logo
Mulvaney warns of safety concerns over White House's new flagpoles

Mulvaney warns of safety concerns over White House's new flagpoles

The Hill4 hours ago

Former White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney on Wednesday raised safety concerns about President Trump's newly installed flagpoles at the White House.
In an interview on NewsNation's 'The Hill,' the former Trump official questioned how the president's helicopter would continue to land safely on the South Lawn, where a flagpole now stands.
'I see a problem for where they're supposed to land the helicopter — because this is right on the South Lawn, and I'm not really sure,' Mulvaney said in the interview when asked about the flagpoles.
'I imagine they considered this, they'd be landing someplace else, but I'm looking at this going, as the chief of staff, who's in charge of military operations at the White House, 'Where are we landing the helicopter without creating an increased risk for the president of the United States?' I don't know the answer to that yet,' he added.
The Hill reached out to the White House for comment.
Trump announced Tuesday he would be gifting the White House two flagpoles, one on the North Lawn and one on the South Lawn. Both were installed Wednesday morning.
'It is my Great Honor to announce that I will be putting up two beautiful Flag Poles on both sides of the White House, North and South Lawns. It is a GIFT from me of something which was always missing from this magnificent place,' Trump said in a Truth Social post on Tuesday night.
'These are the most magnificent poles made – They are tall, tapered, rust proof, rope inside the pole, and of the highest quality. Hopefully, they will proudly stand at both sides of the White House for many years to come!' he added.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Analysis: What is a bunker buster?
Analysis: What is a bunker buster?

CNN

time23 minutes ago

  • CNN

Analysis: What is a bunker buster?

