President Trump on Tuesday revoked a decades-old executive order that strengthened protections against workplace discrimination.

Why it matters: Trump's desire to dismantle diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in the federal government's employment practices could set the tone for private companies nationwide to do the same.

• Trump's executive order targeting DEI practices undid a whole host of previous orders that sought to prohibit discrimination in the workplace. Among the landmark pieces of legislation were anti-discrimination rules enacted by President Lyndon Johnson in the Civil Rights era.

What is the Equal Employment Opportunity Act?

Signed by Johnson in 1965, Executive Order 11246, mandated government contractors to give equal opportunity to people of color and women in recruitment, hiring, training and other employment practices.

• It prohibited employment discrimination and called on federal contractors to take affirmative action to ensure employees are treated equally, "without regard to their race, creed, color, or national origin."
• Johnson signed the act just a year after signing the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
• Congress later expanded on the executive order in the Equal Opportunity Employment Act of 1972, increasing the number of employees covered by the workplace protections and requiring state and local governments to follow the rules outlined.

What does Trump's executive order say?

Trump's expansive executive order states that "Executive Order 11246 of September 24, 1965 ... is hereby revoked."

• The executive order claims that both the private and public sectors "have adopted and actively use dangerous, demeaning, and immoral race- and sex-based preferences," and that these DEI practices "can violate the civil-rights laws of this Nation."
• It noted that federal contractors could continue complying with the act for the next 90 days.

Caveat: Trump's executive order targets the Department of Labor's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), which enforces Executive Order 11246.

• It orders the OFCCP to "immediately cease" promoting diversity, holding federal contractors and subcontractors responsible for affirmative action practices, and "allowing or encouraging" those same entities "to engage in workforce balancing" on the basis of race, sex, sexual orientation, religion and nation of origin.

What's been the response?

Trump's executive order has already sparked outcry from civil rights leaders and advocacy groups.

• "Diversity, equity, and inclusion are aligned with American values," National Urban League president Marc H. Morial told Axios. "They are about uniting us, not dividing us. Efforts to paint DEI as a preference program are nothing more than campaigns of smear and distortion."
• Judy Conti, government affairs director of the National Employment Law Project, slammed Trump's executive order in a statement Wednesday.
• "This is not a return to so-called 'meritocracy.' Rather, it's an attempted return to the days when people of color, women, and other marginalized people lacked the tools to ensure that they were evaluated on their merits," Conti said.

Go deeper:

• Trump rolls back bedrock civil rights measure in sweeping anti-DEI push
• Trump's diversity rollback sparks civil rights outcry

Editor's note: This story has been corrected to say that Johnson's executive order was revoked by Trump, not the Equal Opportunity Employment Act signed by Congress.

Elon Musk, the world's richest man, standing behind a podium bearing the Seal of the President of the United States, on Monday twice gave what scholars, journalists and rights groups said was a Hitlergruß, or Nazi salute.

• It doesn't seem to have done him (or his company Tesla) any visible harm.

Why it matters: Musk shrugged off accusations of Nazi symbolism as "dirty tricks," laughingly thanking the Anti Defamation League after they said it was merely "an awkward gesture."

• His reaction only served to further inflame much of the glee with which the sign was received within the far right.

Context: Musk has been making inroads into the far right for some time, endorsing the hard-right AfD in Germany, failing to stop the posting or amplification of pro-Nazi content on his social media site X, and responding to an antisemitic post on X as "the actual truth."

• Musk apologized, saying "it might be literally the worst and dumbest post I've ever done," and went on an apology tour to Auschwitz.

Follow the money: Financial markets have been bidding up Tesla stock as Musk has cemented his bonds to President Trump.

• On Tuesday, Tesla shares closed largely unchanged from their previous levels, indicating that in the eyes of the market, Musk did no harm to his position.
• The stock is up 65% since Trump's election, far outpacing peers and the market.

Between the lines: Steve Bannon, a self-appointed avatar of alt-right America, has called Musk "evil" and wants him removed from the White House.

• Musk's body language (regardless of his intent), insofar as it gains him the support of Bannon's base, will help neutralize that threat.

The bottom line: Musk seems to have roughly the same degree of control over his right arm as Dr. Strangelove.

• He also seems be just as central to the inner workings of the U.S. government.

President Trump's order to revoke what he calls the "EV mandate" gives automakers a welcome reprieve from regulatory hurdles — but could make it harder for them to compete on a global scale with Chinese rivals.

Why it matters: The rise of lower-cost Chinese manufacturers is an existential threat to U.S. car companies that are already in the midst of a once-in-a-century transformation.

• Trump's policies, while meant to help the domestic industry, could leave it fighting China globally with one hand behind its back.

Driving the news: Just hours after taking office Monday, Trump signed a broad energy-focused directive that includes a plan to "eliminate the electric vehicle (EV) mandate" — ostensibly to give consumers more choices.

• Trump revoked a 2021 executive order from President Biden that aimed to make 50% of new vehicle sales electric or plug-in hybrid by 2030.
• He also halted distribution of unspent government funds for EV charging stations and said the U.S. would terminate the EPA waiver that allows California and 11 other blue states to phase out gas-powered cars by 2035.
• Not specifically mentioned, but also likely to end: $7,500 tax credits for EV buyers and sharply stricter rules on tailpipe emissions that would necessitate more EVs starting in 2027.

What they're saying: Industry leaders loved Trump's unwinding of prescriptive policies that they say distort the U.S. market.

