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First Post
19-06-2025
- Politics
- First Post
Pete Hegseth hints disobeying court order and maintaining troop deployment in LA, leaving Democrats baffled
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth left Democrats baffled during a Senate committee hearing after he suggested that he would not obey a federal court ruling against the deployments of National Guard troops and US Marines to Los Angeles read more US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth attends the annual White House Easter Egg Roll event, on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, US, April 21, 2025. File Image/Reuters The US Secretary of Defence, Pete Hegseth , suggested on Wednesday that he would not obey if a federal court ruled against the deployments of National Guard troops and US Marines to the ongoing protests in Los Angeles , California. The remarks from Hegseth came during a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee. US President Donald Trump's administration has been facing numerous lawsuits over its policies, especially the government's crackdown on immigration. In several instances, the administration has even avoided complying with court orders it dislikes. In response to this pattern, Democrats argued that Trump is sending the country into a constitutional crisis. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD It is pertinent to note that the state of California has sued over Trump's deployment of National Guard troops to the ongoing LA protests against raids conducted by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Last week, a federal judge ruled that the control of soldiers should return to California's Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom. Hegesth echoes Trump's rhetoric After the federal court's order, an appeals court stayed that ruling. However, the arguments produced by Hegeseth on Tuesday sounded like the Trump administration is willing to defy Trump's order and keep soldiers under the POTUS's authority. 'I don't believe district courts should be determining national security policy. When it goes to the Supreme Court, we'll see,' Hegseth told the Democratic senator Mazie Hirono during the hearing. 'If the Supreme Court rules on a topic, we will abide by that," he replied when faced with a similar question posed by US Senator Elizabeth Warren. Meanwhile, GOP senators present at the hearing were dissatisfied by the fact that the meeting, which was intended to focus on the Pentagon's budgetary needs for the forthcoming fiscal year, derailed into issues of the LA protests and the ongoing Iran-Israel tensions . During the hearing, Senator Slotkin asked whether troops deployed in southern California were allowed to arrest protesters or shoot them in the legs. 'If necessary, in their self-defence, they could temporarily detain and hand over to [Immigration and Customs Enforcement]. But there's no arresting going on,' replied. On Friday, US Marines temporarily took into custody a US citizen who was protesting at a federal building in Los Angeles. When Slotkin asked the question about troops shooting protesters, Hegesth laughed before delivering his response. 'Senator, I'd be careful what you read in books and believe in, except for the Bible," Hegseth exclaimed. An exasperated Slotkin replied: 'Oh my God.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD On the question of hearing The ongoing Israel-Iran conflict also took centre stage at the Senate committee hearing. The matter was discussed as Trump has publicly mulled the possibility that the United States might strike Iran. When asked if the Pentagon is planning to topple the Iranian regime, Hegseth replied: 'We have plans for everything'. Hegseth was also questioned about his order to revert the names of military bases renamed by former US President Joe Biden. The ex-Democratic president renamed the bases because they honoured figures in the Confederacy. While commenting on the order, Virginia Senator Tim Kaine said that in his state, several bases had been renamed under Biden in honour of accomplished veterans and their families were never officially told that the names would be changed back. 'You didn't call any of the families, and I've spoken with the families, and the families were called by the press. That's how they learned about this. They learned about it from the press,' Kaine said. The Senator went on to ask Hegseth to pause the renaming of these bases. However, the defence secretary declined to do so. 'We'll find ways to recognise them," he said. Democrats went on to slam Hegseth for turmoil in the ranks of his top aides, questioning his handling of the department. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump biographer claims president and Melania are ‘separated' and do not live by traditional marriage arrangements
