Scientists are trying a revolutionary new approach to treat rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, lupus and other devastating autoimmune diseases — by reprogramming patients’ out-of-whack immune systems.
When your body’s immune cells attack you instead of protecting you, today’s treatments tamp down the friendly fire but they don’t fix what’s causing it. Patients face a lifetime of pricey pills, shots or infusions with some serious side effects — and too often the drugs aren’t enough to keep their disease in check.
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A graphic explaining CAR-T cell therapy is displayed on the laptop of Dr. Roberto Caricchio, director of the Lupus Center at UMass Chan Medical School, as he speaks to a lupus support group at its campus, Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025, in Worcester, Mass. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
Dr. Justin Kwong, a research fellow who coaxes human stem cells to grow into a kind of immune cell involved in autoimmune diseases, works in a lab at the National Institutes of Health, Tuesday, Jan 21, 2025, in Bethesda, Md. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
Biomedical engineer Jordan Green sits for a photo in his office at Johns Hopkins University, Tuesday, May 13, 2025, in Baltimore, Md., where his team is crafting a way for the immune system to reprogram itself with the help of instructions delivered by messenger RNA, or mRNA, the genetic code used in COVID-19 vaccines. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
Dr. William Ambler, a translational research scholar who studies how biological sex affects the risk of autoimmune diseases, looks at cells under a microscope in the lab where he works at the National Institutes of Health, Monday, Aug. 25, 2025, in Bethesda, Md. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
Research fellow Sachin Surwase shows an image of a pancreatic lymph node from a mouse in the lab where he studies autoimmune diseases at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md., Tuesday, May 13, 2025. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
Human stem cells used in research into autoimmune diseases are visible under a microscope in a lab at the National Institutes of Health, Monday, Aug. 25, 2025, in Bethesda, Md. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
Dr. Maximilian Konig, a rheumatologist at Johns Hopkins University, sits for a portrait in the lab where he's studying some possible new treatments for autoimmune diseases, Tuesday, May 13, 2025, in Baltimore, Md. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
“We’re entering a new era,” said Dr. Maximilian Konig, a rheumatologist at Johns Hopkins University who’s studying some of the possible new treatments. They offer “the chance to control disease in a way we’ve never seen before.”
How? Researchers are altering dysfunctional immune systems, not just suppressing them, in a variety of ways that aim to be more potent and more precise than current therapies.
They’re highly experimental and, because of potential side effects, so far largely restricted to patients who’ve exhausted today’s treatments. But people entering early-stage studies are grasping for hope.
“What the heck is wrong with my body?” Mileydy Gonzalez, 35, of New York remembers crying, frustrated that nothing was helping her daily lupus pain.
Diagnosed at 24, her disease was worsening, attacking her lungs and kidneys. Gonzalez had trouble breathing, needed help to stand and walk and couldn’t pick up her 3-year-old son when last July, her doctor at NYU Langone Health suggested the hospital’s study using a treatment adapted from cancer.
Gonzalez had never heard of that CAR-T therapy but decided, “I’m going to trust you.” Over several months, she slowly regained energy and strength.
“I can actually run, I can chase my kid,” said Gonzalez, who now is pain- and pill-free. “I had forgotten what it was to be me.”
CAR-T was developed to wipe out hard-to-treat blood cancers. But the cells that go bad in leukemias and lymphomas — immune cells called B cells — go awry in a different way in many autoimmune diseases.
Some U.S. studies in mice suggested CAR-T therapy might help those diseases. Then in Germany, Dr. Georg Schett at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg tried it with a severely ill young woman who had failed other lupus treatment. After one infusion, she’s been in remission — with no other medicine — since March 2021.
Last month, Schett told a meeting of the American College of Rheumatology how his team gradually treated a few dozen more patients, with additional diseases such as myositis and scleroderma — and few relapses so far.
Those early results were “shocking,” Hopkins’ Konig recalled.
They led to an explosion of clinical trials testing CAR-T therapy in the U.S. and abroad for a growing list of autoimmune diseases.
How it works: Immune soldiers called T cells are filtered out of a patient’s blood and sent to a lab, where they’re programmed to destroy their B cell relatives. After some chemotherapy to wipe out additional immune cells, millions of copies of those “living drugs” are infused back into the patient.
While autoimmune drugs can target certain B cells, experts say they can’t get rid of those hidden deep in the body. CAR-T therapy targets both the problem B cells and healthy ones that might eventually run amok. Schett theorizes that the deep depletion reboots the immune system so when new B cells eventually form, they’re healthy.
