White House confirms second Sept. 2 strike on alleged drug boat; Indiana lawmakers take up redistricting
This version of Trump Indiana Redistricting Ukraine Live Updates Rcna246480 - Politics and Government | NBC News Clone was adapted by NBC News Clone to help readers digest key facts more efficiently.
President Donald Trump has pushed state legislators in Indiana to approve the maps, which would benefit Republicans, starting with the 2026 midterm elections.
What to know today
- BOAT STRIKES: The White House confirmed media reports that said there was a second strike on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean on Sept. 2, which killed the survivors of an initial strike. The House and the Senate have begun inquiries into the second strike.
- INDIANA REDISTRICTING: Indiana Republican state lawmakers released a new congressional map proposal today designed to net the party two seats in next year’s midterm elections. The move comes after significant pressure from President Donald Trump.
- TRUMP'S MRI: The White House physician wrote in a memo released today that Trump's MRI from an October checkup was of his cardiovascular system and abdomen and that all of the imaging was “perfectly normal.”
- ALINA HABBA: In a loss for Trump, an appeals court upheld a lower court ruling disqualifying Habba from her position as acting U.S. attorney for the District of New Jersey.
Coverage of this live blog has ended. For the latest news, click here.
Kristi Noem calls for new travel ban after National Guard shooting
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said today she is recommending a “full travel ban” from countries that are “flooding our nation with killers, leeches, and entitlement junkies.”
“I just met with the President. I am recommending a full travel ban on every damn country that’s been flooding our nation with killers, leeches, and entitlement junkies,” Noem wrote on X.
“Our forefathers built this nation on blood, sweat, and the unyielding love of freedom—not for foreign invaders to slaughter our heroes, suck dry our hard-earned tax dollars, or snatch the benefits owed to AMERICANS.WE DON’T WANT THEM. NOT ONE,” she added.
The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment about which countries Noem was referring to tonight.
Publishing house of Franklin the Turtle issues statement after Pete Hegseth uses the character in post about boat strikes
The publishing house of Franklin the Turtle issued a statement after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth included what appeared to be an artificial intelligence-generated image of the children’s book character in a post titled “Franklin Targets Narco Terrorists.”
“Franklin the Turtle is a beloved Canadian icon who has inspired generations of children and stands for kindness, empathy, and inclusivity,” the publishing house, Kids Can Press, wrote tonight in a statement on X.
“We strongly condemn any denigrating, violent, or unauthorized use of Franklin’s name or image, which directly contradicts these values,” the statement read.
In the image Hegseth posted over the weekend, the character stands on a helicopter aiming a machine gun at a boat. The post followed news reports that the Defense Department carried out a second strike on an alleged drug boat Sept. 2, which the White House confirmed today.
Trump calls in to telerally for Tennessee GOP House candidate on eve of special election
Trump tonight called in to a telerally for voters in Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District, encouraging them to get out and vote for Republican candidate Matt Van Epps in tomorrow's special election.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., introduced Trump at the rally, where Trump called the election "a big deal" on account of the slim GOP majority in the House.
“This is a big deal because now we’re, like, three votes up on the radical left, and this would be a wonderful victory for us,” Trump said.
Trump has repeatedly pushed for his supporters to cast ballots in the race as it has become the target of millions of dollars of PAC spending with Democrats hopeful about their prospects, even though the deep-red district voted for Trump by more than 20 percentage points last year.
Trump encouraged supporters to get out the vote for Epps yesterday, too, posting on Truth Social that Epps had his “Complete and Total Endorsement.”
Sen. Mark Kelly says threats against him have gone up since Trump accused him of 'seditious behavior'
Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., said today that there has been an increase in threats against him and his wife, former Rep. Gabby Giffords, after Trump said Kelly and other Democratic lawmakers had engaged in “seditious behavior, “punishable by death.”
“You know, Gabby and I are no stranger to political violence. We get a lot of threats already. She continues to get threats. She gets threats on her life. More so today, because what Donald Trump said about me 10 days ago, that I should be hanged, that I should be executed, the threats on us have obviously gone up,” Kelly said.
