Burkina Faso’s military-led government has rejected a U.S. proposal to deport migrants to its territory, delivering a sharp rebuke to one of President Donald Trump’s central immigration policies. The refusal underscores the junta’s increasingly confrontational stance toward Western powers and Washington’s migration crackdown.
Since Trump’s return to the White House, his administration has intensified efforts to deport migrants to third countries, including states where deportees often have no personal or national ties. Several African nations — including Eswatini, Ghana, Rwanda and South Sudan — have agreed to receive expelled migrants in recent months as part of Trump’s broader immigration enforcement strategy.
Burkina Faso, however, has broken ranks. In a televised statement late Thursday, Foreign Affairs Minister Karamoko Jean-Marie Traore said the West African nation rejected the U.S. overtures outright.
“Naturally, this proposal, which we considered indecent at the time, runs completely contrary to the principle of dignity,” Traore said on national television.
Hours earlier, the U.S. Embassy in Ouagadougou announced it was suspending regular visa services for most applicants living in Burkina Faso, a move perceived locally as pressure tactics from Washington.
“Is this a way to put pressure on us? Is this blackmail? Whatever it is… Burkina Faso is a place of dignity, a destination, not a place of expulsion,” Traore declared, rejecting the U.S. plan in unequivocal terms.
Burkina Faso is currently ruled by a military junta led by Captain Ibrahim Traore, who seized power in a coup in September 2022. He has positioned himself as a staunchly anti-imperialist Pan-African leader, distancing the country from its former colonial power, France, and other Western allies while forging closer ties with Russia.
The refusal to participate in Trump’s migrant relocation policy marks another diplomatic rupture between Ouagadougou and Western capitals, highlighting the junta’s determination to assert national sovereignty and resist foreign pressure.
BRUSSELS (BN24) — Belgian federal authorities have arrested three young suspects in connection with what prosecutors say was a foiled jihadist-inspired terrorist plot targeting Prime Minister Bart De Wever and other politicians. Federal investigators say the suspects were allegedly planning to use a drone to deploy an explosive device in a high-level attack.
Federal prosecutor Ann Fransen announced Thursday that the suspects, born in 2001, 2002 and 2007, were detained during a morning operation in Antwerp. They are accused of attempted terrorist murder and participating in the activities of a terrorist group. Two suspects remain in custody and will appear before an investigating judge, while the third has been released pending further investigation.
“There are indications that the intention was to carry out a jihadist-inspired terrorist attack targeting politicians,” Fransen said at a press conference. Authorities executed four house searches across Antwerp with support from bomb disposal squads and federal police tactical units.
According to Gazet van Antwerpen and VRT broadcaster, Bart De Wever — the Flemish nationalist leader of the New Flemish Alliance (N-VA) and Belgium’s prime minister — was among the intended targets. De Wever’s spokesperson, Philippe Kerckaert, declined to comment when contacted by POLITICO. Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot confirmed on X later in the day that De Wever had been the primary target of the planned attack, calling the revelation “deeply shocking.” He said Belgium is stepping up measures to counter emerging terrorist methods, including the malicious use of drones.
During the raids, investigators discovered evidence indicating plans to use a drone to deploy an explosive device in the Antwerp district of Deurne. The device, described by the prosecutor’s office as resembling an improvised explosive device, was found alongside a bag of steel balls intended to maximize damage. A 3D printer seized from a second suspect was allegedly used to manufacture bomb components.
Fransen said the case underscores Belgium’s continuing vulnerability to terrorism. “This file shows that all security services must remain vigilant against the risk of terrorist attacks,” she said.
Belgian prosecutors have already opened around 80 new terrorism investigations in 2025, surpassing the total number recorded in 2024. The arrests come nearly a decade after the March 2016 Brussels attacks that killed 32 people and remain a stark reminder of Belgium’s ongoing counterterrorism challenges.
Energy Minister Mathieu Bihet, a member of De Wever’s coalition government, wrote on X that terrorism “has never disappeared. It remains an enemy of our democracy that we must continue to fight.”
This is not the first time Bart De Wever has been targeted. In April, the Antwerp Court of Appeal sentenced five men, including a group leader who received a six-year prison term, for plotting to assassinate him in 2023 when he was mayor of Antwerp.
WASHINGTON (BN24) — The United States is deploying approximately two hundred troops to Israel to help support and monitor the Gaza ceasefire agreement as part of a multinational task force that includes partner nations, nongovernmental organizations and private sector participants, U.S. officials said Thursday.
WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 01: National Guard Troops stand outside Union Station on September 01, 2025 in Washington, DC. An increased presence of law enforcement has been seen throughout the nation’s capital since U.S. President Donald Trump announced plans to deploy federal officers and the U.S. National Guard. (Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)
The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details not yet authorized for public release, said U.S. Central Command will establish a civil-military coordination center in Israel to facilitate the flow of humanitarian aid as well as logistical and security assistance into the territory devastated by two years of war.
The announcement provides some of the first details on how the ceasefire deal would be monitored and confirms the U.S. military will have a direct role in that effort, though officials emphasized that no American troops will be deployed inside Gaza.
The deployment comes as Israel’s government ratified a ceasefire with Hamas on Friday, clearing the way to suspend hostilities in Gaza within twenty-four hours and free Israeli hostages held in Gaza within seventy-two hours after that.
A U.S. official told Al Arabiya English on Thursday that the troops will deploy immediately to Israel to assist in planning and establishing the coordination center at a location military commanders determine most suitable. The facility will bring together stakeholders, partner nations, nongovernmental organizations and investors to ensure a unified and efficient effort.
The structure will enable participants “to operate in sync and in a sequence that maximizes efficiency and effectiveness of the transition toward civilian governance,” the official said.
According to the official, the initiative will also allow the United States and partner nations to monitor full implementation of the ceasefire agreement. Egypt, Qatar and Turkey will participate in the task force.
The Israeli Cabinet agreed to the ceasefire deal early Friday morning, roughly twenty-four hours after mediators announced an agreement to exchange Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners in the first phase of President Donald Trump’s initiative to end the two-year war in Gaza.
“The government has just now approved the framework for the release of all of the hostages – the living and the deceased,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s English-language X account stated.
The war has deepened Israel’s international isolation and upended the Middle East, having evolved into a regional conflict that has drawn in Iran, Yemen and Lebanon. It also tested the U.S.-Israeli relationship, with Trump appearing to lose patience with Netanyahu and pressuring him to reach a deal.
The deployment represents a significant American commitment to ensuring the ceasefire holds and that humanitarian assistance reaches civilians in Gaza, hundreds of thousands of whom have been sheltering in tents after Israeli forces destroyed their homes and leveled entire cities during the conflict.
The civil-military coordination center will serve as a central hub for managing the complex logistics of delivering aid to Gaza while maintaining security protocols. The center’s responsibilities will include coordinating convoy movements, ensuring security for aid workers and monitoring compliance with ceasefire terms.
U.S. military involvement in ceasefire monitoring reflects the Trump administration’s determination to see the agreement successfully implemented after months of failed diplomatic efforts. Trump has cast the ceasefire as a major diplomatic achievement and the first step toward broader reconciliation in the Middle East.
The participation of Egypt, Qatar and Turkey in the task force underscores the regional nature of efforts to stabilize Gaza following the conflict. All three nations played roles as mediators during ceasefire negotiations.
Officials said the coordination center will work with international organizations and private sector entities to address the massive humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where more than sixty-seven thousand Palestinians have been killed since Israel launched its assault after Hamas-led militants stormed through Israeli towns and a music festival on October 7, 2023.
The deployment of American military personnel to support the ceasefire comes as Western and Arab countries met in Paris to discuss an international peacekeeping force and reconstruction assistance for Gaza once fighting stops.
While the coordination center will operate from Israel, officials stressed that establishing the facility represents a practical approach to managing aid flows and monitoring ceasefire compliance without putting American troops at risk inside Gaza itself.
The task force structure reflects lessons learned from previous international peacekeeping and humanitarian operations, where coordination among multiple actors proved essential to success. By bringing together military personnel, aid organizations and civilian stakeholders in one facility, planners hope to avoid the inefficiencies that have plagued past relief efforts.
ABUJA (AP) — President Bola Tinubu has granted a presidential pardon to 175 individuals, including Nigerian nationalist icon Herbert Macaulay and former Federal Capital Territory Minister Maj.-Gen. Mamman Vatsa (retired), following the approval of the Council of State on Thursday in Abuja.
The clemency decision was based on a presentation by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), during a closed-door session at the Presidential Villa. Fagbemi conveyed the President’s recommendations as submitted by the Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy.
