White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced that flights carrying illegal aliens to Guantanamo Bay for repatriation were now underway. She emphasized that President Trump was serious about deporting violent illegal aliens and not allowing the U.S. to become a haven for criminals from other nations. Venezuela and Colombia have also agreed to cooperate with the repatriation efforts.

Leavitt also addressed New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy’s recent remarks about housing an undocumented immigrant, warning that the administration would hold Democratic governors accountable if they violated federal immigration laws.

In a separate briefing, Leavitt criticized the media for ridiculing Trump in 2020 when he suggested COVID-19 originated from a lab in Wuhan. She pointed out that intelligence later confirmed his stance, and the Biden administration failed to disclose this earlier.

John Ratcliffe, Trump’s new CIA director, echoed similar concerns, explaining that the CIA had ignored evidence about the origins of COVID-19. He also discussed plans to establish a national laboratory to advance AI research and position the U.S. as a leader in emerging technology, similar to how the Manhattan Project propelled the development of nuclear weapons.