Latest news with #Obama
North Wales Chronicle
2 hours ago
- Politics
- North Wales Chronicle
Hegseth: US will stand by Indo-Pacific allies against ‘imminent' China threat
He said Washington will bolster its defences overseas to counter what the Pentagon sees as rapidly developing threats by Beijing, particularly in its aggressive stance towards Taiwan. China has conducted numerous exercises to test what a blockade would look like of the self-governing island, which Beijing claims as its own and the US has pledged to defend. China's army 'is rehearsing for the real deal', Mr Hegseth said in a keynote speech at a security conference in Singapore. 'We are not going to sugarcoat it — the threat China poses is real. And it could be imminent.' China has a stated goal of having its military have the capability to take Taiwan by force if necessary by 2027, a deadline that is seen by experts as more of an aspirational goal than a hard war deadline. But China also has built sophisticated man-made islands in the South China Sea to support new military outposts and developed highly advanced hypersonic and space capabilities, which are driving the US to create its own space-based Golden Dome missile defences. Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue, a global security conference hosted by the International Institute for Security Studies, Mr Hegseth said China is no longer just building up its military forces to take Taiwan, it's 'actively training for it, every day'. Mr Hegseth also called out China for its ambitions in Latin America, particularly its efforts to increase its influence over the Panama Canal. He urged countries in the region to increase defence spending to levels similar to the 5% of their gross domestic product European nations are now pressed to contribute. 'We must all do our part,' Mr Hegseth said. He also repeated a pledge made by previous administrations to bolster US military capabilities in the Indo-Pacific to provide a more robust deterrent. While both the Obama and Biden administrations had also committed to pivoting to the Pacific and established new military agreements throughout the region, a full shift has never been realised. Instead, US military resources from the Indo-Pacific have been regularly pulled to support military needs in the Middle East and Europe, especially since the wars in Ukraine and Gaza. In the first few months of president Donald Trump's second term, that has also been the case. In the last few months the Trump administration has taken a Patriot missile defence battalion out of the Indo-Pacific in order to send it to the Middle East, a massive logistical operation that required more than 73 military cargo aircraft flights, and sent Coast Guard ships back to the US to help defend the US-Mexico border. Mr Hegseth was asked why the US pulled those resources if the Indo-Pacific is the priority theatre for the US. He did not directly answer but said the shift of resources was necessary to defend against Houthi missile attacks launched from Yemen, and to bolster protections against illegal immigration into the US. At the same time, he stressed the need for American allies and partners to step up their own defence spending and preparations, saying the US was not interested in going it alone. 'Ultimately a strong, resolute and capable network of allies and partners is our key strategic advantage,' he said. 'China envies what we have together, and it sees what we can collectively bring to bear on defence, but it's up to all of us to ensure that we live up to that potential by investing.' The Indo-Pacific nations caught in between have tried to balance relations with both the US and China over the years. Beijing is the primary trading partner for many, but is also feared as a regional bully, in part due to its increasingly aggressive claims on natural resources such as critical fisheries. Mr Hegseth cautioned that playing both sides, seeking US military support and Chinese economic support, carries risk. 'Economic dependence on China only deepens their malign influence and complicates our defense decision space during times of tension,' Mr Hegseth said. China usually sends its own defence minister to this conference, but Dong Jun did not attend this year in a snub to the US and the erratic tariff war Mr Trump has ignited with Beijing, something the US delegation said it intended to capitalise on. 'We are here this morning. And somebody else isn't,' Mr Hegseth said. Mr Hegseth was asked by a member of the Chinese delegation, made up of lower level officers from the National Defence University, how committed it would be to regional alliances. In some, China has a more dominant influence. Mr Hegseth said the US would be open to engaging with any countries willing to work with it. 'We are not going to look only inside the confines of how previous administrations looked at this region,' he said. 'We're opening our arms to countries across the spectrum — traditional allies, non-traditional allies.' Mr Hegseth said committing US support for Indo-Pacific nations would not require local governments to align with the West on cultural or climate issues. It is not clear if the US can or wants to supplant China as the region's primary economic driver. But Mr Hegseth's push follows Mr Trump's visit to the Middle East, which resulted in billions of dollars in new defence agreements.
