https://www.washingtonsun.com/donald-trump Donald Trump en-US Tue, 22 Sep 2026 21:32:37 GMT https://www.washingtonsun.com/donald-trump/social-media-accounts-embezzlement-x-strategies Angie Orellana Hernandez X Strategies, led by Trump adviser Alex Bruesewitz, sued Derek Utley for allegedly siphoning money to fund his gambling addiction. Tue, 22 Sep 2026 21:32:37 GMT https://www.washingtonsun.com/donald-trump/social-media-accounts-embezzlement-x-strategies The political consulting firm that runs President Donald Trump’s social media accounts sued its co-founder in federal court, alleging embezzled and laundered money for his own personal benefit.

The lawsuit, which was filed Friday in Florida, accuses Derek Utley of embezzling at least $5 million from X Strategies, the firm he co-founded with Alex Bruesewitz, a Trump adviser who runs the Trump War Room and Team Trump social media channels.

Utley allegedly used the siphoned money from 2021 to 2026 to gamble at casinos and purchase luxury sports cars, designer clothing, jewelry and first-class travel, according to the lawsuit.

He stepped down from his position at X Strategies in April, according to a court exhibit. Utley is now a partner at advisory firm Tower Strategies, where he leads its communications arm.

The lawsuit, first reported by Politico, seeks to “recover those stolen funds, to hold Utley and his co-conspirators accountable, and to prevent him from causing further harm to X Strategies.”

The lawsuit also named two of Utley’s other businesses: Dicenzo Fitness, which the lawsuit says was used to embezzle money, and Stark Defense Industries, which allegedly holds funds from the consulting firm.

“Utley disguised personal expenditures as business expenses, laundered and gambled stolen funds at casinos (keeping the winnings for himself, if he won, but causing X Strategies to absorb the losses — he lost far more than he won), diverted company funds to personal investments and to Stark Industries and Dicenzo Fitness (entities owned and controlled by Utley), and fabricated financial records to conceal his embezzlement,” the lawsuit reads.

Utley could not be reached for comment. He told Politico that he disputed “these allegations in the complaint and will address them through the legal process. I have no further comment at this time.”

The lawsuit claims that Utley covered up the alleged embezzlement by keeping “incomplete and confusing books” and by fabricating financial records. X Strategies President Michael Seifert initiated an audit after noticing discrepancies with the firm’s finances, the suit says, leading to a confrontation in which Utley initially denied wrongdoing.

He later admitted to Seifert that he “stole millions of dollars from X Strategies,” the suit reads, and “blamed the theft on his low self-esteem, his desire to have more influence and impress others, and his gambling and alcohol addictions.”]]> https://www.washingtonsun.com/campaigns/republicans-breaking-with-trump-midterms-war-economy Igor Bobic A string of GOP candidates are publicly disagreeing with the president’s policies or downplaying ties to the president as his approval ratings slide. Tue, 22 Sep 2026 20:12:09 GMT https://www.washingtonsun.com/campaigns/republicans-breaking-with-trump-midterms-war-economy A growing number of Republicans are publicly breaking with President Donald Trump, a sign that a party normally in lockstep views him as a liability in the midterms.

In the past week, a Republican congresswoman denounced Trump’s immigration policies, a Republican senator called for a probe into his son’s wedding being funded by a Russian oligarch, and two Republican Senate candidates in battleground states urged him to swiftly end the Iran war.

Staring at the prospect of losing both chambers of Congress, some Trump-backed Republicans are now taking self-preservation measures and backpedaling away from some of the president’s policies that polls have found to be deeply unpopular. Rising fuel and grocery costs are expanding the number of GOP seats in play and prompting more candidates to show some independence.

"President Trump's low approval rates make life tough for Republicans on the ballot,” said Doug Heye, a former communications director for the Republican National Committee. “It's only natural that candidates would seek to create distance from Trump, especially on issues — like the Iran War — that are unpopular. That doesn't guarantee success, and can be a hard needle to thread, but it's the natural play."

