President Donald Trump called Los Angeles a “trash heap” and promised to “liberate” it from criminals in a speech to troops at Fort Bragg to mark the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army. Trump's visit Tuesday came after he deployed U.S. Marines in response to immigration protests in Los Angeles. Trump claimed that the city would burn to the ground if he had acted. But only a very small section of the city has been subject to violence.
With Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other officials by his side at Fort Bragg, Trump watched as troops crawled through the marsh, showed off military hardware and parachuted from planes.
Earlier Tuesday, Hegseth's acting comptroller, Bryn Woollacott MacDonnell, said it will cost $134 million to send the National Guard and Marines to Los Angeles. She said the amount will come from operations and maintenance accounts.
Here's the latest:
National Guard troops are now protecting ICE agents as they make arrests in LA
National Guard troops began protecting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents as the agents made arrests in Los Angeles on Tuesday.
It’s an expansion of the Guard troops’ duties that been limited to protecting federal property.
▶Read more about the troop deployment in LA
McIver’s lawyer says they will challenge the allegations ‘head-on’
McIver had been charged with assault in a complaint by Habba last month stemming from the May 9 visit to Newark’s Delaney Hall — a 1,000-bed, privately owned facility that Immigration and Customs Enforcement uses as a detention center.
McIver defended her presence at the facility as part of her authorized role as a member of Congress.
Her lawyer, former U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Paul Fishman, says they will challenge the allegations “head-on” in court.
U.S. Rep. McIver indicted on federal charges from skirmish at New Jersey immigration center
The charges allege McIver “forcibly impeded” immigration officers during a skirmish outside a New Jersey detention center. McIver has disputed the allegations as baseless.
The skirmish happened last month as Newark’s mayor, Ras Baraka, was arrested after trying to join McIver and two fellow Democratic representatives who said they went to conduct congressional oversight at Delaney Hall, where other people were protesting outside.
Police bodycam video shows McIver’s elbows pushing into an officer, but it isn’t clear from the video whether that contact was intentional, incidental or a result of jostling in the chaotic scene.
Acting U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Alina Habba announced the grand jury indictment in a post on X.
Trump says troops will stay in LA until there’s peace
The president told reporters that he all he wants to see in Los Angeles is peace and that the troops will stay until he sees it.
“If there’s peace, we get out. If there’s even a chance of no peace, we stay there,” Trump said.
Trump dismisses idea that deploying military in L.A. could inflame situation
The president told reporters when he arrived at Joint Base Andrews after returning from North Carolina that he didn’t think anything would go wrong by deploying troops and said, “It can only go right by having the military.”
“By having the military, it de-escalates,” Trump said.
Trump administration OKs limits on food stamp soda drink purchases in some states
Agriculture secretary Brooke Rollins has approved the restrictions for those making the purchases in Arkansas, Utah and Idaho through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly called SNAP.
The waivers, put forth by governors from the states, will ban people from buying sugary drinks and sodas with taxpayer-funded SNAP dollars.
Rollins and health secretary Kennedy hosted a Washington event to sign the waivers. They’ve traveled throughout the country to urge governors to submit waivers to the federal government that would limit how SNAP money is used to buy unhealthy foods.
The nearly $113 billion program serves about 42 million Americans who have low incomes.
Kennedy promises no ‘anti-vaxxers’ on new CDC vaccine panel
A day after he fired the entire 17-member committee responsible for recommending vaccines for the American public, Kennedy says he plans to install a new board in just two weeks.
Kennedy told reporters that he would bring in “highly credentialed scientists” to sit on the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, a scientific panel that advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on how to use vaccines.
“We’re going to bring great people onto the (advisory) panel -– not anti-vaxxers,” said Kennedy, one of the world’s most prominent vaccine critics.
Leading public health and doctors’ groups have panned Kennedy’s firings of panel members on Monday.
Trump wraps up address to troops by harkening back to assassination attempt
As he ended his more than 50-minute speech, the president reminded the troops of his defiant words after he was nearly assassinated at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania last year:
“Fight, fight, fight!”
“You will do something that has become quite a public and famous little phrase also,” Trump said.
“But you’re a hell of a lot braver than me. You will fight, fight, fight and you will win, win, win.”
