🔵 Trump Fires Biden Attorneys

Author

Citizen Frank
February 19, 2025

Good evening. It’s Tuesday, February 18.

 

President Donald Trump announced Tuesday he has fired every remaining U.S. attorney appointed under former President Joe Biden, citing “unprecedented politicization” at the Justice Department (DOJ).

Several Biden appointees had already resigned in recent days, while others were given immediate termination notices.

Critics claim Trump’s move raises concerns about political interference in federal law enforcement, while administration supporters view it as part of a promised overhaul to restore “confidence” in the justice system.

Since taking office, President Donald Trump has orchestrated a full-scale illegal immigration crackdown, mobilizing agencies from the FBI to the Defense Department.

Illegal immigrants have been flown to distant countries on military transport planes, and even Guantánamo Bay Naval Base is housing detainees. Despite an initial flurry of ICE arrests, daily apprehension numbers have dropped from about 800 to fewer than 600, far short of the administration’s goal of 1,200 to 1,500.

Tensions are mounting as officials clash over budgets, manpower, and detention space — underscored by abrupt leadership changes at ICE and a $175 billion Senate proposal to bolster enforcement.

A federal judge rejected an urgent attempt by 14 states to bar Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing federal data systems and firing agency staff.

US District Judge Tanya Chutkan ruled the plaintiffs failed to prove “imminent, irreparable harm” in Musk’s role overseeing DOGE’s sweeping government cuts.

The decision deals a legal victory to the Trump administration, which has defended Musk’s status as a mere advisor rather than a formal government official requiring Senate confirmation.

President Donald Trump and Elon Musk—who leads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)—appeared together on Fox News’ “Hannity” to defend their sweeping overhaul of federal agencies.

They dismissed claims that Musk’s role violates constitutional requirements, arguing that he is merely an advisor executing the people’s will through the president.

While Democrats accuse Musk of exercising unchecked power and initiating mass layoffs, the White House maintains that he holds a special government employee status, not requiring Senate confirmation.

Both Trump and Musk have pledged to slash massive amounts of federal spending, aiming for a $1 trillion reduction to curb what they consider rampant waste.

President Donald Trump’s administration, under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, wants NATO allies to shoulder more of Europe’s own defense burdens.

In a forceful speech at a Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting in Brussels, Hegseth demanded European nations raise military spending from NATO’s 2-percent standard to 5 percent of GDP — calling current arrangements “imbalanced.”

The U.S., facing soaring deficits and a global security pivot toward China, insists it can no longer serve as Europe’s principal protector without significant shared costs.

NATO’s last annual report revealed the U.S. represents 53 percent of the GDP of all countries in the alliance. But the U.S. makes 67 percent of alliance defense expenditures. Only 11 of the alliance’s 32 members hit that benchmark in that report.

Among the countries not hitting the 2 percent mark are Canada, France, and Germany—all wealthy countries that could significantly contribute to the alliance’s defense.

Brazil’s prosecutor-general, Paulo Gonet, charged former President Jair Bolsonaro on Tuesday with orchestrating a coup plot to remain in power after losing the 2022 election.

The allegations include plans to poison President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, shoot Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, and rally military officials in a conspiracy dubbed “Green and Yellow Dagger.”

The case involves 34 defendants, among them Bolsonaro and his former running mate, Gen. Braga Netto. Brazil’s Supreme Court must decide whether to accept the charges, which could lead to Bolsonaro standing trial for attempting to overthrow the democratic order.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday aimed at expanding access to in vitro fertilization (IVF) and slashing its costs for Americans struggling with fertility issues.

The directive requires the administration’s domestic policy chief to deliver policy recommendations within 90 days, focusing on how to remove “unnecessary statutory or regulatory burdens” that inflate IVF expenses.

The order follows Trump’s 2024 campaign pledge to have insurers or government programs cover IVF treatments. Currently, most states do not mandate coverage for IVF, which can cost tens of thousands of dollars per cycle, creating a significant financial hurdle for many aspiring parents.

Kash Patel, President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the FBI, cleared a key hurdle Tuesday when the Senate voted 48-45 to open debate on his confirmation.

In his confirmation hearing, Patel pledged to “cut in half” the number of offenses committed across broad categories of crimes, including the “100,000 rapes … 100,000 drug overdoses from Chinese fentanyl and Mexican heroin, and … 17,000 homicides.”

If confirmed, Patel would serve a 10-year term as the nation’s top federal law enforcement officer under Attorney General Pam Bondi.

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