White Home says that second strike on vessel was authorized and performed in ‘self-defence’
In response to questions from reporters right this moment, Karoline Leavitt defended the second strike on a suspected drug-trafficking vessel on 2 September this 12 months.
“President Trump and secretary Hegseth have made it clear that presidentially designated Narco terrorist teams are topic to deadly focusing on in accordance with the legal guidelines of conflict,” Leavitt mentioned of the focused assault, by which the protection secretary reportedly advised officers to “kill everyone” after two survivors had been recognized after an preliminary strike.
“Adm Bradley labored properly inside his authority and the regulation directing the engagement to make sure the boat was destroyed and the risk to america of America was eradicated. And I might simply add another level to remind the American public why these deadly strikes are going down, as a result of this administration has designated these Narco terrorists as overseas terrorist organizations,” the press secretary added.
Leavitt mentioned right this moment that strike was performed in “self-defence to guard Individuals in important United States pursuits”. She additionally famous that the strike was performed “in worldwide waters and in accordance with the regulation of armed battle”.
To this point, the strikes on alleged drug-carrying boats within the Caribbean have killed greater than 80 folks, and focused no less than 22 extra boats. In keeping with the Washington Submit, who first broke the story, some present and former US officers and specialists have mentioned that the Trump administration’s missile strikes within the Caribbean could also be illegal. Traditionally, the US authorities has intercepted drug-trafficking boats within the water and prosecuted the alleged smugglers. For his half, Hegseth has refuted claims that the strikes had been unlawful.
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“If Donald Trump continues his actions in opposition to Venezuela, we are going to instantly file a Warfare Powers Decision to dam the deployment of U.S. forces to Venezuela,” the senate minority chief, Chuck Schumer wrote on social media on Monday. “The facility to declare conflict lies solely within the arms of Congress—not Donald Trump.”
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Trump holds talks with advisers on Venezuela – report
Donald Trump held talks on Monday with prime advisers to debate the stress marketing campaign on Venezuela, amongst different subjects, a senior US official advised Reuters.
The official mentioned the Oval Workplace assembly included senior members of Trump’s nationwide safety staff. No particulars of the talks had been instantly obtainable.
The session got here as Trump ratchets up stress on Venezuela over what the US says are drug shipments emanating from that nation that threaten the lives of Individuals.
Whereas the Trump administration has accused Venezuela’s authoritarian president, Nicolás Maduro, of being a “narco-terrorist” kingpin, the president has pledged to pardon a former Honduran president, Juan Orlando Hernández, sentenced final 12 months to 45 years in US federal jail for allegedly creating “a cocaine superhighway to america”.
Regardless of these combined messages, the Trump administration has been weighing Venezuela-related choices to fight what it has portrayed as Maduro’s function in supplying unlawful medicine which have killed Individuals. Maduro has denied having any hyperlinks to the unlawful drug commerce and accused the US of plotting to steal Venezuela’s huge oil reserves.
On Saturday, Trump mentioned the airspace above and surrounding Venezuela must be thought of “closed in its entirety,” however gave no additional particulars, stirring anxiousness and confusion in Caracas.
Trump confirmed on Sunday that he had spoken to Maduro, whom the US considers an illegitimate chief after an election the opposition referred to as fraudulent, however Trump declined to offer particulars of the dialog when requested about it on Air Pressure One on Sunday.
US forces within the area have been described as targeted on counter-narcotics operations, despite the fact that the assembled firepower far outweighs what is important for them. The US army has carried out no less than 21 strikes on alleged drug boats within the Caribbean and Pacific since September, killing no less than 83 folks.
Studies of looming motion have proliferated in latest weeks because the US army has deployed forces to the Caribbean amid worsening relations with Venezuela.
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Roger Wicker, the Mississippi Republican who leads the Senate Armed Companies Committee, advised CNN on Monday that he intends to get the entire video and audio recorded by the Pentagon throughout strikes on a suspected drug smuggling boat off Venezuela in September to find out if a second strike was carried out to kill survivors, because the Washington Submit reported on Friday.
“I’ve spoken to the secretary of protection and we’ll be chatting with the admiral that was in command of the operation,” Wicker mentioned. “The secretary did point out, which has now been within the information media, that there was a second assault.”
Requested if there have been survivors of the primary strike, Wicker responded: “I don’t have that info… however I do assume we’ll get that info. And we’re definitely going to have obtainable to us the entire audio and the entire video”.
