Trump replaces Kristi Noem at DHS; Rep. Tony Gonzales drops re-election bid
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Rep. Valerie Foushee's progressive challenger, Nida Allam, conceded in their high-profile Democratic primary in North Carolina.
Highlights from March 5, 2026...
- TRUMP REPLACES NOEM: President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that he is replacing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem with Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla. Trump's frustrations with Noem mounted following her testimony to Senate and House members this week, lawmakers and people familiar with the discussions told NBC News.
- GONZALES DROPS OUT: Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, dropped his campaign for re-election tonight. Earlier, House Republican leaders called on Gonzales to drop his re-election bid after he admitted having had an affair with an aide who later died by suicide.
- WAR POWERS VOTE: The House voted today to reject a war powers resolution aimed at restricting Trump’s ability to carry out further military action against Iran. The GOP-led Senate rejected a similar measure yesterday.
- HOUSE PRIMARY WIN IN N.C.: Progressive challenger Nida Allam conceded yesterday evening to Rep. Valerie Foushee in a high-profile Democratic primary in North Carolina.
24 states sue to stop Trump's newly imposed 10% global tariff
Oregon and 23 other states are suing the Trump administration in the first legal challenge against the 10% global tariff Trump imposed in an effort to replace previous tariffs that were struck down by the Supreme Court.
The 10% global tariff, which took effect Feb. 24 under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, can remain in effect for 150 days without congressional authorization.
“The president has once again exercised tariff authority that he does not have— involving a statute that does not authorize the tariffs he has imposed — to upend the constitutional order and bring chaos to the global economy,” the states write in the lawsuit.
The White House said it would “vigorously defend” the tariffs in court. “The president is using his authority granted by Congress to address fundamental international payments problems and to deal with our country’s large and serious balance-of-payments deficits,” spokesperson Kush Desai said.
The states argue that Section 122 is meant to address short-term monetary emergencies, not the normal trade deficits that are created when a wealthy country such as the U.S. buys more from other countries than it sells to them, and that the Trump administration is “contorting” the meaning of “balance of payments.”
Courts are moving forward with the process of refunding the $130 billion or more that was collected before the tariffs were struck down, which the Supreme Court ruling did not address. A federal judge in New York ruled yesterday that companies that paid the tariffs deserve refunds, two days after another federal court rejected the Trump administration’s attempt to slow the refund process.
It is unclear whether, when or how the refunds companies receive would be passed on to American consumers.
“The focus right now should be on paying people back, not doubling down on illegal tariffs,” Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield said in a statement.
Rep. Tony Gonzales drops re-election bid amid ethics probe into his affair with a staffer
Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, announced tonight that he will drop his bid for re-election but serve out the rest of his term in Congress after a tumultuous set of weeks for the congressman, who admitted having had an affair with an aide who later died by suicide.
“After deep reflection and with the support of my loving family, I have decided not to seek re-election while serving out the rest of this Congress with the same commitment I’ve always had to my district,” Gonzales said in a statement on X.
Trump says he wants Iran’s leadership structure gone and has preferences for a ‘good leader’
Trump today indicated that he wants to see Iran’s leadership structure fully removed and that he has some names in mind for a “good leader.”
“We want to go in and clean out everything,” Trump told NBC News in a phone call. “We don’t want someone who would rebuild over a 10-year period.”
“We want them to have a good leader. We have some people who I think would do a good job,” he added, declining to name anyone.
Trump also said he’s taking steps to make sure the people on his list make it through the war alive.
“We are watching them, yeah,” he said.
Anthropic says that the Pentagon has declared it a national security risk
Anthropic said today that the Defense Department has designated it a threat to national security, a striking move that bans it from doing business with the U.S. military and could send shock waves through America’s AI industry.
Dario Amodei, co-founder and CEO of Anthropic. Krisztian Bocsi / Bloomberg via Getty Images file
The designation, which the company said it received yesterday and specifically labels Anthropic a “supply-chain risk to national security,” requires the Pentagon and its contractors to stop using Anthropic’s AI services for all defense business.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth telegraphed the move Friday evening on X.
