Some of the 800 National Guard members deployed by President Donald Trump began arriving in Washington D.C. on Tuesday, ramping up after the White House ordered federal forces to take over the city’s police department and reduce crime in what the president called — without substantiation — a lawless city.
The law lets Trump control the police department for a month, but how aggressive the federal presence will be remains an open question.
During a press briefing Tuesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that the administration would “reevaluate and reassess and make further decisions” after the 30-day period is over. The White House would need approval from both House and Senate in order to extend the takeover the police department.
Following a meeting with U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi on Tuesday morning, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser emphasized that the Metropolitan Police Department will retain its independence, including over hiring and firing, saying “our organizational chart, how we do business, how we fund the police, none of that has changed.”
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Health Secretary, after the shooting at CDC, criticizes CDC’s pandemic response
Trump’s Health Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., refused to directly answer when asked during an interview with Scripps News on Monday what message he had for CDC employees who are worried about the culture of misinformation and skepticism around vaccines.
Although law enforcement officials have made clear the shooter was targeting the public health agency over the COVID-19 vaccine, Kennedy said in the interview that not enough was known about his motives.
He described political violence as “wrong” and said his job is to protect employees.
He went on to criticize the public health agency’s actions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“One of the things that we saw during COVID is that the government was overreaching in its efforts to persuade the public to get vaccinated and they were saying things that are not always true,” Kennedy said.
White House not ruling out ‘future plans’ for Trump to travel to Russia
Leavitt said that Trump will be traveling to Alaska on Friday and meeting one-on-one with Putin -- even amid lingering questions about whether Zelenskyy will be involved.
But asked if Trump might then head to Russia -- or go there in the future -- Leavitt was less committal.
“Perhaps there are plans in the future to travel to Russia,” she said.
Business as usual in Chinatown
The intersection of 7th and H street in Chinatown is one of the more high-profile battlegrounds in the effort to bring down crime rates in Washington D.C.
Residents and business owners have long complained about the open drug dealing, aggressive panhandlers and 24/7 marijuana smell around the Metro exit, one block from Capitol One Arena.
Folks on the street corner — none of whom would give their names — said federal law enforcement officers swept through the area Sunday night, but there’s disagreement if it was FBI or DEA or both.
On Tuesday afternoon, the corner was relatively tranquil. But two young men did offer to sell marijuana to a reporter as soon as they were introduced.
Another man, sitting in a wheelchair and rolling a joint, predicted that any crackdown would just temporarily push illegal activity down the block.
“They’re never going to stop crime,” he said. “You know why? Because crime gets people paid.”
White House says monthly jobs report will continue
White House press secretary Leavitt said that the government will continue to issue the monthly jobs report, which includes the nation’s unemployment rate, despite comments by an administration’s nominee that suggested suspending it.
“I believe that is the plan and that’s the hope,” Leavitt said.
On Monday, E.J. Antoni, a conservative economist at the Heritage Foundation, said on Fox Business news that the agency should pause the issuance of the reports while it works to improve its data collection. Antoni was later on Monday nominated by Trump to head the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the agency that compiles the jobs data as well as monthly inflation report.
The jobs report is closely watched by Wall Street and many businesses around the country, and suspending it would be unprecedented.
Trump slammed the last report Aug. 1 after it showed hiring weakened in July and was much lower in May and June than originally reported, then fired the BLS commissioner, Erika McEntarfer.
Leavitt: DC homeless will face fines or jail if they refuse shelter or treatment
Leavitt says people living in Washington homeless encampments will be offered space in a homeless shelter or treatment for addiction. She says those who refuse will face fines or jail time.
With Trump taking control of law enforcement in the nation’s capital, Leavitt said authorities will enforce anti-homelessness laws that she says have been ignored.
The National Park Service has removed 70 homeless encampments from parks controlled by the federal agency, she said.
“We want to make DC safe and beautiful,” and that requires removing “mentally disturbed individuals” and homeless encampments, Leavitt said in the White House briefing room.
Army leaders visit DC National Guard as troops report in
Two top Army leaders made a visit to the Washington, D.C. National Guard armory on Tuesday morning as activated guard members began reporting for duty to support law enforcement in the capital.