Correspondent Terry Moran is out at ABC News over Stephen Miller post
The move comes two days after ABC suspended Moran for a social media post that called the Trump administration’s deputy chief of staff a “world class hater.”
The network said Tuesday that it was at the end of its contract with Moran “and based on his recent post — which was a clear violation of ABC News policies —we have made the decision not to renew.”
The administration quickly condemned Moran for his late-night X post criticizing Miller, which was swiftly deleted.
Rubio condemns allies’ sanctions against right-wing Israeli officials
The secretary of state is blasting the move by five U.S. allies to impose sanctions on right-wing members of Israel’s cabinet for inciting violence against Palestinians in the West Bank amid the Israel’s war against Hamas.
In a statement, Rubio says the sanctions against Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich “do not advance U.S.-led efforts to achieve a ceasefire, bring all hostages home, and end the war” in Gaza.
Ben-Gvir and Smotrich were hit Tuesday with sanctions that include asset freezes and travel bans by Britain, Canada, Norway, New Zealand and Australia.
“We remind our partners not to forget who the real enemy is. The United States urges the reversal of the sanctions and stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Israel,” Rubio said.
▶Read more about the sanctions
Trump calls LA a ‘trash heap’ as he promises to ‘liberate’ it from criminals
“We will liberate Los Angeles and make it free, clean, and safe again,” the president says in his speech.
Trump said that Los Angeles would burn to the ground if he had not sent in military forces.
Only a very small section of the city has been subject to violence that prompted Trump’s decision to send military forces. His vision of Los Angeles is at odds with an affluent city where an average home costs nearly $1 million, according to Zillow.
Trump kicks off speech by celebrating reversal of base name change
The administration’s February order restored the name of the storied special operations forces base in North Carolina back to Fort Bragg.
It was part of an effort to turn back a Biden administration move in 2023 to remove base names that honored Confederate leaders. The North Carolina base was renamed Fort Liberty.
“It’s a beautiful sight to be with you in a place called Fort Bragg,” Trump said. “Can you believe they changed that name in the last administration for a little bit? We’ll forget all about that.”
The base was originally named after Gen. Braxton Bragg, a Confederate general from Warrenton, North Carolina, who was known for owning slaves. The new Fort Bragg honors Army Pfc. Roland L. Bragg, a World War II paratrooper and Silver Star recipient from Maine.
Hegseth tells troops that Trump has their back
The defense secretary warmed up the crowd ahead of Trump’s remarks to troops at Ft. Bragg by assuring soldiers that the president is focused on them and their mission.
“We’re restoring the warrior ethos,” Hegseth said. “We’re getting back to basics.”
He added, “We’re not a college or university. We’re not interested in your woke garbage or political correctness.”
Trump gets close look of US troops in action
With Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other officials by his side, Trump watched as troops crawled through the marsh, while helicopters and drones buzzed above.
The president looked on as nearly 600 paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division soldiers parachuted from C-17 and C-130 planes. There was also a demonstration where the president could hear the loud boom of howitzers and other long-range artillery from a safe distance.
The demonstration ended with two F-15 jets soaring over the military installation.
Lutnick says trade talks with China are going ‘really, really well’
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick said trade talks with China were going “really, really well” when he emerged from the talks in London to briefly speak with the press waiting outside Lancaster House on Tuesday evening.
“We’re very much, you know, spending time, effort and energy,” Lutnick said, according to a video clip posted by the Chinese state broadcaster CGTN. “Everybody’s got their head down working closely through it.”
Lutnick said the two sides worked on “all sorts of trade issues” and that he hoped the talks could end this evening.
Chinese and American officials are meeting in London to work through trade disagreements. It’s the second day for the trade talks.
Army tested DC metal street plating the old fashioned way – by running a tank over it 50 times
Soldiers at Fort Cavazos in Texas had a fun pre-parade assignment: Test if the metal plating planned to protect Washington D.C.’s streets is strong enough for an Abrams.
The plating will be installed at key points along the parade route to try and prevent the capital’s often pothole riddled streets from further damage.
So soldiers at the Texas Army base took an M1 Abrams tank and ran it over that metal plating again and again — importantly through 50 tank turns, which is the movement the Army thinks could cause D.C.’s streets the most damage — to test if if would hold up under the 60-ton tank.
