Page 5 - Donald Trump Administration

Trump admin fights attempt to get Elon Musk's testimony in DOGE case

The Justice Department has asked a federal judge in Maryland to block depositions of Musk and two former senior USAID officials, according to a recent court filing

UK lawmakers grill BBC leadership on standards amid Trump lawsuit threat

The BBC's chairman acknowledged Monday that it was too slow in responding over a misleading edit of a speech by US President Donald Trump but rejected claims that the broadcaster's impartiality was being undermined from within its own board. Senior BBC leaders were quizzed by Parliament's Culture, Media and Sport Committee amid a major crisis at the publicly funded corporation after its director general and head of news both quit earlier this month and Trump threatened to file a billion-dollar lawsuit. The BBC drew Trump's ire and deep public scrutiny after an internal memo compiled by one of its former external advisers was leaked to the British media. The memo criticised cases of alleged biased reporting over a documentary on Trump that was aired days before the 2024 US presidential election, as well as other BBC coverage including its stance on transgender issues, Gaza, and race. Chairman Samir Shah said the broadcaster should have acted much quicker in addressing the ...

US DOJ renews attempt to unseal Jeffrey Epstein grand jury materials

The Justice Department renewed its request Monday to unseal Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking grand jury materials, saying Congress made clear in approving the release of investigative materials related to the prosecution of the late financier that documents such as the court records should be released. US Attorney Jay Clayton signed the submission in Manhattan federal court asking that the judge issue an expedited ruling allowing the materials to be released now that President Donald Trump signed the action requiring the release of documents related to Epstein within 30 days. The Justice Department said the Congressional action overrode existing law in a way that permits the unsealing of the grand jury records. Judge Richard Berman previously denied a Trump administration request to make the Epstein grand jury transcripts public. Berman, who presided over Epstein's 2019 case, ruled in August that a "significant and compelling reason" to deny the request and keep the transcripts seal

Trump won't allow US workers to be replaced: White House on H-1B visas

Recently, Trump has defended the H-1B visa programme, stating he "loves his conservative friends and MAGA" but believes the United States needs skilled foreign workers

Trump says TV networks shouldn't 'enlarge', cites rise of left-wing outlets

Trump has ramped up his long-running attacks on the media, while his administration seeks to limit press access

Why Republicans oppose Trump's plan to send $2,000 tariff-funded cheques

Donald Trump is pushing for $2,000 tariff-funded rebate cheques next year, but key Republicans say soaring deficits, the $38 trillion national debt make the proposal difficult to support

Marjorie Taylor Greene to resign from Congress after fallout with Trump

Greene was among the Republicans who led the legislative effort to compel the Justice Department to release the files of sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein

Loss of US intelligence may harm Ukraine more than a halt in weapons

If the Trump administration makes good on its threat, the effects on Ukraine might not be immediate but could eventually be disastrous

I'd 'feel comfortable' in Mamdani's New York, says Trump after 1st meeting

Trump adopted a conciliatory tone with Mamdani at the White House, vowing not to cut funds and highlighting common ground on rent, utilities and housing

Very productive meeting: Trump praises Zohran Mamdani in warm welcome

US President Donald Trump said he had a "very productive meeting with New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani and expressed confidence "he can do a very good job, as the two adopted a mutually warm tone after months of engaging in bitter rhetoric against each other. Mamdani flew to Washington DC for his first meeting with Trump in the White House Friday. Trump said he enjoyed the meeting, which he described as great. We've just had a great meeting, a really good, very productive meeting. We have one thing in common, we want this city of ours that we love to do very well. I wanted to congratulate the Mayor. He really ran an incredible race against a lot of smart people, starting with the early primariesand he beat them easily, Trump said in the Oval Office, as Mamdani stood next to him. When asked if he would feel comfortable living in New York City under a Mamdani administration, Trump responded emphatically, Yeah, I would, especially after the meeting. Absolutely. He added that t

Trump's wind-down of Education Department leaves schools fearing disruption

The Trump administration says its plan to dismantle the Education Department offers a fix for the nation's lagging academics a solution that could free schools from the strictures of federal influence. Yet to some school and state officials, the plan appears to add more bureaucracy, with no clear benefit for students who struggle with math or reading. Instead of being housed in a single agency, much of the Education Department's work will now be spread across four other federal departments. For President Donald Trump, it's a step toward fully closing the department and giving states more power over schooling. Yet many states say it will complicate their role as intermediaries between local schools and the federal government. The plan increases bureaucracy fivefold, Washington state's education chief said, undoubtedly creating confusion and duplicity for educators and families. His counterpart in California said the plan is clearly less efficient and invites disruption. Maryland's .

Trump's Ukraine envoy Kellogg to step down as US pursues new peace plan

President Donald Trump's special envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, has informed the White House he'll leave his post in January, according to two senior administration officials. The move comes as the White House is working on a new peace plan aimed at bringing an end to Russia's war in Ukraine that is being largely coordinated by Trump envoy Steve Witkoff and Kirill Dmitriev, an adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin. That plan calls for major concessions by Kyiv, including ceding territory to Russia and abandoning certain weaponry. The officials were not authorised to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity about Kellogg's expected departure from the administration. They declined to comment on why Kellogg was departing. News of Kellogg's expected exit was first reported by Reuters. Kellogg was initially named special envoy for Ukraine and Russia during Trump's presidential transition. But his role shrunk as Witkoff, a real estate developer turned diplomat, ..

