Trump speaks at rally for Senate candidate Ken Paxton in San Antonio
Catch up with NBC News Clone on today's hot topic: Rcrd121150 - Politics and Government | NBC News Clone. Our editorial team reformatted this story for clarity and speed.
Iowa’s Senate candidates, Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson and Democratic state Rep. Josh Turek, faced off in a debate tonight.
What to know today
- TEXAS RALLY: President Donald Trump spoke at a rally in San Antonio tonight with Senate candidate Ken Paxton and House candidate Carlos De La Cruz. Paxton is running a close race against Democratic state Rep. James Talarico in one of the highest-profile matches of the midterms.
- RALLY REDO: After having faced fierce backlash, Trump sought tonight to clean up incendiary comments he made earlier this week, when he said Iran could “take out” Los Angeles or San Diego.
- TONIGHT'S DEBATE: Iowa's Senate candidates, Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson and Democratic state Rep. Josh Turek, faced off in a debate tonight as Democrats eye retiring Sen. Joni Ernst's seat as a potential flip opportunity. Pennsylvania's governor's debate between Democratic incumbent Josh Shapiro and Republican state Treasurer Stacy Garrity is also tonight.
- FLORIDA POLL: Republican Byron Donalds holds a 7 percentage-point advantage over Democrat David Jolly in the Florida governor’s race, according to a new NBC South Florida/Telemundo Station Group poll. The poll also found that Republican Sen. Ashley Moody is up by 10 points in her matchup against Democratic challenger Angie Nixon.
Trump dominates the Iowa Senate debate from afar
Trump was the main character in a televised Iowa Senate debate tonight between Democrat Josh Turek, a state representative, and Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson.
Cody Scanlan / The Des Moines Register via AP
Turek hammered Hinson for supporting Trump policies that he says are the culprit in rising costs for Iowa families — from “chaotic tariffs” to the war in Iran — whether they live in cities or on farms.
“The real issue is that Iowans are hurting, and they’re hurting uniquely,” Turek said. “I’m hearing ‘I’m struggling to keep food on the table, I’m struggling to pay my electric bill, I’m struggling to keep a roof above my head,’ and now with this war in Iran, ‘I’m struggling just to keep gas in my tank.’” He noted that Hinson voted seven times against curtailing the war and five times against reining in Trump’s tariffs.
Hinson fired back, accusing Turek of skipping out on votes in the Legislature, being “too liberal” for the state and lying when he accused her of using her position to enrich her family.
Trump says ‘we protect our cities’ after saying Iran could ‘take out’ Los Angeles or San Diego
After having faced fierce backlash, Trump sought tonight to clean up incendiary comments he made earlier this week, when he said Iran could “take out” Los Angeles or San Diego.
Trump’s original remarks, made at a campaign rally in Nebraska, seemed to refer to what would happen if Iran had a nuclear weapon.
“They can take out a city. Let them take out Los Angeles. Let them take out San Diego,” Trump said Monday to cheers from the crowd.
He recast those remarks tonight at a rally in San Antonio as he tried to explain the Iran war, saying he had “no choice” if the U.S. were to keep Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.
Trump administration hit with second lawsuit over taxpayer-funded ads
The watchdog group Common Cause sued the Trump administration today over the taxpayer-funded TV ads that portray Trump in a positive light.
The group, represented by Democracy Forward, alleges the administration violated federal spending laws.
It cites the Purpose Statute, which says taxpayer funds can be used only for the specific purposes approved by Congress, and this year’s appropriations act, which said no part of the appropriations could be used “for publicity or propaganda purposes within the United States not heretofore authorized by Congress.”
The suit comes the same day the Democratic National Committee sued the administration, arguing the ads were unlawful.
Omar Noureldin, Common Cause’s senior vice president of policy and litigation, also pointed to the Anti-Deficiency Act and the Hatch Act. He said in an interview today that the group is suing “because we want to make sure that no president, regardless of party, can hijack public funds to fund political self-promotion without congressional approval.”
