What we're covering today
• Trump-Mamdani: In a remarkable joint appearance in the Oval Office, President Donald Trump heaped praise on New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani while rejecting some GOP attacks on the democratic socialist.
• Ukraine deal: Trump, during the same appearance, said he’s confident his new plan for ending Russia’s war with Ukraine is “a way of getting peace,” but that President Volodymyr Zelensky will need to sign off on it.
• MTG to step down: Meanwhile, Georgia GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene announced tonight that she will be resigning in January. A person close to her told CNN that she had been contemplating her resignation for over a week as the threats against her continued to escalate after her falling out with Trump.
Offices of three Democrats in video urging troops to disobey illegal orders targeted by bomb threats
The district offices of Democratic Reps. Chris Deluzio, Chrissy Houlahan and Jason Crow were targeted by bomb threats Friday, according to the lawmakers’ spokespeople.
Houlahan’s spokesperson also said that the staff at the congresswoman’s district and Washington, DC, offices are safe and condemned political violence.
Crow’s office said in a statement that a bomb threat was made against his district office in Aurora, Colorado, and that the congressman and his staff are safe.
Deluzio, Houlahan and Crow were three of the six lawmakers who released a video this week urging US troops to disobey illegal orders that might be issued by the Trump administration.
Trump described the Democrats’ video message as “seditious behavior, punishable by death.” The Democrats have condemned the president’s comments.
This post has been updated with additional developments.
Democratic senator's home target of bomb threat after she urged troops to disobey illegal orders
The home of Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin was the target of a bomb threat, according to her spokesperson.
“This evening, Michigan State Police responded to Senator Slotkin’s home in response to a bomb threat,” the spokesperson said in a statement posted on the lawmaker’s X page today.
The spokesperson added that Slotkin wasn’t home and that police “confirmed no one was in danger.”
The threat comes after Slotkin and 5 other lawmakers released a video earlier this week urging US troops to disobey illegal orders that might be issued by the Trump administration.
Trump had described the Democrats’ video message as “seditious behavior, punishable by death.”
The offices of two other lawmakers who appeared in the video — Reps. Chris Deluzio and Chrissy Houlahan — were also targeted by bomb threats this afternoon.
Lawmakers react to Marjorie Taylor Greene's resignation announcement
Members of Congress began to weigh in tonight on Georgia GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s announcement that she will be resigning in January.
Democratic Rep. Yassamin Ansari told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins that she applauded Greene for efforts to release files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
“I will acknowledge her bravery on this issue and not backing down and standing with the survivors, despite this immense pressure from the the White House that has completely, you know, upended her relationship with Donald Trump, is remarkable in and of itself,” the Arizona lawmaker said.
Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett said she “didn’t see this coming but the threats that come with being on the opposite side of Trump ARE REAL!”
“Trump only knows how to use people up & then cast them aside when he’s done… he did it to his VP, he’s done it to those that wanted the Epstein files, he did it to those that believed he cared about their struggles, & now he’s doing it to one of his most loyal followers, MTG,” the Texas lawmaker posted on X.
Meanwhile, GOP Rep. Victoria Spartz of Indiana said “there’s a lot of truth to what Marjorie had to say” in Greene’s resignation announcement.
“I can’t blame her for leaving this institution that has betrayed the American people,” Spartz added in a post on X.
This post has been updated with more reactions from lawmakers.
How Marjorie Taylor Greene called out Trump in her resignation video
Georgia GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene called out criticism from President Donald Trump as she announced she will be resigning from office in January.
Hear what she had to say below.
Georgia GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene announced she will be resigning from office in January. She made the announcement in a post on social media just days after her public falling out with President Donald Trump.
She posted her full statement on X.
Khanna, Massie weigh in on Greene's resignation announcement
Reps. Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie, who worked with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene on the measure to release files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, weighed in on Greene’s resignation announcement, with Khanna saying he would not be surprised if Greene ran for president in 2028.
“She probably has more populist instincts than JD Vance, who’s the front runner in the Republican side,” Khanna told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins on “The Source.”
Greene’s public falling out with President Donald Trump came after the congresswoman pushed the president on several issues, including releasing the Epstein files.
Meanwhile, Massie said in a post on X that Greene “embodies what a true Representative should be.”
