National Guard troops in DC are now armed, defense official says

Republican Reps. Andy Ogles, Marlin Stutzman and Ralph Norman joined together to pitch a letter seeking a Nobel Peace Prize nomination for Trump following the summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, as well as follow-on talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other European leaders.

In a letter to the Nobel Committee dated Aug. 19, the lawmakers cite Trump’s diplomatic efforts from his first term, including his engagement with North Korea, as well as his second term -- from Gaza to Ukraine.

“President Trump’s foreign policy reflects a consistent philosophy: that peace is best secured through strength, clarity, and direct engagement,” the letter notes. “He has shown a unique ability to bring adversaries to the table, to create openings where diplomacy had long failed, to achieve tangible outcomes while avoiding large-scale new U.S. troop deployments, and to bring greater fraternity among nations historically at odds with one another.”

The nomination is the latest effort from Trump loyalists in the Capitol to heap praise on the president joining efforts to add him to Mount Rushmore, put him on the $100 bill, create the $250 bill and put him on it, create a national holiday on his birthday, and rename Dulles International Airport for him -- among other proposals.

-ABC News' John Parkinson

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis at a news conference Wednesday said the state would be asking the administration to allocate Florida another seat in the House of Representatives, which would mean the state would have to redraw its congressional maps.

The governor claimed Florida's population was undercounted in the 2020 census and should have gotten at least one more House seat.

The Census Bureau said in 2022 that Florida’s population was undercounted.

“So if that relief is given then that would obviously force us, force the Florida Legislature to have to redraw the maps that we have for U.S. House of Representatives, because we have 28 districts currently. We would presumably have 29," DeSantis said.

"But that would need to be done, you know, likely within the next three to six months, so that we have enough time to be able to get that done, but we are going to press this issue," he added.

-ABC News' Oren Oppenheim

Russia claimed it is ready to continue negotiations with Ukraine in "any format" but that potential summit meeting should be carefully prepared, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Wednesday at a press conference following talks with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman al-Safadi.

Lavrov said, "When it comes to high-level meetings, it is necessary to prepare them in the most thorough way at all previous stages, so that the summits do not lead to a worsening of the situation, but rather mark the end of the negotiations that we are ready to continue."

According to Lavrov, Russian President Vladimir Putin "proposed that negotiations [with Ukraine] not just be continued but also a higher level of delegations be considered" in a phone call with Trump. The White House on Tuesday went further, saying Putin "promised" to meet with Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the coming weeks.

Lavrov also said Moscow won't accept a situation where collective security issues related to Ukraine are being resolved without Russia's participation, calling such talks "a road to nowhere."

"We cannot accept the proposal to address security and collective security issues without Russia's involvement. This will not work. We have repeatedly explained that Russia does not exaggerate its interests, but we will firmly and decisively protect our legitimate interests," he said.

President Donald Trump on Wednesday called on Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook to resign.

"Cook must resign, now!!!" Trump wrote on his social media platform.

Trump's post included a link to a Bloomberg report on Bill Pulte, the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, alleging Cook may have engaged in mortgage fraud and referring her for criminal prosecution.

The move comes as Trump and his administration have ramped up attacks on the Federal Reserve. Cook was nominated to serve on the board of governors in 2022 by former President Joe Biden. Her term runs until January 2038. Cook is the first black woman in history to serve on the Federal Reserve Board of Governors.

Trump appears to be rallying for another open seat on the board, which would allow him to appoint someone more aligned with his views. The president was able to nominate a Federal Reserve governor almost six months ahead of schedule when Adriana Kugler decided to step down.

The president picked Stephen Miran to temporarily serve on the Fed board. If Miran is confirmed by the Senate in time, he could be on the board for its September meeting.

-ABC News' Zunaira Zaki