EXCLUSIVE: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Monday issued memos to repeal limits on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents imposed by former DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas -- and a review of the use of humanitarian parole to admit migrants.

The first memo, a draft of which was reviewed by Fox News, rescinds a 2021 memo by Mayorkas, which provided an expanded list of areas that are "protected areas" where ICE could not engage in immigration enforcement. It said the policy was designed to make sure enforcement did not limit "people’s access to essential services or engagement in essential activities."

Those areas include schools, universities, healthcare facilities, places of worship, "places where children gather," social service establishments, food banks, religious or civil ceremonies and disaster or emergency response and relief centers.

"In our pursuit of justice, including in the execution of our enforcement responsibilities, we impact people’s lives and advance our country’s well-being in the most fundamental ways. As a result, when conducting an enforcement action, ICE and CBP agents and officers must first examine and consider the impact of where actions might possibly take place, their effect on people, and broader societal interests," Mayorkas said in a statement at the time.

‘NATIONAL EMERGENCY': TRUMP DECLARES AMBITIOUS ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN IN INAUGURAL ADDRESS

The memo issued Monday rescinded that guidance and said that common sense should be used instead.

"Going forward, law enforcement officers should continue to use that discretion along with a healthy dose of common sense," the new memo said. "It is not necessary, however, for the head of the agency to create bright line rules regarding where our immigration laws are permitted to be enforced."

ICE agents who spoke to Fox News said they believe that rescinding the Mayorkas order is going to free them up to go after more illegal immigrants, because illegal immigrants have until now been able to hide near schools and churches and avoid arrest.

TRUMP TO DEPLOY MILITARY TO BORDER, END BIDEN PAROLE POLICIES IN FLURRY OF DAY 1 EXECUTIVE ORDERS

A separate memo, also reviewed by Fox, focuses on the use of humanitarian parole, which was used broadly by the Biden administration to allow hundreds of thousands of migrants to enter the U.S., including nearly 1.5 million via the CBP One app and parole processes for nationals from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela (CHNV.) The administration also launched parole programs for nationals from Ukraine and Afghanistan.

The memo notes that the statute demands the authority be used on a "case by case basis," something that Republican critics claim the administration has abused. It emphasizes that parole is "a limited use authority, applicable only in a very narrow set of circumstances."

It also claims that "it has been repeatedly abused by the Executive Branch over the past several decades in ways that are blatantly inconsistent with the statute."

CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE

"Most important, the parole statute does not authorize categorical parole programs that make aliens presumptively eligible on the basis of some set of broadly applicable criteria," it says.

The memo directs the heads of (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to compile a list of instructions, policies and procedures related to parole, review them, and formulate a plan to phase out any that are not in accord with the statute.

They will then provide a report to the DHS secretary, while also pausing, modifying or ending any programs that they believe were not enacted properly, and that they can do in a way that is consistent with statutes, regulations and court orders.

The memos came just hours after Trump signed a slew of 10 border-related executive orders, including orders deploying the military to the border, ending Biden's parole programs and ending birthright citizenship for children of illegal immigrants.

The orders also declare a national emergency, and order the resumption of construction of the wall at the southern border.

"All illegal entry will immediately be halted," Trump said moments after being inaugurated. "And we will begin the process of returning millions and millions of criminal aliens back to the places from which they came."

FIRST ON FOX: A new report conducted by nonprofit organization Do No Harm (DNH) is sounding the alarm on medical schools allegedly "skirting" a 2023 Supreme Court ruling rejecting the use of race-based factors in admissions. 

DNH says it "represents physicians, nurses, medical students, patients, and policymakers" in an effort to keep "identity politics out of medical education, research, and clinical practice." The organization had previously released a report where they found "many in the healthcare establishment nevertheless remain ideologically committed to the principle of racial favoritism and reject the virtue of race blindness" despite the high court ruling. 

DNH states that a previous report also indicated that the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) "and several medical specialty societies and medical schools" "rebuked" the Supreme Court decision shortly after it was handed down through means that included "veiled threats to circumvent the Court’s decision."

‘DEI PLEDGE’: WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY ISSUES STATEMENT AFTER ASKING EMPLOYMENT PARTNERS TO SIGN COMMITMENT

The newly published data, titled "Skirting SCOTUS: How medical schools will continue to practice racially conscious admissions," used both MCAT data and available admissions data. DNH noted that because AAMC does not publish school-level data, it is not "immediately clear" which medical schools are continuing to implement affirmative action and to what extent. The data also excludes public universities, which were already banned from engaging in such practices. 

"Among the thirteen schools that published clear racial/ethnic demographic data for the class of 2027 and 2028, four experienced an increase in the proportion of black or Hispanic students," the report states. 

"Fidelity to SFFA is not only measured by year-to-year demographic changes but is also a function of the degree to which affirmative action informed admissions policies before SFFA," the report continues.

The report states if the penalty assigned to "white and Asian applicants was modest," the demographic change would be reflected as such and vice versa. 

NEARLY HALF OF ALL US COLLEGE STUDENTS REJECT MANDATORY DEI COURSES ON CAMPUS: STUDY

The study stated that "outcomes at Quinnipiac, Maryland, Chicago, and Duke stand out as schools where admissions policies are particularly worthy of scrutiny" given that the schools "admit black and Hispanic medical students at a rate that far exceeds their representation in the applicant pool (13% in 2024)."

"That fact, in conjunction with the reality that black and Hispanic matriculants to medical schools have significantly lower GPAs and MCAT scores than other matriculants, is a signal that the schools continue to penalize or reward students on the basis of race," the report states. 

"It's pretty shocking and appalling how flagrantly some of these medical schools are ducking a Supreme Court ban on affirmative action," Ian Kingsbury, research director at DNH, told Fox News Digital. "You can see it in the data, and then you can tie that data to the statements that the schools themselves are making, where they're publicly rebuking the Supreme Court and where they're talking about the importance of diversity in their admissions process."

THESE SIX STATES BANNED OR LIMITED DEI AT COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES IN 2024

"Whether the decision to stop publishing data after SFFA is coincidental, a gesture to disguise improper implementation of SFFA, or an effort to hide the statistical reality associated with proper implementation, is unclear," the report continued. "Given pressure from the AAMC to continue to racially discriminate, coupled with the reality that many medical schools have been captured by far-left ideologues, these schools – as well as the dozens of others that didn’t publish any data – do not automatically earn a presumption of innocence."

"The sort of sobering reality is that, unfortunately, for the time being, Students for Fair Admissions has not resolved the issue of racial discrimination in higher education," Kingsbury said. "And there's more work to be done."

The U.S. Supreme Court rejected the use of race as a factor in college admissions in a 6-3 decision in 2023. 

The justices decided two separate legal challenges over just how Harvard University – a private institution – and the University of North Carolina – a public one – decide who fills their classrooms.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Student activist group Students for Fair Admissions brought cases against both universities. The group initially sued Harvard in 2014 for violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which "prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin in any program or activity that receives Federal funds or other Federal financial assistance."

Fox News Digital reached out to AAMC, Quinnipiac University, University of Maryland, University of Chicago, and Duke University for additional comment.

AAMC directed Fox News Digital to its most recent data publication on medical school applicants and enrollment in 2024. 

