Political Headlines
Security breach at US Capitol: ABC News exclusive
Celal Gunes/Anadolu via Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- A Massachusetts man was found to be carrying a gun after attending a tour of the U.S. Capitol as he left the nearby Library of Congress on Tuesday, police officials told ABC News on Thursday.Authorities in Washington were alerted by police in Carlisle, Massachusetts, on Monday that a man with a gun who had expressed suicidal ideations on social media was headed to Washington.The U.S. Secret Service and Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police found the man in a Washington hotel early Tuesday morning and interviewed him, sources said. They searched for a gun and found no weapon and no further action was taken at that time, they said.Later that day, the man went through a ... Read More
DHS allows US Marshals, DEA and ATF to carry out immigration enforcement
Jaque Silva/NurPhoto via Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- The Department of Homeland Security is allowing certain law enforcement components from the Department of Justice to carry out the "functions" of an immigration officer, according to a new memo sent by the Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Benjamine Huffeman.Huffeman's memo, obtained by ABC News, said the order grants the agencies the "same authority already granted to the FBI." It said that agents can enforce immigration law.The agencies listed in the memo are the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, the US Marshals Service and the Federal Bureau of Prisons.The DEA and ATF have had little experience historically in carrying out immigration enforcement. Historically, the US Marshals only get involved ... Read More
As Trump throws immigration system into uncertainty, parents confront potential statelessness for their children
(Oleg Breslavtsev/Getty Images)(WASHINGTON) -- As President Donald Trump starts to defend his executive order ending birthright citizenship in court, parents are beginning to grapple with the uncertainty stemming from his unprecedented executive order and the possibility that their future children could become "stateless."Five pregnant undocumented women and two nonprofits on Tuesday filed a lawsuit in Maryland District Court challenging the order, which seeks to interpret the 14th Amendmentâs guarantee of birthright citizenship as not applying to the children of undocumented parents. Joining the lawsuit under pseudonyms, the women argued that Trumpâs order deprives their future children of their constitutional rights."The principle of birthright citizenship is a foundation of our national democracy, is woven throughout the laws of our nation, and ... Read More
RFK Jr. reports up to $1.2M in credit card debt, $30M net worth
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. attends the inauguration of Donald Trump in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda on January 20, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Julia Demaree Nikhinson - Pool/Getty Images)(WASHINGTON) -- From a multimillion-dollar law firm payout to six-figure endorsements and book deals, President Donald Trumpâs nominee for health and human services secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., raked in at least $12 million in total income in the past two years, new personal financial disclosure forms show.Kennedy boasted a vast amount of wealth across various investment funds, bank accounts and real estate properties totaling between $8.6 million to $33.4 million. However, he also reported a staggering amount of liabilities -- between $3.4 million and $12.7 million -- which could put ... Read More
Jan. 6 rioters convicted for role in Capitol attack speak out against Trump’s pardons
Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg via Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- Jan. 6 rioters convicted for role in Capitol attack speak out against Trump's pardonsOn his first day back in office, President Donald Trump followed through on his pledge to pardon those convicted for participating in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, granting a sweeping unconditional pardon to more than 1,500 rioters and commutations for more than a dozen others.Following the executive action, two people who pleaded guilty for their actions at the Capitol that day have spoken out against their pardons."This is a sad day," Idaho resident Pamela Hemphill told Boise ABC affiliate KIVI. "The ramifications of this is going to be horrifying."Hemphill pleaded guilty to violent entry and disorderly conduct ... Read More
Former top DOJ immigration official says she was removed with no explanation
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- A former top Justice Department immigration official who was removed from her position by new DOJ leadership this week told ABC News that she did not receive any explanation for her removal.Lauren Alder Reid was one of four top officials from the agency that operates the U.S. immigration courts who was removed from her post. She had been with the agency for more than 14 years."They did not give me any reason, other than not citing the 16 years of outstanding performance evaluation for lack of any discipline, administrative leave or reassignment in my entire career," Reid told ABC News.The firings come as President Donald Trump has signed a flurry of immigration executive orders after vowing ... Read More
Trump’s pardons for rioters ‘disturbing,’ former top Jan. 6 prosecutor says
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- President Donald Trump's sweeping pardons and commutations for nearly all of the rioters charged with joining the Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol was "disturbing" and an affront to the law enforcement officers who were assaulted at the hands of the pro-Trump mob, a former top prosecutor from the D.C. U.S. attorney's office told ABC News in an exclusive interview Tuesday."It's disturbing because what it says to the victims, to the officers who put their lives on the line that day to defend the country, and also to the officers who then went and told their stories and testified in court â reliving the trauma of that day over and over and subjected themselves to ... Read More
Trump demands Putin ‘make a deal’ now to end war in Ukraine
Kremlin Press Office / Handout/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- President Donald Trump on Wednesday sent a message to Russian President Vladimir Putin telling him to make a deal now to end the war in Ukraine, threatening economic consequences if he doesn't."It's time to 'MAKE A DEAL.' NO MORE LIVES SHOULD BE LOST!!!" Trump wrote in a new social media post.Trump indicated that if a deal isn't made quickly, he would place high levels of taxes, tariffs and sanctions on Russia."Settle now, and STOP this ridiculous War! IT'S ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE. If we don't make a "deal," and soon, I have no other choice but to put high levels of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions on anything being sold by Russia ... Read More
