Trump asks SCOTUS to let administration fire Library of Congress, Copyright Office official
The Library of Congress is seen on the second day of the federal government shutdown on October 2, 2025, in Washington D.C. Efforts to end the shutdown stalled as Democrats left Capitol Hill without reaching a funding agreement with President Donald Trump, while the White House warned of potential impacts on public sector jobs. (Photo by Mehmet Eser/Anadolu via Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — The Trump administration on Monday asked the Supreme Court to uphold the president’s removal of the Register of Copyrights Shira Perlmutter from her influential post earlier this year inside the Library of Congress that oversees and enforces the United States’ copyright system.
The request is the latest appeal to the justices over President Donald Trump’s expansive view of presidential control over the federal government. Next month, the Supreme Court will consider the president’s ability to fire members of independent federal agencies without cause; early next year, it will also examine the president’s control over members of the Federal Reserve.
Under federal law, the Register of Copyrights is appointed by and reports to the Librarian of Congress, who in turn is appointed by the president for a 10-year term after confirmation by the Senate.
Trump fired the Biden-appointed Librarian Carla Hayden without cause shortly after taking office and replaced her on an acting basis with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. Blanche then removed Perlmutter.
Perlmutter alleges Blanche lacks the authority to remove her.
A federal appeals court in a 2-1 decision ordered Perlmutter reinstated, concluding the offices of Librarian of Congress and Register of Copyrights are “legislative officers” not “executive officers” under the Constitution — both requiring congressional input.
The administration is asking the justices to overturn that decision — at least on an interim basis — and ultimately to take up the bigger legal questions surrounding the status of the Library of Congress and those who lead it.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks with ABC News while appearing on This Week, Jan. 4, 2026. (ABC News)
(NEW YORK) — In the wake of the dramatic capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, and the “large scale strike” by the U.S. on the country, questions abound about how the U.S. might run a country of 31 million people.
President Donald Trump stunned and alarmed many by announcing not only Maduro’s ouster, but saying that the U.S. would “run” the country temporarily, a statement that drew sharp criticism from some Democratic lawmakers and others about a new and complex foreign entanglement.
Retired Marine Corps colonel and former State Department official Steve Ganyard, an ABC News contributor, told “Good Morning America” that American involvement could go on for a “very long time.”
“The trick here will be to not disturb the underlying structure of Venezuelan society … to find somebody that will come in, provide just enough stability to lead to what hopefully will be free and fair elections,” Ganyard said.
Ganyard also said the U.S. military force that is in place is not equipped “to put boots on the ground,” if the interim government does not go along with American interests. “Those options at this point are very, very limited,” he said.
Trump expressed skepticism about not only Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, but also other leaders in the country, due to their connection to Maduro.
The Venezuelan Supreme Court on Saturday directed the country’s vice president, Delcy Rodriguez, to assume the presidency, citing the “exceptional situation created by the kidnapping of Nicolás Maduro Moros.”
In an address on Saturday, Rodriguez called for Maduro’s “immediate release.”
“The people must go to the streets, the armed forces must deploy across the country, and all institutions must activate — to defend what we are, as sons and daughters of Simon Bolivar,” she said during the address, in Spanish.
The statements appeared to be at odds with the characterization of her position by President Trump, who indicated that in a call with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Rodriguez said “she’s essentially willing to do what we think is necessary to make Venezuela great again.”
“She had a long conversation with Marco, and she said, “We’ll do whatever you need.” She, I think she was quite gracious, but she really doesn’t have a choice. We’re going to have this done right,” Trump said during a press conference at Mar-a-Lago on Saturday.
Rubio, for his part, reserved judgment about Rodriguez’s comments. “We’re going to make decisions based on their actions and their deeds in the days and weeks to come,” he said in an interview with The New York Times.
ABC News has reached out to the State Department for comment.
During an appearance Sunday on ABC’s “This Week,” Rubio said that the administration was not recognizing Rodríguez as the current legitimate leader in Venezuela.
“We don’t believe that this regime in place is legitimate via an election,” Rubio said.
The implications of Trump’s pronouncement that the U.S. was going to “run” Venezuela were not immediately clear.
The president suggested during his press conference Saturday that some of his Cabinet officials could undertake the task in coordination with a team of people in Venezuela. He also did not rule out “boots on the ground” from the American military.
“We can’t take a chance of letting somebody else run it and just take over what he left, left off, so we’re making that decision now,” Trump said. “We’ll be involved in it very much. And we want to do liberty for the people.”
Trump also said that the opposition leader, Machado, does not have the “respect” needed to run the country. Political analysts interviewed by ABC News rejected Trump’s assessment of Machado.
A U.S. official said the Trump administration would engage diplomatically with the remainder of the Venezuelan government, engage with oil executives to rebuild the infrastructure, that the American military would remain at the ready, that the oil embargo would remain in place and the administration would continue to dismantle cartels. Beyond that, the plan was not immediately clear.
On “This Week” Sunday, when pressed on whether the U.S. was in charge of Venezuela right now, Rubio said that what the U.S. was “running” was the “direction” of the situation.
“What we are running is the direction that this is going to move moving forward. And that is we have leverage,” Rubio added.
In a video from World Without Exploitation, Jeffrey Epstein survivors are seen holding photos of their younger selves, as some of them recite their ages when they met him. (World Without Exploitation)
(NEW YORK) — The anti-trafficking group World Without Exploitation released a video PSA featuring a group of Epstein survivors advocating for the release of all Epstein files.