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Treasury secretary declares investigation of rightwing activist’s allegation that federal funds had been diverted to Somali militants
The US treasury division is investigating allegations from a rightwing activist that federal funds had been fraudulently diverted from Minnesota to profit al-Shabaab, an Islamist militant group in Somalia.
The investigation was introduced on social media by Scott Bessent, the treasury secretary, in response to an investigation by the activist and author Christopher Rufo, a senior fellow on the Manhattan Institute who beforehand devised the marketing campaign in opposition to essential race concept.
Bessent introduced the investigation in a deeply partisan message that thanked Donald Trump, who has asserted with out proof that Somali Individuals had been “ripping us off”, and blamed the doable fraud on what the secretary referred to as “the feckless mismanagement of the Biden Administration and Governor Tim Walz”.
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Up to date at 18.18 EST
Former US ambassador to Russia asks why Jared Kushner goes to Moscow for talks with Putin however not Marco Rubio
A Wall Avenue Journal report that Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who holds no authorities function, is flying to Moscow with the president’s particular envoy, Steve Witkoff, for talks with the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, as an alternative of the secretary of state, Marco Rubio, left a former US ambassador to Russia, Michael McFaul, puzzled.
“Can somebody clarify to me why Particular Envoy Witkoff and the presidents son-in-law take part in negotiations with each the Ukrainians and Russians, however our Secretary of State solely talks to the Ukrainians and isn’t main the delegation to speak to Putin?” McFaul, who was as Barack Obama’s ambassador in Moscow from 2012 to 2014, requested on social media. “I don’t get it.”
As McFaul identified, Rubio, who’s each Trump’s secretary of state and nationwide safety adviser, was on the literal middle of talks with Ukraine’s negotiators in Florida on Sunday, seated between Witkoff and Kushner.
Whereas the obvious sidelining of Rubio on this diplomatic effort mirrors the central function performed by Witkoff and Kushner in brokering a ceasefire in Gaza, there’s one sensible consideration that might clarify the absence of the secretary of state from the flight to Moscow. Rubio has been banned from getting into Russian territory since final 12 months when his title, and that of his spouse, was added to an inventory of US residents topic to non-public sanctions by the Russian authorities, apparently over his assist for Ukraine after the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022.
“The ban applies to these concerned in conceiving, finishing up and justifying the anti-Russia coverage adopted by the present administration of america, in addition to these immediately concerned in anti-Russia undertakings,” the Kremlin defined in 2024 when an earlier slate of Individuals was “completely banned” from getting into Russia. “The choice is a part of retaliatory measures in response to the huge and continuously increasing record of sanctions imposed by the American authorities on Russian residents for supporting the Kremlin and the particular army operation.”
McFaul can be on the record of Individuals barred from Russia, as are greater than 2,000 journalists, actors, officers and lawmakers, together with then senator JD Vance and the late John McCain, who was simply one in all a number of US officers whose proper to go to Russia was taken away after they had been already lifeless.
In plenty of locations, the record of Individuals banned from Russia by the Kremlin overlaps with Donald Trump’s private enemies record. These barred from ever visiting Russia embrace: Barack Obama, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Elizabeth Warren, Seth Meyers, Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel, Rachel Maddow, John Bolton, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Mark Kelly, Janet Mills and even the Georgia secretary of state, Brad Raffensperger, who famously refused Trump’s plea to “discover” him the precise variety of votes he wanted to overturn his loss to Joe Biden within the state’s 2020 election.
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Up to date at 17.47 EST
‘We have now a bit of greater than three years left’, Trump says at White Home Christmas occasion
In remarks at a White Home Christmas occasion on Monday, Donald Trump acknowledged a actuality a few of his supporters have tried to disclaim: that he won’t be president in simply over three years.
“We have now a bit of greater than three years left”, the president mentioned, in remarks captured on video and shared on social media by the White Home. “Three years for Trump is an eternity,” he added, “that’s an extended time frame.”
Trump additionally praised the nationwide guard troops who had been shot in Washington DC final week. “I wish to simply pay my respects to the Nationwide Guard, and people two unbelievable folks. One is now not with us,” the president mentioned, “and we’ve one other one who’s combating for his life.”
“Each of them had been one of the best, every part,” he added.
