Trump admin updates: US military is preparing for possible activation of National Guard in DC
Trump will conduct a press conference about crime in DC on Monday morning.
President Trump has announced a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin scheduled for Friday, Aug. 15 in Alaska.
The Trump administration is also once again escalating its clash with Harvard University, with Commerce Secretary Lutnick sending a letter Friday to Harvard President Alan Garber that accuses Harvard of violating its legal and contractual obligations related to federally funded research programs and patents.
Lutnick said the Commerce Department is launching an "immediate comprehensive review" of Harvard’s federally funded research programs.
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Trump, Heritage Foundation economist makes claims about jobs numbers
A week after President Donald Trump blasted the Bureau of Labor and Statistics' latest job report, he invited Stephen Moore, an economist with the conservative think tank the Heritage Foundation, to tout claims about the jobs data.
Moore and Trump displayed charts with figures going back to the Biden Administration, but did not make any further details as to where the reportedly unreported data came from.
Anita Dunn defends Biden in closed-door House committee interview
Anita Dunn, who was a senior adviser under former President Joe Biden, defended him during a closed-door deposition at the House Oversight Committee Thursday, telling investigators that while she observed a "physical" decline in Biden during his four years in office, she maintained the belief that he was calling the shots and mentally engaged in decision-making at the White House.
"From what I experienced and observed in the White House, President Biden made all of the important decisions expected of someone serving as the president of the United States," Dunn told the committee, according to her prepared remarks obtained by ABC News.
Dunn refused to answer any questions from reporters as she arrived and left the deposition.
"I did not observe White House staff making key decisions or exercising the powers of the presidency without President Biden's knowledge or consent," Dunn testified. "The President made it clear that decisions rested with him, and White House staff brought issues to him for him to decide."
Dunn is the latest Biden official to answer questions after several former senior officials invoked their Fifth Amendment rights not to answer questions.
-ABC News' John Parkinson
Trump picks Stephen Miran, key ally, to fill Fed Reserve seat temporarily
President Donald Trump announced that Stephen Miran, the current Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors, will temporarily fill the Federal Reserve seat being vacated by Federal Reserve Governor Adriana D. Kugler. Miran will serve in the position until January 31st, 2026.
Miran has vocally pushed for the president's economic policies including tariffs over the last couple of months.
"He has been with me from the beginning of my Second Term, and his expertise in the World of Economics is unparalleled," the president said in a social media post.
-ABC News' Hannah Demissie
Vice President JD Vance meets with Indiana governor to discuss redistricting
Vice President JD Vance met with Indiana Gov. Mike Braun, a Republican, on Thursday at the statehouse for a conversation the governor had said would include talking about mid-decade redistricting, but the meeting appears to have ended without anything made clear on whether Indiana will pursue that road.
Vance did not speak to reporters but was seen at the statehouse. Braun, meanwhile, told reporters after the meeting that they covered many topics without offering specifics, according to ABC affiliate WRTV.
ABC News has reached out to Vance’s and Braun’s offices for more details on the meeting.
Democrats and other opponents of Vance protested in the statehouse, meanwhile, protested Vance’s visit with signs and small rallies calling out Vance and speaking against potential mid-decade redistricting.
-ABC News' Oren Oppenheim and Hannah Demissie