Following his summit with Vladimir Putin, President Trump will host Ukrainian President Zelensky and European leaders at the White House today to push for a peace deal. A leaked memo reveals Meta knowingly allowed its AI chatbots to engage in &#8220;romantic&#8221; conversations with children, prompting bipartisan calls for a congressional investigation. Republican-led states are sending National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., to support President Trump&#8217;s federal crime crackdown, which has already resulted in hundreds of arrests.
It’s Monday, August 18, 2025, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.
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<h2>Trump Hosts Zelensky, European Leaders for Peace Talks</h2>
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Topline: After his high-stakes meeting with Vladimir Putin on Friday, President Trump is hosting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and key European leaders at the White House today in an effort to broker a peace deal to end the war in Ukraine. 
While Friday&#8217;s three-hour summit between Trump and Putin did not result in a final deal, both sides expressed optimism that progress was made. The most significant development came on Sunday, when White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff announced that Putin had agreed to allow Western-backed, Article 5-like security guarantees for Ukraine — a major concession. 
The focus now shifts to today’s meeting at the White House, where Zelensky will be joined by the leaders of the U.K., France, Germany, and others. The central issue is whether Ukraine is willing to cede territory — specifically the Donbas region — which Trump has indicated is a requirement for a peace deal. 
&#8220;You can&#8217;t have a deal between two warring factions unless both sides agree to give up something and both sides agree that the other side gets something,&#8221; Secretary of State Marco Rubio said. 
<h2>Leaked Memo Shows Meta Allowed ‘Romantic’ Chatbots for Kids</h2>
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Topline: A leaked internal memo has revealed that Meta knowingly allowed its artificial intelligence chatbots to engage in “sensual” and “romantic” conversations with children, sparking bipartisan outrage and calls for a congressional investigation. 
The memo, obtained by Reuters, outlined Meta’s internal standards for chatbot behavior on platforms like Facebook and Instagram. It revealed that while explicit dialogue was forbidden, &#8220;romantic sounding conversations&#8221; were permitted. Examples of acceptable language included a bot telling a child, &#8220;your youthful form is a work of art,&#8221; or telling a shirtless eight-year-old, &#8220;every inch of you is a masterpiece.&#8221; The investigation found that Meta&#8217;s legal, public policy, and engineering staff all signed off on the policies.
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Meta has confirmed the memo&#8217;s authenticity, but claimed the interactions were never supposed to be allowed. The revelations have prompted swift, bipartisan backlash, with Republican Senators Josh Hawley (MO) and Marsha Blackburn (TN), and Democratic Senator Ron Wyden (WA) all calling for an immediate investigation. The scandal has revived calls for stronger child protection laws, such as the Kids Online Safety Act, which stalled in the House last year. 
<h2>Republican States Send Troops to Support D.C. Crackdown</h2>
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Topline: Three Republican-led states are sending National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., to support President Trump&#8217;s federal crime crackdown, which has already resulted in hundreds of arrests and the clearing of dozens of homeless encampments. 
In response to a call for more manpower from President Trump, West Virginia, South Carolina, and Ohio have pledged to send a combined total of over 650 National Guard troops to the capital. The troops will join the 800 members of the D.C. National Guard already activated and will primarily be tasked with protecting federal assets like Union Station and the National Mall, not patrolling neighborhoods. 
The crackdown has yielded significant results. As of Saturday, law enforcement had made more than 240 arrests and seized 38 illegal firearms. White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller also reported that over 70 homeless encampments have been dismantled and decades-old graffiti has been removed. Dozens of illegal immigrants were also reportedly arrested. &#8220;DC will not remain a sanctuary city,&#8221; Attorney General Pam Bondi declared.

MRN 8.18.25 Thumbnail V1

Morning Brief: Zelensky & Nato Leaders Attend WH Peace Talks, Meta AI Flirts With Kids, DC Crackdown

Donald Trump

Europe

Global Politics

National Guard

U.S.

Ukraine-Russia War

Vladimir Putin

Volodymyr Zelensky

Washington D.C.

