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Browse major news stories and see what officials have said.

Sep 9, 2026

Three Days Before the 25th Anniversary, New York City Unseals 170,000 Pages Showing Officials Knew the Air at Ground Zero Was Not Safe — Nadler Says He Was "Screaming at the Top of My Lungs," and the EPA Administrator Who Said It Was Safe to Breathe Says She Only Repeated What Her Scientists Told Her

On Sept. 8, 2026, Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced that New York City had published more than 170,000 pages of records on the government's response to the Sept. 11 attacks and their aftermath, and settled two long-running lawsuits brought by the advocacy group 9/11 Health Watch. The material — including the previously restricted Harding Memo and 68 boxes of Department of Environmental Protection files that sat in a city office for more than two decades — is posted to a free public portal. The documents indicate that while officials were publicly reassuring residents and workers that Lower Manhattan was safe, internal data said otherwise: benzene and asbestos spiking in November 2001, carcinogens still present the following summer, major lead contamination at the Department of Transportation headquarters building, and guidance that discouraged respirator use. City Hall's own analysis anticipated that thousands of responders and community members could face long-term health consequences. The release lands on the 25th anniversary and reopens the question of who knew what. Rep. Jerrold Nadler, who represented Ground Zero at the time, said he warned local and federal officials and was ignored, and accused former Mayor Rudy Giuliani of "intentional obfuscation of the truth." Sen. Chuck Schumer, who pressed for Lower Manhattan to reopen quickly, said "in the very first weeks no one knew whether the air was fine or not." Former EPA Administrator Christine Todd Whitman, whose Sept. 2001 statement that the air was "safe to breathe" is the most-cited assurance in the record, responded in writing that her assessments "were based entirely on the analysis done by EPA scientists." Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand praised the release and turned to the backlog at the World Trade Center Health Program.

“I will keep pressing the program to fix delays in certifying new conditions, clinical staffing shortages, and administrative backlogs.”
Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) · Sep 9, 2026

Three Republicans and Three Democrats Tell Rubio and Bessent to Press Israel to Release the Palestinian Authority's Withheld Tax Revenues — Warning That the West Bank's "Fiscal Collapse" Would Serve "Extremist and Iran-Backed Groups, Not Israel, Nor the United States"

On September 9, 2026, six members of the House — three Republicans and three Democrats — sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent urging the administration to press Israel to stop withholding billions of dollars in "clearance revenues," the customs and tax receipts Israel collects on the Palestinian Authority's behalf and has increasingly held back, pushing the PA toward insolvency. The letter was led by Reps. Brad Schneider (D-IL) and Craig Goldman (R-TX), co-chairs of the Congressional Abraham Accords Caucus, and co-signed by Republican Reps. Ann Wagner (R-MO) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) and Democratic Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) and Jimmy Panetta (D-CA). "Continued withholding of billions in clearance revenues risks accelerating the West Bank's fiscal collapse," the lawmakers wrote — "an outcome that would serve the interests of extremist and Iran-backed groups, not Israel, nor the United States." They asked Rubio and Bessent to work with Israel and the PA on "practical, security-conscious mechanisms that keep clearance revenues flowing to legitimate Palestinian institutions while ensuring none are diverted to terror financing," and argued that "despite its significant shortcomings and flaws, the PA remains the only current viable governing alternative to Hamas." The Times of Israel called it a rare bipartisan critique of Israeli policy from members who are otherwise among Israel's firmest supporters in Congress. The letter came as the administration was escalating its financial campaign against Iran's regional proxies — the State and Treasury departments launched "Operation Economic Outcast" against Hezbollah and Kata'ib Hezbollah financing on September 10 — and amid a separate fight over Israeli settlement policy with Britain. Neither the Israeli government nor the State Department had publicly responded as of September 11.

