Trump signs order targeting law firm that employed Mueller team prosecutor
The order, which targets the law firm Jenner and Block, is the latest move from Trump to punish major firms with ties to critics and individuals he holds grudges against.
White House staff secretary Will Scharf alleged the firm had engaged in 'weaponization of the legal system against American principles and values.'
'And Andrew Weissman is the main culprit with respect to this firm?' Trump asked, calling Weissman a 'bad guy.'
Scharf said Weissman was 'one of a number of reasons' the order was being issued.
The text of the order was not immediately available, but Trump has signed multiple orders in recent weeks targeting security clearances and government contracts for major law firms with ties to lawyers who represented Democrats or worked on cases involving Trump.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
South Korea Weighs US Investment Pledge to Trim Auto Tariff
(Bloomberg) -- The US and South Korea have discussed creating a fund to invest in American projects as part of a trade deal, similar to an agreement Japan struck Tuesday with President Donald Trump, people familiar with the matter said. Trump Awards $1.26 Billion Contract to Build Biggest Immigrant Detention Center in US Why the Federal Reserve's Building Renovation Costs $2.5 Billion The High Costs of Trump's 'Big Beautiful' New Car Loan Deduction Salt Lake City Turns Winter Olympic Bid Into Statewide Bond Boom The scope of the discussions was not immediately clear, but the US has been seeking pledges totaling hundreds of billions of dollars. The talks remain fluid, the people said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss details of the negotiations. Japan's deal saw the country agree to backstop a $550 billion fund in exchange for dropping a threatened 25% tariff to 15%. The discount also applied to automobiles, an important export for the Asian country's economy. The South Korea talks are similarly focused on reaching a 15% tariff rate, including for autos, one of the people said. The deal may also include a pledge by South Korea to purchase more goods in key sectors, one of the people said, again echoing the Japan pact, which included an agreement to purchase Boeing Co. planes and agriculture products. The White House declined to comment. The South Korean trade ministry also declined to comment. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said he would meet with South Korean officials on Thursday. In a CNBC interview, Lutnick argued Tokyo's agreement put pressure on Seoul to accept similar terms. 'You could hear the expletives out of Korea when they read the Japanese deal,' Lutnick said. 'The Koreans, like the Europeans, very much want to make a deal.' Trump has threatened to impose a higher general tariff of 25% starting Aug. 1, in addition to the existing levies on vehicles, vehicle parts and steel that are straining ties between Seoul and Washington. A Korean trade delegation is in Washington this week for talks, according to the Asian nation's finance ministry, and Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo is set to meet with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer as part of those discussions. However, a planned '2+2' dialogue that was scheduled for July 25 with Yeo and Finance Minister Koo Yoon-cheol alongside Greer and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was postponed and will be rescheduled, the Korean side said. Lutnick has suggested a $400 billion figure in talks with South Korea, one of the people said. Lutnick presented that same number to Trump as part of talks with Japan but the US president eventually negotiated the fund up to $550 billion. South Korea is preparing to propose at least $100 billion in US investment pledges, Yonhap News reported, citing unidentified sources. The funds were secured through consultations with the nation's conglomerates, including Samsung Electronics Co., SK, Hyundai Motor Co. and LG Electronics Inc., and could grow if government support is added. Seoul had planned to unveil a $100 billion offer during the now-postponed July 25 talks, according to Yonhap. While smaller than Japan's pledges, South Korea's economy, at less than half the size of Japan's, makes matching the same dollar-value pledges a significant challenge for Seoul. Some South Korean companies have already made significant investment pledges in the US. The chairman of Hyundai visited the White House in March to announce a $21 billion investment plan that includes an expansion of vehicle production in Georgia and a new steel plant in Louisiana. The deal with Japan threatens to create a competitive advantage for that country's automakers if Seoul is unable to reach a similar agreement. 'This really puts a lot of pressure on South Korea. If they can get 15%, I'm sure they'd be thrilled but they are in a different position than Japan,' said William Chou, deputy director of the Japan Chair at the Hudson Institute, a conservative think tank. That notion was echoed by the White House on Wednesday. 'We're in a situation where, for example, German cars, are going to be at a disadvantage now, to Japanese cars, because it's a 25% tariff on German. Same thing with Hyundais from South Korea,' White House trade adviser Peter Navarro said Wednesday on Bloomberg Television. Navarro said the Japanese deal was best interpreted as the president 'doing a synergistic whole deal with the rest of the world.' 'This is just one part of that chess game,' he said. Trump, speaking at an artificial intelligence event earlier Wednesday, suggested that he would not go below 15% as he sets so-called reciprocal tariff rates — while also indicating he would reward nations that removed trade barriers on US exports. 'The tariff is very important, but the opening of a country, I think, can be more important if our businesses do the job that they're supposed to be doing,' Trump said. 'Such openings are worthy of many points in tariffs.' --With assistance from Heesu Lee, Jennifer A. Dlouhy, Derek Wallbank and Yuko Takeo. (Updates to include Lutnick comments starting in sixth paragraph) Burning Man Is Burning Through Cash Elon Musk's Empire Is Creaking Under the Strain of Elon Musk It's Not Just Tokyo and Kyoto: Tourists Descend on Rural Japan A Rebel Army Is Building a Rare-Earth Empire on China's Border What the Tough Job Market for New College Grads Says About the Economy ©2025 Bloomberg L.P. Sign in to access your portfolio
American Military News
