January 25, 2025: Donald Trump presidency news

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Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Saturday threatened a “very big bounty” on Taliban leaders if they are holding more American detainees than was known.

The specifics Rubio references are not clear, but the rhetoric seems to signal that the Trump administration will be taking a more bellicose approach to hostage negotiations.

There are at least two Americans who remain detained in Afghanistan — George Glezmann and Mahmoud Habibi. The Taliban has acknowledged detaining Glezmann but has never acknowledged detaining Habibi. There are often additional Americans who are held abroad but are not publicly identified. Many times this is due to a family’s desire for privacy.

Under the Biden administration, the US quietly negotiated for the release of Americans held by the de-facto Afghan government, including securing the release of two Americans in a prisoner swap earlier this week.

The State Department already has a bounty of up to $10 million on Sirajuddin Haqqani, the leader of the Haqqani Network, a US-designated terrorist organization, who serves in the Taliban government.

Two officers, alongside Protocol Specialist Christine Flessner and Col. Angela Ochoa, commander of the 89th Airlift Wing, salute as Air Force One takes off with President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump aboard at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, on Friday.

President Donald Trump said Saturday that he would like to change the colors of Air Force One after plans made during his first term were scrapped under the Biden administration.

Changing the exterior colors, Trump told reporters aboard the presidential aircraft, would be “very much more appropriate.”

Some background: The US Air Force unveiled a new color scheme for the Air Force One jets under construction in 2023, doing away with the darker red, white and blue chosen by Trump and opting for a modernized version of the classic design of the president’s aircraft.

The color scheme also scrapped the design Trump wanted for Air Force One, which featured a deep red stripe down the middle of the aircraft and a dark blue underbelly. It was confirmed that Trump’s preferred color scheme had been rejected because it would require additional engineering, increasing the time it would take to build and the cost of the aircraft. The dark blue paint threatened to overheat sophisticated electronic components and would have required additional Federal Aviation Administration qualification testing, the Air Force said.

It’s unclear how or whether those issues will be resolved with Trump’s return to the plan.

CNN’s Oren Liebermann contributed to reporting to this post.

President Donald Trump indicated Saturday he would be invoking emergency powers to power artificial intelligence.

The US, he told reporters aboard Air Force One, is “going to be leading” in AI.

Trump did not provide a timeline for the emergency powers.

This is the second time Trump has mentioned such plan this week.

President Donald Trump dismissed reports that the White House is in talks with Oracle to obtain TikTok as the clock ticks on an extension to sell the popular app to US ownership.

Trump told reporters there are “numerous people talking to me — very substantial people — about buying it,” and he would be making a decision “probably over the next 30 days.”

CNN has reached out to Oracle and TikTok for comment.

Some background: Trump issued an executive action Monday delaying enforcement of the federal ban on TikTok for 75 days. The action directs the Justice Department not to enforce the law, which passed with broad bipartisan support in Congress and was signed in April by former President Joe Biden. The law required that starting January 19, TikTok be banned in the United States unless it sells to a buyer from America or one of its allies.

President Donald Trump weighed in on the location of his first foreign trip of his second term, suggesting that Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom are on the table.

Trump also said he intends to speak with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer “over the next 24 hours” and offered praise to his counterpart.

First term: Trump’s first stop abroad as president in 2017 was to Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, part of a nine-day, five-country swing across the Middle East and Europe.

President Donald Trump shakes hands with California Gov. Gavin Newsom upon arrival at Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles on Friday.

President Donald Trump offered a message of bipartisanship following his Friday tarmac greeting with California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat.

“I actually always got along with him well until fairly recently,” Trump said of Newsom, whom he has referred to as “Gavin Newscum” on social media.

Some background: Trump visited Los Angeles on Friday to tour damage from the wildfires that have ripped through the region in recent weeks. “We’re going to need your support, we’re going to need your help,” Newsom said after greeting Trump on the tarmac. “You were there for us during Covid. I have all the expectations that we’re going to be able to work together for a speedy recovery.”

President Donald Trump speaks with the reporters alongside White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, right, on board Air Force One after departing Las Vegas en route to Miami on Saturday.

President Donald Trump indicated that he spoke with the king of Jordan about a potential plan to construct housing and move more than 1 million Palestinians from the Gaza Strip to other countries, a remarkable and unusual proposal from a sitting US president.

