Trump administration live updates: Intel chief Tulsi Gabbard to step down; Kevin Warsh replaces Jerome Powell as Fed chair
This version of Trump Fed Chair Warsh Mike Lawler Ice Budget Iran Live Updates Rcna346431 - Politics and Government | NBC News Clone was adapted by NBC News Clone to help readers digest key facts more efficiently.
President Donald Trump campaigned this afternoon for Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., whose swing district is a top target for Democrats in the midterm elections.
What to know today
- TULSI GABBARD RESIGNS: Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard informed President Donald Trump today that she is resigning from the administration to be with her husband, who has bone cancer. She is the fourth Cabinet official to leave the Trump administration.
- NEW FED CHAIR: Trump held a swearing-in ceremony for incoming Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh at the White House this morning. Warsh succeeds Jerome Powell, a frequent target of the president over his refusals to quickly lower interest rates.
- VULNERABLE REPUBLICAN: Trump defended his economic record and praised Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., at a campaign-style event today in Rockland County, New York. Lawler is running for re-election in a competitive district that will shape the battle for the House.
Justice Department deletes press releases on charges against Jan. 6 rioters
The Justice Department has removed press releases detailing the charges against hundreds of individuals who participated in the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot from its website, the department confirmed today.
“Nothing ‘quiet’ about it,” the DOJ Rapid Response X account said in a post replying to allegations that the Justice Department had deleted press releases related to Jan. 6.
“We are proud to reverse the DOJ’s weaponization under the Biden administration,” the post continued. “We will do everything in our power to make whole those who were persecuted for political purposes. This includes stripping DOJ’s website of partisan propaganda.”
A review by NBC News found that the vast majority of press releases pertaining to Jan. 6 defendants have been removed from the DOJ website as of Friday evening.
Taiwan says U.S. has not adjusted military sales
Taiwan’s presidential office said today that it had not received any information about the U.S. adjusting military sales, after a senior U.S. official suggested there was a pause due to the need to have enough arms for the war with Iran.
Taiwan, a self-ruling island that China views as its own territory, has been waiting for the U.S. to approve a new arms sale package that Reuters has reported could be worth up to $14 billion.
However, Trump said following a summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing last week that he was undecided on whether to approve it.
Donald Trump Jr. and Bettina Anderson get married in Florida
Donald Trump Jr., the president’s oldest son, married socialite Bettina Anderson on Thursday in West Palm Beach, Florida, according to Palm Beach County records.
A private wedding celebration is expected to take place Saturday in the Bahamas, Page Six reported. President Donald Trump indicated Thursday that he will not be in attendance, saying the date “was not good timing for me,” citing the ongoing war in Iran and other presidential matters. The president was initially scheduled to be in Bedminster, New Jersey, this weekend but is now expected to be at the White House.
Still, he offered his congratulations to the couple in a post on Truth Social Friday.
“While I very much wanted to be with my son, Don Jr., and the newest member of the Trump Family, his soon to be wife, Bettina, circumstances pertaining to Government, and my love for the United States of America, do not allow me to do so,” Trump wrote, adding that he felt it was important for him to remain in Washington, D.C., “during this important time.”
Last-minute redistricting overwhelms election officials — and their budgets
A spate of redistricting efforts across the South resulted in a series of last-minute voting changes — and left election officials scrambling to deal with the aftermath.
Trump’s revenge on Republican dissidents may imperil his own agenda
It’s a moment rarely seen in Washington: congressional Republicans openly revolting against Trump.
How the party got here is equally extraordinary — a combination of minuscule Senate and House majorities, the president’s brazen retribution campaign and fierce opposition to his new “anti-weaponization” fund, which is expected to give payouts to his political allies.
Ted Cruz says GOP senators were 'screaming' at Todd Blanche during 'anti-weaponization' fund briefing
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said Senate Republicans were “screaming” at acting Attorney General Todd Blanche during their private briefing on Trump's "anti-weaponization" fund yesterday.
On his podcast "Verdict with Ted Cruz," the senator described the meeting as “one of the roughest meetings I’ve seen in my entire time in the Senate.”
“Fiery does not begin to cut it,” he said. “My guess is they’re probably 45 senators in the room, at least half of them were blasting the attorney general, and they were pissed.”
Cruz said several of his colleagues felt that they could not politically defend supporting the fund because it appeared as though Trump “cut a deal with himself.”
