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Trump 2nd term live updates: Dan Bongino named as deputy FBI director
He hosts the popular right-wing and pro-Trump podcast "The Dan Bongino Show."
President Donald Trump's administration is continuing its radical effort to cut much of the federal government and crackdown on immigration -- and is being met with dozens of legal challenges.
On the foreign policy front, Trump's press secretary said the White House believes it can reach a deal to end the war in Ukraine this week even as Trump attacks Ukraine's president and blames it for starting the war, which even some in his own party are calling him out over.
Meanwhile, heads of federal government agencies were telling employees not to reply to an email from Elon Musk, Trump's ally who he picked to cut government waste, which asked for them to list their accomplishments for the week or face termination.
Latest headlines:
- Murkowski to Musk: Treat federal workers with ‘dignity and respect’
- Largest federal worker union calls OPM email ‘unlawful’
- US attorney for DC encourages workers to reply to OPM email
- Air traffic controllers also got ‘What did you get done’ emails
- Witkoff heads to Mideast to negotiate next phase of ceasefire
DHS launches multimillion-dollar ad telling criminal migrants they are 'not welcome'
The Department of Homeland Security launched a multimillion-dollar advertising campaign on Tuesday directed at those who try and come to the United States illegally, saying: Don’t try it.
There are two versions of the ad, according to the DHS. One is set to run domestically, and the other is set to run internationally.
The domestic version of the ad has DHS Secretary Kristi Noem praising President Donald Trump for “securing the border.”
“President Trump has a clear message: If you are here illegally, we will find you and deport you. You will never return. But if you leave now, you may have an opportunity to return and enjoy our freedom and live the American Dream,” Noem said in the ad set to run in the U.S. “If you are a criminal alien considering entering America illegally: Don’t even think about it. If you come here and break our laws, we will hunt you down.”
The international version of the ad warns those who try and enter illegally will be “caught and removed.”
-ABC News' Luke Barr
DOGE website claims $55 billion in 'savings'
Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency updated its official website after missing its self-imposed Valentine's Day deadline to provide updates on its efforts across the U.S. government.
According to the updated website, DOGE says its total estimated savings are $55 billion since Musk's group was formed on Jan. 20.
DOGE claims that number is "a combination of fraud detection/deletion, contract/lease cancellations, contract/lease renegotiations, asset sales, grant cancellations, workforce reductions, programmatic changes, and regulatory savings."
It is not clear exactly what DOGE is claiming to be "fraud."
The website states that DOGE's savings number will be updated bi-weekly at first with the goal for the number to change in "real-time."
-ABC News' Will Steakin
Miller says DOGE looking for fraud in IRS data
Stephen Miller, Trump’s deputy chief of staff for policy, said he could give "100% assurance" that DOGE will not go sifting through taxpayers' records if they get access to IRS data -- arguing the focus would be on “anti-fraud” and protecting taxpayer data.
Asked on Fox News for assurances that DOGE wouldn't randomly sift through the records and maybe come across people’s private records, Miller replied, "I can give absolute, 100% assurance. I give you complete and total insurance on that point. We are talking about performing a basic anti-fraud review to ensure people are not engaging in large-scale theft of federal taxpayer benefits."
Pressed what the plan would be once DOGE has access to the data, Miller said the focus would be on "foreign fraud rings," which he said "use fake Social Security numbers, fake identities, to steal billions in taxpayer benefits," although he acknowledged the administration doesn't know exactly how pervasive the issue is.
"There is no way to know until DOGE gets full access exactly how much money we’re talking about, but over 10 years normal budget window, you could be talking about saving over $1 trillion by clamping down on massive fraud, our tax and entitlement systems, including those by organized fraud and theft rings," Miller said.
Miller pointed out that DOGE staffers are federal employees.
“They are political appointees, just like me, just like anybody else in the White House, that serve and answer to the president. So we are not talking about an outside private entity, we are talking about the exist federal staff of the federal government performing their statutory and constitutional duty," he said.
Miller said the administration is “restoring” neutrality, ethics and security controls at the agency.
"As far as protecting the secrecy of tax records, the IRS has been weaponized at the career level against the American people for years now. This has been one of the most invasive arms of the federal government -- engaging in capricious and politically based audits, leaking taxpayer information for political reasons,” he said.
-ABC News’ Molly Nagle
Trump nominates ‘Stop the Steal’ leader for US attorney for DC
Trump on Monday nominated longtime loyalist Ed Martin to serve as U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, he announced on his Truth Social platform.
In his three weeks serving in the role as acting U.S. attorney on an interim basis, Martin has taken most every step possible to make sure the office is completely aligned with Trump: He's fired dozens of Jan. 6 prosecutors, launched reviews into the Jan. 6 cases and dismissed hundreds of cases of those who stormed the Capitol.
Martin has little prosecutorial experience. He has supported Trump's claims that the 2020 election was stolen and was previously subpoenaed for his leadership role in the "Stop the Steal" movement. He stood outside the Capitol on Jan. 6 and went on to defend many of the Jan. 6 rioters. He's signed onto hundreds of case dismissals or rioters who stormed the Capitol -- some of whom Martin previously represented as a defense attorney.
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He has already fired dozens of prosecutors who investigated Jan. 6 and has initiated a "review" into the office's prosecutions of the more than 1,500 people charged in connection with the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.
Martin also has suggested he will mount criminal investigations into individuals referred to his office by Elon Musk and his associates at DOGE "even" if they "acted simply unethically" -- a departure from Attorney General Pam Bondi and Kash Patel, Trump's nominee for FBI director, who stated in their confirmation hearings that the department would only investigate and charge individuals when there's a proper predicate to do so.
Martin will need to be confirmed by the Senate to fill the role permanently.
In announcing the nomination, Trump said, “Since Inauguration Day, Ed has been doing a great job as Interim U.S. Attorney, fighting tirelessly to restore Law and Order, and make our Nation’s Capital Safe and Beautiful Again. He will get the job done.”
-ABC News’ Katherine Faulders