Biographer Michael Wolff has claimed that President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump are essentially 'separated' following reports that she has spent less than two weeks at the White House since the president's inauguration. Wolff, who has authored several books highly critical of the president over the years, made the remarks Tuesday on The Daily Beast Podcast. 'They clearly do not in any way inhabit a marriage as we define marriage,' Wolff said in response to host Joanna Coles's question as to what extent the first lady is involved in Trump's second administration. 'And I think maybe we can more specifically say they live separate lives,' Wolff continued. 'They are separated. The president of the United States and the first lady are separated.' White House communications director Steven Cheung said that Wolff was 'a blithering idiot' who has been 'widely discredited due to his blatant lies and fabrications' in response to the author's comments when approached by The Independent. 'He is an imbecile of the highest order and his Trump Derangement Syndrome-addled brain has caused him to lead a miserable existence devoid of reality,' Cheung said. Speculation surrounding the state of the couple's marriage has been rife given Melania's infrequent appearances at the White House. Since Trump returned to office on January 20, Melania is estimated to have spent less than 14 days at the White House, according to The New York Times. That estimate might be 'generous,' the outlet reported, citing sources. The first lady has made a handful of appearances in recent months beside her husband, including attending the funeral of the late Pope Francis the day before her 55th birthday and the annual White House Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn. When the president and first lady arrived back in the U.S. after the funeral on Melania's birthday, the couple went their separate ways, with Melania leaving in a car while the president boarded Marine One. In a sit-down interview with Fox & Friends ahead of the inauguration, Melania gave some insight into how she would approach being first lady the second time around. 'I will be in the White House,' she said when asked where she planned to spend most of her time. 'And, you know, when I need to be in New York, I will be in New York. When I need to be in Palm Beach, I will be in Palm Beach.' Her priority, she said, was 'to be a mom' to Barron, now 19, and, 'to be a first lady, to be a wife.' Two people familiar with the first lady's thinking told the Times that she has been 'deeply spooked' by the two assassination attempts on Trump's life last summer. Melania 'was already worried about her family's safety and had been for years,' they told the newspaper. Paolo Zampolli, the former modeling agent who first spotted Melania in Milan in 1995 and introduced her to Trump at New York's Kit Kat Club in 1998, said that claims about the first lady's absence from the White House were misleading. 'She loves the White House,' said Zampolli, the incumbent U.S. special representative for global partnerships. 'And she loves the role of serving as our first lady.'
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump reportedly takes over some first lady duties, including White House decor choices
Since his return to the White House in January, President Donald Trump has made glaring changes to the decor around 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., including several additions that reflect his long-standing love for gold. In the Oval Office, he has installed more flags and many more portraits of past American leaders, including several of himself. He has brought back his Diet Coke button, according to The Wall Street Journal. He has sought to remake the White House in Mar-a-Lago's image, with gold finishings, gold decor, gold trinkets and, down the line, potentially a ballroom. He has suggested paving over the Rose Garden — which his wife infamously renovated in 2020 — to resemble the patio at his Palm Beach golf club. The White House's makeover appears to be getting Trump's personal touch. First lady Melania Trump, who has proven to be as elusive a figure in her husband's second term as many had expected, has been conspicuously absent from public discussions about the decor changes. In fact, according to The New York Times' recent reporting (which has not been verified by MSNBC or NBC News), Melania Trump is so rarely at the White House that the president himself has taken over some of the duties that typically fall to the first lady, including decor choices for the residence: At the White House this time around, Mr. Trump has taken to performing some duties that typically would fall to a first lady. She's not the one carefully selecting light fixtures for the White House residence, redesigning the Rose Garden, greeting tour groups in the East Wing or hosting receptions for Women's History Month. He is. Beyond a handful of public appearances, the first lady has hardly been spotted in Washington, D.C., in her husband's second term so far. Last month, she participated in the White House Easter Egg Roll and spoke at the International Women of Courage Awards at the State Department. But she has spent fewer than 14 days altogether at the White House since her husband's inauguration, the Times reported, citing two people with knowledge of her schedule. The prominence of the first lady role has nevertheless afforded her some promotional opportunities: Melania Trump launched her own cryptocurrency in January, and an Amazon documentary about her life is in the works. This article was originally published on
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Melania Trump Chooses Dolce & Gabbana Trenchcoat for White House Departure for Pope's Funeral
