Trump says he'll announce his Fed chair pick Friday morning
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President Donald Trump separately urged Democrats and Republicans to vote for a bipartisan deal that would resolve the government shutdown funding fight.
What to know today ...
- FED CHAIR: President Donald Trump said this evening that he'll name his nominee to lead the Federal Reserve tomorrow morning after Jerome Powell's term ends this year. Trump revealed his announcement plans when he was at the Kennedy Center with first lady Melania Trump for the premiere of a documentary about her.
- BIPARTISAN FUNDING DEAL: Trump and Senate Democrats struck a deal to avoid a shutdown for most of the federal government, five sources told NBC News. Federal funding for many agencies will lapse at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, but a Senate vote on the package could happen as soon as tomorrow. The House, which returns Monday, must pass the legislation before it is sent to Trump's desk.
- CABINET MEETING: Trump held a Cabinet meeting today as his administration contends with backlash over its aggressive and deadly immigration enforcement tactics in Minnesota. Unlike at past meetings, Trump did not invite Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Attorney General Pam Bondi or some other top officials who have been drawing recent scrutiny to speak. He also did not take questions from reporters afterward.
- FBI FULTON COUNTY SEARCH: National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard is coming under scrutiny by Democrats, as well as national security experts, who want to know why she was present at an FBI search yesterday of the Fulton County, Georgia, election hub. The FBI was seeking records related to the 2020 election, according to the county.
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Trump calls Alex Pretti an 'agitator and, perhaps, insurrectionist'
Trump commented on a video showing Alex Pretti in an altercation with federal immigration agents in Minneapolis the week before he was killed, describing Pretti as an “agitator and, perhaps, insurrectionist” in a late-night social media post.
“Agitator and, perhaps, insurrectionist, Alex Pretti’s stock has gone way down with the just released video of him screaming and spitting in the face of a very calm and under control ICE Officer, and then crazily kicking in a new and very expensive government vehicle, so hard and violent, in fact, that the taillight broke off in pieces,” Trump said.
“It was quite a display of abuse and anger, for all to see, crazed and out of control. The ICE Officer was calm and cool, not an easy thing to be under those circumstances!”
The video from Jan. 13 shows Pretti yelling at federal immigration agents and kicking the back of a vehicle used by agents, breaking a taillight. Eleven days later, Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse, was fatally shot by Customs and Border Protection agents who had dragged him to the ground, videos of which appeared to contradict some of the Trump administration’s claims about what happened.
Kristi Noem blames initial information in shooting aftermath for statements about Pretti killing
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem told Fox News host Sean Hannity tonight that she relied on “the best information we had at the time” when she made comments about the killing of Alex Pretti that have been widely criticized.
“That situation was very chaotic, and ... we were being relayed information from on the ground, from CBP agents and officers that were there,” Noem said on Hannity’s program.
“We were using the best information we had at the time, seeking to be transparent with the American people and get them what we knew to be true on the ground,” she said.
Multiple videos of Pretti’s killing by federal agents in Minneapolis appear to contradict comments Noem and other administration officials made shortly after Pretti was fatally shot Saturday.
Noem had said that Pretti “brandished” a handgun, and that he was “wishing to inflict harm on these officers.” The videos show Pretti did not hold a weapon during the encounter, which began after he appeared to try to come to the aid of a person who was pushed and fell to the ground.
Pretti was armed during the scuffle, and Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara has said the handgun was legally owned and carried.
In a statement yesterday, White House adviser Stephen Miller said, “The initial statement from DHS was based on reports from CBP on the ground.”
Senate won't vote tonight on bipartisan funding deal after timing agreement falls apart
The Senate is no longer voting this evening on a bipartisan agreement ahead of a government funding deadline. Senators were not able to agree on which amendments would be voted on, two sources familiar told NBC News.
“Republicans need to get their act together,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said in the Capitol after senators were told they could go home for the night.
Funding for a large chunk of the federal government is set to expire at the end of the day tomorrow if Congress fails to act. While Congress was not expected to get Trump a bill to sign before the deadline, Senate passage this week would allow the House to vote when it returns Monday, minimizing the impact of a partial government shutdown over the weekend.
Schumer blamed Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who left Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s, R-S.D., office earlier evening saying, “We’re not voting tonight!”
For the Senate to vote tonight, it would need all 100 members to agree to a quick vote, and Graham has an objection to the bill. It is not clear when, or whether, the Senate will vote tomorrow.
