Former President Donald Trump will be able to attend his son Barron’s high school graduation in May, according to Judge Juan Merchan.
Merchan, who is presiding over the New York hush Money trial, said Tuesday that Trump would be permitted to attend the May 17 ceremony in lieu of court proceedings. The judge had previously delayed his decision earlier this month on whether Trump would be able to attend the graduation.
Trump had previously railed against Merchan for delaying the decision, slamming the judge for potentially barring him from attending the event. Under New York state law, Trump is required to attend the entirety of his trial unless he gets special permission from the judge to skip.
“I was looking forward to that graduation with his mother and father there,” Trump told reporters at the time. “It looks like the judge isn’t going to allow me to escape this scam. It’s a scam trial.”
Other Republicans and Trump allies also criticized Merchan after he delayed the decision. Another of Trump’s sons, Eric Trump, said earlier this month that the judge “is truly heartless in not letting a father attend his son’s graduation.”
Trump is being charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records to make alleged hush money payments to porn actress Stormy Daniels.
On Tuesday, Judge Merchan also fined the former President nearly $10,000 for repeatedly violating the gag order barring him from targeting witnesses, prosecutors, court staff, and the judge’s family.
The White House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Obama Presidential Center is responding publicly after years of criticism over its controversial design and rising costs, with a senior Obama Foundation official now attempting to justify the project to skeptics.
Construction on the center began in 2021, but many Chicago residents have remained openly critical of the 225-foot-tall structure rising on the city’s South Side. The gray, largely windowless tower will house President Barack Obama’s presidential library and museum, departing sharply from the traditional design of most presidential libraries.
Obama Foundation Deputy Director Kim Patterson said the building’s appearance — including its lack of windows — was intentional.
“There are not a lot of windows on the building, but that’s intentional, because sunlight is just not a friend to the artwork and the artifacts that are going inside of the building,” Patterson told CBS News during a tour of the site.
Patterson also defended the building’s symbolism, which critics have widely questioned.
“The shape of the building was actually meant to mimic four hands coming together to show the importance of our collective action,” she said.
Chicago is where Michelle was raised, where I got my start as an organizer, and where we built a family together. When the Obama Presidential Center opens next June, it will be our way to give back to a city that has given us so much. pic.twitter.com/DpIUDtyMpP
Despite those explanations, the project has faced sustained backlash from local residents, architects, and fiscal watchdogs. Critics argue the design clashes with Chicago’s architectural heritage and resembles brutalist government structures. Some locals, quoted by the New York Post, have nicknamed the building “The Obamalisk,” a jab at its stark, monolithic appearance.
The controversy has gone beyond aesthetics. In 2018, a lawsuit accused the City of Chicago of illegally transferring public parkland to the Obama Foundation, raising concerns about favoritism and misuse of public assets. That legal challenge was not resolved until 2022, fueling broader concerns about transparency and governance.
Protests have also occurred at the construction site, with residents objecting to both the project’s footprint and its impact on surrounding neighborhoods. Patterson acknowledged that community resistance forced at least one major design change — the relocation of a parking garage.
“If the parking garage was here, it could possibly block sunlight coming to their area, their gardens,” Patterson said.
She noted that the foundation ultimately decided to place the garage underground.
Fiscal concerns remain a major point of contention. When announced in 2017, the Obama Presidential Center was projected to cost $500 million. As of 2025, that figure has ballooned to approximately $850 million — an increase critics say reflects a pattern of cost overruns associated with Obama-era initiatives. While the foundation insists private donations are covering expenses, skeptics question whether additional public infrastructure and security costs will ultimately fall on taxpayers.
The center is currently scheduled to open in June 2026.
The criticism surrounding the Obama library stands in contrast to proposals discussed by President Donald Trump regarding his own future presidential library. Trump has floated plans to locate his library in Florida, potentially near Mar-a-Lago, emphasizing accessibility, private funding, and minimal disruption to public land. Supporters argue such an approach reflects Trump’s broader philosophy of limiting government entanglement and avoiding taxpayer burden.
As debates over presidential legacies increasingly play out through massive construction projects, the Obama Presidential Center has become a flashpoint
Alec Perkins from Hoboken, USA, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
President Trump has asked New York’s highest court to dismiss the remaining findings and penalties in the state’s civil fraud case against him, arguing that the lawsuit brought by Attorney General Letitia James was legally flawed and politically motivated.
