May 19, 2025 - Donald Trump presidency news

Our live coverage of Donald Trump’s presidency has ended for the day. Follow the latest updates or read through the posts below.

US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke for two hours on the phone today. It’s the third known time the two leaders spoke since Trump was inaugurated in January and comes as he has grown increasingly frustrated with the Russian president’s refusal to strike a peace deal with Ukraine.

Before talking to Putin, Trump spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Here’s what we know about developments after the Trump-Putin call:

What Putin said: The Russian president said the conversation with Trump was “frank and substantive,” and thanked him for US support in “resuming the direct talks between Russia and Ukraine,” according to TASS. Putin also said Trump “expressed his position on the secession of hostilities, ceasefire, and from my end, I have emphasized that Russia stands for peaceful resolution of the Ukrainian crisis. We just need to outline the most effective routes of moving towards peace.” The two leaders did not discuss a timeframe for talks, a Kremlin spokesperson said.

What Trump said: “Russia and Ukraine will immediately start negotiations toward a Ceasefire and, more importantly, an END to the War,” Trump announced on Truth Social after his call. “The conditions for that will be negotiated between the two parties, as it can only be, because they know details of a negotiation that nobody else would be aware of.” Trump also said that the “tone and spirit” of his conversation with Putin “were excellent,” and that “Russia wants to do largescale TRADE” with the US when the war is over.

Trump informs allies: Trump also said on Truth Social that after his call with Putin ended, he immediately informed the following leaders about the contents of the call after it ended: Ukrainian President Zelensky, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Finnish President Alexander Stubb.

How Zelensky responded: Zelensky called for further sanctions on the Russian banking and energy sectors. He said a future location for a next round of talks — which would be aimed first at achieving a ceasefire — would be discussed. Zelensky also said Ukraine will not withdraw any of its troops from Russian-held regions of its country.

US-Russia prisoner swap: In addition to talking about the war in Ukraine, Putin and Trump also discussed a US-Russia prisoner swap, involving nine people for nine people, Kremlin presidential aide Yury Ushakov said.

The Senate voted 66-32 Monday evening to advance first-of-its-kind legislation to regulate "stablecoins," a kind of cryptocurrency.

The Senate voted 66-32 Monday evening to advance first-of-its-kind legislation to regulate “stablecoins,” a kind of cryptocurrency. Democrats had initially voted to block the bill earlier this month amid concerns over President Donald Trump’s cryptocurrency deals.

Republicans and Democrats had continued negotiating after the bill initially failed to advance, resulting in a new amendment draft over the weekend that garnered enough support among Democrats to move the package forward.

However, the Democratic caucus remained divided in its support for the bill; while over a dozen Democrats voted with Republicans to advance it, senior Democratic leadership — including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Minority Whip Dick Durbin — voted against invoking cloture.

The legislation, known as the GENIUS Act, focused on what is known as stablecoin, a digital currency tied to the value of a specific asset — in this case the US dollar. The push for the bill represented a rare bipartisan effort in the Senate for major legislation. But while there has been general agreement across the Senate that regulation is necessary, key Democrats initially balked at moving ahead after demanding changes to the legislation.

The Senate voted 51-45 tonight to confirm Charles Kushner as the US Ambassador to France.

Kushner is a real estate developer whose son, Jared Kushner, is married to President Donald Trump’s daughter, Ivanka Trump. In 2020, Kushner was pardoned by Trump following a 2005 conviction on federal charges. Kushner pleaded guilty in 2005 to 16 counts of tax evasion, one count of retaliating against a federal witness and another count of lying to the Federal Election Commission.

Democratic Sen. Cory Booker voted with Republicans in favor of confirming Kushner. GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski voted with Democrats against the confirmation.

Rep. Chip Roy answers questions from members of the media on Monday.

Rep. Chip Roy said he thinks leadership should delay a key committee vote scheduled this week to advance President Donald Trump’s policy bill, arguing that House Republicans are trying to jam through a vote on the legislation as quickly as possible instead of working through key issues where there is still deep division within the conference.

Roy, a member of the House Rules Committee, said he doesn’t think the panel should meet at 1 a.m. on Wednesday, as they are scheduled to, so that Johnson can bring the bill to the floor for a vote this week.

Pressed on if he could vote in support of the rule to advance the bill on Wednesday if the committee meets, Roy answered: “We’ve just got to see what happens. I mean, none of my votes are guaranteed at this point.”

Speaker Rep. Mike Johnson speaks to members of the press as he arrives at the US Capitol on Monday in Washington, DC.

