Trump invokes rigged California election claim over Spencer Pratt mayoral results in LA Donald Trump again repeated his claim on Monday that the California election was rigged, this time in reference to the Los Angeles mayoral primary and reality TV star Spencer Pratt. “Not possible for Spencer Pratt to have lost the L.A. runoffs after the big lead he had,” Trump posted on Truth Social. Trump had endorsed Pratt, a former Republican, a move that may have acted more as a hindrance than a help in deep-blue Los Angeles. Pratt has fallen behind LA city council member Nithya Raman in the contest to face the incumbent mayor, Karen Bass, in the November run-off election. In the same post, Trump called California a “3rd World Nation” before declaring “Rigged Elections!” and asserting that “they” will now be “be working on great guy Steve Hilton” – a Republican in the California gubernatorial race. Key events Trump’s border czar threatens to send ‘more ICE agents than you’ve ever seen’ to New York City Donald Trump’s hardline border czar has again threatened to dispatch a surge of immigration agents to New York City, as the administration vows to press ahead with its controversial crackdown. Tom Homan said on Monday that he has reviewed a plan to expand Immigration Enforcement and Customs (ICE) operations in New York and deploy “more ICE agents than you’ve ever seen” in the city. More here: Trump invokes rigged California election claim over Spencer Pratt mayoral results in LA Donald Trump again repeated his claim on Monday that the California election was rigged, this time in reference to the Los Angeles mayoral primary and reality TV star Spencer Pratt. “Not possible for Spencer Pratt to have lost the L.A. runoffs after the big lead he had,” Trump posted on Truth Social. Trump had endorsed Pratt, a former Republican, a move that may have acted more as a hindrance than a help in deep-blue Los Angeles. Pratt has fallen behind LA city council member Nithya Raman in the contest to face the incumbent mayor, Karen Bass, in the November run-off election. In the same post, Trump called California a “3rd World Nation” before declaring “Rigged Elections!” and asserting that “they” will now be “be working on great guy Steve Hilton” – a Republican in the California gubernatorial race. Donald Trump on Monday posted on Truth Social that “Israel and Iran must immediately stop ‘shooting’” before claiming an hour later that Israel and Iran were “looking to do an immediate ceasefire” and that “final negotiations on peace” were under way. While he did not provide any further details, AFP reports that Trump had called Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday. For more live coverage of the Middle East, follow along here. Further to my earlier post about the lawsuit filed against Trump’s UFC event at the White House, my colleague Joseph Gedeon notes in his report that, adding to the conflict of interest allegations, Trump’s financial disclosures show he purchased up to $50,000 worth of stock in TKO Group Holdings, the UFC’s parent company, in March. “This is fundamentally a private, commercial, corrupt use of our most sacred national monuments for private gain,” Brendan Ballou, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, told the Associated Press. The Kennedy Center has removed Donald Trump’s name from its website, although the front of the performing arts venue as of today still reads: “The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.” It comes over a week after a federal judge ruled that the name change had been carried out unlawfully and ordered the take-down of all physical signage bearing Trump’s name and the elimination of any references to a “Trump Kennedy Center” from official materials within 14 days (which takes us up to this Friday). In his ruling, US district judge Christopher Cooper said that Congress had been “crystal clear” when it renamed the National Cultural Center as “The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts” and designated it a “living memorial” to the former president. “Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name,” he wrote. “And only Congress can change it.” Trump administration reportedly set to launch largest-ever effort to denaturalize US citizens accused of fraud and other crimes The Trump administration has plans to announce today that it is seeking to revoke the citizenship of 17 US citizens accused of immigration fraud, CBS News reports, significantly expanding Donald Trump’s already unprecedented denaturalization drive. Justice department officials told CBS News the move represents the largest-ever effort by the US government to use its denaturalization powers, which were rarely invoked before Trump returned to the White House last year with promises to launch a historic mass deportation campaign. As part of that wider crackdown on both illegal and legal immigration, the second Trump administration has sought to