Former Trump national security adviser John Bolton's home and office searched by FBI
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Vice President JD Vance denied that the investigation was retribution for Bolton’s criticism of the president in an exclusive interview with NBC News.
What to know today
- BOLTON RAID: The FBI this morning began searching the home of former national security adviser John Bolton as part of an investigation into classified records, a source familiar with the matter told NBC News. Bolton served during President Donald Trump's first term but has been a fierce critic of the president in recent years.
- VANCE EXCLUSIVE: Vice President JD Vance confirmed in an exclusive interview with NBC News today that the Trump administration is “in the very early stages of an ongoing investigation” into Bolton, but he denied that the probe was retribution for Bolton’s criticism of the president.
- RUSSIA-UKRAINE: Russia’s top diplomat said today that no meeting is planned between President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy, casting new doubt on Trump’s push for a summit to end the war.
- MAXWELL TRANSCRIPTS: The Justice Department this afternoon released transcripts and audio from its interview last month with Jeffrey Epstein co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell. Maxwell told DOJ officials that she never saw Trump or former President Bill Clinton do anything inappropriate.
EXCLUSIVE: ICE director says agents won’t be at D.C. schools on the first day — but may be going forward
Acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Todd Lyons said parents in Washington, D.C., should not expect to see ICE officers visiting schools when kids go back to school in the nation’s capital on Monday. But he said there may be circumstances when ICE comes on school campuses in the future.
“Day one, you’re not going to see us,” Lyons told NBC News in an interview yesterday.
But he did not rule out the possibility of ICE needing to come on school campuses in the future in special circumstances. Lyons said ICE officers may need to make welfare checks on students in the district or anywhere in the U.S. if they were identified as an unaccompanied child when they crossed the southern border.
“We want to use our special agents and our officers to go ahead and locate these individuals. And if [there are] some we haven’t, and the last known address was at a school, we just want to make sure that child is safe,” Lyons said. “If we have the opportunity to reunite that parent with that child, that’s what we want to do.”
‘We’ll see what happens’: Trump ends week of Ukraine-Russia talks on a more tentative note
One week after Trump’s summit with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, the Kremlin seems in no hurry to build on progress that Trump said was made in his bid to end the war in Ukraine.
Any momentum from their nearly three-hour meeting in Anchorage, Alaska, appears to have slowed, though administration officials say they’re not giving up on a solution and will keep working to broker an elusive peace deal.
Russia’s top diplomat said in an interview with NBC News today that Putin is prepared to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, though the agenda for a sit-down is “not ready at all.”
“President Putin said clearly that he is ready to meet provided this meeting is really going to have an agenda, presidential agenda,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told “Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker in an exclusive interview.
U.S. takes 10% stake in Intel as Trump flexes more power over big business
The Trump administration said today that it had taken a 10% stake in Intel, Trump’s latest extraordinary move to exert federal government control over private business.
The United States will not seek direct representation on Intel’s board and pledged to vote with the current Board of Directors on matters requiring shareholder approval, “with limited exceptions,” according to a joint release from the Trump administration and Intel. The move also comes as the United States vies with China in the race to dominate the artificial intelligence industry.
Trump also announced the deal on his Truth Social platform, praising the company’s CEO just two weeks after he called on the executive to resign over alleged China ties.
Trump taps Sergio Gor as U.S. ambassador to India and special envoy
Trump today tapped top White House official Sergio Gor for two high-profile roles in Asia: U.S. ambassador to India and special envoy for South and Central Asian Affairs. Both positions require Senate confirmation.
Gor played a key part in building Trump's second administration as his director of presidential personnel. He was similarly involved in efforts to cut staff at key departments, including the Marco Rubio-led National Security Council. Trump referenced that work in a Truth Social post today.
"Sergio and his team have hired nearly 4,000 America First Patriots across every Department of our Federal Government in RECORD time," Trump wrote. "Sergio will remain in his current role at the White House until his confirmation."
