Category: USA Politics

Vice President JD Vance said Saturday he was “grateful” after Pope Leo XIV sought to ease tensions with President Donald Trump and indicated he had no interest in engaging in a public dispute.

The pontiff said earlier Saturday that coverage of remarks he made during a recent trip to Africa had created “a certain narrative that has not been accurate in all of its aspects.” He added that the speech in question had been prepared weeks before any response from Trump, pushing back on suggestions it was directed at the president.

Vance, who is Catholic and met Pope Leo at the Vatican in 2025, welcomed the pontiff’s latest comments. Earlier in the week, Vance had suggested the pope should “be careful” when weighing in on theological and political matters, underscoring the tensions that had emerged.

“While the media narrative constantly gins up conflict — and yes, real disagreements have happened and will happen — the reality is often much more complicated,” Vance said.

“Pope Leo preaches the gospel, as he should, and that will inevitably mean he offers his opinions on the moral issues of the day. The president — and the entire administration — work to apply those moral principles in a messy world. He will be in our prayers, and I hope that we’ll be in his.”

POPE LEO SAYS REMARKS ABOUT WORLD BEING ‘RAVAGED BY A ​HANDFUL OF TYRANTS’ WERE NOT AIMED AT TRUMP: REPORT

There appeared to be tension after Pope Leo delivered remarks in Cameroon in which he criticized those who “manipulate religion” for political and military gain.

“Jesus told us, blessed are the peacemakers. But woe to those who manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic or political gain, dragging that which is sacred into darkness and filth,” Pope Leo said.

The words were interpreted by some as tied to the Trump administration’s stance on the conflict with Iran, helping to spark a broader dispute between the White House and the Vatican.

TRUMP ACCUSES POPE LEO OF BEING ‘TERRIBLE’ ON FOREIGN POLICY OVER PONTIFF’S ANTI-WAR COMMENTS

The pope also criticized rhetoric surrounding the conflict, at one point calling comments about potentially targeting Iran’s “whole civilization” “truly unacceptable.” Trump responded by calling the pontiff “WEAK on crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy.”

The disagreement unfolded over several days, with senior administration officials defending the president and offering their own criticism of the pope’s remarks, further amplifying the clash.

Despite the escalating perceived tension, the pope said Saturday that it was “not in my interest at all” to debate the president and emphasized that he would continue preaching a message centered on peace, justice and brotherhood.

“Much of what has been written since then has been commentary on commentary trying to interpret what has been said,” the pope said.

President Donald Trump mocked the Islamic Revolutionary Guard on Sunday morning for staking claim to a Strait of Hormuz “blockade” the U.S. military had already put in place.

“Iran recently announced that they were closing the Strait, which is strange, because our BLOCKADE has already closed it,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “They’re helping us without knowing, and they are the ones that lose with the closed passage, $500 Million Dollars a day! The United States loses nothing. 

“In fact, many Ships are headed, right now, to the U.S., Texas, Louisiana, and Alaska, to load up, compliments of the IRGC, always wanting to be ‘the tough guy!’”

Trump declared Saturday’s IRGC fire was “a total violation” of the ceasefire.

“Iran decided to fire bullets yesterday in the Strait of Hormuz — A Total Violation of our Ceasefire Agreement!” his post began.

“Many of them were aimed at a French Ship, and a Freighter from the United Kingdom. That wasn’t nice, was it? My Representatives are going to Islamabad, Pakistan — They will be there tomorrow evening, for Negotiations.”

Trump remains hopeful about diplomacy, but is not ruling out a return to force, where he once warned about ending “civilation” in Iran as they know it.

“We’re offering a very fair and reasonable DEAL, and I hope they take it because, if they don’t, the United States is going to knock out every single Power Plant, and every single Bridge, in Iran,” Trump’s stern warning continued. 

“NO MORE MR. NICE GUY! 

