Donald Trump said on Sunday that he was 'only kidding' when he announced a day earlier that he had offered the job of White House press secretary to Dana White, the chief executive of the Ultimate Fighting Championship ( UFC ) Trump says he was ‘only kidding’ about making UFC’s Dana White next press secretary Continue reading...
Winning candidates promised to cut costs, rein in corporations, curb billionaire power and improve the economy Don’t worry, cash-strapped Americans, “relief is on the way”, the senator Chuck Schumer promised last week in a press conference celebrating Democrats’ massive midterms win . Winning candidates promised to cut food and healthcare costs, rein in corporations ripping off consumers and workers, curb billionaire power and make the world’s biggest economy better serve the working class. Continue reading...
The same technical limits that prevent superintelligence make these systems dangerous. But we know how to regulate them Many Silicon Valley leaders believe superintelligence is an imminent threat to society. The White House even published an accord about it. This isn’t enough. Geoffrey Hinton, the godfather of AI, estimates the risk of human extinction is at least 10% within the next few decades. The Anthropic CEO, Dario Amodei, argued that unchecked AI “could outrun our ability to understand and control these systems”. In response, 1,300 leaders and employees from many leading AI companies signed a letter calling to “deliberately pace” development. Continue reading...
The potential for partnership between newly ascendant Democrats and the "Make America Healthy Again" movement is already threatened by their deep disagreements over Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Why it matters: Democrats want to convince health-conscious voters that they're the party that can deliver on food and pesticide use, but many view an alliance with Kennedy as a nonstarter. They're already threatening to investigate Kennedy, and they're clashing bitterly with him over vaccines and other issues — so any common ground with MAHA over nutrition and pesticides could take a back seat to those fights. State of play: Most MAHA-backed candidates lost at the polls last week. Some of the movement's leaders blame low turnout for the GOP's terrible election night, saying MAHA faithful stayed home because they were disappointed with the Trump administration and a lack of progress on food and environmental issues. Whatever they may think of the White House and federal health officials, the base remains intensely loyal to Kennedy, who created the movement during his 2024 presidential bid. "The voters sent a clear message to this administration and to all political parties, that we are not motivated to vote for people who have a lack of integrity. Promises were made, and promises were broken," said Zen Honeycutt, founder of Moms Across America. While she's open to working with Democrats going forward, "We want them to work with Kennedy, not against him," she added. "That's the red line for almost all of us. You cross that line and you go after Kennedy, you are never getting our vote," she said. "I'm not interested in working with people who are trying to get rid of our champion." The big picture: Some Democrats were making overtures to MAHA voters on key issues ahead of the midterms. Lawmakers like Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) have already said they're willing to work with Kennedy on issues like cleaning up the food supply, school lunches and banning the use of certain
Efforts to fight climate change, conserve nature and build clean energy have long unfolded on competing tracks. Now, they're colliding — and exposing tough trade-offs for environmentalists. Why it matters: Congress' sweeping permitting debate is forcing those competing priorities into the same conversation, with major consequences for climate action and conservation. Driving the news: The Senate is set to hold an initial procedural vote Monday on a sprawling bipartisan bill that would make it easier to build power lines and energy projects of all kinds, including clean energy and fossil fuels. At the heart of the debate is how much public scrutiny projects should face before they're approved — and how much protection those approvals should receive afterward. Supporters say the current system takes too long, delaying clean energy and other infrastructure. Opponents warn that speeding things up could come at the expense of wildlife, public lands and tribal rights. Between the lines: The dilemma reflects a fundamental tension within the environmental movement: Building the infrastructure needed to combat climate change can threaten nature, while protecting nature can complicate efforts to build that infrastructure. Wind and solar farms, for example, can require large expanses of land, potentially disrupting wildlife habitats even as they help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. "The part of my organization that cares about climate sees great opportunity and the part that cares about nature sees some dangers," said a leader of one organization that focuses on both causes, speaking anonymously to discuss the proposal candidly. The big picture: Both parties broadly agree Washington needs to overhaul federal permitting, a perennial goal that has eluded Congress for years. The question is what reforms can attract enough support to pass both chambers. The bill's bipartisan sponsors and the White House want action before year's end. But some Democrats, emboldened by their midter
Trump has long relied on sports to project strength and fuel his culture wars. But after a crushing midterm defeat, even his UFC ally cannot distract from the political fallout In the wake of being destroyed in the midterm elections , it was only a matter of time before Donald Trump did something outrageous in an attempt to misdirect public attention away from his catastrophic losses. Before the midterms, published reports suggested the possibility of apocalypse, global or domestic – a nuclear strike on Iran, martial law to suspend last week’s, the invalidation of individual races, such as in Alaska – but Trump opted for banality over Armageddon, offering his vacant press secretary opening to Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO Dana White. It was absurd, and widely posited that a confused Trump had erroneously conflated UFC’s White with the Dana White who made more sense, former Heritage Foundation staffer Dana White. Because the public reactions made him look even more lost, confirming the sentiments of recklessness and disorder, utter chaos and buffoonery that led to the Republicans being routed in the midterm elections, the president said his offer to White was all a joke . As a disciple of the notorious McCarthyite Roy Cohn, who taught Trump one of his main political pillars – never apologize or admit wrongdoing. Ever. – Trump should not, of course, be taken at his word. Continue reading...
