White House says those onboard vessel are being interviewed, and US will seize oil following legal process
The press secretary added that the oil tanker vessel is currently undergoing a forfeiture process, and the US has a “full investigative team on the ground on the vessel”. Leavitt added that individuals on board the vessel are being interviewed and “any relevant evidence is being seized”.
“The vessel will go to a US port, and the United States does intend to seize the oil,” she said. “However, there is a legal process for the seizure of that oil, and that legal process will be followed.”
Key events
In response to reporters’ questions today about the failed Republican legislation in the Senate that proposes an alternative to extending Affordable Care Act subsidies, the press secretary was vague about what Donald Trump saw as a viable path forward.
Karoline Leavitt said that the press would “hear more on that soon” and he was committed to lowering health care premiums for Americans.
House votes down long-shot impeachment resolution against Trump
Chris Stein
Democrats may be in the minority in the House of Representatives, but that did not stop Texas congressman Al Green from introducing an impeachment resolution against Donald Trump.
Green, who was censured by the House earlier this year for interrupting a speech by the president, accuses Trump of breaking his oath by calling for the execution of six Democratic lawmakers who recorded a video reminding military members that they can refuse illegal orders. The resolution also alleges Trump “fostered a political climate in which lawmakers and judges face threats of political violence and physical assault.”
In a letter announcing the resolution, Green wrote: “I will take a stand to protect government of the people, by the people, for the people. I will take a stand to impeach this abuser of presidential power. I will do so even if I must stand alone, because for me, on this issue, it is better to stand alone than not stand at all.”
The resolution had virtually no chance of success, and just a few minutes ago, the chamber voted down the measure. Ahead of the vote, top Democrats announced their intention to vote “present” on the resolution, rather than in support. Here’s the rationale, from minority leader Hakeem Jeffries, whip Katherine Clark and caucus chair Pete Aguilar:
“Impeachment is a sacred constitutional vehicle designed to hold a corrupt executive accountable for abuse of power, breaking the law and violating the public trust. The effort traditionally requires a comprehensive investigative process, the collection and review of thousands of documents, an exacting scrutiny of the facts, the examination of dozens of key witnesses, congressional hearings, sustained public organizing and the marshaling of the forces of democracy to build a broad national consensus. None of that serious work has been done, with the Republican majority focused solely on rubber stamping Donald Trump’s extreme agenda.”
The motion to table, or kill, the resolution succeeded, with 237 in favor. 140 members voted against tabling, and 47 voted present, all of which were Democrats. A total of nine lawmakers did not vote.
In April, Democratic congressman Shri Thanedar introduced an impeachment resolution against Trump, but withdrew it before it was voted on.
The press secretary today has repeated, incorrectly, that the consumer price index (CPI) has “slowed” to an average of 2.5%.
However, the most recent data published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed a 3% annual increase – a 0.3% increase from the month prior, and the same rate as when Trump returned to office in January.
White House says those onboard vessel are being interviewed, and US will seize oil following legal process
The press secretary added that the oil tanker vessel is currently undergoing a forfeiture process, and the US has a “full investigative team on the ground on the vessel”. Leavitt added that individuals on board the vessel are being interviewed and “any relevant evidence is being seized”.
“The vessel will go to a US port, and the United States does intend to seize the oil,” she said. “However, there is a legal process for the seizure of that oil, and that legal process will be followed.”
White House says oil tanker seizure was about enforcing ‘administration’s sanction policy’
When asked today whether Operation Southern Spear is “about drugs or about oil”, Karoline Leavitt said that Tuesday’s seizure of an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela happened after the justice department “requested and was approved for a warrant to seize a vessel”.
The press secretary repeated the attorney general’s announcement yesterday that the tanker was “a sanctioned shadow vessel” carrying “black market” Iranian oil.
“The president is committed to stopping the illegal flow of drugs into our country. He’s also fully committed to effectuating this administration’s sanction policy,” Leavitt said.
Senate fails to advance competing healthcare bills that determine future of Obamacare subsidies
The Senate failed to advance two bills that would determine the future of the Affordable Care Act premium tax credits, which are set to expire at the end of this year.
