He also said that he had confidence in Mike Waltz, his national security adviser, and Pete Hegseth, his Pentagon chief
President Donald Trump on Saturday made his clearest commitment to not fire anyone over an embarrassing accidental leak of his administration’s plans for an airstrike against the Houthis in Yemen.
“I don’t fire people because of fake news and because of witch hunts,” Trump said in an interview with NBC News’ Kristen Welker.
He also said that he had confidence in Mike Waltz, his national security adviser, and Pete Hegseth, his Pentagon chief.
Waltz inadvertently added Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor of The Atlantic magazine, to a group text using the Signal encrypted messaging service where top officials were discussing plans to attack the Houthis. During the chat, Hegseth included details on how the strike would unfold before it took place.
Afterwards, The Atlantic published an article on the internal exchange, shocking the national security establishment. Trump is eager to avoid repeating some of the turnover that characterized his first term. Mike Flynn, his first national security adviser, was pushed out after only a few weeks during the early phase of the Russia investigation. He’s also shown resistance to bowing to outside pressure, especially if it comes from the news media.
Asked if there were conversations about firing Waltz, Trump insisted, “I’ve never heard that. And nobody else makes that decision but me, and I’ve never heard it.”
Trump hosts Iftar dinner
President Donald Trump hosted an Iftar dinner at the White House, marking the Islamic holy month of Ramzan.
During the event, Trump expressed his appreciation for the Muslim community and stated, ‘We are keeping our promises to the community,’ adding that ‘while I’m president, I will be there for you.’
Sharing some pictures of the Iftar party on X, The White House wrote, “President Trump hosts Iftar Dinner… ‘We’re keeping our promises to the Muslim community. My administration is engaged in relentless diplomacy to forge lasting peace in the Middle East, building on the historic Abraham Accords… While I’m president, I will be there for you.”
Meanwhile, Ambassadors and diplomats of Muslim-majority nations hailed India’s strong ties with the Islamic world, emphasising how these relationships have deepened under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership over the past decade.
The ambassadors and diplomats of 19 Muslim-majority nations had gathered at the ‘Sadbhavana Iftar’ hosted by the Indian Minorities Federation (IMF) at the residence of Rajya Sabha MP and IMF Convener Satnam Singh Sandhu in New Delhi on Thursday evening.
The event was attended by ambassadors and diplomats from Somalia, Morocco, Afghanistan, Syria, Gambia, Mali, Bangladesh, Sudan, Djibouti, Algeria, Malawi, Cameroon, Chad, Guinea, Iraq, Cote d’Ivoire, Tanzania, Nigeria, Iran, and the UAE. Also present were Islamic scholars, religious leaders, intellectuals, and social reformers, including Majid Alnekhailawi, Maulana Syed Kalbe Rushaid Rizvi, Haji Syed Salman Chishty, and IMF co-founder Himani Sood.
Before breaking their fast, attendees offered prayers for peace, harmony, and prosperity in India and across the world.
Addressing the gathering, ambassadors from Muslim-majority nations highlighted India’s strong ties with the Islamic world. They noted India’s growing engagement with South Asia, Central Asia, and the Middle East, particularly in strengthening security and economic cooperation.
Notably, Iftar is the meal eaten after sunset during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, also known as Ramzan. It is a time to break their day-long fast and is often a social occasion where families and friends gather to share food and company.
