Netanyahu visits the White House; Trump threatens more tariffs on trade partners
Catch up with NBC News Clone on today's hot topic: Trump Netanyahu Iran Tariff Letters Elon Musk Gop Bill Live Updates Rcna217061 - Politics and Government | NBC News Clone. Our editorial team reformatted this story for clarity and speed.
The U.S. is going to provide more weapons to Ukraine after having recently paused a shipment to the country, Trump said. He added that he's "not happy" with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
What to know today
- NETANYAHU IN WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met at the White House this evening. In remarks to reporters before their meeting, the two leaders said they continue to work toward a ceasefire agreement with Hamas.
- WEAPONS FOR UKRAINE: Trump said tonight that the United States is going to provide more weapons to Ukraine, after recently pausing a shipment to the country. He added that he's "not happy" with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
- TARIFF THREATS: Trump sent letters warning the leaders of several countries, including Japan and South Korea, that the United States would raise tariffs on them if a new trade deal isn't reached before Aug 1. He later told reporters that the August deadline is "firm, but not 100% firm."
Coverage of this live blog has ended. For the latest news, click here.
Mike Waltz scheduled to have Senate confirmation hearing for U.N. ambassador
Former national security adviser Mike Waltz, Trump’s pick to be U.N. ambassador, is scheduled to have his confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee next week, a source familiar with the matter told NBC News.
Axios first reported the expected confirmation hearing. The exact date has yet to be announced.
Trump announced Waltz as his pick for the position on May 1, but there had been no movement on his nomination until now. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Jim Risch, R-Idaho, chalked the delay up to the extensive amount of paperwork and documentation that needs to be accumulated and submitted for a nomination such as this, telling NBC News last month that Waltz had not needed to put that paperwork together for his previous position as national security adviser, a position that does not need Senate confirmation.
Waltz is sure to face questions from senators about his role in a Signal chat group that involved discussion of U.S. military strikes in Yemen and inadvertently included a journalist.
The UN ambassador position was originally offered to Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., whose nomination was pulled on March 27 after it had been stalled for months. Trump had cited needing Stefanik to stay in the razor-thin Republican majority in the House to help pass his signature piece of legislation, known as the "big, beautiful bill." The House sent the bill to Trump's desk last week with Stefanik voting for it.
Trump says new tariff deadline is 'firm but not 100% firm'
Trump said the new Aug. 1 tariff deadline he set today isn't exactly set in stone.
“If they call up and they, say, would like to do something a different way, we’re going to be open to that,” Trump said to reporters today, calling the deadline “firm but not 100% firm.”
Trump signed an executive order earlier today delaying the implementation date of tariffs on dozens of countries from Wednesday to Aug. 1.
Asked about his earlier promise of “90 deals in 90 days,” Trump argued he had delivered on that front, citing the letters he sent to numerous countries saying what their new tariff rates would be.
“As far as I’m concerned, we’re done,” Trump said.
Biden's former doctor requests postponement of his testimony to the House Oversight Committee
Kevin O’Connor, who was President Joe Biden’s physician during his time in the White House, has asked the House Oversight Committee to postpone his testimony in order to reach an agreement with the Republican-led panel on “substantial privilege and confidentiality interests.”
O’Connor is scheduled to give a deposition Wednesday as part of the committee's investigation into Biden's mental state and his use of an autopen while he was in office.
In a letter to Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., over the weekend, O’Connor’s lawyer asked that the testimony be delayed to the week of July 28 or Aug. 4 to allow discussions about doctor-patient privilege to continue. NBC News obtained a copy of the letter from O’Connor’s lawyer, David Schertler.
“It would be an unnecessary spectacle to require Dr. O’Connor to testify before your Committee next week without any accommodations for the well-established doctrine of doctor-patient confidentiality and to subject himself to potential criminal prosecution for contempt of Congress for doing the right thing — honoring his legal and ethical obligations to a patient,” Schertler wrote in the letter, dated Saturday.
A spokesperson for the committee called the letter “another delay tactic to stonewall the Oversight Committee’s investigation.” In a statement to NBC News, the spokesperson pointed to the ability of witnesses to assert privilege on question by question.
