The briefing for Sunday, May 24.

President Trump announced Saturday that an agreement with Iran has been 'largely negotiated' and will include reopening the Strait of Hormuz. The announcement followed calls with leaders from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, and Bahrain, as well as a separate call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Trump said final details are being discussed and will be announced shortly.

According to AP and regional officials, the U.S. and Iran are close to agreeing on a memorandum of understanding that could be finalized within 48 hours. Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman described a 14-point framework agreement, with negotiations on key details to take place over 30 to 60 days before a final agreement is reached. The deal reportedly includes Iran's commitment not to pursue nuclear weapons and an agreement to surrender its stockpile of highly enriched uranium—approximately 441 kilograms enriched to 60% purity. Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized that Iran must turn over its uranium and that the Strait of Hormuz must reopen without Iranian control.

The emerging deal marks a significant shift after months of escalating tensions. The U.S. and Israel sparked the conflict with February 28 strikes on Iran that killed top officials including the supreme leader. Iran retaliated by effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz, disrupting global oil and gas supplies. The U.S. has maintained a blockade of Iranian ports since April 13, with Central Command reporting it has redirected over 100 vessels since then. While both sides signal progress, warnings remain about the fragility of negotiations, with Iranian officials cautioning against 'contradictory statements' from Washington and emphasizing that sanctions relief remains a key demand.

The Trump Justice Department has removed from its website all news releases documenting criminal cases related to the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot, openly acknowledging the purge and calling the prosecution records 'partisan propaganda.' The removed content includes news releases about criminal charges, convictions, and sentencings of more than 1,500 people charged with crimes during the attack, including those convicted of assaulting officers with weapons.

After a journalist noted Friday that releases were being quietly removed—including one about a Texas man who pleaded guilty to assault—the Justice Department responded through its rapid response account that there was 'nothing quiet about it.' The department stated it is 'proud to reverse the DOJ's weaponization under the Biden administration' and will work to 'make whole those who were persecuted for political purposes.' Among the scrubbed releases were those concerning seditious conspiracy cases against members of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers extremist groups.

The website purge represents the latest step in the Trump administration's effort to rewrite the history of January 6. Trump pardoned or commuted sentences for all Capitol riot defendants on his first day back in office in January 2025. This week, the Justice Department announced a $1.776 billion fund to compensate Trump allies who claim unjust prosecution, with Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche not ruling out payments to rioters convicted of violence—a stance that has drawn bipartisan criticism in Congress. The appeals court vacated seditious conspiracy convictions on Thursday, and the department moved to dismiss those cases on Friday.

Kevin Warsh was sworn in as Federal Reserve chair at a White House ceremony Friday, with President Trump overseeing the event and expressing confidence that the new chair will prioritize a strong economy. In an unusual move highlighting Trump's interest in the position, the ceremony was held in the East Room rather than at Fed headquarters. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas administered the oath of office before an audience including House Speaker Mike Johnson and several Cabinet members.

Trump emphasized during his remarks that he wants Warsh to be 'totally independent' and to 'just do a great job,' telling him 'Don't look at me, don't look at anybody.' However, in the next breath, Trump suggested the Fed had 'lost its way in recent years' under President Biden and indicated that Warsh understands 'when the economy is booming, that's a good thing' without needing to restrain growth. Trump also noted the stock market had risen Friday, telling Warsh 'that means they like you.'

The ceremony raises fresh questions about Fed independence at a time when the Iran war has driven up gas prices and unsettled financial markets. Trump spent months criticizing Warsh's predecessor Jerome Powell for resisting rate cuts, though the Justice Department recently dropped an investigation into Powell and Fed building renovations after congressional backlash. Warsh has criticized past Fed policies and recently echoed Trump's preference for lower rates, arguing that AI-driven productivity gains will allow faster economic growth without inflation. However, many Fed officials dispute this view, particularly given AI's role in tech sector layoffs. Warsh promised Friday to lead a 'reform oriented Federal Reserve' that learns from past mistakes while upholding integrity standards.