Gor is expected to stay on in his existing role until the end of the year, according to a senior administration official. It is not immediately clear who will replace him as head of the personnel office.
CIA provided intel that lead to FBI search of John Bolton's properties
CIA Director John Ratcliffe provided FBI Director Kash Patel the intelligence that served as the basis for a search warrant of John Bolton's home and office, a source familiar with the matter told NBC News.
The intelligence, the source said, involved what was alleged to be a mishandling of classified material by Bolton, who served as Trump's national security adviser during his first term, before a contentious exit strained their relationship.
Bolton was similarly investigated over classified information after his exit from the first Trump administration. The Justice Department at the time pursued legal action to block Bolton from publishing a memoir about his work in the Trump administration, and sought to prevent him from profiting off the book.
Sen. Chris Van Hollen calls Abrego Garcia's release a win for due process
Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., touted Kilmar Abrego Garcia's release from federal custody this afternoon as a win for due process and the rule of law, but warned that Abrego Garcia's legal rights are still under attack by the Trump administration.
"I’m glad that he is being returned to his home and his family, where he rightly belongs," Van Hollen said in a statement. "While I have no doubt the Administration will continue its attempts to undermine Mr. Abrego Garcia’s rights, we will continue fighting to see them maintained — because due process in this case does not end with his release."
"This is a matter that’s greater than just this one case or one man — if one person’s rights are denied, then the rights of all of us are at risk," he added.
Van Hollen traveled to El Salvador in April to visit Abrego Garcia after he was mistakenly deported by the Trump administration to CECOT, the country’s notorious mega-prison.
Abrego Garcia, who was living in Maryland before he was deported, was released from Salvadoran custody in March but immediately detained and charged with federal immigration crimes upon his return to the United States. Abrego Garcia has pleaded not guilty to the charges and will face a criminal jury trial in Tennessee early next year.
Pete Hegseth fires head of Defense Intelligence Agency
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth today fired Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kruse, the head of the Pentagon’s Defense Intelligence Agency, according to White House and Pentagon officials, another in a raft of senior officers who have been removed under Hegseth’s watch.
The firing follows a controversial initial assessment by the agency in June indicating strikes against Iran’s nuclear facilities had limited effect, seemingly contradicting Trump’s claim at the time that they had been “obliterated.”
Pentagon and White House officials issued brief statements that did not provide any rationale for the firing, but said Kruse “will no longer serve as DIA Director.” The agency did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Kruse’s firing was first reported by The Washington Post.
Administration officials gave no reason for the firing of Kruse, who had been in the job since February 2024 and would normally be expected to serve until 2027. Congressional officials also confirmed the firing and said they were told it was for a “lack of confidence,” a bland expression the military often uses to cover any number of reasons someone is removed.
Kilmar Abrego Garcia is released from federal custody in Tennessee
Kilmar Abrego Garcia was released from federal custody today, months after he was wrongfully deported to an El Salvador prison and accused of being a gang member.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Barbara Holmes in the Middle District of Tennessee ordered Abrego Garcia’s release from a jail near Nashville, Tennessee, where he had been held since he was freed from El Salvador’s CECOT prison in June.
Abrego Garcia is en route to his family in Maryland, Sean Hecker, one of his attorneys, said.
Trump says U.S. will take a nearly 10% stake in Intel
Trump said today that his administration planned to take an approximately 10% stake in chipmaker Intel.
Such a move would represent a largely unprecedented intervention in an investor-owned business by the U.S. government.
Trump said told reporters gathered in the Oval Office that Intel had agreed to give the government the stake as part of discussions about the payoff from grants it has received from the 2022 CHIPS Act, passed during President Joe Biden's administration.
An Intel representative declined to comment.
“I said, ‘You know what? I think the United States should be given 10% of Intel,’” Trump said while recalling a conversation with Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan. Previously, Trump had called for Tan's immediate resignation over alleged China ties.
