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Up Close 5/25/25: Trump's reshaping of Washington; Newark Mayor Baraka on arrest, NJ governor bid

ByBill Ritter and Eyewitness News WABC logo

Sunday, May 25, 2025

Up Close 5/25/25: Trump reshapes Washington; Newark mayor on arrest

On this edition of Up Close, we discuss President Trump's reshaping of Washington and speak with Newark Mayor Baraka about his recent arrest and bid to be New Jersey's next governor.

NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- On this edition of Up Close, we discuss President Donald Trump's move to quickly reshape Washington and the role of the federal government at all levels.

The president has already cut major federal programs and made big changes by signing a flood of executive orders.

So, how do Democrats fight back? We speak with Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York about her party's response.

Meanwhile, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was arrested a few weeks ago and charged with trespassing at a Trump administration ICE immigration center.

The charges against Baraka were later dropped by federal prosecutors of the Trump administration. One of his colleagues, a congresswoman from New Jersey, also protested but her charges weren't dropped.

So, what's the difference, and what happened? Bill Ritter speaks with the mayor about the situation and why he also wants to be the next governor of the Garden State.

Up Close airs Sunday mornings at 11:00 a.m. on Channel 7, WABC-TV in New York City.