(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump said Tuesday night that his secret flight out of Turkey last month, which employed a passenger-filled “decoy” Air Force One, was the work of the Secret Service and the U.S. military.
“It’s only up to Secret Service. I just follow what they’d like to do,” Trump told reporters on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews following a trip to Ohio.
“So I go by Secret Service and the military. They wanted me to go on a different flight, a different plane. Equal safety. But they wanted me to do it, so I do it. I do what they say,” Trump said of the plan to secretly switch from Air Force One to another plane.
As first reported by The Washington Post on Monday, Trump secretly transferred from the old Air Force One to a military aircraft via a catering container, sources told ABC News, an elaborate ruse that was carried out without the knowledge of the traveling press and even some White House officials aboard the decoy flight.
Sources familiar with the matter told ABC News that Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent were on the “decoy” Air Force One.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was on the other plane flying with the president, sources said.
All three Cabinet members were aware that Trump had secretly switched from the old Air Force One jet to the military aircraft given the threat, sources said.
Asked Tuesday night if he knew about a specific threat at the time, Trump brushed it off.
“I guess there was a threat out there. I didn’t really ask too much about it. I get a lot of threats,” Trump said.
When asked about the safety of the decoy Air Force One jet, Trump claimed that he was at greater risk on the other plane.
“I think actually the plane that I flew on was at greater risk,” Trump said. “I think it was at greater risk because that would be the plane I think that we — that they would be more likely to go for.”
Trump publicly stated at the time that he would be flying on the old Air Force One and not flying on the new Qatari-gifted Air Force One jet because he was sending it to a base in the U.K. so service members could tour it.
ABC News reported at the time that Trump was advised not to take the plane due to security concerns amid escalations with Iran.
On the Air Force One flight that was believed to be carrying Trump, reporters on board were told that the windows needed to be closed the whole flight and that it was a mandate from the Secret Service. Air Force One, despite the president not being on board, according to the Post, had its transponder turned off.
In a statement to ABC News regarding the Post’s reporting, the White House said, “As the President has said recently, there are many enemies of America who have their sights on him, and we use every tool at our disposal to address those threats.”
ABC News’ Jonathan Karl and Luke Barr contributed to this report.
(WASHINGTON) — The Senate on Friday approved a long-awaited Russia and Iran sanctions bill named after the late Sen. Lindsey Graham.
The bill was approved with overwhelming bipartisan support by a vote of 86-11.
Sen. Darline Graham, Lindsey Graham’s sister who is currently filling his seat in the chamber and running for a full six-year term this November, gaveled down the vote.
The package would impose primary and secondary sanctions on Russia and other countries that support Russia in its invasion of Ukraine.
The sanctions target Russian political officials and oligarchs, banks and financial institutions, and the Russian shadow fleet, according to a release from a bipartisan group of senators who unveiled the legislation.
This bill still needs to head to the House of Representatives, which is currently on recess until the end of the month.
House Speaker Mike Johnson previously stated he supports sanctioning Russia, but it’s unclear whether the bill will have the support it needs in the lower chamber.
Graham, who died suddenly last month at the age of 71, was a champion of the bill.
A foreign policy hawk, Graham was one of the Republican conference’s most outspoken Ukraine allies and had a strong relationship with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Graham had made his 10th visit to Ukraine shortly before his death.
Zelenskyy attended Graham’s funeral services in Washington, D.C., and was on Capitol Hill last week when the Senate first advanced the Russia sanctions bill, celebrating it as important pressure on Russia.
“It’s not only about money, how to stop how to finance this war, but it’s also a big signal to Europe, big signal to Ukraine, big support of our people,” Zelenskyy said at the time.
(WASHINGTON) — Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy announced Friday he will vote for acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to lead the Department of Justice, likely clearing the way for Blanche to be narrowly confirmed.
All eyes were on Cassidy after two other Republican senators, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, announced their opposition to President Donald Trump’s nominee.
Cassidy, in a speech on the Senate floor, said that he is supporting Blanche because he sees him as more favorable than potential alternatives.
“Mr. Blanche is not perfect, and he will tell you this. But the choice is not between perfection and Mr. Blanche. It is between Mr. Blanche and another acting attorney general, who may not run the department effectively under President Trump, and who indeed may not be as good as Mr. Blanche,” the senator said. “This puts at risk the progress made fighting violent crime, human and drug trafficking and fraud. And this does not serve the American people well.”
