Donald Trump has sweeping plans for a second administration. Here’s what he’s proposed

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Russia Trolls TACO Trump Over His Latest Ukraine Flip-Flop

The Kremlin called Trump a “random phrase generator” after his show of support for Ukraine.

Vladimir Putin’s top allies are calling Donald Trump’s bluff after his unexpected show of support for Ukraine.

Trump sent shockwaves through the U.N. after twisting away with his long-held sympathy for Russia to declare that Kyiv, “with the support of the EU, is in a position to fight and WIN all of Ukraine back in its original form,” adding that they could “even go further than that!”

But the Russian dictator’s supporters predicted TACO Trump would change his mind again the moment it became politically convenient.

Pledging to supply even more weapons to NATO, Trump wrote on Truth Social that “Russia has been fighting aimlessly for three and a half years. This does not distinguish Russia; in fact, it very much makes them look like ”a paper tiger.””

The announcement caught world leaders meeting at the United Nations completely off guard. Even Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he was “a little bit” surprised by the move, but welcomed the president’s change of rhetoric and pledged to work with Trump to turn the tide of the war and force Russia out of Ukraine.

Over in Moscow, however, news of Trump’s latest TACO—the Trump Always Chickens Out nickname based on his record of U-turns—was met mainly with bemusement. Dmitry Peskov, Putin’s personal spokesman, accused Trump of acting purely in line with his “business interests” rather than any genuine affinity for Ukraine, The Kyiv Independent reports. Russian lawmaker Oleg Matveychev referred to the president as a “random phrase generator” whose words are inherently meaningless and full of contradictions.

“It’s a random number generator, a random phrase generator. And there’s been a saying that Trump says exactly what the last person in his office told him to say,” Matveychev told Russian state media.

“Do you really think he’ll say something momentous? Or will his words change anything? Nothing depends on them, nothing will change.”

The harshest critique of all, though, came from Dmitry Medevev, the former Russian president and head of Moscow’s Security Council. Writing on Telegram, the former president accused Trump of slipping into an “alternate reality” and predicted he would change his mind and “return” to Putin’s side in a matter of weeks.

The U.S. president “issued a series of political incantations on the theme of ”How weak Russia is,“” said Medvedev on Tuesday. “After meeting with the clowns in Kiev and Paris, he published a colorful post. It mentions Kiev’s final victory, a return to the former borders, Russia’s failed military economy, queues for gasoline, and a ”paper tiger.”

He suggested that Trump “will return. He always returns,” adding that in a couple of days, ”he’ll probably propose that the green pianist [a derogatory Russian nickname for Zelensky] sign a capitulation. Or maybe fly to Mars with his pardoned Musk. Or come up with something else “historic” to claim a Nobel Prize.

“The key, after all, is to keep drastically changing your position on every major issue. That’s what makes for ‘successful’ governance through social media.”

The outburst is not the first time Medvedev has taken shots at Trump - Back in July, the former Russian president likened the POTUS to his predecessor by referring to him as “Sleepy Joe,” which enraged Trump so much that he ordered two nuclear submarines to be deployed near Moscow.

Despite Trump’s change in tone, Kyiv has conceded that it is nearly impossible for Ukraine to regain all of its captured territory through purely military means and has shifted its rhetoric towards obtaining the territory through “diplomatic means.”

https://www.thedailybeast.com/russia-trolls-taco-trump-over-his-latest-ukraine-flip-flop/?

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The Real Cause of Trump’s 25-Year Vendetta Against the U.N.

Trump’s United Nations tirade revives a decades-old dispute.

Donald Trump’s attack on the United Nations was the culmination of a 25-year vendetta that began when he first concocted a real estate dispute with the global institution.

He has consistently attacked the U.N. for snubbing his offer to redevelop the headquarters, which overlooks the East River in New York, since 2001, despite never actually making the bid he claims was rebuffed.

“They decided to go in another direction, which was much more expensive at the time, and which actually produced a far inferior product,” Trump said on Tuesday of the renovation, which was its first since the complex opened in 1950.

Trump was complaining after the escalator stopped as soon as he stepped onto it and his teleprompter failed. MAGA melted down over the alleged sabotage, but a U.N. official said it was most likely that Trump’s videographer had inadvertently halted the escalator.

“Frankly, looking at the building and getting stuck in the escalator, they still haven’t finished the job,” he whined.

Trump has repeatedly claimed over the years that he was snubbed in his offer to do the job for as little as $500 million—even at one point offering to do it for free for the sake of “humanity”—but Manhattan’s most famous property developer never even put in an official bid.

Instead, he appears to have used the episode to generate column inches and TV hits.

The bad blood dates back to January 2001. Fresh off a pre-2000 flirtation with a presidential run, and having demanded a meeting with the U.N.’s then Secretary-General Kofi Annan, Trump turned up in the Turtle Bay neighbourhood, which plays host to the U.N.’s offices, to pitch himself for its long-delayed overhaul, with its costs spiraling.

After a half-hour with Annan, he boasted he might “take a look” at bidding, and later recalled of the meeting: “I sat down, I felt like a head of state. I thought the meeting went amazingly well. I was expecting a call the following day.”

However, according to the U.N., the onus had been on Trump to make the first move, and no bid was forthcoming.

No matter, with the redevelopment still under discussion by the mid-2000s, Trump kept using the project to generate headlines.

In April 2005, he said he called Senator Jeff Sessions to explain that the U.N. was about to blow a $1.2 billion loan and that he could do the job for “only $500 million.” He told the Associated Press that he’d warned Sessions in the private call that “someone’s going to make a fortune.”

Trump was then invited to give evidence in the Senate, where his testimony began, “I am a big fan, a very big fan, of the United Nations and all it stands for.”