• "Artificial government mandates and subsidies are not working," Toyota told Axios in a statement.
• John Bozzella, president and CEO of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, cited a mismatch between EV demand and sales targets built into current regulations.
• "There's a saying in the auto business: You can't get ahead of the customer," he said.

Between the lines: Automakers aren't thrilled if EV tax breaks go away, but the impact is small since only about 15 models qualify.

• They're more worried about defending the far richer production tax credits for EV and battery manufacturing in the U.S., which are worth billions of dollars and critical to making EVs profitably.
• They're waiting to see if Trump's administration rewrites the tax credits' guidance or otherwise makes the credits difficult to access.
• "Many of our plants in the Midwest that have converted to EVs depend on the production credit," Ford CEO Jim Farley told reporters at the recent Detroit auto show. "We would have built those factories in other places, but we didn't ... It changed the math for a lot of investments."

Zoom out: Regardless of what happens with U.S. policy, however, the auto industry is a global one.

• EVs are coming — much sooner in other parts of the world.
• If the U.S. wants to be a global leader, automakers must somehow match their lower-cost Chinese competitors, whose head-snapping growth is already upending the industry.

The big picture: About half of cars sold in China are electric or plug-in hybrids.

• Carmakers in China are heavily supported by government subsidies and most of the EV battery supply chain is based there.
• That gives companies like BYD, Geely and SAIC huge cost advantages that they've leveraged through global exports.
• Chinese cars aren't sold in the U.S., and a newly enacted ban on software from China will likely keep it that way.
• But Chinese brands are rapidly expanding across Southeast Asia, Africa, Latin America, the Middle East and Europe. Even in Mexico, one in five cars is now made in China.

State of play: For the rest of the industry, that's going to require further belt-tightening, more innovation and increased collaboration to help shoulder the investment burden of new technologies.

• Ford has a "skunkworks" project under way in California to develop a new low-cost EV platform. The first model, a medium-sized pickup truck, will debut in 2027.
• General Motors is building a vertical EV supply chain to lower costs and control risks, and is also partnering with Hyundai for better global purchasing clout.
• Alliances are popping up everywhere: including Volkswagen's investment in Rivian and Honda's plan to merge with Nissan and Mitsubishi.
• "One of the reasons we're so committed to making our business more efficient is because we can't count on government actions to save our business," General Motors CEO Mary Barra told me onstage at an Automotive Press Association event in December.
• And Ford's Farley told reporters: "We have to get our company fully fit to compete globally with the Chinese OEMs."

The bottom line: Taking regulatory pressure off carmakers isn't going to help that effort.

Tennessee Sen. Marsha Blackburn would the "clear frontrunner" in the 2026 GOP primary for governor if she decided to run, Donald Trump's longtime pollster tells Axios.

Why it matters: The fact that Tony Fabrizio is polling for Blackburn indicates that she's seriously thinking about leaving the U.S. Senate next year in a bid for the governor's mansion in Nashville.

• Axios first reported Blackburn's interest in switching offices earlier this month.

Zoom in: Fabrizio recently surveyed Tennessee Republicans on their early views about next year's GOP gubernatorial primary. The winner will be the odds-on favorite to win the general election in the deep-red state.

• Several other Republicans are considering a run for the office.
• In theoretical head-to-head matchups, Fabrizio said, Blackburn would have a significant advantage over U.S. Rep. John Rose.

Blackburn has a favorability rating of 82% among GOP primary voters and just 12% view her unfavorably, Fabrizio wrote in a polling memo obtained by Axios.

• Blackburn, a Trump loyalist, has an even higher job approval rating among that group: 84%.
• "This poll is evidence of Marsha Blackburn's strength in Tennessee because of her conservative record of delivering for the people ... and that if she decides to run for governor, she will win," Blackburn spokesperson Abbi Sigler said.

Note: Fabrizio, Lee & Associates conducted a statewide survey of 800 likely Republican primary voters in Tennessee from Jan. 13-16, 2025. The margin of sampling error at the 95% confidence interval is ± 3.46 percentage points.

Immigrants and advocacy groups nationwide are scrambling to prepare for the waves of raids President Trump has promised under his plan to deport millions of people unauthorized to stay in the U.S.

Why it matters: Confusion and persistent rumors about how the raids will be carried out — and what will happen to those detained by immigration agents — are leading some anxious immigrants to refuse to go to work or send their children to schools, the groups say.

• Trump's executive orders that began laying the groundwork for his mass deportations reversed several longstanding policies. Immigration officials now can raid churches, schools and hospitals to arrest undocumented immigrants.

State of play: Lawrence Benito, executive director of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, said his group received 400 calls to its hot line on Monday alone, compared to 800 calls in January before Trump's inauguration.

• The New Mexico-based immigrant rights advocacy group Somos Un Pueblo Unido said it's launching a "Know Your Rights" campaign around the state to help immigrants.
• Other groups are handing out cards to immigrants that advise them to not allow federal agents into their homes without a warrant. Some groups are preparing an army of lawyers to jump into immigration cases.

The intrigue: Denver's public schools are among several districts bracing for possible immigration raids on students. They've directed principals to lock down campuses if federal immigration agents come knocking.

• Some Chicago restaurants are keeping I-9 documents and other worker verification paperwork ready in case of visits by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, Eater reports.
• Chicago's police department said in a statement it "will not assist or intervene in civil immigration enforcement," but "as always, we will continue to enforce the law if a crime occurs."
• Police in several other cities are following similar policies.