The world's most powerful AI executive admitted Sunday to an affair with a suspected Chinese spy, sending shock waves through an industry built on his singular influence. Why it matters: Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has fashioned himself as the indispensable leader of an indispensable company — a $4.5 trillion behemoth with unparalleled clout in Silicon Valley, on Wall Street and inside President Trump's White House. Trump stood by Huang on Sunday evening, telling reporters that the Nvidia CEO is "an honorable guy" and "probably has an excuse" for his infidelity. The big picture: Huang, who has led Nvidia since founding the chipmaker 33 years ago, has become the AI boom's chief evangelist and most authoritative voice. He has brushed aside fears of both a speculative bubble and technological catastrophe, joining forces with Trump to calm markets and the public as warnings of an AI apocalypse reached fever pitch. For almost any other CEO, an affair with a suspected foreign intelligence operative could be career-ending. Huang's grip on Nvidia — and the company's extraordinary importance to the AI economy — may insulate him from the same fate. Driving the news: Huang confessed to the affair in a letter to staff Sunday, apologizing to his family as Nvidia's board launched an independent probe into the suspected Chinese intelligence operation. U.S. officials believe Alice Huang, an executive at Nvidia customer Megaspeed, was recruited by Beijing's top spy agency to gather information and potentially influence Nvidia's campaign to expand advanced chip sales to China. Nvidia's board said it had no reason to believe national security or company secrets were compromised and expressed confidence in Jensen Huang, who intends to remain CEO during the investigation. Zoom in: The New York Times first exposed the suspected Chinese espionage operation on Oct. 29, reporting that a woman believed to be working for Beijing had developed a close relationship with Nvidia's CEO. The company po
Trump’s most controversial aide begins his first day as White House chief of staff Stephen Miller, the influential architect of Donald Trump’s aggressive immigration crackdown , is due to start as White House chief of staff today. His promotion has horrified many, handing even more power to the president’s most controversial aide. The 41-year-old has been with Trump since the beginning of the US president’s political career – serving as a speechwriter during his 2016 presidential campaign – and has long been seen as a hardliner on the right, serving as the driving force behind first-term Trump policies such as family separation at the US-Mexico border and the travel ban on people from many Muslim-majority countries. Continue reading...
President Trump defended Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang on Sunday night, even as the company's board launched an investigation into his affair with a suspected Chinese spy. Why it matters: The blowback to Huang's relationship is only getting more intense by the hour, with multiple members of Congress calling for probes and investors saying the news could put a cloud over the entire AI trade. What they're saying: Trump was asked Sunday night if he's taking Huang with him on an Asia trip next week. "I don't know, but I'd certainly take him," the president told reporters. "I haven't heard that he's done anything wrong," Trump added. "He dealt with somebody but, you know, so does everybody else." The intrigue: The New York Times reported in late October that Trump was briefed earlier this year about Huang's relationship with the potential spy but chose not to act. Huang has been one of Trump's favorite corporate executives since his return to office, frequently appearing at White House events. He also traveled with Trump to China earlier this year, even after the reported memo warning the president of Huang's relationship. What's next: A group of House Republican committee chairs have asked Huang to agree by Nov. 11 to a date for a briefing on his relationship and Nvidia's national security controls.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani can't be president, so he's trying to be the next best thing: a progressive kingmaker for 2028. Mamdani has been meeting privately with union leaders, urgently talking up the need for a labor-aligned or leftist candidate to run for the White House, four people familiar with the talks told Axios. He's arguing that progressives can't afford to squander their midterm momentum. Why it matters: Behind closed doors, Mamdani has made a striking admission that helps explain why he's so eager to huddle with allies about 2028: He's uncertain whether New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, his close political partner, will launch a White House run, the sources said. If Ocasio-Cortez stays out of the 2028 race, it would upend the Democratic primary — and potentially leave the party's insurgent left without a candidate. Zoom in: Mamdani — who's ineligible to be president because he was born in Uganda — wants to coordinate with progressive leaders partly to prepare to unite against any leading centrist presidential contender they aren't happy with, according to one of the sources who has spoken with the mayor. Mamdani "wants the progressive ecosystem to mobilize quickly, strategically and efficiently if a moderate candidate is clearly on the rise," the person said, pointing to how former President Barack Obama appeared to help Joe Biden consolidate support against Bernie Sanders in 2020. Last month, Mamdani summoned the president of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, Jimmy Williams Jr., to Gracie Mansion to talk about 2028. Mamdani asked Williams which potential presidential candidates he liked and how his union's endorsement process would unfold. He also asked Williams whether he'd ever considered running for office, the sources said. The source who has spoken with Mamdani noted that the mayor recruited — and helped elect — several left-wing congressional candidates in New York this year. Sara Nelson, president of the Associ
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is positioning himself for a presidential run. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is running away from the idea of his own campaign for the White House. Why it matters: The political posturing of the two Florida Republicans — or the efforts to draft either for 2028 — underscores the sudden volatility of the way-too-early GOP preprimary campaign to succeed President Trump . Before Tuesday's midterm Republican wipeout, the party's 2028 primary looked like a relatively easy coronation for Vice President Vance (if he runs, as expected). Now there's a nascent movement to kneecap Vance and promote other possible opponents. Zoom in: As Trump's home base, Florida was bound to take center stage in the conversation. But two things distinguish Florida from other states: DeSantis and Rubio have national profiles rooted in their own prior presidential campaigns, in 2024 and 20216, respectively. Florida was the lone red-wall state that the national blue wave couldn't top, which DeSantis has been happy to emphasize repeatedly since Tuesday. "The alligator people are stirring," said one national Republican consultant with extensive Florida experience, referring to the Sunshine State's official reptile. Zoom out: The differences between DeSantis and Rubio are vast when it comes to their political futures and styles. DeSantis is hungry. Rubio isn't. DeSantis terms-out of the governor's office in January and is looking for work. He hasn't made an official decision on whether to run for president — but he has stoked speculation with a media blitz that began with an Election Day appearance on Stephen A. Smith's podcast. Rubio repeatedly has said he plans to stay put in the Trump administration and serve out the rest of his term, until January 2029. He also said in May that he wouldn't run against Vance, and hasn't changed his position publicly. The intrigue: During the somber election watch party at the White House on Tuesday night, Rubio's phone "blew up" with sup