Tom Williams / CQ-Roll Call via Getty
Trump said Monday that he would no longer use government funds for the ads, saying instead that he and his PAC, MAGA Inc., would foot the bill moving forward. Despite Trump’s announcement, ads have continued to run with the disclaimer that they are paid for by the U.S. government.
Common Cause is suing the Executive Office of the President, the Department of Homeland Security and the Office of Management and Budget.
The White House has defended the ads by calling them “clearly not political” and claiming they were about “reminding Americans to love their country.”
Trump finishes speech in San Antonio
Trump has wrapped up his remarks in San Antonio, where he took the stage for about an hour and 45 minutes.
Win McNamee / Getty
He urged Texans to vote Republican in November, focusing his attacks on Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico and emphasizing the importance of electing his Republican opponent, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Former MLB pitcher Roger Clemens to receive Presidential Medal of Freedom
Trump said tonight that he will honor two-time World Series champion Roger Clemens with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Win McNamee / Getty
"I'm announcing that Roger Clemens is being given the single highest award, along with the Medal of Honor," Trump said, "We're giving him the Presidential Medal of Freedom."
Trump, who has criticized Major League Baseball for not having already inducted Clemens into its Hall of Fame, said tonight, "We are taking it into our own hands."
"Forget about the Hall of Fame; he'll get there someday. I mean, I don't know how they can keep him out. I don't know how the hell they keep him out," Trump said.
Trump tries his 'let them hit San Diego, Los Angeles' line again
Trump appeared tonight to try to reframe his comment that Iran could "hit" San Diego or Los Angeles, seeming to argue that Iran would take the cities out if it had access to a nuclear weapon.
"We had no choice, because we can't let them have a new weapon," he said, referring to launching the war in Iran. "But you want to see trauma? You want to see problems? And I said it the other day: Let them hit a missile into San Diego or Los Angeles on the way. Let them hit. You want to see a horror show? You want to see problems?"
He continued: "Let them hit San Diego. Let them hit Los Angeles if you want to see some bad things happen. You want to see a country that would be in free fall?"
"We're not going to let that happen. We protect our cities. We protect our country. We're not letting that happen," Trump said, adding in reference to Iran's getting a nuclear weapon, "And they'd use it, too."
Trump faced backlash after he told a rally crowd in Nebraska on Monday that Iran could “take out” Los Angeles or San Diego.
Iowa Senate candidates spar over voting records, legislative attendance
Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson and Democratic state Rep. Josh Turek went after each other in tonight's Iowa Senate debate for retiring Sen. Joni Ernst's seat.
Cody Scanlan / Des Moines Register via Reuters
Turek touted his bipartisanship, saying he agreed with parts of Trump's "big, beautiful bill" that eliminated taxes on tips and Social Security. But he did not agree with tax cuts for the ultrawealthy.
Hinson, meanwhile, criticized Turek for his attendance record in the Iowa Legislature, saying he missed numerous legislative days. She also talked up the bills she has introduced and co-sponsored in the House.
Trump repeats promises to send checks to Americans
Trump tonight again pledged to pay Americans, repeating his plan to send Medicare rebate checks to some U.S. seniors and his proposed $5,000 "Trump dividend."
Trump, who said Friday that he would send $90 Medicare rebate checks to over 20 million U.S. seniors, said tonight that those seniors can now expect even bigger payments.
"Starting tomorrow, over 20 million seniors on Medicare will receive checks or deposits for over $100 each, including over 1.4 million seniors here," he told the Texas crowd.
He also repeated his pledge to send every U.S. adult citizen $5,000 if Republicans wins both the House and the Senate in November.
"Everything I said, you're going to get. You're going to get the 5,000, and you deserve it," Trump said.
Protester grabbed by another audience member at San Antonio rally
A man who was heckling Trump from the crowd during his speech was captured walking through the audience before another attendee attacked him.
The man shouted and pointed his finger as he walked out, turning to point at audience members as he passed them. At one point, another man in the crowd, wearing what looked to be a red "Make America Great Again" hat, grabbed the protester.
