Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday announced new leadership and a potential restructuring of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the agency that leads foreign aid programs around the world.

Why it matters: President Trump's administration appears poised to dramatically overhaul, or attempt to shutter, the critical foreign aid agency, in a move that Democrats are sounding the alarm over.

• Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) head Elon Musk said Monday that Trump had "agreed" to "shut" USAID down. Musk railed against the agency over the weekend, labeling it as corrupt and wasteful.

The latest: The State Department announced Monday that Rubio had been appointed as USAID's new the acting administrator.

• In a letter to lawmakers from both parties Monday, Rubio accused USAID of having "conflicting, overlapping, and duplicative" activities with the State Department, which result in "discord in foreign relations," Punchbowl News reported.
• Rubio said he had appointed Trump loyalist Peter Marocco to oversee a review of the agency and "potential reorganization," which he said could include eliminating or downsizing certain programs.

Catch up quick: Employees of the agency were barred from entering its headquarters on Monday, AP reported.

• That came after two senior USAID officials were placed on administrative leave for barring DOGE representatives from internal systems during a recent visit.
• The agency's website recently went dark.
• Dozens of career officials were also put on administrative leave last week, the Washington Post reported, over accusations they tried to sidestep Trump's foreign aid freeze.

Here's what you need to know about the agency:

Why was USAID founded?

President John F. Kennedy founded USAID via executive order in 1961 to implement the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, which CRS describes as the "cornerstone" of the country's foreign assistance programs.

• USAID brought together several existing foreign assistance programs under one umbrella, per an archived version of the USAID website.
• Building on the Marshall Plan, which assisted postwar Europe's recovery, USAID's early focus was on "technical and capital assistance programs," per its archived site.
• Through the decades, it expanded its scope to promote "human needs" — like nutrition and education — as well as democracy and free markets.

What does USAID do?

Its workforce of 10,000 managed some $43 billion in appropriations and assisted approximately 130 countries with disaster relief and economic development in fiscal year 2023.

• U.S. foreign assistance is a key pathway for achieving the country's foreign policy goals, according to the Congressional Research Service.
• The top funding recipients included Ukraine, Ethiopia, Jordan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Health programs were the largest USAID funding sector since the 1990s, according to CRS.

• USAID and its partners supported HIV and AIDs testing for more than 79.6 million people as part of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) in 2019.
• Health remained the top USAID sector until fiscal year 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Humanitarian assistance surpassed health for a time and was then passed by governance in FY 2023, a result of U.S. support for Ukraine.

By the numbers: The over $40 billion USAID managed in FY 2023 was still less than 1% of the federal budget.

Zoom in: It's not just other nations that benefit from USAID assistance.

• For example, the USAID Food for Peace Program, which provides emergency food assistance around the world, purchased 1.1 million metric tons of food from U.S. farmers of ranchers in fiscal year 2023.

What has Trump said about it?

Trump told reporters Sunday evening USAID was run by "a bunch of radical lunatics, and we're getting them out."

• Responding to a report that two senior agency officials were put on leave after trying to stop DOGE reps from accessing restricted spaces, Musk wrote on X, "USAID is a criminal organization. Time for it to die."

Zoom out: The State Department ordered a freeze on all U.S. foreign assistance funded through the State Department and USAID earlier this month to review whether programs are "efficient and consistent with U.S. foreign policy under the America First agenda" in accordance with an order from Trump.

• After widespread confusion, Secretary Marco Rubio signed a waiver Tuesday allowing "existing life-saving humanitarian assistance programs" to continue work.

Yes, but: In the wake of the freeze, USAID partners and contractors were directed to halt work supplying critical drugs treating HIV, malaria and tuberculosis, Reuters reported.

• And in Pakistan, officials were ordered to cease working on several projects, including reconstructing police stations damaged by flooding, NPR reported.

What we're watching: Trump has yet to make an official statement on USAID's future but told reporters Sunday the administration would "make a decision."

• Democratic lawmakers, after reports Trump was considering merging the agency with the State Department, urged the administration in a letter to the USAID acting director to respect USAID's independence and life-saving work.
• The White House did not immediately respond to Axios' requests for comment.

Go deeper: Musk's wrecking ball pierces government's inner sanctum

Editor's note: This story was updated with additional developments.

As trade war fears circulate, lawmakers are manning their posts: Democrats are warning prices will skyrocket — while Republicans say the potential discomfort will be worth it in the end.

The big picture: Economists fear the across-the-board tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China — and the immediate retaliation that followed — could further stress already strained U.S. households and walk back recent economic gains.

• Trump's 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico and additional 10% tariffs on China could effectively tax the average U.S. household an extra $830 this year, an analysis from the nonpartisan nonprofit Tax Foundation found.
• The president conceded in a Sunday Truth Social post that there may be "SOME PAIN" as a result of his tariffs on the U.S.' top three trading partners, but he contended "IT WILL ALL BE WORTH THE PRICE THAT MUST BE PAID."

Zoom out: Some of his close allies on Sunday echoed that sentiment.

• Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said on NBC News' "Meet the Press" that if "prices go up, it's because of other people's reactions to America's laws."
• Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) characterized Trump's tariffs as a border tool, telling NBC's Kristen Welker they "are meant to bring Canada and Mexico the table for the fentanyl that is streaming into our communities."
• Almost all of the 21,900 pounds of fentanyl seized last year was at the southwestern border, but 43 pounds was recovered at the northern border, according to Customs and Border Patrol statistics.

Vice President JD Vance said before Trump signed off on his anticipated tariffs that "we'll see what happens" regarding retaliation.

• He argued in an interview aired Sunday on Fox's "Sunday Morning Futures" that the real retaliation was "Donald Trump saying, 'no more.'"

Yes, but: Trump's campaign-trail vision for tariffs as a cure-all does not align with the consumer consequences and supply chain disruptions economists and business interest groups foresee.

• Tariffs can raise revenue for the governments imposing them — but the impact of tariffs can be passed on to consumers through a wide array of everyday products.
• Most of the country's avocados and beer, for example, come from Mexico. Auto parts, oil and gas are also key resources the U.S. imports from Canada.
• Former Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-Wash.) said on CNN's "State of the Union" said she's concerned that the president doesn't know his "end game" on his tariffs, adding, "If you're going to pick a fight in a bar, maybe you should scope the exits."

Between the lines: For months, senators stressed they saw Trump's tariff threats as a negotiating tactic, Axios' Stef W. Kight, Justin Green and Hans Nichols report.

• Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) told "Fox News Sunday" that "these tariffs are designed to get these countries to change their behavior" and that if those changes are made, "I think the tariffs probably go away."
• Lawmakers who spoke to Axios ahead of Trump's tariff kickoff often pointed to concerns about the taxes on imported goods triggering a rise in inflation, which was a sore spot for Democrats in November.

But the tariffs happened — and now Democrats are on offense.

• Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) characterized the move as the "Donald Trump Super Bowl tax," on CBS News' "Face the Nation," noting key imports from Mexico — like beer, avocados and tomatoes — could carry a larger price tag.
• His fellow Virginian, Sen. Tim Kaine (D), said Trump's first-term tariffs were "a tax on Virginia consumers," predicting Americans will see "higher prices for energy, higher prices for groceries."
• Kaine said he was struck by what he saw as the "irony" of Trump's executive order declaring an "energy emergency" followed by 10% tariffs on Canadian energy.
• "The emergency is self-created," Kaine said.

Go deeper: Trump builds a tariff wall

Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) on Sunday mirrored ex-Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, Trump's nominee for director of national intelligence, when he dodged classifying Edward Snowden as a traitor.

Why it matters: Gabbard's refusal to call Snowden a traitor during her Senate confirmation hearing Thursday reportedly prompted some GOP discomfort.

What they're saying: Schmitt danced around the same question during a Sunday interview on "Meet the Press."

• "I think people are tired of these games, of sort of this 'gotcha' stuff. Look, he's [Snowden] been indicted," Schmitt said when pressed by NBC News' Kristen Welker. "If he ever comes back to the United States he's going to have a trial. But this idea of you trying to disqualify people by using these terms is ridiculous."
• When asked again about Snowden, Schmitt said: "I think it's totally ridiculous to try to smear people who are trying to serve this country because, again, it's sort of 'gotcha.'"

Catch up quick: Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) said that when he posed the question to Gabbard, for whom he has expressed his support, he expected it to be "an easy softball question."

