Politics

(NEW YORK) — President Donald Trump arrived in South Korea, the third stop on his Asia tour that will culminate in a high-stakes meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday.

Trump touched down in Busan, South Korea, descending down Air Force One onto a red carpet flanked with Korean soldiers.

Trump greeted H.E. Hyun Cho, the foreign minister of the Republic of Korea, and a 21-gun salute followed. The band played a rendition of YMCA after the gun salute. 

Trump then headed to the coastal city of Gyeongju for remarks at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.

There, the president addressed several key aspects of his Asia trip, including his upcoming meeting with Xi. Trump expressed his hope for a “grand deal” between Washington and Beijing.

“I think we’re going to have a deal,” Trump said. “I think it’ll be a good deal for for both. And that’s really a great result.”

An agreement, Trump continued, would be beneficial for the broader region and “better than fighting and going through all sorts of problems, and, you know, no reason for it.”

Trump also lauded bilateral ties between the U.S. and South Korea, praising South Korean President Lee Jae Myung as “a terrific person.”

“The Republic of Korea is a cherished American friend and a close ally, and as we can see in this beautiful city, it’s truly one of the most remarkable nations anywhere on Earth,” Trump said.

Later, at an APEC leaders’ working dinner, Trump said the bilateral meetings were “tremendous” and produced a “pretty much finalized” trade deal with South Korea.

The president used his APEC address to tout his domestic and foreign economic strategies.

Trump said the tax cuts within the Big Beautiful Bill were a “tremendous success” for the return of manufacturing to America, and described himself as a president that “cuts through the red tape and excuses.”

Trump also celebrated Nvidia and TSMC for creating the first Blackwell AI Chip in the U.S. which he says is a chip “10 years advanced.”

The president claimed that his administration had secured upwards of $22 trillion in foreign investments coming into the U.S.

Trump said the figure included some $10 billion in investment by Japanese auto giant Toyota to build new car plants in “six or seven” states.

The president said the U.S. and South Korea would partner on ship building, referring to the Hanwha Group’s acquisition of the Philly Shipyard.

Trump added that his use of tariffs was “strengthening our alliances” and “also bringing peace to the world.”

“The only [deal] I didn’t do is Russia-Ukraine,” the president added. “But that’ll get done too. That’ll get done. I thought that was going to be an easy one because of my relationship with [Russian] President [Vladimir] Putin. He turned out to be a little different. But I think it’ll get done.”

Trump-Xi meeting on the horizon
Trump’s most anticipated meeting on the three-country tour is with China’s Xi on Thursday, with a goal to end a month-long trade war between the world’s two largest economies.

Trump and Xi are set to meet on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in Busan, South Korea, according to the White House. It will be their first face-to-face meeting since Trump’s return to office.

China’s state-run Xinhua news agency, citing a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, also reported on Wednesday that the meeting will occur in Busan on Thursday.

Trump expressed optimism on striking a deal with Xi, telling reporters on Air Force One that he thinks there will be a “successful transaction.”

“We’re going to have a great talk. I have a lot of respect for President Xi. I like him a lot. He likes me a lot,” Trump said as he flew to Japan. On Wednesday, the president said he expected the meeting with Xi to last for three or four hours.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, on ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday, said the administration reached a “substantial framework” in tariff negotiations with Chinese counterparts ahead of Thursday.

“The president had given me maximum leverage when he threatened 100% tariffs if the Chinese imposed their rare earth global export controls, so I think we have averted that,” Bessent said, adding that the levies on Chinese goods would be avoided if the deal holds.

Bessent didn’t provide specifics on the framework, but suggested American soybean farmers would be happy. Farmers have been caught in the administration’s global tariff fight, particularly with China importing more soybeans than any other country, but currently buying none from the U.S.

“I believe, when the announcement of the deal with China is made public, that our soybean farmers will feel very good about what’s going on, both for this season and the coming seasons, for several years,” Bessent said.

Will Trump meet with Kim Jong Un?
While in Asia, Trump has faced questions on whether he will try to meet with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un. The two men met three times during Trump’s first term, and Trump was the first sitting U.S. president to step into North Korea.

