White House

21 Democratic-led states sue White House for Trump admin's CFPB funding

A coalition of 21 attorneys general from Democratic-led states sued the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and its director, Russell Vought, on Monday, asserting that the White House's argument to withhold funds from the consumer protection agency is unconstitutional. The lawsuit has to do with the Trump administration's argument that the CFPB can only be funded by the Federal Reserve's profits. The Federal Reserve has been running a loss since 2022, a side effect of the Fed raising interest rates sharply to combat inflation, because it holds bonds that pay low interest from the pandemic, but it needs to pay out higher amounts of interest to the banks that hold their deposits with the bank. The White House has argued for several months that the CFPB cannot lawfully draw funds to fund its operations from the Fed if the Fed does not have combined earnings to allocate to the bureau. Without additional funds, the CFPB is expected to deplete its operating funds completely in January. T

Head of group suing over White House ballroom backs Trump-picked chairman

The president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation said Friday she trusts the Trump-appointed chairman of a federal planning commission to do his job and give serious review to President Donald Trump's proposal to add a ballroom to the White House. Carol Quillen said in an interview that she takes Will Scharf, chairman of the National Capital Planning Commission, at his word after he said at the panel's December meeting that the review process would be treated seriously once the White House submits the plans. Scharf said at that meeting that he expected to receive the plans sometime this month, and the panel's review process would happen at a normal and deliberative pace. Quillen said she trusted that would be the case. I take him at his word that the process will be conducted as it always is, deliberately and seriously, and that the commission will do its job," she said. The White House has not responded to multiple queries about when the ballroom plans will be shared

Trump adds controversial White House plaques under Biden, Obama portraits

Donald Trump has added new plaques under White House portraits of former presidents, using the prefix 'sleepy' for Joe Biden and describing Barack Obama as a 'divisive' leader

Top Trump aide says he has 'alcoholic's personality'; US President responds

In a Vanity Fair interview, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles suggested that Elon Musk is a 'drug user', and called US Vice President Vance a 'conspiracy theorist'

Cost of proposed White House ballroom may now reach $400 mn, says Trump

The White House has said it's being financed by private donations, but has not publicly specified them - raising questions about which people or companies might fund it to curry favour with Trump

White House ballroom construction matter of national security: Trump admin

The Trump administration said Monday in a court filing that the president's White House ballroom construction project must continue for reasons of national security. The filing came in response to a lawsuit filed last Friday by the National Trust for Historic Preservation asking a federal judge to halt the project until it goes through multiple independent reviews and wins approval from Congress. In its filing, the administration included a declaration from the deputy director of the US Secret Service saying more work on the site of the former White House East Wing is still needed to meet the agency's safety and security requirements. The administration has offered to share classified details with the judge in an in-person setting without the plaintiffs present. The government's response to the lawsuit offers the most comprehensive look yet at the ballroom construction project, including a window into how it was so swiftly approved by the Trump administration bureaucracy and its ...

Trump sued by preservationists over new White House ballroom project

President Donald Trump was sued on Friday by preservationists asking a federal court to halt his White House ballroom project until it goes through multiple independent reviews and wins approval from Congress. The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a privately funded group, is asking the US District Court to block Trump's White House ballroom addition, which already has involved razing the East Wing, until it goes through comprehensive design reviews, environmental assessments, public comments and congressional debate and ratification. The project has prompted criticism in the historic preservation and architectural communities, and among his political adversaries, but the lawsuit is the most tangible effort thus far to alter or stop the president's plans for an addition that itself would be nearly twice the size of the White House before the East Wing's demolition. "No president is legally allowed to tear down portions of the White House without any review whatsoever -- not

Trump 'extremely frustrated' over delays in Russia-Ukraine peace deal: WH

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated the President was tired of meetings that achieve nothing and wanted results, not words, as the US acts as the primary mediator

US also 'deeply committed' to Quad: Secretary of State Marco Rubio

The US is "deeply committed" to the Quad - the grouping with India, Japan and Australia - and will continue to build on that in the year to come, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said. ...we're also deeply committed to the Quad, the concept of in conjunction with Japan and India, the building out of this Quad, which is something you'll see, Rubio said Monday. He delivered remarks along with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles and Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong at the Department of State before the Australia-US Ministerial Consultations. Rubio said that the Quad Foreign Ministers' meeting was his first meeting soon after he was sworn in as Secretary of State in January this year. I had been confirmed, sworn in downstairs, and came right up on that elevator and into this room. And it was in this very room that I did my first event as Secretary of State with the Quad," Rubio said. "...I think we've had at least