Intel has struggled to keep up with rivals such as Nvidia and AMD amid the artificial intelligence boom that began gaining steam in 2023, with shares down some 60% from their highs during the Covid-19 pandemic. The company's stock was up about 7% this afternoon. Its market value is about $110 billion.
Canada drops many of its retaliatory tariffs on the U.S.
Canada removed many of its retaliatory tariffs on the U.S. today, marking a significant step forward in the two countries’ relationship.
Canada in March imposed counter-tariffs of 25% on a long list of U.S. products that fall in line with the North American trade deal after the U.S. had announced 25% duties on steel and aluminum. Notably, Canada’s 25% tariffs on U.S. autos, steel and aluminum will remain in place for now, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said in a press conference today.
John Bolton returns to his house as the FBI continues searching his property
Trump's former national security adviser returned to his home in Bethesda, Maryland, today around 2:30 p.m. ET amid the ongoing FBI search of his property.
Bolton gave a quick wave to reporters before entering his house. He did not answer any shouted questions.
FBI agents were seen leaving Bolton's home today with a desktop central processing unit, which caches memory and data, and several other boxes of evidence. The agents put multiple boxes, some taken from Bolton's garage, into the trunk of a black SUV.
DOJ releases 'thousands of pages' of Epstein docs to Congress
The House Oversight Committee has just received the first tranche of documents from the Department of Justice related to the Jeffrey Epstein case.
The release includes "thousands of pages," according to a spokesperson for the Republican majority, who did not indicate what was in the release of the roughly 100,000 pages related to that case.
The records will be made public, the spokesperson said, "after thorough review to ensure any victims’ identification and child sexual abuse material are redacted," and after consulting with DOJ "to ensure any documents released do not negatively impact ongoing criminal cases and investigations."
Both parties have access to the documents, which were released following a subpoena from the committee. More productions are expected, though neither DOJ nor the committee has provided a timeline.
California Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the committee, said, "Our team is beginning a careful review process. We will share additional information as we learn more."
The Republican committee spokesperson praised DOJ for the release. "The Trump DOJ is providing records at a far quicker pace than anything the Biden DOJ ever provided," the GOP spokesperson said. "In fact, former Attorney General Garland obstructed Chairman Comer’s subpoena for the audio of Special Counsel Hur’s interview with President Biden to hide his cognitive decline." (Audio of the Hur interview with Biden was later made public).
Justice Department releases Ghislaine Maxwell interview transcripts
The Justice Department this afternoon released transcripts of its recent interview with Jeffrey Epstein co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell.
The DOJ also released audio from the interview.
2,000 National Guard troops in Washington to be armed
Two U.S. officials told NBC News that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has authorized that the approximately 2,000 National Guard troops deployed to the District of Columbia be armed.
The officials said the authorization will be approved by the U.S. Marshals Service, which is an agency of the Justice Department. The Justice Department is the lead federal entity in charge of the guard troops assigned to the Joint Task Force — District of Columbia.
The officials said that determinations about who to arm will likely be based on tasking — that is, guard members who are supporting law enforcement functions will likely be armed. Guard troops who are assigned to beautification tasks would likely not be.
The types of weapons carried by the military members will be determined by the final authorization. Whatever the determination, guard troops will carry weapons that they have been trained with, and they will be used for deterrence.
Following the final sign-off from the Justice Department, the Joint Task Force commander, Brig. Gen. Leland Blanchard, will grant the order to arm troops.
A defense official told NBC News, "At the direction of the Secretary of Defense, JTF-DC members supporting the mission to lower the crime rate in our Nation’s capital will soon be on mission with their service-issued weapons, consistent with their mission and training."
"The Interim Commanding General of the D.C. National Guard retains the authority to make any necessary force posture adjustments in coordination with the D.C. Metropolitan Police and Federal law enforcement partners. The D.C. National Guard remains committed to safeguarding the District of Columbia and serving those who live, work, and visit the District," the official added.