vastly escalate denaturalization efforts. Per CBS News’s report: double quotation markSome of the 17 citizens targeted in the latest denaturalization campaign were convicted of violent or serious crimes, including sex offenses against children. Others were convicted of fraud crimes or accused of committing immigration fraud. In federal court complaints filed across the country in recent days, justice department officials argued that the individuals concealed their criminal activity when they applied for US citizenship or were otherwise ineligible to be naturalized, including because they lacked a ‘good moral character’, one of the requirements in the naturalization process. Those targeted in the latest round of denaturalization cases include a Haitian immigrant who allegedly sexually abused his daughter; a man from the former Yugoslavia convicted of sexually abusing a child under the age of 15; an immigrant from Mexico convicted of receiving sexually explicit images of minors; a former Catholic priest born in Colombia accused of child sex abuse; and a Filipino-born man who pleaded guilty to a child sex crime. The group also includes an Indian immigrant accused of filing fraudulent H-1B visa petitions; the daughter of a Colombian drug trafficker accused of money laundering; a man born in Jamaica convicted of wire fraud; and a Cuban-born woman accused of defrauding a tribal casino. Other naturalized citizens were accused of using false identities. Acting attorney general Todd Blanche told CBS News the DOJ would have “zero tolerance” for abuse of the naturalization process. “Criminal aliens are lying about their past crimes, including drug dealers, sexual predators, and fraudsters,” he said. Homeland security secretary Markwayne Mullin told the outlet the Trump administration would “continue to use every lawful avenue to denaturalize and remove aliens”. He added: “American citizenship is a privilege, and it must be earned honestly. If you come here, break our laws, and lie in your immigration proceedings, you forfeit that privilege.” The US state department has taken steps to impose sanctions on more than 100 Nicaraguan officials in the Murillo-Ortega authoritarian regime and their family members. Secretary of state Marco Rubio called the leadership “an enemy of humanity”, adding that “the Trump administration will not ignore their crimes and brutality, including the dictatorship’s singular role in the death of political opposition leader Brooklyn Rivera. “The United States stands with the Nicaraguan people who, like Rivera, aspire to see a free Nicaragua,” Rubio said in his statement. The move comes after sanctions were imposed on five senior Nicaraguan officials in February (building on measures under the Biden and first Trump administrations), and on a number of individuals and companies that operate in the country’s gold sector, including two sons of the country’s co-presidents, in April. A five-block area around Madison Square Garden will be on virtual lockdown during Donald Trump’s visit for tonight’s NBA Finals game. Amid a fevered atmosphere in New York as the Knicks attempt to win their first NBA title since 1973, the watch party outside MSG was cancelled and enhanced security will be in place due to Trump’s attendance. “Because of that [presidential] visit, in coordination with the US Secret Service, there will unfortunately be no watch party outside Madison Square Garden for Game 3 of the Finals,” NYPD commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a news conference this morning. No one without an “authorized reason” will be allowed in the secured area from West 30th to West 35th streets, between Sixth and Eighth avenues, she said. double quotation markI think New Yorkers are used to presidents coming to town, and they understand that that generally means lockdowns of areas, and that’s what you’re going to see tonight at the Garden. Watch parties outside Madison Square Garden will resume for Game 4, when the president is not scheduled to attend, Tisch added. City Hall announced another watch party with capacity for 5,000 at Bryant Park (free, registration required), in addition to events at Wollman Rink in Central Park and Brooklyn Bowl. Basketball fans gather outside Madison Square Garden during Game 1 of the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs on 3 June. Photograph: Timothy A Clary/AFP/Getty Images Lawsuit seeks to stop UFC fight on White House South Lawn for Trump’s birthday A federal lawsuit seeks to halt the upcoming Ultimate Fighting Championship event on the White House South Lawn in a mixed martial arts show timed for Donald Trump’s 80th birthday and part of the celebration of the nation’s 250th anniversary. As the event approaches, a 92ft tall, 600-ton fighting ring dubbed “The Claw” has been erected on the White House’s South Lawn. The filing on Saturday by the Public Integrity Project on behalf of two Virginia residents contends the Trump