Politics

(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump held the first Cabinet meeting of his second term on Wednesday and In the room, and at times taking center stage, was Elon Musk.

For little more than an hour, Trump sought to tout his administration’s work so far and fielded questions on everything from the status of Musk’s efforts to force federal firings to negotiations to end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Despite not being a member of the Cabinet, Musk has outsized influence in the administration as he oversees the Department of Government Efficiency’s work to reduce the size and scope of the government.

“We put together a great Cabinet,” Trump said as he began the meeting. “And we’ve had tremendous success.”

Here are key takeaways from the gathering.

Elon Musk in the spotlight

Musk was the first to speak at the meeting after Trump’s introduction. Donning a “Tech Support” t-shirt and a black “Make America Great Again” cap, Musk stood in the corner of the room to talk about DOGE.

Musk defended the entity’s controversial actions, saying the overall goal is to cut the deficit and warned if cuts aren’t made the country will “become de facto bankrupt.”

“That’s the reason I’m here. And taking a lot of flack, and getting a lot of death threats, by the way,” he said.

His presence among Trump’s agency heads came amid confusion stemming from a Musk-directed ultimatum to federal workers to list their weekly accomplishments or possibly face termination. Senior White House officials were initially caught off guard, ABC News reported, when Musk first posted about the directive and it’s since created tension among Cabinet members as multiple agency heads told employees to hold off on replying.

When Musk was asked by a reporter if any Cabinet members were unhappy, Trump interrupted.

“Is anybody unhappy with Elon?” Trump said to the group, many of whom started laughing.”If you are, we’ll throw him out of here. Is anybody unhappy? They have a lot of respect for Elon and that he’s doing this,” as members started applauding.

1 million workers ‘on the bubble’

Trump said federal employees who didn’t respond to Musk’s email are on a firing “bubble.”

“I’d like to add that those million people that haven’t responded though Elon, they are on the bubble. You know, I wouldn’t say that we’re thrilled about it,” Trump said. He went on to claim, without evidence, that maybe those employees “don’t exist.”

ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Mary Bruce asked Trump about his interest in doing another round of emails demanding federal workers’ accomplishments and what the requirements would be.

“I think Elon wants to, and I think it’s a good idea because, you know, those people, as I said before, they’re on the bubble,” he responded, emphasizing his desire to find out if workers exist,” Trump said.

Not ‘much’ in security guarantees for Ukraine

Trump signaled the United States will not be providing much in security guarantees to Ukraine — a key factor for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in any agreement to bring the conflict to a close.

“Well, I’m not going to make security guarantees beyond, very much,” Trump said. “We’re going to have Europe do that because it’s in you know, we’re talking about Europe is the next-door neighbor, but we’re going to make sure everything goes well.”

Trump later said the mineral resources deal between the U.S. and Ukraine will be “automatic security” because the U.S. will be investing in the nation, suggesting that would be a barrier to Russia.

“Nobody’s going to be messing around with people when we’re there,” Trump said. “And so we’ll be there in that way.”

Trump says Putin will have to make concessions

After weeks of public statements on what Ukraine will likely have to sacrifice in negotiations, including their goal of returning to pre-war borders, Trump indicated for the first time that Russia’s Vladimir Putin may have to make concessions.

“Yeah, he will. He’s going to have to,” Trump said of Putin.

Notably, he did not elaborate on what those would be.

When later asked what concessions Putin would have to make, Trump shifted toward Ukraine and said they could “forget” about NATO membership.

Medicaid and Social Security to be left ‘untouched’

ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Mary Bruce asked Trump about the budget bill that passed in the House Tuesday night — which includes a goal of at least $2 trillion in cuts to mandatory federal spending — and whether Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security would be cut.

“I have said it so many times … This won’t be read my lips anymore. We’re not going to touch it,” Trump responded, echoing the statement George H.W. Bush famously made about “no new taxes” and then later had to reverse.

Trump claimed that there would be a reduction in fraud in those programs. Trump has echoed false claims stemming from Musk that dead Americans are receiving Social Security.

Experts told ABC News that is not true, and that Musk is misreading Social Security’s network of databases when he claims 200-year-olds are in the system.