• But when Lankford asked Gabbard if Snowden was a traitor for leaking highly classified information, the ex-Democrat did not give a yes-or-no answer.
• She instead said she would be "committed if confirmed as director of national intelligence to join you in making sure that there is no future Snowden-type leak."

The other side: Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), who sits on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said on "Meet the Press" Sunday that he was "puzzled" by Gabbard's inability to call Snowden a traitor and found Schmitt's subsequent dodge "interesting."

• "I mean, the definition of a traitor's pretty simple," Kelly said. "I mean, whether or not somebody betrayed our country, and in the case of Edward Snowden we know he did."
• He added that he thinks many of his GOP colleagues "will still have questions about her nomination."

Between the lines: Schmitt said he is still "100%" a yes on Gabbard and predicted she will "do just fine" when senators gather to cast their votes. The Senate Intelligence Committee vote on Gabbard has not been scheduled.

• Elon Musk and the MAGA masses have also mobilized behind Gabbard, turning the heat on those who could tank her confirmation chances, including Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.).
• Media reports have indicated that Young is reluctant to vote for Gabbard, prompting Musk to accuse the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), an NGO where Young is a board member, of being "RIFE with CORRUPTION."
• An X account, which Musk retweeted, claimed Young's involvement with NED creates a conflict of interest when it comes to opposing Gabbard.
• But Musk posted later Sunday afternoon that he had an "excellent conversation" with Young, adding, "I stand corrected."

Go deeper: Snowden support threatens Tulsi Gabbard's Senate confirmation

Editor's note: This story has been updated to include comments from Sen. Mark Kelly and Musk.

Vice President JD Vance defended President Trump's contention that the tragic plane collision in Washington, D.C., was connected to diversity, equity and inclusion hiring practices within the Federal Aviation Administration.

Driving the news: "The president made very clear that he wasn't blaming anybody, but he was being very explicit about the fact that DEI policies have led our air traffic controllers to be short staffed," Vance said on Fox News' "Sunday Morning Futures." "That is a scandal."

• Trump did not provide evidence to back up his claims during a Thursday afternoon press conference where he railed against his predecessors and DEI initiatives, and drew widespread condemnation from Democrats and industry representatives.
• There are widespread shortages of air traffic controllers — but there's no evidence that DEI hiring policies have impacted aviation safety.
• U.S. Census Bureau and IPUMS statistics show air traffic controllers and airfield operations specialists are predominately male and white.

Driving the news: But Vance said during the interview that the "DEI regime" of the Biden administration led to air traffic control not hiring "the best and the brightest."

• He claimed the "elimination of DEI hires and DEI policies" will allow the FAA to hire "the air traffic controllers that we need."
• Vance argued air traffic controllers were not being hired because of "the color of their skin," claiming there is a "very direct connection between the policies of the last administration and short-staffed air traffic controllers."

Reality check: The standards to be certified as an air traffic controller are "not based on race or gender," said Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, in a Friday statement.

• Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy gave no evidence that DEI initiatives led to staffing shortages or safety concerns on CNN's "State of the Union" Sunday, but he said the COVID-19 pandemic had a "huge impact" on hiring and training.

Zoom in: A 2023 inspector general report found that the pandemic prompted training pauses for nearly two years, significantly increasing air traffic controller certification times.

• Training can take more than three years, according to the report, which said the FAA has taken "limited efforts to ensure adequate controller staffing."
• Staffing did increase from pandemic levels under the Biden administration, per NATCA and FAA data.
• But Daniels told CBS just 10,800 certified controllers are doing the job when there should be 14,335.
• An internal FAA report said one controller was working two jobs at the time of the crash, AP reported. The second air traffic controller had left early that evening.

Catch up quick: Trump ordered a review of federal aviation hiring on Thursday, calling for a "systematic assessment of any deterioration in hiring standards and aviation safety standards and protocols during the Biden administration."

• The hiring language Trump railed against was included in FAA regulations during his first term and was promoted on the agency's website since 2013, according to the AP. The Trump administration removed it shortly after he returned to the White House.

Go deeper: What to know about the victims of the D.C. plane crash

A Federal Aviation Administration warning system is back online Sunday after a temporary outage that Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said could trigger "residual delays"

The big picture: It is unclear if the outage was tied to the broad changes and deletions across federal sites, which led to several pages and datasets going dark.

• Duffy said in a Saturday night statement shared to social media that the Federal Aviation Administration was working to restore the temporary outage of the primary Notice to Air Missions system, which alerts pilots about hazards or "abnormal" information that would impact flight operations.
• The FAA said Sunday morning that the "[t]he NOTAM system is online and operational," and that the agency continues to investigate "the root cause" of the outage.

The latest: Duffy said on CNN's "State of the Union" Sunday that the "lead system" is now "online and working."

• There was "minimal disruption" as a result of the outage, he said, adding he wants to "expedite" fixes to the NOTAM system, which he described as "an old system that needs to be upgraded."

Catch up quick: Duffy on Saturday said there was no impact on the National Airspace System because "a backup system is in place."

By the numbers: There have been 1,133 delays within, into, or out of the country as of Sunday around 11:10am ET, per air traffic tracker Flight Aware.

• There have been 75 cancellations within, into, or out of the U.S.

Zoom in: The outage comes days after the fatal midair collision of a regional jet and Black Hawk helicopter in Washington, D.C., the deadliest air carrier crash in the U.S. since November 2001.

Flashback: This is not the first time the Notice to Air Missions system, which communicates hazards like closed runways or airspace restrictions in real time, has gone down.

• In 2023, the FAA ordered airlines to pause all domestic departures after an outage.

Go deeper: What the data says about Trump's DEI air crash claims

Editor's note: This story has been updated with a statement from the FAA.

President Trump after briefly offering condolences and sharing plans to investigate a deadly plane collision outside D.C., took partisan hits against former presidents Obama and Biden.

The big picture: Trump said the White House had "strong opinions" on the collision, railed against his political opponents and blasted the FAA's diversity, equity and inclusion programs.

• Trump vowed to "find out how this disaster occurred" and "ensure that nothing like this ever happens again."
• Trump confirmed the midair collision of a regional jet and a Black Hawk helicopter left no survivors. The incident was the first mass casualty event involving a commercial aircraft in the U.S. in at least 15 years.

Driving the news: The president revealed he was "immediately appointing" Chris Rocheleau as acting Federal Aviation Administration administrator.

• Former FAA chief Mike Whitaker departed the agency at the start of Trump's term.
• Trump ally Elon Musk had publicly pressured him to resign last fall after Whitaker told lawmakers SpaceX must operate at the "highest level of safety" and defended a proposed fine against the space giant.

"I put safety first. Obama, Biden and the Democrats put policy first," Trump said Thursday, repeatedly suggesting without evidence that DEI initiatives had hampered aviation safety.

• Trump, during his first week in office, signed a memorandum instructing the Transportation secretary and FAA administrator to "stop Biden DEI hiring programs."
• He slammed former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg as "a disaster," claiming he ran the agency into the ground "with his diversity."

The other side: Buttigieg condemned the president's comments as "despicable" in a statement.

• "As families grieve, Trump should be leading, not lying," he wrote. "We put safety first, drove down close calls, grew Air Traffic Control, and had zero commercial airline crash fatalities out of millions of flights on our watch."

What they're saying: Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Wash.), the ranking member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, said in a statement shared just as Trump began speaking that it "never does any good to speculate on the causes of aviation accidents before we have the facts and the details."

• During Thursday's briefing, Trump rejected the idea that he was getting ahead of the investigation by placing blame on Democrats, DEI initiatives, air traffic control and others.
• Asked how he concluded that DEI policies somehow triggered the crash, Trump replied, "because I have common sense."

Catch up quick: The Black Hawk helicopter was carrying three soldiers conducting a training run, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Thursday morning. American Airlines confirmed Wednesday that 60 passengers and four crew members were on the plane.

• Both aircraft plunged into the Potomac River. Remnants of both have been discovered.
• American Eagle Flight 5342 was traveling from Wichita to Reagan National Airport (DCA), which is something described as having "America's busiest runway."
• Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy said at a Thursday press briefing that "everything was standard in the lead-up to the crash."

Go deeper: D.C. plane crash: What we know about the collision as authorities say no survivors found

• What to know about the victims of the D.C. plane crash

Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional developments.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. attempted to walk back his past anti-vaccine and pro-abortion rights stances in his Senate confirmation hearing Wednesday as he fielded questions from both sides of the aisle.

