Audio
Greg Clugston
SRN Correspondent Greg Clugston keeps you informed about all the news coming from the White House.
Trump puts personal stamp on Kennedy Center Honors
President Trump is putting his personal stamp on the Kennedy Center and its annual awards program.
Earlier this year, the president installed himself as chairman of the famed Kennedy Center and replaced the board with his supporters. This past week, he personally announced the recipients of this year’s Kennedy Center Honors and revealed that he will host the ceremony in December. Donald Trump has complained of a “woke” agenda at the Kennedy Center and in DC’s cultural institutions, including the National Endowment of the Humanities and the Smithsonian museums.
Trump considers reclassifying marijuana as less dangerous drug
President Trump is taking a new look at reclassifying marijuana as a less dangerous drug. The president said he’s looking at the pros and cons of changing the way the federal government regulates marijuana. MAGA supporter and Trump ally Charlie Kirk opposes reclassifying marijuana as a less dangerous drug, complaining that “everything already smells like weed.” He wrote online he hopes this doesn’t happen.” The president said he plans to decide in the coming weeks.
Listen DownloadTrump’s birth control religious exemption struck down
A judge has struck down President Trump’s religious exemption to birth control coverage. During his first term, the president put in place rules that exempt employers with religious or moral objections from having to provide workers with insurance coverage for birth control. But a federal judge in Philadelphia said the 2018 rules were not justified, rejecting the Trump administration’s claims that they were necessary to protect the rights of religious employers. Little Sisters of the Poor, a Roman Catholic order of nuns that intervened in the case to defend the rules, will appeal the ruling.
Listen DownloadAt Alaska summit, Trump and Putin unable to reach Ukraine deal
At their summit in Alaska, Presidents Trump and Putin failed to reach a deal to end the Ukraine war. Heading into their face-to-face talks, Donald Trump said his goal was to have Russia’s Vladimir Putin agree to a ceasefire with Ukraine. But no agreement was made. He said the two leaders made “great progress” in their talks, but neither he nor Putin offered any details. Following their meeting, the presidents made brief statements and ended what was supposed to be a joint press conference without taking questions from reporters.
Listen DownloadTrump, Putin arrive in Alaska for summit on Russia Ukraine war
Presidents Trump and Putin did make any public comments before starting their meeting. After their airplanes arrived, the two leaders walked down two red carpets. President Trump stopped in front of a military flag guard and greeted Putin with a handshake. They exchanged a few words and posed for photos before entering a room at the military base for their talks. The previously planned one-on-one meeting between the presidents was shifted to a three-on-three meeting, with Donald Trump joined by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff.
Listen DownloadDC sues Trump administration over police dept takeover
The nation’s capital is suing the Trump administration for its takeover of the DC police department.
Washington, DC challenged Donald Trump’s police takeover in court after his administration named the DEA administrator as the new “emergency police chief.” DC’s attorney general accused the president of going far beyond his legal authority and asked a judge to keep control of the police department in district hands. Brian Scwalb described the administration’s actions as “unlawful” and the “gravest threat to Home Rule” that the nation’s capital has ever faced.
Trump heads to Alaska summit with Putin hopeful for peace
President Trump believes both the Russian and Ukrainian leaders are ready to make peace. The president sees his summit with Russia’s Vladimir Putin as the first step toward ending the war. But he says peace would likely require at least a second meeting involving Ukrainian President Zelensky. European leaders are concerned that Zelensky is not being represented in today’s meeting in Alaska.
Listen DownloadTrump admin declassifies emails in 2016 Trump-Russia probe
The Trump administration alleges that Obama officials created false intelligence in the Trump-Russia election interference case. Newly declassified emails suggest a disagreement over how quickly to conduct an Intelligence Community Assessment into alleged Russian efforts to influence the 2016 presidential election. According to emails released by the Trump administration, National Security Agency director Mike Rogers expressed concern about rushing the process. Then-Director of National Intelligence James Clapper responded, allegedly directing officials to “compromise” “normal” procedures.
Listen DownloadJudge strikes down Trump birth control religious exemption
A judge has struck down President Trump’s religious exemption to birth control coverage. During his first term, the president put in place rules that exempt employers with religious or moral objections from having to provide workers with insurance coverage for birth control. But a federal judge in Philadelphia said the 2018 rules were not justified, rejecting the Trump administration’s claims that they were necessary to protect the rights of religious employers. Little Sisters of the Poor, a Roman Catholic order of nuns that intervened in the case to defend the rules, will appeal the ruling.
Listen DownloadTrump wants to extend federal control over DC police
President Trump wants to extend federal control over the Washington, DC police department. The president’s takeover of the DC police, under the Home Rule Act, allows him to do so under emergency circumstances for up to 30 days. But he says that won’t be long enough and he’ll be seeking long-term extensions. He expects unanimous support from Republican lawmakers and says any congressional action could serve as a model for other U-S cities in clamping down on crime.
Listen DownloadTrump speaks with Ukraine’s Zelenskyy ahead of Putin summit
President Trump has spoken with Ukraine’s leader ahead of Friday’s summit with Russian President Putin in Alaska. European leaders also attended the virtual meeting. The president said he hopes the Putin summit will lead to a second meeting between Ukrainian President Zelensky and Putin. Zelensky told European leaders that Putin “is bluffing” about seeking peace. Donald Trump later warned of “very severe consequences” if Russia doesn’t end the war.
