The Trump administration is reportedly weighing a new travel ban that would include 32 countries following the shooting of two National Guard members.
The proposed travel ban would expand its current list that restricts travel from 19 countries, officials told CBS News. It’s not immediately clear which countries could be included.
The Department of Homeland Security said it would announce the list “soon.”
Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national who was granted asylum earlier this year, has been accused of shooting the two West Virginia National Guard members in the nation's capital last week. He’s pleaded not guilty.
On Tuesday, the Trump administration halted all immigration applications from the 19 countries that were already under travel restrictions.
Sarah Beckstrom died from injuries sustained in the attack while Andrew Wolfe remains in serious condition.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Monday that she recommended Trump implement “a full travel ban on every damn country that's been flooding our nation with killers, leeches, and entitlement junkies,” she wrote in a social media post.
“Our forefathers built this nation on blood, sweat, and the unyielding love of freedom—not for foreign invaders to slaughter our heroes, suck dry our hard-earned tax dollars, or snatch the benefits owed to AMERICANS.”
KEY POINTS
- Trump halts all immigration applications from 19 countries in wake of DC National Guard shooting
- Immigration crackdown in New Orleans is underway, DHS says
- What are the 19 countries included in the current travel ban?
Hegseth is either ‘incompetent’ or ‘lying’ over Venezuela strike, GOP Senator says
15:34 , Kelly RissmanRepublican Senator Rand Paul has slammed Pete Hegseth as either “incompetent” or “lying” after the defense secretary denied that he gave an order to “kill everybody” during the United States’ first Venezuelan boat strike.
Since September, the U.S. has launched more than a dozen attacks against alleged drug-carrying vessels in the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea, killing more than 80 people.
On September 2, the first of such attacks, Hegseth gave a verbal directive that there be no survivors, the Washington Post reported. After the first missile strike, when two survivors were seen clinging to the wreckage, the Special Operations commander overseeing the attack then ordered a second strike, to comply with Hegseth’s spoken order to “kill everybody,” the newspaper reported.
Read the full story.
Pete Hegseth is either ‘incompetent’ or ‘lying’ over Venezuela strike, Rand Paul says
Tennessee nail-biter sees Republican Van Epps hold House seat as far-left Democrat rides blue tsunami to surprising finish
10:03 , Eric Garcia, Brendan RasciusRepublican Matt Van Epps has won a special election in a race that turned out to be surprisingly closer than expected in a sign of the Republican Party’s increasing unpopularity going into next year’s midterm elections.
Van Epps, an Army veteran, defeated Aftyn Behn, a progressive state legislator, in the race for Tennessee’s 7th Congressional seat with 53.9 percent of the vote as of Tuesday evening with 99 percent of the vote count reported.
President Donald Trump was among the first to congratulate Van Epps, firing off several posts on Truth Social Tuesday evening after around 75 percent of the votes had been counted.
Republican Van Epps holds House seat in Tennessee as Democrat rides blue tsunami
Trump claims election was 'a great night for the Republican Party'
10:35 , Rhian LubinPresident Donald Trump claimed Tennessee’s election result was “a great night for the Republican Party” as he congratulated Matt Van Epps.
He said the Democrats “threw everything at him, including millions dollars.”
But the Republicans also spent big in this race.
Van Epps and his backers spent $3.5 million on ads, according to Punchbowl News, while Democrats dropped $2.4 million.
'GOP should not ignore' warning signs
11:00 , Rhian LubinNebraska Rep. Don Bacon warned his party not to ignore the results of the Tennessee special election, as well as recent Democratic victories in Virginia and New Jersey’s gubernatorial races.
“I’m glad we won. But the GOP should not ignore the Virginia, New Jersey and Tennessee elections,” he told Politico. “We must reach swing voters. America wants some normalcy.”
In pictures: Tennessee's special election night
11:30 , Rhian Lubin
Election is a sign 'Trump is uninterested when he isn't on the ballot'
11:55 , Rhian LubinThe Independent’s Washington, D.C. bureau chief, Eric Garcia, has weighed in on what Trump’s involvement, or lack thereof, in the Tennessee special election signals.
