ZELENSKY IN WASHINGTON: Trump is set to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House today on the heels of announcing plans to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin for a second summit this year.
Central to today's Oval Office meeting will be whether the U.S. agrees to send long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine, which would allow Zelensky to strike military targets deep inside Russia. Moscow has warned such a move would escalate tensions.
This is Trump and Zelensky's third meeting at the White House this year and comes as Zelensky has expressed optimism about bringing an end to the Russia-Ukraine war.
Trump said Thursday he plans to meet with Putin in the next two weeks in Hungary, a NATO member led by a Trump ally, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. The president's announcement came after a lengthy call with Putin, which he said ended in the two leaders agreeing to a meeting of their top advisers next week.
Trump previously met with Putin in Alaska in August to try to move negotiations forward, but the meeting didn't yield any concrete progress toward ending the war. The president has increasingly expressed frustration with Putin since then.
But the Hungary meeting will mark another attempt to achieve an end to the war that began in early 2022 when Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It comes as the administration seeks to keep in place a tentative ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
▪ The Guardian: Zelensky to make case for Tomahawk missiles to Trump.
▪ CNN: Trump changed his mind on supporting Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy targets after August summit with Putin.
TOP RETIREMENT: The head of U.S. Southern Command will retire at the end of the year, the Pentagon announced Thursday, less than a year after he took the role.
Navy Adm. Alvin Holsey, a four-star admiral, became the leader of Southcom last November and will retire on Dec. 12. Why he's leaving and who will replace him is unclear.
Southcom oversees operations in Central and South America, and Holsey in his role has overseen the U.S. military's repeated strikes against boats accused of smuggling drugs in the Caribbean.
Holsey is the latest top military leader to step down in recent weeks, following Gen. Thomas Bussiere, who announced earlier this month that he would step down from his role as a top Air Force commander for "personal and family reasons." The head of U.S. Special Operations Command also retired this month.
"Throughout his career—from commanding helicopter squadrons to leading Carrier Strike Group One and standing up the International Maritime Security Construct—Admiral Holsey has demonstrated unwavering commitment to mission, people, and nation," Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said. "His tenure as Military Deputy Commander and now Commander of United States Southern Command reflects a legacy of operational excellence and strategic vision."
▪ The Washington Post: "U.S. Special Operations helicopters, B-52s near Venezuela expand Caribbean mission."
NO KINGS PROTESTS: Organizers for Saturday's "No Kings" protests against the Trump administration say they expect the demonstrations to be even larger than the ones held earlier this year.
Public Citizen co-president Lisa Gilbert, one of the organizers, told USA Today that she believes the "anger level is way higher" than it was in June, a result not just of Trump's policies but an "actual chipping away at democracy" and at "foundational rights."
The protests mark the second "No Kings Day" after the first one took place on June 14, Trump's birthday and Flag Day.
Organizers say that more than 2,600 No Kings events will take place in all 50 states on Saturday, with millions expected to participate. By comparison, about 1,800 events were scheduled in June.
"The president thinks his rule is absolute. But in America, we don't have kings and we won't back down against chaos, corruption, and cruelty," the movement's website states. "Our peaceful movement is only getting bigger and bigger. 'NO KINGS' is more than just a slogan; it is the foundation our nation was built upon."
The protests will include major cities across the country, including Washington, D.C., one of a handful where Trump has deployed the National Guard over the objections of local officials.
Top Democrats have called on members of the public to participate. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged her followers on the social platform X to attend, saying it would be the "largest peaceful protest in modern American history."
Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) called on voters in Republican-leaning states to also take part and pressure Republican lawmakers to end the government shutdown.
But eyes will also be on how the Trump administration responds to the protests.
Multiple top Republicans have denounced the protests as a left-wing-backed "hate America" rally and tied them to antifa, the grassroots anti-fascist movement that Trump declared a domestic terrorist organization last month.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy alleged the protests were organized by antifa in an interview on Fox News.
"It begs the question, who's funding it?" he said.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) separately tied them to antifa in a different interview.
"The theory we have right now [is] they have a 'Hate America' rally that's scheduled for Oct. 18 on the National Mall," Johnson said. "It's all the pro-Hamas wing and the antifa people, they're all coming out."
▪ The Hill: What to know about the weekend protests.
▪ The Texas Tribune: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) to send National Guard to Austin protest.
TRUMP REFILES LAWSUIT: Trump has refiled a lawsuit accusing The New York Times and several of their reporters of defamation, seeking $15 billion in damages.
A federal judge tossed the lawsuit out last month after the president's initial filing, ruling the complaint was too long and shouldn't be a way for Trump to "rail against an adversary." He gave the president's lawyers 28 days to refile an amended complaint.
The revised complaint is much shorter, accusing the outlet of running articles that were intended to harm Trump's reputation as a successful businessman and television star.
A spokesperson for the Times maintained that the lawsuit is without merit and is "merely an attempt to stifle independent reporting and generate P.R. Attention."
DEBATE TAKEAWAYS: Candidates faced off Thursday in two lively debates for a downballot Virginia race and the contest to lead the country's largest city.
First up was the Virginia attorney general debate, between incumbent Jason Miyares (R) and former state Del. Jay Jones (D), who is trying to keep his campaign running after the revelation of texts he sent in 2022 in which he wished for violence against a Republican state lawmaker.
The messages overshadowed much of the night, and Jones used his opening remarks to immediately apologize.
"Let me be very clear: I am ashamed, I am embarrassed and I am sorry. I am sorry to Speaker Gilbert, I am sorry to his family, and I am sorry to every single Virginian," Jones said.
Miyares attacked Jones over his stance on fighting crime, trans issues and his texts. But the debate remained relatively civil.
▪ The Hill: Five takeaways from the Virginia attorney general debate.
The three New York City mayoral rivals also faced off Thursday in an intense debate, with Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani and independent candidate Andrew Cuomo in particular going after each other.
Cuomo attacked Mamdani over his lack of experience, his past comments on the police and on the phrase "globalize the intifada." Mamdani criticized Cuomo's time as New York governor and argued he didn't have the integrity to become mayor.
Republican Curtis Sliwa also took part in the debate but struggled to stand out as the Mamdani-Cuomo battle took central focus.
The candidates will meet again for a final debate next week.
▪ The Hill: Five takeaways from the first New York City mayoral debate.
No comments:
Post a Comment