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Sydney Morning Herald
24 minutes ago
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘Noticeably fickle': Trump's new submarine chief a critic of Australia
Washington: The man leading Donald Trump's push to build more ships and submarines is a critic of Australia who has questioned whether Canberra can be trusted to stick with the AUKUS agreement, and whether it is ready to help the United States take on China. Jerry Hendrix, a retired navy captain who holds a senior role in the president's Office of Management and Budget, said last year that 'the Australians have been noticeably fickle' about AUKUS and queried if the deal had true bipartisan support. Meanwhile, with AUKUS under review by the Pentagon, the heads of a US congressional committee on China have written to the Trump administration to defend the agreement, arguing it would 'dramatically enhance' collective efforts to defend against Beijing's aggression. The letter to Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth is the second time in as many months that members of the US Congress from both sides of politics have written to the former Fox News host to defend AUKUS, underlining fears a US review of the pact will recommend major changes. This masthead has reported the review is focusing on four main concerns, one of which is the capacity of the American shipbuilding industry to build enough nuclear-powered submarines to meet US demands and fulfil AUKUS obligations – a long-standing concern. In April, Trump signed an executive order to 'restore America's maritime dominance', which established a shipbuilding unit on the National Security Council under Ian Bennitt. But the NSC has been downsized and Bennitt has left for the private sector, with the shipbuilding program moved to the Office of Management and Budget. Hendrix, whose title at the office is deputy to the associate director (defence), has been critical of Australia. In May 2024, he told US conservative commentator Hugh Hewitt that he was not convinced there was lasting bipartisan support for the AUKUS agreement in Canberra. 'I am not sure, given the political parties in Australia, whether the next administration that comes in, the next prime minister, will provide similar support to AUKUS as the present government does,' he said.
The Age
24 minutes ago
- Business
- The Age
‘Noticeably fickle': Trump's new submarine chief a critic of Australia
Washington: The man leading Donald Trump's push to build more ships and submarines is a critic of Australia who has questioned whether Canberra can be trusted to stick with the AUKUS agreement, and whether it is ready to help the United States take on China. Jerry Hendrix, a retired navy captain who holds a senior role in the president's Office of Management and Budget, said last year that 'the Australians have been noticeably fickle' about AUKUS and queried if the deal had true bipartisan support. Meanwhile, with AUKUS under review by the Pentagon, the heads of a US congressional committee on China have written to the Trump administration to defend the agreement, arguing it would 'dramatically enhance' collective efforts to defend against Beijing's aggression. The letter to Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth is the second time in as many months that members of the US Congress from both sides of politics have written to the former Fox News host to defend AUKUS, underlining fears a US review of the pact will recommend major changes. This masthead has reported the review is focusing on four main concerns, one of which is the capacity of the American shipbuilding industry to build enough nuclear-powered submarines to meet US demands and fulfil AUKUS obligations – a long-standing concern. In April, Trump signed an executive order to 'restore America's maritime dominance', which established a shipbuilding unit on the National Security Council under Ian Bennitt. But the NSC has been downsized and Bennitt has left for the private sector, with the shipbuilding program moved to the Office of Management and Budget. Hendrix, whose title at the office is deputy to the associate director (defence), has been critical of Australia. In May 2024, he told US conservative commentator Hugh Hewitt that he was not convinced there was lasting bipartisan support for the AUKUS agreement in Canberra. 'I am not sure, given the political parties in Australia, whether the next administration that comes in, the next prime minister, will provide similar support to AUKUS as the present government does,' he said.
