Documents seized by FBI in Mar-a-Lago raid returned to Trump, White House says – live | Trump administration
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Documents seized in FBI raid of Mar-a-Lago returned to Trump, White House says
Steven Cheung, the White House communications director, told reporters traveling with Trump to Florida on Friday that classified documents seized by the FBI from Mar-a-Lago in 2022 had been returned to Trump and were loaded on to Air Force One for the trip.
“The FBl is giving the president his property back that was taken during the unlawful and illegal raids. We are taking possession of the boxes today and loading them on to Air Force One,” Cheung said in a statement to reporters chosen by the White House to report on the journey.
According to a reporter for the conservative Washington Examiner, there were no seats on the plane for journalists from the Associated Press, or anyone chosen by the White House Correspondents Association, but the Daily Wire and Real America’s Voice, two pro-Trump rightwing outlets, were on hand to cover the president they support.
Key events
Trump says Zelenskyy needs to stop saying ‘all negative things’ about Putin
On his way out of the White House, Donald Trump was just asked by Nancy Cordes of CBS News, “What does Zelenskyy need to do to re-start talks with you”?
“He’s gotta say ‘I want to make peace,’” Trump replied. “He doesn’t have to stand there and say about, ‘Putin this, Putin that’, all negative things.”
“He’s gotta say: ‘I want to make peace. I don’t want to fight a war any longer,’” Trump continued. “His people are dying. He doesn’t have the cards, just so you understand it, OK.”
When another reporter asked, “Did you tell Zelenskyy, ‘Leave the White House,’?” Trump at first refused to say, before adding: “I think you know the answer.”
Democrats, and European leaders, are voicing support for Zelenskyy after his public dispute with Trump and Vance in the Oval office.
“Trump and Vance didn’t say a single bad word about Putin—a bloodthirsty dictator who invaded Ukraine, poisons his opposition, steals from his people, rigs elections, and murders those who speak out,”a Democratic representative from Massachusetts, Jim McGovern, posted on X. “They spent the entire meeting lying and yelling like maniacs at Zelenskyy—the leader of a democratic country defending itself against Russian imperialism and aggression. I am so disgusted and embarrassed. Trump and Vance are pathetic, lazy, lying, bottom-feeding grifters. Thank God Zelenskyy has the balls to fact check these bullies to their face.”
Other Democratic lawmakers sounded similar themes in their comments on the meeting, and a host of European leaders did the same.
“In Washington, by refusing to bend, Volodymyr Zelensky was the honor of Europe” the French prime minister, François Bayrou wrote. “It remains for us to decide what we Europeans want to be. And if we want to be at all”.
Following years of strong support from both sides of the aisle in Washington, Trump’s apparent decision to side with Putin instead of Zelenskyy could soon make Ukraine a more partisan issue in the US.
While recent polling suggests that Americans support maintaining or increasing military aid to Ukraine to help defend its territory from Russia’s full-scale invasion, important context for what unfolded in the White House today is that the Maga base of the Republican party has been exposed to intense anti-Zelenskyy disinformation for years now, on social media and on rightwing news channels and podcasts.
To take one example, Elon Musk recently shared a fake news report linked to Russia that promoted the false claim that leading Hollywood celebrities who visited Ukraine to meet Zelenskyy were paid millions of dollar to do so.
And, as the BBC reported in 2023, a fake story that Zelenskyy had purchased two luxury yachts with American aid money, created by a former US marine who now lives in Russia, was accepted as fact by Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, the Georgia Republican.
The White House communications team just sent reporters a lengthy round up of statements of support for Donald Trump and JD Vance from Republican lawmakers and cabinet members after what Ukrainians see as their ambush of Zelesnkyy.
Perhaps concerned that the press corps is not closely following Republicans on X, the social-media platform that has tilted right since Elon Musk’s takeover, or Fox, the email includes quotes praising Trump and Vance from 45 Republican lawmakers and eight cabinet secretaries.
Among them was this, from Senator Lindsey Graham: “I’ve never been more proud of President Trump for showing the American people — and the world — you don’t trifle with this man … He wanted to get a ceasefire. He wants to end the war and Zelenskyy felt like he needed to bait Trump in the Oval Office.”
Graham’s comment, made to Fox, is curious because he told reporters earlier that he had spoken with Zelenskyy this morning, before the meeting, and warned him, “don’t take the bait”. That seems to suggest that he had cautioned Zelenskyy against being baited into an argument. Then, after Zelenskyy did respond to insults from Vance and Trump by arguing back, Graham accused him of “baiting” Trump.
Graham then said that he was proud of both Trump and Vance.
