CNN US Politics

By Piper Hudspeth Blackburn, Julia Benbrook, CNN (CNN) — Division between Republican lawmakers over the Jeffrey Epstein files continued to intensify even as President Donald Trump and his administration seeks to redirect scrutiny toward the president’s political foes and the 2016 election. Signs of mounting pressure to respond to calls for transparency appeared last week

By Jennifer Hansler, CNN (CNN) — An internal US government review found no evidence of widespread theft by Hamas of US-funded humanitarian aid in Gaza, contradicting the State Department’s claims that were used to justify backing a controversial private organization that took over aid distribution in the enclave. The analysis, conducted by the US Agency

By Donald Judd, Alayna Treene, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday making it easier for local jurisdictions to remove homeless people from the streets. The order directs Attorney General Pam Bondi to “reverse judicial precedents and end consent decrees” that limit jurisdictions’ abilities to relocate homeless people. It also redirects

By Kara Scannell, Evan Perez, CNN (CNN) — Federal prosecutors amassed millions of records during the sex trafficking investigation and prosecution of Jeffrey Epstein and his accomplice and former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell. The question of what is actually in those pages — and whether the public will ever see them — has become central to

CNN, POOL, FEDERAL RESERVE By Adam Cancryn, CNN (CNN) — Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has told multiple associates and allies that there’s no chance he will bow to President Donald Trump’s calls for him to resign, vowing to withstand several more months of the president’s unprecedented, multi-pronged assault over Powell’s refusal to lower interest

By Paula Reid, Casey Gannon and Annie Grayer, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump’s fraught effort to install political appointees in permanent roles as US attorneys across the country gained momentum this week, as Republicans work to jumpstart a stalled confirmation process in the Senate, while the White House resorted to a novel legal maneuver

By Sarah Owermohle, CNN White Oak, Md. (CNN) — The US Food and Drug Administration is plowing ahead with sweeping plans to crack down on ultra processed foods and reshape the way new drugs and devices are reviewed and approved, the agency’s commissioner, Marty Makary, told CNN in an interview this week. Makary sat down

By Jennifer Hansler, Kylie Atwood, CNN (CNN) — The United States is recalling its negotiating team from Doha, where talks on a ceasefire to end the war in Gaza have been taking place, with US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff saying the latest response from Hamas “clearly shows a lack of desire to reach a ceasefire.”

By Betsy Klein, CNN (CNN) — The Trump administration is still optimistic about the possibility of reaching a deal with Harvard University after it announced a $200 million settlement with Columbia University on Wednesday. “While there’s a lawsuit pending with Harvard, and I’m sure that lawsuit will play out, I do hope that Harvard will

By Eric Bradner, Dianne Gallagher, Alayna Treene, CNN (CNN) — Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley is expected to run for the Senate in North Carolina, setting up a marquee race in next year’s midterms, two sources familiar with Whatley’s plans tell CNN. He will enter the race with President Donald Trump’s backing, one of

By Kaitlan Collins, Shania Shelton, CNN (CNN) — Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said he will continue his interview with Ghislaine Maxwell for a second day Friday after meeting with her Thursday. “Today, I met with Ghislaine Maxwell, and I will continue my interview of her tomorrow,” Blanche said in a social media post. “The

By Kevin Liptak, Bryan Mena, CNN Washington (CNN) — The long-simmering clash between President Donald Trump and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell was on full public display during a Thursday afternoon tour of the renovation site at the central bank’s headquarters in Washington, DC. The tension between the two men was apparent during an exchange

CNN, POOL, FL DEPT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT, CHRISTINE CORNELL, NY STATE DIVISION OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE, UNITED NATIONS, FLORIDA SOUTHERN DISTRICT COURT, CHRISTINE CORNELL By Sarah Ferris, Annie Grayer, Lauren Fox, Manu Raju, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump has helped Speaker Mike Johnson survive every political storm of his speakership. Now, Johnson is stuck in

CNN By Piper Hudspeth Blackburn, CNN (CNN) — GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski questioned whether Trump administration officials are accusing former President Barack Obama of treason in order to distract from the fallout over its handling documents related to Jeffrey Epstein. “Obviously, this is new language. Words like treason are big words, right?” the Alaska Republican

By Piper Hudspeth Blackburn, CNN (CNN) — GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski questioned whether Trump administration officials are accusing former President Barack Obama of treason in order to distract from the fallout over its handling documents related to Jeffrey Epstein. “Obviously, this is new language. Words like treason are big words, right?” the Alaska Republican told

