Trump Sworn In & Ramaswamy Leaves DOGE | Afternoon Update | 1.20.25

Summary

Morning Wire Podcast Summary Episode: Trump Sworn In & Ramaswamy Leaves DOGE | Afternoon Update | 1.20.25
Release Date: January 20, 2025
Hosts: Georgia Howe and John Bickley

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1. President Trump's Inauguration and Bold Promises

Timestamp: 00:22 - 03:53

Key Highlights:

• Inauguration Speech: President Trump, newly sworn in, delivered a strong inaugural address pledging to "usher in a golden age for America." He emphasized restoring national sovereignty, ending government "weaponization," and prioritizing America-first policies.

• Acknowledgment of Challenges: Trump recognized the existing challenges, notably a "crisis of trust," and attributed past mismanagement to a "corrupt establishment."

• Policy Commitments: He pledged swift actions on border security, disaster relief, and education, asserting his election as a "mandate for change" that will end America's decline and restore national prosperity.

Notable Quote:

• Donald Trump [00:34]: "From this day forward, our country will flourish and be respected again."

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2. Final Presidential Pardons Issued by Joe Biden

Timestamp: 01:09 - 02:23

Key Highlights:

• Pardoned Individuals: In his final hours, President Biden pardoned Dr. Anthony Fauci, former General Mark Milley, and members of the January 6th Committee, among others, including his brother James Biden and family members amid influence-peddling allegations.

• Republican Backlash: Republicans, including Senator Eric Schmidt, criticized the pardons as an "abuse of power," expressing concerns about setting negative precedents and undermining the rule of law.

• Biden's Defense: Biden maintained that the pardons do not imply wrongdoing, despite his earlier stance against Trump's pardon discussions in 2020.

Notable Quotes:

• Senator Eric Schmidt [01:59]: "You're not going to see in our administration that kind of approach to pardons."

• Donald Trump [02:16]: "Many are guilty of major crimes."

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3. Strong Public Support for Trump's Immigration Policies

Timestamp: 02:23 - 03:05

Key Highlights:

• Public Opinion: A recent poll indicates that nearly 90% of Americans support deporting illegal aliens with criminal records. There is also significant backing for deporting recent entrants and all illegal immigrants, as well as building a border wall and penalizing businesses that employ illegal workers.

• Immigration Reform Agenda: With Trump's inauguration, immigration policy is set to be a major focus in the House, emphasizing stricter enforcement and border security.

Notable Quote:

• Spencer Lindquist [02:31]: "Nearly 9 in 10 Americans support deporting illegal aliens with criminal records."

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4. Executive Orders Enacted by President Trump

Timestamp: 03:05 - 05:53

Key Highlights:

• Immigration Reform: Trump signed approximately a dozen executive orders overhauling U.S. immigration, including ending birthright citizenship and designating cartels as terrorist organizations.

• Political Investigation: An executive order was issued to investigate alleged political weaponization by the Biden administration, directing the Attorney General to review actions targeting Trump supporters and conservatives.

• Social Policies: Trump defined male and female in an expansive order, mandating federal agencies to use biological sex designations, banning gender marker changes on IDs, and ending the forced use of preferred pronouns in workplaces and schools.

  • Alliance Defending Freedom's Response:
    Kristin Wagner [04:52]: "My hope is that we're turning the corner on this issue... we will continue to now have the federal government on the side of women and girls rather than against us."

• Symbolic Renamings:

  • Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America: Aimed at honoring American greatness, though critics argue it disregards cultural and historical significance.
  • Mount McKinley to Denali: Restoring Alaska's Denali to its former name, reflecting national pride.

Notable Quotes:

• Donald Trump [05:23]: "The renaming honors American greatness and will be reflected in all federal communications and maps."

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5. Senate Cabinet Confirmations

Timestamp: 05:53 - 06:19

Key Highlights:

• Confirmations Underway: The Senate is set to confirm several of Trump's cabinet nominees, starting with Florida Senator Marco Rubio. Other key positions include:

  • Pete Hegseth: Defense Secretary nominee.
  • John Ratcliffe: CIA Director nominee.
  • Christine Nome: Homeland Security nominee from South Dakota.

• Smooth Proceedings: Early hearings, such as Rubio's, are expected to proceed smoothly, indicating strong support for Trump's administration.

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6. Vivek Ramaswamy's Departure from DOGE Department

Timestamp: 06:19 - 06:38

Key Highlights:

• Leadership Change: Vivek Ramaswamy has resigned from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), with rumors suggesting a potential gubernatorial bid for Ohio.

• Future Plans: Sources indicate that Ramaswamy plans to launch his campaign next week, leading to Elon Musk taking full control of DOGE's efforts to streamline federal operations.

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Conclusion

The episode of Morning Wire delivered a comprehensive update on the significant developments following President Trump's inauguration, including his ambitious policy agenda, the aftermath of President Biden's final pardons, robust public support for immigration reforms, and pivotal executive orders reshaping social and political landscapes. Additionally, discussions touched upon upcoming Senate confirmations and notable personnel changes within the administration, painting a detailed picture of the early days of Trump's presidency.

For more in-depth coverage, visit dailywire.com or tune into the full episode of Morning Wire.

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This summary excludes advertisements, intros, outros, and non-content sections to focus solely on the in-depth analysis and discussion of the episode's primary topics.

Transcript

[Advertiser]

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[Georgia Howe]

I'm Georgia Howe with Daily Wire Editor in Chief John Bickley. It's Monday, January 20th, and this is your Morning Wire afternoon update.

[Tim Pierce]

Newly sworn in, President Trump delivered bold remarks during his inauguration speech today, vowing to usher in a golden age for America. Daily Wire reporter Tim Pierce has more.

