President Trump is preparing for his Friday summit in Alaska with Russian President Vladimir Putin as more details emerge about the historic meeting.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Thursday morning that more sanctions were among the “tools at his disposal” after the president threatened Russia with “consequences” if the peace process doesn’t commence.
This week, the president’s other focus is the federalization of the D.C. police force and deployment of the National Guard in the District. The move has sparked backlash from some residents as law enforcement presence has increased in the city.
On Truth Social late Wednesday, Trump ripped the city over its crime rate, saying it is higher than the mayor says it is. On Thursday morning, he promoted a U.S. Marshals Service social media post that touted its work overnight.
Trump, later on Thursday, will sign a proclamation on Social Security, on the entitlement’s 90th birthday.
Catch up here:
- Jeffrey Epstein battle set to reignite in Congress
- Sherrod Brown gives Democrats jolt of enthusiasm in Ohio
- GOP senator on DC carjacking fears: ‘I don’t buckle up’
Follow along all day for updates.
DC police to aid in federal immigration enforcement
Officers with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) will now be able to assist federal agents with immigration enforcement in the District of Columbia, according to a memo issued days after President Trump authorized the deployment of the National Guard to help tackle crime in the nation’s capital.
MPD officers will be able to share information with immigration authorities about people at traffic stops and provide transportation for federal immigration agency employees and those they have detained.
Trump on Putin summit: ‘If it’s a bad meeting, it’ll end very quickly’
Trump on Thursday said he’ll know minutes into his upcoming summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin whether it’ll be “a good meeting or a bad meeting,” suggesting that the latter would end talks between the two leaders “very quickly.”
“I think it’s gonna be very interesting. We’re gonna find out where everybody stands. And I’ll know within the first two minutes, three minutes, four minutes or five minutes … whether or not we’re going to have a good meeting or a bad meeting,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
“And if it’s a bad meeting, it’ll end very quickly. And if it’s a good meeting, we’re gonna end up getting peace in the pretty near future.”
He’s previously forecast that there’s a “25 percent chance” his talks with Putin aren’t successful.
Trump said his goal for the Friday meeting in Alaska is to “set the table for the next meeting.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will notably be left out of tomorrow’s US-Russia meeting, but Trump has floated a follow-up with all three leaders.
Trump: Warren should ‘take a drug test’ over Mamdani endorsement
President Trump baselessly said Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) should “take a drug test” after she endorsed New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani.
“I watched her the other night. She’s all hopped up endorsing a communist in New York City,” Trump said of Warren. “She’s got to take a drug test. There’s no way somebody can act that way and be normal.”
The president was asked about Warren and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) during an event to mark the 90th anniversary of the Social Security Act.
“I don’t mind him so much,” Trump said of Sanders. “He’s just a liberal guy. Very liberal guy. Wacky guy. He’s still sharp.”
Bondi says alleged DC sandwich thrower was DOJ employee
Attorney General Pam Bondi on Thursday said the Washington, D.C. man accused of throwing a sandwich at a federal law enforcement officer was employed by the Department of Justice (DOJ).
“I just learned that this defendant worked at the Department of Justice — NO LONGER. Not only is he FIRED, he has been charged with a felony,” Bondi wrote in a statement on X.
Noem claims 1.6M illegal immigrants have left US
Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said Thursday that the U.S. now has 1.6 million fewer illegal immigrants since the start of the Trump administration – a claim based on information from an anti-immigration group that said their own estimate may be overstated.
“In less than 200 days, 1.6 MILLION illegal immigrants have left the United States population. This is massive. This means safer streets, taxpayer savings, pressure off of schools and hospital services and better job opportunities for Americans,” Noem wrote in a tweet thanking President Trump.
Read the full story here.
Putin: Trump making ‘energetic and sincere efforts’ toward peace in Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday said that President Trump was making “energetic and sincere efforts” toward peace in Ukraine, according to a new report.
A readout from the Kremlin which NBC News obtained and translated, said Putin brought together advisers Thursday to discuss ceasefire negotiations ahead of his upcoming meeting with Trump in Alaska.
The European leader then said that the Trump administration was making “quite energetic and sincere efforts to stop the fighting, stop the crisis and reach agreements that are of interest to all parties involved in this conflict”, NBC News reported.
What to know about base where Trump, Putin are meeting
President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are slated to have a high-stakes meeting Friday at a military base in Alaska with origins that were crucial to the U.S.’s fight against the Soviet Union in the Cold War.
It remains to be seen whether the frosty Alaska climate will temper tensions between the two world leaders as Russia continues its war against Ukraine.
Gabbard goes after Clapper, declassifying emails on Russia hacking report
Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard is going after her predecessor, pointing to a newly released email as part of her argument that there was an attempt by the Obama administration to undermine President Trump with their investigation of Russia’s 2016 election interference.
A brief email exchange released by Gabbard shows a discussion between then-DNI James Clapper and then-National Security Agency (NSA) Director Mike Rogers in which the NSA director said they needed more time to review information before a coming report to President Obama about Russia’s hacking of the Democratic National Committee (DNC).
Read the full story here.