Trump officials have designated Chicago and other Democrat-run cities as targets of the deportation plan.

• "Unfortunately, part of the goal of this administration is to try to use fear tactics [so] that people go into hiding and maybe people would be deterred and actually leave the country," Greg Chen of the American Immigration Lawyers Association told reporters Tuesday.

Zoom in: Trump advisers initially indicated that ICE would first focus on noncitizens convicted of crimes.

• But the overall plan to crack down on illegal immigration remains unclear — and scattered reports of ICE agents raiding big-city restaurants have many immigrant communities, and business owners, on edge.

Between the lines: Trump has said he favors using the military to help round up immigrants — a move that civil liberties advocates warn would be unlawful.

• The advocates have begun a series of lawsuits fighting Trump's plans, specifically against his order to end birthright citizenship.
• Officials in 22 states have gone to court to challenge Trump's push to end birthright citizenship — a right guaranteed by the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. An estimated 300,000 babies are born to undocumented parents in the U.S. each year.

Legal specialists say Trump's executive orders on immigration suggest that the president's team is better prepared for challenges to its crackdown on immigration than Trump's first administration was.

• They say several of the orders are written in a way that could insulate the administration from certain legal tactics challenging Trump's plans.
• Some orders, for example, call for a study of an issue and reports to be completed before new actions are taken. The slower approach could build a stronger legal basis for future court decisions.
• "What we're seeing with a second Trump administration is already a recognition of some of the experience of the first Trump administration," Doris Meissner of the Migration Policy Institute told reporters.
• "You can see just by the number of actions that have been prepared and signed within 24 hours how much work and effort behind the scenes has been placed on these executive orders."

The other side: Harrison Fields, White House principal deputy press secretary, tells Axios that those trying to keep undocumented immigrants in the U.S. are swimming "against the tide."

• "Radical leftists can ... reject the overwhelming will of the people, or they can get on board and work with President Trump to advance his wildly popular agenda," Fields said.
• "These lawsuits are nothing more than an extension of the left's resistance — and the Trump administration is ready to face them in court."

President Trump's threats of retribution are rapidly materializing in policies across the U.S. government, an early warning to Trump critics that bygones will not be bygones.

Why it matters: Trump is flexing his vast new powers to target what he's described as "the enemies from within" — enforcing loyalty tests, purging career officials and attempting to rewrite the history of the last eight years.

• Trump has at times downplayed his thirst for revenge — but his first moves back in office suggest resentment against Democrats, former allies, prosecutors and the media will be a driving force in his second term.
• "For those who have been wronged and betrayed, I am your retribution," the president promised supporters on the campaign trail.

Zoom in: Some of Trump's acts of vengeance this week have been petty and personal.

• On Day 1 as president, he revoked the security clearances of 51 former intelligence officials who signed a letter in 2020 saying the Hunter Biden laptop scandal carried "classic earmarks" of a Russian disinformation campaign.
• On Day 2, he publicly fired thousands of Biden presidential council appointees, including former Joints Chief of Staff chairman Gen. Mark Milley and Biden-supporting celebrity chef José Andrés.
• The Pentagon also removed a portrait of Milley — who Trump once suggested should be executed for treason — just hours after inauguration.

Other Trump moves have been far more serious.

• Within hours of taking office, Trump revoked Secret Service protection for his former national security adviser John Bolton, who has been targeted for assassination by Iran.
• He pardoned about 1,500 supporters convicted or charged in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, including hundreds who violently attacked the police officers protecting the building.
• Trump's new FCC chair plans to reinstate complaints against ABC, CBS and NBC for allegedly biased coverage, which the former Democratic chair had dismissed as a partisan attempt to "curtail freedom of the press."

The big picture: In his 2023 book, Trump's ultra loyalist nominee for FBI director, Kash Patel, compiled a list of "government gangsters" he said should be targeted for sabotaging Trump's first presidency.

• Even with Patel's confirmation in flux, there are clear indications that the second Trump administration will channel his aggressive approach to rooting out the so-called "Deep State."
• On Day 1, Trump moved to strip thousands of civil servants of their employment protections. Roughly 160 National Security Council career officials already have been sidelined amid loyalty screenings.
• At least 15 senior Justice Department officials have been removed or reassigned, including one who played a key role in the FBI's search of Mar-a-Lago in August 2022 as prosecutors sought evidence that Trump had mishandled classified documents.

Between the lines: In his final days in office, Biden pardoned Milley, Anthony Fauci, former Rep. Liz Cheney and members of his own family as a precautionary measure against the retribution Trump had telegraphed.

• Trump and his allies have harshly criticized Biden, and Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) suggested Wednesday that House Republicans may investigate the circumstances of the pardons.
• Johnson also announced a new subcommittee that would continue investigating "the false narratives peddled by" the Jan. 6 committee — a sign Trump will have allies on Capitol Hill as he pursues his revenge tour.
• "I went through four years of hell by this scum we had to deal with," Trump told Fox News' Sean Hannity when asked if the attorney general should investigate his enemies. "It's really hard to say they shouldn't have to go through it also."

The Trump administration, seeking to stamp out federal diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs, is calling on government employees to snitch on any colleagues that continue to follow such policies.

Driving the news: In a series of form letters sent to government departments Wednesday, President Trump's acting agency chiefs threatened "adverse consequences" for anyone still doing work related to DEI initiatives in defiance of a Trump executive order.

