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(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump will host King Charles III and Queen Camilla at the White House for a highly anticipated state visit this week as the “special relationship” between the United States and the United Kingdom is under a microscope amid the war with Iran.

“I look forward to the dinner. We’re having King Charles come; he’s a friend of mine. We’re really looking forward to it, we’ve spoken, and we’re going to have a great time,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office last week. 

While Trump has repeatedly praised King Charles as a “friend” whom he’s known for years, his relationship with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has been another story as the president has repeatedly assailed the U.K. and other NATO allies over the U.S. and Israeli war with Iran.

“This is not Winston Churchill that we’re dealing with,” Trump said of Starmer in March as he criticized the U.K. for not doing more to support the war.

Starmer has waved off concerns about the relationship between the two countries.

“The special relationship is in operation right now,” Starmer said in the wake of Trump’s comments last month. “We are working together in the region, the U.S. and the British working together to protect both the U.S. and the British in joint bases, where we’re jointly located and we’re sharing intelligence on a 24/7 basis in the usual way.”

Trump says visit could help repair damage

Amid his criticism of the U.K.’s support of the war with Iran, Trump said the Charles’ visit — the U.K.’s constitutional and ceremonial head of state — may help restore any damaged ties between the two allies.  

“Absolutely. He’s fantastic. He’s a fantastic man. Absolutely the answer is yes,” Trump told the BBC in a phone interview on Thursday when asked if the visit could help repair the relationship.

But whether pomp and circumstance with the king will translate into real geopolitical gains remains to be seen. Trump told Reuters in a phone interview on Friday that he was “going to talk about everything” with the king, including Iran, NATO and the U.K.’s digital services tax.

“I like Starmer, but…”

While Charles will officially represent the U.K. on the visit, Trump has repeatedly attacked Starmer, the U.K.’s top elected official, since the start of the war with Iran on issues both foreign and domestic. 

Amid rising global oil prices, Trump has renewed his call for Starmer to begin drilling for oil in the North Sea and criticized the prime minister for his handling of immigration. 

“I like Starmer, but I think he’s made a tragic mistake in closing the North Sea oil. You see, your energy prices are the highest in the world. And I think he’s made a tragic mistake on immigration,” Trump told the U.K.’s Sky News on April 14.

The president has even gone as far as to compare Starmer to Neville Chamberlain — the British prime minister infamous for his appeasement policy towards Nazi Germany before World War II — over Starmer’s purported refusal to send the U.K.’s navy to the Middle East at the start of the war.

“He made a public statement that we will send equipment after the war is over. It was a — well, you know, that’s a Neville — Neville Chamberlain-type statement, and Germany, the same thing. He said, ‘We didn’t start this war.’ Well, we helped them with Ukraine,” Trump told Fox News on April 12 about efforts to arm Ukraine in its war with Russia. 

I response to Trump’s comments, Starmer said, “We do have mine-sweeping capability, I won’t go into operational matters, but we do have that capability — that’s all focused, from our point of view, on getting the strait fully open.”

But he reiterated his position that the U.K. would not join the conflict.

“My decision has been very clearly that whatever the pressure — and there’s been some considerable pressure — we’re not getting dragged into the war. The U.K. is not getting dragged in,” he said. “That’s not in our national interest, because I’m not going to act unless there’s a clear, lawful basis and a clear thought-through plan.”

Trump expressed surprise in a meeting with his Cabinet on March 26 that Starmer did not do more to send support to the U.S. amid the war.

“I think he’s [Starmer] a lovely man, I do. I think he’s a lovely man, but I think he did something that was shocking; he didn’t want to help us. And maybe in particular that country, you know, the longest bond, the longest ally, Australia, too. Australia was not great,” he said.

Moments later, Trump questioned whether the U.S. would be there for the U.K. and NATO in the future. 

“I mean, we’re always going to be there — at least we were, I don’t know about it anymore, to be honest with you, I have to be honest. We were always there when they needed help, we always would have been there when they needed help,” Trump said. 

But asked whether the political fallout from the war would impact his visit with Charles, Trump said no.

