In a surprisingly friendly press conference Friday, President Donald Trump brushed off New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s past comments calling the president a “fascist” and declared that he “can do a very good job.”
The two political leaders praised one another for their willingness to collaborate to make the city more affordable by lowering prices and increasing housing.
Trump said they had more in common than he expected and expressed optimism about the city’s future under Mamdani’s leadership.
“You’re going to have, hopefully, a really great mayor,” Trump said with a smile.
During the mayoral race, tensions between the two were high; Trump called Mamdani a “communist,” and Mamdani, who called Trump a “fascist,” used his opposition to the president to appeal to voters.
But when asked about their previously contentious relationship, the two men laughed off their insults and stayed on message that they plan to work together to make Trump’s hometown more affordable and safer.
At one point in the press conference, which has since gone viral, Mamdani was asked whether he thought the president was a fascist. Before Mamdani could answer, Trump said, “That’s ok. You could just say yes. It’s easier than explaining it.”
Key Posts
- Mamdani and Trump appear as unified front, despite political differences
- Trump breaks down his ‘punishable by death’ threat to ‘seditious’ Democrats for Fox News host
- Trump predicts Mamdani will be ‘really great mayor’ for NYC
- What are Zohran Mamdani's policies?
- House votes to denounce socialism ahead of Mamdani meeting
Trump says it was a 'great honor' to meet Mamdani
01:37 , Rachel DobkinAfter a friendly press conference in the Oval Office Friday, President Donald Trump continued the love-fest between him and New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani.
“It was a Great Honor meeting Zohran Mamdani, the new Mayor of New York City!” he wrote on Truth Social alongside a photo of the two.
In pictures: Trump's meeting with Mamdani at the White House
01:30 , Rachel Dobkin
Watch: Trump says he thinks Mamdani will be a 'really great mayor'
01:10 , Rachel DobkinTrump: I think you're going to have hopefully a really great mayor. The better he does, the happier I am, I will say. pic.twitter.com/2u1NdHDFg0
— Acyn (@Acyn) November 21, 2025
Democrat says lesson can be learned from Trump-Mamdani meeting: 'Always stand up to a bully'
00:50 , Rachel DobkinSenator Chris Van Hollen gave a message following a friendly press conference between New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani and President Donald Trump.
“Let this be a lesson: Always stand up to a bully,” the Maryland Democrat wrote on X Friday.
Don't forget: President Trump relentlessly attacked @zohrankmamdani & did everything to stop his win.
— Senator Chris Van Hollen (@ChrisVanHollen) November 21, 2025
It's funny how his tune changed when confronted with Mamdani’s actual focus on affordability — something Trump claims to care about.
Let this be a lesson: Always stand up to a…
Trump wants ‘Trumpcare’ solutions by January 30 as Americans’ health premiums soar
00:30 , Josh MarcusPresident Donald Trump is calling on Republicans to have solutions ready by late January to address healthcare costs that will spike once Obamacare subsidies lapse at the end of the year.
“We have a Jan. 30 day coming up, I’d like to see if we could do it by then,” Trump told Fox News Radio on Friday. “They say, ‘Well, let’s go another year.’ And I said, ‘let’s see if we can get it done by Jan. 30.’”
“I want to give the money that we give to the insurance companies directly to the people, that the people buy their own health insurance, and that’s what’s going to happen,” the president added. “I believe that there’s good support on both sides for that.”
The statements mark the first time the president has put forth an explicit timeline for his healthcare plans, which he has said will include a proposal for “Trumpcare” that would ultimately replace the Affordable Care Act.
Read on...
Trump wants ‘Trumpcare’ solutions by January 30 as Americans’ health premiums soar
Letitia James says Mamdani 'has the leadership we need in this moment' after Trump meeting
00:10 , Rachel DobkinNew York Attorney General Letitia James, who brought a fraud lawsuit against Donald Trump, said Friday that New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani “has the leadership we need in this moment” after he met with the president.
After meeting with the President, our next Mayor @ZohranKMamdani showed why he is ready to lead our city.