“Then they picked up the plate –- and the road underneath was pristine,” spokesman Steve Warren told The Associated Press.
The tanks will roll down Constitution Avenue and past the White House on Saturday to mark the Army’s 250th birthday.
Rubio orders USAID firings to move ahead, in wake of court stay
Secretary of State Marco Rubio ordered U.S. embassies around the world Tuesday to move ahead on a State directive to fire all remaining U.S. Agency for International Development staffers by Sept. 30.
The State Department will take over all foreign assistance programs from USAID by Monday, Rubio said in a cable sent to embassies and viewed by The Associated Press.
Rubio’s directive comes after a federal court stay in a broad case by a federal employees union challenging Trump administration mass reductions-in-force in multiple agencies, including the State Department. The plaintiffs say the State Department is violating that stay, though the government denies that.
Trump gets to see precision-guided rocket system, troops in action
The president started off his visit to Ft. Bragg with a demonstration of military hardware, including the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, and troops demonstrating a helicopter assault and building raid.
HIMARS, a precision-guided rocket launcher system, are among the most pivotal weapon system the U.S. has provided Ukraine since Russia launched its brutal invasion in February 2022.
Trump arrives at Ft. Bragg to celebrate U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary
President Trump has arrived at the massive military installation in North Carolina to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army to a warmed-up crowd and festive atmosphere.
Artillery, trucks and helicopters are parked on the lawn, along with inflatable slides and attractions for children. Near a security checkpoint — but still on the base — vendors set up two stands selling Trump campaign paraphernalia like hats and shirts.
Pro wrestlers, including the WWE’s Cody Rhodes, worked the crowd before Trump’s arrival.
“WWE will always, always support our troops” Rhodes said
Secretary of Army Dan Driscoll praised Trump as “the greatest recruiter in our army’s history.”
There is a “resurgence of pride” in America. “It’s real. I can feel it,” Driscoll said.
California Democrats warn that Trump’s unchecked reach could extend beyond LA
“We are here not just as Californians but as Americans who are concerned with the direction of our country,” said Rep. Jimmy Gomez, who represents the Los Angeles area.
The Democrats warned during a press conference at the U.S. Capitol that Trump’s decision to send the National Guard and Marines to Los Angeles is inciting chaos, potentially setting the stage for his wider actions.
“We are at a dangerous inflection point in our country,” Gomez said. “In a democracy, civil disobedience isn’t met with military force. But that’s exactly what Trump is doing.”
He said, “If it can happen in Los Angeles, it can happen in any state in the union.
”Rep. Nanette Barragan, whose district includes the city of Paramount, said, “Listen to the words of this administration: They’re using words like insurrection. They’re using words like invasion.”
Barragan warned: “I believe this is their way to lay down the groundwork to try to have martial law and invoke the insurrection act. “That’s a concern,” she said, explaining such an order could encompass the entire country. “That is dangerous. It’s wrong.”
Mexican President says Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem’s claims of inciting violence are ‘absolutely false’
Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem on Tuesday accused Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum of inciting violence in Los Angeles protests, despite the Mexican leader repeatedly calling on protesters to act peacefully.
“Claudia Sheinbaum came out and encouraged more protests in LA and I condemn her for that. She should not be encouraging violent protests that are going on,” Noem said during an appearance in the Oval Office on Tuesday.
The accusation invoked a strong response from Sheinbaum, who called the claims “absolutely false,” in a post on the social media platform X. Sheinbaum posted a video from her morning press briefing in which she called for peaceful protests, referring to Noem’s comments as a “misunderstanding.”
“We do not agree with violent actions as a form of protest, the burning of patrol cars seems more an act of provocation than resistance, it should be clear, we condemn violence, wherever it comes from, we call on the Mexican community to act peacefully and not fall into provocations,” she said in the press briefing.
In her response to Noem, Sheinbaum added that she will “continue to defend honest, hard working Mexicans who support the United States economy,” and called for “dialogue and respect.”
Vance met with Johnson at Capitol to discuss ‘Big Beautiful Bill’
Vice President JD Vance met at the Capitol on Tuesday with Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson, according to a person familiar with the meeting who was not authorized to speak publicly.
Johnson is a Republican who has been very critical of Trump’s bill to cut taxes and spending, arguing the legislation does not do enough to cut government spending.
