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Jay Clayton's confirmation hearing for DNI postponed by Trump

Posted less than an hour ago

Jay Clayton, US attorney for the Southern District of New York (SDNY), during the Bloomberg Global Credit Forum in New York, US, on Wednesday, June 3, 2026. (Photographer: Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

(WASHINGTON) -- Wednesday's confirmation hearing for Jay Clayton to be the next director of national intelligence has been postponed, according to Senate Intelligence Committee chairman Tom Cotton, after President Donald Trump pushed for it to be canceled.

"It’s regrettable that the president has directed Jay Clayton not to appear at his confirmation hearing today," Cotton wrote on X. "Mr. Clayton is a patriot and a highly qualified nominee, as the president has said repeatedly. While today’s hearing is now unfortunately postponed, I look forward to proceeding with his confirmation in the near future."

Trump, in an early morning social media post, said the confirmation process for Clayton would not continue until his pick to replace Clayton as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jamie McDonald, is confirmed.

"Regarding the approval of our Great Patriot, Jay Clayton, we are cancelling the Senate Hearing RE: DNI today, and will not be going forward until Jamie McDonald is approved to be U.S. Attorney," Trump wrote. "In the meantime, Bill Pulte will remain as the Acting Director of National Intelligence."

Cotton, a Republican, at first rebuked Trump's push for a delay, saying the Senate panel would proceed unless Trump specifically directed Clayton not to show or withdrew his nomination altogether.

Trump announced last week he was nominating Clayton to permanently lead ODNI amid backlash from Democrats and Republicans to his appointment of Bill Pulte to be acting director.

Pulte is best known in the Trump administration for launching probes into several of the president's perceived political enemies over allegations of mortgage fraud and possible misuse of authority. Targets of the investigations include Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, New York Attorney General Letitia James, Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff and former Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell. They've all denied wrongdoing.

Pulte's appointment stalled efforts to renew Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act -- which allows the federal government to collect communications of foreigners abroad without a warrant. The program's legal authorization lapsed over the weekend.

Trump on Wednesday said that he wanted both his SAVE America Act bill and an extension to FISA to now pass together.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, the chamber's top Democrat, slammed Trump's latest moves.

"Trump is twisting himself up in knots and jumping through hoops to make it impossible to reauthorize FISA right now, and he is embarrassing his Republican colleagues in the process," Schumer said. "Trump can blame Democrats all he wants, but no one is going to believe him."

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, when asked Wednesday about the Senate's path forward on FISA and Clayton's nomination, said they're taking a day-by-day approach.

"All I know is that Chairman Cotton is planning to proceed -- because you all know with the hearing -- and then from there on, we'll have to take it a day at a time until we get more clarity on kind of what the White House position is on this," Thune said.

Park Service continues to battle algae in renovated Reflecting Pool

Posted today at 8:27am

Algae can be seen in the water of the Reflecting Pool with the Washington Monument in the distance on June 16, 2006. (Elise Spenner/ABC News)

(WASHINGTON) -- The National Park Service continued a push Tuesday to eradicate algae from the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool as tourists and locals gathered to view the green-tinged water.

The Department of Interior has deployed both a hydrogen peroxide treatment and nanobubble ozone technology, a DOI spokesperson said, to rid the pool of algae blooms that have discolored the landmark and marred the rollout of President Donald Trump's renovation project.

Algae bloomed late last week just days after the completion of the renovation, turning the pool from deep blue to green and murky. A DOI spokesperson told CNN in a statement that the algae was "residual" and came from reactivated supply lines.

Workers were spotted dumping hydrogen peroxide into the pool Tuesday morning in videos posted to X.

The nanobubble ozone technology is "actively killing algae" and other contaminants, the spokesperson wrote. The nanobubble process releases tiny gas bubbles filled with ozone into the water, which helps to eliminate algae blooms.

Rangers from the National Park Service were also in place midday Tuesday to continue scraping algae off the bottom of the pool. A tubing system was set up in an apparent effort to siphon contaminated water out of the pool and into storm drains.

The DOI spokesperson wrote that the hydrogen peroxide would have "no harmful side effects to marine life or to the environment."

The water was noticeably cloudy, one Park Service ranger said, due to stirred-up algae that had not yet been extracted from the pool.

White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers told ABC News on Tuesday, "under regular NPS maintenance, a high-tech nanobubble ozone technology will be deployed to kill the algae and keep the Reflecting Pool crystal clear."

Trump has touted the pool renovation in public and on social media. He said in May that the landmark was "going to have the great color," claimed the pool was "filthy" and "dirty" before the updates and criticized his predecessors for failed renovation attempts.

But the plan -- originally an expedited effort to resurface the pool and revamp its filtration in advance of America's 250th birthday -- ballooned into a nearly $15 million endeavor, federal contract records show, and a public headache for the administration.

Employees from Greenwater Services -- an Ohio-based organization that specializes in water purification and the nanobubble technology -- were on site Tuesday and were seen filling plastic water bottles with samples from the pool.

Federal records show the government paid Greenwater $1.7 million in April to install new filtration technology for the Reflecting Pool.

Greenwater directed ABC News to the DOI in response to a request for comment.

Algae has long plagued the 1920s construction -- a broad, shallow pool in which it and Cyanobacteria easily proliferate, especially during warm summer months. Former President Barack Obama made his own attempt at renovations in 2012 when he paid $35 million to construct a plumbing system that pulls water from the Tidal Basin and purifies it in a treatment plant.

Longtime Washington resident Redmond Walsh was biking by the pool on Tuesday and spoke to ABC News. He said he first inspected the pool on Sunday and posted a video of the green algae to X, where it now has 2 million views along with many detractors who claimed that he posted outdated material from 2012.

Walsh was back on Monday and Tuesday to check in on the progress. He said he would post an update to his followers saying that the pool was "getting a little better."

Tourists said they weren't surprised that the algae returned after the renovation.

David Janes, an engineer visiting from Louisville, Kentucky, said he thought the government was "back to square one" and is "going to have to do it all over again."

