Washington Times - Politics, Breaking News, US and World News

Ballroom backlash: Trump’s gilded projects become flashpoint ahead of midterm elections

President Donald Trump speaks as he tours Ballroom construction around the outside the White House, Tuesday, May 19, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

By Susan Ferrechio - The Washington Times

Democrats vying for a blue wave in November are pouncing on voter angst over President Trump’s costly federal beautification projects that will spend billions while Americans struggle to afford groceries and gas.

Trump urges new Fed Chair Kevin Warsh to be ‘totally independent,’ only don’t stifle growth

President Donald Trump speaks with Kevin Warsh, after being sworn in as Chairman of the Federal Reserve in the East Room of the White House, Friday, May 22, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

By Tom Howell Jr. - The Washington Times

President Trump told Kevin Warsh to be “totally independent” as he swore him in as chairman of the Federal Reserve in front of a who’s who of Washington conservatives at the White House.

President Donald Trump speaks with Kevin Warsh, after being sworn in as Chairman of the Federal Reserve in the East Room of the White House, Friday, May 22, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Trump urges new Fed Chair Kevin Warsh to be ‘totally independent,’ only don’t stifle growth

By Tom Howell Jr. - The Washington Times

Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at DNC headquarters in Washington on Jan. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Allison Robbert) ** FILE **

DNC Chair Ken Martin faces resignation calls after botched post-election autopsy report

By Seth McLaughlin - The Washington Times

Kathy Fain, from Longview, Texas, holds an American flag while singing the National Anthem during Rededicate 250, a mostly conservative Christian prayer gathering in honor of the United States' 250th anniversary, on the National Mall, Sunday, May 17, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Looking back and forward: Young Americans assess U.S. history as they think about the future

By Juliet La Sala - The Washington Times

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard speaks with reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington on July 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) **FILE**

Gabbard resigning as director of national intelligence, citing husband’s cancer

By Mary McCue Bell - The Washington Times

Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., listens during a Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee hearing on the nomination of Adm. Kevin Lunday, acting commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, for Commandant of the Coast Guard, Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2025, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Trump changes weekend travel plans as key Republican urges him to finish the job in Iran

By Tom Howell Jr. - The Washington Times

Happening Now

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard speaks with reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington on July 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) **FILE**

Gabbard resigning as director of national intelligence, citing husband’s cancer

By Mary McCue Bell - The Washington Times

Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., listens during a Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee hearing on the nomination of Adm. Kevin Lunday, acting commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, for Commandant of the Coast Guard, Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2025, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Trump changes weekend travel plans as key Republican urges him to finish the job in Iran

By Tom Howell Jr. - The Washington Times

President Donald Trump speaks during an event in the Oval Office at the White House, Thursday, May 21, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Here’s what Trump’s postponed AI executive order would have done

By Mary McCue Bell - The Washington Times

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate, speaks to supporters at a campaign event in McKinney, Texas, Tuesday, May 19, 2026. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Paxton crushing Cornyn in new Texas runoff poll taken post-Trump endorsement

By Susan Ferrechio - The Washington Times

Commentary View all

A child praying on an open Bible at a wooden table. (Photo credit: Freedom Studio via Shutterstock)

Parents, you’re failing God, your children — and America

By Billy Hallowell

President Donald Trump and American greatness illustration by Alexander Hunter/The Washington Times

Trump refuses to normalize Western decline

By Kelly Sadler

China, the United States of America and Taiwan relationships illustration by Alexander Hunter/The Washington Times

Trump-Xi meeting changed nothing

By Yao-Yuan Yeh

Renewing national pride in the United States of America illustration by Linas Garsys / The Washington Times

A reason for optimism this Memorial Day

By Scott Walker

Senate candidate Graham Platner acknowledges the large crowd that attended Platner's town hall, Sept. 25, 2025, at Bunker Brewing in Portland, Maine. (Daryn Slover/Portland Press Herald via AP) ** FILE **

Democrat Graham Platner’s social posts should disqualify him

By Editorial Board

Culture View all

TMZ is known for chasing celebrities through LAX, but now the outlet has set up shop in Washington, D.C. Reporters Jacob Wasserman and Charlie Cotton join host Alex Swoyer to talk about what it's like covering Capitol Hill the TMZ way.