“I’d love to meet with him if he’d like to meet. I got along great with Kim Jong Un. I liked him. He liked me. If he wants to meet, I’ll be in South Korea,” Trump said on Air Force One.

Trump even said he was open to possibly extending his trip, which is set to wrap on Thursday.

“I think the answer would be yeah. I would do that, sure,” Trump told reporters when asked if he’d stay in Asia longer to make such a meeting happen.

In Japan, Trump and Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi had a photo spray with families of people who “were abducted by North Korea,” according to a White House official. There were about 20 people there, many holding photos of their loved ones taken by North Korea. Trump said he recognized some of the families from his visits during his first term.

Trump was then asked by a reporter whether he plans to discuss the abducted people with the North Korean leader, but Trump said that he has not yet spoken to Kim.

“We’re going to see what’s going on. We have not done anything. We’ve been so busy. We really haven’t, but we’ll be discussing it,” Trump said.

Trump talks trade with Japan’s new prime minister — first woman to serve in role

Trump visited with Japan’s Emperor Naruhito on Monday after landing in Tokyo. On Tuesday, Trump met with Japan’s new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.

Takaichi, a conservative, is the country’s first woman to serve as prime minister. Trump congratulated her on her election victory earlier this month, calling it “incredible news” for Japan. Takaichi is a protege of the late Shinzo Abe, with whom Trump developed a close diplomatic relationship during his first term.

Trump and Takaichi talked trade, with Japan’s previous leadership having agreed to a $550 billion investment in the U.S. in exchange for a 15% tariff rate, as well as security.

“Now both Japan and the United States have developed the greatest alliance in the world, and together with you, Japan is ready to contribute towards peace and stability,” Takaichi said during the meeting.

The prime minister noted that Japan will gift the U.S. with 250 cherry blossom trees to Washington, D.C., in honor of America’s 250th anniversary in 2026. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that during their bilateral meeting, Takaichi told the president that she nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize and presented the papers to him. 

The leaders also held a signing ceremony for an implementation of the trade deal that the nations struck. The agreement they signed “confirmed their strong commitment to implementing this GREAT DEAL,” the agreement read. Later, the White House released a fact-sheet detailing some of the investments.

Trump and Takaichi also signed the framework for an agreement to “support the supply of raw and processed critical minerals and rare earths crucial to the domestic industries of the United States and Japan.” The agreement comes as Trump has been working to shore up rare earths deals with nations after China slapped strict export controls on the key minerals causing trade tensions between the U.S. and China.

At a dinner with business leaders in Tokyo, Trump said Japan is opening its market up more to US goods and discussed some of the joint ventures the U.S. is taking part in with Japan, including shipbuilding, semiconductors and critical minerals.

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(WASHINGTON) — California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom said he is “deeply concerned” about remarks from President Donald Trump and his close allies about possibly seeking a third term in 2028.

Newsom, who is considered a potential 2028 presidential contender himself, was asked by ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl if he takes such talk seriously.

“They’re not screwing around,” Newsom said.

Trump has mused several times about running for president again, including as recently as Monday, when he told reporters on Air Force One that he would “love to do it” despite it being barred by the Constitution.

The 22nd Amendment expressly forbids a president from being elected to office more than twice.

Last week, Steve Bannon, the former Trump White House adviser and conservative media provocateur, said in an interview with The Economist that “there’s a plan” and Trump “is going to get a third term” though he didn’t share any details.

Here’s a transcript of the exchange between Newsom and Karl in the interview that will air on Wednesday in which Newsom talks about his meeting with Trump in the Oval Office in February.

KARL: “Bannon is talking Trump running again 2028 and you said Trump was talking about his fourth term?”

NEWSOM: “He was showing me a photo of — I turned around, he was at the Resolute [Desk], and he goes, ‘Look over there.’ I’m like, and I literally looked and I looked him. I’m like, ‘OK.’ I said, ‘Third term?’ He goes, ‘No, fourth.’ And it was FDR’s painting up on the wall. I’m like, here we go. I said, ‘We’re perfect little sheep, aren’t we?’ He’s laughing because we are. He knows exactly what we’re going to do. There’s a French, I don’t know what the, I can’t say it in French — poem that loosely says, ‘He pisses on the grasshoppers to hear them sing.’ And that’s Donald Trump.”