CAR-T is grueling, time consuming and costly, in part because it is customized. A CAR-T cancer treatment can cost $500,000. Now some companies are testing off-the-shelf versions, made in advance using cells from healthy donors.
Another approach uses “peacekeeper” cells at the center of this year’s Nobel Prize. Regulatory T cells are a rare subset of T cells that tamp down inflammation and help hold back other cells that mistakenly attack healthy tissue. Some biotech companies are engineering cells from patients with rheumatoid arthritis and other diseases not to attack, like CAR-T does, but to calm autoimmune reactions.
Scientists also are repurposing another cancer treatment, drugs called T cell engagers, that don’t require custom engineering. These lab-made antibodies act like a matchmaker. They redirect the body's existing T cells to target antibody-producing B cells, said Erlangen's Dr. Ricardo Grieshaber-Bouyer, who works with Schett and also studies possible alternatives to CAR-T.
Last month, Grieshaber-Bouyer reported giving a course of one such drug, teclistamab, to 10 patients with a variety of diseases including Sjögren’s, myositis and systemic sclerosis. All but one improved significantly and six went into drug-free remission.
Rather than wiping out swaths of the immune system, Hopkins’ Konig aims to get more precise, targeting “only that very small population of rogue cells that really causes the damage.”
B cells have identifiers, like biological barcodes, showing they can produce faulty antibodies, Konig said. Researchers in his lab are trying to engineer T cell engagers that would only mark “bad” B cells for destruction, leaving healthy ones in place to fight infection.
Nearby in another Hopkins lab, biomedical engineer Jordan Green is crafting a way for the immune system to reprogram itself with the help of instructions delivered by messenger RNA, or mRNA, the genetic code used in COVID-19 vaccines.
In Green's lab, a computer screen shines with brightly colored dots that resemble a galaxy. It’s a biological map that shows insulin-producing cells in the pancreas of a mouse. Red marks rogue T cells that destroy insulin production. Yellow indicates those peacemaker regulatory T cells — and they're outnumbered.
Green's team aims to use that mRNA to instruct certain immune “generals” to curb the bad T cells and send in more peacemakers. They package the mRNA in biodegradable nanoparticles that can be injected like a drug. When the right immune cells get the messages, the hope is they'd “divide, divide, divide and make a whole army of healthy cells that then help treat the disease," Green said.
The researchers will know it's working if that galaxy-like map shows less red and more yellow. Studies in people are still a few years away.
A drug for Type 1 diabetes “is forging the path,” said Dr. Kevin Deane at the University of Colorado Anschutz.
Type 1 diabetes develops gradually, and blood tests can spot people who are brewing it. A course of the drug teplizumab is approved to delay the first symptoms, modulating rogue T cells and prolonging insulin production.
Deane studies rheumatoid arthritis and hopes to find a similar way to block the joint-destroying disease.
About 30% of people with a certain self-reactive antibody in their blood will eventually develop RA. A new study tracked some of those people for seven years, mapping immune changes leading to the disease long before joints become swollen or painful.
Those changes are potential drug targets, Deane said. While researchers hunt possible compounds to test, he’s leading another study called StopRA: National to find and learn from more at-risk people.
On all these fronts, there’s a tremendous amount of research left to do — and no guarantees. There are questions about CAR-T's safety and how long its effects last, but it is furthest along in testing.
Allie Rubin, 60, of Boca Raton, Florida, spent three decades battling lupus, including scary hospitalizations when it attacked her spinal cord. But she qualified for CAR-T when she also developed lymphoma — and while a serious side effect delayed her recovery, next month will mark two years without a sign of either cancer or lupus.
“I just remember I woke up one day and thought, ‘Oh my god, I don’t feel sick anymore,’” she said.
That kind of result has researchers optimistic.
"We’ve never been closer to getting to — and we don’t like to say it — a potential cure,” said Hopkins' Konig. “I think the next 10 years will dramatically change our field forever.”
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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
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This story was first published on Nov. 13, 2025. It was updated on Nov. 14, 2025 to correct the spelling of the University of Colorado Anschutz.