Trump had said he wasn’t threatening the Democratic lawmakers.
Kelly is the focus of a Pentagon investigation and an FBI inquiry for having made a video with other Democratic lawmakers that called on troops to refuse illegal orders.
Kelly today also expressed his confidence in Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., who said in a statement over the weekend that the committee would conduct oversight into a second strike on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean on Sept. 2.
“I have confidence, tremendous confidence, in the chairman of the Armed Services Committee, Roger Wicker, senator from Mississippi, and the ranking member, Jack Reed, and I have spoken to him about this, and I know he’s going to try to do a thorough job. Where I don’t have a lot of confidence is in the secretary of defense,” Kelly said.
“I think he understands, you know, what we’re up against with this administration,” Kelly said of Wicker. “I wish he’d speak out a little bit more, but ... I think he’s going to try to do the right thing.”
Wicker told reporters today that he spoke to Hegseth about the Sept. 2 boat strikes and said he will be speaking to the admiral in charge of the operation. He added that he thinks it's "best that we get our classified briefings so that we’ll have the ground truth and also the documents and the video."
Trump indicated last month that his administration won't seek congressional approval to target drug traffickers.
Treasury secretary announces investigation into alleged tax fraud in Minnesota
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said today that his department will investigate allegations that Minnesota tax dollars have been diverted to the terrorist organization Al-Shabaab.
"At my direction, @USTreasury is investigating allegations that under the feckless mismanagement of the Biden Administration and Governor Tim Walz, hardworking Minnesotans’ tax dollars may have been diverted to the terrorist organization Al-Shabaab," Bessent wrote on X. "We will share our findings as our investigation continues."
The announcement comes days after Trump wrote on social media that Somalis were “completely taking over the once great state of Minnesota." In the same post, he called Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the 2024 Democratic vice presidential nominee, “retarded.”
Walz responded to the attacks on NBC News' "Meet the Press" yesterday by chastising the Trump administration for "demonizing an entire group of people who came here fleeing civil war" and accused Trump of efforts to "deflect, demonize, come up with no solutions" with regard to tax fraud.
GOP senator says he has spoken with Pete Hegseth about the Sept. 2 boat strikes
Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., said today that he has spoken with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth about the Sept. 2 strikes on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean.
"I’ve spoken to the chairman of joint chiefs of staff, I’ve spoken to the secretary of defense and will be speaking to the admiral that was in charge of the operation," Wicker told reporters, referring to Navy Adm. Frank M. Bradley, who the White House said was in charge of the Sept. 2 operation.
Bradley is expected to be in Washington this week to speak with senior lawmakers about the Sept. 2 strikes, according to two people familiar with the matter.
"Well, the secretary did indicate, which has now been in the news media, that there was a second attack," Wicker said today. "And after that, I think it’s best that we get our classified briefings so that we’ll have the ground truth and also the documents and the video."
Wicker said his goal in the oversight process is to “get to the facts,” which he said could happen “to the extent that we’re able to see videos and see what the orders were.”
Trump signs two bills into law
Trump signed two bills into law this afternoon, the White House announced on social media.
The first, called the Medal of Honor Act, gives Medal of Honor recipients their first congressional pension raise in nearly 25 years. The measure increases the monthly special pension by nearly 500%, from just over $1,400 to $8,333, and establishes a monthly pension, also just over $1,400, for surviving spouses of recipients.
The second bill, called the SUPPORT for Patients and Communications Reauthorization Act of 2025, reauthorizes and revises public health programs administered by the Department of Health and Human Services that address responses to substance use disorders.
Costco sues the Trump administration, seeking a refund of tariffs
Costco Wholesale has sued the Trump administration, asking the Court of International Trade to consider all tariffs collected under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act unlawful.
The company said in a filing Friday that it is seeking a “full refund” of all duties under the act paid as a result of Trump’s executive order, which imposed what he called “reciprocal” tariffs.
“Because IEEPA does not clearly authorize the President to set tariffs ... the Challenged Tariff Orders cannot stand and the defendants are not authorized to implement and collect them,” Costco’s lawyer writes in the lawsuit.
