Stay up to date with live coverage of the Trump administration and national politics Thursday as President Trump made an announcement from the Oval Office on obesity drug prices before he participates in a meeting with Central Asian leaders.
He took to Truth Social this afternoon to put pressure on Republicans to eliminate the filibuster. It comes a week after he called on lawmakers to invoke the so-called “nuclear option” and change Senate rules.
He warned Democrats have what Republicans want and will change filibuster rules “when they assume ‘control’ or power.”
Follow live updates on President Trump and national politics for the latest news, analysis and more from Washington:
Sean Hannity unveils ‘Commie Mamdani’ song at Fox Nation Patriot Awards
By Victor Nava
Fox News host Sean Hannity briefly serenaded the crowd at the Fox Nation Patriot Awards Thursday with a tune about New York City’s Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani.
“Start spreading the news. We’re leaving today. No longer want to be a part of it. High tax, New York,” the song, a parody of Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York” began.
The “Hannity” host is the emcee of the annual award show, which is being held just outside of the Big Apple, in Nassau County, Long Island.
First lady Melania Trump will be honored as “Patriot of the Year” while Erika Kirk will receive the first-ever “Charlie Kirk Legacy Award” later in the program.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth makes surprise appearance at Fox Nation Patriot Awards
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth returned to his old stomping grounds Thursday night to make an appearance at Fox Nation’s Patriot Awards.
The former Fox News host attended the event for five years before he was named to his position in the Trump administration, where he’s de-woking the US military.
Honorary Secret Service agent DJ Daniel, 13, named Young Patriot at Fox Nation Patriot Awards
Honorary Secret Service agent Devarjaye “DJ” Daniel nabbed another distinction Thursday at the Fox Nation Patriot Awards when the 13-year-old cancer survivor was named this year’s Young Patriot.
The teen, who dreams of becoming a police officer, captured America’s hearts when President Trump named him an honorary Secret Service agent in a touching moment during his joint address to Congress in March.
DJ was given five months to live after being diagnosed with incurable brain and spine cancer in 2018, and has been granted more than 1,300 honorary law enforcement badges from agencies across the nation, 300 more than his initial goal.
The plucky teen pretended to arrest Patriot Awards emcee and Fox News host Sean Hannity at the packed event held on Long Island, New York.
GOP senators push to deport illegal immigrant welfare ‘fraudsters,’ ban them from US permanently
By Ryan King
WASHINGTON — A group of GOP senators is unveiling new legislation to automatically deport and permanently ban the entry of illegal immigrants who are caught defrauding welfare or other public benefits programs.
The Deporting Fraudsters Act, unveiled by Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Mike Lee (R-Utah), would also clarify in federal law that any illegal immigrant convicted of defrauding the US government broadly is inadmissible and deportable.
“Americans who meet eligibility requirements should be the only ones to receive taxpayer-funded benefits,” Cruz said in a statement to The Post.
Trump continues to pressure Republicans to eliminate the filibuster
By Victor Nava and Kathleen Joyce
President Trump took to Truth Social to push the Republicans to consider eliminating the filibuster. It comes a week after the president called on Republicans to invoke the so-called “nuclear option” and change Senate rules to allow legislation to end the government shutdown to pass with a majority vote.
The government has been shut down for 37 days so far – the longest in American history.
Trump continued to put pressure on Republicans by saying, “The Democrats will terminate the Filibuster in THE FIRST HOUR, if and when they assume ‘control’ or power.”
He continued, “Republicans have what the Democrats want — We should do it, NOW, and have the greatest three years in History!”
His comments come a couple of days after Democrats won key races across the country on Election Day.
The 60-vote threshold needed for legislation to clear the upper chamber has prevented Republicans from advancing a short-term continuing resolution to fund the federal government at pre-shutdown levels.
‘Gentleman is OK,’ WH says after medical emergency in Oval Office
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that a drug-company executive was “OK” after fainting behind President Trump Thursday in the Oval Office.
“During the Most Favored Nations Oval Office Announcement, a representative with one of the companies fainted,” Leavitt said.
“The White House Medical Unit quickly jumped into action, and the gentleman is OK. The Press Conference will resume shortly.”