WASHINGTON — Top Democrats in the United States who are opposing President Donald Trump&#8217;s crackdown on crime in Washington, D.C., lead the most dangerous cities in the country.
Federal authorities shared Wednesday that they have arrested over 100 people in the nation&#8217;s capitol in the last week since Trump called in the National Guard  and federalized D.C. police to crack down on violent crime. The move has been condemned by a number top Democrats, including Maryland Governor Wes Moore, Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee, California Governor Gavin Newsom, and others.
These officials, somewhat surprisingly, come from states with extremely high crime rates. Oakland, California <a href="https://realestate.usnews.com/places/rankings/best-places-to-live/most-dangerous-places?sort=overall&amp;high_to_low=true">is ranked second</a> on the list of most dangerous cities in the United States, and Baltimore <a href="https://foxbaltimore.com/news/city-in-crisis/baltimore-ranked-fourth-most-dangerous-us-city-in-new-poll">is ranked the fourth</a> most dangerous city in the United States, according to U.S. News and World Report.
Both California and Maryland are in the top 20 most dangerous states in the country.
“If Democrats had any common sense, they would follow President Trump’s lead to crack down on violent crime that has plagued our nation’s capital – and Democrat-run cities across the country,&#8221; White House deputy press secretary Taylor Rogers told The Daily Wire.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
He was just getting warmed up in Los Angeles.
He will gaslight his way into militarizing any city he wants in America.
This is what dictators do. <a href="https://t.co/IPvx9Hrp0q">https://t.co/IPvx9Hrp0q</a>
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) <a href="https://twitter.com/GavinNewsom/status/1954965149225562627?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
&#8220;Instead of criticizing President Trump’s popular, tough-on crime policies, they should focus on cleaning up their own cities which are some of the most dangerous places in America,&#8221; she added. &#8220;Public safety isn’t political, it’s a top priority for every American and the Democrats continue to brush under the rug.”
Rogers&#8217;s remarks echoed those of the president himself, who told The Daily Wire in the Oval Office on Thursday that Democrats would be much better off saying, &#8220;We want to help President Trump with the crime because it is an epidemic.&#8221;
&#8220;People are so happy to see our military going into D.C. and getting these thugs out,&#8221; the president told The Daily Wire as he took questions from reporters at the White House. &#8220;As you know, we arrested a lot of people yesterday&#8230;.We are getting people that have arrest records that you wouldn’t believe.
&#8220;It’s another reason why the Democrats lost the election in a landslide,&#8221; he said. &#8220;They lie.&#8221;
During a press conference at the White House on Monday, the president specifically took aim at Oakland and Baltimore as he discussed cities that might need his help in over coming crime.
&#8220;And then you have, of course, Baltimore and Oakland. We don’t even mention that anymore there. They’re so far gone. We’re not going to let it happen.&#8221;
<div id="attachment_961071" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democrats-opposing-trumps-dc-crack-down-lead-americas-most-dangerous-cities/president-trump-delivers-remarks-from-the-oval-office-2" rel="attachment wp-att-961071"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-961071" class="wp-image-961071 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2230149076-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2230149076-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2230149076-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2230149076-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2230149076.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" /></a>U.S. President Donald Trump answers questions from reporters with Frank Bisignano (L), Administrator of the Social Security Administration, in the Oval Office on August 14, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)</div>
Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee <a href="https://localnewsmatters.org/2025/08/12/president-trump-is-wrong-oakland-mayor-fires-back-after-potus-calls-out-city-on-crime/">said that the president is wrong</a> about her city, saying in a statement that “President Trump’s characterization of Oakland is wrong and not grounded in facts, but in fear-mongering. This is not leadership — it’s an attempt to score cheap political points by tearing down communities he doesn’t understand.”
“Our comprehensive public safety strategy is working — crime rates are coming down even though we still face many challenges. And let me repeat, President Trump is wrong.&#8221;
Maryland Governor Wes Moore <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/trump-national-guard-washington-maryland-governor-heartbroken-2112634">has also taken issue</a> with the president&#8217;s remarks, describing himself &#8220;heartbroken&#8221; for those service members sent to D.C. and claiming that Trump is using the issue as a &#8220;tool&#8221; to distract his opponents.
&#8220;I&#8217;m embarrassed, I&#8217;m angered and, frankly, I&#8217;m heartbroken for members of the National Guard asked to take on this mission.&#8221;
&#8220;What we&#8217;re seeing right now, this distraction, distracting away from the fact that Donald Trump&#8217;s policies have caused unemployment to go up, have caused people to lose their health care, have caused children to be able to lose their food benefits and he&#8217;s now using this as a tool,&#8221; the governor said on CNN.
He added: &#8220;He&#8217;s using military personnel, these citizen soldiers, as a cudgel, and as a tool to be able to advance his political purposes.&#8221;
In response to Moore&#8217;s remarks, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/trump-national-guard-washington-maryland-governor-heartbroken-2112634">told Newsweek</a>: &#8220;What&#8217;s truly embarrassing and heartbreaking is how long Democrat leaders have allowed violent crime to surge out of control in cities without taking action. It&#8217;s heartbreaking that in Washington D.C. innocent people are robbed, assaulted, and killed far too often.&#8221;
Memphis, Tennessee leads the nation as the number one most dangerous city in the United States. The city&#8217;s Democrat mayor, Paul Young, does not appear to have addressed Trump&#8217;s move to call in the National Guard to D.C. Young did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
St. Louis, Missouri, lands at number three on the list of most dangerous cities in the United States, and is also led by a Democrat mayor, Cara Spencer, who also does not appear to have weighed in on the president&#8217;s move. She did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Daily Wire.
Detroit, Michigan, comes in at number five on the list of most dangerous cities in the United States. The city is led by Mayor Mike Duggan, an independent. The mayor&#8217;s spokesman John Roach referred The Daily Wire to crime statistics indicating that <a href="https://detroitmi.gov/news/detroit-partnerships-result-another-historic-drop-violent-crime-2024-fewest-homicides-1965-shootings">crime in the city dropped during 2024</a>. Roach said that federal law enforcement in Detroit, including the U.S. Attorney, DEA, ATF, and FBI, are already full partners with the Detroit police in gun violence reduction.
<div>&#8220;With the enhanced efforts of the new US Attorney, Jerome Gorgon, Detroit this year is experiencing the lowest level of gun violence since 1965,&#8221; Roach told The Daily Wire. &#8220;Expanded funding for federal prosecutors and their supporting federal agencies (ATF, DEA, FBI) would speed up the violence reduction trends and would be strongly welcomed by the city.&#8221;</div>
<div></div>
<div>He added: &#8220;We have no indication from the federal government that they have any plans to disrupt the highly successful federal/city partnership currently in place.&#8221;</div>

Trump Signals Tough Stance With Putin Ahead Of Alaska Summit

Democrats Opposing Trump’s DC Crack Down Lead America’s Most Dangerous Cities

Maryland

Oakland

Trump Announces Deployment Of National Guard In Washington D.C.

