President Donald Trump on Thursday cited “big progress” on ridding the U.S. of MS-13 gang members, a policy being worked on by Attorney General Jeff Sessions, whom Trump has criticized in recent days. Trump also warned Republicans not to let the country down by failing to pass a health-care bill, and awarded medals of valor to officers who responded to the shooting involving House Majority Whip Steve Scalise.

‘BIG PROGRESS’ ON GANGS AND A COMMENT FROM SESSIONS

Trump said on Twitter that progress was being made on getting gang members out of the U.S., as Sessions was in El Salvador holding meetings about quashing MS-13. Trump’s tweet, which didn’t explicitly praise Sessions but hailed an initiative he is working on, came after days of criticism of the attorney general over his recusal from the Russia investigation. In a pair of interviews on Thursday, Sessions said he would stay in his position even after Trump’s criticism.

Read:Sessions says he’ll remain attorney general even after ‘hurtful’ Trump comments.

‘DON’T LET THE AMERICAN PEOPLE DOWN,’ TRUMP SAYS ON HEALTH CARE

Trump kept up his public pressure on Republican senators, tweeting “you can do it on health care” and warning them, “Don’t let the American people down!” The Senate continued to debate plans to repeal Obamacare on Thursday after votes on two measures failed earlier in the week. Votes are expected Thursday night and perhaps into Friday morning, and may culminate in a vote on what’s being called a “skinny” repeal of the Affordable Care Act. If the House doesn’t pass the Senate bill, the two chambers would then work on a final product together.

ANOTHER HIT ON THE ‘FAILING’ NEW YORK TIMES

Trump tweeted that the “failing” New York Times — as he often calls it — had dubbed “Fox & Friends” “the most powerful T.V. show in America.” That description of the program appeared in a July 19 article by the Times’ television critic titled “Watching Fox & Friends, Trump sees a two-way mirror,” in which the author wrote that the program’s stars offer Trump “flattery, encouragement and advice.”

Trump’s tweet came the same day that the New York Times Co. NYT, +1.04% said it beat profit expectations for the second quarter.

Read:New York Times shares hit nine-year high after earnings top target.

President Donald Trump awards the Medal of Valor to U.S. Capitol Police Officer Nicole Battaglia during a ceremony recognizing the first responders to the June 14 shooting involving Congressman Steve Scalise at the White House on Thursday. Reuters

MEDALS OF VALOR AWARDED

Trump recognized officers who responded at the scene of the June 14 shooting involving House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, a Louisiana Republican. At a White House ceremony, Trump awarded medals of valor to two Capitol Police special agents and three police officers from Alexandria, Va., where the attack took place. Scalise and four other people were wounded in the attack. The congressman was discharged from a Washington hospital on Wednesday.