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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Kelly Rissman and Joe Sommerlad

Trump says he got a ‘perfect’ MRI scan during Walter Reed visit and he’d ‘love’ a third term: Live updates

Donald Trump TikTok China Asia United States Josh Marcus Kamala Harris Malaysia Scott Bessent

President Donald Trump boasted about undergoing a “perfect” MRI scan during his visit to Walter Reed Medical Center earlier this month.

“I did. I got an MRI. It was perfect,” he told reporters on Air Force One Monday as he traveled to Japan.

Pressed further on what the scan was taken for, the president replied: “You can ask the doctors.”

Also on board, Trump labeled House Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez as “low IQ” before suggesting she take the “very hard” cognitive tests that he passed.

“If you give her an IQ test, have her pass like the exams that I decided to take when I was at Walter Reed,” he said, before describing the test itself. “Those are very hard… The first couple of questions are easy. A tiger, an elephant, a giraffe, you know. When you get up to about five or six, and then when you get up to 10 and 20 and 25, they couldn’t come close to answering any of those questions.”

Trump has previously bragged about his medical exams.

Notably, in 2020, he told reporters that he passed a test in which he was asked to remember “person, woman, man, camera, TV.”

Key Points

  • Trump doesn’t rule out an unconstitutional third term run:
  • President confirms he had an MRI but won't say what it was for
  • AOC claps back after Trump calls her 'low IQ'
  • Thousands of flights delayed Monday amid staffing shortages due to shutdown
  • Melania Trump is distancing herself from the president’s East Wing demolition: report

Mexico gets 'a few more weeks' to avoid tariff increase from Trump

22:35 , Josh Marcus

(AFP via Getty Images)

The president’s attentions may be in Asia at the moment, but the White House continues to negotiate trade terms with its continental neighbors.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Monday during a press conference that after speaking with President Trump over the weekend, her country would have a “few more weeks” to avoid a tariff hike that was set to kick in this week to make time for further discussions.

The White House has said it is seeking to remove 54 non-tariff barriers to trade with Mexico, including disputes over intellectual property, and has threatened rates as high as 30 percent on Mexican goods that don’t fall under the U.S.-Canada-Mexico free trade agreement.

The parties previously agreed to a 90-day pause in July.

Air traffic controllers stop getting paid tomorrow, Transportation Secretary says

22:20 , Josh Marcus

(Department of Transportation)

Air traffic controllers are required to continue working during a government shutdown, but tomorrow they will stop being paid, according to the Department of Transportation.

“Air traffic controllers will stop getting paid starting TOMORROW,” Transportation Sean Duffy wrote on X. “This is not ok! I just visited several of them at [Cleveland Hopkins International Airport] and they are worried about paying their mortgage. [Chuck Schumer] and [Hakeem Jeffries] you’ve got to do better!”

John Bowden has more on how the government shutdown is impacting the U.S. air travel system.

FAA staffing shortages spike over the weekend with more than 50 airports impacted

Trump demands ‘no early voting’ in latest threat to upcoming elections as California and New York ballots roll in

22:00 , Josh Marcus

Even as he cast ballots by mail himself and launched messaging campaigns encouraging his supporters to do the same, Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to eliminate mail-in voting altogether, baselessly casting doubt on the legitimacy of mail-in votes.

Now he appears to be calling for the end of all forms of early voting.

After publicly demanding the prosecution of his political enemies, Trump encouraged the Department of Justice to investigate the outcome of the 2020 presidential election with “gusto” — and signaled that the “biggest SCANDAL in American history” will “happen again” unless the government eliminates early voting.

“Look what happened to our Country when a Crooked Moron became our ‘President!’” he wrote on Truth Social. “We now know everything. I hope the DOJ pursues this with as much ‘gusto’ as befitting the biggest SCANDAL in American history! If not, it will happen again, including the upcoming Midterms. No mail-in or ‘Early’ Voting, Yes to Voter ID!”

The president’s post, which veered from the NBA gambling scandal to California’s redistricting push, glimpsed how his administration is framing midterm elections in 2026 with the balance of power in Congress — and the future of his administration — at stake: Votes for Democratic candidates and the measures they support that are not cast on Election Day are illegitimate.

Alex Woodward reports.

Trump demands ‘no early voting’ in latest threat to upcoming elections

Trump's signature One Big Beautiful Bill could send debt levels skyrocketing

21:45 , Josh Marcus

America’s national debt is now climbing at its fastest rate ever, propelled in part by the “One Big Beautiful Bill” passed by Republicans earlier this year.

A new forecast from the IMF shows the U.S. heading the route of countries in southern Europe famous for their own issues with debt, inflation and financial instability, like Greece and Italy. But while the two European nations have seen conditions bottom out and, in Greece’s case begin to improve, the U.S. appears to be making little progress fighting its own accumulation of debt.

The IMF report analyzed debt as a percentage of GDP, revealing that the U.S. looks set to surpass both countries with its ratio of debt-to-GDP by 2030. At that time, the IMF projects the U.S. will have the highest debt-to-GDP ratio of any country on earth.

And despite the claims of Donald Trump and his Republican allies in Congress to the contrary, his administration has contributed to that imbalance by surging new spending in the forms of tax cut extensions and funding for the president’s mass deportation efforts, two of the largest items in the president’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” passed earlier this year.

John Bowden has the story.

Trump’s budget will push US debt levels beyond those of Greece or Italy, IMF predicts

Murkowski comments on SNAP benefits amid shutdown

21:30 , Kelly Rissman

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) expressed her frustration with the government shutdown to The Independent, specifically on the subject of SNAP recipients not receiving money and open enrollment beginning.

The Alaska moderate said federal employees have one message for Washington: “End the shutdown. End the shutdown. We want to get paid.”

The American Federation of Government Employees said on Monday it was time to pass a clean continuing resolution to end the shutdown.

Murkowski spoke to The Independent after speaking on the Senate floor. She pointed out how the Senate faces two key cliffs this week: open enrollment for the Affordable Care Act marketplace and benefits for Supplemental Nutritional Assistance.

The Trump administration said it would not send out SNAP benefits at the beginning of November due to the government shutdown.

“And so if there's something that is the precipitating factor, I think it's not that the unions have changed, maybe, but that you have this date that is so pivotal.”

“I mean, we've heard pretty clearly that through USDA, you're not going to see these SNAP benefits paid out,” she said.

Democrats have opposed a continuing resolution because they want to see an extension of the enhanced tax credits for the Affordable Care Act’s marketplaces. Open enrollment begins next month.

“That's that's happening at the same time you've got the the release of the the ACA premiums,” she said. “So you've got a pivot point here that I think many have looked at and said, ‘you know, that's going to be that's going to be the precipitating event.’”

Murkowski said she hopes people look at the potential loss of benefits for hungry recipients as a moment to end the shutdown.

The Trump administration said it won’t disburse SNAP benefits at the beginning of November. Murkowski said she understood why.

“And I get the fact that they're, they want to reserve for disaster contingency,” she said. “I think that there are some other programs within USDA that they might be able to look to.”