“They’ll come down fast, they’ll come down easy and, if they don’t take the DEAL, it will be my Honor to do what has to be done, which should have been done to Iran, by other Presidents, for the last 47 years. IT’S TIME FOR THE IRAN KILLING MACHINE TO END!”

Former President Barack Obama and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani met for the first time Saturday to read and sing with children at a Bronx childcare center, and to discuss the mayor’s vision for the city.

Video showed the two leaders laughing, reading children’s books and performing their rendition of “Wheels on the Bus” at the Learning Through Play Pre-K Center in the South Bronx.

The pair also met with families and discussed Mamdani’s vision for the city, according to the mayor’s office, stressing the importance of “giving New York’s Cutest have the strongest start possible.”

SOCIALIST MAYOR MAMDANI BACKS HOCHUL IN MOVE THAT COULD RESHAPE NEW YORK GOVERNOR RACE

While Obama had not met Mamdani in person prior to Saturday’s visit, the former president called the self-proclaimed socialist shortly before his election and offered to be his sounding board, according to The Associated Press.

Mamdani marked his 100th day in office less than a week ago, vowing to create five government-run grocery stores by the end of his first term on Jan. 1, 2030, falling in line with promises made during his campaign.

MAMDANI GRILLED ON WHETHER HIS SOCIALISM PLATFORM WILL WORK OUTSIDE OF NEW YORK CITY

Recent polls showed 48% of his constituents approve of Mamdani’s job so far, while 30% disapprove and 23% are unsure, FOX 5 New York reported.

In terms of direction, 56% of residents said they liked where the city was headed under Mamdani, an improvement from the 31% who said the same in October, the outlet reported.

Fox News Digital’s Elaine Mallon contributed to this report.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Saturday that the Trump administration is sanctioning a senior Nicaraguan official over alleged human rights violations.

Rubio said the U.S. is designating Vice Minister of the Interior Luis Roberto Cañas Novoa for his role in “gross violations of human rights” under the government of President Daniel Ortega and Vice President Rosario Murillo, marking what he said was the latest effort to hold the regime accountable.

“The Trump administration continues to hold the Murillo-Ortega dictatorship accountable for brutal human rights violations against Nicaraguans,” Rubio said in a post on X. “I’m designating Nicaraguan Vice Minister of the Interior Luis Roberto Cañas Novoa for his role in human rights violations.”

RUBIO TESTIFIES IN TRIAL OF EX-FLORIDA CONGRESSMAN ALLEGEDLY HIRED BY MADURO GOVERNMENT TO LOBBY FOR VENEZUELA

The designation was made under Section 7031(c), which allows the State Department to bar foreign officials and their immediate family members from entering the United States due to involvement in significant corruption or human rights abuses.

The State Department has said the Ortega-Murillo government has engaged in arbitrary arrests, torture and extrajudicial killings following mass protests that began in April 2018.

“Nearly eight years ago, the Rosario Murillo and Daniel Ortega dictatorship unleashed a brutal wave of repression against Nicaraguans who courageously stood against the regime’s increased tyranny, corruption, and abuse,” the statement reads.

The State Department said that the sanction marked the anniversary of the 2018 protests, after which more than 325 protesters were murdered in the aftermath.

A panel of U.N.-backed human rights experts previously accused Nicaragua’s government of systematic abuses “tantamount to crimes against humanity,” following an investigation into the country’s crackdown on political dissent, according to The Associated Press.

The experts said the repression intensified after mass protests in 2018 and has since expanded across large parts of society, targeting perceived opponents of the government.

TRUMP ADMIN ANNOUNCES EXPANSION OF VISA RESTRICTION POLICY IN WESTERN HEMISPHERE

Nicaragua’s government has rejected those findings.

The designation follows a series of recent U.S. actions targeting the Ortega-Murillo government. In February, the State Department sanctioned five senior Nicaraguan officials tied to repression, citing arbitrary detention, torture, killings and the targeting of clergy, media and civil society.

