President Donald Trump revealed the “friends” who convinced him to walk back on plans to send federal troops to San Francisco.
“I got a great call from some incredible people, some friends of mine, some very successful people, ”Trump said at a roundtable Thursday.
The president spoke of "Marc" and "Jensen", appearing to reference Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang.
The president had earlier posted on social media that he was preparing to "surge" troops to the California city Saturday but changed his mind after friends "in the area" asked him to hold off because Mayor Daniel Lurie was "making substantial progress.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom threatened to sue the Trump administration if he sent the National Guard to the state, while former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi suggested that if federal law enforcement violates California law, local police could arrest them.
Before Trump's latest announcement, federal immigration agents were seen arriving in the Bay Area Thursday morning.
Key Points
- San Francisco braces for federal immigration authorities
- Food assistance program could soon be suspended for millions as shutdown drags on for 23rd day
- Trump demolishes the East Wing of the White House
- Hegseth confirms second U.S. strike in the Pacific Ocean
- FBI announces sweeping takedown of illegal gambling ring involving NBA players and coaches
- Trump holds a roundtable on his administration's efforts to combat cartels
The ballroom project has secured more than $300 million in donations, Trump says
01:15 , Kelly RissmanPresident Trump said he raised more than the $300 million needed to fund his gold-plated ballroom.
Speaking at a roundtable Thursday, the president said he believes $350 million have been raised toward the project.
“It’ll be the most beautiful ballroom anywhere in the world,” he said.
He again didn’t give a specific number as to how much he personally planned to donate to the project.
2028 watch: Cory Booker heads to the Granite State
01:00 , Eric GarciaSen. Cory Booker will head to the First in the Nation Primary next month. Booker will host a town hall at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at St. Anselm College on November 14th.
Booker will also speak at the New Hampshire Democratic Party that evening.
New Hampshire historically holds the first presidential primary. But Joe Biden made South Carolina, a state with a larger Black population, the first primary in 2024. Booker's jaunt shows New Hampshire's attempt to move back up the calendar.
Booker, who came to the Senate after a special election in 2013, ran for president in 2020, but his campaign fizzled out before the contests began. He then endorsed Biden.
Since then, Booker has become an outspoken critic of Trump, and even some of his fellow Democrats for not sufficiently opposing Trump. Most recently, he broke the record for the longest Senate speech at 25 hours and 15 minutes.But Booker has also faced major criticism from some on the left for his outspoken support for Israel, particularly after Israel's war in Gaza.
Trump says he's donating 'millions' to the ballroom project. Here's who the other donors are
00:30 , Kelly RissmanWhen asked how much money he was planning on donating to the ballroom project, Trump said “millions of dollars,” but didn’t give an exact amount.
Here’s who else is donating to the 90,000 square-foot ballroom, according to the White House:
- Altria Group Inc.
- Amazon
- Apple
- Booz Allen Hamilton Inc.
- Caterpillar Inc.
- Coinbase
- Comcast Corporation
- J. Pepe and Emilia Fanjul
- Hard Rock International
- HP Inc.
- Lockheed Martin
- Meta Platforms
- Micron Technology
- Microsoft
- NextEra Energy Inc.
- Palantir Technologies Inc.
- Ripple
- Reynolds American
- T-Mobile
- Tether America
- Union Pacific Railroad
- Adelson Family Foundation
- Stefan E. Brodie
- Betty Wold Johnson Foundation
- Charles and Marissa Cascarilla
- Edward and Shari Glazer
- Harold Hamm
- Benjamin Leon Jr.
- The Lutnick Family
- The Laura & Isaac Perlmutter Foundation
- Stephen A. Schwarzmann
- Konstantin Sokolov
- Kelly Loeffler and Jeff Sprecher
- Paolo Tiramani
- Cameron Winklevoss
- Tyler Winklevoss
WATCH: Trump reveals the friends who convinced him to call off surging troops into San Francisco
00:00 , Kelly RissmanOfficials say the administration has 'authority' to carry out U.S. strikes. This might be what they mean.
23:30 , Kelly RissmanOn Thursday, Secretary of War said the administration has the “authority” to carry out the kinetic strikes against the alleged drug-carrying boats while President Trump said he doesn’t plan on asking Congress for a declaration of war.
The United States is formally engaged in an “armed conflict” with drug cartels that Donald Trump’s administration has labeled “unlawful combatants,” according to a confidential notice to members of Congress.
A unclassified notice obtained by The Independent was delivered to congressional national security committees this week. The New York Times first reported the statements.
The designation appears to claim extraordinary wartime powers to justify a series of strikes against alleged drug traffickers in the Caribbean Sea, which have drawn legal scrutiny and allegations that the administration and defense officials committed extrajudicial murder.
Alex Woodward has more.
Trump declares US now engaged in ‘armed conflict’ with drug cartels
Stephen Miller on Trump: 'This country was going to die without you'
23:15 , Kelly RissmanICE recruits are showing up for training with disqualifying criminal backgrounds: report
23:00 , Kelly RissmanImmigration and Customs Enforcement is flush with cash for an aggressive recruiting campaign to fulfill Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda. But new recruits are reportedly failing physical fitness requirements and entering training programs before the agency performed background checks or finished a screening process.
ICE officials have discovered that some recruits failed drug testing or had disqualifying criminal backgrounds while they were already enrolled in training, according to NBC News.
Since the beginning of a summer hiring surge after the president approved $178 billion to expand the agency into one of the most expensive police agencies in the world, ICE has dismissed more than 200 new recruits while they were in training for falling short of requirements, according to agency data reviewed by NBC.
ICE recruits in training had disqualifying criminal backgrounds: report
ICYMI: FBI releases new footage and offers $500K for information about suspect who placed pipe bombs ahead of Jan 6 riots
22:30 , Kelly RissmanThe FBI has shared new surveillance footage of the suspect who planted pipe bombs outside the Democratic and Republican National Committee headquarters, the night before the January 6 riots, and offered a $500,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.
The new video shows the as-yet unidentified suspect walking through Washington, D.C., before and after the pipe bombs were placed on the night of January 5, 2021.
One clip shows the suspect walking toward the DNC headquarters before sitting down on a bench outside the building. The individual later stands up and walks past the building, with a backpack in their hand, before eventually turning around and retracing their steps through the Capitol Hill neighborhood.
Isabel Keane has the story.
FBI offers $500K for information about pipe bombs at Capitol riots
WATCH: White House defends Trump pardoning crypto head with links to First family
22:15 , Kelly RissmanIn photos: Demolition of East Wing of White House for Trump's ballroom
22:00 , Kelly Rissman
Trump says he's not sure if there will be a resolution to the shutdown when he returns from Asia
21:44 , Kelly RissmanAsked if he expected to have a resolution to the shutdown by the time he returns from his trip to Asia, President Trump said: “I don’t know.”
“I think the Democrats have gone totally crazy,” he said, calling some lawmakers “low IQ people.”
