Political Headlines
Trump says he wants his new acting director of national intelligence to cut the office
ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE (AP) — President Donald Trump said on Friday that he wants his new acting director of national intelligence, Bill Pulte, to cut the office, which has already been significantly scaled back during his second term. Trump noted that the size of the office has been “way too high for way too long” and that “if he cut, I wouldn’t mind that.” “He’ll do a very good job,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One as he traveled to Wisconsin for an event on agriculture. “He’ll watch it closely, but Bill Pulte is very good, he’s very talented.” The Republican president said in an earlier interview with The Wall Street Journal that he has asked Pulte to ... Read More
Senate approves $70 billion immigration enforcement bill
: Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) heads for the Senate Chamber in between votes at the U.S. Capitol on June 04, 2026 in Washington, DC. The Senate began a marathon session of amendment votes on the $70 billion immigration enforcement bill. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)(WASHINGTON) --The Senate voted early Friday morning to approve a $70 billion immigration enforcement package that includes nothing to rein in the administration's so-called "Anti-Weaponization Fund."The immigration enforcement bill passed by a vote of 52-47.Sen. Lisa Murkowski was the only Republican to join all Democrats in voting against the bill. All other Senate Republicans voted for it, giving the legislation enough support to be narrowly approved. Republicans applauded as the bill was gaveled down early Friday ... Read More
Senate in overnight session as Republicans debate limits on $1.8B Trump settlement
[caption id="attachment_1500208" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., flanked by Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., left, and Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., speaks to reporters following a closed-door party meeting, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)[/caption]WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate neared passage of $70 billion legislation that would fund President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement agencies as Democrats and some Republicans have tried to add language to permanently block Trump from creating a $1.776 billion settlement fund to compensate his political allies who believe they have been politically persecuted. Republicans appeared to clear a final hurdle just before 4 a.m. Friday morning when they defeated an amendment proposed by one of their own members, ... Read More
Trump accuses California Democrats, without evidence, of trying to ‘steal’ elections
President Donald Trump speaks during an event in the Oval Office of the White House on June 03, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)(WASHINGTON) -- President Donald Trump posted to social media late Wednesday night accusing the Democratic Party in California of trying to "steal" the California gubernatorial and Los Angeles mayoral primaries, offering no evidence to support the allegation.In his posts, Trump complained about the alleged misuse of mail-in ballots and also accused the Democratic Party of delaying the tallying of votes – claims for which there is currently no supporting evidence.The president also claimed that the votes are "under investigation" by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Los Angeles. That office declined to comment on the president's statement ... Read More
Former Trump adviser John Bolton expected to plead guilty over mishandling classified documents: Sources
Former National Security Adviser John Bolton speaks to reporters after speaking in a panel hosted by the National Council of Resistance of Iran – U.S. Representative Office at the Willard InterContinental Hotel on Aug. 17, 2022, in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)(WASHINGTON) -- President Donald Trump's former national security adviser John Bolton is expected to plead guilty over mishandling classified information, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News Thursday.Bolton could not immediately be reached for comment. The Department of Justice is declining to comment.Bolton is expected to plead guilty to one count of illegal retention of sensitive documents, sources familiar with the matter said. Sources told ABC News that Bolton has also agreed to pay a fine of ... Read More
Trump’s latest immigration move clouds the path to green cards
WASHINGTON (AP) — When President Donald Trump’s administration announced last week that it would require green card seekers to apply from their home countries instead of in the U.S., immigration attorney Flavia Santos Lloyd’s phone began ringing off the hook with clients worried about the implications for them. Lloyd wasn’t sure what to tell them, but she knew the confusing new policy would slow down applications. “It has a chilling effect because we have some cases that we were going to proceed and I can tell already, we should wait and see what’s going on,” she said. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced Friday that foreigners in the U.S. who want a green card will need to leave and apply ... Read More
