Breaking news and analysis on the Trump administration, executive orders, cabinet appointments, policy decisions, and political developments.
CASA, Inc. and an anonymous pregnant immigrant named Barbara filed federal lawsuits Tuesday against the Trump administration, seeking to halt executive orders restricting birthright citizenship. Civil rights groups also filed a motion to block the new order limiting 'birth tourism.' The suits argue the Supreme Court's June ruling against a previous attempt precludes these revisions.
President Trump confirmed he was secretly moved to a different plane during a trip to Turkey last month due to an Iranian assassination threat, downplaying the danger. He said he followed Secret Service and military advice, hiding in an airport catering container to board another aircraft while Air Force One served as a decoy. The operation was revealed by The Washington Post, prompting calls for a congressional inquiry.
The Justice Department filed an emergency request with the Supreme Court to lift a judge's nationwide block on Trump's executive order tightening mail-in voting rules. Solicitor General D. John Sauer argued the district court's new order confirms the urgent need for a stay, noting Election Day is less than three months away.
President Trump covertly exited the presidential plane in Ankara, Turkey, on July 8, using an airport service truck to transfer to a different aircraft, following a credible Iranian assassination threat. He was joined by aides including Natalie Harp, Dan Scavino, and Walt Nauta. The White House press pool was told the switch was for 'old time's sake.' Security experts called the concealment unprecedented.
The ACLU and other civil rights groups asked a federal judge in New Hampshire to clarify that an injunction blocking Trump's first birthright citizenship order also covers his new directive. They argue the Supreme Court's decision 'should have been the end of this issue' and that any new exceptions are 'equally illegal.' The White House maintains it has always followed court orders.
The Justice Department issued a memo giving President Trump sweeping authority to hide communications with private advisers from public view, even allowing advisers to shield their own communications. The opinion could complicate Democratic subpoena plans and comes as Trump's senior counsel Boris Epshteyn fights an ABA subpoena. A DOJ official said it reaffirms longstanding office positions. Legal experts note the stance has never been so comprehensively stated by past administrations, and the privilege question remains untested in court.
The Intercept and Freedom of the Press Foundation filed a federal lawsuit in New York challenging Truth Social's paid early access service, calling it 'extraordinary, corrupt and unconstitutional.' The complaint alleges Trump stands to gain financially by giving 'market-moving' government information to paying clients. Interim CEO Kevin McGurn said the company has signed more than 10 customers, primarily high-frequency trading firms, at rates from $60,000 to $100,000 a month. The Truth API launched Aug. 1, and plaintiffs also seek to block it, with Democratic lawmakers calling for an SEC probe.
An Endeavor Health pediatrician, Dr. Eric Yancy, cautioned against President Trump's executive order on childhood vaccine recommendations, saying changes should be based on evidence. Major medical groups, including the American Medical Association and American Academy of Pediatrics, denounced the order as 'dangerous,' noting it amplifies vaccine skepticism. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s earlier attempts to alter the schedule were blocked in court.
President Trump faced criticism after claiming the plane he flew on after a NATO summit in Ankara was at greater risk than Air Force One, which carried journalists. He later confirmed a Washington Post report that he was moved due to a credible threat from Iran, downplaying the incident. Former Secret Service agents defended the decoy flight, noting the threat level is 'very high' and such measures are necessary. A senior official said the decoy plane was protected by fighter jets, with press and staff instructed to keep window shades closed.
President Trump conceded he had no evidence for his claim that the MMR vaccine is 'lethal' during a White House ceremony for an executive order splitting the vaccine into three shots. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. attended. GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy, a physician, called the order 'so wrong,' and medical experts warn it could leave children vulnerable. The order follows a January HHS effort to reduce childhood vaccines that was blocked by a judge in March.