Trump says he is ending deportation protections for Somalis in Minnesota, cites "fraudulent money laundering"
President Donald Trump on Friday announced he is immediately terminating temporary protected status for Somalis living in Minnesota, issuing the declaration in an incendiary social media post that accused the state of being a “hub of fraudulent money laundering activity.”
The president’s announcement came without advance notice or accompanying policy details and the Department of Homeland Security as of Friday evening had yet to release formal guidance on how or when the termination would be implemented.
CNN has reached out to DHS and the White House for comment.
Congress created the TPS program in 1990, allowing the federal government to provide temporary protection for migrants from countries enduring natural disasters, wars and other conditions that would make it dangerous for people to return.
Trump has pledged to dismantle TPS for hundreds of thousands of migrants, a promise he has begun to implement in his second term.
Greene had been considering resigning for the last week, source says
GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene had been contemplating her resignation for over a week, according to a person close to her, as the threats against her continued to escalate amid her falling out with President Donald Trump.
She currently has no plans to run for any office, the person added.
Greene made the announcement tonight in a post on social media. The president had rescinded his support for his one-time staunch ally last week and said he’d support a primary challenge against her.
Marjorie Taylor Greene says she's resigning. Here's what Trump said a week ago
Georgia GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene announced tonight that she will be resigning from office in January.
She made the announcement in a post on social media just days after her public falling out with President Donald Trump.
“I have too much self respect and dignity, love my family way too much, and do not want my sweet district to have to endure a hurtful and hateful primary against me by the President we all fought for, only to fight and win my election while Republicans will likely lose the midterms,” Greene said in a statement.
Only a week ago tonight, the president withdrew his endorsement of the former ally, via a post on Truth Social.
The president’s post marked a major political breakup weeks in the making – a dramatic intensification of a simmering back-and-forth between the two former allies, who grew apart as Greene criticized Trump on a number of fronts. It spilled into a messy exchange of blows as the controversy around Epstein again took center stage in Washington.
CNN’s Betsy Klein contributed to this post.
Trump says it was a “great honor” to meet Mamdani
President Donald Trump continued to praise his meeting with New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani on Friday, taking to social media hours after their strikingly cordial joint appearance in the Oval Office.
“It was a Great Honor meeting Zohran Mamdani, the new Mayor of New York City!” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.
In a separate post, the president shared several photos from the visit, including images of him and Mamdani together at the White House as well as one picture featuring the mayor-elect standing alone in front of a painting of former President Franklin Roosevelt.
The warm public message capped an extraordinary day in Washington, where Trump heaped praise on Mamdani while rejecting some GOP attacks on the democratic socialist.
How Trump’s meeting with Mamdani was surprising
President Donald Trump and New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani shook hands in front of cameras and sidestepped sensitive issues in their joint appearance.
CNN’s Kaitlan Collins analyzes what made the moment so extraordinary:
In a remarkable joint appearance in the Oval Office, President Donald Trump heaped praise on New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani while rejecting some GOP attacks on the democratic socialist. CNN's Kaitlan Collins analyzes what made the moment so extraordinary.
NY governor says she looks "forward to working with" Trump and Mamdani
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul weighed in on President Donald Trump’s pleasant meeting with New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, saying she looks forward to working with both of them.
However, the governor — who has often pushed back on Trump’s rhetoric and efforts — stressed that she is still prepared to “fight” back.
In the statement, Hochul praised Trump for rejecting some GOP attacks on Mamdani. His ally GOP Rep. Elise Stefanik, who is running for New York governor, had called the mayor-elect a “jihadist.”
Earlier today, when asked about Stefanik’s attack, Trump said: “She’s out there campaigning and you say things sometimes in a campaign.”
“I met with a man who’s a very rational person. I met with a man who wants to see New York be great again,” the president added.
Stefanik says "we'll have to agree to disagree" after Trump rejects one of her attacks on Mamdani
House GOP Rep. Elise Stefanik, who is running for governor of New York, said “we’ll have to agree to disagree on this one” after Trump rejected her characterization of New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani as a “jihadist.”