“To the extent that Dr. O’Connor wishes to assert privilege in response to specific questions, the Oversight Committee will follow that process at the deposition,” the spokesperson said. “Dr. O’Connor is not permitted to disregard a congressional deposition subpoena because he believes he may be asked questions that, in his view, will implicate privileged information.”
Trump says the U.S. will send more weapons to Ukraine
Trump said the United States is "going to send more weapons" to Ukraine, adding that it must be able to defend itself in its war against Russia.
“We have to,” Trump said when he was asked whether the United States will send more weapons. “We’re going to have to send more weapons, defensive weapons, primarily, but they’re getting hit very, very hard. So many people are dying in that mess.”
The Defense Department recently halted weapon shipments to Ukraine, citing concerns over the U.S. military’s stockpile. The decision blindsided Ukraine, European allies, members of Congress and the State Department.
NBC News reported last week that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth halted the weapons despite a military analysis that showed U.S. military readiness would not be affected by sending more munitions to Ukraine.
Trump tonight also said he was "not happy" with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"I’m disappointed, frankly, that President Putin hasn’t stopped. I’m not happy about it, either," Trump said.
Trump says no hold-up in push for an Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal
Trump expressed optimism tonight about reaching a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, saying he doesn't see a delay or an obstacle, despite the lack of an agreement.
Asked by a reporter what the “hold-up” was in accomplishing a deal, Trump responded: “I don’t think there is a hold-up. Well, I don’t think there’s a hold-up. I think things, I think things are going along very well.”
Trump made the remarks at the White House while he was seated across from Netanyahu.
Trump’s weekend at golf club clashes with his repeated criticism of Biden and Obama over their handling of natural disasters
Trump spent the holiday weekend at his New Jersey estate during the deadly flooding in Texas, even though he repeatedly criticized Democrats for spending time out of town during natural disasters.
In the aftermath of a hurricane that slammed North Carolina last year, Trump said of Kamala Harris on Oct. 9, “the worst hurricane response since Katrina, and she’s on a fundraising comedy tour while people are stranded and drowning all over some of our greatest states.”
A little over a week earlier, at a rally in Pennsylvania, he ripped President Joe Biden for not being in Washington to deal with the disaster. “Joe Biden is in Delaware sleeping right now in one of his many estates, one of his many estates. How did he get so many houses?” Trump asked, questioning why Harris was not already in the storm-struck states.
“So he’s at home sleeping in one of his many estates, and she’s in San Francisco, which she destroyed, trying to raise more money,” Trump told the crowd.
Trump had a similar criticism of Obama after he visited the site of widespread flood damage in Louisiana in 2016. “The devastation, likewise, they’ve never seen anything like it, but the spirit of the people is incredible, and, honestly, Obama ought to get off the golf course and get down there,” Trump said at the time.
Asked to comment on Trump's past remarks, a spokesperson for the White House called the question “pathetic click-bait” and maintained the situations are very different.
“Leave it to Fake News NBC to defend Joe Biden and Kamala Harris’s disastrous response to Hurricane Helene that left communities to fend for themselves,” spokesperson Abigail Jackson said in a statement, adding that Trump had to “clean up their mess” in North Carolina.
Trump is now “leading another historic recovery by mobilizing the resources needed to help Texas — and he will be there in person soon to see to it that the people are getting what they need,” she added.
Trump said this evening that he'll be in Texas on Friday. Yesterday, he told reporters that he had spoken with Gov. Greg Abbott and that "we’re working very close with representatives from Texas." He also signed a disaster declaration for Texas from his Bedminster property.
Trump signs executive order delaying tariff deadline again
The White House tonight released the text of an executive order Trump signed this afternoon delaying Wednesday's tariff deadline to Aug. 1.
“I have determined, based on additional information and recommendations from various senior officials, including information on the status of discussions with trading partners, that it is necessary and appropriate to extend the suspension ... until 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time on August 1, 2025,” the order says.
Trump said in April that tariff rates would be delayed until July 9.
Today's executive order, which White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced earlier in the day, goes on to say a separate tariff suspension from May 12 against China remains in effect and is unchanged.
Former Sen. Bob Menendez transferred to low-security prison in Pennsylvania
Bob Menendez, a Democratic former senator from New Jersey, has been transferred to a different federal correctional institution, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
A spokesperson said Menendez was transferred to FCI Allenwood Low in Allenwood, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday. The facility is described as a “low security federal correctional institution” on its website.
