What to know today
- President Donald Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin this morning about ending the war in Ukraine. The White House said the two leaders began laying the groundwork for a ceasefire that included an agreement to stop attacking energy targets, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy later signaled a willingness to discuss "next steps" with Trump.
- Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts denounced calls by Trump and his allies to impeach U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, who blocked the administration's deportation of Venezuelan migrants.
- The Trump administration tonight released the latest batch of files related to President John F. Kennedy's assassination.
- Trump tonight fired both Democratic commissioners on the Federal Trade Commission. The commissioners said their firings were illegal and that they plan to sue to get their jobs back.
Judge blocks Trump administration from terminating about $20B in environmental grants
A federal judge tonight temporarily blocked the Trump administration from terminating up to $20 billion in grants for climate initiatives, in a case brought by environmental group Climate United Fund.
U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan ruled that the administration for now cannot enforce a grant termination letter signed by EPA Acting Deputy Administrator W.C. McIntosh that ordered the stoppage of all program expenditures.
“When the court asked EPA to proffer evidence justifying its decision given the terms of the agreement, its only response was to refer to the termination letter, which gave no legal justification for the termination,” Chutkan wrote in her memorandum opinion.
Judge temporarily blocks Trump’s transgender military ban
A federal judge today temporarily blocked Trump’s executive order banning transgender people from enlisting or serving in the military.
U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes ruled that the ban violates the equal protection clause because it discriminates based on transgender status and sex.
Reyes said the ban “is soaked in animus.”
“Its language is unabashedly demeaning, its policy stigmatizes transgender persons as inherently unfit, and its conclusions bear no relation to fact,” she wrote.
Pelosi expresses support for Schumer but suggests she would've done things differently in his position
Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., the former House speaker, said today that she still has confidence in Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., after his vote last week on the Republican funding bill while saying she wouldn't have done the same thing.
Referring to House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., Pelosi said at a news conference the same day Jeffries voiced support for Schumer: "Hakeem said that he had confidence in Chuck Schumer, so we're to the next stage on this now."
“I myself don’t give away anything for nothing. I think that’s what happened the other day,” she added. “We could have, in my view, perhaps, gotten them to agree to a third way, which was a bipartisan [continuing resolution] for four weeks in which we could have had bipartisan legislation go forward."
Government releases latest batch of JFK assassination documents
More than 60 years after President John F. Kennedy was gunned down in Dallas, the federal government began releasing what could be the final trove of documents delving into the assassination that shocked the nation and spawned countless conspiracy theories.
The Justice Department’s National Security Division today started unveiling the long-awaited files a day after Trump announced that 80,000 pages related to the fatal Nov. 22, 1963, shooting were about to be released.
“You got a lot of reading,” Trump said as he visited the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. “I don’t believe we’re going to redact anything.”
Trump was cagey about what would be in the files. Historians contend that around 4,700 documents haven’t yet been released.
Congressional watchdog office left powerless as House leaders have yet to fill board seats
House leaders have yet to appoint board members to an independent office designed to investigate ethics complaints against lawmakers and their staff members, leaving the entity powerless for the time being and sparking concerns among outside watchdogs.
The House rules package for the new Congress, which was approved in January along party lines, re-authorized the nonpartisan Office of Congressional Ethics and gave it a new name: the Office of Congressional Conduct.
But more than two months later, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., who have the authority to fill the board seats, have yet to do so.
Without a board in place, professional staff members are not authorized to launch investigations. If the seats remain unfilled by Saturday, it will mark the longest the office has had a vacant board since it was formed in 2008.
Nebraska Republican booed at town hall while talking about spending cuts
Rep. Mike Flood, R-Neb, is facing a confrontational crowd tonight at a town hall in his district.
“I believe that town halls are an important part of the process,” Flood said as he opened up the event in Columbus. “It’s democracy. It’s how we communicate with each other.”
The event quickly turned more intense once the floor was opened up for questions. Flood, who is vice chair of the centrist-leaning Main Street Caucus, was met with loud boos when he said he supported spending cuts.
