Live updates: House Republicans rebuff Democratic push to constrain Trump's war effort
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First lady Melania Trump, in a rare public statement, denied having a relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and said Congress should hold a hearing for Epstein survivors.
What to know today
- WAR POWERS VOTE: House Republicans today blocked a Democratic effort to limit President Donald Trump's ability to conduct the war with Iran after the president’s threat two days earlier to annihilate “a whole civilization.” Senate Democrats are expected to push for a vote on a similar resolution next week.
- MELANIA TRUMP: The first lady made a rare public statement this afternoon saying she “never had a relationship” with late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein or his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell. It wasn't immediately clear why she decided to make the on-camera remarks now.
- TARIFFS 2.0? Top Trump economic adviser Kevin Hassett said this morning that the president could rely on the same emergency law he used for wide-ranging tariffs that the Supreme Court struck down in February to impose Iran-related duties.
- WES MOORE ON 2028: Maryland Gov. Wes Moore did not rule out a bid for president in 2028 in remarks at the National Action Network convention in New York City today, but said he is focused on the upcoming midterm elections. A number of potential Democratic candidates — including Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and former Vice President Kamala Harris — are speaking at the gathering this week.
Melania Trump denies ties to Jeffrey Epstein and calls for Congress to hold a hearing for survivors
In a rare public statement, first lady Melania Trump this afternoon said she “never had a relationship” with late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein or his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell.
In her remarks from the White House, Melania Trump said that there have been numerous “fake images and statements about Epstein and me” circulating on social media.
Her statement was brief, but it was notable. The first lady is cautious in her public remarks and with her public image. A number of her aides gathered to watch her statement in the Grand Foyer of the White House, but several of them did not know what she was going to say beforehand.
It was the first time she had spoken about the Epstein controversy on camera. It’s unclear what prompted her to make these remarks now, but her staff has been aggressive at knocking down what they call “defamatory” Epstein rumors.
Pritzker says he will be very involved in 2028 presidential race
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said today he will “be more involved than ever before” in the 2028 presidential race.
Speaking with the Rev. Al Sharpton at the National Action Network conference in New York City, Pritzker was asked whether he will seek the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028. An attendee at the Manhattan ballroom the conference is being held in shouted out “be bold!”
“First of all, I’m running for reelection as governor right now,” Pritzker said, adding, “So let me tell you, it’s vitally important to me. I’ve been involved every presidential election, one fashion or another, probably since, in fact, I know since I was an adult and able to vote, I’ve been involved in some fashion or another, and I’m going to be more involved than ever before in 2028, because we can’t lose.”
“We have a pretty good bench,” Pritzker added. “In fact, you’ve invited so many of them to come right here and they’ve been on this stage, or they’re going to be. So that’s my answer. My answer is, I don’t know what I’ll be doing after, I hope, I win reelection … but I can tell you this, I’m going to fight like hell to elect a Democrat.”
Wes Moore says Trump has not explained why we should be at war with Iran
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore today criticized the president for the “lack of conversation” he’s having with the American people about the objectives and rationalization for war with Iran.
Trump and administration officials have laid out various goals for the conflict, ranging from the destruction of Iran’s nuclear program to initiating regime change in the nation.
“Saying that the United States military can win a battle is like, that’s the easy part,” Moore, a former Army captain who served in Afghanistan, said in a discussion with the Rev. Al Sharpton at the National Action Network conference in New York City. “Because, yes, the United States military is the best military in the history of the world. There is nothing that the United States Military monetarily cannot do. The question is, should we be doing it.”
“And I do not think that the president of the United States has answered that question,” Moore said.
The Democratic governor, a 2028 presidential prospect, said Trump’s recent promotion of having dismantled Iran’s Navy and Air Force underscored his point.
“Not sure why that was a massive accomplishment, nor did you articulate why that was the goal or the mission,” he said.
“And my fear is that we’re walking into the same trap” as the country did in Afghanistan, “and that the president and the vice president are blindly allowing us to do that, and they’re doing it in our name and with our money,” he added.
Trump ‘optimistic’ about Iran peace deal even as ceasefire appears strained
Trump told NBC News today that he is “very optimistic” a peace deal with Iran was within reach as a diplomatic delegation led by Vice President JD Vance prepared to head to Pakistan for high-stakes talks aimed at ending the nearly six-week conflict.
Iran’s leaders “talk much differently when you’re at a meeting than they do to the press. They’re much more reasonable,” Trump said. “They’re agreeing to all the things that they have to agree to. Remember, they’ve been conquered. They have no military.”
Wes Moore does not rule out a 2028 presidential bid after earlier saying he wouldn't run
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore did not rule out a bid for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028 in remarks at the National Action Network conference here today, but said he is focused on the upcoming midterm elections.
In an interview with NBC News in September, Moore told NBC News, "Yeah, I’m not running for president."