The spokesperson would not comment on why Menendez was moved.
Menendez began serving his 11-year sentence at FCI Shuylkill in Minersville, Pennsylvania, on June 17. That facility is described as a “medium security federal correctional institution with an adjacent minimum security satellite camp.”
Republicans plot a strategy to fend off Democratic onslaught against Trump megabill
The war over Trump’s megabill is just beginning, with both parties saying it will define the midterm elections next year, when control of Congress is up for grabs.
Republicans start on the back foot, with recent surveys showing the bill is unpopular, even with pro-Trump cohorts. Still, GOP leaders say they have a plan to turn things around and make the legislation Trump signed into law last week part of an offensive push to protect their House and Senate majorities.
Meanwhile, Democrats are gearing up for a political onslaught aimed at unseating Republicans who voted for it. The House Democrats’ campaign arm has already launched a digital ad buy on Meta across 35 GOP-held competitive districts slamming lawmakers for voting to harm rural hospitals. Part of Democrats’ strategy is to highlight that many Republicans who threatened to vote down the bill because of steep Medicaid cuts ended up voting for it anyway.
Trump releases fresh batch of letters threatening new tariffs on U.S. trade partners
Trump this afternoon posted more than a half-dozen letters that he sent to the leaders of U.S. trade partners, threatening new tariffs on seven countries.
He threatened the following tariff rates on these countries:
- 25% on Tunisia
- 30% on Bosnia and Herzegovina
- 32% on Indonesia
- 35% on Bangladesh
- 35% on Serbia
- 36% on Cambodia
- 36% on Thailand
Jeffries to meet with Mamdani next week
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said he is meeting next week with the Democratic nominee for mayor of New York, Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani.
In an interview on ABC's "The View," Jeffries said that Mamdani does not plan to defund the police and that their meeting next week will focus on Mamdani’s vision.
Jeffries pivoted to Mamdani’s focus on affordability throughout his campaign but never outright said whether he would endorse him. Though Jeffries has offered praise for Mamdani, he has stopped short of endorsing him (as have several other top Democratic politicians, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, also of New York).
“Well, you know, he’s actually said that he plans to keep the police fully funded. I’m scheduled to meet with him next week, and we’ll have a conversation about his vision,” Jeffries said. “He did run a campaign that was actually focused largely on affordability, and that was the right issue to focus on, because New York City is too expensive. America right now is too expensive.”
U.S. tariffs on European goods threaten to shake up the world’s largest trade relationship
The European Union, America’s largest trade partner, expects to find out today whether Trump will impose punishing tariffs on it in a move economists have warned would have repercussions for companies and consumers on both sides of the Atlantic.
Trump reveals 5 more letters to trading partners about tariffs
Trump posted more letters this afternoon threatening duties of as much as 40% on goods from Laos and Myanmar, along with tariffs of 30% for goods from South Africa and 25% for ones from Malaysia and Kazakhstan.
Markets had already opened the week lower after mixed messaging over the previous 72 hours from White House officials about the importance of Wednesday’s deadline, which Trump set in April after he relented on imposing the eye-watering country-by-country tariff levels he’d announced one week before.
After the two letters went live on Truth Social, markets briefly took another step lower, with the broad S&P 500 stock index falling as much as 1%.
Leavitt announces delay in reimplementing tariffs
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced Trump would sign an executive order delaying the July 9 tariff deadline to Aug. 1.
The White House had originally delayed the implementation of steep tariff rates announced April 2 until Wednesday.
Leavitt said about a dozen other countries "will receive notifications and letters directly from the president of the United States" after he sent letters to the leaders of South Korea and Japan threatening 25% tariffs on goods imported from their countries.
White House press secretary says Trump will travel to Texas this week
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump will travel to Texas this week, possibly Friday, but did not provide further details.
“President Trump loves you, we are praying for you, and he will be traveling to see you later this week,” she said at today’s White House news briefing, referring to those affected by the deadly floods.
Leavitt added shortly after that the trip was tentatively expected to go forward Friday, "but of course, we want to do it at the most appropriate time on the ground for state and local officials. We don’t want to interrupt the recovery efforts."
