What we covered
• DHS shutdown: The Department of Homeland Security is set to shut down at midnight, with no end in sight to a bitter funding fight over federal immigration enforcement. President Donald Trump has been noncommittal about any potential deal with Democrats, saying the party has “gone crazy.”
• Voter ID: Trump vowed today that there will be national voter identification requirements for the November midterm elections — with or without congressional approval. Elections are largely run by state and local officials and it’s unclear how the president could enforce such a requirement without Congress.
• Military base visit: Trump went political in a speech to the troops at Fort Bragg today, lashing out at familiar adversaries and even promoting a Republican Senate candidate.
• Boat strike: The US military conducted a strike against another alleged drug-trafficking boat, killing three people. At least 124 have now been killed in such strikes.
Trump administration unfreezes some funding for NY tunnel project amid ongoing legal battle
The Trump administration on Friday unfroze some of the funding for a Gateway project connecting New York and New Jersey through a new rail tunnel beneath the Hudson River, as its legal battle with the states continues.
The money began flowing after District Judge Jeannette Vargas ruled earlier in the week that the administration must begin releasing federal funds earmarked for the $16 billion project, finding that the work stoppage would have an “immediate and severe impact.”
The Trump administration sought to pause Vargas’ order before it took effect, but an appeals court declined to take immediate action ahead of a hearing in the case later this month.
The Gateway Development Commission, the group tasked with helping construct the Hudson Tunnel Project, told CNN in a statement that it has received a partial reimbursement of the funds from the Trump administration, though construction remains paused.
“We have received an initial disbursement of $30 million from the federal government and expect to receive the full $205 million in reimbursement funds,” the commission said. “We are working with our contractors to plan how to deploy these funds in the most effective way and get workers back on the job to resume some construction as soon as possible.”
CNN has reached out to the White House and Justice Department for comment.
The Transportation Department told CNN in a statement that they are “following the court order.”
CNN previously reported that President Donald Trump told Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer last month that he was prepared to release the funding if Schumer agreed to rename New York’s Penn Station and Virginia’s Dulles International Airport after him.
“This is a positive first step towards resuming construction on the most important infrastructure project in America,” Schumer said in a post Friday.
Democratic New York Governor Kathy Hochul said in a post on X: “We are still owed $200M for Gateway. Workers should be on the job and commuters deserve better. Donald Trump must follow the law, restore the rest of the funding, and let us get back to work.”
World leaders "see us as a wrecking ball": Gov. Gavin Newsom
California Gov. Gavin Newsom was one of the many high-profile Democrats looking to counter President Donald Trump at the Munich Security Conference this week.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom was just one of the many high-profile Democrats looking to counter President Donald Trump at the Munich Security Conference this week as they outlined their foreign policy visions and what could come next. CNN's Kasie Hunt talks to the California governor about his agenda in Munich.
He added that world leaders he had spoken to didn’t think the US was the leader of the free world.
US strikes alleged drug boat, killing 3
The US military conducted a strike against another alleged drug-trafficking boat on Friday, killing three people, according to US Southern Command.
“On Feb. 13, at the direction of #SOUTHCOM commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations,” SOUTHCOM wrote on X, adding that no US military personnel were harmed in the strike.
The statement did not specify where the strike took place but said “Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Caribbean and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations.”
At least 124 people have now been killed in strikes on suspected drug boats as part of Operation Southern Spear, a campaign the Trump administration says is aimed at curtailing narcotics trafficking.
There's a sense of "significant unease" at the Munich Security Conference
European leaders have been on edge at the Munich Security Conference, with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz noting starkly that the international world order “no longer exists.”
CNN’s Nick Paton Walsh reports from Munich, where he describes deep concerns from European world leaders as President Donald Trump’s policies and tone with US allies seem to shift based on his whims:
CNN's Nick Paton Walsh reports from the Munich Security Conference where he describes deep concerns from European world leaders as President Trump's policies and tone with US allies seem to shift based on his whims.
