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‘Beyond Repair’: Musk Says Trump Has Given The Go-Ahead To ‘Get Rid Of’ USAID

Elon Musk said early Monday morning that he had received President Donald Trump’s approval to eliminate the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

Musk made the comments during a discussion on X with Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) as they talked about the work of what Trump has called the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The website for USAID, which spends tens of billions of dollars every year on various programs around the world, appears to have been shut down on Saturday. 

“It became apparent that it’s not an apple with a worm in it,” Musk said. “What we have is just a ball of worms. You’ve got to basically get rid of the whole thing. It’s beyond repair.”

Musk said that he discussed USAID, which he referred to as a “hornet’s nest,” with Trump multiple times “in detail and he agreed that we should shut it down,” saying that none of the reforms he was pushing for “could be done without the full support of the president.”

Musk added that Trump said “yes” several times after being asked if he was certain he wanted to shut down USAID.

“So we’re shutting it down,” Musk said. 

“It is also incredibly politically partisan and has been supporting radical Left causes throughout the world, including things that are anti-American which is insane,” he added. 

In recent years, USAID has pushed programs like “comprehensive sexuality education” abroad and spent nearly $2 billion promoting the COVID vaccine around the world.

Ernst said that any program administered by USAID that may actually benefit America should be moved under the jurisdiction of the State Department. 

During the same discussion, Musk said that the unelected bureaucracy entrenched throughout the federal government was the fourth branch of government, and the most powerful.

After the discussion with Ernst, Musk made several posts on X continuing to attack USAID.

“We spent the weekend feeding USAID into the wood chipper. Could [have] gone to some great parties. Did that instead,” Musk said.

In another post, Musk said the agency was a “criminal organization” and that it was “time for it to die.”    

Trump told reporters Sunday night that his administration was working on getting political radicals out of the organization. 

“It’s been run by a bunch of radical lunatics. And we’re getting them out,” he said. 

President Donald Trump: “It has been run by a bunch of radical lunatics and we’re getting them out… USAID, run by radical lunatics… and then we’ll make a decision”

pic.twitter.com/jppmfxAOp9

— America (@america) February 3, 2025

USAID workers were told Monday to work from home unless their job required them to be at the agency’s headquarters in Washington, D.C. 

“Agency personnel normally assigned to work at USAID headquarters will work remotely … with the exception of personnel with essential on-site and building maintenance functions individually contacted by senior leadership,” an email to staff read. 

The email came after two top security officials were reportedly placed on leave after they refused to cooperate with DOGE over the weekend.

Defense Departments Ends Celebrations For Identity-Focused Months

The Department of Defense announced Friday that it would no longer be recognizing or spending money on identity-focused months in order to focus on unity and the mission of the military.

The announcement comes as President Donald Trump has ordered all diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives slashed from the government. In line with that direction, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said that the department will move away from politics and focus solely on lethality.

“Our unity and purpose are instrumental to meeting the Department’s warfighting mission. Efforts to divide the force – to put one group ahead of another – erode camaraderie and threaten mission execution,” the DoD said Friday afternoon.

“Going forward, DoD Components and Military Departments will not use official resources, to include man-hours, to host celebrations or events related to cultural awareness months, including National African American/Black History Month, Women’s History Month, Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Pride Month, National Hispanic Heritage Month, National Disability Employment Awareness Month, and National American Indian Heritage Month,” the department added.

The DoD said service members could be permitted to attend these kind of events, but just not in an official military capacity.

“Installations, units, and offices are encouraged to celebrate the valor and success of military heroes of all races, genders, and backgrounds as we restore our warrior culture and ethos,” the department said. “We are proud of our warriors and their history, but we will focus on the character of their service instead of their immutable characteristics.”

Earlier this week, the DoD announced another big change to reverse the policies implemented under President Joe Biden.

On Wednesday, it rescinded the Biden-era abortion travel policy that paid for women in the military to travel for abortions if they were in a state with pro-life laws in place.

The policy was scrapped citing an executive order from Trump to ensure there was no taxpayer funding for abortion. The Biden policy paid for the travel, lodging, and food expenses of a woman seeking an abortion if she was stationed in a state banning abortion.

The Pentagon has also taken steps to slash any other DEI focused programs or initiatives that may have been implemented throughout the military.

Defense Department Ends Biden Policy Paying For Service Members’ Abortion Travel

The Department of Defense ended a Biden-era policy that paid for women in the military to travel for abortions if they were in a state with pro-life laws in place.

The DOD rescinded the abortion travel policy on Wednesday, citing an executive order from President Donald Trump to make sure there was no taxpayer funding for abortion. The Biden policy paid for the travel, lodging, and food expenses of a woman seeking an abortion if she was stationed in a state banning abortion.

The DOD has not disclosed how frequently the policy was used, though it was in place for over two years and enacted shortly after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.

Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), who put a hold on military promotions en masse for nearly a year due to the policy, celebrated the news.

“For the past two years, I have been sounding the alarm about the Pentagon’s illegal and immoral practice of using taxpayer dollars to fund abortions,” he said. “I took a lot of heat when I stood alone for nearly a year in holding senior Pentagon promotions over this —  but as of today, it was all worth it. The Biden administration treated taxpayers like their own personal Piggy bank that they could use to bankroll their woke agenda.”

“Under President Trump and Secretary Hegseth’s leadership, the Pentagon will once again be focused on lethality, not pushing a political agenda,” he added. “Thank God common sense has been restored to our military under President Trump’s leadership.”

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth thanked Tuberville on social media for his efforts to fight the policy.

Thank you for your leadership, Coach. https://t.co/hoEMpsVd0j

— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) January 31, 2025

The decision was widely criticized by Democrats, including Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), who called the move from the Pentagon “abhorrent.” 

“It runs contrary to a core goal of the Department of Defense — to ensure the health and well-being of all our service members so that our force remains ready at all times to protect Americans and keep this nation safe,” she said.

The announcement came after Trump signed an executive order last week mandating compliance with the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits taxpayer dollars from going to abortion, saying that the Biden “administration disregarded this established, commonsense policy by embedding forced taxpayer funding of elective abortions in a wide variety of Federal programs.”

Authorities Believe There Are No Survivors After American Airlines Crash With Army Helicopter

Authorities said Thursday morning they believe there are no survivors after an Army helicopter collided with an American Airlines flight near Reagan National Airport outside Washington, D.C., and crashed into the Potomac River late Wednesday night. 

