President Trump's deal to make the federal government a partial owner in the computer company Intel has led to backlash from free market Republicans, who say Trump is dabbling in "socialism" - but the president is pushing ahead.
A handful of Republican senators have voiced complaints about Trump's move to give the U.S. a 10% stake in the company, which was once the top American chipmaker before falling into decline.
"If socialism is government owning the means of production, wouldn't the government owning part of Intel be a step toward socialism? Terrible idea," said Senator Rand Paul (Ky.) wrote.
The Trump administration says its deal with Intel is about national security and keeping America competitive against China - which has a form of state-run capitalism - in the race for artificial intelligence.
Trump has said America "paid nothing" for the shares, which were converted from $11 billion that was pledged by the Biden administration under the CHIPS Act.
"The United States paid nothing for these Shares, and the Shares are now valued at approximately $11 Billion Dollars. This is a great Deal for America and, also, a great Deal for INTEL. Building leading edge Semiconductors and Chips, which is what INTEL does, is fundamental to the future of our Nation. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! Thank you for your attention to this matter," Trump wrote in a post.
The overall lack of Republican pushback demonstrates how Trump has nudged the GOP from its "free market" moorings, which have been crucial to the party's identity since the Reagan era.
From Trump's early days as a politician - and even before then - Trump has advocated economic measures that most free market conservatives reject, such as tariffs, which Trump views as a tool to boost domestic manufacturing, enrich the public treasury, and help "forgotten Americans" who were left behind by globalization.
Trump's approach has been called many things - populism, protectionism, mercantilism - but his basic economic instinct is that the system should serve America and its interests. This is anathema to many free market conservatives, who see markets as ends unto themselves - and government interventions as inherently misguided and doomed to failure.
Senator Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican who is retiring after clashing with Trump, invoked China while criticizing Trump's Intel deal.
"I don't care if it's a dollar or a billion dollar stake," Tillis said. "That starts feeling like a semi-state owned enterprise, à la CCCP. I don't believe that the U.S. government should be picking winners and losers because you won't always be right."
A White House spokesperson said to Newsweek that the administration is "ensuring that taxpayers are able to reap the upside of the federal government's investments into safeguarding our national and economic security."
To some extent, Trump's deviations from economic orthodoxy have been overstated: his "Big, Beautiful Bill" codifies traditional Republican priorities like corporate and individual tax cuts, and he has pushed to deregulate AI.
But Republicans who disapprove of Trump's market interventions should buckle up, because Trump has more coming.
“I will make deals like that for our Country all day long," the president posted on Truth Social. “I want to try and get as much as I can."
One of the most notorious Democrats in Congress, Rep. Al Green, has been knocked out of his House seat by Texas Republicans' redistricting effort.
The longtime lawmaker said he will not seek another term in his Houston-area 9th district, which he has represented since 2005, after it was redrawn to favor Republicans - but he is not ruling out a run for the currently vacant, safely Democratic 18th district.
Texas Republicans are seeking to gain up to five new House seats from the new congressional map, which is already being challenged by liberal groups who say it discriminates against minorities.
Green would be favored if he ran for the historically black 18th district, which was reconfigured to include most of Green's old constituents.
Republican candidates who are vying for Green's old seat include former Harris County Judge GOP candidate Alexandra del Moral Mealer and state Rep. Briscoe Cain (R-Deer Park).
At a press conference announcing his next steps Tuesday, the 77-year-old Green said he may run in the 18th to honor former representatives Sylvester Turner and Sheila Jackson Lee, who both died in office.
Turner was only weeks on the job when he died in March, shortly after attending President Trump's speech to a joint session of Congress. Green was infamously escorted out of the House chamber for heckling and later censured for his conduct.
"I'm going to be in a race just to defend those two people if for no other reason," Green said, referring to Lee and Turner.
There will be a special election for the 18th in November to fill the seat.
Green said he will not enter the crowded contest, which has drawn over two dozen candidates, but he may seek a future run.
