President Trump is signing a handful of executive orders Thursday afternoon, including one approving a deal to allow TikTok to continue operating in the U.S.

TikTok will be controlled by a group of American investors in a company valued about $14 billion, Vice President Vance said Thursday in the Oval Office.

As a government shutdown looms, Trump raised the stakes on Capitol Hill. The White House budget office directed federal agencies to plan for mass layoffs, rather than traditional workforce furloughs, if Democrats don't agree to a short-term stopgap funding measure.

“This is all caused by the Democrats,” he said ahead of a Thursday huddle with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the White House. "They asked us to do something that’s totally unreasonable.”

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) called the warning “an attempt at intimidation.”

Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth summoned top generals to Virginia for a mystery meeting next week, creating confusion and alarm across the Pentagon.

Later on Thursday, Trump will meet with the Pakistani prime minister.

Catch up here:

  • - GOP, Democrats both see incentives in a shutdown that looks inevitable
  • - Thune says to expect ‘explosive’ oversight hearings on Trump’s powers
  • - Epstein discharge petition poised to hit its mark, forcing House vote to release files

Follow here all day for updates.

Source: The Hill - News