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.
ZACHARIA IS ON THE WAY OUT ALREADY 👇
Q: Would you have liked to have known that Katie Zacharia didn't pass the bar?
TRUMP: Katie has been treated very badly by the media. Very very badly. Very unfair. I just asked her, is this for you? And she's a nice person. I'm going to let… pic.twitter.com/S6cUJiBK8E
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.
Some of America’s biggest companies are helping bankroll President Donald Trump’s White House ballroom — and newly revealed records show the size of their commitments.
The report, also covered by Mediaite, cites an internal fundraising spreadsheet documenting more than $300 million in contributions and commitments.
The revelations add fuel to a dispute Democrats have been pursuing for months: whether companies with business before the administration are using donations to a presidential priority to gain access or influence.
The White House denies improper influence and says private donors are sparing taxpayers the construction bill.
Who’s Footing The Bill?
The reported donor list includes technology giants, defense contractors, Republican megadonors and people connected to senior administration officials.
Among the largest reported contributions and commitments:
Donor
Reported Amount
Apple
$25 million
Nvidia
$25 million
Adelson family
$25 million
Charles Ergen
$25 million
Google
$22 million
Laura & Isaac Perlmutter Foundation
More than $20 million
Lockheed Martin
$10 million
Microsoft
$10 million
RHI II LLC
$10 million
Palantir Technologies
$10 million
Comcast
$7.5 million
Amazon, Cisco, Meta and T-Mobile
$5 million each
Google’s contribution stems from the settlement of Trump’s lawsuit over YouTube’s suspension of his account following the January 6 Capitol riot, according to the reporting.
Other contributors include Small Business Administration Administrator Kelly Loeffler and her husband, who committed $5 million, and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick’s son Brandon, whose contribution was approximately $2.5 million.
Why Democrats Are Raising Alarms
For Democratic critics, the issue extends beyond the ballroom’s price tag. It concerns the overlap between its benefactors and companies seeking federal contracts, regulatory approvals or favorable outcomes in enforcement cases.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Rep. Dave Min, D-Calif., previously questioned corporate donors about whether any agreements or expectations of government favors accompanied their contributions. Their inquiry also sought information about how donations were solicited and the amounts involved.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., has separately pressed previously undisclosed donors about why their contributions remained secret and whether Trump or his representatives offered anything in exchange. Those inquiries predate Thursday’s revelations.
Donor anonymity is another sticking point. In February, Warren and other Democratic senators reported that the Trust for the National Mall, which handles ballroom donations, declined to release identifying donor information, citing federal disclosure rules. Democrats argue that limited disclosure makes potential conflicts harder to scrutinize.
According to the Post’s reporting, as summarized by Mediaite, approximately half the contributors had federal contracts during Trump’s second term. The reporting does not establish that donations secured favorable treatment.
Ergen’s contributions have drawn particular scrutiny because part of his commitment followed Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr’s decision to drop an investigation involving Dish’s parent company, according to the Post.
The timing has fueled questions about potential conflicts, but it does not by itself establish an exchange of donations for government action.
White House Pushes Back
Trump has said he and private supporters would pay for the project. The Post reported that his name did not appear on the contributor list it obtained.
White House spokesman Davis Ingle rejected the criticism and vowed to identify whoever disclosed the records.
The administration will “relentlessly pursue those responsible for this cowardly leak while continuing to protect all those who give,” Ingle told the Post.
“The same critics who are alleging fake conflicts of interests, would also complain if American taxpayers were footing the bill for these long-overdue renovations,” he said.
President Donald Trump takes questions after signing Executive Orders, Tuesday, February 18, 2025, at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida. (Official White House Photo by Daniel Torok)
President Donald Trump signs Executive Orders, Tuesday, February 18, 2025, at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida. (Official White House Photo by Daniel Torok)
President Donald Trump is reportedly considering replacing White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles — raising questions about the future of one of his most trusted aides less than three weeks before the midterm elections.
Four people with direct knowledge of the conversations told Politico’s Playbook that Trump has been asking friends and political allies about Wiles’ performance and floating potential successors, Mediaite reported Thursday.
Trump forcefully rejected the report, calling it “TOTAL FAKE NEWS” and insisting Wiles retains his “COMPLETE confidence.”
The reported discussions come as Republicans fight to preserve their congressional majorities and Trump grows frustrated with his political standing, according to Playbook. The report describes private conversations about a possible change, rather than an announced decision to remove Wiles.