Earlier this week, the department also announced sanctions on individuals and companies linked to Nicaragua’s gold sector, including two of Ortega and Murillo’s sons, accusing the regime of using the industry to generate foreign currency, launder assets and consolidate power within the ruling family.

The State Department said the move is part of ongoing efforts to hold the Nicaraguan government accountable for its actions.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Nicaraguan government and its embassy in Washington for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

The Trump administration has taken an increasingly aggressive posture in the Western Hemisphere in recent months, including a Jan. 3, 2026, operation that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.

The U.S. has also carried out a series of strikes targeting suspected drug-trafficking vessels in the region, part of a broader crackdown tied to regional security and narcotics enforcement efforts.

California Democrats were aware of a roughly $2 billion budget accounting error for months, even though Gov. Gavin Newsom’s January spending plan already projected a roughly $3 billion deficit for the coming fiscal year, according to a report.

The mistake, tied to the state’s public employee retirement system, CalPERS, could shrink that projected deficit. But state analysts warn California still faces far larger long-term budget problems, with annual deficits projected at $20 billion to $35 billion.

State legislative leaders learned about the problem as early as February, after it was flagged by the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office, but did not publicly disclose it until it was reported in April, according to a memo reported by KCRA 3.

HOUSE COMMITTEE LAUNCHES INVESTIGATION INTO ‘RAMPANT’ CALIFORNIA HOSPICE FRAUD

The analyst’s office said Newsom’s administration double-counted some retirement contribution rates, creating a $1.6 billion error.

Another miscalculation involving future contribution estimates added another $450 million.

Together, the two errors total roughly $2 billion.

“Given the size and complexity of California’s budget, it is not uncommon that we come across errors stemming from calculation mistakes or formula errors etc.,” Legislative Analyst Gabe Petek said in a statement to KCRA 3. “Indeed, part of the role of our office is to serve as a check on the administration’s budget calculations.”

Petek said the issue is expected to be corrected in Newsom’s updated May budget proposal.

NEW EXPOSÉ CLAIMS CALIFORNIA LOST AT LEAST $180B TO FRAUD UNDER GAVIN NEWSOM

Newsom’s administration has disputed characterizing the issue as an error, saying the adjustment reflects a change in how the state estimates pension-related payments.

“This isn’t a calculation error — it’s a revision to better estimate how these payments are made,” Department of Finance spokesman H.D. Palmer told the outlet.

The lack of public disclosure has drawn scrutiny, as lawmakers had been publicly warning of budget shortfalls while the issue remained internal.

In its January overview of the governor’s budget, the Legislative Analyst’s Office said the administration projected a $2.9 billion deficit for 2026-27, while also warning the state faces multiyear deficits ranging from $20 billion to $35 billion annually.

The office called those long-term deficits “alarming” and said they raise serious concerns about California’s fiscal sustainability.

The same report said the governor’s budget was only “roughly balanced” because of higher revenue assumptions, while warning that a potential stock market downturn could sharply cut income tax revenue and put the state on more precarious footing.

Lawmakers are expected to ramp up negotiations next month when Newsom releases his revised budget.

Fox News Digital reached out to the governor’s office, the Department of Finance and the Legislative Analyst’s Office for comment.

The U.S. Navy released photos Saturday of “fresh meals” being served onboard the USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Tripoli as it pushed back against claims of food shortages on Middle East warships. 

Images have emerged purportedly showing meager meals being served to sailors during Operation Epic Fury against Iran, but the claims are being rejected at highest levels of the Pentagon, with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth blasting them as “fake news.” 

“Fresh meals. Full service. Mission ready. Sailors aboard USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Tripoli continue to receive regularly prepared meals at sea — no interruptions, no shortages,” the Navy wrote on X on Saturday morning. 

It shared photos showing full plates of food being served to sailors. One image showed boxes of food supplies stacked to the ceiling onboard one of the ships.