Public approval of the Iran war has soured as the seven-month conflict has dragged on. Only 26% of Americans approve of Trump’s handling of the war, according to a CNN poll released Tuesday. Three-quarters of all adults said Trump does not have a clear plan for handling the situation in Iran, and 78% say that he is not doing enough to end the war.

The blowback for Republicans appears particularly acute in Iowa, a red state where farmers are being squeezed by high diesel prices. Three of the state’s four Republican House members called on Trump to wind down the Iran war, including Rep. Ashley Hinson, who’s seeking a seat in the U.S. Senate.

Hinson has repeatedly opposed efforts in Congress to end hostilities with Iran, including last week, but she switched gears this week amid deep voter angst about the economy. In a post on X on Monday, Hinson called on Trump to suspend the gas tax and halt diesel exports, saying that “these actions to lower costs are needed ASAP, and the war needs to be brought to a successful and immediate end.”

One possible reason for her flip this week is a new poll showing she’s trailing her opponent in the state’s competitive Senate race. Democratic Senate candidate Josh Turek led Hinson among registered voters by 50% to 42%, according to an Marist poll released Tuesday. That’s a larger lead than in other surveys, but impressive given that Trump won the state by 13 points in 2024.

Turek called Hinson’s opposition to the war hollow and pointed to her past votes in support of the war.

“When you had the chance to vote to end this war, you chose not to,” he wrote on X. “You voted seven times to continue it, including just last week. It's time to actually end the forever wars and put Iowa and Iowans first.”

In the president’s home state of Florida, Byron Donalds, the Republican candidate for governor, easily fended off primary challenges touting his endorsement from Trump. But this week Donalds, a longtime staunch Trump ally, wiped his campaign website of references to the president’s support.

In Michigan, Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers similarly broke with Trump on Monday by declaring that the war with Iran "needs to end and end quickly.” He appeared in a video recorded at a grocery store and called for more relief for Americans dealing with high costs.

Rogers had previously defended Trump’s Iran war. Abdul El-Sayed, his Democratic opponent, called the former congressman a “liar, coward, [and] fraud.”

Most surveys have shown a close race in Michigan. But a poll released Tuesday by Suffolk University found El-Sayed, a doctor and former public health official, leading Rogers 47% to 40%.

Republican strategists believe every candidate is doing what they must to maximize their chance of winning in November, though that task might be harder for those who have maintained close ties with Trump.

“This is somewhat expected in a tough cycle as campaign teams analyze their place in their race, recognize not a ton can be done to change their fortunes, and throw up a prayer,” said one veteran Republican strategist who requested anonymity to speak freely. “Unless it has been part of your brand for some time, I’m not sure voters will really buy it.”

Michigan Republican strategist Jason Roe said more Republican candidates are likely to distance themselves from Trump in the coming weeks.

“I think it’s a relatively normal thing to happen in any campaign,” he said. “From race to race you are going to see different issues where maybe it’s helpful to separate yourself.”

Still, most elected Republicans continue to stand by Trump, even as their anxiety about the economy and the midterm elections grows. As are most Senate Republican candidates, like Texas attorney general Ken Paxton.

In addition to battleground states like Michigan, Republicans have found themselves facing competitive races in traditionally red states like Kansas, Alaska, Nebraska and Ohio because of growing dissatisfaction over rising costs.

“It's hard out there,” Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski said in an interview last week. “I've been talking to a couple of colleagues that come from states where farming is their economy, and farmers are really hurting right now, and they're not particularly pleased with some of what they're seeing with tariffs and the price of diesel, the cost of the Iran [war], and what that means to them.”

The need for Republicans to focus on a new group of contests that weren’t on the radar until recently is making the party increasingly nervous about the president’s impact.