Familiar Names Surface
Among the names Trump has reportedly floated are Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller and New York Yankees President Randy Levine.
Other potential replacements mentioned in the report include Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte and former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
Wiles’ critics have sought to capitalize on the moment by forwarding unfavorable coverage involving the chief of staff and people close to her, according to Playbook.
“She’s burned a lot of people,” one Republican operative close to the White House told the newsletter.
But the White House dismissed the anonymous accounts. Spokesperson Danielle Alvarez said the sources “know nothing,” describing the administration as a “united team focused on his America First agenda – not the egos and political games of anonymous outsiders.”
Trump also defended Wiles’ loyalty and tenure in his statement to Playbook.
“Susie Wiles is my loyal and longest serving Chief of Staff — there is a reason for that,” he said.
Consulting Work Draws Scrutiny
The speculation follows scrutiny of foreign consulting and lobbying work involving members of Wiles’ political circle, including longtime Trump advisers James Blair and Chris LaCivita, as well as her daughter, Katie Wiles.
The Financial Times reported that Katie Wiles is a partner at Continental Strategy, a lobbying firm with a $35,000-a-month contract to represent Republika Srpska, the Bosnian Serb entity within Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The firm said Katie Wiles did not lobby U.S. officials on the client’s behalf. Her role, according to the newspaper, involved communications support for a feasibility study.
A Central Figure In Trump’s Operation
Wiles helped guide Trump’s return to the White House before becoming chief of staff at the beginning of his second term.
She also remains involved in the president’s midterm strategy. The Washington Post reported Monday that Wiles, White House political director Matt Brasseaux and Blair, now an outside adviser, have worked together to determine where Trump can be most useful on the campaign trail.
The latest political scrutiny follows a difficult personal year. Wiles continued working while receiving treatment for breast cancer after her diagnosis became public in March. On September 16, she announced that pathology results from the Mayo Clinic had come back clear and that she was cancer-free.
The Biden Justice Department’s investigation into efforts to overturn the 2020 election swept up personal information on more than 639,000 Republican voters, donors and supporters, according to a new memo first obtained by Fox News Digital.
The memo, from Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), alleges that former special counsel Jack Smith’s office obtained spreadsheets containing extensive personal and financial information — including records associated with ordinary Americans making small-dollar political donations.
The findings mark the latest development in Grassley’s investigation into the scope of the Arctic Frost probe, which began in 2022 and examined efforts to overturn the election results.
According to the memo quoted by Fox News Digital, Smith’s office and the DOJ “obtained spreadsheets containing Republican campaign donors, supporters, and detailed personal voter information in various formats, totaling over 639,000 individuals, at minimum.”
“Out of those, over 148,000 rows are identified in the spreadsheets as donors,” Grassley wrote. “The donors generally contributed small-dollar amounts.”
Personal Details Beyond Donation Totals
The information went well beyond names and contribution amounts.
According to Fox News Digital’s reporting, the records included dates of birth, home and email addresses, Republican registration status, occupations, employers, credit card information and donor analysis data.
The occupations listed included retirees, pool technicians, drivers and loggers.
In a separate statement released Wednesday, Grassley’s office said the credit card information included the last four digits of card numbers. Some contributions were as small as $1, and the earliest donation captured dated to 2005, according to his office.
Grassley argued that the collection exceeded what Smith needed to carry out his assignment.
“This update shows that Jack Smith and the Biden Justice Department collected incredibly invasive donor data — and voter data — beyond what could conceivably be necessary for him or his team to fulfill the [special counsel office’s] mandate,” Grassley said, according to Fox News Digital.
He further accused Smith’s team of seeking to map the Republican Party’s broader political network.
“I again call on my Democratic colleagues to join my oversight work instead of trying to defend Smith and sweep his abuse of authority under the rug,” Grassley said.
Those allegations concern the purpose and scope of the investigation; Smith has defended his team’s collection of financial records as part of its criminal inquiry.
Smith Defends Subpoenas
The memo follows an earlier Grassley disclosure concerning checks collected from nearly 5,000 Americans who donated to Trump and Trump-aligned Republican entities.
During Smith’s appearance before the Judiciary Committee last month, Grassley pressed him for a yes-or-no answer about whether investigators had gathered donor information.
“Yes,” Smith responded, according to the testimony quoted by Fox News Digital. “We acquired financial information.”
