Politics

(WASHINGTON) — Word of former FBI Director James Comey’s federal indictment sent anger and shockwaves around Congress, with several prominent Democrats sounding off on what they called a politically motivated attack by President Donald Trump’s Justice Department.

Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy called Comey’s indictment — which was on charges of making a false statement and obstruction related to his testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2020 — a “constitutional crisis.”

“We aren’t on a slippery slope to a constitutional crisis. We are IN the crisis. Time for leaders – political leaders, business leaders, civic leaders – to pick a side: democracy or autocracy?” he wrote on X Thursday night.

Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin pointed to the recent resignation of U.S. Attorney Erik Siebert and appointment of Lindsey Halligan as setting the stage for Comey’s indictment. Siebert, Trump’s previous nominee for the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, resigned from the office after sources said he refused to bring charges against New York Attorney General Letitia James over unfounded allegations of mortgage fraud. Trump later claimed he “fired” Siebert and quickly installed Halligan into the position.

“As if by magic, within mere days of being appointed, Ms. Halligan delivered for the president by filing the exact baseless charges against Mr. Comey that her predecessor had rejected,” Raskin said in a statement.

“I have no doubt that a jury of his peers will acquit and vindicate Mr. Comey after being afforded the opportunity to hear all the relevant evidence,” he added.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries released a statement Thursday night calling the indictment a “disgraceful attack on the rule of law.”

“The malicious prosecution against James Comey has no apparent basis in law or fact, and lawyers of good conscience in the department know it,” he said.

Republicans were more subdued in their initial reaction to the indictment.

Sen. Chuck Grassley, the chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, appeared to seek more details and let the legal process play out.

“At the time of Comey’s alleged false statements and obstruction, my colleagues and I had active investigations. If the facts and the evidence support the finding that Comey lied to Congress and obstructed our work, he ought to be held accountable,” he said in a statement.

A few Republicans, however, praised the Justice Department.

“As I said last month, it’s time to expose the lies and corruption from people like James Comey,” Republican Sen. Eric Schmitt said in a post on X.

Republican Sen. John Coryn noted that while the “legal system provides for the presumption of innocence, Comey’s accountability for FBI abuses during the first Trump term are long overdue.”

“These charges are serious offenses, especially if committed by the head of our nation’s top law enforcement agency, and there must be consequences for any crimes,” he said in a statement.

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(WASHINGTON) — Justice Clarence Thomas said the Supreme Court should take a more critical approach to settled precedent, saying decided cases are not “the gospel” and suggesting some may have been based on “something somebody dreamt up and others went along with.”

Thomas made the comments during a rare public appearance Thursday evening at Catholic University’s Columbus School of Law in Washington, D.C., just over a week before the high court starts a new term that includes challenges to several major, longstanding decisions.

The Court is poised to revisit Humphrey’s Executor v U.S. — a 90-year precedent that limits a president’s ability to remove members of some independent federal agencies without cause. The justices will also consider whether to overturn Thornburg v Gingles, a landmark 1986 decision governing the use of race in redistricting under the Voting Rights Act.

For the first time, the Court is also considering a petition for writ of certiorari asking them to explicitly revisit and overturn the 2015 decision in Obergefell v Hodges, which extended marriage rights to same-sex couples.

“At some point we need to think about what we’re doing with stare decisis,” Thomas said Thursday, referring to the legal principle of abiding by previous decisions. “And it’s not some sort of talismanic deal where you can just say ‘stare decisis’ and not think, turn off the brain, right?”

The Court’s senior conservative suggested that some members of the Court over the years have blindly followed prior judgments, comparing them to passengers on a train.

“We never go to the front see who’s driving the train, where is it going. And you could go up there in the engine room, find it’s an orangutan driving the train, but you want to follow that just because it’s a train,” Thomas said.

“I don’t think that I have the gospel,” he said, “that any of these cases that have been decided are the gospel, and I do give perspective to the precedent. But it should — the precedent should be respectful of our legal tradition, and our country, and our laws, and be based on something, not just something somebody dreamt up and others went along with.”

Thomas has long been an outspoken advocate for revisiting some of the Court’s significant landmark opinions. In a 2022 concurring opinion in Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health — which overturned Roe v Wade — Thomas urged his colleagues to “reconsider all of this Court’s substantive due process precedents, including Griswold, Lawrence, and Obergefell” — cases involving rights to contraception, same-sex intimacy, and marriage.

