California gubernatorial candidates spar over affordability and taxes on debate stage
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Seven candidates faced off against one another in a debate hosted by NBC Los Angeles and Telemundo 52.
What to know today
- CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR'S RACE: Candidates seeking to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom got into it quickly by hurling criticisms at one another on issues like affordability and taxes in tonight's debate hosted by NBC Los Angeles and Telemundo 52.
- LOS ANGELES MAYOR: Candidates running for mayor of Los Angeles squared off tonight in a televised debate, also hosted by NBC Los Angeles and Telemundo 52. Spencer Pratt and Nithya Raman are both seeking to oust Mayor Karen Bass.
- LUTNICK TESTIMONY: Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick testified before the House Oversight Committee in a closed hearing about his connections to Jeffrey Epstein, including his 2012 visit to Epstein's island. Lutnick has denied any wrongdoing and has not been accused of any impropriety tied to Epstein.
- FBI SEARCH: The FBI searched the office of a prominent Democratic Virginia state lawmaker who helped spearhead the state’s redistricting push. The search is connected to a long-running public corruption investigation into her that has roots in the Biden era, a source familiar with the matter told NBC News.
California gubernatorial debate has wrapped
An hourlong debate that featured a fair share of punches thrown has wrapped up.
No other debates among the California gubernatorial candidates are scheduled before the June 2 primary.
Villaraigosa and Mahan gang up on Becerra
Villaraigosa, the former mayor of Los Angeles, and Mahan, the mayor of San Jose, teamed up against Becerra, who has emerged as a top contender.
Villaraigosa and Mahan both accused Becerra of "failing" on immigration during his time as health and human services secretary in the Biden administration.
"There is a direct line between his failed leadership and Donald Trump being in the White House," Mahan said.
Becerra responded by calling their points "Trump lies."
"Lies don't become facts because you're a Democrat and Trump was a Republican," Becerra said.
In tense exchange, Porter says she won't be 'lectured' by Bianco
During a particularly tense exchange with Bianco, Porter said she refused to be lectured by Bianco.
After Bianco interrupted her during her response to a question about sanctuary policy, Porter quipped, “Sir, I don’t need any lectures from you about being a mother.”
“You might,” Bianco replied.
Porter hit back again, saying, “All you have done this evening is shout past me and not given me a chance to respond.”
“I’m not going to be lectured,” she added a moment later.
The strained exchange was particularly notable because Porter has faced questions about er temperament.
Her campaign got off to a rocky start after videos showing her yelling at a staffer and engaging in a tense interview with a local TV reporter made waves nationally. (Porter apologized after each clip surfaced last year.)
Progressive groups and lawmakers have acknowledged in interviews with NBC News that those videos contributed to their decisions to endorse Steyer over her.
Becerra and Hilton spar again
Recent polling has shown Hilton and Becerra emerging as two of the top candidates, and in recent debates the pair have sparred frequently as both try to appear as their party’s front-runners.
It was no different tonight.
“Some of these Democrats on the stage, they talk as if we’re in some parallel universe where Democrats haven’t been running the state for the last 16 years of one-party rule. I mean, you look at Xavier — 36 years he’s been a career politician for Democrats,” Hilton said.
Becerra hit back a moment later, retorting: “What does a Fox News talking head know about running government? You’ve never balanced a budget the size of California’s.”
'Cálmate': Becerra to Villaraigosa
Becerra and Villaraigosa got into a back-and-forth when Villaraigosa interrupted Becerra’s answer about homelessness.
“I don’t know what that had to do with homelessness, but cálmate,” or “calm down,” Becerra told Villaraigosa.
Tom Steyer remains only candidate who supports proposed billionaire tax
The seven candidates were asked whether they backed a billionaire tax that is likely to appear on the California ballot this fall.
All but Tom Steyer said they were opposed to it.
Steyer said that “if it’s on the ballot, I’d sign it.”
The proposed tax seeks to implement a one-time 5% tax on the assets of Californians whose net worth exceeds $1.1 billion, as well as a smaller tax on individuals worth $1 billion to $1.1 billion. The taxes would apply retroactively to anyone living in the state on Jan. 1, 2026.
It would also require the state to spend the resulting revenue almost entirely on healthcare.
The healthcare union that drafted the proposal announced last month that it had collected more than 1.5 million signatures for petitions calling for the proposed tax — nearly twice the required number of valid signatures.
Candidates throw criticisms in opening quarter of debate
Despite a warning from the moderators at the top of debate to avoid the “food fight” that occurred in last night’s tense faceoff, the seven candidates tonight didn’t waste any time in going after one another.
