President Trump signed an executive order on Monday granting a "full, complete and unconditional pardon" to the vast majority of Jan. 6 defendants charged with participating in the Capitol riot four years ago.

Why it matters: Among the roughly 1,500 pardoned and 14 others whose sentences were commuted were leaders of the extremist groups Proud Boys and Oath Keepers who were convicted of the seditious conspiracy for their roles in the attack.

• Trump made pardoning Jan. 6 rioters a key campaign pledge, repeatedly extolling them as "patriots" and "hostages" of the justice system and claiming they'd been treated unfairly.
• It's a far cry from former President Biden's denouncement of the "violent insurrectionists" who threatened U.S. democracy in storming the Capitol.

Driving the news: Trump commuted the sentences of 14 defendants and issued pardons for all other "individuals convicted of offenses" connected to Jan. 6, according to the executive order.

• "These are the hostages, approximately 1,500 for a pardon, full pardon," Trump said from the Oval Office, as he signed a slew of other executive orders on his first night as president.

Zoom in: A lawyer for Henry "Enrique" Tarrio, who was sentenced to 22 years in prison after a jury found him guilty of seditious conspiracy over the deadly Capitol riot, confirmed to media that the former leader of the right-wing extremist Proud Boys group was among those pardoned by Trump.

• Among the rioters whose sentences Trump commuted was Stewart Rhodes, the founder of the far-right militia group Oath Keepers, to 18 years in prison after a jury found him guilty of seditious conspiracy.

Context: Seditious conspiracy is defined as when two or more people conspire to overthrow, destroy, seize the property of or levy war against the U.S. government, or to prevent the execution of any American law.

By the numbers: At least 1,583 people had been charged to date in connection with the insurrection, per Department of Justice data ahead of the Capitol riot's fourth anniversary.

• More than 1,000 defendants have pleaded guilty or been convicted at trial.
• The charges faced by the defendants have ranged from misdemeanors, like trespassing, to felony charges, like assaulting law enforcement officers or engaging in seditious conspiracy.

Zoom out: Pardoning insurrectionists convicted of crimes, including violent felonies, defies the GOP's image as the party of law and order. Future perpetrators of political violence could also expect to be met with clemency.

• Since 2021, multiple criminal and congressional investigations have sought to sift through the events of the attack and Trump's role in it.
• Trump was indicted in 2023 as part of special counsel Jack Smith's investigation into his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election. After Trump won the 2024 election, the case was dismissed.

State of play: During the campaign and transition period, Trump repeatedly promised to quickly pursue pardons for Jan. 6 rioters upon assuming the presidency.

• As recently as January, Trump vowed "major pardons" were coming for Jan. 6 defendants.
• In 2022, before he announced another run for office, Trump publicly promised pardons and said the defendants were being treated unfairly.

Over the years, he gave limited details about how broad the potential pardons would be.

• In an interview with NBC News' "Meet the Press" in December, Trump said there could be "some exceptions" for the pardons in cases where the defendant was "radical, crazy," but did not elaborate.
• He also told Time magazine he would determine the pardons on a "case-by-case" basis, but that the "vast majority" of defendants "should not be in jail."

What we're watching: In pardoning Jan. 6 defendants convicted of crimes, Trump is testing the limits of public opinion.

• A Washington Post-University of Maryland national poll released in December found that 66% of Americans opposed Trump's plan to issue pardons for the rioters.

Several federal judges had also opposed Trump's plan to issue pardons for the rioters.

• U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, a Trump appointee who has handled Jan. 6 cases, said in November that "blanket pardons for all January 6 defendants or anything close would be beyond frustrating and disappointing."
• While sentencing a member of the Oath Keepers militia last month, U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta said that the prospect of the group's founder Stewart Rhodes receiving a pardon "is frightening and ought to be frightening to anyone who cares about democracy in this country."

Go deeper: Trump downplays Jan. 6: "You had a peaceful transfer of power"

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

President Biden preemptively pardoned five family members on Monday, minutes before turning the office of the presidency over to Donald Trump.

Why it matters: Biden said the pardons protect his family against political attacks motivated "solely by a desire to hurt me."

• It's an extraordinary move that shields members of the Biden family from any efforts by the new administration to prosecute them.
• Follow Axios' live Inauguration Day coverage here.

Driving the news: Biden pardoned his brothers, James and Francis Biden, his sister, Valerie Biden, and their spouses.

• "The issuance of these pardons should not be mistaken as an acknowledgment that they engaged in any wrongdoing, nor should acceptance be misconstrued as an admission of guilt for any offense," Biden said in a statement.

What he's saying: "My family has been subjected to unrelenting attacks and threats, motivated solely by a desire to hurt me—the worst kind of partisan politics," Biden said in the White House announcement.

• "Unfortunately, I have no reason to believe these attacks will end."

Zoom out: Biden earlier on Monday issued preemptive pardons for former NIAID Director Anthony Fauci and members of the House Jan. 6 committee, including former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) and Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.).

• Biden also pardoned retired Army Gen. Mark Milley earlier on Monday.

Flashback: Joe Biden pardons Hunter Biden

Editor's note: This a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

President-elect Trump's inaugural ceremony Monday will take place inside the Capitol Rotunda due to the weather forecast in Washington, D.C., he posted on Truth Social.

The big picture: Ronald Reagan's 1985 presidential swearing-in was the last to move indoors because of cold temperatures.

Driving the news: Trump wrote on Truth Social that the decision to adjust the ceremony's plans was a safety consideration.

• "I don't want to see people hurt, or injured, in any way," Trump wrote, noting that the temperature lows could pose "dangerous conditions" for law enforcement personnel and spectators.
• Instead, Trump said he had ordered much of the proceedings moved to the Capitol Rotunda and that Washington, D.C.'s Capital One Arena would be opened to spectators to watch the ceremony live.
• Trump added that he would join the crowd at the arena after his swearing-in.

Zoom out: Air temperatures Monday are expected to hit the low- to mid-20s, with wind chills that could register between 12ºF and 14ºF.

• Though inaugurations have been held in colder weather, Trump's will be the coldest in several decades.

Go deeper: Abnormally cold weather forecast for Trump's inauguration

Editor's note: This story has been updated with changes throughout.

Eight years ago, Donald Trump took office with a dark message about "American carnage" — a nation ravaged by crime, poverty and drugs. As he returns to the White House on Monday, his team is stressing "unity" and "light."