Department of Education taking major step in dismantling itself: Sources

Posted yesterday at 11:46am

An exterior view of the Department of Education building on March 13, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

(WASHINGTON) -- The Department of Education is expected to announce a major step in the Trump administration's efforts to dismantle the agency -- moving special education services and civil rights responsibilities to the departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Justice (DOJ), respectively, according to sources familiar.

The sources told ABC News the HHS is expected to receive the Offices of Special Education Programming (OSEP) and Rehabilitative Services Administration (RSA). The Justice Department will be responsible for the agency’s civil rights oversight. Transferring the offices will impact millions of students and families, including 7 million people who receive around $15 billion in grants through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the law creating free and appropriate education for children with disabilities.

President Donald Trump campaigned in 2024 on closing the agency.

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

Trump, Iran agree to memorandum of understanding opening Strait of Hormuz: What is in the 60-day deal?

Posted Monday afternoon

An Iranian flag flutters in the wind as ships remain anchored on May 16, 2026, in the Strait of Hormuz near Larak Island, Iran. Negotiations between the U.S. and Iran over opening this critical waterway have largely stalled as the countries have rejected each other's proposals to end the war that began when the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on February 28. (Photo by Majid Saeedi/Getty Images)

(WASHINGTON) -- President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance both signed a memorandum of understanding with Iran, which would cease fighting on all fronts for 60 days and is expected to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to all traffic, a senior administration official said Monday.

The official said the signatures were done digitally and that a formal signing will happen in Geneva, Switzerland on Friday.

While the official said the details of the agreement will be released within the next 24 to 48 hours, Trump on Monday said the text of the memorandum of understanding would be released "pretty soon," but sometime after Friday.

"This is a very powerful document, and I want it to be released. So, probably pretty soon," Trump said during a press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron shortly after landing in France for the G7.

Trump said "it depends" if he will attend the signing ceremony in Geneva on Friday, but that Vance would be there.

Senior administration officials on Monday acknowledged there was still significant work to be done during the detailed nuclear negotiations to come, but asserted they now had direct relationships with “a number of people at the highest levels of Iranian government” and had reached “what we believe will be an understanding in the next phase.”

A senior administration official said the memorandum of understanding "provides for the immediate opening of the Strait of Hormuz," which Iran closed after the war started. The official also emphasized "immediate -- just to be clear here, it takes a little bit of time, because you know you have mines in the strait."

Spokesman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, Esmaeil Baqaei, said that, according to the MOU, Iran will be responsible to provide "the security and safe traffic of the ships," adding that Tehran will do so in cooperation with Muscat and in consultation with stakeholders.

On Monday, the president said that "the strait is already partially opened" and that it will be fully opened by Friday. They are still working to clear the area of sea mines, he said.

"I think it will adjust very, very quickly, and I think obviously the prioritization will be on the heavy tankers, you know, the gas, the oils. I think that will actually flow very quickly," the official said.

The U.S. blockade of Iranian naval ports will lift as well, but the U.S. Navy warns that it will remain in place until the agreement is formally completed.

On the topic of tolls, the official said that the MOU ensured the Strait of Hormuz be "toll-free for 60 days," with the expectation that it will become part of the "final agreement as well."

Iranian officials said that a ceasefire in Lebanon is included within the deal. However, Israel's defense minister said after the agreement was announced that Israel does not plan to remove its forces from southern Lebanon.

When pressed about Israel's role in the MOU, one of the senior U.S. administration officials responded, saying that Israel withdrawing from Lebanon was "not a condition of the deal."

"The deal is a ceasefire, and it will not be a one-way ceasefire, meaning that if Iran is not able to control Hezbollah, and if they attack Israeli positions or Israeli towns, Israel will have the right to defend themselves and respond," a senior administration official said.

The senior U.S. administration official said that MOU's outline includes "verifying that [Iran is] not building a nuclear weapon and not funding radicalism and terrorism in the region." In return, the official said it would open up the Iranian economy.

Iranian officials have long publicly maintained that the country's nuclear program operates only for civilian purposes, although Western officials have said their uranium enrichment has gone beyond what would be needed for civilian use. Iran has also said it does not have ambitions to create nuclear weapons, a claim that American officials have disputed.

The officials also said the MOU does not reduce the U.S. force posture in the region.

The senior administration official confirmed that so far "zero dollars of unfrozen assets" have been released to Iran at this point.

The officials made clear that there are not specific things that Iran has to do to receive sanctions relief, but that it’s tied to Iran "behaving more appropriately" in general.

"Their economy is in rough shape, and they need relief badly, and so hopefully we'll find a way to get to a deal quickly, and if not, President Trump has a lot of tools in his arsenal that he'll be able to use," the senior administration official said.

Gavin Newsom says Department of Justice is investigating him, his wife

Posted Monday afternoon

California Gov. Gavin Newsom attends the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group D match between USA and Paraguay at Los Angeles Stadium on June 12, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

(NEW YORK) -- California Gov. Gavin Newsom said on Monday that the Department of Justice is investigating him as well as his wife, and claimed that President Donald Trump is "coming after me because I'm considering running for president."

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

Trump arrives in France for 1st G7 summit since US-Iran war began

Posted Monday morning

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a proclamation signing ceremony in the Oval Office of the White House on June 11, 2026 in Washington, DC.. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

(WASHINGTON) -- President Donald Trump arrived in France on Monday to meet with top global superpowers at the annual G7 summit.

Held in Évian-les-Bains, France, from June 15 to 17, this is the president’s fifth time attending the conference in person and comes amid heightened global turmoil, with the conflicts in Iran and Ukraine expected to loom large over the summit’s economic and geopolitical agenda.

This is the first time the G7 leaders are meeting in-person since the start of the U.S.-Iran war, which has now reached its 15th week and continues to impact the global economy, with increases in fossil fuel and oil and gas prices. The war had caught U.S. allies off guard and some were unwilling to heed the president's requests for help, which has created tensions between Trump and some G7 leaders.

There is expected to be a focus on the Middle East, with Trump scheduled to participate in bilateral meetings with Egypt, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, according to a senior administration official.

