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🇺🇸 Trump Meets with Putin in Alaska

Happy Monday, Patriots!

President Trump is back at the White House today, this time sitting down with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy—just days after his historic summit with Vladimir Putin in Alaska.

Trump says Friday’s meeting was about testing Putin’s willingness for peace. 

Now, with Zelenskyy flanked by key European allies, the question is whether America will move forward with offering security guarantees—and if Trump can push both sides toward an actual end to the war.

Zelenskyy insists Ukraine won’t give up an inch of land. Trump says a real deal is finally on the table.

Get caught up on the rest of today’s Trump news below!

—Nick

In today’s email:
đź”” Trump Meets with Putin in Alaska
🏛️ Trump's DC Police Takeover Faces Congressional Opposition
🛂 Trump Reports 1.6 Million Illegal Immigrants Deported
🛑 Trump Suspends Gaza Visas
🎖️ Three States Deploy National Guard to Support Trump

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President Trump’s groundbreaking summit with Vladimir Putin on Friday has everyone buzzing, marking what could be the strongest step yet toward peace in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. And today brings another key moment, with Ukrainian President Zelensky heading to the White House for talks with Trump as part of the broader push for a deal. While we await news from that meeting, it’s clear the momentum is shifting. Trump’s diplomatic efforts are reshaping the conversation around the world.

Back home, his crackdown on crime in Washington, D.C. is showing results, with even critics struggling to dismiss the progress. Add in the ongoing redistricting fight, where Democrats are once again working to rewrite the rules, and we’re set up for another high-stakes week in the capital.

Check out all the latest developments and more below!

🏛️ Trump's DC Police Takeover Faces Congressional Opposition
Several Democratic lawmakers led by Reps. Jamie Raskin, Robert Garcia, and Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton are introducing a joint resolution to terminate President Trump's federalization of the DC Metropolitan Police Department. The resolution aims to end the emergency declared by Trump on August 11, 2025, which allowed him to leverage DC police services for federal crime crackdown purposes under the District of Columbia Home Rule Act. White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson defended the action, stating that Trump is addressing "out-of-control crime" and accused Democrats of "burying their heads in the sand" and "carrying the torch for dangerous criminals." Raskin argued that Trump lacks the power to simply take over the police department and called it part of a broader plan to "militarize and federalize the streets of cities around America." The Home Rule Act provisions specify that police services for federal purposes will terminate upon Congressional joint resolution, expiration of 30 days, or end of the emergency, whichever occurs first.

🛂 Trump Reports 1.6 Million Illegal Immigrants Deported
The Department of Homeland Security announced that 1.6 million illegal immigrants have left the United States in less than 200 days, with over 1 million opting for self-deportation through the CBP Home app. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem attributed the exodus to financial incentives including $1,000 payments and free travel for voluntary departures, plus advertisements encouraging voluntary exit for potential future legal return applications. Attorney General Pam Bondi sent letters to 33 mayors demanding compliance with federal immigration authorities and appointed DEA Administrator Terry Cole to oversee DC police operations. DHS reported that ICE agents are facing a 1,000% increase in assaults since last year while continuing to arrest pedophiles, terrorists, murderers, gang members, and sexual predators.

🛑 Trump Suspends Gaza Visas
The State Department halted all visitor visas for people from Gaza after conservative activist Laura Loomer posted videos questioning how children from Gaza obtained visas for medical treatment in the United States. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the decision came after multiple congressional offices provided evidence that organizations involved in acquiring these visas allegedly have "strong links to terrorist groups like Hamas," though he provided no evidence or named specific organizations. Loomer posted videos on Friday showing children arriving in San Francisco and Houston earlier in the month with aid from HEAL Palestine, calling it a "national security threat" and demanding accountability. HEAL Palestine responded that it is an American humanitarian nonprofit that brings severely injured children to the US on temporary visas for medical treatment unavailable in Gaza, with patients returning to the Middle East after treatment. The World Health Organization has called for more medical evacuations from Gaza, noting that over 14,800 patients still need lifesaving medical care not available in the territory due to the heavily damaged health system from Israel's 22-month war against Hamas.

🎖️ Three States Deploy National Guard to Support Trump
West Virginia, South Carolina, and Ohio governors announced Saturday they will deploy National Guard personnel to Washington, DC, to support President Trump's initiative to restore cleanliness and public safety to the nation's capital. West Virginia committed 300-400 guardsmen, South Carolina will send 200, and Ohio will deploy 150 troops, with all missions funded at the federal level and troops available for immediate recall if needed for state emergencies. The deployment supports Trump's federalization of DC's Metropolitan Police Department under the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, which allows the president to take emergency control of the police force for 30 days. Hundreds of National Guard members have been spotted throughout the city alongside agents from the FBI, DEA, U.S. Capitol Police, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced nearly 200 arrests since the federalization began, including two homicide suspects, 17 suspected drug traffickers, 39 suspected illegal gun offenders, and two sexual predators.

President Trump greets Russian President Vladimir Putin at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson on Friday in Anchorage, Alaska. On his flight to Alaska, Trump said his top priority was a ceasefire in the Russia-Ukraine war. After meeting with Putin, Trump said a ceasefire was not essential, and it was better to seek a permanent peace agreement.

đź”” Trump Meets with Putin in Alaska đź””

The frozen landscape of Alaska provided a backdrop for what may prove to be the most consequential diplomatic engagement since the Ukraine war began. President Trump's three-hour closed-door meeting with Vladimir Putin at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson has European leaders declaring this the closest the world has come to ending a conflict that has claimed thousands of lives weekly.