Trump said on the phone at a rally for Van Epps Monday, which was held up to a microphone by Speaker Mike Johnson, that he wanted to travel to Tennessee to be there in person, but claimed the Secret Service said “there wasn’t enough time,” according to The Hill.
This election is another sign that Trump is uninterested in the wellbeing of the Republican Party when he isn't on the ballot. Trump in 2017 would have held a rally for Van Epps in the heart of the district, invited Van Epps to speak next to him, giving Van Epps a photo opp #TN07
— Eric Michael Garcia (@EricMGarcia) December 3, 2025
Watch: Upbeat Aftyn Behn says she'd consider running again
12:15 , Rhian LubinA rather upbeat Aftyn Behn told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins that she’d consider running again in the future following her loss to Matt Van Epps.
“We won an amazing race,” she said. “The deck was stacked against us.”
After tonight's special election in Tennessee, Aftyn Behn suggests she may run again. pic.twitter.com/tDWB4nlBCN
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) December 3, 2025
Result is a 'flashing warning sign for the Republicans heading into the midterms'
12:45 , Eric Garcia, Brendan RasciusThe election gives Republicans in the House of Representatives 220 seats, increasing their razor-thin majority. That number will drop in January when Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) exits Congress after her resignation.
Van Epps’ race with Behn — which comes after incumbent Republican Mark Green resigned earlier this year — turned out to be far more competitive than political insiders previously predicted, given the district voted for Trump by 22 points just 13 months ago.
The closeness of the race signals how hard Republicans will have to work ahead of next year’s midterms, which typically see the president’s party lose seats in Congress.
A YouGov/Economist poll showed that 45 percent of voters would vote for a generic Democrat next year and 39 percent would prefer a generic Republican.
Democrats sought to portray Van Epp’s narrow victory as a worrying sign for the GOP.
“Behn’s overperformance in TN-07—a Trump +22 district—is a flashing warning sign for Republicans heading into the midterms,” Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin wrote in a statement. “Republicans had to spend MILLIONS just to barely hold onto this seat.”
“This is an unbelievable change over Trump’s 22 pt. victory a year ago,” Senator Amy Klobuchar, a Minnesota Democrat, wrote on X. “Are my Republican colleagues ready to join us to vote to bring health care premiums down? You have my number.”
'2026 is going to be a b**** of an election cycle' - House Republican
13:10 , Rhian LubinRepublicans have spoken candidly about their concerns for the midterms following Tennessee’s special election, which was surprisingly close.
At one point, early polling had Democratic candidate Aftyn Behn just two points behind Matt Van Epps.
But he edged to victory Tuesday night by nine points.
Still, the drop to single digits from Donald Trump’s 22 points in 2024 has worried some Republicans.
“If our victory margin is single digits, the conference may come unhinged,” one House Republican told Politico before the polls closed Tuesday.
“Tonight is a sign that 2026 is going to be a b**** of an election cycle,” another anonymous House Republican told the outlet. Republicans can survive if we play team and the Trump administration officials play smart. Neither is certain.”
“It was dangerous,” Texas Sen. Ted Cruz told Fox News. “We could have lost this district because the people who showed up, many of them are the ones that are motivated by how much they dislike President Trump.”
Recap: GOP's Matt Van Epps beats Democrat Aftyn Behn in surprisingly close race
13:40 , Rhian Lubin- Republican candidate Matt Van Epps won Tennessee’s special election Tuesday, defeating the Democratic state lawmaker Aftyn Behn
- Van Epps, an Army veteran, defeated Behn, a progressive state legislator, in the race for Tennessee’s 7th Congressional seat by nine points
- The race was surprisingly close, with Behn polling just two points behind Van Epps a week before election day
- President Donald Trump celebrated the win on Truth Social and claimed it had been “a great night” for the Republicans, but others in the party are worried
- Behn appeared upbeat following the election defeat and said she would consider running again in the future
- In his victory speech, Van Epps acknowledged the significance of Trump when he said, “Running from Trump is how you lose. Running with Trump is how you win.”