An Army spokesman confirmed to The Associated Press that Secretary Driscoll, the Army’s top civilian official, and Gen. James Mingus, the service’s second highest ranking officer, visited the armory this “to visit with Soldiers and leaders.”
“Secretary Driscoll wanted the D.C. National Guard Soldiers to know first-hand that they have support from the very top of the Army and that we have every confidence in their skill, discipline, and professionalism to support our law enforcement partners and accomplish this mission,” Lt. Colonel Jeff Tolbert said in an email.
White House says that Trump is ‘considering’ lawsuit against Fed Chair Jerome Powell
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt expanded on Trump’s social media post indicating that a lawsuit might be forthcoming on the Federal Reserve’s $2.5 billion renovation project.
Leavitt said at the Tuesday news briefing that Trump is weighing whether he as president should sue the U.S. central bank.
“The president is considering a lawsuit against the Fed, and I will leave it to him to comment further on it,” Leavitt said.
DC police takeover may last longer than 30 days
The federal takeover of the District of Columbia’s police department could last longer than 30 days.
During a press briefing, White House press secretary Leavitt said that the administration would “reevaluate and reassess and make further decisions” after the 30-day period is over.
The White House would need approval from both House and Senate in order to extend the takeover the police department.
Trump remains “very much engaged” with Ukraine, Europe, Leavitt says
Leavitt said that President Trump has “deep respect for all parties involved” in the war between Russia and Ukraine.
She said that the president continues to be “very much engaged” with Ukrainians and allies in Europe.
Trump is expected to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin this Friday in Alaska.
White House calls judge’s ruling on Maxwell grand jury testimony ‘unfortunate’
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt says a judge denying the Trump administration’s motion to unseal grand jury testimony from the criminal case against Ghislaine Maxwell “unfortunate.”
“We think that decision is unfortunate,” Leavitt said, adding that the information should be unsealed because Trump has said he wanted it released.
Those comments came a day after U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer of the Southern District of New York criticized the Department of Justice for using “demonstrably false” reasoning to justify the release of grand jury testimony.
Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year prion sentence for sex trafficking and other crimes in connection with Jeffrey Epstein.
Putin meeting is ‘a listening exercise’ for Trump, Leavitt says
Leavitt says Trump’s goal for his meeting with Putin this week is “to walk away with a better understanding of how we can end this war.”
The White House press secretary downplayed the president’s aims for the summit on Friday in Alaska. She described the meeting as “a listening exercise for the president” that he agreed to after Putin requested a meeting.
Leavitt declined to discuss Trump’s conversations with Zelenskyy but said Trump has “deep respect” for all parties.
White House says federal officers arrested 23 in DC
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt says approximately 850 federal law enforcement officers were deployed in Washington and made 23 arrests overnight.
Leavitt says the arrests include charges of homicide, gun and drug crimes, reckless driving, fare evasion and drunken driving.Leavitt said six illegal handguns were seized.
“This is only the beginning,” she said, pledging that federal authorities would continue policing in the nation’s capital for a month.
“President Trump will not be deterred by soft on crime democrats and media activists,” Leavitt said
California Gov. Newsom mimics Trump’s social media style
“THIS IS YOUR SECOND-TO-LAST WARNING!!!” Newsom’s press office wrote Tuesday in a X post urging the president to back off efforts to redraw congressional maps.
California Democrats are planning to introduce new partisan maps on Friday to counter efforts to help GOPs in 2026 in Texas.
“STAND DOWN NOW OR CALIFORNIA WILL COUNTER-STRIKE (LEGALLY!) TO DESTROY YOUR ILLEGAL CROOKED MAPS IN RED STATES,” the post reads.
The new maps in California would still need state lawmakers and voters approval. State Republicans vow to challenge the effort.
Switzerland’s pivotal gold industry is breathing some relief
The Swiss Association of Precious Metals Manufacturers and Traders on Tuesday said it was awaiting a formal decision after Trump wrote “Gold will not be Tariffed!” on his Truth Social platform late Monday.