Newsweek
4 hours ago
- Business
- Newsweek
Trump Wants $1 Billion for Taiwan Amid China Military Tensions
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. President Donald Trump's administration is pushing for more U.S. help for Taiwan to bolster its defenses and "strongly urged" Congress to increase an appropriation to $1 billion, Taiwan news portals have reported. The call from the U.S. administration should help reassure the self-ruled island of unwavering U.S. support in the face of growing concerns that China might be planning to invade. Newsweek has reached out to the Chinese foreign ministry for comment. A Patriot air defense system is deployed at a park during the Han Kuang Exercise on July 14, 2025, in Taipei, Taiwan. A Patriot air defense system is deployed at a park during the Han Kuang Exercise on July 14, 2025, in Taipei, It Matters China claims Taiwan as its own and has never ruled out the use of force to take control of the democratic island. Taipei rejects China's claim of sovereignty and says Taiwan's people should decide their own future. The U.S. is the island's most important ally despite the absence of formal diplomatic relations but there have been some questions about Washington's commitment to support Taiwan during Trump's second term. Trump, pressed in February on whether he would defend Taiwan, declined to comment on the matter to Reuters, saying: "I don't want to ever put myself in that position." But the president had raised doubts in Taiwan after accusing the island of "stealing" America's chip industry and suggesting it should pay the U.S. for its support in terms of defense. China is invariably angered by any outside support for the island which it condemns as interference in its internal affairs. What To Know The U.S. House of Representatives on Friday passed the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for fiscal 2026, which included $500 million for Taiwan. The bill is not final and must pass the U.S. Senate before it can be sent to the president for signing. The Office of Management and Budget under the Executive Office of the President said the Trump administration appreciated the $500 million allocated by the House of Representatives, calling it "critical to enabling the Department of Defense's efforts to strengthen Taiwan's self-defense capabilities," the Focus Taiwan news portal reported. However, it added that a $1 billion budget would enhance "Taiwan's ability to credibly defend itself." This would be "vital for deterrence in the Indo-Pacific and important for safeguarding [U.S.] personnel in the event of a contingency," Focus Taiwan reported. What People Are Saying The White House Office of Management and Budget, as cited by Focus Taiwan, said: "The Administration strongly urges full consideration of the fiscal 2026 budget request of US$1 billion for TSCI, as Taiwan's ability to credibly defend itself is vital for deterrence in the Indo-Pacific and important for safeguarding United States personnel in the event of a contingency." The Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative, or TSCI, is a provision aimed at facilitating U.S. defense support for the island. What Happens Next The U.S. Senate has yet to pass the proposed appropriations, while Beijing can be expected to make its opposition to the support clear at a time that Trump's tariff policy is putting an additional strain on difficult relations.
Chicago Tribune
a day ago
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Gov. JB Pritzker joins letter demanding release of federal education funding, with billions still in limbo
Gov. JB Pritzker signed a letter with 17 other Democratic governors Thursday, calling on the Trump administration to release nearly $7 billion in withheld federal education grants. The grants, already appropriated by Congress, were abruptly frozen the day before they were set to be disbursed July 1. The paused funding included $241.8 million for Illinois schools and community colleges, supporting a wide range of programs including English-language instruction and migrant education. The White House initially said the funds were under review because they were being used to advance 'a radical left-wing agenda.' 'The U.S. Department of Education's failure to distribute these funds is unacceptable,' the letter said. 'It disrupts school operations, undermines student services, and violates the Department's obligation to administer funding in a timely and responsible manner.' On Friday, the White House's Office of Management and Budget said it had completed its review of one of the grants, releasing $1.3 billion for after-school programs. That still leaves billions of funding in limbo as schools scramble to set their budgets for the upcoming school year. A coalition of 24 states including Illinois and the District of Columbia had sued the Trump administration July 14, accusing officials of illegally withholding the already-approved funds. 'The Trump administration is not only openly flouting the law, they are abandoning their responsibility to our students,' Pritzker said in a statement Thursday. 'This unprecedented and irresponsible withholding of lawful, bipartisan funding will force cuts to critical programs and hold back the next generation from reaching their full potential.' In Illinois, the impacted grants include $75.6 million for teacher training and professional development, $30.4 million for English learners, $56.6 million for student support and school upgrades, $1.9 million for migrant education, $20 million for adult education and $3 million for adult English learners and civics education. The absence of funding has 'caused unnecessary chaos for schools,' who rely on the allocations to support students and low-income families, according to the letter. 'This delay is arbitrary, unprecedented, and indefensible,' the letter said. The letter was addressed to Secretary of Education Linda McMahon and Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought. Along with Pritzker, it was signed by the governors from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Maine, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington and Wisconsin.
USA Today
3 days ago
- Politics
- USA Today
Of course Trump lied about Project 2025. Now he's enacting it.