Belfast Telegraph
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Belfast Telegraph
Hegseth: US will stand by Indo-Pacific allies against ‘imminent' China threat
He said Washington will bolster its defences overseas to counter what the Pentagon sees as rapidly developing threats by Beijing, particularly in its aggressive stance towards Taiwan. China has conducted numerous exercises to test what a blockade would look like of the self-governing island, which Beijing claims as its own and the US has pledged to defend. China's army 'is rehearsing for the real deal', Mr Hegseth said in a keynote speech at a security conference in Singapore. 'We are not going to sugarcoat it — the threat China poses is real. And it could be imminent.' China has a stated goal of having its military have the capability to take Taiwan by force if necessary by 2027, a deadline that is seen by experts as more of an aspirational goal than a hard war deadline. But China also has built sophisticated man-made islands in the South China Sea to support new military outposts and developed highly advanced hypersonic and space capabilities, which are driving the US to create its own space-based Golden Dome missile defences. Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue, a global security conference hosted by the International Institute for Security Studies, Mr Hegseth said China is no longer just building up its military forces to take Taiwan, it's 'actively training for it, every day'. Mr Hegseth also called out China for its ambitions in Latin America, particularly its efforts to increase its influence over the Panama Canal. He urged countries in the region to increase defence spending to levels similar to the 5% of their gross domestic product European nations are now pressed to contribute. 'We must all do our part,' Mr Hegseth said. He also repeated a pledge made by previous administrations to bolster US military capabilities in the Indo-Pacific to provide a more robust deterrent. While both the Obama and Biden administrations had also committed to pivoting to the Pacific and established new military agreements throughout the region, a full shift has never been realised. Instead, US military resources from the Indo-Pacific have been regularly pulled to support military needs in the Middle East and Europe, especially since the wars in Ukraine and Gaza. In the first few months of president Donald Trump's second term, that has also been the case. In the last few months the Trump administration has taken a Patriot missile defence battalion out of the Indo-Pacific in order to send it to the Middle East, a massive logistical operation that required more than 73 military cargo aircraft flights, and sent Coast Guard ships back to the US to help defend the US-Mexico border. Mr Hegseth was asked why the US pulled those resources if the Indo-Pacific is the priority theatre for the US. He did not directly answer but said the shift of resources was necessary to defend against Houthi missile attacks launched from Yemen, and to bolster protections against illegal immigration into the US. At the same time, he stressed the need for American allies and partners to step up their own defence spending and preparations, saying the US was not interested in going it alone. 'Ultimately a strong, resolute and capable network of allies and partners is our key strategic advantage,' he said. 'China envies what we have together, and it sees what we can collectively bring to bear on defence, but it's up to all of us to ensure that we live up to that potential by investing.' The Indo-Pacific nations caught in between have tried to balance relations with both the US and China over the years. Beijing is the primary trading partner for many, but is also feared as a regional bully, in part due to its increasingly aggressive claims on natural resources such as critical fisheries. Mr Hegseth cautioned that playing both sides, seeking US military support and Chinese economic support, carries risk. 'Economic dependence on China only deepens their malign influence and complicates our defense decision space during times of tension,' Mr Hegseth said. China usually sends its own defence minister to this conference, but Dong Jun did not attend this year in a snub to the US and the erratic tariff war Mr Trump has ignited with Beijing, something the US delegation said it intended to capitalise on. 'We are here this morning. And somebody else isn't,' Mr Hegseth said. Mr Hegseth was asked by a member of the Chinese delegation, made up of lower level officers from the National Defence University, how committed it would be to regional alliances. In some, China has a more dominant influence. Mr Hegseth said the US would be open to engaging with any countries willing to work with it. 'We are not going to look only inside the confines of how previous administrations looked at this region,' he said. 'We're opening our arms to countries across the spectrum — traditional allies, non-traditional allies.' Mr Hegseth said committing US support for Indo-Pacific nations would not require local governments to align with the West on cultural or climate issues. It is not clear if the US can or wants to supplant China as the region's primary economic driver. But Mr Hegseth's push follows Mr Trump's visit to the Middle East, which resulted in billions of dollars in new defence agreements.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump tariff plan faces uncertain future as court battles intensify
