US updates: Pete Hegseth confirmed as Pentagon chief

Mexico said it was ready to cooperate as President Donald Trump's administration deports Mexican citizens from the United States.

"We will always accept the arrival of Mexicans to our territory with open arms," the country's foreign ministry wrote on X.

Washington sent four deportation flights to Mexico on Thursday, the White House press secretary said on X, despite media reports that authorities there had turned back at least one plane.

Meanwhile, a total of 265 expelled Guatemalans arrived in Guatemala on three flights, according to the Central American country's migration institute.

The flights came as the White House said there had been more than a thousand arrests in two days, with hundreds of deportations by military aircraft.

US President Donald Trump has let go at least a dozen independent inspectors general, according to US media reports.

The Washington Post said that the officials were fired from over a dozen major government agencies, including the departments of state, defense, veterans affairs, housing and urban development, interior and energy.

The daily said that most of the dismissed officials had been appointed during Trump's first term in office in 2017-2021.

The New York Times also reported the purge, saying that 17 agencies had been affected.

Inspectors general conduct audits and investigations into allegations of waste, fraud or abuse in federal or state agencies.

Federal agencies have been directed to start terminating people who work in positions that are related to diversity programs.

The move comes after the staff members were placed on paid leave earlier in the week.

President Donald Trump has made it a priority to cut jobs that were aimed at reducing discrimination such as racism and sexism.

"Each agency, department, or commission head shall take action to terminate, to the maximum extent allowed by law, all DEI, DEIA, and 'environmental justice' offices and positions within 60 days," said a memo from the US Office of Personnel Management. 

The memo referred specifically meant to boost "diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA)."

During his presidential campaign, Trump took aim at DEI policies in the federal government and corporate world, explaining that they discriminated against white people and men in particular.

Orders from earlier in the week have also required federal department and agency bosses to ask "employees if they know of any efforts to disguise these (DEI) programs by using coded or imprecise language."

Pete Hegseth has narrowly earned enough votes to become the next US Secretary of Defense.

Three Republican senators — Susan Collins, Mitch McConnell and Lisa Murkowski — voted against Hegseth, resulting in a 50-50 tie. 

It meant that Vice President JD Vance was required to came to the chamber to break the tie, as he confirmed former Fox News personality Hegseth for the job, despite allegations against the latter of alcohol abuse and sexual misconduct.

Just before Vance cast his vote, President Donald Trump spoke highly of his nominee Hegseth, saying: "We have a great secretary of defense and we're very happy."

Trump, speaking as he boarded Air Force One following a trip to New Orleans and California, added that he did not care how McConnell had voted as the "important thing is winning."

US President Donald Trump gave a prerecorded address to anti-abortion protesters at the March for Life event in Washington D.C. 

"We will again stand proudly for families and for life," Trump told the crowd in the video speech.

US Vice President JD Vance attended the rally in person, telling those present: "Our country faces the return of the most pro-family, most pro-life American president of our lifetimes."

He added that Trump had "delivered on his promise of ending Roe," while also having appointed hundreds of anti-abortion judges and pardoning anti-abortion activists he says were "unjustly imprisoned."

In 2022, the conservative-majority US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, which protected the right to an abortion.

Soon thereafter, some mostly Republican-controlled US states began enacting either abortion bans or restrictions. 

President Trump's filmed speech called six of the Supreme Court justices "courageous" and urged those who had gathered at the March for Life to "stand up for precious little babies who can't stand up for themselves. Thank you for turning out once again to show your extraordinary love and compassion for the unborn."

Six of the nine Supreme Court justices voted to overturn Roe v. Wade, with three of them having been appointed by Trump during his first term from 2017 to 2021.  
 

The US Senate is slated to confirm Pete Hegseth as the next Secretary of Defense on Friday. 

Hegseth faces allegations of heavy alcohol use. He has said he would quit drinking if he is in charge of the Pentagon.

A vote will take place on Friday evening, with only a simple majority needed to confirm Hegseth, as Republicans hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate.

However, Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Senator Susan Collins of Maine have indicated they will vote no, meaning the Republicans can only afford to lose one more objection. Vice President JD Vance could be called in to break a tie.

President Donald Trump backed his nominee as he departed the White House to visit disaster-hit North Carolina and Los Angeles, saying: "He's a good man. I hope he makes it."

However, Trump criticized Senator Murkowski and Senator Collins, adding: "I was surprised that Collins and Murkowski would do that."

While Senator Mitch McConnell has not announced how he would vote, Trump seemed to indicate the Republican may vote no. 

"And of course Mitch is always a no vote, I guess. Is Mitch a no vote?" the president asked reporters.

Hegseth has faced allegations that he sexually assaulted a woman at a Republican conference in California, though he has denied the claims and said the encounter was consensual. He later paid $50,000 (€47,602) to the woman.

More recently, his former sister-in-law said in an affidavit that Hegseth was abusive to his second wife to the point that she feared for her safety.

Hegseth has denied the allegation, and in divorce proceedings, neither Hegseth nor the woman claimed to be a victim of domestic abuse.

Hegseth's previous comments that women should have no role in military combat also drew particular concern on Capitol Hill, including from lawmakers who themselves served.

However, Hegseth has since tempered those views as he met with senators during the confirmation process.

km/wd (Reuters, AP, AFP, dpa)