While the full list of pardoned individuals has not been officially released, sources present at the meeting confirmed that Macaulay and Vatsa were among the most notable recipients. Several members of the Ogoni Nine and Ogoni Four activists executed under past military regimes are also reported to be included in the group.
Known as the “father of Nigerian nationalism,” Macaulay was convicted twice by British colonial authorities. In 1913, he was sentenced for allegedly mismanaging estate funds as a private surveyor. A second conviction came in 1928 after his newspaper, the Lagos Daily News, published articles critical of the colonial government during the Eleko of Lagos dispute, leading to a sedition charge in the infamous “Gunpowder Plot.”
Vatsa, a former member of the Supreme Military Council, was executed by firing squad in 1986 after a secret military tribunal convicted him of plotting a coup against then military ruler Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, his longtime friend. The case has remained deeply divisive, with ongoing calls for a posthumous pardon.
Out of the 175 beneficiaries, 82 received full presidential pardons, 65 had their sentences reduced, and seven inmates on death row had their sentences commuted to life imprisonment.
Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State, who briefed reporters after the meeting, said the move demonstrates President Tinubu’s “commitment to justice and correctional reform.”
The Council of State, chaired by the President, also confirmed key appointments, including Dr. Aminu Yusuf as Chairman of the National Population Commission and Tonge Bularafa as Federal Commissioner for Yobe State. Both nominations were unanimously approved.
MUNICH (BN24) – Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane has expressed his strong desire to win the Ballon d’Or, emphasizing that the prestigious individual honor is often a reflection of broader team success on the world stage.
Kane, who has made a blistering start to life in Germany, recently etched his name into Bundesliga history books by becoming the first player to score 11 goals in his first six league appearances. His prolific form across all competitions has quickly established him as a central figure in Bayern’s attacking force.
Speaking to The Guardian, the England captain addressed the balance between personal ambition and team achievement when it comes to football’s top individual prize.
“Obviously, I would love to win the Ballon d’Or,” Kane said. “But essentially, it is a team trophy that the best individual from that team wins. So, unless you win the biggest competitions, it is going to be a Champions League winner or a World Cup winner this time around.”
Kane, 30, sees the award not just as a testament to personal brilliance, but as a result of collective triumphs. “I would love to win it for sure. It would be an accumulation of doing something great individually and as a team. It would be almost the perfect season.”
The forward believes his summer move to Bayern Munich has given him the platform required to chase football’s highest honors. With the German club consistently in the running for Champions League glory, and England considered among the top contenders for the next World Cup, Kane feels well-positioned for success on both fronts.
“The opportunity is there when you are playing at a club like Bayern and competing at the highest level – always one of the favourites to win the Champions League,” he said. “And with England, we are going to be one of the favourites to win the World Cup.”
While acknowledging the road ahead, Kane remains optimistic that sustained performance and a successful campaign for both club and country could bring him within reach of the Ballon d’Or.
“There is a long way from now until then,” he added. “But if I keep doing what I am doing and we have a successful season with club and country, then there is a chance to do that.”
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (BN24) — A friendly soccer match between Argentina and Puerto Rico, originally scheduled for next week in Chicago, has been moved to Florida due to rising immigration tensions and low ticket sales in the city.
The match, which was set for Oct. 13 at Soldier Field, will now be played at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, home to Inter Miami and Argentina star Lionel Messi.
Luca Serra, a spokesperson for the Chicago Park District, confirmed the change to The Associated Press on Wednesday, stating that the match will not be held in Chicago.
“Yes, confirming that the Argentina against Puerto Rico match has been canceled in Chicago,” Serra said. “The promoter made the decision this morning due to low ticket sales.”
Although the event promoter has not released an official statement, an executive with the Argentine Football Association (AFA) told the AP that the ongoing immigration crackdown influenced the decision in Chicago. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, cited the deployment of National Guard troops ordered by President Donald Trump as part of a broader agenda to increase deportations.
Protests have erupted in recent weeks in Chicago following a federal immigration sweep that has led to the arrest of more than 1,000 individuals. The Trump administration has doubled down on immigration enforcement, escalating tensions in cities like Chicago, where local opposition has been vocal.
The match is part of Argentina’s preparation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be hosted jointly by the United States, Mexico, and Canada from June 11 to July 19. Messi, who remains a key figure in Argentina’s squad, has been called up for both upcoming friendlies.