A federal appeals court paused a lower ruling blocking President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs, siding with the administration Thursday in a legal fight over the White House's use of an emergency law to enact punishing import taxes. The back-and-forth injected more volatility into markets this week after several weeks of relative calm, and court observers and economists told Fox News Digital they do not expect the dust to settle any time soon. Here's what to know as this litigation continues to play out. Trump Denounces Court's 'Political' Tariff Decision, Calls On Supreme Court To Act Quickly The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit temporarily stayed a lower court ruling Thursday that blocked two of Trump's sweeping tariffs from taking force. The ruling paused a decision by the U.S. Court of International Trade (CIT) allowing Trump to continue to enact the 10% baseline tariff and the so-called "reciprocal tariffs" that he announced April 2 under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, or IEEPA. Read On The Fox News App It came one day after the U.S. Court of International Trade ruled unanimously to block the tariffs. Members of the three-judge panel who were appointed by Trump, former President Barack Obama and former President Ronald Reagan, ruled unanimously that Trump had overstepped his authority under IEEPA. They noted that, as commander in chief, Trump does not have "unbounded authority" to impose tariffs under the emergency law. Now, lawyers for the Trump administration and the plaintiffs are tasked with complying with a fast schedule with deadlines in both courts. Plaintiffs have until 5 p.m. Monday to file their response to the Court of International Trade, according to Jeffrey Schwab, senior counsel and director of litigation of the Liberty Justice Center, which represents five small businesses that sued the administration. The Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit gave plaintiffs until Thursday to file a response to the stay and the Trump administration until June 9 to file a reply, Schwab told Fox News Digital in an interview. The goal is to move expeditiously, and lawyers for the plaintiffs told Fox News they plan to file briefs to both courts before the deadlines to mitigate harm to their clients. "Hopefully," Schwab said, the quick action will allow the courts to issue rulings "more quickly than they otherwise would." The Trump administration praised the stay as a victory. The appellate court stay on the CIT ruling "is a positive development for America's industries and workers," White House spokesman Kush Desai said in a statement. "The Trump administration remains committed to addressing our country's national emergencies of drug trafficking and historic trade deficits with every legal authority conferred to the president in the Constitution and by Congress." But some economists warned that continuing to pursue the steep tariffs could backfire. Federal Judge Blocks 5 Trump Tariff Executive Orders The bottom line for the Trump administration "is that they need to get back to a place [where] they are using these huge reciprocal tariffs and all of that as a negotiating tactic," William Cline, an economist and senior fellow emeritus at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, said in an interview. Cline noted that this had been the framework laid out earlier by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who had embraced the tariffs as more of an opening salvo for future trade talks, including between the U.S. and China. "I think the thing to keep in mind there is that Trump and Vance have this view that tariffs are beautiful because they will restore America's Rust Belt jobs and that they'll collect money while they're doing it, which will contribute to fiscal growth," said Cline, the former deputy managing director and chief economist of the Institute of International Finance. "Those are both fantasies." 'American Hero' Or 'Failure': Elon Musk's Doge Departure Divides Capitol Hill Plaintiffs and the Trump administration wait. But whether that wait is a good or bad thing depends on who is asked. Economists noted that the longer the court process takes, the more uncertainty is injected into markets. This could slow economic growth and hurt consumers. For the U.S. small business owners that have sued Trump over the tariffs, it could risk potentially irreparable harm. "Some of the harm has already taken place. And the longer it goes on, the worse it is," said Schwab. The White House said it will take its tariff fight to the Supreme Court if necessary. But it's unclear if the high court would choose to take up the case. The challenge comes at a time when Trump's relationship with the judiciary has come under increasing strain, which could make the high court wary to take on such a politically charged case. Lawyers for the plaintiffs described the case as "very likely" to be appealed to the Supreme Court, but it's unclear whether it will move to review it. "It's possible that because the case is before the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals, which essentially applies to the country, unlike specific appellate courts, which have certain districts, that the Supreme Court might be OK with whatever the Federal Circuit decides and then not take the case," Schwab said. For now, the burden of proof shifts to the government, which must convince the court it will suffer "irreparable harm" if the injunction remains in place, a high legal standard the Trump administration must meet. Beyond that, Schwab said, the court will weigh a balancing test. If both sides claim irreparable harm, the justices will ask, "Who is irreparably harmed more? "And I think it's fair to say that our clients are going to be more irreparably harmed than the United States federal government. Because our clients might not exist, and the United States federal government is certainly going to exist."Original article source: Trump tariff plan faces uncertain future as court battles intensify
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Bob Menendez lashes out at Obama over Iran deal, ‘weaponization' of DOJ
