Today in one sentence: Trump blamed diversity, equity, and inclusion policies, Obama, and Biden for the midair collision over the Potomac River that killed all 67 on board; Robert F. Kennedy Jr. refused to disavow the debunked link between vaccines and autism; Trump’s nominee for FBI director denied plans for retribution, downplayed past promotion of conspiracy theories, refused to acknowledge that Biden won the 2020 election, and resisted Democratic efforts to portray him as a political loyalist unfit to lead the bureau; Tulsi Gabbard, Trump’s nominee for director of national intelligence, faced bipartisan scrutiny in her Senate confirmation hearing, over her refusal to label Edward Snowden a "traitor" and her shifting stance on surveillance laws; Trump promised to impose 25% tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports beginning Feb. 1; the U.S. economy expanded at a 2.3% annual rate in the fourth quarter of 2024; House Republicans are considering cutting benefits for low-income Americans to offset the cost of Trump-backed tax cuts; and Trump directed universities to monitor and report international students involved in pro-Palestinian protests.

1/ Trump blamed diversity, equity, and inclusion policies, Obama, and Biden for the midair collision over the Potomac River that killed all 67 on board. An ongoing investigation has yet to determine the cause of the American Airlines passenger jet colliding with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter on a routine training flight. Trump called the moment “an hour of anguish for our nation,” but then abruptly pivoted to claiming – without evidence – that FAA diversity hiring weakened aviation safety and suggested the helicopter crew and air traffic controllers may have been at fault. “I put safety first, Obama, Biden and the Democrats put policy first, and they put politics at a level that nobody’s ever seen,” Trump said. When asked how he came to the conclusion that diversity had something to do with the crash, Trump replied, “because I have common sense, OK? Unfortunately, a lot of people don’t.” Later in the Oval Office, Trump told reporters “Incompetence might have played a role […] You’re talking about extremely complex things, and If they don’t have a great brain, a great power of the brain, they’re not going to be very good at what they do and bad things will happen.” A preliminary FAA report, meanwhile, found that air traffic control tower staffing was “not normal” for the amount of air traffic and for the time of day. The incident was the first mass casualty event involving a commercial aircraft in the U.S. in at least 15 years. (CNN / ABC News / New York Times / CBS News / Wall Street Journal / NBC News / CNBC / Washington Post / Associated Press / Axios / NPR / Bloomberg / Politico)

2/ Robert F. Kennedy Jr. refused to disavow the debunked link between vaccines and autism during his second Senate confirmation hearing. Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy, a physician and chair of the Senate Health Committee, challenged Kennedy on his history of vaccine skepticism and pressed him to unequivocally state that vaccines do not cause autism. Kennedy refused, saying, “If the data is there,” prompting Cassidy to respond: “I know the data is there.” Kennedy also struggled to answer basic questions about Medicare and Medicaid, misstating key details about both programs. He also mischaracterized Medicaid as fully funded by the federal government, despite states sharing the cost. (Washington Post / New York Times / Associated Press / CNN / ABC News / CNBC)

3/ Trump’s nominee for FBI director denied plans for retribution, downplayed past promotion of conspiracy theories, refused to acknowledge that Biden won the 2020 election, and resisted Democratic efforts to portray him as a political loyalist unfit to lead the bureau. During his Senate confirmation hearing, Kash Patel rejected accusations that he had an “enemies list” of officials to target, denied supporting QAnon conspiracy theories despite past comments, and split from Trump by opposing clemency for Jan. 6 rioters who attacked police officers. He repeatedly refused to directly acknowledge that Biden won the 2020 election and declined to say whether he would resign if given an unconstitutional order by Trump. Patel also refused to say whether he would resign if pressured to drop politically sensitive cases. Republican senators, meanwhile, defended Patel, urging him to “teach” the FBI a lesson for past investigations into Trump. (Politico / New York Times / CNN / ABC News / NBC News / Washington Post)

4/ Tulsi Gabbard, Trump’s nominee for director of national intelligence, faced bipartisan scrutiny in her Senate confirmation hearing, over her refusal to label Edward Snowden a “traitor” and her shifting stance on surveillance laws. Gabbard, who previously called for Snowden’s pardon, repeatedly stated that he “broke the law” but also “exposed egregious, illegal and unconstitutional programs.” Senators from both parties pressed her for a clear condemnation, with Sen. Michael Bennet calling her reluctance “not a hard question to answer.” She also defended her 2017 meeting with Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad and downplayed past comments blaming NATO for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, now acknowledging Putin’s responsibility. Some Republicans, including Sen. Susan Collins, expressed uncertainty about supporting her, while committee chair Sen. Tom Cotton endorsed her nomination. (CNN / Politico / Wall Street Journal / Washington Post / New York Times / NBC News)

