National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman Tim Scott discussed his recent meeting with President Donald Trump and Congress' GOP leaders in an interview with Fox News Digital.

A key senator says he is standing by Pete Hegseth, President Donald Trump’s Secretary of Defense pick, and criticized "anonymous sources" casting doubt on his character.

The warning came one day after the administration ordered that diversity, equity and inclusion efforts across the government be shut down by 5 p.m. Wednesday.

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A Senate Democrat is blocking a streamlined process to vote on Trump's nominees, forcing the Senate to take lengthy procedural votes. This strategy was employed by Republicans while in the minority.

JD Vance, Mike Johnson and others had said those guilty of violence would be excluded before president changed tack

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Donald Trump’s allies have been forced to perform political summersaults over his pardons for more than 1,500 rioters convicted of attacking the US Capitol after saying beforehand that no clemency would be shown to those guilty of violence or attacking police officers.

The inauguration day pardons also threatened to trigger a revolt among Republican senators, several of whom bluntly condemned them without extending the criticism to Trump himself.

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© Photograph: J Scott Applewhite/AP

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© Photograph: J Scott Applewhite/AP