Cassidy, who is leaving office in January after losing to a Republican primary challenger and who has clashed with Trump several times in recent months, appeared to grow emotional as he stated his case.
“This is not a referendum on President Trump. It is a decision regarding Mr. Blanche and very specific circumstances. All considered, I will vote for Mr. Blanche. I’ll be criticized for this vote. What’s new?” Cassidy said, taking a long pause and choking up before he continued. “But people of Louisiana can be assured that I work hard to understand the issue, and to make the right decision.”
The Senate has not yet agreed when they will hold a full vote on Blanche’s nomination.
While Murkowski said she would “oppose” Blanche’s nomination, it remains unclear whether she will cast a “no” vote or use a procedural pairing arrangement with absent Sen. Mitch McConnell that would allow her not to vote while maintaining the balance of the Senate.
Murkowski said in a statement released Friday morning that she had “numerous constructive meetings” with Blanche and described him as “decent and capable.” She also praised his efforts to learn about Alaska and said that, as acting attorney general, he had made “several noteworthy decisions” that would benefit the state and the nation.
“Ultimately, however, I will oppose his nomination,” Murkowski said in a statement, citing concerns about what she described as the politicization and “weaponization” of the Justice Department.
“The politicization — even weaponization — of the Department did not start with this administration but has accelerated during it,” Murkowski said.
Among the issues she cited were the handling of the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files, what she called “sweeping immunity protections” granted to the president, his family and their businesses, statements made to anti-abortion groups, and what she described as the repeated targeting of individuals ranging from former administration staff to sitting U.S. senators.
“The country needs an Attorney General who will check the worst impulses of this administration,” Murkowski added. “I hope Mr. Blanche is able to achieve that, if confirmed, but I simply do not have confidence that will be the case.”
Earlier this week, Collins said in a statement that she would vote no on Blanche’s nomination.
“While I believe Mr. Blanche is a capable lawyer, the Department of Justice has become increasingly political,” Collins said in a statement. “Mr. Blanche has taken several actions that have further eroded the Department’s independence, and that is the basis for my vote to oppose his confirmation.”
(WASHINGTON) — When Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency launched its effort to slash federal spending last year, it also created a website to show how much money it said it was saving taxpayers.
A new review by the U.S. Government Accountability Office found the site’s claim of $110 billion in taxpayer savings was vastly inflated and unreliable.
The report found DOGE could not provide enough information to verify 96% of its reported savings from canceled grants.
Despite its pledge of transparency, the report found DOGE did not use its stated methodology to calculate about half of the savings it reported.
“Because U.S. DOGE Service officials did not respond to requests for information, GAO could not determine the reasons why DOGE did not disclose data quality issues and limitations when the website first went live or at any time since then,” the report said.
The report also found DOGE failed to terminate some of the contracts it claimed to have canceled. According to the report, $27.4 billion in claimed savings was never executed, and DOGE did not provide identifying information for another $7.2 billion in claimed savings.
DOGE also claimed $1.7 billion in savings from an IT services contract for the Defense Department’s Defense Health Agency, but the report said no changes were ever made.
The report also said DOGE claimed savings from millions of dollars in leases that had already been identified for termination.
Musk has since left DOGE. ABC News reached out to Musk and the White House for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
Although DOGE formally ended on July 4, its “Wall of Receipts” remains online, claiming a total of $215 billion in taxpayer savings.
Imagine a world where opportunity is just a click away – where education, healthcare, staying in touch with family, and a brighter future are within reach for everyone. For far too many Angelenos, this world remains out of reach due to a lack of affordable, reliable internet access.
In Los Angeles County, a staggering 325,015 households (nearly 10%) lack reliable internet access and 156,060 (nearly 5%) don't have a computer at home, according to estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. This isn't just an inconvenience; it's a critical issue that disproportionately impacts low-income communities and communities of color.
The internet is no longer a luxury; it's a lifeline. It is a gateway to education, allowing students to learn remotely and access a world of knowledge. It is a pathway to healthcare, enabling residents to connect with doctors and manage their health. It is a virtual embrace, keeping families connected despite distance. It is a launchpad for economic opportunity, empowering individuals to find jobs, start businesses, and participate in the digital economy.
L.A. County is committed to bridging the digital divide and empowering residents in our most under-resourced neighborhoods. In August of 2021, the Board of Supervisors unanimously adopted a motion to assess options for the County to facilitate residential access to reliable broadband service in low-income communities that lack affordable, high-speed internet service. This effort became the County’s Community Broadband Networks initiative.