It comes after months of increasingly tense negotiations over how the military should be able to use Anthropic’s Claude AI systems. Though it is a relatively new technology, generative AI models like Claude have quickly been embraced by the Trump administration, including for military use.
Senate Democrat on Homeland Security Committee says he won't vote to confirm Mullin as DHS secretary
Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J., at the U.S. Capitol in January. Kevin Dietsch / Getty Images file
Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J., a member of the Homeland Security Committee, said tonight that he will not vote to confirm Mullin as the new DHS secretary.
Kim, who voted to confirm Noem last year, said he does not support the Trump administration’s immigration policies, saying this is a “referendum” upon the administration.
“We’re currently in a shutdown with DHS. The White House has clearly signaled that they don’t want to move forward on the types of reforms that are needed to be able to push forward,” Kim told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins.
“This is so far out of exactly what the American people want, and they need to be held accountable,” he added.
Wisconsin man accused of setting fire to congressman’s office over TikTok ban gets 7 years in prison
A Wisconsin man accused of telling police he tried to set fire to a Republican congressman’s office last year because he was angry that the lawmaker backed a bill requiring TikTok’s Chinese owner to sell off its U.S. operations was sentenced today to seven years in prison.
In addition to the prison time, a judge in Fond du Lac County sentenced Caiden Stachowicz, 20, to seven years of extended supervision, court records show.
Stachowicz, of Menasha, pleaded no contest to an arson charge in November. Prosecutors dropped burglary and property damage counts in exchange for Stachowicz’s no contest plea, which isn’t an admission of guilt but is treated as such for the purposes of sentencing.
Members of Congress praise Trump's decision to replace Noem
House Republicans and Democrats alike praised Trump's announcement today that he would replace Noem with Mullin.
Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., told NBC News, “It was time. Right decision," and added that Noem's hearings with members of Congress yesterday "obviously did not go well."
Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., said earlier today that he believes Noem's removal will help push Department of Homeland Security funding negotiations forward.
“I’m happy she’s gone," he said. "I think the president made the right decision. ... I think this will open up our ability to negotiate and figure out, you know, where we can get some, some policy changes."
The House did pass an appropriations bill to fund DHS through the end of the fiscal year today, with four Democrats joining Republicans to vote in favor.
Rep. Glenn Ivey, D-Md., told NBC News that he felt the pushback to immigration enforcement tactics in Minnesota "was an embarrassment to the Trump administration."
"Donald Trump doesn’t handle embarrassments very well, so once they got run out of Minnesota, I figured her days were numbered,” Ivey said, referring to Noem.
Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., also pointed to the chaos in Minneapolis, telling NBC News, "It showed me there was probably a need for a calmer, level-headed leadership."
What led Trump to replace Kristi Noem
Trump was already frustrated with Noem. But her performance at two congressional hearings this week is what finally cost her the job, lawmakers and people familiar with the discussions told NBC News.
Noem’s place in the administration had become increasingly unstable after federal officers shot and killed two U.S. citizens during immigration operations in Minneapolis this year and amid her fraying relationship with the Coast Guard and other reported infighting at DHS, the officials said.
She was fired today in an online post after weeks of bad press involving DHS’ immigration enforcement operations and as support for Trump’s immigration agenda, a top administration priority, has tumbled in recent weeks.
Trump had been speaking with Republican lawmakers this week about his displeasure with Noem and told them he was considering replacing her, according to Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., two other Republican lawmakers who did not want to be named publicly, a person familiar with the White House’s thinking and three people familiar with Trump’s private discussions.
Johnson says the U.S. is 'not at war'
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told reporters today that the U.S. is “not at war” and has “no intention of being at war” after the House defeated a war powers resolution, essentially greenlighting the Trump administration’s Iran operations.
US Speaker of the House Mike Johnson on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, yesterday. Jim Watson / AFP - Getty Images
The resolution would have directed Trump to remove U.S. armed forces “from unauthorized hostilities in the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
“As you know, the war powers resolution failed. That is the right result,” Johnson said. “We are not at war. We have no intention of being at war. The president and the Department of Defense have made this very clear — Department of War has made it very clear — this is a limited operation.”
