Donald Trump’s Department of Justice has asked a federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., to replace District Court Judge James Boasberg for allegedly engaging in an “inappropriate exercise of jurisdiction” as he oversees a case challenging the administration’s deportation of alleged Venezuelan gang members.
Judge Boasberg attempted to block Trump’s deportation flights carrying hundreds of people linked to the Tren de Aragua gang to El Salvador over the weekend, disputing the invocation of the wartime Alien Enemies Act 1798 and ordering planes already in the air to turn around.
On Monday, he demanded answers as to why that was not done as Trump allies, including Attorney General Pam Bondi, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, and advisers Alina Habba and Stephen Miller hit the airwaves to rebuke the judge for overstepping his authority in challenging an executive order from the president.
This morning, Trump called for Boasberg’s impeachment and then found himself on the receiving end of a rare rebuke from Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts.
The commander-in-chief has meanwhile pledged to release 80,000 pages of unredacted files related to the assassination of John F Kennedy, and has just concluded a much-anticipated phone call with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to discuss ending the Ukraine war.
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Key Points
- Chief Justice John Roberts rebukes Trump's call for impeachment of judge
- Trump and Putin speaking now on highly-anticipated call about ending war on Ukraine
- Trump lashes out at judge over deportation flights: He ‘should be impeached!’
- Donald Trump’s Justice Dept allies seek to oust judge who questioned deportation order
- Trump revokes Hunter and Ashley Biden’s 'ridiculous' Secret Service protection
- President to release JFK assassination files on Tuesday
Putin agrees to stop energy grid strikes against Ukraine in Trump call
17:36
,
Oliver O'Connell
Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed on Tuesday to a proposal by President Donald Trump for Russia and Ukraine to stop hitting each other's energy infrastructure for 30 days and gave a corresponding order to the Russian military, the Kremlin said, according to reporting by Reuters.
White House: Readout of call between Trump and Putin
17:29
,
Oliver O'Connell
The White House released the following readout of the much-anticipated call between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin:
Today, President Trump and President Putin spoke about the need for peace and a ceasefire in the Ukraine war. Both leaders agreed this conflict needs to end with a lasting peace. They also stressed the need for improved bilateral relations between the United States and Russia.The blood and treasure that both Ukraine and Russia have been spending in this war would be better spent on the needs of their people.
This conflict should never have started and should have been ended long ago with sincere and good faith peace efforts. The leaders agreed that the movement to peace will begin with an energy and infrastructure ceasefire, as well as technical negotiations on implementation of a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea, full ceasefire and permanent peace. These negotiations will begin immediately in the Middle East.
The leaders spoke broadly about the Middle East as a region of potential cooperation to prevent future conflicts. They further discussed the need to stop proliferation of strategic weapons and will engage with others to ensure the broadest possible application. The two leaders shared the view that Iran should never be in a position to destroy Israel.
The two leaders agreed that a future with an improved bilateral relationship between the United States and Russia has huge upside. This includes enormous economic deals and geopolitical stability when peace has been achieved.
Trump and Putin agreed to stay in contact, report says
17:22
,
Oliver O'Connell
As expected, President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed Ukraine on their highly-anticipated phone call today and agreed to stay in touch, Reuters reports citing Russia’s news agency TASS.
Additional reporting says they also discussed the Middle East and energy, according to the Kremlin.
White House press secretary makes rare comment on ‘atypical’ 32-year age gap with husband
17:20
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Oliver O'Connell
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has spoken out about her 32-year age gap with her husband, Nicholas Ricco.
Leavitt, who is the youngest White House press secretary in history at 27, married Ricco, 59, in a private ceremony in January days before President Donald Trump’s second inauguration.
She recently opened up about meeting her partner back in 2022, when she was running for Congress in New Hampshire. Leavitt won the Republican nomination, but ultimately lost the seat to Chris Pappas.
Amber Raiken has the story.
U.S. ready to discuss WTO disputes with China and Canada
17:14
,
Oliver O'Connell
The U.S. mission to the World Trade Organization informed China and Canada that it was prepared to meet with officials in Geneva after those two countries lodged trade disputes in response to new tariffs, as reported by Reuters, citing WTO documents viewed on Tuesday.
