Category: Politics

(WASHINGTON) — Several Democrats have invited survivors of late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein to attend President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address on Tuesday night, while others plan to skip the event altogether in protest.

Roughly half a dozen Democrats, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, have ensured survivors of Epstein’s abuse will be seated in the House chamber for Trump’s high-profile speech.

Trump and the Justice Department have been dogged by questions about the Epstein files and their partial release and redactions. Some survivors have criticized the process and called for full release of the files, which are precipitating global fallout. The DOJ said it has complied with the law.

Reps. Jamie Raskin and Suhas Subramanyam announced Sky and Amanda Roberts as their guests, the brother and sister-in-law, respectively, of the late Virginia Roberts Giuffre.

Rep. Ro Khanna, who co-authored the Epstein Transparency Act that forced the DOJ to release millions of files related to Epstein, has invited survivor Haley Robson.

Some House Democrats plan to wear pins in support of Epstein survivors that call for all the files to be released.

Other notable Democratic guests include individuals from Minnesota impacted by immigration enforcement, invited by Rep. Ilhan Omar, and the business owner who successfully challenged President Trump’s emergency tariffs, invited by Rep. Brad Schneider.

The members of the Democratic Women’s Caucus who are attending the speech said they plan to wear white “to honor the suffragists who believed a women’s vote could change the country and their vision for that change.”

Meanwhile, dozens of Democrats are poised to skip the address in the House chamber, many instead attending a counter-program on the National Mall sponsored by the prominent progressive group MoveOn.

Dubbed the “People’s State of the Union,” MoveOn said the 8 p.m. ET counter-program will feature Democrats, organization members and “everyday Americans most impacted by Trump’s chaos.”

At least 45 House and Senate Democrats in total are planning to skip Trump’s address, according to a count by ABC News.

The majority of congressional Democrats, however, are expected to attend Trump’s speech, which is one of the president’s biggest opportunities to address Americans ahead of November’s midterm elections.

Republicans this fall will look to defend their narrow majorities in the House and Senate in what is historically a cycle that favors the minority party.

Jeffries, who has said “you don’t let anyone ever run you off of your block,” has made the case for his caucus to show its presence on Tuesday night without any outbursts after Democratic Rep. Al Green of Texas was ejected and ultimately censured for shaking his cane and shouting at Trump during last year’s joint address.

“The two options that are in front of us in our House [are] to either attend with silent defiance or to not attend and send a message to Donald Trump in that fashion, which will include participation in a variety of different alternate programming that is going to take place in and around the Capitol complex,” Jeffries told reporters last week.

After Trump’s speech, Gov. Abigail Spanberger of Virginia will deliver the Democratic response.

Spanberger flipped control of the governor’s mansion from red to blue in 2025 after primarily campaigning on the issue of affordability.

“We are at a defining moment in our nation’s history. Virginians and Americans across the country are contending with rising costs, chaos in their communities, and a real fear of what each day might bring,” Spanberger said in a statement, adding she looked forward to “laying out what these Americans expect and deserve — leaders who are working hard to deliver for them.”

California Sen. Alex Padilla will deliver the Democratic Party’s Spanish-language response.

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(WASHINGTON) — When President Donald Trump delivers the first State of the Union address of his second term Tuesday night — it will be a chance to make the case for his sweeping policy goals directly to millions of Americans — ahead of November’s midterm elections where control of Congress is at stake.

One year ago, Trump proclaimed “America is back” as he addressed a joint session of Congress shortly after taking office, laying out novel plans to make good on issues he campaigned on, including lowering prices while imposing worldwide tariffs, the mass deportations of immigrants in the country illegally, and a promise to keep America out of foreign wars.

Since then, he has taken unprecedented, often highly controversial, steps to reshape the federal government and achieve those goals, testing the limits of presidential power on both the domestic and foreign policy fronts. But he’s done so at a political cost – with polls showing a growing number of Americans displeased or opposed.

An ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll released Sunday finds that Trump’s overall disapproval rating is at 60% — a high for his second term. 

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Tuesday morning that the president will contend that he and Republicans are the best choice to “continue tackling the affordability crisis” and that he’ll feature a Pennsylvania waitress who benefitted from his “no tax on tips” policy.

Earlier, she posted on X that “In one year, President Trump has turned our country around from the brink of disaster, and he will rightly declare the State of Our Union is strong, prosperous and respected.”

 He could also use his speech to shore up support from lawmakers and the American people on two major, immediate issues: the current showdown with Iran that could end up with Trump ordering the U.S. military into war — and his tariff policy — much of which was struck down as illegal last week by the Supreme Court.

