Latest news with #WestWing
Daily Mail
19 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Epstein crisis explodes as Trump's biggest allies now break ranks to reveal the days of secret 'cover-up' meetings they've been hauled into
President Donald Trump had only been back in the White House for a mere 38 days when right-wing influencer Mike Cernovich was summoned to the West Wing. Cernovich, 47, wasn't surprised at the invite: as one of the original supporters of MAGA, he'd backed Trump for over a decade and earned his place among the 15 online flame-throwers who were ushered into the February 27 meeting. But he was taken aback at what happened inside, he exclusively told the Daily Mail.
The Guardian
a day ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Trump advisers abandon effort to find new chief of staff to serve Pete Hegseth
Donald Trump's advisers have abandoned an effort to find a new chief of staff to the defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, allowing senior adviser Ricky Buria to continue performing the duties in an acting role despite once viewing him as a liability, according to people familiar with the matter. Buria is not expected to formally receive the White House's approval to become the permanent chief of staff to Hegseth, a position that became vacant after the first chief of staff, Joe Kasper, left in the wake of major upheaval in the secretary's front office earlier this year. But the attempt by the Trump advisers to block Buria from getting the job has fizzled in recent months as the news cycle moved away from the controversies that dogged Hegseth at the start of Trump's term and officials lost interest in managing personnel at the Pentagon, the people said. As a result, Buria has become a regular presence in the West Wing for briefings in the situation room and with senior White House and administration officials, and secured his standing at the Pentagon, where he is widely referred to as 'Chief Ricky'. The developments are sure to also be a relief for Hegseth, who for months has been staring down the prospect of having his closest aide shunted aside because of concerns at the White House about a growing portrait of dysfunction in his front office. White House officials may yet revisit installing a replacement for the chief of staff position, which plays a key role in managing Hegseth's front office and setting the direction of the $1tn defense department that oversees more than 2 million troops around the world. And it is uncertain if the extent to which senior White House and administration officials are now interacting with Buria is more because he is the only Hegseth aide empowered by the secretary to serve as his top staffer, rather than a vote of confidence by Trump's advisers. A spokesperson for the Pentagon referred reporting for this story to the White House. A spokesperson for the White House in a statement offered praise for Hegseth for 'restoring readiness and lethality to our military and putting our warfighters first after four years of ineptitude and abject failure by the Biden administration'. At least part of the reason for Buria's ascendancy at the defense department in recent months is because of a power vacuum in Hegseth's front office and his role in bringing about the departures of some of his biggest detractors and rivals, according to current and former Pentagon officials. A former MV-22 Osprey pilot who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, Buria started as the junior military assistant to Joe Biden's defense secretary, Lloyd Austin, before Hegseth fired the senior military aide Lt Gen Jennifer Short and Buria swiftly stepped into the job. Buria then sought to become a political appointee and expanded his influence around the time that Hegseth's office became rocked by a contentious leak investigation that resulted in the ouster of three top aides and the early exit of Kasper. Their exits amounted to four of the biggest obstacles to Buria assuming the job of chief of staff vanishing overnight, the officials said, and Buria presenting them to Hegseth as the end of his troubles with leaks to the media endeared him to the secretary. Sign up to This Week in Trumpland A deep dive into the policies, controversies and oddities surrounding the Trump administration after newsletter promotion Hegseth has since defended Buria at every turn, even as the White House told the defense secretary he could keep Buria but that he would never become chief of staff, the Guardian previously reported. The White House was spooked by Buria's elevation for several reasons, including that he had been identified as having sent some of the messages in the Signal group chat, which contained information that was almost certainly classified, because he had gained access to Hegseth's phone. Hegseth accepted the compromise offered by the White House at the time but, in keeping Buria around, managed to in effect hand him the job anyway, two Trump advisers suggested. While Buria did not travel to the Nato summit last month, the Trump advisers said he did not get a seat on Air Force One with Hegseth or on a support plane because the trip was at capacity and senior aides to other secretaries were turned away. Still, the White House has maintained other reservations about Buria and his role in recurring office drama. Buria has also come under scrutiny in the Pentagon inspector general investigation into the Signalgate episode and whether he played a role in pushing out aides in the leak investigation.