"We are encouraged by the increase in first-time applicants to medical school. The AAMC and its member medical schools are committed to continuing our efforts to increase the supply of physicians and to increase the range of backgrounds and experiences in the applicant and matriculant pools that are critical to the future physician workforce. Evidence shows that a more varied workforce can improve access to health care and the health of our communities," David J. Skorton, MD, AAMC president and CEO, said in the statement. 

Two more of President Trump's nominees will face questions from senators Tuesday, while a third, Treasury nominee Scott Bessent, will get a committee vote.

Former Rep. Doug Collins, an Air Force Reserve chaplain, will testify before the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee as he seeks confirmation to lead the Veterans Affairs Department. And Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., will appear before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee as Trump's nominee to be the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

The Senate Finance Committee, meanwhile, will convene at 10:15 a.m. and vote on whether to advance Bessent's nomination to be secretary of the Treasury. 

Collins will be the first potential cabinet official to receive a hearing after Trump's whirlwind of a first day in office. After announcing that a "Golden Age of America" had begun in his inaugural address, the president swiftly took more than 200 executive actions on Monday to see his policy vision come to life. It remains for the Senate to confirm the key officials who will carry out Trump's orders.

MARCO RUBIO CONFIRMED BY SENATE TO BE NEXT SECRETARY OF STATE, BECOMES FIRST TRUMP CABINET PICK TO BE APPROVED

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio became the first of Trump's cabinet picks to receive congressional approval late Monday with a unanimous vote by the Senate. His confirmation was not surprising, as many of his colleagues on both sides of the aisle praised his strong foreign policy background as a longtime member of the Senate Foreign Relations and Intelligence Committees. 

Collins is likewise not expected to face a difficult confirmation fight. A former congressman from Georgia and Navy veteran, as VA secretary he would be tasked with overseeing a beleaguered system of healthcare and benefits for the nation's veterans. Long wait times to see providers, lack of access to community care, inadequate mental health support and budget shortfalls are just a few of many problems that have plagued secretaries past in both Republican and Democratic administrations.

A report published by the VA last month showed that there were more than 6,400 suicides among veterans in 2022, fewer than 12 of 14 previous years but slightly more than in 2021. Ending veteran suicide was a top priority for the Biden administration. In November, the VA announced that veteran homelessness had fallen to the lowest number on record under President Biden, although more than 32,000 former service members remained on the streets between Jan. 2023 and Jan. 2024. 

Under Trump's direction, the next VA secretary will likely also be tasked with rooting out diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in the department, as well as ending Biden-era policies that provide abortions and transgender medical procedures.

HUNDREDS OF VETERANS TO DESCEND ON DC TO MARCH IN SUPPORT OF PETE HEGSETH'S CONFIRMATION

Collins was due to receive a confirmation hearing last week, but an incomplete background check delayed the proceeding.

While the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee convenes to question Collins at 10 a.m., the Senate Foreign Relations Committee will meet elsewhere in the Dirksen Senate Office Building to consider Stefanik's nomination to represent the U.S. at the U.N.

Stefanik, the fourth-ranking Republican in the U.S. House, is likely to face questions about her relative lack of foreign policy experience and adamant support for Israel, as well as her views on the war between Russia and Ukraine.

In her opening remarks, excerpts of which were obtained by Fox News Digital, Stefanik will say that Trump sees great promise in the U.N. "if it focuses on its founding mission of international peace and security. President Trump has long advocated for peace and no new wars." 

STEFANIK PLANS TO PUSH TRUMP'S ‘AMERICA FIRST’ AGENDA AT UN, MAKE SURE IT ‘SERVES THE INTERESTS’ OF US PEOPLE

Stefanik is expected to sail to confirmation in the U.N. role. Sen. John Fetterman, a Democrat from Pennsylvania, has already said he will vote for her – they are both strong Israel supporters. She served on the Intelligence and Armed Services Committees, but she went viral for her work on the other side of the table last year when she questioned university presidents and their policies surrounding pro-Gaza protests during Education Committee hearings.

Meanwhile, the Senate Finance Committee will vote on whether to advance the nomination of Bessent, a Wall Street investor and hedge fund manager, to lead the Treasury Department. 

During his confirmation hearings, Bessent said the U.S. must extend the 2017 tax cuts Trump signed into law in his first term. 

"This is the single most important economic issue of the day," Bessent told senators. "This is pass-fail. If we do not fix these tax cuts, if we do not renew and extend, then we will be facing an economic calamity, and as always, with financial instability that falls on the middle and working class."

Democrats pressed Bessent on the impact Trump's tax cuts have had on the federal deficit and whether they disproportionately benefit the rich at the expense of the poor and middle classes. They also asked whether Trump's proposed tariffs on foreign imports would increase inflation, but Bessent insisted they would not.

The Treasury nominee, who hails from South Carolina, emphasized that Trump's policies would prioritize Main Street over Wall Street.

"I believe Wall Street has done great the past few years, and that Main Street has suffered. I think it's Main Street's time," Bessent said.

The White House has brought back the famous Diet Coke button so that President Trump can order his drink of choice easily from the Oval Office. 

The red button, which is hidden in a wooden box and was used by Trump during his first term, was again spotted on the Resolute Desk after he was sworn in as the 47th president Monday, the Wall Street Journal reported. 

The Oval Office, where presidents meet with foreign heads of state, congressional leaders and deliver the presidential address, is an area of the White House often personalized to reflect the values and goals of the incoming commander in chief. 

PRESIDENT TRUMP DISCOVERS LETTER FROM FORMER PRESIDENT BIDEN IN RESOLUTE DESK

"We're going to be going over to the beautiful Oval Office, one of the great offices in history, even if it wasn't beautiful, it's the Oval Office, but it is beautiful, and we love the Oval Office," Trump said at the Capitol One Arena on Monday following the inauguration ceremony at the Capitol. "Wars start and then there. Everything starts and ends at the Oval Office." 

Trump has a well-known affinity for Diet Coke and has repeatedly shared that he does not drink alcohol given his brother, Fred Trump Jr., died from complications of alcoholism in the early 1980s. 

On Monday, the Journal noted that a portrait of George Washington was now hanging over the fireplace in the Oval Office, and portraits of Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson were on each side. 

Biden had removed military flags for each service branch from the Oval Office four years ago, and Trump's team had them reinstated there on Monday. 

TRUMP SIGNS DOZENS OF EXECUTIVE ORDERS, FULFILLING MANY BUT NOT ALL CAMPAIGN PROMISES

When he was sworn in as president in 2021, Biden had a bust of Winston Churchill removed from the Oval Office. Churchill's bust was returned on Monday and spotted in the same place it was four years ago on a table near the fireplace. 

Trump and Biden both displayed a bust of Martin Luther King Jr. in the Oval Office, and it remained there Monday at the start of Trump's second term, according to the Journal. 

The Oval Office also has new silver eagle figures on the fireplace mantel as of Monday. 

Like he had during his first term, Trump again has a portrait of Andrew Jackson in the Oval Office. The one from four years ago was on loan from the U.S. Naval Academy, while the one added on Monday is from the White House art collection, the Journal reported, citing a White House aide. Trump has resonated with Jackson, whose populist, anti-establishment movement landed him in the White House despite critics of the time. 

Trump kept Biden's addition of a Benjamin Franklin portrait, which the Democrat initially chose to represent a focus on science. 

Donald Trump supporters who attended the president's inauguration parade at Capital One Arena in downtown D.C. on Monday shared their experiences braving the cold in the nation's capital.