Blumenthal calls for firing of RFK Jr. ally over violent rhetoric
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) is demanding Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr “immediately” fire a key ally from his role as vaccine advisor on a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention panel due to “escalating and violent” rhetoric in the wake of an attack on CDC headquarters.
Blumenthal wrote a letter to Kennedy on Aug. 13 calling for him to fire Robert Malone from the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). Blumenthal said Malone “issued a meme-filled post” on his personal blog “that included violent and threatening images that appeared to be directed at government officials.”
Rubio to attend Trump-Putin meeting
Secretary of State Marco Rubio is slated to attend the Friday summit between President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, two sources told NewsNation’s Libbey Dean.
Blumenthal calls for firing of RFK Jr. ally over violent rhetoric
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) is demanding Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr “immediately” fire a key ally from his role as vaccine advisor on a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention panel due to “escalating and violent” rhetoric in the wake of an attack on CDC headquarters.
Blumenthal wrote a letter to Kennedy on Aug. 13 calling for him to fire Robert Malone from the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). Blumenthal said Malone “issued a meme-filled post” on his personal blog “that included violent and threatening images that appeared to be directed at government officials.”
Trump-Putin summit will be Russian president’s 49th meeting with a U.S. leader
The Friday summit between President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin will be the European leader’s 49th visit with a sitting U.S. president.
Putin has met with five U.S. leaders: Trump, Biden, Obama, George W. Bush and Clinton.
Bush met the most with Putin — 28 times during his two terms.
— NewsNation
Trump picks Democrat to lead energy regulatory commission
President Trump has selected a Democrat to chair the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) – a surprising move that passes over the panel’s one Republican member.
Trump selected David Rosner, who was nominated to the commission by President Biden as its leader. Rosner is a former aide to then-Sen. Joe Manchin (I-W.Va.), who led the Senate’s Energy and Natural Resources Committee.
Read the full story here.
In the room with Zelenskyy
I sat down at the conference room table as a technical assistant asked me what language I wanted my headset tuned to.
“English,” I replied.
The man flipped through the channels on a small receiver sitting atop the table. Satisfied, he handed me the earpiece and moved on to the next person.
I was one of about 20 journalists invited to meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy this week. I made my way over to the Presidential Palace, where my phones, wallet and practically everything else in my pockets except a notebook and pen were confiscated.
White House: 45 arrests made in DC Wednesday night
The White House said 45 arrests were made Wednesday night in Washington, D.C., and 29 immigrants in the country illegally were removed as part of a federal crack down on crime in the capital.
Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the arrests were made for various offenses, including assault and distribution of illegal drugs. Three illegal firearms were seized, she said.
“In addition to that, there were 29 illegal aliens who were removed off Washington, D.C., streets last night,” Leavitt said.
President Trump earlier this week said he was taking control of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and activating the National Guard in the District of Columbia, as well as surging federal law enforcement officials around the city.
Videos and photos posted late Wednesday night showed federal officers stopping vehicles in downtown D.C. as protesters looked on and expressed their disapproval.
Democrats warn Cantor Fitzgerald about tariff-related trades; note firm’s link to Lutnick
Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Banking Committee Ranking Member Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) have warned Cantor Fitzgerald & Co., financial services firm linked to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, that its tariff-related trades pose a potential conflict of interest.
Wyden and Warren ask in their letter to Brandon Lutnick, the CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald, LP, and Secretary Lutnick’s son, for details on its work on tariff refund agreements and whether anyone at the firm has communicated with President Trump, Secretary Lutnick or other Trump administration officials.
Read the full story here.
New details emerge on Trump, Putin summit in Alaska: What to know
President Trump will depart the White House early Friday morning for a trip to Alaska where he will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin for a high-stakes summit centered on ending the war in Ukraine.
Trump is expected in Anchorage mid-afternoon EDT on Friday. The initial meeting with Putin is expected to take place at 3:30 p.m. EDT with just the two leaders and translators, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said Thursday, according to NBC News.
House Democrat: Trump ‘militarization’ of cities ‘violates everything that we believe in’
Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.) on Wednesday denounced President Trump’s “militarization” of cities such as Los Angeles and Washington, claiming it “violates everything that we believe in.”
MSNBC’s Alicia Menendez asked Goldman if GOP lawmakers are as “unanimously in favor” of Trump’s federal takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) as the president seemingly believes.
FBI director: 45 arrests made overnight in DC
FBI Director Kash Patel early Thursday said 45 arrests were made in Washington, D.C. overnight after President Trump ramped up federal law enforcement presence in the nation’s capital.
“The FBI and our partners made 45 arrests – 29 immigration-related, 16 tied to the violent crime surge, and 3 firearm seizures,” Patel wrote in a statement on X.
Raskin: Maxwell prison move ‘speaks to the irregularity of the process’
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) on Wednesday questioned disgraced socialite Ghislaine Maxwell’s recent prison transfer, as lawmakers press the Trump administration to release more files related to its probe of the late Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking case.
Maxwell, who was convicted and sentenced to 20 years as Epstein’s co-conspirator, was quietly transferred from a Florida prison to a lower-security prison camp in Texas earlier this month, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP). The move comes as she is appealing her case to the administration and Supreme Court.
