Live updates: Trump bashes MAGA critics of Iran war; Harris and Buttigieg suggest they may run for president
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Exclusive: White House officials and allies tried to pressure an Indiana Republican to drop out of a state Senate primary with job opportunities and warnings of personal attacks.
President Donald Trump did not mince words in a social media post bashing his conservative critics. Tom Williams / Getty Images
What to know today
- TRUMP RIPS MAGA CRITICS: President Donald Trump went after big-name conservative media figures yesterday over their criticism of his handling of the war with Iran, calling some of his former allies “low IQ,” “losers” and “nut jobs.”
- 2028 AMBITIONS: Former Vice President Kamala Harris told Rev. Al Sharpton at the National Action Network conference that she's considering running for president again. Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg also suggested to Sharpton that he could be running for president.
- PRESSURE CAMPAIGN: White House officials and their allies sought to pressure an Indiana Republican to drop out of a state Senate primary earlier this year, floating job opportunities and warning of the personal attacks she could face as they worked to pave the way for Trump’s preferred candidate.
- DEM DISSATISFACTION: Democratic focus groups in Maine and Michigan — states that will be central in this year’s battle for the Senate — said they were very dissatisfied with their party broadly, describing it as “weak,” “spineless,” “floundering,” “ineffective” and “distracted.”
House Democrats request cognitive test for Trump
Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee have sent a letter to the White House Physician requesting that Trump be given a cognitive exam and the results of that exam be shared with the public.
In the letter to Captain Sean P. Barbabella, Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., the Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, provides a list of Trump’s recent behavior that leads him to believe there are signs the president is unfit for office. He points to his social media posts threatening Iran and the president’s awkward interaction with children during the White House Easter Egg roll.
Raskin argues those incidents warrant an assessment of the President’s mental state.
“In October 2025, you issued a statement declaring that the President ‘continues to demonstrate excellent overall health.’ In light of the President’s extreme behavior over the past week—to say nothing of his conduct in office more broadly—the public must know whether you still stand by that assessment. As Republican congressional leaders have repeatedly said, the American people deserve to know whether our President is mentally capable of making the life or death decisions that his office demands,” Raskin wrote.
In addition to a full report on any potential exam, Raskin is requesting Barbabella brief the committee of it’s result.
In the past Trump has often bragged about his cognitive competence, going into great detail about his success with previous tests. The White House has never released a comprehensive report on the President’s cognitive state.
Given that this is a request by minority members there is legal compulsion for the White House to respond to this demand by House Democrats.
In a statement to NBC News, White House spokesperson Davis Ingle said, “Lightweight Jamie Raskin is a stupid person’s idea of a smart person. President Trump’s sharpness, unmatched energy, and historic accessibility stand in stark contrast to what we saw during the past four years when Democrats like Raskin intentionally covered up Joe Biden’s serious mental and physical decline from the American people.”
Buttigieg suggests he’s running for president in 2028
Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on Friday wasn’t being coy about his intentions to run for president in 2028.
During a conversation with the Rev. Al Sharpton at the National Action Network conference in New York City, Sharpton referenced a lunch the two men had during his 2020 presidential campaign at Sylvia’s Restaurant in Harlem.
“Just so my calendar is clear, should I be reserving a table at Sylvia’s?” Sharpton said. “Are you going to run again?”
“You save me a seat,” Buttigieg responded. “I’ll be there.”
New renderings feature details of 250-foot triumphal arch Trump hopes to build
A 250-foot triumphal arch the president hopes to build across the Potomac River in the next few months will feature winged eagles, Lady Liberty and a line from the Pledge of Allegiance, according to new renderings obtained by NBC News.
The renderings were filed by the Department of the Interior with the Commission of Fine Arts for official review next week, according to a spokesman for the CFA.
The images show a winged Lady Liberty atop the arch itself, along with two giant 24-foot eagles. The structure itself would be 166 feet tall, with the added statue making it 250 feet total.
A rendering for President Donald Trump’s 250-foot triumphal arch across the Potomac. Harrison Design
Harrison Design
There are concerns about the height of the arch, given its proximity to Washington Reagan National Airport and its planned location in the middle of some of the busiest airspace in the country. An approach path for one of DCA’s runways runs just east of Columbia Island, only a few hundred feet from the proposed site.
The renderings, which were made by Harrison Design, display the words “One Nation Under God” prominently and feature four large golden lions at the base of Memorial Circle.
The Washington Post was first to report on the renderings.
Trump was seen walking around with what appeared to be renderings on Monday at the Easter Egg Roll.
In a statement to NBC News, White House spokesman Davis Ingle said: “The Triumphal Arch in Memorial Circle is going to be one of the most iconic landmarks not only in Washington, D.C., but throughout the world. It will enhance the visitor experience at Arlington National Cemetery for veterans, the families of the fallen, and all Americans alike, serving as a visual reminder of the noble sacrifices borne by so many American heroes throughout our 250 year history so we can enjoy our freedoms today. President Trump will continue to honor our veterans and give the greatest Nation on earth — America — the glory it deserves.”
The project has already faced some legal setbacks. A federal judge in Washington is requiring the Trump administration to give the Court 14 days’ notice before beginning construction on a planned “Independence Arch” in Memorial Circle.
U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan also ordered the National Park Service not to begin construction of the arch unless it first publishes a notice stating its authorization on the NPS planning, environment and public comment website.
White House deputy chief of staff considers leaving post temporarily to run Trump's midterm political operation
White House deputy chief of staff James Blair is considering leaving the administration, according to a person familiar with the decision. He would be taking a leave of absence to run Trump’s midterm political operation.
There are no plans to replace him internally, as he plans on returning to the administration after the midterms.
“James is a top lieutenant of the President’s and has been invaluable to me for the better part of a decade," White House chief of staff Susie Wiles said in a statement. "That is the frame from which we are considering our options. Consideration of the best way to deploy a most valuable political asset for success in the midterms is a common sense and obvious thing to do."
Politico first reported the news.
Kamala Harris confirms she might run for president again: ‘I’m thinking about it’
The Rev. Al Sharpton asked the former vice president point blank at the National Action Network conference in New York City if she will run for president in 2028.
“Listen, I might,” Harris said. “I’m thinking about it.”
The comments were some of Harris’ strongest and most direct that she is considering running again.
The former vice president had earlier received some of the loudest cheers of any prospective 2028 Democratic presidential contender who had so far spoken at the conference, which included Govs. JB Pritzker of Illinois, Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania and Wes Moore of Maryland, and Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz.
Chants of “run again” rang out in the Manhattan ballroom where Harris sat for her conversation with Sharpton, the founder of the civil rights group.
Trump posts graphic video of deadly hammer attack, blames Democratic immigration policies
President Donald Trump posted a graphic video last night showing a man smashing an SUV parked outside a Florida gas station with a hammer and then using it to bludgeon a woman who exited the attached convenience store to confront him.
The suspect, Rolbert Joachin, repeatedly hit the woman with a hammer at a Chevron gas station in Fort Myers last week and ran off, according to the Fort Myers Police Department arrest report. The officers who responded to the scene found the woman on the ground not breathing and emergency personnel pronounced her dead.
The Department of Homeland Security said in a release that Joachin is from Haiti and is an undocumented immigrant.
Consumer prices jumped 0.9% in March as Iran war sent gas prices soaring
Surging gas prices pushed inflation to its highest level in two years last month as the war with Iran sent gas prices spiraling.
The annual rate of inflation hit 3.3%, led by a 21.2% increase for gasoline — the largest one-month increase at the pump since 1967. Month over month, overall inflation climbed 0.9%.
The report comes amid broader concerns that the U.S. war with Iran has already sent prices even higher for many consumer goods — something that wasn’t fully captured in today’s report.
Cuba’s president speaks out as tensions with the U.S. rise
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel is speaking out in an exclusive interview with NBC News, reacting to Trump’s threats of a potential takeover and leadership change, saying “I have no fear. I am willing to give my life for the revolution.”
White House calls new ballroom a national security necessity that’s ‘vital’ to the president, his family and his staff's safety
The White House is urging a federal appeals court to allow construction on Trump’s $400 million ballroom to continue, arguing it would help provide protection both for the president’s family and the country as a whole.
Completion of the project as a whole is “necessary to ensure the safety and security of the White House and its grounds, including the ballroom construction site, and provide for the personal safety of the President and his staff,” the administration argued in a filing yesterday with the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for Washington, D.C.
In surprise address, Melania Trump denies ties to Jeffrey Epstein
In a rare public address, first lady Melania Trump denied any knowledge of Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes and downplayed any personal connections to him, saying, “the lies linking me with the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein need to end today.” She also called on Congress to allow Epstein survivors to testify under oath. NBC’s Gabe Gutierrez reports for “TODAY” from the White House.
Focus groups: Dissatisfied Democratic voters hunt for winners to pull the party forward
Some Democratic voters may be down on their party, but they’re still heavily engaged in the 2026 elections and are prioritizing electability when thinking about upcoming primaries, according to focus group conversations with Democrats in Maine and Michigan.
Both states will be central in this year’s battle for the Senate, and the Democratic primaries there have exposed ideological and generational divides within the party. But above all else, these voters want to win.
These Democrats were very dissatisfied with their party broadly, describing it as “weak,” “spineless,” “floundering,” “ineffective” and “distracted.”
How the White House tried — and failed — to push a candidate out of a Republican state Senate primary in Indiana
White House officials and their allies sought to pressure an Indiana Republican to drop out of a state Senate primary earlier this year, floating job opportunities and warning of the personal attacks she could face as they worked to pave the way for Trump’s preferred candidate.
Trump is seeking to unseat seven Indiana lawmakers in the May 5 primaries who broke with him last year and opposed a redistricting plan. In one of those races, he has endorsed Brenda Wilson, a Vigo County Council member, against state Sen. Greg Goode, who voted against Trump’s wishes.
But her supporters fear a third candidate, Alexandra Wilson — a 34-year-old network engineer who isn’t related — could confuse voters since they share a last name, thus dividing the opposition to Good
Trump bashes MAGA media figures over their Iran war criticism
Trump went after big-name conservative media figures today over their criticism of his handling of the war with Iran, calling some of his former allies “low IQ,” “losers” and “nut jobs.”
Trump criticized Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly, Candace Owens and Alex Jones, who have all broken with him over the Iran war.
“They’re losers, just trying to latch on to MAGA,” he wrote on Truth Social before dishing out personal insults.
“They’re stupid people, they know it, their families know it, and everyone else knows it, too!” Trump wrote.
