Where things stand
• Epstein files: The Justice Department has 30 days to release its Jeffrey Epstein-related files after President Donald Trump signed a bill last night directing it to do so. Some lawmakers worry the administration may try to hinder the process by slowing the release or redacting information.
• Trump accuses Democrats: The president called for the arrest of lawmakers who urged troops to disobey illegal orders that might be issued by the administration, calling it “punishable by death.” Democratic leaders condemned what they described as death threats, while Speaker Mike Johnson said he would not have used the same words, but criticized the lawmakers’ message.
• Cheney’s funeral: Meanwhile, political leaders from both sides of the aisle gathered in Washington, DC, to pay respects to former Vice President Dick Cheney.
Threats from Trump validate Democrats' concerns, lawmaker says
Rep. Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania told CNN that President Donald Trump proved Democrats’ point by threatening them after they urged troops to disobey illegal orders that might be issued by the administration.
“I never in a million years thought I’d be talking to you tonight about the fact that the president of the United States has called for my death by hanging, for sedition and treason, and called for it because I and a number of other people published a video that says, ‘You have to follow the law.’ And the law says, don’t follow unlawful orders,” Houlahan told CNN’s Erin Burnett.
Houlahan is one of six Democratic lawmakers who previously served in the military or intelligence community who issued the message in a video posted on X. The president described the Democrats’ video message as “seditious behavior, punishable by death.”
Houlahan said she takes the president’s words seriously.
Asked if she feels safe, Houlahan said she understands that her job puts her in “a position of vulnerability.”
“But I come to work knowing that I’m here for the right reasons. And again, this is another confirmation for me that — even though I may feel unsafe and I’m worried for my family and my team — I’m doing the right thing.”
GOP lawmakers have mixed reactions to Trump's threats against Democrats who made video about illegal orders
We’re hearing from Republicans on Capitol Hill after President Donald Trump called for the arrest of Democratic lawmakers who urged US troops to disobey illegal orders that may be issued by the administration. The president described the Democrats’ video message as “seditious behavior, punishable by death.”
Speaker Mike Johnson said he would not have used the same words but criticized the lawmakers’ message, while Majority Leader John Thune said he didn’t agree with Trump’s comments but dismissed the video that sparked his reaction as “unnecessary.”
Here’s what other GOP lawmakers have said. (Click here to read how Democrats responded.)
- Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska said Trump’s threats against the six lawmakers were “inappropriate” while arguing their video urging troops to disobey illegal orders was unwise. “I don’t think the video is smart. I don’t think the response to the video is smart. It was not right. And we gotta lower the temperature,” he said.
- Rep. Troy Nehls of Texas: “They’re disruptors … and they’re trying to cause more chaos.” He added, “Shameful, what they’ve all done. They’re absolutely sick and deranged.”
- Rep. Tim Burchett of Tennessee: “If this were any other time in history, those folks would be in chains and they’d be in prison,” he said. “If they’re calling on our military to not do what the president of the United States says, I think that’s some pretty dangerous times when we’ve got elected officials doing that,” he said.
- Rep. Dan Meuser of Pennsylvania called the Democrats’ video “disturbing” but said he believes the president may clarify his comments. “There’s no way, our president thinks that those individuals for that message should be as you stated, treated in that manner, OK?” said Meuser. “I don’t believe that.”
- Sen. Jon Husted of Ohio told CNN that he had not seen the president’s comment, but pressed on whether he should say Democratic lawmakers could be executed, he said, he’s more focused on creating bipartisan relationships to work on health care. ” I try to use words that help invite them to work with me and to be a trusted colleague, and that’s how I conduct myself,” he said.
- Sen. Katie Britt of Alabama also said she didn’t know what Trump said, but called the Democrats’ video “unsettling in a lot of ways.”
House speaker distances himself from Trump’s threats against Democratic lawmakers
House Speaker Mike Johnson conceded that he wouldn’t have used the same language as President Donald Trump when he said that Democrats who urged service members to disobey illegal orders could face a “death” sentence for seditious activity.
Johnson however condemned the video message that six Democratic members of Congress posted on X, calling it “dangerous.”
The former constitutional attorney argued Trump was expressing his “frustration and concern” and said the president sometimes “uses heated rhetoric.”
Johnson urged reporters to think about the “implications of defying military orders,” saying “The president is trying to make a point. I think he made the point.”
