Trump administration live updates: DHS heads toward shutdown
President Donald Trump’s pick for a top State Department post is facing bipartisan opposition over past remarks about Israel and the Holocaust.
What to know today
- DHS SHUTDOWN: The Department of Homeland Security is poised to shut down this weekend as Congress remained deadlocked yesterday on a path forward before leaving town for a weeklong holiday break.
- MUNICH SUMMIT: An annual gathering of top international security figures that set the tone for a growing rift between the U.S. and Europe last year kicks off today, bringing top officials from around the world together with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and others.
- NOMINEE OPPOSITION: President Donald Trump’s pick for a top State Department post is facing bipartisan opposition after Sen. John Curtis, R-Utah, came out against the nominee, Jeremy Carl, challenging him at his confirmation hearing yesterday over his past remarks about Israel and the Holocaust.
- RUEMMLER OUT: The top lawyer at Goldman Sachs, Kathy Ruemmler, said she would leave the prestigious Wall Street firm amid controversy over her email correspondence with Jeffrey Epstein, which the Justice Department disclosed in recent weeks. Ruemmler was White House counsel in the Obama administration.
Trump says 'there will be Voter I.D. for the Midterm Elections', whether Congress approves it or not
Trump said in a Truth Social post today that "there will be Voter I.D. for the Midterm Elections, whether approved by Congress or not," adding in a second post that he will issue an executive order if the SAVE Act is not passed.
The president has adamantly pushed for Congress to pass the SAVE Act, a bill that would overhaul elections nationwide, including requiring voters to show photo identification and putting new restrictions on mail-in ballots.
"If we can’t get it through Congress, there are Legal reasons why this SCAM is not permitted. I will be presenting them shortly, in the form of an Executive Order," the president said in the second post.
"Republicans must put this at the top of every speech — It is a CAN’T MISS FOR RE-ELECTION IN THE MIDTERMS, AND BEYOND!" the second post also said.
The House passed the SAVE Act Wednesday, with all Republicans voting in favor and all Democrats, with the exception of Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, voting against it. It now heads to the Senate for consideration.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska was the first Republican senator to come out against the bill, reminding her GOP colleagues last week that they claimed to be against federal election mandates to states as recently as 2021.
Even if the legislation does manage to earn a majority vote in the Senate, it needs 60 votes to break a filibuster, an unlikely task as Democrats have united against the bill.
Trump has repeatedly urged the Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., to eliminate the filibuster, but Thune has said that Senate Republicans firmly oppose that move.
Preservationists, golfers sue over plans to overhaul D.C.'s East Potomac Golf Course
Washington, D.C.’s Preservation League is suing the Trump administration over plans to transform the popular and public East Potomac Park Golf Course into a professional-grade “Washington National Golf Course.”
The plaintiffs say the harm is already well underway, due to the dirt, debris and wreckage from the demolition of the White House East Wing being piled up onto the golf course property. “That debris included wires, pipes, bricks, and other materials-apparently untested for pollutants or contaminants, and all within a light breeze’s reach of the park’s golfers,” attorney Will Bardwell writes.
They say reviews required for this kind of work, pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act and National Historic Preservation Act, have yet to be completed.
The Trump administration, they say, should be blocked from further implementing the “Washington National” plan, including the dumping of debris and refuse, until their legal obligations are complied with.
Joining the lawsuit are several recreational golfers who say their “aesthetic, recreational, cultural, and communal interests” in the East Potomac Golf Course are being harmed.
Funding for the Gateway Tunnel still hasn't been disbursed, N.Y. and N.J. say
A federal judge ordered the Department of Transportation to provide an update on the funding status of the Gateway Tunnel Project by Tuesday at 3:00 p.m., after the states of New York and New Jersey reported that the funding was still frozen as of today.
The two states asked U.S. District Judge Jeannette Vargas for an emergency hearing on the Gateway Tunnel lawsuit today, stating that funds for the project should have resumed yesterday afternoon, per a ruling by Vargas from last week.
Justice Department lawyer Neka Nzekwu blamed a “multi-step process” for the funding holdup.
Nzekwu and her colleague Tara Schultz explained that the funding goes from the Department of Transportation, through the Treasury Department, before it's released to the GDC. The Justice Department lawyers said that the process could take up to one business day.
Given Monday’s holiday, Nzekwu and Schultz said that the money should be flowing by Tuesday.