The big picture: In his hearing, Health and Human Services Secretary nominee Kennedy characterized himself as pro-vaccine, despite years of denialism, and took a Trump-aligned, leave-it-to-the-states stance on abortion.

• It was an attempt to quell the bipartisan scrutiny he is under while navigating an uncertain path to Senate confirmation. He can lose only three GOP votes if all Senate Democrats vote against him.

Here are five key moments from Kennedy's closely watched Senate hearing.

1. Kennedy doesn't say how he'd reform Medicaid

Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), a doctor whose stance on Kennedy has been closely watched, repeatedly pressed the HHS nominee on how he'd reform Medicaid and how he would approach dual eligibles — people who are entitled to both Medicare and Medicaid.

• Kennedy's answers were vague — he said he'd increase "transparency" and "accountability" and transition to a "value-based system" rather than a "fee-based system."
• He said his approach to dual eligibles was to make sure the programs were "integrated."

Yes, but: In the exchange, he fumbled by saying Medicaid was "fully paid for" by the federal government.

• Medicaid, a program that provides coverage to some 72 million Americans, is funded by both states and the federal government.

2. Kennedy says he's not "anti-vaccine"

Kennedy argued in his opening statement that he is not "anti-vaccine" or "anti-industry" but rather "pro-safety."

• But while he repeatedly assured he was not against vaccines, he did not disavow his past statements.
• He defended petitioning the FDA to revoke its authorization of COVID-19 vaccines, saying the group he founded, Children's Health Defense, brought the petition after the CDC recommended COVID shots "without any scientific basis" for 6-year-old children.
• Kennedy falsely argued 6-year-olds have "basically zero risk" from COVID.

Kennedy faced a barrage of questions over his past anti-vaccine statements, with several lawmakers zooming in on accusations — including from his own cousin — that he was connected to a Samoa measles outbreak.

• The outbreak began on the heels of an accident when two babies died after nurses mixed MMR vaccine doses with a muscle relaxant. Concerns about the MMR vaccine's safety prompted the prime minister to halt the vaccination program.
• Kennedy traveled to Samoa, where he met with officials and a farmer who was later arrested for spreading vaccine misinformation, per the New York Times.
• Asked by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) if he accepted any responsibility for what happened in Samoa, Kennedy said "absolutely not."

3. RFK Jr.: "Every abortion is a tragedy"

Kennedy fielded questions about his past support for abortion rights during the hearing.

• He frequently returned to the same refrain: He agrees with Trump that "every abortion is a tragedy."
• "I agree with him that the states should control abortion," he added during questioning from Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.).

He also revealed President Trump had directed him to study the safety of the abortion pill mifepristone, though the president has not yet taken a public stance on how to regulate it since taking office.

• Kennedy's response hints at how the HHS under Trump may approach medication abortion, which accounted for about two out of three abortions performed in the U.S. in 2023.

Flashback: Kennedy's exact stance on abortion access has fluctuated over the years — in 2023, he suggested he'd support a 15-week ban, but he later walked back that statement, per the Washington Post.

4. Dems question ties to anti-vax groups

One of the breakout questions from Wednesday's hearing came from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.): "Are you supportive of these onesies?"

• Sanders displayed photos of two infant onesies sporting anti-vax messages sold by CHD.
• "I have no power over that organization," Kennedy said of CHD. He formally resigned as chairman in December.

Zoom out: Warren blasted Kennedy over his ties with Wisner Baum, a law firm currently leading litigation against pharmaceutical company Merck over the HPV vaccine Gardasil.

• Warren questioned whether Kennedy would continue to collect compensation from lawsuits he referred against drug companies while serving as HHS secretary and for four years after, to which Kennedy replied, "I'll certainly commit that while I'm secretary."
• According to his filings with the Office of Government Ethics, Kennedy would still receive 10% of fees awarded "in contingency fee cases referred to the firm," NPR reported.

5. RFK Jr. says he will "absolutely" support PEPFAR

Asked by Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) if he'd commit to supporting the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, Kennedy said he'd "absolutely" support the program and work to strengthen it.

• In asking the question, Cornyn described PEPFAR as "one of the most successful public health programs in the world" that, if halted, would risk ceding leadership to adversaries.

Yes, but: When the Trump administration broadly paused foreign aid last week, it also meant freezing the global health program credited with saving millions of lives.

Go deeper: RFK's dueling personas take center stage

Editor's note: This story has been corrected to reflect that Sen. Bill Cassidy represents Louisiana (not Idaho) and to include the correct abbreviation for Children's Health Defense.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Trump's controversial pick for secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), faced a barrage of questions from lawmakers at his first confirmation hearing Wednesday.

Driving the news: Kennedy seemed to struggle when Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) pushed him on what reforms he would propose for Medicaid, a program that provides coverage to some 72 million Americans.

• Kennedy described Medicaid, a state-federal program, as "fully paid for" by the federal government.
• Medicaid is funded by both states and the federal government. The program represents $1 out of every $6 spent on health care in the U.S., per a 2023 report from KFF.

Cassidy — a doctor and the chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions — repeatedly prodded Kennedy on Medicaid reform, but the nominee stumbled over key facts about how Medicaid and Medicare work.

• Kennedy said there should be changes to "increase transparency" and" "increase accountability" for Medicaid. When pressed for more details, he said he did not have a"broad proposal for dismantling the program."

The big picture: Kennedy contended in his opening statement that he is not "anti-vaccine" or "anti-industry" but is rather "pro-safety."

• He was interrupted by protesters, who were removed from the hearing, prompting a warning from Senate Finance Chair Mike Crapo (R-Idaho).
• Ranking member Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) slammed Kennedy over "conflicting stories" about his vaccine views during questioning, pointing to past anti-vaccine comments Kennedy made on podcasts.

When pressed over his prior support for abortion rights, Kennedy said he agrees with Trump that "every abortion is a tragedy."

• He said Trump has not taken a specific stance on the abortion pill mifepristone but said the president has asked him to "study the safety" of the drug.

Kennedy's confirmation hearing before the Senate Finance Committee Wednesday began at 10am ET.

• It was the first of two hearings for Kennedy. He'll also face the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) on Thursday.
• Kennedy's confirmation is not guaranteed. Lawmakers have expressed reservations about his qualifications, past vaccine denialism and conspiracy mongering. He can lose only three Republican votes if all Senate Democrats vote against him.
• He's seemingly made efforts to soften some of his anti-vaccine views that have sparked concerns among public health experts, but some Republicans remain publicly noncommittal about his nomination.

State of play: Kennedy's hearing comes a day after his cousin urged lawmakers to reject his nomination, saying he "preys on the desperation of parents of sick children."

• Caroline Kennedy's scathing characterization of her cousin adds to the controversy the Trump ally has courted in the past: from his anti-vaccine views to a slew of bizarre stories involving his treatment of animals.

Zoom out: If confirmed, RFK Jr. could radically reshape HHS and the divisions it encompasses.

• He has said he wants to end "the FDA's war on public health" and halt its "aggressive suppression" of raw milk, hydroxychloroquine, sunshine and other things.
• His so-called MAHA movement blends some more mainstream views, like tighter regulation of food additives, with more conspiracy-driven ideas, Axios' Maya Goldman reports.

Go deeper: RFK's dueling personas take center stage

Editor's note: This story has been updated throughout with information from the hearing.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the Trump administration's temporary pause on some federal spending as Democrats sounded the alarm about programs like Medicaid going dark.

The big picture: The freeze, which a federal judge halted Tuesday, would not effect programs like Social Security, Medicare, and welfare benefits, Leavitt said.

• Leavitt told reporters the pause was to ensure "every penny that is going out the door is not conflicting with the executive orders and actions that this president has taken."
• However, that left nonprofits and organizations that rely on federal funds like Meals on Wheels scrambling to assess the freeze's impact.

Catch up quick: An Office of Management and Budget memo, sent to the heads of executive departments and agencies gave them until Feb. 10 to submit details on programs, projects or activities subject to the indefinite pause.

• It also instructed agencies to assign a senior political appointee to oversee each federal financial assistance program and ensure it "conforms to Administration priorities."
• Federal Pell Grants and direct student loans will not be impacted by the freeze, Madi Biedermann, a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Education, told Axios in a statement.