Trump vows tariffs on the European Union

Trump stressed that he is still planning to push tariffs on foreign countries to improve the economy and claimed the European Union in particular left the U.S. with billions in debt and was formed to “screw the United States.”

“We have made a decision, will be announcing it very soon and it’ll be 25%, generally speaking, and that’ll be on cars and all other things,” he said.

Trump said the tariffs against Mexico and Canada are expected to go into effect next week on April 2, after a monthlong pause.

But then Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick suggested another pause may be possible based on fentanyl prevention and progress on the border.

“If they can prove to the president they’ve done an excellent job,” Lutnick said. Trump quickly jumped in: “It’s going to be hard to satisfy.”

ABC News’ Ivan Pereira and Emily Chang contributed to this report.

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(WASHINGTON) — The Trump administration is directing all federal agencies to “promptly” begin preparations for large-scale layoffs and restructuring, and submit plans for doing do so by March 13, according to a new memo obtained by ABC News.

The memo, from White House budget director Russ Vought, and Charles Ezell, the head of the Office of Personnel Management, was issued Wednesday morning, and includes instructions for agencies to follow as they work to downsize their workforces, and in some cases, physical footprints.

The move could formally clear the way for the administration to begin dismantling or shrinking agencies like the Department of Education and will likely prompt a new flurry of lawsuits as the process takes shape.

“President Trump required that ‘Agency Heads shall promptly undertake preparations to initiate large-scale reductions in force (RIFs), consistent with applicable law.’ President Trump also directed that, no later than March 13, 2025, agencies develop Agency Reorganization Plans,” the memo states.

“Pursuant to the President’s direction, agencies should focus on the maximum elimination of functions that are not statutorily mandated while driving the highest-quality, most efficient delivery of their statutorily-required functions,” the letter adds.

The memo encourages agencies to “consolidate” areas that are “duplicative,” and “implement technical solutions that automate routine tasks,” a directive that aligns with Elon Musk’s public statements about automating some of the work conducted by government workers.

The memo includes some exemptions: positions related to law enforcement, border security, national security, immigration enforcement and public safety roles. Military personnel and all uniformed personnel are also exempt — including the U.S. Coast Guard, the Public Health Service and commissioned officers in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association.

The directive also exempts the U.S. Postal Service, the Executive Office of the President and any presidential appointments and Senate-confirmed roles.

The memo also states that “agencies or components that provide direct services to citizens,” including Social Security, Medicare and veterans’ health care, should not begin any restructuring without sign off from the Office of Management and Budget or OPM.

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

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(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump is holding the first Cabinet meeting of his second term on Wednesday.

Joining the group will be Elon Musk, the lead adviser of the Department of Government Efficiency whose high status inside the administration has caused some confusion and court challenges.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed Musk would be present during Tuesday’s briefing.

“Considering he is working alongside the president and our Cabinet secretaries, this entire administration will be in attendance tomorrow just to talk about DOGE’s efforts and how all of the Cabinet secretaries are identifying waste, fraud and abuse at their respective agencies,” Leavitt told reporters.

The meeting will take place amid DOGE’s effort to implement mass federal workforce cuts. Mixed signals have come from Musk and the administration after a Musk-directed ultimatum to federal workers to essentially prove their worth through email or face termination.

Leavitt said on Tuesday that Trump was deferring to Cabinet secretaries to enact the Office of Personnel and Management guidance, but claimed the administration was unified on the issue and that agency heads were not caught off guard.

“Let me be very clear, the president and Elon, and his entire Cabinet, are working as one unified team and they are implementing these very common-sense solutions,” Leavitt said.

When Musk posted on X last weekend that all federal employees would soon receive an email demanding details of their work from the past week, senior White House officials — who had not been fully briefed on the plan — were initially caught off guard, multiple sources told ABC News.

Musk’s email then set off widespread confusion across the federal government. It created tension among members of Trump’s Cabinet, as multiple agency heads told their employees to hold off on replying until they themselves were briefed on the situation.

The Senate has confirmed Trump’s nominees at a fast pace, approving 18 individuals to date. By comparison, at this point in 2021, the Democrat-led Senate had only confirmed 10 of former President Joe Biden’s Cabinet nominees.

