Trump live: President says US ‘very close’ to a nuclear deal with Iran
The president also warned that the U.S. could be forced to take a ‘violent course’ with Iran if the friendly course of action does not work
Donald Trump says the U.S. and Iran are “very close” to securing a deal that would see America drop its longstanding sanctions and Iran give up the prospect of developing a nuclear weapon.
Speaking during his three-nation tour of the Middle East, Trump said they were “getting close” to securing a deal as Iran had “sort of” agreed to terms.
"I think we're getting close to maybe doing a deal,” he said in Qatar.
Trump has repeatedly said that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, and earlier in his Gulf nations tour he warned U.S. could be forced to take a “violent course” with Iran if the friendly course of action does not work.
During his Gulf nations tour Trump has signed billions of dollars worth of economic deals with Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, and also taken significant steps towards normalizing relations with Syria after making a surprise announcement that the U.S. would lift all sanctions on the country.
The president will leave the U.A.E later on Friday and hinted he was leaving for “destination unknown”, but will likely return to Washington.
New Pentagon memo reveals how military will screen for transgender troops to purge from service.jpeg?quality=75&width=230&auto=webp)
‘What ever happened to Never Forget?’: 9/11 families blast Trump for warm embrace of Saudi officials
Trump to meet with South African president at White House after claims of ‘genocide’ of Afrikaners
Trump becomes a grandfather for the 11th time as Tiffany gives birth to a son
Violence continues as Trump calls for Gaza ‘freedom zone’
Donald Trump’s comments have come amid ongoing strikes in Gaza.
A hospital in southern Gaza says 54 people have been killed in overnight airstrikes on the city of Khan Younis.
An Associated Press cameraman in Khan Younis counted 10 airstrikes on the city overnight into Thursday, and saw numerous bodies taken to the morgue in the city's Nasser Hospital. Some bodies arrived in pieces, with some body bags containing the remains of multiple people. The hospital's morgue confirmed 54 people had been killed.
It was the second night of heavy bombing, after airstrikes Wednesday on northern and southern Gaza killed at least 70 people, including almost two dozen children.
In the occupied West Bank, a heavily pregnant Israeli woman was also killed in a shooting on Wednesday.
The attack, coming amid one of the largest Israeli military operations in the West Bank in two decades, drew angry reactions from Israeli politicians who said the nearby Palestinian towns of Bruqin and az-Zawiya should be destroyed like cities in Gaza.
Our live coverage has ended. Here’s a full breakdown:
Trump arrived in the UAE on Thursday, where he visited the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque and took part in a state visit with President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan at the Qasr Al Watan palace.
That came after Trump said that he doesn’t expect to see any progress in negotiations between Russia and Ukraine to end the war until he meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“Nothing is going to happen until Putin and I get together,” Trump said to reporters on Air Force One.
The UAE presidential palace, which Trump visited, is a huge complex surrounded by palm trees, gardens, and fountains.
Trump and the UAE president greeted delegations in a decorated hall with marble floors and chandeliers.
Trump then moved on to take in a space exhibition alongside Steve Witkoff, Howard Lutnick, Pete Hegseth, and other U.S. officials.
Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan sat down with Trump on Thursday afternoon Eastern time.
“Mr. President, for over 50 years, the UAE and the United States have shared a multi-dimensional strategic partnership and a long-standing friendship grounded in a shared commitment to advancing prosperity and stability in our countries, the region, and the world,” he said. “Over the decades, the UAE has been a trusted partner of the United States, both in terms of bilateral relations and in matters of shared concern.”
“What a lot of people don't know, I think my staff is very surprised by it, you and I have been friends for a long time,” said Trump. “We've been good friends, and what they don't know about you is that you are considered a truly great warrior.”
Trump concluded his remarks by inviting the UAE president to the White House.
“Let me have one month of fixing up the Oval Office, in other words, getting things ready,” said Trump. “And I look forward to having you and the White House, we will celebrate together, but we are going to be your friend, and we're going to be your partner, and we really appreciate your confidence and an investment that's your biggest investment that you've ever made.”