administration’s authorization of the 14 June event was unlawful. The lawsuit says such approval violated National Park Service regulations prohibiting sporting events on federal parklands, Congress did not consent to the erection of “The Claw” and no environmental review was conducted before the construction. It says that UFC CEO Dana White, a longtime Trump friend and ally, has denied that the event’s timing is a birthday celebration for Trump and has maintained the timing is a “coincidence”. But, the suit adds, White has acknowledged that the event was “Trump’s idea”. The suit also argues that the fight is “private” and “for-profit”, and alleges that even though the UFC claims it is “eating” the whole cost of the event and is not selling tickets, “the event will likely be profitable for the UFC and its partners” as the organization is selling VIP and sponsorship packages. It also claims, that while some preliminary fights will be broadcast on cable networks, the “main card” will be exclusively broadcast on streaming platform Paramount+, noting that Paramount Skydance is “run by two other Trump allies, Larry and David Ellison”. The filing reads: double quotation markThe UFC Freedom 250 event also is not being held ‘for the celebration of the 250th anniversary of American Independence.’ Rather, UFC Freedom 250 is being held for the financial benefit of the UFC, Paramount, and their advertisers, and to celebrate the 80th anniversary of Donald Trump’s birth. The White House said in a statement to the Associated Press that the legal challenge was “an obstructionist, baseless, and dilatory” attempt to prevent Trump from hosting the fight and that the event was “no different than the various other White House-hosted events on the South Lawn and properly permitted events on the Ellipse and National Mall throughout the year.” Workers continue building the stage for a future UFC fight on the South Lawn of the White House on Sunday. Photograph: Rod Lamkey/AP Trump doesn’t rule out giving January 6 rioters who attacked police payouts from ‘anti-weaponization’ fund Gloria Oladipo In case you missed it yesterday, Donald Trump walked out of an explosive interview with NBC’s Meet the Press after he repeatedly made false claims that the 2020 presidential election was rigged and faced questions about compensation for those charged in the January 6 insurrection. (You can watch the interview here.) Trump falsely claimed that the California gubernatorial race was “rigged” while asserting untrue claims of cheating in the 2020 US presidential election. “It’s four days and they aren’t even close to counting [ballots],” Trump argued, as NBC’s Kristen Welker argued that was standard for California’s election process. When Welker asked the president for any evidence on the gubernatorial race being fraudulent, he also accused the veteran reporter of being “crooked”. When Welker later tried to ask additional questions, Trump continued to assert that NBC was “crooked” and ended the interview. “Let’s call it quits because I’ve had enough,” said Trump, taking off his microphone. “Thank you, darling. Have a good time.” Earlier in the interview, Trump also became irritated as Welker asked if those who pleaded guilty to assaulting police officers during the January 6 riots would be eligible for funding included in Trump’s controversial “anti-weaponization” fund. Trump claimed – without evidence – that rioters were actually invited into the US Capitol by FBI agents and took plea deals due to fears of longer prison sentences. “You know why they pleaded guilty? Because they were told they were going to jail for 15 years … because they were frightened. They were down. They were ushered into a building,” Trump said, refusing to answer if such individuals should receive taxpayer funding. Maine voters head to polls for closely watched primary election Shrai Popat and David Smith Voters in Maine head to the polls today for one of the most closely watched primary elections in the country. The US Senate race has become a national fixation as Democrats try to unseat a longtime Republican with a political newcomer who has spent months under fire. Graham Platner, 41, is set to advance as the Democratic nominee for the Senate, after his primary rival – the state’s two-term governor, Janet Mills – suspended her campaign in April. The primary result will probably set up a months-long contest between Platner, an oysterman and marine veteran with a groundswell of popularity and a mounting list of scandals, and Susan Collins, a 73-year-old GOP senator who has held the seat for nearly three decades. Democrats see Maine as one of their few real pickup opportunities in the fight for Senate control. Platner’s barnstorming run has drawn big crowds in rural towns and fueled a surge of in‑ and out‑of‑state donations. His populist message has tapped into a base fed up with Washington’s machinations. “Our tax dollars can build schools and