The iciest moments of 2025: The 5 political feuds that froze Washington
As temperatures drop in the nation’s capital and politicians hunker down for the holidays, here’s a look back at some of the political controversies that sent a chill through Washington, D.C., this year. The government was shut down for 43 days in 2025, setting the record for the longest shutdown in U.S. history. Republicans blamed Democrats and Democrats blamed Republicans, leaving Capitol Hill at a standstill for a staggering stretch that put Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, federal paychecks and even air-traffic safety in jeopardy. TRUMP SAYS ECONOMY WILL ‘ROCKET’ AFTER SIGNING ‘BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL’: ‘IT’S GOING TO BE REALLY GREAT’ Congress failed to find common ground on a short-term spending bill as Senate Democrats refused to support any plan that did not include extensions of enhanced Obamacare subsidies set to expire at year’s end. Ultimately, eight Senate Democrats broke with leadership to reach a bipartisan deal to reopen the government, and six House Democrats followed suit — ending the shutdown without securing the subsidies their party had demanded. TRUMP SAYS ECONOMY WILL ‘ROCKET’ AFTER SIGNING ‘BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL’: ‘IT’S GOING TO BE REALLY GREAT’ President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Inauguration Day establishing the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) with a mandate to cut waste, fraud and abuse across the federal government. Trump tapped Tesla CEO Elon Musk as a “special government employee” to spearhead spending reductions. According to DOGE, the agency has saved approximately $214 billion through asset sales, contract cancellations, improper payment recoveries, grant terminations, regulatory rollbacks, and workforce reductions. As Musk slashed spending, the agency overhauled federal operations, laying off tens of thousands of workers, cutting foreign-aid programs, including the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and shaking up global health efforts such as the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). The DOGE disruptions and Trump’s sweeping second-term agenda triggered a wave of protest movements across the country. In February, the 50501 Movement, a coalition of activists rejecting Trump’s “executive overreach,” organized nationwide “Not My President’s Day,” or “No Kings Day,” demonstrations. From Austin to Orlando and Boston to Phoenix, crowds marched with handmade signs, chanting and singing in protest. More than a thousand gathered at the Capitol Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C., on President’s Day. As Musk led efforts to slash government spending, some protesters targeted Tesla cars, dealerships, and showrooms as Attorney General Pam Bondi labeled the attacks as “domestic terrorism.” By Oct. 18, millions of Americans joined another “No Kings Day,” as the protest movement showed no signs of fading throughout Trump’s second term. During Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign, he promised to carry out the largest mass deportation operation in American history. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement delivered on that pledge this year, launching an aggressive nationwide effort to deport illegal immigrants. While Republicans celebrated what they viewed as a long-overdue restoration of security at the southern border, many Americans rejected the crackdown, protesting mistaken removals, due-process concerns and ICE’s enforcement surge. Democratic lawmakers and local officials joined demonstrations at ICE processing centers and immigration courts, urging constituents to know their legal rights. Trump deployed the National Guard to Los Angeles as anti-ICE protests escalated into riots in June. It was the first time in more than 60 years that a president overrode a governor and federalized a state’s National Guard for a domestic law-enforcement mission. After federalizing the National Guard in Los Angeles in June, Trump deployed troops to the nation’s capital in August as part of the administration’s nationwide crime crackdown. The White House then moved to deploy the Guard to other Democratic-led cities, including Chicago and Memphis, and attempted a similar rollout in Portland before courts intervened. Democrats and progressive activists denounced the strategy as dangerous federal overreach, arguing that importing troops into local jurisdictions would escalate tensions rather than calm them. Tensions reached a boiling point on Nov. 26, when two National Guardsmen — U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, and Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, 20 — were shot just blocks from the White House. Beckstrom later died from the injuries. Federal authorities are investigating the attack as a potential act of terrorism. “God bless our Great National Guard, and all of our Military and Law Enforcement. These are truly Great People. I, as President of the United States, and everyone associated with the Office of the Presidency, am with you!” Trump said in response.