D.C. Fire Chief John Donnelly said Thursday morning that rescue efforts were now switching to recovery efforts as no survivors are expected. He said first responders had already recovered the bodies of 27 of the 64 people onboard the passenger plane and one body from the Black Hawk helicopter. 

“We wish we were gathering for different purposes today,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said at a press conference. “We will not rest until we have answers for the families and for the flying public. You should be assured that when you fly you are safe.” 

The crash, which was reported at around 8:48 p.m., prompted a 300-person emergency response from local fire departments, police departments, the Department of Defense, the Coast Guard, and the FBI.

Donnelly said that rescue workers faced frigid conditions, including icy water and wind that made the response efforts hazardous. 

Duffy added that the two aircraft had been located and that the fuselage of the airplane had been found in about three different locations. He said that an investigation was being launched by the National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA. 

American Airlines CEO Robert Isom said that he was “absolutely heartbroken” and that “we are all hurting incredibly.” He said it appeared that the helicopter appeared to have veered into the flight path of an American Eagle regional jet, which had departed from Wichita, Kansas. 

Some on board were American figure skaters. 

“U.S. Figure Skating can confirm that several members of our skating community were sadly aboard American Airlines Flight 5342, which collided with a helicopter yesterday evening in Washington, D.C.,” the organization said. “These athletes, coaches, and family members were returning home from the National Development Camp held in conjunction with the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas.”

“We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims’ families closely in our hearts. We will continue to monitor the situation and will release more information as it becomes available,” the organization added. 

In a statement on Truth Social overnight, President Donald Trump said that the crash could have been prevented. 

“The airplane was on a perfect and routine line of approach to the airport. The helicopter was going straight at the airplane for an extended period of time. It is a CLEAR NIGHT, the lights on the plane were blazing, why didn’t the helicopter go up or down, or turn. Why didn’t the control tower tell the helicopter what to do instead of asking if they saw the plane. This is a bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented. NOT GOOD!!!”

Hawley Introduces Bill To Allow Lawsuits Against Doctors Who Perform Trans Procedures On Kids

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) introduced a bill Wednesday to allow children harmed by transgender procedures to sue the doctors and hospitals that carried out the operations.

Hawley’s bill would enable individuals to sue the pediatric gender clinics and doctors who gave them cross-sex hormones or performed transgender surgery on them as minors. The legislation comes after President Donald Trump signed an executive order blocking federal funding for any hospital that performs such procedures. 

“Our children should no longer suffer from irreversible and dangerous child mutilation procedures, which the Biden administration enabled and promoted,” Hawley said. “I welcome President Trump’s strong action to reverse this child abuse and look forward to working with his administration to advance legislation that protects our kids.” 

Hawley’s legislation, known as the “Protecting Our Kids from Child Abuse Act,” would allow lawsuits “against pediatric gender clinics and other entities pushing gender-transition procedures that cause bodily injury to children or harm the mental health of children.”

The bill follows closely Trump’s executive order, which called for the attorney general to work with Congress to pass a law allowing lawsuits against entities that performed transgender procedures on minors. 

These procedures include providing children with puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones, performing surgeries to remove the breasts of girls who identify as boys, and genital procedures. Puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones have been linked with heart problems, fertility issues, and can harm bone development. 

Entities that could be held liable include pediatric gender clinics, doctors, and universities that house or operate gender clinics. 

A lawsuit could be brought up to 30 years after the harmed individual turned 18, and the person could be entitled to both punitive and compensatory damages. The bill would also ban federal funding from going toward pediatric gender clinics, universities that operate pediatric gender clinics, and any gender procedure on a minor. 

Trump’s executive order said that the government would no longer fund, sponsor, promote, assist, or support transgender procedures on children. 

“Today, it was my great honor to sign an Executive Order banning the chemical castration and medical mutilation of innocent children in the United States of America,” Trump said on Truth Social. “My Order directs Agencies to use every available means to cut off Federal financial participation in institutions which seek to provide these barbaric medical procedures, that should have never been allowed to take place!”

EXCLUSIVE: Activist Teacher Network Urges Schools To Ban ‘Transphobic’ Language

A transgender teachers network is urging schools across the country to adopt “hate speech” policies to crack down on so-called “homophobic and transphobic language” from both students and adults, according to a document obtained by The Daily Wire.

The Trans Educators Network distributed a guide earlier this month urging schools to pay for teachers’ sex change procedures, implement hate speech policies, and eliminate sex-segregated facilities. The guide, compiled in January, was shared with The Daily Wire by Parents Defending Education, an organization pushing to get gender and racial ideologies out of the classroom.

“Currently, LGBTQ+ educators are facing increasing levels of intimidation and hostility across the country,” the guide says, claiming that some of the pressure was coming from parents’ organizations, linking to Parents Defending Education. “We prepared this guide to highlight the needs of LGBTQ+ employees and help our schools assess their systems of support and protection for us.”

School recommendation guide.

The guide urges schools to create speech codes for alleged “transphobic language.” 

“Create a policy regarding hate speech that includes homophobic and transphobic language and covers both students and adults. Include persistent, intentional failure to use proper names, honorifics, and pronouns in policy. Make it clear how employees should report violations,” the guide says. 

The network did not respond to a request for comment on more details about what their recommended hate speech policy would encompass. Teachers across the country have been awarded hundreds of thousands of dollars after conflicts with their schools about preferred pronoun usage. 

The group also recommends schools offer health care plans “that will cover the full range of gender-affirming care,” and “fertility preservation and IVF coverage that is not limited to treatment for infertility.” The guide said that schools should work to avoid sending LGBT teachers on work trips to “locations with anti-LGBTQ+ legislation.”

Recommendations from the guide.

The guide also says that schools should offer “gender neutral” bathrooms and “allow community members to self-identify when using gender-exclusive facilities (restrooms, locker rooms, dorms, etc.).”

The Trump administration announced Tuesday that it was investigating a school district in Colorado after one high school converted a previously female bathroom to an “all gender” facility. 

According to the network, teachers across the country are being “limited by restrictive legislation,” and “school censorship laws.” This refers to legislation passed in Republican-led states to prohibit teachers from forcing young children to learn about gender ideology and sexuality. 

Parents Defending Education Director of Outreach Erika Sanzi told The Daily Wire that these kinds of laws were broadly supported by parents across the country. 

