All posts tagged: Karoline Leavitt

Tom Homan won’t say when ICE will surge in New York

Tom Homan won’t say when ICE will surge in New York

Published by Sam Flores

Tom Homan, White House border czar, speaks to members of the media outside of the White House in Washington, June 9, 2026. Daniel Heuer | Bloomberg | Getty Images White House border czar Tom Homan on Tuesday blamed New York Gov. Kathy Hochul for a promised surge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to New York City. But Homan would not say when he expected that surge of ICE agents to happen, when questioned by reporters at the White House. “You can expect more ICE agents to go to New York because Gov. [Kathy] Hochul signed legislation that ended our … agreements” that allowed the agency to delegate state and local law enforcement officers to perform immigration enforcement functions under ICE oversight, he said. The agreements under ICE’s 287(g) program were used to identify and process removable immigrants who were in jail after being arrested by local authorities on unrelated charges. “We’re going to surge resources in New York,” he said. “We have to.” But Homan separately said on Chris Cuomo’s SiriusXM show that a …

Trump discussed Iran Hormuz Strait proposal with team: White House

Trump discussed Iran Hormuz Strait proposal with team: White House

Published by Sam Flores

In this handout photo provided by U.S. Central Command, U.S. forces patrol the Arabian Sea near M/V Touska on April 20, 2026, after firing upon the Iranian-flagged vessel that the U.S. accused of attempting to violate the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports near the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. Navy | Getty Images President Donald Trump and his national security team on Monday discussed Iran’s proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz if the U.S. lifts its blockade and the war ends, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed. The proposal would postpone negotiations on Tehran’s nuclear ambitions for a later date, Axios and The Associated Press reported earlier Monday. It remains unclear if Trump, who has vowed not to lift the blockade until a deal with Iran is “100% complete,” will entertain the reported offer to end the two-month-old war. “I will confirm the president has met with his national security team this morning,” Leavitt said at a press briefing Monday afternoon when asked about the reports. “The meeting may be ongoing,” Leavitt said …

Karoline Leavitt in Donald Trump’s phone number joke as she announces ‘my last gaggle’ | World | News

Karoline Leavitt in Donald Trump’s phone number joke as she announces ‘my last gaggle’ | World | News

Published by Sam Flores

Karoline Leavitt joked about several members of the press having the mobile phone number of Donald Trump after the US President spoke to several news outlets in recent days. The heavily pregnant press secretary is expected to give birth to her second child next week, according to a White House official. Speaking to the press for what is likely the last time before giving birth, she said on Thursday: “I know all of you have the president’s phone number personally, so I have no doubt that you will have a shortage of statements and news from this building while I’m gone.” She also said: “This will likely be my last gaggle for some time. As you can see, I’m about ready to have a baby any minute, so I’ll see you guys very soon.” Since the start of the war in late February, President Trump has reportedly picked up the phone to more than 30 journalists, including the BBC. According to The Times, his personal number has become widely circulated among journalists and political figures …

U.S. and Iran could meet in Pakistan for peace talks next week: MS NOW

U.S. and Iran could meet in Pakistan for peace talks next week: MS NOW

Published by Sam Flores

U.S. Vice President JD Vance, right, speaks during a news conference after meeting with representatives from Pakistan and Iran, as U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, left, and U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff watch, in Islamabad, April 12, 2026. Jacquelyn Martin | AFP | Getty Images The U.S. and Iran will likely return to Pakistan next week for a second round of peace negotiations, two senior Pakistani officials told MS NOW on Wednesday. The latest sign of the countries’ continuing efforts to reach a diplomatic end to the war came from officials who are involved in finalizing decisions with the U.S. and Iranian teams, but did not want to be named because of sensitivities around negotiations, MS NOW reported. The step toward resuming the stalled peace talks came as tensions in the Persian Gulf continued to rise, further imperiling a shaky two-week ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran. Oil tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains at a trickle as Iran continues to pose threats to passing vessels and …

Strait of Hormuz toll confusion remains

Strait of Hormuz toll confusion remains

Published by Sam Flores

The fragile ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran depends on the Strait of Hormuz being opened for ships “without limitation, including tolls,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Wednesday. President Donald Trump wants the strait, which has been effectively blocked by Iran during the war, opened up “immediately, without limitation,” Leavitt said at a press briefing. She was asked if Iran would cross a “red line” by charging ships to pass through the vital oil-shipping route, as it is reportedly planning to do. Trump’s “plain language” demanding the immediate reopening of the strait “should be taken at face value,” Leavitt replied. Iranian state news agency Fars reported earlier Wednesday that oil tanker traffic through the strait has been halted following an Israeli attack on Lebanon that has shaken the hours-old ceasefire. Leavitt called that reporting “false.” “This is a case of, what they’re saying publicly is different privately,” she said. “We have seen an uptick of traffic in the strait today, and I will reiterate the president’s expectation and demand that the Strait of …

USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins sent staff Easter email about Jesus, God

USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins sent staff Easter email about Jesus, God

Published by Sam Flores

Brooke Rollins, US agriculture secretary, speaks to members of the media outside the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Friday, March 27, 2026. Aaron Schwartz | Sipa | Bloomberg | Getty Images U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins sent USDA staff an Easter email that emphasized the story of Jesus being crucified and resurrected, a message that some Christians said alienated them for its overt religiosity. “Happy Easter — He is Risen indeed,” Rollins wrote in the email sent on Good Friday, which CNBC has reviewed and was first to report. “From the foot of the Cross on Good Friday to the stone rolled away from the now empty tomb, sin has been destroyed,” Rollins wrote. “Jesus has been raised from the dead. And God has granted each of us victory and new life. And where there is life — risen life — there is hope.” The email included an illustration of a round stone rolled away from the entrance to Jesus’ tomb, with the words “Christ is Risen” written above the image. …

Trump signs executive order limiting mail-in voting

Trump signs executive order limiting mail-in voting

Published by Sam Flores

A person drops off a mail-in ballot on October 15, 2024 in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. Hannah Beier | Getty Images President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed an executive order cracking down on mail-in voting. “We want to have honest voting in our country, because if you don’t have honest voting, you can’t have, really a nation if you want to know the truth,” Trump said in the Oval Office after signing the order. The Daily Caller first reported that Trump would sign the order. According to the Daily Caller, the executive order would require the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to compile a list of verified U.S. citizens in each state who are eligible to vote. DHS would undertake the effort with the Social Security Administration, the Daily Caller wrote, citing a White House fact sheet. The U.S. Postal Service would then be required under the order to only send mail-in ballots to voters who appear on the list, according to the Daily Caller. Election authorities in each state typically send out mail ballots …

Trump waives U.S. shipping law for 60 days to steady oil market

Trump waives U.S. shipping law for 60 days to steady oil market

Published by Sam Flores

President Donald Trump issued a 60-day waiver of a longstanding U.S. shipping law in an attempt to stabilize oil markets amid the Iran war, the White House confirmed to CNBC on Wednesday. The temporary suspension of the Jones Act “will allow vital resources like oil, natural gas, fertilizer, and coal to flow freely to U.S. ports for sixty days,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement. The Trump administration “remains committed to continuing to strengthen our critical supply chains,” Leavitt said. The Jones Act, signed into law in 1920 by then-President Woodrow Wilson, requires that the transport of goods between U.S. ports must be conducted by U.S. vessels. The law was intended as an effort to grow the domestic shipping industry after World War I. The statute has been criticized as a form of protectionism, and some economists have recently argued that it impedes domestic trade. Trump’s two-month waiver was announced as oil prices resumed their rise due to the Iran war, in which major energy infrastructure has come under attack and …

Navy didn’t escort oil tanker in Strait of Hormuz

Navy didn’t escort oil tanker in Strait of Hormuz

Published by Sam Flores

U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodriguez, not pictured, speak with the media after attending a meeting, marking the highest-level U.S. visit focused on energy policy to the OPEC nation in nearly three decades, as Washington conducts its first on-the-ground assessment of the oil industry it aims to help rebuild, in Caracas, Venezuela, February 11, 2026. Leonardo Fernandez Viloria | Reuters Read more U.S.-Iran war news “I was made aware of this post,” Leavitt said. “I haven’t had a chance to talk to the Energy secretary about it directly.” “However, I know the post was taken down pretty quickly,” she said. Wright had written, “The U.S. Navy successfully escorted an oil tanker through the Strait of Hormuz to ensure oil remains flowing to global markets.” Leavitt said that the Navy escorting tankers through the strait remains “an option” that President Donald Trump “has said he will absolutely utilize if and when necessary at the appropriate time.” The Strait of Hormuz is the most significant chokepoint for oil shipments in the world. …

Trump meets with defense CEOs, Pete Hegseth

Trump meets with defense CEOs, Pete Hegseth

Published by Sam Flores

President Donald Trump attends a cabinet meeting with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth at the White House in Washington, Dec. 2, 2025. Brian Snyder | Reuters President Donald Trump met Friday afternoon with CEOs of major defense industry companies at the White House as the war against Iran ended its first full week. After the meeting, Trump said in a social media post that “we discussed Production and Production Schedules” and “they have agreed to quadruple Production of the ‘Exquisite Class’ Weaponry in that we want to reach, as rapidly as possible, the highest levels of quantity.” Trump did not explain what he meant by “Exquisite Class Weaponry.” The term is used in the defense industry to describe one-of-a-kind technology or systems. Trump said the meeting included CEOs of BAE Systems, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, RTX Corporation, Boeing, Honeywell Aerospace and L3Harris Technologies‘ Missile Solutions. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also attended the meeting. “Expansion began three months prior to the meeting, and Plants and Production of many of these Weapons are already under way,” Trump …