President Donald Trump is hitting the campaign trail on Thursday in heavily Republican areas to shore up lagging enthusiasm in their party ahead of next month's midterm elections. He could have his work cut out for him: Just 26% of U.S. adults approve of his handling of the economy overall, marking a new low, according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
Trump's travel to Texas, followed by Oklahoma, kicks off what the president said will be a 32-day campaign blitz leading up to Nov. 3. Republicans in Texas are spending heavily to try to bolster state Attorney General Ken Paxton in a competitive Senate race against Democratic state Rep. James Talarico. In Oklahoma, Trump will campaign with Republican Mike Mazzei, who is running against Democratic state House Minority Leader Cyndi Munson in the race for governor.
Trump's immigration policies, meanwhile, are finding renewed attention in the Supreme Court, which agreed Thursday to review his administration's denial of bond hearings for immigrants during its sweeping crackdown. The justices will consider whether immigrants who have been living in the U.S. have a right to a hearing to determine if they should remain detained while challenging their possible deportation.
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Trump touches down in Texas
The president landed in Texas ahead of his visit to cut the ribbon on a new truck factory in Denton.
Trump spoke briefly to reporters, flanked by Republican Sen. Ted Cruz and Republican members of Congress from the state.
Asked about predictions that Republicans could lose control of Congress after November, Trump said his administration needed to better tout its accomplishments. He added that pollsters “didn’t know I was going to go campaigning all over the country, and I am.”
Trump has promised to travel to battleground states. But, so far, he’s concentrated on deeply red areas. After Texas, Trump was heading to Oklahoma later Thursday and planned to hit solidly Republican Alabama.
“I’m really doing it to say thank you,” Trump said of support for him in GOP-controlled areas.
Democrats want to penalize the White House for using taxpayer funds on Trump’s ads
The bill proposed by Sen. Patty Murray of Washington would reduce funding for the White House’s Office of Management and Budget by $20 million every time the administration violates a longstanding law that prevents the use of federal funds on “propaganda.”
“If the president is going to defy federal law to run propaganda celebrating himself—and his budget director is going to allow it—there must be consequences,” said Murray, the top Democrat on the Appropriations Committee.
The legislation backed by other Democrats on the committee comes after the administration tapped $20 million in Homeland Security funds to pay for the campaign-style ads glorifying Trump ahead of the midterm elections.
Pentagon doubles troop combat pay
The Pentagon says it is doubling the monthly bonus awarded to troops for serving in combat areas.
In a statement released Thursday, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said that the Pentagon is increasing “hostile fire pay” from $225 per month to $450. The bonus is awarded to compensate troops who are facing enemy fire.
The Pentagon is also slightly increasing its “imminent danger pay” — a broader benefit that does not require a servicemember be under close to or facing enemy fire — from $225 per month to $275.
The statement noted that they are making the change to better reflect “the differences between serving in an area where danger is possible and facing hostile fire.”
States, cities sue Trump administration over repeal of rule that limits power plant pollution
States and cities are suing the Trump administration for repealing rules that limit planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions from coal and natural gas power plants.
Twenty-one states, led by New York, challenged the Environmental Protection Agency's power plant rule repeal Thursday. They were joined by Pennsylvania's governor, the District of Columbia, New York City, Chicago and the city and county of Denver.
New York Attorney General Letitia James said the federal government is showing “callous disregard” for Americans’ health and the environment.
The EPA says it doesn’t comment on pending litigation. But the agency said last month in announcing the repeal that it would save the industry more than $300 billion in costs and help “unleash” American energy.
Panel OKs final design plans for White House screening facility
The National Capitol Planning Commission on Thursday approved the proposal Thursday after brief discussion of the underground facility to screen visitors.
The project got preliminary approval earlier this year from the federal commission that approves construction on federal land in Washington. The center beneath Sherman Park, which is located southeast of the White House and directly south of the Treasury building, marks the latest step in the Trump administration's plan to overhaul the grounds.