— NY AG James (@NewYorkStateAG) November 21, 2025
He has a plan to keep us safe, make sure New Yorkers can afford their lives, and he has the leadership we need in this moment.
JD Vance reacts to moment Trump tells Mamdani it's ok to call him a fascist
Friday 21 November 2025 23:50 , Rachel DobkinEarlier Friday, New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani was asked in front of Donald Trump whether he thought the president was a fascist.
Before Mamdani could answer, Trump said, “That’s ok. You could just say yes. It’s easier than explaining it.”
Vice President JD Vance reacted to the viral moment, writing on X Friday, “POTUS has a lot of good moments but this is an all-timer.”
Watch: Elizabeth Warren says Trump has a 'terrible' affordability problem and wants to piggyback off Mamdani's success
Friday 21 November 2025 23:30 , Rachel DobkinSenator Elizabeth Warren told CNN Thursday that President Donald Trump has a “terrible” affordability problem and wants to piggyback off New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani's success.
Warren: He's just trying to take a little of the shine that Zohran Mamdani has and see if he can, you know, rub a little on Donald Trump. pic.twitter.com/GVk6AyRrk6
— Acyn (@Acyn) November 21, 2025
Following sweeping electoral victories earlier this month by Democrats who campaigned on affordability, including Mamdani, Trump has tried to do damage control, claiming that gas and grocery prices are down, and Republicans just haven’t been vocal enough about it.
Gas prices are lower than they were in 2022, when they were around $5 per gallon. The national average is around $3 a gallon now.
But the annual inflation rate still remains above the Federal Reserve’s 2 percent target. It was 3 percent in September. There was no data for October released due to the government shutdown.
Mamdani shares details about his conversation with Trump
Friday 21 November 2025 23:10 , Rachel DobkinNew York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani told reporters Friday, "I've spoken about the Israeli government committing genocide, and I've spoken about our government funding it, and I shared with the president in our meeting about the concern that many New Yorkers have of wanting their tax dollars to go towards the benefit of New Yorkers and their ability to afford basic dignity.”
Israel vehemently denies that it is committing a genocide in Gaza.
Watch: Fox News host reacts to friendly Mamdani-Trump press conference : 'I think JD Vance is jealous'
Friday 21 November 2025 22:50 , Rachel DobkinKilmeade: That's what we just watched. I think JD Vance is jealous. I think the president wants to use him as a running mate. They got along fantastic. pic.twitter.com/ejwErga8Bh
— Acyn (@Acyn) November 21, 2025
Trump plots two more $1 million-a-seat dinners for his super PAC next year - despite not being able to run again
Friday 21 November 2025 22:30 , Rachel DobkinPresident Donald Trump has planned two more $1 million-a-seat dinners for his super PAC next year, despite not being able to run again, according to a new report.
Trump will hold “candlelight dinners” at his golf club near Washington, D.C., on January 31 and his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, on February 27, The New York Times, which saw copies of the invitations, reported.
The massive funds generated by these events will go to MAGA Inc., an organization dedicated to Trump’s political movement. Politicians’ super PACs are usually used to raise money for their own elections, but Trump is term-limited.
Read more...
Trump plots two more $1 million-a-seat dinners for his super PAC next year
Watch: Trump jokingly pats Mamdani on the arm after telling him it's ok to call him a fascist
Friday 21 November 2025 22:10 , Rachel DobkinQ: Are you affirming that you think President Trump is a fascist?
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) November 21, 2025
MAMDANI: I've spoken about--
TRUMP: That's okay. You can just say yes. I don't mind. pic.twitter.com/uWZFRcmGxB
Trump says ‘I don’t mind’ when asked about Mamdani calling him a fascist
Friday 21 November 2025 21:50 , Kelly RissmanPresident Donald Trump cut off Zohran Mamdani and patted him on the arm as the New York City Mayor-elect was asked to confirm that he believes Trump is a fascist.
