Happy New Year 2025

Tag: happened

Here’s what happened during President Donald Trump’s 4th week in office

President Donald Trump and his administration forged ahead with its foreign policy priorities in meetings and calls with heads of state and advanced discussions surrounding the end of the Russia-Ukraine war this week.

Trump spoke with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, where leaders agreed to launch negotiations to end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

“We agreed to work together, very closely, including visiting each other’s Nations,” Trump posted to Truth Social Wednesday after speaking with Putin. “We have also agreed to have our respective teams start negotiations immediately, and we will begin by calling President Zelenskyy, of Ukraine, to inform him of the conversation, something which I will be doing right now.”

“I have asked Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Director of the CIA John Ratcliffe, National Security Advisor Michael Waltz, and Ambassador and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, to lead the negotiations which, I feel strongly, will be successful,” Trump said.

Additionally, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent traveled to Kyiv on Wednesday, and Vice President JD Vance also met with Zelenskyy Friday at the Munich Security Conference.

TRUMP SAYS RUSSIA AGREES TO ‘IMMEDIATELY BEGIN’ NEGOTIATIONS TO END WAR IN UKRAINE

Then-Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meet at Trump Tower in New York City, New York, Sept. 27, 2024. (Shannon Stapleton/Reuters)

Meanwhile, the Trump administration has come under scrutiny for the negotiations, fielding criticism that Ukraine is being pressured to give in to concessions after Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said Wednesday that it wasn’t realistic for Ukraine to regain its pre-war borders with Russia.

“Putin is gonna pocket this and ask for more,” Brett Bruen, director of global engagement under former President Barack Obama, told Fox News Digital.

But Hegseth shut down comments like these, and told NATO members in Brussels on Thursday: “Any suggestion that President Trump is doing anything other than negotiating from a position of strength is, on its face, ahistorical and false.”

Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, and Trump vowed on the campaign trail in 2024 that he would work to end the conflict if elected again.

Here’s what also happened this week at the White House:

Meeting Jordan’s king

Trump welcomed Jordan’s King Abdullah II at the White House Tuesday, a visit that comes amid contentious discussions between the U.S. and Arab nations about relocating Palestinian refugees to Jordan and other neighboring Arab countries to rebuild Gaza.

Trump unveiled plans on Feb. 4 that the U.S. would seek to “take over” the Gaza Strip in a “long-term ownership position” to deliver stability to the region during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

However, Trump’s proposal prompted swift backlash from Arab countries, including Jordan, and Egypt announced plans on Sunday for an emergency Arab Summit to discuss “new and dangerous developments” regarding the resettling of Palestinians on Feb. 27.

TRUMP MEETS WITH JORDAN’S KING AMID TENSE TALKS ABOUT RESETTLING PALESTINIANS

When asked how he felt about Trump’s plans for the future of Gaza, Abdullah remained tight-lipped and said he would wait for the Egyptians to take the lead on a proposal moving forward as they negotiate with the U.S.

“I think let’s wait until the Egyptians can come and present it to the president and not get ahead of us,” Abdullah said.

Abdullah did reveal plans to accept 2,000 sick Palestinian children to Jordan.

“I think one of the things that we can do right away is take 2,000 children that are either cancer children or in a very ill state, to Jordan as quickly as possible,” Abdullah said. “And then wait for … the Egyptians to present their plan on how we can work with the president to work on the cause of challenges.”

Denuclearization talks with China, Russia

Trump floated a joint meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Putin, claiming he wants all countries to move toward denuclearization.

Trump on Thursday told reporters he plans to advance these denuclearization talks once “we straighten it all out” in the Middle East and Ukraine, comments that come as the U.S., Russia and Ukraine are actively pursuing negotiations to end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

“There’s no reason for us to be building brand new nuclear weapons, we already have so many,” Trump said Thursday at the White House. “You could destroy the world 50 times over, 100 times over. And here we are building new nuclear weapons, and they’re building nuclear weapons.”

