Audio
Greg Clugston
SRN Correspondent Greg Clugston keeps you informed about all the news coming from the White House.
Trump will not send U.S. ground troops to secure Ukraine
President Trump says he will not send U-S troops to Ukraine. At Monday’s summit with Ukraine’s president and European leaders, Donald Trump said the U-S will help the European effort to secure Ukraine. And he did not rule out sending American troops. That promise of support was praised by European and NATO leaders. But during a Fox News interview on Tuesday, the president offered his assurances that U-S forces won’t be defending Ukraine’s border.
Listen DownloadAfter Ukraine-EU talks, Trump arranging Putin-Zelensky meeting
President Trump is making plans for the Russian and Ukrainian leaders to meet face-to-face. After hosting White House talks with Ukrainian President Zelensky and a contingent of European leaders, the president said he called Russia’s Vladimir Putin and “began the arrangements” for a Putin-Zelensky meeting. The president also said he would attend a three-way meeting with the Russian and Ukrainian leaders after their one-on-one talks.
Listen DownloadEuropean leaders urge ceasefire, security guarantees for Ukraine
European leaders told President Trump they want a ceasefire in the Russia Ukraine war and they welcome U-S support for security guarantees. During high-level White House talks with NATO and European leaders, President Trump said ending the Russia Ukraine war is within reach. Ukrainian President Zelensky welcomed a meeting with Russia’s Vladimir Putin, while German Chancellor Merz emphasized the need for a ceasefire. The NATO secretary said Europe views U-S support for Ukrainian security guarantees as a “breakthrough.”
Listen DownloadTrump vows to eliminate mail-in ballots and voting machines
President Trump is vowing more changes to the way U-S elections are conducted. The president is speaking out, once again, about doing away with mail-in ballots, which are used by about one-third of all American voters. He also wants to eliminate voting machines. According to the Constitution, Congress has the authority to determine the “time, place and manner” of elections.
Listen DownloadTrump, Zelensky hope meeting will lead to 3-way talks with Putin
President Trump welcomed Ukrainian President Zelensky back to the White House in a bid to end the Russia Ukraine war. Sitting side by side in the Oval Office, the two presidents expressed hope that White House talks, which include European leaders, could lead to a future three-way meeting with Russia’s Vladimir Putin. Donald Trump also said he supports European security guarantees for Ukraine, though he stopped short of committing U-S troops to the effort.
Listen DownloadNewsmax pays $67 million to settle 2020 election lawsuit
The conservative network Newsmax has settled a lawsuit stemming from the 2020 presidential election.
Newsmax agreed to pay 67 million dollars to settle a lawsuit accusing it of defaming a voting equipment company by spreading lies about President Trump’s 2020 election loss. The settlement comes after Fox News Channel paid more than three-quarters of a billion dollars to settle a similar lawsuit in 2023. In a statement, Newsmax said it stands by its news coverage. President Trump continues to claim that the 2020 election was rigged against him.
European, NATO leaders to join Ukraine’s Zelensky at White House meeting
President Trump will host Ukrainian President Zelensky at the White House for talks on ending the Russia Ukraine war. The talks come on the heels of Donald Trump’s meeting with Russia’s Vladimir Putin in Alaska. Zelensky will be joined here in Washington by several NATO and European leaders. Ahead of the White House meeting, administration officials said the U-S and European allies could offer Ukraine a security guarantee resembling NATO’s collective defense mandate. It’s unclear how committed President Trump would be to such a guarantee given his criticism of past U-S financial support for Ukraine.
Listen DownloadThree GOP-led states deploy National Guard members to Washington, DC
Three Republican-led states are deploying hundreds of members of their National Guard to Washington, DC. Governors in West Virginia, Ohio, and South Carolina announced they’re sending troops from their states to assist the Trump administration’s takeover of the District of Columbia’s police department. As many as 750 additional National Guard members will join their counterparts in Washington. Last week, President Trump activated the DC National Guard to aid local law enforcement in what the White House calls an effort to crack down on crime and homelessness in the nation’s capital.
Listen DownloadTrump drops demand for ceasefire in Ukraine after meeting with Putin
President Trump has dropped his demand for a Russia Ukraine ceasefire after meeting with Vladimir Putin. The president had been pushing for a ceasefire as a requirement for further negotiations toward ending the three-and-a-half year war in Ukraine. But after holding talks with Putin in Alaska, Donald Trump has dropped that demand. He’s now in line with Putin, who doesn’t want a temporary truce. The president wants to go directly to a peace agreement — and will hold talks with Ukrainian President Zelensky at the White House on Monday.
Listen DownloadTrump 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 Download