[Donald Trump]

Speaking moments after taking the oath, Trump declared, from this day forward, our country will flourish and be respected again. He promised to restore national sovereignty and end what he called the weaponization of government while putting America first. Trump acknowledged challenges ahead, calling for honesty about the nation's crisis of trust and blamed a corrupt establishment for years of mismanagement. He pledged swift action on border security, disaster relief and education, insisting his election victory was a mandate for change. Trump concluded by promising that America' decline is over and that his administration would bring prosperity and strength back to the nation.

[Georgia Howe]

In his final act as president, Joe Biden issued several pardons. Daily Wire reporter Zach Jewell has the latest.

[Zach Jewell]

Just hours before Biden was set to hand the reins over to President Trump, he issued pardons to Dr. Anthony Fauci and former U.S. army General Mark Milley, as well as members of the controversial January 6th Committee. Fauci has repeatedly been under fire for his recommendations made during COVID 19, while Milley has faced criticism for secret calls to China during Trump's presidency and his role in the botched withdrawal from Afghanistan. Biden also pardoned his brother James, along with four other members of the Biden family, amid influence peddling allegations. The move has drawn backlash from Republicans like Senator Eric Schmidt, who say it's an abuse of power. For his part, Biden insists these pardons do not represent an admission of wrongdoing, despite previously condemning Trump's talk about pardons in 2020.

[Eric Schmidt]

It concerns me in terms of what kind of precedent it sets and how the rest of the world looks at us as a nation of laws and injustice. You're not going to see in our administration that kind of approach to pardons.

[Zach Jewell]

Trump blasted the move as disgraceful, telling ABC News, quote, many are guilty of major crimes.

[Tim Pierce]

New polling shows that Americans overwhelmingly support Trump's deportation plans. Daily Wire reporter Spencer Lindquist has the numbers.

[Spencer Lindquist]

Nearly 9 in 10Americans support deporting illegal aliens with criminal records, according to a recent poll highlighting the strong backing for one of President Trump's key policies. Majority is also favored deporting recent illegal entrants and all illegal immigrants, reflecting widespread support for stricter immigration enforcement. Earlier polls show similar approval for tougher measures like building the border wall and penalizing businesses that hire illegal workers. As Trump prepares to take office, immigration reform is set to dominate the House's agenda. We spoke to Trump's border czar, Tom Homan. Just a day before the inauguration, President.

[Tom Homan]

Trump put a good team together. I'll be working very close with Kristi Nolan. She's brilliant and she can all clean house at DHS. Of course Dr. Patel is going to clean house the FBI while I run the deportation operation.

[Spencer Lindquist]

Trump signed around a dozen executive orders today directed at effectively overhauling U.S. immigration policy that includes things like ending birthright citizenship and designating cartels as a terrorist organization.

[Georgia Howe]

Among the more than 200 executive orders Trump is set to sign, one will kick off an investigation into alleged political weaponization by the Biden administration. The order directs the attorney general to review government actions targeting Trump supporters and conservatives aiming to hold officials accountable. The move fulfills a key campaign promise to end what Trump calls government overreach.

[Advertiser]

This episode is brought to you by Shopify. Sign up for your $1 per month trial period at shopify.com morningwire all lowerc established in 2025 has a nice ring to it, doesn't it? Head over to shopify.com morningwire to start selling with Shopify today.

[Tim Pierce]

Trump is officially defining male and female by way of an expansive executive order, Daily Wire reporter Amanda Prestisgiacomo reports.

[Amanda Prestisgiacomo]

The order requires federal agencies to reflect biological sex and bans gender marker changes on passports and IDs. It also directs agencies like the State Department and Homeland Security to use immutable sex designations and aims to block taxpayer funded gender transition treatments for federal prisoners while increasing privacy protections in women's spaces like prisons and shelters. Finally, it ends the forced use of preferred pronouns, including in the workplace and schools. Alliance Defending Freedom President Kristin Wagner spoke to us about the orders.

[Kristin Wagner]

My hope is that we're turning the corner on this issue. We've been fighting it for over 10 years now with regard to bathrooms, locker rooms, and more recently eight or so years. On the sports front, I think we're turning the page, but again we have half of the states that have adopted laws to protect women and girls in sports as an example, and these are state laws those are being challenged and argued that they are unconstitutional. So those cases will continue, but we will continue to now to have the federal government on the side of women and girls rather than against us.

[Georgia Howe]

President Trump is also signing executive orders to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America and to restore Alaska's Denali back to Mount McKinley. The administration says the renaming honors American greatness and will be reflected in all federal communications and maps. Trump has called McKinley a great president and believes the gulf's new name has a beautiful ring. Critics say the changes ignore cultural and historical significance, while supporters argue they reaffirm national pride.

[Tim Pierce]

Following today's inauguration, the Senate is set to get back to work and vote on several Trump cabinet members. Florida Senator Marco Rubio is first and will likely be confirmed after a rather smooth hearing. Trump's national security picks will also be up for a vote, including defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth as well as John Ratcliffe for CIA director. Following Hegseth and Ratcliffe, there will be a vote for South Dakota governor Christine Nome for Homeland Security.

[Georgia Howe]

And Vivek Ramaswamy is out at the Department of Government Efficiency as rumors swirl about his potential bid for Ohio governor. Sources close to Ramaswamy tell Politico he plans to launch his gubernatorial campaign next week. His departure leaves Musk in full control of the department's efforts to streamline federal operations.

[Tim Pierce]

All right, those your Drive Home updates this afternoon. To learn more about these stories, go to dailywire.com and for more in depth reporting on the biggest stories of the day, tune in to our full episode of Morning Wire.

[Donald Trump]

Every morning.