Trump admin updates: Trump says Venezuelan airspace should be 'closed in its entirety'

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt expressed the White House’s support for the Defense Department investigation into Sen. Mark Kelly following a group of Democratic Senators urging military members not to follow “illegal orders.”

"The White House is supportive of the Department of War's investigation into Sen. Mark Kelly. And I think what Sen. Mark Kelly was actually trying to do was intimidate the 1.3 million active duty service members who are currently serving in our United States Armed Forces with that video that he and his Democrat colleagues put out," Leavitt said at a gaggle on Monday afternoon.

"Sen. Mark Kelly well knows the rules of the military and the respect that one must have for the chain of command," she continued. "And that all orders, lawful orders, are presumed to be legal by our service members. You can't have a functioning military if there is disorder and chaos within the ranks. And that's what these Democrat members were encouraging."

Democrats have defended their message to troops that they can refuse illegal orders, and Kelly on Monday said he won't be intimidated by the push back from the administration.

"I’ve given too much to this country to be silenced by bullies who care more about their own power than protecting the Constitution," Kelly said.

-ABC News' Hannah Demissie

The White House has responded to the dismissal on Monday of the indictments against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.

"The facts of the indictments against Comey and James have not changed and this will not be the final word on this matter," Abigail Jackson, a White House spokeswoman said to ABC News.

The judge dismissed the charges without prejudice, meaning the cases could potentially be refiled by an appropriately appointed U.S. attorney.
-ABC News' Isabella Murray

First Lady Melania Trump received the official White House Christmas Tree on the North Lawn on Monday morning, briefly inspecting the Michigan-sourced tree that will soon sit in the Blue Room.

Wearing a shin-length ivory Christian Dior coat that displayed her Manolo check pumps and elbow-length red leather gloves, the first lady viewed the tree from a cart pulled by two Clydesdales named Ben and Logan.

“Beautiful tree,” Melania first said. “It will be beautiful,” she then added.

The tree was delivered from Korson’s Tree Farms in Sidney, Michigan– the farm that won the National Christmas Tree Association’s National Tree Contest for 2025. Korson’s Tree Farms is the first Grand Champion from the state of Michigan since 1985, according to the White House.

-ABC News' Isabella Murray

President Donald Trump, posting a readout of his "very good" call with President Xi on Monday morning, said he's now accepted an invitation from the Chinese president to visit Beijing in April and that Xi will come to the U.S. for an official state visit later in the year.

"President Xi invited me to visit Beijing in April, which I accepted, and I reciprocated where he will be my guest for a State Visit in the U.S. later in the year. We agreed that it is important that we communicate often, which I look forward to doing," Trump wrote on his social media platform.

Trump said that he spoke about a wide range of topics with Xi on Monday morning, including Ukraine-Russia, fentanyl, soybeans and other farm products.

Trump also said there has been "significant progress on both sides in keeping our agreements current and accurate" since he and Xi met in South Korea in late October-- similar to Xi's readout, according to China's official state-run news agency, Monday morning, that their relationship has "generally remained stable and improved."

--ABC News' Isabella Murray