The U.S. government agreed to permanently drop tax claims against President Donald Trump as part of a settlement deal to resolve Trump鈥檚 $10 billion over the leak of his tax returns. The same deal is resulting in a nearly $1.8 billion fund to compensate individuals who believe they were targeted politically, announced by the Justice Department hours after Trump withdrew his IRS lawsuit on Monday.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, meanwhile, on Tuesday wouldn鈥檛 rule out the possibility that violent rioters at the U.S. Capitol on , will be considered for payouts from the new billion-dollar fund during his first testimony before Congress since taking the reins of the Justice Department.
Republican voters in northern Kentucky will choose between U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie and challenger Ed Gallrein , another test of Trump鈥檚 power over his party after he handpicked Gallrein to take on the incumbent. of Tuesday鈥檚 primary elections.
Here’s the latest:
US government agrees to drop tax claims against Trump in broadening of IRS lawsuit settlement
The U.S. government has agreed to permanently drop tax claims connected to President Trump, according to a settlement document that is part of a deal to resolve Trump鈥檚 $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS over the leak of his tax returns.
The document says the U.S. is 鈥渇orever barred and precluded鈥� from examining or prosecuting Trump, his sons and the Trump organization鈥檚 current tax issues, states the one-page document posted to the DOJ website on Tuesday.
The Trump administration announced Monday the creation of a nearly $1.8 billion fund to compensate allies of the Republican president who believe they have been unjustly investigated and prosecuted, an arrangement that Democrats and government watchdogs derided as 鈥渃orrupt鈥� and unconstitutional.
According to a separate settlement agreement posted on the Justice Department website Monday, Trump will receive a formal apology from the U.S. government but 鈥渨ill not receive any monetary payment or damages of any kind鈥� from the settlement.
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91欧美激情om says Paxton endorsement shows Trump鈥檚 limited influence
California Gov. Gavin 91欧美激情om said President Trump鈥檚 endorsement of Paxton is a sign that his core political power lies within the GOP base 鈥� not the American public at large.
鈥淗e鈥檚 showed the only influence he has and that鈥檚 an outsize influence within the base of the party,鈥� the Democrat told reporters in Washington. 鈥淥therwise, he鈥檚 shown little to no influence with the American people.鈥�
91欧美激情om was in the nation鈥檚 capital to speak at an ideas conference hosted by the Center for American Progress. The potential 2028 presidential candidate told the crowd that the party needs to embrace an aggressive posture.
鈥淎 year ago, my sense was in this country that our path back as Democrats 鈥� was through the center,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here may be some truth to that, but increasingly I鈥檇 argue it鈥檚 through the fight.鈥�
Thune calls Cornyn a 鈥榩rincipled conservative鈥� after Trump endorses his opponent
Senate Majority Leader John Thune is expressing disappointment over President Trump鈥檚 endorsement of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in the state鈥檚 upcoming GOP primary.
Thune, a Republican from South Dakota, who has long pressed Trump to endorse incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, said that Trump鈥檚 decision 鈥渄oesn鈥檛 change the way I feel.鈥�
Cornyn is 鈥渁 principled conservative, he鈥檚 a very effective senator for the state of Texas,鈥� Thune told reporters shortly after Trump鈥檚 announcement. 鈥淣one of us control what the president does.鈥�
He did not have a heads up on Trump鈥檚 decision, Thune said, and found out 鈥渢he way everybody else did.鈥�
Still, Thune said, 鈥淚 feel very good about where we are鈥� as Republicans seek to hold their majority in this year鈥檚 midterm elections.
Vance says Iran is 鈥榥ot a forever war鈥�
The vice president continued to defend the administration鈥檚 strategy in Iran, saying that active conflict lasted about as long as President Trump鈥檚 initial four- to six-week prediction and that the two countries were currently in a ceasefire.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to get a good settlement that actually gets the American people what they need, or we鈥檙e going to go back to a kinetic operation.鈥�
Vance, a skeptic of military intervention abroad, said, 鈥淭his is not a forever war.鈥�
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to take care of business and come home,鈥� he said.