While the past week saw significant military escalation between the U.S. and Iran, Trump said Sunday that the two countries had reached an agreement that would open the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20% of the global oil supply passes through.

During the G7 summit last year, Trump left one day early because of the growing conflict between Israel and Iran, and that weekend launched Operation Midnight Hammer against Iran's nuclear facilities.

Like last year, leaders are also looking to secure lasting peace in Ukraine. It has been 4 1/2 years since Russia invaded Ukraine, but the war is escalating, especially with Ukraine’s expansion of long-range drone attacks against Russia. Trump repeatedly promised that he personally could end the Russia-Ukraine war on the first day of his presidency and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy continues to seek more assistance from allies.

Zelenskyy will meet with G7 leaders on Tuesday, according to a senior administration official, but there is no one-on-one meeting currently scheduled with Trump. Ukraine was also not listed as one of the U.S. goals for the summit, though the administration emphasizes that resolving the conflict remains one of the president's "top priorities."

The other six countries that comprise the G7 coalition include France, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom, but leaders of other countries are often also invited to the annual conference, with Zelenskyy reportedly expected to be in attendance.

During a background call previewing the trip, a senior White House administration official said Trump’s goals include addressing “economic growth and development, supply chain resilience, illegal immigration and artificial intelligence,” in addition to boosting investment partnerships.

Upon assuming his second term, Trump has strained his relationship with the other G7 leaders. In addition to prompting other countries to question his actions in Iran, the president has distanced the U.S. from top allies over his rhetoric towards NATO, his tariffs and his ambitions in acquiring Greenland, to name a few issues.

The conference was originally scheduled to begin on Sunday. Officials did not comment on whether the president’s birthday plans for that day played a role in shifting the G7 schedule forward.

On the final day of the summit on Wednesday, Trump is expected to travel to Paris to have dinner with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Palace of Versailles before heading back to Washington.

Obama says 'doubtful' that any Iran deal will be different than past

Posted Monday morning

Former President Barack Obama speaks with "Good Morning America" co-anchor Robin Roberts in an interview at the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago on June 13, 2026. (ABC News)

(NEW YORK) -- Former President Barack Obama is sharing his thoughts on President Donald Trump’s handling of Iran, saying recently that he is skeptical that real progress will be made.

Obama spoke with “Good Morning America” co-anchor Robin Roberts on Saturday, one day prior to Trump’s announcement that the United States and Iran had reached a deal that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the U.S. naval blockade.

The exact points of the deal remain unclear. A senior administration official told reporters Friday that it would reopen the Strait of Hormuz and lead to "the dismantling" of Iran's nuclear program and the U.S. getting Iran's highly enriched

The expected deal comes eight years after Trump withdrew the U.S. from a previous nuclear agreement with Iran – led by the Obama administration in 2015 – that Trump described at the time of withdrawal as the “worst deal ever.”

In the interview Saturday, ahead of the new deal being announced, Obama told Roberts that he was “doubtful” any deal with Iran put forward by the Trump administration would be “significantly different” from the 2015 deal that his administration put in place.

"It is doubtful that any agreement that arises is going to be significantly different or a significant improvement from the deal that we had in the first place and had worked for, for a long stretch of time before we, the United States, pulled out of it," Obama told Roberts in the interview, which took place at the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago.

Obama also expressed hope that the fighting in the region would come to an end and urged policymakers to prioritize diplomacy over military action.

"I'm hopeful that bombing stops and ordinary people are no longer suffering as a consequence of the war," he continued. "Then in retrospect it's a reminder that on a lot of difficult foreign policy problems -- the notion that we can just bully our way or bomb our way to solutions -- may sometimes seem appealing, but the fact of the matter is that taking the time to explore diplomacy and exhaust the possibilities of coming up with deals that don't solve 100% of the problem but solve 80%, 90% of the problem while avoiding the necessity of going to war."

"You'd think we would've learned that lesson by now," he continued. "But it seems like every so often we have to relearn that lesson again."

Trump first announced "major combat operations" against Iran on Feb. 28, with joint U.S.-Israeli strikes targeting military, government and infrastructure sites.

After an initial ceasefire and unsuccessful U.S.-Iran talks in Pakistan in April, negotiations continued as the ceasefire was extended.

Following Trump’s June 14 announcement on social media that a new deal had been reached, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi confirmed the deal had been finalized and said it would be signed in Switzerland on Friday.

"All of our positions and important issues are included in the draft understanding," Gharibabadi said in a statement to Iranian state media.

Tune into “Good Morning America” on Wednesday, June 17, from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. on ABC for more of Robin Roberts’ interview with former President Barack Obama.

Judge denies request for stay of Kennedy Center renaming order

Posted Friday afternoon

Construction workers build scaffolding near the sign for the Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts on June 12, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

(WASHINGTON) -- A federal judge on Friday denied the Department of Justice's request to lift an order requiring the removal of President Donald Trump's name from the Kennedy Center.

The Trump administration still faces a deadline of Friday to remove Trump's name from the building.

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

Security for UFC fights at White House will be at Super Bowl level, Secret Service says

Posted about a week ago

United States Secret Service Special Agent in Charge of the Washington, DC Field Office Tara McLeese speaks with ABC News Chief Justice Correspondent Pierre Thomas at D.C. Homeland Security and Emergency Management Headquarters in Washington, DC. (ABC News)

(WASHINGTON) -- As UFC fans descend on Washington, D.C., for Freedom 250 on Sunday and events surrounding it Friday and Saturday, security will also be strict, according to the top Secret Service agent for D.C.

UFC Freedom 250 has been designated a Special Event Assessment Review 1 event, like the Super Bowl, Indianapolis 500, Kentucky Derby and college football games, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

Entrance to the South Lawn of the White House, where the UFC Octagon has been erected, is invitation-only for some 4,000 guests. The larger crowd will be watching on The Ellipse, outside the White House grounds.

The UFC Fan Fest and Watch Party on the Ellipse is free, but tickets are required and fans will have to pass through TSA-like screening, according to Tara McLeese, special agent in charge of the Secret Service's Washington Field Office.

