Latest news with #SenateForeignRelationsCommittee
India Today
3 hours ago
- Politics
- India Today
Venezuela releases 10 Americans in migrant swap deal with El Salvador
Venezuela has released 10 Americans who had been jailed in the country in exchange for the return of more than 250 Venezuelan migrants deported months ago to El Salvador under the Trump administration's immigration crackdown.\The agreement marks a rare moment of cooperation between adversarial nations. It delivers a political win for all three presidents involved — Venezuela's Nicols Maduro, El Salvador's Nayib Bukele, and US President Donald Trump, who has made bringing home detained Americans a key foreign policy wrongfully detained American in Venezuela is now free and back in our homeland,' said Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a statement. He credited Salvadoran President Bukele for playing a pivotal role in the hostages have been released from Venezuela and are finally coming home. Thank you @POTUS and @SecRubio for your unwavering commitment to reuniting these families. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman (@SenateForeign) July 18, 2025 'I want to thank my team at the @StateDep & especially President @nayibbukele for helping secure an agreement for the release of all of our American detainees, plus the release of Venezuelan political prisoners,' Rubio added in a post on to @POTUS's leadership, ten Americans who were detained in Venezuela are on their way to freedom.I want to thank my team at the @StateDept & especially President @nayibbukele for helping secure an agreement for the release of all of our American detainees, plus the— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) July 18, 2025The deal centers on more than 250 Venezuelan nationals who had been sent to El Salvador under a controversial arrangement signed in March. At the time, the Trump administration paid $6 million to house the migrants — many accused without evidence of gang affiliations — in the country's notorious Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT), a maximum-security prison known for harsh prison, emblematic of Bukele's war on gangs, has faced international condemnation for reports of torture and hundreds of deaths. Human rights groups had raised alarms over the detention of the Venezuelans, most of whom had no clear ties to criminal we have handed over all the Venezuelan nationals detained in our country, accused of being part of the criminal organization Tren de Aragua (TDA). Many of them face multiple charges of murder, robbery, rape, and other serious was offered to the Venezuelan Nayib Bukele (@nayibbukele) July 18, 2025For Caracas, the agreement is being framed as both a concession and a Venezuelan government acknowledged it had paid a 'steep price' by releasing the US nationals, but expressed satisfaction at the return of its citizens. It's unclear how the detainees had been treated or charged in Venezuela, though the US has long maintained they were wrongfully confirmed that his government had returned all Venezuelan nationals in custody. The Salvadoran leader had previously floated the idea of a migrant-for-prisoner swap as a pragmatic solution to regional tensions over immigration and incarceration.- EndsInputs from Associated PressTrending Reel
New York Post
10 hours ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Third Biden aide pleads the Fifth rather than answer questions about prez's cognitive decline
WASHINGTON — Former President Joe Biden's deputy chief of staff Annie Tomasini became the third ex-White House aide to plead the Fifth Amendment in a deposition on Capitol Hill Friday, with Republicans accusing her of participating in a 'historic scandal' to cover up the commander in chief's mental fitness. 'There is now a pattern of key Biden confidants seeking to shield themselves from criminal liability for this potential conspiracy,' House Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) declared after Tomasini declined to say whether the White House 'instructed her to lie' about the president's health. 'She also pleaded the Fifth when asked if she ever advised President Biden on the handling of classified documents found in his garage, if President Biden or anyone in the White House instructed her to conceal or destroy classified material found at President Biden's home or office, and if she ever conspired with anyone in the White House to hide information regarding the Biden family's 'business' dealings,' added Comer. Joe Biden's former deputy chief of staff Annie Tomasini (right) pleaded the Fifth Amendment in a deposition on Capitol Hill Friday about the former president's mental fitness. AFP via Getty Images 'It's apparent they would rather hide key information to protect themselves and Joe Biden than be truthful with the American people about this historic scandal.' Tomasini began her career as a press secretary for then-Senator Biden when he chaired the Senate Foreign Relations Committee nearly three decades ago. She initially agreed to come before the committee willingly, but reversed her decision earlier this week. Her lawyer requested a subpoena to compel her appearance in front of the Oversight panel. Oversight Republicans announced Thursday that the investigation into Biden's decline and autopen use will continue with a new slate of hearings. Four additional members of Biden's inner circle, including ex-Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, have been invited for a series of voluntary, transcribed interviews that will be carried out this fall. Ian Sams, a former White House counsel office spokesperson, will be the first to come before the committee on August 21. 'It's apparent they would rather hide key information to protect themselves and Joe Biden than be truthful with the American people about this historic scandal,' James Comer said. AFP via Getty Images Next to appear will be Andrew Bates, who served as Biden's senior deputy press security. Jean-Pierre, who became persona non grata in Bidenworld after announcing her new exposé book and change of party affiliation to independent, will follow him, appearing on September 12 to answer questions. Other member of the president's inner circle will also be interviewed, including Ron Klain, who is set to appear next week before the Oversight Committee.
