Skip to Content

CNN – US Politics

New US citizens use handheld fans to take shade from the sun during a naturalization ceremony at George Washington's Mount Vernon in Virginia

Trump administration expands ‘good moral character’ requirement to become naturalized citizen

By Michael Williams, CNN (CNN) — The Trump administration is expanding the requirement for immigrants who are hoping to become US citizens to display “good moral character,” in a move that some immigration lawyers denounced as a troubling change that adds uncertainty to the naturalization process. US Citizenship and Immigration Services, an agency within the

Continue Reading

Southern border wall will be painted black to deter people from climbing it during hot weather, DHS secretary says

By Hanna Park, CNN (CNN) — The wall along the southern border will be painted black in an effort to make the structure too hot to climb, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced Tuesday, saying the suggestion came from President Donald Trump. “It’s tall, which makes it very, very difficult to climb, almost

Continue Reading
Katheryn Millwee holds a portrait of Kilmar Abrego Garcia outside the federal courthouse on June 25

Abrego Garcia’s lawyers urge judge to drop his criminal case, alleging ‘vindictive and selective prosecution’

By Devan Cole, CNN (CNN) — Attorneys for Kilmar Abrego Garcia are asking the federal judge overseeing his criminal case to throw out the human smuggling charges he’s facing, alleging the Justice Department singled him out for prosecution after he challenged his wrongful deportation to El Salvador earlier this year. The request made Tuesday to

Continue Reading
White House Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard talks to reporters in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on July 23 in Washington

Tulsi Gabbard revokes security clearances of 37 current and former national security officials

By Josh Campbell, Katie Bo Lillis, CNN (CNN) — The US government security clearances of at least 37 current and former national security officials have been revoked by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, according to a memo obtained by CNN. Those impacted include people who were involved in conducting an assessment of Russia’s efforts

Continue Reading

Some Texas Democrats rip up agreements to leave House floor under police escort and will spend night in chamber in protest

By Arlette Saenz, CNN Austin, Texas (CNN) — Several Texas state House Democrats ripped up the written agreements that allowed them to leave the chamber with a police escort and returned to the House floor Tuesday night, the caucus announced. The lawmakers will spend the night on the House floor with state Rep. Nicole Collier,

Continue Reading
An exhibit of a slave cabin is seen at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture

Trump escalates attacks against Smithsonian museums, says there’s too much focus on ‘how bad slavery was’

By Kit Maher, Piper Hudspeth Blackburn, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump escalated his campaign to purge cultural institutions of materials that conflict with his political directives on Tuesday, alleging museums were too focused on highlighting negative aspects of American history, including “how bad slavery was.” In a Truth Social post, Trump directed his attorneys

Continue Reading
NY Attorney General Letitia James and Ed Martin are pictured in a split image.

DOJ prosecutor investigating New York Attorney General Letitia James seen posing for photos outside of her home

By Kara Scannell, CNN (CNN) — Ed Martin, President Donald Trump’s Justice Department weaponization chief, called for the resignation of New York Attorney General Letitia James and posed for photos outside of her Brooklyn home last week – all as he is conducting investigations into her conduct. His investigation of James, whose office brought civil

Continue Reading
Members of the National Guard patrol the Lincoln Memorial in Washington

National Guard troops from GOP-led states begin arriving in DC as part of Trump’s crime crackdown

By Haley Britzky, Brian Todd, CNN (CNN) — West Virginia National Guard troops have begun to arrive in Washington, DC, to assist with President Donald Trump’s crime crackdown in the nation’s capital, a defense official told CNN on Tuesday. The troops could begin assisting the DC National Guard operationally as soon as Wednesday after they

Continue Reading

Progressive veterans group seeks to boost Spanberger in Virginia governor’s race with $500,000 ad campaign

By David Wright, CNN (CNN) — VoteVets, a liberal organization that supports veterans who run for office, is launching a half-million-dollar ad campaign to boost the Democratic nominee in the race for Virginia governor by attacking her GOP opponent on cost-of-living concerns, a significant investment ahead of the key off-year election this November. The race

Continue Reading

Trump wants DC to charge 14-year-olds as adults. Here’s where the district’s laws stand

