Trump's patience with Putin leaves U.S. Senate sanctions push on hold
(Bloomberg) — President Donald Trump's suggestion that he may let Russia and Ukraine keep fighting has left US lawmakers in an awkward spot over their plan to force a ceasefire with 'bone-crushing' sanctions against Moscow.
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The Senate bill has more than 80 co-sponsors, an all-but-unheard-of level of bipartisan support. Yet although that kind of veto-proof backing is enough for the Senate to press ahead without White House backing, supporters show no sign they're ready to challenge the president.
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Trump's comments on Thursday — he said he hadn't even looked at the bill, but will do what he wants 'at the right time' — put the brakes on what had seemed to be an accelerating push to advance the proposal as soon as this month.
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Republican co-author Lindsey Graham, who said earlier in the week that he aimed to have the Senate plan in place by the Group of Seven leaders' summit to be held in Kananaskis, Alberta, June 15-17, seemed to ease off the gas in a tweet after Trump's comments. 'I have coordinated closely with the White House on this endeavor from day one,' he wrote.
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Trump, however, has shown little interest in backing Graham's plan, and the White House has insisted that any decision on sanctions will be the president's alone. Instead, he's signaled he may walk away from efforts to force a settlement amid growing frustration with his inability to deliver the quick peace deal he promised on the campaign trail.
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Graham's Democrat co-author Richard Blumenthal said the pair are still working on changes to the bill to make it more acceptable to the White House.
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European leaders, meanwhile, are pushing ahead with plans to impose more restrictions on Russian financial institutions and the shadow fleet of tankers Moscow uses to export its oil. Those limits have squeezed Russia's economy — but not President Vladimir Putin's resolve to continue fighting. Russia's war in Ukraine, conceived as a days- or weeks-long 'special military operation,' is well into its fourth year.
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German Chancellor Friedrich Merz made the case for turning up the heat on Putin during an Oval Office meeting with Trump on Thursday, but came away sounding cautious.
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Protests intensify in Los Angeles after Trump deploys hundreds of National Guard troops
A protester vandalizes a Waymo taxi as another burns near the metropolitan detention center of downtown Los Angeles, Sunday, June 8, 2025, following last night's immigration raid protest. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) LOS ANGELES — Tensions in Los Angeles escalated Sunday as thousands of protesters took to the streets in response to U.S. President Donald Trump's extraordinary deployment of the National Guard, blocking off a major freeway and setting autonomous vehicles on fire as local law enforcement used tear gas, rubber bullets, and flash bangs to control the crowd. Some police patrolled the streets on horseback while others with riot gear lined up behind Guard troops deployed to protect federal facilities including a detention center where some immigrants were taken in recent days. The clashes came on the third day of demonstrations against Trump's immigration crackdown in the region, as the arrival of around 300 federal troops spurred anger and fear among some residents. By midday, hundreds had gathered outside the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown Los Angeles, where people were detained after earlier immigration raids. Protesters directed chants of 'shame' and 'go home' at members of the National Guard, who stood shoulder to shoulder, carrying long guns and riot shields. After some protesters closely approached the guard members, another set of uniformed officers advanced on the group, shooting smoke-filled canisters into the street. Minutes later, the Los Angeles Police Department fired rounds of crowd-control munitions to disperse the protesters, who they said were assembled unlawfully. Much of the group then moved to block traffic on the 101 freeway until California Highway Patrol officers cleared them from the roadway by late afternoon. The presence of the Guard was 'inflaming tensions' in the city, according to a letter sent to Trump by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sunday afternoon. He formerly requested Trump remove the guard members, which he called a 'serious breach of state sovereignty.' 'What we're seeing in Los Angeles is chaos that is provoked by the administration,' said Mayor Karen Bass in an afternoon press conference. 'This is about another agenda, this isn't about public safety.' Immigration Raids Los Angeles Protesters confront police on the 101 Freeway near the metropolitan detention center of downtown Los Angeles, Sunday, June 8, 2025, following last night's immigration raid protest. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) (Jae C. Hong/AP) Trump has said the National Guard was necessary because Newsom and other Democrats have failed to stanch recent protests targeting immigration agents. Their deployment appeared to be the first time in decades that a state's national guard was activated without a request from its governor, a significant escalation against those who have sought to hinder the administration's mass deportation efforts. Deployment follows days of protest The arrival of the National Guard followed two days of protests that began Friday in downtown Los Angeles before spreading on Saturday to Paramount, a heavily Latino city south of the city, and neighboring Compton. As federal agents set up a staging area Saturday near a Home Depot in Paramount, demonstrators attempted to block Border Patrol vehicles, with some hurling rocks and chunks of cement. In response, agents in riot gear unleashed tear gas, flash-bang explosives and pepper balls. Tensions were high after a series of sweeps by immigration authorities the previous day, as the weeklong tally of immigrant arrests in the city climbed above 100. A prominent union leader was arrested while protesting and accused of impeding law enforcement. The recent protests remain far smaller than past events that have brought the National Guard to Los Angeles, including the Watts and Rodney King riots, and the 2020 protests against police violence, in which Newsom requested the assistance of federal troops. The last time the National Guard was activated without a governor's permission was in 1965, when President Lyndon B. Johnson sent troops to protect a civil rights march in Alabama, according to the Brennan Center for Justice. Trump says there will be `very strong law and order' In a directive Saturday, Trump invoked a legal provision allowing him to deploy federal service members when there is 'a rebellion or danger of a rebellion against the authority of the Government of the United States.' Immigration Raids Los Angeles Protesters confront a line of police in downtown Los Angeles, Sunday, June 8, 2025, following last night's immigration raid protest. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer) (Eric Thayer/AP) He said he had authorized the deployment of 2,000 members of the National Guard. Trump told reporters as he prepared to board Air Force One in Morristown, New Jersey, Sunday that there were 'violent people' in Los Angeles 'and they're not gonna get away with it.' Asked if he planned to send U.S. troops to Los Angeles, Trump replied: 'We're gonna have troops everywhere. We're not going to let this happen to our country. We're not going to let our country be torn apart like it was under Biden.' He didn't elaborate. Trump also said that California officials who stand in the way of the deportations could face charges. A Wisconsin judge was arrested last month on accusations she helped a man evade immigration authorities. 'If officials stay in the way of law and order, yeah, they will face charges,' Trump said. Newsom called Trump on Friday night and they spoke for about 40 minutes, according to the governor's office. It was not clear if they spoke Saturday or Sunday. There was some confusion surrounding the exact timing of the guard's arrival. Shortly before midnight local time, Trump congratulated the National Guard on a 'job well done.' But less than an hour later, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said troops had yet to arrive in the city. Defense secretary threatens to deploy active-duty Marines `if violence continues' In a statement Sunday, Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin accused California's politicians and protesters of 'defending heinous illegal alien criminals at the expense of Americans' safety.' 'Instead of rioting, they should be thanking ICE officers every single day who wake up and make our communities safer,' McLaughlin added. The troops included members of the California Army National Guard's 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, according to a social media post from the Department of Defense. In a signal of the administration's aggressive approach, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also threatened to deploy active-duty Marines 'if violence continues' in the region. Protesters confront a line of U.S. National Guard in the metropolitan detention center of downtown Los Angeles, Sunday, June 8, 2025, following last night's immigration raid protest. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer) Protesters confront a line of U.S. National Guard in the metropolitan detention center of downtown Los Angeles, Sunday, June 8, 2025, following last night's immigration raid protest. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer) About 500 Marines stationed at Twentynine Palms, about 125 miles (200 kilometres) east of Los Angeles were in a 'prepared to deploy status' Sunday afternoon, according to the U.S. Northern Command. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders said the order by Trump reflected 'a president moving this country rapidly into authoritarianism' and 'usurping the powers of the United States Congress.' Former Vice President Kamala Harris, who lives in Los Angeles, said the immigration arrests and Guard deployment were designed as part of a 'cruel, calculated agenda to spread panic and division.' She said she supports those 'standing up to protect our most fundamental rights and freedoms.' House Speaker Mike Johnson, a staunch Trump ally, endorsed the president's move, doubling down on Republicans' criticisms of California Democrats. 'Gavin Newsom has shown an inability or an unwillingness to do what is necessary, so the president stepped in,' Johnson said. Eric Thayer and Jake Offenhartz, The Associated Press Offenhartz reported from New York. Associated Press writer Michelle Price contributed to this report from Bridgewater, New Jersey.
