Page 46 - Donald Trump Administration

As Trump heads to G7 summit, world leaders show they're not intimidated

President Donald Trump has long bet that he can scare allies into submission a gamble that is increasingly being tested ahead of the Group of Seven summit beginning Monday in Canada. He's threatened stiff tariffs in the belief that other nations would crumple. He's mused about taking over Canada and Greenland. He's suggested he will not honour NATO's obligations to defend partners under attack. And he's used Oval Office meetings to try to intimidate the leaders of Ukraine and South Africa. But many world leaders see fewer reasons to be cowed by Trump, even as they recognise the risks if he followed through on his threats. They believe he will ultimately back down since many of his plans could inflict harm on the US or that he can simply be charmed and flattered into cooperating. Many leaders still seem intimidated by Trump, but increasingly they are catching on to his pattern of bullying, said Jeremy Shapiro, research director at the European Council on Foreign Relations. In pl

Cities brace for large crowds at anti-Trump 'No Kings' protests across US

Cities large and small were preparing for major demonstrations Saturday across the US against President Donald Trump, as officials urge calm, National Guard troops mobilize and Trump attends a military parade in Washington to mark the Army's 250th anniversary. A flagship No Kings march and rally are planned in Philadelphia, but no events are scheduled to take place in Washington, DC, where the military parade will take place on Trump's birthday The demonstrations are gaining additional fuel from protests flaring up around the country over federal immigration enforcement raids and Trump ordering National Guard troops and Marines to Los Angeles where protesters blocked a freeway and set cars on fire. Police responded with tear gas, rubber bullets and flash-bang grenades while officials enforced curfews in Los Angeles and Democratic governors called Trump's Guard deployment an alarming abuse of power that "shows the Trump administration does not trust local law enforcement. Governors

US military parade mirrors global traditions across regimes, democracies

The military parade to mark the Army's 250th anniversary and its convergence with President Donald Trump's 79th birthday are combining to create a peacetime outlier in US history. Yet it still reflects global traditions that serve a range of political and cultural purposes. Variations on the theme have surfaced among longtime NATO allies in Europe, one-party and authoritarian states and history's darkest regimes. France: Bastille Day and Trump's ide inspire The oldest democratic ally of the US holds a military parade each July 14 to commemorate one of the seminal moments of the French Revolution. It inspired or at least stoked Trump's idea for a Washington version. On July 14, 1789, French insurgents stormed the Bastille, which housed prisoners of Louis XVI's government. Revolutionaries commenced a Fte de la Fdration as a day of national unity and pride the following year, even with the First French Republic still more than two years from being established. The Bastille Day para

US Steel's $14.1 bn sale to Nippon set to close after Trump's agreement

As part of the $55-per-share deal, the Japanese company will invest an additional $11 billion by 2028, including an initial commitment in a greenfield project that would be completed after 2028

Columbia graduate remains in custody after frantic day of appeals

Khalil, 29, who was born in Syria, has become a symbol of the Trump administration's crackdown on campus protests related to Israel's war in Gaza with Hamas

Marines take over some security in LA as cities prep for 'No Kings' rallies

After a week of protests over federal immigration raids, about 200 Marines moved into Los Angeles on Friday to guard a federal building in the city while communities across the US prepped for what is anticipated to be a nationwide wave of large-scale demonstrations against President Donald Trump's polices this weekend. The Marine troops with rifles, combat gear and walkie-talkies took over some posts from National Guard members who were deployed to the city after the protests erupted last week. Those protests sparked dozens more over several days around the country, with some leading to clashes with police and hundreds of arrests. The Marines had not been seen on Los Angeles city streets until Friday. They finished training on civil disturbance and have started to replace Guard members protecting the federal building west of downtown, so the Guard soldiers can be assigned to protect law enforcement officers on raids, the commander in charge of 4,700 troops deployed to the LA protests

Trump to finally get chance to top France with grand military parade in DC

Eight years after President Donald Trump was dazzled by a grand military parade down the Champs-lyses in Paris, he is finally getting a chance to try to top the spectacle. His long-delayed dream is expected to be realized Saturday with an extravaganza of American military might featuring tanks and other armoured vehicles rolling through the nation's capital, thousands of soldiers marching the streets and military aircraft flying overhead. In a final flourish, an elite parachute team is to jump from above the White House, land near Trump and hand him an American flag. I think it's going to be great, Trump said this week. We're going to celebrate our country for a change. For Trump, a media-attuned real estate developer who was a reality television star and beauty pageant owner, it's a chance to flex his skills as a showman. But the muscular display of military might also comes as Trump is increasingly flexing the powers of his office, including with the deployment of thousands of ...