Trump leaves for Asia over the weekend. The shutdown has dragged on for 23 days.
Bondi refuses to comment on whether grand jury is considering case against Schiff
21:41 , Alex WoodwardAttorney General Pam Bondi won’t comment on whether a grand jury is mulling a case against Senator Adam Schiff.
At the roundtable Thursday, Trump said he hopes it’s true.
“Adam Schiff is one of the lowest forms of scum of anyone I’ve ever dealt with in politics,” he said.
His comments follow reporting from MSNBC that the top federal prosecutor in Maryland has stalled her case against the senator and has asked Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche for advice on how to proceed. Prosecutors reportedly have not drummed up enough evidence to prosecute him, after Trump commanded Bondi to swiftly file charges.
'I don’t think we’re going to necessarily ask for a declaration of war,' Trump says about drug boats
21:30 , Kelly RissmanAsked why not ask Congress for a declaration of war on the operations against the “narco-terrorists,” the president said he doesn’t need a declaration of war.
“Well, I don’t think we’re going to necessarily ask for a declaration of war,” Trump said.
“I think we’re just going to kill people who are bringing drugs into our country. … They’re gonna be, like, dead,” the president added.
Earlier Thursday, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee demanded a hearing on Trump’s drug boat strikes.
“The absence of any credible legal rationale for the administration’s armed campaign against drug cartels raises alarming questions about whether it intends to conduct similar extrajudicial strikes elsewhere in the world — or even within the United States,” Rep. Gregory Meeks said in a statement Thursday. “Equally troubling is the credibility of the intelligence underpinning these operations.”
'Beautiful accent but we can’t understand what you’re saying,' Trump struggles to understand French reporter
21:18 , Kelly RissmanA reporter from France asked President Donald Trump a question at his roundtable — but he admitted he couldn’t understand her.
“Yesterday there was a vote at the Knesset on annexing the West Bank. Do you see it as a challenge to your peace efforts.
“Could you say that louder please,” the president asked.
She repeated her question, but Trump still appeared puzzled.
“Would you answer that please because I could understand a word she’s saying,” Trump said, tapping Bondi.
“Where are you from? You’re from France. Beautiful accent but we can’t understand what you’re saying,” the president said.
Then, as she repeated part of her question, Trump responded: “The West Bank? Don’t worry about the West Bank. Israel’s not going to do anything with the West Bank.”
Trump and Hegseth defend U.S. strikes against alleged drug boats
21:09 , Kelly RissmanPresident Donald Trump and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth defend U.S. strikes on alleged drug-carrying vessels.
Since last September, at least 37 people have been killed in at least nine strikes.
“We know everything about them. We know where they’re coming from, who they’re coming with, generally, who’s in the boat,” he said.
Boats have five engines, going 60 mph “loaded up with white powder in silver cases — generally speaking, that’s not a good sign. They’re not going fishing, right?” the president said.
“We have all the license and authority necessary to take these kinetic strikes,” Hegseth said.
Mike Johnson confronted with MTG’s statements bashing him over healthcare
21:00 , Kelly RissmanSpeaker of the House Mike Johnson brushed off MAGA congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene’s criticisms of him for supposedly not focusing on affordable healthcare Wednesday evening by using the insult “bless her heart.”
Greene, who has more frequently broken from her party’s messaging in recent months, wrote a lengthy X post, accusing Johnson of avoiding affordable healthcare policies and not providing “a single policy plan” on a conference call with Republicans this week.
Hours later, Johnson appeared on CNN’s The Source with Katilan Collinsto push back on Greene’s claims, saying she was not privy to conversations about policy plans.
Ariana Baio has the latest.
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‘Well, bless her heart’: Johnson confronts Marjorie Taylor Greene bashing him
WATCH: Trump says drug cartels are the 'ISIS of the Western Hemisphere'
20:51 , Kelly RissmanPam Bondi made an effort to personally laud task force members at roundtable
20:50 , Kelly RissmanAttorney General Pam Bondi personally lauded members of the task force at the roundtable.
“We all work so well together. I don’t think another administration in our nation’s history has worked so well together,” she said.
Bondi went around the table, mentioning certain anecdotes about how “committed” each task force member is, like texting one member at 1 a.m.
Everyone around the table is working tirelessly, Bondi said before turning to Trump: “President Trump, thank you for giving them the ability to do it.”
Trump addresses decision to hold off on San Francisco 'surge'
20:42 , Kelly RissmanPresident Donald Trump said he had a “great call” with the San Francisco mayor after he walks back plan to “surge” federal troops into San Francisco.
The president said he had “four or five” calls from his friends urging him to “hold off” on sending federal troops to the city.
San Francisco has the “potential to be a great city again,” he said.
On the other hand, he said he’ll take “special care of Chicago.”
He said Illinois Governor JB Pritzker doesn’t have the city’s crime situation “under control” and called Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson “low IQ.”
Trump holds a roundtable on his administration's efforts to combat cartels
20:32 , Kelly RissmanPresident Donald Trump hailed the “extraordinary, historic achievements” of the Homeland Security Task Force at the roundtable Thursday afternoon.
The cartels are the “ISIS of the Western Hemisphere,” Trump said.
Cartels are “waging war on America...and we’re waging war on them in ways they’ve never seen before,” he said.
California officials celebrate Trump's decision to call off sending troops to Bay Area
20:20 , Kelly RissmanAfter the president called off his plan to “surge” federal troops into San Francisco on Friday, California officials celebrate.
President Donald Trump said in a Truth Social post Thursday that after speaking with the city’s mayor and friends “who live in the area,” he opted not to send troops to the California city for now.
California Governor Gavin Newsom, who threatened to sue the Trump administration if he deployed the National Guard, and Rep. Nancy Pelosi celebrated the decision.
Mayor Daniel Lurie has demonstrated exceptional leadership in his steadfast commitment to the safety and well-being of San Franciscans.
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) October 23, 2025
He has underscored that public safety must be driven by local priorities, respectful of our values and communities.
I salute Mayor Lurie for… https://t.co/X4Oc3s1bhX
Trump has finally, for once, listened to reason – and heard what we have been saying from the beginning.
— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) October 23, 2025
The Bay Area is a shining example of what makes California so special, and any attempt to erode our progress would damage the work we've done.
We will continue to monitor… https://t.co/uAsPbSSxrA
Democrat demands hearing on U.S. strikes against alleged drug boats
20:10 , Kelly RissmanThe top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee is demanding a hearing on Trump’s drug boat strikes.
“The absence of any credible legal rationale for the administration’s armed campaign against drug cartels raises alarming questions about whether it intends to conduct similar extrajudicial strikes elsewhere in the world — or even within the United States,” Rep. Gregory Meeks said in a statement Thursday. “Equally troubling is the credibility of the intelligence underpinning these operations.”
