CNN – US Politics

By Davis Winkie, Zachary Cohen, Thomas Bordeaux, CNN (CNN) — A suspected Iranian nuclear site buried under granite has seen a flurry of construction work this year as the war with the US has transpired, according to a group of analysts who reviewed six years of satellite imagery.The Pickaxe Mountain site, located near the Natanz

By Steve Contorno, Alayna Treene, CNN Dallas (CNN) — For a decade, President Donald Trump has made himself his party’s main character — a singular force around whom its rallies, conventions and political identity have revolved.Republicans are taking that devotion a step further this week, gathering in the Lone Star State at Trump’s behest for

By Piper Hudspeth Blackburn, Kaanita Iyer, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump gave Natalie Harp and two other White House aides $45,000 each in cash gifts, according to financial disclosure statements.Harp, whose close relationship with Trump has come under intense scrutiny in recent weeks, and the other two female aides reported the money as a

By David Wright, Katie Doran, Izzy Lippolis, CNN (CNN) — Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas will face Republican former Sen. John E. Sununu in the race for New Hampshire’s open Senate seat, CNN’s Decision Desk projects.The battle for retiring Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen’s seat could prove critical to her party’s hopes of flipping the chamber in

By Daniel Dale, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump has for years told false or unproven stories about what he supposedly saw and did on 9/11 and soon after. As the 25th anniversary of the terror attack approaches, Trump told another story at the White House on Tuesday — in which he claimed to have

By John Fritze, CNN (CNN) — Back-to-back court orders on Tuesday injected chaos into Missouri’s plans for this year’s midterms, with state officials and a group opposed to a GOP-friendly congressional map racing into multiple courts with less than two months before Election Day.A federal district court ordered Missouri to proceed with a congressional map

By Sean Lyngaas, CNN (CNN) — Chinese artificial intelligence firms are committing “industrial-scale” theft of their American counterparts’ trade secrets to save money and bring the coveted technology to market faster, US federal agencies alleged Tuesday.Major Chinese tech companies are using “distillation,” which involves training lesser AI models on more advanced ones, to “extract restricted

By Tim Lister, Zachary Cohen, Hira Humayun, Lex Harvey, CNN (CNN) — At least seven oil tankers have been struck in and beyond the Persian Gulf since Tuesday evening local time, as the United States and Iran step up tanker attacks in what could mark a dangerous new phase in the war.The escalation led global

By Michael Williams, CNN (CNN) — A member of the Georgia National Guard assigned to the task force patrolling Washington, DC, is facing assault and gun charges after he was accused of pulling his firearm on a fellow soldier during an argument last month.Zion Mitchell, 21, faces charges of assault with a dangerous weapon and

By Betsy Klein, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump on Tuesday honored the heroes who bravely ran toward the danger during the September 11, 2001, terror attacks as the nation prepares to commemorate the day’s solemn 25th anniversary.He also used the event near the White House in Washington, DC, to briefly plug some of his

By Kaanita Iyer, CNN (CNN) — Lonnie Bunch III said he will retire as the head of the Smithsonian Institution, a role that placed him at the center of President Donald Trump’s efforts to reshape the world’s largest museum organization.“It is with very mixed emotions and heartfelt gratitude that I announce my retirement from the

By Jennifer Hansler, CNN (CNN) — The Trump administration took sweeping actions against Iran’s airline industry on Tuesday as part of its pressure campaign on Tehran.The latest sanctions hit 27 Iranian airlines and nine service providers and sales agents accused of providing services to Mahan Air, which has been sanctioned since 2011. Mahan Air is

By Tierney Sneed, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump asked the Supreme Court on Tuesday to reinstate a controversial citizenship records system his administration has sought to wield for sweeping reviews of state voter rolls.Voter roll audits using the Department of Homeland Security data program known as SAVE (Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements) have been

By Piper Hudspeth Blackburn, CNN (CNN) — CNN will host a California gubernatorial debate later this month, just weeks before Election Day as voters in the nation’s most populous state decide who will succeed Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom.The one-hour debate between Democrat Xavier Becerra, who served as health and human services secretary during the Biden

By Patrick Svitek, CNN (CNN) — On Friday, Sen. Roger Marshall took a rare step for a Republican incumbent running in Kansas: launching an attack ad against his Democratic rival.When pastor Adam Hamilton launched his campaign for the seat four months ago, the odds seemed long. The state has not sent a Democrat to the

