California Gov. Newsom blasts Trump; New Jersey voters pick nominees for governor's race

A curfew for downtown Los Angeles announced by Bass is now in effect.

The curfew is in effect from 8 p.m. to 6 p.m. in downtown Los Angeles for the area between the 110, 5 and 10 freeways and extending north of the 101 Freeway into Chinatown and Elysian Park until the 5 and the 110 meet, according to the mayor's office.

People are prohibited from being out downtown, except law enforcement, emergency and medical personnel, residents, those going to work or returning from work and working journalists, the office said.

People who are out and don't fit the exceptions will be arrested, Bass said.

“I am exercising my mayoral powers to implement a curfew within Downtown Los Angeles to curb bad actors who do not support the immigrant community," she said in a statement tonight. "If you do not live or work in Downtown L.A., avoid the area." 

Newsom blamed Trump for inflaming a situation by sending federal forces and troops to Los Angeles but acknowledged that “several dozen lawbreakers” became destructive and committed violence, including burning cars.

“They vandalized property; they tried to assault police officers,” Newsom said, pointing to widely shown video of Waymo cars set on fire.

“If you incite violence or destroy our communities, you’re going to be held to account,” Newsom said. “That kind of criminal behavior will not be tolerated, full stop.”

Police Chief Jim McDonnell said officials have seen a “concerning escalation in unlawful and dangerous behavior” in recent days. On Saturday, police made 27 arrests; today, nearly 200 people were arrested.

Newsom may have been addressing Californians tonight, but his warning went beyond state lines.

“California may be first, but it clearly will not end here,” he said tonight, citing Trump's decision to deploy National Guard troops without his support.

Newsom and the state attorney general have said that Trump's move was illegal and that it is only making matters worse.

“We do not want our streets militarized by our own armed forces,” Newsom said tonight.

Trump is pulling a “military dragnet” across Los Angeles to arrest not criminals but “dishwashers, gardeners, day laborers and seamstresses," Newsom said.

“That’s just weakness,” he said. “Weakness masquerading as strength.”

Newsom's scathing address tonight took aim at Trump's federalization of the National Guard and use of Marines in Los Angeles and warned of what might come.

"Democracy is next. Democracy is under assault," Newsom warned.

Authoritarian regimes begin by targeting vulnerable groups and don't stop there, Newsom said.

"Trump and his loyalists, they thrive on division because it allows them to take more power and exert even more control. And by the way, Trump, he’s not opposed to lawlessness and violence, as long as it serves him," Newsom added, citing the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.

Newsom also accused Trump of taking a "wrecking ball" to the United States' foundations, adding that there are "no longer any checks and balances" and that Congress is "nowhere to be found."

“The rule of law has increasingly been given way to the rule of Don," he said.

The U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for Washington, D.C., paused a district court judge’s order that had required the Trump administration to provide due process to migrants sent to El Salvador under Trump’s Alien Enemies Act proclamation.

As a result of the pause, which came in the form of an administrative stay, the Trump administration does not have to get an answer to U.S. District Judge James Boasberg about how it plans to provide people with habeas corpus relief. The answer would have been due tomorrow.

The appeals court ruled a few hours after the administration asked for a pause of Boasberg’s order.

Trump intentionally inflamed unrest in Los Angeles by illegally sending in military troops for “theatrics," Newsom said tonight.

Newsom said the protests and unrest in Los Angeles, which began Thursday after federal immigration raids on businesses, were calming before Trump escalated matters by federalizing 2,000 more National Guard members and deploying more than 700 active Marines.

“This situation was winding down and was concentrated in just a few square blocks downtown,” Newsom said.

“But that — that’s not want Donald Trump wanted. He again chose escalation. He chose more force,” Newsom said. “He chose theatrics over public safety.”

Gov. Newsom: ‘Trump chose theatrics over public safety’

08:03

The United States and China have reached an agreement on trade, representatives from both sides said after a second day of high-level talks in London.

“We have reached a framework to implement the Geneva consensus and the call between the two presidents,” Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told reporters.

That echoed comments to reporters from Li Chenggang, China’s international trade representative and a vice minister at the Commerce Ministry.

Read the full story here.

Despite having instituted a curfew for downtown Los Angeles after unrest and looting, Bass again said the Trump administration's sending troops to the city was uncalled for and unnecessary.

“We have the capacity to address this situation here, and we don’t need armies or National Guard — especially that we didn’t even ask for,” Bass said.

“And the idea that the president took the power away from the governor to do this was really just unacceptable,” she said.

Los Angeles police arrested 197 people today, including 67 who went onto the 101 Freeway downtown, Police Chief Jim McDonnell said.

Today was the most arrests since Saturday, and they have been increasing since then, he said.

Since Saturday, 378 people have been arrested, according to figures McDonnell gave at a news conference.

He said there have been "several consecutive days of growing unrest throughout the city."

A curfew for downtown Los Angeles starts tonight.

LAPD Chief McDonnell says those who violate curfew are 'subject to arrest'

03:04

Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill and Republican Jack Ciattarelli have won their parties’ primaries for governor of New Jersey, NBC News projects, setting up one of the most closely watched races of the year.

New Jersey is one of two states with governor’s races this year, and the contest will be an early sign of how voters are responding to Trump’s second term.

Sherrill beat out five other Democrats for her party’s nod, pitching herself as the most electable candidate — after her party struggled in the state last year compared with other recent presidential elections — and as a Democrat willing to stand up to Trump.

Ciattarelli, who had Trump’s endorsement in the primary, defeated four other Republicans for the nomination, casting himself as the Trump ally best positioned to win the Democratic-leaning state in November. Ciattarelli came close in 2021 to defeating Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy, who cannot run for re-election because of term limits.

Read the full story here.

Sherrill, NBC News' projected winner of the Democratic gubernatorial primary, leads in 14 of New Jersey's 21 counties with 45% of the vote in. No other candidate leads in more than two.

Former state Sen. Steve Sweeney leads in Salem and Gloucester counties in South Jersey, where he picked up the county Democratic Party endorsements.

New Jersey Education Association President Sean Spiller leads in Cumberland County, while Rep. Josh Gottheimer leads in Bergen County.

Sherrill also showed strength in her home base, like those other candidates, while her broader reach into other territory brought her the nomination.

The Marines deployed to Los Angeles could be used to provide security and transportation for ICE personnel — including driving them in military vehicles to arrest locations, according to two sources familiar with the plans.

The Marines have been issued cards outlining their rules of force, or what they’re allowed to do, for the deployment.

ICE agents, as well as Los Angeles officials, have expressed concern about the rules of engagement for the Marines. Federal agents are concerned that the Marines have not been properly trained for scenarios such as encountering small children during an operation, a source familiar with the planning said.

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., introduced a bill with Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., today to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour, making him a rare congressional Republican to endorse the historically liberal cause.

The Higher Wages for American Workers Act would set the nationwide minimum wage to $15 on Jan. 1 of the first year after it is enacted and raise it annually on the basis of inflation.

Read the full story here.

Ciattarelli's victory tonight in New Jersey Republican gubernatorial primary is also a win for another familiar face to many politicos: Kellyanne Conway, who ran Trump's campaign in 2016.

Conway had been backing Ciattarelli (who won Trump's endorsement), and she worked with a super PAC backing his bid. And Bill Stepien, who managed Trump's campaign in 2020, worked with radio host Bill Spadea's campaign.

Bass announced a curfew for downtown Los Angeles after unrest following federal immigration raids.

The curfew will be in effect from 8 p.m. until 6 a.m., with "limited exemptions" for people who live in the area or need to be there for work, she said tonight.

The curfew is expected to last several days, but it will be re-evaluated, she said.

“If you drive through downtown L.A., the graffiti is everywhere and has caused significant damages,” Bass said.

She said 29 businesses were looted last night.

Los Angeles mayor announces curfew amid protests against ICE raids

02:34

Newsom plans to deliver a "major address to Californians" tonight about Trump's actions in mobilizing troops to go to Los Angeles, his office said.

It's planned for 6:30 p.m. local time (9:30 p.m. ET).

Newsom "will address Californians tonight in response to President Trump’s assault on democracy and the President’s illegal militarization of Los Angeles," an announcement of the event reads.

Former state legislator Jack Ciattarelli has won the Republican primary for governor in New Jersey with the backing of Trump, NBC News projects.

Ciattarelli defeated four other Republicans for the nomination, taking advantage of Trump’s endorsement as he made his case to GOP voters that he is the Trump ally best positioned to win the Democratic-leaning state in November. Ciattarelli came close to defeating Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy in 2021.

This year, Murphy cannot run for re-election because of term limits. NBC News has not yet projected a winner of the crowded Democratic primary, though Rep. Mikie Sherill has staked out an early lead with about one-third of the votes tallied.

Read the full story here.

Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill has an early edge in the state's most Democratic county as votes are being counted in the New Jersey gubernatorial primary.

Sherrill has won 43% of the mail-in ballot returns from Essex County, which has the largest share of registered Democrats in the state. Ras Baraka, the mayor of Newark — the state's largest city, which is also in Essex County — won 23% of the mail-in ballots there.

Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop won 17%, followed by Democratic U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer at 9%, teachers union president Sean Spiller at 5% and former state Senate President Steve Sweeney at 1%.

Polls closed at 8 p.m. ET and some vote tallies are already coming in as New Jersey voters choose the Democratic and Republican nominees for governor. Six Democrats and five Republicans are in the running.

ICE is preparing to deploy its Special Response Teams to five cities run by Democratic leaders, two sources familiar with the planning of the future operations told NBC News today.

The Special Response Teams (SRTs) are tactical units under ICE that use Bear Cat tracked vehicles, long guns and tactical vests in operations considered high risk. They were used in the raid on Sean "Diddy" Combs' home, for example.

They were most recently used in Los Angeles and are seen as among the reasons protests began. 

The sources said the SRTs have been ordered to deploy in Seattle, Chicago, Philadelphia, Northern Virginia and New York. 

It is not clear that the raids in those cities will begin immediately, but all SRT units in those areas have been told to be ready to deploy, the sources said.

Trump clarified this evening that he did not speak to Newsom “a day ago” as he had claimed earlier today, telling reporters that when the two last talked “was a little longer than that.”

“It wasn’t a day ago. It was a little longer than that,” Trump said when he was asked about the dispute over the timing of the two leaders’ last conversation. “We had a pleasant conversation — the proof was from the phone company. Was from the phone company. So I spoke to him at a certain time.”

Newsom said this afternoon on X that “there was no call” following Trump’s claim the two spoke yesterday. In response to Newsom’s post, White House spokesman Steven Cheung called Newsom a “liar” in a statement, claiming Trump had called Newsom “to tell him to get his ass in gear.”

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called outbursts of violence in the Los Angeles protests "outrageous" a day after Democratic Sen. John Fetterman said his party had refused to condemn the violence.

“The bottom line is that violence in the riots is outrageous and should never happen, full stop. That’s the bottom line, and anyone who commits violence or breaks the law should be fully prosecuted,” Schumer, D-N.Y., said today at a weekly news conference, adding that Trump’s decision to bring in troops and Marines “threatens the bedrock of our democracy.”

Fetterman, D-Pa., accused fellow Democrats yesterday of refusing to condemn what he described as “anarchy and true chaos” in Los Angeles. Earlier in the day, Schumer said in a statement that the Trump administration had escalated the situation with “unnecessary, inflammatory, and provocative” actions, without characterizing the protests as violent.

Trump delivered a campaign-style speech heavy on partisan politics today at Fort Bragg before thousands of soldiers and their families on the Army’s 250th birthday.

Instead of a focus on the Army's ared tnniversary and its history, Trump's speech at the country’s biggest Army installation was more reminiscent of his 2024 campaign stump speeches.

Trump focuses on immigration, spending bill in address to Fort Bragg troops

02:44

Trump referred to transgender people and the “fake news” and called for a year in prison for anybody who burns the American flag. He also referred to Newsom and other lawmakers from California, generating cheers when he condemned their actions.

Trump told the troops that he did not want their efforts fighting overseas to go to waste in a downward trajectory at home as he made his case for federalizing thousands of National Guard troops and deploying Marines to Los Angeles.

Amid immigration raids, peaceful protests, attacks on law enforcement officers and the threat of his own arrest by federal agents, Newsom is immersed in what could be the most consequential political fight of his career.

The battle between the president and the governor of the country’s largest state instantly turned Newsom into the face of resistance to Trump’s expansive interpretation of the authorities of his office and mass deportation campaign. Newsom, who is a potential 2028 Democratic presidential candidate, has been taking heavy criticism from within his own party over his efforts — in part through his new podcast — to cast himself in the role of conciliator.

Read the full story here.

A federal judge in California scheduled a hearing for Thursday on the state's request for an emergency order to bar the Trump administration from using the military for immigration enforcement actions in Los Angeles.

State officials asked U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer to issue a temporary restraining order today, but he instead granted the Trump administration's request for more time to respond.

Breyer, the brother of retired Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, gave the administration until 2 p.m. ET tomorrow to file a response and said the plaintiffs could filed a reply Thursday morning ahead of the hearing.

Justice Department lawyers have contended that California's request for an emergency order is "legally meritless," while the state attorney general's office argued an order is necessary to combat Trump's "unlawful" actions.

Trump claimed without evidence in his remarks at Fort Bragg this afternoon that an unidentified person is "financing" the protests in Los Angeles against ICE actions.

"We’re going to find out through Pam Bondi and Department of Justice who it is, they’re already on it, who’s financing all this equipment," Trump said.

"We will not allow federal agents to be attacked, and we will not allow an American city to be invaded and conquered by a foreign enemy. That’s what they are," he added.

Newsom and California Attorney General Rob Bonta asked a judge to bar the Trump administration from using federalized National Guard and active-duty Marines for law enforcement purposes on the streets of Los Angeles.

“Defendants intend to use unlawfully federalized National Guard troops and Marines to accompany federal immigration enforcement officers on raids throughout Los Angeles. They will work in active concert with law enforcement, in support of a law enforcement mission, and will physically interact with or detain civilians," the request for an emergency court order says, calling the move a "deeply inflammatory and unnecessary provocation."

“In the United States, the police—and not the military—enforce the law,” the filing says.

The emergency filing does not seek to block what Trump had initially ordered the troops to do. "This motion does not seek to prevent any of those forces from protecting the safety of federal buildings or other real property owned or leased by the federal government, or federal personnel on such property," it says.

Trump said at Fort Bragg this afternoon that he plans to restore the names of several military bases that were renamed during the Biden administration.

"We are also going to be restoring the names to Fort Pickett, Fort Hood, Fort Gordon, Fort Rucker, Fort Polk, Fort A.P. Hill and Fort Robert E. Lee," Trump said. "We won a lot of battles out of those forts. It’s no time to change."

A congressional commission in 2022 proposed new names for Army bases named after Confederate officers. Trump had opposed new names for the bases — he even vetoed a military spending bill that included a provision for new names in 2020. Congress overrode the veto.

Trump pledges to bring back original names of military bases

01:20

Trump's remarks at Fort Bragg in North Carolina to commemorate the Army’s 250th anniversary are underway.

Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg today endorsed Andrew Cuomo in the city's crowded Democratic mayoral primary.

"History holds endless examples of friction between mayors and governors. During my 12 years in City Hall, I served with four New York governors and had differences with all of them, including Cuomo. But I also know his strengths as a leader and manager. Of all the candidates, Andrew has the skills our city needs to lead us forward," Bloomberg said in a statement.

Cuomo resigned as governor in 2021 following sexual harassment allegations, which he has denied.

Bloomberg said in his endorsement that "no mayor is perfect" but that Cuomo is the "clear choice." The final Democratic primary debate is Thursday, with voting scheduled for June 24.

Newsom said on X this afternoon that Trump didn't call him yesterday as he claimed to reporters today.

"There was no call. Not even a voicemail," Newsom said. "Americans should be alarmed that a President deploying Marines onto our streets doesn’t even know who he’s talking to."

The White House disputed Newsom's account.

“The President called Gavin Newsom to tell him to get his ass in gear,” White House spokesman Steven Cheung said in a statement. “The only liar here is Newsom who continues to fail his state as he prioritizes doing interviews with leftist media to gaslight the public instead of helping his state.”

The protests that roiled Los Angeles over the weekend were set to spread across the country today as activists planned demonstrations in New York, Chicago, Dallas, Atlanta and elsewhere.

Rallies protesting ICE raids and the government’s immigration policies have spread across California and beyond this week. A series of so-called No Kings demonstrations are planned nationwide for Saturday.

Read the full story here.

Trump warned that anyone who protests at the U.S. military parade Saturday will be met in Washington with “very heavy force.”

Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that they’re going to be “celebrating big on Saturday,” referring to the parade that will wind its way through downtown Washington.

“If there’s any protester that wants to come out, they will be met with very big force,” Trump said. “I haven’t even heard about a protest, but you know, this is people that hate our country, but they will be met with very heavy force.”

Read the full story here.

Four former Biden aides are scheduled to testify before the House Oversight Committee in the coming months, according to an aide for the committee.

The aides include former Domestic Policy Council Director Neera Tanden, former Assistant to the President Anthony Bernal, former Deputy Director of Oval Office Operations Ashley Williams and Biden's former deputy chief of staff, Annie Tomasini.

Oversight Chair James Comer, R-Ky., is ramping up the committee's investigation into what he calls "the cover-up of President Joe Biden's mental decline and potentially unauthorized issuance of sweeping pardons and other executive actions." Last week, Comer subpoenaed Biden's physician, Dr. Kevin O'Connor, to appear for a deposition June 27.

The former Biden aides will deliver voluntary, transcribed testimony beginning in late June through mid-July.

Eleanor Holmes Norton, 87, Washington’s Democratic delegate in the House, said today she’s going to run for re-election.

Asked by NBC News to respond to those who wonder whether she should seek another term, she brushed off critics.

“I’m going to run,” she said. “I don’t know why anybody would even ask me.” Norton turns 88 this week.

Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky became the first Senate Republican to criticize Trump’s military parade set to occur this weekend on his birthday, comparing it to “images” seen in North Korea.

“I wouldn’t have done it. I’m not sure what the actual expense of it is, but I’m not really, you know, we were always different than, you know, the images you saw in the Soviet Union and North Korea. We were proud not to be that,” Paul said. He clarified that he’s “not proposing” that that’s the image Trump intends to project, but he’s worried what message the parade will send.

Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., echoed some of Paul’s concerns, saying that he would not “spend the money” if it were him, but that it’s ultimately the president’s decision. 

“The United States of America is the most powerful country in all of human history. We’re a lion, and a lion doesn’t have to tell you it’s a lion. Everybody else in the jungle knows and we’re a lion,” he said.

Congressional Black Caucus Chair Yvette Clarke, D-N.Y., said today that Trump's deployment of National Guard troops to respond to protests in Los Angeles rises to the level of an impeachable offense.

"This president has crossed the line," Clarke said at a press conference held by the Tri-Caucus, which is comprised of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, Congressional Black Caucus and Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

Clarke, who said she doesn't believe an "insurrection" is taking place in Los Angeles, accused Trump of wanting violence, not stopping it, and called his decision to deploy Marines to the city a "waste of taxpayer dollars."

Asked if she believed Trump's actions rise to the level of impeachable offenses, Clarke said, "I do. I believe it is. I definitely believe it is, but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it."

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, called Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s firing of the 17 health experts that make up the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's independent Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices “extreme.” 

“I don’t know the justification for it, but it seems an extreme approach to me, to dismiss everybody who is on a committee that provides important public health information,” Collins, a senior member of one of the Senate committees that held confirmation hearings on Kennedy's nomination earlier this year, told NBC News today. 

Collins previously expressed concern over Kennedy’s ability to serve as the nation’s top public health official because of his noted vaccine skepticism, but she ultimately voted in favor of Kennedy’s confirmation in February. 

Asked whether he would invoke the Insurrection Act in response to protests in L.A., Trump said, "If there’s an insurrection, I would certainly invoke it."

He called the past two days in L.A. "terrible."

Asked how he would determine if there was an insurrection, Trump said he would "take a look at what's happening," adding that he believed there were parts of Los Angeles that seemed to experience an "insurrection."

Trump defends sending in National Guard: 'Los Angeles would be burning'

03:33

Rep. David Valadao, R-Calif., urged the Trump administration to focus on deporting people who have committed crimes "over the hardworking people who have lived peacefully in the Valley for years."

"I remain concerned about ongoing ICE operations throughout CA and will continue my conversations with the administration—urging them to prioritize the removal of known criminals over the hardworking people who have lived peacefully in the Valley for years," he wrote on X, linking to a Fox News story saying that GOP lawmakers from California's delegation are introducing a resolution today backing peaceful protests.

Valadao's race in next year's midterm elections is considered to be somewhat competitive, with the Cook Political Report rating his seat as "Lean Republican."

The California congressman represents the state's 22nd Congressional District, which is located in the San Joaquin Valley, where a significant number of migrant workers live. Valadao voted in 2021 to impeach Trump over his involvement in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.

Trump kicked off Oval Office remarks to reporters talking about wildfire risk and preparedness, including forest management, before asking Cabinet secretaries to provide updates on how their departments are preparing for the wildfire season.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum highlighted coordination across federal departments and states in responding to the natural disasters, while Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought zeroed in on funding for the response. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said she is anticipating higher hurricane activity this season, and her department is planning accordingly.

Johnson says Newsom should be 'tarred and feathered' over handling of L.A. protests

01:17

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said today that California Gov. Gavin Newsom “ought to be tarred and feathered" as punishment for his handling of protests in Los Angeles.

Johnson stopped short of saying Newsom should be arrested — as Trump has suggested — saying he wouldn’t offer that analysis, but claiming Newsom was an “accomplice” in law enforcement agents being “assaulted.”

“Look, that’s not my lane. I’m not going to give you legal analysis on whether Gavin Newsom should be arrested, but he ought to be tarred and feathered. I’ll say that,” Johnson told reporters at a press conference.

The estimated cost of deploying the National Guard and the Marines to Los Angeles is $134 million, according to Bryn MacDonnell, who is serving as the department's top financial officer. She said the costs are largely related to temporary duty travel costs such as travel, housing and food.

She was responding to a question from Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., who had asked for the estimated cost to deploy the National Guard and the Marines to respond to protests in Los Angeles.

Rep. Mikie Sherrill, a New Jersey Democrat running for governor, criticized Trump’s decision to send Marines to Los Angeles amid unrest over immigration raids.

“It’s a dangerous situation to put military on the streets of the country,” she said after casting her ballot in today’s primary.

Sherrill, who previously was a Navy helicopter pilot and federal prosecutor, said law enforcement and military personnel are trained in “something very, very different.”

“If a governor feels that that is not the case, that governor can always go to the federal government to ask for support. That is not the case here,” Sherrill said. 

Sherrill is one of six Democrats running for governor of New Jersey.

Former Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger has a sizable cash advantage in the Virginia governor's race, according to new campaign finance reports filed yesterday.

Spanberger's campaign had $14.3 million in its account as of June 5, while GOP Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears' campaign had almost $3 million on hand. Spanberger raised $6.4 million and spent $3.2 million from April 1 through June 5, while Earle-Sears raised $3.5 million and spent $4.6 million over that same period.

Spanberger and Earle-Sears are facing off in this year's gubernatorial race in Virginia to replace term-limited GOP Gov. Glenn Youngkin.

Rep. Ed Case, D-Hawaii, challenged Hegseth about whether he thought cuts to foreign aid programs, much of which are outside the Defense Department's jurisdiction, affected Hegseth's job and the U.S. military.

Hegseth said no, arguing that programs like USAID were "wasteful and duplicitous." He said that he has "heard nothing about" allies' problems about international organizations, arguing the organizations were not "serving U.S. interests."

"I don't think you're talking to the right people," Case interjected.

Hegseth questioned about cost of deploying troops to Los Angeles for protests

03:38

Rep. Betty McCollum, D-Minn., clashed with Hegseth over the cost of deploying the National Guard and military to Los Angeles.

McCollum asked Hegseth for information about the funding for troop deployments in Los Angeles, as well as whether any trainings were not taking place because troops were deployed.

Hegseth began by referring to the George Floyd murder protests, prompting McCollum to interject multiple times and urge him to address the budget question.

Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., criticized staffing shakeups at the Defense Department, including the firing of the department's inspector general and the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, CQ Brown.

"Mr. Secretary, of all the Cabinet departments, stability at the Department of Defense is the most critical for Americans' safety and security," she said.

She also highlighted the administration's handling of the war in Ukraine, accusing the U.S. of turning its back on allies.

"Why would anyone trust us or partner with us when we are busy undermining our allies' economies and encouraging China to fill the vacuum we are leaving by abandoning our humanitarian mission?" she asked

Hegseth has begun his testimony before a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing focused on the department's budget. The hearing is one of several congressional hearings that Hegseth is attending this week.

Delivering opening remarks before Hegseth's testimony begins, Rep. Betty McCollum, D-Minn., criticized the administration's handling of the Los Angeles protests, saying that deploying National Guard troops was "premature" and that the order to deploy Marines was "downright escalatory."

McCollum also criticized the administration's decision to fire Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman CQ Brown and other military leaders, saying it "appalled" her.

"Many Americans, myself included, have witnessed what is a deliberate effort to silence and diminish the achievements of minorities and women in the military," she said. "Their dedication, their heroism, their sacrifice on behalf of our nation deserve recognition, not erasure."

Louisiana GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy, who heads the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, raised concerns in a brief post on social media about the Health and Human Services Department's gutting of an independent vaccine advisory committee.

Cassidy wouldn't elaborate on that warning when Capitol reporters asked about it last night. But the decision comes weeks after Cassidy praised the health secretary for having "lived up" to the commitments Kennedy made to secure Cassidy's confirmation vote, one of which was to "maintain the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices without changes."

Yesterday, the CDC announced all 17 members of that vaccine advisory panel were being removed, with Kennedy saying the “committee has been plagued with persistent conflicts of interest and has become little more than a rubber stamp for any vaccine.”

Cassidy, who is a physician, said in his post that "the fear" is the committee "will be filled up with people who know nothing about vaccines except suspicion."

After reports last week that Trump was considering selling or giving away the red Tesla that he purchased this spring in a show of support for Elon Musk, NBC News' White House team has been tracking the location of the vehicle. 

As of this morning, the car was no longer parked outside the West Wing.

Yesterday, the president told inquiring reporters that he may “move the Tesla around a little bit” and that he has “a lot of locations” at which he could keep it, as he seemed to dismiss the idea that he intended to offload it entirely.

Trump and Musk had a public falling out last week following the billionaire tech mogul’s criticism of the massive Republican domestic policy bill, prompting the two to engage in an escalating feud on social media.

The White House did not immediately respond to NBC News' request for information on the Tesla’s status.

Donald Trump and Elon Musk with a Tesla Model S at the White House on March 11. Andrew Harnik / Getty Images file

Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., is endorsing Rep. Angie Craig for the Democratic primary in Minnesota’s Senate race, jumping into what is shaping up to be a contentious intraparty contest.

In a statement first reported by NBC News, the freshman senator explained why he’s backing Craig over Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, who was endorsed last month by Gallego's fellow Democratic senator, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts.

“Washington needs more people who are focused on getting things done. I’m supporting Angie because I’ve seen firsthand her ability to bring people together, listen to everyone and actually get results,” Gallego said. “Angie is a fighter and is someone who leads with integrity, reason and a deep patriotic belief in our democracy.”

Democratic Rep. Norma Torres, who represents parts of Los Angeles County, said today that her “constituents are very scared” of the sweeping Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions taking place in communities there. 

“They don’t want to get caught up in a situation where ICE is profiling and detaining them because of the color of their skin,” Torres said on MSNBC's "Way Too Early."

Torres added that she and other Democratic members were barred from entering an ICE facility in downtown LA.

“It’s not supposed to work this way. In the last Trump administration we made sure we changed the law so members of Congress would not be blocked from entering and doing oversight. … Imagine if your loved one just didn’t come home one day and you tried to locate them but ICE is playing a shell game, transferring them from one location to another because they aren’t interest in due process.”

The U.S. and China are resuming trade talks in London today after yesterday's session.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick are leading the U.S. side.

"I expect to go all day today," Lutnick told reporters. "So they’re going well, we’re spending lots of time together."

Trump spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping last week and said in a post on Truth Social that it "resulted in a very positive conclusion for both Countries."

"There should no longer be any questions respecting the complexity of Rare Earth products," Trump had said after the call, going on to point to the talks between the two countries' representatives.

In recent weeks, both countries have accused each other of violating a preliminary trade agreement, which had walked back the steepest tariffs.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will appear before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense for an oversight hearing, marking the first time the Pentagon chief will deliver testimony to a House panel since his Senate confirmation.

Hegseth will be joined by Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The House subcommittee is chaired by Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Calif.

NBC News reported yesterday that the White House has struggled to hire senior advisers to Hegseth, with three people rejecting potential roles and Vice President JD Vance and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles poring over potential candidates on his behalf.

Hegseth came under intense criticism after media reports that he shared sensitive information about a U.S. military operation in Yemen on Signal group chats, including one that inadvertently had a journalist added to it.

Trump’s immigration agenda has met a groundswell of opposition in Los Angeles, the country’s second-largest city.

At least 56 people have been arrested so far in massive protests against the administration’s immigration raids in the city Friday. The demonstrations have spilled over onto one of the region’s largest freeways, and federal authorities are facing criticism after they arrested, and apparently injured, a prominent labor leader.

In response, the White House has threatened to arrest California’s governor and mobilized Marines to support National Guard troops in defending federal property — even though state officials say they don’t want the assistance and are now suing the administration.

For the White House, this scene — Trump battling a blue state over his signature issue — is a political win, officials said. It’s a nationally watched saga of the sort that has long defined his career: a made-for-TV moment.

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New Jersey voters are heading to the polls today to pick nominees for this year’s race for governor in the first high-profile primaries for both parties since the 2024 election.

New Jersey is one of two states with a gubernatorial race this year, along with Virginia. And both contests will be closely watched as early indicators of how voters are responding to Trump’s second term.

Democratic New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy cannot run for re-election due to term limits, so there are contested races for both parties’ nominations. Candidates and groups have spent $85 million on ads this year in both primaries, according to to the ad-tracking firm AdImpact, with more than $75 million spent in the Democratic primary alone.

As Democrats nationally have tried to regroup following Trump’s 2024 victory, where he also narrowed his margin of victory in bluer states like New Jersey, the six Democratic candidates have presented different paths forward for their party. And the race is still unsettled heading into the primary.

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