But he quickly descended into a rant against the body for not knowing “what they’re doing” and for overpaying on the renovation by hundreds of millions of dollars.

Trump even boasted he’d oversee the job “for free.”

“I don’t want any fees. I’d like to do it for humanity,” he said. He claimed he would do it cheaper, faster, and better than their plan, throwing shade at his fellow New York contractors who were “major slime.”

In response, Annan said, “If that’s the case, I’m sure he will get the contract, and so I would encourage him to bid,” yet Trump never came up with a proposal. And so, in 2007, the U.N. selected Skanska USA as construction manager, targeting completion by 2014.

Briefings from the time show that the scope, which included sprinklers, asbestos removal, and full heating system replacement, was far beyond Trump’s TV-friendly math.

When asked about the contractor being appointed, Trump responded, “I’ve said it all.” But he hadn’t.

The building works were expected to take about seven years and cost between $1.2 billion and $1.6 billion. Just as the revamp began in May 2008, Trump resurfaced to insist that he could finish it in “18 months” for “no more than $750 million.”

“It’s a total disgrace,” he added. “What’s happening to all that money?”

His outburst prompted Vivian Van de Perre, the U.N. official behind the renovation, to dryly note, “We wish he had put in a bid for $750 million.”

Amid the building work, Trump kept sniping. In 2012, he tweeted that the General Assembly’s marble “look cheap” and offered to replace it.

The project, of course, moved on without him. The HQ was gutted to its steel and rebuilt, and the General Assembly Hall was renovated.

Work was finally completed in September 2015, at an estimated $2.15 billion.

Despite having had no real involvement and never actually getting snubbed, Trump still clearly holds a grudge against the United Nations.

After he reprised his Turtle Bay tale on Tuesday, he went on the attack against almost everything the peacekeeping organization does, claiming the U.N. had “tremendous potential” but relied on “strongly worded letters” and “empty words.”

The Daily Beast has contacted the White House and the United Nations for comment.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-real-cause-of-trumps-25-year-vendetta-against-the-un/?

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Trump’s touting of an unproven autism drug surprised many, including the doctor who proposed it

A Trump administration decision to repurpose an old chemotherapy drug for autism treatment has surprised many experts — including the physician who recently proposed the idea. Dr. Richard Frye tells The Associated Press he was surprised by Monday’s abrupt announcement promoting a generic drug as an option for autism. Frye assumed more research would be required. Read more.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤

Trump’s misleading comments on autism validate the ‘MAHA’ movement and reveal its political potency Trump’s Tylenol and vaccine warnings leave some pregnant women concerned, others angry The economy was a strength for Trump in his first term. Not anymore, according to recent polling

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Even Public Education Not Safe from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act

While we have frequently highlighted how the One Big Beautiful Bill Act slashes funding for health care and food assistance, another provision of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act stands to harm public education: the creation of the federal school voucher program. The new program provides a federal tax incentive to generate additional money for private school education and other educational expenses. The tax incentive is money that would have otherwise been owed to the government through taxes. This is money that, with Congress’s direction, the federal government could have spent on something else, like investing in programs that lift children and families out of poverty or in public education.

https://www.aradvocates.org/even-public-education-not-safe-from-the-one-big-beautiful-bill-act/?

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⚡ Trump threatens mass firings during shutdown

President Trump types on his phone on Marine One before returning to D.C. after the UN General Assembly on Tuesday. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images The White House is threatening to use a potential short-term spending lapse to make long-term changes to the federal workforce, Axios' Hans Nichols writes. Why it matters: Thousands of government employees could permanently lose their jobs if Congress doesn't reach an agreement to fund the government by Oct. 1 (next Wednesday). "It has never been more important for the Administration to be prepared for a shutdown if the Democrats choose to pursue one," Russ Vought, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, wrote to agencies and departments last night. Vought is instructing agencies to send "Reduction in Force (RIF) notices for all employees" in programs that are "not consistent with the president's priorities," according to the memo. Vought is also indicating that programs that received money in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act will not be targeted. ? Between the lines: Vought is setting up a two-track approach that would be triggered by a potential shutdown. Jobs would be spared in programs focused on border security, immigration enforcement and national defense. Entire programs could be hollowed out if Vought determines they are not consistent with the president's agenda. ? Zoom out: The Vought memo, first reported by Politico, marks a dramatic escalation over a government shutdown, with the White House all but daring Democrats not to support a short-term spending stopgap. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Speaker Mike Johnson aren't even talking about how to avoid a government shutdown next week, Jeffries told reporters yesterday. Trust is low.

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⚠️ Inching closer to "skills cliff"

Illustration: Allie Carl/Axios

The Trump administration's move to restrict visas for foreign-born workers is pushing the U.S. closer to a "skills cliff" — where companies struggle to hire talent and may even start offshoring parts of their business, Axios' Emily Peck writes. Why it matters: Add H-1Bs to a laundry list of issues dragging down the supply of skilled workers in the U.S., posing long-term problems for the economy and employers. Two main forces are at work: The crackdown on immigration reduces the labor supply. An aging population and shrinking native-born workforce. Zoom out: The White House argues that cutting back on H-1B visas and immigration is a way of "protecting American jobs." U.S. firms will have to hire citizens. But there aren't lots of workers just sitting around: Employers say there's a dearth of skilled talent they need for specific roles, pushing them to hire overseas, as Axios' Neil Irwin reported. Keep reading.

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Leak Reveals Trump’s Plan for Federal Workers Firing Spree

Angry Democrats say Trump and the Republicans are “holding America hostage.”

Donald Trump’s White House budget office has prepped key federal agencies to brace for mass firings in the event of a government shutdown next week.

