The Latest: US ties with Ukraine hit a new low as Trump slights Zelenskyy and eases up on Russia

The U.S.-Ukraine alliance is careening toward a possible breaking point , with Moscow strengthened by President Donald Trump’s recent rejection of new Russia sanctions and Kyiv undermined by disruptions in satellite support for its drones during the war.

Trump is meanwhile hoping $5,000 checks can boost Republican turnout in November’s midterm elections — but even some of his devoted fans doubt the government will pay them. The offering has become a go-to tactic for Trump when he faces a political jam.

A federal judge on Monday questioned the Trump administration’s claims about its efforts to redevelop a historic Washington golf course , challenging its contention that a recent tree-cutting spree was not an indication that work was moving forward on the project, which is temporarily blocked by a court order.

Here's the latest:

Trump has made NATO a political punching bag through both of his presidencies.

But his top diplomat cited the post-World War II alliance when explaining Washington’s approach to aiding Ukraine.

“We do have bases in Europe. Our partners do as well,” Rubio said, as he discussed how the Pentagon and Hegseth weigh approving various weapons sales and transfers.

So, Rubio explained, as Hegseth considers transfers to Kyiv, he has to weigh not only what U.S. bases need but what European allies might need, as well.

“We have other large air presences in the region, and then we have minimum requirements,” he said, adding that “it’s part of our NATO presence.”

The bottom line, Rubio insisted, is “there has not been some deliberate political directive to go out and harm Ukraine.”

Donald Trump as a teen dad?

“The way Chris Pappas tells it, I’m President Trump’s long-lost son,” former Republican Sen. John E. Sununu says in a new ad objecting to his opponent’s claims that he is beholden to Trump.

“I’ve never even met the man. When the president’s policies are bad for New Hampshire, I’ll oppose them,” says Sununu, 62, who is trying to reclaim the seat he lost in 2008.

Pappas, a Democrat who currently represents the state’s 1st Congressional District in the House, has highlighted Sununu’s previous comments that his campaign “is important to President Trump’s agenda.”

Trump, 80, has five children, the oldest of whom is 48. Sununu is 62.

The U.S. secretary of state insisted Tuesday that the Trump administration is not restricting military aid to Ukraine in its war with Russia.

“Nothing has changed,” Rubio told reporters. “When things are available for sale, it’s sold for the Europeans who, in turn, transfer to them.”

Rubio also said Trump has not ordered changes in how the U.S. shares intelligence.

The Washington Post reported that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has withheld approval for some of the weapons transfers.

While Rubio generally called news reports “inaccurate,” he did not dispute Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s complaints that Ukraine has not received enough missile interceptors. Rubio explained that the Pentagon is not making a tactical play against Zelenskyy but instead prioritizing U.S. needs.

“When a country doesn’t get interceptors from the United States, it’s not because they’re denied,” Rubio said. “We have minimum standards that we have to meet internally in our base presence all over the world.”

Vice President JD Vance’s decision to decline to endorse Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for reelection after Trump had backed him is being criticized on Fox News.

Fox & Friends co-host Lawrence Jones called the decision “disappointing.” Co-host Brian Kilmeade pointed to Vance campaigning last spring for then-Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

“You can’t say I don’t worry about other people’s elections,” Kilmeade said.

A message seeking a response was left with the vice president’s office.

The criticism Tuesday came after Vance said in an interview with Mark Halperin that he was focused on America’s midterms and that he wasn’t getting involved in Israeli elections.

Trump endorsed Netanyahu on Sunday, calling him a “Great Warrior.”

Federal authorities charged more than two dozen foreign nationals Monday in California as part of a statewide sweep targeting people who officials say have illegally registered or voted in U.S. elections.

The arrests are part of a Trump administration effort to root out noncitizen voting ahead of next month’s midterm elections, even though data shows that the problem is incredibly rare , difficult to prove and has not been shown to change the outcome of races.

Federal officials on Monday blamed California officials for the alleged crimes, accusing them of facilitating noncitizen voting through inadequate voter roll maintenance and hiding it from the public. The charges escalated a simmering voter roll fight that came into focus last week when the Justice Department sued California and warned that local election workers who knowingly process or tabulate ballots submitted by noncitizen voters are at risk of investigation and potential prosecution.

The Justice Department said the 28 people who were charged as part of a sweep dubbed Operation Protect the Vote are lawful permanent residents — but not U.S. citizens who are permitted to legally vote.

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A federal judge on Monday questioned the Trump administration’s claims surrounding its efforts to redevelop a historic Washington golf course , challenging its contention that a recent tree-cutting spree did not indicate work was moving forward on the project, which is temporarily blocked by a court order.

“There is no universe in which all of this coincidentally happened all at the same time,” U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes said during a hearing over the fate of a project that has emerged as the latest legal flashpoint in President Donald Trump’s campaign to leave his personal imprint on the nation’s capital. The hearing, which continued more than five hours, ended with Reyes taking no action.

Reyes last week ordered a halt to the golf course’s redevelopment plans until at least Oct. 26 after scolding the government for starting a large-scale tree removal at the course over a holiday weekend. Then, on Sunday, Trump announced plans on social media to close the golf course for 15 months. In a post on Monday, Trump said the work would start immediately.

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Trump is hoping that $5,000 checks can juice Republican turnout in November’s midterm elections — but even some of his devoted fans are doubting that government payouts would arrive.

“I mean, I guess it’s good for some people. I really don’t care,” said Jamie Alvarez, who attended Trump’s recent Alaska rally in a red, white and blue outfit. “I don’t feel like your vote should be bought. I feel like you should vote for who you feel is going to do the best job.”

The offering of government checks has become a go-to tactic for Trump when he faces a political jam. He’s previously endorsed $2,000 in dividends from tariff revenues and large refunds from spending cuts achieved by the Department of Government Efficiency , neither of which materialized. The latest example could reveal how much voters still trust Trump as they decide control of Congress in the midterm elections on Nov. 3.

Staunch supporters such as Lucy Martinez, the president of a Republican women’s club who attended a recent Trump rally in Texas, said there’s no doubt in their minds.

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The U.S.-Ukraine alliance is careening toward a possible breaking point, with Moscow strengthened by President Donald Trump’s recent rejection of new Russia sanctions and Kyiv undermined by disruptions in satellite support for its drones during the war.

Trump’s relationship with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has always been a moving target , while the Republican president has frequently boasted of his rapport with Russian leader Vladimir Putin . But relations between the U.S. and Ukraine appear to be at a new low, threatening to tip the balance of the war to Russia’s favor and imperil America’s security interests across the globe.

Trump has been lobbing insults at Zelenskyy for over a week and turning to policies that benefit Putin, while Ukraine’s president has said he feels betrayed and worries for his country’s future. But the American president can still shift on Zelenskyy — especially as he faces bipartisan outrage from lawmakers — which Trump has done before.

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