Speaking with Rev. Al Sharpton at the event, which has been attended by numerous high-profile Democrats, Moore said “any of these people who are thinking about 2028, I need to see that you’re taking 2026 seriously.”
“And so, I’m very clear and I’m locked in,” he said. “I’m not just trying to win in November, but I’m telling you, in Maryland, we’re going to send a message.”
Moore received more than two standing ovations from attendees in the Manhattan ballroom where the conference is taking place. Some chanted “run Wes run.”
“I tell people, you know, I’m hungry, but I’m not thirsty,” he continued. “And I need people to take this moment seriously and understand the type of assault that we are under right now, and show me something now. Show me you are a winter soldier and not a summer soldier. Show me, and then we can have a conversation with everyone else about what is it you plan on doing in the future.”
Trump could use emergency law for Iran tariffs despite Supreme Court ruling, top aide says
Top Trump economic adviser Kevin Hassett said this morning that the president could rely on the same emergency law he used for wide-ranging tariffs that the Supreme Court struck down in February to impose Iran-related duties.
In an interview on Fox Business, Hassett, the director of the National Economic Council, was asked about Trump's threat yesterday to impose 50% tariffs on countries that supply weapons to Iran.
“This is clearly within the president’s tariff power," Hassett said, referring to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. "If we’re in a state of conflict, then you know, the IEEPA policy is exactly designed for that. And so countries really should be careful.”
Hassett didn't answer directly when asked if the tariffs would include China or Russia.
The Supreme Court ruled in February that Trump exceeded his authority to use the law to impose tariffs on numerous countries.
Justice Department investigating the NFL over subscription fee concerns, source says
The Justice Department has opened an investigation into whether the NFL is forcing football fans to pay too much in subscription fees, according to a person familiar with the investigation.
In years past, football fans watched NFL games over broadcast TV, delivered free into their homes. The 1961 Sports Broadcasting Act allowed for sports leagues to get around some antitrust concerns and negotiate media rights. But now, games are spread across many different platforms and channels, and some require paid subscriptions to access.
The Justice Department investigation is into antitrust and anticompetitive tactics, the person said. It comes after Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, the chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights, wrote a letter last month requesting a review of the NFL’s streaming platform exemptions and wanted to know whether the streaming package fees violated the Sports Broadcasting act.
NATO secretary-general says European allies are doing nearly ‘everything the United States is asking’ on Iran
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte defended the alliance and the United States’ European allies in a speech in D.C., but said that “some allies were a bit slow, to say the least,” in providing support to the U.S. for the war on Iran.
He said that some allies were “a bit surprised” by the war, noting that President Donald Trump did not inform them before the strikes.
“But what I see when I look across Europe today is allies providing a massive amount of support, basing, logistics and other measures to ensure the powerful U.S. military succeeds in denying Iran a nuclear weapon and degrading its capacity to export chaos,” he said. “Nearly without exception, allies are doing everything the United States is asking.”
He noted that the United Kingdom is aligning military, political and economic tools “that will be required to ensure free passage through the Strait of Hormuz.”
Republicans block effort to halt Trump’s war with Iran after ‘civilization’ threat
House Democrats unsuccessfully attempted to pass a resolution today to halt Donald Trump’s war with Iran — a response to the president’s shocking threat two days earlier to annihilate “a whole civilization.”
House and Senate lawmakers are at the tail end of a two-week spring recess, but Rep. Glenn Ivey, D-Md., and other Democrats returned to Washington for a routine “pro forma” session to try to pass the resolution by unanimous consent.
However, the Republican lawmaker presiding over the session, Chris Smith of New Jersey, gaveled out of the brief session without calling on Ivey. Democrats howled in protest, with some shouting “Shame!”
Oil prices rise above $100 again as doubts set in about the U.S.-Iran ceasefire
The price of oil rebounded today, as doubts began to set in about the state of the Iran ceasefire announced just two days earlier by Trump.
Chief among them was that fewer than a half-dozen ships had been observed transiting the Strait of Hormuz yesterday.
How Trump’s tax law boosts the wealthy and leaves behind some workers he promised to help
This article is part of “Unaffordable America,” a series examining rising economic inequality in the U.S. and the policies that drive it.
It’s a tough time to be serving drinks on the Las Vegas strip. Visits are down and those who are coming are tipping less, if at all. That’s according to Sherie Cummings, who would know: She’s worked as a casino cocktail waitress for more than 20 years.
This year, though, she looked forward to a financial bright spot. She expected a bigger tax refund for her and her husband, a bartender, following Trump’s pledge of no taxes on tips. But despite the couple earning about $60,000 in tips last year, their refund wasn’t as big as she expected. That’s because of a cap, she learned, on how much in tips they could deduct.
“We were disappointed,” Cummings said. “I feel like a lot of the servers, bartenders, waitresses, tip earners were gaslit by the ‘no tax on tips.’”
“It’s a little relief, but it’s not enough relief, not at all,” she added.