A graphic explaining CAR-T cell therapy is displayed on the laptop of Dr. Roberto Caricchio, director of the Lupus Center at UMass Chan Medical School, as he speaks to a lupus support group at its campus, Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025, in Worcester, Mass. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
Dr. Justin Kwong, a research fellow who coaxes human stem cells to grow into a kind of immune cell involved in autoimmune diseases, works in a lab at the National Institutes of Health, Tuesday, Jan 21, 2025, in Bethesda, Md. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
Biomedical engineer Jordan Green sits for a photo in his office at Johns Hopkins University, Tuesday, May 13, 2025, in Baltimore, Md., where his team is crafting a way for the immune system to reprogram itself with the help of instructions delivered by messenger RNA, or mRNA, the genetic code used in COVID-19 vaccines. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
Dr. William Ambler, a translational research scholar who studies how biological sex affects the risk of autoimmune diseases, looks at cells under a microscope in the lab where he works at the National Institutes of Health, Monday, Aug. 25, 2025, in Bethesda, Md. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
Research fellow Sachin Surwase shows an image of a pancreatic lymph node from a mouse in the lab where he studies autoimmune diseases at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md., Tuesday, May 13, 2025. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
Human stem cells used in research into autoimmune diseases are visible under a microscope in a lab at the National Institutes of Health, Monday, Aug. 25, 2025, in Bethesda, Md. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
Dr. Maximilian Konig, a rheumatologist at Johns Hopkins University, sits for a portrait in the lab where he's studying some possible new treatments for autoimmune diseases, Tuesday, May 13, 2025, in Baltimore, Md. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
FBI agents were executing a search warrant at the Fulton County elections office near Atlanta on Wednesday, an agency spokesperson confirmed.
An FBI spokesperson said agents were “executing a court authorized law enforcement action” at the county’s main election office in Union City, just south of Atlanta. The spokesperson declined to provide any further information, citing an ongoing matter.
The search comes as the FBI under the leadership of Director Kash Patel has moved quickly to pursue the political grievances of President Donald Trump, including by working with the Justice Department to investigate multiple perceived adversaries of the Republican commander-in-chief.
The Justice Department had no immediate comment.
Trump has long insisted that the 2020 election was stolen even though judges across the country and his own attorney general said they found no evidence of widespread fault that tipped the contest in Democrat Joe Biden’s favor.
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The search warrant FBI served at Fulton County elections office near Atlanta on Wednesday seeks records tied to the 2020 election, a county spokesperson said.
Fulton spokeswoman Jessica Corbitt-Dominguez declined to comment further, saying the search was still underway.
An FBI spokesperson confirmed the search but also declined to provide any additional information.
The search comes as the FBI under the leadership of Director Kash Patel has moved quickly to pursue the political grievances of President Donald Trump, including by working with the Justice Department to investigate multiple perceived adversaries of the Republican commander-in-chief.
▶ Read more about FBI search warrant
The Department of Homeland Security said Wednesday that two federal agents involved in Petti’s shooting have been on leave since Saturday.
The announcement came as Trump seemed to signal a willingness to ease tensions in Minneapolis after a second deadly shooting by federal immigration agents, though there seemed to be little evidence of any significant changes following weeks of harsh rhetoric and clashes with protesters.
The strain was evident when Trump made a leadership change by sending his top border adviser to Minnesota to take charge of the immigration crackdown. That was followed by seemingly conciliatory remarks about the Democratic governor and mayor.
Trump said he and Gov. Tim Walz, whom he criticized for weeks, were on “a similar wavelength” following a phone call. After a conversation with Mayor Jacob Frey, the president praised the discussion and declared that “lots of progress is being made.”
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The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the deployment of federal troops to six U.S. cities since June 2025 has cost taxpayers roughly $496 million through the end of December 2025.
The CBO published a letter estimating the costs associated with federal deployments of National Guard and active-duty Marines after a request from Sen. Jeff Merkley, who is ranking member of the budget committee. The estimation excludes a late-year deployment to New Orleans.
Continuing the deployments to those cities would cost roughly $93 million per month, and the CBO says looking ahead, deploying 1,000 National Guard personnel to a U.S. city in 2026 would cost $18 million to $21 million per month, depending on the local cost-of-living.
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has informed Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian that the kingdom will “not allow its airspace or territory to be used for any military actions against Iran or for any attacks from any party, regardless of their origin.”
But the kingdom on Wednesday sought to downplay its divide on the matter with the White House as Trump continues to weigh a potential military action against Tehran after its deadly crackdown on nationwide protests.
Saudi officials continue to be in “constant contact” with Trump administration officials about the developments in the region, including on Iran, said a senior Saudi embassy official in Washington, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity.
— Aamer Madhani
Attorney General Pam Bondi said 16 people were arrested on Wednesday on charges of assaulting, resisting or impeding law enforcement in Minnesota.
Bondi, who was visiting Minnesota on Wednesday, said more arrests were expected, adding: “NOTHING will stop President Trump and this Department of Justice from enforcing the law.”
The State Election Board in May 2024 heard a case that alleged documentation was missing for thousands of votes in the recount of the presidential contest in the 2020 election.
