February 16, 2025: Donald Trump presidency news

Our live coverage of Donald Trump’s presidency has ended for the day. Follow the latest updates or read through the posts below.

President Donald Trump on Saturday offered a cryptic, one-sentence insight into what appears to be the guiding philosophy behind the first weeks of his presidency — and his expansive and unprecedented efforts to reshape the use of executive authority.

“He who saves his Country does not violate any Law,” Trump claimed in a social media post, now pinned atop his profile.

Trump has dramatically reimagined the scope of his executive power at the start of his second term, issuing scores of executive actions. The efforts have been bolstered by the administration’s implicit confidence in its capacity to defend itself from legal challenges as Trump, in part, sought to remake the judiciary during his first term.

Still, Trump’s extraordinary attempts to expand the power of the executive branch have hit legal roadblocks in recent days. Dozens of court cases have swiftly challenged Trump’s policies and prompted judges to put on hold some of the implementation to determine whether the moves are legal. The lawsuits include challenges to stopping federal foreign aid, firing federal workers, ending government programs and even closing agencies altogether.

Trump’s Saturday social media post is likely to have echoes in court — and government attorneys defending his policy decisions against more than 60 lawsuits are arguing to protect and expand executive power.

Read more here.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer gives an interview during a visit to Springfields (Preston Lab), National Nuclear Laboratory facility in Preston, England, on February 6.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he will meet with President Donald Trump and other G7 allies in the coming days to secure a strong peace deal for Ukraine.

Writing in the Daily Telegraph newspaper, Starmer also said that he is “ready and willing” to put British troops on the ground in Ukraine and that he does not take the possibility lightly. He reasoned that helping to guarantee Ukraine’s security would also strengthen the security of the United Kingdom and Europe.

Starmer also said European nations must step up — saying that “as European nations, we must increase our defense spending and take on a greater role in NATO” — but added that US support would remain critical for guaranteeing peace.

Some context: Starmer is among the European leaders who will take part in an emergency summit on Ukraine on Monday amid growing concern that the Trump administration’s push to work with Russia to end the war has left them isolated.

The continent has been scrambling to respond after Trump announced negotiations would begin “immediately” on ending the conflict and after Trump’s Russia-Ukraine envoy, Keith Kellogg, said Europe would not be involved.

Talks between the US and Russia over the war in Ukraine are set to begin Tuesday, multiple sources told CNN.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Middle East special envoy Steve Witkoff and national security adviser Mike Waltz are all traveling to Saudi Arabia for the talks, CNN previously reported.

A Saudi official told CNN the Saudi team will be involved in a mediation role. The team will be led by their national security adviser.

A Ukrainian official confirmed they will not be present at the talks, though Keith Kellogg, the Trump administration’s Russia-Ukraine envoy, discussed a “dual track” set of negotiations and will be in Kyiv this week. President Donald Trump also said Sunday that the Ukrainians will be part of the negotiations.

Some background: Trump has talked openly about the Saudis playing a key role in the negotiations, and the country has been an important part of US foreign policy under his presidency.

It was just a week ago that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman helped facilitate the release of detained American Marc Fogel in Russia.

Trump’s first foreign trip of his first term was to Saudi Arabia in 2017.

CNN’s Jeff Zeleny contributed reporting to this post.

The Department of Education headquarters in Washington, DC, is seen on September 9, 2019.

The Department of Education sent a “Dear Colleague” letter Friday threatening the federal funding of any academic institution that considers race in most aspects of student life.

The letter, geared toward all preschool, elementary, secondary and postsecondary educational institutions, as well as state educational agencies that receive financial assistance from the federal government, stated a sweeping and controversial interpretation of federal law following the 2023 Supreme Court decision Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, which gutted affirmative action.

The instructions are almost certain to draw legal challenges.

This interpretation could open a wide range of challenges to courses and literature taught in schools, scholarships for non-White students, and various student organizations including Black fraternities and sororities.

“And race-based decision-making, no matter the form, remains impermissible. For example, a school may not use students’ personal essays, writing samples, participation in extracurriculars, or other cues as a means of determining or predicting a student’s race and favoring or disfavoring such students,” the letter reads.

