Paperwork seized by FBI in Mar-a-Lago raid returned to Trump, White Home says – stay | Trump administration
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Paperwork seized in FBI raid of Mar-a-Lago returned to Trump, White Home says
Steven Cheung, the White Home communications director, advised reporters touring with Trump to Florida on Friday that labeled paperwork seized by the FBI from Mar-a-Lago in 2022 had been returned to Trump and had been loaded on to Air Power One for the journey.
“The FBl is giving the president his property again that was taken through the illegal and unlawful raids. We’re taking possession of the containers right this moment and loading them on to Air Power One,” Cheung mentioned in an announcement to reporters chosen by the White Home to report on the journey.
In keeping with a reporter for the conservative Washington Examiner, there have been no seats on the airplane for journalists from the Related Press, or anybody chosen by the White Home Correspondents Affiliation, however the Day by day Wire and Actual America’s Voice, two pro-Trump rightwing shops, had been available to cowl the president they assist.
Key occasions
Writing on his social-media platform, Fact Social, Trump has confirmed that “the containers” on the middle of the labeled paperwork case towards him have been returned to him and transported again to Florida.
“The Division of Justice has simply returned the containers that Deranged Jack Smith made such an enormous deal about. They’re being introduced all the way down to Florida and can sometime be a part of the Trump Presidential Library. Justice lastly received out”, Trump posted. “I did completely nothing flawed. This was merely an assault on a political opponent that, clearly, didn’t work nicely. Justice in our Nation will now be restored.”
A Reuters photographer caught Steven Cheung, the White Home communications director, overseeing the loading of the containers on to Air Power One in Maryland on Friday afternoon.
A reporter for the pro-Trump Day by day Wire, who was chosen by the White Home to cowl the president’s journey to Mar-a-Lago, shared video on-line of what she mentioned had been these containers being unloaded from Air Power One after the flight arrived in Florida Friday night time.
Trump ‘requested Zelenskyy and the Ukrainians to depart the White Home’, press secretary says
Talking to reporters on Friday night time in Washington, the press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, mentioned that Trump had “requested Zelenskyy and the Ukrainians to depart the White Home” after their contentious change within the Oval ffice.
She additionally famous, with disapproval, that Zelenskyy had refused Fox anchor Bret Baier’s invitation to apologize to Trump on the air.
“He feels President Zelenskyy just isn’t in the best mindset to barter peace. And I feel, frankly, that was bolstered together with his feedback on Bret Baier, refusing to apologize for disrespecting the president and the American individuals within the Oval workplace,” she mentioned.
Leavitt additionally elaborated on Trump’s repeated statements earlier within the day that Zelenskyy was not in a powerful negotiating place. “As President Trump mentioned right this moment, he doesn’t have any playing cards,” Leavitt mentioned. “The playing cards will not be in his favor. They’re in President Trump’s favor.”
It was putting that Leavitt appeared to counsel that the particular person Zelenskyy needed to negotiate with from a place of weak spot was Trump, not Putin, as if the American president’s main concern was a deal to safe Ukraine’s mineral wealth, not a deal to finish the struggle.
The protection secretary Pete Hegseth ordered US Cyber Command to face down from all planning towards Russia final week, in keeping with a brand new report from the Report.
“Hegseth gave the instruction to Cyber Command chief Gen Timothy Haugh, who then knowledgeable the group’s outgoing director of operations, Marine Corps Maj Gen Ryan Heritage, of the brand new steering, in keeping with these individuals, who spoke on the situation of anonymity due to the matter’s sensitivity,” the outlet studies.
The publication notes that, even earlier than Friday’s extraordinary occasions, Trump “has made a collection of false statements and calls for that align him with Russian President Vladimir Putin, together with blaming Ukraine for the struggle and calling the nation’s chief a dictator”.