Trump says he plans to mimic D.C.'s federal policing in other major cities
Trump said his administration will extend the federalization of local law enforcement to other major cities across the U.S., naming Chicago and San Francisco during Oval Office remarks this afternoon.
"When we’re ready, we’ll go ahead and we’ll straighten out Chicago, just like we did D.C.," Trump said, adding that he has not spoken to Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, a Democrat, or taken concrete steps toward deploying federal forces to the Midwest city.
"Now, if everything works out, and we’ve already had calls from other cities, quiet calls, calls from Democrats, we love you to come here because they’ve lost control of themselves," Trump said.
The president also noted that his administration plans to "clean" San Francisco up, too.
Trump declined to offer details on whether the administration will deploy National Guard troops to other cities and did not cite specific examples of Democrats asking for help controlling urban crime.
Trump says he 'couldn't care less' about release of Epstein files
The Justice Department is scheduled to begin turning the Epstein files over to the House Oversight Committee today, something the president told reporters he's "OK" with but "couldn't care less" about.
"Innocent people shouldn't be hurt, but I'm in support of keeping it totally open. I couldn't care less," he said when asked if he’d be all right with the information being made public.
"You got a lot of people that could be mentioned that are in those files that don’t deserve to be, because he knew everybody in Palm Beach. I don’t know anything about that," Trump continued, before calling the issue a "Democrat hoax."
Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel had pledged to make the investigative files relating to the late convicted sex offender public, but changed their stance in a July memo in which they said no more information would be released, sparking a furious backlash from the president's base.
The files relating to Epstein, who died in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, were subpoenaed by the House, and the DOJ is expected to begin turning them over today.
Those who were once in Epstein’s social circle include Trump and former President Bill Clinton.
Trump says he may declare a national emergency to keep troops in D.C.
The president told reporters he may declare a national emergency to keep the National Guard in Washington, D.C.
"I keep seeing about a 30-day deadline of which we have 22 days left or something, but if I think we're in great shape here, that's one thing. But if I don't, I'm just going to say it's a national emergency and if I have a national emergency, I can keep the troops there as long as I want," Trump said.
"If I have to, I'll declare a national emergency, which I don't think I'll have to do," he added.
Trump says he is 'not happy' after attack on Western Ukraine
Trump said he is not happy about the Russian drone and missile attack on western Ukraine overnight, which struck an American-owned electronics facility in the region.
"I thought this would be the middle of the pack in terms of difficulty," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office this afternoon. "You know, I’m not happy about anything about that war. Nothing. Not happy at all."
Asked about his efforts to broker a meeting between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, which the Russian president has not yet agreed to do, Trump said, "We'll see what happens."
"I think over the next two weeks, we’re going to find out which way it’s going to go," Trump said. "And I better be very happy."
Trump said he believes a two-week time frame will reveal "the attitude of Russia, and frankly, of Ukraine," at which point he will "make a decision as to what we do."
The president, pressed for details, pointed to "massive sanctions or massive tariffs," but said his administration might "do nothing and say it’s your fight."
Trump says 2026 FIFA World Cup will boost the economy and create jobs
Trump touted the economic impact of the 2026 FIFA World Cup as he announced that the event's draw to determine early matchups will take place at the Kennedy Center in Washington in December.
"The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be the largest, most complex set of events in sports history, and the Kennedy Center will give it a phenomenal kickoff," Trump said during an Oval Office announcement of the draw this afternoon.
The president, donning a bright red hat that read "Trump was right about everything," listed the White House's economic projections for next year's World Cup series.
"This will drive more than $30 billion into the U.S. economy and create 185,000 American jobs in a short period of time," Trump said, adding that FIFA projects 6 million fans will travel to North American cities for World Cup events next year, while another 6 billion will watch from home.
Trump also touted his administration's 30-day federal takeover of Washington's police force, saying the FIFA World Cup draw will now take place in a "very safe capital," where visitors won't have to "worry about walking down the street."