Man collapses near Trump at Oval Office obesity-drug event
A man who was standing behind President Trump during an obesity-drug announcement in the Oval Office collapsed Thursday afternoon — prompting officials to cut the video feeds as officials rushed to help the man.
“Are you OK? Gordon, you OK?” asked Eli Lilly CEO David Ricks at the man began to collapse.
“Press out!” officials shouted as Trump rose from his seat at the Resolute Desk and Dr. Mehmet Oz rushed to provide assistance.
It was not immediately clear what medical issue caused the participant to collapse, though it is not uncommon for attendees to faint at White House events.
RFK Jr. says obesity drug deal will make Americans ‘125 million pounds’ lighter
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Thursday that President Trump’s deal with drugmakers to lower the cost of obesity drugs will shave 125 million pounds from Americans’ weight.
“The American public because of this agreement will lose 125 million pounds by this time next year,” RFK Jr. announced in the Oval Office alongside Trump.
Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, offered an even more optimistic projection moments later, saying: “Mr. President, our estimate based on the company numbers as well is Americans will lose 135 billion [sic] pounds by the midterms.”
Novo Nordisk, which makes Ozempic, Rybelsus and Wegovy, and Eli Lilly, which makes Zepbound, will agree to sell their drugs to Medicare at a lower “most favored nation” rate.
Discounts also will be listed on the forthcoming TrumpRX website.
“Obesity is a disease of poverty, overwhelmingly, and these drugs have only been available for people who have wealth,” the HHS secretary said. “At one point… the highest concentration of prescriptions in this country was the Upper West Side of Manhattan.”
Trump revealed during the event that one of his top advisers was taking one of the obesity drugs.
Rep. Riley Moore pushes resolution condemning slaughter of Nigerian Christians after Trump threatens to go in ‘guns a-blazing’
WASHINGTON — Rep. Riley Moore is pushing a resolution “condemning” the slaughter of Christians in Nigeria after President Trump threatened to enter with US military forces “guns a-blazing” to halt Islamic extremists.
Moore (R-WV), a first-term congressman from the Mountain State, will introduce the measure Friday to help stop “the persecution of Christians in Nigeria” who face an “existential threat” from Boko Haram Islamists.
“For too long, the slaughtering of Christians has been ignored. No more,” he told The Post.
“I urge my colleagues — Republican and Democrat alike — to join me in sending a clear message that the United States will not stay silent while our brothers and sisters in Christ suffer grave persecution, and even martyrdom, for their faith in Jesus Christ,” he also said.
Trump to announce lower prices for weight-loss drugs, expanded Medicare eligibility
WASHINGTON — President Trump will announce later Thursday that two major pharmaceutical companies will be lowering the cost of GLP-1 drugs used to treat diabetes and weight-loss — and that the government will, in turn, expand eligibility for Medicare users.
Denmark-based Novo Nordisk, which makes Ozempic, Rybelsus and Wegovy; and Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly, which makes Zepbound, will agree to sell their drugs to Medicare at a lower “most favored nation” rate, as well as offer discounts direct to other consumers on the TrumpRx website that will launch in early 2026, officials said.
The agreements are the latest in a string of similar deals with drugmakers to avert Trump’s threat of 200% tariffs on the industry as the president pushes to return manufacturing to the US.
FAA reveals airports facing flight cancellations during historic government shutdown — including major hubs in NYC area
New York City’s four major airports are set to face cancellations and delays as part of the Federal Aviation Administration’s 10% airspace reduction — as staffing shortages hamper the agency during the ongoing historic government shutdown.
Newark Liberty, JFK, LaGuardia and Teterboro were listed among the 40 “high volume market” airports that will be affected by flight cancellations as part of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy’s pledge to keep American travelers safe in the sky, CBS News reported.
Duffy warned that “mass chaos” could erupt when the drastic decrease in air traffic goes into effect Friday.
House Dem leader Hakeem Jeffries avoids question on shutdown travel concerns
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries avoided a question Thursday about how the government shutdown is increasingly worsening travel for airline passengers.
Jeffries (D-NY) said instead that the GOP needed “to come back to work” for bipartisan negotiations on how to resolve issues around health care subsidies.
The House Dem leader also joined with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) on Wednesday in calling for an immediate meeting with President Trump to discuss a way forward.
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