The delayed funding disbursment didn’t appear to bother Judge Vargas, who said she didn’t expect all the funding to be sent to the GDC as soon as the pause on her order lifted yesterday afternoon.
“It doesn’t order that all past reimbursements are due by Monday at x time,” Vargas said of her order. “I don’t think there was an explicit representation.”
Vargas ruled last week to temporarily block the Trump administration from suspending federal disbursements for the Gateway Tunnel project, a $16 billion project to construct a tunnel under the Hudson River to connect New York and New Jersey.
Trump's Board of Peace to meet next week
Trump’s Board of Peace will hold its first formal meeting Thursday, according to a senior U.S. official with representation from at least 20 countries. The meeting is set to take place at the U.S. Institute of Peace, according to a source who saw the invitations sent out last week.
At the meeting, Trump is expected to announce a multibillion-dollar reconstruction plan for Gaza along with contributions from participating board members, the official said. He will also provide details of plans for a U.N.-authorized stabilization force including several countries who plan to provide several thousand troops according to the official. The details of next week’s meeting were first reported by Reuters.
Attendees will also be briefed on the work being done by the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, which is slated to undertake the day-to-day civil administration, and will receive updates on the latest efforts for a Gazan police force and the humanitarian aid situation, the official said.
‘The grand jury has spoken’: Elissa Slotkin’s lawyer tells DOJ to close social video probe
An attorney for Michigan Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin is urging the Justice Department to shut down an investigation into a viral video telling members of the military not to follow “illegal orders” after a federal grand jury in the District of Columbia roundly rejected an attempt to indict her and five other Democrats.
“The grand jury has spoken, loudly, clearly, and unanimously,” Preet Bharara, a former top federal prosecutor, wrote in the letter, citing an NBC News report that zero grand jurors thought that the Justice Department had reached the low “probable cause” threshold needed to indict. “Indeed, continuing to pursue this matter would violate clear ethical duties and Justice Department policy.”
The letter is addressed to Attorney General Pam Bondi and U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeannie Pirro, and copies Carlton Davis and Steven Vandervelden, attorneys working for Pirro who tried to bring the case.
The prosecutors attempted to indict Slotkin and Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona and Reps. Jason Crow of Colorado, Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire and Chris Deluzio and Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania.
A spokesperson for Pirro declined to comment on the letter.
New York elections board, Republican lawmaker ask Supreme Court to pause ruling blocking congressional map
In two separate emergency applications, the New York State Board of Elections and Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., asked the U.S. Supreme Court to block a lower court ruling that the state’s 11th Congressional District unconstitutional.
They are asking for relief from the Supreme Court by Feb. 23, so that candidates can begin the process of filing for the ballot under the current congressional map.
“This chaos and uncertainty not only jeopardizes the rights of candidates and political parties to participate in a timely and fair electoral process, but also risks disenfranchising voters who may be left without clear information about their districts or representation,” attorney Eoin Muimhneachain wrote in his application to the Supreme Court. “Moreover, the abrupt halt to election preparations erodes public confidence in the integrity and reliability of New York’s electoral system, causing confusion and diminishing trust in the democratic process. These harms cannot be remedied after the fact because the loss of a fair and orderly election process is, by its nature, irreparable.”
In January, a state judge ruled that New York City’s only Republican-held congressional district was drawn unconstitutionally, ordering a new map.
Judge Jeffrey Pearlman concluded that the Staten Island-based 11th District, which is Malliotakis', diluted Black and Latino voting power. He said New York’s independent redistricting commission must redraw the state’s congressional map.
Arizona AG accuses Noem of 'lying to the American people'
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, a Democrat, today slammed Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, accusing her of "lying to the American people" during a press conference Noem held in Arizona today about election security.
"Arizona’s elections are safe and secure. The election deniers now staffing the Trump administration have spent the past six years lying to the American people in a deliberate effort to destroy trust in our election system. Multiple investigations, independent audits, and courts across this country have all reached the same conclusion: voter fraud is exceedingly rare and has not played a meaningful role in the outcome of an election," Mayes said.
The attorney general added, "Secretary Noem told the press that Arizona 'is an absolute disaster' when it comes to elections — yet she could not provide a single example to support that claim because its patently untrue. In fact, Arizona already requires documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote."
Her statement comes after Noem told a reporter during a press conference," I hope that you do recognize that in the past, your state has been an absolute disaster on elections, that your leaders have failed you dramatically by not having systems that work.
