| OPM: 'TAKE PROMPT ACTIONS' TO CLOSE DEI OFFICES: Within his first 24 hours in office, President Donald Trump is ending all federal affirmative action programs and closing all diversity, equity, and inclusion offices across government, including the Department of Defense. Federal employees working in those offices were told to go home and look for other jobs. While initially, they will be placed on paid administrative leave, their jobs are expected to be eliminated shortly thereafter. A memo from Charles Ezell, acting director of the Office of Personnel Management, directed agency heads to "take prompt actions" to implement Trump's executive order "Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing," which included "all DEI, DEIA, and 'environmental justice' offices and positions." "Send a notification to all employees of DEIA offices that they are being placed on paid administrative leave effective immediately as the agency takes steps to close/end all DEIA initiatives, offices, and programs," Ezell directed. "Take down all outward facing media (websites, social media accounts, etc.) of DEIA offices." "Federal employee performance reviews shall reward individual initiative, skills, performance, and hard work and shall not under any circumstances consider DEI or DEIA factors, goals, policies, mandates, or requirements," Trump's Jan. 20 order stated. The OPM guidance includes a "turn in your fellow worker" clause, encouraging employees to report any effort by managers to "disguise these programs by using coded or imprecise language," as some government offices, in anticipation of Trump taking office, have given DEI programs generic names such as "community outreach." TRUMP ORDERS ALL FEDERAL DEI STAFF TO BE PUT ON LEAVE COAST GUARD COMMANDANT IS FIRST DEI CASUALTY: Adm. Linda Fagan, the first woman to lead a U.S. military service, appeared to be the first to fall under the anti-DEI axe. The history-making Coast Guard commandant was relieved by interim Homeland Security Secretary Benjamine Huffman with no explanation and a perfunctory "thank you for your service" message. "She served a long and illustrious career, and I thank her for her service to our nation," Huffman said. But shortly after Fagan's firing, a senior DHS official told the Washington Examiner's Mike Brest that her dismissal was due to "leadership deficiencies, operational failures, and inability to advance the strategic objectives of the U.S. Coast Guard." "In particular, the official referenced her 'failure' to deploy resources effectively to support border security, 'inadequate' leadership resulting in recruitment and retention shortfalls, 'mismanagement of key acquisitions,' and the "excessive focus" on diversity and inclusion," Brest reported. "The official also referenced Fagan's 'mishandling' and 'cover-up' of 'Operation Fouled Anchor,' the secret Coast Guard internal investigation into sexual assault cases at the Coast Guard Academy over decades. The firing was immediately decried by Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA), who said Fagan was being blamed for a mess left by her predecessor, who covered the sexual abuse scandal at the academy. "The previous commandant admitted to you that they had covered it up. I think he even said something like, I would do it again," Cantwell said on CNN. "And now we had a new commandant, a woman, who said, no, we’re going to take this serious and we’re going to clean up the academy … And so you’re going to fire her over the fact that she wanted to clean up a mess created on a previous watch? It’s the wrong decision." Meanwhile, the acting Commandant, Adm. Kevin Lunday, issued a press release announcing orders to "immediately surge assets — cutters, aircraft, boats and deployable specialized forces" to key areas, including the southeast U.S. border approaching Florida, maritime border around Alaska, Hawaii, the U.S. territories of Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and notably the maritime border between Texas and Mexico in the Gulf of America. COAST GUARD COMMANDANT RELIEVED OF DUTY OVER 'LEADERSHIP DEFICIENCIES,' EXCESSIVE FOCUS ON DEI TRANSGENDER TROOPS NO LONGER WELCOME: Among the nearly 80 Biden-era executive orders Trump rescinded on his first day in office was a June 15, 2022 order "Advancing Equality for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex Individuals." The action, while