Trump expected to hold Cabinet meeting at Camp David on Wednesday
U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks during a Memorial Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery on May 25, 2026, in Arlington, Virginia. Memorial Day honors those who died while serving in the U.S. armed forces. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)(WASHINGTON) -- President Donald Trump is expected to hold a Cabinet meeting at Camp David on Wednesday, a White House official confirmed to ABC News.Sources told ABC News that the plans are subject to change due to possible inclement weather in the Washington, D.C., area. According to the White House official, all Cabinet members are expected to attend, and the meeting will "highlight recent successes of the administration including economy and small business wins, Task Force to Eliminate Fraud highlights, and foreign ... Read More
South Carolina Senate effectively kills proposed congressional map backed by Trump
The South Carolina State Capitol during a special session in Columbia, South Carolina, US, on Tuesday, May 19. (Sam Wolfe/Bloomberg via Getty Images)(COLUMBIA, S.C.) -- The South Carolina Senate on Tuesday effectively killed a proposed congressional map that could have allowed Republicans to flip the seat held by Democratic Rep. Jim Clyburn, a major rebuff to a mid-decade redistricting effort promoted by President Donald Trump.The Republican-controlled state Senate voted Tuesday afternoon to adjourn their special legislative session until June 10, after the state holds its June 9 primaries, without nearing a final vote on the map.The adjournment means that possible redistricting in the state before the 2026 midterms appears all but dead.Early voting in the primaries began Tuesday, which opponents of ... Read More
Federal court blocks Alabama effort to use GOP-friendly congressional map
The Alabama Capital Building in Montgomery, Alabama, U.S., on Saturday, Sept. 24, 2022. (Andi Rice/Bloomberg via Getty Images)(WASHINGTON) -- A three-judge panel in a federal court in Alabama ruled unanimously on Tuesday that state Republicans are still blocked from using their 2023 congressional map, which would have potentially helped Republicans in November.Alabama had moved forward with using the 2023 map after state lawmakers had said the Supreme Court's historic decision in Louisiana v. Callais in late April cleared the way for it.The judges, including two appointed by President Donald Trump, concluded that the high court's recent ruling on Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act has no bearing on this case, in which lower courts found the 2023 map represents a constitutional violation."Ultimately, ... Read More
Supreme Court narrowly spares ‘intellectually disabled’ murderer from execution
Joseph Clifton Smith is shown in this booking photo released by the Alabama Department of Corrections. (Alabama Department of Corrections)(WASHINGTON) -- In a rare move on Thursday, the Supreme Court spared the life of an "intellectually disabled" death row inmate, dismissing an appeal by Alabama officials who claimed the man's multiple IQ scores show he is competent and eligible for execution.The justices were narrowly divided, 5-4, in allowing a lower court ruling to stand that determined death for Joseph Clifton Smith, a convicted first-degree murderer, would violate the Eighth Amendment prohibition of "cruel and unusual" punishment.The high court did not formally explain its decision.More than 20 years ago, the high court outlawed the execution of intellectually disabled people convicted of ... Read More
Justice Department expected to announce charges against Raul Castro
Former Cuban President Raul Castro speaks during the National Assembly at Convention Palace on April 19, 2018 in Havana, Cuba. (Photo by Alexandre Meneghini-Pool/Getty Images)(WASHINGTON) -- The Justice Department on Wednesday charged former Cuban President Raul Castro with murder over his alleged role in shooting down two planes that were carrying humanitarian aid in 1996, according to a newly unsealed court docket. The shootdown resulted in the deaths of three Americans.The indictment marks a major escalation in the United States' ongoing pressure campaign to achieve regime change of the island nation's Communist-led government, though it's not immediately clear whether the 94-year-old Castro will ultimately see the inside of a U.S. courtroom.The indictment charges Castro with seven counts including conspiracy to ... Read More
Trump helps oust Massie and other takeaways from Tuesday’s primaries