“As I sit here right now, I cannot recite to you every subpoena we issued. I can tell you why we issued subpoenas,” Smith continued. “And it was to conduct a criminal investigation of one of the most serious crimes that’s ever happened in our nation’s history. I had a duty to collect facts.”
President Donald Trump has asked Kimberly Guilfoyle to resign as U.S. ambassador to Greece, moving to push out a longtime political ally and his eldest son’s former fiancée amid mounting allegations involving money, access and her conduct overseas.
New White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia announced the decision Tuesday during her first briefing.
“We have asked Ambassador Guilfoyle to resign,” Zacharia said. “She has been a wonderful asset to the team, and we wish her well.”
BREAKING: The Trump administration has asked Kimberly Guilfoyle to resign, according to new White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia. pic.twitter.com/Llq30K6LpV
The announcement followed Trump’s blunt assessment Monday when reporters asked whether he was considering firing Guilfoyle.
“We’re looking at it. We’re not happy,” the president said.
A Six-Figure Credit Card Request
The controversy escalated after The Wall Street Journal reported that Guilfoyle asked Trump donor Eric Deters to wire $100,000 directly to American Express before her Senate confirmation hearing last year.
“It won’t show up anywhere if you wire money to American Express,” she allegedly wrote on Signal, according to messages reviewed by the newspaper.
The Journal reported that Deters was seeking help with tax and legal matters and that Guilfoyle had communicated with administration officials on his behalf.
Deters subsequently told ABC News that he understood the request as an exchange of money for access to senior Trump officials. He said he did not make the payment.
Guilfoyle’s attorney disputed the messages’ authenticity and suggested the requested money could have represented reimbursement for travel and speaking expenses. Deters denied owing her money.
Deep Ties To The Trump Family
Guilfoyle’s relationship with the Trumps extended well beyond politics.
The former Fox News personality began dating Donald Trump Jr. in 2018, and the couple became engaged in 2020. Their split became public in late 2024, around the time Trump selected her for the diplomatic post.
Announcing that selection in December 2024, Trump described Guilfoyle as “a close friend and ally.”
She also helped lead fundraising for Trump’s 2020 campaign, becoming a familiar figure in his political operation.
Scrutiny Beyond The Donor Allegations
The credit card controversy followed questions about Guilfoyle’s activities in Athens.
In an October 1 letter, House Foreign Affairs Committee ranking Democrat Gregory Meeks asked Secretary of State Marco Rubio to address reports that Guilfoyle promoted a Greek company’s commercial interests and included its paid lobbyist in official diplomatic meetings.
Meeks also cited reporting that she suggested Washington could use its influence to undermine Greece’s government, calling for her removal if the allegations were accurate.
A separate Journal report described a recording from Davos in which Guilfoyle allegedly said wealthy Greek businessmen were financing her travels. Her lawyers have denied wrongdoing and said her travel received State Department approval, according to the Financial Times.
Tuesday’s announcement confirmed that the White House had requested her resignation. It did not establish that she had submitted it or specify an effective departure date.
(Miami - Flórida, 09/03/2020) Presidente da República Jair Bolsonaro durante encontro com o Senador Marco Rubio..Foto: Alan Santos/PR
Kimberly Guilfoyle’s diplomatic career could be headed for an abrupt exit amid allegations that she asked a Trump donor to cover a six-figure credit card bill while offering help securing access to administration officials.
President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are reportedly considering removing the U.S. ambassador to Greece as questions mount over her financial dealings and conduct in Athens.
Fox News reported Sunday that a senior U.S. official described Trump and Rubio as “extremely pissed off,” citing an Associated Press report. The official said a decision would likely come this week after Monday’s Columbus Day holiday. No dismissal has been confirmed.
CNN separately reported that Trump is weighing Guilfoyle’s removal, citing a person familiar with the matter who said the president has been monitoring the allegations and is expected to decide soon.
The Credit Card Request
At the center of the controversy is a Wall Street Journal investigation into Guilfoyle’s communications with Eric Deters, a Trump donor and former Kentucky congressional candidate.
According to messages reviewed by the Journal, Guilfoyle asked Deters to send $100,000 directly to American Express shortly before her Senate confirmation hearing. She allegedly presented the arrangement as a way to avoid a visible paper trail while offering assistance reaching senior administration officials.