Trump Moves To End D.C.’s Third-World Lawlessness. Democrats Lose It.

Crime

Federal Government

Matt Walsh

Opinion

Violent Crime

The police union that represents over 3,000 officers with D.C.&#8217;s Metropolitan Police Department came out in support of President Donald Trump&#8217;s decision to take federal control of law enforcement in the nation&#8217;s capital.
The D.C. Police Union said in a statement on Monday that it agrees with President Trump &#8220;that crime is spiraling out of control, and immediate action is necessary to restore public safety,&#8221; according to <a href="https://www.fox5dc.com/news/dc-leaders-police-union-react-trumps-federal-takeover-national-guard-deployment">Fox 5</a>. The union&#8217;s positive statement toward Trump was released as Democratic D.C. leaders criticized the administration&#8217;s move to take control of the police department.
&#8220;The DC Police Union, representing over 3,000 officers of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), today acknowledges and supports the President&#8217;s announcement this morning to assume temporary control of the MPD in response to the escalating crime crisis in Washington, DC,&#8221; the union said. &#8220;The Union agrees that crime is spiraling out of control, and immediate action is necessary to restore public safety. However, we emphasize that federal intervention must be a temporary measure, with the ultimate goal of empowering a fully staffed and supported MPD to protect our city effectively.&#8221;
Trump announced &#8220;Liberation Day in D.C.&#8221; on Monday morning, vowing to &#8220;rescue our nation&#8217;s capital from crime, bloodshed, bedlam, and squalor, and worse.&#8221; The president&#8217;s move means that the Metropolitan Police Department will fall under the control of the Department of Justice, and DEA Administrator Terry Cole will lead the D.C. police department, The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/were-gonna-take-our-capital-back-heres-everything-trump-is-going-to-do-to-clean-up-d-c?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=undefined&amp;elementPosition=6&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;title=%E2%80%98We%E2%80%99re+Gonna+Take+Our+Capital+Back%E2%80%99%3A+Here%E2%80%99s+Everything+Trump+Is+Going+To+Do+To+Clean+Up+D.C.">reported</a>.
Trump is also sending 800 National Guard troops to help patrol the streets of D.C. in a major effort to crack down on violent crime.
Democrats in D.C., including Mayor Muriel Bowser, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/unsettling-and-unprecedented-d-c-mayor-slams-trumps-takeover-says-crime-is-dropping?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=undefined&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;title=%E2%80%98Unsettling+And+Unprecedented%3A+D.C.+Mayor+Slams+Trump%E2%80%99s+Takeover%2C+Says+Crime+Is+Dropping">blasted</a> the president&#8217;s move as &#8220;unsettling and unprecedented.&#8221;
&#8220;While this action today is unsettling and unprecedented, I can&#8217;t say that given some of the rhetoric of the past that we&#8217;re totally surprised,&#8221; Bowser said.
The Democrat-controlled D.C. city council released a statement, calling Trump&#8217;s action &#8220;a manufactured intrusion on local authority.&#8221;
&#8220;Violent crime in the District is at the lowest rates we&#8217;ve seen in 30 years. Federalizing the Metropolitan Police Department is unwarranted because there is no Federal emergency,&#8221; the city council added. &#8220;Further, the National Guard has no public safety training or knowledge of local laws. The Guard&#8217;s role does not include investigating or solving crimes in the District. Calling out the National Guard is an unnecessary deployment with no real mission.&#8221;
Bowser acknowledged that Section 740 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act allows Trump to federalize local law enforcement in D.C. and vowed to coordinate with the federal government.
The White House argues that federalizing the Metropolitan Police Department is necessary because local leaders have failed to crack down on violent crime, <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/1954937260324934044">highlighting</a> statistics that show D.C. has a higher murder rate than places like Havana, Cuba, and Islamabad, Pakistan. The Trump administration also pointed to a report alleging that police officials have &#8220;cooked the books&#8221; on crime stats to show the public lower violent crime numbers than what should be reported.
&#8220;In 2024, Washington, D.C. saw a homicide rate of 27.3 per 100,000 residents,&#8221; the White House <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/2025/08/fact-yes-d-c-crime-is-out-of-control/">said</a>. &#8220;That was the fourth-highest homicide rate in the country — nearly six times higher than New York City and also higher than Atlanta, Chicago, and Compton.&#8221;

Metropolitan Police Department

‘Immediate Action Is Necessary’: D.C. Police Union Backs Trump’s Capital Takeover