not a ban, removes the protection for transgender troops in the U.S. military. "As of today, it will henceforth be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders: male and female," Trump said in his inaugural address. In response, Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-CA), co-chair of the Transgender Equality Task Force, and Rep. Eric Sorensen (D-IL) reintroduced legislation that would bar discrimination against transgender members of the military. "Kicking nearly 15,000 service members out of the military solely because of their identity would be catastrophic to our military readiness and recruitment," Jacobs said. "If the incoming Trump Administration reinstates the transgender military ban and discharges all trans service members, it would take 20 years and cost $18 billion to replace the talent and expertise we've lost." With Republicans in control of both chambers of Congress the proposed legislation has no realistic chance of passage. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER Good Wednesday morning and welcome to Jamie McIntyre's Daily on Defense, written and compiled by Washington Examiner National Security Senior Writer Jamie McIntyre (@jamiejmcintyre) and edited by Christopher Tremoglie (@chriswtremo). Email here with tips, suggestions, calendar items, and anything else. Sign up or read current and back issues at DailyonDefense.com. If signing up doesn't work, shoot us an email and we'll add you to our list. And be sure to follow me on Threads and/or on X @jamiejmcintyre. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP OR READ BACK ISSUES OF DAILY ON DEFENSE HAPPENING TODAY: 'ICE OFFICERS ARE BACK TO DOING THEIR JOB': In separate interviews on Fox and CNN, White House Border Czar Tom Homan said his agents are preparing to round up people to be deported, beginning he said with "people in the country illegally, [who] have a criminal conviction that makes them a public safety threat. That’s our priority." "ICE teams are out there as of today. We gave them the direction to prioritize public safety threats that we’re looking for. So, we have been working up the target list," Homan said on Fox. "But let me be clear. It’s not only public safety threats that will be arrested, because, in sanctuary cities, we’re not allowed to get that public safety threat into jail, which means we got to go to the neighborhood and find him. And when we find him, he may be with others. And unlike the last administration, we’re not going to tell our ICE officers not to arrest an illegal alien. So if they find others, they will be arrested." TRUMP'S EXECUTIVE ORDER IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN FACES BLUE-STATE HURDLES TRUMP PULLS BOLTON'S SECURITY DETAIL: It's no secret that President Donald Trump detests his former national security adviser John Bolton, who trashed his former boss in his 2020 tell-all memoir The Room Where It Happened. "I thought he was a very dumb person … a stupid guy " Trump said yesterday, calling Bolton a "warmonger," who, despite being targeted by Iranian assassins, no longer deserved Secret Service protection at taxpayer expense. "We’re not going to have security on people for the rest of their lives. Why should we?" Trump said. Trump also pulled Bolton's security clearance in an executive order (Bolton says he no longer has a security clearance) and accused the former national security adviser of damaging national security by publishing classified information. Bolton published a memoir for monetary gain after he was terminated from his White House position in 2019," Trump said in his executive order. "The memoir's reckless treatment of sensitive information undermined the ability of future presidents to request and obtain candid advice on matters of national security from their staff. Publication also created a grave risk that classified material was publicly exposed." TRUMP REVOKES JOHN BOLTON'S SECURITY DETAIL DESPITE IRAN THREAT BOLTON: 'TYPICAL OF TRUMP': In response, Bolton said on CNN, where he is a regular contributor, said Trump's actions revealed his "character, or lack thereof" noting President Joe Biden restored his Secret Service detail without regard to Bolton's criticism of his foreign policy. "This is, I think, typical of Trump, the man." "President Biden recognized the threat against me … he did it because it’s simply not permissible to allow a