Trump administration news

What we covered here

• Tensions over Greenland: Leaders from Denmark and Greenland said a “fundamental disagreement” persists with the Trump administration over the future of the territory following their meeting with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Today’s meeting came after President Donald Trump said “anything less” than US control of Greenland is “unacceptable.”

• Venezuela war powers: Senate Republicans blocked an effort to curb the Trump administration’s military action in Venezuela, a victory for the president who was incensed that some Republicans tried to tie his hands.

• DOJ probe into Fed chair: White House officials are heaping blame on DC US Attorney Jeanine Pirro over her office’s criminal investigation into Fed Chair Jerome Powell, sources told CNN. Trump said today he is not planning to fire Powell, after saying yesterday he hopes the central bank chief will “be out of there soon.”

French President Emmanuel Macron announced today France will join other European nations for joint exercises in Greenland this week, as US President Donald Trump continues to argue the territory should join the United States.

“At Denmark’s request, I have decided that France will participate in the joint exercises organized by Denmark in Greenland, called Operation Arctic Endurance,” Macron posted on X. “The first French military units are already on their way. Others will follow.”

The government of Greenland and Denmark’s Ministry of Defense announced there would be an increased military presence in and around the territory starting Wednesday due to “security tensions.”

Other countries sending military personnel include Germany, Sweden and Norway, as a slew of European leaders have rejected Trump’s calls to control Greenland

US Attorney General Pam Bondi said today she fired six federal prosecutors in Minnesota who resigned following pressure from the Trump administration over the handling of an ongoing probe involving the deadly shooting of Renee Good.

“They came, they said we want to resign but we want to use our annual leave up until April, meaning they wanted the taxpayers to pay for them to go on vacation because they decided they didn’t want to support law enforcement,” Pam Bondi told Fox’s Sean Hannity. “So the breaking news tonight, I fired them all. They are fired from the office.”

At least six prosecutors in the US attorney’s office in Minnesota resigned after pressure from the administration to focus the probe of the ICE officer shooting on the actions of Good, her widow, and others around her who may have been involved in ICE protests, CNN previously reported.

A source familiar with the matter told CNN that others are weighing whether to resign instead of following unusual demands on how to handle the shooting probe.

Background: The shooting of Good, a US citizen and mother of three, sparked days of protests across the country as the Trump administration said it was deploying around 1,000 additional Customs and Border Protection personnel to the region and defended ICE agent Jonathan Ross, alleging that responsibility for the fatal shooting lay with Good and those around her.

President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he is not planning on removing Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, even as the Justice Department conducts a criminal investigation into the central bank chief, but added that it was “too early” to say what action he might ultimately take.

“I don’t have any plan to do that,” Trump said in an interview with Reuters when asked whether he would attempt to fire Powell.

“Right now, we’re (in) a little bit of a holding pattern with him, and we’re going to determine what to do. But I can’t get into it. It’s too soon. Too early,” Trump answered when pressed if the investigation could provide grounds for Powell’s removal.

The president’s comments come a day after he acknowledged that the timing of the probe could be viewed as political retaliation.

“I can’t help what it looks like,” Trump told CBS News on Tuesday.

Trump has repeatedly attacked the Fed chair, whom the president has said he will not renominate, hammering the Fed’s traditional political independence.

The White House and administration officials have sought to push back against suggestions that Trump played any role in the Justice Department’s decision to open an investigation into Powell.

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, a key ally of President Donald Trump, is pushing for the US to attack the Iranian regime amid a deadly crackdown on anti-government protests “sooner rather than later.”

“I believe that President Trump is serious when he says help is on the way,” he told reporters, adding that “an attack on the regime is the only help that really matters.”

“The bottom line is, sooner rather than later, the people need to see what help on the way looks like, which is going after those who are killing them. Degrading the ability of the regime to oppress them, motivating people to stay out in the streets. So whatever action is to be taken, it has to meet those criteria, in my view. Embolden the protesters, deflate the regime and change the game on the ground,” he said.

President Donald Trump has not ruled out taking military action in Iran and has expressed support for the protesters.

Graham said he hopes that the “long nightmare” for the Iranian people is “beginning to end,” calling it “a monumental moment in world history.”

The South Carolina Republican also met earlier today with the exiled Crown Prince of Iran.

He told reporters Wednesday that the Iranian people “believe we have their back as Americans” and “if they win the day, we’ll could have no better friend in the region.”

Senate Republicans blocked an effort to curb the Trump administration’s military action in Venezuela, a victory for the president who was incensed that some Republicans tried to tie his hands on a key foreign policy.

Vice President JD Vance traveled to Capitol Hill Wednesday night to cast the tie-breaking vote, derailing the measure that would have forced the Trump administration to seek congressional approval for further military force in the country.

Five Republicans originally voted with Democrats last week to bring the measure to the floor, but GOP Sens. Josh Hawley and Todd Young ultimately withdrew their support after an intense pressure campaign from the Trump administration that included calls from the president and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.