“President Trump’s statement is an encouraging signal for trade stability,” said Christoph Wild, the president of the association, which counts 15 companies that process and trade in precious metals like gold. “However, only a formal and binding decision will provide the certainty the gold sector and its partners require.”
The Swiss National Bank, citing figures from the Swiss government, in April issued a report saying that gold refineries in Switzerland supply about one-third of refined gold worldwide.
Last year, gold accounted for some 27% of goods trade value from the country, making it Switzerland’s most-traded product — ahead of pharmaceuticals at 22%, the SNB said.
The precious metals association, known as ASFCMP, last week expressed concern following news reports and other indications that the Trump administration might apply whopping 39% U.S. tariffs on Swiss products -- among the highest it has imposed anywhere -- to gold products.
DC mayor emphasizes ‘working collaboratively’ with feds amid Trump takeover
Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser says the city will aim to “make the most of” the increase in federal resources in the city after Trump’s announcement that he’s taking over Washington’s police department and activating 800 members of the National Guard.
Bowser also emphasized that the Metropolitan Police Department will retain its independence, including over hiring and firing, saying “our organizational chart, how we do business, how we fund the police, none of that has changed.”
“We have more police, and we want to make sure we use them,” Bowser added after a meeting with U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi.
The remarks mark a change in tone from Monday when Bowser called Trump’s executive order “unsettling and unprecedented.”
Pamela Smith, chief of the Metropolitan Police Department, spoke about reduced crime in the city and said increased federal resources “will only help us build upon that.”
Bondi called the meeting with Bowser “productive” in a statement on X, adding that the Justice Department will work closely with city government and police.
Republican US Rep. Barry Moore joins the race for Alabama’s open Senate seat
Moore, a member of the conservative Freedom Caucus, was first elected to Congress in 2020. He has the rare distinction of winning elections in two different congressional districts.
Last year, a federal court ordered Alabama to use a new congressional map, which put Moore’s home outside his own district. Rather than moving to seek his old seat, he opted to challenge his fellow GOP incumbent in a hard-fought primary for the more solidly Republican 1st District.
Now he’s seeking the position being vacated by Sen. Tommy Tuberville, who’s running for governor. The rare open Senate seat is expected to draw a number of candidates and Alabama’s Republican attorney general has already entered the race.
A UFC fight at the White House? Dana White says it’s happening as part of deal with Paramount
Hours after Paramount and UFC announced a billion-dollar rights deal, Dana White said he had yet to hear from his friend, President Trump, on his thoughts about the fight company’s new streaming home.
That was fine with White. The UFC CEO was set to travel to Washington on Aug. 28 to meet with Trump and his daughter, Ivanka, to catch up and discuss logistics on the proposed Fourth of July fight card next year at the White House.
Trump said last month he wanted to stage a UFC match on the White House grounds with upwards of 20,000 spectators to celebrate 250 years of American independence.
“It’s absolutely going to happen,” White told The Associated Press. “Think about that, the 250th birthday of the United States of America, the UFC will be on the White House south lawn live on CBS.”
▶ Read more about the UFC and the White House
Judge orders Trump administration not to withhold funds from National Endowment for Democracy
The federal judge ordered the administration to stop withholding funding approved by Congress for the nonprofit that aims to strengthen democratic institutions around the world.
U.S. Judge Dabney Friedrich in Washington said Monday it was clear the State Department was blocking the money for “impermissible policy reasons,” and she rejected the department’s explanation that it was trying to ensure the endowment had funding for the upcoming year.
“Before and during litigation, the defendants obstructed routine drawdown requests on money already set aside in the Endowment’s Treasury account, imposed and then abandoned a novel waiver requirement, and delayed the obligation of apportioned funds,” she wrote. “These actions vitiate any inference that the defendants’ concern has been to ‘ensure’ the Endowment’s ‘level of funding in the coming fiscal year.’”
Friedrich granted a preliminary injunction sought by the endowment for its remaining 2025 funding — $95 million, or about a third of its annual funding.
The State Department did not immediately have comment.
