Trump says he will declare Strait of Hormuz a U.S. territory when Iran war ends
This version of Rcrd118877 - Politics and Government | NBC News Clone was adapted by NBC News Clone to help readers digest key facts more efficiently.
Earlier today, the Trump administration asked the Supreme Court to allow the construction of the president’s much-touted White House ballroom.
What to know today
- STRAIT OF HORMUZ: President Donald Trump said this afternoon that he would declare the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial maritime shipping lane, a U.S. territory. During the remarks on Long Island, Trump also asked people to pay more for gas during the war with Iran.
- USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN: Asked by NBC News, Trump dismissed concerns from families of service members about the grim conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln. In interviews with NBC News, family members of some sailors said that their loved ones described a lack of supplies and food and a burgeoning mental health crisis.
- WWII MEMORIAL ARREST: A woman accused of vandalizing the World War II Memorial yesterday has been arrested in Washington, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said. She was charged with two felony counts, according to court records.
Anthony Fauci declines GOP request for transcribed interview with Senate panel
Attorneys for Dr. Anthony Fauci today turned down a request from Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., for Fauci to appear before the Senate's Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations and answer questions about Covid vaccines.
The request from Johnson, a harsh critic of Fauci, came on July 29, when Fauci invoked the Fifth Amendment during a hearing before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on the origins of Covid and the U.S. government's response. A week later, Republicans on the committee voted to hold Fauci in criminal contempt for declining to answer questions. The DOJ will now decide whether to prosecute Fauci.
"It is notable that your request came literally the same day that Dr. Fauci spent three hours appearing at a hearing regarding the same matters," Fauci's attorneys wrote, noting that Johnson attended that hearing and his subcommittee is part of the full committee. "You have already publicly threatened to subpoena Dr. Fauci, even before he has had a chance to respond to your letter."
In his letter to Fauci, Johnson warned that "should you fail to comply voluntarily or otherwise delay the requested interview, I will not hesitate to use compulsory process."
Johnson responded tonight to Fauci's decision not to testify.
“Since Fauci refuses to talk about his role and decisions related to COVID-19, my Subcommittee will continue to obtain his records and request to speak with key individuals that he worked with,” Johnson said in a post on X. “We will explore our legal options before deciding our next steps.”
Fauci, one of the most public faces of the government's response to Covid, has been a frequent target of conservatives since the pandemic.
Trump and his top aide eye prospects for his new chief spokesperson
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks during a press briefing in the Brady Briefing Room of the White House on July 23. Mehmet Eser / Anadolu via Getty Images file
The White House plans to hire a new press secretary in the coming weeks, with Trump and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles having privately discussed two possible candidates thus far, Wiles said in an interview today.
Trump wants Alaska voters to know exactly which Dan Sullivan he supports in their state's Senate race
Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, left, and one of his challengers, also named Dan Sullivan. Getty Images; Karen Dillman via AP
In a Truth Social post tonight, Trump wanted to make sure voters knew who he’s backing in the Alaska Senate race, where two Dan Sullivans are on the ballot. He even included an illustration.
Trump touted his support for Sen. Dan S. Sullivan, and not challenger Dan J. Sullivan, a former teacher who announced his campaign in May as a Republican and has said his Senate bid is not a hoax.
"Senator Dan Sullivan is doing a fantastic job representing the Great State of Alaska!" Trump said, arguing that Dan J. Sullivan's run was a ploy by Democrats to trick voters and siphon votes away from the two-term senator.
"On Tuesday, August 18th, Alaskans, don’t be fooled," Trump wrote.
Trump's post included an image of a mock ballot with Dan. J. Sullivan’s name crossed out and the senator's name with a green check mark next to it.
Harry Child, a spokesperson for Democratic challenger and former Rep. Mary Peltola, has denied her campaign was involved in Dan J. Sullivan's bid.
In June, the Alaska Supreme Court ruled that Dan J. Sullivan's name can stay on the August primary ballot. NBC News reported in July that the FBI, the state attorney general and the U.S. attorney's office are all investigating whether Dan J. Sullivan's campaign was created to confuse voters.
BBC moves to subpoena Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner in defamation suit against the broadcaster
The British Broadcasting Corp. is moving to issue subpoenas to members of Donald Trump's family in response to a $10 billion defamation lawsuit filed by the president over a BBC documentary that featured edited clips of his speech to supporters before they attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6.
Attorneys for the BBC wrote in a filing that Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner have personal knowledge and potentially relevant records that could help the broadcaster defend itself.
“In addition to their personal knowledge on these issues, which bear on Plaintiff’s burden to prove that it would be materially false to imply that he incited violence on January 6, the Third Parties also have personal knowledge of Plaintiff’s reputation before and after the Documentary, which bears on Plaintiff’s additional burden to prove that the challenged edit in the documentary actually and proximately caused him the reputational harm he alleges,” the filing states.
