The Rich Zeoli Show- Hour 1:

3:05pm- After the first week of his second term as president, Donald Trump mandated employees of the federal government work in-person, withdrew the nation from the Paris Climate Agreement, withdrew the nation from the World Health Organization (WHO) citing their willingness to cover-up China’s COVID-19 transgressions, delayed enforcement of a national ban of TikTok, recognized two genders—male and female, pardoned 1,500 Americans arrested for their actions on January 6th, 2021, expanded domestic energy production, shut down the U.S. Southern border and began deportations of dangerous illegal migrants, and guaranteed free speech on social media. Trump also fulfilled a long-term campaign pledge to focus on meritocracy and pivot away from the prioritization of far-left policies like diversity, equity, and inclusion (D.E.I.) within the federal government. Rich wonders, was this the most consequential first week in modern presidential history?

3:15pm- On Sunday, the Trump Administration arrested nearly 1,000 illegal migrants who have been accused of serious crimes. Comparatively, the Biden Administration averaged 310 arrests per day, according to Axios. The New York Post reports that in a raid over the weekend, federal agents arrested 50 members of the Venezuelan prison gang Tren de Aragua in Denver, Colorado.

3:30pm- CIA Says Lab Leak the Likely Origin of COVID-19: Michael R. Gordon and Dustin Volz of The Wall Street Journal write: “The Central Intelligence Agency has now concluded that the deadly Covid-19 pandemic most likely arose from a laboratory leak, lending credibility to a view that has been the focus of sharp debate among scientists and politicians for years. In doing so, the CIA has now joined the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Energy Department in identifying a laboratory mishap in Wuhan, China, as the probable source of the Covid virus. It has killed more than 1.2 million Americans and over seven million people worldwide.” You can read the full article here: https://www.wsj.com/politics/national-security/cia-now-favors-lab-leak-theory-on-origins-of-covid-19-eff4e67c.

3:40pm- After initially rejecting deportation flights containing Colombian citizens who entered the U.S. illegally, Colombian President Gustavo Perez reversed course—even providing the U.S. with his own presidential plane to assist in the process. After Perez’s refusal, President Donald Trump announced he would slap Colombia with a 25% tariff, with the promise it would quickly increase to 50%. The United States is Colombia’s largest trading partner.