In the video released Sunday, the women are seen holding photos of their younger selves, as some of them recite their ages when they first met sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Some of the eleven women featured in the video cry or grow emotional as they speak.
“It’s time to bring the secrets out of the shadows. It’s time to shine a light into the darkness,” the women say.
The video concludes with on-screen text that reads, “Five administrations and we’re still in the dark.” Following the message is a plea to call Congress and demand the release of the Epstein files.
The House is set to vote this week on a bill to compel the release of the full Justice Department files related to Jeffrey Epstein. Over the weekend, President Donald Trump marked a sudden shift in his stance on the topic — calling for Republicans to vote in favor of the files’ release.
Trump had previously called the release of the emails a Democratic “hoax” and added “some stupid” and “foolish” Republicans had fallen for it.
None of the documents previously made public contain allegations of wrongdoing by Trump.
Groups of Epstein survivors have called on Congress to make the files public in the past.
In September, a group of Epstein survivors shared their stories on Capitol Hill and called on lawmakers to support the release of the files. One of the women, Anouska De Georgiou, said the survivors want their voices to be heard.
“The days of sweeping this under the rug are over. We the survivors say ‘no more,'” she said.
A group of Epstein survivors plan to be in D.C. for a press conference on Capitol Hill on Tuesday morning with Republican Rep. Thomas Massie, Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna and Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who sparred with Trump over the handling of the Epstein investigation.
Rep. Doug LaMalfa, R-Calif., leaves a meeting of the House Republican Conference at the Capitol Hill Club on Wednesday, January 22, 2025. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — California Republican Rep. Doug LaMalfa has died at the age of 65, according to his office — as President Donald Trump, House Speaker Mike Johnson and Republican leaders reacted Tuesday to the seven-term congressman’s unexpected death.
LaMalfa’s chief of staff, Mark Spannagel, released a statement on behalf of the congressman’s office confirming his death early Tuesday morning.
“Early this morning Congressman Doug LaMalfa returned home to the Lord. He leaves a lasting legacy of servant leadership [and] kindness to the North State,” the statement noted. “His humor and work effort are legendary – with one reporter once saying he’d look in the back yard of every BBQ just to see if Doug was there visiting.”
“Congressman LaMalfa cared deeply for the people he served and worked tirelessly to hold the government to its word to fix our failing forests, build water storage, and leave people to be free to choose what is best for themselves,” the statement continued. “His tragic and unexpected passing leaves a deep impact on many. He leaves behind his amazing wife Jill, four children, one grandchild, two sisters and a host of cousins.”
LaMalfa’s untimely death cuts into Speaker Johnson’s thin majority, with 218 Republicans and 213 Democrats leaving GOP leaders with a two-vote margin. This comes just a day after Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene resigned from office a year before her term was set to expire.
“Congress is devastated to learn this morning about the passing of our dear friend and colleague, Doug LaMalfa,” Johnson, R-La., said in a statement. “Doug was a lifelong resident of northern California and deeply loved its people. He was as fierce of a fighter for his state’s vast natural resources and beauty as we have ever known. We are mourning the loss of our friend and brother today and we send our respects for his life and work to his wife Jill and the LaMalfa family during this difficult time.”
President Trump, speaking Tuesday morning at a House Republican retreat at the recently renamed Kennedy Center, reacted to LaMalfa’s passing — praising him as “a fierce champion on California water issues.”
“Before we go any further, I want to express our tremendous sorrow at the loss of a great member, a great, great, great member: Congressman Doug LaMalfa,” Trump said.
“He was great on water. He wanted to release the water, he’d scream out, and a true defender of American children. He was a defender of everybody. And our hearts go out to his wife, Jill and his entire family,” Trump added.
The president claimed that LaMalfa voted with him “100% of the time” and wasn’t a member that the speaker needed the president to whip into line.
“I spoke to Doug, but I didn’t speak to him about — I mean, I never had a problem,” Trump said. “And I was really, I was really saddened by his passing and was thinking about not even doing the speech in his honor. But then I decided that I have to do it in his honor. I’ll do it in his honor, because he would have wanted it that way.”
Across the aisle, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who took office in 2013 alongside LaMalfa, extended his condolences to the congressman’s family and constituents.
“I join people across Northern California in mourning the untimely passing of Congressman Doug LaMalfa. A fourth-generation rice farmer, Rep. LaMalfa treasured his community, worked powerfully to protect California’s farmers and served those he represented with principled purpose, from the state legislature to the United States House of Representatives,” Jeffries, D-N.Y., stated. “Doug and I joined the Congress as classmates in 2013, and it was an honor to witness firsthand his passion and personal resolve for more than a decade.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, said flags at the California State Capitol will be flown at half-staff in honor of LaMalfa.
“Congressman Doug LaMalfa was a devoted public servant who deeply loved his country, his state, and the communities he represented. While we often approached issues from different perspectives, he fought every day for the people of California with conviction and care. He will be deeply missed,” Newsom said in a statement.
Before coming to Washington, former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy not only served in the California state legislature with LaMalfa — the two were roommates.
“Doug was first and foremost a devoted husband and father, inspired by his Christian faith and values to make the lives of others better. Many will remember him as a principled legislator, but he was also a commonsense rice farmer through and through, spending his time in Congress fighting for family farms on agriculture, water, and resource issues, as well as working to eliminate government waste like California’s high-speed rail,” McCarthy wrote on X. “Always thoughtful and affable, Doug was the unanimous choice of his colleagues to lead the Western Caucus in Congress. He will be truly missed.”