"Come early, don't bring large bags, TSA-like security screening," McLeese told ABC News.

Federal law prohibits flying drones in the airspace over the National Capital Region, so McLeese's advice for fans is to "leave their drones at home."

"We will have law enforcement drones for overwatch, but just to make it simple for the public, if they see a drone, we want them to report that," she said.

The fight on the South Lawn and viewing on The Ellipse kick off a summer of events in the nation's capital, many celebrating America's 250th birthday.

"The public safety team here in the Washington, D.C., area is second to none. We have a lot of big events in D.C., and it's very much a collaborative effort, a team effort here in D.C.," McLeese said. The Secret Service is partnering with U.S. Park Police for security.

For the first time, the annual 4th of July fireworks display on the National Mall will be designated a National Special Security Event, with security levels on par with presidential inaugurations. The event is something Secret Service is also "very focused on," McLeese said, adding that people attending the celebration will also have to pass through TSA-like screening.

In years past "you could just walk up and put a lawn chair and a blanket out. That will be different this year," she said. "You won't be able to just show up. There will be specific places, designated places to go through security before you can get on the Mall."

The Secret Service uniformed division and agents have been involved in three shootings in the past two months -- the first at the White House Correspondents' Dinner when a gunman allegedly attempted to get through the screening area with a firearm, the second in which a man allegedly fired on a unformed officer near the Washington Monument and then days later a man allegedly opened fire on uniformed officers over Memorial Day weekend.

"I can tell you that our workforce is training every day, that we are hyper-focused on ensuring that we are ready to respond to any type of threat or attack that comes our way," McLeese said.

House and Senate fail to pass short-term extension of FISA ahead of Friday's expiration deadline

Posted about a week ago

The U.S. Capitol on November 6, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Eric Lee/Getty Images)

(WASHINGTON) -- The House and Senate on Thursday failed to pass last-minute, short-term extension of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which is set to expire on Friday.

The House failed to pass a three-week extension of the spy program in a 198-218 vote, well short of the two-thirds majority needed. Nineteen House Republicans voted against the bill. Seven House Democrats voted in favor of it.

In the Senate, three separate efforts to unanimously pass short-term extensions of FISA authorities also failed.

The House and Senate are expected to now leave town as it grows increasingly likely that FISA's legal authorization will lapse for the first time in the program's history.

Efforts on Capitol Hill to renew FISA stalled after President Donald Trump tapped Bill Pulte to be acting director of national intelligence. Democrats in the House and Senate are opposed to Pulte, arguing the director of the U.S. Federal Housing Finance Agency does not have any national intelligence experience.

Pulte is also known in the Trump administration for launching probes into several of the president's perceived political enemies over allegations of mortgage fraud and possible misuse of authority. Targets of the investigations include Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, New York Attorney GeneralLetitia James, Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff and former Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell. They've all denied wrongdoing.

The Department of Justice had at one point investigated whether Pulte and his team were interfering in ongoing investigations. Pulte has not been accused of any wrongdoing.

"Today, we just offered a simple, clean, three-week extension of the FISA national security law. The Democrats, 199 of them, voted against a clean, three-week extension for political purposes," House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters after the failed vote. "And when the bill went down, they applauded it."

Senate Majority Leader John Thune led an effort to extend the program for one singular week until Pulte is installed to replace Tulsi Gabbard, who announced last month she was stepping down from the post.

"This is a program that saves American lives. And I have to ask the question: I can't for the life of me figure out why the Democrats continue to support policies that make this country less safe," Thune said.

House Minority Hakeem Jeffries called Thursday's vote a "show vote" from Republicans.

"Bill Pulte has no national security experience, no law enforcement experience and no military experience," Jeffries said. "So, it is highly irresponsible to try to elevate Bill Pulte, as we've made publicly clear repeatedly to Republicans and to the administration."

Speaker Johnson met with Trump twice this week to try to hammer out a FISA deal.

Trump on Wednesday repeated his praise for Pulte, who will take over as intelligence chief for Tulsi Gabbard following her resignation, despite the challenges his temporary appointment presented for FISA.

"He's going to do a good job," Trump told reporters. "He's going to be there for a very short period of time. He will be superseded and replaced by somebody that's going to have the job permanently."

Trump on Thursday afternoon, after the FISA votes failed on Capitol Hill, announced a new permanent pick for director of national intelligence: Jay Clayton.

Trump picks Jay Clayton for director of national intelligence after uproar over Pulte

Posted about a week ago

(WASHINGTON) -- President Donald Trump announced on Thursday a permanent pick to head the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, after the uproar over his temporary pick risked derailing the renewal of a key surveillance law.

Trump said that he is nominating the current U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York and former U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Jay Clayton to head the intelligence agency.

"I encourage the United States Senate to confirm Jay as soon as possible," Trump wrote in a social media post.

Trump's announcement comes after both the House and Senate earlier Thursday failed to pass extensions of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which is set to expire at the end of the day Friday.

The reauthorization of the spy program was muddied by Trump's choice of Bill Pulte to serve as acting director after Tulsi Gabbard announced her resignation. Pulte drew bipartisan concern on Capitol Hill over his lack of previous experience in national security and intelligence.

ABC News Senior Political Correspondent Rachel Scott asked Trump on Thursday about Pulte continuing to serve as acting director given his lack of intelligence experience.

"He's only there for a little while. He's running it for a short while we get a very talented person, Jay Clayton, in," Trump said in the Oval Office.

Apart from the national security cases he oversaw while serving as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, Clayton also lacks experience in intelligence gathering and national security matters.

Clayton spent the bulk of his career as a corporate attorney, and prior to his appointment as U.S. attorney last year, lacked meaningful experience in criminal matters.

He has spent the last year overseeing one of the country's highest profile federal prosecutor's offices -- focusing on drugs, gangs, immigration and fraud cases -- and was also tapped to lead an investigation that Trump directly called for into high-profile Democrats such Bill Clinton, Larry Summers and Reid Hoffman's alleged associations with Epstein. Nothing appears to have resulted from that investigation, and earlier this year acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the Justice Department did not have any active cases into Epstein associates.