The letter also criticized diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, known as DEI, claiming, “Educational institutions have toxically indoctrinated students with the false premise that the United States is built upon ‘systemic and structural racism’ and advanced discriminatory policies and practices.”

The letter says the department will “take appropriate measures to assess compliance with the applicable statutes and regulations based on the understanding embodied in this letter” no later than February 28, “including antidiscrimination requirements that are a condition of receiving federal funding.”

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters after landing at Palm Beach International Airport in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sunday.

President Donald Trump says Ukrainian President Volodmyr Zelensky will be involved in the peace negotiations on Russia’s war in Ukraine.

The US president could meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin “very soon,” he added, as he took questions from reporters in West Palm Beach on Sunday.

Asked if Zelensky would be involved in the conversations, Trump said, “He will be involved — yes.”

Some context: Trump said earlier this week that negotiations to end the nearly three-year Ukraine war will start “immediately” after holding a “lengthy and highly productive” phone call with Putin. His administration has since sent top delegates to Saudi Arabia to meet with Russian counterparts.

Trump’s posture toward Putin — and comments from administration officials about concessions Ukraine may need to make to secure peace — has prompted concern in Kyiv and across Europe that Ukrainian and European leaders will be frozen out of the talks.

On tariffs: Trump was also asked by reporters about European countries saying they will ban US food imports in response to his tariffs.

“I don’t mind. Let them do it. Let them do it,” Trump said. “They’re just hurting themselves if they do that. I can’t imagine it, but doesn’t matter.”

People are seen outside the Supreme Court building in Washington, DC, on June 29.

President Donald Trump will ask the Supreme Court to allow him to fire the head of a government ethics watchdog agency in the first appeal from his litigious second term to reach the nation’s highest court.

At the center of the appeal is Hampton Dellinger, who leads the Office of Special Counsel and whom Trump fired this month despite protections enacted by Congress, which require an administration to show cause for dismissing someone from the post before their five-year term has ended.

A federal district court temporarily blocked Dellinger’s dismissal while it considers his case, and the US Circuit Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit late Saturday declined to overrule that decision. The Justice Department prepared its appeal to the Supreme Court within hours of that decision.

The Justice Department described the district court’s ruling as an “unprecedented assault on the separation of powers,” according to a copy of the appeal obtained by CNN.

Catch up on the case here.

President Donald Trump announced his nominations to head the Export-Import Bank of the United States, the US attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and a new adviser to help run the National Archives in a series of social media posts Sunday.

In another post, Trump said he is nominating Judge Jason Reding Quiñones to serve as US attorney for the Southern District of Florida to “restore Law and Order, prosecute violent crimes and, MAKE AMERICA SAFE AGAIN.”

Trump also announced a new senior adviser, Jim Byron, to help run the National Archives and Records Administration, shortly after the administration forced out senior leadership at the institution in a major shakeup last week. Trump has been highly critical of the archives since the agency asked the Department of Justice to investigate Trump’s mishandling of classified documents after he left office.

President Donald Trump greets drivers and crew members at NASCAR's Daytona 500 race in Daytona Beach, Florida, on Sunday.

President Donald Trump is attending the Daytona 500, NASCAR’s premiere race in Daytona, Florida, on Sunday.

The presidential limousine, known colloquially as “The Beast,” did ceremonial pace laps around the track before the race started shortly after 2 p.m. ET.

The president addressed the drivers over the radio during his pace laps, saying he’s a “big fan” and wishing them a good race. He later told the Fox broadcast “there’s spirit again” in the country and around the world.

President Donald Trump rides in the presidential limousine, known as "The Beast," as he takes a pace lap ahead of the start of NASCAR's Daytona 500 race in Daytona Beach, Florida, on Sunday.

Earlier today, Trump released a statement that said the event “showcases the fastest, most fearless drivers in motorsports, who represent our Nation’s love of tradition, competition, and automotive innovation.”

This year’s Daytona 500 features 41 drivers racing for 500 miles to win NASCAR’s largest purse.

Trump’s race appearance comes shortly after he made history as the first sitting US president to attend a Super Bowl.

This post has been updated with details about Trump’s appearance at the race.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks to the press in Jerusalem on Sunday. The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu in November. He remains wanted for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he knew about US President Donald Trump’s vision for a US takeover of Gaza before it was announced.