At one stage through the Oval Workplace press availability, Trump responded to a query from a reporter who requested what would occur if Russia broke a ceasefire he negotiated. Trump replied by scoffing on the query and defending Putin’s popularity, whereas sitting subsequent to the chief of a rustic whose persons are being killed by Putin’s forces. “Putin went by means of a hell of rather a lot with me. He went by means of a phony witch-hunt, the place they used him and Russia – Russia, Russia, Russia, you ever hear of that deal?” Trump mentioned. “The entire thing was a rip-off, and he needed to put up with that, he was being accused of all that stuff.”
As our colleague Stephanie Kirchgaessner reported earlier on Friday, the Trump administration “has publicly and privately signaled that it doesn’t imagine Russia represents a cyber risk towards US nationwide safety or important infrastructure, marking a radical departure from longstanding intelligence assessments”.
Learn Stephanie’s reporting right here on what that might imply:
Zelenskyy stands his floor in Fox interview, however admits Trump assembly ‘was not good’
Lauren Gambino
In an interview with Fox Information, Volodymyr Zelenskyy was requested by host Bret Baier whether or not he regretted what happened within the tense Oval Workplace change with Donald Trump and JD Vance.
“Sure, I feel it was not good,” Zelenskyy replied.
“I’m not listening to from you, Mr President, a thought that you simply owe the president an apology,” Baier mentioned at one stage.
“No, I respect president and I respect American individuals,” Zelenskyy mentioned, talking in English, which is his third language, after his native Russian and Ukrainian. “I feel that we’ve got to be very open and really trustworthy, and I’m unsure that we did one thing unhealthy.
“I feel possibly typically, some issues we’ve got to debate out of media, with all respect to democracy and to free media,” he added.
All through the interview, the Ukrainian chief stood his floor as he insisted that his relationship with Trump could possibly be salvaged and brushed apart a name by the Republican senator Lindsey Graham to resign.
Requested about Trump’s declare that Zelenskyy wasn’t fascinated about peace, the Ukrainian president mentioned that no person needs an finish to the grueling three-year struggle greater than Ukrainians. However, he mentioned, Ukraine wanted safety ensures from the US earlier than coming into peace talks with Russia.
Zelenskyy insisted that even when he had been to offer the order for his troops to cease combating, “no person will simply cease” as a result of everyone seems to be afraid “Putin will come again tomorrow”.
“We wish simply and lasting peace,” he mentioned.
Brian Glenn, an ardent Trump supporter who covers the president for the rightwing community Actual America’s Voice and was chosen by the White Home to attend the Oval Workplace assembly with Zelenskyy, performed an necessary position in turning the temper bitter.
Glenn, whose inquiries to Trump are sometimes invites for the president to assault his political enemies, was referred to as on by Trump early within the assembly, earlier than it received contentious, and he selected to confront Zelenskyy for not carrying a swimsuit.
As Winston Churchill did through the second world struggle, Zelenskyy visited the White Home in a army outfit, a black sweater with a Ukrainian trident. That has been Zelenskyy’s alternative because the begin of Russia’s full-scale invasion of his nation.
“Why don’t you put on a swimsuit?” Glenn requested Zelenskyy. “You’re on the highest stage on this nation’s workplace, and also you refuse to put on a swimsuit. Simply needed to see if, do you personal a swimsuit?”
“You have got issues?” Zelenskyy requested.
“Numerous People have issues with you not respecting the dignity of this workplace,” Glenn replied.
“Actually?” Zelensky replied. “I’ll put on a fancy dress after this struggle will end,” Zelensky added, utilizing the Ukrainian phrase for swimsuit.
“Perhaps one thing like this?” Glenn mentioned, pointing to his personal swimsuit.
“Perhaps one thing like yours, sure,” Zelensky replied. “Perhaps one thing higher, I don’t know,” he added, with a contact of the previous comic’s humor popping out.
“We’ll see. Perhaps one thing cheaper,” he concluded.
Video of the change was shared on X by the consultant Marjorie Taylor Greene, who wrote that she was “so proud” of Glenn, whom she is relationship, “for mentioning that Zelensky has a lot disrespect for America that he can’t even put on a swimsuit within the Oval Workplace when he involves beg for cash from our President!!”