- The result in Tennessee, following Democratic wins in Virginia, New Jersey, New York, and Georgia in November, has made some Republicans nervous ahead of the 2026 midterms
Analysis: Tennessee reminds Democrats that winning back the majority won’t be easy
14:05 , John BowdenAftyn Behn’s loss in the special election to represent Tennessee’s 7th congressional district definitely provides Democrats with a reason to look forward with anticipation to the 2026 midterms.
It also represents a clear reminder that no outcome is certain.
Matt Van Epps’s victory means that Republicans will notch their majority in the House up by one seat — a seat they’d previously held until the surprise resignation of Rep. Mark Green in July, less than halfway through his term. Green opted for employment in the private sector over further service in Congress, where he was in his second term.
But the comparatively narrow margin in a district Donald Trump had won by 22 points in 2024 is a clear sign that the Democrats are in a relatively stronger position than the party was last year.
Read on...
Tennessee reminds Democrats that winning back the majority won’t be easy
DOJ sues six Democratic-led states over voter data
14:20 , Kelly RissmanThe Justice Department filed federal lawsuits against six Democratic-led states — Delaware, Maryland, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington — for failure to produce their statewide voter registration lists.
The DOJ filed similar lawsuits against other states earlier this year.
"Accurate voter rolls are the cornerstone of fair and free elections, and too many states have fallen into a pattern of noncompliance with basic voter roll maintenance," Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a statement.
Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs said that such information is protected by federal and state law.
"I'm not going to turn over the list to the Department of Justice," Hobbs said Tuesday. "I'm just not going to hand that over to them."
DeSantis warns GOP 'won't turn out' when Trump isn't on the ballot
14:35 , Kelly RissmanFlorida GOP Governor Ron DeSantis defended the tight Tennessee race, saying the party out of power typically performs better in the midterm elections.
“Special, off-year, and midterm elections historically benefit the party out of power because its voters are motivated to vote, while voters of the incumbent party become more complacent,” he wrote on X Wednesday morning.
“This is more glaring for today’s GOP because a chunk of voters who put them in power in 2024 are Trump-specific voters; they will vote GOP down ballot when Trump is running but won’t turn out to vote for a typical congressman in a midterm when Trump isn’t running.”
Democrats call out Trump for apparently dozing off during Cabinet meeting
14:50 , Kelly RissmanSeveral Democrats have called out the president’s apparent sleepiness during Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting.
Trump used to frequently refer to his predecessor as “sleepy” Joe Biden. At the Cabinet meeting, however, Trump looked like he was battling to keep his eyes open.
“What exactly is going on here? Anyone else deeply disturbed to see that the President of the United States cannot stay awake during a cabinet meeting?” New Mexico Rep. Melanie Stansbury wrote on X.
California Democratic Rep. Ted Lieu said: “Donald Trump is not fit to be President. Sleepy Don can’t even stay awake at his own televised Cabinet meeting.”
Posting a video of the meeting, California Governor Gavin Newsom succinctly said: “Donald has fallen asleep in his own cabinet meeting.”
Trump halts all immigration applications from 19 countries in wake of DC National Guard shooting
15:05 , Kelly RissmanThe Trump administration has halted all immigration applications from 19 countries that were already under travel restrictions to the United States following the shooting of two National Guard soldiers in Washington, D.C.
A memorandum issued Tuesday by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said that a “comprehensive re-review, potential interview, and re-interview of all aliens from high-risk countries of concern” who entered the U.S. on or after January 20, 2021, was necessary.
“USCIS has determined that it must implement an adjudicative hold on all pending asylum applications, regardless of the alien’s country of nationality, as well as pending benefit requests filed by aliens from high-risk countries,” the memorandum said.