The quick pace comes despite some of Trump’s picks being considered controversial choices to lead their respective agencies.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, a veteran and Fox News host, overcame several misconduct allegations to be confirmed after Vice President JD Vance cast the tie-breaking vote. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., under criticism for his past anti-vaccine views, was narrowly confirmed in a 52-48 vote as was Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.

When Trump first publicly held court with his Cabinet in 2017, during his first presidency, members heaped praise on him.

One by one, members thanked Trump and complimented his leadership for several minutes in front of reporters before the meeting shifted to behind closed doors. “Thank you, Mr. President. This is the greatest privilege of my life,” then-Vice President Mike Pence said as he kicked things off.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, then the majority leader, mocked the administration with a spoof video recreating the scene with his own staff.

Trump on Tuesday said his Cabinet had some “great people” but that he believes this bench is “deeper.” Trump has said the biggest mistake of his first term was installing “disloyal people.”

“I think it’s better,” he said of this Cabinet. “I had some people I didn’t really like so much in my Cabinet. But I didn’t know Washington then, I was a New York person.”

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(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump signed an executive action Tuesday targeting a prominent law firm that represents former special counsel Jack Smith. The memo strips Smith’s attorney of his security clearance as well as any other attorneys at the firm who assisted Smith while he was investigating Trump.

Covington and Burling LLP said it is representing Smith in a personal capacity, and a person familiar with the matter said there is no evidence the law firm played any part in Smith’s criminal investigations of Trump.

The memo Trump signed Tuesday — a major escalation in Trump’s targeting of those he believes to be his political enemies — also directs the Office of Management and Budget to review any government contracts held by the law firm.

“One law firm that provided pro-bono legal services to the special counsel’s office under Jack Smith’s leadership was Covington and Burling,” White House Staff Secretary Will Scharf said about the memo as Trump moved to sign it during a ceremony on Tuesday. “As a result of those actions, we’re now going to be suspending and putting under review the security clearances for the attorneys and employees at that firm who worked with Jack Smith’s team. And we’re going to continue holding the people who were responsible for the weaponization of government, who supported it, accountable for what they did.”

Trump asked Scharf about the plans to do this to other law firms and Scharf said that the administration was looking at a range of options to take against other law firms. Trump tossed the pen to an attendee and joked “Why don’t you give it to Jack Smith?” and called him a “deranged” individual.

A reporter asked Trump whether the action to strip the attorneys’ security clearances amounted to political targeting, but Trump cut the reporter off and said that he was the target.

“I’ve been targeted for four years longer than that. So, you don’t tell me about targeting?” Trump said. “I was the target of corrupt politicians for four years, and then four years after that. So don’t talk to me about targeting.”

A person familiar with Covington’s representation of Jack Smith responded to Trump’s action saying, “There is no evidence the firm itself played any role in Special Counsel Smith’s investigation of Trump — and no evidence their representation of Smith had anything to do with his official duties. Separately, Covington is not a contractor to the federal government.”

A spokesperson for the firm added that they recently agreed to represent Smith in an individual capacity and look forward to defending him.

“For more than 100 years, Covington has represented clients facing government investigations, consistent with the best traditions of the legal profession. We recently agreed to represent Jack Smith when it became apparent that he would become a subject of a government investigation. Covington serves as defense counsel to Jack Smith in his personal, individual capacity. We look forward to defending Mr. Smith’s interests and appreciate the trust he has placed in us to do so.”

As special counsel, Smith led probes into both Trump’s handling of classified material and his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

Both cases were dropped following Trump’s reelection in November due to a longstanding Justice Department policy prohibiting the prosecution of a sitting president.

Under Trump’s continual personal attacks, Smith defended his conduct as fully lawful, free of partisan influence and vital to the justice system.

In a letter before he stepped down, Smith personally denounced Trump for levying “laughable” and baseless attacks on the federal prosecutors who brought two criminal cases against him.

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(WASHINGTON) — As President Donald Trump’s administration guts the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), former federal workers are being told to say goodbye to their desks — and to do so quickly.

USAID leadership sent an email to agency staffers on Tuesday instructing them that they will have 15 minutes to enter their former offices at the Ronald Reagan Building in downtown Washington, D.C., to retrieve their personal belongings.

