{"id":8305,"date":"2025-12-14T22:12:50","date_gmt":"2025-12-14T22:12:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/2025\/12\/14\/trump-administration-news-president-mourns-victims-of-weekend-shootings-vows-retaliation-for-syria-attack-cnn\/"},"modified":"2025-12-14T22:12:50","modified_gmt":"2025-12-14T22:12:50","slug":"trump-administration-news-president-mourns-victims-of-weekend-shootings-vows-retaliation-for-syria-attack-cnn","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/2025\/12\/14\/trump-administration-news-president-mourns-victims-of-weekend-shootings-vows-retaliation-for-syria-attack-cnn\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump administration news: President mourns victims of weekend shootings, vows retaliation for Syria attack – CNN"},"content":{"rendered":"
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U.S. President Donald Trump is vowing retaliation after two U.S. soldiers and a civilian interpreter were killed in Syria. Polo Sandoval speaks with Col. Cedric Leighton, <\/p>\n

” data-duration=”04:08″ data-source-html=” \u2022 Source: CNN<\/a> <\/span>” data-fave-thumbnails=”{“big”: { “uri”: “https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/gettyimages-1320354789-20251214075051445.jpg?c=16×9&q=h_540,w_960,c_fill” }, “small”: { “uri”: “https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/gettyimages-1320354789-20251214075051445.jpg?c=16×9&q=h_540,w_960,c_fill” } }” data-vr-video=”false” data-show-html=”” data-byline-html=”<\/p>\n

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Updated 4:25 PM EST, Sun December 14, 2025 <\/div>\n

” data-check-event-based-preview data-is-vertical-video-embed=”false” data-network-id data-publish-date=”2025-12-14T08:28:25.918Z” data-video-section=”world” data-canonical-url data-branding-key data-video-slug=”u-s-soldiers-killed-syria-leighton-intv-121412aseg2-cnni-world-fast” data-first-publish-slug=”u-s-soldiers-killed-syria-leighton-intv-121412aseg2-cnni-world-fast” data-video-tags=”cnni-fast” data-breakpoints=”{“video-resource–media-extra-large”: 660}” data-display-video-cover=”true” data-details data-track-zone=”top” data-sticky-anchor-pos=”bottom” data-tabcontent=”Content”> <\/p>\n

U.S. President Donald Trump is vowing retaliation after two U.S. soldiers and a civilian interpreter were killed in Syria. Polo Sandoval speaks with Col. Cedric Leighton, <\/p>\n

” data-check-event-based-preview data-network-id data-publish-date=”2025-12-14T08:28:25.918Z” data-video-section=”world” data-canonical-url data-branding-key data-video-slug=”u-s-soldiers-killed-syria-leighton-intv-121412aseg2-cnni-world-fast” data-first-publish-slug=”u-s-soldiers-killed-syria-leighton-intv-121412aseg2-cnni-world-fast” data-video-tags=”cnni-fast”> \"US<\/picture> <\/div>\n

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Trump vows retaliation after two U.S. soldiers killed in Syria <\/p>\n

04:08 <\/span> \u2022 Source: CNN<\/a> <\/span> <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Trump vows retaliation after two U.S. soldiers killed in Syria<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

04:08 <\/span> <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\u2022 Trumps offer prayers: <\/strong>President Donald Trump<\/a> and first lady Melania Trump<\/a> both mourned this weekend\u2019s mass shootings in Rhode Island<\/a> and Australia<\/a> during remarks at a White House Christmas reception today. \u201cI want to pay my respects to the people,\u201d the president said, noting those who remain hospitalized and the two deceased, who he said are \u201clooking down on us right now from heaven.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u2022 Syria retaliation: <\/strong>Trump said there will be \u201ca lot of damage done\u201d in retaliation after two US soldiers and one civilian interpreter were killed in an ambush<\/a> in Syria. <\/strong> <\/p>\n