The Herald Scotland
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Michael Waltz to face 'Signalgate' grilling in hearing for top UN post
"You could make a good argument that it's a promotion," Vice President JD Vance said. The Senate-confirmed position is higher profile. And it comes with a cushy New York apartment. But unlike eight years ago, when future presidential candidate Nikki Haley held the job, Trump has decided against making it a top role. That could help Waltz, who's expected to get a grilling from Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, at his nomination hearing on July 15. The lower designation will allow Waltz to testify alongside two other Trump nominees. Waltz's testimony will still be the focal point of the hearing. The former Trump aide was one of the president's more hawkish advisers. He is almost certain to face difficult questions about the president's approach to foes such as Russia and Iran -- not to mention Trump's criticisms of United Nations leadership and his withdrawal from the institution's human rights council. "This will be a chance for senators to question the former national security advisor and nominee to be U.N. ambassador, which has historically been a significant foreign policy post," Sen. Chris Coons, a Democrat who sits on the committee, told USA TODAY last week. He said that likely topics will be Ukraine, the conflict in the Middle East and ongoing tension between the U.S. and its allies over Trump's stinging tariffs. Still, the toughest questions Waltz could face are over the text messages in which senior officials discussed strikes on Houthi militants in Yemen before they'd happened. Waltz inadvertently invited a journalist to the chat in an encrypted text messaging app. "He will be asked several times by several senators about his misuse of Signal," Coons said, referring to the commercially available encrypted messaging app. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Vance and other Cabinet officials weighed in on strikes while in the unsecure chain. Waltz took "full responsibility" for the blunder, after it came to light. Trump initially declined to fire him or anyone else over the incident. He fired scores of staff members later in a National Security Council shakeup. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast, an ally of Waltz' who served with him in the House, acknowledged that Democrats were likely to zero in on the Signal scandal. "Yet what are they bringing up? An entirely successful military operation, that was precise, that no Americans or American infrastructure or interests were harmed in any kind of way? In the end, that's what he has to answer for," Mast said in an interview. U. N. role remained vacant for months Trump said on May 1 that he would nominate Waltz as his United Nations ambassador, hours after news outlets reported on his ouster. Yet, he did not officially do so for more than a month, raising questions about whether Waltz still had Trump's backing for the job. The president yanked his first pick, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, in late March amid concerns about the GOP's narrow House majority. Trump eventually signed the necessary paperwork for Waltz in mid-June after USA TODAY asked the White House why Trump had not formally put him forward. Career diplomat Dorothy Shea has represented the United States at the United Nations for the past six months. More: Trump shakes up national security team: Waltz tapped for UN post Trump demotes ambassador role United Nations ambassadors have often served in presidential Cabinets. Trump's first United Nations ambassador, Nikki Haley, had an official seat at the table. But the Republican president downgraded the position after the former South Carolina governor left the job. A White House official who was not authorized to go on the record confirmed to USA TODAY that the U.S. ambassador to the U.N. role would not be part of the Cabinet. That means that Waltz will report to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who's been acting as Trump's national security adviser since the switch occurred on May 1. Mast said the role is still a "tremendous stepping stool" for Waltz, a former Green Beret and Florida congressman who served on the House Foreign Affairs, Armed Services and Intelligence committees. "It's also a Senate-confirmed position, which puts him under a different level of scrutiny," Mast said. "It's a very different role than what he was doing previously." Waltz will need a simple majority of senators to vote in his favor in the chamber where the GOP holds the majority in order to be confirmed. Sen. Bill Haggerty, a Tennessee Republican who served as U.S. ambassador to Japan, said he expected Waltz to have a successful hearing. He'll have "a big challenge dealing with the United Nations," Haggerty said. He told USA TODAY: "Mike's a competent professional."