“Not wanting sexual orientation and gender to be a school’s priority — or even part of the curriculum — is not an attack or an attempt to intimidate. It is a reasonable position held by a majority of parents across the country,” she said. “These LGBTQ activist groups think they are entitled to a captive audience of other people’s children during the school day. They are not. If they don’t like negative feedback for their insistence on tinkering in the minds of young children, perhaps they should stop doing that.”

Trump is expected on Wednesday to sign an executive order that will block federal funding from going to schools that promote radical gender theory or critical race theory.

‘Fork In The Road’: Trump Makes Offer For Millions Of Federal Workers To Resign

The Trump administration is offering to buy out millions of government workers if they resign ahead of plans to bring dramatic reforms and cuts to the sprawling federal bureaucracy. 

The Office of Personnel Management on Tuesday sent out an email to two million federal workers offering to pay them until September 30 if they resign by February 6. The message from OPM suggested that significant cuts were on the horizon and that it could not guarantee that everyone’s position would still be in place with incoming reforms. 

“If you choose to remain in your current position, we thank you for your renewed focus on serving the American people to the best of your abilities and look forward to working together as part of an improved federal workforce,” the message said. “At this time, we cannot give you full assurance regarding the certainty of your position or agency but should your position be eliminated you will be treated with dignity and will be afforded the protections in place for such positions.”

The message sent to the workers was titled “A Fork in the Road” and discussed four major “pillars” around which the Trump administration planned to build the federal workforce. These pillars included working in an office, focusing on excellence, cutting the size of federal agencies, and increasing standards of conduct.

“While a few agencies and even branches of the military are likely to see increases in the size of their workforce, the majority of federal agencies are likely to be downsized through restructurings, realignments, and reductions in force,” the message from OPM said. “These actions are likely to include the use of furloughs and the reclassification to at-will status for a substantial number of federal employees.”

The offer was not sent to military personnel, postal workers, or employees working in immigration enforcement or national security.

The move comes after President Donald Trump signed multiple executive orders to reform the federal bureaucracy, including instituting a federal hiring freeze, ordering all employees to show up for in-person work, and establishing an operation called the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

“American taxpayers pay for the salaries of federal government employees, and therefore deserve employees working on their behalf who actually show up to work in our wonderful federal buildings, also paid for by taxpayers,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told NBC. “If they don’t want to work in the office and contribute to making America great again, then they are free to choose a different line of work, and the Trump Administration will provide a very generous payout of 8 months.”

Trump To Reinstate Service Members Kicked Out Over COVID Vax

President Donald Trump is reportedly set to reinstate service members discharged from the military under the Biden administration’s COVID vaccine mandate. 

Fox News reported Monday morning that Trump plans to sign an executive order allowing those pushed out the door to return to the military at their previous rank with back pay and benefits. Under President Joe Biden, more than 8,000 service members were booted because they chose not to get the COVID jab. 

“The Executive Order directs the Secretary of Defense to reinstate all members of the military (active and reserve) who were discharged for refusing the COVID vaccine and who request to be reinstated,” a White House fact sheet obtained by Fox News says. 

“From 2021 to 2023, the Biden Administration and former Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin discharged over 8,000 troops solely due to their COVID-19 vaccination status,” it adds. “After the vaccine mandate was repealed in 2023, only 43 of the more than the 8,000 troops dismissed elected to return to service under the Biden Administration and Secretary Austin.”

During his inaugural address last week, Trump promised he would hire back the discharged service members and give them back pay. 

“This week, I will reinstate any service members who were unjustly expelled from our military for objecting to the COVID vaccine mandate with full back pay,” Trump said shortly after swearing in as president. 

The Biden administration’s military vaccine mandate ended in January 2023 after Republicans in Congress led an effort to repeal it as part of the passage of the National Defense Authorization Act. 

“The end of President Biden’s military COVID vaccine mandate is a victory for our military and for common sense,” then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) said at the time. “Last week, I told the president directly: it’s time to end the COVID vaccine mandate and rehire our service members.”

An effort led by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) to add an amendment to the repeal that would have rehired those discharged over the mandate failed. 

In addition to the military, the Biden administration issued a vaccine mandate for federal workers and all employers with at least 100 employees, who had the option to be tested weekly instead. The vaccine-or-test rule for large businesses was struck down in a 6-3 decision by the Supreme Court in January 2022.

‘Not Nice’: Trump Speaks Out About FEMA Denying Aid To His Supporters

President Donald Trump spoke out on Friday about a FEMA scandal where relief workers skipped homes because of Trump signs or flags.

Trump decried the incident, which was first reported by The Daily Wire, as he spoke to hurricane victims in North Carolina. Trump has proposed drastic changes to FEMA and suggested that he may sign an executive order to get rid of the agency altogether.

“A whistleblower testified that some FEMA employees refused to help people who display Trump signs on their property. I think that’s true, isn’t it? I read that. That’s not nice, that’s not too nice, is it? But whoever those property people were, thank you very much,” Trump said.

In November, The Daily Wire broke a story that FEMA supervisor Marn’i Washington had ordered relief workers in Lake Placid to “avoid homes advertising Trump.” These instructions were given in person and verbally, whistleblowers told The Daily Wire. At least 20 homes were skipped due to the orders.

A day after the story broke, Washington was fired and FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell maintained it was an isolated incident and FEMA workers visited the homes that were skipped.

The incident is still under investigation by multiple entities and Florida has sued FEMA and Washington, alleging a conspiracy to discriminate against Trump supporters.

Other whistleblowers have come forward alleging similar misconduct in Georgia and North Carolina.

One whistleblower told the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure that entire neighborhoods were skipped if they found three or more signs that said things like “Make America Great Again,” “Drain the Swamp,” “Don’t Tread on Me,” or a Trump campaign sign.

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The inspector general for the Department of Homeland Security has initiated an investigation into the multiple allegations of FEMA misconduct, including in North Carolina and Florida.

Later during his visit to North Carolina, Trump said that he was likely going to revamp FEMA and give more responsibility for disaster relief to the states.

“We’re looking at the whole concept of FEMA,” he said. “FEMA has really let us down. Let the country down.”

“We’re going to fix it, and we’re going to fix it as fast as you can,” he added. “It’s a massive amount of damage. FEMA has really let us down. Let the country down. And I don’t know if that’s Biden’s fault or whose fault it is, but we’re going to take over. We’re going to do a good job.”