Vance said that shooting at San Diego mosque was personal for his family
Vance said his wife, Usha, would likely have known families affected by the deadly shooting on Monday at the Islamic Center of San Diego.
The vice president noted that his wife鈥檚 family lives in San Diego and that he texted her after the shooting to see if she knew anyone at the center.
鈥淎nd she said, 鈥楢bsolutely. I would have known some people, or at least their parents, who might have actually used the services at this community center,鈥欌�� Vance said at the White House briefing.
He said the center was near a restaurant where his family eats during visits to San Diego.
Vance added 鈥渢hat type of violence in the United States of America is reprehensible.鈥�
Two teenage suspects killed three men in the shooting.
Vance says Europe needs to 鈥榯ake more ownership鈥� on defense
Asked about President Trump鈥檚 plans regarding troop levels in Poland, Vance said the administration鈥檚 focus is to promote 鈥淓uropean independence and sovereignty.鈥�
鈥淧oland is capable of defending itself with a lot of support from the United States,鈥� Vance said.
The vice president also disputed that the administration was reducing troop levels in Poland.
鈥淲hat we did is that we delayed a troop deployment that was going to go to Poland,鈥� Vance said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 not a reduction. That鈥檚 just a standard delay in rotation that sometimes happens in these situations.鈥�
Vance seizes opportunity to say he鈥檚 focused on his current job, not a presidential campaign
The vice president remarked on a reporter referring to him as a 鈥減otential future candidate鈥� to say: 鈥淚鈥檓 not a potential future candidate. I鈥檓 a vice president.鈥�
鈥淚 really like my job, and I鈥檓 going to try to do as good of a job as I can,鈥� Vance said.
The vice president has said similar when brushing aside questions about whether he will run for the White House in 2028.
Vance says Pope Leo XIV鈥檚 AI views will 鈥榟ave some influence,鈥� but doesn鈥檛 necessarily agree
Vance said that the expected encyclical from Pope Leo XIV on artificial intelligence will be 鈥渧ery important鈥� and 鈥渉ave some influence,鈥� but he said he may or may not agree with its findings.
Vance noted that the previous Pope Leo led the Roman Catholic church during the industrial revolution and a transformation that, 鈥渁ccording to a lot of people, led to the rise of fascism and communism in Europe.鈥�
Vance said the Trump administration wants to take a 鈥減ro-innovation鈥� approach to AI and outpace other countries in developing the technology.
But the vice president said the administration wants to protect people鈥檚 data and privacy as AI is developed for both the economy and national security.
鈥淚鈥檓 not going to get ahead of the executive order or any other actions that are going to come out, but we鈥檙e trying to balance those two things鈥� regarding innovation and protecting people鈥檚 privacy, Vance said.
Vance says no part of DOJ fund will go to Trump, his family
As he defended the new Justice Department weaponization fund, Vice President JD Vance said unequivocally that neither the president, his administration, nor his family will benefit from the new $1.8 billion pot of money.
鈥淚s a dollar of this money going to the Trump administration? No,鈥� Vance said. 鈥淚s a dollar of this money going to Donald Trump personally? No. Is a dollar of this money going to Donald Trump鈥檚 family? No.鈥�
Vance said that anyone can apply to be compensated from the fund and defended using taxpayer money for it.
鈥淲henever the United States government incurs legal expenses, it pays out those legal expenses,鈥� Vance said.
Vance says Iran would be 鈥榝irst domino鈥� in race by countries to get nuclear weapons
Vice President JD Vance resurrected the Cold War-era 鈥渄omino theory鈥� to justify the Iran war, saying that a failure to stop that country鈥檚 nuclear ambitions would lead to other countries pursuing atomic weapons.
鈥淚f you have every country in the world scrambling to try to get a nuclear weapon, it would make us all much less safe,鈥� Vance told reporters at the White House briefing. 鈥淎nd Iran would really be the first domino.鈥�
During the Cold War with the Soviet Union, U.S. policymakers argued that if a country went communist, it could cause neighboring nations to fall like dominoes into communism as well.