Argentina will still face Venezuela on Friday at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, another high-profile fixture in the team’s World Cup warm-up schedule.
MACAU (BN24) — The NBA will return to China this week for the first time since a diplomatic firestorm in 2019 strained ties between the league and Chinese authorities, as the Brooklyn Nets and Phoenix Suns prepare to face off in two preseason games in Macau.
The fixtures, scheduled for Friday and Sunday, will be held at an arena within the Venetian resort marking the league’s first games in Macau since 2007. The games are also the first NBA-sanctioned events on Chinese soil since a 2019 controversy involving a tweet supporting Hong Kong pro-democracy protests by then-Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey.
That single post, “Fight For Freedom. Stand With Hong Kong,” ignited a backlash from Chinese officials and fans, prompting broadcasters and streaming services in China to pull NBA games and freeze business relations. While Morey later clarified his stance and the NBA called the reaction “regrettable,” Beijing’s response sent shockwaves through the sports world and placed the NBA at the center of global political tension.
The NBA refused to discipline Morey, a decision that further angered Chinese authorities but won praise in some quarters for defending freedom of expression. China’s state broadcaster CCTV suspended NBA broadcasts, and NBA China operations were reportedly disrupted.
Now, six years later, the league is cautiously returning to the Chinese market, which remains a cornerstone of its international business. The renewed engagement comes after the NBA signed a multi-year partnership with Chinese tech giant Alibaba in late 2023. Notably, the Brooklyn Nets are owned by Alibaba chairman Joseph Tsai, a key figure in rebuilding ties between the NBA and Chinese stakeholders.
Speaking to AFP, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said there remains “tremendous interest in the NBA throughout China.” According to 2019 estimates from the league, more than 300 million people play basketball in China, a popularity surge that began during the playing days of Chinese icon Yao Ming, who was drafted by the Houston Rockets in 2002.
An ESPN analysis in 2022 valued NBA China, the league’s business arm in the country, at around $5 billion. The league’s return comes amid a broader thaw in sports diplomacy, even as geopolitical tensions persist between Washington and Beijing over trade, human rights, and tech regulation.
The friendly games also offer the NBA a chance to re-engage with its massive Chinese fanbase. Local supporters have welcomed the return. Lyu Yizhe, a fan from Xiamen who traveled to Macau, told Reuters: “It feels extra special because we’re long-time NBA fans — we’ve been watching since 1998, back in the Michael Jordan and Chicago Bulls era.”
Another fan, Mole Zeng from Hangzhou, added: “I believe that in the future, as the NBA continues to grow in China, more and more star players will come here to meet us in person.”
Though the NBA has not held regular-season games in China since the controversy, preseason events like this are being seen as a cautious step toward normalization and a strategic move to reconnect with one of the league’s most valuable international markets.
JERUSALEM (BN24) — Israel’s Cabinet ratified a ceasefire agreement with Hamas early Friday morning, clearing the way to suspend hostilities in Gaza within twenty-four hours and free Israeli hostages held in the Palestinian enclave within seventy-two hours after that, according to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office.
The Israeli government approved the deal roughly twenty-four hours after mediators announced an agreement to exchange Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners in the first phase of U.S. President Donald Trump’s initiative to end the two-year war in Gaza.
“The government has just now approved the framework for the release of all of the hostages – the living and the deceased,” Netanyahu’s English-language X account stated.
The agreement represents the most significant step yet toward ending a conflict that has killed over sixty-seven thousand Palestinians and tested the U.S.-Israeli relationship, with Trump appearing to lose patience with Netanyahu and pressuring him to reach a deal. The war has deepened Israel’s international isolation and evolved into a regional conflict drawing in Iran, Yemen and Lebanon.
An Israeli government spokesperson said the ceasefire would take effect within twenty-four hours of government approval. After that period, hostages held in Gaza would be freed within seventy-two hours.
Twenty Israeli hostages are believed to remain alive in Gaza, while twenty-six are presumed dead and the fate of two remains unknown. Hamas has indicated that recovering the bodies of deceased hostages may take longer than releasing those who are alive.
Under the terms of the deal, fighting will cease, Israel will partially withdraw from Gaza and Hamas will free all remaining hostages in exchange for hundreds of prisoners held by Israel. Fleets of trucks carrying food and medical aid would be allowed into Gaza to relieve civilians, hundreds of thousands of whom have been sheltering in tents after Israeli forces destroyed their homes and leveled entire cities.