Johnson added that there is “a very clear mission,” which he said was “nearly accomplished by all estimates” — but he said it “needs to continue.”
“It would have been a very dangerous gambit to take the commander in chief’s ability away to complete this mission. It would have been a very serious misstep by Congress, and I’m grateful that that resolution failed,” he said.
Federal judge to hear arguments about Pentagon’s restrictions on media access
A federal judge in Washington will hear arguments tomorrow about the legality of Defense Department rules that require credentialed journalists to report only information previously authorized by the government or risk losing their Pentagon press badges.
Attorneys for The New York Times say the policy, instituted in mid-2025, “seeks to restrict journalists’ ability to do what journalists have always done — ask questions of government employees and gather information to report stories that take the public beyond official pronouncements.”
The rules, included in a 21-page agreement that media outlets were asked to sign, prohibits gathering or publishing any information that is not authorized by the government, including declassified information and off-the-record conversations, whether they were obtained on or off Pentagon grounds. Failure to sign up for the rules could result in suspension of Pentagon access.
Dozens of media outlets strongly opposed the new rules, and the five major broadcasters — including NBC News — did not sign the agreement. As a result, they lost their regular access to the Pentagon.
Hegseth addresses Noem ouster, says Mullin will do 'a fantastic job'
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth addressed the news that Noem is out as DHS secretary, saying she “did an excellent job over there securing the border.”
“We all serve at the pleasure of the president,” Hegseth said. “I’m sure Markwayne Mullin will do a fantastic job, he’s been a friend of mine for a long time, but Kristi did a great job setting us up for success.”
“I don’t have any concerns about whether or not the homeland will be covered now on,” he added.
Trump concludes his remarks with Inter Miami, notably without any mention of Noem's removal from DHS
U.S. President Donald Trump poses with Inter Miami CF CEO and Managing Owner Jorge Mas (C) and Lionel Messi (L) of Inter Miami in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, today. Win McNamee / Getty Images
Trump just finished his remarks with Inter Miami, speaking about the war in Iran, the U.S.' interest in Cuba and Venezuela and the upcoming FIFA World Cup. He notably did not address the news that he had replaced Noem as secretary of homeland security.
Before he left the East Room, Trump was presented with a custom 'Trump 47" Inter Miami jersey, a watch and a bedazzled soccer ball trophy that featured an American flag and the number 47 atop Miami's pink-and-black team colors.
Trump congratulates Inter Miami owners, commends Rubio for his work on Cuba
Trump congratulated two of Inter Miami's co-owners, brothers Jorge and Jose Mas, and made a comment about their family's roots in Cuba.
"Congratulations as well to co-owners Jorge and Jose Mas," Trump said. "You came from Cuba originally. Your parents came, and you're going to go back, and you won't need my approval."
"You just fly back in when I can just see that it's going to be a great day, right? We're going to celebrate that separately. I just want to wait a couple of weeks," he continued. "I suspect, celebrating what's going on in Cuba, they want to make a deal so badly you have no idea."
Before he praised the team, Trump pointed to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and commended his work involving Cuba.
"Marco, you've been doing a fantastic job, and you've been doing a fantastic job on a place called Cuba," Trump said. "What's happening with Cuba is amazing, and we think that we want to fix it."
Trump has recently raised the possibility of a "friendly takeover of Cuba," without giving further details of what that would entail.
Trump walks into event honoring Inter Miami alongside Lionel Messi
Trump walked into the East Room of the White House alongside soccer star Lionel Messi to begin a celebration honoring the Major League Soccer champions, Inter Miami.
Messi now stands alongside his teammates while Trump addresses reporters.
Inter Miami's managing owner, Jorge Mas, President Donald Trump and Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds / AFP - Getty Images
Here's how Mullin found out Trump was tapping him for DHS
Mullin was attending a Senate GOP lunch today when he appeared to get a phone call, then “abruptly” got up and rushed out of the room — leaving a “full plate of food behind,” according to Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., who said it raised suspicion among Republicans that something was afoot.
Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla. Anna Moneymaker / Getty Images file
NBC News spotted Mullin leaving the lunch using one hand to press the cellphone to his ear and the other hand to cover his mouth, as if he was trying to shield the conversation from reporters, and then ducked into the leadership office of Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., just around the corner from the room where the lunch was being held.
One of Mullin’s aides went to retrieve his jacket, which had been left behind at the lunch, and then two of them left the building together. At that point, Mullin confirmed to reporters that he had talked to Trump recently but said “we’ll discuss that later” when he was asked whether he was interested in the job.
When Mullin returned to the Capitol after Trump announced the news, he confirmed that was the call in which Trump asked him to be his DHS secretary. The call came from the White House switchboard, so he didn’t see Trump’s name pop up, he added.
“I’ve got to be honest with you, I wasn’t expecting the call today,” he said.
Mullin drives his own car, a Jeep, and when his aide got out of it and saw reporters gathered close by, he promptly went back into it. Mullin then decided to come out and talk to us anyway, because he needed to vote.
Asked whether he is going to the White House today, Mullin told NBC News, “I think I need to talk to my wife first.”
Noem thanks Trump for appointment as special envoy
Noem thanked Trump on X for appointing her as the "Special Envoy for the Shield of the Americas" after she was ousted as homeland security secretary.
She said she looks forward to working with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth "to dismantle cartels that have poured drugs into our nation and killed our children and grandchildren."
"The Western Hemisphere is absolutely critical for U.S. security. In this new role, I will be able to build on the partnerships and national security expertise, I forged over the last 13 months as Secretary of Homeland Security," she said.
Noem touted "historic accomplishments" under her leadership at DHS when it comes to safety. She said that "we delivered the MOST secure border in American history, 3 million illegal aliens have left the U.S., we have located 145,000 children, FEMA delivered disaster relief at a 100% faster rate, we ushered in the golden age of travel, saved the American taxpayer $13 billion and revitalized the U.S. Coast Guard."
Tillis takes a dig at Noem as he congratulates Mullin, who he says 'likes dogs'
Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., who in a Senate hearing Tuesday blasted Noem over an anecdote in her book about killing a dog, congratulated Mullin today on being nominated for homeland security secretary, writing on X that "he likes dogs."
Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C. Kevin Dietsch / Getty Images file
"Senator Markwayne Mullin is a great guy and a great choice to lead DHS, restore competence, and refocus efforts on quickly distributing disaster aid, keeping the border secure, and targeting violent illegal immigrants for deportation. Another big positive: he likes dogs," Tillis wrote.
On Tuesday, Tillis told Noem, "I read your book last week, and honestly, some of the parts of it impressed me, but some of it distresses me."
He then referred to an anecdote about her killing a dog that wouldn't be trained, saying: "A 14-month-old dog is basically a teenager in dog years. You decided to kill that dog because you had not invested the appropriate time in training, and then you have the audacity to go into a book and say it’s a leadership lesson about tough choices."
In 2024, Noem defended the anecdote, writing on X, "We love animals, but tough decisions like this happen all the time on a farm."
Oklahoma governor pledges to appoint conservative who backs Trump to Mullin's Senate seat
Oklahoma GOP Gov. Kevin Stitt pledged to appoint a conservative who supports Trump to replace Mullin in the Senate if he is confirmed as DHS secretary.
"I will be looking to appoint a strong, small government conservative voice to support President Trump and protect Oklahomans’ way of life," Stitt wrote on X after Trump announced Mullin as his pick to lead the Department of Homeland Security.
According to Oklahoma state law, the governor has 30 days after a Senate vacancy occurs to appoint someone of the same political part to fill the seat. The appointee must agree not to run for that office.
Because Mullin’s Senate term expires in January, state law notes, there would not be a special election to replace him before the next regularly scheduled election in November.
Trump says Kristi Noem is stepping down as homeland security secretary
Kristi Noem. Graeme Sloan / Bloomberg via Getty Images
Trump announced this afternoon that Noem will step down at the end of the month after having served for just over a year. Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., will take over her post, he said.