The plans have reportedly been put in place if Congress fails to pass a spending bill before Oct. 1.

A memo prepared by the Office of Management and Budget, viewed by Politico, directs agencies to target programs they have no legal obligation to uphold.

The OMB’s memo says it will move beyond the usual process of furloughing government employees during shutdowns to implement potentially sweeping job losses.

“Programs that did not benefit from an infusion of mandatory appropriations will bear the brunt of a shutdown, and we must continue our planning efforts in the event Democrats decide to shut down the government,” the memo reads.

It warns that agencies should prepare for staff to be fired permanently if they are working in programs or projects that will lose their funding on Oct. 1 and cannot find alternative backing and are “not consistent with the president’s priorities.”

Programs that will not be affected by a shutdown will include Social Security, Medicare, veterans’ benefits, military operations, law enforcement, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection, and air traffic control, according to an OMB source cited by Politico.

The Daily Beast has contacted the OMB for comment.

The threat of firings adds intensity to the already tense standoff between Democrats and Republicans ahead of the Sept. 30 government funding deadline.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer criticized OMB Director Russell Vought on Wednesday night after the contents of the memo leaked.

“This is an attempt at intimidation. Donald Trump has been firing federal workers since day one—not to govern, but to scare,” Schumer said in a statement.

“This is nothing new and has nothing to do with funding the government,” he added. “These unnecessary firings will either be overturned in court or the administration will end up hiring the workers back, just like they did as recently as today.”

Schumer was referring to news that the White House was begging hundreds of federal staffers laid off by the so-called Department of Government Efficience to come back to work.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries posted on X, “Listen Russ, you are a malignant political hack. We will not be intimidated by your threat to engage in mass firings. Get lost.”

Trump said on Truth Social this week that he was axing a meeting with leading Democrats called to avert a shutdown.

“After reviewing the details of the unserious and ridiculous demands being made by the Minority Radical Left Democrats in return for their Votes to keep our thriving Country open, I have decided that no meeting with their Congressional Leaders could possibly be productive,” the president wrote.

Schumer soon hit back: “Trump and Republicans are holding America hostage. Donald Trump will own the shutdown.”

https://www.thedailybeast.com/leaked-memo-reveals-plan-for-mass-firings-in-event-of-government-shutdown/?

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Epstein Investigator Taped Admitting Trump ‘Covered Up’ Files

A career federal official says the president is “protecting a lot of people.”

A senior Justice Department investigator who says he interviewed victims in the government’s Jeffrey Epstein case was caught on camera claiming that President Donald Trump is shielding others implicated in the case files.

The hidden-camera tape, which was released on Wednesday, was published by MAGA provocateur James O’Keefe, the founder of Project Veritas, which has previously been accused of publishing deceptively edited videos.

The video appears to capture Glenn Prager, a career federal official, making bombshell claims during a flight from Phoenix to Washington, D.C., earlier this month, where he was recorded by a reporter working for O’Keefe—who was forced out of Project Veritas in a MAGA civil war.

Prager’s LinkedIn profile states that he has more than 25 years of experience in government oversight, investigations, and program integrity. His public service includes roles within the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

“During his tenure at DOJ, Mr. Prager served as an Inspector overseeing sensitive investigations involving major DOJ components, including the FBI, DEA, Bureau of Prisons, U.S. Marshals Service, ATF, and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices,” his profile reads.

In the video, Prager claims that he has reviewed Epstein’s itineraries and interviewed his victims, none of whom have implicated Trump in the sex offender’s crimes.

“I’ve interviewed all the victims,” he said. “There’s never been an instance where Trump was on a plane with these kids and the rapes occurred.”

“People want to tie it to [Trump] and say he’s covering up for himself, but he’s not,” said Prager.

However, Prager believes the president is clearly “protecting a lot of people” in his ongoing attempts to pull MAGA’s attention away from the Epstein files—despite promising to release the files during his re-election bid.

“I don’t know what’s new that I have never seen,” Prager said. “He’s so hesitant to show what’s going on with releasing all his files. I think he’s protecting a lot of other people.”

Trump has insisted that he and Epstein, who died by suicide in a Manhattan holding cell in 2019, were never close friends, repeating several times that he distanced himself from the late financier after he was put on the sex offender list in 2008, shortly after he pleaded guilty to a charge of solicitation of prostitution with a minor.

He’s also continuously referred to the Epstein issue as a “hoax,” and claims any sensitive information in the files would have been revealed by Democrats long ago.

Prager is bothered by Trump’s characterization of the scandal. “I mean, come on,” he said. “You know it’s not a hoax... He says a lot of stupid stuff. He’s been on the plane, now, many times. It’s just, he was never on the plane with the kids.”

According to Prager, the same could not be said for former President Bill Clinton.

“While Bill Clinton was on [Epstein’s] plane, there were rapes that occurred,” Prager said, adding: “And that’s where the big cover-up was.”

Prager also claimed that it will soon be public knowledge that Epstein “was a CIA informant.”

In response to a request for comment, the White House referred the Daily Beast to the Department of Justice. The DOJ did not immediately respond to the Daily Beast’s request for comment.

In a statement to O’Keefe, a DOJ spokesperson said of Prager: “This individual [Glenn Prager] worked at the Department of Justice as a program analyst over 15 years ago. He has no understanding of, or access to, the underlying facts in this investigation. His statements should not be considered accurate. It is disgusting that someone would further exploit victims of sexual abuse by fabricating stories for their personal benefit.”

A spokesperson repeated the same sentiments in a post on X.

O’Keefe’s video has quickly spread online, racking up more than 4 million views on X in less than six hours and prompting responses from officials.

