Page 17 - Donald Trump Administration

Trump's 'paper tiger' jab at Russia echoes Mao's propaganda against US

Nearly 80 years after Mao Zedong called the United States a paper tiger to boost morale at home, US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are exchanging barbs who is the paper tiger of today. In a September 23 post on Truth Social, Trump mocked Russia's military powers and called the country a paper tiger, prompting the Kremlin to push back. Trump backed off, but on Tuesday he brought back the dismissive rhetoric when addressing a roomful of generals and admirals. You're four years fighting a war that should have taken a week," Trump said of Russia's war with Ukraine. "Are you a paper tiger? On Thursday, Putin retorted, We are fighting against the entire bloc of NATO, and we keep moving, keep advancing and feel confident, and we are a paper tiger; what NATO itself is? He added: A paper tiger? Go and deal with this paper tiger then. Those familiar with modern Chinese history have found it amusing, odd and not without irony that an American president should be .

US govt shutdown drags on as Senate funding vote fails to break deadlock

Hopes for a quick end to the government shutdown faded Friday as Democrats refused to budge in a Senate vote and President Donald Trump readied plans to unleash layoffs and cuts across the federal government. On the third day of the shutdown, a Senate vote to advance a Republican bill that would reopen the government fell well short of the 60 needed to end a filibuster and pass the legislation. Senators were expected to depart for the weekend, and there have been few signs of any real progress towards ending the congressional standoff. Democrats are demanding that Congress extend healthcare benefits, while Republicans are trying to wear them down with day after day of voting on the House-passed bill that would reopen the government temporarily, mostly at current spending levels. I don't know how many times you're going to give them a chance to vote no, Senate Majority Leader John Thune said at a news conference Friday. He added that he would give Democratic senators the weekend to

US appeals court rules Trump admin can't end birthright citizenship

A federal appeals court in Boston ruled on Friday that the Trump administration cannot withhold citizenship from children born to people in the country illegally or temporarily, adding to the mounting legal setbacks for the president's birthright order. A three-judge panel of the 1st US Circuit Court of Appeals became the fifth federal court since June to either issue or uphold orders blocking the president's birthright order. The court concluded that the plaintiffs are likely to succeed on their claims that the children described in the order are entitled to birthright citizenship under the Citizenship Clause of the 14th Amendment. The panel upheld lower courts' preliminary injunctions, which blocked the birthright order while lawsuits challenging it moved ahead. The order, signed the day the president took office in January, would halt automatic citizenship for babies born to people in the US illegally or temporarily. The lessons of history' thus give us every reason to be wary of

US plans $2,500 incentive for migrant teens to return home voluntarily

The scheme, initially targeting 17-year-olds in federal custody, offers $2,500 to return home voluntarily, raising concerns it could pressure minors to abandon asylum claims and legal protections

$100K H-1B visa fee could hurt key sectors: US business groups warn Trump

Industry groups have warned the Trump administration that the $100,000 H-1B fee could block foreign skilled workers, affecting tech, healthcare, and other critical sectors across the US economy

Hamas accepts some elements of Gaza peace plan after Trump issues ultimatum

Hamas said Friday that it has accepted some elements of US President Donald Trump's plan to end the war in the Gaza Strip, including giving up power and releasing all remaining hostages, but that others require further consultations among Palestinians. The statement came hours after Trump said that Hamas must agree to the deal by Sunday evening, threatening an even greater military onslaught nearly two years into the war sparked by the October 7 attack into Israel. It was unclear how the US and Israel would respond to partial acceptance. Hamas said it was willing to release hostages according to the plan's formula, likely referring to the release of Palestinian prisoners. It also reiterated its longstanding openness to handing power over to a politically independent Palestinian body. But it said aspects of the proposal touching on the future of the Gaza Strip and Palestinian rights should be decided on the basis of a unanimous Palestinian stance reached with other factions and based

Pfizer's drug-price deal with Trump follows months of negotiation deadlock

Pfizer and the White House were deadlocked for months over lowering US drug prices, with Trump demanding quick results from drug executives right from the start of his second term

Trump goes online to target Democrats as US govt shutdown continues

On Thursday morning, as thousands of federal employees stayed home and faced potential layoffs because of the government shutdown, President Donald Trump got right to work on social media. He started by sharing praise from supporters. Then he falsely claimed that DEMOCRATS WANT TO GIVE YOUR HEALTHCARE MONEY TO ILLEGAL ALIENS. And then he announced that he would meet with his top budget adviser to figure out where to make permanent cuts to federal programmes that are a political SCAM. All that was before 8 am, just one flurry in a blizzard of online commentary from the president as the government shutdown entered a second day. Like so many other times when he's faced complex crises with no easy solutions, Trump seems determined to post his way through it. The stream of invective and trolling has been remarkable even for a 79-year-old president who is as chronically online as any member of Gen Z. His style is mirrored by the rest of his administration, which so far seems more interest