Trump lists accomplishments, says ‘Radical Left Scum’ are ‘failing badly’ in Christmas message
President Donald Trump used his Christmas Eve Truth Social post to tout his administration’s accomplishments and to bash those on the left whom he accused of trying to “destroy” the U.S. “Merry Christmas to all, including the radical left scum that is doing everything possible to destroy our country, but are failing badly,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “We no longer have open borders, men in women’s sports, transgender for everyone, or weak law enforcement. What we do have is a record stock market and 401K’s, lowest crime numbers in decades, no inflation, and yesterday, a 4.3 GDP, two points better than expected.” “Tariffs have given us trillions of dollars in growth and prosperity, and the strongest national security we have ever had. We are respected again, perhaps like never before. God Bless America!!!,” the president added. In the first year of Trump’s second term, the administration launched a sweeping crackdown on illegal immigration, introduced controversial tariffs, worked to cut DEI from government programs and took steps toward fulfilling other campaign promises. TRUMP TAKES NORAD SANTA CALLS WITH CHILDREN, PRAISES ‘CLEAN, BEAUTIFUL COAL’ AND ‘HIGH IQ’ PERSON The Department of Homeland Security announced Wednesday that it had arrested 17,500 criminal illegal immigrants since Trump signed the Laken Riley Act in January 2025. In a separate DHS announcement, the department unveiled the “2025 Worst of the Worst Criminal Illegal Aliens,” saying that 70% of all ICE arrests are of illegal immigrants “convicted or charged with a crime in the U.S.” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement on the results of the Laken Riley Act that “President Trump has empowered us to arrest and remove the millions of violent criminal illegal aliens unleashed on the United States by the previous administration. Now, these criminals will face justice and be removed from our country.” Trump’s Christmas Truth Social post on his administration’s accomplishments was also backed up by recent economic data. On Tuesday, the Bureau of Economic Analysis released its initial estimate of the third-quarter GDP, which showed the economy grew at an annualized rate of 4.3% in the three-month period including July, August and September. OPINION: MELANIA TRUMP’S WHITE HOUSE CHRISTMAS IS A SHINING BEACON OF AMERICA “Compared to the second quarter, the acceleration in real GDP in the third quarter reflected a smaller decrease in investment, an acceleration in consumer spending, and upturns in exports and government spending. Imports decreased less in the third quarter,” the BEA said. While the president issued a cutting Christmas Eve statement on Truth Social, his official Christmas Day message was softer and more focused on the meaning of the holiday and the season. In the statement, which was released by the White House on Thursday, Trump and first lady Melania Trump relayed their warm wishes to Americans while emphasizing the religious significance of Christmas. MELANIA TRUMP GIVES UPLIFTING MESSAGE ABOUT SANTA TO YOUNG KIDS AT HOSPITAL “The First Lady and I send our warmest wishes to all Americans as we share in the joy of Christmas Day and celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,” the message reads. Trump went on to recount the biblical story of Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem, calling it “the perfect expression of God’s boundless love and His desire to be close to His people.” The president then tied the story to the founding principles of the U.S. “For nearly 250 years, the principles of faith, family, and freedom have remained at the center of our way of life. As President, I will never waver in defending the fundamental values that make America the greatest country in the history of the world—and we will always remain one Nation under God.” The president also paid homage to U.S. servicemembers who are overseas and are unable to be with their families for the holiday. Trump thanked them for their service and sacrifice and their dedication to protecting Americans. “We are grateful for their devotion, and we keep them and their loved ones close in our hearts.” Trump ended his official message with a prayer for peace in the U.S. and across the globe, extending Christmas wishes to Americans and the world. “During the Christmas season, we pray for an outpouring of God’s abiding love, divine mercy, and everlasting peace upon our country and the entire world,” he said.. “To every American, and to those celebrating around the globe, we wish you a very Merry Christmas!”