The similarities between what Project 2025 proposed and what Trump's second administration has unleashed on Americans is striking, but now is not the time to be complacent and simply hope for change. A year ago, as delegates to the Republican National Convention gathered in Milwaukee to nominate Donald Trump for president, I sent an urgent warning to voters about an innocent enough sounding proposal – "Project 2025" –punctuated by this admission: "Honestly, it scares me." The 922-page report from a conservative think tank outlined the first 180 days of a second Trump presidency. At the time, then GOP-nominee Trump claimed to know nothing about it, despite his name being mentioned 312 times in the document. While Trump tried to distance himself from its politically unpopular ideas, I recognized that if he won, Trump would support many of its radical plans that could disrupt nearly every aspect of our lives, including healthcare, education, taxes and civil rights. The question looms: Was I right? I was right, and it's so much worse than I thought The short answer is yes, and in ways even more frightening than I first feared, but you don't need to take my word for it. Just ask Maurice Cunningham, a retired professor of political science at the University of Massachusetts Boston, who studied politics for decades and is well-versed in Project 2025. When I asked Cunningham if the policies outlined in the document implemented by Trump are hurting the average American as much as I suspected, he responded: "It's not just bad; it's possibly worse than you could have imagined.' Although the situation may seem dire, Cunningham warned that now is not the time to be complacent and simply hope for change. Instead, it is crucial for people to organize, protest and hold their elected officials accountable. Opinion: I'm exhausted by attempts to pretend discrimination doesn't exist in America Trump appointed Project 2025 authors to administration posts The similarities between what Project 2025 proposed and what Trump's second administration has unleashed on Americans is striking, and it would be unwise to dismiss them as mere coincidence. And keep in mind, we still have another 3.5 years to go. In the first 100 days since he took office alone, nearly 45% of his executive orders closely resemble the policy recommendations advocated by Project 2025, according to an analysis conducted by the Hearst Television Data Team. And that was just the beginning. A number of Trump administration appointees were contributors to the project, including Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought, Senior Counselor for Trade and Manufacturing Peter Navarro, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr and border czar Tom Homan. Cunningham said Trump's policies, put into place by the people behind Project 2025, are beginning to take a toll on the most vulnerable sectors of society. This alignment appears to be a key component of his overall strategy. We saw this at work with the passage of Trump's "big beautiful" budget bill where cuts to Medicaid alone could cause as many as 20 million people to lose their health coverage over the next decade. This will happen despite Trump's repeated promises not to cut Medicaid benefits as recently as March. That fits a familiar pattern. Lie. Deny. Enact. Repeat. Opinion: How much of Project 2025 has been implemented? Enough to break us beyond repair. It's worth noting that Project 2025 proposed significant changes to Medicaid, including work requirements, limiting eligibility and possibly imposing lifetime caps or time limits on coverage, while also weakening reforms from the Affordable Care Act. As we look back on the past five months under the Trump administration, the key question is whether we're better off now or if we've fallen further into hardship. "I think that's easy to answer and it will only get worse,' Cunningham said. This will be a slow burn. Tax cuts under the bill happen immediately while Medicaid changes are phased in. In other places, the pain is already being felt from mass layoffs of federal employees and DOGE budget cuts. Education and social safety net endure DOGE chainsaw Education is place where changes outlined in Project 2025 will begin making a major impact this fall. It called for allowing discrimination against LGBTQ+ students, redirecting taxpayer money to private schools, eliminating Title 1 funding and making cuts to Head Start, which would affect 800,000 preschoolers. U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon has promised to dismantle the department and has pushed to cut the Education Department's budget by $12 billion. This reduction would seriously impact minority and low-income children and their families in public schools and rural communities. The administration already cut and delayed funding for Head Start programs for preschoolers from low income families, which assists 16,000 children in Wisconsin alone. Project 2025 proposed to make it even more difficult for low-income individuals to afford food. The proposal aims to reverse the Biden administration's initiative to increase SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits over the next decade, a measure designed to keep pace with rising food costs. Under Trump's budget bill, SNAP will face its largest cut in history, resulting in an estimated 3.2 million adults losing food benefits each month, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Opinion: Senate just passed Trump's Big Beautiful Bill – and made it even uglier Picture this: young students stepping into