Some context: The video from the lawmakers urged service members and intelligence officials to disobey illegal orders, not any orders. They did not specify which orders service members received, or might receive, that could be illegal. “No one has to carry out orders that violate the law, or our Constitution,” they said in the video, adding, “Know that we have your back… Don’t give up the ship.”
"The most unhinged, unacceptable, unconscionable and un-American way." Jeffries blasts Trump for comment
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries called President Donald Trump’s suggestion that Democratic lawmakers who urged service members and intelligence officials to disobey illegal orders should be put to death “disgusting and dangerous.”
“SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, responding to a video from half a dozen members of Congress who previously served in the military and intelligence community urging people currently in those roles to “refuse illegal orders.”
Trump’s comments drew a swift rebuke from Democrats, who condemned them as an attempt to incite violence, and even drew the scrutiny of members in his own party.
Here’s what some other Democrats said today:
- Rep. Chris Deluzio of Pennsylvania: “It’s an outrageous call for political violence against me and my colleagues who are members of Congress elected sharing a basic and fundamental truth about our Constitution.”
- Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut: “This is extraordinary. The President of the United States is calling for members of the political opposition to be executed. I know that we have just normalized the president’s endorsement and celebration of violence, but this is something fundamentally different. This puts all of our lives in jeopardy.”
- Sen. Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland: “The climate that has been created in our country by this administration is one that hurts everybody.”
CNN’s Alison Main, Arlette Saenz, Camila DeChalus and Morgan Rimmer contributed to this post.
Democratic lawmaker says he's not intimidated by Trump’s threats
Democratic Rep. Jason Crow of Colorado told CNN he is not intimidated by President Donald Trump’s threat to have him arrested following his participation in a video urging troops to disobey illegal orders that might be issued by the administration.
Crow is one of six members of Congress who previously served in the military or intelligence community who issued the message in a video posted on X.
Asked by CNN’s Kasie Hunt today if he thinks Trump will actually pursue arrests, Crow said, “We have to take everything that Donald Trump says seriously. He throws a lot of stuff out there, but some of the things he carries through on.”
Crow is a former Army Ranger who was deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. He said he will continue to uphold his oath to the Constitution and will not be silenced.
In his fuming response to the video, Trump accused the lawmakers of “seditious behavior” that he claimed is “punishable by death.”
Asked by Hunt if he believes the president’s rhetoric could put the group in danger, Crow said, “We have to be very careful. There’s no doubt about that,” citing the January 6 insurrection as evidence of the influence Trump has over his supporters.
Crow said the lawmakers have received additional security from the House and are taking measures to protect their families.
Get caught up on the politics headlines you might have missed today
The impending release of the Epstein files from the Department of Justice has been big news today, but here are some of the other headlines from the Trump administration you might have missed.
You can click on the links to read our full reporting.
- Immigration enforcement in Charlotte: The top Border Patrol official and some of his agents have left Charlotte, North Carolina, according to a Homeland Security official. Immigration enforcement will continue in the area, other law enforcement officials said.
- Appeals court ruling on Chicago detainments: A federal appeals court paused the release of hundreds of immigrants who were arrested during the Department of Homeland Security’s crackdown in the Chicago area, according to a court filing.
- National Guard in Washington, DC: A federal judge ruled the Trump administration “exceeded the bounds of their authority” in how it deployed National Guard troops in Washington, DC, and “acted contrary to law.”
- Vance on the economy: Vice President JD Vance said “we know that there’s a lot of work to do” on the economy, taking a sharply different approach from the one President Donald Trump has taken in recent weeks.
- AI regulation: Trump has drafted an executive order that would block states from enforcing regulations around artificial intelligence.
- Offshore drilling: The Interior Department released a five-year offshore drilling plan that would open up vast parts of California’s coastline to drilling, which hasn’t happened in the state since the late 1960s.
- Changes to CDC website: The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website now includes anti-vaccine talking points that don’t rule out a link between vaccines and autism, despite an abundance of evidence that there’s no connection.
Graham blocks move to repeal measure that allows senators to sue over DOJ investigations
GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham blocked a request on the Senate floor to repeal a controversial provision that allows senators — including Graham himself — to sue the Justice Department for at least $500,000 if they are investigated without Congress being notified.
This language was tucked into the package that reopened the government last week. It came after Senate Republicans released records related to the FBI investigation, called Arctic Frost, of alleged efforts in 2020 to have GOP electors register electoral college votes for Donald Trump from states that former Joe Biden won.
Eight current U.S. senators are eligible to sue the DOJ, including Graham, who has said he plans to do so.
The House voted unanimously on Wednesday to repeal the provision, and Speaker Mike Johnson said he was “angry” it was included in the government funding package.
Democratic Sen. Martin Heinrich moved to bring up his legislation that would repeal it on the floor Thursday afternoon, calling the measure a “blatant tax-funded cash grab.”
Graham objected, asking, “What did we do to justify having Jack Smith issue a subpoena for the phone records of a branch of government, the Senate, where all of us had to decide whether or not to certify the election?” (Jack Smith was the special counsel who investigated the elector scheme.)
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said that he had socialized the idea with the Democrats before it was added to the final language.
“This wasn’t Republicans doing this,” added Graham. “This was people in the Senate believing what happened to the Senate need never happen again.”
He continued, “I’m willing to work with my colleagues about the $500,000. I’m going to sue Biden’s DOJ and Jack Smith, I’m going to sue Verizon, it’s going to be a hell of a lot more than $500,000.”
Leavitt denies that Trump wants members of Congress executed
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt denied that President Donald Trump is calling for members of Congress to be executed and fiercely defended his response to video of Democratic lawmakers reminding members of the military that they can “refuse illegal orders,” arguing that they “should be held accountable.”
“These members knew what they were doing. They were leaning into their credentials, as former members of our military, as veterans, as former members of the national security apparatus, to signal to people serving under this commander in chief, Donald Trump, that you can defy him and you can betray your oath of office,” Leavitt said. “That is a very, very dangerous message. And it perhaps is punishable by law.”
Trump said earlier Thursday that these members, whom he called “traitors,” were exhibiting “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!” and “should be ARRESTED AND PUT ON TRIAL.”
In a back-and-forth exchange with a reporter from the briefing podium, Leavitt argued that Democrats in the video are suggesting that Trump has given illegal orders, which she said “he has not.”
“Every single order that is given to this United States military by this commander in chief and through this chain of command, through the secretary of war is lawful, and the courts have proven that. This administration has an unparalleled record at the Supreme Court, because we are following the laws. We don’t defy court orders,” Leavitt said.
However, Democrats in the video did not specify which orders service members received, or might receive, that could be illegal. Rather, they said that “no one has to carry out orders that violate the law, or our Constitution.”
White House defends Trump after he calls reporter “piggy,” says president was being “frank and honest”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended President Donald Trump after he snapped at a reporter and called her “piggy,” framing the moment as an example of the president’s trademark bluntness, calling the approach “frank and honest.”
“Look, the president is very frank and honest with everyone in this room. You’ve all seen it yourself. You’ve all experienced it yourselves. And I think it’s one of the many reasons that the American people reelected this president, because of his frankness,” Leavitt told reporters.
“And so I think the president being frank and open and honest to your faces, rather than hiding behind her backs is, frankly, a lot more respectful than what you saw in the last administration,” the press secretary continued. “So, I think everyone in this room should appreciate the frankness and the openness that you get from President Trump.”
Before reversing his stance on releasing the Epstein files, Trump called a reporter “piggy” after she asked about his name being raised in emails sent by convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
“Quiet, piggy,” the president said, while skipping her question during a gaggle with reporters aboard Air Force One.
White House did not know about Huckabee's meeting with American convicted of spying for Israel
The White House on Thursday said it was not aware of a reported meeting between Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee and a former US naval intelligence analyst convicted of espionage against the United States, but said the president stands by Huckabee.
The New York Times reported Thursday that Huckabee met with Jonathan Pollard, who spent 30 years in prison for spying on behalf of Israel, at the US Embassy in Jerusalem in a July meeting that was left off of the ambassador’s official schedule.
“The administration, the White House, was not aware of that meeting, but the President stands by our ambassador, Mike Huckabee, and all that he’s doing for the United States and Israel,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said during today’s press briefing.
CNN’s Jennifer Hansler reports the US Embassy in Jerusalem did not dispute that the meeting happened, but a spokesperson did dispute parts of the NYT report.
“This article is filled with inaccuracies. David Milstein was not involved in setting up the meeting. The Ambassador has meetings each day with numerous people and as a matter of general policy we don’t comment as to the content of conversations,” the US Embassy spokesperson said.
