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Trump says he won’t waste time meeting Putin unless Ukraine deal is likely to happen soon

Trump says he won’t waste time meeting Putin unless Ukraine deal is likely to happen soon

President Donald Trump on Saturday said he won’t waste time meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin again unless a deal on the war in Ukraine is likely. “I’m going to have to know that we’re going to make a deal,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One after taking off from Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, when asked about securing a meeting with Putin. “I’m not going to be wasting my time. I’ve always had a great relationship with Vladimir Putin, but this has been very disappointing.” He said he thought the war in Ukraine would have been resolved “long before” the peace deal between Israel and Hamas. “We have Azerbaijan and Armenia. That was very tough,” Trump added, referring to the peace summit he hosted at the White House between the two countries last summer. TRUMP FREEZES OUT PUTIN FOR LACK OF ‘ENOUGH ACTION’ TOWARD PEACE — FUTURE TALKS UNCERTAIN He continued, “In fact, Putin told me on the phone, he said, ‘Boy, that was amazing,’ because everybody tried to get that done, and they couldn’t. I got it done. You had others. If you look at India and Pakistan, I could say almost any one of the deals that I’ve already done, I thought would have been more difficult than Russia, than Ukraine, but it didn’t work out that way.” “There’s a lot of hatred between the two, between [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelensky and Putin, there’s tremendous hatred.” Earlier this week, Trump said he had called off a planned meeting with Putin in Budapest to discuss the war because he saw it as a “waste of time.” Trump announced the Budapest meeting last week, saying it could happen within the next two weeks. He also announced sanctions against Russia this week. Trump and Putin last met in Alaska in August, but no deal was reached following the summit. Trump met with Zelenskyy last week at the White House, where he seemingly denied Ukraine’s request for Tomahawk long-range missiles.  The president also said that in his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping next week he wants a “complete [trade] deal.”  “I want our farmers to be taken care of, and he wants things also,” Trump said. “We’re going to be talking about fentanyl, of course. Fentanyl is killing a lot of people, a lot people. It comes from China, and we’ll be talking a lot about that. We’ll be talking about a lot things. I think we have a really good chance of making a very comprehensive deal.”

Newsom’s fiery claim DOJ has ‘no business’ monitoring CA election blasted by Trump official: ‘Calm down bro’

Newsom’s fiery claim DOJ has ‘no business’ monitoring CA election blasted by Trump official: ‘Calm down bro’