During the debate over the One Big, Beautiful Bill, Murkowski worked to get exemptions for Alaska for some of the biggest changes to SNAP.

WATCH: Glenn Beck says Trump told him the real reasons for the dramatic remodeling of the White House

21:15 , Kelly Rissman

Statue of Confederate general toppled by protestors in 2020 is returned to its DC perch after Trump’s order

21:00 , Kelly Rissman

The statue of a Confederate general that was toppled by demonstrators protesting the murder of George Floyd in 2020 has been reinstated in Washington, D.C., under orders from President Donald Trump.

After sitting in storage for over five years, the statue of Albert Pike, a brigadier general and revered figure among Freemasons, returned to Judiciary Square, just a few blocks from the U.S. Capitol, on Saturday, WTOP News reported.

The bronze statue of Pike was the sole outdoor statue of a Confederate military leader in the nation’s capital. It had been yanked to the ground with ropes and chains and set on fire on Juneteenth 2020, as nationwide protests erupted following the death of Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man killed in Minneapolis when a white police officer, Derek Chauvin, knelt on his neck.

Isabel Keane has the story.

Statue of Confederate general toppled by protestors in 2020 returns in DC under Trump

Which states are redistricting ahead of the midterms?

20:45 , Kelly Rissman
  • Texas - Lawmakers redrew the congressional map in hopes of picking up five more GOP House seats.
  • California - Voters in the state will decide in November on whether to redraw the congressional map to pick up five Democratic seats to counteract Texas Republicans’ efforts.
  • North Carolina - The GOP-controlled legislature passed a map this month that would give the party an extra House seat.
  • Virginia - Democrats in the state are reportedly considering a redistricting plan of their own.
  • Indiana - GOP Governor Mike Braun on Monday called a special session to be held on November 3 to “consider altering the boundaries of Indiana’s congressional districts.”

DOJ lawyer appears to refer to Trump third term in court arguments: report

20:30 , Kelly Rissman

After President Donald Trump refused to rule out running for a third term, despite the 22nd Amendment, a Justice Department attorney appeared to make references to the president serving a third term, Bloomberg reported.

At a hearing for a gun case in the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, an attorney told the three-judge panel: “This president, in three years or in seven years, we’ll have another administration, and if those new leadership, you know, took a different view of this, there’s nothing, there’s zero impediment to this just being put right back in effect.”

Later, DOJ attorney Sean R. Janda made a similar comment, telling the panel: “As my friend on the other side said, three years in the future or seven years in the future.”

Thousands of flights delayed Monday amid staffing shortages due to shutdown

20:15 , Kelly Rissman

Thousands of flights were delayed and hundreds more were canceled on Monday as the shutdown drags into the fourth week.

According to FlightAware, 3,658 flights were delayed and 494 were canceled on Monday amid air traffic controller shortages due to the shutdown.

There were 22 "staffing triggers” over the weekend, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told Fox News Sunday.

"That's a sign that the controllers are wearing thin," he warned.

Air traffic controllers are due to miss their first full paycheck on October 28 if Congress doesn’t end the stalemate.

Duffy threatens to pull another $160M from California for issuing commercial driver’s license to non-citizens

20:00 , Kelly Rissman

U.S. Transport Secretary Sean Duffy has threatened to pull $160 million from California, claiming the state is illegally issuing commercial drivers licenses to non-citizens.

“Gavin Newsom cares more about giving illegals commercial drivers licenses than he does citizens of his own state and the safety of Americans. It’s shameful,” Duffy said, speaking to FOX News’ Sunday Morning Futures.

“He’s been lying about what he’s been doing and we’re going to fight tooth and nail to make sure we hold states like California accountable.”

Duffy added that he would also be pulling California's ability to issue commercial driver's licenses.

It comes after the Transportation Department last month tightened up restrictions over issuing commercial licenses to non-citizens, including the possession of employment-based visas and being subject to a mandatory federal immigration status check.

Mike Bedigan has the latest.

DOT threat tol $160M from California over non-citizen commercial driver’s licenses

WATCH: Biden says America depends on a presidency with limited power

19:40 , Kelly Rissman

Melania Trump is distancing herself from the president’s East Wing demolition: report

19:30 , Kelly Rissman

First Lady Melania Trump privately expressed disquiet about President Donald Trump’s plans to demolish the East Wing of the White House to make way for his lavish new ballroom, according to a report.

The president’s wife “raised concerns about tearing down the East Wing” and “told associates it wasn’t her project” when she was asked about the drastic redevelopment, The Wall Street Journal reports, citing unnamed administration officials.

The Independent has reached out to the White House for comment.

Spokesperson Davis Ingle told the WSJ: “President Trump is a builder at heart. Make no mistake: the newly improved East Wing and brand new ballroom will make the People’s House more useful and beautiful for generations of presidents, and Americans, to come.”

Joe Sommerlad has the story.

Even Melania is distancing herself from the controversial East Wing demolition

Democrats are slamming Johnson after he claimed GOP isn't 'in charge of government'

19:20 , Kelly Rissman

Democrats are taking aim at House Speaker Mike Johnson after he claimed that Republicans don’t control the government as the shutdown drags into the fourth week.

"Democrats are required to open the government. They keep saying, 'Republicans are in charge of government.' We aren't!” he said at his daily press conference on Monday.

He clarified that in the Senate, Republicans need 60 votes to pass the spending bill, but lack a “bare majority.”

“It takes 60 votes in the Senate, and Democrats have voted again and again to keep it shut down — hurting families, workers, and taxpayers across the country,” Johnson later wrote on X.

Democrats swiftly slammed his comments Monday.

DHS compares immigrants to the parasitic alien villains in the Halo video games

19:10 , Kelly Rissman

The Department of Homeland Security likened immigrants to parasites known as “the Flood” in Halo video games in a disturbing social media post.

“Finishing this fight,” the DHS wrote on X Monday, alongside an illustration resembling the video game. It depicts someone in military gear, equipped with a firearm, riding in a fictional armored fighting vehicle.

Democrat says 'no kings in America' after Trump refuses to rule out third term run

19:00 , Kelly Rissman

President Donald Trump once again refused to rule out running for a third term — this time on Air Force One — despite the Constitution barring anyone from serving more than two terms.

“I haven’t really thought about it. We have some very good people as you know, but I have the best poll numbers I’ve ever had,” the president told reporters Monday. “I would love to do it. I have my best numbers ever.”

The 22nd Amendment prohibits anyone from serving more than two terms as president: “No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice.”

Washington Democratic Senator Patty Murray replied to a clip of Trump, writing: “There are NO KINGS in America—our Constitution is very clear that no president can serve more than 2 terms.”

“This is the LAW, not a suggestion, and no wannabe dictator can change that.”

AOC snaps back after Trump calls her 'low IQ'

18:50 , Kelly Rissman

President Donald Trump challenged New York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to take a cognitive test, calling her “low IQ.”

“If you give her an IQ test, have her pass like the exams that I decided to take when I was at Walter Reed,” he told reporters on Air Force One Monday.