White House sends letters threatening 25% import duties on goods from Japan and South Korea as tariff chaos reignites
The trade war chaos that engulfed the early months of Trump’s second term looked set to return as he threatened two major U.S. trading partners with higher duties ahead of a key negotiating deadline.
It represents a return to the back-and-forth, on-again, off-again state of affairs that prevailed leading up to, and shortly after, Trump’s April 2 speech announcing extreme import duties on dozens of nations.
The moment led to one of the worst market sell-offs on record. During some particularly chaotic moments, Trump changed tariff levels in the span of a few hours.
Trump tariff letters to trading partners begin to roll out
Trump threatened to hit goods from Japan and South Korea with a 25% tariff on imports starting Aug. 1, saying in a letter to the two countries' leaders that the rates could climb higher if they raise their tariffs, as well.
The United States may consider a change if the countries alter their tariffs and trade barriers, Trump wrote. The nearly identical letters were addressed to Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung.
"These Tariffs may be modified, upward or downward, depending on our relationship with your Country," Trump wrote.
Last year, the U.S. traded more than $227 billion worth of goods with Japan and $197 billion with South Korea, according to the U.S. Trade Representative's Office.
Brad Lander calls out Islamophobic attacks on Zohran Mamdani
New York City Comptroller Brad Lander spoke out against the Islamophobic attacks on Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for mayor, in an interview with NBC News last week.
Lander said he was “horrified” by the Islamophobic comments, some of which came from lawmakers and Trump allies. Lander was also in the running for mayor, and he and Mamdani cross-endorsed each other in the ranked-choice primary.
“I really think it’s important, again, for people to condemn that language and for us to all try to use this time to tone down the rhetoric, remember that what’s important is shared safety,” Lander said.
As Mamdani was catapulted into the national spotlight, several high-profile Republicans aimed their online attacks at his religion. If he is elected, he would be the first Muslim mayor of New York City.
Lander said MAGA Republicans and some Democrats have said "just the most vile, horrible things," and he urged people to speak out against the attacks.
Lander emphasized that everyone should feel safe in New York — including mayoral candidates.
“Every Jewish New Yorker and every Muslim New Yorker, current and former mayoral candidates and people who voted or people who didn’t vote, deserve to be safe and to feel safe in their city,” he said.
Sen. Ted Cruz: Texas floods have ‘broken the heart of our state’
Sen. Ted Cruz spoke at a briefing with officials from Kerr County on the catastrophic floods in central Texas. Cruz expressed dismay over the devastating aftermath of the flooding in his state.
Trump and Netanyahu to meet as Israel and Hamas discuss ceasefire
Netanyahu touched down in Washington this morning ahead of a White House meeting with Trump about a ceasefire deal that could pause fighting in Gaza.
“We are working to achieve this deal that is being talked about,” Netanyahu told reporters before he departed Sunday, adding, that he thought Trump “can definitely help advance this outcome, which we all hope for.”
From lumber to lighting: How Trump’s tariffs drive up home construction costs
Lumber from Canada? That will be another $534.
Major appliances from China? Add a cool $445.
New homes in the United States are set to get more expensive thanks to Trump’s tariff agenda, which is expected to raise the costs of a wide variety of materials that go into building houses.
An NBC News analysis of building materials and import data found that the total cost of building a midrange single-family home could rise by more than $4,000 — an estimate that industry experts who reviewed the analysis called conservative. An April survey from the National Association of Home Builders estimated tariff impacts at $10,900 per home. Neither analysis included labor costs.
Qatar to host more talks about potential Gaza ceasefire
Netanyahu's visit to the White House comes after the prime minister's office announced that while Hamas' request to alter a ceasefire proposal was "unacceptable," an Israeli negotiating team would leave for talks in Qatar.
"After assessing the situation, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed us to accept the invitation for close talks and to continue the talks to return our hostages on the basis of the Qatari proposal that Israel agreed to," Netanyahu's office said Saturday.
Days earlier, Trump announced that Israel "agreed to the necessary conditions" for a temporary ceasefire. Hamas then indicated that it had submitted a "positive response" to mediators, adding that they were prepared "to immediately enter into a round of negotiations on the mechanism for implementing this framework."
