Highlights from Oct. 17, 2025
- ZELENSKYY AT WHITE HOUSE: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with President Donald Trump at the White House this afternoon to discuss whether the U.S. will provide long-range missiles and weapons to assist Ukraine in its defense against Russia. Following the meeting, Trump posted on social media that both sides should stop fighting and declare victory.
- SENTENCE COMMUTED: Trump said Friday that he has commuted the sentence of former U.S. Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y. Santos was sentenced to more than seven years in prison earlier this year.
- NATIONAL GUARD CASE: Trump asked the Supreme Court to immediately allow National Guard forces to deploy in Illinois, alleging they were needed to protect federal agents conducting immigration enforcement. The ask comes after a U.S. court of appeals ruled against the administration's attempt to activate the National Guard in the state.
- BOLTON PLEADS NOT GUILTY: Former Trump national security adviser John Bolton pleaded not guilty in a Maryland courtroom this morning to federal charges that he mishandled classified information.
Bessent says he had 'frank and detailed' call with China’s Vice Premier tonight
In an X post tonight, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said: “This evening, Vice Premier He Lifeng and I engaged in frank and detailed discussions regarding trade between the United States and China. We will meet in-person next week to continue our discussions.”
Earlier today, Bessent first disclosed the possible meeting with the vice premier next week, saying it would take place in Malaysia. The timeframe is sooner than was expected, with Bessent previously saying he planned to meet with the Chinese in the immediate lead up to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit and possible Trump-Xi meeting.
This meeting next week would be the fifth in-person negotiating session between Bessent and his counterparts this year.
Trump urges Navy veteran to challenge GOP Rep. Thomas Massie for Kentucky seat
Trump took another swipe at Rep. Thomas Massie today, urging Navy veteran Ed Gallrein to challenge the Kentucky Republican for his seat in next year’s midterms.
“Third Rate Congressman Thomas Massie, a Weak and Pathetic RINO from the Great Commonwealth of Kentucky, a place I love, and won big SIX TIMES, must be thrown out of office, ASAP!,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Friday night. “Should he decide to challenge Massie, Captain Ed Gallrein has my Complete and Total Endorsement. RUN, ED, RUN — MAGA!”
Gallrein previously campaigned for state Senate in Kentucky in 2024, describing himself at that time on his campaign website as a farmer, small business owner with experience in the armed forces as a retired Navy SEAL commissioned officer and decorated combat veteran. He was narrowly defeated by 118 votes in the primary last year by Republican Aaron Reed who unseated state Sen. Adrienne Southworth.
New York Republicans who voted to expel Santos criticize Trump's commutation
Two New York Republicans who voted to expel Santos from the House have put out statements criticizing Trump’s commutation of the former congressman.
Rep. Andrew Garbarino, who sits on the House Ethics Committee, said Santos only serving a few months of his seven year sentence is “not justice.”
“The President has the discretion to commute sentences for people convicted of federal crimes. In this case, Santos willingly pled guilty to these crimes and then complained about having to serve his sentence,” he said. “The victims of his crimes still have not been made whole, including the people he stole from and the voters he defrauded. He has shown no remorse. The less than three months that he spent in prison is not justice.”
And Rep. Nick LaLota, who represents a swing district, said Santos’ crimes warrant more than three months behind bars.
“George Santos didn’t merely lie — he stole millions, defrauded an election, and his crimes (for which he pled guilty) warrant more than a three-month sentence,” LaLota said. “He should devote the rest of his life to demonstrating remorse and making restitution to those he wronged.”
Trump extends tariff relief for U.S. auto industry
The White House said today it would extend current tariff relief programs for some of the country’s largest automakers. The Trump administration also laid out the details of promised tariffs on heavy trucks and buses.
In late April, Trump signed an executive order to prevent automobile and auto parts tariffs from stacking on top of each other, which could add up quickly for North American automakers.
Trump’s order also gave automakers relief from separate tariffs that he applied to steel and aluminum products. The latest announcement will extend a tariff offset program from two years to five.
“The priority is to expand domestic vehicle production in the United States to ensure that we have good, high-paying jobs for American workers,” a senior administration official said Friday.
