Author: Robert Jones
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky predicted in a Sunday interview with NBC News that Russian President Vladimir Putin will launch an “invasion” of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) countries and has been waiting for the “weakening” of the military alliance as the United States signals a lack of support.Zelensky also noted that if the U.S. withdraws from NATO, Russia will “occupy” Europe.Newsweek has reached out to Russia’s foreign ministry for comment via email and filed out an online contact form for NATO’s press team on Sunday.Why It Matters Since taking office, President Donald Trump has signaled a major change in the…
The last time President Trump held office, he tried to make deep cuts to foreign aid, but was blocked by Congress. He is finding little resistance from fellow Republicans this time to his move to freeze such funding.During a special counsel’s inquiry in his first term, Mr. Trump expressed a desire to fire the investigator, but White House lawyers stopped him. This term, Mr. Trump has swiftly forced out a slew of federal officials who had oversight roles over his administration.In the final days of his first presidency, Mr. Trump tried to hire a loyalist to help run the F.B.I.,…
On Wednesday, President Donald Trump got himself declared chair of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts after purging the board of everyone appointed by President Joe Biden. In their stead, he appointed his own political allies, donors, and their wives, including second lady Usha Vance and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles. He also appointed loyalist Ric Grenell as interim executive director. Other celebrities affiliated with the Center, including Shonda Rhimes (appointed by former President Barack Obama), have announced their resignation in the wake of Trump’s announcement. Although generally not a hotbed for controversy, the Kennedy…
Last week, President Donald Trump signed an executive order stopping all aid to South Africa and offering refugee status to white South Africans. The order decried “government-sponsored race-based discrimination, including racially discriminatory property confiscation” and accuses South Africa of a “shocking disregard of its citizens’ rights.” It specifically called for the resettlement of white Afrikaners, who are predominantly descendants of Dutch settlers and part of the country’s white minority.Trump’s order focuses on a South African law, the Expropriation Act of 2024, which passed last month and allows the South African government to seize ethnic Afrikaners’ farm land without compensation when…
Canada’s Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre rebuked President Donald Trump’s repeated suggestion that Canada should become the 51st U.S. state on Saturday.Newsweek has reached out to the White House and Canadian Foreign Affairs via email for comment on Sunday.Why It MattersTrump has repeatedly suggested the U.S. could annex Canada and make it the 51st state since taking office last month. His remarks, as well as support for tariffs on Canadian imports, have strained relations with Washington’s neighbor to the north.While leaders of Canada have been dismissive of joining the U.S., the repeated suggestion comes as the conservative party is now favored…
Tali Jackont put aside her liberal beliefs to vote for Mr. Trump, but now she worries.After four years away from the White House, Mr. Trump seems less temperate than ever.“Too much ego,” she said on Thursday, adding, “It feels like a tantrum of a four-year-old boy.”Speaking from her home in the Los Angeles area, Ms. Jackont said that while she understands Mr. Trump’s desire to cut the federal work force and surround himself with loyalists, his tactics do not feel right. Too many experts will lose their jobs, she said. Mr. Trump, she believes, is making moves that make him…
In defense of President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican, shared video compilations on social media of former Democratic leaders advocating for federal job cuts and reduced government spending.Why It MattersTrump created DOGE, a task force led by billionaire Elon Musk, to reduce federal costs and workforce. In its first month of operation, the taskforce has restructured multiple federal agencies and recommended mass layoffs.Democrats and some Trump critics have expressed concerns over DOGE’s cost-cutting initiatives, with some saying that the president and Musk are not following legal protocols.Greene’s recent social media post…
Over galaxy-themed beers at InnerSpace Brewing in Huntsville, Ala., Stewart Money has heard it all recently from government engineers and contractors winding down after work. They have expressed anxiety about how cuts to the federal work force could affect their own jobs in the city’s aerospace and related industries, and speculated that defense investments under President Trump might spur even more growth there.“You want to use an analogy, it’s almost like launching a rocket that’s not proven,” said Mr. Money, who owns the brewery. “You don’t know what’s going to happen, but something is going to happen.”There is no question…
By Peter Aitken is a Newsweek Politics Editor based in New York. His focus is domestic U.S. politics, but he has experience covering Foreign Affairs, Business and Technology. Peter joined Newsweek in 2024 from Fox News Digital and had previously freelanced at Business Insider. He has interviewed such notable figures as Benjamin Netanyahu, Gen. David H. Petraeus, British Foreign Ministers James Cleverly and Grant Shapps and a ranking member of the Taliban. He graduated from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, but is New York born and raised. You can get in touch with Peter by emailing p.aitken@newsweek.com. Languages:…
The Trump administration accelerated plans for widespread work force cuts across the government on Friday, as employees at multiple federal agencies learned they would be losing their jobs.Agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency and the Agriculture Department were the latest to be hit with layoffs as President Trump and a team led by the billionaire Elon Musk ramped up an initiative to cut government spending and overhaul government. The administration has recently focused its efforts on an estimated 200,000 probationary workers, who do not receive the same protections as many other federal employees.On Friday, officials at the E.P.A. said…