Noem also said, "There’s no state that could use more improvement than Arizona, and you should be asking all of your leaders what they’re doing to fix the system."
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment about Mayes' statement.
Noem was in Arizona promoting the SAVE America Act, a Trump-backed bill that the House passed this week. Republican lawmakers say the bill includes provisions to make elections more safe and secure.
Virginia Supreme Court allows redistricting special election to move forward
The Virginia Supreme Court today allowed a referendum that could pave the way for a new congressional map that heavily favors Democrats to appear on the ballot this spring.
The ruling is a victory for Democrats as they seek to pick up as many as four seats in this year’s midterm elections with their redistricting effort. Voters will decide in a special election April 21 whether to approve a constitutional amendment that would allow the redrawn map to go into effect.
Democrats currently control six of Virginia’s 11 congressional districts.
The Democratic-controlled Legislature approved a measure to amend the state Constitution twice and scheduled the April special election. But last month, a lower court ruled that Democratic lawmakers had erred procedurally.
Second U.S. aircraft carrier is being sent to the Middle East as Iran tensions remain high
The USS Ford Carrier Strike Group has been notified that it is leaving the Caribbean and headed to the Middle East, according to two U.S. officials familiar with the decision.
The Ford will join the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Group already in the region. The decision comes as tensions with Iran remain high.
The Ford and its associated ships set off on a deployment to Europe in October but were redirected to the Caribbean and took part in last month’s mission to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife. Their expected seven--month deployment is likely to stretch into April or May now, the officials said.
The crew of the Ford was notified of the change yesterday.
The Ford’s planned deployment to the Mideast comes after Trump only days earlier suggested another round of talks with Iran was at hand. Those negotiations didn’t materialize as one of Tehran’s top security officials visited Oman and Qatar this week and exchanged messages with the U.S. intermediaries.
Watchdog groups ask judge to delay Trump's IRS lawsuit until he leaves office
Two more watchdog groups have filed legal briefs looking to sidetrack Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against government agencies, which are headed by his own appointees.
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) and Public Citizen, both nonprofits, jointly submitted a 12-page“friend of the court” brief in U.S. District Court in Miami that aims to stymie any payout to Trump while he’s in office.
The suit asks the judge in the case, Kathleen M. Williams, to delay the litigation until Trump leaves office Jan. 20, 2029, and to block him from reaching a financial settlement with the agencies in the three years remaining in his term.
Trump, his two oldest sons and the Trump Organization filed suit against the IRS and the Treasury Department last month, seeking damages over the president’s leaked tax returns. An IRS contractor, Charles Littlejohn, pleaded guilty more than two years ago to stealing Trump’s records and thousands of others during the president’s first term. He later leaked Trump’s records to news outlets.
Trump’s suit holds that the damages he suffered from the leak were “irreparable” and that the agencies failed to properly safeguard the records.
In their brief, the two nonprofit groups call upon Judge Williams, a Barack Obama appointee, to stop any out-of-court settlement that Trump might reach with his own appointees.
“President Trump’s presence on both sides of the litigation creates substantial constitutional and ethical concerns, and risks enmeshing this Court in an unlawful and collusive transfer of funds from the U.S. Treasury to the President’s personal coffers,” the brief reads.
Trump has pledged to give any money from the suit to established charities such as the American Cancer Society.
Last week, two other watchdog groups, Common Cause and Project on Government Oversight, submitted a friend of the court brief that also asked the judge to delay the case until Trump leaves office.
Trump warns it will be a 'bad day' for Iran if talks are unsuccessful
Trump repeated his warning today that Iran will face consequences if negotiations over its nuclear program don't work out.
"I think they'll be successful. And if they're not, it's going to be a bad day for Iran," he said.
This comes as a second aircraft carrier is being deployed to the Middle East amid the ongoing tensions with Iran. The USS Ford Carrier Strike Group has been notified that it is leaving the Caribbean and headed to the Middle East, according to two U.S. officials familiar with the decision. The USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Group is already in the region.
Trump says Russia wants to make a deal and 'Zelenskyy is going to have to get moving'
Trump said today that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy "is going to have to get moving" in negotiations with Russia to end the war in his country.
"Russia wants to make a deal, and Zelenskyy is going to have to get moving, otherwise he's going to miss a great opportunity. He has to move," Trump told reporters as he left the White House.
Officials from the U.S., Ukraine and Russia are expected to hold another round of talks early next week in Geneva.