Attorney General Todd Blanche on Sunday dismissed former Trump health adviser Calley Means' corruption allegations against senior White House officials, even as a former FDA commissioner described pressure from tobacco lobbyists and a Republican congressman called for scrutiny. Why it matters: The feud inside President Trump's coalition raises a central question about Trump's health agenda: Were his advisers undermining it, as Means alleges, or were they carrying out the president's wishes? The latest: Asked on CNN's "State of the Union" whether the DOJ would investigate Means' allegations, Blanche responded: "Something that someone says on a podcast? No, I do not listen to that. Absolutely not." Blanche called Means a "disgruntled former administration official" and praised former White House chief of staff Susie Wiles , who Trump announced Friday would be replaced by Stephen Miller . On "Fox News Sunday," Blanche said allegations about Wiles' financial dealings did not concern him. But Rep. Marlin Stutzman (R-Ind.) told CNN that "any allegation of any impropriety like this should be looked at." Driving the news: Means, who alleged widespread corruption in a Friday interview with Joe Rogan, told CBS' "Face the Nation" that he had wanted Wiles removed. Means accused Wiles of blocking an initiative to examine children's sugar consumption because she wanted sugar-industry donations for the midterms. He also alleged that Wiles' deputies pushed policies favorable to the flavored-vaping and kratom industries over the objections of officials working on the Make America Healthy Again agenda. Means accused Trump pollster Tony Fabrizio of advising against defining ultra-processed foods while receiving money from PepsiCo. The White House and the Justice Department did not respond to Axios' request for comment. What they're saying: Former FDA Commissioner Marty Makary backed up part of Means' account in a statement to CBS. "Big tobacco exploited their connections to administra
Attorney General Todd Blanche refused Sunday to rule out prosecuting Democratic lawmakers who say they'll investigate Trump officials, a day after President Trump ordered the Justice Department to probe lawmakers. Why it matters: The confrontation threatens a constitutional crisis over the separation of powers: Trump is ordering prosecutors to go after lawmakers in a potential effort to hamper Congress' power to hold the executive branch accountable. Driving the news: In a Truth Social post Saturday, Trump accused Democrats of threatening administration officials and Republican donors with investigations and impeachment. "This is extortion at the highest level, and they should be held accountable for this," Trump wrote. He singled out Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), accusing her of threatening young people who hold Republican views. "The imprisonment should be against these EXTORTIONISTS," Trump wrote. "By copy of this statement, I am ordering the Department of Justice to look into this criminal act, immediately!" he added. The latest: On CNN's "State of the Union," Blanche acknowledged Congress' constitutional oversight authority but argued that Democrats' rhetoric had crossed a line. Asked whether DOJ would investigate Democratic lawmakers, Blanche did not identify a criminal statute or confirm that an investigation had begun. Asked whether lawmakers could face imprisonment, Blanche said it depended on what crimes they had committed. On Fox News, he said the possibility of criminal charges depended on what Democrats had said. The White House and Justice Department have not responded to requests for comment. What they're saying: Blanche singled out incoming House Oversight Committee Chair Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), who warned officials, including incoming White House chief of staff Stephen Miller, to "lawyer up." "I would be very worried if I was a member on that committee," Blanche told CNN. He also said the department would provide legal defense for administration
In an exclusive interview with Meet the Press, Gov.-elect Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) reacts to current Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis blaming the Republican party’s midterm losses on GOP candidates misleading voters on gas prices.
No state looms larger, more dominant or more instructive about the future of American politics, governance and AI than Texas . Why it matters: Texas is suddenly — and unexpectedly — the American story. It's the battleground and proving ground for immigration policy, AI, data center growth, Hispanic voting patterns, and the direction of the Democratic Party. Put simply, it seems nearly impossible for Republicans to retain the presidency in 2028 without the Lone Star State. And it seems nearly impossible for AI to keep growing so fast if Texas rejects or dramatically slows it. Texas is so populous, so wealthy, so Hispanic, so energy-rich — and now so top-to-bottom blue — that both parties see it as a de facto nation-state capable of reordering ... everything. "Texas is everything," Steve Bannon, one of the top voices of MAGA, told us. Bannon has been so Texas-obsessed all year that he took his influential podcast, " War Room, " on the road to the " forward lines " of Texas for months at a time. Bannon said Texas needs to be an early focus for Stephen Miller, the new White House chief of staff. Houston Mayor John Whitmire on Friday directed police to limit cooperation with ICE, saying : "Elections matter." Bannon said he expects many more such actions, with Texas becoming a sanctuary state "quickly unless dramatic action is taken." "Trump is going to be forced to federalize the border," Bannon said, either with National Guard troops or federal law-enforcement agents. The big picture: Texas was red as blood on Nov. 2, the day before midterms. Now it'll have a Democratic governor ... lieutenant governor ... attorney general ... comptroller ... land commissioner ... agriculture commissioner ... Texas House ... and U.S. senator, 37-year-old James Talarico. Talarico won by double digits over state Attorney General Ken Paxton, and Gina Hinojosa — who'll be Texas' first Latina governor — upset three-term Gov. Greg Abbott. Democrats won all four state Supreme Court seats on th
The tiny U.S. government division charged with assessing the safety of new artificial intelligence offerings doesn’t have a permanent leader and has stopped publishing its research
With the global tide turning against him, the US president’s lame duck status could still aggravate old tensions and spark new explosions It was a victory for the world, too. People in the many countries that suffered pain, loss and cruel indignities at the hands of Donald Trump over the past two chaotic, fearful years celebrated a moment of glorious, shared redemption. The monster, like others of his kind, still lurks in his gilded White House lair; far-right authoritarianism still casts a dark shadow over many nations. But the power of this most destructive of presidents is shattered , his malignant spell broken. The triumphant roar of US midterm voters was a rallying cry of democratic defiance that, echoing the American revolution of 250 years ago, reverberated around the globe. For Iranians, Trump’s electoral humiliation raised hopes, perhaps misplaced, that his murderous war of choice against Tehran’s oppressive regime may soon cease . In Israel, many among the majority who voted for change last week will welcome the humbling of the foremost supporter of Benjamin Netanyahu’s as-yet-unvanquished extremist coalition. Ukrainians voiced optimism that a Democratic-controlled Congress will curb the sickening appeasement of Vladimir Putin’s Russia. In Europe, the beginning of the end of the Trump era brought a sense of relief – and hope that toxic transatlantic relations can be drained of Maga poison. Continue reading...