“There were multiple senators yelling at the attorney general, saying this feels like self-dealing,” Cruz said.
He added that roughly half of the Republican caucus would have voted with Democrats in favor of amendments to rein in the fund had the Senate proceeded with its planned "vote-a-rama" last night. Cruz emphasized “the degree of the jailbreak of Republicans who were bolting, who were saying we’re going to vote with the Democrats and basically kill reconciliation because of this judgment fund.”
He said that if the administration does not modify the anit-weaponization fund by the time Congress comes back into session, “they’ve got a full on revolt in the Senate.”
Senators left town without voting on a massive ICE and Border Patrol funding bill after consideration of the legislation was complicated by infighting about the $1.8 billion ani-weaponization fund.
The Senate is scheduled to be back in session June 1 — the date Trump said he wanted to sign ICE and Border Patrol funding bill into law.
Mike Lindell says he will help MyPillow workers apply for 'anti weaponization' fund
MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell says he has no current plans to seek restitution from the Trump administration’s “anti weaponization" fund but will help current and former employees of his company apply.
Lindell, who found out about the fund from a reporter, said he didn’t yet know what the procedure would be but planned to enlist the company’s lawyers to assist in the effort.
Lindell, who has faced significant legal fallout over his promotion of false 2020 election claims, told NBC News in an interview that shareholders in his company, which he says is employee-owned, were “decimated” by what he said was as a targeted government attack that ultimately punished his workers. Senate Republicans have criticized the “Arctic Frost” investigation over its inclusion of MyPillow and other conservative groups in arguing that the probe was politically motivated.
Lindell said that as his business contracted and MyPillow employees lost their jobs, some after decades with the company. “They’ve just been devastated because of our own government, because their CEO is exercising his right to free speech,” Lindell said. “They were innocent bystanders, kind of like collateral damage.”
“My employees are those stockholders,” he said. “They had nothing to do with me out there shouting from the rooftops about securing our elections and getting rid of the voting machines.”
Reports that Lindell is applying for $400 million in lost revenue are inaccurate, he said — that number came from an estimate filed with the government by his attorneys last fall as part of a separate restitution process over claims the company was “debanked” because of his 2020 election conspiracy advocacy.
Lindell said he wants the "anti-weaponization" fund to only fill legitimate claims. “I hope they vet these things,” he said. “I think it is going to be subjected to: Was this person really hurt, or was this person actually guilty of something?
Asked if he would personally apply to the fund, Lindell said he planned to wait and see “what’s left.”
“There’s a lot of people that were hurt — with J6 and everybody else — so I’m going to see how this goes,” he said. “I would rather that they be made whole before I would even apply for it. So at this point I’m just sitting back.”
Trump praises vulnerable GOP Rep. Mike Lawler as ‘fantastic’ during a joint rally in New York
President Donald Trump defended his economic record and praised Republican Rep. Mike Lawler at a campaign-style event today, as Lawler vies for re-election in this competitive district that will shape the battle for the House.
Lawler’s path to victory requires a high-wire act. He needs a strong turnout among pro-Trump “MAGA” Republicans to have any shot at winning. But he also needs significant support from moderate and independent voters in this Hudson Valley district.
“A lot of people are like, it’s crazy that Trump is going there and it could be counterproductive for Lawler. But we need to turn out the GOP base and nobody does that better than Trump,” said a Republican strategist working on House races, who spoke candidly on the condition of anonymity. “Lawler can thread that needle, where he uses Trump to turn out the base and gets the base excited, but also push back where he pushes back.”
The headwinds are significant for Lawler: Trump’s national approval rating has sunk to 37%, according to a recent poll from the New York Times and Siena College. But the same poll said Trump’s approval is 82% among Republicans.
Trumps awards Presidential Medal of Freedom to 9/11 hero posthumously
Trump said he would posthumously award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Welles Crowther, who died during 9/11 while saving as many as 18 lives.
"You know about the man in the red bandana, a 24-year-old volunteer firefighter, equities trader, a wonderful guy," Trump said. "He's a legend, and he's become a legend who heroically gave his life for 911 to save 18 people from the World Trade Center."
Trump said that at the request of Lawler and Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, he would be honoring Crowther with the medal. Trump presented the award to Crowther's mother, Allison Crowther.
Trump brags about primary wins over Sen. Bill Cassidy and Rep. Thomas Massie
Trump touted the recent losses of incumbents Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., and Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., in their respective primary elections after the president endorsed their opponents.
