Summary
Closing summary
Our live coverage is ending now. In the meantime, you can find all of our live US politics coverage here. Here is a summary of the key developments from today:
In a White House press conference, Donald Trump and his health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr announced that the Food and Drug Administration will strongly recommend that women limit Tylenol, or acetaminophen, use during pregnancy. Tylenol is one of the only fever reducers that medical professionals say pregnant people can safely take. Trump and his medical advisors tied the drug to an increased risk of autism. Ahead of the press conference, the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine said Tylenol is “an appropriate medication to treat pain and fever during pregnancy.” It added that untreated fever during pregnancy carries significant risks to moms and babies, such as miscarriage and birth defects. In response to the president’s announcement the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists called the FDA’s move “irresponsible” and said it was “not backed by the full body of scientific evidence.”
During the same press conference, Kennedy said that the FDA has announced a new treatment for autism: leucovorin, a form of folic acid. National Institutes of Health director Jay Bhattacharya also shared that the NIH had launched an Autism Data Science Initiative and awarded grants to 13 projects.
Also during the press conference, Trump decried the use of vaccines, saying babies receive too many at once. He described “a vat of 80 different vaccines” that doctors “pump” into babies like “a horse”. He also said that babies should not receive Hepatitis B vaccines, because it is sexually transmitted. While Hepatitis B is often sexually transmitted, babies can contract it during childbirth or from household items like razors.
Disney annoucned that Jimmy Kimmel Live! will return to television tomorrow. This comes after the late night show has spent almost a week off the air, after ABC suspended production.
Donald Trump signed an executive order designating ‘antifa’ as a domestic terrorist organization. The news follows Trump’s announcement Thursday that he was planning such an order following Charlie Kirk’s assassination. Antifa, short for “anti-fascists”, is an umbrella term for far-left-leaning activist groups and is not a single entity.
Trump will meet with top Congressional Democrats Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries this week regarding healthcare spending and a spending bill to keep the government funded.
Lindsey Halligan, a former Florida insurance lawyer who has been serving as a special assistant to the president, has been sworn in as interim US attorney, replacing Erik Siebert. Siebert, a longtime prosecutor who had been overseeing investigations into Letitia James, the New York attorney general, and James Comey, the former FBI director, resigned Friday amid pressure from the Trump administration.
Earlier today, the Supreme Court ruled that Trump may fire the only remaining Democrat on the Federal Trade Commisson, Rebecca Slaughter, a move that may expand the president’s ability to influence independent government agencies.
Kamala Harris gave her first major television interview since the 2024 election on MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow. Harris recounted her campaign and reacted to the Trump administration, while also endorsing Proposition 50 in California and hesitantly supporting Zohran Mamdani’s campaign in New York City.
In a wide ranging press conference, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, answered several questions from reporters. Most notably, she was resolute that Donald Trump wasn’t pressuring the justice department to target his political enemies. This, despite posts on social media this weekend where he implored attorney general Pam Bondi to investigate several of his adversaries.
The press secretary also noted that Trump plans to sign the US ownership deal of TikTok, which would allow the social media app to continue operating stateside. Of note, the tech company Oracle – owned by Trump ally Larry Ellison – will independently monitor all US user data on their servers, adding that it will be “stored securely in the United States without access from China”.
And as the president prepares to address the UN general assembly on Tuesday, the White House responded to several countries formally recognizing Palestinian statehood. “Frankly, he believes it’s a reward to Hamas,” the press secretary said today. “He believes these decisions are just more talk and not enough action from some of our friends and allies. And I think you’ll hear him talk about that tomorrow at the UN.”
Kamala Harris says “that’s not my focus right now” in response to a question from Maddow on whether she will run for president in 2028.
Kamala Harris hesitated to endorse New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, saying she supported whoever was the Democratic nominee. She then directed her attention to other “rising stars” of the Democratic party outside of New York.
Kamala Harris says she supports California’s effort to redraw its political maps in response to Republican-led states’ steps to do the same.
“It is absolutely the right way to go,” she said. “We tend to play by the rules, but I think this is a moment where you have to fight fire with fire”
Kamala Harris is live on MSNBC with Rachel Maddow discussing her forthcoming book 107 Days.
Maddow began the interview by sharing a series of excerpts from the former vice president’s book, including messages of support she received from Democratic leaders when Joe Biden announced he was terminating his campaign. Harris has also discussed her surprise at how quickly titans of industry, including newspapers like the Los Angeles Times and Washington Post, capitulated to the Trump administration by withdrawing editorials in support of her candidacy.
Zohran Mamdani says he’s open to participating in an ABC town hall with other New York City mayoral candidates now that Jimmy Kimmel’s show has been reinstated.
Earlier today, Mamdani said he was withdrawing from a televised town hall hosted by a local ABC station in protest of the network’s suspension of Jimmy Kimmel’s talkshow.
“Last week, Disney/ABC caved to Trump administration pressure. Millions of Americans helped them find their backbone. Whether you watch Jimmy Kimmel or not, today’s decision is a victory for free speech,” Mamdani wrote in a social media post. “We’ve reached out to WABC to reschedule the town hall.”
The front runner in New York City’s mayoral race, Mamdani will appear on November’s ballot alongside the former governor Andrew Cuomo, the incumbent mayor Eric Adams and Curtis Sliwa, a Republican.
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Kamala Harris will be giving her first major television interview since the 2024 election on MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow in about 30 minutes, at 9pm ET.
We’ll be watching and will share the top lines from the interview here.
Harris is currently on tour promoting her new book, 107 Days, which will be released tomorrow.
As my colleague David Smith writes: “During the campaign and in its aftermath, Harris had avoided criticism of the president she served beside and defended him amid questions about his mental acuity. But in 107 Days she lays bare tensions between the two.”
