Three Republican-led states to send National Guard troops to DC
Agents from several federal law enforcement agencies have spent the week patrolling Washington's most populous and touristed areas alongside the National Guard troops.Many in Washington DC, where 92% of residents voted for Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election, have expressed frustration with Trump's enforcement policy.Residents have taken to filming federal officers as they patrol and over the weekend, the frustration expanded into peaceful protests against the administration.Marchers congregated in Dupont Circle, a central hub in the city, and marched through the streets chanting "Free DC!" Some banged drums and rang bells as they marched.Residents in Washington, DC have expressed concerns about crime in surveys, and a former employee of the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) was attacked and beaten in the city recently.Trump has painted a portrait of the nation's capital as beset by "violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals."But Mayor Muriel Bowser has rejected Trump's claims about rampant crime in the city. She acknowledged there had been a spike in crime in 2023 that has since dropped off.Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) data shows homicides dropped by 32% between 2023 and 2024 and reached their lowest level since 2019.Preliminary data shows violent crime overall is down 26% so far in 2025, compared to the same point in 2024, according to MPD data. Robbery is down 28%, BBC Verify reports.The Trump administration initially tried to take command of the city's Metropolitan Police Department using the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, but rescinded the order after city officials took them to court.However, Judge Ana Reyes said that Mayor Bowser was required to follow White House directives.
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Reuters
16 minutes ago
- Reuters
Texas Democratic lawmakers end walkout, setting stage for vote on redrawn map
Aug 18 (Reuters) - Democratic lawmakers in Texas returned to the state on Monday, ending a two-week walkout that broke quorum and temporarily blocked Republican efforts to redraw congressional maps at the behest of U.S. President Donald Trump. Texas House of Representatives Minority Leader Gene Wu, chairperson of the Texas House Democratic Caucus, said in a statement that Democrats returned because they had achieved their two main goals. The first was to block a vote on new congressional maps in a first special legislative session that ended Friday. The second goal was to prompt California and other Democratic-led states to consider redrawing their own maps to offset any seats Republicans might gain in Texas. "We're returning to Texas more dangerous to Republicans' plans than when we left," Wu said. "Our return allows us to build the legal record necessary to defeat this racist map in court, take our message to communities across the state and country." Speaker of the House Dustin Burrows, a Republican, gaveled in the session at 12 p.m. local time on Monday, with enough Democrats present to have a quorum. "We are done waiting. We have a quorum. Now is the time for action," Burrows said on opening the session. Burrows said that the Democrats who had left the state but whom were present on Monday would only be allowed to leave the House chambers if they agreed to be released into the custody of an agent from the Texas Department of Public Safety, who would ensure they are present at House sessions going forward. More than 50 Texas House Democrats left the state on August 3 and most headed to Illinois, aiming to deny Republicans enough lawmakers in attendance to hold a vote on redistricting legislation - a tactic used several times in the past, mostly without success. Republican leaders in Texas issued civil arrest warrants for the Democrats, which could only be acted on within the borders of the state, and sought their extradition from Illinois, which a judge in that state rejected. Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Friday called a second special legislation session in another attempt to rework the state's congressional maps in an effort to give Republicans another five seats in Congress. With Republicans dominating the Texas House and Senate, quick passage of the new maps is almost certain. Abbott didn't immediately respond to a request for comment on the Democrats' return. Trump believes redistricting would help maintain Republicans' slim control of Congress in midterm elections next year. But Democrats are threatening retaliation, launching what could build into an all-out national redistricting war across several states. Gavin Newsom, California's Democratic Governor, on Thursday unveiled his own redistricting plan that he said would give Democrats there five more congressional seats. Legislation that would allow California voters to approve new maps is expected to be introduced on Monday.