Rep. Thomas Massie speaks with supporters after his concession speech on May 19, 2026 in Hebron, Kentucky. Massie, who has served Kentucky's 4th Congressional District since 2012, conceded his loss after the most expensive US House Primary in US history against Trump-endorsed candidate Ed Gallrein. (Photo by Jon Cherry/Getty Images)(WASHINGTON) -- A batch of closely watched primaries in six states on Tuesday both set up some key midterm election matchups and gestured to major forces shaping the Democratic and Republican parties -- from the strength of President Donald Trump's endorsement to the road to the White House in 2028.Here are some of takeaways from Tuesday night's results.The strength of Trump's endorsement, again?President Donald Trump had turned his ire on Rep. ... Read More
Trump says White House ballroom will be a ‘shield’ as he shows off construction site
President Donald Trump speaks to the press near the construction site of his proposed ballroom at the White House in Washington, May 19, 2026. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)(WASHINGTON) -- President Donald Trump, over the noise of drills and hammers, showed off the construction site for his controversial White House ballroom in a tour with reporters on Tuesday.Trump described the massive project, which started with a demolition of the White House East Wing, as a fortress for himself and future presidents."This is a shield that protects everything that's inside, everything that's on top," Trump said. He also said that it would be the "safest building ever built, in my opinion."With poster board mock-ups in hand of what the finished product will look ... Read More
Vance, Blanche don’t rule out Jan. 6 rioters getting ‘Anti-Weaponization Fund’ payouts
cting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche testifies during a Senate Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies hearing in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on May 19, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)(WASHINGTON) -- Vice President JD Vance and acting Attorney General Todd Blanche faced questions Tuesday on the $1.776 billion "Anti-Weaponization Fund" to compensate those who allege they were wrongly targeted under the Biden administration.Both notably declined to rule out potential payouts for individuals who assaulted law enforcement, including the rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.Vance insisted that requests would be analyzed on a "case-by-case" basis and that "anybody can apply." The fund, which was first reported last week ... Read More
Trump isn’t on the ballot in Georgia, but he could decide Tuesday’s races
Brian Kemp, governor of Georgia, left, and Marty Kemp, Georgia's first lady, second left, watch as Derek Dooley, Republican U.S. Senate candidate for Georgia, second right, speaks during a campaign event at Whitetail Coffee Shop in Milton, Georgia, on Friday, May 15, 2026. (Photographer: Elijah Nouvelage/Bloomberg via Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- Donald Trump might not have been in attendance at the Atlanta Press Club Republican primary debate for U.S. Senate last month, but his presence filled the room.“I am running for the United States Senate so that I can go to the Senate and be a warrior for Donald Trump and his ‘America First’ policies,” said U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter in his opening statement.When Carter’s House colleague and opponent in the ... Read More
Sen. Cassidy knocked out of Louisiana Republican primary
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Sen. Bill Cassidy was decisively defeated in Saturday’s Republican primary in Louisiana, unable to convince voters that he deserved another term five years after voting to convict President Donald Trump during an impeachment trial over the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. He finished behind U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow, who capitalized on the power of Trump’s endorsement as the president continues purging his party of people he views as disloyal, and John Fleming, the state treasurer. Letlow and Fleming will compete in a runoff on June 27. The result was the latest example of Trump’s unrivaled power over the Republican Party as he approaches the twilight of his second term with persistent inflation, sagging ... Read More
Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy defeated, Julia Letlow and John Fleming advance to runoff, AP projects
Senator Bill Cassidy, a Republican from Louisiana and chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, during a confirmation hearing in Washington, DC, US, on Wednesday, April 22, 2026. Photographer: Eric Lee/Bloomberg via Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- Two Republican challengers, Rep. Julia Letlow and state Treasurer John Fleming, will advance to a runoff election in Louisiana's closely watched GOP primary, The Associated Press projected Saturday -- a defeat for Sen. Bill Cassidy who had drawn the ire of President Donald Trump.Letlow had been endorsed by Trump in a three-way race that was seen as a test of the president's influence among Republicans.Letlow and Fleming will face off again in the runoff on June 27.With nearly 100% of the ... Read More
Tennessee Democrat Steve Cohen to retire in aftermath of redistricting