The president’s “unilateral, ongoing expansion of these strikes into a potentially broader regional war should concern every Member of Congress who wishes to reclaim Congress’ authority to prevent endless wars that lack clear objectives and needlessly endanger American lives,” he said.
The U.S. strikes on alleged drug-carrying vessel have killed at least 37 people so far.
Hegseth confirmed a second boat was hit in the Pacific Ocean on Thursday, marking at least nine strikes so far since September.
Trump pardons Binance founder convicted on money laundering charges to end ‘war on crypto’
20:00 , Kelly RissmanPresident Donald Trump pardoned Changpeng Zhao, the co-founder of cryptocurrency exchange Binance, this week in a move the White House framed as a response to what it called the Biden administration’s “war on cryptocurrency.”
Zhao, also known as “CZ”, pleaded guilty to enabling money laundering and agreed to step down as the CEO of Binance as part of a $4.3 billion settlement with the Justice Department in 2023. He served four months in prison.
“President Trump exercised his constitutional authority by issuing a pardon for Mr. Zhao, who was prosecuted by the Biden Administration in their war on cryptocurrency,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.
Ariana Baio has the story.
WATCH: Mike Johnson STILL doesn't know about Trump's $230m 'compensation' deal
19:45 , Kelly RissmanTrump called off sending border agents to San Francisco after mayor’s phone call
19:30 , Kelly RissmanThe Trump administration is temporarily holding off on launching a long-threatened federal crackdown on San Francisco, the president wrote on Truth Social on Thursday, even as immigration agents massed at a Coast Guard base just outside the city in anticipation of the planned surge operation.
“The Federal Government was preparing to ‘surge’ San Francisco, California, on Saturday, but friends of mine who live in the area called last night to ask me not to go forward with the surge in that the Mayor, Daniel Lurie, was making substantial progress,” Trump wrote.
“I spoke to Mayor Lurie last night and he asked, very nicely, that I give him a chance to see if he can turn it around,” the president added.
Trump also said tech executives like Nvidia’s Jensen Huang and Salesforce’s Marc Benioff “called saying that the future of San Francisco is great,” pressure that convinced him to suspend the operation, at least temporarily.
Lurie, in a statement on X, said he spoke with the president and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who assured him the administration was “calling off any plans for a federal deployment in San Francisco.”
Josh Marcus has the story.
Trump called off sending border agents to San Francisco after mayor’s phone call
San Francisco mayor details call with Trump after president calls off sending in federal troops
19:16 , Kelly RissmanSan Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie shed light on his call with Donald Trump over the president’s plans to ‘surge’ federal troops into the city on Saturday.
The president announced Thursday in a Truth Social post that he was walking back plans to send troops to San Francisco after speaking with the mayor and ‘friends’ who live in the area.
Trump called Lurie on Wednesday evening, the mayor said in a social media post.
On the call, “I told him the same thing I told our residents: San Francisco is on the rise. Visitors are coming back, buildings are getting leased and purchased, and workers are coming back to the office,” he said.
While the city welcomes partnerships with federal law enforcement, “having the military and militarized immigration enforcement in our city will hinder our recovery,” Lurie added.
Yesterday, I spoke to San Franciscans about a potential federal deployment in our city. I said then what I have said since taking office, that keeping San Franciscans safe is my top priority.
— Daniel Lurie 丹尼爾·羅偉 (@DanielLurie) October 23, 2025
Late last night, I received a phone call from the President of the United States. I…
WATCH: White House asked if Trump can tear down anything he wants
19:09 , Kelly RissmanLeavitt asked if Trump gambled in light of sweeping FBI probe into sports betting criminal ring
19:08 , Kelly RissmanIn light of the NBA players’ arrests as part of the FBI’s sweeping investigations into sports-rigging and illegal gambling, a reporter asked if President Donald Trump gambled.
Leavitt said she wasn’t sure.
“You know, I’m not sure. I don’t think he does. I’ve been with him for quite some time and I’ve never seen him gamble,” she said.
Follow The Independent’s live coverage of the game-rigging investigation here.
Leavitt slams states' methods to document ICE activity and addresses Trump's decision to call off troops toSan Francisco
19:03 , Kelly RissmanNew York has launched a portal and Illinois created a commission to document federal immigration activity.
“This is actively putting the lives of our ICE agents at risk,” Leavitt said.
She also remarked on Trump’s U-turn on deploying troops to San Francisco.
Trump is “willing to work with anyone to do the right thing and clean up America’s cities,” she said. He is “genuinely interested” in making U.S. cities safer and cleaner, Leavitt continued.
“That law enforcement operation has now been paused,” but the administration will continue to watch the situation in the Bay Area, she said.
Trump hasn't seen 'enough interest and enough action' from Putin toward peace, Leavitt says
18:55 , Kelly RissmanLeavitt addressed the cancelled Putin-Trump meeting and the newest sanctions on Russia.
“The president has always maintained that he would implement sanctions on Russia when he felt it was appropriate and necessary. Yesterday was that day,” she said.
“He has not seen enough interest and enough action in terms of moving the ball forward toward peace,” she said of Russia.
She added that Trump wants to see “action, not just talk,” when asked what changed.
White House press secretary defends demolition of East Wing — with visual aids
18:50 , Kelly RissmanLeavitt defends the demolition of the entirety of the White House’s East Wing to build Trump’s gold-plated ballroom.
Asked whether Trump could demolish part of the historic building, Leavitt said: “This is a legal opinion that’s been held for many years.”
“There have been many presidents in the past who have made their mark on this beautiful White House complex,” she said, showing photos of past renovations.
“In due time, the East wing will be more beautiful and modern than ever before.”
Leavitt addresses questions over Binance founder's pardon
18:46 , Kelly RissmanTrump pardoned Changpeng Zhao, the convicted founder of the crypto exchange Binance, on Wednesday.
Asked about Zhao’s alleged ties to World Liberty Financial, which was founded by the president’s sons Donald Jr. and Eric, Leavitt said: “The president is exercising his constitutional authority to grant clemency requests.”
Ongoing shutdown threatens Thanksgiving travel, Leavitt warns
18:39 , Kelly RissmanAt a press briefing Thursday afternoon, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said more than 500,000 federal employees will miss a paycheck Friday due to the “Democrat shutdown.”
It’s “egregious and truly sad” that 13,000 air traffic controllers have been working without pay, Leavitt said.
“If the Democrats continue to keep the democrats closed, we fill there will be significant delays and disruptions” in holiday travel, she said, noting Thanksgiving — the busiest travel time — is nearing.
Democrats are “solely responsible for all this unnecessary pain,” she continued.
In photos: Work continues on the largely demolished part of the East Wing of the White House
18:29 , Kelly Rissman
Trump walks back on plan surge federal agents into San Francisco for now
18:16 , Kelly RissmanPresident Donald Trump says he won’t “surge” federal agents into San Francisco on Saturday after speaking with friends in the area.