Clayton also oversaw the unsealing of grand jury materials related to Epstein, prompting complaints from victims about the disclosure of their sensitive personal information. The Justice Department's push to unseal those materials resulted in little new information about the investigations into Epstein and was criticized by judges as a largely performative effort while the DOJ refused to release their own materials.

Clayton's office has brought the first two prosecutions of insider trading on prediction markets, including cases against a special forces soldier and Google employee, putting his office at the center of the debate about how to govern the sites that critics say are rife with insider trading.

Clayton was never confirmed by the Senate as U.S. attorney, though his nomination was approved by the federal judges in the district and was seen by many as a steady hand to lead the high-profile office. He was, however, the subject of criticism earlier this week when he appeared on CNBC and opined about baseless claims of election fraud in California.

"There's a great phrase, 'opportunity for fraud,'" Clayton said, criticizing the state's mail-in voting laws.

Clayton spent most of his career at the law firm Sullivan & Cromwell, where he represented hedge funds, wealthy investors, large banks and massive corporations such as Deutsche Bank, UBS and Alibaba Group. Clayton represented Goldman Sachs during the 2008 financial crisis and Barclays when it purchased Lehman Brothers' assets out of bankruptcy.

During Trump's first administration, Clayton led the SEC, cracking down on cryptocurrencies and winning $14 billion in monetary remedies, including returning $3.5 billion to investors. While he championed the "long-term interests of the Main Street investor," Clayton also pushed deregulations -- such as removing the requirement that hedge funds publish stock positions and loosening the rules for corporate auditors -- that critics said weakened investor protections.

While Clayton generally avoided the political spotlight while at the SEC, a June 2020 proposal to nominate Clayton to serve as the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York briefly resulted in political turmoil. The sitting U.S. attorney, Geoffrey Berman, refused to leave his post after then-Attorney General Bill Barr announced he would be replaced by Clayton. The standoff was resolved with Berman's deputy taking over the position, and Clayton continued to lead the SEC.

Trump claims more than 100 million barrels of oil, 200 ships have safely made way through Strait of Hormuz

Posted about a week ago

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks with reporters while aboard Air Force One en route to Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin on June 5, 2026. President Trump is traveling to an event at Custer Farms in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. (Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images)

(WASHINGTON) -- Soon after President Donald Trump said in the Oval Office on Wednesday that the United States has been secretly ferrying "millions of barrels" of oil through the Strait of Hormuz, Trump announced on social media that "more than 100 MILLION Barrels of Oil" and "more than 200 Commercial Ships" have successfully traveled through the strait.

"Last month, I directed our Great U.S. Military to execute a secret mission to support Oil Tankers and other Commercial Ships through the Strait of Hormuz," Trump wrote on his social media platform.

"Today, I am pleased to announce that this effort has resulted in more than 100 MILLION Barrels of Oil making its way through the Straight, and into the Open Market. More than 200 Commercial Ships have safely traveled through the Strait."

The president referred to it as a "secret mission" that he says was conducted last month amid the ongoing war with Iran, which has led the strait to be closed to regular commercial shipping.

ABC News could not immediately verify the accuracy of Trump's claims and the numbers of oil barrels and ships that he claims have passed through the Strait of Hormuz.

Earlier Wednesday, in the Oval Office, Trump alluded to apparent U.S. operations to stimulate shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, with Trump claiming that the U.S. recently "took" 22 ships, amounting to millions of barrels of oil, through the strait.

"Do you know, we've been taking out millions of barrels of oil? Nobody knows it. You know who doesn't know about it? Iran, until right now. We took out the other night 22 ships late at night with no lights, because they don't have any radar, because we blasted the crap out of it,” Trump said.

In his post Wednesday afternoon, Trump referred to the alleged operation as a "wildly successful effort" that is due to the U.S. blockade on the Strait of Hormuz.

“This wildly successful effort is because the UNITED STATES of AMERICA CONTROLS the Strait of Hormuz — NOT Iran,” Trump wrote.

Since last month, there have been reports of the U.S. Navy helping ships navigate through the Strait of Hormuz -- though U.S. officials have said that the efforts have not been a revival of Project Freedom, the short-lived U.S. military initiative to escort commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz. Trump announced Project Freedom in early May -- pausing the effort just two days later.

Rather, this most recent effort was a coordination effort where shippers could contact U.S. Central Command and in turn, receive information about where to transit through the Strait of Hormuz, according to a U.S. official.

The coordination effort was first reported by The New York Times.

ABC News confirmed the Times' report that, as of late last month, approximately 70 commercial ships had been guided through the strait. In addition to the U.S. coordinating safe passageways, the Times reported that many of the vessels traveling through the strait had turned off their transponders to "avoid detection."

During the Oval Office event earlier Wednesday afternoon, Trump had also indicated that he was choosing to reveal this "secret" mission now because the Iranians had "figured it out."

"But now I'm going to tell you, because they just figured it out. So now that they figured it out, I can tell you it was very hard for me. I wanted to say it so bad, but it was. I didn't want to ruin it, but it was very hard," Trump said.

Trump's arch construction to run 20 hours a day for 2 to 3 years, documents show

Posted about a week ago

This rendering shows what President Donald Trump's "triumphal arch" would look like from the Lincoln Memorial. (National Capital Planning Commission)

(WASHINGTON) -- To complete Donald Trump's "Triumphal Arch" by the time he leaves office, the National Park Service plans to have construction take place 20 hours per day over the next two to three years, according to planning documents released by the Department of the Interior.

The National Park Service last week released designs, renderings and reports related to the planned arch as it seeks public comment about the controversial addition to the D.C. skyline.

"Because the Arch is intended to celebrate 250 years of American independence. ... smaller heights were not considered representative of this milestone, unlike the 250-foot Arch proposed in the undertaking," one of the reports said about the size of the project.

