What we covered here
• Trump in the UK: US President Donald Trump has arrived in the UK for a state visit, where he will be welcomed by the royal family tomorrow at Windsor Castle and meet with Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday.
• Meanwhile, in DC: FBI Director Kash Patel was grilled by lawmakers on Capitol Hill, including about the investigation into Charlie Kirk’s murder and the bungled release of the Jeffrey Epstein files.
• Focus on hate speech: After Attorney General Pam Bondi said the administration will “target” anyone who uses hate speech, she appeared to walk back those statements, saying that the department will only prosecute statements that incite violence. Trump also suggested that his administration might seek to prosecute journalists, telling a reporter, “maybe they’ll have to go after you” while answering a question on Bondi.
Our live coverage of the Trump administration has ended for the day. Get the latest here.
Deputy AG Blanche stands by his questioning of Ghislaine Maxwell
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche on Tuesday defended his questioning of former Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell when pressed by CNN’s Kaitlan Collins on whether he believed she was credible.
“I met with her for two days. To determine whether a witness is credible takes weeks and weeks and weeks,” he said on “The Source.” “I asked her questions that I believe all of us wanted answered, and she answered them.”
“It’s really up to the American people to determine what they believe, that her answers were credible or whether they found her not credible,” he added.
Blanche conducted a two-day interview with Maxwell, a convicted sex trafficker, in July. The Justice Department gave Maxwell limited immunity so that she could discuss her criminal case but did not promise any other benefits in exchange for her testimony, according to a transcript of the interview.
Blanche also defended Attorney General Pam Bondi’s attempts to clarify comments she made on Monday, when she had pledged to go after anyone who was targeting individuals with “hate speech.” Bondi appeared to walk back the comments earlier today on X, saying, “Hate speech that crosses the line into threats of violence is NOT protected by the First Amendment.”
“As she made crystal clear all day today, we are targeting violence when there are individuals who are using words, threatening murder, threatening violence, threatening to harm people,” Blanche said.
Several Trump administration officials to speak at Charlie Kirk memorial
Several Trump administration officials are expected to deliver remarks at Charlie Kirk’s memorial service on Sunday, according to a Turning Point memorial page.
Speakers are expected to include White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
President Donald Trump said Monday he plans to speak at the funeral.
“We’re going to have a stadium, and I bet that stadium is going to be pretty packed, maybe completely packed. It’s going to be big, but I’m going to be at the stadium, and I guess I’ll say a few words,” Trump said when asked whether he would speak.
Trump added that they would be taking “a whole plane load” of people to the funeral. Kirk was a staunch Trump ally and had deep relationships throughout the administration. The president said he didn’t yet know what his message would be, but that Kirk was “an amazing guy.”
The service will also feature remarks from Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, and other prominent conservatives such as Tucker Carlson. Donald Trump Jr., is also slated to speak at the memorial, which will be held at the 63,400-seat State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
More speaker names will be announced, according to the memorial page.
DOJ sues Maine and Oregon for voter rolls
The Justice Department said Tuesday that is suing two states over their refusal to turn over complete voters rolls to the Trump administration – escalating a conflict between the federal government and some state election officials that has been building for months.
Harmeet Dhillon, who oversees the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, announced the legal action against Maine and Oregon.
“States simply cannot pick and choose which federal laws they will comply with, including our voting laws, which ensure that all American citizens have equal access to the ballot in federal elections,” Dhillon said in a statement. “American citizens have a right to feel confident in the integrity of our electoral process, and the refusal of certain states to protect their citizens against vote dilution will result in legal consequences.”
Election officials across the country have rebuffed requests from DOJ to deliver unredacted copies of the voting rolls – which include dates of birth and partial Social Security numbers – citing privacy concerns. The unusual requests have raised concerns among some election officials of federal overreach, given that states have the primary authority under the Constitution to carry out elections.
Bondi attempts to clarify her remarks on prosecuting hate speech
Attorney General Pam Bondi appeared to walk back statements she made about prosecuting Americans for hate speech, saying that the Justice Department will only prosecute statements that incite violence.
“My intention was to speak about threats of violence that individuals incite against others,” she said in a statement to Axios.
A DOJ spokesperson authenticated the statement to CNN.
Bondi’s statement clarifies earlier comments she made that her department would “absolutely target you, go after you, if you are targeting anyone with hate speech.”
She was quickly chastised for the comments, as hate speech is protected under the first amendment of the constitution.
“Freedom of speech is sacred in our country, and we will never impede upon that right,” her statement reads.