In a 119-page filing submitted Wednesday to the New York Court of Appeals, Trump’s attorneys described the case as an “unprecedented” use of the attorney general’s authority and urged the court to fully overturn it.
“This Court should put an end to this politically motivated action,” his lawyers wrote.
James filed the civil lawsuit in 2022, accusing Trump and his family business of inflating the value of their assets to secure more favorable loan and insurance terms. The case became one of the most significant legal challenges Trump has faced, threatening both his public image as a successful real estate developer and the future of the Trump Organization. It also elevated James as one of Trump’s most prominent political and legal adversaries.
The case has taken a complex path through the courts. After a bench trial, Judge Arthur Engoron found Trump liable for fraud and imposed a $464 million judgment, which grew to more than $500 million with interest. Engoron also barred Trump from serving in top roles at New York companies for three years, imposed two-year bans on his sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, and appointed an independent monitor to oversee the Trump Organization’s business practices.
However, a mid-level appellate court later struck down the financial penalty as excessive, removing the largest monetary consequence while leaving the liability finding and other restrictions in place. The appellate judges were sharply divided in their ruling.
Despite that partial victory, Trump’s legal team is now seeking to eliminate the remaining penalties and the underlying liability determination. His lawyers acknowledged the “unusual posture” of the appeal, since the prior ruling largely benefited him, but argued that the decision still rests on an “erroneous finding” that must be reversed.
“This unprecedented and legally unsound case is about far more than President Trump,” his lawyers said, arguing that James stretched a New York law targeting “persistent fraud or illegality” beyond its intended use.
“If left on the books, the mistaken legal rulings below threaten New York’s position as the Nation’s financial capital, as well as the State’s commercial real-estate industry,” they added.
The New York attorney general’s office, which has also appealed aspects of the appellate ruling, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The appeal comes amid a broader and highly contentious legal and political battle between Trump and James. During the period between Trump’s presidential terms, James secured a major civil fraud ruling against him, while Trump and his allies have repeatedly accused her of pursuing politically motivated cases.
More recently, Trump administration officials have sought to pursue criminal cases against James. She was indicted last fall on mortgage fraud allegations, but a federal judge dismissed the charges, finding that the prosecutor who brought the case had been unlawfully appointed. Prosecutors later sought two additional indictments, but grand juries declined to bring charges.
Trump’s latest appeal now asks the state’s highest court to bring the long-running civil case to a close by wiping out the remaining findings and penalties that continue to affect him and his business.
Donald Trump firmly rejected another invitation to participate in a debate against Vice President Kamala Harris before the 2024 election on Tuesday.
“Vice President Harris believes that the American people deserve to see her and Trump on the debate stage one more time. She will be in Atlanta on October 23 — Donald Trump should step up and face the voters,” Harris campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon said in a statement, referencing a CNN debate Harris has agreed to attend.
But Trump has repeatedly rejected the idea of doing another debate with the vice president. He has insisted he won their Sept. 10 showdown, despite some polling suggesting otherwise, and that it is too late for another debate with early voting underway.
“I beat Biden, I then beat her, and I’m not looking to do it again, too far down the line,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “Votes are already cast — And I’m leading BIG in the Polls. I’ll MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, she’s incapable of it!”
Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance narrowly beat his Democratic opponent Tim Walz in the CBS debate on Tuesday, according to viewer polls conducted by CBS and CNN.
According to a poll conducted by CBS and YouGov, 42% of viewers said Vance won the debate versus 41% who said Walz was the winner. 17% of viewers said the debate was a tie.
An overwhelming majority of viewers (88%) said the “tone” of the debate was “generally positive,” while 12% said it was “generally negative.”
CNN’s poll resulted in a very similar result, with 51% of viewers hailing Vance as the winner versus 49% for Walz.
Walz’s performance fell short of viewer expectations, as 54% had predicted a Walz victory before the debate versus just 45% for Vance.
Donald Trump’s oldest daughter Ivanka was notably absent from his bombshell 2024 presidential campaign announcement Tuesday night.
Ivanka, who previously served as a White House adviser, said she did not attend the Mar-a-Lago announcement because she does not plan to re-enter the political arena.