The man grabbed the protester's shoulders and then appeared to grab his hair. The man then appeared to be pulled off of the protester by others in the crowd.
A Trump supporter grabs a protester as Trump speaks at a campaign rally in San Antonio on Wednesday. Mandel Ngan / AFP via Getty
Trump shifts to spotlight border security at Texas rally
Trump has moved from attacking James Talarico to touting his policies on border security.
He welcomed Marie Herrera Vega, the mother of a Marine and Border Patrol agent who was killed during a robbery, to the stage. Vega honored her son, Javier Vega Jr., and described the robbery carried out by people she described as "illegal aliens" at their family home that ended in a shooting that killed Javier Vega.
Win McNamee / Getty
In her remarks, Vega urged the crowd to vote Republican in the midterm elections to protect their Second Amendment rights and strict border laws.
Trump then called a Border Patrol agent onto the stage. The agent said, "For 29 years I've been doing this job, five presidents, and this is the only one who has followed through and secured the border once and for all."
"And it's going to take every single one of you to make sure that that legacy stands of a secure border, and we can only do that with the Republicans seated right here in the front. We need to elect every single one of these Republicans," he added.
Video touting immigration enforcement plays at Trump rally
Trump paused his speech as a video played emphasizing his immigration enforcement policies.
Win McNamee / Getty
Before it played, Trump told the crowd, "Remember what it was like here in Texas when the Democrats were in charge."
"They allowed these animals into our country, and they're mostly out of here now," he said, referring to immigrants who entered the country during the Biden administration.
Trump is focusing his attacks on James Talarico so far
At about 25 minutes into his speech, Trump has so far focused his attacks on Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico.
Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico; state Attorney General Ken Paxton. Getty Images
Trump called Talarico a "communist," telling the crowd, "A vote for Talafreako is a vote to turn Texas into a dirty, failing, crime-ridden, Third World dumping ground."
He also quipped that Talarico has "disappeared," repeating an attack state Attorney General Ken Paxton has made in recent days. Talarico said Sept. 30 that he had been diagnosed with the flu.
"You know, you haven't seen him in a couple of weeks. I hear the guy's disappeared. Nobody knows," Trump said.
He attacked Talarico, who holds a slight edge over Paxton, according to recent polling, on issues such as diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and transgender rights and urged the crowd to back Paxton.
"We're going to crush him at the ballot box. We're going to send Ken Paxton, who's, remember, he is perhaps the greatest attorney general in the United States of America," Trump said.
Trump's speech interrupted numerous times by protesters
Protesters interrupted Trump’s speech several times within the first few minutes of his remarks, causing a disruption in the crowd.
Mandel Ngan / AFP via Getty
In each instance, the crowd began booing loudly while Trump paused his speech. After the third interruption, the crowd began chanting, "USA!" in response.
"I'm telling you, they pay them for this," Trump said. "If there are any more paid protesters, please raise your hand and get the hell out of here."
At least nine protesters have been removed. Most have been able to walk out unrestrained, escorted by a mix of private security and law enforcement staffing the event.
“That guy’s got to lose a lot of weight,” Trump said about one of the protesters.
Trump kicks off his rally remarks in San Antonio
Trump has taken the stage in San Antonio to speak to his supporters, marking his third trip to Texas in a month.
Win McNamee / Getty
He was introduced by two-time World Series champion Roger Clemens.
Trump calls Rep. Henry Cuellar 'disloyal' and 'ungrateful' before touting his opponent
Trump took aim tonight at Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, shortly before taking the stage in San Antonio to stump for Cuellar's opponent and other Republicans ahead of the midterm elections.
Trump called Cuellar, who received a presidential pardon last year, "disloyal and ungrateful" and reiterated his endorsement of the Republican running against him, Webb County Judge Tano Tijerina.
"To the people of Texas, I am headed your way, and one of the people that I am going to pay respect to today is Tano Tijerina," Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. "Out of love and passion, he is running against a Dumocrat, Henry Cuellar, who, along with his wife, I pardoned."
