President Trump and JD Vance just SHUT DOWN Zelenskyy in the Oval Office. VANCE: “Do you think that it’s respectful to come to the Oval Office of the United States of America and attack the administration that is trying to prevent the destruction of your country?”

President Trump and JD Vance just SHUT DOWN Zelenskyy in the Oval Office.

VANCE: “Do you think that it’s respectful to come to the Oval Office of the United States of America and attack the administration that is trying to prevent the destruction of your country?”

TRUMP: “You don’t have the cards right now. With us, you start having cards … You’re gambling with the lives of millions of people! You’re gambling with World War III!”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has invoked “emergency authorities” to bypass Congress and send $4 billion in weapons to Israel, the second time in a month that the Trump administration has skirted the process of congressional approval for sending arms to the country.

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Rubio Bypasses Congress to Send Israel $4 Billion in Arms
Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s emergency declaration calls for sending 2,000-pound bombs and other weapons to Israel as the war in Gaza continues.

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Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a red-patterned tie and suit jacket. He wears an American flag pin on the lapel.
Officials from the State Department, led by Marco Rubio, told the House and Senate committees responsible for reviewing the weapons orders about the emergency authorization on Friday.Credit…Tierney L. Cross for The New York Times
Edward Wong
By Edward Wong
Reporting from Washington

March 2, 2025
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has invoked “emergency authorities” to bypass Congress and send $4 billion in weapons to Israel, the second time in a month that the Trump administration has skirted the process of congressional approval for sending arms to the country.

Mr. Rubio did not explain in a statement announcing the decision on Saturday why he was using an emergency authority. He said only that the Trump administration would “continue to use all available tools to fulfill America’s longstanding commitment to Israel’s security, including means to counter security threats.”

State Department officials told the two congressional committees in the House and Senate that review foreign weapons sales about the emergency declaration on Friday. At least one congressional official privately expressed alarm at the bypassing of the review.

Several of the cases of munitions to be sent to Israel were undergoing review in Congress. But one large case worth about $2 billion had not been sent by the State Department to Congress for review, said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to talk candidly about sensitive weapons deals.

The Pentagon announced details of that sale to Israel on Friday. The announcement lists several possible mixes of bombs that would be delivered, including more than 35,000 2,000-pound bombs.

Israel has been dropping 2,000-pound bombs in Gaza, a densely populated strip of 2 million people that is about the size of Las Vegas. U.S. military officers have said the bombs are unsuitable for urban combat.

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