Trump admin live updates: Trump considering a lawsuit against the Fed's Powell
Trump on Friday is expected to hold a summit in Alaska with Russian President Vladimir Putin, as the White House seeks an end to the Kremlin's war in Ukraine.
Latest DevelopmentsAug 12, 1:46 PMFines, jail time possible for those who don't comply with DC encampment cleanup: WH
As President Donald Trump vows to rid D.C. of homeless encampments, individuals who do not comply could be subject to fines or jail time, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said, referencing D.C. laws."For far too long, these laws have been completely ignored, and the homelessness problem has ravaged the city," she said during Tuesday's briefing. "Homeless individuals will be given the option to leave their encampment, to be taken to a homeless shelter, to be offered addiction or mental health services -- and if they refuse, they will be susceptible to fines or to jail time."After Trump said this week that homeless individuals will be given places to stay "far from the capital," Leavitt said the administration is also still looking into that."We're exploring how we could do that," she said, adding that homeless shelters, addiction and mental health services, or jail "are the options on the table right now."
Aug 12, 1:37 PMTrump considering a lawsuit against the Fed's Powell
President Donald Trump is weighing a possible lawsuit against Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said at her briefing on Tuesday."He's considering a lawsuit and I won't speak or on it any further. I will allow the president to do that himself," Leavitt said.
Earlier Tuesday, Trump threatened legal action against Powell on his conservative social media platform."The damage he has done by always being Too Late is incalculable," Trump wrote. "Fortunately, the economy is sooo good that we've blown through Powell and the complacent Board. I am, though, considering allowing a major lawsuit against Powell to proceed because of the horrible, and grossly incompetent, job he has done in managing the construction of the Fed Buildings. Three Billion Dollars for a job that should have been a $50 Million Dollar fix up. Not good!"
Aug 12, 1:34 PM30-day timeline on DC takeover to be reevaluated, Leavitt says
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the Trump administration will "reevaluate and reassess and make further decisions" on its federalization of the D.C. police force once the 30-day period is up."Within these 30 days, our entire focus is making sure that this is the most efficient operation possible and that we are removing as many criminals from the streets, and we are cleaning up D.C. as best as we can, and working with the Metropolitan Police Department to do that," she said during Tuesday's briefing.
Aug 12, 1:31 PMTrump 'honored' to host Putin on American soil
Finer details on President Donald Trump's upcoming sit-down with Russian President Vladimir Putin have still not been released, with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt telling reporters on Tuesday that scheduling is "still being ironed out."But on the selection of Alaska as the location, Leavitt said: "The president is very honored and looks forward to hosting, President Putin on American soil."
Aug 12, 1:26 PMWhite House: Trump-Putin meeting a 'listening exercise'
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt was asked on Tuesday why Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wasn't invited to Friday's summit in Alaska. Leavitt said this meeting came at Russian President Vladimir Putin's request, relayed to Trump by special envoy Steve Witkoff after Witkoff met with Putin in Moscow last week."The goal of this meeting for the president is to walk away with a better understanding of how we can end this war," Leavitt told reporters.ABC News Senior Political Correspondent Rachel Scott asked Leavitt if Zelenskyy has given Trump any red lines or nonstarters ahead of his conversation with Putin. "Look, I don't want to reveal the private conversations between the president and President Zelenskyy, but what I can tell you is that the president has deep respect for all parties that are involved in this conflict and are trying to bring this conflict to an end," Leavitt responded.
Leavitt added, "I think this is a listening exercise for the president. Look, only one party that's involved in this war is going to be present. And so this is for the president to go and to get, again, a more firm and better understanding of how we can hopefully bring this war to an end."
Aug 12, 1:20 PM23 arrests made in DC Monday after law enforcement 'surge,' White House says
Approximately 850 officers and agents were "surged" across D.C. Monday night after President Donald Trump declared a crime emergency in the capital, during which they made 23 arrests, according to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.The arrests included homicide, firearms offenses, possession with intent to distribute narcotics, lewd acts, stalking, possession of a high-capacity magazine, driving under the influence and reckless driving, she said.Six illegal handguns were also seized, she said.
"This is only the beginning," Leavitt said during a press briefing Tuesday. "Over the course of the next month, the Trump administration will relentlessly pursue and arrest every violent criminal in the District who breaks the law, undermines public safety and endangers law-abiding Americans."
