“Any document signed by Sleepy Joe Biden with the Autopen, which was approximately 92% of them, is hereby terminated, and of no further force or effect,” Donald Trump said. File
| Photo Credit: AP

Former President Joe Biden speaks after receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute’s 10th Anniversary Celebration, on October 26, 2025, in Boston.
| Photo Credit: AP

New Delhi:

The United States Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, has cancelled a $21 million US taxpayer-funded grant – under former President Joe Biden’s administration – meant to influence “voter turnout in India.” In its announcement, DOGE highlighted that the $21 million was part of a larger $486 million budget allocated to the “Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening.” 

Another $29 million was slated for “strengthening the political landscape in Bangladesh” – a country that witnessed political turmoil amid allegations of US ‘deep state’ involvement in the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. 

The Musk-led department revealed that other taxpayer-funded projects also faced the axe, including:

• $47 million for “improving learning outcomes in Asia”
• $40 million for a “gender equality and women empowerment hub”
• $32 million to the Prague Civil Society Centre
• $22 million to foster an “inclusive and participatory political process” in Moldova. 
• $20 million for “fiscal federalism” in Nepal
• $19 million for “biodiversity conservation” in Nepal
• $14 million for “social cohesion” in Mali
• $14 million for “improving public procurement” in Serbia
• $10 million for “Mozambique voluntary medical male circumcision”
• $9.7 million for UC Berkeley to develop “a cohort of Cambodian youth with enterprise-driven skills”
• $2.5 million for “inclusive democracies in Southern Africa”
• $2.3 million for “strengthening independent voices in Cambodia”
• $2 million to develop “sustainable recycling models” to “increase socio-economic cohesion among marginalised communities of Kosovo Roma, Ashkali, and Egypt”
• $1.5 million for “voter confidence” in Liberia

US taxpayer dollars were going to be spent on the following items, all which have been cancelled:
– $10M for “Mozambique voluntary medical male circumcision”
– $9.7M for UC Berkeley to develop “a cohort of Cambodian youth with enterprise driven skills”
– $2.3M for “strengthening…

— Department of Government Efficiency (@DOGE) February 15, 2025

The sweeping cancellations, Mr Musk’s department stated, were part of efforts to improve government efficiency and ensure taxpayer dollars were not being spent on “questionable” overseas political activities.

BJP’s “External Interference” Response

The BJP termed the now-cancelled funding “external interference” in India’s electoral process.

“$21M for voter turnout? This definitely is external interference in India’s electoral process. Who gains from this? Not the ruling party for sure!” said BJP national spokesperson Amit Malviya in a statement 

Mr Malviya further alleged “systematic infiltration” of Indian institutions by foreign forces, particularly targeting billionaire investor and philanthropist George Soros and his alleged network of global influence through his Open Society Foundation.

“Once again, it is George Soros, a known associate of the Congress party and the Gandhis, whose shadow looms over our electoral process,” Mr Malviya claimed.

Once again, it is George Soros, a known associate of the Congress party and the Gandhis, whose shadow looms over our electoral process.

In 2012, under the leadership of S.Y. Quraishi, the Election Commission signed an MoU with The International Foundation for Electoral… https://t.co/PO13Iyroee pic.twitter.com/gdgAQoDbPh

— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) February 16, 2025

He also flagged the controversial 2012 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the Election Commission of India and The International Foundation for Electoral Systems, an organisation linked to Mr Soros’s Open Society Foundation, which is primarily funded by USAID – the American federal body that oversees foreign aid and is facing massive budget cuts under Donald Trump’s presidency. 

“Ironically, those questioning the transparent and inclusive process of appointing India’s Election Commissioner-a first in our democracy, where previously the Prime Minister alone made the decision-had no hesitation in handing over the entire Election Commission of India to foreign operators,” Mr Malviya added.

According to Mr Malviya, the Congress-led UPA government “systematically enabled the infiltration of India’s institutions by forces opposed to the nation’s interests-those who seek to weaken India at every opportunity.”

The BJP alleges that foreign-backed civil society organisations and NGOs, particularly those linked to Mr Soros, have been working to influence Indian politics. 

