Page 343 - Donald Trump

Chinese exports will hit record this year before Donald Trump's second term

Export growth will accelerate to 7 per cent in the final three months from the same period last year, according to the median forecast of analysts surveyed by Bloomberg

Republicans slam claims that Trump's intelligence pick Gabbard compromised

Republican senators pushed back on Sunday against criticism from Democrats that Tulsi Gabbard, Donald Trump's pick to lead US intelligence services, is compromised by her comments supportive of Russia and secret meetings, as a congresswoman, with Syria's president, a close ally of the Kremlin and Iran. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Illinois, a veteran of combat missions in Iraq, said she had concerns about Tulsi Gabbard, Trump's choice to be director of national intelligence. I think she's compromised," Duckworth said on CNN's State of the Union," citing Gabbard's 2017 trip to Syria, where she held talks with Syrian President Bashar Assad. Gabbard was a Democratic House member from Hawaii at the time. The US intelligence community has identified her as having troubling relationships with America's foes. And so my worry is that she couldn't pass a background check, Duckworth said. Gabbard, who said last month she is joining the Republican party, has served in the Army National Guard for m

How Scott Bessent became Trump's treasury secretary from Democrat donor

Bessent was not part of Trump's political orbit during his first campaign or term as president, but he has known the Trump family for decades and was close friends with Trump's late brother, Robert

Trump's promises on growth, inflation might derail due to $36 trn debt

Donald Trump has big plans for the economy and a big debt problem that will be a hurdle to delivering on them. Trump has bold ideas on tax cuts, tariffs and other programs, but high interest rates and the price of repaying the federal government's existing debt could limit what he's able to do. Not only is the federal debt at roughly USD 36 trillion, but the spike in inflation after the coronavirus pandemic has pushed up the government's borrowing costs such that debt service next year will easily exceed spending on national security. The higher cost of servicing the debt gives Trump less room to maneuver with the federal budget as he seeks income tax cuts. It's also a political challenge because higher interest rates have made it costlier for many Americans to buy a home or new automobile. And the issue of high costs helped Trump reclaim the presidency in November's election. It's clear the current amount of debt is putting upward pressure on interest rates, including mortgage ra

Iran braces for Trump takeover with economy buckling from sanctions

As Trump prepares for a second term as US president, all eyes are on whether he will revive his so-called maximum pressure policy against Iran that came to mark his first spell

Love him or loathe him, Elon Musk is champion, could save US govt a fortune

Love him or loathe him, Elon Musk is champion of efficiency, could save US government a fortune

Trump picks Brooke Rollins for agri secy, praises her work for US farmers

Following her nomination, Rollins expressed her gratitude for the opportunity, stating that it will be the honour of her life to advocate for America's farmers and agricultural communities

After Trump's Project 2025 denials, he is tapping its influencers for roles

As a former and potentially future president, Donald Trump hailed what would become Project 2025 as a road map for exactly what our movement will do with another crack at the White House. As the blueprint for a hard-right turn in America became a liability during the 2024 campaign, Trump pulled an about-face. He denied knowing anything about the ridiculous and abysmal plans written in part by his first-term aides and allies. Now, after being elected the 47th president on November 5, Trump is stocking his second administration with key players in the detailed effort he temporarily shunned. Most notably, Trump has tapped Russell Vought for an encore as director of the Office of Management and Budget; Tom Homan, his former immigration chief, as border czar; and immigration hardliner Stephen Miller as deputy chief of policy. Those moves have accelerated criticisms from Democrats who warn that Trump's election hands government reins to movement conservatives who spent years envisioning

Trump picks Pam Bondi as attorney general, here's all you need to know

Pam Bondi, the former Florida attorney general, was chosen by Donald Trump to serve as US attorney general hours after his first choice, Matt Gaetz, withdrew from consideration after a federal sex trafficking investigation and ethics probe made his ability to be confirmed dubious. The 59-year-old has long been in Trump's orbit and her name had been floated during his first term as a potential candidate for the nation's highest law enforcement role. Trump announced his plans to nominate Bondi Thursday in a social media post. If confirmed by the Republican-led Senate, Bondi would instantly become one of the most closely watched members of Trump's Cabinet given the Republican's threat to pursue retribution against perceived adversaries and concern among Democrats that he will look to bend the Justice Department to his will. Here's a few things to know about Bondi: She's long been a fixture in Trump's world Bondi has been a longtime and early ally. In March 2016, on the eve of the ...