“That’s the holdup, that’s why the bill was pulled,” Schumer said of Graham’s objection. Schumer would not say whether there were any objections on the Democratic side to voting tonight.
Graham is upset that a provision added to the bill would revoke his ability to sue the government for not notifying him it requested his phone records as part of the investigation that led to the “Arctic Frost” Jan. 6 probe. Many House and Senate Republicans support revoking that ability. Graham disagrees with them.
“I fixed the problem that people had,” Graham said tonight of the Arctic Frost provision. “I’m not going to ignore what happened. If you were abused, you think you were abused, your phone records were illegally seized, you should have your day in court.”
Trump threatens 50% tariff on Canadian aircraft sold in U.S. in latest trade war salvo
Trump threatened to impose a 50% tariff on all aircraft made in Canada, accusing the ally of refusing to certify jets from the U.S. company Gulfstream Aerospace in the latest escalation of his feud with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
In retaliation, Trump said, the U.S. will decertify all Canadian aircraft, including planes from Gulfstream rival Bombardier, Canada’s largest aircraft maker. “If, for any reason, this situation is not immediately corrected, I am going to charge Canada a 50% Tariff on any and all Aircraft sold into the United States of America,” he said on social media.
Bombardier said it was in contact with the Canadian government about Trump's threat. The Montreal-based company, which employs more than 3,000 people at nine facilities in the U.S., said that its facilities and technicians were "fully certified to FAA standards" and that it was actively expanding its U.S. operations.
“Thousands of private and civilian jets built in Canada fly in the U.S. every day. We hope this is quickly resolved to avoid a significant impact to air traffic and the flying public,” the company said in a statement.
The Canadian transportation ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment late this evening.
Trump has been ratcheting up his rhetoric against Canada, one of the largest U.S. trading partners, as trade talks remain stalled and Canada seeks more trade with other countries. Carney agreed this month to lower trade barriers with China during a visit to Beijing, describing it as a “more predictable” partner.
Trump then threatened to impose a 100% tariff on Canadian goods if Canada “makes a deal with China,” without specifying what deal he was referring to. Canada says it is not pursuing a free trade deal with China.
Carney got a standing ovation this month at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where he warned that the international rules-based order was “fading” as great powers put their own interests first and that it was up to middle powers such as Canada to promote values such as human rights and sovereignty. Trump responded in his Davos speech that Canada “should be grateful” to the U.S. and that “Canada lives because of the United States,” and he later withdrew Canada’s invitation to his Board of Peace.
Carney rejected claims by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent that he had walked back his Davos comments in a phone call with Trump on Monday, saying he told Trump that he meant what he said.
Tulsi Gabbard under scrutiny for showing up at FBI raid of Georgia election hub
When Trump watched a live feed of the U.S. military operation that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, the director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, was not in the room. Just two days earlier, she had posted photos of herself on a beach in Hawaii at sunset practicing yoga, sending out a new year’s greeting for “peace.”
That she appeared to be on vacation in the run-up to such a high-stakes, ultra-sensitive military operation seemed to underscore the extent to which she has been sidelined by the administration.
But there she was yesterday, at an election center in Fulton County, Georgia, as FBI agents conducted a raid seeking ballots from the 2020 presidential election, which Trump has falsely claimed he won.
Gabbard’s presence baffled national security experts and raised questions about whether she is seeking new relevancy in the eyes of a president who had soured on her.
At ‘Melania’ premiere, Trump talks Tim Cook and Fed chair nominee
Trump joined first lady Melania Trump at the premiere of her self-titled documentary this evening, answering questions from NBC News as they walked into the event.
Trump said he would announce his pick for the new chair of the Federal Reserve tomorrow morning, ending months of speculation about who will succeed Jerome Powell.
“I’ll be announcing the Fed chair tomorrow morning,” Trump told reporters.
“I’ve chosen a very good person,” he said. “I’ll be putting that out tomorrow morning.”
RFK Jr. addresses criticism of Trump's Kennedy Center renaming push
Speaking to NBC News at the premiere for Melania Trump's documentary, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. addressed the controversy surrounding renaming the Kennedy Center to include Trump's name.
"Well, you know, I was around when the Kennedy Center was built, and it was built as a memorial to my uncle because of his commitment to the arts and his commitment to make America a cultural center for the world and to broadcast American culture to the rest of the world. And President Trump has that same aspiration. He is putting a lot of resources in the center," Kennedy said.
"Me, I feel like I have bigger fish, fish to fry. If I can save the life of one child, that’s more important than any building," he added.
