TODAY’S BIG STORY…

President Trump held his first Cabinet meeting of his second term Wednesday. Elon Musk, overseer of the Department of Government Efficiency, also attended the meeting and spoke shortly after Trump. Musk spoke about how DOGE was operating as the official White House tech support.

Some mainstream media outlets criticized his presence at the meeting when he’s technically not a member of the Cabinet. However, others noted that former First Lady Jill Biden had led the final Cabinet meeting of the Biden administration despite not being a Cabinet member.

Other Cabinet members talked about ongoing issues, including Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick discussing the new Gold Card immigration plan, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth addressing an upcoming investigation into the botched Afghanistan withdrawal, and HHS Secretary RFK Jr. updating the situation on the outbreak of a measles case in West Texas.

AND HERE’S ANOTHER BIG STORY…

The Trump administration has ordered federal agencies to draft plans to eliminate many employee positions, aiming to accomplish a major government downsizing initiative.

A memo sent this week sent this week directs agencies to submit Reduction in Force plans by March 13, targeting both probationary employees and career officials with civil service protection. This move will likely bring sweeping changes to government operations not seen before in decades.

Also, U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Roberts on Wednesday paused a federal judge’s order that required the Trump administration to pay around $2 billion in foreign aid funds to contractors by midnight. 

The ruling comes after the Trump administration asked the Supreme Court for an emergency order to block the release of U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) funding, which the federal judge had required by midnight. Officials had said they would not be able to comply with the judge’s order.

MY OPINION…

Unlike when Joe Biden held a Cabinet meeting with people who looked like they should be in straight jackets and handcuffs, Trump’s meeting is filled with the sort of people who make me feel well represented as an American. I had absolutely no problem with the presence of Elon Musk considering he’s done more for the Trump administration than any of the sitting Cabinet members. Musk’s presence in DC is why things are moving as fast as they are right now. He sets a tone and a pace that the other heads of departments try to emulate. We are in for a great four years.

THE ADMINISTRATION…

• President Trump’s first Cabinet Meeting of his second term began with a moving Christian prayer by HUD Director Scott Turner.

• Trump reconfirmed to reporters at the meeting that he will not cut Medicare, Medicaid, or Social Security.

• Secret Service Director Sean Curran, in his first interview since taking office, said he would’ve been willing to protect Trump in prison if circumstances had been different, stating: “If it came to it, I'd be sitting right next to him. That's how much I care for him... There's nothing I would have not done for him.”

• Defense Sec. Pete Hegseth recently slammed the ACLU for opposing his plan to house illegal immigrants at Gitmo, stating they want to “make America look bad and undermine our Commander-in-Chief.” He defended the facilities as “top-notch,” citing full medical, dental, and religious accommodations.

• The DoD has issued a directive stipulating that transgender individuals currently serving in the military must either obtain a waiver to continue their service or face separation. This policy requires transgender service members to prove stability in their identified gender for 36 months among other criteria to receive such a waiver.

• VA Secretary Doug Collins announced that the Department of Veterans Affairs has identified nearly $2 billion in contracts to be canceled, redirecting the funds to veterans' healthcare and benefits. He joked that the era of overpaying consultants for PowerPoint slides and meeting minutes is over.

• The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has terminated a multimillion-dollar contract with Family Endeavors. This nonprofit was paid $18 million monthly to run an empty Texas overflow facility. DOGE revealed that a former ICE employee and Biden transition team member helped Family Endeavors secure the sole-source contract in 2021. As a result, the nonprofit’s assets skyrocketed from $8.3M in 2020 to $520.4M in 2023.

• HHS Sec. RFK Jr. halted a Biden-era contract to create a new COVID vaccine.

• DOGE announced that the federal government has saved over $100 million annually by canceling over 250 vacant or underutilized leases, freeing up more than 3 million square feet. With approximately 7,250 active leases, DOGE tweeted that ample office space is available for the current federal workforce.

• Sec. of State Marco Rubio's review of State Department and USAID grants led to $60 billion in taxpayer savings. An internal report revealed that out of 9,100 grants worth $15.9 billion, over 4,100—totaling nearly $4.4 billion—were cut, reducing total grant value by 28% in just 15 days.

• The Trump administration is intensifying its immigration crackdown by requiring all illegal aliens in the U.S. over 13 to register with the government or face criminal penalties, including jail time and fines. The policy targets those who haven’t submitted fingerprints or registered. Officials warned of prosecution for noncompliance. I’ll explain the great benefits of this new policy later today in the DML Report Newsletter.

• Border apprehensions have dropped since Trump’s return, but arrests of illegal immigrants have also surged. Trump’s DHS reports indicate 20,000 arrests in a single month, compared to 33,000 in all of 2024 under Biden.

• The DOJ has charged Russian national Maksim Zaitsev, 35, with assaulting a federal agent after he allegedly bit and fractured an ICE officer’s finger during his arrest in downtown LA. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison.