Trump DOJ Rolls Back Biden’s Aggressive Prosecution Of Pro-Lifers

The Department of Justice is rolling back President Joe Biden’s aggressive prosecution of the FACE Act, saying his administration weaponized the law against pro-life protesters.

A new memo from President Donald Trump’s DOJ says that the department will only prosecute the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act in cases of extreme violence. Under Biden, FACE was successfully paired with a felony conspiracy charge to lock up nearly a dozen peaceful pro-life protesters.

“President Trump campaigned on the promise of ending the weaponization of the federal government and has recently directed all federal departments and agencies to identify and correct the past weaponization of law enforcement,” the memo from DOJ Chief of Staff Chad Mizelle said.

Biden’s DOJ: Used the FACE Act to throw pro-life advocates in jail

Trump’s DOJ: Stops the abuse of the FACE Act and protects the pro-life community

🇺🇸 ELECTIONS MATTER 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/Yg1CqS5mYP

— Terry Schilling 🇺🇸 (@Schilling1776) January 24, 2025

FACE was originally passed in 1994 with the supposed intent to protect abortion facilities, churches, and pregnancy care centers from violence. However, data obtained by Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) shows that 97% of cases have been brought against pro-lifers, despite increasing attacks against churches after the end of Roe v. Wade.

The memo said that the DOJ would only prosecute FACE under “extraordinary circumstances” or in instances related to “death, serious bodily harm, or serious property damage.”

“Cases not presenting significant aggravating factors can adequately be addressed under state or local law,” the memo said. “Additionally, until further notice, no new abortion-related FACE Act actions — criminal or civil — will be permitted without authorization from the Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division.”

Under Biden, nearly a dozen pro-life activists were sentenced to prison, including a woman named Lauren Handy who got 57 months in prison over a protest at a notorious late-term abortion facility in Washington, D.C. Others, like 64-year-old Calvin Zastrow, were given six months in prison over a peaceful protest at an abortion facility in Tennessee.

“To many Americans, prosecutions and civil actions under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (‘FACE Act’) have been the prototypical example of this weaponization. And for good reason. Even though more than 100 crisis pregnancy centers, pro-life organizations, and churches were attacked in the immediate aftermath of the Dobbs decision, nearly all prosecutions under the FACE Act have been against pro-life protesters. That is not the evenhanded administration of justice,” the memo said.

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The DOJ also moved to immediately dismiss three ongoing FACE Act cases brought by the Biden administration that have yet to be resolved. The Thomas More Society, which is involved in each of the dropped cases, celebrated the decision.

“Huge moment in the fight against FACE,” the organization posted on X. “In each of these three FACE Act cases, Thomas More Society attorneys were representing several brave and peaceful pro-life defendants—who can now breathe easy without the heavy burden of federal prosecutors on their backs.”

The revamped approach from the DOJ follows action on Thursday from Trump when he signed a pardon for 23 pro-lifers convicted under Biden, freeing many of them from prison.

RELATED: Pardoned Pro-Life Activist Says He’s Running ‘On Adrenaline And The Holy Ghost’ After Trump Pardon

‘Win For Freedom’: House Republicans Celebrate Exodus Of Companies From ‘Climate Cartel’

A growing number of corporations are exiting a left-wing “climate cartel” amid pressure from congressional Republicans, The Daily Wire learned on Friday.

The committee has been investigating organizations like the Net Zero Asset Managers (NZAM) initiative and Climate Action 100+ which it says have worked together with corporations to push leftist ESG goals and decarbonization of the American economy. Earlier this month, NZAM paused its work after a flurry of high-profile companies, like BlackRock, left the company.

The exodus from NZAM also includes companies like AllianceBernstein, Northern Trust Asset Management, HASI, Muzinich and Co., Breckinridge Capital Advisors, Stonepeak, V-Square Quantitative Management, and SKY Harbor Capital Management, the committee told The Daily Wire.

Many of the companies, including Northern Trust Asset Management and SKY Harbor Capital Management, left after being contacted by the committee.

“More than 70 companies have left woke ESG organizations like NZAM and Climate Action 100+ since the Committee’s investigation started,” Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-OH) told The Daily Wire. “This a huge win for freedom and American prosperity. All U.S. financial institutions should follow suit and abandon the climate cartel.”

At one point, NZAM, which says its goal is to push net zero greenhouse gas emission by 2050 or sooner, boasted its members controlled over $57 trillion in assets. The company has now suspended all activities following the departures.

BlackRock, which controls over $11 trillion in assets, left NZAM on January 9, one day before a deadline given by the company by the Judiciary Committee to respond to questions about whether its investment policies were impacted by its involvement with climate groups.

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In a letter explaining its withdrawal, BlackRock executives admitted that the company’s involvement with NZAM “caused confusion regarding BlackRock’s practices and subjected us to legal inquiries from various public officials.”

“Our participation in NZAM didn’t impact the way we managed client portfolios,” the company said. “Therefore, our departure doesn’t change the way we develop products and solutions for clients or how we manage their portfolios.”

The Judiciary Committee has been investigating the cooperation between climate groups and corporations for the last two years and released a report called “Climate Control: Exposing The Decarbonization Collusion in Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Investing,” in June.

Companies like BlackRock have also been under pressure at the state level. In November, 11 Republican attorneys general, led by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, filed a lawsuit in November against BlackRock over its involvement with groups like NZAM.

Trump Promises Overhaul Of FEMA, Floats ‘Getting Rid Of’ Agency

President Donald Trump said Friday that he might sign an executive order to “get rid” of FEMA and hand over the responsibility of responding to natural disasters to the states. 

Trump made the comments during a visit to Asheville, North Carolina, where he met with victims of Hurricane Helene and teased an executive order to completely overhaul FEMA. Western North Carolina was devastated last year when Hurricane Helene brought record flooding to the area, destroying homes and killing more than 100 people. 

“I’ll also be signing an executive order to begin the process of fundamentally reforming and overhauling FEMA or maybe getting rid of FEMA. I think, frankly, FEMA is not good,” Trump said. “I think when you have a problem like this, I think you want to … use your state to fix it and not waste time.”

PRESIDENT TRUMP: “I’ll also be signing an Executive Order to begin the process of fundamentally reforming and overhauling FEMA — or maybe getting rid of FEMA. I think when you have a problem like this, I think you want to… use your state to fix it and not waste time…” pic.twitter.com/lQmPESd0Fc

— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) January 24, 2025

Trump said FEMA made disaster recovery more inefficient since it went into unfamiliar areas and introduced rules that slowed down the process. He said it would be better if states were in total control of recovery efforts and the federal government would fund a certain percentage of the response. 

