U.S. President Donald Trump is reconsidering whether to move forward with a $1.8 billion fund meant to compensate his allies, a person familiar with his thinking said on Monday (June 1, 2026), as the Justice Department said it would temporarily pause its implementation to comply with a court order.

The potential retreat is a recognition of the legal setbacks the fund has encountered since it was announced two weeks ago as well as a mounting political backlash from Republicans concerned by a perceived lack of oversight of the money disbursement and the potential for payouts to participants in the January 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.

The Trump administration had defended the $1.776 billion “Anti-Weaponisation Fund,” established to resolve Trump’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service over the leak of his tax returns, as an appropriate corrective measure to make up for what officials insist was weaponised law enforcement during the Biden administration.

Though some Mr. Trump supporters — including participants in the Capitol riot — celebrated the announcement of the fund, the reaction among Republicans in Congress has been decidedly more hostile. The fund was one of the issues the president spoke about with House Speaker Mike Johnson, whom he met with Monday (June 1, 2026), according to a person who was granted anonymity to discuss a private discussion.

On Monday (June 1, 2026), a person familiar with the matter who insisted on anonymity to discuss the president’s thinking, said Mr. Trump was reconsidering whether to move forward with the fund. The Justice Department said separately that it would comply with a ruling by a federal judge in Virginia on Friday that halted plans for the fund pending additional arguments later this month, even as it noted that it “disagrees strongly” with that decision.

Lawmakers have raised concerns about the lack of oversight of the money and pushed the administration to either impose limits on the fund or scrap it altogether. It especially complicated matters in the Senate, where Republicans defiantly left town 10 days ago without passing legislation to fund Trump’s immigration enforcement agencies.

Republicans who returned to Washington on Monday (June 1, 2026)said they won’t have the votes to pass the Homeland Security spending bill until the White House works with them to place parameters on the fund.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune indicated on Monday (June 1, 2026) that he hoped the White House would move to drop the fund.

“I do think the best way to handle it is if the administration decides to shut it down themselves,” Thune told reporters.

Senators pressed acting Attorney General Todd Blanche over the fund at a closed-door gathering last month that Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas called one of “the roughest meetings I’ve seen in my entire time in the Senate.” The fund’s future was called into question by a pair of court rulings.

In Virginia, U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema temporarily halted its formation and scheduled a June 12 hearing for arguments on whether to extend her order barring the government from moving forward with the fund while pending litigation challenges it.

The Justice Department said on Monday (June 1, 2026) it would abide by the ruling but noted in a statement the “fund was open to anybody who was so weaponized, targeted, or persecuted, whether they were Democrat, Republican, Conservative, Independent, or otherwise.”

Separately, the federal judge in Florida overseeing Mr. Trump’s lawsuit against the IRS ordered Mr. Trump’s attorneys to respond to “grievous allegations” by settlement critics that the president abandoned his claims to avoid the court’s scrutiny of an illegal deal. US District Judge Kathleen Williams gave them until June 12 to respond in writing to allegations of collusion and whether the case should be reopened because the court was the “victim of a fraud.”

U.S. President Donald Trump said his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping was “100% correct” in his assessment that the U.S. was a nation in decline, but the remarks referred to the years of his predecessor Joe Biden.

“When President Xi very elegantly referred to the United States as perhaps being a declining nation, he was referring to the tremendous damage we suffered during the four years of Sleepy Joe Biden and the Biden Administration, and on that score, he was 100% correct,” Mr. Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

He said the U.S. “suffered immeasurably with open borders, high taxes, transgender for everybody, men in women’s sports, Diversity-Equity-Inclusion (DEI), horrible trade deals, rampant crime, and so much more!”

Mr. Trump asserted that the U.S. has seen “an incredible rise” during the first 16 months of his administration and pointed to record stock markets and 401(k)s, military victories, renewed economic strength and what he described as a booming job market.

Mr. Trump also touted a military victory and thriving relationship in Venezuela, as well as the “military decimation” of Iran.

“President Xi was not referring to the incredible rise that the United States has displayed to the world during the 16 spectacular months of the Trump Administration,” he said.

“Two years ago, we were, in fact, a Nation in decline. On that, I fully agree with President Xi!” Mr. Trump said, adding that, “But now, the United States is the hottest Nation anywhere in the world, and hopefully our relationship with China will be stronger and better than ever before!”