“For the first time in decades, we have a president that is cutting spending and he is looking to find efficiencies,” Flood said. “And I support that effort.”
He said he knows that “some of you in this room are angry” and repeatedly asked the crowd to let him finish answering its questions.
“Tax the rich,” many members of the audience started chanting at one point.
Flood is one of the few Republicans holding in-person events this week while Congress is in recess.
Employees of African aid agency receive administrative leave notices
Employees of the U.S. African Development Foundation began receiving notifications today that they had been placed on administrative leave, according to a copy of a notification obtained by NBC News.
The letter from Pete Marocco, a top State Department official, referred to him as the acting chief executive officer and president of USADF. It informs recipients that they have been placed “on excused absence (also known as administrative leave) with pay, effective immediately,” and that they are prohibited “from entering ADF premises, accessing ADF systems, or attempting to use your position or authority with ADF in any way without my prior permission or the prior permission of a supervisor in your chain of command.”
The notifications come less than two weeks after members of DOGE accessed the USADF offices and as DOGE gained access this week to the U.S. Institute of Peace. Meanwhile, a federal judge ruled today in a separate case involving DOGE and Marocco that the dismantling of USAID “likely violated the United States Constitution in multiple ways.”
Last week, U.S. District Judge Richard Leon denied a request for a temporary restraining order to prevent Marocco, DOGE and others from removing Ward Brehm as president of USADF. Leon wrote that he would “closely scrutinize” whether DOGE employees took steps to maintain USADF to “the minimal presence and function required by law.” Leon’s motion for a preliminary injunction is due Friday, and a hearing is set for April 16.
Trump fires both Democratic commissioners at the Federal Trade Commission
The two Democratic commissioners at the Federal Trade Commission said they were illegally fired by Trump today in another major test of the independence of regulatory agencies.
A White House official confirmed the firing but did not have further comment.
“This is corruption plain and simple,” former Commissioner Alvaro Bedoya said of his firing in a statement on X.
His former colleague Rebecca Kelly Slaughter said in a statement: “The President illegally fired me from my position as a Federal Trade Commissioner, violating the plain language of a statute and clear Supreme Court precedent.”
IRS whistleblowers in Hunter Biden probe get Treasury Department promotions
Two investigators in the IRS' criminal division, including the agent who opened a criminal probe into Hunter Biden’s taxes, have been promoted and hold new positions at the Treasury Department, according to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa.
The two men —Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler — are now senior advisers to Bessent. They will later transfer back to the IRS in leadership roles.
Ziegler, who was the originating case agent investigating Biden’s taxes, testified at a hearing in July 2023 that there had been “gross mismanagement” involving the probe. He has suggested federal prosecutors turned a blind eye to some of the allegations against the president’s son.
Shapley, testifying at the same hearing, said the Justice Department had given Biden preferential treatment.
“We have been motivated by one singular mantra: do what’s right, and do it the right way," Shapley and Ziegler said in a statement today. "It has not been easy, but having a clear conscience is worth the effort.”
Bessent said in a separate statement: “These veteran civil servants join us to help further the agency’s focus on collections, modernization, and customer service, so we can deliver a more effective and efficient IRS experience for hardworking American taxpayers.”
Grassley, who has often led congressional efforts to investigate the findings of Ziegler and Shapley, said, in part, that “if we reinstate whistleblowers who have been retaliated against, it will send a clear signal that pointing out wrongdoing is an honorable thing to do. It will help change the culture of our bureaucracy.”
Ziegler’s investigation into Biden was used to produce a nine-count, 56-page indictment filed in federal court in California, which alleged Biden, former President Joe Biden's son, committed significant tax crimes over several years.
Biden pleaded guilty to those charges in federal court in September, sparing what could have been an embarrassing trial shortly before the 2024 election.
The indictment said Biden “engaged in a four-year scheme to not pay at least $1.4 million in self-assessed federal taxes he owed for tax years 2016 through 2019, from in or about January 2017 through in or about October 15, 2020, and to evade the assessment of taxes for tax year 2018 when he filed false returns in or about February 2020.”