Aug 12, 12:19 PMNational Guard members gather at DC Armory
Members of the National Guard gathered at the DC Armory's Joint Force Headquarters Tuesday morning, before filing out approximately one hour later.Many confirmed to ABC News that they are active members of the National Guard.They arrived in what appeared to be personal vehicles before entering the building alone or in small groups, with some carrying duffel bags and backpacks.When asked if they were given any marching orders, one told ABC News "not really," and that they were just told to gather.-ABC News' Emily Chang
Aug 12, 10:23 AMNational Guard troops arriving in DC
National Guard troops are arriving in Washington after President Donald Trump announced on Monday that 800 National Guard troops would be deployed as he declared a public safety emergency -- despite the city's mayor noting violent crime is at a 30-year low.
It's the first time the National Guard has been deployed to Washington since 2021 after the violent attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Aug 12, 9:39 AMBowser and Bondi expected to meet Tuesday: Sources
Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser and Attorney General Pam Bondi are expected to meet on Tuesday, sources familiar with the matter said.Bowser said on Monday during her press conference that she had reached out to Bondi and she hoped to schedule a meeting "soon." Bowser on Monday called President Donald Trump's federal takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department and deployment of the National Guard "unsettling and unprecedented."A DOJ spokesperson confirmed the meeting to ABC News. Bowser's office didn't immediately comment.
-ABC News' Katherine Faulders, Alexander Mallin an Luke Barr
Aug 11, 8:26 PMTrump extends trade truce with China for another 90 days
Hours before the deadline was to go into effect, President Donald Trump signed an executive order extending the United States and China trade truce another 90 days, according to an announcement on social media. 'I have just signed an Executive Order that will extend the Tariff Suspension on China for another 90 days. All other elements of the Agreement will remain the same,' Trump wrote. The new deadline will expire on Nov. 9. at 12:01 a.m. When asked during the press conference earlier Monday if the president intends to extend the China trade-truce deadline, which was previously set to end Monday night at midnight, Trump declined to answer. 'We'll see what happens,' Trump said. Ahead of the trade truce, the current tariff rate on Chinese imports entering the U.S. was 145%.
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USA Today
28 minutes ago
- USA Today
Trump pushes for a peace deal, invites Zelenskyy to White House after Putin summit
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will visit the White House to discuss a possible peace agreement with Donald Trump following the U.S. president's Putin summit WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is abandoning his pursuit of a ceasefire in Russia's war against Ukraine and pushing for a peace deal after an Alaskan summit with Vladimir Putin failed to produce an immediate agreement. Trump said in an early morning Truth Social post that after speaking with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders by phone "it was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which often times do not hold up." Trump said Zelenskyy would be coming to Washington on Aug. 18 for an Oval Office meeting with both leaders after a contentious Feb. 28 clash, when Trump and Vice President JD Vance berated Zelenskyy and accused him of being ungrateful. More: 'No deal': Takeaways from Trump's Alaska summit with Putin The Trump administration paused intelligence sharing and weapons shipments to Ukraine after the incident. Zelenskyy declined to apologize for his part in the spat in the immediate aftermath. But he sent Trump a conciliatory letter that helped put the relationship back on track several days later. Trump started to turn away from Putin and toward Zelenskyy in late April after Russia bombarded Kyiv with missiles. He said he'd allow Europe to purchase weapons from the United States for Ukraine in mid-July and threatened to hit Russia and its trading partners with sanctions and tariffs if Putin did not agree a peace deal in short order. The resulting summit with Putin in Alaska was lauded by both presidents as productive but ended without a concrete agreement and no mention of a ceasefire. Trump said in an interview with Fox News that would be up to Zelenskyy to accept an unspecified deal that Putin forward during nearly three hours of closed door talks. He said the next step in the process would be for Zelenskyy and Putin to meet in person at a summit of their own that he offered to mediate. Zelenskyy was the first to reveal his plans to visit Washington next week in an overnight post on X. He said he and Trump spoke by phone during the U.S. president's flight home. They talked for for roughly and hour and a half and were joined by European leaders during the latter part of the call, he said. "In my conversation with President Trump, I said that sanctions should be strengthened if there is no trilateral meeting or if Russia tries to evade an honest end to the war. Sanctions are an effective tool," he said. "Security must be guaranteed reliably and in the long term, with the involvement of both Europe and the U.S. All issues important to Ukraine must be discussed with Ukraine's participation, and no issue, particularly territorial ones, can be decided without Ukraine." In a statement of their own European leaders threw their support behind a Putin-Zelenskyy summit with Trump and pushed for U.S.-backed security guarantees for Ukraine. "It will be up to Ukraine to make decisions on its territory," the leaders said. "International borders must not be changed by force."