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Here’s a bit more from my colleague Joseph Gedeon about Donald Trump’s executive order labeling antifa as a ‘domestic terrorist organization’:
This marks Trump’s second attempt to brand antifa as a terrorist organization. During 2020 protests following George Floyd’s murder, he posted: “The United States of America will be designating ANTIFA as a Terrorist Organization.” No formal designation followed.
And while Trump may not be able to formally designate antifa as a terrorist organization, the administration could prioritize investigations of individuals claiming antifa affiliation, potentially leading to more frequent arrests using existing criminal statutes.
When Trump first came into office, he pardoned Proud Boys and Oath Keepers convicted in the 6 January Capitol attack, marking a contrast in his treatment of far-right extremists versus leftwing extremists.
Joe Biggs, a Proud Boys leader who was convicted and pardoned for his role in 6 January, posted on X ahead of the announcement: “Who’s ready to go ANTIFA hunting? Because I know a few guys”.
Mitch McConnell, the former Senate majority leader, says he opposed efforts to take Jimmy Kimmel off the air
In a social media post, McConnell said he agreed with Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican senator, who voiced concerns that government officials could violate Republicans’ free speech in the future if such a precedent were set.
“As a first amendment guy, myself, I think he’s probably got it right,” McConnell wrote. “You don’t have to like what somebody says on TV to agree that the government shouldn’t be getting involved here.”
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Earlier today, the Supreme Court ruled that Donald Trump may fire the only remaining Democrat on the Federal Trade Commisson, Rebecca Slaughter, a move that may expand the president’s ability to influence independent government agencies.
The court overturned a 1935 Supreme Court ruling, dating back to Franklin D. Roosevelt’s presidency, called Humphrey’s Executor. That decision found that commissioners could only be removed for misconduct or neglect of duty.
The court’s decision came after a lower court reinstated Rebecca Slaughter, the only remaining Democratic member of the Federal Trade Commission, who Trump tried to fire in March.
Lindsey Halligan, a former Florida insurance lawyer who has been serving as a special assistant to the president, has been sworn in as interim US attorney, replacing Erik Siebert.
Siebert, a longtime prosecutor who had been overseeing investigations into Letitia James, the New York attorney general, and James Comey, the former FBI director, resigned Friday amid pressure from the Trump administration.
Both Halligan’s and Siebert’s names appeared in a since deleted post Donald Trump made to his social media platform last night.
In it, Trump ordered his attorney general Pam Bondi to appoint Halligan to replace Siebert, who he called a “woke RINO,” short for “Republican In Name Only”.
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Donald Trump signs order designating leftwing movement antifa as a domestic terror organization
Donald Trump has signed an executive order designating ‘antifa’ as a domestic terrorist organization. The news follows Trump’s announcement Thursday that he was planning such an order following Charlie Kirk’s assassination.
Antifa, short for “anti-fascists”, is an umbrella term for far-left-leaning activist groups and is not a single entity.
“All relevant executive departments and agencies shall utilize all applicable authorities to investigate, disrupt, and dismantle any and all illegal operations – especially those involving terrorist actions – conducted by Antifa or any person claiming to act on behalf of Antifa, or for which Antifa or any person claiming to act on behalf of Antifa provided material support, including necessary investigatory and prosecutorial actions against those who fund such operations,” the order reads.
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After concluding his Tylenol press conference, Donald Trump is en route to New York City for the UN General Assembly, where he is scheduled to give a speech tomorrow on the “renewal of American strength around the world”, per press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
Ahead of the president’s arrival, secretary of state Marco Rubio met with Syrian president Ahmad al-Sharaa. Al-Sharaa’s appearance in New York City marks the first time a Syrian leader has attended the UN General Assembly since 1967. The State Department waived visa restrictions on Syria to allow al-Sharaa and his team to attend the gathering.
Trump is walking back his claims about vaccines slightly, emphasizing the success of his Operation Warp Speed project to rapidly develop a Covid-19 vaccine during the pandemic.
Trump interrupted a CNN reporter trying to ask a question, saying “you’re fake news,” and then took a question from a different reporter.
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Mehmet Oz and Donald Trump are answering questions from reporters, including about cuts to Medicaid and Chip under the president’s so-called One Big Beautiful Bill, which cut $1tn from the programs. They said the cuts to those programs targeted fraud, waste and abuse and will not impact children’s ability to access healthcare.
About half of American children are insured through Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program.
Donald Trump has responded to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists statement on Tylenol announcement, following a reporter’s question.
“That’s the establishment. They’re funded by lots of different groups. And you know what, maybe they’re right,” he said. “But here’s the thing, there’s no downside to doing this.”
Trump has returned to the podium, sharing a range of stories and his opinions on vaccines and medications.
“Don’t take Tylenol,” he said emphatically. “There’s no downside.”
According to the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine untreated fever during pregnancy does carry significant risks to moms and babies, such as miscarriage and birth defects.
Tylenol maker rejects Trump's announcement
The manufacturer of Tylenol, Kenvue Inc, has released a statement in response to the president’s announcement, saying it “strongly disagrees” with the suggestion that the medication may cause autism.
“Sound science clearly shows that taking acetaminophen does not cause autism,” the statement says.
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Top US medical group calls Tylenol guidance 'irresponsible' and 'not backed by full body of scientific evidence'
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the nation’s leading organization for obstetricians and gynecologists, says Donald Trump’s announcement regarding Tylenol use in pregnancy is “irresponsible when considering the harmful and confusing message they send to pregnant patients.”
“Today’s announcement by HHS is not backed by the full body of scientific evidence and dangerously simplifies the many and complex causes of neurologic challenges in children,” the organization’s president, Dr. Steven Fleischman, said in a statement.
“It is highly unsettling that our federal health agencies are willing to make an announcement that will affect the health and well-being of millions of people without the backing of reliable data.”