But the BBC has been unable to serve the subpoenas because all three are protected by the Secret Service, the filing said.
“The BBC has endeavored to resolve this issue without seeking the Court’s assistance. The BBC asked Plaintiff to accept service on the Third Parties’ behalf — Plaintiff refused. The BBC asked Plaintiff to direct the Secret Service to permit service on the Third Parties — Plaintiff refused. The BBC even asked Plaintiff merely to consent to this motion for alternative service — Plaintiff refused,” the filing states.
The filing notes that Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump were present when Trump spoke to Vice President Mike Pence before his Jan. 6 speech; that the two traveled to the Ellipse for the speech; that Ivanka Trump witnessed how Trump reacted to the violence at the Capitol; that Trump Jr. communicated with White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and urged Trump to “condemn this s---”; that the president and Trump Jr. spoke after violence broke out; that Kushner talked with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.; and that Kushner drafted a proposed statement for Trump that would condemned the violence.
In his lawsuit, Trump alleged the BBC defamed him by deceptively editing parts of his Jan. 6, 2021, speech, leaving sections like a portion where he called for peaceful protest.
FBI reports record decrease in violent crime in 2025
Statistics released today by the FBI showed record decreases last year in both the national estimated violent crime rate and the estimated rate for murders and certain manslaughters.
According to the FBI Uniform Crime Report, the overall amount of violent crime declined by over 9% from 2024. The rate of murder and nonnegligent manslaughter — willful killings that were not preplanned — fell by over 18%.
Those are the largest year-to-year decreases in both categories since the FBI introduced the data-based estimations in 1936, the report said.
Both the violent crime and murder rates have decreased annually since spiking in 2022.
Trump says he plans to make Strait of Hormuz a U.S. territory
During a speech on New York's Long Island, the president alluded to a plan to declare the Strait of Hormuz a U.S. territory.
"After we finish defeating Iran, which is being very badly defeated — pretty soon, I'll be declaring the Hormuz Strait a territory of the United States," Trump told a crowd of law enforcement officers. "Essentially, that's what it is. We have the blockade. No ships get through unless we want them to."
Prior to the U.S. launch of strikes on Iran earlier this year, the Strait of Hormuz was a crucial maritime passageway for oil tankers. Since the start of the war, however, passage through the strait has slowed almost to a close.
The flow of traffic through the strait has been a central point in peace negotiations between the U.S. and Iran.
Trump asks New Yorkers to pay more for gas amid Iran war
In a speech on Long Island in New York, the president spoke about the Iran war and asked attendees to pay more for gas while the war is still ongoing.
"For you to pay a tiny little bit more for your gasoline, just remember you’re doing it so that a very evil country cannot have a — really, it’s the No. 1 state sponsor of terror in the world — we don’t want them to have a nuclear weapon," Trump said in an address at the Nassau County Police Academy David S. Mack Center for Training and Intelligence.
"Remember that when you have to pay a little bit more, you're at $4," the president added, saying, "I'll never apologize. I did the right thing."
Yesterday, Vice President JD Vance told Fox News that keeping gas prices low was "goal No. 1" of the U.S. war with Iran.
No supplies, a food shortage and dark thoughts: Families of sailors describe life on the USS Lincoln
To hear one sailor’s mother tell it, the experience on board the USS Abraham Lincoln is like a “scene out of the ‘American Horror Story,’ where ... everybody’s dead, but they don’t know it yet.”
The conditions have been getting progressively worse in recent weeks, and the extended time at sea is “wreaking havoc” on sailors’ mental health, said Danielle Rappa, whose son has been on the long-deployed aircraft carrier.
Trump dismisses concerns from family members about grim conditions aboard USS Abraham Lincoln
Trump dismissed concerns from families of service members about the grim conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, whose deployment had been overextended in the Middle East due to the Iran war.
NBC News asked Trump, who was speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews, whether the deployments have gone on for too long and whether he’s worried about troops’ mental health.
“No. No. No — not nearly long enough,” Trump said.
How Rep. Max Miller’s Democratic opponent is navigating a ‘surreal’ political opportunity
A month ago, hardly anyone gave the Democratic ironworker and City Council member in this working-class Cleveland suburb a chance to flip Ohio’s 7th Congressional District, which Trump won by 11 points in 2024. Then, domestic abuse allegations stemming from a divorce and custody fight involving Republican Rep. Max Miller became daily news.
Ex-Olympian seeks to bar DOJ from reviving Reflecting Pool case
Former Olympian David Hearn's lawyers asked a District of Columbia Superior Court judge last night to prohibit federal prosecutors from reviving the felony charge accusing him of vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
The move comes amid reports that the White House has asked the Justice Department to figure out a way to bring new charges against Hearn after the U.S. prosecutor in the District of Columbia, Trump appointee Jeanine Pirro, dropped the charge, citing a lack of evidence.