“This Thursday and Friday ONLY–on February 27 and 28, 2025 –USAID staff will have one opportunity to retrieve their personal belongings,” the message reads, which was also posted to USAID’s government website.

“Staff will be given approximately 15 minutes to complete this retrieval and must be finished removing items within their time slot only,” the message continues.

The email includes a timetable giving staff a window in which they can collect their belongings based on their bureau or independent office.

For some, the timeframe is as long as an hour and a half; for others, it’s just half an hour.

The email also contains a lengthy list of prohibited items that USAID staff are not allowed to bring onto the premises, including BB guns, drills, knives, sabers, swords, nunchucks, ski poles, chlorine and liquid bleach.

According to the message, the items referenced “are, and have always been, prohibited from entering the Ronald Reagan Building facility through a security screening post,” which is typically only used by uncredentialled visitors who are subject to additional rules and regulations.

Several USAID officials told ABC News that including this list illustrates how agency employees who dedicated their professional lives to foreign assistance are now being treated like violent criminals.

“It sounds like they think we’re going to try to stage a Jan. 6-style ‘peaceful protest’,” an official said.

The latest directive from USAID leadership comes as 1,600 workers in the humanitarian aid bureau received termination notices over the weekend and thousands more abroad were put on administrative leave.

Prior to Trump’s second administration, more than 10,000 people worked at USAID.

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(WASHINGTON) — When billionaire Elon Musk posted on X last weekend that all federal employees would soon receive an email demanding details of their work from the past week, senior White House officials — who had not been fully briefed on the plan — were initially caught off guard, multiple sources told ABC News.

Musk’s email would then set off widespread confusion across the federal government. It created tension among members of Trump’s Cabinet, as multiple agency heads told their employees to hold off on replying until they themselves were briefed on the situation.

At one point shortly after the Saturday evening email, sources familiar with the discussions said senior White House staff debated issuing guidance to their own employees, informing them that they did not need to reply. Late Monday night, the Office of Personnel Management said that White House staff were exempt from the exercise, citing the Presidential Records Act.

The lack of communication between Musk and President Donald Trump’s top advisers in the White House, who are responsible for executing his second-term agenda, is the latest in a series of controversial moves by the world’s richest man since he arrived in Washington last month that have begun to divide some of those closest to the president.

Musk’s whirlwind approach — marked by rapid gutting of the federal workforce and dominating national headlines — has sparked a rift among some in the White House and Trump’s inner circle, sources told ABC News. Some close to the president have bristled at Musk’s frenetic pace and his apparent disregard for coordinating with senior officials around the president. Others, however, have expressed support for the tactics and embraced Musk’s fast-paced efforts so far, hailing them as a long-overdue shakeup of a stagnant system.

Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said at a press briefing Tuesday that “the President and Elon, and his entire Cabinet, are working as one unified team, and they are implementing these very common-sense solutions,” adding that more than 1 million federal workers had responded to Musk’s “What did you do last week?” email, including herself. Leavitt said that Musk would attend Trump’s first Cabinet meeting set for Wednesday.

But as Musk has ripped through the federal workforce at a breakneck pace reminiscent of his approach at his own companies, the White House has, at times, first learned of his actions through media reports or his own posts on X instead of through the usual chain of senior staff, sources said, which has ruffled feathers among some top officials who view the billionaire’s methods as increasingly out of control.

But while Musk has some detractors in Trump’s orbit, he has gained support from some of the most powerful voices around the president, including Stephen Miller, White House deputy chief of staff for policy and U.S. Homeland Security adviser, and Katie Miller, a senior adviser to Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency efforts who is married to Stephen Miller, sources said.

Still, even with some in the White House growing frustrated with aspects of Musk’s first few weeks in Washington, sources said there is hesitancy to intervene, given not only the billionaire’s immense wealth but, perhaps more importantly, his vast influence given his larger-than-ever profile and his ownership of X.

Some concerned with Musk have resigned themselves that the Tesla CEO is unlikely to be reined in anytime soon and are instead focused on managing the situation as best they can until his special government contract comes to an end later this year, though it is not immediately clear if Musk plans to leave Washington then, either.