Video

WATCH: TMZ hits Washington and finds politicians are just like us

Kathy Fain, from Longview, Texas, holds an American flag while singing the National Anthem during Rededicate 250, a mostly conservative Christian prayer gathering in honor of the United States' 250th anniversary, on the National Mall, Sunday, May 17, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Looking back and forward: Young Americans assess U.S. history as they think about the future

By Juliet La Sala - The Washington Times

Spencer Pratt speaks during an appearance on "Fox & Friends" at Fox News headquarters on Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026, in New York. (Photo by Andy Kropa/Invision/AP)

Spencer Pratt’s run for L.A. mayor gives a reality check to California’s political establishment

By Seth McLaughlin - The Washington Times

Matthew Perry poses for a portrait in New York on Feb. 17, 2015. (Photo by Brian Ach/Invision/AP, File)

Matthew Perry’s family trusted his assistant to help keep him sober. He instead helped him overdose

By Andrew Dalton - Associated Press

View all

Ukrainian servicemen of Khartia brigade check the drone aerial view in the command centre Kharkiv region, Ukraine, Wednesday, May 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrii Marienko)

Inside Ukraine’s plan to privatize and export its war expertise

Friday, May 22 2026

A Qatari student walks to a building in the Texas A&M University campus at Education City, on Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2011, in Doha, Qatar. Texas A&M University will close its 20-year-old Qatar campus by 2028, with board members noting “heightened instability" in the Middle East as a major reason to reconsider its presence in the country. (AP Photo/Osama Faisal, File)

U.S. universities in Qatar’s ambitious Education City weather war, missile threats, skepticism

By Jacob Wirtschafter - Special to The Washington Times

China, the United States of America and Taiwan relationships illustration by Alexander Hunter/The Washington Times

Commentary
Trump-Xi meeting changed nothing

By Yao-Yuan Yeh

Members of U.S. Special Operations Forces and 10 partner nations conduct a capabilities demonstration along the Tampa Bay waterfront during SOF Week 2026 in Tampa Bay, Florida, May 20, 2026. U.S. Special Operations Forces, in collaboration with 10 partner nations, conducted a dynamic capabilities demonstration along the Tampa Bay waterfront that featured the future of special operations technology and tactical innovation. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Ashley Low)

LISTEN: SOF Week 2026, flying electric boats and Putin’s China visit

Trump Central View all

President Donald Trump speaks during an event in the Oval Office at the White House, Thursday, May 21, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Here’s what Trump’s postponed AI executive order would have done

By Mary McCue Bell - The Washington Times

U.S. troops from NATO member Poland and some of its allies showcase military equipment during the yearly observances on Poland's armed forces holiday in Warsaw, Poland, on Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

Video
Trump to send 5,000 troops to Poland after head-spinning moves on European deployments

By Tom Howell Jr. - The Washington Times

Demonstrators rally outside the U.S. Supreme Court after justices hear oral arguments on whether President Donald Trump can deny citizenship to children born to parents who are in the United States illegally or temporarily, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, April 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Tom Brenner)

Trump expects to lose birthright citizenship case at Supreme Court

By Kerry Picket - The Washington Times

The Memorial Circle, where President Donald Trump has proposed building an arch to commemorate the United States' 250th anniversary is seen, Tuesday, May 19, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Trump’s arch receives stamp of approval from key arts commission

By Mary McCue Bell - The Washington Times

Politics View all

Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., listens during a Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee hearing on the nomination of Adm. Kevin Lunday, acting commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, for Commandant of the Coast Guard, Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2025, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Trump changes weekend travel plans as key Republican urges him to finish the job in Iran

By Tom Howell Jr. - The Washington Times

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard speaks with reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington on July 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) **FILE**

Gabbard resigning as director of national intelligence, citing husband’s cancer

By Mary McCue Bell - The Washington Times

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., speaks during the confirmation hearing of Kevin Warsh, nominee for Federal Reserve chair, on Capitol Hill, in Washington Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Trump continues attacks on GOP, turns ire on retiring Sen. Thom Tillis