Ahead of the president’s announcement, the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine said Tylenol is “an appropriate medication to treat pain and fever during pregnancy.” It added that untreated fever during pregnancy carries significant risks to moms and babies, such as miscarriage and birth defects.
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The two mothers speaking at Donald Trump’s press conference have shared the experiences of their two children, both of whom have autism, and expressed gratitude to the Trump administration for prioritizing research into autism.
Dorothy Fink, who served as acting health secretary pending Robert F Kennedy Jr’s confirmation and is now currently the acting assistant secretary for health, has introduced two mothers, introduced only as Jackie and Amanda.
Mehmet Oz, administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, says more than half of children in the United States, who are insured under Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (Chip), will be able to access leucovorin due to the FDA’s label change. He said he hopes private insurers will follow suit.
He said the agency will also collect data on the effectiveness of leucovorin.
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Makary has also announced the FDA’s decision to make leucovorin available as a treatment for autism.
“Hundreds of thousands of kids will benefit,” he said.
“Today the FDA is taking action to update the label on acetaminophen,” says FDA commissioner Marty Makary. He added his agency is sending a letter to all physicians explaining the update.
Makary has also cited medical research on the link between Tylenol and autism.
Here’s a helpful guide to that research from my colleagues:
The National Institutes of Health has launched an Autism Data Science Initiative, says agency director Jay Bhattacharya.
The initiative directs $50m to the study of autism, and will fund 13 research projects.
“The NIH has invested a lot of money to study autism over the years, but the research has not produced the answers that families and parents of autistic children, and autistic children themselves deserve,” he said. “For too long it’s been taboo to ask some questions for fear the scientific work might reveal a politically incorrect answer.”
Kennedy says FDA has announced leucovorin as new autism treatment
Kennedy says that the FDA has announced a new treatment for autism: leucovorin, a form of folic acid.
The FDA published a notice in the Federal Register announcing the treatment, it cited “patient-level data on over 40 patients, including both adults and pediatric patients” to support the finding that the drug can improve symptoms from cerebral folate deficiency, which it says has been reported in some patients.
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Health and Human Services will announce a nationwide public service campaign to spread knowledge about the agency’s Tylenol announcement, Kennedy said.
Robert F Kennedy Jr is speaking now at the president’s White House press conference. He’s begun by describing changes at US health agencies.
"We are now replacing the institutional culture of politicized science and corruption with evidence-based medicine,” Kennedy said. “NIH research teams are now testing multiple hypotheses with no area off limits.”
Trump has also announced that the National Institutes of Health will be announcing 13 major grant awards from the autism data science initiatives.
“Nothing bad can happen, only good can happen,” he said.
Trump is speaking unclearly about his vaccine recommendations, saying his team wants mercury removed from vaccines and recommending that vaccines be taken separately, such as the MMRV vaccine, which a CDC panel recommended last week.
He’s also saying that babies should not receive Hepatitis B vaccines, because it is sexually transmitted. While Hepatitis B is often sexually transmitted, babies can contract it during childbirth or from household items like razors.
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Trump is also talking about vaccines, though which ones were not immediately clear, recommending that babies receive vaccines over a period of years.
“They pump so much stuff into those beautiful little babies, it’s a disgrace,” he said. “It looks like they’re pumping into a horse.”
He described “a vat of 80 different vaccines” that doctors “pump” into babies.
He went on to recommend that vaccines are done “four times, five times” instead of “one visit where they pump the baby and load it up with stuff.”
Trump is also describing working with “these great doctors,” referring to his cabinet members Robert F Kennedy Jr and Mehmet Oz.
Oz is in fact a medical doctor. Kennedy is not.
Trump says his administration will recommend women limit Tylenol - or acetaminophen - use in pregnancy
“Effective immediately the FDA will be notifying doctors that the use of acetaminophen,” Trump struggled to pronounce the drug name, “or Tylenol, can be associated with a very increased risk of autism,” Trump said.
“So taking Tylenol is not good.”
“For this reason, they are strongly recommending that women limit Tylenol use during pregnancy unless medically necessary,” he added.
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Trump begins press conference
Donald Trump has begun speaking at his White House press conference, joined by Robert F Kennedy Jr and Mehmet Oz.
“I’ve been waiting for this meeting for twenty years,” Donald Trump said. He then went on to describe first meeting Robert F. Kennedy Jr and bonding over their shared concern about autism twenty years while still working as a developer in New York City.
“Since 2000, autism rates have surged by much more than 400 percent,” he said.
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While we wait for the president’s presser to begin, we’re beginning to see statements on Disney’s announcement that Jimmy Kimmel Live! will return to television tomorrow.
Here’s one from Summer Lopez, interim Co-CEO and chief program officer for free expression at PEN America:
Jimmy Kimmel’s return is a vindication for free speech: both remedying his unjustifiable suspension, and reminding us that when people speak out to hold the powerful to account -- it matters. We must all channel the same energy to fight the many assaults on free speech underway, including against those with less reach and resources.
Trump and RFK Jr to hold press conference
We’re currently waiting for Donald Trump to begin speaking at a White House press conference where he’ll be joined by health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr and director of the Centers of Medicaid and Medicare Services, Dr Mehmet Oz.
The president and his cabinet members are expected to tie pregnant women’s use of the popular medicine Tylenol (known as paracetamol elsewhere in the world) to the development of autism in children.
In the meantime, here’s a helpful summary of the research and medical recommendations around Tylenol use during pregnancy:
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Trump to meet with top Congressional Democrats this week - report
We’re getting word that the president is due to meet with Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer, and House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries this week in DC, according to Punchbowl News. This comes as members of Congress are on a recess this week.
Last week, the top Democrats wrote a letter to Trump, asking for meeting after a short-term funding bill failed to pass in the Senate.
