Trump Admin Live Updates: Hegseth Sneaks Into Border Amid Intensifying Scrutiny
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth embarked on a scheduled visit to the southern border on Friday, excluding journalists from accompanying him, amid growing scrutiny in Washington.
ABC News has verified that during at least two distinct gatherings, Hegseth alleged that high-level military officials were sharing information with the press and warned that he would subject them to lie detector tests.
Hegseth utilized the Signal application on a personal computer located in his office, which was linked to the internet via an unsecured commercial connection referred to as a "dirty line." This information was verified by two sources for ABC News on Thursday.
A spokesperson for the Pentagon labeled that report as "fake news."
Latest Developments
Trump encourages Ukraine to enter into a special agreement for rare earth materials, stating that progress on the Russia-Ukraine peace negotiations is proceeding well.
In a recent posting on his social media platform, President Donald Trump condemned Ukraine for failing to sign the agreement related to rare earth materials with the U.S.
"At minimum, it’s three weeks overdue. I hope it gets approved RIGHT AWAY," Trump stated in the posting.
Last week, during his meeting with the Italian Prime Minister, Trump declared that the deal would be finalized between the U.S. and Ukraine on Thursday of this week. In response to further inquiries from ABC News’ Rachel Scott, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated that they were still ironing out the specifics; however, he expressed hope that the accord would be signed on April 26th.
Trump added that "Work on the overall Peace Deal between Russia and Ukraine is going smoothly."
--ABC News' Michelle Stoddart
As Hegseth confronts oversight in Washington, he travels to the southern border.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on X that he will be heading out for an unexpected visit to the southern border on Friday.
A clip posted on his verified profile depicts him getting onboard an aircraft. In his private profile, he mentioned that he’s heading down “to check on our troops ON MISSION” and visit a “brand-new ‘NATIONAL DEFENSE AREA.’”
The journey occurs amid scrutiny of Hegseth in Washington. It has come to light that Hegseth has utilized the Signal app on a personal computer located in his Pentagon office, which is linked to the internet via an unprotected "dirty line," according to ABC News. reported . He also yelled out a threat aimed at high-ranking military officials during the polygraph test As he charged them with leaking information to the press.
A spokesperson for the Pentagon stated online that the report was "entirely false and completely fabricated news."
Trump signs executive order on domestic deep sea mining for critical minerals
Trump signed an executive order that seeks to develop domestic capability for the "exploration, characterization, collection and processing of critical deep seabed minerals."
The order itself contains a lengthy list of mandates for various Cabinet secretaries and departments to help deliver on the aim of the order.
Specifically, it calls on the secretary of the Department of Commerce to expedite the review and issuance of exploration and commercial recovery permits under the Deep Seabed Hard Mineral Resources Act.
The order will also require the secretaries of the departments of Commerce and the Interior to create a report detailing private-sector interest and opportunities for "exploration, mining and monitoring" of seabed mineral on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf and private-sector processing capability within the U.S. and on U.S.-flagged vessels.
The secretary of state and secretary of the interior will also be tasked with creating a map of priority areas of the seabed.
The order also requires the secretary of the interior to come up with a process for reviewing and approving permits and granting licenses within the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf. Officials say these licenses will be administered under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act.
-ABC News' Hannah Demissie
Judge denies Trump's bid to delay Tufts student's transfer to another court
On Thursday, Judge William K. Sessions III rejected the government's plea to halt the relocation of Tufts University student Rümeysa Öztürk from a holding center in Louisiana to one in Vermont.
The government requested the judge to halt the action as it plans to appeal the decision in the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals.
However, the judge denied their appeal, stating that her relocation to Vermont "will not affect the government’s independent removal proceedings against her in immigration court."
"Ms. Öztürk is being held in custody in Louisiana, where she states that she faces issues such as overpopulation, unhygienic circumstances, an exacerbating health issue, inadequate medical attention, and challenges in observing her faith," he further explained.
-ABC News' Armando Garcia
Trump silent about Russian compromises for peace initiatives
Trump was questioned regarding the incentives the Russian administration has presented to achieve a peaceful agreement with Ukraine.