The New York Democrat fired back, writing back on X: “Out of curiosity, did those doctors ask you to draw a clock by any chance? Was that part hard for you, too? Asking for 340 million people.”

Clock drawings is a method used to screen for dementia, according to VeryWell Health.

Glenn Beck says Trump told him the real reasons for the dramatic remodeling of the White House

18:40 , Kelly Rissman

Conservative anchor Glenn Beck claims that Donald Trump told him the real reason behind his controversial changes and expansion of the White House, amid criticism over the drastic remodeling project.

“It’s not because he likes gold; he’s doing it to project power and wealth," Beck said, speaking on a recent episode of The Glenn Beck Show.

The president’s plans for the historic East Wing, which has been partly demolished to make way for a lavish new $300 million ballroom, has been condemned by many, with First Lady Melania even having reportedly expressed disquiet.

Mike Bedigan has the story.

Glenn Beck says Trump told him the real reasons for the dramatic White House remodel

GOP Senator denounces Trump administration's strikes against 'narco-terrorists'

18:25 , Kelly Rissman

A Republican senator called the Trump administration’s recent strikes against suspected drug-carrying boats, which have killed dozens, “wrong.”

“The Constitution says when you go to war, Congress has to vote on it,” Kentucky GOP Senator Rand Paul told “Fox News Sunday.”

“The drug war or... the crime war has typically been something we do through law enforcement. So far they’ve alleged these people are drug dealers. No one’s said their name, no one’s said what evidence, no one’s said whether they’re armed,” he said.

“At this point, I would call them extrajudicial killings,” he added. “It’s wrong.”

The U.S. has carried out at least 10 strikes against alleged “narco-terrorists” since last month, killing more than 40 people.

WATCH: Trump doesn’t rule out an unconstitutional third term run: ‘I would love to do it’

18:15 , Kelly Rissman

FAA staffing shortages slam 50 airports over the weekend as air traffic controllers are set to miss first full paycheck

18:00 , Kelly Rissman

Trump administration officials are warning that flight delays at America’s airports will only increase as the holidays approach and a resolution to the ongoing federal government shutdown appears out of reach.

With the shutdown now in its 26th day, the stress points in Washington are beginning to show as federal workers appear to be on the brink of missing a second paycheck, due to hit bank accounts at the end of the week. That includes air traffic controllers, who are due to miss their first full paycheck on October 28 if Republicans and Democrats in Washington do not cut a deal. Controllers received a paycheck at a partial rate on October 15.

“This shutdown has real consequences for these hard-working American patriots,” said Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association.

John Bowden has the story.

FAA staffing shortages spike over the weekend with more than 50 airports impacted

Largest federal workers union demands end to shutdown as it enters fourth week

17:50 , Kelly Rissman

In a statement published Monday, the president of AFGE, the largest federal workers’ union representing 800,000 federal and DC government employees, called for Congress to end the shutdown and pass a “clean” continuing resolution.

“Both political parties have made their point, and still there is no clear end in sight,” Everett Kelley, AFGE National President, wrote.

“Today I’m making mine: it’s time to pass a clean continuing resolution and end this shutdown today. No half measures, and no gamesmanship. Put every single federal worker back on the job with full back pay — today.”

You can read the full statement here.

Trump’s final words on Jan 6 to Mike Pence revealed

17:30 , Kelly Rissman

A new book claims that President Donald Trump called Vice President Mike Pence a "wimp" during their final phone call just hours before the Capitol riot occurred.

The interaction was documented by Pence in his personal notes, which are being published for the first time in an upcoming book by ABC News' Jonathan Karl titled Retribution: Donald Trump and the Campaign that Changed America.

The note was reportedly going to be used by Special Counsel Jack Smith against Trump if the president's Capitol riot case ever went to trial.

Graig Graziosi has the story.

Trump’s final words on Jan 6 to Mike Pence revealed

ICYMI: Zelensky says Ukraine will work on ceasefire plan ‘in next 10 days’

17:20 , Kelly Rissman

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says his country will work on a plan for a ceasefire with Russia “in the coming 10 days.”

“President Trump is concerned about escalation,” Zelensky told Axios. “But I think that if there are no negotiations, there will be an escalation anyway. I think that if Putin doesn’t stop, we need something to stop him. Sanctions is one such weapon, but we also need long-range missiles.”

“We speak not only about Tomahawks. The US has a lot of similar things that doesn’t require much time for training. I think the way to work with Putin is only through pressure,” he added.

ANALYSIS: The government shutdown staring contest will finally get real this week

17:10 , Kelly Rissman

Democrats in Congress got hit with a sucker punch Monday when the American Federation of Government Employees, which represents federal workers, put out a statement calling for an end to the government shutdown.

“The path forward for Congress is clear: Reopen the government immediately under a clean continuing resolution that allows continued debate on larger issues,” AFGE president Everett Kelley said in a statement on Monday.

The statement poses a significant issue for Democrats in their strategy for the government shutdown.

Eric Garcia has the story.

The shutdown staring contest will finally get real this week: Who blinks first?

WATCH: Trump confirms he had an MRI but won't say what it was for

17:00 , Kelly Rissman

Both sides point fingers over whose responsible for SNAP benefits ending as shutdown drags into fourth week

16:50 , Kelly Rissman

House Speaker Mike Johnson said Democrats are in control of preventing 42 million Americans from losing SNAP benefits next month by ending the shutdown.

It just takes five Senate Democrats to “do the right thing,” he said before using his hands like a scale. “’Am I gonna starve my constituents or am I gonna appease the Marxists?’ That is their actual calculation,” Johnson said of Democrats.

"The best way for SNAP benefits to be paid on time is for the Democrats to end their shutdown,” he said.

Meanwhile, Democrats have placed blame on Republicans.

“The Trump Administration has the money to provide SNAP benefits next month, but he’s using the millions of families that could go hungry for leverage in shutdown negotiations instead,” California Senator Alex Padilla wrote on X Sunday.

Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar similarly posted Sunday: “The Trump Administration is choosing to let families go hungry even as grocery prices rise and millions struggle to afford food. The emergency funds exist to keep SNAP benefits going, but they’re refusing to act. It’s shameful and completely unacceptable.”

The government shutdown has continued for 27 days.

Newsom says he's giving 'serious thought' to a 2028 presidential run

16:40 , Kelly Rissman

California Governor Gavin Newsom said he’s considering a 2028 presidential run.

When asked if he was mulling a 2028 bid, the California Democrat told CBS News Sunday Morning: "I'd be lying otherwise.”

Newsom said he has given "serious thought" to the idea.

The governor has been an outspoken opponent of Trump, often trolling the president on social media.

Meanwhile, on Monday, Trump refused to rule out whether he’d run for a third term — despite Constitutionally-mandated limits.

WATCH: Trump says Putin's missile test 'not appropriate'

16:30 , Kelly Rissman

Timeline: Trump and Musk's relationship over the years, in a nutshell

16:15 , Kelly Rissman

President Donald Trump and Elon Musk have had a turbulent relationship over the years.

