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Greg Clugston
SRN Correspondent Greg Clugston keeps you informed about all the news coming from the White House.
Trump appears to rule out third term in office
President Trump appears to be ruling out a third term in office. Donald Trump has been publicly toying with the idea of running for a third term in the White House, even though the Constitution’s 22nd Amendment says no one can be elected president more than twice. He told reporters aboard Air Force One that “if you read it, it’s pretty clear. I’m not allowed to run. It’s too bad.” However, the president didn’t rule out entirely the possibility of staying in office despite that, saying, “we’ll see what happens.”
Listen DownloadTrump says U.S. has reached a trade deal with South Korea
President Trump says he’s reached a trade deal with South Korea. On the last stop of his Asia trip, the president announced that a deal had been struck and was pretty much finalized. Later, the South Korean government confirmed a 350-billion dollar investment package in the U-S to include cash payments and shipbuilding cooperation. Also, U-S tariffs on South Korean cars will be lowered from 25 to 15 percent.
Listen DownloadVance believes U.S. troops will be paid during shutdown
Vice President Vance says members of the military likely will be paid this week amid the second-longest government shutdown. The vice president met with Senate Republicans on Capitol Hill as the pressure to end the shutdown is taking on new urgency. He said he believes the administration will be able to keep paying the troops “at least for now.” But more federal workers will soon miss their first full paycheck. As the stalemate drags on, Republicans are trying to encourage a handful of Senate Democrats to vote for stopgap funding to reopen the government.
Listen DownloadJudge blocks Trump from firing federal workers during shutdown
A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from firing federal workers during the government shutdown. U-S District Judge Susan Illston granted a preliminary injunction that bars the firings while a lawsuit challenging them plays out. She said that labor unions were likely to prevail on their claims that the job cuts were arbitrary and politically motivated. Trump administration lawyers say the district court does not have the authority to hear personnel challenges, and that the president has broad authority to reduce the federal workforce.
Listen DownloadHouse GOP issues scathing report on Biden’s health, actions
House Republicans have released a report on former President Biden’s cognitive health and his actions in office. The long-promised report issues a scathing critique of Joe Biden’s inner circle, accusing a cover-up of the former president’s mental condition and misuse of the autopen. Even though the report includes no specific instances of illegal activity. Republicans said their findings cast doubt on all of Joe Biden’s actions in office. And they’re urging the Justice Department to conduct a full investigation. Biden has denied he was unaware of his administration’s actions.
Listen DownloadHouse Speaker doesn’t “see a path” for third Trump term
House Speaker Mike Johnson is throwing cold water on the idea of a third Trump term. President Trump isn’t ruling out a possible third term in the White House, saying he would “love” to do it. But House Speaker Johnson, who’s a constitutional lawyer, said he doesn’t “see a path” for a third presidential term. He said the country doesn’t allow it, and amending the Constitution would take a decade and be too time consuming. But that hasn’t stopped the president from raising the possibility and selling hats that say “Trump 2028.”
Listen DownloadU.S. conducts three more strikes against suspected drug-smuggling boats
The Pentagon has announced a deadly attack on suspected drug-runners in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says the U.S. military carried out three strikes against boats accused of carrying drugs, killing 14 and leaving one survivor. A Pentagon official said the strikes were conducted off the coast of Colombia, in a continued escalation of attacks against suspected drug smugglers. This is the first time multiple strikes have been announced in a single day. Hegseth posted video footage to social media, showing boats exploding and in flames.
Listen DownloadTrump bonds quickly with Japan’s new prime minister
President Trump bonded quickly with Japan’s new prime minister. The president had nothing but praise for Prime Minister Takaichi, Japan’s first female prime minister, as the two leaders exchanged warm words and he offered continued American support. After their bilateral meeting, the president invited Takaichi to join him for a speech to U-S troops aboard an aircraft carrier. Donald Trump also announced hundreds of billions of dollars in Japanese investment as part of a trade deal.
Listen DownloadTrump predicts successful trade outcome with China
President Trump is sounding optimistic about his upcoming talks with Chinese President Xi. The two leaders will be meeting soon at a regional summit in South Korea and President Trump predicts a successful trade outcome. In particular, the president wants China to buy more soybeans from American farmers. He has threatened massive tariffs on Chinese imports if a deal isn’t reached.
Listen DownloadFederal Reserve lacks jobs data ahead of policy meetings
When Federal Reserve officials meet next week to discuss interest rates, they’ll be lacking some key economic data. Official employment data hasn’t been released since the federal government shutdown began on the first of October. It makes for a less-than-ideal situation for policymakers as they assess economic risks. Wall Street expects the central bank to lower its benchmark interest rate next week, but economists point out that the labor market is a big question mark.The most recent information points to weak job growth.
Listen DownloadTrump warns that Hamas will be “eradicated” if they misbehave
President Trump has a warning for Hamas as it keeps an eye on the Gaza ceasefire agreement. Following weekend skirmishes involving Hamas militants, the president said the situation “will be taken care of very quickly.” He dispatched U-S envoys to Israel this week to shore up the fragile ceasefire in Gaza.
Listen DownloadTrump raises new doubts about Ukraine’s ability to defeat Russia
President Trump is voicing doubts about Ukraine’s ability to defeat Russia. The president said while he thinks it’s possible that Ukraine can defeat Russia, he’s now doubtful it will happen. His comments added a fresh layer of skepticism toward Kyiv as he plans to meet again in the coming weeks with Russia’s Vladimir Putin on ending the war. Last month, Donald Trump said Ukraine could win back all its territory, but now says it’ll have to give up land to settle with Russia.