Prosecutors also alleged that the returns Biden eventually filed were fraudulent and that they falsely claimed money he paid to an escort, a strip club and a pornographic website, as well as money he spent on a sex club membership fee and his daughter’s college tuition and rent, as business expenses.
Before sentencing, Joe Biden pardoned his son.
Trump admin considers giving up NATO command that has been exclusively American since Eisenhower
For nearly 75 years, it has been a distinctly American responsibility to have a four-star U.S. general oversee all NATO military operations in Europe — a command that began with then-World War II hero and future president Dwight D. Eisenhower.
But the Trump administration, according to two defense officials familiar with the planning and a Pentagon briefing reviewed by NBC News, is considering changing that.
Trump signs memo barring use of DEI-related language in materials promoting foreign service
Trump signed a memo this afternoon that directs Secretary of State Marco Rubio to remove language about “Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility” from materials promoting foreign service.
The memo says the federal government won't use characteristics like race, religion, sex or national origin as part of recruitment or hiring or efforts to retain foreign service employees.
The memo directs agencies to "identify and take appropriate action regarding any Foreign Service Officer who knowingly and willfully engaged in illegal discrimination."
Trump previously ordered an end to all DEI-related programs and activities in the federal government.
An appeals court last week said the Trump administration could temporarily enact that ban. A lower court had blocked it.
Trump signs executive order on state and local preparedness for cyberattacks and weather events
Trump signed an executive order on preparedness that aims to “empower” state and local communities when it comes to incidents like cyberattacks and weather events.
The order would create a national register to identify, describe and measure risks to guide spending and planning.
The White House said it would enable "state and local governments to better understand, plan for, and address the needs of their citizens.”
How Congress could — but probably won’t — impeach a federal judge
Trump and his allies have been calling for the impeachment of U.S. District Judge James Boasberg after he blocked the deportation of migrants under the Alien Enemies Act. The push to get rid of Boasberg became more serious today when Trump himself weighed in and agreed.
Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts issued a rare statement afterward, rebuking Trump and his allies for going after judges who rule against the administration.
Indeed, Congress impeaches not to retaliate against judges who have issued rulings they disagree with but instead to remove judges who have committed crimes or been alleged to have taken part in bribery or other behaviors that would preclude them from doing their duties on the bench.
Here's a look at the history and process of impeaching judges.
Elon Musk and DOGE efforts to close USAID unconstitutional, agency systems must be restored, judge rules
A federal judge ordered the government to reinstate U.S. Agency for International Development systems today, ruling that the accelerated shutdown of the agency led by Elon Musk “likely violated the United States Constitution in multiple ways.”
U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang ordered Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency to reinstate access to email, payment, security notification and all other electronic systems for all current USAID employees and contractors. He also ordered it to provide written confirmation of compliance to the court within seven days.
“The court will require Defendants, within 14 days, to secure and submit a written agreement among all necessary parties that ensures that USAID will be able to reoccupy USAID headquarters at its original location, in the event of a final ruling in favor of Plaintiffs,” the order said.
He also ordered DOGE and Musk not to take any action regarding USAID without the express authorization of a USAID official with legal authority to do so.
Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries seek to defuse tensions after shutdown clash and refocus on Trump’s agenda
After days of clashes within the party over last week’s government shutdown fight, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries D-N.Y., are trying to get back on the same page.
During separate public appearances today, the two congressional Democratic leaders sought to return their focus to battling Trump and his agenda, particularly the potential Medicaid cuts his Republican allies in Congress are looking at in their party-line bill for taxes, immigration and other policy priorities.
Trump and Putin begin laying groundwork for a ceasefire in Ukraine as Russia agrees not to attack energy targets
The White House said today that Trump and Putin have agreed that the process to reach a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine would begin with an energy infrastructure ceasefire.
“This conflict should never have started and should have been ended long ago with sincere and good faith peace efforts,” the White House said in a readout of the call between the two leaders.
