Page 83 - Donald Trump Administration

Donald Trump refuses to say whether he will pull US troops out of Syria

President Donald Trump is declining to say whether he intends to maintain current US troop levels in Syria. We'll make a determination on that, Trump told reporters on Thursday when asked if he intends to withdraw US troops deployed to Syria to fight the Islamic State group. We're not involved in Syria. Syria's its own mess. They got enough messes over there. They don't need us involved with everything. The US had said for years that there were about 900 troops in Syria, but the Pentagon acknowledged in December that US troop levels had surged to about 2,000. There has long been friction between the US and Syria's neighbours - Turkiye and Iraq - about the ongoing presence of American forces in Syria and the need to keep them at a particular level. Israel meanwhile has urged the US to maintain a presence in the country. Trump said just before rebels ousted Syrian leader Bashar Assad in December in that the US military should stay out of Syria. Trump is also not giving up on the ide

What is DEI programme, the practice Trump is trying to dismantle?

Trump has signed executive orders calling for the elimination of government diversity programs and the removal of all federal offices and jobs related to DEI

Birthright citizenship was for slaves' children, not global migrants: Trump

President Donald Trump has said that birthright citizenship was primarily intended for the children of slaves and not for the whole world to "come in and pile" into the US. On the very first day of his inauguration, Trump issued an executive order against birthright citizenship, which was struck down by a federal court in Seattle the next day. Trump has said that he would appeal against it. On Thursday, he exuded confidence that the Supreme Court would rule in his favour. Birthright citizenship was, if you look back when this was passed and made, that was meant for the children of slaves. This was not meant for the whole world to come in and pile into the United States of America, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office of the White House. Everybody coming in, and totally unqualified people with perhaps unqualified children. This wasn't meant for that," he said. Asserting that it was meant for the children of slaves," he said it was a "very good and noble" thing to do. "I'm in fa

I was subject to racism as an individual: Trump's FBI pick Kash Patel

Indian American Kash Patel on Thursday told lawmakers that he has been subjected to racism while growing up as an individual. Unfortunately, Senator, yes. I don't want to get into those details with my family here, Patel, 44, told members of the Senate Judiciary Committee during his confirmation hearing to be the FBI Director. If confirmed, he would be the first Hindu and Indian American to be FBI Director. Patel was responding to a question from Senator Lindsey Graham if he has ever been subject to racism as an individual. If you look at the record from January 6th, where I testified before that committee, because of my personal information being released by the Congress, I was subjected to a direct and significant threat on my life. And I put that information in the record. I had to move, he said. I was called a detestable -- and I'll apologise if I don't get it all right, but it's in the record -- a detestable sand nigger who had no right being in this country. You should go bac

Trump's desire for Greenland, Panama Canal legit amid China concerns: Rubio

Secretary of State Marco Rubio says President Donald Trump's desire to acquire Greenland and retake control of the Panama Canal is driven by legitimate national security interests stemming from growing concerns about Chinese activity and influence in the Arctic and in Latin America. Ahead of a trip to Central America that will start in Panama this weekend, Rubio said Thursday that he could not predict if Trump would succeed in buying Greenland from Denmark or restoring American authority over the Panama Canal while he is office. But he said the attention that Trump will give to both would have an impact. What I think you can rest assured of is that four years from now, our interest in the Arctic will be more secure; our interest in the Panama Canal will be more secure, Rubio said in an interview with SiriusXM host Megyn Kelly. Rubio will arrive in Panama on Saturday on his first official foreign trip as America's top diplomat, signalling the importance that both he and Trump place o