Rep. Steve Cohen pauses while speaking during a news conference in his office on Capitol Hill, May 15, 2026 in Washington. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)(WASHINGTON) -- Rep. Steve Cohen, a longtime Tennessee Democrat, announced Friday he will not seek reelection and instead retire at the end of his term, after his Memphis district was carved up in the state assembly's redistricting effort."This is by far the most difficult moment I've had as an elected official," Cohen said. his voice choked with emotion as he announced he sent a letter Friday to the state capital asking not to appear on the ballot."I don't want to quit. I'm not a quitter, but these districts were drawn to beat me. They were drawn to ... Read More
Trump won’t commit to arms sale to Taiwan after stark warning from Xi
China's President Xi Jinping (R) and US President Donald Trump visit the Temple of Heaven on May 14, 2026 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Brendan Smialowski - Pool/Getty Images)(WASHINGTON) -- After a second day of high-stakes meetings with China's Xi Jinping, President Donald Trump is not committing to approving the latest round of arms sales to Taiwan and brushed off previous U.S. assurances not to consult with Beijing about those sales."I'll make a determination over the next fairly short period," Trump said when asked about the arms sales by reporters aboard Air Force One.The president's remarks came after Xi's stark warning that if the issue of Taiwan is handled "improperly," then the two nations could "come into conflict," according to ... Read More
A third of the Congressional Black Caucus could lose seats amid redistricting fight
: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) speaks at a press conference with other members of the Congressional Black Caucus on the Supreme Court decision in Louisiana v. Callais, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC on April 29, 2026. (Photo by Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images)(WASHINGTON) -- Almost a third of the membership of the Congressional Black Caucus -- 19 of its 62 members -- are at risk of losing their seats through the 2028 election cycle as Republicans in southern states where they control the legislature move swiftly to redraw congressional maps less than two weeks after the Supreme Court dealt a blow to Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.The mid-decade redistricting push is a continuation of ... Read More
RFK Jr. spokesman resigns over fruit-flavored e-cigarette concerns, letter says
Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks during an event on advancing health care affordability in the Oval Office of the White House, April 23, 2026 in Washington. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)(WASHINGTON) -- One of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s top public affairs spokespeople resigned from his post over the FDA's fruit-flavored e-cigarettes authorization and its potential impact on minors, according to a resignation letter to President Donald Trump reviewed by ABC News.In the letter, Richard Danker, the former assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Health and Human Services, accuses senior agency officials in Kennedy's immediate office of approving e-cigarette flavors that would allegedly expose children to "nicotine addiction, lung damage, and a ... Read More
Breakdown of $1 billion request for Trump’s White House ballroom project
Cranes overlook the White House, as construction of the new ballroom extension continues, following demolition of the East Wing, on April 11, 2026. (Al Drago/Getty Images)(WASHINGTON) -- ABC News has obtained a one-page breakdown of how the White House says it intends to spend the $1 billion that some Republicans want to approve for President Donald Trump's East Wing renovation to the White House, which includes the construction of Trump's massive ballroom.The document -- which was provided without elaboration -- was presented by U.S. Secret Service Director Sean Curran to Senate Republicans during a luncheon on Tuesday.The price breakdown for each target area of the project area is:$220 million for White House hardening$180 million for White House visitor security screening ... Read More
Virginia Supreme Court overturns Democrats’ redistricting measure
A local resident's phone screen is illuminated with updates of Virginia's congressional redistricting vote during a watch party at Inca Social on April 21, 2026 in Arlington, Virginia. Democratic congressional candidate Adam Dunigan hosted the "Congressional District Divorce Party" alongside other Democratic candidates. (Heather Diehl/Getty Images)(WASHINGTON) -- The Virginia Supreme Court on Friday overturned the state's redistricting ballot measure, delivering a major setback to Democrats who hoped the new map would allow them to flip up to four congressional seats.In a 4-3 ruling, the Virginia Supreme Court said the Democratic-led legislature violated procedural requirements when referring the measure to the ballot. Virginia voters approved the ballot measure in an election last month.The state's Supreme Court said Virginia will need to ... Read More
After months of war with Iran, people across the US say they’re feeling the strain of high gas prices