Rhian Lubin has the story.
Trump halts all immigration applications from 19 countries in wake of DC shooting
Immigration crackdown in New Orleans is underway, DHS says
15:20 , Kelly RissmanThe Department of Homeland Security announced Wednesday that it launched an immigration operation in New Orleans, Louisiana, the latest target in President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.
It’s not immediately clear how many agents were deployed in the Big Easy. ABC News reported over the weekend that about 200 Border Patrol agents were expected to arrive this month.
Locals have been bracing for the operation for weeks, with some local businesses posting signs on their windows that read: “NO ICE ACCESS IN THIS BUILDING.”
Louisiana marks the first GOP-led state that the Trump administration has targeted for its immigration crackdown. However, New Orleans is led by Democratic Mayor LaToya Cantrell.
“Sanctuary policies endanger American communities by releasing illegal criminal aliens and forcing DHS law enforcement to risk their lives to remove criminal illegal aliens that should have never been put back on the streets,” DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement.
Bipartisan members of Congress slam Hegseth amid Venezuela boat strike allegations
15:40 , Kelly RissmanCongress members on both sides of the aisle have sharply criticized Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after the Washington Post reported that he verbally ordered to “kill everybody” during the first Venezuelan boat strike in September.
Hegseth has vehemently denied making the spoken order.
The first strike against a suspected drug-carrying vessel in the Caribbean left two survivors. His admiral launched a second strike to comply with Hegseth’s order, the Post reported. But Hegseth said he didn’t ‘stick around’ to see the second strike and only learned about it hours later.
“We don’t kill two survivors who aren’t posing an imminent threat to anybody,” Nebraska GOP Rep. Don Bacon told CNN, adding he thinks if someone executed the strike should be “held accountable” — “and it should be at the top, not at the bottom.”
“Donald Trump is learning the hard way what happens when you pick a Fox News host to lead a massively complex, life-or-death federal agency,” Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer wrote on X.
“Hegseth’s constant failures are exactly what you get from a reckless, insecure, and unqualified Secretary of Defense—it’s embarrassing and dangerous. And now, instead of owning up to his role in this strike, Hegseth is cowardly shifting blame to members of the military.”
Michigan Senator Elissa Slotkin similarly said, referring to the Post’s article: “Secretary Hegseth should resign, but additionally, if this reporting is true, President Trump should fire the Secretary, as he did with other underperforming cabinet members in his first Administration.”
Trump administration could expand travel ban to 32 countries: report
15:52 , Kelly RissmanThe Trump administration is considering expanding its travel ban to 32 countries after the shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C., last week, CBS News reported.
The new list of countries is not immediately clear. The Department of Homeland Security told the outlet that it would announce the new additions "soon."
The current travel ban applies to 19 nations.
Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national who was granted asylum earlier this year, has been accused of shooting the West Virginia National Guard members.
One of them has died and the other is in serious condition. Lakanwal has pleaded not guilty.
On Tuesday, the president halted all immigration applications from the 19 countries that were already under travel restrictions.
Trump brags about ‘big win’ for Van Epps despite ominous GOP warning signs after ‘AOC of Tennessee’ makes it close
16:00 , Kelly RissmanPresident Donald Trump gloated about Republican Matt Van Epps’s victory in Tennessee’s 7th district on Wednesday morning despite the fact that his preferred candidate significantly underperformed.
The president made his remarks on Truth Social on Tuesday evening as results poured in from the district that includes parts of Nashville and large pockets of suburban and rural voters.
“Congratulations to Matt Van Epps on his BIG Congressional WIN in the Great State of Tennessee,” Trump said. “The Radical Left Democrats threw everything at him, including Millions of Dollars. Another great night for the Republican Party!!!”
Eric Garcia has the story.
What are the 19 countries included in the current travel ban?
16:10 , Kelly RissmanIn June, President Donald Trump announced restrictions for travel to the U.S. for nationals from 17 countries, including 12 with total bans and restrictions access for seven others.