By Lindsey McPherson - The Washington Times

President Donald Trump speaks as he tours Ballroom construction around the outside the White House, Tuesday, May 19, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Ballroom backlash: Trump’s gilded projects become flashpoint ahead of midterm elections

By Susan Ferrechio - The Washington Times

Dive Deeper View all

Saunas move into mainstream travel, floating on rivers and carved into glaciers, as travelers hunt for new experiences. Photo credit: Floathaus; Michael Taylor Photography.

Video

Hygge, saunas, friluftsliv: Americans chasing Nordic secrets to happiness and living longer

By Juliet La Sala - The Washington Times

Elderly man uses phone on sofa in home. File photo credit: Jelena Stanojkovic via Shutterstock.

‘More real than real’: Why deep-fake political ads are fooling older Americans

By Seth McLaughlin - The Washington Times

FILE - An ANA jet flies above a gas station in Inglewood, Calif., on May 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)

Video
Republicans pivot to emergency gas tax holiday, affordability agenda as soaring prices anger voters

By Susan Ferrechio and Tom Howell Jr. - The Washington Times

Thoroughbred colts compete in high-stakes races on Friday, March 15 during Black-Eyed Susan Day, the preliminary to Saturday's Preakness Stakes. This year's race was moved to Laurel, Maryland, due to renovations at Pimlico Race Course. (Sean Salai/The Washington Times)

Video
Preakness racegoers bid a wistful farewell to historic Laurel Park

By Sean Salai - The Washington Times

National View all

FILE - People wait in line at a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) security checkpoint at LaGuardia Airport in the Queens borough of New York, Nov. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Adam Gray, File)

Reopening of LaGuardia runway with sinkhole delayed to Memorial Day weekend

By Brad Matthews - The Washington Times

Disposable flavored electronic cigarette devices are displayed for sale at a store in Pinecrest, Fla., June 26, 2023. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, File)

FDA staff blindsided by move allowing more e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches onto U.S. market

By Matthew Perrone - Associated Press

Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Police officers place signage on a light pole in Washington on Friday. April 17, 2026, informing the public that the area near Nationals Park is a designated juvenile curfew zone for youth under the age of 18. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) **FILE**

Threat of teen takeovers in D.C. looms as prosecutors eye holding parents accountable

By Matt Delaney - The Washington Times

This Friday, March 22, 2019, fie photo shows the Department of Justice Building in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) ** FILE **

DOJ exposes new ‘shocking’ fraud in Minnesota: 7 Medicaid programs infested by scams

By Stephen Dinan - The Washington Times

World View all

WHO chief says Ebola outbreak in Congo is ‘spreading rapidly’ and upgrades risk assessment

Associated Press

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio attends a meeting of the North Atlantic Council in NATO foreign ministers format in Helsingborg, Sweden, Friday, May 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, Pool)

U.S. says ‘slight progress’ in Iran talks amid uncertainty on whether war will resume

By Samy Magdy and Sam Mednick - Associated Press

United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio, left, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte look at each other as they deliver a statement during a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Helsingborg, Sweden, Friday, May 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, Pool)

Video
NATO allies bewildered by Trump’s about-face on U.S troop moves in Europe

By Mark Carlson and Lorne Cook - Associated Press

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters aboard Air Force One, Friday, May 15, 2026, as he returns from a trip to Beijing, China. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Uranium deadline creates crisis for mediators: Trump threatens ‘very drastic’ action

By Tom Howell Jr. - The Washington Times

Sports View all

Kyle Busch is introduced during the NASCAR All-Star auto race at Dover Motor Speedway, Sunday, May 17, 2026, in Dover, Del. (AP Photo/Derik Hamilton, File, File)

Two-time NASCAR champ Kyle Busch dies at 41 after being hospitalized with a ‘severe illness’

