Trump sparks panic as he questions White House workers on immigration status in surprise move

Why did Trump quiz construction workers about their immigration status?
"Do we have anybody here who's a member of—no, I don't think so. You've known these people for a long time? Any illegal immigrants?"
"If there were, we'll find out. Your whole life will be destroyed because of this press conference."
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What did Trump say about his deportation plans?
'We're taking them out by the thousands. Murderers, drug dealers, people that are mentally insane, from insane asylums.'
How did social media and the public respond to Trump's remarks?
"He said this…to the people…putting up his flagpoles?!?"
'Cruelty is fun for him.'
'He. Is. Insane.'
'He's a cruel, demented man. Some people with dementia become very mean-spirited.'
What was Trump's message about the flagpoles?
'It is my Great Honor to announce that I will be putting up two beautiful Flag Poles on both sides of the White House, North and South Lawns. It is a GIFT from me of something which was always missing from this magnificent place.'
Tall and tapered
Rust-proof
Featuring internal ropes
Built to last for years
Is this part of a larger Trump immigration crackdown?
Deport thousands of undocumented immigrants
Potentially send detainees to Guantanamo Bay
Increase pressure on law enforcement to root out undocumented laborers
What's next amid Trump's Israel-Iran decision?
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President Donald Trump sparked intense backlash after making a controversial joke about immigration status while standing alongside construction workers at the White House, who had just completed the installation of two new 88-foot flagpoles. The remarks, made during a press appearance on Wednesday, left many questioning the President's intentions and tone as the world watched for updates on U.S. involvement in the escalating Israel-Iran conflict.The president used the event to highlight his aggressive crackdown on illegal immigration, but the way he addressed the workers—asking if any were "illegal immigrants"—was widely criticized as "cruel" and "demented" by social media users and political commentators.During the public address on the White House lawn, Trump turned toward the group of hard-hat-wearing workers who helped install the flagpoles. Gesturing to them, he asked:The workers, standing silently behind Trump, shook their heads. The President followed up with an unsettling warning:He added, in a sarcastic reassurance, 'Don't worry, I think you're gonna be OK,' which only fueled criticism that the remarks were unnecessarily intimidating and insensitive—especially toward individuals simply doing their jobs.Trump used the opportunity to reinforce his aggressive immigration policies, stating:These remarks come on the heels of reports suggesting that undocumented immigrants could be detained at Guantanamo Bay, an unprecedented escalation in Trump's second-term immigration agenda. This controversial idea has raised both legal and ethical questions.The backlash online was swift and intense. One X (formerly Twitter) user posted:Others echoed the outrage, with comments like:Some users even questioned whether Trump's behavior indicated a decline in cognitive health, while others simply labeled it 'deranged' and 'mean-spirited.' Many called on the workers to walk off the job in protest.Earlier, Trump had described the 88-foot flagpoles as a personal gift to the White House. On Tuesday, he posted on Truth Social:He emphasized the quality of the poles, describing them as:The flagpoles, standing on both the North and South Lawns, are meant to symbolize American strength and pride—but the tone of the ceremony overshadowed their installation.Yes, Trump's joke wasn't made in isolation. It fits into a broader agenda he's aggressively pushing in his second term. With renewed plans to:This all signals a more hardline immigration approach than during his first presidency. The language used, especially phrases like 'from insane asylums,' has also drawn criticism for being stigmatizing and inflammatory.As the immigration comments played out, attention was also on Trump's upcoming decision regarding U.S. involvement in the Israel-Iran conflict. While the administration has not yet officially confirmed the course of action, the timing of Wednesday's flagpole event led many to question if the president was trying to distract from a larger foreign policy decision with a more domestic and symbolic show.President Donald Trump's flagpole event was supposed to highlight patriotism, but it quickly turned into a controversy over immigration, tone, and leadership. His remarks about the construction workers—made during a critical geopolitical moment—have once again placed his rhetoric under the microscope, reigniting debates about dignity, policy, and presidential behavior.Trump asked if any were illegal immigrants, sparking backlash.His joke was seen as cruel and insensitive during a press event.

