Tracking Trump: Senate prepares budget bill vote; a vulnerable GOP senator skips reelection; Trump goes after Fed chair; and more
A GOP senator announced his retirement after Trump attacks.
The Trump administration notified Harvard of civil rights violations.
A key witness against Kilmar Abrego García was released from prison.
Trump escalated attacks on the Federal Reserve chair.
The Supreme Court took up a case on political party spending limits.
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USA Today
26 minutes ago
- USA Today
Donald Trump says Beyoncé should be 'prosecuted' for alleged Harris endorsement payment
Donald Trump still has a political bone to pick with Queen Bey. The president, who has previously voiced criticism of celebrities who showed support for his election counterpart, Kamala Harris, took to social media on Saturday, July 26, to renew his unfounded claim that pop star Beyoncé was allegedly paid $11 million to endorse Harris' presidential bid. In the lead-up to the 2024 presidential election, the "Cowboy Carter" songstress made her endorsement of Harris official when she appeared at the former vice president's abortion rights rally in her hometown of Houston in October. She also cleared the usage of her 2016 song "Freedom" for Harris, and the tune became the Democratic nominee's official campaign song. "I'm looking at the large amount of money owed by the Democrats after the presidential election and the fact that they admit to paying, probably illegally, $11 million dollars to singer Beyoncé for an ENDORSEMENT (she never sang, not one note...)," wrote Trump in a fiery Truth Social post, also citing alleged endorsement payments to media mogul Oprah Winfrey and civil rights activist Al Sharpton. USA TODAY has reached out to a representative for Beyoncé for comment. "Can you imagine what would happen if politicians started paying for people to endorse them. All hell would break out!" Trump concluded. "Kamala and all of those that received endorsement money BROKE THE LAW. They should all be prosecuted! Thank you for your attention to this matter." Trump's digital tirade comes just two months after he accused the Grammy-winning singer and other celebrities of being paid to publicly support Harris' candidacy. In a May Truth Social post, the GOP president announced plans for a "major investigation" into the Harris campaign's celebrity endorsements. Catch up: Trump calls Beyoncé's endorsement of Kamala Harris 'illegal' Did Beyoncé receive payment for Kamala Harris endorsement? At the time of Trump's original allegations in May, the Federal Election Commission had no record of an $11 million payment to Beyoncé from Harris' presidential campaign. Additionally, the agency does not have rules explicitly prohibiting candidates from paying for endorsements. It is unclear where Trump got the unsubstantiated $11 million figure. The Harris campaign last year rejected a rumor that it paid Beyoncé $10 million for her endorsement that spread on social media shortly after the music star's October 2024 appearance with Harris. Beyoncé's mother, Tina Knowles, also pushed back at the $10 million rumor in a November 2024 Instagram post, calling it "false information" and a "lie." She added that the singer "actually paid for her own flights for her and her team." Oprah Winfrey says she was not paid a 'personal fee' for Kamala Harris rally What has Beyoncé said about Kamala Harris campaign? During her October 2024 appearance at Harris' rally, Beyoncé, who was joined by fellow singer and Destiny's Child alum Kelly Rowland, said "It's time for America to sing a new song" when describing Harris' presidential bid. "I'm not here as a celebrity. I'm not here as a politician. I'm here as a mother," the pop star added. "Your freedom is your God-given right, your human right." Harris has long been a fan of Beyoncé. The California-born politician attended the singer's Renaissance World Tour in 2023 just outside of Washington, D.C., after she gifted Harris tickets. Contributing: Caché McClay, Joey Garrison and Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA TODAY
The Hill
26 minutes ago
- The Hill
Ohio State University president: Ivy League presidents ‘in survival mode, quite frankly'
The Ohio State University (OSU) President Ted Carter said on Sunday that he thinks Ivy League schools are in 'survival mode,' when asked about Columbia University's settlement with the Trump administration. In an interview on CBS News's 'Face the Nation,' moderator Margaret Brennan asked Carter whether he's troubled by the 'precedent' that the settlement sets and whether he would have agreed to a similar deal to resolve a hypothetical dispute with the administration. 'I can't speak to those institutions because I'm not leading them,' Carter responded. 'I know both President Shipman and some of the other Ivy League presidents are colleagues, and they're having to do, I think, what I would call, be in survival mode, quite frankly,' he said, referring to acting Columbia University President Claire Shipman. 'We're not going through any of that here at Ohio State, and nor do I think that we will,' Carter added. Columbia agreed to pay $221 million to restore the more than $400 million in federal funding that was blocked by the administration, according to the settlement announced July 21. In cutting off Columbia's funding, the Trump administration originally cited alleged inaction on antisemitism, though Education Secretary Linda McMahon pointed to more ideological motives in an interview after the settlement was announced. 'This is a monumental victory for conservatives who wanted to do things on these elite campuses for a long time because we had such far left-leaning professors,' McMahon said on Fox Business Network. The university, which saw some of the nation's most active pro-Palestinian campus demonstrations amid the war in Gaza, did not have to admit to wrongdoing as part of the deal.
