Trump signs executive action targeting law firm representing former special counsel Jack Smith
Drew Angerer/Getty Images
(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump signed an executive action Tuesday targeting a prominent law firm that represents former special counsel Jack Smith. The memo strips Smith’s attorney of his security clearance as well as any other attorneys at the firm who assisted Smith while he was investigating Trump.
Covington and Burling LLP said it is representing Smith in a personal capacity, and a person familiar with the matter said there is no evidence the law firm played any part in Smith’s criminal investigations of Trump.
The memo Trump signed Tuesday — a major escalation in Trump’s targeting of those he believes to be his political enemies — also directs the Office of Management and Budget to review any government contracts held by the law firm.
“One law firm that provided pro-bono legal services to the special counsel’s office under Jack Smith’s leadership was Covington and Burling,” White House Staff Secretary Will Scharf said about the memo as Trump moved to sign it during a ceremony on Tuesday. “As a result of those actions, we’re now going to be suspending and putting under review the security clearances for the attorneys and employees at that firm who worked with Jack Smith’s team. And we’re going to continue holding the people who were responsible for the weaponization of government, who supported it, accountable for what they did.”
Trump asked Scharf about the plans to do this to other law firms and Scharf said that the administration was looking at a range of options to take against other law firms. Trump tossed the pen to an attendee and joked “Why don’t you give it to Jack Smith?” and called him a “deranged” individual.
A reporter asked Trump whether the action to strip the attorneys’ security clearances amounted to political targeting, but Trump cut the reporter off and said that he was the target.
“I’ve been targeted for four years longer than that. So, you don’t tell me about targeting?” Trump said. “I was the target of corrupt politicians for four years, and then four years after that. So don’t talk to me about targeting.”
A person familiar with Covington’s representation of Jack Smith responded to Trump’s action saying, “There is no evidence the firm itself played any role in Special Counsel Smith’s investigation of Trump — and no evidence their representation of Smith had anything to do with his official duties. Separately, Covington is not a contractor to the federal government.”
A spokesperson for the firm added that they recently agreed to represent Smith in an individual capacity and look forward to defending him.
“For more than 100 years, Covington has represented clients facing government investigations, consistent with the best traditions of the legal profession. We recently agreed to represent Jack Smith when it became apparent that he would become a subject of a government investigation. Covington serves as defense counsel to Jack Smith in his personal, individual capacity. We look forward to defending Mr. Smith’s interests and appreciate the trust he has placed in us to do so.”
As special counsel, Smith led probes into both Trump’s handling of classified material and his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
Both cases were dropped following Trump’s reelection in November due to a longstanding Justice Department policy prohibiting the prosecution of a sitting president.
Under Trump’s continual personal attacks, Smith defended his conduct as fully lawful, free of partisan influence and vital to the justice system.
In a letter before he stepped down, Smith personally denounced Trump for levying “laughable” and baseless attacks on the federal prosecutors who brought two criminal cases against him.
(WASHINGTON) — The Trump administration is set to impose tariffs on goods from Canada, Mexico and China on Saturday, placing pressure on three top U.S. trade partners while risking price increases for essential products like gasoline and groceries.
The policy is expected to slap a 25% tariff on all products from Canada and Mexico, as well as a 10% tariff on goods from China.
Hours before the tariffs were set to take effect, leaders in Canada and Mexico vowed to respond, indicating the possibility of a trade war.
Tariffs of this magnitude will likely increase prices paid by U.S. shoppers, since importers typically pass along a share of the cost of those higher taxes to consumers, experts previously told ABC News.
The policy could raise prices for an array of products ranging from avocados to tequila to auto parts.
The price impact remains unclear, however, since businesses within the supply chain could opt to take on some or all of the tax burden, some experts added.
Speaking at the White House on Friday, U.S. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the tariffs target the three countries for hosting the manufacture and transport of illicit drugs that end up in the U.S.
“Canada, Mexico and China have all enabled illegal drugs to pour into America,” Leavitt said.
The sentiment echoed comments made by President Donald Trump when he proposed such tariffs in a post on Truth Social weeks after winning the November election.