An architect said Thursday some of the design had been tweaked to match plans for the massive White House ballroom currently under construction where the East Wing used to stand.
Governors to decide whether to join national scholarship program
More than two dozen undecided governors may soon say whether their states will participate in a new national scholarship for education expenses including private school tuition.
Many governors were waiting for the proposed rules released today by the Treasury Department for the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit to decide whether to sign up for the program launching January 1.
The federal program is expected to bring taxpayer money for private school tuition to several states that have yet to embrace vouchers or education savings accounts.
Treasury officials predict the program will direct nearly $26 billion into as many 2.2 million scholarships each year by 2030.
ICE tells officers to make traffic stops only if they have training
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers have been ordered not to engage in high-speed car chases and to make vehicle stops only if they have completed specific training, under new internal guidance issued after several drivers were shot in encounters with ICE.
A memo sent to officers in ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations division and obtained by The Associated Press warned they are not authorized to chase vehicles that fail to pull over under any circumstances. Instead, officers should take down the vehicles’ information for further investigation, according to the memo signed by ICE’s executive associate director Marcos D. Charles and dated Wednesday.
The new guidance comes after ICE-initiated vehicle stops have repeatedly escalated when drivers have refused to cooperate or tried to flee. ICE agents have fired their guns during more than a dozen such encounters since last year, killing at least four people and wounding several others.
By Ryan J. Foley
White House removes CNN from Thursday’s pool coverage
The White House removed CNN from serving as the primary television outlet covering the president on Thursday, the latest action by the Trump administration to enforce a media ban on CNN, MS NOW and Politico.
In solidarity, no other network television outlet filled the vacancy in Thursday’s White House pool. Thursday marked the second time in the last week that CNN has been prevented from participating in its White House pool duties.
In September, President Donald Trump abruptly banished CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House grounds. A judge issued a temporary ruling against the administration, ordering that the outlets be allowed at the White House. The administration has asked that the action be blocked until the case is resolved.
On Thursday, Theodore J. Boutrous Jr., attorney for the three outlets, reiterated his earlier statement.
“The White House is persisting in arbitrarily, unpredictably and inconsistently implementing the President’s unconstitutional ‘ban on the free press,’” Boutrous said.
Pentagon official tells senator the military has no plans to send troops to the polls
A high-ranking Pentagon official has told Democratic Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin that the military has no plans to send troops to the polls during November's midterm elections, addressing concerns from Democrats that the Trump administration could use the military to interfere with the vote.
Wednesday’s letter to Slotkin came from Mark Ditlevson, assistant secretary of defense for homeland defense. He said no plans exist to interfere with ballots or voting machines.
“The Department of War’s role in election security is limited, lawful, and strictly supportive of civil authorities,” he wrote. “Election administration and security remain the fundamental responsibility of state and local officials.”
Slotkin had asked both Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to confirm they won't send troops to polling places. Caine had responded by Slotkin's late August deadline, stating the military had no plans to do so.
New federal scholarship coming soon for private school and homeschooling
Nearly all schoolchildren in at least 30 states can apply for a new federal scholarship next year to help pay for private school, homeschooling and other educational expenses, according to regulations proposed Thursday by the Trump administration.
The first national school choice scholarship program, the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit, will launch Jan. 1, establishing a taxpayer-funded incentive for families to choose private or homeschooling in participating states.
Taxpayers who donate to an organization passing out the scholarships will receive a federal tax credit, a perk expected to further fuel the conservative school choice movement.
About 96% of children in those states should be eligible, according to the department. Children attending public schools could use the scholarships for extra learning expenses.
Rubio to visit NATO allies Iceland, Greece and Portugal next week
Secretary of State Marco Rubio will travel to NATO allies Iceland, Greece and Portugal next week for talks on defense cooperation, trade and energy security.
The State Department said Thursday that Rubio would visit Reykjavík, Athens, and Lisbon from Oct. 5-8 as the Trump administration continues to press for NATO members to boost their defense spending.