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(NEW YORK) — After being repeatedly condemned as a war criminal by other world leaders during the United Nations General Assembly’s current meeting in New York, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is now having his turn speaking on the world stage on Friday.

Many delegates walked out as Netanyahu approached the podium.

“We’re not done yet,” Netanyahu said. “The final elements, the final remnants of Hamas, are holed up in Gaza city. They vow to repeat the atrocities of Oct. 7 again and again and again, no matter how diminished their forces. That is why Israel must finish the job, that is why we want to do so as fast as possible.”

Hours before his speech, Netanyahu’s office announced his address to the U.N. General Assembly would be broadcast live on loudspeakers aimed at Gaza from the Israeli side of the border.

“As part of the informational effort, the Prime Minister’s Office has instructed civilian agencies, in cooperation with the IDF, to place loudspeakers on trucks on the Israeli side of the Gaza border only, with the aim of broadcasting Prime Minister Netanyahu’s historic speech today at the UN General Assembly in the Gaza Strip,” a statement said.

Before departing Tel Aviv on Thursday, he vowed to take a strong stance against the countries that had formally announced their support for an independent Palestinian state during the annual global summit.

“I will condemn those leaders who, instead of denouncing the murderers, rapists, and child burners, want to give them a state in the heart of the land of Israel,” he said. “This will not happen.”

“This is an important visit for the State of Israel, especially at this point in time, when over the UN podium one hears too many false voices,” Israel’s ambassador to the U.N., Danny Danon, said in a post on X.

“The prime minister’s speech at the General Assembly will strengthen our position and clarify to the world: Israel is fighting on all fronts, and its security — is not open to debate,” Danon added.

In addition to a frosty reception from heads of state opposed to Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza, Netanyahu is expected to face protests while in New York.

Family members of some of the hostages held in Gaza have announced plans to demonstrate outside of the U.N. headquarters during the prime minister’s speech, calling on Netanyahu and other leaders to prioritize the release of the hostages.

An isolated Israel

Even before Netanyahu arrived in New York, Israel’s isolation at the United Nations was evident.

Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani labeled Israel as a “rogue government” during his speech to the assembly on Tuesday, calling the Israeli airstrike on Hamas leadership in Doha earlier this month a “treacherous attack.”

“They visit our country and plot to attack it. They negotiate with delegations and plot to assassinate the members of the negotiation teams. It is difficult to cooperate with such a mentality that does not respect the most minimum standards of cooperation,” he said. “It is impossible.”

U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres decried the war in Gaza during his remarks opening the General Debate.

“The scale of death and destruction are beyond any other conflict in my years as secretary-general,” he asserted.

“Nothing can justify the horrific Hamas terror attacks of October 7 and the taking of hostages, both of which I have repeatedly condemned. And nothing can justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people,” Guterres added.

He also called on Israel to fully comply with provisional measures issued by the International Court of Justice, which require Israel to take steps to prevent genocide in Gaza.

The Israeli government has long held that the United Nations is biased against Israel and has denied violating international law.

However, rulings from another global tribunal — the International Criminal Court (ICC) — may have altered Netanyahu’s travel plans.

The ICC has issued an arrest warrant for the Israeli prime minister, and flight data from his journey to New York showed his plane took an indirect route to New York, avoiding the airspace of countries that could enforce the warrant.

Israel’s government has not commented on why the longer route was selected.

Both Israel and the United States are not party to the Rome Statute, which is the treaty that established the ICC and have not consented to its jurisdiction. The Trump administration has also taken several steps to penalize the ICC for issuing warrants for the arrests of Netanyahu and other top Israeli officials.

Netanyahu returns to Washington

While in the U.S., Netanyahu is also slated to meet with President Donald Trump in Washington — marking the fourth time the two have met face-to-face since Trump’s return to the White House.

This private meeting may prove much more consequential for Israel and the broader Middle East than Netanyahu’s speech on the global stage.

U.S. and Israeli officials say the leaders are expected to discuss what retaliatory actions Israel may take in response to the growing push to recognize a Palestinian state at the U.N.

The two also held a phone call on Thursday, according to the White House.