Trump uses govt shutdown to target federal workers, halt key projects

President Donald Trump has seized on the government shutdown as an opportunity to reshape the federal workforce and punish detractors, by threatening mass firings of workers and suggesting irreversible cuts to programmes important to Democrats. Rather than simply furlough employees, as is usually done during any lapse of funds, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said layoffs were imminent. The Office of Management and Budget announced it was putting on hold roughly USD 18 billion of infrastructure funds for New York's subway and Hudson Tunnel projects in the hometown of the Democratic leaders of the US House and Senate. Trump has marvelled over the handiwork of his budget director. He can trim the budget to a level that you couldn't do any other way, the president said at the start of the week of OMB Director Russ Vought, who was also a chief architect of the Project 2025 conservative policy book. So they're taking a risk by having a shutdown, Trump said during an event

New York's Statue of Liberty torch may go dark as US govt shutdown drags on

The shutdown threatens to close New York's Statue of Liberty and freeze billions in federal funds, hitting social services, safety programmes and city infrastructure

White House proposes new rules for colleges to gain funding advantage

The "Compact for Academic Excellence" offers universities federal loans, grants, research funding, scholar visas, and tax benefits if they follow new Trump administration rules

Trump admin asks judge to pause Harvard funding case amid govt shutdown

Judge Allison Burroughs ruled that Harvard grant terminations were unlawful over antisemitism claims, but final judgment is pending with a status report due by Oct 3

Supreme Court lets Lisa Cook remain as Federal Reserve governor for now

The Supreme Court on Wednesday allowed Lisa Cook to remain as a Federal Reserve governor for now, declining to act on the Trump administration's effort to immediately remove her from the central bank. In a brief unsigned order, the high court said it would hear arguments in January over Republican President Donald Trump's effort to force Cook off the Fed board. The court will consider whether to block a lower-court ruling in Cook's favour while her challenge to her firing by Trump continues. The high-court order was a rare instance of Trump not quickly getting everything he wants from the justices in an emergency appeal. Separately, the justices are hearing arguments in December in a separate but related legal fight over Trump's actions to fire members of the boards that oversee other independent federal agencies. The case concerns whether Trump can fire those officials at will. But a second issue in the case could bear directly on Cook's fate: whether federal judges have the ...

Trump admin puts on hold $18 bn in funding for New York City infra projects

President Donald Trump's administration, citing the government shutdown, said Wednesday it was putting a hold on roughly USD 18 billion to fund a new rail tunnel beneath the Hudson River between New York City and New Jersey and an extension of the city's Second Avenue subway. The White House budget director, Russ Vought, said on X that the step was taken due to the Republican administration's belief the spending was based on unconstitutional diversity, equity and inclusion principles. In a statement, Trump's Transportation Department said it had been reviewing whether any unconstitutional practices were occurring in the two massive infrastructure projects but that the shutdown, which began Wednesday, had forced it to furlough the staffers conducting the review. The suspension of funds is likely meant to target Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York, whom the White House is blaming for the impasse. He said the funding freeze would harm commuters. Obstructing these projec

Prolonged US govt shutdown could impact travel plans amid flight delays

If a US government shutdown goes on long enough, it could throw a wrench in travel plans, potentially leading to longer airport wait times, flight delays and even cancellations. The shutdown began Wednesday after President Donald Trump and Congress failed to reach a deal to continue funding government services and operations. That means a vast majority of employees who keep US airports and air travel running are working without pay until the government reopens. The longer a shutdown drags on, the more likely we are to see longer TSA lines, flight delays and cancellations, national parks in disrepair and unnecessary delays in modernising travel infrastructure," Geoff Freeman, president and CEO of the US Travel Association, warned in a statement. Here's what to know about the shutdown and its potential impacts on your travel plans: Flying during a shutdown Travellers can still fly despite the lapse in funding, but during a prolonged shutdown, travellers should plan ahead for potenti

Trump to meet Xi Jinping in four weeks, vows support for US soybean farmers

Trump says US soybean farmers are being hurt as China isn't buying for "negotiating" reasons and vows to use tariff revenue to support them

Who works, who waits: What the latest US government shutdown means

The US government shutdown affects over 750,000 federal employees, halting some services, delaying salaries, and raising questions about the impact on essential programmes and daily life

US government shuts down after Congress fails to cut deal on funding

The shutdown came as both Republicans and Democrats are locked in a stalemate, insisting the other would be responsible if Congress fails to extend government funding

Trump sets new tariffs on lumber, wood products in bid to boost US industry

Trump said the planned actions will 'strengthen supply chains, bolster industrial resilience, create high-quality jobs and increase domestic capacity utilization for wood products'

Trump, Hegseth to meet hundreds of military leaders amid rising speculation

President Donald Trump and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth plan to address hundreds of US military officials in person Tuesday after the Pentagon suddenly asked top commanders from around the world to convene at a base in Virginia without publicly revealing the reason. The gathering at the Marine Corps base in Quantico near Washington has fuelled intense speculation about the purpose and value of summoning such a large number of generals and admirals to one place, with many stationed in more than a dozen countries that include conflict zones in the Middle East and elsewhere. Meetings between top military brass and civilian leaders are nothing new. But experts say the scale of the gathering, the haste with which it was called and the mystery surrounding it are particularly unusual. The notion that the secretary is going to talk to the generals and give them his vision for running the department and maybe also for strategy and organisation that's perfectly reasonable, said Mark ...