George Washington University pressed to reach deal over antisemitism findings
A Justice Department investigation concluded that leaders of George Washington University were “deliberately indifferent” to complaints of antisemitism stemming from pro-Palestinian protests last year.
In a Tuesday letter to the university’s president, the Justice Department said George Washington violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by failing to address the harassment of Jewish students amid a campus tent encampment. The department said it will pursue enforcement action unless the university agrees to a voluntary resolution agreement.
The university did not immediately comment.
The Trump administration has issued similar findings at Harvard, Columbia and the University of California, Los Angeles. The government has used a deal with Columbia as a template for agreements with other universities.
The tent encampment at George Washington lasted about two weeks starting in April 2024 before it was cleared by police.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis picks state Sen. Jay Collins to be state’s lieutenant governor
It’s a closely watched appointment by the two-term governor, who can’t run for reelection in 2026 and has been working to cement his legacy as his time leading the state winds down.
If Collins, an Army combat veteran and nonprofit executive, decides to launch a bid to succeed DeSantis, the move could tee up another proxy fight between the popular GOP governor and President Trump, who’s already endorsed U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds for the job.
During a Tuesday news conference announcing his pick, DeSantis praised Collins for having strong conservative principles.
Collins was then sworn in minutes after the announcement.
The seat had been vacant since February, when then-lieutenant governor Jeanette Nuñez was appointed to lead one of the state’s public universities.
▶ Read more about Florida’s lieutenant governor
Trump will join virtual meeting on Ukraine organized by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz
That’s according to a White House official.
The Europeans hope to use the Wednesday meeting to rally Trump to Ukraine’s cause ahead of his Friday summit in Alaska with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Trump has disappointed allies in Europe by saying Ukraine will have to give up some Russian-held territory. He also said Russia must accept land swaps, although it was unclear what Putin might be expected to surrender.
Trump said Monday he’s “going to get everybody’s ideas” before meeting with Putin.
DC mayor arrives for Justice Department meeting
Mayor Muriel Bowser was seen exiting a black SUV in the Justice Department courtyard and walking into the building ahead of her meeting with Attorney General Pam Bondi.
RFK Jr.’s formula to “Make America Healthy Again” won’t be made public — for now
The White House is holding off on publicly releasing the much-anticipated “MAHA” strategy report that’s supposed to provide a policy road map for making Americans healthier.
The policy recommendations are a follow up from the MAHA report released in May, which focused on ultraprocessed foods, prescription drugs, vaccines, screentime and pesticides.
The initial report had already divided some conservatives, with farmers concerned about its focus on pesticides and some from Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s coalition upset that the report didn’t call for a ban on those chemicals.
White House spokesperson Kush Desai said in a statement that the report is “on track” to be submitted to President Trump on Tuesday and will be unveiled to the public “shortly thereafter.”
Attorney General Pam Bondi meeting with Washington officials after police takeover
The attorney general is expected to meet Tuesday with D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser a day after the president put the city’s police force under federal control.
Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith was also seen entering Justice Department headquarters ahead of the planned meeting.
Trump said Monday that Bondi would assume responsibility for the police department in the hopes of reducing crime, even as city officials stressed crime is already falling.
Trump threatens lawsuit against Federal Reserve Chair
Trump called Fed chair Jerome Powell a “loser” Tuesday and demanded that he cut the central bank’s short-term interest rate. Such rate reductions can, over time, reduce borrowing costs for mortgages, car loans, and business loans.
Trump also said he might allow a “major lawsuit” to proceed against the Fed over the burgeoning cost of its massive renovation of two office buildings, currently expected to cost $2.5 billion, up from a previous estimate of $1.9 billion. It’s not clear what lawsuit Trump was referring to.
Europe’s sidelined leaders urge Trump to defend security interests at his summit with Putin
It was unclear whether even Ukraine will take part in the summit. Trump has said he wants to see whether Russian leader Vladimir Putin is serious about ending the war, now in its fourth year.
Trump has disappointed allies in Europe by saying Ukraine will have to give up some Russian-held territory. He also said Russia must accept land swaps, although it was unclear what Putin might be expected to surrender.