By Ethan Schenker, CNN (CNN) — As hundreds of federal law enforcement officers and National Guard troops descend on Washington as part of President Donald Trump’s public display of force against crime in the nation’s capital, the president and his allies have increasingly directed their ire toward the city’s juvenile crime laws. More than two

Continue Reading

Democratic states sue to force Trump to hand over crime grant money in immigration fight

By Hannah Rabinowitz, CNN (CNN) — Twenty states and Washington, DC, sued the Trump administration on Monday, alleging that it is improperly withholding hundreds of millions of dollars meant to help victims of crimes in order to force states into cooperating with federal immigration enforcement efforts. The states, all of which have Democratic attorneys general,

Continue Reading

Trump uses FBI and Justice Department to escalate his long-standing feud with Adam Schiff

By Jeremy Herb, CNN (CNN) — In the first Trump administration, then-Rep. Adam Schiff led the House’s investigations into Donald Trump, first as the top Democrat on the intelligence committee’s probe into Russian election interference and then as the lead investigator of the withholding of Ukraine aid that led to the president’s first impeachment. When

Continue Reading

US suspends visitor visas for Gazans

By Alison Main, Jennifer Hansler, CNN (CNN) — Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Sunday that the State Department suspended visitor visas for Gazans because it received “evidence” that some organizations facilitating the visas to the US “have strong links to terrorist groups like Hamas,” without providing further details. The State Department announced in a

Continue Reading

White House signals strong momentum toward peace in Ukraine but many questions linger

By Kevin Liptak, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump’s foreign envoy Steve Witkoff — one of three American participants in Friday’s summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin — described on Sunday several major agreements reached during the Alaska talks that he said created strong momentum toward a peace agreement with Ukraine. Witkoff told CNN that

Continue Reading

Six GOP-led states to send hundreds of National Guard troops to DC as White House escalates police takeover

By Shania Shelton, Kaanita Iyer, CNN (CNN) — The Republican governors of West Virginia, South Carolina, Ohio, Mississippi, Louisiana and Tennessee announced they will send National Guard troops to Washington, DC, in an escalation of President Donald Trump’s efforts to federally take over law enforcement in the city. Louisiana’s governor Jeff Landry said Monday he

Continue Reading

Exclusive: Oklahoma to begin controversial test to weed out ‘woke’ teacher applicants today

By Sunlen Serfaty, CNN (CNN) — Teachers from “liberal” states who have relocated to Oklahoma and are seeking to work there must take a controversial new assessment, to be given for the first time today, that “keeps away woke indoctrinators,” according to Oklahoma’s top education official. Ryan Walters, Oklahoma’s superintendent for public instruction, told CNN

Continue Reading

Federal agents gather in DC to enforce Trump-directed crackdown on homeless encampments

By Piper Hudspeth Blackburn, Kaanita Iyer, CNN (CNN) — Small groups of federal agents gathered throughout Washington, DC, on Thursday night to clear out homeless encampments as part of President Donald Trump’s takeover of law enforcement in the nation’s capital. In Washington Circle – an area in northwest DC close to George Washington University –

Continue Reading

Obama praises Texas Democrats and calls state redistricting effort ‘a systematic assault on democracy’

By Arlette Saenz, CNN (CNN) — Former President Barack Obama waded into the debate over redistricting in a zoom call with Texas House Democrats on Thursday, warning of a “systematic assault on democracy” spurred by Republican efforts to redraw congressional maps in Texas. In a video of the 30-minute conversation obtained by CNN, Obama praised

Continue Reading

Texas Democrats signal they are ready to end redistricting standoff and return to state

By Arlette Saenz, Steve Contorno, CNN (CNN) — Texas Democratic lawmakers signaled their intention on Thursday to end their redistricting standoff and return to Austin, paving the way for Republicans there to pass a redrawing of congressional lines backed by President Donald Trump. In a release Thursday, Texas House Democrats set conditions for heading back

Continue Reading

‘Chaos, fear and confusion’: Trump-backed crackdown hits DC’s homeless population

By Marshall Cohen, CNN Washington (CNN) — Fear and confusion are spreading among Washington, DC’s homeless population at the start of President Donald Trump’s crackdown on encampments. Leaders from three prominent advocacy groups in the nation’s capital — where about 800 people live on the streets on any given night — told CNN they’re bracing

