President Donald Trump announced this afternoon, September 23rd, 2025, that he has decided no meeting with Congressional Democratic leaders will be productive due to what he termed "unserious and ridiculous demands." This decision comes amid ongoing discussions about a short-term, clean continuing resolution (CR). Meanwhile, Kari Lake's deposition transcript in a lawsuit over the dismantling of the Voice of America (VOA) began with her refusal to state whether she lost elections for Senate and governor, according to reports from X users @kyledcheney and @neoavatara. In other political developments, House Speaker Mike Johnson stated he and Senator John Thune would attend any meeting between Trump, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, but expressed uncertainty about its necessity. Johnson characterized the Democrats' demands as "wild partisan demands" aimed at making a "mockery" of the CR process. Senator Marco Rubio, when asked by NBC if the U.S. misread President Putin's intentions in Alaska, responded that U.S. intentions have always been clear regarding Russia's aims in regions like Donetsk. Rubio also commented on sanctions, noting that some European countries continue to purchase large amounts of Russian oil and natural gas, which he described as "absurd," and urged them to increase their efforts. He added that President Trump has the ability to impose more sanctions and is considering doing so. Separately, closing arguments are scheduled for Tuesday in the trial of Ryan Routh, accused of attempting to assassinate President Trump at his West Palm Beach golf course last year, as reported by ABC News. In campaign news, Abigail Spanberger has launched a new TV advertisement in Virginia criticizing Republicans on taxes and referring to a "big beautiful bill," according to NBC News. Previous reports from this morning detailed President Trump's motorcade causing a brief delay for French President Emmanuel Macron's motorcade in New York City, and the U.S. Secret Service dismantling a significant telecom threat involving SIM servers and cards in the New York area prior to the UN General Assembly.