Vance and Johnson discussed the bill and the White House is optimistic that there’s a path to getting Johnson to support the bill, according to the person, but it was not clear what that path would look like.
Prank show host says Craigslist ad was not intended to make light of LA protests
The host of an online prank show tells The Associated Press that a Craigslist ad seeking “the toughest badasses in the city” was an unrelated joke and was not intended to make light of demonstrations in Los Angeles.
Viral social media posts falsely claimed the ad was proof the Los Angeles demonstrations are made up of paid protesters.
The ad, which is no longer live, was bait for a prank show called “Goofcon1” and had nothing to do with the protests in Los Angeles. It was posted on Craigslist on Thursday, the day before the protests began.
In a livestreamed episode, the show’s hosts on Friday called and spoke with people who responded to the ad. Joey LaFleur, one of Goofcon1’s hosts, confirmed with The Associated Press that he put up the Craigslist ad for the show.
“I literally had no idea it was ever going to be connected to the riots,” LaFleur told AP, referencing the ad. “It was a really weird coincidence. I’m not trying to troll a serious situation.”
California Republican congressman denounces ‘violence and vandalism’ while expressing concern about ICE raids
Rep. David Valadao, a moderate Republican who represents much of the state’s San Joaquin Valley, expressed concern over the scenes in Los Angeles and urged for peaceful protest.
He added that he had expressed concerns to the Trump administration over how it is conducting ICE raids in the Golden State.
“I support the First Amendment right to peacefully protest, but the violence and vandalism happening in Los Angeles is unacceptable and I stand with our law enforcement officers working to protect people and regain control over the situation,” Valadao wrote on social media.
“I remain concerned about ongoing ICE operations throughout CA and will continue my conversations with the administration — urging them to prioritize the removal of known criminals over the hardworking people who have lived peacefully in the Valley for years.”
Gabbard says AI sped up release of JFK files
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard says artificial intelligence accelerated the release of thousands of pages of previously classified documents relating to the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy and Sen. Robert F. Kennedy.
Experts had predicted the process could take many months or even years, but AI was able to quickly scan for any material that should remain classified, Gabbard told the audience at the Amazon Web Services summit Tuesday.
“We have been able to do that through the use of AI tools far more quickly than what was done previously — which was to have humans go through and look at every single one of these pages,” Gabbard said.
Trump said troops will stay in LA ‘until there’s no danger’
Trump said he isn’t worried about things getting out of hand with the military on the ground in Los Angeles.
Asked if he was concerned, Trump said, “No, it’s OK.”
How long will National Guard troops will stay in Los Angeles?
“Until there’s no danger,” Trump said. “When there’s no danger, they’ll leave.”
Trump suggests he’s open to invoking Insurrection Act to quell protest in LA
The president during his Oval Office engagement with reporters left open the possibility of invoking one the most extreme emergency powers available to a U.S. president.
“If there’s an insurrection, I would certainly invoke it. We’ll see,” Trump said. “But I can tell you last night was terrible , and the night before that was terrible.”
The Insurrection Act authorizes the president to deploy military forces inside the United States to suppress rebellion or domestic violence or to enforce the law in certain situations.
It is often referred to as the “Insurrection Act of 1807,” but the law is actually an amalgamation of different statutes enacted by Congress between 1792 and 1871.
Trump says governors, not federal government, should handle disaster management
The president told reporters in the Oval Office that he wants the country to “wean off” of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Trump has been critical of FEMA over the last year and has spread misinformation about it, especially regarding its assistance in North Carolina in the wake of Hurricane Helene.
Trump said disaster management is meant to be handled by governors.
“We’re moving it back to the states so the governors can handle it,” he said. “That’s why they’re governors. Now, if they can’t handle it, they shouldn’t be governor.”
Trump last month pushed out the acting head of FEMA after the administrator testified before Congress that he disagreed with dismantling the agency.
Trump calls press to Oval Office as administration officials talk about fighting wildfires and hurricanes
The event wasn’t on Trump’s public schedule, but the Agriculture and Homeland Security secretaries talked about fighting wildfires and hurricanes.
Trump is sitting at his desk while the officials talk.
The president has cut firefighting crews and also wants to eliminate FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Administration and give states more responsibility for responding to hurricanes.
