Donald Trump has announced that former Secret Service agent turned far-right podcaster Dan Bongino will serve as deputy director of the FBI under the bureau’s new director Kash Patel.
Bongino, 50, an ex-New York City police officer, has been a familiar presence in right-wing media in recent years, hosting his own Fox News show between 2021 and 2023.
The Trump administration meanwhile plans to fire 2,000 employees from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and place all but a select few on administrative leave as of midnight on Monday, after a judge cleared the way for Trump and right-hand man Elon Musk to do so.
USAID, the agency that provides humanitarian assistance globally, notified employees on Sunday that all direct-hire personnel – with the exception of employees responsible for mission-critical functions, core leadership and specially designated programs – would be placed on leave.
Musk caused a further stir over the weekend by sending out an ultimatum email to federal workers, asking them to justify their roles or risk losing them, prompting a confused reaction from those in charge of the departments concerned.
French President Emmanuel Macron will visit Trump at the White House on Monday.
Trump takeover sees Kennedy Center suffer ticket sale collapse, says report
Donald Trump’s move to take control of Washington D.C’s John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts has led to a staggering 50 percent drop in ticket sales, according to a report.
Trump fired the Kennedy Center’s leadership upon his return to the Oval Office and put MAGA loyalist Richard Grenell in charge of the famed institution.
In the week that followed the decision ticket sales halved, Kennedy Center staff members told The Washington Post anonymously for fear of reprisals.
Graeme Massie23 February 2025 16:30
Zelensky says he will step down if Ukraine is accepted to NATO
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said he would be “ready” to resign as leader if the country if it meant peace – suggesting he would exchange his leadership for membership in NATO.
“If (it guarantees) peace for Ukraine, if you really need me to resign, I am ready. I can exchange it for NATO,” Zelensky said in response to a question on the topic at a news conference.
Ariana Baio23 February 2025 16:19
Ukraine expected to sign deal giving US access to minerals: report
Ukraine is expected to sign a deal this week that will give the United States access to some of its rare minerals that President Donald Trump has been seeking out.
Steve Witkoff, the U.S. special envoy to the Middle East, informed CNN on Sunday of the incoming deal.
Witkoff said the deal, which will give the U.S. access to valuable minerals found in Ukraine, was part of Trump’s attempts to even the playing field after the U.S. gave Ukraine billions in military aid.
“As is typical for the president, he’s very, very sensible,” Witkoff said.
Ariana Baio23 February 2025 16:00
The US agencies hit hardest by Trump and Musk’s layoffs so far
The administration has yet to release official figures on the total number of dismissals. The layoffs have disproportionately affected employees with less than one year of service, who lack the job security afforded to longer-serving staff members.
Ariana Baio23 February 2025 15:30
Hegseth defends firing top military officials
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defended the decision to shake up leadership on the Joint Chiefs of Staff after Trump announced he would replace the chairman, General C.Q. Brown with Lieutenant General Dan “Razin” Caine.
Hegseth told Fox News on Sunday that General Brown was “not the right man for the moment”. The defense secretary also defended firing top military lawyers, saying he wanted to get rid of people who would attempt to be “roadblocks” for the Defense Department.
Ariana Baio23 February 2025 15:05
Melania ‘laughed’ at Trump campaign’s attempts to get her to accompany him on trail, new book claims
Did Melania Trump laugh off efforts to get her on the 2024 campaign trail in support of her husband?
Author Michael Wolff makes this claim in his upcoming book about the 2024 election, titled All or Nothing, according to excerpts published by Newsweek.
Wolff, who has authored several books critical of President Donald Trump over the years, has been accused of fabricating stories that appeared in his various behind-the-scenes looks at Trumpworld.
Oliver O’Connell23 February 2025 14:30
Kash Patel tells FBI staff to ignore Elon Musk’s productivity email as signs of power struggles emerge in D.C.
Elon Musk’s email ultimatum to federal workers, sent as part of his supposedly unofficial role as the leader of the Department of Government Efficiency, is facing pushback from across Washington, D.C. just hours after it was sent.
And some of the backlash is coming from unexpected corners of the Trump administration, perhaps teasing early signs of power struggles to come.
Oliver O’Connell23 February 2025 14:00
Elon Musk sued by Ashley St. Clair over custody of their son
Conservative influencer Ashley St. Clair has filed a lawsuit against the alleged father of her son, DOGE boss Elon Musk, seeking sole custody of the child and requesting a paternity test from the billionaire.
She also filed a petition seeking sole custody of the child who she says Musk has only seen three times since he was born and has “no involvement” in his care or upbringing.
Ariana Baio23 February 2025 13:30
Trump’s been talking about him for years – so who is Dan ‘Razin’ Caine, his nominee for top military adviser?
President Donald Trump has nominated Lt. Gen. Dan ‘Razin’ Caine to be the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, after firing General Charles Q. Brown Jr. for the position.
“Today, I am honored to announce that I am nominating Air Force Lieutenant General Dan ‘Razin’ Caine to be the next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,” Trump wrote Friday on Truth Social.
“General Caine is an accomplished pilot, national security expert, successful entrepreneur, and a ‘warfighter’ with significant interagency and special operations experience,” he added.
Here’s what we know about Caine — and his relationship with Trump:
Katie Hawkinson23 February 2025 13:00
Analysis: CPAC provides a safe space for Elon Musk against Bannon and parental responsibility
Elon Musk’s sudden invasion of Donald Trump’s inner circle and the launch of his DOGE effort to shutter whole government agencies came with more than a little controversy.
But CPAC in Maryland’s National Harbor this weekend was a safe space of refuge for the Twitter and Tesla CEO, even as his public and private behavior is increasingly coming under the eye of public scrutiny.
John Bowden23 February 2025 12:00