“What I saw in the Oval Office was disrespectful, and I don’t know if we can ever do business with Zelenskyy again,” Graham said. “He either needs to resign and send somebody over that we can do business with or he needs to change.”
Here is video of Graham’s earlier comments, to a group of non-partisan reporters outside the White House after the meeting.
David Smith, the Guardian’s Washington DC bureau chief, in his ‘US politics sketch’, has more on the historic and histrionic Trump-Zelenskyy Oval office showdown.
For American readers unfamiliar with the term, political sketch writing is a British newspaper genre, described as “a form of verbal cartooning” akin to the kind of satirical truth-telling we more commonly get from late-night comedians.
Here is how David’s latest sketch begins, but please do read it all:
This is going to be great television,” Donald Trump remarked at the end. Sure. And the captain of the Titanic probably assured his passengers that this would make a great movie some day.
Trump has just presided over one of the greatest diplomatic disasters in modern history. Tempers flared, voices were raised and protocol was shredded in the once hallowed Oval Office. As Trump got into a shouting match Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a horrified Europe watched the post-second world war order crumble before its eyes.
Never before has a US president bullied and berated an adversary, never mind an ally, in such a public way. Of course reality TV star and wrestling fan turned US president had it all play out on television for the benefit of his populist support base – and a certain bare-chested chum in the Kremlin.
Zelenskyy had come to the White House to sign a deal for US involvement in Ukraine’s mineral industry to pave the way for an end to three-year war in Russia. There was a hint of trouble to come when he arrived at the West Wing, wearing black – not a suit – and Trump greeted him with a handshake and sarcasm: “Wow, look, you’re all dressed up!”
The day so far
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Donald Trump cut talks with Volodymyr Zelenskyy short following heated exchanges in the Oval Office during which the US president and his vice-president JD Vance falsely accused Zelenskyy of being “disrespectful” and not thanking the US for its support. European leaders promptly rallied behind the Ukrainian president in a show of unity after the joint press conference was canceled and he left the White House early. No mineral deal was signed. More on that here.
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Federal employees could get another email on Saturday requiring them to explain their recent accomplishments, a renewed attempt by Trump and Elon Musk to demand answers from the government workforce. The second email will come from individual agencies that have direct oversight of career officials, rather than being sent by the office of personnel management as was the first email. It’s unclear how national security agencies will handle the second email.
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Trump was sued by the Democratic party over a recent executive order it says violates federal election law by giving him too much power over the independent federal election commission. The lawsuit objects to an 18 February order giving the White House more control over the election commission, the National Labor Relations Board, the Securities and Exchange Commission and other traditionally independent agencies that normally operate day-to-day at arm’s length from the president. Critics have called the order an unprecedented power grab. The Democrats said it would effectively substitute Trump’s views on election-related disputes for those of the bipartisan election commission, and let him dictate outcomes.
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The US government’s “severe” cuts to USAid will make the world less healthy, less safe and less prosperous, the UN secretary-general, António Guterres, said. Imploring the US to reverse its decision to cut funding for life-saving initiatives across the world, Guterres said America’s retreat from its humanitarian role and influence will run counter to its influence globally and its own interests. He said: “America’s generosity and compassion have not only saved lives, built peace and improved the state of the world; they have contributed to the stability and prosperity that Americans depend on.” In South Africa alone, the US shutdown of HIV/AIDs funding could lead to 500,000 deaths over the next ten years, modelling suggests.
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The Social Security Administration is preparing to lay off at least 7,000 people from its workforce of 60,000, AP reported. The workforce reduction could be as high as 50%.
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Trump wants to also radically shrink the state department – leaving it with fewer diplomats, a smaller number of embassies and a narrower remit that critics argue could hand China wins across the world, Politico reported.
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Meanwhile around 800 employees at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Assocation (Noaa), the US’s preeminent climate research agency, have been tapped for termination, according to ABC7 NewYork.
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Five former US defense secretaries have demanded congressional hearings on Trump’s firings of several military commanders, including the chair of the joint chiefs of staff, saying it was done for “purely partisan reasons” and weakens national security.
Trump sued by Democrats for seeking control over federal election commission
This report is from Reuters.
Donald Trump was sued on Friday by the Democratic Party over a recent executive order it says violates federal election law by giving him too much power over the independent federal election commission.
The lawsuit filed in the Washington DC federal court by three national Democratic committees is the party’s first against Trump during his second term.
It comes as Democrats, outnumbered in Congress, seek an effective means to counteract far-reaching changes from Trump’s first six weeks in office, including many steps to lessen government oversight and eliminate internal dissent.
Several dozen lawsuits have challenged other actions taken by Trump since his inauguration last month.