Why it matters: It's unclear whether Trump's inaugural message will resist his typical doomsday rhetoric about the America he's inheriting, but the inauguration festivities he's planning do suggest a cheerier tone.

Zoom in: The schedule of inaugural events in Washington this weekend reflects that optimism.

• There's a "One America, One Light" prayer service for Trump donors and a "Candlelight Dinner," also for donors. One of the three main inaugural balls will be called the "Starlight Ball."
• "Light signifies hope, it signifies a new beginning, it signifies a pathway forward. It's really something that has been a theme for the inaugural, yes, but also a guiding principle for our team over the past couple months," a person familiar with Trump's inauguration plans told Axios.

Between the lines: In a December interview with NBC News, Trump — who has suggested he'd seek retribution against his political enemies if he were elected president again — said "unity" would the major message of his inaugural address.

• "I think success brings unity, and I've experienced that," he told NBC's Kristen Welker. "... Basically it's going to be about bringing our country together."
• Trump likely wants to use his address to "make sure people know he is a president for all Americans," the person familiar with the planning said.

Some of Trump's inauguration guests also have touted such optimism. Singer Carrie Underwood, who'll perform "America the Beautiful" at the swearing-in ceremony, said her decision to participate in the inauguration was "in the spirit of unity."

Zoom out: Trump also called for national unity after surviving an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania last summer, just before the Republican convention.

• In his speech at the convention — his first since the shooting — he began with a reflective, positive tone about unity.
• But after several minutes of that, Trump pivoted to an hour or so of the fiery, often grievance-filled rhetoric he was known for on the campaign trail.
• During the final weeks before the Nov. 5 election, Trump tapped into increasingly dark rhetoric. He called his political foes everything from "enemies" of the U.S. to "mentally disabled," and said the U.S. was an "occupied country" that must be "liberated" from criminal migrants who have "bad genes."
• Since winning reelection, Trump has continued to blast his adversaries and Biden administration policies.

The bottom line: The person familiar with the planning said they didn't want to speak for Trump, but he likely "does want to come out and be seen as a unifying force."

• "But ... that doesn't mean he's going to compromise on ... the policy necessarily, or campaign promises."

Go deeper: Trump picks historically young group of top officials

Donald Trump is about to become the oldest person ever sworn in as president — but he hopes to have the youngest group of top Cabinet officials and advisers of any president in more than three decades.

Why it matters: Even as he's sought to regain his grip on power, the once and future president has tried to build the next generation of his MAGA movement, as seen in his choice of JD Vance, 40, as his vice president.

Driving the news: The average age of Trump's picks for VP, chief of staff, attorney general and secretaries of State, Treasury and Defense is 54.1 — the youngest since the start of George H.W. Bush's presidency in 1989, an Axios analysis found.

• The elder Bush — who was 64 when he took the oath of office — had a top staff with an average age of 51.5, the youngest in nearly half a century.
• Like Trump, Bush also picked a considerably younger VP: Dan Quayle, then 41.

Between the lines: The Cabinet Trump envisions is an average of five years younger than his Cabinet at the start of his first term in 2017.

• Vance will be the third-youngest VP in U.S. history.
• If confirmed, Pete Hegseth, 44, would be the youngest Defense secretary since Donald Rumsfeld during the Ford administration. Rumsfeld served at 43.
• Outside of the core Cabinet positions, Trump chose Elise Stefanik, 40, and Tulsi Gabbard, 43, for top government roles.
• Vivek Ramaswamy, 39, will also have a strong voice within the next administration as co-chair of the Department of Government Efficiency along with Elon Musk, 53.

Zoom in: Trump's chief of staff, Florida politics veteran Susie Wiles, is slightly older than most recent chiefs of staff at 67.

• But Trump has filled other key White House positions with a crop of young advisers.
• Stephen Miller, 39, will be deputy chief of staff for policy.
• Karoline Leavitt, 27, is poised to be the youngest White House press secretary in history.

Zoom out: Age was a central theme of the 2024 campaign, with voters having deep concerns about President Biden's ability to start a four-year term at 82.

• Biden's disastrous debate performance in June led to Vice President Harris, 60, replacing him at the top of the Democratic ticket.
• In the campaign's aftermath, the Democratic Party has grappled with calls for generational change within its top ranks.

The bottom line: Trump has broken the mold with many of his top Cabinet picks, often elevating loyalists who don't have significant relevant experience for their new roles.

• Many of his selections are part of his bid to disrupt the status quo within the agencies and organizations they've been tasked to lead, Axios' Mike Allen and Jim VandeHei have reported.

Go deeper: Trump's Cabinet disruptors soften key views as hearings loom

The Democratic National Committee is tapping veterans of the wildly popular @KamalaHQ social media team for a new rapid response push ahead of Donald Trump's return to office, Axios learned.

Why it matters: The push is the latest sign of the party's efforts to rebrand and bring in new audiences after a disappointing 2024 cycle.

Driving the news: The new rapid response @FactPostNews initiative will try to combat online misinformation and respond to Trump administration actions by pushing out memes, videos and graphics.

• The account will be run by many of the same people who led the @KamalaHQ social media account during the 2024 campaign.
• @FactPostNews will start on X, Threads, and Bluesky and will eventually expand to TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram.
• "The Republican disinformation machine is powerful, but we believe a stronger weapon is giving people the facts about how Trump and his administration are screwing over the American people," DNC chief mobilization officer Shelby Cole said in a statement.

Between the lines: The account will also take a branding cue from social media accounts that have huge, loyal followings, such as PopCrave and PopBase.

• The war room relaunch is the latest example of the Democratic Party trying to sharpen its online presence — particularly on alternative media platforms — after the election revealed that Trump's media strategy broke through.

Zoom out: The DNC is also teeing up fresh economic attacks on Trump as he takes office, per a memo obtained by Axios.

• Over the next several weeks of confirmation hearings, the DNC will try to spotlight the personal wealth of many of Trump's picks for key government positions, per the memo.
• Trump's projected Cabinet is worth at least $10 billion, according to research by Axios' Zach Basu and the nonprofit Americans for Tax Fairness.
• The DNC will also warn that Trump's proposed policies will walk back some of the economic progress made under President Biden.
• "Trump's MAGA loyalists in Congress are gearing up to push through these unfit billionaire picks and Trump's anti-working families agenda," the memo reads.

Zoom out: The economy — and Trump's repeated focus on it on the campaign trail — was a major reason for his victory in November.

• As the candidate associated with the incumbency, Vice President Harris struggled to make a compelling economic pitch to voters.