"I had a good night the other night, right? We knocked out a bad senator from Louisiana," Trump said, referring to Cassidy. "We knocked out Massie, a horrible, one of the worst Republican congressmen."
Cassidy lost in Louisiana's Republican primary on May 16 after two of his opponents, including Trump-endorsed Rep. Julia Letlow, advanced to a runoff. Massie lost his own primary election on Tuesday to Ed Gallrein, whom Trump endorsed.
Trump also took a jab at Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who notably refused to succumb to Trump's request that he "find more votes" in the 2020 election. Raffensperger was knocked out of Georgia's governor race Tuesday.
"We knocked him out. We knocked out everybody," Trump said.
Trump calls himself a 'three-term president' as crowd chants 'four more years'
Speaking to the crowd at Rockland Community College, Trump called himself a "three-term president," sparking a chant from the audience of "four more years."
"You know we're a three-term president, we just don't want the results," Trump said. "We don't want, we won three times, but we only want the results of the first and the third."
The crowd broke out into a chant, yelling out "four more years," as Trump paused to listen.
"We have a hat, the hat says it's four more years, it drives the radical-left lunatics crazy," the president said.
Trump is speaking to voters in New York at a campaign event for Rep. Mike Lawler
Trump just took the stage at a campaign event in Suffern, New York for Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., who is up for reelection in a swing district that Democrats have been targeting.
New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart introduced Trump at the event, with the president beginning his remarks by calling Dart "a future Hall of Famer."
Trump told the crowd "I really do love" New York.
"I was born and raised in New York State, and my heart has always been here. I love this place, and we got to straighten it out," Trump said. "We got to get it back."
"We're going to, we're going to get it back, but we need talent. That's why we have some of the people that you see right here," the president continued. "We have a lot of talent, a lot of political talent."
Florida's Black legislative leaders denounce Wasserman Schultz' decision to run in majority-Black district
Florida's Legislative Black Caucus today called Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz' decision to run in Florida's 20th District "disheartening."
"With only two remaining Black access congressional districts in Florida, the significance of representation in District 20 cannot be overstated. This district was established to remedy decades of racial exclusion and to ensure that Black communities have the opportunity to elect leaders who truly reflect their experiences and needs," the Florida Black leaders wrote.
They added, "Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz’s decision to pursue reelection in this historically Black district, despite explicit requests from the Black community to seek candidacy in a neighboring district, is disheartening."
Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., earlier today announced that she plans to run for re-election in the 20th Congressional District after Republican leaders largely eliminated her current district, the 23rd, as it is currently drawn in a round of partisan redistricting.
Trump's weekend schedule has changed
Trump is expected to return to the White House tonight after his trip to New York, according to an updated schedule that was just released.
The president was originally going to spend the weekend at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey.
The reason for the schedule change was not immediately clear.
Tulsi Gabbard to resign as director of national intelligence, sources say
Tulsi Gabbard, the top-ranking U.S. intelligence official, told the president today that she is resigning from her role following her husband’s cancer diagnosis, two senior administration officials said.
Gabbard’s husband, Abraham Williams, was diagnosed with a serious and rare form of cancer, a third source familiar with Gabbard’s plans told NBC News.
GOP-led South Carolina Senate rejects effort to speed up redistricting vote
The Republican-controlled South Carolina Senate rejected an effort that would have expedited a vote on a new congressional map that eliminates the state’s single majority-Black district.
At least six GOP state senators voted with Democrats to kill the measure, which needed two-thirds support. It underscores that there is still resistance among some South Carolina Republicans to the redistricting effort, which Trump has pressured them to pursue.
The vote does not end the push for a redrawn map that targets the seat held by Democratic Rep. Jim Clyburn, but it does complicate Republicans' plans to pass it before early primary voting begins in the state Tuesday. As part of the redistricting plan, GOP lawmakers are proposing pushing House primaries back from June to August.
South Carolina is one of several Southern states that have taken up new maps ahead of the midterm elections after a major Supreme Court ruling on racial gerrymandering last month.
Trump says he won't attend Don Jr.'s wedding this weekend
Trump said on Truth Social this afternoon that he won't attend the wedding this weekend of his oldest son, Don Jr., which is reportedly taking place in the Bahamas.