By Devan Cole, CNN (CNN) — A federal appeals court on Wednesday issued another major blow to President Donald Trump’s executive order seeking to end birthright citizenship, ruling that it’s unconstitutional and upholding a nationwide block against the controversial policy. The 2-1 ruling from the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals is significant because the

By Veronica Stracqualursi, Manu Raju, Annie Grayer, Ted Barrett, CNN (CNN) — In a surprise move, a House Oversight subcommittee voted Wednesday to subpoena the Department of Justice for files related to late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a highly contentious issue that has exposed major divisions within the Republican party. The Epstein investigation and

CNN By Alayna Treene and Adam Cancryn, CNN (CNN) — When Attorney General Pam Bondi briefed President Donald Trump in May on the Justice Department’s review of the documents related to the Jeffrey Epstein case, she told him that his name appeared in the files, sources familiar with the discussion told CNN. The conversation, which

By Alayna Treene and Adam Cancryn, CNN (CNN) — When Attorney General Pam Bondi briefed President Donald Trump in May on the Justice Department’s review of the documents related to the Jeffrey Epstein case, she told him that his name appeared in the files, sources familiar with the discussion told CNN. The conversation, which also

By Priscilla Alvarez, CNN (CNN) — The Trump administration is moving to rapidly deport some migrant children who arrived in the US without a parent or guardian by having federal agents ask teens whether they want to voluntarily depart the country, according to two Homeland Security officials and a source familiar with the discussions. The

By Hannah Rabinowitz and Kara Scannell, CNN Washington (CNN) — A Florida federal judge on Wednesday declined to release additional grand jury documents from the criminal investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, marking the first roadblock in the Justice Department’s efforts to quell the public backlash over the handling of the case. The request is related to

CNN By Hannah Rabinowitz and Kara Scannell, CNN Washington (CNN) — A Florida federal judge on Wednesday declined to release additional grand jury documents from the criminal investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, marking the first roadblock in the Justice Department’s efforts to quell the public backlash over the handling of the case. The request is related

By Annie Grayer, CNN (CNN) — House Oversight Chair James Comer has subpoenaed Jeffrey Epstein’s former associate Ghislaine Maxwell for a deposition. The committee said in a release that the deposition will take place at the Federal Correctional Institution in Tallahassee, Florida, on August 11. “The Department of Justice is cooperating and will help facilitate

By Natasha Bertrand, Zachary Cohen, CNN (CNN) — The Pentagon’s inspector general has received evidence that the military plans shared from Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s Signal account to a group chat earlier this year were taken from a US Central Command document that was marked classified at the time, according to two people familiar

By Jennifer Hansler and Andy Rose, CNN (CNN) — The US State Department is opening an investigation into Harvard University’s “continued eligibility as a sponsor for the Exchange Visitor Program,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Wednesday, marking the Trump administration’s latest escalation against the Ivy League institution. It was announced amid ongoing legal

By Kevin Liptak, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump and his predecessor Barack Obama have met for a substantive conversation exactly once: November 10, 2016, two days after Trump won his first election. It was Trump’s first time in the Oval Office. By most accounts, it was a little awkward. Eight years and eight months

By Veronica Stracqualursi and Sarah Ferris, CNN (CNN) — House Republicans want to name the John F. Kennedy Center’s opera house after first lady Melania Trump. Republicans included language that would designate the opera house at the center for the performing arts in Washington, DC, as the “First Lady Melania Trump Opera House” in an

By Haley Britzky and Priscilla Alvarez, CNN (CNN) — Roughly 2,000 National Guard troops across multiple states are expected to be mobilized to help Immigration and Customs Enforcement at detention facilities, according to a US official and a source familiar with the planning. It’s unclear when the troops will be mobilized, though the US official

By Casey Gannon and Paula Reid, CNN (CNN) — The Department of Justice quickly fired the newly named US attorney in New Jersey on Tuesday after federal judges in the state declined to extend Alina Habba’s interim appointment. Attorney General Pam Bondi’s announcement came after the district court voted to elevate Desiree Leigh Grace, New

By Kevin Liptak, CNN (CNN) — Like most foreign leaders coming to visit President Donald Trump, the Philippines’ Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will look to make a personal connection with his American counterpart on Tuesday as he seeks a new trade deal. For Marcos, the connection may be his mother. “How’s Imelda?” Trump asked the Philippine