The Supreme Court is reviewing the legality of Trump’s sweeping tariff agenda. In early November oral arguments, justices appeared skeptical about the government’s case to let them continue.
At least 11 Indiana Republicans were targeted with threats or swatting attacks amid redistricting pressure from Trump
At least 11 elected Republicans in Indiana have been the targets of swatting attacks and other threats in the weeks since Trump publicly pressured state lawmakers to approve a new congressional map that would benefit Republicans.
In a lengthy social media tirade on Nov. 16, Trump blasted Indiana state Senate Republicans for not supporting the effort, naming two state senators and Gov. Mike Braun. The next day, Trump said he would “strongly” endorse against anyone who opposes the push.
State House lawmakers began taking up redistricting legislation today, formally introducing the new map. The Senate is expected to do the same next week.
Republican Sen. Republican Mike Bohacek, who opposes redistricting, said in a statement today that he was the target of a bomb threat last week.
Chuck Schumer says there have been ‘multiple bomb threats’ to his New York offices
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said that several of his New York offices have faced bomb threats via an email with the subject line “MAGA.”
Law enforcement is addressing the matter, and no one has been hurt, Schumer said in a statement, thanking law enforcement for the response.
Indiana lawmaker denounces 'uncalled for and inappropriate' rhetoric about redistricting
In an interview with NBC News, Indiana state Sen. Andy Zay criticized the "uncalled for and inappropriate" rhetoric surrounding redistricting.
“There’s an awful lot of rhetoric flying around that’s just totally uncalled for and inappropriate out of people that have been politically active for a long time,” Zay said.
Zay had said his business was hit with a bomb threat on Nov. 21 — days after Trump publicly urged state Senate Republicans to approve their redistricting measure.
He said he doesn’t blame Trump specifically for the rhetoric.
Zay said he communicated with the people at the White House nearly every day for about a month, though communication has been sparser over the past week. He declined to say who at the White House he was speaking with and said the goal of the conversations was “how to message and educate.”
He said that he is in favor of redistricting efforts broadly but that the new map proposals “don’t seem to be the best effort." He said it was too early to decide how he would vote.
NBC News has asked the White House for comment on Zay’s remarks.
White House confirms second Sept. 2 boat strike
The White House confirmed today that the U.S. did launch a second strike on an alleged drug boat from Venezuela in early September and that it was ordered by Adm. Frank M. Bradley, who at the time headed the Joint Special Operations Command.
The follow-up strike killed the survivors of an initial U.S. strike on the vessel, which the Trump administration has said originated from Venezuela. Some lawmakers and legal experts say the second attack could constitute a war crime.
“With respect to the strikes in question on Sept. 2, Secretary Hegseth authorized Adm. Bradley to conduct these kinetic strikes,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement during today’s briefing.
“Adm. Bradley worked well within his authority and the law directing the engagement to ensure the boat was destroyed and the threat to the United States of America was eliminated,” she added.
White House said Trump underwent MRI on heart and abdomen in October, with his physician saying all was ‘normal’
The White House today released a summary of the results of a magnetic resonance imaging scan Trump underwent in what had been described as a “routine” physical in October, with his doctor saying he’s in “excellent” health.
The White House physician, Dr. Sean P. Barbabella, wrote in a memo that the MRI scanned Trump’s cardiovascular system and abdomen and that all of the imaging was “perfectly normal.” He said the imaging was done “because men in his age group benefit from a thorough evaluation of cardiovascular and abdominal health.”
Trump is 79.
“The purpose of this imaging is preventive: to identify issues early, confirm overall health, and ensure he maintains long-term vitality and function,” the memo says.
Indiana lawmakers release map proposal designed to give Republicans 2 more House seats
Indiana Republican state lawmakers released a new congressional map proposal today designed to net the party two seats in next year's midterm elections.
The draft map would divide Indianapolis, most of which is represented by Democratic Rep. Andre Carson, into four districts. It would also split the Lake Michigan shoreline area, which is represented by Democratic Rep. Frank Mrvan, into two districts. Republicans control seven of Indiana's nine congressional districts.