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, right off the bat, slammed the two Republicans onstage, saying, “We do not need the leadership that MAGA candidates on this stage are offering — that’s divisive,” and he also took aim at Tom Steyer, saying, “We don’t need the leadership of a billionaire who’s now against everything he made his money in.”
Republican Chad Bianco ripped Democrats during a segment about affordability, saying solutions posed by members of the opposite party “are exactly why you can’t afford to live here anymore and why you will never be able to afford to live here in California anymore.”
Steve Hilton, meanwhile, hit Mahan, claiming San Jose was “rated the least affordable for housing in the world.”
“If we want change in California on all these issues, we can’t keep doing the same thing over and over again,” Hilton said.
Candidates spar over housing affordability in California
The first question in the gubernatorial debate was about affordable housing, with all candidates agreeing there’s an affordability crisis in the state.
The two Republicans onstage — Trump-endorsed Steve Hilton and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco — argued for simpler regulations.
Billionaire Tom Steyer pushed for policies like shortening permitting times and increasing density near public transportation, while former Rep. Katie Porter said building faster would allow for cheaper building. San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan touted his track record expanding housing in his city.
California gubernatorial debate kicks off
Tonight’s debate between the candidates in California’s race for governor — the second in two days — is now underway.
Seven candidates are facing off in the debate, including Democrats Xavier Becerra and Tom Steyer and Republicans Steve Hilton and Chad Bianco.
With less than a month before the June 2 all-party primary — and with ballots for early voting already sent — the race still lacks a clear front-runner.
Recent polling has shown support divided among Becerra, Steyer, Hilton and Bianco.
Candidates from all parties will appear on the primary ballot, with the top two vote-getters advancing to the November general election.
Trump asks appeals court to pause ruling in E. Jean Carroll case pending a Supreme Court decision
Trump asked a federal appeals court to pause its ruling rejecting his challenge to E. Jean Carroll’s $83 million defamation case against him as he looks to take the case to the Supreme Court.
Trump asked the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York to halt its ruling so he can present questions relating to presidential immunity and the Westfall Act to the high court.
Carroll, a writer, won the damages after a federal jury decided that Trump defamed her when he repeatedly denied her accusation that he sexually abused her in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room in 1996.
The federal appeals court issued a ruling last week rebuffing Trump’s request for a hearing by the full bench of judges, or an “en banc” hearing, to challenge the $83 million Carroll won in 2024. The ruling opened the way for Trump to petition the Supreme Court.
Chief Justice John Roberts says American public wrongly views the justices as ‘political actors’
Chief Justice John Roberts defended the Supreme Court today from what he believes are misconceptions held by the American people that he and his colleagues are “political actors” who are making decisions based on policy, not law.
Speaking at a conference for lawyers and judges in Hershey, Roberts said the Supreme Court is required to make decisions that are not popular and bemoaned that there is not a better understanding among the public of how the court operates.
“I think at a very basic level, people think we’re making policy decisions, [that] we’re saying we think this is what things should be as opposed to this is what the law provides,” he said. “I think they view us as truly political actors, which I don’t think is an accurate understanding of what we do. I would say that’s the main difficulty.”
Indiana Republicans who lost their jobs after bucking Trump have ‘zero regrets’
After a group of Indiana Republican legislators rejected their party’s redistricting plan last year, they faced public ridicule from Trump and millions of dollars in negative attack ads, with several ultimately losing their jobs yesterday.
But three of those state senators told NBC News today that they have no second thoughts about the vote that put them in the spotlight and led to their defeats at the hands of Trump-backed challengers.
“I have zero regrets,” state Sen. Greg Walker, a 20-year veteran of the chamber, said after he lost to state Rep. Michelle Davis.
“No,” state Sen. Jim Buck, who at 80 has served in the Legislature for more than three decades, said when he was asked whether he regretted his vote against the redrawn congressional map. “My district told me overwhelmingly to vote no, and that’s what I did.”
Sen. Dave McCormick says he hasn't talked to Fetterman about changing parties but would welcome him in the GOP
Sen. Dave McCormick, R-Pa., told NBC Philadelphia that he has not talked to Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., about whether he would switch to the Republican Party, but he said that should Fetterman do so, he would “welcome him, of course.”
Fetterman, who often bucks Senate Democrats, has been the subject of speculation about whether he would switch parties. Amid slim Senate margins, the move could shift the chamber's majority following midterm elections. Fetterman told NBC News’ “Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker in an interview last month that although he finds consensus with Republicans, he is a Democrat.