Trump wrote that he "did the pardons, and made no deal, where a crooked politician would have," but that he believed there "would be a good chance" that Cuellar, who was indicted in bribery charges, "would have routinely gone over to the Republican party."
Cuellar and his wife both pleaded not guilty to the charges against them.
Trump called Cuellar's decision to seek re-election as a Democrat was "a tremendous act of disloyalty, and certainly, showed him to be an extremely ungrateful person."
"Tano Tijerina, is a STAR and, hopefully, will WIN! We call that payback for a disloyal and ungrateful person, a person whose life has been saved only to go back into the clutches of the people that tried so hard to destroy him," the president wrote.
Hakeem Jeffries says Democrats expect efforts by 'MAGA extremists' to disrupt the election
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said today that Democrats are preparing for potential election disruption efforts by "MAGA extremists."
Finn Gomez / Getty
Jeffries laid out the party's thinking in response to a question from NBC News about whether he believes the Trump administration will interfere with the midterms.
Democrats are “operating under the assumption that MAGA extremists, given the desperate political situation that they find themselves in, will try anything and everything to prevent this from being a free and fair election,” he said.
“It’s the only responsible way for us to proceed,” he added.
DNC sues administration over taxpayer-funded pro-Trump TV ads
The Democratic National Committee sued the Trump administration today over its taxpayer-funded advertisements that portray Trump in a favorable light, alleging the ads violate federal laws on government spending and propaganda.
The DNC cited a measure Trump signed into law this year that says funds appropriated by Congress can’t be used “for publicity or propaganda purposes within the United States not heretofore authorized by Congress.”
The lawsuit also cites the Anti-Deficiency Act, which bars spending government money that hasn’t been appropriated by Congress, and the Purpose Statute, which says taxpayer funds can be used only for the specific purposes approved by Congress.
The DNC said the administration’s use of taxpayer dollars for “campaign-style advertisements” deprived Democrats “of a fair electoral process by adding public funds to the resources available to support Republican candidates.” The use of public funds places Democratic candidates at an electoral disadvantage, it argued.
Trump keeps touting $21 trillion coming into the U.S. Even his website says it’s half that.
Brendan Smialowski / AFP via Getty
Donald Trump likes to rattle off numbers, and his recent fixation is $21 trillion.
That’s the sum he says he has pulled in for the U.S. economy by dint of his policies and dealmaking. Ahead of the midterm elections, Trump is repeatedly invoking the $21 trillion figure as an unmatched achievement.
Congress launches investigation into youth sports giant AAU’s handling of sexual abuse
A powerful House committee launched a bipartisan investigation today into allegations of sexual abuse in Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) sports and reported that the youth sports behemoth has failed to create adequate safeguards to protect children, NBC News has learned.
Michael P. Farrell / Albany Times Union via Getty
Leaders of the House Energy and Commerce Committee sent a letter asking AAU President and CEO Jo Mirza questions and requesting information following an investigation by ProPublica and The Washington Post this summer. Citing thousands of pages of internal and legal documents, as well as interviews, the news outlets concluded that AAU is failing to adequately protect its hundreds of thousands of child athletes from sexual abuse, “misleading the public about its prevention measures and suppressing allegations of sexual misconduct.”
Speaker Johnson to fundraise with GOP candidate in Trump-leaning Kentucky district
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is scheduled to hold a fundraiser in Lexington, Kentucky, on Friday morning with Republican congressional candidate Ralph Alvarado, according to an invitation obtained by NBC News.
Tom Williams / CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images file
Invitees can attend if they donate $3,500 or get a photo if they give $5,000, says the document, which provides an RSVP contact and a QR code for donations.
Alvarado is running in a district that Trump carried by 15 points in 2024, which Republican Rep. Andy Barr vacated this cycle to run for the Senate. Still, Alvarado has sought some distance from Trump since he won the primary, removing mentions of him from his website and deleting a photo of the two of them together from his homepage.
In the general election, Alvarado will face Democrat Zach Dembo, a former federal prosecutor and Navy JAG officer. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee added the seat to its “red to blue” list, encouraging donors and activists to put resources into it. The Cook Political Report rates the race as “likely Republican.”