State House Republicans will consider the map this week, but it’s unclear whether the Senate will pass it. Senate President Pro Tempore Rodric Bray has repeatedly said there isn’t enough Republican support to pass a new map, despite pressure from Trump.
Last month, 19 Republicans joined with Democrats to vote against reconvening in December on redistricting. Since then, many of the GOP members who voted with Bray have faced harassment and threats.
N.C. Democrat to run for re-election despite redistricting setback
Rep. Don Davis, D-N.C., will run for re-election despite the state's newly approved congressional map, which makes his swing district more Republican-leaning.
The new map, approved by the Republican-controlled Legislature and cleared by a federal court last week, aims to help Republicans flip Davis' 1st Congressional District by redrawing the lines of what's already a battleground seat.
Davis, a former state senator, was first elected to Congress in 2022.
Senior adviser for Nancy Mace's South Carolina governor campaign resigns
Austin McCubbin, a senior adviser to Republican Rep. Nancy Mace’s campaign for governor of South Carolina, resigned today, accusing Mace on X of deciding “to turn her back on MAGA.”
McCubbin was South Carolina director for Trump’s 2024 campaign. Mace's campaign had touted his hiring as a move that "underscores Mace's commitment to the America First agenda."
The contested GOP primary for governor had already turned into a fight to win Trump’s endorsement — with Mace playing a big role in the battle.
In his post, McCubbin said Mace had “fully embraced” a super PAC that has supported Sen. Rand Paul and Rep. Thomas Massie, both R-Ky., Trump has been deeply critical of Paul and Massie, who have broken with him on multiple policy fronts.
“My name has been used publicly, while going back on her word to pay me, to trade on my Team Trump status and to work on her behalf with the White House, and I am 100% breaking with her campaign out of loyalty to the President,” McCubbin wrote. “The 2026 gubernatorial race has always been first and foremost a run for the President’s endorsement. South Carolina is Trump Country.”
In response, the Mace campaign said via a spokesperson that "Mr. McCubbin didn’t raise a dime for the campaign or better yet, never even bothered showing up. When he demanded $10,000 a month for 'services' and was told no, he ran straight to X. Good luck with that."
McCubbin said he first noticed that the Paul-affiliated PAC, Protect Freedom PAC, began spending on Mace’s behalf last month, though he did not make much of it at the time.
“When I talked to Nancy last Wednesday, it became clear she has fully embraced the Rand Paul PAC,” he added.
“Nancy Mace is wittingly or unwittingly a proxy for Rand Paul’s 2028 presidential campaign,” he continued. “That’s the straw that broke the camel’s back.”
McCubbin added that after he warned Mace of the political risks she would face, Mace “accused me of mansplaining, a woke term used by people who hate men, who ironically are her best demographic.”
“Anyone who knows me knows that I have nothing personally against Rand or Nancy,” he wrote. “This is about loyalty.”
“My advice to the President, my friends in the White House, and South Carolina Trump voters: scratch her name from the list,” McCubbin wrote.
Trump commutes 7-year prison sentence of former private equity CEO David Gentile
Trump has commuted former private equity CEO David Gentile’s seven-year prison sentence, a White House official confirmed.
Gentile was sentenced in May to seven years on wire and security fraud charges. According to the Bureau of Prisons’ database, Gentile was not in its custody as of Nov. 26. The White House “pardon czar,” Alice Marie Johnson, also confirmed Gentile’s release on X.
Trump says he’ll release MRI results and that he doesn’t know what part of his body was scanned
Trump said yesterday that he would release the results of the MRI test he underwent in October.
“If you want to have it released, I’ll release it,” he said in an exchange with reporters as he traveled back to Washington from Florida.
He said the results of the MRI were “perfect.”
Appeals court upholds ruling that disqualified Alina Habba from serving as New Jersey’s top prosecutor
The 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals today upheld a lower court ruling disqualifying Alina Habba from her position as acting U.S. attorney for the District of New Jersey.