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore calls for transparency around Bolton search
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, a Democrat, advocated for transparency from the Trump administration on the motivation and findings of this morning's FBI search on John Bolton's home in Bethesda, Maryland.
In an interview with CNN, Moore said he has little information on the raid but noted "we do know that if this has turned out to be politically motivated, it’s just another example of a real erosion of public trust."
Vice President JD Vance confirmed this afternoon that the Trump administration is investigating Bolton, Trump's former national security adviser turned critic, but denied the investigation is politically motivated.
The use of federal resources, Moore said, means "the people deserve to know what exactly the FBI was searching for, what exactly the FBI uncovered, and to know that if there’s going to be a full appreciation for federal resources and the usage of federal resources, that anytime you conduct an operation like this, that there is a high standard that the federal government has got to account for. And it is the sincere hope for all of us that they will do that in this case, too."
Florida state Sen. Joe Gruters, a longtime Trump ally, elected as RNC chair
Joe Gruters, a Florida state senator and longtime ally of Trump, was officially elected today as chairman of the Republican National Committee during the party’s summer meeting in Atlanta.
Gruters won the post without opposition after the president endorsed him to replace outgoing RNC Chair Michael Whatley, who is running for the Senate in North Carolina next year.
Exclusive: Vance denies the FBI is investigating John Bolton because he’s a Trump critic
Vice President JD Vance on Friday confirmed that President Donald Trump’s administration is “in the very early stages of an ongoing investigation” into former national security adviser John Bolton, but he denied that the investigation was retribution for Bolton’s criticism of Trump.
“We’re in the very early stages of an ongoing investigation into John Bolton. I will say we’re going to let that investigation proceed,” Vance told NBC News’ “Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker in an exclusive interview.
“We are investigating Ambassador Bolton, but if they ultimately bring a case, it will be because they determine that he has broken the law,” he added. “We’re going to be careful about that. We’re going to be deliberate about that, because we don’t think that we should throw people — even if they disagree with us politically, maybe especially if they disagree with us politically — you shouldn’t throw people willy-nilly in prison. You should let the law drive these determinations, and that’s what we’re doing.”
New Zealand postal service halts most U.S. deliveries amid tariff confusion
New Zealand’s postal service has suspended most deliveries to the United States as the Trump administration closes a trade loophole that had allowed parcels valued at $800 or less to enter the country duty-free.
NZ Post said parcel deliveries to all U.S. states and territories would be “temporarily unavailable until further notice” while systems are updated to meet new U.S. customs requirements with the Aug. 29 end of what is known as the de minimis exemption.
It said it expected the suspension to be short-term and that letters and some documents, such as passports or legal papers, could still be mailed. “We understand this may be frustrating, and we really appreciate your patience while we work through these changes,” NZ Post said on its website.
New Zealand and U.S. trade officials also met in Washington this week to discuss New Zealand’s concerns over the new U.S. tariff on its goods, which the Trump administration has set at 15% citing New Zealand’s trade surplus with the U.S. New Zealand’s average tariff rate on goods imported from the U.S. is 0.3%.
China sides with India against 50% tariffs by 'bully' U.S.
China said it opposes the 50% tariffs imposed on India, calling it bullying behavior, as the Trump policies keep pushing the two Asian giants closer together after years of frosty relations.
Trump said earlier this month that he was doubling tariffs on India to 50% from 25% over its purchases of Russian crude oil, which he said had helped fuel Moscow’s war against Ukraine.
“In the face of such acts, silence or compromise only emboldens the bully,” Xu Feihong, the Chinese ambassador to India, said in New Delhi yesterday. “China will firmly stand with India to uphold the multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organization at its core,” he added.
Trump said last week that he had no imminent plans to take similar tariff action against China, another top purchaser of the discounted Russian oil. New Delhi says the U.S. encouraged it to buy from Russia to keep global oil prices from soaring after Western governments stopped using it as a supplier.