Medical groups ask judge to block Trump administration’s vaccine recommendations for kids
Lawyers for several US medical groups asked a federal judge Friday for a court order to stop the Trump administration from implementing its newly revamped vaccine guidelines for children.
At a hearing in Massachusetts, the American Academy of Pediatrics and other organizations also asked District Court Judge Brian E. Murphy to order the cancellation of the next meeting of the independent committee that advises the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on its vaccine decisions. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or ACIP, is scheduled to meet at the end of the month.
Lawyers for the medical associations argued that US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. did not go through proper legal channels when his agency decided to reduce the number of vaccines the federal government recommends to protect children from infectious disease. They said the move stems from Kennedy’s anti-vaccine agenda.
The government argued that Kennedy had the legal authority to make the change.
Murphy, a Biden appointee who in March blocked the Trump administration from deporting immigrants to countries that were not their nations of origin, is expected to make a decision by the end of next week or the start of the week after.
Catch up on the latest headlines from the day
A lot has happened in Washington and on the foreign policy front this Friday.
Catch up on the latest headlines:
- A likely shutdown: The US is heading toward the third government shutdown of President Donald Trump’s second term. Democrats have outlined a number of demands during negotiations over the issue of federal immigration enforcement, including a call for independent oversight of ICE and ending the Trump administration’s “roving” patrols. Republicans are firmly opposed. Democrats are working on a counterproposal to send to the White House, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said. Trump today didn’t sound optimistic about a deal though.
- Munich Security Conference: More than 50 members of Congress are attending the Munich Security Conference, which runs Friday through Sunday. See what’s on Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s schedule here.
- On Iran: Trump is dispatching a second US aircraft carrier group to the Middle East in case he is unable to reach a diplomatic agreement with Iran, he told reporters Friday. He sounded pessimistic this afternoon when discussing ongoing talks between the US and Iran over a potential nuclear deal, asserting that the Iranians don’t have a good track record on that front.
- On Venezuela: Trump praised Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodriguez Friday as he prepared to meet with US service members involved in the operation that captured Nicolas Maduro, saying that the relationship between the two countries is “now a 10.” Also, Trump today touted the US operation in Venezuela during remarks at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, saying the service members involved are among America’s “greatest.”
- Trump lashes out: Hours after refusing to apologize for a racist video posted to his Truth Social account, President Donald Trump hadn’t let go. He spent last weekend privately complaining to allies about Republicans who had condemned the since-deleted video depicting the Obamas as apes, questioning the lawmakers’ loyalty and vowing consequences, sources familiar with his comments told CNN.
CNN’s Jennifer Hansler, Brad Lendon, Anna Chernova, Issy Ronald, Victoria Butenko, Sarah Ferris, Tami Luhby, Morgan Rimmer, Kevin Liptak, Alayna Treene, Betsy Klein, Lauren Kent and Samantha Waldenberg contributed reporting.
Trump privately railed against GOP lawmakers over blowback from racist video, sources say
Hours after refusing to apologize for a racist video posted to his Truth Social account, President Donald Trump hadn’t let go.
He spent last weekend complaining to allies about Republicans who had condemned the video depicting the Obamas as apes, questioning the lawmakers’ loyalty and vowing consequences, sources familiar with his comments told CNN.
The president railed against South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott — the sole Black Republican senator and chair of the Senate GOP’s campaign arm — throughout the weekend at Mar-a-Lago, arguing one of his top congressional allies was out of line to call his White House racist, the sources said.
Trump had even stronger words for Alabama Sen. Katie Britt, one of the sources recalled, using expletives to denounce her and declaring that she was dead to him.
Britt’s office slammed that account as “fake news” and touted her strong working relationship with the president, while the White House praised her as “an incredible ally” whom the president has “great respect” for. Scott’s office declined to comment.
Trump says there will be voter ID for midterm elections "whether approved by Congress or not”
President Donald Trump said Friday that there will be a national voter identification requirement for this November’s midterm elections “whether approved by Congress or not.”