The Bangladesh Situation 

The announcement that $29 million was marked for “strengthening the political landscape in Bangladesh” comes just days after President Trump addressed allegations of ‘deep state’ involvement in the recent political developments in Bangladesh. Asked during a joint press briefing with PM Modi whether the previous Biden administration had orchestrated a regime change, President Trump denied any such involvement.

“There was no role for our deep state. This is something the Prime Minister has been working on for a long time, for hundreds of years, frankly. I have been reading about it. I will leave Bangladesh to the Prime Minister,” President Trump said.

The response has done little to quell speculation. The ousting of former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the subsequent rise of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus as the country’s interim leader have fueled claims of US-backed political manoeuvring.

Since Ms Hasina’s departure, diplomatic tensions between India and Bangladesh have escalated. Delhi has raised concerns about increasing attacks on religious minorities under the new regime.

President Donald Trump speaks in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on January 30, 2025.
| Photo Credit: AP

U.S. President Donald Trump — speaking as the bodies of 67 people were pulled from Washington’s Potomac River — launched an extraordinary political attack Thursday (January 30, 2025) blaming diversity hires for the midair collision between an airliner and a military helicopter.

The Republican confirmed the deaths of all those aboard both aircraft, and also cited pilot error on the helicopter in the nighttime crash. But he chiefly used a press conference to open fire at what he said were left-wing diversity practices under his Democratic predecessors Joe Biden and Barack Obama that he claimed kept out good employees at the Federal Aviation Administration.

“I put safety first. Obama, Biden and the Democrats put policy first,” Mr. Trump said. “They actually came out with a directive: ‘too white.’ And we want the people that are competent.”

As Mr. Trump spoke in the White House, police divers searched for more bodies in the water.

Wreckage of the Bombardier jet operated by an American Airlines subsidiary protruded from the river surface, surrounded by emergency vessels and diving teams. It had been carrying 64 people.

The Army Blackhawk helicopter, which had three soldiers aboard, was also in the river.

“We are now at a point where we are switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation,” Washington Fire Chief John Donnelly said. Twenty eight bodies had already been found.

The collision — the first major crash in the United States since 2009 when 49 people were killed near Buffalo, New York — occurred late evening on Wednesday as the airliner came into land at Reagan National Airport after a routine flight from Wichita, Kansas. 

Reagan National is a major airport located a short distance from downtown Washington, the White House and the Pentagon. The airspace is extremely busy, with civilian and military aircraf a constant presence.

Dramatic audio from air traffic controllers showed them repeatedly asking the helicopter if it had the passenger jet “in sight,” and then just before the crash telling it to “pass behind” the plane. 

Washington plane crash LIVE updates

Trump politicizes crash

Mr. Trump opened his press conference by speaking of the nation’s “anguish” and said that the investigation would take time. 

However, he then launched into an extended broadside against so-called diversity, equity and inclusion policies.

Mr. Trump — who began his presidency a week ago with an onslaught against decades-old measures aimed at preventing sexism and racism in the United States — singled out Mr. Biden’s openly gay transport secretary Pete Buttigieg. 

“He’s run it right into the ground with his diversity,” Mr. Trump said. 

The message was hammered home as Mr. Trump’s Vice President, J.D. Vance, and new Defence Secretary, Pete Hegseth, took turns at the podium to repeat that diversity measures kept capable Americans out of responsible jobs.

Asked again by reporters whether he was blaming workplace diversity for the crash, Mr. Trump answered: “It could have been.” 

Mr. Buttigieg responded on X, calling Mr. Trump “despicable.” 

“As families grieve, Trump should be leading, not lying,” he said. 

Skaters among victims

Hundreds of rescuers were rapidly at the scene but found themselves battling darkness and floating ice through the night. Some of the debris was located a mile downriver.

Among those on the airliner were several US skaters and coaches, U.S. Figure Skating said.

Officials in Moscow also confirmed the presence of Russian couple Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, who won the 1994 World Pairs title.

The violence of the collision soon made it clear that survivors were unlikely.

“I just saw a fireball and it was gone,” one air traffic controller was heard telling a colleague after communication with the helicopter was cut. 

What happened?

Transport officials said both aircraft were on standard flight patterns on a clear night with good visibility.

Hegseth said the Black Hawk chopper had “a fairly experienced crew that was doing a required annual night evaluation.”