Analysis: What is a bunker buster? There's only one weapon in the world that can destroy a place like Fordow, and one plane that can carry that weapon. CNN military analyst Col. Cedric Leighton (ret.) explains how the Massive Ordnance Penetrator - a sophisticated bunker buster - works. 00:49 - Source: CNN CNN on the ground in Tehran CNN's Fred Pleitgen is in Iran's capital city of Tehran and is the first western journalist to enter the country since its conflict with Israel started. Hear his first impressions and what he's witnessed as he journeyed across Iran. 01:28 - Source: CNN Trump says decision on Iran will come down to the last second CNN's Kaitlan Collins asks President Trump if he has made a final decision on whether to intervene in the Israel-Iran conflict. 01:12 - Source: CNN This is how the US could get involved in the Israel-Iran conflict CNN's Nick Paton Walsh reports on how the US could get involved in the conflict between Israel and Iran while the countries continue trading strikes for a sixth day, with civilians in flashpoint areas facing waves of attacks. 02:14 - Source: CNN Trump open to assisting Israel in conflict with Iran CNN's Kaitlan Collins gives the latest reporting on the White House debating whether to intervene in the Israel-Iran conflict. 00:58 - Source: CNN Woman gives birth to triplets in underground Israeli hospital A woman gave birth to triplets Monday in Israel's Rambam hospital, one of several in the country that have moved some operations underground as Iranian strikes hit the city of Haifa this week, according to Reuters. 00:44 - Source: CNN What Iranian residents are texting to CNN as strikes hit As Israeli strikes zeroed in on Iran's capital city of Tehran, CNN's Clarissa Ward reports from Tel Aviv some of the messages she's received from residents in Iran offering a glimpse into the daily anxieties of living in a country faced with an ever-escalating conflict in the sky. 01:33 - Source: CNN Trump disputes intel chief Tulsi Gabbard on Iran President Donald Trump disputed his own director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, on how developed Iran's nuclear capabilities are and said Iran was on the verge of obtaining a nuclear weapon when Israel struck in recent days. 00:26 - Source: CNN Trump tells CNN reporter why he left G7 As President Donald Trump returns to the United States after leaving the G7 summit early, he took questions from journalists aboard Air Force One. Watch his answer to CNN's Chief White House correspondent Kaitlan Collins' question on why he left early. 00:44 - Source: CNN Trump slams Macron's comment on why he had to leave G7 summit early US President Donald Trump called out French President Emmanuel Macron over his counterpart's suggestion that he left the G7 summit to work on a ceasefire between Israel and Iran. "He has no idea why I am now on my way to Washington, but it certainly has nothing to do with a Cease Fire," Trump wrote on Truth Social. 00:35 - Source: CNN Kaitlan Collins explains why Trump left G7 summit early President Donald Trump is heading back early to Washington from the G7 summit in Canada, as the conflict between Israel and Iran enters its fifth day. CNN's Kaitlan Collins reports on the escalating attacks between the two sides and Trump's warning to civilians in Tehran. 00:55 - Source: CNN Ex-Israeli Defense Minister's message to Trump Benny Gantz, Chairman of Israel's National Unity Party, and the former Minister of Defense speaks to CNN's Anderson Cooper following Israel's attack on Iran. 01:08 - Source: CNN Video shows Pakistani students returning home from Tehran Hundreds of Pakistani students who left their studies in Tehran amid daily strikes on the city by Israel, have crossed back into Pakistan, a local official told CNN. 00:28 - Source: CNN CNN team sees strike damage in Tel Aviv Residents in Tel Aviv, Israel, are reeling after another round of Iranian strikes on the city overnight. CNN's International Diplomatic Editor Nic Robertson visits a street in the center of the city where buildings were severely damaged and windows blown out by Iranian missiles. 01:28 - Source: CNN What we know about Iran's key nuclear site It's key to Iran's nuclear program: the Fordow plant - in a mountain lair where hundreds of centrifuges, hidden possibly 90 meters underground, enrich uranium to 60%. CNN's Nick Paton Walsh explains what we know about the key site in Israel's crosshairs. 01:00 - Source: CNN CNN asks Israeli official about plans to eliminate Iran's nuclear program Former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant tells CNN's Bianna Golodryga that it's up to the "free world" to eliminate Iran's nuclear program. 01:14 - Source: CNN Trump slams G7 for kicking out Russia President Donald Trump kicked off his visit to the G7 summit in Canada by criticizing nations for kicking out Russia eleven years ago. 00:36 - Source: CNN Shipping industry navigates Trump's trade war CNN's Kristie Lu Stout gets exclusive access on board a US-bound container ship in Hong Kong's port, the frontlines of China's 'export rush' chaos as the clock ticks down on a 90-day pause on US tariffs imposed on Chinese goods. 01:11 - Source: CNN Iranian state television says it was attacked by Israel The studio complex of Iran's state news channel IRINN was struck by Israel on Monday, according to the country's state news agency. A loud explosion was heard while an anchor was presenting live on air, according to a live feed. 00:19 - Source: CNN CNN visits site of deadly Iranian missile strike CNN's Clarissa Ward reports from Tamra, a village in northern Israel inhabited by predominantly Palestinian citizens of Israel, where multiple civilians were killed after an Iranian rocket struck their home. 02:17 - Source: CNN Iran and Israel launch more missiles Iran launched a new barrage of missiles at Israel Sunday evening, with an explosion seen in the coastal city of Haifa. Israel said it began another series of strikes on military targets across Iran. 00:43 - Source: CNN Israel strikes Iran's capital Israeli strikes have hit the Iranian capital of Tehran on Sunday in yet another escalation of the ongoing conflict. Israel's military had previously said it was targeting military and nuclear complexes in Iran, although there are no known such complexes in these areas of the capital. 00:32 - Source: CNN

Trump gave Iran an ultimatum but has made no final decision on war
Trump gave Iran an ultimatum but has made no final decision on war

Boston Globe

time25 minutes ago

  • Boston Globe

Trump gave Iran an ultimatum but has made no final decision on war

Advertisement In fact, Trump had already reviewed potential plans to attack Iran, an official with knowledge of the situation told The Washington Post. Like others, they spoke on the condition of anonymity to talk frankly about internal discussions. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Trump's musings on the momentous decision of whether to draw the United States into war came against a less consequential backdrop: the installation of an 88-foot flagpole on the South Lawn, which Trump described as his gift to the nation. After fielding a question on Iran, Trump turned toward a group of men in neon yellow T-shirts and hard hats who were there to install one of two flagpoles he had commissioned. 'Sir, would you strike it?' Trump quipped to the workers as he mocked the question. 'Would you please inform us so we can be there and watch?' Advertisement The president, wearing a white 'Make America Great Again' ball cap in 80 percent Washington humidity, then addressed reporters again. 'You don't know that I'm going to even do it,' Trump said, the flagpole lying on the ground behind him. 'I may do it, I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I'm going to do. I can tell you this, that Iran's got a lot of trouble, and they want to negotiate.' The impromptu outdoor news conference, which Trump called ostensibly to show off the property's new hardware, came at a potential inflection point in his presidency. He campaigned on a promise of ending wars, not starting them, and he spent the first months of his presidency seeking a diplomatic path toward limiting Iran's nuclear program. But Iran has shown no interest in voluntarily reducing its nuclear capability, Trump said. And conditions have made the prospects of a successful attack on its nuclear facilities better than they have been in decades: After more than 20 months of war in Gaza and major strikes against Hezbollah and Iran itself, Israel has degraded Tehran's defenses and regional proxies, leaving Iran at what is probably its weakest in generations. Asked by The Post whether he had issued an ultimatum to Iran, Trump pouted his lips and thought for a moment. 'You could say so. They know what's happened,' Trump said. 'Maybe you could call it the ultimate - the ultimate ultimatum, right?' He declined to elaborate later on what that warning consisted of. 'Look, I don't want to say,' Trump replied. 'I mean, give me a break.' Advertisement Later, in the Oval Office, the president said his deliberations over whether to strike Iran began with the most recent exchange of missile attacks between Iran and Israel, which he described as 'devastating' from the first night. Trump left the door open to going either direction, saying that he had not yet made up his mind and that he likes to 'make the final decision one second before it's due.' 'Because things change,' Trump said. 'Especially with war.' Israeli leaders have vowed to push as hard as they can at Iran's nuclear program, with or without U.S. involvement. But they are still dependent on Washington for the most powerful bombs and long-range capabilities that stand a chance of destroying Iran's most protected facilities, which are buried deep underground - and underneath mountains. One person familiar with Trump's habits in recent days said that he has consulted with a wide array of advisers, calling up not just Cabinet secretaries but also right-wing media hosts such as Mark Levin to collect arguments for and against taking military action. The president unspooled a string of comments as he stood outside alongside gathered reporters, responding to questions about Israel and Iran while alternately narrating the flagpole installation. He declared his love for construction, urged the business-attired crowd to step off the grass so as not to ruin their shoes and explained that's why he's paving over the Rose Garden - to protect visitors' shoes. In between questions on Iran, he bragged about how the rope for raising the flag ran inside the pole - a rare feature, he said - and how using sand, not dirt, to fill it would keep the pole from rotting. ('Sand, for some reason, chemically, just works,' he said.) Advertisement 'It's such a beautiful pole,' the president said, remarking it was taller than the one at Mar-a-Lago. 'This is about the largest you'll ever see.' He estimated that each flagpole cost him about $50,000. Later, Trump remarked, 'We're going to do a flower bed around it, a beautiful flower bed.' Turning back to the Middle East, Trump mused aloud about why Iran didn't negotiate with him earlier. 'Why didn't you negotiate with me two weeks ago? You could have done fine. You would have had a country,' Trump said. 'It's very sad to watch this. I mean, I've never seen anything like it.' Trump also said Iranian officials had contacted him and expressed a desire to meet at the White House, which he said was 'courageous' but 'it's, like, not easy for them to do.' High-level meetings between Iranians and administration officials in Washington would break precedent, given that the U.S. has not recognized Iran diplomatically since the Iranian revolution 45 years ago. But the idea would match some of the president's first-term enthusiasm for unusual and high-stakes diplomatic encounters, including his unrealized proposal to host the Taliban at Camp David and his repeated meetings with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. 'I may do that,' he said Wednesday about an Iranian visit to the White House. He later said that he was headed into the Situation Room on Wednesday afternoon to further consider his options regarding Iran. It's unclear how long the meeting lasted. Trump also told reporters that he spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday night and that Putin 'actually offered to help mediate' the conflict between Iran and Israel. Advertisement 'I said, 'Do me a favor, mediate your own. Let's mediate Russia first, okay?'' Trump recalled, referring to the war between Russia and Ukraine that Trump has also promised to help end. 'I said, 'Vladimir, let's mediate Russia first. You can worry about this later.'' The possibility of a U.S. attack on Iran came up on Capitol Hill, where Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in Senate testimony that the Pentagon had made preparations for what would happen after strikes on nuclear facilities. But Hegseth was tight-lipped about the administration's intentions at the hearing and in a classified meeting with senators that followed, senators said. 'I don't know if it's because he doesn't have the information, or if he just doesn't want to share it,' Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Arizona) said in an interview. Some foreign diplomats said they were still holding out hope for a diplomatic solution. Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide met Wednesday in Washington with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and said afterward that he believed the Trump administration had not locked itself into joining the attack. 'I welcome the fact that President Trump has been publicly saying he would like such a deal' to restrict Iran from building a nuclear weapon, Barth Eide said in an interview. 'That is probably a more durable outcome. If the Iranian regime continues and you have bombed many facilities, you clearly set them back, but they can rebuild … maybe deeper down, maybe in hiding.' Trump told reporters that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had been 'treated very unfairly,' and the president said that his own patience with Iran had 'already run out.' Advertisement He declined to tip his hand, however, on how much he is leaning toward directly attacking Iran. 'Nothing's finished until it's finished,' Trump said. 'You know, war is very complex. A lot of bad things can happen. A lot of turns are made. 'So I don't know,' he continued. 'I wouldn't say that we won anything yet. I would say that we sure as hell made a lot of progress.' - - - Karen DeYoung and Abigail Hauslohner contributed to this report.

Trump approved attack plans for Iran — but hasn't made final decision to strike
Trump approved attack plans for Iran — but hasn't made final decision to strike

Yahoo

time28 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Trump approved attack plans for Iran — but hasn't made final decision to strike

President Trump approved attack plans on Iran Tuesday night, but did not make a final decision on whether to strike the country and formally join Israel's air campaign, a senior intelligence source and a Defense Department official told CBS News. Mr. Trump held off on deciding to strike in case Tehran agrees to abandon its nuclear program, the sources said. The news was first reported by The Wall Street Journal. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. CBS News previously reported Tuesday that Mr. Trump was weighing a U.S. strike on Fordo, a subterranean uranium enrichment facility. Israel has not conducted any known strikes on Fordo since it began bombing Iranian nuclear and military targets late last week. Mr. Trump told reporters on Wednesday he had not made a final decision on whether to strike Iran. "I like to make the final decision one second before it's due, because things change, especially with war," he said. "I may do it. I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I'm going to do," he said earlier Wednesday, adding that he'd like Iran to negotiate on a deal to end its nuclear program. Iran — which has long insisted the program exists solely for peaceful purposes — said Wednesday it "does NOT negotiate under duress," and said it would "respond to any threat with a counter-threat." Iran has prepared missiles and equipment for strikes on U.S. bases in the Middle East if the U.S. joins the Israeli campaign, according to a senior U.S. intelligence official and a Pentagon official briefed on the matter. Israel began striking Iran early Friday morning. The Trump administration has said publicly it is not participating in the offensive strikes, though CBS News previously reported the U.S. has helped Israel intercept Iran's retaliatory missile strikes. In recent days, Mr. Trump has not ruled out the idea of joining Israel's campaign, saying on Truth Social his "patience is wearing thin." The president said Tuesday the U.S. knows the whereabouts of Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. "He is an easy target, but is safe there — We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now," Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social. On Sunday, CBS News reported Mr. Trump had opposed an Israeli plan to kill Khamenei. Teen questioned after family's quadruple murder Iranians evacuate capital Tehran, some say the regime is frightened Parents, brother of slain Minnesota lawmaker Melissa Hortman speak about her death

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store