
Trump makes alarming hint at third term after brutal joke about Biden 'falling'
Donald Trump appeared to make an alarming hint at a third presidential term after taking a brutal jibe about
Joe Biden
'falling' during a speech Wednesday evening.
As he spoke to
attendees of the White House Summer Soiree
from the Truman Balcony, he appeared to reference Biden tripping on stage during his presidential campaign, telling the crowd on the South Lawn: "Don't fall, please, nobody. We had an administration that fell a lot. We don't want to have that."
Biden
fell several times
following his election in 2020, including during an Air Force Academy graduation ceremony in 2023.
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Donald Trump spoke for about 15 minutes on the south lawn Wednesday evening at his first Summer Soiree event.
(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
When Biden announced his diagnosis of an "aggressive form" of prostate cancer on May 18, Trump extended his "warmest and best wishes to Jill and the family" on social media. Seven days later, on Memorial Day, he called the former president "incompetent" and implied that Biden had intentionally hidden his cancer diagnosis while in office.
After his jab at Biden on Wednesday, Trump described the Summer Soiree event as the first of a continuing series, hinting that the White House speeches could go on for "eight more years."
'The previous administration wouldn't have thought of doing it. But we're going to do it for four more years, I don't know, maybe eight more years," Trump said to cheers from the attending crowd.
Trump has offered conflicting information about whether he will seek a third presidential term, which is prohibited by the 22nd Amendment.
(Image: AP)
The 22nd Amendment of the United States Constitution limits the number of times a person can be elected president to two terms, prohibiting anyone who has been elected twice to be elected again.
Since reentering the Oval Office this year, Trump has made conflicting claims about whether or not he will seek legal justification to run for a third term. Trump told NBC's Meet the Press in May that he would remain a "two-term president." However, just two weeks later, he told US troops stationed in Qatar that he would "have to think" about running again in 2028.
The Summer Soiree event was billed as a way for Trump to thank his political appointees for their service.
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RTÉ News
3 hours ago
- RTÉ News
Attack on Damascus church kills at least 22
A shooting and bombing at a Damascus church during a packed service killed at least 22 people, authorities said. The international community condemned the attack, the first of its kind in the Syrian capital since Islamist-led forces toppled long-time ruler Bashar al-Assad in December. It was also the first inside a church in Syria since the country's civil war erupted in 2011, according to a monitor. Security remains one of the greatest challenges for Syria's new authorities, with the international community repeatedly urging them to protect minorities. AFP correspondents saw first responders transporting people from the Orthodox church as security forces cordoned off the area. The church itself was strewn with wood from fittings and pews and fallen icons on the floor. "An attacker affiliated with the Daesh (IS) terrorist group entered the Mar Elias Church in the Dwelaa area," an interior ministry statement said. State news agency SANA, citing the ministry of health, reported a death toll of 22, with 63 injured. Lawrence Maamari, who was inside the church when the attack happened, told AFP a man had entered and begun shooting. People "tried to stop him," he added. Ziad Helou, 40, who was at a shop nearby, said he heard gunfire then an explosion, and saw glass flying. "We saw fire in the church and the remains of wooden benches thrown all the way to the entrance," he said. 'Heinous crime' The blast sparked panic and fear in the church, which had been full of worshippers, including children and the elderly, eyewitnesses said. Families were still searching desperately for missing loved ones. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said it was the first attack inside a church in Syria since war erupted in 2011. Other churches had been damaged or seen attacks in their vicinity during the conflict, but none had been so directly targeted. The Orthodox patriarchate in Damascus called on "the authorities to bear full responsibility for what has happened and is happening concerning the violation of the sanctity of churches, and to ensure the protection of all citizens". Syria's Christian community has shrunk from around one million before the war to under 300,000 due to waves of displacement and emigration. The United Nations special envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen expressed "outrage at this heinous crime", calling for a full investigation. US special envoy Tom Barrack said the US supported Syria "as it fights against those who are seeking to create instability and fear in their country and the broader region". Turkey, which is close to the new authorities, expressed confidence that Syrians would stay united in "their fight against terrorist organisations that seek to sow chaos in the country". France's foreign ministry restated its commitment to "a transition in Syria that allows Syrians, whatever their religion, to live in peace and security in a free, united, pluralistic, prosperous, stable and sovereign country". Egypt's Al-Azhar called it a "blatant assault on the right to life" and worship. Investigation Syria's foreign ministry described the attack as "a desperate attempt to undermine national coexistence and to destabilise the country". Mr Assad had portrayed himself as a protector of minorities, who during Syria's nearly 14-year civil war were targeted by numerous attacks - many of them claimed by jihadist groups including IS. Since the new authorities took power, the international community has urged the government to protect minorities and ensure their participation in Syria's transition, particularly after sectarian violence in recent months. Interior Minister Anas Khattab said that specialised teams had begun investigating. "These terrorist acts will not stop the efforts of the Syrian state in achieving civil peace," Mr Khattab said, according to a statement. In an interview earlier this month, Mr Khattab said that IS had shifted "to studied attacks on strategic targets" and had attempted "to carry out attacks against the Christian and Shiite community" that the authorities had thwarted. Last month, IS claimed its first attack on Syria's new government forces. Authorities said they had arrested members of an IS cell near Damascus, accusing them of preparing attacks. IS seized large swathes of Syrian and Iraqi territory in the early years of the civil war, declaring a cross-border "caliphate" in 2014 before being territorially defeated in 2019.