“These are promises made and promises kept by the president,” Leavitt said.
Less than two hours after Leavitt addressed reporters, Canadian President Justin Trudeau said in a post on X that such tariffs would elicit a “forceful and immediate response.”
Speaking earlier in the day, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum cast doubt on the likelihood of tariffs. “We don’t believe that it will happen and if it does, we have our plan,” Sheinbaum said.
Mexico and Canada account for 70% of U.S. crude oil imports, which make up a key input for the nation’s gasoline supply, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, a government agency.
The tariffs could raise gasoline prices by as much as 70 cents a gallon for some drivers, Timothy Fitzgerald, a professor of business economics at the University of Tennessee who studies the petroleum industry, previously told ABC News.
Trump said at the Oval Office earlier this week that the tariffs may feature an exemption for oil. Such a move could mitigate the risk of a price hike for gasoline, but the inclusion of the exemption remained unclear a day before the tariffs were set to take effect.
When asked on Friday about a possible exemption for oil, Leavitt declined to directly respond. “I don’t have an update,” Leavitt said. “Those tariffs will be for public consumption in about 24 hours.”
The proposed tariffs could also raise the price of an array of fresh fruits and vegetables, including tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, jalapenos, limes and mangoes, Jason Miller, a professor of supply-chain management at Michigan State University, told ABC News.
It would be difficult for the U.S. to replace those goods with domestic production or an alternative supplier, making it likely that prices would rise significantly if the tariffs take effect, he added.
The auto industry also retains deep ties to Canada and Mexico, making tariffs a threat to prices for cars and auto parts, experts said.
Inflation has slowed dramatically from a peak of more than 9% in June 2022, but price increases have picked up in recent months, keeping inflation nearly a percentage point higher than the Fed’s target rate of 2%.
Speaking on Friday, Leavitt touted Trump’s previous achievements in keeping inflation under control.
“Americans who are concerned about increased prices should look at what President Trump did in his first term. He effectively implemented tariffs and the average inflation rate during the first Trump administration was 1.9%.”
ABC News’ William Gretsky contributed to this report.
(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden on Friday is set to award the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest military decoration, to seven U.S. Army veterans for heroism during the Korean War and Vietnam War.
The Medal of Honor is awarded to those who “distinguish themselves conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of their own lives above and beyond the call of duty,” according to the White House.
“The meritorious conduct must involve great personal bravery or self-sacrifice so conspicuous as to clearly distinguish the individual above his or her comrades and must have involved risk of life,” it said ahead of the White House ceremony taking place just under three weeks before Biden leaves office.
Five of the recipients were killed in battle. Among the two who survived and being honored is Korean War veteran Richard Cavazos, who became the first Hispanic four-star general for the Army.
Cavazos, who has since died, is receiving the Medal of Honor for heroism when fighting as a first lieutenant in the Korean War, for which he previously received the Distinguished Service Cross.
“He was a man of deep faith who loved his country, loved his family, loved his soldiers, and it was that love, that selfless love of which there’s no greater love that drove him up the hill that night in 1953 to collect the men of his company and get them to safety,” his son Tommy Cavazos told reporters ahead of the ceremony.
Richard Cavazos was ordered to withdraw his troops while fighting under intense enemy fire and brought his troops to safety, according to the Army. However, he remained on the battlefield alone and found five wounded men, evacuating them one by one. He then returned to the battlefield to search for missing soldiers, leading at least two groups of men who had been separated from the main fighting force to safety.
“He firmly believed that the Army provided the opportunity for ordinary citizens to raise their hands, take their oaths and do the extraordinary job of protecting this country,” Tommy Cavazos added.
On May 9, 2023, Fort Hood in Texas was renamed Fort Cavazos as part of a broader Biden administration effort to rename military installations named after Confederate generals.
“Gen. Cavazos was known around the Army as a battle proven warrior,” Lt. Gen. Sean Bernabe, commanding general of III Armored Corps, said at the time. “Let his name and all that it represents inspire us all every single day to live up to his legacy.”