“Supporting Israel's security and defeating terrorist groups is central to America's foreign policy. Economic instability in the West Bank risks creating a vacuum that Hamas and other Iranian-backed terrorist organizations could exploit.”
Craig Goldman (R-TX) · Sep 9, 2026

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Sep 9, 2026· Updated

The Transportation Secretary Tells Ford It Is "Actively Intertwining Its Future With Chinese State-Backed Enterprises" — Three Weeks After the Commerce Secretary Said "Ford Is Going to Rock Us" by Bringing Manufacturing Home — and Ford Calls the Letter "a Wrongheaded Attempt to Capture Headlines"

On September 8, 2026, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy sent Ford CEO Jim Farley a letter expressing "the profound concern of the U.S. Department of Transportation" about "the strategic trajectory of Ford Motor Company," and released it to the press. The letter cited Ford's licensing of battery technology from China's CATL — a company on the Pentagon's list of Chinese military-linked firms — at its BlueOval Battery Park in Marshall, Michigan; its arrangement letting Chinese automaker Geely build vehicles at Ford's plant in Valencia, Spain; reported talks with BYD over hybrid components; and Ford's decision to keep building the Lincoln Nautilus in China until 2030. Ford's choices, Duffy wrote, "paint a troubling picture of a foundational American brand actively intertwining its future with Chinese state-backed enterprises," and a company that "intentionally chooses to deepen operational dependencies on strategic competitors" fails "to act as the reliable partner the American public and this DOT require." Ford answered the same day with unusual bluntness for a company dealing with its regulator. It called the letter "a wrongheaded attempt to capture headlines at the expense of a company that has done more for American manufacturing than virtually any other in the nation's history," said it contained "factual errors," described the CATL deal as "a limited technology-licensing and services agreement, not a joint venture or foreign-owned manufacturing operation" under which "Ford owns the plant, controls the operation and employs the workforce," and noted that "Had Secretary Duffy reached out before issuing his letter to the press, we would have been happy to share more details." Ford also pointed out that Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick had praised the Nautilus decision on August 13, telling Fox Business after a joint interview with Farley that "Ford is going to rock us with bringing manufacturing back to America." On September 9, congressional Republicans lined up behind Duffy. Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) thanked him for "sounding the alarm about Ford's risky ties to CCP companies," and Rep. John Moolenaar (R-MI), chairman of the House Select Committee on China — who in July had said Ford was "actively helping the Chinese Communist Party" by hosting Geely in Spain — said "Ford should work with our nation's allies, not our adversaries." Michigan's Democratic delegation had not weighed in as of the evening of September 9.

“… sounding the alarm about Ford's risky ties to CCP companies.”
Rick Scott (R-FL) · Sep 9, 2026

The U.S. Ambassador to Israel Says the British Government's "Jew Hate … Knows No Boundaries" — Aimed at a Jewish Foreign Secretary — and When Britain Bans West Bank Settlement Goods Two Days Later, He Warns of "Repercussions" and a Florida Congressman Threatens to Cut Britain Off From "Billions of Dollars"

On Tuesday, September 8, 2026, British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband announced that the United Kingdom will ban imports of all goods from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, along with services — financing, construction, infrastructure, real estate and advertising — that support them. Miliband, who is Jewish, told Parliament that "there is ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in areas of the West Bank, perpetrated by settler terrorists" and that the government's "argument is not with the people of Israel … our argument is with the conduct of its government." He said France and Canada would follow. Prime Minister Andy Burnham briefed President Trump by phone on Monday before the announcement; Downing Street's readout did not describe Trump's response, and the Trump administration had privately urged London not to proceed. Israel's finance minister called for expelling the British ambassador and its security minister urged closing the British consulate in East Jerusalem. The American response came from the U.S. ambassador in Jerusalem and a Florida congressman. Two days earlier, on September 6, Ambassador Mike Huckabee had responded to a Miliband video describing medicines being blocked from Gaza by posting on X: "The Brits have lost it. The Jew hate of their government knows no boundaries and knows no facts." On the morning of the announcement Huckabee told the BBC's Today programme the ban was "a discrimination against the Jewish people," that "I don't know if they have thought it through," and that "the UK is a sovereign country; they can do what they want, but so is the US" — warning Britain could face "repercussions or retaliations" and suggesting states like Florida could act on their own. Rep. Randy Fine, who as a Florida legislator wrote the state's anti-boycott law, posted Monday night that any British company forced to comply would be barred from doing business with Florida's state and local governments: "Florida is one of Britain's largest trading partners. They should understand that their vanity project in support of Muslim terror could cost them billions of dollars." The episode lands as the Senate weighs a Democratic resolution on West Bank settlements and after the E1 settlement tenders that Britain cited as its trigger. No member of Congress had publicly criticized Huckabee's "Jew hate" remark about a Jewish foreign secretary as of the announcement, and the State Department had not issued its own statement on the British measures.