She continues, “if you want to be a hateful person and simply say hateful things that is your right to do so,” Bondi added. “If you want to be a violent person, I will stop you.”
Four arrested after activists project Trump-Epstein images onto Windsor Castle
Four people have been arrested after a group of political activists projected images meant to draw attention to President Donald Trump’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein onto the walls of Windsor Castle, authorities said.
The Thames Valley police said the four adults, who were not immediately identified, were arrested on “suspicion of malicious communications following a public stunt in Windsor.” They remained in custody late Tuesday evening in the United Kingdom.
The demonstration, led by the group “Led by Donkeys,” began not long after Trump landed in the United Kingdom for a state visit. The president and first lady are set to visit the castle tomorrow.
“We take any unauthorised activity around Windsor Castle extremely seriously,” Chief Superintendent Felicity Parker said in a statement. “Our officers responded swiftly to stop the projection and four people have been arrested.”
The projected images show news accounts related to Epstein’s case, Trump and Epstein smiling together in a photograph, and a replication of the now-infamous birthday letter that was given to Epstein for his 50th birthday. That letter features a silhouette of a woman’s body and bears a signature resembling Trump’s; the president has denied having written it.
In a separate incident attributed to a group called “Everyone Hates Elon,” Thames Valley Police said a large banner depicting Trump was removed from in front of Windsor Castle on Monday.
President Trump and first lady arrive in UK for state visit
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump arrived in London on Tuesday evening for a historic second state visit to the United Kingdom.
The Trumps were greeted at London Stansted Airport by members of the Royal Air Force and British officials including Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper.
Th president and first lady then departed to spend the evening at Winfield House, the official residence of the US ambassador to the UK.
Guests traveling with the president and first lady aboard Air Force One included Trump’s daughter Tiffany Trump and her husband, chief of staff Susie Wiles, deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, and press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
The full pomp and circumstance of the visit starts Wednesday, as the Trumps will be welcomed by King Charles III and Queen Camilla at Windsor Castle.
House Republicans move to restrict Congress' ability to challenge Trump tariffs
House Republicans on Tuesday approved a rule that includes a controversial provision that restricts lawmakers’ ability to challenge President Donald Trump’s tariff authority until March 31.
The vote came after an extended stalemate on the floor as Speaker Mike Johnson and his team worked to ease the concerns of several House Republicans.
A handful of GOP lawmakers had initially planned to vote against the measure because of their concerns with the tariff language, Johnson confirmed to reporters later. “We just had some discussions about that,” he said.
Leaders were able to successfully flip Reps. Jay Obernolte, Tom McClintock and Don Bacon.
Ultimately, only three Republicans — Reps. Thomas Massie, Victoria Spartz and Kevin Kiley — voted against the rule. All Democrats opposed it.
Kiley told CNN’s Manu Raju he didn’t agree with the way rule votes, which are procedural votes, were being used to set policy.
The controversial tariffs provision extends a previous block that was already in place for months and effectively prevented House lawmakers from being able to force votes on measures to end the national emergencies that underlie much of Trump’s tariff policies.
Group of House Republicans holds up floor over Trump tariffs
House GOP leaders are in a stalemate with some of their own members on the chamber floor over a dispute related to President Donald Trump’s tariffs, according to two GOP sources — temporarily blocking the chamber from moving ahead with bills focused on DC crime.
Roughly half a dozen House Republicans are taking a stand against their own leaders on the floor by voting against a procedural measure that would allow the House to tee up a slew of other bills. But tucked inside that measure is language that neuters Congress’ power to nix Donald Trump’s tariffs. And those members do not support the move, those GOP sources said.
Speaker Mike Johnson and his leadership team are huddling on the floor with the holdouts.
Schumer, Jeffries vow to oppose stopgap funding bill as clock ticks down to shutdown deadline
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries are vowing to oppose the stopgap funding package proposed by Republicans, arguing that in not negotiating with Democrats, Republicans are “recklessly marching our nation to the brink of a shutdown.”
The GOP package would avert a government shutdown until mid-November. Currently, funding for the government is set to run out at the end of this month.
“By refusing to work with Democrats, Republicans are steering our country straight toward a shutdown,” the Democratic congressional leaders said in a statement.
“The House Republican-only spending bill fails to meet the needs of the American people and does nothing to stop the looming healthcare crisis.”
Trump says GOP will hold a “midterm convention”
President Donald Trump said Tuesday that Republicans will hold a “midterm convention” to highlight the “great things we have done” since he took office in January.
“Time and place to be determined. Stay tuned, it will be quite the Event, and very exciting!” he added in a Truth Social post.