Trump then claimed that due to the deployment of the nationwide guard troops he ordered, “we’ve a secure metropolis once more.”
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West Virginia governor says that there’s ‘optimistic information’ about nationwide guard member who was severely wounded in DC taking pictures
West Virginia governor Patrick Morrisey mentioned right this moment that he obtained “optimistic information” from US air pressure workers Sgt Andrew Wolfe – who’s critically injured in hospital after being shot in downtown DC final week.
At a press convention right this moment Morrisey mentioned that Wolfe gave a “thumbs up” when requested by a nurse if he might hear her query.
“We had been advised that he additionally wiggled his toes. So we take that as a optimistic signal,” Morrisey added, earlier than saying he was not going to “speculate”.
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World Aids Day not commemorated by US authorities for first time in virtually 30 years
At the moment is World Aids Day – the worldwide commemoration of the lives misplaced to HIV/Aids, spotlight efforts to include the epidemic, and to boost consciousness among the many common public.
Nonetheless, that is the primary 12 months since 1988 the place the US authorities won’t formally acknowledge World Aids Day, based on varied studies, citing emails from the state division.
As my colleague, Lucy Campbell, studies, since Trump returned to the White Home, he has cancelled overseas assist packages that fight HIV and Aids, scrapped analysis and prevention assets, and restricted funding beneath the two-decade-old President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Reduction, or Pepfar, the federal government’s world HIV program established beneath the Republican president George W Bush, which is estimated to have prevented 25m early deaths.
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Here is a recap of the day thus far
In response to questions from reporters right this moment, White Home press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the second strike on a suspected drug-trafficking vessel on 2 September this 12 months. She mentioned right this moment that strike was performed in “self-defence to guard Individuals in important United States pursuits”. She additionally famous that the strike was performed “in worldwide waters and in accordance with the regulation of armed battle”. A reminder that that the protection secretary reportedly advised officers to “kill everyone” after two survivors had been recognized after an preliminary army strike. Specialists and former officers warn that the strike could also be illegal.
The White Home additionally confirmed right this moment that Donald Trump will meet with prime nationwide safety advisers on the matter of Venezuela right this moment. The press secretary additionally famous that the president will host his ninth cupboard assembly of the 12 months on Tuesday. And on Thursday, the president will host the President of the Republic of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo to signal a peace and financial settlement.
All through the primary press briefing submit Thanksgiving, Leavitt additionally blamed Joe Biden for final week’s taking pictures in DC that killed one nationwide guard member and left one other in essential situation. “I might simply level out another time that the Biden administration was liable for the unique sin that led to this tragic killing final week, the botched withdrawal from Afghanistan” she mentioned, referring to the 29-year-old suspect and Afghan nationwide, Rahmanullah Lakanwal.
A federal appeals court docket dominated right this moment that Trump’s private lawyer, Alina Habba, is serving unlawfully because the US lawyer for the district of New Jersey. The third circuit rejected a problem from the justice division to maintain Habba in her place, upholding a decrease court docket’s choice that she was disqualified from serving within the function.
Donald Trump’s prime envoy, Steve Witkoff, is about to satisfy with Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Tuesday. He’ll be joined by the president’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner. At the moment, the White Home mentioned that the administration “feels very optimistic” {that a} deal to finish the conflict in Ukraine will likely be reached. “I’ll let the negotiators negotiate, however we do really feel fairly good, and we’re hopeful that this conflict can lastly come to an finish,” Leavitt mentioned right this moment.
Over the weekend, the president threw his weight behind Matt Van Epps, the Republican candidate within the particular election in Tennessee’s seventh congressional district. Van Epps is operating in opposition to Aftyn Behn – a Democratic state consultant – to interchange former GOP congressman Mark Inexperienced. A reminder, that Trump carried the district by 22 factors in 2024, however after the success of November’s elections for Democrats throughout the nation, the occasion is hoping to flip the Maga stronghold.
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Administration is ‘very optimistic’ on settlement to finish conflict in Ukraine, White Home says
Forward of particular envoy Steve Witkoff’s assembly with Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, press secretary Karoline Leavitt mentioned that the administration “feels very optimistic” {that a} deal to finish the conflict in Ukraine will likely be reached.
On Sunday, Witkoff and secretary of state Marco Rubio had a “productive” assembly with Ukrainian negotiators in Florida, forward of tomorrow’s Moscow summit.