Yes, but: While the administrations said assistance "received directly by individuals" is in the clear, Democrats pounced to highlight the various programs affected by the freeze.

• Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) highlighted concerns from a domestic violence center that serves multiple counties, writing on X that "they may have to close their doors" without federal funding.
• Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.) posted that several agencies in his region had been "completely cut off."
• Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) wrote that his staff confirmed Medicaid portals were down in all 50 states amid the freeze. Leavitt later posted that the White House was aware of the portal outage and that no payments had been affected.
• Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said the 18,000 people who rely on housing vouchers "currently do not know how their rent will be paid next month, and workers across various federally funded programs risk losing their pay."

Friction point: Trump's freeze appears to conflict with the Impoundment Control Act, a 1974 law that directs presidents to release all funds appropriated by Congress.

• Leavitt argued the freeze was "certainly within the confines of the law."
• While the law does allow presidents to delay funding under some circumstances, it doesn't allow freezing funds to decide if programs are "consistent with the president's policies," said Samuel Bagenstos, a University of Michigan professor and former General Counsel to the OMB.

What's next: Bobby Kogan, the senior director of Federal Budget Policy at the Center for American Progress who served in the Biden OMB, said to think of the freeze like a government shutdown: "It's bad immediately, and the longer it goes on, the worse it gets."

Go deeper: Democrats prepare for war with Trump over funding freeze

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed immigrant rights groups' fears that the Trump administration sees all undocumented immigrants as "criminals" and isn't just seeking to deport those who commit violent acts.

Driving the news: In her first White House briefing, Leavitt falsely labeled all 3,500 immigrants arrested for suspicion of being in the country illegally "criminals." Being in the country illegally is a civil violation, not a criminal one, and the individuals who were arrested have not been convicted of a crime.

The big picture: Asked by a reporter how many of the 3,500 immigrants arrested since Trump took office have criminal records, Leavitt said, "all of them because they illegally broke our nation's laws."

• "I know the last administration didn't see it that way, so it's a big culture shift in our nation to view someone who breaks our immigration laws as a criminal, but that's exactly what they are."
• Leavitt declined to say if all the undocumented immigrants had criminal records.

Reality check: There is no law making it a crime to live in the U.S. as an undocumented immigrant. Instead, the law treats it as a civil violation.

• Those detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) away from the U.S.-Mexico border have a right to a hearing with an immigration judge to determine if they can stay in the U.S. or not.
• Less than 0.5% of the 1.8 million cases in immigration courts during the past fiscal year — involving about 8,400 people — included deportation orders for alleged crimes other than entering the U.S. illegally, an Axios review of government data found.

State of play: President Trump said in his inauguration speech that his administration would quickly deport "millions and millions" of "illegal aliens" with criminal records. Those millions don't exist.

• In the past 40 years, federal officials have documented about 425,000 noncitizens with criminal convictions on the ICE's "non-detained docket."
• About 13,100 of those were convicted of homicides and are imprisoned in the U.S. They'll have deportation hearings after serving their sentences.

During the campaign, Trump falsely said undocumented immigrants were responsible for rising crime (when data showed crime was going down).

To deport millions of "criminals," Trump would have to consider all undocumented immigrants as criminals — something it appears to be doing with Leavitt's latest comments.

• Leavitt said "rapists" and "murderers" should be ICE's priority, but that doesn't mean others are off the table.

Yes, but: The federal government, since the Clinton administration, has always prioritized deporting immigrants convicted of violent crimes after they serve their sentences.

• Immigrants convicted of violent crimes can't just immediately be deported and must go through the state or federal court system.
• Very rarely does ICE allow undocumented immigrants with convictions for dangerous felonies to return to the public after serving time. Those immigrants usually go through deportation proceedings after serving their sentences.

Zoom in: Immigrants arrested in homicides accounted for less than 1% of "at-large" arrests by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) over the last six years, an Axios review found.

• At-large arrests are those made in public settings, as opposed to when ICE agents pick up someone who's already behind bars.

Between the lines: Karen Tumlin, director of the immigrant legal advocacy group Justice Action Center, predicted to Axios that the Trump administration would call all undocumented immigrants "criminals" as an excuse to separate families and go after non-violent immigrants.

• The estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S. are largely agricultural, construction and service workers, students and others who have no criminal backgrounds, according to legal specialists and an Axios review of federal immigration data.

Study after study has indicated that immigrants — those in the U.S. legally, and those who aren't — commit crimes at lower rates than U.S. citizens.

Further reading: Why Trump won't be deporting "millions" of criminals

President Trump signed a ban Monday once again barring transgender people from serving in the military, jeopardizing the military careers of thousands of troops.

The big picture: The first Trump administration's ban on transgender military service, which former President Biden rescinded in his early days in office, affected up to 15,000 service members.

• While there is not an exact count of transgender people in the military, up to 8,000 transgender individuals are estimated to serve on active duty, per a 2020 study published by the NIH.
• But the actual number may be greater due to the limits of self-reporting and fear of disclosure, the study noted.

Driving the news: Trump said in Monday's order the term "gender ideology" has the meaning given to it in an executive order he signed on his first day in office, which rolled back protections for transgender people.

• Last week's order that paved the way for this one specified the federal government would only recognize two sexes — male and female.

Catch up quick: Transgender people were welcomed to serve openly in the military in June 2016 when the Obama administration lifted the Pentagon's decades-long ban and said the DoD would cover medical costs for uniformed personnel seeking a gender-affirming care.

• But the policy was short-lived: Just after the Obama administration's deadline passed for the military to begin enlisting new transgender service members in July 2017, Trump tweeted that the U.S. would no longer allow transgender people to serve "in any capacity."
• After a legal battle, the Supreme Court in 2019 allowed the ban to proceed.
• The resultant DoD rule barred transgender troops and military recruits from transitioning, required most individuals to serve in their birth gender and said service members could "be discharged based on a diagnosis of gender dysphoria."

Zoom out: The order was just one of several measures Trump took Monday targeting what he characterized as "radical political theories" infiltrating the military in is inaugural speech.

• He also signed an order reinstating thousands of service members who were discharged after refusing to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

Flashback: Throughout his campaign, Trump targeted transgender people and gender-affirming, forcing the LGBTQ+ community to brace for his return.

• In a day-one executive order, Trump set the tone: The new administration stated that only two sexes, male and female, will be recognized by the federal government.

Go deeper: House votes to condemn Trump's transgender military ban

President Trump reinstated members of the military who were dismissed because they refused to receive the COVID vaccine in an executive order late Monday.

Why it matters: The order reverses the dismissals by the Biden administration, restoring thousands of service members to their previous rank and providing them with back pay and benefits.

Catch up quick: More than 8,000 service members were discharged for refusing to get vaccinated under a 2021 memorandum.

• The military's vaccine mandate was rescinded in early 2023 after it was lifted in an annual defense spending bill.

Driving the news: "The vaccine mandate was an unfair, overbroad, and completely unnecessary burden on our service members," Trump wrote in the executive order.

• "Further, the military unjustly discharged those who refused the vaccine, regardless of the years of service given to our Nation, after failing to grant many of them an exemption that they should have received. Federal Government redress of any wrongful dismissals is overdue."
• The order delivered on a promise Trump made as a candidate and reiterated during his inaugural address. He has said the discharged service members were "unjustly expelled" because of the requirement.
• The Biden administration implemented the mandate to safeguard troops from the virus and maintain military readiness amid a global pandemic. However, some Republicans argued that it was unfair.

Context: The COVID vaccine was one of many administered by the Pentagon to prevent the spread of infectious disease among service members.

• Fewer than 100 members of the military died from COVID-19, according to the Department of Defense. Over 2,700 were hospitalized.
• In the eight months after the mandate was repealed, only 43 of the thousands who were discharged due to their vaccine refusal sought to rejoin the military, CNN reported in October 2023.

Zoom out: Trump's order was one of several that the White House released Monday targeting what the president characterized in his inaugural speech as "radical political theories and social experiments" in the military.

• After revoking a Biden-era policy allowing transgender people to serve in the armed forces on his first day in office, Trump targeted trans Americans — a group the president has persistently attacked — in a new order on Monday that suggests they have "mental and physical health conditions" that are "incompatible with active duty."
• He also issued an order eliminating the military's diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

Go deeper: Pentagon drops COVID vaccination mandate

The travel restrictions placed on eight Jan. 6 defendants whose sentences were commuted by President Trump will not be enforced, a federal judge ordered Monday.

