Page 12 - Donald Trump Administration

Trial begins over Trump's plan to deploy National Guard in Portland

A federal trial over whether President Donald Trump can deploy the National Guard to Portland, Oregon, began Wednesday, with a police commander describing on the witness stand how federal agents at a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement building repeatedly fired tear gas at nonviolent protesters. Attorneys for the city and state are attempting to block Trump from deploying troops by arguing that they aren't needed to enforce the laws and that the president should not be allowed to use the military to remedy a situation worsened by federal agents. Portland Police Bureau Cmdr. Franz Schoening called federal agents' actions at the building, which has been the site of mostly small protests since June, startling. State and federal law prohibit police agencies from using munitions, including tear gas, the way the federal officers have, Schoening said. City police officers themselves had been tear-gassed and forced to pull away from the scene, Schoening said. At one point during a large

US strikes another suspected drug boat in Pacific, killing all 4 onboard

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Wednesday that the US military carried out another strike on a boat he said was carrying drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing all four people aboard the vessel, as the Trump administration pursues its divisive campaign against drug cartels in the waters off South America. Hegseth said in a social media post that intelligence determined the craft was transiting along a known narco-trafficking route, and carrying narcotics. He said the strike was conducted in international waters and no US forces were harmed. A video posted by Hegseth shows a boat exploding into flames and smoke. The Trump administration has been conducting a nearly two-month campaign in the waters off of South America, while building up US military forces in the region. This has fueled speculation that the moves are aimed at ousting Venezuelan President Nicols Maduro, whom the US has accused of narcoterrorism. The Trump administration has shown no evidence to suppor

US troops to be paid despite shutdown, says Vance, seeks Democrats' backing

Vice President JD Vance said he believes US military members will be paid at the end of the week, though he did not specify how the Trump administration will reconfigure funding as pain from the second-longest shutdown spreads nationwide. The funding fight in Washington gained new urgency this week as millions of Americans face the prospect of losing food assistance, more federal workers miss their first full paycheck and recurring delays at airports snarl travel plans. We do think that we can continue paying the troops, at least for now, Vance told reporters after lunch with Senate Republicans at the Capitol. We've got food stamp benefits that are set to run out in a week. We're trying to keep as much open as possible. We just need the Democrats to actually help us out. The vice president reaffirmed Republicans' strategy of trying to pick off a handful of Senate Democrats to vote for stopgap funding to reopen the government. But nearly a month into the shutdown, it hasn't worked. .

US judge blocks Trump admin from firing workers during govt shutdown

A federal judge in San Francisco on Tuesday indefinitely barred the Trump administration from firing federal employees during the government shutdown, saying that labor unions were likely to prevail on their claims that the cuts were arbitrary and politically motivated. US District Judge Susan Illston granted a preliminary injunction that bars the firings while a lawsuit challenging them plays out. She had previously issued a temporary restraining order against the job cuts that was set to expire Wednesday. Illston, who was nominated by Democratic President Bill Clinton, has said she believes the evidence will ultimately show the mass firings were illegal and in excess of authority. Federal agencies are enjoined from issuing layoff notices or acting on notices issued since the government shut down October 1. Illston said that her order does not apply to notices sent before the shutdown. The Republican administration has slashed jobs in education, health and other areas it says are

14 killed as US strikes alleged drug-smuggling boats in Pacific Ocean

The Trump administration last week expanded the scope of its campaign to the eastern Pacific, after earlier strikes targeted vessels in the Caribbean Sea

Trump admin shortlists five candidates to replace Fed Chair Jerome Powell

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Monday confirmed the names of five candidates to replace Jerome Powell as chair of the powerful Federal Reserve next year. On an Air Force One flight to Asia with President Donald Trump, Bessent said he would engage in a second round of interviews in the coming weeks and present a good slate of candidates to Trump right after Thanksgiving. Trump said he expected to decide on Powell's replacement by the end of this year. The five people under consideration are: Federal Reserve governors Christopher Waller and Michelle Bowman; former Fed governor Kevin Warsh; White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett; and Rick Rieder, senior managing director at asset manager BlackRock. The names suggest that no matter who is picked, there will likely be big changes coming to the Federal Reserve next year. Bessent, who is leading the search for Powell's replacement, last month published extensive criticisms of the Fed and some of the policies it has pursued from th

Venezuela moves to cancel energy deals with Trinidad over US warship

Venezuela's vice president said Monday that energy agreements with Trinidad and Tobago should be canceled over what she described as hostile actions by the island nation. Trinidad is now hosting one of the US warships involved in a controversial campaign to destroy Venezuelan speedboats allegedly carrying drugs to the United States. On Sunday, the USS Gravely, a destroyer fitted with guided missiles, arrived in Trinidad to conduct joint exercises with Trinidad's navy. Venezuelan authorities described Trinidad's decision to host the ship as a provocation, while Trinidad's government has said that joint exercises with the US happen regularly. The prime minister of Trinidad has decided to join the war mongering agenda of the United States, Venezuela's Vice President Delcy Rodriguez said on national television Monday. Rodriguez, who is also Venezuela's minister of hydrocarbons, said she would ask President Nicolas Maduro to withdraw from a 2015 agreement that enables neighboring count

China offers assistance after US Navy aircraft crash in South China Sea

According to the US Navy's Pacific Fleet, the incidents took place on Sunday during separate routine operations over the disputed waters

