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Trump Announces American’s Release From Russia After Personal Appeal To Putin

By
Madeleine Jackson
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An American teacher held by Russia for more than four years is finally heading home — and President Donald Trump says Washington did not have to trade a prisoner to bring him back.

Trump announced Wednesday morning that Stephen Hubbard, 74, had been released after the president personally raised his case with Russian President Vladimir Putin during a telephone conversation last week. Hubbard’s freedom coincided with special envoy Steve Witkoff’s visit to St. Petersburg for talks with the Russian leader.

“There was no ‘swap’ necessary for this release,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, saying Hubbard was returning to the United States and would soon reunite with his family.

“Welcome home Stephen, it’s great to have you back,” the president added.

The announcement marks another breakthrough in the administration’s efforts to bring detained Americans home. But other families are still waiting, and reporting before Hubbard’s release suggested Washington was pursuing a broader agreement.

A Personal Appeal — And A Long-Awaited Breakthrough

According to ABC News, Putin told Witkoff that Hubbard had been taken to St. Petersburg’s Pulkovo Airport. Witkoff thanked the Russian president and conveyed Trump’s appreciation, according to a Kremlin account of their meeting.

Trump had publicly signaled progress Tuesday, telling reporters in the Oval Office that he had pressed Putin to release Hubbard.

“I’d love to get him back. It’s time. It’s time to have Mr. Hubbard back,” Trump said, according to ABC News.

Hubbard, a retired teacher from Michigan, was living in eastern Ukraine when Russian forces detained him in 2022. A Russian court sentenced him in 2024 to six years and 10 months in prison on accusations that he had fought as a mercenary for Ukraine. His family disputed that account, describing him as a pacifist.

The United States formally designated Hubbard as wrongfully detained in January 2025, according to an August statement from U.S. senators.

Other Americans Are Still Waiting

Hubbard’s release follows negotiations that extended beyond his case.

ABC News reported Tuesday, citing two U.S. officials and another source familiar with the discussions, that Witkoff and Jared Kushner had been leading talks aimed at freeing multiple Americans. Those sources cautioned that the arrangement’s scope could change before anything was finalized. Wednesday’s announcement confirmed Hubbard’s release; it did not establish that the other detainees covered by those discussions were also coming home.

Americans identified in ABC’s Tuesday reporting as still detained included Gordon Black, Michael Leake, Robert Woodland, David Barnes and Eugene Spector. Families have urged the State Department to grant additional wrongful-detention designations and make their relatives’ cases a priority.

For those families, every release brings renewed hope.

After former Marine Robert Gilman was freed in August, Barnes’ sister, Carol Barnes, told ABC News: “I’m happy for them, but I want to be happy for all the Americans to come home.”

Advocates have also raised concerns about serious health problems among Americans remaining in Russian custody.

A Growing Record Of Releases

Hubbard joins several Americans freed from Russian detention during Trump’s second administration.

Teacher Marc Fogel returned home in February 2025 after more than three years in Russian custody. His release was secured through an exchange involving Russian cryptocurrency figure Alexander Vinnik, ABC News reported.

Russian-American ballet dancer Ksenia Karelina followed in April 2025. She had received a 12-year treason sentence over a donation to a charity helping Ukraine. Her release came through a prisoner exchange involving German-Russian national Arthur Petrov, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Gilman was released on humanitarian grounds on Aug. 11, 2026, amid severe concerns about his health. The State Department said his release involved neither a prisoner exchange nor other concessions — an earlier example of an American returning from Russia without a swap.

Hubbard’s freedom gives another family the homecoming it has waited years to celebrate. For the Americans still behind bars, the administration’s next challenge is turning ongoing negotiations into more flights home.

Trump Hints At Russia Breakthrough As Secretive Talks Near Finish Line

By
Madeleine Jackson
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The White House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

President Donald Trump offered a brief hint Monday: His administration was trying to secure the release of someone held overseas whom the United States had sought to bring home for years.

