After persistent questioning from members of Congress on Tuesday, turned to his acting comptroller, Bryn Woollacott MacDonnell, to send the National Guard and Marines to . She said the $134 million will come from operations and maintenance accounts.
Here's the latest:
Gabbard says AI sped up release of JFK files
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard says artificial intelligence accelerated the release of thousands of pages of previously classified documents relating to the assassinations of and .
Experts had predicted the process could take many months or even years, but AI was able to quickly scan for any material that should remain classified, Gabbard told the audience at the Amazon Web Services summit Tuesday.
鈥淲e have been able to do that through the use of AI tools far more quickly than what was done previously 鈥� which was to have humans go through and look at every single one of these pages,鈥� Gabbard said.
Trump said troops will stay in LA 鈥榰ntil there鈥檚 no danger鈥�
Trump said he isn鈥檛 worried about things getting out of hand with the military on the ground in Los Angeles.
Asked if he was concerned, Trump said, 鈥淣o, it鈥檚 OK.鈥�
How long will National Guard troops will stay in Los Angeles?
鈥淯ntil there鈥檚 no danger,鈥� Trump said. 鈥淲hen there鈥檚 no danger, they鈥檒l leave.鈥�
Trump suggests he鈥檚 open to invoking Insurrection Act to quell protest in LA
The president during his Oval Office engagement with reporters left open the possibility of invoking one the most extreme emergency powers available to a U.S. president.
鈥淚f there鈥檚 an insurrection, I would certainly invoke it. We鈥檒l see,鈥� Trump said. 鈥淏ut I can tell you last night was terrible , and the night before that was terrible.鈥�
The Insurrection Act authorizes the president to deploy military forces inside the United States to suppress rebellion or domestic violence or to enforce the law in certain situations.
It is often referred to as the 鈥淚nsurrection Act of 1807,鈥� but the law is actually an amalgamation of different statutes enacted by Congress between 1792 and 1871.
Trump says governors, not federal government, should handle disaster management
The president told reporters in the Oval Office that he wants the country to 鈥渨ean off鈥� of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Trump has been critical of FEMA over the last year and has spread misinformation about it, especially regarding its assistance in North Carolina in the wake of Hurricane Helene.
Trump said disaster management is meant to be handled by governors.
鈥淲e鈥檙e moving it back to the states so the governors can handle it,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 why they鈥檙e governors. Now, if they can鈥檛 handle it, they shouldn鈥檛 be governor.鈥�
Trump after the administrator testified before Congress that he disagreed with dismantling the agency.
Trump calls press to Oval Office as administration officials talk about fighting wildfires and hurricanes
The event wasn鈥檛 on Trump鈥檚 public schedule, but the Agriculture and Homeland Security secretaries talked about fighting wildfires and hurricanes.
Trump is sitting at his desk while the officials talk.
The president has cut firefighting crews and also wants to eliminate FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Administration and give states more responsibility for responding to hurricanes.
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders says she wouldn鈥檛 allow what鈥檚 happening in LA in her state
Sanders, who was press secretary in Trump鈥檚 first term, is meeting with administration officials at the White House.
She backs Trump sending the National Guard into Los Angeles without approval from California鈥檚 governor and was asked if she鈥檇 be OK with a similar move in her state.
鈥淚f we needed help, I would be making the phone call myself to the president and asking for his assistance. But in Arkansas, we would never allow to take place what they鈥檙e letting to go on in California. But if we needed help, the president would be one of the first people I would call because he is somebody I know who cares deeply about making sure the American people are safe and secure first and foremost.鈥�
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard says intelligence agencies must work faster
And she says she鈥檚 working to speed up the delivery of the intelligence information to address a key complaint from policy makers.
Speaking at the Amazon Web Services summit in Washington, Gabbard said the pace of intelligence work frustrated her as a member of Congress and continues to be a challenge to lawmakers.
鈥淭hey still express a lot of the same frustrations that I felt 鈥� that much of what we were briefed on was already reported in a newspaper 鈥� and that even if it was quality reporting it was coming too late,鈥� Gabbard said.
