Latest news with #then-Trump
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Classifying Taliban as ‘foreign terrorist organization' under review: US
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that the United States is reviewing whether to designate Afghanistan's rulers, the Taliban, as a 'foreign terrorist organization'. Rubio told the House Foreign Affairs Committee during a hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington on Wednesday, 'I believe that classification is now, once again, under review.' The response came a day after US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered a 'comprehensive review' of the United States's chaotic military withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021, an evacuation operation in which 13 US service members and 150 Afghans were killed at Kabul's airport in an ISIL (ISIS) bombing. Hegseth said in a memo on Tuesday that after three months of assessing the withdrawal, a comprehensive review was needed to ensure accountability for this event. 'This remains an important step toward regaining faith and trust with the American people and all those who wear the uniform, and is prudent based on the number of casualties and equipment lost during the execution of this withdrawal operation,' Hegseth wrote. Former President Joe Biden's administration, which oversaw the pull-out, mostly blamed the resulting chaos on a lack of planning and reductions in troops by the first Donald Trump administration, following its deal with the Taliban to accelerate the withdrawal of US forces. Trump had signed the deal with the Taliban in Doha in February 2020 aimed at ending its 18-year war in Afghanistan, beginning with the withdrawal of about 4,000 troops 'within months'. The then-Trump administration had agreed it would withdraw from the country by May 2021 if the Taliban negotiated a peace agreement with the Afghan government and promised to prevent internationally designated terrorist groups, such as al-Qaeda and ISIL, from gaining a foothold in the country. After assuming office in January 2021, Biden said he had to respect the agreement or risk new conflicts with the Taliban, which could have required additional troops in Afghanistan. On the 2024 campaign trail, Trump frequently criticised Biden and his administration for the withdrawal, saying that the manner in which it was done 'was the most embarrassing day in the history of our country's life.' Trump said that the withdrawal should have been done with 'dignity, with strength, with power.' Senior US military officials, including then-Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and the then-top US general, Mark Milley, have already appeared before lawmakers to give their testimonies regarding the withdrawal. The war in Afghanistan from 2001-2021 was the US's longest war, surpassing Vietnam. It remains unclear how Hegseth's review would differ from the many previous reviews carried out by the US military, Department of State and Trump's fellow Republicans in the House of Representatives. US Central Command, which oversees operations in the Middle East, has also carried out an investigation into the ISIL attack on Kabul during the last few days of the withdrawal.
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Top US official meant to add spokesman to Houthi Signal chat
A series of mishaps were responsible for a Washington journalist being added to a high-level group chat among top US national security officials last month, according to media reports citing an internal White House investigation. Sources told the BBC's US partner CBS News and the Guardian that US National Security Adviser Mike Waltz had been trying to add a top spokesman to the Signal chat when he inadvertently added Atlantic editor Jeffrey Goldberg instead. They said investigators found that Goldberg's number had been accidentally saved in Waltz's phone as an alternative contact for national security spokesman Brian Hughes. Goldberg revealed the chat last month in a bombshell article that detailed how officials shared highly sensitive attack plans for strikes on Yemen. The use of Signal to discuss military plans drew intense scrutiny and a watchdog office at the US Department of Defence is conducting a probe into Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and the use of the chat service. The findings of the internal probe into the security breach have not been made public. BBC News has asked the White House and the Atlantic for comment. Waltz told Fox News last month that another, unnamed contact of his was supposed to be in the chat in Goldberg's place and that "100% I don't know this guy". When pressed by host Laura Ingraham on how Goldberg's number was added, Waltz responded: "Well, if you have somebody else's contact, then somehow it... gets sucked in. It gets sucked in." Goldberg has previously refuted that explanation, and has said the two have met several times. "This isn't The Matrix. Phone numbers don't just get sucked into other phones." Goldberg said during an appearance on NBC's Meet the Press. "My phone number was in his phone because my phone number is in his phone." By Goldberg's account, he accepted an out-of-the-blue message request from Waltz that he believed to be a hoax. He watched as, over a period of days, accounts under the names of Vice-President JD Vance, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth, CIA director John Ratcliffe and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard exchanged messages about an upcoming US military strike on