HEGSETH EXCORIATES MEDIA, LIKENING THEM TO ‘PHARISEES’ IN TRUMP DEFENSE

“Recent reports alleging food shortages and poor quality aboard our deployed ships are false,” Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle said Friday. 

“Both USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Tripoli have sufficient food onboard to serve their crews with healthy options. The health and wellbeing of our Sailors and Marines are my top priority, and every crew member continues to receive fully portioned, nutritionally balanced meals,” he added. 

LIVE UPDATES: IRAN REVERSES COURSE ON REOPENING STRAIT OF HORMUZ, SIGNALS WARNING TO US

“The U.S. Navy is correct. More FAKE NEWS from the Pharisee Press,” Hegseth said in response to Caudle’s statement.  

“My team confirmed the logistics stats for the Lincoln & Tripoli. Both have 30+ days of Class I supplies (food) on board. NavCent monitors this everyday, for every ship,” Hegseth said. “Our sailors deserve — and receive — the best.”

U.S. Central Command Adm. Brad Cooper also said Friday that the reports are “blatantly false.” 

“Our service members are absolutely being fed across the region. This is an absolute priority,” Cooper told reporters.

Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., said she is not a millionaire and blamed a major accounting error after a congressional financial disclosure listing her assets as high as $30 million drew scrutiny from Republicans and a congressional watchdog.

An amended filing reviewed by The Wall Street Journal shows Omar and her husband’s assets were between $18,004 and $95,000, a sharp drop from an earlier disclosure that estimated their holdings between $6 million and $30 million.

“The amended disclosure confirms what we’ve said all along: The congresswoman is not a millionaire,” Omar spokesperson Jacklyn Rogers told the Journal, adding that the filing was corrected “as soon as the discrepancy was identified.”

The revised disclosure came after the Office of Congressional Conduct requested additional information earlier this year, according to the Journal.

TRUMP RIPS ‘CROOKED’ ILHAN OMAR AS HOUSE RAMPS UP INVESTIGATION INTO EXPLODING NET WORTH

Omar’s attorney said in a letter to the watchdog that the inaccurate filing was unintentional and stemmed from reliance on accountants.

“As the busiest of people, it is very common for members and their spouses to rely on learned professionals like accountants to make calculations and determinations that appear on public filings,” the attorney wrote, according to the Journal. “While the error is of course unfortunate, there is nothing untoward and nothing illegal has occurred.”

The amended filing shows Omar reported between $102,503 and $1,005,200 in income in 2024 from assets she and her husband own, according to the Journal. Documentation attached to the attorney’s letter showed $213,200 in distributions to her husband from his venture capital management firm and $3,000 from a winery.

COMER TO SAY TIM WALZ ‘ENABLED FRAUD,’ FAILED WHISTLEBLOWERS IN BOMBSHELL MINNESOTA HEARING

A 2025 email between Omar’s husband and his accountant valued the venture capital firm at $7.9 million and the winery at $1.5 million, though he owns roughly one-third of both businesses, according to tax documents cited by the Journal.

The updated disclosure also shows Omar has between $15,001 and $50,000 in student loan debt and a similar amount in credit card debt.

The discrepancy had already drawn scrutiny from House Republicans, who questioned how such a large swing in reported assets went unflagged.

In a February letter to Omar’s husband, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., raised concerns about financial disclosures showing the value of two companies, eStCru LLC and Rose Lake Capital, surged from tens of thousands of dollars in 2023 to as much as $30 million in 2024.

Comer said the sudden increase “raises concerns that unknown individuals may be investing to gain influence,” and requested financial records tied to the businesses.

Omar’s office pushed back, describing Comer’s request as “a political stunt” and part of a campaign “meant to fundraise, not real oversight,” according to The Associated Press.

A 2025 financial disclosure filing had previously listed Omar’s husband’s business interests in the millions, including a winery valued between $1 million and $5 million and a venture capital firm valued between $5 million and $25 million.