By Steve Reed - Associated Press

San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama celebrates during the second half of Game 1 in a third-round NBA basketball playoffs series against the Oklahoma City Thunder Monday, May 18, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Commentary
LOVERRO: Wembanyama brings reality to legend of Chamberlain to today’s NBA fans

By Thom Loverro

A general view of Arrowhead Stadium as it is rebranded as Kansas City Stadium, Monday, May 11, 2026, ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup soccer matches in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Face-lifts for FIFA: Stadiums gussied up to host World Cup games, meet soccer requirements

By Liam Griffin - The Washington Times

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander celebrates after making a 3-pointer during the second half of Game 2 in the Western Conference finals NBA basketball playoffs series against the San Antonio Spurs Wednesday, May 20, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

West finals shift to San Antonio, while Spurs and Thunder deal with multiple injury concerns

By Tim Reynolds - Associated Press

Higher Ground View all

Mel Gibson arrives at the 89th Academy Awards Nominees Luncheon in Beverly Hills, Calif., Feb. 6, 2017. Gibson can testify at the rape and sexual assault trial of Harvey Weinstein about one of Weinstein's accusers, whose story Gibson learned part of prior to 2015, a judge ruled Friday, Oct. 14, 2022. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)

Mel Gibson unveils first look at ‘Resurrection of the Christ,’ delays release

By The Washington Times AI News Desk

Author Elizabeth Carlyle joins Billy Hallowell to discuss her new book, Americans Who Pray: Uniting a Nation in Faith and Freedom.

Video
WATCH: The truth about faith and America’s founding

A person prays during Rededicate 250, a mostly conservative Christian prayer gathering in honor of the United States' 250th anniversary, on the National Mall, Sunday, May 17, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Thousands flock to the National Mall in Washington for an America-themed prayer rally

By Tiffany Stanley - Associated Press

Sen Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla, appears at a campaign event in support of Republican president nominee former President Donad Trump, Friday, Oct. 18, 2024, in Red Springs, N.C. (AP Photo/David Yeazell)

Mullin says ‘American History X’ scared him straight before faith changed his life

By Alex Swoyer - The Washington Times

Podcasts View all

God, Country and the American Story

WATCH: The truth about faith & America’s founding

God, Country & the American Story

Victory Over Communism

U.S. and China locked in a fierce battle over AI

Victory over Communism with Bill Gertz

Threat Status Podcast

LISTEN: SOF Week 2026

Sampriti Bhattacharyya joins Threat Status

Politically Unstable

WATCH: Labubu dolls and the Uyghur genocide

Rushan Abbas joins Politically Unstable

Sponsored Content View all

From the Special Sections Department

Secure from Coast to Coast: Advancing American Transportation

Secure from Coast to Coast: Advancing American Transportation

From the Special Sections Department

American energy unleashed

American energy unleashed

From the Special Sections Department

Pathways to American progress: The next phase of U.S. infrastructure

Pathways to American progress: The next phase of U.S. infrastructure

From the Special Sections Department

Building the health care Americans deserve

Building the health care Americans deserve

More Stories

President Donald Trump speaks during an event in the Oval Office at the White House, Thursday, May 21, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Here’s what Trump’s postponed AI executive order would have done

By Mary McCue Bell - The Washington Times

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate, speaks to supporters at a campaign event in McKinney, Texas, Tuesday, May 19, 2026. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Paxton crushing Cornyn in new Texas runoff poll taken post-Trump endorsement

By Susan Ferrechio - The Washington Times

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi looks on during a meeting with Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Mariano Grossi, and Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, at Tahrir Palace in Cairo, Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Khaled Elfiqi, File)

Pakistani mediators step up efforts to close U.S.-Iran deal

By Tom Howell Jr. - The Washington Times

Spencer Pratt speaks during an appearance on "Fox & Friends" at Fox News headquarters on Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026, in New York. (Photo by Andy Kropa/Invision/AP)

Spencer Pratt’s run for L.A. mayor gives a reality check to California’s political establishment

By Seth McLaughlin - The Washington Times

In this Feb. 12, 2009, photo, the Pentagon is seen from Air Force One. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak) ** FILE **