“The Federal Government was preparing to “surge” San Francisco, California, on Saturday, but friends of mine who live in the area called last night to ask me not to go forward with the surge in that the Mayor, Daniel Lurie, was making substantial progress,” he wrote on Truth Social Thursday.
“I spoke to Mayor Lurie last night and he asked, very nicely, that I give him a chance to see if he can turn it around. I told him I think he is making a mistake, because we can do it much faster, and remove the criminals that the Law does not permit him to remove,” the post continued.
“I told him, ‘It’s an easier process if we do it, faster, stronger, and safer but, let’s see how you do?’”
“The people of San Francisco have come together on fighting Crime, especially since we began to take charge of that very nasty subject, the president said.
White House press secretary to give briefing
17:53 , Kelly RissmanWhite House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt is scheduled to give a press briefing at 1 p.m. ET.
You can watch a livestream of the briefing here.
DC man sues over being detained after playing Darth Vader theme song in protest of National Guard
17:50 , Kelly RissmanA Washington, D.C. man, who was detained after playing Darth Vader’s theme song while recording National Guard troops in the nation’s capital, says his First Amendment rights were violated, according to a new lawsuit.
Last month, Sam O’Hara “calmly walked” behind National Guard members and began playing “The Imperial March” on his phone while recording, the suit says.
That’s when officers put him in handcuffs, “preventing him from continuing his peaceful protest,” the suit states.
The ACLU-DC filed the suit on O’Hara’s behalf Thursday against an Ohio National Guard member, four Metropolitan Police Department officers and the District of Columbia.
“Armed National Guard should not be policing D.C. residents as we walk around our neighborhoods,” O’Hara said in a statement.
“It was important to me not to normalize this dystopian occupation. Instead of respecting my right to protest, police officers handcuffed me so tightly my wrists were still marked and sore the next day. This shows the danger of deploying troops onto American streets: it puts all our basic rights at risk.”
Trump pardons Binance founder Changpeng Zhao
17:40 , Kelly RissmanPresident Donald Trump has pardoned Changpeng Zhao, the convicted founder of the crypto exchange Binance, the Wall Street Journal first reported.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that Trump had “exercised his constitutional authority by issuing a pardon for Mr. Zhao, who was prosecuted by the Biden Administration in their war on cryptocurrency.”
She added: “The Biden Administration’s war on crypto is over.”
Zhao was convicted in 2021 after he pleaded guilty to one count of failing to maintain an anti-money-laundering program.
The company also pleaded guilty to federal charges and agreed to pay over $4 billion to resolve the Justice Department’s investigation into violations related to the Bank Secrecy Act, failure to register as a money transmitting business, and the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
WATCH: Speaker Mike Johnson Responds To Marjorie Taylor Greene Criticizing Him For Not Working To Fix Healthcare Cost Issues
17:30 , Kelly RissmanICE recruits are showing up for training with disqualifying criminal backgrounds, report says
17:20 , Kelly RissmanImmigration and Customs Enforcement is flush with cash for an aggressive recruiting campaign to fulfill Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda. But new recruits are reportedly failing physical fitness requirements and entering training programs before the agency performed background checks or finished a screening process.
ICE officials have discovered that some recruits failed drug testing or had disqualifying criminal backgrounds while they were already enrolled in training, according to NBC News.
Since the beginning of a summer hiring surge after the president approved $178 billion to expand the agency into one of the most expensive police agencies in the world, ICE has dismissed more than 200 new recruits while they were in training for falling short of requirements, according to agency data reviewed by NBC.
Most did not meet physical and academic standards — including failing open-book tests — while several were dismissed for their criminal backgrounds or over safety concerns that were flagged in background checks, the outlet reported.
Alex Woodward has the story.
ICE recruits in training had disqualifying criminal backgrounds: report
Virginia Dems plan to redraw state map to pick up House seats: report
17:10 , Kelly RissmanVirginia Democrats are planning to redraw the state’s map to counteract similar efforts in Republican-led states for additional House seats in the midterm elections.
With the redrawn map, Democrats could pick up two or three additional House seats, the New York Times reported.
“We are coming back to address actions by the Trump administration,” said Scott Surovell, the majority leader of the Virginia Senate, who confirmed the plans.
On Wednesday, North Carolina’s GOP-controlled legislature passed a new congressional map that hopes to provide its party with an additional U.S. House seat.
In August, Texas passed a redrawn map that could provide Republicans with five additional seats.
In California, voters will decide next month on a redrawn map, in which Democrats seek to gain five seats to directly counteract Texas’ efforts.
Duffy warns of potential holiday travel disruptions if shutdown continues
17:47 , Kelly RissmanTransportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned that holiday travel could be disrupted, citing the ongoing government shutdown and an air traffic controller shortage.
“I can’t guarantee you that your flight’s going to be on time. I can’t guarantee you that your flight’s not going to be cancelled. It’s going to depend on our air traffic controllers coming in to work every single day,” he said.
Blaming Democrats for the shutdown, which has dragged on for 23 days, Duffy added: “If they do not, we’ll know whose fault it is.”
Dr Oz jumps through hoops – and changes the laws of math – to explain Trump claims about lowering drug prices
17:00 , Kelly RissmanDr Mehmet Oz, administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, got himself into a desperate mathematical tangle attempting to defend President Donald Trump’s rhetoric on drug prices on Wednesday.
Appearing on NBC News’s Meet the Press with Kristen Welker, the former daytime TV personality was invited to watch a montage of Trump making wildly inflated promises on the percentage by which his administration planned to cut the cost of pharmaceuticals, which rose from 1,200 percent to 1,500 percent depending on which press event the president was speaking at.
“Cutting drug prices by 400 percent, anything over 100 percent, wouldn’t that effectively make them free? Is that a realistic goal from the president?” Welker asked Dr Oz.
Joe Sommerlad has the story.
Dr Oz jumps through hoops to explain Trump claims about lowering drug prices
WATCH: Gambling ring connected to NY mafia used x-ray tables to rig poker games, FBI says
16:50 , Kelly RissmanWho donated to Trump's $300m ballroom project?
16:40 , Kelly RissmanThe White House revealed the 37 companies and individuals who donated to his massive golden ballroom project.
Here’s the list of donors, obtained by The Hill:
- Altria Group, Inc.
- Amazon
- Apple
- Booz Allen Hamilton
- Caterpillar, Inc.
- Coinbase
- Comcast Corporation
- J. Pepe and Emilia Fanjul
- Hard Rock International
- HP Inc.
- Lockheed Martin
- Meta Platforms
- Micron Technology
- Microsoft
- NextEra Energy, Inc.
- Palantir Technologies Inc.
- Ripple
- Reynolds American
- T-Mobile
- Tether America
- Union Pacific Railroad
- Adelson Family Foundation
- Stefan E. Brodie
- Betty Wold Johnson Foundation
- Charles and Marissa Cascarilla
- Edward and Shari Glazer
- Harold Hamm
- Benjamin Leon Jr.