The president provided unclear information.
He mentioned, 'Ending the war and ceasing control over the entire nation,' which constitutes quite a significant compromise.
'Trump says you have no clue about the pressure we're exerting on Russia:'
Trump was asked about the latest Russian attacks on Ukraine and what he was doing in response.
The president stated that he was exerting significant pressure on Russia and expressed dissatisfaction with Putin.
"You have no idea what pressure we're putting on Russia," Trump claimed.
The Trump Store provides 'Trump 2028' caps.
On Thursday, President Donald Trump’s online shop debuted a 'TRUMP 2028' cap following hints that he might seek another presidential term in 2028.
Trump formerly responded to speculations regarding another run during a telephone conversation with NBC News in March, stating he isn’t jesting about seeking a third term and remarked, “It’s much too soon to be contemplating this.”
However, when questioned about whether he has seen proposals allowing him to pursue a third term, Trump stated, “There are ways you can achieve this.”
The 22nd Amendment of the Constitution specifies that an individual cannot serve as President for more than two terms, each term being four years long.
Democrats capitalized on the disclosure, sharing it through their quick-response channels. X account that the hat seems to confirm "his fourth run for president."
-Andrea Pineda Salgado and Michelle Stoddart from ABC News
Trump remains optimistic about achieving a Russia-Ukraine peace agreement, stating he has set "his own timeline" for this objective.
On Thursday, President Donald Trump was questioned regarding his opinion on whether Russian President Vladimir Putin is genuinely committed to achieving peace following the recent attacks in Kyiv that resulted in fatalities.
As we firmly believe, they both desire peace, yet they must come together at the negotiating table," Trump stated during a luncheon with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre. "This has been an extended wait; however, once they convene at the talks, I am confident that we will achieve peace.
Trump added there is a "lot of very bad blood" but that he hopes the two nations will come to an agreement.
Asked if he has a deadline for peace talks, after warnings that the United States could walk away from negotiations, Trump said he has his "own deadline" but didn't elaborate.
"I have my own deadline, and we want it to be fast. And the prime minister is helping us. He wants it to be fast, too," he said. "And I think everybody in this, you know, at this time in NATO, they want to see this thing happen. So, we have a deadline. And after that, we have a -- we're going to have a very much different attitude. But I think it has a very good chance of getting done."
Trump to meet with 'The Atlantic' editor who was invited to Signal chat
Trump claimed on Truth Social that he was going to meet with "The Atlantic" editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg on Thursday.
Goldberg disclosed earlier this month that he received an invitation to a Signal chat which included national security advisors discussing plans to strike terrorists in Yemen. Trump has bashed over the years for his reporting, including an article where he alleged that the president referred to soldiers as "suckers" and "losers."
"I am doing this interview out of curiosity, and as a competition with myself, just to see if it's possible for The Atlantic to be 'truthful,'" Trump claimed in the post.
According to the president, Goldberg will be accompanied by Michael Scherer and Ashley Parker.
The Atlantic" has not replied to the posting.
Judge prevents Trump from cutting federal funds for sanctuary cities
"Here we are again."
These were the remarks made by a federal judge on Thursday regarding the Trump administration’s efforts to withhold federal funds from sanctuary cities, which mirrored a similar policy proposed during the President's initial term.
Judge William Orrick of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California issued an order stating that the policy was probably illegal and barred the government from withholding federal funds from cities due to their reduced use of local resources to assist with federal immigration enforcement.
Orrick, who previously issued an injunction in 2017 preventing Trump from reducing funds to sanctuary cities, stated that the current effort faces much of the same legal issues. He wrote that Trump’s 2025 executive order is probably “arbitrary and capricious” as well as being “in conflict with constitutional principles.”
An alliance of 16 cities and counties, such as San Francisco, contested Trump's effort to reduce financial support for sanctuary cities, claiming that the directive was illegal and could lead to irreversible damage.
Orrick concurred, noting that the funding freeze inflicts "irreparable harm through budget unpredictability, denial of constitutional rights, and erosion of trust between the Cities and Counties and their respective communities."
-ABC News' Peter Charalambous
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