“Do I think this was preventable? Absolutely,” Transportation Secretary Sean Dufy said.

Mr. Trump, in addition to blaming racial and other kinds of diversity policies, offered extended remarks on the flight paths.

The helicopter was “going at an angle that was unbelievably bad,” Mr. Trump said. 

Washington:

US President Donald Trump blamed diversity policies implemented during the Obama and Biden administrations for compromising air safety standards. This statement came after a devastating mid-air collision between an American Airlines passenger jet and a US Army Black Hawk helicopter, resulting in no survivors.

Trump’s remarks have ignited a heated debate about the role of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The President claimed that these initiatives prioritised policy over safety, stating, “I put safety first. Obama, Biden, and the Democrats put policy first.” He further emphasised, “They actually came out with a directive: ‘too white.’ And we want the people that are competent”.

The FAA’s hiring practices have been under scrutiny, with some critics arguing that DEI programs can be discriminatory. However, supporters of these initiatives contend that they address historical and ongoing discrimination against underrepresented groups, including racial minorities.

Trump has specifically targeted former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, implying that he hired unqualified individuals with disabilities and psychological issues for air traffic control positions. Trump expressed his doubts about their competence, saying, “I don’t think so.” He also claimed that the FAA was “ran into the ground” by DEI hires after being deemed “too white”.

In response to the crash, Trump is appointing Chris Rocheleau as the acting administrator of the FAA. The agency’s hiring practices and safety standards will likely face intense scrutiny in the coming days.

It’s worth noting that changes to the FAA’s hiring practices were made during the Obama administration, which introduced a biographical test as part of the application process. This move aimed to increase diversity among air traffic controllers. However, some have criticised this approach, arguing that it prioritised diversity over competence.
 

Tucker Carlson, a prominent conservative American pundit and former Fox News anchor, has unleashed a bombshell accusation against the Joe Biden administration, alleging that they attempted to assassinate Russian President Vladimir Putin. This extraordinary claim was made during the latest episode of Carlson’s podcast, “The Tucker Carlson Show,” where he was engaged in a conversation with American writer and journalist Matt Taibbi.

Carlson’s assertion is nothing short of sensational, and he quoted former US Secretary of State Tony Blinken as an example of someone who was pushing for a real war and trying to kill Putin. “The Biden administration did, they tried to kill Putin,” Carlson said, adding “which is insane” and “that’s demented, that you would even think of something like that. So why were they? Because chaos is a screen that protects them”.

Tucker Carlson said that the Biden administration tried to kill Vladimir Putin

The goal is to start World War III and sow chaos. Carlson said this during an interview with journalist Matt Taibbi. pic.twitter.com/k7STerZxFg

— Маrina Wolf (@volkova_ma57183) January 28, 2025

It’s worth noting that Carlson’s claim is not backed by any concrete evidence, and his statement has sparked widespread controversy. He was ousted from Fox News in 2023 during when the network was facing legal issues over its airing of inaccurate claims of electoral fraud in the 2020 U.S. presidential race.

The Biden administration has not yet responded to these allegations, but Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has commented on the matter, stating that the Russian special services are taking all necessary measures to ensure Putin’s safety.

“The Russian special services are constantly taking all the necessary measures to ensure public safety, and, of course, the safety of those who are under state protection. This concerns first and foremost the head of the state”, Peskov said.

Carlson’s history of parroting Kremlin talking points and criticising US military aid for Ukraine has raised eyebrows, and his recent comments have only added fuel to the fire. He has even said “You can’t say it enough, Ukraine is not a democracy. … In American terms, you would call Ukraine a tyranny.” His sit-down interview in Moscow with Putin and his subsequent interview with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov have been widely criticised.
 

If it wasn’t already clear – after nearly 250 years – that the pardon power is a standing invitation to abuse and corruption, two presidents confirmed it on the same day this week.

On his way out of office, Joe Biden issued a “preemptive” clemency for his siblings and their spouses; for a raft of public officials, including former medical adviser Anthony Fauci and former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley; and for the lawmakers and staffers who worked on the Jan. 6 committee. This followed a historic spree of pardons and commutations during Biden’s presidency and echoed his hazily rationalized pardon of son Hunter in December.