Johnson’s team didn’t dispute the authenticity of the fundraising invitation when it was asked about it.
“The Speaker is leaving no stones unturned as he travels to more than 40 districts across over 20 states in the final month until Election Day for both fundraising and media opportunities, as he helps continue raising record funds for this cycle and spreading the word on what a disaster it would be if Democrats and their Marxist pals take the majority,” Johnson spokesman Greg Steele told NBC News.
Texas Latino leaders turn up the pressure on the Democratic Governors Association
State Rep. Gina Hinojosa. John Oliva / USA Today via Reuters
Latino leaders in Texas, including members of Congress, are meeting with the Democratic Governors Association today as tensions rise over national investments into state Rep. Gina Hinojosa’s gubernatorial campaign, three people familiar with the meeting told NBC News.
Latino leaders have called on the group, which is focused on electing Democratic governors, to ramp up the effort to oust Republican Gov. Greg Abbott.
Trump claims world’s lowest drug prices. TrumpRx discounts are a ‘mixed bag,’ report shows.
Ahead of the midterm elections, Trump has increasingly touted his drug pricing deals, claiming the U.S. is now paying the world’s lowest prescription drug prices. “This one thing alone should win us the midterms,” he recently said at the White House.
TrumpRx.gov, the public face of his drug pricing discounts, has grown dramatically since its launch in February. What started as a few dozen brand-name drugs now includes a catalog of more than 800 brand-name and generic medications, offering discounts on everything from popular weight loss drugs to treatments for cancer and rheumatoid arthritis.
Trump says he could have done 'very bad things' to Hillary Clinton, Obama, Biden
In response to a question about what Democrats could impeach him for in the next Congress, Trump suggested he could have done "very bad things" to former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
“I could have done very bad things to Hillary Clinton. I could have done very, very bad things to Joe Biden. I could have done very bad things to Barack Hussein Obama. I thought it was inappropriate to do so because you have to treat the office of the presidency with respect," Trump said.
He continued, "I've had my shot and still do at Biden, at Hillary Clinton and Barack Hussein Obama, and I’ve had plenty of people say, 'Let’s go get him,' and I said, 'No, you can’t do that to the presidents.'"
"I can do whatever I want if I want," said Trump, whose Justice Department has targeted some of his political enemies.
Trump himself accused Obama of treason last year, falsely claiming he rigged the 2016 and 2020 elections.
White House confirms the Trump administration is interested in developing a presidential retreat at Trump's Florida golf course
The White House confirmed that the Trump administration "has asked to look into developing a Presidential retreat at Trump International Golf Course in Palm Beach for future Presidents," a White House official said in a statement.
Christopher Beckett / NurPhoto via Getty
The Palm Beach Post reported last month that Trump wanted to create a presidential retreat at his golf club. The Washington Post followed up with its own story this week.
The Washington Post also reported that a lawyer representing Trump's golf course asked the county that owns the property it is on to give some of the land to the federal government. The lawyer reportedly said Trump would pay to build "a presidential residence and facilities." NBC News has not independently confirmed that information.
The White House official indicated in the statement that a retreat could be used for presidents to "hold important meetings and utilize the amenities of a world-class property."
"The property is minutes away from the Donald J. Trump International Airport, does not have buildings looming, does not have houses along the course, has great security features, is close to law enforcement, and happens to be a highly-rated golf course," the statement said. "These are features that are necessary for any Presidential retreat.”
Asked about the report, Trump reiterated in the Oval Office that the course does not have "high buildings looming over it," nor does it have houses. He indicated that the military and the Secret Service approved of the potential project for security reasons.
"I was asked by Secret Service and the military, who got used to it because it’s — if I go there, they’ll see that it’s about as safe as they could possibly get," he said. "It’s only about two minutes away from the airport, so they literally would be at that site, and they could spend the weekend there, like a retreat, like sort of a Camp David retreat."