"I'm not going to be in that special election, and I'm not going to be in that special election for a multiplicity of reasons but here is one: because if I chose to get in it, and should I win it, I would then have to vacate the 9th congressional district," Green said.
Green has been re-elected 10 times since he won his first House race in 2004.
He is known for bombastic, anti-Trump activism that has been rejected by his own Democratic party as counterproductive. His frequent threats to impeach Trump have gone nowhere.
“My constituents are still where they are and I am still where I have lived for more than 30 years,” Green said.
President Trump's sacking of Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook appears to challenge the Supreme Court's inclination to leave the central bank alone.
Days after he demanded her resignation, Trump fired Cook on Monday, citing allegations that she engaged in mortgage fraud.
Congress allows Federal Reserve board members to be removed "for cause," but Trump is the first president to ever use that power, setting up an unprecedented legal controversy that appears destined for the Supreme Court.
While we can only guess how the justices might rule on Trump's power over the Fed, they recently offered a brief hint - by brief, we mean one sentence.
"The Federal Reserve is a uniquely structured, quasi-private entity that follows in the distinct historical tradition of the First and Second Banks of the United States," the court wrote.
This single ambiguous sentence does not tell us much, but it appears to suggest that the Supreme Court sees the central bank differently from other government agencies that Trump has shaken up, with the Supreme Court's blessing.
The justices' brief commented appeared in a May emergency ruling that allowed Trump to fire Democratic members of the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) and National Labor Relations Board (NRLB).
The court could now be asked, for the first time, to draw a line on when the president has established "cause" to shake up the Federal Reserve.
Given the Supreme Court's broad view of executive power, it is not unreasonable to predict that they will side with Trump when push comes to shove.
Trump's critics have blasted Cook's firing as an assault on the traditional independence of the central bank, which has for months resisted pressure from Trump to lower interest rates.
The president nominates Federal Reserve members, who serve 14-year terms spanning different administrations. Cook, who was appointed by Joe Biden, says her removal is baseless, and she plans to challenge it in court.
Trump says there are clear indications of misconduct by Cook, who allegedly claimed two different homes as her primary residence two weeks apart.
"The American people must be able to have full confidence in the honesty of the members entrusted with setting policy and overseeing the Federal Reserve," Trump wrote in a letter to Cook.
"In light of your deceitful and potentially criminal conduct in a financial matter, they cannot, and I do not have such confidence in your integrity."
President Donald Trump has lost the support of staunch allies Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) and political commentator Laura Loomer over his plan to import 600,000 Chinese college students through the visa program, the UK Daily Mail reported. The issue came up on Monday during an Oval Office meeting with South Korea's leader.
Amid his immigration crackdown, Trump seemed to support the idea of expanding the student visa program to flood America's institutions of higher learning with Chinese nationals. "We’re going to allow their students to come in. It’s very important - 600,000 students," Trump told the press.
Trump is focused on making concessions to Bejing, including student visas, in an effort to broker a deal as the two nations are locked in a tariff war. Additionally, the president asserts that American universities require the influx of foreign students and their financial support to thrive.
Both Greene and Loomer share the belief that this expansion is a grave misstep. This shared opinion comes as a shock, considering the pair were trading insults with each other on social media weeks ago in a public feud.
The Georgia Republican took to X, formerly Twitter, on Monday to challenge Trump's proposal. "We should not let in 600,000 CHINESE students to attend American colleges and universities that may be loyal to the CCP," Greene wrote.
"If refusing to allow these Chinese students to attend our schools causes 15% of them to fail, then these schools should fail anyway because they are being propped up by the CCP. Why are we allowing 600,000 students from China to replace our American students’ opportunities?" Greene continued.
"We should never allow that. And we need more trade school graduates. Trade schools are a GREAT alternative and produce the essential education and training for the most needed jobs in America with very high starting pay," Greene concluded.
We should not let in 600,000 CHINESE students to attend American colleges and universities that may be loyal to the CCP.