“I think we’re going recommend that FEMA go away, and we pay directly, we pay a percentage to the state. But the state should fix this,” Trump said. 

Trump has been very critical of FEMA’s response to both Hurricanes Helene and Milton, saying that the agency slowed its response because many of those impacted were in conservative rural areas. 

“We’re looking at the whole concept of FEMA,” he said. “FEMA has really let us down. Let the country down.”

“We’re going to fix it, and we’re going to fix it as fast as you can,” he added. “It’s a massive amount of damage. FEMA has really let us down. Let the country down. And I don’t know if that’s Biden’s fault or whose fault it is, but we’re going to take over. We’re going to do a good job.”

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He promised that the government would “do a lot” for North Carolina after he said the response under Biden was “very slow.” 

In November, The Daily Wire broke a story about how a FEMA supervisor in Florida ordered relief workers responding to Hurricane Milton to “avoid homes advertising Trump.” That prompted the employee to be fired and a wave of investigations into the agency.

One whistleblower later told Republicans on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure that FEMA had skipped entire neighborhoods in North Carolina if there were three or more signs showing support for Trump or other conservatives.

Trump heads to Los Angeles County later on Friday to see the destruction caused by multiple fires that have displaced more than 100,000 residents.

Pardoned Pro-Life Activist Says He’s Running ‘On Adrenaline And The Holy Ghost’ After Trump Pardon

Calvin Zastrow thought he was in trouble when a prison guard banged on his cell door late Thursday night, interrupting his sleep. Zastrow, who was in prison over a peaceful pro-life protest, found out moments later that he was going free thanks to a pardon issued by President Donald Trump. 

While Trump announced Thursday afternoon that he was pardoning 23 pro-life protesters who had been targeted by the Biden administration, Zastrow did not immediately find out because he had been stuck in his prison cell for six days due to a prison lockdown. He only heard the news when he was woken up by prison guards at 10:00 p.m. By 11:30 he had been processed out of Federal Correctional Institute, Thomson in Illinois, where he had spent the last three months. 

“They came and banged on my door loud and woke me up and that’s never a good sign when a guard comes and bangs on your door,” he told The Daily Wire Friday morning. “But they said, ‘hey, you got pardoned, you’re out.” 

After he was told the news, Zastrow, 64, gathered up his Bible, the letters people had written to him, some books, and his hat and coat. He was freed at the same time as Jonathan Darnel, another pro-lifer who had been serving 34 months in Thomson.

NEW: Cal Zastrow, one of the pro-lifers who was just pardoned and freed by Trump, poses with his wife outside the federal prison where he spent the last three months thanks to Biden’s DOJ. pic.twitter.com/WMEX5Q5MTr

— Leif Le Mahieu (@leif_lemahieu) January 24, 2025

Zastrow’s pardon comes nearly a year after he was convicted in Nashville of violating the FACE Act and civil rights conspiracy over a peaceful protest at an abortion facility in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee in March 2021. During that protest, Zastrow and others sang, prayed, and urged women not to get abortions.  

As Zastrow and Darnel walked out of prison together they sang the Christian hymn “All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name,” a song that has been a staple at many of the pro-life trials that happened across the country last year. 

He said he would like to thank Trump in person for issuing the pardon. “When can we come see you and thank you?” he told The Daily Wire of what he would say to the president. When he issued the pardons, Trump said that it was an “honor” for him to sign, calling their prosecutions “ridiculous.” 

“Well, I’m humbled by that,” Zastrow said. “I am just another guy serving the Lord and that would be an honor if my family and I could come and shake his hand and look him in the eyeball and say thanks.” 

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Trish Zastrow, who has been married to Cal for over 40 years, spoke to The Daily Wire on Thursday, saying she was “really excited to have my husband home,” and that “God has been so good.” She said that her “insides are just jumping for joy and praising God.” 

“The love and the support from family and friends from all over the country has just been overwhelming,” she said. “Nice to have people rejoice with you and it’s nice to have people stand with you in the midst of trials. Being a part of the family of God is an amazing thing.” 

Trish and two of her daughters and son-in-law drove through the night from their home in Michigan to meet Zastrow at the hotel in Fulton, Illinois, the prison had booked for him. They were reunited shortly after 4:00 a.m. The reunion is not done yet, as Zastrow still has a new grandson back in Michigan waiting to meet him. 

“I haven’t slept a wink,” Zastrow told The Daily Wire. “I’m still on adrenaline and the Holy Ghost.” 

He said that a couple of January 6 prisoners had been released a few days earlier, and he was starting to wonder if a pardon would come his way. Zastrow said he was resolved to continue to share his faith with his fellow prisoners if he was not pardoned.  

“How cruel, how vicious, how selfish would it be if I got pardoned and the prison didn’t come and tell me,” he said. “The Father pardons our sin because of what Jesus did. Well, how cruel and selfish is it of us not to go tell everybody in the world about God’s love and pardon.” 

Both he and his wife also want to keep the focus on why they were imprisoned in the first place, the thousands of babies aborted every day in the United States. 

“I’m glad it’s being brought to the forefront for people to realize that these babies that are aborted are living human beings made in God’s image,” Trish said. 

Other pro-lifers imprisoned by the Biden administration have already been freed as well, including Joan Bell and Bevelyn Williams, a young mother who had been sentenced to 41 months in prison for a protest at a Manhattan abortion facility. Williams posted an emotional video showing her being reunited with her young child and husband. 

Im HOME! pic.twitter.com/lEWr5AyrEf

— Bevelyn Williams (@MrsBevelynW) January 24, 2025

Others freed included Lauren Handy, who had been sentenced to 57 months in prison over a protest at a late-term abortion facility in Washington, D.C., and Heather Idoni, a 60-year-old grandmother who has been in prison for over a year. 

“It was disgraceful what happened to them. That was a persecution,” Trump said Friday morning as he spoke to reporters. 

The Thomas More Society, which requested the pardons for 21 of the defendants, thanked Trump for his order. 

“What happened to them can never be erased, but today’s pardons are a huge step towards restoring justice,” Steve Crampton said. “Thank you to President Trump and his team for righting these grievous wrongs of the previous administration.”

