Senate confirms Kevin Warsh as Fed chairman; Trump arrives in China for Xi summit
This version of Rcrd109875 - Politics and Government | NBC News Clone was adapted by NBC News Clone to help readers digest key facts more efficiently.
President Donald Trump arrived in Beijing for a two-day summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who are expected to discuss trade, the war with Iran and Taiwan.
What to know today
- FED CHAIR VOTE: The Senate voted to confirm Kevin Warsh as chair of the Federal Reserve. Warsh's nomination to the board was previously blocked by GOP Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina over a Justice Department investigation of current Fed chair Jerome Powell.
- TRUMP CHINA TRIP: President Donald Trump arrived in China for a two-day summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The world's two biggest economies are seeking to extend a fragile trade truce against the backdrop of the U.S. war with Iran.
- U.S. DELEGATION: Joining Trump in China are his son and daughter-in-law Eric and Lara Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and several tech CEOs, including Tesla and SpaceX's Elon Musk, Apple's Tim Cook and Nvidia's Jensen Huang. First lady Melania Trump did not make the trip, but her documentarian, film director Brett Ratner, is traveling with the group.
- TRADE TALKS: Trump told reporters as he left the White House yesterday that he was aiming to have a “long talk” with Xi about the war with Iran but that their meetings would focus largely on trade.
Miami residents sue to stop Trump’s presidential library from taking prime waterfront plot
A group of Miami residents sued today in an effort to prevent Trump’s presidential library from occupying a prime piece of waterfront property in the city.
The lawsuit argues that state officials violated the Constitution when they transferred the downtown property for the library, which Trump has teased as a towering skyscraper. Specifically, the suit says Florida officials violated the Emoluments Clause, which says sitting presidents cannot accept gifts or advantages from any state that goes beyond their fixed salary.
“The Domestic Emoluments Clause was adopted to ensure the President’s undivided loyalty to the interests of the American nation as a whole by preventing individual states from giving the President gifts and other benefits with the hopes of obtaining favorable treatment in return,” the 57-page lawsuit says.
It goes on to argue that as a result of the defendants’ conduct, “other states have been forced into an arms race in which they must either compete with Florida to lavish gifts on the President or fear being unfairly disadvantaged—the precise scenario that the Domestic Emoluments Clause was adopted to prevent.”
Howard Lutnick said he was unaware of Epstein's criminal history until 2019
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told the House Oversight Committee he'd been unaware of Jeffrey Epstein's history as a sex offender until Epstein was arrested for sex trafficking in 2019 — despite his next-door neighbor's many years of notoriety before then.
"You didn’t know that your neighbor, Jeffrey Epstein, one of the most famous individuals in this country, even at the time, was all over the news for soliciting a minor in 2008?" Rep. Yassamin Ansari asked Lutnick during his May 6 interview with the committee, according to a transcript released today.
"He became famous in 2019. I didn’t know him to be famous before this," Lutnick said.
Epstein lived in the mansion next door to Lutnick's in New York City for 14 years, including during the period when he was arrested for soliciting a minor in Florida in 2006 and when he was subsequently named as a serial sex offender in numerous high-profile civil suits that were covered aggressively by the city's tabloid newspapers and other outlets over the following decade. Reporters would often stake out Epstein's mansion.
Lutnick, who hasn't been accused of any wrongdoing related to Epstein, told the panel that their few interactions over the years were "meaningless and inconsequential."
Epstein's case drew renewed attention in 2018 from a Miami Herald investigation centered on Epstein's victims and controversial prosecutorial missteps in the case, which led to the 2019 charges.
Lutnick told the committee he'd been unaware that Epstein was a registered sex offender as a result of his 2008 guilty plea when he went with his wife and children to visit Epstein's private island in 2012.
Lutnick also denied he was misleading when he told a podcast last year that “I was never in the room with him [Epstein] socially, for business or even philanthropy" after Epstein made a crude comment while he was giving Lutnick and his wife a tour of his home in 2005.
The Commerce Department didn't immediately respond to a request for comment related to the transcripts.
Denise Powell wins Democratic primary for top House battleground district in Nebraska
Political organizer Denise Powell has won the Democratic nomination in Nebraska’s 2nd District, NBC News projects, emerging from a tough primary fight in one of her party’s top opportunities to flip a swing seat this year.
Powell narrowly defeated state Sen. John Cavanaugh in a race that featured five other Democratic candidates on the ballot. Powell had 39% to Cavanaugh’s 37% in the primary with about 90% of the expected vote tallied.
She will advance to a general election matchup against Omaha City Council member Brinker Harding, who ran unopposed for the Republican nomination.
Several major outside groups intervened in the primary. Powell, who was seen as the more moderate candidate, was backed by EMILY’s List, the Congressional Black Caucus, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus BOLD PAC and Elect Democratic Women. Cavanaugh, a progressive, was endorsed by the Congressional Progressive Caucus PAC, the Nebraska AFL-CIO and almost a dozen other local unions.
Rudy Giuliani says Trump called him while he was recovering from pneumonia
Rudy Giuliani returned to his talk show, “The Rudy Giuliani Show,” tonight for the first time since he was hospitalized this month with pneumonia.
“I have to thank everyone who sent me prayers and good will," Giuliani, 81, said during the live show, thanking his doctors and family members for their support while he was ill.
He also thanked Trump for reaching out during his hospitalization.
"I want to thank the president for the wonderful call that he made, that he made to me," Giuliani said. "Given the condition I was in at the time, I was recovering at the time, but I was still pretty sick, and we had a wonderful conversation."
Democrats turn to state legislative races to catch up in the redistricting battle
After a series of court rulings gave Republicans a decisive advantage in the national redistricting fight, Democrats’ options for a counterpunch before this year’s midterms are limited.
So they are shifting their attention to battles for control of legislatures in key states this fall to help lay the groundwork for new congressional maps for the 2028 election cycle.
FBI sought to interview top Milwaukee County election official
The FBI tried to interview one of the top elections officials in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, according to the county clerk’s office.
An FBI agent visited the home of county Elections Director Michelle Hawley and left her business card, County Clerk George Christenson said in a statement today.
“It is unfortunate that the FBI chose to visit the private residence of Milwaukee County’s Elections Director rather than contact the Election Commission’s office directly,” Christenson said. “No dedicated public servant should be subjected to that type of intrusion simply for carrying out her responsibilities with integrity and professionalism.”
Christenson said the county will follow up to determine the nature of the visit but added that “the 2020 Presidential Election was fair and transparent, and its results are accurate.”
Vance announces suspension of $1.3 billion in Medicaid payments to California
Vice President JD Vance announced today that the Trump administration is withholding $1.3 billion in Medicaid payments to California and is threatening to suspend federal funding to all states if they don’t aggressively prosecute fraud in their Medicaid programs.
As part of his role as the fraud czar, Vance said, the administration is targeting California because the state isn’t taking fraud seriously.
“There are California taxpayers and American taxpayers who are being defrauded because California isn’t taking its program seriously, but also you have people who have been prescribed medications that they don’t even need. They’ve had drugs put into their bodies that they don’t need because fraudsters have actually encouraged false prescriptions and false administration of medications,” Vance said at the White House.
The move is similar to the one the administration took in February suspending Medicaid payments to Minnesota.
How Trump’s summit in China will differ from his 2017 visit
"NBC Nightly News" anchor Tom Llamas joins "TODAY" from Beijing to talk about what to expect from Trump’s high-stakes summit with Xi. He breaks down how the visit will be different from his visit nine years ago in 2017, why Trump is expected to ask for help in negotiating a Strait of Hormuz deal and what to make of the high-profile guest list that includes tech leaders Elon Musk and Tim Cook.
Todd Blanche meets with GOP lawmakers to push for $1B White House ballroom funding
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche was on Capitol Hill today meeting with Senate and House Republicans about the Trump administration’s push to include $1 billion for White House ballroom security upgrades and law enforcement priorities in a GOP party-line bill to fund ICE and the Border Patrol.
Blanche discussed ways the Justice Department would use the money, including hiring law enforcement officers and prosecutors, enforcing fraud laws and prosecuting “election crimes,” according to a one-page document an administration official shared with NBC News.
The Secret Service director also spoke with Republicans on Capitol Hill this week as the administration tries to persuade skeptical members to fund security upgrades tied to Trump's ballroom plans.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, told reporters today: “If there are legitimate security pieces to the East Room renovation that are directly attributable to the security, like, for instance, I do think that the effort to have a more user-friendly security entry is legitimate to look at, but if you’re tacking on every ask that the Secret Service wants for the next three years and trying to roll that all into the cover of ballroom renovation, I think our job is to sort this out.”
China signals cooperation and red lines before Trump visit
Chinese state media commentary and other official messaging ahead of Trump’s visit suggests Beijing sees room for cooperation, even as it warns that issues such as Taiwan remain off limits for compromise.
Xinhua, China’s state-run news agency, has described the Beijing-claimed island, democracy and human rights, China’s political system and development rights as “red lines.” People’s Daily, the Chinese Communist Party’s official newspaper, also called Taiwan the “most important” and “most sensitive” issue in U.S.-China relations.
People’s Daily said that U.S.-China relations “cannot return to the past” but that they can still move toward “a better future,” a cooler formulation than the friendship language Beijing used during Trump’s last state visit in 2017.
The Chinese Foreign Affairs Ministry also released a video titled “Peaceful Coexistence,” using examples from wartime cooperation to Apple’s and Tesla’s business ties with China, to argue that the two countries should manage differences rather than try to change each other.
Beijing is also pointing to counternarcotics as an area where cooperation remains possible. A social media account affiliated with state broadcaster CCTV highlighted a recent counternarcotics case involving cooperation from both sides, saying it was the first such coordinated public release by U.S. and Chinese authorities in recent years.
Taiwan expected to be on the agenda in Trump-Xi talks
Trump said this week that he expects Xi to "bring up Taiwan" when they meet.
Asked by reporters Monday about a potential Chinese takeover of the self-ruling island, Trump said: "I don’t think it’ll happen. I think we’ll be fine."
Asked by NBC News whether the U.S. should continue selling weapons to the island, which is the world's largest microchip manufacturer, he said: "I’m going to have that discussion with President Xi. President Xi would like us not to, and I’ll have that discussion. That’s one of the many things I’ll be talking about."
Trump told the New York Times in January that Xi considers Taiwan part of China, but that he had told Xi he would be "very unhappy" if there's a change in the status quo.
Asked by CBS News in November whether the U.S. would respond militarily if China tried to take the island by force, Trump said, "You’ll find out if it happens. And he [Xi] understands the answer to that."
In August, he told Fox News he didn't believe China would make a move against Taiwan with him in the White House.
"‘I will never do it as long as you’re president.’ President Xi told me that, and I said, ‘Well, I appreciate that,’ but he also said, ‘But I am very patient, and China is very patient,’” Trump said then.
Rand Paul declines to comment on report his son made antisemitic comments
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., is not commenting on a report that his son yelled antisemitic comments at Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., at a Washington bar last night.
“I don’t have anything for you on it,” Paul told NBC News.
William Paul, who was the digital director for Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga., until June 2025, said on X this afternoon: “Last night, I had too much to drink and said some things that don’t represent who I really am. I’m sorry and today I am seeking help for my drinking problem.”
According to a report on NOTUS, William Paul approached Lawler at the Tune Inn and told him that if Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., an ally of his father, loses his primary, it’s going to be because of "your people ... you Jews." Lawler is not Jewish.
ICE may be at World Cup matches in U.S.
Federal officers and agents who arrest immigrants as part of their work with ICE may be at FIFA World Cup matches when the international tournament gets underway in the U.S. next month, according to two Department of Homeland Security officials.
The agency is offering its personnel to local police departments and federal agencies to provide extra security around the perimeters of games, similar to Homeland Security’s role at the Super Bowl and the Kentucky Derby, the officials said.
Democrats warn a third of the Congressional Black Caucus could be wiped out by redistricting wars
The Congressional Black Caucus, a power center for decades in the Democratic Party, saw its membership rise this Congress to an all-time high of 58 House members.
Now, thanks to a Supreme Court redistricting ruling that’s expected to dramatically diminish Black representation on Capitol Hill, the CBC is fighting a five-alarm fire that could devastate its membership.
A judge told Musk he wasn’t excused from trial. He went to China with Trump anyway.
Elon Musk traveled to China with Trump this week, despite his ongoing trial over his lawsuit with OpenAI and a federal judge’s order that he remain at the ready to be recalled to testify at short notice.
The trial is for a lawsuit that Musk filed against artificial intelligence startup OpenAI. Musk, a co-founder of OpenAI, alleges that the company has betrayed its original nonprofit mission by creating a for-profit arm. He testified in the trial in Oakland, California, over three days last month.
A spokesperson for the court said she didn’t know whether Musk obtained permission to leave the area or whether his travel could present a problem for the trial.
But two sources familiar with the matter told NBC News that Musk didn’t obtain permission from the judge before he left the country and was still subject to recall as a witness.
Supreme Court faces new criticism for redistricting decision so close to the 2026 elections
The Supreme Court has frequently admonished judges not to interfere in election cases when the process is already underway, but it is now being accused of doing exactly that in recent decisions favoring Republicans in redistricting fights.
The court’s ruling in a case from Louisiana that weakened the Voting Rights Act has set off a frenzy in some Republican-led states to draw new congressional maps that favor their party. The stakes are high ahead of this year’s midterm elections, which will determine which party controls the House.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp calls special session for 2028 congressional map redraw
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, called today for a special session next month for lawmakers to redraw the state’s congressional map for the 2028 election cycle.
His announcement makes Georgia the latest Republican-controlled state to move forward with mid-decade redistricting after the U.S. Supreme Court's major voting rights decision last month.
The ruling opened the door for a handful of states in the South to take up new maps that eliminate majority-Black seats represented by Democrats, some of which will go into effect for this year's midterms.
While Kemp had ruled out redrawing Georgia's map for this cycle, with the state's primary quickly approaching Tuesday, he signaled he was open to doing so for the 2028 election.
By calling the special session now, Kemp ensures the map-drawing process will occur while Republicans are in full control of Georgia's government. The state is hosting an open governor's race this year since Kemp is term-limited.
Kemp also called for lawmakers to use the special session to resolve a voting system dispute that was left unaddressed during their normal session.
A new elections system is set to go into effect in July, but lawmakers have not identified a replacement or allocated funds for one.
Lawmakers voted in 2024 to stop using touch-screen voting machines — which generate QR codes that are used to tally votes — following conspiracy theories about Georgia’s election system.
Vance says Trump remark on Americans' finances was misinterpreted
Asked by NBC News whether he agrees with Trump's "position that Americans' financial situations should not be a consideration" in decision-making about the Iran war, Vance said, "I don't think the president said that."
"I think that's a misrepresentation of what the president said. But look, I agree with the president that Iran should not have a nuclear weapon," he continued.
Trump made the remark yesterday when he was asked to what extent “Americans’ financial situations” were motivating him to make a deal with Iran.
“Not even a little bit,” Trump said. “The only thing that matters when I’m talking about Iran — they can’t have a nuclear weapon. I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation. I don’t think about anybody. I think about one thing — we cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon. That’s all.”
Vance said today: "The goal of preventing nuclear proliferation is probably the single most important thing that we can do to keep our people safe for the long term. It’s absolutely a worthy goal. But of course, the president and I and the entire team, we care about the American people’s financial situations."
"It’s one of the reasons why we passed the working families tax cut. It’s one of the reasons why we’re so focused on fraud. We care about how the American people are doing economically. We’ve also got a number of other challenges. Of course, the president has to confront all these challenges simultaneously."
Senate confirms Kevin Warsh as Fed chair
The Senate has voted 54-45 to confirm Kevin Warsh to be chair of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., was the only Democrat to vote in favor.
Senate voting on Kevin Warsh Fed chair nomination
The Senate is voting now on Kevin Warsh’s nomination to be the Federal Reserve's chair.
Being confirmed as Fed chair requires two confirmation votes, one to be confirmed to the Fed Board of Governors and a second to be confirmed as chair.
The Senate already voted yesterday 51-45 to confirm Warsh to be a member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System for a term of 14 years from Feb. 1, 2026.
House will vote on Ukraine aid after another discharge petition hits 218 signatures
Legislation to give aid to Ukraine will get a vote in the House after a discharge petition reached 218 signatures to circumvent the Republican leadership.
Rep. Kevin Kiley, an independent from California who caucuses with the GOP, was the 218th signature on the petition today. Two Republicans, Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, signed as well.
The legislation for Ukraine support is sponsored by Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y. He introduced the discharge petition in June 2025, and it has been accumulating signatures since then.
Once a member signs a discharge petition, their signature stays even if that member resigns. So the signatures of former Reps. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-Fla., still count toward the 218.
The bill will not come up immediately for a vote because of a mandatory waiting period, but it will come to the floor in the coming weeks.
There have been several discharge petitions that have reached 218 signatures this session. The others were for a measure to allow proxy voting for new parents, which did not move forward; the repeal of an executive order that removed federal workers' union rights; the Epstein Files Transparency Act; an extension of Affordable Care Act tax credits; and providing Temporary Protected Status for Haitian migrants.
Senators vote unanimously to advance measure to withhold their own pay during government shutdowns
The Senate voted unanimously today in a 99-0 vote to advance a resolution that would withhold senators’ pay during a government shutdown.
The resolution, which would only apply to the Senate, is now on a path to being approved in the coming days and would not need to be passed by the House or be signed by the president to go into effect.
Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., was the only senator to miss the vote.
The vote to advance the measure was subject to a 60-vote threshold and was in question after Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, blocked an attempt by Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., to unanimously pass the measure on March 22 without explanation.
The legislation says during "any period in which a Government shutdown is in effect, the Secretary of the Senate shall disburse and hold any payments otherwise required to be made with respect to such period for the compensation of each Senator."
Under the measure, senators would be retroactively paid after a shutdown is over.
Senator takes drinking survey he challenged Kash Patel to undergo
Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., posted on social media that he's taken the drinking survey that FBI Director Kash Patel told him he'd take if the senator did.
"Yesterday, @FBIDirectorKash told me he’d take the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test if I did. Well, here’s mine," Van Hollen wrote on X, with a picture of the survey and his answers.
"Given all the lies he told yesterday, I imagine he’ll fudge the numbers here, but let’s see yours, Director Patel," the post said.
The FBI did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The bizarre challenge came during a heated exchange between the pair in a Senate appropriations hearing yesterday.
Van Hollen asked if Patel would take the survey in light of reporting from The Atlantic that he's engaged in excessive drinking, an allegation the director has denied. Patel then accused the senator of day drinking, including running up a $7,000 bar tab at a Washington, D.C., bar. Van Hollen later said that money was for a catered campaign event for over 50 people.
Patel told Van Hollen, “I’ll take any test you’re willing to take.”
“I will take it,” the senator said.
“Let’s go. Side by side,” Patel responded.
China-linked tankers navigate Iran's 'safe' corridor through Strait of Hormuz as Trump visits
Multiple cargo and tanker ships linked to China traversed through the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours, according to NBC News analysis of MarineTraffic data.
Earlier today, as Trump traveled to China for a state visit, the Yuan Hua Hu crude oil tanker was sailing through the strait, south of Iran’s Larak Island. The ship’s automatic identification system, which broadcasts the vessel’s position, origin and direction of travel, listed its destination port as “Chinese owner and crew.” The ship is owned by China Cosco Shipping Corp. Ltd., which is based in Shanghai.
The U.S.-Israeli war with Iran has loomed large over Trump’s trip to China, causing it to be postponed by six weeks. During talks with President Xi Jinping, Trump is expected to ask Beijing, which has close ties with Iran, for greater assistance in ending the war and reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Few ships have made it through the crucial shipping route after Iran effectively shut it down.
The Yuan Hua Hu, circled, passing through the Strait of Hormuz today. MarineTraffic
The route taken by the Yuan Hua Hu was set out by Iran as what it called a “safe” and “permit-based” shipping corridor through the Strait of Hormuz and was followed by at least four China-linked ships from yesterday into today.
A tanker called the Starway traveled through the strait yesterday from Omani waters to north of the United Arab Emirates, while Deepblue, a tanker owned by a Shanghai-based company, went in the opposite direction from west to east.
Vehicle carrier Xian Jiang Kou left Saudi Arabia on March 16 and had been in the Persian Gulf until yesterday, when it sailed through the strait. Traveling south of Larak Island in the Iranian shipping lanes, it broadcast its destination as “Chinese vsl and crew.”
By 49-50 vote, Senate Republicans reject measure to end Iran war
The Senate voted 49-50 on a resolution to end Trump’s war with Iran, falling short again as nearly all Senate Republicans stuck with the president.
Just three Republicans voted with Democrats to cut off the military campaign: Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. Murkowski switched her position after previously aligning with Trump.
And just one Democrat voted to block the war powers resolution: Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania.
One member didn’t vote: Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb.
Despite the failure, it’s the closest Democrats have gotten to passing the resolution in seven attempts. It requires a simple majority.
“Rather than hold President Trump accountable for his reckless warmongering, Senate Republicans have once again rubber-stamped Trump’s unconstitutional war with Iran,” said Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., who wrote the resolution.
Senators say they fear Trump could give Xi concessions in U.S. policy toward Taiwan
The top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Jeanne Shaheen, said this morning that she is “very worried about what the president is going to say on Taiwan” during his summit with Xi.
"I think it’s absolutely critical that we make it clear that the United States’ policy with respect to Taiwan has not changed," Shaheen, D-N.H., said. "And I’m very worried about what the president is going to say on Taiwan, because we know that that’s something that President Xi wants. We know that President Trump is going into this meeting in a weakened position, and so I hope he doesn’t give away the store."
Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., who sits on the Armed Services and Intelligence committees, emphasized the importance of Taiwan's independence from mainland China for national security and trade reasons, noting that Taiwan is a democracy and a major manufacturer of advanced computer chips.
"And so if China were to be able to take over that portion of the supply chain, once again you would find our country and other countries at risk, because that part of the supply chain is critical to us as well," Rounds said.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., told reporters that he hopes Trump's meeting with Xi will provide “a better understanding about our commitment to Taiwan,” but also expressed concern that Trump will discuss U.S. weapons sales to Taiwan with Xi.
“I am absolutely deeply concerned about possibly Trump, in effect, selling out Taiwan,” said Blumenthal, who also sits on the Armed Services Committee.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., also voiced concerns about the issue in remarks on the Senate floor this morning, saying, "We all ought to fear what Donald Trump may concede to China, just so he can claim a headline."
"Donald Trump could sell out Taiwan, whose peoples want to continue living in freedom instead of under the jackboot of the Chinese Communist Party," Schumer added. "Any threat Trump allows Xi Jinping to make against the Taiwanese is a threat to the global democracy. It’s also a threat to the global economy, given how many semiconductor shifts are made in Taiwan."
Speaker Johnson reacts to Trump's comment that he doesn't 'think about Americans' financial situation' in Iran talks
Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., was asked during a news conference this morning to respond to Trump's remarks yesterday that he doesn't "think about Americans' financial situation" when negotiating with Iran.
"I don't know the context in which he made that comment, but I can tell you, the president thinks about Americans' financial situations," the House speaker told reporters on Capitol Hill.
Johnson said Trump is "laser-focused" on alleviating economic pain for Americans.
"He spends a large part of every day working to resolve this," he said. "Right now he’s in China. The president has laid down a marker that was overdue and very important, the American people are not going to be taken advantage of anymore by adversaries or allies. And he’s demonstrated that resolve and that principle day after day, and he’s negotiated much better trade agreements and much more fair policies for us."
Thune says 'we want an independent Taiwan' as Trump prepares for Xi summit
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., emphasized the need for Taiwan's independence from China when asked about some Democratic lawmakers' concerns that Trump could give Beijing concessions related to the self-ruling island during his trip.
“We want an independent Taiwan, and obviously doing everything we can to help support making them a so-called porcupine, you know, that makes it unattractive for China to try and interfere with what’s happening in Taiwan or in any way take any sort of military action," Thune said, adding that the policy "is something that I think most of us support."
“You can go on all kinds of different hypotheticals about what might happen down the road," Thune said. "But I think as a general rule, I mean, my view is — and I can only speak for myself — we want to have an independent Taiwan."
Trump has said that he will likely discuss Taiwan with Xi during his visit to China.
Judge sets date for hearing in reflecting pool court fight
A federal judge in Washington has set a May 21 hearing over an advocacy group's effort to halt the president's repainting of the reflecting pool between the Lincoln and Washington monuments.
The Cultural Landscape Foundation filed suit Monday, arguing that the Trump-directed resurfacing and "American Flag Blue" paint job on the historic pool is “unlawful” and the administration should follow congressionally mandated procedures to do the work.
“The dark grey, achromatic basin was not incidental to the design. It was the design,” said the suit, which seeks an order stopping the work while the case proceeds.
Tourists at the Lincoln Memorial watch as workers apply a blue protective coating to the reflecting pool Tuesday. Rahmat Gul / AP
In a court filing yesterday, the administration said it had conducted the necessary reviews and the new color is "consistent with the Reflecting Pool’s historic character and design and is intended to enhance the Reflecting Pool’s reflectivity."
The hearing date that U.S. District Judge Carl J. Nichols, a Trump appointee, scheduled falls between the two dates suggested by each side. The foundation had asked for a May 20 hearing and the administration for May 22.
Trump has said he expects the project to be completed within the next two weeks.
Senators send letter to Rubio urging support for Taiwan
A bipartisan group of a dozen senators has sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio reaffirming their support for Taiwan and urging the administration not to pursue any changes to long-standing U.S. policy toward the Beijing-claimed island.
The letter stresses their support of the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act (TRA), which the letter says “requires the United States to provide Taiwan — a critical economic and technological partner, and a thriving democracy — defense articles and services necessary to maintain the island’s self-defense capability.”
The letter notes that the TRA states that the U.S. “would consider any attempt to determine Taiwan’s future by non-peaceful means to be ‘a threat to the peace and security of the Western Pacific,’ and of ‘grave concern.’”
“Maintaining this commitment is necessary to ensure the credibility of U.S. security commitments to allies and partners in the region and beyond,” the letter reads.
The senators who signed the letter were Michael Bennet, D-Colo., John Curtis, R-Utah, Andy Kim, D-N.J., Thom Tillis, R-N.C., Tim Kaine, D-Va., Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, and Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.
Beijing residents express skepticism as Trump arrives in China
Some Beijing residents expressed skepticism ahead of Trump’s first visit to the Chinese capital in nine years. One resident said Trump was “not trustworthy,” adding that he “loves to stir things up,” while another hoped that “some good policies can come out of this.”
Trump faces several looming challenges in China
Trump has arrived in Beijing for a high-stakes summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. “NBC Nightly News” anchor Tom Llamas is there.
Nvidia’s Jensen Huang is joining Trump’s China trip after all
Jensen Huang, CEO of the American tech giant Nvidia, is joining Trump on his state visit to China this week after earlier reports suggested he would not be in attendance.
Huang joined the U.S. delegation in Alaska for the second leg of the flight to Beijing, according to pool reports. He had not been included on an earlier list of the American CEOs accompanying Trump, but White House spokesperson Steven Cheung said Huang was added to the trip once his schedule allowed it.
A spokesperson for Nvidia said in a statement, “Jensen is attending the summit at the invitation of President Trump to support America and the administration’s goals.”
Elon Musk and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, center, are greeted as they arrive in Beijing today. Brendan Smialowski / AFP via Getty Images
Huang’s earlier absence from the list had drawn attention given his strong efforts to persuade the Trump administration to relax U.S. restrictions on Chinese purchases of some of Nvidia’s more advanced chips for use in AI, a strategically important technology that is increasingly central to U.S.-China competition.
Trump also confirmed that Huang was on the trip, saying in a social media post that he was “honored” to be accompanied by Huang, as well as others including Apple’s Tim Cook and Elon Musk of SpaceX and EV maker Tesla. The president, who is now in Beijing, said his “very first request” to Chinese President Xi Jinping would be “to ‘open up’ China so that these brilliant people can work their magic.”
Trump has said he plans to discuss Iran and Taiwan with Xi
Over the last week, Trump has laid out some of the issues he plans to discuss with Xi in China, including Taiwan and the war with Iran.
The president said yesterday that he planned to have a "long talk" with the Chinese president about China's trade ties with Iran as the U.S. navigates a fragile ceasefire with Tehran and tries to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Last week, Trump said about Xi, "He’s been very nice about this, you know, in all fairness, he gets like, 60% of his oil from Hormuz, and he’s been, I think he’s been very respectful. We haven’t been challenged by China."
On Monday, Trump said he planned to bring up Taiwan as well, saying “I think we’ll be fine” when asked about longstanding concerns about a takeover of the self-ruling island by Beijing.
Asked whether he thinks the U.S. should still be selling weapons to Taiwan, Trump did not respond directly, saying, “Well, I’m going to have that discussion with President Xi."
A U.S. flag hangs in front of a portrait of late communist leader Mao Zedong at Tiananmen Gate today. Pedro Pardo / AFP via Getty Images
Trump said later of Xi, “He’ll bring up Taiwan, I think more than I will” before saying the discussion will be “a little bit about energy and about the very beautiful country of Iran.”
The president has spoken positively about his trip and his past meetings with Xi, repeatedly calling him a friend and saying they get along well.
Trump heads to hotel on a route adorned with signs of welcome
Trump and the U.S. delegation arrived by motorcade at their hotel at around 8:38 p.m. local time (8:38 a.m. ET).
The highway route leaving Beijing Capital International Airport was decorated with American and Chinese flags, and skyscrapers were lit up with Chinese characters meaning “Beijing Welcome” amid thick fog in the area.
A cluster of people gathered on a sidewalk to watch and take photographs as the motorcade exited the highway and entered the central city. Crowds increased as the motorcade neared the hotel, and the route was fenced off with bike racks guarded by officers.
Motorcycle escorts and security travel in the motorcade with President Trump today. Mark Schiefelbein / AP
Who’s joining Trump on his trip to China — and who isn’t?
Trump is going to China with a number of Cabinet officials, business executives, family members and others.
They include Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has been under Chinese sanctions since 2020 over his criticism of Beijing’s human rights record. China had indicated earlier that the sanctions would not prevent Rubio from traveling to Beijing for diplomatic purposes.
Trump is also being joined by his defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, which is unusual for a state visit. Under long-standing diplomatic tradition, U.S. defense secretaries go to China on separate trips. Hegseth is the first U.S. defense secretary to visit China in almost eight years.
Eric and Lara Trump and Elon Musk walk off Air Force One upon arriving in Beijing today. Brendan Smialowski / AFP via Getty Images
According to the White House, more than a dozen American CEOs are also joining Trump on the China trip, including Apple’s Tim Cook and Elon Musk of SpaceX and EV-maker Tesla. Jensen Huang, chief executive of the American tech giant Nvidia, boarded Air Force One during a refueling stop in Alaska after not appearing on earlier lists.
Other prominent names on the trip include Eric Trump and Lara Trump, the president's son and daughter-in-law, and Brett Ratner, who recently directed the documentary “Melania.”
Not joining the trip is first lady Melania Trump, who had not been scheduled to go. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said earlier that the first lady would help host Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, when they make a reciprocal visit to Washington later this year.
Photos: Trump arrives in Beijing
People gather to get a view of Air Force One arriving at Beijing Capital Airport today. Greg Baker / AFP via Getty Images
Chinese youth, a military honor guard and military band stand outside Air Force One. Alex Wong / Getty Images
Chinese youth hold American and Chinese flags as they join officials to welcome Trump. Alex Wong / Getty Images
Chinese youth, a military honor guard and military band joined Chinese officials to welcome Trump as he arrived on Air Force One at Beijing Capital International Airport today.
Trump disembarks Air Force One to a red carpet, flag wavers and a military band
Trump and the U.S. delegation, including his son Eric Trump, daughter-in-law Lara Trump and tech mogul Elon Musk, disembarked Air Force One onto an unfurled red carpet.
They were greeted by top Chinese officials as hundreds of young people waved U.S. and Chinese flags and chanted in sync with music from a military band.
“Welcome, welcome, a warm welcome!” they said.
Trump then entered the waiting car and drove away in a motorcade. It is evening in Beijing, and the meeting with Xi takes place tomorrow.
Chinese Vice President Han Zheng, Ambassador to the U.S. Xie Feng, and U.S. Ambassador to China David Perdue were among those greeting the president on the tarmac.
President Donald Trump walks to his motorcade at the airport in Beijing today. Alex Wong / Getty Images
Sen. Jon Husted launches new ad attacking Sherrod Brown in Ohio's Senate race
Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio, is out today with a new ad that attacks Democratic rival Sherrod Brown as a “liberal” who “spent 32 long years in Washington.”
The 30-second spot also features footage of Trump using the catchphrase from his days as a reality TV star — “You’re fired!” — in reference to voters rejecting Brown in his 2024 bid for a fourth Senate term.
Husted’s race against Brown — a November special election to fill the remainder of the Senate term Vice President JD Vance won in 2022 — is expected to be one of the most expensive and competitive in the battle for partisan control of the chamber.
“Brown,” the ad’s narrator says, “gave us a border in chaos, sky-high cost of living and boys in girls sports.”
The sports claim refers to Brown’s opposition as a senator to amendments that had been attached to broader spending bills. Those amendments would have blocked funding for schools that allow transgender athletes to participate in women’s sports.
Brown faced similar attack ads in his 2024 race against Republican Bernie Moreno. His campaign responded at the time by calling attention to fact-checkers who determined the ads to be misleading, because the votes were related to funding, not eligibility. A response ad that Brown and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee ran that year stressed that he agrees with Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, who has said that sports eligibility issues were “best addressed outside of government.”
Husted served as DeWine’s lieutenant governor before the governor appointed him to fill the vacancy left by Vance.
Both Husted and Brown hit Ohio’s airwaves with their first ads last month. Husted’s was an introductory spot, while Brown started off negative, attacking Husted for campaign contributions he had received over the years from associates of the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Husted’s second will air statewide for two weeks as part of a $1.2 million push, according to his campaign.
Trump to be greeted at the airport by top Chinese officials and hundreds of young people
A group of young people stands waiting for Trump’s arrival on the windy tarmac at Beijing Capital International Airport, each clutching a fluttering red Chinese national flag and dressed in blue and white. According to the White House, there are 300 of them here for the ceremonial welcome, which also includes a People’s Liberation Army honor guard.
President Donald Trump and Chinese Vice President Han Zheng during a welcome ceremony today. Mark Schiefelbein / AP
Also greeting Trump upon arrival is Chinese Vice President Han Zheng, Ambassador to the U.S. Xie Feng and Ma Zhaoxu, a high-ranking Chinese diplomat involved in talks on Iran, Russia and tech policy.
Trump is bringing a delegation of American CEOs to Beijing, two of whom traveled with the president on Air Force One: Elon Musk, the chief executive of SpaceX and Tesla, and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, who joined the group on the tarmac in Alaska for the second leg of the flight.
Also on the trip is Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has been under Chinese sanctions since 2020 over his criticism of China’s human rights record. Reports suggest that in order to get around an entry ban, China changed his name’s transliteration after he was named secretary of state by using a different Chinese character for one of the syllables in his last name, making the visit possible.
Trump lands in Beijing for highly anticipated state visit
Air Force One landed at Beijing Capital International Airport in China at 7:50 p.m. local time (7:50 a.m. ET).
Trump arrives at Beijing Capital International Airport today. Mark Schiefelbein / AP
Trump’s state visit, which runs until Friday, includes a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. He is the first U.S. president to visit China since his last state visit in 2017 during his first term.
Trump left Washington on Tuesday afternoon ET, a day after saying on Truth Social that he was “very much looking forward” to the China trip. Trade, Iran and artificial intelligence are among the issues expected to come up in the talks.
Photos: Increased security in Beijing ahead of Trump's arrival
Pictures from Beijing today show a heightened security presence ahead of Trump’s arrival for his state visit.
Kevin Frayer / Getty Images
Kevin Frayer / Getty Images
Ng Han Guan / AP
Louisiana GOP lawmakers advance map eliminating one Democratic House district
Republicans in Louisiana’s state Senate voted early this morning to advance a new congressional map that would give the GOP another seat in the House from the state after a recent Supreme Court decision that struck down Louisiana’s previous lines.
The new lines could draw out Democratic Rep. Cleo Fields, giving the state five Republicans and one Democrat in its congressional delegation. It’s the latest move from lawmakers redrawing district lines to affect the margins of the battle for control of the U.S. House of Representatives this fall.
Brett Ratner, director of ‘Melania’ documentary, is traveling to China with Trump
Film director Brett Ratner, who recently directed the “Melania” documentary about the first lady and is perhaps best known for helming the “Rush Hour” action-comedy series, is among those traveling to China with Trump.
Ratner, who according to pool reports is aboard Air Force One, has become a regular presence in Trump’s orbit and spent significant time living at Mar-a-Lago while filming “Melania,” according to a source close to the first lady.
Brett Ratner at the "Melania" premiere in Washington in January. Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images
The film, which was purchased by Amazon for $75 million in a deal some lawmakers criticized as inappropriate, represented a comeback for Ratner, who in 2017 was accused by multiple women of sexual misconduct. He denied the allegations and was never charged.
The South China Morning Post reported that Ratner is also scouting locations in China as he plans to shoot much of a fourth “Rush Hour” film there.
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito wins the Republican Senate primary in West Virginia, NBC News projects
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito has won the Republican Senate primary in West Virginia, NBC News projects.
Capito, who has Trump’s endorsement, faced five primary challengers. With 6% of the expected vote in, she was taking two-thirds support.
She will be heavily favored to win a third term this fall in the solidly Republican state.
Marco Rubio wears Maduro-inspired Nike tracksuit aboard Air Force One
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has drawn online attention after White House communications director Steven Cheung posted an image of him wearing a Nike tracksuit in the style of Nicolás Maduro, the Venezuelan president who faces narcoterrorism charges in U.S. federal court after being seized by U.S. forces.
Rubio, on board Air Force One for Trump’s state visit to China, was described as “rocking the Nike Tech ‘Venezuela’” in the post by Cheung.
@StevenCheung47 / via X
Rubio appeared to mimic the outfit Maduro wore during his capture by U.S. forces in Caracas in January.
via Truth Social
Scott Petersen defeats Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen in Republican primary, NBC News projects
Omaha businessman Scott Petersen defeated incumbent Bob Evnen in yesterday's Republican primary for Nebraska secretary of state, NBC News projects.
With 76% of the expected vote in, Petersen led Evnen, who was seeking a third term as Nebraska’s top election official, 55% to 45%.
The result is an upset, as Evnen had endorsements from Nebraska’s governor, both senators and three House members. But Petersen ran to Evnen’s right as an “America First conservative,” arguing Evnen did not do enough to ensure confidence in Nebraska’s election system. According to his campaign website, Petersen supports hand-counting ballots and restricting mail voting.
Evnen agreed to hand over sensitive voter data to the Justice Department this year and praised Trump’s sweeping election executive order last year. But Trump did not issue an endorsement in the race.
Evnen also struggled in his 2022 primary, earning less than 50% of the vote as he fended off two primary challengers.
Petersen will be the heavy favorite to win the general election in the solidly Republican state.
Two Nebraska Democrats locked in tight primary race in battleground House district
The Democratic primary for Nebraska’s battleground 2nd District is too close to call, with state Sen. John Cavanaugh and political organizer Denise Powell separated by less than 300 votes.
With 85% of the expected vote in, Cavanaugh is leading Powell 38.3% to 37.5%.
The winner will take on on Omaha City Council member Brinker Harding, who ran unopposed in the Republican primary, in the general election to succeed retiring GOP Rep. Don Bacon. The 2nd District, which Kamala Harris carried in the 2024 election, is a top pick-up target for Democrats.
Democrats pick Nebraska Senate nominee who could drop out and back independent Dan Osborn
Cindy Burbank won the Democratic Senate primary in Nebraska, NBC News projects, potentially clearing the way for independent Dan Osborn to take on GOP Sen. Pete Ricketts head-to-head in the fall.
Burbank defeated pastor William Forbes for the Democratic nomination, while Ricketts easily won his Republican primary.
Trade, Taiwan and Iran cast shadows on Trump’s China summit with Xi
Trump will soon arrive in Beijing for a two-day summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping as the world’s two biggest economies look to stabilize a trade truce against the backdrop of the simmering U.S. conflict with Iran.
Trump’s visit, the first by a U.S. president since his own trip nine years ago, will be “a wild one,” he promised this year, recounting at an event in Washington that he had told Xi “to put on the biggest display you’ve ever had in the history of China.”
Trump has consistently framed his relationship with Xi in personal and warm terms, but this trip carries more pressure than either side will publicly acknowledge.
Trade will be at the forefront of discussions, and Trump is bringing more than a dozen chief executives with him to Beijing, including Apple’s Tim Cook and Elon Musk, the chief executive of SpaceX and Tesla. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, who was not on the list earlier, also joined Trump on the tarmac in Alaska for the second leg of the flight to China.
