Page 11 - Trump Administration

Trump names new Army vice chief with current general just 2 years into role

President Donald Trump has nominated Lt Gen Christopher LaNeve to serve as the Army's second-highest-ranking officer, according to congressional records. Gen James Mingus is currently vice chief of staff and has not publicly said he plans to step aside. He has been in the job less than two years, and it is typically a tenure that lasts at least three years. The move, which was posted in congressional records on Monday, is the latest in a series of surprise and unexplained firings, reassignments and promotions that have been transforming the senior ranks of the military under Trump and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth. Officials in the Army and Hegseth's office would not offer any details on Mingus' apparent ouster and the effort to promote LaNeve, who is now Hegseth's top military aide. Maj Peter Sulzona, a spokesman for Mingus, told The Associated Press by email that he would not comment on pending nominations but that Mingus will continue to execute the duties and responsibilities

Musk criticises Nasa's Sean Duffy as Isaacman praises agency leader

The comments by Musk, the space industry's most prominent CEO, come a day after Duffy expressed frustration over the development by Musk's company of a lunar lander

Trump's pick for federal watchdog withdraws after offensive texts revealed

President Donald Trump's pick to lead a federal watchdog agency withdrew from consideration on Tuesday evening, after his offensive text messages were made public and GOP senators revolted. Paul Ingrassia, who was nominated to lead the Office of Special Counsel, had been scheduled to have his confirmation hearing this week. On Monday, however, Politico reported on a text chat that showed him saying the Martin Luther King Jr holiday should be tossed into the seventh circle of hell. Ingrassia also described himself in the chat as having a Nazi streak at times. After the texts came to light, several Republican senators said they would not support his nomination. They included some of the most conservative and stalwart Trump allies in the Senate. I will be withdrawing myself from Thursday's HSGAC hearing to lead the Office of Special Counsel because unfortunately I do not have enough Republican votes at this time, Ingrassia posted in an online message. I appreciate the overwhelming ...

Trump puts meeting with Putin on hold, says it would be 'waste of time'

President Donald Trump said on Tuesday his plan for a swift meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin was on hold because he did not want it to be a waste of time. It was the latest twist in Trump's stop-and-go effort to resolve the war in Ukraine. The decision to hold off on the meeting in Budapest, Hungary, which Trump had announced last week, was made following a call on Monday between Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. I don't want to have a wasted meeting, Trump said. I don't want to have a waste of time -- so we'll see what happens. Lavrov made clear in public comments on Tuesday that Russia is opposed to an immediate ceasefire. Trump, meanwhile, has been shifting his stance all year on key issues in the war, including whether a ceasefire should come before longer-term peace talks, and whether Ukraine could win back land seized by Russia during almost four years of fighting. Trump's hesitancy in meeting Putin will likely come as a reli

'No Kings' protests against Trump bring street party vibe to US cities

Large crowds of protesters marched and rallied in cities across the US Saturday for "No Kings" demonstrations decrying what participants see as the government's swift drift into authoritarianism under President Donald Trump. People carrying signs with slogans such as "Nothing is more patriotic than protesting" or "Resist Fascism" packed into New York City's Times Square and rallied by the thousands in parks in Boston, Atlanta and Chicago. Demonstrators marched through Washington and downtown Los Angeles and picketed outside capitols in several Republican-led states, a courthouse in Billings, Montana, and at hundreds of smaller public spaces. Trump's Republican Party disparaged the demonstrations as "Hate America" rallies, but in many places the events looked more like a street party. There were marching bands, a huge banner with the US Constitution's "We The People" preamble that people could sign, and demonstrators wearing inflatable costumes, particularly frogs, which have emerged

'Unlawful': US Chamber of Commerce sues Trump admin over $100k H-1B visa fee

The lawsuit follows Trump's $100,000 fee hike for new H-1B applicants, which the White House defended as a move to protect American jobs from cheaper foreign labour

Chinese carriers challenge Trump's plan to restrict Russia airspace use

In a filing to the US Department of Transportation, Air China said it opposes the proposal, arguing that it would cause inconvenience to passengers

Indian-origin US strategic expert held over China links to contest charges

Ashley J Tellis, a former National Security Council member under George W. Bush and an unpaid State Department adviser, was arrested and charged with unlawfully retaining national defence information

Trump hosts glitzy dinner for wealthy donors to new White House ballroom

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday welcomed nearly 130 deep-pocketed donors, allies and representatives of major companies for a dinner at the White House to reward them for their pledged contributions to a massive new ballroom. The ballroom, whose price tag is now estimated at USD 250 million, is the most significant renovation that Trump, a former real estate mogul, is undertaking during his second term at the White House. All four sides of the ballroom -- which Trump said will be large and grand enough to hold even a presidential inauguration -- will be made of bulletproof glass, with its colour, window shape and molding keeping in character with the White House. Trump indicated that the fundraising and managing costs for the "phenomenal" ballroom were going well, predicting that he would have money left over after the project is done. "To me, there is nothing like the White House," Trump said, later adding, "It is just a special place so we have to take care of it." Men in