Ivanka’s statement comes after the New York Post reported that the president “spent part of daughter Tiffany’s lavish Mar-a-Lago wedding this past weekend trying to convince his much-loved elder daughter, Ivanka, and son-in-law Jared Kushner to be with him on stage” when he announced tonight.
“I love my father very much,” Ivanka said. “This time around, I am choosing to prioritize my young children and the private life we are creating as a family. I do not plan to be involved in politics.”
“While I will always love and support my father, going forward I will do so outside the political arena,” she continued. “I am grateful to have had the honor of serving the American people and I will always be proud of many of our Administration’s accomplishments.”
“I’ve had many roles over the years but that of daughter is one of the most elemental and consequential,” she said. “I am loving this time with my kids, loving life in Miami and the freedom and privacy with having returned to the private sector. This has been one of the greatest times of my life.”
However, Ivanka’s husband Jared Kushner who was instrumental in crafting the Abraham Accords was in attendance during Trump’s campaign kickoff.
David B. Gleason from Chicago, IL, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
On Thursday morning, President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania attended a ceremony commemorating the Sept. 11, 2001, attack on the Pentagon. Today marks 24 years since the tragic terror attack.
Earlier Thursday, a large American flag was draped across the west side of the building — marking the area that was struck by American Airlines Flight 77.
Watch:
According to the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, 2,977 people died during the terror attacks — including 2,753 in New York City, 184 at the Pentagon and 40 on Flight 93 that crashed in Pennsylvania.
Later, the president is expected to travel to New York to attend a Yankees game.
By David Shankbone - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3937757
Comedian and longtime critic of Donald Trump, Rosie O’Donnell, promoted a demand for a “recount” of the 2024 presidential election, despite President Trump’s historic victory over former Vice President Kamala Harris.
In a post shared to her Instagram Story, O’Donnell amplified a message from influencer Joe Braxton, who alleged that Tesla and X CEO Elon Musk had somehow “hacked and stole the election.” The post claimed Musk manipulated the results and later covered his tracks by deleting evidence and purging those who could expose the alleged scheme through his DOGE efforts.
The claim directly contradicts certified results and independent audits showing that Trump won both the popular vote and all key battleground states, securing an overwhelming victory, especially as the first Republican to win the popular vote in 20 years.
O’Donnell’s amplification of the recount call has drawn attention not only for its baselessness, but also for its irony.
For years, the comedian accused Trump and his supporters of denying the 2020 election results. But now, after Trump decisively defeated Kamala Harris in 2024, it’s O’Donnell herself who appears to be indulging in election denial — something she once vehemently opposed.
Political commentators online were quick to note the reversal. “Rosie O’Donnell is now the election denier,” one user wrote. “She’s become the very thing she once mocked.”
This isn’t the first time O’Donnell has claimed election interference without evidence. In a widely criticized outburst last month, she claimed that Trump had repeatedly “admitted” the elections were rigged and expressed disbelief that “no one does anything about it.”
Observers were quick to point out that Trump was referring to the 2020 election — not the one he just won. The confusion further fueled criticism that O’Donnell’s political commentary has become increasingly erratic and detached from facts.
Since Trump returned to the White House in January 2025, O’Donnell has been a loud opponent of his second-term agenda. She recently claimed that the GOP’s signature tax reform and spending bill — dubbed the “Big, Beautiful Bill” by Trump — would lead to mass suffering.
“Millions of people are going to go hungry. Millions of people are going to die,” O’Donnell said during a recent video tirade, offering no evidence for the dramatic claim.
Musk, who acquired X (formerly Twitter) and has become a polarizing public figure in politics, has not been linked to any election irregularities. Federal and state election officials have found no credible evidence of statistically significant fraud favoring Trump in the 2024 election.
Adding to the controversy surrounding her public image, O’Donnell also recently appeared in HBO’s Sex and the City reboot, And Just Like That…, where she played a lesbian nun who has a one-night stand with Miranda Hobbes, portrayed by Cynthia Nixon. The storyline was widely condemned by Catholic groups and religious leaders, who labeled it sacrilegious, offensive, and “deliberately provocative.”
Office of Congressman Tom Osborne, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Over the years, Republican presidents have shared Christmas messages that reflect their administrations’ values and the spirit of the holiday season.