Continue Reading

Trump told Melania to ‘go forward’ with legal action against Hunter Biden over Epstein relationship comments

By Shania Shelton, Aileen Graef, Betsy Klein, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump confirmed Thursday morning that Melania Trump’s attorneys are threatening legal action against Hunter Biden, saying he told her to “go forward.” “You know, I’ve done pretty well on these lawsuits lately. And I said, go forward. Jeffrey Epstein has nothing to do

Continue Reading

Republicans pitch Trump’s domestic policy agenda in Iowa, but some entrepreneurs aren’t yet sold

By Annie Grayer, CNN Ames, Iowa (CNN) — When Small Business Administrator Kelly Loeffler touted that her agency guarantees approximately 2,000 small business loans every week, Laura Pager, a small business contractor who says she has lost out on millions of dollars in work this year in the wake of the Department of Government Efficiency’s

Continue Reading

20 officers came to arrest man charged with throwing sandwich at a police officer in DC, his lawyer says

By Holmes Lybrand, Kaanita Iyer, Hannah Rabinowitz, CNN (CNN) — A man who worked for the Department of Justice was charged after allegedly throwing a sandwich at a federal law enforcement officer in Washington, DC, amid President Donald Trump’s takeover of the city’s police and increase in federal law enforcement presence. The man, Sean Charles

Continue Reading

Spanberger and Earle-Sears still at odds over when to debate in Virginia governor’s race

By Eva McKend, CNN (CNN) — Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, the Republican nominee for governor, formally accepted CNN’s invitation on Wednesday to participate in a fall debate. But her Democratic opponent, former US Rep. Abigail Spanberger, declined CNN’s invitation a day later. The election is one of two governor’s races across the nation in

Continue Reading

Federal judge questions if Trump’s deployment of the National Guard in the Los Angeles area is lawful

By Molly Reinmann, Julia Vargas Jones, CNN (CNN) — A federal judge in San Francisco seemed unconvinced after a three-day trial that the continued deployment of federalized members of California’s National Guard — who were originally deployed to Los Angeles in response to protests against President Donald Trump’s immigration agenda — is lawful. US District

Continue Reading
US soldiers assigned to the 273rd Military Police Company

Crowd in DC outraged by federal law enforcement presence as cars stopped on busy street

By Brian Todd, Dan Berman, Michael Williams, Alayna Treene, CNN (CNN) — A traffic checkpoint set up by Washington, DC, police and federal agents drew community outrage on Wednesday night as President Donald Trump’s takeover of the city’s police entered its third night. CNN’s team at the scene observed multiple cars being pulled over temporarily,

Continue Reading
Now-US District Judge Thomas Cullen appears before the US Senate Judiciary Committee for a hearing on his nomination to join the federal bench on March 4

Judge is skeptical of Justice Department’s lawsuit against 15 federal judges as Trump tries to limit power of judiciary

By Devan Cole, Katelyn Polantz, CNN Baltimore (CNN) — A federal judge was skeptical at a hearing Wednesday of the Justice Department’s effort to sue all of Maryland’s federal court judges in a case testing the Trump administration’s effort to limit the power of the judiciary. The case raises major questions about ongoing power struggles

Continue Reading
The Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum is seen in Washington

White House orders review of Smithsonian museums and exhibits to ensure alignment with Trump directive

CNN By Betsy Klein, CNN (CNN) — The White House is conducting a comprehensive internal review of exhibits and materials at the Smithsonian Institution – the organization that runs the nation’s major public museums – in an effort to comply with President Donald Trump’s directive about what should and shouldn’t be displayed. The initiative, a

Continue Reading

On social media, the Department of Homeland Security appeals to nostalgia — with motifs of White identity

By Michael Williams, CNN (CNN) — A recruitment poster recently shared on the Department of Homeland Security’s social media pages depicts Uncle Sam at a crossroads. In one direction point the words “homeland” and “opportunity.” Toward the other, “invasion” and “cultural decline.” In its caption, the agency overseeing the country’s immigration system presents these choices

Continue Reading

White House lands on Trump-Putin summit location as officials race to prepare for historic Alaska meeting

CNN By Kristen Holmes, Kevin Liptak, and David Brooks, CNN (CNN) — American officials scrambling this weekend to identify and lock down a venue for Friday’s summit between President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart quickly discovered a major snag: summertime is peak tourist season in Alaska, and options both available and equipped to host