How US troops celebrate Christmas abroad
As families across the United States gather for the holidays, thousands of U.S. service members are spending the season overseas, marking the occasion far from home while continuing their duties. American troops remain deployed across Europe, the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific, supporting missions that range from NATO deterrence operations to maritime patrols and humanitarian assistance. While Christmas abroad rarely resembles celebrations back home, service members often find ways to recognize the holiday within the constraints of their mission and location. Across overseas installations, troops commonly decorate workspaces, living areas and dining facilities with lights, trees or improvised decorations. Many bases organize special holiday meals, often with commanders and senior enlisted leaders serving food. Chaplains typically hold Christmas services when schedules and security allow, sometimes in chapels, hangars or temporary facilities. For sailors deployed at sea, Christmas is often marked between watches, with decorated mess decks and holiday meals worked around operational demands. The holiday season also brings outreach from senior leaders. In recent days, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth placed Christmas morale calls from the Pentagon to service members stationed across the globe, including troops in South Korea, Kuwait, Norway, Greenland and aboard a Navy aircraft carrier operating in the Pacific. The calls were intended to thank service members for standing watch away from home and to recognize the range of missions continuing through the holidays. AMERICANS TURNED CHRISTMAS DINNER INTO PATRIOTIC DUTY DURING WWI WITH WARTIME RECIPES In Japan, where thousands of U.S. service members are stationed year-round, bases often emphasize morale and community traditions during the holidays. At Yokota Air Base, leaders delivered baked cookies to airmen living in dorms as part of the installation’s annual “Cookie Crunch,” a tradition aimed at supporting those spending the holidays away from family. Other installations across Japan and the Pacific typically host concerts, meals and volunteer events that sometimes include host-nation communities. MILITARY REVEALS JUST HOW MUCH TURKEY SHIPPED GLOBALLY TO ENSURE AMERICAN TROOPS ENJOY THANKSGIVING MEAL Elsewhere in Japan, the U.S. Band of the Pacific performed holiday music for local audiences, using seasonal concerts as a way to engage surrounding communities during the holiday period. One of the military’s most visible holiday efforts in the region is Operation Christmas Drop, the Department of War’s longest-running humanitarian airlift mission. Now in its 74th year, the operation recently concluded at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam, where multinational teams prepared and delivered hundreds of aid bundles by C-130 aircraft to remote Pacific island communities. The mission combines humanitarian assistance with airlift training and regional cooperation. Holiday experiences also vary based on assignment type. In places like Japan and parts of Europe, many U.S. troops serve on accompanied tours, meaning spouses and children live with them overseas. Bases in those regions often host larger holiday events and family-focused activities. In contrast, deployments to the Middle East and parts of Africa are typically unaccompanied, with service members living on base or at forward locations without family present. In those environments, holiday observances are usually smaller and shaped by operational and security constraints. That distinction also affects leave. Troops stationed overseas on long-term assignments may be eligible to travel home during the holidays if schedules allow, while service members deployed on rotational or combat deployments generally remain in place, with units maintaining normal staffing and mission requirements throughout the season. Across Europe, U.S. forces mark the holidays while supporting NATO missions and forward presence efforts. Senior leaders use the season to acknowledge the sacrifices of those stationed abroad. In a holiday message to troops, U.S. Army Command Sgt. Maj. T.J. Holland encouraged soldiers to spend time embracing local culture and connecting with family when possible. U.S. Air Force Gen. Alexus G. Grynkewich also thanked service members and their families for their service. For many deployed troops, the United Service Organizations (USO) plays a key role during the holidays. Across Europe, the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific, USO centers, mobile vehicles and expeditionary teams provide festive meals, seasonal decorations and spaces where service members can rest and connect. Mobile USO teams often reach personnel stationed at remote or demanding locations, offering brief opportunities to recharge. For deployed units, the holidays often are marked quietly rather than ceremonially. Traditions differ by location, mission and security environment, but service members continue to find small ways to recognize the season before returning to the routines of deployment.
Scavenger hunts, Christmas mass, Cajun-fried turkey: Capitol Hill’s favorite holiday traditions
Late December, for many people, is a time for family and holiday cheer. It’s no different for folks on Capitol Hill, which is currently a ghost town after lawmakers went home to their various districts to celebrate their favorite end-of-year traditions. For some, like Reps. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., and Byron Donalds, R-Mo., that means annual Christmas traditions with loved ones. “So, Christmas Eve is Spanish bean soup and Cuban sandwiches,” Donalds told Fox News Digital. “And Christmas Day we just spend time, and Christmas night will be some basketball, some football, and maybe a fire.” Burlison described a “special” Christmas scavenger hunt his mother puts on for her grandchildren to find in their stockings. AJ BROWN, TEE HIGGINS AMONG NFL STARS REMINISCING ON CHRISTMAS MEMORIES AS THEY IMPACT THEIR COMMUNITIES “And then we do Christmas bingo for our White Elephant gifts, and it gets pretty competitive,” Burlison smiled. “One of the funny things that happens every year is my brother will, whatever home we’re in, he’ll steal something from the house and then throw it in as one of the gifts.” “You’ll end up opening it and you’re like, ‘Oh, we have a vase just like this, Oh, wait, that’s our vase!’ It’s so funny. He does it all the time.” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., told Fox News Digital his favorite Christmas tradition is opening presents with his children and eating Cajun fried turkey. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, said he always keeps his faith close on Christmas. “The holidays always begin with attending Christmas Mass and thanking God for the miracle of the birth of Christ,” Cuellar told Fox News Digital. “From there, it’s about being at home with family — gathering around the table, sharing home-cooked meals, and keeping traditions that bring everyone together.” Meanwhile, Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., likes to share the end-of-year holidays with her chosen family of friends and neighbors. ‘CHRISTMAS LAWYER’ WHO WENT TO WAR WITH HOA SPENDS WINDFALL ON HOLIDAY CHEER That includes making and sharing Christmas cookies with those same people, as well as “holiday dinner with my college roommates and holiday dinner with my poker group.” And Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., said Hanukkah and the rest of the holiday season was about his loved ones as well. “The holidays are a special time for me to celebrate with my family — whether that’s lighting the menorah with my kids, donating toys at local toy drives, or joining our community for tree and menorah lightings,” Gottheimer said.