Trump: ’25 percent chance’ Putin meeting is not successful
Trump told Brian Kilmeade on his Fox News Radio show that there is a “25 percent chance” his meeting with Putin on Friday is not successful.
“This meeting sets up the second meeting,” Trump said. “But there is a 25 percent chance this meeting will not be a successful meeting. In which case I will run the country.”
Trump floats meeting Putin and Zelensky in Alaska
President Trump said he had three potential locations in mind for a possible summit involving Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelensky if his Friday meeting with Putin goes well, including Alaska.
“I don’t know where we’re going to have the second meeting, but we have an idea of three different locations, and we’ll be including the possibility, because it would be by far the easiest, of staying in Alaska,” Trump said.
Trump went on to caution that a second meeting is not guaranteed and is dependent on how his Friday meeting with Putin near Anchorage goes.
Alaska to take center stage at Trump-Putin summit
Alaska will take a rare step into the spotlight as it plays host to the high-stakes summit between President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, creating a key backdrop for a meeting the administration hopes will open a path towards ending the Ukraine war.
The 49th state has usually taken a place on the periphery of U.S. national politics, especially in recent years. But the setting here is notable as Trump and Putin descend on the former Russian colony for a meeting the former has long sought as part of his promises to end the fighting in Eastern Europe.
Read the full story here.
DC residents heckle authorities at checkpoint amid ramped-up federal presence
Federal law enforcement officers in Washington were heckled Wednesday as tensions rise in the nation’s capital over President Trump’s moves to take over the local police force.
A group of protestors near the 14th St. NW corridor, where the agents established a vehicle checkpoint, shouted out or held up signs with phrases such as “Go home, fascists” and “Get off our streets,” The Associated Press reported. The group also encouraged drivers to take other routes to avoid the officers, according to the newswire.
Bolton on Alaska summit: ‘I think Putin has the initiative here’
Former National Security Adviser John Bolton on Wednesday said Russian President Vladimir Putin is entering peace talks with the initiative of convincing President Trump that he’s ready for peace — whether he truly is or not.
“I think Putin has the initiative here, and I think his — what he‘s going to try and do is show to Trump that he has a peace plan and that it‘s sincere, even though I don‘t think it will be,” Bolton said during a Wednesday appearance on CNN’s “AC360.”
Trump rating on honesty, trustworthiness at new second-term low: Survey
President Trump, according to recent polling, has seen the number of Americans who would describe him as “trustworthy” or “honest” dwindle since returning to office.
A new Economist/YouGov survey, released earlier this week, found that 31 percent of respondents would use the labels to describe Trump, marking a second-term low for the president. In March, 33 percent of U.S. adults said the same.
California voters widely prefer keeping independent redistricting panel: Poll
California voters widely prefer keeping the state’s independent redistricting commission, new polling shows, as Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) threatens to bypass it to counter GOP gerrymandering in other states.
A Politico-Citrin Center-Possibility Lab survey found that just 36 percent of California voters support returning congressional redistricting authority to the state Legislature, compared to 64 percent who back the independent redistricting commission.
Newsom has pledged to move forward with plans for redistricting in the Golden State as a direct response to Republican-led redrawing efforts elsewhere.
President Trump and others in the GOP have been urging several red states to do mid-decade redistricting and expand the party’s midterm pickup opportunities. In Texas, state Democrats fled to break quorum this month over a proposal that would net five GOP House seats.
To counter would-be Republican gains, Newsom has proposed putting forward a ballot measure that would bypass the independent redistricting commission for the 2026, 2028 and 2030 election cycles, before reverting to the existing system.
Wholesale inflation spikes, putting Fed in tricky position
Wholesale prices increased in July at the quickest pace since February as economists are keeping a sharp eye on inflation data amid President Trump’s trade war.
The 0.9-percent monthly increase — which blew past economists’ expectations — puts the Federal Reserve in a tough position as the central bank faces pressure on both sides of its mandate to keep prices low and employment as high as possible.
The surprisingly weak July jobs report showed that employment conditions are worsening, but upward-moving prices mean the Fed will have to negotiate stagflationary concerns in the short term.
“After a string of data that pointed to greater odds of a September rate cut, the large upside surprise in the producer price data highlights the dilemma the Federal Reserve faces in judging the risks to its dual mandate,” Matthew Martin, an economist with Oxford Economics, wrote in a commentary.
Melania Trump demands Hunter Biden retract comments linking her to Epstein
First lady Melania Trump is demanding that Hunter Biden retract and apologize for comments that linked her to disgraced financier and sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
She is seeking $1 billion in damages over comments Hunter Biden, the son of former President Biden, made in an interview last month with YouTube personality Andrew Callaghan.
Trump on Truth Social touts liberation of D.C.
Trump on Thursday night posted about the crime rate in Washington, D.C., and his administration’s takeover of law enforcement.
“The White House is in charge. The Military and our Great Police will liberate this City, scrape away the filth, and make it safe, clean, habitable and beautiful once more!”
He claimed, without evidence, that Washington has one of the “highest crime rates in the world,” saying data released by city officials is not to be believed.