Canada requested consultations — the initial step in a WTO trade dispute — earlier this month in response to “unjustified tariffs” imposed by President Donald Trump this month.
China initiated a dispute following Trump’s tariffs on Chinese goods in February. Since then, both countries have implemented retaliatory tariffs, a development that Washington highlighted in the WTO documents circulated on Tuesday.
“It is specious for China to invoke dispute settlement for an alleged breach of WTO rules while China itself apparently chooses to breach WTO rules by unilaterally determining that a breach has occurred,” the U.S. statement said. It produced an identical statement on Canada.
Engaging in dialogue is a normal part of the WTO dispute settlement system, which can take years to resolve cases.
However, some trade delegates noted that they view Washington's move as a positive sign, considering the current high tensions among WTO members.
Full story: Chief Justice John Roberts hits back after Trump calls for impeaching judge who ruled against him
17:00
,
Oliver O'Connell
Chief Justice John Roberts has hit back against in a rare public statement after President Donald Trump on Monday claimed a federal judge lacks the authority to review his administration’s attempts to bypass due process rights when deporting migrants who are alleged to be gang members — and called for the judge to be impeached.
In a statement issued by the court, Roberts said that impeachment isn’t an appropriate response to disagreements with judges’ rulings.
Andrew Feinberg and Gustaf Kilander report from Washington, D.C.
Report: Trump gave ‘green light’ to Israel before Gaza bombing that left ‘400 dead'
16:40
,
Oliver O'Connell
President Donald Trump “gave the green light” for Israel to begin an onslaught on the Gaza Strip that killed at least 400 people early Tuesday, according to a report.
The latest Israeli airstrikes have been described by officials as the most intense attack since the agreed ceasefire came into effect in January.
Namita Singh and Rhian Lubin report.
Trump-Putin call concludes
16:38
,
Oliver O'Connell
Trump's call with Putin has ended, US officials tell me
— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) March 18, 2025
Mexico asks US not to deport Mexicans to Guantanamo Bay
16:27
,
Oliver O'Connell
Mexico's government sent a diplomatic note to the U.S. seeking to prevent Mexicans from being sent to the naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, President Claudia Sheinbaum said Tuesday.
Reuters reports that the note was sent when Donald Trump's administration announced its plans to transfer migrants to the facility on the Caribbean island last month.
Mexico also requested that all its nationals that are being deported from the U.S. be sent to Mexico and not to other countries, Sheinbaum added during her daily press conference.
"No Mexican should be sent to any other place but Mexico," Sheinbaum said.
Sheinbaum's comments come after the Trump administration deported to El Salvador over 200 alleged members of the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang over the weekend, despite a court order forbidding it to do so.
Now Vivek Ramaswamy wants to rename a body of water
16:20
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Oliver O'Connell
Vivek Ramaswamy, a former Republican presidential candidate now vying to be Ohio’s governor, wants to follow in President Donald Trump’s footsteps and rename yet another body of water.
The biotech entrepreneur was speaking to the Lucas County Republican Party last week when he pitched the idea to rename Lake Erie, one of the five Great Lakes, to “Lake Ohio.”
Katie Hawkinson has the story.
And here’s a reason Ramaswamy might want to rethink his plan:
I'm 100% in favor of this as it would change the well known acronym for the Great Lakes, "HOMES" to "HOMOS" https://t.co/4O7sW1u7l6
— Will Menaker (@willmenaker) March 18, 2025
Government responds to Judge Boasberg's questions about deportation flights timeline
16:17
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Alex Woodward
ICE official Robert Cerna filed a statement to clarify the timeline of the deportation flights, after Judge Boasberg ordered the Justice Department to answer a series of questions to determine whether the administration intentionally defied his court order to turn the planes around.
On March 15, “after the Proclamation was publicly posted and took effect,” two planes “departed U.S. territory and airspace before 7:25 PM EDT,” and a third plane departed later, but “all individuals on that third plane had Title 8 final removal orders and thus were not removed solely on the basis of the Proclamation at issue,” according to Cerna.