“A year ago, we were talking all happy talk that it was going to be a great year for us,” she added. “I believe that we hold the Senate, but I think it's going to be hard.”
]]> https://www.washingtonsun.com/donald-trump/ai-super-intelligence Raymond Fernández The suggestion came days after industry leaders called for greater government oversight of the emerging technology. Tue, 22 Sep 2026 19:36:19 GMT https://www.washingtonsun.com/donald-trump/ai-super-intelligence President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he has ordered the U.S. government to refer to artificial intelligence in all official documents as “super intelligence.”

“Welcome to the new world of super intelligence — ‘SI’ — let's see if that goes. It sounds much better,” Trump said during his address before the United Nations General Assembly. “The word ‘artificial’ makes intelligence fake. It makes it sound fake, and it is not fake.”

Over the weekend, the president tested different name options through polls on his social media platform Truth Social. Some of the other names included “extreme” intelligence, “supreme” intelligence and “superior” intelligence.

Ultimately, “super” came out on top.

The announcement came days after AI tech leaders, including Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, called for a slowdown in AI development until proper safety measures could catch up with its rapidly growing capabilities.

The president, for his part, has dismissed the concerns, saying he was the only guardrail artificial intelligence needed.

On Tuesday, he reiterated that message to world leaders instead.

“The United States also totally rejects any attempt to construct a globalist scheme to control for the artificial intelligence,” Trump said.]]> https://www.washingtonsun.com/donald-trump/un-speech-cuba-delegation Raymond Fernández The delegation’s exit came after Trump’s remarks about the country and its government. Tue, 22 Sep 2026 18:23:51 GMT https://www.washingtonsun.com/donald-trump/un-speech-cuba-delegation The Cuban delegation abruptly walked out of the United Nations General Assembly during President Donald Trump’s speech Tuesday after he mentioned ongoing negotiations with its government.

“The communist regime is under great pressure, the biggest pressure they've ever been under,” Trump said. “It's an absolutely failed state. It's failing like never before, and it will fall.”

During the speech, Trump outlined the United States’ stance on Cuba, saying its government needed to undertake “fundamental change” and that making those changes remains a top priority of his administration.

But it was not until the president mentioned negotiations between the two countries that the Cuban delegation rushed off the floor.

“[Secretary of State] Marco Rubio is handling a negotiation. He's deep into negotiations with Cuba. Let's see what happens,” Trump said as the delegation walked out.

“We’ll not allow a haven for foreign adversaries to threaten America on our own doorstep,” the president continued, adding that the State Department had details on the regime’s “ties” to the Communist Party USA and the Democratic Socialists of America.

Under the Trump administration, Cuba has been subjected to increased economic pressure, including tighter sanctions, travel restrictions and measures targeting the island’s access to foreign oil.

The policies have been denounced by leaders across the world, specifically at the U.N.

Just before Trump’s speech, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva took aim at the ongoing crisis Cuba is facing as a result of the draconian economic sanctions.

“In Cuba, the world watches in horror as collective punishment is imposed on 10 million people by an illegal economic and energy embargo,” Lula da Silva said.]]> https://www.washingtonsun.com/money/donald-trump-stock-trades-oil-ai-defense Mark Alfred Many of the president’s stock purchases and sales, which span numerous industries, were not disclosed by a federal deadline. Tue, 22 Sep 2026 17:20:55 GMT https://www.washingtonsun.com/money/donald-trump-stock-trades-oil-ai-defense President Donald Trump made 1,156 stock, bond or other financial fund trades in July — a demonstration of his willingness to pursue personal wealth while holding the nation’s highest public office.

Trump disclosed the trades Tuesday in a filing with the Office of Government Ethics. The filing indicates the president, who says financial advisers make trades on his behalf, averaged 77 individual transactions per day he actively traded. On July 29 alone, Trump made over 300 transactions.

Many of the companies Trump bought or sold stock in are corporate giants that his administration helps regulate or that do business with the federal government.