Police

President Donald Trump said Monday that the nation’s capital would be liberated from “savagery, filth,” and “scum” as he is reportedly set to deploy the National Guard to Washington, D.C.
Trump made the comments in a Truth Social post ahead of a Monday press conference at the White House that is expected to focus on crime and homelessness in D.C. 
“Washington, D.C. will be LIBERATED today! Crime, Savagery, Filth, and Scum will DISAPPEAR. I will, MAKE OUR CAPITAL GREAT AGAIN! The days of ruthlessly killing, or hurting, innocent people, are OVER! I quickly fixed the Border (ZERO ILLEGALS in last 3 months!), D.C. is next!!! Thank you for your attention to this matter,” he <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115010061198729847">wrote</a>. 
That post followed an earlier one where he wrote, “LIBERATION DAY IN D.C. WE ARE TAKING OUR CAPITAL BACK!!!”
For the past few months, Trump has repeatedly threatened to federalize D.C. over rampant crime and homelessness, and multiple <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/trump-crime-capital-netanyahu-defends-gaza-plan-morning-rundown-rcna224222">reports </a>suggest that he is prepared to deploy up to 1,000 National Guard troops to the city. 
The recent moves to crack down on crime in the nation&#8217;s capital come after 19-year-old Trump administration staffer Ed Coristine was beaten as he defended a woman from a group of teenagers during an attempted carjacking in D.C. Coristine, who once went by the moniker “Big Balls,” was surrounded by the teens while out late at night.
Trump said Sunday that he would be taking actions to get the homeless out of D.C. and make sure that criminals stay behind bars.
“We’re having a News Conference tomorrow in the White House. I’m going to make our Capital safer and more beautiful than it ever was before,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “The Homeless have to move out, IMMEDIATELY. We will give you places to stay, but FAR from the Capital.”
“The Criminals, you don’t have to move out. We’re going to put you in jail where you belong. It’s all going to happen very fast, just like the Border. We went from millions pouring in, to ZERO in the last few months. This will be easier — Be prepared! There will be no ‘MR. NICE GUY.’ We want our Capital BACK. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” he added.

President Trump Hosts Purple Heart Day Event At The White House

Trump Promises To Liberate D.C. From ‘Savagery, Filth, And Scum’

President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he may mobilize the National Guard in Washington, D.C., if the city is unable to crack down on violent crime.
The commander in chief, who deployed National Guard troops to Los Angeles earlier this year in response to anti-ICE riots, made the comment at the White House after a reporter asked if he was considering taking over the police in D.C.
&#8220;We&#8217;re considering it, yeah, because the crime is ridiculous,&#8221; Trump said, adding later that his plan may include &#8220;bringing in the National Guard, maybe, very quickly, too.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
&#8220;Are you considering taking over the D.C. Police?&#8221;<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &#8220;We&#8217;re considering it, yeah, because the crime is ridiculous &#8230; That includes bringing in the National Guard, maybe, very quickly, too.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/IkAIFhiVzP">pic.twitter.com/IkAIFhiVzP</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1953211113912598799?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 6, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Trump reiterated his interest in federalizing D.C. in addition to talking about his desire to clean up the nation&#8217;s capital with projects such as removing graffiti and fixing up roads.
&#8220;We&#8217;re going to beautify the city,&#8221; Trump said.
Trump also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-admin-staffer-big-balls-hailed-as-hero-after-musk-says-he-saved-woman-from-gang-in-d-c" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spoke</a> about Ed Coristine, aka &#8220;Big Balls,&#8221; a government staffer who was beaten up while trying to protect a woman during an attempted carjacking in D.C. Police <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/5438174-arrests-big-balls-doge-edward-coristine-case/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">say</a> they have arrested two juveniles in connection with the assault.
&#8220;You know, we just almost lost a young man. Beautiful, handsome guy who got the hell knocked out of him the night before last,&#8221; Trump said.
The president noted that he planned to speak with Coristine on the phone as the 19-year-old recovers from the violent incident.
&#8220;He went through a bad situation, to put it mildly. And there&#8217;s too much of it,&#8221; Trump said.
On Tuesday, Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114977985620971126" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted</a> to Truth Social an image that appeared to show a beaten-up Coristine and warned federalization would happen if D.C. does not stymie violent crime.
Among those who <a href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1952836498971344926" target="_blank" rel="noopener">vouched</a> for the idea response to Trump&#8217;s announcement was Elon Musk, who worked with Coristine in the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) effort.
Eleanor Holmes Norton, a Democrat who is the D.C. non-voting delegate in the House, responded to Musk on X and pushed back on what Trump was saying.
&#8220;1) Violent crime is horrific and unacceptable no matter where it occurs,&#8221; Norton <a href="https://x.com/EleanorNorton/status/1953146790087098861" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &#8220;2) DC&#8217;s violent crime rate is at a 30-year low. 3) Presidents have no authority to unilaterally take control of DC. Congress would have to pass a law, and I won&#8217;t let the current effort get that far.&#8221;
However, Norton may not get her way as some Republican lawmakers have voiced interest in revoking the D.C. Home Rule that allows the capital city a limited amount of self-governance.
When asked on Wednesday if he wants Congress to look at overturning the D.C. Home Rule Act, Trump said that &#8220;the lawyers are already studying&#8221; the matter.
&#8220;This has to be the best-run place in the country, not the worst-run place in the country,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;And it has so much potential. And we&#8217;re going to take care of it. You&#8217;re going to be safe &#8230; walking down streets.&#8221;

President Donald Trump

Trump Says He May Deploy National Guard In D.C.