“No, he’s a friend of mine. He’s a great gentleman. As you know, he honored me and our country; he really honored our country. But we had an amazing time. I’ve known him as Prince Charles; I know him as King Charles,” Trump said.

“I’m proud of him. He’s fighting a tough battle. He’s tough,” Trump added. “He’s going to be here very soon, as you know, we’re going to have a state dinner, it’s going to be great.”

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(FLORIDA) — A truck driver went missing while transporting vehicles from Georgia to Florida in a possible hijacking, according to the FBI, which is investigating his “suspicious disappearance.”

Alejandro Jacomino Gonzalez, 41, was last seen on April 17 at a rest stop on I-95 south in Brevard County, Florida, according to the FBI’s Tampa field office. 

He arrived at the truck stop in Grant-Valkaria at approximately 1:21 a.m. and rested for several hours, the FBI said. At 7:49 a.m., the truck drove south one exit and then turned north, according to the FBI.

“Soon after, Gonzalez became unreachable and the truck was reported missing,” the FBI stated in a missing person bulletin.

The truck was located in Port Wentworth, Georgia, on April 17, though Gonzalez was not there, according to the FBI. Several vehicles were also missing.

“Since the discovery of the truck, three vehicles have been located in Florida,” the FBI said. “Others are still missing, along with Gonzalez.”

Gonzalez, a CDL driver for an unidentified trucking company, had picked up multiple vehicles from the Port of Brunswick in Georgia on April 16 and was supposed to drop them off in Miami, the FBI said.

The FBI described Gonzalez as being 5’11” and weighing 200 pounds. He is bald and has a brown beard and moustache, brown eyes and multiple tattoos, including a tattoo of the word “Elisia” on his right forearm. 

Anyone with videos or photographs taken in and around the area of the Grant-Valkaria rest stop between 1 a.m. and 8 a.m. on April 17 are asked to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit tips online.

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(WASHINGTON) – A Secret Service after-action review is underway to examine the security and possible lapses from the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in the wake of Saturday’s shooting, according to officials briefed on internal procedures at the agency.

The review is being conducted as a matter of standard procedure, which requires that such a probe be conducted whenever there is an “attack on a protectee.”

The review will go step-by-step through security planning and preparation, the deployment and assignment of personnel, and what occurred once the suspect rushed the Secret Service checkpoint in a failed effort to access the Washington Hilton ballroom, where the dinner was being held.

The Secret Service declined to comment to ABC News on the after-action review.  

“The Secret Service is constantly looking to improve its protective methods and learn from both successes and failure, like what happened at the Washington Hilton,” said retired senior Secret Service official Don Mihalek, an ABC News contributor. “Those lessons often translate to better protective tools, training and tactics to make the agency better.”

The White House also plans to meet with Secret Service and Department of Homeland Security leadership early this week “to discuss protocol and practices for major events” involving President Donald Trump, according to a senior White House official. 

“The meeting will discuss the processes and procedures that worked to stop Saturday’s attempt, while exploring additional options to ensure all relevant components are doing everything possible to secure the many major events planned for President Trump in the months ahead as he gears up to celebrate America 250,” the official said.

The White House emphasized its confidence in Secret Service leadership and praised the agents for intercepting the attacker and preventing further harm.

Trump has also repeatedly praised the Secret Service since Saturday’s shooting. He told Fox News on Sunday, “They were strong, relatively speaking, compared to what the potential threat was — the Secret Service and all law enforcement was … I thought they were outstanding.”

The suspect, 31-year-old Cole Allen, was tackled by law enforcement after gunfire inside the Hilton, where thousands of journalists as well as Trump and members of his Cabinet were gathered for the annual dinner, officials said.

Allen was detained near the main magnetometer area for the event, with surveillance video showing him running past security officials. Allen — who is a trained mechanical engineer working as a tutor in California — was armed with a shotgun, a handgun and multiple knives, police said.

A Secret Service member was shot, but the bullet hit the agent’s protective vest, Trump said.

U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro said Monday that the suspect’s “intent was to bring down as many of the high-ranking cabinet officials as he could.”

Allen appeared in court on Monday to face three felony counts of attempted assassination of the President of the United States, transportation of a firearm and ammunition over state lines with the intent to commit a felony and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence. 

