What we covered here
• Health care plans fail: The White House has vowed to roll out a new approach on health care after the Senate today rejected dueling proposals from Democrats and Republicans. Enrollees could see monthly payments soar in January if enhanced Obamacare subsidies are allowed to lapse.
• Venezuela tensions: The US plans to take possession of the oil from a tanker seized by American forces off the Venezuelan coast, the White House said, as President Donald Trump ramps up his pressure campaign against the country’s leader.
• Redistricting battles: Trump said he’d back a primary challenge to the GOP leader of the Indiana Senate after the state rejected his push to redraw congressional districts in Republicans’ favor.
• Contentious hearing: DHS Secretary Kristi Noem defended the administration’s immigration and national security policies at a House committee hearing, where a top Democrat called on her to resign.
Our live coverage of the Trump administration has ended. Get the latest here.
In rare bipartisan praise at Congressional Ball, Trump predicts partnership with Democrats on health care
President Donald Trump offered rare bipartisan praise during his remarks Thursday at the White House’s Congressional Ball, saying in part that he believes both parties will soon be working together on health care.
“What a nice group of Democrats, we do, we have a lot of Democrats, and we welcome you. Honestly, we do,” the president said. “And I think we’re going to start working together on health care. I really predict that.”
The White House has vowed to roll out a new approach on health care after the Senate today rejected dueling proposals from Democrats and Republicans. The legislative impasse comes as millions of Americans could see monthly payments soar in January if enhanced Obamacare subsidies are allowed to lapse.
The president deviated from his typically more combative comments on Democrats in Congress, instead remarking numerous times how pleased he was that “so many” elected Democrats had come to the White House.
“I want to thank all of the great people in the room, both Democrat and Republican, who worked so hard on behalf of our great nation,” the president also said. “I think it’s a tremendous tribute that so many Democrats have joined us tonight.”
Melania Trump says she will launch a "new legislative initiative” in 2026
First lady Melania Trump said tonight that she will launch a “new legislative initiative” next year.
“Some of you already know about it, because it’s already in the works,” she said during an appearance alongside her husband at the Congressional Ball at the White House.
Following her announcement, President Donald Trump said he had “just heard about that for the first time.”
While announcing the initiative, Melania referenced the Take It Down Act as the “greatest triumph” of her office this year. The law aims to protect Americans from deepfake and revenge pornography.
CNN’s Clare Duffy contributed reporting.
Why the Pentagon didn't probe Hegseth's Signal use
The Pentagon did not conduct a routine investigation into the impact of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s disclosure of sensitive military details in a Signal group chat earlier this year, and whether it damaged national security. CNN’s Zachary Cohen reports that it is due in part because Hegseth never authorized it.
The Pentagon did not conduct a routine investigation into the impact of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s disclosure of sensitive military details in a Signal group chat, and whether it damaged national security. CNN's Zachary Cohen reports that it is due in part because Hegseth never authorized it.
Trump announces pardon for Tina Peters, increasing pressure to free her though he can't erase state charges
President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he is granting Tina Peters a full pardon, which is likely to increase the pressure campaign to free her from state prison even though he cannot erase her state charges.
“Tina is sitting in a Colorado prison for the ‘crime’ of demanding Honest Elections. Today I am granting Tina a full Pardon for her attempts to expose Voter Fraud in the Rigged 2020 Presidential Election,” the president wrote on Truth Social.
Peters, the former Republican clerk of Mesa, Colorado, was found guilty last year on state charges of participating in a scheme that hoped to prove Trump’s false claims of mass voter fraud in 2020. She was sentenced to nine years in prison and is serving her sentence at a women’s prison in Pueblo, Colorado.
Trump’s pardon has no legal impact on her state conviction and incarceration. But the administration has been pressuring Colorado officials to set her free or at least transfer her into federal custody, including the Justice Department intervening in Peters’ unsuccessful attempt to convince a federal judge to release her from prison.
After months of hearings and legal filings, a federal judge in Denver rejected her bid on Monday.