Houthi rebel targets in Yemen, which ultimately took place on 14 March. Goldberg left the chat after the strikes were carried out, but reported his experience in the Atlantic magazine, later publishing the messages in full. The White House acknowledged that the messages were legitimate. Sources now tell CBS that the first mistakes happened months earlier. Goldberg had emailed the then-Trump presidential campaign seeking comment for a story in October 2024. The sources said Hughes was tasked with handling the request, which he messaged to Waltz along with Goldberg's contact information. From there, Waltz's phone prompted him with the option to save the phone number, which he approved. But the sources said the device saved Goldberg's number under Hughes's name. When Waltz went to assemble the Signal group chat in March 2025, Waltz believed he was adding Hughes, the sources said. But it was actually Goldberg's number added to the conversation. In the aftermath of the Signal revelations, Waltz took responsibility. "I built the group," Waltz told Fox News, adding it was "embarrassing". He said he asked Elon Musk, tech billionaire and Trump ally, for help looking into the error. Separately, lawmakers in Congress demanded an investigation and grilled the chat participants in hearings. Hegseth is also facing a probe from the inspector general of the US Department of Defense over his use of Signal. Trump ultimately said he would "look into" the issue. It's not clear whether the new reports are the results of those investigations. What is the Signal messaging app and how secure is it? Four lingering questions about Trump officials' Signal chat Trump officials attack journalist after Signal leak published in full 'They invited me - now they're attacking me': Signal chat journalist speaks to BBC
BBC News
06-04-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Top US official meant to add spokesman to Signal chat
A series of mishaps were responsible for a Washington journalist being added to a high-level group chat among top US national security officials last month, according to media reports citing an internal White House told the BBC's US partner CBS News and the Guardian that US National Security Adviser Mike Waltz had been trying to add a top spokesman to the Signal chat when he inadvertently added Atlantic editor Jeffrey Goldberg said investigators found that Goldberg's number had been accidentally saved in Waltz's phone as an alternative contact for national security spokesman Brian revealed the chat last month in a bombshell article that detailed how officials shared highly sensitive attack plans for strikes on Yemen. The use of Signal to discuss military plans drew intense scrutiny and a watchdog office at the US Department of Defence is conducting a probe into Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and the use of the chat findings of the internal probe into the security breach have not been made public. BBC News has asked the White House and the Atlantic for told Fox News last month that another, unnamed contact of his was supposed to be in the chat in Goldberg's place and that "100% I don't know this guy".When pressed by host Laura Ingraham on how Goldberg's number was added, Waltz responded: "Well, if you have somebody else's contact, then somehow it... gets sucked in. It gets sucked in."Goldberg has previously refuted that explanation, and has said the two have met several times."This isn't The Matrix. Phone numbers don't just get sucked into other phones." Goldberg said during an appearance on NBC's Meet the Press. "My phone number was in his phone because my phone number is in his phone."By Goldberg's account, he accepted an out-of-the-blue message request from Waltz that he believed to be a hoax. He watched as, over a period of days, accounts under the names of Vice-President JD Vance, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth, CIA director John Ratcliffe and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard exchanged messages about an upcoming US military strike on Houthi rebel targets in Yemen, which ultimately took place on 14 left the chat after the strikes were carried out, but reported his experience in the Atlantic magazine, later publishing the messages in full. The White House acknowledged that the messages were legitimate. Sources now tell CBS that the first mistakes happened months earlier. Goldberg had emailed the then-Trump presidential campaign seeking comment for a story in October 2024. The sources said Hughes was tasked with handling the request, which he messaged to Waltz along with Goldberg's contact information. From there, Waltz's phone prompted him with the option to save the phone number, which he approved. But the sources said the device saved Goldberg's number under Hughes's name. When Waltz went to assemble the Signal group chat in March 2025, Waltz believed he was adding Hughes, the sources said. But it was actually Goldberg's number added to the conversation. In the aftermath of the Signal revelations, Waltz took responsibility. "I built the group," Waltz told Fox News, adding it was "embarrassing".He said he asked Elon Musk, tech billionaire and Trump ally, for help looking into the error. Separately, lawmakers in Congress demanded an investigation and grilled the chat participants in hearings. Hegseth is also facing a probe from the inspector general of the US Department of Defense over his use of Signal. Trump ultimately said he would "look into" the not clear whether the new reports are the results of those investigations.