The president said last month he was considering a convention “just prior to the Midterms.” Party conventions are typically held the year of presidential elections.
Trump will receive history-making welcome to the UK, Ministry of Defense says
President Donald Trump will receive a full ceremonial welcome when he is greeted by King Charles and Queen Camilla on Wednesday, the British Ministry of Defense said in a news release.
“The scale and spectacle of the military ceremonial is unprecedented. It is the largest military ceremonial welcome for a state visit to the UK in living memory,” the ministry said.
The ceremonies will have quite a few history-making moments, according to the release, including:
- For the “first time there has been a joint UK-US military flypast at a state visit.” F-35 aircrafts will be used as a “demonstration of the strength of the UK-US defence and security relationship,” the ministry said.
- Windsor will have the “largest guard of honour ever” during Trump’s visit.
- And later this week, “a US military band will take part in Changing the Guard at Buckingham Palace” for the first time in history.
A large number of military personnel and resources will be used during the ceremonial welcome, including 120 horses and 1,300 members of the British military at Windsor Castle.
Members of the Royal Air Force will welcome Trump when he lands in the UK
President Donald Trump will be greeted by members of the Royal Air Force when he lands in the United Kingdom this evening, according to a news release from the British Defense Ministry.
“Royal Air Force personnel from The King’s Colour Squadron providing a welcoming line as President Trump disembarks Air Force One at Stansted Airport,” the statement said.
Trump departed Washington this morning for his state visit.
House GOP releases proposal to fund government through November 21
House Republicans are moving ahead with a plan to avert a government shutdown on September 30, proposing a seven-week stopgap bill that would buy more time for Congress to negotiate a broader deal.
The plan from Speaker Mike Johnson would extend the federal government’s current funding through November 21, just before Congress’ Thanksgiving recess. Multiple sources close to GOP leadership insist that the bill is “clean” of any partisan language – and said the only new policy is a bipartisan provision to increase cash for member security.
Still, the House GOP’s plan sets the stage for a messy funding battle with Democrats, as it did not result from bipartisan negotiations and contains none of Democrats’ demands. Most House Democrats are expected to vote against it, forcing Johnson and the House GOP to deliver the votes on their own.
Democrats refuse to support any funding bill that does not involve their party’s leadership to discuss their own priorities, such as extending the Affordable Care Act tax credits that expire this year. Republicans, meanwhile, are insisting that must be a separate negotiation.
House leadership hopes to vote on the stopgap bill on Friday, the last day before Congress leaves for a weeklong recess for Rosh Hashanah. It’s not yet certain when the Senate would take up the bill.
In total, the House GOP’s bill includes $30 million in extra security money for members of Congress and $58 million for security for the executive and judicial branches. It also includes a funding “fix” for DC, which would free up $1 billion of the city’s own money, adjusting a mistake in an earlier bill.
Booker and Patel bring fireworks to hearing as they argue over the FBI director's future
Sen. Cory Booker got in a heated exchange with FBI Director Kash Patel during Tuesday’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearing after the New Jersey Democrat warned that President Donald Trump “will cut you loose.”
“Mr. Patel, I think you’re not going to be around long,” Booker warned Patel. “I think this might be your last oversight hearing.”
Booker told Patel that “as much as you supplicate yourself to the will of Donald Trump and not the Constitution of the United States of America,” Trump has shown “he is not loyal to people like you.”
Booker criticized Patel for shifting agents to focus on immigration and allegedly firing agents for political reasons.
“I believe you have made our country weaker and less safe,” Booker said.
Patel replied by telling Booker, “that rant of false information does not bring this country together.”
“My God, my God,” Booker said. “You’re going to lecture me on dividing this country?
The two began shouting over each other, with Patel telling Booker the senator was “an embarrassment” and Booker ridiculing Patel for “making a mockery of this committee.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” Patel concluded.
Booker later told reporters that Patel was “disrespectful” to senators after the fiery exchange with the FBI director during the hearing.
“He was disrespectful, he was combative when we have simple fact-based questions. He wouldn’t step forward and be accountable for the information that we constitutionally should be getting about the agency,” he said.
CNN’s Arlette Saenz and Morgan Rimmer contributed to this report
Patel says FBI has taken over the investigation into Dobbs Supreme Court decision leak
FBI Director Kash Patel was asked by Alabama Republican Sen. Katie Britt what the FBI can do to help figure out who leaked the landmark Supreme Court ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the decision that overturned the constitutional right to an abortion.