“We’re all spending a lot of money that we could be spending on other things that are actually, hopefully, much more productive,” he said.

The U.S. is projected to spend approximately $756 billion on nuclear weapons between 2023 and 2032, according to a Congressional Budget Office report released in 2023.

Cuts to federal workforce

Trump signed an executive order Tuesday instructing the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to coordinate with federal agencies and execute massive cuts in federal government staffing numbers.

The order will instruct DOGE and federal agencies to work together to “significantly” shrink the size of the federal government and limit hiring new employees, according to a White House fact sheet on the order. Specifically, agencies must not hire more than one employee for every four that leave their federal post.

TRUMP SIGNS ORDER INSTRUCTING DOGE TO MASSIVELY CUT FEDERAL WORKFORCE

Elon Musk and President Donald Trump talk about DOGE’s efforts to investigate wasteful U.S. government spending from the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 11, 2025. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)

Agencies will also be instructed to “undertake plans for large-scale reductions in force” and evaluate ways to eliminate or combine agency functions that aren’t legally required.

The order builds on another directive Trump signed after his inauguration implementing a federal hiring freeze, as well as an initiative from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management offering more than two million federal civilian employees buyouts if they leave their jobs or return to work in person. The White House told Fox News Digital Thursday that more than 75,000 employees have accepted the buyout.

Eliminate the penny?

Trump unveiled plans Sunday to halt production of the penny — but getting that initiative underway requires a few additional steps and possibly congressional approval.

Additionally, while Trump said he instructed the Treasury Department to stop minting them due to their high costs, supporters of the penny claim it’s wiser to evaluate changes to the nickel instead.

“For far too long, the United States has minted pennies which literally cost us more than 2 cents,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Sunday. “This is so wasteful! I have instructed my Secretary of the US Treasury to stop producing new pennies.”

In fact, producing pennies is even more expensive than Trump’s numbers. It costs nearly 3.69 cents to mint a single penny, according to a 2024 U.S. Mint report. The coins are primarily made of zinc and then covered in copper.

While the waters are a little murky on the next steps, experts say Congress likely would need to become involved and pass legislation to fulfill Trump’s wishes.

“The process of discontinuing the penny in the U.S. is a little unclear. It would likely require an act of Congress, but the Secretary of the Treasury might be able to simply stop the minting of new pennies,” Robert Triest, an economics professor at Northeastern University, told the Northeastern Global News.

Fox News’ Emma Colton and Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.

Diana Stancy is a politics reporter with Fox News Digital covering the White House.

February 15, 2025
Here’s what happened during Trump’s 3rd week in office

President Donald Trump welcomed Israeli Prime Minister Benajamin Netanyahu to the White House Tuesday, marking the first visit from a foreign leader during Trump’s second term.

During Netanyahu’s visit, Trump also unveiled massive plans suggesting that the U.S. would “take over” the Gaza Strip in a “long-term ownership position” to deliver stability to the region.

“The U.S. will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it, too,” Trump said Tuesday evening in a joint press conference with Netanyahu. “We’ll own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous, unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site.”

Even so, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president wouldn’t commit to placing U.S. troops on the ground in Gaza as part of the rebuilding effort.

“It’s been made very clear to the president that the United States needs to be involved in this rebuilding effort, to ensure stability in the region for all people,” Leavitt told reporters Wednesday at a White House press briefing. “But that does not mean boots on the ground in Gaza. It does not mean American taxpayers will be funding this effort. It means Donald Trump, who is the best dealmaker on the planet, is going to strike a deal with our partners in the region.”

TRUMP NOT COMMITTING TO PUTTING TROOPS ON THE GROUND IN GAZA, WHITE HOUSE SAYS

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president wouldn’t commit to placing U.S. troops on the ground in Gaza as part of the rebuilding effort. (Evan Vucci/The Associated Press)

Leavitt said that Trump is an “outside-of-the-box thinker” who is “a visionary leader who solves problems that many others, especially in this city, claim are unsolvable.”

The announcement sparked backlash though from Democratic lawmakers, to leaders of Palestinian militant group, Hamas.