During a high-stakes meeting in the Oval Office Friday, a reporter asked whether Mamdani was “affirming” that he thinks Trump is a “fascist. ” The mayor-elect started to respond: “I’ve spoken about —”
The president, who frequently called Mamdani a “communist” during his mayoral campaign, then interrupted and said with a smile: “That’s ok. You can just say ‘yes.’”
Mamdani, looking at the group of reporters, seemed to grin uncomfortably before saying: “OK.” He waved his hand as if suggesting the next question was welcome.
Trump appears to walk back previous threats to revoke funding to NYC
Friday 21 November 2025 21:45 , Ariana BaioJust weeks ago, the president was threatening to revoke federal funding to New York City if Mamdani was elected. But Friday, Trump appeared smiley and excited to speak and work with Mamdani to make the city more affordable for New Yorkers.
Jokingly hitting Mamdani’s arm and sharing anecdotes about the recently elected 34-year-old, Trump expressed optimism about the future of his hometown under Mamdani’s leadership and vowed to work with him.
“I expect to be helping him, not hurting him — a big help,” Trump said.
Trump predicts Mamdani will be ‘really great mayor’ for NYC as duo stumps the press in White House love-fest
Friday 21 November 2025 21:26 , Andrew FeinbergAfter months of attacking New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mandani as a “communist” and threatening to strip federal funds from city government if he won this year’s mayoral election, President Donald Trump now says the 34-year-old Democratic Socialist will be “a really great mayor.”
Read more from White House Correspondent Andrew Feinberg
Trump predicts Mamdani will be ‘really great mayor’ for NYC in White House love-fest
Mamdani and Trump appear as unified front, despite political differences
Friday 21 November 2025 21:18 , Ariana BaioIn an unexpectedly polite press conference, Trump and Mamdani appeared united with one another and working toward the same goal of making New York City more affordable.
Mamdani, whose politics has been characterized as the polar opposite of Trump’s, did not take any bait from reporters who questioned if he thought the president was a “fascist” or if he was welcome in New York City.
Instead, he pivoted the conversation to appear respectful to the president and willing to work with him by putting aside any ideological differences.
Trump, who also appeared laid back and happy, laughed off any mention of the two men trading insults and lifted Mamdani as the future mayor.
“We agree on a lot more than I would have thought,” Trump said.
“I think this mayor can do some things that are going to be really great.”
Watch: Trump laughs as Mamdani refuses to retract past statements about the President
Friday 21 November 2025 21:04 , Ariana BaioTrump breaks down his ‘punishable by death’ threat to ‘seditious’ Democrats for Fox News host
Friday 21 November 2025 21:00 , Andrew FeinbergPresident Donald Trump on Friday appeared to walk back his demand for a group of six Democratic lawmakers to be executed for what he called “seditious behavior” just a day earlier, telling a right-wing media personality he was speaking of practices in times long past.
Read more:
Trump breaks down his ‘punishable by death’ threat to ‘seditious’ Democrats
Trump expresses confidence in Mamdani's future
Friday 21 November 2025 20:52 , Ariana Baio“I feel very confident that he can do a good job. I think he is going to surprise some conservative people, actually.”
Trump addresses 'communist' comment about Mamdani
Friday 21 November 2025 20:51 , Ariana BaioWhen confronted with a question about using the word “communist” to describe Mamdani, Trump tempered down some of his anger toward the New York City mayor-elect.
"He's a little out there, but who knows. We're going to see what works. He's going to change also - I changed a lot from when I first came from office,” the president responded.
Trump and Mamdani's joint conference off to a polite start
Friday 21 November 2025 20:45 , Ariana BaioDespite deep political differences, Mamdani and Trump appeared extremely polite toward one another – discussing aspects they agree on such as housing and affordability in New York City.
Trump congratulated Mamdani on his win saying, “he really ran an incredible race against some incredible people.”
Watch live: Trump meets with Mamdani at White House
Friday 21 November 2025 20:38 , Ariana BaioWhat do John Fetterman and Zohran Mamdani have in common? A meeting with Trump
Friday 21 November 2025 20:30 , Ariana BaioDemocratic Senator John Fetterman said he and New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani share one “reasonable” quality – taking a meeting with President Donald Trump.
