White House

Messi joins Trump at White House a year after turning down Biden's invite

Presidents have welcomed champions for decades to capitalise on the winning optics, but Messi's visit stands apart as he's long avoided presidential visits

Panel reviewing Trump's White House ballroom project faces public outcry

A federal panel reviewing President Donald Trump's plans to build a ballroom at the White House got an earful Thursday from members of the public. Most speakers said they opposed the project and criticised it as too big and unnecessary. Only one of the 28 people who addressed the National Capital Planning Commission during the first two hours of public comment at its March meeting spoke in favour of the project. "It's ugly. It's just ugly. It's too much," said Kye Rowan, who described herself as an "ordinary citizen" with no architectural background. Other speakers asked the commission to properly deliberate before making a decision. "I urge you to send this back to the drawing board," said Diane Marlin, who recently retired as mayor of Urbana, Illinois. "Take the time to get this right." Concerns were also raised about Trump's plan to pay the estimated USD 400 million construction cost with money donated by wealthy people and corporations, many of whom have business before the ..

Trump to attend White House correspondents' dinner in a first as President

President Donald Trump says he'll attend this year's White House Correspondent Association dinner on April 25, marking the first time he's done so as commander-in-chief. "The White House Correspondents Association has asked me, very nicely, to be the Honoree at this year's Dinner, a long and storied tradition since it began in 1924, under then President Calvin Coolidge," Trump posted on his social media site on Monday evening. He noted that the latest installment comes amid celebrations marking America's 250th birthday, adding that it "will be my Honour to accept their invitation." Trump was invited annually, but never attended the dinner during his first term and also skipped last year's gathering. The event was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 and 2021, but President Joe Biden attended each of the dinners during his term's final three years. Every president since Coolidge had attended except Trump - until now. In his post Trump wrote that, "Because the Press was

Iran operations may last 4-5 weeks, could go much longer: Donald Trump

Trump said the US military "continues to carry out large-scale combat operations in Iran"

Judge rejects request to block Trump WH from building $400 mn ballroom

A federal judge on Thursday rejected a preservationist group's request to block the Trump administration from continuing construction of a USD 400 million ballroom where it demolished the East Wing of the White House. US District Judge Richard Leon ruled that The National Trust for Historic Preservation was unlikely to succeed on the merits of its bid to temporarily halt President Donald Trump's project. Leon said the group has a better chance of success if it amended its lawsuit. "Unfortunately, because both sides initially focused on the President's constitutional authority to destruct and construct the East Wing of the White House, Plaintiff didn't bring the necessary cause of action to test the statutory authority the President claims is the basis to do this construction project without the blessing of Congress and with private funds," he wrote. The privately funded group sued for an order pausing the ballroom project until it undergoes multiple independent reviews and wins ...

Melania Trump to chair a meeting of the UN Security Council: White House

US President Donald Trump has been a vocal critic of the United Nations since his first White House term, saying the 198-member world body was ineffective and needed reforms

White House economist dismisses Citrini AI risk report as 'science fiction'

The Nasdaq Composite index tumbled more than 1 per cent Monday as tech shares got hit by negative sentiment stemming from the Citrini Research release

White House dinner closes turbulent week for governors in Washington

The annual dinner with governors at the White House is typically a chance for leaders from both parties to come together, socialise and spend a low-key evening with the president. But like many traditions during President Donald Trump's second term, Saturday's dinner has proven unusually controversial. Ahead of this week's gathering of the National Governors Association, Trump ridiculed the bipartisan group's leadership, Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma and Democratic Gov. Wes Moore of Maryland. He refused to invite Moore, along with Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, to a working event at the White House on Friday - only to relent at the last minute. Then the event ended shortly after Trump learned of the Supreme Court's decision to strike down his sweeping tariff policy. Dozens of Democrats had threatened to boycott Saturday's dinner if members of their party were blocked from Friday's meeting. But even after Moore's attendance, some said they still wouldn't show up. "President Tr

Diplomacy 1st option, Iran would be wise to make nuclear deal: White House

Earlier on Tuesday (local time), US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner held discussions with Iranian authorities in Geneva

Trump to chair Board of Peace meeting today, discuss security in Gaza

On Sunday, US President Donald Trump said that member states of the newly formed Board of Peace have pledged over $5 billion towards humanitarian and reconstruction efforts in Gaza