Now, a new report suggests the negotiations could bring back several Americans from Russia.

The administration is nearing a deal with Moscow to release multiple detained U.S. citizens, ABC News reported, citing two U.S. officials and another source familiar with the matter.

Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner are leading the negotiations, which the sources described as being in their final stages.

But a crucial question remains unanswered: What would Russia get in return?

A Retired Teacher At The Center

The discussions have focused on Stephen Hubbard, a 72-year-old retired teacher, as well as several other Americans imprisoned on charges the administration considers dubious, according to ABC News.

Hubbard is the only American held in Russia officially designated as wrongfully detained by the State Department, the outlet reported. His sister has previously pleaded for his return.

Trump did not name Hubbard when discussing the effort Monday.

He said he was “trying to get a hostage that the country has been after for a long time,” apparently referring to the retired teacher, according to ABC News.

“Let’s see what happens,” Trump added. “That’ll be soon.”

Moscow Acknowledges Talks

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov confirmed Tuesday that discussions were continuing, while offering little about their substance.

“Dialogue on all these issues is ongoing through intelligence service channels,” he said.

Ryabkov called Hubbard’s name “certainly familiar,” but said he had “nothing to report.”

The negotiations come as Trump faces scrutiny over recent Russia policy decisions, including his waiver of newly imposed sanctions targeting Russian officials and oligarchs.

ABC News did not establish that those decisions were part of a prisoner-release agreement. The terms of any potential exchange remain unknown.

Officials also warned that the deal is unfinished: It could collapse, or its scope could change before an announcement.

Trump And Vance Just Put A Price On Exposing Government Fraud

By
Madeleine Jackson
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2
The White House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

President Donald Trump has a new pitch for Americans who know where taxpayer money is being stolen: Turn in the fraudsters — and collect a cut.

Trump and Vice President JD Vance announced a $25 million whistleblower incentive program Tuesday, adding a financial reward to the administration’s campaign against fraud in federal programs.

The idea is straightforward: Give people with inside information a reason to come forward before more taxpayer dollars disappear.

“If anybody turns anybody in… you get a 1 percent commission, and I think that will be amazing, because the kind of money that’s been stolen is trillions from this country,” Trump said in the Oval Office, according to The Hill.

The Fraud Whistleblower Incentive Program will offer eligible tipsters up to $30,000 for information leading to a successful fraud conviction or a significant federal enforcement action. The Justice Department will administer the initiative, WFXB reported.

Trump said Americans can submit tips through fraud.gov. He also said he would personally resolve competing claims to rewards through binding arbitration.

“In other words, I’ll determine whether or not the person is deserving…and I will be very generous,” he said, according to The Hill.

A Reward For Speaking Up

Conservative YouTuber Nick Shirley joined Trump and Vance for the announcement after drawing national attention with videos investigating suspected childcare fraud in Minnesota.

Fox News reported that Shirley would receive $10,000.

The program expands the work of Vance’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, which Trump established in March. Its responsibilities include improving eligibility checks, disrupting fraud networks and preventing improper payments before federal money goes out the door.

“The president has said it must stop,” Vance said of fraud, according to The Hill. “It is stopping, and if you want to help us stop it, you get to share in the rewards now, thanks to what the president of the United States has done.”

Billions At Stake — And Concrete Results

The scale of the problem makes a stronger response overdue.

A Government Accountability Office study estimated annual federal fraud losses of $233 billion to $521 billion, using fiscal 2018–2022 data. That estimate predates the new program and underscores how much taxpayer money is at risk.

The administration’s enforcement record already includes substantial seizures and blocked payments.

In June 2025, the Justice Department announced its largest healthcare fraud takedown: charges against 324 defendants tied to schemes involving more than $14.6 billion in alleged intended losses.

Authorities seized more than $245 million in cash and other assets. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services also reported preventing more than $4 billion in false and fraudulent claims from being paid and suspending or revoking 205 providers’ billing privileges.