The project is being challenged in federal court, though lawsuits challenging the arch, and other projects like Trump's White House Ballroom, planned golf course renovations and the repainting and sealing of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool have so far been unsuccessful in stopping work.

Current designs call for the massive arch to be constructed out of concrete and clad with U.S.-sourced granite -- a departure from some of the older D.C. monuments which are constructed from marble or limestone. According to planning documents, construction workers will require multiple cranes up to 320-feet tall -- taller than the U.S. Capitol building -- and other heavy construction equipment, including concrete pumps, forklifts, skid steers and other tools.

Because the monument will sit near the complicated flight paths for D.C.'s Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), architects included "aviation required safety lighting" into the design of the arch, using the "least intrusive technology available" to minimize light pollution, according to planning documents.

The FAA recently completed a feasibility study about the arch and concluded it would have "no significant adverse effect on airspace and visual/instrument procedures" for the airport and that it would only require red obstruction lights.

"Career safety experts found no adverse impacts to operations at DCA. Their review determined the only requirement would be the top of the structure would need to be lit with red obstruction lights -- a common safety tool," an FAA spokesperson said in a statement, adding that it will next conduct a full aeronautical study with the National Park Service.

According to the documents, the project will include seven phases of construction over a two-to-three-year period. After workers excavate the site, construction would involve about five months of "continuous heavy equipment operations" to drive the foundation system down about 75 feet to bedrock. The NPS report estimated that removing material for the foundation would require about 30 trucks to move 100 loads of soil per day for months.

Once the foundation is completed, workers plan to spend about 10 months constructing the primary concrete structure of the arch and then affix granite panels to the concrete.

"Work would occur year-round, with work occurring in two 10-hour shifts per day (20 hours per day, year-round) for the duration of the construction period," a NPS report said.

Around the same timeframe, construction workers will begin to assemble the inner structure of the arch, including stairs, elevators, roofing, plumbing, and electrical work. After about two years of work, plans call for a 300-foot mobile crane to be used to install a gold statue atop the arch.

The National Park Service said the construction would likely result in significant traffic disruptions around the Arlington Memorial Bridge.

The design for the arch has not yet been approved by the National Capital Planning Commission. During a hearing last week, the commission asked the Trump administration to address a series of issues with their design, though Trump falsely claimed the design had been approved.

A group of Vietnam veterans also sued over the arch earlier this year and are asking a federal judge to block the construction, arguing the arch should be approved by Congress.

"With every passing day, Defendants' arch moves closer to construction," they wrote in a recent court filing.

The Trump administration has argued that a 100-year-old statute related to the building of the nearby Arlington Memorial Bridge authorizes construction of the arch. Department of Justice lawyers have also argued that the plaintiffs lack standing and that the lawsuit is premature.

"Forcing such disclosures of internal deliberations -- before NPS has concluded its decision-making process -- would 'wreak havoc' on the Executive Branch," DOJ lawyers wrote in a court filing.

Key takeaways from Tuesday's primaries: Platner wins, but now faces months of more scrutiny

Posted about a week ago

Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner and his wife Amy Gertner wave to supporters as they arrive to Platner's Primary Election event on June 9, 2026 in Blue Hill, Maine.. (Photo by CJ Gunther/Getty Images)

(WASHINGTON) -- Closely watched primaries in four states on Tuesday showed a resounding victory for a Democrat who was facing some controversies but amassed much popular support, the continued strength of President Donald Trump’s endorsement, and set up a key governor’s race in November.

Here are some takeaways from Tuesday's primaries:

Platner triumphant in Maine even amid controversies

Graham Platner, an oyster farmer and military veteran, is slated to take on longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins in November’s general election for the U.S. Senate in Maine, romping to victory in the primary even amid multiple controversies.

That included a late-breaking controversy from a New York Times report last Thursday that some of the Army veteran's former girlfriends said that his actions could be "intimidating and disturbing."

Platner denied allegations of being physically intimidating towards former partners, and said after the story broke that he had been open to Mainers about his past, and that it had never crossed his mind to drop out of the race.

Tuesday night’s results showed Maine Democrats rallying behind Platner, as he romped to a projected victory in the primary with almost 75% of the vote as of late Tuesday. While Maine Gov. Janet Mills was also on the ballot, she had suspended her campaign weeks ago and appeared on track to get less than a fifth of the vote.

“Over the last nine months I have seen Mainers come together behind a vision to take back our power from corporations and billionaires,” Platner told supporters on Tuesday night.

Platner’s win gives Democrats an everyman candidate who has been able to attract huge crowds and support.

But he and other Democrats now face months of a general election campaign where Republicans say they will bring up Platner's controversies every chance they get, both to strike at Platner and to hound Democrats over supporting someone who the GOP says goes against values Democrats claim to support.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), for instance, shared a digital ad right as polls closed in Maine that called Collins “a senator we can be proud of” and portrayed Platner as out-of-touch and scandal-ridden.

But Platner will have the Democratic establishment backing him, too. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chair Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, both of New York, wrote on Tuesday night, “Over the past year, we have created a path to win a Democratic Senate majority and put a stop to the chaos and damage of the Trump administration by defeating the Republicans who enable his harmful agenda. … In November, Maine voters will elect Graham Platner, and we will win a Senate majority.”

Trump candidate advances in South Carolina while one who defied him doesn't

Most of the U.S. House and governor candidates Trump endorsed in the 2026 cycle have won their primaries, even when Trump endorsed against established incumbents. In South Carolina’s Republican primary for governor, Trump’s endorsement was again on the ballot, as the president had endorsed Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette -- snubbing two U.S. representatives running for the seat, Nancy Mace and Ralph Norman.

And the power of Trump’s endorsement was borne out again, to an extent, as ABC News projected that Evette and state Attorney General Alan Wilson will advance to a June 23 runoff in the Republican governor's primary.

While Trump’s endorsed candidate did not win outright, that might not be a shock, given the sheer number of prominent candidates running and South Carolina’s runoff rules, in which the top two candidates go to a runoff if no one gets more than half of the vote.