Trump supporters told Fox News Digital they arrived as early as 4:30 a.m. Monday and stood for hours in the cold weather to secure a seat at the arena for the inaugural parade, noting that the line to get in had already formed by the time they arrived bright and early. Reports indicated that supporters had begun lining up as early as the night before. The parade got moved indoors amid concerns about the cold weather, but one supporter noted that it wasn't as cold as she had expected. 

"This morning we got up at 4. We got on the train at 5 [in the morning] and got here, and already the line was forming," a supporter who traveled from Texas said. "We stayed in the cold weather for five hours."

TRUMP SUPPORTERS WAIT OVERNIGHT OUTSIDE CAPITAL ONE ARENA IN FRIGID TEMPERATURES 

"We got here [Sunday] night, but we stayed closer to the airport just to not fight traffic," added Kaitlin Rogers, who traveled from Delaware. "Ubered in, got here at what? 6:30 [in the morning]? Stood in line for four and a half hours."

Gina Raper, a Trump fan from North Carolina, said she arrived as early as Friday to attend Trump's Sunday rally ahead of the formal swearing-in ceremony and "stood out all day in the rain" to secure a seat there as well.     

"We were there 5 o'clock yesterday morning and stood out all day in the rain. We got in, it was awesome," said Raper. "Then we were there at, like, 4:30 or 5 this morning, all day."

TRUMP SUPPORTERS CELEBRATE INAUGURATION DAY IN DC STREETS: ‘TODAY IS A DAY OF FREEDOM’

When asked if their experience was worth braving the cold, the answer was a resounding yes. 

"We're so thankful," Raper said after gaining entrance to Capital One Arena on Saturday. 

"It wasn't as cold as we thought it was going to be. It was definitely worth the wait," added Andrea Rogers, who was traveling with Kaitlin from Delaware. "We are so happy to be here."

When asked what they hope to see out of the new Trump administration, the supporters who spoke to Fox News Digital highlighted Trump's plans to secure the border and "rebuild" the military. One supporter said he was hoping to see the new Trump administration challenge the pharmaceutical and food industries, which are priorities of Trump's nominee for Health and Human Services secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. 

"Good leaders train good leaders, and he's got the best team I have ever – well, everybody would agree, everybody in America – this is the best team," said Raper.

"Trump will fix it!" one supporter said.

Newly-inaugurated President Donald Trump signed an executive order calling for the U.S. to withdraw from the World Health Organization (WHO).

In 2020, Trump started the ball rolling toward extricating the U.S. from the United Nations agency, but President Joe Biden reversed course after taking office in 2021.

"The United States intends to withdraw from the WHO. The Presidential Letter to the Secretary-General of the United Nations signed on January 20, 2021, that retracted the United States’ July 6, 2020, notification of withdrawal is revoked," Trump's order declares.

TOP 5 INAUGURATION DAY MOMENTS

"The Secretary of State shall immediately inform the Secretary-General of the United Nations, any other applicable depositary, and the leadership of the WHO of the withdrawal," the order instructs.

The U.S. Senate voted 99-0 on Monday to confirm Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., to serve as Secretary of State — Rubio voted for himself before resigning from the Senate.

Trump's order calls for the Secretary of State and director of the Office of Management and Budget to "pause the future transfer of any United States Government funds, support, or resources to the WHO;" "recall and reassign United States Government personnel or contractors working in any capacity with the WHO;" as well as "identify credible and transparent United States and international partners to assume necessary activities previously undertaken by the WHO."

TRUMP FAILED TO DELIVER ‘DAY 1’ PROMISE TO GRANT CLEMENCY TO ROSS ULBRICHT, FOUNDER OF SILK ROAD

The WHO issued a statement on Tuesday lamenting Trump's decision, and expressing hope that the U.S. will rethink the move.

"The World Health Organization regrets the announcement that the United States of America intends to withdraw from the Organization," the globalist body noted. "We hope the United States will reconsider and we look forward to engaging in constructive dialogue to maintain the partnership between the USA and WHO, for the benefit of the health and well-being of millions of people around the globe."

Trump signed a flurry of orders after taking office on Monday.

One of them declares it U.S. policy "to recognize two sexes, male and female," which "are not changeable and are grounded in fundamental and incontrovertible reality."

NANCY PELOSI SLAMS TRUMP'S ‘SHAMEFUL’ PARDONS OF JAN 6 DEFENDANTS

Trump is only the second president in U.S. history to win election to two non-consecutive terms — the first was Grover Cleveland in the 19th century.

Fox News' Chad Pergram contributed to this report

Two Americans have been freed in a prisoner swap between the U.S. and Afghanistan’s Taliban in exchange for a Taliban figure imprisoned for life in California, officials said Tuesday.

The family of Ryan Corbett, one American freed by the Taliban in the deal, told Fox News that he is finally on his way back home to the U.S. after being detained more than two years ago while on a business trip.

"Today, our hearts are filled with overwhelming gratitude and praise to God for sustaining Ryan’s life and bringing him back home after what has been the most challenging and uncertain 894 days of our lives," a statement from Corbett’s family said, in part. 

Corbett's family thanked both President Trump and former President Biden, along with National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and other current and former government officials.

This is a breaking news story; check back for updates.

Massachusetts must pay the federal government $2.1 billion over the next 10 years to resolve a debt after the state under former GOP Gov. Charlie Baker's administration mistakenly used federal pandemic funds to cover unemployment benefits.

Current Gov. Maura Healey, a Democrat, and her deputies released details on Monday of a settlement they reached with the outgoing Biden administration last week in which the state will repay most of the money it owed because of the error, the State House News Service reported.

In 2023, Healey announced that her administration uncovered that the prior administration improperly used about $2.5 billion in federal pandemic relief funds to cover unemployment benefits that should have been funded by the state.

The total liability exceeded $3 billion, including fees and interest, according to Healey’s office. Negotiations with the U.S. Department of Labor dropped the total owed to $2.1 billion over the next decade.

DEM MASSACHUSETTS NOW WANTS TO LIMIT ILLEGALS IN CRIME-RIDDEN MIGRANT SHELTERS

"We were dismayed to uncover early on in our term that the previous administration misspent billions of dollars in federal relief funds and that our state was facing what could have been a more than $3 billion tab to pay it back," Healey said in a statement on Monday.

"For the past year and a half, we have engaged in extensive negotiations with the U.S. Department of Labor to minimize the impact on Massachusetts residents, businesses and our economy," she continued. "Today, we have reduced our potential liability by over $1 billion and negotiated a decade-long payment window to mitigate the impact."

The governor added that it is "incredibly frustrating that the prior administration allowed this to happen" but that the current administration is "going to use this as a moment to come together with the business and labor community to make meaningful reforms to the Unemployment Insurance system."

Payments will begin Dec. 1 and continue each year for the next decade.

The agreement states that principal payments must come from the Unemployment Insurance (UI) Trust Fund, which is funded by a tax on employers and is also used to cover benefits, according to the State House News Service. Interest payments will come from the state’s General Fund.

Healey’s office said businesses will not face higher rates on their unemployment insurance payments through at least the end of next year, at which point rates will depend on system reforms.

BLUE STATE GOV CHANGES TUNE AFTER VOWING TO FIGHT TRUMP DEPORTATION EFFORTS, NOW HOPES HE FIXES BORDER

The governor vowed to pursue changes to soften the burden on employers, who already face higher costs to support an uptick of claims during the pandemic, according to the State House News Service.