Hamas exiled Gaza chief Khalil Al-Hayya said he had received guarantees from the United States and other mediators that the war was over.
The accord, if fully implemented, would bring the two sides closer than any previous effort to halt the war. However, significant hurdles remain. A Palestinian source said the list of Palestinians to be released was not finalized even after the deal was signed. The group is seeking freedom for some of the most prominent Palestinian convicts held in Israeli jails, as well as hundreds of people detained during Israel’s assault.
Further steps in Trump’s twenty-point plan have yet to be discussed, including how the shattered Gaza Strip is to be governed when fighting ends and the ultimate fate of Hamas, which has rejected Israel’s demands that it disarm.
Netanyahu faces skepticism from within his governing coalition. Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said he would vote to bring down the government if Hamas is not dismantled and would vote against the deal. Far-right members of Netanyahu’s coalition have long opposed any agreement with Hamas. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said Hamas must be destroyed once the hostages are returned.
Despite political opposition, the announcement was greeted with jubilation by Israelis and Palestinians alike.
“Thank God for the ceasefire, the end of bloodshed and killing,” said Abdul Majeed Abd Rabbo in Khan Younis in southern Gaza. “All of the Gaza Strip is happy, all the Arab people, all of the world is happy with the ceasefire and the end of bloodshed.”
Einav Zaugauker, whose son Matan is among the last hostages, rejoiced in Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square, where families of those seized in the Hamas attack that triggered the war have long assembled.
“I can’t breathe, I can’t breathe, I can’t explain what I’m feeling … it’s crazy,” she said, speaking in the red glow of a celebratory flare.
In Gaza, Israeli attacks continued before the official start of the ceasefire, though there were far fewer fatalities than the scores killed daily in recent weeks. Local health authorities reported seven dead in two separate Israeli strikes.
Signs emerged of Israeli troops preparing to withdraw. An eyewitness near Nusseirat camp in central Gaza told Reuters that he had seen the Israeli army demolish an abandoned troop position and lower a crane used for surveillance. Near the Netzarim corridor, the main staging area for Israeli troops in central Gaza, the army fired dozens of smoke grenades, typically used to provide cover for troops on the move.
Trump said he would travel to the region Sunday to possibly attend a signing ceremony in Egypt. Israeli Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana invited him to address the legislative body, which would be the first such speech by a U.S. president since two thousand eight. Trump said he hoped the deal would lead to “an everlasting peace” in the region.
The deal received support from Arab and Western countries and was widely portrayed as a major diplomatic achievement for Trump, who cast it as a first step toward reconciliation in the wider Middle East. His special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner met with Netanyahu in Jerusalem and entered the Israeli government cabinet meeting called to ratify the deal.
Successful completion of the agreement would mark a significant accomplishment for the Republican president, who has struggled to quickly deliver on promises to bring peace to the Gaza conflict and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Western and Arab countries met in Paris to discuss an international peacekeeping force and reconstruction assistance for Gaza once the fighting stops.
More than sixty-seven thousand Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s assault on Gaza, launched after Hamas-led militants stormed through Israeli towns and a music festival on October 7, 2023, killing twelve hundred people and capturing two hundred fifty-one hostages.
While many questions remain about implementation, the sides appear closer than they have been in several months to ending a war that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, destroyed most of Gaza and ignited other armed conflicts across the Middle East.
NEW YORK (BN24) — A federal judge on Thursday dismissed Drake’s defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group, ruling that the explosive lyrics in Kendrick Lamar’s chart-topping diss track “Not Like Us” were protected opinion and not actionable statements of fact.
U.S. District Judge Jeannette A. Vargas issued the written opinion, which opened by citing “the vitriolic war of words” that erupted in spring 2024 between Drake and Lamar. She described the legal dispute as stemming “from perhaps the most infamous rap battle in the genre’s history,” as the feud spilled from studios to courtrooms.
Drake filed the lawsuit in January, accusing UMG of intentionally publishing and promoting “Not Like Us” despite its references implying he was a pedophile. He alleged the track defamed him, encouraged vigilante behavior, damaged his reputation, and diminished the value of his brand. The cover art featured an aerial photo of his Toronto mansion, which he claims inspired attempted break-ins and a shooting at the property.