hospitals in America instead of bombs to drop on them in Gaza and Iran,” he told supporters in Portland recently. He often leans on his combat experience – and the healthcare he says he receives from being “blown up enough times” – for his push to overhaul the system. Graham Platner, the Democratic candidate for US Senate in Maine, speaks during a campaign rally with Bernie Sanders in Portland, Maine, on 25 May. Photograph: Amanda Sabga/Reuters For her part, Collins last appeared on the ballot in 2020, winning a fifth term even as Joe Biden carried the state. She beat Democrat Sara Gideon by nine points despite trailing in polls. But this year many Republicans are being pressed on Donald Trump’s unpopular policies. Collins has long walked a tightrope with the US president. She has defied him directly by voting for his second impeachment conviction and opposing Pete Hegseth’s defense secretary nomination. Yet she has also anchored some of the president’s biggest priorities – most notably her vote for Brett Kavanaugh, a move that ultimately helped enable the overturning of Roe v Wade. This midterm cycle, Democrats are hoping to frame Collins’ moderation as outright complicity with the Trump administration. Platner holds a narrow lead over Collins in recent polling, which has tightened from a once-comfortable margin after his latest controversies. More on that here: Trump repeats claim that California election is rigged Welcome to our coverage of US politics. Donald Trump has repeated a claim made during an NBC interview on Sunday that he walked out of claiming that the California gubernatorial race is rigged. On Monday, the US president posted a screenshot of congressman Abe Hamadeh’s post on X, who claimed that California is “incapable of running free and fair elections consistent with our constitution”. Trump posted the screenshot on Truth Social, with the original post by Hamadeh referring to election data platform Decision Desk HQ that Nithya Raman is projected to win the second of two spots in the CA Los Angeles mayor non-partisan primary election. In response, Trump wrote: “No way this could have happened. Rigged Election!” This comes after he walked out of an NBC interview aired on Sunday, where he falsely claimed that the California gubernatorial race was “rigged” while asserting untrue claims of cheating in the 2020 US presidential elections. “It’s four days and they aren’t even close to counting [ballots],” he said – as interviewer Kristen Welker argued that this was standard process in California. When he was asked about what his evidence was to suggest that the California election is “rigged”, Trump accused Welker of being “crooked” and later “stupid”. When NBC tried to continue to pose questions to the president, he took off his microphone, and said: “Let’s call it quits because I’ve had enough. Thank you, darling. Have a good time.” Read the full story about Trump walking out of the NBC interview here: In other developments: Later today Trump is expected to attend a campaign rally in New Jersey, before attending the Knicks game in New York’s Madison Square Garden. Trump’s appearance at the game means that there will be heightened security, a strict no-bag policy and airport-style screening for attenders of the game. This comes after a stabbing occurred in Penn Station directly below the arena, injuring six people. The suspect is in custody. The president also claimed that Iran’s military had been “virtually decapitated” as the war between the Middle Eastern country and the US reaches its 100th day. Earlier today, Trump urged Iran and Israel to “stop shooting” in a social media post. You can follow our Middle East liveblog coverage here: Post navigation ট্রাম্প সুপ্রিম কোর্টকে CNN-এর বিরুদ্ধে $475 মিলিয়ন ডলারের মানহানির মামলা পুনরুজ্জীবিত করতে বলবেন পেপের শেষ নাচ: ম্যান সিটি আমাজনের সাথে মাল্টি-মিলিয়ন পাউন্ডের চুক্তিতে স্ট্রাইকে রয়েছে গার্দিওলার দায়িত্বে থাকা শেষ মরসুমের পর্দার পিছনের ফুটেজ দেখানোর জন্য, যেখানে “দৃশ্যমানভাবে কাঁপানো” বস এবং তার আবেগপূর্ণ বিদায়ের বৈশিষ্ট্য রয়েছে৷
Trump invokes rigged California election claim over Spencer Pratt mayoral results in LA Donald Trump again repeated his claim on Monday that the California election was rigged, this time in reference to the Los Angeles mayoral primary and reality TV star Spencer Pratt. “Not possible for Spencer Pratt to have lost the L.A. runoffs after the big lead he had,” Trump posted on Truth Social. Trump had endorsed Pratt, a former Republican, a move that may have acted more as a hindrance than a help in deep-blue Los Angeles. Pratt has fallen behind LA city council member Nithya Raman in the contest to face the incumbent mayor, Karen Bass, in the November run-off election. In the same post, Trump called California a “3rd World Nation” before declaring “Rigged Elections!” and asserting that “they” will now be “be working on great guy Steve Hilton” – a Republican in the California gubernatorial race.