At least some of the justices are expected to attend, possibly including the conservatives ones he picked and who joined in that ruling. By tradition, they will be seated just in front of him, and the presence of justices he has railed against, even personally attacked, could bring fireworks to the House chamber. 

The economy and tariffs

After months of blaming former President Joe Biden for leaving what he repeatedly called an economic “mess,” Trump has now taken full responsibility for the economy, even declaring last week that he “won affordability.” While he is sure to tout the relative taming of inflation in recent months – down to 2.4% now from 3% when he took office – that hasn’t translated into lower prices across the board for many Americans. 

Prices for some key household goods such as eggs and gas are down, but his tariffs and other factors have increased the prices of many household goods such as produce, beef and coffee. 

The ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll shows that almost half of Americans, 48%, say the economy has gotten worse since Trump took office — although that number is down slightly from 52%, who said the same in October. 

Given that, he faces an uphill battle to persuade Americans they are better off. According to that recent ABC/Post/Ipsos poll, 65% of Americans disapprove of how Trump is handling inflation and 57% disapprove of how he’s handling the economy overall.

“We have the greatest economy we’ve ever had,” Trump said Monday. “We have the most activity we’ve ever had. I’m making a speech tomorrow night, and you’ll be hearing me say that. I mean it’s — it’s going to be a long speech because we have so much to talk about.”  

As Democrats make the rising cost of health care a major message for their candidates to run on in this fall – after many Americans saw their premiums skyrocket when Affordable Care Act subsidies expired at the start of the year – Trump will likely need to counter that by citing what he says he’s done to make health care more affordable. 

He will surely point to his Most Favored Nation policy that lowered the cost of some pharmaceuticals and the TrumpRx platform aimed at making those lower prices for some medications more transparent.

Foreign policy

Trump will also have the chance to make the case for some of the ambitious foreign policy moves he’s made during his first year in office. His reshaping of America’s role in the global order comes as even some Republicans have criticized Trump for focusing too much on foreign policy rather than on domestic issues. 

At his orders, the U.S. has amassed a major military force near Iran as negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program between American and Iranian officials are likely to continue on Thursday. Even so, critics say Trump and his administration have not made publicly clear exactly what objectives they are seeking in Iran. 

At the same time, he has made clear the possibility of military action — either limited or more prolonged — is not out of the question, even as polls show Americans are hesitant about the U.S. getting involved in another war to make changes in another country.

More than half of Americans, 54%, oppose Trump using the U.S. military to force changes in other countries, while only 20% support it (and 26% say they have no opinion or did not respond to the question), according to the ABC/Post/Ipsos poll.

Trump will also have the chance to lay out his view that America has supremacy over the Western Hemisphere, what he has coined the “Don-roe Doctrine.” 

That view was evident in the military operation that put American boots on the ground in Venezuela to capture then-President Nicolas Maduro and the ongoing strikes he’s authorized on boats allegedly carrying drugs in the Caribbean and Pacific that have killed more than 150 people. 

That ideology was also a cornerstone in his repeated calls for the U.S. to “own” Greenland, something that alarmed many of America’s closest European allies. The president said that a deal with Denmark was in the works for ownership of the territory during his trip to Switzerland in January, but since then no other information has come from the White House about the status of those talks. 

Immigration

The president will also likely tout success on the border and immigration, even as some public opinion has turned on the tactics used by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the immigration crackdown he’s ordered.

The Department of Homeland Security said in December that 2.5 million undocumented migrants were removed from the U.S. and the president has celebrated the reduction in crossings as the southern border, both of which were major campaign promises. 

However, as ICE operations have ramped up, public opinion has started turning against them in the wake of the killings of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti in Minnesota by federal law enforcement.

The ABC/Post/Ipsos poll found that the president’s approval ratings on immigration are also at a low for his second term — with 58% disapproving of his handling of immigration and 40% approving. 

ABC News’ Fritz Farrow contributed to this report.

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(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump has pushed back against news reports that his top military adviser, Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine, privately cautioned that if Trump ordered a U.S. military strike on Iran, a lack of critical munitions and support from allies could pose risks to American troops.

“General Caine, like all of us, would like not to see War but, if a decision is made on going against Iran at a Military level, it is his opinion that it will be something easily won,” Trump posted Monday on his social media platform.

That statement came as Trump was said to be considering military options as he puts pressure on Iran to end its nuclear program or face “bad” consequences.