Nearly 20 states sue HHS over declaration to restrict gender transition treatment for minors
A group of 19 Democrat-led states and Washington, D.C., filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over a declaration that aims to restrict gender transition treatment for minors. The lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; its secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.; and its inspector general comes after the declaration issued last week described treatments such as puberty blockers, hormone therapy and gender surgeries as unsafe and ineffective for children experiencing gender dysphoria. The declaration also warned doctors they could be excluded from federal health programs, including Medicare and Medicaid, if they provide these treatments to minors. The move seeks to build on President Donald Trump’s executive order in January calling on HHS to protect children from “chemical and surgical mutilation.” HHS UNLEASHES SWEEPING CRACKDOWN ON CHILD ‘SEX-REJECTING PROCEDURES,’ THREATENS HOSPITAL, MEDICAID FUNDING “We are taking six decisive actions guided by gold standard science and the week one executive order from President Trump to protect children from chemical and surgical mutilation,” Kennedy said during a press conference last week. HHS has also proposed new rules designed to further block gender transition treatment for minors, although the lawsuit does not address the rules, which have yet to be finalized. The states’ lawsuit, filed Tuesday in Eugene, Oregon, argues that the declaration is inaccurate and unlawful and urges the court to prevent it from being enforced. “Secretary Kennedy cannot unilaterally change medical standards by posting a document online, and no one should lose access to medically necessary health care because their federal government tried to interfere in decisions that belong in doctors’ offices,” New York Attorney General Letitia James, who led the lawsuit, said in a statement. The lawsuit claims the declaration attempts to pressure providers into ending gender transition treatment for young people and circumvent legal requirements for policy changes. The complaint said federal law requires the public be given notice and an opportunity to comment before substantively amending health policy and that neither of these were done before the declaration was released. The declaration based its conclusions on a peer-reviewed report that the department conducted earlier this year that called for more reliance on behavioral therapy rather than broad gender transition treatment for minors with gender dysphoria. The report raised questions about standards for the treatment of transgender children issued by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health and brought concerns that youths may be too young to give consent to life-changing treatments that could result in future infertility. Major medical groups and physicians who treat transgender children have criticized the report as inaccurate. HHS also announced last week two proposed federal rules — one to cut off federal Medicaid and Medicare funding from hospitals that offer gender transition treatment to children and another to block federal Medicaid money from being used for these procedures. HOUSE APPROVES MTG-SPONSORED BILL TO CRIMINALIZE GENDER TRANSITION TREATMENT FOR MINORS The proposals have not yet been made final and are not legally binding because they must go through a lengthy rulemaking process and public comment before they can be enforced. Several major medical providers have already pulled back on gender transition treatment for youths since Trump returned to office, even those in Democrat-led states where the procedures are legal under state law. Medicaid programs in just under half of states currently cover gender transition treatment. At least 27 states have adopted laws restricting or banning the treatment, and the Supreme Court’s decision this year upholding Tennessee’s ban likely means other state laws will remain in place. Democrat attorneys general from California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Wisconsin, Washington state and Washington, D.C., as well as Pennsylvania’s Democrat governor, joined James in the lawsuit. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Trump takes NORAD Santa calls with children, praises ‘clean, beautiful coal’ and ‘high-IQ’ person