Trump made trades in companies such as Alphabet, Microsoft and Meta — tech giants that are pursuing artificial intelligence ventures. Trump has been reluctant to heed calls to regulate the industry.

The president also traded shares of major defense contractors, including Palantir, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, GE Aerospace and SpaceX.

Trump also purchased up to $500,000 worth of stock in Axon Enterprise, the manufacturer of Tasers, which has done tens of millions of dollars worth of business with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, according to federal records.

Among Trump’s notable stock sales, he dumped a seven-figure amount of Oracle stock over five separate trades. Oracle is a major government contractor, and the company is part of a Trump-brokered deal to place video site TikTok under the control of U.S. corporations.
Oracle.Ellison.Trump (5942x3962, AR: 1.50)The president also traded in a number of oil and gas companies, including ExxonMobil, Chevron and Gulfport. Gas prices have proved to be a headache for Trump as he struggles to bring his nearly seven-month-long war with Iran to a close.

Trump also traded in a number of small municipal bonds, including the Norton County Unified School District 211 in Kansas and the Springtown Independent School District in Texas.

A number of Trump’s trades were disclosed more than 45 days after they were made — in violation of the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act, which also applies to top officials in the executive branch. It’s not the first time the president has run afoul of the stock trading law.

The dollar values of the trades are disclosed in ranges, not in exact amounts. In July, Trump traded roughly between $70 million and $230 million worth of stock, according to the disclosure.

Trump has long maintained that he is not behind the stock trades made in his name and that financial advisers he’s hired to manage his money have sole discretion over buying and selling stocks and bonds within his portfolio.

“President Trump’s stock and bond portfolio is independently managed by third-party financial institutions,” White House spokesperson Davis Ingle said in a statement Tuesday to The Washington Sun. “All holdings are maintained in discretionary accounts and invested through computer-based model portfolios that automatically replicate recognized indexes, such as the Schwab 1000,”

“Neither President Trump nor any member of his family has any ability to direct, influence, or provide input regarding how the portfolio is invested or when investments are bought or sold,” Ingle said. “All investment decisions are made entirely by independent managers. There are no conflicts of interest.”

But Trump is ostensibly aware of the contents of his portfolio, given that he personally certified his most recent disclosure, which bears his signature.]]> https://www.washingtonsun.com/media/trump-kaitlan-collins-cnn-white-house-ban-united-nations Raymond Fernández “You should not be here,” Trump told the CNN anchor during a trip to the United Nations. Tue, 22 Sep 2026 16:53:30 GMT https://www.washingtonsun.com/media/trump-kaitlan-collins-cnn-white-house-ban-united-nations President Donald Trump appeared surprised to see CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins during a trip to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday following the White House’s decision to expel the network from its credentialed press pool.

“You should not be here covering me,” Trump said after Collins shouted a question at him as he entered the building. “You said you weren't going to cover me. You shouldn't be covering me."

Collins, who has been singled out on multiple occasions by the president in the past, reminded Trump that the U.N. had allowed CNN into the building.

“It's an honor to be here. I'm surprised that CNN is here covering me,” Trump added.

Ultimately, the president turned to Collins, saying: “We're making a lot of progress. Our country is doing really, really well.”

The Trump administration has barred Politico, CNN and MS NOW from White House grounds due to what the president considered unfavorable coverage of the administration and “fake news.”

Over the weekend, the three outlets' credentials were removed, and as a result the five major networks — including CNN, ABC and FOX NEWS — decided to halt White House television pool coverage of the president. The networks collectively maintain the pricey infrastructure needed to broadcast video and audio of the president’s daily activities to countless other news outlets, especially when there is limited space.

On Monday, the fallout from the halt became most apparent. The president, who was scheduled to unveil a newly constructed helipad on the South Lawn, could not be heard as he spoke to officials and construction workers.

