladies, am I right Jack, my man???”

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) late Monday launched a suit challenging an executive order from President Trump seeking to end birthright citizenship for children born in the U.S. to parents who are not lawfully present. It’s an order that contradicts the Constitution, which bestows citizenship on anyone born in the United State regardless of the status of their parents. “Denying citizenship to U.S.-born children is not only unconstitutional — it’s also a reckless and ruthless repudiation of American values. Birthright citizenship is part of what makes the United States the strong and dynamic nation that it is.

It’s often said that you can tell a lot about parents based on how their children act. If that axiom is indeed true, that reflects rather warmly on the former-and-current first family. Viral video caught the athletic Barron Trump — the youngest son of President Donald Trump — demonstrating some maturity beyond his years at his father’s Monday inauguration.[snip] In the short clip, you can see Barron Trump respectfully shaking the hands of outgoing President Joe Biden and outgoing Vice President Kamala Harris.[snip] The response to the young Trump’s classy move received rave reviews.

Hours after President Trump was sworn into office, a Border Patrol agent in Vermont was shot during a traffic stop Monday afternoon. NewsNation reporter Ali Bradley reported the agent was shot and killed by a suspected illegal alien, Fox News also reported the agent was killed. In his inaugural address, Trump made a priority to secure the border and crack down on illegal immigration. In November after winning the presidential election, Trump threatened Canada and Mexico with tariffs if they did not act on the border and drug trafficking. Vermont State Police issued a press release that did not provide many details:

President Donald Trump and Melania Trump sent the crowd into a tizzy when they finally showed up at the Commander in Chief inaugural ball Monday night.[Snip]The first lady debuted a white and black leggy dress, which was custom-made by Hervé Pierre, the same designer who crafted her 2017 inaugural gown.[Snip]The 47th president and Melania Trump were played onto the ornate stage at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center by the Marine Band, right before 10:30 p.m., several hours after they were initially expected to arrive.[Snip]The Trumps then headed to the Liberty Ball and then the Starlight Ball before official inauguration programming ends for the day.