Now, a government shutdown is looming, with government funding set to expire at the end of the month.
Disney announces that Jimmy Kimmel Live! will return on Tuesday
In a statement, the Walt Disney Company, said that Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show would return to television on Tuesday, 23 September.
This comes after it spent almost a week off the air, after ABC suspended production.
“Last Wednesday, we made the decision to suspend production on the show to avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country,” Disney said in a statement. “It is a decision we made because we felt some of the comments were ill-timed and thus insensitive. We have spent the last days having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy, and after those conversations, we reached the decision to return the show on Tuesday.”
The update from ABC’s parent company comes after 400 Hollywood stars signed an open letter by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) condemning Disney’s indefinite suspension of Kimmel’s show, after the Trump administration pressured the network to take action or risk their affiliates losing their broadcast licenses, issued by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
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Earlier, we reported on Republican senator Rand Paul’s pushback on the Trump administration putting pressure on the justice department to investigate the president’s opponents.
In the same NBC News interview on Sunday, Kentucky’s junior senator broke with Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chair Brendan Carr for seemingly putting his finger on the scale in the ongoing dispute between suspended talkshow host Jimmy Kimmel and his employer, Disney-owned ABC.
Carr recently threatened to pull ABC affiliate broadcast licenses if Disney did not take action against Kimmel over his comments suggesting that Republicans were trying to characterize the alleged killer of far-right commentator Charlie Kirk as “anything other” than part of the president’s “Maga gang”.
Paul told Meet the Press that Carr’s comments were “absolutely inappropriate” and the FCC chair “has got no business weighing in on this”.
“Any attempt by the government to get involved with speech – I will fight,” Paul added.
But Paul also qualified his comments, saying Disney and ABC had no obligation to employ Kimmel. On-air media contracts typically have a morals clause against behavior that is offensive or reflects unfavorably on the company.
“People have to also realize that despicable comments – you have the right to say them,” Paul said. “But you don’t have the right to employment. Virtually everybody employed, probably including yourself, has a code of conduct in your contact that you have to adhere.”
On Truth Social, Donald Trump said that he wrapped a call a short while ago with the president of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, where he pledged to buy $4bn worth of locomotives and rail equipment from the US.
“We need to support our U.S. Rail Industry, which has been attacked by Fake Environmentalists for years. Congratulations to President Tokayev on his great purchase,” Trump wrote.
Kazakhstan will buy the infrastructure from Wabtec Corporation, the Pennsylvania-based manufacturer, in a deal that will support “thousands of jobs” in the US, according to commerce secretary Howard Lutnick.
Following today's White House briefing, here's a recap of the day so far
In a wide ranging press conference, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, answered several questions from reporters. Most notably, she was resolute that Donald Trump wasn’t pressuring the justice department to target his political enemies. This, despite posts on social media this weekend where he implored attorney general Pam Bondi to investigate several of his adversaries. It comes after the president took credit for firing the US attorney for the eastern district of Virginia, Erik Seibert, after he said there was insufficient evidence to prosecute New York attorney general Leticia James for mortgage fraud. “We are not going to tolerate gaslighting from anyone in the media or from anyone on the other side who is trying to say that it’s the president who is weaponizing the DoJ,” Leavitt said, repeating the party line that Trump’s predecessor was, in fact, the culprit. “Joe Biden used this sacred American institution to go after his political opponent in the middle of an election year.”
Leavitt also sidestepped questions about the president’s reported autism announcement today. Trump is expected to deliver remarks citing a link between the use of Tylenol by pregnant women and autism among children. Medical experts have said it’s perfectly safe for women to take over-the-counter pain medication while pregnant. “Before you jump to conclusions based on reports that the White House has not even confirmed, I would encourage everyone in this room to go into the four o’clock announcement with some critical thinking skills and with some open ears to actually listen to what the president and his team of outsiders have to say about this,” Leavitt said.
The White House also said that it supports congressional Republicans efforts for a “clean” short-term funding bill, to avoid a government shutdown. For context, funding is set to expire at the end of this month, and lawmakers are on recess this week. Leavitt said that the president wants “a straightforward, responsible solution to keep the government open to 21 November and allow the full year appropriations process to move forward.” She added that Democrats’ would ultimately be responsible for a shutdown.
The press secretary also noted that Trump plans to sign the US ownership deal of TikTok, which would allow the social media app to continue operating stateside. Of note, the tech company Oracle – owned by Trump ally Larry Ellison – will independently monitor all US user data on their servers, adding that it will be “stored securely in the United States without access from China”.
And as the president prepares to address the UN general assembly on Tuesday, the White House responded to several countries formally recognizing Palestinian statehood. “Frankly, he believes it’s a reward to Hamas,” the press secretary said today. “He believes these decisions are just more talk and not enough action from some of our friends and allies. And I think you’ll hear him talk about that tomorrow at the UN.”
Trump to take part in several high-stakes meeting at UN general assembly, amid ally calls for Palestinian statehood
Donald Trump is set to hold a series of high-stakes meetings at the United Nations this week, beginning with bilateral talks with UN secretary-general António Guterres and leaders from Ukraine, Argentina and the European Union, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said at today’s briefing.
In a separate multilateral summit, Trump will convene with leaders from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Turkey, Pakistan, Egypt, the UAE, and Jordan, Leavitt said.
You can follow the latest developments out of the Middle East at our dedicated liveblog.
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Leavitt says Trump will sign TikTok ownership deal later this week
Of note in today’s briefing, Karoline Leavitt said that the president plans to sign the US ownership deal of TikTok, which would allow the social media app to continue operating stateside.
“TikTok will be owned by a majority of American investors and controlled by a board of directors with extensive national security and cybersecurity credentials,” Leavitt said.