Trump expected to pick Brooke Rollins for agriculture secretary post

If confirmed, Rollins would lead a 100,000-person agency with offices in every county in the country, whose remit includes farm and nutrition programs, forestry, home and farm lending

Sex scandals shake Trump's new administration nominations. Details here

Trump's team faces a scandal storm as sexual misconduct allegations against nominees spark debates over accountability

News highlights: Priyanka Gandhi wins in debut poll contest in Wayanad by a margin of over 410,000

News highlights: Read the news developments from across the world here

Nato chief Rutte meets Trump in Florida for talks on global security

US President-elect Donald Trump and the head of NATO have met for talks on global security, the military alliance said Saturday. In a brief statement, NATO said Trump and its secretary general, Mark Rutte, met on Friday in Palm Beach, Florida. They discussed the range of global security issues facing the Alliance, the statement said without giving details. It appeared to be Rutte's first meeting with Trump since his November 5 election. Rutte had previously congratulated Trump and said his leadership will again be key to keeping our Alliance strong" and that he looked forward to working with him. Trump has for years expressed scepticism about the Western alliance and complained about the defence spending of many of its member nations, which he regarded as too low. He depicted NATO allies as leeches on the US military and openly questioned the value of the alliance that has defined American foreign policy for decades. He threatened not to defend NATO members that fail to meet ...

Who's who in Trump's White House? Full list of Cabinet picks unveiled

Here is a list of individuals selected by US President-elect Donald Trump for key Cabinet positions and top roles in the White House

Tesla, Trump, and DOGE: How Elon Musk broke his $340 bn net worth record

Elon Musk rockets to $347.8 billion net worth, fuelled by Tesla's rally, xAI's boom, and a new gig in Trump's 'DOGE' department

Donald Trump names Fox News contributor Nesheiwat as Surgeon General

The Office of the Surgeon General is responsible for providing Americans with scientific information about healthcare options and how to reduce the risk of illness

Donald Trump selects former Congressman Dave Weldon for CDC Director

If confirmed, Weldon takes the helm of an Atlanta-based agency that's been trying to regain public trust and address shortcomings identified during the pandemic

Donald Trump picks NFL veteran Scott Turner to lead Housing Department

Scott Turner is the first Black American picked for a Cabinet post in Donald Trump's second administration

Trump-backed Derek Merrin concedes to Democratic US Rep Kaptur in Ohio

Her Trump-endorsed Republican rival said on Friday that he had called Democratic US Rep. Marcy Kaptur to concede defeat in the 2024 election. In a video posted to X, formerly Twitter, fourth-term state Rep. Derek Merrin did not rule out running for Kaptur's seat again in two years, but he said his immediate plans were to rest and recharge with his family. The race for Ohio's 9th Congressional District was not settled until this Wednesday, when official results landed Kaptur ahead of Merrin by about 2,300 votes, or 0.7 per cent of the vote. That narrowly averted the automatic recount that would have been triggered at 0.5 per cent. Libertarian Tom Pruss, whose campaign was boosted by more than USD 400,000 from the pro-Democrat Voter Protection Project, won more than 4 per cent of the vote. Merrin pointed to the contest's huge price tag as evidence Republicans were competitive against the longest-serving woman in Congress. Guys, they spent over USD 10 million against us. Democrats ..

Vance takes on visible transition role as he works to boost Trump's picks

After several weeks working mostly behind closed doors, Vice President-elect JD Vance returned to Capitol Hill this week in a new, more visible role: Helping Donald Trump try to get his most contentious Cabinet picks through Senate confirmation in the Senate, where Vance has served for the last two years. Vance arrived at the Capitol on Wednesday with former Rep. Matt Gaetz and spent the morning sitting in on meetings between Trump's choice for attorney general and key Republicans, including members of the Senate Judiciary Committee. The effort was for naught: Gaetz announced a day later that he was withdrawing his name amid scrutiny over sex trafficking allegations and the reality that he was unlikely to be confirmed. Thursday morning Vance was back, this time accompanying Pete Hegseth, the Fox and Friends Weekend host whom Trump has tapped to be the next secretary of defense. Hegseth also has faced allegations of sexual assault that he denies. Vance is expected to accompany other