Trump’s border czar threatens to send ‘more ICE agents than you’ve ever seen’ to New York City Donald Trump’s hardline border czar has again threatened to dispatch a surge of immigration agents to New York City, as the administration vows to press ahead with its controversial crackdown. Tom Homan said on Monday that he has reviewed a plan to expand Immigration Enforcement and Customs (ICE) operations in New York and deploy “more ICE agents than you’ve ever seen” in the city. More here:
Trump invokes rigged California election claim over Spencer Pratt mayoral results in LA Donald Trump again repeated his claim on Monday that the California election was rigged, this time in reference to the Los Angeles mayoral primary and reality TV star Spencer Pratt. “Not possible for Spencer Pratt to have lost the L.A. runoffs after the big lead he had,” Trump posted on Truth Social. Trump had endorsed Pratt, a former Republican, a move that may have acted more as a hindrance than a help in deep-blue Los Angeles. Pratt has fallen behind LA city council member Nithya Raman in the contest to face the incumbent mayor, Karen Bass, in the November run-off election. In the same post, Trump called California a “3rd World Nation” before declaring “Rigged Elections!” and asserting that “they” will now be “be working on great guy Steve Hilton” – a Republican in the California gubernatorial race.
Donald Trump on Monday posted on Truth Social that “Israel and Iran must immediately stop ‘shooting’” before claiming an hour later that Israel and Iran were “looking to do an immediate ceasefire” and that “final negotiations on peace” were under way. While he did not provide any further details, AFP reports that Trump had called Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday. For more live coverage of the Middle East, follow along here.
Further to my earlier post about the lawsuit filed against Trump’s UFC event at the White House, my colleague Joseph Gedeon notes in his report that, adding to the conflict of interest allegations, Trump’s financial disclosures show he purchased up to $50,000 worth of stock in TKO Group Holdings, the UFC’s parent company, in March. “This is fundamentally a private, commercial, corrupt use of our most sacred national monuments for private gain,” Brendan Ballou, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, told the Associated Press.
The Kennedy Center has removed Donald Trump’s name from its website, although the front of the performing arts venue as of today still reads: “The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.” It comes over a week after a federal judge ruled that the name change had been carried out unlawfully and ordered the take-down of all physical signage bearing Trump’s name and the elimination of any references to a “Trump Kennedy Center” from official materials within 14 days (which takes us up to this Friday). In his ruling, US district judge Christopher Cooper said that Congress had been “crystal clear” when it renamed the National Cultural Center as “The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts” and designated it a “living memorial” to the former president. “Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name,” he wrote. “And only Congress can change it.”