Mace, who overall is a staunch supporter of the president, had voted for the release of files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in defiance of Trump’s wishes. Some observers had seen Trump’s snub of Mace's gubernatorial bid as another example of his political vengeance against lawmakers who opposed him, although Trump did not mention Mace in his endorsement of Evette.

“I voted to release the Epstein files and lost some support for that,” Mace said during remarks on Tuesday night, where she conceded the gubernatorial race without mentioning Trump.

Evette, on the campaign trail, had promoted her own conservative bona fides and strongly pushed for the state to redraw its congressional districts, a move Republican state legislators ended up rejecting.

A toss-up match set for governor in Nevada

While the candidates who won Nevada’s primaries for governor were not surprising in and of themselves, the results on Tuesday set up what’s likely going to be one of the most closely watched gubernatorial elections this fall.

Republican incumbent Gov. Joe Lombardo, who is running for a second term and has Trump’s endorsement, cruised to a projected victory in his primary, while Democrats nominated Aaron Ford, the state’s Attorney General, as their candidate.

Democrats have said they think Lombardo is the most vulnerable governor up for reelection during the 2026 cycle. They’ve argued that voters impacted by rising prices and Latino voters in the state who are souring on the Trump administration will turn against him.

Republicans, meanwhile, have argued that Lombardo is the best choice to continue leading the Silver State. The Nevada Republican Party wrote in September that Lombardo “has shown he’s a true champion for Nevada families and our conservative values. As Sheriff, he kept our communities safe, and now as Governor, he’s battling against the Democrats’ radical agenda.”

The Cook Political Report rates the seat as “Toss Up,” meaning it could be anyone’s game come November.

ABC News' Jared Kofsky, Clarissa Gonzalez, and Juhi Doshi contributed to this report.

Trump administration lambastes lawsuit seeking to stop White House UFC event

Posted about a week ago

The arena for the upcoming UFC match on the South Lawn is seen as workers setup the Rose Garden for an evening event at the White House on June 3, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

(WASHINGTON) -- The Justice Department on Tuesday urged a federal judge to reject a lawsuit seeking to stop the White House's Ultimate Fighting Championship event scheduled for this weekend, attacking its plaintiffs as "two people who believe they have superior taste and want to spoil the event for everyone else."

In a filing Tuesday evening, the department argued the lawsuit brought by two Virginia residents lacks any reasonable standing while describing the timing of the filing as "inexcusable" given the event was first announced nearly a year ago.

"It would be easy enough to simply avert their gazes for the weekend. Instead, they seek to enlist the power of a federal court to impose their idiosyncratic preferences on the rest of the country and ruin an event designed to celebrate the United States of America," the department said. "No one is holding Plaintiffs in a jiu jitsu lock, forcing them to watch UFC Freedom 250 against their will. The public interest does not favor allowing them to exercise a heckler's veto, particularly at this late date."

In a lawsuit filed this weekend, the Public Integrity Project -- representing a political activist and Vietnam veteran -- claimed the event was improperly permitted, skipped an environmental review, and is an extraordinary use of public land to benefit President Donald Trump and his allies.

Calling the event "deeply corrupt," the lawsuit alleged that the Trump administration improperly used a temporary rule for "America 250" to bypass the permitting requirements normally required to host events on National Park Service land. They argue that because the event is being organized by a private entity, not the federal government, and is not explicitly "for the celebration of the 250th anniversary of American Independence," the fight does not qualify for that temporary rule.

In its filing, the Trump administration described the UFC fight as "one of the most highly anticipated events" in a series of others intended to celebrate the 250th birthday of the United States, at one point likening it to the annual Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn and the Congressional Picnic.

At the same time, the filing highlights the extraordinary collaboration between the government and the UFC in preparing for the event, citing "well over $60 million and tens of thousands of hours of labor" that "have been expended" in order to carry it out.

"More than 4,000 spectators are expected to attend on the South Lawn, including more than 1,000 members of our armed services, and more than 120,000 visitors are expected to watch from the nearby Ellipse after winning free tickets in a lottery," the filing said. "Fourteen world-class athletes, who have been training for months, have traveled from all over the world to compete (including for two world championships)."

The filing continued: "All these hopes could be dashed at the very last moment, however, by the whim of two people who believe they have superior taste and want to spoil the event for everyone else."

The government has informed the judge overseeing the case, Amit Mehta, that counsel is available on Thursday in the event he wishes to schedule oral arguments.

Nevada gubernatorial race shapes up as bellwether for GOP heading into 2028

Posted about a week ago

Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo speaks during a ceremonial groundbreaking for the USD 1.75 billion, 33,000-seat domed stadium for Major League Baseball's Athletics on June 23, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada.. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

(WASHINGTON) -- Nevada’s gubernatorial primary has resulted in a face-off between incumbent Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo and Democratic nominee Attorney General Aaron Ford and the race is indicative of whether GOP governors in battleground states can survive while distancing themselves from President Donald Trump’s low approval ratings, a dynamic with implications for 2028.

Economic anxiety, conflict overseas, a polarizing mass deportation program and low approval ratings for the president might become headwinds for Lombardo, despite a Republican presidential candidate carrying the state for the first time in two decades in 2024.

Nevada offers a particularly revealing test case: a tourism-heavy economy, a working-class Latino electorate and an expanding bloc of nonpartisan voters. Since Lombardo’s 2022 victory, registered independents have surged in the state.

Las Vegas tourism fell 7.5% last year, while unemployment remains among the nation’s highest.

Asked whether he can guarantee unemployment will fall, Lombardo said in a statement that since he took office, “... Inflation has come down, wages are rising, housing prices are stabilizing, and Nevada leads the nation in post pandemic job creation, as well as both small business and wage growth.”

His supporters have pointed to his work on the state’s education system.

“The governor has worked to bridge the gap in per pupil spending with several billion dollars in funding without raising taxes, as well as open enrollment, more school choice, and accountability reforms,” John Burke, spokesman for a pro-Lombardo PAC, said. “We’re already seeing results, graduation rates are growing and students are getting the resources they need to succeed.”

Ford, who was a single father in college relying on food stamps and Medicaid, said he’s focused on affordability.

