Inauguration Day Latest: Trump issues pardons for Jan. 6 rioters and signs more executive actions

Donald Trump has been sworn in as the 47th president of the United States, taking charge as Republicans claim unified control of Washington and set out to reshape the country’s institutions

WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump, who overcame impeachments, criminal indictments and a pair of assassination attempts to win another term in the White House, was sworn in Monday as the 47th U.S. president, taking charge as Republicans claim unified control of Washington and set out to reshape the country's institutions.

Trump's swearing-in ceremony moved indoors due to intense cold. After being inaugurated, he attended a parade in his honor at Capital One Arena and signed a number of executive orders and pardons for his supporters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Here's the latest:

Trump finds letter from Biden while signing executive orders

Trump found a letter from Biden in the Oval Office’s Resolute desk, but only after a journalist reminded him to look for it.

While signing a series of executive orders, a journalist asked Trump if he’d received a letter. Trump said he didn’t know and checked the desk drawers, holding up the letter for the cameras.

“Maybe we should all read it together,” Trump said before setting it aside. He said he’ll read it himself before sharing it publicly.

The letter’s envelope has “47″ handwritten in what looks like pencil and underlined.

A new round of executive actions

Trump is using the first appearance of his second term in the Oval Office to sign another series of executive actions. Here are some of the key things he’s signed:

-- pardons and commutations that Trump said would cover about 1,500 people criminally charged in the attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021

-- overhauling the refugee admission program to better align with American principles and interests

-- declaring a “national emergency” at the U.S.-Mexico border

-- designating drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations

Trump issues sweeping pardon for Jan. 6 rioters

Trump issued pardons for participants in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, one of his first acts after being sworn in as the country’s 47th president on Monday.

The pardons fulfill Trump’s promise to release supporters who tried to help him overturn his election defeat four years ago.

“These are the hostages,” he said while signing the paperwork in the Oval Office.

Trump said he was pardoning about 1,500 defendants and issuing six commutations.

Trump makes his Oval Office debut

After hours spent celebrating his new administration, Trump is making his first Oval Office appearance.

Trump has pledged to sign a series of executive actions from behind the oval-shaped room’s famous Resolute Desk.

Those come after he signed an initial flurry at Capital One Arena in downtown Washington, where thousands of his supporters gathered to celebrate an inaugural parade that was moved indoors due to the cold.

Trump rescinds 2021 Title IX order

Trump rescinded a 2021 order signaling the Education Department would use Title IX to protect against discrimination based on gender identity or sexual orientation.

The Biden administration later went further to cement that interpretation into federal regulation, but it was overturned after Republican-led states challenged the rule in federal court.

Rescinding the 2021 order won’t have much effect on schools and colleges, but it clears the slate for other action by the Trump administration.

Trump also rescinded a COVID-19-era executive order directing federal officials to give schools guidance on reopening during the pandemic. That order, issued on Biden's second day in office, also required the Education Department to explore the pandemic's "disparate impacts" on students of color and students with disabilities.

Before order, Florida governor starts calling it ‘Gulf of America’

Trump has not signed an executive order to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to “Gulf of America” but Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has begun calling it just that.

He declared a state of emergency due to winter weather expected along the Gulf Coast.

A closer look at Trump’s executive action freezing Biden’s action on Cuba

Trump has reversed an executive order issued by Biden that moved to lift the U.S. designation of Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism.

Biden formally notified Congress just last week of his decision to lift the designation as part of a deal facilitated by the Catholic Church to free political prisoners on the island.

The day after the announcement, Cuba began releasing people who were convicted of various crimes, including some who were arrested after taking part in the historic 2021 protests, according to Cuban civil groups following the cases of detainees on the island.

A closer look at Trump’s executive action freezing many new orders by Biden

Trump has issued an order freezing many new or pending federal regulations, effectively blocking last-minute protections issued by the Biden administration.

Such an order is fairly common when a new administration takes over, but it could be the first in a series of moves designed to tamp down what the new president and other top Republicans have consistently decried as “federal overreach.”

