Politics

By Kit Maher, Donald Judd, CNN (CNN) — Demolition of the White House East Wing began Monday as President Donald Trump adds a $200 million, 90,000-square-foot ballroom. CNN observed an excavator tearing down portions of the East Wing, and close-up video and images captured areas of the roof torn down and an excavator tearing through

By Holmes Lybrand, Hannah Rabinowitz, Devan Cole, CNN (CNN) — Former FBI Director James Comey launched two efforts Monday to have the federal charges he faces for allegedly lying during congressional testimony thrown out: one that claims his case is the result of a personal vendetta by President Donald Trump, and one that says the​

By Kara Scannell, CNN (CNN) — A Justice Department lawyer was peppered with questions about the appointment of Alina Habba as the US attorney for New Jersey as a federal appeals court panel weighs its validity. DOJ lawyer Henry Whitaker defended the appointment of Habba – one of Donald Trump’s former attorneys – saying it’s

By Gloria Pazmino, CNN New York (CNN) — Republican New York City mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa is facing renewed pressure to drop his bid for mayor – this time directly from his boss. John Catsimatidis, the Republican supermarket magnate and lifelong New Yorker, took to the airwaves of WABC-AM, the radio station he owns and

By Kevin Liptak, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump’s working lunch with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday turned acrimonious when the US leader insisted Ukraine make territorial concessions to Russia to end the war, according to European officials briefed on the meeting. Trump, who would later endorse a freeze in current battle lines

By John Fritze, CNN (CNN) — The Supreme Court agreed Monday to decide if the federal government may bar certain drug users from owning guns or if the law violates the Second Amendment, taking up a second significant guns case of its current term. The appeal represents a rare circumstance in which the Trump administration

By Lauren Chadwick, Holmes Lybrand, CNN (CNN) — The US Secret Service found a “suspicious” hunting stand within sight of the Air Force One landing zone ahead of the president’s arrival in Florida over the weekend, FBI Director Kash Patel said, adding no one was at the stand. “Prior to the President’s return to West

By Piper Hudspeth Blackburn, Kaanita Iyer, CNN (CNN) — The government shutdown didn’t deter 26-year-old Nudrat Mahajabin from visiting Grand Canyon National Park earlier this month, even though the signs were clear: No entrance fees would be collected, the visitors’ center was closed and no park rangers were nearby. “We had planned this trip a

By Arit John, Eva McKend, CNN (CNN) — Virginia’s race for governor has been dominated by economic issues, the government shutdown and the violent text messages sent by the Democratic candidate for attorney general. But during their only debate this month, Democrat Abigail Spanberger pressed her Republican opponent, Winsome Earle-Sears, over a topic that once

By René Marsh, Ella Nilsen, CNN (CNN) — The federal agency responsible for overseeing and modernizing the US nuclear stockpile will furlough the vast majority of its staff Monday as the government shutdown drags on, according to the Department of Energy. About 1,400 employees at the National Nuclear Security Administration, or NNSA, will receive furlough

By Betsy Klein, CNN West Palm Beach, Florida (CNN) — President Donald Trump announced Sunday he would end all US payments and subsidies to Colombia, marking a dramatic escalation in his back-and-forth with the country’s president, Gustavo Petro. Trump said in a post to social media that Petro “does nothing to stop” the production of

By Edward-Isaac Dovere, CNN (CNN) — Standing in the lobby of the art deco theater where Zohran Mamdani held a raucous rally last week, just hours after Israeli hostages were freed by Hamas in a ceasefire deal, the organizer was dressed the part: A black T-shirt with the phrase “Land Back” on the top of

By Alison Main, Natasha Bertrand, CNN (CNN) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Sunday that the US conducted a strike Friday on a boat that American intelligence officials believed was involved in illegal drug trafficking in the Caribbean. Hegseth wrote in a post on X that the vessel was affiliated with a Colombian terrorist organization

CNN By Aileen Graef, CNN (CNN) — Disgraced former Rep. George Santos, fresh off his release from prison after President Donald Trump commuted his sentence on Friday night, dismissed his critics, telling CNN he’s focused on the future after eating a “very large slice of humble pie” during his time behind bars. Santos, who had

By Aileen Graef, CNN (CNN) — Disgraced former Rep. George Santos, fresh off his release from prison after President Donald Trump commuted his sentence on Friday night, dismissed his critics, telling CNN he’s focused on the future after eating a “very large slice of humble pie” during his time behind bars. Santos, who had been

By Betsy Klein, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump made his money by slapping his name on hotels and products. Now he’s doing the same thing to the US government. There’s TrumpRx, a website for prescription drugs. The Trump Gold Card, a high-dollar ticket to citizenship. A Trump coin. A Trump fighter jet. Beginning with

By Kylie Atwood, Jennifer Hansler, CNN (CNN) — As he flew to the Middle East to celebrate his diplomatic victory on a ceasefire and hostage release in Gaza, President Donald Trump heaped praise on one ally in particular: Qatar. “Qatar was a tremendous help to getting this done. I hope people can realize that,” Trump

By Isabelle D’Antonio, Kaanita Iyer, CNN (CNN) — Vice President JD Vance celebrated the 250th anniversary of the United States Marine Corps on Saturday at a California event that drew some pushback from Gov. Gavin Newsom over a live artillery demonstration. The Camp Pendleton demonstration, which the Marines called the largest in a decade in

By Natasha Bertrand, Zachary Cohen, CNN (CNN) — The US released the two survivors of Thursday’s military strike on a suspected drug vessel in the Caribbean to their home countries of Ecuador and Colombia, President Donald Trump said Saturday. Trump said it was his “great honor” to destroy a drug-carrying “submarine” with “four known narcoterrorists