Fox News
27-02-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
CNN's Jake Tapper gets ripped on social media for 'trying to rewrite history' with new book on Biden's decline
Social media users ripped CNN anchor Jake Tapper for promoting his new book investigating former President Biden's mental decline and its alleged cover-up by members of the Democratic Party. Multiple accounts on X accused Tapper of being involved in the same cover-up he and co-author, Axios journalist Alex Thompson, investigated in the book, titled, "Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice To Run Again." Several users pointed to a 2020 video of him lecturing then-Trump 2020 campaign advisor Lara Trump for calling out Biden's mental faculties. Popular conservative account "End Wokeness" shared the 2020 clip of Tapper alongside an image of the new book, and commented, "Tapper then: It's a conspiracy theory to say Biden has cognitive decline. It's a stutter. Tapper now: A book on the cover up." During a segment of CNN's "The Lead" on Wednesday, Tapper talked about the book and insisted that he has been asking Democratic figures and Biden himself about the ex-president's cognitive abilities. "As viewers of 'The Lead' know, I've been covering the concerns about President Biden's age and health for years. I literally asked him about it in October 2022, and we've challenged Democrats and White House officials about it." Tapper did ask Biden about concerns over his age and the demands of the presidency during that 2022 interview, reported on polling showing the public's concern about his "mental sharpness" in 2023, and that same year, asked then-White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre about the public's perception that Biden was too old. Still, Tapper's critics on X did not think he had been aggressive enough in covering Biden's age. The Federalist editor-in-chief Mollie Hemingway ripped Tapper, stating, "The mother bleeping AUDACITY of you to do this after running 24-7 interference on behalf of him and mocking and attacking every single person who noticed Biden's decline. The MOTHER. BUH-LEEP-ING. AUDACITY. Have you no decency? Have you NO shame?" RealClearPolitics co-founder Tom Bevan commented on the reception the CNN anchor got for the book announcement, posting, "Jake Tapper getting ratioed into oblivion promoting his new book on 'the real story' of Biden's mental decline. He really does have utter contempt for his viewers and thinks they're all morons." The Libs of TikTok account quoted Tapper's announcement of the book on CNN in a post, stating, "JAKE TAPPER: As viewers know I've been covering concerns about Biden's age and health for years… we spent several months talking to people… you will not believe what was really going on.'" The account added, "I can't believe this is real and he said this with a straight face. Jake Tapper and CNN covered up for Biden's decline for years. He's trying to rewrite history." The Spectator contributing editor Stephen L. Miller slammed Tapper for the book in light of the anchor's 2020 response to Trump. He wrote, "Here's Jake Tapper incensed over Joe Biden's 'stutter' and outraged over claims of Biden's cognitive decline. Now he's cashing in on a book about Biden's cognitive decline and media cover up. There is no bottom for these people." Conservative actor James Woods savaged Tapper over the alleged hypocrisy, writing, "If there were a bottom for these people, and indeed there is not, this slug would be feeding there for sure. If there were illustrated dictionaries, Tapper's mewling face would be next to 'hypocrite.'" CNN declined a request for comment by Fox News Digital.
USA Today
13-02-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Senate confirms Brooke Rollins, longtime Trump ally, as agriculture secretary
Senate confirms Brooke Rollins, longtime Trump ally, as agriculture secretary Show Caption Hide Caption Trump picks Brooke Rollins to be agriculture secretary U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday chose Brooke Rollins, president of the America First Policy Institute, to be Secretary of Agriculture. Brooke Rollins, a longtime ally of President Donald Trump, was confirmed on Thursday by the Senate as the agriculture secretary. Rollins, 52, was confirmed by a vote of 72-28. As head of the United States Department of Agriculture, Rollins will lead a 100,000-person agency with offices in every county in the country, whose remit includes farm and nutrition programs, forestry, home and farm lending, food safety, rural development, agricultural research, trade and more. The agency had a budget of $437.2 billion in 2024. Before her confirmation, Rollins served as president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute, a conservative, pro-Trump think tank she formed in 2021 alongside other members of the former president's orbit while out of office. A conservative lawyer, Rollins also served in the final year of Trump's first term as acting director of the White House's Domestic Policy Council. She was also among the speakers at the Republican National Convention in 2024. Before her time in Washington, Rollins, a Texas native, served as an aide to then-Trump Energy Secretary Rick Perry. She was also CEO and president of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, a conservative think tank in the Lone Star State. The agriculture secretary's agenda would carry implications for American diets and wallets, both urban and rural. Department of Agriculture officials and staff negotiate trade deals, guide dietary recommendations, inspect meat, fight wildfires and support rural broadband, among other activities. Contributing: Savannah Kuchar, USA TODAY
