Page 2 - Republican Party

Senate advances Trump's tax, spending bill after late-night drama

Capping a tumultuous night, the Republican-controlled Senate advanced President Donald Trump's package of tax breaks, spending cuts and increased deportation money, with more weekend work ahead as Congress races to meet his Fourth of July deadline for passage. By a 51-49 tally and with Vice President JD Vance at the Capitol to break a potential tie, the Senate cleared a key procedural step Saturday as midnight approached. Voting had come to a standstill, dragging for more than three hours, with holdout senators huddling for negotiations and taking private meetings off the Senate floor. In the end, two Republicans opposed the motion to move ahead on Trump's signature domestic policy plan, joining all 47 Democrats. Tonight we saw a GREAT VICTORY in the Senate, Trump said in a social media post afterward. Republicans are using their majorities in Congress to push aside Democratic opposition, but they have run into a series of political and policy setbacks. Not all GOP lawmakers are on

Pardon applications being carefully crafted with one man in mind: Trump

Pounding away on a prison typewriter, Chad Scott seemed worlds apart from President Donald Trump. But when the disgraced narcotics agent wrote the White House seeking clemency for his corruption conviction, Scott sought to draw Trump's attention to what they have in common. Both men had survived a bullet wound to the ear, Scott wrote, and had been convicted of falsifying records. They were also each a victim of political persecution, the type of catchphrase the former agent hoped would resonate with a man who has long complained of witch hunts. By helping him, Scott argued, Trump would be showing he had the back of law enforcement. Chad Scott is a hero in this country's war on drugs, his attorney wrote in a clemency petition reviewed by The Associated Press, adding it would be a gross waste of taxpayer money to house and feed the former US Drug Enforcement Administration agent for six more years. Scott's application is hardly unique, according to prisoners, defense attorneys and .

Salaam New York: Zohran Mamdani & a fusion of 3 cross-continental cultures

In many ways, Mamdani symbolises multiculturalism, which stems from the family he comes from, the relationships he has forged, and the arts he has embraced

Elon Musk could face 'serious consequences' if he backs Democrats: Trump

President Donald Trump is not backing off his battle with Elon Musk, saying Saturday that he has no desire to repair their relationship and warning that his former ally and campaign benefactor could face serious consequences if he tries to help Democrats in upcoming elections. Trump told NBC's Kristen Welker in a phone interview that he has no plans to make up with Musk. Asked specifically if he thought his relationship with the mega-billionaire CEO of Tesla and SpaceX is over, Trump responded, I would assume so, yeah. I'm too busy doing other things, Trump continued. You know, I won an election in a landslide. I gave him a lot of breaks, long before this happened, I gave him breaks in my first administration, and saved his life in my first administration, I have no intention of speaking to him. The president also issued a warning amid chatter that Musk could back Democratic lawmakers and candidates in the 2026 midterm elections. If he does, he'll have to pay the consequences for .

Without me, Trump would've lost: Musk blasts US Prez for 'ingratitude'

Elon Musk claimed President Trump would have lost the 2024 election without him. He criticised the administration's tax bill and accused Trump of ingratitude over electric vehicle credit cuts

US House approves Trump's tax bill amid debt worries, adds $3.8 trn to debt

The US House narrowly passed Trump's sweeping tax and spending bill, adding $3.8 trillion to national debt. The plan includes tax cuts, military funding, and strict immigration measures

Trump unveils $163 bn budget cut; prioritises defence, security funding

The so-called skinny budget is an outline of administration priorities that will give Republican appropriators in Congress a blueprint to begin crafting spending bills

House GOP okays Trump's big bill framework after intense internal wrangling

Donald Trump, at a black-tie fundraising dinner this week, had admonished Republicans to 'stop grandstanding' on the budget