- The Lutnick Family
- The Laura & Isaac Perlmutter Foundation
- Stephen A. Schwarzman
- Konstantin Sokolov
- Kelly Loeffler and Jeff Sprecher
- Paolo Tiramani
- Cameron Winklevoss
- Tyler Winklevoss
Linda McMahon’s attempt to be Trump’s chief of staff was thwarted by orchestrated JD Vance phone call, new book claims
16:30 , Kelly RissmanLinda McMahon, the now-secretary of education, and Brooke Rollins, the now-secretary of agriculture, unsuccessfully pitched themselves to serve as President Donald Trump’s White House chief of staff – in part failing because campaign staffers intercepted their efforts with an “orchestrated” call from the vice president, a new book alleges.
During the presidential transition process, McMahon, a former professional wrestling executive, and Rollins, who had set up a conservative think tank, rushed to Mar-a-Lago, where Trump and his team of trusted advisers were helping select members of the new administration, vying for the coveted chief of staff role, according to Jonathan Karl’s new book, Retribution, an excerpt of which was published in Vanity Fair Thursday.
When a campaign staffer who worked closely with Susie Wiles, the so-called “ice maiden” who successfully led Trump’s 2016 and 2024 campaigns, got wind of McMahon and Rollins' plans, they reportedly intervened.
Ariana Baio has the story.
Linda McMahon’s attempt to be Trump’s chief of staff was thwarted, new book claims
Pritzker creates commission to monitor federal immigration activity in Illinois
16:20 , Kelly RissmanIllinois Governor JB Pritzker established a board tasked with documenting federal immigration authority activity, following a similar model to New York’s ICE activity portal.
Pritzker announced Thursday that he created the Illinois Accountability Commission, an independent board that would publicly document federal law enforcement and activity recommend actions to hold the federal government accountable.
“The federal government is pushing the boundaries of their authority to terrorize our communities while disregarding all legal and moral accountability in the process. We will not meet intimidation with fear — we will meet it with truth,” Pritzker said in a statement Thursday.
On Wednesday, New York Attorney General Letitia James launched a portal in which residents could submit documentation of ICE activity following the nine arrests in a raid on Manhattan’s Canal Street.
“Every New Yorker has the right to live without fear or intimidation,” James said in a statement.
In photos:Federal agents arrive in Bay Area for immigration operations
16:10 , Kelly Rissman
Death toll in U.S. strikes against alleged drug boats rises to at least 37 after latest hit
16:00 , Kelly RissmanDonald Trump’s administration has struck at least two alleged drug-carrying vessels, killing five people on board, in what appears to be the first attacks in the Pacific Ocean.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced two operations Wednesday that bring the death toll from the administration’s attacks to more than 30, as the United States declares itself at war with drug cartels in an expanding military campaign across South America.
A vessel struck down Tuesday “was known by our intelligence to be involved in illicit narcotics smuggling, was transiting along a known narco-trafficking transit route, and carrying narcotics,” according to Hegseth.
Alex Woodward has the story.
Trump launches first strikes on ‘narco’ boats in Pacific waters near Colombia coast
California police could arrest federal authorities who break state law, Pelosi says
15:50 , Kelly RissmanFormer House Speaker Nancy Pelosi suggested local police could arrest federal authorities if they break state law.
“While the President may enjoy absolute immunity courtesy of his rogue Supreme Court, those who operate under his orders do not,” Pelosi and Congressman Kevin Mullin said in a statement on Wednesday.
“Our state and local authorities may arrest federal agents if they break California law — and if they are convicted, the President cannot pardon them.”
Trump said on Sunday that San Francisco will be his “next” target to send federal troops.
More than 100 federal immigration agents are heading to the Bay Area and are expected to arrive Thursday, the San Francisco Chronicle reported earlier this week.
Disaster Relief Fund is at a 'precarious level,' according to a report
15:40 , Kelly RissmanFederal funding for disaster relief efforts is “critically low,” Bloomberg reported.
The Disaster Relief Fund, provides assistance to the federal government's domestic general disaster relief programs, has reached around $10 billion, a figure that current and former FEMA staffers described as being at a “precarious level,” the outlet reported.
A report of the fund’s spending level through the end of September showed the agency with roughly $8.4 billion remaining for staff deployment, aid and other efforts tied to presidential major disaster declarations, Bloomberg said.
There was also $1.1 billion set aside to respond to unexpected events, the outlet, which reviewed the report, noted.
The fund had reportedly dropped to just $11 billion last October following devastating hurricanes Helene and Milton.
Although Trump said in June he wanted to “wean off of FEMA” and instead “bring it back to the state level," he also appointed a council to assess FEMA, which is supposed to provide recommendations by later this year.
FBI announces sweeping takedown of illegal gambling ring involving La Cosa Nostra mafia crime families, NBA players and coaches
15:29 , Kelly RissmanNBA star Terry Rozier and Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncy Billups were both arrested early Thursday as part of sweeping FBI investigations into illegal gambling.
More than 30 people had been arrested in over 11 states in what FBI Director Kash Patel described as "an illegal gambling operation and sports-rigging operation that spanned the course of years."
"This is an operation that showcases to you that under President Trump's administration, there is no room for any type of criminal behavior, be in on the world's largest stage or in the back rooms of tiny parlors where card games were being played,” Patel said at a press conference Thursday.
Follow The Independent’s live coverage here.
ICYMI: New York AG launches portal to document ICE activity in state
15:20 , Kelly RissmanFollowing an Immigration and Customs Enforcement raid in Manhattan’s famed Canal Street, New York Attorney General Letitia James set up a portal where New Yorkers can submit documentation of federal immigration activity.
Following Tuesday’s raid on the Chinatown street, known for its vendors, the Department of Homeland Security said nine had been arrested.
“NEW YORK’S CANAL STREET IS SAFER,” the DHS tweeted.
“Every New Yorker has the right to live without fear or intimidation,” James said in a statement Wednesday.
“If you witnessed and documented ICE activity yesterday, I urge you to share that footage with my office. We are committed to reviewing these reports and assessing any violations of law. No one should be subject to unlawful questioning, detention, or intimidation.”
FBI releases new footage and offers $500K for information about suspect who placed pipe bombs ahead of Jan 6 riots
15:10 , Kelly RissmanThe FBI has shared new surveillance footage of the suspect who planted pipe bombs outside the Democratic and Republican National Committee headquarters, the night before the January 6 riots, and offered a $500,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.
The new video shows the as-yet unidentified suspect walking through Washington, D.C., before and after the pipe bombs were placed on the night of January 5, 2021.
One clip shows the suspect walking toward the DNC headquarters before sitting down on a bench outside the building. The individual later stands up and walks past the building, with a backpack in their hand, before eventually turning around and retracing their steps through the Capitol Hill neighborhood.
Isabel Keane has the story.