There were new reactions Saturday after President Trump elevated his longtime adviser Stephen Miller as his new White House Chief of Staff, marking the president’s first major staffing shake-up since Republicans lost control of the House and Senate. NBC News’ Julia Ainsley reports.
On social media, the president offered the now-vacant job of White House press secretary to Dana White, the organization’s C.E.O., and told him to bring along fighters as aides.
President said the ‘violent Fighter and Warrior’ plus some UFC brawlers would ‘defend us from the Lunatic Left’ Donald Trump has offered the job of White House press secretary to Dana White, the chief executive of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, the president said in a social media post on Saturday. Trump described White, who staged a cage-fighting spectacle at the White House to mark the president’s 80th birthday in June, as “a violent Fighter and Warrior”, credentials unlike any ever used to describe previous press secretaries. Continue reading...
Stephen Miller is no Susie Wiles: He believes in almost limitless presidential power, considers the Democratic Party an extremist organization, and dreams of ruthless crackdowns on immigration and foreign adversaries. Why it matters: Miller, the new White House chief of staff, isn't just unlike anyone who's had the job under Trump — he's unlike any to occupy the powerful position in the modern era. He puts the hard in hard-liner and understands how to pull the levers of power to get his way and make the U.S. government a MAGA machine. Miller's appointment sets the stage for two years of partisan warfare with the new Democratic-led Congress, which is likely to launch investigations of Trump's administration, political committees and allies. "Stephen is Trump's wartime consigliere," Roger Stone, one of the president's oldest friends and advisers, told Axios. The big picture: Despite his post-midterm comments about finding ways to work with Democrats, Trump's choice of Miller signals that he's not looking for truces. He's prepping for war, and sees Miller as a brass-knuckle general and tactical expert impervious to criticism or traditional restraints. Trump's MAGA brain for a decade, the 41-year-old has detailed his Miller Doctrine in speeches, policies and press conferences: Presidential power is "very substantial and will not be questioned." Miller said those words about Trump's Muslim travel ban in 2017 on CBS's "Face the Nation," but to him they broadly apply to other areas of the executive's authority. Court authority is limited. In May 2025, when courts blocked aspects of Trump's deportation policies, Miller said the rulings were the work of "radical rogue judges" who were "at war" with the executive and legislative branches. The political opposition is a threat to America. "The Democrat Party is not a political party. It is a domestic extremist organization," Miller told Sean Hannity in August 2025. He also warned that if Democrats won Congress, "it's game over.
Architect of Trump’s far-right immigration agenda is now most powerful unelected figure in government – it suggests White House is moving to a war footing Donald Trump just gave the middle finger to millions of American voters. Any other president who suffered the kind of drubbing at the polls that Trump did this week might have felt at least a sliver of humility – and perhaps even an obligation to work with the new opposition in Congress. Continue reading...
Single-holder executive offices only; excludes courts, commissions and federal offices. Data: Associated Press; Axios analysis; Chart: Andrew Pantazi/Axios Democrats' midterm gains extended deep into the machinery of state government: They swept every statewide executive office on the ballot in Texas, Georgia, Nevada, Wisconsin and Arizona. Why it matters: These low-profile victories will shape what millions of Americans pay for electricity, what their kids read in class and which party runs the 2028 presidential election in key states. The big picture: Democrats captured five Republican governorships, in Texas, Georgia, Ohio, Iowa and Nevada. But the scale of their gains becomes clearer farther down the ballot. Georgia: Democrats wrested all eight statewide executive offices on the ballot, including governor, attorney general, secretary of state and school superintendent. Texas: They flipped all six posts, defeating Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick in a state that hadn't elected a Democrat to statewide office in 32 years. Nevada: Democrats won all six executive offices, flipping governor, lieutenant governor and controller. Wisconsin: Democrats completed their Badger State domination, picking up the office of treasurer, the sole statewide office still held by a Republican. Arizona: Democrats held governor, attorney general and secretary of state. They lead in the three other executive races: treasurer, school superintendent and mine inspector. Data: Associated Press; Axios analysis Between the lines: The Democratic gains reach offices that decide which policies advance, which don't and which get challenged in court. Attorneys general: Nathan Johnson in Texas and Tanya Miller in Georgia will decide when their states sue the Trump administration and what corporations they investigate. Secretaries of state: Democrats flipped these offices in Georgia, Ohio and Indiana, putting new officials in charge of running the 2028 presidential election there. Texas' lieu
Maga’s regret voters were all-in for Trump’s racism. Then they found out they couldn’t afford it For the first time in a decade, election predictions far exceeded public expectations. What pollsters anticipated as a blue wave billowed into a blue tsunami . Wins that held ground for already blue seats eased nerves, and the flips of swing states like Michigan, Georgia, North Carolina and Ohio energized the blue base. But red-belt-busting wins in Republican strongholds like Texas, South Carolina and Kansas alongside pending races in Alaska and Mississippi left mouths agape. The explanation was that Democrats turned out far more supporters than their regulars, and that the “ regret voter ” (both swing voters and partisan Republicans) expanded the wave across districts Trump previously won . Elation and sighs of relief rolled over consistently Democratic voters who suffered multiple sucker punches from recent years of Republican upsets. Regret voters, who run the gamut from gen Z men to Latinos , farmers and the white working class , hope a different party can deliver on the economy Trump promised them. Blue voters look at the dismantling of democracy, multiple wars, mass deportations and Trump’s unchecked power in these last two years and see how it all could have been avoided. Regret voters, however, either co-signed or conceded to Trump’s naked racism and brutish bullying of marginalized people, but switched their votes as soon as the consequences hit their pockets. While some of the president’s backers may have been turned away by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) gunning down American citizens, the final straw for most wasn’t ICE’s brutality , but rather the price of eggs. Some may have been upset by the Tomahawk missile assault that killed 120 schoolgirls in Iran, but most fumed at the rocketing costs at the gas pump that followed. Few demanded answers for the nearly 60 deaths of innocent people detained in DHS detention centers since the start of 2024, but
Democrats and Republicans blast promotion of ‘xenophobe’ who led administration’s immigration crackdown in wake of US midterm elections Democratic lawmakers decried Stephen Miller as a “ hatemonger ”, a “ xenophobe ” and “ vile ” after Donald Trump appointed his most trusted adviser as White House chief of staff. On Friday afternoon, the US president abruptly announced via his Truth Social platform that Miller – the architect of his sweeping immigration crackdown – would replace Susie Wiles, whom he confirmed had been ousted. Continue reading...