She confirmed earlier reports that tech company Oracle – owned by Trump ally Larry Ellison – will independently monitor all US user data on their servers, adding that it will be “stored securely in the United States without access from China”.
Leavitt also said that the TikTok algorithm will be secured, retrained and operated in the United States and “outside ByteDance’s control”.
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White House reaffirms belief that recognizing Palestinian statehood is a 'reward to Hamas', in break from allies
As we noted earlier, several American allies have joined the global chorus formally recognizing a Palestinian state. Today, Karoline Leavitt reaffirmed that Donald Trump disagrees with this decision.
“Frankly, he believes it’s a reward to Hamas,” the press secretary said. “He believes these decisions are just more talk and not enough action from some of our friends and allies. And I think you’ll hear him talk about that tomorrow at the UN.”
Leavitt says administration supports a 'clean' short-term funding bill to avoid government shutdown
The press secretary said that she didn’t have any updates on a possible meeting, following a letter that top Congressional Democrats sent to the president to discuss the short-term funding bill that has stalled in the Senate.
A reminder that government funding expires at the end of September, and lawmakers from both chambers are back in their districts on recess.
“This White House wants and what Republicans want, we want a clean funding extension to keep the government open,” Leavitt said. “A straightforward, responsible solution to keep the government open to November 21 and allow the full year appropriations process to move forward.”
GOP lawmakers have labelled Democrats’ version of a continuing resolution to avoid a shutdown as “unserious” as it contains a number of health care provisions to offset the impact of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
Leavitt, however, shirked any possible blame: “If the government is shut down, it’s only going to it will be the fault of the Democrats, and it will only hurt the most vulnerable in our country.”
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White House says it won't 'tolerate gaslighting' from media following Trump's pressure campaign on justice department
Karoline Leavitt was resolute today when fielding questions from reporters on the pressure campaign from the president on the Department of Justice to investigate several of his political opponents.
“We are not going to tolerate gaslighting from anyone in the media or from anyone on the other side who is trying to say that it’s the president who is weaponizing the DoJ,” Leavitt said. “Joe Biden used this sacred American institution to go after his political opponent in the middle of an election year.”
When pressed further about why Donald Trump is unwilling to accept findings from Erik Siebert, the now fired US attorney of eastern district of Virginia, Leavitt said: “The president has every right to express how he feels about these people who literally campaigned on trying to put him in jail, who literally tried to ruin his life and ruin his businesses. And he wants to see accountability for those who abuse their office and abuse their power.”
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Leavitt sidesteps question about reported autism announcement
Notably, Karoline Leavitt said that she doesn’t “want to scoop” the president or health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr ahead of their 4pm announcement today.
There have been multiple reports that Trump plans to deliver remarks citing a link between the use of Tylenol – namely its active ingredient acetaminophen – by pregnant women and autism among children. Medical experts have said it’s perfectly safe for women to take over-the-counter pain medication while pregnant.
Leavitt did not confirm the details of today’s announcement:
Before you jump to conclusions based on reports that the White House has not even confirmed, I would encourage everyone in this room to go into the four o’clock announcement with some critical thinking skills and with some open ears to actually listen to what the president and his team of outsiders have to say about this.
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Following the public memorial for far-right activist and Trump ally Charlie Kirk on Sunday, Leavitt characterized Erika Kirk’s remarks, where she said that she forgives her husband’s killer, as “one of the greatest acts of grace this world has ever seen”.
Notably, Leavitt incorrectly claimed that 96 Democrats voted “against a basic resolution condemning political violence” in Congress, following his murder.
On Friday, the House ultimately passed a resolution that praised Kirk as a “courageous American patriot” who sought to “elevate truth, foster understanding, and strengthen the Republic”.
Ninety-five Democrats voted to pass the measure, but 58 voted to oppose it, with several saying that they condemned his murder, but could not support Kirk’s speech. Thirty-eight Democrats voted present and 22 did not vote on the resolution.
In a statement, New York Democratic congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said that while “condemning the depravity of Kirk’s brutal murder is a straightforward matter” Kirk’s rhetoric and beliefs “were ignorant and sought to disenfranchise millions of Americans – far from ‘working tirelessly to promote unity’ as asserted by the majority in this resolution”.
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Leavitt begins White House press briefing, teasing Trump's address at UN general assembly
Karoline Leavitt just started the White House press briefing. She noted that the president will address the United Nations general assembly tomorrow in a “a major speech touting the renewal of American strength around the world his historic accomplishments in just eight months”.
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We’re due to hear from White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt shortly. We’ll bring you the latest lines from the briefing as they happen.
Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, the Indian foreign minister, said he met with Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, in New York today, where he says the two of them discussed a range of issues.
“Our conversation covered a range of bilateral and international issues of current concern,” Jaishankar wrote in a post on X.
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Scott Bessent, the US treasury secretary, said today that he expects to complete interviews of 10 of 11 candidates to replace Jerome Powell, the Federal Reserve chair, by the end of next week, including current Fed board members and regional bank presidents.
Bessent said he expects to begin narrowing the list of candidates after next week and that there may be two or three shortlists before recommending a candidate to Trump. Powell’s term as Fed chair ends in May 2026.
Bessent again ruled himself out as a potential Fed chair, opting to stay at Treasury. He said that Trump “likes me where I am and I like where I am”.
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More than 430 Hollywood stars sign open letter supporting Jimmy Kimmel amid suspension
Hundreds of Hollywood and Broadway stars – including Robert De Niro, Ben Affleck, Jennifer Aniston, Selena Gomez, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep – are urging Americans to “fight to defend and preserve our constitutionally protected rights” in the wake of Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension.
More than 430 movie, TV and stage stars as well as comedians, directors and writers added their names to an open letter Monday from the American Civil Liberties Union that argues it is “a dark moment for freedom of speech in our nation”.