Artificial intelligence and computing could help speed up the work, Gabbard said, to ensure lawmakers have the information they need.
Los Angeles deployment to cost at least $134 million and last 60 days, Pentagon says
鈥淲e stated very publicly that it鈥檚 60 days because we want to ensure that those rioters, looters and thugs on the other side assaulting our police officers know that we鈥檙e not going anywhere,鈥� Hegseth told members of the House appropriations defense subcommittee.
The current cost estimate for the deployment is $134 million, which is largely just the cost of travel, housing and food,鈥� said Bryn Woollacott MacDonnell, special assistant to the secretary of defense who鈥檚 currently performing the duties of the Pentagon鈥檚 top financial officer.
Hegseth: Funding for Ukraine military aid will be reduced in upcoming defense budget
That could mean Kyiv will receive fewer critical air defense systems in the future that have been key to countering a continuous onslaught of Russian missiles.
鈥淚t is a reduction in this budget,鈥� Hegseth told lawmakers. 鈥淭his administration takes a very different view of that conflict. We believe that a negotiated peaceful settlement is in the best interest of both parties and our nation鈥檚 interests, especially with all the competing interests around the globe.鈥�
The U.S. to date has provided Ukraine more than $66 billion in aid since Russia invaded in February 2022.
House Speaker Mike Johnson defended Trump鈥檚 handling of protests in Los Angeles
And he echoed the president鈥檚 attacks on Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 not my lane,鈥� Johnson said in response to a question about whether Newsom should face legal consequences such as .
Johnson, speaking at a news conference at the RNC on Tuesday, continued that Newsom should be 鈥渢arred and feathered鈥濃�� eliciting chuckles from members of House Republican leadership at the news conference 鈥� for 鈥渟tanding in the way of the administration and the carrying out of federal law.鈥�
Thune says 鈥榝ederal response鈥� necessary to protests in Los Angeles
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a South Dakota Republican, said Tuesday there were 鈥渃lear failures on the part of state and local officials鈥� in response to protests over immigration raids in Los Angeles and a 鈥渇ederal response鈥� was necessary.
President Trump has sent thousands of National Guard troops and 700 active duty Marines to quell the protests despite the objections of Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom and local leaders.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know exactly the authorities that they are using,鈥� Thune said, referring to the Marine deployment. 鈥淏ut obviously, there was a security situation out there that needed to be addressed. And I think ultimately the president鈥檚 objective is to keep people safe.鈥�
Hegseth suggests National Guard use for homeland defense will expand under Trump
鈥淚 think we鈥檙e entering another phase, especially under President Trump with his focus on the homeland, where the National Guard and reserves become a critical component of how we secure that homeland,鈥� Hegseth told lawmakers.
Hegseth earlier refused to answer a lawmaker鈥檚 questions on how much a deployment of active duty U.S. Marines to Los Angeles will cost.
Greta Thunberg isn鈥檛 fazed by Donald Trump
After the activist joined a seeking to break Israel鈥檚 blockade of Gaza and bring humanitarian aid to Palestinians, the U.S. president described Thunberg as a 鈥硑oung, angry person.鈥� He said she should go to 鈥砤nger management class."
Thunberg was detained then deported by Israel on Tuesday and sent to Paris.
Asked upon arrival about Trump鈥檚 comments, she replied in a matter-of-fact tone: 鈥淚 think the world needs a lot more young angry women to be honest. Especially with everything going on right now.鈥�
Head of Marine Corps says battalion deployed to LA is there, ready to respond but hasn鈥檛 engaged
Gen. Eric Smith testified at a budget hearing before senators that those Marines are trained for crowd control and they would have shields and batons as their equipment. He said they have no arrest authority and are only there to protect federal property and federal personnel.
When asked by Sen. Richard Blumental, a Connecticut Democrat, about the danger Marines would use lethal force that could result in injuries and deaths, Smith said he had faith in them.
鈥淚 am not concerned. I have great faith in my Marines and their junior leaders and their more senior leaders to execute the lawful tasks that they are given.鈥�
Ukraine鈥檚 surprise drone attack on Russia has the US rethinking its own defenses, Hegseth says
The attack in early June that destroyed a large number of Russian bomber aircraft caught the U.S. off guard and represented significant advances in drone warfare, Hegseth told lawmakers Tuesday.
