Page 5 - Donald Trump Administration

Trump's former lawyer Todd Blanche sworn in as US attorney general

President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer, Todd Blanche, was sworn in Monday as attorney general after a bruising confirmation fight that exposed bipartisan concerns about the Justice Department's direction under the Republican president. Another former Trump attorney - Emil Bove, now a federal appeals court judge - administered the oath of office to Blanche at the White House following early Saturday's Senate confirmation vote by the narrowest of margins. Blanche, a former federal prosecutor in New York, is officially taking command of a Justice Department he has been leading in an acting capacity since Pam Bondi's firing in April. With the confirmation battle behind him, Blanche now faces the challenge of having to navigate the demands of a president who has made no secret of his desire to use the law enforcement agency to target his political foes. Blanche will do so with an agency that has been hollowed out by resignations, firings and voluntary departures while also ...

Trump names staff secretary Will Scharf as new White House counsel

President Donald Trump announced Sunday that his new White House counsel will be Will Scharf, the staff secretary who as the Trump-appointed head of the National Capital Planning Commission helped secure approval for the USD 400 million ballroom project. Trump said that, beginning September 1, Scharf will be replacing David Warrington, who will be leaving the administration to join the private sector. Trump noted that Scharf previously served as a federal prosecutor and represented him in a number of cases, including at the Supreme Court. "Will is Tough, Strong, and Smart! He also loves our Country, and respects the Law," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "Will Scharf will do a great job as White House Counsel!" The shakeup in the White House counsel's office comes at a critical juncture - just months ahead of the midterm elections, where Trump's Republican Party will be fighting to hold on to control of Congress. Democrats have vowed to pursue investigations into Trump and his ...

Todd Blanche confirmed as Trump's attorney general in 50-49 Senate vote

The Senate confirmed Todd Blanche as attorney general in a vote early Saturday morning, cementing President Donald Trump's former personal attorney's command of a Justice Department the Republican president has sought to bend to his will. The Republican-led Senate voted 50-49 to make Blanche the second confirmed attorney general since Trump returned to the White House last year with a stated desire to use the law enforcement agency to investigate his political enemies. While Blanche has already been leading the department in an acting capacity, his confirmation could free him to pursue the Trump administration's agenda even more aggressively. The vote followed a tumultuous confirmation fight that exposed deep concerns - from some Republicans as well as Democrats - about installing Trump's close ally atop a Justice Department that historically prided itself on its independence from the White House. In the end, Blanche was confirmed by the narrowest of margins, opposed by two ...

Trump gets temporary reprieve from disclosing business finances in BBC suit

President Donald J Trump, Plaintiff, got a welcome break this week in one of his battles with the media - but for the moment, only a temporary one. As his USD 10 billion lawsuit against the BBC proceeds, a federal judge in Florida granted the president a temporary reprieve on Thursday from an order that he begin divulging details of his business empire's financial performance - something he is clearly loath to do. US District Judge Roy Altman agreed to put that order on hold while he considers an amended complaint from Trump that would narrow his claim that he suffered damage to both business and reputation. By focusing only on the latter, Trump's lawyers hope to avoid the need for the financial disclosures. That updated complaint has not been made public. Trump filed the lawsuit in December over the way the British broadcaster, in a 2024 documentary, edited a speech he gave on Jan. 6, 2021, before protesters attacked the Capitol in Washington. It is one of many actions he has take

Trump calls court ruling on WH ballroom a 'national security threat'

US president says his administration will challenge the ruling before the Supreme Court after a federal appeals court said the project requires congressional approval

Iran talks going to be messy, will take time: US Vice-President JD Vance

Vance described Iran's leadership as fractured, saying negotiations would be complex while stressing Washington would use military, economic and diplomatic pressure to secure its objectives

Trump's proposed Golden Fleet could cost up to $275 billion: CBO

The Congressional Budget Office estimates the proposed fleet of 15 nuclear-powered battleships could become the most expensive US warship programme ever undertaken

USCIS empowers officers to deny incomplete immigration benefit requests

The USCIS has restored officers' discretion to deny immigration benefit requests if applicants submit incomplete applications or fail to provide the required documents to establish eligibility. The earlier policy gave applicants a 12-week period to respond to requests for further evidence made by immigration officers on applications for change or extension of immigration status, green cards, visa or naturalisation. It also added an additional 14 days to the response deadline when a Request for Evidence (RFE) or a Notice of Intent to Deny (NOID) was mailed outside the United States. "The burden is on the requestor to establish that he or she is eligible for the requested benefit at the time of filing the benefit request and that he or she continues to be eligible through adjudication," the USCIS said in a statement here on Wednesday. It said if a benefit requestor fails to demonstrate eligibility for a benefit or fails to provide all required initial evidence when filing an ...