Deters said he never made the payment. Guilfoyle’s attorney, Jesse Binnall, disputed the authenticity of the messages, according to Fox News.
Her legal team also offered an explanation for the financial dispute. In a statement to CNN, her lawyers said Deters owed Guilfoyle money for speeches and consulting work performed before she entered public service. They characterized her efforts as collecting outstanding payments and rejected his accusations.
“Asking a client to pay for work already done is not corruption,” her lawyers told CNN.
Questions About Her Conduct In Greece
The donor allegations follow scrutiny of Guilfoyle’s dealings with Greek construction and energy company Aktor Group.
As detailed in the Fox News article, an earlier Journal investigation reported that Guilfoyle promoted the company’s interests and brought its registered lobbyist, Christos Marafatsos, into private diplomatic meetings with senior officials.
The Journal also alleged that Guilfoyle suggested during a dinner with Greek officials that Washington could undermine their government. That account is disputed: Greece’s foreign minister said there was no need to summon her for an explanation because the country’s energy minister denied that a threat had been made.
NBC News reported Friday that the State Department’s Office of Inspector General is investigating Guilfoyle and the embassy she leads, citing two people familiar with the decision.
Fox News, citing the Daily Mail, described additional allegations involving embassy employees, private travel, gifts and business relationships. Those claims included threats to fire staff and demotions of security personnel over minor incidents.
The inspector general’s office declined to confirm or deny an investigation. Binnall told the Daily Mail that “any implication of wrongdoing by the Ambassador is unsupported,” according to Fox News.
Public Defense, Private Deliberations
Rubio publicly defended Guilfoyle’s performance during his visit to Greece last week.
“Our ambassador has been a strong ambassador here,” he said Wednesday, according to Fox News. The following day, he pushed back on reporters treating anonymously sourced allegations as established facts.
Vice President JD Vance also urged caution Friday while leaving open the possibility of consequences.
“Let’s actually see what the facts are. Let’s see what the truth is,” Vance told reporters in Ohio, according to Fox News. He added that misconduct, if established, should carry consequences.
Congressional Democrats, including Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire and Rep. Gregory Meeks of New York, have called for a review. Meeks urged Guilfoyle’s removal if the allegations are substantiated, Fox News reported.
Trump nominated Guilfoyle, a former prosecutor, Fox News personality and campaign fundraiser, in December 2024—the same month her split from Donald Trump Jr. became public.
Now, the former fiancée of the president’s eldest son faces an uncertain future in an administration whose senior leaders are reportedly weighing whether she should remain in Athens.
Federal immigration investigators raided the Washington, D.C., home of Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) early Monday, bringing an ongoing criminal investigation to the doorstep of one of President Donald Trump’s most outspoken congressional opponents.
According to The Daily Wire, the search involves immigration paperwork completed by Omar’s late father when she was a child. The progressive “Squad” member arrived in the United States as a Somali refugee in 1995 and became an American citizen in 2000.
The Justice Department confirmed that Homeland Security Investigations executed a court-authorized search warrant as part of an ongoing federal investigation. Axios also received confirmation from a DOJ spokesperson that agents conducted the search Monday morning.
CBS News independently confirmed the raid with three sources familiar with the investigation.
Search Follows Homan’s Confirmation Of Investigation
Monday’s operation follows border czar Tom Homan’s acknowledgment last month that federal investigators were examining allegations of immigration fraud involving Omar.
Speaking to Fox News in September, Homan declined to disclose investigative details but argued that a lawmaker’s position would not shield her from scrutiny.
The allegations concern Omar’s 2009 marriage to Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, a British citizen whom critics have alleged is her biological brother. The couple reportedly separated in 2011 and divorced in 2017.
Omar has denied the allegation, calling it “absurd and offensive.” Homan’s confirmation of an investigation did not establish that she committed fraud.
The reported scrutiny of documents completed during Omar’s childhood and the allegations surrounding her later marriage involve different periods of her life. Authorities have not publicly explained how those matters relate within the investigation.
Trump’s Earlier Attacks Return To Spotlight
Trump has repeatedly accused Omar of immigration wrongdoing and suggested she should be sent back to Somalia.
“I believe she married her brother, which is totally illegal,” Trump said at a rally earlier this year, according to The Daily Wire. Those remarks preceded Monday’s search and were not a response to the raid.
Omar has also denied committing immigration fraud. The Wall Street Journal reported Monday that she rejected both allegations in an interview earlier this year.
