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Greg Clugston
SRN Correspondent Greg Clugston keeps you informed about all the news coming from the White House.
Trump says U.S. will know soon if Russia wants to end Ukraine war
Sun, Jun 1, 2025 at 6:55 am
President Trump says he’ll know within two weeks if Russia is serious about ending its war with Ukraine.
The president says he doesn’t know for sure if Russia’s Vladimir Putin wants to end the three-year-old war with Ukraine. But he expects to find out soon. Despite his frustration with Putin, the president says he’s holding off on imposing sanctions against Russia because he doesn’t want to interfere with US efforts to negotiate a ceasefire.
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Trump doesn’t support everything in “big, beautiful bill”
Sat, May 31, 2025 at 7:09 am
President Trump says he doesn’t support every item in the so-called “big, beautiful bill” being debated in Congress. As the Senate tackles the House-approved bill, the president said he expects there to be some changes. Primarily, the tax cuts, he said. Last week, Trump senior adviser Elon Musk criticized the bill, expressing disappointment that it would increase the deficit and undercut his DOGE efforts.
Musk leaves D.C. after trying to slash federal government
Sat, May 31, 2025 at 7:03 am
After four months on the job, billionaire Elon Musk has finished his role in the Trump administration as a top adviser to the president. Musk’s effort to improve government efficiency was marked by controversy and fell far short of his goal to reduce spending. He dramatically cut his target from $2 trillion to $1 trillion to $150 billion. Early on, he held a chainsaw in the air to illustrate the laying off of thousands of government employees and the gutting of agencies like USAID. Musk now shifts his attention back to running his businesses, including Tesla and SpaceX. Before leaving the White House this past week, he told CBS he was “disappointed” in President Trump’s tax-and-spend bill, which he said will increase the size of the federal deficit.
Trump to visit Pittsburgh after announcing new U.S. Steel plan
Fri, May 30, 2025 at 6:43 am
President Trump travels to Pittsburgh after announcing details of a new plan for U.S. Steel. Following a nearly 15 billion dollar bid by Japan’s Nippon Steel to buy U.S. Steel, the president announced that the Pennsylvania-based company “will remain in America” and keep its headquarters in Pittsburgh. The agreement will allow Nippon to invest in the U-S company while guaranteeing an American CEO, a majority of board members from the United States, and U.S. government approval over certain corporate functions. GC, the WH.
White House downplays trade court ruling against tariffs
Thu, May 29, 2025 at 11:53 am
The White House is downplaying a trade court’s ruling that blocks President Trump’s import tariffs. In the view of White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett, the trade court’s decision striking down most of the tariffs is just a “hiccup.” He blamed activist judges, even though Donald Trump and Ronald Reagan nominated two of the three judges who issued the ruling. Hassett told Fox Business that it’s “not going to affect” trade negotiations with other countries and that the White House is “very confident” the court’s ruling is incorrect.
Federal court blocks Trump’s global import tariffs
Wed, May 28, 2025 at 9:02 pm
President Trump’s tariffs policy suffers a legal setback. A federal trade court has blocked the president from imposing sweeping tariffs on imports under an emergency-powers law. The White House has argued that trade deficits amount to a national emergency. The ruling from a three-judge panel at the New York-based Court of International Trade came after several lawsuits argued Donald Trump has exceeded his authority. The Trump administration has filed an appeal.
Trump issues several pardons and is considering more
Wed, May 28, 2025 at 4:40 pm
President Trump has issued several pardons this week and is considering more. The president pardoned Michael Grimm, who resigned from Congress after being convicted of tax fraud. He resigned in 2015 after pleading guilty and he served eight months in prison. Donald Trump also signed pardons for reality TV hosts Todd and Julie Chrisley, who were convicted of conspiring to defraud banks out of more than 30 million dollars. And the president told reporters he’s considering pardoning the men convicted of conspiring to kidnap Michigan’s Democratic governor, Gretchen Whitmer.