Supported by major funding from the American Rescue Plan Act, L.A. County’s Internal Services Department and WeLink Communications have partnered to bring affordable and reliable broadband internet to underserved areas in East Los Angeles, Boyle Heights and South Los Angeles. These first target areas have been greatly impacted by the digital divide, which was heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic. This initiative represents a giant leap forward in our mission to ensure everyone has a fair shot at success. The Community Broadband Networks initiative goes beyond providing internet access. Through Delete The Divide, a broader initiative led by Internal Services, we partner with various organizations to empower residents with the skills and knowledge to navigate the digital world because it's not enough to give access, we must also demonstrate what is possible. Delete The Divide has distributed thousands of free laptops to households without a suitable computer to access the internet and will provide thousands more. WeLink's groundbreaking low-cost internet plan, starting at just $25 per month, will connect 50,000 qualified households. The company will also offer plans starting at $65 per month to households without qualification requirements, no promotional rates, excluding government fees or taxes, and at rates fixed until at least September 2027. The service will feature multilingual support and consumer-friendly terms.
Construction will begin soon, and service will begin rolling out this fall! Interested households in the two initial service planning areas can sign up for updates and be notified by WeLink when service is available at https://WeLink.com/LACounty/. The communities in the East Los Angeles, Boyle Heights and South Los Angeles areas include:
Supervisorial District 1: East Los Angeles, Boyle Heights, Lincoln Heights, Montecito Heights and El Sereno
Supervisorial District 2: Adams-Normandie, University Park, Historic South-Central, Exposition Park, Vermont Square, South Park, Central-Alameda, Chesterfield Square, Harvard Park, Vermont-Slauson, Florence, Florence-Firestone, Manchester Square, Vermont Knolls, Gramercy Park, Westmont, Vermont Vista, Broadway-Manchester, Green Meadows, Watts, Athens, Willowbrook and West Rancho Dominguez
Supervisorial District 4: Walnut Park
Let’s not just imagine this, let’s make it a reality. Together, we can close the digital divide and unlock a brighter future for L.A. County!
Michael Owh is the Director of Los Angeles County’s Internal Services Department.
(CHARLOTTE, N.C.) — A North Carolina mother has been arrested and charged with involuntary manslaughter after she allegedly left her 8-year-old daughter in a hot car while at work and the girl died, police said.
Officers responded Wednesday evening to reports of a child in critical condition inside a vehicle in Charlotte, according to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.
The child was transported to a hospital where she was pronounced dead early Thursday, according to the arrest warrant affidavit.
Her mother, 36-year-old Ashlee Stallings, allegedly left her daughter in the vehicle “in hot weather conditions” and the 8-year-old suffered a medical emergency, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said in a press release. Temperatures in Charlotte on Wednesday had reached the upper 90s.
Stallings allegedly told police she had left her daughter in her car while she was at work, running with the air on, but “believed the victim turned the car off because she was cold,” the arrest warrant affidavit stated.
When the mother returned to her vehicle about an hour and a half after last hearing from the girl via text, she found her daughter unresponsive on the backseat floorboard, taking shallow breaths and foaming at the mouth, according to the affidavit. Stallings used a hammer to break open the back window and then attempted to drive to a local hospital before stopping at a business for help, according to the affidavit.
“She admitted she knew the temperature was 94 degrees outside and that she should not have left the victim inside the car alone,” the affidavit stated.
Medical staff at the hospital told police the girl suffered brain herniation due to hyperthermia, according to the affidavit.
Stallings was arrested Thursday and charged with involuntary manslaughter and child abuse by willful act causing serious injury, online court records show.
Stallings was appointed a public defender during an initial court appearance on Thursday. Online court records do not list any attorney information.
She is being held at the Mecklenburg County Detention Center on a $250,000 bond, online jail records show. Her next court date has been scheduled for July 16.
The investigation remains ongoing, police said.
Amazon confirmed to ABC Charlotte affiliate WSOC that Stallings worked at an Amazon facility and said it is “working closely” with police as they investigate.
“This is an incredibly tragic incident,” Amazon said in a statement to WSOC. “During this difficult time, we’re supporting our employees and have made counseling resources widely available.
The incident marked at least the fifth hot car death so far this year, according to the nonprofit Kids and Car Safety.
It takes very little time for a car to get too hot for children. A car can heat to 124 degrees in only 30 minutes when it’s 90 degrees outside, according to the National Weather Service.