Fact-check: Trump's claims on Iran war, weapons, and oil prices examined

The president misleadingly blamed the Biden administration's weapons transfers to Ukraine for current concerns over munitions stockpiles, among other claims about the Iran war

No agreement: Iran rejects Trump claim of Strait of Hormuz reopening deal

According to the semi-official news agency Fars, citing sources connected to Iran's diplomatic team and military leadership, no arrangement has been reached regarding the reopening of the route

ICC campaign aimed at defending Netanyahu, not myself, says Trump

Donald Trump said the US campaign against the International Criminal Court is intended to protect Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other officials from prosecution, not himself

Trump weighs $100,000 fee for foreign students to work after graduation

If implemented, the fee would put a popular post-graduate visa extension out of reach for many students

Trump wants Iran tariffs added to Russia sanctions bill, risking delay

US President urges lawmakers to expand the Russia sanctions legislation to include broad tariff powers against Iran as the measure heads to the House

US looks to boost anti-China spending worldwide by hundreds of millions

The Trump administration is preparing to ramp up funding by hundreds of millions of dollars for programs designed to counter China's growing influence around the world, after it had put a halt to many of those initiatives last year during a flurry of budget and personnel cuts. The administration notified Congress late last week that it intends to spend USD 175.8 million to replace outdated and aging undersea telecommunications cables in the Caribbean and Central America to prevent China from moving in. The Associated Press obtained a copy of the notification on Monday. The administration has expressed deep concern about China's activities in the Americas, pushing back on Chinese ownership of ports at either end of the Panama Canal, infrastructure projects funded by China's Belt and Road initiative in the region, and Chinese investment in the telecommunications sector. A State Department official said China's economic activities in the Western Hemisphere pose risks to US national ...

US court blocks Trump bid to enforce mail voting overhaul before midterms

A US appeals court refused to lift a lower court order blocking key parts of Donald Trump's executive order over mail voting in Democratic-led states

US appeals court refuses to revive Trump admin's $100,000 H-1B visa fee

A US federal appeals court has refused to stay a lower court order striking down the Trump administration's decision to impose a USD 100,000 fee on H-1B visas for highly skilled foreign workers. The three-judge bench at the Boston-based First Circuit Court of Appeals denied the federal government's motion to stay US District Judge Leo T Sorokin's June 8 ruling that struck down the fee, terming it an unlawful tax not authorised by Congress. "...we deny the defendants' motion to stay pending appeal to this Court, the district court's June 8, 2026, Memorandum and Order and accompanying Judgment," the bench ruled on Friday. The judges agreed with the plaintiffs -- 20 Democrat-ruled states -- that "the question here is not whether Congress may delegate the authority in question. It is whether Congress has done so". President Donald Trump had issued a proclamation in September last year imposing a USD 100,000 fee for obtaining new H-1B visas. The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that .

Trump threatens fresh EU tariffs after $1 billion Google antitrust fine

Trump said Washington would launch a Section 301 trade investigation into EU after regulators imposed antitrust fine on Google, calling the penalties discriminatory against US technology firms

Trump's latest global tariffs face legal challenge from small businesses

Two lawsuits filed in US Court of International Trade argue that the govt unlawfully used Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 to impose fresh import duties after earlier tariffs were struck down

Trump claims US secured 50% profit share after Canada cancels bridge event

US President claimed Washington renegotiated the financial terms of the cross-border bridge project after Canadian officials cancelled a joint inauguration, amid escalating trade tensions

House Republicans adopt $95 bn package for Iran war and Trump's priorities

The House adopted a Republican-only USD 95 billion budget proposal Wednesday, a long-shot effort to fund the Iran war and other White House priorities over objections from Democrats and a few GOP holdouts in a final push before the midterm elections. House Republicans were divided over the plan, with conservatives wary because there are no offsetting budget cuts. But Speaker Mike Johnson plunged ahead, viewing the go-it-alone process as the best chance to usher President Donald Trump's priorities through the split Congress, despite scepticism in the Senate. The vote tally was 216-214, with all Democrats opposed. "Just bullets and bombs to finish the job," said Rep Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, the chairman of the Budget Committee. Democrats argued the money should be spent at home, particularly on efforts to lower costs for Americans. "Republicans plan to spend tens of billions of dollars on Trump's failed war in Iran," said Rep Pete Aguilar of California, chairman of the House Democr