their classrooms, their bellies empty and growling, struggling to concentrate and absorb knowledge as the shadow of budget cuts hovers ominously over their futures. And it doesn't stop there. Then came Alligator Alcatraz Trump's mass deportations align directly with Project 2025's plan to increase executive power and undermine the U.S. immigration system. It proposed implementing asylum procedures at the border, reducing access to legal immigration options, utilizing local resources for mass deportations and detention, and separating immigrant children from their families. Trump's budget bill allocates $170 billion to deport 1 million people each year. ICE officials have gotten more aggressive, arresting undocumented immigrants at their homes, workplaces, protests, churches, near schools, and even at the Milwaukee courthouse. On April 18, Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan was taken into custody by FBI officials after she allegedly assisted Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, an undocumented Mexican immigrant, in escaping federal agents following his appearance in her courtroom. Flores-Ruiz, 31, was arrested after a brief foot chase outside the courthouse. A week later, Dugan, 65, was also arrested at the courthouse. She was charged on April 25 with two federal counts: obstructing a U.S. agency and concealing an individual to prevent an arrest. University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee political science professor Kathleen Dolan called the arrest of Dugan an 'intimidation tactic.' 'If a judge can be handcuffed on their job, what do you think will happen to you?' she said. The ongoing mass deportations continue to rip families apart, leaving a trail of profound emotional devastation in their wake. It's disheartening to witness the stark absence of compassion among Republicans regarding this crisis. Just this month, a migrant detention facility opened in the Florida Everglades. Some Republicans have dubbed the facility 'Alligator Alcatraz,' due to its isolated location and the fact that it's surrounded by lurking alligators and slithering pythons. The term "Alligator Alcatraz" not only evokes a sense of danger but also highlights the callousness that the Trump administration is willing to exhibit to drive home its message. Disturbingly, they are even merchandising T-shirts that mock what I would call a modern-day concentration camp. This tumultuous situation sends shockwaves through immigrant communities, escalating fear and uncertainty at every turn. But when you have a president who has continuously labeled immigrants as sex offenders, murderers, and gang members or suggested that many came to America from insane asylums, one can only imagine the atmosphere of dread that permeates these communities. This is not the time to become complacent or tune out news While Trump may seem to have the upper hand, it doesn't mean that everything is bleak. Both Cunningham and Dolan emphasized that now is not the time for people to become complacent. Dolan urged individuals to stay engaged in politics, even when it feels confusing and tedious. Cunningham stressed the importance of making one's voice heard through protests and by challenging both Republican and Democratic leaders to address the public's needs. Opinion: White House wants us to see Trump as Superman. We all know he's the villain. These are remarkable times with head spinning twists. One time ally and now enemy of Trump, Elon Musk, poised the idea of an third political party on Tuesday. Musk said the "America Party," would be the place for those not happy with the Republican or Democratic parties. While I agree something needs to change, Musk, who was Trump's largest donor for his campaign is not the right person to lead such a party, especially given Musk's brutal and haphazard spending cuts in his time at the poorly named Department of Government Efficiency and considering Trump said he would look at having Musk deported to his native South Africa. Besides, Americans don't have time for a new political party. I think a better idea would be for people to unite for a new nationwide "Poor People's Campaign," similar to the one led by the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 1968. This campaign would tackle issues like wealth inequality, poverty and racism, which continue to divide our society. A group in North Carolina has taken up this mantle. It's astonishing that issues from 57 years ago persist today, including the lack of access to health care and education, as well as inadequate wages. I know there are people who don't believe that marching has an impact, but when you consider that Project 2025 was designed for a specific type of individual – one who doesn't look like me – and that Trump aligns with that inherently racist, sexist and classist document, it is clear that something drastic needs to change. This moment presents an opportunity to unite everyone – from diverse backgrounds, races, religions and socioeconomic statuses – around a shared mission. Too many people are still on the sidelines, watching as individuals are deported, others lose their healthcare and civil rights continue to be eroded. We can either sit back and hope we aren't the next ones affected by the issues on Trump's long list, or we can fight to not only protect what we have but also to help those who have already lost so much. James E. Causey is an Ideas Lab reporter at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, where this column originally appeared. Reach him at jcausey@ follow him on X @jecausey.