Those valuations were later revised in the amended filing, with the businesses listed as having no net value once liabilities were factored in, according to the Journal.

Omar, a progressive Democrat originally from Somalia and member of the “Squad,” has frequently clashed with President Donald Trump since first being elected in 2018 and has long been a target of Republican criticism.

Trump has suggested that Omar benefited from Minnesota’s sprawling welfare fraud scandal involving many people from the Somali community, a claim she has denied.

Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton weighed in on the amended filing, questioning how previously unreported liabilities wiped out millions in reported assets:

“Ilhan Omar says her congressional financial reports have massive accounting error,” Fitton wrote on X. She and her husband only worth 18k-86k, NOT $6 million-$30 million! Previously unreported ‘liabilities’ erase wealth!”

Fox News Digital has reached out to Omar’s office for comment and will update this story with any response.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz slammed President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance at a conference for progressives in Spain on Saturday, accusing Trump of being a “feeble-minded, trigger-happy president” who has “no exit plan” for the ongoing conflict with Iran. 

Walz delivered the criticism after a crowd at the inaugural Global Progressive Mobilization event in Barcelona heard video messages from New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani about affordability and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., speaking about the “illegal and dangerous wars being waged by Netanyahu and Trump in Iran and Lebanon.” 

“We’ve got a feeble-minded, trigger-happy president who plunged us into a war where no threat was present, with no clear objectives and no exit plan. We need to call that what it is. That’s fascism. Or at least it’s fascist curious as they would be,” Walz said.  

“Look, it’d be easy to stand up here and just bash Donald Trump. He’s an easy target. And if you know me, we don’t get along very well,” Walz added. “But we’ve got a lot of bigger fish and bigger problems to fry in this room, because the truth is, authoritarianism is not just confined to the United States. It’s everywhere.”

JD VANCE TELLS POPE LEO XIV TO ‘STICK TO MATTERS OF MORALITY’ AND STAY OUT OF US PUBLIC POLICY

Walz also said “Many of you might know me as the guy who isn’t currently the Vice President of the United States, and all I have to say about that is I’m very sorry about that.” 

“But unlike our current vice president, I’m not here to arrogantly lecture or scold you. I’m not here to pick up a fight with the Pope, and I’m not here to host a rally for some local wannabe dictator. Instead, I’m here to say thank you and to share some thoughts on what we can do to be part of a progressive movement that moves all of our countries forward,” he continued. 

Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for a response.

GOV. TIM WALZ SAYS HE’D ‘BEAT THE S— OUT OF’ JD VANCE IN A DEBATE REMATCH

Walz told the crowd at one point in his speech, “Please don’t give up on the American people.” 

“Go ahead and give up and condemn that monstrosity that sits in our White House,” he added in reference to Trump. “Keep the pressure on. Keep calling it out. Keep standing up to it. Keep naming it. But know there are more good people that stand on the right side of history. There are more good people that care about equality, that understands it’s not America First, it’s humanity first. It’s all of us together.” 

The 2-day Global Progressive Mobilization conference described itself on its website as a “necessary alternative to conservative and far-right forces.” 

Prior to Walz’s remarks, Trump took to Truth Social to criticize Spain.

“Has anybody looked at how badly the country of Spain is doing. Their financial numbers, despite contributing almost nothing to NATO and their military defense, are absolutely horrendous. Sad to watch!!!” Trump wrote Saturday. 

Begona Gomez, the wife of liberal Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, also was formally charged this week with corruption following a years-long probe into charges she and her husband deny, according to Deutsche Welle. 

FIRST ON FOX: Justice Elena Kagan’s frustrations boiled over in the aftermath of the Dobbs opinion leak in 2022, leading her to allegedly scream “so loudly” at Justice Stephen Breyer that the “wall was shaking,” observers said, according to a new book.

