MAKE AMERICA HEALTHY & WEALTHY AGAIN

Thursday was an eventful day for the Trump administration; it’s hard to choose a story to place at the top. That said, the one that may end up having the biggest impact, both short and long term, is the Senate’s confirmation of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Every Republican voted for RFK Jr. with the exception of Senator Mitch McConnell. Trump later blasted the feeble Kentucky senator by calling him “bitter.” But Mitch’s showboating did not deter Kennedy. The former presidential nominee vowed to bring "radical transparency" to the Department of Health and Human Services shortly after he was sworn in at the White House.

In a TV interview Thursday evening, Kennedy said the country isn’t just facing a "health crisis," but a "spiritual" one as well. He continued by claiming an entire generation of American kids feel alienated, dispossessed, and face an existential crisis because their health is extremely poor. He said 77% of kids can't qualify for military service, and that they lack purpose, have no sense of usefulness or effectiveness, nor do they feel connected to their communities.

Kennedy says these issues are causing a chronic disease epidemic as well as depression, suicide, alcoholism and drug addiction. He’ll address all of those problems at once, stating, “We can't just say we're going to make you physically healthy."

ALSO…

Trump met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday at the White House. They discussed numerous issues, including trade, immigration, and the economic relationship between India and the U.S.  Trump announced the U.S. will sell India billions of dollars worth of military equipment including U.S. made fighter jets. Modi’s big statement was promising that India would take back its citizens who entered the U.S. illegally. But the big highlight was when Trump addressed tariffs.

Trump had signed an executive order earlier in the day, declaring reciprocal tariffs on countries who place tariffs on the U.S. Thus, if a country charges the U.S. 20%, the U.S. will charge that country 20%. If a country doesn’t charge a tariff, the U.S. will not charge a tariff in return. While explaining this new measure to the press, Trump held nothing back about Modi and India being very unfair. “India has been very tough on tariffs. You can’t sell anything to India… We are going to reciprocate, whatever India charges us, we'll charge them, and the same for every country,” Trump said.

Also worth noting is the exchange between CNN’s Kaitlan Collins and Trump. The liberal reporter rudely blasted out a statement while Trump was signing his executive order. She challenged his tariffs by stating he ran on the promise of lowering inflation — thus, suggesting tariffs hurt Americans in the wallet. Trump immediately shut her down, telling Collins he did not ask her to speak.

My Opinion

I think Thursday may have been the most fun I’ve had covering politics in twenty years. The news was coming in so fast, it felt like being in the middle of a hurricane of headlines. And trust me, this is just the start. Meaning, there is little doubt that Kennedy will be going head-to-head with drug companies, and the food processing industry on a consistent basis if he is going to Make America Healthy Again. As for Trump, he will go head-to-head with any reporter, foreign leader, or politician who gives him, or the American people, a hard time, a raw deal, or showcase of disrespect. And he is going to say whatever he wants, when he wants. This said, as you will see when scrolling down, the Crazy Left section of the 47 Report is getting to be very long as Democrats are fighting back against every move Trump makes.

SIDE NOTE: This has nothing to do with politics or Trump, but so worth mentioning. A video on X shows a man being swallowed alive by a whale — only to be spit back out moments later. Watch.

THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION…

• EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin shared a video referencing a Project Veritas recording where EPA advisor Brent Efron admitted rushing billions to climate groups before Trump could halt spending. Zeldin also told the NY Post, he has canceled a Biden-era $50 million environmental justice grant to an organization that believes "climate justice travels through a Free Palestine."

• DOGE learned that Biden’s Department of Health and Human Services allocated more than $22.6 billion in grants for migrants. The funds were used to support various aspects of migrant integration, including financial assistance for buying cars, securing home loans, and starting businesses.

• Joe Gebbia, the Airbnb co-founder, and friend to Elon Musk, is reportedly joining DOGE to help trim the U.S. government.

• Trump’s job cuts continued Thursday as government agencies where told to terminate most of an estimated 200,000 workers on probation. The Department of Veterans Affairs alone dismissed more than 1,000 employees, including probationary workers who had worked at the agency for less than two years.

• At a NATO summit in Brussels, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that the U.S. is not prepared to confront Russia at sea, claiming it would take over seven years to build necessary ships. He also emphasized the need for a more equitable distribution of defense responsibilities among NATO allies.

• Elon Musk's DOGE has initiated an audit of the IRS per instructions from President Trump.

• The National Park Service removed references to transgender people from its Stonewall National Monument web pages on Thursday.