The Guardian
a day ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Trump advisers abandon effort to find new chief of staff to serve Pete Hegseth
Donald Trump's advisers have for now abandoned an effort to find a new chief of staff to serve the defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, allowing senior adviser Ricky Buria, whom they once considered a liability, to continue performing the duties in an acting capacity, according to people familiar with the matter. Buria is not expected to formally receive the White House's approval to become the permanent chief of staff to Hegseth, a position that became vacant after the first chief of staff, Joe Kasper, left in the wake of major upheaval in the secretary's front office earlier this year. But the attempt by the Trump advisers to block Buria from getting the job has fizzled in recent months as the news cycle moved away from the controversies that dogged Hegseth at the start of Trump's term and officials lost interest in managing personnel at the Pentagon, the people said. As a result, Buria has become a regular presence in the West Wing for briefings in the situation room and with senior White House and administration officials, and secured his standing at the Pentagon, where he is widely referred to as 'Chief Ricky'. The developments are sure to also be a relief for Hegseth, who for months has been staring down the prospect of having his closest aide shunted aside because of concerns at the White House about a growing portrait of dysfunction in his front office. White House officials may yet revisit installing a replacement for the chief of staff position, which plays a key role in managing Hegseth's front office and setting the direction of the $1tn defense department that oversees more than 2 million troops around the world. And it is uncertain if the extent to which senior White House and administration officials are now interacting with Buria is more because he is the only Hegseth aide empowered by the secretary to serve as his top staffer, rather than a vote of confidence by Trump's advisers. A spokesperson for the Pentagon referred reporting for this story to the White House. A spokesperson for the White House did not respond to a request for comment. At least part of the reason for Buria's ascendancy at the defense department in recent months is because of a power vacuum in Hegseth's front office and his role in bringing about the departures of some of his biggest detractors and rivals, according to current and former Pentagon officials. A former MV-22 Osprey pilot who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, Buria started as the junior military assistant to Joe Biden's defense secretary, Lloyd Austin, before Hegseth fired the senior military aide Lt Gen Jennifer Short and Buria swiftly stepped into the job. Buria then sought to become a political appointee and expanded his influence around the time that Hegseth's office became rocked by a contentious leak investigation that resulted in the ouster of three top aides and the early exit of Kasper. Their exits amounted to four of the biggest obstacles to Buria assuming the job of chief of staff vanishing overnight, the officials said, and Buria presenting them to Hegseth as the end of his troubles with leaks to the media endeared him to the secretary. Sign up to This Week in Trumpland A deep dive into the policies, controversies and oddities surrounding the Trump administration after newsletter promotion Hegseth has since defended Buria at every turn, even as the White House told the defense secretary he could keep Buria but that he would never become chief of staff, the Guardian previously reported. The White House was spooked by Buria's elevation for several reasons, including that he had been identified as having sent some of the messages in the Signal group chat, which contained information that was almost certainly classified, because he had gotten himself access to Hegseth's phone. Hegseth accepted the compromise offered by the White House at the time but, in keeping Buria around, managed to effectively hand him the job anyway, two Trump advisers suggested. While Buria did not travel to the Nato summit last month after he failed to secure a seat on Air Force One with Hegseth or on a separate support plane, the Trump advisers said that was because of capacity limitations on a trip that needed to carry other national security council staff. Still, the White House has maintained other reservations about Buria and his role in recurring office drama. Buria has also come under scrutiny in the Pentagon inspector general investigation into the Signalgate episode and whether he played a role in pushing out aides in the leak investigation.
Scottish Sun
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Stars of iconic 00s drama reuniting on different show – but there's a twist
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) STARS of an iconic noughties drama are reuniting on-screen nearly two decades later. Two former castmates from the beloved series are teaming up again, only this time they're swapping politics for power-coupling. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 4 West Wing legends Alison Janney and Bradley Whitford are reuniting in another drama Credit: Alamy 4 They are swapping the corridors of power for domestic politics - playing a feuding husband and wife in The Diplomat Credit: Getty It's none other than West Wing legends Alison Janney and Bradley Whitford - back on our screens, but with a very unexpected twist. The pair, who famously starred as press secretary C.J. Cregg and deputy chief of staff Josh Lyman in the iconic White House drama, are reuniting in Netflix's hit political series The Diplomat. Only this time, they're ditching the corridors of power for domestic politics - playing a feuding husband and wife. Fans of The West Wing are already buzzing over the on-screen reunion - but seeing the duo lock horns in a rocky marriage is a far cry from their old dynamic in the beloved series. TV royalty Alison Janney has spilled the beans on her long-awaited reunion with The West Wing co-star Bradley Whitford — and fans are in for a treat. The Hollywood duo are reuniting in season three of Netflix's hit political drama The Diplomat, with Whitford joining the cast as Todd Penn - husband to Janney's character, Vice President Grace Penn, who suddenly becomes President following a shock White House death. Speaking at the Las Culturistas Culture Awards in LA, Janney, 64, couldn't hide her excitement: 'I knew everyone who hadn't worked with him before