Mr. Trump also cited trillions of dollars in foreign investment flowing into the U.S., praised the administration’s rollback of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programmes and claimed that President Xi congratulated him on what he called the administration’s “tremendous successes” in a short period of time.

The U.S., ​Iran and a group of regional ‌mediators are discussing the ​terms for a ⁠potential 45-day ceasefire that could lead to a permanent end to the ‌war, Axios reported on Sunday (April 5, 2026), citing four U.S., ‌Israeli and regional sources with ‌knowledge ⁠of the talks.

Reuters could ⁠not immediately verify the report. The White House and the U.S. State ​Department did not ‌immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.

Iran-Israel war LIVE updates

The mediators are discussing the terms of a ‌two-phased deal, the report said, ​adding that the first phase would be a potential ⁠45-day ceasefire during which a permanent end to the war ‌would be negotiated.

The second phase would be an agreement on ending the war, the report said.

The ceasefire could be extended if additional ‌time was required for talks, the report ​said.

U.S. President Donald Trump told the Wall Street ⁠Journal on Sunday (April 5) his deadline for ⁠Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz or face ‌attacks on critical infrastructure is Tuesday (April 7, 2026) evening.

As per the sources, the mediators are working on confidence building measures Iran could do regarding the reopening of the strait of Hormuz and it highly enriched Uranium stockpile.

While these two issues are Iran’s main bargaining chips in the negotiations, sources said that the Iranians will not agree to fully give up on them for only 45 days of ceasefire, as per the report by Axios.

According to Axios, the mediators want to see whether Iran could take partial step on both issues in the first phase of the deal.

Meanwhile, they are also working on steps which the Trump administration could take so as to give Iran guarantees that the ceasefire will not be temporary and that the war will not resume.

As per Axios, the Iranian officials have made it clear to the mediators they don’t want to be caught in a Gaza or Lebanon situation where there is a ceasefire on paper, but that the US and Israel attack again whenever they want to.

Meanwhile it further reported that the mediators are also working on other U.S. confidence-building measures the Washington could take which would address some of Iran’s demands.

The developments come as the mediators are highly concerned that the Iranian retaliation for a US-Israeli strike on the country’s energy infrastructure would be destructive for Gulf countries’ oil and water facilities.

U.S. President Donald Trump said that Iran had agreed to allow 20 ships carrying oil through the Strait of Hormuz starting on Monday (March 30, 2026) morning and continuing over the next few days “out of a sign of respect.”

“I would only say that we’re doing extremely well in that negotiation but you never know with Iran because we negotiate with them and then we always have to blow them up,” Mr. Trump told reporters on Sunday (March 29) night board Air Force One as he flew to Washington.

Iran-Israel war LIVE updates

Mr. Trump was asked if Iran had responded to the 15-point ceasefire plan the U.S. has proposed and he said, they did and added, “They gave us most of the points. Why wouldn’t they?” But Mr. Trump didn’t offer details when asked about Iran, by his telling, appearing to make major concessions. “They’re agreeing with us on the plan,” Mr. Trump said.

He also said Iran’s new Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei “may be alive but he’s obviously, very seriously in trouble. He’s seriously wounded.”

Iran launched strikes on Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, meanwhile after Iranian electrical facilities came under attack, cutting power to parts of Tehran and surrounding areas.

As Israel continued to press its offensive against Iran-backed Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, the UN Force in Lebanon said a peacekeeper had been killed on Sunday (March 29) and another critically injured by a projectile that hit a UNIFIL position.

UNIFIL said they did not know the origin of the projectile but were investigating.

Mr. Trump, citing the number of Iranian leaders who have been killed in the month-long U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, said regime change has already been achieved and the new leadership is “much more reasonable”.

“We’ve had regime change,” he told reporters aboard Air Force One. “We’re dealing with different people than anybody’s dealt with before. It’s a whole different group of people. So I would consider that regime change.”

Asked whether there could be a deal with Iran this coming week, Mr. Trump said: “I do see a deal in Iran. Could be soon.”

Trump suggests U.S. could take Iran’s Kharg Island

U.S. President Donald Trump has raised the idea of American forces seizing Iran’s Kharg Island, its main oil terminal in the Persian Gulf.