Allen did not enter a plea.

The judge scheduled a detention hearing for Thursday and ordered Allen to be temporarily detained until then. Allen’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 11. 

ABC News’ Emily Chang contributed to this report.

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(WASHINGTON) — Cole Allen, the suspect in the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner on Saturday night, made a brief first court appearance on Monday to face charges, including attempted assassination of the president.

Allen, 31, walked in wearing a blue jumpsuit and took his seat at the defense table. The Torrance, California, native faces three felony counts of attempted assassination of the President of the United States, transportation of a firearm and ammunition over state lines with the intent to commit a felony and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence. This is the third assassination attempt President Donald Trump has faced.

The first count of attempting to assassinate the president carries a maximum sentence of life in prison, if convicted.

Allen did not enter a plea.

As Magistrate Judge Matthew Sharbaugh asked Allen the routine series of questions for defendants charged in federal court, he nodded and readily answered with, “Yes, your honor.”  

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jocelyn Ballantine said the government was seeking Allen’s continued detention pending trial.

Ballantine said Allen attempted to assassinate Trump using a 12-gauge pump action shotgun and said he was also carrying a .38 caliber semi-automatic pistol, three knives “and other dangerous paraphernalia.”

Public defender Tezira Abe indicated the defense may seek to contest detention, noting he has no prior arrest record and is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Sharbaugh scheduled a detention hearing for Thursday and ordered Allen to be temporarily detained until then. Allen’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 11.

Allen appears to have shared social media posts that were critical of Trump and his administration — including calling for Trump’s removal — on the social media platform Bluesky.

In addition to sharing posts denouncing Trump’s policies — including the war with Iran, increased ICE enforcement actions, and the U.S. diminished support for Ukraine — Allen also appeared to share posts criticizing a reporter in connection with the correspondents’ dinner. His account shared posts that described an effort to highlight press freedoms related to the event as “pathetic” and akin to a “white flag … [to] wave in defeat.”

A Bluesky spokesperson said, “Violence has no place in our public discourse, and we are committed to providing people with the platform and tools to engage in healthy conversation.”

“Our Trust & Safety team is actively reviewing and taking action against content that violates Bluesky’s Community Guidelines, including posts that amplify misinformation, or glorify violence or harm,” Bluesky said.

Allen — a trained mechanical engineer working as a tutor — traveled across the country to perpetrate “as much damage as he could,” sources and officials said.

Local authorities said the suspect was tackled by law enforcement after gunfire inside the Washington Hilton, where thousands of journalists as well as Trump and members of his Cabinet were gathered for the annual event.

Allen was detained near the main magnetometer area for the event, with surveillance video showing the suspect running past security officials. Interim D.C. Metropolitan Police Department Chief Jeffrey Carroll told reporters that the suspect was armed with a shotgun, a handgun and multiple knives. Carroll said the preliminary information is that he was a “lone actor.”

Law enforcement officials briefed on the investigation said that Allen was declining to answer questions but allegedly made some non-specific reference to targeting administration officials.

A Secret Service member was shot during the incident but the bullet hit the agent’s protective vest, Trump said after the incident. The president said he spoke with the agent and he was in good spirits.

Shortly before the White House press briefing, Trump posted a video showing agents subduing the suspect, who he said “charged a security checkpoint armed with many weapons.”

Law enforcement officials said that Allen is believed to have booked a room in the Washington Hilton, where the dinner took place, in early April.

Investigators believe the suspect arrived in Washington by train, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said on Sunday during an interview on ABC News’ “This Week” with anchor George Stephanopoulos.

U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro told reporters Saturday night that Allen was being charged with using a firearm during a crime of violence and assault on a federal officer using a dangerous weapon.

“It is clear, based upon what we know so far, that this individual was intent on doing as much harm and as much damage as he could,” Pirro said.

ABC News’ Lauren Minore, Luke Barr, Nicholas Kerr, Ivan Pereira, Aaron Katersky, Josh Margolin, John Santucci, Michelle Stoddart, Lucien Bruggeman, Oren Oppenheim, Katherine Faulders and Peter Charalambous contributed to this report.