"They asked if I’d be willing to do it, and I said I would be," Trump said. "This wouldn't be for me. This would be for all future presidents."
He said the area could provide "maximum safety," adding, "It’s a great idea, and it’ll be used a lot."
Trump says he could fire top advisers after report on payments for overseas consulting
Trump said this afternoon that he could fire two of his top political advisers following a report that they did election consulting work in the Balkans in recent days even as Republicans fight to retain control of Congress in November.
The New York Times reported that James Blair, who heads the Trump-aligned super PAC MAGA Inc., and Chris LaCivita, a top adviser for the organization, spent a few days recently in Republika Srpska, a self-governing part of Bosnia-Herzegovina that is aligned with Russian President Vladimir Putin, ahead of the territory's elections Sunday.
The Times report cited four people familiar with the advisers' travels who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the Balkan work. It said the pair were paid hundreds of thousands of dollars each for the consulting, citing two of the people familiar with the engagement.
NBC News has not independently confirmed the report.
Trump emphasized on Truth Social that Blair and LaCivita "do not work for me, other than as outside consultants. They most likely have numerous clients, but for that, you would have to ask them. They are allowed to do work for others, just like all consultants in Washington, D.C. I do not have any idea who else they work for but will, on reflection, ask them and, if there’s a conflict, I will terminate them, immediately!"
Trump reiterated those sentiments speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, noting that the advisers are outside consultants and do not work in the White House. Asked whether he would ask them for their client lists, he said, "I would ask them."
Blair and LaCivita served on Trump's 2024 presidential campaign. Blair was deputy chief of staff until this past spring, when he joined MAGA Inc. to steer its efforts to get Republican candidates elected in the midterm elections.
Zach Lahn’s residency history and Rob Sand’s party come under fire in first Iowa governor debate
Republican Zach Lahn and Democrat Rob Sand repeatedly returned to one topic in their first debate last night in the race to be Iowa’s next governor: questions about Lahn’s residency history in the state.
Sand, the state auditor, and Lahn, a businessman, met in Davenport as they run to succeed retiring Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds in an unusually competitive race for a state that has trended to the right in recent years.
Iowa has not had a Democrat in the governor’s mansion since Chet Culver was defeated in 2010, and Sand is the only Democrat currently elected statewide. While Sand has cast himself as an independent-minded candidate, Lahn labeled him a “radical liberal” and a “career politician” who supports liberal positions on taxes and immigration.
As the two men sparred over tax rates, economic growth, addressing the state’s cancer crisis and other issues on NBC affiliate KWQC, both repeatedly referred to the controversy over Lahn’s reported ties to Kansas, which include public records showing he voted there in 2018, 2020 and 2022 before he registered in Iowa in 2024.
Zach Lahn; Rob Sand. Getty
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott says he won't attend Trump rally in San Antonio tonight
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. Kevin Dietsch / Getty
Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who is running for re-election, said yesterday that he will not attend the Trump rally scheduled in San Antonio tonight, citing a scheduling conflict.
“Well, first, whenever he does show up, it leads to excitement among the base, and he does a good job of getting the base organized and turning out,” Abbott said.
“Because of the schedule that I run, where I go to multiple cities a day doing events like this, already have events like this scheduled that day, and I will not be able to make it,” he added.
Abbott’s absence in a ruby red state comes as some candidates have distanced themselves from Trump as the midterms approach. His race is not expected to be competitive, however, and NBC News rates it as “likely GOP.”
Mike Rogers calls on Trump to end tariff war in new campaign ad
Mike Rogers, the Republican nominee for the Senate in Michigan, is calling on Trump to end his tariff war in a new campaign ad released today.
"Here in Michigan, we know that Canada is not our enemy," Rogers said in the 30-second spot posted on X as he drank a bottle of Labatt, a Canadian beer. "We need to end this tariff war now. As Michigan senator, I’ll bring both parties together to lower your prices. That’s job No. 1."
Rogers also alleged that his Democratic opponent, Abdul El-Sayed, wants to raise taxes by $3,000. El-Sayed has not made such a proposal, but Republicans have suggested that a tax increase would be needed to pay for his plans, like "Medicare for All."
