Stephen Dinan

Special counsel resigns, removing roadblock to Trump firings

Special counsel Hampton Dellinger resigned his post on Thursday, removing himself as a hurdle to President Trump's plans to fire thousands of federal employees. Published March 6, 2025

Activists fume after GOP calls Democratic lawmaker an ‘illegal immigrant’

Democrats demanded apologies from top Republicans this week after the House GOP's campaign arm labeled a member of Congress an "illegal immigrant." Published March 6, 2025

Nobody’s buying Hunter Biden’s art anymore, and he even lost his home

Hunter Biden has fallen on tough financial times amid his legal woes and his father's departure from the White House. Published March 6, 2025

Judge rules Trump’s broad spending pause violates Constitution

A federal judge declared Thursday that President Trump's attempt to pause potentially trillions of dollars in government grants and contracts violates the Constitution and cannot proceed. Published March 6, 2025

Appeals court allows Trump to fire watchdog who delayed other terminations

A federal appeals court gave President Trump at least a short-term victory Wednesday in allowing him to oust a government watchdog who has emerged as a chief hurdle to his plans to remake the federal bureaucracy. Published March 5, 2025

Trump’s speech used as evidence against him in court

President Trump's effusive praise of Elon Musk during his speech to Congress this week is already coming back to bite him, with one of his legal challengers saying he contradicted his own Justice Department's assurances to a judge. Published March 5, 2025

Vance says deportations aren’t higher because Biden ‘gutted’ DHS system

Vice President J.D. Vance defended the Trump administration's pace of immigration arrests and deportations Wednesday, saying they are trying to rebuild a Homeland Security operation that was "gutted" by President Biden. Published March 5, 2025

Sanctuary mayors blame Trump for scaring immigrants

Facing increasing pressure from Washington, sanctuary city mayors came to Capitol Hill on Wednesday to defend themselves, insisting their refusal to fully cooperate with federal immigration agents and officers makes their communities better. Published March 5, 2025

Social Security downplays Trump’s numbers on dead people still on the books

The Social Security Administration said Wednesday that it does have people with impossible ages still on its books, as President Trump said earlier this week, but that doesn't mean they are getting benefits. Published March 5, 2025

Vance tours border, touts plummet in border crossings

Vice President J.D. Vance visited the border in Texas on Wednesday and said the lower illegal immigration numbers are proof that the Biden migrant surge was a matter of resolve, not laws. Published March 5, 2025

GSA erases public list of federal properties to be sold

The General Services Administration already has removed an online list of more than 400 "non-core" federal properties it said it wanted to sell off. Published March 5, 2025

Federal watchdog blocks Trump’s firing of thousands at Agriculture Department

The Merit Systems Protection Board moved Wednesday to block the Trump administration's attempt to fire thousands of probationary workers at the Agriculture Department, saying the action may have violated the law. Published March 5, 2025

‘No quid pro quo’: NYC Mayor Adams tells Congress he didn’t strike deal with Trump

New York City Mayor Eric Adams told Congress under oath on Wednesday that his new stance on unauthorized immigrants isn't the result of any deal with the Trump administration. Published March 5, 2025

Supreme Court derails Trump admin’s freeze on $2B in foreign aid, sides with lower court

The Supreme Court delivered an early victory Wednesday to President Trump's opponents, ruling that a federal judge can order the administration to pay nearly $2 billion in foreign assistance money the White House had put on hold. Published March 5, 2025