By a vote of 51-48, the Republican offering – led by GOP senators Bill Cassidy, who chairs the Senate health committee, and Mike Crapo, the chair of the upper chamber’s finance committee – failed to receive the 60 votes needed. Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky broke ranks with his party, and joined Democrats to vote no on the bill.
A reminder that this legislation wouldn’t extend the ACA credits, but is built around government payments of $1,000 into the health savings accounts (HSAs) for people enrolled in bronze or catastrophic exchange plans, which typically have high deductibles.
Shortly after, the Democratic proposal to extend Obamacare subsidies for three years didn’t clear the 60-vote hurdle, also failing on a 51-48 margin. However, it did receive yes votes from four Republicans: Susan Collins of Maine, Josh Hawley of Missouri and Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan of Alaska.
In a short while we’ll hear from press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who is holding a White House briefing for reporters.
We’ll bring you the key lines here.
‘Censorship pure and simple’: critics hit out at Trump plan to vet visitors’ social media
Free speech advocates have accused Donald Trump of “shredding civil liberties” and “censorship pure and simple” after the White House said it planned to require visa applicants from dozens of countries to provide social media, phone and email histories for vetting before being allowed into the US.
In a move that some commentators compared to China and others warned would decimate tourism to the US, including the 2026 Fifa World Cup, the Department for Homeland Security said it was planning to apply the rules to visitors from 42 countries, including the UK, Ireland, Australia, France, Germany and Japan, if they want to enter the US on the commonly used Esta visa waiver.
The checks will be carried out when a traveller applies for their Esta and “will require Esta applicants to provide their social media from the last five years” as well as “telephone numbers used in the last five years” and “email addresses used in the last 10 years”, government documents show.
“The seriousness of this move should not be downplayed,” said Jemimah Steinfeld, the chief executive of Index on Censorship in London. “Through a simple search any posts critical of Trump and his administration could be revealed and then what? Will admission to the USA be predicated on being nice about the president? That would be censorship pure and simple and the result will extend far beyond as people start to self-censor to keep the door to the USA open to them.”
Here’s the full story:
Ukraine holds talks with US on security guarantees under proposed peace deal, Zelenskyy says
Over on our Europe live blog, my colleague Jakub Krupa has been covering the latest news that Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said a “constructive and in-depth discussion” has been taking place with the United States on security guarantees.
The meeting was attended by US state secretary Marco Rubio, defence secretary Pete Hegseth, peace envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, generals Keane and Grynkewich, commissioner Gruenbaum, as well as Nato secretary-general Mark Rutte.
“We greatly value the active engagement of the American side at all levels – not only in working to end the war, but also in ensuring Ukraine’s security and preventing a new Russian invasion,” Zelenskyy said.
He said the discussion “reflects the seriousness of America’s intentions and its clear focus on achieving outcomes.”
“Security guarantees are among the most critical elements for all subsequent steps. We have already got the negative experience of the Budapest Memorandum. Everyone remembers this, as well as the occasions when Russia repeatedly violated all its other commitments. That is why it is essential that this document on security guarantees provides concrete answers to what concerns Ukrainians the most: what actions partners will take if Russia decides to launch its aggression again,” he explained.
Separately, earlier Shaun Walker reported from Kyiv that the US is pushing Ukraine to withdraw its troops from the Donbas and create a “free economic zone” in the parts of the region Kyiv now controls.
Previously, the US had suggested Ukraine should hand over the parts of Donbas it still controls to Russia, but now Washington has suggested a compromise version in which Ukrainian troops would withdraw, but Russian troops would not advance into this territory, said Zelenskyy.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine did not believe the plan was fair without guarantees that Russian troops would not simply take over the zone after a Ukrainian withdrawal. He said if Ukraine did agree to such a scheme, there would need to be elections or a referendum to ratify it.
Noem then left the hearing early for a meeting regarding Fema, she told members of Congress. Hecklers could be heard outside the room as she left.
Democrat says Noem’s DHS is ‘greatest threat to the homeland right now’
In an exchange that got quite fiery just now, Democrat LaMonica McIver said that “the greatest threat to the homeland right now is a Department of Homeland Security that the American people no longer trust”.
