Trump faces criticism from some of his most loyal supporters. Republicans pivot from replacing Obamacare to fixing it as time runs out on ACA tax credits. And, an exclusive look at the reopening of Iran's missile museum.
Here's what to know today.
Trump's grip on his MAGA base shows signs of strain
President Donald Trump coined the term "Make America Great Again" during his first run for the Oval Office, and the political movement that followed, known as "MAGA," has been dictated by what Trump envisioned. But in his second term, his red-hat supporters are beginning to push back on White House policy proposals they see as contrary to his long-held promises on immigration and the economy.
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"MAGA was my idea. MAGA was nobody else's idea," Trump told Fox News host Laura Ingraham in an interview. "I know what MAGA wants better than anybody else, and MAGA wants to see our country thrive."
Trump's popularity among the Republican party remains high — 88% of Republican registered voters approved of Trump in the latest NBC News poll, conducted in late October, before the latest elections. Among voters who consider themselves part of the MAGA movement, it's even higher — 96% — highlighting the loyalty he commands from core supporters.
But there is a sect of his supporters that believe the president is increasingly swayed by wealthy donors who have access to him at private White House events, his exclusive Mar-a-Lago club and the luxury boxes he sits in at sporting events.
The right-wing backlash intensified following Trump's interview with Ingraham. Trump batted away concerns about affordability as a Democratic "con job," and he said a controversial new proposal for 50-year mortgages was "not even a big deal." He also talked up having 600,000 Chinese students at U.S. universities and said the country needed to bring in more workers from overseas through the H-1B visa program because native-born Americans lack "certain talents."
The most recent NBC News poll found Trump's overall approval rating was at 43%, a 4-point dip from March, while 51% said he had lived up to their expectations on the issue of immigration and border security.
Some allies pointed the finger less at Trump losing his way than how the White House has handled messaging.
More politics news:
- A top housing official in the administration has referred California Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell to the Justice Department for a potential federal criminal probe, according to a person familiar with the referral.
- Two women who say they were sexually assaulted by Jeffrey Epstein urged Congress to compel the Justice Department to release all of the files on the accused sex trafficker.
- A new NBC News poll found 82% of Republicans surveyed say they have a close friend who's a member of the other party, compared with 64% of Democrats.
- The Department of Justice joined a Republican-led lawsuit seeking to block a new California congressional map that voters approved last week.
Republicans still seek an Obamacare alternative
Open enrollment for health insurance has already begun and enhanced Obamacare subsidies are set to expire at the end of the year, which would more than double insurance premiums for millions of Americans in red and blue states alike.
Republicans, under pressure from Democrats after the government shutdown revived the health care clash, have not coalesced around legislation, and are only now starting serious discussions about putting proposals together.
As the party scrambles to craft an alternative, multiple Republicans are vying for Trump's endorsement of ideas that could alleviate skyrocketing costs that are just around the corner. Two Republican senators have competing plans to create federally funded spending accounts that would help Obamacare enrollees directly, rather than subsidize insurers to keep costs down.
If Republicans can't agree on an alternative solution before the end of this year, they'll have to decide whether to join with Democrats in extending the ACA tax credits, which risks drawing Trump's ire, or letting them expire, which risks infuriating voters ahead of next year's midterm elections.
Army receives new allegations in gynecologist investigation
Col. Mark Jacques, the commander of Darnall Army Medical Center at Fort Hood military base, said he sent a letter to more than 1,400 former patients of a gynecologist who is accused of sexual misconduct to inform them of the investigation. He said investigators continue to receive new allegations against the doctor.
As many as 85 patients have reached out to the Army Criminal Investigation Division, Jacques said, although it's not clear if all of them were victims of misconduct. At least 30 women have been identified by Army investigators as having been photographed or videotaped by the gynecologist, Dr. Blaine McGraw, according to a patient who was told of that number by investigators and two Army officials.
McGraw is named in a lawsuit filed on Monday by one of his former patients under the name Jane Doe to protect her identity. The lawsuit accuses McGraw of recording intimate videos of a patient without her knowledge and alleges there are scores of other women who are victims of his misconduct. It also says Army leadership received complaints about sexual misconduct by McGraw dating back years and allowed him to continue practicing. Jacques said he was not aware of any such complaints or concerns since he took command of the medical center in June.
John Beam, who appeared on Netflix's 'Last Chance U,' is shot
Laney College Athletic Director John Beam, who was featured on the Netflix show "Last Chance U" was shot on the Oakland, California, campus, officials said. Beam was in critical condition Thursday night and police are investigating the shooting.
Beam was featured in season five of the series, which is about college football athletes and their struggles. The season that focused on Beam and Laney College aired in 2020.
Read All About It
- Hackers hijacked a mass text messaging service, pushing hundreds of thousands of scam texts to people who subscribe to alerts from New York state, a Catholic charity and a political organizing group.
- A 47-year-old from New Jersey is the first person known to have died from a red meat allergy caused by a tick bite.
- Oscar voters are getting some extra homework this awards season, as an email obtained by NBC News showed what Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences members need to do in order to vote.
- Netflix is expanding its gaming catalog with TV versions of classics like Pictionary and Tetris as it tries to turn itself into a gaming giant.
- U.S. military buildup is “an aggression against Latin America,” Colombian President Gustavo Petro told NBC News in a wide-ranging interview.
Staff Pick: A tour of Iran's missile museum
Entry to Iran's missile museum on the outskirts of Tehran isn't offered to just anybody, but NBC News was given exclusive access to the facility, which is officially known as the National Aerospace Park. There are huge missiles and combat drones, copies of which were used in a devastating 12-day war with Israel last summer, on display in the massive exhibition space. This is military hardware rarely seen by people inside Iran and even less so by anyone outside the country.
The government recently reopened the museum to showcase the country's military advances after last summer's conflict which in many ways highlighted the country's defensive shortcomings. Visitors took selfies in front of drones and were given the opportunity to scribble messages on replica missiles. So step inside the museum and take a look around. – Babak Dehghanpisheh, digital international editor
NBC Select: Online Shopping, Simplified
Browse the NBC Select team's list of the top Lego sets for holiday giving. Plus, weighted stuffed animals for all ages and everything you need to know about the Nintendo Switch.
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