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Political News Compilation - Weekend Update - Sunday, August 17, 2026

Aug 17
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Below are some of the top political news stories of the day:


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President Donald Trump gestures as he boards Air Force One at Morristown Airport, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026, in Morristown, N.J. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

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Trump orders Pentagon to scale back joint exercises with South Korea​

By KONSTANTIN TOROPIN and ALANNA DURKIN RICHER
Updated 8:36 PM CDT, August 16, 2026

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump ordered the Pentagon on Sunday to scale back annual joint military exercises with South Korea, saying the ally declined to help with the war against Iran and citing his good relationship with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un.

Trump said in a social media post that the exercises, which began Monday, are not only costly but “send a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile” to North Korea, which he said “has been unthreatening and respectful” during his time in the White House.

“Therefore, and based on the fact that it is too late to cancel, I have instructed Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, to substantially reduce the Joint Military Exercises!” Trump wrote. The president added that he recently asked South Korea’s president if they would join the U.S. in the “denuclearization” of Iran, “and they said, ‘No thanks!’”

The move is the latest example of the president appearing to turn against an ally in favor of a leader that previous administrations have cast as an adversary. Trump and others in his administration have also railed against NATO allies over perceived lack of support for his war against Iran, even as they seek to confront an increasingly aggressive Russia in the Baltic region.

It is also a sharp turnaround from how his administration has viewed South Korea in recent months. ...

READ THE FULL STORY - AP |

Related:
- North Korea slams US-South Korea military drills and threatens strong response
www.nbcnews.com

Attorney General Todd Blanche says DOJ may take states’ voter roll fight to Supreme Court

The Trump administration has filed 31 lawsuits against states that have pushed back against its efforts to gain access to sensitive voter roll data.
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apnews.com

Trump blames vandals for damaged grass in the same spot where he held his big July 4 celebration

President Donald Trump says vandals are to blame for large swaths of dead grass on the National Mall near the World War II Memorial.
apnews.com apnews.com
www.usatoday.com

Feds use 'mega' court hearings to speed through immigration cases

The Trump administration is using mass preliminary hearings to speed up cases in immigration court.
www.usatoday.com
www.yahoo.com

Ossoff: ‘Something uniquely despicable about lying a nation into war’

Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) on Sunday took a swing at President Trump over the Iran war, saying he lied “the nation into a war.” During a Sunday rally in Atlanta, the Georgia Democrat went after Trump and...
www.yahoo.com www.yahoo.com
apnews.com

The buck stops somewhere else: A look at Trump's tendency to avoid blame when things go awry

Former President Harry Truman famously kept a “The Buck Stops Here” sign on his White House desk. But the current president, Donald Trump, often veers from that motto of taking responsibility.
apnews.com apnews.com
www.nbcnews.com

Democrats reckon with ‘Woke 1’ as the party seeks to define an era — and distance itself from it

Recent remarks by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez opened a Democratic debate over how to address rhetoric that peaked in 2020.
www.nbcnews.com www.nbcnews.com
apnews.com

Republicans won the redistricting competition. Don't tell that to this California congressman

The national redistricting competition between the parties means California's conservative voters are going through the same thing as Democratic voters in Republican strongholds.
apnews.com apnews.com
abcnews.com

GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy on Trump’s vaccine executive order: ‘This is just a stupid thing to do’

Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy said on ABC News' "This Week" that Trump's executive order on vaccines was a "stupid thing to do."
abcnews.com abcnews.com
www.usatoday.com

Trump on USS Abraham Lincoln deployment: 'Not nearly long enough'

President Trump rejected concerns about USS Abraham Lincoln sailors as reports cite exhaustion, suicide attempts and extended deployment.
www.usatoday.com
www.cbsnews.com

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear says he's "heard absolutely nothing back from Mitch McConnell"

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said he hasn't heard back from Sen. Mitch McConnell following formal requests for an update on his health last month amid a weekslong hospitalization.
www.cbsnews.com www.cbsnews.com
apnews.com

In Florida, Wasserman Schultz sparks a debate over what representation means in diverse districts

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz is running for reelection in a new Florida district after Republicans redrew the congressional map.
apnews.com apnews.com
www.yahoo.com

Nate Silver's New Election Model Makes Democrats Favorites to Flip Senate—Prediction Markets Aren't so Sure

Nate Silver‘s new midterm model launched Tuesday with a striking call: Democrats are 57.3% favorites to win the Senate, a chamber where they need a net gain of four seats against a 53-47 Republican ma...
www.yahoo.com www.yahoo.com
www.usatoday.com