House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters tonight that he is not backing a last-minute conservative push to dramatically restructure federal spending on Medicaid, after many of his more moderate members balked at the idea.

Just hours earlier, a group of House conservatives had been actively pushing Johnson and his leadership team to reconsider that major Medicaid overhaul, which they argue is necessary to prevent the program’s cost from ballooning.

Johnson also addressed another conservative sticking point — the prospect of putting Trump’s bill on the floor without knowing exactly how much it would add to the deficit. Some GOP members have said they want to have an official report from Congress’s nonpartisan scorekeeper, the Congressional Budget Office, to know how much the final bill would cost or save.

But that data will not be ready in the next several days, and Johnson confirmed to reporters that “the plan” was to vote on the House floor Wednesday.

But asked by CNN if he’s willing to put bill on floor without CBO score, Johnson made clear he was prepared to do so.

CNN’s Haley Talbot contributed to this report.

Multiple GOP hardliners are pushing back against House Speaker Mike Johnson’s push to pass President Donald Trump’s agenda this week — even suggesting they’re willing to defy Trump himself.

Rep. Andy Harris, House Freedom Caucus chairman, said he doesn’t agree with leadership’s push to pass the bill before the House leaves for the Memorial Day recess. And he is currently a “no” on the bill.

Asked what he would say to Trump if the president personally asked for his vote, Harris said: “I would convince him that this moment in history is when he reverses the spending trajectory of the country, which he has run on. He said he wants to solve the budget deficit. I would make the case that this big, beautiful bill could get more beautiful, with a little more work.”

Rep. Andrew Clyde, a Georgia Republican who has also voiced concerns with the bill, would not answer when asked if he agreed with Johnson that it’s important to get the bill done this week.

“I think it’s really important to get the bill right,” Clyde told CNN. “That’s what’s the most important thing. This is the one, literally decade, opportunity might be a generation opportunity. We got to get the bill right.”

Rep. Tim Burchett, another GOP hardliner, also griped about Johnson’s schedule — specifically plans to tee up the House Rules Committee vote in a 1 a.m. meeting Wednesday morning.

“Doing a meeting at one o’clock in the morning is a bad look.”

US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed Russia’s interest in a “prompt resolution” in Ukraine, Russian state media TASS reported.

During the call between the two leaders today, Trump and Putin also spoke about the possibility of direct contact between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Peskov said.

Peskov said there was no specific decision on the location or timeframe for such a meeting, TASS reported.

He also acknowledged the Vatican’s proposal to host such talks, which Trump has indicated he supports.

“And naturally, the Russian side is grateful to all those who are ready to contribute. But so far, no specific decisions have been made regarding the location for the continuation of possible future contacts,” Peskov said.

President Donald Trump speaks during a Kennedy Center Board dinner in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on Monday.

President Donald Trump said what motivated him to run again in 2024 at a Kennedy Center board meeting at the White House, after repeating his false claims that the 2020 election was “rigged.”

Several members of his administration were in the room, including Attorney General Pam Bondi, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, White House chief of staff Susie Wiles and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.

“So if they would have left us alone and wouldn’t have cheated on the election and wouldn’t have rigged it, I would have been retired right now. I would have been happily doing something else, and instead, they have me for four more years,” Trump added.

Rep. Mike Lawler talks with CNN's Manu Raju on Monday.

House Republicans from swing districts expressed frustration with GOP leadership’s handling of negotiations over the Trump agenda bill and “anger” with hardliners pressing for further changes to Medicaid and clean energy tax credit provisions.

Frustration was mounting among one key Republican from a New York bellwether district over demands to raise the cap over state and local tax deductions, something hardliners have scoffed at.

Here’s what some of them are saying:

A group of moderate House Republicans expressed concerns to Speaker Mike Johnson about the demands made by the hardline House Freedom Caucus to win their votes for President Donald Trump’s massive domestic policy bill.

Rep. Nick LaLota speaks with CNN on Wednesday, May 14.

Rep. Nick LaLota, a member of the so-called Problem Solvers Caucus, told CNN that the push by hardliners to limit federal dollars to state-run Medicaid programs is “a difficult pill for us all to swallow” – something that the moderate group expressed to Johnson at a meeting today.

LaLota also said the members laid out concerns with the push to swiftly eliminate green energy tax breaks that were enacted by the Inflation Reduction Act.

“If there is to be a phase out of the IRA, it should be gentle and deliberate, rather than sudden and chaotic,” LaLota said.