Here is the list of countries:
- Afghanistan
- Myanmar
- Chad
- Republic of Congo
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Haiti
- Iran
- Libya
- Somalia
- Sudan
- Yemen
- Burundi
- Cuba
- Laos
- Sierra Leone
- Togo
- Turkmenistan
- Venezuela
WATCH: Trump asleep at own cabinet meeting
16:20 , Kelly RissmanWhat did Trump say at the time about the travel ban?
16:30 , Kelly RissmanPresident Donald Trump signed an executive order in June banning citizens from 19 countries from entering the United States.
"We will not allow people to enter our country who wish to do us harm," Trump said in a video posted on X.
He argued the ban was designed to protect the country from “foreign terrorists.”
The president said a Molotov cocktail attack against a group of pro-Israeli demonstrators in Colorado that month, allegedly carried out by an Egyptian man, highlighted the need for such restrictions.
“The recent terror attack in Boulder, Colorado, has underscored the extreme danger posed to our country by the entry of foreign nationals who are not properly vetted, as well as those who come here as temporary visitors and overstay their visas,” Trump said at the time. “We don’t want them.”
Is Trump keyboard mightier than the ‘autopen’? President declares ‘void’ all Biden orders and pardons not signed by hand
16:45 , Kelly RissmanFor the second time in less than a week, President Donald Trump claimed to revoke a slew of executive actions by his predecessor on the grounds that they were signed by an autopen device.
Writing on Truth Social on Tuesday, the president said “any and all Documents, Proclamations, Executive Orders, Memorandums, or Contracts” enacted during the Biden administration by way of an autopen device were “hereby null, void, and of no further force or effect.”
He added that recipients of pardons or other grants of executive clemency from Biden should be “advised” that those pardons or commutations have been “fully and completely terminated” and are of “no legal effect.”
Andrew Feinberg has the story.
ICYMI: Trump halts all immigration applications from 19 countries
17:00 , Rhian LubinA memorandum issued Tuesday by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said that a “comprehensive re-review, potential interview, and re-interview of all aliens from high-risk countries of concern” who entered the U.S. on or after January 20, 2021, was necessary.
“USCIS has determined that it must implement an adjudicative hold on all pending asylum applications, regardless of the alien’s country of nationality, as well as pending benefit requests filed by aliens from high-risk countries,” the memo said.
“USCIS has considered that this direction may result in delay to the adjudication of some pending applications and has weighed that consequence against the urgent need for the agency to ensure that applicants are vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible,” the memo added.
Just in: House Democrats release new footage of Epstein island as Congress demands answers on when full files will be released
17:10 , Ariana BaioNewly released photos and videos from inside Jeffrey Epstein’s estate on his private island show several spa-like rooms, one with a medical spa chair surrounded by decorative masks across the walls and another of a large shower stacked with bins of towels and blankets.
House Dems release new photos of Epstein island as Congress demands update on files
Trump pardons Democrat to get back at former president
17:30 , Alex WoodwardDonald Trump says he is granting full pardons to Texas Representative Henry Cuellar and his wife, Imelda, absolving them of the bribery and conspiracy charges on which they had been indicted by the Department of Justice last year.
Trump says he’s pardoning the Democratic lawmaker because Biden “went after” the family for “simply for speaking the TRUTH.”
Federal prosecutors had alleged that Cuellar and his wife accepted bribes in an agreement to advance the interests of Azerbaijan,
Money was also allegedly laundered through a series of front companies and middlemen into shell companies owned by the congressman’s wife, according to an indictment.
Biden derangement syndrome? Trump pardons Democrat to get back at former president
A 6-year-old boy is ‘missing’ after ICE detained his father
17:45 , Alex WoodwardA 6-year-old Chinese boy has been separated from his father after federal agents arrested the family following a routine immigration appointment in New York City.
The boy’s father is now detained inside a facility in upstate New York, but “nobody knows” where his son Yuanxin is, according to immigrants’ rights advocates. Homeland Security officials have not disclosed his location.
