Politics

(WASHINGTON) — A federal judge on Friday struck down the Trump administration’s policy suspending immigrant visa issuance for nationals of 75 countries, setting aside refusals based solely on the policy and requiring those cases to be reconsidered by consular officers under the normal immigration laws.

U.S. District Judge Jeannette A. Vargas said the policy, announced by the State Department in January, “is contrary to law and was issued in excess of Secretary Rubio’s statutory authority.”

The directive instructed U.S. embassies and consulates to suspend immigrant visa adjudications while the State Department reassessed its vetting procedures under existing immigration law.

The State Department said in January the pause was intended to “prevent the entry of foreign nationals who would take welfare and public benefits.”

Vargas said Friday the policy conflicts with federal immigration law, which gives consular officers “exclusive authority and discretion” to determine whether an immigrant is eligible for a visa.

“The Policy, which categorically prohibits the issuance of immigrant visas based upon the nationality of the applicant, represents a direct abrogation of this statutory scheme,” Vargas wrote.

The judge’s order also vacates visa denials that were based solely on the policy. 

“The suspension of lawful visa processing across 75 countries separated spouses, parents, and children who were simply following the legal immigration process,” said Anna Gallagher, executive director of the Catholic Legal Immigration Network Inc., the group that filed the lawsuit challenging the policy.

“Catholic social teaching calls us to uphold the dignity of every person and recognize the family as the foundation of society,” Gallagher added. “Today’s decision affirms both those values and the rule of law, allowing families to once again move forward toward reunification.”

The State Department did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment, nor has it indicated it is going to appeal the decision.

“The Trump administration is bringing an end to the abuse of America’s immigration system by those who would extract wealth from the American people,” a State Department spokesman said in a statement when the policy was announced. “The State Department will use its long-standing authority to deem ineligible potential immigrants who would become a public charge on the United States and exploit the generosity of the American people.”

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(WASHINGTON) — The FBI seized former Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell’s electronic devices as part of an ongoing criminal probe, according to sources familiar with the situation. 

Swalwell was served with a search warrant for his cellphone and other electronic devices while he was at San Francisco International Airport on Saturday night, according to sources, and agents served a search warrant at his Washington, D.C., home on Sunday. 

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

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(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he has nominated White House Domestic Policy Council Deputy Director Heidi Overton to be the next commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration.

“Dr. Heidi has been a ROCKSTAR in my Administration, where she has worked directly with Secretary Kennedy, Dr. Oz, and team, to deliver on the MOST TRANSFORMATIVE Health Agenda in History,” Trump said in a social media post, adding that he wants her “leadership at the FDA now to ensure that the U.S. remains the WORLD LEADER for Scientific Discovery and CURES.”

Overton has been Trump’s deputy assistant during his second term, advising him on health policies, including lowering prescription drug prices. Overton has stood alongside Trump for several major health announcements at the White House, including his executive order signing on childhood vaccines earlier this month.

She has espoused anti-abortion views and supported reductions to the childhood immunization schedule, touting the use of “gold-standard science” and restoring vaccination authority to parents while at that executive order signing.

Overton is a physician who holds a doctorate from Johns Hopkins University. Prior to that role, she was vice chair of the America First Policy Institute’s (AFPI) Center for a Healthy America, where Overton was also the chief policy officer, a nonprofit that aims to advance policies that it says put the American people first. AFPI was run by Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins before Rollins was tapped to join the president’s Cabinet. Several Trump administration officials held positions there before he was reelected, including Education Secretary Linda McMahon.

The FDA is one of several agencies under the Department of Health and Human Services, led by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

The FDA commissioner position requires Senate confirmation. During confirmation hearings, Overton is expected to face questions that will test her loyalty to the president, similar to previous confirmation hearings for Trump administration health leaders.

If confirmed, Overton is expected to continue to support the president’s health agenda.

“She’s gonna stay in line because she’s tested,” a source familiar told ABC News. “She’s a loyalist to the president. That’s kind of his thinking behind all of this — to keep loyalists in these top jobs.”

The job is one of the nation’s top health posts and has remained without permanent leadership amid the foodborne illness outbreaks of cyclospora and salmonella

A senior administration official told ABC News that acting commissioner Kyle Diamantas was offered the full-time job several times and declined. Diamantas, who has been leading the investigation into the health outbreaks, has been touted as the driving force behind the administration’s food policy and stressed that America’s food supply is safe despite consumers’ health concerns.