Trump: Russia sanctions would interfere with peace negotiations
Wed, May 28, 2025 at 2:35 pm
President Trump says he’s holding off on Russia sanctions because of his push for peace negotiations. Even though the president fully admits his frustration with Russia’s Vladimir Putin and the lack of a ceasefire deal with Ukraine, he hasn’t imposed new sanctions on Moscow. Asked if Putin is serious about reaching a deal to end the three-year-old war, the president said he’ll know in about two weeks if Russia is willing.
Trump tells Israel not to strike Iran during nuclear talks
Wed, May 28, 2025 at 1:40 pm
President Trump confirms that he urged Israel not to strike Iran while nuclear talks continue. The president confirmed that he warned Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to hold off on a military attack against Iran. He said he didn’t want an Israeli strike to jeopardize a new nuclear deal, saying “it’s not appropriate right now.” The president said he thinks Iran wants to make a deal and that an agreement could come together “over the next couple of weeks.”
Musk criticizes Trump’s “massive spending bill”
Wed, May 28, 2025 at 10:36 am
Elon Musk is breaking with President Trump over the size and scope of the so-called “big, beautiful bill.”
Musk has served as a senior adviser to the president and has been viewed as a Trump buddy. But the billionaire entrepreneur is not a fan of the president’s legislative agenda. He told CBS that the measure working its way through Congress is a “massive spending bill” that increases the federal deficit and “undermines the work” of his government efficiency office, known as DOGE. Musk said he thinks “a bill can be big or it could be beautiful,” but doesn’t know “if it could be both.”
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U.S. to expand social media vetting of foreign students
Wed, May 28, 2025 at 10:35 am
The Trump administration is stepping up its crackdown on international students. The State Department has halted the scheduling of new visa interviews for foreign students hoping to study in the U.S. Officials say the suspension is intended to be temporary and does not apply to applicants who already had scheduled their visa interviews. The administration is preparing to add to its vetting process by expanding the screening of students’ social media activity.
Trump sees “positive” step in U.S. trade talks with EU
Wed, May 28, 2025 at 7:19 am
Trade negotiations between the United States and European Union are back on track. After announcing a 50 percent tariff on EU goods on Friday, the president quickly agreed to delay those tariffs after a weekend phone call with the head of the European Commission. And now, Donald Trump says the EU “has called to quickly establish meeting dates.” He writes on social media that “this is a positive” development. And he urges both the EU and China to open up for trade with the U-S, promising that both will be “happy and successful, if they do.”
Trump cites “positive” development in US-EU trade talks
Wed, May 28, 2025 at 6:41 am
Trade negotiations between the United States and European Union are back on track.
After announcing a 50 percent tariff on EU goods on Friday, the president quickly agreed to delay those tariffs after a weekend phone call with the head of the European Commission. And now, Donald Trump says the EU “has called to quickly establish meeting dates.” He writes on social media that “this is a positive” development. And he urges both the EU and China to open up for trade with the U-S, promising that both will be “happy and successful, if they do.”
HHS no longer recommends COVID boosters for kids, pregnant women
Tue, May 27, 2025 at 2:32 pm
The Trump administration is no longer recommending COVID-19 vaccines for healthy children and pregnant women. The announcement came from Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who claimed there’s a lack of clinical data to support annual COVID-19 booster shots for kids. At the recommendation of infectious disease experts, the government, until now, has been urging annual COVID-19 boosters for all Americans ages 6 months and older. No one from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was in RFK Jr’s announcement video.
Trump warns California over transgender athletes
Tue, May 27, 2025 at 1:54 pm
President Trump is threatening to withhold federal funding from California over a transgender athlete. In a warning to California, the president said the state would lose federal funding if it doesn’t adhere to his executive order banning biological males from girls’ and women’s sports. Writing online, he cited a transgender high school track and field athlete in California who has qualified to compete in the state finals this week. The president called it a “ridiculous situation” that is “demeaning to women and girls.” He also noted that Governor Gavin Newsom himself has said it’s wrong for transgender athletes to compete in girls’ sports.