Speaking to Fox News Friday afternoon, Fetterman said it was right to take a meeting with the president, no matter who they may be, when serving in a position of political power.
“Well, we actually have some common ground with me and the socialist guy,” Fetterman said, referring to Mamdani.
“We both agree that it’s reasonable to meet with he president if they invite you to sit down and talk to them. I think what’s different is I haven’t seen a lot of blowback for Mamdani to do this, but I got a lot.”
Fetterman, who ran on a more left-wing platform, has positioned himself as a moderate Democrat in Congress.
“I think it’s perfectly reasonable to sit down and have this conversation and that’s what I’ve done,” the senator added.
Mamdani arrives at White House
Friday 21 November 2025 20:15 , Ariana BaioNew York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani arrived at the White House, according to the White House pool reports.
Reporters, who are stationed outside, said they did not see him come in.
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung posted photos of the reporters outside, calling them “too slow” for not making it into the Oval Office. The meeting between Trump and Mamdani was expected to be closed to the press.
Too late guys! Y’all are too slow! pic.twitter.com/ZsY4m2R9Gk
— Steven Cheung (@StevenCheung47) November 21, 2025
Watch: Donald Trump says he expects cordial meeting with Zohran Mamdani: 'we'll get along fine'
Friday 21 November 2025 20:05 , Ariana BaioAOC spoke with Mamdani ‘briefly’ before Trump meeting
Friday 21 November 2025 19:40 , Ariana BaioNew York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez told reporters Friday that she “chatted very briefly” with New York City’s future mayor, Zohran Mamdani, ahead of his meeting with the president.
“I trust Mayor-elect Mamdani’s leadership, and this is the call that he’s made for the city,” Ocasio-Cortez said, according to CNN, when asked if it was the right move for the future mayor to meet with president.
“That’s the decision that we’re moving forward with. Yeah.”
Democrat says Trump and Saudi crown prince had ‘disturbing’ call after killing of Khashoggi
Friday 21 November 2025 19:10 , Ariana BaioDemocratic Rep. Eugene Vindman appeared alongside the widow of the slain journalist Jamal Khashoggi to push for the release of a transcript of a 2019 call between Trump and the Saudi Crown Prince.
Vindman, who served as a legal advisor in the National Security Council office between 2018 and 2020, said Friday afternoon that Trump and the crown prince had a “disturbing” call after Khashoggi’s killing.
The lawmaker said the call “would shock people if they knew what was said.”
I’m honored to have @hananelatr with me today standing by my side as we remember her husband and call for transparency and accountability.
— Eugene Vindman (@YVindman) November 21, 2025
We'll continue pressing for the release of the transcript so the American people understand the truth. pic.twitter.com/43Ng1bGaMv
What are Zohran Mamdani's policies?
Friday 21 November 2025 18:51 , Ariana BaioAhead of Mamdani’s White House meeting with President Donald Trump, catch up on how his policies differ from the president.
Mike Johnson serves up word salad when asked about Trump’s call for Congress members to face death penalty
Friday 21 November 2025 18:30 , Eric GarciaHouse Speaker Mike Johnson defended President Donald Trump’s saying that Democratic members of Congress should face the death penalty for saying that members of the military can refuse orders if they believe those commands violate their oaths to the Constitution.
A handful of Democratic members of Congress and senators who served in the U.S. military or intelligence posted a video on social media on Tuesday saying that members of the military can refuse orders they deem illegal.
Read more from Eric Garcia:
Mike Johnson serves up word salad about Trump’s call for Democrats to be executed
Mamdani spoke with Schumer ahead of meeting with Trump
Friday 21 November 2025 18:00 , Ariana BaioBefore heading to Washington, D.C., to meet with President Donald Trump, Zohran Mamdani spoke with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, people familiar with the call told CBS News.
Schumer, who did not endorse Mamdani, previously spoke with Mamdani after he won the New York City mayoral election.