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders says she wouldn’t allow what’s happening in LA in her state
Sanders, who was press secretary in Trump’s first term, is meeting with administration officials at the White House.
She backs Trump sending the National Guard into Los Angeles without approval from California’s governor and was asked if she’d be OK with a similar move in her state.
“If we needed help, I would be making the phone call myself to the president and asking for his assistance. But in Arkansas, we would never allow to take place what they’re letting to go on in California. But if we needed help, the president would be one of the first people I would call because he is somebody I know who cares deeply about making sure the American people are safe and secure first and foremost.”
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard says intelligence agencies must work faster
And she says she’s working to speed up the delivery of the intelligence information to address a key complaint from policymakers.
Speaking at the Amazon Web Services summit in Washington, Gabbard said the pace of intelligence work frustrated her as a member of Congress and continues to be a challenge to lawmakers.
“They still express a lot of the same frustrations that I felt — that much of what we were briefed on was already reported in a newspaper … and that even if it was quality reporting it was coming too late,” Gabbard said.
Artificial intelligence and computing could help speed up the work, Gabbard said, to ensure lawmakers have the information they need.
Los Angeles deployment to cost at least $134 million and last 60 days, Pentagon says
“We stated very publicly that it’s 60 days because we want to ensure that those rioters, looters and thugs on the other side assaulting our police officers know that we’re not going anywhere,” Hegseth told members of the House appropriations defense subcommittee.
The current cost estimate for the deployment is $134 million, which is largely just the cost of travel, housing and food,” said Bryn Woollacott MacDonnell, special assistant to the secretary of defense who’s currently performing the duties of the Pentagon’s top financial officer.
Hegseth: Funding for Ukraine military aid will be reduced in upcoming defense budget
That could mean Kyiv will receive fewer critical air defense systems in the future that have been key to countering a continuous onslaught of Russian missiles.
“It is a reduction in this budget,” Hegseth told lawmakers. “This administration takes a very different view of that conflict. We believe that a negotiated peaceful settlement is in the best interest of both parties and our nation’s interests, especially with all the competing interests around the globe.”
The U.S. to date has provided Ukraine more than $66 billion in aid since Russia invaded in February 2022.
House Speaker Mike Johnson defended Trump’s handling of protests in Los Angeles
And he echoed the president’s attacks on Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
“That’s not my lane,” Johnson said in response to a question about whether Newsom should face legal consequences such as arrest.
Johnson, speaking at a news conference at the RNC on Tuesday, continued that Newsom should be “tarred and feathered”— eliciting chuckles from members of House Republican leadership at the news conference — for “standing in the way of the administration and the carrying out of federal law.”
Thune says ‘federal response’ necessary to protests in Los Angeles
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a South Dakota Republican, said Tuesday there were “clear failures on the part of state and local officials” in response to protests over immigration raids in Los Angeles and a “federal response” was necessary.
President Trump has sent thousands of National Guard troops and 700 active duty Marines to quell the protests despite the objections of Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom and local leaders.
“I don’t know exactly the authorities that they are using,” Thune said, referring to the Marine deployment. “But obviously, there was a security situation out there that needed to be addressed. And I think ultimately the president’s objective is to keep people safe.”
Hegseth suggests National Guard use for homeland defense will expand under Trump
“I think we’re entering another phase, especially under President Trump with his focus on the homeland, where the National Guard and reserves become a critical component of how we secure that homeland,” Hegseth told lawmakers.
Hegseth earlier refused to answer a lawmaker’s questions on how much a deployment of active duty U.S. Marines to Los Angeles will cost.
Greta Thunberg isn’t fazed by Donald Trump
After the activist joined a flotilla seeking to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza and bring humanitarian aid to Palestinians, the U.S. president described Thunberg as a ″young, angry person.″ He said she should go to ″anger management class."
Thunberg was detained then deported by Israel on Tuesday and sent to Paris.
Asked upon arrival about Trump’s comments, she replied in a matter-of-fact tone: “I think the world needs a lot more young angry women to be honest. Especially with everything going on right now.”
Head of Marine Corps says battalion deployed to LA is there, ready to respond but hasn’t engaged
Gen. Eric Smith testified at a budget hearing before senators that those Marines are trained for crowd control and they would have shields and batons as their equipment. He said they have no arrest authority and are only there to protect federal property and federal personnel.
