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Europe must strive to lead in the AI race, top officials urged Tuesday at a summit focused on propelling the region to the forefront of the digital era and reducing its reliance on US tech titans.As the Berlin gathering got underway, the EU also announced that Amazon and Microsoft cloud services could face stricter competition rules in the bloc as Brussels probes their market power.The summit brought together leaders from Europe’s tech sector, and was to be addressed by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron later Tuesday.”Europe’s goal is very simple: we want to lead, not follow, on AI and frontier technologies,” European Commission digital chief Henna Virkkunen told the opening of the event.”We have the market, we have the talent, we have the ambition. Now we must deliver scale in investment, innovation and uptake.”Europe is responding to calls to blaze its own digital path and take steps to catch up in the AI race against China and the United States.Concerns about US tech dominance have also grown as ties with Washington become increasingly uneasy under the “America First” administration of Donald Trump.Despite the US-Europe tensions, a senior official from the French presidency said the summit was not about “confrontation” with the United States or even China, but rather protecting “our core sovereignty”.- ‘Become a creator’ -Arthur Mensch, CEO of French AI firm Mistral, told a panel at the summit that he had helped found the company as “we didn’t want Europe to become an AI colony, and it was starting to look a bit like this in 2023″.But European regulations needed to be better designed to help local companies, added Christian Klein, chief executive of German software giant SAP.”You need a framework here in Europe where you can build your business, where you can thrive,” he said.His comments came a day before the EU was set to propose a rollback of its rules on AI and data protection — a move welcomed by businesses, but criticised by privacy advocates.Virkkunen also announced the move against Amazon and Microsoft cloud services in Berlin, saying that twin investigations aim to assess whether the tech giants “should be designated as the gatekeepers on cloud computing”.The European Commission, the bloc’s digital regulator, said it will investigate whether Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft’s Azure should come under the scope of the Digital Markets Act (DMA).Efforts to build up “sovereign” EU cloud computing capabilities, which proponents argue would better protect Europeans’ data, were also being discussed in Berlin.Digital ministers from across Europe, as well as CEOs of tech firms like France’s Mistral and Germany’s SAP, were attending, and announcements on new digital initiatives were expected.- ‘Protect sovereignty’ -After giving their keynote addresses, Merz and Macron were to dine with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.As well as worrying about US dependence, Europe has long-standing concerns about reliance on firms in China and other parts of Asia for hardware, from semiconductors to laptop components.But the continent faces an uphill battle to switch supply chains from foreign companies in the digital realm.The region is struggling after a period of prolonged economic weakness and its tech firms remain far smaller than their US rivals.As of last year, the continent’s data centres — crucial for AI — had computing capacity of just 16 gigawatts, compared with 48 in the US and 38 in China, according to a recent study by German digital business association Bitkom.But Klein of SAP struck an upbeat note.”We have our own industries that we are good at,” he said.”Let’s apply AI in these battlegrounds, then Europe has a bright future.”

Amazon and Microsoft cloud services could face stricter EU competition rules as Brussels probes their market power, the bloc’s tech chief said Tuesday.Twin investigations aim to assess whether the tech giants “should be designated as the gatekeepers on cloud computing,” Henna Virkkunen said at a summit in Berlin focused on the push for greater European digital sovereignty.The European Commission, the bloc’s digital regulator, said it will investigate whether Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft’s Azure should come under the scope of the Digital Markets Act (DMA).In a statement it said it would analyse whether the two “act as important gateways between businesses and consumers, despite not meeting the DMA gatekeeper thresholds for size, user number and market position”.The commission will seek to conclude the investigations within a year, it added. “We’re confident that when the European Commission considers the facts, it will recognise what we all see – the cloud computing sector is extremely dynamic, with companies enjoying lots of choice, unprecedented innovation opportunity, and low costs, and that designating cloud providers as gatekeepers isn’t worth the risks of stifling invention or raising costs for European companies,” an AWS spokesperson said.Brussels announced it would also open a third probe to find out whether it needs to update the DMA to make sure it “can effectively tackle practices that may limit competitiveness and fairness in the cloud computing sector in the EU”.The DMA is part of the European Union’s bolstered legal armoury that seeks to make the digital sphere fairer with a list of do’s and don’ts for Big Tech.For example, tech titans must offer users the possibility to choose between different web browsers and search engines, via so-called “choice screens”. The law gives the EU the power to impose fines of up to 10 percent of a company’s total global turnover.Brussels had been under pressure to include the probed services under the bill’s scope because of the dominance of US cloud providers, which hold around two thirds of market share in the 27-nation bloc.AWS leads the cloud computing market, followed closely by Microsoft Azure, with Google Cloud in third place. Google is not under investigation by the EU.There has also been growing concern after a raft of outages in recent months.In October Microsoft cloud clients experienced widespread service disruptions. Among them was Alaska Airlines, whose customers were unable to check in.That came after Amazon cloud troubles last month forced popular services ranging from streaming platforms to messaging apps offline for hours.Amazon and Microsoft already face stricter rules for their other services including Amazon Marketplace and Microsoft’s LinkedIn platform.