“I am pleased to announce that the Highly Respected United States Senator from the Great State of Oklahoma, Markwayne Mullin, will become the United States Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS), effective March 31, 2026,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Noem, who he said “has served us well,” will take over a new role called “Envoy for The Shield of the Americas,” he added.
White House 'always knew' that final ballroom vote would be postponed, official says
The White House is pushing back on the notion that a final vote to approve Trump’s plans for a new ballroom was unexpectedly delayed, with a White House official stressing “we always knew” that the vote would be delayed to early April.
Artist renderings and diagrams of the new White House East Wing and Ballroom, briefly posted on the National Capital Planning Commission's website. Jon Elswick / AP
Will Scharf, the Trump-appointed chair of the National Capital Planning Commission, indicated at a meeting today to review the project that the final vote would indeed take place on April 2, once public testimony wraps up.
As today’s meeting began, Scharf said that the panel would vote next month, rather than immediately after public testimony, because of “the amount of the testimony that we’re hearing and the large volume of written comments.”
The commission would typically vote directly after public testimony, Scharf said.
Paxton says he would consider dropping out of runoff election against Cornyn
Sen. John Cornyn, R-TX; Ken Paxton, Texas Attorney General. Getty Images
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, who advanced to a runoff against Sen. John Cornyn in the race for the U.S. Senate seat in Texas, said he would consider dropping out if Senate leadership promised to pass the SAVE America Act by dumping the filibuster that requires most legislation to pass with 60 votes.
“I would consider dropping out of this race if Senate Leadership agrees to lift the filibuster and passes the SAVE America Act,” Paxton wrote on X. “John Cornyn is a coward who has refused to support abolishing the filibuster to pass this bill. Now, Fake News reporters and the establishment are trying to destroy me with misinformation.”
Abolishing the filibuster is not a move Senate leadership can make on their own. It would require 51 votes to change the rules and several Republican Senators have said they have no interest in abolishing the filibuster for any reason.
ICE is re-evaluating the future of Camp East Montana, its largest detention facility
Camp East Montana, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas. Paul Ratje / Redux Pictures
The Department of Homeland Security said it is re-evaluating the future of the largest immigrant detention center in the country just seven months after it opened at the Fort Bliss army base outside El Paso, Texas.
The tented facility known as Camp East Montana has had a troubled history starting with a fatal construction accident and three detainee deaths in less than six weeks, one of which was ruled a homicide. There have also been outbreaks of both tuberculosis and measles.
RFK Jr. pushes medical schools to teach more about nutrition
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced a new push today to get medical schools to teach more about nutrition.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. during a tour of the kitchen at Cunningham Elementary School in Austin, Texas, on Feb. 27. Jay Janner / The Austin American-Statesman via Getty Images
Kennedy has spent months pressing schools to increase nutrition education, threatening funding cuts for those that refuse and promising public recognition for those that comply. He has long argued that doctors are undertrained in nutrition, leading to a focus on treating chronic diseases with medication rather than preventing them with diet, an approach that some experts say is oversimplified.
Soccer star Lionel Messi to visit the White House with Inter Miami
Soccer superstar Lionel Messi is expected to join his championship-winning Major League Soccer team for a celebration with Trump today, a White House official said.
The Argentinian forward plays for Inter Miami, which won the cup last year.
The event will take place in the East Room at 4 p.m. ET. It’s unclear whether team co-owner and former soccer star David Beckham will attend.
White House contradicts Noem's claim that Trump signed off on a $220 million ad campaign
The White House is denying Noem's claim in testimony to the Senate earlier this week that Trump signed off on a $220 million ad campaign encouraging undocumented immigrants to self-deport.
Former Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem testifies during a House Judiciary Committee hearing on Wednesday. Heather Diehl / Getty Images
“POTUS did not sign off on a $220 MILLION dollar ad campaign. Absolutely not," a White House official said.
Noem said in response to questions from Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., that Trump did know about her decision to approve the contract for the ad, which prominently features her.
DHS didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
NBC News reported today that Trump has grown frustrated with Noem and has begun to consider possible replacements, citing lawmakers and people familiar with the discussions.