Although Trump and Netanyahu are close allies, the meeting comes at a time when both have diverging agendas. The prime minister has been contemplating annexing additional territory in the West Bank– something the president has vowed he won’t permit.

“I will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank. Nope, I will not allow it,” Trump said on Thursday. “It’s not going to happen.”

The president also expressed renewed hope for an agreement to resolve the conflict and free the hostages from Gaza, predicting it could happen “soon.”

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(WASHINGTON) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has asked a large number of general officers and admirals to gather next Tuesday at the Marine base at Quantico, Virginia, according to five U.S. officials. Two of them told ABC News they don’t know what prompted this gathering of potentially hundreds of the U.S. military’s most senior leaders.

It is very rare to hold such a large meeting of general officers who are based stateside and overseas in one location and for it to include the defense secretary.

The unusual meeting will also take place months after Hegseth ordered a 20% reduction in the number of officers of the four-star rank, in addition to the 15 senior military officers he has removed from their posts, including Gen. Charles “CQ” Brown, Jr. the then-chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Adm. Lisa Franchetti, the Navy’s top admiral.

“The Secretary of War will be addressing his senior military leaders early next week,” chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement.

Parnell used to Hegseth’s informal title, which came from President Donald Trump’s executive order renaming the Department of Defense the Department of War earlier this month. The formal renaming of the department would require Congress to act.

Overall, there are 838 total general officers and admirals on active duty — 446 of them are from the higher two-star, three-star and four-star ranks — according to the Pentagon’s latest statistics from June.

It was unclear to the officials if all of the general and flag officers in the U.S. military were being invited to attend this meeting or if would only apply to a segment of those high-ranking officers.

The Washington Post was first to report the news of next week’s gathering.

It is not unusual for a defense secretary to meet with senior military officers at the Pentagon or those on domestic and overseas travel. Twice a year, the senior officers in charge of the U.S. combatant commands gather at the Pentagon to meet with the secretary.

However, the size and scope of the meeting that makes next week’s gathering rare and likely a security concern for planners. The meeting has also led to speculation among officials as to whether it has anything to do with Hegseth’s moves to reduce the number of officers serving as generals or admirals.

In May, Hegseth signed a memo directing a “minimum” 20% reduction in the number of four-star generals and admirals across the active-duty force.

He also called for at least a 20% reduction of general officers in the National Guard, as well as at least a 10% reduction in general and flag officers affiliated with combatant commands.

In a video accompanying the memo, Hegseth described it as a “Less Generals More GIs Policy.” In the memo, Hegseth said the order was needed to “drive innovation and operational excellence, unencumbered by unnecessary bureaucratic layers that hinder their growth and effectiveness.”

“A critical step in this process is removing redundant force structure to optimize and streamline leadership by reducing excess general and flag officer positions,” he also wrote.

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(WASHINGTON) — A key Senate hearing from five years ago is the center of the federal probe into former FBI Director James Comey, sources told ABC News Thursday.

At least two exchanges he had with lawmakers on the Senate Judiciary Committee in September of 2020 are being scrutinized, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Prosecutors are investigating whether Comey, who appeared virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic, lied when he affirmed prior congressional testimony that he never authorized leaks to the media, the sources said.

“On May 3rd, 2017, in this committee, Chairman Grassley asked you point blank, have you ever been an anonymous source in news reports about matters relating to the Trump investigation or the Clinton investigation? You responded under oath, ‘Never.’ He then asked you, ‘Have you ever authorized someone else at the FBI to be an anonymous source in news reports about the Trump investigation or the Clinton administration?’ You responded again under oath, ‘No.’ Now, as you know, Mr. McCabe, who works for you, has publicly and repeatedly stated that he leaked information to the Wall Street Journal and that you were directly aware of it and that you directly authorized it. Now, what Mr. McCabe is saying and what you testified to this committee cannot both be true. One or the other is false. Who’s telling the truth?” Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, asked Comey.

“I can only speak to my testimony. I stand by the testimony you summarized that I gave in May of 2017,” Comey responded.

“So your testimony is you’ve never authorized anyone to leak? And Mr. McCabe, if he says contrary, is not telling the truth, is that correct?” Cruz asked.

“Again, I’m not going to characterize Andy’s testimony, but mine is the same today,” Comey responded.

The federal prosecutors separately investigated an exchange between Comey and Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo, in which Comey said he could not recall a September 2016 intelligence document he had been sent.