Healey directed state Labor Secretary Lauren Jones and Administration and Finance Secretary Matthew Gorzkowicz to "conduct a comprehensive review of the solvency of UI and assess potential reforms."

The Healey administration projected the UI Trust Fund would be hundreds of millions of dollars in debt by the end of 2028, even before taking into account the $2.1 billion in additional payments.

President Trump was inaugurated for a second time on Monday. 

The inauguration kicked off the day on a historic note, with the ceremony moved indoors due to freezing temperatures. Notable moments played out throughout the day, including Trump's fiery speech shortly after being sworn in, to an audio mishap that inadvertently turned into a collaborative singing effort. 

Here are the top five moments from Trump's second inauguration. 

TRUMP'S SECOND INAUGURAL ADDRESS A TRIUMPH FOR HIM, HIS SUPPORTERS

"The golden Age of America begins right now," Trump said shortly after being sworn in. "From this day forward, our country will flourish and be respected again all over the world."

Trump started out his first speech officially as president by saying the U.S. would now be "the envy of every nation, and we will not allow ourselves to be taken advantage of any longer."

The president assailed the Biden-Harris administration as the former president and vice president looked on. Trump specifically slammed the "vicious, violent, and unfair weaponization of the Justice Department and our government" and said the country has been operating under "a radical and corrupt establishment."

"While the pillars of our society lay broken and seemingly in complete disrepair, we now have a government that cannot manage even a simple crisis at home," Trump said.

DEMS PROMISE TO 'STAND UP TO' TRUMP BUT LAUD 'PEACEFUL TRANSFER OF POWER' AFTER SPEECH

Trump criticized the Biden administration's handling of various national disasters, including hurricane damage in North Carolina and recent wildfires in California. 

"Jan. 20th, 2025, is Liberation Day," Trump said. "It is my hope that our recent presidential election will be remembered as the greatest and most consequential election in the history of our country."

President Donald Trump and his wife, First Lady Melania Trump, did their first dance together as POTUS and FLOTUS Monday night at the Commander-in-Chief Inaugural Ball at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. The dance featured a nifty spin move by the President.

First lady Melania Trump donned a white, strapless gown with black detailing following a full day of inauguration festivities. She coupled the dress with a black choker.

The ball is one of two others that Trump made an appearance in: the Liberty Ball and Starlight Ball.

Vice President J.D. Vance and his wife, Usha, also joined Trump and Melania onstage for a quick dance, before they exchanged partners with military servicemembers.

TRUMP'S INAUGURATION BRINGS OUT SPORTS WORLD'S KEY FIGURES

First lady Melania Trump donned a weather-appropriate outfit for her husband's second inaugural ceremony. Melania was pictured wearing a custom Adam Lippes double-breasted navy coat with a matching boater hat designed by Eric Javits while on her way to a service at St. John's Church on Inauguration Day, according to Page Six. 

Social media users flocked to X, formerly Twitter, to post compliments on the first lady's inaugural getup, with many saying she looked "elegant" and "classy."

TRUMP VOWS 'NEW ERA OF NATIONAL SUCCESS,' SAYS AMERICA'S 'DECLINE IS OVER' IN INAUGURAL ADDRESS

Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman, on the other hand, had a slightly more warmer-weather-style outfit for the inauguration ceremony. Fetterman was seen sporting gray gym shorts, a dark hoodie and sneakers as he arrived at Capitol Hill.

The senator's attire also drew attention given the chilly temperatures on Monday. Trump's second inauguration notably marked the coldest presidential inauguration ceremony in more than 40 years.

Trump tried to kiss Melania shortly before his swearing-in after initially entering the Capitol Rotunda, leading to an awkward air-kiss encounter. 

Trump and Melania were surrounded by former presidents and their wives along with Cabinet nominees, foreign dignitaries and other high-profile guests upon entering the building. Trump leaned in to give Melania a kiss on the cheek when Melania's hat got in the way.

They ultimately settled on an air kiss.

Country singer Carrie Underwood showed she was a true professional during her rendition of "America the Beautiful" after a hiccup with the music. 

Underwood was welcomed with a round of applause as she was introduced. Once on stage, Underwood patiently waited for the instrumentals to start, which ultimately never came.

"If you know the words, help me out here," she finally said before launching into an a cappella version of the song.

Members of the audience, including the former president and vice president, joined in singing the song.

Underwood wrapped up her performance by shaking Biden's hand and sharing a moment with Trump and Vice President Vance before leaving the room.

President Trump did not pardon or commute the prison sentence of Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the anonymous marketplace website Silk Road, despite his promise on the campaign trail to free him on "day one."

Ulbricht was convicted because his website, which was founded in 2011 and used cryptocurrency for payments, was used to sell illegal drugs, even though he did not sell any of the illicit substances himself.

After being sworn into office on Monday, Trump issued several executive actions, including efforts to reduce immigration, designating cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, a move to resume federal executions and pardoning or commuting sentences to time served of people convicted in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.

But Trump's first day back in the White House came to an end with Ulbricht still behind bars without a pardon or commutation from the president, who pledged to do so last spring.

TRUMP VOWS TO COMMUTE PRISON SENTENCE OF SILK ROAD FOUNDER ROSS ULBRICHT

In May, Trump delivered a speech at the Libertarian National Convention to a hostile crowd of boos in an attempt to win over Libertarian voters. Libertarians believe government investigators overreached in their case against Silk Road and generally oppose the War on Drugs.

While the attendees were not favorable to Trump for most of the event, they did give a big cheer when he said he would commute Ulbricht's sentence to time served, as the crowd chanted "Free Ross" in the hopes that the then-presidential candidate would take action if elected to allow the Silk Road founder to return home to his family after more than a decade behind bars.

"If you vote for me, on day one I will commute the sentence of Ross Ulbricht, to a sentence of time served. He’s already served 11 years. We’re going to get him home," Trump told the crowd of Libertarians, many of whom were holding signs that read "Free Ross."

Ulbricht reacted to Trump's comments the following day on the social media platform X.

"Last night, Donald Trump pledged to commute my sentence on day 1, if reelected," he wrote. "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. After 11 years in prison, it is hard to express how I feel at this moment. It is thanks to your undying support that I may get a second chance."

Last month, Ulbricht wrote: "For my last monthly resolution of 2024, I intend to study every day and to get up to speed as much as I can as I prepare for freedom."

Trump later reiterated his promise to commute Ulbricht's life sentence at a bitcoin conference, which he received loud cheers for.

Despite Trump failing to deliver on his promise to free Ulbricht on his first day back in office, the president reportedly may still grant him clemency as early as Tuesday.

"Pres. Trump's staff just confirmed to me Ross's pardon will be issued late tonight or tomorrow morning," Libertarian Party chair Angela McArdle wrote Monday night on X.

Elon Musk, who serves in the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency in the Trump administration, also said Ulbricht would be released soon.

"Ross will be freed," Musk wrote on X.

Many Libertarians have said they supported Trump in November's election, citing, in part, his commitment to free Ulbricht.

TRUMP PARDONS NEARLY ALL 1/6 DEFENDANTS

During his first term, Trump considered intervening to release Ulbricht before ultimately deciding against a pardon.

Ulbricht, now 40, operated the website from 2011 until his arrest in 2013. He was sentenced two years later to life in prison.

"I was trying to help us move toward a freer and more equitable world," Ulbricht said from prison in 2021. "We all know the road to hell is paved with good intentions, and now here I am. I'm in hell."

