**TRUMP ORDERS SCALE-DOWN OF US–SOUTH KOREA MILITARY DRILLS**

 Donald Trump announced he has directed Pete Hegseth to significantly downsize joint military exercises with South Korea.

 Citing his relationship with Kim Jong Un, Trump called the drills expensive and unnecessarily hostile toward North Korea. He noted it was too late to cancel them completely, while also mentioning South Korea recently declined his invitation to cooperate on denuclearizing Iran.