Bank

President Donald Trump made a startling threat on his social media platform Tuesday evening as he announced a dramatic escalation of pressure against Venezuela's government.

Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, "Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South America."

CNN anchor Erin Burnett was stunned on Tuesday as she reported on a series of interviews in which an official from the Trump administration spoke to Vanity Fair.

Susie Wiles, Trump's chief of staff, gave 11 interviews to Vanity Fair over several months, where she bashed officials like Russ Vought, the controversial leader of the Office of Management and Budget, and said President Donald Trump had an "addictive" personality. She also admitted that Trump's Justice Department investigations into political rivals like New York Attorney General Letitia James and former FBI Director James Comey are "retribution."

Democrats continued their string of special election victories on Tuesday with a blowout win in a Kentucky state senate district that former Vice President Kamala Harris only carried by 5 points in 2024, according to calls by Decision Desk and the Louisville Courier Journal.

Kentucky Senate District 37, which consists of the neighborhoods of Louisville just west of the airport, has been vacant ever since Democratic Sen. David Yates was appointed clerk of Jefferson County. Republicans were hoping to be competitive in the race after the narrow margins in the presidential election.

Donald Trump Jr. seemed to "inadvertently" reveal something about himself after he announced his new engagement, according to a new column.

Trump announced on Monday that he is engaged to his socialite girlfriend, Bettina Anderson, in an event held at the White House. The announcement came about a year after Trump was engaged to former Fox News personality and current U.S. ambassador to Greece, Kimberly Guilfoyle, noted Heather Schwedel, a Slate staff writer, in a new column.

President Donald Trump's efforts to renovate and demolish historic buildings around Washington, D.C., are now running into lawsuits from locals, reported the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday.

This comes after Trump drew nationwide controversy by razing the East Wing of the White House to build a massive ballroom more than double the size of the presidential mansion itself — financed by donations from corporate backers who theoretically could have business with the government. Trump has recently defended this construction project by claiming it is necessary for national security.

FBI Director Kash Patel clapped back at criticism he's received from Congressional lawmakers over his handling of high-profile cases during a new podcast on Tuesday.

Patel and his girlfriend, country music singer Alexis Wilkins, appeared on the latest episode of "The Katie Miller Podcast," hosted by Katie Miller, the wife of Trump's Deputy Chief of Staff, Stephen Miller. During the interview, he addressed criticism he's received over the FBI's handling of cases like the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

House Speaker Mike Johnson is drawing a firm line against action on health care this year, refusing to advance legislation that would extend enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies set to expire and potentially raise premiums for millions of Americans. But his stance is fueling growing frustration among vulnerable House Republicans, some of whom are openly considering breaking with party leadership to force a vote.

According to Axios, several swing-district GOP lawmakers facing tough reelection fights believe inaction on the subsidies could carry serious political consequences. While the House is scheduled to vote on a Republican-backed health care package this week, an extension of ACA subsidies is not expected to be included, leaving moderates searching for alternative paths.

Two high-profile members of the conservative Heritage Foundation's governing board recently resigned over the think tank's support for right-wing provocateur Tucker Carlson, according to a new report.

Abby Spencer Moffat and Shane McCullar resigned from the governing board, The New York Times reported on Tuesday. Their resignations followed Robert P. George, a professor at Princeton University, who resigned in November, and several departures from staff in recent weeks.

President Donald Trump's crusade to give the White House a $300 million ballroom was allowed to proceed on Tuesday, as a federal judge denied an emergency request to halt the posh project.

U.S. District Judge Richard Leon, a Bush-appointed judge, rejected a request from the National Trust for Historic Preservation to stop the renovation, finding that allowing subsurface work to proceed posed merely a minimal risk of permanently damaging the project's opponents, Politico reported. The preservationists had sought a temporary block. The judge agreed to consider a longer preliminary injunction when arguments resume early next year.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth clashed sharply with Sen. Mark Kelly during a classified congressional briefing Tuesday, erupting into a heated exchange over the Trump administration’s controversial lethal boat strikes in the Caribbean near Venezuela.

According to Punchbowl News, the confrontation unfolded after Kelly, a Democratic senator from Arizona and a Navy veteran, questioned officials about the ongoing military operations. Hegseth responded by referencing a separate Department of Defense investigation into Kelly, which stems from a video the senator recorded with other Democratic veterans warning active-duty service members not to follow unlawful orders.