Ryan Routh files appeal in Trump assassination attempt conviction
Ryan Routh, the man who was convicted and sentenced to life in prison in the 2024 assassination attempt on Trump, has filed a notice of appeal with the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Routh was sentenced in Florida earlier this month.
DOJ sues Harvard over 'racial discrimination' in admissions process
The Justice Department is suing Harvard University, accusing the school of unlawfully withholding admissions data on the race and ethnicity of applicants. The lawsuit filed today accuses Harvard of “not complying with a federal investigation” and withholding information from the DOJ.
The DOJ is suing to “determine whether Harvard, which has a recent history of racial discrimination, is continuing to discriminate in its admissions process.”
“Under President Trump’s leadership, this Department of Justice is demanding better from our nation’s educational institutions,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said. “Harvard has failed to disclose the data we need to ensure that its admissions are free of discrimination — we will continue fighting to put merit over DEI across America.”
A 2023 Supreme Court case found that systematic consideration of race in college admissions is illegal, which halted affirmative action-related admissions policies at universities across the country.
A Harvard spokesperson said that the school has and continues to comply with the law under the 2023 Supreme Court decision. “The University will continue to defend itself against these retaliatory actions which have been initiated simply because Harvard refused to surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights in response to unlawful government overreach,” the statement said.
The lawsuit alleges that Harvard has not released pertinent race-related admissions documents in a timely manner. The lawsuit also says that Harvard’s “refusal to cooperate” with the DOJ investigation violates Title VI, a 1964 law that prohibits discrimination based on race, color, or national origin in programs or activities that receive federal financial aid.
AOC sidesteps question about potential presidential run at Munich Security Conference
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., sidestepped a question about a potential presidential run during a panel about populism at the Munich Security Conference.
"When you run for president, are you going to impose a wealth tax or a billionaire's tax?" the panel's moderator asked Ocasio-Cortez.
"I don't think that anyone -- that we don't have to wait for any one president to impose a wealth tax, I think that it needs to be done expeditiously," the congresswoman answered.
Trump pardons 5 former NFL players for crimes ranging from perjury to drug trafficking
Trump pardoned five former professional football players — one posthumously — for various crimes ranging from perjury to drug trafficking yesterday.
The pardons were announced by White House pardon czar Alice Marie Johnson. Ex-NFL players Joe Klecko, Nate Newton, Jamal Lewis, Travis Henry and the late Billy Cannon were granted the clemency.
“As football reminds us, excellence is built on grit, grace, and the courage to rise again. So is our nation,” Johnson wrote on the social media site X, as she thanked Trump for his “continued commitment to second chances.”
Johnson said Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones “personally” shared the news with Newton, who won three Super Bowls with the team.
The White House did not return a request for comment last night on why Trump, an avid sports fan, pardoned the players.
Members of Congress prepare to face angry, dissatisfied primary voters in 2026
Lawmakers in both parties face a reckoning from within their own ranks this year — and the first major primary day of the midterm elections puts all of those pressures on full display.
Three high-profile Texas Republicans face spirited primary challenges from their right flanks, with challengers questioning their conservative bona fides and their commitment to Trump’s cause, while a Democratic incumbent in North Carolina’s Research Triangle faces a significant challenge backed by key progressive groups who argue this pivotal political moment needs new faces.
And the March 3 primaries are just the start of a flurry of pivotal primaries set to run through the summer. It remains overwhelmingly difficult to oust sitting members of Congress, who benefit from many trappings of incumbency. But these races typify the pressure incumbents in both parties may face this year — as MAGA purity tests roil the right while the left debates whether to turn over leadership to a new generation and whether their current leaders are rising to the political moment.
Texas AG launches first TV ad of GOP Senate primary
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton launched his first TV ad of the GOP Senate primary, touting his ties to Trump, with just over two weeks until voters head to the polls.
Trump has not yet endorsed a candidate in the competitive primary between Paxton, Sen. John Cornyn and Rep. Wesley Hunt. But the new ad is mostly footage and audio of Trump praising Paxton as "brave and strong," "very, very talented," "a really great attorney," a "tremendous guy," ending with Trump saying, "I wish I had him in the White House with me."
Loyalty to Trump is a central divide in the race, which is expected to head to a May runoff with a divided field likely preventing a candidate from winning a majority of the primary vote March 3.
Paxton has spent $350,000 on the ad buy, according to the ad-tracking firm AdImpact, which pales in comparison to his opponents. Cornyn's campaign and super PACs supporting his bid have spent more than $55 million on the race, while Hunt and two groups boosting his campaign have spent more than $10 million.