“I'll be speaking to Israel, I'll be speaking to them, and I'll find out what's their thinking... I understand what's going on. But I want to find out why all of a sudden has that happened.”
Donald Trump (R-FL) · Sep 9, 2026

The Morning Ottawa's Counter-Tariffs Take Effect, Trump Orders $50 Billion of Canadian Goods Off the Federal Procurement Schedules — "NO RECIPROCITY – NO ACCESS!" — and by Nightfall Signs Five Proclamations Banning Canadian Whisky, Whey and Motorcycles Outright, While His Treasury Secretary Calls Canada "This Little Yippy Dog" and a Republican Senator Urges Him to "Deescalate"

At 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, the retaliatory tariffs Prime Minister Mark Carney announced after U.S.–Canada trade talks collapsed in late August took effect — duties of 15 to 50 percent on roughly $20 billion of American steel, dairy, appliances, farm equipment and electronics. Within hours President Trump answered on Truth Social. Canada, he wrote, "has been ripping us off for years," and its federal and provincial governments "have banned American Small Businesses and Companies from selling into their Government Procurement Markets" while Canadian firms enjoy "broad access into the massive American Government Procurement Market." "That is not reciprocity, it is a Canadian Trade Scam. From now on, NO RECIPROCITY – NO ACCESS!" He said he was "hereby directing the GSA, working with the USTR, to take all necessary steps to REMOVE Canadian-origin products from GSA's Multiple Award Schedules" — contracts he put at "more than 50 BILLION DOLLARS a year" — "unless Canada restores full and fair reciprocity for American Farmers and Companies." That evening the White House released five proclamations signed under Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930, the same 1930 provision behind the 50 percent tariffs imposed on July 20. Three of them convert existing tariffs into outright import bans, effective September 29: most Canadian alcoholic beverages (wine, cider, vermouth, brandy, rye, rum, gin, vodka, tequila, liqueurs and cordials), non-alcoholic and malt beer, whey protein concentrates and other whey products, molasses, and motorcycles and mopeds. The others recalibrate the underlying tariff list: rock salt, cement, bed sheets, fishing rods, sugar, toilet paper, towels and napkins come off, and all-terrain vehicles, additional cheeses and dairy ingredients, motorboats, aluminum bars and rods, bamboo furniture, paper products, desks and lamps, golf carts, iron and steel columns and tubing, and mattresses go on at 50 percent from September 15. The dairy proclamation says Canada "maintained the discriminations against the commerce of the United States" after the July action, citing its tariff-rate quota allocations for American cheese. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer called the package "a natural consequence of Canada's continued discriminatory treatment of crucial American exports, ranging from alcoholic beverages to dairy products to motor vehicles," after Canada "walked away from a near-final trade deal" and "chose to embark on senseless retaliation." A senior administration official told reporters an "alternative pathway" could still be negotiated before the bans bite and that the carve-outs were meant "to really minimize the impact on supply chains here." The tone had been set over the weekend. On Fox News on Saturday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent likened Canada to a dachshund that "used to antagonize" his German shepherd: "This little yippy dog used to bark away, and for a long time, a 110-pound German shepherd was ignoring the dachshund and then one day she had enough." The counter-tariffs, he said, were "negligible" for U.S. prices, and Ottawa "were given the opportunity for a great trade deal and they didn't want it." Sunday and Monday brought the president's renaming of New Mexico, his complaint about Canada's exchange rate and his threat to bar Bombardier from selling aircraft in the United States. The congressional response on the day itself was thin, with the House out of session and the Senate in pro forma sessions. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, who had written to Greer and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick about the July tariffs, thanked the administration on Wednesday for the road-salt and cement exemptions — the border town of Frenchville would have paid $10,000 more for salt, and one ready-mix company owner "would pay $150,000 each month" — but noted that "significant tariffs – including those on forest products – remain in effect and will lead to higher costs for Maine families," and urged the administration "to continue to work to deescalate this conflict." Colorado Gov. Jared Polis told CTV that "America does not view Canada as the 51st state, any more than Canada views United States as the 11th or 14th province," adding, "Unfortunately, in our country, that guy's our president, and that's kind of the problem." Ottawa did not announce further retaliation. Carney, in a video address the same day, said "the cumulative U.S. demands revealed that they wanted us to become even more reliant on them, not less," and trade minister Dominic LeBlanc said Canada would "work in good faith and constructively" whenever Washington "is ready to engage in dialogue." Lutnick was due in Mexico City on Wednesday to meet President Claudia Sheinbaum; 50 percent duties on Canadian cars and trucks remain under consideration for January 1.