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Time of India

32 minutes ago

• Time of India

Iran-Israel war: Iran's Fordo nuclear site hit again in Israeli strike; Israel says attack aimed to block access routes to enrichment facility

This satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies shows the Fordo enrichment facility in Iran before US strike. (AP) Iran's underground nuclear enrichment site at Fordo was struck again on Monday, Iranian state television reported, a day after the United States bombed the facility using heavy bunker-buster bombs in a major escalation of the ongoing conflict. Israel confirms Monday strike, says aim was to block access The Israeli military confirmed on Monday that it launched air raids to 'obstruct access routes' to the Fordo facility, stating that the strike was intended to cut off movement around the enrichment site. 'Israeli forces struck in order to obstruct access routes to the Fordo enrichment site,' the military said. US President Donald Trump had earlier said the Fordo site had been 'totally obliterated' in Sunday's US strike. IAEA: 'Very significant damage' likely at Fordo In Vienna, Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said Sunday's attack likely caused heavy destruction at the sensitive facility. 'Given the explosive payload utilized and the extreme vibration-sensitive nature of centrifuges, very significant damage is expected to have occurred,' Grossi noted. He added that the IAEA has yet to fully assess the underground impact. US describes strike as one-off; Iran warns of retaliation The US described its Sunday strike on Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan as a one-time operation to damage Iran's nuclear infrastructure. However, President Trump warned that more strikes could follow if Iran retaliates. Iran condemned the attack as a violation of its sovereignty and likened it to an invasion. Iran fires back with Operation 'True Promise 3' On Monday, Iran responded by launching missiles and drones toward Israel, targeting cities such as Haifa and Tel Aviv. Explosions were also heard in Jerusalem. Iranian state television said the barrage was part of a new wave under 'Operation True Promise 3.' Israel activated its defence systems and advised residents in northern and central areas to take shelter. Iranian general warns US of consequences Iranian General Abdolrahim Mousavi, chief of the joint staff, warned that the US airstrikes had given Iranian forces a 'free hand' to act against American interests and forces in the region. Tens of thousands of US troops are stationed across the Middle East, many within range of Iran's short-range missiles. Global leaders urge de-escalation Amid rising tensions, global calls for restraint have grown. European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas urged a return to diplomacy and warned that Iran's potential closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil shipping route, would be 'extremely dangerous.' The EU said Iran must be ready to return to direct talks with the US to help resolve the crisis. Iran's nuclear program in focus after 2015 deal collapse The conflict comes against the backdrop of the collapse of the 2015 nuclear agreement. After the US withdrew from the deal during Trump's first term, Iran began enriching uranium up to 60% purity and restricted access to international inspectors. On Monday, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held talks in Moscow with Russian President Vladimir Putin, a key Iranian ally.