Here’s a brief timeline of their relationship:

  • June 2017: Musk was appointed by Trump during his first term to an economic advisory council, which he resigned from after the president announced he was withdrawing the U.S. from the Paris Climate Accord.
  • July 2024: After the assassination attempt against Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, the billionaire endorsed him and later donated more than a quarter of a billion dollars to his re-election campaign.
  • January 2025: Trump tapped Elon Musk to serve as one of the heads of his Department of Government Efficiency. During his tenure, Musk carried out mass layoffs in the federal workforce and claimed to have saved the government $175 billion.
  • May 2025: Shortly after Musk left the White House after his special government employee status expired, the Tesla CEO criticized Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill, angering the president. The pair engaged in a public social media feud.
  • September 2025: The duo were seen sitting next to one another at Charlie Kirk’s memorial in Arizona.
  • October 2025: Trump says that he and Musk are “good.” Musk had a “bad spell” but, the president said, “I like Elon and I suspect I'll always like him."

Trump demands ban on 'fake ads' that display his low poll numbers

15:55 , Kelly Rissman

President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social Monday demanding that “fake ads” about his dwindling polling numbers “shouldn’t be allowed to run.”

“After winning THREE Elections, BY A LOT, I am now getting the best Polling Numbers that I have ever received,” he wrote.

“Despite all of this, the Radical Left Losers are taking fake ads, not showing REAL Polls, but rather saying that I’m Polling at low levels. These are the people that I’ve been beating for years, and am continuing to do so, but by even bigger margins. These ads should not be allowed to run because they are FAKE!”

A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted earlier this month showed the president underwater on a range of key issues ranging from the economy, crime and immigration — traditionally his strongest areas — to inflation, jobs, cost-of-living and the rule of law.

According to statistician Nate Silver’s Silver Bulletin average of public polls, the president’s approval rating average peaked shortly after he took office at 52.4 percent and has fallen to a current 43.8 percent.

Andrew Feinberg has more.

Trump demands a ban on ‘fake ads’ that show off his shrinking polling numbers

Millions set to miss food stamps payments as Trump’s USDA blames Democrats

15:45 , Kelly Rissman

Nearly 42 million Americans and their families who rely on federal food assistance will not receive aid on November 1 without urgent funding from Congress, according to Donald Trump’s administration.

A notice on the Department of Agriculture’s website claims “the well has run dry” for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — and explicitly blames Senate Democrats for the ongoing impasse in Congress over a temporary funding measure that would end the federal government shutdown, which is now stretching into a fifth week.

The message, echoing the recent wave of partisan attacks on government websites, states “there will be no benefits” November 1.

Alex Woodward has the story.

Trump administration says food stamp payments end November 1: ‘The well has run dry’

WATCH: Biden says America depends on a presidency with limited power

15:25 , Kelly Rissman

Indiana GOP governor will hold special session to consider redistricting: report

15:15 , Kelly Rissman

Indiana Republican Governor Mike Braun is reportedly calling a special session in order to redraw the congressional map ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

“I am calling a special legislative session to protect Hoosiers from efforts in other states that seek to diminish their voice in Washington and ensure their representation in Congress is fair,” Braun said in a statement.

The special session is scheduled for November 3.

The announcement marks a significant shift in the state since last week, when a spokesperson for the state Senate leader told Politico: “The votes aren’t there for redistricting.”

In August, Texas redrew its congressional map in hopes that Republicans would pick up five additional seats. This month, the GOP-controlled North Carolina legislature passed a redrawn map to get an extra seat.

Meanwhile, Democrats in Virginia and California are pushing for redistricting in favor of Democrats.

As millions could lose SNAP benefits next month, the USDA site blames Democrats

15:05 , Kelly Rissman

Nearly 42 million Americans won’t have access to SNAP food benefits come November due the shutdown. The USDA website is blaming Democrats.

“Senate Democrats have now voted 12 times to not fund the food stamp program, also known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Bottom line, the well has run dry,” a note on the USDA website reads.

“At this time, there will be no benefits issued November 01. We are approaching an inflection point for Senate Democrats. They can continue to hold out for healthcare for illegal aliens and gender mutilation procedures or reopen the government so mothers, babies, and the most vulnerable among us can receive critical nutrition assistance.”

The USDA’s site banner is just one of several partisan messages that have been posted on official government websites since the shutdown began on October 1.

Watchdog groups earlier this month warned that the Trump administration’s messaging could be violating the Hatch Act, a federal law that prohibits federal employees from engaging in political activity.

Alex Woodward has more on the Hatch Act.

Trump is using taxpayer dollars to blame Democrats for the shutdown. Is it legal?

Donald Trump suspects he will ‘always like’ Elon Musk

14:55 , Kelly Rissman

President Donald Trump has confessed that he suspects he will “always like” his former ally and current political frenemy Elon Musk.

Speaking on board Air Force One, the president said that his highly-publicized falling out with Musk was a “very stupid” moment in the tech CEO’s life.

The pair previously clashed over the president’s Big, Beautiful Bill earlier this year, leading to a whirlwind of accusations shortly after Musk left the White House.

Owen Scott has the latest.

Trump hits Canada with bigger tariffs over ‘fraudulent’ Reagan ad

Canada is 'far more popular' than Donald Trump, new CNN poll finds

14:45 , Kelly Rissman

The latest popularity polling by CNN finds that Canada is ‘far more popular’ than President Donald Trump.

"Canada is far more popular than Donald Trump is here in the United States,” CNN’s Harry Enten said Monday.

The net popularity of Canada is +49 while the net popularity of Trump is -10, the CNN poll found.

The U.S. president said over the weekend that he was increasing tariffs on Canada by 10 percent after the province of Ontario refused to pull an anti-tariff ad featuring former U.S. President Ronald Reagan.

“We're talking about Canada coming out nearly 60 points ahead on the net popularity rating versus Donald Trump here in the United States,” Enten continued.

“When you pick on Canada as the United States president, you are picking on a country that the American people adore,” he said.

WATCH: Newsom adamant Trump’s presidency ends next November

14:35 , Kelly Rissman

Flight disruptions as air traffic controller shortages continue amid shutdown

14:25 , Kelly Rissman

Flight disruptions continue as the shutdown drags on into the fourth week.

Air traffic controllers are “wearing thin,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures” over the weekend.

“Just yesterday … we had 22 staffing triggers,” he said. “That’s one of the highest that we have seen in the system since the shutdown began.”

Los Angeles International Airport temporarily halted flights due to staffing shortages at the Southern California TRACON, which provides air traffic control for the region.

Air traffic controllers are currently working without pay during the shutdown.

Duffy said some are looking for other work to pay the bills. “They’re taking second jobs, they’re out there looking, ‘Can I drive Uber, can I find another source of income to make ends meet?’” he told the network.

Two US Navy aircraft go down 30 minutes apart in South China Sea

14:15 , Kelly Rissman

Two U.S. Navy aircraft have gone down in the South China Sea in separate incidents within 30 minutes of each other, according to the U.S. Pacific Fleet.