“Senior DOJ Investigator who says he interviewed victims for the government’s Epstein case spills the beans on a hidden camera,” Republican Rep. Thomas Massie wrote in a post on X.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/jeffrey-epstein-investigator-taped-admitting-donald-trump-covered-up-files/?

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Eric Trump Revives Dad’s Failed Vodka Brand

The liquor brand joins Trump-branded Bibles, sneakers, and perfumes.

Eric Trump is picking up where his dad left off.

The president’s second son teased in an Instagram post on Wednesday that he is reviving Trump Vodka, a liquor brand launched by the Donald in 2007 that flamed out just four years later due to low sales.

“COMING SOON,” Eric captioned the post, taking after his father’s signature all-caps typing style.

Before Trump was even inaugurated for a second term in January, Eric had already been mulling launching a vodka line hitched to the family name, according to CBS News.

“Given the success of Trump Winery and Trump Cidery in Charlottesville, Virginia, several groups have approached our team about expanding our offerings to include spirits,” he said at the time. “These conversations, while exciting, have been preliminary and nothing has been finalized.”

The Daily Beast has contacted the Trump Organization for comment.

Just like his father, however, Eric isn’t big on drinking.

“I’m not really a drinker,” he told the New York Post in August. “I really just work.”

Trump Vodka was first announced publicly in 2005.

“By the summer of ’06, I fully expect the most called-for cocktail in America to be the ‘T&T’ or the ‘Trump and tonic,’” Trump, then a famous businessman and TV personality, said in a news release.

The $30 bottles, clad in Trump’s favorite gold, burst onto the scene in 2007 through a glitzy launch party in Los Angeles attended by soon-to-be big names in Hollywood, including Kim Kardashian.

“It’s a smooth vodka, it’s a great-tasting vodka,” Trump said during the launch, even though he’s famously known as a teetotaler.

Trump acknowledged the irony of his latest business venture in a 2005 interview with radio personality Don Imus.

“I know it’s like tobacco companies making cigarettes and then advertising ‘Don’t smoke,’” he said. “But it’s a legal product, and if I don’t sell it, someone else will.”

In the six months before Halloween 2008, Bloomberg reported, Trump Vodka did only $805,000 in sales, down by half from the previous year. By 2011, the drink was no longer being produced.

Trump Vodka is set to join a host of other product lines bearing the president’s name, from $1,000 Bibles to $300 sneakers and his-and-hers perfumes.

Trump snapped earlier this month when an Australian reporter confronted him about whether a president in office “should be engaged in so much business activity.”

“Well, I’m really not. My kids are running the business,” he said. “In my opinion, you are hurting Australia very much right now, and they want to get along with me.”

https://www.thedailybeast.com/eric-trump-revives-dads-failed-vodka-brand/?

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Trump’s Frantic Response to Epstein Birthday Book Bombshell Revealed

The newspaper that first reported the bawdy birthday card has described the president’s reaction to it.

The Rupert Murdoch-owned newspaper that first revealed the bawdy birthday card Donald Trump allegedly wrote for Jeffrey Epstein says his instant response on learning of its report was to call Murdoch from Air Force One.

The Wall Street Journal reported on the bombshell birthday book in July, including the allegation that Trump’s contribution to the 2003 album, compiled by Ghislaine Maxwell for the pedophile financier’s 50th birthday, was a poem written within a sketch of a naked woman. The signature was placed to resemble pubic hair.

The card included the line, “Happy Birthday—and may every day be another wonderful secret.”

The president’s aides informed Trump about the contents of the letter in the birthday book while he was aboard the presidential plane heading to D.C., according to a report by the Journal tracking the Trump administration’s failure to contain the Epstein controversy.

Trump, 79, immediately told his aides that he would try to kill the story himself before it was published, the Journal said.

He added that he believed the letter did not exist and that he would “never write such a letter,” it added. Trump has since repeated those claims.

While still on board, Trump called the Journal’s 94-year-old proprietor, insisting the story was untrue “and that he should handle it,” according to a person familiar with the brief call.

The story was published despite Trump’s personal intervention.

A furious Trump took to Truth Social to outline the course of events regarding the infamous letter. “The Wall Street Journal, and Rupert Murdoch, personally, were warned directly by President Donald J. Trump that the supposed letter they printed by President Trump to Epstein was a FAKE and, if they print it, they will be sued,” he posted.

“Mr. Murdoch stated that he would take care of it but, obviously, did not have the power to do so. The Editor of The Wall Street Journal, Emma Tucker, was told directly by Karoline Leavitt, and by President Trump, that the letter was a FAKE, but Emma Tucker didn’t want to hear that. Instead, they are going with a false, malicious, and defamatory story anyway. President Trump will be suing The Wall Street Journal, NewsCorp, and Mr. Murdoch, shortly.”

The defamation lawsuit was filed, with the Journal saying that defendants had moved to dismiss the case this week.

In a statement to the Daily Beast, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson called the Journal article “a lazy rewrite of a dead story.”

“It’s not news that Epstein knew Donald Trump, because Donald Trump kicked Epstein out of his club for being a creep,” Jackson said. “Democrats and the media knew about Epstein and his victims for years and did nothing to help them while President Trump was calling for transparency, and is now delivering on it with thousands of pages of documents.”

The Journal article also reports that Trump was shocked to find his MAGA fanbase was still fixating on the Epstein issue during a Turning Point USA event in July this year.

Trump reportedly told aides that he “couldn’t understand why people were so obsessed” with Epstein and that they did not understand “that Palm Beach in the 90s was a different time.”

The letter Trump claims he did not write, sketch, or sign was finally released to the public earlier this month when the House committee dumped over 30,000 documents relating to Epstein.

Trump and Murdoch were seen together during a state banquet at Windsor Castle as part of the president’s state visit to the U.K. earlier this month.