White House creates media 'hall of shame' in fresh attack on news outlets

President Donald Trump's White House is taking on the role of media critic and asking for help from everyday Americans." The White House launched a web portal it says will spotlight bias on the part of news outlets, targeting the Boston Globe, CBS News, The Independent and The Washington Post in its first two media offenders of the week. It's the latest wrinkle in the fight against what Trump, back in his first term, labelled fake news. The Republican president has taken outlets like CBS News and The Wall Street Journal to court over their coverage, is fighting The Associated Press in court over media access and has moved to dismantle government-run outlets like Voice of America. Trump has also engaged in personal attacks, last month alone saying quiet, piggy, to a female reporter who was questioning him on Air Force One, calling a reporter from The New York Times ugly, both inside and out and publicly telling an ABC News journalist she was "a terrible reporter. It's honestly ...

White House may 'veto' Federal Reserve presidents: US Treasury Secretary

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Wednesday he would push a new requirement that the Federal Reserve's regional bank presidents live in their districts for at least three years before taking office, a move that could give the White House more power over the independent agency. In comments at the New York Times' DealBook Summit, Bessent said that there is a disconnect with the framing of the Federal Reserve and added that, unless someone has lived in their district for three years, we're going to veto them. Bessent has stepped up his criticism of the Fed's 12 regional bank presidents in recent weeks after several of them made clear in a series of speeches that they opposed cutting the Fed's key rate at its next meeting in December. President Donald Trump has sharply criticized the Fed for not lowering its short-term interest rate more quickly. When the Fed reduces its rate it can over time lower borrowing costs for mortgages, auto loans, and credit cards. The prospect of the ...

Trump had preventive heart and abdomen MRI scan, results 'normal': Doctor

Donald Trump's doctor says the President had MRI imaging on his heart and abdomen in October as part of a preventative screening for men his age, according to a memo from the physician released by the White House. Sean Barbabella said in a statement on Monday that Trump's physical exam included "advanced imaging" that is "standard for an executive physical" in Trump's age group. Barbabella concluded that the cardiovascular and abdominal imaging was "perfectly normal". "The purpose of this imaging is preventative: to identify issues early, confirm overall health, and ensure he maintains long-term vitality and function," the doctor wrote. The White House released Barbabella's memo after Trump on Sunday said he would release the results of the scan. He and the White House have said the scan was "part of his routine physical examination" but had declined until Monday to detail why Trump had an MRI during his physical in October at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center or on what

Trump invites families of shot National Guard members to White House

US President Donald Trump on Sunday said he's invited the family of a National Guard member fatally shot last week to the White House, saying he spoke to her parents and they were devastated. US Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom died after the Wednesday shooting in Washington, DC, while her seriously injured colleague, US Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, remained in critical condition. The president said he's discussed a White House visit for the parents of both members of the West Virginia National Guard. I said, When you're ready, because that's a tough thing, come to the White House. We're going to honor Sarah, Trump told reporters. And likewise with Andrew, recover or not. In recent days, local vigils in West Virginia have honoured the soldiers, including one Saturday evening at Webster County High School, where Beckstrom attended classes. Sarah was the kind of student that teachers hoped for, she carried herself with quiet strength, a contagious smile and a positive energy that lif

Afghan national to be charged with murder in White House guard shooting

In August, US president Donald Trump had asserted that his government would seek capital punishment in every murder case that occurred in Washington, DC

What Trump said on 'Third World' migration & which nations may be affected

Donald Trump has announced plans to pause migration from what he calls 'Third World countries', after two National Guard service members were shot near the White House by an Afghan national

Who is Rahmanullah Lakanwal, the suspect in the White House National Guard shooting?

A 29-year-old Afghan national, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, has been identified as the suspect in a brazen ambush near the White House

US orders green card review for 19 nations after DC National Guard attack

US President Donald Trump ordered a full review of green cards from 19 countries after an Afghan national shot two National Guard members in Washington, prompting stricter vetting checks

One of the National Guard members shot near White House has died: Trump

Federal authorities have identified the suspected shooter as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, an Afghan national who previously worked with US forces and the CIA in Afghanistan before arriving in US in 2021

Explained: How Operation Allies Welcome brought Afghans into the US in 2021

Two West Virginia Guard members were shot near the White House, and the suspect, an Afghan national, had entered the US in 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome

US puts immigration requests from Afghans on hold after Washington shooting

The move comes after two National Guard members were critically injured after a gunman, suspected to be an Afghan national, opened fire on them near the White House