Trump himself had earlier drawn consideration to Zelenskyy’s clothes as quickly as he arrived on the White Home, when he pointed at him and mentioned to reporters, with apparent sarcasm: “He’s all dressed up right this moment.” Video of that remark was instantly posted on X by a senior member of the White Home communications workforce.
Whereas Reuters and the Related Press, wire providers that had been beforehand all the time allowed to attend such conferences, had been blocked from the Oval Workplace, Dmitry Kirsanov, a correspondent for Russia’s state-owned information company Tass, was initially allowed into the room with Trump and Zelenskyy.
After the presence of the Russian authorities media consultant within the Oval Workplace was reported on social media by Reuters correspondents who had been barred from the room by the identical White Home officers, Kirsanov was requested to depart. The White Home has provided no rationalization for why he was permitted to come back so near the chief of a nation his personal nation is presently attacking.
“Tass was not on the authorized listing of media for right this moment’s pool,” a White Home official advised Reuters. “As quickly because it got here to the eye of press workplace employees that he was within the Oval, he was escorted out by the Press Secretary.”
Kirsanov declined to remark to the Guardian.
Paperwork seized in FBI raid of Mar-a-Lago returned to Trump, White Home says
Steven Cheung, the White Home communications director, advised reporters touring with Trump to Florida on Friday that labeled paperwork seized by the FBI from Mar-a-Lago in 2022 had been returned to Trump and had been loaded on to Air Power One for the journey.
“The FBl is giving the president his property again that was taken through the illegal and unlawful raids. We’re taking possession of the containers right this moment and loading them on to Air Power One,” Cheung mentioned in an announcement to reporters chosen by the White Home to report on the journey.
In keeping with a reporter for the conservative Washington Examiner, there have been no seats on the airplane for journalists from the Related Press, or anybody chosen by the White Home Correspondents Affiliation, however the Day by day Wire and Actual America’s Voice, two pro-Trump rightwing shops, had been available to cowl the president they assist.
Trump says Zelenskyy must cease saying ‘all unfavorable issues’ about Putin
On his means out of the White Home, Donald Trump was simply requested by Nancy Cordes of CBS Information, “What does Zelenskyy have to do to re-start talks with you”?
“He’s gotta say ‘I need to make peace,’” Trump replied. “He doesn’t have to face there and say about, ‘Putin this, Putin that’, all unfavorable issues.”
“He’s gotta say: ‘I need to make peace. I don’t need to combat a struggle any longer,’” Trump continued. “His persons are dying. He doesn’t have the playing cards, simply so that you perceive it, OK.”
When one other reporter requested, “Did you inform Zelenskyy, ‘Depart the White Home,’?” Trump at first refused to say, earlier than including: “I feel you already know the reply.”
Democrats, and European leaders, are voicing assist for Zelenskyy after his public dispute with Trump and Vance within the Oval workplace.
“Trump and Vance didn’t say a single unhealthy phrase about Putin—a bloodthirsty dictator who invaded Ukraine, poisons his opposition, steals from his individuals, rigs elections, and murders those that communicate out,”a Democratic consultant from Massachusetts, Jim McGovern, posted on X. “They spent your entire assembly mendacity and yelling like maniacs at Zelenskyy—the chief of a democratic nation defending itself towards Russian imperialism and aggression. I’m so disgusted and embarrassed. Trump and Vance are pathetic, lazy, mendacity, bottom-feeding grifters. Thank God Zelenskyy has the balls to reality examine these bullies to their face.”
Different Democratic lawmakers sounded comparable themes of their feedback on the assembly, and a number of European leaders did the identical.
“In Washington, by refusing to bend, Volodymyr Zelensky was the dignity of Europe” the French prime minister, François Bayrou wrote. “It stays for us to determine what we Europeans need to be. And if we need to be in any respect”.