President Donald Trump described the back-to-back crashes as “very unusual” and suggested a possible fuel issue while speaking to reporters on board Air Force One Monday, during his flight from Malaysia to Japan.“They think it might be bad fuel. We’re gonna find out. Nothing to hide, sir,” Trump said in response to a reporter’s question.

The two aircraft were conducting routine operations over disputed waters, which China claims to own. Five crew members were involved, all of whom have been safely rescued. Both aircraft were deployed from the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz.

Read the full story.

Two US Navy aircraft go down 30 minutes apart in South China Sea

Trump didn't rule out running for a third term — but he ruled out running for VP

14:05 , Kelly Rissman

Despite the 22nd Amendment prohibiting presidents from serving more than two terms, Trump said he wouldn’t rule out running again in 2028.

Speaking on Air Force One Monday, a reporter asked whether Trump would run for vice president to return to the White House.

Trump said he’d be “allowed” to do that, but dismissed the idea.

"I wouldn't do that. I think it's too cute. Yeah, I would rule that out because it's too cute. I think the people wouldn't like that. It's too cute. It's not - it wouldn't be right,” he told reporters.

Even if he ran for the vice presidency and then asked the president to resign so he could assume the presidency, he would run into another issue: the 12th Amendment. It states: "No person constitutionally ineligible to the office of President shall be eligible to that of Vice-President of the United States."

In photos: Trump meets Japan's Emperor Naruhito

13:55 , Kelly Rissman
U.S. President Donald Trump is welcomed by Japan's Emperor Naruhito upon his arrival at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Japan, October 27, 2025. REUTERS/Issei Kato/Pool (REUTERS)
Japan's Emperor Naruhito walks out with US President Donald Trump after their meeting at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on October 27, 2025. Donald Trump arrived in Japan on October 27, the next leg of an Asia tour that could see the US president and China's Xi Jinping end the bruising trade war between the world's largest economies. (Photo by Issei Kato / POOL / AFP) (Photo by ISSEI KATO/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

US President Donald Trump meets with Japan's Emperor Naruhito at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on October 27, 2025. Donald Trump arrived in Japan on October 27, the next leg of an Asia tour that could see the US president and China's Xi Jinping end the bruising trade war between the world's largest economies. (Photo by Kazuhiro NOGI / POOL / AFP) (Photo by KAZUHIRO NOGI/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Joe Biden urges Americans to stay positive amid political ‘dark days’

13:45 , Kelly Rissman

Former President Joe Biden called these “dark days” as he urged Americans to stay optimistic and not to check out in response to what he says are attacks on free speech and tests on the limits of executive power by President Donald Trump.

“Since its founding, America served as a beacon for the most powerful idea ever in government in the history of the world,” Biden said.

“The idea is stronger than any army. We’re more powerful than any dictator.”

Biden, 82, speaking publicly for the first time since completing a round of radiation therapy for an aggressive form of prostate cancer, addressed an audience in Boston on Sunday night after receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Edward M. Kennedy Institute.

Read the full story.

Joe Biden urges Americans to stay positive amid political ‘dark days’

Japan gives Trump warm welcome as he touches down in Tokyo

13:35 , Kelly Rissman

Prime Minister of Japan Sanae Takaichi offered U.S. President Donald Trump a warm welcome before he touched down in Tokyo on Monday.

“Welcome to Japan, @realDonaldTrump!” the prime minister wrote on X, showing photos of Tokyo’s buildings lit up in red, white and blue in honor of Trump’s visit.

“Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow and having a fruitful discussion on how we can further strengthen our great Alliance. Special lighting honoring President Trump’s visit is now illuminating landmarks across Tokyo!”

Largest federal workers' union calls to end shutdown as it enters fourth week

13:25 , Kelly Rissman

The government shutdown has dragged on for 27 days, the second-longest in U.S. history, as Democrats and Republicans are still at an impasse.

AFGE — the largest federal workers’ union in the country that represents over 800,000 federal and D.C. government employees — urged lawmakers to pass a continuing resolution to put an end to the shutdown.

“Both political parties have made their point, and still there is no clear end in sight,” Everett Kelley, AFGE National President, said in a statement Monday.

“Today I’m making mine: it’s time to pass a clean continuing resolution and end this shutdown today. No half measures, and no gamesmanship. Put every single federal worker back on the job with full back pay — today.”

The statement puts pressure on Democrats, who have stood firm in not reaching a deal without Republicans meeting their healthcare demands.

“It’s time for our leaders to start focusing on how to solve problems for the American people, rather than on who is going to get the blame for a shutdown that Americans dislike,” Kelley said.

WATCH: Trump doesn’t rule out an unconstitutional third term run

13:15 , Kelly Rissman

Did Trump get an MRI scan this month?

13:05 , Kelly Rissman

The president admitted Monday that he underwent an MRI scan at Walter Reed during his visit to the medical center this month.

“I did. I got an MRI. It was perfect,” he bragged in yet another assertion of his perfect health.

“I gave you the full results,” he continued. “We had an MRI, and the machine, you know, the whole thing, and it was perfect.”

Owen Scott has the full story.

Trump admits that he recently received an MRI scan at Walter Reed

Jeffries to meet with Illinois Democrats about redistricting: report

12:55 , Kelly Rissman

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is heading to Illinois to put pressure on state Democrats to redraw a map ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, according to a report.

Jeffries plans to meet with the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus, Punchbowl News reported. However, state lawmakers have warned that redistricting could dilute Black political influence in historically Black districts.

A redrawn map in Illinois could give Democrats one extra House seat in the midterms.

Legislatures in Texas and North Carolina have passed redrawn maps in favor of Republicans picking up additional seats while Democrats in Virginia and California are pushing to do the same to counteract GOP efforts.

Trump once again brags about 'very hard' cognitive tests

12:45 , Kelly Rissman

After describing House Democratic Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Jasmine Crockett as “low IQ,” Trump suggested they take the “very hard” cognitive tests that he passed.

“If you give her an IQ test, have her pass like the exams that I decided to take when I was at Walter Reed,” he said on Air Force One Monday.

“Those are very hard… They're really aptitude tests, I guess in a certain way, but they're cognitive tests. Let AOC go against Trump. Let Jasmine go against Trump.”

He then dug into the test itself.

“The first couple of questions are easy. A tiger, an elephant, a giraffe, you know. When you get up to about five or six, and then when you get up to 10 and 20 and 25, they couldn’t come close to answering any of those questions,” he said.

In July 2020, the president bragged about passing a test in which he was asked to remember “person, woman, man, camera, TV.”

“If you get it in order you get extra points. He said nobody gets it in order, it’s actually not that easy, but for me, it was easy. And that’s not an easy question,” he boasted at the time.

'I would love to do it’: Trump doesn't rule out running for a third term

12:35 , Kelly Rissman

President Donald Trump refused to rule out running for a third term — despite the Constitution barring him from serving more than two presidential terms.

Speaking on Air Force One on Monday on his way to Tokyo, a reporter cited recent comments by Trump ally Steve Bannon, who claimed last week that Trump would be president in 2028: “Is that something you’d be willing to challenge at the court to be able to do?”