Pentagon releases second batch of once-classified UFO sightings

By Mike Glenn - The Washington Times

Kathy Fain, from Longview, Texas, holds an American flag while singing the National Anthem during Rededicate 250, a mostly conservative Christian prayer gathering in honor of the United States' 250th anniversary, on the National Mall, Sunday, May 17, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Looking back and forward: Young Americans assess U.S. history as they think about the future

By Juliet La Sala - The Washington Times

Operation Warhorse Surge BPTA Poland: U.S. soldiers assigned to 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment man M2 .50-caliber machine gun atop an M1A2 Abrams tank during a live-fire exercise as part of Operation Warhorse Surge at Bemowo Piskie Training Area, Poland, Feb. 11, 2026. (Image: https://www.dvidshub.net)

Exclusive
Poland now has the most capable military in Europe, leadership says

By John T. Seward - The Washington Times

U.S. troops from NATO member Poland and some of its allies showcase military equipment during the yearly observances on Poland's armed forces holiday in Warsaw, Poland, on Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

Video
Trump to send 5,000 troops to Poland after head-spinning moves on European deployments

By Tom Howell Jr. - The Washington Times

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters aboard Air Force One, Friday, May 15, 2026, as he returns from a trip to Beijing, China. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Uranium deadline creates crisis for mediators: Trump threatens ‘very drastic’ action

By Tom Howell Jr. - The Washington Times

People take photos near a John Harvard statue, left, on the Harvard University campus, Jan. 2, 2024, in Cambridge, Mass. r. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File)

Harvard caps A’s at 20% of students to curb rampant grade inflation

By Sean Salai - The Washington Times

Ukrainian servicemen of Khartia brigade check the drone aerial view in the command centre Kharkiv region, Ukraine, Wednesday, May 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrii Marienko)

Capitalizing on wartime expertise: Ukraine weighs formation, export of for-profit military companies

By Guillaume Ptak - Special to The Washington Times

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., speaks with reporters at the Capitol in Washington, Monday, May 18, 2026. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Senate GOP delays vote on filibuster-proof funding bill amid backlash over Anti-Weaponization Fund

By Lindsey McPherson - The Washington Times

DNC chair candidate Ken Martin speaks at the Democratic National Committee Winter Meeting in National Harbor, Md., Feb. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr., File)

DNC releases autopsy of 2024 election wipeout, calls to shift from identity politics

By Susan Ferrechio and Mary McCue Bell - The Washington Times

The Memorial Circle, where President Donald Trump has proposed building an arch to commemorate the United States' 250th anniversary is seen, Tuesday, May 19, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Trump’s arch receives stamp of approval from key arts commission

By Mary McCue Bell - The Washington Times

An American flag waves in front of the Supreme Court building on Capitol Hill in Washington, on Nov. 2, 2020. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)

Gun activists ask Supreme Court to block Maryland’s ban on firearms at ‘sensitive places’

By Stephen Dinan - The Washington Times

A shop owner reaches into a drink display refrigerator at his convenience store in Kent, Wash., on Oct. 1, 2018. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson) **FILE**

Trump rolls back refrigerant-chemical regs in bid to lower grocery prices

By Tom Howell Jr. - The Washington Times

Then-Republican presidential nominee and former President Donald Trump, left, looks at his son Donald Trump Jr. at an election night watch party, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) **FILE**

Iran negotiations may prevent Trump’s attendance at weekend wedding of son Don Jr.

By Kerry Picket - The Washington Times

The Supreme Court is seen in Washington, Monday, May 18, 2026. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Supreme Court ducks IQ level question for death row inmate

By Alex Swoyer and Stephen Dinan - The Washington Times

A general view of Arrowhead Stadium as it is rebranded as Kansas City Stadium, Monday, May 11, 2026, ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup soccer matches in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Face-lifts for FIFA: Stadiums gussied up to host World Cup games, meet soccer requirements

By Liam Griffin - The Washington Times

New Jersey Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill talks to reporters during a news conference in Trenton, N.J., on Nov. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) **FILE**

New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill declares emergency over $300 million loss in crops

By Juliet La Sala - The Washington Times