Business Standard

33 minutes ago

• Business Standard

Iran's Fordow nuclear site hit again on Monday, says Iranian media

Iran's underground enrichment site at Fordo was hit again Monday while Iran fired a salvo of missiles and drones at Israel and warned the United States that its military now has a free hand to attack American targets in the wake of the Trump administration's massive strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. The Fordo facility was one of those hit in Sunday's attack, and it was struck again on Monday, Iranian state television reported. There was no immediate word on damage nor who launched the attack, though Israel said earlier it was conducting airstrikes on Iran. In Vienna, the head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog said he expected there to be heavy damage at the Fordo facility already following the Sunday's US airstrike there with sophisticated bunker-buster bombs. Given the explosive payload utilized ... very significant damage ... is expected to have occurred, said Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency. With the strikes on Sunday on Iranian nuclear sites, the United States inserted itself into Israel's war, prompting fears of a wider regional conflict. Iran said the US had crossed a very big red line with its risky gambit to strike the three sites with missiles and 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs. Israel said its defence systems were operating to intercept the latest Iranian threat, which apparently targeted the north and central areas of the country, and told people to head to shelters. Iran described the attack a new wave of its Operation True Promise 3, saying it was targeting the Israeli cities of Haifa and Tel Aviv, according to Iranian state television. Explosions were also heard in Jerusalem. There were no immediate reports of damage. In Iran, witnesses reported Israeli airstrikes hit areas around Iran's capital, Tehran, midday. It wasn't immediately clear what had been targeted. In Vienna, Rafael Mariano Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said that given the "explosive payload utilized and the extreme vibration sensitive nature of centrifuges, very significant damage is expected to have occurred. He added that at this time, no one, including the IAEA, is in a position to have fully assessed the underground damage at Fordo. Also Monday, Iranian Gen Abdolrahim Mousavi, the chief of joint staff of armed forces, warned Washington its strikes had given Iranian forces a free hand to "act against US interests and its army. Tens of thousands of American troops are based in the Middle East, many in locations within range of short-range Iranian missiles. The U.S. described its Sunday attack on the Fordo and Natanz enrichment facilities, as well as the Isfahan nuclear sit, as a one-off to take out Iran's nuclear programme, but President Donald Trump has warned of additional strikes if Tehran retaliates. Mousavi described the American attack as violating Iran's sovereignty and being tantamount to invading the country, the state-run IRNA news agency reported. In the wake of the American attacks on Iran, calls came from across the globe for de-escalation and the return to diplomacy to try and resolve the conflict. On Monday, the European Union's top diplomat said the bloc remained very much focused on the diplomatic solution. The concerns of retaliation and this war escalating are huge, Kaja Kallas said at the start of a foreign ministers' meeting in Brussels where Iran has jumped to the top of the agenda. Especially closing of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran is something that would be extremely dangerous and not good for anybody, Kallas said, referring to a maritime route crucial for oil transport. After Sunday's attacks, Iranian officials repeated their longtime threats of possibly closing the key shipping lane. Iran, which insists its nuclear programme is for civilian purposes only, previously agreed to limit its uranium enrichment and allow international inspectors access to its nuclear sites under a 2015 deal with the US, France, China, Russia, Britain and Germany in exchange for sanctions relief. But after Trump pulled the US unilaterally out of the deal during his first term, Iran began enriching uranium up to 60% a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90% and restricting access to its nuclear facilities. As he arrived in Brussels on Monday for a meeting with his EU counterparts, German Foreign Minister renewed calls for Iran to agree again to direct talks with the United States but says Europe still has a role to play. We already made it very clear to the Iranian side that a real precondition for a settlement to the conflict is that Iran be ready to negotiate directly with the US, he said, while adding that the European group known as the E3 will contribute what we can. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was meeting on Monday in Moscow with Russian President Vladimir Putin, one of Iran's key allies.