“Some love it, some can’t wait for [Musk] to leave — bottom line is he’s not going anywhere anytime soon,” a source familiar told ABC News.

In response to this story, a senior White House official told ABC News, “Any insinuation that senior leadership in the Trump White House is not properly being advised on the actions of DOGE is completely false. As an SGE, Elon Musk works directly with the president of the United States and senior members of his team to coordinate the effective and efficient execution of the president’s agenda.”

“The American people widely support the mission of DOGE. Look no further than the Harris poll in which a vast majority of Americans support the mission of DOGE. Anyone who is seen as objecting to this mission in either party is objecting to long overdue change in Washington. If you’re not going to be a part of the solution, you are now a part of the problem,” the official added.

The South African-born businessman spent $270 million to help Trump get reelected. When Trump returned to office on Jan. 20, he empowered Musk to slash federal spending and make key decisions about the future of the U.S. as a lead adviser in the newly created DOGE.

ABC News previously reported that Musk initially wanted an office in the West Wing, but told people he thought what he was given was too small, multiple people familiar with his comments told ABC News, and has since taken up offices in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, where he brought in sleep pods for his young staffers as they worked deep into the night.

Musk has been designated as a special government employee. His companies Tesla and SpaceX have been awarded $18 billion in federal contracts over the last decade. Some of this money has come from agencies the president asked Musk to review, but Musk dismissed the notion that there could be conflicts of interest.

“No, because you have to look at the individual contract and say, first of all, I’m not the one, you know, filing the contract — it’s people at SpaceX,” he told ABC News earlier this month.

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

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(WASHINGTON) — House Republicans remain divided over the budget blueprint to jumpstart the process to advance Trump’s agenda, putting a vote planned for Tuesday evening in jeopardy as Speaker Mike Johnson attempts to rally his rank and file.

Following a closed-door conference meeting, GOP leaders say that while the hope is still to move forward with a floor vote Tuesday night, it could slip further into the week. There are several lawmakers who have splintered off to publicly oppose the measure, while even more hold back their support with the hope of extracting changes.

“​​We’re planning to take up our budget resolution as early as today,” Johnson told reporters on Tuesday, suggesting the vote may get pushed. “There may be a vote tonight. There may not be. Stay tuned. That’s why you get paid. Hang around here,” he added.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise is actively defending the budget — contending that Democrats are “lying” when they assert that Republicans are primed to make deep cuts to Medicaid.

“This bill doesn’t even mention the word ‘Medicaid’ a single time, and yet, all Democrats are doing is lying about what’s in the budget because they don’t want to talk about the truth,” Scalise said. “Instead of just sitting back and licking their wounds that they’re completely out of touch with the American people, their only choice is to resort to lying about what’s in this vote today. There is no Medicaid in this bill. There are no Medicaid cuts in this bill. Yet that’s all they’re saying.”

While the blueprint itself does not mention Medicaid directly, it sets a goal of at least $2 trillion in cuts to mandatory federal spending, which includes funding for entitlement programs like Social Security and Medicare.

Johnson and his leadership team have worked for weeks to mollify concerns — an effort the speaker says will continue with holdouts Tuesday afternoon. Currently there are four public no votes including Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie, Tennessee Rep. Tim Burchett, Ohio Rep. Warren Davidson and Indiana Rep. Victoria Spartz. The speaker can only afford to lose one defection before a second betrayal kills the effort.

Following the meeting, Massie quipped that GOP leaders have “convinced him” to vote no — predicting the measure would actually increase the deficit by billions of dollars.

Nevertheless, Johnson defended the blueprint.

“The objective and our commitment has always been deficit neutrality. That’s the goal here. If we can reduce the deficit, even better,” Johnson said responding to accusations that the plan would increase the deficit.

Some additional Republicans are undecided including New York Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, stressing she is acting on behalf of her aging constituency.

“I’m still undecided, but I’m leaning more towards yes because I’ve gotten some clarity and assurances that make me feel comfortable allowing this process to move forward,” she said. “We have to make sure that leadership includes those of us who have large Medicaid populations in that process.”

Self-proclaimed “budget hawk” Georgia Rep. Rich McCormick said he’s still “in discussions” on whether or not to back the resolution.