“That is kind of the shuttle diplomacy that you just’ve seen from this administration play out, the place we converse equally with either side,” Leavitt mentioned right this moment. “We put factors on paper. These factors have been very a lot refined. However as for the small print, I’ll let the negotiators negotiate, however we do really feel fairly good, and we’re hopeful that this conflict can lastly come to an finish.”
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Throughout right this moment’s White Home briefing, the press secretary gave a outcomes readout of the president’s most up-to-date MRI scans. She famous that the imaging was carried out “as a result of males in his age group profit from an intensive analysis of cardiovascular and belly well being”. Leavitt added that it was carried out preventively.
“President Trump’s cardiovascular imaging was completely regular, no proof of arterial narrowing, impairing blood stream or abnormalities within the coronary heart or main vessels,” she mentioned right this moment. “General, his cardiovascular system reveals wonderful well being. His belly imaging can be completely regular.”
“In abstract, this degree of detailed evaluation is customary for an government bodily at President Trump’s age, and confirms that he stays in wonderful total well being.”
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Leavitt additionally confirmed that Donald Trump will meet along with his nationwide safety staff on Venezuela later right this moment. This comes after his telephone name with president Nicolás Maduro, the place Trump reportedly gave the Venezuelan chief an ultimatum to step down.
The press secretary mentioned that she wouldn’t say whether or not the administration would assist the discharge of video footage of the two September strike, deferring to the Pentagon.
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White Home says that second strike on vessel was authorized and performed in ‘self-defence’
In response to questions from reporters right this moment, Karoline Leavitt defended the second strike on a suspected drug-trafficking vessel on 2 September this 12 months.
“President Trump and secretary Hegseth have made it clear that presidentially designated Narco terrorist teams are topic to deadly focusing on in accordance with the legal guidelines of conflict,” Leavitt mentioned of the focused assault, by which the protection secretary reportedly advised officers to “kill everyone” after two survivors had been recognized after an preliminary strike.
“Adm Bradley labored properly inside his authority and the regulation directing the engagement to make sure the boat was destroyed and the risk to america of America was eradicated. And I might simply add another level to remind the American public why these deadly strikes are going down, as a result of this administration has designated these Narco terrorists as overseas terrorist organizations,” the press secretary added.
Leavitt mentioned right this moment that strike was performed in “self-defence to guard Individuals in important United States pursuits”. She additionally famous that the strike was performed “in worldwide waters and in accordance with the regulation of armed battle”.
To this point, the strikes on alleged drug-carrying boats within the Caribbean have killed greater than 80 folks, and focused no less than 22 extra boats. In keeping with the Washington Submit, who first broke the story, some present and former US officers and specialists have mentioned that the Trump administration’s missile strikes within the Caribbean could also be illegal. Traditionally, the US authorities has intercepted drug-trafficking boats within the water and prosecuted the alleged smugglers. For his half, Hegseth has refuted claims that the strikes had been unlawful.
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Up to date at 15.09 EST
White Home blames Biden administration for nationwide guard shooter’s entry to US
Addressing reporters right this moment, press secretary Karoline Leavitt reiterated that the president has “completely paused migration of overseas nationals from third world international locations that pose a really excessive danger” to the US. This contains particular curiosity visas – a authorized pathway for Afghan nationals who had been employed by or labored alongside the US authorities.
“The terrorist who gunned down American troopers, blocks away from the White Home in an ambush, was an Afghan nationwide who was flown into our nation by Joe Biden’s administration in September 2021 within the chaotic wake of their botched withdrawal from Afghanistan, one of the crucial embarrassing moments within the historical past of our nice nation,” Leavitt mentioned of 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal. “Joe Biden’s historic failure in Afghanistan continues to hang-out this nation and our women and men in uniform.”
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Up to date at 15.15 EST
Leavitt begins White Home briefing
Karoline Leavitt has began the White Home briefing, and descriptions a busy week for Donald Trump.
On Tuesday, the president will host his ninth cupboard assembly of the 12 months. On Tuesday afternoon, Trump will make an announcement within the Oval Workplace on his initiative to create Trump accounts. On Thursday, the president will host the President of the Republic of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo to signal a peace and financial settlement. That night Trump and the primary girl will participate within the lighting of the nationwide Christmas tree on the Ellipse. And on Friday, the president will attend the Fifa World Cup ultimate draw on the Kennedy Middle.
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