Donald Trump is being indicted on 34 counts, US media report. Critics say the process is politically motivated. The president denies any wrongdoing. All of the charges relate to Trump’s alleged falsification of business documents in order to conceal other crimes.
According to the prosecution, the crimes revolve around payments to three individuals. These people allegedly had information that Trump considered damaging.
US media report that the individuals are two women and one man. The women are former porn star Stormy Daniels and a model with whom Trump allegedly had relationships. The man is a former Trump Tower employee who claimed that Trump had a child out of wedlock, according to AP.
Trump was formally detained during the arraignment, but shortly after the charges were read, he was seen leaving the court in a large procession of black cars. Critics say the arrest was an unnecessary and politically motivated gesture.
Trump will travel to his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida where he is expected to give a speech. Other critics point to this as a sign that he is not taking the indictment seriously and is continuing to engage in political theater.
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At a press conference on Monday, US President Donald Trump announced a massive operation to combat crime in Washington, DC.
As part of the measures, the city’s police will be placed under federal control, and hundreds of National Guard soldiers will patrol the streets to make the city safer. Trump simultaneously warned that New York could be next for similar measures.
— I’m announcing a historic action to rescue our nation’s capital from crime, bloodshed, bedlam and squalor – and worse. This is liberation day in DC and we’re going to take our capital back, Trump said during a press conference at the White House.
The president expressed frustration over what he described as the growing crime in the city.
— Our capital city has been overtaken by violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals, roving mobs of wild youth, drugged-out maniacs and homeless people, Trump said and continued: “And we’re not going to let it happen anymore. We’re not going to take it”.
Trump noted that the operations would begin quickly, in the same way as the measures taken at the southern border to stop illegal immigration. “We’re going to clean it up real quick, like we did on the southern border”, he clarified.
BREAKING: DC will now be under FEDERAL control, the National Guard will be deployed
“This is liberation day in D.C. and we’re gonna take our capitol back!” – President Trump pic.twitter.com/RbShJTQlkD
According to US legislation, the Home Rule Act of 1973, the president has the right to take control of Washington’s police force for up to 30 days, with the possibility for Congress to extend the measures. The Trump administration has sent documents formalizing the takeover to Congress, and later in the day, DC’s police chief and other federal officials met to discuss next steps.
— This will be an opportunity for us to come together and collaborate on being able to go out and execute warrants, said MPD Police Chief Pamela Smith.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth clarified in an interview that the National Guard will not just be present but will act proactively in their operation.
— They will be strong, they will be tough and they will stand with their law enforcement partners., Hegseth said, adding: “If you take an action or a shot at them, there will be a consequence”.
“Doubled up on Baghdad”
Trump defended his decision and showed a chart during the press conference comparing murder statistics per capita in Washington, DC with the capitals of cocaine-exporting Colombia, Mexico and Iraq.
— We doubled up on Baghdad, he claimed, describing the situation as “completely unacceptable”.
— They’ll immediately begin massive enforcement operations targeting known gangs, drug dealers and criminal networks to get them the hell off the street, Trump said. He also suggested that certain criminals, whom he claimed came to the US illegally, will be deported.
Photo: screenshot/Truth Social/Trump
— They come from Venezuela, they come from all over the world. We’re going to get them the hell out, he explained.
The National Guard will also assist in a larger operation to remove homeless camps from public places, including parks and underpasses.
— We’re getting rid of the slums, Trump promised and mentioned that beautifying the city’s public areas and repairing median strips and potholes are part of the operation.
“False numbers”
DC Mayor Muriel Bowser, who is a Democrat, confirmed that she will comply with the federal operations but expressed concern that Trump’s decision represents a major interference in local self-governance.
— I’m going to work every day to make sure it’s not a complete disaster, Bowser said, claiming to be particularly concerned about the presence of plainclothes law enforcement personnel.
— All law enforcement be identifiable by uniform, a badge, a jacket, so that people know that they are law enforcement.
Trump addressed the criticism and responded in his way.
— I know it’s not politically correct. We’re going to get them the hell out. They won’t be here long,
New York next?
Defense Secretary Hegseth also clarified that soldiers from other states will assist in the operation.
— They will be standing right alongside our federal agents, like they were in Los Angeles. They’re going to be proactive.
Trump also mentioned that he is looking at other cities that may need similar federal operations.
— You look at Chicago, how bad it is. You look at Los Angeles, how bad it is. We have other cities that are very bad. New York has a problem, Trump said, suggesting that more cities may receive federal support if the situation doesn’t improve.
The president also took the opportunity to express his long-term visions for the city.
— Washington, DC, should be one of the safest, cleanest and most beautiful cities anywhere in the world, and we’re going to make it that, Trump summarized and promised that he intends to “clean it up real quick”.
Portable “pop-up houses” are now available for purchase on American retailers Walmart and Amazon. The houses are manufactured in China and come in several sizes and price ranges.
The houses, which are built from containers, are called “expandable prefab houses” and are created by Chinese company Chery Industrial. They can be purchased in various sizes, ranging from a simple office with bathroom that costs approximately €14,000, to a larger house with bedroom, living room and dining room along with bathroom and kitchen that costs around €24,500.
The pop-up houses can be bought on Amazon and also at American discount retailer Walmart, but it’s likely cheapest to buy directly from the manufacturer, reports Fortune.