KARL: “So do you take that seriously? Do you think he is going to try to stay in office?”

NEWSOM: “What I’ve noticed, what we all have experienced, I hope we’re absorbing in our souls, because we’re talking about the soul of America, is, I don’t think he takes himself seriously, but he iterates. He throws things out. And he plays with it, and he sees how people react, and it manifests. Meaning, once a mind is stretched, it never goes back to its original form. And that’s my concern. The more we’re talking about this — and we need to be. Look at what he’s doing with masked agents. Look what he’s doing federalizing the Guard. Look what he’s doing to intimidate and voter suppression. Look what he’s going to do with the DOJ. Look what he’s trying to do to rig the elections: North Carolina, Missouri, down there, next Florida, not just in Texas. Look what he’s doing in terms of the $230 million that is, apparently, his from his DOJ. All the pardoning, all the this — this great grift, the biggest, most corrupt administration in history. Not just the $400 million plane, but the billion dollars of your tax money as we’re cutting food stamps to pay for the damn plane so he can take that toy home with his foundation when he’s 93 or whatever he’s done with his fourth or fifth term. I’m deeply concerned about it. And guys like Bannon, they’re not screwing around. They’re not screwing around.”

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(WASHINGTON) — House Oversight Republicans released a blistering report Tuesday morning that details their findings into former President Joe Biden’s mental acuity and his use of the autopen — calling on Attorney General Pam Bondi to examine all executive actions taken during the prior administration, as well as scrutinize the actions of three senior officials who refused to comply with the panel’s closed-door interviews for fear of criminal prosecution.

Democrats quickly dismissed the report as a “sham” — with Biden’s post-presidency office calling it “baseless.”

The 100-page report includes links to transcripts and video of their closed-door depositions conducted with 14 top Biden administration officials, including three senior officials — Anthony Bernal, Annie Tomasini and Dr. Kevin O’Connor — who invoked their Fifth Amendment right not to incriminate themselves rather than answer the committee’s questions.

The committee previously released videos of those three officials declining to testify following their respective depositions. Other aides repeatedly defended Biden’s mental fitness, maintaining that he was mentally engaged in the decision-making process in the White House.

“The Biden Autopen Presidency will go down as one of the biggest political scandals in U.S. history,” Oversight Chairman James Comer said in a statement.

Comer claimed Biden’s inner circle “sought to deceive the public” and conceal “his decline.” He said the report reveals how several of Biden’s aides “colluded to mislead the public and the extraordinary measures they took to sustain the appearance of presidential authority as Biden’s capacity to function independently diminished.”

A Biden spokesperson criticized the report, claiming there was no wrongdoing at the Biden White House.

“This investigation into baseless claims has confirmed what has been clear from the start: President Biden made the decisions of his presidency. There was no conspiracy, no cover-up, and no wrongdoing,” the Biden spokesperson said. “Congressional Republicans should stop focusing on political retribution and instead work to end the government shutdown.”

Biden has previously defended the use of autopen.

“The autopen is, you know, is legal. As you know, other presidents used it, including Trump. But the point is that, you know, we’re talking about a whole lot of people,” Biden said.

Comer said that executive actions performed by Biden White House staff and signed by autopen should be “null and void.”

“We have provided Americans with transparency about the Biden Autopen Presidency, and now there must be accountability,” Comer stated.

Comer’s comments echo some of President Donald Trump’s remarks about Biden’s use of autopen — including saying that the pardons Biden approved should be voided because they were signed using an autopen. Trump has said he has used an autopen for some trivial matters, but criticized its use for pardons.

The House committee claimed it found “substantial evidence” that Biden “experienced significant mental and physical decline during his presidency,” while senior White House officials “actively sought to conceal his deterioration from the public.”

Bondi said in a Tuesday post on X that her staff has “already initiated a review of the Biden administration’s reported use of autopen for pardons” and called the report “extremely helpful.”

Speaker Mike Johnson commented on the report Tuesday morning, repeating Comer’s calls to void “every executive action signed by the autopen without written authorization from President Biden.”

