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Trump admin live updates: Trump pardons former entertainment exec indicted by own DOJ

Tim Leiweke was indicted for allegedly orchestrating a bid-rigging scheme.

ByMegan Forrester, Kevin Shalvey, and Ivan Pereira
Last Updated: December 4, 2025, 6:23 AM EST

President Donald Trump answered questions about a controversial Sept. 2 boat strike while in the Oval Office Wednesday afternoon. Trump, who said Tuesday that he "didn't know" about a second strike on an alleged drug boat in September that reports say killed two survivors of an initial strike, said Wednesday that he would be open to releasing more video of the boat strike.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Tuesday that he didn't see the second strike and didn't see survivors from the initial strike. Hegseth has backed Adm. Mitch Bradley, who the White House said made the decision for the second strike. Bradley is set to brief the Senate and House Armed Services committees on the strikes on Thursday.

Key Headlines

Here's how the news is developing.
Dec 03, 2025, 4:40 PM EST

Trump on Cuellar pardon: 'He's a respected person'

Hours after President Donald Trump announced he granted a pardon to Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar and his wife, who were indicted on charges including bribery in 2024, Trump said he is a "respected person."

"He's a respected person. He was treated very badly because he said that people should not be allowed to pour into our country, and he was right," Trump said in the Oval Office on Wednesday.

Prosecutors alleged that Cuellar and his wife, Imelda Cuellar, began accepting the roughly $600,000 in bribes from an oil and gas company owned by Azerbaijan's government as well as a bank headquartered in Mexico City.

Dec 03, 2025, 4:37 PM EST

Trump questioned about supporting 2nd strike after survivors were found

ABC News' Selina Wang questioned Trump on the Sept. 2 strike and possible consequences for military officials.

"If it is found that survivors were actually killed while clinging on to that boat, should Secretary Hegseth, Adm. Bradley or others be punished?" she asked.

PHOTO: President Donald Trump makes an announcement on changes to the country's fuel economy standards in the Oval Office at the White House, Dec. 3, 2025.
President Donald Trump makes an announcement on changes to the country's fuel economy standards in the Oval Office at the White House, Dec. 3, 2025.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

"I think you're going to find that this is war," Trump responded before talking about how drugs were killing Americans.

Wang followed up, asking Trump if he supported "the decision to kill survivors."

"No, I support the decision to knock out the boats," Trump responded.

Dec 03, 2025, 4:26 PM EST

Witkoff, Kushner had 'very good meeting' with Putin: Trump

President Donald Trump, speaking in the Oval Office on Wednesday, said that U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner had a "very good meeting" with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday.

Trump said he spoke to Witkoff and Kushner on Tuesday night, saying Putin would "like to end the war."

"He would like to see the war ended," Trump said, referring to Putin. "They're impression was very strongly that he would like to make a deal."

In terms of what comes out of the meeting and it's impact on the end of the Russia-Ukraine war, Trump said "I can't tell you because it does take two to tango."

Dec 03, 2025, 4:22 PM EST

Trump says he'd 'certainly' be open to releasing more videos of Sept. 2 boat strike

ABC News' Selina Wang asked Trump if he would release video of the second strike on an alleged drug boat on Sept. 2 following the revelation of a follow-up attack.

Donald Trump speaks during an announcement of new fuel economy standards, in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., December 3, 2025.
Brian Snyder/Reuters

"Well, I don't know what they have, but whatever they have we would certainly release. No problem," Trump said before touting the strikes.

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