Trump says D.C. will host the 2027 NFL draft; Gov. Brian Kemp skips Georgia Senate race
Catch up with NBC News Clone on today's hot topic: Rcrd78422 - Politics and Government | NBC News Clone. Our editorial team reformatted this story for clarity and speed.
Trump also discussed his plans to impose tariffs on imported movies and reopen Alcatraz prison in California.
What to know today
- President Donald Trump announced this afternoon that the NFL draft will be held on the National Mall in Washington in 2027. He also touched on his plans to impose tariffs on imported movies and reopen Alcatraz prison.
- Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said he would not run for the Senate next year against Democrat Jon Ossoff in what is expected to be one of the most competitive midterm races.
- The Department of Homeland Security ramped up its push to boost the removal of unauthorized immigrants by offering $1,000 and travel assistance to those who self-deport.
Trump calls for former Colorado county clerk Tina Peters to be freed from prison
In a Truth Social post tonight, Trump called for former Colorado county clerk Tina Peters to be released from prison and said he was directing the Justice Department to take "all necessary action" to help secure her release.
Peters, who has peddled 2020 election conspiracy theories, was sentenced to nine years in prison by a Colorado state judge in October for official misconduct after a security breach of her county’s election equipment. She was convicted after she used another person’s security badge to give an associate of Mike Lindell access to her county’s voting systems, which resulted in secure information’s being posted online.
“Colorado must end this unjust incarceration of an innocent American. I am hereby directing the Department of Justice to take all necessary action to help secure the release of this ‘hostage’ being held in a Colorado prison by the Democrats, for political reasons. FREE TINA PETERS, NOW!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The Justice Department asked a federal judge in March to consider a petition Peters filed challenging her conviction.
Trump administration to pay $1,000 to undocumented immigrants who self-deport
The Department of Homeland Security is intensifying its efforts to persuade unauthorized immigrants to self-deport by offering a $1,000 stipend and travel assistance.
The agency announced today that those who use the CBP Home app to voluntarily leave the United States will receive assistance “to facilitate travel back to their home country” and $1,000 “paid after their return to their home country has been confirmed through the app.”
The announcement comes as the number of deportations has remained stagnant during Trump’s first 100 days in office. One of his key campaign promises was that he would enact mass deportations as soon as he took office.
DHS did not immediately respond to questions about how the funds would be provided or what proof would be required to show people had returned to their home countries.
Pence says Trump's tariff policy will 'harm the American economy'
Former Vice President Mike Pence criticized Trump’s tariffs in an interview, saying the administration is advancing policies that will “ultimately harm the American economy.”
“I do have concerns that with the president’s call for broad-based tariffs against friend and foe alike, that ultimately the administration is advancing policies that are not targeted at countries that have been abusing our trade relationship but rather are essentially new industrial policy and that will result in inflation that will harm consumers and ultimately harm the American economy,” Pence said in an interview that aired tonight on CNN.
Pence added that even a minimum 10% tariff would “stifle American growth, limit prosperity, drive up costs for American consumers.”
He also commented on Trump's remarks to NBC News' "Meet the Press" that children should have fewer dolls and fewer pencils, saying keeping toys affordable is “part of the American dream.”
“What I will give the president credit for is conceding the fact that his tariff policies will raise the cost of goods for consumers, whether it be toys or pencils or other products. And I appreciate him being forthright about that,” Pence said.
Roadblocks could stymie Trump’s call to reopen Alcatraz as a prison
In its heyday, Alcatraz Island housed more than 260 prisoners, with notorious gangsters such as Al Capone, George “Machine Gun” Kelly and James “Whitey” Bulger serving time on the rocky outpost.
With its closing in 1963 after it fell into disrepair, the federal prison off San Francisco found a new life as a popular tourist destination — one that continues to draw more than a million visitors a year as a national historic landmark.
That could all change again if Trump gets his way. Trump wrote yesterday on social media that he is directing the federal Bureau of Prisons, the Justice Department and other agencies to “reopen a substantially enlarged and rebuilt Alcatraz” to the most “ruthless and violent offenders.”
But federal corrections experts and historians caution that while such a project may be especially “symbolic” to Trump, any plan would be incredibly expensive and inefficient, particularly when the federal government’s mission is to slash spending and prisons remain strained by staffing shortages.
Former official targeted by Trump says the president is trying to silence critics
A former Homeland Security official whom Trump accused of potentially “treasonous” conduct fears he is under federal investigation and plans to challenge what he calls an illegal attempt to silence critics.
In an exclusive interview with NBC News, Miles Taylor said that he is prepared to “fight back” in court and that his repeated warnings that Trump would use presidential power to retaliate against perceived political enemies have proved accurate.
“My concern was he would turn the government into a revenge machine, and that’s what’s happening,” Taylor said.
Since Trump signed a memorandum last month calling for a review of Taylor’s conduct as a Department of Homeland Security official during Trump’s first term, government authorities have contacted former high school classmates and others associated with him, Taylor said.
Pete Hegseth orders 20% reduction of top officers in the military
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth today directed a minimum of 20% reduction of four-star service members, as well as a 20% reduction of general officers in the National Guard and an additional 10% reduction in general and flag officers.
Most of the affected officers will be eligible for retirement.
Hegseth has argued that too many generals and admirals lead to wasteful spending and too much bureaucratic decision-making.
“The Department of Defense is committed to ensuring the lethality of U.S. Military Forces to deter threats and, when necessary, achieve decisive victory. To accomplish this mission, we must cultivate exceptional senior leaders who drive innovation and operational excellence, unencumbered by unnecessary bureaucratic layers that hinder their growth and effectiveness,” the memo said.
The Trump administration has implemented or proposed cuts across the federal government, including agencies focused on national security.
Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, indicated Hegseth's explanation for the dismissals was insufficient.
“I have always advocated for efficiency at the Department of Defense, but tough personnel decisions should be based on facts and analysis, not arbitrary percentages," Reed said in a statement. "Eliminating the positions of many of our most skilled and experienced officers without sound justification would not create ‘efficiency’ in the military — it could cripple it."
"Secretary Hegseth has shown an eagerness to dismiss military leaders without cause, and I will be skeptical of the rationale for these plans until he explains them before the Armed Services Committee,” Reed added.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez won’t seek the top Democratic seat on the House Oversight Committee
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said tonight that she won’t seek the top Democratic post on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, the panel that would be in the strongest position to investigate the Trump administration if Democrats were to win back the chamber next year.
Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., ran for the coveted position in December but was defeated by a more senior member of the committee, Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va. Last week, though, Connolly said that because his esophageal cancer had returned he would not seek re-election to Congress and would be stepping back from his day-to-day responsibilities on the Oversight panel.
After speaking to colleagues, Ocasio-Cortez said tonight that she believed another bid for the post would be an uphill climb against another more senior member.
“It’s actually clear to me that the underlying dynamics in the caucus have not shifted with respect to seniority as much as I think would be necessary, and so I believe I’ll be staying put at Energy and Commerce,” Ocasio-Cortez told reporters, referring to a separate committee.
In a new court filing, the Justice Department asked a federal judge in Texas not to revive the mifepristone abortion pill case. It is the first time the Trump administration has formally weighed in on the lawsuit. NBC News’ Gabe Gutierrez reports on the context of the case.
Rep. Maxine Waters says Democrats will walk out on Republican crypto hearing to hold their own
Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., said today that she will block the House Financial Services and Agriculture committees from holding a joint hearing on crypto tomorrow, adding that the Democrats will walk out and hold their own hearing “to discuss Trump’s ties to crypto and blatant abuses of power.”
Waters is the top Democrat on the Financial Services Committee, meaning her consent is needed for the panel to hold a joint hearing with another committee.
The Agriculture subcommittee on commodity markets, digital assets and rural development and the Financial Services subcommittee on digital assets, financial technology and artificial intelligence are scheduled to hold a hearing at 10 a.m. tomorrow titled “American Innovation and the Future of Digital Assets: A Blueprint for the 21st Century.”
Trump meets with formerly imprisoned Russian-American ballerina at the White House
Trump met with Russian-American ballerina Ksenia Karelina today, who thanked Trump and the U.S. government in a video clip on X for bringing her home after she spent time in a Russian jail.
“President Trump, I’m so grateful for you to bring me home. I’m here with your team today and feeling overwhelmed with all the great feelings. Feeling that I’m going to be home soon. And thank you and the government for bringing me home. It’s a lot of feelings which I would want to express. But the biggest one, I’m so proud and so blessed to be American citizen today. Thank you very much,” Karelina said in the video.
White House adviser Margo Martin posted a video of the two meeting earlier today during which Karelina told Trump about how long she had been in jail.
Karelina was released last month. She had been detained by Russia’s Federal Security Service in January 2024 while she was visiting family in Russia and was sentenced to 12 years in a penal colony for committing “high treason.” The FSB did not provide details of her alleged crime; a Russian legal group said she had donated more than $50 to a group that sends aid to Ukraine.
Jon Voight met with Trump before president proposed tariffs on foreign film productions
Jon Voight has submitted a “comprehensive plan” to Trump mapping out ways to boost domestic film and television production, the Oscar-winning actor’s manager announced today.
Voight and his manager, Steven Paul, met with Trump over the weekend at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida, according to a news release. Voight and Paul pitched their suite of ideas, including federal tax incentives, changes to various tax codes, co-production treaties with foreign countries and infrastructure subsidies for production companies and theater owners.
The meeting took place before Trump called for duties on “any and all Movies coming into our Country that are produced in Foreign Lands,” decrying other nations for offering financial incentives that have lured producers away. Trump’s Truth Social post last night was met with a mix of confusion and fear by the entertainment industry.
White House officials clarified today that “no final decisions” had been made and that they were “exploring all options.” It was not immediately clear whether Trump’s proposal would also apply to TV productions or exactly what part of physical production would be tariffed.
Chuck Schumer calls Trump's Constitution remarks 'appalling'
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., blasted Trump over his comments to NBC News in an interview that aired yesterday in which he said he didn't know whether he has to uphold the Constitution.
“It’s appalling. He doesn’t know if he’s supposed to uphold the Constitution? He swore an oath to that effect; he might have forgotten that,” Schumer said on the Senate floor this afternoon.
“It’s hard to imagine something more un-American than Donald Trump, the sitting president, saying he doesn’t know whether he needs to uphold the Constitution,” he said.
“One of the traits of a dictator is someone hostile to all forms of guardrails and accountability, who doesn’t want to hear any dissent. Well, the Constitution is the ultimate guardrail, and Donald Trump thinks he doesn’t need to obey it,” Schumer added.
Trump signs order to promote U.S. manufacturing of pharmaceuticals
Trump signed an executive order this afternoon that the White House said was designed to “promote domestic manufacturing of pharmaceuticals.”
“It streamlines the permitting processes that go into building domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing sites. It centers a lot of the environmental permitting process that is quite significant within the EPA, and it takes other actions designed to ensure that we’re bringing pharmaceutical jobs and pharmaceutical manufacturing back to the United States of America,” a White House aide told Trump about the content of the order before he signed it.
The White House has not yet released the text of the order.
Messaging app Mike Waltz seen using suspends service after hackers claim breach
TeleMessage, the app that Trump’s former national security adviser, Mike Waltz, appeared to use to archive his group chats, has suspended all services after hackers claimed to have stolen files from it.
A spokesperson for Smarsh, the company that owns TeleMessage, said today that the company “is investigating a potential security incident. Upon detection, we acted quickly to contain it and engaged an external cybersecurity firm to support our investigation.”
“Out of an abundance of caution, all TeleMessage services have been temporarily suspended,” the spokesperson said.
Thune 'disappointed' by Kemp's decision to forgo Senate run
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., who had personally been a part of the lobbying effort to get Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp to run against Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff in 2026, said “obviously we’re disappointed” that Kemp decided against running.
“He, of course, would have been a great candidate, but as I’ve said before, that race is going to be competitive either way," Thune said.
Thune said “there’s a lot of interest” among Republicans in the state in running for the nomination, but when NBC News asked whether Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene could win a statewide race in Georgia, he said, “I don’t know the answer to that.”
“I mean, obviously that’s up to the people of Georgia, but I know there are several in the House delegation over there that are expressing interest and some other statewides, too,” Thune said.
Trump hasn't said who funded his presidential transition effort despite pledging to disclose donors
The Trump administration has not publicly released any accounting of who funded the transition efforts after he won the 2024 election, blowing past the timeline in which previous administrations have disclosed transition donors, despite having pledged last year to release the names.
Unlike other transition efforts, Trump’s most recent transition was not subject to the disclosure requirements or donation limits laid out in federal law. That’s because it chose not to accept public funds for the effort. Otherwise, it would have been required to make those disclosures 30 days after he took office and cap donations at $5,000.
Speaker Johnson says Memorial Day timeline for Trump agenda bill could slip
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told reporters today that his timeline of passing a sweeping bill for Trump's agenda could slip past his deadline of Memorial Day.
“If it’s not done before Memorial Day, it will be shortly thereafter, but our timetable is on pace, and we’re going to get this done ASAP,” Johnson said.
Johnson said a meeting with Trump last Thursday to coordinate on the legislation “was truncated due to other events,” so House Republicans needed more time to hammer out the details.
Several key House committees still must mark up their parts of the bill, which seeks to extend Trump's 2017 tax cuts, boost funding for immigration enforcement and defense while finding cuts elsewhere and to lift the debt ceiling. The GOP-led Senate would also have to pass the bill before it heads to Trump's desk for a signature.
Longtime House Democrat announces she's not running for re-election
Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., announced she will retire at the end of her term this Congress and not seek re-election in 2026. Schakowsky will have served for 14 terms as a member of the House.
Kat Abughazaleh, a 26-year-old internet personality, entered the race for Schakowsky’s seat.
Kemp passes on Georgia Senate run
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp announced today that he will pass on a run for the Senate in what is expected to be one of the most hotly contested Senate races of the 2026 cycle.
“Over the last few weeks, I have had many conversations with friends, supporters, and leaders across the country who encouraged me to run for the US Senate in 2026. I greatly appreciate their support and prayers for our family," Kemp said in a statement on X. "After those discussions, I have decided that being on the ballot next year is not the right decision for me and my family.”
Kemp was a top recruit of Senate Republicans hoping to win back the seat in Georgia held by Jon Ossoff, a Democrat. His decision to pass will set off a scramble for the Republican nomination.
Trump says U.S. is going to help people in Gaza obtain food
Trump said today that the United States will “help the people of Gaza get some food."
"People are starving, and we’re going to help them get some food," he told reporters in the Oval Office. "Hamas is making it impossible because they’re taking everything that’s brought in.”
Israel's security Cabinet approved a plan to seize all of the Gaza Strip as part of an expanded military operation to defeat Hamas. Israel has blocked humanitarian aid from entering Gaza over the last few months as negotiations have failed to reach another ceasefire.
Trump has previously said that the United States would take control of Gaza and that its residents would be moved elsewhere and not allowed to return.
Trump says he had nothing to do with AI pope image
Trump claimed he had “nothing to do” with the artificial intelligence-generated image of him dressed as the pope that he shared on Truth Social and the White House posted on X.
“The Catholics loved it,” Trump told a reporter in the White House this afternoon. “I had nothing to do with it. Somebody made up a picture of me dressed like the pope, and they put it out on the internet. That’s not me that did it.”
Some Catholic leaders condemned the image, which was shared less than a week Pope Francis died.
“We just buried our beloved Pope Francis and the cardinals are about to enter a solemn conclave to elect a new successor of St. Peter. Do not mock us,” the New York State Catholic Conference said in a statement, adding that “there is nothing clever or funny about this image.”
Trump said first lady Melania Trump “thought it was cute.”
Pressed by a reporter about whether the image defames the credibility of official White House communication channels, Trump said, “Give me a break; somebody did it in fun. It’s fine.”
Trump defends plan to impose 100% tariffs on movies made overseas
Trump said he wants to meet with the film and TV industry to discuss his plan for imposing 100% tariffs on films produced outside of the U.S., adding he is “not looking to hurt the industry."
“They have the nice sign and everything’s good, but they don’t do very much. A lot of it’s been taken to other countries, and a big proportion,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office after his NFL Draft announcement. “I’m actually going to meet with some because, you know, there’s some advantages, I guess.”
Trump added that it’s “shocking” the film industry has moved production operations out of Hollywood to seek lower operating costs.
20 state attorneys general sue Trump administration to restore health agencies
Twenty state attorneys general sued the Trump administration today over its mass firings and the dismantling of agencies within the Department of Health and Human Services.
The lawsuit, led by New York Attorney General Letitia James, alleges that the administration violated hundreds of laws and bypassed congressional authority by endeavoring to consolidate the number of HHS agencies from 28 to 15 and initiating layoffs of around 20,000 employees.
Federal Bureau of Prisons director looking at next steps to reopen Alcatraz after Trump's order
The director of the federal Bureau of Prisons said he has ordered an “immediate assessment” to determine how to renovate and reopen the Alcatraz prison, the notorious maximum security penitentiary off the coast of San Francisco that has not been functional since 1963.
“The Bureau of Prisons will vigorously pursue all avenues to support and implement the President’s agenda,” the director, William K. Marshall III, said in a statement. “I have ordered an immediate assessment to determine our needs and the next steps.
"We will be actively working with our law enforcement and other federal partners to reinstate this very important mission,” he added.
Trump said yesterday in a post on Truth Social that he would order the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI and the Bureau of Prisons to “reopen a substantially enlarged and rebuilt ALCATRAZ.”
Experts in the corrections field told NBC News that while it might be “symbolic” for the president to send the worst inmates to Alcatraz, it would be expensive and inefficient to rebuild. Alcatraz only had the capacity to hold about 300 inmates in its heyday. The jail was officially closed in March of 1963 after it was found to be too costly to maintain due to its isolated location.
Proud Boys leader says he met with Trump this weekend
Enrique Tarrio, the leader of the far right group the Proud Boys, said in a post to X yesterday that he met with Trump on Saturday.
Tarrio had been facing a sentence of 22 years in federal prison after being convicted of seditious conspiracy for actions related to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, but Trump granted him clemency along with rioters and others convicted of involvement in the attack in one of his first acts of his second term.
"Yesterday, I had the honor of meeting the President of the United States, a moment I never could have imagined in my darkest days," Tarrio said in the post.
He also praised Trump as "the greatest president since George Washington."
"My deepest gratitude goes to my family, my brotherhood, my friends, and every person who fought for justice and helped elect the greatest president since George Washington," he wrote. "Together, we did it."
Fact-checking Trump’s May interview with ‘Meet the Press’
Trump’s wide-ranging interview with NBC News’ “Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker tackled virtually every major policy issue the White House has touched in the more than three months since he took office again.
The pair discussed a broad variety of economic issues, including inflation, his tariffs and cryptocurrency — as well as the question of whether Trump was profiting off the presidency. They also delved into immigration issues during the hour-plus conversation, looking at border crossings, deportations and questions about due process, as well as budget issues, including how much money Trump's Department of Government Efficiency has saved and whether Medicaid will see cuts.
Trump says Erdoğan invited him to visit Turkey
In a post on Truth Social this morning Trump said he had just had a "very good and productive" phone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Their conversation covered "many subjects, including the War with Russia/Ukraine, all things Syria, Gaza, and more," Trump wrote.
"The President invited me to go to Turkey at a future date and, likewise, he will be coming to Washington, D.C. During my four years as President, my relationship with President Erdoğan was excellent," Trump wrote.
Trump said he looks forward to working with Erdoğan "on getting the ridiculous, but deadly, War between Russia and Ukraine ended — NOW!”
Trump defends the high price tag for his military parade: ‘Peanuts compared to the value’
Trump told NBC News he plans to hold several events to celebrate U.S. military victories this year, including a “big, beautiful” military parade in Washington, D.C., to commemorate Flag Day, which also happens to fall on his birthday.
“My birthday happens to be on Flag Day,” Trump told NBC News’ “Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker in a wide-ranging interview at Mar-a-Lago that aired yesterday. “I view it for Flag Day, not necessarily my birthday. Somebody put it together. But no, I think we’re going to do something on June 14 maybe or somewhere around there. But I think June 14. It’s a very important day.”
In New York, a GOP congressman is shelled with questions about Trump during raucous town hall
SOMERS, N.Y. — Voters in U.S. Rep. Mike Lawler’s suburban New York swing district unloaded a barrage of criticism on the Republican during a raucous town hall last night, peppering him with questions around Trump’s aggressive agenda before devolving into a chaotic chorus of boos as attendees were removed by law enforcement.
The town hall in Somers, a leafy section of Lawler’s Hudson Valley district, began to teeter off the rails soon after it began.
Rwanda in talks with Washington on accepting deported migrants from the U.S., minister says
The central African nation of Rwanda is in discussions with the Trump administration on a possible deal to accept deported migrants from the United States, the country’s foreign minister said late yesterday.
Olivier Nduhungirehe told state broadcaster Rwanda TV that early talks were under way, according to the Reuters news agency. The news followed multiple news reports that the U.S. was seeking an international partnership to deport people, amid an ongoing crackdown on foreign visa holders, student activists and suspected criminal gang members.
First to NBC News: Trump to meet with Russian-American ballerina
Trump is scheduled to meet at the White House today with Russian-American ballerina Ksenia Karelina, a White House official tells NBC News.
Karelina was released from a Russian prison last month after spending more than a year in custody following allegations of financially supporting Ukraine’s military.
She was arrested in Russia in February 2024 and sentenced to 12 years in a penal colony after she donated $52 to a charity that sends aid to Ukraine.
Trump says he will reopen ‘enlarged and rebuilt’ Alcatraz prison
Trump said yesterday he will direct several federal agencies to “reopen a substantially enlarged and rebuilt Alcatraz,” a facility that for decades was a federal prison and is now a national park.
“REBUILD, AND OPEN ALCATRAZ! For too long, America has been plagued by vicious, violent, and repeat Criminal Offenders, the dregs of society, who will never contribute anything other than Misery and Suffering,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Australia's newly re-elected leader says he had 'warm' talks with Trump on tariffs
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he had a “very warm and positive conversation” with the president after Albanese was re-elected over the weekend in a race that was driven largely by an anti-Trump backlash.
Albanese told reporters in Canberra today that he and Trump would “continue to engage” on tariffs, as well as the AUKUS security agreement, and that “we will engage with each other on a face-to-face basis at some time in the future.”
Australia was the second liberal democracy in a week after Canada to hold an election in which the incumbent government made an unlikely comeback amid growing public anger over tariffs and other Trump administration policies. Like his counterpart in Canada, the conservative candidate in Australia, Peter Dutton, not only lost the election, but also lost his seat in Parliament.
Trump said earlier that Albanese, who took office in 2022, had been “very nice to me, very respectful to me” and that they have “a very good relationship.”
“I have no idea who the other person is that ran against him,” he told reporters at the White House last night.
Pence receives JFK Profile in Courage Award for Jan. 6 actions
Former Vice President Mike Pence yesterday repeatedly invoked the Constitution and said it is what “binds us all together” after receiving the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award.
Pence received the award for his refusal to go along with President Donald Trump’s efforts to remain in office after losing the 2020 election. The award recognizes Pence “for putting his life and career on the line to ensure the constitutional transfer of presidential power on Jan. 6, 2021,” the JFK Library Foundation said.
Trump announces plans for 100% tariffs on all foreign movies
Trump announced plans yesterday to implement a 100% tariff on movies made in other countries that are imported to the United States, decrying other nations for offering financial incentives meant to “draw our filmmakers and studios away from the United States.”
“Hollywood, and many other areas within the U.S.A., are being devastated. This is a concerted effort by other Nations and, therefore, a National Security threat,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, referring to foreign films as “messaging and propaganda.”
‘I’ll be an eight-year president’: Trump weighs in on third-term speculation
Trump offered his clearest indication yet that he will leave the White House at the end of his second term without trying to extend his stay, acknowledging the constraints preventing him from seeking a third term in an exclusive interview with NBC News’ “Meet the Press.”
Trump also highlighted several other rising stars in the Republican Party he said are capable of carrying the MAGA mantle after he’s finished as the GOP’s elected leader, mentioning not only Vice President JD Vance, but also Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has become a central player in his second administration.
Trump says he’ll call CEOs when he disagrees with their business decisions
Trump on Friday reflected on his phone call earlier in the week with Amazon founder and Executive Chairman Jeff Bezos, telling NBC News’ “Meet the Press” in an interview that he’d use the same tactic with other CEOs if necessary.
The call occurred after Punchbowl News reported that the Amazon was going to begin to list tariff charges on certain Amazon purchases in the wake of the Trump administration’s decision to impose 145% tariffs on China.
Asked whether he would use the same tactic with CEOs of other major retailers, Trump told moderator Kristen Welker: “Sure. I’ll always call people if I disagree with them.”
Former political journalist considering running for Congress in New Hampshire
Hanna Trudo, who most recently worked as a senior political correspondent at The Hill, is considering jumping into the Democratic primary to replace Rep. Chris Pappas, D-N.H., as Pappas runs for Senate next year.
Trudo, who is a New Hampshire native, wrote in a memo that she is "exploring running" in the primary in New Hampshire's First District and said that she's moved back to the state since Pappas announced he would run for Senate.
"I haven’t poll tested my pitch," Trudo wrote. "I’m simply writing with the same fire I’ve spit for the past decade: Democrats must be better."
In the memo, Trudo called out Trump and his advisers, including tech mogul Elon Musk, writing, "Under Donald Trump’s off-brand of authoritarian politics, we are no longer free. Our First Amendment freedoms are being cruelly ripped away by Trump, Elon Musk and other obscenely rich, unelected tech lackeys who have contempt for us."
She added later, "I’ve been encouraged by longtime community members and angry citizens across the state and country willing to fight against the billionaire purchase of our government."
If she launched a campaign in the race to replace Pappas, Trudo would be joining Marine Corps veteran and former Obama administration official Maura Sullivan, who also ran for the seat in 2018. Sullivan jumped into the race last month.
Pappas is running for Senate to replace retiring Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., who announced in March that she wouldn't run for another term in 2026.
In tweets in recent weeks, Trudo has expressed support for Democratic leaders who are advocating for a new generation of Democratic officials and candidates to lead the party.
Shortly after Shaheen and two other Senate Democrats announced that they would not run for re-election next year, Trudo wrote in one post, "Thank you Sens Shaheen, [Gary] Peters, [Dick] Durbin & [Tina] Smith for creating room for a new generation of leaders before the midterms."
"Dems have a chance to elect leaders who now represent the working class that has been left behind for decades," she added in that post. "New blood matters alongside a working class agenda."
Trump, asked if he has to ‘uphold the Constitution,’ says, ‘I don’t know’
Trump argued in an interview with NBC News’ “Meet the Press” that fulfilling his ambitious campaign promise to rapidly carry out mass deportations may take precedence over giving immigrants the right to due process under the Constitution, as required by courts.
A central part of Trump’s agenda has been implementing the “largest deportation operation” in U.S. history, as he vowed during the 2024 campaign. In service of that goal, his administration has pressed the courts to allow the immediate removal of immigrants it accuses of being members of a Venezuelan gang, without giving them a chance to plead their case before a judge.
Japan walks back talk of U.S. Treasurys sale as 'card' in trade negotiations
Japan has no plans to use the possible sale of its than $1 trillion in U.S. Treasury holdings in trade talks with Washington, its finance minister said, clarifying earlier remarks in which he implied that could be used as leverage.
“We don’t intend to use the sale of US Treasury bonds as a means of negotiations between Japan and the United States,” Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato told reporters in Milan yesterday.
Kato had said Friday that Japan’s Treasury holdings could be used as a “card” in tariff negotiations, though he stopped short of threatening to sell them.
The U.S. was alarmed last month by a large global sell-off in U.S. Treasury securities after Trump imposed steep tariffs on trading partners around the world, including U.S. ally Japan.
Trump set to announce the 2027 NFL draft will be in Washington — possibly on the National Mall
Trump is expected to announce an agreement for Washington, D.C., to host the 2027 NFL draft, a person familiar with the plans told NBC News. The aim is for the event to take place on the National Mall.
Axios was first to report the news. The NFL declined to comment.
Trump rejects concerns about prices and economic uncertainty as he defends his agenda
Trump played down the fears of his critics — from the potential harms of a recession to worries about rising prices due to his tariffs to the possibility that he would seek a constitutionally forbidden third term — in a wide-ranging interview with NBC News’ “Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker at his Mar-a-Lago home in Palm Beach, Florida.
The hour-plus back-and-forth, which aired Sunday, covered the waterfront of his first 100 days in office and what he expects to accomplish in the coming years on the economy, foreign policy, immigration and social policy. He also reflected on his Make America Great America movement, which helped return him to the White House after his 2020 defeat, and expressed confidence that it would remain intact beyond his term.