According to a U.S. official, Tehran was expected to offer a new nuclear proposal by Tuesday ahead of another round of negotiations in Geneva led by special envoy Steve Witkoff on Thursday.

The meeting would be the second round of indirect talks between the U.S. and Iran, with Omanis and Qataris passing notes between the delegations.

In a statement, a Joint Staff spokesman emphasized that Caine’s role is to provide “a range of military options, as well as secondary considerations and associated impacts and risks, to the civilian leaders who make America’s security decisions.”

The president added that he will make the final call regarding military action, and repeated that he wants a deal with Iran, but warned that if there is not a deal “it will be a very bad day for that Country.”

“I am the one that makes the decision, I would rather have a Deal than not but, if we don’t make a Deal, it will be a very bad day for that Country and, very sadly, its people, because they are great and wonderful, and something like this should never have happened to them,” Trump said. 

Trump also doubled down on his previous claims that Iran’s nuclear supply has been “obliterated” after last summer’s Operation Midnight Hammer, saying that it was “blown to smithereens.” 

“He knows Iran well,” he said, referring to Caine, “in that he was in charge of Midnight Hammer, the attack on the Iranian Nuclear Development. It is a Development no longer, but rather, was blown to smithereens by our Great B-2 Bombers.” Trump said. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened Iran during a speech to the Knesset on Monday, warning the Iranian ayatollah if Iran strikes Israel, “we will respond with a force they cannot even imagine,” according to remarks of his speech google translated from Hebrew to English.

“No one knows what the day will bring. We are vigilant, we are prepared for any scenario,” Netanyahu said.

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(GREENLAND) — Greenland’s prime minister has rejected President Donald Trump’s offer to send a U.S. military hospital ship to Greenland, dismissing the proposal as uninvited and rooted in a fundamental misunderstanding of how Nordic societies function.

“It’s a no thank you from here,” Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said in a statement Sunday. “President Trump’s idea of sending an American hospital ship here to Greenland has been noted. But we have a public healthcare system where treatment is free for citizens. That is a deliberate choice — and a fundamental part of our society. That is not how it works in the USA, where it costs money to see a doctor.”

Trump made the announcement Saturday evening on his social media platform, posting alongside an illustration of the U.S. naval hospital ship USNS Mercy, saying, “We are going to send a great hospital boat to Greenland to take care of the many people who are sick, and not being taken care of there. It’s on the way!!!”

On Saturday, a U.S. Navy sailor was medically evacuated from an American nuclear-powered submarine by Danish military forces, according to a U.S. and Danish official.

But what prompted Trump to float sending a hospital ship to Greenland isn’t clear, particularly given the Danish territory’s universal health system serving roughly 60,000 citizens. The White House did not return a request for comment.

Trump has long pushed the idea of the U.S. buying Greenland from Denmark, citing national security needs and tapping its natural resources, and has not ruled out taking it by military force over the heated objections of Greenlanders and the Danes. He said in January he had a framework of a deal with Denmark, Greenland and NATO, but revealed few details.

About 80% of Greenlanders have at least annual contact with a primary care doctor, according to data from Queen Ingrid Health Care Centre, the country’s main hospital hub. The figures are even higher for women: roughly 90% report regular contact, compared to 76% of men.

The U.S. Navy has two hospital ships, both currently in Mobile, Alabama, one of which is likely months away from being able to deploy. The White House did not respond to a request for comment.

The Mercy, whose homeport is San Diego, is a 1,000-bed hospital ship commissioned in 1986 and is deployed for disaster relief and other large-scale medical crises, including in 2020 when it deployed to Los Angeles, where the ship served as a floating relief valve for the city’s overburdened medical system during the first chaotic stretch of the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s unclear whether it’s actually preparing to deploy to Greenland. The Navy did not immediately respond to a request for information on why it is in Mobile.

The Navy’s other hospital ship, the USNS Comfort is undergoing extensive maintenance in Mobile expected to last through April 26, according to the repair contract reviewed by ABC News.

Trump said he was working on the matter with Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, whom he appointed as a special envoy to Greenland last year. While Landry served in the National Guard for 11 years, he has no significant foreign policy or health care experience.

“We are always open to dialogue and cooperation — also with the USA,” Nielsen said. “But please talk to us instead of just making more or less random statements on social media. Dialogue and cooperation require respect for the fact that decisions about our country are made here at home.”

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(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump is set to give the first State of the Union address of his second term on Tuesday amid a backdrop of looming midterm elections and lingering questions about the economy, immigration and foreign policy.