Former Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) lashed out Friday at former President Obama, adding on to his past claims of 'weaponization' at the Justice Department (DOJ) politically targeting him. Menendez alleged in a post on the social platform X that Democrats started the weaponization of the DOJ against him in 2015 when he was indicted in his first corruption trial, which ultimately ended in a hung jury, as he opposed Obama's Iran nuclear deal. He was subsequently charged and convicted in a separate bribery case last year based on different allegations against him, leading to his 11-year prison sentence earlier this year that he is set to begin next month. 'People talk about the Trump DOJ, but it was the Democrats who started weaponizing the Justice Dept,' Menendez alleged. 'When, as the Chairman of the [Senate Foreign Relations Committee], I didn't go along with Obama's Iran deal, I was indicted, and the next day after being stripped of my position, Obama announced the Iran deal.' 'Obama told me that he could not have the Democratic Chairman of the SFRC be against him. By having me removed as the Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Obama removed my major opposition to his Iran deal,' he continued. But Menendez's claims have a few factual issues. Menendez was serving as the ranking member, not the chair, of the committee when he was indicted in April 2015. He had been serving as the chair until Democrats lost their majority in the Senate following the 2014 midterms. He also voluntarily stepped down from that position following his indictment, saying that stepping aside is 'in the best interests of the Committee, my colleagues, and the Senate' despite no rule requiring him to do so. While Menendez is correct that he was indicted the day before a framework agreement was made on what eventually became the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, he had been under investigation for a couple of years before that. After he stepped down, Menendez's successor as ranking member of the committee was then-Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), who also opposed the deal. Menendez previously made claims arguing he was politically prosecuted, saying after his sentencing that President Trump 'was right' about the weaponization of the DOJ. Trump regularly derided the DOJ over the multiple indictments issued against him as politically motivated during the 2024 election. But the Trump administration has also come under criticism over allegations that it is pursuing political prosecutions against political opponents, like former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) and New Jersey Rep. LaMonica McIver (D). Menendez was found guilty on all charges he faced, based on allegations that he accepted bribes in exchange for favors from wealthy businessmen and served as an agent for Egypt. He resigned from the Senate shortly after. Some observers have speculated whether Trump may weigh in to grant Menendez a pardon as he has granted for others who have alleged politically motivated prosecutions, but Trump hasn't commented on the case and Menendez hasn't publicly asked him for one. Trump said at a press conference at the White House on Friday in response to a question about pardoning Sean Combs that he would consider pardons based on if someone was 'mistreated' and not 'whether they like me or don't like me.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Fox News
7 hours ago
- Business
- Fox News
Fox News Politics Newsletter: Trump Notches Supreme Win on Deportations
Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content. Here's what's happening… The Supreme Court on Friday stayed a lower court order that blocked the Trump administration from deporting roughly 500,000 migrants from Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. The decision is a near-term victory for President Donald Trump as he moves to crack down on border security and immigration priorities in his second term. The order stays, for now, a lower court ruling that halted Trump's plans to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) protections for some migrants living in the U.S., which allows individuals to live and work in the U.S. legally if they cannot work safely in their home country due to a disaster, armed conflict or other "extraordinary and temporary conditions." The stay, like many emergency orders handed down by the high court, was unsigned, and did not provide an explanation for the justices' thinking…READ MORE OUT AND ABOUT: Obamas seen together for first time in six months as analyst sees 'no love lost' amid divorce murmurs IMPOSTER AT LARGE: Alleged attempt to impersonate White House chief of staff under federal investigation 'SCRIPTED' PRESIDENT: New book exposes Biden's 'scripted' Cabinet meetings amid alleged cognitive decline cover-up CAMPUS SPIES: Spy surge sparks Trump visa crackdown on Chinese students FULL 'MAGA' AHEAD: All aboard the WMAGA? Florida congressman wants to rename DC transit for Trump MISSION OVER: Elon Musk's official role at Trump's DOGE ends, but his political impact lingers ahead of midterms DOGE'S BARK AND BITE: The budget cuts Musk couldn't complete and what's next for DOGE ELON EXODUS: Elon Musk's DOGE departure divides Capitol Hill OLD GUARD CHALLENGED: Two longtime House Democrats face primary challenges from younger opponents MIDNIGHT MANEUVERS: Inside the late-night drama that led to Trump's tax bill passing by one vote SANCTUARY SHOWDOWN: Top congressional committees launch probe into Nashville mayor accused of blocking ICE AFTER THE FALL: Since Floyd riots culled monuments 5 years ago, leaders in ex-Confederate capital lament 's—t didn't change' FEWER, FASTER, GONE: CBP ends use of temporary migrant processing sites as apprehensions plummet 'UGLY' INDICTMENT: Wisconsin judge claims 'absolute immunity,' calls DOJ indictment an 'ugly innovation' 'PARTY LEFT ME': Kentucky Senate Democrat switches to GOP in major blow to Dem gov Andy Beshear CAMPUS CLASH: Harvard DHS lawsuit revives Supreme Court conflict of interest questions OFF THE STREETS: ICE agents in Boston arrest migrant murderer, child rapists as Fox News rides along SANCTUARY SHOWDOWN: Dem county executive dings Trump admin over sanctuary jurisdiction designation Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on