Here are four notable Christmas messages from past Republican presidents:
George W. Bush (2001-2009):
In his first Christmas address after the September 11 attacks, President Bush spoke about the nation’s resilience and the importance of faith during challenging times.
“This year in the midst of extraordinary times, our Nation has shown the world that though there is great evil, there is a greater good.”
He emphasized the importance of love and sharing, noting: “Americans have given of themselves, sacrificing to help others and showing the spirit of love and sharing that is so much a part of the Christmas season.”
Listen:
George H.W. Bush (1989-1993):
December 11, 1991
At Christmas, we celebrate the promise of salvation that God gave to mankind almost 2,000 years ago. The birth of Christ changed the course of history, and His life changed the soul of man. Christ taught that giving is the greatest of all aspirations and that the redemptive power of love and sacrifice is stronger than any force of arms. It is testimony to the wisdom and the truth of these teachings that they have not only endured but also flourished over two millennia.
Blessed with an unparalleled degree of freedom and security, generations of Americans have been able to celebrate Christmas with open joy. Tragically, that has not always been the case in other nations, but we look to the future with optimism, and we celebrate the holidays with special gladness as courageous peoples around the world continue to claim the civil and religious liberty to which all people are heirs. The triumph of democratic ideals and the lessening of global tensions give us added reason for celebration this Christmas season, and as the world community draws closer together, the wisdom of Christ’s counsel to “love thy neighbor as thyself” grows clearer.
By His words and by His example, Christ has called us to share our many blessings with others. As individuals and as a Nation, in our homes and in our communities, there are countless ways that we can extend to others the same love and mercy that God showed humankind when He gave us His only Son. During this holy season and throughout the year, let us look to the selfless spirit of giving that Jesus embodied as inspiration in our own lives — giving thanks for what God has done for us and abiding by Christ’s teaching to do for others as we would do for ourselves.
Ronald Reagan (1981-1989):
Gerald R. Ford (1974-1977):
December 24, 1975
MERRY CHRISTMAS! These two words conjure up all of the good feelings that mankind has ever held for itself and its creator: reverence, tenderness, humility, generosity, tolerance–love. These are the stars we try to follow. These are the most enduring treasures we can bring to our world. I can remember a few Christmases in my own youth when just about the only thing we had to offer each other as a family was the love we shared, and the faith that together we could see things through to a better future. And it did. It made us work harder, study harder, try harder–and it brought out qualities and depths of strength and character that none of us in those days thought we had.
The spirit of Christmas is ageless, irresistible and knows no barriers. It reaches out to add a glow to the humblest of homes and the stateliest of mansions. It catches up saint and sinner alike in its warm embrace. It is the season to be jolly–but to be silent and prayerful as well.
I know this will be a particularly happy Christmas for me. I celebrate it surrounded by those I love and who love me. I celebrate it by joining with all of our citizens in observing a Christmas when Americans can honor the Prince of Peace in a nation at peace.
The Ford family wishes you and your family a Christmas that brings all of the joy, the fulfillment, and the inspiration of this most precious of seasons. May God’s blessings be with you all.
A Pakistani businessman accused of attempting to hire hit men to assassinate political figures — including President Donald Trump — told jurors in a New York courtroom that he was forced into the plot by Iran’s powerful paramilitary Revolutionary Guard.
Asif Merchant, 47, testified Wednesday that Trump was not the only potential target in the alleged 2024 assassination scheme. According to Merchant, the list of possible victims also included then-President Joe Biden and former presidential candidate and U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley.
Merchant told jurors he acted under pressure from an Iranian intelligence handler who threatened his relatives living in Iran.
“My family was under threat, and I had to do this,” Merchant testified through an Urdu interpreter. “I was not wanting to do this so willingly.”
He said he believed he would be arrested before anyone was harmed and planned to cooperate with U.S. authorities afterward in hopes of receiving leniency — and potentially a green card.
Alleged plot uncovered by FBI
Federal prosecutors say Merchant was arrested in July 2024 after outlining a murder-for-hire scheme to a man who was actually an informant working with the FBI. According to court filings, Merchant sketched out a plan on a napkin during a recorded meeting and later attempted to hire two men — who turned out to be undercover federal agents — to carry out the killing.
He allegedly provided the agents with $5,000 as an initial payment while discussing possible methods for killing a political target.