“While I very much wanted to be with my son, Don Jr., and the newest member of the Trump Family, his soon to be wife, Bettina, circumstances pertaining to Government, and my love for the United States of America, do not allow me to do so," he said.
"I feel it is important for me to remain in Washington, D.C., at the White House during this important period of time. Congratulations to Don and Bettina!" he added.
This is his 48-year-old's son's second marriage. He was previously married to Vanessa Trump.
Exclusive: Jan. 6 rioter who drove stun gun into officer’s neck wants payout from Trump’s $1.77B ‘anti-weaponization’ fund
A Trump supporter who drove a stun gun into the neck of an officer abducted by the mob during the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol siege told NBC News he thinks he deserves a taxpayer-funded payout from the Trump administration’s $1.776 billion “anti-weaponization” fund.
D.J. Rodriguez, in what he described as his first discussion with a journalist since he was freed from federal prison when Trump pardoned him last year, said he’d heard that some people do not believe rioters deserve to “be compensated for if they assaulted an officer or did any kind of violence.”
“I’m going to speak for myself and say that I believe I should,” Rodriguez said, describing his actions on Jan. 6 as “trying to do the right thing” for the country. Rodriguez said he always expected a taxpayer-funded payout.
"This has always been coming, because the government did wrong to us, and this is called justice. So it’s always been expected and awaited,” Rodriguez said. “It’s not news to me.”
Rodriguez was freed from federal prison after Trump pardoned him alongside hundreds of other Jan. 6 rioters on his first day back in office. As a member of a Telegram group called “PATRIOTS 45 MAGA Gang,” Rodriguez predicted “There will be blood” in the hours before the attack and then bragged that he “Tazzed the f— out of the blue” after he attacked former D.C. Metropolitan Police Officer Michael Fanone.
Rodriguez was arrested in 2021 about a month after he was identified in a HuffPost story built on the work of online sleuths who identified hundreds of Jan. 6 rioters. In an interview with the FBI after his arrest, Rodriguez called himself a “f---ing piece of s---,” said he was “not smart,” and said he felt Trump had “called” his supporters to Washington.
“He’s the commander in chief and the leader of our country, and he’s calling for help — I thought he was calling for help,” Rodriguez said.
His lawyers told a judge that Rodriguez had bought into Trump’s “incendiary lies” about the 2020 election.
On the day of his sentencing in June 2023, Rodriguez yelled “Trump won!” as he was being led out of the courtroom. He’d been serving a 12.5-year sentence when he was pardoned.
Rodriguez, of course, is not guaranteed a payout from the $1.776 billion fund, which is facing congressional scrutiny and legal challenges. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has said that an applicant’s record of violent behavior could be taken into consideration.
Rodriguez has not fallen away from the types of conspiracy theories that brought him to the Capitol. Last night, he described Jan. 6 as “a setup” by “government officials” who were “corrupt and lied and set it up.”
“We know it was a setup,” he said.
Fanone, who suffered a heart attack during the melee at the Capitol and has since faced repeated threats from Trump supporters, declined to weigh in on Rodriguez’s comments.
“I don’t respond to the statements of traitors to this country,” Fanone told NBC News in a text message last night.
Warsh vows to lead 'a reform-oriented' Fed
Warsh said in his speech that he will lead "a reform-oriented Federal Reserve" that involves learning from what he said were "past successes and mistakes."
He also called his new role as Fed chair “a high and solemn responsibility.”
"While I'm not naive about the challenges we face, I believe, Mr. President, these years can bring unmatched prosperity that will raise living standards for Americans from all walks of life, and the Fed has something to do with it," he said. "Our mandate at the Fed is to promote price stability and maximum employment."
Warsh said that pursuing those goals with "wisdom and clarity, independence and resolve" can lead to lower inflation, stronger growth and higher take-home pay.
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz announces candidacy for redrawn Florida district
In an Instagram post this morning, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., officially announced her candidacy for the state's newly redrawn 20th District. The seat was previously represented by Shelia Cherfilus-McCormick, who resigned in April while facing federal fraud charges.
The Democratic Black Caucus of Broward County had voiced concerns earlier this month over the possibility of Wasserman Schultz running in the district, which has long been represented by a Black Democrat. Wasserman Schultz lives outside the district in nearby Weston. The longtime congresswoman's current district, Florida's 25th, is expected to be more competitive after GOP redistricting efforts.