'We want to make New York strong' Trump says of him and Mamdani
Friday 21 November 2025 17:31 , Ariana BaioHours ahead of his meeting with Mamdani, Trump said he was expecting the meeting to go well because they share the same goal.
“We’re looking for the same thing,” Trump told Fox Radio’s Brian Kilmeade.
“We want to make New York strong, and you know, there’s just such a different philosophy.”
House votes to denounce socialism ahead of Mamdani meeting
Friday 21 November 2025 17:13 , Ariana BaioFriday morning, 86 Democrats joined Republicans in agreeing to a resolution to “denounce the horrors of socialism,” just before Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani, the next mayor of New York City, is set to meet with Trump in the White House.
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, who endorsed Mamdani, voted alongside his colleagues in passing the resolution, which was introduced by Republican Rep. Maria Elvira.
The resolution specifically denounces the socialist ideology used by notable authoritarian leaders – although many of the named leaders are considered communists, dictators and authoritarian leaders.
That includes former U.S.S.R. leaders Vladimir Lenin and Joseph Stalin, North Korean leaders Kim Jong Il and Kim Jong Un, former Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, the former leader of what is now known as Cambodia, Pol Pot, and more
Mamdani’s views are democratic socialism, which mixes capitalism with government intervention to create economic equality, a strong welfare system and promote social justice.
Watch: Elissa Slotkin says she has been offered '24/7 security' after Trump death penalty remarks
Friday 21 November 2025 16:30 , Ariana BaioTrump walks back threats against Democrats but warns they're in 'serious trouble'
Friday 21 November 2025 16:03 , Ariana BaioWhile speaking with Fox Radio’s Brian Kilmeade Friday morning, Trump walked back any concerns that he had threatened Democratic lawmakers who made a video urging military servicemembers to defy orders that violate the Constitution.
“I’m not threatening them, but I think they’re in serious trouble,” Trump said, adding that he was not “threatening death.”
On Truth Social Thursday, Trump claimed the Democrats’ behavior was “punishable by death” and called them “seditious.”
But Friday morning, the president changed his tune, claiming he was explaining how their behavior would be interpreted in “the old days.”
The president said he believes the lawmakers “broke the law,” but said he could not say what will happen to them.
Trump says he think he and Mamdani will 'get along fine'
Friday 21 November 2025 15:24 , Ariana BaioPresident Donald Trump says he anticipates a positive meeting with New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani this afternoon, claiming it will be “civil.”
After a contentious election cycle, in which Trump intervened to try and get Andrew Cuomo elected, the president said he believes his meeting with Mamdani will go well.
"I think we'll get along fine,” Trump told The Brian Kilmeade Show Friday morning.
Elissa Slotkin ‘refuses to be intimidated’ after Trump threatens her
Friday 21 November 2025 14:55 , Brendan RasciusDemocratic Senator Elissa Slotkin implored President Donald Trump to tone down his rhetoric after he suggested that she and five other Democratic lawmakers should face imprisonment — and even the death penalty - but said she refuses to be intimidated.
“I refuse to be intimidated out of defending the country i love,” Slotkin, a former CIA analyst, said in a video posted to her X account Thursday.
“I would just call upon him and everybody to button it up when it comes to threatening violence against people you disagree with,” Slotkin also told Nexstar Media Group.
Slotkin noted that her office has encountered a “huge spike in death threats and intimidation on our phones and on our emails and websites.”
AOC breaks silence on Mamdani’s meeting with Trump at the White House
Friday 21 November 2025 14:18 , Joe SommerladAlexandria Ocasio-Cortez said that Zohran Mamdani’s upcoming meeting with President Donald Trump is proof that the Big Apple’s mayor-elect is seeking to forge friendlier ties in the interests of realizing his ambitious policy agenda.
Mamdani, 34, will meet Trump in person for the first time at the White House on Friday. The young progressive secured a resounding win over independent Andrew Cuomo earlier this month on an affordability platform.