"Trump is done signing EOs and pardons for the night," 2024 Libertarian presidential candidate Chase Oliver wrote on X. "Hopefully, we will see a #FREEROSSULBRICHT commutation in the morning."

President Trump, immediately upon taking office, flexed his presidential powers as he followed through on some of the major pledges he made on the campaign trail.

"Today I will sign a series of historic executive orders. With these actions, we will begin the complete restoration of America and the revolution of commonsense," the nation's 47th president vowed during his inauguration address Monday at the U.S. Capitol.

Hours later, Trump followed through, with an avalanche of executive order signings at Washington's Capitol One Arena, in front of thousands of supporters - a first in the nation's history - and later in the more traditional Oval Office setting at the White House.

"It's just pure Trump. He's the first president in a new connected world in which you have to govern from the outside in. You have to mount support and bring the people with you," veteran Republican strategist Alex Castellanos told Fox News Digital.

HEAD HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING ON PRESIDENT TRUMP'S FIRST DAY IN OFFICE 

Trump's immigration promises were a centerpiece of his successful presidential campaign to win back the White House.

"On Day One, I will launch the largest deportation program of criminals in the history of America," the then-Republican presidential nominee vowed during a late October rally at New York City's Madison Square Garden.

And Trump took immediate action during his first hours back in office.

FIRST ON FOX: TRUMP VOWS OVER 200 EXECUTIVE ACTIONS ON DAY 1

The new president declared a national emergency along the southern border with Mexico and ordered the deployment of U.S. troops to help support immigration agents. Trump also ordered the restart of a policy from his first administration that forced asylum seekers to wait over the border in Mexico. But it's unclear if Mexico would accept migrants again.

Trump also directed the federal government to resume border wall construction, begun during his first term but halted by President Biden. 

And Trump signed an order ending birthright citizenship for children of illegal migrants. But with birthright citizenship enshrined in the U.S. Constitution, Trump's executive order is sure to face immediate legal challenges in court from civil rights groups and immigration activists.

"I will declare a national emergency at our southern border. All illegal entry will immediately be halted. And we will begin the process of returning millions and millions of criminal aliens back to the places from which they came. We will reinstate my remain in Mexico policy. I will end the practice of catch and release. And I will send troops to the southern border to repel the disastrous invasion of our country," Trump emphasized in his inauguration address.

TRUMP VOWS TO ACT WITH ‘HISTORIC SPEED’ AS INAUGURATION BRINGS REDEPMPTION 

And the president also announced that "we will also be designating the cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. And by invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, I will direct our government to use the full and immense power of federal and state law enforcement to eliminate the presence of all foreign gangs and criminal networks."

During his two-year run to return to the White House, Trump repeatedly vowed to "drill, baby, drill," and pledged to end the Biden administration's electric vehicle mandate.

On Monday, Trump followed through, as he tied his energy executive orders to his efforts to keep inflation in check.

"I will direct all members of my cabinet to marshal the vast powers at their disposal to defeat what was record inflation, and rapidly bring down costs and prices. The inflation crisis was caused by massive overspending and escalating energy prices," Trump argued. 

And he said "that is why today I will also declare a national energy emergency. We will drill, baby, drill. America will be a manufacturing nation once again, and we have something that no other manufacturing nation will ever have. The largest amount of oil and gas of any country on earth."

During the 2024 cycle, Trump and Republicans repeatedly targeted Democrats up and down the ballot over the Biden administration's protections for transgender students

"We’re going to end it on Day One," Trump vowed last May. "Don’t forget, that was done as an order from the president. That came down as an executive order. And we’re going to change it — on Day One, it’s going to be changed."

Trump followed through, taking executive action from what the president's advisers said would "defend women from gender, ideology, extremism and restoring biological truth to the federal government."

"As of today, it will henceforth be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders, male and female," the president said.

The president also signed orders terminating diversity, equity and inclusion programs - best known by their acronym DEI - within the federal government. The orders direct the White House to identify and end the programs within the government.

Another promise from the campaign trail - pardoning the defendants and commuting the sentences of many of those convicted of charges from the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters who unsuccessfully tried to halt congressional certification of President Biden's 2020 election victory. 

Trump didn't mention the pardons in his inauguration address, but minutes later as he spoke to supporters gathered in an overflow room in the U.S. Capitol, he reiterated his longstanding unproven claim that the 2020 presidential election "was totally rigged."

A couple of hours later, in front of cheering supporters packed into Washington DC's downtown arena, Trump touted that he would be "signing pardons for a lot of people…to get them out" immediately.

He wasn't kidding.

The president, back at the White House, ended up pardoning around 1,500 people - including some convicted of attacking police officers - obliterating the Justice Department's effort to punish those who stormed the Capitol on one of America's darkest days.

"These people have been destroyed," Trump argued as he signed the pardons. "What they’ve done to these people has been outrageous."

Trump also took action on something that didn't come up on the campaign trail.

"A short time from now, we are going to be changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America," Trump declared in his inauguration address. 

And pointing to Alaska's Mount Denali, which is North America's tallest peak, the president said "we will restore the name of a great president, William McKinley, to Mount McKinley, where it should be and where it belongs."

"He's flooding the zone. He's making a case for action. He's demonstrating action. He is rallying a wave of American support for a massive transformation of government," Castellanos, a veteran of numerous GOP presidential campaigns, told Fox News. "I think it's overwhelming and Democrats just don't know what's hitting them."

"Could you imagine Biden doing this. I don't think so," the president said, as he signed executive orders in front of thousands of his supporters.

But Trump didn't follow through on all of his campaign promises. 

TRUMP ENVOY SETS LONGER TIMETABLE TO END RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR

One of his most prominent vows he didn't act on during his first day in office involved immediately ending a deadly war in Eastern Europe.

Trump repeatedly touted on the campaign trail that he would end the nearly three-year-long war between Russia and Ukraine "in one day."

"They’re dying, Russians and Ukrainians. I want them to stop dying. And I’ll have that done — I’ll have that done in 24 hours," Trump vowed during a May 2023 town hall.

And in September, during his single debate with Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump vowed "I will get it settled before I even become president."

That, obviously, didn't happen.

And earlier this month, retired Gen. Keith Kellog, Trump's special envoy to Ukraine, offered a longer timetable.

"I would like to set a goal on a personal level, professional level, I would say let’s set it at 100 days," he said in a Fox News Channel interview.

President Donald Trump's second inaugural address was a policy-oriented message "of hope and unity," experts said.  

Kevin Roberts, president of the conservative Heritage Foundation think tank, called Trump's address "substantive" when it came to outlining the president's agenda for the next four years. 

"Trump was policy-specific from beginning to end," Roberts said. "And I think that that's something that's going to be remembered as a distinguishing characteristic of the speech, because people, Americans waking up tomorrow watching the news, reading the news, will remember that Trump articulated a playbook."

"The golden Age of America begins right now," Trump said as he delivered his inaugural address on Capitol Hill Monday.

TRUMP'S SECOND INAUGURAL ADDRESS A TRIUMPH FOR HIM, HIS SUPPORTERS

"From this day forward, our country will flourish and be respected again all over the world," he continued. "We will be the envy of every nation, and we will not allow ourselves to be taken advantage of any longer. During every single day of the Trump administration, I will very simply put America first."