After a presentation by a lawyer and an investigator for the secretary of state’s office, a response from the county and a lengthy discussion among the board members, the board voted to issue a letter of reprimand to the county.
But shortly after that vote, the board shifted toward a conservative majority, which has repeatedly sought to reopen the case.
The board’s lone Democrat and chair have objected, arguing the case is closed and citing multiple reviews that have found that while the county’s 2020 elections were sloppy and poorly managed, there was no evidence of intentional wrongdoing.
The conservative majority, however, sent subpoenas to the county board for various election documents last year and again on Oct. 6.
The Department of Justice last month sued the clerk of the Fulton County superior and magistrate courts in federal court seeking access to documents from the 2020 election in the county.
The lawsuit said the department sent a letter to Che Alexander, clerk of superior and magistrate courts, but that she has failed to produce the requested documents.
Alexander has filed a motion to dismiss the suit. The Justice Department complaint says that the purpose of its request was “ascertaining Georgia’s compliance with various federal election laws.”
It was not clear what in particular the president was referring to when he made the comment last week.
Trump has long insisted that the 2020 election was stolen, even though judges across the country and his own attorney general said they found no evidence of widespread fault that tipped the contest in Democrat Joe Biden’s favor.
He has long made Georgia, one of the battleground states he lost in 2020, a central target for his complaints about the election and memorably pleaded with its then-secretary of state to “find” him enough votes to overturn the contest.
Recounts, reviews and audits in the battleground states where Trump disputed his loss, including in Georgia, have all affirmed that Democrat Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election.
The Federal Reserve pushed the pause button on its interest rate cuts Wednesday, leaving its key rate unchanged at about 3.6% after lowering it three times last year.
The central bank said in a statement that there are signs the job market has stabilized while it also said growth was “solid,” an upgrade from last month’s characterization as “modest.”
With the economy growing at a healthy pace and no signs of deterioration in hiring, Fed officials likely see little reason to rush any further rate cuts. While most policymakers do expect to reduce borrowing costs further this year, many want to see evidence that stubbornly-elevated inflation is moving closer to the central bank’s target of 2%. According to the Fed’s preferred measure, inflation was 2.8% in November, slightly higher than a year ago.
Two officials dissented from the decision, with Governors Stephen Miran and Christopher Waller preferring another quarter-point reduction. President Donald Trump appointed Miran in September, while Waller is under consideration by the White House to replace Chair Jerome Powell, whose term ends in May.
The Fed’s decision to stand pat will likely fuel further criticism from Trump, who has assailed Powell for months for not sharply cutting short-term rates. When the Fed reduces its key rate, it tends to lower borrowing costs for things like mortgages, car loans, and business borrowing, though those rates are also influenced by market forces.
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Jerry Dryer was Fresno’s police chief for 18 years before he became the city’s Republican mayor. Speaking at the opening of the U.S. Conference of Mayors gathering in Washington, he and mayors from both parties expressed support for the goal of deporting undocumented immigrants who are criminals.
But Dryer highlighted the need to build and maintain trust within communities.
“In order for us to gain that trust, we have to police neighborhoods with their permission,” he said. “We cannot be seen as an occupying force when we go into those neighborhoods.”
He said ICE was “being rejected” by communities across the country.
“Why?” he asked. “Because of the policing tactics that are being utilized that have been abandoned by local law enforcement 30 years ago.”
FBI agents were executing a search warrant at the Fulton County elections office near Atlanta on Wednesday, an agency spokesperson confirmed.
An FBI spokesperson said agents were “executing a court authorized law enforcement action” at the county’s main election office in Union City, just south of Atlanta. The spokesperson declined to provide any further information, citing an ongoing matter.
The search comes as the FBI under the leadership of Director Kash Patel has moved quickly to pursue the political grievances of President Donald Trump, including by working with the Justice Department to investigate multiple perceived adversaries of the Republican commander-in-chief.
The Justice Department had no immediate comment.
Trump has long insisted that the 2020 election was stolen even though judges across the country and his own attorney general said they found no evidence of widespread fault that tipped the contest in Democrat Joe Biden’s favor.
▶ Read more about the FBI warrant in Fulton County
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s hearing is concluding with Secretary of State Marco Rubio giving an update on the negotiations between the U.S., Russia and Ukraine.
Rubio emphasized that disagreements over territory in Ukraine remain one of the last points of contention, as well as they the U.S. would likely need to be committed to providing a “security backstop” for any agreement.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that he wants to see a change in the government of Cuba, but avoided saying whether the Trump administration would try to force current leaders to step down.