Trump’s address comes as lawmakers are still at an impasse over funding for the Department of Homeland Security amid the administration’s immigration crackdown — and with the partial government shutdown in its second week. The United States’ tensions with Iran, affordability and the economy, the upcoming high-impact midterm elections and the Supreme Court’s recent rebuke of his tariffs will likely be topics the presidents touches on as well.

Though his allies have called Trump’s second term transformative and historic on many fronts, his address comes as majorities of Americans disapprove of how the president is handling inflation, tariffs, relations with other countries, immigration and the economy, according to a recently released ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll.

Trump last delivered a joint address to Congress in March — the longest in history. On Monday, Trump previewed that this year’s address with be “a long speech because we have so much to talk about.”

Here’s what you need to know about the speech and how to watch.

When is the State of the Union address?

Trump will speak before Congress at the Capitol on Tuesday at 9 p.m. EST.

The State of the Union is a presidential duty mandated in the Constitution, which calls for the president “from time to time to give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union.”

Speaker Mike Johnson invited Trump to speak before the joint session of Congress last month.

How to watch and stream the State of the Union

ABC News will air the State of the Union live at 9 p.m. EST, ABC News Live will stream special coverage starting at 7 p.m. EST and ABC News Digital will have a live blog with up-to-the-minute updates, key takeaways of the address and analysis.

“World News Tonight” Anchor and Managing Editor David Muir will lead coverage from Washington, featuring ABC News’ political team, including “World News Tonight” Sunday and ABC News Live “Prime” Anchor Linsey Davis, Chief White House Correspondent Mary Bruce, “This Week” Co-anchor and Chief Global Affairs Correspondent Martha Raddatz, “This Week” Co-anchor and Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl, Chief Justice Correspondent Pierre Thomas, Senior Political Correspondent Rachel Scott and Correspondent Jay O’Brien.

Contributors Donna Brazile and Chris Christie along with former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy will provide analysis across ABC News’ platforms, too.

Muir will anchor a special edition of “World News Tonight with David Muir” from Washington on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. EST. “Good Morning America,” “GMA3” and “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” will have pre- and post-show coverage of the State of the Union.

The speech is also set to stream live on the White House website, its YouTube and social media platforms.

An estimated 36.6 million people watched Trump’s speech to Congress last year — a 13% increase over former President Joe Biden’s 2024 State of the Union address, according to Nielsen.

What is Trump expected to say?

While we don’t yet know what Trump will say or announce during his address, it is expected that he will touch on tensions with Iran amid ABC News’ reports that he is considering a range of options for military strikes against Iran, including a possible limited strike aimed at enhancing the United States’ negotiating position.

When asked last week about the president’s thinking on potentially striking Iran and whether he would address the topic during his State of the Union address, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt implied more information will become clear during his speech.

“I will say with respect to the State of the Union you’ll be hearing more about what is to come from the president’s speech very soon at the appropriate time. It is going to be a very good and powerful speech,” Leavitt said.

Trump’s role in global conflicts was the focus of a video the White House posted on Sunday, saying that the “the State of the Union is STRONG because America is RESPECTED again on the world stage.”

Trump has claimed credit for ending a number of conflicts during his second term and taking limited military action to effect change.

Trump may also discuss his new tariff policy after the Supreme Court struck down most of his global tariffs, a key part of his economic policy, as illegal. Trump will face the Supreme Court justices in person on Tuesday night when he delivers his State of the Union address. The justices who attend are typically seated in front of the president in the first few rows.

Immigration, another key issue for the administration, will likely be discussed as Democrats demand changes to Immigration and Customs Enforcement after the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti — both U.S. citizens — at the hands of federal law enforcement in Minneapolis. Democrats’ demands and the ongoing negotiations with Republicans and the White House have held up funding for DHS, causing an ongoing shutdown of the agency.

Who will be there?

The State of the Union marks one of the rare times all branches of government are under the same roof. The president, members of Congress and Supreme Court justices attend — although all may not be there.

The speaker of the House and vice president sit behind the president while he speaks.

The White House and members of Congress typically invite guests with specific backgrounds and stories that are important to them both personally and politically — people they want to thank, to honor or even to highlight a particular issue.

Democratic Reps. Jamie Raskin and Suhas Subramanyam shared their guests would be Sky and Amanda Roberts — the brother and sister-in-law, respectively, of the late Virginia Roberts Giuffre, a survivor of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Who is speaking for the Democratic Party?

Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger will deliver the Democratic response to Trump’s State of the Union address.