But the judge’s verbal order was at 6:47 p.m. The planes were still up in the air. None had reached El Salvador. The first two flights landed in El Salvador after midnight.
Chief Justice John Roberts rebukes Trump's call for impeachment of judge
16:07
,
Oliver O'Connell
Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts has issued a statement rebuking President Donald Trump’s calls for the judge in the case of the deportation of Venezuelan nationals to El Salvador to be impeached.
Roberts, appointed by Republican President George W Bush, wrote: “For more than two centuries, it has been established that impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision. The normal appellate review process exists for that purpose.”
Such statements from Roberts are very rare.
JUST IN: Chief Justice Roberts responds to Trump post in exceedingly-rare statement:
— Steven Portnoy (@stevenportnoy) March 18, 2025
"For more than two centuries, it has been established that impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision. The normal appellate review process exists…
You did what to who?
16:06
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Oliver O'Connell
We just FOIA'ed DOGE.⁰⁰House Judiciary RM @RepRaskin and House Oversight RM @GerryConnolly are demanding DOGE provide straight answers to the American people on their shady operations.https://t.co/RQwKw24HDm pic.twitter.com/g5fKN4ipMj
— House Judiciary Dems (@HouseJudiciary) March 18, 2025
To clarify... House Judiciary and House Oversight Democrats have filed a Freedom of Information Act request demanding the Department of Government Efficiency “stop lying to the American people and start providing clear answers about its operations.”
New Gallup poll shows surge in U.S. support for Ukraine
16:03
,
Oliver O'Connell
New polling by Gallup shows that 46 percent of Americans say that the U.S. is not doing enough to help Ukraine against Russia’s war.
This marks a 16 percent increase since December to a new high exceeding levels from 2022.
At same time, the proportions thinking U.S. is doing too much (30%) or the right amount (23%) in helping Ukraine has shrunk.
New @Gallup poll: 46% of Americans say US not doing enough to help Ukraine against Russia’s war, marking a 16% increase since December to new high that dates back to 2022. At same time, proportions thinking US is doing too much (30%) or the right amount (23%) for Ukraine shrunk. pic.twitter.com/sbuD01KeeB
— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) March 18, 2025
Irish leaders slam Conor McGregor for cozy White House visit with Trump
16:00
,
AP
Irish eyes aren't smiling on Conor McGregor ’s St. Patrick's Day bromance with President Donald Trump.
The mixed martial arts fighter's anti-immigration remarks and criticism of the Irish government during a visit to the White House on Monday were slammed by Ireland's leaders, who said he doesn't speak for the country or its citizens.
Read on...
Watch: Dem rep explains Trump's weakness on Fox News — the economy
15:53
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Oliver O'Connell
Ro Khanna on Fox & Friends: "I'll tell you where he's weak. For the first time ever, even including his first term, his numbers have declined on the economy ... the problem is, one day he announces tariffs on everything in Mexico, the other day they're off, then sometimes he's… pic.twitter.com/XR5Gcl4COI
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 18, 2025
Trump-Putin call ongoing...
15:47
,
Oliver O'Connell
Update: Call still in progress… https://t.co/CTNVULUgbE
— Dan Scavino (@Scavino47) March 18, 2025
Inside the committee that will look at the nation’s biggest secrets
15:40
,
Oliver O'Connell
A Republican-led task force in the House intends to investigate and release formerly classified information related to several major events that have spurred conspiracy theories that have lingered across the U.S. such as the assassination of former president John F. Kennedy Jr., the September 11 terrorist attacks and the prosecution of Jeffrey Epstein.
Ariana Baio takes a look at the committee and the conspiracies it will investigate.
Watch: Schumer explains why government shutdown was worse than voting for spending bill
15:28
,
Oliver O'Connell
In an appearance on CBS Mornings, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer explained why he chose to vote for the Republican spending plan over forcing a shutdown of the federal government by encouraging Democrats to vote against it.