“What President Trump stated about his intention to displace the residents of the Gaza Strip outside it and the United States’ control over the Strip by force is a crime against humanity,” a senior Hamas official told Fox News on Wednesday.

Here are some other actions Trump took his second week in office:

Maximum pressure on Iran

Trump also reinstated his “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran, instructing the Treasury Department to execute “maximum economic pressure” upon Iran through a series of sanctions aimed at sinking Iran’s oil exports.

Trump said Tuesday that he was “torn” about signing the order and admitted he was “unhappy to do it,” noting that the executive order was very tough on Iran.

“Hopefully, we’re not going to have to use it very much,” Trump told reporters Tuesday.

Trump later told reporters in a joint press conference with Netanyahu that he believes Iran is “close” to developing a nuclear weapon, but that the U.S. would stop a “strong” Tehran from obtaining one.

TRUMP REINSTATES ‘MAXIMUM PRESSURE’ CAMPAIGN AGAINST IRAN

President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu answer questions during a joint press conference in the East Room at the White House in Washington, U.S., Feb. 4, 2025 (Leah Millis/Reuters)

“They’re very strong right now, and we’re not going to let them get a nuclear weapon,” Trump said.

His first administration also adopted a “maximum pressure” initiative against Tehran, issuing greater sanctions and harsher enforcement for violations.

Strict sanctions were reimposed upon Iran after Trump withdrew from the Iran deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, in May 2018. The 2015 agreement brokered under the Obama administration had lifted sanctions on Iran in exchange for limits on Iran’s nuclear program.

Sanctions against the International Criminal Court

Trump also signed an executive order sanctioning the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Thursday, in response to its May 2024 arrest warrant for Netanyahu.

The order — which was lauded by even some top Democrats — unveils financial sanctions and visa restrictions against ICC officials and their family members who support ICC investigations against U.S. citizens and allies.

The White House also signed executive orders on Thursday instructing the Justice Department to establish a task force dedicated to weeding out “anti-Christian bias,” and a review of all nongovernmental organizations that accept federal funds.

The ICC is an independent, international organization based in The Hague and established under the Rome Statute, an international treaty that took effect in 2002. The court oversees global issues including genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.

The Trump White House claims that the U.S. and Israel are not subject to the jurisdiction of the ICC because the court poses threats to U.S. sovereignty and constitutional protections. Additionally, the White House has accused the ICC of politicization and said it has targeted Israel without holding regimes like Iran to the same standards.

Sovereign Wealth Fund

The U.S. Treasury and Commerce Departments will establish a sovereign wealth fund in accordance with a new executive order Trump signed on Monday.

The sovereign wealth fund, a state-owned investment fund with various financial assets like stocks and bonds, could foot the bill for purchasing TikTok, according to Trump.

“We’re going to be doing something perhaps with TikTok, and perhaps not,” Trump told reporters Monday. “If we make the right deal, we’ll do it. Otherwise, we won’t.”

Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent said the sovereign wealth fund would be created within the next 12 months.

WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S PLANS FOR A SOVEREIGN WEALTH FUND

Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent said the sovereign wealth fund would be created within the next 12 months. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)

“I think it’s going to create value and be of great strategic importance,” Bessent told reporters Monday.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Bessent and Commerce Secretary nominee Howard Lutnick are instructed to devise a plan in the next 90 days for the creation of the fund, according to the White House. The proposal will include recommendations on funding mechanisms, investment strategies, fund structure and a governance model.

More details on the sovereign wealth fund were not immediately available, and it’s unclear whether Congress will sign off on it.

Fox News’ Greg Norman contributed to this report.

Diana Stancy is a politics reporter with Fox News Digital covering the White House.

February 8, 2025
Here’s what happened during President Trump’s 2nd week in office

The country began to see the effects of President Donald Trump’s policies in his second week in office, with the White House implementing tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China; border crossings plummeting; diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs shuttering; the federal workforce being faced with the decision to return to the office or to resign; and more.