“I appreciate the Administration's announcement that it will exempt road salt and cement from U.S. tariffs. In my communication with Ambassador Greer and Secretary Lutnick, I focused on road salt and cement as two products crucial to Maine that would be severely affected by these tariffs. I mentioned in a letter to the Administration that Frenchville, a small Maine town on the Canadian border, would incur $10,000 in extra costs for road salt, threatening the town's ability to provide municipal services. I also shared that I had heard from Maine ready-mix cement company owners, one of whom told me his company would pay $150,000 each month because of this tariff. These additional exemptions follow Canada's announcement that it will carve out American seafood and fish products from its retaliatory tariff list, which would have caused significant harm to Maine's lobstermen. However, significant tariffs – including those on forest products – remain in effect and will lead to higher costs for Maine families and uncertainty for businesses. I urge the Administration to continue to work to deescalate this conflict and reach a trade resolution with our Canadian partners.”
Susan Collins (R-ME) · Sep 9, 2026

Trump Calls Off Diplomacy and Declares an "ECONOMIC D-DAY" Against Iran — the White House Pivots From "Hammer Iran ASAP" to "Strangle Them," and a Senate Democrat Calls It a "Strategic Dead-End"

On August 18, 2026 — a day after the 60-day deadline in the US–Iran memorandum of understanding lapsed — President Trump instructed his negotiating team, including Vice President JD Vance and envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, to stop talking to Tehran, and posted on Truth Social that "there are no talks or conversations going on, or scheduled." White House officials told CNN the strategy had shifted from "hammer Iran ASAP" to "strangle them" over time. The next day, Trump put a name to it. In a Truth Social post he promised "the MOST CRUSHING ECONOMIC OPERATION EVER TAKEN AGAINST ANY COUNTRY," said Iran would face "Economic Warfare and Isolation on an unprecedented scale," and warned that any country whose banks, businesses, airports or government entities gave Iran "any type of lifeline" would face "TREMENDOUS Economic Consequences." He called it an "ECONOMIC D-DAY." Speaking to reporters the same day, Trump left the door to talks open — "maybe at some point" — while insisting "right now, I think the situation is so good." With Congress in August recess and the Senate not back until September 14, on-the-record congressional reaction was sparse. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a member of the Armed Services Committee, called the pivot evidence of a "strategic dead-end." Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi dismissed the announcement as a distraction from American debt.

“Originally, I wanted to make a deal. … We're so far down the line, they have very little country left right now, so we're not looking for it.”
Donald Trump (R-FL) · Sep 9, 2026

Trump Military Strikes on Alleged Drug Boats in Caribbean and Pacific

Beginning September 2, 2025, the Trump administration launched a sustained military campaign of lethal strikes against vessels in the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific that the administration described as drug-trafficking boats operated by designated narco-terrorist organizations, principally Venezuela's Tren de Aragua. The first strike — announced personally by President Trump — killed 11 people on a vessel that had departed Venezuela. By late March 2026, the U.S. military had conducted more than 47 strikes on at least 48 vessels, killing at least 163 people, under what the Pentagon branded "Operation Southern Spear." The campaign has triggered an escalating war powers and legality fight in Congress. The Washington Post revealed in November 2025 that on the very first strike Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had given a "kill them all" order, and that a follow-on "double tap" strike killed two survivors clinging to the burning wreckage. Both House and Senate Armed Services committees opened bipartisan probes. Sens. Tim Kaine, Adam Schiff, Rand Paul and Chuck Schumer forced repeat war powers votes, all defeated by the Republican Senate majority — most recently on January 8, 2026 (52-47 to advance, then defeated on final passage). Critics across both parties argue the strikes are extrajudicial killings without congressional authorization and may constitute war crimes; defenders, led by Secretary Rubio and Sen. Lindsey Graham, characterize the boats' operators as terrorists in an "armed conflict" with the United States.