6 Democrats say they "will not be intimidated" by Trump's sedition comments
In a joint statement, the six Democratic lawmakers who President Donald Trump accused of engaging in “seditious behavior, punishable by death” over their video urging troops to not obey unlawful orders said they “will not be intimidated.”
Sens. Elissa Slotkin and Mark Kelly and Reps. Jason Crow, Chris Deluzio, Maggie Goodlander and Chrissy Houlahan urged others to “unite and condemn the President’s calls for our murder and political violence.”
Additionally, Slotkin said during a conference that “I’m not going to shut up because Donald Trump is threatening me.”
Slotkin said she was accompanied by security to the NewDEAL’s 15th annual Leaders Conference in Washington, DC.
Notable moments from former Vice President Dick Cheney's funeral
Past presidents and politicians of both parties gathered in Washington, DC, for former Vice President Dick Cheney’s funeral.
The service at the Washington National Cathedral featured tributes from his family, former President George W. Bush and others who worked closely with Cheney during his decades in politics. Notably, President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance were not invited.
Speakers talked about his love for his family and his country, and told personal stories about how he loved fly fishing and the outdoors.
Here are some of the notable moments:
- Former President Bush: In his tribute, the former president remembered his vice president as a “true man of the West” and said Cheney was an “old breed of public servant, defined by their substance and character.” He told the story of how he chose Cheney to be his running mate and the moment he realized “the best choice for the vice president was the man sitting right in front of me.”
- Defense of the Constitution: Former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney said the choice “between defense of the Constitution and defense of your political party was no choice at all” for her father, and he felt being “born an American” was a great blessing. She said his final words “were to tell my mother he loved her.”
- Christmas traditions: Cheney’s grandchildren remembered the little moments of life with their grandfather. Elizabeth Perry talked about Cheney driving her to her first day of college. Richard Perry told a story about how Cheney would cook Christmas dinner while they watched John Wayne movies in the kitchen. Grace Perry recalled how her grandfather drove her to rodeos across the state.
- Other tributes: Pete Wiliams, the press secretary for Cheney when he was defense secretary, said Cheney “demonstrated that kind of decency and concern for all the people who served him.” Dr. Jonathan Reiner, Cheney’s cardiologist, said that while the former vice president had a lifelong battle with heart disease, “he never looked over his shoulder — he only looked ahead.”
- Invitees: Along with Bush, former President Joe Biden and former vice presidents Kamala Harris, Mike Pence, Al Gore and Dan Quayle attended. There were also a number of Supreme Court Justices and congressional leaders from both sides of the aisle. Trump and Vance were not invited, though Vance did offer his condolences.
Senators weigh in on how Trump's DOJ will handle the Epstein files release
The bill ordering the release of the full Justice Department case files on Jeffrey Epstein is now law — but some in Congress remain skeptical that the documents will be made public.
There is a provision in the law that allows the Trump administration to withhold documents that are part of an ongoing investigation. President Donald Trump asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate Epstein’s ties to many high-profile Democrats last week.
Lawmakers like Democratic Sen. Jeff Merkley, who co-sponsored a version of the bill in the upper chamber, said he “doesn’t trust this administration to follow the law at all.”
He doesn’t think there will be anyone inside the administration ensuring the DOJ follows the law as it’s written, including providing the required explanations for why certain documents are being withheld.
Meantime, GOP Sen. Josh Hawley said he expects the DOJ to “fully comply,” warning that it would be a “mistake” for the administration to hold up the disclosure.
The former Missouri attorney general also encouraged the DOJ to look into mounting more prosecutions related to the Epstein case. “Given the scope of who is involved in this, I’m just really shocked that you can’t prosecute more people,” Hawley said.
Speaker Johnson defends Trump post suggesting Democrats' video was "punishable by death"
As Dick Cheney’s funeral service comes to a close, elsewhere in DC, House Speaker Mike Johnson defended President Donald Trump’s call for the arrest of Democratic lawmakers who urged service members and intelligence officials in a video to disobey illegal orders.
The speaker noted his son attends the Naval Academy, and said, “I know young soldiers, airmen, sailors. They don’t need that kind of nonsense from people in Congress. It is very dangerous.”
Pressed on Trump saying the Democrats’ actions should be punishable by death, the speaker said, “I’m gonna let others define what it is, but it’s wildly inappropriate.”