As promised, Trump’s administration has been moving at warp speed to implement his agenda — signing more than 200 executive actions just hours after taking the Oath of Office.

President Donald Trump speaks to the media after signing executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C, on Jan. 23, 2025. (Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images)

Trump immediately cracked down on immigration, and by the beginning of his second week in office migrant encounters dropped significantly. The number of migrants arriving at the southern border plummeted by 63% as of Monday, Fox News Digital previously reported.

TRUMP-ERA SOUTHERN BORDER SEES MIGRANT ENCOUNTERS PLUMMET BY OVER 60% AS NEW POLICIES KICK IN

There were 7,287 migrant encounters at the southern border in the first seven days of the Trump administration — from Jan. 20 through Jan. 26, with a daily average of 1,041 encounters a day.

That compares to 20,086 encounters a day during the final days of former President Joe Biden’s presidency — from Jan. 13 through Jan. 19.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem this week participated in an immigration enforcement raid in New York City Tuesday targeting “murderers, kidnappers, and individuals charged of assault and burglary.” The operation continued through Friday.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem joins an ICE raid in New York City on Tuesday. Noem said communities will be safer because of targeted raids that go after criminal illegal immigrants. (Department of Homeland Security)

And Border czar Tom Homan said that as of Monday the Trump administration had removed and returned 7,300 illegal immigrants and had deported them to Mexico, Jordan, Brazil and El Salvador.

The president on Wednesday also signed the Laken Riley Act into law — the first piece of legislation to become law in his second administration.

President Donald Trump pauses while speaking before signing the Laken Riley Act in the East Room of the White House, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025, in Washington. (Alex Brandon/The Associated Press)

TRUMP SIGNS LAKEN RILEY ACT INTO LAW AS FIRST LEGISLATIVE VICTORY IN NEW ADMINISTRATION

The measure, which advanced through the House and Senate in January, directs Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to detain illegal immigrants arrested or charged with theft-related crimes, or those accused of assaulting a police officer.

The law also allows states to sue the Department of Homeland Security for harm caused to their citizens because of illegal immigration.

The law’s name honors a nursing student who was killed during a jog on the University of Georgia’s campus by an illegal immigrant, Fox News Digital previously reported. Jose Ibarra, who previously had been arrested but never detained by ICE, received a life prison sentence for killing 22-year-old Laken Riley.

Beyond the border, the president’s action to end DEI programs across the federal government has continued. Last week, the Office of Personnel Management ordered agency heads and directors to close their DEI offices.

On Jan. 27, 2025, an Office of Management and Budget memo was released, which aimed to freeze funding to various federal programs that were focused on diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI. (Fox News Digital-Hannah Grossman)

And over at the Justice Department, Trump administration officials fired more than a dozen key officials who worked on Special Counsel Jack Smith’s team prosecuting Trump, after Acting Attorney General James McHenry said they could not be trusted in “faithfully implementing the president’s agenda.”

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT FIRES MORE THAN A DOZEN KEY OFFICIALS ON FORMER SPECIAL COUNSEL JACK SMITH’S TEAM

On Monday, an Office of Management and Budget memo was released, which aimed to freeze funding to various federal programs that were focused on DEI.

The memo issued a pause on all federal grants and loans aiming to eradicate “wokeness” and the “weaponization of government” to improve government efficiency.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt holds her first news conference in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on January 28, 2025, in Washington. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt held her first-ever press briefing in the James S. Brady room on Tuesday and fielded many questions from reporters on the memo. She maintained that programs including Social Security benefits, Medicare, food stamps, welfare benefits and other assistance going directly to individuals would not be impacted.

But by Tuesday evening, a federal judge imposed an administrative stay, pausing the Trump administration’s action.

And on Wednesday, the White House opted to rescind the memo, but stressed to Fox News Digital that it was committed to freezing federal grants and loans aimed at woke programs.”

