Trump boosts Michigan GOP candidates and tariffs in freewheeling speech
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Michigan Democratic Senate candidates Haley Stevens and Abdul El-Sayed faced off on the debate stage tonight.
What to know today
- TRUMP HEADS TO MICHIGAN: President Donald Trump touted his handling of the economy and boosted several Republican candidates in suburban Detroit today as midterm election season heats up.
- MICHIGAN SENATE DEBATE: Rep. Haley Stevens and Abdul El-Sayed, the Michigan Democratic Senate candidates, faced off on the debate stage tonight. Trump has endorsed the Republican in that race, former Rep. Mike Rogers.
- MCCONNELL UPDATE: Sen. Mitch McConnell’s office released a health update today saying he is still not ready to return to in-person work in the Capitol after his June 14 hospitalization.
As Republicans invite him to defect, Fetterman wonders if Democrats still want him in the party
Sen. John Fetterman is growing increasingly frustrated with the Democratic Party, even wondering whether party leaders still want him in their coalition.
Two weeks ago, Fetterman, D-Pa., opened the door to leaving the Democratic Party if it “officially” becomes anti-Israel, calling that a red line for him.
Speaking to NBC News on Capitol Hill, Fetterman declined to say whether he would switch his affiliation to independent or Republican if he were to leave the Democratic Party.
Senators to meet with Zelenskyy before taking up Russia sanctions bill
A bipartisan group of senators will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Capitol at 6 p.m. tomorrow, according to three sources familiar with the meeting. It’s not clear which senators will be at the meeting.
Later in the evening, senators will vote to start the process to consider the bipartisan Russia sanctions bill, a process that could drift into next week barring a time agreement to move more quickly.
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who has called the bill “one of the worst bills ever presented to Congress," says he will lift his objection to moving quickly if he gets an amendment vote.
“I’ve told them that if they will allow me an amendment to strip out the tariff part of it then I’ll let them condense time so they can go through the bill this week,” Paul told NBC News today.
Biden acknowledges classified docs in newly released ghostwriter audio files
This afternoon, the Oversight Project, a right-wing group spun off from the Heritage Foundation, released more than two hours of redacted audio from former President Joe Biden’s conversations with his ghostwriter, Mark Zwonitzer, over several months in 2016 and 2017. The Justice Department provided the Oversight Project with the documents after a yearslong court battle.
From the clips, it’s clear Biden knew some of the documents he was flipping through had the potential to be classified, as special counsel Robert Hur made clear in his report on the topic. “Some of this may be classified, so be careful,” Biden is heard telling Zwonitzer at one point. “I’m not sure. It’s not marked classified, but.”
In another clip, in an interaction that Hur publicized during his investigation, Biden told Zwonitzer that he “just found all the classified stuff downstairs.”
“I wrote the president a handwritten 40-page memorandum arguing against deploying additional troops to Iraq, I mean to Afghanistan on the grounds that it wouldn’t matter. That the day we left would be like the day before we arrived."
Biden was very candid with Zwonitzer about his relationship with his former boss, President Barack Obama. “Barack was always — I guess every president. Maybe if I were president, I would’ve not had the nerve to do it too, but that’s — you know, it was always on the margins, but it was, you know — we — you know, like I said, and between you and me, I mean, Barack was — always got to the right spot but a day late and a dollar short,” Biden said on April 24, 2017.
There were several moments throughout the recordings, as you will read below, when Biden appeared to forget the names of people, places, dates and meetings. “I should write the names down because I keep forgetting them,” Biden says at one point. But there were also moments went Biden went into detail on specific topics from previous years.
“Larry was,” Biden said at one point in April 2017, “a liability,” referring to Larry Summers, whom Obama was hoping to name chair of the Federal Reserve in 2013. “He was, you know, Harvard and women and —”
We knew the audio would be redacted so as not to disclose mentions of national security information, mentions of anything covered by presidential communications privilege, mentions of topics related to illness or death, mentions of Biden’s family or any family health issues and mentions of third parties who aren't public figures.
What we don’t know is why any particular redaction was made — and which category it would have fallen into.
NBC News reached out to Biden’s team for reaction.
Michigan's Democratic Senate candidates clash over 'celebrity' and Israel
Rep. Haley Stevens used the word “celebrity” — or variations of it — at least five times tonight in Michigan’s Democratic Senate debate. It was not intended as a compliment for her rival in next week’s primary, former public health official Abdul El-Sayed.
