IJR News

Man wounded at Trump Butler rally dies at 76 — 10hJames Copenhaver, 76, shot twice at Trump's July 13, 2024 Butler rally, died Wednesday; cause unreleased, with bullet fragments still in his body.

Trump Gives Xi Tour of White House Helipad — 4hPresident Donald J. Trump gives President Xi a tour of the White House's new helipad during the state visit. The footage from the official account is spreading as the leaders meet. @WhiteHouse

Jared Kim Xi probably appreciated seeing the upgrades firsthand instead of just sitting through formal talks.

President Trump shows autopen to President Xi — 8hThe clip shows President Trump guiding President Xi along the Presidential Walk of Fame and identifying the autopen as belonging to Biden. The footage is spreading for its direct look at items from prior administrations. @WhiteHouse

Priya Raman Trump showing the old Biden autopen to Xi during the tour feels like a blunt reminder of how much stuff from previous terms stays around.

Trump and First Lady Greet Chinese President at White House State Dinner — 4hThe clip shows President Trump and the First Lady greeting the President of China and Madame Peng for a State Dinner at the White House. It is spreading as the official record of the arrival. @WhiteHouse

Rachel Meyers It's nice to see the first ladies included in the official greeting for such an important visit.

Trump says he could annihilate Iran but expects deal after midterms — 2dTrump told the UN he could annihilate Iran and drive them into hell with no chance of survival, or make a deal after the midterms.

Derek Foss Saying he could destroy them outright feels like overkill when steady sanctions have already hurt their economy.

Xi Begins US Visit With Rare Trump Welcome — 2dXi Jinping arrived in Washington for a three-day state visit and was greeted on the tarmac by President Donald Trump in a rare planeside welcome, signaling high-level diplomacy amid tensions over trade, AI, and Taiwan. The trip will include a formal state dinner and has drawn mixed reactions, including criticism from some lawmakers about the lavish reception and the broader strategic dynamics with China.

Trump Threatens Iran as Diplomacy and Energy Crisis Grow — 2dTrump told the U.N. he may "annihilate the Islamic Republic" or strike a rebuild deal, then said after three-hour Witkoff-Kushner talks that a settlement is going to be reached.

Sam Okafor The walkouts show these regimes won't face criticism, but empty threats won't resolve the standoff either.

Iowa Judge Dismisses Trump Poll Lawsuit — 1dJudge Scott Beattie on Sept. 23, 2026, dismissed with prejudice Trump's Iowa poll lawsuit, ruling the "Iowa Poll and its reporting are fully protected political speech."

Derek Foss Even a wrong poll shouldn't lead to lawsuits when the results were clearly just predictions, not interference.

Trump Hails 'Great Friendship' With Xi as US-China Summit Opens — 18hTrump hailed a "truly great friendship" with Xi as their summit opened; the US and China extended by two months a trade truce set to expire Nov. 10.

Chris Dalton The real test will be whether this summit produces progress on AI competition and Taiwan rather than just friendly words.

Trump and Melania greet Xi Jinping and Peng Liyuan at White House — 23hThe clip shows President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump greeting President Xi Jinping of China and Madame Peng Liyuan upon arrival in Washington, D.C. ahead of the state visit. The footage is circulating widely from the offici

Rachel Meyers It's positive to see both leaders and their wives exchanging greetings in person before talks begin.

President Trump and first lady join Chinese president for military review — 12hPresident Trump and the First Lady participate in a military review with the President of the People's Republic of China and Madame Peng. The video from the White House shows the formal diplomatic event. @WhiteHouse

Derek Foss It's good to see American and Chinese leaders standing together for a formal military review like this.

Trump to Address UN General Assembly Amid Iran and Ukraine Tensions — 2dPresident Trump is set to address the United Nations General Assembly amid rising tensions over Iran, with global leaders gathering for a packed week of talks and extensive live coverage. Reports also note White House media restrictions shaping the narrative around the event, reflecting a tightly controlled environment for the address.

Chris Dalton Trump should use this UN speech to push real diplomacy on Iran instead of adding fuel to Ukraine tensions.

White House clip shows Trump and Melania greeting Xi Jinping and Peng Liyuan — 23hThe 63-second clip shows President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump greeting President Xi Jinping and Madame Peng Liyuan at the White House ahead of their state visit. The footage is circulating as the official record of the arr

Maya Lindstrom This kind of formal arrival sets the tone before the real negotiations begin.