Spanberger’s 2025 win, which flipped control of the governor’s mansion from red to blue, marked the first time a woman has held the position in Virginia.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said last week that in her speech, Spanberger “will lay out a clear path forward: lower everyday costs, protect healthcare, and defend the freedoms that define who we are as a nation.”

California Sen. Alex Padilla will deliver the Spanish-language response.

Dozens of Democrats are poised to skip Trump’s State of the Union address, opting instead to attend a counterprogram sponsored by MoveOn.org on the National Mall. The optics of their absence may not be apparent inside the chamber, as the Senate, Cabinet, Supreme Court and other dignitaries fill the already-crowded space.

The majority of congressional Democrats are expected to attend. As Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said, “you don’t let anyone ever run you off of your block.” He has made the case for his caucus to show its presence without any shenanigans or outbursts after Democratic Rep. Al Green was ejected and ultimately censured for shaking his cane and shouting at Trump during last year’s joint address.

ABC News’ John Parkinson, Lauren Peller and Lalee Ibssa contributed to this report.

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(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump on Monday continued to lash out at the Supreme Court, days after a majority of justices, including two of his conservative nominees, struck down most of his global tariffs as illegal.

In a series of social media posts on Monday, Trump wrote he had a “complete lack of respect” for the nation’s high court and that “they should be ashamed of themselves.”

“The supreme court (will be using lower case letters for a while based on a complete lack of respect!) of the United States accidentally and unwittingly gave me, as President of the United States, far more powers and strength than I had prior to their ridiculous, dumb, and very internationally divisive ruling,” Trump wrote.

“The court has also approved all other Tariffs, of which there are many, and they can all be used in a much more powerful and obnoxious way, with legal certainty, than the Tariffs as initially used,” Trump added.

Trump will face some of the Supreme Court justices in person on Tuesday night when he delivers his State of the Union address. Justices are typically seated in front of the president in the first few rows, though their attendance is voluntary and several have skipped the event in recent years.

The court’s 6-3 ruling on Friday, which marked a rare rebuke on his administration, deemed that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) does not give Trump the power to unilaterally impose the sweeping tariffs he issued on most U.S. trade partners.

Trump has since sought to revive the tariffs, which were a longtime political goal of his and a centerpiece of his economic agenda in his second term.

Over the weekend, Trump announced he was imposing a 15% global tariff under a different legal authority: Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974. But that authority is more limited, allowing the tariffs to last only for 150 days without congressional approval.

Trump’s repeatedly signaled he won’t seek additional action from Congress on tariffs.

“As President, I do not have to go back to Congress to get approval of Tariffs. It has already been gotten, in many forms, a long time ago!” Trump wrote in a social media post on Monday.

In addition to Section 122 tariffs, Trump said his administration would open Section 301 investigations into unfair trade practices to secure additional levies. Those investigations can take weeks or months.

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, during an appearance on ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday, said the administration’s “policy hasn’t changed” despite the Supreme Court setback.

“We found ways to really reconstruct what we’re doing. Now, it doesn’t have the same flexibility that the president had under the previous authority that he was using, but it gives us very durable tools,” Greer said.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday, said other tools will get the administration back to the tariff levels it had before the Supreme Court’s decision.

“We have been in touch with our foreign trading partners, and all of them want to keep the trade deals that have been set,” Bessent said.

Trump on Monday, in another social media post, threatened a “much higher Tariff” if any country decides to “‘play games’ with the ridiculous supreme court decision” that struck down most of his global tariffs — though he didn’t elaborate on how he would impose such levies.

Trump, while criticizing the Supreme Court’s tariff decision, also predicted the justices the could rule against him in other cases, specifically on the 14th Amendment guarantee of birthright citizenship.

The Supreme Court will hear an expedited appeal of Trump’s case seeking to effectively end birthright citizenship by executive order. Federal courts have so far blocked Trump’s order nationwide.

“But this supreme court will find a way to come to the wrong conclusion, one that again will make China, and various other Nations, happy and rich. Let our supreme court keep making decisions that are so bad and deleterious to the future of our Nation — I have a job to do,” Trump wrote in a social media post.

When asked after Friday’s tariff ruling if the justices were still invited to his State of the Union address, Trump said “barely.”

“Honestly, I couldn’t care less if they come,” Trump said.

In that news conference, Trump called the conservative justices who ruled against him an “embarrassment to their families” and the liberal justices a “disgrace to our nation.” Trump’s also heaped praise on the three conservative justices that sided with him on tariffs, on Monday referring to them as “the Great Three!” in a social media post.