If refusing to allow these Chinese students to attend our schools causes 15% of them to fail then these schools should fail anyways because they are being…
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) August 26, 2025
Greene's worries are well-founded, as American students could be edged out of enrollment at top institutions by foreign students with these visas. She's also correct that institutions that must rely on foreign students to stay in business shouldn't be open at all. Despite their many differences, Loomer agrees with this take.
Trump is floating the plan as an olive branch as he attempts to diffuse a tariff war with China that has currently levied a 125% on American exports. This came after Trump slapped Chinese goods with a 145% tariff, an opening move that has put the nations at odds, even as tariffs are suspended pending negotiations.
Loomer pointed out that this approach of using student visas as a bargaining chip is antithetical to Trump's agenda of undoing the immigration mess created by his predecessor, former President Joe Biden. The conservative firebrand also noted that it poses a danger to national security.
"If we are only mass deporting 1,000 illegals each day but allowing 600,000 Chinese spies to come to our country, how can we call them mass deportations? Do the math," Loomer posted on X, formerly Twitter, on Monday. "We will never get rid of the millions who came in under Biden. It’s basic math," Loomer charged.
The fact that Greene and Loomer are in lockstep on this issue comes as a surprise, given the vitriol between the two. Loomer called Green a "lying fake Christian wh---" and accused her of attempting to "steal the Trump movement." Greene retaliated with a rebuke of Loomer for her criticism of a Medal of Honor recipient.
Regardless of the feud between these women, the truth is that they are both right about Trump's new plan to expand student visas. It is short-sighted and potentially destructive, but hopefully, this is just another Trump bargaining move that is only a point for negotiation and not a reality.
President Donald Trump boasted that his wife, first lady Melania Trump, is a loving mother who keeps a watchful eye on their son Barron Trump, The Independent reported. Barron is heading into his sophomore year at New York University after his freshman year unfolded during the presidential campaign and the victory of his famous father.
This remark came as part of a discussion about negotiations Trump was working on to end the war between Ukraine and Russia. Following his Oval Office meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, a reporter asked Trump about a letter Melania Trump wrote to Russian President Vladimir Putin about the toll the war has taken on children.
That's when the president shared about his wife's "great love of children" that motivates her. "She’s got a great love of children, she has a wonderful son that she loves probably more than anybody, including me, I hate to say it," Donald Trump said of his wife, Melania Trump. "But she loves her son, she loves children, and she hates to see something like this happening."
Rumors swirl around Barron as Melania Trump is notoriously protective of her family, especially her only son. A source close to the matter told People last year that she chose to keep Barron out of on-campus housing so she could keep an eye on him as he settled into his freshman year.
"She will do everything she can to make sure Barron does well in school and is socially and mentally adjusted to his life as a college student," the unnamed source claimed. The person said that it wasn't "in the stars" for Barron to live in a dorm "at this point."
The first lady became particularly concerned after Trump was re-elected last November and was worried about what impact that would have on Barron's life and safety. "Melania worries about the hate in the country and how it falls on her son, who is innocent of any of this," a source said.
"She is and has been a good sounding board for him. They talk about life as it is and how they are in the spotlight," the source added about Melania Trump. Barron also has his older siblings to look up to, including his half-brothers Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, who have been instrumental in their father's business and political aspirations.
Meanwhile, Melania Trump has kept her inner circle tight and relied heavily on her parents, Viktor and Amalija Knavs, to provide love and guidance to Barron. Although it has been a blessing, the death of Melania Trump's mother in January 2024 was difficult for her, considering their close relationship. "Melania’s most meaningful moments of life have been with her family, and Barron is the lucky benefactor of that love and caring," the source noted.
Barron was kept out of the public eye and given a chance just to be a kid when his father first became president in 2016. With four more years to grow up, Barron emerged as a small but important part of his father's campaign this time around, even as Melania Trump did her best to shield Barron.