rogue state like the terrorists in Iran to threaten Americans," Bolton said while disputing the charge that his book contained damaging classified information. "To remind everybody that the book went through a four-month long pre-publication review to make sure there was no classified information in the book … And I’ve not heard a single statement in the nearly five years now since the book was published of any classified information in the book," Bolton said. "Donald Trump didn’t like the book because it was critical of him and it came out in June of 2020. That is an assault on free speech, pure and simple," Bolton said. OPINION: IN DENYING JOHN BOLTON SECURITY, TRUMP BREAKS INAUGURAL FREE SPEECH PLEDGE INCOMING FLACKS: At the Pentagon yesterday 32 lower-level officials of the incoming Trump administration, who don't require Senate approval, were sworn in and got to work. Among them were two members of the new press team: Jonathan Ullyot, principal deputy assistant to the secretary of defense for public affairs, and Kingsley Wilson, deputy Pentagon press secretary. Ullyot served in the first Trump administration as assistant secretary for public and intergovernmental affairs at the Department of Veterans Affairs under Secretary Robert Wilkie. Wilson is listed as associate director for strategic communications and digital media at the Center for Renewing America. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER THE RUNDOWN: Washington Examiner: Key military and national security takeaways from Trump's first day Washington Examiner: Trump revokes John Bolton's security detail despite Iran threat Washington Examiner: Tom Rogan Opinion: In denying John Bolton security, Trump breaks inaugural free speech pledge Washington Examiner: Coast Guard commandant relieved of duty over 'leadership deficiencies,' excessive focus on DEI Washington Examiner: Doug Collins promises to be fighter for veterans during confirmation hearing Washington Examiner: Marco Rubio refuses to wade into domestic politics as secretary of state Washington Examiner: Taliban exchange Ryan Corbett and one other US citizen for Afghan drug trafficker Washington Examiner: Trump lets police arrest illegal immigrants in schools and churches Washington Examiner: 18 Democratic state attorneys general sue Trump over birthright citizenship ban Washington Examiner: Trump orders all federal DEI staff to be put on leave Washington Examiner: Trump courts AI and defends pardons: Five takeaways from White House 'Stargate' event Washington Examiner: Trump pardons Ross Ulbricht, creator of Silk Road Washington Examiner: Trump cuts Biden AI order in sign of lighter regulatory touch for industry Washington Examiner: Trump plays referee in White House meeting with Hill leaders Washington Examiner: California AG sues Trump over birthright citizenship, calls him 'un-American' Washington Examiner: Trump's executive order immigration crackdown faces blue-state hurdles Washington Examiner: Opinion: Trump's national security immediate to-do list Washington Examiner: North Carolina lawmaker questions 'constitutionality' of preemptive pardons going forward Washington Examiner: Heritage launches million-dollar ad campaign boosting Tulsi Gabbard's Cabinet nomination Washington Examiner: Editorial: Trump's blanket Jan. 6 pardons undermine the rule of law Washington Examiner: Opinion: Trump fails the youth by saving TikTok Breaking Defense: Trump's Pentagon to Begin Task of Crafting NORTHCOM Plan to 'Seal' US Borders Wall Street Journal: Israel's Military Chief Resigns Breaking Defense: Israel Orders More Iron Dome Interceptors, Using New Tranche of US Funding New York Times: As Trump Takes Office, Zelensky Urges Europe to Stand Firm Against Russia AP: Wake Up and Spend More on Defense, Macron Tells Europe as Trump Takes Office Air & Space Forces Magazine: Acquisition Official Tapped as Acting Air Force Secretary Defense One: Industry Launches $100B AI-Infrastructure Effort to Keep Ahead of China Air & Space Forces Magazine: B-1 Bombers Arrive in Guam for First Task Force of 2025 Defense News: In Japan, a More Muted Cheering for the British-Led GCAP Warplane Air & Space Forces Magazine: New Report: To Fix Deterrence, Rethink Goldwater-Nichols and Boost the Budget THE CALENDAR: WEDNESDAY | JANUARY 22 9:30 a.m. — Wilson Center Wahba Institute for Strategic Competition discussion: “Strategic Competition in