\u2022 Ukraine talks: <\/strong>Delegations led by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US special envoy Steve Witkoff met today in Berlin<\/a> as the Trump administration\u2019s push for a peace deal has run up against some of the most intractable issues<\/a> for ending Russia\u2019s war<\/a>. <\/p>\n

\u2022 Health care costs: <\/strong>With Obamacare recipients facing skyrocketing costs<\/a> in the new year, the latest health care plan from GOP lawmakers<\/a> does not fulfill Trump\u2019s call to send federal funds directly to enrollees<\/a>. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\"In<\/picture> <\/div>\n

Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump\u2019s special envoy, said Sunday that progress was made during lengthy US-Ukraine talks in Berlin and that discussions will continue Monday. <\/p>\n

The special envoy\u2019s office said on X<\/a> that the meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Witkoff, Trump\u2019s son-in-law Jared Kushner, and US and Ukrainian delegations lasted more than five hours. <\/p>\n

The talks come as the Trump administration intensifies its push for a peace deal, an effort that has run up against some of the most intractable issues in ending Russia\u2019s war in Ukraine. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\"Mounted<\/picture> <\/div>\n

Talks in Berlin between US negotiators and a Ukrainian delegation lasted more than five hours today and are set to continue Monday morning, the Ukrainian presidency said. <\/p>\n

The discussions, which are being led on the Ukrainian side by President Volodymyr Zelensky, have ended for the day, presidential adviser Dmytro Lytvyn told reporters. <\/p>\n

Lytvyn said Zelensky would comment on the talks Monday once they were completed. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Five suspects were arrested by Syrian forces Sunday in connection with an ambush<\/a> in central Syria that killed two US soldiers and a US civilian interpreter, the country\u2019s Interior Ministry said in a statement. <\/p>\n

The ministry said its forces carried out a \u201cqualitative and decisive\u201d operation in the city of Palmyra in coordination with the international coalition fighting ISIS following the Saturday attack, which left three others wounded. <\/p>\n

The arrested suspects were \u201cimmediately placed under investigation,\u201d the statement added. <\/p>\n

The statement came as President Donald Trump said Sunday<\/a> there will be \u201ca lot of damage done\u201d in retaliation after the Americans were killed. <\/p>\n

\u201cI can tell you, in Syria, there will be a lot of damage done to the people that did it,\u201d Trump said at the White House. <\/p>\n

US Central Command and the Department of Defense said the attack was carried out by a single ISIS gunman. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\"First<\/picture> <\/div>\n

First lady Melania Trump said Sunday she is praying for grieving families around the world following a deadly weekend that included a mass shooting in Australia<\/a>, a shooting at Brown University<\/a> and an ambush in Syria<\/a> that killed three Americans. <\/p>\n

The first lady opened her remarks by acknowledging the loss felt by families affected by the violence while speaking alongside President Donald Trump at a Christmas reception at the White House. <\/p>\n

\u201cMy heart is with them,\u201d the first lady added. <\/p>\n

Christmas reception:<\/strong> Melania Trump concluded her remarks by welcoming guests to the White House and encouraging them to enjoy the event. She urged guests to \u201cenjoy the time,\u201d and suggested they visit Santa Claus in one of the White House rooms. <\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s waiting for you. You could take pictures and maybe whisper to him what you would like to have as a present for Christmas,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\"Director<\/picture> <\/div>\n

National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett said today the Federal Reserve should remain independent but its board should consider the president\u2019s opinions on the economy. <\/p>\n

The comments on CBS News\u2019 \u201cFace the Nation\u201d come as Donald Trump prepares to announce his pick<\/a> for Federal Reserve chair, which the president has said he expects to announce \u201cearly next year.\u201d <\/p>\n

Trump said Friday he thinks he \u201ccertainly should have a role in talking to whoever the head of the Fed is, or the Fed. \u2026 I think my voice should be heard.\u201d <\/p>\n