Sen. Brian Schatz, a Hawaii Democrat, asked Rubio to rule out a U.S.-backed regime change in Cuba. Yet Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants who has long advocated for actions to pressure a change in the nation’s government, declined.
“We would like to see that regime change, Rubio said, adding, “That doesn’t mean that we’re going to make a change, but we would love to see it change.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said an increasing military presence in the Middle East has been put in place “to defend against what could be an Iranian threat against our personnel” — a message that stands in contract to President Trump’s continuing threats to strike Iran if it does not yield to his demands.
“I think it’s wise and prudent to have a force posture within the region that could respond and ... if necessary, preemptively prevent the attack against thousands of American servicemen and other facilities in the region and our allies,” Rubio told Congress in testimony Wednesday.
The remarks came on the same day that Trump demanded Iran give up its plans to develop nuclear weapons while threatening a “far worse” attack than last year’s strike against its nuclear facilities in a post on his social media platform.
Trump said that the U.S. Navy strike group led by the carrier USS Abraham Lincoln “is, ready, willing, and able to rapidly fulfill its mission, with speed and violence, if necessary.”
Billionaire advocates of the Trump account program praised the accounts from the same stage Trump stood on.
Brad Gerstner, the founder and CEO of tech investment firm Altimeter Capital, called the program “citizen democracy at its best” and said it would lift up American families and “reconnect them to the American dream.”
“The answer to more socialism is more capitalism,” he said. “This makes every child in America a capitalist from birth.”
Michael Dell, who made a multi-billion dollar contribution, said children with savings invested in American companies will “change the face of this country” over the subsequent decades.
Trump wrapped up his speech shortly thereafter.
The secretary of state expressed a cautious approach to Iran and the prospect of a change in its government.
“You’re talking about a regime that’s been in place for a very long time,” Rubio responded to a question from Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas. “So that’s going to require a lot of careful thinking, if that eventuality ever presents itself.”
Iran has been thrust into uncertainty amid nationwide protests as well as a recent build-up in U.S. military forces in the region. Rubio described the military posture as a defensive measure amid the unrest, but President Donald Trump has also threatened military attacks if peaceful protesters are killed or there are mass executions of detainees.
Iran’s mission to the United Nations was quick to respond to Trump’s latest social media posts. It posted on X that “Iran stands ready for dialogue based on mutual respect and interests—BUT IF PUSHED, IT WILL DEFEND ITSELF AND RESPOND LIKE NEVER BEFORE!”
Trump posted on Truth Social earlier Wednesday that he hopes “Iran will quickly ‘Come to the Table’ and negotiate a fair and equitable deal - NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS - one that is good for all parties.”
“Time is running out, it is truly of the essence!” Trump wrote. Mentioning the June strikes on Iran as the U.S. inserted itself in Israel’s 12-day war on the Islamic Republic, Trump wrote: “The next attack will be far worse!”
The rapper made a cameo at the president’s “Trump Accounts” event on Wednesday. After Trump invited her to the stage, Minaj took the mic for brief remarks and said her admiration for the president is not going to change.
“The hate or what people have to say, it does not affect me at all. It actually motivates me to support him more,” she said. Minaj did not talk about “Trump Accounts,” the subject of the event.
Once she finished, she stood back as “Shark Tank” judge Kevin O’Leary spoke briefly and Minaj and Trump held hands.
Trump began his speech introducing ‘Trump Accounts’ for young children but veered off course to compliment administration members, legislators and donors who supported the effort.
His name-checks included Michael and Susan Dell, who pledged more than $6 billion to the effort, and Sen. Ted Cruz, a one-time foe who he called “a brilliant legal mind.” Actor Cheryl Hines and rapper Nicki Minaj — who he called the most successful female rapper in history — also got shoutouts.
He then invited Minaj onto the stage, calling her “a great supporter.” Minaj introduced herself as “probably the president’s No. 1 fan.”
Sen. Rand Paul is pressing Rubio to acknowledge that the military operation to capture Maduro appears to have been an act of war.
The libertarian Republican from Kentucky has long pressed Congress to take a stronger stand in reining in presidential power over military actions.
“We just don’t believe that this operation comes anywhere close to the constitutional definition ofwar,” Rubio responded, saying that Maduro was not fairly elected president and had been indicted on drug charges in the U.S.
Those arguments don’t pass the sniff test, Paul said. “What I’m saying is that our arguments are empty ... the drug bust isn’t really an argument. It’s a ruse.”
Paul has been joining with Democrats in forcing war powers votes that would require congressional sign-off before engaging in specific conflicts.
He’s backing down from threats of additional military action in Venezuela following the shock capture of Maduro this month.
“We are not postured and do not expect to take military action,” Rubio explained in Senate testimony Wednesday.