There are already a few candidates running in the primary set for August, including Luther “Uncle Luke” Campbell (of 2LiveCrew fame). Campbell had already stated he didn't plan to back down if Wasserman Schultz ran for this district.
Other candidates include Cherfilus-McCormick (running for her old seat), former Broward County Mayor Dale Holness, and Maisha Williams (stepdaughter of the late Alcee Hastings, who represented this district before Cherfilus-McCormick). The Democratic Black Caucus of Broward County held a candidate forum with these candidates on Monday night.
Trump says federal employees fired under DOGE cuts are 'loving life'
In his remarks at Warsh's swearing-in ceremony, Trump said that federal employees who were fired under the Department of Government Efficiency cuts are "loving life."
"We did get rid of a lot of government jobs," Trump said, touting his efforts to slash the size of government. "You had jobs where there were 10 people for every single job and every single event, and they were doing all the same thing, or they weren't doing very much, and they didn't like me for a while, and now they're all working at private sector jobs, and they're making double, triple, quadruple the pay, and they're loving life."
"They're loving going to work, and it was a painful experience cutting that many people from the federal government, but it's been amazing," he added.
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas performs Warsh's swearing-in
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas performed the swearing-in with Warsh on stage. Fellow conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh is also in attendance.
Kevin Warsh takes the oath of office from Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas as Warsh's wife, Jane Lauder, looks on. Roberto Schmidt / Getty Images
Trump says he wants Warsh to serve as an 'independent' Fed chair despite repeatedly pressuring Powell
Trump said in his remarks at the White House that he wants Warsh to serve as an "independent" chair of the Federal Reserve despite his frequent attempts to pressure outgoing Chair Jerome Powell to cut interest rates.
"I want Kevin to be totally independent," Trump said. "I want him to be independent and just do a great job. Don't look at me, don't look at anybody, just do your own thing, and do a great job."
The president threw shade at Powell, saying, "In the eyes of many, the Fed lost its way in recent years. It became distracted by concerns far removed from its core mission and mandate, drifting into matters such as climate policy and DEI initiatives."
He added: "With the Fed straying from its mandate, while the last administration blew out the deficit, Americans suffered the worst inflation that we had in history. It was the worst inflation we've ever had."
“Kevin will restore confidence in the Fed, which is so important," he added.
A D.C. who's who is attending Warsh’s swearing-in
Numerous top-ranking current and former Washington, D.C.-area officials and Trump Cabinet members are attending Warsh's swearing-in.
They include Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent; Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy; Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins; House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.; former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.; National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett; Supreme Court Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Clarence Thomas; former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice; and former Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin.
Warsh swearing-in ceremony starts
Kevin Warsh is about to be sworn in as chairman of the Federal Reserve.
Kevin Warsh arrives in the East Room of the White House today. Aaron Schwartz / AFP via Getty Images
Warren, Wyden demand IG probe into DOJ's $1.8 billion 'anti-weaponization' fund
The top Democrats on the Senate banking and finance committees are calling for an independent investigation into the DOJ's $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization" fund.
Sens. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Ron Wyden, D-Ore., ranking members on the banking and finance panels, respectively, demanded answers in letters yesterday to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and IRS CEO Frank Bisignano and to Heather Hill, acting treasury inspector general for tax administration, or TIGTA.
They referred to the settlement agreement that led to the announced fund, which was a deal between Trump, two of his sons, the Trump Organization and the federal government.
"This agreement appears to be a brazen scheme to corruptly dole out taxpayer money to President Trump’s allies and violent insurrectionists," the senators wrote. "The provisions of this agreement also provide for no disclosure of recipients, meaning that the President and his allies can hand out these rewards in secret and for whatever reason they deem fit."
They also warned that "there appears to be no binding limitation that would prevent the President and his family from dipping into the settlement fund for as much money as they want."
The top Democrats called on Hill to launch a probe into the creation of the fund and submitted a list of questions for her to answer.
Pressure on DNC Chair Ken Martin builds amid questions over how he handled the 2024 autopsy
The Democratic National Committee plunged into a fresh round of chaos yesterday after Chair Ken Martin was forced to release an autopsy report he commissioned about the failed 2024 presidential campaign.
Instead of quelling speculation about the findings and outrage over Martin’s initial insistence on keeping it secret, the release aggravated an extended public relations and management nightmare.
After months of refusing to make the autopsy public but saying the DNC was learning important lessons from it, Martin yesterday gave a different story: Actually, he said, the report wasn’t complete, and he didn’t stand behind it. The document that was released was filled with DNC annotations rebutting various assertions.