The decision stems from a motion from Julien Giraud Jr., a New Jersey man who faced drug trafficking and firearm charges that predated Habba’s appointment.
Trump continues backlash against Democrats who tell troops not to obey illegal orders
In an overnight Truth Social post, Trump pointed to a law that makes it illegal for someone "with intent to interfere with, impair, or influence the loyalty, morale, or discipline of the military or naval forces of the United States" by urging someone to be insubordinate.
The penalty for violating the law is a fine and/or a prison sentence of up to 10 years.
"This is right on point," Trump said in his post. "DO WHAT HAS TO BE DONE!!!"
The post appeared to be a reference to Trump's criticism of Democratic lawmakers who released a video urging troops to refuse illegal orders. The president's backlash culminated in him accusing them of "seditious behavior" that he said was "punishable by death." He later walked back the comments, saying he was "not threatening death."
House and Senate return this afternoon
The House and the Senate will be back in session this afternoon after the Thanksgiving holiday. The first votes today are not expected until this evening.
Tomorrow, lawmakers will also be watching the results of a special election in Tennessee's 7th Congressional District, which is open after GOP Rep. Mark Green resigned from Congress this summer. Democratic state Rep. Aftyn Behn and Republican former state official Matt Van Epps will face off.
Trump promotes GOP candidate ahead of Tennessee special congressional election
Trump again urged Tennessee voters to support the Republican candidate in tomorrow's special election to fill an open congressional seat that was vacated when GOP Rep. Mark Green resigned this year.
"GET OUT AND VOTE FOR MATT VAN EPPS, who has my Complete and Total Endorsement — HE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!" he said in a post on Truth Social.
Trump pushed for people to support Republican Matt Van Epps, a former state official, over Democratic state Rep. Aftyn Behn.
The race has attracted outsized attention, despite Trump having carried the district by more than 20 points. Democrats have expressed optimism about their prospects, as off-year elections tend to generate less turnout overall and favor candidates who have more energized voters.
Trump to sign bills this afternoon
Trump is expected to sign congressional bills at 4 p.m., though the White House did not release details about which bills he is signing.
The Oval Office event is the only event on his public schedule today.
Indiana lawmakers to take up redistricting under pressure from Trump
Indiana state lawmakers will consider redistricting when they reconvene today, even though the GOP state Senate leader previously said there are not enough votes to redraw the map.
Trump has publicly pressured the state's Republican lawmakers to take up new maps to bolster the GOP's prospects to keep the House after next year's midterm elections.
It's unclear if lawmakers have changed their minds after the pressure campaign. The Indiana push is the latest in a series of redistricting efforts across the country.
House and Senate committees launch inquiries into second strike on alleged drug boat
Both the House and the Senate have started inquiries into a reported second strike on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean in September that killed the survivors of an initial strike.
The Defense Department conducted a second strike on a boat the Trump administration says was carrying drugs from Venezuela after the first strike on the boat failed to kill all of its occupants, one U.S. official and a source familiar with the Pentagon’s actions that day told NBC News.
Sen. Mark Kelly says Trump and Hegseth are ‘not serious people’ amid military video investigation
Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., said that Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth are “not serious people” in response to their comments about a video Kelly and several fellow Democrats made earlier this month urging military and intelligence personnel to “refuse illegal orders.”
“This president thinks he can bully and intimidate people, and he is not going to, he’s not going to stop me from speaking out and holding him accountable for the things that he does that are wrong and unlawful,” Kelly told NBC News’ “Meet the Press.”
Trump’s peace push heads to Moscow after ‘very productive’ U.S.-Ukraine talks
Trump says there’s a “good chance” for a deal, but his bid for peace now heads to the Kremlin and faces more work with Kyiv after what the United States described as “very productive” talks.
Special envoy Steve Witkoff is expected in the Russian capital to discuss changes that Kyiv and its allies have secured to the U.S. peace plan. Russian President Vladimir Putin signaled last week that he was ready to have a “serious” conversation, but has shown little sign of stepping away from his hard-line demands that formed the basis of the original 28-point proposal backed by Trump.