Iceland is a key member of an Arctic bloc of nations and is seen by the U.S. as critical to ensuring the high North region remains free of unwanted Russian and Chinese interference. Iceland recently took umbrage when President Trump posted a map on social media depicting the island covered with the U.S. flag, prompting concerns that his designs on Greenland had been expanded.
In Greece, the department said Rubio will be focused on trade and energy, as Greece is seen as a pivotal transit point for U.S. liquified natural gas shipments that the administration hopes to sell throughout Europe.
In Portugal, Rubio will concentrate on economic, and technology cooperation, the department said.
President Trump says Iran may be linked to the FlyDubai co-pilot who tried to crash an Israel-bound plane
The president was asked by reporters at the White House on Thursday whether he’d been briefed about any links between the pilot behind the attack and Tehran, and he said “We’re working on it right now.”
“I would say the answer, based on what I’m hearing, is yes, but we’re working on it right now,” Trump said. He did not offer details.
When asked if the U.S. would retaliate against Tehran if it was behind the attack, Trump said, “Oh they’ll be hit, very hard, don’t worry.”
“You just ask them,” he added. “They know what happened. They’ll be hit very hard.”
Trump gives himself an A+ despite dismal polling numbers
“I give us an A-plus on the government, on economics, on everything,” Trump told reporters Thursday at the White House. He claimed that inflation levels are now “really good” and predicted oil prices will fall soon.
A new AP-NORC poll finds that Americans are far less satisfied, with just 26% approving his handling of the overall economy, a new low. A majority of U.S. adults blamed Trump's policies for high costs.
Trump gave himself high marks after being asked about recent complaints that his successes aren’t getting enough attention.
Trump has expressed frustration about messaging ahead of November’s midterm elections, saying on Wednesday that “we’re doing an extremely poor job of promotion and an extremely great job of running the country.”
Trump hosts Thune at the White House
Just before departing for Oklahoma and Texas on Thursday, the president met privately with Senate Majority Leader John Thune at the White House.
The meeting was confirmed by a person with knowledge of it, granted anonymity to discuss a private meeting.
Thune has sometimes been a foil for the president, especially as the longtime senator resists changes that Trump wants to make to how the Senate operates. But the two men talk regularly and both are campaigning aggressive for the GOP ahead of the Nov. 3 midterms.
By Seung Min Kim
Trump suggests Iran war ‘should help’ GOP in the midterms -- but says it is possible it hurts
Asked if the increasingly unpopular war would threaten his party’s chances in November, Trump at first responded, “It’s possible.” But then he added, “It should help, because Iran will not have a nuclear weapon.”
The president said “100 percent of the people” oppose Iran having nuclear attack capabilities “including worldwide.”
“So, when you say it that way, It would help,” Trump added. “If you don’t say that, it could hurt.”
US could have 3 carriers in the Mideast soon, official says
A group of ships that together carry over 7,000 sailors and 2,000 Marines are heading to the Middle East, a U.S. official said.
That includes the recently deployed USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group and the USS Makin Island amphibious readiness group. It could mean three carriers are in the region as early as the end of October, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military operations.
That would be an unusually high U.S. naval presence of more than 20,000 sailors and Marines and hundreds of aircraft. It comes as the war with Iran stretches past seven months. The Navy previously had three carriers in the Middle East in April -- the first time since 2003.
The USS George H.W. Bush and the USS George Washington are there now, along with the USS Boxer amphibious readiness group. The Pacific-based Washington had moved to the Middle East to relieve the long-deployed USS Abraham Lincoln.
Trump is headed to Oklahoma to ‘thank’ voters
The president’s travel schedule in the coming days has been a bit of a curiosity: Why is he spending his time in deep red territory that should be easy political ground for Republicans?
Trump’s answer: He wants to thank the voters of Oklahoma for supporting him overwhelmingly in the 2016, 2020 and 2024 elections.
“I’ve won 87 out of 87 counties,” Trump said, inaccurately stating the number of counties in Oklahoma. He continued: “They’ve been just an unbelievable state.”