In a cabinet meeting on Sunday speaking about US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s visit to Israel, Netanyahu said, “We have a shared strategy, we are coordinated, and we are working in full cooperation. This has been happening even before President Trump published his vision for Gaza, a revolutionary vision, which holds enormous change for the state of Israel.”

President Donald Trump speaks during a press conference at the White House in Washington, DC, on February 4. Trump’s plan for the forced displacement and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from Gaza is unlawful.

Remember: At a joint news conference alongside Netanyahu earlier this month, Trump announced an idea for the US to “take over” Gaza, relocate Palestinians to neighboring countries, and redevelop the war-torn enclave into what he described as the “Riviera of the Middle East.”

It was an unprecedented proposal for a sitting US president to float publicly, and prompted swift backlash from the leaders of Arab countries and across the world.

The Israeli leader had previously referred to Trump’s idea as a “revolutionary, creative vision.”

Multiple top prosecutors appointed by former President Joe Biden to federal districts across the country were left without official means to communicate Friday after their government-issued phones and email accounts were deactivated, two sources familiar with the move tell CNN.

The United States attorneys were provided no explanation why their electronic communications suddenly stopped working, sources said, and as of Sunday they still had not received a response from the Office of the Deputy Attorney General seeking details.

The disruption in electronic communication experienced by several of the nation’s senior prosecutors was first reported by Bloomberg. CNN has reached out to the Justice Department for comment.

It is unclear how many prosecutors were specifically impacted, but nearly two dozen US attorneys appointed by Biden are believed to still be on the job.

Why this matters: While it is not unusual for an incoming administration to replace chief prosecutors, who serve as Senate-confirmed political appointees, the sudden inability of US attorneys still serving to communicate presents a potential threat to public safety, sources said.

In addition to managing the daily functions of their respective offices, US attorneys are key players in the government’s response to urgent national security incidents such as a terrorist attack, where their approval may be needed in order for investigators to seek emergency court authorizations.

The disruption in official communication services Friday set off a scramble by those impacted to ensure their staff and law enforcement partner agencies had alternate personal phone and email information in the event of an emergency, sources said.

A shopper browses for eggs in front of a sign posted about egg shortages at a PCC Community Markets grocery store in Seattle on January 27.

President Donald Trump’s administration is working on a plan to combat avian flu as Americans face sparse supply and high prices for eggs at grocery stores across the country.

Kevin Hassett, the director of the National Economic Council, told CBS on Sunday that he and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins will present Trump with a plan next week.

Hassett blamed egg supply issues on the Biden administration’s strategy of killing chickens to mitigate the spread of avian flu. Hassett said the goal is a “smarter” method that would avoid killing the chickens by using biosecurity measures and medication to ensure safety.

“We’re finalizing the ideas about how to do that with the best scientists in government,” he said on “Face the Nation.”

Key context: While agricultural experts say politicians in Washington and around the country can do more to help curtail avian flu, they largely agree the egg shortage is not former President Joe Biden’s fault. It’s not Trump’s, either, but the president has now inherited the issue after campaigning on promises to immediately bring down prices, particularly at the grocery store.

The US’ approach to bird flu has long focused on eradication. However, that strategy may be shifting as the virus spreads to other types of animals and becomes harder to contain.

Last week, the USDA gave conditional approval to a bird flu vaccine for use in chickens, according to the vaccine’s maker, Zoetis. Several countries already vaccinate chickens against bird flu.

Americans can continue to expect high prices for eggs over the course of this year, new estimates show.

CNN’s Jamie Gumbrecht and Vanessa Yurkevich contributed to this report.

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, says there is bipartisan support in Congress for Ukraine, despite what she called a “mixed message” coming from the Trump administration.

In an interview with CBS’ “Face the Nation,” Shaheen called out seemingly contradictory statements in recent days by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other top administration officials regarding whether it’s realistic for Ukraine to join NATO or ever return to its pre-2014 borders.

Shaheen praised Senate Armed Services Commitee Chairman Roger Wicker, a Republican, for telling Politico he was “disturbed” by Hegseth’s comments making concessions about the future of Ukraine.