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National Guard troops arrive in L.A. after Trump deployment
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Global News
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World Pride celebrations end with defiant politics on display in Washington
After the raucous rainbow-hued festivities of Saturday's parade, the final day of World Pride 2025 in Washington kicked off on a more downbeat note. Thousands gathered under grey skies Sunday morning at the Lincoln Memorial for a rally and protest march, as the community gathers its strength for a looming fight under U.S. President Donald Trump's second administration. 'This is not just a party,' Ashley Smith, board president of Capital Pride Alliance. 'This is a rally for our lives.' Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "This is a rally for our lives." Smith acknowledged that international attendance numbers for the bi-annual World Pride were measurably down, with many potential attendees avoiding travel to the U.S. due to either fear of harassment or in protest of Trump's policies. 'That should disturb us and mobilize us,' Smith said. Story continues below advertisement Protesters cheered on LGBTQ2 activists taking the stage while waving both traditional Pride flags and flags representing transgender, bisexual, intersex and other communities. Many had rainbow glitter and rhinestones adorning their faces. They held signs declaring 'Fight back,' 'Gay is good,' 'Ban bombs not bathrooms' and 'We will not be erased.' Trump's campaign against transgender protections and oft-stated antipathy for drag shows have set the community on edge, with some hoping to see a renewed wave of street politics in response. 'Trans people just want to be loved. Everybody wants to live their own lives and I don't understand the problem with it all,' said Tyler Cargill, who came wearing an elaborate costume with a hat topped by a replica of the U.S. Capitol building. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Wes Kincaid drove roughly six hours from Charlotte, N.C., to attend this year. Sitting on a park bench near the reflecting pond, Kincaid said he made a point of attending this year, 'because it's more important than ever to show up for our community.' Story continues below advertisement Reminders of the cuts to federal government programs were on full display, Sunday. One attendee waved a pole bearing a massive rainbow flag along with a large USAID flag; another held a 'Proud gay federal worker' sign; and a third held an umbrella with the logos of various federal program facing cuts — including the PBS logo. Trump's anti-trans rhetoric had fuelled fears of violence or protests targeting World Pride participants; at one point earlier this spring, rumors circulated that the Proud Boys were planning to disrupt this weekend's celebrations. Those concerns prompted organizers to install security fencing around the entire two-day street party on a multi-block stretch of Pennsylvania Avenue. 5:06 What changes in U.S. gender policy mean for Canadians But so far, the only clear act of aggression has been the vandalizing of a queer bar last week. Late Saturday night, there was a pair of violent incidents near Dupont Circle — one of the epicentres of the World Pride celebrations. Two juveniles were stabbed and a man was shot in the foot in separate incidents. The Metropolitan Police Department says it is not clear if either incident was directly related to World Pride. Story continues below advertisement A cold rain began falling around noon Sunday as the rally speakers cut short their comments and prepared to march. Some attendees filtered away while others huddled under umbrellas and ponchos. 'Rain will not stop us, and after rain comes rainbows,' said one speaker from the stage. The speeches didn't just target the Trump administration or the Republican party. Some turned their ire on Democratic politicians, who they say have wilted under the pressure of Republican control of the White House and both houses of Congress. 'We have to call out people who have abandoned our movement,' said Tyler Hack of the Christopher Street Project. 'Being a Democrat is more than carrying the party affiliation,' Hack added. 'It's about unapologetic support for the trans community.' Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "It's about unapologetic support for the trans community." While the main march headed toward the U.S. Capitol, a separate group splintered off and headed toward the White House, unfurling a large 'TRUMP MUST GO NOW' banner. Those who stayed to brave the weather said their presence amid less-than-ideal circumstances was vital. 'People are still out here, despite the rain, despite their exhaustion,' said Gillian Brewer, a university student studying physics from Silver Spring, Maryland. 'We're not going anywhere.' Story continues below advertisement Brewer expressed some frustration that the turnout for Sunday's protest march was lower than for the World Pride parade the day before, which she decided to skip. 'This is more important,' Brewer added. 'You can party all you want but at the end of the day, the protest is why we can party.' Natalie Farmer, who traveled from San Diego with her wife, attributed the difference in numbers between the march and Saturday's parade to people being tired from celebrating the previous night. 'Some of us have to do the rallying to keep the party going,' Farmer said. 'We all fight in different ways.'