Trump administration reportedly set to launch largest-ever effort to denaturalize US citizens accused of fraud and other crimes The Trump administration has plans to announce today that it is seeking to revoke the citizenship of 17 US citizens accused of immigration fraud, CBS News reports, significantly expanding Donald Trump’s already unprecedented denaturalization drive. Justice department officials told CBS News the move represents the largest-ever effort by the US government to use its denaturalization powers, which were rarely invoked before Trump returned to the White House last year with promises to launch a historic mass deportation campaign. As part of that wider crackdown on both illegal and legal immigration, the second Trump administration has sought to vastly escalate denaturalization efforts. Per CBS News’s report: double quotation markSome of the 17 citizens targeted in the latest denaturalization campaign were convicted of violent or serious crimes, including sex offenses against children. Others were convicted of fraud crimes or accused of committing immigration fraud. In federal court complaints filed across the country in recent days, justice department officials argued that the individuals concealed their criminal activity when they applied for US citizenship or were otherwise ineligible to be naturalized, including because they lacked a ‘good moral character’, one of the requirements in the naturalization process. Those targeted in the latest round of denaturalization cases include a Haitian immigrant who allegedly sexually abused his daughter; a man from the former Yugoslavia convicted of sexually abusing a child under the age of 15; an immigrant from Mexico convicted of receiving sexually explicit images of minors; a former Catholic priest born in Colombia accused of child sex abuse; and a Filipino-born man who pleaded guilty to a child sex crime. The group also includes an Indian immigrant accused of filing fraudulent H-1B visa petitions; the daughter of a Colombian drug trafficker accused of money laundering; a man born in Jamaica convicted of wire fraud; and a Cuban-born woman accused of defrauding a tribal casino. Other naturalized citizens were accused of using false identities. Acting attorney general Todd Blanche told CBS News the DOJ would have “zero tolerance” for abuse of the naturalization process. “Criminal aliens are lying about their past crimes, including drug dealers, sexual predators, and fraudsters,” he said. Homeland security secretary Markwayne Mullin told the outlet the Trump administration would “continue to use every lawful avenue to denaturalize and remove aliens”. He added: “American citizenship is a privilege, and it must be earned honestly. If you come here, break our laws, and lie in your immigration proceedings, you forfeit that privilege.”
The US state department has taken steps to impose sanctions on more than 100 Nicaraguan officials in the Murillo-Ortega authoritarian regime and their family members. Secretary of state Marco Rubio called the leadership “an enemy of humanity”, adding that “the Trump administration will not ignore their crimes and brutality, including the dictatorship’s singular role in the death of political opposition leader Brooklyn Rivera. “The United States stands with the Nicaraguan people who, like Rivera, aspire to see a free Nicaragua,” Rubio said in his statement. The move comes after sanctions were imposed on five senior Nicaraguan officials in February (building on measures under the Biden and first Trump administrations), and on a number of individuals and companies that operate in the country’s gold sector, including two sons of the country’s co-presidents, in April.
