Trump admin updates: US military is preparing for possible activation of National Guard in DC

Trump will conduct a press conference about crime in DC on Monday morning.

Last Updated: August 10, 2025, 10:50 PM EDT

President Trump has announced a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin scheduled for Friday, Aug. 15 in Alaska.

The Trump administration is also once again escalating its clash with Harvard University, with Commerce Secretary Lutnick sending a letter Friday to Harvard President Alan Garber that accuses Harvard of violating its legal and contractual obligations related to federally funded research programs and patents.

Lutnick said the Commerce Department is launching an "immediate comprehensive review" of Harvard’s federally funded research programs.

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Aug 05, 2025, 10:24 AM EDT

Trump says foreign trade deal investments will be for 'anything' he wants

When asked how exactly the U.S. is going to enforce the terms of the foreign trade deals to make sure these promised investments actually happen, President Donald Trump brushed off concern but noted that if they don't make the investments, their tariff rate will increase.

Well, then they pay tariffs for 35%," Trump said on CNBC Tuesday when asked what happens if the European Union investments don't happen.

President Donald Trump walks to Marine One as he leaves the White House, in Washington, Aug. 1, 2025.
Will Oliver/EPA/Shutterstock

Trump also insisted that the investments are not loans.

When asked about the details of what that $600 billion investment will go to, Trump said it will go to "anything" he wants.

"The details are $600 billion to invest in anything I want, anything I can do, anything I want, whether and the purpose was, they've been, you know, ripping us for so many years that it's time that they pay up, and they have to pay up," Trump said.

-ABC News' Michelle Stoddart

Aug 05, 2025, 9:50 AM EDT

Trump says Bessent doesn't want to lead the Fed

Trump revealed in a CNBC interview Tuesday that he was deciding between four people to replace Fed Chair Jerome Powell when his term finishes next May.

Trump indicated that two of the men on his list are named Kevin: Kevin Warsh, a current Fed Board governor, and the Director of the National Economic Council Kevin Hassett.

The president claimed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told him he didn't want to lead the Fed when Trump asked him.

President Donald Trump signals while boarding Air Force One at Lehigh Valley International Airport, Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025, in Allentown, Pa.
Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP

He also celebrated the decision from Dr. Adriana Kugler, the Federal Reserve Governor, to resign on Friday, calling it a "pleasant surprise."

-ABC News' Lalee Ibssa and Michelle Stoddart

Aug 05, 2025, 9:42 AM EDT

Trump defends firing BLS commissioner, claims jobs report 'very political'

President Donald Trump defended his decision Tuesday morning to fire the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, calling Friday’s jobs report “very political,” without offering any evidence of his claims.

"It's totally rigged. Smart people know it. People with common sense know it. And a lot of people like to keep their head under the covers," Trump said when asked what evidence he had to support his claims.

The Frances Perkins Department of Labor Building is seen, Aug. 4, 2025 in Washington.
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Trump kept pointing to an argument that the job numbers looked good before the election and then were revised downward after the election for the basis of his claims; however, a large downward revision happened in August, well before the election.

-ABC News' Lalee Ibssa and Michelle Stoddart

Aug 05, 2025, 9:40 AM EDT

Former Biden aide to be interviewed by GOP-led House committee investigating Biden

Bruce Reed, who served as the deputy chief of staff for policy under former President Joe Biden, is set to appear for an interview with the House Oversight Committee on Tuesday.

The Republican-led committee has interviewed several people close to Biden in its probe into the former president's mental fitness in office, including interviews last week with former senior adviser Mike Donilon and former counselor Steve Ricchetti.

There have been varying degrees of cooperation from those who have been called in for interviews. Former Chief of Staff Ron Klain cooperated with the committee for several hours; Ricchetti appeared voluntarily. Other aides have not been willing to engage with the committee and invoked the Fifth Amendment, including Dr. Kevin O'Connor, the former physician to Joe Biden, and Annie Tomasini, who served as the deputy chief of staff to Biden.

-ABC News' Sarah Beth Hensley

President Joe Biden accompanied by Deputy Chief of Staff Bruce Reed (L) reacts to reporters shouted questions as he walks to Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House on May 8, 2024 in Washington, DC.
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

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