Trump was particularly frustrated by Noem’s responses when she was repeatedly asked about her role in approving contracts and specifically the $220 million ad campaign, the sources said.
Lionel Messi expected to join Trump White House event today
Soccer superstar Lionel Messi is expected to join his championship-winning MLS team for a celebration with Trump today, according to a White House official. The Argentinian forward plays for Inter Miami, which won the cup last year.
The ceremony will take place in the East Room at 4 p.m. ET. It’s unclear whether co-owner and former player David Beckham will attend.
Trump defends decision to strike Iran as new details emerge
As Trump defends his decision to strike Iran, new NBC News polling shows a majority of voters disapprove of his handling of the situation. It comes as a senior U.S. official confirms details of a phone call between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before the strikes. NBC’s Garrett Haake reports for "TODAY" from the White House.
Trump ballroom vote pushed to April after critics blast 'hideous,' 'appalling,' 'shameful' plans
The National Capital Planning Commission pushed an expected vote on Trump’s new White House ballroom plans to next month as the panel wades through a deluge of public comments about the massive project, much of it negative.
The new timeline comes as critics flooded the ballroom project with public comments decrying the demolition and new building plans an “appalling idea,” “absolutely shameful” and “hideous,” and urging the commission to “leave it alone!!”
GOP Rep. Warren Davidson plans to support Iran war powers resolution
Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, said he plans to support the House war powers resolution to direct the removal of U.S. armed forces from the operations against Iran.
"Make no mistake, Iran is an enemy of the United States. As our military engages them, they do so justly. Unfortunately, they are not yet doing so constitutionally," Davidson said in remarks on the floor yesterday ahead of today's vote on the measure, which was offered by Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Ro Khanna, D-Calif.
"I rise in support of this war powers resolution today because the moral hazard posed by a government no longer constrained by our Constitution is a grave threat," Davidson said.
Davidson referred to Trump's position for years that he wanted to end "forever wars." The congressman argued that while the war may be necessary, "it is far more pressing that we restore a government small enough to fit within the Constitution."
Davidson graduated from the United States Military Academy and served in the Army from 1988 to 2000.
The vote is expected to fail in the GOP-controlled House. The Senate rejected a similar measure yesterday.
Democrats introduce legislation to bar federal elected officials from profiting off of prediction markets
Sens. Jeff Merkley, D-Oreg., and Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., said today that they're introducing legislation to ban federal elected officials from profiting from prediction markets in the wake of bets related to the U.S. operations in Venezuela and Iran.
Merkley said in a statement, “When public officials use non-public information to win a bet, you have the perfect recipe to undermine the public’s belief that government officials are working for the public good, not for their own personal profits."
Klobuchar said their bill, dubbed the End Prediction Market Corruption Act, would strengthen "the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s ability to go after bad actors and provides rules of the road to prevent those with confidential government or policy information from exploiting their access for financial gain."
The measure is co-sponsored by Sens. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., and Adam Schiff, D-Calif.
Prediction markets have seen bets in recent days related to the military action against Iran, and in early January, a mysterious online bettor made more than $400,000 on Polymarket after predicting the U.S. would invade Venezuela and topple President Nicolás Maduro.
Trump frustrated with Kristi Noem and considering replacements, sources say
Trump has grown frustrated with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and has begun to consider possible replacements, lawmakers and people familiar with the discussions tell NBC News.
Trump has been speaking this week with Republican lawmakers about his displeasure with Noem and has made clear in those conversations that he is considering replacing her, according to two Republican lawmakers, a person familiar with White House’s thinking and three people familiar with the president’s private discussions.
No decision has been made by the president, but he has told lawmakers that he is unhappy with Noem’s testimony this week before House and Senate committees, the sources said.
Trump administration sued over U.S.-TikTok deal
Jaap Arriens / NurPhoto via Getty Images
A newly formed anti-corruption group has filed a lawsuit against Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi over the deal that sold TikTok’s U.S. operation to a group of administration-backed investors.