Leavitt confirms Elon Musk's Starlink is providing Wi-Fi at the White House
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt today confirmed reporting that Elon Musk's satellite internet service Starlink is providing Wi-Fi around the White House campus, saying it was done to improve internet connectivity.
"Just like the Biden Administration did on numerous occasions, the White House is working to improve WiFi connectivity on the complex," Leavitt said in a statement this afternoon.
The Starlink service at the White House is the latest expansion in the federal government's reliance on the SpaceX-operated internet service provider. Musk, an unpaid Trump adviser who is overseeing the administration's efforts to sharply downsize the federal government, owns and operates the company.
Musk has been criticized for continuing to oversee his portfolio of private companies — many of which, including Starlink, have federal government contracts — while working in the federal government himself.
Vance to serve as RNC finance chair concurrently with VP responsibilities, RNC says
Vance will be the next Republican National Committee finance chair, the first time a sitting vice president has concurrently served in the role, the RNC announced today.
Vance said in a statement that to "fully enact the MAGA mandate" and Trump's vision, "we must keep and grow our Republican majorities in 2026."
Trump said in a statement that Vance would "do a fantastic job," adding that "he knows how to fight and win tough races."
House minority leader signals support for Schumer amid shutdown backlash
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., voiced his support this morning for his Senate counterpart, Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., as he faces mounting backlash within his party over his handling of the government funding fight last week.
Schumer led a group of Democratic senators to vote in favor of a Republican-backed government funding bill Friday to avert a federal government shutdown. Schumer argued that advancing the bill, which opens the door for sweeping cuts to Medicaid and other entitlement programs, was less dangerous than allowing the government to shut down as the Trump administration aims to dismantle its workforce.
Jeffries, despite having publicly urged Schumer and Senate Democrats to block the GOP funding bill, told NBC News today that "I do" support Schumer's Senate leadership. The pair “had a good conversation” Sunday “about the path forward, particularly as it relates to making sure we all speak with one voice in the effort to stop these Medicaid cuts from ever being enacted into law," he said.
Schumer canceled several promotional events scheduled this week as part of his tour for his new book, “Antisemitism in America: A Warning." His media team cited "security concerns" amid the backlash that followed Friday's vote.
Jeffries said today that his members remain united in their effort to fight back on potential Medicaid cuts.
"You know, as House Democrats, we stand by our decision to oppose the Republican spending bill, because the partisan Republican spending bill that was not negotiated with Democrats, it was written by Donald Trump and House Republicans, would hurt families, hurt veterans and hurt seniors," he said.
Trump administration says it's working to reinstate more than 24,000 fired federal workers
The Trump administration says it is moving to reinstate more than 24,000 probationary workers it fired as part of its efforts to slash the federal workforce, court documents filed yesterday show.
Officials at 18 departments and agencies submitted signed declarations detailing their teams’ efforts to rehire the fired workers to comply with court orders. Last week two federal judges ordered the administration to temporarily reinstate thousands of probationary workers who were fired.
But many of the employees being reinstated won’t be getting right back to work; instead, they’ll be placed on administrative leave.
Trump administration makes IRS staffers who investigated Hunter Biden senior advisers
The Treasury Department announced today that two IRS employees who investigated Hunter Biden for tax evasion will become senior advisers at the department.
“I am pleased to welcome Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler to the Treasury Department, where they will help us drive much-needed cultural reform within the IRS,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement.
Bessent said Shapley and Ziegler will help to "further the agency’s focus on collections, modernization, and customer service, so we can deliver a more effective and efficient IRS experience for hardworking American taxpayers."
The Treasury Department claimed Shapley and Ziegler faced retaliation after they spoke publicly about their investigation of Biden and alleging in congressional testimony that he had received preferential treatment from the Justice Department.
Democrats questioned whether a GOP-aligned organization was behind the testimony as part of an effort to target Biden, former President Joe Biden's son. An FBI agent who oversaw the agency's probe into Hunter Biden also rejected Shapley's allegation that there was any interference.