As U.S.-India ties have been strained, New Delhi has accelerated the thawing of relations with Beijing after years of tension that began with deadly border clashes in 2020. Last week, the two countries agreed to resume direct flights and increase trade and investment.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi made a two-day visit to the Indian capital earlier this week, while Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit Beijing later this month for the first time in seven years.
White House to announce World Cup draw is coming to the Kennedy Center
The president is planning to announce today that the 2026 World Cup draw will take place at the Kennedy Center in Washington this December, according to a White House official.
Today’s announcement combines two pet projects of Trump’s — his boosting of the World Cup and his revamp of the Kennedy Center.
The tournament’s draw, which sets the group stage of competition for the 48 countries set to participate, will mark the first major event of the quadrennial tournament, roughly six months before the first matches kick off.
Trump has sought to suffuse his White House into the World Cup festivities — hosting multiple related events at the White House, attending the Club World Cup final earlier this summer, and speaking regularly with FIFA chief Gianni Infantino, with whom he has grown friendly, according to a senior White House official.
FIFA projections, shared by a White House official, say the tournament will draw 6 million fans to matches in 16 North American cities and will drive $30 billion into the U.S. economy.
White House says over 70 arrests in D.C. yesterday
A White House official said 76 people were arrested in D.C. last night as part of the president's law-enforcement initiative, bringing the total number of arrests since the operation started earlier this month to over 700.
The official said that of those arrested yesterday, 36 were undocumented immigrants. The charges against them include drug possession, resisting arrest, assault and driving without a license. The official did not release any information on exactly how many of those arrested were charged with nonimmigration crimes, except to say it was "many."
The official said the arrests included two known gang members, a person who had an outstanding warrant for violating parole in a sex abuse case, a person who was carrying a pistol without a license, and a robbery suspect.
Law enforcement personnel also seized five illegal firearms, the official said.
Trump says he will fire Fed governor Lisa Cook if she doesn’t resign
Speaking to reporters during a museum visit in D.C., Trump said today that he will fire Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook if she doesn’t resign.
“What she did was bad. So I’ll fire her if she doesn’t resign,” the president said.
Trump’s comment came days after Federal Housing Finance Agency Director William Pulte alleged that Cook had committed mortgage fraud.
A crowded race for governor has turned into an all-out fight over Trump’s endorsement
The crowded Republican race to be South Carolina’s next governor has erupted into an early, all-out battle to secure Donald Trump’s coveted endorsement, with the candidates going to great lengths to grab the president’s attention 10 months before the primary.
That includes everything from personally sending him positive polls and employing his top allies to mimicking his signature catchphrases and policy proposals.
Zelenskyy again pushes for meeting with Russia
During remarks to reporters alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte this morning, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy questioned Russia's commitment to ending the war, saying that its officials are avoiding meeting with him to keep the conflict going.
“The Russians will try to do something else now to avoid a meeting. The issue is not just the meeting. The issue is that they don’t want to end the war," the Ukrainian president said. "A meeting is one of the components of how to end the war. It’s not all, it’s one of the components. And since they don’t want to end it, they will look for space for it. And this space needs to be reduced. America and Europe in unity reduce this space for war.”
Zelenskyy also called for increased sanctions against Russia if they continue to slow-walk the details of a meeting.
“We need to force them to engage in diplomacy," he said. "We need really strong sanctions if they don’t agree to a diplomatic solution to this war. If they don’t want to end the war, we are very much counting on strong [sanctions] packages from our partners. We believe that we need to do everything we can to prevent Russia from continuing to hide from the meeting.”
His remarks come hours after Russia's foreign minister told NBC News that there are currently no concrete plans for a meeting between Zelenskyy and and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Trump said he had no knowledge of FBI search of John Bolton's home
Trump said he had no prior knowledge of the FBI search on his former national security adviser John Bolton's home until he "saw it on television this morning."
"I don’t know about it," Trump told reporters today. "I’m not a fan of John Bolton. He’s a real sort of a lowlife."