Shaheen said there is a “great deal of concern” among allies at the conference about the “US position on Ukraine,” and highlighted how lawmakers assured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky there is “no daylight between the United States and our NATO allies and our European allies” in holding Russian President Vladimir Putin accountable through sanctions.

Residents walk through the rubble following an Israeli airstrike in al-Zawaida, Gaza on November 1, 2024.

Steve Witkoff, the US special envoy to the Middle East, is playing a central role in the Trump administration’s approach to securing peace in both Gaza and Ukraine.

Here’s what he said today on each front:

Gaza ceasefire: Witkoff expressed confidence that phase two of the uneasy ceasefire and hostage exchange deal between Israel and Hamas would take place.

“Phase two is absolutely going to begin,” he said during an interview with Maria Bartiromo on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures,” noting that he spoke by phone today with leaders in Israel, Qatar and Egypt.

Phase two of the ceasefire would include the return of 19 Israel Defense Forces soldiers, whom the US believes to be alive, as well as others, including American citizen Edan Alexander.

In a statement today, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio applauded the release of three more hostages by Hamas on Saturday, but warned the group’s leaders that they are “playing with fire” as negotiations continue over the release of their remaining captives. Rubio called on Hamas to release remaining hostages immediately.

Ukraine war negotiations: Witkoff told Bartiromo he’s traveling with a US delegation to Saudi Arabia on Sunday to begin talks with senior Moscow officials aimed at ending Russia’s war in Ukraine, as CNN has previously reported.

He described the upcoming negotiations as “trust-building” toward the ultimate goal of ending the war.

Witkoff disputed criticism that Ukraine isn’t part of the Saudi Arabia talks, pointing to President Donald Trump’s call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other high-level Trump officials’ engagement with Ukrainian officials.

“I don’t think this is about excluding anybody. In fact, it’s about including everybody,” Witkoff said.

CNN’s Alison Main contributed reporting to this post.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks during a press conference in Jerusalem on Sunday.

Plans for President Donald Trump’s team to meet with senior Russian officials in Saudi Arabia in the coming days mark the first steps in a process to determine whether Russia is serious about ending its war in Ukraine, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Sunday.

Pressed on whom he would be meeting, Rubio said, “Nothing’s been finalized yet.”

CNN has reported that the Kremlin is assembling a group of top political, economic and intelligence personnel to participate in the talks.

Rubio indicated both Ukraine and European leaders would be brought into the negotiations if talks progress in the right direction — comments that come a day after the US special envoy on the conflict, Keith Kellogg, said Europe would not have a seat at the table. That fanned fears in Ukraine and across the continent about the new US approach to peace talks.

The secretary of state also provided some details about his call yesterday with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, which, Rubio said, was meant to establish an open channel of communication.

Rubio said he raised the issue of the “very difficult conditions” diplomats are operating under at the US embassy in Moscow.

Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin said Sunday that Ukraine should be at the negotiating table for peace talks along with Russia and the United States.

When pressed on the fact that Ukraine is not being included in upcoming talks between the Trump administration and Russia in Saudi Arabia — and was not even informed of the negotiations, according to a Ukrainian source — Mullin praised Trump for having separate discussions with both parties.

He said the president’s goal was “getting them in separate rooms, talking about what they will accept, and then finding out a negotiation path forward before you bring them to the table,” because bringing the two sides directly together too fast could lead to significant setbacks.

The Oklahoma lawmaker said he has not had conversations with President Donald Trump or Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker about whether the US will continue to supply weapons to Ukraine until there is a ceasefire.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries speaks at a press conference on February 6 in Washington, DC.

Democrats are still at the negotiating table with Republicans as the March 14 deadline to fund the government looms, but the party will make sure the GOP shoulders the blame of a potential shutdown, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Sunday.

“Republicans have consistently shut down the government in the past, and it would be no surprise if they do just that,” Jeffries said on ABC’s “This Week.”

Jeffries said Democrats are looking for a spending agreement that “meets the needs of the American people in terms of their health, their safety, our national security and certainly the economic well-being of everyday Americans.”

He said Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the top House Democratic appropriator, has been in “off and on conversations” with GOP House colleagues, as well as senators, adding, “We’ll see how that unfolds over the next few weeks.”

Jeffries said he has not spoken with anyone in the Trump administration on the issue, but he expects conversations across the aisle to “intensify” as the funding deadline approaches.