5/ Trump promised to impose 25% tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports beginning Feb. 1. He justified his decision, saying: “Number one is the people that have poured into our country so horribly and so much. Number two are the drugs fentanyl and everything else that have come into the country. Number three are the massive subsidies that we’re giving to Canada and to Mexico in the form of deficits.” Trump also suggested the tariffs “may or may not rise with time” and hinted at potential duties on Canadian oil. Canada and Mexico have threatened retaliatory tariffs. Economists warn the tariffs could disrupt key industries like auto manufacturing and energy. (Bloomberg / Wall Street Journal)

6/ The U.S. economy expanded at a 2.3% annual rate in the fourth quarter of 2024 – down from 3.1% in the previous quarter. GDP growth for the year totaled 2.5%, outpacing many global economies but falling short of 2023’s 3.2% rate. Spending on big-ticket items rose over 12%, partly due to concerns over potential tariffs under Trump’s administration. However, business investment declined, and consumer confidence dipped to a four-month low in January. Economists warn that proposed tariffs and policy uncertainty could slow growth in 2025. (NPR / Axios / New York Times / Wall Street Journal)

7/ House Republicans are considering cutting benefits for low-income Americans to offset the cost of Trump-backed tax cuts, which include corporate tax reductions and estate tax repeal for the wealthy. The proposals include slashing Medicaid funding, eliminating the “head of household” tax status for single parents, and removing child care tax credits. The plan also suggests ending income taxes on tips and overtime pay but would eliminate the mortgage interest deduction, which benefits wealthier homeowners. (ProPublica)

8/ Trump directed universities to monitor and report international students involved in pro-Palestinian protests to “prosecute, remove, or otherwise hold to account the perpetrators of unlawful antisemitic harassment and violence.” Trump promised to “cancel the student visas of all Hamas sympathizers on college campuses, which have been infested with radicalism,” and his executive order instructs the State and Education Departments to ensure colleges take action against noncitizens who engage in “unlawful antisemitic harassment and violence.” It also directs the Justice Department to prosecute “terroristic threats, arson, vandalism and violence against American Jews.” (New York Times / Reuters / HuffPost)

  • Trump’s Middle East envoy described Gaza as “uninhabitable” and said rebuilding the region could take 10 to 15 years due to the extent of destruction from Israeli airstrikes and ground operations. (Axios)

poll/ Trump’s second-term inaugural approval rating stands at 47%, making him the only elected president since 1953 to begin two terms with sub-50% approval. His 48% disapproval rating is higher than in 2017, when he started his first term with 45% approval and 45% disapproval. (Gallup)

The midterm elections are in 642 days.

✏️ Notables.

  1. The Defense Intelligence Agency paused observances of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Black History Month, Pride Month, and Holocaust Days of Remembrance in response to Trump’s executive order banning diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. While the pause includes commemorative observances, the memo clarifies that Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth will remain federal holidays. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has also ordered the creation of a DEI task force to ensure compliance, stating, “DEI is gone.” (Associated Press / ABC News)

  2. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr launched an inquiry into whether NPR and PBS stations violated federal rules by recognizing financial sponsors on the air. Carr, a Trump appointee, suggested the findings should influence congressional funding decisions for public broadcasting. (New York Times)

  3. USDA Inspector General Phyllis Fong was escorted from her office after refusing to accept being fired by the Trump administration. The White House called her a “rogue bureaucrat,” while federal watchdogs argued the dismissals violated the law. Fong had led key investigations, including into Elon Musk’s Neuralink. (USA Today)

  4. At least five senior FBI officials promoted by former Director Christopher Wray have been demoted or reassigned as part of a broader purge at the Justice Department. The affected officials oversaw cyber, national security, and criminal investigations, though they were not directly involved in Trump-related prosecutions. (CNN)

  5. The Senate confirmed Lee Zeldin as EPA administrator in a 56-42 vote, putting him in position to carry out Trump’s deregulatory agenda and scale back Biden-era climate policies. Zeldin pledged to uphold the EPA’s mission, but has been tasked with reviewing key environmental regulations, including the 2009 endangerment finding for greenhouse gases and the social cost of carbon metric. (Politico / CBS News / New York Times / Axios)

  6. Trump and his press secretary falsely claimed the U.S. was sending $50 million in condoms to Gaza. USAID records show no recent shipments of condoms to Gaza, and the International Medical Corps, which received U.S. aid for Gaza, confirmed it didn’t use any funds for contraception. Despite corrections, Trump repeated the claim, using it to justify cuts to aid programs in Gaza. (Washington Post / Rolling Stone / CBS News / Mother Jones)

  7. A Florida Republican introduced a bill to add Trump’s face to Mount Rushmore, calling it a tribute to his “remarkable accomplishments.” Trump has joked about the idea before, and Fox News commentators voiced support, but the bill has little chance of passing. (HuffPost)

Last year today: Day 1106: "That's absurd."
Five years ago today: Day 1106: Bogus claims.
Six years ago today: Day 741: Back to school.
Seven years ago today: Day 376: Serving as a deterrent.
Eight years ago today: Day 11: Dissent.