Trump admin updates: White House officials hold prayer vigil for Charlie Kirk
Republican lawmakers gathered at the Kennedy Center.
White House officials and Republican lawmakers gathered at the Kennedy Center at 6 p.m. to hold a prayer vigil in remembrance of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
On Saturday, after long promising to impose consequences on Russia in an effort to get President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table to end the war in Ukraine, President Donald Trump pressed NATO nations to join him before he imposes potential sanctions.
Speaker Mike Johnson said Sunday that there is an appetite in Congress to impose sanctions on Russia, which he said are "overdue."
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Trump: At a 'certain point' will have to get involved on crime in Democratic-led cities
Talking with radio host Sid Rosenberg on WABC in a phone interview, President DonaldTrump continued to tease his plans of sending federal troops into Chicago.
"But we'll do the same thing in Chicago, but ask politely to say, we need help. And they keep saying, you know, they have it under control," Trump said.
Trump said during the interview that at a "certain point," he'll have to intervene on crime in Democratic-led cities.
"And we're going to make our city safe, one way or the other, and at a certain point would just say, I'm sorry, we're going in. Be nice to be asked. But you know, they're all Democrat governors and mayors, just about all of them. If you really look, we have a couple of cities too. But in terms of the really bad stuff, they're all Democrat involved," Trump said.
-ABC News' Hannah Demissie
Progressive lawmakers rally DC students against Trump’s takeover
Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey and Progressive Caucus Chair Emerita Rep. Pramila Jayapal rallied more than 150 Georgetown University students on Tuesday morning during a walkout protesting President Trump’s federal takeover of Washington.
“This is not about policing. This is about political theater, because Trump's political rating is going down because he knows that he is vulnerable," Markey said at the rally. Markey blasted Republicans in Congress who he said are “standing in lockstep” with the president.
“They do whatever he wants, and even if they disagree with him, they sit in silence,” Markey told ABC News “That's why people at the grass roots [level], students, activists, have to stand up, raise their voices, and let them know that this can be a huge political price that they will have to pay."
The students protested President Trump’s federal takeover as they returned to school amid weeks of turmoil in the district. Students from Georgetown University kicked off the first of four coordinated responses to the federal siege -- with students at Howard University, George Washington University, and American University planning to hold similar demonstrations throughout the day.
“We're turning out students on Georgetown’s campus and across D.C. to stand up and give that strong show of force to Trump to say, ‘we will not tolerate your occupation, we will not tolerate our campus compliance with this occupation,'" said American University student Kaden Ouimet, a student rep for advocacy group Free DC/
-ABC News' Arthur Jones II
White House pushes Congress to confirm Trump's BLS pick
The White House put out a statement Tuesday calling on Congress to move forward and confirm E.J. Antoni, Trump's nominee for BLS commissioner, following the jobs revision data released earlier in the day.
"The stark revisions underscore the urgent need for Congress [to] confirm E.J. Antoni, President Trump's nominee for BLS commissioner, and begin the major reforms needed to restore Americans' trust in the data after years of inaccuracy that has misled policymakers and eroded confidence," the White House said in its statement.
Trump fired BLS commissioner Erika McEntarfer last month following the release of the July jobs numbers, which showed a slowdown from previous months.
-ABC News' Michelle Stoddart
White House touts Chicago ICE operation
A White House spokesperson, in a statement provided to ABC News, said ICE’s Operation Midway Blitz will "make Illinois communities safer" and is consistent with the Trump administration's commitment to arresting and deporting "dangerous criminal illegal aliens."
The White House's statement did not address ABC News’ question to clarify whether National Guard or other military troops were being ordered to Chicago by the administration.
“For years, Democrat politicians looked the other way while criminal illegal aliens terrorized American communities — even embracing ‘sanctuary’ policies to protect these sick criminals. No more. The Trump Administration is committed to arresting and deporting these dangerous criminal illegal aliens and Operation Midway Blitz, honoring Katie Abraham who was killed by a criminal illegal alien, will make Illinois communities safer,” said Abigail Jackson, a White House spokeswoman, in a statement.
-ABC News’ Isabella Murray