The move comes less than a week after ABC suspended Kimmel’s late-night talkshow following comments he made about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. After a group of ABC-affiliated stations said they wouldn’t air Jimmy Kimmel Live! the Walt Disney Co pulled the show on Wednesday just before its scheduled airing, prompting a firestorm of debate over free speech.
“Regardless of our political affiliation, or whether we engage in politics or not, we all love our country,” the letter says. “We also share the belief that our voices should never be silenced by those in power – because if it happens to one of us, it happens to all of us.”
The list of signatories includes recent Emmy winner Noah Wyle, Oscar-nominated Florence Pugh, comedian David Cross, Tony winner Kelli O’Hara and veteran actor Molly Ringwald. Pedro Pascal, Billy Crystal, Nathan Lane, Kerry Washington and Kevin Bacon are also among those who signed.
“This is the moment to defend free speech across our nation. We encourage all Americans to join us, along with the ACLU, in the fight to defend and preserve our constitutionally protected rights,” the letter concludes.
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The US government is revoking the visas of Brazilian solicitor-general Jorge Messias and five other former and current Brazilian judicial officials, a senior Trump administration official told Reuters.
The move represents a significant escalation in the ongoing feud between the US and Brazilian governments that has intensified since the criminal conviction of former president Jair Bolsonaro earlier in the month.
Donald Trump and his political allies have denounced Bolsonaro’s conviction as the fruit of a “political witch-hunt” and more broadly accused Brazil’s judiciary of censoring conservatives.
Brazilian authorities have vigorously rejected those assertions. They say there is ample evidence that the right-wing former leader – a close ally of Trump – attempted to overturn his 2022 election loss to current president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
In addition to Messias, the official said the Trump administration is revoking the visas of former solicitor-general José Levi, former electoral court justice Benedito Gonçalves, auxiliary judge and supreme court aide Airton Vieira, former electoral court aide Marco Antonio Martin Vargas, and Rafael Henrique Janela Tamai Rocha, another high-ranking judicial aide.
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Oracle will receive a copy of TikTok’s algorithm to operate for US users - report
Tech giant Oracle, headed by Larry Ellison, will receive a copy of TikTok’s algorithm to operate for US users, a senior official in the Trump administration told the Associated Press.
Determining next steps for the algorithm, currently owned by the Beijing-based ByteDance, has been one of the most watched issues during ongoing negotiations over TikTok’s future. Oracle will now oversee the security of Americans’ data and monitor changes to the popular social media platform’s algorithm.
The official reportedly said they believe the plan will satisfy national security concerns over a Chinese company potentially manipulating what is being shown to US TikTok users.
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The White House says doctors may be exempt from H-1B visa fees, according to reporting from Bloomberg.
“‘The Proclamation allows for potential exemptions, which can include physicians and medical residents,’ White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said in an email to Bloomberg News,” journalist Ed Ludlow wrote in a post on X.
Trump signed a proclamation on Friday introducing the application fee of $100,000 for the H-1B visa, 60 times the current cost, in a move designed to encourage companies to hire more American workers. Economists have warned that the move could hurt US economic growth.
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We’ll also be keeping an ear out at today’s press briefing to hear the administration’s reaction to several global allies’ recognition of a Palestinian state.
A growing chorus of nations have pledged to recognize Palestinian statehood, in a move that Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has branded as a “a huge reward to terrorism”.
Netanyahu has said, categorically, that a Palestinian state “will not be established west of the Jordan River”.
Last week, on the president’s state visit to the UK, he acknowledged that statehood it was “one of the few things” that he and British prime minister Keir Starmer disagreed on. Over the weekend, Britain, Canada and Australia all formally recognized Palestinian statehood ahead of a high-stakes week at the United Nations general assembly. Trump will address the nations present on Tuesday, 23 September.
A reminder, that you can follow the latest developments in the Middle East at our dedicated blog below.
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Lawmakers decry Trump's pressure campaign on justice department to investigate political opponents
As we reported over the weekend, the president has ramped up his demands of attorney general Pam Bondi to use the Department of Justice to launch investigations into his political opponents.
On Truth Social, the president addressed Bondi directly and bemoaned the lack of investigations into longtime political adversary Letitia James, the New York attorney general, as well as California Democratic senator Adam Schiff and former FBI director James Comey.
“They’re all guilty as hell, but nothing is going to be done,” Trump wrote. “JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW!!!”
On Friday, the president said he fired the US attorney for the eastern district of Virginia, Erik Siebert, for saying that there was insufficient evidence to charge James with mortgage fraud. “A Woke RINO, who was never going to do his job,” Trump said of Siebert.
In response, several lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have criticized Trump’s politicization of the justice department.
In an interview with NBC News, Rand Paul, Republican senator of Kentucky, toed a line, and said that “lawfare in all forms is bad,” before insisting that Joe Biden was the “king of lawfare”.
Paul also noted that “we need to get politics out of the judicial system as much as we can”.
Meanwhile, Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer said on CNN that Trump’s actions resembled “the path to a dictatorship”.
“It is so very, very frightening and damaging to our republic,” Schumer added.
Similarly, Chris Murphy, Democratic senator of Connecticut, denounced the president’s demands of the justice department:
Donald Trump, because he doesn’t care about the facts – all he cares about is the threat of imprisonment for his political enemies, so that it suppresses the speech of other people who might speak up – is now going to put his own political loyalist in charge of that investigation.
On social media, Trump said he would nominate Lindsey Halligan to replace Siebert. Halligan is an attorney and special assistant to the preisdent.
“Lindsey is a tough, smart, and loyal attorney, who has worked with me for a long time, including in the winning fight against the Weaponization of our Justice System by Crooked Joe Biden and the Radical Left Democrats,” Trump wrote in his post.