McCormick said of Fetterman: “I feel blessed to have him as my colleague. We’ve developed a real relationship of trust.”
“I haven’t talked about his party. I don’t know what his political path is or what his strategy is. I just know I feel lucky to have him as my colleague and fellow senator,” McCormick said, adding that he has not tried to influence Fetterman’s decision.
Giuliani out of the ICU, spokesperson says
Rudy Giuliani is out of intensive care but remains hospitalized, his spokesperson Ted Goodman said tonight on X.
“The mayor and his family appreciate the outpouring of love and prayers sent his way,” Goodman wrote.
Goodman said over the weekend that Giuliani, the former New York mayor, was in “critical but stable condition.” He revealed Monday that Giuliani was being treated for pneumonia and had started to breathe on his own once again.
City Council member Nithya Raman pushes back against Pratt, Bass on affordable housing plans
Los Angeles City Council member Nithya Raman criticized Pratt's continued digs at "drug addicts" and described how he would address homelessness and affordable housing in the city.
"This is a MAGA Republican's idea of what Los Angeles looks like," Raman said. "This is really not the city that that I love so much."
He was responding to Pratt’s saying, “When I enforce the law and clear the street of the drug addicts that have taken over 40 blocks of downtown L.A., abandoned buildings that have drug addicts just lighting them on fire every other day, I will have potentially 20,000 units available to build.”
Raman also pushed back against Bass' efforts to increase affordable housing.
"What we need to do is make sure that the city gets out of the way," he said. "Right now, on average, the city takes over a year and a half to approve multifamily housing, apartments — exactly the kind of housing that we desperately need in order to bring prices down. Why is the city standing in the way?"
Spencer Pratt says he blames Bass for his house burning down
Spencer Pratt, a former reality star running for mayor, took aim at Bass over the loss of his home in the Palisades Fire.
"I blame this person for burning my house and my parents' house and my town, all my neighbors, down," Pratt said at the debate.
Pratt, who starred on MTV's "The Hills," gained traction online last year after he spoke out against Bass and the city's handling of the city's wildfires. Pratt, the only Republican candidate onstage tonight, has pledged to bring "a new golden age for Los Angeles."
L.A. Mayor Karen Bass makes pitch for another term after devastating wildfires
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass took the first question of tonight's mayoral debate and made her case for why she deserves another term following widespread criticism over her handling of last year's wildfires.
"You know, when I took over as mayor, L.A. was definitely facing an awful lot of tough problems, and obviously Jan. 7 was horrible," Bass said. "I have told you before, it was one of the worst moments of my life to not be here when my city needed me, and it didn't matter where I was or why I was away."
Bass was in Ghana when the wildfires began in January 2025. When she returned to Los Angeles, she came under criticism for her absence.
"To me, it reminds me of, like, if you're away and a family member is in an accident, but I think that I deserve a second term. And I'm going to fight for that, because we have made significant progress in a variety of areas," she said, touting her efforts on homelessness and affordable housing.
State Sen. Greg Walker joins "Meet the Press NOW" after his loss to a Trump-backed candidate for the Indiana state Senate after he and other Republicans opposed a Trump-backed redistricting plan in the state.
Lutnick interview wraps; Comer praises his transparency
Lutnick's deposition has wrapped after roughly four hours. Before the interview finished, committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., told reporters that Lutnick had been "very transparent."
He criticized Democrats' characterization of Lutnick's testimony and portrayed him as being eager to answer the committee's questions about his encounters with Epstein.
"Right off the bat, he corrected his statement on the time that he came to the island," Comer said, and he explained that "somehow Epstein found out that his family and friends were going to be vacationing in the Caribbean or around the Virgin Islands, and they, he invited them to lunch, and they docked there for, he thinks, no more than two hours. It was his wife and four other family members, and then six, six, so there were 12 in a group. They didn’t go in the house or anything there."
Democrats, Comer said, “repeated the exact same questions because there’s only so many questions you can ask Howard Lutnick, who lived, had a property next door to Epstein in New York, but talked to him three times over a decade.”
"I feel like that Lutnick has been very transparent. He came in voluntarily," Comer said. "We’ll continue our investigation, and if we find that there were any misstatements by Lutnick, it’s a — it’s a felony to lie to Congress, and he’ll be held accountable. It’s too bad it’s not a felony for a member of Congress to lie to the media, or we would be, we would have a lot of Democrats that would be having to lawyer up right now."