“This is an unprecedented situation in American politics and government,” Johnson said Tuesday when asked whether documents signed by the autopen on Biden’s behalf should be “null and void,” as the report concluded. “There is no legal precedent because no previous president … had the audacity to have people signing things on their behalf when they didn’t even know what was in it.”

Oversight Democrats have dismissed the investigation throughout the monthslong probe — complaining about the GOP’s “obsession” with the former president.

“Despite this sham investigation, every White House official testified President Biden fully executed his duties as President of the United States. The testimonies also make it clear the former President authorized every executive order, pardon, and use of the autopen,” House Oversight Ranking Member Robert Garcia said in a statement to ABC News.

House Oversight Democrats released a short 14-page counter report on Tuesday — arguing that the Republicans have “failed to produce any evidence to support their allegations against President Biden.”

Trump has continued to criticize and troll Biden’s use of the autopen — even hanging a picture of an autopen signing Biden’s signature alongside portraits of past presidents in the new Presidential Walk of Fame on the White House West Colonnade.

The committee also sent a letter to Dr. Andrea Anderson, chair of the District of Columbia Board of Medicine, calling on her to investigate whether the actions of O’Connor, Biden’s White House physician, should disqualify him from future practice in the nation’s capital.

“Based on the nature and extent of Dr. O’Connor’s actions, the Committee recommends that the Board of Medicine impose discipline, sanction, or revocation of his medical license,” the letter states. “If Dr. O’Connor failed to meet his minimum standard of care to the president, intentionally misled the American public, or authored false health reports on President Biden, then the Committee believes Dr. O’Connor should be barred from the practice of medicine in the District of Columbia.”

ABC News has reached out to O’Connor’s lawyer for comment.

When O’Connor spoke before the committee, his lawyer, David Schertler, said in a statement that the doctor “asserted the physician-patient privilege, as well as his right under the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, in declining to answer questions from the staff of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform regarding his service as Physician to the President during the Biden Administration.”

Oversight Republicans also knocked Democrats for passive participation in the investigation — clocking the total time of their questioning to “only about 3 hours and 30 minutes’ worth of questions” over nearly 47 hours of depositions and transcribed interviews.

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(WASHINGTON) — House Speaker Mike Johnson said on Tuesday that he does not “see the path” for President Donald Trump to seek a third term.

“It’s been a great run, but I think the president knows, and he and I have talked about, the constrictions of the Constitution, as much as so many of the American people lament that,” Johnson said during a news conference on Capitol Hill.

Johnson said he had spoken to Trump Tuesday morning. The president is currently in Japan for a three-country tour through Asia.

“I don’t see a way to amend the Constitution because it takes about 10 years to do that,” Johnson, a constitutional lawyer, said. “As you all know, to allow all the states to ratify what two-thirds of the House and three-fourths of the states would approve. So I don’t, I don’t see the path for that, but I can tell you that we are not going to take our foot off the gas pedal.”

Trump has commented multiple times about a third term, despite it being barred by the Constitution. The 22nd Amendment explicitly states no person should be elected to the nation’s highest office more than twice.

On Monday, Trump said he would “love to do it” when asked about a potential 2028 bid.

“Am I not ruling it out? You’ll have to tell me,” Trump said when pressed on the matter. “All I can tell you is that we have a great, a great group of people, which they don’t,” he added, referring to the Democratic Party.

Last week, Steve Bannon — a former Trump adviser — said in an interview with The Economist that there “is a plan” to get Trump a third term, but didn’t provide details.

The official merchandise website of the Trump Organization has been selling hats that say “Trump 2028” since earlier this year.

Johnson on Tuesday argued though that the Trump 2028 hat “is one of the most popular that’s ever been produced,” but suggested it was a move to provoke Democrats.

The speaker said Trump has “a good time with that trolling the Democrats, whose hair is on fire by the very prospect. But I do believe that we’ve got three extraordinary years ahead of us.”

ABC News’ Alexandra Hutzler contributed to this report.

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(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. has carried out strikes against four more alleged drug vessels in the Eastern Pacific, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Tuesday, killing 14 people.

“Yesterday, at the direction of President Trump, the Department of War carried out three lethal kinetic strikes on four vessels operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations (DTO) trafficking narcotics in the Eastern Pacific,” Hegseth wrote on X, where he posted a video of the strikes.