The house can be packed up and becomes “container-sized,” according to the company. Delivery to the buyer is included, but the buyer is responsible for moving the house from the truck. This requires a forklift strong enough to lift the container house, but for the larger houses it’s recommended to rent a crane. The house is delivered folded up and then you need help from friends to unfold it.
China is now building small, affordable homes, that you can buy at Walmarts in the USA.
Buy an acre of land with some friends and put a few of these on there.
Before purchasing, you need to have land to place the house on, but also plan for connecting water and electricity. Toilet and shower are included in most houses, but furniture you naturally choose yourself.
In recent years, so-called “tiny houses” have become a movement, particularly in the USA, where people advocate for more minimalism and simply living more simply with fewer possessions. Often the houses are portable, extremely small in size compared to regular houses, but also planned and well-thought-out in both structure and furnishing.
US Vice President J.D. Vance states that the country is moving toward ending its economic support to Ukraine in the war against Russia.
At the same time, he emphasizes that he has nothing against Europe continuing to deliver American weapons to Kiev – as long as they pay for this themselves.
— I think the President, and I certainly think that America, we’re done with the funding of the Ukraine war business. We want to bring about a peaceful settlement to this thing. We want to stop the killing, Vance said in an interview with Fox News, which aired on Sunday.
He emphasized that public opinion in the US no longer supports continued economic aid to Kiev.
— But Americans, I think, are sick of continuing to send their money, their tax dollars, to this particular conflict, Vance continued.
“Got to step up”
JD VANCE: “THE U.S. IS DONE FUNDING THE UKRAINIAN WAR”
Senator JD Vance just dropped a political bombshell:
️ “If the Europeans want to step up and actually buy the weapons from American producers, we’re okay with that — but we’re not going to fund it ourselves… pic.twitter.com/PXzTaGzhbH
The Vice President did, however, leave the door open for the US having nothing against continued European military support to Ukraine – even where American weapons are involved – as long as this happens without American financing.
— But if the Europeans want to step up and actually buy the weapons from American producers. We’re okay with that, but we’re not going to fund it ourselves anymore, he added.
The interview was recorded before the official announcement of President Trump’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin next week, but was aired in its entirety only on Sunday. Vance also repeated the Trump administration’s line that European countries must themselves bear greater responsibility for the war.
— What we said to the Europeans is simply: First of all, this is in your neck of the woods, this is in your back door. You guys got to step up and play a bigger role in this thing. And if you care so much about this conflict, you should be willing to play a more direct and a more substantial way in funding this war yourselves, Vance explained.
US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet in Alaska on August 15 to discuss the war in Ukraine. Meanwhile, the EU wants the US to increase pressure on Russia, and Ukrainian President Zelensky refuses to give up territory.
The meeting is marked by uncertainty, and a Russian negotiator warns of the risk that it could be sabotaged.
The summit in Alaska between the US’s Donald Trump and Russia’s Vladimir Putin is one of the most talked-about diplomatic initiatives since the war in Ukraine began over three years ago.
On the agenda is the possibility of finding a path to peace – or at least a ceasefire – in a conflict that has cost hundreds of thousands of lives, destabilized European security, and drained the economies of many countries, especially in Europe.
So far, it is planned as a bilateral meeting, but the White House has expressed openness to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also participating in a trilateral discussion.
Zelensky himself has said clearly that he will never approve of Ukraine giving up territories to end the war. He emphasizes that a peace solution without Ukraine’s involvement would be meaningless.
Donald J. Trump Truth Social 08.08.25 06:03 PM EST
The highly anticipated meeting between myself, as President of the United States of America, and President Vladimir Putin, of Russia, will take place next Friday, August 15, 2025, in the Great State of Alaska. Further details to…
— Fan Donald J. Trump Posts From Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) August 8, 2025
EU opposition and Russian skepticism
Several European leaders have given their clear support to Zelensky and demand that the US increase pressure on Russia to force real peace negotiations.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas recently said that the US holds the tools to bring Russia to the negotiating table and that all talks must involve both Ukraine and the EU to ensure the continent’s security.
Meanwhile, Russia expresses skepticism about the meeting’s possibilities. A prominent Russian negotiator has warned that the meeting risks being sabotaged by forces that do not want to see an end to the conflict.
“Certainly, several nations that have a vested interest in prolonging the conflict will take titanic efforts (provocations and disinformation) to torpedo the planned meeting”, warns Kirill Dmitriev.
The continued Russian military offensive in eastern Ukraine and the annexation of territories deepens the divisions and makes diplomatic efforts extremely complicated.
Volodymyr Zelensky thanks Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson for all the economic support and all the weapons deliveries that Sweden has given to Ukraine. Photo: Ninni Andersson/Government Offices of Sweden
What can we expect from the meeting?
The meeting will be the first face-to-face meeting between Trump and Putin since the Russian invasion in 2022, and has attracted broad international attention. Critics argue that any real breakthroughs are difficult to expect, while there is some hope that diplomatic channels will be opened further.
Expectations are therefore cautious but still clear: Trump wants to pressure Putin into a ceasefire, while Russia has set high demands that the Ukrainian government and the Western world are unwilling to accept. Zelensky and European allies emphasize that peace must be built on Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
How much this can be combined with Putin’s ambitions and Trump’s own negotiation tactics remains to be seen.