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump spoke with several children on Christmas Eve as Santa Claus made his rounds across the globe, praising “clean, beautiful coal” and referring to one child as a “high-IQ person.” The pair joined the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) Santa Tracker hotline from Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, where they fielded calls from kids about what they hoped St. Nick would bring them for Christmas. One child spoke to Trump about wanting a Kindle, the e-reader designed and marketed by Amazon. INSIDE THE WHITE HOUSE CHRISTMAS CARD TRADITION – FROM COOLIDGE TO TRUMP “That’s pretty good. You must be a high-IQ person. We need more high-IQ people in the country,” he replied. One 8-year-old North Carolina girl asked if Santa would be upset if she didn’t leave him cookies. “I think he won’t get mad, but I think he’ll be very disappointed,” said Trump. “Santa tends to be a little on the cherubic side.” Trump asked one child in Kansas for a Christmas wish. “Um, not coal,” the child replied. MELANIA TRUMP GIVES UPLIFTING MESSAGE ABOUT SANTA TO YOUNG KIDS AT HOSPITAL “Not coal. No, you don’t want coal. You mean clean, beautiful coal. I had to do that, I’m sorry,” Trump said. “No, coal is clean and beautiful. Please remember that at all costs,” he added. “But you don’t want clean, beautiful coal, right? What would you like?” Trump has frequently referred to coal as “clean” and “beautiful” in an effort to boost its use. During a call with a child in Oklahoma, he said he was fond of the state, which he won in the 2024 presidential election. “Santa loves you. Santa loves Oklahoma like I do. You know, Oklahoma was very good to me in the election. So, I love Oklahoma. Don’t ever leave Oklahoma, OK?” he said. During the same call, Trump talked about tracking Santa. “We track Santa all over the world. … We want to make sure that he’s not infiltrated — that we’re not infiltrating into our country a bad Santa,” he said. “We found that Santa is Good!”
DOJ discovers more than 1M potential Epstein records, further delaying file release
The Department of Justice said Wednesday it may have more than a million more documents related to the late Jeffrey Epstein that it needs to review and that the process could take weeks to complete. The DOJ said two of its components, the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, had just handed over the missing tranche of files, days after the Epstein Files Transparency Act deadline had passed. “We have lawyers working around the clock to review and make the legally required redactions to protect victims, and we will release the documents as soon as possible,” the DOJ wrote in a statement on social media. EPSTEIN FILE DROP INCLUDES ‘UNTRUE AND SENSATIONALIST CLAIMS’ ABOUT TRUMP, DOJ SAYS The “mass volume of material” could “take a few more weeks” to review, the DOJ said. “The Department will continue to fully comply with federal law and President Trump’s direction to release the files,” the department wrote. The DOJ has been sharing on a public website since Friday tens of thousands of pages of files related to Epstein’s and Ghislaine Maxwell’s sex-trafficking cases as part of its obligation under the transparency bill. President Donald Trump signed the bill into law Nov. 19, giving the DOJ 30 days to review and release all unclassified material related to the cases. The file rollout has stirred controversy as critics have blasted the DOJ for what they say are excessive redactions and the law’s lapsed deadline Friday. Initially, the DOJ said it would miss the deadline by a couple of weeks, but Wednesday’s announcement signals that might extend further into the new year than the administration had anticipated. SCHUMER ACCUSES DOJ OF BREAKING THE LAW OVER REDACTED EPSTEIN FILES Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said on “Meet the Press” Sunday there was “well-settled law” that supported the DOJ missing the bill’s deadline because of a need to meet other legal requirements, like redacting victim-identifying information. The transparency bill required the DOJ to withhold information about victims and material that could jeopardize open investigations or litigation. Officials could also leave out information “in the interest of national defense or foreign policy,” the bill said. The bill also explicitly directed the DOJ to keep visible any details that could be damaging to high-profile and politically connected people.