Trump repeatedly accused the self-described democratic socialist of being a “100% Communist Lunatic” and threatened to withdraw all federal funding for New York if the Queens assemblyman was elected.
Asked what she expected to come from their sitdown by a reporter on Capitol Hill Thursday, AOC answered: “We’ll see. Obviously, the mayor-elect is going to be preparing for his inauguration. Of course, he’s indicated that he’s willing to sit down with anybody and everybody. So we’ll see.”
Pressed on whether she had any particular issues she would like to see raised, the representative said, “I think we let Zohran lead. He’s been elected to lead New York City. I trust him as the mayor-elect; he’ll do what he thinks is best for the city of New York. We’ll see how it goes.”
Mamdani posts selfie as he makes his way to DC
Friday 21 November 2025 13:48 , Ariana BaioNew York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani posted a selfie on X, as he began his trip to D.C. to meet with President Donald Trump.
Mamdani, 34, posted a photo of himself beaming while sitting on a plane just hours ahead of the meeting.
He did not include a caption.
— Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@ZohranKMamdani) November 21, 2025
Watch: US Department of Travel says travellers should 'dress with respect' to bring back the 'golden age of travel'
Friday 21 November 2025 13:05 , Owen ScottThe Department of Travel has launched a strange, new campaign aimed at reforming behaviour at the country’s airports.
The new scheme is named The Golden Age of Travel Starts with You.
In a statement, the DOT asks jetsetters to ask themselves five questions as part.
- Are you helping a pregnant woman or the elderly with placing their bags in the overhead bin?
- Are you dressing with respect?
- Are you keeping control of your children and helping them through the airport?
- Are you saying thank you to your flight attendants?
- Are you saying please and thank you in general?
The DOT also has shared a bizarre video to support the campaign.
Trump administration announces plans for new oil drilling in California and Florida
Friday 21 November 2025 12:51 , Owen Scott
Yesterday, the Trump administration announced oil drilling will begin off the coasts of Florida and California for the first time in decades.
Critics have slammed the plans, suggesting that they could harm both coastal communities and ecosystems.
Gavin Newsom, California’s governor, said that the plan is “idiotic” and that he “will use every tool at our disposal to protect our coastline.”
“It’s interesting that Donald’s proposal doesn’t include the waters off Mar-a-Lago,” Newsom added in his statement.
A spokesperson for Ron DeSantis has also said that the Florida governor’s office “urges the Department of Interior to reconsider.”
Watch: Trump said Mamdani's victory speech was 'dangerous' earlier this month
Friday 21 November 2025 12:29 , Owen ScottDonald Trump is currently gearing up to meet Zohran Mamdani, who won a landslide victory in the New York City mayoral race earlier this month.
However, the pair have often clashed, with Trump branding Mamdani’s victory speech as “very dangerous” shortly after the Democratic candidate swept the NYC race.
In the speech, Mamdani said that America had been “betrayed” by Trump and jokingly told the president to “turn the volume up.”
Donald Trump is yet to speak to British PM over BBC lawsuit
Friday 21 November 2025 12:23 , Owen Scott
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer says that he and Trump have yet to speak about the president’s lawsuit against UK state broadcaster, the BBC.
"I think he was going to phone me at the weekend but that call didn't happen, but we regularly have contact," Starmer told reporters, according to the BBC.
"I speak to him fairly regularly as you know, [we] have an excellent relationship."
Trump has not yet filed court papers to sue the British Broadcasting Company for up to $5 billion.
Winning the case, however, would be difficult for the president since he would need to file it in the United States. That’s because the statute of limitations has already passed in Britain.
The criteria for defamation is higher in the United States, since the defamatory comments needs to be proven to have been issued with malicious intent. Also, since the BBC documentary in question is unlikely to have been broadcast in U.S, Trump will have to prove that it was damaged his reputation in the United States.
Pictured: Trump hosted the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Cristiano Ronaldo
Friday 21 November 2025 12:07 , Owen ScottTrump hosted a lavish state visit with the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in the royal’s first visit to the U.S. since the first Trump administration.