Republicans said his response raises questions as to whether the investigation of Russia’s interference in the 2016 election was a result of a strategy pushed by Hillary Clinton’s campaign. Intelligence officials have raised doubts regarding the validity of that document.

On Wednesday, prosecutors determined they would be unable to convince a jury that Comey knowingly gave false testimony in either exchange.

While they informed President Donald Trump’s appointed U.S. attorney Lindsey Halligan of their determination in a memo on Monday, sources told ABC News that she still intends to press forward and seek an indictment of Comey.

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(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance blamed Democrats after a sniper opened fire on an ICE facility in Texas — as questions remain about the motive behind the attack and the intended target.

“This violence is the result of the Radical Left Democrats constantly demonizing Law Enforcement, calling for ICE to be demolished, and comparing ICE Officers to ‘Nazis,'” Trump wrote in a social media post on Wednesday, in which he said he had been briefed on the shooting.

“I AM CALLING ON ALL DEMOCRATS TO STOP THIS RHETORIC AGAINST ICE AND AMERICA’S LAW ENFORCEMENT, RIGHT NOW!” Trump added.

Vance addressed the shooting during a visit to North Carolina on Wednesday, saying the administration had evidence not yet released to the public that the shooter was a “violent left-wing extremist.”

“They were politically motivated to go after law enforcement. They were politically motivated to go after people who are enforcing our border,” Vance said. 

The Department of Homeland Security called the shooting an “attack on law enforcement.” FBI Director Kash Patel released images of bullets recovered from the scene, including one engraved with “ANTI-ICE,” and DHS released a photo that appears to show a gunshot in an American flag display.

One detainee was killed and two others were critically wounded in the attack at the Dallas Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office, according to DHS. The shooter died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, authorities said.

Vance offered condolences to those affected by the attack, saying it “looks like some of the detainees, in other words, some of the potential illegal aliens were some of those who were affected.”

“Look, just because we don’t support illegal aliens, we don’t want them to be executed by violent assassins engaged in political violence either,” Vance said.

Vance went on to say rhetoric disparaging law enforcement is “disgusting” and suggested Democrats were to blame.

“You don’t have to agree with my immigration policies. You don’t have to agree with Donald Trump’s immigration policies. But if your political rhetoric encourages violence against our law enforcement, you can go straight to hell and you have no place in the political conversation of the United States of America,” the vice president added.

Democratic leaders condemned the shooting, which they said is part of an alarming trend in America, as well as anti-immigrant rhetoric they say puts that community in harm’s way.

“No one in America should be violently targeted, including our men and women in law enforcement who protect and serve our neighborhoods, and the immigrants who are too often the victims of dehumanizing rhetoric,” House Democrat Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Whip Katherine Clark and Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar said in a statement.

“The political and ideologically-motivated violence in America has reached a breaking point this year. We need leaders who bring the country together in moments of crisis — and that is what is required right now,” they wrote.

“This is a heartbreaking act of violence. All of us need to reject extremism in our politics and come together to prevent tragedies like this,” said Democratic Rep. Joaquin Castro, who represents San Antonio.

Rep. Jasmine Crockett, a Texas Democrat whose been an outspoken critic of ICE, said she was “devastated by the horrific shooting” that claimed the lives of detainees and was “grateful that no members of law enforcement were injured.”

“The rhetoric used to dehumanize and demonize immigrants in this country has led to increased hate crime incidents and other horrific events like the mass shooting in El Paso — often at the hands of troubled white men. This rhetoric not only threatens the lives of immigrants in the country but also makes the job of our law enforcement officers more dangerous, as can be seen by today’s tragic events,” Crockett said in a statement.

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(WASHINGTON) — Donald Trump’s handpicked U.S. Attorney in Virginia is planning to ask a grand jury in the coming days to indict former FBI Director James Comey for allegedly lying to Congress, despite prosecutors and investigators determining there was insufficient evidence to charge him, sources with direct knowledge of the probe told ABC News. 

Earlier this week, prosecutors presented Lindsey Halligan — Trump’s former personal attorney whom he appointed to lead the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia — with a detailed memo recommending that she decline to bring perjury and obstruction charges against Comey, the sources familiar with the memo said.