the Second Trump Administration,” with Rep. John Moolenaar (R-MI); Robert Daly, director of the Kissinger Institute on China and the United States; Shihoko Goto, director of the Wilson Center Indo-Pacific Center; Merissa Khurma, director of the Wilson Center Middle East Program; and Jennifer Wistrand, deputy director of the Wilson Center Kennan Institute https://www.wilsoncenter.org/event/strategic-competition-second-trump-administration 9:30 a.m. — Henry L. Stimson Center virtual discussion: “Naval Competition in the Indian Ocean Region,” with Rizwana Abbasi, associate professor at Islamabad National University of Modern Languages; retired Rear Adm. Monty Khanna; Christopher Clary, associate professor of political science at the University at Albany and nonresident senior fellow at the Stimson Center; Brian Finlay, Stimson Center president and CEO; and Zeba Fazli, research analyst at the Stimson Center www.stimson.org/event/naval-competition-in-the-indian-ocean-region/ 10 a.m. 608 Dirksen — Senate Budget Committee hearing on the nomination of Russell Vought to be director of the Office of Management and Budget. http://budget.senate.gov 10 a.m. 2141 Rayburn — House Judiciary Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement Subcommittee hearing on “Restoring Immigration Enforcement in America.” http://judiciary.house.gov 10 a.m. 253 Russell — Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee markup to vote on the nomination of former Rep. Sean Patrick Duffy (R-WI) to be Transportation secretary http://commerce.senate.gov 10:15 a.m. 226 Dirksen — Senate Judiciary Committee markup to vote on the nomination of Pamela Bondi to be attorney general http://judiciary.senate.gov 11 a.m. — Arab Center of Washington, D.C. virtual discussion: “The Gaza Ceasefire Deal and the Trump Administration: Politics, Prospects, and Implications.” https://arabcenterdc.org/event/the-gaza-ceasefire-deal-and-the-trump-administration 11 a.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual discussion: “What Next for the Korean Peninsula Under Trump 2.0?” with Sydney Seiler, CSIS Korea chair; and Ellen Kim, CSIS Korea chair https://www.csis.org/events/impossible-state-live-podcast-whats-next-korean-peninsula THURSDAY | JANUARY 23 8 a.m. 7920 Jones Branch Dr., McLean, Virginia — Potomac Officers Club 2025 Defense R&D Summit with Gil Herrera, director of research at the National Security Agency: Ronzelle Green, director of research at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency; and Maj. Gen. Dennis Bythewood, special assistant to the chief of space operations at U.S. Space Force https://potomacofficersclub.com/events/2025-defense-rd-summit/ FRIDAY | JANUARY 24 9 a.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave, NW — Center for Strategic and International Studies debate: “Artificial Intelligence Integration in Nuclear Command, Control and Communications,” with Paul Scharre, executive vice president and director of studies at the Center for a New American Security; and Chris Andrews, fellow at National Defense University https://www.csis.org/events/poni-live-debate-ai-integration-nc3 9 a.m. 418 Russell — Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee markup to vote on the nomination of Douglas Collins to be veterans affairs secretary http://veterans.senate.gov 2: 30 p.m. — National Press Club “NPC Headliners” virtual book discussion: A Different Russia: Khrushchev and Kennedy on a Collision Course,” with Marvin Kalb, former correspondent for CBS News https://www.press.org/events/npc-headliners-marvin-kalb WEDNESDAY | JANUARY 29 7:15 a.m. 2425 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, Virginia — Association of the U.S. Army "Coffee Series" discussion with Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George https://www.ausa.org/events/coffee-series/gen-george | | | | "I think I'll get it right now. By the way, again, we won the young vote. I think I won it through TikTok. So I have a warm spot in my heart for TikTok." | | President Donald Trump, telling reporters Tuesday, he plans to download the TikTok app on his phone because it helped him win the 2024 election. |
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Megyn Kelly -> Pete Hegseth responds to 2017 rape accusation. 🔥 vol. 3, issue 13 | December 6, 2024 Quick Hits All the news you need in...
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