• The letters followed an order from the new administration directing agencies to close their DEI offices and place those staffers on paid leave by 5pm ET Wednesday, in advance of being laid off.

The big picture: DEI guidelines — which in one way or another have been part of the U.S. government's hiring practices for six decades to try to ensure equality and counter generations of racial bias — were targeted by Trump during the presidential campaign.

• Trump and many Republicans maintain that DEI programs lower hiring standards and promote bias against whites, among other things.

Zoom in: The snitch letters sent to employees of the departments of Homeland Security and Veterans Affairs, NASA and other agencies. The letters told employees they have 10 days to report anyone continuing to do DEI work.

• The letters asks people to consider recent "contract description or personnel position" changes that may be referring to DEI work.
• "We are aware of efforts by some in government to disguise these programs by using coded or imprecise language," the letters to DHS and VA staffers say.
• "These programs divided Americans by race, wasted taxpayer dollars, and resulted in shameful discrimination," the letters said.

Catch up quick: Besides signing an executive order rolling back DEI programs, Trump put a freeze on federal hiring and is moving to strip thousands of civil servants of their employment protections.

• The new administration also is leaning into loyalty tests. Roughly 160 National Security Council career officials have been sidelined amid loyalty screenings.

Freshman Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) will introduce his first piece of legislation on Thursday — a bill that would significantly restrict access to asylum.

Why it matters: Moreno, a Colombian immigrant, won the most expensive Senate campaign in history with a big focus on cracking down on the border.

• Some of the policies Moreno proposes in his bill mirror executive actions President Trump has already put in place, such as Remain in Mexico.

Zoom in: The bill will be titled Refugees Using Legal Entry Safely — or "RULES" — Act.

It would:

• Require asylum seekers to file their application at legal ports of entry, refusing access to those who illegally cross the border.
• Stops the release of asylum seekers into the U.S. before their cases are decided.
• Prevents someone from applying for asylum again if they have already been denied once.
• Restrict anyone who is caught by law enforcement out of legal immigration status from claiming asylum.

What he's saying: "If you want to live in this country, you have to respect our laws, and that starts at our borders," Moreno said in a statement.

• "But our broken asylum system has overwhelmed our borders with millions of migrants who enter the country illegally, claim asylum, and are just released into the county."

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and two of its chapters are suing to halt President Trump's attempt to expand "fast-track" deportations without a full hearing.

Why it matters: The lawsuit filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., is the latest of many legal challenges against the Trump administration in its first week after the president signed several executive orders on immigration.

Catch up quick: The Trump administration issued a new rule Tuesday that dramatically expands expedited removal to immigrants who cannot prove they have been continuously living in the U.S. for over two years.

• The new rule allows the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to decide expedited removals, with limited exceptions, of immigrants who can't show that proof to "the satisfaction of an immigration officer."
• "The effect of this change will be to enhance national security and public safety — while reducing government costs — by facilitating prompt immigration determinations," the Trump administration said.

Yes, but: The ACLU said in court documents that the new rule violates current federal law and the Fifth Amendment's due process clause since it nearly erases full court hearings entitled to immigrants.

• "The expansion means that low-level DHS officers can now immediately and without process subject individuals in the interior of the United States to expedited removal, without any consideration of their family ties," the ACLU alleged.
• The ACLU also said previous studies show current expedited removals are plagued with error and often result in deportations of immigrants by mistake.

Zoom in: The case was filed on behalf of Make the Road New York, an immigrant advocacy group.

• The ACLU is asking a federal judge to issue a stay against the rule and declare it unconstitutional.
• "President Trump's decision to fast-track deportations is chaotic, unfair, and inhumane," said Arthur Spitzer, senior counsel at the ACLU of the District of Columbia, in a statement.

The other side: The White House said in a statement Wednesday that Trump has the authority under the Immigration and Nationality Act "to prevent the physical entry of illegal aliens into the United States across the southern border."

• The White House said President Trump to direct the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, and the Department of State to immediately "repel, repatriate, and remove illegal aliens."
• Representatives for Trump did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment in the evening.

The bottom line: The executive orders and new rules seek to expand presidential powers by skirting existing laws, Supreme Court precedent, and even the U.S. Constitution for planned mass deportations of an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants.

• The orders and rules are expected to face numerous legal challenges, which will likely slow down the adoption of mass deportations soon.

Go deeper: Trump's immigration orders rebuked by Christian leaders

The House on Wednesday passed the Laken Riley Act, sending the immigration bill to President Trump's desk for his signature.

Why it matters: The measure, which would require the detention of undocumented immigrants arrested for some crimes, is poised to be the first bill Trump signs into law during his second term.

• The legislation is named for a 22-year-old nursing student who was killed on the University of Georgia campus. Its passage hands Trump an early win on a key campaign priority.

Driving the news: The bill passed the House 263-156, with 46 Democrats voting for it.

• 48 Democrats voted for the bill earlier this month, before the Senate added two amendments.
• Those included one from Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), requiring ICE to detain undocumented immigrants who attack law enforcement, Axios' Stephen Neukam and Stef Kight reported.
• The other, from Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), adds those who commit crimes that cause death or bodily harm.

Zoom out: The Senate passed the measure earlier this week 64-35, with 12 Democrats voting for it.

Go deeper: Laken Riley Act clears critical Senate hurdle

Editor's note: This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

President Trump plans to have a "whole big discussion very shortly" on the Federal Emergency Management Agency because he'd "rather see the states take care of their own problems," according to an interview broadcast Wednesday evening.