A monthslong investigation into Comey by DOJ prosecutors failed to establish probable cause of a crime — meaning that not only would they be unable to secure a conviction of Comey by proving the claims beyond a reasonable doubt, but that they couldn’t reach a significantly lower standard to secure an indictment, the sources said.

According to Justice Department guidelines, prosecutors are generally barred from bringing charges unless they can prove a defendant will “more likely than not be found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt by an unbiased trier of fact and that the conviction will be upheld on appeal.”

Despite their recommendations, Halligan — who has never prosecuted a criminal case in her career as an insurance lawyer — plans to present evidence to a grand jury before the statute of limitations for the alleged offense expires next week, the sources said. 

Comey’s attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 

Halligan’s apparent plan to seek charges against Comey follows a clear directive from Trump, who over the weekend directly called for prosecutions against Comey, Sen. Adam Schiff, and New York Attorney General Letitia James.

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(WASHINGTON) — Family members of one of those killed on American Airlines Flight 5342 announced the first federal lawsuit filed Wednesday over the January midair collision between a regional jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter near Washington Reagan National Airport.

The lawsuit filed in federal district court in Washington alleges “wrongful death and survival claims, jointly and severally” against American Airlines and PSA Airlines — a regional carrier operating the flight for American — as well as the Federal Aviation Administration and the Army for what the suit calls their acts and omissions.

“The crash of American Eagle 5342 was predictable, it was preventable and caused the needless loss of 67 lives on that fateful evening,” Bob Clifford, one of the attorneys representing the families, said at a news conference.

All 67 people on board Flight 5342 and the helicopter were killed when they collided as the jet approached Reagan National, marking the nation’s first major commercial airline crash since 2009.

The lawsuit states that the crash could have been prevented if the Army and FAA had done what they were supposed to and had the FAA not created an environment which allowed certain conditions to exist in the Reagan National airspace.

“Knowing that there was massive congestion and these number of near-misses, we turned to the FAA and their responsibility to properly provide air traffic control that was not fully provided and properly provided on that evening,” Clifford said.

The lawsuit was also filed against American as the plaintiffs believe that despite having knowledge of the near-misses, the airline exposed its customers to the dangers and continued to seek more gates at the airport.

“Operators of a motor vehicle can’t run through a red light. Operators of a commercial aircraft cannot run through yellow lights, and they ran blatantly for years, many red lights here by allowing these planes to operate in the navigable space at DCA, knowing that there was massive congestion, that there was a massive intersection between military traffic regarding runways that were unique and required special training that they failed to provide to their pilots, the complaint against American is set out in a way that emphasizes their responsibility,” Clifford said.

Rachel Crafton, whose husband Casey was killed in the collision, said in a statement: “Because of systematic failures and reckless disregard for safety, his life, along with 66 others, was taken. Casey was betrayed by this system he trusted — we all were. As his wife, I cannot stand by and allow his life to be lost in vain.”

Crafton’s lawsuit is requesting a trial by jury and monetary damages from the airline and the U.S. government, with the compensation will be determined by a judge. The average time of a lawsuit of this nature is between two and three years, according to the lawyers.

Brian Alexander, a partner with the law firm of Kreindler and Kreindler which is also representing the families, said the lawsuit is also against the air traffic controllers who failed to issue a safety alert to the passenger jet, advising it to change course and avoid the collision.

“The primary duty of an air traffic controller is to separate traffic and to avoid midair collisions. In this particular case, they completely failed to meet that responsibility,” Alexander said.

In response to the lawsuit, American told ABC that the airline “has a strong track record of putting the safety of our customers and team members above everything else. We continue to support the ongoing NTSB investigation and will defend American and PSA Airlines against any legal action claiming the airline caused or contributed to this accident.”

The FAA said in a statement “Our hearts go out to the families who lost loved ones on that tragic January evening. Since the accident, [Transportation] Secretary [Sean] Duffy and the FAA have acted decisively to make the skies over our nation’s capital safer. We will continue to work closely with the NTSB to ensure no family has to suffer this pain again.”

The Army did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment on the suit.

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(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump is once again making decorative changes to the White House — disparaging former President Joe Biden in the process. 

The White House has installed a new presidential portrait gallery along the West Wing Colonnade, unveiling the wall of photos on Wednesday. While the new “Presidential Walk of Fame” features portraits of all the presidents in gilded frames, Biden’s portrait is replaced with a picture of an autopen. 