GMA Network
3 days ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
Trump's UN envoy pick Waltz says US needs strong voice to counter China
Former National Security adviser Mike Waltz, nominated to be US ambassador to the United Nations, testifies before a Senate Foreign Relations Committee confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, US, July 15, 2025. REUTERS/Ken Cedeno WASHINGTON/UNITED NATIONS - The United Nations needs reform and the United States must have a strong voice to counter China, Mike Waltz, US President Donald Trump's pick to be his UN envoy, said on Tuesday, adding that he is "confident we can make the UN great again." Waltz – a retired Army Green Beret and former Republican lawmaker from Florida – is one of the last major Trump nominees awaiting likely confirmation by the US Senate. He appeared before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday as part of that process. A White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the UN post would not be cabinet-level. "We should have one place in the world where everyone can talk, where China, Russia, Europe, the developing world can come together and resolve conflicts" Waltz told the committee. "But after 80 years, it's drifted from its core mission of peacemaking. We must return to the UN's charter and first principles." His remarks largely echoed what Trump has said about the world body. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced in March that he was seeking ways to improve efficiency and cut costs as the UN turns 80 this year amid a cash crisis. "The UN has ballooned to over 80 agencies with overlapping missions that waste resources and, if confirmed, I'll push for transparency, like what we're seeing in the Secretary-General's UN80 reform plan calling for a 20% staff cut," Waltz said. He said UN peacekeeping plays an important role, but also needs reform. Washington is the UN's largest contributor – followed by China – accounting for 22% of the core UN budget and 27% of the peacekeeping budget. The UN has said the US currently owes a total of $2.8 billion, of which $1.5 billion is for the regular budget. These payments are not voluntary. The United States was also one of the world's largest humanitarian aid donors, but the Trump administration has slashed billions of dollars in foreign assistance, including to UN agencies. 'Block and tackle' Waltz was Trump's national security adviser until he was ousted on May 1 after he was caught up in a March scandal involving a Signal chat among top Trump national security aides. Trump then promptly nominated Waltz as his UN ambassador. "The use of Signal was not only authorized, it's still authorized, and highly recommended," Waltz said on Tuesday. He later clarified it was not authorized for sharing classified information and that no classified information had been shared in the March Signal chat. Waltz repeated long-held US criticisms of the UN – that Washington pays too much at the 193-member world body, that it is anti-Israel and that China is building too much influence. "We have to block and tackle Chinese influence," Waltz said. "America must have a strong voice and, if confirmed, I'll work with Secretary (of State Marco) Rubio to challenge this influence." Since beginning his second term in January, Trump has maintained the wary stance on multilateralism that was a hallmark of his first term between 2017 and 2021. So far, Trump has stopped US engagement with the UN Human Rights Council, extended a halt to funding for the Palestinian relief agency UNRWA and ordered a review of the UN cultural agency UNESCO. He has also announced plans to quit the Paris climate deal and the World Health Organization. When asked about Waltz's confirmation hearing, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said on Tuesday: "Our message to all member states is: if you're not fully pleased with what's going on in this organization, engage with the other member states in this organization." —Reuters
The Hill
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Waltz leaves mostly unscathed from hearing
While some Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee promised a 'brutal' hearing for Waltz's nomination as ambassador for the United Nations, his confirmation is nearly guaranteed in the Republican-controlled Senate, and lawmakers generally focused their questions on substance rather than scrutiny. Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) delivered one of the most scathing rebukes of Waltz and appeared to get under his skin. Booker criticized Waltz, a former Army colonel, Green Beret and three-term Republican congressman from Florida as showing 'profound cowardice.' 'At a moment where our national security was clearly compromised, you denied, you deflected, and then you demeaned and degraded those people who objectively told the truth and criticized your actions,' Booker said. 'I appreciate the men and women that I've had to lead in combat, and I think the last thing they would call me is a coward,' Waltz said, pushing back. Trump removed Waltz from his position as national security adviser in May in the wake of scrutiny and criticism over the sloppy handling of the Signal chat. The role was taken over by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. But Trump retained Waltz as an adviser, keeping in place his nearly $200,000 salary and nominating him for the United Nations post. The move served a number of functions. It offered Waltz a small rebuke for the fallout from the Signal chat but kept him at a senior-level position with the administration. The U.N. ambassador is traditionally a Cabinet position. Waltz replaced Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y), who was originally nominated as ambassador but whom Trump decided to keep in the House to protect the GOP's slim majority. Republicans lined up behind Waltz, calling him 'one of the most well qualified U.S. ambassador nominees to the United Nations ever' and describing him as a man of 'integrity, grit and principle.' Democratic fury over 'Signalgate' is centered on Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth for publishing the timing and sequencing of military attack plans in the Signal chat. They were slightly more forgiving to Waltz during the hearing.