ABC News’ Fritz Farrow and Hannah Demissie contributed to this report.

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(WASHINGTON) — Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders are petitioning the Government Accountability Office to investigate the dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education.

In a letter first obtained by ABC News, the two senators call for nonpartisan congressional watchdog to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the department winding down its functions and transferring offices to other agencies. 

“Students and families deserve better — we need a full independent investigation into the latest attempts to sabotage our schools,” Warren, D-Mass., wrote in a statement to ABC News.

Led by Warren and Sanders, I-Vt., and signed by Democrats Patty Murray of Washington and Wisconsin’s Tammy Baldwin, the letter alleges that the Education Department is illegally dismantling itself through its interagency agreement with the Department of Labor that allowed Labor to administer adult education, family literacy and career and technical education (CTE) programs previously homed in the department.

“We are deeply concerned that the administration’s decisions to implement CTE and adult education grant programs in this manner delayed crucial funding that millions of students and schools rely on,” the senators wrote.

They also said they worry that the decisions may have created “administrative inefficiencies, increased the cost of program administration, and compromised the quality of technical assistance provided to states and grantees.”

GAO is working through its process to determine the next steps in responding to the senators’ request, a spokesperson with the agency confirmed to ABC News.

Education Department spokeswoman Savannah Newhouse argued that the lawmakers’ request prioritizes bureaucrats over students. 

“The Trump Administration will not sit idle while students, educators, and states suffer under our broken federal education system which undermines our economy, national security, and civic health,” Newhouse wrote in a statement to ABC News. “Also, as the Senators likely know, interagency agreements are a standard, lawful tool used across government — including by the Biden Administration’s own DOJ and Bureau of Prisons to allow the Department of Labor to administer grants under the First Step Act,” she added.

Secretary of Education Linda McMahon has also defended the department’s moves. She said in a statement in July that the way the education and workforce programs had been administered was “inefficient and duplicative” and they needed to be streamlined in order to best serve students and families.

The workforce development partnership between the two agencies launched last summer following President Donald Trump’s executive order entitled “Preparing Americans for High-Paying Skilled Trade Jobs of the Future.” In November, the Department of Education made an additional announcement that it would transfer some of its offices to other government agencies, including the departments of State, Health and Human Services, and Interior.

A senior department official said the interagency agreements (IAA) marked a “major step forward” in abolishing the agency and fulfilling McMahon’s mission of returning education to the states. The senators’ letter requested that GAO extend its probe into all of the IAAs because they allegedly attempted to transfer “statutory requirements” to other agencies. They’re requesting GAO determine whether the moves jeopardize services for students, weaken federal support to protect the rights of students, children, youth and families, and affect other indicators of program integrity and quality.

The GAO works to provide timely, fact-based, non-partisan information that can be used to improve government, per the agency’s website. The senators’ latest request is a part of Warren’s Save Our Schools campaign that she launched last year to investigate the administration’s attempts to shutter the education department. 

Peoria Federation of Teachers union representative Michael Brix worries that the Education and Labor partnerships could roll back CTE progress for his students.

“When we hear of these changes, the Department of Education being dismantled, and then other departments then taking on similar roles — or the same roles — it’s very nervous not knowing what is coming ahead,” he said, adding, “It’s kind of scary.”

Editor’s note: This story’s headline has been updated to reflect that the senators want the GAO to investigate the Department of Education’s dismantling.

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(WASHINGTON) — A majority of Americans disapprove of how President Donald Trump is handling tariffs on imported goods, according to an ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll conducted via Ipsos’ KnowledgePanel shortly before the Supreme Court invalidated Trump’s global tariffs.

The poll was conducted Feb. 12-17. The Supreme Court’s decision came out Feb. 20.

Majorities of Americans with various income backgrounds, men, women and Americans of all age groups disapprove of how Trump is handling tariffs, along with majorities of white, Black, Hispanic and Asian Americans, according to the poll.

A majority of those who did not vote in 2024 disapprove of how Trump is handling tariffs along with almost all of those who voted for Vice President Kamala Harris. Over 9 in 10 Americans who disapprove of Trump oppose how he is handling tariffs.

While most Republicans approve of how Trump is handling tariffs (75%), that drops to 43% among self-described non-MAGA Republicans (which include independents who lean Republican and call themselves MAGA supporters). A 55% majority of non-MAGA Republicans disapprove of how Trump is handling tariffs. Most MAGA Republicans (87%) approve of how he is handling tariffs on imported goods.