This led to efforts to contain the spread of communism and resulted in American interventions in Vietnam and other nations.
The Vietnam War lasted nearly 20 years.
Vance backs Paxton endorsement
With his briefing coming shortly after President Donald Trump鈥檚 endorsement in the Texas Senate primary, Vice President JD Vance stressed that state Attorney General Ken Paxton will be a 鈥済reat senator for the people of Texas.鈥�
Echoing Trump鈥檚 endorsement statement, Vance noted that he has known U.S. Sen. John Cornyn for a long time, but that ultimately, Paxton was the one who was there for the president.
鈥淚 think the message that people should take from this is fundamentally, you have got to serve the people who sent you,鈥� Vance said. 鈥淎nd if you don鈥檛 do that, you鈥檙e going to find yourself out of step with voters or out of step with the president of the United States. And that鈥檚 not a good place to be politically.鈥�
Vance briefing underway
The vice president began his turn in the White House press briefing room on Tuesday by making a joke about what reporters to avoid.
鈥淚鈥檝e got my cheat sheet here, so I know who to call on, most importantly, who not to call on,鈥� Vance quipped. (U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, during his stint at the lectern, made a similar joke.)
In his opening remarks, Vance announced that he would deliver the commencement address at the U.S. Air Force Academy next week and touted the work of his anti-fraud task force.
Rubio heads to NATO FMs meeting as European angst over Trump reliability, US troop levels grow
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will travel this week to a NATO foreign ministers meeting in Sweden, where U.S. plans to reduce troop levels in Europe, coupled with President Donald Trump鈥檚 often inconsistent stance on the alliance, have raised concerns as the world grapples with the fallout from the war with Iran and rising energy prices.
The Department of State said Tuesday that Rubio would attend the NATO meeting in Helsingborg on Friday before traveling on to India, where he plans to visit four cities, including Kolkata, Agra, Jaipur and New Delhi.
In Sweden, Rubio will call 鈥渇or increased defense investment and greater burden sharing in the alliance,鈥� the department said in a statement. It added that he would also focus on Arctic issues. The statement did not mention Greenland by name, but Trump has rankled Europeans with persistent talk of taking over the Danish territory.
Trump endorses AG Paxton in Texas Republican primary, boosting his challenge to incumbent Sen. Cornyn
President Trump has endorsed Texas Attorney General , supercharging his effort to oust incumbent Sen. in a Republican primary runoff.
Paxton and Cornyn qualified for the May 26 runoff after a March 3 primary, while Congressman Wesley Hunt finished third and did not advance.
Although the four-term Cornyn has backed Trump鈥檚 agenda in Washington, Paxton pitched himself as a political warrior for the Make America Great Again movement. Trump鈥檚 endorsement Tuesday puts him at odds with his party鈥檚 establishment, which is convinced Cornyn is the better candidate for November鈥檚 general election.
The runoff has been shaping up as a bitter and expensive battle for the future of the Republican Party.
The Democrats nominated Texas State Rep. as their Senate candidate.
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Rubio says US will 鈥榣ean into鈥� Ebola response, notes WHO was late to identify outbreak
In a brief appearance before reporters, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said President Trump’s administration would 鈥渓ean into鈥� Ebola response efforts 鈥減retty heavy鈥� with a priority on funding 50 emergency clinics in affected areas.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a little tough to get to because it鈥檚 in a rural area. So, it鈥檚 a kind of confined and hard-to-get-to place in a war-torn country, unfortunately.鈥�
The U.S. has so far contributed $13 million to the effort and Rubio said more would be coming.
Rubio said, adding that the lead agencies in the response would be the Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization, which Trump withdrew from last year and which Rubio complained had been 鈥渁 little late to identify this thing, unfortunately.鈥�
State Department raises travel alert warnings for Ebola-hit countries, neighbors
The State Department is strongly urging Americans against any travel to the Congo, South Sudan and Uganda after the outbreak of a rare Ebola virus strain there and advising Americans to reconsider visiting Rwanda.