New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani and other city officials are outraged.
Read more:
A first-grader is ‘missing’ after ICE detained his father, advocates say
Just in: Pete Hegseth endangered troops by sharing war plans in Signal chat, report says
17:50 , Mike BediganDefense Secretary Pete Hegseth risked endangering U.S. troops by sharing highly-sensitive information about military operations on a Signal group chat earlier this year, a report has found.
Pete Hegseth endangered troops by sharing war plans in Signal chat, report says
‘War criminal’ Pete Hegseth faces growing criticism from conservatives over ‘kill everybody’ strike
18:15 , Justin BaragonaIt isn’t just the left that is outraged about Pete Hegseth’s role in the lethal “double-tap” airstrike of a suspected drug boat that killed all remaining survivors. A growing chorus of conservatives has joined them in describing the defense secretary as a potential “war criminal” who is “incompetent” and should be prosecuted.
‘War criminal’ Hegseth faces growing right-wing criticism over ‘kill everybody’ order
What's happening in New Orleans?
18:32 , Kelly RissmanThe Department of Homeland Security announced Wednesday that it launched a sweeping immigration operation in New Orleans.
“The men and women of DHS law enforcement have landed in The Big Easy. Operation Catahoula Crunch will remove the worst of the worst from New Orleans, Louisiana, after the city’s sanctuary politicians have ignored the rule of law,” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem wrote on X. “LAW AND ORDER WILL PREVAIL.”
Greg Bovino, a Border Patrol commander, said in a post: “We are here arresting criminals who should not be here. The state, local and federal law enforcement partners in Lousiana are excellent partners!!”
Pete Hegseth endangered troops by sharing war plans in Signal chat: report
18:42 , Kelly RissmanDefense Secretary Pete Hegseth risked endangering U.S. troops by sharing highly-sensitive information about military operations on a Signal group chat earlier this year, a report has found.
The classified report, conducted by the Inspector General, was sent to Congress Tuesday night, and shared by CNN. An unclassified version of the report is due to be released publicly Thursday.
Earlier this year Hegseth sent multiple messages about airstrikes on Houthi rebels in Yemen to a group chat on the private messaging app which included other senior members of the administration including Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Mike Bedigan has the story.
Pete Hegseth endangered troops by sharing war plans in Signal chat, report says
Discharge petition to extend ACA tax credits is within four votes, top Democrat says
19:00 , Kelly RissmanKatherine Clark, the Democratic Whip of the House, said all 214 Democrats have signed onto a discharge petition to extend Affordable Care Act tax credits.
The petition only needs four more votes to force a vote on the matter, which was one of the main sticking points of the shutdown earlier this year.
BREAKING: All House Democrats have signed our discharge petition to extend the ACA tax credits. ⁰⁰That makes 214. ⁰⁰We can protect health care and lower costs — if only 4 Republicans will join us.
— Katherine Clark (@WhipKClark) December 3, 2025
Should the ACA tax credits expire at the end of the year, insurance premiums for nearly 22 million American citizens could double.
WATCH: Resurfaced clip shows Pete Hegseth saying military should not follow illegal orders to commit war crimes
19:20 , Kelly RissmanTexas Democrat responds after Trump grants pardon: 'A clean slate'
19:40 , Kelly RissmanTexas Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar praised Donald Trump after the president pardoned him and his wife after they were indicted on bribery and conspiracy charges last year.
“I want to thank President Trump for his tremendous leadership and for taking the time to look at the facts. I thank God for standing with my family and I during this difficult time,” Cuellar said in a statement.
“This decision clears the air and lets us move forward for South Texas. This pardon gives us a clean slate. The noise is gone. The work remains. And I intend to meet it head on. Thank you Mr. President, God bless you, and God bless the United States of America.”
In a Truth Social post earlier Wednesday, Trump claimed the Justice Department “went after the Congressman, and even the Congressman’s wonderful wife, Imelda, simply for speaking the TRUTH.”