Overton will ultimately be replacing former FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, who resigned in May amid clashes with the White House over pressure from Trump to authorize fruit-flavored vapes. FDA employees, who previously spoke to ABC News on the condition of anonymity, said that they were concerned about the future of the agency’s leadership after Makary’s exit. They said the angst stems from a rollercoaster-like experience, including witnessing 20% of the FDA’s staff being reduced during the president’s second term.

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(WASHINGTON) — Several high-profile primary races Tuesday tested how much President Donald Trump’s endorsement can do for a scandal-marred candidate, showed the impact of Republicans’ mid-decade redistricting and highlighted the continued battle between established Democratic candidates and progressive challengers.

Here are takeaways from Tuesday’s primaries:

Trump endorsement can’t lift Mills

Embattled and scandal-ridden Republican Rep. Cory Mills lost his reelection bid in Florida Tuesday, defeated by challenger Ryan Elijah, a former TV news anchor and NFL sideline reporter.

Mills faces a House Ethics Committee investigation; a judge issued a restraining order against him last year after he was accused by his former girlfriend of threatening to distribute sexually explicit videos of her; and in July, ABC News reported that the embattled congressman was also under investigation by the Department of Justice, in part about his finances. Mills has denied the allegations.

Mills’ loss suggests that Republicans have limits when it comes to how long they can stand behind a candidate carrying too much baggage. Despite the scandals that have followed him, Mills still retained Trump’s endorsement.

Putting aside differences before November

Republican Rep. Byron Donalds unsurprisingly secured his party’s nomination in the gubernatorial race in Florida. Donalds’ campaign has received immense support among Republicans and Trump’s endorsement.

Donalds now faces the task of uniting his party after what was a bruising primary. Donalds said he received congratulatory calls from his competitors, Paul Renner and James Fishback. In his victory speech, Donalds called for Florida Republicans to come together.

“But tonight the primary is over. Tonight we put aside our differences. Tonight we are one united Republican Party,” Donalds said.

Wasserman Schultz promises representation matters

Democratic Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz won her primary in Florida’s historically Black 20th Congressional District that was redrawn this year by the Republican-controlled legislature.

Her decision to run in the district drew criticism from her four Black opponents and other Black Democrats who have already been impacted by Republican redistricting efforts in southern states.

In her victory speech, Wasserman Schultz referenced redistricting Republicans hope will improve their chances of retaining the House in November. She promised the redrawn majority-minority district that increasing representation is among her top priorities.

“This is such a difficult and fraught time in our country. There is so much at stake in this moment, and I want people to know that representation matters. It matters, and I will fight to make sure that representation counts again,” she said Tuesday evening.
Moskowitz fends off challenge from DSA candidate

In the Democratic primary for Florida’s 25th District, two-term incumbent Rep. Jared Moskowitz, who was also running in a redrawn district, fended off a challenge from Democratic Socialists of America candidate Oliver Larkin.

The race highlighted how support for Israel is becoming prominent issue in this year’s election as more Democrats have become less supportive. Moskowitz has been a staunch supporter of Israel while Larkin has called for the U.S. to cut off aid.

The race was a continuation of established Democratic candidates facing challenges from progressives, as seen in the Senate race in Michigan.

Moskowitz now faces a competitive general election in November, as his seat is one Republicans see as a top pickup opportunity.

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(WASHINGTON) — A federal judge in Boston has cleared the way for the Trump administration to terminate temporary protected status for Ethiopian nationals.

U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy on Tuesday lifted the administrative stay that had been blocking the termination of the TPS program.

The ruling follows other recent court orders allowing the administration to end protections for TPS holders from countries including Haiti, Somalia, Syria and Myanmar as part of the administration’s ongoing immigration crackdown.

The court rulings come after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in June that the Trump administration could terminate TPS for Haitian nationals. 

The advocacy group African Communities Together filed suit in January, arguing that Ethiopia remains in a humanitarian crisis.

“Should TPS for Ethiopia be terminated, all Plaintiffs will face impossible choices: to uproot their lives yet again in search of a pathway to safety in a third country; to remain in the United States without lawful immigration status, at risk of imminent immigration confinement and removal; or to relocate to Ethiopia, a country still suffering violent conflict,” the group said in its original complaint.