During his father's presidential campaign, the younger Trump became more involved and played a crucial role in helping his father cross the finish line. According to Fox News, Donald Trump said his son was the one who told him to appeal to the Gen Z voters by going on the right podcasts, including Joe Rogan which may have marked a turning point.
"[He's influenced me] a little bit," he told Maria Bartiromo on Fox News last fall. "He tells me about all the ‘hot’ guys, people I've never heard of [for podcasts]… but Don [Jr.] knows a lot about it and Eric knows a lot about it. Tiffany knows a lot. Ivanka knows a lot," Donald Trump continued about his daughters.
In June, Barron made his first appearance at one of his father's rallies and received a standing ovation from the crowd, according to The New York Post. He would go on to cast his first-ever vote as an 18-year-old in November, and it appears Barron could be on his way to emerging as another arrow in Donald Trump's political quiver.
Melania Trump has done a great job raising her son out of the spotlight and still watches over him as he spreads his wings as a college student. She clearly has a great love for her Barron and continues to hold her family close in the midst of the chaos of the White House, and that's admirable.
President Donald Trump has made a number of changes that made their way to the Supreme Court, and it appears that might be happening again.
Trump announced earlier this week that he was removing Lisa Cook from the Federal Reserve Board of Governors in what many saw as an unprecedented move, as ABC News reported.
However, this could be a legal battle for Cook that takes the case all the way to the nation’s high court, because it could be seen as political interference.
Some believe the move by Trump is an escalation in his push for control over the influential financial institution that is the Fed.
The president posted on social media on Monday evening about the change, saying he was removing Cook, effective immediately.
According to the president he this is due to allegations that she was involved in mortgage fraud before she joined the board.
“Pursuant to my authority under Article Il of the Constitution of the United States and the Federal Reserve Act of 1913, as amended, you are hereby removed from your position on the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve, effective immediately,” Trump said in a letter to Cook.
🚨 LMAO! Leftist professor Paul Krugman says Lisa Cook’s literal MORTGAGE FRAUD is the equivalent of “cheating on a third grade exam”
Democrats are now openly backing fraudsters 🤣
The midterms are going to be EPIC. pic.twitter.com/X6LlhVHy29
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) August 26, 2025
Cook responded, saying that she wouldn’t step down, and that the president doesn’t have the authority to fire her.
“President Trump purported to fire me ‘for cause’ when no cause exists under the law, and he has no authority to do so,” she said in a statement. “I will not resign.”
“I will continue to carry out my duties to help the American economy as I have been doing since 2022.”
Cook has long been an influential figure as she became the first black woman to serve on the Fed’s board of governors.
The Fed itself votes on the central banking system’s major interest rate decisions, and has a wide-reaching impact on economic issues.
Before she was appointed to the board, she was an economics professor and held roles in the Clinton, (second) Bush, and Obama administrations.
In a landmark move, the Colorado legislature has approved funding to support Medicaid reimbursements for reproductive healthcare providers, including those offering abortions, JustTheNews reported.
The passage of Senate Bill 25B-2 is designed to mitigate the impact of recent federal cuts to Medicaid funding.
Last Friday, the Colorado Senate gave its nod to SB 25B-2, followed closely by the House's approval on Sunday with a vote tally of 43-19. The bill now awaits the signature of Governor Jared Polis to become law.
Senate Bill 25B-2 emerges as a direct countermeasure to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which has reduced federal Medicaid funding for entities like Planned Parenthood. This federal act prompted state governments to reassess their approach to funding reproductive health services.
The bill permits the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing to draw approximately $4.4 million from the state's General Fund. This allocation will be used specifically to ensure that providers denied federal funding continue to receive support.
Primarily, Democratic legislators pushed the bill through both houses, showcasing the prevalent party support despite robust Republican opposition, primarily concerned with the financial implications of the bill.
The partisan divide was evident in the legislative process, with Democrats advocating for the bill as a necessary step to protect healthcare rights following federal changes. In contrast, Republicans contested the fiscal strain imposed by the additional state funding.