Trump has repeatedly touted “no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, no tax on Social Security” as a key success of his second term since his “big, beautiful bill” passed last year. Many Americans are benefiting from the tax changes in the bill: The average refund this tax season was $3,521, about $350 more than last year, according to IRS data as of March 27. The White House has said the extra cash in people’s pockets will help boost the economy.
Democrats fighting for Iowa Senate seat tussle over Chuck Schumer and super PACs
Two Democrats seeking to flip one of Iowa’s Republican-held Senate seats spent this evening at a forum here appealing to progressive activists and voters who could influence the June primary.
But it was a Democrat from 1,100 miles away who emerged as a tension point.
State Sen. Zach Wahls tried to characterize his primary rival, state Rep. Josh Turek, as an extension of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York. While Schumer has not endorsed in the race, there have been signals that he prefers Turek.
Playing to a crowd unhappy with the influence of big money in politics, Wahls linked Turek to Schumer by noting Turek’s support from VoteVets, an outside spending group that has aligned with Senate Democratic leadership in the past.
Senate Democrats say they’ll force a war powers resolution vote next week
A group of Senate Democrats said in a letter yesterday that they plan to force a vote on a war powers resolution next week to halt military operations in Iran and require Congress’ approval on any future military actions.
“This temporary ceasefire agreement — which is already being violated — starts a very short clock for Congress to finally end this unprecedented chaos,” the letter said.
“Absent immediate steps by Republican leadership to stand up to Trump’s increasingly erratic behavior, we will once again force a vote on a War Powers Resolution to finally end this dangerous war in the Middle East,” the letter continued.
The letter was signed by Sens. Tim Kaine of Virginia, Cory Booker of New Jersey, Chris Murphy of Connecticut, Adam Schiff of California, Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin and Tammy Duckworth of Illinois.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., addressed the plan earlier today, telling reporters that “Congress must reassert its authority, especially at this dangerous moment. No president, Democrat or Republican, should take this country to war alone.”
A war powers vote can be triggered by a member of the minority at any point, but Senate Democrats have not yet indicated precisely when they plan to do so next week.
Democrats need Republican support if they hope to get the resolution across the finish line, as it requires a simple majority to pass. The Republican-led Senate has rejected war powers resolutions in previous months largely along party lines.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., shared a similar letter earlier yesterday saying House Democrats will try to vote on a war powers resolution to end the war in Iran during a pro forma session today.
Former Army employee charged with leaking classified info to journalist
The Justice Department announced yesterday that the FBI had arrested a former Army employee whom federal prosecutors accused of leaking classified information to a journalist.
Courtney Williams, 40, of North Carolina, was arrested Tuesday and charged yesterday with transmitting “classified national defense information to individuals not authorized to receive it, including a journalist.”
Trump bashes NATO after meeting with its top official
Trump criticized NATO on social media in his first comments after a closed-door meeting with Secretary General Mark Rutte at the White House.
“NATO WASN’T THERE WHEN WE NEEDED THEM, AND THEY WON’T BE THERE IF WE NEED THEM AGAIN,” Trump said on Truth Social. “REMEMBER GREENLAND, THAT BIG, POORLY RUN, PIECE OF ICE!!!”
Rutte told CNN in an interview that his conversation with Trump was a “very frank, a very open discussion, but also a discussion between two good friends.” He said they talked about Trump’s frustration with NATO.
“Let me be absolutely clear: He is clearly disappointed, and with many NATO allies. And I can see his point,” Rutte said.
Rutte added that the “large majority of European nations” were helpful to the U.S. during the war with Iran with “basing, with logistics, with overflights.” He said that there was “widespread support” for Trump’s actions in the war and that “degrading the nuclear and ... the ballistic missile capacity from Iran was really crucial.”
Asked whether the Strait of Hormuz had been opened following Trump’s demands to clear the strategic waterway, Rutte did not give a straight answer.
“I don’t have the intelligence now at my fingertips to give you that answer, but I think over the next couple of days we will know,” he said.
House Democrats to try to force Iran war powers resolution during pro forma session today
House Democrats will try to pass an Iran war powers resolution by unanimous consent during the House’s pro forma session today, according to a letter from Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.
“A two-week ceasefire is woefully insufficient. Accordingly, we have demanded that the House come back into session immediately in order to vote on our resolution to permanently end the war in the Middle East,” Jeffries wrote.
Congress is in recess, but Jeffries said Rep. Glenn Ivey, D-Md., will lead the effort today.
“All members who are in Washington are invited to join the effort on the House floor,” Jeffries wrote.
It’s unclear whether Ivey and the Democrats will even be able to try today. The Republican member presiding over a pro forma session does not need to call on members seeking recognition on the House floor. The presiding officer can simply adjourn the brief session after the prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance.
During the shutdown last fall, Democrats tried to get recognition several times during pro forma sessions to demand that then-Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva, D-Ariz., be sworn in.
Even if the presiding officer recognizes Ivey, all it would take is one other member to object to his unanimous consent request to block it.