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(WASHINGTON) — Cole Allen, the suspect in the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner on Saturday night, is expected to be arraigned in U.S. District Court on Monday.

Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, is a trained mechanical engineer working as a tutor who traveled across the country to perpetrate “as much damage as he could,” sources and officials said.

Local authorities said the suspect was tackled by law enforcement after gunfire inside the Washington Hilton, where thousands of journalists as well as President Donald Trump and members of his Cabinet were gathered for the annual event.

Allen was detained near the main magnetometer area for the event, with surveillance video showing the suspect running past security officials. Interim D.C. Metropolitan Police Department Chief Jeffrey Carroll told reporters that the suspect was armed with a shotgun, a handgun and multiple knives. Carroll said the preliminary information is that he was a “lone actor.”

Law enforcement officials briefed on the investigation said that Allen was declining to answer questions but allegedly made some non-specific reference to targeting administration officials.

A Secret Service member was shot during the incident but the bullet hit the agent’s protective vest, Trump said after the incident. The president said he spoke with the agent and he was in good spirits.

Shortly before the White House press briefing, Trump posted a video showing agents subduing the suspect, who he said “charged a security checkpoint armed with many weapons.”

Law enforcement officials said that Allen is believed to have booked a room in the Washington Hilton, where the dinner took place, in early April.

Investigators believe the suspect arrived in Washington by train, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said on Sunday during an interview on ABC News’ “This Week” with anchor George Stephanopoulos.

“We believe he traveled by train from Los Angeles to Chicago and then to Washington, D.C.,” Blanche said.

U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro told reporters Saturday night, “It is clear, based upon what we know so far, that this individual was intent on doing as much harm and as much damage as he could.”

Pirro said the suspect was being charged with using a firearm during a crime of violence and assault on a federal officer using a dangerous weapon. She said additional charges could follow.

Allen is a trained mechanical engineer working as a tutor, according to a LinkedIn page connected to him.

According to his LinkedIn profile, Allen graduated in 2017 from CalTech, where he listed memberships in the school’s Christian Fellowship and Nerf Club. He graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering before earning a master’s degree from Cal State-Dominguez Hills in 2025, the profile said.

Allen characterized himself on LinkedIn as an “Indie Game Developer” who created a video game he described as “a skill-based, non-violent asymmetrical fighting game loosely derived from a chemistry model that is itself loosely based on reality,” according to the game’s Steam page.  

Allen’s current employer, C2 Education, named Allen its “Teacher of the Month” in 2024, according to a post on LinkedIn. The tutoring company said in a statement that they were cooperating “fully” with law enforcement and denounced the “horrifying incident” at the dinner, but omitted in its statement details of Allen’s work history.

A group of high school students who were tutored by Allen shared a statement late Sunday describing Allen as “generally very intelligent” and “normal and friendly.”

Allen is not registered with any political party; his voter registration in Los Angeles County lists him as “no party preference,” according to voter registration records viewed by ABC News.

A Secret Service after-action review examining the security and possible lapses is already underway, according to officials briefed on internal procedures at the agency. The review is being conducted as a matter of standard procedure, which dictates that such a probe must be done whenever there is an “attack on a protectee.”

The review will go step-by-step through security planning and preparation, the deployment and assignment of personnel, as well as what occurred once the suspect rushed the Secret Service checkpoint. The Secret Service declined to comment on the after-action review.  

ABC News’ Lauren Minore, Luke Barr, Nicholas Kerr, Ivan Pereira, Aaron Katersky, Josh Margolin, John Santucci, Michelle Stoddart, Lucien Bruggeman, Oren Oppenheim, Katherine Faulders and Peter Charalambous contributed to this report.

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(CHICAGO) — Two police officers were shot at a hospital in Chicago on Saturday morning and one was in critical condition as the medical facility went on lockdown, local officials said.

The shooting was reported at around 11:00 a.m. local time at Endeavor Health Swedish Hospital, according to the hospital.

The unidentified suspect is now in custody, according to Alderperson Andre Vasquez of Chicago’s 40th Ward.

“Please shelter in place if you are in the surrounding area or avoid the area,” he said in a social media post

Vasquez said that one of the officers was in critical condition.

