Politics

By Jeremy Herb, Fredreka Schouten, Annie Grayer and Steve Contorno, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump is using the power of the federal government to intimidate or neuter potential sources of opposition to him: The legal establishment, academia and prominent cultural institutions, the media, the judiciary, the Democratic Party, Congress and independent government oversight. The

By Betsy Klein, CNN (CNN) — Employees at the United States Institute of Peace received termination letters Friday evening as the Trump administration continues to reimagine the role of the US abroad and dramatically dismantle key parts of the federal government through the Department of Government Efficiency. A vast majority of the non-profit’s staff received

By Katelyn Polantz, Evan Perez and Kara Scannell, CNN (CNN) — In recent weeks, some of America’s most powerful law firms have faced a defining choice: do a deal with the White House, or prepare to fight severe restrictions President Donald Trump has placed on firms and lawyers he opposes politically. Facing potentially ruinous sanctions

By David Wright and Alex Leeds Matthews, CNN (CNN) — Campaign spending has smashed records in Wisconsin’s high-stakes Supreme Court race, as megadonors from both parties are directing millions to the closely watched election that’s set to decide ideological control of the battleground state’s high court. And tech billionaire Elon Musk is flexing his growing

By Katie Bo Lillis and Natasha Bertrand, CNN (CNN) — The Trump administration’s major military mission at the southern border focused on reducing immigration and drug flows has already cost taxpayers more than $300 million, according to sources briefed on data from the Defense Department comptroller — even as the administration has vowed to slash

By Kevin Liptak and Alayna Treene, CNN (CNN) — As President Donald Trump’s advisers this week took on the unenviable task of informing him a journalist he loathes was inadvertently added to a group chat discussing secret attack plans, one key detail required some further explanation. Before Monday, Trump said he had never heard of

By Tierney Sneed, Devan Cole, Emily R. Condon and Katelyn Polantz, CNN (CNN) — Two federal judges in separate rulings late Friday froze parts of President Donald Trump’s executive orders targeting the law firms Jenner & Block and WilmerHale, both firms linked to the Robert Mueller investigation Trump has sought to punish. There have now

By John Fritze, CNN (CNN) — Justice Sonia Sotomayor, the most senior liberal on the Supreme Court, advocated for a “fearlessly independent” judiciary during remarks Friday, telling an audience in Washington that she is worried about “standards that are being changed.” “One of the things that’s troubling so many right now is many of the

CNN By Alayna Treene, Kevin Liptak and Betsy Klein, CNN (CNN) — Vice President JD Vance on Friday made the highest-profile case to date for American control of Greenland during a controversial visit to the semiautonomous island, which its residents had resisted and its leaders said was unwelcome. “We want to have good relationships with

CNN By Alayna Treene, Kevin Liptak and Betsy Klein, CNN (CNN) — Vice President JD Vance on Friday made the highest-profile case to date for American control of Greenland during a controversial visit to the semiautonomous island, which its residents had resisted and its leaders said was unwelcome. “We want to have good relationships with

By Marshall Cohen, CNN (CNN) — A federal appeals court on Friday let President Donald Trump remove for now the chair of a critical “merit board” that reviews federal firings, and a member of the National Labor Relations Board, handing the president a major win in his efforts to control independent federal agencies and potentially

By Kevin Liptak, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump says he pardoned Trevor Milton, the CEO of now-defunct hydrogen and electric truck firm Nikola, in part because he believed Milton was persecuted for supporting Trump’s political ambitions. In October 2022, a New York jury convicted Milton on federal charges of securities fraud and wire fraud.

By Michael Williams, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump is extending his efforts to influence American cultural and artistic institutions to the Smithsonian Institution – a sprawling organization that encompasses the National Zoo and a collection of museums that anchor tourism in the nation’s capital. In an executive order signed Thursday night, Trump put Vice

By Morgan Rimmer and Manu Raju, CNN (CNN) — Former Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell sharply criticized the Trump administration’s Ukraine policy and pivot toward isolationism Thursday night, accusing President Donald Trump’s advisers of showing “their embarrassing naivete” in dealings with Russian President Vladimir Putin. McConnell, a staunch supporter of Ukraine who delivered remarks while

By Katelyn Polantz, CNN (CNN) — Two law firms targeted by President Donald Trump’s executive orders – Jenner & Block and WilmerHale – filed lawsuits Friday as the legal industry continues to grapple with the unprecedented attacks from the White House. Both firms, which have connections to former special counsel Robert Mueller, are now the

By Katie Bo Lillis and Zachary Cohen, CNN (CNN) — Current and former US officials have told CNN they believe two texts sent by national security adviser Mike Waltz and CIA Director John Ratcliffe in the now-infamous group chat involving senior US officials discussing battle plans to strike Houthi targets in Yemen, may have done