'Stopped 8 wars in 8 months, saved millions of lives', says Trump again

He suggested that his contributions toward global peace had not received due recognition

Brown university joins MIT in rejecting Trump's college compact invite

Brown President Christina Paxson wrote that she was worried that the compact, by its nature and by various provisions would restrict academic freedom

Judge temporarily blocks Trump admin from firing workers during shutdown

A US federal judge on Wednesday temporarily blocked President Donald Trump's administration from firing workers during the government shutdown, saying the cuts appeared to be politically motivated and were being carried out without much thought. US District Judge Susan Illston in San Francisco repeatedly pressed the assistant US attorney to explain the administration's rationale for the more than 4,100 layoff notices that started going out on Friday even though furloughed workers cannot access their work emails and there are no human resources specialists to assist with next steps. "It is very much ready, fire, aim on most of these programmes, and it has a human cost," she said. "It is a human cost that cannot be tolerated." She granted a temporary restraining order blocking the job cuts, saying she believed the evidence would ultimately show the cuts were illegal and in excess of authority. Asked for comment, the White House referred The Associated Press to the Office of Managemen

US strikes another boat carrying drugs off Venezuela, killing 6: Trump

President Donald Trump says the US struck another small boat that he accused of carrying drugs in the waters off Venezuela. The Republican president said Tuesday in a post on social media that six people aboard the vessel were killed in the strike and no US forces were harmed. It's the fifth deadly strike in the Caribbean as the Trump administration has asserted that it is treating alleged drug traffickers as unlawful combatants who must be met with military force. Frustration with the administration has been growing on Capitol Hill among members of both parties. Some Republicans are seeking more information from the White House on the legal justification and details of the strikes. Democrats contend the strikes violate US and international law.

Vance warns of 'deeper' cuts for federal workers as shutdown enters day 12

Vice President JD Vance on Sunday said there will be deeper cuts to the federal workforce the longer the government shutdown goes on, adding to the uncertainty facing hundreds of thousands who are already furloughed without pay amid the stubborn stalemate in Congress. Vance warned that as the federal shutdown entered its 12th day, the new cuts would be painful," even as he said the Trump administration worked to ensure that the military is paid this week and some services would be preserved for low-income Americans, including food assistance. Still, hundreds of thousands of government workers have been furloughed in recent days and, in a court filing on Friday, the Office of Management and Budget said well over 4,000 federal employees would soon be fired in conjunction with the shutdown. The longer this goes on, the deeper the cuts are going to be, Vance said on Fox News' Sunday Morning Futures. To be clear, some of these cuts are going to be painful. This is not a situation that we

Here's what to know about troop deployments in Memphis and other cities

Judges have stalled President Donald Trump's plans to deploy the National Guard in Chicago and in Portland, Oregon, but troops are now patrolling in Memphis, Tennessee, with the blessing of the state's governor. The troops, dressed in Guard fatigues and protective vests, with guns in their holsters, patrolled at a Bass Pro Shops store and a nearby tourist welcome centre beside the Mississippi River on Friday. It was unclear how many troops have been deployed to Memphis. Trump has sent or discussed sending troops to other cities as well, including Baltimore; the District of Columbia; New Orleans; and the California cities of Oakland, San Francisco and Los Angeles. The federal government says the troops support immigration agents and protect federal property. The Guard troops in Memphis remain under the command of Republican Gov. Bill Lee, who supports their use to further a federal crackdown on crime. By contrast, Trump has attempted to deploy National Guard troops including some f

Troops sent to Illinois by Trump can stay but can't be deployed, says court

National Guard troops sent to Illinois by President Donald Trump can stay in the state and under federal control, but can't be deployed to protect federal property or go on patrol for now, an appeals court ruled Saturday. The decision comes after federal Judge April Perry on Thursday ruled to temporarily block the National Guard deployment for at least two weeks, finding no substantial evidence that a danger of rebellion is brewing in Illinois during Trump's immigration crackdown. The appeals court on Saturday granted a pause in the case until it can hear further arguments. The on-again, off-again deployments stem from a political and legal battle over Trump's push to send the Guard to several US cities. His administration claims crime is rampant in those cities, despite statistics not always supporting that. If a president invokes the Insurrection Act, they can dispatch active duty military in states that fail to put down an insurrection or defy federal law. However, Perry said sh

Trump proposes ban on Chinese airlines using Russian airspace on US routes

US airlines have long criticised the decision to allow Chinese carriers to use Russian airspace on some flights, citing that it gives those carriers an advantage through shorter flight times and lower

US Justice dept indicts NY Attorney General Letitia James in fraud case

Letitia James was charged with bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution in connection with a home purchase in Norfolk, Virginia, in 2020

We settled 7 wars, this is number 8, says Trump after Gaza ceasefire deal

Trump stated that he had ended seven "unendable" wars and reiterated his claim of having helped broker a truce between India and Pakistan earlier this year

Trump to undergo physical exam on Friday as health questions linger

While the White House described the visit as his regular yearly physical, the 79-year-old president had an annual exam just six months ago, on April 11