Trump's handpicked Kennedy Center board moved to rename the building late last year, drawing criticism from other members of the Kennedy family and members of Congress. The performing arts center legally cannot be renamed without approval from Congress.
Trump's takeover has led several big-name artists to cancel their performances at the center. In addition, the Washington National Opera is leaving the center, where it has performed for decades.
Trump sues IRS and Treasury Department for $10 billion over leaked tax records
Trump is suing the IRS and the Treasury Department for $10 billion, alleging they failed to take the necessary steps to prevent a former IRS employee from improperly disclosing his tax returns, and those of his sons and his company, to news outlets.
The lawsuit, filed today at a federal courthouse in Miami, says Trump is suing in his personal capacity, not as president. The other plaintiffs include two of Trump’s sons — Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump — and the Trump Organization.
“Defendants have caused Plaintiffs reputational and financial harm, public embarrassment, unfairly tarnished their business reputations, portrayed them in a false light, and negatively affected President Trump, and the other Plaintiffs’ public standing,” the complaint says.
The Treasury and the IRS did not immediately respond to requests for comment tonight.
Trump says he'll announce his Federal Reserve chair pick tomorrow
Trump told reporters tonight that he will announce his pick for the next chair of the Federal Reserve tomorrow morning, ending months of speculation of who will succeed Jerome Powell.
"I'll be announcing the Fed chair tomorrow morning," Trump said at the Kennedy Center, where he was attending the premiere of a documentary about first lady Melania Trump.
"I've chosen a very good person," Trump said. "I'll be putting that out tomorrow morning."
Earlier today at his Cabinet meeting, Trump had said that the announcement would come next week. He had added that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick are involved in the decision.
Trump signs executive order aimed at combating drug addiction
Trump signed an executive order today focused on drug addiction at an Oval Office event where several people, including members of his administration, talked about how addiction has affected them and family members.
“We’re taking a bold action to help Americans struggling with all forms of addiction so they can get the help and the support that they need to free themselves from the horrible burden of dependency,” Trump said. “The Great American Recovery Initiative will bring together federal, state, local and private-sector resources to support addiction recovery, treatment and prevention, and it will help mobilize the full resources and authority of the federal government to help stop this tremendous plague.”
At the signing, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Kathryn Burgum, who’s married to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, talked about their own struggles with addiction. Special envoy Steve Witkoff spoke about losing his son Andrew to a drug overdose in 2011.
Kennedy mentioned in his remarks that he will make "major announcements" next week as part of the administration's "action to make America healthy."
Trump, who usually engages with reporters at length at Oval Office signing ceremonies, did not take any questions this evening. He also avoided questions earlier in the day at his Cabinet meeting.
House probe alleges Florida representative engaged in misconduct
The House Ethics Committee released a report today alleging Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-Fla., engaged in "extensive misconduct."
The lengthy report by the panel's investigative subcommittee found "substantial evidence" of misconduct, including that she used her office for a wide range of personal benefits, such as directing community project funding to a for-profit entity, accepting campaign contributions linked to an official action and other actions.
Some of the allegations in the report align with allegations federal prosecutors have made against Cherfilus-McCormick. She was indicted in November on charges she stole and laundered $5 million in federal relief funds and used the money for her congressional campaign.
The report includes a lengthy response in which Cherfilus-McCormick denies the allegations and asks that the charges be dismissed.
The panel has formed an adjudicatory committee, which will hold a hearing on the matter in March.
House Rules Committee to meet Monday on measures of contempt against the Clintons
The House Rules Committee will meet Monday to advance the measures to hold former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in contempt of Congress for failing to comply with subpoenas from the Oversight Committee.
The Rules Committee process is the final step before the resolutions can go to the floor for a full House vote next week. The floor votes have not been scheduled yet, but they could happen as soon as Tuesday if the Rules Committee advances both contempt measures.
The Oversight Committee approved both contempt recommendations with bipartisan support.
San Jose mayor enters crowded California governor's race
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan announced today that he is entering the crowded race for governor of California as a moderate Democrat, emphasizing a need for California politicians to focus less on out-of-state issues.
Mahan said in a lengthy message on X that he is running for governor "because we can do better."
“We don’t just need to be against something. We need to be for something — a government that proves it can solve problems for working people again,” Mahan said, adding that he is “running to bring focus back to government.”
Mahan, who was elected mayor of San Jose in 2022, touted in his post that his policies have led to reductions in unsheltered homelessness, helped police solve more homicides and increased access to housing units in the city.