The suit, filed by the Public Integrity Project, a law firm that seeks to raise the “reputational cost of corruption in America,” claims the deal violates a law intended to prevent the spread of Chinese government propaganda.
Trump administration criticized as thousands of Americans are stranded in war zone
In the days after the U.S. and Israel launched an air war against Iran, the State Department issued new advisories warning Americans to reconsider traveling to several countries in the region. By then, it was too late.
Thousands of Americans are now stranded in the Middle East as Iran retaliates with drone attacks on U.S. facilities, prompting Democratic lawmakers and current and former State Department officials to sharply criticize the Trump administration for failing to plan for what they say was a predictable scenario.
Obama backs Democrats' redistricting referendum in Virginia
Former President Barack Obama. Erin Hooley / AP file
Former President Barack Obama threw his support behind Democrats' redistricting amendment in Virginia, appearing in a new video that encourages voters to sign off on the measure at the polls this spring.
“In April, Virginians can respond by making sure your voting power is not diminished by what Republicans are doing in other states. This amendment gives you the power to level the playing field in the midterms this fall,” Obama said in the video for Virginians for Fair Elections, the group backing the ballot initiative.
Virginia Democrats launched a multistep process to redraw their state's congressional map last year in response to a spate of efforts from Republican-led states. To bypass the state's redistricting commission and enact the changes before this year's midterm elections, the Legislature called for a special election to ask Virginia voters to approve a constitutional amendment allowing for lawmakers to draw a new map mid-decade if other states do so.
Early voting ahead of the April 21 special election begins tomorrow.
“This is the responsible thing to do. It’s also a temporary measure. After the 2030 Census, Virginia will go back to a system that lets a bipartisan commission draw the maps,” Obama said in the ad.
Obama also backed a similar move last year in California, when Democrats asked voters to approve a new map that could allow the party to pick up up to five seats. Virginia's proposed map is designed for Democrats to gain as many as four seats.
The video was a released a day after the Virginia Supreme Court again stopped a lower court from blocking the redistricting special election after Republicans had sued to try and prevent it from going forward.
“Issuing an injunction to keep Virginians from the polls is not the proper way to make this decision,” the justices wrote in their decision, which made clear they would allow the election to go forward while considering the substance of the claims against the amendment.
Panel led by Trump allies to consider White House ballroom approval
The National Capital Planning Commission today will review and could vote on Trump’s new White House ballroom plans, potentially paving the way for the massive architectural project to move forward.
The 90,000-square-foot project has ignited controversy, with Democrats criticizing the president’s decision to dramatically reshape the White House by demolishing the East Wing to pave the way for the ballroom.
Progressive challenger Nida Allam concedes to Rep. Valerie Foushee in North Carolina primary clash
Vice Chair of the Durham County Board of Commissioners Nida Allam. Melissa Sue Gerrits / Getty Images file
Progressive challenger Nida Allam conceded last evening to Rep. Valerie Foushee in a high-profile Democratic primary in North Carolina, after national figures and groups on the left targeted the district for a statement-making campaign.
“Though these were not the results we hoped for, I am proud of the movement we have built, the voices we have lifted up, and the journey we have ahead,” she said in a statement posted to X. Thanking staff and supporters, she added, “While we may not have won the race, the establishment should stay on watch. Our movement sounded the alarm for future Democratic primaries throughout this cycle.”
NBC News has not made a projection in the race. Foushee has 49.2% of the Democratic vote to 48.2% for Allam with 99% of the expected vote tallied.
Trump’s China summit with Xi Jinping just got a lot more complicated
Trump’s looming meeting with China’s Xi Jinping will face new tensions after U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran that killed its China-friendly supreme leader.
It’s the second time in two months that the United States has taken military action against one of China’s key economic partners, after its surprise capture in January of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. But China has largely limited its response to stern statements, much as it did after the raid in Caracas despite warm relations with Venezuela.
Judge rules companies are entitled to refunds for Trump tariffs that were struck down
A cargo ship loaded with foreign trade containers sails into Qingdao Port in Qingdao City, Shandong Province, China, on Tuesday. Costfoto / NurPhoto via Getty Images
In a defeat for the Trump administration, a federal judge in New York ruled yesterday that companies that paid tariffs struck down last month by the Supreme Court are due refunds.