The big picture: The group contains some of the most notorious names charged in the attack, including Stewart Rhodes, the founder of the far-right militia group the Oath Keepers.

• Rhodes, who was found guilty of seditious conspiracy and sentenced to 18 years in prison for his role in the deadly riot, visited the Capitol complex on Wednesday to meet with GOP lawmakers, according to multiple reports.

Catch up quick: U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta ordered Friday that Rhodes and seven of his co-defendants must get court permission to travel to Washington, D.C., or enter the U.S. Capitol.

• But Edward R. Martin, the interim U.S. Attorney for D.C., argued in a court filing that Mehta couldn't modify the terms of the defendants' release because their sentences had been commuted.

Driving the news: Mehta, an Obama-appointed judge, wrote in his Monday filing that the defendants "are no longer bound by the judicially imposed conditions of supervised release."

• He walked back his Friday order, saying it would be "improper" to modify the original sentences "post-commutation," but declined to dismiss the release terms altogether.
• Instead, Mehta ordered the terms not be enforced, writing that "the unconditional quality" of Trump's proclamation "can reasonably be read to extinguish enforcement" of the supervised release terms.
• "It is not for this court to divine why President Trump commuted Defendants' sentences, or to assess whether it was sensible to do so," he wrote, adding, "The court's sole task is to determine the act's effect."

Zoom in: The seven other defendants affected by the ruling were Kelly Meggs, Kenneth Harrelson, Jessica Watkins, Roberto Minuta, Edward Vallejo, David Moerschel and Joseph Hackett.

The big picture: Trump's day-one order issued "full, complete and unconditional pardon" to the vast majority of Jan. 6 defendants and commuted the sentences of 14 others, including the leaders of far-right extremist groups.

• Some lawmakers, experts and officers present for the Capitol riot have expressed concern that Trump's broad clemency for rioters could embolden further violence or political extremism.

Go deeper: "F--k it: Release 'em all": Why Trump embraced broad Jan. 6 pardons

President Trump on Sunday said he was imposing large tariffs and significant sanctions on Colombia after its government refused to accept two military cargo flights carrying deported Colombians.

The latest: Trump won't impose tariffs on Colombia after all — following the Latin American government's agreement to accept all of his terms, including receiving Colombians deported from the U.S., White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced Sunday night.

Why it matters: The Latin American country has long been a crucial U.S. ally, even under the tenure of leftist President Gustavo Petro.

• The U.S. is Colombia's largest trade and investment partner, with over $39 billion in goods and services traded between both countries in 2022, according to the U.S. State Department.

Catch up quick: Petro ordered Colombian officials to turn away military planes carrying deportees this weekend. He said in a post on X that the U.S. cannot treat Colombian migrants like criminals and should return them on civilian flights.

• "I can't force migrants to stay in a country where they're not wanted, but that country should return them with dignity and respect toward them and also our country," Petro wrote.

Trump wrote in a Truth Social post that he was imposing emergency 25% tariffs on all goods coming into the U.S. from Colombia, a travel ban on Colombian government officials and other major financial sanctions in response to the refusal to accept the flights.

Of note: Petro said in response on X he had ordered Colombia's foreign trade minister to "raise tariffs on imports from the U.S. to 25%."

• He added: "The ministry should help direct our exports to the rest of the world, other than the U.S. Our exports must expand."

State of play: In one week, Trump wrote, the tariffs will rise to 50%.

• Beyond the travel ban and tariffs, the president said he directed his administration to revoke visas for Colombian government officials and place visa sanctions on all party and family members, as well as supporters, of the Colombian government.
• Additionally, he ordered enhanced inspections of Colombian nationals and cargo "on national security grounds."

Meanwhile, Petro has arranged for his presidential plane to help repatriate Colombians deported from the U.S., per a statement from the Colombian president's office.

• "The measure responds to the government's commitment to guarantee dignified conditions," the statement added.

What they're saying: "These measures are just the beginning," Trump wrote. "We will not allow the Colombian Government to violate its legal obligations with regard to the acceptance and return of the Criminals they forced into the United States!"

Zoom out: Trump throughout his campaign vowed to expel millions of undocumented people from the U.S. — and during his first week in office, his immigration crackdown began with a series of sweeping executive orders.

• Tom Homan, Trump's "border czar," told ABC News that the U.S. government will conduct deportation flights every day. The administration issued a new rule Tuesday that dramatically expanded expedited removal for immigrants who cannot prove they have continually lived in the U.S. for the past two years.
• The Pentagon announced Wednesday that it would send an additional 1,500 troops to the southern border as Trump declared a national emergency in the region, and the administration is working to secure more aircraft to speed up deportations.
• Two Air Force C-17 cargo planes carrying migrants removed from the U.S. landed Friday morning in Guatemala, the Associated Press reported. Another two deportation flights touched down on the same day in Honduras.
• Another flight to Brazil landed on Saturday, prompting outrage from the nation's government when those on the flight arrived in handcuffs which the foreign ministry called a "flagrant disregard" for the rights of the 88 passengers.

What we're watching: Trump's retaliatory tariffs could further increase already surging coffee prices, meaning a pricier cup of joe for American consumers, Axios' Ben Berkowitz reports.

• According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Colombia is also a leading supplier of flowers to the U.S. The country provided about 37% of U.S. cut flower and nursery stock value from 2018 to 2022.

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

President Trump entered his resurgent era on an avalanche of dozens of sweeping executive orders and proclamations, some of which had immediate impacts on immigration, the federal bureaucracy, the LGBTQ+ community and beyond.

Yes, but: Not everyone in the MAGA masses is singing the same tune.

Here's what you may have missed when newsmakers hit the airwaves this Sunday, Jan. 26.

1. Trump, Biden face pardon pushback

Monday's flurry of pardons from President Trump and former President Biden exposed a glimmer of bipartisanship on Capitol Hill — with many lawmakers agreeing both took their power too far.

• Minutes before leaving office, Biden preemptively pardoned five family members. And just after Trump took over the Oval Office, he pardoned some 1,500 Jan. 6 defendants.

What they're saying: Pardoning those who beat up law enforcement officers on Jan. 6 was "a mistake," Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press."

• "I will be consistent here, I don't like the idea of bailing people out of jail or pardoning people who burned down cities and beat up cops, whether you are Republican or a Democrat," he continued.
• Speaking on CNN's "State of the Union" Sunday, Graham also criticized Biden's use of pardons and suggested there should be "an effort to rein in the pardon power of the president" if perceived abuses persist.

The other side: Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) called for additional guardrails on the president's vast pardon power on "Fox News Sunday," highlighting legislation he introduced following Trump's Jan. 6 pardons.

• "These decisions are made in the shadows; they are a black box," he said.

Worth noting: It's not just lawmakers who would be on board with a change. Some participants in Axios' latest Engagious/Sago swing-voter focus group said Trump and Biden both went too far with their presidential pardons and that they'd back a theoretical constitutional amendment to taper presidential pardon power.

Zoom out: Both the Fraternal Order of Police, the largest police union in the U.S., and the International Association of Chiefs of Police condemned Trump's near-total pardons of Jan. 6 rioters.

• Among the roughly 1,500 pardoned and 14 others whose sentences were commuted were individuals who attacked officers and leaders of the extremist groups the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers.

Threat level: Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.) highlighted the hyper-partisan environment violent Jan. 6 rioters and members of extremist groups were released into, saying on CBS News' "Face the Nation," "None of this is making us safe."

• While he defended Biden's decision to pardon his family members in the wake of persistent threats from Trump and fears of political retribution, Crow said, "what I would like to see overall is pardon reform."
• "People need to know that the person sitting in the Oval Office has their best interests in mind at all times," Crow said, "and certainly not with Donald Trump right now can they have that feeling of trust and confidence, because ... five days into this administration, the abuse is already rampant."

2. Trump's inspectors general firings generate some shrugs

Trump's ongoing civil service shakeup saw more than a dozen inspectors general booted from their posts across the federal government Friday.

The intrigue: The terminations, as stated by Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Chuck Grassley, appear to violate federal law requiring a 30-day congressional notice of intent to fire a Senate-confirmed inspector general.

