If it's Friday, the Trump administration escalates its crackdown on President Trump's political enemies,

indicting New York Attorney General Letitia James as Democrats denounce the charges and accused the White House of weaponizing the Justice Department.

Plus, the first steps in the deal to end the Israel-Hamas war now taking effect,

Israeli troops pulling back, allowing

thousands of displaced citizens to return home, with the clock now ticking for Hamas to release

the remaining hostages. And a top White House official says the long-threatened firings of federal

workers has begun and that the layoffs will be substantial with no end to the government

shutdown inside.

Welcome to meet the press now.

I'm Kristen Welker in Washington, where President Trump is preparing to travel to the Middle East this weekend after playing a pivotal role in the deal to end the Israeli Hamas War and bring the Israeli hostages home.

But even as he touts his role as peacemaker on the world stage, here at home, the president's push to prosecute his political rivals is escalating,

as the Department of Justice has now indicted another longtime foe of the president. New York

Attorney General, Atisha James, a Democrat who brought a successful civil fraud case against

Mr. Trump before his second term, is facing charges of bank fraud and making false statements to a financial

institution. She denies all wrongdoing and says this is payback from the president.

These charges are baseless, and the president's own public statements make clear that his only

goal is political retribution at any cost. The president's actions are a grave violation

of our constitutional order and have drawn sharp criticism from members of both parties.

Democrats echoing James and saying the president is weaponizing the Department of Justice

while Republicans are

supportive of the administration's actions, although retiring North Carolina Republican

Senator Tom Tillis was more measured in his reaction.

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