The latest action brings the total number of people believed to have been killed to more than 50.

According to Hegseth, there was one survivor from Monday’s round of strikes.

“Regarding the survivor, USSOUTHCOM immediately initiated Search and Rescue (SAR) standard protocols; Mexican SAR authorities accepted the case and assumed responsibility for coordinating the rescue,” he wrote on X.

The strikes are part of what the administration has called its “war” against drug cartels. The U.S. military has now hit 10 alleged drug boats in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean. The use of lethal force, however, has raised several legal questions.

In addition to the strikes, the U.S. last week ordered the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group and its accompanying aircraft to the waters around Central and South America — a move designed to ratchet up pressure against the Venezuelan government.

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

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(WASHINGTON) — The Trump administration on Monday asked the Supreme Court to uphold the president’s removal of the Register of Copyrights Shira Perlmutter from her influential post earlier this year inside the Library of Congress that oversees and enforces the United States’ copyright system. 

The request is the latest appeal to the justices over President Donald Trump’s expansive view of presidential control over the federal government. Next month, the Supreme Court will consider the president’s ability to fire members of independent federal agencies without cause; early next year, it will also examine the president’s control over members of the Federal Reserve. 

Under federal law, the Register of Copyrights is appointed by and reports to the Librarian of Congress, who in turn is appointed by the president for a 10-year term after confirmation by the Senate.

Trump fired the Biden-appointed Librarian Carla Hayden without cause shortly after taking office and replaced her on an acting basis with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. Blanche then removed Perlmutter. 

Perlmutter alleges Blanche lacks the authority to remove her.

A federal appeals court in a 2-1 decision ordered Perlmutter reinstated, concluding the offices of Librarian of Congress and Register of Copyrights are “legislative officers” not “executive officers” under the Constitution — both requiring congressional input.

The administration is asking the justices to overturn that decision — at least on an interim basis — and ultimately to take up the bigger legal questions surrounding the status of the Library of Congress and those who lead it. 

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(NEW YORK) — President Donald Trump arrived in Japan on Monday, the second stop on his Asia tour that will culminate in a high-stakes meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping later this week.

Trump visited with Japan’s Emperor Naruhito on Monday after landing in Tokyo.

On Tuesday in Japan, or late Monday eastern time, Trump will meet with new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.

Takaichi, a conservative, is the country’s first woman to service as prime minister. Trump congratulated her on her election victory earlier this month, calling it “incredible news” for Japan. Takaichi is a protege of the late Shinzo Abe, with whom Trump developed a close diplomatic relationship during his first term.

Trump and Takaichi are set to talk trade, with Japan’s previous leadership having agreed to a $550 billion investment in the U.S. in exchange for a 15% tariff rate, as well as security.

But Trump’s most anticipated meeting on the three-country tour is with China’s Xi on Thursday, with a goal to end a monthslong trade war between the world’s two largest economics.

Trump and Xi are set to meet on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in Busan, South Korea, according to the White House. It will be their first face-to-face meeting since Trump’s return to office.

Trump’s expressed optimism on striking a deal with Xi, telling reporters on Air Force One that he thinks there will be a “successful transaction.”

“We’re going to have a great talk. I have a lot of respect for President Xi. I like him a lot. He likes me a lot,” Trump said as he flew to Japan.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, on ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday, said the administration reached a “substantial framework” in tariff negotiations with Chinese counterparts ahead of Thursday.

“The president had given me maximum leverage when he threatened 100% tariffs if the Chinese imposed their rare earth global export controls, so I think we have averted that,” Bessent said, adding that the levies on Chinese goods would be avoided if the deal holds.

Bessent didn’t provide specifics on the framework, but suggested American soybean farmers would be happy. Farmers have been caught in the administration’s global tariff fight, particularly with China importing more soybeans than any other country but currently buying none from the U.S.

“I believe, when the announcement of the deal with China is made public, that our soybean farmers will feel very good about what’s going on, both for this season and the coming seasons, for several years,” Bessent said.

While in Asia, Trump has faced questions on whether he will try to meet with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un. The two men met three times during Trump’s first term, and Trump was the first sitting U.S. president to step into North Korea.