Hassett is one of the top contenders to replace Fed Chair Jerome Powell, but Trump is also considering former Fed Governor Kevin Warsh, who was interviewed Wednesday for the top job at the central bank. <\/p>\n

Hassett added on Sunday that he thinks Trump has \u201cwell-founded views\u201d and that he would like to talk to Trump even if doesn\u2019t get the position, and \u201cwould hope that Kevin Warsh would be talking to the president, as well, if he were Fed chair.\u201d <\/p>\n

When asked whether Trump\u2019s voice would have equal weighting to the Fed\u2019s voting members, Hassett said the president \u201cwould have no weight. It\u2019s just that (Trump\u2019s) opinion matters, if it\u2019s good \u2014 if it\u2019s based on data.\u201d <\/p>\n

Trump has repeatedly said the Federal Reserve should cut interest rates. He has referred to Powell as \u201cToo Late Powell,\u201d citing how the central bank has left rates unchanged for the first half of 2025. Last week, the Fed voted to cut interest rates for a third time<\/a> this year. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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President Donald Trump began remarks<\/a> at a White House Christmas reception Sunday by referencing two shootings over the weekend and the killing of three Americans<\/a> in Syria, before quickly pivoting to lighter topics including his family, golf and snake bites. <\/p>\n

\u201cBrown University, nine injured, two are looking down on us right now from heaven,\u201d Trump said as he opened his comments, referring to the mass shooting<\/a> in Providence, Rhode Island. <\/p>\n

The president also referenced the deadly attack targeting the Jewish community in Australia<\/a> during Hanukkah. \u201cWe\u2019re here to celebrate Christmas and \u2026 I think today we can first say loudly, we celebrate Hanukkah. That was such a horrible attack, that was a purely antisemitic attack,\u201d Trump said, referring to the shooting on Sydney\u2019s Bondi Beach. <\/p>\n

The president then quickly went on to tout his administration\u2019s record: \u201cTo really celebrate the new year, we have an amazing couple of achievements. We\u2019ve taken in more investment money than any country has ever taken in by four times.\u201d <\/p>\n

Trump acknowledged members of his family in attendance. \u201cWe have Don, we have his children. We have Vanessa, the children: Kai, Tristan, Spencer, Chloe,\u201d Trump said, naming his grandchildren, before adding, \u201cAnd all of them, they\u2019re great athletes.\u201d <\/p>\n

He invited American golfer Bryson DeChambeau to the stage, saying, \u201cWe have a man who just won the US Open.\u201d <\/p>\n

The president also spoke at length about snake bites, telling an anecdote about Dr. James Jones, a White House physician who Trump said was bit by a viper on a trip to Peru. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a terrible Christmas story, but it\u2019s a hell of a story, because I\u2019ll tell you what happened,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\"A<\/picture> <\/div>\n

President Donald Trump mourned two deadly attacks this weekend \u2014 the mass shooting at Brown University<\/a> and an attack targeting Australia\u2019s Jewish community<\/a> \u2014 at the top of his remarks at a White House Christmas reception. <\/p>\n

\u201cLikewise, in Australia, as you know, that was a terrible attack \u2014 11 dead, 29 badly wounded. And that was an antisemitic attack, obviously,\u201d he said of the shooting targeting a Hanukkah celebration at Sydney\u2019s Bondi Beach. <\/p>\n

\u201cThink of that and Brown University \u2014 great school, great, great, really, one of the greatest schools anywhere in the world. Things can happen,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

Trump wished the nine injured at Brown to \u201cget well fast,\u201d and told the families of the two students killed, \u201cI pay my deepest regards and respects from the United States of America.\u201d <\/p>\n

He also said he had \u201cgreat respect\u201d for the man who tackled<\/a> the alleged attacker in Australia, calling him a \u201ca very, very brave person.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re here to celebrate Christmas and \u2026 I think today, we can first say, loudly, we celebrate Hanukkah. That was such a horrible attack, that was a purely antisemitic attack,\u201d he told the crowd gathered in the adorned White House to celebrate the holidays. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\"President<\/picture> <\/div>\n