“There will be Voter I.D. for the Midterm Elections, whether approved by Congress or not! Also, the People of our Country are insisting on Citizenship, and No Mail-In Ballots, with exceptions for Military, Disability, Illness, or Travel,” the president wrote on Truth Social.
“I have searched the depths of Legal Arguments not yet articulated or vetted on this subject, and will be presenting an irrefutable one in the very near future,” Trump added, saying in a second post that he would be presenting his legal argument in a forthcoming executive order.
It is unclear how the president could legally mandate voter ID across the country ahead of the midterm elections without congressional approval.
Elections are largely run by state and local officials, and the Constitution does not spell out a role for the president in administering how they are run. But that hasn’t stopped Trump from attempting to dictate election rules.
Last year, for instance, he signed an executive order that attempted to require that individuals provide citizenship documents to register to vote. Three judges have ruled against the executive order, halting provisions that tried to expand proof of citizenship requirements.
Earlier this week, the GOP-controlled House passed legislation that would require photo ID to vote in federal elections, a bill that Trump has called for Republicans to pass. The GOP bill would require documentary proof of US citizenship for voter registration in federal elections and would require states to remove noncitizens from federal voter registration rolls. But it has little chance of passing the Senate, where it would need bipartisan support.
Fredreka Schouten, Veronica Stracqualursi and Marshall Cohen contributed to this report.
Democrats are working on a new counteroffer in ICE negotiations
Democrats are working on a counterproposal to send to the White House as negotiations over federal immigration enforcement continue, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said.
While many agencies under the Department of Homeland Security – including TSA, FEMA and the Coast Guard – will be affected when funding lapses at midnight, Jeffries criticized the administration for continuing to fund ICE and CBP through the shutdown.
The president’s signature policy bill passed last summer funneled $75 billion to ICE and $64 billion to CBP, as well as gives DHS Secretary Kristi Noem wide-ranging power to move money around to carry out the agency’s operations.
“The notion — and we want the American people to understand this — that your taxpayer dollars in the one big, ugly bill were used to provide massive tax breaks for Republican billionaire donors and to give DHS a $191 billion slush fund, which includes $75 billion to ICE being used to brutalize you,” Jeffries said.
Jeffries told reporters “the reason why we have to have this confrontation on behalf of the American people is because in a spending bill, we have the ability to legislate dramatic change. That’s what we’re doing.”
State Department plans to form new bureau for disaster response, sources tell CNN
The US State Department is planning to form a new bureau to respond to disasters and provide humanitarian assistance, a Democratic congressional aide and another source familiar told CNN.
The creation of the new bureau comes months after the Trump administration eliminated the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and moved some of its key responsibilities into different parts of the State Department. The department had already taken over some disaster response work, for example, but now those efforts will be part of the new bureau.
According to the congressional aide, the new bureau will combine disaster and humanitarian response work with the Office of Global Food Security.
Key questions remain: It is unclear how many people will work in the new bureau or how much funding it will have. The Trump administration has sharply cut the budget for humanitarian assistance. The vast majority of personnel who worked at USAID, including at the Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance, lost their jobs.
It will have a Senate confirmed assistant secretary and report to the under secretary for foreign assistance, humanitarian affairs and religious freedom, a role currently held by Jeremy Lewin. Lewin is a former Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) official who played a key role in dismantling USAID.
It is also unclear when the bureau will be formally established. The State Department is required to formally notify Congress on any reorganization.
CNN has reached out to the State Department for comment.
Minneapolis mayor asks Trump admin to help foot $203 million economic impact
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration crackdown inflicted about $203 million in economic hardship on the city in January — and he called on the federal government to help pay for the recovery.
At its peak, Operation Metro Surge deployed about 3,000 federal officers in the city, leading to weeks of unrelenting detentions of Minnesota residents. The aggressive crackdown made many people — including legal residents — fearful of leaving their homes to go to work, grocery shop or drive their children to school. In addition to protesting on the streets, many Minnesotans took part in economic boycotts, though some tried directing their money to local businesses suffering revenue loss.
“The damage caused by this operation has been staggering,” Frey said.