The Independent
17 minutes ago
- The Independent
The Latest: European leaders arrive for White House meeting on Russia-Ukraine war
Ukraine's future could hinge on a hastily assembled meeting Monday at the White House as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy brings an extraordinary cadre of European leaders with him to show U.S. President Donald Trump a united front against Russia. The European political heavy-hitters were left out of Trump's summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin last Friday in Alaska, and they're looking to safeguard Ukraine and the continent from any widening aggression from Moscow. Monday's showing is a sign both of the progress and the possible distress coming out of the Friday summit, as many of Europe's leaders are descending on Washington with the explicit goal of protecting Ukraine's interests, a rare and sweeping show of diplomatic force. Here's the latest: All foreign leaders — except Zelenskyy — have arrived They're all in place at the White House, ahead of the Ukrainian president: NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen British Prime Minister Keir Starmer French President Emmanuel Macron German Chancellor Friedrich Merz Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni Finnish President Alexander Stubb White House adds finishing touches for Zelenskyy visit A large Ukrainian flag is now positioned on one side of the entrance to the West Wing. An American flag is on the other side. A military honor guard also has moved into position, its uniformed members lining the driveway. Zelenskyy suits up — sort of After wearing a T-shirt earlier in the day, Zelenskyy is dressed more formally for other meetings. At the Ukrainian embassy in D.C., he greeted European leaders in a black shirt with buttons and a black blazer. The last time he was at the White House, his casual clothing became a point of irritation for Trump. European leaders have 'coordinated' their positions for 'a reliable and lasting peace,' Zelenskyy says In a post on X, Zelenskyy said the European leaders had 'coordinated' their positions before meeting Trump in the White House and that their main goal was 'a reliable and lasting peace for Ukraine and for the whole of Europe.' 'We shouldn't expect Putin to voluntarily abandon aggression and new attempts at conquest,' Zelenskyy wrote. He also shared a video that showed the European leaders greeting each other and embracing at an earlier meeting in Washington. 'That is why pressure must work, and it must be joint pressure — from the United States and Europe, and from everyone in the world who respects the right to life and the international order.' European leaders begin arriving at White House Mark Rutte, NATO's secretary general, was the first to arrive. Next up was Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, followed by Keir Starmer, the prime minister of the United Kingdom. Zelenskyy is expected to be last. An extremely large media presence awaits Zelenskyy at the White House Scores of U.S. and international journalists have staked out spots facing the West Wing entrance, where Trump will greet Zelenskyy, more than an hour before the Ukraine leader's scheduled 1p.m. ET arrival. At the Eisenhower Executive Office Building opposite the West Wing, several dozen administration employees have gathered atop the staircase to watch. U.S. flags blew in the breeze whipped up by Hurricane Erin and sirens blared in the distance. Security around the White House was increased for the occasion. Putin reaches out to global leaders in run-up to Zelenskyy's White House visit Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke with the leaders of India, Brazil and South Africa Monday to discuss the results of talks between Russia and the U.S. in Alaska, the Kremlin said, just hours before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived to speak with President Donald Trump at the White House. He also spoke with key allies, including leaders in Central Asia and Belarus' Alexander Lukashenko, in a series of calls Monday and Sunday. Putin made similar calls to world leaders following his meeting with special presidential envoy Steve Witkoff in early August. On that occasion, he also spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping. European Council president announces video summit of European Union leaders for Tuesday António Costa announced the meeting to discuss Monday's White House meetings in a message on X. He wrote: 'Together with the US, the EU will continue working towards a lasting peace that safeguards Ukraine's and Europe's vital security interests.' Further details of the meeting weren't immediately announced. Zelenskyy was expected to be accompanied in Washington by European political heavyweights French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte. Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni talks to reporters ahead of White House meeting Meloni has long positioned herself as a 'bridge' between the Trump administration and Europe and said the meeting was important because 'finally' Russia had given a sign it was ready for dialogue. In comments to reporters in Washington, Meloni said Moscow's openness was thanks to the 'situation of stall on the battlefield' that was due both to the courage of Ukrainians to fight but also the West's united stand supporting Kyiv. She said she was pleased with the proposal of security guarantees for Ukraine inspired by NATO's Article 5. 'Clearly we have to build, work on this. But the work we are doing today, from my point of view, is important work. Clearly there are no easy solutions when talking about ending a war and building peace. We have to explore all possible solutions to guarantee peace, to guarantee justice, and to guarantee security for our countries,' she said. What will Zelenskyy wear for his meeting with Trump? Zelenskyy's decision to wear a long-sleeve t-shirt with a Ukrainian military insignia, instead of a suit, became a point of contention during his disastrous Oval Office encounter with Trump earlier this year. Ahead of Monday afternoon's meetings at the White House with Trump and European leaders, the Ukrainian leader met with Trump's special envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, wearing a dark half-sleeve t-shirt, according to video of the engagement Zelenskyy posted on X. Zelenskyy has set aside the typical uniform of the dark suit and tie since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion of his country began in 2022. He's said the choice is to show solidarity with soldiers fighting the Russian army. But his clothing choice became an issue during the difficult February meeting with Trump. 