Conservative author and Fox News contributor Mollie Hemingway’s forthcoming book “Alito,” reviewed by Fox News Digital and set for release Tuesday, details the incident and other heated moments surrounding the leak, which spurred waves of protests and death threats against the five conservative justices expected to overturn Roe that year. 

The Supreme Court’s deep division on abortion was clear at the time, but the book reveals that a typically unified liberal bloc was also fractured.

Hemingway wrote that Kagan, an Obama appointee, angrily confronted Breyer, a Clinton appointee, in May 2022 behind closed doors after at least one justice, Samuel Alito, had asked his liberal colleagues to speed up writing their dissent because of security threats. Breyer was most likely to agree to Alito’s request, Hemingway wrote.

BIDEN DOJ WEAPONIZED FACE ACT AGAINST PRO-LIFE AMERICANS, 882-PAGE REPORT ALLEGES

“Though he had not said he would accommodate the justices whose lives were at risk by getting out a dissent, [Breyer] was the member of the liberal bloc most willing to do so,” Hemingway wrote. “Fiercely liberal in his jurisprudence and in strong disagreement with the majority decision, he nevertheless was a gentleman and a friend to all on the Court. Kagan remonstrated with Breyer not to accommodate the majority, screaming so loudly, observers noted, that the ‘wall was shaking.’”

Fox News Digital reached out to representatives for Breyer as well as the Supreme Court’s press office for comment on the book.

The security threats at the time were severe, as protesters who supported access to abortion frequently showed up at conservative justices’ homes. Shortly after the leak, Attorney General Merrick Garland ordered the U.S. Marshals Service to provide full-time security for all the justices, but he drew criticism because authorities did not arrest protesters despite a law that prohibits “picketing or parading” near a federal judge’s home to influence a court decision.

In June 2022, before the Supreme Court issued its decision, a suspect armed with a pistol, knife and burglary tools was arrested near Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s home. Nicholas Roske, who now goes by Sophie, later pleaded guilty to attempting to murder a Supreme Court justice and received a controversial sentence of eight years in prison, which the Department of Justice is appealing.

JUSTICE KAVANAUGH’S ATTEMPTED ASSASSIN SENTENCED TO EIGHT YEARS IN PRISON

“As the protests continued, the Alitos were moved to a secure location,” Hemingway wrote. “Justice Barrett had to put on a bulletproof vest in front of her children, most of whom still lived at home.”

Kagan’s contentious interaction with Breyer, who was set to retire in June 2022, came after a May 12 conference meeting, according to the book. Only the nine justices attend conference meetings, which are held periodically. Hemingway, who wrote the book based on interviews with the justices and dozens of others, said at this point the majority opinion had been ready for months and only the dissents were outstanding. 

Hemingway did not name the justices she interviewed because they spoke on background, but she told Fox News Digital she spoke with most of them.

“Alito asked the dissenters to make the completion of their dissents their priority because delay of the decision was a security threat,” Hemingway wrote. “Abortion supporters had an incentive to kill one or more of the justices in the majority to change the outcome. The dissenters demurred. [Justice Neil] Gorsuch spoke up, asking for a date by which they might be done. They would not give a date.”

The landmark opinion, overturning Roe 5-4 and upholding a Mississippi law 6-3 that banned most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, was released June 24, 2022. An investigative report by the New York Times detailed an internal effort spearheaded by Chief Justice John Roberts, the lone conservative to object to dismantling Roe, and Breyer to flip one conservative in the months leading up to the decision. Breyer had been eyeing Justice Brett Kavanaugh, the outlet reported.

PRO-LIFE MOVEMENT CONFRONTS HIGH ABORTION RATES THREE YEARS AFTER DOBBS

Hemingway’s book sheds new light on those internal deliberations, which came against the backdrop of heightened polarization over the decades-long fight over Roe.

“Everyone knew that the leak posed a serious security risk for justices. Since decisions do not take effect until issued officially from the bench, the death of a justice before then could alter the result. The threat of assassination increased dramatically.”