Trump notably bashed "the vicious, violent and unfair weaponization of the Justice Department" as well as the Biden-Harris administration's handling of both foreign and domestic issues while both the former president and vice president looked on. Trump specifically noted the North Carolina hurricane disasters and the recent wildfires ravaging Southern California. 

"We have a government that has given unlimited funding to the defense of foreign borders but refuses to defend American borders or, more importantly, its own people," Trump said.

DEMS PROMISE TO 'STAND UP TO' TRUMP BUT LAUD 'PEACEFUL TRANSFER OF POWER' AFTER SPEECH

Trump's policy-specific speech was "very important right now because of all of the policy failures of the Biden-Harris regime," Roberts told Fox News Digital on Monday. "And I know from the kind of work that Heritage does, not just in D.C. but in states around the country, that Trump's base and a lot of the independent voters who voted for him this time around [were] looking for a policy plan, and he articulated it."

"President Trump has officially kicked off a new chapter for America," Jessica Anderson, president of the conservative super PAC Sentinel Action Fund, told Fox News Digital on Monday. "His speech was one of hope and unity as he set the tone for the next four years of prosperity, security and strength."

Both Roberts and Anderson noted that Trump's address also was a turning point in definitively announcing that a new administration was taking over the White House. 

"As President Trump made clear, he is not going to waste any time getting to work for the American people, and he has already teed up dozens of executive orders on everything from securing the border to properly defining gender," Anderson said. 

TRUMP VOWS 'NEW ERA OF NATIONAL SUCCESS,' SAYS AMERICA'S 'DECLINE IS OVER' IN INAUGURAL ADDRESS

"It was not gratuitous in his criticism of his political opponents," Roberts said. "But you didn't have to do much reading between the lines to understand that the sheriff is back in town. He's going to take this country back."

Trump's speech also emphasized his top priority in making America "a nation that is proud, prosperous and free," echoing sentiments of the New Frontier theme. 

"We are one people, one family and one glorious nation under God," Trump said. "So to every parent who dreams for their child and every child who dreams for their future, I am with you. I will fight for you and I will win for you. We are going to win like never before." 

Roberts said, "I think Trump put his finger on something that's, right now, going to be an underappreciated part of his legacy, and that is a president of American innovation."

"In other words, making America great again is bringing American manufacturing and economic vitality back to a level where the innovation is so tremendous you can't even comprehend as you sit here what it's going to be."

Roberts said such an invocation of the "real spirit of America" in Trump's speech indicated "bringing American manufacturing and economic vitality back" during his second administration, which was a theme that Roberts said both Ronald Reagan and John F. Kennedy incorporated into their own inaugural addresses.

EXCLUSIVE: The Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard has been terminated over concerns about the border, recruitment concerns and an "erosion of trust," a senior DHS official confirmed to Fox News.

Adm. Linda Lee Fagan has been terminated by the Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Benjamine Huffman, the official said.

Fagan has demonstrated leadership deficiencies, operational failures and an inability to advance the strategic objectives of the Coast Guard.

These include the failure to address border security threats, insufficient leadership in recruitment and retention, mismanagement in acquiring key acquisitions such as icebreakers and helicopters, excessive focus on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and an "erosion of trust" over the mishandling and cover-up of Operation Fouled Anchor.

Fagan served as the 27th Commandant of the Coast Guard starting on June 1st, 2022. She was tasked with overseeing all global Coast Guard operations and 42,000 active-duty, 7,000 reserve and 8,700 civilian personnel, as well as the support of 21,000 Coast Guard Auxiliary volunteers.

President Donald Trump pulled the security clearances of more than 50 national security officials who said Hunter Biden’s laptop had "all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation."

A total of 51 former national security officials released a public letter in 2020 claiming that even though the laptop did not have "any evidence of Russian involvement," it looked like a "Russian information operation."

The letter came after the New York Post reported they had emails showing Hunter Biden coordinated for Joe Biden to meet with a top executive at Ukrainian energy company Burisma months before pressuring Ukrainian officials to oust a prosecutor investigating the company. 

REPUBLICAN SENATOR SAYS TRUMP SHOULD NOT PARDON HUNTER BIDEN

Included on the list are former director of National Intelligence James Clapper Jr., former directors of the Central Intelligence Agency Michael Hayden, John Brennan, former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, and former National Security Advisor John Bolton. 

Fox News Digital previously reported that federal investigators with the Department of Justice were aware that Hunter Biden’s laptop was not manipulated and contained "reliable evidence." 

Republican lawmakers including Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina have previously suggested withdrawing the security clearances of these officials. 

BIDEN COMMITTED ‘IMPEACHABLE CONDUCT,’ DEFRAUDED UNITED STATES TO ENRICH HIS FAMILY': HOUSE GOP REPORT

The order was one of more than 200 executive orders Trump approved on Inauguration Day, joining directives like withdrawing the U.S. from the Paris Climate Agreement that the U.S. initially entered under former President Barack Obama’s administration in 2015. 

Trump previously withdrew the U.S. from the agreement during his first term in 2020. 

Other executive orders Trump signed on day one include rescinding nearly 80 executive orders and memoranda issued under Biden, issuing a regulatory and hiring freeze upon the federal government, preventing "government censorship" of free speech, and directing every department and agency to address the cost of living crisis. 

David Spector contributed to this report. 

President Donald Trump arrived at the Commander-in-Chief Ball shortly after 10 PM ET on Monday, and shared his First Dance with first lady Melania Trump – his first of three ball appearances that night.

Shortly after the band played "Americans, We," Trump was introduced by an emcee at the Walter Washington Convention Center in Mount Vernon Square, D.C.

The event is geared toward service members. 

For his first dance, Trump and first lady Melania Trump danced to a contemporary rendition of Julia Ward Howe’s 1861 Civil War anthem "Battle Hymn of the Republic."

The song was the clarion call of the Union Army of the Potomac – and the opposite number to the Confederate Army’s "Dixie."

TRUMP PARDONS NEARLY ALL 1/6 DEFENDANTS

In brief remarks, Trump told the crowd the election was a "tremendous win" and that a big reason he won was "my relationship with you (the American people)."

At the military themed ball, he praised his Pentagon chief nominee Pete Hegseth.

Trump also spoke at two other balls later in the night, another located at the Washington Convention Center and the final one located at Union Station.

The Liberty Ball was sandwiched between the Commander-in-Chief Ball and the Starlight Ball.

While the Commander-in-Chief ball was geared towards service members, the Liberty Ball is set to include a wide-range of Trump supporters. It is being headlined by Trump's address, but, also similar to the Commander-in-Chief Ball, will include some musical performances as well. Those performances will include country singer Jason Aldean, rapper Nelly, and the Village People.

At the Liberty Ball – also held at the convention center – Trump shared another first dance with Mrs. Trump.

Several members of the Trump family then took the stage, along with Vice President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance. They danced to "Unchained Melody" by the Righteous Brothers.

Trump told the Liberty Ball crowd it had been "a hell of a day."

BARRON TRUMP IS ALL GROWN UP

The balls follow a jam-packed day of events that included President Trump's formal swearing-in ceremony, an inaugural parade at Capital One Arena, an Oval Office signing ceremony, and much more.

During the day's events Trump signed a slew of executive orders related to border security, diversity, equity and inclusion, Jan. 6, energy and the climate, and the federal workforce. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The number of orders he signed outnumbered how many Trump signed during his first day in office in 2017, as well as the number that President Biden signed during his first day as president.