Trump biographer Michael Wolff claimed it was a strategic move, telling the Daily Beast’s Inside Trump’s Head podcast this month, “What Trump intimates have told me is, because he believes that he can ‘pressure the old man into a settlement.’”

https://www.thedailybeast.com/donald-trumps-frantic-response-to-jeffrey-epstein-birthday-book-bombshell/?

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Trump Plot to Indict Longtime Target Is About to Succeed

The president has been fiercely critical of former FBI Director James Comey.

Former FBI Director James Comey, who has been the target of Donald Trump’s attacks for years, could face criminal charges in the next few days for allegedly lying to Congress.

Trump and his MAGA conspiracy theorist followers have long maligned Comey as a leader of the government’s “deep state.”

The report that the former FBI boss might be indicted came days after the president raged in a Truth Social post that Comey hadn’t been charged despite being “guilty as hell.”

It followed the decision by U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Erik Siebert to resign because he was reportedly under pressure to indict Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.

On Monday, Trump hired one of his former personal lawyers, Lindsey Halligan, as acting U.S. Attorney for the district.

Now, according to MSNBC, federal prosecutors are nearing a decision to indict Comey, 64, who headed the bureau from 2013 until his termination in 2017.

Comey was fired by Trump, who was angered by his handling of the Russiagate conspiracy, early in his first term.

The criminal probe has centered on claims that Comey made false statements during the September 2020 testimony he made about alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election.

Comey is adamant that he was truthful under oath, and he has not been charged with any crime.

Comey faced backlash in May after posting an image on social media of seashells spelling out the numbers “86 47,″ which Republicans attacked as a threat to Trump.

The number 86 can sometimes be used as a way of saying something is being discarded or thrown away. Comey denied the post meant anything sinister.

Trump also accused Comey of leaking memos to the media about their conversations while he was FBI chief. A Department of Justice Inspector General’s report said later that Comey violated agency policy by leaking the information.

“Perhaps never in the history of our Country has someone been more thoroughly disgraced and excoriated than James Comey in the just released Inspector General’s Report. He should be ashamed of himself!” Trump posted at the time.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/donald-trump-plot-to-indict-longtime-target-james-comey-is-about-to-succeed/?

ps:So the guy that really help him, more than anyone, become president of the USA he's going to trump (no pun intended) up charges as if he's a criminal!!!!! Just because this Republican wouldn't bend over or bow the knee to him, he's doing this!!!!! Pretty sick if you ask me.

Ex-FBI Director James Comey indicted after Trump pushes for prosecution of longtime foe

WASHINGTON (AP) — James Comey was charged Thursday with lying to Congress in a criminal case filed days after President Donald Trump appeared to urge his attorney general to prosecute the former FBI director and other perceived political enemies.

https://apnews.com/article/james-comey-charged-lying-congress-a2c72e1a5bb73d588f3af7fdb56caa82?

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White House budget office tells agencies to draft mass firing plans ahead of potential shutdown In a memo released Wednesday night, the Office of Management and Budget said agencies should consider a reduction in force for federal programs whose funding would lapse next week, is not otherwise funded and is “not consistent with the President’s priorities.” Read more.

Why this matters: This move from OMB significantly increases the consequences of a potential government shutdown next week and escalates pressure on Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. The two leaders have kept nearly all of their Democratic lawmakers united against a clean funding bill pushed by President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans that would keep the federal government operating for seven more weeks, demanding immediate improvements to health care in exchange for their votes.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Trump’s workforce purge batters DC’s job market and leads to rise in homes for sale, report finds   Federal judge refuses to reinstate eight former inspectors general fired by Trump administration   Justice Department to try to charge ex-FBI Director James Comey, AP sources say   Judge rejects ex-FBI agent’s claim he was illegally fired for disparaging Trump in texts   US Justice Department official ordered to drop inquiry into Sandy Hook lawsuit against Alex Jones   Judge scolds Justice Department over public statements in UnitedHealthcare CEO murder case   Trump administration to hold back grants from NYC, Chicago, Fairfax schools over bathroom policies   In his words: Trump’s rhetoric about Zelenskyy and Putin has evolved   They said it: Leaders at the UN, in their own words   FACT FOCUS: A look at Trump’s UN claims about irregular migration in Europe   FACT FOCUS: Trump repeats false claim at UN that he has ended 7 wars   Hillary Clinton slams RFK Jr. and the spread of ‘crackpot ideas,’ saying they are costing lives   Dr. Oz is more moderate on Tylenol than Trump   Pentagon adds exemptions to requirement for all troops to get the flu shot   Family of 1 of the 67 Washington plane crash victims sues the FAA, Army and American Airlines   Kimmel is back on ABC to big ratings, but some affiliates still refuse to air his show   Harris faces protesters, condemns Israel’s war in Gaza on first night of book tour   Trump says he was victim of ‘triple sabotage’ at UN and Secret Service is looking into the matter   Trump’s Rose Garden Club is a lavish new hangout for political allies and business elites   Trump snubs Biden with autopen photo on new Presidential Walk of Fame

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Putin Trolling Trump With Russian Jets Buzzing Alaska

The move came a day after Trump described Russia as a ‘paper tiger’ and suggested Ukraine could defeat them.

He was given the red carpet treatment, a military flyover and a rare ride in the presidential limousine.

But nearly six weeks after Vladimir Putin was invited to an historic summit with Donald Trump in Alaska, the U.S. intercepted Russian bombers and fighter jets that flew near the state this week in an apparent test of America’s defense systems.

Two Russian Tu-95 long-range strategic bombers and two Su-35 fighter jets were seen flying in the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone on Wednesday, which is international airspace that abuts U.S. and Canadian sovereign airspace.

