Donald Trump says $1.7bn compensation fund would be administered by ‘committee of very talented people’<\/p>\n
Donald Trump said he \u201cwasn\u2019t involved in\u201d the creation of a so-called anti-weaponization fund<\/a>, but said it had been \u201cwell received\u201d.<\/p>\n In response to a follow-up question asking how the fund would be administered and whether the president himself and his family would seek compensation through the fund, Trump said \u201cit\u2019ll all be dependent on a committee\u201d of \u201cvery talented people\u201d.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a018.16 EDT<\/p>\n Key events<\/p>\n Show key events only<\/p>\n Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature<\/p>\n The state department has announced new sanctions on Cuban government agencies and officials. The sanctions target agencies including the Interior Ministry and National Police, as well as 11 government officials, including the chief of staff of the Cuban army and the ministers of justice.<\/p>\n \u201cThese sanctions advance the Trump administration\u2019s comprehensive campaign to address the pressing national security threats posed by Cuba\u2019s communist regime and to hold accountable both the regime and those who provide it material support,\u201d secretary of state Marco Rubio said in a statement.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s more on the growing tension between the United States and its neighbor:<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n The Senate has confirmed former New Mexico congressman Steve Pearce to lead the Bureau of Land Management. Donald Trump<\/a> had selected Pearce, who has supported leasing public lands, at a moment when his administration is opening more public lands to mining, drilling and logging industries.<\/p>\n During his confirmation hearing, Pearce sought to assuage the concerns of Democrats and environmental groups. \u201cThe security and economic health of the country, especially the western states, rests squarely with the BLM,\u201d he said. \u201cWe can and must balance the different uses of public land. Local economies and future generations depend on us doing our job right.\u201d<\/p>\n Here\u2019s more on Pearce, who Trump nominated to lead the Bureau of Land Management in November:<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Nancy Pelosi has endorsed San Francisco supervisor Connie Chan in the race to fill the seat Pelosi will vacate at the end of her term.<\/p>\n \u201cConnie understands San Francisco \u2013 our values, our diversity, our communities, and our responsibility to lead with both compassion and strength. She\u2019s a mom who knows her power and knows her why. I am confident Connie is ready to bring clarity and purpose to the work ahead \u2013 for the children,\u201d Pelosi said in a new video for the Chan campaign. \u201cAt a time when fundamental freedoms and democratic values are under assault, we need a leader in Congress who is prepared to fight \u2014 forcefully and effectively \u2013 for the people of San Francisco and for the future of our country.\u201d<\/p>\n Here\u2019s my colleague Lauren Gambino<\/a> with more on Chan:<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a019.08 EDT<\/p>\n Lawmakers and national organizations are beginning to share statements denouncing the shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m heartbroken by the shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego, and my prayers are with the families of the three precious lives lost today,\u201d said California senator Adam Schiff. \u201cToday\u2019s shooting is a horrific attack on Southern California\u2019s Muslim community. Every American should be able to practice their faith without fear of violence. And we must never be silent in the face of hate.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCalifornia sends our deepest condolences to the families and communities impacted by today\u2019s shooting,\u201d California governor Gavin Newsom and first partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom said in a statement. \u201cWorshippers anywhere should not have to fear for their lives. Hate has no place in California, and we will not tolerate acts of terror or intimidation against communities of faith.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m thankful for the swift and courageous actions of law enforcement and first responders who responded to the shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego today. They ran toward the gunfire and toward the danger and ultimately saved lives,\u201d said California congresswoman Sara Jacobs.<\/p>\n \u201cNo one should have to fear the daily gun violence that plagues our communities, and it is especially terrible to fear being targeted based on race or religion,\u201d former congresswoman Gabby Giffords said in a statement. \u201cMy heart goes out to the Muslim community in San Diego and across the country, and to the families of the three people who should have made it home today. There is no world where armed, violent hate should be tolerated.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTo God we belong, and to God we return,\u201d the Council on American\u2013Islamic Relations wrote in a social media post. \u201cNo one should ever fear for their safety while attending prayers or studying at an elementary school.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe must do everything we can to keep people safe at houses of worship and keep children safe in our schools,\u201d Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer said in a social media post. \u201cThere is no place in our country for this type of violence at mosques, synagogues, churches, or anywhere else.