The Wall Street Journal first reported that White House officials were seeking to bring a new case again Hearn.
Trump publicly disagreed with Pirro, saying she "folded like an umbrella" in dropping the case. Hearn’s attorneys say Trump’s continued social media posts attacking their client constitute harassment and present a very real threat of having the case revived.
They urged the court to dismiss the case with prejudice, meaning the Justice Department would be barred from further attempts to prosecute Hearn.
Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman dismissed the case against Hearn after Pirro dropped it. In its filing, the Justice Department said the damage to the pool had been caused by shoddy installation, not by vandalism.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis says he's not endorsing Rep. Cory Mills' re-election bid
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis made it clear at an event today that he's not supporting the re-election campaign of Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla.
Asked about the race for Florida's 7th Congressional District, the GOP governor said, "I have not endorsed Cory Mills, and I do not support Cory Mills."
Mills’ office didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Mills is under criminal investigation by the Justice Department, NBC News reported last month. Two people familiar with the matter said that the probe touches on Mills’ finances, and according to one of the sources, investigators are interested in some of his overseas business dealings.
The House Ethics Committee has also been investigating Mills over allegations of “sexual misconduct and/or dating violence,” as well as potential campaign finance violations. He has denied wrongdoing. He rejected calls earlier this year to resign from Congress.
Woman charged with vandalizing World War II Memorial
Melissa Farris, the woman federal authorities allege vandalized the National World War II Memorial, is facing two federal charges: one count of willfully injuring or committing a depredation against property of the United States and one count of destruction of a veterans memorial.
U.S. Park Police Detective Christopher Edmund alleged in an affidavit that law enforcement officers responded to a call of a disorderly person yesterday and that a U.S. park ranger observed the woman, later allegedly identified as Farris, flee the area after the ranger arrived.
The affidavit alleged that a U.S. Park Police officer then recognized Farris as someone they arrested in connection with unlawful camping on federal property on Monday. Farris had a Kentucky driver’s license when she was arrested Monday, the affidavit said.
Woman appears to have livestreamed vandalism of World War II Memorial
The woman who will be charged with vandalizing the World War II Memorial appears to have livestreamed the incident on Facebook, a person familiar with the investigation confirmed.
A video posted to a Facebook account under the name of the suspect, Melissa L. Farris, went live around 2 p.m. ET yesterday. It shows a woman shaking a can of spray paint and then spray-painting the memorial.
“It was me. I’m doing it. I did it. It’s on camera,” the woman, whom authorities identified as Farris, said in yesterday's livestream. Another livestream posted this morning appears to show the woman identified as Farris turning herself in.
GOP Rep. Russell Fry endorses Sen. Darline Graham in special S.C. Senate election
GOP Rep. Russell Fry, who unsuccessfully ran for Senate in South Carolina's special primary election earlier this week, today endorsed Sen. Darline Graham, R-S.C., in the primary runoff to fill her late brother's seat.
"President Trump needs fighters and allies in the Senate who will show up every day and get results. I believe Darline Graham will be exactly that. Darline knows what it means to struggle, persevere, and keep fighting when life deals you a difficult hand. Those experiences shaped her, and I believe they give her a real understanding of the challenges families across South Carolina face," Fry wrote in a post on X. "On August 25, I’m asking everyone who supported our campaign to join me in supporting Darline Graham for the United States Senate."
On Tuesday, Graham advanced to a runoff in the special Senate primary against Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C. She was appointed to fill the Senate seat through the beginning of January by Gov. Henry McMaster after the sudden death of her brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham.
Trump last month endorsed Darline Graham in the special election, which will determine who fills this seat for the next term. On Wednesday, Sen. Tim Scott, South Carolina's other GOP senator, also endorsed Graham.
Woman arrested and facing felony charges in World War II Memorial vandalism case, DOJ says
A woman accused of vandalizing the World War II Memorial has been arrested in Washington, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro announced today.
Melissa L. Farris is facing two felony charges in federal court, Pirro said on social media. Charging documents in the case against Farris were not yet available, but Pirro said Farris was in custody.
“Vandalizing our World War II Memorial is a despicable attack on a sacred monument honoring the Americans who fought and died for our freedom. Those Americans include my father and grandfather,” Pirro wrote.
The memorial was vandalized yesterday with bubbles filling the fountain and graffiti that appeared to read “Clean hands dirty $.”
Trump asks Supreme Court to allow White House ballroom construction to continue
Trump asked the Supreme Court today to allow him to continue construction of a sprawling ballroom adjacent to the White House.
The emergency application follows an Aug. 7 ruling by an appeals court in Washington upholding a federal judge’s decision that would block work on-site while litigation moves forward.
