Trump's USA

Tensions in the Caribbean
US steps up – sends ships to South America

The US is sending an aircraft carrier to the sea off South America, US media reports, describing it as a major escalation of the conflict with Venezuela.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the USS Gerald Ford and several warships from the Mediterranean to South America to "enhance the US's ability to detect, monitor and disrupt prohibited actors and activities".

The announcement comes just hours after Hegseth announced that the US had carried out its tenth attack on an alleged drug boat. Six people were killed, bringing the total death toll to 43 since the attacks began in September.

Trump Critics Indicted
Letitia James Pleads Not Guilty to Crime

The trial of former New York State Attorney Letitia James, one of Trump's most high-profile critics, has begun. On Friday, she pleaded not guilty to a crime before a judge in Virginia, US media reports.

She is accused of misleading a bank in order to obtain more favorable mortgage terms, which she calls "nothing more than a continuation of the president's desperate use of the legal system as a weapon".

The trial date is tentatively set for January 26. The prosecution says the trial is expected to last about a week. Eight to ten witnesses will be heard.

In addition to James, charges have recently been brought against two other prominent Trump critics: former FBI Director James Comey and the president's former national security adviser John Bolton.

Construction of the ballroom
The East Wing of the White House has been completely demolished ahead of the ballroom construction

The East Wing of the White House has been completely demolished, new images in the American media show. In its place, Trump's new gilded ballroom will be built at a cost equivalent to around three billion kronor.

The construction project has received harsh criticism from historians, among others. On Thursday, Trump's press secretary Karoline Leavitt urged Americans to "trust the process," writes CNN.

The East Wing was built in 1902 and was last renovated in 1942. It contained, among other things, the first lady's office, other offices and a cinema.

Sources: Trump to name the ballroom after himself

Donald Trump is likely to name the White House's upcoming ballroom after himself, high-ranking sources in the administration told ABC News.

Officials are already reportedly calling it “The President Donald J Trump Ballroom” – a name that will likely stick, according to sources.

The president himself has not announced what the ballroom, which will seat 650 people and cost the equivalent of three billion kronor, will be called.

– I’m not going into that yet, he said and smiled when asked by ABC on Thursday.

Tech, AI and crypto – they are financing Trump’s ballroom

Amazon, Apple, Coinbase, Google, Meta, Microsoft and Palantir. These are just some of the companies that have donated money to Donald Trump’s controversial renovation of the White House ballroom, several international media outlets report.

Earlier this week, the president said that the renovation “will not cost American taxpayers anything at all”. Instead, around 30 companies in industries such as tech, AI and cryptocurrencies to media and tobacco have financed the construction.

The size of the donations is not clear, but at least one donation of $22 million has been made by Google. Trump has said he will fund parts of the renovation himself, but to what extent has not been specified. 

Border issue
Everyone entering the US to be photographed

The US Department of Homeland Security will require a photo of all non-US citizens traveling in and out of the country, Bloomberg reports.

Photo and fingerprinting are already a requirement for some visitors and certain destinations. But from December 26, border rules will be tightened further, Reuters writes.

The news agency believes that this is a result of President Donald Trump's work to curb illegal immigration to the country.