Under Noem, McIver said, “the threat (to the United States) is coming from inside the building”.
McIver listed actions taken by DHS under Noem including the systematic dismantling of oversight, the fueling of bigotry and the targeting of vulnerable communities, as breaking the trust between the department and the people.
“Oversight is not optional,” McIver said. “Republicans on this committee may be willing to hand over their constitutional duty in order to kiss this administration’s butt cheeks – but I will not.”
Under Noem, the New Jersey congresswoman went on, DHS had become “unproductive and malicious” and said the secretary is “deeply unqualified for the post you hold”. She later added that the Trump administration had turned the department into “a political weapon”.
She later asked Noem if she agreed that using DHS resources to target members of Congress was an abuse of power, which Noem didn’t hear as she was talking about something else. McIver said she would’ve heard if she’d stopped talking for the question, to which Noem then said she was “talking crazy”.
A reminder that McIver was charged with assaulting federal agents after a chaotic scuffle outside an immigration detention facility in Newark on 9 May. In her remarks to Noem, she also referred to the treatment of senator Alex Padilla who was forcibly removed from a press conference in Los Angeles in June and handcuffed after he tried to ask Noem a question about immigration enforcement in the city.
Almost a dozen House Republicans sign on to discharge petition for Obamacare extension
Eleven House Republicans signed on to a discharge petition, sponsored by GOP representative Bryan Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania and Maine Democrat Jared Golden.
If the petition receives the required 218 signatures, it would force a vote on the House floor on legislation that extends the Affordable Care Act premium tax credits for two years, with new income limits.
“If these protections expire, millions of Americans will be hit with premium increases they simply cannot afford, forcing impossible choices about their health, their finances, and their futures,” Fitzpatrick said. “They deserve a concrete solution now, not promises of one later.”
Four Democrats have signed the petition so far, but in order to be successful most will have to sign on.
According to Punchbowl News, the House’s top Democrat, Hakeem Jeffries, said that they’ll make a decision about the discharge petition after the Senate votes on dueling bills to determine the future of Affordable Care Act subsidies later today.
As Noem faces questions from lawmakers during the House homeland security committee, congressman Seth Magaziner chided the secretary for the arrest of several veterans and family members of service members.
“These people are not the worst of the worst, a purple heart recipient, a military spouse, the father of three Marines,” he said.
Another Democrat, New York representative Dan Goldman, played the widely shared video of an ICE officer pushing a woman to the floor at an immigration court in New York City. The officer was initially relieved of his duties, but Goldman said that he was reinstated “three days later”.
“I sent you a letter and asked you what investigation was done and why was he reinstated. You did not answer that letter,” Goldman said.
Noem insisted that the investigation was complete was “surprised” that the congressman’s office had not received a copy. “I’m going to ask my staff about that,” the secretary added.
Thompson and Noem are going back and forth on the asylum application of Rahmanullah Lakanwal, the 29-year-old Afghan national who has been charged with shooting two national guard members in DC, killing one of them.
Lakanwal came to the US in September 2021 under an Operation Allies Welcome program that gave some Afghans who had worked for the US government entry visas to the US.
Thompson said today that the suspect’s asylum application was approved by the Department of Homeland Security under Donald Trump. Noem, however, pushed back.
“The asylum application moved forward under all of the information and vetting processes that were put in place under the Biden administration, which is when vetting happened, and that’s what President Trump has changed,” she said.
Federal judge orders release of Kilmar Ábrego García from immigration detention
Marina Dunbar
A federal court in Maryland has ordered the release of Kilmar Ábrego García from ICE custody on Thursday, and he will be advised on his release conditions in his separate Tennessee criminal case.
The case of Ábrego, a Salvadorian national who was a construction worker in Maryland, has become a proxy for the partisan struggle over Donald Trump’s sweeping immigration policy and mass deportation agenda.
Trump administration officials have waged a relentless public relations campaign against Ábrego, repeatedly referring to him as a member of the MS-13 gang, among other things, despite the fact he has not been convicted of any crimes. His attorneys have denounced the criminal charges.