was in for the treat of their lives. He's not only a brilliant actor - he's hilarious. He had the whole crew in stitches.' Showrunner Debora Cahn said the reunion has everyone on set buzzing: 'Seeing them work together again after all these years... it feels like we're doing something delicious.' Season three of The Diplomat is expected to land on Netflix this autumn - and with two Emmy nods already, it's shaping up to be must-watch telly. Hit political drama The West Wing was a TV juggernaut, scooping 26 Emmys and even winning Best Drama four years in a row. The West Wing's Josh Lyman discusses nuclear war and a smallpox pandemic in season five The all-star cast, which also included Martin Sheen, became household names - with fast-talking scenes and walk-and-talk moments now iconic. The show was such a hit it raked in up to 17 million viewers per episode in its heyday and is still binged by fans nearly 20 years after it ended. Even Barack Obama was a superfan, with The West Wing praised for its feel-good, idealistic take on American politics. And with three Golden Globes and a Peabody Award under its belt, it's no wonder many still call it the greatest political drama of all time. The best series on Netflix The best movies on Netflix New on Netflix: What to watch this week Now fans are buzzing to see Allison and Bradley back in action. As it's the first time the TV favourites will have reunited on screen in years, viewers are eager to see if their chemistry is still sizzling. And with The Diplomat already a smash hit for Netflix, their reunion could send season three sky-high. 4 Fans are thrilled to see the TV favourites reunite on screen Credit: CLIFTON PRESCOD/NETFLIX
BBC News
2 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Trump to speak after justice department asks to meet Epstein associate Ghislane Maxwell
Update: Date: 16:12 BST Title: White House pushes back on MAGA discontent Content: Yesterday was a quiet day at the White House, one of the rare times we did not hear from President Trump in person or on camera. Reporters did, however, have a brief "gaggle" with White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt outside the West Wing, where she answered questions on a wide variety of topics ranging from Gaza to the economy. At one point, a reporter asked her about growing frustration among the President's base - commonly known as MAGA for his campaign slogan Make America Great Again - over the administration's handling of the Epstein case. Without hesitation, Leavitt pointed to polls suggesting Trump remains popular among those ardent supporters. "The president is the creator and the leader of the Make America Great Again movement," she said. "It's his baby, that he made, and he knows what his supporters want." In a CBS News and YouGov poll released on Sunday, 89% of Republicans approved of Trump's job performance, compared to 42% of all respondents. At the same time, more than half of Republicans, 54%, said that the Epstein case did not matter when evaluating his presidency. Update: Date: 15:58 BST Title: Speaker Mike Johnson says victims of 'Epstein evils' must be protected Content: House Speaker Mike Johnson is now speaking to reporters about the Epstein files. He says both he and other Republicans believe in "maximum transparency", but also in protecting victims of the "Epstein evils". "We protect the innocent, so we cannot be careless in an open release like that. You got to be very careful," he says. But at the same time, he maintains that Republicans want any individivudal who helped carry out "the Epstein evil brought to justice as quickly as possible, and the law should be brought down upon their heads." Update: Date: 15:53 BST Title: Top House Republican accuses Democrats of covering up Epstein files Content: As we wait for the events at the White House, we turn to Capitol HIll, where a group of senior Republicans are giving a news conference and have addressed the furore around Jeffrey Epstein.. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise said it is "interesting to see Democrats want to talk about Jeffrey Epstein all of a sudden". "For four years, Democrats hid and covered up the Epstein files," he says. "And Trump's in the courts right now to get a lot of that information unsealed." Last week, Trump posted on social media that the controversy around possible federal files on sex offender Epstein was a hoax perpetrated by Democrats that "some stupid Republicans" believed. He later asked the justice department to seek court approval to release testimony taken during grand jury proceedings against Epstein. Update: Date: 15:53 BST Title: All eyes on Trump for Epstein comments Content: Bernd Debusmann JrReporting from the White House Today's meeting between Donald Trump and Phillippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr is largely focused on economic and defence ties between the two countries. But here at the White House, the eyes and ears of the media are primed to pick up anything Trump says about the Epstein case. When I walked in this morning, it was already the topic of heated discussion among journalists. For days, the White House had seemingly gone to significant lengths to avoid the topic and worked to move the news cycle onto something - anything - else. Trump has even lashed out at reporters, and supporters, for discussing it. The justice department's recently disclosed talks with Ghislaine Maxwell, however, have again brought the issue to the forefront, as did yesterday's White House announcement that the Wall Street Journal is being removed from the "travel pool" for Trump's trip to Scotland over reporting related to Epstein and the president. Given that interest, it is almost certain that Trump will be asked about the Stay with us for more updates. Update: Date: 15:52 BST Title: Philippines' Marcos visits Trump in Washington Content: Marcos met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday Welcome to our live coverage of an official visit by Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr, president of the Philippines, to the White House. Marcos and President Donald Trump are expected to talk about trade and security in the South China Sea but many will be watching for other reasons. Reporters are expected to ask Trump directly about a long list of issues, chiefly on disputes about federal files on Jeffrey Epstein, yesterday's release of FBI records on civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr, and the growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. For our Gaza live page coverage, click here.