Jack Teter, Vice President of Government Affairs at Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains, lauded the legislature's decision. He stated, "The Colorado legislation was essential to protecting Coloradans’ right to care," underscoring the significance of the bill in safeguarding access to healthcare services amidst federal cutbacks.
This bill highlights a crucial arena where state policy is being adapted to shield residents from the broader strokes of federal legislation that affect healthcare provision directly.
The financial implications of SB 25B-2 are substantial yet deemed necessary by its proponents. The nonpartisan Legislative Council Staff forecasts the immediate fiscal impact to be around $4.4 million for the current year, a figure that has stirred financial debate among legislators.
However, supporters argue that the investment is critical to maintaining comprehensive healthcare services for Colorado's Medicaid beneficiaries, particularly those needing reproductive health services that might otherwise be hampered by federal funding cuts.
In anticipation of Governor Polis' endorsement, stakeholders from various sectors are closely monitoring the implications of this legislative move, which could set a precedent for other states facing similar federal funding challenges.
If signed into law, SB 25B-2 is set to ensure that, despite federal adjustments, Colorado residents will continue to receive essential healthcare services without interruption. This state-level initiative reflects a growing trend among states taking proactive steps to fill gaps left by federal policy adjustments.
The enactment of this bill could prompt similar legislative endeavors in other states, reflecting a potential shift towards more localized control over healthcare funding, particularly in areas impacted by national policy changes.
This landmark decision marks a significant moment in Colorado's legislative history, setting a framework for future debates over state versus federal control of healthcare funding and the ongoing discourse on reproductive rights within the United States.
Washington D.C. went 12 days without any murders following President Trump's takeover of the capital city.
The streak was broken early Tuesday when a man was shot dead after midnight in southeast Washington. The last murder before that was on August 13, shortly after Trump's crackdown on crime began.
12 days with no murders is a significant accomplishment in Washington D.C., which ranks as one of the most dangerous cities in America.
D.C.'s murder rate was 26 per 100,000 residents in 2024, according to an analysis from the Council on Criminal Justice. And that was a 30% drop from the year prior, when murders hit a 20-year high.
So far in 2025, there have already been over 100 homicides, but Trump's critics insist he is somehow exaggerating the problem.
The Justice Department and Congress are both investigating the city's police department for allegedly falsifying data to make crime appear less severe than it really is.
According to the city's police union - which has accused the police department of data manipulation - crime is down citywide 11% since Trump's crackdown started.
Carjackings - which have often been perpetrated by teenaged thugs, leaving residents living in terror - are down 85%.
The authorities have arrested over 1,000 people and taken 100 illegal guns of the street. How many lives were saved just from that alone?
The thugs in D.C. seem to be realizing there is a new sheriff in town, and Trump is not done - issuing a call Tuesday for killers to receive the death penalty.
"Anybody murders something in the capital, capital punishment," Trump said during a Cabinet meeting Tuesday. "Capital, capital punishment. If somebody kills somebody in the capital, Washington, D.C., we're going to be seeking the death penalty. And that's a very strong preventative."
Criminals need to learn to fear the law again. It's really that simple, and with Trump taking charge, things have improved.
Trump accomplished something similar on the border - sending illegal crossings to record lows after they hit record highs under his predecessor, who had insisted he was powerless to solve the problem that he caused with his radical policies.
Once again, Trump is proving that failure is an option and not a destiny. The chaos that has plagued D.C. for so long is a direct consequence of liberal policies - and when the policies change, so do the results.
Democrats can keep insisting that crime in D.C. is not an issue, but the country disagrees. We know that things can get better - and Trump just showed how to get it done.
President Trump has fired Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook - who is refusing to acknowledge the president's order.
In a letter notifying Cook of his decision, Trump explained that she no longer works for the nation's central bank "effective immediately" because she has been credibly accused of mortgage fraud.
The president may remove Fed governors "for cause," Trump noted in his letter to Cook, who swiftly challenged the move.