North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) responded by sending four F-16 fighter jets, a surveillance aircraft, and KC-135 tanker planes, “to positively identify and intercept” the Russian aircraft.

The move came a day after Trump branded Russia a “paper tiger” and declared that Ukraine was doing such a good job on the battlefield it could defeat Moscow with the help of the West.

In a stunning reversal of his push for Ukraine to make territorial concessions to Putin, Trump declared on Tuesday that Ukraine was now “in a position to fight and WIN all of Ukraine back in its original form.”

After meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, Trump also described Russia as “a paper tiger”—an unflattering reference to something that purports to be strong but is actually ineffectual and unable to withstand challenge.

Not surprisingly, Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov hit back.

“Russia is more associated with a bear,” he told RCB radio. “There are no ‘paper bears,’ and Russia is a real bear.”

But Wednesday’s activity was not the first time jets have buzzed near Alaska, a state that the country once owned before it was sold to the U.S. in 1867.

And while authorities say the activity was not a direct threat, many view it as the latest in a series of Russian flights that appear to be testing the preparedness of U.S. and allied NATO nations.

In recent weeks, Russia has entered the airspace of Poland, Estonia and Romania, in what leaders have condemned as a provocative escalation.

Another suspected Russian incursion took place in Denmark, where mysterious drones forced the closure of Copenhagen airport on Monday night.

Asked if he believed the NATO member countries should shoot down Russian drones that violate their airspace, Trump replied on Tuesday: “Yes, I do.”

Trump’s meeting with Zelensky in New York marked a significant shift in rhetoric for the U.S. president, whose patience with Putin has been wearing thin.

Since rolling out the red carpet for his Russian counterpart in Alaska, Putin has refused to negotiate in good faith and continued to bomb Ukrainian territory.

In his UN speech, Zelensky thanked Trump for his support, while urging nations to act collectively to end the war.

“Stopping this war now and within the global arms race is cheaper than building underground kindergartens or massive bunkers for critical infrastructure later,” he said.

“Stopping Russia now is cheaper than wondering who will be the first to create a simple drone carrying a nuclear warhead… Don’t stay silent while Russia keeps dragging this war on.”

https://www.thedailybeast.com/putin-trolling-trump-with-russian-jets-buzzing-alaska/?

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Young Trump Voters Say They Regret Voting for ‘Reckless Dictator’

The president receives poor feedback when his own voters are asked “first word that comes to mind” question.

Several young voters who backed Donald Trump in the last election have explained why they now regret their choice.

When The New York Times asked the young voters for single words to describe life under Trump, “reckless,” “overpowering,” and “aggressive” came to mind.

They were frustrated with Trump’s failure to improve the U.S. economy, his overly strong stance on immigration, abandoning his “America First” agenda, and his handling of overseas conflicts.

In the latest edition of The NYT’s “America in Focus” project, Trump voters in their late 20s and early 30s who said they “somewhat disapproved” of or had mixed views about the president’s performance were asked about their reasons why.

When The Times asked these second-guessing Trump voters for the first word that came to mind when they think of the president, Mustafa, a 28-year-old from Georgia, replied, “The way that he’s been handling things recently, dictatorship.”

Trump’s support among young voters was cited as one of the key reasons for his sweeping 2024 victory. However, polls suggest that this demographic, generally associated with backing Democratic candidates, is already regretting its decision.

A Pew Research Center survey in August showed that 69 percent of Trump voters under 35 approved of his performance as president. While still a substantial number, it represents a dramatic 23-point decline compared to the start of his second term.

Mustafa, who works in the automotive industry, was one of those who told The Times he thinks Trump’s second term is worse than he expected.

“We’re focused on Ukraine and Israel more than I feel like the United States. The military, I like it, has gotten much better than it used to,” he said. “But I thought he was going to come in and end the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.”

Quinton, a 33-year-old account manager from Georgia, believes Trump is not living up to his promises regarding the economy, long cited by supporters as one of the president’s strong points.

“For me, it comes down to taxes and jobs. The job market is just not good at all. I have a lot of friends and family members who are struggling to find work,” Quinton said. “He made it seem like he was going to look out for the working-class people, and it’s the exact opposite.”

John, a 28-year-old delivery driver in Florida, also cited financial reasons for beginning to regret voting for Trump.

“I feel like even though my specific investment in cryptocurrency is doing good overall, he has ruined the cryptocurrency market for a lot of cryptocurrencies,” he told The Times. “A lot of these rich people are just pumping-and-dumping stuff, coming out with tokens. And this is not really what I voted for.”

Elsewhere, Kelsey, 32, an independent who works in tech, believes Trump is going too far with his hardline deportation plans. “I just think it’s way too aggressive. Even if it’s the worst of the criminals, can they be treated more humanely once they get to the deportation centers?”

A similar sentiment was expressed by 32-year-old Montana engineer Sarah, who said she is having a “hard time trusting in my current democracy and my Constitution when I’m not really sure I’m seeing those honored even in these processes of deportation.”

The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/young-donald-trump-voters-say-they-regret-voting-for-reckless-dictator/?

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Trump admin to use Elon Musk's Grok chatbot for government business

The Trump administration has approved Elon Musk's artificial intelligence chatbot Grok for official government use for every agency, according to the General Services Administration.

https://www.axios.com/2025/09/25/trump-elon-musk-grok-ai-chatbot?

Trump signs executive order supporting proposed deal to put TikTok under US ownership

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday that he says will allow TikTok to continue operating in the United States in a way that meets national security concerns.

https://apnews.com/article/trump-tiktok-china-framework-deal-fff6094ef7012840ec726fcf2cb68aef?