“I’d like us to be more aggressive on spending cuts so we can save on things like Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid,” he said.

“I am trying to figure out exactly what this entails… how this bill is going to affect the actual hard numbers, and that’s what I’m interested in,” he said.

House Democrats gathered on the Capitol steps Tuesday afternoon to protest an “assault” on democracy and the “reckless Republican budget.”

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries led the group of lawmakers, declaring that Democrats have unified their opposition against the measure.

“So let me be clear, House Democrats will not provide a single vote to this reckless Republican budget, not one, not one, not one. They will not get a single Democratic vote. Why? Because we’re voting with the American people,” he said.

Jeffries said the GOP budget plan “represents the largest Medicaid cut in American history,” adding that “children will be devastated. Families will be devastated. People with disabilities will be devastated. Seniors will be devastated. Hospitals will be devastated; nursing homes will be devastated.”

“Everything we care about is under assault. The economy is under assault. The safety net is under assault. Our very way of life as a country is under assault. Democracy itself is under assault. Donald Trump, the administration and House Republicans are hurting the American people,” he said.

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(WASHINGTON) — After facing angry questions from constituents at a town hall last week, Georgia Republican Rep. Rich McCormick is back on Capitol Hill with a new message for Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency: Show a little compassion.

McCormick faced ‘boos” as he fielded questions from furious constituents in his suburban Atlanta district.

“People are concerned about what DOGE is, what it can do, what its powers are, if they’re overstepping the law. They’re concerned about the rapidity of the moves and people losing their benefits,” McCormick said.

McCormick said he is heading to the White House Tuesday afternoon for a previously scheduled meeting with President Donald Trump. If given the chance, he plans to convey some of his concerns about DOGE to the president directly.

“I think some of their actions have been too rapid to adapt to — for real people. I mean, you’re talking about Republicans, too. We’re not just talking about Democrats,” he said.

“I’m all for trimming the government; I am all for also doing it in a deliberate manner that allows people to adjust to their lifestyles … We’re talking about people who are struggling and have to make big decisions,” he added.

He said Republicans have a strong message, but it’s at risk of being lost.

“You can lose that message with just one attitude. And if nothing else, we have to be careful with how we message this so it doesn’t come across as discompassionate,” he said. “In my opinion, we have to be a little more — give people a little more to adjust, who are about lose their jobs.”

“It’s very hard for me to adjust,” he said referencing the “lightning speed” pace of changes from the new administration.

“I think we can have better coordination between the executive branch and the legislative branch … just for if nothing else — we can be one team, one fight moving forward,” he added.

Republican Rep. Cliff Bentz of Oregon also got an earful from constituents at a town hall last week. His message for Musk? Don’t leave Congress in the dark.

“I think the group is learning as it goes. You can tell this by the fact that they rehired some of the people they fired, so that’s a good thing — it shows that they’re listening and paying attention to what they’re doing,” Bentz.

“I would tell him he needs to reach out to Congress and let us know what they have in mind before they do it. So we at least have some sort of heads up.”

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(WASHINGTON) — The Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered that an Oklahoma man convicted of murder, Richard Glossip — who has been scheduled for execution nine times and served his “last meal” three times — must now receive a new trial because errors committed by prosecutors violated his constitutional rights.

The 5-3 decision marks an extraordinary turn in a case that has seen decades of failed appeals, including a prior unsuccessful bid before the Supreme Court in which Glossip challenged the constitutionality of lethal injection as cruel and unusual punishment.

“We conclude that the prosecution violated its constitutional obligation to correct false testimony,” Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote in her majority opinion, invoking the 14th Amendment’s right to due process. “We reverse the judgement below and remand the case for a new trial.”

Chief Justice John Roberts and justices Elena Kagan, Brett Kavanaugh and Ketanji Brown Jackson joined Sotomayor. Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Amy Coney Barrett dissented. Justice Neil Gorsuch recused from the case because of prior involvement as an appellate judge.

Glossip was convicted by an Oklahoma jury for involvement in the 1997 murder of his former boss, motel owner Barry Van Treese, only by testimony from the confessed killer, Justin Sneed, who later recanted the claim that he was paid by Glossip to perform the killing. He has maintained his innocence. There was no physical evidence.