The heightened advisories date back to Sunday when the World Health Organization declared the outbreak an international public health emergency. The advisories expand on similar warnings issued on May 15 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is taking the lead on the U.S. response to the virus.
Of the four, only South Sudan had previously been identified as a Level 4 鈥� Do Not Travel 鈥� country due to unrest. Congo and Uganda had previously been identified as Level 3 鈥� Reconsider Travel 鈥� and Rwanda as Level 2 鈥� Exercise Increased Caution. Level 4 is the most severe warning that the State Department issues.
Reports that Iran retains access to missile sites are inaccurate, US commander says
Adm. Brad Cooper, the top U.S. military leader in the Middle East, was questioned about reports on Iran鈥檚 missile capabilities during Tuesday鈥檚 hearing before the House Armed Services Committee.
The New York Times and other publications have reported that U.S. intelligence assessments have found that Iran regained access to many of its missile sites and underground facilities following U.S. and Israeli military strikes.
Cooper, the leader of U.S. Central Command, said the reports were inaccurate. He did not elaborate.
Republicans largely steer clear of compensation fund during Blanche questioning
Republicans pressed acting Attorney General Todd Blanche about violent crime, drug enforcement and other conventional Justice Department topics.
But for the most part, they鈥檙e steering clear of the Justice Department鈥檚 creation of a new $1.776 fund created to compensate allies of President Trump who say they鈥檝e been mistreated by the criminal justice system and Democrats. That鈥檚 in contrast to their Democratic counterparts, who routinely pressed Blanche on the fund.
The primary exception on the GOP side was Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, who asked Blanche about the fund.
Trump says he鈥檚 going to be making an endorsement Tuesday in Texas Republican Senate race
The president said he would be making an announcement in the early afternoon in the contest between incumbent Sen. John Cornyn or state Attorney General Ken Paxton, 鈥淎nd I hope you find it good.鈥�
Trump didn鈥檛 say who he would endorse but said, 鈥淚鈥檝e pretty much always known who I was going to endorse.鈥�
CENTCOM chief pushed by lawmaker on whether the Iran war is actually over
During a hearing Tuesday, Democrat Rep. John Garamendi asked Adm. Brad Cooper whether the Pentagon鈥檚 assessment is that hostilities between Tehran and Washington have been halted since the ceasefire was announced last month.
Cooper continued to testify that the U.S. remained in a ceasefire despite several attacks from both sides in the last several weeks.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 not my question,鈥� Garamendi said. 鈥淢y question was is the military assessment that hostilities have ceased since April?鈥� Cooper responded that was his assessment but added that 鈥淚ran pushes it.鈥�
Trump says China鈥檚 president promised to not send weapons to Iran
There have been reports that China, which has close ties to Iran, has considered sending weapons for use in the conflict against the United States.
But Trump says Chinese President Xi Jinping assured him that wasn鈥檛 the case.
鈥淗e promised that he鈥檚 not sending any weapons,鈥� Trump told reporters after he was asked about the reports.
The leaders held two days of in-person talks last week in Beijing.
China鈥檚 foreign ministry has denied the reports.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune says he鈥檚 鈥榥ot a fan鈥� of the settlement fund
Thune told reporters he isn鈥檛 sure how the administration intends to use it, but said 鈥淚 don鈥檛 see a purpose for that.鈥�
Thune鈥檚 comments come after Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy, who lost reelection in a GOP primary Saturday, called it a 鈥渟lush fund鈥� on Monday.
鈥淲e are a nation of laws,鈥� Cassidy said. 鈥淵ou can鈥檛 just make up things.鈥�
It is unclear, though, if Republicans will try to block the funding.
Congressman said he doesn鈥檛 trust admiral鈥檚 answer on Iran school bombing
The House Armed Services Committee鈥檚 ranking Democrat pressed the top U.S. military leader in the Middle East for information on the bombing of a school that killed more than 165 people when the U.S. and Israel launched the Iran war.
Adm. Brad Cooper, who leads U.S. Central Command, said the bombing is still under investigation. He said the strike was complex, noting how the school was on a missile site operated by Iran鈥檚 paramilitary Revolutionary Guard.