The bottom line: It's never too early to start messaging for 2028 (and 2026).

• With their new initiatives out this week, the DNC is signaling where its priorities will lie, at least in the beginning days of the new Trump administration: Economic messaging and refining their digital outreach.

Go deeper: Dems warm to conservative media after rough 2024

Attorney General Merrick Garland in a court filing on Wednesday said the Justice Department plans to release publicly special counsel Jack Smith's findings on Donald Trump's alleged efforts to subvert 2020 election results.

Why it matters: Trump's federal 2020 election case was dropped after his presidential victory, and he has relentlessly fought any effort to release information about the investigation's findings.

• Garland in the Wednesday court filing said that the department will not release the investigation into Trump's handling of classified documents, as to "avoid any risk of prejudice" to Trump's co-defendants in the case, Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira, whose cases are still pending.
• Garland said that "for the time being," the report over Trump and his co-defendants' handling of classified documents will be "made available for in camera review" by the chair and ranking members of House and Senate Judiciary Committees.

The big picture: Lawyers for the Justice Department argued in the court filing Wednesday that there was no legal basis for preventing the release of the portion of the report related to Trump's election subversion case.

• The Justice Department also urged the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals to vacate U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon's temporary injunction on releasing any part of the report until three days after the circuit court's ruling on a similar emergency motion.
• The filing also noted that Smith had already transmitted a copy of the final report to Garland.

Zoom out: Cannon, who was appointed by Trump, has repeatedly faced scrutiny over her handling of Trump's classified documents case.

• Trump called Cannon a "brilliant judge" in a speech on Tuesday.
• In July, she dismissed the case on the basis that Smith's appointment was unconstitutional.
• Trump's federal Jan. 6 case was also dismissed in the wake of his election win.

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

President-elect Trump during a lengthy press conference on Tuesday did not rule out using the U.S. military to reclaim the Panama Canal or acquire Greenland.

Why it matters: Speaking for over an hour during his second press conference since winning the White House, Trump floated renaming the 'Gulf of Mexico' to 'Gulf of America' and reiterated that he's "looking at" pardoning Jan. 6 defendants.

Driving the news: Trump's far-reaching press conference comes just one day after Congress certified his 2024 presidential victory. Here's some of what he said:

• When asked by a reporter whether Trump would assure the world that he would not use military or economic coercion to gain control of Greenland and the Panama Canal, he said: "No, I can't assure you on either of those two."
• "I can say this, we need them for economic security," the president-elect said.
• Trump's remarks come as his son, Donald Trump Jr., is visiting Greenland on Tuesday, after the president-elect has signaled that the U.S. should try to acquire the territory.

Between the lines: Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino told the local newspaper La Estrella he will not respond to Trump's accusations about the Canal until the president-elect takes office Jan. 20.

• A defiant Mulino has previously suggested that Trump's comments didn't matter until he actually became president.

Gulf of Mexico: Trump also said that "we're going to be changing the name of Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, which has a beautiful ring."

• His remarks, which raise questions about how the renaming process would actually work, are the latest example of Trump flexing his power on the global stage before he takes office.
• Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) said Tuesday she plans to introduce legislation renaming the Gulf of Mexico the "Gulf of America."

Jan. 6 defendants: One day after the four year anniversary of the Capitol riot, Trump said that "we'll be looking at the whole thing, but I'll be making major pardons."

• He didn't specifically answer whether he would consider pardoning the Jan. 6 rioters who were charged with violent offenses.
• Trump on the campaign trail repeatedly said he would pardon the rioters who were charged in connection to Jan. 6 on his "first day" in office.

Hostages held by Hamas: Trump said that "all hell will break out in the Middle east" if the hostages held by Hamas are not released by the time he takes office.

• "And it will not be good for Hamas and it will not be good, frankly, for anyone. All hell will break out. I don't have to say anymore, but that's what it is."

Canada: Trump, who has mused about making Canada the 51st U.S. state, said that he would not use the military to make that happen but did not rule out using "economic force."

Zoom out: Trump earlier in his Tuesday press conference announced that billionaire Hussain Sajwani, chairman of Dubai-based developer Damac Properties, is investing at least $20 billion in the U.S. to back new data centers.

Go deeper: Trump announces $20 billion foreign investment in data centers

Axios' Ben Berkowitz contributed reporting.

Editor's note: This story has been updated with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's plans to introduce a bill to rename the Gulf of Mexico.

The deadly New Year's attacks in New Orleans and Las Vegas have officials in Washington, D.C., on high alert about potential security threats ahead of President-elect Trump's inauguration.

Why it matters: Concerns about a possible wave of nationwide violence come as extraordinary security precautions are already being put in place for both the inauguration and Congress' certification of the 2024 election.

• One senior House Democrat told Axios that this week's attacks have rattled many lawmakers.
• A House Republican said they are "very concerned about security" because "we saw real terrorism this week," noting that a Trump property apparently was targeted in the Las Vegas attack.
• Even before the attacks, some House Democrats said they planned to skip the inauguration out of fear for their safety.

Driving the news: In New Orleans, a man identified as 42-year-old U.S. Army veteran Shamsud-Din-Jabbar allegedly drove his pickup truck onto a sidewalk on crowded Bourbon Street, killing at least 14 people and injuring dozens.

• And in Las Vegas, a Tesla Cybertruck containing fireworks and fuel exploded outside Trump's Las Vegas hotel, killing the driver and injuring seven others.

What they're saying: D.C.'s Metropolitan Police Department said Wednesday that it has "heightened its security posture" in response to the attacks.

• "As we approach upcoming major events in the District of Columbia, MPD will continue working with our local and federal partners to assess potential threats and make any necessary adjustments," the department said in a statement.
• D.C.'s Metro Transit Police also said they've "heightened security," including an "increased police presence" on public transit.

Zoom in: For the first time, the Department of Homeland Security has designated Congress' certification of presidential electors on Jan. 6 as a National Special Security Event — the same level of protection as inaugurations and the Super Bowl.

• It will be the first time since the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021, that Congress meets to certify a presidential election — though, unlike in 2021, there are no serious efforts to try to overturn the election results.
• U.S. Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger told WTOP last month that security for Jan. 6 will be "night and day" from what it was four years ago.
• Fences have already been erected around the Capitol warning would-be trespassers about federal law that prohibits entering restricted grounds.

Both D.C. law enforcement agencies said Thursday there are "no known threats" to events in the city. U.S. Capitol Police said they have "already been ramping up security, as planned, ahead of a busy month."

