A trio of top Trump administration officials will make separate trips to Europe this week, with security and Washington’s commitment to Ukraine expected to be at the heart of their discussions.President Donald Trump — pushing his “America First” agenda — has questioned US security commitments in Europe and called on allies to drastically boost their defense spending, while his administration has been largely quiet so far on his plans for future Ukraine aid.Washington gave Kyiv tens of billions of dollars in military assistance under president Joe Biden, but Trump’s administration has yet to provide additional aid despite several billion dollars in remaining authority carrying over from his predecessor’s time in office.Vice President JD Vance will take part in an AI summit in France and then attend the Munich Security Conference in Germany along with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who will subsequently travel to the Middle East.”The vice president will deliver remarks at each event and will hold bilateral meetings with world leaders,” according to the White House.Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth will meanwhile visit the headquarters of two US military commands in Germany before attending a meeting of NATO defense ministers and a gathering of Ukraine’s international supporters in Belgium, then travel to Poland for talks with its leaders.Rubio — who was a regular at the Munich conference in his previous role as a US senator — has already traveled to Latin America as secretary of state, but the trips this week will be Vance’s and Hegseth’s debuts on the international stage in their new roles.In a sign of the new administration’s priorities, Hegseth’s first trip as defense secretary was to the southern US border, where Trump declared a national emergency on his first day in office.- Seeking ‘increased European leadership’ -In Brussels, Hegseth “will engage with NATO allies and partners to discuss the need to boost allied defense spending, increase European leadership, and expand defense industrial base capacity on both sides of the Atlantic,” the Pentagon said.At the meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group — which will be chaired by the UK instead of the United States for the first time — Hegseth “will reiterate President Trump’s commitment for a diplomatic end to the war in Ukraine as quickly as possible,” according to the Pentagon.”He will also highlight the need for increased European leadership on security assistance to Ukraine.”Trump has repeatedly criticized US assistance for Kyiv and claimed before taking office that he could secure a ceasefire within hours — a result that has yet to materialize.His comments triggered fears in Ukraine and elsewhere in Europe about the future of US aid, and Kyiv’s ability to withstand Russian attacks in the absence of further American support.Trump has also rocked some of Washington’s closest partners by announcing tariffs against fellow NATO member Canada — which were later paused — and threatening to do the same to the European Union.The targeting of US allies has further undermined confidence in America’s commitment after Trump already cast doubt on his willingness to help protect Europe, while the US president has also menaced NATO member Denmark by vowing to take control of its territory Greenland.Hegseth said in remarks to Pentagon employees on Friday that part of “America First” is empowering US allies and partners “to be combat multipliers, to add to the capabilities that we have.”But he also emphasized that Washington wants other countries to take on greater burdens: “America can’t be the guarantor of everything forever,” he said.

President Donald Trump has taken a wrecking ball to Washington — and his latest target is the US Department of Education.Trump has described it as ineffective, wasteful and dominated by radical leftists, and in an interview airing Sunday told Fox News he would order Elon Musk, the man leading his cost-cutting efforts, to turn his sights next on the Education Department.Underscoring his intention, the Republican president had earlier directed Linda McMahon, his education secretary nominee, to “put herself out of a job.” Democratic politicians, teachers’ unions and many parents are in an uproar, calling Trump’s plan to shut down the agency an assault on public education.Conservative groups, on the other hand, hail it as a long-overdue measure to reassert local control over American classrooms. But they acknowledge that the task of winding down the vast department will not be easy. Becky Pringle, president of the National Education Association, the country’s largest labor union, said closing down the Education Department would be devastating for students with disabilities, low-income students and other children at risk.”If it became a reality, Trump’s power grab would steal resources for our most vulnerable students… and gut student civil rights protections,” Pringle said, adding that the union will oppose the plan.- Traditional federal role -Gutting the Education Department is part of a broader effort by Trump and his tech billionaire advisor Musk to radically trim the US federal government. The administration has already attempted to close down the US humanitarian agency and to put thousands of federal workers on leave. It has also offered buyouts to tens of thousands — efforts that sent shock waves around Washington and that are now being challenged in courts.Traditionally, the federal government has had a limited role in education in the United States, with only about 13 percent of funding for primary and secondary schools coming from federal coffers, according to the NEA, the rest being funded by states and local communities.But federal funding is invaluable for low-income schools and students with special needs.And the federal government has been essential in enforcing key civil rights protections for students, such as the historic 1954 Supreme Court ruling that ended racial segregation in public schools, or a 1990 federal law guaranteeing access to education for students with disabilities.”There’s been a traditional federal role in trying to make sure that the most disadvantaged kids get what they need. And the civil rights enforcement is important,” said Mike Petrilli, president of the Thomas Fordham Institute, a right-leaning think tank.Trump has shown a willingness to use federal power to regulate school policy. Earlier this week he issued an executive order to ban transgender athletes from participating in women’s sports in schools and universities.Lindsey Burke, head of education policy at the conservative Heritage Foundation, hailed Trump’s plan to get rid of the federal department, saying it has failed to improve academic standards, with American students continuing to lag behind their international peers. Burke argues that education decisions must be made at the local level.”Kids in South Carolina are different than kids in California, right? I mean, this is the United States, it’s a vast and diverse country,” said Burke. “It is no service to families to put those dollars in the hands of distant federal bureaucrats who do not know these children’s names or their hopes or dreams or aspirations.”- A question of legality -But putting the education secretary out of a job might be easier said than done.By law, the Education Department can be shut down only by an act of Congress, and most experts agree Trump lacks the votes to do that.”This is mostly a talking point, it’s not going to happen,” said Petrilli. “A few weeks from now, I think this will be in the rearview mirror.”It’s unclear how the Trump administration will proceed with its efforts to dismantle the department. Burke said it might seek to move some of its key units — civil rights enforcement, student loan servicing, statistics — to other agencies.But Kevin Carey, head of education policy at the liberal New America think tank, fears the administration is now in a “strange territory of extralegality” and will not be shy about dismantling the agency one way or another. “I think the question isn’t, ‘Will Congress abolish the Department of Education?’ It won’t. The question is, ‘Will Trump destroy the Department of Education on his own?” Carey told AFP.Trump’s education secretary pick, McMahon, is a former professional wrestling executive with little experience in education — and known for once slapping her daughter during a televised wrestling match.McMahon’s US Senate confirmation hearing is set for Thursday.