The New York Republican, who represents a swing district, also said the issue of how much taxpayers can deduct from state and local taxes, or SALT, remains unresolved. They expect to hear a proposal from the speaker at a meeting later tonight.

Hardliners resist increasing the SALT cap – currently proposed to be set at $30,000 for couples making $400,000 or less – because they say it’s too expensive.

Rep. Ralph Norman speaks with CNN's Manu Raju on Monday.

Rep. Ralph Norman, a hardliner who sits on powerful committees, said major changes like altering how federal Medicaid dollars go to states are on the table in discussions with leadership, warning swing district Republicans about not taking the drastic steps to cut spending that hardliners are advocating for.

He said he would ask members concerned about the impacts of rolling back the Biden-era clean energy tax credits, “What about the country?”

“You can’t keep spending like this country’s spending. We’re insolvent as it is. We’re not bankrupt yet, but that’s where it’s headed,” he said.

Asked if changing how federal Medicaid dollars flow to states is still on the table, something that leadership had previously insisted was out of the question, Norman answered: “No, we’re discussing it now.”

FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said today that the bureau is now handling threats against public figures that mimic former FBI Director James Comey’s Instagram post of seashells spelling out “86 47” — a popular social media code for removing Donald Trump from the presidency.

CNN has reached out to the Justice Department and the FBI for more details.

Comey quickly took down his post after members from Trump’s Cabinet said he was calling for the president’s assassination. The number 86 can often refer to getting rid of or tossing something out, while 47 corresponds to Trump’s term as the 47th president.

Trump allies were outraged by Comey’s use of the number “86.” Some of those same allies, however, have previously used the term, and there is no indication those posts were, or are now, being investigated as potential threats.

What Comey says: The former FBI director, who was interviewed by US Secret Service agents Friday, has said he thought the post was a political message and had nothing to do with violence.

Comey said he had been living a calm life, “then I went for a walk on the beach and posted a silly picture of shells I thought was a clever way to express a political viewpoint. And actually, I still think it is.”

Neither Russian President Vladimir Putin nor his US counterpart Donald Trump discussed a timeframe for a possible ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine in today’s phone call, Kremlin presidential aide Yury Ushakov said.

Trump announced after the call that “Russia and Ukraine will immediately start negotiations toward a Ceasefire and, more importantly, an END to the War.”

In addition, Ushakov said there was a “clear impression” during the call that both Putin and Trump were interested in an in-person meeting. However, Ushakov said that he didn’t know when such a meeting would take place.

Both presidents “are also interested in this meeting not being empty but productive,” he said.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy speaks during a press briefing following phone calls with US President Donald Trump on Monday.

Ukraine will not withdraw any of its troops from Russian-held regions of its country, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a statement today, following calls with US President Donald Trump and a host of European leaders to discuss peace talks.

Russia knows that this is a red line for Ukraine, so asking for it would prove that Russia “definitely” does not truly want to work toward an end in the conflict, the Ukrainian president continued.

Some context: Russia currently occupies several areas within Ukraine, including the region of Crimea, much of the region of Luhansk, and parts of the regions of Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.

In a post on X on tonight, Zelensky also wrote that it is “crucial” the United States “does not distance itself” from peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, “because the only one who benefits from that is Putin.”

President Donald Trump said he thought the news of former President Joe Biden’s cancer diagnosis was “very sad,” but added he was surprised it wasn’t revealed before.

Biden was diagnosed with prostate cancer, “characterized by a Gleason score of 9 (Grade Group 5) with metastasis to the bone,” a statement from his personal office said over the weekend.

Trump then started talking about his own physical: “I did a very complete physical, including cognitive tests. I’m proud to announce I aced it. I got them all right.”

He also seemed to suggest that the doctor who gave Biden his physical when he was in office missed the cancer or was not being truthful, and questioned Biden’s mental capacity.

In 2021, Biden’s physician Dr. Kevin O’Connor wrote in a memo that Biden “remains fit for duty, and fully executes all of his responsibilities without any exemptions or accommodations.”

“I don’t even know if they were involved, but a doctor was involved in each case,” Trump said, referring in part to Biden’s cognitive health. “Maybe it was the same doctor, and somebody is not telling the facts. That’s a big — it’s a big problem.”

President Donald Trump speaks during an event in the Oval Office at the White House on Monday.

President Donald Trump said Monday that he asked Russian President Vladimir Putin when he was going to “end this bloodshed” in Ukraine during their two-hour phone call.

“I said, ‘When are we going to end this bloodshed, this blood bath?’ It’s a blood bath, and I do believe he wants to end it,” the president said in the Oval Office on Monday.