“I’d love to meet with him if he’d like to meet. I got along great with Kim Jong Un. I liked him. He liked me. If he wants to meet, I’ll be in South Korea,” Trump said on Air Force One.

Trump even said he was open to possibly extending his trip, which is set to wrap on Thursday.

“I think the answer would be yeah. I would do that, sure,” Trump told reporters when asked if he’d stay in Asia longer to make such a meeting happen.

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(NEW YORK) — Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s meeting Tuesday in Tokyo with U.S. President Donald Trump will be a major test for the new leader.

She’s a hardline conservative and the first woman to serve as prime minister of Japan. Takaichi is a protégé of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and will likely lean into her ties with him to build rapport and chemistry with Trump. Abe, who was assassinated in 2022, had a famously close relationship with Trump.

Geopolitical experts, including Ian Bremmer, president of Eurasia Group, note that Takaichi is politically aligned with Trump on key issues, including immigration and defense. Bremmer even expects her meeting with Trump to go “exceptionally well” — even predicting that she will endorse Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize.

For Takaichi, trade will be front and center. Japan managed to strike a lower tariff rate than other countries at 15 percent. But in return it has pledged to invest $550 billion in the U.S. That’s a staggering amount, equal to more than one-tenth of Japan’s economy.

Under the agreement, the U.S. has broad discretion over how those funds are allocated, raising concerns in Tokyo about how and where that money will ultimately be used.

Takaichi is also expected to raise concerns about China’s expanding military and economic influence in Asia while seeking Trump to reaffirm the U.S.’s commitment to its  economic and military alliance with Japan.

Takaichi, 64, defeated four other candidates to succeed outgoing Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who resigned in September after poor election results, as leader of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). During a runoff in an intraparty vote by the LDP, Takaichi won 185 votes, beating Agriculture Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, who received 156 votes.

She is the first first woman to head the party, which has dominated Japanese politics since its founding in 1955.

She was elected prime minister by Japan’s parliament last week.

First elected to parliament in 1993, Takaichi has served as minister of economic security, internal affairs and gender equality.

She has cited former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher as an inspiration.

Takaichi played drums in a heavy metal band in college and lists scuba diving, playing musical instruments, martial arts and watching baseball as hobbies.

ABC News’ Morgan Winsor contributed to this report.

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(WASHINGTON) — A critical food assistance program will soon halt for millions of Americans in need and air traffic controllers will miss a paycheck this week as the government shutdown enters its fourth week — with all eyes on congressional lawmakers to see if the added pressure will be enough to push them to strike a deal.

The Department of Agriculture posted a notice on its website that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits will not be issued on Nov. 1 amid the ongoing government shutdown, saying “Bottom line, the well has run dry.”

SNAP, often referred to as “food stamps,” serves roughly 42 million low-income Americans.

SNAP has traditionally been entirely federally funded, but is administered by states. That means the shutdown’s impact on SNAP and when benefits will start to dry up will vary by state.

Over the weekend, the Trump administration said it won’t be giving a lifeline to SNAP funding, and blamed the Democrats for the ongoing shutdown.

The Trump administration’s position that it cannot extend SNAP benefits during the shutdown is a reversal from the USDA’s stated shutdown contingency plan from late September, which said that “Congressional intent is evident that SNAP’s operations should continue since the program has been provided with multi-year contingency funds that can be used for State Administrative Expenses to ensure that the State can also continue operations during a Federal Government shutdown.”

But in a new memo issued late last week and obtained by ABC News, USDA said contingency funds are “only available” when SNAP funds have been approved by Congress.

Earlier in the shutdown, the Trump administration redirected others funds to pay service members — even as it says it can’t do the same with SNAP funding.

On Monday, House Speaker Mike Johnson argued the contingency funds for SNAP are “not legally available right now” to cover the benefits and pleaded with Democrats to support the clean continuing resolution to reopen the government. 

“The reason is because it’s a finite source of funds. It was appropriated by Congress, and if they transfer funds from these other sources, it pulls it away immediately from school meals… So … it’s a trade off,” he said. “There has to be a pre-existing appropriation for the contingency fund to be used.” 

Airline travelers are feeling effects of the shutdown as well.