California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom’s rebuke of the Justice Department’s move to monitor the November election in his state is getting strong pushback, including from a DOJ official who noted the move is not out of the ordinary. “Donald Trump’s puppet DOJ has no business screwing around with next month’s election,” Newsom posted on Friday in response to news the DOJ plans to send federal election watchers to California and New Jersey for their closely watched elections next month. “Sending the feds into California polling places is a deliberate attempt to scare off voters and undermine a fair election. We will not back down. Californians decide our future — no one else.” Many on social media, including DOJ Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon, quickly pointed out that the Justice Department has a long history of sending election monitoring resources to areas that have a history of issues to ensure election laws are being followed. NEWSOM THREATENS TO SUE IF TRUMP SENDS TROOPS TO SAN FRANCISCO: ‘WANNABE TYRANT’ “Lol calm down bro,” Dhillon posted on X. “The @TheJusticeDept under Democrat administrations has sent in federal election observers for decades, and not once did we hear that this was voter intimidation from states such as California. Do you really want to go there? Isn’t transparency a good thing?” Dr. Houman Hemmati posted on X, “Hey @GavinNewsom WHY would any legitimate voter be “scared off” by having federal election observers? Most people think legitimate voters would be more likely to vote because they’d trust the process.  “But clearly you’re afraid of something. I wonder what that is…” Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, a Republican candidate for governor in California to replace the term-limited Newsom, wrote on X, “Gavin sure seems worried about people seeing how he’s handling elections.” The Republican parties in both California and New Jersey requested the federal observers as California votes on a ballot measure aimed at redrawing the state’s congressional map in favor of Democrats to counter states like Texas that have redrawn its map favoring Republicans. New Jersey votes in a highly watched gubernatorial election. NEWSOM BAILS OUT PLANNED PARENTHOOD WITH $140M TO KEEP 100 CLINICS OPEN AFTER TRUMP CUTS The Department of Justice sent election monitors to California twice during the Biden administration, during the 2022 general election and the 2024 general election.  “This is not a federal election,” Newsom’s press office posted on X. “The US DOJ has no business or basis to interfere with this election. This is solely about whether California amends our state constitution. “This administration has made no secret of its goal to undermine free and fair elections. Deploying these federal forces appears to be an intimidation tactic meant for one thing: suppress the vote.” DUFFY TELLS NEWSOM ‘3 MORE PEOPLE WOULD BE ALIVE’ IF HE FOLLOWED FEDERAL TRUCK LICENSING RULES The Biden Justice Department sent election resources to several non-federal elections as well, including Alaska municipal elections in October 2023, a New Jersey off-year general election in 2023 and a Mississippi off-year general in 2023.  Fox News Digital reached out to Newsom’s office for comment. “In recent elections, we have received reports of irregularities in these counties that we fear will undermine either the willingness of voters to participate in the election or their confidence in the announced results of the election,” California GOP Chairwoman Corrin Rankin wrote in a letter to Dhillon on Monday. The New Jersey GOP sent a similar letter about Passaic County, which is heavily Latino and once favored Democrats but voted for Trump in 2024. The state GOP alleged a “long and sordid history” of vote-by-mail fraud. Democrats in both states have pushed back against the decision. New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin called the move “highly inappropriate” and said the DOJ “has not even attempted to identify a legitimate basis for its actions.” Los Angeles County Clerk Dean Logan said election observers are standard practice across the country and that the county, with 5.8 million registered voters, is continuously updating and verifying its voter records. “Voters can have confidence their ballot is handled securely and counted accurately,” he said. During the 2024 election, multiple Republican-led states pushed back on the Biden administration’s efforts to send federal resources to monitor elections, arguing the state measures in place were satisfactory. Election monitors are lawyers who work for the Justice Department, including in the civil rights division and U.S. attorney’s offices across the country. They are not law enforcement officers or federal agents. For decades, the Justice Department’s civil rights division has sent attorneys and staff members to monitor polling places across the country in both federal and non-federal elections. The monitors are tasked with ensuring compliance with federal voting rights laws. The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division enforces a number of statutes protecting the right to vote. That includes the Voting Rights Act, which prohibits intimidation and threats against those who are casting ballots or counting votes. And it includes the Americans with Disabilities Act, which mandates that election officials ensure people with disabilities have the full and equal opportunity to vote. Fox News Digital’s Brie Stimson and The Associated Press contributed to this report

Democrat Sherrill responds to DOJ election monitors in New Jersey governor’s race

Democrat Sherrill responds to DOJ election monitors in New Jersey governor’s race