Now, jittery donors are second-guessing whether they can trust the DNC with their money, according to two sources with knowledge of internal discussions. Martin spent part of the day on the phone with them talking through his decision-making.
Mitch McConnell calls Trump’s ‘anti-weaponization’ fund ‘utterly stupid, morally wrong’
Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., bashed Trump’s nearly $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization" fund that was announced by the Justice Department this week.
“So the nation’s top law enforcement official is asking for a slush fund to pay people who assault cops? Utterly stupid, morally wrong — Take your pick,” McConnell said in a statement yesterday.
The fund is being met with increasing opposition from congressional Republicans, on top of widespread condemnation from Democratic lawmakers.
Trump’s $1.8B fund isn’t officially open yet. That hasn’t stopped applications.
Applications are already rolling into the Justice Department from hopefuls aiming for some of the nearly $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund, even though the process can’t officially begin until commissioners are chosen to decide how the money is doled out.
The fund was announced this week, part of an unprecedented settlement between Trump, two of his sons and the Trump Organization and the government he oversees over the leak of his tax returns. He agreed to drop legal claims in exchange for creating the fund.
It’s not clear yet how people are expected to formally apply. The pool of possible applicants is substantial, according to a Justice Department overview that was sent to GOP Senate offices yesterday.
GOP lawmaker says Rep. Tom Kean told him he’ll return to Congress in June
Rep. Richard Hudson, chair of the House Republicans’ campaign arm, said Rep. Tom Kean, R-N.J., called him yesterday afternoon to say he would return to the Capitol in June.
“I got no details about his condition, but I talked to him,” Hudson, R-N.C., told reporters as he left the House floor. “He sounded like the same old Tom. He said he’ll be back in June.”
Hudson said he didn’t ask Kean why he had been gone. “I think he’ll address it when he’s back,” Hudson said, adding that Kean assured him that he is running for re-election.
Kean spoke to the New Jersey Globe yesterday in his first interview since he last voted at the Capitol on March 5. “My doctors are confident that I’m on the road to a full recovery,” he said.
Two county Republican chairs in Kean’s New Jersey district also confirmed to NBC News that Kean called them yesterday.
“He’s doing great,” Joe LaBarbera, chair of the Sussex County Republican Committee, said in a phone call. “We had a great talk, and he says he’s going to win this election and he’s very confident. And he said, ‘Stand by.’ He goes, ‘We’re going to be hitting the road.’”
LaBarbera said he hadn’t been concerned about Kean’s absence. “His team assured me that everything was fine and that it was a private matter. I took it, I took it at value, because nothing Tom’s ever said or done has ever let me down.”
LaBarbera said that before his absence Kean was usually “always on speed dial whenever you need him.”
Carlos Santos, chair of the Union County Republicans, also confirmed in a text message that he spoke to Kean.
Senate Republicans cancel votes amid fight over Trump’s ‘anti-weaponization’ fund
Objections to the Trump administration’s controversial “anti-weaponization” fund prompted Senate Republican leaders yesterday to punt a vote on a GOP package to fund ICE and the Border Patrol until June, two GOP sources familiar with the discussions told NBC News.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., had aimed to get the reconciliation package through the Senate and on to the House before the Memorial Day holiday. But GOP senators emerged from a closed-door briefing with top Justice Department officials about the fund with more questions than answers, and it became clear that Republicans did not have consensus on moving forward.
House Republicans pull Iran war powers resolution from floor vote
House Republicans yesterday delayed a vote on a war powers resolution that would restrict Trump's ability to continue U.S. military operations in Iran after it became clear that the legislation would pass.
Lawmakers will have to vote on the resolution in June, however, after they return from their Memorial Day recess.
Congressional support for the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, which Trump launched on Feb. 28 without lawmakers’ approval, has been slipping even among Republicans as the conflict disrupts global energy supplies and sends U.S. gas prices soaring.
Trump to swear in Kevin Warsh as Federal Reserve chairman
Trump will participate in the swearing-in ceremony for incoming Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh this morning. Warsh succeeds outgoing Chairman Jerome Powell, a frequent target of the president over his refusals to quickly lower interest rates.
The president will then head to New York to campaign for Rep. Mike Lawler, whose swing district is a top target for Democrats in the upcoming midterm elections.