In all, 54% of Republicans and Republican- leaning independents say they are supporters of the MAGA movement and 42% say they are not.

While majorities of those with college degrees and without disapprove of how Trump is handling tariffs, White people without college degrees are split. White people with college degrees disapprove by a more-than 2-to-1 margin.

Rural Americans are also split over whether they approve or disapprove of how Trump is handling tariffs, while most suburban and urban people disapprove.

Opinions on tariffs have remained stable since ABC/Post/Ipsos first asked in April last year; the same share approved and disapproved of how Trump was handling the issue then as they do now.

Methodology — This ABC News-Washington Post-Ipsos poll was conducted via the probability-based Ipsos KnowledgePanel, Feb. 12-17, 2026, among 2,589 U.S. adults and has an overall margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points. The error margins are larger among partisan group subsamples.

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(UVALDE, Texas) — Texas Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales is denying allegations he engaged in an extramarital affair with a congressional aide who died by suicide last fall — calling on the Uvalde police department to release its report on her death despite objections from her family. 

Regina Santos-Aviles, 35, died on Sept. 14 after she doused herself with an accelerant and set herself ablaze at her home on Geraldine Avenue in Uvalde, Texas, Bexar County officials determined.

Santos-Aviles served as regional district director for Gonzales, who lost an endorsement this week from the San Antonio Express-News following its reporting of an alleged affair between Gonzales and Santos-Aviles.

The Express-News reported that it obtained texts between a former Gonzales staffer and Santos-Aviles, in which Santos-Aviles claimed she engaged in an affair with Gonzales. 

Gonzales has repeatedly denied the affair with Santos-Aviles.

In a statement to ABC News, the Gonzales campaign did not comment on the reported text messages, and blamed his rival in the GOP primary, Brandon Herrera, for planting allegations in the press.

“Ms. Santos-Aviles was a kind soul who devoted her life to making the community a better place,” Gonzales told ABC News in a statement. “Her efforts led to improvements in school safety, healthcare, and rural water like never before. It’s shameful that Brandon Herrera is using a disgruntled former staffer to smear her memory and score political points, conveniently pushing this out the very day early voting started. I am not going to engage in these personal smears and instead will remain focused on helping President Trump secure the border and improve the lives of all Texans.”

Gonzales faces a primary fight with Herrera, a conservative influencer who he defeated by less than 400 votes in 2024. Herrera called on Gonzales to resign from office via a post on X on Wednesday. 

The Texas Attorney General’s Office ruled that 9-1-1 calls, video, and police reports must remained sealed, though Gonzales is now calling on the Uvalde Police Department to release its report.

On Thursday, Gonzales posted on X suggesting an attorney representing the Santos-Aviles family was seeking an out-of-court financial settlement, which Gonzales described as “blackmail.” 

“I WILL NOT BE BLACKMAILED. Disgusting to see people profit politically and financially off a tragic death. The public should IMMEDIATELY have full access to the Uvalde Police report. I will keep fighting for #TX23,” Gonzales said in the post.

Santos-Aviles’ widower, Adrian Aviles, denied Gonzales’ charge of blackmail while expressing his intent to block details of the incident from becoming unsealed.

“We have never blackmailed anyone,” Adrian Aviles wrote in a statement on X. “What we’ve seen instead is a consistent pattern of evasion, refusal to take accountability, and outright lies to protect your image. You’re a classic case of a two-faced politician who says whatever is convenient to save face. We chose to hold back the full police report and body cam footage for one reason only it shows my wife suffering severe burns in horrific detail. I will not allow that graphic material to become accessible to our 8 year old son in the future when he is old enough to search for or come across it.”

The post continued: “Nothing in that police report protects you, that decision is about protecting our child’s well-being, not concealing anything improper. Your actions have been disgraceful, and you continue to mislead your constituents with falsehoods. You may avoid responsibility here on earth, but one day you will answer to a higher authority. Today, though, you still answer to the people you represent–people who deserve the truth, not more deception.”

Reached by ABC News, attorney Robert Barrera, who represents Adrian Aviles, said he is in possession of “substantial evidence” from Santos-Aviles’ phone “supporting the affair.”

Barrera added that Gonzales refused any out of court settlement and is now “attempting in an act of desperation to become a victim of his own conduct when it has now come to light that he has committed adultery with a staffer.”

Barrera declined to release the full letter sent to Gonzales’ lawyers.

Gonzales, 44, is married to his wife Angel and the couple have six children together. 