Democrats criticize Lutnick's 'embarrassing' testimony
Democrats on the Oversight Committee ripped Lutnick's appearance during a break in the interview, with Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., calling it "embarrassing" and saying he "made a farce of the English language."
"Well, now we know why that interview was not videotaped. If Donald Trump had seen the video transcript, he would have fired Howard Lutnick. It was really embarrassing," said Khanna, one of the co-authors of the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
Rep. James Walkinshaw, D-Va., also complained about the lack of video and said the American people “deserve to see the sweat on the secretary’s brow as he struggles to answer basic questions about his lies to the American people.”
Khanna said Lutnick offered a tortured explanation for his past failure to mention his 2012 trip to Epstein’s island, even though he’d said on a podcast that he’d had nothing to do with Epstein after 2005 because he thought he was "gross."
It "was just contortions and lies and no acknowledgment that he misled the American public," Khanna said. Lutnick "was trying to define 'I,' as if saying that, what he really meant is that he would not see Epstein alone but be totally fine with having his wife and kids, kids see Epstein. It made no sense," he added.
Rep. Yassamin Ansari, D-Ariz., said Lutnick told the committee he "essentially didn't know" about the large number of sexual abuse allegations against Epstein at the time.
"I asked him, ‘How did I, as a child at the time, see this all over the media about Jeffrey Epstein and you, as an adult who was this person’s neighbor, who had engaged with him before, how could you possibly not have known?’" she said.
"I think of all of the depositions that we have done so far, I find Howard Lutnick to be the least credible with the way that he just refuses to acknowledge how misleading his statements were. I mean that, quite frankly, he lied in the podcast, but he refuses to acknowledge that."
Lutnick tells committee about his encounters with Epstein
Lutnick recalled three personal encounters during his testimony, including some more details about his 2012 trip to his private island, a source familiar with the testimony said.
The encounters with Epstein, who was Lutnick's next-door neighbor in New York City from 2005 to 2019, included a previously disclosed 2005 tour of his mansion with Lutnick and his wife and the island trip with his family, which was first revealed in Epstein-related files released by the Justice Department and later confirmed by Lutnick in congressional testimony.
Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
Lutnick said he also met with him one additional time to discuss scaffolding in Epstein’s foyer, the source said. It's unclear when that was.
While Lutnick had testified before the Senate that he couldn’t recall how the island trip came about, he told the committee he'd been invited while he on a trip in the U.S. Virgin Islands with family members and friends. Lutnick told the committee he didn't know how Epstein’s assistant knew he was in the Virgin Islands and that he found that to be unsettling, the source said, adding that he said he'd had a short lunch with family members and friends.
At a Senate hearing this year, Lutnick said there was nothing “untoward” about the visit.
He said he never saw Epstein with any young women and never witnessed anything inappropriate with young women, the source said. Lutnick hasn't been accused of any wrongdoing in connection with Epstein.
FBI searches office of Virginia lawmaker who helped lead redistricting push
The FBI searched the office of a prominent Democratic Virginia state lawmaker who helped lead the state’s redistricting push.
The FBI confirmed that law enforcement activity took place today at the address of state Senate President Pro Tempore L. Louise Lucas’ office in Portsmouth. The search is connected to a long-running public corruption investigation into her that has roots in the Biden era, a source familiar with the matter told NBC News.
Federal agents also searched a nearby business co-owned by Lucas called The Cannabis Outlet. Fox News first reported the development.
The FBI said in a statement that “there is no threat to public safety.”
“This is an ongoing investigation,” the statement continued, adding that no “further information is publicly available at this time.”
Trump complains defense companies aren't manufacturing equipment 'fast enough'
Trump complained in remarks at a White House event this afternoon that defense companies are not manufacturing equipment "fast enough."
"I've given a special edict that the defense companies who have the best equipment — they're not making it fast enough, and now they're all building plants all over the place — I said you're not allowed to buy back stock anymore," Trump said at an event for military mothers.
Trump was referring to an executive order he signed in January that blocks defense contractors from paying dividends or buying back stock until "they are able to produce a superior product, on time and on budget."
"I told some of these people that are making millions and millions of dollars: 'You got to reduce your salary. I'm going to reduce your salary. You're going to put it into weapons,'" Trump said today.
Especially in light of the war in Iran, critics have questioned the dwindling U.S. weapons stockpile. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth testified at a congressional hearing last week that it could take "months or years" to rebuild the stockpile.