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The Trump administration has started recruiting hundreds of military lawyers to sit as immigration judges, presiding over what are often life-and-death federal decisions for immigrants in the US, as experts warn the White House strategy is high-risk and arguably unlawful.
The judgeships are temporary but renewable, and the government’s goal is to fill an acute need for more immigration judges amid Donald Trump’s mass deportation mission – which is now happening even as experienced immigration judges seemingly deemed to have fallen foul of the president’s agenda are being purged from the courts.
Active-duty armed forces officers and reservists, part of the military’s justice arm known as the Judge Advocate General’s (Jag) corps, which has given rise to the lawyers there being nickname ‘Jags’, are getting messages asking them to volunteer for the high-stakes immigration roles.
But experts warn that military lawyers do not have the specialized knowledge to perform the duties of an immigration judge and may only have gotten an hour or two of immigration law training – if that – during JAG school, while, further, their appointments would likely break the law.
“The military’s mission is to kill people and break things – and Jags are trained to support that mission within the boundaries of military law. That’s not the same as immigration law. So why would we be using those attorneys, of all the lawyers out there, to decide the fate of families seeking refuge?” said Shawn VanDiver, a navy veteran and immigration advocate. “It’s just another way the Trump administration is trying to sow fear and keep people from coming here.”
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Per my last post, it’s important to underscore that autism has been a focus for Kennedy. Earlier this month, the Wall Street Journal reported that Kennedy planned to announce that use of Tylenol by pregnant women was potentially linked to autism spectrum disorder. Kennedy has claimed that the US is in the grip of an “autism epidemic” fuelled by “environmental toxins”.
A reminder that the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) says there’s “no clear evidence” linking “prudent” use of acetaminophen to issues with fetal development.
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Also today, Donald Trump will make an announcement at 4pm EST in the Roosevelt room, according to his official schedule.
On Sunday, the president teased today’s remarks, saying his administration has found “an answer to autism” at Charlie Kirk’s public memorial in Glendale, Arizona.
Health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr will join the president, alongside the director of the Centers of Medicaid and Medicare Services, Dr Mehmet Oz.
Per, the Washington Post, the Trump administration is expected to tie pregnant women’s use of the popular medicine Tylenol (known as paracetamol elsewhere in the world) to the development of autism in children. Trump is expected to specifically call out the drug’s active ingredient, acetaminophen. A reminder, medical experts say that it’s perfectly safe for women to use this over-the-counter pain medication while pregnant.
Later today, we’ll hear from press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who will hold a White House briefing at 1pm EST.
With Congress on recess this week, we’ll also be looking to hear the administration’s latest response to the looming government shutdown.
The Senate failed to pass a stopgap funding bill on Friday, after both Democratic and Republicans versions of a short term resolution to keep the government funded stalled in the upper chamber.
Ted Cruz, the Texas Republican who heads the US Senate’s commerce committee, has urged Donald Trump to support international efforts by an airline trade group to raise the mandatory pilot retirement age to 67 – despite opposition from a pilots association, which says such a move could increase travel risks.
In a letter first reported by Reuters on Sunday, Cruz asked Trump to support efforts the upcoming opening of a United Nations aviation meeting in Montreal.
“America should lead on the international stage in support of raising, or even abolishing, the pilot retirement age,” said Cruz, who leads the Senate panel overseeing aviation issues. He added current policy is “forcing thousands of highly qualified and experienced pilots into early retirement every year”.
In 2024, Congress rejected a push to raise the mandatory airline pilot retirement age to 67 from 65. Lawmakers rejected the bid to hike the retirement age after some cited a statement from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which had called for a scientific and safety analysis before making the decision.
International rules prohibit airline pilots older than 65 from flying international flights, and many countries, including the US, apply the same rule domestically as well.
The White House did not immediately comment.
Hundreds of environmentalists gathered in New York City’s Stuyvesant Square Park and a nearby Quaker meeting house on Sunday to rally in support of solar power and other forms of renewable energy. The event was part of a national “day of action” billed Sun Day, founded by veteran environmental activist Bill McKibben and first Earth Day coordinator Denis Hayes.
“It’s so sad to watch the sun going to waste,” McKibben said at a press conference, standing beside environmentalists and their children. “Every single day, energy from heaven going to waste while we drill down to hell for another dose of the stuff that is wrecking this planet.”
McKibben was joined at the press conference by other activists, as well as officials from New York and his home state of Vermont.
“We have the ability here to protect our children, to protect our future,” said New York’s lieutenant governor, Antonio Delgado.
The event in the park followed an all-afternoon celebration of clean power, with displays of solar panels, child-friendly lessons on renewable technology, and panel discussions. One popular panel featured McKibben and New York City’s comptroller, Brad Lander.
Turning Point USA receives major donations after founder Charlie Kirk's death
The powerful fundraising operation that rightwing activist Charlie Kirk led to build the influential college group Turning Point USA (TPUSA) is receiving a wave of support from large donors and Donald Trump allies since his murder, which suggests the group will remain a major force on the American right, campaign finance experts and consultants say.
New backing and appeals for help to sustain TPUSA have come from, among others, Lynn Friess, the widow of mega-donor Foster Friess, who was Kirk’s first major backer when he formed his campus-focused Republican group in 2012 at the age of 18. Friess pledged $1m to TPUSA days after the 31-year-old’s killing.
In an email to friends and allies on the right, Friess wrote on 14 September that her donation was to support a surge in “new TPUSA chapters springing up across the country … helping this incredible movement grow even stronger”.
Far-right former Fox News star Tucker Carlson, who was close to Kirk and appeared at some TPUSA events in recent years, also sent out a fundraising appeal to help sustain TPUSA, while Dallas multimillionaire Doug Deason has indicated he plans to increase his already hefty backing for the group.