Asked about a Saturday call with Jordan’s Abdullah II, Trump said he asked the king to take additional Palestinians into his country.

“I said to him that I’d love you to take on more because I’m looking at the whole Gaza Strip right now and it’s a mess, it’s a real mess,” he told reporters aboard Air Force One.

He said he would like both Jordan and Egypt to house people and that he would speak to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi about the matter on Sunday.

“You’re talking about a million and a half people, and we just clean out that whole thing,” Trump said, adding that there have been centuries-long conflicts in the region.

The president said the potential housing “could be temporary” or “could be long term.”

President Donald Trump commented Saturday evening on the firing of roughly a dozen inspectors general of government agencies, claiming that the Friday night shake-up was a “very common thing to do.”

“I did it because it’s a very common thing to do,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One, adding that “not all of them” were removed.

He added, without providing evidence, “I don’t know them, but some people thought that some were unfair or were not doing the job. It’s a very standard thing to do.”

Agency inspectors general received an email late Friday from Sergio Gor, the head of the White House Office of Presidential Personnel, informing them that “changing priorities” had led to their positions being “terminated” effective immediately, according to a person familiar with the matter. The firings affected a broad swath of the federal government, including the departments of State, Energy, the Interior, Defense and Transportation.

Border Patrol vehicles drive along two border walls separating Mexico from the United States in San Diego on Thursday.

President Donald Trump suggested Saturday he may redirect some Internal Revenue Service employees “to the border” after freezing the hiring of IRS workers through an executive order earlier this week.

Trump, speaking to supporters in Las Vegas, touted the hiring freeze while attacking the Biden administration for approving additional hiring within the IRS.

Trump then suggested the proposed increase in IRS employees should be redirected toward aiding his immigration plans at the US-Mexico border.

Some context: Trump has repeatedly claimed the government hired 88,000 IRS agents.

The 2022 Inflation Reduction Act provided a roughly $80 billion, 10-year investment to the IRS. The agency planned to hire tens of thousands of IRS employees with that money — but only some would be agents who conduct audits and investigations. Many people would be hired for non-agent roles, such as customer service representatives. And a significant number of the hires were expected to fill the vacant posts left by retirements and other attrition.

CNN’s Katie Lobosco contributed reporting to this post.

Then-Florida State House Rep. Randy Fine listens to Donald Trump speak to supporters at the Florida Freedom Summit in Kissimmee, Florida, in 2023.

President Donald Trump on Saturday expressed support for Randy Fine to fill national security adviser Mike Waltz’s House seat representing Florida’s 6th Congressional District.

Trump encouraged Florida voters to support Fine, a Florida state senator, in the January 28 Republican primary, offering his “complete and total endorsement.”

Waltz represented the 6th District, which is on Florida’s east coast and includes Daytona Beach, from 2019 until this year, when he resigned to serve in the Trump administration.

Trump previously backed Fine, saying in November that he would endorse the Florida politician should he decide to run for Waltz’s seat.

Some background: Fine, who is Jewish, flipped his allegiance in the 2024 GOP presidential primary from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to Trump, asserting DeSantis hadn’t done enough to stop antisemitism.

This post has been updated with additional information.

Kristi Noem is sworn in as secretary of the Homeland Security Department on Saturday afternoon.

Kristi Noem was sworn in as secretary of the Homeland Security Department on Saturday afternoon.

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry posted photos on X of Noem being sworn in by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.

Vice President JD Vance’s office told reporters that Vance did not participate “due to a scheduling conflict.”

President Donald Trump took a victory lap Saturday in Las Vegas, basking both in his electoral college victory in the state last year and the rapid action of his first week in office.

The advertised theme of Trump’s address was his pledge to eliminate taxes on tips. But Trump’s speech went far beyond tax policy, including a period lambasting former President Joe Biden, bragging that he is stripping “woke crap” from the federal government, and repeating his pledge to enlarge the US’ territories.

Twenty-five minutes into his speech, Trump arrived at its ostensible subject, the promise of eliminating taxes on tipped wages. He didn’t offer great detail of his vision, though he did say he would begin work with lawmakers over the coming weeks to write new tax laws, including renewing the tax cuts he signed into law in 2017.