Judge Richard Eaton of the U.S. Court of International Trade wrote that “all importers of record” were “entitled to benefit” from the Supreme Court ruling that struck down sweeping double-digit import taxes that Trump imposed last year under the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
DOJ quietly shelves Biden autopen investigation that Trump demanded
The Justice Department shelved an investigation into former President Joe Biden’s use of an autopen, a person briefed on the matter told NBC News today.
Justice Department pardon attorney Ed Martin, the former “weaponization” czar, opened the probe while he was interim U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia. It wound down recently under Jeanine Pirro, the current U.S. attorney, who is a longtime Trump ally and former Fox News host.
The New York Times first reported the news.
Ken Paxton says he won’t drop out of Texas’ GOP Senate runoff
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton says he won’t drop out of the Senate runoff race even if Trump asks him to, potentially complicating the president’s plans to bring an end to the GOP’s bitter and expensive primary battle.
“No, I’m staying in this race. I owe it to the people of Texas,” Paxton said in a phone interview with Real America’s Voice. “I’ve spent a year of my life campaigning against John Cornyn, because John has not represented the people of Texas well.”
Trump said earlier today that he plans to endorse someone in the race “soon” and that he would call on the other candidate to drop out of the race “immediately.”
GOP leaders fear a Paxton victory could make the seat more competitive in the fall and have been urging Trump to endorse Cornyn. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said he spoke with Trump about the race today.
Cornyn declined to answer questions from reporters about whether he had spoken with Trump or expected an endorsement, saying, “I don’t have any more information than what you’ve read.”
House Ethics Committee launches investigation into embattled Rep. Tony Gonzales
The House Ethics Committee said yesterday that it will open an investigation into Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, who is accused of having had an affair with a staffer before she died by suicide last year.
Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas. Bill Clark / CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images file
Gonzales exchanged sexual texts in 2024 with his then-aide, Regina Santos-Aviles, according to messages previously obtained by NBC News and verified by her widower, Adrian Aviles. Gonzales initially denied having had an affair with Santos-Aviles and refused to address the substance of the allegations after the texts came to light.
House members are heading for the exit at the fastest rate in decades
The number of retirements announced in the House this election cycle is the second highest since recordkeeping began nearly a century ago.
Fifty-three members have said they won’t seek re-election in 2026, exceeding the 52 in 2018, with Rep. Burgess Owens, R-Utah, becoming the latest to head for the exit.
Of the members who announced they will leave office this cycle, 32 are Republicans and 21 are Democrats, much like in 2018, when GOP lawmakers made up the bigger chunk of departures.
Still, the total for 2026 is a ways off from the record 65 lawmakers who retired in 1992, according to historical data from the Brookings Institution’s Vital Statistics on Congress.
Senate blocks resolution that would have restricted Trump’s war in Iran
The GOP-led Senate yesterday rejected a war powers resolution aimed at restricting Trump’s ability to carry out further military action against Iran.
A man carries an Iranian flag to place on the rubble of a police facility struck during the U.S.–Israeli military campaign in Tehran, Iran, on Wednesday. Vahid Salemi / AP
The vote was 47-53, short of the simple majority needed to move the resolution to the Senate floor. Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania was the only Democrat to join Republicans in voting no, while Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky was the only Republican to join Democrats in voting yes.
House to vote on war powers resolution, DHS funding
The House will vote this afternoon on a war powers resolution spearheaded by Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Ro Khanna, D-Calif.
The measure would limit Trump's ability to continue military operations against Iran without congressional approval, but appears poised to fail, as the Senate rejected a war powers resolution yesterday.
The House is also expected to vote today on an appropriations bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security through the end of the fiscal year.
The bill largely mirrors a bipartisan bill that passed the House in January, but never became law because the Senate stripped it out of a package that contained full-year funding bills for other departments amid Democrats' demands for DHS reforms. If passed by the House, the bill would need Senate approval.