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy prayers are with the victims, their families and the Clairemont community,\u201d House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries said in a social media post. \u201cWe must crush Islamophobia and the hatred that is fueling it.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a018.46 EDT<\/p>\n Trump said he postponed striking Iran for two to three days at the request of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates \u201cbecause they think that they are getting very close to making a deal\u201d.<\/p>\n Answering a second reporter\u2019s question about Iran at his health affordability event, the president challenged the idea that Iran would benefit from more time to negotiate a deal to its favor. \u201cWe\u2019ve taken a country that was going to have a nuclear weapon, and we\u2019ve virtually destroyed its military,\u201d Trump said.<\/p>\n He also lamented the economic fallout of the war, but said it was worth the cost. \u201cWe don\u2019t want to go through this. We had the greatest economy ever,\u201d Trump said. \u201cBut this is the most important thing we can do. We can\u2019t let Iran have a nuclear weapon.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a018.14 EDT<\/p>\n Donald Trump echoed his earlier concerns about mail-in ballots, responding to a reporter\u2019s question about his Truth Social post calling for an investigation into Maryland\u2019s use of mail-in blalots.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve looked at Maryland for a long time, and I know Maryland pretty well, and I was told that it\u2019s automatically a Democrat state. And I don\u2019t believe that because I think I did really well there and I don\u2019t believe it,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019ve asked the, law enforcement to look at it very, very strenuously.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Donald Trump says $1.7bn compensation fund would be administered by ‘committee of very talented people’<\/p>\n Donald Trump said he \u201cwasn\u2019t involved in\u201d the creation of a so-called anti-weaponization fund<\/a>, but said it had been \u201cwell received\u201d.<\/p>\n In response to a follow-up question asking how the fund would be administered and whether the president himself and his family would seek compensation through the fund, Trump said \u201cit\u2019ll all be dependent on a committee\u201d of \u201cvery talented people\u201d.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a018.16 EDT<\/p>\n Asked by a reporter about the shooting in San Diego, Trump said: \u201cThey\u2019re giving a briefing and it\u2019s a terrible situation.\u201d<\/p>\n He added, \u201cwe\u2019re going to be going back and looking at it very strongly.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a018.07 EDT<\/p>\n Donald Trump was joined onstage during his healthcare affordability announcement by government health officials and private healthcare sector business owners.<\/p>\n Health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, CMS administrator Mehmet Oz and HHS chief counselor Chris Klomp were in attendance, alongside Cost Plus Drugs founder Mark Cuban, Amazon Pharmacy vice-president Tanvi Patel and GoodRx president Aaron Crittenden.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a018.07 EDT<\/p>\n At his healthcare affordability event, Donald Trump<\/a> announced that his website TrumpRx.gov will now include a catalog of generic drugs.<\/p>\n Trump touted the move as \u201cincreasing the number of drugs available on TrumpRx by nearly seven times, adding over 600 affordable generics to the website\u201d. He called it \u201cthe hottest thing in medicine\u201d saying the website helped the United States go \u201cfrom the most expensive to the least expensive\u201d in healthcare costs.<\/p>\n After TrumpRx.gov launched in February, listing only 43 medications, healthcare experts pointed to other websites<\/a> that better aggregated affordable drug deals.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a017.44 EDT<\/p>\n Donald Trump has begun his address on healthcare affordability, calling today \u201ca very beautiful day with a lot of positive things happening\u201d.<\/p>\n According to CNN and NewsNation, which cite a White House official, Trump was briefed on the shooting in San Diego before beginning his address.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Police have \u201cneutralized\u201d an active shooter at the Islamic Center of San Diego, confirmed five dead and are investigating the incident as a hate crime.<\/p>\n We\u2019ll continue to update our story on the shooting as more information becomes available:<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n A top state department official helped secure a visa for a former Polish politician on the run from prosecution.<\/p>\n According to Reuters, which cites three people familiar with the matter, deputy secretary of state Christopher Landau instructed senior department staff to approve a visa for former Polish justice minister Zbigniew Ziobro.<\/p>\n Ziobro faces 26 charges in Poland tied to his role designing changes to the country\u2019s judicial system, which the European Union says undermined the rule of law while the rightwing Law and Justice party was in power.<\/p>\n Before the US granted his visa, Ziobro had been living in Hungary, where the far-right former prime minister Viktor Orb\u00e1n granted him asylum. However, in April, Orb\u00e1n lost his bid for re-election, and the incoming Hungarian president had promised to extradite Ziobro to Poland.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a017.24 EDT<\/p>\n Lucy Campbell<\/p>\n Donald Trump has said he would \u201chold off\u201d an attack on Iran scheduled for Tuesday at the request of Gulf leaders.