Bin Salman was joined by Portuguese football icon Cristiano Ronaldo. Trump claimed that his son Barron was a fan of Ronaldo’s in a particularly gushing speech.
The visit was controversial, however, with Trump clashing with Mary Bruce, a White House correspondent from ABC News.
He branded her as “the worst reporter” and claimed that her questions were “insubordinate”, after she asked bin Salman about his response to critics who claim that his visit was inappropriate, given his alleged link to the murder of Jamal Khashoggi.
Full story: What is in Trump's secret peace plan for Ukraine?
Friday 21 November 2025 11:51 , Owen ScottDonald Trump has given his approval for a controversial new peace plan to end the war between Ukraine and Russia, according to reports.
The new 28-point plan would consist of “security guarantees, security in Europe, and future US relations with Russia and Ukraine”, Axios reported, citing sources.
But it has caused outrage as it would require Kyiv to give up more land to Russia and partially disarm, conditions long seen by Ukraine and its allies as tantamount to capitulation.
The deal would require Kyiv to cede control of the eastern Donbas region while legally retaining ownership of it. In exchange, Russia would pay an undisclosed rental fee for de facto control of the region, officials familiar with the deal told the Telegraph.
Two sources, who asked not to be identified, also said the proposals involved significantly cutting the size of Ukraine’s armed forces in half. The military would also reportedly be banned from possessing long-range missiles.
Maryam Zakir-Hussain has the full story...
The stark details inside Trump’s controversial ‘secret peace plan’ to end Ukraine war
Experts warn that Trump's Saudi deal risks exposing US secrets
Friday 21 November 2025 11:38 , Owen ScottA former Pentagon official has warned that Trump’s deal with Saudi Arabia could leave him looking like a “buffoon,” according to The Telegraph.
An assessment by the Pentagon of the president’s sale of F-35s to Saudi Arabia was leaked to The New York Times last Thursday.
The report found that there is a risk that the sale could result in secret U.S. technology falling into the hands of the Chinese military.
“They’re buying it from Lockheed [Martin],” Trump bragged, ahead of the sale. “And it’s a great plane. We make, by the way, the best military equipment,”
Watch: Karoline Leavitt tells reporters that Trump was being 'frank' when he called a journalist 'piggy'
Friday 21 November 2025 11:00 , Owen ScottWhite House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has defended Donald Trump after he called a female reporter ‘piggy.’
Trump made the bizarre comment on Air Force One, as a journalist asked him questions about the Epstein files. When he had moved on for her question, he told her to be “quiet, quiet piggy.”
But Leavitt says that Trump is “honest” when talking to journalists.
“Look, the president is very frank, and honest with everyone in this room,” Leavitt said. “He gets frustrated with reporters when you lie about him, when you spread fake news about him and his administration. But he is also the most transparent president in history.
“I think the president being frank and open and honest to your faces rather than hiding behind your backs is a lot more respectful than what you saw in the last administration,”
Trump signs order to remove tariffs from Brazilian coffee, beef
Friday 21 November 2025 10:45 , Owen Scott
Trump has signed an order which will removed the 40 percent tariffs that he slapped on beef, coffee, cocoa and fruits from Brazil, according to Reuters.
He imposed the eyewatering tariffs in response to prosecution of its former president Jair Bolsonaro.
Bolsonaro is a close Trump ally.
The move comes after Trump hiked tariffs on several countries, causing the cost of food in the United States to skyrocket.
Full story: Mike Johnson gives word-salad answer to questions about Trump's call to execute political enemies
Friday 21 November 2025 10:30 , Owen ScottHouse Speaker Mike Johnson defended President Donald Trump’s saying that Democratic members of Congress should face the death penalty for saying that members of the military can refuse orders if they believe those commands violate their oaths to the Constitution.
A handful of Democratic members of Congress and senators who served in the U.S. military or intelligence posted a video on social media on Tuesday saying that members of the military can refuse orders they deem illegal.
Conservatives raged against the video and Trump posted on Truth Social: “Their words cannot be allowed to stand. SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR FROM TRAITORS!!! LOCK THEM UP???”