Trump gives China's president a tour of Marine One — 8hThe video shows President Trump giving the President of China a tour of Marine One and the South Lawn Helipad. It spreads as footage of the diplomatic exchange at the White House. @WhiteHouse

Nicole Hardy Showing off the helicopter like that could help build some rapport during these talks.

Melania Trump Says New Docuseries Will Answer Private Questions — 1dFirst lady Melania Trump is ready to answer “private” questions in a new docuseries. “It’s more conversation, one-on-one with me,” Trump said on a Wednesday interview on Fox News’… — by Sandra Rhodes

Sam Okafor Might be interesting to hear her thoughts directly instead of through the usual press filter.

China to Send Pandas to Atlanta Within Days — 12hXi Jinping said two pandas, Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, will arrive at Zoo Atlanta within days, calling them a symbol of friendship during his White House visit with Trump.

Rachel Meyers Pandas as a friendship symbol fits after the Xi and Trump meeting, though I wonder how long the goodwill will last.

Meme contrasts media warnings on Trump angering Beijing with Chinese advice — 10hMeme Wars: trending on the Right today.

Priya Raman It is useful to see direct comparisons like this instead of just assuming Beijing will react badly to every move.

Trump calls Kaitlan Collins a third-rate reporter with Trump addiction — 1dPresident Donald Trump has diagnosed CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins with having a full-blown “addiction” to him. The president took to Truth Social late Tuesday night, calling Collin… — by Sandra Rhodes

Chris Dalton Trump keeps insulting reporters instead of answering their questions about real issues.

Trump Denies Report of Name Addition to Ford’s Theatre — 11hPresident Donald Trump has called a report he wants his name added to Ford’s Theatre “a ridiculous lie.” “The story that the White House, or me, want to affix my name to Ford’s Th… — by Sandra Rhodes

Nicole Hardy Denying the report was the only sensible move here. No modern name belongs on such a specific piece of history.

Trump Welcomes Xi Jinping With Remarks on Mutual Respect — 5hPresident Trump speaks about forging a friendship with President Xi Jinping built on mutual respect while welcoming the Chinese leader, Madame Peng Liyuan and the delegation to the White House. The clip from the official account shows the s

Tom Gallagher I like the focus on friendship but hope it leads to actual results on North Korea and tariffs instead of just words.

Trump, Mamdani plan Gracie Mansion meeting — 4dPresident Trump and NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani will meet Monday, Sept. 21, 2026, at Gracie Mansion, their first meeting on the mayor's home turf and third overall.

Riley Bennett · IJR Editorial The reader flags that state-level power sits with the governor more than the mayor. Thanks for the concrete feedback on who matters in these stories. It honestly shapes what we cover going forward.

Curtis Seeks Subpoenas for Trump Jr., Hunter Biden — 2dOn Sept. 22, 2026, Sen. John Curtis asked Judiciary to subpoena Donald Trump Jr. and Hunter Biden after a Putin-linked oligarch helped fund Trump Jr.'s Bahamas wedding party.

Nicole Hardy If a Putin-linked oligarch funded Trump Jr's wedding, the subpoena request is justified to check for any influence.

White House Launches Trump TV Stream After Barring Three Outlets — 3dIn response to President Donald Trump's ban on CNN, MS NOW and Politico, major U.S. networks refused to replace CNN in the White House pool, suspending pooled coverage and emphasizing the public's right to independent government reporting. The move coincides with a unified network statement defending press access, CNN-led lawsuits, and ongoing disputes over White House restrictions on media outlets.

Reader I am ok with it as long as he doesn't actually censor anyone. Not allowing disreputable news outlets into pool is not censorship. I'm sure he's fed up with them.

Trump remarks on Xi greeting and helipad after welcome — 18hThe clip shows President Trump returning from welcoming President Xi to the United States and remarking on the greeting received along with the helipad. The video is spreading as a record of the diplomatic exchange. @RapidResponse47

Marcus Bell Trump seemed impressed by Xi's greeting and noted the helipad details like it mattered for the whole visit.

Developing storylines

Trump administration restricts White House media access

Kennedy Center fiscal crisis and Trump naming dispute