I have best numbers ever: Trump says he'd 'love to' run for third term

Trump also hinted at the potential successors to lead the Republican Party after his tenure, naming Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance as top contenders for 2028 presidential race

Biden urges Americans to 'get back up' amid 'dark days' for democracy

Former President Joe Biden called these dark days as he urged Americans to stay optimistic and not to check out in response to what he says are attacks on free speech and tests on the limits of executive power by President Donald Trump. Since its founding, America served as a beacon for the most powerful idea ever in government in the history of the world, Biden said. The idea is stronger than any army. We're more powerful than any dictator. Biden, 82, speaking publicly for the first time since completing a round of radiation therapy for an aggressive form of prostate cancer, addressed an audience in Boston on Sunday night after receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Edward M. Kennedy Institute. He said America depends on a presidency with limited power, a functioning Congress and an autonomous judiciary. With the federal government facing its second-longest shutdown on record, Trump has used the funding lapse as a way to exercise new command over the government. Friends

US warship docks in Trinidad and Tobago to increase pressure on Venezuela

A US warship has docked in Trinidad and Tobago's capital as the Trump administration boosts military pressure on neighbouring Venezuela and its President Nicols Maduro. The arrival of the USS Gravely, a guided missile destroyer, in the capital of the Caribbean nation is in addition to the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, which is moving closer to Venezuela. Maduro criticised the movement of the carrier as an attempt by the US government to fabricate "a new eternal war against his country. US President Donald Trump has accused Maduro, without providing evidence, of being the leader of the organised crime gang Tren de Aragua. Government officials from the twin-island nation and the US said the massive warship will remain in Trinidad until Thursday so both countries can carry out training exercises. A senior military official in Trinidad and Tobago told The Associated Press that the move was only recently scheduled. The official spoke under condition of anonymity due to lack of ..

Trump admin halts federal food aid from November 1 amid govt shutdown

The US Department of Agriculture has posted a notice on its website saying federal food aid will not go out November 1, raising the stakes for families nationwide as the government shutdown drags on. The new notice comes after the Trump administration said it would not tap roughly USD 5 billion in contingency funds to keep benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programme, commonly referred to as SNAP, flowing into November. That programme helps about 1 in 8 Americans buy groceries. Bottom line, the well has run dry, the USDA notice says. At this time, there will be no benefits issued November 01. We are approaching an inflection point for Senate Democrats. The shutdown, which began October 1, is now the second-longest on record. While the Republican administration took steps leading up to the shutdown to ensure SNAP benefits were paid this month, the cutoff would expand the impact of the impasse to a wider swath of Americans and some of those most in need unless a

Europe struggles to avoid being sidelined by Trump's world-shaping plans

When President Donald Trump took the stage in Egypt to hail the US-brokered ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, a row of world leaders stood behind him like extras in a political drama. It was a telling image. European governments have struggled to play a significant role in diplomacy over the Gaza war, while the America First leader has played a central one, pushing longtime allies in Europe toward the sidelines. Closer to home, they have labored with mixed results to shape Trump's response to Russian President Vladimir Putin's obstinate pursuit of the Ukraine war, a conflict with profound consequences for the continent's future. Is Europe able to influence Trump? I think the short answer... is no, said Lindsay Newman, a geopolitical risk expert and columnist for GZERO Media. The policy and positioning of the US government on Ukraine, on Israel, on its relationship with Europe is defined by the president and those around him. Largely the president. Newman said Trump's ...

Trump to press Xi Jinping for release of Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai

More than 30 lawmakers signed a letter headed by Scott, a US senator from Florida, asking Trump to raise the issue of Lai, noting that Lai is suffering from deteriorating health

From Apple to Meta: White House lists donors for Trump's $300 mn ballroom

The White House released the list of donors funding Trump's 90,000-sq-foot ballroom, costing $300 million, backed by tech giants, billionaires and private contributors

Trump not planning to meet Carney amid ongoing spat over Canada trade ad

Shortly before departing, Trump called the commercial "dishonest" and panned the decision to keep airing it during US broadcasts of the World Series

Trump's no. 1 Canadian enemy: Doug Ford embraces his role as antagonist

Ford said the ad will be paused from Monday to allow trade talks to resume but will still air over the weekend during the first two World Series games in Toronto

Trump claims Biden administration rigged 2020 election, spied on lawmakers

Trump said there were documents that proved Biden officials rigged the 2020 Presidential Election, citing Operation Arctic Frost and calling for accountability after FBI revelations

Bernanke, Yellen urge US Supreme Court to overturn Trump's tariffs

Economists say US trade deficits are normal and not the "unusual and extraordinary" threat cited by Trump for imposing emergency tariffs

US probes China's compliance with 2020 trade deal as Trump heads to Asia

U.S. officials are launching an investigation into whether China lived up to its commitments under a 2020 trade pact that President Donald Trump described at the time as an incredible breakthrough.' The announcement Friday by U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer came the same day Trump was scheduled to head to Asia, where he said he will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in an effort to ease trade tensions between the world's two biggest economies. Beijing has announced that Xi will travel to South Korea to attend a regional economic meeting and for a state visit, but it has yet to confirm that he will meet with Trump while both are in South Korea. The possible leaders summit is highly watched as trade tensions have risen again, with both countries imposing more trade restrictions on the other and Trump threatening a new 100% tariff on China. Beijing has demanded that the U.S. not threaten new restrictions while seeking talks with China, and it's not immediately clear how Greer'