Trump’s unprecedented 2026 budget proposal slashes $163 billion in non-defense federal spending: Live

New Jersey Democratic Rep. Josh Gottheimer calls it “absurd” that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth still has a job within the Trump administration after the dismissal of Mike Waltz as Donald Trump’s national security advisor and nomination to be UN ambassador.

Gottheimer, who is running to be governor of New Jersey, made the remarks during an interview with Omar Jimenez on CNN News Central.

“Well, I think it’s absurd that Hegseth is still in his job given the fact that he literally shared classified information that included detailed battle plans or attack plans in — and timing of those — in a Signal chat, which put service men and women’s lives in danger. And we’ve learned even more over the weeks of who he shared that information with on the Signal chat, right, including his wife and his personal lawyer,” said the Democrat.

“So the fact that there’s been zero accountability for the secretary of defense and his actions makes no sense to me. But I guess this is really no shock, right, because who is really calling the shots here? You’ve got right-wing extremists like Laura Loomer, right, who are deciding who should be kept in the national security apparatus and who shouldn’t. And to me, that’s part of what’s absurd in all of this.”

Vice President JD Vance has been advised against visiting Canada by one of his closest friends, a Canadian politician.

Jamil Jivani, 37, who befriended Vance while they were both students together at Yale Law School and who is now a Conservative MP, had extended an open invitation to the American to visit his Ontario constituency.

He’s now said it wouldn’t be “constructive,” as Joe Sommerlad reports.

In other news… you know who is set to visit Canada?

The White House announced Friday that it wants to reduce funding for the Transportation Security Administration by $247 million, while increasing spending on rail and air safety.

The 2026 budget proposal seeks an additional $360 million for the FAA to support the hiring of air traffic controllers, salary increases, and updates to its outdated telecommunications systems, along with $400 million for new rail safety and infrastructure. The proposal also calls for a cut of $300 million to funding for Essential Air Service, a program designed to subsidize commercial air service to rural airports.

With reporting from Reuters

President Donald Trump told college graduates they’d be embarking on their careers in the “golden age of America” and could be the “greatest generation” when he delivered the commencement address at the University of Alabama Thursday.

And it was all thanks to him and his policies.

Michelle Del Rey watched.

California Democrat Eric Swalwell says Secretary of State Marco Rubio cannot juggle multiple positions in the administration.

The congressman spoke with Kate Bolduan on CNN News Central on Friday morning and was asked if it was practical for Rubio to take on being both the U.S.’s lead diplomat and the national security adviser (in addition to his two other roles).

Giving a firm “No,” Bolduan noted that Henry Kissinger had both roles decades ago.

Swalwell said: “He’s not Kissinger. And these challenges right now from, you know, Israel, Gaza, Ukraine, Russia, China, Taiwan and other challenges across the world, they command, you know, serious people who are focused and are bringing competence to the job. We don’t have that in Secretary of State Rubio. And – and we don’t have that in Pete Hegseth. And so, Donald Trump, it’s just been – you know, we went from a Trump slump to now a Trump train wreck from the economy and national security. And there’s a level of seriousness that people want to see on these consequential decisions.”

President Donald Trump’s budget proposal for the next fiscal year would slash approximately $163 billion from key federal programs in education, health, housing and other sectors while boosting spending on immigration enforcement and defense programs in an effort to gut wide swaths of government that drew the ire of conservative activists during his four years out of government.

The blueprint for the president’s budget, which was officially transmitted to Congress on Friday, would cut discretionary, non-defense spending — a category that does not include earned benefit programs such as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid — by 22.6 percent next year by reducing or eliminating many programs while giving defense spending a 13 percent boost.

Andrew Feinberg reports from Palm Beach, Florida.

The Food and Drug Administration is bringing back some of the 100 recently fired staffers who process document requests under the Freedom of Information Act.

Staffers across several parts of the agency were notified of the decision Thursday in writing or by phone, according to two agency staffers who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss agency matters. The notifications went out to employees who work in the centers for drugs, tobacco and other product areas. The FDA responds to thousands of FOIA requests each year from lawyers, journalists, companies and physicians.

In recent days, the FDA has missed multiple court-ordered deadlines to hand over documents to parties suing the agency, which can result in hefty fines. The missed deadlines prompted the decision to bring back FOIA staffers.

A teenage DOGE staffer known as “Big Balls” has spoken about his role in Elon Musk’s cost-cutting crew for the first time.

Edward Coristine appeared in a panel discussion with Musk on Fox News Thursday as they defended their work dismantling the federal government.

“Who is Big Balls?” host Jesse Watters asked on his program Watters World, surrounded by DOGE members and supporters at a huge oval conference table.

“I am,” piped up 19-year-old DOGE staff member Edward Coristine.

“That should be obvious,” Musk quipped to laughter.

Mary Papenfuss has the story.

More people hold a favorable view of podcasters Joe Rogan and Megyn Kelly than those who see them unfavorably, while the leading news source for those surveyed is social media and YouTube, a new poll has found.

According to the survey conducted by Emerson College Polling, which was conducted last month and consisted of 1000 adults, Rogan received the highest favorability rating among the media personalities presented to the respondents.

Justin Baragona took a look at the numbers.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the Pentagon to develop a new national defense strategy by August 31.

The strategy is the main blueprint that lays out the department’s priorities as it moves to confront national security threats around the world.

It will be Hegseth’s opportunity to highlight what he wants the U.S. military to focus on for the next several years, and how the department will shift toward Trump’s America First doctrine.

The draft also will have to reflect the impact of Hegseth’s sweeping personnel cuts and decisions to merge a number of military commands.

The order was signed Friday.