President Trump has named his controversial deputy Stephen Miller as White House chief of staff, following the departure of Susie Wiles after Republican midterm losses. NBC News’ Gabe Gutierrez reports.
A Venezuelan man who had guns in his vehicle and told officers that voices in his head urged him to kill President Donald Trump was arrested Thursday near the White House, the federal government said.
Vice President Vance has spent the past two weeks personally involved in indirect talks with Iran aimed at reaching a new ceasefire and resuming nuclear negotiations, according to two sources with knowledge of the matter. Why it matters: Vance's heavy involvement shows he's taking it upon himself to extract the U.S. from a conflict he blamed for the GOP's staggering losses in this week's election. It also elevates the latest round of indirect talks to the highest levels of the administration. The big picture: U.S. officials and regional sources say that for now Trump is willing to let diplomatic efforts play out and wants to see if any kind of deal is possible. "We're talking to them," Trump told reporters on Friday, when asked what his message to Iran was. But if he changes his mind and orders renewed strikes, the U.S. military is ready to launch strikes on a relatively short timetable. Behind the scenes: Vance has been speaking almost daily to Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, Pakistani Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir and other mediators about the negotiations with Iran, sources with direct knowledge said. White House envoy Steve Witkoff and President Trump's adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner are also involved. Vance and Qatari and Pakistani mediators have been discussing the possibility of a working-level technical meeting between the U.S. and Iran in the coming days, but it hasn't materialized yet, the sources said. The vice president's office declined to comment. Catch up quick: Vance was the most skeptical voice in Trump's inner circle about the war before it began at the end of February, advocating instead for a diplomatic solution. He led the U.S. negotiating team to an April summit on Iran in Islamabad, and he was personally involved in talks that led to the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding (MOU) in June. Vance then led the U.S. delegation to a round of direct talks with Iran in Switzerland, which ended wit
Between the GOP's thrashing at the polls, another one of President Trump 's planned D.C. construction makeovers being halted and an uphill battle to overturn his conviction on 34 felony counts, this week has netted a string of setbacks for the president. Why it matters: Trump's administration is entering its lame-duck era, facing criticism and potential investigations as its power to reshape the federal government dwindles . But Trump is showing little inclination to change course. Driving the news: Trump has remained defiant about the midterms, blaming the Iran war and the GOP's candidates for the losses while spending a lot of time discussing planned D.C. construction projects . On Friday, Trump announced he would replace White House chief of staff Susie Wiles with Stephen Miller , a champion of his most hard-line policies. The move could signal that the president plans to push even harder on some of his unpopular policies, Axios' Marc Caputo and Andrew Pantazi write. Zoom in: Voters told Trump loud and clear they're dissatisfied with his policies, particularly on the Iran war, cost of living and economy. Roughly two-thirds of voters said Trump's agenda had fueled inflation, per the AP's Voter Poll. Trump admitted the unpopular war helped Republicans lose their majorities. With Democrats poised to control Congress and potentially restrict war funding, he has few good options for a decisive win. As one of his former advisers told Axios' Barak Ravid: "It's one thing to lose the midterms. But Trump doesn't want to look like a loser twice." What they're saying: "I don't think conciliatory is in [Trump's] vocabulary or ethos," Republican strategist Barrett Marson told Axios, calling Miller's appointment evidence that Trump won't "go away quietly." "He's taken the architect of many of the worst policies and elevating him. I'm not really sure how that is sort of acknowledging voters' discontent," Marson said. Marson said Trump's inability to run for president again could
Secret Service officers arrested a Venezuelan migrant in Washington, D.C., after finding firearms in a stolen vehicle and hearing an alleged threat against Trump.