While Rubio didn’t rule out additional strikes to safeguard U.S. national security, he said any such move would be detrimental to the long term U.S. strategy to stabilize Venezuela, revive its economy and transition to democracy.
The president is spending his Wednesday morning promoting so-called ‘Trump Accounts’ for young children.
He’s talking during a daylong summit at Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium. “Trump Accounts” gives $1,000 to every newborn, so long as their parents open an account, which is invested in the stock market by private firms.
The child can access the funds when they turn 18.
Trump said Wednesday that the accounts are one of the most “transformative” policy ideas ever.
Asked to give a State Department view of what’s happening on the ground in Iran, Rubio said that, unlike with some previous unrest, Iran’s leaders “don’t have a way to address the core complaints of the protesters, which is that their economy’s in collapse.”
Rubio told senators that protests “may have ebbed, but they will spark up again in the future, because this regime, unless they are willing to change and or leave, have no way of addressing the legitimate and consistent complaints of the people of Iran, who deserve better.”
A month ago, economic woes sparked Iranian protests that broadened into challenging the theocracy. The country’s currency, the rial, has fallen to a record low of 1.6 million to $1, according to local currency traders.
The United States has moved military assets into the region, prompting Iran to reach out to Middle East neighbors over the threat of a possible U.S. military strike on the country.
The secretary of state says negotiations over a possible Arctic security deal involving Greenland are off to a good start.
He told senators that “technical-level” talks between representatives from the U.S., Greenland and Denmark are happening “even as I speak to you now.”
Trump has said the U.S. needs Greenland to counter threats from Russia and China. He recently dropped a threat to impose tariffs on several European countries after saying he would work on creating a new Arctic security plan with NATO.
“The president’s interests in Greenland have been clear,” Rubio said. “I think we’re going to get something positive done.”
The secretary of state pointed to an unpublished leak to reporters that happened ahead of the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro as an example of the way he was trying to balance the obligation to brief Congress and keep secret military plans secure.
“We now know it was leaked by a contractor at the Department of War that, had it been published, would have endangered the lives of people and or would have probably canceled the ability to carry out the mission,” Rubio said.
A Pentagon contractor was indicted last week on charges that he illegally removed and shared classified national defense information with a Washington Post reporter. It’s a case that has drawn national attention after federal agents searched a reporter’s home as part of the investigation.
Sen. Chris Coons pressed Rubio to hold the same commitment he had as a senator to demanding that presidential administrations consult with Congress before taking military actions.
The Trump administration kept Congress in the dark before sending the U.S. military to seize Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, and even told lawmakers it wasn’t planning regime change.
The Delaware Democrat argued that the Trump administration had a constitutional responsibility to brief Congress while the U.S. military was rehearsing the operation. “If there was time to practice, there was time to consult,” he said.
Rubio responded that there’s a “real tension” between operational secrecy and constitutional obligations. “I was a big fan of consultation when I was sitting over there,” Rubio joked with Coons. But he said the Maduro operation did not take final shape until late December.
He says Venezuela will be allowed to sell oil now subject to U.S. sanctions, with the revenue set aside to pay for basic government services like policing and health care.
Rubio told senators that funds from oil sales will be deposited in an account controlled by the U.S. Treasury, and that Venezuela’s leaders have agreed to submit a monthly budget for U.S. approval before the proceeds can be spent.
Rubio said the idea is to generate funds to stabilize Venezuela while also ensuring oil proceeds serve the people and not just government insiders.
“The funds from that will be deposited into an account that we will have oversight over,” Rubio said. Venezuela, he said, “will spend that money for the benefit of the Venezuelan people.”
In an interview with ABC News on Tuesday night, Trump said he had not seen video recordings from the town hall where a man sprayed the congresswoman with an unknown substance from a syringe. But he accused her, without evidence, of staging the attack.
“No. I don’t think about her. I think she’s a fraud. I really don’t think about that. She probably had herself sprayed, knowing her,” Trump told ABC’s Rachel Scott.
Trump has spent years criticizing the progressive Somalia-born congresswoman, and frequently mocks her at his rallies. Hours before the attack, during remarks in Iowa, he said his administration would only let in immigrants who can show they love America, “not like Ilhan Omar.” During a Cabinet meeting at the White House in December, he referred to her as “garbage.”
Shaheen pressed Rubio on whether interim Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez is under criminal investigation in the United States.
The Associated Press revealed this month that Rodriguez has been on the Drug Enforcement Administration’s radar since at least 2018. Internal DEA records seen by the AP show Rodriguez’s name appeared in multiple investigations into crimes including drug trafficking, money laundering and gold smuggling.