The Liberty Ball is set to include a wide-range of Trump supporters. It is being headlined by Trump's address, but, also similar to the Commander-in-Chief Ball, will include some musical performances as well. 

Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., slammed President Trump on Monday night for pardoning more than 1,000 people involved in the Jan. 6, 2021, riots. 

Trump signed pardons for approximately 1,500 defendants who were charged with crimes stemming from the riot at the U.S. Capitol, fulfilling a promise he made in December to act quickly and pardon them. 

Trump also commuted the sentences of six people on Monday, including the leaders of the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys extremist groups.

BIDEN TAKES DEPARTING JAB AT TRUMP, SAYS HE WAS ‘GENUINE THREAT TO DEMOCRACY’

But Pelosi called the move "shameful" and said to remember the "courage" of law enforcement "heroes" who "ensured that democracy survived."

"The President's actions are an outrageous insult to our justice system and the heroes who suffered physical scars and emotional trauma as they protected the Capitol, the Congress and the Constitution," Pelosi, who didn’t attend Trump’s inauguration on Monday, said in a statement posted to X.

"It is shameful that the President has decided to make one of his top priorities the abandonment and betrayal of police officers who put their lives on the line to stop an attempt to subvert the peaceful transfer of power," Pelosi wrote.

DOJ SEEKS TO BLOCK JAN. 6 DEFENDANTS FROM ATTENDING TRUMP INAUGURATION 

The Justice Department reported that approximately 140 police officers were assaulted during the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021. That included law enforcement members from both the U.S. Capitol Police and about 60 from the Metropolitan Police Department.

Trump announced earlier on Monday at his inaugural parade at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., he would issue pardons for the "hostages."

"Tonight I'm going to be signing on the J6 hostages, pardons to get them out," Trump said at the parade at Capital One Arena. "I'm going to the Oval Office, and we'll be signing pardons for a lot of people."

So far, judges or a jury after a trial have convicted roughly 250 people who faced charges for their involvement in the riot, and more than 1,000 had pleaded guilty to crimes as of January.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

President Trump's youngest son Barron, 18, stepped into the spotlight at his father's inauguration on Monday.  

Standing at a towering 6'9", many attendees and viewers remarked about how mature the younger Trump has become since his father first took office back in January 2017.

At 10 years old, Barron Trump was often the victim of cruel jokes and rumors from his father's critics. His mother, Melania Trump, attempted to shield him from unwanted scrutiny, though sometimes to no avail.

On Monday, the first son commanded respect from onlookers as he stood by his father's side during the inaugural ceremonies. Here's a look at how Barron Trump has grown up since 2017.

DOGE CAUCUS PLANS FOR BIGGEST IMPACT, EYEING KEY TOOLS TO EXPEDITE CUTTING WASTE

At 10 years old, Barron Trump became the first son to reside in the White House since John F. Kennedy, Jr. in 1961.

Barron, who turned 11 in March of 2017, also lived at Trump Tower in New York at the same time, attending Columbia Grammar and Preparatory School on the Upper West Side.

Beginning in 2016, rumors swirled about Barron Trump possibly having autism, which comedian Rosie O'Donnell amplified. In 2024, Melania Trump said that the rumors deeply impacted her son, who was bullied at school.

"I was appalled by such cruelty," Melania Trump wrote in her memoir. "It was clear to me that she was not interested in raising awareness about autism. I felt that she was attacking my son because she didn’t like my husband."

"There is nothing shameful about autism (though O’Donnell’s tweet implied that there was), but Barron is not autistic," she added. "Barron’s experience of being bullied both online and in real life following the incident is a clear indication of the irreparable damage caused."

Barron turned 12 years old in March 2018 and continued to be a common target for Trump's enemies.

Actor Peter Fonda called for officials to "rip Barron Trump from his mother's arms and put him in a cage with pedophiles." He later apologized for the remarks.

"I tweeted something highly inappropriate and vulgar about the president and his family in response to the devastating images I was seeing on television," Fonda said in the statement shortly after. "Like many Americans, I am very impassioned and distraught over the situation with children separated from their families at the border, but I went way too far."

Barron was 13 years old when his family permanently relocated to Mar-a-Lago in 2019. That year, Trump said he would have a "hard time" allowing his son to play football.

"I just don't like the reports that I see coming out having to do with football — I mean, it's a dangerous sport and I think it's really tough," Trump said at the time. "I thought the equipment would get better, and it has. The helmets have gotten far better, but it hasn't solved the problem."

During a 2019 House Judiciary Committee impeachment hearing, Stanford law professor Pamela Karlan remarked that then-President Trump could "name his son Barron, he can’t make him a baron."

Melania Trump was upset that her young son was mentioned at the hearing.

"A minor child deserves privacy and should be kept out of politics," the first lady tweeted at the time. "Pamela Karlan, you should be ashamed of your very angry and obviously biased public pandering, and using a child to do it."

As Trump was fighting for his re-election bid in 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic rocked the United States, Barron Trump continued to attend school and stayed out of the public spotlight. In 2020, "Jeopardy" host Ken Jennings apologized for a joke he told about Barron in 2017. 

"Barron saw a very long necktie and a heap of expired deli meat in a dumpster," Jennings tweeted at the time. "He thought it was his dad & his little heart is breaking."

"Hey, I just wanted to own up to the fact that over the years on Twitter, I've definitely tweeted some unartful [sic] and insensitive things," Jennings wrote in 2020. "Sometimes they worked as jokes in my head and I was dismayed to see how they read on screen."

OHIO GOV DEWINE PICKS LT GOV TO FILL VICE PRESIDENT-ELECT JD VANCE'S VACANT SEAT

Barron Trump was 14 years old when his father left office in January. He lived with his mother at Mar-a-Lago full-time and stayed out of the spotlight.

In July 2021, he was seen leaving Trump Tower with Melania Trump.

Barron Trump was 16 when FBI agents raided his father's Florida estate. He kept a low profile during this year, but he was seen in public with both of his parents at the funeral of Ivana Trump, Trump's first wife, in July 2022.

In November 2022, his father announced his bid for the presidency.

As President Trump's campaign kicked up again in 2023, Barron was still absent from the public spotlight. In August of that year, his father's mugshot was released.

Barron Trump matriculated at New York University (NYU) in the fall of 2024. He graduated from Oxbridge Academy in West Palm Beach in May, and was seen attending classes at NYU'S Stern School of Business.

In November, he also voted for the first time, casting a ballot for his father in Florida.

Barron looked sharp as he attended his father's inauguration on Jan. 20. Later during the day, he waved to the crowd after his father mentioned his role in the 2024 campaign.

"I have a very tall son named Barron. Has anyone ever heard of him?" Trump said to cheers, as the first son waved at attendees.

"He knew the youth vote. You know, we won the youth vote by 36 points… He said, ‘Dad, you got to go out, do Joe Rogan, do all these guys,’" Trump recalled. "We did, we did. And Joe Rogan was great."

The 18-year-old also wowed attendees when he shook hands with President Biden and then-Vice President Kamala Harris, with some social media users speculating that he may pursue a political career in the future.

"Barron Trump just shook hands with Joe Biden and Kamala Harris," one X user wrote. "This kid will be our President one day. Bet on it."

"Barron Trump is a natural," another said of Barron. "Totally owned the moment."

Fox News Digital's Brooke Curto and Kyle Schmidbauer contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump pardoned nearly all Jan. 6 defendants on Monday night, after promising at his inaugural parade to sign an executive order on the matter. 