Pentagon to send 350 National Guard troops to New Orleans as violent crime surges ahead of major events
The Pentagon is deploying 350 National Guard troops in New Orleans through Mardi Gras in an effort to curb crime in the city. The troops will support federal authorities, including the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security, enforcing federal law and helping to counter high rates of violent crime in New Orleans and other metropolitan areas in Louisiana, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said Tuesday. “Operating under Governor Landry’s command and control, this mission will directly enhance the safety of Louisiana’s residents and the enforcement of federal laws, reaffirming the Department of Defense’s commitment to supporting our interagency partners and the safety and security of our nation,” he said. DHS LAUNCHING MASSIVE IMMIGRATION OPERATION IN LOUISIANA, MISSISSIPPI: ‘SWAMP SWEEP’ The soldiers will remain in the city through Feb. 28 and will assist with security in the French Quarter for New Year’s Eve, the Sugar Bowl and Mardi Gras events, Fox 8 Live reported. “We know how to make cities safe, and the National Guard complements cities that are experiencing high crime,” Landry said during an appearance on “The Will Cain Show.” “Look at what the president has done in Washington, D.C. When he wanted to send the National Guard into Washington, D.C., Louisiana was one of the first to raise its hand and say our troops will go there and help. And the city is so much better.” TRUMP’S WEEK SHAPED BY CRIME AGENDA, POTENTIAL GUARD DEPLOYMENT TO CHICAGO National Guard members serving in Washington, D.C., are expected to return to Louisiana, the news outlet reported. “Our Louisiana National Guardsmen are highly trained professionals. Many of them supported law enforcement efforts in Washington, D.C., and are ready to support our home state,” Maj. Gen. Thomas Friloux, the adjutant general of Louisiana, told Fox 8 Live. “We’ve mobilized multiple times this year to support efforts in New Orleans and are ready to do so again for the next two months.” Fox News Digital has reached out to the office of New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell and the Louisiana National Guard. New Orleans has reported 97 murders this year as of Nov. 1. In September, Landry asked President Donald Trump to deploy National Guard troops to Louisiana amid concerns about crime. In early 2025, a U.S. Army veteran driving a pickup truck bearing the flag of the Islamic State group slammed into New Year’s revelers before being shot and killed by police.
Alito rips Supreme Court majority as ‘unwise’ for blocking Trump’s National Guard plan
Justice Samuel Alito criticized the Supreme Court’s majority in a sharp dissent Tuesday after the high court decided 6–3 to temporarily block President Donald Trump from deploying the National Guard in Chicago. Alito said the high court’s majority made “unwise” and “imprudent” determinations to reach its decision. The majority also did not give enough deference to Trump after the president found that agitators were hindering immigration officers and other federal personnel from doing their jobs in Chicago and that the National Guard needed to step in to help. “Whatever one may think about the current administration’s enforcement of the immigration laws or the way ICE has conducted its operations, the protection of federal officers from potentially lethal attacks should not be thwarted,” Alito wrote. WHERE THE TRUMP ADMIN’S COURT FIGHT OVER DC NATIONAL GUARD STANDS IN WAKE OF SHOOTING The lawsuit stemmed from Trump invoking a rarely used federal law to federalize about 300 members of the National Guard and deploy them to protect federal personnel and buildings. The Trump administration argued that protesters were obstructing, assaulting and threatening ICE officers, and the National Guard was needed because Illinois’ resistant Democratic leaders and local law enforcement were not adequately addressing the matter, the administration said. Illinois sued, and the lower courts blocked the National Guard’s deployment, finding that Trump had not satisfied criteria in the law that said the president could only use the reserved forces when he was “unable with the regular forces to execute the laws of the United States.” The Supreme Court’s decision upheld that finding while the case proceeds through the courts. The Supreme Court’s majority said in an unsigned order that “regular forces” meant the U.S. military, not ICE or other civilian law enforcement officers. The majority said that since Trump had not identified any justification for using the regular military for domestic purposes in Chicago, there was no way to exhaust that option before using the National Guard. JUDGE BLOCKS TRUMP NATIONAL GUARD DEPLOYMENT IN LOS ANGELES Alito, who was joined by Justice Clarence Thomas, objected, saying the majority prematurely raised and accepted an “eleventh-hour argument” about the meaning of “regular forces.” Justice Neil Gorsuch issued a separate dissent. The majority also took issue with the statute’s language about executing laws, saying that if the National Guard soldiers were simply protecting federal officers, that would not amount to executing laws. And, if the National Guard were executing laws, that could violate the Posse Comitatus Act, which says the military cannot generally act as a domestic police force unless Congress authorizes it to, the majority said. Alito, an appointee of President George W. Bush, said he found it “puzzling” that the majority thought the Posse Comitatus Act was so relevant, saying the president could use the military for a “range of domestic purposes.” The Constitution allows the president to use the military to respond to war, insurrection or “other serious emergency,” Alito wrote. The conservative justice also warned of broader implications of the majority’s decision, as Trump has attempted to deploy the National Guard in other cities as part of a crackdown on immigration enforcement and street crime. The president has also been met with legal pushback in California and Portland, Oregon, but the Chicago case was the furthest along in the court system. Requiring Trump to exhaust the use of other military forces before using the National Guard would lead to “outlandish results,” Alito said. “Under the Court’s interpretation, National Guard members could arrest and process aliens who are subject to deportation, but they would lack statutory authorization to perform purely protective functions,” Alito wrote. “Our country has traditionally been wary of using soldiers as domestic police, but it has been comfortable with their use for purely protective purposes.” Illinois had argued that ICE protests were mostly peaceful and that local law enforcement had the unrest under control. The state would suffer irreversible harm if the courts did not block Trump from using the National Guard, state attorneys argued. “The planned deployment would infringe on Illinois’s sovereign interests in regulating and overseeing its own law enforcement activities,” the attorneys wrote, adding that Illinois’ “sovereign right to commit its law enforcement resources where it sees fit is the type of ‘intangible and unquantifiable interest’ that courts recognize as irreparable.”