New York Post
28 minutes ago
- New York Post
Trump backs security deal for Ukraine following high-stakes summit with Vladimir Putin
WASHINGTON — President Trump has committed in principle to providing 'security guarantees' to Ukraine to safeguard its frontier from Russia following a possible peace deal, The Post has confirmed. The precise contours of those security guarantees, which were discussed by Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Anchorage on Friday, remain unclear, however. Trump has not committed to sending US troops and previously ruled out NATO membership for Ukraine. The security may amount to a European-led initiative with America's support, a source familiar with the talks said. French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer offered to send peacekeeping troops to Ukraine earlier this year, which would place on their nations' shoulders the human and financial cost of shielding Kyiv after the US has already spent $200 billion since Moscow's invasion began in 2022. The US has a mutual defense agreement with the UK and France, meaning that their presence on the frontlines would offer a form of protection to Ukraine resembling NATO membership — Trump has adamantly rejected formal admission of Kyiv to the military alliance — which Putin vehemently opposes. Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization maintains that if one NATO is attacked, it would be considered an attack on all 32 members of the group. Ukraine would, as part of the hypothetical peace deal, cede land currently occupied by Russia. 3 President Trump discussed the possibility of giving Ukraine a 'mutual defense' deal. AP 3 The arrangement came after a series of calls between Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders, Ukrainian Presidential Press Off/UPI/Shutterstock Such an agreement would obligate Ukraine's European allies to respond to any future attacks on the country, The Telegraph reported Saturday. Putin allegedly agreed to the arrangement, according to The Telegraph. But European leaders were trying to clarify what role the US would play under such an agreement, sources told The Economic Times. The arrangement came after a series of calls between Trump, Zelensky and European leaders, the Agence France Press reported. 'As one of the security guarantees for Ukraine, the American side proposed a non-NATO Article 5 type guarantee, supposedly agreed with [Russian leader Vladimir] Putin,' a source told the AFP. 3 Putin invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Getty Images Word of the potential security guarantee came as it emerged that Zelensky will head to Washington, DC, to meet with Trump in the Oval Office on Monday.
Chicago Tribune
28 minutes ago
- Chicago Tribune
Redistricting in Indiana: Republicans raise questions, Democrats have limited options if special session called
As Texas Democrats eye an end to their nearly two-week walkout to block Republican efforts there to redistrict, a growing number of Indiana Republicans have been voicing questions and concerns about redistricting in Indiana. The Texas Democrats announced Thursday they will return provided that Texas Republicans end a special session and California releases its own redrawn map proposal, both of which were expected to happen Friday. Democrats did not say what day they might return. Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott still intends to push through new maps that would give the GOP five more winnable seats before next year's midterm elections. Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows has said that if Democrats don't return the next time lawmakers reconvene on Friday, the session will end and the governor will immediately benign another one. Abbott put redistricting on the agenda at the urging of President Donald Trump, who wants to shore up Republicans' narrow House majority and avoid a repeat of his first presidency, when the 2018 midterms restored Democrats to a House majority that blocked his agenda and twice impeached him. It is unusual for redistricting to take place in the middle of the decade and typically occurs once at the beginning of each decade to coincide with the census. Last week, Vice President JD Vance visited Indiana to meet with Gov. Mike Braun and other state Republican leaders to discuss redistricting Indiana's nine congressional districts. Braun told the Indiana Capital Chronicle Tuesday that he hasn't yet decided if he'll call a special session for redistricting, but said he and state leaders are 'considering it seriously' as they wait to see what comes out of Texas. 'I think mostly what happens here is going to depend on where Texas goes, because I think they've got five seats in play,' Braun said. The Indianapolis Star reported Friday that Trump invited Indiana Republican lawmakers to the White House for an Aug. 26 meeting. Molly Swigart, a spokeswoman for Senate Republicans, said the meeting was scheduled 'to discuss President Trump's agenda.' Indiana University Professor Emeritus of Political Science Marjorie Hershey said the effort to redistrict is 'a power politics move' because the Republican majority in the U.S. House of Representatives is 'as narrow as it could be.' In the last 100 years, there have been two midterm elections where the party that holds the White House hasn't lost seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, Hershey said. If Republicans lose a handful of seats, they would lose control of the House, she said. 'That would essentially mean the end of President Trump's dominance of the political agenda. He's gotten where he has as a result of having complete control of the Congress,' Hershey said. 