He insisted that “you have to give back, too” when a state supports someone in such large margins. Trump also noted that Oklahoma has a key governor’s race this year, and later got the number of counties in the state correct.
US takes aim at Iran’s automotive and rail industry in latest effort to get Tehran to capitulate
The Trump administration on Thursday targeted the remaining sector of Iran’s already heavily-sanctioned industrial infrastructure, singling out entities based in Indonesia, the UAE and Germany.
Among those sanctioned are two of Iran’s largest auto manufacturers, Iran Khodro Company and SAIPA Iranian Automobile Manufacturing Company, as well as several foreign auto industry supply providers and overseas companies in China and Germany that provide the country with source materials like mining and metals.
The actions by the U.S. Treasury come as Trump officials are touting the latest number coming out of Tehran this week, showing its currency falling to new record lows.
The administration credits the continued erosion of the Iranian economy to its months-long economic campaign and has no plans to cease the financial penalties anytime soon even as negotiations between the two countries have restarted.
A new online center opens to support borrowers defaulting on their student loans
The joint announcement by the Trump administration's Treasury and Education departments follows a surge in defaults since payments came due again following a lengthy pause intended to provide relief during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Further complicating the situation has been the end of the most affordable income-driven repayment option, the SAVE plan, sharply raising loan payments for many borrowers.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in Wednesday’s announcement that the “Department of Education was never intended to serve as the fifth largest bank in America.”
Borrowers can use the online portal to get their payments back on track through consolidation or “loan rehabilitation” using a digital process that replaces what the agencies described as an “arduous paper-based approach that has been in place for decades.”
Borrowers have frequently complained that figuring out the status of their loans has been confusing and involves hours on the phone.
The portal also will make it easier to sign up for a temporary interest rate reduction available to some borrowers who sign up for auto payments.
New ad in GOP-leaning Wisconsin district speaks to Democrats’ upset hopes
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has released its first ad this campaign in a congressional district Republicans have held for more than 30 years.
The ad released Thursday is for first-time Democratic candidate Mitchell Berman. He's a nurse who's trying to knock off four-term Republican incumbent Rep. Bryan Steil, who worked as a lawyer for a plastics manufacturer before going to Washington.
The DCCC's willingness to spend in a district that has consistently favored Republicans is another sign of growing optimism among Democrats that they can pull off the midterms upset they’re hoping for.
The ad contrasts Berman’s hunting deer with Steil making money while serving in Congress.
“Bryan Steil and I both chase bucks,” Berman says in the ad. “Difference is, mine has antlers.”
The DCCC said it was spending $271,000 initially on the ad’s visibility, but that could increase.
AP-NORC poll measured how much blame for inflation Republicans attribute to Trump
The poll found about two-thirds of Republicans say higher than usual prices are because of factors outside of Trump’s control, but about one-third say it’s because of Trump’s policies.
“It definitely doesn’t feel like we have trended in the right direction,” agreed Kristen Slaven, 41, a mental health therapist who lives in Gluckstadt, Mississippi, and typically votes Republican.
“Obviously, wars don’t help. When they’re necessary, I understand. But our focus on renaming bodies of water and pieces of land, that’s just stupid to me when people can’t feed their family.”
Republicans surveyed by AP-NORC voice concerns about Trump
Trump is hitting the campaign trail with an aggressive schedule of rallies, having asked voters to pretend that he is on the ballot as he tries to bolster turnout in midterm elections that will determine whether Republicans maintain control of Congress.
But Trump's dismal numbers in the poll published Thursday show he remains deeply unpopular, with even some Republicans faulting him for failing to deliver on promised relief.
“Groceries are just like kind of out of control. It seems like everything is going up,” said Bethany Lnenicka, 41, who operates a small farm in Fairfax, Iowa. “It’s just insane. And of course your income doesn’t go up.”
A political independent who typically votes Republican and has voted for Trump three times, Lnenicka said “I just do not feel like it has gotten a lot better.”