“Well again, it depends, and we still blow up ships.”
Marco Rubio (R-FL) · Sep 9, 2026

New Hampshire Sets Up the Senate Race for Jeanne Shaheen's Open Seat — John E. Sununu Wins the Republican Primary Three to One and Says He "Can't Wait to Debate Chris Pappas," and Pappas Wins the Democratic Primary and Says Sununu "Has Thrown His Lot In With Donald Trump"

On September 8, 2026, New Hampshire voters set the November matchup for the U.S. Senate seat Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) is giving up after three terms. Former Sen. John E. Sununu, who held the seat from 2003 to 2009 and carried President Trump's endorsement, won the Republican primary over former Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown by roughly 70 percent to 25 percent. Rep. Chris Pappas, the four-term Democrat from the 1st District, won the Democratic primary over Karishma Manzur, a scientist backed by the Democratic Socialists of America, by roughly 62 percent to 36 percent — a wider-than-expected margin for Manzur in a race Pappas had been expected to walk through. Both nominees used their victory speeches to define the other. Sununu told supporters "I can't wait to debate Chris Pappas — anytime, any place," called the congressman "ineffective, partisan, and out of touch with New Hampshire," and said that as senator he would "take a backseat to no one" in standing up for the state and was "not running for any other job." Pappas said "Everywhere I go, I hear the same thing: Life is too damn expensive," tied that to tariffs, expiring health-insurance subsidies and gas and grocery prices, said "Donald Trump thinks all of this is just a hoax," and cast Sununu as the president's "handpicked candidate" who "has thrown his lot in with Donald Trump" and as "a failed politician from the past." Brown conceded to Sununu by phone. Down the ballot, Gov. Kelly Ayotte was renominated with roughly 92 percent and will face Democrat Cinde Warmington, a former executive councilor who ran unopposed. In the open 1st Congressional District that Pappas is leaving, Stefany Shaheen — the retiring senator's daughter — won a nine-way Democratic primary with about 37 percent, edging Marine veteran Maura Sullivan by fewer than 2,000 votes in a race the Associated Press did not call until after midnight; she faces Republican Anthony DiLorenzo. In the 2nd District, Rep. Maggie Goodlander was renominated and faces Republican Lily Tang Williams. The general election is November 3.

“We will keep listening, keep working, and stay laser-focused on the economy, jobs, and making life more affordable. … We will clean up Washington and hold politicians in both parties accountable.”
John E. Sununu (R-NH) · Sep 8, 2026

The Iran War Restarts After a Month-Long Lull: U.S. Forces Hit Larak Island, Iran Fires Missiles at Two American Air Bases in Jordan and a Drone at the UAE, and Trump Posts an AI Video of Iran's Main Oil Terminal "Being Blown to Smithereens"