Rubio told Shaheen that Rodriguez was not indicted in the U.S., but didn’t deny the AP report about the DEA’s interest in the Venezuelan leader.
“That regime, as everyone understood, was held together by corruption,” Rubio said. “We are just acknowledging reality, and that is we have to work with the people who are in charge of the government.”
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Rubio downplayed concerns that the Trump administration is undermining the NATO alliance, but also repeated a long-standing complaint that NATO allies need to contribute more to defense spending.
“NATO needs to be reimagined,” Rubio responded to questions from Shaheen, who said Trump’s foreign policy could leave the U.S. standing alone.
But Rubio said past presidents have had issues that NATO allies don’t contribute enough to defense.
“I just think this president complains about it louder than other presidents,” Rubio said.
Shaheen opened with a line of attack that many in her party have taken on Trump’s foreign policy, questioning what it’s doing to ease rising prices domestically.
Shaheen said that her constituents are asking “Why is the president spending so much time focused on Venezuela instead of the cost of living and their kitchen table economic concerns?”
“The job of our police is to keep people safe, not enforce fed immigration laws. I want them preventing homicides, not hunting down a working dad who contributes to MPLS & is from Ecuador. It’s similar to the policy your guy Rudy had in NYC. Everyone should feel safe calling 911,” Jacob Frey posted on X.
The chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee says U.S. forces engaged in a 27-minute firefight before arresting Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.
Sen. James Risch offered new details on the strike in his opening comments Wednesday at a hearing with Rubio. The Idaho Republican said the operation involved “only about 200 troops” and a “firefight that lasted less than 27 minutes.”
“This military action was incredibly brief, targeted and successful,” Risch said.
Risch also said the U.S. and other nations may have to assist Venezuela when it seeks to restore democratic elections.
“Venezuela may require U.S. and international oversight to ensure these elections are indeed free and fair,” Risch said.
Her appearance was pegged to Friday’s scheduled worldwide release of “Melania,” a documentary from AmazonMGM Studios about the 20 days before she resumed the role of first lady in January 2025.
She and the president hosted a screening at the White House on Saturday night. Another screening event is being planned for Thursday at the Kennedy Center in Washington before the film is released exclusively in theaters across the United States and in almost 30 countries.
In brief remarks in New York, she said the film provides a “window into an important period for America.” She also said films bring families together, and she expressed hope that families will gather to watch the documentary to learn more about her life.
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, the committee’s top Democrat, is displaying two world maps that compare countries where the U.S. has ambassadors in place and where China has ambassadorships. The map of China’s diplomatic reach is significantly more complete.
She questioned Rubio on what the Trump administration is doing to counter China’s rising power.
Shaheen charged that Trump’s recent ambitions to acquire Greenland has undermined the U.S. alliances that are key to countering China’s influence.
“Instead of creating a united front against China, we’re pushing our closest allies into their arms,” she said.
The first protester has disrupted the Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing with Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The man stood up, holding a sign that read “Hands off Venezuela,” just as Rubio started his opening statement.
He was quickly detained by Capitol police officers and removed from the room.
Rubio responded by predicting, “There will be a couple more.”
The Senate Foreign Relation’s committee room is full as the hearing gets underway with the secretary of state.
There is high attention on this hearing. Nearly every senator on the panel has taken their seat and the hallway outside the meeting room is packed with reporters and members of the public.
The committee’s chair, Republican Sen. Jim Risch, started by issuing a stern warning to anyone who plans to interrupt the hearing with protests.
Kazmierczak had not been charged as of Wednesday morning, and did not have a first court appearance scheduled. The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office has until Thursday to charge him but could seek an extension. A spokesperson for the prosecutor’s office did not immediately return a call Wednesday seeking details on their plans.
It was unclear whether Kazmierczak has a lawyer who could speak on his behalf. The chief public defender for the county, Michael Berger, said the case had not yet been assigned to his office.
The man who sprayed an unknown substance on Omar at a town hall in Minneapolis on Tuesday night is a convicted felon who had made online posts supportive of Trump.
Minnesota court records show Anthony Kazmierczak, 55, was convicted of felony auto theft in 1989 and has had multiple arrests for driving under the influence, along with a slew of traffic offenses. There are also indications he has had significant financial problems, including two bankruptcy filings.
In social media posts, Kazmierczak described himself a former network engineer who lives in Minneapolis. He’s criticized President Joe Biden and referred to Democrats as “angry and liars.”