Following Trump’s remarks, the UAE president awarded Trump the Order of Zayed, the highest civil decoration in the country.
As he signed a guestbook, Trump said he was “probably” heading back to Washington, D.C. on Friday. But he also said it could be a case of “destination unknown.”
Later in the evening, Trump attended a banquet dinner.
Trump becomes a grandfather for the 11th time as Tiffany gives birth to a son
President Donald Trump became a grandpa for the 11th time Thursday as his daughter, Tiffany Trump welcomed a new baby boy.
Trump becomes a grandfather for the 11th time as Tiffany gives birth to a son
Watch: Trump says he did not discuss 9/11 Saudi intelligence agent with MBS
Donald Trump says he did not discuss 9/11 Saudi intelligence agent with crown prince Mohammed bin Salman:
Trump accused of ‘catch me if you can regime’ by Supreme Court justice in birthright citizenship hearing
A series of federal court rulings across the country struck down Donald Trump’s attempt to strip citizenship from newborn Americans born to certain immigrant parents. But the government argues those decisions should be limited to the individual states — and pregnant mothers — who sued him and won.
During oral arguments on the issue at the Supreme Court on Thursday, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson called the administration’s position a “catch-me-if-you-can kind of regime,” where court orders would protect only the individuals in a case, not the millions of Americans who could be impacted.
Trump’s position argues that everyone would need a lawyer “to stop the government from violating anyone’s rights,” she said. “I don’t understand how that is remotely consistent with the rule of law.”
Read the full report below:
Trump of ‘catch me if you can regime’ in Supreme Court birthright citizenship hearing
Trump has sent thousands of troops to the Mexico border. But is it the best use of the US military?
On the 2024 campaign trail, Donald Trump pledged to deploy thousands of troops to secure the southern border of the U.S. as part of his strategy to clamp down on illegal immigration.
The president's characterization of the situation at the U.S.-Mexico border as an “invasion” had already been met with criticism, which grew with the idea of the domestic deployment of the military.
Approximately 8,600 active duty troops are now at the U.S.-Mexico border, up from about 2,500 at the end of the Biden administration.
But what exactly are the troops at the border doing, and is their presence the key factor in the reduction of border crossings? Furthermore, how much does this cost, and what is the overall impact on military readiness? Should they be doing something else somewhere else?
Read the full report here:
Trump sent thousands of troops to the border — is it the best use of the US military?
Analysis: Democrats keep trying to move past the cover up around Biden’s decline. It’s not helping their credibility
Democrats are not doing themselves any favors with their reactions to the new book on Joe Biden coming out soon, as John Bowden writes:
Democrats need to stop trying to move past the cover up around Biden’s decline
Watch: Justice Kagan slaps down 'losing' Trump administration at Supreme Court over birthright citizenship
‘Absurd’: Republicans challenge Johnson to overhaul Trump’s ‘big beautiful bill’ as it remains on knife edge
Conservative Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives want House Speaker Mike Johnson to make major changes to Medicaid and more spending cuts before they vote for President Donald Trump’s “one big, beautiful bill.”
The House Budget Committee is set to vote on the bill on Friday, which would tee it up for a floor vote before it goes to the U.S. Senate. But conservatives, particularly those in the hardline House Freedom Caucus, do not believe that the bill goes far enough in spending cuts.
Read the full report below:
‘Absurd’: Republicans challenge Johnson to overhaul Trump’s ‘big beautiful bill’
Trump to meet with South African president at White House after claims of ‘genocide’ of Afrikaners
Donald Trump and South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa will meet at the White House next week.
The meeting comes during a period of deep tension between the two countries, including over the Trump administration’s decision to fast-track Afrikaner farmers from South Africa for refugee status on claims the white minority is facing a “genocide,” which South Africa disputes.
Experts say there’s little evidence of a genocide in South Africa against white farmers, who own roughly 70 percent of commercial farmland despite making up about 7 percent of the population, a legacy of the country’s apartheid past.
Read the full report here:
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