Inside the White House Christmas card tradition – from Coolidge to Trump
Few White House traditions are quite as time-honored or cherished as the annual Christmas celebrations it hosts – which stretch back more than a century and transcend partisan politics, imbuing the president’s official residence with a feeling of continuity and warmth. But the sense of togetherness and cheer need not stop at the gates of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Like most families, U.S. presidents and first ladies have long used annual Christmas cards to share their holiday greeting to friends both near and far – communicating well-wishes, gratitude and, at times, subtle political statements. Here’s a look at how the tradition of the White House Christmas card began, and how it has evolved throughout the years. FIRST LADY MELANIA TRUMP DECORATES THE WHITE HOUSE FOR CHRISTMAS: ‘HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS’ Historians aren’t quite sure when presidents began sending out Christmas cards, though many acknowledge that the practice probably began in an unofficial capacity in the late 1800s, with the recipients likely limited to a smaller group. In fact, it was not until 1927 that President Calvin Coolidge wrote what would become the first “official” Christmas card to the American people. Coolidge, in response to multiple requests for a holiday greeting, penned a short, simple message, “Season’s Greetings,” by hand in the distinctive, elegant form of cursive he was known for. The missive was published by every major newspaper in the country, kicking off what would become a larger, more elaborate tradition that continues to this day. In the years that followed, the Christmas greetings took the form of individual cards, and the list of recipients grew longer and more expansive. Presidents Dwight Eisenhower and Richard Nixon each sought to make it a more formal tradition, with Eisenhower adding Cabinet secretaries, members of Congress, and U.S. ambassadors overseas to the list of recipients. MELANIA TRUMP GIVES TOUR OF 2018 WHITE HOUSE CHRISTMAS DECOR Under Nixon, the cards were mass printed for the first time, and sent to a much broader audience – some 40,000 people – an undertaking that would have been unimaginable in Coolidge’s time, when the hand-printed “Season’s Greetings” message was drafted by hand with painstaking care and detail. Today, the Republican and Democratic national parties are responsible for printing the Christmas cards; as a result, the lists include (but are not limited to) party donors and campaign supporters, among others. WHITE HOUSE UNVEILS CHRISTMAS DECOR WITH ‘SPIRIT OF AMERICA’ THEME While neither party has released an official count of the cards it has sent out on behalf of recent presidents, the RNC is estimated to have printed some 1.5 million White House Christmas cards during George W. Bush’s presidency – a number that grew under Presidents Barack Obama, Joe Biden, and Trump in his first term and this year. Other technological advances allow even those without deep pockets to share in the Christmas joy. The White House social media accounts have embraced the rise of social media in recent years to share the official Christmas photos, expanding the reach and message of the commander in chief, and often the rest of his family. The White House accounts on Tuesday shared the official 2025 Christmas portrait of President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump. This year’s printed White House Christmas card expands on Melania Trump’s 2025 White House Christmas theme, “Home Is Where the Heart Is,” which she said was inspired by the “joys, challenges, and frequent motion derived from motherhood and business.” “This Christmas, let’s celebrate the love we hold within ourselves, and share it with the world around us,” she said in a statement announcing the theme. “After all, wherever we are, we can create a home filled with grace, radiance, and endless possibilities.”