Trump also said that if he thought he could not help then he would “back away” from negotiations. He added that there are “very big egos” involved.

“I tell you, big egos involved, but I think something’s going to happen. And if it doesn’t, I just back away and they’re going to have to keep going,” the president said.

Asked by CNN’s Kaitlan Collins if he asked to meet with Putin during their call, the president said he “talked to him about it.” Trump had previously suggested that he and Putin would have to meet directly to end the war.

“Of course I did. I talked to him about it,” he said.

President Donald Trump told reporters today that he will not increase sanctions on Russia “because there’s a chance” of progress.

“Because I think there’s a chance of getting something done, and if you do that, you could also make it much worse. But there could be a time where that’s going to happen,” Trump said.

Trump spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin today for two hours.

President Donald Trump speaks before he presents law enforcement officers with an award as Trump's son Eric Trump, fourth from right, listens in the Oval Office at the White House, on Monday.

President Donald Trump awarded the “first ever medals of sacrifice” to three Florida law enforcement officers at the Oval Office today.

Cpl. Luis Paez Jr., Deputy Sheriff Ralph “Butch” Waller Jr. and Deputy Sheriff Ignacio “Dan” Diaz of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office will receive the new medals, the White House said. They were killed in a crash while conducting a traffic stop in December, according to CNN affiliate WPLG-TV.

Trump said Republican Rep. Brian Mast of Florida, who was in the Oval Office for the event, introduced a bill that says the new medal “would be awarded to any law enforcement officer or first responder who gives his or her life in the line of duty.” Tiffany and Co. designed the new medals.

The families of the officers were in the Oval Office. Trump said the officers “dedicated their lives to protecting the people of Palm Beach County and well beyond.”

GOP Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida was at the event alongside Trump and Mast. The president has endorsed Donalds’ run for Florida governor.

This post has been updated with additional remarks from Trump.

A divided federal appeals court today rejected a request from the Trump administration to put on hold a judge’s order requiring the government to “facilitate” the return of a 20-year-old Venezuelan refugee who was deported earlier this year to El Salvador.

The 2-1 ruling from the 4th US Circuit Court of Appeals is likely to tee up a showdown at the Supreme Court. The order was issued in April by US District Judge Stephanie Gallagher, who said the administration had violated a court settlement protecting some young migrants with pending asylum claims when it deported the man — referred to only as “Cristian” in court filings — and directed it to work with Salvadorian officials to bring him back to the US.

Appeals court Judge DeAndrea Gist Benjamin, an appointee of former President Joe Biden, and Judge Roger Gregory, who was nominated to the court by former President Bill Clinton, voted in favor of keeping Gallagher’s order intact. Judge Julius Richardson, who was appointed to the 4th Circuit by President Donald Trump, dissented.

In a scathing solo concurrence, Gregory was critical of the administration’s argument that the lower-court order should be put on hold because the government had made an “indicative decision” that Cristian’s asylum application would be denied if he returned to the US based on its claim that he’s a member of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. That argument similarly had no sway when the administration asked Gallagher to undo her order.

Writing in dissent, Richardson said Gallagher, a Trump appointee who sits in the federal courthouse in Baltimore, had overstepped when she issued the “novel” ruling requiring Trump administration officials to make “a good faith request … to the government of El Salvador to release Cristian to U.S. custody for transport back to the United States.”

President Donald Trump, alongside first lady Melania Trump, signs the "Take It Down Act" during a bill signing ceremony in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, DC, on May 19.

President Donald Trump signed a bill into law today that would increase protections for victims of revenge porn and AI-generated sexual images during a ceremony in the Rose Garden.

The president also encouraged first lady Melania Trump, who lobbied heavily for the bill, to sign it as well.

He joked that he is a frequent target of AI-doctored images.

The law, called the Take It Down Act, will increase accountability for the tech platforms where revenge porn and explicit AI-generated images are shared and provide law enforcement with clarity about how to prosecute such activity. Previously, federal law prohibited creating or sharing realistic, AI-generated explicit images of children. But laws protecting adult victims varied by state and didn’t exist nationwide.

The law also represents one of the first new US federal laws aimed at addressing the potential harms from AI-generated content as the technology rapidly advances.

The president referenced the bill during his address to a joint session of Congress in March, during which the first lady hosted teenage victim Elliston Berry as one of her guests. Berry attended the bill signing event at the White House’s Rose Garden today, along with Francesca Mani, another teen who has pushed for legal protections after she was targeted by this form of harassment.

CNN’s Clare Duffy contributed to this report.