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Trump's revenge strike

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

Former FBI director James Comey was indicted last night in federal court in Alexandria, Va., and charged with making false statements to Congress and obstructing its investigation of the Russia probe, Axios' Julianna Bragg and Marc Caputo write. Why it matters: By demanding and securing the prosecution of a longtime nemesis, President Trump is all but erasing guardrails meant to keep America's justice system above partisan warfare. Comey, 64, said in a video on Instagram that he's innocent, adding that "my family and I have known for years that there are costs to standing up to Donald Trump. But we couldn't imagine ourselves living any other way." "We will not live on our knees, and you shouldn't either." Comey is expected to surrender this morning, CNN reports. In a two-page indictment, Comey is accused of lying to the Senate in September 2020 when he said he had not authorized anyone else at the FBI to leak information. The grand jury rejected an additional count of making a false statement. ? Zoom in: The indictment was brought in the final days before the statute of limitations was set to expire. The Justice Department decision came shortly after Erik Siebert, a former U.S. Attorney in Virginia, resigned. Siebert oversaw investigations against Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, another Trump foe. Siebert had expressed doubts about the cases and declined to bring forward criminal charges against Comey or James. Trump told reporters last week that he "wanted [Siebert] out," prompting the attorney's resignation hours later. Trump replaced him with Lindsey Halligan, one of his former personal lawyers, as acting U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. ? Flashback: Trump abruptly fired Comey as FBI director in 2017, initially citing his handling of Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server, but later admitted he did so because of the Russian collusion probe. The firing led to Robert Mueller's appointment as special counsel, whose investigation was vilified by Trump as a "witch hunt." Via Truth Social President Trump said last night on Truth Social: "JUSTICE IN AMERICA! ... He has been so bad for our Country, for so long, and is now at the beginning of being held responsible for his crimes against our Nation." ps:My guess this will be thrown out of court!!

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? Trump's new tariff targets

Illustration: Lindsey Bailey/Axios

President Trump imposed broad new tariffs Thursday on pharmaceuticals, furniture and trucks last night — after months of hints that more levies were coming, Axios managing editor for business Ben Berkowitz writes. Why it matters: With Trump's tariff authority at risk of being struck down by the Supreme Court, these new measures take advantage of more established law to impose sweeping duties on critical sectors. In a series of Truth Social posts, Trump set a list of new duties starting Oct. 1. ? 100% tariff on pharmaceutical products, unless the manufacturer is in the process of building manufacturing capacity in the U.S. ?️ 50% tariff on kitchen cabinets and 30% on upholstered furniture. ? 25% tariff on heavy trucks. The big picture: Tariffs are generating more than $30 billion a month in revenue for the government, and are now a critical piece of Trump's fiscal policy. If the Supreme Court finds he exceeded his authority in imposing sweeping reciprocal tariffs, about 70% of his levies would be wiped out. Go deeper: Trump threatens drugmakers who aren't building U.S. plants.

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? Latinos sour on Trump

People protest in downtown LA in response to immigration raids in June. Photo: David McNew/Getty Images President Trump made historic gains for the GOP among Latino voters last year. But polls and other indicators suggest their support for him is falling amid growing anger over his handling of the economy and immigration, Axios' Russell Contreras writes. Why it matters: Latinos' rising discontent could mean trouble for the GOP heading into the 2026 midterms, and undermine Republican redistricting efforts — namely in Texas — partly aimed at exploiting the party's recent gains among such voters. By the numbers: Trump's support is falling among Latinos across gender and age categories, with his favorability 20 points underwater, according to a new poll by left-leaning Latino voter group Somos Votantes. ? Between the lines: Trump's tariffs have South Texas farmers on edge as crop sales decline, while Latino small-business owners — from bootmakers to small retailers — say their costs are rising. Grocery prices are up in most categories, and border ports, which are key sources of economic activity in the American Southwest, face financial uncertainty. Trump's immigration crackdown by masked federal agents occasionally has involved arrests of Mexican Americans and other U.S.-born Latinos. Trump's push to deport not just dangerous criminals, but also nonviolent undocumented workers and some legal immigrants, has exacerbated labor shortages and helped to fuel inflation in some sectors. Keep reading.

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? White House priorities: AI + quantum

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

AI and quantum computing top the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy's research and development priorities, Axios AI+ Government co-author Ashley Gold writes from a White House memo. Why it matters: The office is doubling down on AI development as it looks to the future of the Trump administration's science and technology agenda. Office of Management and Budget director Russell Vought and White House Office of Science and Technology Policy director Michael Kratsios sent the memo to agency heads: "American dominance is not guaranteed and our adversaries pursue whole-of-nation approaches" to tech competition. Read the 8-page memo.

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? Time capsule: The Comey indictment

Download here.

The N.Y. Times' Maggie Haberman captures why this is such a hinge moment: "It broke fundamental democratic norms." "Other Trump foes are now at risk." "Trump's fury appears unabated." "Prosecutors face challenges to winning the case." Images: N.Y. Post, David Muir on ABC News

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Trump says he will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank President Donald Trump vowed Thursday not to allow Israel to annex the occupied West Bank, offering strong assurances that he’d block a move that Arab leaders in the region have staunchly opposed. Read more.