President Donald Trump said Sunday there will be \u201ca lot of damage done\u201d in retaliation after two US soldiers and one civilian interpreter were killed in an ambush<\/a> in Syria. <\/p>\n

\u201cI can tell you, in Syria, there will be a lot of damage done to the people that did it,\u201d Trump told the crowd at a White House Christmas reception. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe had three great patriots terminated by bad people, and not the Syrian government, it was ISIS,\u201d he said, adding that the new president of Syria has \u201cfought by our side.\u201d <\/p>\n

He said of the three Americans injured, two are out of the hospital. <\/p>\n

Some context: <\/strong>Trump said Saturday there will be \u201cvery serious retaliation\u201d after the attack, which was carried out by a single ISIS gunman, according to US Central Command and the Department of Defense <\/p>\n

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds\u2019 office said in a statement late Saturday that the soldiers were members of the state\u2019s National Guard.. <\/p>\n

The statement said about 1,800 Iowa Army National Guard soldiers began deploying to the Middle East in late May to support Operation Inherent Resolve, the US mission to defeat ISIS. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\"In<\/picture> <\/div>\n

The Ukrainian delegation led by President Volodymyr Zelensky begun talks in Berlin with US negotiators led by special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner earlier Sunday, according to a German government official. <\/p>\n

The delegations are meeting at the Federal Chancellery, the official said. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz greeted them at the state entrance and addressed them briefly before withdrawing. <\/p>\n

Zelensky said earlier Sunday there will have to be compromises on proposals to end the war with Russia. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe (peace) plan will not be one that everyone will like. There are certainly many compromises in one form or another of the plan,\u201d he told reporters in a WhatsApp chat ahead of meetings with US and European officials in Berlin. <\/p>\n

\u201cMost importantly, it must be effective, so that the plan is not just a piece of paper, but an important step towards ending the war. And what is also important is that the plan should be such that after its signing, Russia will not be able to start another, third aggression against Ukraine,\u201d Zelensky added. <\/p>\n

Territorial issues, security guarantees, the future size of Ukraine\u2019s armed forces and funds for Ukraine\u2019s reconstruction are among issues still being negotiated. <\/p>\n

Zelensky said he \u201cwill be ready for dialogue, which will begin today,\u201d describing Sunday as \u201cUkrainian-American Day in Berlin.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cIf America puts pressure on, if partners put pressure on, if America wants to end this war, as they are demonstrating today at a high level, I believe that the Russians will have to compromise,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\"In<\/picture> <\/div>\n

US Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack today defended the US military presence in the country after Saturday\u2019s ambush attack on American soldiers, even as some lawmakers are questioning<\/a> the need for troops on the ground. <\/p>\n

American forces have operated for years across multiple locations in Syria, training Syrian partner forces as part of the wider fight against ISIS. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe recent attack does not invalidate (the US strategy in Syria); it reinforces it,\u201d Barrack wrote in a statement on X<\/a>. \u201cTerrorists strike precisely because they are under sustained pressure from Syrian partners operating with U.S. support, including the Syrian military under the command of President (Ahmed) al-Sharaa. As our investigation continues and new facts emerge, that reality remains unchanged.\u201d <\/p>\n

The attack comes a month after Syria joined the US-led coalition against ISIS, which was formed in 2014. Barrack said US partnerships within the coalition amplify \u201cefforts to neutralize ISIS wherever it hides.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cBy confronting and defeating ISIS on Syrian soil, our limited troop presence in partnership with local forces is actively shielding America from far greater threats,\u201d Barrack said. \u201cPreventing ISIS\u2019s resurgence in Syria blocks potential terrorist flows through Europe and onward to our shores.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\"Senator<\/picture> <\/div>\n

Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky on Sunday called on the US to reconsider its involvement in Syria, after two American soldiers and a civilian translator were killed in an ambush attack in the Badia region Saturday. <\/p>\n

\u201cYes, the people who killed our soldiers should be punished, but really we need to reassess whether or not we should have troops in Syria to begin with,\u201d Paul said Sunday on NBC\u2019s \u201cMeet the Press.\u201d <\/p>\n

He added that \u201ca couple of hundred troops in Syria are more of a trip wire than a strategic asset. I don\u2019t think they deter war.\u201d <\/p>\n

President Donald Trump vowed to \u201cretaliate\u201d after Saturday\u2019s attack, which was carried out by a lone ISIS gunman, according to US Central Command. <\/p>\n

The soldiers were on a mission \u201cin support of on-going counter-ISIS \/ counter-terrorism operations in the region,\u201d a Pentagon spokesperson said in a statement. <\/p>\n

US troops have operated for years across multiple locations in Syria, including at the Al-Tanf garrison in Homs province, where they trained Syrian partner forces as part of the wider fight against ISIS. The attack comes a month after Syria joined the US-led coalition against ISIS, which was formed in 2014. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\"In<\/picture> <\/div>\n

A new poll from NBC News and SurveyMonkey<\/a> finds President Donald Trump\u2019s approval rating remains deeply underwater, as the economy remains a top concern. <\/p>\n

Overall, the survey finds Trump\u2019s approval rating at 42% approve to 58% disapprove. That\u2019s similar to the current CNN Poll of Polls<\/a>, which finds Trump\u2019s approval rating at 40% approve to 59% disapprove among high-quality surveys conducted between mid-November and early December, including the new poll. <\/p>\n

Among all Americans, just 21% strongly approve, down from 26% close to the 100-day mark of Trump\u2019s second term. Among Republicans who say they support the MAGA movement more than the party, there\u2019s been a larger drop: 70% strongly approve of Trump now, down from 78% in April. Republicans who align more with the party than with MAGA already expressed much lower strong approval for Trump, and it remains at a significantly lower level (38% strongly approved in April, 35% do now). <\/p>\n

That shift comes at the same time the share of Republicans who consider themselves primarily MAGA has declined. While 57% of Republicans said they felt more a part of the MAGA movement than a supporter of the party back in April, that\u2019s dropped to 50% in the new poll. <\/p>\n

The survey finds that 27% of Americans call the economy the issue that matters most right now, slightly ahead of threats to democracy at 23%, with health care third at 17%. <\/p>\n

Methodology: <\/strong>The NBC News\/SurveyMonkey poll was conducted online November 20 to December 8 among 20,252 adults nationwide, and has a margin of error of plus or minus 1.9 percentage points. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\"President<\/picture> <\/div>\n

As we bring you the latest on health care subsidies and the Epstein files, catch up on the other headlines from the Trump administration: <\/p>\n

Syria attack: <\/strong>President Donald Trump said that there will be \u201cvery serious retaliation\u201d<\/a> after two US soldiers and one civilian interpreter were killed in an ambush in Syria on Saturday. Three others were wounded in the attack, which was carried out by a single ISIS gunman, per US officials. <\/p>\n

Ukraine talks: <\/strong>Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he will travel to Berlin to speak with European leaders as Germany hosts peace talks<\/a> aimed at ending the war in Ukraine. US envoy Steve Witkoff, as well as European and Ukrainian delegations are expected to attend the further negotiations on a US-backed plan. The French presidency said the goal is \u201cfinally having a very solid common ground between Americans, Europeans, and Ukrainians\u201d in peace negotiations with Russia, after talks among these countries\u2019 officials in Paris on Friday. <\/p>\n