WHEN IN ROME: En route to Joint Base Andrews to fly aboard Air Force One to Italy for Pope Francis' Saturday morning funeral, First Lady Melania Trump on Friday departed the White House dressed in a dove gray trenchcoat from Dolce & Gabbana. She accessorized her look with oversized black sunglasses, black Roger Vivier pointy-toe flats and a black Hermès Birkin bag. Dolce & Gabbana is a favorite resource for Trump, who wore a black coat from the brand and a black lace mantilla to meet Pope Francis in 2017 at the Vatican with President Donald Trump. The president is one of the 50 heads of state who are expected at Saturday's funeral in St. Peter's Square in front of St. Peter's Basilica. A crowd of 200,000 is expected to turn up for the mass in honor of the 88-year-old Argentinean. Millions of people are expected to tune in to broadcasts of the historic event, and also the livestream of it by the Vatican. More from WWD Melania Trump's Nude Fashion Shoot: Photographer Gives His Point of View Melania Trump's Wedding Planner Describes the Party and Guests — 20 Years Later Walmart CEO Doug McMillon's $27M Pay Package and the Headaches that Come With It As an indication of the public's current interest in papal dealings, viewership of the feature film 'Conclave' had increased by 283 percent to 7 million minutes watched within days of the 266th pope's death on Monday. The two-time first lady also chose a Dolce & Gabbana tailored black blazer with wide satin lapels over an unbuttoned white top for her official 2025 White House portrait that was photographed by Régine Mahaux. FLOTUS' tuxedo-style suit was completed with a Ralph Lauren cummerbund. Trump also chose a Dolce & Gabbana ensemble for her 2017 official portrait. More recently, the former model wore a Dolce & Gabbana menswear inspired look — a black velvet tuxedo with satin lapels — to the White House Governors' Dinner in February. She completed that look with a Ralph Lauren cummerbund and white shirt. Over the president's inaugural weekend in January, she wore a Dolce & Gabbana white tuxedo shirt with a Saint Laurent jacket to the Candlelight Dinner at the National Building Museum. Earlier this week at the annual White House Easter Egg Roll FLOTUS chose a similar trenchcoat look to Friday's ensemble — a vanilla-colored leather belted trenchcoat from Mackage with low-heeled Roger Vivier flats. After landing at Leonardo da Vinci International Airport in Rome later Friday, the first couple were due at the U.S. Embassy, the 15th century Villa Taverna, which was commissioned by Cardinal Consalvi. Following their one-night stay in Italy and the pope's funeral, the Trumps planned to jet back to the U.S. for a night at the Trump National Golf Club Bedminster in New Jersey. View Gallery Launch Gallery: Melania Trump's Style Through the Years: From Front Rows to the White House Best of WWD Gigi Hadid Turns 30: Her Style Evolution Through the Years, PHOTOS Every Celebrity Skims Campaign: Donovan Mitchell, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Abby Champion and More [PHOTOS] Victoria Beckham's Style Through the Years: From Her Spice Girls Era to Today [PHOTOS]
The Hill
22-04-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Trump world circles wagons on Hegseth amid new scandal
Hegseth lashed out at the media and what he claimed were 'disgruntled former employees' Monday for the chorus of criticism for his handling of battle plans on a Signal group chat. The Department of Defense also saw a series of high-profile suspensions in recent days over an internal investigation into leaks, and a former top spokesperson penned an op-ed Sunday saying chaos reigns at the Pentagon under Hegseth. Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, on Monday became the first Republican to suggest Hegseth is not fit to lead the Pentagon. 'If it's true that he had another [Signal] chat with his family, about the missions against the Houthis, it's totally unacceptable,' Bacon said. 'I'm not in the White House, and I'm not going to tell the White House how to manage this … but I find it unacceptable, and I wouldn't tolerate it if I was in charge,' he added. But even with the surge of damning headlines, President Trump on Monday publicly backed Hegseth, who he claimed is 'doing a great job.' 'There's no dysfunction at all,' Trump told reporters at the annual White House Easter Egg Roll. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt denied a report from NPR that the administration had started the process of searching for a new Defense secretary. Hegseth also appeared defiant, telling reporters that he and Trump spoke and are 'on the same page all the way.' The Trump administration's combat mode over Hegseth mirrors the stance it took last month after the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic revealed he had been included in a Signal group chat with more than a dozen top Trump administration officials. Since then, White House officials have remained adamant about sticking by Hegseth, even as criticism has mounted in recent weeks and questions about his judgment have resurfaced. The wider concerns were amplified in an op-ed penned by former top Pentagon spokesperson John Ullyot, p-blished in Politico Magazine on Sunday, in which he warned of 'total chaos' in the building over the past month.