24 minutes ago
- American Military News
Video: Russia using teens to build military drones: Report
A new report claims that Russia is using teenagers to design, build, and test drones to be used in Russia's war with Ukraine. An investigation by The Insider, which is an exiled Russian news outlet, found that Russian officials use video game competitions to find talented students who are recruited by defense companies to design and test drones. A Russian teenager told The Insider, 'The kids are actively involved in modeling components of systems for various drones. I know of several people at least who were modeling UAV [unmanned aerial vehicle] components for major enterprises.' According to The Insider, Russia's recruitment of teenagers begins with a video game that involves 'intelligence bears' defending themselves against bee swarms. The game also involves the use of drones to defend against the bee swarms. The outlet noted that hundreds of thousands of young Russians play the game and that students can receive extra credit points for doing well in the game. READ MORE: Video: 'American Drone Dominance' unleashed by Trump admin The Insider reported that young Russians who are good at playing the popular video game eventually are included in advanced competitions, such as Big Challenges, which searches for talented students on behalf of Russian companies linked to the Russian defense industry. One Russian teenager who was a finalist in the competition told The Insider, 'We were forbidden to say that it was needed for the war, and we invented civilian applications. It's a children's program … A project must always have a dual purpose, especially when you're a school student. It's an unwritten rule I've observed at every competition.' According to The New York Post, Zvedzda, a television channel for the Russian army, recently shared a video of Russian teenagers helping build the country's Geran-2 kamikaze drones at the Yelabuga production plant, which has been described as the 'world's biggest drone factory.' The New York Post reported that the Zvedzda television channel claimed that Russians as young as 14 have been invited to study and work at the Yelabuga factory. The outlet noted that teenagers who work at the Yelabuga factory would have an opportunity to be employed at the drone manufacturing plant after they finish their college education.
New York Post
24 minutes ago
- New York Post
Tesla stock plunges as Elon Musk warns company may face ‘a few rough quarters' ahead
Tesla shares plunged as much as 10% in early trading Thursday after the company posted its steepest sales drop in more than a decade – and CEO Elon Musk warned the slump may not end anytime soon. The embattled electric carmaker reported that revenue from car sales fell 16% to $16.7 billion in the second quarter versus a year ago – its second straight quarter of declining sales. Tesla also missed Wall Street's quarterly estimates for both earnings per share and overall revenue. 'We probably could have a few rough quarters,' Musk admitted during the company's earnings call on Wednesday. 'I'm not saying that we will, but we could.' Advertisement 5 Elon Musk admitted a few 'rough quarters' could be coming for Tesla. AP Tesla executives blamed the impact of tariffs as well as the upcoming end of federal electric vehicle tax credits – which reportedly sparked Musk's public falling-out with President Trump – as a key factor in the sales downturn. Musk said the negative trend could extend into 'Q4, Q1, maybe Q2,' or the end of this year and the first half of 2026 – before improving in the second half of next year as Tesla rolls out an expanded 'Robotaxi' autonomous driving service. Advertisement 'Once you get to autonomy at scale in the second half of next year, I'd be surprised if Tesla Inc.'s economics are not very compelling,' Musk said. 'We'll probably have autonomous ride-hailing in about half the population of the US by the end of the year,' Musk added at another point in the call. 'That's at least our goal, subject to regulatory approvals.' 5 Tesla is in the midst of a sales slump. Christopher Sadowski The Trump-backed Big Beautiful Bill eliminated the $7,500 tax credits that have long bolstered Tesla's sales pitch to customers. Advertisement Musk, who had worked closely with Trump during and after the 2024 election, had warned that the legislation would explode the federal deficit. Trump claimed that Musk was upset about its elimination of tax credits, which the billionaire denied. The loss of tax credits is just part of the problem for Tesla. Analysts have cited rising competition in Europe and China from Chinese automaker BYD and other rivals, as well as Tesla's aging car lineup and brand damage caused by Musk's work with the Department of Government Efficiency. 5 Analysts have pointed to Tesla's aging car lineup as part of its sales slump. Christopher Sadowski Tesla's stock is down 20% since the start of the year. Advertisement In second-quarter results released Wednesday, the company reported adjusted earnings of 40 cents a share, less than the 43 cents expected by analysts. Overall revenue came in at $22.50 billion, or less than an expected $22.74 billion. Last month, Tesla said it expected a 14% year-over-year decline in vehicle deliveries to 384,000 for the second quarter. Deliveries are seen as a close proxy for sales. 5 Musk faced protests over his work with the Department of Government Efficiency. / MEGA Musk has pointed to Robotaxi, which began a pilot run in Austin, Texas last month, as well as Tesla's Optimus humanoid robots as key to the company's future. The company also opened at Tesla Diner in Hollywood this week, with Musk pledging to expand to more locations if it proved successful. Wedbush analyst Dan Ives struck a bullish tone in his note to clients despite Tesla's weak sales. 5 Tesla Diner recently opened in Hollywood. ALLISON DINNER/EPA/Shutterstock Advertisement 'As we have discussed, there are still headwinds, tariffs, and clear growth challenges for Tesla over the coming 3-6 months…but Musk now entering the picture as a wartime CEO to put TSLA on an aggressive AI-focused strategy represents the biggest and best possible news for Tesla investors,' Ives said. While Musk has vowed to spend more time at Tesla since stepping back from DOGE, there are signs that he will remain involved in politics. The Tesla boss has vowed to form an 'America Party' after stating that neither Democrats nor Republicans are meeting the public's needs.