Cooper said he鈥檚 committed to transparency once the investigation is complete. But Democratic Rep. Adam Smith of Washington said, 鈥淚 do not trust that answer.鈥�
Smith said he respects Cooper, but accused Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth of showing a 鈥渃allous disregard鈥� for protecting civilian life.
Blanche again doesn鈥檛 rule out possibility of Jan. 6 rioters getting paid from compensation fund
Under questioning from Sen. Jeff Merkley, an Oregon Democrat, Blanche said he 鈥渨ill definitely encourage the commission鈥� responsible for deciding on the payouts to 鈥渢ake everything into account.鈥�
He also said he鈥檒l commit to 鈥渕aking sure that the commissioners are effectively doing their jobs and that includes setting your guidelines.鈥�
But he declined to explicitly rule out the idea that people implicated in the violence of Jan 6. could apply for payments from the fund, which was set up to pay people who believe they鈥檝e been mistreated by the criminal justice system.
US imposes sanctions on European flotilla organizers
The U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions against four people aboard an aid flotilla bound for the Gaza Strip organized by the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad, also subject to U.S. sanctions.
Included in the sanctions are a group of European activists: Saif Abu Keshek, Jaldia Abubakra Aueda, Hisham Abdallah Sulayman Abu Mahfuz and Mohammed Khatib.
Israel has recently intercepted dozens of aid flotillas after more than 50 vessels departed from the port of Marmaris, Turkey, last week in what the organizers of the Global Sumud Flotilla described as the final leg of their planned journey to Gaza鈥檚 shores.
In a statement, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent called the flotilla 鈥減ro-terror鈥� and 鈥渁 ludicrous attempt to undermine President Trump鈥檚 successful progress toward lasting peace in the region.鈥�
Trump says he鈥檚 giving Iran days to make progress in negotiations to avoid resumption of strikes
The president said he was giving Iran 鈥渢wo or three days,鈥� but then suggested he might give Iran a week.
鈥淢aybe Friday, Saturday, Sunday, something, maybe early next week. A limited period of time,鈥� he said.
The president said he 鈥渨as an hour away from making the decision鈥� to launch strikes on Tuesday before calling them off Monday.
Trump says he was 鈥榓n hour away鈥� from ordering strikes on Iran
Asked how close he was to striking Iran and ending a fragile ceasefire, Trump on Tuesday said he was 鈥渁n hour away鈥� from making the call.
鈥淚 was an hour away from making the decision to go today,鈥� Trump told reporters at the White House.
He said the strikes 鈥渨ould have been happening right now鈥� if he hadn鈥檛 held off. 鈥淭he ships are all loaded, they鈥檙e loaded to the brim,鈥� he added.
Trump on Monday announced he was strikes planned for Tuesday because 鈥渟erious negotiations鈥� were underway to end the war.
Trump says Cuba is calling the US for help 鈥榓nd we鈥檒l do that鈥�
The president told reporters Cuba may not need a change in regime to address his concerns but said if he wanted to, 鈥淚 can do that.鈥�
He didn鈥檛 offer many details about what he wanted from Cuba but said: 鈥淭hat鈥檚 not going to be hard for us to solve.鈥�
Cuba鈥檚 economic and have deepened this year after the U.S. invaded Venezuela in early January, halting critical oil shipments from the South American country. Then in late January, Trump threatened to impose tariffs on any country that sells or provides oil to the island.
A severe gas shortage has persisted and widespread blackouts continue across the island.
Trump takes reporters to ballroom construction site
鈥淭his is a room that鈥檚 been wanted for 150 years by presidents,鈥� Trump said of the ballroom.
Trump has renderings of the building on easels as he explains the various components, including what he calls a 鈥渄rone-free鈥� roof.
鈥淥ne thing doesn鈥檛 work without the other,鈥� he said.
Trump said the ballroom will be paid for by donors and himself. Republicans in Congress are grappling with a $1 billion funding request to cover all the security elements.
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