When asked by Sen. Richard Blumental, a Connecticut Democrat, about the danger Marines would use lethal force that could result in injuries and deaths, Smith said he had faith in them.
“I am not concerned. I have great faith in my Marines and their junior leaders and their more senior leaders to execute the lawful tasks that they are given.”
Ukraine’s surprise drone attack on Russia has the US rethinking its own defenses, Hegseth says
The attack in early June that destroyed a large number of Russian bomber aircraft caught the U.S. off guard and represented significant advances in drone warfare, Hegseth told lawmakers Tuesday.
The attack has the Pentagon rethinking drone defenses “so we are not vulnerable to a threat and an attack like that,” Hegseth told the House appropriations subcommittee on defense.
Hegseth said the Pentagon “is learning everyday from Ukraine,” and focused on how to better defend its own military airfields.
Hegseth refuses to provide lawmakers details on costs of sending Marines to Los Angeles
In a back an forth with the defense appropriations subcommittee’s top Democrat, Hegseth refused to answer basic questions on the cost of deploying Marines to Los Angeles, instead falling back on political talking points.
In a series of questions on the news that Marines would be sent to Los Angeles, House Appropriations defense subcommittee ranking member Rep. Betty McCollum told Hegseth “this is a deeply unfair position to put our Marines in,” she said. “There’s no need for the Marines to be deployed.”
McCollum asked what the cost of the deployment would be. Hegseth deflected on the costs, attacked the decisions of the previous Biden administration instead and talked about illegal immigration.
“Could the Secretary please address the budget” McCollum asked him.
Hegseth again refused to acknowledge McCollum’s question and attacked the politics of the past administration again. McCollum took back her time and Hegseth was instructed by the committee chairman to provide the costs in writing instead.
California Democrats accuses Trump of inciting unrest
Democratic members of California’s congressional delegation are accusing the president of creating a “manufactured crisis” in Los Angeles with his orders to send in thousands of National Guard troops and hundreds of Marines.
“It’s a deliberate attempt by Trump to incite unrest, test the limits of executive power and distract from the lawlessness of his administration,” said Rep. Jimmy Gomez, who organized a news conference at the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday morning.
Rep. Jimmy Panetta said Trump’s decision to send in the military was designed to “give him the image and give him the fight and give him the pictures that he wants.“
Rep. Nancy Pelosi contrasted Trump’s actions now with his handling of the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol when law enforcement officers were being beaten.
“We begged the president of the United States to send in the National Guard. He would not do it,” Pelosi said.
Hegseth skirts acknowledging key controversies in opening remarks
Based on his opening remarks in his first appearance before lawmakers since taking office, there’s been nothing but smooth sailing in the defense chief’s office.
Hegseth completed his opening statement with no mention of his controversial use of Signal, of the lack of defense budget details to guide Congress, or his controversial firings of his own staff or military leaders.
Hegseth also made no mention of a decision to deploy Marines into Los Angeles to respond to immigration raid protests. Instead, he clung closely to the talking points he’s used since taking office, such as emphasizing that “DEI is dead,” and that he’s focused on a return to “lethality.”
Pentagon mired in ‘controversy and chaos,’ lawmaker says in Hegseth hearing
Trump’s defense chief faced a litany of questions on what some lawmakers called “rash” or “reckless” decisions or actions dating back to his first day in office, as Tuesday’s hearing before the House Appropriations defense subcommittee began.
In opening statements, lawmakers asked about Hegseth’s decisions to fire top military leaders, his use of Signal and other controversies, including his firing of several staff members in his inner circle.
“The Department of Defense is mired in controversy and chaos,” said Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the ranking member of the full committee.
Citing trade wars, the World Bank sharply downgrades forecast for global economic growth
President Trump’s trade wars are expected to slash economic growth this year in the United States and around the world, the World Bank forecast Tuesday.
Citing “a substantial rise in trade barriers’’ but without mentioning Trump by name, the 189-country lender predicted that the U.S. economy — the world’s largest — would grow half as fast (1.4%) this year as it did in 2024 (2.8%). That marked a downgrade from the 2.3% U.S. growth it had forecast back for 2025 back in January.
The bank also lopped 0.4 percentage points off its forecast for global growth this year. It now expects the world economy to expand just 2.3% in 2025, down from 2.8% in 2024.