Later on, Trump reposted a Truth user saying, ‘HANG THEM’ and later said they committed “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR” which was “punishable by DEATH.”
“What I read was he was defining the crime of sedition,” he told The Independent. “But obviously attorneys have to parse the language and determine all that. What I'm saying, what I will say unequivocally, that was a wildly inappropriate thing for so called leaders in Congress to do to encourage young troops to disobey orders.”
Eric Garcia has the full story...
Mike Johnson serves up word salad about Trump’s call for Democrats to be executed
Trump's peace plan would see Russia being invited back to the G7
Friday 21 November 2025 10:15 , Owen Scott
Donald Trump’s peace plan would see Russia being invited back to the G7, as well as all Western sanctions against the country being lifted.
Russia would also be given two-thirds of its $300 billion frozen assets, with the remaining $100 being used to rebuild Ukraine.
“The remainder of the frozen Russian funds will be invested in a separate US-Russian investment vehicle that will implement joint projects in specific areas,” the proposal read, according to The Telegraph. “This fund will be aimed at strengthening relations and increasing common interests to create a strong incentive not to return to conflict.”
European governments have slammed the proposal as being a capitulation to Russia.
Watch: Senator Slotkin reacts to Trump's call for the execution of his enemies
Friday 21 November 2025 09:51 , Owen ScottSenator Elissa Slotkin, a former CIA officer, has pushed back on Trump’s call for his political enemies to be put to “death.”
She slammed his comments as being “beyond the pale,” and said that “intimidation” will not stop her speaking out.
Donald Trump shares screenshot of Elon Musk's X post on Truth Social
Friday 21 November 2025 09:30 , Owen ScottDonald Trump has shared a screenshot of a post, uploaded to X by Elon Musk, on Truth Social.
The photograph shows Musk and Trump surrounded by Saudi officials, with the tech CEO looking at the president with what appears to be a nervous expression.
“I would like to thank President Trump for all he has done for America and the world,” Musk captioned the post.
The pair were once close political allies, before a disastrous fall-out once Trump took office.
A report suggested that Trump had claimed that Musk was using drugs, with the tech CEO claiming that the president was in the Epstein files.
The Coast Guard has confirmed swastikas will remain banned, despite new policy calling them just 'potentially divisive'
Friday 21 November 2025 09:02 , Owen Scott
The acting commander of the US Coast Guard, Admiral Kevin Lunday, confirmed on Thursday that swastikas and nooses will remain banned.
His comments come after a new harassment policy, posted on the Pentagon’s website, suggested that the symbols were just “potentially divisive.”
“Potentially divisive symbols and flags include, but are not limited to, the following: a noose, a swastika, and any symbols or flags co-opted or adopted by hate-based groups as representations of supremacy, racial or religious intolerance, or other bias,” the guidance read.
Represnative Lauren Underwood took to X to slam the new harrassment policy and confirmed that she met with Admiral Lunday.
“Today it was revealed that the Coast Guard would no longer classify swastikas and nooses as hate symbols. Unacceptable,” she posted. “I just met with Admiral Lunday, and got his committment to publish a new policy.
“Hate has no place in our armed services,” she continued.
California sued by the Justice Department over benefits for undocumented college students
Friday 21 November 2025 08:47 , Owen Scott
Yesterday, the DOJ sued the State of California in a federal court, claiming that providing in-state college tuition to unauthorized students is illegal.
The claim also alleges that it discriminates against out-of-state Americans who pay tuition costs.
A press statement from the Office of Public Affairs claims that the policy helps to “create incentives for illegal immigration, and reward illegal immigrants with benefits.”
“California is illegally discriminating against American students and families by offering exclusive tuition benefits for non-citizens,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This marks our third lawsuit against California in one week — we will continue bringing litigation against California until the state ceases its flagrant disregard for federal law.”
The complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California.
Governor Newsom, the State Attorney General, and the Regents of the University of California, the Board of Trustees of the California State University, and the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges are also named in the lawsuit.