President Donald Trump said Monday he will talk to Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro, as Washington’s military buildup stokes tensions, and added that he would be “OK” with US anti-drug strikes inside Mexico.Trump has dramatically increased the number of US forces in the Caribbean region to tackle what he calls drug traffickers based in a number of Latin American countries including Venezuela and Mexico.”At a certain period of time, I’ll be talking to him,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office when asked if he would speak to Maduro, while adding that the Venezuelan president “has not been good to the United States.”Asked if he would rule out US troops on the ground in Venezuela, Trump replied: “No, I don’t rule out that, I don’t rule out anything.”We just have to take care of Venezuela,” he added. “They dumped hundreds of thousands of people into our country from prisons.” Hours later, Maduro said on his weekly television show that he was ready to talk “face to face” with anyone in the United States “who wants to talk to Venezuela.”A contingent of US Marines is currently conducting military exercises in Trinidad and Tobago, the second such maneuvers in less than a month between Washington and the small English-speaking archipelago located about 10 kilometers (six miles) from the Venezuelan coast.But Trinidad and Tobago’s leader said Monday that the small island nation would not allow its territory to be used to attack Venezuela, nor was it ever asked to.”The US has NEVER requested use of our territory to launch any attacks against the people of Venezuela,” said Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, a close Trump ally, in a WhatsApp message to AFP.”Trinidad and Tobago will not participate in any act that could harm the Venezuelan people,” she added, emphasizing that Washington and Caracas should resolve their differences through dialogue.Venezuela has accused Washington of seeking regime change in Caracas with its military build-up including an aircraft carrier group, warships and several stealth jets.Washington accuses Maduro of leading a “terrorist” drug cartel, a charge he denies.Since September, US forces have killed at least 83 people via air strikes on boats accused of ferrying drugs in international waters, according to an AFP tally of publicly released figures.The United States has released no details to back up its claims that the people targeted in both the Caribbean and eastern Pacific in the more than 20 strikes were actually traffickers.- ‘OK with me’ -Trump has also accused Mexico of failing to tackle drug trafficking groups, and stepped up his rhetoric towards the United States’s southern neighbor.”Would I launch strikes in Mexico to stop drugs? It’s OK with me. Whatever we have to do to stop drugs,” Trump said when asked by reporters at the White House whether he would sanction a US counter-drug operation in Mexico.”I didn’t say I’m doing it, but I’d be proud to do it. Because we’re going to save millions of lives by doing it.”Since August, Washington has maintained a significant military presence in the Caribbean, including half a dozen warships, officially to combat drug trafficking destined for the United States.

President Donald Trump on Monday unveiled special fast-track visas for people with tickets to the 2026 World Cup — but his administration warned it was no guarantee of entry to the United States.The United States has promised a seamless experience for next year’s tournament despite concerns that Trump’s border crackdown could hurt fans.”For those who intend to join us for the World Cup, I strongly encourage you to apply right away,” Trump said as he announced the scheme in the Oval Office with Gianni Infantino, the boss of global soccer body FIFA.Infantino — who has repeatedly appeared at Trump’s side since the Republican’s return to the White House in January — said the so-called “FIFA Pass” was a “very important announcement.””If you have a ticket for the World Cup, you can have a prioritized appointment to get your visa,” Infantino said.”We’ll have between five and 10 million people coming to America from from all over the world to enjoy the World Cup, and with this FIFA pass, we can make sure that those who buy a ticket, that are legitimate football fans or soccer fans, they can come and attend the World Cup in the best conditions.” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio however issued a warning to those hoping to come for the tournament.”Your ticket is not a visa,” Rubio said at the announcement. “It doesn’t guarantee admission to the US. It guarantees you an expedited appointment, you’re still going to go through the same vetting.”Rubio said ticket holders would get an interview within six to eight weeks under the plan but urged people to act now. “Don’t wait till the last minute,” he said.Trump has made the World Cup a centerpiece event of both his second presidency and the 250th anniversary of US independence next year.But the giant sporting extravaganza has not escaped the political turmoil caused by Trump’s hardline stance on a host of issues.Trump has raised the possibility of moving games from certain host cities amid a crackdown on what he says is crime and migration in some Democratic-run cities.The draw for the World Cup is due to take place in Washington on December 5.FIFA will present a new peace prize on the same day, with widespread speculation that it it could go to Trump.