California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom filed a $787 million defamation lawsuit against Fox News on Friday, alleging the news network deliberately misrepresented the timeline of a phone call between him and President Donald Trump to make it appear the governor lied about their communication.
The lawsuit, first <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/06/27/newsom-sues-fox-news-defamation-case-00429168">reported</a> by POLITICO, centers on Fox News&#8217; coverage of a June 7 phone call between Trump and Newsom during anti-ICE riots in Los Angeles County. President Trump said he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-vows-to-liberate-los-angeles-shut-down-migrant-riots-and-insurrectionist-mobs">deployed</a> thousands of National Guard troops and hundreds of Marines to the area to quell the violence despite the governor&#8217;s objections, but local officials say they are there to protect federal buildings and federal workers.
The dispute arose when Trump claimed on June 10 that he had called Newsom &#8220;a day ago.&#8221; Newsom subsequently denied any recent contact, stating: &#8220;There was no call. Not even a voicemail. Americans should be alarmed that a President deploying Marines onto our streets doesn&#8217;t even know who he&#8217;s talking to.&#8221;
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No more lies.
I’m suing Fox News for $787 million.<a href="https://t.co/L73VUsPsuB">https://t.co/L73VUsPsuB</a> <a href="https://t.co/qKoRaxHRDW">pic.twitter.com/qKoRaxHRDW</a>
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) <a href="https://twitter.com/GavinNewsom/status/1938587950704677237?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 27, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Fox News then ran a segment on Jesse Watters&#8217; program that Newsom&#8217;s claims &#8220;willfully distorted&#8221; the timeline to the network&#8217;s viewers. According to the lawsuit, Watters aired a deceptively edited video that juxtaposed Trump&#8217;s &#8220;day ago&#8221; claim with call logs obtained by Fox host John Roberts showing the call occurred on June 7 — three days earlier, not one day as Trump had claimed. Newsom accuses the network of falsely claiming he lied about the phone call and violated California’s Unfair Competition Law, which outlaws “deceptive and unfair business practices.”
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&#8220;If Fox News wants to lie to the American people on Donald Trump&#8217;s behalf, it should face consequences — just like it did in the Dominion case,&#8221; Newsom said in a statement to POLITICO, referencing Fox&#8217;s $787.5 million settlement with Dominion Voting Systems in 2023.
&#8220;I believe the American people should be able to trust the information they receive from a major news outlet. Until Fox is willing to be truthful, I will keep fighting against their propaganda machine,&#8221; the governor added.
Fox News dismissed the lawsuit in a statement to The Daily Wire, writing, &#8220;Gov. Newsom’s transparent publicity stunt is frivolous and designed to chill free speech critical of him. We will defend this case vigorously and look forward to it being dismissed.&#8221;
In Fox News&#8217;s initial reporting on the disputed call, headlined &#8220;Trump brings receipts he called Newsom amid LA riots as California gov claims there wasn&#8217;t &#8216;even a voicemail,'&#8221; the network did <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-brings-receipts-he-called-newsom-amid-la-riots-california-gov-claims-wasnt-even-voicemail">include</a> Newsom&#8217;s clarification that the call was from &#8220;3 days ago&#8221; rather than the &#8220;day ago&#8221; Trump had claimed.
POLITICO notes that defamation cases brought by public officials face a much higher legal standard than those filed by private citizens. Newsom has indicated he would retract the lawsuit if Fox News issues a formal retraction and Jesse Watters delivers an on-air apology.

California Governor Newsom Announces Lawsuit Challenging Trump Tariff Authority

Newsom Targets Fox News With Dominion-Sized Lawsuit Over Trump Phone Call Dispute

California

Defamation

Fox News

Gavin Newsom

Lawsuit

Los Angeles

News

Riots

President Donald Trump picked up another legal victory in his fight with Governor Gavin Newsom after an appeals court ruled that he acted within the law when he deployed the California National Guard to protect federal personnel and property in Los Angeles County. 
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday issued a 3-0 ruling in favor of Trump, blocking a ruling from a district judge who said Trump had violated the Constitution when he sent in the National Guard against Newsom’s wishes. 
“Both irreparable harm and the public interest weigh in favor of Defendants, who have an uncontested interest in the protection of federal agents and property and the faithful execution of law,” the court wrote in its decision. “The undisputed facts demonstrate that before the deployment of the National Guard, protesters ‘pinned down’ several federal officers and threw ‘concrete chunks, bottles of liquid, and other objects’ at the officers. Protesters also damaged federal buildings and caused the closure of at least one federal building.”
Last week, the same court <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/appeals-court-says-trump-can-keep-national-guard-deployed-in-l-a?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Appeals+Court+Says+Trump+Can+Keep+National+Guard+Deployed+In+L.A." target="_blank" rel="noopener">granted</a> an emergency injunction to Trump, allowing him to retain control of the guard while the case played out in court. The court said it was convinced by evidence that the guard “engaged only in protecting federal personnel and property.”
Trump deployed the National Guard earlier this month after violence broke out in multiple California cities, including Los Angeles and San Francisco, in response to ICE operations. At least 20 people have been federally <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/we-are-coming-for-you-feds-reveal-more-charges-against-anti-ice-rioters?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=6&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=‘We+Are+Coming+For+You’%3A+Feds+Reveal+More+Charges+Against+Anti-ICE+Rioters" target="_blank" rel="noopener">charged</a> with actions like spitting on or assaulting federal officers and damaging federal property, while dozens more have been arrested by local law enforcement. 
Trump celebrated the decision from the appeals court. 
“BIG WIN in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on the President’s core power to call in the National Guard! The Judges obviously realized that Gavin Newscum is incompetent and ill prepared, but this is much bigger than Gavin, because all over the United States, if our Cities, and our people, need protection, we are the ones to give it to them should State and Local Police be unable, for whatever reason, to get the job done,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “This is a Great Decision for our Country, and we will continue to protect and defend Law abiding Americans. Congratulations to the Ninth Circuit, America is proud of you tonight!”
Newsom also reacted to the decision, noting that the court wrote in its ruling that presidents don’t have unlimited ability to use the National Guard. 
“Donald Trump is not a king and not above the law. Tonight, the court rightly rejected Trump’s claim that he can do whatever he wants with the National Guard and not have to explain himself to a court,” Newsom posted on X. “We will not let this authoritarian use of military soldiers against citizens go unchecked.”
Tensions have remained high in Los Angeles, with the Dodgers saying Thursday that the major league baseball franchise turned away ICE agents hoping to use their parking lots. Homeland Security <a href="https://x.com/DHSgov/status/1935787097048109231" target="_blank" rel="noopener">denied</a> this claim, saying that vehicles with Customs and Border Protection were briefly in the parking lot for a reason unrelated to operation or enforcement actions.

The ‘No Kings’ protests Day in Los Angeles.

Trump Scores ‘Big Win’ Against Newsom In California National Guard Clash

Courts

Illegal Immigation

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Los Angeles County

Politics

A federal appeals court ruled that President Donald Trump could retain control of the California National Guard, blocking a decision from a district court judge ordering Trump to yield power to Governor Gavin Newsom following anti-ICE riots.
The Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on Thursday night granted an emergency motion from the Trump administration to block a ruling from District Judge Charles Breyer saying Trump violated the law when he ordered the National Guard into Los Angeles. Trump celebrated the decision, saying that the National Guard was to thank for keeping Los Angeles safe. 
“The Appeals Court ruled last night that I can use the National Guard to keep our cities, in this case Los Angeles, safe,” Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114675518227311570" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted</a> on Truth Social Friday morning. “If I didn’t send the Military into Los Angeles, that city would be burning to the ground right now. We saved L.A. Thank you for the Decision!!!”
The court scheduled a hearing on the case for Tuesday to hear further arguments. 
The decision is the latest in the battle between Trump and Newsom over riots that broke out last weekend in Los Angeles County after ICE began making arrests in the area, including day laborers at a Home Depot parking lot. Newsom sued Trump after the president sent in the National Guard and deployed thousands of Marines. 
L.A. Police Chief Jim McDonnell told “<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/la-police-chief-national-guard-focused-on-immigration-agenda-not-helping-with-protests/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CBS Mornings</a>” on Wednesday that the National Guard is not assisting local authorities with street protests or riot control.
“That’s not our understanding. They have a different mission,” McDonnell said. “They’re working in support of the federal agencies that are working with ICE on civil immigration enforcement and criminal immigration enforcement.” He added, “We don’t need the National Guard, and they are not here to help us right now.”
On Thursday, Breyer sided with Newsom, saying that Trump lacked the authority to send in the National Guard. 
“At this early stage of the proceedings, the Court must determine whether the President followed the congressionally mandated procedure for his actions. He did not. His actions were illegal—both exceeding the scope of his statutory authority and violating the Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution,” Breyer <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.cand.450934/gov.uscourts.cand.450934.64.0.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a>. 
The judge, appointed by President Bill Clinton, also asserted that Trump’s actions were an “unlawful militarization” of the city and had a chilling effect on First Amendment rights, echoing Newsom’s complaints. His decision was blocked just hours later by the appeals court. 
Trump has repeatedly said that Newsom should thank him for sending in the troops, saying that the violence would have been worse had he not acted. 
“Incompetent Gavin Newscum should have been THANKING me for the job we did in Los Angeles, rather than making sad excuses for the poor job he has done,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Thursday. “If it weren’t for me getting the National Guard into Los Angeles, it would be burning to the ground right now!”

Appeals Court Says Trump Can Keep National Guard Deployed In L.A.

Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA) tried to attack Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for taking a moment to enjoy the annual Congressional baseball game, claiming that he&#8217;d left National Guard troops and U.S. Marines deployed in California without access to basic necessities.
Newsom was responding to a photo, posted by the @DODRapidResponse account, that showed Hegseth taking in the Wednesday evening game with family. &#8220;America&#8217;s @SecDef. America&#8217;s favorite pastime,&#8221; the caption read.
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America’s <a href="https://twitter.com/SecDef?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecDef</a> 🫱🏻‍🫲🏻 America’s favorite past time <a href="https://t.co/dzQ9f86dwi">pic.twitter.com/dzQ9f86dwi</a>
— DOD Rapid Response (@DODResponse) <a href="https://twitter.com/DODResponse/status/1932941408333410316?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Newsom replied with one of the same photos he&#8217;d shared earlier in the week — when he&#8217;d claimed that President Donald Trump and Hegseth had deployed troops to California without ensuring that their basic needs were met — and argued further that the National Guard and Marines &#8220;weren&#8217;t needed&#8221; in the first place.
&#8220;Pete sent 4,700 troops here (when they weren’t needed) without adequate fuel, food, water or a place to sleep. But don’t worry, he’s at a baseball game,&#8221; Newsom posted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Pete sent 4,700 troops here (when they weren’t needed) without adequate fuel, food, water or a place to sleep.
But don’t worry, he’s at a baseball game. <a href="https://t.co/C6g0327GCF">https://t.co/C6g0327GCF</a> <a href="https://t.co/2L1G9qN3LT">pic.twitter.com/2L1G9qN3LT</a>
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) <a href="https://twitter.com/GavinNewsom/status/1933006152784380095?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The @DODRapidResponse account responded with a photo from the riots that rocked Los Angeles for two days before Trump ordered the California National Guard to provide assistance to local law enforcement. In the photo, a man could be seen waving a Mexican flag, surrounded by smoke from the cars that were being burned in the streets. Accompanying the photo was a two-word caption, mockingly quoting Newsom&#8217;s claim that the troops &#8220;weren&#8217;t needed.&#8221;
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“Weren&#8217;t needed” <a href="https://t.co/27EfQvFhma">https://t.co/27EfQvFhma</a> <a href="https://t.co/MpFuX65eH2">pic.twitter.com/MpFuX65eH2</a>
— DOD Rapid Response (@DODResponse) <a href="https://twitter.com/DODResponse/status/1933018628418306264?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Protests and riots had erupted in the Los Angeles area beginning nearly a week prior, when demonstrators attempted to disrupt Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents as they conducted operations. In the days that followed, rioters destroyed property, looted stores, and attacked local law enforcement officers and federal agents. Blaming Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, also a Democrat, for failing to protect people, Trump ordered first the National Guard and then a number of active duty Marines to rein in the situation.

Vogue World: Hollywood Press Announcement

Newsom Tries To Wreck Hegseth For Attending Congressional Ball Game. It Doesn’t Go Well.

Newsom Tries To Wreck Hegseth For Attending Congressional Ball Game. It Doesn't Go Well.

Baseball

General

Pete Hegseth

The anti-ICE demonstrations and riots that broke out in Los Angeles County nearly a week ago calmed down on Wednesday night after L.A. Democratic Mayor Karen Bass issued a curfew and local law enforcement officers moved in to arrest any demonstrators who defied the order.
Bass issued a curfew on Tuesday and Wednesday night from 8:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. for most of downtown L.A. to prevent any further violence or vandalism, The Los Angeles Times <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/live/los-angeles-protests-immigration-raid-live-updates">reported</a>. An unlawful assembly was declared at 6:25 p.m. on Wednesday, and LAPD officers moved in to disperse the crowd, firing rubber bullets at 7:00 p.m. and causing many of the demonstrators to flee the scene. Thirty minutes later, the LAPD began arresting anyone who remained in the curfew zone downtown, which was around a few dozen protesters, according to the Times.
In a Thursday morning social media <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114670085083632579">post</a>, President Donald Trump took credit for the calmer nights of protests, praising the National Guard and the Marines, whom he deployed to L.A., for putting &#8220;L.A. Police in a position to effectively do their job.&#8221;
&#8220;Los Angeles was safe and sound for the last two nights. Our great National Guard, with a little help from the Marines, put the L.A. Police in a position to effectively do their job,&#8221; Trump wrote. &#8220;They all worked well together, but without the Military, Los Angeles would be a crime scene like we haven’t seen in years.&#8221;
Trump then ripped California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, saying that he &#8220;had totally lost control of the situation.&#8221;
&#8220;He should be saying THANK YOU for saving his ass, instead of trying to justify his mistakes and incompetence!!!&#8221; the president added.
L.A. Police Chief Jim McDonnell told &#8220;<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/la-police-chief-national-guard-focused-on-immigration-agenda-not-helping-with-protests/">CBS Mornings</a>&#8221; on Wednesday that the National Guard is not assisting local authorities with street protests or riot control.
&#8220;That&#8217;s not our understanding. They have a different mission,&#8221; McDonnell said. &#8220;They&#8217;re working in support of the federal agencies that are working with ICE on civil immigration enforcement and criminal immigration enforcement.&#8221; He added, &#8220;We don&#8217;t need the National Guard, and they are not here to help us right now.&#8221;
Mayor Bass <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/la-mayor-says-military-national-guard-presence-provoke-the-population">told</a> PBS on Wednesday that her curfews &#8220;absolutely&#8221; helped prevent more rioting in the downtown area.
&#8220;Last night was the first night of the curfew,&#8221; Bass said about the Tuesday night order. &#8220;And I will tell you, over 100 people were arrested, but they were arrested for failure to disperse and violating curfew, no violence, no vandalism. And so that is different than the night before.&#8221;
Bass continued to criticize Trump over the deployment of the National Guard, calling it &#8220;completely unwarranted&#8221; and arguing that Trump&#8217;s action provoked the rioting.
&#8220;No one asked for that help. You were talking about minor protests, but every time you do something like this, you provoke the population even further,&#8221; she said. &#8220;They are angry because of the raids, they are angry because of the National Guard being here, and now they are really going to be angry if the troops come in.&#8221;
Trump has called out both Bass and Newsom for how they handled the rioting over the weekend, when federal, state, and local law enforcement officers were attacked by agitators and buildings were vandalized and damaged. Earlier this week, the president <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-says-newsom-bass-should-thank-him-for-deploying-national-guard-to-keep-our-citizens-safe?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=12&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Says+Newsom%2C+Bass+Should+Thank+Him+For+Deploying+National+Guard+%E2%80%98To+Keep+Our+Citizens+SAFE%E2%80%99">accused</a> the mayor and governor of lying &#8220;to the People of California and America by saying that we weren’t needed, and that these are peaceful protests.&#8217;”
As the authorities quell the violence in L.A., the Trump administration continues to <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-06-11/los-angeles-immigration-protest-curfew">conduct</a> immigration raids throughout Southern California. The White House said on Wednesday that since last week, 330 suspected illegal immigrants in the Los Angeles area have been detained, 113 of whom had past criminal convictions. Immigration agents have targeted businesses, including at least five <a href="https://www.latimes.com/00000197-608b-d79b-adff-ecafffe80000-123">car washes</a> in Los Angeles and Orange Counties, arresting dozens of suspected illegal immigrants, according to the Times.