CNN has reached out to a spokesperson for Gov. Jared Polis, who has said he won’t pardon Peters as part of any quid-pro-quo deal.
Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, a Democrat who is fighting to uphold Peters’ conviction and keep her behind bars, dismissed the pardon in a statement.
“The idea that a president could pardon someone tried and convicted in state court has no precedent in American law, would be an outrageous departure from what our constitution requires, and will not hold up,” Weiser said.
Peters is currently the only Trump ally in prison for crimes related to the attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. She still believes that election was stolen, her lawyers recently told CNN. Her lawyers have also raised concerns about her physical safety and told a judge that her health is declining behind bars.
CNN’s Kaitlan Collins contributed to this report.
Trump vows to help with security should Russia and Ukraine reach a peace agreement
President Donald Trump has vowed to contribute to security efforts should Russia and Ukraine reach a peace agreement.
“It’s called the security agreement,” Trump said today at an executive order signing, when asked about previous discussions regarding the US contributing to European peacekeeping efforts in the event of a deal.
“We would help with security because it’s a — I think, a necessary factor in getting it done,” the president said.
European and Ukrainian officials are expected to convene this weekend in Paris for further talks on a peace plan. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said earlier today that the US is still weighing whether it will send a representative.
CNN’s Kit Maher contributed reporting to this post.
Trump says he hopes the GOP leader in Indiana Senate who voted against redistricting loses his next primary
President Donald Trump says it “would have been nice” if the Indiana Senate today had not rejected a plan to redraw the state’s congressional districts to produce two more GOP-friendly seats.
“I think we would have picked up two seats if we did that,” Trump told reporters today in the Oval Office.
Senate President Pro Tempore Rodric Bray after the vote said that while he and other members of the GOP caucus wanted to see a Republican majority in Congress after the midterms next year, they didn’t think that the plan would achieve that outcome.
Trump said Bray will probably lose his next primary.
“I hope he does, because he’s done a tremendous disservice,” Trump said, noting that he easily won Indiana three times. “I’m sure that whenever his primary is — it’s, I think, in two years — but I’m sure he’ll go down. He’ll go down. I’ll certainly support anybody that wants to go against him.”
Trump says Venezuela campaign is about “a lot of things,” but cites influx of migrants from the country
President Donald Trump said Thursday that his administration’s campaign against Venezuela is “about a lot of things” as the US targets alleged drug boats in the Caribbean and on Wednesday seized an oil tanker carrying Venezuelan crude off the country’s coast.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said earlier Thursday the oil tanker will travel to an American port, where US authorities intend to take possession of its oil cargo.
The US is now months into its pressure campaign against Venezuela, which has included moving thousands of troops and a carrier strike group into the Caribbean, strikes on suspected drug boats and repeated threats against President Nicolás Maduro.
So far, the US military has killed 87 people in strikes that have destroyed 23 alleged drug boats, and Trump has repeatedly suggested action on land could come soon — a threat he repeated Thursday.
Trump says he is signing executive order blocking states from enforcing regulations around AI
President Donald Trump said he is signing an executive order on Thursday that blocks states from enforcing their own regulations around artificial intelligence and instead aims to create a “single national framework” for AI.
“This is an executive order that orders aspects of your administration to take decisive action to ensure that AI can operate within a single national framework in this country, as opposed to being subject to state level regulation that could potentially cripple the industry,” White House aide Will Scharf said of the executive order in the Oval Office.
CNN had obtained a draft of this executive order last month.
Congress killed an earlier attempt by Republicans to prevent states from regulating AI in July. The US Senate voted nearly unanimously to remove a 10-year moratorium on the enforcement of state artificial intelligence regulations from Trump’s sweeping domestic policy bill before the bill passed.
Lawmakers also declined to add an AI moratorium to the National Defense Authorization Act, despite Trump’s suggestion that they do so.
