Trump is accused of calling for the execution of Democrats – American Politics Live | US News
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The White House is preparing for a possible Cabinet shakeup after President Donald Trump reaches one year into his term, which could shake up its stable of secretaries, CNN reported Friday, citing several people familiar with the discussions.
At least one agency that could see a change in leadership is the Department of Homeland Security, CNN reported.
The Energy Department, led by Chris Wright, a former Colorado fracking executive whose relations with the White House have reportedly deteriorated in recent months, may also be affected, the report added.
Trump is scheduled to meet with Mamdani from New York later today
US President Donald Trump will meet with new New York Mayor Zahran Mamdani on Friday, in the first in-person talks between the political opposites who have clashed over everything from immigration to economic policy.
Reuters reported that Mamdani, a little-known Democratic socialist and state representative who won the New York mayoral race earlier this month, asked to sit down with Trump to discuss issues of the cost of living and public safety.
The Republican president has threatened to withdraw federal funding from America’s largest city, while the mayor-elect has regularly criticized a range of Trump’s policies, including plans to bolster federal immigration enforcement efforts in New York, where four in 10 people are foreign-born.
The 79-year-old president and former New York resident described Mamdani, 34, as a “far-left lunatic,” a communist and a “Jew-hater,” without providing evidence for these assertions.
“Being a New Yorker means you are prepared for all situations,” Mamdani, who will be sworn in as mayor on January 1, said at a news conference on Thursday.
Trump was condemned from across the room for “calling for the execution” of Democratic lawmakers
Good morning and welcome to the US Politics Live Blog. I’m Tom Ambrose and I’ll be bringing you all the latest news over the next few hours.
We start with the news Donald Trump has been accused of calling for the “lynching” of elected Democratic lawmakers after his comments on social media.
The president said the group engaged in “seditious behavior, punishable by death,” and that they should be arrested after they posted a video in which they told serving service members they should refuse illegal orders.
the videoreleased Tuesday, features six Democratic lawmakers who previously served in the military or in intelligence roles, including Senators Elissa Slotkin and Mark Kelly, and Representatives Maggie Goodlander, Chris DiLuzio, Chrissy Houlahan, and Jason Crow.
“Like us, you all took an oath to protect and defend this Constitution,” the lawmakers said in the 90-second video. “Right now, threats to our Constitution come not just from abroad, but from here at home. Our laws are clear, and you can reject illegal orders, you can reject illegal orders, and you must reject illegal orders. No one should carry out orders that violate the law or our Constitution.”
This appears to have sparked an angry reaction from the US President. Thursday morning Trump books On Truth Social: “It is seditious behavior at the highest levels. Every one of these traitors to our country should be arrested and prosecuted.”
In another mail“This is really bad, and dangerous for our country. Their words cannot be allowed to stand. Seditious behavior by traitors!!! Lock them up??? President DJT,” he wrote. In a third post, he said: He added: “Seditious behavior, punishable by death!” He also retweeted a statement that said: “George Washington will hang them!!”
In response, Chuck Schumer, the Democratic minority leader in the Senate, condemned Trump’s statements Published on X: “Let us be absolutely clear: The President of the United States is calling for the execution of elected officials.”
He added: “This is an explicit threat. Every Senator, every Representative, and every American – regardless of party – must immediately and unconditionally condemn this.”
Mike Johnson, Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives, motive Trump claimed Democrats were engaged in “sedition,” calling the video “highly inappropriate,” adding, “It’s very dangerous. You have prominent members of Congress asking troops to disobey orders. I think that’s unprecedented in American history.”
Following Trump’s comments on Thursday, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Democratic Whip Katherine Clarke and Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar issued a joint statement condemning the remarks.
“There is no place for political violence in America,” they wrote. “Representatives Jason Crow, Chris DiLuzio, Maggie Goodlander, Chrissy Houlahan, and Senators Mark Kelly and Elsa Slotkin have all served our country with tremendous patriotism and distinction. We unequivocally condemn Donald Trump’s disgusting and dangerous death threats against members of Congress, and we call on House Republicans to forcefully do the same.”
Read our full story here:
In other developments:
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he would negotiate with Donald Trump a US-backed peace plan that calls for Kiev to make painful concessions in order to end the Kremlin’s invasion of his country. Zelensky’s office confirmed on Thursday that he had received a draft of the peace plan prepared by US and Russian officials, and that he would speak with Trump in the coming days about “current diplomatic opportunities and the main points necessary for peace.”
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The Trump administration on Thursday announced new oil and gas drilling operations off the coasts of California and Florida, setting the stage for a political showdown — including with Republicans in the Sunshine State who have largely opposed oil development in the Gulf of Mexico. The announcement comes at a time when the US oil industry, though In light of the decline in crude priceswas pressing for access to additional offshore drilling areas.
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website has been changed to reflect the belief of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., US Secretary of Health and Human Services, that there is a link between vaccines and autism, an opinion that flatly contradicts experts and scientifically proven studies. Public health and autism professionals strongly condemned the change to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s “Vaccine Safety” web page, after it was changed to read: “The statement ‘Vaccines do not cause autism’ is not an evidence-based claim.”
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U.S. District Judge Gia Cobb, appointed by former President Joe Biden, temporarily blocked the Trump administration from deploying National Guard troops to enforce the law in the nation’s capital without the approval of the city’s mayor. Cobb temporarily suspended her ruling until December 11 to allow the Trump administration to appeal.
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The Justice Department is investigating how two Trump allies handled the investigation into whether California Sen. Adam Schiff committed mortgage fraud, according to a copy of the subpoena obtained by The Guardian and a person familiar with the matter. The office of Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche is overseeing the investigation, which appears to have developed as an offshoot of the main case in the Schiff case — a notable development given that the Justice Department is primarily investigating the activities of two close allies of the president.