Israeli strikes on Iran new test of Trump's 'America first' agenda

Just hours before Israel launched strikes on Iran early Friday, President Donald Trump was still holding onto tattered threads of hope that a long-simmering dispute over Tehran's nuclear programme could be resolved without military action. But with the Israeli military operation called Rising Lion now underway something Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says will go on for as many days as it takes Trump will be tested anew on his ability to make good on a campaign promise to disentangle the US from foreign conflicts. The administration's immediate reaction to the Israeli assault came not from Trump, but from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is doubling as Trump's national security adviser. He made clear that the US was not involved and that the administration's central concern was protecting US forces in the region. Israel advised us that they believe this action was necessary for its self-defence, Rubio said in a statement. "President Trump and the Administration have

Pentagon has contingency plans to invade Greenland if necessary: Hegseth

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth appeared to acknowledge that the Pentagon has developed plans to take over Greenland and Panama by force if necessary but refused to answer repeated questions during a hotly combative congressional hearing Thursday about his use of Signal chats to discuss military operations. Democratic members of the House Armed Services Committee repeatedly got into heated exchanges with Hegseth, with some of the toughest lines of questioning coming from military veterans as many demanded yes or no answers and he tried to avoid direct responses about his actions as Pentagon chief. In one back-and-forth, Hegseth did provide an eyebrow-raising answer. Rep Adam Smith asked whether the Pentagon has plans to take Greenland or Panama by force if necessary. Our job at the Defense Department is to have plans for any contingency, Hegseth said several times. It is not unusual for the Pentagon to draw up contingency plans for conflicts that have not arisen, but his handling of

Trump's military parade rare in peacetime, but rooted in US tradition

Troops marching in lockstep. Patriotic tunes filling the air. The commander in chief looking on at it all. The military parade commemorating the US Army's 250th anniversary and coinciding with President Donald Trump's 79th birthday will be a new spectacle for many Americans. This will not be the first US military parade. However, it is unusual outside of wartime, and Trump's approach stands out compared to his predecessors. The Army had long planned a celebration for its semi-quincentennial on June 14. Trump has wanted to preside over a grand military parade since his first presidency from 2017 to 2021. When he took office a second time, he found the ideal convergence and ratcheted the Pentagon's plans into a full-scale military parade on his birthday. The president, who is expected to speak in Washington as part of the affair, pitches the occasion as a way to celebrate US power and service members' sacrifice. But there are bipartisan concerns about the cost as well as concerns abo

Trump's travel ban fuels despair among Arab Americans in Michigan

The ban on travel from certain countries that took effect Monday reminiscent of President Donald Trump's first-term restrictions that became known to many as the Muslim ban is once again souring relationships among Arab American voters in the key battleground state of Michigan, a group that Trump sought to make inroads with during the 2024 election. It came as a particular shock to many Yemeni Americans in the Dearborn area, who were surprised to find their country on Trump's new list banning travel to the US by citizens of 12 different countries, mostly in Africa and the Middle East. This is the reward to the community that defied everybody else?" asked Wali Altahif, a local activist who advocates for Yemeni and other immigrant communities. "That said, 'No, we're going to support you, we going to vote for you'? The new proclamation, which Trump signed last week, applies to citizens of Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Lib

US governors divided along party lines about troops deployed to protests

California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom is calling President Donald Trump's military intervention at protests over federal immigration policy in Los Angeles an assault on democracy and has sued to try to stop it. Meanwhile, Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott is putting the National Guard on standby in areas in his state where demonstrations are planned. The divergent approaches illustrate the ways the two parties are trying to navigate national politics and the role of executive power in enforcing immigration policies. In his live TV address this week, Newsom said that Trump's move escalated the situation and for political gain. All 22 other Democratic governors signed a statement sent by the Democratic Governors Association on Sunday backing Newsom, calling the Guard deployment and threats to send in Marines an alarming abuse of power that "undermines the mission of our service members, erodes public trust, and shows the Trump administration does not trust local law enforcement.

Trump booed, cheered at Kennedy Center while attending 'Les Miserables'

The drama in the audience rivalled the spectacle on stage on Wednesday at the Kennedy Center, where President Donald Trump went to the opening night of Les Miserables as he tightens his grip on the venerable performing arts institution. It was his first time attending a show there since his election, and he was booed and cheered as he took his seat alongside first lady Melania Trump. Near the end of the intermission, someone loudly cursed his name, drawing applause. Several drag queens were in the crowd, their presence a protest against Trump's complaints that the Kennedy Center had hosted too many drag shows in the past. Despite the condemnation, the event had a MAGA-does-Broadway feel. Ric Grenell, the Trump-appointed interim leader of the Kennedy Center, was there, as were Vice President JD Vance and his wife, Usha. Before the show began, Attorney General Pam Bondi chatted with guests and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. took selfies. Laura Loomer, the .