The attack has the Pentagon rethinking drone defenses 鈥渟o we are not vulnerable to a threat and an attack like that,鈥� Hegseth told the House appropriations subcommittee on defense.
Hegseth said the Pentagon 鈥渋s learning everyday from Ukraine,鈥� and focused on how to better defend its own military airfields.
Hegseth refuses to provide lawmakers details on costs of sending Marines to Los Angeles
In a back an forth with the defense appropriations subcommittee鈥檚 top Democrat, Hegseth refused to answer basic questions on the cost of deploying Marines to Los Angeles, instead falling back on political talking points.
In a series of questions on the news that Marines would be sent to Los Angeles, House Appropriations defense subcommittee ranking member Rep. Betty McCollum told Hegseth 鈥渢his is a deeply unfair position to put our Marines in,鈥� she said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 no need for the Marines to be deployed.鈥�
McCollum asked what the cost of the deployment would be. Hegseth deflected on the costs, attacked the decisions of the previous Biden administration instead and talked about illegal immigration.
鈥淐ould the Secretary please address the budget鈥� McCollum asked him.
Hegseth again refused to acknowledge McCollum鈥檚 question and attacked the politics of the past administration again. McCollum took back her time and Hegseth was instructed by the committee chairman to provide the costs in writing instead.
California Democrats accuses Trump of inciting unrest
Democratic members of California鈥檚 congressional delegation are accusing the president of creating a 鈥渕anufactured crisis鈥� in Los Angeles with his orders to send in thousands of National Guard troops and hundreds of Marines.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a deliberate attempt by Trump to incite unrest, test the limits of executive power and distract from the lawlessness of his administration,鈥� said Rep. Jimmy Gomez, who organized a news conference at the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday morning.
Rep. Jimmy Panetta said Trump鈥檚 decision to send in the military was designed to 鈥済ive him the image and give him the fight and give him the pictures that he wants.鈥�
Rep. Nancy Pelosi contrasted Trump鈥檚 actions now with his handling of the Jan. 6th insurrection at the U.S. Capitol when law enforcement officers were being beaten.
鈥淲e begged the president of the United States to send in the National Guard. He would not do it,鈥� Pelosi said.
Hegseth skirts acknowledging key controversies in opening remarks
Based on his opening remarks in his first appearance before lawmakers since taking office, there鈥檚 been nothing but smooth sailing in the defense chief鈥檚 office.
Hegseth completed his opening statement with no mention of his controversial use of Signal, of the lack of defense budget details to guide Congress, or his controversial firings of his own staff or military leaders.
Hegseth also made no mention of a decision to deploy Marines into Los Angeles to respond to immigration raid protests. Instead, he clung closely to the talking points he鈥檚 used since taking office, such as emphasizing that 鈥淒EI is dead,鈥� and that he鈥檚 focused on a return to 鈥渓ethality.鈥�
Pentagon mired in 鈥榗ontroversy and chaos,鈥� lawmaker says in Hegseth hearing
Trump鈥檚 defense chief faced a litany of questions on what some lawmakers called 鈥渞ash鈥� or 鈥渞eckless鈥� decisions or actions dating back to his first day in office, as Tuesday鈥檚 hearing before the House Appropriations defense subcommittee began.
In opening statements, lawmakers asked about Hegseth鈥檚 decisions to fire top military leaders, his use of Signal and other controversies, including his firing of several staff members in his inner circle.
鈥淭he Department of Defense is mired in controversy and chaos,鈥� said Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the ranking member of the full committee.
Citing trade wars, the World Bank sharply downgrades forecast for global economic growth
President Trump鈥檚 are expected to slash economic growth this year in the United States and around the world, the World Bank forecast Tuesday.
Citing 鈥渁 substantial rise in trade barriers鈥欌�� but without mentioning Trump by name, the 189-country lender predicted that the U.S. economy 鈥� the world鈥檚 largest 鈥� would grow half as fast (1.4%) this year as it did in . That marked a downgrade from the 2.3% U.S. growth it had forecast back for 2025 back in January.
