DHS secretary issues warning to states after Trump’s election-focused speech
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Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said the administration would withhold funding from states that don’t undertake its election security directives.
What to know today
- DHS THREATENS STATES: Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin today threatened state election officials with possible prison time if they don’t comply with the Trump administration's plans to determine whether noncitizens are on voter rolls. The threat followed President Donald Trump's speech last night sowing doubt about U.S. elections in recent years.
- IRAN STRIKES: The United States attacked bridges and other key infrastructure in southern Iran overnight into today, capping nearly a week of strikes aimed at intensifying pressure on Tehran to give up control of the Strait of Hormuz.
- MAINE SENATE RACE: Democrats running for Senate in Maine battled over the progressive lane in last night’s debate, the first since Graham Platner ended his campaign and sparked a rush to replace him on the ballot.
Michigan's GOP primary for governor shrinks as former state AG ends his campaign
Former Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox ended his bid for his state’s Republican nomination for governor today, throwing his support to Rep. John James.
In a post tonight on X, Cox noted Trump’s endorsement of James last month and said the president’s support had changed the trajectory of what had been a three-way race including businessman Perry Johnson.
“As President Trump has endorsed John James and ordained his primary victory, I will do whatever I can to help John James,” Cox said.
In an X post, James said: “This is exactly the kind of unity we need to win in November.”
Johnson, who is independently wealthy and briefly ran for president in the 2024 cycle, told NBC News tonight that he believes he is best positioned to pick up Cox’s supporters.
“I think his dropping out is going to actually help my numbers,” Johnson said after speaking at a small campaign event at a private home in the Detroit suburbs. “I know the president isn’t aware of that because he doesn’t have the polling numbers that we have, but we’ll find out.”
The winner of the Aug. 4 primary will face Michigan Secretary of State Joceyln Benson or Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson in the general election. Benson is seen as the front-runner for the Democratic nomination.
Newly declassified documents offer scant evidence for Trump’s election claims
Trump’s sweeping claims of foreign interference in elections and the vulnerability of voting to attacks aren’t fully backed up by the newly declassified files released by his administration.
GOP Sens. Cornyn and Cassidy rip Trump over election security speech
Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Bill Cassidy, R-La., today criticized Trump's speech to the nation last night, arguing that the president didn't present "a whole lot" of new information to back up his claims about election security.
Cornyn and Cassidy, who both lost their bids for re-election this year after Trump backed their Republican primary opponents, spoke at the Aspen Security Forum.
“Frankly, as a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, there wasn’t a whole lot new,” Cornyn said on Trump's speech. "The bottom line is none of this is would have changed the outcome."
The pair expressed a desire for Trump to focus more on the economy and affordability ahead of the midterm elections.
“As a Republican, my concern is that it’s setting up a Democratic wave election,” Cassidy said of the speech. “We should be talking about what matters to the people around the kitchen table.”
“I don’t understand talking about what happened six years ago in light of these upcoming elections,” Cornyn said.
Paul Pelosi charged with misdemeanor hit-and-run after hitting parked car in California
Prosecutors in Napa County charged Paul Pelosi, Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s husband, with a misdemeanor hit-and-run today after he was involved in a crash in Northern California earlier this month.
Pelosi, 86, was charged in connection with a July 3 collision “in which he allegedly struck an unoccupied parked vehicle” before leaving the scene of the crash, the Napa County District Attorney’s Office said in a news release.
He faces one misdemeanor charge for being involved in a collision and not stopping to provide information, which carries a maximum penalty of a $1,000 fine or six months in county jail, or both. He also faces a lesser charge for making an unlawful turn.
Paul Pelosi. Tom Williams / CQ-Roll Call Inc. via Getty Images file
Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez to attend World Cup final alongside Trump amid tensions
Trump and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez are set to meet again at Sunday’s World Cup final, as strained relations between the two leaders over defense spending and the war with Iran continue to simmer.
Sanchez will be in New Jersey for the game, his office said today.
Trump has repeatedly criticized Spain over the government’s refusal to commit to NATO’s target of spending 5% of gross domestic product on defense, making numerous threats of trade reprisals.
Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and President Donald Trump in 2025. Yoan Valat / Pool / AFP via Getty Images file
Trump says 'most unforgettable moment' of the World Cup was his call to FIFA president over American red card
Trump joked today that the "most unforgettable moment" of the World Cup was when he called FIFA President Gianni Infantino to "recommend" that they review U.S. soccer player Folarin Balogun’s red card suspension.
"I was forced to call Gianni and just make a recommendation," Trump said at a FIFA reception in New York City. "I said, 'Gianni, I'd like to make a recommendation. Let the guy in the game.' No, I didn't say that. I said I'd like to wage a complaint."
FIFA President Gianni Infantino smiles as Trump speaks during a FIFA reception at Trump Tower today. Mandel Ngan / AFP via Getty Images
Trump said earlier this month that he had called Infantino after Balogun received a red card suspension that would have kept him from playing in the U.S.-Belgium match on July 6. FIFA ultimately allowed Balogun to compete in the game, which the Americans lost 4-1.
"I had no idea what was going to happen, but you know, it's so much better the way it worked out because there's no controversy," Trump said. "They won the game, and our team had all of its players."
Trump later suggested that the U.S. should host the World Cup again, but to "leave Mexico and Canada out" next time. He joked that Infantino should pick a country for the next tournament, saying, "you pick somebody else for the next one, and that will take some of the anger, hatred, and steam out of everyone."
Trump said Infantino suggested that China and the U.S. should host the next time around, quipping that "you have a nice short flight in between games. You know, the players would love that."
Voter files explained: Demystifying the widely available data Trump cited in his speech
Trump claimed last night during a White House speech that China may have your voter registration info.
So do thousands of political campaigns from up and down the ballot over the years, as well as pollsters, market research companies, journalists, academics, professional and amateur researchers alike, and even the local university library.
Booker, Blumenthal push CDC for answers on parasite outbreak
Sens. Cory Booker, D-N.J., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., are demanding answers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention over whether staffing reductions and changes to the agency’s foodborne disease surveillance have hampered its response to a growing cyclosporiasis outbreak, according to a letter first obtained by NBC News.
In the letter, sent today to acting CDC Director Jay Bhattacharya, the senators questioned whether staffing reductions, hiring freezes and agency reorganization have affected the agency’s ability to investigate the outbreak and identify its source. They also requested a briefing from CDC officials and answers by July 30 on the agency’s response.
“Outbreaks of this scale and duration depend on CDC’s surveillance, laboratory, and epidemiological staff to trace a source quickly and limit further illness,” the senators wrote. “Given the reported staffing reductions, hiring freezes, and leadership turnover at CDC over the past year, we are concerned about whether the agency currently has the personnel and resources it needs to stop this outbreak.”
The request comes as federal health officials investigate a multistate outbreak of cyclosporiasis, a parasitic illness that can cause weeks of severe gastrointestinal illness. The FDA has advised consumers to avoid shredded iceberg lettuce served at certain Taco Bell restaurants in five states, and Taylor Fresh Foods said Friday it is voluntarily removing iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico from the U.S. market.
Booker and Blumenthal also pressed the CDC over changes made last year to its Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network, asking whether making Cyclospora reporting optional delayed case detection and whether the agency is considering restoring mandatory reporting. They also sought details about current staffing levels and when federal officials expect to determine the source of the outbreak.
The CDC has confirmed more than 1,600 domestic cases of cyclosporiasis this year and is reviewing more than 5,100 additional reports. The senators noted that more than 400 cases have been linked to a multistate cluster spanning Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia and Kentucky, where investigators have identified Taylor Farms shredded iceberg lettuce supplied to some Taco Bell restaurants as a potential, but unconfirmed, source.
Trump fumes over Canadian wildfire smoke and threatens higher tariffs
Trump said today that he is holding Canada responsible for the costs associated with unhealthy air quality in the U.S. over smoke from Canadian wildfires.
“The cost is incalculable!” the president wrote in a post on Truth Social. “This is Willful Negligence, and becoming a yearly occurrence, costing the United States Billions of Dollars, which cost of this pollution must of necessity be added to the TARIFFS Canada is currently paying.”
A child looks out from the observation deck of the CN Tower in Toronto as smoke from wildfires blankets the city Thursday. Cole Burston / The Canadian Press via AP
Trump said that he will call Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney "to find out what they are going to do about it."
“We are holding Canada responsible for the fact that they are not properly maintaining their Forests, and Brush therein, and the United States is being unnecessarily invaded by filthy, polluted, and unhealthy air, the quality of which is dangerous, and totally unacceptable!” Trump wrote.
Air quality alerts remain for more than 100 million people today, after smoke from the wildfires in Minnesota and Canada continue to envelop major cities, including Minneapolis, Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and New York City.
The conditions have also led to concerns about Sunday's World Cup final, which Trump plans to attend in New Jersey, where poor air quality levels persist going into the weekend.
Billionaire U.S. ambassador greeted by protests in Venice on latest stop of super yacht diplomacy tour
The billionaire U.S. ambassador to Italy was met by protests when he arrived in Venice today aboard his luxury yacht as part of a coastal diplomacy tour marking the 250th anniversary of American independence.
Hospitality mogul Tilman Fertitta’s arrival represents an unwelcome display of American wealth and influence for many Italians at a time when they see the Trump administration as upending the post-World War II international order.
Ambassador Tilman Fertitta's megayacht in Venice on Friday. Piero Cruciatti / Anadolu via Getty Images
Trump endorses Lindsey Graham's sister for special election
In a post on Truth Social this afternoon, the president said he's urging Sen. Darline Graham, R-S.C., to run in the special election to fill her late brother Lindsey Graham's seat for a full term.
"I hope Darline does this, in that there would be nobody better to honor the legacy of her beloved brother, Lindsey," he wrote.
He added later in the post that Graham, who was appointed earlier this week by South Carolina GOP Gov. Henry McMaster to serve in her brother's seat through the beginning of January, has his "complete and total endorsement."
Mullin threatens states over elections
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin today threatened state election officials with possible prison time if they don’t comply with Trump administration methods to determine whether noncitizens are on voter rolls.
Expanding on Trump’s election-focused speech a night earlier, Mullin said that the Department of Homeland Security had preliminarily determined there were more than 250,000 noncitizens on voting lists in at least four states: California, New Jersey, Nevada and Pennsylvania.
Mullin demanded states run their voter rolls through a federal database maintained by DHS to determine if noncitizens were on lists and said if they don’t, they won’t be able to access federal grants.
But the use of the DHS database — which was historically for assessing immigration benefits — has been blocked by a federal judge, who ruled that repurposing it for this effort violated rules on the disclosure of Social Security records. The database has also proved to be error-prone when used to evaluate voter rolls. It often flags newly naturalized citizens as noncitizen voters. Voting rights experts say the use of the database is flawed and could result in registered voters purged from rolls.
“We need to make sure that individuals that are legally able to vote are voting,” Mullin said from the Eisenhower Executive Office Building next door to the White House. “If you’re illegal and attempted to vote, or you tried to vote illegally for someone else, we will find you and we will charge you.”
How Trump's election allegations against China could impact U.S. relations with Beijing
The president accused China of having a role in influencing the 2020 election during his speech about election interference. NBC News’ Garrett Haake has more on how this could impact China’s relationship with the U.S.
Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez drops out of the governor’s race
Wisconsin Democratic Lt. Gov. Sarah Rodriguez said today that she was dropping out of the governor’s race, just days after her campaign discovered major inaccuracies related to its financial reporting.
“As we have continued to dig into our financial reports, it has become clear that there are issues that would be an ongoing distraction, not just for this campaign, but for the primary and for Wisconsin. This race is too important to let that happen,” Rodriguez said in a video posted to X.
“I cannot, in good conscience, allow these questions to become a cloud over an election that Democrats need to win. Wisconsin deserves better than that,” Rodriguez added.
Mullin repeats threat to withhold funds from states that don't comply with election security directives
In a news conference today, Mullin shared few additional details about the administration's plan to compel states to fall in line with Trump's election security agenda.
Mullin told reporters that the administration is "going to make our security enhancements mandatory, meaning that if these states want a grant and they want to be reimbursed to work or to run federal elections, they're going to have to implement security issues."
The administration is demanding state voter rolls are "scrubbed" and state election system equipment is secure from any foreign influence or attacks, Mullin said. If state officials refuse to do undertake federal directives, they will be subject to fines or other penalties, he said.
The Homeland Security Department previously said states would be required to use a federal system originally created to check citizenship to determine eligibility for certain government benefits, which the Trump administration has revamped for use by election officials to verify voters' citizenship status.
The system, however, has led to errors in evaluating voter rolls, flagging newly naturalized citizens as noncitizen voters. It also does not make determinations that people are noncitizens, but rather checks other government databases where proof of citizenship might be stored and flags registrants for further evaluation, DHS officials have said.
The use of the system by the federal government for the purpose of checking voter rolls was paused by a federal judge last month, so it is unclear how states would comply with Mullin's directive.
"The problem is, is activist judges now have put a hold on it, so we're pending the case," Mullin told reporters. "Once it's turned back on, we'll be able to move fast."
China warns of reciprocal countermeasures after U.S. shortens foreign journalist visas
The Trump administration announced yesterday that it will drastically shorten visas for foreign journalists in the U.S. to 240 days, down from years, and cut those for Chinese journalists to only 90 days, raising concerns over press freedom in the United States and prompting China to warn of possible reciprocal countermeasures.
The rule announced by the Department of Homeland Security will do away with the “duration of status” system, which allows foreign journalists to stay and work in the United States as long as they meet eligibility requirements. That will be replaced with a fixed period of time, though the visas may be extended.
Tillis 'commends' Blanche for meeting with Epstein survivors
In a post on X, Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., wrote, "I commend Todd Blanche for doing what all his predecessors over the last two decades never did: meet with the victims of Jeffery Epstein’s horrific crimes. I appreciate his willingness to directly engage and listen to them."
Tillis said this week he would not vote to confirm Blanche as attorney general until the acting AG meets with Epstein survivors. In his post, he did not say if he now plans to support the nomination.
Following Blanche's meeting yesterday with the survivors, one of the women in the group told NBC News that the gathering was "not productive" or "substantive."
“He very much is still in the best interest of Donald Trump. And after today’s meeting, I mean, I don’t think there’s a single survivor who walked out of that meeting feeling like anything was accomplished,” Dani Bensky told NBC News' Hallie Jackson.
Federal panel signals it could support permanent fencing around White House park known for protests
A historic hub for free speech and protest is under the spotlight as the Trump administration proposes adding permanent fencing around Lafayette Square.
A federal design panel filled with Trump appointees reviewed the proposed renovation yesterday but ultimately didn’t hold a vote. Members, though, appeared open to the White House’s plans.
“The proposal is not to close the park, but to enclose the park,” said James C. McCrery II, vice chair on the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts. “It’s still open.”
What to know about the SAVE America Act and Trump’s push for voting changes
Trump has been singularly focused on pressuring congressional Republicans to pass the SAVE America Act, a bill he claims is needed to secure elections.
Despite pressure from the president, as well as several House and Senate Republicans — and weeks spent debating the bill on the Senate floor — it lacks the necessary support to clear the 60-vote filibuster threshold in the upper chamber. Trump has called for eliminating the filibuster altogether to pass the legislation, but Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has said his caucus is “not even close” to having the votes to do that.
Trump continues to pressure Republicans to pass the bill, and House Republican leaders are looking for new ways to force the bill through after a group of conservatives began holding up all other floor action.
The bill would overhaul federal elections by requiring voter ID at the polls and proof of citizenship to register to vote.
Trump’s election security claims threaten China truce, raise questions over Xi’s U.S. trip
Trump’s revived accusations of Chinese interference in U.S. elections risk antagonizing Beijing, which rejected the claims today as “entirely fabricated,” just as the world’s two biggest economies are repairing ties.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer rebuts Trump's elections speech
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer rebutted Trump's allegations about voter fraud in Michigan in his speech on election security last night, arguing that any suggestion that her state's elections are "not safe and secure" is "designed to undermine our voters' basic rights."
In a statement, Whitmer said that the state's voting systems have for decades been "rigorously tested, certified, and subject to strict standards before they are ever used in an election."
Whitmer, a Democrat and possible 2028 presidential contender, noted that the results of the 2020 presidential election have been reviewed and confirmed as accurate.
"Conspiracy theories about the 2020 elections must come to an end," she said in her statement. "Tonight, President Trump also made claims about Michigan intended to suggest our voting system is somehow rigged. It isn’t, and his claim has been debunked by experts time and time again," she said.
The president alleged without providing evidence that there are “shocking vulnerabilities in our election infrastructure," claiming that China has illicitly acquired U.S. voter files since 2020, that voting systems are "vulnerable and easily compromised," and that the FBI found evidence of alleged fraud in Michigan, among other things.
Trump sought to overturn Joe Biden's election win in Michigan six years ago, including by pressuring Republican canvassers not to certify the election.
Epstein survivor describes Todd Blanche meeting as ‘emotional’ and ‘not productive’
Trump’s nominee for attorney general, Todd Blanche, met with survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse yesterday afternoon, in a meeting that the survivors and Blanche described in opposite terms.
U.S. strikes bridges around key port in Iran, expanding campaign in battle over Hormuz
The United States attacked bridges and other key infrastructure in southern Iran overnight into today, capping nearly a week of strikes aimed at intensifying pressure on Tehran to give up control of the Strait of Hormuz.
The latest expansion of this campaign appeared targeted at cutting off the main port city of Bandar Abbas from the heart of the Islamic Republic. Tehran hit back with new attacks on U.S. allies in the Middle East, including a first direct attack on a Syrian base.
The collapse of the ceasefire and interim agreement has led to days of strikes and counterstrikes across the region, with traffic in the crucial waterway once again largely halted as the two sides battle over the strait.
Maine Senate candidates battle for progressive mantle after Graham Platner’s exit
Democrats running for Senate in Maine battled over the progressive lane in their quick-fire nominating process in last night’s debates, the first since Graham Platner ended his campaign and sparked a rush to replace him on the general election ballot.
ANALYSIS: Trump sows doubt about election integrity four months before the midterms
President Donald Trump unspooled a multipronged conspiracy theory about the 2020 election during a White House address last night, alleging again — despite vast evidence to the contrary — that American election systems are vulnerable and can be compromised.