Friday’s lawsuit objects to a February 18 order giving the White House more control over the election commission, the National Labor Relations Board, the Securities and Exchange Commission and other traditionally independent agencies that normally operate day-to-day at arm’s length from the president.
Other defendants include attorney general Pam Bondi, the election commission and three commissioners.
The Department of Justice did not immediately respond to requests for comment. A spokesman for the election commission said that agency does not discuss litigation.
Trump’s order, “Ensuring Accountability for All Agencies,” makes his and Bondi’s opinions on questions of law “controlling” for all federal employees performing their official duties, and bans executive branch employees from advancing contrary views.
Critics have called the order an unprecedented power grab.
The Democrats said it would effectively substitute Trump’s views on election-related disputes for those of the bipartisan election commission, and let him dictate outcomes.
According to the complaint, letting Trump micromanage the commission would undermine that purpose, by allowing a “single partisan political figure” to rig campaign rules and resolve disputes against his opponents.
The plaintiffs include the Democratic National Committee, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
They said Trump’s order is already causing irreparable harm, by making it harder for the Senate committee to defend against a complaint by the 2024 reelection campaign of Republican US Senator Ted Cruz of Texas over his opponent’s advertisements.
The lawsuit seeks a declaration that a federal law shielding the election commission from “presidential coercion and control” is constitutional, and to block Trump’s February 18 order.
Faisal Ali
US defence secretary Pete Hegseth has confirmed a report by CBS that the Trump administration has moved to ease restrictions on American commanders carrying out raids and ordering airstrikes outside battlefields.
CBS reported that Hegseth changed the rules of engagement for the US army during a meeting with members of the US Africa Command (Africom) last month. In a post on social media above a hyperlink to the story, Hegseth wrote: “Correct.”
The change gives greater latitude to American commanders to choose their targets and move against them.
Biden initially tightened restrictions around airstrikes outside traditional conflict zone in 2022 after Trump loosened them. Under Biden’s guidance the president would have had to approve the drone strike himself, whereas Trump has moved decision making power further down the chain of command. Trump ordered his first airstrikes against IS-Somalia targets earlier this month.
State department terminates USAid initiative helping restore Ukraine’s energy grid
The state department this week terminated a USAid initiative that has invested hundreds of millions of dollars to help restore Ukraine’s energy grid from attacks by the Russian military, two USAid officials working on the agency’s Ukraine mission have told NBC News.
According to NBC’s report, power outages have been applied overnight in some regions of Ukraine due to the attacks on energy facilities. Ukraine’s systems have been systematically targeted by Russia since its full-scale invasion three years ago.
“It significantly undercuts this administration’s abilities to negotiate on the ceasefire, and it’d signal to Russia that we don’t care about Ukraine or our past investments,” one USAid official involved in the Ukraine mission said.
The official continued:
Russia is fighting a two-pronged war in Ukraine: A military one but also an economic one. They’re trying to crush the economy, but USAid has played a central role in helping it be resilient, [including] shoring up the energy grid … We’ve provided vast amount of support to the Ukrainian government to avoid a macro economic crisis.
In addition to ending the Ukraine Energy Security Project, USAid is also dramatically downsizing its presence in Ukraine.
Before the Trump administration’s latest moves, 64 American government employees and contractors were serving on the ground in Ukraine for the agency. Just eight of those personnel are slated to remain on the ground in the war-torn country after the Trump administration placed its remaining global workforce on administrative leave and ordered those workers not deemed “critical” to return to the US.
The two officials warned that USAid withdrawing from Ukraine would leave its energy grid vulnerable in the heart of the winter as it endures assaults from further Russian missiles.
You can read NBC’s report here.
From Reuters:
House Democrats demanded answers on Friday from health and human services secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr on the exact number of employees fired from the health agencies he oversees and warned the dismissals could undermine public health.
Hundreds of workers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, and the National Institutes of Health have been forced out as the Trump administration overhauls government agencies.
In three letters sent on Wednesday, one each for the CDC, the FDA, and the NIH, energy and commerce committee senior Democrat Frank Pallone Jr, and the top Democrat on the health subcommittee, Diana DeGette, pressed Kennedy to disclose not only how many workers were terminated at each agency, but also how many more layoffs are expected.
They also asked how many of the currently vacant positions would be left unfilled and how many of those fired were responsible for responding to outbreaks of diseases like bird flu, measles, and mpox.
Kennedy had pledged “radical transparency” and accountability including an “unprecedented level of collaboration” with Congress during his confirmation hearings.
HHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether Kennedy intended to provide the information.
