Trump calls for famed Alcatraz prison to be reopened, expanded

Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary closed in 1963 and operates as a museum.

Last Updated: May 5, 2025, 2:53 AM EDT

President Donald Trump on Sunday that he doesn't know if he is supposed to uphold the Constitution and relies on his lawyers to follow the law.

"I don't know. I have to respond by saying, again, I have brilliant lawyers that work for me, and they are going to obviously follow what the Supreme Court said," Trump told NBC in an interview that aired Sunday on "Meet the Press."

Trump also said that he wouldn't seek a third term as president, though he has teased the possibility several times, and that he wouldn't fire Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell before his term ends in 2026.

Latest headlines:

Here's how the news is developing.
May 02, 2025, 9:30 PM EDT

White House backtracks on renaming Veterans Day

A day after President Donald Trump announced he was renaming Nov. 11 -- the date that Veterans Day is observed -- as "Victory Day for World War I," the White House is now saying it will be an additional proclamation and not a full replacement.

"We are not renaming Veteran's Day," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told ABC News. "It will just be an additional proclamation that goes out on that day."

In his social media post on Thursday, Trump also said he intended to designate May 8 as "Victory Day for World War II."

Establishing a federal holiday or a patriotic or national observance requires the passage of a law, according to the Congressional Research Service.

-ABC News' Justin Fishel

May 02, 2025, 4:57 PM EDT

Trump asks Supreme Court to give DOGE access to Social Security records

The Trump administration filed a new emergency request with the Supreme Court on Friday seeking to lift a lower court block of its efforts to overhaul the federal government.

The administration argued that a judicial order blocking DOGE from accessing sensitive data inside the Social Security Administration is an illegal infringement on core executive branch power to conduct day-to-day business of the government.

It also argued the federal employee union that brought the challenge lacks standing because it is unable to show any concrete injury.

"The district court is forcing the Executive Branch to stop employees charged with modernizing government information systems from accessing the data in those systems because, in the court's judgment, those employees do not 'need' such access," Solicitor General John Sauer wrote.

-ABC News' Devin Dwyer

May 02, 2025, 4:55 PM EDT

EPA administrator announces agency reorganization

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced a significant reorganization for the agency the same day the Trump administration proposed billions of dollars in cuts to renewable energy, environmental and climate programs.

"EPA is creating the first-of-its-kind Office of State Air Partnerships within the Office of Air and Radiation. This office will be focused on working with, not against, state, local and tribal air permitting agencies to improve processing of State Implementation Plans and resolving air permitting concerns," Zeldin said in a video posted to YouTube.

Zeldin added that the EPA will also create a new Office of Clean Air program, make changes to its Office of Water and create an Office of Applied Science and Environmental Solutions.

Zeldin said the reorganization would save more than $300 million a year and that the agency's goal is to reduce staffing to match the level of Ronald Reagan's presidency.

--ABC News' Matthew Glasser

May 02, 2025, 4:08 PM EDT

A possible military parade takes shape for Trump's birthday

The US Army is weighing plans for a historic parade through the streets of Washington, D.C., this June that would involve some 6,600 soldiers, tanks and infantry vehicles, helicopter flyovers and parachute jumps, according to several people familiar with the ongoing planning effort.

The June 14 parade, if approved, would coincide with the Army’s long-planned 250th celebration, as well as President Donald Trump’s 79th birthday.

The Army has long been planning to commemorate its milestone birthday with a festival on the National Mall that would include a fitness expo, staged vehicles and historical memorabilia. Officials said the parade is a potential add-on and cautioned that no final decisions have been made.

President Donald Trump gives a commencement address at the University of Alabama, May 1, 2025, in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP

The timing and White House involvement in planning efforts have stoked speculation that Trump is using the Army’s birthday as an excuse to get the kind of grand military parade he wanted during his first term in office. That event was scrapped after estimates topped $90 million.

The cost for this year’s June 14 parade is unclear, officials said. But it would likely be steep. The event will require involvement from several federal agencies, including those requiring security.

--ABC News' Anne Flaherty

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