The UN Security Council voted Monday in favor of a US-drafted resolution bolstering Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan that includes the deployment of an international force and a path to a future Palestinian state.There were 13 votes in favor of the text, which US President Trump claimed would lead to “further Peace all over the World,” with only Russia and China abstaining — but no vetoes.Trump posted on social media that the vote “acknowledging and endorsing the BOARD OF PEACE, which will be chaired by me…will go down as one of the biggest approvals in the History of the United Nations, (and) will lead to further Peace all over the World.”US ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz said after the vote that “today’s resolution represents another significant step that will enable Gaza to prosper and an environment that will allow Israel to live in security.”But Hamas, which is excluded by the resolution from any governance role in Gaza, said the resolution did not meet Palestinians’ “political and humanitarian demands and rights.”The text, which was revised several times as a result of high-stakes negotiations, “endorses” the US president’s plan, which allowed for a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas to take hold on October 10 in the war-wracked Palestinian territory.The Gaza Strip has been largely reduced to rubble after two years of fighting, sparked by Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.The peace plan authorizes the creation of an International Stabilization Force (ISF) that would work with Israel and Egypt and newly trained Palestinian police to help secure border areas and demilitarize the Gaza Strip.The ISF is mandated to work on the “permanent decommissioning of weapons from non-state armed groups,” protecting civilians and securing humanitarian aid corridors.- Palestinian statehood pathway -It also authorizes the formation of a “Board of Peace,” a transitional governing body for Gaza — which Trump would theoretically chair — with a mandate running until the end of 2027.In convoluted language, the resolution does mention a possible future Palestinian state.Once the Palestinian Authority has carried out requested reforms and the rebuilding of Gaza is underway, “the conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood,” the text says.That eventuality has been firmly rejected by Israel.The resolution also calls for the resumption of humanitarian aid deliveries at scale through the UN, ICRC and Red Crescent.”We must also substantially step up our work to support the UN humanitarian effort. That requires opening all crossings and ensuring that aid agencies and international NGOs can operate without obstruction,” said a British ambassador to the UN, James Kariuki.Israeli ambassador to the UN Danny Danon said ahead of the vote that the resolution would “make sure that Hamas will not pose a threat against Israel anymore.”Veto-wielding Russia circulated a competing draft, saying the US document does not go far enough towards backing the creation of a Palestinian state.Moscow’s text, seen by AFP, asked the Council to express its “unwavering commitment to the vision of the two-state solution.”It would not have authorized a Board of Peace or the deployment of an international force for the time being, instead asking UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to offer “options” on those issues.”Security Council members were, in practice, not given the time to do the work in good faith,” Moscow’s ambassador Vasily Nebenzya said.”The US document is yet another pig in a poke. In essence, the Council is giving its blessing to a US initiative on the basis of Washington’s promises, giving complete control over the Gaza strip to the Board of Peace.” The US won the backing of several Arab and Muslim-majority nations, publishing a joint statement of support for the text signed by Qatar, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Jordan, and Turkey.