Why this matters: Possible annexation has been floated in Israel in response to a string of countries moving to recognize a Palestinian state. Trump said he’d spoken to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but that he’d be firm in not allowing annexation, adding, “It’s been enough. It’s time to stop now.”   Trump prides himself on his full-throated support for Israel, but has also sought to broker an end to the fighting in Israel’s ongoing war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip. His comments constituted a rare instance of potential pushback against top Israeli officials.   Israel’s current government strongly opposes Palestinian statehood and supports the eventual annexation of much of the West Bank. Netanyahu leads Israel’s most nationalist government in history, and has been under pressure from key coalition allies to deepen Israel’s control over the occupied territory.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Microsoft reduces Israel’s access to cloud and AI products over reports of mass surveillance in Gaza   Slovenia bans Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu from entering, citing an ICC arrest warrant   A mother stranded in Gaza City says she and her daughters are ‘waiting to die’

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Trump asks Supreme Court to uphold restrictions he wants to impose on birthright citizenship

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump ‘s administration is asking the Supreme Court to uphold his birthright citizenship order declaring that children born to parents who are in the United States illegally or temporarily are not American citizens.

https://apnews.com/article/trump-supreme-court-birthright-citizenship-6d282d34b7aa1e992390499504ad5c7d?

⚖️ Trump foe gets subpoena

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis speaks to the media in 2023 after a grand jury brought back election-interference indictments against President Trump. Photo: Elijah Nouvelage/Reuters The Justice Department has issued a subpoena for records related to the travel history of Fani Willis, the Atlanta-area district attorney who charged President Trump in a sweeping election interference case in 2023, the N.Y. Times' Richard Fausset and Danny Hakim scoop. Why it matters: The federal grand jury subpoena reviewed by The Times "is an indication that the Justice Department under President Trump may be investigating another one of his old foes," The Times notes. "On Thursday, the department indicted James B. Comey, the former FBI director, over the objection of career prosecutors who found insufficient evidence." It's unknown whether Willis is the target of the probe or whether she'll face charges. Last week, the sputtering election interference case "was finally put on ice, officially taken out of Willis' hands by the Georgia Supreme Court and sent to the dustbin of the Georgia Prosecuting Attorneys' Council," The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Go deeper: Comey latest.

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? Trump orders release of Earhart files

Amelia Earhart leaves Londonderry, Northern Ireland, for London, on May 22, 1932. Photo: Sidney Maledine/AP President Trump ordered his administration to "declassify and release all Government Records" related to mysteries about aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart, "her final trip, and everything else about her." "I have been asked by many people about the life and times of Amelia Earhart, such an interesting story," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "Thank you for your attention to this matter!" Why it matters: Trump's order on Earhart, the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean, is the latest in the president's declassification spree, Axios' Jason Lalljee reports. Trump has ordered the release of files on the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. ? Context: Earhart's 1937 disappearance over the Pacific Ocean is a cornerstone American mystery, fueling decades of speculation and theories. Earhart and her navigator, Fred Noonan, vanished during her attempt to become the first female pilot to fly around the world. She had radioed that she was running low on fuel. She was declared dead in 1939. ? What we're watching: Purdue Research Foundation (PRF) and the Archaeological Legacy Institute (ALI) announced a joint effort earlier this year to recover what they believe is Earhart's plane in the South Pacific. The expedition will embark from the Marshall Islands in November. ? Reality check: Ric Gillespie, executive director of the International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery, who has studied Earhart for decades, told AP that "nothing still classified by the U.S. government on Amelia Earhart." Go deeper: Tantalizing Earhart theories.

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Arduous and Unequal: The Fight to Get FEMA Housing Assistance After Helene

Slogging through a thick slop of mud and rock, Brian Hill passed the roof that Hurricane Helene’s floodwaters had just ripped off someone’s barn and dumped into his yard. Then he peered into the unrecognizable chaos inside what had been his family’s dream home.

https://www.propublica.org/article/fema-aid-hurricane-helene-income-disparities?

I Filmed the ICE Officer Who Shoved a Woman to the Floor Inside a New York Courthouse

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has taken one of its agents off the streets after he was caught on video throwing a distraught mother to the floor of a New York City courthouse in front of her two children on Thursday.

https://www.propublica.org/article/ice-officer-shoves-woman-till-eckert?

Trump claims he ended 7 wars. Here's the truth

In September 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump claimed in a speech at the United Nations General Assembly that he had "ended 7 wars." On the same day, the State Department posted a graphic on social media listing the conflicts Trump had purportedly ended.

https://www.snopes.com/news/2025/09/26/trump-end-7-wars/?

The sparse indictment of Comey by Trump’s Justice Department belies a complicated backstory

The indictment of former FBI Director James Comey is only two pages and alleges he falsely testified to Congress in 2020 about authorizing someone to be an anonymous source in news stories. That brevity belies a convoluted and contentious backstory. The events at the heart of the disputed testimony are among the most heavily scrutinized in the bureau’s history. Read more.

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Private equity sees profits in power utilities as electric bills rise and Big Tech seeks more energy

Private investment firms that are helping finance America’s artificial intelligence race and the huge buildout of energy-hungry data centers are getting interested in the local utilities that deliver electricity to regular customers — and the servers that power AI. Buyout proposals are coming at a time when electricity bills are rising fast across the U.S. Opponents worry buyouts will further drive up electric bills for regular people. Read more.   Federal Troops to Portland  President Donald Trump on Saturday directed the Pentagon to send US troops to Portland, Oregon. It is not yet clear which branch of the military will be deployed or when.  The decision comes as dozens of protesters meet regularly outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in the city. Demonstrations have at times turned violent, with protesters charged with assault and federal agents releasing tear gas (see timeline). Trump says the deployment against "Antifa and other domestic terrorists" is designed to protect ICE facilities, where—as a sanctuary city—local police have limited cooperation with federal immigration authorities and only intervene during protests in the event of vandalism and violence. Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek (D) has rejected White House allegations that Portland is in need of federal assistance and does not plan to request the National Guard. Trump has deployed more than 6,000 National Guard troops across Los Angeles and Washington, DC. An estimated 150 National Guard troops will be deployed this week to Memphis, Tennessee, though the number is still in flux.