National Politics

CNN By Tierney Sneed, CNN (CNN) — Communications that President Donald Trump has with advisers who don’t even work for his administration can be protected by executive privilege, the Justice Department said in a memo Monday evening that comes amid lawsuits and a possible Democratic takeover of Congress. The legal memo boldly formalizes an aggressive

CNN By Kevin Liptak, Alejandra Jaramillo, Donald Judd, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump secretly slipped out of Turkey last month on an alternate military plane, which he boarded while hidden inside a catering truck, as part of an elaborate ruse prompted by an Iranian threat, according to a US official. The clandestine security plan

By Jennifer Hansler, CNN (CNN) — American Robert Gilman, who was released from Russian detention for humanitarian reasons on Tuesday amid severe concerns about his health, has arrived back in the United States. Gilman, a 32-year-old Marine veteran, had been detained in Russia since 2022. President Donald Trump said Tuesday he had spoken with Gilman,

By Eric Bradner, Jeff Zeleny, CNN (CNN) — The next battles over the Democratic Party’s ideological direction come Tuesday in a slate of primaries that includes showdowns in two upper Midwestern political battlegrounds. Francesca Hong, a 37-year-old democratic socialist state legislator and former chef and restaurant owner, is widely favored to win her party’s nomination

By Daniel Dale, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump made numerous false or misleading claims about vaccines and autism on Monday. Trump has long pushed vaccine misinformation. He delivered his latest inaccurate remarks at a White House event during which he signed an executive order that recommends that US children receive fewer vaccinations over a

By Jessie Yeung, CNN (CNN) — Two Republican senators have released the first batch of text messages retrieved from Dr. Anthony Fauci’s former government phone as part of an investigation into his leadership and actions during the Covid-19 pandemic – including messages in which he discusses the possible risks and safety of the vaccine during

CNN By Kevin Liptak, Alejandra Jaramillo, Donald Judd, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump secretly slipped out of Turkey last month on an alternate military plane, which he boarded while hidden inside a catering truck, as part of an elaborate ruse prompted by an Iranian threat, according to a US official. The clandestine security plan

By Betsy Klein, CNN (CNN) — Olivia Rodrigo, Katy Perry, Noah Kahan and Sabrina Carpenter all have well-documented histories of speaking out against President Donald Trump. But when it comes to use of their music by the White House, not everyone is so vocal. In recent days, Taylor Swift’s music quietly disappeared from TikTok posts

By Alejandra Jaramillo, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump said Monday that “jihadists” are being elected “all over the place” — trying a new, incendiary line of attack against Democrats with the midterm election just three months away. “Well, the one thing is, we have jihadists being elected all over the place,” Trump told reporters

By Hannah Rabinowitz, CNN (CNN) — Todd Blanche was sworn in as attorney general on Monday in an Oval Office ceremony led by his former Donald Trump defense-team colleague, Judge Emil Bove. The swearing-in was held without press access. Blanche’s family members, including his wife, daughter and granddaughter, attended. Blanche told CNN he was “feeling

CNN By Hannah Rabinowitz, CNN (CNN) — Todd Blanche was sworn in as attorney general on Monday in an Oval Office ceremony led by his former Donald Trump defense-team colleague, Judge Emil Bove. The swearing-in was held without press access. Blanche’s family members, including his wife, daughter and granddaughter, attended. Blanche told CNN he was

By Haley Britzky, CNN (CNN) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pushed Congress to approve a sharp increase in the Pentagon’s budget during a ceremony on Monday to rename a base for the late Sen. Lindsey Graham. Graham, a veteran who was long known for his advocacy for expanding the military, died suddenly last month following

By John Fritze, CNN (CNN) — Daniel Grand wanted to host a small prayer session at his home near Cleveland. Instead, he wound up on a four-year pilgrimage to the Supreme Court. Grand, an Orthodox Jew, had invited about a dozen people to his rec room in early 2021 for a minyan, a prayer gathering

By Katelyn Polantz, CNN (CNN) — The charges at a monthlong criminal trial in Washington’s federal court last month were fairly straightforward: That one man had allegedly held up seven 7-Elevens and a few other gas stations in spring 2023 and stolen cars. But the trial of Shamell Naquan Joyner had a twist. While deliberating,

CNN By Aleena Fayaz, CNN (CNN) — Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed on Sunday described a “really warm” conversation with former President Barack Obama as the party seeks to find a path forward following last week’s bruising primary. “I like to keep private conversations private, but it was a really, really warm conversation,” El-Sayed

By Aleena Fayaz, CNN (CNN) — Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed on Sunday described a “really warm” conversation with former President Barack Obama as the party seeks to find a path forward following last week’s bruising primary. “I like to keep private conversations private, but it was a really, really warm conversation,” El-Sayed told

By Michael Williams, CNN (CNN) — Rep. Max Miller will remain in his race for reelection, despite abuse allegations that have rocked his campaign and prompted growing calls from fellow Republicans for him to drop out. Miller, who has denied the allegations of abuse from his ex-wife, has consistently maintained that he would remain in

By Isabelle Khurshudyan, Piper Hudspeth Blackburn, CNN (CNN) — The premise sounds almost fictional: one boy and one girl from every state, territory and some tribal nations, flown to a private campus in Ohio to compete in a televised athletic contest called the Patriot Games — a Trump-backed youth competition with obstacle courses, patriotic testimonials

By Koko Nakajima, CNN (CNN) — The Senate on Saturday narrowly confirmed Todd Blanche to be the next US attorney general, overcoming concerns about his past work as a personal lawyer for former President Donald Trump that helped spur opposition from within the Republican party. Ultimately the path to confirmation for Blanche, who spent weeks