Americans on both sides of the political aisle are watching the nail-bitingly close Mississippi Senate race , where a controversial voter-roll cleanup has come under scrutiny after some voters reported problems casting their ballots. Why it matters: The cliffhanger has exposed concerns about relying on third-party data to determine where voters live and how states maintain voter rolls. Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith and Democrat Scott Colom are locked in a razor-thin race to be the state's junior senator. As of 2 p.m. ET Friday, Colom led by a little over 2000 votes, according to Associated Press data. The big picture: More than 230,000 Mississippians were listed as inactive ahead of the midterms, according to an analysis by Mississippi Today. That's up from roughly 166,000 in the 2024 election, according to federal data . Those voters weren't removed from the rolls, but they were required to cast affidavit ballots in Tuesday's election. Election workers review those ballots after Election Day, checking voter information against registration records. In some cases, voters must verify their identity with their county circuit clerk's office, slowing vote counting and — in this case — determining the winner. The intrigue: The inactive voter total shot up after the state's March primaries, months after Secretary of State Michael Watson's office inked a $50,000 deal with credit reporting company Experian to help verify voter addresses. "The increase in inactive registrations across the state of Mississippi raised some concerns because it seemed unusually high compared to other cycles and in such a small amount of time," Thessalia Merivaki, an elections research expert and former professor at Mississippi State University, tells Axios. She says there were concerns about "how reliable" these data brokers are, and whether relying on them had "resulted in erroneously placing eligible voters on an inactive status." How it works: Experian's data was intended to flag voters wh
Stephen Miller is replacing Susie Wiles as White House Chief of Staff on Monday, President Trump wrote in a Friday Truth Social post. Why it matters: The appointment of Miller, who favors a more hardline approach to the Iran war and immigration, could signal a shifting strategy. Wiles' departure removes a crucial stabilizing force from the West Wing just as Trump confronts the fallout from Republicans' sweeping midterm losses and a Democratic Congress intent on investigating his administration. What they're saying: "I am pleased to announce that Mr. Stephen Miller, the current Deputy Chief of Staff of the Trump Administration, and one of my most trusted advisors, will become the Chief of Staff starting Monday, November 9, 2026," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "Susie Wiles, who has done an outstanding job, will be moving over to the Trump Political Operation. I want to thank her for her service as Chief of Staff." Editor's note: This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
After midterm wins, Democratics plan comeback for when new Congress is sworn in, including pushback against Trump and his policies Donald Trump will be blocked from putting a “rightwinger” on the US supreme court, according to Chuck Schumer, the soon-to-be Senate majority leader, in remarks that were a preview of how Democrats intend to wield their power come January. In an interview with the Associated Press, Schumer said Democrats would not confirm “any crappy nominees” to the supreme court, lower courts or Trump’s cabinet. Continue reading...
The Warriors’ freshman has spent his first weeks in the NBA antagonizing superstars, speaking his mind and emerging as one of the league’s most compelling personalities If a screen-addled pickup basketball player teleported into the body of a high-level athlete, they might resemble Yaxel Lendeborg. The most commonly cited fact about Lendeborg is that he used to spend 12 to 14 hours a day gaming , and didn’t debut on his high school basketball team until he was an upperclassman. Professional athletes often have origin stories that resemble the superhero more than the mortal, but Lendeborg really was just like us at one point. Lendeborg has also said that prior to entering the NBA, he didn’t really watch it, either. The Puerto Rican forward racked up more than enough accolades in college to qualify for the NBA, but still. Any of you reading this could smoke the man who may be this season’s rookie of the year in trivia about his profession. The 24-year-old Lendeborg is a forward on the Golden State Warriors, a team caught between the ancient, gleaming remnants of the most fearsome dynasty of the 2010s and its future. The balance didn’t work out last season, as the Warriors produced flashes of old greatness to win one play-in game before flaming out in the next. Such results are a frustrating waste of Stephen Curry’s wonderful form even at 38 years old. Lendeborg is the best hope in a while to help maximize it. But even more importantly, Lendeborg is the character of the season so far. He’s spent its first two weeks antagonizing superstars, firing off unselfconscious takes in the press and vacuuming up the spotlight from his blander peers. What a joy to bear witness to an athlete who probably didn’t even hear the words “media training” until college. Continue reading...
The successful Democratic contender for a Michigan Senate seat parried the many insinuations lobbed by Republicans Abdul El-Sayed said he did not expect to be “a main character of this midterms”, but the first Muslim elected to the US Senate in history will take his seat in January after a vitriolic campaign that cast him as the central villain of the president and his party. By October he told the Associated Press he was “not shying away” from those rightwing fixations. “What are you implying?” El-Sayed, the son of Egyptian immigrants, replied when a town hall attender asked if he would disavow the Muslim Brotherhood, in a now-viral exchange. Continue reading...
Yes, the Republicans suffered humiliating defeat. But the fact that a Trump presidency was even possible means something like it could happen again He’s down, but not quite out. Barring divine or other intervention, Donald Trump will remain in the Oval Office for a further two years and 10 weeks. Or, as the White House put it in a plaintive social media post brimming with neediness: “PSA [Public Service Announcement]: Trump is still your president.” But that’s not the only reason why the global celebrations that greeted the Democratic tidal wave that swept Republicans out of even their deepest heartlands should be tempered, if only a tad. Don’t get me wrong, the results of Tuesday’s midterm elections are cause for genuine international jubilation. The defeats of Trump allies in Serbia and Brazil were delicious appetisers, but this was the feast. No mere electoral setback in line with midterm tradition, this was a thorough repudiation of the second Trump presidency and of Trumpism. The 16% swing to Democrats in the popular vote for the House of Representatives was greater even than the 11.2% swing recorded in the Watergate midterms of November 1974, following the resignation in disgrace of Richard Nixon. Trump had worked hard for many months to undermine these elections , either by gerrymandering districts in his favour or preparing the ground for a later claim the vote was rigged, but to no avail: the democratic system proved too resilient, and the American public too determined to have their say. And have it they did, in a voice loud and clear. Jonathan Freedland is a Guardian columnist Continue reading...
Donald Trump signed a proclamation on Thursday that he says will prevent future administrations from changing his design of the Oval Office and Cabinet Room, spaces he declared to be national monuments that should be preserved. Since returning to office, the US president has transformed the Oval Office with gold accents and statuettes, portraits of famous Americans pulled from storage and a copy of the Declaration of Independence that hangs on the wall. The redesign has drawn criticism, including from the former president Barack Obama, who recently joked that 'he’s got the White House looking like Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory. Just gold everywhere.' Trump signs proclamation to try to prevent changes to gold-covered Oval Office Continue reading...