Catch up on some other key political headlines today
We’ve been focused on the fate of health care legislation in Congress, the oil tanker seized by the US off the Venezuelan coast and a global threats hearing in the House. But here’s a quick roundup of other news that developed in politics today:
Redistricting in Indiana: The Indiana Senate today voted down a plan to redraw the state’s congressional districts to produce two more GOP-friendly seats, rejecting President Donald Trump’s months-long campaign to pressure the Republican supermajority in the deep-red state to bend to his will.
Freed from custody: Kilmar Abrego Garcia was released from Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody this afternoon following a federal judge’s order. The administration has struggled in recent weeks to find a country to quickly deport him to.
No case against Letitia James: A grand jury, for a second time, declined to bring a new indictment against the New York attorney general who defeated Trump and his company in court, according to multiple sources.
Task force meeting: White House officials abruptly postponed the final meeting of a Trump-created task force charged with shaping the future of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, roughly two hours before it was set to begin, according to three sources familiar with the decision.
Fed problems for Trump: The next chair of the Federal Reserve might already be a disappointment to the president – even before they’re named. Trump has demanded aggressive cuts to interest rates next year, but that’s looking more and more like an uphill battle due to the outlook for the economy in 2026 and the stark divisions within the central bank’s powerful rate-setting committee.
Hegseth investigation: The Pentagon did not conduct a routine investigation into the impact of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s disclosure of sensitive military information in a group chat on Signal earlier this year and whether it damaged national security – in part because Hegseth never authorized it, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter.
Pentagon probe: The US Navy has submitted its recommendations on potential punishments, if any, for Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly over his participation in a video that reminded US troops they have a duty to refuse illegal orders, a Pentagon official told CNN.
Least-productive Congress: After Trump’s election, some GOP lawmakers argued that Congress should effectively give up its prerogatives and do whatever the all-conquering Trump told them to do. The problem with that is that Trump didn’t seem to want lawmakers to do much of anything. The result: Only 47 bills passed by Congress have been enacted this year, according to GovTrack. That puts this Congress on track to be by far the least productive in modern history.
CNN’s Eric Bradner, Bryan Mena, Aaron Blake, Hannah Rabinowitz, Casey Gannon, Katelyn Polantz and Kaitlan Collins contributed to this report.
Speaker Johnson throws cold water on demand by vulnerable Republicans to extend enhanced ACA subsidies
House Speaker Johnson threw cold water Thursday on demands from vulnerable members of his conference who want to extend the enhanced Obamacare subsidies that will soon expire.
Johnson told CNN he’s speaking with all Republicans, including the swing-district members, to find a solution that satisfies the needs of “all” of their constituents.
“We’re working on a package of legislation that will reduce premiums for all Americans, not just 7% of them, and I’ve been talking to every one of these colleagues in the tough districts about that. So stay tuned. There’s more to come,” he said when pressed further about the subsidies.
GOP Rep. Bacon bashes Trump for being "weak" on Russia and attacks his handling of Venezuela
GOP Rep. Don Bacon said it’s “not right” that the Trump administration hasn’t been more forthcoming about aggressive actions toward Venezuela and warned that the US will be seen as “weak” on the world stage.
Asked about the recent seizure of an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, Bacon said while he believes the US had a “reason for it” and was going after already sanctioned oil, “I just wish the president, his team, would come in and tell us what their plans are for Venezuela.”
Pressed on the lack of briefings for all of Congress on the issue, Bacon said, “it’s not right. That’s all I’ll say. It’s not good. I mean, you don’t expect a lot of support if you don’t try to get support.”
Bacon urged the administration to release video of the double-tap strike against an alleged drug boat, saying, “we should release it all and be transparent…it’s good for the citizens to see and everybody can make up their mind.”
On Ukraine, Bacon said, “I think that this national security strategy was a total blunder, and the Europeans right now are sick to their stomach seeing their best ally being weak,” adding, “it bothers me we have a Republican that’s being weak on Russia and bad towards our allies.”
“Ronald Reagan would never do this. They’re saying that he’s the new Reagan. This is more like Chamberlain than Reagan. So, and there’s a lot of us feel that way. I’m a little more vocal,” he said, asking “why are we being harder on Europe than we are in Russia?”