The move recalled the first day of Trump’s first administration in 2017. Then, he froze all pending federal regulations, effectively suspending Obama-era actions that were new or closer to implementation.

That “immediate regulatory freeze” did not apply to some regulations being implemented for emergency situations relating to health, safety, financial or national security. Implementation of the new administration’s order is likely to include similar language allowing for key exceptions

Trump returns to the White House

Trump has officially returned to the White House as president once again.

He walked through the doors shortly after 7 p.m., joined by his wife, his son Barron and his father-in-law.

A closer look at Trum

p’s executive action ordering federal employees back to work 5 days a week

Among the executive orders Trump signed with a flourish in front of a cheering crowd was one mandating that federal workers return to their offices five days a week.

The move followed the new president’s pledge to end the work-from-home culture that became common during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Last month, at a news conference at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida, Trump said he planned to dismiss federal employees who don’t return to the office to comply with the order.

A closer look at Trump’s executive order on the federal hiring freeze

Trump has ordered a federal hiring freeze on his first day back in office, mirroring an action he took at the start of his first term to try to reduce the size of government.

The order suspends hiring for new positions and many open ones. It includes exceptions for posts related to national security and public safety, as well as the military.

During his campaign, Trump pledged to dismantle a federal bureaucracy that he derided as the “deep state.”

The order eight years ago was intended as a temporary, 90-day measure until federal budget officials, as well as those in charge of the government's personnel office, could devise a longer-term strategy for reducing the size of the federal government — and it was effectively lifted that April.

How long the latest freeze may last is less clear. It is a drastic step away from the Biden administration, which took steps to increase the federal workforce and give pay raises to many in its ranks.

What Trump has signed orders on

1. Halting 78 Biden-era executive actions

2. A regulatory freeze preventing bureaucrats from issuing regulations until the Trump administration has full control of the government

3. A freeze on all federal hiring except for military and a few other essential areas

4. A requirement that federal workers return to full-time in-person work

5. A directive to every department and agency to address the cost of living crisis

6. Withdrawal from the Paris climate treaty

7. A government order restoring freedom of speech and preventing censorship of free speech

8. Ending “weaponization of government"

Trump promises to pardon 'J6 hostages'

Trump announced he will pardon people charged in connection with the Jan. 6 riot, calling them “hostages” while flanked by the families of people taken hostage by Hamas as militants attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

The jarring juxtaposition came moments after Steve Witkoff, Trump’s appointee for special envoy for peach in the Middle East, introduced the relatives, some of whom are seeking the return of remains of their loves ones who were killed while held captive.

“Tonight I’m going to be signing on the J6 hostages, pardons, to get them out,” Trump said, using a shorthand for people charged with crimes for their alleged actions on Jan. 6, 2021. “And as soon as I leave I’m going to the Oval Office and we’ll be signing pardons for a lot of people. A lot of people.”

Trump went on to welcome home people who were released by Hamas as part of a ceasefire deal with Israel, which was finalized in the waning days of Biden’s administration.

Trump also talked about how the Israel-Hamas war wouldn’t have happened had he been in office instead of Biden. He appeared to mix up that conflict with Russia’s war in Ukraine.

“Three years. It’s ridiculous,” Trump said. The Israeli conflict occurred not even 18 months ago.

Families of Israeli hostages attend parade

Families of hostages from Israel attended the inauguration parade, including several with family members still in captivity and others whose loved ones have died.

The family members took the stage, lining up to shake hands with Trump.

Trump’s appointee for Middle East envoy kicked off the speaking portion following the parade by celebrating the return of three Israeli hostages Sunday.

Parade includes students from Vance’s high school and Trump’s military academy

The inaugural parade included a nod to Trump’s and Vance’s formative years.

Students from the New York Military Academy, a private prep school near West Point, marched in the parade. Trump is a 1964 graduate of the school, as well as an alumnus of distinction from the school.

Also participating were the marching band and cheerleaders from Ohio’s Middletown High School. Vance graduated from the school in 2003. The community raised more than $140,000 through private donations and grants to send students from Vance’s hometown to Washington.