Bolton has emerged as an outspoken critic of Trump since serving in his first administration, specifically his handling of foreign policy matters and recent meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Asked if he expects to be briefed on the search, Trump said, "They’ll brief me, probably today sometime," adding, "I tell Pam, and I tell the group, I don’t want to know but just you have to do what you have to do."
Trump suggests he could send National Guard into Chicago and N.Y.C
The president again suggested that he might send National Guard troops into Chicago and New York City when he feels their work is done in D.C.
"A lot of people say, 'Well, where is he going from there?'" Trump told reporters while visiting a museum about the White House in D.C. "Well, I have calls from politicians begging me to go to Chicago, begging me to go to New York, begging me to go to Los Angeles. And if we didn’t go to Los Angeles with Newsom, they run it so badly, I don’t think we would have been able to have the Olympics. They would have ripped down that city. We went there, and it stopped day one."
Trump made similar remarks at the White House on Aug. 11, saying "I'm going to look at New York in a little while" and "if we need to, we're going to do the same thing in Chicago, which is a disaster.
D.C., he said today, "is very safe now."
"There’s been no murders since I started," Trump claimed," later clarifying there were no killings this past week."And you know, it’s a terrible thing to say. Who would think that you have to say that there have been no murders? It’s terrible."
FBI searches former national security adviser John Bolton’s home in a probe to find classified records
The FBI searched former national security adviser John Bolton’s home in Bethesda, Maryland, this morning as part of a “national security investigation in search of classified records,” a source familiar with the matter confirmed to NBC News.
An FBI official said in a statement that the agency was “conducting court authorized activity in the area. There is no threat to public safety.”
The agency declined to comment further.
Famine declared in Gaza City as Israel vows to open ‘gates of hell’ on besieged area
Famine was officially declared today in part of northern Gaza, including Gaza City, by the world’s leading authority on hunger as Israel vowed to raze the area if Hamas doesn’t agree to its terms.
The declaration of famine by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, or IPC, comes as deaths from starvation rise across the Palestinian enclave in a spiraling crisis under Israel’s military assault and aid restrictions.
Russia’s foreign minister says no Putin-Zelenskyy summit planned despite Trump’s peace push
Russia’s top diplomat said today that no meeting is planned between President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy, casting new doubt on President Donald Trump’s push for a summit to end the war.
“Putin is ready to meet with Zelenskyy when the agenda is ready for a summit, and this agenda is not ready at all,” Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told NBC News’ “Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker in an exclusive interview.
Trump meets with law enforcement and National Guard troops in D.C. to thank them for anti-crime efforts
WASHINGTON — Trump greeted dozens of law enforcement personnel and National Guard troops Thursday and thanked them for what he characterized as a successful early start to his administration’s efforts to reduce crime in Washington, D.C.
Agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were among those stationed outside of the U.S. Park Police Anacostia Operations Facility as Trump talked up the federal takeover of D.C. police that’s been accompanied by the deployment of more than 1,000 National Guard troops.
California voters will decide whether to adopt a new Democratic-drawn congressional map
California’s Democratic-controlled Legislature passed bills yesterday setting up a high-profile special election this fall, when voters will decide whether to approve the party’s plan to gerrymander California’s congressional map.
Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, who signed the relevant legislation shortly after it passed, has championed the plan as a political counterweight to Texas’ recent move to create more Republican seats there as both parties get ready for a 2026 election in which control of Congress will be up for grabs.
Judge rules ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ can stay open for now, but no further detainees or construction are allowed
MIAMI — A federal judge in Miami ruled yesterday that “Alligator Alcatraz,” the contested migrant detention facility in the Florida Everglades, can remain operational for now but that it cannot be expanded and no additional detainees can be brought in.
U.S. District Judge Kathleen M. Williams entered a preliminary injunction to prevent the installation of any additional industrial-style lighting and any site expansion. Her ruling further prevents “bringing any additional persons ... who were not already being detained at the site at the time of this order.”