“I haven’t really thought about it. We have some very good people as you know, but I have the best poll numbers I’ve ever had,” Trump replied.

Trump doesn’t rule out an unconstitutional third term run: ‘I would love to do it’

Trump and Kim Jong-un could meet soon, former adviser says

12:25 , Joe Sommerlad

The president has expressed a willingness to extend his trip to the Far East in order to accommodate a repeat of one of the more successful diplomatic ventures of his first term: extending the hand of friendship to North Korea’s isolated leader.

Isabel Keane reports.

Trump and Kim Jong-un could be primed for meeting during the president’s Asia trip

Trump interrupts Asia trip to go on new Tylenol and childhood vaccines rant

12:05 , Joe Sommerlad

Here’s Owen Scott with more on the president’s social media output during his current diplomatic jaunt, which has included a revival of one of his pet medical theories.

Trump launches fresh Tylenol rant during landmark Asia trip

Trump admits he recently received an MRI scan at Walter Reed

11:45 , Joe Sommerlad

Also on board the presidential plane, the commander-in-chief revealed a little more about his recent trip to the top Maryland medical institution.

Owen Scott has this one too.

Trump admits that he recently received an MRI scan at Walter Reed

‘I’ve always liked Elon,’ Trump says

11:25 , Joe Sommerlad

Here’s a little more from the president’s Q&A with reporters earlier en route to Tokyo, which found him insulting progressive Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, bragging about his mental acuity and teasing running for a third term, as he has done many times before.

Perhaps most significantly, he also hinted at a rapprochement with Elon Musk.

Here’s Owen Scott with the story.

Donald Trump suspects that he will ‘always like’ Elon Musk

Japan’s PM greets Trump with red, white and blue light display

11:05 , Joe Sommerlad

Sanae Takaichi lays the groundwork for “fruitful discussions” with her American guest by lighting up Tokyo’s landmarks in his honor.

Trump departs Imperial Palace

10:45 , Joe Sommerlad

“He’s a great man,” the president says of Emperor Naruhito as he returns to his motorcade.

Trump cabinet officials to meet their counterparts ahead of president's encounter with Takaichi

10:31 , Joe Sommerlad

U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Japanese counterpart Ryosei Akazawa, architects of the tariff deal agreed in July, are set to hold a working lunch on Monday while Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is also expected to meet his new counterpart, Satsuki Katayama, for the first time.

Trump and Takaichi are set to meet at the nearby Akasaka Palace, where he met Abe six years ago, and will be welcomed by a military honour guard.

Among the investment pledges, the two countries will reportedly sign a memorandum of understanding on Tuesday on investment in shipbuilding.

Takaichi is also expected to reassure Trump that Tokyo is willing to do more on security after telling lawmakers on Friday she plans to accelerate Japan's biggest defence build-up since the Second World War.

Japan hosts the largest concentration of U.S. military power abroad. Trump has said previously Tokyo is not spending enough to defend its islands from an increasingly assertive China.

While Takaichi has said she will speed plans to boost defence spending to 2 percent of GDP, she may struggle to commit Japan to any further increases that Trump seeks, as her ruling coalition does not have a majority in parliament.

Meanwhile, thousands of police are guarding Tokyo. A knife-wielding man was arrested on Friday outside the U.S. embassy and an anti-Trump protest is planned in downtown Shinjuku.

Japan's new prime minister Sanae Takaichi (AFP/Getty)

Trump reunited with emperor for first time in six years

10:10 , Joe Sommerlad

The U.S. president was the first foreign leader to meet Naruhito after he came to the throne in 2019, continuing an imperial line that some say is the world’s oldest hereditary monarchy.

Naruhito’s role, however, is purely symbolic, and the key diplomacy will take place with brand new PM Sanae Takaichi on Tuesday.

Trump has already won a $550 billion investment pledge from Tokyo in exchange for respite from punishing import tariffs.

But Takaichi is hoping to further impress Trump with promises to purchase U.S. pickup trucks, soybeans and gas, and announce an agreement on shipbuilding, according to Reuters

Takaichi, who became Japan’s first female premier last week, told Trump that strengthening their countries’ alliance was her “top priority” in a telephone call on Saturday.

Trump said he was looking forward to meeting Takaichi, a close ally of his late friend and golfing partner, former PM Shinzo Abe, adding: “I think she’s going to be great.”

(AFP/Getty)

In pictures: Trump meets Emperor Naruhito

09:45 , Joe Sommerlad

The president has arrived at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo.

(Reuters)
(Reuters)

Trump continues to fume over Ontario’s Ronald Reagan advert

09:35 , Joe Sommerlad

En route to Tokyo, the president took questions from the press corps and still seemed to be furious about the Canadian province’s advert featuring Reagan speaking out against the use of tariffs as a foreign policy weapon (a real clip from a 1987 radio address).

He did not rule out further financial support for Argentina after Milei’s election win, blamed Joe Biden for the plight of American farmers and hinted that he could threaten Chairman Kim with sanctions.

Trump’s Japan itinerary explained

09:15 , Joe Sommerlad

The president’s schedule for this leg of his Asia tour is as follows:

Today, he’ll be meeting with the Emperor of Japan at the Imperial Palace, Tokyo, at 6.30pm local time (5.30am ET/9.30am GMT).

Later, he will participate in an extended bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who only took office on Tuesday (9.30am local time or 8.30pm ET/12.30am GMT), and then address U.S. troops aboard the USS George Washington in Yokosuka (3.45pm local time or 2.45am ET/6.45am GMT).

Finally, he will attend a reception and dinner with Japanese business leaders (7.05pm local or 6.05am ET/10.05am GMT).

Truth Social: Trump posts about Argentina, local politics and redecorating

09:00 , Joe Sommerlad

The president was busy on social media during his flight to Japan, posting twice about his ally Javier Milei’s electoral success in Argentina, three times about domestic political matters and twice about redecorating – first the Kennedy Center and then the Oval Office.

In pictures: Trump and entourage disembark Air Force One

08:40 , Joe Sommerlad

Here’s the president, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and their aides landing in Tokyo for the second leg of their Asia tour.

(Getty)
(Getty)
(Reuters)
(Reuters)

Live: Donald Trump arrives in Japan

08:21 , Joe Sommerlad

The president has just touched down at Haneda Airport in Tokyo and you can watch a livefeed of Air Force One below.

In pictures: Trump kicks off his Asia tour

08:00 , Josh Marcus

(Getty)
(AFP/Getty)
(AP)
(AFP/Getty)

Federal workers turn to food banks and side hustles in face of government shutdown

06:00 , Josh Marcus

More than 1 million federal workers are not being paid as a result of the ongoing government shutdown under the Trump administration.

In the face of this lost income, some are turning to side gigs like walking dogs while others have gone to food banks to be able to get groceries.

Jill Hornick, a Social Security worker, told The New York Times she broke down after getting a paycheck for $0 in the mail from the agency.

“This is the only income I have,” she said. “And I just started crying. I had a meltdown.”