Parade honors rallygoer killed during Trump assassination attempt

Emergency officials and first responders from a Pennsylvania county where Trump was nearly assassinated over the summer marched in the inaugural parade.

Butler County first responders presented the colors and marched in a large U around the arena. They carried the fire jacket of Corey Comperatore, a rallygoer who was shot and killed during the attempt on Trump’s life.

A moment of silence was held for Comperatore as well.

Trump arrives at Capitol One Arena for inaugural parade

Trump entered the arena via stairs in the stands that had him walking past his supporters, who were close enough to touch him and pat him on the shoulder.

It was a marked contrast from the Republican National Convention, when Secret Service agents kept a wide aisle between Trump and Republican officials amid heightened security following his near-assassination.

The indoor parade — attended by regular supporters — serves as a visual contrast to the events at the Capitol, where Trump was surrounded by lawmakers and many of the country’s richest men.

Trump took a red, white and blue stage, placing a binder on a podium to raucous cheers from the crowd.

Trump then stood and smiled, pumping his fist as sustained cheers continued.

Detroit pastor who delivered inaugural benediction grabs attention, launches cryptocurrency

The Detroit pastor who led a benediction closing out Trump’s inauguration heavily cited multiple iconic American texts, including the Declaration of Independence and patriotic songs.

Most notably, the Rev. Lorenzo Sewell delivered a highly animated and nearly word-for-word recital of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech as he closed out the audience in prayer. The homage garnered much attention, praise and some criticism online for his spirited delivery.

Sewell was a mainstay of Trump events throughout the 2024 presidential campaign. Shortly after the inauguration, Sewell announced on social media that he was launching a cryptocurrency to fund his ministry’s activities.

▶ Read more about Lorenzo and his inaugural prayer

President of Mexico congratulates Trump

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum congratulated Trump, saying on the social platform X that “as neighbors and commercial partners, dialogue, respect and cooperation will always be the symbol of our relationship.”

Sheinbaum, whose politics are firmly rooted on the left, began her six-year term in October.

Deep partisan div

isions were evident in media coverage of inauguration

Presidential inaugurals frequently symbolize what binds Americans, a quadrennial celebration of a peaceful transition of power. Yet the nation’s political divisions were hard not to notice in media coverage of the event.

On NBC News, historian Jon Meacham called Trump’s inaugural the most partisan address he can remember.

Conservative commentator Scott Jennings on CNN said it was remarkable to see Trump “indict the gangsters to their faces.”

▶ Read more about media coverage of the inauguration

Vivek Ramaswamy will not serve in Trump’s new Department of Government Efficiency, the White House says

The Department of Government Efficiency’s first order of business was itself: It is now down to one member.

Vivek Ramaswamy will no longer serve in the nongovernmental agency alongside Elon Musk, a spokesperson for the agency confirmed Monday. Ramaswamy has signaled plans to run for governor of Ohio.

“Vivek Ramaswamy played a critical role in helping us create DOGE,” spokesperson Anna Kelly said in a statement. “He intends to run for elected office soon, which requires him to remain outside of DOGE, based on the structure that we announced today. We thank him immensely for his contributions over the last 2 months and expect him to play a vital role in making America great again.”

▶ Read more about Ramaswamy's departure

Trump heads to Capital One Arena

Trump is now leaving the Capitol. He’s expected to head next to the inaugural parade at Capital One Arena.

Supporters have been there all day, watching video of the swearing-in and other events.

Trump reviews military troops in inaugural tradition

Trump is following the traditional inaugural playbook with a formal review of military troops.

The pass in review is an inspection of troops and a traditional ceremony that usually occurs on the steps of the U.S. Capitol. But, like the rest of the day’s festivities, it was also forced inside by low temperatures.

Trump and Vance watched the ceremony from a makeshift stage with a red carpet. Later, Trump moved closer to the troops with his wife, Melania.

The first couple held hands while “Hail to the Chief” played.