'Better not to respond': Somalia's prime minister reacts to Trump's remarks
20:00 , Kelly RissmanSomalia’s prime minister said Wednesday that it was “better not to respond” to President Donald Trump’s insults about Somali immigrants.
Trump called Somali immigrants in Minneapolis “garbage” during a xenophobic tirade during a Cabinet meeting Tuesday.
“We don’t want them in our country,” Trump said. “Their country stinks … When they come from hell, they complain, they do nothing but bitch, we don’t want them in our country. Let them go back to their country and fix it.”
Somalia is one of 19 countries included in Trump’s June travel ban.
The country’s leader refrained from reacting to the U.S. president’s remarks.
“We are not the only country that Trump insults,” Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre told an audience at a summit Wednesday, according to the New York Times. “Sometimes it’s better not to respond.”
In photos: Border Patrol agents touch down in New Orleans for immigration operation
20:20 , Kelly Rissman
ANALYSIS: Three key reasons why Trump won’t do anything to Pete Hegseth over ‘kill them all’ boat strike scandal — for now
20:40 , Kelly RissmanFor reporters who covered President Donald Trump’s tumultuous first term, the last week has imparted a profound sense of deja vu as more and more information has emerged about a Sept. 2 drone strike against what the president and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth allege was a drug-running boat manned by members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.
After The Washington Post reported that Hegseth — the ex-Fox News weekend host who Trump tapped as the Pentagon’s top civilian official despite a lack of related experience, a long history of problematic drinking and troubling sexual misconduct allegations — had ordered U.S. Navy SEALS to fire on two survivors of an initial strike on the boat to fulfill his order to “kill everybody” onboard, both the White House and the Defense Department lashed out at the newspaper by accusing reporters of fabricating the story out of whole cloth.
But days later, Trump himself confirmed the Post story of a second missile strike on the boat when he told reporters aboard Air Force One that he "wouldn't have wanted" the second strike while claiming that Hegseth had denied ordering that the two survivors from the first hit be targeted.
Andrew Feinberg has the story.
Three reasons why Trump won’t fire Pete Hegseth over boat strike scandal — for now
'This is what bigotry looks like': Minnesota Senator reacts to Trump targeting Somali migrants
21:00 , Eric GarciaMinnesota Democratic Sen. Tina Smith blasted President Donald Trump calling Somalis in Minnesota "garbage" as Immigration and Customs Enforcement is set to deploy into Minnesota.
"I mean, this is what bigotry looks like," Smith told The Independent. "This is an individual who's condemning an entire group of people, not because of who they are, but because of who he thinks they are. I mean, it's ignorant, and it’s arrogant, and it's shameful."
Trump has zeroed in on Somali immigrants in Minnesota amid a fraud case related to aid for the Covid-19 pandemic that has implicated many Somali immigrants. He proceeded to trash the entire population of Somalis in the state, saying he did not want them in the United States.
"Their country stinks … When they come from hell, they complain, they do nothing but bitch, we don’t want them in our country. Let them go back to their country and fix it," he said in a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
This also comes as Trump is set to send ICE agents to Minneapolis. Smith said that she is planning to notify Somalis to keep their documentation since most Somalis in Minnesota are either born in the U.S. or naturalized.
"But that is not going to have any impact on what these raids are doing. So it's important that people have their their papers with them, and also that they should call 911, if they need help."
MyPillow founder turned MAGA superstar Mike Lindell files as candidate for Minnesota governor
21:20 , Kelly RissmanMike Lindell, the MyPillow founder turned MAGA superstar, has filed to run for governor of Minnesota, according to a new report.
On Wednesday, a committee called “Mike Lindell for Governor” officially registered with the state’s Campaign Finance Board, permitting him to raise funds for the race, The Minnesota Star Tribune reported.
However, he told the newspaper that he “isn’t 100% sure” about running yet, but that he is “going to announce either way on Dec. 11.”
Brendan Rascius has the story.