COP30 hosts Brazil on Monday extended negotiations into the night at the UN climate talks as they pushed for a rapid compromise among countries very much at deep odds. Following a difficult first week, Brazil set a deadline for nations to finalize “a significant part” of the negotiations by Tuesday evening for approval the following day.”It’s super difficult as you know… but all involved thought that it’s worth a try” said COP30 President Andre Correa do Lago in the rainforest city of Belem where the talks are underway.Sleepless nights are assured, with Correa do Lago extending the program so negotiators were “able to continue working at night.”They have their work cut out.No progress has been made to reconcile differences over weak climate commitments, insufficient financial pledges and trade measures.China and India are leading a push for COP30 to adopt a decision against unilateral trade barriers, singling out the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) for attack.Tested since 2023 and set to become fully operational in 2026, CBAM targets imports of carbon-intensive goods such as steel, aluminum, cement, fertilizers, electricity and hydrogen.The head of China’s COP30 delegation, Li Gao, told AFP last week that nations should “avoid the negative impact of, for example, geopolitical unilateralism or protectionism.”But the EU’s climate commissioner, Wopke Hoekstra, hit back at attacks over the bloc’s flagship policy and defended carbon pricing as “something that we need”.”We’re not going to be lured into the suggestion that actually CBAM is a unilateral trade measure. And in that realm, we’re also not going to discuss it,” Hoekstra said in a news conference.EU and Chinese officials were due to hold talks later Monday.- Sleepless in Belem -UN climate chief Simon Stiell urged negotiators to tackle “the hardest issues fast” to avoid going into overtime at the summit’s close on Friday.”When these issues get pushed deep into extra time, everybody loses. We absolutely cannot afford to waste time on tactical delays or stonewalling,” he said.The COP30 presidency published a memo Sunday evening summarizing the divergent viewpoints and proposing options.Money is again at the heart of the negotiations, after last year’s summit in Baku ended with an agreement for developed countries to provide $300 billion annually in climate finance to poorer nations — a figure criticized as greatly insufficient.Developing countries, especially from Africa, want COP30 to point the finger at developed nations for falling short on providing financing to help adapt to climate change and cut emissions.Another divisive issue was a push by island states — backed by Latin American nations and the EU — for COP30 to respond to the latest projections showing the world will fail to limit warming to 1.5C.But major emerging countries, from China to Saudi Arabia, are wary of any text that implies they are not doing enough to curb climate change.”For Small Island Developing States, 1.5C is not a political slogan. It is a non-negotiable survival threshold for our people, our culture, and our livelihoods,” said Steven Victor, the environment minister of Palau, which is chairing the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS).- Fossil fight -Victor told fellow ministers that AOSIS was disappointed over a lack of progress since nations agreed in 2023 at COP28 in Dubai to transition away from fossil fuels.Host nation Brazil wants COP30 to send an ambitious signal on fossil fuels, but it remains unclear what form this might take.Even supporters are doubtful that stronger language on fossil fuels could be agreed by all countries at COP30 given fierce opposition from major oil-producing nations, among others.”At the end of the day… it’s about phasing out fossil fuels if we are to solve this problem,” a delegate from a European country supportive of Brazil’s fossil fuel push told AFP.”They are not talking about it in the negotiating rooms. Someone has to do something about it.” Brazil’s Vice President Geraldo Alckmin urged ministers on Monday to agree to “integrated action plans” for transitioning away from fossil fuels.Alckmin said President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva might come to Belem this week, which would be “extremely positive.””Brazil is committed to combating climate change,” he said.ia-ico-alb-lth-np/bjt

Ecuador’s Donald Trump-aligned President Daniel Noboa was dealt a major blow Sunday by voters who spurned his plans for a return of foreign military bases to the country battling rampant cartel violence.Despite opinion polls projecting a comfortable referendum victory for the millennial president, Ecuadorans roundly rejected all four of his proposals.Besides an overwhelming “No” to overturning a ban on foreign military bases, voters also shot down proposals to end public funding for political parties, to reduce the number of lawmakers, and to draft a new constitution. Analysts say Noboa was unable to convince the electorate that his ideas were the best way to deal with what is a very real problem of sky-high crime and murder rates.