A sign displays the prices of unleaded gasoline and diesel fuel at a Shell gas station in Upland, Calif., on May 4, 2026. (Kyle Grillot/Bloomberg via Getty Images)(NEW YORK) -- The monthslong war in Iran is inflicting economic pain across the country as many Americans report struggling with higher costs, particularly the record rise in gas prices.An ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll released last week found that half of Americans expect gas prices to increase more in the next year, and that 4 in 10 Americans say they are not as well off as they were when President Donald Trump returned to office in January 2025.Nearly a quarter said they are falling behind financially.In callback interviews with several of the poll's ... Read More
What to watch for in high-stakes Trump-Xi meeting
U.S. President Donald Trump greets Chinese President Xi Jinping ahead of a bilateral meeting at Gimhae Air Base on October 30, 2025 in Busan, South Korea. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)(WASHINGTON) -- When President Donald Trump arrives in Beijing next Thursday, he'll be the first U.S. president to set foot in China in nearly a decade. The last visit was Trump's own, in 2017.He arrives in a very different position than he expected: the trip was originally scheduled for earlier this spring, then postponed because of the Iran war.Trump had said the war would only last four to six weeks. Instead, there’s no end in sight with the the Strait of Hormuz remaining closed and U.S. gas prices surging -- ... Read More
Tennessee passes new congressional map that splits state’s only majority-Black district
State Senator London Lamar, a Democrat from Tennessee, holds a copy of the proposed Congressional map for Tennessee during a special legislative session at the Tennessee State Capitol in Nashville, Tennessee, US, on Wednesday, May 6, 2026. Tennessee is considering redrawing its House congressional map following a key Supreme Court decision last week, a move expected to bolster Republicans ahead of what are forecast to be tough midterm elections in November. (Photographer: Madison Thorn/Bloomberg(TENNESSEE) -- As protesters accused them of racial gerrymandering, Tennessee state lawmakers passed into law on Thursday a new congressional map that could allow Republicans to flip the state’s lone Democratic-held seat, notching the GOP another win in the mid-decade redistricting scramble.Republican Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed ... Read More
Some Democratic donors frustrated with DNC chair Ken Martin amid fundraising woes
Ken Martin, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, speaks to the reporters following a press conference, August 05, 2025, in Aurora, Illinois. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)With six months until the high-stakes midterm elections, the Democratic Party is struggling to raise money and keep up with its GOP counterparts, leading to frustrations among some donors with Democratic National Committee leadership and its chair Ken Martin.At the end of March, the Republican National Committee outraised the DNC $21.2 million to $11.4 million, according to new reports filed with the Federal Election Commission. The RNC reported having nearly eight times more cash on hand -- $116 million to the DNC’s $13.8 million. In addition, the DNC is a little over $18 million in debt, ... Read More
Tennessee lawmakers pass US House map carving up majority-Black district in Memphis
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Republican lawmakers in Tennessee approved a new U.S. House map Thursday that carves up a majority-Black district in Memphis, reshaping it to the GOP’s advantage as part of President Donald Trump’s strategy to hold on to a slim majority in the November midterm elections. The final vote came amid protests and chaos. As demonstrators chanted loudly in the galleries and hallways, Democratic state Sen. Charlane Oliver stood on her desk in the Senate chamber, holding a banner denouncing the redistricting as a “Jim Crow” effort, then clapping and dancing. Other Democratic senators linked arms in the front of the chamber. Republican leadership quickly adjourned the special session, sending the new map on to Republican Gov. Bill ... Read More
Trump’s retribution? What to watch in Tuesday’s elections in Indiana, Ohio and Michigan
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump’s campaign to politically punish Republicans who stand in his way moves through Indiana on Tuesday, when seven state senators face Trump-backed primary challengers. In neighboring Ohio, primaries for U.S. Senate and governor will lock in the candidates for two major races with national implications. And in Michigan, voters in a bellwether district will fill a vacancy in the state Senate, a race with implications for the balance of power in a battleground state. An effort pushed by U.S. President Donald Trump last November to redraw Indiana’s congressional map failed. With the recent Supreme Court decision limiting the Voting Rights Act, some fear it could happen again. (AP video: Obed Lamy) Here’s what to watch ... Read More
Top of page