FBI offers $500K for information about pipe bombs at Capitol riots
WATCH: Trump shows off gold ballroom he claims has been 'wanted for 150 years'
15:00 , Kelly RissmanPregnant women in ICE custody report 'troubling experiences,' advocates say
14:50 , Kelly RissmanMore than a dozen pregnant women detained in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody endured “medical neglect” while in detention, their attorneys say.
Advocacy groups and attorneys wrote a letter to ICE and Senate committees Wednesday urging the agency to release all pregnant women in custody.
The women, detained in facilities in Georgia and Louisiana, reported “gravely troubling experiences of shackling, use of restraints, and solitary confinement; delayed and substandard prenatal care; denial of prenatal vitamins; inadequate food and water; medical care provided without informed consent; lack of interpretation and translation in medical encounters; and medical neglect leading to dangerous infection after miscarriage,” the letter said.
These women have been placed in custody despite federal regulations stating “women who have been medically certified as pregnant” should be released on parole, the lawyers say.
Trump to hold roundtable on cartel operations Thursday: report
14:40 , Kelly RissmanPresident Donald Trump will host a roundtable Thursday on his administration’s operations to curb cartel and human trafficking, according to Fox News Digital.
"The President’s Homeland Security Task Forces are a landmark achievement that highlight what the federal government can achieve with a leader like President Trump who is willing to slash red tape, increase coordination and put the safety of the American people first," White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told the outlet.
"In a short period of time, the Trump Administration has removed lethal drugs, illegal weapons, dangerous foreign terrorists and cartel members from American communities," she added. "The American people are safer today because of the HSTFs — and they’re just getting started."
The roundtable will be joined by Deputy Chief of Staff and Homeland Security Advisor Stephen Miller, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, FBI Director Kash Patel and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.
Food assistance program could soon be suspended for millions
14:30 , Kelly RissmanSeveral states warned that residents who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program may not receive benefits come November due to the shutdown.
Texas, New York, Illinois, Pennsylvania, California, and other states have posted notices on their official websites about how they won’t be able to pay for SNAP benefits next month if the government shutdown continues much longer.
For example, the Texas Health and Human Services website reads: “SNAP benefits for November won’t be issued if the federal government shutdown continues past Oct. 27.”
In California, Governor Gavin Newsom announced he deployed the state’s National Guard to assist food banks.
Nearly 42 million people across the country use SNAP benefits, according to the USDA.
Pictured: Trump's $300 million ballroom to replace the East Wing
14:20 , Owen Scott
Pelosi slams federal agents sent to Bay Area as 'appalling abuse of law enforcement'
14:20 , Kelly RissmanCongresswoman Nancy Pelosi lambasted the Trump administration’s reported plan to send dozens of federal immigration agents to California as part of the president’s immigration crackdown.
“A mass deployment of federal agents in the Bay Area is an appalling abuse of law enforcement power,” she wrote on X.
“The people of San Francisco stand with our patriotic immigrants who are the constant reinvigoration of America. We will not be intimidated by politically motivated fear tactics.”
A mass deployment of federal agents in the Bay Area is an appalling abuse of law enforcement power.
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) October 23, 2025
The people of San Francisco stand with our patriotic immigrants who are the constant reinvigoration of America.
We will not be intimidated by politically motivated fear tactics. pic.twitter.com/x2rgeJsj3Y
Trump says he plans to visit Gaza
14:10 , Kelly RissmanIn an interview with Time, President Donald Trump said he planned to visit Gaza.
“I will. Yeah, I will,” the president said.
“You know, we have the Board of Peace, and it's set up. They asked me to be the chairman. It was not something I wanted to do, believe me, but the Board of Peace is going to be a very powerful group of people, and it's going to have a lot of power in terms of the Middle East,” he said.
Trump privately admitted Mamdani is ‘unbeatable’ in New York mayoral race: report
14:10 , Kelly RissmanPresident Donald Trump has told allies in private that he believes progressive Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani is unbeatable in the New York City mayor’s race, according to a new report.
The Wall Street Journal cites a senior White House official as saying that the president and his team think the 34-year-old is on course to beat independent Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa in November 4’s election, given his commanding lead in the latest polling.
The president is reportedly not sold on the idea of Sliwa dropping out, believing it would not help Cuomo advance his case, despite his own son Eric Trump joining businessmen like Bill Ackman and John Catsimatidis in calling on the GOP man to stand aside.
Joe Sommerlad has the story.
Trump privately admits Mamdani is ‘unbeatable’ in New York mayoral race
WATCH: Trump responded to criticism of White House demolition and people aren't happy
14:00 , Kelly RissmanWhat we know about the federal troops heading to San Francisco
13:50 , Kelly RissmanMore than 100 federal immigration agents are heading to the Bay Area and could arrive as soon as Thursday, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Wednesday.
Coast Guard Base Alameda is preparing to support Customs and Border Protection agents, the Coast Guard told KCRA.
“This support of DHS agencies continues the Coast Guard’s operations to control, secure, and defend U.S. borders and maritime approaches,” the statement read.
“Through a whole of government approach, we are leveraging our unique authorities and capabilities to detect, deter, and interdict illegal aliens, narco-terrorists, and individuals intent on terrorism or other hostile activity before they reach our border.”
President Donald Trump told Fox Business in an interview Sunday that San Francisco was his “next” target for federal troops.
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie signed an executive directive this week to ensure local government protects locals’ rights to protest peacefully, he said, emphasizing local police will not enforce federal law enforcement operations.
“Sending the military to San Francisco will not help our city or our country,” Lurie said in a social media video.
Since the day I took office, my top priority has been keeping San Franciscans safe. For months, we have been anticipating the possibility of some kind of federal deployment in our city.
— Daniel Lurie 丹尼爾·羅偉 (@DanielLurie) October 22, 2025
Our communities have already endured the painful impact of aggressive immigration… pic.twitter.com/rrBi4zPNNV
'Right out of a dictator's handbook': Newsom on Trump sending federal troops to Bay Area
13:40 , Kelly RissmanPresident Donald Trump is planning on sending federal troops to the Bay Area, according to reports, a move that California Governor Gavin Newsom called “right out of a dictator’s handbook.”
Trump will send in the National Guard after he “creates conditions for anxiety,” so he first stokes fear in the community by sending in federal immigration agents, the California Democrat said in a video Wednesday.
“This is no different than the arsonists putting out the fire,” Newsom said.
BREAKING: Donald Trump is sending federal agents to San Francisco.
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) October 22, 2025
We know his playbook. We know what’s next. Watch. pic.twitter.com/NeyCXNDo8q
Over the weekend, Trump said San Francisco was the “next” place he planned to send federal troops.
He previously threatened to sue if “Donald Trump invades our state again,” he wrote in a social media post Tuesday.
“Deploying troops into our cities with no justification grounded in reality, no oversight, no accountability, and no respect for state sovereignty is a direct assault on the rule of law,” he said.
Attorney General Rob Bonta also “no basis” to send the National Guard to San Francisco.