“One of the Republican senators who knows said to us, 'you'll be in the shutdown for six to nine months until we totally destroy the federal government.' So the shutdown was a much worse alternative.”
Schumer has been under attack from progressives for taking this stance.
Watch this clip below:
Schumer on CBS claims "one of the Republican senators who knows said to us, 'you'll be in the shutdown for six to nine months until we totally destroy the federal government.' So the shutdown was a much worse alternative." pic.twitter.com/8ERtdtlhCj
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 18, 2025
The New York Democrat also maintained he was “the best leader for the Senate ... the best at winning Senate seats.”
Schumer on CBS: "I am the best leader for the Senate ... I am the best at winning Senate seats." pic.twitter.com/kWK9dkRsle
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 18, 2025
Trump and Putin call ‘going well,’ White House says
15:20
,
Oliver O'Connell
President Donald Trump and Russian president Vladimir Putin have been speaking for over an hour and are still speaking in a phone call described by the White House as “going well.”
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino confirmed the status of the conversation in a post on X (formerly Twitter) in which he stated that the call started at 10:00 am ET, with Trump speaking from the Oval Office.
“The call is going well, and still in progress,” he added.
Andrew Feinberg reports from Washington, D.C.
FBI extradites one of ten most wanted from Mexico, Patel says
15:12
,
Oliver O'Connell
FBI Director Kash Patel says that the bureau has extradited one of its ten most wanted from Mexico — believed to be a senior leader of the MS-13 gang.
Patel wrote on X:
BREAKING: I can now confirm that last night, working with @TheJusticeDept and other interagency partners, the FBI has extradited one of our “Ten Most Wanted” from Mexico — one we believe to be a key senior leader of MS-13, Francisco Javier Roman-Bardales.
He was arrested in Mexico and is being transported within the U.S. as we speak, where he will face American justice.
This is a major victory both for our law enforcement partners and for a safer America.
Thank you to our brave personnel for executing the mission. And thank you to Mexico’s SSPC and FGE teams for their support of the FBI in this investigation and arrest.
BREAKING: I can now confirm that last night, working with @TheJusticeDept and other interagency partners, the FBI has extradited one of our “Ten Most Wanted” from Mexico — one we believe to be a key senior leader of MS-13, Francisco Javier Roman-Bardales.
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) March 18, 2025
He was arrested in…
'We're not sure where this is going': Bartiromo presses Bessent on tariffs
15:10
,
Oliver O'Connell
Fox Business anchor (and Kennedy Center board member) Maria Bartiromo appeared to get frustrated with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent this morning on behalf of corporate America.
Bartiromo noted that the administration’s reasoning for tariffs kept shifting and that “clarity” was becoming an issue ahead of the April 2 imposition of reciprocal tariffs with all U.S. trading partners.
“See, these are the things that people are really worried about. Because they first thought it was just about trade. Then they thought it was just about fentanyl. Then after that we talked about, 'well, maybe it's currency manipulation.' Now you're talking about food testing. And when I bring up the issue of clarity, that's what I'm talking about and that's what I'm hearing from corporate America, that we're not sure where this is going,” said Bartiromo.
Watch the clip below:
Bartiromo loses patience with Bessent over tariffs: "See, these are the things that people are really worried about. Because they first thought it was just about trade. Then they thought it was just about fentanyl. Then after that we talked about, 'well, maybe it's currency… pic.twitter.com/sbWIaY7kLb
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 18, 2025
DOJ tries to reverse judge's order to block deportations under Alien Enemies Act
15:08
,
Alex Woodward
Last night, Justice Department lawyers filed a motion to reverse Judge James Boasberg’s order that blocks deportations under the Alien Enemies Act, a move that lawyers called “an affront to the President’s broad constitutional and statutory authority to protect the United States from dangerous aliens who pose grave threats to the American people.”
But in a sworn declaration to support the filing, ICE official Robert Cerna admitted that “many” of the people who were deported to El Salvador’s notorious mega prison without due process didn’t have any criminal record in the United States at all.