Hunter Biden pleaded guilty last year in the federal tax evasion case. Joe Biden eventually pardoned his son for those charges, as well as federal gun charges.
Canadian actress says she was detained by ICE
A Canadian actress says she experienced “inhumane” treatment after being detained by U.S. immigration officials while trying to cross the border from Mexico.
Jasmine Mooney, whose credits include “American Pie Presents: The Book of Love,” said she was trying to renew her work visa when she approached the U.S. border near San Diego on March 3, but was denied entry and detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
“I was put in a cell, and I had to sleep on a mat with no blanket, no pillow, with an aluminum foil wrapped over my body like a dead body for two and a half days,” Mooney, who is also the co-founder of a health drink brand, told local San Diego news outlet KGTV.
Her story echoes those of German nationals and others who have found themselves unexpectedly detained as the Trump administration ramps up border enforcement and tightens immigration policies.
Mooney said she and about 30 other people “were up for 24 hours wrapped in chains” as they were transferred to a private for-profit detention center in Arizona.
“I have never in my life seen anything so inhumane,” Mooney said.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection declined to tell KGTV why Mooney had been detained, citing privacy restrictions, but said the agency treats all travelers with integrity, respect and professionalism.
Mooney, who is originally from Vancouver, returned to Canada over the weekend.
“No one deserves to go through that, what I witnessed,” she said, according to Global News.
DOJ refuses to answer some questions from the judge who blocked Alien Enemies Act deportations
The Justice Department on Tuesday refused to answer a number of questions from a federal judge who had demanded more information on deportations that were carried out under a rarely used wartime act.
“The Government maintains that there is no justification to order the provision of additional information, and that doing so would be inappropriate,” the Justice Department said in a court filing responding to U.S. District Judge James Boasberg’s ruling that it provide him with more information.
The filing, however, did include a declaration from an official with Immigration and Customs Enforcement answering some of the questions the judge had posed at a hearing Monday, at which he expressed frustration that the government had appeared to snub his order halting the deportations and its refusal to answer questions about its actions.
White House says Trump-Putin call has ended
A White House official told NBC News the call between Trump and Putin is over. The call lasted over an hour and a half.
Chief justice pushes back against calls to impeach judges who rule against Trump
WASHINGTON — Chief Justice John Roberts issued a rare statement rebuking Trump and his allies for calling to impeach judges who have ruled against the administration.
“For more than two centuries, it has been established that impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision. The normal appellate review process exists for that purpose,” Roberts said in a statement.
Trump allies have called for various judges to be impeached for blocking administration policies in the first months of his second term.
White House says Trump-Putin call still underway
According to White House deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino, Trump's call with Putin is still ongoing as of 11:32 a.m. — meaning it has been going on for over an hour and a half so far.
Trump calls for impeachment of judge who ordered halt to Alien Enemies Act deportations
Trump lashed out this morning at a federal judge who has ordered the administration to pause deportations under the rarely invoked Alien Enemies Act.
Yesterday, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg questioned a government lawyer over the administration's response to a weekend court order where he demanded that planes carrying deportees under the Alien Enemies Act be turned around. Deportees ultimately arrived in El Salvador, raising questions about the timing of the flights.
"This judge, like many of the Crooked Judges’ I am forced to appear before, should be IMPEACHED!!!" Trump said in a Truth Social post. "WE DON’T WANT VICIOUS, VIOLENT, AND DEMENTED CRIMINALS, MANY OF THEM DERANGED MURDERERS, IN OUR COUNTRY."
It is unclear how the administration determined that the people deported are members of a Venezuelan gang. It is also unclear whether the deportees had any court hearings ahead of being deported.
Trump did not explicitly name Boasberg in his post, but he appeared to be referring to the deportation case that the judge presides over.
Trump's allies have pushed for the impeachment of judges, with Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, saying over the weekend that would introduce legislation. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt was asked about Elon Musk's calls for impeaching judges and answered, "I have not heard the president talk about impeaching judges. I know you mentioned Mr. Musk’s tweet, but I have not heard the president of the United States ask that.”