Venezuela tensions: <\/strong>The US ratcheted up sanctions<\/a> on Venezuelan President Nicol\u00e1s Maduro\u2019s government and seized an oil tanker<\/a> last week. Trump has left the door open for further military intervention in the region. Three nephews of Maduro\u2019s wife, Cilia Flores, as well as another Maduro-affiliated businessman, were named in the sanctions list. Two of the sanctioned nephews were previously convicted<\/a> of drug trafficking charges in the US before being released in a prisoner swap. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\"Donald<\/picture> <\/div>\n

Last month, President Donald Trump signed a bill<\/a> directing the Department of Justice to publicly release all its Jeffrey Epstein-related files. The deadline to do so is this Friday. <\/p>\n

It isn\u2019t clear how the Justice Department will release the related files or if the information will remain tied up in ongoing investigations. <\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what you should know: <\/em> <\/p>\n

What are the Epstein files: <\/strong>The Epstein files are made of over 300 gigabytes<\/a> of data, paper, video, photographs and audio that live within the FBI\u2019s main electronic case management system, \u201cSentinel.\u201d These records would include investigative reports and records from the FBI Miami field division\u2019s original Epstein investigation. <\/p>\n

Why there\u2019s interest in the case: <\/strong>The case has continued to fascinate the public years after Epstein\u2019s death due to his ties to powerful people. Epstein\u2019s death by suicide before trial launched conspiracy theories and deprived many of his accusers a public airing of his conduct. Division between Republican lawmakers<\/a> mounted this year, with some calling for transparency from Trump and the Department of Justice. <\/p>\n

House Oversight Committee: <\/strong>In November, the House Oversight Committee released 20,000 pages of documents<\/a> the GOP-led panel received from the estate of Jeffrey Epstein. He mentioned Trump by name multiple times in emails over the last 15 years<\/a> with an associate and an author in Trump\u2019s orbit. It\u2019s unclear what new information, if any, is stuffed in the boxes of evidence within the Justice Department set to release this week. <\/p>\n

Photos released: <\/strong>Last week, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released photos from Epstein\u2019s estate showing the many powerful figures in the late sex trafficker\u2019s orbit<\/strong><\/a>, including Trump, former President Bill Clinton, Steve Bannon, Bill Gates, Richard Branson and others. In a statement, a White House spokesperson said House Democrats were \u201cselectively releasing cherry-picked photos with random redactions to try and create a false narrative.\u201d <\/p>\n

The Epstein legislation: <\/strong>The bill, formally titled the Epstein Files Transparency Act<\/a>, was passed by the House in November by a vote of 427 to 1. The Senate then agreed through unanimous consent to deem the bill passed as soon as it was received from the House. Upon announcing his signing of the bill, Trump framed the release of the files as a transparency effort he pushed through Congress and using the moment to criticize Democrats over their past associations with Epstein. <\/p>\n

What Americans think: <\/strong>A recent Reuters-Ipsos poll<\/strong><\/a> asked whether Americans believed that Trump was not aware <\/a>of Epstein\u2019s alleged crimes before they became public. Just 18% said it was \u201csomewhat\u201d or \u201cvery\u201d likely that Trump didn\u2019t know. Fully 60% said it was \u201cnot too\u201d or \u201cnot at all\u201d likely that Trump didn\u2019t know. Even among Republicans, slightly more felt Trump was probably aware (39%) than leaned toward him not knowing (34%). Trump, again, has not been accused of wrongdoing in the Epstein case, and has denied involvement. <\/p>\n

CNN\u2019s Samantha Waldenberg, Alejandra Jaramillo, Haven Orecchio-Egresitz, Kara Scannell, Evan Perez, Piper Hudspeth Blackburn, Julia Benbrook, Alayna Treene, Annie Grayer, Kaitlan Collins and Aaron Blake contributed reporting. <\/em> <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\"House<\/picture> <\/div>\n

House Republicans unveiled a narrow health care package on Friday that does not extend soon-to-expire enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies <\/a>\u2014 the latest sign that Congress is unlikely to avert skyrocketing insurance premiums for millions of Americans in the new year. <\/p>\n