On Sunday, August 30, 2026, U.S. forces struck two Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz — the first American strike on Iran in more than a month. U.S. Central Command said Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps units had been observed preparing to fire rockets carrying sea mines into the strait, and described the operation as limited and precise action against an imminent threat. The IRGC called it an act of aggression and vowed a response. The response came overnight. The IRGC launched an operation it named "Punishment of the Aggressor," firing ballistic missiles at the King Hussein and Al Azraq air bases in Jordan, both of which host American forces, and a drone at Al Minhad Air Base in the United Arab Emirates. Iran claimed heavy damage to infrastructure, maintenance facilities and fighter jet positions, and said it had also downed a U.S. MQ-9 Reaper over the Strait of Hormuz. Jordan's military said it intercepted eight ballistic missiles before they threatened any infrastructure or troops; the UAE Ministry of Defense said it intercepted the drone with no damage or casualties. A U.S. official told CNN there were no reported impacts. President Trump told Fox News the United States would answer: "We're going to hit them hard. There will be a response." He then posted an AI-generated video to Truth Social captioned "Kharg Island being blown to smithereens!!!" — Kharg being Iran's main oil-export terminal, and a target the administration has repeatedly threatened but, as of the posting, had not struck. Analysts who checked the clip confirmed it was synthetic; hours later there was no evidence Kharg had been attacked. Trump also posted that "Iran is officially a Failed Nation. IT IS DEAD!" Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who has been running the "economic D-Day" sanctions campaign against Tehran, read the exchange as evidence the pressure is working: "I would think that they are lashing out kinetically because they are losing economically." Congress was largely out of position to respond. The House returned from its August recess on August 31; the Senate was in pro forma session and does not return until September 14. As of the evening of August 31, no member of Congress had issued an on-record statement specifically about the Larak strike or the Jordan and UAE retaliation.

“The Houthis, in many ways, are agents and proxies of the Iranians. Behind some of this is clearly the Iranian hand. The US has a very strong defensive, military relationship with Saudi Arabia. We're watching those events very closely.”
Marco Rubio (R-FL) · Sep 8, 2026

An Amazon Cargo Jet Runs 1,300 Feet Past the End of a Miami Runway at 128 MPH and Crushes a Van Carrying Seven Airport Cleaners — Five Dead, and the NTSB Chair Calls the Scene "Utter Devastation"

At 1:53 p.m. on Sunday, September 6, 2026, 21 Air Flight 7598 — a 32-year-old Boeing 767-300 freighter flying for Amazon Air from San Juan, Puerto Rico — landed long on Runway 30 at Miami International Airport, left the paved surface at roughly 128 miles per hour, and traveled about 1,300 feet before striking navigational equipment, a fence line, a Ford Econoline van carrying seven workers from an airline cleaning contractor, and an SUV on the road outside the perimeter. Five people in the two vehicles were killed and five more were injured, three critically. The two-person flight crew survived. The airport was under a full ground stop for about three hours, and delays into Miami ran past six hours on Sunday night. National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy led a 32-person team to the scene and, at a briefing on Monday, September 7, described "utter devastation," said the van had been "torn apart," and confirmed both the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder had been recovered. Video of the landing appears to show the jet still airborne well down the runway before touching down, and investigators are examining whether the aircraft touched down too late to stop safely. 21 Air, a North Carolina-based cargo carrier that began flying 767 freighters for Amazon in 2024, said it was cooperating fully with the NTSB and FAA. Florida's officials responded within hours. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the ground stop and warned travelers to expect significant delays. Sen. Rick Scott said he was "heartbroken by this tragic loss of life," Rep. Carlos Giménez — a former Miami fire chief — said he was "extraordinarily proud" of the emergency response, Rep. María Elvira Salazar said "Miami is with every family affected by this tragedy," and Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz said she was "horrified" by the crash. Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava was briefed by the FAA on scene Sunday night. The crash is the deadliest at Miami International since the 1997 Fine Air Flight 101 cargo crash, and it comes ten months after the fatal UPS cargo jet crash at Louisville.

“I would describe it in one word as devastating, utter devastation. There's debris everywhere.”
Jennifer Homendy (O) · Sep 7, 2026

Ten Days After Renaming Lake Ontario, Trump Posts a Map With "Mexico" Crossed Out and Calls New Mexico "One of the Great Vote Cheating States of All Time" — the State's Entire Democratic Delegation, Its Governor and Both Nominees to Succeed Her Answer "Oh Hell No," and a Republican Senator Says the New Name Is "Kind of Catchy"