Voters were unambiguous on Tuesday: Don't B.S. us. Don't say you'll lower prices and end wars and corruption, then do the opposite. It's really that simple. This isn't so different from when Americans told Democrats not to B.S. them about Joe Biden's health, or about the words they should use, or social behaviors they should adopt. Why it matters: Most Americans agree broadly on most things, most of the time. They want competent politicians to focus on issues that meaningfully impact their lives. Like clockwork, every two years, Americans feel the party in power fails to deliver this — so they punish the incumbents at the polls. Politicians and some journalists tend to treat the American people as dopes and dupes who don't get what's happening in front of their faces. Tuesday's midterms, which will live in history as a Watergate-level reset for democracy, show that voters were paying attention and hit a boiling point. They didn't hide it. Polls consistently showed that all they really care about is rising inflation, job insecurity, ending the war, and stopping the rampant corruption. This was a repudiation of overreach, incompetence and corruption. People will tolerate it in small doses, but eventually reject it. In an age when people trust institutions less all the time , our institutions held. Courts restrained executive-branch excess. The press kept doing its job. Voters did theirs. But for all the hand-wringing that America is crumbling, that democracy is fading, or elections are eroding, the system worked. Remember: most Americans are normal and resilient. We should celebrate that. Despite it all, America works. For years, we've been reminding you about the power of Normal America : The vast majority of people — including our siblings, who are scattered from Oshkosh to Oregon — don't marinate in cable news, obsess about X or wake up thinking about Washington. They volunteer, they give to good causes, they'll help you in a pinch. They're good, they're fair ... a
Religious "nones" outnumbered white evangelicals by a stunning ten percentage points in the 2026 midterms electorate, up from just one point in 2024. Why it matters: The era of conservative white evangelicals dominating America's religious-political narrative faces a mathematical collapse. By the numbers: White evangelical or born-again Christians accounted for 17% of voters Tuesday, down from 23% in 2024 and 24% in 2022 , according to preliminary 2026 voter polling and earlier exit polls. Their Republican loyalty barely budged: 82% backed GOP House candidates, compared with 84% in 2024 and 83% in 2022. Religiously unaffiliated voters, known as "nones," accounted for 27% of the electorate Tuesday, compared with 24% in 2024. Their Democratic support climbed from 70% to 78%. What they're saying: "In most of those midwestern states, the white evangelicals are outnumbered in the population by the white mainline Protestants," Robert P. Jones, president and founder of the nonpartisan Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI), told Axios. Jones said their decline over roughly two decades extends beyond election results, with evangelical denominations losing millions of members. The big picture: White evangelical Protestants account for just 13% of American adults, down from 23% in 2006, according to PRRI's 2025 Census of American Religion . Yet they accounted for 17% of voters Tuesday, a larger share than their population footprint, though the surveys define the group differently. Religious "nones" now account for 28% of adults, up from 16% in 2006. Zoom in: Even Trump's most loyal religious supporters have cooled on his second term. His approval among white evangelical Protestants fell from 78% in early 2025 to 58% before the midterms, according to Pew Research Center . They remain the only major religious group Pew analyzed in which a majority approves of his performance. Between the lines: So far, the religious right's shrinking demographic footprint hasn't weakened its
President Trump said the deal “might involve all of Europe.” He indicated he had met with a Kremlin envoy whom Melania Trump hosted at the White House on Thursday.
President Trump said after meeting with his national security advisers Thursday that he'll soon decide whether to resume all-out war in Iran now that the midterms are over. Why it matters: The election was seen as an inflection point for Trump on whether to unleash a new wave of bombing to try to bring the war to an end. The president, at least for now, is considering three options: launch new strikes, continue to strangle Iran's regime economically or cut a deal that includes significant concessions to the Iranians. On Thursday, Trump and his top national security advisers met on Iran for the first time since the election, as part of his weekly intelligence briefing, two U.S. officials said. What he's saying: "Now we will make a decision," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. "Do we want to go further" with strikes to ensure Iran's nuclear program is dead and that "it will never happen again?" he added. "I would rather not destroy the rest of the country if possible, but maybe I will have to. You'll know soon enough." State of play: As Trump weighs his next move, there was a flurry of diplomatic activity on Thursday, including multiple phone calls between Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and regional mediators from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the UAE, Oman and Egypt. The Qatari mediators continued discussions with the Iranians and the White House about a draft proposal calling for the two sides to take a series of steps over two days to build mutual confidence toward a broader deal. On the first day, the U.S. would lift its naval blockade and release some Iran's frozen funds. In return, Iran would issue an official invitation to the International Atomic Energy Agency to send inspectors to bombed nuclear sites, based on an agreement reached in Cairo a year ago, regional sources say. On the second day, the Strait of Hormuz would reopen, after which nuclear talks would resume, focusing on Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium. The big picture: The sec
Democratic socialist Nithya Raman toppled embattled Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass in a stunning upset, putting South Asian immigrants on course to lead America's two largest cities. Why it matters: With New York's Zohran Mamdani already in office, Raman's win puts democratic socialists on track to run two of America's most powerful city halls — testing whether their promises on affordable housing and better government can survive the pressures of governing. The big picture: Raman's victory marks a historic shift in urban American politics as voters embrace a new generation of immigrant leaders challenging the Democratic establishment. Raman, 45, immigrated from India as a child. Mamdani, New York's mayor, also has South Asian roots and immigrated to the U.S. Both built their political careers around affordability and inequality, giving democratic socialism a powerful foothold in America's largest cities. State of play: The Associated Press called the race for Raman Thursday, making Bass the first Los Angeles mayor in two decades to lose reelection. Raman led Bass 52.1% to 47.9% in unofficial results released Thursday. Ballot counting continues. Bass, who won in 2022, conceded and pledged a smooth transition. Raman takes office Dec. 14. Raman defeated a political heavyweight backed by California Gov. Gavin Newsom, former Vice President Kamala Harris, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and much of the City Council. Zoom in: Raman capitalized on growing frustration over homelessness, housing costs and Bass' handling of the deadly 2025 Palisades Fire. A September Berkeley IGS/L.A. Times poll showed Raman leading Bass 66%-4% among likely voters under 30 and 45%-21% among Latino likely voters. Bass narrowed the gap. The final Berkeley poll showed the candidates tied at 40%, with 19% undecided. Among Latino likely voters, Raman's lead shrank to 43%-40%. Raman launched her challenge in February after previously endorsing Bass, turning former allies into political rivals. Zoom
Kirill Dimitrov, envoy to Russian president Vladimir Putin, delivered a gift to Melania Trump at the White House on Thursday to thank her for brokering a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russian forces in Oleshky, Ukraine. During the same event, Ukraine's human rights ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets gifted the first lady with the Order of Princess Olga, 1st Degree award. Continue reading...