Trump picks new leaders for energy agencies

Trump has named two Republicans to lead regulatory agencies that oversee nuclear power, natural gas and other energy infrastructure.

David Wright is the new chair of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, while Mark Christie heads the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

The NRC regulates commercial nuclear power plants and other uses of nuclear materials. FERC regulates interstate transmission of electricity, natural gas and oil. It also reviews proposals to build liquefied natural gas terminals, a Trump priority.

Both panels are independent agencies, but members are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate.

Wright replaces Christopher Hanson, while Christie supplants Willie Phillips. Both were named to their leadership posts by Joe Biden.

Democratic governor attended inaugural events out of respect for the office

Connecticut Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont says he believed it was important for him to make the trek to Washington for inaugural events out of “respect for the presidency and the transition of power.”

Lamont says it was also a chance to catch up with Republican governors from around the country and to meet some newly elected ones.

“I thought it was important to have Democratic governors there,” he told The Associated Press. “I’m not supporting any of these policies, just there out of respect for the presidency.”

Lamont, an early and longtime Biden supporter, acknowledged feeling a bit outnumbered politically during his whirlwind visit to the nation’s capital.

“Lots of flashing lights and MAGA hats down here,” Lamont joked. “I felt a bit like an anthropologist checking things out.”

Trump turns to 3 longtime senior civilians to serve as acting secretaries of US military branches

Trump has turned to three longtime senior civilians at the Pentagon to serve as the acting secretaries of the Army, Navy and Air Force while he waits for Congress to confirm his permanent nominees.

Mark Averill, who was the administrative assistant to Army Secretary Christine Wormuth, will be acting secretary of that service. A graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Averill has been a senior career civilian since June 2009.

Terence Emmert, who has been the principal deputy chief technology officer for mission capabilities, will be the acting Navy secretary. He served in the Navy as an aviator and has broad experience in research and testing.

Gary Ashworth, who has been working in a temporary role as the assistant defense secretary for acquisition, will be the acting Air Force secretary. Ashworth spent more than 20 years in the Air Force and headed an acquisition squadron during his final assignment.

The Inauguration Day lunch is ending

Trump is shaking hands, posing for photos and chatting as he prepares to make his way out of National Statuary Hall.

A wave of Trump-demanded departures hits senior leadership at the State Department

A large number of senior career diplomats who served in politically appointed leadership positions at the State Department have left their posts at the demand of the incoming Trump administration, which plans to install its own people in those positions, according to current and outgoing U.S. officials.

Personnel changes in the senior ranks of the department, like those at all federal agencies, are not uncommon after a presidential election, and career officials serving in those roles are required, just as non-career political appointees, to submit letters of resignation before an incoming administration takes office.

In the past, some of those resignations have not been accepted, allowing career officials to remain in their posts at least temporarily until the new president can make nominations. That offers some degree of continuity in the day-to-day running of the bureaucracy.

What Melania Trump wore to the inauguration — including the hat

While red baseball caps have become synonymous with President Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump made her own millinery-related fashion statement, sporting a navy wide-brimmed hat by an American designer on Inauguration Day.

The hat designed by Eric Javits shielded the first lady's eyes as her husband was sworn in Monday for the second time. Javits said dressing the first lady has been one of the greatest honors of his career.

The hat made its mark throughout the inauguration ceremony: As Trump went to kiss his wife after entering the Capitol Rotunda, the hat left only room for an air kiss. Even now-former President Joe Biden had to navigate around the hat while trying to talk to her husband on the other side.

In a departure from 2017's sky blue cashmere dress and gloves by Ralph Lauren, this time, Melania Trump paired a muted navy silk wool coat with a navy skirt and an ivory silk crepe blouse underneath, all by independent American designer Adam Lippes.

▶ Read more about the first lady's Inauguration Day outfit

Trump orders US flags to be lowered again for Carter after inauguration

The text of Trump's order on the U.S. flag says it will be lowered "upon the end of this Inauguration Day" for the remainder of the 30-day period honoring the memory of the late former President Jimmy Carter, or through Jan. 28.