“Nevadans … cannot afford a home, they cannot afford health care, they can't afford gas, they can't afford groceries, and it's all this Lombardo-Trump economy doesn't work for the working people, it's working for this billionaire class,” Ford said in an interview with ABC News.

Ford has been endorsed by former Vice President Kamala Harris and Nevada’s Democratic congressional delegation.

“He's battled fentanyl being trafficked across our southern border, gone after fraudulent landlords who are jacking up prices on working families, and won more than $1 billion in settlements from taking on big drug companies,” said Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., in a statement to ABC News.

Lombardo, a former Clark County sheriff endorsed by Trump, said in a KLAS interview that Nevadans may need to "feel a little pain" over Trump's tariff policies to see job growth -- a line Democrats have campaigned on.

“[Trump] ran on it, he was very vocal about it and very transparent about it in how he was going to accomplish that,” Lombardo said last year. “So, I think we maybe need to feel a little pain in the short term and hopefully in the long-term it’s a huge benefit for us.”

Ford has taken the Trump administration to court more than 40 times, including over tariffs.

“I sued up those tariffs, I won, and I'm not going to stop until Nevadans get the $1,700 of stolen money out of the pockets they had to pay in extra taxes because of those tariffs,” Ford said.

Peter Guzman, president of Nevada’s Latin Chamber of Commerce, told ABC News that Lombardo had conversations with the White House that resulted in Nevada avoiding large-scale immigration raids.

“We've been able to prevent any kind of chaos when it comes to ICE, because of his relationships, not only with Trump administration, but also because of his years in law enforcement,” Guzman said.

Nevada Republicans have criticized Ford for spending at least 322 days out of state, mostly attending professional conferences, according to a Nevada Independent review of his calendar. GOP campaign ads have branded him "high-flying Aaron Ford.”

Ford called the attacks “juvenile” and said working with attorneys general nationwide helped “address issues that transcend state borders.”

In 2022, Lombardo ousted incumbent Democrat Gov. Steve Sisolak by just 1.5%.

“The average election in Nevada is often decided by a very narrow margin. Both parties have their constituencies, but there's a group in the middle that decides these races and the best candidate will earn those voters,” Burke said.

Unmanned drone boat rescues 2 US crew members after helicopter downed by Iranian drone

Posted about a week ago

Fast response cutter USCGC Glen Harris (WPC 1144) sails near a U.S sail drone explorer in the Gulf of Aqaba, during the International Maritime Exercise/Cutlass Express. Sgt. Deandre Dawkins/U.S. Naval Forces Central Command)

(WASHINGTON) -- U.S. military officials said Tuesday that an unmanned drone boat rescued two crew members aboard a U.S. Army Apache attack helicopter that crashed in the waters nears the Strait of Hormuz, which President Donald Trump said Iranians shot down.

U.S. officials are describing the rescue as the first time that an unmanned surface drone has been used to successfully rescue crew members at sea.

The AH-64 helicopter crashed at 7:33 p.m. EDT on Monday, leaving the pilots in the waters off Oman, according to U.S. Central Command.

"The Soldiers were safely rescued within approximately two hours and are in stable condition," according to a CENTCOM statement.

The Navy surface drone -- described by a U.S. official as looking like a speedboat -- located the two Apache crew members, who were then able to board the vessel, which transported them to another location on that water where they were then hoisted up to a helicopter for further transport, according to a U.S. official.

"The surface drone that assisted in last night's rescue of the Apache crew off the coast of Oman was a U.S. Navy Corsair unmanned surface vessel operated by U.S. 5th Fleet’s Task Force 59. The task force began fielding these drones in theater in late March," said Capt. Tim Hawkins, the spokesman for U.S. Central Command.

Trump said Tuesday afternoon that the military informed him Iran was to blame for the helicopter crash, vowing that the U.S. must "respond to this attack."

ABC News has reached out to the White House on whether the weekslong shaky ceasefire with Iran is now over.

What is Task Force 59?

Task Force 59 operates a variety of autonomous surface drones in the waters of the Middle East, as well as aerial drones. The task force, established in 2021, uses its unmanned drones to provide quick reconnaissance capabilities and integrate artificial intelligence to share with crewed warships operating in the region, according to the Navy.

With not enough manned vessels to maintain a constant awareness of what is going on in the Middle East's waters, the drones enhance the 5th Fleet's capabilities to detect smuggling and Iranian malign activity, Navy officials said.

"For pennies on the dollar we can put unmanned platforms out there, we can couple it with artificial intelligence … and then, I think critically important, we can use our manned ships much more efficiently, much more effectively,” then-5th Fleet Commander Vice Adm. Brad Cooper told reporters in October 2022 following a regional exercise to highlight the task force's capabilities. Cooper is now serving as the commander of U.S. Central Command.

The cost for the boat drone used to rescue the Apache crew is estimateed to be about $1.2 million per drone, according to a report from Sacra, a market research firm. That cost is extraordinarily cheap relative to traditional, manned military vessels.

Artificial intelligence is used to analyze patterns of behavior detected by the sensors aboard the drones, which is then shared with commanders and ships operating in the region.

In addition to the Corsair used in the operation, Task Force 59 uses other notable unmanned surface drones including the T-38 Devil Ray and the Sail Drone.

The Devil Ray is a high-speed autonomously operated unmanned surface vessel that is mainly used to gather intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, according to its manufacturer.

In one exercise in 2024, it successfully fired live munitions at a training target.

The Sail Drone looks just like its name implies, it is an autonomous water platform topped by a sail that provides power through wind and solar energy, according to its manufacturer.

A network of Sail Drones can provide a clearer at-sea situational awareness in hostile environments, according to its manufacturer.

Unmanned drone boat rescues 2 US crew members after helicopter shot down by Iran

Posted about a week ago

An Arabian Fox MAST-13 unmanned surface vessel, attached to U.S. Naval Forces Central Command's Task Force 59, conducts surveillance in the Arabian Gulf, Nov. 21. (Pfc. Tyrin Saunders/U.S. Naval Forces Central Command)