Blanche refuses to pledge DOJ independence from White House

Todd Blanche declined to pledge Justice Department independence, saying he would take President Donald Trump's views into account on prosecutions.
www.usatoday.com
www.yahoo.com

Eight Muslim nations condemn Israel's rejection of Gaza roadmap

The foreign ministers of eight Muslim-majority nations have condemned Israel's rejection of a U.S.-backed roadmap to end its war in Gaza.
www.yahoo.com www.yahoo.com
apnews.com

Democrats disagree over abolishing or reforming ICE at DNC meeting

Democrats have approved dueling messages on immigration enforcement, disagreeing on whether U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement should be abolished or reformed.
apnews.com apnews.com
www.yahoo.com

Two visions of America are emerging as midterms draw near. Voters must decide which one is real

In Atlanta on Sunday, Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff delivered an acidic takedown of President Donald Trump
www.yahoo.com www.yahoo.com
abcnews.com

Trump accuses Democrats of 'trickery' over candidate with same name as Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan

President Donald Trump is weighing in on the unusual Republican primary in Alaska, where a challenger with the same name as sitting senator Dan Sullivan is on the ballot.
abcnews.com abcnews.com
www.yahoo.com

Retired Air Force Colonel Rips Apart Trump’s Order to Cut ‘Hostile’ Military Exercises Near North Korea

Cedric Leighton skewered Trump for demanding Pete Hegseth substantially cut back on joint military exercises with South Korea, which the Air Force veteran argued will "damage" the USA-South Korea rela...
www.yahoo.com www.yahoo.com
www.foxnews.com

Trump blames vandals for dead grass on National Mall where he hosted 4th of July celebration

President Donald Trump claimed that vandals damaged grass near the World War II Memorial, but photos show his July 4th stage covered the same spot.
www.foxnews.com www.foxnews.com
apnews.com

US civil rights agency denies issuing order halting all federal class discrimination complaints

A civil rights agency accused of halting a sexual harassment case filed on behalf of female prison guards is now blaming an administrative judge for doing so in error.
apnews.com apnews.com
www.cbsnews.com

CBS News poll on whether Democrats split over socialism, and how Americans see parties in today's economy

Americans think more young people in office would make politics better.
www.cbsnews.com www.cbsnews.com
www.yahoo.com

Russian anti-war party Yabloko takes its case to the courts

Russia's Supreme Court will on Monday once again hear the case concerning the exclusion of the Yabloko liberal opposition party from parliamentary elections in September. The anti-war party has lodged...
www.yahoo.com www.yahoo.com
www.bbc.com

Trump envoy Kushner arrives in Israel after rare Hamas talks on Gaza peace plan

US President Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner is expected to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later on Monday.
www.bbc.com www.bbc.com
www.yahoo.com

Trump orders cuts to US-South Korea drills over 'hostile' signal

US President Donald Trump has ordered a significant reduction in joint military exercises with South Korea, citing his "very good relationship" with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Trump also suggest...
www.yahoo.com www.yahoo.com
www.usatoday.com

'We're winning:' Bernie Sanders and DSA see WI, MI results as progress

Progressive leaders tell USA TODAY that despite the setback in Wisconsin, close primaries in swing states show a surging movement having its moment.
www.usatoday.com
www.cbsnews.com

Trump orders scale-back of military exercises with South Korea after refusal to help with Iran's denuclearization

President Trump said Sunday that the joint military exercises with South Korea are costly and they "send a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile" to North Korea.
www.cbsnews.com www.cbsnews.com
apnews.com

Kushner has a rare meeting with Hamas' leader on the Gaza road map. A meeting with Netanyahu is next

U.S. negotiator Jared Kushner has held a rare meeting with the Hamas chief in Egypt in a push to make progress on the stalled Gaza ceasefire.
apnews.com apnews.com
www.nbcnews.com

What’s next for Democrats — in November and 2027: From the Politics Desk

Plus, the latest on the war with Iran.
www.nbcnews.com www.nbcnews.com
www.aljazeera.com

US-Iran agreement is set to expire: What to know

Both sides accused the other of violating the June agreement shortly after it was signed.
www.aljazeera.com www.aljazeera.com
...
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  • News source: FOX News
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  • Views: 2
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  • News source: FOX News
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  • Views: 10
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Trump orders major cut to US-South Korea drills as North Korea ramps up missile tests

  • News source: FOX News
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