Putin arrived with a clear agenda, reportedly demanding that Ukraine cede the entire Donbas region in exchange for peace. The Russian leader painted a stark picture for Trump, insisting that Ukrainian forces in the mineral-rich territory are "on the verge of collapse" and that Moscow would inevitably seize full control regardless. In what amounts to a territorial ultimatum, Putin offered to freeze current battle lines in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia provinces while providing written assurances never to attack Ukraine or other European nations again.

The chemistry between the two leaders was unmistakable during their joint press conference. Putin praised his "business-like and trustworthy" relationship with Trump, a sharp contrast to what he described as his virtually non-existent relationship with the previous Biden administration. When Trump suggested they might meet again soon, Putin interjected in English: "Next time in Moscow." Trump's response - "I can see it possibly happening" - sent ripples through diplomatic circles, signaling his willingness to take unprecedented steps for peace.

Putin's most striking validation came when he confirmed Trump's long-standing assertion that the war never would have started under his presidency. Speaking through a translator, Putin stated he was "quite sure that it would indeed be so," lending credence to Trump's claim that his deterrent effect on adversaries could have prevented the 2022 invasion entirely.

The stakes couldn't be higher as Ukrainian President Zelensky arrived in Washington, bringing with him a formidable European delegation that reads like a who's who of Western leadership. British Prime Minister Starmer, French President Macron, Italian Prime Minister Meloni, and other key allies will join Monday's White House meeting, their presence serving as both support for Ukraine and insurance against any backroom deals made without European input.

Zelensky faces an uncomfortable reality: Trump appears to be open to Putin's territorial demands. The president said that the deal parameters were "largely agreed" and suggested Ukraine simply needs to accept reality. Trump's Truth Social post was even more direct, stating that Zelensky "can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to." The Ukrainian leader's constitutional prohibition against ceding territory may be the last barrier standing between Putin and his territorial ambitions.

The diplomatic maneuvering intensified as Secretary of State Marco Rubio pushed back on reports suggesting Trump fully backs Putin's Donbas proposal, insisting territorial decisions remain with Ukraine. However, Rubio's warning that additional sanctions could torpedo peace talks entirely reveals the delicate balance Trump is trying to maintain. His administration appears willing to ease pressure on Moscow if it means bringing Putin to the negotiating table.

European leaders find themselves caught between optimism and anxiety. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán declared "the world is a safer place than it was yesterday," while British Prime Minister Starmer praised Trump for bringing the parties "closer than ever before to ending Russia's illegal war." Yet beneath the diplomatic pleasantries lies deep concern about Trump's apparent willingness to validate Putin's territorial conquests.

The European Union has drawn its own red lines, demanding that any agreement preserve Ukraine's path to NATO and EU membership without Russian veto power. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's declaration that Ukraine must become a "steel porcupine, undigestible for potential invaders" suggests the West intends to flood Ukraine with defensive capabilities regardless of territorial concessions.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz floated the idea of holding a trilateral summit in Europe, despite the International Criminal Court arrest warrant hanging over Putin. The proposal reveals European determination to maintain influence over negotiations that could reshape the continent's security architecture for decades.

Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff added another layer of intrigue, suggesting Moscow has expressed willingness to make "some concessions" on occupied territories, though he declined to elaborate. This hint of Russian flexibility may represent the opening Zelensky needs to avoid total capitulation while still satisfying Putin's core demands.

As Air Force One prepared to land with its Ukrainian delegation, the fundamental tension remained unresolved: Trump's apparent acceptance of territorial realities versus Zelensky's unwillingness to surrender land. The upcoming White House meeting will test whether Trump's deal-making prowess can bridge this gap, or whether the Alaska summit has merely raised expectations for an agreement that may be impossible to achieve.

🍟 Quick Bite News 🍟

📊 California Democrats unveiled a redistricting map that would eliminate five Republican congressional seats to counter Texas' Trump-backed redistricting efforts. Governor Gavin Newsom called it "liberation day" and vowed to "meet fire with fire" with the mid-decade redistricting push. The plan requires a special election to temporarily suspend the state's independent redistricting commission and obtain voter approval through a two-thirds legislative majority.

⚖️ Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer threatened to sue the Trump administration for allegedly failing to comply with a Friday deadline to release Jeffrey Epstein files. Schumer and Senate Democrats invoked a 1928 law requiring government agencies to hand over information when five lawmakers on a committee with jurisdiction make a request. The Justice Department declined to comment, and it remains unclear whether the nearly century-old law is enforceable in court.

đź’° Social Security Commissioner Frank Bisignano defended the Trump administration's approach to Social Security, calling Democratic criticisms politically motivated and false. He highlighted operational improvements including single-digit wait times (down from nearly 30 minutes a year ago), serving twice as many customers daily, and reducing disability claims backlogs from 1.2 million to 930,000. Bisignano attributed the success to artificial intelligence tools and better technology while dismissing concerns about staffing cuts.

🇺🇸 Rep. Ashley Hinson praised President Trump's border security achievements, stating that 1.6 million illegal immigrants who were in the country at the beginning of the year are no longer here. She emphasized that border crossings and got-aways are "down to zero" and noted that police in Washington D.C. can now work with ICE after an executive order was issued. Hinson described Trump's first eight months as showing "tremendous success" on border security and crime reduction efforts.

🎵 Former FBI Director James Comey released a video confessing he's a Taylor Swift fan while taking shots at President Trump. Comey said he listens to Swift's music while mowing the lawn, has attended two concerts, and participates in a family "Swiftie" group chat. He used Swift's approach to dealing with bullies as advice for resisting Trump without becoming like him, citing her lyrics about not letting "jerks" have power over one's mind.

God bless,

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