Stefanik posted the comment on X Friday evening after Trump’s chummy Oval Office visit with Mamdani. As the president and the mayor-elect addressed questions from reporters, Trump was asked if he agreed with Stefanik’s characterization of Mamdani as a “jihadist.” He responded, “No, I don’t.”
“She’s out there campaigning,” Trump said, “and you say things sometimes in a campaign.”
Stefanik is a staunch Trump ally, and her comments show how the president’s praise of Mamdani complicates the messaging of Republicans who have made attacking the mayor-elect and his Democratic socialist politics central to their campaign.
Trump-Mamdani meeting won't change the party's strategy, Republican operative says
A Republican operative told CNN that the party’s strategy of tying vulnerable Democrats to New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani is not going to change after President Donald Trump praised the Democratic socialist in an Oval Office meeting.
The operative said Democrats might be distressed internally about the collegiality between the GOP president and the NYC mayor-elect. “I don’t think the base would love the fact the Mamdani isn’t forcefully pushing back on Trump like they’re all begging for,” they said.
Another GOP source referred to Trump’s compliments as a “blip” that wouldn’t be remembered in a few months.
It’s a “a wild moment for sure, but Mamdani won’t stop criticizing Trump and Trump will criticize him in return and we’ll look back at this in a month as just a wild moment,” the GOP source said.
Republicans, including Trump, have previously denounced Mamdani as a communist, and a number of GOP congressional leaders have sought to portray him as being the face of Democrats’ future.
"The better he does, the happier I am." Here were the key moments from Trump-Mamdani Oval Office appearance
President Donald Trump and the incoming New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani both left an Oval Office meeting today saying they want the Big Apple to thrive.
Trump, a New York native, emphasized shared priorities despite sharp political differences. “The better he does, the happier I am,” the president said.
The two spent just over half an hour together before reporters arrived, and Trump said their meeting changed his perceptions about the job the mayor-elect would do in his hometown.
Here were some of the key moments:
- A “productive” meeting: Mamdani said that they had a “a productive meeting” focused on New Yorkers’ cost-of-living concerns. Trump, for his part, said Mamdani “actually surprised” him and that they agree on certain issues such as crime and housing. Mamdani continued to steer his answers back to affordability and said he’s looking forward to working with Trump to deliver on his agenda.
- Praise for Mamdani: Trump described Mamdani as an unconventional political figure with the potential to “do something great for New York.” He said he would feel “very, very comfortable” being in New York City under Mamdani’s leadership. The president also downplayed his previous threats to cut federal funding from the city.
- Cross-over voters: Trump offered his congratulations on Mamdani’s election win and said he thinks “he is going to surprise some conservative people, actually, and some very liberal people.” Trump noted that some of his voters also backed Mamdani and he said he’s “OK with that.”
- Safety: Answering a question about the president’s move to send federal troops and ICE agents to cities, Trump said he thinks he and the mayor-elect they will work out their differences. Mamdani has been a vocal critic of ICE and Trump has floated sending troops to the city.
- GOP attacks: Trump pushed back against attacks on Mamdani from some in his own party — including New York gubernatorial candidate Elise Stefanik — saying he thinks the mayor-elect is a “rational person.” Asked whether he agreed with Stefanik that Mamdani is a “jihadist,” Trump said, “No, I don’t.”
- Fascist label: And in a remarkable moment, Trump said it was “OK” for Mamdani to refer to him as a fascist, a label the mayor-elect has used in public to refer to the president.
You can watch their full remarks in the Oval Office below
CNN’s David Wright, Alejandra Jaramillo, Betsy Klein, Kaanita Iyer and Gloria Pazmino contribued reporting to this post.
Good politics for Trump and Mamdani in collegial Oval Office meeting
For President Donald Trump, it was good politics to show a kinder and gentler side as he played host to Zohran Mamdani, the mayor-elect of New York City, in the Oval Office.
“The better he does, the happier I am,” Trump said.
For now, at least, that may be true.
The president has an economic burden hanging over him, particularly the affordability argument that is always more complicated to navigate for the party in power. A Fox News poll this week said 76% of Americans have a negative view of the economy, a finding that sends loud warning signs to Republicans ahead of next year’s midterm elections.
It’s almost certain the political bonhomie between Trump and Mamdani – two proud New Yorkers – is unlikely to last, but that was beside the point on Friday.