Trump predicts “fairly significant” Senate changes to House bill
Tue, May 27, 2025 at 6:45 am
President Trump expects the Senate to make several changes to the massive tax-and-spend bill passed by the House last week. Over the holiday weekend, House Speaker Mike Johnson cautioned senators “not to meddle” with the bill too much, given how difficult it was to get the measure approved. But the president made this prediction: “I think they’re going to have changes. Some will be minor and some will be, you know, fairly significant.” There are several Senate Republicans who want to see deep spending cuts and a bill that doesn’t blow up the deficit.
Trump upbeat about possible Iran nuclear deal soon
Tue, May 27, 2025 at 6:40 am
President Trump is hinting that an Iran nuclear deal could soon be announced. The president sounded upbeat following the latest round of talks between the United States and Iran. He pointed to “real, serious progress” in negotiations and said he might have something good to report soon. The two countries are discussing how to curb Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for lifting some economic sanctions.
At Arlington National Cemetery, Trump honors fallen service members
Mon, May 26, 2025 at 12:59 pm
President Trump honored the nation’s fallen military service members during a Memorial Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery. At the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the president laid a wreath and observed a moment of silence. During Memorial Day remarks, the president expressed his gratitude for those who gave their lives in service to America.
As commander-in-chief, Trump to observe Memorial Day
Mon, May 26, 2025 at 6:51 am
President Trump is set to observe Memorial Day. In commemoration of this national holiday, the president will pay tribute to America’s fallen military service members. This morning, he’ll participate in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and give a speech at Arlington National Cemetery.
Listen DownloadTrump escalates fight with Harvard University
Mon, May 26, 2025 at 6:47 am
President Trump’s fight with Harvard University keeps escalating. After cutting off billions of dollars in federal funding to the Ivy League school, the Trump administration announced a ban on the enrollment of foreign students. That represents about one-quarter of Harvard’s student body. The school responded by filing a lawsuit, which claimed the government’s action is unconstitutional. And a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order stopping the government from pulling Harvard’s certification in the Student and Exchange Visitor Program.
Trump agrees to delay 50% EU tariffs until July
Sun, May 25, 2025 at 8:44 pm
President Trump says the U-S will delay 50 percent tariffs on the European Union by several weeks.
The president agreed to a different tariff timeline after speaking with the president of the European Commission. On Friday, the president threatened 50 percent tariffs, complaining that talks with the EU were “going nowhere.” But after the Sunday phone call, he said the Europeans want “to get down to serious negotiations” and that delaying the tariffs will buy time for trade talks.
Trump says Putin is “killing people and I don’t like it at all”
Sun, May 25, 2025 at 8:43 pm
President Trump is growing increasingly unhappy with Russian President Putin and his country’s punishing war against Ukraine. As the Trump administration tries to secure a ceasefire, the president isn’t hiding his frustration with Vladimir Putin, saying “I don’t like it all.” He said he’s always gotten along with Putin, but he’s unhappy about the constant Russian rockets hitting Ukraine. The president said he’s “absolutely” considering more sanctions against Moscow.
Listen DownloadTrump’s tax-and-spend bill could add trillions in debt
Sun, May 25, 2025 at 6:52 am
There’s a dispute over how President Trump’s tax-and-spend bill will affect the national debt. President Trump last week declared himself a “fiscal hawk” and the White House claimed that the legislation approved by the House won’t increase budget deficits. But the Congressional Budget Office estimates the tax provisions would add more than 3-trillion dollars to the national debt. And Moody’s downgraded America’s credit rating out of concern that the U.S government is heading toward an unsustainable mountain of debt.
Ethical questions swirl around Trump’s cryptocurrency activities
Sun, May 25, 2025 at 6:44 am
Ethical questions are swirling around President Trump’s recent cryptocurrency dinner. On Thursday night, the president held a private dinner at his Virginia golf club for the 220 biggest investors in his Trump meme coin. The top 25 investors were invited to a private reception for even closer access. The White House defended the event. Spokesperson Karoline Leavitt claimed it’s “absurd” to say that Donald Trump is profiting from the presidency. However, critics –and even some pro-Trump crypto enthusiasts–charge that he’s using the power of the presidency to boost profits for his family business.
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