The idea of removing federal income or payroll taxes on tips has been popular with voters and received bipartisan support, but economic experts say there are thorny issues involved that could result in such a change not helping many low-income employees.

More from the speech: Trump was quick to congratulate Pete Hegseth, who was sworn in Saturday morning, saying he’ll do a “great job” leading the Department of Defense. Hegseth was narrowly confirmed by the Senate despite facing a slew of allegations against him.

Toward the end of his remarks, Trump teased the possibility of serving multiple terms in office, further fueling speculation about his political future. “It will be the greatest honor of my life to serve not once, but twice or three times,” he said.

After his remarks, Trump made his way to the lower casino floor, where he greeted supporters before heading to the craps table.

House Speaker Mike Johnson speaks during a press conference following a House Republican Caucus meeting at the Capitol on January 14, in Washington, DC.

House Speaker Mike Johnson on Saturday invited President Donald Trump to address a joint session of Congress on Tuesday, March 4, according to an open letter Johnson sent to Trump and posted on X.

“America’s Golden Age has begun. Thanks to your strong leadership and bold action in the first days of your presidency, the United States is already experiencing a resurgence of patriotism, unity, and hope for the future,” Johnson wrote. “Your administration and the 119th Congress working together have the chance to make these next four years some of the most consequential to our nation’s history.

Trump has accepted the invitation, a White House official told CNN.

Some context: Since this will be the first address of Trump’s new term, it will not technically be called a “State of the Union” speech.

Since 1977, new presidents have not called their first speech before a joint session of Congress a State of the Union. These speeches are often referred to as an “annual message” or an address on a particular topic.

President Donald Trump spoke Saturday with Jordan’s King Abdullah II, who congratulated Trump on his inauguration, according to a White House readout of the call.

The White House said Trump “thanked King Abdullah for his longtime friendship, and the two leaders discussed the importance of regional peace, security, and stability.”

Remember: Jordan’s geography places it at the center of the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East. The small kingdom sits between Israel and the occupied West Bank on one side, and Iran’s neighbor Iraq on the other, where pro-Iran militias reign supreme. To its north lies Syria, a failing state that is also in Iran’s orbit.

Jordan became the second Arab country to sign a peace deal with Israel in 1994. In the eyes of Israel’s Western allies, it has been vital to regional security. It has close intelligence and security cooperation with Israel, hosts American troops and is reliant on United States military aid.

CNN’s Jomana Kardsheh contributed reporting to this post.

President Donald Trump arrives to speak on his policy to end tax on tips in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Saturday.

President Donald Trump is on stage delivering remarks during his first visit to Nevada since re-election, where he’s expected to address his promise to eliminate payroll taxes on tips.

Signs reading “No Tax on Tips” are prominently displayed throughout the Galaxy Room at the Circa Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, where Trump is now speaking to supporters.

“No taxes on tips” was one of Trump’s campaign promises — a pitch he first made on the campaign trail during a rally in Nevada, which became a major talking point.

The president announced his trip to the Silver State during a White House press conference earlier this week, expressing his gratitude to Nevada voters.

Some context: Tax cut promises were among the biggest economic reasons why some communities voted for Trump. With many Americans worn down by inflation, a flurry of pledges including on overtime pay and Social Security benefits also struck a chord.

But critics say there are thorny issues involved and that such a change wouldn’t help that many low-income employees.

Read more about the tough realities behind Trump’s promise here.

This post has been updated to note the start of Trump’s remarks.

The Air Force removed basic military training curriculum that included video of the famed Tuskegee Airmen amid a review of the course for any diversity-related content, an Air Force official said Saturday.

The move comes after President Donald Trump issued an executive action this week terminating diversity, equity and inclusion programs within the federal government. The Air Force took “immediate steps” to remove curriculum at basic military training, which is now being reviewed “to ensure compliance with Executive Orders issued by the President,” the official said.

But the official said video of the Tuskegee Airmen, the groundbreaking Black American pilots who fought in World War II, was not why the curriculum was removed.

“The Department of the Air Force will fully execute and implement all directives outlined in the Executive Orders issued by the President, ensuring that they are carried out with utmost professionalism, efficiency and in alignment with national security objectives,” an Air Force spokesperson said in a statement.

