USA under Trump:
Melania's demonstrative appearance hand in hand with her husband
Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump are on their way to an event in the White House Rose Garden.
In our live blog, we will keep you informed of all developments in Donald Trump's second presidency.
Melania Trump jokes about absence: "I heard you missed me"
Following speculation about her lengthy absence, First Lady Melania Trump made a public appearance again on Thursday: "I heard you missed me," the 56-year-old joked at an event in the White House Rose Garden in Washington. "Here I am."
The First Lady had previously not been seen in public since the World Cup final on July 19. For her first appearance in a month, she walked demonstratively hand-in-hand with her husband to the podium. Donald Trump subsequently sat in the audience during her speech. The event focused, among other things, on educational scholarships and a planned car race through Washington.
Melania Trump's appearance came amid speculation about her long absence—and about a close personal assistant to the president, Natalie Harp. The 35-year-old had most recently been seen almost constantly at Donald Trump's side. She was also one of the few people who secretly switched planes with the president shortly before the presidential aircraft, Air Force One, was due to fly back from the NATO summit in Ankara in July.
Harp was apparently not present at Thursday's event.
Trump's personal assistant: "You are everything to me"
What exactly does Natalie Harp do? That is the question many in the US are currently asking. The "New York Times" describes it like this: "She never takes a day off, not even on Sundays. She works in the Oval Office and has a permanent seat on Marine One. On behalf of the president, she texts with heads of state and government from around the world. She stays up late with him to write social media posts." It continues: "She rarely speaks on camera, and yet she is always there—ever-present with a broad smile and her eyes fixed firmly on the president."
Harp is the personal assistant to the US President. Despite this, the American public took little notice of her—until it recently became known that she was one of the few people who secretly switched planes with Trump shortly before the presidential aircraft Air Force One was due to fly back from the NATO summit in Ankara in July.
According to media reports, the reason for the covert transfer from Air Force One to a smaller military aircraft was a death threat from Iran. According to the "Washington Post," the president and a few chosen ones climbed into the container of a catering truck to make the switch. The "Wall Street Journal" reported that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, among others, remained on board Air Force One despite the threat from Iran.
Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff subsequently referred to Harp and attacked Trump, accusing him of only wanting to "build his ballroom and travel with Natalie" instead of doing his job. Trump, in turn, subjected Ossoff to derogatory remarks.
And so Harp is now suddenly in the public spotlight. Born in 1991, she had worked as a television host for an ultra-right-wing broadcaster. She advised Trump's 2019 presidential campaign and eventually became his assistant.
In the American media, Harp is also referred to as the "human printer" because she constantly supplies Trump with printed information. In the recently published book "Regime Change" about the US president's tenure, the authors, two "New York Times" journalists, portray Harp as extremely loyal to Trump. She writes "adulating" letters to him, the book states. One letter reportedly ended with the words: "You are everything to me."
Trump wants to drastically increase the number of rocket launches
Donald Trump signed an order on Thursday (local time) to drastically increase rocket launches for the US space program. The White House aims to enable at least 1,000 launches and returns per year by 2030. The returns refer to the reusability of the rockets, which is also considered key to such a high number of flights.
The number of launches last year was 178, ten times higher than in 2013. Trump's new directive calls on authorities to promote the joint development of space transport infrastructure with private partners. Approval procedures and environmental reviews are also to be accelerated, and sufficient radio frequencies for rocket launches are to be ensured.
USA imposes further sanctions on Cuba
The US has imposed further sanctions on Cuba. As the State Department announced in Washington on Thursday, the new punitive measures target, among other things, the Cuban Ministry of Construction and several state-owned enterprises in the metal and mining sector.
In addition, three high-ranking representatives of the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (Icap) were placed on the sanctions list. They include Icap President Fernando González Llort, who was convicted of espionage in the US and served a prison sentence there. Upon his return to Cuba, through his work for Icap, he had "continued his efforts to destabilize the United States," the US State Department declared.
Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez accused US Secretary of State Marco Rubio of continuing to punish Cuban companies "to harm our economy and prevent the Cuban government from providing basic services to the population."
Migrants deported from the US land in Liberia
The first 20 migrants expelled from the US have arrived in the West African nation of Liberia. The flight carrying the migrants landed at the country's international airport on Thursday noon, AFP news agency journalists reported. According to Liberian authorities, they can now either leave the country or apply for asylum.
The government announced this week that it plans to take in up to 1,200 foreigners from the US within a year as part of an agreement. Since US President Donald Trump took office in early 2025, the US administration has stepped up its efforts to remove foreigners from the country.
Washington demands release of US citizen "wrongfully" detained in China
The United States government has classified a US citizen detained in China as "wrongfully detained" and demanded his release. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has "determined that US citizen Min Zin is being unlawfully held in China," the State Department announced in Washington on Thursday.
The case is politically sensitive, not least because the US government's classification comes just about a month before Chinese leader Xi Jinping's planned visit to US President Donald Trump in Washington.
Left-wing Democrat wins primary in Florida by surprise
In the US Democratic congressional primaries, another representative of the left wing has ousted her favored intra-party challenger. In the race for a Senate nomination, state Representative Angie Nixon surprisingly defeated national security expert Alexander Vindman, who had previously been considered the clear favorite, in the state of Florida on Wednesday.
US national debt now exceeds 40 trillion dollars
For the first time, the US national debt has risen to over 40 trillion dollars (34.3 trillion euros). The Treasury Department in Washington published the corresponding figures on Wednesday. According to the data, total outstanding public debt stood at 40.05 trillion dollars at the close of business the previous day.