Democrat New Jersey gubernatorial candidate Mikie Sherrill declared Saturday she will “ensure that we don’t have any voter intimidation and any attempt to intimidate people from voting” after the Justice Department said it would send federal election watchers to her state next month. New Jersey has an open seat for governor as Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, prepares to leave office. The Justice Department announced Friday it’s sending federal election watchers to New Jersey and California. The moves come after the Republican Party in both states requested federal observers. “You know, I’m really proud of running open, transparent and free elections. And we’re going to continue to do that and ensure that we don’t have any voter intimidation and any attempt to intimidate people from voting,” Sherrill said Saturday. DOJ SENDS FEDERAL ELECTION WATCHERS TO CALIFORNIA AND NEW JERSEY COUNTIES AMID REPUBLICAN REQUESTS “The public should have confidence that all of our elections processes are secure and that all New Jersey voters can make their voices heard free from any type of intimidation regarding casting their ballots,” her campaign spokesperson, Carly Jones, said in a statement to Fox News. “Mikie fully supports the prosecution of bad actors who violate our election laws, and her attorney general will move those prosecutions forward swiftly. However, we cannot allow Trump and his election deniers to support some ‘stop the steal’ strategy for Jack Ciattarelli when he loses. “It’s important for us to have uniform rules around our state, and Mikie will appoint an attorney general who makes sure that all New Jerseyans, regardless of who they vote for, have full confidence in our election process.” TRUMP PARACHUTES INTO KEY 2025 RACE AS GOP AIMS TO FLIP GOVERNOR OFFICE IN BLUE-LEANING STATE The Justice Department said Friday it “will monitor polling sites in six jurisdictions ahead of the upcoming November 4, 2025, general election to ensure transparency, ballot security, and compliance with federal law.” “Transparency at the polls translates into faith in the electoral process, and this Department of Justice is committed to upholding the highest standards of election integrity,” Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a statement. “We will commit the resources necessary to ensure the American people get the fair, free, and transparent elections they deserve.” “The department, through the Civil Rights Division, enforces federal voting rights laws that protect the rights of all eligible citizens to access the ballot,” the DOJ said. “The department regularly deploys its staff to monitor for compliance with federal civil rights laws in elections in communities across the country.” Fox News Digital’s Brie Stimson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Trump tears down East Wing for $300M ballroom ahead of high-stakes China meeting

Trump tears down East Wing for 0M ballroom ahead of high-stakes China meeting

President Donald Trump kicked off the week meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and closed out the week jetsetting to Asia. And at home, the White House launched constructing its new ballroom — much to the ire of many Democrats.  Trump said construction started Monday and that the project would be funded privately. The project is estimated to cost $300 million, up from the $200 million estimate first provided in July when the project was unveiled.  “For more than 150 years, every President has dreamt about having a Ballroom at the White House to accommodate people for grand parties, State Visits, etc. I am honored to be the first President to finally get this much-needed project underway — with zero cost to the American Taxpayer!” Trump said in a social media post. “The White House Ballroom is being privately funded by many generous Patriots, Great American Companies, and, yours truly. This Ballroom will be happily used for Generations to come!” US TO EXPEDITE NUCLEAR-POWERED SUBS TO AUSTRALIA THAT WILL SIT NEAR CHINA’S DOORSTEP Still, the project has faced criticism as the White House’s historic East Wing was completely demolished. The wing has served as the official entrance to the White House and is designated as space for the first lady.  On Monday, Trump signaled he wants to expedite outfitting Australia with nuclear submarines under the trilateral agreement between the U.S., Australia and the U.K. that seeks to enhance Australia’s submarine force to deter Chinese influence in the Indo-Pacific. The agreement, known as AUKUS, stipulates the U.S. will sell up to five Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines to Australia that are scheduled for delivery as soon as 2032. The deal also outlines that Australia and the U.K. will work to build additional attack submarines for Australia’s fleet. However, Trump told reporters that he is looking at equipping Australia with the submarines soon, when asked if he was interested in speeding up the process. TRUMP ANNOUNCES MEETING WITH XI JINPING AT SOUTH KOREA APEC SUMMIT SCHEDULED FOR NEXT MONTH “Well we are doing that, yeah … we have them moving very, very quickly,” Trump told reporters Monday. However, Trump also said that he didn’t believe the deal was necessary to undermine China. “I don’t think we’re going to need it,” Trump said about the trilateral agreement. “I think we’ll be just fine with China. China doesn’t want to do that. First of all, the United States is the strongest military power in the world by far. It’s not even close, not even close. We have the best equipment. We have the best of everything, and nobody’s going to mess with that. And I don’t see that at all with President Xi.” Meanwhile, Trump departed for Asia Friday, as he is slated to meet with Xi during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit. The meeting comes amid ongoing trade negotiations between the two countries, which escalated when Beijing announced Oct. 9 it would impose export controls on rare-earth magnets. Rare earth magnets are used in products ranging from electric cars to F-35 fighter jets.  As a result, Trump said the U.S. would impose a new 100% tariff on all Chinese goods, which is slated to take effect Nov. 1. However, Trump has sought to neutralize tension, and has regularly spoken highly of his relationship with Xi in recent weeks. He has said he believes a deal will be reached between the two countries. TRUMP AND PUTIN’S RELATIONSHIP TURNS SOUR AS PRESIDENT PUSHES FOR RESOLUTION WITH UKRAINE “I think we are going to come out very well, and everyone’s going to be very happy,” Trump said Thursday. Trump and Xi have not met in person since Trump took office in January. Their last meeting took place in June 2019 in Japan. Trump will also visit Malaysia, Japan and South Korea as part of the trip. Trump also met with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte Wednesday, just after meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and after calling off a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump said that he didn’t want a “wasted meeting” with Putin in Hungary, and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that he didn’t see enough progress toward peace from Russia. “We canceled the meeting with President Putin,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office with Rutte Wednesday. “It just, it didn’t feel right to me. It didn’t feel like we were going to get to the place we have to get. So I canceled it. But we’ll do it in the future.”