Some background: The Tuskegee Airmen were the US military’s first Black aviators and their support personnel. The airmen included roughly 1,000 Black pilots who trained between 1941 and 1946 at a segregated air base in Alabama, according to the National World War II Museum. The airmen flew “hundreds of patrol and attack missions” during the war before being reassigned to escort US bombers and other aircraft, according to the museum.

President Donald Trump’s administration lifted a hold on heavy bomb deliveries to Israel, an administration official said Saturday, rolling back one of the few Biden-era policies meant to exert leverage on Israel amid its war in Gaza.

“A lot of things that were ordered and paid for by Israel, but have not been sent by Biden, are now on their way!” Trump posted on Truth Social on Saturday evening, in an apparent allusion to the move.

That move, which was reported earlier by Axios, was widely expected and had been signaled to Israeli officials by incoming Trump officials, people familiar with the matter said.

Some background: Former President Joe Biden had restricted the delivery of the 2,000-pound bombs out of concern they could be used indiscriminately by Israel’s military in densely populated areas of Gaza.

Biden first revealed his decision to limit the weapons deliveries in an interview with CNN.

“Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs and other ways in which they go after population centers,” he told CNN’s Erin Burnett last year.

At the time, the president’s announcement that he was prepared to condition American weaponry on Israel’s actions amounted to a turning point in the seven-month conflict between Israel and Hamas.

It caused tensions to deepen between Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who accused the US of hampering his ability to go after Hamas terrorists.

But it did not ultimately portend any major changes in the war, which stretched on for months until Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire-for-hostages deal early this year.

Nor did it significant improve Biden’s standing among progressives, who argued for significantly tighter restrictions on American arms sales to Israel.

Follow live updates on the ceasefire and hostage release agreement here.

President Donald Trump is briefed on the effects of Hurricane Helene at Asheville Regional Airport in Fletcher, North Carolina, on Friday.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune said on Saturday it was “very important” for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to get confirmed.

“Two big ones. Very important that they get done. They’re the national security, obviously, border security with Gov. Noem, now Secretary Noem. And of course with Secretary Hegseth, a lot going on in the world. We needed a defense secretary in place. Glad to get those done. We’re working on a couple more and just going to keep grinding through and get the president’s team in place and ready to implement his agenda,” Thune said on Fox News.

The Republican from South Dakota said Hegseth’s confirmation was a “team effort” and went how he expected.

Thune earlier told CNN he was not surprised by former GOP Leader Mitch McConnell’s opposition to Hegseth’s confirmation. McConnell joined Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins in opposing Hegseth, whose nomination was surrounded by questions on his experience level and allegations of past wrongdoing.

The Senate majority leader praised Hegseth and how he articulated what he wants to do in the Department of Defense, including getting the department “to be about the war fighter, not about DEI or some sort of woke agenda.”

Thune said he hopes the votes for Scott Bessent, who is nominated to be treasury secretary, and Sean Duffy, who is President Donald Trump’s pick to serve as transportation secretary, will be “big votes,” as the two are set to have Senate confirmation votes next week.

CNN’s Morgan Rimmer contributed reporting to this post.

Kristi Noem said securing the southern border and fixing “our broken immigration system” are among her top priorities after the Senate voted on Saturday to confirm her as President Donald Trump’s homeland security secretary.

Noem said in a statement that Trump received a “mandate from the American people” to address these priorities.

“The Trump Administration will once-again empower our brave men and women in law enforcement to do their jobs and remove criminal aliens and illegal gangs from our country. We will fully equip our intelligence and law enforcement to detect and prevent terror threats and will deliver rapid assistance and disaster relief to Americans in crisis,” Noem wrote.

Noem thanked Trump and the Senate for their trust in her and said her department will ensure America “is a beacon of freedom, safety, and security for generations to come.”

Some background: Noem has served as governor of South Dakota since 2019 and is a former state legislator and four-term congresswoman.

She is a longtime Trump loyalist who rose to prominence resisting Covid-19 public health restrictions in her state. She now figures to play a central role in Trump’s vow to orchestrate a widespread immigration crackdown, which has already begun in the opening days of his presidency.

She will be tasked with leading the Department of Homeland Security, a sprawling agency that oversees everything from US Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement to the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the US Secret Service.