First Post

33 minutes ago

• First Post

Inside the White House Situation Room as US bombed Iran

The White House last week had said US President Donald Trump would decide whether or not to hit Iran 'in two weeks'. Then, on Sunday, Donald Trump took to social media to announce that the United States had hit three nuclear sites in the Islamic Republic. Let's take a closer look at the events leading up to Trump's momentous decision and inside the Situation Room as the bombs dropped read more US President Donald Trump alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio in the Situation Room at the White House in Washington as they watch Operation Midnight Hammer unfold. Reuters For days, US President Donald Trump seemed to be publicly going back and forth on whether or not he was come to bomb Iran. 'You don't know that I'm going to even do it,' Trump said at the White House. 'I may do it. I may not do it. Nobody knows what I'm going to do. I can tell you this: Iran's got a lot of trouble, and they want to negotiate.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The White House last week had said Trump would decide whether or not to hit Iran 'in two weeks'. Then, on Sunday, the news that the United States had hit three nuclear sites in Iran emerged. But how did Trump come to the decision? And what was the scene inside the Situation Room as the bombers flew? How did Trump come to the decision? First, let's take a closer look at the lead up to the attack. According to those in the know, discussions of a US strike on Iran began in early June. This is when Trump met top national security officials at Camp David. Trump's advisers had already determined the options to be presented to him months ago. Read latest updates about America joining Israel-Iran war here. Trump in recent days seemed to be hedging his bets publicly. This came amid a split in his base over an attack on Iran – with anti-interventionists on one side and those calling to bomb Iran on the other. Trump also met Steve Bannon and Charlie Kirk – influential right-wing pundits – to discuss the matter. 'I don't want to fight either. I'm not looking to fight,' Trump said. 'But if it's a situation between fighting and them having a nuclear weapon, you have to do what you have to do. Maybe we won't have to fight. Don't forget: We haven't been fighting.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD On the other hand, Trump demanded Iran's unconditional surrender and even publicly spoke about targeting Ayatollah Ali Khameini. Going into the weekend, Trump continued to maintain the suspense. ' I have ideas as to what to do, but I haven't made a final [call],' Trump said at the White House on Friday. 'I like to make a final decision one second before it's due, you know? Because things change, especially with war. Things change with war. It can go from one extreme to the other.' However, officials said that in private he seemed to become more and more determined to act. A piece in the Washington Post noted that even though Trump had issued a two-week deadline to Iran, the plan to strike – known as Operation Midnight Hammer – was already in motion. A senior official told the newspaper Trump's deadline 'was our attempt to throw the Iranians off guard'. However, Trump in his talks with US officials had been very concerned about the situation not escalating into an allowed war with Iran. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD He had met senior officials in the situation room for a briefing every day regarding the planned attack. Trump decided to go ahead after US officials determined that Iran was not willing to come back to the negotiating table. A protester holds a poster of the Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a protest to condemn Israeli attacks on multiple cities across Iran. On Sunday, the US joined Israel's strikes on Tehran, attacking three of the country's nuclear facilities. File image/AP US Vice-President JD Vance, who had been among those sceptical of an attack of Iran , decided to support Trump. By now, a 'camaraderie' had taken hold in the team. The US at this time gave Israel a heads-up that it was going to attack Iran. A day-and-a-half after Trump's two week announcement, US aircraft including B-2 bombers were on their way to Iran. Meanwhile, Trump was at a golf course in New Jersey and Vance was on his way back from California. Trump reached the White House by the time the bombers entered Iran's airspace. Inside the Situation Room Trump and Vance then went straight into the Situation Room. They were accompanied by US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, White House counsel Dave Warrington, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Photos from the Situation Room showed Trump, wearing a red 'Make America Great Again hat', watching the strikes with his top advisors. Trump informed the world of the development on social media only after the US bombers had left Iran's airspace. A US Air Force B-2 stealth bomber returns after the US attacked key Iranian nuclear sites, at Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri. Reuters 'We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan,' Trump wrote. A 'a full payload of bombs was dropped on the primary site, Fordow.' Officials said no one knows precisely when Trump decided to pull the trigger. 'I don't know that any of us knew exactly when the President made the decision, except for the President himself,' JD Vance said. Trump 'over time decided this was necessary', Vance added. 'But of course, he had the ability to call off this attack until the very last minute. He obviously decided to proceed.' Tulsi Gabbard absent Interestingly, one person who wasn't present in the Situation Room was Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. Trump in recent days had contradicted Gabbard's earlier statements on whether Iran was close to developing a nuclear weapon. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Gabbard in the past has been a staunch opponent of US interventionism in West Asia. 'I don't care what she said, Trump told reporters. Gabbard earlier this year had testified before US Congress that Iran did not have a nuclear weapon and was not in the process of trying to develop one. Tulsi Gabbard in the past has been a staunch opponent of US interventionism in West Asia. Reuters 'The IC [Intelligence Community] continues to assess that Iran is not building a nuclear weapon and Supreme Leader Khamanei has not authorized the nuclear weapons program he suspended in 2003,' Gabbard said. Gabbard in recent days had tried to close the gap between herself and Trump on Iran, claiming the media had taken her remarks out of context. Vance too had come to Gabbard's defence, issuing a statement calling her a loyal member of the team. With inputs from agencies