Thursday saw a judge rule that the Trump administration can continue the mass firing of US federal workers, rejecting a bid by labor unions to stop the US president dramatically cutting the jobs of many of the 2.3 million people employed by the government. The IRS began laying off roughly 7,000 workers on Thursday.
In his 16-page order, US district judge Christopher Cooper started by saying that Trump’s executive actions had “caused, some say by design, disruption and even chaos in widespread quarters of American society”.
Here are the biggest stories in US politics on Thursday, 20 February.
Trump administration can continue mass firings, judge rules
The Trump administration can for now continue its mass firings of federal employees, a federal judge ruled on Thursday, rejecting a bid by a group of labor unions to halt Donald Trump’s dramatic downsizing of the roughly 2.3 million-strong federal workforce.
The unions are seeking to block eight agencies including the Department of Defense, Department of Health and Human Services, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and Department of Veterans Affairs from implementing mass layoffs.
Trump official tells Ukraine to stop criticism
A White House official has told Ukraine to stop bad-mouthing Donald Trump and to sign a deal handing over half of the country’s mineral wealth to the US, saying a failure to do so would be unacceptable. The US national security adviser, Mike Waltz, told Fox News that Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, should “tone down” his criticism of the US and take a “hard look” at the deal. It proposes giving Washington $500bn worth of natural resources, including oil and gas.
Vance doubles down on Ukraine and Europe stance
JD Vance reaffirmed his claims that uncontrolled immigration was “the greatest threat” to Europe and the United States in a speech at CPAC. The vice-president also dismissed concerns about the Trump administration’s stance on Ukraine as “moralistic garbage”.
Kash Patel confirmed as FBI director
The US Senate has confirmed Kash Patel as the next FBI director despite his failure to explicitly say whether he would use his position to pursue Donald Trump’s political opponents. Patel was narrowly confirmed on Thursday in a 51-49 vote, a reflection of the polarizing nature of his nomination.
Trump mulls giving Americans checks from Doge cost-cutting
Donald Trump has appeared to embrace a proposal to share a portion of the cuts in US government spending made by Elon Musk’s “department of government efficiency” (Doge) with all US households in the form of checks, intensifying concerns about inflation potentially rising again. Trump suggested this would incentivize Americans to “participate in the process of saving us money” by reporting suspected government waste to boost their own share of the funding cuts.
Mitch McConnell won’t run for Senate again
US senator Mitch McConnell will not run for re-election next year, bringing an end to a decades-long career for a Republican leader who marshaled his party through multiple administrations with a single-minded focus on power that enraged his critics and delighted his allies. McConnell made the announcement on his 83rd birthday.
7,000 tax workers face axe
The US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will reportedly lay off roughly 7,000 workers in Washington and around the country beginning on Thursday – at a time of year when millions of Americans file their annual tax returns. The layoffs affect probationary employees with roughly one year or less of service at the agency and largely include workers in compliance departments.
US court refuses to reinstate birthright citizenship ban
A US appeals court denied a justice department emergency application to reinstate a ban on birthright citizenship. Donald Trump signed an executive order on his first day in office that ordered an end to birthright citizenship for children for whom neither parent is a US citizen or legal permanent resident. The order was blocked by a court – and a federal court has now ruled the DoJ did not prove an emergency need to overturn that decision.
US flies 177 deportees from Guantánamo to Honduras en route to Venezuela
The US government has flown 177 deportees from Guantánamo Bay to Honduras, from where they are set to be transferred on to Venezuela, apparently emptying the military facility of migrant detainees.
The move on Thursday came days after human rights lawyers filed a lawsuit seeking access to dozens of people who had been held at the US naval base.
What else happened today:
Trump says he expects he will be sued by the Associated Press for blocking the news organization’s access to the Oval Office and Air Force One, but that, “It’s just something that we feel strongly about.”
Trump also spoke at the White House’s Black History Month reception alongside golfer Tiger Woods. Trump struck an uneasy tone celebrating Black History Month while also criticizing diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.
Musk spoke at the Conservative Political Action Committee this evening, wielding a chainsaw gifted to him by far-right Argentinian president Javier Milei. Musk reiterated the president’s criticism of Ukraine.
Former Trump adviser Steve Bannon took the stage following Musk, where he celebrated Mitch McConnell’s retirement and Kash Patel’s confirmation.
New York governor Kathy Hochul will not immediately remove the embattled New York City mayor Eric Adams from office, but will instead advocate greater oversight of City Hall, she announced at a press conference today.
More than 50,000 people could by laid off at the defense department under the Trump administration’s mass firings, CNN reported, citing an unnamed US official.