• "There may be good reason the IGs were fired," Grassley said in a Saturday statement to CNN. "We need to know that if so. I'd like further explanation from President Trump. Regardless, the 30-day detailed notice of removal that the law demands was not provided to Congress."
• Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) described Trump's move as "a clear violation of law," while Blumenthal challenged his GOP colleagues to "join me in opposing these firings."
• Blumenthal added, "Elon Musk ought to be also joining because he is against wasteful spending," something watchdogs would likely monitor.

Yes, but: Graham noted that while Trump "technically" violated the law, he has "the authority" to dismiss personnel.

Zoom out: Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio) echoed Graham Sunday, brushing off concerns that Trump may install loyalists in inspector general posts.

• "It's very common as new administrations come in that specifically these positions be replaced," he said.
• Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) similarly shrugged off the dismissals, telling Fox's Shannon Bream, "Ultimately, these inspectors general serve at the pleasure of the president — he wants new people in there."

Flashback: During Trump's first-term fight to purge the government and so-called "deep state" of those deemed disloyal, he targeted multiple inspectors general.

• While it is normal for political appointees to be replaced during presidential transitions, a report from the Congressional Research Service notes that the "practice has disfavored removal of IGs during presidential transitions" following sweeping action at the beginning of former President Reagan's term.
• Since 1981, the report states, "IGs have remained in their positions during each presidential transition."

3. Republicans urge Trump to rethink pulling security details for ex-officials

Trump's decision to strip security protections from former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and others could expose those individuals to threats from abroad and have a chilling effect on future officials, Cotton said Sunday.

• Beyond Pompeo, Trump revoked former national security adviser John Bolton's and former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci's security details.
• Pompeo's top aide Brian Hook also reportedly lost his security.

Context: Pompeo has criticized Trump on foreign and fiscal policy, while Bolton warned his former boss was "unfit" to be president again.

• Fauci has been open about receiving death threats. Pompeo, Bolton and Hook have faced threats from Iran.

What they're saying: "I would encourage the president to revisit the decision for those people who are being targeted by Iran as the president was targeted for assassination by Iran," Cotton, the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee said on "Fox News Sunday."

• The threat to those involved in the strike that killed Qasem Soleimani, once one of the Iranian regime's most powerful figures, is "persistent" and "real," Cotton said.
• "It's better to be safe than sorry," he said, "because it's not just about these men who helped President Trump carry out his policy in his first term, it's about their family and friends, innocent bystanders every time they're in public."

Zoom out: Graham seemingly agreed, telling NBC's Kristen Welker Sunday, "if there is a legitimate threat against people who have served our government from a foreign adversary, I don't want to pull that protection."

• "The last thing we want to do in this country is tell somebody, come into our government ... come up with policies to stand up to rogue nations like Iran, they come after you, we pull the rug on you," Graham said.

More from Axios' Sunday coverage:

• Vance tells Catholic Bishops to 'look in the mirror' over immigration policy concerns
• Scoop: How Trump's "black box" limits outside influences
• CIA favors COVID lab leak theory

Vice President Vance said in an interview aired Sunday that the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has "not been a good partner in common-sense immigration enforcement" after the assembly condemned several of President Trump's executive orders.

Why it matters: A number of Christian organizations rebuked Trump's immigration executive orders in the days after his inauguration, noting how they violate core tenets of Christianity and endanger vulnerable populations.

• Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, the USCCB president, said in a Wednesday statement that some provisions of Trump's executive actions, including those that affect immigrants and refugees, "are deeply troubling and will have negative consequences."
• A day later, the group released a separate statement condemning the revised DHS policy that scraps prior guidance for immigration officials to avoid so-called sensitive areas, like schools and churches.
• "[N]on-emergency immigration enforcement in schools, places of worship, social service agencies, healthcare facilities, or other sensitive settings where people receive essential services would be contrary to the common good," the USCCB statement read.

Driving the news: Vance, who is Catholic, said he was "heartbroken" by the USCCB statement on CBS News' "Face the Nation."

• "I think that the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops needs to actually look in the mirror a little bit and recognize that when they receive over $100 million to help resettle illegal immigrants, are they worried about humanitarian concerns?" Vance questioned. "Or are they actually worried about their bottom line?"
• According to the USCCB website, the U.S. Catholic Bishops' Migration and Refugee Services department helps resettle around 18% of the refugees who arrive in the country each year.

State of play: Trump's executive order suspending refugee resettlement programs prompted the administration to cancel flights for incoming refugees who had already been approved, leaving thousands stranded.

• Vance argued in the interview aired Sunday that not "all of these refugees" had been "properly vetted."

Zoom out: While several clergy members and organizations have condemned Trump's executive actions through statements, the Right Rev. Mariann Budde made headlines when she asked Trump to his face to "have mercy" on immigrants and LGBTQ+ people from the Washington National Cathedral pulpit.

• The president slammed Budde, the Episcopal bishop of Washington, as a "Radical Left hard line Trump hater" in a Wednesday Truth Social post.

Threat level: According to the USCCB's statement condemning DHS' new guidelines on sensitive spaces, the move has already had a chilling effect: "[W]e are already witnessing reticence among immigrants to engage in daily life, including sending children to school and attending religious services."

• CBS' Margaret Brennan noted the possibility of a chilling effect prompting immigrants not to send their children to school, to which Vance replied he "desperately" hopes it has a "chilling effect on illegal immigrants coming into our country."
• He added he hopes as "a devout Catholic" that the USCCB will "do better."

Go deeper: Trump's immigration crackdown met with defiance from local police

President Trump's early barrage of executive orders may seem familiar to anyone who paged through the Heritage Foundation's Project 2025.

Why it matters: The conservative organization's blueprint to expand executive power and reshape American life became a campaign trail headache that Trump tried to distance himself from. But his new administration has already seemingly taken a few pages out of it.

• As Democrats lobbed attacks over Project 2025 last year, Trump said he had "no idea who is behind" it. He also said he disagreed with some details of the blueprint, calling them "absolutely ridiculous and abysmal."
• "As President Trump has said many times, he had nothing to do with Project 2025," White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Harrison Fields said in a statement to Axios this week.

Reality check: Several of Trump's Cabinet and agency picks, including Brendan Carr and Russ Vought, wrote parts of Project 2025 or contributed to the text.

• Tom Homan, John Ratcliffe and Pete Hoekstra are listed among the dozens of Project 2025 contributors who aided in "development and writing."
• A review of Trump's early executive orders shows clear parallels with Project 2025 on key proposals, such as dismantling diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives; loosening environmental regulations; and ending certain international agreements.

Trump orders mirror Project 2025 recommendations

Project 2025 called for rescinding a 1965 executive order signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson in order to eliminate the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP).

• Trump nixed Johnson's effort by signing an executive order dashing decades of diversity and affirmative action policy in the federal government, stripping the OFCCP of one of its core authorities.
• The bedrock Civil Rights order barred federal contractors from employment discrimination and required them to take affirmative action to ensure equal opportunity "based on race, color, religion, and national origin."
• Trump targeted the OFCCP in his executive order, saying it must stop promoting diversity and affirmative action.

Zoom in: Project 2025 also recommended the repeal of executive order 14020, which Biden signed to establish the White House Gender Policy Council. Trump rescinded the Biden order on day one.

• Trump also signed an executive order declaring there are "two sexes, male and female" and that "sex" is not a synonym for gender identity — echoing a section of the Heritage Foundation's plan.
• Project 2025 says the Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary "should never conflate sex with gender identity or sexual orientation" in anti-discrimination policy statements and "should proudly state that men and women are biological realities."
• He also rescinded Biden-era protections allowing transgender Americans to serve in the military, a throwback to his first term that Project 2025 also called for.

Trump adopts Project 2025 energy, climate policies

Project 2025 urged the expansion of oil and gas drilling in Alaska, noting "national energy security interests in the region including rare earths, oil, and natural gas."

• Trump signed an executive order promoting the use of "Alaska's vast lands and resources" on his first day in office.

Additionally, Project 2025 echoed Trump's pledge to eliminate what he called Biden's "electric vehicle mandate," which Trump fulfilled with a day-one executive order.

• The plan also called for the repealing a Biden-era executive order promoting offshore wind energy development, which it said was "being used to advance an agenda to close vast areas of the ocean to commercial activities."
• Trump on day one paused offshore wind leasing in federal waters.

Project 2025 immigration, refugee policies

One of Trump's day one executive orders called for troops to be sent the southern border, including the National Guard.