The bank also lopped 0.4 percentage points off its forecast for global growth this year. It now expects the world economy to expand just 2.3% in 2025, down from 2.8% in 2024.
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Trump links protests in Los Angeles to home rebuilding after wildfires
Trump said his decision to 鈥淪END IN THE TROOPS鈥� to Los Angeles spared the city from burning to the ground like thousands of homes after wildfires this year.
He wrote on his social media site that people want to rebuild, and that the federal permitting process is 鈥渧irtually complete on these houses.鈥�
Trump claimed 鈥渢he easy and simple City and State Permits are disastrously bungled up and WAY BEHIND SCHEDULE!鈥� and blamed California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.
鈥淧eople want to rebuild their houses. Call your incompetent Governor and Mayor, the Federal permitting is DONE!!!鈥� he wrote.
Trump鈥檚 Tuesday schedule, according to the White House
12:25 p.m. 鈥� Trump will travel to Fort Bragg, North Carolina
2:40 p.m. 鈥� Once he arrives, Trump will observe a military demonstration
4:00 p.m. 鈥� Trump will deliver remarks to service members, veterans and their families
6:00 p.m. 鈥� Trump will travel back to the White House
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to face Congress for first time since Signal leaks
He鈥檚 expected to field sharp questions from members of Congress about his tumultuous start as Pentagon chief, including his , in three separate Capitol Hill hearings beginning Tuesday.
Lawmakers also have made it clear they鈥檙e unhappy that Hegseth hasn鈥檛 provided details on the , which Trump has said would total $1 trillion, a significant increase over the current spending level of more than $800 billion.
It will be lawmakers鈥� first chance to ask Hegseth about a myriad of other controversial spending by the Pentagon, including plans to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on into Air Force One and to pour as much as $45 million into to the Army鈥檚 250th birthday bash, which happens to coincide with Trump鈥檚 birthday on Saturday.
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RFK Jr. ousts entire CDC vaccine advisory committee
Kennedy on Monday removed every member of a scientific committee that advises the CDC on how to use vaccines and pledged to replace them with his own picks.
Major physicians and public health groups criticized the move to oust all 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.
Kennedy, who was one of the nation鈥檚 leading anti-vaccine activists before becoming the nation鈥檚 top health official, has not said who he would appoint to the panel, but said it would convene in just two weeks in Atlanta.
Although it鈥檚 typically not viewed as a partisan board, the entire current roster of committee members were Biden appointees.
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Trump pushes ahead with his maximalist immigration campaign in face of LA protests
Trump made no secret of his willingness to take a maximalist approach to enforcing immigration laws and keeping order as he campaigned to return to the White House. The fulfillment of that pledge is now .
By overriding California鈥檚 Gov. Gavin Newsom, Trump is already going beyond what he did to respond to Black Lives Matter protests in 2020, when he warned he could send troops to contain demonstrations that turned violent if governors in the states did not act to do so themselves. Trump said in that he 鈥渃an鈥檛 call in the National Guard unless we鈥檙e requested by a governor鈥� and that 鈥渨e have to go by the laws.鈥�
But now, he鈥檚 moving swiftly to test the bounds of his executive authority in order to deliver on his promise of mass deportations. What remains to be seen is whether Americans will stand by him once it鈥檚 operationalized nationwide. For now, Trump is betting that they will.
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Trump heads to Fort Bragg while facing criticism for deploying military at Los Angeles protests
plans to speak at Fort Bragg on Tuesday to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army as he in an attempt to quiet immigration protests in Los Angeles.
Fort Bragg, located near Fayetteville, North Carolina, serves as headquarters for U.S. Army Special Operations Command. Highly trained units like the Green Berets and the Rangers are based there.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Army Secretary Dan Driscoll will also be at Tuesday鈥檚 event, along with service members, veterans and their families.
Trump has promoted the Army鈥檚 anniversary as a reason to hold , on Saturday, which is also his 79th birthday.
Trump, who sees the military as a critical tool for domestic goals, has used the recent protests in Los Angeles as to quell disturbances that began as protests over immigration raids.
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The Associated Press