“In light of the injunction, OMB has rescinded the memo to end any confusion on federal policy created by the court ruling and the dishonest media coverage,” Leavitt told Fox News on Wednesday. “The Executive Orders issued by the President on funding reviews remain in full force and effect and will be rigorously implemented by all agencies and departments.”

Leavitt told Fox News that rescinding the memo “should effectively end the court case and allow the government to focus on enforcing the President’s orders on controlling federal spending.”

WHITE HOUSE STILL COMMITTED TO FREEZING ‘WOKE’ FUNDS DESPITE RESCINDING OMB MEMO

Also this week, the Office of Personnel Management sent a note to federal workers offering them the option to resign and receive full pay and benefits through Sept. 30. That option, which the administration referred to as a “Fork in the Road,” came after the administration demanded that all federal workers return to in-person, in-office work.

Federal workers have until Feb. 6 to decide if they will return to work or if they will resign.

The only federal workers who do not have the option are postal workers, members of the military, immigration officials, some national security officials, and any positions agency heads decide to carve out.

But the rapid changes came to a quick halt on Wednesday night around 9 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, after an American Airlines plane and Army helicopter collided near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport outside of Washington, D.C.

The flight had left Wichita, Kansas, earlier that day. All 67 people onboard both aircraft are presumed dead.

President Donald Trump signed two executive orders on the evening of Jan. 30, 2025, addressing aviation, following a deadly D.C. crash. (Reuters/AP)

TRUMP ORDERS ASSESSMENT OF AVIATION SAFETY, NAMES ACTING FAA ADMINISTRATOR AFTER DEADLY DC PLANE CRASH

Those aboard the plane included “several members” of U.S. Figure Skating, including athletes, coaches and family members who had just attended the U.S. Figure Skating Championships held in Wichita, Kansas, from Jan. 20 to Jan. 26.

Trump Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy was confirmed on Tuesday and quickly took charge, immediately getting over to the Federal Aviation Administration building and launching an investigation into the horrific incident.

The president said that the deadly midair collision was a “confluence of bad decisions that were made and you have people that lost their lives, violently lost their lives.”

On Jan. 28, 2025, an American Airlines plane and Army helicopter collided near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport outside of Washington, D.C. (Fox News Digital)

The president signed two executive orders appointing a new Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) deputy administrator, Chris Rocheleau, and ordering an immediate assessment of aviation safety and an elevation of “competence” over DEI.

TRUMP TO CREATE TASK FORCE TO PLAN ‘EXTRAORDINARY CELEBRATION’ FOR 250TH ANNIVERSARY OF AMERICA’S INDEPENDENCE

Meanwhile, the president also signed an executive order to create a Task Force 250 — a White House task force focused on coordinating the plans and activities surrounding the celebration of the 250th anniversary of American independence.

The president also signed a memo that would lift the collective bargaining agreements that former President Joe Biden put into effect before leaving office — agreements that White House officials said were designed to “constrain” the Trump administration from reforming the government.

EXCLUSIVE: TRUMP TO SIGN MEMO LIFTING BIDEN’S LAST-MINUTE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENTS

And as for the Cabinet, Duffy was confirmed as Transportation secretary; Doug Burgum was confirmed as secretary of the Interior; Lee Zeldin was confirmed as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency; and Scott Bessent was confirmed as Treasury secretary.

Over in the Senate, Trump’s nominee for secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.; nominee for FBI director Kash Patel; and nominee for director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard faced tough questions from senators during confirmation hearings.

FBI Director nominee Kash Patel, left, Health and Human Services Nominee nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr, and Director of National Intelligence nominee Tulsi Gabbard faced tough questions from senators this week during confirmation hearings. (Getty Images)

WHITE HOUSE TO IMPOSE TARIFFS ON MEXICO, CANADA AND CHINA DUE TO ‘INVASION OF ILLEGAL FENTANYL’

And, at the end of the week, the White House confirmed that by Saturday the president would roll out tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China.

The president is imposing a 25% tariff on Mexico; a 25% tariff on Canada, and a 10% tariff on China.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“These are promises made and promises kept,” White House press secretary Leavitt said at a press briefing Friday.