The comment by Mr. Trump came in an interview published early on Monday (March 30) by The Financial Times.

“Maybe we take Kharg Island, maybe we don’t. We have a lot of options,” >Mr. Trump told the newspaper. “It would also mean we had to be there (on Kharg Island) for a while.” Asked about Iranian defences there, he said: “I don’t think they have any defense. We could take it very easily.” The US already launched airstrikes once it said targeted military positions on the island.

Iran has threatened to launch its own ground invasion of Gulf Arab countries and new attacks if US troops land on its territory.

Mr. Trump said that Iran’s parliament speaker authorised the passage of oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf.

The comment by Mr. Trump in the interview is the latest signal by the Americans of Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf’s importance within Iran’s theocracy.

“They gave us 10” Pakistani-flagged tankers, he said. “Now they’re giving 20 and the 20 have already started and they’re going right up the middle of the Strait.” “He’s the one who authorised the ships to me,” Trump told the newspaper about Qalibaf. “Remember I said they’re giving me a present? And everyone said: What’s the present?’ … When they heard about that they kept their mouth shut and the negotiations are going very well.” Qalibaf has maintained a combative personality through his X account in the war, mocking the Americans and issuing threats. But the former Revolutionary Guard commander has seen his profile rise as senior members of its theocracy have been killed.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s signature is set to feature on U.S. paper currency soon, a first for a sitting President since the introduction of dollar bills in 1861.

The decision, taken by the U.S. Treasury, coincides with the 250th anniversary celebrations of American Independence this year.

“In celebration of America’s 250th anniversary, President Donald J Trump’s signature alongside (Treasury) Secretary Scott Bessent’s will soon appear on U.S. currency, marking a first in history, and symbolises @POTUS’ leadership and dedication to our great nation will carry a lasting impact,” U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach said in a post on X.

Earlier this month, a federal arts commission approved the final design for a 24-karat gold commemorative coin bearing Mr. Trump’s image to help celebrate the 250th anniversary of American Independence.

The 24-karat gold coin, portraying Mr. Trump leaning on the Resolute desk with clenched fists, will be only the second time a living president has featured on a coin.

“Under President Trump’s leadership, we are on a path toward unprecedented economic growth, lasting dollar dominance, and fiscal strength and stability,” Mr. Bessent said in a statement.

“There is no more powerful way to recognise the historic achievements of our great country and President Donald J Trump than U.S. dollar bills bearing his name, and it is only appropriate that this historic currency be issued at the semiquincentennial,” he said.

Treasurer Beach said the President’s mark on history as the architect of America’s Golden Age economic revival is undeniable, adding that printing his signature on the American currency is not only appropriate, but also well deserved.

President Donald Trump, whose call for assistance from allies to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to oil traffic has largely been rebuffed, said on Tuesday (March 17, 2026) that U.S. forces “no longer need” military help in the Iran war.

“Because of the fact that we have had such Military Success, we no longer ‘need,’ or desire, the NATO Countries’ assistance — WE NEVER DID! Likewise, Japan, Australia, or South Korea,” Mr. Trump posted on his Truth Social network, adding: “WE DO NOT NEED THE HELP OF ANYONE!”

Iran-Israel war LIVE updates

Iran’s attacks on Gulf nations and its grip on the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s oil is transported, have sparked increasing concerns of a global energy crisis and are unnerving the world economy.

A handful of ships have crossed through the strait, and Iran has said the vital waterway technically remains open — just not for the United States, Israel and their allies. About 20 vessels have been struck since the war began.

Earlier with oil prices rising, Mr. Trump said he had demanded that roughly a half-dozen countries send warships to ensure ships can pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

But his appeals brought no immediate commitments, with many saying they are hesitant to get involved in a war with no defined exit plan and sceptical that they could do more than the U.S. Navy.

U.S. President Donald Trump has hailed the trade deal with India as “historic” and said America will increase its coal exports dramatically to the country and to others with which it has trade agreements.

“And under our leadership, we’re becoming a massive energy exporter. In just the past few months, we’ve made historic trade deals with Japan, Korea, India and others to increase our coal exports dramatically,” Mr. Trump said Wednesday (February 11, 2025) during an event titled ‘Champion of Coal’.