Those figures represent different results: alleged attempted fraud, assets seized and payments blocked — rather than $14.6 billion recovered.

Federal prosecutors have also secured serious punishment in Minnesota’s long-running Feeding Our Future case.

In May, the Justice Department announced a 500-month prison sentence for nonprofit founder Aimee Bock over her leading role in a $250 million scheme exploiting a federally funded child nutrition program. Prosecutors proved that participants used fabricated meal counts and attendance records to obtain money intended to feed children.

The new whistleblower program gives that enforcement effort another potential source of evidence: people who see the cheating firsthand.

Rewarding credible information that produces results is a welcome step toward protecting taxpayers — and the Americans who actually depend on those programs.

Kansas Man Allegedly Claimed He Mapped Rooftops Before Trump Rally

By
Madeleine Jackson
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0

A Kansas man allegedly threatened to shoot President Donald Trump — and claimed he had already mapped nearby rooftops — before authorities arrested him ahead of Monday evening’s campaign rally outside Wichita.

Jaden J. Read, 24, of Clearwater, was arrested Saturday, Oct. 17, and charged by federal criminal complaint with making threats against the president, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Kansas.

The arrest came just two days before Trump’s planned appearance at Heartland Credit Union Arena in Park City to campaign for Republican Sen. Roger Marshall. The stop was part of the president’s push to rally Republican voters ahead of November’s midterm elections, KMUW reported.

A Tip Exposes Alleged Threats

Investigators received a Crime Stoppers tip Oct. 15 directing them to threatening Facebook comments beneath a KAKE News article about Trump’s upcoming visit.

According to prosecutors, Read called for someone to shoot Trump, then posted another comment claiming he had ammunition and intended to kill the president.

Authorities subsequently identified two more alleged threats beneath a separate report from KWCH 12 News. In those comments, prosecutors said, Read volunteered to carry out a shooting and claimed to know where Trump would speak.

“Already mapped out roofs around,” he allegedly wrote.

KWCH reported that Read was taken into federal custody pending a detention hearing.

“Political violence and threats of political violence will not be tolerated,” U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser said in the Justice Department announcement.

Threats Surge As Campaigns Intensify

The Kansas case comes as the Secret Service confronts a sharp increase in threats against the people it protects.

In an Oct. 11 interview with CBS’ 60 Minutes, covered by Mediaite, Secret Service Director Sean Curran said threats involving full-time protectees had increased by more than 40% compared with last year. He reported roughly 10,000 threat cases since January.

That increase covers the agency’s full-time protectees, rather than Trump alone.

“The world is different than what it was 20 years ago,” Curran told CBS. “You know, social media changes people.”

The warning extends beyond presidential security. U.S. Capitol Police reported investigating 14,938 concerning statements, behaviors and communications involving members of Congress, their families, staff and the Capitol complex in 2025 — the third consecutive annual increase. Those assessments encompass a broader category than prosecutable threats.

With candidates making their final appeals to voters, the Kansas arrest puts another alleged threat against the president at the center of an already tense campaign season.

Former Trump Chief Of Staff Predicts When Susie Wiles Will Leave White House

By
Madeleine Jackson
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White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles delivers remarks during the Memorial Service for Charlie Kirk at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, Sunday, September 21, 2025.(Official White House Photo by Daniel Torok)

President Donald Trump is publicly standing behind Susie Wiles. One of her predecessors thinks she’ll leave the White House after the midterms anyway.

Former acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney predicted Sunday that Wiles will depart after November’s elections — while pushing back on suggestions that she has lost her grip on the president’s inner circle.

“If she leaves, and I think she probably will, it’s not necessarily because she’s fallen out of favor with Trump,” Mulvaney told NewsNation’s “The Hill Sunday,” according to The Hill.

“It’s just a natural sort of time to make that change,” he added.

The prediction lands amid mounting reports about potential replacements and a POLITICO story that reportedly sent Trump into a fury. But Mulvaney’s assessment came with a distinction: Wiles could leave on her own terms while still wielding considerable influence.