'He's all dressed up,' Trump said to reporters as he greeted Zelenskyy upon his arrival at the White House for the February meeting. At the beginning of that last Oval Office meeting with Trump, a conservative journalist told Zelenskyy his attire was considered disrespectful by many Americans. Zelenskyy responded, in part, by saying, 'I will wear a costume when this war is finished.' Texas Democrats say they're ending a two-week walkout over gerrymandered US House map plan Texas Democrats say they're ending a two-week walkout that stalled Republican efforts to redraw congressional districts to satisfy President Trump's demands for a greater GOP advantage. Democratic leaders say they'll return for a second special legislative session after seeing California Democratic leaders proceed with plans to redraw their own U.S. House maps to neutralize Republican gains in Texas. The nation's two most populous states have been at the forefront of a national fight to reshape the congressional landscape ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Trump has sought to shore up Republicans' narrow House majority and avoid a repeat of the 2018 midterms during his first presidency, when Democrats regained House control and used their majority to stymie his agenda and twice impeach him. Downtown DC on alert as Trump hosts Ukraine talks With Zelenskyy and several European leaders in town for hastily arranged meetings, the area around the White House bulged with security. A line of black SUVs stretched up 16th Street from Lafayette Park. Motorcycle cops stood by. Some roads were blocked off by police and dump trucks, and there were extra checkpoints to screen people approaching the White House. Pennsylvania Avenue, usually crammed with tourists taking pictures of the north side of the president's residence, was vacant. Trump calls for Hamas to be 'confronted and destroyed' for hostage return The U.S. president says the remaining hostages held in the Israel-Gaza war will only be released 'when Hamas is confronted and destroyed!!!' 'The sooner this takes place, the better the chances of success will be,' Trump wrote on his Truth Social site Monday morning. Zelenskyy calls latest Russian attacks 'demonstrative and cynical' 'Everyone wants a just peace and true security. And at this very moment, the Russians are striking Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Sumy region, Odesa, residential buildings, and our civilian infrastructure,' he wrote. Zelenskyy said the energy infrastructure object struck in Odesa belongs to an Azerbaijani company. 'This is a blow to our relations (with Azerbaijan) and to energy independence.' 'The war must be brought to an end. And it is Moscow that must hear 'stop,'' Zelenskyy said in conclusion. Texas Republicans set to resume push Monday for redrawn US House maps The redrawn district maps would carve out a bigger GOP advantage in the 2026 midterm elections after state Democrats indicated they were ready to end a two-week walkout. In response, California Democrats are also moving ahead with their own reshaping of congressional districts to counteract Texas, putting in motion a potentially widening and unusually timed redistricting battle nationwide. The redrawing began in Texas but has been stalled since dozens of Democrats, who are the minority in each chamber, left the state Aug. 3, with most of them going to Illinois. The absent lawmakers had signaled they were ready return to Austin after Republican Gov. Greg Abbott ended a first special session and California moved forward with its own plan. Abbott put redistricting on the agenda at the urging of President Trump, who wants to shore up Republicans' narrow U.S. House majority to avoid losing control of the chamber. ▶ Read more about the redistricting effort in Texas Europe's security is also at stake in the talks European leaders see Ukraine's fight as a bulwark against any Kremlin ambitions to threaten other countries in eastern Europe and beyond. French President Emmanuel Macron described Ukraine as an 'outpost of our collective defense if Russia wanted to advance again.' 'If we are weak with Russia today, we'll be preparing the conflicts of tomorrow and they will impact the Ukrainians and — make no mistake — they can impact us, too.' Macron said Sunday. The European political heavyweights expected in Washington are Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte. Ukraine won't surrender land to Russia Zelenskyy has rejected Putin's demand that Ukraine surrender the Donbas region, made up of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, since the Ukrainian Constitution forbids giving up territory or trading land. That also means he can't cede Crimea either. Instead, freezing the front line — which snakes roughly 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) from northeastern to southeastern Ukraine — seems to be the most the Ukrainian people might accept. Russia currently holds about 20% of Ukrainian territory. Trump's schedule, according to the White House — 12 p.m. ET: European leaders will arrive at the White House — 1 p.m.: Trump will greet and meet with Zelenskyy — 2:15 p.m.: Trump will greet European leaders — 3 p.m.: Trump will meet with European leaders Putin wants the Donbas As a condition for peace, the Russian leader wants Kyiv to give up the Donbas, the industrial region in eastern Ukraine that has seen some of the most intense fighting but that Russian forces have failed to capture completely. In his Sunday night post, Trump wrote that Zelenskyy should also accept Russia's illegal 2014 annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region. As part of a deal, Putin has said the United States and its European allies can provide Ukraine with a security guarantee resembling NATO's collective defense pledge, according to a senior U.S. official. Trump envoy Steve Witkoff called that a 'game-changing' step though he offered few details on how it would work. Ukraine has long pressed for some kind of guarantee that would prevent Russia from invading again. Trump previews executive order on voting Ahead of a critical meeting with Ukrainian leader Zelenskyy, Trump made it clear he has other things also on his mind. He said in a social media post Monday morning that he'll be issuing an executive order to 'help bring HONESTY to the 2026 Midterm Elections.' Saying he will 'lead a movement' to get rid of mail-in ballots and voting machines, Trump added in all-caps: 'I, AND THE REPUBLICAN PARTY, WILL FIGHT LIKE HELL TO BRING HONESTY AND INTEGRITY BACK TO OUR ELECTIONS.' When Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, the two men agreed on the 'dishonest' nature of using mail-in ballots, the U.S. president said. 