The time for fighting – over federal funding, ideology and more – will surely come.
For one day, the smiles all around were good politics for both men, as Trump embraced Mamdani’s economic mandate from New York City voters, and Mamdani made his first visit to the White House.
GOP Rep. Fitzpatrick pursues discharge petition to force "crushing" Russia sanctions vote
Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick is pursuing a discharge petition to force a vote on a bill to impose “crushing” sanctions on Russia, a move playing out as President Donald Trump works to secure a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine.
Democratic and Republican lawmakers have worked on legislation to impose crippling sanctions on Russia for months, but House and Senate leaders have held off on votes as they’ve awaited sign-off from the president.
Earlier this week, GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham, who has worked on sanctions legislation with Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal, told reporters the White House told him they “signed off on the bill.” The South Carolina Republican also said the president privately told the Senate Majority Leader John Thune to “move the bill.”
Thune told reporters he believes the bill would move more quickly through Congress if it originates in the House since it is a revenue generator and would need to be taken up by that body first.
A bipartisan group of lawmakers in the House and Senate have companion legislation that would would allow the president to levy a 500% tariff on imports from countries that purchase Russian uranium, gas and oil.
Discharge petitions, which require 218 signatures - a majority of all 435 House members - have rarely been successful, but a number of Republican lawmakers have opened the door to using the arcane procedural tool to circumvent House Republican leaders, who determine the floor schedule and what legislation is considered.
CNN has reached out to the House speaker’s office for comment.
Trump says he would feel "very, very comfortable" in Mamdani's New York
President Donald Trump said Friday he would feel “very, very comfortable” being in New York City under Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s leadership, a remarkable moment that encapsulated a dramatic turnaround from months of barbs and threats during the mayoral campaign.
“I would feel very, very comfortable being in New York,” Trump, seated in the Oval Office, told reporters as the mayor-elect stood next to him.
The two spent just over half an hour together before reporters arrived, and Trump said their meeting changed his perceptions about the job the mayor-elect would do in his hometown.
Trump has previously threatened to pull federal funding from a Mamdani-led New York City, has suggested openness to sending in the National Guard and has threatened to arrest the mayor-elect, whom he’s repeatedly called him a “communist.” But for all the posturing beforehand, Friday’s meeting was collegial.
Asked if he would feel comfortable living in New York City, Trump said, “Yeah I would – I really would – especially after the meeting, absolutely.”
Pressed on what changed his mind, Trump said, “We agree on a lot more than I really thought.”
Trump rejects Stefanik's criticism of Mamdani, says he met with a "very rational person"
President Donald Trump pushed back against attacks on Zohran Mamdani from some in his own party — including New York gubernatorial candidate Elise Stefanik — saying he thinks the mayor-elect is a “rational person.”
Asked whether he agreed with Stefanik that Mamdani is a “jihadist,” Trump said, “No, I don’t.”
“She’s out there campaigning, and you say things sometimes in a campaign,” the president said of the GOP congresswoman, who announced her gubernatorial campaign earlier this month.
“I met with a man who’s a very rational person. I met with a man who wants to see — really wants to see New York be great again,” Trump said.
Mamdani keeps the focus on affordability
During his Oval Office meeting with President Donald Trump, New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani was asked by a reporter, “Mr. Mamdani, does New York City love President Trump?”
“New York City loves a future that is affordable,” Mamdani said, side-stepping the question.
He continued, “I can tell you that there were more New Yorkers that voted for President Trump in the most recent presidential election because of that focus on cost of living. And I’m looking forward to working together to deliver on that affordability agenda.”
Trump followed up, “I got a lot of votes,” before saying he would take another few more questions. “I’ll tell you, the press has eaten this thing up,” he added.
Throughout the meeting Mamdani and Trump emphasized their shared commitment to the issue of affordability, repeatedly downplaying areas of disagreement to steer the conversation back to cost-of-living concerns.
“What I really appreciate about the president is that the meeting that we had focused not on places of disagreement — which there are, many — and also focused on the shared purpose that we have in serving New Yorkers,” Mamdani said.
“Frankly, that is something that could transform the lives of the eight and a half million people who are currently struggling under a cost of living crisis with 1 in 4 living in poverty.”