Donald Trump news highlights: US president fires at least 12 internal govt watchdogs

Donald Trump news LIVE: President Donald Trump has threatened to withhold federal aid for California as it grapples with massive ongoing wildfires, and he said he would condition any funds on California changing its water management policies and approving voter identification laws, reports Bloomberg.

Donald Trump news LIVE: China's veteran foreign minister has issued a veiled warning to America's new secretary of state: Behave yourself, reports AP.

Foreign Minister Wang Yi conveyed the message in a phone call Friday, their first conversation since Marco Rubio's confirmation as President Donald Trump's top diplomat four days earlier.

Donald Trump news LIVE: President Donald Trump has sacked at least a dozen internal government watchdogs on Friday night, US media reports.

Independent inspectors general of at least 12 federal agencies were notified of their immediate dismissals via emails from the White House personnel director, according to the The Washington Post.

Donald Trump news LIVE: US President is scheduled to speak at 12:30 pm Saturday at Circa Resort and Casino in downtown Las Vegas, where he will reportedly speak about taxes and exemptions for tips, according to C-SPAN.

Donald Trump news LIVE: Secretary of State Marco Rubio told his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi that the Trump administration will pursue a relationship with China that puts the American people first.

"Secretary Rubio emphasised that the Trump administration will pursue a US-PRC (People's Republic of China) relationship that advances US interests and puts the American people first," said the State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce.

“The Secretary also stressed the United States’ commitment to our allies in the region and serious concern over China’s coercive actions against Taiwan and in the South China Sea,” Bruce said.

Donald Trump news LIVE: Poland’s defence minister has said that US President Donald Trump will only listen to their views on Ukraine if they start investing seriously in their own security.

“The recipe is simple: more spending on defense, more investment in the military industry,” Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said in an interview. Only then can Europe truly have a seat at the negotiating table, he said.

Donald Trump news LIVE: UK politicians could be inspired to replicate US President Donald Trump’s “extreme transparency”, the country’s former top civil servant has said.

Simon Case, who served as Cabinet Secretary for four years, praised the US president’s “impressive political theatre” in signing a raft of executive orders that range from trade, immigration and civil rights since returning to office on Monday. Mr Case said it is difficult to imagine a British prime minister drawing large crowds like those seen at Mr Trump’s rallies and that politicians may follow his approach.

Donald Trump news LIVE: Nissan Motor Co. has expressed apprehension around manufacturing their battery powered cars at a plant in Canton Mississippi, over unease surrounding Trump's promise to introduce incentives for buyers and makers of electric vehicles.

Trump had vowed to scrap a $7,500 tax credit and introduce other incentives for buyers and makers of EVs, which will influence Nissan's operations in America, according to Ponz Pandikuthira, Nissan’s chief planning officer for operations in the Americas.

Donald Trump news LIVE: US President Donald Trump fired 17 independent inspector generals from multiple government agencies on Friday, reported Reuters.

Initial reports estimated that 12 independent inspector generals had been laid off.

Donald Trump news LIVE: Indian students are quitting their part-time jobs in the US due to fears of random checks at their workplace and fears of their education being interrupted as Donald Trump escalates his immigration crackdown, reported The Times of India.

Donald Trump news LIVE: US military planes carrying dozens of deported migrants arrived in Guatemala on Friday.

A total of 265 Guatemalans arrived on three flights -- two operated by the military, and one a charter, the country said.

Donald Trump news LIVE: In a post on TruthSocial, Trump sent a short message to Hegseth, congratulating him on his new role as defence secretary.

“Congratulations to Pete Hegseth. He will make a great Secretary of Défense!” said Trum

Donald Trump news LIVE: US President Donald Trump's administration fired more than 12 independent inspectors general from the departments of defence, state, transportation, veterans affairs, housing and urban development, interior, and energy on Friday.

However, the Washington Post reports that the layoffs "appeared to violate federal law, which requires Congress to receive 30 days’ notice of any intent to fire the inspectors general."

Donald Trump news LIVE: The US Senate is heading towards a vote on confirming Kristi Noem as homeland security secretary. Noem, who is the South Dakota governor, received 13 out of 15 votes from the Senate Homeland Security Committee to advance her nomination earlier this week.

Donald Trump news LIVE: The Department of Défense has ordered a pause on all of its official social media accounts, unless the posts are regarding the Trump administration’s mission at the southern border or are informational updates, reported NBC News.

Donald Trump news LIVE: The Mexican government said they are ready to work with President Donald Trump's administration which is deporting Mexican citizens from the United States.

"We will always accept the arrival of Mexicans to our territory with open arms," the ministry said.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt posted on X that Mexico on Thursday had accepted a record four deportation flights in one day.

Donald Trump news LIVE: Late on Friday, President Trump fired at least 12 independent inspector generals , reported the Washington Post. Layoffs have been rampant in the transition from the Biden to the Trump administration.

Donald Trump news LIVE: Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have made 593 arrests on Friday and 538 on Thursday in line with President Donald Trump's executive orders directing illegal immigrants to be identified and deported from the country.

Donald Trump news LIVE: US Department of Homeland Security officials have instructed a suspension of several programs that permit immigrants to temporarily settle in the United States, reported the New York Times on Friday.

The directive calls for an immediate halt to "final decisions" on certain visa applications, pending a review by the Trump administration on whether to permanently end the programs, the Times reported, citing an email from the head of US Citizenship and Immigration Services.

These programs provide potential entry for many immigrants from countries facing war, political turmoil, or severe poverty, including Ukraine and others in similar crises.

Donald Trump news LIVE: President Donald Trump is seeking immunity in several civil lawsuits seeking to hold him liable for the violence during the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol.

Trump’s personal lawyers argued that he should be immune from civil claims because he was acting in his official capacity as president as he tried to overturn his 2020 election loss.

Donald Trump news LIVE: Saudi Arabia’s crown prince said during a phone call with President Trump that he wishes to invest $600 billion in the United States over the next four years,

“The crown prince affirmed the kingdom’s intention to broaden its investments and trade with the United States over the next four years, in the amount of $600 billion, and potentially beyond that,” a report said.

Donald Trump news LIVE: Officials from an elementary school in Chicago mistakenly claimed that US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents had come to their building when it was actually Secret Service agents investigating a threat.

The false alarm heightened fears among immigrant communities in the city.

Donald Trump news LIVE: Indian-American former journalist Kush Desai has been appointed as Donald Trump's deputy press secretary, the White House announced on Friday.

Desai earlier served as deputy communications director for the 2024 Republican National Convention and communications director for the Republican Party of Iowa.

Donald Trump news LIVE: Donald Trump's pick for defence secretary, Pete Hegseth was confirmed during a Senate hearing where JD Vance cast the decisive vote, with half the Senate voting against him.

Donald Trump news LIVE: President Trump during the annual World Economic Forum at Davos in Switzerland accused the OPEC alliance of oil-exporting countries of being responsible for the Russia-Ukraine war.

"We want to see OPEC cut the price of oil. That will automatically stop the tragedy that's taking place in Ukraine. It's a butchering tragedy for both sides," he said.

"One way to stop it quickly is for OPEC to stop making so much money and to drop the price of oil. If you have it high, that war is not going to end so easily. So, OPEC ought to get on the ball and they ought to drop the price of oil. And the war will stop right away," Trump added.