Johnson a bit later expanded on his thoughts, saying he took Trump’s suggestion to be the president simply explaining sedition.
“What I read was he was defining the crime of sedition. That is a factual statement, but obviously attorneys have to parse the language and determine all that,” he told reporters.
Defense of Constitution over defense of party was easy choice for Cheney, his daughter says
When it came to choosing between his party and the Constitution, it was an easy choice for Dick Cheney, his daughter and former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney said.
Liz Cheney said her father was “inspired to service” by a speech from former President John F. Kennedy, a Democrat, despite him joining the Republican Party.
“He knew that bonds of party must always yield to the single bond we share as Americans,” she added.
Liz Cheney recounts her father's final words
Liz Cheney closed her eulogy by recalling her father’s final words after a night in which she said the skies above her parents’ house “filled with clouds in the shape of winged angels.”
“As my dad left this earth, his last words were to tell my mother he loved her,” she said.
“And now all of us who loved him so dearly, say to him: Good night, sweet Dad. May flights of angels sing thee to thy rest,” Cheney added, referencing the line from Shakespeare’s “Hamlet.”
Liz Cheney recalls her father's blessing of being "born an American"
Liz Cheney, the former Wyoming congresswoman and one of Dick Cheney’s daughters, recalled that her father attributed the path he’d traveled to being “born an American — a blessing, surely, among life’s greatest.”
“My dad thought deeply about what this blessing meant, about the duties it imposed,” she said.
She recalled visiting Civil War battlefields with her family when she was young, saying her father “read every word of every sign” at every stop they made. Liz and her sister, Mary Cheney, then young children, “moaned and groaned.”
“My dad’s devotion to America was deep and substantive. He spent his life studying the history of our great republic. He knew you couldn’t truly appreciate what it means to live in freedom if you didn’t understand the sacrifices of the generations who came before. And he made sure that his children and grandchildren understood this, too,” she said.
Grandpa’s legacy: Cheney grandchildren share memories of family, rodeo and Christmas traditions
From driving to rodeos to cooking Christmas dinner, Dick Cheney’s grandchildren remembered the little moments of life with their grandfather.
Elizabeth Perry talked about when Cheney drove her to her first day of college. He spent the drive giving her advice as she was set to start her freshman year and reminisced on the times he drove his own kids to university.
“I will forever see him that way. Driving along an open road and telling me stories about his life while talking about the family that he loved so dearly,” she said.
Richard Perry said one thing he and his grandfather both had in common was that they played high school football. He said Cheney kept the schedule of his games on his desk.
“Every Christmas, Grandpa would cook our dinner while we hung out in the kitchen watching his favorite John Wayne movies, year after year,” he said.
But above all, Richard Perry said he remembered the way his grandfather would look at him. He didn’t have to say anything, but “you could just feel his love.”
Grace Perry shared her own memories and lessons she learned from Cheney. When she did rodeo, she said her grandfather drove her and her horses across the state.
“My grandpa had a love for the land, a love for his country, and a love for Wyoming. Any day of the week, any hour of the day, he was there to help,” Grace Perry said.
Thune and McConnell are at Cheney's funeral
Attendees at former Vice President Dick Cheney’s funeral include the current and former top-ranking Senate Republicans: John Thune of South Dakota and Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.
The attendees of Cheney’s funeral in many ways represent the old guard of the GOP, including former presidents and vice presidents who aren’t aligned with the shift of the party under President Donald Trump. Trump and Vice President JD Vance were not invited.
McConnell has become a fierce Trump critic and is retiring from the Senate.
Bush calls Cheney a "true man of the West"
Former President George W. Bush called Dick Cheney, a “true man of the West, ” as he described his former vice president’s demeanor on the campaign trail.
“If any voters came looking for a kind word and a hug, they’d have to settle for the kind word,” Bush joked.
Bush said Cheney offered to step aside in 2004 to allow Bush to choose a different running mate in his bid for reelection. But, he said, he “arrived back at the conclusion that they do not come any better than Dick Cheney.”
“He lifted the standards of those around him just by being who he was,” Bush said. He said Cheney was an “old breed of public servant, defined by their substance and character.”
“You did not know Dick Cheney unless you understood his greatest concerns and his ambitions were for his country,” Bush said. “Across 40 years, his service was consistent, faithful and noble.”