TPS status, established by the 1952 Immigration and Nationality Act, provides work authorization and protection from deportation if a foreign country is deemed by the government to be unsafe because of armed conflict, natural disaster, or “extraordinary and temporary conditions.”

In a post on X, the Department of Homeland Security said that individuals with terminated TPS should leave the U.S.

“Those with terminated TPS should leave NOW,” DHS said. “If they don’t, we will DEPORT them.”

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(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump contradicted Vice President JD Vance on Monday after the vice president asserted last week that the administration’s top priority amid the Iran war was to keep the price of oil and gas down for Americans.

In a social media post on Monday morning, Trump said that the “number one Goal is, and always will be” that Iran can’t have a nuclear weapon.

Last Thursday, Vance laid out a different order of priorities on Fox News, saying that “goal No. 1” for the administration amid the war was to “keep oil and gas cheap for Americans all over our country.”

“And then obviously, goal No. 2 is ensure that Iran never gets a nuclear weapon,” he added. “I feel confident we’re accomplishing both of those goals.”

Vance’s comments about prioritizing gas prices diverge from the president’s stated mission of eliminating Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs. And while some Republicans have acknowledged gas prices are too high, Trump said he won’t apologize for it.

In the past, the president had outright rejected the idea that the domestic American economy should factor into military decisions around Iran. 

“Not even a little bit,” Trump said back in May when asked to what extent financial pressure on Americans was motivating him to strike a deal.

“The only thing that matters when I’m talking about Iran, they can’t have a nuclear weapon,” he added. “I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation. I don’t think about anybody. I think about one thing. We cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon, that’s all.”

Asked about Vance’s comments aboard Air Force One last Friday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that “both goals are equally as important to the president.”

“Of course, we want to keep gas prices low. That’s why the administration has done so much to keep the markets stable, but also ensuring Iran can never get a nuclear weapon is the president’s priority with respect to the ongoing conflict, and it’s something he’s going to see through one way or another,” she added. 

Trump’s apparent rebuke of the vice president came just minutes after “Fox and Friends” anchor Lawrence Jones reacted to Vance’s comments during the program’s Monday morning broadcast, and called for “more clarity” from the White House on the U.S. objectives. Roughly eight minutes later, the president posted his message. 

“It also looks like we got an answer from the president about what is priority No. 1 for the United States,” Jones said about an hour later in the broadcast as he relayed the details of the president’s post.

While the status of the Strait of Hormuz has become a central focus of the war — injecting volatility into the global energy market even as the conflict between the two countries has ebbed and flowed — Trump has repeatedly argued that the cost of not intervening in Iran would far outweigh the higher gas prices Americans are dealing with now.

The average price of a gallon of regular is $4.02 according to GasBuddy, up 7 cents form last week and up more than a dollar per gallon since the start of the war.

Speaking at the New York police academy last Friday, Trump told the gathered crowd that he would not apologize for the price of gas. 

“[Iran’s] the No. 1 state sponsor of terror in the world. We don’t want to have them have nuclear weapons,” Trump said. “So remember that when you have to pay a little bit more, you’re at $4. It’s OK. I mean, it’s, I’m not — I’m not — I will never apologize. I did the right thing.”

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(WASHINGTON) — The Trump administration is asking the Supreme Court to allow construction of President Donald Trump’s White House ballroom to continue after a lower court put it on pause.

The administration on Friday asked the high court for an emergency stay of the injunction, which would halt substantial portions of the above-ground construction of the White House East Wing and ballroom while litigation plays out over its legality.

The injunction is set to take effect on Aug. 21 unless the Supreme Court acts.

The district court order would still allow below-ground construction or any other measures necessary to protect national security and the president’s safety.

Solicitor General John Sauer called the injunction “extraordinary and unlawful,” arguing that it would put the security of the president and his family at risk and override the advice of the nation’s top military, intelligence and law enforcement officials.

“If allowed to go into effect, the injunction would wrongfully install a single district judge as sole arbiter of what further construction is ‘strictly necessary’ to protect the safety of the President, his family, staff members, and visitors to the White House, including foreign dignitaries, and presidents and prime ministers of other countries,” Sauer wrote.

The district court concluded that President Donald Trump lacks the authority to overhaul the White House without congressional approval. A divided federal appeals court upheld the ruling earlier this month.

In his appeal to the justices to intervene, Sauer suggested halting construction would directly put the life of the president at risk, citing six “recent assassination attempts,” including “the threat of a missile attack against Air Force One on July 8.”