Several Democrats have already thrown their hats in the ring to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom. Former Reps. Katie Porter and Rep. Eric Swalwell and Biden administration Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra have already launched their Democratic campaigns.
Mahan joins the race as a frequent critic of Newsom, having denounced his viral social media trolling of Trump in an op-ed last year. Mahan has also attacked Newsom's handling of the state's homelessness crisis and for backing a 2024 ballot measure that increased penalties for some shoplifting and drug offenses.
Federal prosecutors in Kansas charge man with making a death threat against Ilhan Omar
Federal prosecutors in Kansas charged a man there with making a death threat against Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., on Facebook.
Court filings show a man named Adam Lee Osborn was charged with posting a threat against Omar on Facebook under an alias. The filing said that Osborn admitted writing the post and that it was his way of “venting.”
He said he “didn’t have the means” to carry out such an attack, but he also told investigators “someone” should take action against both her and New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, according to the documents. He added that he hoped his comments would “maybe provoke someone to handle business” and “kill them,” the affidavit said.
NBC News reached out to Omar’s and Mamdani's offices for comment.
Trump to sign executive order to combat drug addiction
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that the president will sign an executive order aimed at coordinating a federal response to address drug addiction and substance abuse this evening.
According to a CBS News report, the initiative in the executive order will be led by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Kathryn Burgum, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum's wife.
DOJ files federal charges against man accused of attacking Rep. Ilhan Omar
The Justice Department filed charges today against a man who allegedly tried to spray Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., with a substance from a syringe during a town hall in Minneapolis this week.
A man is tackled after spraying an unknown substance at Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., during a town hall in Minneapolis on Tuesday. Octavio Jones / AFP via Getty Images
Anthony Kazmierczak faces a count alleging that he “forcibly assaulted, opposed, impeded, intimidated and officer and employee of the United States” while she was engaged in official duties.
The affidavit alleges that Kamierczak told a close associate years ago that he said, “Somebody should kill that b----,” in reference to Omar.
After Omar called for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to resign at the meeting Tuesday, Kamierczak appeared to say, “She’s not resigning. You’re splitting Minnesotans apart” after spraying her, according to the FBI.
“According to Representative Omar, the liquid stained her clothes and may have reached her face and right eye,” an affidavit the FBI filed in support of the criminal complaint said.
Trump didn't call on several Cabinet officials including Noem, Bondi and Chavez-DeRemer
Trump ended his Cabinet meeting after about an hour and 20 minutes without inviting officials who have faced backlash or scrutiny in recent days to give remarks, including Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer.
He also didn't call on Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The president didn't take questions from the press either.
President Donald Trump during a Cabinet meeting today. Brendan Smialowski / AFP - Getty Images
Trump says Lee Zeldin is in charge of coordinating permits to push rebuilding effort following California fires
Trump explained during the meeting that he wanted EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin in charge of coordinating permits for areas impacted by last year's fires in the Los Angeles area.
"I'm putting Lee Zeldin in charge of getting them their permits — city, federal," he said.
The Palisades Fire ravages a neighborhood amid high winds in Los Angeles in 2025. Ethan Swope / AP file
"I hear you have great powers over them, if we want," Trump added. "And we're going to give you that power. We've already given you that power. So Lee Zeldin is going to work with the thousands of people that are dying to build their house."
The fire was estimated to have destroyed about 13,000 homes and residential properties.
DNI Tulsi Gabbard is not present at Trump's Cabinet meeting
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard is not present at Trump's Cabinet meeting, which comes after she appeared in Georgia yesterday as the FBI executed a search warrant at a Fulton County election hub.
Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., has slammed Gabbard and has questioned why she was seen during the raid.
Trump promises that new Fed chair will help drive mortgage rates down
Trump said that he hopes the new Fed chair he nominates will lower interest rates to help drive down mortgage rates.
Yesterday, the Fed — an agency independent from the White House — decided to hold interest rates steady, despite repeated pressure from Trump to lower rates.
The Marriner S. Eccles Federal Reserve Board Building in Washington, D.C. Andrew Harnik / Getty Images
"Those interest rates are coming down," the president said during an ongoing cabinet meeting at the White House. "And with a proper, intelligent person at the Fed, that person will be able to work with us to get interest rates, and that covers all of the sins. It covers everything. Lower interest rates keeps the values up for the people that have housing and lets other people buy housing."
While the Fed sets some interest rates, the decisions of the agency do not directly affect mortgage rates.
Later in the meeting, Trump clarified that while he wants to make it easier for young people to buy a home, he doesn't want home values to drop for those who already own homes.
"Existing housing people that own their homes, we're going to keep them wealthy. We're going to keep those prices up. We're not going to destroy the value of their homes so that somebody that didn't work very hard can buy a home. We're going to get — we're going to make it easier to buy," the president said.
He added, "There's so much talk about, 'Oh, we're going to drive housing prices down.' I don't want to drive housing prices down. I want to drive housing prices up for people that own their homes, and they can be assured, that's what's going to happen."
Pam Bondi and Kristi Noem to address state election officials in Washington
Attorney General Pam Bondi and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem will speak tomorrow at a meeting of the National Association of Secretaries of State, a conference that draws state election officials from around the country to Washington, D.C.
The last-minute addition to the conference's agenda comes amid growing tensions in the Trump administration's relationship with some election officials.
The Trump administration has sued 24 states and Washington, D.C., in pursuit of unredacted voter rolls. Many states have refused to share that information, arguing it violates state laws to share protected private information like Social Security numbers with the federal government. Bondi has also suggested that the immigration raids in Minnesota are tied to the government's demands for such data, too.
And on Wednesday, the FBI searched an elections office in Fulton County, Georgia, seeking records related to the 2020 election, which Trump lost and sought to overturn.
Today, during a NASS panel, Utah Lt. Gov. Deidre M. Henderson, a Republican, addressed Trump aide Jared Burg and said Trump administration officials' statements on election issues had been "quite appalling" and had slandered election officials.
RFK Jr. promises 'dozens of studies, maybe over 100' on autism
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said briefly during the Cabinet meeting today that the Trump administration has commissioned "dozens of studies, maybe over 100" on autism.
"We are going to get those done for you," Kennedy said to Trump.
Kennedy and other top officials have repeatedly said that vaccines cause autism, a claim that's been widely debunked by hundreds of scientific studies.
Trump says 'we're getting close' to a deal to avoid a shutdown
Trump sounded positive about the possibility of avoiding a government shutdown this week, saying he's engaged in talks with Democrats.
President Donald Trump; Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. Getty Images file
“Hopefully, we won’t have a shutdown. We’re working on that right now," he said. "I think we’re getting close. The Democrats, I don’t believe, want to see it either. So we’ll work in a very bipartisan way, I believe, not to have a shutdown. We don’t want to shut down.”
Just after his remarks, the Senate voted "no" on a procedural move to bring up the current government funding package, suggesting it does not have the support to pass as-is. Eight Republicans and all Democrats voted against the massive spending package.
The bill's failure doesn't mean that the government will definitely shut down on Saturday. It means there's not yet a deal among Democrats, the White House and Republicans on language to reform DHS and ICE that would unlock support for a funding bill.
Trump says he will announce nominee for Fed chair next week
Trump said he plans to announce his nominee to chair the Federal Reserve "next week."
"We're going to be announcing the head of the Fed, who that will be, and it'll be a person that will, I think, do a good job," Trump continued. "We're paying far too much interest in the Fed. The Fed rate's too high, unacceptably high."
Jerome Powell's term as Fed chair is up this year.
Witkoff previews Ukraine-Russia peace deal as Trump says he asked Putin to pause strikes due to weather
Speaking at the Cabinet meeting today at the White House, special envoy Steve Witkoff told Trump that a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia is coming "sometime soon."
"We have a security protocol agreement that's largely finished, a prosperity agreement that's largely, largely finished," Witkoff said. "And I think the people of Ukraine are now hopeful and expecting that we're going to deliver a peace deal sometime soon."
The president went on to speak about the ongoing cold snap in Ukraine, telling reporters that he's asked Russian President Vladimir Putin not to strike Kyiv during the current "extraordinary cold."
"I personally asked President Putin not to fire on Kyiv and the cities and towns for a week during this -- it's extraordinary. It's not just like cold, it's extraordinary cold, record-setting cold over there," Trump said.
As recently as Tuesday, Russian strikes in Ukraine killed at least eight people.
Trump says he closed his eyes during the last Cabinet meeting because 'it got pretty boring'
Trump said he wasn't going to have everyone at the Cabinet table speak because it lasted for three hours last time and he said "some people said he closed his eyes."
"Look, it got pretty boring," Trump said.
"I love these people. There's a lot of people. It was a little bit on the boring side, but I didn't sleep. I just closed them because I wanted to get the hell out of here," he said, drawing laughs from the room.
He said that if he actually fell asleep, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth would be waking him up.