Pfc. Charles R. Johnson, Cpl. Fred B. McGee, Pfc. Wataru Nakamura and Pvt. Bruno R. Orig will also be honored for actions in the Korean War, while Capt. Hugh R. Nelson Jr. and Pfc. Kenneth J. David will be honored for actions in the Vietnam War.
David, who also previously received the Distinguished Service Cross, is the only recipient still alive. He is being awarded for gallantry in a 1970 battle in which he helped his team of 14 soldiers push back hundreds of North Vietnamese troops.
On May 7, 1970, David exited his platoon’s defense perimeter and repeatedly drew attention toward himself after an initial enemy assault that mortally wounded his platoon leader and several other service members, according to the Army.
“Surrounded on three sides by the larger enemy force, he engaged them with his rifle and hand grenades,” the White House said in its press release. “When the enemy attempted to concentrate their fire on the wounded, Private First Class David jumped from his position and yelled to draw the fire back to himself.”
Though wounded in the attack, he continued to draw enemy fire away from his platoon so the wounded could be evacuated, denying aid for himself until all others were safe.
“It was not until the last helicopter was landing that he retreated from his position in front of the perimeter and continued laying down fire until finally being evacuated himself,” the White House added.
ABC News’ Matt Seyler and Cheyenne Haslett contributed to this report.
(WASHINGTON) — If she is confirmed as director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard would be the youngest-ever in that role, the first millennial, the first Asian American, and only the second woman to hold the position.
But she is expected to face questions in her confirmation hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee about statements she has made that appear to support U.S. enemies and dictators as well as having no significant experience in intelligence. Gabbard can only afford to lose the votes of three Republicans and sources tell ABC News the vote on her nomination is expected to be a close one.
In excerpts from her opening statement, Gabbard confronts her critics.
“The truth is: what really upsets my political opponents is my consistent record of independence, regardless of political affiliation, and my refusal to be anyone’s puppet. You know who else is committed to defending our country and reforming Washington with a fierce and unparalleled independence, President Donald J. Trump who ran and won with a mandate for change this November,” she says in the excerpt.
For most of her career, Gabbard has broken barriers. She was the youngest woman ever elected to a state house of representatives and the first to graduate from the Accelerated Officer Candidate School at the Alabama Military Academy as a distinguished honor graduate. In Congress, she was the first Samoan American, the youngest woman elected at the time, and the first combat veteran to serve — a distinction she shares with Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth.
Gabbard has prepared extensively over the past two months for her hearings, meeting with former DNI leaders, including John Negroponte, the first DNI, and Michael Allen, who led Negroponte’s confirmation hearing preparations. She also has consulted with former CIA Director Gen. Michael Hayden, along with Trump allies Morgan Ortagus, deputy special presidential envoy for Middle East peace, and FBI director nominee Kash Patel.
She has sought input from a broad range of intelligence experts, former government officials and lawmakers across the aisle. She has participated in policy roundtables with lawyers, ex-intelligence officials, and national security negotiators, including figures involved in the Abraham Accords.
She also held a full-scale mock confirmation hearing ahead of Thursday’s Senate Intelligence Committee proceedings. Former Republican Sen. Richard Burr, who chaired the committee from 2015 to 2020, will introduce her.
Sources on both sides of the aisle on Capitol Hill tell ABC News Gabbard will likely face scrutiny over her past stances on Russia, Ukraine, Syria, and Iran, as well as her defense of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who reached a plea deal with the Justice Department over disseminating classified documents he had obtained illegally. Gabbard said last year on “Real Time With Bill Maher” that “the charges against him are one of the biggest attacks on freedom of the press that we’ve seen and freedom of speech.”
As a member of Congress, Gabbard introduced a bill in 2020 calling for the federal government to drop all charges against Edward Snowden, the former NSA contractor who leaked information in 2013 about how the U.S. government surveils the American public.
She’s also expected to face question on her reversal on Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), a key surveillance tool she voted against reauthorizing in 2020, her last year in Congress.