Trump administration announces food stamps will run out on November 1

04:30 , Josh Marcus

A major program giving food aid to the needy will run out of funds on November 1 because of the ongoing government shutdown, according to the Trump administration U.S. Department of Agriculture.

“Senate Democrats have now voted 12 times to not fund the food stamp program, also known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP),” the department wrote in a banner message on its website. “Bottom line, the well has run dry. At this time, there will be no benefits issued November 01.”

“We are approaching an inflection point for Senate Democrats,” the agency added, accusing Democrats of seeking to pay for “healthcare for illegals.”

Democrats have in fact urged Republicans to reinstate healthcare subsidies intended for U.S. citizens as part of negotiations to end the shutdown.

Trump and Kim Jong-un could be primed for a surprise meeting during the president’s Asia trip

02:54 , Josh Marcus

A former advisor to President Donald Trump hypothesized that there may be a surprise meeting between the president and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as Trump begins his Asian tour.

“Well, it’s…always expect the unexpected with Donald Trump, right? And so there’s not a meeting scheduled,” KT McFarland, a former deputy national security advisor for Trump, told Newsmax Saturday.

“But President Trump had had an outreach meeting with the North Korean president during his first term,” McFarland, a former Fox News host, added.

“And it was very successful because, as a result of that meeting, the North Koreans stopped testing nuclear weapons. They stopped testing missiles.”

Isabel Keane has the story.

Trump and Kim Jong-un could be primed for meeting during the president’s Asia trip

Shutdown causes flight stoppage at Los Angeles airport

01:54 , Josh Marcus

(AFP via Getty Images)

Flights were temporarily halted at Los Angeles International Airport on Sunday due to a staffing shortage at a Southern California air traffic control facility, the latest sign of the strain the ongoing government shutdown is putting on core operations.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy sharply criticized the Democrats on Sunday in an interview on Fox News, blaming what he called the “Schumer-Jeffries shutdown” for ongoing problems at airports like LAX.

“I don’t want our controllers going to a food bank,” he said. “We don’t have the best tech in our airspace but we do have the best controllers. These are well-qualified professionals that keep our airspace safe, our planes moving on-time, and the fact they have to think about how they put food on the table and need airlines to put food into the towers so that they can have a lunch and dinner is outrageous.”

Trump administration jokingly claims credit for ending 'Console Wars' over 'Halo' video game series

00:54 , Josh Marcus

The Trump administration, which frequently touts the president’s diplomatic prowess and has publicly angled for a Nobel Prize, jokingly claimed credit for stopping a lesser-known conflict on Sunday: The Console Wars.

“NUMBER 9: President Trump presides over the end of the 20-year Console Wars,” the White House wrote on X, referencing the long-running inability of PlayStation gamers to have access to titles in the Microsoft-exclusive Halo franchise.

The post came after GameStop also issued a mock-treaty announcement following the news that Halo: Combat Evolved will be coming to PlayStation in 2026.

Trump administration detains British journalist at airport

Sunday 26 October 2025 23:50 , Josh Marcus

Sami Hamdi, a British journalist and activist and outspoken critic of the Israeli war in Gaza, was arrested by U.S. immigration agents Sunday at San Francisco International Airport.

“Earlier this morning, ICE agents abducted British Muslim journalist and political commentator Sami Hamdi at San Francisco Airport, apparently in response to his vocal criticism of the Israeli government during his ongoing speaking tour,” the Council on American-Islamic Relations civil rights group wrote on X.

Hamdi had spoken at a gala for the group on Saturday in California and was heading to Florida for another event prior to his arrest.

“We can confirm that Mr. Hamdi has not been deported and remains in custody,” CAIR added. “Our attorneys and partners are working to address this injustice.”

Read on for all the details.

British journalist Sami Hamdi ‘abducted’ by ICE agents at San Francisco airport

California governor torches Trump as 'invasive species'

Sunday 26 October 2025 22:20 , Josh Marcus

Gavin Newsom clearly has no love lost for Donald Trump.

In an interview with CBS News aired on Sunday, the Democrat compared the president to an “invasive species.”

“He’s an invasive species for the country, for the world,” Newsom, who is frequently at odds with Trump, said. “He’s a wrecking ball, not just the symbolism and the substance of the [demolition of the White House] East Wing, but he’s wrecking alliances, truth, trust, tradition, institutions.”

Newsom took particular issue with the White House’s recent threat to launch — then sudden decision to pause — a federal immigration crackdown in Newsom’s hometown of San Francisco.

The governor said that the state doesn’t need such a military-style operation and pointed to California’s ongoing cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials to remove dangerous criminals from the state prison system.

“That’s not what this is about and everybody knows it,” Newsom said. “You don’t just randomly show up at a carwash and tell me it’s about the worse of the worst.”

President continues making unfounded claims about Tylenol and vaccines

Sunday 26 October 2025 21:51 , Josh Marcus

Donald Trump is continuing to urge expecting mothers and new parents not to use Tylenol, reiterating the administration’s unsupported claims that the painkiller causes autism.

“Pregnant Women, DON’T USE TYLENOL UNLESS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY, DON’T GIVE TYLENOL TO YOUR YOUNG CHILD FOR VIRTUALLY ANY REASON,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Sunday.

The post also repeated many of the president’s scientifically unsupported claims that parents should delay immediately giving their children full doses of recommended vaccines.

Last month, we reported on why the administration’s claims about Tylenol and autism are inaccurate.

Trump and RFK Jr claim Tylenol is linked to autism. Experts say that’s a lie

Trump guilty of ordering ‘extrajudicial killings’ with strikes on alleged drug boats, Republican senator says

Sunday 26 October 2025 21:29 , Josh Marcus

A Republican senator has escalated his opposition to the Trump administration’s war on alleged narcotics traffickers in the Caribbean Sea, which it is pursuing without congressional authorization.

Sen. Rand Paul was on Fox News Sunday, where he described the military campaign against vessels in the region as “extrajudicial killings”, a term which implies that he believes the entire effort to be illegal absent a mandate from Congress. He also described them as “wrong”.

"I would call them extrajudicial killings. This is akin to what China does, what Iran does with drug dealers,” the senator claimed. “They summarily execute people without presenting evidence to the public. So it's wrong."

Paul went on to point out that the Trump administration was, without constitutionally required approval from the Legislative Branch, changing the terms of engagement for narco-traffickers. What was previously a matter of law enforcement — where deadly strikes on vessels without warning would be completely prohibited — the White House was now treating the situation as a military matter, where the senator noted that people are often killed without due process of a trial and sentencing.

John Bowden reports from Washington.

Trump ordering ‘extrajudicial killings’ with boat strikes, Republican senator says

Did Trump ignore State Department advice that Putin doesn't want to end the war in Ukraine?

Sunday 26 October 2025 21:00 , Josh Marcus

Intelligence analysts inside the Trump administration were reportedly divided over whether Vladimir Putin was sincerely interested in negotiating an end to the Ukraine war.