Trump eases tariffs on coffee, fruit, and beef from Brazil to lower costs

President Donald Trump has further loosened tariffs on Brazil as part of his effort to lower consumer costs for Americans. The decision, released Thursday, affects coffee, fruit and beef, among other goods. The White House said last week that Trump was rolling back some worldwide tariffs that were originally announced in April. However, Brazil said that didn't affect levies that Trump had enacted in July to punish the country for prosecuting his political ally, former President Jair Bolsonaro. Thursday's decision harmonises Trump's plans, ensuring that neither the April nor July tariffs apply to certain products. Trump and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva have been negotiating over trade, which could further reduce tariffs.

Trump calls Democrats' military video 'seditious' and punishable by death

President Donald Trump on Thursday accused half a dozen Democratic lawmakers of sedition punishable by DEATH after the lawmakers all veterans of the armed services and intelligence community called on US military members to uphold the constitution and defy illegal orders. The 90-second video was first posted early Tuesday from Sen Elissa Slotkin's X account. In it, the six lawmakers Slotkin, Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, and Reps. Jason Crow, Chris Deluzio, Maggie Goodlander and Chrissy Houlahan speak directly to US service members, whom Slotkin acknowledges are under enormous stress and pressure right now. The American people need you to stand up for our laws and our Constitution, Slotkin wrote in the X post. Trump on Thursday reposted messages from others about the video, amplifying it with his own words. It marked another flashpoint in the political rhetoric that at times has been thematic in his administrations, as well as among some in his MAGA base. Some Democrats accused him o

Vance urges patience as White House struggles with affordability concerns

While President Donald Trump has struggled to settle on a way to address Americans' concerns about high costs, Vice President JD Vance on Thursday offered a more direct and empathetic message, saying, We hear you and there's a lot more work to do. But the American people need to have a little bit of patience, Vance said in remarks at an event hosted by Breitbart News. The vice president's remarks come as the White House grapples with how to speak to voters about the cost of living, an issue that emerged as a vulnerability for Republicans in this month's off-year elections in New Jersey and Virginia gubernatorial races. Vance said the Trump administration has made incredible progress in tackling cost-of-living concerns as they worked to undo policies from former President Joe Biden. As much progress as we've made, it's going to take a little bit of time for every American to feel that economic boom, which we really do believe is coming. We believe that we're on the front end of it,

Datanomics: India remains top source of students in US in 2024-25

International students formed a record 6.1% of US enrolments in 2024-25, driven by a surge in Indian students even as overall visa policies remained tight

Leaders press on with G20 summit in South Africa without US and Trump

Leaders and delegates from the world's richest nations and top developing countries are gathering this weekend for the Group of 20 summit in South Africa, an event overshadowed by the boycott of US President Donald Trump and his administration. Africa's first G20 summit will see representatives of 42 countries, but not the United States, a founding member of the group and one that's supposed to be taking over its rotating presidency in Johannesburg. Trump has denounced South Africa's leadership of the G20 and said he would not attend, citing alleged discrimination of the country's white farmers. South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa has said he's told Trump that information about the alleged persecution of Afrikaners is completely false. Last Friday, Trump also said that no US officials would attend the gathering. The US boycott has dominated discussions more so than the summit's agenda, which includes climate resilience, debt sustainability for poor nations and growing ...

Over 250 arrested in North Carolina as immigration crackdown widens

Federal agents have now arrested more than 250 people during a North Carolina immigration crackdown centred around Charlotte, the state's largest city, the US Department of Homeland Security said Wednesday. The operation that began over the weekend is the latest phase of Republican President Donald Trump's aggressive mass deportation efforts that have sent the military and immigration agents into Democratic-run cities from Chicago to Los Angeles. Immigration officials have blanketed the country since January, pushing detention counts to all-time highs above 60,000. Big cities and small towns across the country are targeted daily amid higher-profile pushes in places such as Portland, Oregon, where more than 560 immigration arrests were made in October. Smaller bursts of enforcement have popped up elsewhere. The push to carry out arrests in North Carolina expanded to areas around the state capital of Raleigh on Tuesday, spreading fear in at least one immigrant-heavy suburb. Late ...

Trump to unveil 'Genesis Mission' to boost US AI efforts, says official

On Tuesday, Trump called on lawmakers to pass a federal standard governing artificial intelligence either in an upcoming defence spending bill or as standalone legislation

Trump names Stuart Levenbach to lead CFPB despite no financial experience

President Trump nominated Stuart Levenbach as the next director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, choosing a person who has no banking or financial services experience to run a bureau that has been effectively inoperable since Trump was sworn into office. Levenbach is currently an associate director inside the Office of Management and Budget, handling issues related to natural resources, energy, science and water issues. Levenbach's resume shows significant experience dealing with science and natural resources issues, acting as chief of staff of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration during Trump's first term. The CFPB has been nonfunctional much of the year. Many of its employees have been ordered not to work, and the only major work the bureau is doing is unwinding the regulations and rules it put into place during President Trump's first term and during the Biden administration. The bureau's current acting director is Russell Vought, President Trump's budg