President Donald Trump is taking another run at removing Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, creating a committee to investigate alleged false statements on mortgage documents and ordering a White House hearing two days after the midterm elections.
The presidential memorandum, dated October 7 and released Friday, directs the panel to determine whether the allegations provide legal grounds to remove Cook. She has denied wrongdoing and successfully challenged Trump’s earlier dismissal attempt.
A November 5 Showdown
The hearing is scheduled for November 5, will last no more than four hours and will be closed to the public, according to the White House memo. A transcript will be made.
Trump framed the inquiry as a matter of accountability, saying his responsibilities include firing “subordinates who cannot be trusted to tell the truth and follow the law.”
The committee consists of White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Chair Andrea Lucas and acting Office of Government Ethics Director Keith Sonderling, ABC News reported.
The memo directs Cook to appear for questioning and requires the panel to provide her with the evidence beforehand. She may present arguments, written evidence and witness statements, and submit a final written response by November 10. The committee will then recommend whether grounds exist for her removal.
The Mortgage Allegations
The dispute began in August 2025, when then-Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte accused Cook of mortgage fraud and Trump sought to fire her.
According to Yahoo Finance’s reporting on Trump’s dismissal letter, the president alleged that Cook had identified a Michigan property as her primary residence and then made the same representation about a Georgia property in a separate agreement two weeks later.
Cook denied wrongdoing and sued to block her removal. The allegations remain disputed.
Pulte continued pressing the case publicly. During a May appearance on CNBC, he predicted Cook would eventually face an indictment regardless of the Supreme Court’s decision, according to Mediaite. That was Pulte’s prediction, rather than an announced charging decision.
What the Supreme Court Actually Ruled
The Supreme Court rejected Trump’s effort to immediately remove Cook in June, leaving an injunction protecting her position in place while litigation continued.
The ruling did not establish a blanket prohibition on removing Federal Reserve governors. Federal law allows removal for cause, and the court concluded that Cook was entitled to notice and an opportunity to respond before being dismissed.
The justices resolved the application on the narrower ground that the administration had failed to provide the required procedural protections. They also made clear that a president’s determination of cause is subject to judicial review, according to the court’s opinion.
Cook’s Lawyers Push Back
Cook’s legal team questioned whether the new process would provide a fair hearing.
Her lawyers told Axios they had “grave doubts that this ‘hearing’ is a legitimate one that would conform to the law,” citing Trump’s previous statements that he had already decided to fire her.
The committee’s recommendation will put the removal question back before Trump. Whether the new process satisfies the court’s requirements—and whether the allegations justify dismissal—remain unresolved.
President Donald Trump signs Executive Orders, Monday, February 10, 2025, in the Oval Office. (Official White House photo by Abe McNatt)
President Donald Trump announced a major milestone for his signature investment initiative Wednesday, revealing that nearly 70 million American children now have Trump Accounts — a program that has even earned praise from some prominent Democrats.
“Today we celebrate our next historic, and that’s really what it is, step to ensure every American child has a fair shot at the American dream,” Trump said from the Oval Office, according to the White House.
The milestone follows the Treasury Department’s automatic enrollment of more than 60 million children beginning Oct. 1, adding to roughly 10 million accounts established after the program officially launched July 4.
The tax-advantaged investment accounts are now automatically established for eligible American children under 18 with valid Social Security numbers, although parents still need to claim the accounts to manage them and receive certain benefits.
Trump predicted the investments could give children a significant financial head start.
“So if all goes well, which I think it will, they’ll end up being quite rich by the time they’re 18 and then 21,” Trump said Wednesday, according to ABC News.
The administration says more than $4.5 billion has already been deposited into Trump Accounts since their July launch, including federal funding and contributions from families and philanthropists.
Children born between Jan. 1, 2025, and Dec. 31, 2028, who meet eligibility requirements can receive a one-time $1,000 federal contribution. Family members, employers and others can also contribute to the accounts.
Billionaire philanthropists Michael and Susan Dell have pledged $6.25 billion toward the initiative, while dozens of major companies have announced plans to support accounts for employees’ children.
But perhaps more surprising than the scale of the program is who has been praising it.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, one of Trump’s most prominent Democratic critics and a frequently discussed potential 2028 presidential contender, encouraged families in his state to take advantage of the accounts.