Over the weekend, the Federal Aviation Administration was forced to slow air traffic around Chicago, Dallas, Southern California, Newark and other cities because of staffing issues. Some air traffic controllers called out as many are forced to work without pay during the shutdown. 

Air traffic controllers will miss their first paycheck on Tuesday.

Another critical deadline approaches around health care premiums. Democrats are continuing their fight over health care subsidies as the Nov. 1 open enrollment date approaches.

As the shutdown continues to impact Americans and key deadlines loom, all eyes are on Capitol Hill where lawmakers are still in a stalemate.

On Monday, Johnson slammed Democrats and said the administration has worked “creatively” to limit the “pain on the Americans.”

“We need five more Democrats in the Senate to do the right thing — wake up and say, ‘I’m going to say no to the Marxist far-left pressure, and I’m going to do what’s right by the people of 42 million Americans in this country who rely upon this essential nutrition assistance. Or am I going to starve my constituents? Or am I going to appease the Marxist?’” Johnson said.

It doesn’t appear President Donald Trump will be negotiating with Democrats either.

ABC News “This Week” co-anchor Martha Raddatz asked Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Sunday if Trump should meet with Democrats again. Bessent seemed to rebuff the idea of him doing that.

“Well, what good does it do, Martha? They dug in. The American people are hostage to Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries’ poll numbers because what’s changed between now and the last time there was a clean, continuing resolution is Chuck Schumer has tanked in the polls. They both of the two guys from Brooklyn, like I call them, are worried about being primaried from the left,” Bessent said.

Meanwhile, the president of the country’s largest union representing federal workers is calling on lawmakers to pass a short-term spending bill to end the shutdown.

“It’s time to pass a clean continuing resolution and end this shutdown today. No half measures, and no gamesmanship. Put every single federal worker back on the job with full back pay — today,” American Federation of Government Employees National President Everett Kelley said in a statement.

The AFGE represents more than 800,000 federal and D.C. government workers.

“It’s time for our leaders to start focusing on how to solve problems for the American people, rather than on who is going to get the blame for a shutdown that Americans dislike,” she added.

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(INDIANAPOLIS) –Indiana Republican Gov. Mike Braun announced on Monday that he will call for a special legislative session to begin next week that will include considering redrawing Indiana’s congressional map — drawing the state more deeply into the mid-cycle redistricting battle occurring across the country.

“I am calling a special legislative session to protect Hoosiers from efforts in other states that seek to diminish their voice in Washington and ensure their representation in Congress is fair,” Braun wrote in a statement.

The special session — which is set to begin Monday, Nov. 3 — will also deal with tax issues, according to Braun.

The White House has openly pushed for Indiana, which currently has seven Republican and two Democratic members of the U.S. House, to redraw its congressional map. Vice President JD Vance has visited the state twice in recent months for discussions with state lawmakers and figures. 

As of Monday, three states have finished redrawing their congressional maps: Texas, Missouri and North Carolina. Analysts believe that Republicans stand to gain up to seven congressional seats in these redrawn maps — significant changes in a Congress with a razor-thin Republican majority.

A spokesperson for Republican state Sen. Rodric Bray, the Senate President pro tempore, told ABC News on Wednesday, “the votes aren’t there for redistricting.” 

President Donald Trump spoke with Republican state legislators from Indiana on Friday about redistricting.

Braun later indicated that he’s still confident to get support for “fair representation.”

“I am still having positive conversations with members of the legislature. I am confident the majority of Indiana Statehouse Republicans will support efforts to ensure fair representation in congress for every Hoosier,” Braun wrote on X on Wednesday.

His lieutenant governor, Micah Beckwith — who is the state Senate’s president — went further in a statement: “I am calling on my Republican colleagues in the Indiana Senate to find your backbone, to remember who sent you here, and to reclaim Indiana’s rightful voice in Congress by drawing a 9-0 map.”

President of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee John Bisognano on Monday slammed Braun’s move.

“Governor Braun clearly called this special session solely because he got orders from Washington,” Bisognano said in a statement. “Hoosiers do not want a mid-decade gerrymander. Indiana legislators now have a choice: stand up for their constituents by rejecting a mid-decade gerrymander or cave to the White House by undermining the voting rights of their constituents.”

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