Continue Reading

White House lands on Trump-Putin summit location as officials race to prepare for historic Alaska meeting

By Kristen Holmes, Kevin Liptak, and David Brooks, CNN (CNN) — American officials scrambling this weekend to identify and lock down a venue for Friday’s summit between President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart quickly discovered a major snag: summertime is peak tourist season in Alaska, and options both available and equipped to host the

Continue Reading

White House orders review of Smithsonian museums and exhibits to ensure alignment with Trump directive

By Betsy Klein, CNN (CNN) — The White House is conducting a comprehensive internal review of exhibits and materials at the Smithsonian Institution – the organization that runs the nation’s major public museums – in an effort to comply with President Donald Trump’s directive about what should and shouldn’t be displayed. The initiative, a trio

Continue Reading

Anti-affirmative action group drops lawsuits against West Point and Air Force Academy after policy changes

By Devan Cole, John Fritze, CNN (CNN) — Months after President Donald Trump ordered the nation’s military academies to scrap policies that allowed admissions officials to consider race, an anti-affirmative action group this week dropped a pair of lawsuits against West Point and the Air Force Academy. Students for Fair Admissions threw out the two

Continue Reading

State Department human rights report scaled back, omits details on abuses in politically allied countries

By Jennifer Hansler, Kylie Atwood, CNN Washington (CNN) — The US State Department on Tuesday released a pared-down version of its annual report meant to catalogue human rights concerns in countries around the world. The report covers the 2024 calendar year – before the Trump administration took office – and sources told CNN it was

Continue Reading
A law enforcement vehicle stands in front of Union Station near the US Capitol in Washington

Trump deployed the National Guard and declared federal control of DC police. Here’s how he is able to do it

CNN, POOL, TRUTHSOCIAL, WUSA, THE WHITE HOUSE, CNN VIA WEBEX, DC METROPOLITAN POLICE By Hanna Park, Michael Williams, CNN (CNN) — The DC National Guard began appearing in the nation’s capital on Tuesday after President Donald Trump announced a day earlier he is deploying guard troops and placing Washington, DC’s police department “under direct federal

Continue Reading

Trump has suggested a nationwide crime crackdown. Here’s what he can do outside of DC

By Hanna Park, Michael Williams, CNN (CNN) — The DC National Guard began appearing in the nation’s capital on Tuesday after President Donald Trump announced a day earlier he is deploying guard troops and placing Washington, DC’s police department “under direct federal control,” citing a public safety emergency after an assault on a former government

Continue Reading

California GOP lawmaker faces taunts and jeers over Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’ at town halls

By Piper Hudspeth Blackburn, CNN (CNN) — GOP Rep. Doug LaMalfa drew taunts and jeers at two raucous town hall meetings Monday over his support for President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill.” LaMalfa, whose district spans much of the state’s northern interior, is the latest Republican to face harsh in-person criticism, as members of the

Continue Reading

Trump’s DC police takeover was fueled by attack on former DOGE staffer and his own observations of homelessness, allies say

By Adam Cancryn, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump’s takeover of the Washington, DC, police set off a scramble across the city Monday, as the federal government made an unprecedented move to control local law enforcement operations in the nation’s capital. The decision to federalize the Metropolitan Police Department and activate hundreds of National Guard

Continue Reading

2.4 million people expected to lose food stamps after Trump agenda law broadened work requirements, CBO says

By Tami Luhby, CNN (CNN) — Some 2.4 million fewer Americans, including families with children, are forecast to receive food stamps benefits in an average month after Republican lawmakers expanded work requirements to some parents, older enrollees and others as part of President Donald Trump’s agenda law, according to a Congressional Budget Office analysis released

Continue Reading

Federal judge rejects Trump DOJ’s bid to unseal grand jury materials in Ghislaine Maxwell case

By Casey Gannon, CNN (CNN) — A federal judge has rejected the Trump administration’s request to unseal grand jury materials from the Ghislaine Maxwell sex trafficking case. The Justice Department has sought to release grand jury testimony and exhibits from cases involving Jeffrey Epstein in New York. Judge Paul Engelmayer issued a scathing opinion, saying

Continue Reading