- ‘They don’t care’ -Noboa last year deployed the military to Ecuador’s crime-riddled prisons and streets, and raised taxes to fund his war on drug gangs — also a major focus of US President Trump.Seeking to boost cooperation with Washington, which has been carrying out deadly strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean and Pacific, Noboa proposed reopening a US base at Manta on the Pacific coast.But voters told AFP this was not a problem for the United States to solve.”Does the United States care if our children are robbed on the street? They don’t care,” said Daniela Cordova, a 44-year-old university employee who voted “No” in the referendum.Security “does not depend on a constitution or on military bases”, she added.Political scientist Santiago Cahuasqui from Quito’s Universidad Hemisferios said voters punished Noboa for “grandiose communication that is completely divorced from reality.””There hasn’t been a single result” from Noboa’s heavily-publicized anti-crime campaign, said Andres Delgado, a 23-year-old university student. “In fact, insecurity is getting worse.” He also voted “No.”Ecuadoran security expert Michelle Maffei said it was a mistake to focus on military solutions without the existence of “crime prevention programs or programs to strengthen institutions” that investigate money laundering and other offenses linked to drug trafficking.- ‘Fear of change’  -Presidential spokeswoman Carolina Jaramillo on Monday blamed “a deep fear of change” for Noboa’s referendum defeat.But voters and analysts told AFP it was more a fear of losing rights to a president who has proposed chemical castration for rapists and intelligence operations that require no warrants.”My ‘No’ vote was a rejection of the government for being dictatorial,” said Ximena Martinez, a 29-year-old vendor in Manta.”Why would he (Noboa) bring US military personnel back to Manta after the abuses they committed here?” asked Martinez, referring to reports by rights groups that the base was used in the past as a launchpad for strikes on boats transporting drugs or migrants. Or sometimes fishermen.Ecuadorans “are punishing Noboa’s authoritarian drive,” added Cahuasqui, the political scientist. – Indigenous ‘repression’ -A military crackdown on recent Indigenous protests against the elimination of a diesel subsidy also seemed to have turned the mood against Noboa.In Imbabura province, where Indigenous protesters blocking roads clashed with security forces — leaving at least two dead — more than two-thirds of the population voted “No” to the referendum’s four questions.Norma Navarro, a 73-year-old retiree, said her rejection was informed by “the brutal repression of the Indigenous people.””That’s what hurt me the most,” she told AFP.

A federal judge said Monday that potential government misconduct and investigative missteps could be grounds for dismissal of the criminal case against former FBI chief James Comey, a prominent foe of President Donald Trump.Comey, 64, is one of three vocal Trump critics indicted recently in what has been widely seen as a campaign of retribution against the president’s political opponents.Comey has pleaded not guilty to charges of making false statements to Congress and obstructing a congressional proceeding.Magistrate Judge William Fitzpatrick, in a blistering 24-page opinion, ordered prosecutors in an extraordinary move to hand over grand jury materials in the case against Comey to his defense team.”The Court recognizes that the relief sought by the defense is rarely granted,” Fitzpatrick said.”However, the record points to a disturbing pattern of profound investigative missteps, missteps that led an FBI agent and a prosecutor to potentially undermine the integrity of the grand jury proceeding.”The judge said the US district attorney who brought the case against Comey — a prosecutor handpicked by Trump — had made “fundamental misstatements of the law that could compromise the integrity of the grand jury process.””Irregularities that occurred before the grand jury, and the manner in which evidence presented to the grand jury was collected and used, may rise to the level of government misconduct resulting in prejudice to Mr Comey,” he said.Grounds may exist to dismiss the indictment because of the handling of grand jury proceedings by the prosecution, the judge said.- ‘Vindictive’ -Comey has filed a separate motion seeking to have the charges thrown out on the grounds they are motivated by the “personal spite” of Trump and constitute a “vindictive and selective prosecution.”New York Attorney General Letitia James, who has also been indicted by the Trump Justice Department, has sought to have her case tossed on the same basis.James, who successfully prosecuted Trump for business fraud, has been indicted in Virginia on one count of bank fraud and a second count of making false statements to a financial institution.Another Trump critic, his former national security advisor John Bolton, has been indicted on 18 counts of transmitting and retaining classified information.Comey was appointed to head the FBI by then-president Barack Obama in 2013 and was fired by Trump in 2017.The charges against Comey came days after Trump publicly urged Attorney General Pam Bondi to take action against the former FBI director and others he sees as enemies — a stunning departure from the principle that the Justice Department must be free from White House pressure.The 79-year-old Trump — the first convicted felon to serve as US president — hailed the indictment, calling Comey “one of the worst human beings this country has ever been exposed to.”Since taking office in January, Trump has taken a number of punitive measures against perceived enemies, purging government officials he deemed to be disloyal, targeting law firms involved in past cases against him and pulling federal funding from universities.