• Siding with a suggestion from Musk, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has expressed support for the potential abolition of property taxes in Florida, suggesting a constitutional amendment to either eliminate or reduce them.

• The Trump administration deported migrants from several Asian nations to Panama, in a move that could signal much faster removals of illegals whose countries have made it difficult to return them.

• Border Czar, Tom Homan said he’s working with the DOJ to determine if Democrat lawmaker, AOC, interfered with I.C.E. agents when she held a webinar to help illegals avoid deportations.

• Homan also blasted the Pope after the Catholic leader criticized President Trump over immigration policy. Homan, a Catholic himself, told the Pope to fix the Church, and then asked why it is okay to have a wall around the Vatican but the U.S. can’t protect itself?

• New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced an executive order permitting I.C.E. agents to operate on Rikers Island where prisoners are held.

• In Massachusetts, ICE arrested Jose Fernando Perez, a Guatemalan national charged with multiple counts of child rape, despite local authorities ignoring an ICE detainer request due to the state's sanctuary policies.

• New data shows illegal border crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border have sharply decreased, reaching the lowest levels in 60 years.

• Trump reiterated his view that the promise of Ukraine's NATO membership was a primary reason for Russia's invasion, aligning his stance with long-standing Russian opposition to Ukraine's NATO aspirations.

• Trump has threatened to impose a 100% tariff on BRICS countries if they attempt to create a new currency or undermine the US dollar.

• Trump has initiated the dismissal of U.S. attorneys appointed by Joe Biden.

• Russian President Vladimir Putin has invited both Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping to attend Russia's Victory Day Parade on May 9 in Moscow. Xi Jinping has accepted the invite. The White House has not yet responded.

• U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio's plane, en route to Munich for a security conference, turned back mid-Atlantic due to an issue with the aircraft.

• Data from Google Trends indicates a significant increase in searches for legal services in Washington D.C., particularly for 'criminal defense lawyer', 'Swiss bank', 'offshore bank', 'wire money', and 'IBAN'. These spikes in search volume began around November 2024, following Trump's reelection, and have remained high since his inauguration. The surge suggests heightened legal or financial concerns among individuals in the capital, possibly linked to political or personal security considerations.

THE CRAZY LEFT

VICE PRESIDENT

JD Vance, in an Echelon Insights poll, was the runaway leader for the GOP presidential nominee in 2028, besting Governor Ron DeSantis by 29 points (39 to 10). Others on the list were Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, Nikki Halley, and Vivek Ramaswamy, all posting in the single digits.

CONGRESS

Linda McMahon, Trump's pick for Education Secretary, faced the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee for her confirmation hearing. She faced scrutiny over Trump’s plans to shut down the department, and her lack of experience.

GOP Representative Eli Crane will Introduce Articles of Impeachment against Judge Paul Engelmayer for blocking the DOGE audit of Treasury payments.

The Senate will hold a procedural vote at 5:30 PM on Tuesday, Feb 18, on Kash Patel’s nomination for FBI Director.

The Senate confirmed Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Agriculture, Brooke Rollins of Texas.

House Democrats reintroduced H.R.40 to explore reparations for Black descendants of slaves, calling it a “necessary step in achieving justice.”

Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski introduced legislation to rename North America’s highest mountain as Denali, countering Trump’s order to rename it Mount McKinley.

House of Representatives passed legislation that would increase criminal penalties for illegal aliens who try to evade law enforcement in vehicles near the nation’s borders, subjecting any illegal involved in such an incident to detention and deportation.

DML PODCAST

Denny, Ryan and DML have a previously scheduled event on Friday, therefore the podcast will be a new episode of LIFE AFTER 50. Writer Karen Langsam, 58, discusses her new book, ‘My Simple Prayers’, which offers inspirational short stories of how God played a huge role in her ability to overcome 31 haunting situations such as her house burning down, facing a stage IV cancer diagnosis, and losing a pregnancy with twins. Watch LIVE at 9:30 am ET on TeamDML, Facebook, Rumble, or X.

Listen to yesterday’s podcast: DML interviews independent journalist Alec Lace about the new rules in the White House Press Briefing Room.

BEFORE YOU GO!

Download the DML News App for free from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store to stay ahead of breaking news, reports, videos, and more.

47 Report is written by Denny Lynch, Ryan Lynch, and DML, with artwork by Ashley Lynch and input from Mary Lynch. Please provide feedback below:

Have a blessed day,
The Lynch Family