Government health website providing abortion information appears disabled

A government health website that offers birth control and emergency abortion guidance appears to have been disabled after Trump took office.

The website, reproductiverights.gov, was launched by the Biden administration in response to the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn national abortion rights. It detailed ways in which women could obtain birth control, abortion pills and emergency abortions.

The Biden administration had argued hospitals, even in states with strict abortion bans, should be required to provide emergency abortions for women with serious pregnancy complications like placental abruptions, ectopic pregnancies or incomplete miscarriages.

More than 100 pregnant women, including some who needed pregnancy terminations, were turned away from emergency rooms since the Supreme Court's 2022 decision, an Associated Press investigation found.

Mexico City residents protest Trump’s immigration policies during inauguration

As Trump promised mass deportations in his inaugural address and following remarks, hundreds of people marched in protest of Trump’s immigration policies near the U.S. embassy in Mexico City.

A group of about 50 people gathered ahead outside the embassy ahead of the march. One held balloons that said in Spanish "Borders don't exist." A protester also burned a piñata that looked like Trump while another wore a hoodie labeled SB 4, referring to the stalled Texas immigration law.

President-elect Donald Trump is seen in the presidential limousine as he and President Joe Biden depart the White House for the Capitol, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)

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President Donald Trump, center, takes part in a signing ceremony in the President's Room after the 60th Presidential Inauguration, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. Surrounding the president are, from left, Senate Majority Leader Sen. John Thune, R-S.D.; Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.; Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb.; Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.; Vice President JD Vance; first lady Melania Trump; House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.; House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La.; and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y. (Melina Mara/The Washington Post via AP, Pool)

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Elon Musk arrives on stage to speak at an indoor Presidential Inauguration parade event in Washington, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

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Donald Trump is sworn in as the 47th president of the United States by Chief Justice John Roberts as Melania Trump holds the Bible during the 60th Presidential Inauguration in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Morry Gash, Pool)

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Vice President-elect J.D. Vance, left, takes oath as his wife Usha Vance watches during the 60th Presidential Inauguration in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. (Kevin Lamarque/Pool Photo via AP)

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President Donald Trump speaks from Emancipation Hall as House Speaker Mike Johnson, from left, his wife Kelly Johnson, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., and his wife Jennifer Scalise, listen after the 60th Presidential Inauguration, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. (Jasper Colt/Pool Photo via AP)

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President Donald Trump gestures to Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts after being sworn in as president during the 60th Presidential Inauguration in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. (Chip Somodevilla/Pool Photo via AP)

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Guests including Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, Sundar Pichai and Elon Musk, arrive before the 60th Presidential Inauguration in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, Pool)

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Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, followed by Secretary of State nominee Marco Rubio, arrives before the 60th Presidential Inauguration in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, Pool)

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Open AI CEO Sam Altman, center, speaks with boxer Jake Paul and wrestler Logan Paul in Emancipation Hall at the 60th Presidential Inauguration, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. (Al Drago/Pool Photo via AP)

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President-elect Donald Trump, center left, takes the oath of office during the 60th Presidential Inauguration in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. (Kenny Holston/The New York Times via AP, Pool)

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Former President George W. Bush, former first lady Laura Bush and former President Barack Obama, speak after President Donald Trump was sworn in during the 60th Presidential Inauguration in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. (Shawn Thew/Pool photo via AP)

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From left, former President Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and former President George W. Bush, speak following the 60th Presidential Inauguration for President Donald Trump, in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. (Shawn Thew/Pool photo via AP)

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From left, Larua Trump, Eric Trump, Elon Musk, Ivanka Trump, and Donald Trump Jr., stand together following the 60th Presidential Inauguration for President Donald Trump, in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. (Shawn Thew/Pool photo via AP)

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President Donald Trump, from right, and first lady Melania Trump walk with former President Joe Biden and Jill Biden to board a Marine helicopter as the Bidens depart to Joint Base Andrews after the 60th Presidential Inauguration, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. (Jack Gruber/Pool Photo via AP)

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Protestors rally on Inauguration Day, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

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