The administration’s decision has been challenged in federal court, and the case is expected to have its first hearing on Wednesday. The outlets argue that the president’s ban is unconstitutional under the First Amendment.]]> https://www.washingtonsun.com/foreign-policy/strait-of-hormuz-open-donald-trump-state-department Mark Alfred Trump has repeatedly claimed the strait is “open.” Mon, 21 Sep 2026 17:46:47 GMT https://www.washingtonsun.com/foreign-policy/strait-of-hormuz-open-donald-trump-state-department The State Department is resupplying the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait via “alternative routes” because transit through the Strait of Hormuz is “unreliable and dangerous,” according to a contracting notice the department posted Sunday.

“The security situation in the region remains fluid and subject to sudden escalation,” the department wrote in a vendor notice posted to a government contracting website — a statement undercutting President Donald Trump’s assertions that the strait is open and under U.S. control.

As recently as last week, Trump claimed that the Iranian navy was “gone” and the strait was open for business.

“You watch what's gonna happen to Iran, it’s gonna be a really good conclusion,” Trump said at a rally in North Carolina on Wednesday. “We have the strait open, we have all this thing and they've been decimated. Their navy’s gone, their air force is gone.”

It’s hardly the first time Trump has made such a proclamation:

“We control the strait, 100%.”

“We have total control over the strait. … The strait is open.”’

“The strait is open. We take a lot of ships through the strait now. … It’s a very functioning strait.”

The claims, made by the president on Aug. 10, 17 and 26, respectively, are just some of those highlighted by the White House as it tries to convince the American public that it is winning the deeply unpopular war.
HormuzMap (1164x871, AR: 1.34)The State Department said in the vendor notice that it considered three vendors before choosing one capable of transporting freight to the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait via unspecified “alternative routes,” as regional instability rendered “standard shipping routes unreliable or unavailable.” That embassy is located near the Persian Gulf’s northern shore, in close proximity to Iran.

A few ships passed through the strait this weekend, NBC News reported, but shipping traffic is only a fraction of what’s considered normal during peacetime.

“Recurring, rapid changes in regional security conditions are affecting carrier availability, shipping routes, transit times, insurance requirements, and overall logistics reliability with little advance notice,” the notice reads.

The selected contractor — the government did not disclose its identity — quoted $26,908 for its services and has a “strong record of relevant past performance supporting U.S. Embassy Kuwait requirements.”

The White House did not respond to a request for comment.

The State Department told The Washington Sun in a statement that “despite Iran’s aggressive actions, the U.S. military has successfully assisted more than 2,000 commercial vessels in transiting the Strait of Hormuz and facilitated the transport of more than one billion barrels of crude oil.”

“The United States will not permit Iran to disrupt navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and hold the global economy hostage. We will continue to take decisive action against Iran’s attempts to do so,” the statement said. “We continue to coordinate closely with partners in the region and around the world to ensure that Iran’s unlawful obstruction of international shipping will never be normalized.”
Hormuz.ships (6000x4000, AR: 1.50)The United States first attacked Iran on Feb. 28; next week, the war will hit its seven-month mark. Trump cut short a trip to Camp David this weekend as he weighs his next moves in his war, saying he may “blow the entire nation up.”

The Kuwait Embassy and others in the region issued security alerts on Saturday, warning of the Houthis’ “hostilities against Saudi Arabia” and writing, “This military conflict has the potential to escalate rapidly.”

Iran, for its part, warned Monday that it would consider expanding “the geography” of the war if the United States escalated attacks. Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is scheduled to travel to New York City on Tuesday for the United Nations General Assembly, and Trump has suggested that he’s willing to meet with Pezeshkian.

This article has been updated to include a statement from the State Department.]]> https://www.washingtonsun.com/metro/activists-protest-reopen-kennedy-center-trump-closure Torrie Herrington An estimated 1,000 people showed up Friday evening in support of keeping the building open as demolition fears grow. Sat, 19 Sep 2026 16:26:56 GMT https://www.washingtonsun.com/metro/activists-protest-reopen-kennedy-center-trump-closure Laura Bligh worked at the Kennedy Center three decades ago. Now retired, she has returned to the institution several times a week to protest President Donald Trump’s reshaping of the storied arts center.