“San Francisco may be the President’s latest target, but California is no stranger to the President’s political games and unconstitutional tactics. We’re ready to go to court immediately if the President follows through on this latest illegal plan,” he said in a statement.
Trump appears focused on other priorities as shutdown drags into third week: Analysis
13:30 , Kelly RissmanPresident Donald Trump has plans to head to Asia, the demolition for his ballroom project is well underway, and his administration announced new sanctions on Russia as he pushes to end the war in Ukraine.
But he has yet to meet with Democrats on ending the government shutdown.
“I don’t think it’s affecting what we are doing,” Trump told reporters at the White House Wednesday about the shutdown. “But it's too bad for a lot of people.”
More Americans are blaming Trump’s party for the shutdown, according to a Reuters-Ipsos poll taken Tuesday.
Half of the respondents saw the Republican congressional leadership as deserving the most blame for the shutdown, while 43 percent said the same for Democratic leadership, the poll found.
It’s not the 23rd day of the shutdown. The president is expected to touch down in Malaysia on Saturday, bringing him even farther from the negotiating table with Democrats.
Hegseth confirms second U.S. strike in the Pacific Ocean
13:15 , Kelly RissmanOne day after what’s believed to be the first U.S. strike against an alleged drug-carrying boat in the Pacific Ocean, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth confirmed a second.
The U.S. carried out “yet another lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization” in the Eastern Pacific, Hegseth wrote in a social media post Wednesday night.
Three male “narco-terrorists” were killed in the strike. No U.S. forces were harmed.
The vessel was “known by our intelligence to be involved in illicit narcotics smuggling, was transiting along a known narco-trafficking route, and was carrying narcotics,” he wrote.
Two people were killed in Tuesday’s strike in the Pacific Ocean.
The U.S. has conducted at least nine strikes since September, killing at least 37 people in total.
“These strikes will continue, day after day,” Hegseth warned.
Pictured: The East Wing as it was flattened by Trump
13:00 , Owen Scott
Trump ally says that the ballroom is one of the 'most exciting construction projects' in the history of Washington D.C.
12:37 , Owen ScottTrump previously appointed his White House staff secretary, Will Scharf, as the chair of the National Capital Planning Commission - the body which approves new buildings at the heart of the government.
During the organization’s last videotaped meeting, Scharf defended Trump’s plans to build a ballroom at the White House.
“I think it’s one of the most exciting construction projects in the modern history of the District and I think any assertion that this commission should have been consulted earlier than it has been or will be is simply false and represents a misunderstanding of this commission’s role in that project,” he said, according to Politico.
According to Reuters, the Trump administration has still not submitted plans for the ballroom to the National Capital Planning Commission.
Trump claims that the East Wing was a 'very small building'
12:30 , Owen ScottTrump's ballroom will 'overwhelm the White House,' says historic preservation watchdog
12:25 , Owen ScottThe chair of the National Trust for Historic Preservation has said it is “deeply concerned” over Trump’s plans for the ballroom.
Dr. Carol Quillen, the NTHP’s President and Chief Executive Officer, said the new building will "overwhelm the White House itself.”
She is now urging Trump to “pause demolition” work on the East Wing until plans for the ballroom are approved by the National Capital Planning Commission and the Commission of Fine Arts.
She also wrote in her statement that the ballroom “may also permanently disrupt the carefully balanced classical design of the White House with its two smaller, and lower, East and West Wings.”
No public compliance with asbestos safety measures in East Wing demolition, watchdog says
12:04 , Owen ScottThe Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization has said that the Trump administration has made “no public announcement” of “compliance” with laws designed to keep construction workers safe.
The ADAO said in a statement that the East Wing was built at the height of the use of asbestos, meaning it could be dangerous for people demolishing the site.
“A worker demolishing the East Wing today could face a terminal diagnosis in 2045,” the group wrote.
“These requirements are standard on all federal demolition projects and are designed to prevent exposure to dangerous, toxic substances like asbestos, to protect lives, and ensure environmental compliance,” the ADAO added. “To date, these documents, if they exist, have not been publicly disclosed.”
The firm added that an asbestos investigation was carried out in 2019, which led to staffers, including Ivanka Trump, being forced to relocate their offices.
Pictured: The East Wing before it was torn down by Trump
12:00 , Owen Scott
"It's the perfect symbol of the Trump administration," presidential historian says
11:51 , Owen ScottJonathan Alter, a presidential historian, claimed that the demolition of the East Wing is symbolic of Trump’s entire second term in office.
He also claimed that the administration likely wanted photographs of the flattening of the building to be hidden.
“It’s the perfect symbol of the Trump administration and that’s why they didn’t want this photograph and that’s why it will become iconic and be used in history books for hundreds of years,” he told The Guardian.
“It’s not the worst thing that he’s done but there’s a perfect alignment between the visual image and the major theme of the Trump second term.
“Early on with Elon Musk it was a chainsaw. Now it’s a wrecking ball and that’s been their attitude. They’ve taken a wrecking ball to the rule of law.”
Trump demands that the Department of Justice pay him $230 million
11:45 , Owen ScottDonald Trump has demanded that the Department of Justice pay him $230 million for its probes into his 2016 campaign amid accusations of Russian interference in the election.
Trump’s Mar-a-Lago mansion was also raided by the FBI in 2022, after it was alleged that he had retained government files from his time in office.
He hit back by submitting his first complaint against the DOJ in 2023, according to the New York Times. A second complaint was filed in 2024.
“I have a lawsuit that was doing very well, and when I became president, I said, I’m sort of suing myself,” he said. “It sort of looks bad, I’m suing myself, right?,” Trump told reporters.
However, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), a member of the Judiciary Committee, said that paying $230 million could be a conflict of interest.
“I think it is a bizarre potential abuse. It’s really head-spinning,” he said, according to The Hill.
Mike Johnson says Democrats can use the ballroom, if they 'win the White House back'
11:25 , Owen ScottHouse Speaker Mike Johnson defended the renovation, which is the first major construction project at the White House in eight decades.
"The White House has been renovated many times," Johnson told reporters. He went on to say the ballroom will be the "greatest improvement to the White House in the history of the building.
“The ballroom is going to be glorious.
“It's gonna be used for everybody.
“And by the way, hey, Democrats, if you win the White House back, you get to use it too."
"We are not giving him the security deposit back,' Stephen Colbert shreds Trump's ballroom plans
11:12 , Owen Scott
Stephen Colbert tore into Trump’s ongoing efforts to demolish the East Wing of the White House on his late-night show.
“That is it, we are not giving him the security deposit back,” Colbert quipped.
“That is so deeply unsettling,” he continued. “It’s like being a kid and seeing your teacher at the grocery store … for sale … in the meat department.
“We’re just nine months into Trump’s term, and he’s already going ‘Hulk smash’ on the White House. Last time, it took at least four years to bring a demo crew to the Capitol,” he added, referring to January 6.”