The hospital said there was no “active threat” within the hospital and patients and staff are safe.

“The campus is currently closed while law enforcement leads their investigation,” the hospital said.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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(NEW YORK) — A severe weather threat is shifting back to parts of Kansas and Oklahoma on Saturday after damaging winds, hail and tornadoes impacted the region over the past week.

A level 4 of 5 “moderate risk” has been added for southeast Oklahoma, including Ada and McAlester, for the potential for very large hail (larger than baseballs), strong tornadoes, and damaging winds.

A level 3 of 5 “enhanced risk” is up for northeastern Oklahoma and far eastern Arkansas, including Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Broken Bow and Enid, in Oklahoma, and Fort Smith, Arkansas.

Damaging winds and very large hail are the primary threats with these storms, but a few tornadoes, some potentially strong, cannot be ruled out with these storms.

This will be a later day event, with storms not likely to begin firing off until after at least 3:00 p.m. CT. Once storms get going, the atmosphere will be very favorable for discrete storms to intensify across eastern Oklahoma going into the evening hours.

Storms will continue to fire off during the evening up to just after sunset and will continue through the overnight hours across eastern Oklahoma, far northeast Texas and western Arkansas.

Beginning Sunday, a potent storm system will form southeast of the Rockies and swing northeast across the Plains, bringing more severe weather to the Plains on Sunday before the severe weather threat spreads northeast and stretches into the Midwest on Monday.

Almost 50 million Americans will be on alert for severe storms on Sunday or Monday – almost 8 million for Sunday, and almost 40 million for Monday.

For Sunday, a level 3 of 5 “enhanced risk” is up for much of Kansas as well as portions of western Missouri, including Wichita and Kansas City. Tornadoes, some being strong, as well as damaging winds and large hail are all possible with storms in this area.

A level 2 of 5 “slight risk” is also up for parts of northern Texas, northwestern Arkansas, western Missouri, far southwest Iowa, southern Nebraska, most of Oklahoma and much of the remaining areas of Kansas.

Like Saturday, severe storms will likely not begin firing off until the late afternoon. When storms do get going though during the evening, the atmosphere will be favorable for discrete thunderstorms to grow and intensify, producing tornadoes (some possibly strong), damaging winds and large hail.

For Monday, the severe weather threat spreads northeast and stretches from the lower Mississippi River valley up to the Midwest for Monday. A level 3 of 5 “enhanced risk” is up for cities like St. Louis; Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Jonesboro, Arkansas; Evansville, Indiana; Paducah, Kentucky; and Rockford, Illinois.

A level 2 of 5 “slight risk” is up for cities like Memphis; Louisville, Kentucky; Chicago; South Bend, Indiana; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and Mason City, IIowa.

While there is some uncertainty in exact timing and setup with Monday’s storms, the potential for tornadoes with some being strong, as well as widespread damaging wind gusts, large hail, and spotty flash flooding is increasing for Monday for these areas.

With any discrete supercell thunderstorms that form and maintain themselves in this atmosphere, the “tornadic potential could maximize, with a few long track, particularly damaging tornadoes possible,” according to the NWS Storm Prediction Center.

This will likely be a late afternoon and evening setup regardless, with discrete storms or clusters of storms tracking in a line from Milwaukee and Chicago down to St. Louis and into northern Arkansas around the evening commute on Monday.

These storms will sweep east into the overnight hours, with Indianapolis; Paducah, Kentucky; and Memphis likely seeing storms later in the evening.

This storm system will also bring heavy rain to the central U.S., with some of it possibly falling in a short time with the heaviest storms. Because of this, isolated flash flooding is possible with these storms into the new week.

Heavy rain will also come to the Great Lakes on Monday, which could reinvigorate the flood risk given how saturated the ground still is from the historic rainfall from a few weeks ago combined with rapid snowmelt.

For Tuesday, we can see the severe weather threat shift to parts of the South as this potent system continues to move east. Places like Memphis; Little Rock, Arkansas; Tyler, Texas; Shreveport, Louisiana; and Jackson, Mississippi, will have to watch for potential severe weather later in the day.

Some showers, humidity in the Southeast
The drought in the Southeast continues to worsen as two wildfires continue to burn in southeast Georgia.