Rep. Burchett accuses swing-district Republicans of being beholden to insurance companies
GOP Rep. Tim Burchett argued that his swing-district colleagues are anxious about the impact of enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies expiring because “the insurance companies got their ear, and they’re going to lose their support.”
“And I get it,” the congressman continued, explaining that “millions of dollars in campaigns” are at stake.
“Under the ‘big, beautiful bill,’ we eliminated a lot of waste, abuse and fraud, which cut into their profits and their stock prices plummeted, and then what did they do? They raised, they raised rates on the rate payers, American citizens, and their stock prices went back up. We’ve got to get a hold of it,” he said.
Asked if House Speaker Mike Johnson should oppose bringing any ACA tax credit extension to the floor, Burchett responded, “If there is something in there that says there’s an agreement that we are going to make some changes, then I could see us voting for it. But just throwing more money, trillions of dollars, in a broken system that everybody says is broken, to me, is not a solution.”
Rep. LaLota warns of "economic impact" on "anxious" constituents of failing to extend ACA subsidies
GOP Rep. Nick LaLota, who represents a key New York swing-district, acknowledged that failing to extend enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies beyond the end of this year would be a blow to many of his constituents pocketbooks, though he thinks the system needs deep reform.
Asked by CNN of the political impact of the House leaving for the year without a solution, LaLota responded, “I’m more interested in the economic impact of constituents like mine. That’s our responsibility here. I’ve always thought that good government is good politics.”
“We’re all anxious in this environment where prices are high,” he said, arguing that the GOP “inherited a tough situation” from the Biden administration, “but we’re hard at work trying to fix it.”
LaLota backs multiple proposals by moderate Republicans to extend ACA subsidies for two years, while also enacting reforms to “help get to the issues as to why Obamacare has been so darn expensive.”
Pressed on the likelihood that Johnson will not advance any of these bills, LaLota defended the attempt by some House Republicans to gather enough signatures to force their legislation to the floor and “ensure that this matter gets a vote before we go home for the holidays.”
GOP lawmaker warns Republicans of political consequences of rejecting extension of health care subsidies
GOP Rep. Don Bacon warned of the political consequences of House Republicans not putting forward a plan to address expiring enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies.
“There’s an appetite out there on the Republican side for just a common sense, realistic plan, and that’s what I think we’re offering,” he said, referencing a bill he’s cosponsoring that would temporarily extend the credits with some reforms.
“We’re not going to make major changes to health care in the near term. So this is the realistic way to go,” he said, adding “all these folks are going to go back home, and you’re going to have to look voters in the eye and say, we’ve done nothing while their premiums going up like 2000 a month.”
Asked about Speaker Mike Johnson’s resistance to committing to bring an ACA credits extension to the floor, Bacon said while his GOP colleagues think “this is a Democrat problem, but we’re in charge.”
“The costs are skyrocketing, and I don’t want to throw good money after bad but if we do nothing, all of our constituents are going to be paying a lot more for, for their premiums. That’s unacceptable,” he said.
Powerful GOP senator says it's wrong for the military to try to punish Democratic senator
Sen. Roger Wicker, a Republican who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee, said it’s not appropriate for the military to try to punish Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly for a video he participated in calling on service members not to follow illegal orders.
It’s a strong indictment of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s high-profile efforts to discipline Kelly, who served in the Navy for many years, from a powerful chairman with oversight of the military.
Asked by CNN if it’s appropriate for Kelly to be punished by the military, Wicker shook his head no. And after a follow up question, replied, “you asked me that question, and my answer is no.”
He would not elaborate nor say if he would call on Hegseth to end the effort against Kelly.
A Pentagon official told CNN on Thursday that the US Navy has submitted its recommendations on potential punishments for Sen. Kelly over his participation in the video.
Late last month, Hegseth requested advice from the Navy Secretary, who oversees the military branch Kelly served in for more than two decades, on how to proceed to potentially punish Kelly for participating in the video, which Hegseth has claimed amounted to serious violations of the military’s code of justice.