What\u2019s in the proposal: <\/strong>The GOP plan includes measures<\/a> aimed at reducing drug costs and lowering premiums for certain Obamacare enrollees, but it would not extend the enhanced subsidies. It also fails to fulfill President Donald Trump\u2019s call to send federal funds directly to enrollees<\/a> to offset health costs. <\/p>\n

How we got here: <\/strong>The fight over extending the enhanced subsidies was central to this year\u2019s government shutdown, and has remained bitterly contested<\/a> on Capitol Hill in recent weeks as the benefits\u2019 expiration on December 31 approaches. <\/p>\n

The release of the House GOP plan came after the Senate tried and failed to pass dueling health care plans<\/a> last week, the latest sign of partisan stalemate over the issue. <\/p>\n

What comes next: <\/strong>GOP leaders plan to put the package on the floor this week, which will be the House\u2019s final work week of 2025. But it remains unclear whether the proposal has the support to pass out of the chamber, much less win over the entirety of the House Republican conference. <\/p>\n

Americans are feeling the squeeze: <\/strong>Monthly premiums under Affordable Care Act policies will soar next year<\/a>. With the lapse of enhanced subsidies looming, some Americans face agonizing trade-offs<\/a> between cutting back on necessities or forgoing coverage altogether. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Last week was another busy one at the White House, with President Donald Trump issuing mixed messages on the economy and deepening his pressure campaign against Venezuela\u2019s government, among other top headlines. <\/p>\n

CNN\u2019s Kaitlan Collins was in Washington to cover it all: <\/p>\n

President Trump tells Americans to spend less on holiday gift spending as he claims inflation has eased. US Military seizes oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela amid unclear circumstances. CNN\u2019s Kaitlan Collins reports on the week at the White House.<\/p>\n

” data-duration=”04:33″ data-source-html=” \u2022 Source: CNN<\/a> <\/span>” data-fave-thumbnails=”{“big”: { “uri”: “https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/bts-1212-thumbnail-2.jpg?c=16×9&q=h_540,w_960,c_fill” }, “small”: { “uri”: “https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/bts-1212-thumbnail-2.jpg?c=16×9&q=h_540,w_960,c_fill” } }” data-vr-video=”false” data-show-html=”” data-byline-html=”<\/p>\n

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By Ileya Robinson-Williams<\/span>, CNN <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

” data-timestamp-html=”<\/p>\n

Updated 4:25 PM EST, Sun December 14, 2025 <\/div>\n

” data-check-event-based-preview data-is-vertical-video-embed=”false” data-network-id data-publish-date=”2025-12-13T00:23:38.565Z” data-video-section=”politics” data-canonical-url=”https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2025\/12\/12\/politics\/video\/kc-wh-economy-digvid” data-branding-key data-video-slug=”kc-wh-economy-digvid” data-first-publish-slug=”kc-wh-economy-digvid” data-video-tags data-breakpoints=”{“video-resource–media-extra-large”: 660}” data-display-video-cover=”true” data-details> <\/p>\n

President Trump tells Americans to spend less on holiday gift spending as he claims inflation has eased. US Military seizes oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela amid unclear circumstances. CNN\u2019s Kaitlan Collins reports on the week at the White House.<\/p>\n

” data-check-event-based-preview data-network-id data-publish-date=”2025-12-13T00:23:38.565Z” data-video-section=”politics” data-canonical-url=”https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2025\/12\/12\/politics\/video\/kc-wh-economy-digvid” data-branding-key data-video-slug=”kc-wh-economy-digvid” data-first-publish-slug=”kc-wh-economy-digvid” data-video-tags> \"BTS<\/picture> <\/div>\n

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Kaitlan Collins reports on the White House’s mixed messaging on the state of the economy <\/p>\n

04:33 <\/span> \u2022 Source: CNN<\/a> <\/span> <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Kaitlan Collins reports on the White House’s mixed messaging on the state of the economy<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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