Page 2 - Trump Administration

'I don't trust Pakistan', says Trump's close political ally Lindsey Graham

The Senator's scathing assessment stems from allegations that Pakistan quietly allowed Iranian military aircraft to park on its airfields, possibly shielding them from American airstrikes

Stopping Iran's nuclear program outweighs Americans' economic pain: Trump

Trump framed his approach as a matter of national and global security, suggesting economic concerns were secondary to preventing nuclear proliferation

Trump set to meet Xi in Beijing as war, inflation weigh on his presidency

Trump said he had spoken with the Chinese leader and the meeting would be 'positive' as he embarked with a coterie of aides, CEOs and family members

Tariff refunds of $35.5 billion cleared for importers after US SC ruling

The scramble for refunds started immediately after the Supreme Court ruled that Trump unlawfully used IEEPA to impose tariffs on goods entering the country

Trump admin moves to widen fertility benefit access under new rule

This measure comes at a time when the 'Make America Healthy Again' movement enthusiasts have raised concerns about the birth rate hitting record lows in US in recent years

Trump warns of 'Project Freedom plus' to escort vessels if Iran talks fail

If a deal is not reached with Iran, Trump added that the renewed effort would be expanded into what he called 'Project Freedom plus'

WH correspondents' dinner attack accused seeks recusal of top DOJ officials

A man charged with attacking the White House Correspondents' Association dinner is seeking to disqualify top Justice Department officials from direct involvement in prosecuting him because they could be considered victims or witnesses in the case, creating a potential conflict of interest. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and US Attorney Jeanine Pirro were attending the April 25 event at the Washington Hilton when Cole Tomas Allen allegedly ran through a security checkpoint and fired a shotgun at a Secret Service officer. In a court filing late Thursday, Allen's attorneys argued that it creates at least the appearance of a conflict of interest for Blanche and Pirro to be making any prosecutorial decisions in the case. "As this case proceeds closer to trial, the country and the world will continue to wonder - how can the American justice system permit a victim to prosecute a criminal defendant in a case involving them?" defense attorneys Eugene Ohm and Tezira Abe wrote. Ohm and

New York to restrict ICE despite threat from Donald Trump's border czar

President Donald Trump's border czar has threatened to "flood the zone" with immigration agents if New York passes bills to limit local coordination with the federal government's crackdown. New York seems ready to do so anyway. "I don't take well to threats," New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said Thursday. "We're going to pass what we think is important to protect New Yorkers." Tensions are escalating as Democrats attempt to place guardrails around the Trump administration's immigration agenda following the Republican's often chaotic and violent deportation efforts. The proposals, which are not yet finalised, would bar state and local law enforcement from entering into agreements with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement or acting as civil immigration agents, and deny ICE from entering sensitive locations such as schools or hospitals without a judicial warrant. The governor, a Democrat, is also moving to ban federal, state and local law enforcement from wearing masks while on duty, al

US to revoke passports for thousands of parents who owe child support

The US State Department will begin revoking the US passports of thousands of parents who owe a significant amount of unpaid child support. The department told The Associated Press on Thursday that the revocations would begin Friday and be focused on those who owe USD 100,000 or more. That would apply to about 2,700 American passport holders, according to figures supplied to the State Department by the Department of Health and Human Services. The revocation programme, plans for which were first reported by the AP in February, soon will be greatly expanded to cover parents who owe more than USD 2,500 in unpaid child support - the threshold set by a little-enforced 1996 law, the State Department said. It was not clear on Thursday how many passport holders owe more than USD 2,500 because HHS is still collecting data from state agencies that track the figures, but it could encompass many more thousands of people, officials said. Until this week, only those who applied to renew their ...

Ties with US stable despite disruptions, says China ahead of Trump visit

China's top diplomat said Thursday that ties with the US have been stable despite "many twists and disruptions," and called on both countries to find a way to contribute to global peace, a week before President Donald Trump is expected to visit. During a meeting with members of a US bipartisan congressional delegation, led by Sen. Steve Daines, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi credited Presidents Xi Jinping and Trump for "helping steer the direction of bilateral relations at critical moments." "Over the past year, China-US relations have gone through many twists and disruptions, but we have still managed to maintain overall stability," Wang said. Daines, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and a strong supporter of Trump, agreed and said that both countries should look for stability. "I strongly believe that we want to de-escalate, not decouple. We want stability, we want mutual respect," he said. Daines added that after the leaders meet next week, "perhaps we could

Trump looks for a silver bullet to end Iran war, but there may be none

The president is trying to ratchet up the economic pressure on Tehran, but Iran's government is unlikely to make a deal without a big, face-saving compromise