Here are some of the financial impacts throughout January, according to city leaders:
- $81 million in restaurant and small business revenue
- $47 million in lost wages as people feared leaving home to go to work
- $15.7 million in rent assistance due to lost household income
- $4.7 million in hotel cancellations through the summer
- $2.4 million in weekly cost of food assistance
The mayor called on the Trump administration and state officials to provide the city emergency response reimbursement and “humanitarian assistance.”
Trump less confident on Iran talks, says regime change seems to be "the best thing that could happen"
President Donald Trump sounded pessimistic Friday afternoon when discussing ongoing talks between the US and Iran over a potential nuclear deal, asserting that the Iranians don’t have a good track record on that front.
He also suggested that perhaps regime change in the country would be “the best thing that could happen.” He added that officials in the country “want to talk, but so far they do a lot of talking and no action.”
Trump had been more positive about the negotiations just hours earlier, when he said he believed US negotiators “will be successful” in striking a deal.
Asked what Iran can do to avoid a potential US military attack, Trump said: “Give us a deal that they should’ve given us the first time. If they give us the right deal, we won’t do that.”
And while Trump seemed to support regime change in Tehran, he said he didn’t “want to talk about” who he would like to see replace Iran’s Supreme Leader, only saying “there are people.”
Asked what is left for the US to target in Iran given Trump has asserted that Iran’s nuclear facilities were “obliterated” after US strikes on them last summer, Trump told reporters: “Well you can get whatever the dust is down there. That’s really the least of the mission. If we do it, that would be the least of the mission, but we probably grab whatever is, whatever’s left. It has been obliterated, as you know.”
Trump praises transportation secretary amid blame game over El Paso airspace closure
President Donald Trump told CNN that Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is doing a “great job” when asked Friday afternoon if he has spoken to the secretary after an abrupt and unexplained closure of airspace above El Paso, Texas this week.
“He’s doing a great job,” the president told CNN’s Alejandra Jaramillo before boarding Air Force One.
It was a step further than Trump had gone earlier in the day. Hours earlier, the president had shrugged off frustration at Duffy over the airspace closure, telling CNN that “people learn,” when pressed on whether he’s satisfied with the secretary’s handling of the situation.
CNN previously reported that the White House, which was furious with the FAA over the decision, blames the agency for failing to alert the appropriate people in the West Wing of its plan to shut down the airspace for 10 days, two senior administration officials told CNN. Senior aides specifically faulted the FAA , not the Pentagon, according to one of the officials.
CNN’s Donald Judd and Alayna Treene contributed to this report.
Trump gets political in speech to troops at Fort Bragg
Historically, when presidents travel to US military installations to address service members, their remarks avoid politics. That was not the case Friday at Fort Bragg, where President Donald Trump took aim at his predecessor and even brought a Republican Senate candidate to the stage.
In remarks ostensibly aimed at reminding Americans of his historic decision to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in January, Trump railed against former President Joe Biden, whom he called the “worst president.” He warned that Democratic candidates would “decimate our military.” And he went after what he described as a “radical left” decision to rename Fort Bragg during the Biden administration. (Fort Bragg was initially named for a Confederate general. It was renamed Fort Liberty in 2023, and then renamed Fort Bragg for a different Bragg — a World War II paratrooper — shortly after Trump returned to office.)
Trump brought Michael Whatley, the former co-chair of the Republican National Committee, to the stage for remarks. He’s running for the seat occupied by retiring GOP Sen. Thom Tillis.
“He’s running for the Senate, and if he gets in, you’re going to be taken care of. If he doesn’t get in, we’re going to be stripping the military, like they always do — the Democrats,” Trump said.
Whatley praised Trump as a president who fights “for the men and women in uniform.”
Trump later turned his attention to the Maduro raid, which he and his team believes is one of his signature foreign policy achievements. He met with special forces involved in the operation and their families later Friday.
Trump touts Venezuela operation, says service members involved are among "greatest" ever
President Donald Trump on Friday touted the US operation in Venezuela during remarks at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, saying the service members involved are among America’s greatest.