On his way into office, meanwhile, Donald Trump granted indiscriminate clemency to nearly 1,600 people charged in relation to the Jan. 6 attack – including hundreds found guilty of assaulting or impeding police officers at the US Capitol – thereby erasing years of work by federal prosecutors, grievously undermining the rule of law and setting what promises to be an awful precedent for the remainder of his term.

These acts are not equivalent. Trump is pardoning hundreds of violent rioters because they supported him politically. Biden’s family pardons are surely self-serving, but his clemency for public servants – in light of the prosecutions that Trump and his associates have threatened – is at least plausibly defensible.

Together, though, these measures make a mockery of the original rationale for the pardon power. As Alexander Hamilton summarized it in 1788: “The criminal code of every country partakes so much of necessary severity, that without an easy access to exceptions in favor of unfortunate guilt, justice would wear a countenance too sanguinary and cruel.” The idea was to enshrine the virtue of mercy in the Constitution, not to grant the president an extrajudicial perk to protect his friends and family.

Trump’s shameful pardons had to compete for attention during a first day that included revoking dozens of his predecessor’s executive orders, withdrawing from the Paris climate treaty and the World Health Organization, ending federal diversity initiatives, delaying a ban on TikTok, limiting birthright citizenship, and much else. But they may prove to be among his most consequential acts of that day.

A president armed with a preemptive pardon power, along with the broad immunities already conferred on the office, could have vast scope for corruption. Unfortunately, the Constitution envisions that the power will be mostly self-regulating – that is, constrained by a president’s sense of responsibility or indeed shame. As one pardon attorney advised Congress in 1952: “In the exercise of the pardoning power, the president is amenable only to the dictates of his own conscience, unhampered and uncontrolled by any person or branch of government.”

Conscience is not among Trump’s most salient characteristics. Making matters worse, whatever moral high ground Democrats in Congress might’ve claimed to constrain the misuse of this power has been gravely eroded. Even if they reclaim the majority, the tools typically available to the opposition – launching investigations, issuing subpoenas, naming and shaming, and so on – will carry less credibility in light of Biden’s actions.

One might hope that such bipartisan malfeasance will finally move Congress to make a serious effort at curtailing this power; a bill introduced in 2020 offers a decent place to start. But while such reforms are worth pursuing, they’ll only help at the margin – and this perennial problem will, in all likelihood, continue.
 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Washington DC:

The American Dream has come crashing down for millions and millions of people who line up to get a chance to settle in the United States. Donald Trump has, with one signature, shut the door for them permanently – a door which Joe Biden’s administration is accused of exploiting in order to allow illegal immigrants and asylum seekers to get legal entry to the United States.

CBP One, a mobile app launched by the US Customs and Border Protection, through which over a million illegal immigrants and asylum seekers got legal status, was shut down by Donald Trump within hours of him taking oath as President for a second term.

When the CBP One app was launched in October 2020, its use was only to help commercial trucking companies schedule cargo inspections at border crossings. But in January 2023, the Biden administration expanded its utility to include unauthorised and illegal migrants seeking asylum or protection in the US from violence, poverty, or persecution in their home countries.

Within three months, it was further expanded by the Biden administration in order to make it the only path to seek asylum on the US-Mexico border. It became the sole method for asylum appointments. This soon gained widespread popularity, with as many as one million people successful in getting appointments using the app – which roughly translates to around 1,450 appointments per day.

Under the scheme, illegal and unauthorised immigrants could apply for an appointment in advance on the CBP One App. Every day the App would select applications on what is widely described as a “lottery system” and 1,450 applicants would get an appointment. Once approved, the illegal immigrant would get legal entry into the United States from one of the eight border crossings in the South. They would be given a legal status to live and work in America. Such applicants would be eligible to seek “parole” into the United States – a presidential privilege that Joe Biden has used more than any other US President since its creation in 1952.

The pace and scale of this soon came under heavy criticism from Donald Trump and his allies, who cried foul and targeted the Biden administration for giving legal status to illegal immigrants by the help of this mobile app.

This went on for one-and-a-half years till the US election in 2024 saw Donald Trump win a historic second term to the White House. He had vehemently opposed illegal immigration and had made electoral promises to bring sweeping changes to the US’ immigration policy. He had even threatened to “deport millions and millions of illegal aliens”.