U.N. Ambassador Mike Waltz defends Trump administration at Munich Security Conference
In his opening at the Munich Security Conference today, U.N. Ambassador Mike Waltz pushed back on criticism against the administration’s pivot to the Western Hemisphere from Europe, saying that more Americans were dying because of drugs coming from Latin America and South America than in other wars.
Waltz spoke on a panel right after a tough opening speech by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who suggested Europe can no longer rely on the U.S. nuclear umbrella.
Waltz pointed to reforms at the U.N. that the administration has achieved with greater contributions and the president's Board of Peace as a major step, especially for the future of Gaza.
Waltz said NATO and the U.N. are stronger and more conflicts have been resolved because of Donald Trump.
Pressed by the moderator about whether Trump wants to go it alone, Waltz pointed to the Abraham Accords and the conflicts the president has resolved as proof that he is engaged in the world.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz issues warning to U.S. over NATOat Munich Security Conference
In his opening speech to the Munich Security Conference, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said today that Europe must have its own security strategy.
Merz also said he has opened confidential talks with French President Emmanuel Macron about joining its nuclear deterrence.
It was a strong suggestion that the most important NATO allies in Europe feel they can no longer rely on the American nuclear umbrella.
Merz added that Germany would continue to observe NATO agreements, but in his speech, he switched to English to say: “Even the U.S. will not be powerful enough to go it alone. Being part of NATO is not only Europe’s competitive advantage, it’s also the United States’ competitive advantages. So let’s repair transatlantic trust together. We, the Europeans, are doing our part.”
Trump administration reaches trade deal to lower Taiwan’s tariff barriers
The Trump administration reached a trade deal with Taiwan yesterday, with the Beijing-claimed island agreeing to remove or reduce 99% of its tariff barriers, the office of the U.S. trade representative said.
The agreement comes as the U.S. remains reliant on Taiwan for its production of computer chips, the exporting of which contributed to a trade imbalance of nearly $127 billion during the first 11 months of 2025, according to the Census Bureau.
Most of Taiwan’s exports to the U.S. will be taxed at a 15% rate, the USTR’s office said. The 15% rate is the same as that levied on other U.S. trading partners in the Asia-Pacific region, such as Japan and South Korea.
Next round of talks between the U.S., Ukraine and Russia will take place later this month in Geneva
The next round of negotiations between the U.S., Ukraine and Russia has been scheduled for Feb. 17 and 18 in Geneva, Dmytro Lytvyn, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, confirmed today.
“The Ukrainian delegation is preparing,” Lytvyn said in a WhatsApp message to reporters.
Russian state media outlet Tass also reported the new set of talks, citing an announcement by Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
“This time, the Russian delegation will be led by Russian presidential aide [Vladimir] Medinsky,” Peskov said.
The White House didn't immediately respond to NBC News' request for comment.
Businessman named in Jeffrey Epstein files replaced as chairman of major logistics company
Dubai has named a new chairman for DP World, one of the world’s largest logistics companies, replacing the outgoing head who was named in the Jeffrey Epstein documents.
The announcement by the government’s Dubai Media Office did not specifically name Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem. However, it said that Essa Kazim was named DP World’s chairman and Yuvraj Narayan was named group CEO. Those were positions held by Sulayem.
DP World has long been a pillar of the economy of the Middle Eastern city. DP World is a logistics giant that runs the Jebel Ali port in Dubai and operates terminals in other ports around the world.
The announcement comes a day after financial groups in Canada and the United Kingdom said they’ve paused future ventures with DP World after newly released emails showed a yearslong friendship between Sulayem and Epstein.
The emails — some referencing porn, sexual massages and escorts — surfaced in the cache of Epstein-related documents recently released by the Justice Department.
Mike Johnson canceled official delegation to Munich Security Conference, Democratic lawmaker says
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., ordered the cancellation of the military flight, hotel reservations and credentials members of Congress had for the Munich Security Conference, Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., told NBC News today.
It wasn't clear to Crow whether the cancellation was related to the expected shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security as a result of the divisions within Congress over whether to fund the department as lawmakers negotiation an overhaul of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Crow and several other lawmakers who were originally part of a nearly two-dozen member House delegation, wound up flying commercially, booking their own hotel rooms, obtaining credentials to attend the summit and, for those in the official program, deliver speeches.