The White House called attention to the change on its social media.

Trump has long criticized Biden’s use of the autopen, a routine method of executing official documents when signatories are unable to sign them. The use of autopen is commonplace on Capitol Hill and in the White House and has been used by former presidents on both sides of the aisle.

Trump has pushed unfounded claims that Biden didn’t understand what was going on during his presidency because of his use of an autopen to sign legislation and pardons. Trump has suggested that the pardons Biden signed using the technology should be considered null and void.

Biden has pushed back on Trump’s claims.

“Let me be clear: I made the decisions during my presidency. I made the decisions about the pardons, executive orders, legislation, and proclamations. Any suggestion that I didn’t is ridiculous and false,” Biden said in his statement.

Trump has teased in recent weeks that he would make good on this extraordinary move as he continues to disparage Biden’s legacy. 

“It’s a decision I have to make. We put up a picture of the autopen,” Trump said in an interview with The Daily Caller earlier this month.

The colonnade has served as an iconic part of the White House since it was built during Thomas Jefferson’s presidency. The open-air walkway has been used by presidents and their staffers to travel quickly between the West Wing and the Executive Residence. 

The gallery is part of Trump’s larger changes to the White House grounds which include paving over the grass and adding tables with umbrellas where he has since hosted dinners at the so-called “Rose Garden Club.”

Construction is also underway for an expansive new ballroom, which Trump has touted.

This also isn’t the first time Trump has attempted to use his power to erase symbols of those he has disagreed with from being featured inside the White House. 

In June, the Trump White House removed a portrait of Hillary Clinton, the former first lady and secretary of state as well as Trump challenger in the 2016 election. Clinton’s portrait was replaced it with a red, white and blue painting of Trump. Then in August, Trump moved portraits of former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and George H.W. Bush from the entryway of the White House to have a less-prominent position. 

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(NEW YORK) — Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met on Wednesday, one day after President Donald Trump called Moscow a “paper tiger” and said Ukraine could win back its seized land.

Rubio and Lavrov sat with their delegations on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz was also present for the meeting.

For months, Trump had said Kyiv would likely need to cede territory to Russia to end the war. But Trump abruptly reversed after meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday.

“After getting to know and fully understand the Ukraine/Russia Military and Economic situation and, after seeing the Economic trouble it is causing Russia, I think Ukraine, with the support of the European Union, is in a position to fight and WIN all of Ukraine back in its original form,” Trump wrote. “With time, patience, and the financial support of Europe and, in particular, NATO, the original Borders from where this War started, is very much an option. Why not?”

Russia, he suggested, was a “paper tiger” as he criticized its military.

It wasn’t clear what made Trump change his tune. Zelenskyy said he believed Trump was aware of “more details” and that U.S. intelligence is now more aligned with that of Ukraine’s view. It also remains to be seen whether Trump’s shift in rhetoric will come with any change in policy.

Russia pushed back quickly that it was a “bear” not a “paper tiger,” and that Trump was mistaken.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Trump “heard Zelenskyy’s version of events. Apparently, this version was the reason for the assessment we heard. We cannot agree with everything here.”

“We will have the opportunity to convey our assessment of recent events to the American side. In particular, [Russian Foreign Minister Sergei] Lavrov will have a meeting,” Peskov added.

Rubio, at a U.N. Security Council meeting on Ukraine on Tuesday, warned there would “come a moment in which we will have to conclude that perhaps there is no interest in a peaceful resolution” from Rusia and that Trump’s “patience is not infinite.”

Zelenskyy addressed the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday, in which he warned members that Putin wants to expand his war and spoke about what he said was a breakdown of international order.

“International law doesn’t work fully unless you have powerful friends who are truly willing to stand up for it,” Zelenskyy said. “And even that doesn’t work without weapons. It’s terrible but without it, things will be even worse. There are no security guarantees except friends and weapons.”

“If it takes pressure on Russia, it must be done and it must be done now otherwise Putin will keep driving the war forward, wider and deeper,” Zelenskyy added. “We told you before, Ukraine is only the first and now Russian drones are already flying across Europe, and Russian operations are already spreading across countries … No one can feel safe right now.”  

Trump on Tuesday said NATO countries should shoot down Russian aircraft if they enter their airspace.

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