Free Republic

WASHINGTON (AP) — A bipartisan group of six senators on Sunday called for President Donald Trump’s administration to “immediately reverse course” on a plan to purchase diesel from Russia as part of an effort to lower high fuel prices. Trump shocked lawmakers when he announced on social media Friday that he struck a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin in a phone call. He said Russia will immediately supply more than 300,000 tons of diesel to the American and global market, followed by an additional 500,000 tons in November and 1 million tons “immediately thereafter.” Russia will deliver an additional...

That’s turned up the heat on Trump and the Republican Party to address surging prices ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections. The president’s approval ratings on the economy have hit a new low, according to an AP-NORC poll released last week, as the Iran war and his trade battles have increased U.S. prices for oil and other goods. A limited impact, at best Energy policy experts on Friday expressed doubts that a boost in diesel supply from Russia will have a significant impact on oil prices, whether in the U.S. or globally.

Much of President Donald Trump’s second term has focused on changes to the nation’s capital. But his ambitions to remake the physical architecture of the presidency transcend Washington: Trump wants to transform his West Palm Beach golf club into a presidential retreat modeled after Camp David. The plan calls for a parcel of the private club to be designated a permanent, official sanctuary for foreign leaders and future U.S. presidents, designed to host international summits and house presidents when they take vacations in Florida, according to a proposal presented to Palm Beach County officials by Trump International Golf Club’s legal...

President Trump on Wednesday said, "I could've done very bad things to Hillary Clinton" and former presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden. Trump made the comment Wednesday during an Oval Office announcement for his “Trump Accounts” for children, the Independent reported. The president previously claimed that if Democrats gain control of Congress in November, they would impeach him. A reporter asked about Trump's assertion, saying, “For what?” “They don’t know,” Trump said, before mentioning Clinton, whom he ran against in the 2016 presidential election, and his Democratic predecessors. “I could've done very bad things to Hillary Clinton,” he said. “I...

LGBTQ advocates condemn president's rhetoric in tight Senate race in South Carolina President Trump's latest Truth Social broadside is drawing attention not just for who he targeted, but how, NBC News reports. In a Monday post backing Republican Sen. Darline Graham in South Carolina, Trump repeatedly used an anti-trans slur to describe her opponent, Democratic Senate nominee Annie Andrews, who is not transgender, and said she is "not for South Carolina" and voters should show her that the state "is not for her." The White House, asked why he used the term, simply pointed reporters back to his post. CNN...

President Donald Trump on Monday said that he would pay for television advertisements himself or with money raised from the MAGA political committee after pushback over the use of taxpayer-funded television ads featuring him shortly before the November congressional elections.Ethics experts and lawmakers from both parties ⁠have criticized the three nationally broadcast ads, which celebrate a "golden age of America".

On Monday, President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House that the United States will help Russia after a laboratory worker died at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute in Siberia.While local media alleged the 28-year-old lab technician died from pneumonic plague, Russian officials stated postmortem tests found only 'pneumonia of undetermined aetiology' with no evidence of occupational pathogens.Authorities placed at least one hospital in Shelekhov under quarantine, with nearly 200 people under medical observation after potential exposure to the worker.U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the nation is monitoring closely and sees no 'cause for alarm,' while experts...

President Donald Trump is once again promising Americans $5,000 checks if Republicans retain control of Congress, repeating a pledge he first made last month as the midterm elections enter their final stretch. At the same time, the administration is already sending out much smaller federal payments, including $90 payments to millions of eligible Medicare beneficiaries and $500 refunds to certain Affordable Care Act customers. That has created an unusual mix of real payments, campaign promises and growing questions about what Americans could actually receive.The distinction matters. While the $90 and $500 programs are already funded and underway, the proposed $5,000...

A senior Iranian official told Reuters on Tuesday that Iran could reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days if the United States reduces military pressure and ends its blockade of Iranian ports. The official said Tehran is seeking a formal indication from Washington that it intends to pursue a diplomatic solution, together with an agreed timetable for moving the process forward. The comments come after Iran's military central command said Sunday that it had received information indicating that the US was preparing to resume military operations with assistance from countries in the region. The Iranian military warned that such...

UNITED NATIONS, Sept 22 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that Washington and Tehran were moving toward a settlement, while a senior Iranian official said Tehran could reopen the Strait of Hormuz within days if the US eased military pressure and lifted its blockade on Iranian ports.Trump's remarks came just hours after ‌he repeated a threat at the UN General Assembly to annihilate Iran if it failed to strike a deal.Speaking after a meeting with British Prime Minister Andy Burnham at the United Nations ‌in New York, Trump said: "They want to talk to us. They have been...

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) on Thursday criticized President Trump's controversial proposal to pay out $5,000 checks to every U.S. adult if Republicans win the midterms. "What I would say is, if you are getting surplus revenue, you should cut people's tax and return it to the people," DeSantis said during a press conference in Miami on Thursday. "What I don't think you want to do is borrow another trillion-and-a-half dollars and then just try to flood that into the economy, because that will lead to more inflation," DeSantis continued. "That will lead to more debt and more inflation."

President Trump is spending Labor Day flooding his Truth Social account with AI-generated images about conquering both the Earth and outer space alike. Trump on Monday posted a map of North America, where both Canada and Mexico are annexed to the United States — and shaded in stars and stripes.He dropped several posts suggesting the state of New Mexico be renamed “New America.” The posts carried various maps bearing the new name. In another, Trump claimed the moon for the United States. The president dropped about 40 posts over a 10-hour period on Sunday before taking it up again on...

U.S. Defense Secretary Hegseth has returned to posting about Canada, sharing a Canadian Coast Guard Pride message with only a flag emoji days after Prime Minister Mark Carney criticized American officials for using memes and mockery during a serious dispute between the neighboring countries. •Hegseth quoted a Canadian Coast Guard post about its participation in Ottawa’s Pride celebration and added a Canadian flag emoji. •The post came after Carney said U.S. officials should “stop doing memes,” “stop throwing shade” and become serious about renewed trade discussions. •Unlike Hegseth’s earlier message about Canadian cadets, the latest post contained no written criticism,...