On January 20, when he took oath of office as President, his first move was to sign a record number of executive orders – one of which was on massive curbs and changes to the immigration system. In this, he put an immediate ban on the CBP One app. With the stroke of his pen, the app got suspended and all existing and future appointments went into a deep freeze indefinitely, bringing an end to the only channel asylum seekers could explore.

A notice on the US Customs and Border Protection website and App read: “Effective January 20, 2025, the functionalities of CBP One App that previously allowed undocumented aliens to submit advance information and schedule appointments at eight southwest border ports of entry is no longer available, and existing appointments have been cancelled.”

Donald Trump didn’t stop there. His day-one executive order on immigration curbs included declaring a “national emergency along the southern border” with Mexico. He even declared that troops will be deployed within days to put all illegal entry into the United States to a grinding halt. In addition to this, Donald Trump also declared that his administration will begin imposing a massive 25% tariff on Mexico and Canada because they’re allowing vast numbers of people to cross the border illegally.

“We’re thinking in terms of 25% on Mexico and Canada, because they’re allowing vast numbers of people” across the border, Trump said in response to questions from reporters in the Oval Office on Monday night. “I think we’ll do it starting February 1.”

By taking these measures, Donald Trump has delivered on his election promise – that he would act on illegal immigration on Day 1 of his presidency. It is yet to be seen if he will be able to “deport millions” as he had assured US citizens. Donald Trump’s executive orders are certain to be challenged in court. NGO organisations like Amnesty International are likely to challenge them.
 

New Delhi:

US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti on Sunday highlighted that US-India relations have reached new heights, due to the efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Joe Biden. Garcetti and his family on Sunday met PM Modi and said that the two leaders have achieved record-breaking milestones in various areas, including visas, trade, defence collaboration, space cooperation, student exchanges, and investments.

In a heartfelt post on X, Garcetti said, “Had a great final visit with PM Modi with my family. It’s clear that he and President Biden have raised our compelling and consequential US-India partnership to new heights–record visas, record trade, record defence collaboration, record space cooperation, record students, record investments and so much more.”

Garcetti expressed his gratitude to PM Modi and the people of India for their warm hospitality during his final visit to India. He emphasised that the US-India partnership has become indispensable and will continue to grow stronger in the coming years.

“What was seen as unthinkable a generation ago will seem as indispensable a generation from now, thanks to the work of these leaders and the people of our nations. Thank you Prime Minister and thank you to all Indians. It’s been a daily joy to help co-write this chapter with you,” he added.

Had a great final visit with PM Modi with my family. It’s clear that he and President Biden have raised our compelling and consequential U.S.-India partnership to new heights—record visas, record trade, record defense collaboration, record space cooperation, record students,… pic.twitter.com/oHCbZBwX3v

— U.S. Ambassador Eric Garcetti (@USAmbIndia) January 19, 2025

While attending the inauguration ceremony of US Consulate office in Bengaluru on Friday, Garcetti said that it was not a new presence of the US in India, but they are rather expanding their presence.

“We are not beginning a new presence here. In Karnataka, but we are expanding our existing presence here, a commitment that America makes to this great state and city in this amazing nation as well. And thank you to all of our honourable dignitaries,” he said.

The US Ambassador also highlighted the rich history of US-India relations, dating back to 1776 when the US opened its second-ever consulate in Kolkata, India. He noted that the recent inauguration of the US Consulate office in Bengaluru marks an expansion of the US presence in India, rather than a new beginning.

“We’ve been talking about this for a long, long time, right? We start together to make sure this beginning plants a seed that will flower for decades to come. You know our relationship in India is not new. Many Americans don’t know, and very few Indians know that our second consulate in the world was here in India. First after the independence of a new America in 1776, we opened a consulate in Lyon, France, and then the second was in Kolkata, showing back then the importance of India to a new American nation. Since then, we have built to 5 posts, 7 if you count our commercial offices including here and in Ahmedabad, and this is now the 2nd largest mission of America anywhere in the world. It produces the second most visas and the most students. We’re breaking records every single year, record employees, record visas, record students, record military exercises, record engagement from the seabed to space,” he said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)