Crampton told The Daily Wire that he and his team still planned to pursue legal challenges against the FACE Act despite the pardons. Nearly all prosecutions of the FACE Act since its passage in 1994 have been against pro-lifers, even though it is supposed to protect church and crisis pregnancy centers as well. 

Legislation to repeal the FACE Act was introduced this week by Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) and Senator Mike Lee (R-UT)

North Carolina Republican Introduces Bill To Crack Down On Abortion By Mail

North Carolina Republican Congressman Mark Harris introduced legislation on Friday that would block doctors from sending abortion drugs through the mail, he told The Daily Wire.

Harris put forward the “Teleabortion Prevention Act” to block doctors from providing women with drugs to end the life of their unborn child without conducting a physical exam or being physically present. The legislation, introduced as pro-lifers gather in Washington, D.C., for the March for Life, would mean doctors could face up to two years in prison if they send an abortion drug through the mail for a “self-managed” abortion. 

“In the country, getting an abortion is as easy as walking to your mailbox. What this bill seeks to do is to protect women from that and it really just gives them an opportunity to be in a position to know what they’re doing,” Harris, a freshman representative, told The Daily Wire. 

He said the bill would block the mailing of abortion drugs across the country. Chemical abortions are now estimated to make up over half of all abortions and have only increased since Roe v. Wade was overturned. 

“If you’re in New York and you’re mailing those pills into Texas, then that’s going to be criminal. That’s going to be a problem,” Harris added, saying that the bill was in part motivated by the FDA loosening its guidelines on mailing abortion drugs in January. 

The legislation would prevent doctors across the country from giving abortion pills to women “without physically examining the patient,” “without being physically present at the location of the chemical abortion,” and “without scheduling a follow-up visit.” Doctors who violate the law could be fined $1,000 and subject to two years in prison. 

The legislation would not allow women to be prosecuted over abortion and would not impact ectopic pregnancies. 

“I believe God is the creator of life. I believe He’s the one that gives life and I think that we are bound to protect it in every way we can,” Harris told The Daily Wire. “When we see a life taken in the womb we are seeing the place that should be the safest place anyone would ever be on the face of the earth, and that’s in her mother’s womb, absolutely invaded and destroyed.” 

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Co-sponsors of the legislation include Republican Reps. Andrew Clyde (GA), Robert Aderholt (AL), Daniel Webster (FL), Brandon Gill (TX), Mary Miller (IL), and Michael Cloud (TX). Conservative organizations like SBA Pro-Life America, Heritage Action, March for Life Action, and the Family Research Council are also backing the legislation. 

Abortion pills have flown into red states since the end of Roe, including in states where chemical abortions are banned. These pills are often sent by leftist activist networks who send pills to anyone without any age verification or medical input. 

In December, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against a New York abortionist accusing her of unlawfully mailing abortion drugs to a woman in Texas. The suit said the pill caused damage to the woman and ended the life of her unborn child. 

‘A Strong Message’: Trump Administration Begins Deportation Flights

The White House announced Friday morning that deportation flights of illegal immigrants had begun. 

Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt made the announcement on X, sharing photos of illegal immigrants being boarded onto planes. On the campaign trail, President Donald Trump promised to enact the largest deportation operation in American history. 

“Deportation flights have begun,” Leavitt said. “President Trump is sending a strong and clear message to the entire world: if you illegally enter the United States of America, you will face severe consequences.”

 

Deportation flights have begun.

President Trump is sending a strong and clear message to the entire world: if you illegally enter the United States of America, you will face severe consequences. pic.twitter.com/CTlG8MRcY1

— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) January 24, 2025

In a similar post on X, the White House said Trump was sending “a strong message” to the world.

The deportation announcement came after Leavitt said that ICE arrested 538 illegal aliens on Thursday, including a suspected terrorist, four members of the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang, and multiple people who had been convicted of sex crimes against children. 

She also said that hundreds of illegal immigrants had been deported using military aircraft. 

“The largest massive deportation operation in history is well underway,” she said. “Promises made. Promises kept.”

President Trump enacted a number of immigration-centered executive orders on Monday, including declaring a national emergency at the border and committing his administration to “promptly” removing “all aliens who enter or remain in violation of Federal law.”

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“Over the last 4 years, the United States has endured a large-scale invasion at an unprecedented level,” Trump said. “Millions of illegal aliens from nations and regions all around the world successfully entered the United States where they are now residing, including potential terrorists, foreign spies, members of cartels, gangs, and violent transnational criminal organizations, and other hostile actors with malicious intent.”

Under President Joe Biden, a record number of illegal immigrants entered and were released into the United States. This came after Biden ended Trump-era immigration policies, like Title 42, which allowed the U.S. to turn away migrants at the southern border to protect public health. 

“We have limited information on the precise whereabouts of a great number of these illegal aliens who have entered the United States over the last 4 years,” Trump said. “This cannot stand.  A nation without borders is not a nation, and the Federal Government must act with urgency and strength to end the threats posed by an unsecured border.”

Trump also designated drug cartels as terrorist organizations and ordered the construction of a border wall to continue.

‘They Should Not Have Been Prosecuted’: Trump Pardons 23 Pro-Lifers Targeted By Biden DOJ

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday pardoning 23 of the pro-life activists targeted by President Joe Biden’s Justice Department.

“They should not have been prosecuted,” Trump said as he signed the order. “Many of them are elderly people. They should not have been prosecuted. This is a great honor to sign this.”

The pardons are for 23 “peaceful pro-life protesters who were prosecuted by the Biden administration for exercising their First Amendment rights.” They were prosecuted under the FACE Act and a Reconstruction-era felony conspiracy charge first used for the first time against pro-life activists by the Biden administration.

The Thomas More Society, the law firm representing the activists, had asked Trump to pardon 21 pro-lifers: Joan Bell, Coleman Boyd, Joel Curry, Jonathan Darnel, Eva Edl, Chester Gallagher, William Goodman, Dennis Green, Lauren Handy, Paulette Harlow, John Hinshaw, Heather Idoni, Jean Marshall, Fr. Fidelis Moscinski, Justin Phillips, Paul Place, Paul Vaughn, Bevelyn Beatty Williams, Calvin Zastrow, Eva Zastrow, and James Zastrow. 