“The lack of a criminal record does not indicate they pose a limited threat,” he wrote. “In fact, based upon their association with [Tren de Agua], the lack of specific information about each individual actually highlights the risk they pose. It demonstrates that they are terrorists with regard to whom we lack a complete profile.”
Trump and Putin are speaking now
15:03
,
Oliver O'Connell
Clearly, that last post triggered something...
Both the Associated Press and Reuters report that President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are currently speaking in their much-anticipated call about a ceasefire deal in Ukraine.
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino also tweeted: “Happening Now—President Trump is currently in the Oval Office speaking with President Vladimir Putin of Russia since 10:00amEDT. The call is going well, and still in progress.”
Happening Now—President Trump is currently in the Oval Office speaking with President Vladimir Putin of Russia since 10:00amEDT. The call is going well, and still in progress.
— Dan Scavino (@Scavino47) March 18, 2025
Stay tuned...
While we wait for the Trump-Putin call...
14:55
,
Oliver O'Connell
Christo Atanasov Kostov writes:
Since returning to the White House in 2025, US President Donald Trump has dramatically reshaped US policy toward Russia, adopting a markedly softer stance on Vladimir Putin and the ongoing war in Ukraine. This approach has included cutting military aid to Ukraine, and pressuring Kyiv to accept unfavourable terms to end the fighting.
Trump is also weakening America’s negotiating position by repeatedly and prematurely signalling the concessions the US is willing to make.
Historically, Russia has responded to strength, not appeasement. As US diplomat and historian George Kennan famously stated in his 1946 Long Telegram, the Soviet Union understood only the language of power. He was proven right – throughout and since the Cold War, Western concessions have often invigorated rather than calmed Russian aggression.
Trump’s transactional approach to diplomacy is reinforcing this established pattern, emboldening Moscow, and diminishing any prospect of a just resolution to the Russo-Ukrainian war.
Continue reading...
White House uses photo from Trump’s McDonald’s stunt to mock deported Brown University doctor
14:50
,
Oliver O'Connell
The White House used a photo of a waving President Donald Trump from his McDonald’s campaign stunt to mock the deported Brown University doctor.
Dr. Rasha Alawieh, a Lebanese citizen, was deported to Lebanon after arriving at Boston Logan International Airport at the weekend following a trip home to visit family.
Rhian Lubin reports.
DOJ orders national security lawyers to review JFK documents by noon
14:35
,
Oliver O'Connell
The Department of Justice is instructing some of its lawyers who deal with sensitive national-security matters to urgently review records related to the assassination of former President John F. Kennedy that are set to be released today, according to Reuters.
Christopher Robinson, an official in the National Security Division, announced that “all” attorneys in the Operations Section of the Office of Intelligence are being instructed to review between 400 and 500 documents each, according to a Monday evening email that was seen by Reuters on Tuesday.
It remains unclear whether that would disrupt the lawyers’ normal duties, which involve filing court requests under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act to monitor foreigners within U.S. borders.
A Justice Department spokesman said that “no FISA work was halted” as a consequence of the review.
Robinson set a deadline of noon today for completing the review, which includes records related to the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Jr., and “possibly others.”
Trump has ordered the release of approximately 80,000 pages of materials concerning Kennedy's assassination, as well as government records related to the assassinations of former Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy and civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr.
Earlier this year, he signed an executive order in January, prompting the FBI to search for thousands of records.
“There is an urgent declassification review of documents related to the JFK, RFK, MLK investigations (and possibly others),” Robinson wrote to the attorneys in the Office of Intelligence, adding that the only people exempt from the assignment are those who are on approved leave.
“Everyone is being asked to review a batch of documents (between 400-500 each),” he said.
Robinson said that FBI agents have already examined some of those files as part of the declassification review.
Last week, several FBI agents were directed to halt their regular cases so they could review files related to the 1968 assassination of former Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, a person briefed on the matter told Reuters.
The Operations Section of the Office of Intelligence is responsible for preparing and submitting warrant applications to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to collect communications of foreigners on domestic soil.