Los Angeles Riots

L.A. Anti-ICE Demonstrations Calm After Curfew, More Arrests. Trump Praises U.S. Military.

Executive

Immigration

Karen Bass

LAPD

Joy Behar predicted on Tuesday that President Donald Trump&#8217;s decision to deploy the National Guard to Los Angeles was likely to result another tragedy like the one that played out at Ohio&#8217;s Kent State University in May of 1970.
Behar made the comments during a regular broadcast of ABC&#8217;s &#8220;The View,&#8221; as she and her cohosts continued to complain about Trump and claim that the violent riots — where federal agents had been targeted and property had been destroyed — were peaceful and &#8220;orderly&#8221; until the National Guard arrived.
Whoopi Goldberg took the lead, claiming that videos of the violence were misleading because some news sources were not showing the peaceful parts of the protests. &#8220;It&#8217;s quite different when you&#8217;re talking to people in L.A.,&#8221; she said, adding that the riots had been &#8220;peaceful for days.&#8221;
&#8220;There is no crisis in Los Angeles that ICE did not cause. That&#8217;s the fact of the matter,&#8221; Sunny Hostin chimed in, saying the protests were &#8220;very, very orderly&#8221; and claiming that if immigration authorities had not showed up to enforce federal immigration law, there would be no problem.
WATCH:
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Using the latest liberal buzzwords meant to stir up fear and hate, Hostin warns that Trump is &#8220;militarizing&#8221; the state of California as a &#8220;test run&#8221; for cracking down on other sanctuary cities. 
&#8220;There is a plan,&#8221; she ominously fearmongers. <a href="https://t.co/ZfrDHw7zMB">pic.twitter.com/ZfrDHw7zMB</a>
— Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) <a href="https://twitter.com/NickFondacaro/status/1932456499042795633?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 10, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Hostin followed that by restating her point from the day before — that Trump was &#8220;militarizing&#8221; the National Guard — and claiming that Trump was moving ahead with cracking down on Los Angeles because he wanted a &#8220;test run&#8221; for going after other &#8220;sanctuary cities.&#8221;
It was then that Behar invoked the memory of <a href="https://www.kent.edu/may-4-historical-accuracy">Kent State</a>, saying that bringing in the National Guard reminded her of the situation that had played out there in 1970 when anti-war (Vietnam) protesters had effectively cornered the National Guard troops who were brought in by then-Governor James Rhodes. Several of the National Guardsmen fired their weapons, killing four and wounding nine. A 1974 criminal trial against eight National Guardsmen was dismissed by District Judge Frank Battisti mid-trial after he said that the prosecution&#8217;s case was so weak that the defense need not present its case at all.
&#8220;You know, and sometimes kids get killed when this happens. In my day, it was Kent State and they killed four kids, American students, and nine were injured very severely in those days, and I think that they&#8217;ve got to be very careful what they&#8217;re doing because that&#8217;s the next thing that will happen,&#8221; Behar said.
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Faux conservative Alyssa Farah Griffin compares the National Guard in L.A. to U.S. troops in Afghanistan. &#8220;I have a major issue with the National Guard going in and now the U.S. Marines&#8230; [its] significantly more U.S. forces than we had in the winddown of Afghanistan.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/KHSoM0MPR0">pic.twitter.com/KHSoM0MPR0</a>
— Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) <a href="https://twitter.com/NickFondacaro/status/1932461296139571711?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 10, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Alyssa Farah Griffin argued that bringing in the National Guard and the Marines — even after federal agents and local law enforcement had been clearly harassed and targeted with projectiles — was excessive because there were more deployed to Los Angeles than during the &#8220;wind-down of Afghanistan.&#8221;

ABC’s “The View” – Season 25

‘Sometimes Kids Get Killed’: Joy Behar Predicts Another Kent State As National Guard Patrols L.A.

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