'He said there's not a country in the world that uses it now,' Trump said Putin told him of the process. Trump recounted that conversation during an interview with Fox News's Sean Hannity. Russia continued to pound Ukraine with missiles and drones ahead of Trump-Zelenskyy meeting A Russian drone strike on Kharkiv, Ukraine's second largest city, killed six civilians late Sunday. Among the victims was a toddler and a 16-year-old, according to local officials. The strike also injured 20 people, including six children, authorities said. Russian aerial attacks also targeted the northeastern Sumy region and the southern Odesa region. In Zaporizhzhia, a city in the southeast, 17 people were injured in an attack Monday, according to regional head Ivan Fedorov. Ukraine's Air Force said Russia launched a total of four Iskander-M ballistic missiles and 140 Shahed and decoy drones across Ukraine overnight, of which 88 drones were intercepted or jammed. Trump's pre-meeting warning to Zelenskyy Ahead of Monday's critical meeting with Zelenskyy and other European leaders, Trump seemed to pressure the Ukrainian president to agree to concessions and suggested Ukraine could not regain Crimea. Crimea was a part of Ukraine that Russia annexed in 2014, setting off an armed conflict that led to its broader 2022 invasion. 'President Zelenskyy of Ukraine can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can continue to fight,' Trump wrote Sunday night on social media. 'Remember how it started. No getting back Obama given Crimea (12 years ago, without a shot being fired!), and NO GOING INTO NATO BY UKRAINE. Some things never change!!!' Attendance list for Zelenskyy's White House meeting includes major European leaders Key European leaders are gathering at the White House for President Trump's meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. They include: -- European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen -- French President Emmanuel Macron -- British Prime Minister Keir Starmer -- German Chancellor Friedrich Merz -- Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni -- Finnish President Alexander Stubb -- NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte On the table for discussion are possible NATO-like security guarantees Ukraine would need for any peace with Russia to be durable. Putin opposes Ukraine joining NATO outright, yet Trump's team claims the Russian leader is open to allies agreeing to defend Ukraine if it comes under attack.
The Independent
17 minutes ago
- The Independent
Zelensky shows up to White House in all-black suit - but no tie - after Trump complained about his previous attire
Volodymyr Zelensky arrived for his meeting with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office wearing an all black suit, but no tie – months after he was derided for his lack of formal dress during his previous, and now infamous, visit to the White House. The Ukrainian president wore the same black jacket he wore to a June NATO summit in the Netherlands, which sources described as being 'suit-style' but not a full suit. He also wore a black shirt, but no tie. That summit marked the first time Zelensky had donned a business-style jacket since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in Ukraine in 2022 — and the fashion choice reportedly impressed Trump. The White House asked Ukrainian officials if Zelensky would wear a suit ahead of Monday's meeting in D.C. with top European leaders and Trump, two sources told Axios. One Trump advisor jokingly told the outlet that 'it would be a good sign for peace' if Zelensky dressed up on Monday, but added, 'We don't expect him to do it.' They also did not expect the Ukrainian leader to wear a tie. The high-stakes meeting comes months after the president welcomed Zelensky into the West Wing in February, and made jabs about his customary military-style attire, jokingly telling the press, 'he's all dressed up today.' He also faced questions about his lack of suit from the media. However, it was Vice President JD Vance who more annoyed than Trump by the Ukrainian leader's understated fashion choices on that occasion, particularly that he was without a tie, according to Axios. Trump's irritation during Zelensky's last visit, which descended into a shouting match, was about more than just his fashion choices, and the president's advisors say this time should go more smoothly. "They've traveled very, very far, both of them. Zelensky will not show him pictures of dead children and then act like it's somehow his fault. The president has learned to just sort of like, you know, file away any irritations and go forward,' a Trump advisor told Axios. Zelensky will be joined by neighboring European leaders in a show of unity. The meeting is set to be held Monday at 3 p.m. EST, and comes after Trump met with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday. Trump is now pushing Zelensky to strike a peace deal without Crimea and NATO membership instead of an immediate ceasefire – backing Moscow 's position. During the meeting, Putin agreed to let the U.S. and its European allies offer Ukrainian security guarantees, Steve Witkoff said. At least 10 people were killed in Ukraine after Russia launched 144 drones and missiles overnight, Kyiv said, in an attack described by Zelensky as 'demonstrative and cynical.'