Authorities arrested Merchant in Texas as he prepared to leave the United States, before any attack could be carried out.
Merchant testified that his handler initially asked him to recruit people in the United States willing to assist Iran. The assignment later escalated to finding someone capable of organizing protests, committing theft, laundering money and “maybe have somebody murdered.”
“He did not tell me exactly who it is, but he told me — he named three people: Donald Trump, Joe Biden and Nikki Haley,” Merchant said in court.
Prosecutors, however, argue that Merchant continued working on the plan even after U.S. immigration officials questioned him at Houston’s airport in April 2024 about his travel to Iran. Investigators say he researched Trump rally locations, drafted plans for a shooting at a political event and gathered money to pay the supposed hit men.
In court filings, prosecutors also noted that Merchant never contacted law enforcement before his arrest and did not initially tell FBI agents that he had been acting under duress.
If convicted, Merchant faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Part of broader Iran-linked threats
The case is one of several alleged plots tied to Iran targeting former Trump administration officials in the years following the 2020 U.S. drone strike that killed Iranian General Qassem Soleimani. U.S. officials say Iran has sought revenge for the strike by attempting to target Trump and other senior American figures.
Another Justice Department case filed in 2024 accused an Afghan national, Farhad Shakeri, of working with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to organize a separate murder-for-hire scheme aimed at Trump and other targets.
The Iranian government has repeatedly denied involvement in assassination plots against U.S. leaders.
Authorities have also emphasized that other attempts on Trump’s life during the 2024 campaign — including the shooting at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania — were not connected to Iran and were carried out by individuals acting alone.
Trial unfolds amid rising tensions
Merchant’s trial comes during a period of heightened conflict between the United States and Iran. The proceedings are unfolding as a widening regional war involving Iran continues, with U.S. prosecutors arguing that the alleged plot reflects Iran’s willingness to conduct covert operations on American soil.
Republican Mike Rogers has gained an unexpected supporter in his campaign for Michigan’s open U.S. Senate seat: former Democrat Sen. Joe Manchin.
Manchin, who left the Democrat Party and registered as an independent during his final year in the Senate, expressed support for Rogers during a Monday appearance on CNBC’s “Squawk Box.”
Although Manchin repeatedly declined to call his remarks a formal endorsement, he made his preference in the race clear.
“No, I’ve not endorsed anybody,” Manchin said after co-host Joe Kernen pressed him on the subject.
When Kernen asked whether Manchin could accept a victory by Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed, the former West Virginia senator answered, “No.”
“I do support Mike Rogers,” Manchin added. “I think Mike Rogers is a good person. I think he’ll do a great job.”
Rogers Welcomes the Support
Rogers, a former Michigan congressman and FBI agent, quickly embraced Manchin’s comments.
“I’m thankful to have the support of a true patriot, former Sen. @JoeManchinWV,” Rogers wrote on X.
Rogers is already backed by President Donald Trump, whose “complete and total” endorsement has been highlighted by the Rogers campaign.
Manchin served in the Senate from 2010 until 2025. During his final months in office, he left the Democratic Party and became an independent. He has since promoted candidates he views as willing to work across party lines.
On CNBC, Manchin described Rogers, Maine Sen. Susan Collins and Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski as “independent, free-thinking Republicans, not completely crazy right or completely crazy left.”
One Major Point of Disagreement
Manchin’s support does not mean he agrees with Rogers on every issue.
He said Rogers “has to” reject Trump’s trade policies to win Michigan, according to CNN.
Rogers has taken a more case-by-case position. During a Fox News interview, he said he would oppose a tariff that works against the United States but support one that benefits the country.
A Closely Contested Race
Rogers and El-Sayed are competing to succeed retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters. The contest is the only Democratic-held Senate seat currently listed as a toss-up by the Cook Political Report.
Recent surveys have offered differing snapshots of the race. A late-August poll conducted for The Detroit News and WDIV-TV found Rogers ahead 45.8% to 44.4%, a difference within the survey’s margin of error. Another late-August survey from EPIC-MRA placed El-Sayed four points ahead, also within that poll’s margin of error.
Michigan’s constitutionally required early-voting period runs from Oct. 24 through Nov. 1, according to the Michigan Department of State. Election Day is Nov. 3.