Trump says he had 'very productive' call with Mexican president
Trump said in a post on Truth Social that he "had a very productive telephone conversation" with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, which "went extremely well for both Countries."
"Much of it was focused on the Border, stopping Drug Trafficking, and Trade. We will be speaking again, soon, and ultimately, setting up meetings in our respective Countries. Mexico has a wonderful and highly intelligent Leader — They should be very happy about that!" the post said.
The warm words come after Trump earlier this month told reporters "Mexico has to get their act together" and that drugs were "pouring through" the country. "We’re going have to do something. We’d love Mexico to do it. They’re capable of doing it. But unfortunately, the cartels are very strong in Mexico," he said in remarks Jan. 4. "The cartels are running Mexico."
Trump touts economic strength in Cabinet meeting
In remarks at a Cabinet meeting at the White House, the president pointed to gas prices and stock market gains as key indicators of economic strength.
"We have record stock markets," he told reporters, pointing to the S&P 500's record high at closing Tuesday.
"Gasoline has plunged," Trump added later.
His comments come one day after the Federal Reserve decided to hold interest rates steady, pointing to strong economic indicators.
"Available indicators suggest that economic activity has been expanding at a solid pace. Job gains have remained low, and the unemployment rate has shown some signs of stabilization. Inflation remains somewhat elevated," the central bank wrote yesterday.
Trump says airspace over Venezuela will be opening up
Trump said during his Cabinet meeting that the airspace over Venezuela will be opening up so that planes can travel to the South American country.
"I want to thank the leadership of Venezuela. We’re getting along really well with them. The relationships have been very strong, very good, and they have informed me that they feel this very good security, very strong security," Trump said.
The president said that major oil companies are going to Venezuela now, "scouting it out and picking their locations, and they’ll be bringing back tremendous wealth for Venezuela and for the United States."
Trump said he had just spoken with the acting president of Venezuela, Delcy Rodriguez, and that he informed her that the U.S. is "going to be opening up all commercial airspace over Venezuela."
"American citizens will be very shortly, able to go to Venezuela, and they’ll be safe there ... it’s under very strong control," he said. "So I’ve instructed Sean Duffy and everybody else concerned, including the military, that if you would, by the end of today, I’d like you to have the airspace over Venezuela planes can go to Venezuela opened up. OK?" Trump said to the transportation secretary.
Trump kicks off Cabinet meeting
Trump has convened his Cabinet for its 10th public meeting.
The meeting comes as his administration is facing questions over its aggressive immigration enforcement tactics after fatal shootings in Minnesota and elsewhere; its plans for Venezuela after deposing that country's leader; its negotiations over an Arctic security agreement involving Greenland; its efforts to reach a denuclearization deal with Iran amid a U.S. military buildup in the region and other pressing policy areas.
John Thune says he's hopeful the White House and Senate Democrats can reach an agreement to avert a partial shutdown
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told reporters he is hopeful that the White House and Senate Democrats will strike a deal to pull the Department of Homeland Security funding bill from the six-bill appropriations package set to be voted on at 11:30 a.m. today.
“My hope and expectation is that as the White House and Senate Dems, they work this out, that they’ll be able to produce the votes that are necessary to get it passed,” Thune said.
Thune added that he has taken part in “very constructive discussions and conversations," but he does not want to “get the cart ahead of the horse.”
“I think at this point it’s still the White House and the Dem leadership, they’re going to have to figure out the final way to land the plane, if we can,” Thune said.
If the procedural vote to advance to the spending package gets the 60-vote supermajority needed for Senate approval, Thune said, “we’ll take it from there and figure out what the next step is.”
Asked if Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has given him any assurance that the House will return from its recess and pass a Senate-amended package, Thune laughed and told reporters his "hope and expectation" is that its members would "do what’s necessary to keep the government funded" and avoid a shutdown.
"But that’s better a question, I think, for the speaker about what that timing looks like, but I know it’s not ideal for sure.”
Senate Democrats call on DOJ to stop campaign seeking state voter rolls
More than two dozen Senate Democrats are calling on the Justice Department to stop "its intensifying pressure campaign to coerce states into handing over their voter rolls."
The senators wrote a letter today to Attorney General Pam Bondi, days after she sent Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz a letter seeking his state's voter rolls amid the administration's aggressive immigration enforcement actions in the state.
"We strongly oppose the Department’s lawsuits against states, which are unauthorized attempts to centralize this data, that in addition to posing serious risks to voter privacy, data security, and national security, also invite unwarranted voter roll purges and undermine state and local election officials’ list maintenance efforts," said the letter, spearheaded by Sens. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and Alex Padilla, D-Calif.
The DOJ has sued about two dozen states and Washington, D.C., for failing to produce their voter registration lists upon request," the letter said. At least eight states, meanwhile, have handed over their complete lists of registered voters to the federal government, it said.
The senators wrote that the DOJ has not provided Congress and the public information on how it's maintaining voter data and how it's being used. They submitted a series of detailed questions about these efforts in the letter and asked that the administration respond by Feb. 12. They also requested a briefing on the issue.
The letter comes a day after the FBI executed a search warrant at a Fulton County, Georgia, election hub seeking files related to the 2020 presidential election.
Senate to take key procedural vote on government funding package
The Senate is expected to take a key procedural vote on a government funding package around 11:30 a.m. ET today.
The vote on the motion to proceed to the package, which includes six appropriations bills, requires 60 votes. It's expected to fail as many Senate Democrats have voiced opposition to the legislation if the funding for the Department of Homeland Security isn't stripped from the larger bill.
In the wake of the fatal shooting last Saturday of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis by Border Patrol agents, Democrats have said they would oppose funding DHS if it doesn't include reforms to immigration enforcement operations by the Trump administration.
Democrats have said they would support passing the other five appropriations bills while they negotiate the DHS bill.
Congress must pass government funding by tomorrow night to prevent a government shutdown.
Ilhan Omar points finger at Trump’s ‘hateful rhetoric’ after town hall attack
Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., suggested last night that Trump’s rhetoric toward her and the Somali community contributed to the attack on her at a town hall Tuesday.
“What the facts have shown since I’ve gotten into elected office is that every time the president of the United States has chosen to use hateful rhetoric to talk about me and the community that I represent, my death threats skyrocket,” Omar said at a news conference in Minneapolis.
“I do believe that the facts of the situation are that I wouldn’t be where I am at today, having to pay for security, having the government to think about providing me security, if Donald Trump wasn’t in office,” she added.
Omar was confronted at a town hall Tuesday by a man who tried to spray her with a substance from a syringe. The man, identified as James Kazmierczak, 55, was arrested on suspicion of assault but had yet to be formally charged as of yesterday.
A spokesperson for Omar said her office was told that a preliminary report showed that the substance was apple cider vinegar. The FBI said in a statement yesterday that it is now investigating the incident.
Top DOJ official posts picture of himself with Sidney Powell
Ed Martin, the head of the Justice Department's Weaponization Working Group, posted a picture of himself on social media with former Trump attorney and election conspiracy theorist Sidney Powell.
"Good morning, America. How are ya’?" Martin wrote in the post on X, which shows him and Powell standing side by side and smiling.
Powell was an outspoken voice after the 2020 election, claiming the election had been stolen and voicing support for far-fetched, baseless and debunked conspiracy theories.
It's unclear when the picture was taken, but the post came one day after the FBI executed a search warrant at an elections hub seeking records related to the 2020 election in Fulton County, Georgia — where Powell was charged with conspiring to overturn the election results. She pleaded guilty in October 2023 to six misdemeanor counts of conspiracy to commit election interference in Fulton County Superior Court and was sentenced to six years probation.
Jon Ossoff says that Fulton County FBI search is a 'seismic event'
Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., said on MS NOW last night that the FBI’s search of an election hub in Fulton County, Georgia, was a “seismic event” and part of the president's larger effort to influence upcoming elections.
“This is a shot across the bow at the midterm elections. He tried to steal power when he lost it in 2020. We have to be prepared for all kinds of schemes and shenanigans. We have to be prepared for him to try to deprive people of their voting rights in Georgia,” Ossoff warned.
He added that Trump is “wielding the American government as an instrument of personal revenge and personal power in a way completely unprecedented for the American presidency. And this, I think, is a continuation of that.”
“This should have people across the country absolutely shook. This is a huge deal,” he said.
What to know about today's Cabinet meeting
Today will be the Trump administration’s 10th publicly known major Cabinet meeting of his second administration.
Among the Cabinet officials to watch for are Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who is facing calls to resign, and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who was seen at an election hub in Fulton County, Georgia, yesterday, the same day the FBI executed a search warrant there.
These meetings can often last hours. His Aug. 26 Cabinet meeting was the longest at three hours and 17 minutes. His Dec. 2 meeting lasted two hours and 18 minutes — Trump visibly struggled to keep his eyes open throughout the remarks from his Cabinet members.