A five-block area around Madison Square Garden will be on virtual lockdown during Donald Trump’s visit for tonight’s NBA Finals game. Amid a fevered atmosphere in New York as the Knicks attempt to win their first NBA title since 1973, the watch party outside MSG was cancelled and enhanced security will be in place due to Trump’s attendance. “Because of that [presidential] visit, in coordination with the US Secret Service, there will unfortunately be no watch party outside Madison Square Garden for Game 3 of the Finals,” NYPD commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a news conference this morning. No one without an “authorized reason” will be allowed in the secured area from West 30th to West 35th streets, between Sixth and Eighth avenues, she said. double quotation markI think New Yorkers are used to presidents coming to town, and they understand that that generally means lockdowns of areas, and that’s what you’re going to see tonight at the Garden. Watch parties outside Madison Square Garden will resume for Game 4, when the president is not scheduled to attend, Tisch added. City Hall announced another watch party with capacity for 5,000 at Bryant Park (free, registration required), in addition to events at Wollman Rink in Central Park and Brooklyn Bowl. Basketball fans gather outside Madison Square Garden during Game 1 of the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs on 3 June. Photograph: Timothy A Clary/AFP/Getty Images
Lawsuit seeks to stop UFC fight on White House South Lawn for Trump’s birthday A federal lawsuit seeks to halt the upcoming Ultimate Fighting Championship event on the White House South Lawn in a mixed martial arts show timed for Donald Trump’s 80th birthday and part of the celebration of the nation’s 250th anniversary. As the event approaches, a 92ft tall, 600-ton fighting ring dubbed “The Claw” has been erected on the White House’s South Lawn. The filing on Saturday by the Public Integrity Project on behalf of two Virginia residents contends the Trump administration’s authorization of the 14 June event was unlawful. The lawsuit says such approval violated National Park Service regulations prohibiting sporting events on federal parklands, Congress did not consent to the erection of “The Claw” and no environmental review was conducted before the construction. It says that UFC CEO Dana White, a longtime Trump friend and ally, has denied that the event’s timing is a birthday celebration for Trump and has maintained the timing is a “coincidence”. But, the suit adds, White has acknowledged that the event was “Trump’s idea”. The suit also argues that the fight is “private” and “for-profit”, and alleges that even though the UFC claims it is “eating” the whole cost of the event and is not selling tickets, “the event will likely be profitable for the UFC and its partners” as the organization is selling VIP and sponsorship packages. It also claims, that while some preliminary fights will be broadcast on cable networks, the “main card” will be exclusively broadcast on streaming platform Paramount+, noting that Paramount Skydance is “run by two other Trump allies, Larry and David Ellison”. The filing reads: double quotation markThe UFC Freedom 250 event also is not being held ‘for the celebration of the 250th anniversary of American Independence.’ Rather, UFC Freedom 250 is being held for the financial benefit of the UFC, Paramount, and their advertisers, and to celebrate the 80th anniversary of Donald Trump’s birth. The White House said in a statement to the Associated Press that the legal challenge was “an obstructionist, baseless, and dilatory” attempt to prevent Trump from hosting the fight and that the event was “no different than the various other White House-hosted events on the South Lawn and properly permitted events on the Ellipse and National Mall throughout the year.” Workers continue building the stage for a future UFC fight on the South Lawn of the White House on Sunday. Photograph: Rod Lamkey/AP
Trump doesn’t rule out giving January 6 rioters who attacked police payouts from ‘anti-weaponization’ fund Gloria Oladipo In case you missed it yesterday, Donald Trump walked out of an explosive interview with NBC’s Meet the Press after he repeatedly made false claims that the 2020 presidential election was rigged and faced questions about compensation for those charged in the January 6 insurrection. (You can watch the interview here.) Trump falsely claimed that the California gubernatorial race was “rigged” while asserting untrue claims of cheating in the 2020 US presidential election. “It’s four days and they aren’t even close to counting [ballots],” Trump argued, as NBC’s Kristen Welker argued that was standard for California’s election process. When Welker asked the president for any evidence on the gubernatorial race being fraudulent, he also accused the veteran reporter of being “crooked”. When Welker later tried to ask additional questions, Trump continued to assert that NBC was “crooked” and ended the interview. “Let’s call it quits because I’ve had enough,” said Trump, taking off his microphone. “Thank you, darling. Have a good time.” Earlier in the interview, Trump also became irritated as Welker asked if those who pleaded guilty to assaulting police officers during the January 6 riots would be eligible for funding included in Trump’s controversial “anti-weaponization” fund. Trump claimed – without evidence – that rioters were actually invited into the US Capitol by FBI agents and took plea deals due to fears of longer prison sentences. “You know why they pleaded guilty? Because they were told they were going to jail for 15 years … because they were frightened. They were down. They were ushered into a building,” Trump said, refusing to answer if such individuals should receive taxpayer funding.