Oversight chair says answers will show Lutnick's 'credibility'
Speaking to reporters on his way into his committee's questioning of Lutnick about his ties to Jeffrey Epstein, House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., said the panel would ask him about contradictory statements he has made about their relationship.
"We’re going to ask him all these questions, and we’ll let the American people judge whether the credibility was damaged or not at the end of the day," Comer said. While Lutnick said in an interview that he stopped having anything to do with Epstein in 2005, records released in the Epstein files showed he had traveled to his island and corresponded with him until 2018.
"I haven’t seen wrongdoing in the email correspondence, but he wasn’t 100% truthful with whether he or not he had been on the island, so we’ll see, and we’ll obviously release the transcripts, and everyone can see for themselves," Comer said.
Lutnick has denied any wrongdoing and has not been accused of any impropriety tied to Epstein.
Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, D-Va., told reporters, "We have a lot of questions about his motives and some of his words that he said."
He also complained that Lutnick's questioning and former Attorney General Pam Bondi's upcoming appearance before the committee are not being recorded on camera.
"I think it’s outrageous that we’re not putting these on camera. Why not? Why not be transparent with the American people?" he said.
Comer told reporters that "we don’t video people that come in voluntarily" and that "at the end of the day, the transcript's the most important thing."
Federal prosecutors charge Texas man accused of shooting at Secret Service on the National Mall
Federal prosecutors charged a 45-year-old man from Texas today, two days after he was accused of opening fire at Secret Service officers on the National Mall.
Michael Marx, of Midland, was charged with assaulting federal officers with a dangerous weapon, using and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
“We will prove this defendant carried an illegal firearm into the heart of Washington, D.C., opened fire at Secret Service officers near a crowded intersection, and shot an innocent bystander who was simply crossing the street with his family,” U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said in a statement.
Prosecutors say a Secret Service agent first saw Marx appearing to conceal a firearm at an intersection near the Washington Monument. As Secret Service agents began to track him, Vice President JD Vance's motorcade left the White House and passed through an intersection nearby.
The complaint says that as Marx fled, he drew a firearm from his waistband as he ran running through a crosswalk toward bystanders.
Prosecutors say that Marx fired at one of the officers and that a civilian standing behind the officer was wounded in a leg. Officers then shot Marx several times.
In the ambulance on the way to the hospital, he is alleged to have told officers “f--- the White House” and “kill me, kill me, kill me.”
Kevin Hassett: 'They’re spending more on gasoline, but they’re spending more on everything else, too'
Kevin Hassett, the director of the White House National Economic Council, said in an interview on Fox's "Mornings with Maria" that Americans were spending more money on credit cards, framing it as a positive sign for the economy.
He has responding to a question from anchor Maria Bartiromo about his expectation for the state of U.S. jobs for the rest of the year.
"It's going to be very, very strong," he said, arguing that Americans were benefiting from the Trump administration's tax policies.
"The consumer is really, really firing on all cylinders, just like the corporate sector, you're seeing in the earnings reports, and they're doing that because they have so much more money in their pockets," he said.
Hassett said that he met with the head of a bank yesterday and that the two reviewed credit card data.
"Just as Secretary Bessent said, credit card spending is through the roof," he said, referring to a quote from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent that Fox played moments earlier. "They're spending more on gasoline, but they're spending more on everything else, too."
Before Bartiromo's question, Fox had played a clip of Bessent in a separate interview over the weekend touting the Trump administration's tax policy and arguing that the "consumer is very strong." Bessent said the administration was in touch with banks and credit card companies, "and they're saying that all quintiles of the distribution group is very strong."
House Oversight Democrats to hold field hearing in Palm Beach about Epstein investigation
House Oversight Committee Democrats plan to hold a field hearing in Palm Beach, Florida, on Tuesday about the investigation into Epstein.
The hearing will feature Epstein survivors, Democrats on the panel, expert witnesses and Florida Democratic legislators.
"Palm Beach, Florida is where Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes first came to light, and where prosecutors offered Epstein a sweetheart deal that allowed him to continue his crimes. Palm Beach is also home to Mar-a-lago, President Donald Trump’s primary residence and private club," the committee said in an advisory for the hearing.
Trump dismisses concerns about White House ballroom costs
Trump dismissed concerns when he was asked in an interview today with PBS News whether he was worried about the price tag of the White House ballroom renovation project he has championed this year amid rising gas prices across the country.
“No, we need it. We need it. No, no, it’s a tiny — it’s one one-millionth of a percent of what we do. That’s a small deal. And I’m putting up a lot of money myself. So, you know, it’s largely financed by me," Trump said.