• That mirrors Project 2025's proposal for "use of active-duty military personnel and National Guardsmen to assist in arrest operations along the border."
• Additionally, Project 2025 suggested that addressing the influx of migrants at the southern border would necessitate the "indefinite curtailment of the number of USRAP refugee admissions."
• Trump signed an order Monday suspending U.S. Refugee Admissions Program resettlements "until such time as the further entry into the United States of refugees aligns with the interests of the United States."

Paris Climate, WHO and Schedule F executive orders

Zoom out: Trump also reinstated several policies from his first term that Project 2025 wanted reinstated.

• He signed orders to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Climate Agreement and the World Health Organization (WHO). Project 2025 called for him to again leave the Paris agreement and withdraw from WHO.
• Project 2025 recommended reinstating Trump's Schedule F order — and it was. Trump signed an order Monday that effectively reclassifies certain federal workers as political appointees and makes it easier to fire federal employees deemed to be disloyal.

Trump executive orders not in Project 2025

Yes, but: Trump also took steps Project 2025 did not explicitly mention, like declaring an energy emergency and attempting to end birthright citizenship.

• There are scores of recommendations in the Heritage Foundation plan, like outlawing pornography, that Trump hasn't touched so far.

Go deeper: National Security Council staffers grilled about loyalty to Trump

President Trump is carrying out his pledge to give the U.S. a MAGA makeover by signing a slew of executive actions in his first week that walk back Biden-era policies and fulfill his campaign promises.

The big picture: Trump's radical expansion of executive power will dramatically change life for millions of people if the orders withstand the barrage of legal challenges that are already coming.

President Trump executive orders list 2025

What Trump's executive orders do...

Immigration executive orders

Many of Trump's first orders curtail immigration at the southern border.

• He promised mass deportations but hasn't detailed how he would implement, staff and fund such a massive, costly operation.

Trump declares national emergency at Mexico border

Trump declared an emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border, vowing to deploy troops to the region, including the National Guard. He instructed the secretaries of Defense and Homeland Security to construct additional border barriers.

• Trump designated "certain international cartels" and organizations, such as Tren de Aragua and MS-13, as foreign terrorist organizations and announced plans to invoke the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to target them.
• Trump suspended U.S. Refugee Admissions Program resettlements. Homeland Security will report back within 90 days whether resuming refugee entries would "be in the interests" of America.
• Nearly 1,660 Afghans cleared by the U.S. to resettle in the country, including family of active-duty U.S. military personnel, had their flights canceled following Trump's orders, Reuters reported.
• Trump aordered Homeland Security to terminate "all categorical parole programs that are contrary" to U.S. policies established in his orders, including those for refugees fleeing Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela.

Remain in Mexico policy

Trump reinstated the "Remain in Mexico" policy, ending a program that released asylum seekers into the U.S. while their cases were considered.

• The U.S. Customs and Border Protection website said appointments made through the CBP One app at certain border crossings had been canceled on Jan. 20. Hours later, Trump nixed the program.
• Trump empowered officials to "repeal, repatriate, or remove any alien engaged in the invasion" of the southern border.

Trump birthright citizenship executive order

One of his boldest moves was an attempt to end birthright citizenship for those born to undocumented immigrants, which is protected by the U.S. Constitution. The order faces legal challenges.

• Trump ordered agencies (starting 30 days after the Jan. 20 order) not to recognize babies as citizens if their mothers were "unlawfully present" at the time of birth and their father was not a U.S. citizen or a lawful permanent resident.
• This applies to children born to mothers who were lawful, temporary residents and fathers who were not citizens or lawful permanent residents.

Energy and environment executive orders

Trump declared a "national energy emergency," ordering expedited, deregulated drilling.

• One order specifically targets energy production in Alaska — rescinding former President Biden's protections around the state's coastal areas.

Separately, Trump paused offshore wind leasing in federal waters.

• "[T]he heads of all other relevant agencies, shall not issue new or renewed approvals, rights of way, permits, leases, or loans for onshore or offshore wind projects," pending a review of federal wind leasing, per the memorandum.

Paris Climate treaty

State of play: Trump signed an order withdrawing the U.S., the world's second-largest greenhouse gas emitter, from the Paris Climate Agreement.

• Trump had pulled out of the pact during his first term, but Biden rejoined it in a day-one order of his own.
• It takes a year to withdraw from the agreement.

Trump took aim at the Biden administration's federal procurement targets for clean power, electric vehicles and other energy goals.

• Trump directed the Energy secretary to restart application reviews for liquefied natural gas export projects, which were paused by Biden over climate change concerns.
• Trump also revoked a 2021 Biden executive order that set a goal for 50% of US vehicle sales to be electric by 2030.

Executive orders targeting DEI and transgender Americans

Trump established that it is U.S. policy "to recognize two sexes, male and female" on official documents.

• "These sexes are not changeable and are grounded in fundamental and incontrovertible reality," his Jan. 20 executive order read.
• Transgender Americans were a central target of Trump's often hyperbolic and outright false campaign trail messaging.

Zoom out: He also rescinded a Biden administration provision that allowed transgender people to serve in the military.

• Trump did not immediately ban trans military personnel from serving, as he did under his first administration, but he paved the path to revive the ban.
• He signed a ban on federal funding or support for anyone under 19 for gender-affirming care on Tuesday.

Trump, as part of his crusade against what the GOP decries as "woke" culture, ordered the dismantling of government diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives within 60 days.

• It eliminates policies that established several diversity initiatives, including one that widened sex discrimination protections to include sexual orientation and gender identity.
• In a Jan. 21 order, Trump specifically directed the Federal Aviation Administration "to immediately return to non-discriminatory, merit-based hiring, as required by law" and rescind DEI initiatives.

Separately, Trump ordered all executive departments and agencies to terminate what he called "discriminatory and illegal" preferences, policies, programs, guidance and other provisions and to "combat illegal private-sector DEI preferences, mandates, policies, programs, and activities."

• In doing so, he revoked decades of executive orders, including the Equal Employment Opportunity order of 1965 signed by former President Lyndon B. Johnson.
• It calls for each agency to identify "up to nine potential civil compliance investigations of publicly traded corporations, large non-profit corporations or associations, foundations with assets of 500 million dollars or more, State and local bar and medical associations, and institutions of higher education with endowments over 1 billion dollars."

Other executive orders affecting federal workers

Trump signed several other provisions that will impact government workers.

• He required a full-time return to in-office work for federal employees and ordered a hiring freeze on government positions.
• The hiring freeze does not apply to the military or "immigration enforcement, national security, or public safety."

He reinstated his first-term Schedule F executive order, which could make it easier to fire civil servants deemed disloyal.

• The order could strip employment protections from thousands of federal employees.
• Employees are "not required to personally or politically support the current President" — but they must "faithfully implement administration policies to the best of their ability," the order said.

Jan. 6 pardons and other clemency actions

Trump pardoned the most Jan. 6 defendants (some 1,500) charged with participating in the Capitol riot and commuted the sentences of 14 others.

• Among those were leaders of extremist groups the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers.
• Pardoning rioters was a prominent campaign pledge, but Trump had previously said recipients would be determined on a "case-by-case" basis.

Zoom out: Trump announced on Jan. 21 he had signed a full and unconditional pardon for Ross Ulbricht, the creator of the unlawful Silk Road marketplace who was sentenced to life in prison in 2015.

• On Wednesday, he issued a "full and unconditional pardon" to two police officers convicted for the 2020 murder of Karon Hylton-Brown, a 20-year-old Black man, in D.C.

Health executive orders: WHO, COVID and drug costs

Trump signed a Jan. 20 order pulling the U.S. from the World Health Organization, a process he started during his first term due to what the order claimed was "the organization's mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic ... and other global health crises," among other reasons.

Zoom in: Trump on Monday renstated military members who were dismissed because they refused to receive the COVID vaccine.

• The Trump administration on Jan. 22 waived requirements that green card applicants be vaccinated against COVID.
• Trump also rescinded a 2022 Biden order to lower the cost of prescription drugs.