Judge Vargas rejected those claims, ruling that a reasonable listener would not view Lamar’s lyrics as stating objective facts. “Although the accusation that Plaintiff is a pedophile is certainly a serious one, the broader context of a heated rap battle, with incendiary language and offensive accusations hurled by both participants, would not incline the reasonable listener to believe that ‘Not Like Us’ imparts verifiable facts about Plaintiff,” Vargas wrote.
She noted that the song’s biting lyrics were part of an escalating artistic feud that dominated music headlines in 2024. Lamar’s “Not Like Us,” which became one of the year’s biggest songs, attacked Drake as “a colonizer” of rap culture, accused him of liking “’em young,” and mocked his authenticity on Lamar’s West Coast home turf. Drake fired back earlier with “Push Ups,” a track mocking Lamar’s height, shoe size, and achievements. Lamar retaliated in “Euphoria,” leading to a rapid escalation Vargas described as “vicious” and “personal.”
“Not Like Us” achieved historic cultural impact, winning record and song of the year at the Grammys, topping Apple Music’s global streaming charts, and helping make the 2024 Super Bowl halftime show the most watched in history. Vargas wrote that the track “dealt the metaphorical killing blow” in the Drake–Lamar feud, combining incendiary lyrics with a “catchy beat and propulsive bassline.”
Universal Music Group, which represents both artists, denied wrongdoing and celebrated the ruling. “From the outset, this suit was an affront to all artists and their creative expression and never should have seen the light of day,” UMG said in a statement. “We’re pleased with the court’s dismissal and look forward to continuing our work successfully promoting Drake’s music and investing in his career.”
Lamar was not named as a defendant in the lawsuit. Representatives for Drake did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
In her conclusion, Judge Vargas emphasized that the insults in “Not Like Us” were “replete with profanity, trash-talking, threats of violence, and figurative and hyperbolic language,” all of which are markers of opinion. She ruled that the average listener would not interpret the track as conveying “factchecked verifiable content,” effectively ending Drake’s legal challenge.
WASHINGTON (BN24) — A federal grand jury in Virginia has indicted New York Attorney General Letitia James on one count of bank fraud, escalating a bitter legal and political feud with President Donald Trump. The indictment, confirmed Thursday by three people familiar with the case, marks a dramatic turn for James, a Democrat who pursued high-profile civil fraud charges against Trump in New York before he returned to the presidency.
The case was assigned to U.S. District Judge Jamar K. Walker, a Biden appointee. According to federal officials, the bank fraud charge is tied to allegations that James made false statements on mortgage loan applications. Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte referred the matter to the Justice Department after raising concerns about alleged misrepresentations in James’ mortgage filings.
The investigation had stalled in recent months as federal agents and prosecutors questioned whether the evidence could secure a conviction. That changed after Trump appointed one of his personal attorneys, Lindsey Halligan, to serve as acting U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia despite her lack of prosecutorial experience. Halligan took the rare step of personally presenting the case to a grand jury, convincing a majority to indict James on the single count.
James’ indictment follows months of intensifying efforts by Trump to pursue legal action against his political rivals. Trump has repeatedly used public platforms, including Truth Social, to call for criminal charges against opponents such as James, former FBI Director James Comey, and Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif. “We can’t delay any longer, it’s killing our reputation and credibility,” Trump wrote on Truth Social before Comey’s recent indictment. “They impeached me twice, and indicted me (5 times!), OVER NOTHING. JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW!!!”
The Justice Manual, which guides federal prosecutors, advises that charges should proceed only if there is sufficient admissible evidence to secure a conviction at trial. However, the threshold for securing a grand jury indictment is significantly lower than for a jury conviction. Former U.S. Attorney Carol Lam noted that in Comey’s case, 14 of 23 grand jurors voted for indictment. “As a prosecutor, if even one or two grand jurors express concern and don’t vote for indictment, that’s troubling,” Lam said Thursday on NBC News NOW.
James’ indictment triggered swift condemnation from Democrats, who accused the Trump administration of using the Justice Department as a political weapon. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul wrote on X that Americans were witnessing “nothing less than the weaponization of the Justice Department to punish those who hold the powerful accountable.”
James, who has not yet entered a plea, has clashed with Trump for years, most notably leading the civil fraud case that found him liable for inflating property values and misrepresenting assets. That legal battle ended with a major judgment against Trump shortly before his return to the White House.
The full text of the indictment has not been made public. James is expected to make her initial court appearance in the Eastern District of Virginia in the coming days.