He also called a GOP-led plan to advance President Donald Trump’s legislative agenda, which passed along party lines in the House Budget Committee on Thursday, “out of control” and a “non-starter.”

A Ukrainian service member fires a howitzer near the frontline city of Toretsk, Ukraine on October 25, 2024.

US national security adviser Mike Waltz previewed the key tenets that he said will drive peace talks in the coming days between top Trump administration figures and senior Russian officials to end the war in Ukraine.

Waltz said on “Fox News Sunday” that the “key underpinnings” the US will emphasize include securing a permanent end to the war, which “can’t be ended on the battlefield,” a change in how the US distributes foreign aid, and the integration of Ukraine financially with the US.

On the last point, Waltz argued being “coinvested” with the US was the best route to Ukraine’s security, pointing to an investment deal handed to Ukraine by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Wednesday, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky did not sign.

“Zelensky would be very wise to enter into this agreement with the United States,” Waltz said. “We’re talking about growing the pie for the Ukrainian economy.”

Meanwhile, Waltz said long-term military security guarantees for the country need to be “European-led.”

Key context: President Donald Trump and his administration have presented a vision for ending the war that appears to allow for key concessions to Russia, raising fears that Ukraine could be marginalized and Europe left out of peacemaking.

Waltz, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Middle East special envoy Steve Witkoff are planning to travel to Saudi Arabia for the talks with Russia, two sources familiar with the plans previously told CNN.

Ukraine was “not informed” about the delegation’s plans, a Ukrainian official told CNN. Zelensky has previously said the country will not accept a peace deal struck between the US and Russia without Kyiv’s involvement.

Europe’s role: Waltz said European allies have been engaged in conversations around the Russia-Ukraine conflict. He said Trump spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron this week, and announced an upcoming meeting between Trump and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

The Élysée confirmed Trump’s conversation with the French president, but did not provide details. CNN has also reached out to the White House National Security Council.

White House Border Czar Tom Homan speaks at the White House in Washington, DC on February 6.

Trump administration border czar Tom Homan called it “ridiculous” to suggest New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ decision to let federal immigration agents into Rikers Island was related to the Department of Justice ordering federal prosecutors to drop corruption charges against Adams.

The concession came after a second meeting, following the charges being dropped, but Homan said it was just the two men talking “cop to cop.”

“That’s why I requested a second meeting, to find out what more we need to do, get some of this stuff in place. So I just think, you know, people making a lot about nothing,” he said.

Key context: The DOJ’s dismissal “without prejudice” leaves open the possibility of reinstating the charges against Adams.

The lead prosecutor on the case, Hagan Scotten, was among those who resigned over the move. He called the action a “dismissal-with-leverage,” and warned in a resignation letter against using “prosecutorial power to influence other citizens, much less elected officials.”

Homan on AOC: Homan also said he wants the DOJ to review the definition of “impeding” law enforcement after Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York held a webinar advising people of their legal rights when interacting with ICE.

Advising people of their legal rights is not a crime, nor is exercising those legal rights. It is also not legally considered impeding law enforcement to do either.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar speaks during a news conference in Washington, DC in September 2024.

Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar said Sunday that she doesn’t believe the Trump administration’s defiance of court orders has risen to the level of a constitutional crisis, but warned that officials could face legal consequences if they hold firm in ignoring judges.

“We’re not quite there yet,” Klobuchar told CNN’s Dana Bash on “State of the Union,” adding that Trump administration officials, including “lower level people,” will have to decide if they’re prepared to face contempt of court charges.

The senator said that, ultimately, Trump’s first administration did follow court orders, and that some of her Republican colleagues, including Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Sens. Chuck Grassley and Josh Hawley, have been voices saying, “You have to follow the rule of law.”

NY corruption case: Responding to the Justice Department’s push for prosecutors to drop the corruption case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams, Klobuchar, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, accused the administration of using the mayor as a “political pawn.”

Potential government shutdown: Asked by Bash if she thinks Democrats should withhold votes from a bill to fund the government beyond March 14 as leverage, Klobuchar argued her party doesn’t want a shutdown, but it is up to Republicans to prevent that from happening, suggesting Democrats are not eager to come to the table in negotiations.