Ahead of a controversial August summit in Alaska between Trump and Putin, the State Department’s internal intelligence agency took a more dim view of the question than other sectors of the administration, warning the president of Putin’s reluctance to end the conflict in assessments and presidential briefings, The Wall Street Journal reports.

“We kept standing firm,” John Williams, who resigned earlier this year from his post as director of the State Department’s Russia-Eurasia analysis in the intelligence bureau, told the paper. “We didn’t see that [Putin] had incentive to negotiate an end to the war.”

“In the Intelligence Community, differing perspectives aren’t just normal—they’re necessary,” the office of the administration’s Director of National Intelligence said in a statement in response to the reporting. “That debate is how we ensure our decision-makers have the most accurate picture possible to protect the safety and freedom of the American people.”

More details in our full story.

State Department thought Putin had no interest in ending the war in Ukraine: report

Megamillionaire Treasury Secretary claims he is another farmer being hit by Trump's tariffs

Sunday 26 October 2025 20:41 , Josh Marcus

(AP)

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, a former hedge fund manager with an estimated net worth near $600 million, claimed Sunday he can relate to farmers anxious over Trump’s tariffs because he’s a farmer too.

“In case you don't know it, I'm actually a soybean farmer, so I have felt this pain,” Bessent told ABC News on Sunday.

Bessent reportedly owns $25 million worth of farmland across North Dakota he rents to producers.

Bessent added in his ABC interview that a soon-to-be-announced trade deal with China would bring relief, though he declined to “get ahead of the president” and disclosure exactly how.

'He can exercise king-like powers': Dem senator claims Trump 'likes' government shutdown as way to consolidate rule

Sunday 26 October 2025 20:11 , Josh Marcus

Donald Trump is actually glad the government is shut down, according to Sen. Chris Murphy, Democrat of Connecticut.

"One of the reasons that President Trump is refusing to negotiate is because he likes the fact the government is closed because he thinks he can exercise ling-like powers,” Murphy told CNN on Sunday. “He can open up the parts of the government that he wants. He can pay the employees who are loyal to him. This is a leader who is trying to transition our government from a democracy to something much closer to a totalitarian state.”

Murphy, who serves on the Appropriations Committee, pointed to the recent private donation of $130 million, reportedly from a top Trump campaign donor, to fund U.S. troops during the shutdown as an example of Trump’s increasingly personalist style, which often involves making major moves without consulting Congress.

“This is part of what happens in totalitarian states -- the leader, the regime only, decides what things get funded and what don't often in coordination with their oligarch friends."

Trump administration intel experts split on whether Putin actually wants to end the war in Ukraine

Sunday 26 October 2025 19:24 , Josh Marcus

(Getty)

Analysts within the Trump administration reportedly had clashing opinions this summer over whether Russian President Vladimir Putin actually wanted to end the war in Ukraine, as the president prepared to meet him for a summit in Alaska.

The Central Intelligence Agency had a relatively optimistic outlook, The Wall Street Journal reports, while the State Department’s internal intelligence team was more doubtful.

As the year wears on, it seems the latter party may have been correct, or at least more in line with the president’s present thinking.

Trump has sanctioned major Russia oil companies this month in a bid to force Putin’s hand, and the White House called off a meeting Trump claimed would take place with the Russian leader in Budapest in the coming weeks.

Is another Trump-led DOJ crackdown on the way?

Sunday 26 October 2025 19:17 , Josh Marcus

Donald Trump may be in Asia, but that hasn’t stopped the president from returning to his repeatedly debunked and false claim that the 2020 U.S. presidential election was rigged and he was the true winner.

In a Truth Social post on Sunday, the president compared the 2020 election to the recent NBA gambling scandal and seemed to call on federal officials to launch prosecutions.

“The 2020 Presidential Election, being Rigged and Stolen, is a far bigger SCANDAL,” Trump wrote. “Look what happened to our Country when a Crooked Moron became our “President!” We now know everything. I hope the DOJ pursues this with as much ‘gusto’ as befitting the biggest SCANDAL in American history!”

In the post, he also claimed without evidence that California’s effort to pass a redistricting ballot measure to counter a Trump-led GOP effort to add more seats in Texas was “totally dishonest” with “Millions of Ballots being ‘shipped.’”

The president’s scathing post echoes one from earlier this month that came shortly before the Justice Department launched a prosecution against former FBI director James Comey, a frequent subject of criticism from the president.

Trump oversees ‘historic’ ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia

Sunday 26 October 2025 18:15 , Josh Marcus

Donald Trump has hailed a “historic” ceasefire between Cambodia and Thailand after both nations signed an expansion of the peace deal to end their border conflict.

The US president, who was in Malaysia on Sunday, had used the threat of higher tariffs against both countries to force them to agree to end a century-old dispute that has killed dozens and displaced hundreds of thousands.

President Trump announced that both sides had agreed to cease all hostilities and that the “peace deal” would save millions of lives.

At least 18 Cambodian prisoners of war would be released following the ceasefire extension. The agreement mandates both sides to begin removing heavy weapons from the border.

Alisha Rahaman Sarkar has the story.

Trump oversees ‘historic’ ceasefire deal as Thailand and Cambodia end border dispute

Trump faces bipartisan condemnation over Caribbean anti-drug strikes

Sunday 26 October 2025 17:59 , Josh Marcus

The president is facing sharp criticism from members of both parties over his continued use of military strikes against alleged drug boats in the Caribbean.

"I would call them extrajudicial killings. This akin to what China does and Iran does,” Sen. Rand Paul, Republican of Kentucky, told Fox News on Sunday. “They summarily execute people without presenting evidence to the public. It's wrong.”

Sen. Ruben Gallego, Democrat of Arizona, had a similar line of argument.

"It's murder. It's very simple. If the president feels they're doing something illegally, then he should be using the Coast Guard,” he told Meet the Press. “This is murder. It's sanctioned murder."

Two major U.S.-China deals may be reached during Trump's Asia tour

Sunday 26 October 2025 17:40 , Josh Marcus

Trump canceled all trade negotiations with Canada on Thursday after learning about an anti-tariff ad featuring former President Ronald Reagan that he claims may have be AI genterated (Getty Images)

The U.S. and China could reach multiple major deals while Trump is in Asia.

Both countries have reached a framework of a deal to avoid further escalating their ongoing trade war, U.S. officials said.

“We are moving forward to the final details of the type of agreement that the leaders can review and decide if they want to conclude together,” U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told reporters in Malaysia.

And both parties are set to agree to a deal for TikTok, which the U.S. has been weighing banning unless its U.S. operations find new owners.

“My remit was to get the Chinese to agree to approve the transaction, and I believe we successfully accomplished that over the past two days,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Face the Nation today.

Trump's trade-focused Asia tour is underway

Sunday 26 October 2025 17:36 , Josh Marcus

Hello and welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of Donald Trump’s ongoing diplomatic tour of Asia.

During the trip, the president is hoping to finalize U.S.-China deals over the ongoing trade war and the threatened U.S. ban of TikTok.

We’ll be following all the latest developments. Stay tuned.

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