US President Donald Trump’s plan to outlaw birthright citizenship has been stalled after a judge ruled it unconstitutional.

The ban was signed by Mr Trump on Monday, one of a slew of executive orders he has issued since his inauguration on Tuesday local time.

These are the key moments from the latest day in the Trump administration.

Judge rules birthright citizenship order ‘blatantly unconstitutional’

The court decision temporarily blocking the ban on birthright citizenship follows a challenge launched by multiple Democratic-led states.

Birthright citizenship, long considered a constitutional right, means that anyone born in the United States is automatically considered a citizen.

Mr Trump’s executive order would largely impact children born to undocumented or temporary migrants in the US.

Federal District Court Judge John C Coughenour sided with the four states suing the Trump administration — Washington, Arizona, Illinois and Oregon.

Signing a restraining order to block the executive order for 14 days, Mr Coughenour called it “blatantly unconstitutional”.

“Frankly I have difficulty understanding how a member of the bar would state unequivocally that this is a constitutional order,” he told Trump administration lawyers during the hearing.

Mr Trump has already said he would appeal the ruling.

In total 22 states have filed six lawsuits in an attempt to stop the executive order.

Pro-life protesters pardoned ahead of March for Life event

At least 23 anti-abortion activists have been pardoned by Mr Trump, who said they “should not have been prosecuted”.

Among them were the protesters involved in blockading a Washington, DC abortion clinic in October 2020.

They were charged with conspiring against civil rights and violating laws which protect access to abortion clinics.

One of those pardoned, Lauren Handy, was sentenced to almost five years in prison and garnered international attention after police announced they had found multiple fetuses in her home following her arrest.

Mr Trump’s announcement was made just a day before the annual anti-abortion March for Life event in Washington, where he is expected to address the crowd via video.

Trump orders files on JFK, Martin Luther King Jr assassinations to be declassified

John F Kennedy’s grandson took aim at Donald Trump over an executive order to declassify files relating to the former president’s assassination.

Mr Trump ordered the release of thousands of classified government documents about the 1963 assassination, as well as the assassination of senator Robert F Kennedy and Reverend Martin Luther King Jr.

Jack Schlossberg, the grandson of JFK and son of former US ambassador to Australia, Caroline Kennedy, said there was “nothing heroic” about releasing the files.

“[The assassination was] a tragedy that didn’t need to happen,” he wrote on X.

During his first term, Mr Trump bended to appeals by the CIA and FBI that some documents be withheld.

He promised during the election campaign to make the last batches of still-classified documents surrounding the Kennedy assassination public.

The unreleased documents have fuelled conspiracy theories for decades.

It’s unclear when the records will be released, but the order directs the director of national intelligence and the attorney general to develop a plan within 15 days to declassify the remaining JFK records.

A plan to release the documents relating to the other two cases must be developed within 45 days.

China could help with Russia-Ukraine peace deal, Trump tells World Economic Forum

Speaking at the World Economic Forum, Donald Trump said he hoped China’s President Xi Jinping could help make a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine.

He added later that he would meet Russian President Vladimir Putin “immediately” if possible.

“They [China] have a lot of power over Russia,” he said in the Oval Office.

“They supply energy to Russia, and Russia supplies energy to them … it’s really a very big trade.

Mr Trump also told media Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy would “like to stop” and was “ready to negotiate a deal”.

In a televised interview with Fox host Sean Hannity, Mr Trump said he would impose “massive tariffs” on Russia if Mr Putin did not end the war.

Pete Hegseth waiting on confirmation vote amid ongoing controversies

Mr Trump’s pick to lead the Pentagon, Pete Hegseth, reportedly admitted to paying $US50,000 ($79,135) as part of a confidentiality agreement with a woman who alleged he sexually assaulted her in 2017.

Mr Hegseth said he had made the payment in written answers provided to Massachusetts Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren in response to her additional questions as part of the vetting process, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press and CNN.

His attorney declined to comment on the dollar figure, which was previously unknown.

Mr Hegseth testified during his confirmation hearings he had been “falsely accused” and completely cleared.

The controversy comes after a confirmation hearing where Democrats raised concerns about his alleged excessive drinking and past opposition to women in combat.

The former Fox News host and Army National Guard veteran vowed to abstain from alcohol if confirmed

He later told Republican Senator Joni Ernst, herself a veteran, that he would support women in combat roles “given the standards remain high, and we will have a review to ensure the standards have not been eroded”.

Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski announced she would oppose Mr Hegseth’s nomination to be Secretary of Defense, saying she could not “in good conscience” support him.

She said in a statement her opposition was driven by Mr Hegseth’s lack of experience, past comments about women in combat, and a “lack of judgement”.

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She added the allegations of sexual assault did “nothing to quiet” her concerns.

Mr Hegseth’s lawyer said last month his client had been “falsely accused”. Mr Hegseth also denied the allegations during his testimony.

Another Republican senator, Susan Collins, said she did not believe Mr Hegseth had “the experience and perspective” necessary for the job.

The Senate voted 51-49 to advance Mr Hegseth’s nomination.

A final vote is expected late Friday local time.

ABC/AP