The IRS agreed Tuesday to grant President Trump permanent immunity from all pending and future tax audits as part of a settlement over the 2018 leak of his tax returns to The New York Times. Under the agreement, the U.S. is 'forever barred and precluded' from examining or prosecuting Trump, his sons, and the Trump Organization's current and future tax filings. The immunity provision was quietly added to an original settlement establishing a $1.8 billion fund to compensate people Trump believes were improperly investigated by the government.

Tax experts expressed shock at the breadth of protection, warning it undermines confidence in the fairness of the tax system. Former IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel called it 'an unprecedented remedy,' noting that Trump should be treated like every other American. The settlement potentially shields Trump from a long-standing IRS audit over whether he improperly used losses from his Chicago skyscraper to reduce taxes twice—a technique that could have resulted in a $100 million bill including penalties, according to a 2024 report by The New York Times and ProPublica.

The immunity deal came after Trump sued the IRS—a federal agency within his own administration—over the tax return leak, putting him in the unusual position of challenging an agency he oversees. Brandon DeBot of NYU's Tax Law Center called the Justice Department's decision to 'wipe his slate clean' an extraordinary action that gives the president 'a completely different set of rules than everyday taxpayers.' Trump has a history of aggressively minimizing his tax obligations through hundreds of separate business entities. Congressional investigations revealed he paid just $750 in federal taxes in both 2016 and 2017, and zero in 2020, using techniques including a now-illegal debt forgiveness maneuver involving his bankrupt Atlantic City casinos.

Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) faces a tense standoff outside its Ankara headquarters after an appeals court nullified the November 2023 party congress and ordered a leadership change. The Thursday ruling suspends current chair Ozgur Ozel and the party's executive board, replacing them with former leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu and officials who held positions before the 2023 congress. The vast majority of the party has rallied behind Ozel, with he and most members remaining inside the headquarters since Thursday, preventing the court-ordered leadership from entering.

The leadership dispute carries significant political implications. Kilicdaroglu, 77, led the CHP for 13 years without winning a single national election before stepping down. In contrast, Ozel delivered a decisive blow to President Erdogan's ruling party in his first and only election as leader during the 2024 municipal polls. The opposition claims the court decision is politically motivated to weaken the party ahead of the 2028 presidential election, though the government insists Turkey's courts are independent and impartial.

The standoff escalated Sunday as rival teams prepared to meet to resolve the impasse. Local media reported that crowds showed up outside the office whom Ozel claimed were not CHP members but were sent to intimidate. Police presence increased throughout the day, and Kilicdaroglu's lawyer requested Ankara police assistance in vacating the building—a request the governor's office approved. The CHP has been targeted by numerous legal cases, mostly corruption allegations, that observers say aim to neutralize the party before the next election. Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a CHP member and potential presidential challenger to Erdogan, has been imprisoned since March 2025 and is currently on trial for corruption.

A man who opened fire near a White House security checkpoint Saturday evening is dead after being shot by Secret Service officers who returned fire, marking the third gunfire incident in the vicinity of President Trump in the past month. The suspect, identified as 21-year-old Nasire Best, pulled a weapon from his bag near 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue shortly after 6 p.m. and began firing. A bystander was also struck, though it remains unclear whether the person was hit by the suspect's bullets or those fired by officers.

According to D.C. court records, Best had been arrested in July 2025 after attempting to enter a different White House checkpoint without authorization, claiming he was Jesus Christ and saying he wanted to be arrested. A pretrial stay-away order was issued, but Best failed to comply and a bench warrant was issued in August. Trump was at the White House at the time of Saturday's shooting but was not impacted, the Secret Service said. The president had changed his plans Friday to remain in Washington instead of spending the weekend at his New Jersey golf club.

The incident is the third involving gunfire near Trump following shootings at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner in April and near the Washington Monument earlier in May. Journalists working at the White House reported hearing dozens of gunshots and were told to shelter in the press briefing room. ABC News correspondent Selina Wang captured dramatic video showing her ducking for cover while filming a routine social media post. The shooting scene is near where a gunman ambushed two West Virginia National Guard members last November, killing Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and critically wounding Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe. FBI Director Kash Patel said agency personnel were on scene and would update the public as able.