At the time of the incident, the three-term lawmaker provided a statement to San Antonio ABC station KSAT reacting to “the recent news” of Santos-Aviles’ death:

“We are all heart-stricken by the recent news. Regina devoted her profession toward making a difference in her community. She will always be remembered for her passion towards Uvalde and helping the community become a better place,” Gonzales stated.

Gonzales has already won President Donald Trump’s endorsement for reelection, as well as several law enforcement groups from Texas. 

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(UVALDE, Texas) — Texas Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales is denying allegations he engaged in an extramarital affair with a congressional aide who died by suicide last fall — calling on the Uvalde police department to release its report on her death despite objections from her family. 

Regina Santos-Aviles, 35, died on Sept. 14 after she doused herself with an accelerant and set herself ablaze at her home on Geraldine Avenue in Uvalde, Texas, Bexar County officials determined.

Santos-Aviles served as regional district director for Gonzales, who lost an endorsement this week from the San Antonio Express-News following its reporting of an alleged affair between Gonzales and Santos-Aviles.

The Express-News reported that it obtained texts between a former Gonzales staffer and Santos-Aviles, in which Santos-Aviles claimed she engaged in an affair with Gonzales. 

Gonzales has repeatedly denied the affair with Santos-Aviles.

In a statement to ABC News, the Gonzales campaign did not comment on the reported text messages, and blamed his rival in the GOP primary, Brandon Herrera, for planting allegations in the press.

“Ms. Santos-Aviles was a kind soul who devoted her life to making the community a better place,” Gonzales told ABC News in a statement. “Her efforts led to improvements in school safety, healthcare, and rural water like never before. It’s shameful that Brandon Herrera is using a disgruntled former staffer to smear her memory and score political points, conveniently pushing this out the very day early voting started. I am not going to engage in these personal smears and instead will remain focused on helping President Trump secure the border and improve the lives of all Texans.”

Gonzales faces a primary fight with Herrera, a conservative influencer who he defeated by less than 400 votes in 2024. Herrera called on Gonzales to resign from office via a post on X on Wednesday. 

The Texas Attorney General’s Office ruled that 9-1-1 calls, video, and police reports must remained sealed, though Gonzales is now calling on the Uvalde Police Department to release its report.

On Thursday, Gonzales posted on X suggesting an attorney representing the Santos-Aviles family was seeking an out-of-court financial settlement, which Gonzales described as “blackmail.” 

“I WILL NOT BE BLACKMAILED. Disgusting to see people profit politically and financially off a tragic death. The public should IMMEDIATELY have full access to the Uvalde Police report. I will keep fighting for #TX23,” Gonzales said in the post.

Santos-Aviles’ widower, Adrian Aviles, denied Gonzales’ charge of blackmail while expressing his intent to block details of the incident from becoming unsealed.

“We have never blackmailed anyone,” Adrian Aviles wrote in a statement on X. “What we’ve seen instead is a consistent pattern of evasion, refusal to take accountability, and outright lies to protect your image. You’re a classic case of a two-faced politician who says whatever is convenient to save face. We chose to hold back the full police report and body cam footage for one reason only it shows my wife suffering severe burns in horrific detail. I will not allow that graphic material to become accessible to our 8 year old son in the future when he is old enough to search for or come across it.”

The post continued: “Nothing in that police report protects you, that decision is about protecting our child’s well-being, not concealing anything improper. Your actions have been disgraceful, and you continue to mislead your constituents with falsehoods. You may avoid responsibility here on earth, but one day you will answer to a higher authority. Today, though, you still answer to the people you represent–people who deserve the truth, not more deception.”

Reached by ABC News, attorney Robert Barrera, who represents Adrian Aviles, said he is in possession of “substantial evidence” from Santos-Aviles’ phone “supporting the affair.”

Barrera added that Gonzales refused any out of court settlement and is now “attempting in an act of desperation to become a victim of his own conduct when it has now come to light that he has committed adultery with a staffer.”

Barrera declined to release the full letter sent to Gonzales’ lawyers.

Gonzales, 44, is married to his wife Angel and the couple have six children together. 

At the time of the incident, the three-term lawmaker provided a statement to San Antonio ABC station KSAT reacting to “the recent news” of Santos-Aviles’ death:

“We are all heart-stricken by the recent news. Regina devoted her profession toward making a difference in her community. She will always be remembered for her passion towards Uvalde and helping the community become a better place,” Gonzales stated.

Gonzales has already won President Donald Trump’s endorsement for reelection, as well as several law enforcement groups from Texas. 

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.