India, China have most tariffs, no inflation: US commerce secy nominee

Two countries India and China have the most tariffs but no inflation, an American businessman nominated by US President Donald Trump to be his commerce secretary told lawmakers on Thursday, making a point that there is no relationship between tariffs and inflation. The two top countries with tariffs, India and China, have the most tariffs and no inflation, it is just nonsense that tariffs cause inflation. It is nonsense, Howard William Lutnick, former head of Cantor Fitzgerald, told members of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee during his confirmation hearing. He assured senators that the economy of the United States of America will be much, much better. A particular product's price may go up, but all of them, this is not inflationary, he asserted. Responding to questions, Lutnick said the United States is treated horribly by the global trading environment. They all have higher tariffs, non-tariff trade barriers and subsidies. They treat us poorly. We need

US plane crash: Trump blames Obama, Biden for lowering air safety standards

Acknowledging the impact on families across the United States and abroad, including Russian nationals on board, he assured that efforts would be made to determine the cause of the disaster

Allegations of foreign nation planning foul play in US big concern: Gabbard

Allegations of any foreign country directing assassinations against Americans is a grave concern and must be investigated, Tulsi Gabbard, who has been picked by President Donald Trump to oversee spy agencies, told lawmakers on Thursday. Gabbard, 43, said this during her confirmation hearing for the position of Director of National Intelligence which oversees all the intelligence agencies of the US government, including the CIA and the FBI. She was responding to a question on a federal indictment which alleged that an Indian government employee directed an assassination attempt against a Sikh activist, who is a US citizen, in New York City in the spring of 2023, a plot foiled by US law enforcement. Separately, Canadian officials have accused the Indian government of assassinating a Canadian citizen and Sikh activist, Hardeep Singh Niijar, in Canada in June 2023. What are your views on these allegations that the Indian government is targeting Sikh activists in Canada and the United ..

Trump's intelligence pick Gabbard to face grilling at confirmation hearing

Tulsi Gabbard, President Donald Trump's pick to be director of national intelligence, is expected to face tough questions from lawmakers Thursday over past comments about Russia and a 2017 visit with Syria's now-deposed leader. The back-and-forth during Gabbard's confirmation hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee could reveal whether she has successfully assuaged concerns from lawmakers of both parties or whether worries about her experience and background will sink her nomination to oversee 18 US intelligence agencies. Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman from Hawaii, is a lieutenant colonel in the National Guard who deployed twice to the Middle East and ran for president in 2020. She has no formal intelligence experience, however, and has never run a government agency or department. It's Gabbard's comments, however, that have posed the biggest challenge to her confirmation. Gabbard has repeatedly echoed Russian propaganda used to justify the Kremlin's invasion of

Kash Patel to face sceptical Democrats at FBI director confirmation hearing

Kash Patel, President Donald Trump's pick to lead the FBI, will encounter deeply skeptical questioning from Democratic senators Thursday about his loyalty to the president and stated desire to overhaul the bureau as he faces a high-stakes hearing that will help determine his path toward confirmation. Patel, a Trump loyalist who has railed against the FBI over its investigations into the president and claimed that Jan 6 rioters were mistreated by the Justice Department, was picked in November to replace Christopher Wray, who led the nation's premier federal law enforcement agency for more than seven years. A former aide to the House Intelligence Committee and an ex-federal prosecutor who served in Trump's first administration, Patel has alarmed critics with rhetoric in dozens of podcasts and books he has authored in which he has demonstrated fealty to Trump, lambasted the decision-making of the agency he's now been asked to lead and identified by name officials he believes should be

Trump officials likely plan to tighten curbs on Nvidia's China sales

Conversations to restrict shipments of those chips to China are in very early stages among Trump officials and the idea has been under consideration

Canada, Mexico can avoid tariffs if they act swiftly: Trump's commerce pick

Lutnick said Trump's Saturday deadline for imposing 25 per cent tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico was meant to pressure the two countries to stop the flow of fentanyl into the US

Ex-oil market chief criticises IEA, seeks cut in energy transition focus

IEA is under fire from the administration of President Donald Trump for a shift in recent years toward a focus on clean energy policy