The development emerges from a lawsuit alleging violations of national immigration regulations The Trump administration held secret talks with Iran on deporting Iranians even as the war there dragged on, court documents obtained by the Associated Press show. The court documents unsealed on Thursday show the Republican administration as recently as mid-October said it had plans to deport the Iranians through an unnamed third country, although it was unclear when it intended to do so. Continue reading...
As war rages on in Kyiv and other cities, the first lady celebrates her single-city ceasefire with Russian and Ukrainian envoys Beaming from a podium in the White House’s Grand Foyer, Melania Trump welcomed senior Russian and Ukrainian officials on Thursday to celebrate a ceasefire in an embattled Ukrainian town for which she has become the unlikeliest broker. The evacuation from Oleshky, a frontline Ukrainian town now occupied by Russia where 800 people lived through a protracted humanitarian crisis, may seem like a sideshow at this point in the war. Russian missiles and drones continue to rain down on Kyiv and other major cities, and a single Russian strike described as a “double-tap” bombing killed 40 people in Zaporizhzhia on Wednesday. Continue reading...
The president seems to accept this is his last White House stint and is focused on renovating whatever he can get his little hands on As you’d expect, the right is in a shambles right now. Elon Musk is making jokes about his “election-interfering space lasers” and pretending that he really, really doesn’t care that he threw away nearly half a billion dollars trying to influence the midterms. JD Vance is writing long essays on social media about how he agrees the Iran war was a bit of an oopsie. Donald Trump, meanwhile, seems to be going through his own idiosyncratic grieving process about the Republicans’ historic midterm beating. The president has skipped all the way past shock, denial and anger and landed at the “admiring my beautiful renovations” stage of grief. Continue reading...
A note from our US editor: A reckoning is coming, but make no mistake: Trump is still president – we’ll need a free press in 2027 as much as we did in darker days. Please help today if you are able Betsy Reed is US editor of the Guardian Over the past two years, millions of people all over the world have watched Donald Trump’s destructive reign unfold with one question in their minds: Is there no check on his power? This week, voters deciding who controls Congress responded in a thunderous voice: there must be a check on the president’s power. From Texas to Ohio to South Carolina, Americans surged to the polls to register their opposition to Donald Trump – and to show their support for the kind of leaders who will look out for the interests of everyday people rather than those of a corrupt ruling elite. And now many people are looking at politics with a new and unfamiliar feeling of hope. Continue reading...
Kirill Dimitrov, envoy to Russian president Vladimir Putin, delivered a gift to Melania Trump at the White House on Thursday to thank her for brokering a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russian forces in Oleshky, Ukraine. Russia first occupied the village during the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 Continue reading...
Young voters swung so hard toward Democrats in Tuesday's midterms that it raises new doubts about whether Republicans can build a lasting coalition among Americans under 30. Why it matters: Trump's success with Gen Z voters, especially young men , fueled talk of a generational shift toward Republicans. Tuesday's results tell a different story. By the numbers: An estimated 66% of voters ages 18–29 backed Democratic House candidates Tuesday, compared with 31% for Republicans, according to Tufts University's CIRCLE , which analyzed preliminary data from the NORC Civic Health & Elections Project. That's a 35-point Democratic advantage, compared with 14 points in the 2024 national House exit poll , when young voters favored Democrats 56%–42%. Democratic support among men under 30 rose from 51% in 2024 to 59% in 2026. Among young women, it climbed from 61% to 70%, according to 2024 exit polling by Edison Research and CIRCLE's updated 2026 analysis of NORC data. Young white voters favored Democrats 63%–34% in the SSRS survey, after splitting 50%–48% in 2024. State of play: Polls flashed warning signs for Republicans in the final weeks before Election Day. An October Harvard Youth Poll found voters ages 18–29 who said they would definitely vote favored Democrats 63%–26%. Just 9% of young Americans said the country was headed in the right direction. Zoom in: Democrats drew overwhelming support from young voters in major statewide races, according to preliminary SSRS polling. In Texas, 76% of voters under 30 supported Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico, while 73% backed Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gina Hinojosa, according to CIRCLE's state analysis . In Georgia, 70% backed Democratic gubernatorial candidate Keisha Lance Bottoms. More than 60% favored Democratic candidates for Senate and governor in Ohio. In Iowa, where young voters backed Trump in 2024, Republican Senate candidate Ashley Hinson lost significant ground with the group, according to AP Voter Poll
An envoy to Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke at a White House event celebrating a temporary ceasefire in Oleshky brokered by Melania Trump