TikTok extension, DOGE and more executive orders

Other executive orders and actions include:

• Requiring the attorney general to pursue federal death sentences and ensure states have enough drugs to administer lethal injections for executions.
• Re-designating the Houthi rebels in Yemen as a terrorist organization;
• Ensuring government agencies do not "unconstitutionally abridge the free speech of any American citizen," highlighting what Trump and his allies considered censorship under Biden.
• Ordering a review of trade practices and agreements.
• Revoking security clearances of Trump's former national security adviser, John Bolton, and former intelligence officials who signed a letter discrediting the Hunter Biden laptop story.
• Formally establishing the Department of Government Efficiency.
• Suspending the TikTok ban for 75 days.
• Declaring that federal buildings should "respect regional, traditional, and classical architectural heritage" to "beautify public spaces and ennoble the United States."
• Renaming Denali to Mount McKinley and the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.
• Federally recognizing the Lumbee Tribe.
• Declassifying files related to the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr.
• Supporting the use of digital assets, blockchain technology and other financial technology.
• Establishing a President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) composed of up to 24 members.
• Revoking existing artificial intelligence policies and directives that "act as barriers to American AI innovation" and setting a 180-day deadline to develop an AI plan.

Go deeper:

• The most notorious Jan. 6 defendants pardoned by Trump
• America's second Paris withdrawal is not like the first
• Trump's inauguration word choices give insight into Trump 2.0

Editor's note: This story was updated with additional developments.

President-elect Trump has made a litany of ambitious pledges that would gut his predecessor's legacy as soon as Day 1 in office — and he could use his newly regained executive power to take immediate action.

Why it matters: Climate initiatives, LGBTQ+ protections and student loan forgiveness are among President Biden's biggest policy achievements that are at risk once Trump retakes the Oval Office.

• Biden took a similar course when assuming office in 2021, succeeding Trump: rejoining international agreements, adjusting COVID-19 mandates, and repealing some of Trump's most controversial policies, like the so-called Muslim travel ban.

Trump plans, promises

Among Trump's paper trail of promises:

• In July, he vowed on the campaign trail to "restore the travel ban, suspend refugee admissions, stop the resettlement and keep the terrorists the hell out of our country," on Day 1.
• He repeatedly said that he'd "drill, baby, drill" within his first 24 hours.
• And within "maybe the first nine minutes," he said after his election win, he'd start "looking at" Jan. 6. He's repeatedly vowed to pardon rioters who faced charges.

Project 2025

Project 2025 could also swiftly remake U.S. society.

• For one, protections for LGBTQ+ people in the workplace, the doctor's office and elsewhere could be slashed.

Trump has repeatedly tried to distance himself from the Heritage Foundation-backed plan.

• But he plucked a number of officials straight from the pages of the 900-plus-page Heritage Foundation-backed blueprint, and within a day of his victory, allies and right-wing commentators claimed that Project 2025 was the agenda all along.

Here are some of Biden's key issue areas Trump will most likely strike first:

Energy and the environment

Environmental policy became a central tenet of Biden's White House tenure. But his progress on climate change and clean energy will be vulnerable.

• Trump said earlier this month that he would "immediately" reverse Biden's ban on offshore oil and gas drilling along hundreds of millions of acres of the U.S. coastline.
• Biden's order could help limit greenhouse gas emissions driving global warming. Reversing it could do the opposite.

Reality check: Biden's memorandums implementing the policy rely on an open-ended provision in the 1953 Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act — making it harder to erase than with a simple executive order.

• A provision in the act allows the president to permanently withdraw parts of the Outer Continental Shelf from the table for leasing, and it does not provide a means for another president to undo the action, Axios' Andrew Freedman reports.

Between the lines: The question of whether Trump can revoke the withdrawal status Biden ordered could trigger a legal battle, Cary Coglianese, a law professor at the University of Pennsylvania, told Axios.

• The U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska considered the dilemma in 2019 when Trump tried to revoke an Obama-era offshore drilling ban in parts of the Arctic. The judge ruled an act of Congress would be needed to undo the ban.
• "If this went all the way to the Supreme Court, it's anybody's guess how it would play out," Coglianese said.

Trump has also vowed to "terminate" spending on the "Green New Deal," seemingly referencing Biden's signature Inflation Reduction Act, which is not the same as the Green New Deal. The 2022 IRA marked the largest investment in addressing the impact of climate change in U.S. history.

• But some Trump allies, like House Speaker Mike Johnson, have backed preserving parts of the IRA, like some of its tax credits to make major investments in new U.S. energy.
• Trump has singled out the IRA's electric vehicle tax credit. He's also signaled plans to roll back vehicle emissions standards.

Federal employees and the "deep state"

Trump pledged in 2023 to "immediately reissue" his controversial 2020 executive order "restoring the president's authority to remove rogue bureaucrats" in the so-called "deep state."

• The first-term executive order he referenced established a new "Schedule F" employment category for federal employees, increasing the president's power to oust civil servants who historically were shielded during changing administrations.
• Trump didn't sign the order until two weeks before the 2020 election. Its vast implications for non-partisan federal employees — and the possibility to replace them with MAGA loyalists — flew under the radar.
• Biden rescinded the order shortly after he assumed office in 2021. But Trump has vowed repeatedly, as he approaches his next turn in the Oval Office, to gut the federal workforce as his Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency, an unofficial advisory body, aims to slash millions in spending.

Reality check: A rule published by the Office of Personnel Management in April reinforcing worker protections could make it more difficult for Trump to make his desired changes. They could have to go through multiple steps of review, an OPM official told NPR.

• "Rescinding a rule is itself something that calls for going through a rule-making process," Coglianese explained. "And that requires developing a proposed rule, putting that proposed rule out for public comment, and then finalizing it, and then being able to withstand judicial review."

Immigration policy

Trump has promised sweeping immigration reform — some of which walks back Biden administration policies, while other parts of his plan push constitutional boundaries, like his vow to end birthright citizenship.

• His immigration crackdown will likely ride on a flurry of executive orders, in particular taking action to end Biden's parole programs.
• Axios' Stef Kight reported that the Trump White House will prioritize reinstating Title 42, a COVID-era public health policy that uses concerns about spreading illness to facilitate the swift expulsion of migrants at the border and prevents them from attaining asylum. Biden ended the policy in 2023.

Yes, but: Later in his presidency, Biden took a more hardline approach on immigration, issuing a sweeping executive order to crack down on illegal border crossings.

LGBTQ+ protections

LGBTQ+ people, in particular transgender Americans, were a target of Trump's often hyperbolic and false campaign anecdotes and promises.

• Trump vowed to roll back "on Day 1" Biden-era expansion of Title IX for LGBTQ+ students, protecting against "discrimination based on sex stereotypes, sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics."
• But a federal judge struck down the rule just before Trump's inauguration in a major blow to the Biden administration.

Zoom out: Project 2025 also calls for the revoking of Biden's executive order in 2021 creating the first-ever White House Gender Policy Council.

AI and tech

Trump has promised to nix Biden's sweeping executive order on artificial intelligence, a signature part of the administration's tech policy.

• The deadlines that agencies have already met may be difficult to walk back, Axios' Maria Curi reports.
• But some directives that carry deadlines after Trump's White House return, such as OMB guidance for labeling and authenticating government AI, could be at risk.

Student loan forgiveness

Biden's push to cancel student debt for millions of Americans will likely meet its demise under Trump.

• The new administration will likely pull defense of some of Biden's policies in court, leaving them to crumble under litigation.
• But rolling back the congressionally created Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, which the Biden administration worked to expand access to, could be trickier.

The bottom line: Even if Trump can't feasibly push through some of his promises, Coglianese noted, "he gets credit among his base for trying."

Go deeper: Breaking down presidents' executive order powers after Trump vow

President Biden left the White House for the last time as commander-in-chief Monday morning alongside his successor (and predecessor), President-elect Trump.

Why it matters: The historic moment likely marks the end of Biden's storied political career.

• The political rivals departed the White House together to travel to Capitol Hill for Trump's swearing-in ceremony.

Flashback: This is the first time Biden and Trump have gone through many of the traditional motions during the transition of power, as Trump refused to participate in Biden's inaugural events in 2021.

State of play: Just before the two smiled and posed for photos alongside their spouses Monday, Biden issued historic preemptive pardons for former NIAID Director Anthony Fauci, members of the House Jan. 6 committee and others in response to Trump's threats to investigate his political enemies.

• He's not the only one who had to bid the White House goodbye beside a political foil — Harris departed just minutes before with Vice President-elect JD Vance.
• And first ladies Jill Biden and Melania Trump also took the short trip to the Capitol side-by-side.

Go deeper: Follow Axios' live coverage of Inauguration Day.

Editor's note: This story was updated with additional photos.