Britt called it “mind-boggling” that no one has been able to figure out who leaked the decision, which was published by Politico in May 2020. She said that the US Marshals Service was unable to identify a leaker and closed its investigation in January 2023.
“I can’t speak to what the Marshals did and how they conducted their investigation. I can tell you, generally speaking, the FBI has taken over the investigation on the leak, because it was such a detrimental leak you commit to getting to the bottom of it,” Patel said.
Patel also said that the FBI is operating under normal protocol for leak investigations regarding this issue.
“We are utilizing the full resource(s) of the FBI as we usually do on leak investigations, and we will make sure our results are public at the appropriate we need answers,” Patel said.
House GOP proposes adding $30 million for lawmaker security in stopgap government funding bill
House Republicans are discussing a new proposal to increase security funding for lawmakers to $30 million and attach it to a stopgap government funding bill, according to two sources familiar with the plans, which was later also confirmed by House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole.
“It’s basically extra support for being able to hire security people that you can bring around with you. And if we have to do more, we do more,” Cole told CNN.
He said the $30 million for congressional security would be intended to last through the period of time funded by the short-term bill.
It would be in addition to the White House’s $58 million request for executive and legislative branch security, which is also expected to be included in the bill.
Republicans are currently discussing the proposal in their closed-door conference meeting, according to a person in the room.
More on the shutdown fight: Cole also accused Democrats of throwing a “temper tantrum” that could result in a government shutdown, warning that Republican leadership has no off-ramp strategy if Democrats decide to withhold votes on the short-term bill to fund the government by the September 30 deadline.
The so-called “clean” spending bill would require 60 votes in the Senate to advance the plan, so Democrats have leverage in the upcoming debate. They want to use that leverage to reverse health care cuts in Trump’s signature domestic policy law and come up with a plan to extend expiring subsidies to help individuals pay for their health insurance under the Affordable Care Act.
This post has been updated with additional information.
Trump spoke with reporters this morning ahead of traveling to the UK. Catch up on key lines
President Donald Trump is on his way to the United Kingdom for a state visit, but before departing Tuesday, he spoke to reporters at the White House and addressed topics including Charlie Kirk’s assassination and the war in Ukraine.
If you’re just joining us, here’s what Trump said this morning:
Killing of Charlie Kirk: Trump praised FBI Director Kash Patel, dismissing scrutiny over the law enforcement leader’s handling of the most high-profile moment of his tenure so far.
War in Ukraine: Trump said it was time for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to accept a deal that would end the war with Russia, suggesting the leader whose nation was invaded was a holdup in striking a peace agreement.
Israel’s Gaza incursion: Trump stopped short of offering a view of Israel’s offensive in Gaza City, saying he didn’t have many details of the ground incursion. “I have to see. I don’t know too much about it,” he said when questioned about the operation to take control of the urban area in the besieged Palestinian enclave. Instead of offering a stance on the Israeli operation, Trump zeroed in on Hamas’ use of hostages as human shields.
Venezuela: The president said the US military has targeted three boats that he claimed were transporting drugs from Venezuela.
Prosecuting reporters: Trump suggested his administration might seek to prosecute journalists who he believes have been unfair to him, telling an ABC reporter, “maybe they’ll have to go after you.”
Robert Redford: Trump mourned the death of actor Robert Redford, saying, “There was a period of time when he was the hottest.”
Patel says White House has not directed him to crack down on political groups or nonprofits
FBI Director Kash Patel told lawmakers Tuesday that the White House has not directed him to crack down on political groups or nonprofits in the wake of the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
The comments come a day after President Donald Trump said he’d consider naming far-left anti-fascism group Antifa as domestic terrorists, previewing a plan to crack down on what he’s cast as a widespread network of left-wing radicals inciting violence.
“Have you been asked or directed by the White House or others to engage in a crackdown on political groups or organizations, nonprofits, after the murder of Charlie Kirk?” Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal asked Patel during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.
“No. I’ve been asked by my chain of command to properly root out criminal activity wherever it is in whatever investigation we are conducting. And that’s what we’re doing,” Patel responded.
“Nobody gives me a list on who to target,” he added. “My targeting list is from the men and women at the FBI.”
Ahead of Trump's visit to the UK, a British honor guard explains why they wear those big furry hats
It’s a familiar thing to see in London, British guards stoically standing wearing big, furry and black hats.
CNN’s Max Foster had an opportunity to speak with one of the guard’s about the iconic bearskin hats they wear, ahead of President Donald Trump’s visit to the United Kingdom.
Here’s what Lt. Col. Storm Green had to say:
