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Trump trolls Chris Christie over mystery drones with AI photo as he’s set to attend Army-Navy game: Live updates

Donald Trump and JD Vance to watch 125th Army-Navy college football game with reported guests Pete Hegseth, Ron DeSantis, and Daniel Penny in Maryland at 3 p.m. Eastern time

Joe Sommerlad,Ariana Baio,Gustaf Kilander
Saturday 14 December 2024 19:46 GMT
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Donald Trump makes joke about ‘taking on’ the media while accepting Time Magazine Award

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US President-elect Donald Trump will attend the Army-Navy football game today alongside a collection of allies, cabinet picks, and controversial figures.

JD Vance, Florida governor Ron DeSantis, Elon Musk, Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth, and Daniel Penny will reportedly join Trump.

Penny was recently acquitted of a homicide charge over a 2023 incident in which he put a homeless man who was yelling at passengers into a chokehold for nearly six minutes, killing him. Penny has become a cause célèbre on the right since.

Penny is not the only controversial guest. Hegseth has faced accusations of rape and alcohol abuse, which he denies.

The 3 p.m. ET matchup at Northwest Field in Landover, Maryland, is the 125th iteration of the famous college football rivalry between the military service academies.

Meanwhile, Trump has vowed to scrap Daylight Saving Time (DST) and is reportedly considering scrapping a car crash reporting requirement that Tesla and X CEO Elon Musk strongly opposes.

And officials across the East Coast are expressing frustration over continued mysterious drone spottings in the airspace above New Jersey.

Chicago mayor responds to Trump administration threats of arrest over immigration policies

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson defended his city’s immigration “sanctuary” policies on Saturday and responded to threats from the Trump administration to prosecute him.

“What the Trump administration has called for is for local police departments around the country to behave as ICE agents. In sanctuary cities, that is not permissible,” the mayor told CNN.

The city’s sanctuary policies bar local police from assisting in deportations and don’t ask people their citizenship status when they use city services.

Johnson added that these provisions still allow immigration authorities to go after migrants accused of criminal offenses.

“Once they are arrested and they are in custody, then the law, of course, is fully prepared to prosecute,” he said, adding, “Look, no one is going to harbor or protect criminals, whether you have come here as an immigrant or undocumented or otherwise.”

The comments came after Trump border czar Tom Homan threatened to prosecute Johnson if he gets in the way of the administration’s plans to carry out an unprecedented national deportation operation upon taking office.

“If your Chicago mayor doesn’t want to help, he can step aside,” Homan said this week during an event in Chicago. “But if he impedes us — if he knowingly harbors or conceals an illegal alien — I will prosecute him.”

Trump’s border czar reveals which city is first for mass deportations

Tom Homan told Democratic officials to ‘get the hell out of the way’ of his sweeping anti-immigrant agenda

Josh Marcus14 December 2024 19:45

Trump mocks Chris Christie with bizarre drone-themed post

Donald Trump continued his long-running public animosity towards former New Jersey Governor and Republican presidential rival Chris Christie, posting a mocked up photo on Saturday showing Christie eating McDonalds being delivered by drones.

The crude post appeared to be a reference to the spate of drone sightings above New Jersey in recent weeks.

Josh Marcus14 December 2024 19:30

New York officials outraged over drone sightings call for new powers

New York Governor Kathy Hochul is calling on Washington to do more about the mysterious drones spotted in recent weeks above the Northeast.

The governor said in a statement on Saturday on X that drone activity prompted officials to shut down Stewart Airfield in New Windsor for about an hour last night.

“This has gone too far,” Hochul said in the statement, calling on Congress to pass the Counter-UAS Authority Security, Safety, and Reauthorization Act, a bill that would reform drone policy and hand more authority over to states.

More details in our full story.

New York governor demands action on mystery drones after airfield shut down

White House has said threats from drones are ‘not credible’ and most sightings are likely just regular aircraft

Josh Marcus14 December 2024 19:14

Don Jr. offers ‘endorsement’ to Democrats planning to skip Trump’s inauguration

Donald Trump Jr. doesn’t seem too concerned more than a dozen Democrats are reportedly planning to skip Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration in January.