Maine voters head to polls for closely watched primary election Shrai Popat and David Smith Voters in Maine head to the polls today for one of the most closely watched primary elections in the country. The US Senate race has become a national fixation as Democrats try to unseat a longtime Republican with a political newcomer who has spent months under fire. Graham Platner, 41, is set to advance as the Democratic nominee for the Senate, after his primary rival – the state’s two-term governor, Janet Mills – suspended her campaign in April. The primary result will probably set up a months-long contest between Platner, an oysterman and marine veteran with a groundswell of popularity and a mounting list of scandals, and Susan Collins, a 73-year-old GOP senator who has held the seat for nearly three decades. Democrats see Maine as one of their few real pickup opportunities in the fight for Senate control. Platner’s barnstorming run has drawn big crowds in rural towns and fueled a surge of in‑ and out‑of‑state donations. His populist message has tapped into a base fed up with Washington’s machinations. “Our tax dollars can build schools and hospitals in America instead of bombs to drop on them in Gaza and Iran,” he told supporters in Portland recently. He often leans on his combat experience – and the healthcare he says he receives from being “blown up enough times” – for his push to overhaul the system. Graham Platner, the Democratic candidate for US Senate in Maine, speaks during a campaign rally with Bernie Sanders in Portland, Maine, on 25 May. Photograph: Amanda Sabga/Reuters For her part, Collins last appeared on the ballot in 2020, winning a fifth term even as Joe Biden carried the state. She beat Democrat Sara Gideon by nine points despite trailing in polls. But this year many Republicans are being pressed on Donald Trump’s unpopular policies. Collins has long walked a tightrope with the US president. She has defied him directly by voting for his second impeachment conviction and opposing Pete Hegseth’s defense secretary nomination. Yet she has also anchored some of the president’s biggest priorities – most notably her vote for Brett Kavanaugh, a move that ultimately helped enable the overturning of Roe v Wade. This midterm cycle, Democrats are hoping to frame Collins’ moderation as outright complicity with the Trump administration. Platner holds a narrow lead over Collins in recent polling, which has tightened from a once-comfortable margin after his latest controversies. More on that here:
Trump repeats claim that California election is rigged Welcome to our coverage of US politics. Donald Trump has repeated a claim made during an NBC interview on Sunday that he walked out of claiming that the California gubernatorial race is rigged. On Monday, the US president posted a screenshot of congressman Abe Hamadeh’s post on X, who claimed that California is “incapable of running free and fair elections consistent with our constitution”. Trump posted the screenshot on Truth Social, with the original post by Hamadeh referring to election data platform Decision Desk HQ that Nithya Raman is projected to win the second of two spots in the CA Los Angeles mayor non-partisan primary election. In response, Trump wrote: “No way this could have happened. Rigged Election!” This comes after he walked out of an NBC interview aired on Sunday, where he falsely claimed that the California gubernatorial race was “rigged” while asserting untrue claims of cheating in the 2020 US presidential elections. “It’s four days and they aren’t even close to counting [ballots],” he said – as interviewer Kristen Welker argued that this was standard process in California. When he was asked about what his evidence was to suggest that the California election is “rigged”, Trump accused Welker of being “crooked” and later “stupid”. When NBC tried to continue to pose questions to the president, he took off his microphone, and said: “Let’s call it quits because I’ve had enough. Thank you, darling. Have a good time.” Read the full story about Trump walking out of the NBC interview here: In other developments: Later today Trump is expected to attend a campaign rally in New Jersey, before attending the Knicks game in New York’s Madison Square Garden. Trump’s appearance at the game means that there will be heightened security, a strict no-bag policy and airport-style screening for attenders of the game. This comes after a stabbing occurred in Penn Station directly below the arena, injuring six people. The suspect is in custody. The president also claimed that Iran’s military had been “virtually decapitated” as the war between the Middle Eastern country and the US reaches its 100th day. Earlier today, Trump urged Iran and Israel to “stop shooting” in a social media post. You can follow our Middle East liveblog coverage here: