Trump President

• The U.S. stock market expanded beyond mega-cap technology companies following the November 5, 2024, presidential election. • The Russell 2000 and other small-cap indices surged more than 60% between April 2025 and September 2026. • Regulatory easing and domestic energy policies drove increased investment into the financial, energy, and domestic industrial sectors.

• Former President Donald Trump is positioning his personal leadership style as an alternative to formal regulatory frameworks for artificial intelligence. • Trump has formed a political alliance with a small group of wealthy individuals who hold personal financial stakes in the development of AI. • This approach shifts AI oversight from public interest standards to the influence of a few private allies.

Many are rooting for vocal critic Catherine Connolly to let rip in Dublin meeting, but others hope she holds backIreland’s president, Catherine Connolly, has called Donald Trump abhorrent and an abuser of power. In his sole previous comment on Connolly, the US president seemed to think she was a man. Now that they are about to meet, Ireland is holding its breath.Trump is to fly into Dublin on Saturday morning for a two-day visit centred on golf but, before making it to his beloved greens, protocol obliges him to meet a woman who has given every impression of loathing him. Continue reading...

Joe diGenova led investigation focused on intelligence assessment that Russia interfered in 2016 electionAn ally of Donald Trump said on Thursday that he has resigned from his post leading a Department of Justice investigation into whether former law enforcement and intelligence officials conspired against the Republican president.“I did in fact resign,” Joe diGenova told the Associated Press, calling it an “honor and a privilege” to serve Trump and the justice department. Continue reading...

• Lawsuits and whistleblower claims have been filed to challenge the Trump administration's attempts to alter mail-in voting rules ahead of the upcoming elections. • Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) highlighted a whistleblower letter alleging the U.S. Postal Service is rushing to create an online ballot screening system. • Critics argue these policy changes and technical implementations could jeopardize the integrity and efficiency of the midterm elections.

Donald Trump posted his own presidential rankings to Truth Social last week, separating past US presidents into six categories from ‘greatest’ to ‘failures’Donald Trump has declared himself to be the “greatest” US president ever, sharing a post on social media last week which graded him above the likes of Abraham Lincoln, Franklin D Roosevelt and George Washington. Experts take a different view.Few presidential historians have previously suggested Trump holds such a place in the history books. After all, neither Lincoln, nor Roosevelt, nor Washington – the three leaders typically seen as America’s best – orchestrated an insurrection. None were impeached. And none of them were convicted of felonies over hush-money payments to a pornstar-turned-ghost hunter. Continue reading...

• In a 6-3 decision on Monday, the Supreme Court ruled to lift a major procedural block on an executive order issued by President Trump regarding mail-in voting. • The ruling allows parts of the president's changes to the voting process to move forward, removing a significant legal hurdle. • This decision is critical as it sets the stage for a broader constitutional battle over the legality and administration of election laws.

• President Trump and HHS Secretary Kennedy have implemented sweeping health policy reforms over the last 555 days to combat the chronic disease epidemic and revitalize public health. • Key achievements include securing pledges from insurers, medical societies, and providers to improve national behavioral health quality and best practices. • The FDA has announced a strategic plan to phase out animal testing requirements for monoclonal antibodies and various other drugs.

• Tesla stock fell 1.21% to $358.1 following President Trump's announcement of a 50% tariff on all Canadian imports. • The tariffs target a wide range of goods, including vehicles, automotive components, and steel, creating significant cost risks for U.S. automakers. • This move has triggered broad negative sentiment across the auto and EV sectors as investors worry about increased production costs and diminished profitability.

• Utah’s U.S. attorney, Melissa Holyoak, is defending the ruling in *Trump v. Slaughter*, which addresses the president's authority to remove federal officials. • Holyoak’s perspective is informed by her time at the FTC, where she witnessed former President Trump dismiss several Democratic colleagues. • Law professor Aaron Nielson emphasizes that the case is not a partisan dispute but a fundamental question regarding the limits of federal government power.

• Former President Donald Trump appeared on a radio show hosted by Michael D. Cohen, his former personal lawyer who previously pleaded guilty to federal crimes and implicated Trump. • Trump asserted that the U.S. effectively controls Venezuela's government and predicted that Cuba would be the next leftist Latin American government to fall. • Cuba is currently facing its worst energy crisis in history, characterized by nationwide blackouts and a lack of cooking gas, following an oil blockade imposed by Trump in February.

President Lee Jae Myung has long pushed for stronger homegrown defences, yet Donald Trump’s move has sparked alarm in some quartersAt their first summit, in August last year, South Korean president Lee Jae Myung told Donald Trump: “If you, Mr President, become the peacemaker, then I will assist you as the pacemaker.”The remark at the Oval Office captured the thrust of Lee’s approach to the North: dial down the military posturing and make repeated peace overtures to revive dialogue, even if they have been consistently rejected by Pyongyang largely over Seoul’s insistence on denuclearisation. Continue reading...

Democratic senator intensifies White House feud after remarks about ‘Natalie’ drew ire of president and alliesDemocratic senator Jon Ossoff called Donald Trump a “draft-dodging, crook president” while defending senator Mark Kelly as a hero during a Tuesday campaign appearance in Georgia, escalating his public feud with the US president.“I don’t think anything illustrates the times more aptly than that the draft-dodging, crook president, who has plunged our nation recklessly into a war he knows not how to end or to win, tried to imprison this man, who embodies American heroism,” Ossoff said while appearing alongside Kelly and his wife, the former Arizona congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. Continue reading...

Lee Jae Myung reiterates desire for full command back in Seoul’s hands after Donald Trump cuts joint exercises, citing warm ties with Kim Jong-un‘Inane, haphazard decision’ by Trump to gut South Korea allianceSouth Korea’s president ⁠has renewed his push to regain independent control of the military from the US in the event of war and urged faster progress in acquiring nuclear-powered submarines after Donald Trump’s order to cut joint drills.On Sunday night, Trump instructed the Pentagon to “substantially reduce” this week’s joint military exercises with South Korea, saying the nuclear-armed North “has been unthreatening and respectful” and that the US president had a “very good relationship with Kim Jong-un”. Continue reading...

• President Trump ordered the Pentagon to "substantially reduce" joint military exercises with South Korea, a critical ally in the Asia Pacific region. • In a social media post on Sunday, the President justified the decision by citing his "very good relationship" with South Korean leadership. • Separately, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan of Ohio has begun demanding documents from a legal firm following allegations of wrongdoing.

• President Donald Trump issued an executive order calling for American children to be immunized against 11 diseases, a reduction from the 17 recommended by the CDC. • The legal authority and practical implementation of this order remain unclear, as it contradicts established public health guidelines. • In separate Oval Office remarks, the President made controversial claims regarding "jihadists" and "communism" being elected in various locations.

• A new book examines the nearly 80-year history and growth of the pro-Israel lobby, describing it as the most powerful foreign policy lobby in U.S. history. • The authors argue that from Harry Truman to Donald Trump, most U.S. presidents have succumbed to the lobby's demands due to fears of domestic political defeat. • This influence is cited as a primary reason why presidents have abandoned foreign policies that their senior advisers believed were in the best interests of the United States.

• Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Fox News that Iran is facing a different leadership style under President Trump, describing him as someone who "actually takes action." • The comments follow ongoing regional instability, with Iran continuing to target Gulf countries and tensions remaining high in the Strait of Hormuz. • Simultaneously, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported the discovery of an underground tunnel network located in southern Lebanon.

Republican senators sought written limits on settlement, but president held firm despite risk to attorney general pickUS politics live – latest updatesDonald Trump’s refusal to officially end a hugely controversial agreement giving him broad tax immunity and creating a 1.8bn slush fund underscored how the US president’s own self interest takes precedence above all else in his government.For weeks, Todd Blanche, the acting attorney general, has said that the slush fund portion of the agreement was dead. And for a few brief hours on Wednesday, it seemed that the president might agree to a relatively modest request from two Republican senators to put in writing that there were certain limits on an extraordinary tax immunity deal. After all, it seemed like a small price to pay in exchange for getting Blanche, a staunch Trump loyalist who previously served as his personal lawyer, confirmed permanently as the US attorney general. Continue reading...

• The Federal Reserve is projected to raise interest rates twice before the end of the year, signaling a shift toward tighter monetary policy. • Market analysts are using the CME Group's FedWatch tool, which tracks futures prices, to calculate the probability of these upcoming rate hikes. • This development is significant because historical data suggests that increased interest rates often trigger corrections in major indices like the S&P 500 and Nasdaq.

• The "Wall of Receipts" is being updated to track the voting patterns of Supreme Court Justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett. • The analysis focuses specifically on their decisions regarding the interim and certiorari dockets over the past year. • This tracking is significant as it monitors the judicial consistency and ideological leanings of the three appointees selected by former President Donald Trump.

• President Trump hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House for high-level diplomatic discussions. • President Zelenskyy used the meeting to urgently request additional U.S. assistance for Ukraine's air defense systems to counter ongoing threats. • Prime Minister Netanyahu held his first face-to-face meeting with Trump since the start of the Iran war, occurring amidst increasing strain between the two leaders.

• President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met at the White House to reaffirm their shared commitment to preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. • The meeting occurred amid heightened tensions following drone attacks on Saudi Arabia, which were launched from Iraq and condemned by Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, and Lebanon. • Despite international pressure, President Trump has signaled a reluctance to escalate the military conflict with Iran.

• President Donald Trump returned to the White House Correspondents' Dinner following an attempted assassination attempt that occurred in April. • The event featured live coverage of Trump's speech, celebrity arrivals, and key highlights of the evening. • A suspect named Allen has pleaded not guilty to multiple federal charges, including attempting to assassinate the President and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.

• The European Commission has fined Alphabet, Google's parent company, €890 million ($1 billion) for violating the Digital Markets Act (DMA). • The penalty stems from Google unfairly promoting its own shopping and transport services over competitors in search results and restricting how app developers sell to users. • This enforcement action highlights the EU's commitment to curbing the dominance of Big Tech to foster a more competitive digital marketplace.

• Arizona is holding primary elections today to determine candidates for governor, secretary of state, and several competitive House battleground districts. • Separately, President Trump is meeting with the Lebanese president to discuss military aid and the ongoing conflict involving Israel. • Senator Susan Collins, R-Maine, has criticized the Trump administration for removing senior generals and admirals from the Defense Department since January 2025.

• President Donald J. Trump delivered a primetime address to release newly declassified documents regarding foreign election interference and alleged "Deep State" suppression. • The released intelligence reports specifically highlight that the Venezuelan government developed capabilities to manipulate electronic voting systems. • This disclosure is framed as a critical step in protecting U.S. democratic integrity and exposing foreign influence operations targeting American elections.

• President Donald Trump delivered a primetime address alleging that China has engaged in a yearslong effort to interfere in United States elections. • Trump claimed the U.S. election system falls "catastrophically short" without proper support and released intelligence documents on the White House website detailing "five major areas of concern." • The move highlights the administration's ongoing efforts to review election security and underscores tensions regarding foreign influence in domestic democratic processes.