Latest news with #KarolineLeavitt
Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Karoline Leavitt slams long-used Presidential justification
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt went scorched earth on a 'BS' excuse that presidents need Congress to fix America's staggering immigration and border woes. President Donald Trump officially celebrated six months in office over the weekend, and to celebrate the milestone, Leavitt appeared on the conservative 'Ruthless' Podcast. 'It is incredible. If you think back to the campaign, which you guys covered, and I was part of, the President really promised so many things, but really two things, right, defeat inflation and secure the border.' Leavitt, 27, added that no president before Trump was able to achieve their two primary campaign promises in half a year. 'It's so remarkable, and they did it all via executive power and orders,' she added. Host Josh Holmes interjected: 'We were told reliably you couldn't do that. Yeah, we were told you needed a bill to secure the border, which was bull[expletive],' Leavitt quickly remarked, prompting the hosts to chuckle. 'You just needed a new president,' she continued. When Trump entered office earlier this year he enacted a slew of executive actions to immediately address illegal immigration. His actions, some of which were put into action on his first day in office, mobilized the Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security to deploy armed forces to enhance border security. Thousands of troops were subsequently rushed to the border and given temporary control over 100,000 acres of border land to protect. Trump's orders also significantly altered the asylum process to make it more difficult for migrants to cross illegally into the U.S. and then claim protections, though the effort has faced legal challenges. In February, the president signed another action restricting illegal migrants from receiving federal funds. Another Trump order in April cracked down on 'Sanctuary Cities.' For those that 'remain' sanctuary jurisdictions, Attorney General Pam Bondi and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem then 'shall pursue all necessary legal remedies and enforcement measures to end these violations and bring such jurisdictions into compliance with the laws of the United States.' Other migrant-related actions, like the president's challenge to birthright citizenship, have been helped up in court. The flurry of orders has delivered results. In June, there were approximately 25,000 migrant encounters in the U.S., a record low for Customs and Border Protection, according to the agency. Last spring, as hundreds of thousands of migrants from all over the world showed up monthly at the U.S.-Mexico border, often illegally crossing into the U.S., Biden urged Congress to pass legislation to address the crisis. Biden repeatedly told reporters that he could not do anything about the border flooded with migrants without the legislative branch. A bipartisan bill at the time would have approved billions of dollars for additional beds for migrants, funding immigration judges and give the president additional authorities over shutting down immigration altogether. The proposal would have enabled the president to shut down the border if 4,000 migrants crossed the per day over the course of a week - meaning 28,000 migrants would have to cross before the president could act. Trump called on Republicans to oppose the measure, saying its weak restrictions would do nothing but hand Biden a political alibi. Biden eventually enacted an executive order that stemmed the flow of illegal immigration without action from Congress. Former President Obama also called on Congress to act so that he could make immigration reforms. 'I take executive action only when we have a serious problem, a serious issue, and Congress chooses to do nothing,' he said in a 2014 speech.
Washington Post
4 hours ago
- Business
- Washington Post
Live updates: White House to brief reporters as uproar over Epstein files upends Washington
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has scheduled a news briefing Wednesday amid the continued controversy over the Trump administration's decision not to release files related to deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The House is expected to adjourn Wednesday, a day earlier than expected, for its five-week recess after Republicans irate over the administration's decision blocked most legislation from reaching the chamber floor for a vote this week. President Donald Trump, who has sought to change the subject, plans Wednesday to deliver a speech on artificial intelligence and unveil three executive orders intended to boost the U.S. tech sector. Silicon Valley's risky bet on President Donald Trump is starting to pay dividends. The White House on Wednesday plans to reveal how it will position the United States to lead a global race to develop artificial intelligence and unveil three executive orders intended to boost the American tech sector, according to two people familiar with the rollout who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss plans that have not been made public. Former president Barack Obama's office issued a rare admonishment Tuesday of the Trump administration's claims that Obama administration officials planned a 'treasonous conspiracy' aimed at the current commander in chief, calling the allegations 'a weak attempt at distraction.' President Donald Trump said Tuesday he has clinched a trade deal with Japan, reducing the tariffs he had planned to impose on goods from a major trading partner as his deadline for negotiations nears. Trump posted on his Truth Social social media site Tuesday evening that he would impose a 15 percent duty on Japanese imports, down from the 25 percent he threatened earlier this month. Federal judges in New Jersey declined Tuesday to appoint Alina Habba, President Donald Trump's pick for U.S. attorney in the state, to continue serving in that role, delivering a resounding rebuke to one of his administration's most polarizing Justice Department appointees and teeing up a showdown over who would lead the office. A panel of the state's U.S. district court judges made the announcement in a brief order that did not offer any explanation for its decision.