National Weather Service defends its flood warnings amid fresh scrutiny of Trump staff cuts
Fatal floods in Texas that left thousands scrambling for safety with little warning have sparked a fresh round of scrutiny of Trump administration cuts to the National Weather Service.
At least 81 people were dead and many others were missing yesterday evening after floodwaters surged through Texas Hill Country, an area known as “flash flood alley.”
Within hours of the deluge early Friday, some Texas officials were critical of the weather service, saying forecasts underestimated the rainfall. Yesterday, Trump rejected the idea of investigating whether weather service cuts had left key vacancies, and the White House said claims that the cuts had anything to do with the tragedy were “disgusting.”
Former Nebraska state Sen. Brett Lindstrom announces bid for congressional swing district
Former Nebraska state Sen. Brett Lindstrom announced he's jumping into the race to represent the state's 2nd Congressional District.
"This is my home," Lindstrom, a Republican, said in a post on X announcing his run. "I’ve fought for our values in the Legislature, and I’m ready to do the same in Washington. It’s time to cut taxes, secure our border, and put our families first."
His announcement comes after Rep. Don Bacon, a centrist Republican, announced he would not seek re-election to the swing district.
Centrist Rep. Don Bacon is done with Congress — but open to a potential presidential bid
Centrist Rep. Don Bacon, one of the most vulnerable Republicans in the House, said last week that he doesn’t have the “hunger” for another grueling re-election campaign and won’t run for a sixth term next year.
But Bacon, who spent 30 years in the Air Force and specialized in intelligence matters, said he’s interested in serving in an executive role down the road, and wouldn’t rule out running for Nebraska governor, or even president in 2028.
Trump threatens additional tariffs, says letters to countries will start being sent today
Trump said in a post on Truth Social late last night that the U.S. would send letters to countries about tariffs starting at noon today.
The president and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said recently that the April 2 tariff rates would kick in Aug. 1, throwing into question whether this Wednesday's deadline still stands.
The president also said on Truth Social yesterday that goods from countries "aligning themselves with the Anti-American policies of BRICS" would face an additional 10% tariff. The acronym refers to a group of countries that includes Brazil, Russia, India and China.
Trump calls Elon Musk a 'train wreck' as he decries his 'ridiculous' new political party
Trump yesterday called Elon Musk's plans to launch a new political party "ridiculous," telling reporters that the effort by the former White House adviser and Tesla CEO will likely "never work."
"I think it's ridiculous to start a third party. We have a tremendous success with the Republican Party," Trump said, minutes before boarding Air Force One. "It's always been a two-party system, and I think starting a third party just adds to confusion."
Trump sharpened his attack on the billionaire in a Truth Social post last evening, repeating an assertion that Musk's recent opposition to the Republican party stems from the elimination of a tax credit for electric vehicles in the recent spending bill.
"I am saddened to watch Elon Musk go completely 'off the rails,' essentially becoming a TRAIN WRECK over the past five weeks," Trump wrote.
Last month, Musk said he would launch a third party, named the "America Party," if Republicans successfully passed legislation to fund Trump's agenda, which they did last week. The Tesla CEO had railed against the bill for months due to its estimated trillion-dollar increase to the national deficit.
"What the heck was the point of @DOGE if he’s just going to increase the debt by $5 trillion??," Musk wrote in response to a post commenting on Trump's Truth Social message. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the legislation will increase the deficit by more than $3 trillion over the next decade.
Following the bill's passage, Musk on Saturday announced he'd move forward with the idea after a poll he shared on X found a majority of respondents supported the venture.
"When it comes to bankrupting our country with waste & graft, we live in a one-party system, not a democracy," Musk wrote on X. "Today, the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom."
Trump in his remarks to reporters yesterday said the new party formation will likely be ineffective.
"Third parties have never worked, so he can have fun with it, but I think it's ridiculous," Trump said.
Trump and Netanyahu expected to discuss Iran today
Trump and Netanyahu have expressed interest in discussing the military operation against Iran during today's meeting.
Netanyahu said yesterday that their "joint mobilization brought a great victory over our common enemy," adding that "the obligation is first and foremost to preserve the achievement."
Trump told reporters over the weekend that "we’re going to have a meeting on Iran," calling the U.S. operation "a great success."