“Some of our greatest soldiers, right here, to ever live, frankly, successfully captured the outlaw dictator of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, and brought him back to face American justice,” the president said during his remarks.
Trump is at Fort Bragg to honor members of the military who were involved in the operation that led to Maduro’s capture on January 3.
The operation, as CNN has reported, involved some extraordinary risks to capture Maduro and his wife.
Trump addressed several topics as he left for Fort Bragg. Catch up on what he said here
President Donald Trump address several topics while talking briefly with reporters ahead of traveling to Fort Bragg in North Carolina today to meet with US military members involved in the capture of ousted Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.
- Venezuela: Trump praised Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodriguez, saying that the relationship between the two countries is “now a 10.” He said he would make a visit to Venezuela but has not yet decided on timing.
- Iran: Trump is dispatching a second US aircraft carrier group to the Middle East in case he is unable to reach a diplomatic agreement with Iran, he told reporters. “In case we don’t make a deal, we’ll need it,” he said when questioned about the addition of the USS Gerald Ford to a growing armada of US military assets in the region.
- El Paso: Trump shrugged off frustration at Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy over the El Paso, Texas, airspace closure, telling CNN, “People learn,” when pressed on whether he’s satisfied with Duffy’s handling of the situation.
- Shutdown: Trump didn’t sound optimistic about a deal with Democrats to avert a partial government shutdown, telling reporters Friday that “we’ll see what happens.” Democrats have demanded increased oversight and restrictions on immigration enforcement in exchange for the votes to pass the funding bill. Trump said that they’ve “gone crazy” but “we’re talking.”
CNN’s Kevin Liptak, Donald Judd, Alayna Treene and Betsy Klein contributed to this reporting.
Prior to meeting with Rubio, German chancellor issued sharp warning to US
While German Chancellor Friedrich Merz may have found common ground with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio over a changing world order, he also said that “a divide has opened up between Europe and the United States.”
During remarks at the Munich Security Conference in Germany, Merz said that “the United States’ claim to leadership has been challenged, and possibly lost.”
“The battle of cultures of MAGA in the US is not ours. Freedom of speech, here (in Germany), ends where the words spoken are directed against human dignity and our basic law,” Merz added.
The German chancellor then switched to speaking in English, with a sharp warning aimed at US leadership, but also a call to repair transatlantic relations.
His comments came ahead of a scheduled meeting with Rubio.
Trump says relationship with Venezuela is "now a 10," praises Rodriguez
President Donald Trump praised Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodriguez Friday as he prepared to meet with US service members involved in the operation that captured Nicolas Maduro, saying that the relationship between the two countries is “now a 10.”
“We have a very good relationship with the president of Venezuela, as you know. We’re working together very closely. … The relationship we have right now with Venezuela is now a 10,” Trump told reporters as he prepared to depart the White House for Fort Bragg in North Carolina.
He added: “They’ve done a great job. She’s done – Delcy’s done, a very, very good job, and the relationship is strong.”
Trump pointed to cooperation with Venezuela on oil production and refining.
“Right now, the relationship with Venezuela is as good as it could possibly be,” he added.
He said he would make a visit to Venezuela but has not yet decided on timing.
Trump noncommittal on deal to avert partial shutdown, says Democrats have "gone crazy"
President Donald Trump didn’t sound optimistic about a deal with Democrats to avert a partial government shutdown, telling reporters Friday that “we’ll see what happens.”
“We always have to protect our law enforcement. They have done a great job,” Trump told CNN.
Trump reiterated that the White House is talking with Democratic lawmakers about the looming shutdown for the Department of Homeland Security. Democrats have demanded increased oversight and restrictions on immigration enforcement in exchange for the votes to pass the funding bill. Trump said that they’ve “gone crazy” but “we’re talking.”
The president refused to answer whether he is personally involved in the conversations, but lauded the job ICE and border patrol have done under his administration and told reporters he is satisfied with DHS Secretary Kristi Noem.
The shutdown deadline is midnight Friday.