“The President of the United States of America is not a tenant, but rather the sole, elected head of the Executive Branch, and Congress has authorized him to renovate, secure, and protect the White House and its grounds, as other Presidents  have been allowed to do, without exception,” he wrote.

The government argued that it is likely to win on appeal in the case, insisting that the National Trust for Historic Preservation lacks standing to bring the lawsuit and that federal law has long allowed presidents to undertake the “care, maintenance, repair, alteration, refurbishment, and improvement … of the Executive Residence at the White House.”

The Supreme Court is expected to seek a response from the National Trust sometime in the next week before rendering a decision on the stay.

Sauer indicated that the administration also plans to ask the Supreme Court to take the case up for expedited oral argument and decision on the merits.

Separately, the administration’s filing appeared to provide new details about the state of the construction operation.

The government asserts that it is “on time” and “under budget” and that “0 taxpayer dollars are needed or required.”

Though there is no mention of the White House’s $1 billion funding request to Congress for White House hardening and enhancements for evolving threats and technology which have been widely seen by lawmakers as related to Trump’s ballroom.

Senate Democrats on Wednesday formally asked the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct an audit of the project and its funding.

“The scale of this project, the destruction of historic architecture, the opaque and unorthodox combination of public funds with private funding sources, and the absence of standard federal review processes raise serious concerns about transparency, accountability, and stewardship of this national landmark,” the lawmakers wrote.

Sauer claimed in the filing that the project is 65% complete and that $200 million has been spent or committed to date.

He says a 250-person crew is working 20 hours a day, 7 days a week. The structure is said to be 5 stories deep and 70-feet above ground across 50,000 square feet. 

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(WASHINGTON) — White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt will leave her role at the end of August “so she can spend more time with her beautiful young children and family,” President Donald Trump announced in a social media post on Wednesday.

The announcement comes less than a month after Leavitt held her first briefing after returning from maternity leave. Leavitt welcomed her second child in May.

Trump, in his social media post, said her decision is one “I totally understand and respect.”

The president added that Leavitt would continue to be one of his “top outside advisors” and an “influential voice” within the Republican Party ahead of the midterm elections.

Calling her “one of the best White House Press Secretaries in the History of the Office,” Trump thanked Leavitt for a “job well done.”

Leavitt became the youngest White House press secretary in history when she assumed the position last year at 27 years old. 

Leavitt confirmed her decision to leave in an X post and expressed her gratitude to the president, saying the role has been “the honor and adventure of a lifetime” and thanked the president for the opportunity to work in his administration. 

She also pointed to her role as a mother of two as her reason for leaving the role of press secretary, saying it has been “rewarding yet challenging” to balance the two. 

“The truth is since returning to the White House after the birth of my daughter, I have felt in my heart that I cannot be the best mom my two young children deserve while devoting the constant time, energy, and attention required of the White House Press Secretary — and that is why I have ultimately made the bittersweet decision to depart the White House and embark on a new chapter in my life,” Leavitt wrote. 

Before serving as press secretary, Leavitt was Trump’s spokesperson during his 2024 presidential campaign and his transition. She also worked in Trump’s first administration and for Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik.

Leavitt also ran for Congress in her home state of New Hampshire prior to joining Trump’s 2024 campaign, though she ultimately lost the general election. 

It is not immediately clear who Trump will pick to replace her.

While Leavitt was on maternity leave earlier this year, a rotating cast of administration officials held press conferences in the briefing room, including Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

During Trump’s first term, he had four press secretaries: Sean Spicer, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Kayleigh McEnany and Stephanie Grisham. 

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(WASHINGTON) — Voters in six states on Tuesday decided which candidates will face off in November in House and Senate races that could determine whether the balance of power will shift in the next Congress.

Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, a centrist Democrat, narrowly won the Democratic primary in Wisconsin in a major upset in the race for governor, the Associated Press projects. He defeated Wisconsin assemblywoman Francesca Hong, a democratic socialist, in what became a high-stakes test for progressives who pinned their hopes on winning a major party nomination in a crucial battleground state.

And in Connecticut, 14-term Rep. John Larson became the seventh House Democrat incumbent to lose a primary during this election cycle.

Here’s a look at Tuesday’s primaries:

Wisconsin

Republican and Democratic candidates in Wisconsin are vying to win the first open gubernatorial seat since 2010, replacing Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, who announced last year that he wouldn’t run for reelection.