Bidenâs letter to Trump wished him ‘all the best in the next four years,’ Fox reports
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- Former President Joe Biden wished President Donald Trump "all the best for the next four years" in the letter he left in the Resolute desk in the Oval Office, Fox News reported Wednesday.Trump said Tuesday night that he opened the letter and called it "very nice.""Just basically, it was a little bit of an inspirational type of letter, you know? 'Joy, do a good job. Important, very important, how important the job is.' But I may, I think it was a nice letter. I think I should let people see it, because it was a positive for him, in writing it, I appreciated the letter," Trump told reporters Tuesday evening.Read aloud on Fox News Wednesday morning, ... Read More
Trump authorizes ICE to target schools and churches
John Moore/Getty Images, FILE(WASHINGTON) -- Federal immigration authorities will be permitted to target schools and churches after President Donald Trump revoked a directive barring arrests in âsensitiveâ areas.The Department of Homeland Security announced Tuesday it would roll back the policy to "thwart law enforcement in or near so-called sensitive areas."First enacted in 2011, the directive prohibited Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Patrol officers from arresting suspected undocumented immigrants in a variety of locations.Schools and houses of worship were deemed off-limits, as were hospitals, funerals, weddings and public demonstrations.In a statement touting the move Tuesday, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security said law enforcement would use "common sense" in making arrests."This action empowers the brave men ... Read More
Trump criticizes sermon asking him to show ‘mercy’ toward LGBTQ people, immigrants
Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- Following a traditional inaugural prayer service at Washington National Cathedral on Tuesday, during which an Episcopal bishop called on President Donald Trump to show "mercy" toward LGBTQ people and immigrants, he told reporters the sermon "wasn't too exciting" and added he "didn't think it was a good service."The National Prayer Service was one of several events presidents attend around being sworn in."What did you think? Did you like it? Did you find it exciting? Not too exciting, was it? I didn't think it was a good service, no," Trump said to reporters.In her sermon, the Rt. Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde addressed Trump directly from the pulpit."In the name of our God, I ask you to have ... Read More
John Bolton says Trump removed his Secret Service detail
Marlene Awaad/Bloomberg via Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- President Donald Trump has terminated Secret Service protection for his former national security adviser John Bolton, Bolton said in a post on X Tuesday afternoon."Notwithstanding my criticisms of President Biden's national security policies, he nonetheless made the decision to extend that protection to me in 2021. The Justice Department filed criminal charges against an Iranian Revolutionary Guard official in 2022 for attempting to hire a hit man to target me. That threat remains today," Bolton wrote. "The American people can judge for themselves which President made the right call."The White House has not commented on Bolton's claims.Bolton worked as Trump's national security adviser from 2018 to 2019 and was frequently at odds with the president. After ... Read More
Marco Rubio is sworn in as secretary of state, discusses foreign conflict to make America ‘safe’ and ‘prosperous’
Allison Robbert/AFP via Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- After taking the oath of office to be sworn in as the nation's 72nd secretary of state, Rubio promised that every action taken by the State Department will be determined by the answers to three questions: "Does it make us stronger? Does it make us safer? And does it make us more prosperous?"The Senate unanimously confirmed Rubio's appointment to secretary of state Monday evening, making Rubio the first confirmed Cabinet member of the second Trump administration.Rubio also gave remarks in Spanish, giving thanks to God and his family members both present and not present -- including his parents, who he said came to the United States in 1956 and that the purpose of their ... Read More
Trump 2nd term live updates: Trump threatens tariffs to economic leaders at Davos
CHIP SOMODEVILLA/POOL/AFP via Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- President Donald Trump has kicked off his second term with a flurry of executive actions on immigration, the economy, DEI and more.Trump can be expected to talk more about his economic agenda when he takes to the world stage -- speaking virtually to the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland.Meanwhile, the president's attempt to end birthright citizenship will face its first legal test when a federal judge hears a request made by several Democratic-led states to issue a temporary restraining order against the action.Confirmation hearing set for Tulsi Gabbard, Trump's DNI pickFormer Rep. Tulsi Gabbard's hearing for director of national intelligence will be held on Thursday, Jan. 30, sources told ABC News.Gabbard's nomination ... Read More
What we know about the shooter
WASHINGTON (AP) ââŹâ The man identified as the shooter in the apparent assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump was a 20-year-old from a Pittsburgh suburb not far from the campaign rally where one attendee was killed. Investigators were working Sunday to gather more information about Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, who they say opened fire at the rally before being killed by Secret Service days before Trump was to accept the Republican nomination for a third time. An FBI official said late Saturday that investigators had not yet determined a motive. Two spectators were critically injured, authorities said. Relatives of Crooks didnââŹâ˘t immediately respond to messages from The Associated Press. His father, Matthew Crooks, told CNN late ... Read MorePrayers for Trump also pour in from political rivals
Prayers for the former president are also coming from his political opponents. ââŹĹI am horrified by what happened at the Trump rally in Pennsylvania and relieved that former President Trump is safe. Political violence has no place in our country,ââŹÂ said Sen. Chuck Schumer in a statement. ââŹĹWe should all condemn what happened today and I am hoping for the health of the former president and everyone else at the rally,ââŹÂ Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy posted on the social platform X. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said in a post on X that his ââŹĹthoughts and prayers are with former President TrumpââŹÂ and expressed thanks ââŹĹfor the decisive law enforcement response.ââŹÂ ... Read MoreTop of page