Irish Examiner
5 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Trump says he is open to regime change in Iran
President Donald Trump has called into question the future of Iran's ruling theocracy, seemingly contradicting his administration's earlier calls to resume negotiations and avoid an escalation in fighting. 'It's not politically correct to use the term, 'Regime Change,' but if the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn't there be a Regime change???' Mr Trump posted on social media. 'MIGA!!!' The posting on Truth Social marked something of a reversal from defence secretary Pete Hegseth's Sunday morning news conference that detailed the aerial bombing on three of the country's nuclear sites. 'This mission was not and has not been about regime change,' Mr Hegseth said. "The damage to the Nuclear sites in Iran is said to be 'monumental.' The hits were hard and accurate. Great skill was shown by our military. Thank you!" –President Donald J. Trump — The White House (@WhiteHouse) June 22, 2025 Secretary of state Marco Rubio warned on Fox News that any retaliation against the US or a rush toward building a nuclear weapon would 'put the regime at risk'. Mr Trump's warning to Iran's leadership comes as the US has demanded that Iran not respond to the bombardment of the heart of a nuclear programme it spent decades developing. The Trump administration has made a series of intimidating statements even as it has simultaneously called to restart negotiations, making it hard to get a complete read on whether the president is simply taunting an adversary or using inflammatory words that could further widen the war between Israel and Iran that began earlier this month. Up until the president's post on Sunday afternoon, the coordinated messaging by Mr Trump's vice president, Pentagon chief, top military adviser and secretary of state suggested a confidence that any fallout would be manageable and that Iran's lack of military capabilities would ultimately force it back to the bargaining table. Mr Hegseth had said that America 'does not seek war' with Iran, while Vice President JD Vance said the strikes have given Tehran the possibility of returning to negotiate with Washington. But the unfolding situation is not entirely under Washington's control, as Tehran has a series of levers to respond to the aerial bombings, which could intensify the conflict in the Middle East with possible global repercussions. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks during a news conference at the Pentagon on Sunday (Alex Brandon/AP) Iran can block oil being shipped through the Strait of Hormuz, attack US bases in the region, engage in cyber attacks or double down on a nuclear programme might seem like more of a necessity after the US strike. Mr Trump, who had addressed the nation from the White House on Saturday night, returned to social media on Sunday to lambast Republican Congress member Thomas Massie, who had objected to the president taking military action without specific congressional approval. 'We had a spectacular military success yesterday, taking the 'bomb' right out of their hands (and they would use it if they could!)' Mr Trump said as part of the post on Truth Social. At their joint Pentagon briefing, Mr Hegseth and Air Force General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said 'Operation Midnight Hammer' involved decoys and deception, and met with no Iranian resistance. General Caine indicated that the goal of the operation — destroying nuclear sites in Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan — had been achieved. 'Final battle damage will take some time, but initial battle damage assessments indicate that all three sites sustained extremely severe damage and destruction,' he said. An electronic billboard beams an image of president Donald Trump alongside the message 'Thank you, Mr. President' referring to the US involvement in the war between Israel and Iran (Bernat Armangue/AP) While US officials urged caution and stressed that only nuclear sites were targeted by Washington, Iran criticised the actions as a violation of its sovereignty and international law. Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said Washington was 'fully responsible' for whatever actions Tehran may take in response. 'They crossed a very big red line by attacking nuclear facilities,' he said at a news conference in Turkey. 'I don't know how much room is left for diplomacy.' China and Russia, where Araghchi was heading for talks with President Vladimir Putin, condemned the US military action. The attacks were 'a gross violation of international law,' said Russia's Foreign Ministry, which also advocated 'returning the situation to a political and diplomatic course.' A Turkish Foreign Ministry statement warned about the risk of the conflict spreading to 'a global level'. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the United Kingdom was moving military equipment into the area to protect its interests, people and allies. His office said he talked on Sunday with Mr Trump about the need for Tehran to resume negotiations, but Mr Trump would have posted his remarks about regime change after their conversation. The leaders of Italy, Canada, Germany and France agreed on the need for 'a rapid resumption of negotiations.' France's Emmanuel Macron held talks with the Saudi Crown Prince and the Sultan of Oman.


