By james art 
US President Donald Trump has arrived in Las Vegas, where he will deliver a speech at the end of his first week in the White House – Copyright AFP Mandel NGAN
Mandel NGAN
US President Donald Trump will hold a rally at a Las Vegas casino on Saturday, capping a tumultuous week in which he doubled down on promises to change American politics and culture.
His arrival in the gambling capital coincided with a dramatic late-night purge of domestic watchdogs at federal agencies and confirmation of a narrow victory for one of his most controversial cabinet picks.
After visiting disaster sites in North Carolina and California, the Vegas stop is more of a victory lap as he lays out plans to exclude tips from federal taxes — a hugely popular move in a city built on the hospitality industry.
Trump wins Nevada in 2024 election — the first Republican candidate to capture the state in 20 years — and the rally at Circa Resort and Casino was billed as a thank you to supporters.
The upbeat tone will contrast sharply with his visits Friday to communities ravaged by floods and wildfires, during which he threatened to shut down FEMA, the US federal disaster agency.
“FEMA is run incompetently and costs about three times what it should,” he said during a military briefing with local politicians and firefighters in Los Angeles.
The three-way trip was Trump’s first trip outside of Washington since taking office as president on Monday.
His first week was marked by an avalanche of daily executive orders and proclamations on everything from climate change to gender identity and abortion access to migrant deportation.
Although many of the measures are likely to be challenged in court, their sheer volume and variety have marked his second term in the White House.
– New Pentagon chief sworn in –
Shortly after arriving in Vegas, it emerged that Trump had fired — with immediate effect — the independent inspectors general of at least 12 federal agencies.
The late-night purge of officials tasked with rooting out fraud, waste and abuse curbed a series of directives meant to ensure a federal bureaucracy that was compliant and loyal.
There was no immediate indication of who Trump would appoint to fill the void — or whether the staff would be replaced at all. A number of legal experts said the sudden terminations could violate a federal law requiring 30 days’ notice of layoffs.
Trump’s first week back in the Oval Office was also notable for confirmation hearings for his cabinet picks — some of them quite contentious.
On Saturday, one of the most divisive picks — former Fox News co-host Pete Hegseth — was sworn in as defense secretary.
Late Friday, Hegsett secured Senate confirmation for a new Pentagon chief by the narrowest of margins when a 50-50 tie was broken by Vice President J.D. Vance.
It was only the second time in history that a vice president had to step in to save a cabinet nominee.
Three Republican senators voted against Hegseth, who has faced allegations of alcohol abuse, sexual misconduct and general fears about his experience and ability to lead the world’s most powerful military.
The 44-year-old is a former Army National Guard officer who until recently worked as a co-anchor for Fox News, one of Trump’s favorite television channels.