The Report That Reportedly Set Trump Off

The latest round of speculation escalated after POLITICO reported that Trump had privately sounded out allies about possible replacements for his chief of staff.

According to Mediaite’s account of POLITICO’s reporting, aide Natalie Harp printed Thursday’s Playbook newsletter and handed it to Trump.

The president reportedly “blew up” over the negative headlines about Wiles. Three people familiar with the episode described a “freakout,” while Wiles and her allies worked the phones to contain the fallout.

POLITICO also reported that Trump made additional calls about Wiles after reading the story, according to a person with direct knowledge.

Trump has forcefully rejected suggestions that his chief of staff is on the chopping block.

“TOTAL FAKE NEWS Politico doesn’t care about facts, integrity, or honest journalism — it’s why I kicked them out of the White House!” he said in a statement quoted by The Hill.

“Susie Wiles is my loyal and longest serving Chief of Staff — there is a reason for that. She has been with me since the beginning, is my trusted advisor, and has my COMPLETE confidence.”

A Press Secretary’s Exit Fuels The Chatter

The hiring and rapid departure of press secretary Katie Zacharia added fuel to questions about Wiles’s standing.

According to The Hill, reports suggested Wiles had distanced herself from Zacharia’s appointment. Mulvaney offered his own theory about how that became public.

“I think she probably leaked it out that she was not involved in the hiring of Katie Zacharia,” he said.

That was Mulvaney’s speculation, rather than an established account of a leak.

POLITICO subsequently reported that Wiles helped arrange Zacharia’s appearance with Sean Hannity, whose questioning put the new press secretary’s credentials and troubled debut under a brighter spotlight.

Fox News disputed that account, telling The Hill that Hannity controls his interviews and that Wiles and White House spokesperson Danielle Alvarez had nothing to do with the booking.

Mulvaney viewed the reports of Wiles’s possible involvement in Zacharia’s downfall as a sign that the chief of staff still carries weight inside the administration.

Potential Successors Begin Circling

Meanwhile, The Washington Post reported Friday that Stephen Miller, Lee Zeldin and Bill Pulte had begun positioning themselves for the job should Wiles depart.

The same report included a crucial caveat: Wiles had given aides and allies no indication that she planned to leave.

Musk Makes Sweeping SpaceX Pledge As His Alliance With Trump Warms Again

By
Madeleine Jackson
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1

Elon Musk wants to give every child in America a piece of SpaceX — a sweeping pledge that could intersect with President Donald Trump’s signature investment accounts for children as the two men rebuild their once-fractured alliance.

The billionaire announced Monday that he plans to distribute one of his own SpaceX shares to each child in the United States next year.

“This will be the first of many,” Musk wrote on X, according to The Hill.

He has not explained how the giveaway would work or confirmed that Trump Accounts would handle the transfers. But the possibility has a history: administration officials were discussing SpaceX stock donations months before Monday’s announcement.

Talks Began Before The Public Pledge

Semafor reported June 29 that the Trump administration had spoken with SpaceX about contributing shares to the children’s accounts, citing a person familiar with the matter.

At the time, the outlet emphasized that it was unclear whether Musk had personally agreed to donate stock or how a contribution would be structured. SpaceX, the White House and Treasury declined to comment for that report.

A separate commitment followed from SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell. In July, she and her husband announced plans to give company stock to Trump Accounts for more than 2 million children, according to The Hill.

The administration subsequently established a route for qualifying stock gifts through temporary regulations published Sept. 30. Those rules allow certain publicly traded shares to be donated directly into the accounts.

Together, those developments provide context for Musk’s pledge. They do not establish that his proposed nationwide giveaway is a finalized agreement with the administration.

From Political Partners To Public Combat

The announcement also arrives after a turbulent stretch in Trump and Musk’s relationship.