Irish Examiner
5 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
John Whelan: Ireland behind the curve in pharma R&D amid Pfizer call
Pharma companies met with the Trump administration earlier this month to try and defer implementation of the executive order signed by President Trump on May 12, effectively forcing drug companies to commit to aligning their US prices with 'the lowest price of a set of economic peer countries''. At the meeting of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) with the Trump administration, Pfizer chief executive Albert Bourla called for the US government to lead an initiative to increase overall drug spending outside the US. While the exact mechanism of implementing the Trump executive order to reduce drug prices in the US remains unclear, the Pfizer chief proposed an alternative solution, suggesting that other countries should spend a certain percentage of their GDP per capita on innovative medicines. In an attempt to lead on the recommendation, he added that Pfizer could consider not making its drugs available for government reimbursement in some countries if the US carries through on its price control and other countries don't increase their prices. Effectively, Mr Bourla, who chairs the pharma industry lobby group PhRMA, suggested the US should push for a Nato-type agreement, which commits each country to a minimum 2% of their national GDP on defence spending. And whereas there may be good logic in the Pfizer proposal, any commitment of this nature will likely create major challenges for Ireland, as OECD and World Bank figures show Ireland lagging well behind other countries in research and development expenditure. In 2022, the last year for which finalised figures have been released, US pharmaceutical companies' R&D spending amounted to 2.33% of the nation's GDP. There is no comparable figures for the Irish market, in terms of pharmaceutical industry expenditure in research and development. However, the figures available from the World Bank and the OECD for years 2022/2023 show that total R&D for all industry as a percentage of GDP, in Ireland was 0.9%. This is well below the EU average of 2.29%, and even further below countries like the US at 3.6% and Israel at 6.3% who invest more heavily in R&D than Ireland. Economists have inferred that Trump is leveraging unfavourable policies such as drastically lowering prices points of US drugs and tariffs on imports, to coerce the pharmaceutical industry to increase investments in the US. Several large pharma companies, including Eli Lilly, Merck & Co, and Bristol Myers Squibb, have unveiled major US investments planned for the next few years in attempt to curry favour with the Trump administration. But noticeably Pfizer remains an exception to that trend. However, Mr Bourla stated that Pfizer has invested in US manufacturing and will continue to do so, but risks from those Trump policies are making it difficult for the company to commit further. "I don't think it makes sense to make announcements of future investments in an environment that is very fluid,' Mr Bourla said. That suggests Pfizer, one of our largest and longest-term investors in the pharmaceuticals space, is unlikely to back off its Irish investments anytime soon. However , we need to heed the Pfizer CEO's call for more R&D support in Europe, which clearly includes Ireland. Besides Pfizer, many pharma companies are leveraging the United States' threat of tariffs on drug imports to push for policy changes in the EU. In a letter sent on April 11 to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, 32 pharma companies demanded more favourable policies in order for them to maintain operations in the EU . In the same letter they say that policy changes are needed to ensure Europe remains a location to research, develop, and manufacture medicines. The CEOs also included in their letter that European countries should rethink their drug pricing policies and enable a better commercial environment for innovative medicines. Ireland's Research and Innovation Act 2024 , replaces Science Foundation Ireland in an attempt to fast forward the provision for the funding of research and innovation, but this caters for all fields of activity and neither commits to double the level of funding to €2bn per year needed to reach EU level, nor does it commit to meet the specific requirements of the pharma industry.