“Apparently a large group of Democrat legislators plan to boycott my father’s inauguration, which is great as it will make room for a lot more actual patriots to attend,” the president-elect’s son wrote on X on Saturday. “They have my complete and total endorsement to stay at home.”

Josh Marcus14 December 2024 18:56

Nancy Pelosi hospitalized after ‘hard fall'

Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has undergone a hip replacement procedure after being hospitalized in Luxembourg on Friday following a fall.

Pelosi, 84, was traveling with the congressional delegation for the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge – the last major German offensive during the Second World War – when she fell.

Her spokesperson, Ian Krager, said in a statement:“Earlier this morning, Speaker Emerita Pelosi underwent a successful hip replacement and is well on the mend.

“Speaker Pelosi is grateful to U.S. military staff at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center at Landstuhl Army Base and medical staff at Hospital Kirchberg in Luxembourg for their excellent care and kindness.

Ariana Baio has the details.

Nancy Pelosi undergoes hip replacement after fall during trip to Europe

Former House speaker was in Luxembourg when she fell

Josh Marcus14 December 2024 18:05

Trump wants to privatize U.S. Postal Service

Donald Trump is seeking to potentially privatize the U.S. Postal Service once he takes office, according to The Washington Post, with the president-elect reportedly dismayed over the carrier’s financial losses.

“The government is slow, slow, slow — decades slow on adopting new ways of doing things, and there’s a lot of [other] carrier services that became legal in the ’70s that are doing things so much better with increased volumes and reduced costs,” said Casey Mulligan, a former top economist in the first Trump administration, told the paper. “We didn’t finish the job in the first term, but we should finish it now.”

During his previous term, the president publicly feuded with the postal carrier over rates and labor questions and repeatedly raised questions over the sanctity of mail-in ballots.

Josh Marcus14 December 2024 18:01

U.S. in contact with Syrian rebels who overthrew Assad

The U.S. has been in direct contact with the Syrian rebel group that overthrew the regime of dictator Bashar Assad, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed on Saturday.

The group, former al-Qaida affiliate Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), has been designated a foreign terror group by the U.S. since 2018.

“Yes, we have been in contact with HTS and with other parties,” Blinken said in Jordan on Saturday, adding, “our message to the Syrian people is this: We want them to succeed and we’re prepared to help them do so.”

Josh Marcus14 December 2024 17:40

New York governor hammers Biden on drones: ‘This has gone too far'

New York Governor Kathy Hochul is calling on Washington to do more about the mysterious drones and aircraft spotted in recent weeks above the Northeast.

The governor said in a statement on Saturday on X drone activity prompted officials to shut down Stewart Airfield in New Windsor for about an hour.

“This has gone too far,” Hochul said in the statement, calling on Congress to pass the Counter-UAS Authority Security, Safety, and Reauthorization Act, a bill that would reform drone policy and hand more authority over to states.

“Until those powers are granted to state and local officials, the Biden Administration must step in by directing additional federal law enforcement to New York and the surrounding region to ensure the safety of our criitcal infrastructure and our people,” Hochul added.

Josh Marcus14 December 2024 17:21

Trump immigration plans could cut 3.3m workers from temporary authorization

Employers are worried Donald Trump’s immigration agenda could cut the workforce by millions of people if he follows through on slashing programs offering temporary work approval to immigrants in the country illegally or whose visas have expired.

The programs cover as many as 3.3 million people, according to the Migration Policy Institute.

“Though the numbers are small, these individuals play a key role in the success of a company like ours,” Nate Koetje, chief executive of an electrical contractor based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, told the Wall Street Journal on Saturday.

Josh Marcus14 December 2024 17:05

Elon Musk to join Trump at Army-Navy game

Elon Musk and Trump have been nearly inseparable since the election, and that looks set to continue at today’s Army-Navy football game.

Musk said on X he would be joining the president-elect in Maryland to take in the matchup.

Here’s more on the Trump-Musk friendship:

Josh Marcus14 December 2024 16:45

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