Musk helped finance Trump’s 2024 election effort and became a prominent administration adviser through the Department of Government Efficiency. Their alliance unraveled in 2025 amid Musk’s attacks on Trump’s spending legislation. Trump threatened Musk’s government contracts, while Musk explored launching a third political party.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Vice President JD Vance and other intermediaries helped rebuild the relationship, with Musk subsequently abandoning his party plans and renewing support for Republicans.

Earlier this month, their reconciliation produced a particularly public moment: Trump presented Musk with the National Medal of Science on Oct. 8.

The White House’s announcement cited Musk’s engineering achievements in space exploration, communications and other technologies.

A Big Promise With Details Still Missing

Trump Accounts could give the administration and Musk another point of cooperation. The program already combines federal seed money for eligible newborns with private contributions, including a separate $6.25 billion commitment from Michael and Susan Dell, The Hill reported.

But Monday’s announcement remains a pledge for 2027. Musk has not detailed the eligibility standards, announced a distribution schedule or confirmed the delivery mechanism.

After a public breakup and a highly visible reunion, Musk has now put another major promise on the table. Whether it becomes a new joint initiative with Trump will depend on the details still to come.

James Carville Reveals The Democrat Victory He’d Rather See Republicans Win

By
Madeleine Jackson
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1

Democratic strategist James Carville wants his party to win big in November — because a narrow victory could hand democratic socialists the keys.

The veteran operative told Bill Kristol on Bulwark on Sunday that he would actually prefer Republicans holding the House by five seats over Democrats winning by the same margin.

His concern: A small socialist faction could dictate terms to Democratic leaders.

“I would rather the Republicans keep the House by five than the Democrats to win by five because if that happens, they’re hostage to the DSA,” Carville said, according to Mediaite.

For House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, Carville warned, that would mean paralysis.

“Like Hakeem cannot move. There’s no place for him to go.”

A Majority With Strings Attached

Carville’s warning comes as the Democratic Socialists of America works to turn primary victories into leverage on Capitol Hill.

The Wall Street Journal reported that DSA-backed candidates are coordinating to press Jeffries for policy concessions. Four of seven candidates interviewed either declined to commit to supporting him for speaker or said they wanted assurances first.

In a closely divided chamber, that could give a small bloc considerable bargaining power over Democratic leadership.

That is the scenario Carville fears: Democrats winning enough seats to take responsibility for governing, while leaving their leaders dependent on a faction pushing them further left.

“So, I think this is one of these races where margin matters a lot,” he told Kristol. “Margin is winning big, it’s almost as big as winning, which is weird, but yeah, it’s a nightmare, 225 [seats].”

Maher Sounds His Own Alarm

Carville is hardly the only prominent liberal raising concerns.

Bill Maher, the comedian and host of HBO’s Real Time, has warned that the Democratic Party’s direction could cost it his support.

In his July 31 monologue, Maher said his vote was “in play” if Democrats continued moving toward the DSA. He described the party as being “colonized” and argued that voters should take radical candidates’ stated positions seriously.

Maher’s objections went beyond campaign branding. He criticized proposals to eliminate police and prisons and overhaul the constitutional separation of powers, arguing that such ideas threaten institutions Americans depend on.

He also acknowledged that most Democratic politicians do not share those positions, while faulting the party for failing to confront the faction promoting them.

“I would vote for Sarah Palin before this shit,” Maher said.

Carville’s latest remarks bring that internal fight directly into the battle for Congress.

For Democrats, his warning is blunt: Winning the House could come with a price if the deciding votes belong to socialists determined to collect.

Ilhan Omar Demands Her Passport Back, Accuses Trump Of Political Revenge

By
Madeleine Jackson
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U.S. Rep Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley, Rashida Tlaib, and Cori Bush speak at the Mississippi River in Minneapolis asking for President Biden to stop Line 3 pipeline construction.

Rep. Ilhan Omar is demanding federal prosecutors return her passport, computers and other belongings seized during a search of her Washington home — while accusing the Trump administration of using a criminal investigation to punish a political opponent.