Trump told New York Magazine in an interview that was published earlier this week that he finds the meetings boring.
“It’s boring as hell," he said. "I’m going around a room, and I’ve got 28 guys — the last one was three and a half hours. I have to sit back and listen, and I move my hand so that people will know I’m listening. I’m hearing every word, and I can’t wait to get out."
Mark Warner wants to know why Tulsi Gabbard was present at FBI search of Fulton County election hub
Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., wants to know why Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard was present at the FBI search yesterday of the Fulton County, Georgia, election hub.
In a statement last night, Warner, ranking member on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said there are only two explanations for why Gabbard would show up at a search "tied to Donald Trump’s obsession with losing the 2020 election."
"Either Director Gabbard believes there was a legitimate foreign intelligence nexus — in which case she is in clear violation of her obligation under the law to keep the intelligence committees ‘fully and currently informed’ of relevant national security concerns — or she is once again demonstrating her utter lack of fitness for office that she holds by injecting the nonpartisan intelligence community she is supposed to be leading into a domestic political stunt designed to legitimize conspiracy theories that undermine our democracy," Warner said.
The Democratic senator said that either scenario is a "serious breach of trust" that shows why she's "unqualified" to serve as DNI.
The FBI executed a search warrant yesterday at an elections hub in Fulton County, Georgia, seeking records related to the 2020 election. A senior administration official said yesterday that Gabbard "has a pivotal role in election security and protecting the integrity of our elections against interference, including operations targeting voting systems, databases, and election infrastructure."
Trump is holding a Cabinet meeting today and attending a screening of 'Melania'
Trump will hold a Cabinet meeting this morning with top White House officials, a meeting that comes as his administration grapples with backlash over its aggressive immigration enforcement tactics in Minnesota and elsewhere. Previous Cabinet meetings have lasted hours long.
Later, he is scheduled to make an announcement, although the White House has not provided details on what the announcement will be.
Tonight, the president and first lady Melania Trump will attend a screening of the documentary "Melania" at the Kennedy Center. The film is being released in theaters tomorrow.
Amy Klobuchar jumps into Minnesota governor’s race
Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar said today that she will run for governor of Minnesota, after Tim Walz’s surprise announcement earlier this month that he was dropping his bid for a third term.
The move from Klobuchar, who is serving her fourth term as senator, further shakes up Democratic politics in a blue-leaning state that has emerged as the latest target of Trump’s attacks and immigration crackdown.
“I believe we must stand up for what’s right, and fix what’s wrong. That’s why today I’m announcing my candidacy for governor of the state of Minnesota,” Klobuchar announced in a video she posted on X.
Klobuchar cited pressing issues such as the affordability of health care and housing in Minnesota, adding, “And I’m running for every Minnesotan who wants ICE and its abusive tactics out of the state we love.”
Senate Democrats and White House making progress toward avoiding partial government shutdown
Senate Democrats and the White House are inching closer to an agreement to pull funding from the Department of Homeland Security out of a package of appropriations set to be voted on this week that would fund the government through the end of the fiscal year.
The two sides are considering a plan that would allow a vote on five of the six remaining appropriations bills and then pass a short-term continuing resolution that would give additional time to address Democrats' concerns around ICE operations connected to the Trump administration’s mass deportation program.
A source familiar with the negotiations tells NBC News that Democrats are insistent that if they do pass a continuing resolution, it will be short and just for the purposes of providing more time to negotiate those reforms.
Yesterday, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Democrats would vote no on any appropriations package that included DHS funding without specific reforms: ending roving ICE patrols, an updated uniform code of conduct for immigration enforcement and body cameras on all agents, as well as proper identification and no masks.
While the two sides are making progress, it will still be difficult to avoid a partial government shutdown by the deadline of midnight tomorrow. Any changes made by the Senate to the existing appropriations package will then have to go back to the House to be approved once again. The House is currently on recess and not expected to be back until early next week.
Sources on both sides have made it clear that while the talks are productive, no deal has been reached yet.
The change in posture by the White House comes after several Republicans in Congress raised concerns about ICE tactics in Minnesota. Many have called for an independent investigation into the death of Alex Pretti and some have said DHS Secretary Kristi Noem should step down.
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, the chair of the Senate appropriations committee, spoke directly with Noem about ICE’s tactics in Minnesota and her state Maine. Collins said in a statement this morning that ICE has ended its operations in Maine.
NBC News has reached out to the White House for comment on the progress of the talks.