• A senior House member with knowledge of the security preparations told Axios that the Capitol is "well fortified" and that "frankly, given all the steps we've taken ... we're about as secure as we've ever been."
• Even so, the lawmaker added that "we're obviously monitoring all of this. The violence everywhere is beyond troubling. ... There are ongoing concerns."

Zoom out: The New Year's attacks come amid a period of growing political violence, including a steady years-long rise in threats targeting members of Congress.

• The Jan. 6 attack, the 2021 Good Friday car attack, the assault of Paul Pelosi, a series of raucous Gaza-related protests and the two assassination attempts against Trump have fueled the push for tight security.
• Over Thanksgiving, Trump appointees and lawmakers from New England had their homes targeted by hoax bomb threats.

Go deeper: Congress shaken but not surprised by "unsettling" bomb threats

Former Democratic President Jimmy Carter died at age 100 on Sunday afternoon, the Carter Center said.

The big picture: President Joe Biden appointed Jan. 9 as a national day of mourning for Carter and U.S. flags will fly at half-staff on all federal buildings, grounds and naval vessels for 30 days as per federal protocols, according to a Sunday night White House statement.

• Biden said in a statement earlier Sunday that he will order a full state funeral for Carter, though no additional information was immediately announced.

Zoom in: As the nation's 39th president, Carter said he tried to forge a "competent and compassionate" U.S. government.

• A former peanut farmer and U.S. Navy nuclear physicist, Carter led a life of service that started well before his first elected office on the Sumter County, Georgia, Board of Education — and endured long after his presidency.
• He has often been called the "nation's greatest former president" for the humanitarian work he conducted in his more than four decades after Washington.
• Carter, the nation's longest-living former president and first to reach triple digits, began receiving hospice care at home in February 2023 after a series of short hospital stays, the Carter Center announced at the time.

Driving the news: "Jimmy Carter, 39th president of the United States and winner of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, died peacefully Sunday, Dec. 29, at his home in Plains, Georgia, surrounded by his family," per a statement.

• Carter's son, Chip Carter, said in the statement that his father "was a hero, not only to me but to everyone who believes in peace, human rights, and unselfish love."
• "The world is our family because of the way he brought people together, and we thank you for honoring his memory by continuing to live these shared beliefs," Chip Carter said.
• The Carter Center said that there will be observances held in both Atlanta and Washington, D.C.

Flashback: Carter's wife of 77 years, Rosalynn, died in November 2023 at the age of 96. The former first lady, a lifelong mental health advocate, had been diagnosed with dementia earlier in the year and entered hospice days before her death.

• A 99-year-old Jimmy Carter traveled to Atlanta for her memorial service and attended her funeral in their hometown of Plains.
• Biden and first lady Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, first gentleman Doug Emhoff, former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton attended the Atlanta service.
• All living former first ladies — Melania Trump, Michelle Obama and Laura Bush — were also there.
• Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter had the longest presidential marriage.

Looking back on Carter’s life

Carter was born on Oct. 1, 1924, in the small farming town of Plains at a hospital where his mother worked as a nurse. He was the first future president born in a hospital.

• Carter, the oldest of four, grew up picking peanuts on his family's farm. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1946, becoming the first future president to graduate from the academy.
• That same year he married Rosalynn, a fellow Plains native who had known Carter her entire life.
• Carter served in Norfolk, Virginia, and Hawai’i before joining the Navy's nuclear submarine program in Schenectady, New York, as a nuclear physicist. When his father died in 1953, Carter resigned to run the family's farms and seed and supply company with Rosalynn — against her wishes.
• Following a stint on his local Sumter County Board of Education, Carter ran for the Georgia State Senate in 1962. While he initially lost in the Democratic primary, he successfully proved his opponent had won based on voter fraud. A judge threw out the results, and Carter held the office for two terms.
• After a failed gubernatorial campaign in 1966, Carter was elected governor of Georgia in 1970. While his campaign sought the support of segregationists, his inaugural address shocked many when he declared "the time for discrimination is over." His administration emphasized ecology, efficiency in government and the removal of racial barriers.

Carter's presidential term

Though largely unknown in national politics, Carter announced his candidacy for president in December 1974 and accepted the Democratic nomination in July 1976. (An Atlanta Constitution editorial declared: "Jimmy Carter is running for what!?")

• On Nov. 2, 1976 — during the country's bicentennial year — Carter and his running mate, Walter Mondale defeated incumbent Republican President Gerald Ford.
• Carter's presidential victories included arranging the Camp David Accords that established a peace agreement between Egypt and Israel, the ratification of the Panama Canal treaties, and the normalization of diplomatic relations between the U.S. and China.
• Under his administration, 8 million jobs were created and the budget deficit decreased. He championed environmental and renewable energy policies, had solar panels installed on the White House, protected more than 100 million acres of land in Alaska, and signed the Environmental Protection Agency's "Superfund" hazardous waste cleanup program into law.
• Carter championed industry deregulation including aviation, transportation and telecommunications, established the Education Department and appointed record numbers of women and people of color to government positions.
• His term was marred by rising energy costs, climbing inflation and interest rates, and a struggle to negotiate the release of 52 Americans held hostage in the U.S. Embassy in Tehran.
• In 2023, the New York Times confirmed that in 1980, allies of Carter's political opponent, former California Gov. Ronald Reagan, secretly urged Iran not to release the hostages until after the election — something Carter allies had long suspected. (The hostages were released minutes after Reagan's inauguration in 1981.)

What he said: Carter often recalled how proud he was to have kept the U.S. out of war for his four years in office.

• "We kept our country at peace. We never went to war. We never dropped a bomb. We never fired a bullet. But still we achieved our international goals," he told The Guardian in 2011.

Post-presidency

After his defeat to Reagan in 1980, the Carters returned to Plains and the family peanut business, which had been run into debt while in a blind trust during his presidency.

• In 1982, the Carters founded the Atlanta-based Carter Center — which today houses his presidential library and an active, influential nongovernmental organization focused on "waging peace, fighting disease and building hope."
• The center has undertaken a broad range of global programs, including conflict negotiation, election monitoring, and funding treatments to eradicate diseases such as river blindness and Guinea worm.

Carter was awarded the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to bring peace to international conflicts and advance democracy and human rights.