White House insists war in West Asia is over, even while missiles fly

The White House is turning to rhetorical leaps as President Trump tries to put the biggest political crisis of his presidency behind him

China didn't challenge US naval blockade on Iran in Hormuz, says Trump

Trump noted China's reliance on oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz and said Beijing has maintained a respectful stance regarding the ongoing situation

India, US 'very, very close' to signing trade deal, says Trump official

India and the US are "very, very close" to signing the trade deal and need to get over "that last hurdle", US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said on Tuesday. Landau said that India and the US have been negotiating for months and it was important for the two sides to "reach some closure" and move on with the many other issues on the agenda. "We are very aware of India's importance on the world stage. I think it is very important to get a final resolution of that trade deal. We have been talking now for months that we are very close, and I think we are very close. But we have to get over that last hurdle," Landau told reporters on the sidelines of the SelectUSA Investment Summit at National Harbour in Maryland near here. "I don't have any huge inside information to provide on when that is coming, but I can just reiterate that I believe that we are very, very close," said Landau, who recently visited India. "I think ultimately it's important that we reach some closure on

Major military operations against Iran over, Op Epic Fury concluded: Rubio

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday that major US military operations against Iran are over - but he stopped short of saying the conflict cannot be restarted. Rubio told reporters at the White House that "Operation Epic Fury" - the attack the US and Israel mounted on Iran on Feb. 28 - "is concluded" because its objectives were met. Rubio said recent clashes with Iran related to US efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz were "defensive in nature." "We're not cheering for an additional situation to occur," he said. "We would prefer the path of peace." He said Iran must agree to President Donald Trump's demands on its nuclear program and reopen the strait, a waterway vital to global oil and gas supplies. US forces pressed ahead with an effort to guide commercial ships through the strait, but so far only two vessels are known to have passed through. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the US prefers a peaceful effort to guide vessels out of the Persian Gulf but is ready to ac

US announces 'Project Freedom' to escort stranded ships through Hormuz

US President Donald Trump said the US Navy will start guiding foreign stranded ships to safety through the Strait of Hormuz from Monday and warned Iran that any interference in the process would be dealt with forcefully. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said 'Project Freedom' was aimed at helping foreign ships that are locked up in the Strait of Hormuz as "innocent bystanders" and in no way involved in the developments in West Asia. Trump said several of these ships were running low on food, drinking water and everything else necessary for large-scale crews to stay onboard in a healthy and sanitary manner. At the same time, the US President said that his representatives were having positive discussions with Iran, which could lead to something "positive for all". The Strait of Hormuz, the narrow sea route between Oman and Iran that transports one-fifth of the global oil supplies, has been effectively closed since February 28, when the US and Israel launched the war with Iran. The U

Trump reviews Iran's new proposal, says deal unlikely to be acceptable

President Donald Trump said on Saturday that he was reviewing a new Iranian proposal to end the war but also expressed scepticism that it would lead to a deal. "I'll let you know about it later," he said before boarding Air Force One, adding that "they're going to give me the exact wording now." Shortly after speaking to reporters, Trump posted on social media about the new proposal, saying he "can't imagine that it would be acceptable in that they have not yet paid a big enough price for what they have done to Humanity, and the World, over the last 47 years." Two semiofficial Iranian news outlets, Tasnim and Fars, believed to be close to Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, said Iran has sent a 14-point proposal via Pakistan in response to a nine-point US proposal. Iran's state-run media have not reported on the new proposal. Pakistan has hosted previous negotiations between Iran and the United States. Trump rejected a previous Iranian proposal this week. However, conversation

'Rats in sewer pipe': US Treasury Secy Bessent slams Iranian leadership

Bessent also said that a blockade will continue till a 'Freedom of Navigation' is achieved in Strait of Hormuz

Pentagon claims US blockade has cost Iran nearly $4.8 bn in oil revenue

The Department of War assessment suggests Iran has been denied close to $5 billion in oil earnings due to disruptions linked to US enforcement operations in the region

Trump says deadline for Congress to approve Iran war doesn't apply

The White House asserted to Congress in a letter Friday that hostilities with Iran have "terminated" despite the continued presence of U.S. armed forces in the region. The message from President Donald Trump effectively skirts a May 1 legal deadline to gain approval from members of Congress to continue the war with Iran. That deadline was already set to pass without action from Republican lawmakers who are deferring to the president. The letter brings into stark relief the bold but legally questionable assertion of presidential power at the heart of Trump's war, which he began without congressional approval two months ago. "The hostilities that began on February 28, 2026, have terminated," Trump wrote House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, the Senate president pro tempore. He also made it clear in the letter that the war may be far from over. "Despite the success of United States operations against the Iranian regime and continued efforts to secure a .