Colbert has been a vocal critic of Trump during the Republican’s first and second administrations.
His show, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, was pulled earlier this year by CBS. The TV company claimed that this was due to financial reasons, although Colbert alleged that it was part of a “a big fat bribe” to encourage Trump to allow the sale of the brand to Skydance.
'All of the founders would be disgusted,' White House historian says
11:04 , Owen ScottEdward Lengel, the White House historian during Trump’s first term, says that “all of the founders would be disgusted” by the president’s $300 million ballroom.
Speaking to CNN, he warned that the construction of the ballroom could dwarf the White House building and even cause concerning structural “surprises” in the future.
“We’re going to see a ballroom which is even more ostentatious, and it’s going to turn the executive mansion into an annexe to the party space,” he said.
“Now, your attention is going to be drawn to this giant ballroom, which really has one man’s name on it,” he added. “It’s going to cast the executive mansion into the shade and turn it much more into a presidential palace.
“And I just say as a founding father’s historian, spent most of my life with George Washington, I think all of the founders would have been disgusted by this.”
The NFL rejects Trump's call to sack Bad Bunny from the Super Bowl half-time show
10:49 , Owen Scott
The NFL has rejected Trump’s calls to drop Bad Bunny from the Super Bowl half-time show.
The president had described making the Puerto Rican rapper, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, the half-time performer as “crazy” and “ridiculous.”
“It's carefully thought through,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, shot back at a press briefing. “I'm not sure we've ever selected an artist where we didn't have some blowback or criticism.
“It's pretty hard to do when you have literally hundreds of millions of people that are watching.
"We're confident it's going to be a great show. He understands the platform that he's on, and I think it's going to be exciting and a united moment.”
Bad Bunny had previously referred to ICE Agents as “sons of b******” and hosted a 31-day residency in Puerto Rico instead of touring the U.S.
Opinions on Trump's ballroom range from bad to apathetic, poll says
10:45 , Owen ScottAnother huge poll from YouGov says that 35 percent of people think that Trump’s ballroom will have a “negative” effect on the White House.
Despite the president hosting massive fundraising dinners for the ballroom and even speaking about it in a press briefing with the NATO secretary general, 30 percent of people said the construction project will make no difference to the White House.
Just 23 percent of people think the $300 million ballroom will have a “positive” effect.
JD Vance visits historic church in Jerusalem while demolition continues at the White House
10:30 , Owen Scott
Trump slaps sanctions on Russian oil
10:20 , Owen ScottTrump has slapped new sanctions on the Russia’s biggest oil companies, a day after saying that he would no longer be meeting Vladimir Putin in Hungary.
"Every time I speak to Vladimir, I have good conversations and then they don't go anywhere," the U.S. president said.
Trump’s treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, said the sanctions were needed due to "Putin's refusal to end this senseless war".
Bessent added that Rosneft and Lukoil, the affected Russian oil companies, funded the Kremlin's "war machine".
The sanctions were announced yesterday and are the first to be imposed by America on Russia, since Trump came to power.
White House says 'unhinged leftists' have created 'outrage' about the demolition
10:10 , Owen ScottThe White House has claimed that ‘unhinged leftists’ have manufacturing outrage about the demolitions.
“In the latest instance of manufactured outrage, unhinged leftists and their Fake News allies are clutching their pearls over President Donald J. Trump’s visionary addition of a grand, privately funded ballroom to the White House — a bold, necessary addition that echoes the storied history of improvements and additions from commanders-in-chief to keep the executive residence as a beacon of American excellence,” the Trump administration said in a statement.
Morning Joe hosts blast Trump's demolition plans
09:51 , Owen ScottThe hosts of Morning Joe on MSNBC have torn into Trump’s efforts to reduce the East Wing to rubble.
“It is hard to watch that,” host Joe Scarborough said. “And it’s hard to believe that any president could destroy the White House and take a wrecking ball to an existing structure so historic.”
“It would be one thing if you were building on, or you were doing things inside, but to take literally a wrecking ball to the White House ... it’s grotesque,” he added. “Just grotesque.”
His co-host Mika Brzezinski commented that the White House is “not your home that you purchased in Jersey.”
In response, Scarborough said that the president can merely “rent it from the American people for four years.”
Most people don't want Trump to demolish the East Wing, poll says
09:41 , Owen ScottA bombshell poll from YouGov found that 42 percent of people “strongly disapprove” of Trump’s demolition of the East Wing.
A further 13 percent of people said they “disapprove,” meaning over half of the participants think that the president should not have gone ahead with his plans.
Only 13 percent approve and just one in ten people strongly approve.
Trump brands anger at the demolition as 'faux outrage'
09:34 , Owen ScottTrump took to Truth Social overnight to hit out at his critics, who suggested that he is tampering with a historic structure.
“Senator Josh Hawley dismantles CNN’s narrative about President Trump’s White House renovation during a live interview,” Trump wrote during the night.
“When reporter Manu Raju asked: ‘What about just uprooting the—you know—this is an iconic building?’
“Hawley exposed their faux outrage instantly:
‘Manu, I will just say this. I made this point yesterday, that I hear all of a sudden from my liberal friends that they’re very concerned about our history.’
His post has been shared, a process known as “ReTruth” on the social media platform, 3,200 times since it was uploaded by Trump.
Trump brags about his ballroom to NATO Secretary General during meeting
09:30 , Owen Scott
Whoopi Goldberg says that Trump's actions would be like her building a 'disco' at Trump Tower
09:26 , Owen ScottTrump’s long-running feud with the women at The View heated up after the show’s hosts tore into his plans for the ballroom.
"That is not your building. You don't own that building," Whoopi Goldberg said, to applause from the audience. "That would be like me going over to Trump tower and saying I'm going to build a disco."
Joy Behar, Goldberg’s co-host and the author, broke into her own rendition of Lesley Gore's classic song You Don't Own Me.
“You don’t own it,” she sang.
Demolition of the East Wing of the White House enters its third day
09:10 , Owen ScottThe demolition of the White House’s East Wing has entered its third day, with photos shared online showing the structure being reduced to rubble.
Trump previously described the building, which usually contains the first lady’s offices, as his ‘favorite place.’
However, he has since said that the building was “never thought of as being much” and that the changes had been needed for “at least 150 years.”
Hillary Clinton slams Trump for going ahead with the demolition
09:01 , Owen ScottFormer First Lady Hillary Clinton railed against Donald Trump for “destroying” the East Wing.
Clinton, who ran against Trump in the 2016 election, was one of the first to call out the demolition of the White House on X.
“It’s not his house,” the former first lady wrote.“It’s your house.
“And he’s destroying it.”
Dana Loesch, a popular talk show host, hit back by saying that Hillary’s husband, President Bill Clinton, “did more to destroy the ‘sanctity’ of the White House than Trump.”
Loesch pointed to the Monica Lewinsky scandal, which unfolded in 1988.
