White House says it has asked Kimberly Guilfoyle to resign as US ambassador to Greece
Katie Zacharia said today the administration has asked Kimberley Guilfoyle, the US ambassador to Greece, to resign.
“She has been a wonderful asset to the team, and we wish her well,” the new press secretary said at her first media briefing, without providing any further details.
A reminder that Guilfoyle, who was once engaged to Donald Trump Jr, the president’s son, was under immense scrutiny after the Wall Street Journal reported on a series of questionable acts prior to securing her role in Athens. This included an alleged threat to a host country official, accepting improper gifts and services and offering to wield influence inside the administration in return for the payment of a $100,000 credit card bill.
Key events
Trump says that US is still sharing intelligence with Ukraine
Speaking to reporters outside the White House, with the new press secretary waiting in the background, Donald Trump said the US is still sharing intelligence with Ukraine, after the president and Volodymyr Zelenskyy feuded this weekend, following the announcement that the US would lift diesel sanctions on Russia.
“We are helping them, and we are sharing intel. We want the war to end. So we’re working with them and with Russia on getting the war to end,” Trump said, after Katie Zacharia was unable to answer the question in the briefing room earlier.
“Honestly, they both want it to end, and they don’t know how to get to that point. There’s a lot of hatred there between the two of them,” the president added.
And as the midterms come sharply into view, my colleague Rachel Leingang has compiled a list of the 10 under-the-radar races in this election that are worth watching.
From Senate competitions to House races that have now caught our attention in this final sprint, here are the ones we’re keeping an eye on:
While speaking to reporters, JD Vance also addressed the reports that top Republican donor groups are pulling support from certain races throughout the country, particularly key House races they once saw as competitive.
One of those is for New Jersey’s seventh congressional district, where Republican incumbent Tom Kean Jr is facing Democrat Rebecca Bennett, a former US navy helicopter pilot. A reminder that Kean was absent from Congress for several months this year, which led to immense speculation, before he revealed that he was being treated for depression.
“Look, New Jersey is a very blue state. It was always going to be a really, really big thing for us to win in New Jersey,” Vance said, when discussing the GOP’s chances at holding on to the lower chamber. “I think there are a number of races, for example, in Minnesota, in traditionally blue areas, where we think we have a real chance. So I think the nature of a midterm election is sometimes these races have more of an individual rather than a national character. I feel good about where we are.”
Vance says he ‘did not have advance notice’ about Omar house raid
Vance also said today that he “did not have advance notice” that Ilhan Omar’s Washington home was being raided by federal agents.
“We try to let the law follow the facts rather than creating facts just to prosecute people we don’t like. And because of that, I think the president and I largely try to stay out of Department of Justice investigations and other prosecutions,” the vice-president claimed. “Now, I do know that there are some serious allegations against Ilhan Omar. We’re going to look into those. And again, if there’s a real case there, we’re going to follow the facts. If there’s not a real case there, then we won’t.”
While Trump prepares to head to Wasilla, Alaska today, vice-president JD Vance will be in Tyler, Texas to campaign for Ken Paxton, the beleaguered Republican attorney general in a competitive Senate race against Democratic state legislator James Talarico.
Speaking to reporters Vance said acknowledged that Paxton, who is trailing Talarico in recent polling, is in a “tight race”.
“I think he’s ultimately going to win,” the vice-president said. “I know from personal history, when a lot of money comes against you, that can have an effect even in the red state.”
Republican aligned groups, however, have spent more than $170m to boost Paxton’s chances, outpacing the amount Democratic groups have spent supporting Talarico’s bid.
Supreme court agrees to hear watchdog lawsuit seeking records on Elon Musk’s Doge
Ariana Baio
The Supreme Court agreed Tuesday to hear a case that could decide whether the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) must release information that is requested under the Freedom of Information Act (Foia).
The Trump administration had asked the high court to intervene in the dispute between Doge and a government watchdog group called Citizens of Responsibility and Ethics. The group had requested internal communications between Doge leaders, Doge employees and government officials.
Doge, a government initiative led by Elon Musk, played a key role in mass firings of government employees, restructuring federal agencies and widespread cancelation of government contracts.
Administration officials have argued Doge is not required to comply with Foia requests because it is not an official agency; rather, it is a presidential advisory group.
Overall, Zacharia kept her briefing short, and only took five questions from three reporters.
On foreign policy, Zacharia was unable to answer whether the US had stopped sharing intel with Ukraine, after Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy feuded over the US president’s decision to lift sanction on Russian diesel imports.
White House says it has asked Kimberly Guilfoyle to resign as US ambassador to Greece
Katie Zacharia said today the administration has asked Kimberley Guilfoyle, the US ambassador to Greece, to resign.
“She has been a wonderful asset to the team, and we wish her well,” the new press secretary said at her first media briefing, without providing any further details.
A reminder that Guilfoyle, who was once engaged to Donald Trump Jr, the president’s son, was under immense scrutiny after the Wall Street Journal reported on a series of questionable acts prior to securing her role in Athens. This included an alleged threat to a host country official, accepting improper gifts and services and offering to wield influence inside the administration in return for the payment of a $100,000 credit card bill.
Zacharia also said she would travel with the president for his upcoming allies in Alaska, Arizona and Montana, in the final three-week sprint until the midterm elections.
She has also run through many of the White House talking points touting the administration’s self-proclaimed achievements.
“Real wages are up 1.2% since President Trump took office, with average annual earnings outpacing inflation by $800,” Zacharia said. However, according to the latest figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), inflation, which sits at 3.4%, is still outpacing wage growth, currently at 3.1%.
Katie Zacharia has just stepped up to the podium as she kicks off her tenure as White House press secretary.
“I want to thank President Trump for his trust that he has placed in me. I have wanted to work for him for a very long time,” Zacharia told a briefing room packed with reporters. “I’m looking forward to working with each of you as well, especially as we are in the middle of the midterm blitz, with energy and excitement never seen before.”
Federal judge set to issue ruling on White House media ban
Today we can expect a ruling from federal judge on the administration’s attempts to ban CNN, Politico and MS Now from the White House.
A reminder that Judge Timothy Kelly temporarily blocked Donald Trump from blocking the newsrooms, and extended this pause until Tuesday 13 October. In court last week, a lawyer for the three outlets insisted that the ban violated the first amendment, and that the administration’s reasoning was squarely based on the fact that Trump does not like their coverage. He also undermined the justice department’s claims that the newsrooms compromised national security through their reporting.
Kelly has also expressed criticism at the White House’s decision to revoke access without providing ample notice to CNN, Politico and MS Now.
The outlets are requesting that Kelly extend his temporary restraining order while the litigation plays out. We’ll bring you the latest as we hear more.