The Europeans and Ukraine are wary that Putin, who has waged the biggest land war in Europe since 1945 and used Russia’s energy might to try to intimidate the EU, might secure favorable concessions and set the outlines of a peace deal without them.
▶ Read more about the war in Ukraine
Wall Street climbs toward records on expectations for a coming cut to interest rates
It comes after data suggested inflation across the country was a touch better last month than economists expected.
The S&P 500 rose 0.6% and was on track to top its all-time high set two weeks ago. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 251 points, or 0.6%, as of 9:35 a.m. Eastern time, while the Nasdaq composite was 0.7% higher and also heading toward a record.
Stocks got a lift from hopes that the better-than-expected inflation report will give the Federal Reserve more leeway to cut interest rates at its next meeting in September.
Lower rates would give a boost to investment prices and to the economy by making it cheaper for U.S. households and businesses to borrow to buy houses, cars or equipment. President Trump has angrily been calling for cuts to help the economy, often insulting the Fed’s chair personally while doing so.
▶ Read more about the financial markets
Trump backs Burt Jones in Republican race for Georgia governor in 2026
It’s a boost to the incumbent lieutenant governor’s effort to set himself up as the 2026 frontrunner for the GOP nomination.
Trump announced the nod Monday, noting Jones was among the first Georgia Republicans to endorse Trump’s first bid for the White House in 2016 and saying Jones “worked tirelessly to help us win” in all three of Trump’s bids.
“He has been with us from the very beginning,” Trump wrote on social media. “I know his family well and have seen Burt tested at the most difficult levels and times.”
Republicans including Attorney General Chris Carr are vying with Jones to be their party’s nominee to succeed Gov. Brian Kemp, who can’t run again because of term limits. Other Republican candidates who could enter the race include Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.
▶ Read more about the race for Georgia governor
Guard troops start streaming in
National Guard troops are beginning to arrive at the Washington, D.C., armory. They were seen arriving this morning at the Guard’s headquarters in the city.
Trump said Monday that in hopes of reducing crime, he would be taking over Washington’s police department and activating 800 members of the National Guard. The crime Trump talked about is the same crime that city officials stress is already falling noticeably.
Trump says recipients of Kennedy Center Honors will be revealed on Wednesday
The Republican president, who had himself installed as chairman of the Kennedy Center’s board, said in a social media post that the to-be-named nominees are “GREAT.”
“GREAT Nominees for the TRUMP/KENNEDY CENTER, whoops, I mean, KENNEDY CENTER, AWARDS,” Trump wrote in a social media post. “They will be announced Wednesday.
“Tremendous work is being done, and money being spent, on bringing it back to the absolute TOP LEVEL of luxury, glamour, and entertainment,” he said, without offering details.
The Kennedy Center Honors program typically tapes in December for broadcast later in the month on CBS.
Trump spurned the performing arts center in his first term after some honorees refused to attend a traditional White House event recognizing their achievements to protest Trump’s policies, including those toward the arts. He did not attend the taping of the awards program during those four years in office.
Trump’s Tuesday schedule
There is nothing on the president’s public schedule today. However, press secretary Karoline Leavitt will hold a briefing at 1 p.m. ET.
Trump’s moves toward taking over Washington are unprecedented. Here’s what the law says
Trump took command of the police department and deployed the National Guard under laws and Constitutional powers that give the federal government more sway over the nation’s capital than other cities. The measure still leaves significant power to the president and Congress, though no president has exercised the police powers before.
Here’s a look at what the law says about Trump’s actions:
1. Trump activated the National Guard. The president can still call up the National Guard in Washington. His authority is less clear in Los Angeles, where a legal battle continues over his recent deployment of the National Guard despite the objections of Gov. Gavin Newsom.
2. Trump took over the local police. Section 740 of the Home Rule Act allows for the president to take over Washington’s Metropolitan Police Department for 48 hours, with possible extensions to 30 days, during times of emergencies. No president has done so before.
3. Trump didn’t specify how long the takeover would last. Congress still has power over things like the budget and laws passed by the city council, but would have to repeal the Home Rule Act to expand federal power in the district.
▶ Read more about the laws pertaining to Trump’s DC police takeover