There are also primaries in both parties that could have an impact on which controls the House next year.

Live Wisconsin primary results

Connecticut

Incumbent Democratic Rep. John Larson will lose the Democratic primary for his 1st Congressional District seat to challenger Luke Bronin, the former mayor of Hartford, ABC News projects. Larson has held his seat since 1999. Larson is the seventh incumbent House Democrat to lose in primaries this year.

And Gov. Ned Lamont, who was elected in 2018, will fend off a primary challenge from Josh Elliott, ABC News projects. He’ll face Republican Ryan Fazio in November. 

Live Connecticut primary results

Minnesota

Sen. Amy Klobuchar will win the Democratic governor primary, ABC News projects, in the race to replace Democratic Gov. Tim Walz, who is retiring. She will face state House Speaker Lisa Demuth, who ABC projects will win the Republican governor’s primary, in November.

ABC News also projects Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan will win the Democratic primary in the race to replace Democratic Sen. Tina Smith, who is also retiring. She’ll face former NFL sideline reporter Michelle Tafoya, who ABC projects will win the Republican primary for Senate.

Minnesota also voted in primaries for several House races that could help determine the balance of power in Congress.

Live Minnesota primary results

South Carolina

Darline Graham, the sister of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham who was appointed to fill the remainder of her brother’s term, will face Rep. Ralph Norman in an Aug. 25 runoff to replace Lindsey Graham on the November ballot, ABC News projects.

Lindsey Graham’s death in July sparked a rapid-fire campaign season. Eight other candidates besides Graham and Norman were running for the seat.

Live South Carolina special Senate primary results

Vermont

Economist Amanda Janoo will win the Democratic primary for governor, ABC News projects, and will face incumbent Republican Gov. Phil Scott in the general election in November.

Live Vermont primary results

Alabama

In Alabama, some voters decided several House races following the Supreme Court decision that limited portions of the Voting Rights Act and led several states in the South to take part in mid-decade redistricting.

Primaries were held in May, but Republican Gov. Kay Ivey pushed back those in the 1st, 2nd, 6th and 7th districts that were impacted by redistricting after the Supreme Court decision.

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(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump said Tuesday night that his secret flight out of Turkey last month, which employed a passenger-filled “decoy” Air Force One, was the work of the Secret Service and the U.S. military.

“It’s only up to Secret Service. I just follow what they’d like to do,” Trump told reporters on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews following a trip to Ohio.

“So I go by Secret Service and the military. They wanted me to go on a different flight, a different plane. Equal safety. But they wanted me to do it, so I do it. I do what they say,” Trump said of the plan to secretly switch from Air Force One to another plane.

As first reported by The Washington Post on Monday, Trump secretly transferred from the old Air Force One to a military aircraft via a catering container, sources told ABC News, an elaborate ruse that was carried out without the knowledge of the traveling press and even some White House officials aboard the decoy flight.

Sources familiar with the matter told ABC News that Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent were on the “decoy” Air Force One.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was on the other plane flying with the president, sources said.

All three Cabinet members were aware that Trump had secretly switched from the old Air Force One jet to the military aircraft given the threat, sources said.

Asked Tuesday night if he knew about a specific threat at the time, Trump brushed it off.

“I guess there was a threat out there. I didn’t really ask too much about it. I get a lot of threats,” Trump said.

When asked about the safety of the decoy Air Force One jet, Trump claimed that he was at greater risk on the other plane.

“I think actually the plane that I flew on was at greater risk,” Trump said. “I think it was at greater risk because that would be the plane I think that we — that they would be more likely to go for.”

Trump publicly stated at the time that he would be flying on the old Air Force One and not flying on the new Qatari-gifted Air Force One jet because he was sending it to a base in the U.K. so service members could tour it.

ABC News reported at the time that Trump was advised not to take the plane due to security concerns amid escalations with Iran.

On the Air Force One flight that was believed to be carrying Trump, reporters on board were told that the windows needed to be closed the whole flight and that it was a mandate from the Secret Service. Air Force One, despite the president not being on board, according to the Post, had its transponder turned off.

In a statement to ABC News regarding the Post’s reporting, the White House said, “As the President has said recently, there are many enemies of America who have their sights on him, and we use every tool at our disposal to address those threats.”

ABC News’ Jonathan Karl and Luke Barr contributed to this report.

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