• Tom Homan has issued a stern warning to sanctuary cities across the U.S., stating that enforcement efforts by ICE will be doubled in cities that resist federal immigration laws. This approach has led to increased operations, including major arrests of illegal aliens in cities like Houston and Chicago.

• ICE arrested a five-time deported MS-13 gang member from El Salvador during a raid at Texas' Colony Ridge. The suspect had allegedly murdered a Houston man just hours earlier.

• USAID has posted detailed instructions on its website for the thousands of employees seeking to retrieve personal belongings from their offices after being fired or placed on administrative leave. They have two days – Thursday, Feb. 27, and Friday, Feb. 28 – to enter the building during designated time slots. In short, they have 15 minutes to collect personal belongings.

• AG Pam Bondi confirmed information related to the Epstein files is set to be released today, including flight logs of noteworthy names.

• A new survey breaks down how many questions from the press were taken in the first month between various presidents:

  🔵 Barack Obama: 161 

  🔴 Donald Trump [2017]: 199

  🔵 Joe Biden: 141

  🔴 Donald Trump [present]: 1,009

VICE PRESIDENT…

JD Vance ripped the liberal press during the Cabinet meeting, pointing out how the reporting about Trump’s handling of the Ukraine-Russia war is bad journalism.

He explicitly said: “Every single time the President engages in diplomacy, you guys preemptively accuse him of conceding to Russia. He hasn't conceded anything to anyone. He's doing the job of a diplomat."

CONGRESS…

The Senate confirmed U.S. Trade Representative nominee, Jamieson Greer, in a 56-43 vote. Greer played a key role in imposing tariffs on China and renegotiating the USMCA trade deal during Trump’s first term.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution, H.J. Res. 35, aimed at repealing a Biden administration rule that imposes a methane emissions charge, thereby reversing restrictions on natural gas production.

A Democratic-led resolution to end Trump’s “energy emergency” declaration failed along party lines. Introduced by Sens. Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Martin Heinrich (D-NM), the Republican-controlled Senate voted the measure down 47-52.

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said that a stopgap funding bill to prevent a government shutdown next month is “becoming inevitable” and will likely be as “clean” as possible. Blaming Democrats for “unreasonable conditions,” he acknowledged that a six-month continuing resolution is the likely path forward.

Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) proposed a $250 bill featuring Trump’s face, calling it the “most valuable bill for the most valuable President.” In a post on X, he announced plans to draft legislation directing the Bureau of Engraving and Printing to create it.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) both lambasted against Elon Musk during a congressional hearing on foreign aid. Kaptur questioned Musk’s loyalty after 22 years as a U.S. citizen, while AOC called Musk a "billionaire con man" and dismissed him as neither a scientist nor an engineer.

At the same hearing, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), chair of the House Oversight Subcommittee on Government Efficiency, warned of criminal referrals for associates of USAID. This followed witness testimony accusing USAID of supporting terrorists, lacking oversight, and engaging in “potentially criminal” activity.

Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) exposed USAID for secretly funding Ukrainian models and designers to attend Paris Fashion Week. She said the agency hid the expenses from public records and falsely claimed they were classified to avoid embarrassment over the wasteful spending.

Legal experts accuse Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) of hypocrisy as he faces an ethics complaint over federal grants benefiting a nonprofit linked to his wife. Whitehouse supported legislation that funded Ocean Conservancy, where his wife, Sandra Whitehouse, is paid through a consulting firm.

THE RESISTANCE…

IN OTHER NEWS…

Although we will deliver you domestic and international news later this afternoon via the DML REPORT newsletter, here are a few worth mentioning now:

1. Gene Hackman, the Oscar winning actor and his wife and dog were found dead today. More on this…

2. FLYING CAR: In the event you missed it, the DML Report newsletter highlighted the release of a $300,000 flying car. See video.
   

3. Boxing legend Floyd Mayweather made a shock visit to Fox News to speak about how great a president Trump is, suggesting he is the best president ever. Watch video.

YOUR OPINIONS & QUESTIONS…

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Sarah: “Thank you so much for this newsletter! I live in Oklahoma and had no idea Governor Stitt was pushing for work permits for illegals, no one here is covering it! I do not support this! Thank you for keeping me informed everyday!”

REPLY: We reported that in the DML Report, and so now you can spread the word.

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DML PODCASTS…

WATCH: In this clip, DML addresses the value of U.S. citizenship and how Democrats have abused its value by handing out endless money and resources to migrants and illegal aliens.

BEFORE YOU GO…

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Have a blessed day,
The Lynch Family

47 Report is written by Denny Lynch, Ryan Lynch, and DML, artwork by Ashley Lynch, and input from Mary Lynch; all rights reserved by TeamDML Inc., 2025. Links may lead to sites from which TeamDML Inc. profits.