'In order to maintain his edge in the House of Representatives in 2026, Trump wants a cushion for Republican House members because he's afraid that otherwise he's almost guaranteed to lose the House.' Historically, redistricting has occasionally occurred between censuses, Hershey said, but it goes against precedent. 'This is not normal in American politics,' Hershey. 'It's not the way that the constitution was written. It's not the way the supreme court has structured election law over time.' Indiana Republican response Indiana was last redistricted in 2021, which left Congressional Republicans with seven seats and Democrats two seats. 'It's not as though Indiana isn't already redistricted in a highly partisan way to favor Republicans, it is,' Hershey said. 'Even squeezing out one more Republican district in Texas or in Indiana might save President Trump from becoming as much of a lame duck as he otherwise would in 2026.' Indiana's First District, held by Democrat U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan, D-Highland, would be the most under threat for redistricting because it's become more Republican over time — though still Democratically held, Hershey said. The First Congressional District remains Indiana's most competitive seat. In 2022, Mrvan won nearly 53% of the vote against Republican Jennifer-Ruth Green. In 2024, Mrvan saw a small increase in the number of votes to just over 53% when he won against Republican Randy Niemeyer. The problem for Republicans with redistricting the First District, Hershey said, would be Democrats from the First District would be moved into other districts, which could make the other districts more competitive for Democratic candidates. 'Sometimes the majority party in a state gets a little too greedy and thinks, 'we might have a shot at this one additional seat,' and then they end up losing the seat next door and not winning the seat that they had hoped to gain,' Hershey said. Aaron Dusso, an associate professor of political science at Indiana University Indianapolis, said he hasn't seen an appetite from Indiana Republicans to redistrict because of the risk that it will make safe Republican congressional districts more competitive. State Rep. Ed Soliday, R-Valparaiso, said party leadership has reached out to him to gauge his thoughts on redistricting Indiana. Soliday said he told the leadership 'show me the facts, tell me the unintended consequences, then I'll tell you how I'll vote.' 'I haven't seen anyone show me about how this would work,' Soliday said. 'I have a lot of questions before I jump on board with this.' Sen. Rick Niemeyer, R-Lowell, said he's discussed redistricting with his colleagues but he's still thinking about his position on redistricting. 'I'm not committing one way or the other,' Niemeyer said. 'We're looking at it and have not made a decision yet. That's where I'm at.' State Rep. Mike Aylesworth, R-Hebron, said the state legislature 'did a good job' redistricting in 2021, but he's waiting to see what the leadership decides about a special session for redistricting. 'I don't think it's necessary, but we'll wait and see what the caucus says,' Aylesworth said. 'I'm hesitant to change things, but we'll see what leadership says.' State Sen. Dan Dernulc, R-Highland, said he's spoken with leadership about redistricting, but that he needs more facts and the 'why' of redistricting. 'I don't see a need for it. I don't want to say yes or no, we're a work in progress on it,' Dernulc said. Indiana Democratic redistricting maneuvers In the Indiana House and Senate, two-thirds of members — or 67 House members and 34 senators – have to be present to call a quorum, according to each chamber's rules. In the House, Republicans hold 70 seats to Democrats 30. In the Senate, Republicans hold 40 seats to the Democrats' 10 seats. Indiana Republicans have enough members to call a quorum. Indiana Democrats 'wouldn't have a lot of options,' Dusso said, other than short-term delay tactics, like requiring readings of the whole redistricting bill or talking for long periods of time on the floor. Democrats can talk about the issue publicly to try to rally support from voters to put pressure on Republicans to not hold a special session on redistricting. 'It doesn't really stop anything from happening, it just slows it down,' Dusso said. The best move, Dusso said, would be for Democrats and lobbyists to talk with Braun now to persuade him not to call a special session. 'I think that's where they can win. Once it's called, I don't think they have a chance,' Dusso said. 'If you can get Braun to relent, I think that's where they're going to have their success.' If redistricting were to occur in Indiana, Hershey said it's likely that lawsuits would be filed. 'I'm sure that the Democrats will fight as hard as they can because there's a point at which the party that's trying to take this unfair advantage just starts to look bad,' Hershey said. 'It's a game of chicken, and we'll have to see who it is who veers away first.' State Sen. Rodney Pol Jr., D-Chesteron, said it's 'problematic' that President Trump has been pressuring Republican states to redistrict in the middle of a census. Trump's decision to do so shows he's scared to face the voters given the policies he's passed. 'He's afraid of his own base,' Pol said. 'It's not how our democracy works.' Given Indiana's Republican supermajority, Pol said Indiana Democrats couldn't leave the state to delay the vote. If a special session were called, Pol said the Democrats would attend and voice their opposition from the House and Senate floors. 'The only thing that we have is our voice,' Pol said. 'We're going to have to show up.'