<\/p>\n In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said \u201cserious negotiations\u201d were now under way with Iran and that Gulf states believed \u201ca deal will be made\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cThis Deal will include, importantly, NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS FOR IRAN!\u201d he claimed.<\/p>\n But, he added, Washington was ready for a \u201cfull, large scale assault of Iran, on a moment\u2019s notice, in the event that an acceptable Deal is not reached.\u201d<\/p>\n Here\u2019s the full post:<\/p>\n I have been asked by the Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, and the President of the United Arab Emirates, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to hold off on our planned Military attack of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which was scheduled for tomorrow, in that serious negotiations are now taking place, and that, in their opinion, as Great Leaders and Allies, a Deal will be made, which will be very acceptable to the United States of America, as well as all Countries in the Middle East, and beyond. This Deal will include, importantly, NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS FOR IRAN! Based on my respect for the above mentioned Leaders, I have instructed Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, The Chairman of The Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Daniel Caine, and The United States Military, that we will NOT be doing the scheduled attack of Iran tomorrow, but have further instructed them to be prepared to go forward with a full, large scale assault of Iran, on a moment\u2019s notice, in the event that an acceptable Deal is not reached.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a016.58 EDT<\/p>\n Donald Trump said he is requesting the attorney general and Justice Department investigate mail-in voting in Maryland.<\/p>\n In a post on Truth Social, Trump alleged that Maryland had \u201csent out 500,000 Illegal Mail In Ballots\u201d and blamed \u201cthe Corrupt Governor of the State, Wes Moore\u201d, a Democrat, who \u201callowed this to happen in order to make sure that Democrats win\u201d.<\/p>\n The president has long been critical of mail-in voting, although using the system to vote by mail himself. Here\u2019s my colleague Sam Levine<\/a>, writing in March<\/a>:<\/p>\n Trump repeated a series of falsehoods about voting before signing the order in the Oval Office on Tuesday, claiming that cheating with mail-in voting was \u201clegendary\u201d. Repeated studies and investigations have shown there is no widespread voter fraud, including fraud through mail-in voting. The president himself voted by mail earlier this month.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a016.57 EDT<\/p>\n The motion on behalf of 93 members of the US House of Representatives<\/a> in Trump v. IRS, a $10bn lawsuit pending before the US district court, was filed by Platkin LLP, a law firm founded by former New Jersey attorney general Matthew J Platkin and Democracy Defenders Fund, a non-partisan watchdog organization, in the southern district of Florida on Monday.<\/p>\n The filing seeks to prevent Trump\u2019s corrupt attempt to \u201csettle\u201d the lawsuit in exchange for the creation of a $1.7bn slush fund.<\/p>\n Carl Tobias, a law professor who specializes in federal courts at the University of Richmond said his concern is that Trump\u2019s withdrawal of the suit is an effort to remove the case from the legal system and from Judge Williams\u2019 oversight.<\/p>\n \u201cTypically, if there\u2019s going to be some type of settlement, the court has to approve that,\u201d said Tobias. \u201cBy dropping the suit, Trump\u2019s lawyers could remove the case from the legal system and prevent her from ruling against them on the case\u2019s merits.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a016.23 EDT<\/p>\n Donald Trump is expected to announce an expansion to TrumpRx, his discounted-drug website, the Associated Press reports, citing the White House.<\/p>\n We\u2019ll bring you more information when Trump begins his address, currently scheduled for 4:30pm ET, shortly.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Here’s a recap of the day so far<\/p>\n Donald Trump has moved to dismiss a $10bn lawsuit against the Interal Revenue Service and his administration has created a $1.776bn \u201canti-weaponization\u201d fund<\/a> to compensate his allies for supposed persecution by the government. In a justice department press release<\/a> announcing the move, acting attorney general Todd Blanche said, completely unironically: \u201cThe machinery of government should never be weaponized against any American, and it is this Department\u2019s intention to make right the wrongs that were previously done while ensuring this never happens again.\u201d<\/p>\n Democrats have harshly criticized the settlement, saying<\/a> it amounts to the creation of a \u201cslush fund\u201d for the president\u2019s allies. Ninety-three congressional Democrats<\/a> \u2013 including House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries \u2013 filed an amicus brief with the court on Monday saying that such a claim \u201craises the specter of corruption unparalleled in American history\u201d.<\/p>\n Also this morning, Donald Trump was back to posting about Thomas Massie, the Kentucky congressmen who has long been fighting the president\u2019s ire and has his Republican primary on Teusday. Trump wrote: \u201cThe worst Congressman in the long and storied history of the Republican Party, is Thomas Massie. He is an obstructionist and a fool.\u201d<\/p>\n