Donald Trump open to talks with North Korea's Kim Jong Un: White House

The renewed call for dialogue comes as US ally South Korea seeks to reduce tensions on the Korean peninsula following the inauguration of new liberal President Lee Jae-myung last week

Trump admin hit with second lawsuit over restrictions on asylum access

Immigration advocates filed a class action lawsuit on Wednesday over the Trump administration's use of a proclamation that effectively put an end to being able to seek asylum at ports of entry to the United States. The civil lawsuit was filed in a Southern California federal court by the Centre for Gender & Refugee Studies, the American Immigration Council, Democracy Forward, and the Centre for Constitutional Rights. The lawsuit is asking the court to find the proclamation unlawful, set aside the policy ending asylum at ports of entry and restore access to the asylum process at ports of entry, including for those who had appointments that were cancelled when President Donald Trump took office. Unlike a similar lawsuit filed in February in a Washington, D.C., federal court representing people who had already reached US soil and sought asylum after crossing between ports of entry, Wednesday's lawsuit focuses on people who are not on US soil and are seeking asylum at ports of ...

Los Angeles-area mayors demand that Trump admin stop immigration raids

Dozens of mayors from across the Los Angeles region banded together on Wednesday to demand that the Trump administration stop the stepped-up immigration raids that have spread fear across their cities and sparked protests across the US But there were no signs President Donald Trump would heed their pleas. About 500 of the National Guard troops deployed to the Los Angeles protests have been trained to accompany agents on immigration operations, the commander in charge said on Wednesday. And while some troops have already gone on such missions, he said it is too early to say if that will continue even after the protests die down. "We are expecting a ramp-up, said Maj Gen Scott Sherman said, noting that protests across the nation were being discussed. "I'm focused right here in LA, what's going on right here. But you know, I think we're very concerned." The LA-area mayors and city council members urged Trump to stop using armed military troops alongside immigration agents during the .

Trump likely to block California's nation-leading vehicle emissions rules

President Donald Trump is expected to sign a measure on Thursday that blocks California's first-in-the-nation rule banning the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035, a White House official told The Associated Press. The resolution Trump plans to sign, which Congress approved last month, aims to quash the country's most aggressive attempt to phase out gas-powered cars. He also plans to approve measures to overturn state policies curbing tailpipe emissions in certain vehicles and smog-forming nitrogen oxide pollution from trucks. The timing of the signing was confirmed on Wednesday by a White House official who spoke on condition of anonymity to share plans not yet public. The development comes as the Republican president is mired in a clash with California's Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, over Trump's move to deploy troops to Los Angeles in response to immigration protests. It is the latest in an ongoing battle between the Trump administration and heavily Democratic California ove

Trump plans to phase out FEMA after hurricane season, alarming experts

President Donald Trump's plan to begin "phasing out" the federal agency that responds to disasters after the 2025 hurricane season is likely to put more responsibilities on states to provide services following increasingly frequent and expensive climate disasters, experts said. "We want to wean off of FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) and we want to bring it down to the state level," Trump said on Tuesday in an Oval Office appearance with administration officials about preparations for summer wildfires. Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem have repeatedly signalled their desire to overhaul, if not completely eliminate, the 46-year-old Federal Emergency Management Agency. While there has been bipartisan support for reforming the agency, experts say dismantling it completely would leave gaps in crucial services and funding. "It just causes more concern on how states should be planning for the future if the federal government's not going to be there for them," sai

Immigration officers step up courthouse arrests, fast tracking deportations

A transgender woman who says she was raped by Mexican cartel members told an immigration judge in Oregon that she wanted her asylum case to continue. A Venezuelan man bluntly told a judge in Seattle, "They will kill me if I go back to my country." A man and his cousin said they feared for their lives should they return to Haiti. Many asylum-seekers, like these three, dutifully appeared at routine hearings before being arrested outside courtrooms last week, a practice that has jolted immigration courts across the country as the White House works toward its promise of mass deportations. The large-scale arrests that began in May have unleashed fear among asylum-seekers and immigrants accustomed to remaining free while judges grind through a backlog of 3.6 million cases, typically taking years to reach a decision. Now they must consider whether to show up and possibly be detained and deported, or skip their hearings and forfeit their bids to remain in the country. The playbook has becom

Appeals court to hear Trump's bid to overturn hush money conviction

President Donald Trump's quest to erase his criminal conviction heads to a federal appeals court Wednesday. It's one way he's trying to get last year's hush money verdict overturned. A three-judge panel is set to hear arguments in Trump's long-running fight to get the New York case moved from state court to federal court, where he could then try to have the verdict thrown out on presidential immunity grounds. The Republican is asking the 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals to intervene after a lower-court judge twice rejected the move. As part of the request, Trump wants the federal appeals court to seize control of the criminal case and then ultimately decide his appeal of the verdict, which is now pending in a state appellate court. The 2nd Circuit should determine once and for all that this unprecedented criminal prosecution of a former and current President of the United States belongs in federal court," Trump's lawyers wrote in a court filing. The Manhattan district attorney's ...