Why it matters: Trump has signed a multitude of executive orders since taking office again on Monday and he indicated on Fox News in his first interview since being inaugurated that he could have FEMA in his sights.

• Trump and others in the GOP have in recent months complained that FEMA's disaster response has been biased against Republicans.

Driving the news: "The FEMA is getting in the way of everything," Trump said on Fox News' "Hannity."

• "FEMA is a whole 'nother discussion because all it does is complicate everything," he told Fox News' Sean Hannity in the prerecorded interview.
• "FEMA has not done their job for the last four years."
• Trump gave the example of if Oklahoma were hit by a tornado, then the state should be allowed to respond "and then the federal government can help them out with the money."

Flashback: After Trump and others amplified claims that FEMA's response to Hurricane Helene was biased against Republicans affected by the storm in North Carolina and that money for those impacted was diverted to housing for illegal immigrants, the agency launched a fact-checking page on its storm response.

Between the lines: Trump's suggestion would require a major shakeup in emergency response, given how Congress has expanded FEMA's authority by assigning responsibilities to it, codifying it in various laws.

• But given how his administration has moved to crack down on undocumented immigrants and stamp out federal diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs during his first week back in office, such an overhaul cannot be ruled out.
• Project 2025 suggests "reforming FEMA emergency spending to shift the majority of preparedness and response costs to states and localities instead of the federal government" — though during the 2024 campaign Trump disavowed the Heritage Foundation-backed blueprint that some of his Cabinet picks have ties to.

Zoom in: FEMA employs over 20,000 people nationwide, with headquarters in D.C. and 10 regional offices, as the agency responds to disasters and other emergency situations by providing financial and on-the-ground assistance.

• It was officially created in a 1979 executive order by then-President Carter and became part of the Department of Homeland Security in 2003, according to the agency's website.
• Congress passed legislation in 2006 that established FEMA as a distinct agency within DHS following the devastating Hurricane Katrina the previous year.

Zoom out: Trump also discussed with Hannity his planned Friday visits to wildfire-hit California and North Carolina — where FEMA announced Monday it was extending its Transitional Sheltering Assistance program for two months in response to the state's request for further assistance for families displaced by Hurricane Helene.

• As Southern California faces fresh wildfire threats, Trump told Hannity "I don't think we should give California anything until they let water flow down into their system."
• Representatives for Trump did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment in the evening.

Go deeper: Florida sues FEMA for alleged Trump supporter discrimination after hurricanes

Editor's note: This article has been updated with more comment from President Trump and further context. Andrew Freedman contributed reporting.

President Trump announced on Wednesday that he is once again designating the Houthi rebels in Yemen as a terrorist organization.

Why it matters: Trump's decision reverses a decision by then-President Biden in 2021 to remove the terrorist designation from the Houthis.

• Biden had lifted the designation over concerns about the ability of the UN and other humanitarian organizations to deliver aid to civilians in Yemen.
• Trump's move is expected to be welcomed not only by Israel but also by Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
• Trump spoke on Wednesday with the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi state news agency said.
• MBS told Trump that Saudi Arabia will increase its investment in the U.S. by $600 million dollars during the next four years, the Saudi state news agency said.

Driving the news: After the Houthis attacked commercial ships in the Red Sea and fired rockets and drones at Israel last year, the Biden administration mobilized an international coalition against them.

• The U.S. and the UK conducted numerous air strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen but couldn't deter additional attacks.
• Former Biden administration officials told Axios that in his last weeks in office Biden considered re-designating the Houthis as terrorists.
• USAID had objected to the move ,claiming it will harm humanitarian aid efforts.
• After the Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal was announced earlier this week, the Houthis said they are suspending their attacks.

What they are saying: "Supported by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force, the Houthis have fired at U.S. Navy warships dozens of times since 2023, endangering American men and women in uniform," Trump's order read.

• The order stressed that the Houthis had launched attacks on civilians in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Israel and attacked commercial vessels more than 100 times, "forcing some Red Sea maritime commercial traffic to reroute, which has contributed to global inflation."

What to watch: Trump ordered Secretary of State Marco Rubio to submit a report within 30 days concerning the designation and to take action to designated them within another 15 days.

• Trump's order also said the State Department and USAID will conduct a review of all U.S. aid to Yemen and terminate every project, grant or contract that might benefit the Houthis.

President Trump's flurry of orders restricting immigration and promising mass deportations violate core Christian principles of caring for the poor and needy, religious leaders in multiple denominations said.

The big picture: Many of the policies championed by Trump during his campaign have roots in Christian nationalism that several churches reject.

• The blowback comes as the Trump administration clears the way for immigration officials to conduct raids in churches and schools, sites previously deemed off-limits.

What they're saying: Provisions within Trump's executive orders "are deeply troubling and will have negative consequences, many of which will harm the most vulnerable among us," Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said in a statement.

• He referred to orders on immigrants and refugees, foreign aid, the expansion of the death penalty and the environment.
• The Episcopal Church denounced Trump's family separation policy, and said it will "continue to provide practical pathways to protect the most vulnerable among us."
• The statement encouraged taking action to protect Dreamers, standing against mass deportation and supporting programs like Temporary Protected Status.

Zoom in: Trump attended a Tuesday church service at the National Cathedral where Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde asked the president to have mercy on immigrants and LGBTQ children.