Prosecutors will begin to tell a jury Monday how Hadi Matar allegedly staked out the venue where Salman Rushdie was giving a talk before lunging at the “Satanic Verses” author, blinding him in one eye.Matar, a 27-year-old Lebanese-American, is on trial for attempted murder and assault over the August 12, 2022 attack at an arts gathering in western New York state.He is accused of stabbing Rushdie about 10 times, leaving him in grave condition and without sight in his right eye.The Indian-born writer, a naturalized American based in New York, has faced death threats since his 1988 novel “The Satanic Verses” was declared blasphemous by Iran’s supreme leader.Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued a fatwa, or religious edict, in 1989 calling on Muslims anywhere in the world to kill Rushdie.Hezbollah endorsed the fatwa, the FBI has said.Matar had told the New York Post newspaper that he had only read two pages of Rushdie’s novel but believed the author had “attacked Islam.”Rushdie, now 77, suffered stab wounds in the neck and abdomen before attendees and guards could subdue the attacker, later identified by police as Matar.Matar will be tried in Chautauqua County Court, with the world’s media descending on the small town of Mayville to follow the case.The defendant, who has pleaded not guilty to attempted murder, also faces a separate trial for terror charges in federal court.Prosecutors are expected to focus on the mechanics of the brazen attack and the bountiful video and eyewitness evidence, rather than Matar’s ideological motivation, US media have reported.- Proud of ‘Satanic Verses’ -Rushdie lived in seclusion in London for the first decade after the fatwa was issued, but for the past 20 years — until the attack — he lived a relatively normal life in New York.Last year, he published a memoir called “Knife” in which he recounted the near-death experience.”Why didn’t I fight? Why didn’t I run? I just stood there like a pinata and let him smash me,” Rushdie wrote.”It didn’t feel dramatic, or particularly awful. It just felt probable… matter-of-fact.”Tehran denied any link to the attacker — but said only Rushdie was to blame for the incident. Rushdie explained in “Knife” that the attack has not changed his view on his most famous work. “I am proud of the work I’ve done, and that very much includes ‘The Satanic Verses.’ If anyone’s looking for remorse, you can stop reading right here,” he said.Rushdie has said that he did not want to attend the fateful talk, and two days before the incident he had a dream of being attacked by a gladiator with a spear in a Roman amphitheater.”And then I thought, ‘Don’t be silly. It’s a dream,'” he told CBS.

Donald Trump arrived at the Superdome in New Orleans on Sunday, making history as the first sitting US President to attend a Super Bowl.A presidential motorcade whisked Trump to the venue in downtown New Orleans after he jetted in from Florida on Air Force One.Trump appeared briefly on the Superdome field following his arrival, and met with first responders and family members of victims of the January 1 attack in New Orleans that left 14 people dead and dozens wounded. Trump, who began his day by playing golf with Tiger Woods in Florida, heads a galaxy of VIPs and celebrities attending Sunday’s game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles.The US leader’s presence at the game marks a new chapter in what has often been a tense relationship with the NFL, who he has routinely accused of being too progressive. Speaking in a pre-recorded interview with Fox before Sunday’s showpiece, Trump said his decision to attend the Super Bowl was for the good of the country.”I thought it would be a good thing for the country to have the president be at the game,” Trump told Fox. “It’s an iconic day. It’s going to be a great game, two great teams, and let’s see what happens,” Trump said, revealing that he was tipping Kansas City for victory, citing the record of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who is eyeing his fourth Super Bowl win.In a separate message issued by the White House earlier Sunday, Trump said the Super Bowl was an opportunity for a divided nation to come together.”Football is America’s most popular sport — for good reason — it fosters a sense of national unity, bringing families, friends, and fans together and strengthening communities,” Trump said. “This annual tradition transcends our differences and personifies our shared patriotic values of family, faith, and freedom,” added Trump.The US president was a staunch critic of the NFL during his first term and sparked uproar in 2017 by disparaging players who kneeled during the playing of the US national anthem in protest at racial injustice.Players at this year’s Super Bowl have broadly welcomed his attendance, with Kansas City Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes saying it will be “cool” to play in front of Trump.Fans also appeared to welcome Trump’s decision to attend the Super Bowl, with some crowding around television monitors at the venue to watch his pre-game interview.”I think it is awesome, congratulations to him for being the first president to make it,” Bob Benderovich, a Philadelphia Eagles fan from Fort Myers, told AFP.While some fans expressed hope that Trump would not seek to politicize the occasion, others were indifferent.”He can do what he wants,” said Philadelphia fan Cal Johnson. “This is the Eagles game, it’s the Eagles v Chiefs and we came down for that.”Cole Champagne, a Kansas City Chiefs fan from Lafayette, Louisiana, also applauded Trump’s attendance.”It’s pretty cool, I didn’t realize that it’s the first sitting president to attend the Super Bowl — so that’s pretty cool and I feel like that makes it mean a little more,” Champagne told AFP.Trump will not be present to watch the climax of Sunday’s game. According to a White House schedule released earlier Sunday, he will leave the Superdome at around 8.05pm local time, well before the game is decided.