Kirk’s success roping in big donors, many of whom remain anonymous, is apparent in its rapid growth according to tax filings, In 2024, Arizona-based TPUSA reported raising $85m, or more than double the $39m it hauled in during 2020.
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Rupert Murdoch and his son Lachlan Murdoch will probably be involved in the effort to buy TikTok in the US, Donald Trump said in an interview on Sunday.
The president was asked about the status of the sale of the app during an interview with Peter Doocy on The Sunday Briefing on Fox News. Trump administration officials have signaled that a deal for the Chinese-owned social media platform was imminent, though there has been some confusion about the status of the agreement.
Trump said moguls Larry Ellison and Michael Dell were involved in the deal before adding: “I hate to tell you this – a man named Lachlan is involved. You know who Lachlan is? That’s a very unusual name, Lachlan Murdoch.
“Rupert is probably gonna be in the group, I think they’re gonna be in the group, a couple of others. Really great people. Very prominent people. And they’re also American patriots, they love this country, so I think they’re gonna do a really good job.”
Such a deal would involve Fox corporation being among the group of investors in TikTok, CNN reported on Sunday, not Rupert and Lachlan as individual investors.
A delegation of US lawmakers met with Chinese defence minister Dong Jun on Monday in the first House of Representatives visit to Beijing in six years, with talks aimed at bolstering exchanges including military-to-military communication.
The bipartisan delegation was led by Democratic US representative Adam Smith, the current top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee that oversees the US Defense Department and armed forces.
“We are the first delegation from the United States House of Representatives since 2019 and we feel strongly that there should be more frequent visits and more robust conversation,” Smith told Dong.
“We want to open up the lines of communication. And in particular around military matters,” Smith said, according to a pool report organised by the US embassy in Beijing.
Dong said the visit marked a “good” phase in efforts to strengthen China-US communications.
Trump officials reportedly set to tie Tylenol to autism risk
Donald Trump’s administration is on Monday expected to tie pregnant women’s use of the popular medicine Tylenol – known as paracetamol elsewhere in the world – to a risk of autism, contrary to medical guidelines, the Washington Post has reported.
Trump officials are also expected to announce an effort to explore how the drug leucovorin could purportedly and potentially treat autism, according to the Post report published Sunday, which cited four sources with knowledge of the plans who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the announcement had not been made.
Medical guidelines say it is safe for pregnant women to take Tylenol, the over-the-counter pain medication whose active ingredient is known as acetaminophen in the US and paracetamol elsewhere in the world.
Trump teased the announcement during the memorial for conservative activist Charlie Kirk on Sunday, telling the crowd “I think we found an answer to autism.” On Saturday, the president said the planned announcement would be “one of the most important things that we will do.”
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Trump hails Charlie Kirk as ‘a martyr for America’s freedom’ at memorial
Good morning and welcome to the US politics live blog. My name is Tom Ambrose and I will be bringing you all the latest news lines over the next few hours.
We start with the news that Donald Trump praised Charlie Kirk as a “great American hero” and “martyr” for freedom as the president and other prominent conservatives gathered on Sunday evening to honor the slain conservative political activist.
The memorial service for Kirk, whom Trump credits with playing a pivotal role in his 2024 election victory, drew tens of thousands of mourners.
“He’s a martyr now for America’s freedom,” Trump said in his tribute to the 31-year-old. “I know I speak for everyone here today when I say that none of us will ever forget Charlie. And neither now will history.”
Kirk’s assassination at a 10 September appearance on a Utah college campus has set off a fierce debate about violence, decency and free speech in an era of deep political division.
The Associated Press reports that those close to Kirk prayed and the floors at the home of the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals shook from the bass of Christian rock bands, as the memorial started with the feel of a megachurch service before veering into something more akin to a political rally.
Kirk’s widow, Erika, in her own address said in the midst of her grief she was finding comfort that her husband left this world without regrets. She said she forgives the man who is charged with killing him.
Trump, who closed out the service, remarked that Charlie Kirk “did not hate his opponents” and “wanted the best for them,” an attribute he found hard to understand.
“That’s where I disagreed with Charlie. I hate my opponents, and I don’t want the best for them,” Trump said. “I’m sorry, I am sorry Erika.”
You can read our report here:
In other developments:
Donald Trump met with billionaire Elon Musk, his once trusted adviser with whom the president had a spectacular public falling out, at a memorial event for right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, raising speculation that the two could be reconciling. Trump shook hands with and chatted to Musk, who once led the president’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which took a hatchet to the US federal workforce and agencies in the early months of Trump’s second administration.
Trump’s administration is on Monday expected to tie pregnant women’s use of the popular medicine Tylenol – known as paracetamol elsewhere in the world – to a risk of autism, contrary to medical guidelines, the Washington Post has reported. Trump officials are also expected to announce an effort to explore how the drug leucovorin could purportedly and potentially treat autism, according to the Post report published Sunday, which cited four sources with knowledge of the plans who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the announcement had not been made.
The United States called on Sunday the recognition of a Palestinian state by several key allies - including Britain, Australia and Canada - “performative”. “Our focus remains on serious diplomacy, not performative gestures. Our priorities are clear: the release of the hostages, the security of Israel, and peace and prosperity for the entire region that is only possible free from Hamas,” a US State Department spokesperson said on condition of anonymity.
Rupert Murdoch and his son Lachlan Murdoch will probably be involved in the effort to buy TikTok in the US, Trump said in an interview on Sunday. The president was asked about the status of the sale of the app during an interview with Peter Doocy on The Sunday Briefing on Fox News.
Trump said he was appointing his former lawyer Lindsey Halligan to be US attorney for the eastern district of Virginia after an extraordinary outburst in which he overtly put pressure on his attorney general to more aggressively pursue senior public officials he regards as his political enemies.
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