• "The people who pick our crops and clean our office buildings, who labor in poultry farms and meatpacking plants, who wash the dishes after we eat in restaurants and work the night shifts in hospitals — they may not be citizens or have the proper documentation, but the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals."
• Trump on TruthSocial criticized Budde for bringing "her church into the world of politics in a very ungracious way."

Catch up quick: While Pope Francis congratulated Trump on his inauguration Monday, he also called his mass deportation plans "a disgrace."

Zoom out: 85% of white Evangelical Protestants, 59% of white Catholics and 57% of white non-Evangelical Protestants voted for Trump in the election, per 2024 polling from the nonpartisan Public Religion Research Institute.

• Meanwhile, 64% of Hispanic Protestants and 43% of Hispanic Catholics cast their vote for Trump.

Go deeper:

• Pope Francis congratulates Trump but calls mass deportation plan a "disgrace"
• ICE can raid churches and schools to arrest immigrants under new policy

President Trump on Wednesday tapped Sean Curran, his special agent in charge, to be the next director of the U.S. Secret Service.

Why it matters: Curran will be tasked with leading the agency Congress reported had operational failures during the first assassination attempt against Trump during the presidential campaign.

• Curran was with the now-president during a July rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where Trump was grazed in the ear by a bullet, per Reuters.

What he's saying: "Sean is a Great Patriot, who has protected my family over the past few years, and that is why I trust him to lead the Brave Men and Women of the United States Secret Service," Trump said in a Truth Social post Wednesday.

• Trump called him "a brilliant leader, who is capable of directing and leading operational security plans for some of the most complex Special Security Events in the History of our Country, and the World."
• "He proved his fearless courage when he risked his own life to help save mine from an assassin's bullet in Butler, Pennsylvania," Trump added.

Context: A congressional task force investigated the Secret Service's July and September operations and found the first assassination attempt against Trump to be preventable.

• "Secret Service personnel with little to no experience in advance planning roles were given significant responsibility," the final report said in December, despite line of sight issues and existing intelligence about a long-range threat.
• "Further, some of the Secret Service agents in significant advance planning roles did not clearly understand the delineation of their responsibilities."
• Conversely, the report said, the September attempt in West Palm Beach, Florida, "demonstrated how properly executed protective measures can foil an attempted assassination."

State of play: Ronald Rowe has served as the agency's acting director since the resignation of his predecessor, Kimberly Cheatle after the first assassination attempt.

Go deeper: "Preventable" Secret Service failures led up to Trump shooting: Senate panel report

Editor's note: This article has been updated with comment from President Trump. Sareen Habeshian contributed reporting.

President Trump's transition team is quietly confident that Pete Hegseth will survive the latest allegation against him, transition officials and senators tell Axios.

Why it matters: Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) hinted Wednesday that she might vote against Hegseth, referencing a sworn affidavit by his brother's ex-wife. Collins' comments ricocheted across the Republican Party.

• Some Republicans are privately concerned that Collins, along with Sens. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) will ultimately vote against Hegseth.
• Hegseth can still get confirmed with three GOP "no" votes, as Vice President Vance is available to break a potential 50-50 deadlock.

Zoom in: Danielle Hegseth alleged in her affidavit that Pete Hegseth's then-wife feared for her safety while married to him. Senators reviewed the affidavit yesterday. Hegseth denies the allegations.

• In her sworn statement, Danielle Hegseth stated she went public with her story to convince wavering senators to oppose his nomination.

Zoom In: The Trump transition insisted that only the chair and ranking member of the Senate Armed Services committee would have access to Hegseth's FBI file, citing the precedent of Biden's nominees.

• That means only Chair Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and ranking member Jack Reed (D-R.I.) are in a position to adjudicate if the information that Danielle Hegseth shared with the FBI during a Dec. 30 interview was included in their background check.
• She spoke again with the FBI on Jan. 18, according to her affidavit.

What they are saying: Those two senators have different views on whether the FBI report incorporates her allegations.

• Wicker told Axios the affidavit was not "inconsistent with the FBI report."
• "It's not a show-stopper," he said.
• Reed took the opposite view. "I have been concerned that the background check process has been inadequate, and this affidavit confirms that fact," he said in a statement yesterday.

The bottom line: Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), who was previously skeptical about Hegseth, was dismissive of the new allegations.

• "The (ex) wife has denied the allegations and simply wants to be left alone," Ernst told Axios. "So if she says it did not happen, the other does not carry weight."

Some Senate Republicans are zeroing in on Tulsi Gabbard's 2020 call for the U.S. to drop charges Edward Snowden, a man many of them still consider a traitor.

Why it matters: Gabbard is quickly becoming the most endangered Trump nominee.

• "There's definitely a risk that she won't even survive the committee process," one Republican senator told Axios, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
• Gabbard is Trump's nominee to be director of national intelligence.

Zoom in: Most of the concerns about Gabbard have so far been sparked by a trip she took to Syria, her references to U.S. bio labs in Ukraine and a history of questioning the findings of the U.S. intelligence community.

Now it's her stance on Snowden, a former NSA contractor who was charged in 2013 with leaking classified documents revealing global surveillance programs. He became a naturalized Russian citizen in 2022.

• As a member of Congress, Gabbard sponsored a House resolution with former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) "expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the Federal Government should drop all charges against Edward Snowden."
• Only recently has this come to the attention of Republicans sitting on the Senate Intelligence Committee — and elsewhere in the conference, multiple sources familiar told Axios.
• Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) told Axios she is concerned about the legislation, adding that "it's something that came up in my own review of [Gabbard's] record."