Listen DownloadTrump posts AI video of him dumping sewage on No Kings protesters
The Trump White House is trolling the No Kings demonstrations with AI videos. After millions of Americans marched in favor of democracy over the weekend, President Trump and Vice President Vance each posted AI-created videos online. In one, the president is shown flying a fighter jet and dumping sewage on peaceful demonstrators exercising their free speech rights. The other shows Donald Trump wearing a crown as Democratic leaders bow before him. The videos are the latest creations from a presidential communications office that recently portrayed the White House budget director as the Grim Reaper slashing government jobs.
Listen DownloadU.S. and Australia sign critical-minerals deal
The United States and Australia have signed a critical-minerals deal in response to China’s tougher export rules. During a White House meeting, President Trump and Australian Prime Minister Albanese hailed the agreement. The leaders described it as an 8-and-a-half billion dollar deal between allies. GC, Wash.
Listen DownloadU.S. envoys return to Israel to shore up Gaza ceasefire
American envoys returned to Israel to shore up the Gaza ceasefire after a major flare up over the weekend. Presidential envoy Steve Witkoff and presidential son-in-law Jared Kushner met with Israeli officials in Tel Aviv to support the fragile ceasefire in Gaza. Tensions remain high after Israel accused Hamas of killing two soldiers. The Israeli military has resumed enforcing the ceasefire. The next stage of the ceasefire focuses on disarming Hamas and establishing an internationally backed authority in Gaza.
Listen DownloadTrump on Russia-Ukraine: End war at current battle lines
President Trump says Ukraine should give up territory in order to end the war with Russia. Even though Russia is the aggressor and despite his recent openness to helping Ukraine win, the president now says most of the contested Donbas region of Ukraine should go to Russia. At the current battle line, most of Donbas would be in Russian hands. The president plans to meet with Russia’s Vladimir Putin in the coming weeks.
Listen DownloadSurprise retirement from U.S. Southern Command leader
The Navy admiral who leads U-S military forces in Latin America is stepping down. In a surprise announcement, Admiral Alvin Holsey, the head of U-S Southern Command, will retire at the end of December, two years ahead of schedule. Reuters reports that there had been tension between Admiral Holsey and Defense Secretary Hegseth over operations in the Caribbean. His upcoming departure is noteworthy given the Trump administration’s escalating tensions with Venezuela, including the president’s authorization of CIA covert operations in that country.
Listen DownloadSeveral universities reject Trump’s education compact
Two universities have rejected the Trump administration’s higher education funding deal. The White House recently sent a letter to nine universities asking them to commit to Trump administration policies on gender and race in exchange for priority access to funding. MIT leadership said the proposal would limit free speech and campus independence. Similar concerns were cited in rejections from Brown University, the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Southern California.
Listen DownloadTrump using military, intelligence assets against Venezuela
President Trump is going after Venezuela with both military and intelligence assets. Since early September, the U-S military has carried out a series of deadly strikes against alleged drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean. Four of the five vessels originated from Venezuela. This past week, President Trump made the unusual acknowledgement that he authorized the CIA to carry out covert action in Venezuela. The aggressive actions are seen as a sharp escalation in U-S efforts to pressure President Nicolas Maduro’s government.
Listen DownloadTrump, Zelensky meet to discuss missiles, Russia war
President Trump seems to be backing away from the idea of selling long-range missiles to Ukraine for its war against Russia. Ukrainian President Zelensky used a White House visit to request Tomahawk missiles from the U-S, but President Trump sounded hesitant. Zelensky told the president that the Gaza peace deal could carry over to the Russia Ukraine war. Before the Zelensky meeting, Donald Trump announced he would soon meet with Russia’s Vladimir Putin in Hungary.
Listen DownloadBolton pleads not guilty to classified doc charges
Former Trump adviser John Bolton has pleaded not guilty to charges of sharing classified information. Bolton entered his plea in a Maryland courtroom and was ordered released from custody. The Justice Department case accuses him of emailing classified information to family members and keeping top secret documents at his home.The 76-year-old Bolton is a longtime fixture in Republican foreign policy circles and served for more than a year in Trump’s first administration as national security adviser. He has since been a vocal critic of the president.
Listen DownloadGovernment shutdown could put food assistance at risk
Federal food assistance could be at risk in November if the government shutdown isn’t over by then. Funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP, will continue through October. But if the government isn’t reopened by November, food assistance to 40 million low-income people could be at risk. SNAP benefits one in 8 people in the U-S. States are scrambling to figure out what to do if the benefits are cut off.
Listen DownloadU.S. warns Russia it will “impose costs” if Ukraine war doesn’t end
The United States has issued a new warning to Russia about its war with Ukraine. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the U-S will “impose costs” on Russia if the Ukraine war does not end. At a meeting in Brussels, he told Ukraine’s Western backers that “if there is no path to peace in the short term, then the United States, along with our allies, will take the steps necessary to impose costs on Russia for its continued aggression.” Hegseth warned that the U-S military stands ready to do its part in ways that, in his words, “only the United States can do.”
Listen DownloadUkrainian officials meet with U.S. weapons makers
Ukrainian officials have been meeting with prominent American weapons manufacturers. The delegation from Ukraine met with representatives of Lockheed Martin and Raytheon during a U-S visit. It came ahead of President Zelensky’s meeting with President Trump at the White House on Friday. Zelensky is widely expected to request approval to obtain Tomahawk cruise missiles, which could allow Ukraine to strike targets deep into Russia. This past weekend, Donald Trump said he may give the go-ahead if Moscow doesn’t end its war soon
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