The Hill
5 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Trump mixes sports and politics with Commanders name fight
President Trump has reignited the debate over the Washington Commanders team name, the latest example of the president using sports in his second term to expand his influence and impact on culture. Trump upended what appeared to be a settled issue when he threatened to use the power of the presidency to hold up the Commanders' plans to build a new stadium in Washington, D.C., if the team did not revert to the Redskins name it retired in 2020. While it came as a surprise to local leaders and team officials, it was yet another instance of Trump wading into sports for political purposes. 'Sports is one of the many passions of this president, and he wants to see the name of that team changed,' White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday. 'I think you've seen the president gets involved in a lot of things that most presidents have not. He's a nontraditional president.' The president has hosted championship hockey and baseball teams at the White House in his first six months in office. He has attended the Daytona 500, the Super Bowl, college wrestling championships, Ultimate Fighting Championship events and the FIFA Club World Cup championship. Trump met in the Oval Office with members of Italian soccer club Juventus and the Boston Red Sox, taking credit when the latter team went on a winning streak after the meeting. The president also was at the center of an announcement that Washington will host the NFL draft in 2027. He was joined by D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and Commanders owner Josh Harris. One source close to the White House noted Trump is a longtime sports fan and a former owner of the New Jersey Generals of the United States Football League, which folded after three seasons. Trump's interest in sports helps broaden his political appeal, the source argued, pointing to his 2023 stop at an Iowa State University fraternity where he threw footballs into the crowd, and his game of catch with baseball legend Mariano Rivera to mark the start of the season amid the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. But Trump's focus on sports has expanded into the policy arena during his second term. Blocking transgender women from competing in men's sports was a defining campaign promise for Trump in 2024. Within weeks of taking office, Trump signed an executive order following through on that pledge. The president has spoken frequently about the United States's role as a host for next year's FIFA World Cup, convening a task force to help plan for the logistically complex event that will put a spotlight on transportation infrastructure and the visa system to allow visiting fans and players into the country. Trump's latest sports-related focus is on the Washington Commanders team name, an issue he has shared his opinion on dating back to 2013, when he scolded then-President Obama for weighing in on the controversial Redskins name. It is also in line with Trump's broader war against what he deems to be 'woke' or politically correct culture, something that has been a major focus of his first six months in office. Trump has in recent days demanded in comments to reporters and in posts on social media that the Commanders change their name back to the Redskins. If the team does not act — and ownership has repeatedly said the issue is settled — Trump has threatened to get in the way of a deal to build a new stadium in Washington. 'Times are different now than they were three or four years ago. We are a Country of passion and common sense,' Trump posted late Sunday on Truth Social. It's not clear what authority Trump might have to thwart the stadium deal. The stadium agreement still needs the approval of the D.C. Council, which is set to hold hearings on the issue next week. Bowser, the mayor of D.C., downplayed the suggestion that Trump's most recent fixation would ultimately derail a plan that has been bandied about for years. 'I've had the opportunity to speak on a couple of different occasions with the president about this site and about our team,' Bowser told ESPN. 'And I can say this without equivocation: He is a [quarterback] Jayden Daniels fan, and he said himself, and the presser we were at, that this is probably the best site of any site he's seen for a stadium. I have to think that that's what I've heard him say, and that's what we'll stick with.' Trump-DeSantis feud simmers Has the most bitter rivalry of the 2024 Republican presidential primary been put to rest? It depends on whom you ask. Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) traded barbs for much of 2023 and early 2024 after the governor launched his bid for the GOP nomination, a move Trump and his team saw as a slight. Trump spent months burying DeSantis with personal insults and accusing him of being ungrateful for the endorsement that helped him secure the gubernatorial nomination in Florida in 2018. DeSantis ignored the attacks for a time, but eventually he returned fire by arguing Trump had 'lost his fastball' and calling on him to debate. Adding fuel to the feud, DeSantis had cast out Susie Wiles, who was Trump's 2024 co-campaign manager and is now his chief of staff. The two men seem to have put their differences aside in recent months. Trump met with DeSantis during a trip to Florida to tout ' Alligator Alcatraz,' a facility that is housing migrants awaiting deportation. 'I think we get along great,' DeSantis told Fox News on Sunday. 'We're working very constructively. No state has done more to support their agenda on illegal immigration than we have.' Even Wiles has seemingly moved on from her animus toward Team DeSantis. 'He's a good governor, and whatever personal differences he had or whatever deficiencies he thought I had are long past my thinking about them,' Wiles told New York Post columnist Miranda Devine in a recent interview. But the goodwill does not extend throughout Trump World. Some who worked on Trump's 2024 bid have indicated they will neither forget nor forgive DeSantis for what they see as the grave offense of his presidential bid. Tony Fabrizio, who served as Trump's pollster in 2016 and 2024, responded harshly to a social media post suggesting DeSantis was positioning himself for another presidential run in 2028. 'Old Pudding Fingers @GovRonDeSantis better hope @ChrisLaCivita and I are both dead to have any minute chance in '28,' Fabrizio posted on the social platform X, invoking a rumor about DeSantis from 2023 eating pudding with his fingers.