Gabbard argued that Americans shouldn’t be forced to choose between security and liberty, saying that the Patriot Act and FISA have “been allowing for the abuses of our civil liberties and overreach by our own intelligence and law enforcement agencies through doing things like warrantless sweeping collection of our data, violating our Fourth Amendment constitutional rights.”
Gabbard is also expected to face questions past statements about former President Donald Trump including her decision to vote present on Donald Trump’s.
Over the last two months, Gabbard has met with more than 50 senators, primarily Republicans. The meetings have largely served as an introduction — an opportunity to explain her past positions and assuage concerns about her political evolution. A source close to her told ABC News, “They know they can’t put her in a box. She’s not a Democrat. She’s a new Republican. She has very similar, if not 100% aligned, views with President Trump on ‘America First’ foreign policy. That makes people uneasy because they can’t quite figure her out.”
Gabbard, like Trump, is a former Democrat whose policy views have shifted significantly. Her evolution has been shaped by her 22 years in the Army, including deployments to Iraq, Kuwait, and Djibouti. If confirmed, she will be the first female DNI to have served in the military. She plans to continue serving in the Army Reserve, which is permitted under ODNI regulations.
Behind the scenes, Gabbard has earned bipartisan support within the intelligence community for her willingness to engage with a range of stakeholders. Earlier this month, the families of two former ISIS and al-Qaeda hostages publicly endorsed her nomination in a letter shared with ABC News. The parents of Kayla Mueller, who was killed by ISIS, and Theo Padnos, a former al-Qaeda hostage, argued that the radicalization of individuals — such as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, who drove his truck into a crowd of New Orleans New Year’s revelers — underscores the need for Gabbard’s swift confirmation.
The letter of support came under scrutiny by some lawmakers after rebels toppled Syria’s Bashar al-Assad. Gabbard met with Assad in Syria in 2017, which remains a point of controversy. She has previously defended the trip as a “fact-finding mission” and has maintained that U.S. intervention in Syria empowered extremist groups.
Gabbard warned in the same year that she was concerned that toppling Assad’s regime could lead to groups like ISIS and al-Qaeda to step in to fill the void and “completely massacre all religious minorities there in Syria.”
“I had no intention of meeting with Assad, but when given the opportunity, I felt it was important to take it,” Gabbard said in a 2017 statement. “We should be ready to meet with anyone if there’s a chance it can help bring about an end to this war.”
Padnos, who was kidnapped by the al-Nusra Front in 2012 and held for nearly two years, said Gabbard’s willingness to engage with hostage families compelled him to speak out.
“This is a woman with deep compassion for the victims of terrorism and the courage to get things done,” he told ABC News. “Nobody else has offered their help — except Tulsi.”
Gabbard told ABC News that she was “honored and humbled by that statement of support.”
She has also received backing from law enforcement. The National Sheriffs’ Association endorsed her nomination, citing her commitment to bridging intelligence gaps between federal agencies and local authorities. In a statement, the group praised Gabbard’s pledge to give sheriffs “a seat at the table” in national security discussions.
Sheriff Kieran Donahue, president of the National Sheriffs’ Association, wrote “Gabbard has demonstrated a commitment to addressing the critical disconnect between our intelligence agencies and local law enforcement in preparing for sophisticated and pervasive threats.”
A source close to Gabbard told ABC News that her focus as director of national intelligence will be on restoring trust in the intelligence community and reforming what is and isn’t classified. Specifically, she aims to ensure that the intelligence provided to the Senate and White House is not information already available to lawmakers through media outlets. On Capitol Hill, lawmakers have expressed concern about the overclassification of information.
The source added that Gabbard intends to provide more accurate, raw intelligence to help lawmakers make informed decisions, rather than relying on overclassified data. She also plans to streamline the process for security clearances and return ODNI to its original mission — leading the intelligence community by fostering integration, collaboration and innovation.
Her allies argue that her outsider perspective will help modernize the intelligence community — though critics remain skeptical of her lack of traditional experience.
Thursday’s hearing will test whether Gabbard can win over skeptics — or if her controversial past will derail her bid to become the nation’s top intelligence officer.