Over the last year, Trump has promised that the project would largely be funded by private donors. But yesterday, Republicans in Congress proposed a $1 billion earmark in their reconciliation bill for security upgrades related to the construction.
Trump added: "All that they’re doing is financing some security. And it’s not a billion dollars. It’s just a few, what’s needed for security. It’s a small fraction of that. But no, not at all, because I’m putting up 100, I’m putting up $400 million.”
Tennessee Republicans unveil proposed congressional map that would eliminate the state's only Democratic district
Republican legislative leaders took their first tangible steps toward redrawing the state's congressional map after the U.S. Supreme Court's major voting rights ruling last week.
Newly proposed district lines would carve up the Memphis areas in a way that would unseat the state’s only Democratic congressman, Rep. Steve Cohen, who represents a majority-Black district. Republicans currently represent eight of Tennessee's nine congressional districts.
As part of the suite of legislation filed today, Republican lawmakers are also seeking to change a law that only allows Tennessee to enact new maps once each decade.
State House Speaker Cameron Sexton and Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson said they expect both chambers to hold floor votes on the proposal tomorrow.
Lutnick arrives for Epstein interview
Lutnick arrived for his voluntary transcribed interview with the House Oversight Committee moments ago. He did not respond to questions as he walked to the room in one of the House office buildings.
Former Sen. Debbie Stabenow endorses Rep. Haley Stevens in Michigan Democratic Senate primary
Former Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., waded into the Michigan Democratic Senate primary with an endorsement for Rep. Haley Stevens.
"Haley has the track record and the Michigan grit to lower costs and get things done for Michigan families," Stabenow said in a YouTube video posted by Stevens' campaign. "And equally important at this very critical time, I know she can beat Mike Rogers in the general election."
"The stakes have never been higher, and Haley Stevens is the right person at the right time for Michigan," she continued.
This is Stabenow's first endorsement in a Senate primary, Stevens' team said.
Stevens is one of three prominent primary candidates. She's facing off against state Sen. Mallory McMorrow and former Wayne County health director Abdul El-Sayed.
Trump says the war will end 'assuming Iran agrees to give what has been agreed to'
Trump said in a Truth Social post that if "Iran agrees to give what has been agreed to," the war "will be at an end" and the Strait of Hormuz would reopen.
"Assuming Iran agrees to give what has been agreed to, which is, perhaps, a big assumption, the already legendary Epic Fury will be at an end, and the highly effective Blockade will allow the Hormuz Strait to be OPEN TO ALL, including Iran," he said in the post.
"If they don’t agree, the bombing starts, and it will be, sadly, at a much higher level and intensity than it was before," Trump said.
It is unclear what he was referring to when he mentioned "what has been agreed to."
Trump defends price tag of White House ballroom, doesn't mention potential taxpayer funding
Trump again defended the White House ballroom project and its price tag in a post to Truth Social.
He said that the cost of the ballroom had doubled to about $400 million because "after deep rooted studies, it is approximately twice the size, and a far higher quality, than the original proposal, which would not have been adequate to handle the necessary events, meetings, and even future Inaugurations."
He did not mention the $1 billion proposal for security enhancements related to the East Wing Modernization Project, which includes the White House ballroom. Republicans are proposing that an immigration and Border Patrol funding bill include $1 billion for "security adjustments and upgrades" related to the project, "including above-ground and below-ground security features."
Instead, Trump claimed that the ballroom is "coming in ahead of schedule, and under budget!"
Trump had previously said multiple times that taxpayer dollars would not be used for the project.
Howard Lutnick faces congressional showdown after Epstein files revealed island visit
Over the years, the households of New York financier Jeffrey Epstein and billionaire businessman Howard Lutnick, now the Commerce Department secretary, overlapped in seemingly conventional ways, like the need for a good painter. Another time, Epstein received the resume for Lutnick’s nanny.
They were, after all, next-door neighbors for more than a decade in an elite Upper East Side enclave of Manhattan.
But their lives also intersected in far more influential or personal ways, such as when in 2012 Lutnick, his wife and their four young children sailed on a yacht to have lunch with Epstein on his private Caribbean island. Or seven months later, when an aide to then-Prince Andrew wanted Epstein’s opinion about Lutnick, then the CEO of the Wall Street brokerage and investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald.
“What is your view on Howard Lutnick? Just met him with PA,” wrote the aide, referring to Andrew, who was angling to do business with Cantor Fitzgerald.