US govt shutdown drags on as lawmakers deadlock over DHS oversight

Lawmakers and the White House offered no signs of compromise Sunday in their battle over oversight of federal immigration officers that has led to a pause in funding for the Department of Homeland Security. A partial government shutdown began Saturday after congressional Democrats and President Donald Trump's team failed to reach a deal on legislation to fund the department through September. Democrats are demanding changes to how immigration operations are conducted after the fatal shootings of US citizens Alex Pretti and Renee Good by federal officers in Minneapolis last month. Congress is on recess until Feb. 23, and both sides appear dug into their positions. The impasse affects agencies such as the Transportation Security Administration, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, US Coast Guard, the Secret Service, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and US Customs and Border Protection. The work at ICE and CBP goes on unabated because Trump's tax and spending cut law from 20

White House orders Homeland Security shutdown as funding lapses at midnight

While the shutdown formally takes effect at midnight, DHS employees were instructed to report to work and begin an "orderly shutdown" on their next regularly scheduled shift

Fact sheet changes reflect joint statement: MEA on US interim trade pact

Foreign ministry says amendments to White House fact sheet align with February 7 joint statement, which remains the framework for interim trade pact

Trump privately weighs exiting the USMCA trade pact he negotiated

A White House official, asked about the discussions, described Trump as the ultimate decision-maker and someone always seeking a better deal for the American people

Trump 'kicked' Epstein out because he was a 'creep', says WH Press Secy

While addressing her press briefing, Leavitt asserted that the release of Epstein files now shows the transparency Trump has

'Historic' trade deal will open Indian markets to US goods: White House

The fact sheet highlights key terms of the agreement, including that India will eliminate or reduce tariffs on all US industrial goods and a wide range of US food and agricultural products

Democrats, White House trade offers as DHS shutdown deadline looms

Democrats have begun tentative talks with the White House on their demands for "dramatic" new restrictions on President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown, trading offers just days before funding for the Department of Homeland Security is set to expire. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said Monday that Democrats had sent the White House their list of demands for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal law enforcement agencies. The White House said it had responded with a counterproposal. No details were immediately available. Time is running short, with another partial government shutdown threatening to begin Saturday. Among the Democrats' demands are a requirement for judicial warrants, better identification of DHS officers, new use-of-force standards and a stop to racial profiling. They say such changes are necessary after two protesters were fatally shot by federal agents in Minneapolis last month. "Republicans, the clock is ticking," Schumer said on the ...

Epstein e-mails reveal he helped arrange White House tour for Woody Allen

In 2015, Woody Allen and his wife Soon-Yi Previn went on a trip to Washington, D.C. With the help of their friend Jeffrey Epstein, they were able to tour the White House. Allen's friendship with Epstein has been known for years, but e-mails in the huge trove of records released by the Justice Department in recent days illustrate that relationship in new depth. The filmmaker, his wife and Epstein were neighbours in New York City, and the three dined together often, records show. They offered each other emotional support during periods when they were being criticised in the media. They commiserated about being accused -- unfairly, they told each other -- of sexual misconduct. And in 2015, Epstein used his connections to another friend who had been in President Barack Obama's administration to help the couple get a White House tour. "Could you show soon yi the White House," Epstein wrote in a May 2015 e-mail to former White House counsel Kathy Ruemmler. "I assume woody would be too ..

White House adviser Kratsios to lead US delegation to AI summit in India

The India-AI Impact Summit will be held from February 16 to 20 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, marking the first global AI summit to be hosted in the Global South

India commits $500 bn investment, to end Russian oil purchases: White House

The White House has hailed a new trade agreement with India, saying the country has committed to "no longer" purchasing Russian oil, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi also agreeing on investments of USD 500 billion across key American sectors. These remarks were made by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Tuesday. "The President struck another great trade deal with India. He spoke with Prime Minister Modi directly. They share a very good relationship. India is committed to not only no longer purchasing Russian oil, but buying oil from the United States, also perhaps from Venezuela too, which we know will now have a direct benefit on the United States and the American people," Leavitt told reporters Tuesday. She further said that in addition to that, Prime Minister Modi "committed to $500 billion of investments into the United States, including for transportation, for energy and for agricultural products as well. So this is another great trade deal thanks to President ...