“We’re now exporting coal all over the world, and the quality of our coal is supposed to be…the finest anywhere in the world,” he said.

Last week, the U.S. and India announced they have reached a framework for an interim agreement on trade, under which New Delhi will eliminate or reduce tariffs on all American industrial goods, a wide range of food and agricultural products, as well as purchase $500 billion of US products over the next five years.

A joint statement issued by the two countries on Friday (February 6) said they have reached a framework “regarding reciprocal and mutually beneficial trade.”

It said that India “intends to purchase $500 billion of U.S. energy products, aircraft and aircraft parts, precious metals, technology products, and coking coal over the next five years.”

It added that the framework reaffirms the countries’ commitment to the broader U.S.-India Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) negotiations, launched by President Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 13, 2025, which will include additional market access commitments and support more resilient supply chains.

President Donald Trump said he plans to announce his choice for chairman of the Federal Reserve on Friday (January 30, 2026) morning, a long-awaited decision that could set up a showdown on whether the U.S. central bank preserves its independence from the White House and electoral politics.

For the past year, the President has aggressively attacked Fed Chair Jerome Powell, whose term as the head of the US central bank ends in May.

Mr. Trump maintains that Mr. Powell should cut the Fed’s benchmark interest rates more drastically to fuel faster economic growth, while the Fed chair has taken a far more judicious approach in the wake of Mr. Trump’s tariffs because inflation is already elevated.

“I’ll be announcing the Fed chair tomorrow morning,” Mr. Trump told reporters on Thursday (January 29) night as he went into the screening of the documentary “Melania” about his wife. “It’s going to be, somebody that is very respected, somebody that’s known to everybody in the financial world. And I think it’s going to be a very good choice. I hope so.”

Mr. Trump stayed relatively cryptic about his pick. His search was led by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent with four known finalists: Kevin Warsh, a former Fed governor; Christopher Waller, a current Fed governor; Rick Rieder, an executive with the financial firm BlackRock, and Kevin Hassett, director of the White House National Economic Council. Mr. Trump, in the past, suggested that <Mr. Hassett was the front-runner, only to recently say that he wanted him to remain in his current post.

Mr. Trump did say on Thursday (January 29) night that “a lot of people think that this is somebody that could have been there a few years ago,” fuelling speculation that he had chosen Warsh, who was a finalist in the 2017 search for Fed chair that led to Powell’s selection.

Tensions between Mr. Trump and the central bank had been steadily mounting as the President used the renovation costs of the Fed’s headquarters to further lambaste Mr. Powell, a campaign that resulted in the Fed getting subpoenas from the Justice Department earlier this month.

The Fed chair took the rare step of issuing a video statement in which he said: “The threat of criminal charges is a consequence of the Federal Reserve setting interest rates based on our best assessment of what will serve the public, rather than following the preferences of the president.”

Mr. Trump has long teased his Fed choice while saying his nominee would slash interest rates that influence the supply of money in the U.S. economy, the rate of inflation and the stability of the job market.

On the cusp of Mr. Trump’s announcement, Mr. Powell might have the ability to block him in an effort to ensure the Fed preserves its credibility by staying away from political considerations.

While his term as chair ends in roughly three months, Mr. Powell’s term on the Fed’s board of governors runs through 2028 and he could choose to remain in that post, likely blocking Trump’s ability to have his nominees control the majority of the seats on the board.

Of the seven Fed governors, former President Joe Biden picked three of them in addition to renominating Mr. Powell to a second term as chair.

If Mr. Powell stays on the board, he could also create a small procedural hurdle for Mr. Trump’s ability to nominate someone new to the board.

This would mean Mr. Trump would either have to choose an existing board member as chair or replace Stephen Miran, who is on leave from his job as chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers to fill a term as governor that technically ends on Saturday. If Mr/. Trump chooses to replace Mr. Miran, he could name someone new to the board.

At a Wednesday news conference, Mr. Powell declined to say whether he would leave the board. But he did offer some advice to any successor about balancing the need for independent judgment with public accountability.

“Don’t get pulled into elected politics — don’t do it,” Mr. Powell said. “Another is, that our window into democratic accountability is Congress. And it’s not a passive burden for us to go to Congress and talk to people. It’s an affirmative regular obligation.”