Between the lines: "There is not one GOP senator on record opposing Lt. Col. Gabbard's nomination," Gabbard spokesperson Alexa Henning told us in a statement.

• Henning pointed to bipartisan senators on Intel "who have shown positive support for her nomination and qualifications."

The bottom line: Even if Gabbard were to fail to get the votes necessary to be recommended by the Intel committee, there would be ways for her nomination to still be considered on the floor.

• Those processes would be more complicated — and in some cases, highly unlikely to succeed.
• Gabbard's team has already written off Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), as we told you last week.

A fresh California wildfire ignited north of Los Angeles Wednesday during "critical" fire weather and triggered evacuations as it quickly exploded in size across two counties on Wednesday — and forecasters warned conditions would worsen overnight.

The big picture: The Hughes Fire ignited north of Santa Clarita, just before 11am Wednesday local time and grew across 5,000 acres in LA and Ventura Counties in just over two hours — making it the biggest and fastest-spreading wildfire since the still-burning Eaton and Palisades Fires erupted on Jan. 7.

• The fire that's near the popular water reservoir Castaic Lake some 40 miles from those blazes had grown to an estimated 10,176 acres at 14% containment just before 10pm.
• Southern California faced more Santa Ana winds and red flag warnings were in effect through Friday morning.
• The blaze in the San Gabriel Mountains prompted authorities to close all northbound lanes on Interstate 5 from just north of State Route 126 and issue smoke, windblown dust and ash advisories Wednesday evening.

What they're saying: LA County Sheriff Robert Luna said at a Wednesday briefing that some 31,000 people were under mandatory evacuation orders and a further 23,000 were under evacuation warnings.

• "The situation remains dynamic, and the fire remains a difficult fire to contain, although we are getting the upper hand," Marrone said.

Threat level: Warm, and dry conditions were expected to continue through Thursday, per a forecast discussion from the National Weather Service's Los Angeles office.

• "While the risk of wildfire spread will be high throughout the period, conditions will be increasingly dangerous tonight into Thursday when wind speeds of 30-50 mph and gusts approaching 70 mph are possible," the NWS' Storm Prediction Center said on X.
• "New or existing fires may grow rapidly with extreme fire behavior," the NWS warned on its website.
• UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain said during a Wednesday briefing the region was facing a "potentially record warm, dry and windy" period ahead of forecast rain over the weekend, "so that's one reason why the current fire is major concern."

Zoom out: Firefighters continued to make progress in the destructive and deadly Palisades and Eaton fires in Los Angeles County despite the challenging conditions.

• The Palisades Fire was burning across 23,448 acres at 70% containment on Wednesday night.
• The Eaton Fire was over 14,021 acres and was 95% contained.

Between the lines: This extreme weather event is partly related to the Arctic blast that's impacting most of the Lower 48 states, with cold air surging into the Great Basin helping to fuel dry, offshore winds across Southern California.

• The region is suffering from hydroclimate whiplash worsened by human-caused climate change, having seen two wet winters followed by a bone-dry, unusually hot spring, summer and fall.
• Many parts of Southern California have had their driest start to the wet season on record. Only 0.16 inches of rain has fallen in LA since May 6.
• Much of the region has been experiencing "moderate drought" conditions, per the U.S. Drought Monitor.

What's next: "A significant cooling trend will begin Friday and continue through the weekend as a cold storm system moves over the region," according to the NWS LA's forecast discussion.

More from Axios:

• How to safely clean toxic wildfire ash
• Climate change plays key contributing role in LA fires
• Why fire hydrants ran dry as wildfires ravaged Los Angeles

Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.

National Urban League president Marc H. Morial on Wednesday called President Trump's executive order dismantling federal diversity and affirmative action practices "an assault on the Civil Rights Movement and everything we've achieved in the last 60 years."

Why it matters: Morial's comments came during a meeting of more than a dozen leaders — across racial, ethnic, and religious communities — gathered in D.C. to strategize a response just hours after Trump, fulfilling a campaign promise, moved against 60-year-old government guidelines designed to promote equity in hiring.

What they're saying: "We knew [Trump] was coming with it early, so we took a shot and planned the roundtable two days after the inauguration," Morial told Axios after the Demand Diversity Roundtable event at the National Press Club.

• "It was important to make our statement early, and with as many leaders in the room as possible," he said.

Zoom out: Trump's order revoked one President Lyndon Johnson signed in 1965, more than two years after the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his "I Have A Dream" speech at the nearby Lincoln Memorial.

• LBJ's order gave the secretary of labor the authority to ensure equal opportunities for people of color and women in federal contractors' recruitment, hiring, training and other employment practices.

Zoom in: Organizers said they gathered community leader from across the nation to discuss how to confront disinformation campaigns targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, reaffirm their commitment to civil rights and expose divisive myths.

• "We stand with the 81% of Americans who support economic opportunity, who support diversity, equity, and inclusion. And we stand against any effort — by anyone, through any method — to reverse the gains of the last 70 years," Morial said before opening up the discussion.

Referencing the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as the "Magna Carta" of racial justice in America, Morial called on the nation to reaffirm its commitment to equal opportunity.

• "Diversity, equity, and inclusion are aligned with American values," he said. "They are about uniting us, not dividing us. Efforts to paint DEI as a preference program are nothing more than campaigns of smear and distortion."

Morial drew parallels between those historic efforts and the battle against disinformation and political backlash.