Most days, Bligh has been the only protester outside the building. But Friday night, the crowd was a thousand times bigger.

“I am delighted because it helps show that the people in the D.C. area really love and care about the Kennedy Center. It’s very precious to us,” Bligh told The Washington Sun on Friday.

The demonstration came at a pivotal moment for the Kennedy Center, which closed Tuesday after its Trump-aligned board voted to shutter the venue for repairs — after which a federal judge ordered the administration to provide 30 days’ notice before any major renovations or demolition. Trump continued to bash the building as decrepit this week — and was photographed viewing potential demolition plans on Air Force One — while insisting his name needs to be permanently etched into the facade.

“I'm ready to fix it, make it good,” Trump told reporters at the Oval Office on Friday afternoon. “The Kennedy Center, for 25 years, has lost a tremendous amount of money, and all I'm saying is, I don't mind doing the job, but if I do the job, I think the Trump administration … the Trump administration should be recognized.”

“I'll do a better job building it than anybody else, anybody in America,” Trump added.

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Friday evening’s protest, organized by Hands Off the Arts, had been planned for weeks but took on added significance after the closure. Organizers said they formed the group last year in response to firings and layoffs at the Kennedy Center.

The center saw another wave of layoffs that impacted more than a dozen employees on Friday, The Washington Post reported that evening, including top spokesperson Roma Daravi and board relations head Joe LaFauci.

Many attendees brought signs. Some dressed up in inflatable costumes, others brought instruments. Together, they advocated for reopening the Kennedy Center and reinstalling a bipartisan board of trustees that doesn’t include Trump as a chairman.

“Hands off the arts!” the crowd chanted as protesters wrapped around the front and sides of the building, eventually forming a human chain.
_MG_0767 copy.jpg (5599x3733, AR: 1.50)The demonstration drew several elected officials and public figures, including Robert White, the Democratic nominee for D.C.’s congressional delegate; Reps. Don Beyer (D-Virginia) and Jonathan Jackson (D-Illinois); Metropolitan Washington Council President Sam Epps and “Wonder Woman” actress Lynda Carter.

Mallory Miller, a co-founder of Hands Off the Arts who was fired from the Kennedy Center last August, said the institution represents an important part of American cultural life. Her comments echoed the broader concerns of protesters who oppose Trump’s involvement in the center.

“The Kennedy Center, to me, is our country’s highest form of self-expression,” Miller told The Sun. “It’s really meaningful, not just for Washingtonians, but for Americans. The fact that it's closed right now is an abomination to our democracy.”

Trump began denouncing the institution’s programming in February 2025, saying the center didn’t need to be “woke” and criticizing some of its performances. He also said the center would no longer host “drag shows, or other anti-American propaganda.”

Tara Hoot, a drag performer who has participated in many Kennedy Center protests, said the size of Friday’s crowd showed growing attention to the dispute.

“It's a presidential memorial and that, first and foremost, should send shock waves around America that the president is trying to slap his name above that of an assassinated president,” Hoot said.
_MG_1110 copy.jpg (5695x3796, AR: 1.50)
Local musicians and performers also took part, including the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington and the Rapid Response Choir. The evening ended with the crowd singing “America the Beautiful” outside the front of the institution.

Chris Raleigh, another Hands Off the Arts co-founder, told The Sun that the goal of the protest was to prevent Trump from “turning arts and culture on us for his authoritarian project.”

Raleigh gave Trump an ultimatum while speaking to a cheering crowd.

“We will come here again and again, with greater numbers, to embarrass you and show the world how badly you messed up,” Raleigh said.