Man whose pen was once nabbed by Ken Paxton endorses James Talarico in Texas Senate race
A quick snatch of a fancy pen caught on security cameras over a decade ago is coming back to haunt Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's campaign for Senate, in the form of an endorsement for his opponent, James Talarico.
Lawyer Joe Joplin endorsed James Talarico today via video, sitting in front of a pen while vocalizing his support for the Democratic nominee for Senate in his state.
In 2014, Joplin told Texas news outlets that he'd left behind an expensive Montblanc pen at a security stop at the Collin County courthouse. The pen was later taken by then-state Sen. Paxton when he subsequently went through the security stop.
A spokesperson for Paxton at the time told The Dallas Morning News that the pen was taken in "error" and later returned to its rightful owner.
In a statement to NBC News about Joplin's endorsement, Paxton campaign spokesperson Madison Cercy said Talarico, "is so desperate to distract voters from his constant lies about pushing his radical trans agenda on children and wanting to take police off our streets that he has to resort to the same childish attacks that have already been thoroughly litigated."
Cercy added that the pen saga, "was nothing more than a mix-up at security."
Semafor first reported the news of Joplin's endorsement this week. Paxton's campaign did not immediately respond to an NBC News request for comment.
In a statement to NBC News, Talarico campaign spokesperson JT Ennis said, "Ken Paxton is the kind of guy who steals your pen. James Talarico is the kind of guy who’d let you borrow his."
Trump blasts vandalism to D.C.'s World War II Memorial
Trump voiced outrage this morning at the vandalism done to the World War II Memorial in downtown Washington yesterday.
“Our beautiful World War II Memorial was just hit by Spray Painting Vandals. THERE CAN BE NO GREATER INSULT TO THOSE AMERICAN HEROES WHO DIED IN WORLD WAR II. First the Reflecting Pool, now this. We are on their trail! Where do these animals come from???" he wrote on Truth Social.
The memorial was hit with bright green and orange spray paint, and bubbly soap had been added to the water.
Trump has repeatedly claimed that damage to the newly renovated Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was caused by vandalism, even clashing with his own appointee for U.S. attorney in the District of Columbia, Jeanine Pirro, after she dropped a case against a former Olympic canoeist, citing a lack of evidence.
The Justice Department's filing attributed the damage to a "botched installation and not vandalism" after reviewing additional records.
If the Interior Department, which manages the National Mall through its National Park Service, had “been forthcoming with the information clearly in its possession, the government would not have sought a grand jury indictment," the filing said.
World War II Memorial in Washington vandalized with bubbles and graffiti
The World War II Memorial in Washington was vandalized with bubbly soap and graffiti yesterday, prompting vows from the U.S. government to find the perpetrator.
The fountain bubbled over with suds and someone painted “Clean hands Dirty $” on one surface, splattering the area with red and green paint. Uniformed police and National Guard troops converged on the scene, which was cordoned off with yellow crime scene tape, keeping visitors away.
Trump to visit police training facility on Long Island today
Trump is set to travel to Long Island today to tour a police academy in Nassau County with New York GOP gubernatorial nominee Bruce Blakeman.
The president will also deliver remarks at the facility, the David S. Mack Center for Training and Intelligence in Garden City.
Blakeman, the Nassau County executive, is running against Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul. Cook Political Report rates the race as "solid Democrat."
Kennedy Center board votes to partially close arts center during renovations and add Trump’s name to the building again
The Trump-appointed Kennedy Center board voted yesterday to partially close the iconic arts center for up to two years during renovations and to re-add Trump’s name to the building’s facade, according to a person who attended the virtual board meeting and a second person familiar with the meeting.
The decision would close the Kennedy Center’s main building and keep a smaller addition, known as the Reach, open for some events in response to a May court order requiring the board to maintain the center as a memorial to President John F. Kennedy.
Judge shows signs of frustration with DOJ attorneys over handling of Epstein files
A federal judge overseeing a case focused on the Justice Department’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files pressed government attorneys yesterday about their compliance with his court orders and warned that he has held lawyers in contempt before.
U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan, a 41-year veteran of the bench, convened the hearing seeking answers about whether the Trump administration had complied with his previous orders in the case, including one about the need for the Justice Department to publish justifications for the numerous redactions in the released Epstein files.
Low oil prices now ‘goal No. 1’ in Iran war, Vance says, as U.S. threatens new economic pressure
Keeping gas prices low is now the United States’ “goal No. 1” in the Iran war, Vice President JD Vance has said, as Washington threatened an indefinite naval blockade and signaled it would soon intensify economic pressure on Tehran.
The comments appeared to be the latest shift in the public rationale for the conflict, with Vance ranking Iran’s nuclear ambitions second.
The vice president’s remarks came as the Trump administration embraced a long-term effort to impose pain on the Islamic Republic, despite growing signs of strain on American forces and domestic pressure ahead of the midterm elections.