Crow told NBC News that the speaker’s decision was the wrong move, saying the U.S. needed to be represented at the conference by more officials than just Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Some of the lawmakers who traveled commercially included Reps. Sarah McBride, D-Del., Sara Jacobs, D-Calif., Yassamin Ansari, D-Ariz., and Jim Himes, D-Conn. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., did as well, although she wasn't part of the official delegation.
Johnson's office didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
CIA makes new push to recruit spies from Chinese military
The CIA released a new Mandarin-language video yesterday appealing to members of China’s military to spy for the United States and work toward “a brighter future,” weeks after Beijing ousted a top general as part of a dramatic purge of top brass.
The video is the latest in a series aimed at recruiting potential informants in China’s regime, a top priority for the U.S. spy agency, which has sometimes struggled to cultivate human sources in a country known for its extensive electronic surveillance apparatus.
The new video posted on social media portrays a fictional disillusioned midlevel officer in China’s military, who laments corrupt party leaders’ enriching themselves while capable men are “deemed a threat and unceremoniously removed.” It then describes how to safely contact the CIA.
White House immediately fires U.S. attorney chosen by judges to replace Trump’s pick
The White House fired the top federal prosecutor for upstate New York just hours after he was sworn into office.
Donald Kinsella, who has worked for decades as a government attorney and in private practice, was appointed and sworn in as the U.S. attorney in the Northern District of New York in a private ceremony Wednesday, the court said on its website. Later that day, he was fired in an email from the White House.
Kinsella told NBC News yesterday that the email came from the deputy director of presidential personnel, Morgan DeWitt Snow, and that it said the “president directed that I be removed,” without any explanation.
Top Goldman Sachs lawyer to leave firm amid Epstein files fallout
The top lawyer at Goldman Sachs, Kathy Ruemmler, said yesterday that she would leave the prestigious Wall Street firm amid controversy over her email correspondence with Jeffrey Epstein, which the Justice Department disclosed in recent weeks.
In an interview with The Financial Times, Ruemmler said: “I made the determination that the media attention on me, relating to my prior work as a defence attorney, was becoming a distraction.”
Serving as a close adviser to Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon, Ruemmler has drawn intense scrutiny for weeks as the Justice Department dumped millions of pages of files related to Epstein, the convicted sex offender.
Ruemmler was White House counsel in the Obama administration.
Trump nominee stalls after GOP senator challenges him on remarks about Jews and Israel
Trump’s pick for a top State Department post faces bipartisan opposition after a Republican senator pressed the nominee over his past remarks about Israel and the Holocaust.
Sen. John Curtis, R-Utah, came out against Jeremy Carl’s nomination to be assistant secretary of state for international organizations after a confirmation hearing yesterday, where he challenged Carl on comments he made as recently as 2024.
“After reviewing his record and participating in today’s hearing, I do not believe that Jeremy Carl is the right person to represent our nation’s best interests in international forums, and I find his anti-Israel views and insensitive remarks about the Jewish people unbecoming of the position for which he has been nominated,” Curtis said in a statement.
Transatlantic tensions in focus as annual Munich security gathering opens
An annual gathering of top international security figures that last year set the tone for a growing rift between the United States and Europe opens today, bringing together many top European officials with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and others.
The Munich Security Conference opens with a speech by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, one of 15 heads of state or government from European Union countries organizers expected to attend.
The many other expected guests at the conference that runs until Sunday include Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. In keeping with the conference’s tradition, there will also be a large delegation of members of Congress.
“Transatlantic relations have been the backbone of this conference since it was founded in 1963 ... and transatlantic relations are currently in a significant crisis of confidence and credibility,” conference chairman Wolfgang Ischinger told reporters earlier this week. “So it is particularly welcome that the American side has such great interest in Munich.”
Department of Homeland Security poised to shut down as Congress leaves with no deal
The Department of Homeland Security is poised to shut down this weekend as Congress remained deadlocked yesterday on a path forward before leaving town for a weeklong holiday break.
The White House and Democratic leaders have continued to trade offers, signaling some hope for an agreement. But it remains unclear which Democratic demands the White House will agree to when it comes to slapping restraints on immigration enforcement after federal agents killed two American citizens in Minnesota.
With Congress out of town, DHS will shut down beginning at 12:01 a.m. Saturday. That means that federal employees at agencies such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Transportation Security Administration and the Coast Guard won’t be paid, though most of them will continue showing up for work because their jobs are considered critical.