(Photo by ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP via Getty Images)

“Today, freedom rings in our great nation,” said Steve Crampton, senior counsel for the Thomas More Society. “The heroic peaceful pro-lifers unjustly imprisoned by Biden’s Justice Department will now be freed and able to return home to their families, eat a family meal, and enjoy the freedom that should have never been taken from them in the first place.”

Peter Breen, the executive vice president of the firm, added: “Today is a new day for the pardoned pro-life advocates who have suffered FBI raids, federal prosecutions, and severe punishment for peacefully and courageously witnessing for life. We thank President Trump for keeping his promise to these pro-life mothers, fathers, grandparents, pastors, and priests.”

“What happened to these peaceful pro-life individuals must never happen again,” he said in a statement. “We urge Congress to act swiftly in repealing the FACE Act to make sure that the Justice Department can never again weaponize this law to target peaceful pro-lifers with severe charges.” 

Many of those pardoned were convicted multiple times in trials in Washington, D.C., Nashville, Manhattan, and Detroit. While sentencing has not been completed in each case, several pro-lifers were already serving lengthy prison sentences. 

In D.C., a group of pro-life protesters sang songs, prayed, locked arms in front of the facility’s staff entrance, and attached themselves with ropes and chains to block doors inside the infamous Surgi-Clinic in October 2020, a late-term abortion facility. 

Those who were imprisoned over the D.C. protest include Lauren Handy (57 months in prison), John Hinshaw (21 months), William Goodman (27 months), Jonathan Darnell (34 months), Herb Geraghty (27 months), Jean Marshall (24 months), Joan Bell (27 months), Paulette Harlow (24 months), and Heather Idoni (24 months).

In Tennessee, a group of pro-life Christians gathered in a hall outside the Carafem Health Center in Mt. Juliet where they sang hymns, prayed, and urged women not to get abortions in March 2021. Calvin Zastrow, 63, is currently serving a six-month prison sentence over the protest and 75-year-old Chester Gallagher was sentenced to 16 months though he has not had to report to prison yet. 

In New York, Bevelyn Beatty Williams was sentenced to serve 41 months in prison after she was convicted of violating the FACE Act after she blocked the entrance to an abortion facility in Manhattan. 

The pardons should also bring relief to those who were awaiting sentencing, including 89-year-old Eva Edl. Edl, who survived a World War II-era Yugoslavian concentration camp, was convicted in both Nashville and Detroit and could have been sentenced to over a decade in prison over her convictions on FACE and a felony conspiracy charge.

When passed in 1994, the FACE Act was supposed to protect both churches and clinics, but the law has almost exclusively been used to prosecute pro-lifers. Data obtained by Roy shows that 97% of FACE Act cases brought by the Justice Department have been against pro-life Americans. Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) and Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) renewed an effort to repeal the FACE Act this week, pointing out how it has been disproportionately used against pro-lifers. 

The response to the pardons has already been positive with Republican lawmakers and conservative activists praising the decision.

“President Trump’s pardon today of pro-life activists unjustly imprisoned under President Biden is a great credit to his legacy,” CatholicVote’s Tommy Valentine said. “We hope he will go a step further in undoing Biden’s unjust legacy by directing his Department of Justice to evenly enforce the FACE Act, for as long as it is on the books, against violent pro-abortion extremists who have been attacking pregnancy resource centers and churches for years.”

The news came shortly after the Daily Wire reported that Trump would pardon the pro-life activists within a matter of days. The plight of the imprisoned pro-lifers is an immediate priority to Trump’s team, two sources with knowledge of the matter shared with The Daily Wire.

Friday is the 52nd annual March for Life, where Vice President JD Vance will publicly speak for the first time since he was sworn into office, as The Daily Wire first reported on Thursday.

This is a breaking story; please refresh this page for updates.

‘Victory’: Republican Lawmakers Praise Expected Pardon Of Pro-Lifers Imprisoned By Biden

Republican lawmakers praised President Donald Trump over an expected pardon for pro-lifers prosecuted and imprisoned by the Biden administration over peaceful protests at abortion facilities.  

Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) and Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) said Thursday that it would be a victory for America after The Daily Wire reported that pardoning the pro-lifers targeted by the Biden administration was an immediate priority for Trump’s team and could come in a matter of days. Under Biden, the Justice Department successfully prosecuted nearly two dozen pro-lifers under the FACE Act, a Clinton-era law that makes it a federal crime to stand in front of an abortion facility entrance. 

“It is tremendous news to hear the news that President Trump will soon pardon the brave pro-life Americans who were unjustly targeted by Biden’s weaponized DOJ,” Roy told The Daily Wire. “These Americans are peaceful, pro-life Americans who were singled out and targeted by their government solely because of their beliefs.”

.@chiproytx reacts to @realDailyWire: “It is tremendous news to hear the news that President Trump will soon pardon the brave pro-life Americans who were unjustly targeted by Biden’s weaponized DOJ. These Americans are peaceful, pro-life Americans who were singled out and… https://t.co/NVoZ5mIu3r

— Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) January 23, 2025

Roy also urged the passage of a bill he has sponsored to repeal the FACE Act, which has been disproportionately used against pro-lifers despite assurances it is also supposed to protect churches and crisis pregnancy centers. Lee has sponsored a companion bill in the Senate. 

“A victory for people of faith and the rule of law in America Unjust & unequal application of the FACE Act against Pro Life activists stops under President Trump. Let’s pass my bill with [Chip Roy] to repeal the FACE Act to end these political persecutions forever,” Lee said

Other lawmakers also celebrated the news of the impending pardons. 

“Weaponizing the DOJ against pro-life protestors exercising their First Amendment rights was wrong,” West Virginia Rep. Riley Moore said. “Great news as the March for Life comes to Washington tomorrow!!”

Over the past few days, Republicans have urged Trump, who previously spoke out against the arrests of the pro-lifers, to issue the pardons. 

On Thursday, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) highlighted the plight of several of the pro-lifers currency imprisoned from the Senate floor. 

“This is a grotesque assault on the principles of this country. That is why I have urged President Donald Trump to pardon all of these pro-life prisoners unjustly persecuted…by the corrupt Biden Administration, and I do mean corrupt,” Hawley said. 

Hawley specifically mentioned multiple pro-life activists currently in prison, like Bevelyn Williams (41 months) and Lauren Handy (57 months), and those facing prison like 89-year-old Eva Edl. Edl, who survived a World War II-era Yugoslavian concentration camp, faces 10 years in prison over a conviction in Detroit over a peaceful pro-life protest. 