“Or, Mr. President, you take my deal — bring back the bipartisan board that used to run this place. Bring back the professionals, everyone who used to work in this building,” he said. “Don't lay a finger on JFK's memorial. Open up the building and put art on the damn stages.”]]> https://www.washingtonsun.com/metro/trump-defends-bid-name-kennedy-center Associated Press Trump did not directly say whether he planned to demolish the theater, as he's threatened to do, but called the building “a dump” on Friday. Fri, 18 Sep 2026 22:37:24 GMT https://www.washingtonsun.com/metro/trump-defends-bid-name-kennedy-center By Jonathan J. Cooper

President Donald Trump on Friday defended his push to put his name on the Kennedy Center, saying he deserves to be recognized for trying to save Washington's premier performing arts venue after his takeover was blamed for triggering its financial distress.

Trump did not directly respond when a reporter asked whether he planned to demolish the theater, as he's threatened to do, but said “the place is a dump” and he would “do a better job building it than anybody else.”

He said the Kennedy Center would require an ongoing subsidy to stay open and suggested it would be his burden to raise money to fill that gap.

“Why should I do everything and then for the rest of my life, have to go out and raise money?” Trump said.

He said only he could have secured the $257 million that Congress has approved for Kennedy Center repairs.

“I think the Trump administration should be recognized as having saved the Kennedy Center because nobody else could do it,” he added, repeating a comment he made days earlier while campaigning in North Carolina.

The Kennedy Center board, which is aligned with the president, voted Tuesday to close the center indefinitely for repairs hours after a judge blocked their plans to return Trump's name to the building. On Thursday, the judge ordered the Kennedy Center to provide 30 days’ notice before making any major physical changes to the building, including demolishing it.

Trump on Friday called U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper “a very hostile judge."

He spoke in the Oval Office during a health care event as his Health and Human Services Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., looked on. The venue was designated by Congress as a memorial for the secretary's uncle, President John F. Kennedy.

“I should be very careful because Bobby is standing right behind me," Trump said. “And I cherish that, too. I actually like the name of Kennedy and Trump, Trump and Kennedy, because it showed bipartisanship. It showed a Republican Party and a Democrat party working together.”

A wave of artists have canceled their Kennedy Center appearances in that past year after the Trump-loyal board added his name to the building's facade, renaming it The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.

Cooper ruled that Trump's name was illegally added and ordered it removed.]]> https://www.washingtonsun.com/donald-trump/trump-america-permanent-control-military-presence-greenland Gavin J. Quinton The agreement means “no U.S. adversary” could ever have a military base or make “sensitive investments” in the territory without approval, Trump said. Fri, 18 Sep 2026 21:55:27 GMT https://www.washingtonsun.com/donald-trump/trump-america-permanent-control-military-presence-greenland President Donald Trump said the United States has entered into an agreement with the kingdom of Denmark that would give America “permanent control over security, and all other needs” related to the territory of Greenland.

“We will immediately begin the process of developing a large Military presence in the appropriate part of Greenland, of which there are many,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Friday afternoon.

The two countries were closing in on a deal earlier Friday to increase U.S. military presence on the island, Reuters reported. Trump said the agreement means “no U.S. adversary” could ever generate a military presence or make “sensitive investments” in the territory without approval.

The president has insisted the U.S. take control of the strategic Arctic island in large part to gain access to its key mineral resources and military positioning.

Earlier this year, the Trump administration held talks over the fate of the autonomous Danish territory that ended in a “fundamental disagreement” with Danish representatives — with foreign officials repeatedly asserting that Greenland is “not for sale” — though negotiations resumed this month in a more positive direction.

The three governments are expected to sign the agreement next week at the U.N. General Assembly in New York City, according to a press statement from the office of Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen.

The deal must still be approved by Greenland’s parliament before going into effect, the release said.

"The agreement recognizes Greenland’s interests and our place in international cooperation. It is to the benefit of us all," Nielsen said.]]>