• From the end of his presidency until 2020, Carter regularly taught Sunday school at his home Baptist church, often with hundreds of people lining up overnight to attend.
• Since 1984, he and Rosalynn remained devoted to one of their favorite causes: volunteering for Habitat for Humanity, which builds and restores homes for individuals and families in need.
• In 2015, doctors discovered a form of melanoma that spread to Carter's brain. Remarkably, four months later he announced that he was cancer-free.
• In March 2019, at 94 years and 172 days, he became the longest-living former president in U.S. history. He and Rosalynn attended every presidential inauguration since his own in 1977 until 2021.
• The Bidens visited the Carters in April 2021. Biden and Carter built a long-standing friendship over decades. (In 1976, the first presidential endorsement that then-Gov. Carter got from an elected official outside of Georgia came from a young Sen. Biden.)
• Weeks after his 100th birthday, Carter cast a mail ballot for Harris in the 2024 election.

Carter leaves behind four children — John William (Jack), James Earl III (Chip), Donnel Jeffery (Jeff), and Amy — and more than two dozen grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

More from Axios:

• Jimmy Carter's life in photos
• 10 memorable Jimmy Carter quotes
• "A man of great character": All 5 living presidents pay tribute to Jimmy Carter

Editor's note: This article has been updated to include details of President Biden's Sunday night statement.

The once-fringe idea of Democrats appearing on conservative-leaning media is suddenly going mainstream in the wake of the party's 2024 election losses.

Why it matters: Nearly a dozen House Democrats tell Axios that party members need to increase their appearances on conservative-leaning and non-traditional platforms, or risk irrelevance.

• They say they no longer can look past the huge audiences offered by Fox News and conservative podcasts, whose messaging power became evident when Republicans swept the White House and both chambers of Congress in last month's election.
• "If half the country is watching and we gotta win 50% plus one, how can you reach anybody when you're not talking where they go?" Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) told Axios.

Driving the news: Most Democrats still prefer to stick to friendly outlets such as MSNBC or the more neutral CNN, where they can typically avoid confrontations and adversarial interviews.

• "I think one of the lessons learned from the 2024 election is that we have all but ceded alternative media to the conservative movement," said Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.).
• "If we have confidence in our message, we should be prepared to take our message to every corner of the ecosystem — including in politically hostile environments."

Zoom in: Some Democrats — inside and outside of Congress — have expressed post-election jealousy over how President-elect Trump used a hyper-focused media strategy to connect with specific voter demographics, particularly young men, by appearing on podcasts and YouTube shows with massive followings.

• Democrats say many of their own campaigns — from Vice President Harris' on down — focused too much on friendly outlets with declining audiences that already agreed with them.

Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine) — who was re-elected in a district where Trump defeated Harris by nearly 10 percentage points — outlined a more local approach to this strategy.

• Golden told Axios that he goes on local conservative radio shows in Maine: "You've got to contest every corner ... Otherwise all they hear is what's said about you by the other side."

Zoom out: Adversarial media appearances by Democrats were rare during Trump's first presidency until several 2020 Democratic presidential candidates — including Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg — appeared in Fox News town halls.

• As transportation secretary, Buttigieg has gone further, using Fox as a venue to clinically defend Democrats' positions while skewering Republicans in front of many of their own voters.
• But only now — in the wake of 2024's election disappointments and amid calls for a Democratic rebrand— is Buttigieg's approach being widely embraced.

Between the lines: As cable news networks face declining viewership numbers across the board, Fox News Channel is still maintaining its relevance. It ended 2024 as the most-watched network during the election cycle — and saw increasing viewership among Democrats and independents.

• Fox News was the most-watched news network across the seven swing states last month's election.

Even progressives are beginning to embrace the idea of expanding Democrats' media reach: "My view is, as much engagement as possible is good," Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) told Axios.

• Rep. Becca Balint (D-Vt.), another progressive, told Axios that "as a gay woman, I have a particular view on the world and I actually think that it could be really helpful in this moment."

Several Democrats told Axios that revamping their party's media strategy should involve much more than simply going on conservative-leaning media.

• Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.), co-chair of House Democrats' political messaging arm, underscored that appearing on conservative media is important, but it's not "where the jackpot is."
• "We need to speak to people who don't consume news as a hobby.... That's not just going on Fox News ... it's going on places of culture, sports, different things like that," he said.

The other side: Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) is among the Democrats who are more skeptical about engaging with conservative media.

• "People that watch Fox News have their minds made up about the type of rhetoric that they want to listen to," Crockett said.
• "God bless those that go on there, but I don't think that we're really changing the minds of the people that have decided that they want to watch that bullsh*t," she added.

The bottom line: Beyond simply going on alternative media himself, Moskowitz said he has actively been trying to persuade colleagues to follow his lead.

• Asked whether he thinks he's changed some minds, he told Axios: "I think I have, because I think you're seeing the number of people increasing that are doing that."

Go deeper: Fetterman on an island as he reaches out to MAGA

The U.S. House failed to pass a bill to extend federal funding on Thursday night — just one day before the government is set to shut down.

Why it matters: The spending measure's demise prolongs a chaotic fight that has seen House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) forced to repeatedly change tactics.

• The Trump-backed bill failed to garner the necessary two-thirds majority, with more than three dozen Republicans and nearly all Democrats opposing it.
• The level of GOP opposition signals that Republican leaders will have difficulty trying to bring it up under another process.

Driving the news: The final vote was 235 members voting against the bill and 174 voting in favor — with 38 Republicans voting against the measure and two Democrats voting in support.

State of play: Johnson had initially cut a deal with Democratic leaders on a nearly 1,550 page bill to extend government funding until March 14.

• The bill was packed with bipartisan legislative priorities, including disaster relief, farm aid and a pay raise for members of Congress.
• But the GOP's right-flank descended on the measure, with billionaire-turned-Trump-adviser Elon Musk emerging as a particular critic, culminating in Trump torpedoing it on Wednesday.
• Johnson then scrambled to rewrite the bill, cutting several provisions and tacking on a two-year debt ceiling extension that Trump demanded.

What they're saying: Democrats emerged from a closed-door meeting Thursday uniformly opposed to the bill and furious at Republicans for going back on the initial deal.

• "To come back with this proposal which demolishes loads of significant things that were in the agreement, is an affront and an insult especially because they didn't even consult our leadership," said Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.).
• The revised bill was also insufficient for some conservative deficit hawks, with Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) among the bill's opponents.

Go deeper: House Democrats land on "hell no" on GOP spending deal

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

The Georgia Court of Appeals ruled Thursday to disqualify Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis from President-elect Trump's state 2020 election interference case over a conflict of interest.

Why it matters: It's another major legal victory for Trump, who has repeatedly accused Willis of impropriety due to a relationship with the lead prosecutor on the case.

• The Georgia 2020 election case is Trump's last remaining criminal case that was set to go to trial. Two federal cases against him have been dropped since his election win.
• Willis' disqualification casts the case into limbo, while Trump is also fighting to have his New York hush money case thrown out following his May 2024 conviction.

Driving the news: "After carefully considering the trial court's findings in its order, we conclude that it erred by failing to disqualify DA Willis and her office," the Georgia appeals court said in its ruling.

• The court noted that "an appearance of impropriety generally is not enough to support disqualification," but said this is a "rare case" in which "no other remedy" but disqualification "will suffice to restore public confidence in the integrity of these proceedings."
• The appeals court stopped short of throwing out the charges Willis' office brought against Trump in the case, writing in its ruling, "We affirm, however, the denial of the appellants' motion to dismiss the indictment."

What's next: The case appears headed to Georgia's Supreme Court after the state filed its notice of intent to appeal on Thursday, hours after the ruling came down.

• There is no timeline for when the case might be heard or when a ruling will be issued.

Catch up quick: Thursday's decision reverses an earlier ruling that Willis and her office could stay on the case if special prosecutor Nathan Wade, with whom she had a romantic relationship, stepped aside.

• Judge Scott McAfee in March ruled that despite the "appearance of impropriety, " Willis' relationship with Wade brought no conflict of interest. Defense lawyers had argued that she improperly benefited from Wade taking part in the case.

What they're saying: Trump said the Georgia case is "entirely dead" when speaking to Fox News Digital on Thursday.

• He added that the "wonderful patriots" involved in the case — the 18 co-defendants indicted alongside him — should "receive an apology."

Trump spokesperson Steven Chung said in a statement that Americans have "demanded an immediate end to the political weaponization of our justice system" and want a "swift dismissal of all the Witch Hunts against him."

The big picture: Trump and 18 co-defendants were indicted in August 2023 over alleged efforts to overturn Georgia's 2020 election results.

• The initial 41-count indictment has since been whittled down by McAfee, but Trump still faces eight charges in the case, down from the original 13.
• Several of the 19 co-defendants in the case accepted plea deals. Trump has pleaded not guilty.

Editor's note: This story was updated with reaction, additional details from the ruling and background.

President-elect Trump said "everybody wants to be my friend" as he prepares to return to the White House, a notable shift from his first term where "everybody was fighting me."

Why it matters: Trump's first press conference since winning back the White House was a sprawling affair that that touched on everything from supposed drone spottings, the parade of tech CEOs seeking his time, and pardoning embattled New York City Mayor Eric Adams.

• "I don't know, my personality changed or something," Trump said on Monday, in response to a question about his recent meeting with Apple CEO Tim Cook. He said that he was also planning to meet with Amazon founder Jeff Bezos in the coming days.

Driving the news: Trump answered questions on a number of topics. Here's what else the president-elect said:

• Eric Adams: Trump said he would consider pardoning the New York City Mayor who was indicted on bribery and fraud charges earlier this fall. "I think that he was treated pretty unfairly."
• Drones: "The government knows what is happening. Look, our military knows where they took off from," Trump said of recent drone sightings.
• "They know where it came from and where it went and for some reason they don't want to comment."
• U.S. Postal Service: "There is talk about the postal service being taken private ... not the worst idea I've ever heard, it really isn't," Trump said, adding that "we're looking at" privatizing the service.
• Sen. Marco Rubio's seat: Trump said that he's not sure whether Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will select Lara Trump, the president-elect's daughter-in-law, to replace Rubio's seat after he was selected as secretary of state.
• "I don't know. Ron's doing a good job, it's his choice. Nothing to do with me," Trump said. "Lara's unbelievable," he said in praise of the former RNC co-chair.
• Media lawsuits: Trump said that he would sue pollster Ann Selzer and The Des Moines Register over their poll that found Vice President Harris leading over Trump by three percentage points days before the election.
• "I'm not doing this because I want to, I'm doing this because I feel I have an obligation to," Trump said.
• ABC recently agreed to donate $15 million to Trump's museum foundation to settle a suit over comments by anchor George Stephanopoulos.
• 'DOGE': Trump said that Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will eliminate "hundreds of billions of dollars of waste and fraud" through the newly created Department of Government Efficiency. Trump said they're looking to save "maybe $2 trillion."

Between the lines: Trump's press conference stands in stark contrast to President Biden's relatively low number of press conferences during his term.

Go deeper: Takeaways from Trump's "Meet the Press" interview

Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) has become a voice of bipartisanship, making moves that he tells Axios are "responsible and completely appropriate" — but that are putting him on an island, apart from other Democrats.

• As the vast majority of Democrats on Capitol Hill fume over many of Donald Trump's Cabinet picks and his plans for a second term, Fetterman is showing a rare willingness to engage with parts of MAGA world.

Why it matters: It's easy to think Fetterman could be a new version of Democrat-turned-independent Joe Manchin, a West Virginian who occasionally has frustrated Democrats and the Biden administration with his legislative demands.

• That would be wrong. Fetterman — the casually attired challenger of the Senate's suit-and-tie tradition — is a reliable Democratic vote who's emerging as an independent voice within his party simply by emphasizing the need to talk more with the other side.

Driving the news: This week, Fetterman became the first Democratic senator to agree to meet with Trump's embattled pick to lead the Pentagon, Pete Hegseth.

• Fetterman's decision to meet with Hegseth is likely to face backlash from some of his Democratic colleagues who are infuriated by Trump's choice of Hegseth, who's battling allegations involving drinking and sexual misconduct.

What he's saying: But Fetterman, who has shrugged as the progressive wing of his party tossed darts his way over his strong support for Israel during the Gaza war, told Axios that he sees meeting with Hegseth as an important part of the democratic process — and good politics.

• If Hegseth is "going to be the head of one of the most important parts of our government, then do you think I'm doing a job by flipping anyone off and saying, 'I'm not going to talk to him or just have a conversation?' " he asked.
• Fetterman said it would be "reckless and .... would be distressing if we're willing to completely turn our back" on conversations with people who could have leadership positions in Trump's administration.
• Fetterman is a rare Democrat who has publicly backed Trump's pick of Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) to serve as ambassador to the United Nations.

Between the lines: Fetterman staunchly rejects any comparisons to Manchin or Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.), both of whom are leaving the Senate next month and have been repeated thorns in Democrats' side.

• "I'm not leaving my party, I just happen to have reasonable views and I don't know why that's controversial," Fetterman told the New York Times in October, when asked about his break with his party's progressive wing.

Zoom in: Fetterman's political calculus is evident — he represents a politically divided swing state that went for Trump and ousted Pennsylvania's senior senator, Democrat Bob Casey, in last month's election.

• That's likely a big reason why he's also become one of a few Democrats who — like Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, a regular guest on Fox News — is willing to engage with conservative-leaning platforms.
• Fetterman jumped onto Trump-owned Truth Social this week, joining a relatively small number of Democrats — none of them in the Senate — who are on the platform.
• His first post called Trump's criminal hush-money case in New York — and Hunter Biden's conviction — "bullshit," and said the president-elect should be pardoned, just as President Biden's son was.
• In November, Fetterman went on Joe Rogan's popular podcast, which many Democrats had been urging Vice President Harris to go on as the party's presidential nominee this fall.
• "It's really a simple rule: I'll have a conversation with anyone, if they're playing it straight, I'm going to do the same and engage," Fetterman said.

State of play: Any outlier acts by Fetterman could be amplified next year when the Senate loses strong swing state and red-state voices in Manchin, Sinema and Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.).

• Given the politics of his state, Fetterman often casts his willingness to engage with MAGA-world as pragmatism, even as some of his Democratic colleagues plot the "Resistance" against Trump's agenda.
• "If you're in a hard blue state," Fetterman told Axios, "you have the luxury to say all kinds of things."

Go deeper: Jeffries takes charge of the Democratic resistance

More than a dozen congressional Democrats plan to sit out President-elect Trump's inauguration, and many more are anxiously grappling with whether to attend, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: Not every Democrat skipping the ceremony will do so to protest Trump — but a formal boycott is materializing as a first act of resistance against the incoming president.

• For many Democrats, the scars of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol remain fresh in the mind, marking Trump as a threat to democracy.
• "For somebody who he said he's going to lock me up, I don't see the excitement in going to see his inauguration," former Jan. 6 committee chair Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) told Axios.

State of play: Martin Luther King Jr. Day coinciding with the Jan. 20 inaugural ceremony gives many Democrats an easy out, though others planning to stay away cited a distaste for inaugurations, a loathing of Trump — and even fears for their safety.

• Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.) said that as a Latina, she doesn't "feel safe coming" with Trump's supporters pouring in for the ceremony. "I'm not going to physically be in D.C. on that day," she told Axios.
• Similarly, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) said that attending MLK Day events instead "makes sense, because why risk any chaos that might be up here?"
• For other members, the reasoning is more mundane: Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) "almost never attends inaugurations" and has only been to two during his 28 years in office, his spokesperson told Axios.

What we're hearing: Incoming Progressive Caucus chair Greg Casar (D-Texas), who hasn't decided whether to attend, told Axios, "I think you'll have some number of Democrats who go and a substantial number who don't."

• "There are civil rights organizations that are trying to set up alternatives," said Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas), adding that Trump's inauguration "seems like the worst place to spend Martin Luther King Day."
• Several progressives predicted that the boycott won't be confined solely to the party's left flank.

Zoom in: Dozens of Democrats boycotted Trump's first inauguration in 2017, led by the now-deceased congressman and civil rights icon John Lewis.

• But the Jan. 6 attack, for which Democrats hold Trump squarely responsible, has added a new layer of disgust for some.
• Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) told Axios he "cannot be a part of that spectacle" as someone who was "locked in my office ... as the insurrectionists tried to overthrow our government."
• "I was trapped in the [House] gallery on Jan. 6," Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-Texas) said, explaining her intention to skip the ceremonies.

Between the lines: Many undecideds are painfully trying to balance their sense of obligation with their detestation for Trump, as USA Today first detailed on Thursday.

• Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.) expressed alignment with his colleagues who cannot bring themselves to go — but said he also believes members of Congress are "supposed to go to all of that stuff."
• "I'm struggling," the veteran lawmaker conceded.

The other side: A sizable number of Democrats are prepared to grit their teeth and show up — if only to try to rebuild public faith in national institutions after the events that followed the 2020 election.

• "I'm planning to attend ... because I believe in the peaceful transition of power and I respect the Office of the President," Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) told Axios.
• Rep. Becca Balint (D-Vt.) said progressives "are coming down in different ways," but that she feels "it's important that we try to establish norms again" after Jan. 6.

The bottom line: For many lawmakers, the question simply isn't a priority at the moment.

• Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), asked whether he plans to attend, told Axios: "Pssh, is that the burning issue of the day?"

Axios' Stephen Neukam and Stef Kight contributed reporting for this story.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s campaign manager and daughter-in-law Amaryllis Fox Kennedy is making a push to serve as deputy director at the CIA next year — and RFK Jr. is making calls on her behalf, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: Fox Kennedy, an integral member of Kennedy's campaign, wrote a memoir detailing nearly a decade working at the CIA. The deputy director position does not require Senate confirmation.

• President-elect Trump, who has signaled plans to try to overhaul U.S. intelligence agencies during his second term, has already named former intelligence director John Ratcliffe to lead the CIA.
• The deputy position is one of the highest-profile intelligence jobs that remains open. Politico reported last month that Kash Patel, who has been tapped for FBI director, and Cliff Sims, a former Trump administration official, were jockeying for the role.
• Fox Kennedy did not respond to Axios outreach for this story.

Zoom in: Fox Kennedy in 2019 published a memoir, "Life Undercover: Coming of Age in the CIA," that provided one of the most detailed personal accounts of life in the agency.

• Fox Kennedy has said she was recruited by the CIA in her early 20s, becoming one of the youngest female officers at the agency.
• She said she was a "nonofficial cover," meaning she posed as a citizen under a fake identity and had no diplomatic protections.

Between the lines: Fox Kennedy reportedly submitted the memoir to the book publisher without getting sign off from the CIA's Publication Review Board, stirring controversy within the agency.

• The board is supposed to approve any material from officers before becoming public to ensure that key intelligence matters remain secret, freelance journalist Yashar Ali reported at the time.

State of play: Fox Kennedy, who took over as Kennedy's campaign manager in October 2023, led his presidential bid as he navigated the arduous task of trying to get on the ballot in all 50 states as an independent candidate.

• Kennedy suspended his campaign in August and backed Trump.
• In November, Trump nominated Kennedy to serve as director of the Department of Health and Human Services.