Times
5 hours ago
- Business
- Times
Trump's links to Scotland — from golf courses to family history
The White House has confirmed that President Trump will visit Scotland this week. Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, said Trump will be in the country between July 25 and 29. The president will return to the UK in September for his second state visit. There had been speculation for months that the US president would visit the country this year to coincide with the opening of his new golf course in Aberdeenshire. Police Scotland confirmed earlier this month that preparations were under way for the trip. The president's exact schedule has yet to be made public but appearances at his golf courses — Turnberry in Ayrshire and Menie in Aberdeenshire, where he is opening his second course — are planned. A meeting with Sir Keir Starmer, the prime minister, is also pencilled in with Trump suggesting that will involve talks about refinements to the trade deal between the UK and US. John Swinney, the Scottish first minister, will also spend time with the president during the visit. Trump's last visit to Scotland was in 2023 and his presence has previously resulted in protests around the country. Police Scotland have requested support from other forces around the UK for his latest trip. The Trump International Golf Links on the Aberdeenshire coast was opened in 2012 after a long planning battle. Donald Trump had purchased the site in 2006 with ambitions for a luxury golf resort but faced local opposition to the development. • What Trump protesters are preparing for his 'welcome' to Scotland A second 18-hole course, named the MacLeod course after Trump's mother, is opening this summer. The grand opening is believed to tie in with the president's visit. Despite having received praise from professional golfers and industry publications for the quality of the set-up, the Aberdeenshire venture has yet to make a profit. In 2023, the most recent publicly available accounts, it made a loss of £1.4 million. In 2014, the Trump Organisation bought the five-star Turnberry hotel and the three adjacent links courses in Ayrshire in a deal valued at about £40 million. Turnberry's Ailsa course has hosted the Open four times — most recently in 2009 when Stewart Cink won after a play-off with Tom Watson. Watson won the tournament on the course in 1977, with Greg Norman triumphing in 1986 and Nick Price in 1994. • My day at Trump Turnberry, where Maga pilgrims pay £1,000 a round The R&A, the golfing body that organises the Open, has cited the logistical challenges of taking the championship back to Ayrshire with concerns about how transport infrastructure and local accommodation would cope with the numbers of spectators expected to attend. However, talks between R&A officials and Eric Trump, the president's son, who oversees the family's golf interests in the UK, took place earlier this year. Turnberry booked a £3.8 million profit in 2023 on revenue of more than £23 million. The organisation has also introduced green fees in excess of £1,000 at peak times for people not staying at the resort. Yes, Mary Anne MacLeod was brought up on the Hebridean island of Lewis. She was born in 1912 in the village of Tong, where her father Malcolm ran a post office and small shop. Mary left Scotland in 1930 at the age of 18 to look for work in New York. Six years later she married Frederick Trump, a son of German migrants who had become a successful property developer. The fourth of their five children is now the US president. Mary became a US citizen in 1942. She died in 2000 at the age of 88. Members of her extended family still live on Lewis. Trump is expected to open a memorial to his mother at the MacLeod course. The hotel at the Aberdeenshire resort — the Trump MacLeod House and Lodge Hotel — is named after her. Several leaders of America have their roots in Scotland while others claim Scots-Irish lineage. Among those with direct links are the fifth president, James Monroe, whose paternal great-great-grandfather left Scotland for the US in the 17th century. William McKinley, the 25th president, had great-grandparents with Perthshire connections, while Woodrow Wilson's maternal grandfather, the Rev Thomas Woodrow, was from Paisley and emigrated to the US in 1835. It emerged in 1984 that Ronald Reagan also had Scottish heritage. His great-great-grandparents, Claud Wilson and Peggy Downie, were married in Paisley in 1807. Reagan's great-grandfather, John Wilson, was born in Renfrewshire and was involved in the whisky trade. The Wilson family left Scotland for Illinois in 1832. The current US vice-president, JD Vance, has claimed to have Scots-Irish ancestry, but genealogy experts and DNA evidence appears to question this lineage.
