National Politics

By MJ Lee, Kaitlan Collins, Kevin Liptak and Alex Marquardt, CNN (CNN) — Talks to secure the release of a large number of hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza are ongoing, two sources familiar with the matter and one western diplomat familiar with the discussions told CNN, but the negotiations are being complicated by

By Marshall Cohen, CNN Washington (CNN) — Former Trump campaign lawyer Jenna Ellis pleaded guilty Tuesday in the Georgia election subversion case and will cooperate with Fulton County prosecutors – the third guilty plea in the past week. At an unscheduled hearing in Atlanta, Ellis pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting false

By Holmes Lybrand, CNN (CNN) — In a slew of court filings late Monday, attorneys for Donald Trump filed several motions asking the judge overseeing the election subversion case in Washington, DC, to dismiss the charges against the former president on grounds that, among other things, they violate his First Amendment rights and are the

By Jennifer Hansler, CNN (CNN) — Paul Whelan, an American who has been imprisoned in Russia for nearly five years, pressed Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a phone call in August to ensure that he is not left behind again, Whelan told CNN. “I told him point blank that leaving me here the first

By Jeremy Herb and Lauren del Valle, CNN (CNN) — Michael Cohen was once one of Donald Trump’s most loyal allies. But after going to jail for tax crimes and lying to Congress, Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer and “fixer,” became a star witness against his former boss, testifying before Congress about the hush-money payments he

By Clare Foran, Melanie Zanona, Lauren Fox, Manu Raju, Haley Talbot, Kristin Wilson and Annie Grayer, CNN (CNN) — The House GOP picked Rep. Mike Johnson as their latest speaker nominee Tuesday evening, though the Louisiana Republican so far lacks the 217 votes needed to win the gavel – the latest sign that Republicans are

CNN By Daniel Dale, CNN Washington (CNN) — Former President Donald Trump made numerous false claims in a campaign speech Monday in New Hampshire. Trump falsely claimed that the United States had no terrorist attacks during his presidency. He falsely claimed that Republican presidential rival Nikki Haley had initially proposed “to flood” the US with

By Kate Sullivan, CNN (CNN) — Former President Donald Trump on Monday compared himself to Nelson Mandela, who spent 27 years in South African prisons before emerging to lead the nation out of decades of apartheid rule, as he railed against the numerous criminal charges against him. Trump, the front-runner for the 2024 Republican presidential

By Kristen Holmes, Alayna Treene and Daniel Strauss, CNN (CNN) — Former President Donald Trump’s decision to skip next month’s third GOP presidential primary debate and instead hold a rivaling rally just up the road highlights how complicated – and at times thorny – the relationship between the Republican National Committee and the front-runner’s team

By Daniel Dale, CNN Washington (CNN) — Former President Donald Trump made numerous false claims in a campaign speech Monday in New Hampshire. Trump falsely claimed that the United States had no terrorist attacks during his presidency. He falsely claimed that Republican presidential rival Nikki Haley had initially proposed “to flood” the US with refugees

By Jennifer Hansler, CNN (CNN) — China’s top diplomat Wang Yi will visit Washington, DC, later this week, senior administration officials said Monday ahead of a potential meeting between Presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping in California next month. Wang will meet with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and national security Adviser Jake Sullivan during

By Andrew Kaczynski, CNN (CNN) — In the aftermath of the 2020 election, Tom Emmer, a Republican member of the House of Representatives, baselessly said there were “questionable” practices in the 2020 presidential election. Later, Emmer signed an amicus brief in support of a last-ditch Texas lawsuit seeking to throw out the results in key

By Jack Forrest, CNN (CNN) — Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan on Monday became the latest notable figure to pull back from Harvard after student groups there signed a statement blaming Israel for the deadly attacks by Hamas earlier this month. In a post on X, the Republican shared a letter he sent to Harvard

By Nicki Brown, CNN (CNN) — Sen. Bob Menendez pleaded not guilty in federal court Monday to a charge alleging he conspired to act as a foreign agent of Egypt. The New Jersey Democrat personally entered his plea before district Judge Sidney H. Stein. Menendez, his wife Nadine Arslanian Menendez, and three other co-defendants were

By Natasha Bertrand, Katie Bo Lillis, Zachary Cohen and Jennifer Hansler, CNN (CNN) — The US has intelligence that Iranian-backed militia groups are planning to ramp up attacks against US forces in the Middle East, as Iran seeks to capitalize on the backlash in the region to US support for Israel, according to multiple US

CNN By Marshall Cohen, CNN Washington (CNN) — Mar-a-Lago member and Australian billionaire Anthony Pratt said then-President Donald Trump told him about his private calls with the leaders of Ukraine and Iraq, according to reports published Sunday about private recordings of Pratt, a key prosecution witness in Trump’s classified documents case. The reports from The

By MJ Lee, Senior White House correspondent (CNN) — Jon Donenberg – a key architect of Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s signature policy initiatives including her plan to cancel student loan debt – will join President Joe Biden’s National Economic Council as a deputy director, sources told CNN. Donenberg is poised to enter the top ranks of

By Lauren Fox, CNN Washington (CNN) — As the search for a speaker continues, some House Republicans are already casting doubt over the future of the administration’s $105 billion security supplemental request for aid to Ukraine, Israel, the southern border and Taiwan, a major issue that any future speaker will have to contend with. A

By Isabelle D’Antonio, Jack Forrest and Clare Foran, CNN (CNN) — A crowded field of Republicans are vying to earn the support of their conference to wield the gavel, throwing the chamber into even more uncertainty after three weeks without a speaker. The conference is searching for a new speaker nominee after Rep. Jim Jordan

By Marshall Cohen, CNN Washington (CNN) — Mar-a-Lago member and Australian billionaire Anthony Pratt said then-President Donald Trump told him about his private calls with the leaders of Ukraine and Iraq, according to reports published Sunday about private recordings of Pratt, a key prosecution witness in Trump’s classified documents case. The reports from The New