Sitting at the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office, Trump signed off on releasing more than 1,500 charged with crimes stemming from the Jan. 6, 2021, attack at the U.S. Capitol. The order requires the Federal Bureau of Prisons to act immediately on receipt of the pardons.

"Tonight I'm going to be signing on the J6 hostages, pardons to get them out," Trump said at the parade at Capital One Arena in Washington. "I'm going to the Oval Office and we'll be signing pardons for a lot of people."

Those pardoned include Enrique Tarrio, the former Proud Boys chairman, who faced a sentence of 22 years in prison for seditious conspiracy. Tarrio's attorney told the Associated Press he expects Tarrio to face release Monday evening. 

Trump previously promised that he would be "acting very quickly" on his first day in office to pardon to the so-called "hostages."  

TRUMP TO DEPLOY MILITARY TO BORDER, END BIDEN PAROLE POLICIES IN FLURRY OF DAY ONE EXECUTIVE ORDERS

Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., called Trump's pardon "shameful," and said to remember the "courage" of law enforcement "heroes" who "ensured that democracy survived." 

"The President's actions are an outrageous insult to our justice system and the heroes who suffered physical scars and emotional trauma as they protected the Capitol, the Congress and the Constitution," Pelosi, who didn’t attend Trump’s inauguration Monday, said in a statement posted to X, formerly known as Twitter. 

"It is shameful that the President has decided to make one of his top priorities the abandonment and betrayal of police officers who put their lives on the line to stop an attempt to subvert the peaceful transfer of power," Pelosi said. 

The pardon was one of more than 200 executive orders Trump was expected to sign on Inauguration Day. Other directives he signed on Monday include withdrawing the U.S. from the Paris climate agreement that the U.S. initially entered under former President Barack Obama’s administration in 2015. 

Trump previously withdrew the U.S. from the agreement during his first term in 2020. 

TRUMP TO TAKE MORE THAN 200 EXECUTIVE ACTIONS ON DAY ONE

On Monday morning, then-President Joe Biden issued a series of pardons just hours before Trump’s swearing in at the U.S. Capitol. Those pardoned by Biden include former chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, retired Gen. Mark Milley, whom Trump has accused of committing treason. Others Biden pardoned were those involved in the Jan. 6 Select Committee investigation that conducted a probe into the attack. 

"The issuance of these pardons should not be mistaken as an acknowledgment that any individual engaged in any wrongdoing, nor should acceptance be misconstrued as an admission of guilt for any offense," Biden said in a statement. "Our nation owes these public servants a debt of gratitude for their tireless commitment to our country."

Fox News’ Anders Hagstrom and Brooke Singman contributed to this report. 

President Donald Trump, while signing a flurry of executive orders from the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office of the White House as the now 47th President of the United States, discovered a letter from his predecessor inside one of the desk’s drawers with the help of a Fox News reporter.

Trump was in the process of signing one of many executive orders on Monday after returning to the White House when Fox News’ Peter Doocy asked if President Biden left him a letter.

"He may have. Don’t they leave it in the desk? I don’t know," Trump told Doocy before discovering a white envelope with the number "47" written on it. "Thank you, Peter. It could have been years before we found this thing."

Trump then teased everyone in the room by suggesting they all read the letter together, before pulling back the reigns.

DONALD TRUMP SWORN IN AS 47TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

"Well, maybe I’ll read it first and then make that determination," the president said, once again thanking the White House correspondent.

"Happy to help with the passing of the torch," Doocy said.

Trump was then asked if he left one for Biden, and he said he left one in the desk, just like Biden.

TRUMP TO TAKE MORE THAN 200 EXECUTIVE ACTIONS ON DAY ONE

In leaving the letter for Trump, Biden kept with the now 36-year tradition of the departing commander in chief, writing a note to the incoming president.

As he left the White House in 1989 after two terms in office, President Ronald Reagan started the tradition – leaving a note for his successor, George H. W. Bush, who also happened to be his vice president.

Four years later, despite losing to then-Gov. Bill Clinton of Arkansas, outgoing President Bush left Clinton a note in the Oval Office. The tradition has carried on to this day.

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio was confirmed unanimously by the Senate to be the next secretary of state, making him the first of President Trump's Cabinet picks to receive congressional approval.

Rubio, a senator since 2011, was confirmed during a floor vote by the full Senate Monday night, several hours after Trump took his oath of office earlier in the day. The full Senate floor vote occurred following a separate vote by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which also voted unanimously in favor of Rubio's nomination Monday.  

Rubio enters his role as secretary of state with a strong foreign policy background as a longtime member of the Senate's Foreign Relations and Intelligence Committees. He is also a first-generation Cuban American.

DESANTIS ANNOUNCES CHOICE FOR SENATE APPOINTMENT AFTER RUBIO'S EXPECTED RESIGNATION 

His road to confirmation has been less controversial than many of Trump's other Cabinet picks. At Rubio's first confirmation hearing last week in front of the Foreign Relations Committee, the committee's top-ranking Democrat, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, said she thought Rubio possessed "the skills" and is "well-qualified" to serve as the next secretary of state. She echoed this sentiment Monday evening as well before the full Senate vote.

"I've had a good working relationship with Sen. Rubio for many years, and I was very impressed during his hearing by his grasp of policy," Shaheen said Monday evening. "While we may not always agree, I believe he has the skills, knowledge and qualifications to be secretary of state."

MARK MILLEY PARDONED: GENERAL AT CENTER OF AFGHANISTAN WITHDRAWAL PREDICTED IT WOULDN'T BE A SAIGON MOMENT  

Rubio expressed during his initial confirmation hearing last week that under Trump the State Department's "top priority" will be to put America first. 

"This will not be easy," Rubio said. "And it will be impossible without a strong and a confident America that engages in the world, putting our core national interests, once again, above all else."

Rubio will face some major challenges heading into his new role, notably the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine and the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

Rubio described the fighting between Ukraine and Russia as a "stalemate" that "has to end" during his confirmation hearing last week, adding that under Trump's proposed peace deal both countries will have to make "concessions." Meanwhile, despite Trump's past criticisms of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Rubio called the alliance "very important" and insisted that Trump was also a NATO supporter.

On Gaza, Rubio supported Israel's actions to defend itself against Hamas but stopped short of indicating one way or the other if he thought Israel's annexation of parts of the West Bank was something he supported. 

TRUMP'S UN AMBASSADOR NOMINEE ELISE STEFANIK SAYS PRESIDENT SEES ‘GREAT PROMISE’ IN THE UNITED NATIONS

"The idea would be that there not be conflict and the people could live side-by-side with one another without being in conflict and with the ability to pursue prosperity," Rubio said. "Sadly and unfortunately the conditions for that to exist have not been in place for a substantial period of time."

Rubio also repeatedly singled out China during his remarks in front of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee last week. "We welcomed the Chinese Communist Party into this global order. And they took advantage of all its benefits. But they ignored all its obligations and responsibilities," Rubio posited at his hearing. "Instead, they have lied, cheated, hacked and stolen their way to global superpower status, at our expense."

While Rubio did not face significant opposition to his confirmation, some Trump-aligned Republicans have expressed disdain over Rubio's willingness to certify the results of the 2020 election that Trump alleged was "stolen" from him. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who has been an outspoken supporter of less U.S. intervention, also questioned Rubio's hawkish stance on American intervention amid his confirmation to be secretary of state.