Following years of robust assist from each side of the aisle in Washington, Trump’s obvious resolution to facet with Putin as an alternative of Zelenskyy might quickly make Ukraine a extra partisan concern within the US.
Whereas current polling means that People assist sustaining or growing army assist to Ukraine to assist defend its territory from Russia’s full-scale invasion, necessary context for what unfolded within the White Home right this moment is that the Maga base of the Republican social gathering has been uncovered to intense anti-Zelenskyy disinformation for years now, on social media and on rightwing information channels and podcasts.
To take one instance, Elon Musk lately shared a pretend information report linked to Russia that promoted the false declare that main Hollywood celebrities who visited Ukraine to satisfy Zelenskyy had been paid tens of millions of greenback to take action.
And, because the BBC reported in 2023, a pretend story that Zelenskyy had bought two luxurious yachts with American assist cash, created by a former US marine who now lives in Russia, was accepted as reality by Consultant Marjorie Taylor Greene, the Georgia Republican.
The White Home communications workforce simply despatched reporters a prolonged spherical up of statements of assist for Donald Trump and JD Vance from Republican lawmakers and cupboard members after what Ukrainians see as their ambush of Zelesnkyy.
Maybe involved that the press corps just isn’t intently following Republicans on X, the social-media platform that has tilted proper since Elon Musk’s takeover, or Fox, the e-mail contains quotes praising Trump and Vance from 45 Republican lawmakers and eight cupboard secretaries.
Amongst them was this, from Senator Lindsey Graham: “I’ve by no means been extra happy with President Trump for displaying the American individuals — and the world — you don’t trifle with this man … He needed to get a ceasefire. He needs to finish the struggle and Zelenskyy felt like he wanted to bait Trump within the Oval Workplace.”
Graham’s remark, made to Fox, is curious as a result of he advised reporters earlier that he had spoken with Zelenskyy this morning, earlier than the assembly, and warned him, “don’t take the bait”. That appears to counsel that he had cautioned Zelenskyy towards being baited into an argument. Then, after Zelenskyy did reply to insults from Vance and Trump by arguing again, Graham accused him of “baiting” Trump.
Graham then mentioned that he was happy with each Trump and Vance.
“What I noticed within the Oval Workplace was disrespectful, and I don’t know if we are able to ever do enterprise with Zelenskyy once more,” Graham mentioned. “He both must resign and ship any person over that we are able to do enterprise with or he wants to alter.”
Right here is video of Graham’s earlier feedback, to a bunch of non-partisan reporters outdoors the White Home after the assembly.
David Smith, the Guardian’s Washington DC bureau chief, in his ‘US politics sketch’, has extra on the historic and histrionic Trump-Zelenskyy Oval workplace showdown.
For American readers unfamiliar with the time period, political sketch writing is a British newspaper style, described as “a type of verbal cartooning” akin to the form of satirical truth-telling we extra generally get from late-night comedians.
Right here is how David’s newest sketch begins, however please do learn all of it:
That is going to be nice tv,” Donald Trump remarked on the finish. Positive. And the captain of the Titanic in all probability assured his passengers that this may make an awesome film some day.
Trump has simply presided over one of many biggest diplomatic disasters in fashionable historical past. Tempers flared, voices had been raised and protocol was shredded within the as soon as hallowed Oval Workplace. As Trump received right into a shouting match Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a horrified Europe watched the post-second world struggle order crumble earlier than its eyes.
By no means earlier than has a US president bullied and berated an adversary, by no means thoughts an ally, in such a public means. After all actuality TV star and wrestling fan turned US president had all of it play out on tv for the advantage of his populist assist base – and a sure bare-chested chum within the Kremlin.
Zelenskyy had come to the White Home to signal a deal for US involvement in Ukraine’s mineral trade to pave the way in which for an finish to three-year struggle in Russia. There was a touch of bother to come back when he arrived on the West Wing, carrying black – not a swimsuit – and Trump greeted him with a handshake and sarcasm: “Wow, look, you’re all dressed up!”
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