Good morning. From chaos at the White House gates to global crackdowns abroad, Washington is bracing for impact.
Car crashes into White House gate
Federal agents and political leaders spent the night on alert after a car rammed into a White House gate.
The Secret Service confirmed that an individual crashed a vehicle into the West Gate at 17th and E Streets around 10:37 p.m. The driver was immediately detained and later transferred to a hospital for mental health evaluation, according to law enforcement sources.
Trump was inside the White House at the time of the incident, which occurred following a pair of high-profile events in the newly renovated Rose Garden — a luncheon with Republican Senators and a dinner with top GOP donors.
Officials said the crash site was cleared by early Wednesday morning and that the President’s schedule was not interrupted. The episode adds to a string of alarming security incidents since Trump’s return to office, including two assassination attempts in 2024.
The timing underscored a tense week for the administration as the President continues to juggle domestic unrest, foreign conflict, and media scrutiny over recent White House renovations, which critics have derided as excessive.
Sanctions escalate as Trump presses Russia for peace
Just hours after the security scare, the Trump administration unveiled a new round of sanctions on Russia’s largest oil companies, intensifying efforts to choke off revenue fueling the war in Ukraine.
The Treasury Department’s order blocks all U.S. transactions and assets tied to the companies and their subsidiaries, warning foreign banks that they could face penalties if they assist Russia’s military-industrial network.
“Given President Putin’s refusal to end this senseless war, Treasury is sanctioning Russia’s two largest oil companies that fund the Kremlin’s war machine,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement.
During an Oval Office meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Trump called the measures “tremendous sanctions,” emphasizing that his goal remains to bring Moscow to the negotiating table. “We hope that they won’t be on for long. We hope that the war will be settled,” he said.
National Guard deployment approved amid unrest in Portland
Meanwhile, unrest continues at home. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals this week cleared the way for Trump to deploy 200 National Guard troops to Portland, citing danger of rebellion and federal law allowing the president to enforce American authority when local officials refuse cooperation.
The ruling followed viral footage showing Antifa rioters using city police as cover during attacks on federal officers guarding an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility. Justice Department Civil Rights Chief Harmeet Dhillon condemned the scene, saying the city’s protection of Antifa “perfectly illustrates why the President has the right to act.”
“This is exactly why the 9th Circuit just said POTUS can send in the National Guard,” Dhillon posted. “Incredible FAIL!”
Trump’s allies argue that far-left city leaders have emboldened Antifa and shielded illegal migrants involved in drug trafficking and violent protests. Similar tensions have flared in Los Angeles, where anti-ICE riots caused millions in damage earlier this year.
READ NEXT: Portland Protests Federal Troops With Naked Bike Ride