“Trump wants the US is stronger and more prosperous,” Kazmierczak wrote. “Stop other countries from stealing from us. Bring back the fear that enemies back away from and gain respect that If anyone threatens ourselves or friends we will (expletive) them up.”
It remains unclear what Trump will decide about using force against Iran, though he laid down two red lines — the killing of peaceful demonstrators and the possible mass execution of detainees.
At least 6,221 people have been killed in Iran’s bloody crackdown on demonstrations, with many more feared dead, activists said Wednesday.
“Hopefully Iran will quickly ‘Come to the Table’ and negotiate a fair and equitable deal - NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS - one that is good for all parties,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on Wednesday. “Time is running out, it is truly of the essence!”
Mentioning the June strikes on Iran, Trump wrote: “The next attack will be far worse!”
Iranian officials reached out to the wider Middle East on Wednesday over the threat of a possible U.S. military strike on the country, a month since the start of protests in Iran that soon spread nationwide and sparked a bloody crackdown.
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates signaled they won’t allow their airspace to be used for any attack. But the USS Abraham Lincoln and several guided missile destroyers are now in the region and can launch attacks from the sea.
Idaho Republican Sen. Jim Risch plans to open Tuesday’s hearing by lauding Trump and Rubio for making Americans safer with the military actions in and around Venezuela and saying they were legal.
“These actions were limited in scope, short in duration, and done to protect U.S. interests and citizens,” Risch’s prepared remarks say. “What President Trump has done in Venezuela is the definition of the president’s Article II constitutional authorities as commander-in-chief.”
The committee’s top Democrat, New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, will question whether removing Maduro was worth it, since most of his top aides and lieutenants still run the country.
“The U.S. naval blockade around Venezuela and the raid have already cost American taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars … and yet the Maduro regime is still in power,” Shaheen’s opening statement said.
The president said on Truth Social that Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey is “PLAYING WITH FIRE” by not participating in the Trump administration’s federal immigration crackdown.
After talking Tuesday with Trump’s border czar Tom Homan, Frey said he “appreciated the conversation” but repeated that his “main ask” is for Homeland Security to end its operation in the city “as quickly as possible.”
“Minneapolis does not and will not enforce federal immigration laws,” Frey said. “We will remain focused on keeping our neighbors and streets safe.”
Trump asserted Wednesday in his social media post that “this statement is a very serious violation of the Law.”
Local authorities in the U.S. typically do not arrest people solely for immigration violations. Some local law enforcement agencies voluntarily assist federal operations. Trump has pressured and threatened so-called “sanctuary cities” to more aggressively take part in its immigration crackdown.
Prices for gold and silver soared early Wednesday ahead of an interest rate decision by the U.S. Federal Reserve. The expectation is that the central bank will hold its main interest rate steady for now.
The price of gold jumped 3.5% to $5,263 per ounce and silver’s price jumped 6.2%, to $112.50, putting both near record highs. Precious metal prices are rising as investors including major central banks sell dollars and park their money in assets considered to be relatively safe in times of turmoil.
The dollar has weakened since Trump threatened tariffs against European countries opposed to his taking control of Greenland. Such threats, along with worries about the U.S. government’s heavy debt, have periodically pushed global investors to step back from U.S. markets.
The caucus is calling on Republicans to “de-escalate the dangerous rhetoric that fuels attacks” like the one against their Democratic colleague.
“There is absolutely no excuse for violence and intimidation in our politics,” a caucus statement says. “Despite being subjected to constant right-wing attacks, she continues to lead and represent Minnesota’s 5th District with dignity and courage.”
The attack on Omar is the second in less than a week against a caucus member. Democratic Rep. Maxwell Frost of Florida, who identifies as Afro-Latino, was allegedly punched in the face by a man who said Trump was going to deport him.
FILE - An FBI seal is displayed on a podium before a news conference in Portland, Ore., Jan. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane, File)
An FBI press office person approaches the Fulton County Election Hub and Operation Center, Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026, in Union City, Ga. (Arvin Temka/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)
Police vehicles are seen outside the Fulton County elections hub in Union City, Ga., Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Emilie Megnien)
Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., speaks as Secretary of State Marco Rubio appears before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., speaks as Secretary of State Marco Rubio appears before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)
Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)
Secretary of State Marco Rubio appears before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)
Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)
White House deputy chief of policy Stephen Miller walks from Marine One after arriving on the South Lawn of the White House, Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., speaks during a town hall in Minneapolis, Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026. (Richard Tsong-Taatarii/Star Tribune via AP)
President Donald Trump waves as he walks from Marine One after arriving on the South Lawn of the White House, Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
FILE - Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks to reporters while meeting with Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan at the State Department in Washington, Jan. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen, File)