▶ Read more about the World Bank’s forecast
Trump links protests in Los Angeles to home rebuilding after wildfires
Trump said his decision to “SEND IN THE TROOPS” to Los Angeles spared the city from burning to the ground like thousands of homes after wildfires this year.
He wrote on his social media site that people want to rebuild, and that the federal permitting process is “virtually complete on these houses.”
Trump claimed “the easy and simple City and State Permits are disastrously bungled up and WAY BEHIND SCHEDULE!” and blamed California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.
“People want to rebuild their houses. Call your incompetent Governor and Mayor, the Federal permitting is DONE!!!” he wrote.
Trump’s Tuesday schedule, according to the White House
12:25 p.m. — Trump will travel to Fort Bragg, North Carolina
2:40 p.m. — Once he arrives, Trump will observe a military demonstration
4 p.m. — Trump will deliver remarks to service members, veterans and their families
6 p.m. — Trump will travel back to the White House
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to face Congress for first time since Signal leaks
He’s expected to field sharp questions from members of Congress about his tumultuous start as Pentagon chief, including his sharing of sensitive military details over a Signal chat, in three separate Capitol Hill hearings beginning Tuesday.
Lawmakers also have made it clear they’re unhappy that Hegseth hasn’t provided details on the administration’s first proposed defense budget, which Trump has said would total $1 trillion, a significant increase over the current spending level of more than $800 billion.
It will be lawmakers’ first chance to ask Hegseth about a myriad of other controversial spending by the Pentagon, including plans to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on security upgrades to turn a Qatari jet into Air Force One and to pour as much as $45 million into a parade recently added to the Army’s 250th birthday bash, which happens to coincide with Trump’s birthday on Saturday.
▶ Read more about Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth
RFK Jr. ousts entire CDC vaccine advisory committee
Kennedy on Monday removed every member of a scientific committee that advises the CDC on how to use vaccines and pledged to replace them with his own picks.
Major physicians and public health groups criticized the move to oust all 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.
Kennedy, who was one of the nation’s leading anti-vaccine activists before becoming the nation’s top health official, has not said who he would appoint to the panel, but said it would convene in just two weeks in Atlanta.
Although it’s typically not viewed as a partisan board, the entire current roster of committee members were Biden appointees.
▶ Read more about Kennedy’s latest move
Trump pushes ahead with his maximalist immigration campaign in face of LA protests
Trump made no secret of his willingness to take a maximalist approach to enforcing immigration laws and keeping order as he campaigned to return to the White House. The fulfillment of that pledge is now on full display in Los Angeles.
By overriding California’s Gov. Gavin Newsom, Trump is already going beyond what he did to respond to Black Lives Matter protests in 2020, when he warned he could send troops to contain demonstrations that turned violent if governors in the states did not act to do so themselves. Trump said in September of that year that he “can’t call in the National Guard unless we’re requested by a governor” and that “we have to go by the laws.”
But now, he’s moving swiftly to test the bounds of his executive authority in order to deliver on his promise of mass deportations. What remains to be seen is whether Americans will stand by him once it’s operationalized nationwide. For now, Trump is betting that they will.
▶ Read more about Trump’s efforts to fulfill his immigration promises
Trump heads to Fort Bragg while facing criticism for deploying military at Los Angeles protests
Trump plans to speak at Fort Bragg on Tuesday to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army as he deploys the military in an attempt to quiet immigration protests in Los Angeles.
Fort Bragg, located near Fayetteville, North Carolina, serves as headquarters for U.S. Army Special Operations Command. Highly trained units like the Green Berets and the Rangers are based there.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Army Secretary Dan Driscoll will also be at Tuesday’s event, along with service members, veterans and their families.
Trump has promoted the Army’s anniversary as a reason to hold a military parade in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, which is also his 79th birthday.
Trump, who sees the military as a critical tool for domestic goals, has used the recent protests in Los Angeles as an opportunity to deploy the National Guard and U.S. Marines to quell disturbances that began as protests over immigration raids.
▶ Read more about Trump’s Fort Bragg trip
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This story has been updated to correct that Fort Bragg was originally named after Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg and now is named not for the general but for Army Pfc. Roland L. Bragg, a World War II paratrooper and Silver Star recipient from Maine.