“From a man who used his power illegitimately to pardon his own family, to pardon his own son, to excuse his own kin of wrongful, willful illegalities, protected drug lords, and killers, and murderers, and kingpins, and yet sent concentration camp survivors to prison because they spoke up for life, it does not get morally worse than that,” Hawley said of Biden. 

“President Trump can turn the chapter on this dark period of our history. He can right the wrongs that this last administration perpetrated,” he added. “He can begin to restore the requirements that the conscience of our country puts in front of us.”

Citing reporting of their trial from The Daily Wire, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) sent a letter to Trump on Thursday urging him to pardon six pro-lifers convicted in Nashville last year, including one currently in prison and one set to go to prison.

Trump is expected to issue the pardons in a matter of days.

Mary Margaret Olohan contributed to this report.

Trump Promises ‘Revolution Of Common Sense’ In Speech To World Economic Forum

During a speech to the World Economic Forum on Thursday, President Donald Trump said his administration was ushering in a “revolution of common sense.”

Trump, who appeared virtually, slammed the Biden administration during his speech and listed off a number of the executive orders he has made on energy, spending, and the economy. During his appearance, Trump urged Saudi Arabia to lower the price of oil and promised businesses that make their products in the U.S. would benefit from low taxes. 

“What the world has witnessed in the past 72 hours is nothing less than a revolution of common sense,” Trump said. “Our country will soon be stronger, wealthier, and more united than ever before and the entire planet will be more peaceful and prosperous as a result of this incredible momentum.”

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During the speech, Trump criticized Biden’s handling of the economy and the border, citing $8 trillion in “wasteful deficit spending,” “crippling regulations,” and record-high inflation during the Biden administration. 

“My administration is acting with unprecedented speed to fix the disasters we’ve inherited from a totally inept group of people, and to solve every single crisis facing our country. This begins with confronting the economic chaos caused by the failed policies of the last administration,” he said. 

“President Biden totally lost control of what was going on in our country, but, in particular, with our high inflation economy and at our border,” Trump added.  

“From the moment I took office, I’ve taken rapid action to reverse each and every one of these Radical Left policies that created this calamity. In particular, with immigration, crime, and inflation,” he said. 

This action included enacting a federal hiring freeze, a freeze on regulation, a pause on foreign aid, creating the Department of Government Efficiency, withdrawing from the Paris Climate Accords, ending Biden’s electric vehicle mandate, and declaring a national energy emergency. 

Trump also promised that countries that make their products in America would benefit from low corporate taxes. 

“My message to every business in the world is very simple: come make your product in America and we will give you among the lowest taxes of any nation on earth,” Trump said. “But if you don’t make your product in America, which is your prerogative, then very simply, you will have to pay a tariff.”

 

 

President Trump To Pardon Imprisoned Pro-Life Activists Within Days

President Donald Trump will pardon pro-life activists imprisoned by the Biden Justice Department within days, The Daily Wire has learned.

The plight of the imprisoned pro-lifers is an immediate priority to Trump’s team, and they will likely be pardoned within days, two sources with knowledge of the matter shared with The Daily Wire. The revelation comes a day ahead of the 52nd annual March for Life, a massive peaceful demonstration that takes place in Washington D.C. to bring awareness to the many babies whose lived are ended through abortions. The president is expected to appear at the rally in a pre-recorded video.

Trump issued a sweeping executive order on Monday that granted full pardons for about 1,500 criminal defendants related to the January 6 Capitol Riot, making good on a campaign promises to free those targeted by the Biden administration. His actions prompted many in the pro-life community to hope that he would similarly pardon the pro-life activists targeted by the Biden Justice Department under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act.

“I hope President Trump will shortly pardon the pro-life prisoners unjustly targeted & jailed by the Biden Administration,” Republican Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley posted to “X” on Wednesday. “They deserve to be free.”

On Thursday, The Daily Signal first reported that Republican Utah Sen, Mike Lee had re-introduced a bill that would repeal the FACE Act once and for all.

“While President [Donald] Trump is stopping these outrageous prosecutions, we should ensure that no future administration has the ability to persecute Americans through unequal application of the law,” Lee told the publication.

(Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Republican Rep. Chip Roy of Texas introduced a companion bill in the House on Tuesday, saying Republicans needed to take advantage of their control of Congress and the White House.

Trump has repeatedly criticized the Biden DOJ for targeting pro-lifers on “outrageous charges,” promising on the campaign trail to “rapidly review the cases of every political prisoner who’s unjustly victimized by the Biden regime…so we can get them out of the gulags and back to their families where they belong.”

The pardons would bring immediate relief to those currently imprisoned including Lauren Handy (57 months in prison), John Hinshaw (21 months), Jonathan Darnell (34 months), Herb Geraghty (27 months), Jean Marshall (24 months), Joan Bell (27 months), Paulette Harlow (24 months), Bevelyn Williams (41 months), Heather Idoni (24 months), and Calvin Zastrow (6 months).

These defendants were imprisoned over protests at abortion facilities in Tennessee, Washington, D.C., and New York.

The D.C. protest involved a group of pro-life protesters singing songs, praying, locking arms in front of the facility’s staff entrance, and attaching themselves with ropes and chains to block doors inside the infamous Surgi-Clinic in October 2020, a late term abortion facility. In Tennessee, a group of pro-life Christians gathered in a hall outside the Carafem Health Center in Mt. Juliet where they sang hymns, prayed, and urged women not to get abortion in March 2021.

Many of the defendants have already been imprisoned for over a year with many more months yet to serve.

“I would love to be home with my family,” 59-year-old Heather Idoni said in September. “I would love to hold my new grandson.”

Idoni was sentenced to two years in prison over the D.C. protest and was given another eight months to serve concurrently from the Nashville protest.

The pardons would also bring relief to those awaiting sentencing, including 89-year-old Eva Edl. Edl, who survived a World War II-era Yugoslavian concentration camp, was convicted in Detroit and could be sentenced to over a decade in prison over her conviction on FACE and a felony conspiracy charge.

The Thomas More Society, which represented many of the defendants during their federal trials, formally petitioned for the pardons last week, and urged Trump on Wednesday to issue the pardons. Wednesday is the 52nd anniversary of Roe v. Wade, which the Supreme Court struck down in 2022 largely thanks to votes from Trump appointees.

“Today would be an incredible day for him to do that,” Breen told The Daily Wire on Wednesday morning, discussing possible pardons.

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