Justice Department lawyers scrambling to review JFK documents
Lawyers in the Justice Department’s national security division worked all night to review hundreds of pages of classified documents set for release today related to the JFK assassination, a person familiar with the matter told NBC News.
This was first reported by ABC News.
Trump said yesterday that the files would be released today.
A Justice Department spokesman did not immediately respond to NBC News' request for comment.
Trump in January signed an executive order directing the “full and complete release of records relating to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.”
The Kennedy assassination has been a fixation among some of Trump's closest supporters — Tucker Carlson, for example — including some who believe the CIA played a role.
Social Security chief says he will ‘continue to make mistakes’ but vows to ‘learn from them’
Leland Dudek, the acting commissioner of the Social Security Administration, outlined his vision for the agency in a lengthy memo to staff today, detailing exploratory efforts to implement artificial intelligence and boost anti-fraud efforts as Trump and his right-hand adviser Elon Musk have zeroed in on claims of widespread improper payments at the bureau.
In the memo, which was shared with NBC News by a person who obtained it, Dudek apologized for having made mistakes, said he will continue to make more and pledged to learn from them.
Trump has been speaking to Putin since 10 a.m.
Trump is still speaking to Putin, White House deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino said on X.
"Happening Now—President Trump is currently in the Oval Office speaking with President Vladimir Putin of Russia since 10:00amEDT. The call is going well, and still in progress," Scavino wrote at 10:54 a.m.
Trump’s battle with court ramps up over deportation of Venezuelans
The Trump administration is facing a growing legal battle as a federal judge is now questioning whether his order halting the deportation of undocumented migrants was ignored. The Justice Department is expected to answer key questions about the deportations of alleged Venezuelan gang members to a prison in El Salvador without due process. NBC’s Peter Alexander reports for "TODAY."
Indian prime minister, a Trump ally, joins Truth Social
Reporting from New Delhi
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has joined Trump’s social media platform Truth Social, making him among the only world leaders to do so.
It comes as India is also among the few countries to offer pre-emptive trade concessions to the U.S., hoping to avoid tariffs. Modi and Trump have a personal relationship that goes back years, and are seen as having similar worldviews, especially as the U.S. looks to India as a counter to China.
In his first post on Truth Social, the Indian leader posted a picture of himself with Trump during the “Howdy Modi” rally in Houston during his 2019 visit to the U.S., saying he was “delighted” to join the platform.
Modi has been making an effort to appeal to Trump supporters lately, including by appearing on Lex Fridman’s podcast, the link to which was shared by Trump yesterday.
FAA worker reinstated after judge's order
Charles Spitzer-Stadtlander, a probationary employee with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) who was fired Feb. 14 as part of the cuts pushed by the Department of Government Efficiency, was reinstated today, according to an email shared exclusively with NBC News.
Spitzer-Stadtlander was one of several employees who was working on a warning radar system for Hawaii to detect incoming missiles, through a program that was in part funded by the Defense Department. The program was part of the FAA’s National Airspace System Defense Program and involves radars providing longer-range detection around the nation’s borders.
The email states that the Transportation Department is “rescinding” Spitzer-Stadtlander’s “probationary/trial period termination” and explains that the department is taking this action to be “in compliance with the order issued March 13 by the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland.” The email goes on to say he will be “reinstated with pay and benefits” to his previous position and will receive backpay for the period in which he was previously terminated.
Spitzer-Stadtlander told NBC News he plans to return to his job.
“I’m returning to my job because I love serving the American people and working for national security. It’s an honor of my lifetime,” he said. “I want to be able to do my job without chaos and uncertainty. Public service and national security are not places for politics or instability.”
"Though I’m glad to be reinstated, it’s important to remember that two courts found that the termination of probationary employees en masse and for a false reason of poor performance was unlawful," he added. "What happened was incredibly hurtful and traumatic. But since I work for the American people and in service of the mission, that’s all that matters and all that I’m keeping my focus on."
Spitzer-Stadtlander declined to answer how his case will move forward as he has a pending appeal related to his initial termination.