Istanbul sees massive protest as crowds demand mayor's release from jail

Hundreds of thousands of protesters again congregated in Istanbul Saturday to how their support for the city's imprisoned mayor and demand his release. Turkiye's main opposition party, the Republican People's Party (CHP) organised the demonstration, the latest in a series of protests that resulted in hundreds of detentions and have turned up the pressure on the country's long-time leader, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a key rival to Erdogan, was detained on March 19th on corruption and terrorism charges that many saw as politically motivated. The government insists the judiciary is independent and free of political interference. His detention, and later formal arrest over the corruption charges on March 23, sparked nationwide protests despite assembly bans, police crackdowns, and legal prosecution by authorities. They've detained hundreds of our children, thousands of our youths... arrested hundreds of them, CHP leader Ozgur Ozel told protesters. Th

Republicans' team writes to Trump, seeks tariff parity to boost exports

They have demanded "removal of unfair trade barriers" so that it could significantly increase market demand and revenues for producers who have faced a difficult four years

Vivek Ramaswamy set to run for Ohio governor, announcement likely tomorrow

This comes a month after Vivek Ramaswamy dropped out of the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) a day after President Donald Trump's inauguration

Trump again slams $21 mn USAID funding for India, calls it kickback scheme

Speaking at the Republican Governors Association meeting in Washington DC, US President Donald Trump questioned the rationale behind the expenditure

Birthright citizenship meant for slaves' kids, not global migrants: Trump

Donald Trump criticised the current US immigration policy, stating that unqualified individuals and their children were benefiting from a system that was never meant for them

Trump pauses all US foreign aid for 90 days; orders review; NGOs decry move

Donald Trump's directive, which halts all non-military foreign assistance for 90 days pending a review, has sparked widespread concern among humanitarian organisations

Will Trump get a third term as US Prez? Republican proposes constitutional change

Currently, the 22nd Amendment limits US Presidents to two terms, barring Trump or any other former president from seeking a third term

Republicans renew efforts to limit people in US illegally from census count

Republican efforts to exclude people in the US illegally from numbers used to divvy up congressional seats among states have begun anew, with four Republican state attorneys general suing to alter the once-a-decade head count even before President Donald Trump's second term in office began Monday. Trump joined in the battle immediately upon returning to office, signing an executive order on Monday that rescinded a Biden administration order and signalled the possibility of a push by his new administration to change the 2030 census. Those efforts may get a boost from the GOP-controlled Congress, where Republican US Rep. Chuck Edwards from North Carolina earlier this month re-introduced legislation that would put a citizenship question on the census form. During his first term, Trump signed an order that would have excluded people in the US illegally from being included in the 2020 census numbers used to allot congressional seats and Electoral College votes to each state. The GOP ...

Greenland open to cooperation with Donald Trump, says Prime Minister Egede

His comments come after President-Elect Trump last week reiterated his ambition to take control of the island, a self-ruling territory of Denmark with 57,000 people

Trump gives GOP senators no set strategy as leaders strain to develop plan

President-elect Donald Trump likes the idea of one, big beautiful bill" for his top legislative priorities, but he emerged from a lengthy closed-door meeting with Republican senators late Wednesday open to other strategies as GOP leaders strain to develop a plan before the party gains full power in Washington. Trump said it feels great to be back inside the US Capitol for the first time since he left office four years ago, after the Jan 6, 2021, riot by his supporters. With his wife, Melania, he also paid tribute to the late President Jimmy Carter lying in state in the Rotunda ahead of funeral services Thursday. With Trump taking the oath of office on Jan 20, Republicans have no time to waste. We're looking at the one bill versus two bills, and whatever it is, it doesn't matter," Trump said about the conflicting strategies as he arrived. "We're going to get the result. More than 90 minutes later, after bantering with GOP senators on a wide range of topics, Trump exited with the sam

Man carrying machete, knives held at US Capitol ahead of Trump visit

The machete was detected by an X-ray machine at the entrance to the visitor centre, according to a statement released by Capitol Police

'Nasty trap': Trump and Musk oppose stopgap bill, US govt shutdown looms

The stopgap spending measure, designed to extend government funding until March 14, met resistance from President-elect Donald Trump and Elon Musk