Some rounds of rain and possibly isolated thunderstorms will move into the region later today and late Monday into Tuesday, with each round bringing around 0.5 to 1 inch of rain.

The rain will not tame the wildfires alone, especially if it doesn’t fall directly where the fires are. If there are any isolated thunderstorms, there is the chance that lightning could ignite additional wildfires in the already dry region.

However, the increased humidities and any rain that does fall on the fires this weekend into early next week will help with controlling ongoing fires and quickly manage any new fires if any should occur.

The rain will not make much of a dent on the drought situation across the region. For example, Georgia needs between 12 and 18 inches of rainfall to end the current drought.

The two notable fires in southeast Georgia, the Pineland Road Fire and the Highway 82 Brantley County Fire, continue to burn.

Meanwhile, the fire threat will be in the southern High Plains this weekend. Parts of Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, as well as the panhandles of Texas and Oklahoma are under fire weather alerts this weekend.

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(TAMPA, Fla.) —  The remains of one of the two missing University of South Florida doctoral students were discovered by investigators Friday and his roommate was arrested, authorities said.

Hisham Abugharbieh, 26, has now been charged with two counts of first-degree murder with a weapon in the deaths of Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office announced on Saturday.

Investigators found the remains of Limon on the Howard Frankland Bridge in Tampa Friday morning, Joseph Maurer, of the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, told reporters Friday.

The search for Bristy continues, the office said.

Investigators have been searching for Limon and fellow USF doctoral student Bristy since they went missing on April 16.

“We are still actively searching for Nahida,” he told reporters during a news conference Friday.

Maurer said investigators received a 911 call for a domestic violence disturbance around 9 a.m. Friday at a residence where Limon’s roommate, Abugharbieh, had barricaded himself.

Abugharbieh was previously interviewed by police during their investigation into the disappearances, Mauer said.

Following a brief standoff, the suspect surrendered, Maurer said. He was seen exiting the home with nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist.

Abugharbieh was initially charged with unlawfully holding or move a dead human body in unapproved conditions, failure to report a death to the medical examiner or law enforcement (intent to conceal), tampering with physical evidence, false imprisonment and battery, the sheriff’s office said.

The suspect is not a current USF student or employee, school officials said.

Abugharbieh will have his first court appearance on Saturday morning.

USF President Moez Limayem said in a statement Friday that there is “no ongoing threat to the safety of the university community.” He expressed “deep sadness” over Limon’s death and prayed for Bristy’s “safe return.”

The cause of Limon’s death is being determined, Maurer said. He had no further details about Bristy’s condition.

Marine and dive teams were searching near the Howard Frankland Bridge for Bristy, the sheriff’s office said.

Limon and Bristy, both 27, were last seen at separate locations in the Tampa area on April 16, according to the USF Police Department.

On Thursday, officials received new information to warrant upgrading their status from missing to endangered, which indicates they are at risk of physical injury or death, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said.

The sheriff did not provide any more details about the investigation or search efforts.

Limon and Bristy are friends, and a mutual acquaintance reported them missing, campus police said.

Limon was last seen at his Tampa residence at approximately 9 a.m. on April 16, according to police.

He had attended the university since fall 2024 to study geography and environmental science and policy, school officials said.

Bristy was last seen at the USF Tampa campus at the Natural & Environmental Sciences Building at approximately 10 a.m. on April 16, police said.

She has attended the university since fall 2025 to study chemical engineering, school officials said.

Anyone with information on her whereabouts is urged to call the University of South Florida Police Department at 813-974-2628.

-ABC News’ Meredith Deliso contributed to this report.

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(WASHINGTON) — A federal judge is raising concerns about whether Donald Trump’s attempt to sue the IRS for $10 billion can proceed, signaling she could throw out the case because the president oversees the government entities he is suing.

Judge Kathleen Williams raised the issue in an order on Friday denying a request to delay the case amid possible settlement talks.

She noted that Trump and the defendants — the Treasury Department and IRS — may not be “sufficiently adverse” to one another for the case to proceed. 