Trump admin asks for reversal of judge's temporary restraining order over the use of the Alien Enemies Act
The Trump administration is asking a federal judge to reverse his decision to block the president's use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport immigrants.
The move, which came in an overnight filing, is the latest development in the legal battle over whether the administration can deport alleged gang members using the authority of a rarely invoked act.
The administration argued in the filings that the "court lacks jurisdiction" over the claims of the Venezuelan plaintiffs, and that those suing the administration "have not shown the requisite irreparable harm."
"The alleged harms to Plaintiffs are overwhelmingly outweighed by the President’s interest in using his statutory and constitutional authority to address what he has identified as an invasion or predatory incursion by a group undertaking hostile actions and conducting irregular warfare," the filing said.
The judge had previously ordered any flights carrying deportees subject to Trump's proclamation to turn around, but it was later revealed that the planes had arrived in El Salvador, raising questions about the timing of the flights and custody handover.
Poll: Majority of Americans want U.S. to help Ukraine regain territory seized by Russia
More than half of Americans want the U.S. to help Ukraine regain territory it has lost since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, even if that means prolonging the conflict, new research shows.
An opinion poll from Gallup released this morning found 53% of respondents support the U.S. aiding Ukraine’s defense efforts, compared to 45% who want a quick end to the conflict even if that means conceding land to Russia.
Trump has sharply turned U.S. away from former President Joe Biden’s policy of pledging huge financial and military aid to Ukraine, claiming that he actively supports neither side and is working toward a peace deal. A national NBC News poll found yesterday that a majority of Americans, 61%, support Ukraine over Russia and that most believe Trump favors Russia.
“Looking ahead, this increase in public preference for stronger U.S. involvement may pressure the Trump administration to recalibrate its Ukraine policy, especially if Russia violates potential ceasefire agreements,” Gallup said in its analysis of the figures.
Yesterday’s Gallup poll also showed that a record number of people believe the U.S. isn’t doing enough to help Ukraine in its war effort; 46% said assistance wasn’t enough, a rise of 16 points since December, in a sign some voters are turning against Trump’s self-described neutral stance.
Support for Ukrainian aid is highest among Democrats and independent voters, but the 56% of Republicans who feel the U.S. is doing too much to help Ukraine is a fall of 11 points in the last three months.
Gallup’s research was carried out between March 3 and 11, after the chaotic and divisive meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Trump and Vice President JD Vance on Feb. 28. That meeting was scheduled to discuss a possible rare-earth minerals deal between the countries but ended in acrimony as the American leaders chastised Zelenskyy for not showing enough gratitude for the billions of dollars in U.S. support to date.
Trump’s call with Putin will discuss what Ukraine will have to give up
Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, Kyiv’s NATO aspirations and land will likely be on the table this morning when Trump tries to convince Russian President Vladimir Putin to accept a ceasefire in the war in Ukraine.
The two leaders are set to speak on a phone call scheduled for between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. ET that will go on for “as long as they deem necessary,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said today.
State Department restores funding for Afghan women studying in Oman
The State Department has reauthorized scholarship funding for Afghan women studying in Oman who said they faced persecution by the Taliban if their program was canceled and they were deported to Afghanistan.
Last Wednesday, the U.S. government authorized the continuation of funding to the American University of Afghanistan and Texas A&M University until June 30, a State Department spokesperson said. It is unclear whether funding would then be further extended for the program, which is administered by the U.S. Agency for International Development.
The women had appealed for urgent help to allow them to continue their studies abroad, saying that their return to Afghanistan, where the Taliban has severely curtailed women's rights, "would mean the permanent loss of our education and exposure to severe risks, including oppression, insecurity, and a future without opportunities."
Gabbard retweets pro-Russia commentator praising the gutting of Voice of America
Tulsi Gabbard, director of national intelligence, has retweeted a post by a far-right commentator who praised the dismantling of Voice of America and other U.S. government-funded news outlets.