CBS News
26 minutes ago
- CBS News
Maryland governor, representative respond after denied FEMA aid request for historic flooding
Maryland lawmakers called it an insult after the state was denied federal disaster assistance for the damages caused by the historic flooding in Western Maryland in May. Heavy rain caused significant flooding damage in Allegany and Garrett counties, with residents still recovering. Gov. Wes Moore requested a Presidential Disaster Declaration in June to aid in the recovery effort after the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Maryland Department of Emergency Management (MDEM) found that it could cost nearly $15.8 million. The flooding damaged more than 200 homes, some businesses, roads, and utilities. People were rescued from flooded schools, and some were trapped overnight during power outages. The White House rejected the Presidential Disaster Declaration, which would have allowed Maryland to receive help from FEMA and access funding to repair broken infrastructure. In the rejection letter, FEMA called the aid "not warranted," according to the governor's office. "The day before they denied Maryland, they actually accepted and gave West Virginia over $10 million in support for a storm that had about the same amount of damage," Gov Moore said. "This is petty, it is partisan, and it is punishing." Gov. Moore said in a social media video that the denial of federal assistance funding is "an insult to Maryland and the community still suffering in the aftermath of the storm." U.S. Congresswoman April McClain Delaney, from Maryland, told WJZ that while progress has been made, more work needs to be done Delaney said many residents are frustrated with the president, after he received overwhelming support in Western Maryland in the 2024 election. "We just have to, you know, push back and say, these are the reasons why people pay taxes," Rep. Delaney said. "No matter what your zip code, you should be able to rely on our federal government to deliver when there's an emergency or tragedy." Gov. Wes Moore said the damage and recovery efforts in Western Maryland were catastrophic, and it would need support from the federal government. "After a thorough assessment of the damage, it's clear that additional support is necessary," Gov. Moore said. A Presidential Disaster Declaration would have given Maryland financial assistance from FEMA to help repair infrastructure damage caused by the massive flooding, and provide for those still impacted. "The addition of much-needed federal assistance is necessary to get those affected back to their regular lives and to allow those communities to fully recover in months instead of years," MDEM Secretary Russ Strickland said. According to the governor's office, the estimated $15.8 million cost for recovery surpasses FEMA's threshold for disaster assistance, which in Allegany County is $321,460. In Maryland, that threshold is $11.6 million. "Historically, if the joint damage assessment process demonstrates eligible costs over and above the county and state indicator, disaster assistance has been awarded by the President," Gov. Moore said. President Trump argues that FEMA is unsuccessful and has suggested changes to the agency. He signed an executive order that he said would "begin the process of fundamentally reforming and overhauling FEMA, or maybe getting rid of FEMA," though that action would need approval from Congress. In June, the administration said it wanted to "wean" states off of FEMA aid after the 2025 hurricane season. The administration indicated that governors would be in a better position to respond to disasters in their states. "We want to wean off of FEMA, and we want to bring it down to the state level — a little bit like education, we're moving it back to the states," Mr. Trump said. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said in a social media video that the state is going to appeal the state is going to appeal FEMA's decision to reject federal financial aid for Allegany and Garrett counties. "To our neighbors in Western Maryland, while the federal government is saying, 'You are on your own,' here in Maryland, we are saying, 'We are leaving no one behind,'" Gov. Moore said. Gov. Wes Moore on Sunday visited areas in Western Maryland that are still recovering from the flooding, including Westernport. According to the governor's office, Moore visited the Port West Restaurant, which was directly impacted by and temporarily closed due to flood damage. He met with other state leaders and residents to talk about the ongoing recovery efforts and his administration's plan to fight back for federal disaster assistance. "Today, I once again saw the strength of Western Maryland—a community that mobilized in the wake of disaster," Gov. Moore said. "Our resolve hasn't wavered, and there is no question that our recovery requires more time and resources." Moore continued, "The Trump administration denied our request for federal disaster assistance, even though Maryland met long-standing criteria for FEMA support. This cruel choice by the federal government won't stop us from moving forward. We will appeal their decision and continue fighting for the people of Allegany and Garrett counties."
