𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

During her first press briefing, press secretary Karoline Leavitt delivered news directly from President Donald Trump: the drones flown over New Jersey and elsewhere were authorized by the FAA for research purposes or were hobbyists.

“This was not the enemy.”

It seems that was not the case.

Sean Duffy was confirmed Tuesday as transportation secretary, giving him a key role in helping President Donald Trump cut regulations and fix the nation’s infrastructure.

The former Wisconsin congressman has promised safer Boeing planes, less regulation and help for U.S. companies developing self-driving cars — while not giving any breaks to Elon Musk, a key player in that technology.

Duffy, a 53-year-old former reality TV star, was approved with bipartisan support on a 77-22 vote in the Senate.

He takes over the Department of Transportation at a crucial time at the agency, a massive employer of more than 55,000 that spends tens of billions of dollars annually, oversees the nation’s highways, railroads and airspace and sets safety standards for trains, cars and trucks.

At his confirmation hearing earlier this month, Duffy vowed to “restore global confidence” in Boeing, hire more air traffic controllers, cut DEI programs at DOT and create federal rules for self-driving cars instead of leaving that to patchwork of state regulations that critics said holds back U.S. development.

Caroline Kennedy cautioned senators about Robert F. Kennedy Jr., labeling her cousin — now Donald Trump’s nominee to head Health and Human Services — as a “predator” whose victims have included family members and parents of sick children.

The Washington Post obtained a copy of the letter she sent to lawmakers ahead of his confirmation hearing this week. In it, the former U.S. ambassador to Australia claims that her cousin is “addicted to attention and power” and has given hypocritical advice by discouraging parents from vaccinating their children while vaccinating his own. She also alleged that his “crusade against vaccination” has served to enrich him.

“I have known Bobby my whole life; we grew up together,” she wrote. “It’s no surprise that he keeps birds of prey as pets because he himself is a predator.”

Kennedy elaborated on her claim that through “the strength of his personality,” other family members followed him “down the path of drug addiction.”

RFK Jr. has two confirmation hearings this week, one on Wednesday and one on Thursday. If all Democrats vote against him, he can only afford to lose three Republican votes—one more no vote, and he will not lead US health policy.

Pete Buttigieg, the former Transportation Secretary, is “taking a serious look” at running for the Michigan senate, a source says.

“Pete is exploring all of his options on how he can be helpful and continue to serve,” a person close to Buttigieg told Axios. “He’s honored to be mentioned for this and he’s taking a serious look.”

The seat was left open following incumbent Senator Gary Peters announcing Tuesday that he will not seek reelection next November.

“I always thought there would be a time that I would step aside and pass the reins for the next generation. I also never saw service in Congress as something you do your whole life,” the 66-year-old told The Detroit News.

Coming up at 1 p.m. ET today is the first White House press briefing of the new administration with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt taking her place on the famous podium.

Here’s everything you need to know about Leavitt, the youngest person ever to hold the position.

In a press briefing Tuesday, Chuck Schumer called Trump’s funding freeze “a heist done on a national scale.”

“It’s illegal. It’s unconstitutional,” said Schumer, speaking at a briefing that was initially intended to speak on Senate Democrats’ resolution to condemn Trump’s January 6 pardons.

Instead, lawmakers are getting “panicked calls” and “people are scrambling” to understand the scope of Trump’s order, with potential threats to a long list of federal financial aid — from disaster relief, healthcare, childcare and infrastructure support to police and firefighters, homelessness and veterans assistance.

“Virtually any organization — school, state, police office, county or community — depends on federal grant money to run its day-to-day operations, and they’re all now in danger,” Schumer said. “The blast radius of this terrible decision is virtually limitless, and its impact will be felt over and over again … The only people who might be immune to this might be the ultra, ultra-wealthy who they want to give a tax break to. The Trump administration is robbing Peter to pay the billionaires.”

Democrats are also calling on the Senate to hold off on Vought’s confirmation vote this Thursday.

“Republicans should not advance that nomination … until the Trump administration follows the law,” Senator Patty Murray said Tuesday.

A coalition of state attorneys, led by New York Attorney General Letitia James, is expected to file a lawsuit challenging the White House’s order by the White House to freeze all federal loans and grants.

“My office will be taking imminent legal action against this administration’s unconstitutional pause on federal funding,” she tweeted Tuesday morning. “We won’t sit idly by while this administration harms our families.”

California, Illinois, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Massachusetts are among the states joining the suit. The suit is expected to be filed on Tuesday, according to The New York Times.

The Trump administration plans to pause all federal grants, loans, and other financial assistance at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, according to a memo distributed by the Office of Management and Budget. The scope of the order is not immediately clear.