Ian Miles Cheong, a contributor to the Russian state media outlet RT, claimed that Voice of America, Radio Free Asia and other outlets run by the U.S. Agency for Global Media "produced and disseminated far-left propaganda, including media hostile to conservatives in Central European countries such as Poland, Slovakia and Hungary" and perpetuated "pro-war narratives against Russia."
The U.S. Agency for Global Media, an independent U.S. government agency, was one of seven entities Trump designated for elimination in an executive order last Friday, in a move critics said was a win for authoritarian regimes such as China, where state media cheered the decision to shut the outlets known for their reporting on issues such as human rights and religious freedom.
Speaking earlier today, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson declined to comment on Chinese state media reports or U.S. domestic policy, but said "it is not a secret that those U.S. media outlets make biased reporting on China."
Poll: American voters are deeply divided over DEI programs and political correctness
The issue of diversity, equity and inclusion programs is among the most tightly divided and polarizing questions in the United States, with wide gaps emerging along partisan and racial lines, according to the latest national NBC News poll.
Trump has made dismantling DEI programs an early focus of his administration, and voters are split over the future of DEI programs in the workplace, with deep differences depending on their political party.
Half of registered voters (49%) in the NBC News poll say DEI programs should be eliminated “because they create divisions and inefficiencies in the workplace by putting too much emphasis on race and other social factors over merit, skills and experience.”
And 48% say DEI programs in the workplace should continue “because diverse perspectives reflect our country, create innovative ideas and solutions, encourage unity and make our workplaces fair and inclusive.”
Trump is expected to speak with Putin this morning
Trump is expected to speak today with Putin as the United States tries to mediate a diplomatic solution to end Russia's three-year war with Ukraine.
"We have tremendous things to report tomorrow, speaking with President Putin of Russia to save some soldiers who are in deep trouble. They’re captured," Trump told reporters yesterday afternoon.
Trump said that "it's a bad situation" in both Ukraine and Russia.
"What’s happening in Ukraine is not good, but we’re going to see if we can work a peace agreement, a ceasefire and peace, and I think we’ll be able to do it. I’m speaking to President Putin tomorrow morning," he said.
He later posted on Truth Social, “Many elements of a Final Agreement have been agreed to, but much remain."
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters at yesterday's briefing that "we’ve never been closer to a peace deal than we are in this moment."
Trump said Sunday that he and Putin will discuss "land" and "power plants, because that’s a big question."
"But I think we have a lot of it already discussed, very much by both sides, Ukraine and Russia. We’re already talking about that, dividing up certain assets. They’ve been working on that," Trump said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said Putin can't be trusted because Russia hasn't stuck to its previous agreements with Ukraine. That was the message he communicated to Trump in late February when he clashed with Trump and Vice President JD Vance at the White House. Trump, meanwhile, recently threatened to ramp up sanctions on Russia until it reached a peace agreement.
DNC makes first foray into Wisconsin Supreme Court race
The Democratic National Committee has launched a six-figure investment in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race in support of liberal candidate Susan Crawford.
The investment comes exactly two weeks ahead of the technically nonpartisan April 1 election that will determine the state Supreme Court’s ideological balance for the second time in two years and coincides with today's kickoff of early voting.
The DNC describes the move as the party’s earliest-ever electoral investment after a November election.
Party officials said the investment, which will officially go to the Wisconsin Democratic coordinated campaign, is intended to help counter the millions of dollars spent so far by outside groups with ties to Elon Musk.
“When I went to Wisconsin to knock doors last month, folks told me they don’t want billionaires like Elon Musk running our federal government and they certainly don’t want him buying our elections,” DNC Chair Ken Martin said in a statement. “After what I heard on the ground, we’re investing earlier than ever before. The best way to curb Elon Musk’s influence is to organize everywhere, win races, and stop him in his tracks.”
The investment, which will also aid the Democratic candidate in the battleground’s state school superintendent race, will help fund grassroots organizing efforts aimed at phone and text banking to reach voters.
The race features a face-off between Brad Schimel, a conservative state judge in Waukesha County who previously was the state’s Republican attorney general, and Crawford, a liberal state judge in Madison.