President Donald Trump said Monday he will talk to Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro as Washington’s military buildup stokes tensions, and added that he would be “OK” with US anti-drug strikes inside Mexico. Trump has dramatically increased the number of US forces in the Caribbean to tackle what he calls drug traffickers based in a number of Latin American countries including Venezuela and Mexico.”At a certain period of time, I’ll be talking to him,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office when asked if he would speak to Maduro, while adding that the Venezuelan president “has not been good to the United States.”Asked if he would rule out US troops on the ground in Venezuela, Trump replied: “No I don’t rule out that, I don’t rule out anything.”We just have to take care of Venezuela,” he added. “They dumped hundreds of thousands of people into our country from prisons.”Venezuela has accused Washington of seeking regime change in Caracas with its military build-up including an aircraft carrier group, warships and several stealth jets.Washington accuses of Maduro of leading a “terrorist” drug cartel, a charge he denies.But Trump has also accused Mexico of failing to tackle drug trafficking groups, and stepped up his rhetoric towards the United States’s southern neighbor.”Would I launch strikes in Mexico to stop drugs? It’s OK with me. Whatever we have to do to stop drugs,” Trump said when asked by reporters at the White House whether he would sanction a US counter-drug operation in Mexico.”I didn’t say I’m doing it, but I’d be proud to do it. Because we’re going to save millions of lives by doing it.”

Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement is showing the first signs of turning on its creator. Could it be a Frankenstein moment for the US president?During the course of one frenetic weekend, Trump disowned former MAGA cheerleader Marjorie Taylor Greene and performed a screeching U-turn on the Jeffrey Epstein files.Trump’s meltdown underscores the cracks that have opened in between the right-wing movement and the billionaire founder who has for years ruled it with an iron fist.The turmoil has also punctured the aura of invincibility that Trump and the White House have sought to cultivate since his return to power — raising questions about whether Trump has created a Frankenstein-like monster he can no longer control.”MAGA was my idea,” he protested in an interview with Fox News last week — itself notable as normally pro-Trump host Laura Ingraham confronted him on whether visas for foreign students were “pro-MAGA.””I know what MAGA wants better than anybody else.” – ‘Not America First’ -Not long ago, Marjorie Taylor Greene was perhaps Trump’s biggest booster.As recently as March, the Republican firebrand from Georgia was pictured sporting a red a “Trump Was Right About Everything” baseball cap as the president addressed Congress.But fast forward eight months, and Trump raged that he was no longer backing his once diehard supporter, dubbing her “Marjorie Traitor Greene.” The split came after Greene distanced herself on a host of issues that she shares with other discontented MAGA faithful: affordability, healthcare, Israel, visas for foreign workers and students, and Trump’s focus on foreign policy.Greene hit back, saying on Sunday that Trump’s words had “put my life in danger” and insisting that “I remain America First and America Only!!!”She also highlighted another key issue. “Unfortunately, it has all come down to the Epstein files, and that is shocking,” she told CNN.- ‘Nothing to hide’ -The scandal over the disgraced financier’s sexual abuse has become a seismic fault line for the MAGA movement.In an astonishing reversal on Sunday, Trump suddenly called on Republicans to support a vote in the US House to release files from the investigation into Epstein, saying “we have nothing to hide.” He had previously called on rebels like Greene and fellow MAGA lawmaker Lauren Boebert not to fall into the “trap” of voting for it.Far from any change of heart, however, Trump’s turnaround appeared to be a way of avoiding what would have been the biggest political defeat of his second term so far.Yet the pressure from the issue — which distracted from Trump’s victory lap in ending a record US government shutdown — is unlikely to go away. Anger had already been brewing in the MAGA ranks for months.Conspiracy-minded MAGA faithful were long told by Trump’s supporters that the scandal was a Democratic cover-up — only for Trump’s Justice Department to say in July that effectively there was nothing new in the files.- 2028 looms -Rumbles of MAGA discontent have been growing on other subjects too. The loudest complaints came after Republicans were hammered on the cost of living in off-year elections earlier this month.Sensing trouble, Trump has responded by planning a series of speeches about the economy, including one to a summit hosted by fast food giant McDonald’s on Monday.MAGA ranks have also been split over US media star Tucker Carlson interviewing open white nationalist Nick Fuentes. Key right-wingers were outraged — even as Trump insisted on Sunday that “you can’t tell him who to interview.”While Trump still commands fierce loyalty among many supporters, the splits are only likely to deepen as he enters the lame duck phase of his final term.Eyes are already turning to 2028 — and the battle to be Trump’s true MAGA political heir.Trump’s vice president JD Vance is widely considered the frontrunner, but is viewed in parts of the US right as insufficiently committed to the movement.Could it leave an opportunity for Greene? She has denied any thought of a presidential run — but stranger things have happened in US politics.