Trump commutes the sentence of former Rep. George Santos
Trump said Friday that he had signed a commutation that would immediately release former Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., from prison.
“George has been in solitary confinement for long stretches of time and, by all accounts, has been horribly mistreated,” Trump posted on Truth Social Friday evening. “Therefore, I just signed a Commutation, releasing George Santos from prison, IMMEDIATELY. Good luck George, have a great life!”
In April, Santos was sentenced to more than seven years in prison.
Trump administration will furlough 1,400 employees from agency that oversees nuclear stockpile
The Trump administration is expected to furlough 1,400 employees from the National Nuclear Security Administration, an agency that helps safeguard national security by overseeing the nuclear stockpile, according to a Department of Energy spokesperson.
Citing the government shutdown as the reason for the furloughs, the spokesperson said that about 400 employees from the agency "will continue to work to support the protection of property and the safety of human life."
Energy Secretary Chris Wright will travel to Las Vegas and be at the National Nuclear Security Site on Monday "to further discuss the impacts of the shutdown on America’s nuclear deterrent," the spokesperson added.
Politico first reported on the furlough plans.
House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, R-Ala., told reporters today that he learned about the agency's stripped down workforce last night.
"These are not employees that you want to go home. They’re managing and handling a very important strategic asset for us. They need to be at work and being paid," Rogers said.
At least 7,000 federal workers filed for unemployment benefits since shutdown began
More than 7,200 federal workers filed initial jobless claims last week, according to data posted on an obscure Labor Department website.
The site shows 7,224 federal workers filed claims with the Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees program for the week ending October 11.
The numbers, which were first reported by Bloomberg News, are released on a one-week delay.
According to the program’s fact sheet, “The UCFE program provides unemployment compensation for Federal employees who lost their employment through no fault of their own.”
Trump says Russia and Ukraine 'should stop where they are' and 'both claim victory'
Trump said in a social media post after meeting with Zelenskyy today that Ukraine and Russia "should stop where they are" and both claim victory in the ongoing conflict.
"The meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine was very interesting, and cordial, but I told him, as I likewise strongly suggested to President Putin, that it is time to stop the killing, and make a DEAL!," Trump wrote on Truth Social this afternoon.
"Enough blood has been shed, with property lines being defined by War and Guts. They should stop where they are. Let both claim Victory, let History decide!" he added.
Asked about Trump's post while speaking with reporters this afternoon, Zelenskyy said that he agreed with Trump, while adding that Ukraine "didn't begin this war."
Trump "is right, and we have to stop where we are. This is important, to stop where we are, and then to speak," Zelenskyy said.
"I'm open, as I said, to bilateral, to trilateral, and I don't know if we have some other formats. I'm open for any kind of formats which can bring us closer to this," he added.
Zelesnkyy argues Russia 'really wants to occupy everything' before agreeing to a cease fire deal
Speaking with reporters after his meeting with Trump, Zelenskyy said that territory discussions are "very sensitive" and that Russia "really wants to occupy everything" and negotiate territories before laying down its arms.
"They want, before any kind of cease fire, make a deal about land, about our territories, etcetera," Zelenskyy said when asked about Trump suggesting that Ukraine may not be able to get all of its territory back.
"Our position is that, look, first we need cease fire. So we need to sit and speak and to understand where we are," he added.
Trump has gone back and forth in public comments about whether he thinks Ukraine can reclaim territory that Russia has annexed during the war.
He has frequently suggested that Ukraine would likely not be able to have a return to its original borders from the start of the war, but had also suggested last month that with support from the European Union, Ukraine could regain its territory.
New York GOP suspends state Young Republicans chapter over ‘vile’ group chat messages
Officials in the New York Republican Party today voted to suspend the state Young Republicans chapter following a Politico report that detailed racist and antisemitic messages sent between a group of young Republican leaders across the country.
In a statement following the New York state GOP’s decision, party chair Ed Cox said that New York State Young Republicans were “already grossly mismanaged” and that the “vile language of the sort made in the group chat has no place in our party or its subsidiary organizations.”
NBC News has not independently verified the contents of the group text thread, but Politico reported that the messages in the chat included racial slurs about Black and Latino people, praise for Adolf Hitler and jokes about sending political opponents to gas chambers.