Pallone and DeGette also asked whether HHS conducted any assessment of how these firings would impact the country’s ability to respond to public health threats. They wrote:
We are deeply concerned these widespread terminations took place without any review of these employees’ work history or without any analysis of the impacts these job losses would have on the Department’s ability to protect the health and well-being of the American people.
The letters come just a day after a federal judge ruled that the Trump administration’s directives, which led to the mass firings, were illegal and ordered them to be rescinded.
Pallone and DeGette warned that failing to restore these positions could put Americans at greater risk from foodborne illnesses, infectious disease outbreaks, and delays in medical research.
The impending impact of these terminations, including exposing Americans to greater death and illness due to outbreaks of foodborne illness and infectious disease, will fall on your shoulders.
The S&P 500 dipped slightly in choppy trading on Friday after talks between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy ended in disaster.
Trump and Zelenskyy traded verbal blows at the White House before the world’s media, adding fresh uncertainty for investors already worried about sticky US inflation and a tepid economy.
The S&P 500 was last down 0.07% at 5,857.40 points. The Nasdaq declined 0.22% to 18,504.02 points, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 0.01% at 43,236.40 points.
Earlier, a Commerce Department report showed inflation rose in line with expectations in the previous month. However, consumer spending, which accounts for more than two-thirds of the economy, dropped 0.2% after an upwardly revised 0.8% increase in December.
Not that there was any ambiguity, but the White House has confirmed that Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy did not sign a minerals deal on Friday.
Trump has not ruled out an agreement, but not until Ukraine is ready to have a constructive conversation, a senior US official told Reuters.
It was up to the Ukrainians if the leaders’ canceled joint news conference could be rescheduled while Zelenskyy remained in the US, the official said.
Trump-Zelenskyy press conference canceled with Zelenskyy set to leave early
Following furiously heated talks earlier, during which Donald Trump shouted at the Ukrainian president, the joint press conference has been canceled, the White House said.
A White House source confirmed to Reuters that Volodymyr Zelenskyy is leaving the White House early.
Trump posted on Truth Social that Zelenskyy was “not ready for peace”. He claimed Zelenskyy had “disrespected” the US (as did his vice-president, JD Vance, who also accused Zelenskyy during the meeting of apparently not thanking the US enough for its support thus far).
Trump added:
He can come back when he’s ready for peace.
For all the details head to over Europe live blog:
Federal workers could get a second ‘what did you do last week’ email that may require a response
This report is from the Associated Press.
Federal employees could get another email on Saturday requiring them to explain their recent accomplishments, a renewed attempt by Donald Trump and Elon Musk to demand answers from the government workforce.
The plan, first reported by the Washington Post (paywall), was disclosed to AP by a person with knowledge of the situation who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss it publicly.
The first email, which was distributed a week ago, asked employees “what did you do last week?” and prompted them to list five tasks that they completed. Musk, who empowered by Trump is aiming to downsize agencies and eliminate thousands of federal jobs, said anyone who didn’t respond would be fired. Many agencies, meanwhile, told their workforces not to respond or issued conflicting guidance.
The second email will be delivered in a different way, according to the person with knowledge of the situation, potentially making it easier to discipline employees for noncompliance.
Instead of being sent by the Office of Personnel Management, which functions as a human resources agency for the federal government but doesn’t have the power to hire or fire, the email will come from individual agencies that have direct oversight of career officials.
It’s unclear how national security agencies will handle the second email. After the first one, they directed employees not to write back because much of the agencies’ work is sensitive or classified. Less than half of federal workers responded, according to the White House.
The Office of Personnel Management ultimately told agency leaders shortly before the Monday deadline for responses that the request was optional, although it left the door open for similar demands going forward.
On Wednesday, at Trump’s first cabinet meeting of his second term, Musk argued that his request was a “pulse check” to ensure that those working for the government have “a pulse and two neurons”.
Both Musk and Trump have claimed that some workers are either dead or fictional, and the president has publicly backed Musk’s approach.
Trump said that people who didn’t respond to the first email “ are on the bubble”, adding that he wasn’t “thrilled” about them not responding.
“Now, maybe they don’t exist,” he claimed without providing evidence. “Maybe we’re paying people that don’t exist.”
Florida first lady Casey DeSantis doesn’t rule out running for governor alongside her husband.
At an event at the Florida International University Academic Health Center on Friday, after reporters asked if she could confirm if she was considering a run, DeSantis said: “Well, I would say one thing. To quote the late, great Yogi Berra, ‘when you come to a fork in the road, take.’”
Florida’s governor, Ron DeSantis, said of his wife that people have been approaching him “for years, begging to get her in the fray”.
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