National Politics

By Daniel Dale, Alex Marquardt and Jennifer Hansler, CNN Washington (CNN) — During her first official White House briefing as President Donald Trump’s press secretary, Karoline Leavitt announced that Trump had prevented a “preposterous waste of taxpayer money.” Trump’s team, she said, used the president’s pause on foreign aid to thwart a plan in which

CNN By Kaitlan Collins, Alayna Treene and Samantha Waldenberg, CNN (CNN) — The White House Office of Management and Budget on Wednesday rescinded a memo that froze federal grants and loans and created widespread confusion this week. “OMB Memorandum M-25-13 is rescinded. If you have questions about implementing the President’s Executive Orders, please contact your

By Kaitlan Collins, Rene Marsh, Samantha Waldenberg and Alayna Treene, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump signed two executive orders on school funding Wednesday that fulfill promises he made on the campaign trail, including on school choice and ending funding for schools that support what the White House calls “radical indoctrination.” In the week and

By Devan Cole, Katelyn Polantz, Paula Reid and Tierney Sneed, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump’s administration is ending the case against his former co-defendants in the classified documents investigation brought by former special counsel Jack Smith. The Justice Department has stopped pursuing an appeal brought by Smith to revive the criminal charges against Trump’s

By Kara Scannell and Lauren del Valle, CNN (CNN) — Former New Jersey Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez was sentenced Wednesday to 11 years in prison following his conviction on bribery and corruption charges after taking cash, a Mercedes Benz and gold bars as bribes in exchange for helping three businessmen and the Egyptian government. The

By Em Steck and Winter Hawk, CNN (CNN) — Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will undergo intense scrutiny over his history of controversial and inflammatory comments at his Senate confirmation hearing on Wednesday to become President Donald Trump’s Health and Human Services secretary. Kennedy is expected to face tough questions from Democrats regarding his false claims

By Oren Liebermann, CNN (CNN) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday revoked the security detail and security clearance for Gen. Mark Milley, according to Pentagon spokesman John Ullyot, an unprecedented move against the former top US general who became a frequent target of President Donald Trump. Hegseth, in only his second full day on

By Alejandra Jaramillo and Jen Christensen, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump signed an executive order Tuesday to end federal support for medical procedures aimed at altering sex or gender that involve surgical interventions or the use of puberty blockers or sex hormones in those under 19 years old. “Accordingly, it is the policy of

By Manu Raju and Sarah Ferris, CNN Doral, Florida (CNN) — Speaker Mike Johnson’s power within the Republican Party is about to be tested unlike anything he has faced, with Donald Trump’s agenda on the line. As the House GOP’s policy retreat comes to a close, Johnson and his team must now decide how much

By Eric Bradner, CNN (CNN) — Donald Trump’s move to pause trillions of dollars in federal grants and loans awakened widespread Democratic resistance to the new president’s second term that was felt Tuesday on Capitol Hill, in governors’ offices and in the race to helm the party’s national committee. A federal judge on Tuesday blocked

By Tami Luhby, CNN (CNN) — The Trump administration’s freeze on federal grants sparked chaos and confusion at state Medicaid agencies on Tuesday. Although the White House insisted that Medicaid, which provides health insurance to more than 72 million low-income Americans, was not affected by the freeze that it announced Monday evening, state Medicaid officials

By Jennifer Hansler, CNN (CNN) — Officials inside and outside of the US government are grappling with the fallout of the Trump administration’s sudden suspension of almost all foreign aid with some humanitarian officials warning that people will die as a result. The sweeping directive from Secretary of State Marco Rubio to pause nearly all

By Matt Holt, CNN (CNN) — Two Republicans endorsed by President Donald Trump will win their special primaries Tuesday, moving one step closer to bringing Speaker Mike Johnson a little breathing room for the GOP’s narrow majority in the House. State Sen. Randy Fine will win the GOP special primary in Florida’s 6th Congressional District,

By Oren Liebermann, CNN (CNN) — About 90 Patriot missiles from Israel are being sent to Ukraine in a transfer facilitated by the United States, according to a US defense official. The missiles had been in storage in Israel, which operated Patriot air defense systems for more than 30 years before retiring them in April.

CNN By Annie Grayer, CNN (CNN) — Caroline Kennedy on Tuesday warned that her cousin Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is a “predator” ahead of his high-profile confirmation hearings this week to be President Donald Trump’s Department of Health and Human Services secretary, urging senators to reject his nomination. Kennedy, who said she felt obligated to

By John Fritze, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump’s dramatic pause of federal grants and loans is queuing up a Supreme Court showdown over the Constitution that will test the court’s recently muscular commitment to curb executive power. Although the 6-3 conservative court has often sided with Trump, most notably granting him sweeping immunity from

By Annie Grayer, CNN (CNN) — Caroline Kennedy on Tuesday warned that her cousin Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is a “predator” ahead of his high-profile confirmation hearings this week to be President Donald Trump’s Department of Health and Human Services secretary, urging senators to reject his nomination. Kennedy, who said she felt obligated to speak