“I’m enthusiastic about encouraging people to get a Trump account,” Newsom said during an August news conference, according to The New York Times.
“It’s one of the best things he’s done.”
Newsom also urged parents to look beyond the Trump branding.
“It’s not Trump’s money,” he said. “It’s your child’s money.”
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, another high-profile Democrat, has similarly described Trump Accounts as a “smart policy.”
“I will give this administration credit for this, is that we’ve had Democratic presidents and Republican presidents who have not been able to get this done, and it actually got done,” Moore said during a July radio interview, according to Fox News.
Democratic Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey has also supported the concept. Booker and Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) introduced a similar proposal in 2023 that would have provided American children with $1,000 at birth.
Trump Accounts are not without critics. Some have argued that children from wealthier families could ultimately benefit more because their parents are able to make larger contributions.
Still, the administration says roughly 80% of Trump Accounts belong to children in families earning less than $200,000 annually.
For Trump, Wednesday’s announcement marked a significant expansion of one of his signature domestic programs — and one that has produced an unusual degree of bipartisan agreement.
“With automatic enrollment now complete, every American child under the age of 18 has a Trump Account in their name, making it easier than ever for families to participate,” White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said.
Nearly 70 million children now have accounts waiting for them.
And in an increasingly rare occurrence in Washington, some of Trump’s potential political rivals are encouraging families to use them.
The White House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
President Donald Trump’s push to build a towering triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery has hit another legal hurdle — this time from a neighboring county government.
The Arlington County Board filed suit Thursday in the Eastern District of Virginia, seeking to stop construction until federal officials complete what the county argues is a legally required environmental review.
According to the ABC News report, Arlington became the first governmental body to sue over the planned monument, adding a new challenge to a project already facing litigation from veterans and a historian.
The proposed 250-foot Triumphal Arch would stand at Memorial Circle, on federal parkland between Arlington Memorial Bridge and Arlington National Cemetery.
County Accuses Administration Of Rushing Review
The lawsuit alleges the National Park Service is racing toward construction while treating the review process as a formality.
“The National Park Service, the agency responsible for projects on national park land such as Memorial Circle, is proceeding full-speed toward ground-disturbing construction,” the complaint states, according to ABC News.
The county wants the court to halt work until the agency adequately evaluates the project’s effects under the National Environmental Policy Act.
Arlington’s attorneys argue the review failed to sufficiently consider traffic congestion, emergency vehicle access and potential changes to aircraft operations at nearby Reagan National Airport. The county attorney’s office is pursuing the case with legal advocacy organization Democracy Forward.
“The Arlington County Board has filed this lawsuit because our community has the most to lose from this egregious and unlawful proposed project,” Board Chair Matt de Ferranti said in a statement.
Those allegations remain contested; filing the lawsuit does not itself stop construction.
Veterans’ Lawsuit And Safety Concerns Add Pressure
The county’s case opens another front in an existing legal battle.
Three veterans and an architectural historian have separately challenged the project in federal court in Washington, arguing that it requires congressional authorization and would obstruct historic views between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery.
According to the supplied ABC News report, the judge overseeing that case has required the administration to provide 48 hours’ notice before undertaking construction-related activities.
The administration has previously argued that a century-old law concerning Arlington Memorial Bridge authorizes the arch. Justice Department lawyers have also challenged the plaintiffs’ standing and called that lawsuit premature, ABC News reported in June.
The project has also drawn objections from Association of Flight Attendants-CWA President Sara Nelson, particularly after Trump announced plans to incorporate military uses.
Trump said in a September social media post that the arch would house drones, provide positions for snipers and store ammunition. He attributed the proposal to a military request; the Pentagon declined to comment when asked by ABC News.
Aviation concerns are disputed. ABC News reported in June that an initial FAA feasibility review found no significant adverse effect on airport airspace or flight procedures, while identifying a need for obstruction lighting and a subsequent full aeronautical study.
White House Defends The Monument
The White House continues to champion the project.
Officials told FOX 5 DC the arch would become an iconic landmark and improve the experience for veterans, military families and other visitors to Arlington National Cemetery.
Interior has also previously defended its review process, telling ABC News in September that it would follow applicable laws and regulations. The department said it had received more than 100,000 public comments and extended comment periods to encourage discussion.
Now Arlington is asking a federal judge to force a pause — raising another obstacle to Trump’s effort to reshape Washington’s skyline.
