President Donald Trump announced on October 19th, 2025, that the U.S. will cease aid payments to Colombia, a long-standing ally, due to the country's continued drug production, according to The Wall Street Journal. In a separate development, Senator JD Vance is slated to lead a U.S. delegation to Israel this week as the Trump administration moves forward with the second phase of its ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, sources familiar with the plans told Alayna Treene. Administration officials are reportedly struggling to direct funds as promised by Trump and his team, particularly concerning tariff revenue, despite a widespread but mistaken notion that this revenue has been used to keep parts of the government operational. Politico reported that the White House has limited power to allocate these funds without congressional direction. Meanwhile, Senator Katie Britt (R-AL) stated on Face the Nation that millions more people will be able to afford IVF treatments following President Trump's negotiation of lower prices for a key IVF component, and indicated that Congress will continue to work on making IVF more accessible. Amidst an ongoing government shutdown, House Speaker Johnson stated that Democrats have voted 11 times to block efforts to end it, attributing the situation to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer's actions and the necessity of triaging federal spending. Conversely, Democratic Representative Olszewski expressed that there is unfortunately no active dialogue between Democrats and Republicans to resolve the shutdown, highlighting the struggles of federal workers and the lack of vital services for the American public. Former Representative George Santos, recently released from prison following a commutation from President Trump, stated on October 19th, 2025, that he is not ruling out a future return to Congress or other public platforms. In international relations, Nvidia's CEO indicated that the company is "100% out of China," having lost its previous 95% market share there, and questioned the wisdom of such a policy. On October 19th, 2025, President Trump also published a video titled "How Trumpism Outlasts Trump." Separately, a request was made via X for a reporter to ask President Trump why he posted an AI video depicting him dropping feces on someone from a fighter jet. A new link experience is being tested on X for iOS to improve user engagement with posts containing links, allowing users to react while browsing. In previous reporting from October 19th, 2025, the FBI was investigating a suspicious hunting stand discovered by the Secret Service with a direct line of sight to President Donald Trump's Air Force One exit route at Palm Beach International Airport. FBI Director Kash Patel stated that no individuals were found at the stand and that the FBI is collecting evidence. The U.S. Department of Defense had also confirmed a lethal kinetic strike on October 17th, directed by President Trump, against an ELN vessel involved in illicit narcotics smuggling in international waters, resulting in three deaths.