Again and again, Stevens tried to brand El-Sayed, who also has written books, hosted a podcast and developed a large social media following, as a lightweight.
“Look, my opponent here, Abdul. He is such a talented guy. He’s written three books. He’s had 300 podcasts. You know, he’s had all this attention,” Stevens said during the debate, hosted and broadcast by WJBK-TV in Detroit. “But the deal is, we don’t need a celebrity candidate. We don’t need a celebrity senator. We need somebody who is committed to six years of hard, unglamorous work that’s going to stand up to this junk that is wreaking havoc and causing chaos right before our very eyes.”
Several times, El-Sayed responded with a line he first offered in his opening statement.
“Like I told all the viewers at the outset — that while my opponent was going to make this about me and her, I want to make this about you,” he said. “You can listen to the podcast. It’s there, congresswoman. If you enjoy podcasts about public health, I welcome you to take a listen. You seem very concerned about that."
He also often tied his rejoinders back to Stevens’ support from the political arm of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC, and his suggestion that she would be beholden to pro-Israel interests. A political action committee affiliated with AIPAC has spent tens of millions of dollars on Michigan’s airwaves to promote Stevens’ candidacy while attacking El-Sayed.
“I’m more concerned about the fact that people can’t pay for their gas, they can’t pay for their groceries," he said. "We’re fighting a war that’s cost us billions of dollars that has been pushed by the government of a foreign country, the same foreign country that the folks paying for your ads want us to send billions of dollars to."
The winner of the Aug. 4 primary will advance to the general election against former Rep. Mike Rogers, who is unopposed for the Republican nomination.
Abdul El-Sayed clarifies 'ogre on a pike' crack in Michigan's Democratic Senate debate against Haley Stevens
At a debate tonight in Detroit between Michigan’s Democratic Senate candidates, Abdul El-Sayed clarified that he was referring to Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., when he told donors on a recent call that “you put one ogre on a pike.”
The remark, which El-Sayed made as he discussed how a victory for him in the Senate race could have ramifications beyond Michigan, quickly caught fire today. Some accused him of directing the comment at his Democratic primary rival, Rep. Haley Stevens.
“I was referring to a guy named John Fetterman, who’s a senator from Pennsylvania, who has done terrible things — got elected on a set of values and is now completely throwing those values in the mud,” El-Sayed said.
“I do think it’s important for any senator in Michigan to have a relationship with folks who are in the U.S. Senate,” he added. “And if those folks are not actually acting in accordance with what they got elected on, I think it’s important for all of us to have an honest opinion about what we’re going to do to make sure that our Senate looks like the people it represents.”
Stevens replied, “Thank you for clarifying that you didn’t call me an ogre.”
Fetterman responded to El-Sayed’s attack earlier today.
“I pick being Senator Shrek over being the Pontiac Platner any day,” Fetterman told Politico in a statement, referring to the populist, scandal-plagued former Senate candidate in Maine, Graham Platner, who shared a consulting firm with El-Sayed.
Netanyahu to join Trump for high-stakes meeting at the White House
Trump is expected to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House tomorrow in a high-stakes discussion that comes at a politically fraught moment for Netanyahu.
They will discuss the conflict in Iran, the framework agreement for peace in Lebanon and efforts to expand the Abraham Accords, the official said. Trump will also meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House tomorrow to discuss the war in Ukraine, a White House official said.
Senate votes to advance Jay Clayton's nomination to be intel director
The Senate has voted 51-43 to advance Jay Clayton’s nomination to be director of national intelligence. His final confirmation vote is expected tomorrow evening.
Witness in Reflecting Pool case conceded damage before canoeist touched water
A key grand jury witness in a case against a former Olympic canoeist accused of tampering with the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool testified that the area was already damaged and would have required repairs regardless, lawyers said in a court filing today.
David “Davey” Hearn was indicted this month and accused of damaging the liner of the long, shallow pool near the Washington Monument. Hearn, who has pleaded not guilty, previously told NBC News that “the condition of the Reflecting Pool was the same after I stepped away from the water as it was before I got there.”
Trump speech ends
Trump’s remarks in Michigan ended at 4:15 p.m. ET. He spoke for about one hour and five minutes. The crowd stayed very engaged throughout his remarks, cheering and chanting throughout.