Attorneys for the Minnesota Democrat sent the Justice Department a letter Friday challenging the search and demanding the immediate return of all property taken by investigators, The Daily Wire reported.

Agents with Homeland Security Investigations searched Omar’s residence Monday, October 12, under a warrant approved by a federal judge. Items seized included her cellphone, notebooks, personal computers and passport, according to The Wall Street Journal, as cited by the Daily Wire.

“There is no legitimate basis for any suggestion that she has violated any law concerning her citizenship status,” her attorneys wrote.

“This vindictive, retributive, and politically motivated criminal investigation into one of the President’s chief congressional critics violates Representative Omar’s constitutional rights and threatens the separation of powers,” they added.

Omar Fires Back At Trump

Omar’s response has extended beyond her lawyers’ demands.

In a Thursday message to supporters, the congresswoman described the experience as frightening but vowed to continue confronting President Donald Trump.

“It’s been a scary journey but I have always been grounded in my work and ability to provide exemplary service to my constituents,” Omar wrote in a post quoted by the Daily Wire.

“Trump and his administration have been after me since I arrived in Congress. I have always stood up to him and that will never change.”

Her office had also rejected any suggestion of wrongdoing following Monday’s search, calling the operation an abuse of federal power directed at a political adversary.

DOJ Defends The Search

The Justice Department has disputed the accusation that investigators acted improperly.

“Our attorneys and law enforcement partners complied with all court orders and legal obligations, as they always do,” DOJ spokesperson Emily Covington told ABC News, according to the Daily Wire.

Omar’s attorneys also requested recordings made inside her home during the search.

The timing is another central point of contention. Monday’s operation occurred just 22 days before the November 3 midterms, when Omar is seeking a fifth term.

ABC News reported that the department has historically advised prosecutors against overt investigative steps involving candidates within 60 days of an election. Omar’s attorneys argue the search violated that longstanding practice.

What Investigators Are Examining

Sources told ABC News that the investigation concerns Omar’s immigration paperwork. The Somali-born congresswoman arrived in the United States as a child refugee and became a naturalized citizen in 2000.

The full scope of the investigation remains undisclosed. The Daily Wire discussed several possible avenues of inquiry, including family immigration records and financial disclosures, but those possibilities should not be confused with publicly announced charges.

Omar has denied wrongdoing, and ABC News reported she had not been charged with a crime.

Trump, meanwhile, continued criticizing Omar after the search. Asked Tuesday whether he wanted her deported, he declined to endorse that outcome while attacking her performance in Congress.

“I don’t take a position,” Trump said, according to ABC News.

Vice President JD Vance separately said he had received no advance notice of the search and maintained that investigators should follow the evidence.

Trump Praises Musk’s Genius — Then Twists The Knife

By
Madeleine Jackson
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1
UK Government, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

President Donald Trump has patched things up with Elon Musk, but that hasn’t stopped him from taking a little dig at his billionaire ally.

Speaking at a rally in Bullhead City, Arizona, on Wednesday, Trump was attacking Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs when he pivoted to an unconventional assessment of Musk’s intelligence.

“First of all, she’s a dumb person. You ever see her?” Trump said of Hobbs, according to The Hill. “I know smart people … from Elon down to [Hobbs], I figure there’s a big gap.”

Then came the backhanded compliment.

“No, Elon’s 80 percent super genius, and 20 percent — he got a little problem, I always tell him,” Trump said, before adding: “No, he’s a great guy though.” A transcript of the October 14 rally confirms the exchange.

The remark offered another glimpse into a relationship that has survived a spectacular public breakup — and a gradual return to political cooperation.

From White House Ally To Public Adversary

Musk helped power Trump’s 2024 election effort before becoming a prominent figure in the administration’s Department of Government Efficiency, which pursued cuts to federal spending and staffing.

But after leaving his government role in May 2025, the Tesla and SpaceX chief became an outspoken critic of Trump’s sweeping tax-and-spending legislation.