JD Vance slams Mamdani over 9/11 comment, says Democrat socialist believes ‘the real victim’ was ‘his auntie’

JD Vance slams Mamdani over 9/11 comment, says Democrat socialist believes ‘the real victim’ was ‘his auntie’

Vice President JD Vance criticized New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani on Saturday, writing on X that according to the Democrat, “the real victim of 9/11” was his aunt. Vance made the remark as early voting began Saturday in New York City, where Mamdani, the frontrunner in the race, is trying to fend off challengers Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa. “I want to speak to the memory of my aunt. Who stopped taking the subway after September 11th because she did not feel safe in her hijab,” Mamdani said in a clip of a Friday campaign event that Vance shared. “According to Zohran, the real victim of 9/11 was his auntie who got some (allegedly) bad looks,” Vance said. EARLY VOTING UNDERWAY IN NEW YORK, NEW JERSEY, AMID HOTLY CONTESTED MAYOR AND GOVERNOR RACES Mamdani also said Friday, “I want to speak to the Muslim who works for our city, whether they teach in our schools or walk the beat for the NYPD, New Yorkers who all make daily sacrifices for the city they call home, only to see their leaders spit in their face.” “I want to speak to every child who grows up here marked as the other, who is randomly selected in a way that never quite feels random, who feels that they carry a stain that can never be cleaned. Growing up in the shadow of 9/11, I have known what it means to live with an undercurrent of suspicion in this city,” Mamdani added. Fox News Digital has reached out to the Mamdani campaign for reaction to Vance’s comment. SOCIAL MEDIA ERUPTS AFTER CUOMO, MAMDANI RIP EACH OTHER DURING FINAL DEBATE: ‘UNMASKED’ Mamdani accused Cuomo this week of “Islamophobic rhetoric” after the former governor joined a radio show and its host speculated that Mamdani would be “cheering” if New York City faced another 9/11-style attack. During an appearance on WABC’s “Sid & Friends in the Morning” on Thursday, Cuomo questioned Mamdani’s ability to lead the city through a crisis situation. “Any given moment, there’s a crisis, and people’s lives are at stake. God forbid, there’s another 9/11. Can you imagine Mamdani in the seat?” Cuomo asked host Sid Rosenberg. “He’d be cheering,” Rosenberg retorted. “That’s another problem,” said Cuomo, before returning to his hypothetical question: “But could you imagine that?” During a Mamdani campaign event in Manhattan later on Thursday, a reporter asked Mamdani if Cuomo’s comments were Islamophobic. “Yes, I believe that they were,” Mamdani said, before adding, “We’re speaking about a former governor who, in his final moments in public life, is engaging in rhetoric that is not only Islamophobic, not only racist, it’s also disgusting.” Fox News Digital’s Deirdre Heavey contributed to this report.