Trump gave a freewheeling campaign-style address, ticking through various policy actions his administration has taken in his second term. He warned against communism again, claiming Democrat-run cities are “dirty,” and called for the passage of the SAVE America Act.
There were at least three protest disruptions during his remarks.
Thune rejects Trump's calls to cancel August recess to pass SAVE America Act
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., did not seem keen to keep the Senate in town in August to acquiesce to calls from Trump and a group of Senate Republicans who say they should not adjourn for the August recess until the SAVE America Act is passed.
“For me, it’s all about: Show me a path to passage,” Thune told reporters this afternoon. “What’s your picture of victory at the end on this? Because if the endgame is we actually get an outcome or a result, we could stay here till Christmas.”
Thune has repeatedly said there are not enough Republican senators to pass the SAVE America Act or vote to get rid of the 60-vote filibuster threshold.
Thune said he’s “not ruling it out” to stay longer than scheduled to take care of legislative priorities, but he was dubious about calls to stay to take up the SAVE America Act.
“Republicans are not getting rid of the legislative filibuster," he said. "This is not an open question; it’s just a fact, and the facts don’t change now."
Trump boosts GOP Senate candidate Mike Rogers
Trump pulled Michigan Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers onstage, once again boosting the candidacy of the former representative, whom he has endorsed to fill the seat of the retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters.
Trump joked that Rogers won his last race, when he unsuccessfully ran for the Senate against Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich. Rogers lost to Slotkin by less than half a percentage point.
“I happen to think he won last time. OK, he’s a great guy, and he’s all over Washington. He’s one of the best candidates we have anywhere. He’s smart. He’s tough. He’s fair. His name is Mike Rogers, and he will be a great senator,” Trump said.
Rogers pledged to help Trump pass the SAVE America Act if he is elected.
Moderate Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., and progressive Abdul El-Sayed will debate each other tonight on WJBK-TV of Detroit as they both seek the Democratic nomination. Whoever wins the primary next week will face off with Rogers in November.
Rep. John James falsely says Trump won Michigan '3 times'
Trump called Rep. John James, a Republican contender for governor in Michigan, to the stage along with other GOP candidates at his rally moments ago.
James, in brief remarks at the microphone, indulged in Trump's repeated false claims that he won Michigan in the 2020 election, which he lost to Joe Biden.
"Well, thanks, Mr. President for coming back to Michigan, where you've won three times," James said. "We very much appreciate your leadership."
James faces self-funded businessman Perry Johnson in next week's Republican primary. Trump has endorsed James but has expressed concern about his candidacy in the past, specifically worrying that James' decision to seek higher office risks putting his competitive House district in play.
Trump welcomed James to the stage this afternoon with a blunt assessment.
"You have to win, John James," Trump said. "You have to win."
Trump spends speech largely blasting Democrats
Trump has spent his nearly 45 minutes onstage thus far broadly criticizing Democrats, comparing them to communists and claiming Democratic-run cities are dirty.
He has mentioned the words “communist” or “communism” more than 10 times, claiming, “Communism is the greatest threat to our country in history, including even World War I, World War II, Pearl Harbor or 9/11.”
Trump asks Supreme Court to allow implementation of his election executive order
Trump has asked the Supreme Court to allow him to implement his executive order that seeks to exert control over mail ballots submitted in state-run elections.
A federal judge last month blocked parts of the proposal that sought to create a federal list of voters and ordered the U.S. Postal Service to deliver ballots only to certain people.
Lower courts declined to put the ruling on hold, leading the administration to turn to the Supreme Court.
Solicitor General D. John Sauer wrote in the filing that it was premature for courts to rule on the issue, as neither the Postal Service nor other agencies have determined how they will implement the executive order.
Trump has frequently railed against the widespread use of mail-in ballots as part of his broader complaints, offered without evidence, that the election system is plagued with fraud.
Protests breaks out at Trump speech
An anti-data center protest just broke out at Trump’s event at the General Motors proving ground in Milford. The protesters unfurled yellow banners emblazoned with the slogan “STOP DATA CENTERS” before they were escorted out.
It was the second protest at the speech so far. The first protester was a man who appeared to be yelling something about previous elections. He continued to yell and resist as police took him out of the room. Noticing the commotion, Trump said: “He’s a communist. We’re running against communists.”
Protesters hold "Stop Data Centers" signs as they wait for Trump to arrive today. Paul Sancya / AP
Trump says tariffs are 'amazing' for GM
Trump said GM is thriving because of his tariff policies.
"They’ve come a long way. It’s amazing what tariffs will do for General Motors and what the election has done,” Trump said during his tour of a GM facility before his remarks.
“They’re doing great. General Motors is doing fantastically, the best year they’ve ever had, and I won’t get into it. But there’s a reason," he said.
Trump greets the audience at General Motors’ Milford Proving Grounds today. Andrew Harnik / Getty Images
Despite Trump's claims, GM is not having its best year ever, and tariffs have cost it billions of dollars. It did collect a $500 million refund after the Supreme Court overturned some of Trump's tariffs this year.
Trump levied tariffs of 10% to 12% on 60 countries last week and hit Canada with tariffs as high as 50%, charging it has been unfairly discriminating against various U.S. industries, including the auto industry.
"We’ve been very good to General Motors, and the rest of the world doesn’t love me, but that’s OK. It’s called America First. It’s been amazing,” Trump said.
GM CEO Mary Barra told NBC News last month that she wanted a level playing field between the U.S. and China, which she defined as “equivalent tariffs and not being subsidized.”
Trump, Congress and world leaders to honor the late Sen. Lindsey Graham in Washington
World leaders, Trump and officials in Washington will pay their respects tomorrow to Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, who died suddenly at age 71 this month and was one of the most prominent and influential lawmakers on Capitol Hill.
Two days of funeral services begin tomorrow in Washington and will continue Wednesday in Graham’s native South Carolina, which he represented in Congress for more than three decades.
Inside the GM facility where Trump is set to speak
The president’s remarks are taking place inside a vehicle development garage, where vehicles are tinkered with while being tested on the grounds of General Motors’ Proving Grounds facility.
Surrounding the lectern are three premier General Motors vehicles: 2027 Chevrolet Corvette Grande Sport, 2026 Cadillac CT5V Blackwing — plus the Freedom 250 Chevrolet Corvette, which will be the pace car for next month's IndyCar race in Washington, D.C.
Trump signs a special patriotic edition Corvette today. Brendan Smialowski / AFP via Getty Images
Citing ‘common sense,’ James Comey’s team urges judge to toss seashells case
Attorneys for James Comey have moved for the dismissal of the seashells-based prosecution of the former FBI director, arguing that “dictionaries, context, precedent, and common sense” gut the Trump administration’s claim that a photo he posted on Instagram could possibly constitute an actual threat against Trump.
If the Comey seashells case manages to survive legal challenges, it would go to trial in October. Federal prosecutors had convinced a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of North Carolina to return the indictment back in April when they claimed that the photo of seashells in the formation of the numbers “86 47” was a threat to do harm to the president. Matthew Petracca, a rookie federal prosecutor and former Republican official who first brought the case, has since moved off the case.
Trump expresses confidence in Hegseth amid pause in Iran strikes
Trump expressed confidence in Pete Hegseth while en route to Michigan today, saying he thinks his defense secretary "has done a great job" when asked by a reporter whether he is frustrated with Hegseth's advice on Iran early on in the war.
"They want to meet, and we’re meeting," Trump said, referring to Iran, adding, "Without what we did, they wouldn't even be talking to us."
"They would not have requested the meeting if we were doing poorly," Trump said. "The only reason they want to meet is because we've been hitting them very hard."
Trump also said he is not concerned about the state of the U.S. weapons stockpile. NBC News has previously reported that U.S. military commanders are allowing some Iranian attacks through U.S. defenses as part of an effort to preserve the Pentagon’s weapons supply.
"We're building that up," Trump said. "But we have a lot. We have a lot of the mid-level stuff, too. I mean, more than we could ever use no matter what. But we have a lot. I'd like to have more, to be honest, but so much was given to Ukraine by Biden."
The president added that he would like the U.S. to have more of the "more sophisticated stuff."
Trump was asked by a reporter about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's allegation that Russia was providing satellite surveillance of U.S. military facilities to Iran.
"Well, we'll find out if that's true," Trump said, adding that he would ask Russian President Vladimir Putin.
If that is the case, Trump said, "It hasn't had much impact, because we've knocked the hell out of them."
Voters show division over Michigan candidates for governor ahead of Trump's visit
On the drive to Trump’s rally at the General Motors proving ground, two men stood along the side of the road covering signs for the Trump-endorsed Republican gubernatorial candidate, Rep. John James, with signs for his primary opponent, businessman Perry Johnson.
Trump's event comes just a week before Michigan Republicans head to the polls to choose their nominee for governor, testing the power of that endorsement in one of the state’s most high profile races. Michigan backed Trump in both 2016 and 2024 but has continued to elect Democrats statewide.
At the sprawling venue, NBC News spoke with Ron Soyk, 58, of Lincoln Park, who said he planned to back Johnson over James. Soyk criticized James as a fixture of the party establishment.
Soyk said of Johnson, "He’s like Trump, he’s a businessman. I’ve had enough of career politicians.”
Trump is expected to take part in a drag race and vehicle demonstration before his remarks this afternoon, and will appear alongside James and others, including former Republican Rep. Mike Rogers, who is running for Senate after a narrow loss last cycle.
Trump urges Senate GOP leader to delay August recess until they advance his elections agenda
Trump pressed Senate Majority Leader John Thune to prevent senators from leaving Washington, D.C., until they pass the president's elections overhaul bill or do away with the filibuster.
“John Thune should not allow the United States Senate to ‘leave town’ until it passes The Save America Act or, far better still, TERMINATES THE FILIBUSTER, where Republicans can then quickly pass everything they ever dreamed of,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post this morning.
Thune, R-S.D., has said there are not enough votes in the Senate to pass the SAVE America Act, a bill that would require ID at the polls and proof of citizenship to register to vote.
The Senate’s monthlong recess is currently scheduled to start in early August.
On getting rid of the filibuster, Trump wrote that Democrats “will do it on day one” if they get a majority in Congress.
“Remember, stupidity always brings LOSING & DEATH!” Trump wrote in the post.
Senate Democrats have sought to weaken the filibuster rule in recent years, but were unsuccessful in the effort.
Trump makes third visit to Michigan ahead of next week's primaries
Today marks Trump’s third visit to Michigan during this term and his second this year.
The president is traveling to Milford, in Oakland County, where he will tour and make remarks at the General Motors' proving ground.
Milford is in Michigan’s 7th Congressional District — a swing district where a crowded field of Democrats are competing to challenge incumbent Republican Tom Barrett, whom Trump has endorsed, but who has broken with the president over the war in Iran.
Trump’s visit comes just a week before the state’s Aug. 4 primaries — with a number of hotly contested races expected to influence the balance of power in Washington.
Progressive candidate Abdul El-Sayed and moderate Rep. Haley Stevens are competing in the Senate Democratic primary to challenge Trump-endorsed Republican Rep. Mike Rogers this fall.
The GOP candidate for governor will also be decided in next week’s primary. Trump recently endorsed GOP Rep. John James in that contest.
The president's visit also comes on the day that the Gordie Howe International Bridge — connecting Windsor, Ontario, to Detroit — officially opens to vehicle traffic. As Trump has been threatening — and imposing — new tariffs on Canada, Canadian officials disinvited U.S. officials from the ribbon cutting of the bridge last week.
Trump border czar Tom Homan says ICE is reviewing officer’s vetting after fatal Maine shooting
Trump's border czar said yesterday that the vetting of an immigration officer involved in the deadly shooting of a Colombian native in Maine is under internal review after relatives revealed to The Associated Press that he had a history of serious mental health struggles and violent behavior.
Tom Homan said if the allegations against the Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer are true, “I don’t think he should ever have cleared vetting.”
Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed says a win for him could pave way for a John Fetterman primary in 2028
Abdul El-Sayed, the former public health official locked in a tense battle for Michigan’s Democratic Senate nomination, told donors on a recent call that a victory for him could reverberate into 2028.
El-Sayed, who faces Rep. Haley Stevens in next week’s primary, specifically fixated on Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., who will be up for a second term that year.
Fetterman won his seat in 2022 with strong ties to populist and progressive voters, but he has taken a more moderate tack since being elected and often stokes speculations that he will switch parties or become an independent.
“So, you know, a big pickup for us could be that John Fetterman seat, right?” El-Sayed told donors, according to audio obtained by NBC News. “They’re going to eff around and give me carte blanche to go take them out. Like, that’s the best thing about the way they’re doing this … if I win, you’re just like, ‘Well, y’all came at me, so now I get to come at you.’”
El-Sayed added that “primarying people like John Fetterman” is something he is “looking forward to” doing.
“And people are like, ‘Ah, we don’t primary the Senate.’ I’m like, ‘Watch me do it,” El-Sayed said. “You know what I mean? Like, tell me, tell me why I should stop. You know what I mean? You’re going to spend $60 million to beat me. OK, two can play at that game. And then what happens is, ideally, you put one ogre on a pike, and then everyone else gets the message, and all of a sudden it starts to sound a lot different.”
Politico first reported on the call.
The “ogre” remark prompted a swift reaction from Stevens’ campaign in a race where the congresswoman’s speaking style and appearance have been critiqued online to the point where El-Sayed has asked his supporters to not partake in the meanspirited sniping.
“Abdul continues with personal insults and making this race about his personal political ambitions and the other 49 states,” said Arik Wolk, a Stevens campaign spokesperson. “Haley is focused on getting things done for Michigan, and only Michigan.”
El-Sayed has used the word “ogre” to describe Fetterman in the past, including in a social media video posted May 12.
Fetterman, in a response via a spokesperson, embraced the depiction of him as an ogre while invoking a Michigan city and comparing El-Sayed to Graham Platner, the populist scandal-plagued former Senate candidate in Maine who shared a consulting firm with El-Sayed. “I pick being Senator Shrek over being the Pontiac Platner any day,” Fetterman said.
Asked about El-Sayed’s comments on the donor call, a spokesperson for his campaign said: “Abdul was clearly speaking metaphorically about the fact that he fully intends to support a primary against John Fetterman, who despite being elected to support the values Abdul fights for has sold out his voters and votes with Trump more than any other Democrat.”
McConnell releases health update, saying he’s not ready to return to work yet
Sen. Mitch McConnell’s office released a health update today saying he’s still not ready to return to in-person work in the Capitol after his June 14 hospitalization.
“I’m still working hard to get back to my full schedule of work in the Senate and in Kentucky, keeping up with intense physical therapy per my doctors’ orders,” McConnell, R-Ky., said in the statement. “Unfortunately, that means I won’t be able to make it to Fancy Farm, Kentucky this Saturday.”
Sen. Mitch McConnell and his wife, Elaine Chao, as he continues care at a rehab facility yesterday. Courtesy Mitch McConnell
Secret Service agent charged in near-fatal hazing with canes and paddles
A Secret Service agent in Florida and two others were arrested in connection with a brutal, dayslong college hazing ritual that nearly ended in a victim's death, officials said yesterday.
Marquez Christopher Pinder, 29, was placed on administrative leave and the Secret Service is “fully cooperating with the investigation,” according to a statement by Special Agent in Charge Michael Townsend, who runs the agency’s Miami field office.
Judge says the DOJ can release Biden's conversations with ghostwriter to the House Judiciary Committee
U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan ruled today that the Justice Department can release transcripts and audio of Biden's conversations with ghostwriter Mark Zwonitzer to the House Judiciary Committee.
Biden dropped the lawsuit he had filed against the Trump administration in an effort to block the release of the information to the committee. Last week, a federal appeals court rejected Biden’s request to prevent the release.
NBC News has reached out to the House Judiciary Committee and the Justice Department for comment.
Zwonitzer interviewed Biden for his memoir “Promise Me, Dad” before he served as president. Former special counsel Robert Hur had previously obtained the recordings during the investigation into Biden's handling of classified documents.
Minnesota state Sen. John Hoffman says Angie Craig sought his endorsement while he was in ICU
Democratic Minnesota state Sen. John Hoffman said Friday that Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minn., sought his endorsement for her U.S. Senate campaign while he was in intensive care following the June 2025 attempt on his life.
Hoffman said in a statement to NBC News yesterday that a “dear and trusted friend” approached him for an endorsement twice — once while he was in the intensive care unit and the second time while he was recovering at home — and that the friend “confirmed that the endorsement requests came from Congresswoman Craig.”
Eyeing a ‘tough race’ and a new opponent, Susan Collins walks a fine line on Trump and MAGA
New Democratic Senate nominee Troy Jackson told voters over the weekend that longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins has “served Donald Trump” and needs to be removed from office this November.
Collins begs to differ.
U.S. and Iran pause strikes to give 'space' for diplomacy
Over the weekend, the United States and Iran halted nearly two straight weeks of daily attacks in the latest push to strike a lasting peace deal. Trump’s U.N. ambassador, Mike Waltz, says the pause is designed to encourage diplomacy. NBC’s Richard Engel reports for "TODAY."
Mike Waltz dismisses concerns over depleted U.S. weapons stockpile amid Iran
Mike Waltz, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, told NBC News’ “Meet the Press” yesterday that the U.S. has “everything that it needs” for military operations against Iran, dismissing reporting that U.S. weapons stockpiles are depleted.
“I want to be crystal clear: The U.S. military, and I’ve verified this every which way, has everything that it needs to conduct this campaign as effectively as it needs to be,” he said. “And I have to tell you, the people that are leaking this nonsense deserve to be in jail.”
He was responding to questions about an NBC News report that U.S. military commanders are allowing some Iranian attacks through U.S. defenses as part of an effort to preserve the Pentagon’s weapons supply, according to two senior U.S. officials.
Democrats nominate Troy Jackson to replace Graham Platner in must-win Maine Senate race
Former state Senate President Troy Jackson officially became Democrats’ Senate nominee in Maine, starting a 101-day sprint to Election Day in a nationally watched, must-win race for his party.
Hundreds of Democrats gathered in Bangor over the weekend for a state convention to pick their Senate nominee after the primary winner, Graham Platner, ended his campaign earlier this month after a sexual assault allegation, which he denied.
Troy Jackson in Bangor on Saturday. Tom Williams / CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images
Pentagon’s official Iran war death toll no longer lists 4 troops killed during renewed fighting
The four American troops killed during renewed fighting between the U.S. and Iran in recent weeks are no longer listed as part of the Iran war death toll in the Defense Department’s official casualty count but have been placed in a new, separate category.
It is raising questions about properly counting the impact to U.S. service members as the Trump administration has escalated strikes on Iran in a bid to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, while providing little indication of how it intends to wind down a conflict that is unpopular with many Americans.
Trump is set to defend his economic policies in Michigan, where new Canadian tariffs may sting
Trump plans to tout his handling of the economy during a visit to suburban Detroit today, defending sweeping tariffs in a swing state where their effects have hurt many businesses as midterm election season heats up.
Trump is visiting a General Motors facility in Milford, home to tracks and proving grounds for new models and vehicles. Early voting is underway for Michigan’s Aug. 4 primary, which features fierce nomination fights in both major political parties.
Republican Mike Rogers is unopposed in the Senate primary, but the GOP gubernatorial contest pits Trump-backed Rep. John James against Perry Johnson, a businessman turned politician who has launched unsuccessful campaigns before, including for president in 2024.
Meanwhile, the Democratic Senate primary between Rep. Haley Stevens and progressive Abdul El-Sayed has drawn national attention for the right to face Rogers, who was narrowly defeated by Democrat Sen. Elissa Slotkin in 2024.
Michigan was one of the 2024 battlegrounds Trump flipped after it backed Democrat Joe Biden in 2020. But the state has also seen parts of its economy affected by the president’s tariffs, including on imported cars and auto parts.
A new round of steep import levies is taking effect on dozens of U.S. trading partners. But Trump has singled out Canada with tariffs as high as 50% on a wide array of its products, including cars.
The president is visiting Oakland County, which encompasses much of Detroit’s northern suburbs. Once a Republican stronghold, it has increasingly leaned Democratic, backing Biden against Trump in 2020 and then-Vice President Kamala Harris against Trump four years later.
The White House says Trump will talk up having generated manufacturing jobs and foreign investment in the U.S. while making the case that his policies and leadership have boosted the auto industry.
Michigan’s economy relies heavily on Canada, however, meaning the new tariffs — coupled with inflation still running high and gas prices rising again as the already unpopular war in Iran escalates — have created additional economic concerns statewide.
Oil prices slide as U.S. and Iran pause strikes to give ‘space’ for diplomacy
Oil prices tumbled today as the United States and Iran paused their escalating strikes to make “space” for diplomacy.
The two sides halted fire over the weekend, following 13 consecutive nights of attacks that shattered their deal to end the war and threatened new pain for the global economy.