On Sunday, September 6, 2026 — in the middle of a Labor Day weekend posting spree that also included an image of the Moon captioned "THE MOON IS OURS" and a string of AI-generated pictures — President Trump posted a map of New Mexico on Truth Social with the word "Mexico" crossed out in red and "America" written beneath it. The official White House account reposted the image on X. In a follow-up post, Trump wrote that "many people suggested changing the name of New Mexico, one of the great vote cheating states of all time, to NEW AMERICA," calling the name "so much more prestigious and beautiful for the people of that potentially incredible State. Wow, I Love It!!!" The post followed a debunked online hoax claiming Trump had already signed an executive order renaming the state, and came ten days after he did sign an order renaming Lake Ontario "Lake America" during the tariff fight with Canada, and days after he floated and then withdrew renaming the Strait of Hormuz "Trump Strait." A president cannot rename a state by executive action; the White House announced no formal effort to do so. The reaction from New Mexico was immediate and unanimous across the ballot. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said the name "isn't up for debate — it's been ours since before the United States existed" and that "while the White House wastes time coloring on maps, Nuevo México is busy doing the work." Sen. Martin Heinrich listed "three things I will always call by their actual names: The Gulf of Mexico. Lake Ontario. New Mexico." Sen. Ben Ray Luján said "it's New Mexico, always has been and always will be." Rep. Melanie Stansbury opened her post with "Oh hell no!" and Rep. Gabe Vasquez told the president "you don't get to erase New Mexico." Both nominees to succeed Lujan Grisham rejected it: Democrat Deb Haaland ("You can't be serious") and Republican Gregg Hull, the mayor of Rio Rancho, who said the state's identity "is not up for negotiation." Outside the state, Sen. Mike Lee of Utah was the lone elected Republican to weigh in, posting: "New America? Kind of catchy."

“This is truly unhinged behavior from the President of the United States. I don't want to hear 'oh, it's just Trump being Trump' or that he's 'trolling.' Enough. None of this is normal or okay. Republicans cannot keep shrugging this off.”
Gavin Newsom (D-CA) · Sep 7, 2026

The House Ethics Committee Lets Its Deadline Pass Without a Word on Max Miller, the NRCC Puts $450,000 Behind Him, and the House GOP Conference Chair Says "I Support Anybody With an R Behind Their Name" — While Six Republican Senators, Including Both of Ohio's, Have Told Him to Go

Rep. Max Miller (R-Ohio) has been under a House Ethics Committee investigation since early August 2026, opened at his own request after his ex-wife, Emily Moreno — the daughter of Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) — alleged in a July 30 restraining-order filing that he threw scalding water at her, held a gun to her head and fractured their two-year-old daughter's collarbone. Former White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham, an ex-girlfriend, has also accused him of abuse. Miller denies everything, has sued Moreno for defamation, and is running for a third term in Ohio's 7th District. Friday, September 4 was the committee's 60-day mark to release findings or recommend punishment before the election. It did neither, effectively pushing any action past November. The same week, the National Republican Congressional Committee announced roughly $450,000 in coordinated television advertising for Miller starting September 7, and Rep. Michael Rulli (R-Ohio) said a censure vote was probably "not going to be on the table" after reports surfaced of Democratic challenger Brian Poindexter's 1998 and 2013 arrests. On September 6, House Republican Conference Chair Lisa McClain (R-Mich.), the highest-ranking Republican woman in Congress, was asked on CBS's "Face the Nation" whether she still supported Miller's reelection. "Listen, divorces are ugly," she said. "I support anybody with an R behind their name." Pressed on the six Republican senators who had called for Miller to resign — Katie Britt, Jim Banks, Jon Husted, Roger Marshall, Shelley Moore Capito and Tim Sheehy, who called Miller "clearly a degenerate sociopath" — McClain said "they've tried that avenue, and he's chosen to stay in the race," and "at the end of the day, he's our nominee right now." Her comments matched Speaker Mike Johnson's, who said on August 31 that Miller "has been a great member of Congress" with "some issues in his personal life he's working through." President Trump, who called the dispute "a very sad thing" in public, privately told Miller in early August that "things aren't looking good." The DCCC added Poindexter to its "Red to Blue" list on August 11, and Cook Political Report rates the seat a toss-up.

“Listen, divorces are ugly, and I'm glad I'm not — I'm not in his shoes right now. I support anybody with an R behind their name. I hope when all of this comes — comes out that it's not true. But at the end of the day, we got to let the process play out.”
Lisa McClain (R-MI) · Sep 6, 2026

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