No evidence to prove that US designated $50 mn to buy condoms for Hamas

During a signing ceremony Wednesday for the Laken Riley Act, President Donald Trump claimed that his administration had identified and stopped USD 50 million being sent to Gaza to buy condoms for Hamas." Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, made a similar claim on Tuesday during her debut press briefing, stating that the Department of Government Efficiency and the Office of Management and Budget found that there was about to be 50 million taxpayer dollars that went out the door to fund condoms in Gaza. She called the alleged aid a preposterous waste of taxpayer money. But there's no credible evidence to support these claims. Here's a closer look at the facts: CLAIM: The Trump administration stopped USD 50 million from being sent to the Gaza Strip to buy condoms for Hamas. THE FACTS: Trump and his spokesperson appeared to be referring to a grant or grants that USAID awarded to a group called the International Medical Corps worth USD 102.2 million to provide medical and

Trump inks order to plan 250 yrs of US, punish those who vandalise statues

President Donald Trump is making plans to celebrate the 250th anniversary of American independence and create a new national sculpture garden while reviving efforts to harshly punish those who vandalise or destroy existing statues and monuments. Trump signed an executive order Wednesday establishing a White House task force to plan what he says will be a grand celebration worthy of the momentous occasion of the 250th anniversary of American Independence," which the country will celebrate on July 4, 2026. Trump will serve as chair of the task force, which will include a long list of senior administration officials, including cabinet secretaries. The order also revives Trump's plans to build a National Garden of American Heroes with statues memorialising 250 historical figures. Trump first announced plans for what he said would be a new monument to the giants of our past" in a 2020 speech celebrating Independence Day at Mount Rushmore in South Dakota. It was to have featured ...

White House revokes Trump's memo freezing federal money after confusion

President Donald Trump's budget office on Wednesday rescinded a memo freezing spending on federal loans and grants, less than two days after it sparked widespread confusion and legal challenges across the country. The memo, which was issued Monday by the Office of Management and Budget, had frightened states, schools and organisations that rely on trillions of dollars from Washington. Administration officials said the pause was necessary to review whether spending aligned with Trump's executive orders on issues like climate change and diversity, equity and inclusion programmes. But on Wednesday, they sent out a two-sentence notice rescinding the original memo. The reversal was the latest sign that even with unified control of Washington, Trump's plans to dramatically and rapidly reshape the government has limits. Administration officials insisted that despite the confusion, their actions still had the intended effect by underscoring to federal agencies their obligations to abide by

Trump signs Laken Riley Act, allows pre-trial detention of illegal migrants

Trump said that he will sign an executive order to prepare a facility at Guantanamo Bay to house deported migrants, during the signing of the Lake Riley Act

Fed to hold rates steady as it awaits more data, clarity on Trump's move

Investors and many economists still expect the Fed to reduce interest rates later this year, but the watchword for policymakers for now may be caution until they are more certain inflation will fall

Trump ordered delivery of price relief to Americans, says WH press secy

Criticising the previous President Joe Biden's administration, Leavitt said that Trump ended regulatory constraints and war on American energy

Trump-endorsed candidates win primary races to replace Matt Gaetz, Waltz

President Donald Trump-endorsed candidates Jimmy Patronis and Randy Fine won their Republican primaries in the special elections to replace former Florida Reps. Matt Gaetz and Mike Waltz, notching wins in reliably conservative districts. Republicans are expected to hold the seats following the general election April 1, which would boost their thin majority in the US House as they pursue Trump's agenda. In the 1st District election to replace Gaetz, Patronis fended off a challenge from former state Rep. Joel Rudman, a doctor who gained political prominence for opposing mask mandates during the COVID-19 pandemic. Patronis will advance to the general election to face Gay Valimont, who ran unopposed for the Democratic nomination in the race for the northwest Florida seat. Patronis, who grew up in Panama City, has been a familiar face in Florida politics for decades and previously served in the state House of Representatives. His family is well-known in the area for founding a local ...