By June, the disagreement had turned into an ugly public feud. Trump threatened to eliminate government contracts and subsidies benefiting Musk’s companies. Musk escalated matters with an unsupported allegation that the administration was withholding Jeffrey Epstein records to protect Trump, Forbes reported at the time. Musk subsequently deleted that post and another endorsing Trump’s impeachment.

On June 11, Musk publicly stepped back from some of his attacks.

“I regret some of my posts about President Donald Trump last week,” he wrote on X. “They went too far.”

How They Found Their Way Back

The two shook hands at Charlie Kirk’s September 2025 memorial service in Arizona, a visible step toward repairing their relationship.

The reconciliation also involved work behind the scenes.

An August Forbes report summarizing reporting by The Wall Street Journal described efforts by Kirk, Vice President JD Vance, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and others to rebuild the alliance.

By then, Trump and Musk were reportedly speaking roughly once a month. Musk also accompanied the president on his May trip to China, although Trump had privately acknowledged that their relationship would never be quite the same, according to the report.

Musk Opens His Checkbook Again

Their renewed cooperation now carries major stakes for Republicans defending control of Congress.

Axios reported Thursday that Musk gave the Senate Leadership Fund $158 million in September.

That financial support marks a striking turnaround from last year’s threats to challenge the GOP.

And while Trump’s Arizona remarks show he still has a jab ready for Musk, he made sure to follow it with a friendly qualification: “He’s a great guy though.”

Trump Tells New Press Secretary To ‘Reconsider’ Job After Turbulent First Week

By
Madeleine Jackson
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0

President Donald Trump’s new press secretary hasn’t finished her first week — and he’s already told her to think about whether she wants to stay.

Trump told reporters Friday that he advised Katie Zacharia to reconsider the role after a rocky debut and days of scrutiny over her legal credentials, according to The Hill.

“I said, ‘Honestly, if I were you, I’d reconsider,’” Trump said, describing their conversation.

“I said, ‘You think about it, but I would reconsider,’” he continued.

Trump said the decision ultimately belongs to Zacharia and that he would speak with her upon his return from a trip that includes a Georgia rally and time in Florida. He said he wants her “to be happy” and accused the news media of treating her unfairly.

A Briefing That Became The Story

Zacharia’s Tuesday debut lasted roughly 14 minutes and included just three questions, from Breitbart, Fox News and the Daily Mail. She also briefly referred to her husband as “my president” before correcting herself — a stumble that quickly became fodder for critics, Forbes reported.

Former Biden press secretary Jen Psaki compared the appearance to a “Saturday Night Live” skit. Anthony Scaramucci, whose stint as Trump’s communications director lasted just 11 days, publicly started counting down her tenure. Trump initially praised her performance, telling reporters Tuesday, “I thought she was very good.”

Zacharia told Hannity she had received briefing materials Tuesday morning and had little preparation time, according to Fox News.

Bar Exam Questions Take Over

The media has also seized on Zacharia’s failed bar exam and her public identification as a lawyer. Trump described her as an attorney when announcing her appointment.

That coverage now includes an acknowledgment from Zacharia herself. During Thursday’s appearance on Sean Hannity’s Fox News program, she confirmed that she had not passed the exam and had never retaken it, ABC News reported.

Earlier Thursday, she told Real America’s Voice that she took the exam after graduating from Pepperdine’s law school in 2011 but considered the results “somewhat inconsequential” because she planned to move to China, where she subsequently worked in international transaction law.

She also said legal professionals had advised her that she could describe herself as a lawyer providing legal analysis, distinguishing that from an attorney providing legal advice, according to ABC News.

Questions intensified after she responded to a reporter asking where she passed the bar by referring to her move to China. She later told The New York Times that helicopter noise had prevented her from hearing the question correctly, ABC reported.

By Friday, Trump was publicly offering his new spokeswoman a chance to reconsider — leaving her future behind the podium unresolved.

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