• "We will not allow unlawful, extra-constitutional, and ill-advised actions to undo the hard work of many generations of Americans. This is a moment to recommit to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the values that have guided us for six decades."

The big picture: Civil rights advocates believe attacks on DEI are part of a campaign to normalize bigotry and pit communities against one another.

• "Nothing that's happening right now is accidental," said Amy Spitalnick, CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs. "From the racist attacks on DEI to anti-immigrant and anti-LGBTQ executive orders, it's all part of a broader effort to normalize dehumanization and extremism."

She pointed to a recent spike in antisemitism and how extremists have sought to exploit the pain of the Jewish community to push divisive agendas.

• "Advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion is not just about values or the deep diversity within the Jewish community — it's about ensuring that every community has a fair shot," she said. "Diversity and pluralism are our greatest strengths."

Latino leaders highlighted the economic and social fallout of DEI rollbacks, while Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) leaders emphasized how these policies deepen inequalities, harm local economies, and hinder progress toward an inclusive democracy.

• "Anti-diversity is anti-business," said Brenda Victoria Castillo, president of the National Hispanic Media Coalition. "Representation in leadership and media isn't just morally right; it's essential for success in a diverse America."
• "Opponents attack DEI because it works," said Gregg Orton, national director of the National Council of Asian-Pacific Americans. "When communities of color are empowered, it threatens the status quo of power and control."

The bottom line: The message from the roundtable was clear: Defending DEI is not just about protecting civil rights but about preserving the nation's soul.

• "We won't stand idly by," said Derrick Johnson, president of the NAACP. "Our coalition is stronger than the fears that divide us—and this fight is just beginning."

Go deeper: Trump administration moves to oust federal DEI employees

The Defense Department announced Wednesday it's sending an additional 1,500 troops to the southern border to carry out President Trump's immigration orders.

The big picture: Soon after being sworn in, Trump signed executive orders declaring a national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border and calling for more barriers as part of an crackdown on undocumented immigrants.

Driving the news: Acting Defense Secretary Robert Salesses said in a statement Wednesday that he's carrying out a series of actions to gain "complete operational control of the southern border."

• The Department of Defense will send an additional 1,500 people, along with helicopters and intelligence analysts "to support increased detection and monitoring efforts," Salesses said.
• There are already about 2,500 U.S. National Guard and Reserve forces there.

Zoom in: The Pentagon will also provide military aircraft to support the Department of Homeland Security's deportation flights of more than 5,000 undocumented immigrants from the areas of San Diego, California; and El Paso, Texas.

• The DOD will also start helping with the construction of temporary and permanent physical barriers at the border, aimed at curtailing illegal border crossings and trafficking.

What they're saying: "This is just the beginning," Salesses said.

• "President Trump directed action from the Department of Defense on securing our nation's borders and made clear he expects immediate results. That is exactly what our military is doing under his leadership."

The other side: Civil liberties groups promised to take legal action against any misuse of military on civilian populations.

• The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) tells Axios they are gathering information and will look at taking action.

Go deeper: Trump's orders unleash sweeping limits on immigration, asylum

Editor's note: Russell Contreras contributed reporting.

HHS Secretary designate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. earned $326,000 from the anti-vaccine group Children's Health Defense and a $100,000 licensing fee for use of the Make America Healthy Again brand, according to financial disclosure forms posted by the Office of Government Ethics.

Why it matters: The forms offer a detailed picture into Kennedy's extensive financial holdings and how he'd resolve potential conflicts of interest if he's confirmed.

• The Senate Finance Committee announced Wednesday that it will hold a confirmation hearing on Kennedy's nomination on Jan. 29. That's expected to be followed by a second hearing in the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee a day later.

The big picture: Kennedy reported more than $11.3 million in earnings, including $8.8 million from the law firm Kennedy & Madonna. He pledged to transfer or forfeit interests in contingency fee cases if confirmed.

• He also earned $481,732 from JW Howard, a law firm he worked for and remains of counsel to. The firm represented a health freedom group in an appellate court challenge to a COVID-19 vaccination mandate imposed by the Los Angeles Unified School District. Kennedy indicated he would not be paid going forward.
• He received $856,559 in fees on contingency cases from Wisner Baum, where he served as co-counsel in suing Merck over patient injury claims from Guardasil, a vaccine approved to protect against human papillomavirus, or HPV, which is a leading cause of cervical cancer.

Between the lines: Kennedy reported income from several other sources including stock investments, books, endorsements and a licensing deal, as well as $100,000 speaking gigs.

• His investment holdings include the biotechs CRISPR Therapeutics AG and Dragonfly Therapeutics, and tech giants Apple and Amazon, which both have health care arms. He pledged to divest if confirmed.
• Per the report, he earned $451,000 from Skyhorse Publishing for author introductions, book ideas and forwards to other authors' works. He is still owed at least $2 million in book advances. He committed to halt all related activities if confirmed.
• He also received $100,000 from Jeff Hayes ,who made a documentary about RFK Jr., in a licensing agreement for using the Make America Healthy Again brand marks.

The intrigue Kennedy reported a $100,000 deal to endorse a $30 app-enabled fitness game called Boxbollen on social media. The game involves hitting a ball that is connected to a strap that's worn on the head. He reported returning $50,000 because he wasn't able to fulfill his duties.

The report also lists financial income sources for his wife, actress and producer Cheryl Hines, including residuals for the HBO series "Curb Your Enthusiasm," as well as a $600,000 book advance.