"The Federal Reserve Act provides that you may be removed, at my discretion, for cause," Trump wrote.
Trump had called for Cook to resign last week after a federal housing regulator, Bill Pulte, filed a criminal referral to the Justice Department that accused Cook of claiming two different homes as her primary residence.
"For example, as detailed in the Criminal Referral, you signed one document attesting that a property in Michigan would be your primary residence for the next year," Trump explained.
"Two weeks later, you signed another document for a property in Georgia stating that it would be your primary residence for the next year. It is inconceivable that you were not aware of your first commitment when making the second. It is impossible that you intended to honor both,” Trump wrote.
At best, Cook made a damning mistake that disqualifies her from serving as a top financial regulator, Trump said. At worst, she engaged in "deceitful and criminal conduct."
"The Federal Reserve has tremendous responsibility for setting interest rates and regulating reserve and member banks. The American people must be able to have full confidence in the honesty of the members entrusted with setting policy and overseeing the Federal Reserve,” Trump added
“In light of your deceitful and potentially criminal conduct in a financial matter, they cannot and I do not have such confidence in your integrity."
"At a minimum, the conduct at issue exhibits the sort of gross negligence in financial transactions that calls into question your competence and trustworthiness as a financial regulator.”
By removing Cook - an appointee of Joe Biden and the first black woman to serve on the Federal Reserve Board - Trump has an opening to increase his influence over the central bank, which sets the nation's monetary policy, including the interest rates that influence mortgage costs.
Cook is demanding her job back, and she has hired former Hunter Biden lawyer Abbe Lowell, who said a lawsuit would be forthcoming.
But Trump - who last week had a $500 million penalty against him thrown out on appeal, just his latest victory against Democratic party lawfare - told reporters that he is "always ready" for a legal fight.
"She seems to have had an infraction and she can't have an infraction. And especially that infraction because she's in charge of, if you think about it, mortgages. We need people that are 100% above board, and it doesn't seem like she was," Trump said Tuesday.
Rap star Lil Nas X has been charged for attacking police during a naked, late-night drug binge in Los Angeles.
The openly gay, 26-year-old entertainer, known for the country rap single "Old Town Road," pleaded not guilty Monday to four felony counts - three counts of battery against a police officer and one count of resisting an executive officer.
The rapper, whose real name is Montero Hill, had been seen wandering the streets of Los Angeles in nothing but underwear and a pair of cowboy boots early Thursday, August 21. He is accused of injuring at least three cops as they tried to arrest him.
Footage of the disturbing incident that was publicized by TMZ showed the rapper roaming Ventura Boulevard and placing an orange traffic cone on his head.
When police arrived, the rapper "punched an officer twice in the face," according to reports.
After a struggle, the rapper was hospitalized for a suspected drug overdose and then booked in the county jail on a misdemeanor battery charge.
“This morning, around 5:50 a.m., officers responded to the 11000 block of Ventura Boulevard for a nude man walking in the street,” the police said.
“Upon arrival, the suspect charged at officers and was taken into custody. He was transported to a local hospital for a possible overdose,” the spokesperson added.
The rapper was released from jail Monday on a $75,000 bail, which is less than the $300,000 requested by prosecutors.
The Los Angeles District attorney, Nate Hochman, said the famous rapper would be held to the same standard as anyone else who breaks the law.
“Attacking police officers is more than just a crime against those individuals but a direct threat to public safety,” Nathan J. Hochman, the Los Angeles County District Attorney, said in a news release. “Anyone who assaults law enforcement will face serious consequences, no matter who they are or how famous they may be.”
Upon his release from jail, the man who roamed the streets at night while naked, and then charged at police, described his jail stay as a "terrifying" experience.
"Your girl is gonna be OK, boo. OK? S–t’s gonna be all right,” he said in an Instagram Story. “S–t’s gonna be all right. S–t. That was f–king terrifying. That was terrifying. That was a terrifying last four days. But your girl is gonna be all right.”
If found guilty, he faces up to five years in prison.