Sneed — who received a life sentence in exchange for testifying against Glossip — had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and been taking psychiatric medication, but denied it during trial — facts uncorrected by prosecutors who knew the truth.

“Had the prosecution corrected Sneed on the stand, his credibility plainly would have suffered,” Sotomayor wrote. “That correction would have revealed to the jury not just that Sneed was untrustworthy … but also that Sneed was willing to lie to them under oath. Such a revelation would be significant in any case, and was especially so here where Sneed was already nobody’s idea of a strong witness.”

The state’s Republican attorney general, Gentner Drummond, who is a death penalty advocate, came out strongly against execution after reviewing the trial record.

“The death penalty doesn’t turn on, you know, ideology or politics,” Drummond told ABC News last year. “It should turn on the rule of law. This has been a wildly unpopular position for me to take, but it’s the right thing to do.”

Drummond has said he does not believe Glossip is innocent but that a new trial is imperative.

“We are thankful that a clear majority of the Court supports long-standing precedent that prosecutors cannot hide critical evidence from defense lawyers and cannot stand by while their witnesses knowingly lie to the jury. Today was a victory for justice and fairness in our judicial system,” said Glossip’s attorney Don Knight in a statement. “Rich Glossip, who has maintained his innocence for 27 years, will now be given the chance to have the fair trial that he has always been denied.”

The Van Treese family had asked the Supreme Court to uphold Glossip’s conviction.

Justice Thomas, in a written dissent, said the high court had no authority to override Oklahoma state court’s, which had refused to give Glossip a new trial.

“The Court stretches the law at every turn to rule in his favor,” Thomas wrote. “It finds a due process violation based on patently immaterial testimony about a witness’s medical condition. And, for the remedy, it orders a new trial in violation of black-letter law on this Court’s power to review state-court judgments.”

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(WASHINGTON) — Democrats plan to target House Republicans in vulnerable districts by highlighting potential cuts to Medicaid and other federal spending in the budget blueprint GOP lawmakers hope to vote on this week, according to a Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee memo first obtained by ABC News.

The memo titled “Medicaid Cuts Prove Politically Perilous for House Republicans” outlines a plan to paint GOP members in swing districts as voting for a “budget blueprint that would inflict massive pain upon American families.”

The budget blueprint sets a goal of at least $2 trillion dollars in cuts to mandatory federal spending, which includes funding for entitlement programs like Social Security and Medicare.

Medicaid, the health care program for low-income Americans and those with disabilities, is expected to face the brunt of the cuts. Some GOP members have discussed including new work requirements for the program and limiting how much the federal government pays each state.

Republican leadership has repeatedly promised not to cut other entitlement programs.

“Rather than delivering on their campaign promises to lower the high cost of living, [Republicans] are poised to pass an extreme budget scheme that would decimate affordable health care and take food off the tables of millions of American families,” the memo reads. “Republicans will find that a ‘yes’ vote doomed their reelection chances come November 2026.”

Vulnerable Republicans, several of whom represent swing districts with a significant number of constituents on Medicaid, have expressed serious concern that safety net programs could be on the chopping block.

“Slashing Medicaid would have serious consequences, particularly in rural and predominantly Hispanic communities where hospitals and nursing home are already struggling to keep their doors open,” Republican members of the Congressional Hispanic Conference wrote to Speaker Mike Johnson in a letter last week.

GOP leadership has stressed to members that, while the budget blueprint calls for substantial cuts, specific cuts have yet to be determined. And Republican members have disputed their budget will have a negative impact on low-income families, pointing to policies like “No Tax on Tips,” a signature Trump campaign promise included in the budget plan.

The Democratic memo also notes House Republicans in safe red seats are already facing what it calls “massive political blowback” at town hall meetings back home, as angry voters speak out about potential funding cuts and thousands of recent firings by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

“We are all fricking pissed off about this, you’re going to hear it,” a constituent said to Rep Rich McCormick, R-Ga., at a town hall last week.

Johnson told ABC News the protests were an “ambush” organized by Democratic advocacy groups.

“I think the American people largely applaud what’s happening. We need to get government cut back to its size and scope the way it should be and make sure people are doing their work,” he said.

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