Donald J. Trump was inaugurated and began his second term of the presidency on Jan. 20, 2024. The inauguration was held indoors because of the cold weather, but President Trump later moved to an arena of supporters to sign several executive orders. There he declared a national emergency at the southern border, ended remote work and diversity programs in the bureaucracy, and ended birthright citizenship, although that order has been challenged as unconstitutional in court by several states.
Much of the lead up to President Trump’s inauguration was focused on getting members of his cabinet confirmed by the Senate, which happens through a process of hearings. Cabinet confirmations are often not particularly partisan, but some of President Trump’s controversial nominees heavily divided the Senate. Pete Hegseth was narrowly confirmed as United States Secretary of Defense on Jan. 25 by the tie breaking vote of Vice President Vance after 50 senators voted to reject and 50 voted to approve. President Trump cited Hegseth’s time in the military as valuable experience for the Secretary of Defense, although Hegseth was most recently a FOX News commentator. He also supported Hegseth’s commitment to increasing recruitment and lethality in the military. Senators opposing Hegseth brought up worries about reports of excessive alcohol use, his past instances of inappropriate workplace behavior, a lack of experience and his controversial positions on women in the military. The military “should not have women in combat roles” Hegseth said on “The Shawn Ryan Show.” He has since walked back that statement. Other picks include Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, which runs agencies like the CDC and FDA. RFK Jr. has come under fire for his anti-vaccine stance and has been disavowed by other members of the Kennedy family. President Trump also nominated former Florida representative Matt Gaetz as Attorney General, but he dropped out of consideration after allegations that he “used illegal drugs and had sex with a minor,” NPR reports.
However, debates in Congress will not be confined to cabinet confirmation hearings. Congress passed the bipartisan Laken-Riley Act, which requires the Department of Homeland Security “to detain certain non-U.S. nationals… arrested for burglary, theft, larceny, or shoplifting,” which was a priority for President Trump’s second administration. Congress is also set to hear debates over extending tax cuts and imposing tariffs on other countries to increase revenue. It remains to be seen whether Congress’s bill to ban TikTok in the US will go into effect, as President Trump issued an executive order giving TikTok a 75-day extension to continue to operate and has pledged to keep the service running.