What they're saying: "President-Elect Trump has made brilliant decisions on who will serve in his second Administration at lightning pace," Trump-Vance transition spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.

• "Remaining decisions will continue to be announced by him when they are made."
• A spokesperson for the Kennedy team did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.

Go deeper: Trump's plan to revamp the Justice Department

President Biden's pardon of his son Hunter ignited a debate over whether Biden was abusing his power for personal reasons, but he'll have to issue well over 100 more in his last few weeks in office to come close to his predecessors' totals.

Why it matters: The final days of a presidency are the season of pardons, as presidents seek to right what they see as judicial wrongs before they leave D.C. And after Biden's controversial pardon of his son, he's facing enormous pressure to flex his clemency muscle.

By the numbers: Biden actually has been reluctant to show mercy — handing out just 26 pardons and commuting 135 criminal sentences since he took office in January 2021. He's granted just 1.2% of the requests he's received, according to data from the Justice Department's Office of the Pardon Attorney.

• President-elect Trump — who had fewer acts of clemency than his recent predecessors during his first term — had granted 29 pardons at this point in 2020.
• But in the final weeks as the nation's 45th president, Trump nearly quintupled his number of pardons, ending with a total of 144.

What they're saying: White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said this week that Biden — now being deluged with requests — is "thinking through that process [of end-of-year clemency announcements] very thoroughly."

• "I''m not going to get ahead of the president on this, but you could expect more ... pardons and clemency at the end of this term," she said.

Zoom in: Barack Obama, who had the most clemency grants of any president since Harry Truman, ended his two terms with 212 pardons and a whopping 1,715 commutations, far more than any recent president.

• The bulk of Obama's commutations cleared sentences for prisoners who had been convicted of drug charges.

Between the lines: Biden's decision to pardon his son drew outrage from Republicans and some Democrats who criticized the president for reneging on his promise not to pardon his son on gun and drug charges.

• But Biden is hardly the first president to grant a controversial, 11th-hour pardon family member or friend.
• On Bill Clinton's last day in office in 2001, he pardoned his half-brother, Roger Clinton Jr. — whose Secret Service code name was "Headache" — for his 1985 convictions on cocaine possession and drug trafficking. Roger Clinton was among 176 people pardoned that day.
• In 1974, Gerald Ford granted a "full, free and absolute pardon" to former President Nixon in an attempt to help the nation move on from the Watergate scandal that had led Nixon to resign.
• Ford paid a political price two years later when he lost the presidential election to Democrat Jimmy Carter, who campaigned on a promise to never lie to the American people.

Trump notoriously used his clemency power for people to whom he had personal or political ties. Weeks after he lost the 2020 presidential election, Trump pardoned Roger Stone, Paul Manafort and Charles Kushner, among others.

• Manafort was a former Trump campaign manager who'd been sentenced to seven years in prison for bank and tax fraud and other crimes. Stone, a GOP operative and Trump loyalist, had been convicted of lying to Congress in the federal probe into Russia's interference in the 2016 election.
• Kushner, Ivanka Trump's father-in-law, was pardoned after serving two years in prison for tax evasion and retaliating against a federal witness. Trump now has nominated Kushner, a fellow billionaire, to be the U.S. ambassador to France.

The intrigue: Biden's White House is considering giving preemptive pardons to officials who could be targets for prosecution by the incoming Trump administration, Politico's Jonathan Martin reported.

• Trump repeatedly has vowed to use the government to retaliate against his political enemies.

Go deeper: Congress hands Biden a huge Hunter-driven pardon wishlist

Vivek Ramaswamy told Axios' Mike Allen at the Aspen Security Forum on Wednesday that he's "hopeful" that slashing the federal workforce could be "good for many of the individuals who make a transition from government service back to the private sector."

Why it matters: As co-chair alongside Elon Musk of the newly created "Department of Government Efficiency," Ramaswamy hopes to dramatically reduce federal government headcount.

• He said Wednesday that the reduction is not "really about saving costs," but addressing what he sees as an "overgrown federal government that is doing things that were never supposed to be done by the federal government in the first place."

What he's saying: Ramaswamy believes that cutting the workforce will improve the "productivity" of the U.S. economy, "because I don't believe that the highest and best use of any of those talented people is what they're doing in the federal government today."

• He said that because cutting the size of the workforce is not about cost-cutting, it gives DOGE "a lot of latitude" to treat federal employees and their families "in a respectful way, in a way that doesn't leave them in a lurch, it might even be by private sector standards, generous in transitioning."

Reality check: Despite that optimistic view, federal workers are unlikely to thank Ramaswamy for recommending they lose their jobs.

Between the lines: When he was running for president last year, Ramaswamy said that he would immediately fire 50% of "federal bureaucrats" if he was elected.

• But actually achieving those cuts will be much harder in practice, especially given that DOGE is only a non-governmental advisory committee.
• Musk and Ramaswamy could also face blowback from lawmakers who don't want their constituents who are federal employees to be out of work.

Go deeper: Vivek Ramaswamy to Axios: DOGE not planning cuts to Social Security, Medicare

Vivek Ramaswamy told Axios' Mike Allen at the Aspen Security Forum that it would be premature for his new efficiency commission — which he's co-leading with Elon Musk — to discuss sweeping cuts to Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid.

Why it matters: Those programs are by far the biggest lines in the federal budget, making them ripe targets for a commission with a mandate to slash spending. But cutting entitlements is also the third rail of American politics.

Ramaswamy said Wednesday that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) will look for waste and fraud in those programs, including people receiving payments who shouldn't be.

• But wholesale cuts to entitlements is "a policy decision that belongs to the voters" and their representatives in Congress, Ramaswamy said.

What he's saying: "Right now, there are hundreds of billions of dollars flowing out the door of all of those programs ending up in the hands of people who, even under the statute, should not be receiving those payments," Ramaswamy contended.

The big picture: Trump last month tapped Ramaswamy and Musk to run the new, non-governmental efficiency commission.

• The specifics of DOGE are still murky. But Trump has signaled he wants to give Musk and Ramaswamy broad authority to cut what they see as bloat within the government.
• Ramaswamy said he expects DOGE to recommend major cuts to the federal workforce as part of a broader mission to shrink the unelected "fourth branch of government."

Zoom in: Ramaswamy, who mounted an unsuccessful bid for president himself, became a vocal Trump ally following the GOP primary and became a possible contender to serve as Trump's running mate.

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

Go deeper: Musk and Ramaswamy take to X to recruit "revolutionaries" for DOGE