“Moreover, although President Trump avers that he is bringing this lawsuit in his personal capacity, he is the sitting president and his named adversaries are entities whose decisions are subject to his direction. Indeed, President Trump’s own remarks about this matter acknowledge the unique dynamic of this litigation,” she wrote.

Williams ordered both Trump’s lawyers and the Department of Justice to submit briefs about why the case should proceed and set a hearing for next month. For the case to proceed, Trump’s lawyers and the DOJ need to establish that the lawsuit is “a dispute between parties who face each other in an adversary proceeding.”

“Typically, adverseness is found in a situation where one party is asserting its right and the other party is resisting,” she noted.

But with Trump in charge of the very government entities he is suing, Williams noted that the required adverse relationship between the parties may not exist. She added that Trump has signed multiple executive orders tightening the president’s control over the executive agencies like the Department of Justice.

“One such employee of the executive branch, the Attorney General, has a statutory obligation to defend the IRS when it is hailed into court, but then is ostensibly required by executive mandate to adhere to the President’s opinion on a matter of law in such a case. This raises questions over whether the Parties here are truly antagonistic to each other,” Williams noted. 

Trump, his sons Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr., and the Trump Organization filed a lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service and Treasury Department in January related to the unauthorized disclosure of tax information during Trump’s first term.

A government contractor with the IRS pleaded guilty in 2023 to stealing the tax information of Donald Trump and other wealthy Americans and leaking it to media outlets in 2019 and 2020. 

In a court filing last week, lawyers for the Trumps said that they were “in discussions” with the Department of Justice to potentially resolve the lawsuit and requested a deadline extension so they can “engage in discussions designed to resolve this matter and to avoid protracted litigation.”

The filing said both sides agreed to the 90-day extension. The Department of Justice had not yet responded to the lawsuit and faced an impending deadline this month.

The Trumps, in the suit, argued that the IRS and Treasury Department should have had “appropriate technical, employee screening, security, and monitoring” to prevent the theft of tax information.

A group of former government officials last month filed an amicus brief with the court to raise concerns about the ethics of the president suing his own government for billions.

“This case is extraordinary because the President controls both sides of the litigation, which raises the prospect of collusive litigation tactics,” the amicus filing said. “To treat this case like business as usual would threaten the integrity of the justice system and the important taxpayer and privacy protections at the heart of this case.”

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(BATON ROUGE, La.) — A 17-year-old girl, Martha Odom, has been identified as the victim killed in a shooting at the Mall of Louisiana in Baton Rouge, officials said Friday, and a 17-year-old suspect is in custody.

Five others were wounded when gunfire broke out during a fight between two groups in the food court on Thursday afternoon, police said.

One of the injured, a 43-year-old man, remains in the hospital in critical condition, Baton Rouge Police Chief T.J. Morse said.

Lafayette’s Ascension Episcopal School described Odom, a senior at the school, as a “joyful presence whose kindness and infectious enthusiasm brought light to all who knew her.”

The school said two students were wounded and two others were witnesses.

One suspect in the shooting, 17-year-old Markel Lee, turned himself in on Friday, and faces charges including first-degree murder and multiple counts of attempted murder, Morse said at a news conference.

Morse said police are asking for the public’s help to find a second suspect wanted in connection with the shooting.

The five people detained on Thursday have been released pending further investigation, Morse said.

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry called the shooting a “deeply troubling act of violence” that appears to have been driven by “neighborhood gang disputes that seem to want to spill out in our public places, putting innocent people in danger and taking the life of an innocent young lady.”

“This conduct is not going to be tolerated in this state,” he said at the news conference.

An employee at the mall at the time of the shooting told ABC Baton Rouge affiliate WBRZ, “I heard a loud ‘pop’ and then another ‘pop.’ … I turn around and I see people dropping to the floor and then I saw the gun. … And he was turning around, shooting randomly.”

“I called security and said, ‘Shots fired in the food court, people are down, people are hit.’ And then the cops came and it was just total chaos … blood was everywhere,” she said.

“I’ve never seen anything like this in my life,” she said.

The Mall of Louisiana is closed on Friday “out of respect for the victims.”

“Our deepest sympathies are with everyone who was impacted by the senseless act of violence that took place here today,” the mall said in a statement.

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