By Katie Bo Lillis, Zachary Cohen, CNN (CNN) — In offices across the military and in the intelligence community, there have been recent quiet discussions about cutting the number of people and facilities typically stationed in the Middle East if the Trump administration succeeds in ending the Iran conflict, six sources say.If those cuts happen,

By Michael Williams, CNN (CNN) — With less than two months to go until this year’s midterm elections, Democrats are becoming increasingly unnerved about the possibility of President Donald Trump deploying federal immigration officers or troops to polling places.Messaging from the Trump administration about that potential has been mixed. While some, like Joint Chiefs Chairman

By Edward-Isaac Dovere, CNN Aiken, South Carolina (CNN) — The hair gel mostly withstood the Low Country’s sticky sweat.Between events in South Carolina, now fully enshrined as Democrats’ first presidential primary state, Gavin Newsom acknowledged last week’s trip was indeed part of feeling out a campaign.“Obviously, it’s an early calendar state, but, you know, my

By Sarah Ferris, CNN (CNN) — The left wing of the Democratic Party flourished this summer as fed-up liberals in key races across the country have eschewed traditional, more moderate candidates in favor of hard-charging progressives.But behind the scenes, ultra-progressive House members and candidates are pushing their own party leaders to reflect more of that

By Piper Hudspeth Blackburn, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump on Sunday appeared to suggest that New Mexico should be called “New America,” posting a photo of the state with the new name days after he signed an executive order to change Lake Ontario to “Lake America.”The image posted on Truth Social, which was reshared

By Gregory Clary, Piper Hudspeth Blackburn, CNN (CNN) — A man later found to have weapons on him allegedly pushed through a crowd toward Ohio Democratic gubernatorial nominee Amy Acton on Sunday and injured multiple people at a fair in Canfield, a campaign spokesperson and the local county sheriff said.“While attending the Canfield Fair, an

By John Fritze, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump’s administration on Sunday again asked the Supreme Court to allow the US Postal Service plan for mail ballots to take effect immediately, a mostly procedural move that nonetheless underscores the president’s desire to restrict mail voting during the critical midterm elections.In its emergency appeal, the Postal

By Manu Raju, CNN (CNN) — Sen. John Fetterman is lashing out at former aides who accused him of showing indifference toward his work and of routinely skipping constituent meetings, dismissing them as “disgruntled staffers” pushing “smears” to tarnish his reputation.The first-term Pennsylvania Democrat broke his silence this weekend after The Wall Street Journal published

By Steve Contorno, Kristen Holmes, CNN (CNN) — Charlie Kirk sat before a Salt Lake City audience of restaurateurs last September 10, dispensing business advice drawn from his own unlikely rise.The conservative activist argued that a company needed a deep connection to the founder’s “energy and vision” to endure, but he also warned that “separating

By John Fritze, CNN (CNN) — The Supreme Court’s 5-4 decision backing President Donald Trump’s massive ballroom at the White House is already playing into challenges over his other pet projects and has renewed a debate over a legal doctrine tied to an abandoned California ski resort and crocodiles in Egypt.Over the objection of Chief

By Kaanita Iyer, Patrick Svitek, Fredreka Schouten, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump’s super PAC has started spending its massive war chest on the midterm elections, disclosing ad buys totaling $10 million in support of Texas Senate candidate Ken Paxton.Republicans had long awaited action from MAGA Inc., growing anxious over being outspent in tough races

By Kaanita Iyer, CNN (CNN) — The Justice Department has issued several subpoenas to Nevada’s secretary of state seeking voter information, marking another effort by the Trump administration to insert the federal government more directly into the administration of elections.The office of Nevada Secretary of State Francisco Aguilar, which oversees elections in the state, said

By Fredreka Schouten, Patrick Svitek, CNN (CNN) — For months, Texas Republicans have anxiously awaited the arrival of national resources to help boost Ken Paxton, one of the GOP’s most vulnerable Senate candidates.Now, Elon Musk, the world’s richest person, has entered the scene, this week disclosing the first spending from his super PAC to benefit

By John Fritze, Ethan Cohen, CNN (CNN) — Missouri officials urged the Supreme Court on Friday to reinstate a congressional map that includes an additional seat for the Republican Party, the latest emergency case tied to President Donald Trump’s nationwide redistricting fight to reach the high court.The emergency appeal comes a day after the state’s

By John Fritze, CNN (CNN) — The Supreme Court on Friday endorsed a request from Republican campaign groups that want to buy discounted TV advertising for this year’s midterms, the latest in a series of emergency rulings from the high court benefiting the GOP.The decision effectively upholds guidance issued by the Federal Communications Commission in