Full story: Trump lashes out at judge over deportation flights
14:20
,
Oliver O'Connell
President Donald Trump on Monday claimed the chief judge of the federal trial court in the nation’s capital lacks the authority to review whether his administration’s attempt to bypass due process protections when deporting migrants who are alleged to be gang members and called for the judge to be impeached.
Andrew Feinberg and Gustaf Kilander report on the president’s latest angry outburst on social media.
Watch: New York rep slams 'reckless' DOGE firings
14:12
,
Oliver O'Connell
Suozzi on Fox on DOGE: "What we're seeing from DOGE is a lot of it has just been reckless. Why do you want to eliminate people who work to oversee the nuclear stockpile? Why do you want to get rid of people who oversee the avian flu? Why do you want to get rid of people who… pic.twitter.com/3HkEYaMUVj
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 18, 2025
Trump ‘cuts funding to long-term diabetes study’
14:00
,
Joe Sommerlad
The administration has reportedly canceled funding to an ongoing, three-decade study tracking patients with diabetes, despite the president’s campaign promise to “Make America Healthy Again” and fight chronic disease.
Josh Marcus reports.
Trump’s Putin call could be delayed
13:40
,
Joe Sommerlad
It sounds like there’s a classic power move in the offing from Vlad here, who appears minded to keep the president waiting to remind him who’s really in charge.
Putin is meant to be speaking to Trump around now, but he is talking to a room full of oligarchs instead. Asked if he's going to be late, Putin waves off the question and says not to listen to his spokesman pic.twitter.com/LDTU8BNQAr
— max seddon (@maxseddon) March 18, 2025
Stranded Nasa astronauts returning home as Trump takes credit
13:30
,
Joe Sommerlad
Astronauts Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams started their 17-hour journey home on Tuesday after months marooned on the International Space Station.
A SpaceX Dragon spacecraft carrying them, and Crew 9 mission members Nick Hague and Aleksandr Gorbunov, undocked from the orbiting laboratory and began the trip to the Earth at 12.05am ET.
They are expected to splash down in the Gulf of America near the Florida coast later today.
Wasting no time in taking credit last night, Trump blamed Wilmore and Williams’ nine-month ordeal on Joe Biden and thanked Elon Musk for sending up the Dragon craft to get them.
I just spoke with the Acting Administrator of NASA, Janet Petro. She is coordinating our Team of highly respected Scientists, Space Engineers, and various other "geniuses," who has agreed to let our Astronauts come home long prior to the two week period originally approved by…
— Trump Posts on (@trump_repost) March 17, 2025
Here’s Vishwam Sankaran on the rescue mission.
Furious Trump rages at Judge Boasberg and says he should be impeached
13:10
,
Joe Sommerlad
The president is currently raging on Truth Social against the district court justice who has opposed his El Salvador deportation scheme, accusing him of political bias without evidence and calling for his impeachment.
Here’s what he has to say:
“This Radical Left Lunatic of a Judge, a troublemaker and agitator who was sadly appointed by Barack Hussein Obama, was not elected President - He didn’t WIN the popular VOTE (by a lot!), he didn’t WIN ALL SEVEN SWING STATES, he did WIN 2,750 to 525 Counties, HE DIDN’T WIN ANYTHING! I WON FOR MANY REASONS, IN AN OVERWHELMING MANDATE, BUT FIGHTING ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION MAY HAVE BEEN THE NUMBER ONE REASON FOR THIS HISTORIC VICTORY. I’m just doing what the VOTERS wanted me to do. This judge, like many of the Crooked Judges’ I am forced to appear before, should be IMPEACHED!!! WE DON’T WANT VICIOUS, VIOLENT, AND DEMENTED CRIMINALS, MANY OF THEM DERANGED MURDERERS, IN OUR COUNTRY. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!”
Watch: Canada PM warns Trump ‘disrespectful’ 51st state threats need to stop
13:00
,
Joe Sommerlad
Mark Carney was at Downing Street yesterday where he warned that the president’s jibes were an impediment to fresh talks on a U.S.-Canada trade partnership.
“Canada’s strong,” he added. “We can stand up for ourselves.”