Leavitt grows defensive as she stands by Trump's comment that Americans might need to cut back on purchases
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt grew defensive over the White House’s handling of the economy in exchanges with reporters Thursday, standing by President Donald Trump’s comments that parents should “give up” certain products this Christmas if they have affordability concerns and insisting things have improved under Trump’s watch.
The exchange kicked off when CNN’s Kaitlan Collins asked about Trump’s comment Tuesday to an audience in Pennsylvania about cutting back on purchases. “You don’t need 37 dolls for your daughter. Two or three is nice,” the president said.
If the economy was as strong as Trump suggested, Collins asked, why was he telling parents their kids only needed two or three dolls?
Leavitt responded that Americans may have to pay “a dollar or two more” for some products, but would see better quality by buying American.
“What the president is saying is that if we want products made right here in America, if we want them to be made from American small businesses, which is a large part of the reason the president has effectively implemented tariffs, then we’re going to have better quality products right here in the United States,” she said.
Leavitt then criticized press coverage of affordability concerns, claiming incorrectly that reporters did not cover inflation under the previous administration, as she sought to push back on questions from Collins and CBS’s Nancy Cordes about the current state of the economy.
“The president inherited 2.9% in January, today, it’s at about 2.5%, so we’re trending in the right direction with more to come,” she said. “Nobody reported on it being high under Biden, my predecessor was standing at this podium. But now you want to ask me a lot of questions about it, which I’m happy to answer, but I will just add, there’s a lot more scrutiny on this issue from this press corps than there was.”
Inflation has been accelerating since the spring, CNN reported last month. As of September, the year-over-year inflation rate had increased for five consecutive months.
The September rate, 3%, was the same as the rate in January, when Trump returned to the White House.
"Oval Office is like Grand Central Terminal," White House says when asked about bandage on Trump's hand
The White House reiterated on Thursday that bandages seen on President Donald Trump’s hand are because of bruises that stem from frequent hand shaking and his daily dose of aspirin.
“He is also on a daily aspirin regime, which is something his physical examinations has said as well, which can contribute to that bruising that you see,” Leavitt added.
Remember: The White House gave the same explanation for the bruising back in July when Trump was examined for swelling in his legs and diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency.
CNN’s Betsy Klein contributed to this post.
Republicans and Democrats trade blame over failed health care votes
Lawmakers pointed fingers Thursday afternoon, with no clear path forward on health care and Covid-era Affordable Care Act tax credits set to expire at year’s end.
He called zero-premium plans “prone to fraud” and highlighted a proposal he has put forth with Sen. Susan Collins to cap incomes and eliminate those plans.
Texas GOP Sen. John Cornyn similarly called Obamacare “a fraud,” adding that “it’s unsustainable.”
Democrats, meanwhile, are arguing that Republicans are leaving families behind.
Vermont Sen. Peter Welch called the stalemate “a failure of Congress” and added that “the president has an iron grip over what the Republicans do, and he’s abandoning these families.”
White House criticizes judge who ordered Abrego Garcia's release
The White House on Thursday criticized the federal judge who ordered that Kilmar Abrego Garcia be released from ICE custody “immediately,” while signaling the administration is likely to appeal.
“The White House, the administration, oppose this activism from a judge, who is really acting as a judicial activist, which we’ve unfortunately seen in many cases across the country,” press secretary Karoline Leavitt said of district Judge Paula Xinis.
“Abrego Garcia is present in our country illegally. He is a proven human trafficker. He is a proven gang member. The administration has evidence of that,” Leavitt said at Thursday’s press briefing.
“As you saw from the Department of Homeland Security, they issued a statement saying they’ll continue to fight this legal battle in court,” she added.
Abrego Garcia was returned to the United States in June after a tense legal battle over his wrongful deportation. He was charged by US authorities upon his arrival for allegedly helping to smuggle undocumented immigrants into the country. He has pleaded not guilty and was briefly detained in Tennessee over the charges before being released in August.