The Supreme Court’s draft opinion, authored by Alito, was published May 2 in Politico, representing a stunning breach of the high court’s rules. The leaker’s identity remains unknown to this day.

“In the ensuing weeks, hundreds of pregnancy centers, churches, and pro-life organizations would be vandalized, some even set ablaze,” Hemingway wrote of the fallout.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Saturday that he said “directs the FDA to expedite their review of certain psychedelics already designated as breakthrough therapy drugs.”

“The executive order I’m signing, we’re actually signing the executive order today, is really a moment,” Trump said. “These treatments are currently in the advanced stages of clinical trials to ensure that they’re both safe and effective for the American patients.”

The president said the executive order would implement “historic reforms to dramatically accelerate access to new medical research and treatments based on psychedelic drugs.” 

“In many cases, these experimental treatments have shown life-changing potential for those suffering from severe mental illness and depression, including our cherished veterans,” Trump said, citing the veteran suicide rate.

“And the nice part is we’re actually doing this early, but it has been going on. Research has been going on for quite some time. But, you know, usually with things like this, nothing ever happens, no matter how the research ends up, but we’re changing that. This order will clear away unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles, improve data sharing among the FDA and the Department of Veterans Affairs, and facilitate fast rescheduling of any psychedelic drugs that become FDA approved,” Trump continued.

The president said “in 2024, a study from Stanford University, 30 special operation veterans with traumatic brain injuries underwent — it’s called ibogaine treatment — ibogaine, remember the name,” noting that they “experienced an 80 to 90% reduction in symptoms of depression and anxiety within one month.”

“In Texas, Republican leaders have already committed $50 million to the ibogaine research. And today, the federal government is making a $50 million research investment in its own. And so that was just approved just last night,” Trump announced.

“We’re also opening a pathway for ibogaine to be administered to desperately ill patients under the right to try law,” Trump said.

“Today’s order will ensure that people suffering from debilitating symptoms might finally have a chance to reclaim their lives and lead a happier life, just lead a happier life,” he added.

A paper published in the journal Chronic Stress said ibogaine is a “psychoactive indole alkaloid which is extracted from the Tabernanthe iboga rainforest shrub and has been used for centuries in Central Africa for initiatory rituals.”

“Ibogaine treatment is reported to alleviate a spectrum of mood and anxiety symptoms and is associated with self-reported improvements in cognitive functioning in individuals with substance-use disorders. During treatment, ibogaine allows the evocation and reprocessing of traumatic memories and occasions therapeutic and meaningful visions of spiritual and autobiographical content, which are of central relevance in addressing PTSD-related psychological content,” it added.

“Under the executive order, HHS will accelerate research approval and access to new mental health treatments, including psychedelic therapies such as ibogaine. We’re taking this decision, this decisive step to confront one of the most urgent public health challenges facing our nation – the mental health crisis,” Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said. “More than 14 million Americans live with serious mental illness, and 1 in 4 adults experiences a diagnosable disorder each year. Suicide has risen by more than 30% over the past two decades, with another peak in recent years. Among veterans, more than 6,000 died by suicide each year since 2001. We have lost far more veterans to suicide than to combat.”

“At the same time, millions of Americans living with depression, PTSD, addiction and other conditions do not respond to existing treatments. We owe it to our warfighters and veterans to turn over every stone to alleviate the emotional and mental health blowback from their deployments,” he added.

Podcaster Joe Rogan, who was in the Oval Office with Trump on Saturday, also said “I want to say that I’m here because of the man to my left, Bryan Hubbard [CEO of nonprofit Americans for Ibogaine] and former Texas Gov. Rick Perry came on my podcast.”

“They told me how impactful this medicine is. And having that conversation with them, millions of people got a chance to hear their story, hear the stories of all the different people that have had life-changing experiences from it,” Rogan said.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.