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Trump's vein diagnosis gives rare glimpse into health issues
The White House's announcement that President Trump has a common chronic vein condition marked a rare glimpse into the health of the oldest person to be elected U.S. president, whose campaign and administration have long projected him as the picture of strength and vitality. Trump, 79, has chronic venous insufficiency, according to the White House physician. The condition occurs when a person's leg veins struggle to pump blood back to the heart, causing blood to pool. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt made the disclosure at the top of a routine press briefing late last week, after images had been circulating online of Trump with swollen legs at the FIFA Club World Cup and a bruised hand covered in makeup. 'I know that many in the media have been speculating about bruising on the president's hand and also swelling in the president's legs. So, in the effort of transparency, the president wanted me to share a note from his physician with all of you today,' Leavitt said, before outlining Trump's condition. She said the bruising on his hands is 'consistent with minor-soft tissue irritation from frequent handshaking and the use of aspirin, which is taken as part of a standard cardiovascular prevention regimen.' The White House later released a more detailed memo from the White House physician. Critics have accused Trump of trying to hide the true details of his health behind bluster, so the announcement of a specific diagnosis came with some surprise — and a certain amount of skepticism. Barbara Perry, a presidential historian and professor at the University of Virginia, called it 'a rather sudden turnaround from the Trump White House.' Perry commended the administration on its transparency but noted the public needs to believe what it's being told. 'Do we have complete information now? We don't know that. We only know what they have told us, and we have to presume that it is accurate,' Perry said. It's not unusual for an administration to be reticent about sharing a president's personal health information, and there's no legal requirement for an administration to be transparent about it. Perry noted there's a tension between what a president wants to disclose and what the American people have a vested interest in knowing. There's no incentive for anyone in the administration — let alone the White House physicians — to be truthful and transparent about the person who could fire them. Perry said she would put Trump toward the same end of the transparency spectrum as former President Biden, who dropped out of the race last summer after a debate performance where he appeared unfocused, confused and unable to respond to many of Trump's attacks. Biden's White House denied reports of any mental decline. But by the end of his term, the public had lost confidence in his ability to lead. Trump during the campaign often boasted of his physical health and stamina as he sought to draw a contrast with Biden. While in office, he has continued to accuse Biden and his aides of covering up the alleged mental decline, and Trump's GOP allies in Congress have launched an investigation into what those White House aides knew. Yet Trump has hardly been forthcoming himself. When he was infected with COVID-19 in fall 2020, the administration did not release many details about his condition or treatment. His physician Sean Conley repeatedly downplayed the seriousness of the illness. It wasn't until months later — after the publication of a book from former chief of staff Mark Meadows and investigation by The New York Times — that the public learned just how seriously ill the president was. The Times reported Trump's blood oxygen was so low before he was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center that officials believed he would need to be put on a ventilator. He recovered after being granted special access to an unapproved drug to fight the virus. Trump during the campaign pledged to release his medical records but then did not share even basic health data. Like much of Trump's medical history, the information that has been released has been largely hyperbolic. In 2015, Trump released a letter from his then-physician Harold Bornstein that said he would be the healthiest president in history. Two years later, Bornstein admitted Trump dictated the letter himself. During his first term in 2018, Trump's former White House doctor Ronny Jackson, now an ally in Congress, said the president had 'incredibly good genes' and joked that he might live to 200 years old if he had a healthier diet. Current White House physician Sean Barbabella wrote in a memo after Trump's annual physical in April that the president lives an active lifestyle that includes 'frequent victories in golf events.' Barbabella pronounced Trump 'fully fit' to execute the duties of the presidency. Trump will be 82 at the end of his term, which would make him the oldest person to hold the office, beating Biden's mark by just a few months. Even after he was grazed by a would-be assassin's bullet in July 2024, the Trump campaign provided very little information about his recovery or any lingering health effects. Jeffrey Kuhlman, who served as former President Obama's physician from 2009-13 and ran the White House Medical Unit for former President George W. Bush, said he thinks the current administration realized Trump's physical condition couldn't be hidden. 'It's at least a breath of fresh air' to see transparency about 'conditions the rest of us could see already,' Kuhlman said. 'Presidents don't like to talk about their health unless they are forced to. When you have bruises on your hands and swollen ankles … you don't get brownie points for this.' Kuhlman, who wrote a 2024 book about his experiences as a White House doctor, said he was heartened to see a memo from Trump's White House physician that was 'competent and factual.' 'I'm not sure it's a turning point in transparency, but it is promising to at least see a doctor write something factual, and have a competent workup,' Kuhlman said. 'This is the first [memo] that's been written by a doctor instead of by Trump himself.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