Listen DownloadTrump announces Kennedy Center honorees, will host program
President Trump has announced the first batch of Kennedy Center Honors nominees in his new role as chairman. Country music star George Strait and “Rocky” actor Sylvester Stallone lead the list of recipients for this year’s Kennedy Center Honors. The other honorees are singer Gloria Gaynor, the rock band KISS and actor-singer Michael Crawford. Donald Trump, who said he was “98 percent involved” in selecting the honorees, also announced that he will host the awards program.
Listen DownloadWhite House “plan” is to continue issuing monthly jobs reports
President Trump’s pick to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics has suggested suspending the monthly jobs report. After last month’s dismal jobs numbers, the president fired the head of the BLS and has nominated Heritage Foundation economist E.J. Antoni. Earlier this month, Antoni told Fox News that job reports should be issued quarterly instead of monthly. At the White House, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the “hope” and the “plan” is to continue publishing monthly reports.
Listen DownloadSummit with Putin will be “listening exercise” for Trump
The White House says President Trump’s meeting this week with Russia’s Vladimir Putin will be a “listening exercise.” Ahead of the Trump-Putin summit in Anchorage, Alaska on Friday, the White House says President Trump wants to hear the Russian leader’s plan for ending the war. On Wednesday, the president will speak with European leaders and also hold a virtual meeting with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy.
Listen DownloadWhite House: 23 arrests made in DC on National Guard’s first night
More than 800 National Guard officers and agents were deployed into Washington, DC on Monday night. Presidential spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt says the officers made a total of 23 arrests following Donald Trump’s federal takeover of the DC police department and activation of the National Guard. The president declared a public safety emergency in the District of Columbia, even though police data show a decline in violent crime.
Listen DownloadTrump demands rate cut, threatens lawsuit against Fed chairman
President Trump is threatening to sue the Federal Reserve chairman. Donald Trump continues to fume over Fed Chairman Jerome Powell’s reluctance to lower interest rates. In a social media post, he blames his first-term Treasury Secretary for recommending Powell and calls the chairman a “loser” — the latest in a long list of derogatory names. And the president now says he’s considering a “major lawsuit” against Powell for the costly renovation of the Federal Reserve building.
Listen DownloadTrump says summit with Putin will be a “feel-out meeting”
President Trump describes his upcoming summit with Russia’s Vladimir Putin as a “feel-out meeting.”
When he sits down with Putin on Friday, the president predicts he’ll know the outcome right away — “probably in the first two minutes.” And he says the meeting in Alaska could go one of two ways — making a deal or saying “lots of luck, keep fighting.” The president says both Russia and Ukraine will have to give up land in order to end the war.
DC Mayor disputes Trump’s characterization of nation’s capital
Washington DC’s mayor takes issue with President Trump’s characterization of the nation’s capital.
The president claimed that crime in DC is “out of control” as he announced a federal takeover of the Washington police department, and deployed 800 National Guard troops. Mayor Muriel Bowser pledged cooperation, but said crime in DC has been dropping steadily. She said Donald Trump’s perceived state of emergency doesn’t match the numbers.
Trump says Ukraine and Russia will have to give up land for peace
President Trump says both Ukraine and Russia will have to give up land to end their war. Ahead of Friday’s meeting with Russian President Putin in Alaska, the president said “there’ll be some land swapping going on.” And he took issue with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy’s objections to giving up land for peace. The president said he could know within two minutes of meeting with Putin whether progress was possible.
Listen DownloadTrump places Washington, DC police dept under federal control
President Trump is placing the Washington, DC police department under federal control. Concerned about crime and homelessness in the nation’s capital, the president signed executive orders giving himself authority to crack down on crime in DC. He announced that his administration is taking over the Washington, DC police department and deploying hundreds of National Guard troops. While crime is a problem in the District, like in many U-S cities, homicide rates here have been falling since 2023.
Listen DownloadTrump pledges to evict homeless people from Wash, DC
President Trump is pledging to evict homeless people from the nation’s capital. Washington, DC’s mayor says there is no current spike in crime in the city. But the president disagrees and he’s vowing to crack down on criminals. He’s already ordered an increased federal law enforcement presence in DC this week. On Sunday, he wrote online that he wants to move the homeless out of Washington “immediately” and move them “far from the capital. He’s scheduled to hold a press conference on Monday to discuss the matter.
Listen DownloadUkraine’s Zelenskyy rejects Trump’s suggestion of giving up land
President Trump plans to meet Russia’s Vladimir Putin next Friday in Alaska. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy rejects the idea of giving up land to end the war with Russia. His weekend comments follow President Trump’s suggestion a peace deal could involve some swapping of territories. For several weeks, Donald Trump has expressed frustration with Russian President Putin. But the two will meet face to face on Friday in Alaska to discuss the conflict.
Listen DownloadMichigan’s governor tells Trump that tariffs will hurt U.S. auto industry
Michigan’s governor reportedly told President Trump that his tariff policies are going to hurt the U-S automotive industry. In a private Oval Office meeting last week, Michigan’s Gretchen Whitmer warned the president that the economic damage from the tariffs could be severe in her state. The Democrat governor took issue with new import taxes on steel, aluminum, and other vehicle parts that put America’s automakers and parts suppliers at a disadvantage against foreign vehicles that face lower tariffs. It was Whitmer’s third meeting with Donald Trump since he took office in January.
Listen DownloadTrump wants to change Census Bureau data collection
President Trump wants to change how the Census Bureau collects data. The president has instructed the Commerce Department to exclude immigrants in the U-S illegally. Writing on social media, he said census data collections will be based on “modern day facts and figures” and results of the 2024 presidential election. Donald Trump signed a similar memo during his first term in office. That measure was later challenged legally, with courts ruling that only Congress holds authority to define who is counted.
Listen Download