And it’s only the end of week two.

Fox News Digital’s Adam Shaw, Diana Stancey, Bill Melugin and Emma Colton contributed to this report.

Brooke Singman is a political correspondent and reporter for Fox News Digital, Fox News Channel and FOX Business.

February 1, 2025
The JFK files: Here’s what’s happened since their original planned release

President Donald Trump has ordered officials to declassify files on three of the most consequential killings in U.S. history – those of former President John F. Kennedy, former U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr.

In an order signed last week, Trump ordered the Director of National Intelligence and the attorney general to review the related documents “and present a plan for their full and complete release within 45 days,” according to a statement released by the White House.

The executive order came after Trump had previously promised on the campaign trail to declassify the documents upon entering his second term, saying at the time, “When I return to the White House, I will declassify and unseal all JFK assassination-related documents. It’s been 60 years, time for the American people to know the TRUTH!”

TRUMP TO DECLASSIFY JFK FILES: FAMED DOCTOR WHO INVESTIGATED ASSASSINATION PREDICTS WHAT AMERICANS COULD LEARN

However, this is not the first time the JFK files have been expected to be released.

Congress previously passed the John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992, mandating that all records be housed in a single collection and be released within 25 years, barring any postponements for security reasons.

President Donald Trump ordered to declassify files on the JFK, RFK and MLK assassinations via executive order last week. (ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP via Getty Images)

Trump had initially promised to release the last batch of documents during his first term, but such efforts ultimately dissipated. Trump blocked the release of hundreds of records on the assassination following several CIA and FBI appeals.

“I have no choice,” Trump said in a memo, where he cited “potentially irreversible harm” to national security if he allowed the records to be released. Trump said at the time the potential harm to U.S. national security, law enforcement or foreign affairs is “of such gravity that it outweighs the public interest in immediate disclosure.”

TRUMP SIGNS ORDER TO DECLASSIFY FILES ON JFK, RFK AND MLK ASSASSINATIONS

Former President Joe Biden later released another batch of documents in 2021, as well as in 2022 and 2023. The Biden White House announced in July 2023 that the National Archives and the Records Administration had concluded its review of the JFK documents, making 99% of the material publicly available.

“I have now determined that the continued redaction and withholding of information from records pertaining to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy is not consistent with the public interest and the release of these records is long overdue,” Trump’s Thursday order states.

Congress previously passed the John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992. (Associated Press)

“And although no Act of Congress directs the release of information pertaining to the assassinations of Senator Robert F. Kennedy and the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., I have determined that the release of all records in the Federal Government’s possession pertaining to each of those assassinations is also in the public interest.”

RFK JR. DOUBLES DOWN ON ALLEGATION CIA INVOLVED IN JFK’S ASSASSINATION: ‘60-YEAR COVER-UP’

Trump’s Health and Human Services Secretary nominee, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., thanked Trump after the announcement was issued, lauding the president “for taking the first step down the road towards reversing this disastrous trajectory.”

“The 60-year strategy of lies and secrecy, disinformation, censorship, and defamation employed by Intel officials to obscure and suppress troubling facts about JFK’s assassination has provided the playbook for a series of subsequent crises — the MLK and RFK assassinations, Vietnam, 9/11, the Iraq war and COVID — that have each accelerated the subversion of our exemplary democracy by the Military/Medical Industrial Complex and pushed us further down the road toward totalitarianism,” Kennedy Jr. posted on X.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., thanked President Donald Trump after the announcement was issued, lauding the president “for taking the first step down the road towards reversing this disastrous trajectory.” (Jon Cherry/Getty Images)

JFK’s grandson, Jack Schlossberg, also reacted to the declassification news, writing on X that the move was “using JFK as a political prop, when he’s not here to punch back.”

“There’s nothing heroic about it,” Schlossberg wrote.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano, Landon Mion and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Haley Chi-Sing is a Writer for Fox News Digital. You can reach her at @haleychising on X.

January 28, 2025