El-Sayed shot back on X, saying: "Must have had one too many of those LaBatts, Mike. You cheerled this tariff war from the beginning and you’re flip-flopping now because your poll numbers are in free fall. Donald is the reason we’re in a trade war. And he’s the reason you’re running. Not a serious person."
Mike Rogers. Sarah Rice / Bloomberg via Getty
The race between the two contenders is considered a toss-up.
Rogers' criticism of the president's trade policy toward Canada comes after the president instituted new duties that took effect last month of between 15% and 50% on $20 billion worth of U.S. products exported to Canada. Michigan, of course, borders Canada. Rogers said in August that "tariffs are necessary," but also "not a one-size-fits-all solution."
Asked about the ad in the Oval Office this afternoon, Trump said, "Well, I viewed it as though he wanted Canada to make a deal. ... Look, Canada has been ripping off our country for many, many years, tremendously ripping off. ... We don’t need Canada for anything."
Rogers has distanced himself from Trump in other areas, including calling for an end to the Iran war and a slowdown in AI development. But he has allied himself with the president on other things, especially during the Republican primary, including on Trump's call for legislation dubbed the SAVE Act that would overhaul U.S. elections.
The White House referred NBC News to the president's comments. The El-Sayed campaign didn't respond to a request for comment.
Trump to tout automatic enrollment for Trump Accounts
Trump will tout automatic enrollment for Trump Accounts today in the Oval Office, a White House official said.
The program, launched earlier this year, provides tax-advantaged investment accounts for kids, and certain accounts have received contributions from both the federal government and private figures like the Dell family.
"Trump Accounts are a life-changing initiative that will jump-start the American dream for generations to come," White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said. "With automatic enrollment now complete, every American child under the age of 18 has a Trump Account in their name, making it easier than ever for families to participate."
Rogers said that nearly 70 million Trump accounts have been created so far. More than 60 million of the accounts were created through auto enrollment, according to the White House.
The White House said that the Treasury Department opened Trump Accounts for all children with Social Security numbers, noting that parents needed to claim the account in order to manage it and allow for people to make contributions.
Trump vows to directly address Putin about anti-plague lab worker's death
A phone call between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected in the coming days with the U.S. president vowing to address the growing concerns after the death of a young researcher in a Siberian lab that studies plagues. NBC News’ Daniele Hamamdjian reports for "TODAY."
Sen. Ruben Gallego rolls out an economic agenda as he weighs a 2028 White House bid
Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., who is eyeing a possible presidential bid in 2028, rolled out a new, national economic plan today that calls for boosting the minimum wage to $20 per hour and a New Deal-style public service jobs program funded by taxes on artificial intelligence companies and unpopular data centers.
In an interview with NBC News, Gallego said middle-class and working-class Americans are under assault due to rapidly advancing artificial intelligence and automation, as well as an economic system that has not sided with nor supported workers for a generation.
Jamie Kelter Davis for NBC News
State Department seeks information on suspected plague case from Russia
The State Department has officially requested more information from the Russian government after a Russian anti-plague lab staff member died of what is suspected to be pneumonic plague, a State Department spokesperson said.
The spokesperson added that the U.S. is also in official communication with other countries around the world to share information.
The U.S. has been in contact with the Russian government since as early as last Friday, including the engagement of State Department health experts with the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a State Department official said.
Russia informed the World Health Organization yesterday that no case of plague has been recorded in Irkutsk, which is near the Russian lab, the WHO said in a news release. According to the authorities, “the woman’s illness initially presented as a typical acute respiratory viral infection.” The WHO has also requested additional information from the Russian government.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said yesterday that it was incumbent on Russia to “share more information with the world” but also urged caution in jumping to conclusions.
“Maybe, you know, there’s nothing there. Maybe it’s bigger than we thought. We don’t know,” Rubio told reporters during a news conference in Iceland. “But I think it would be reckless at this moment, given the limited information we still have, to speculate about what this might or might not be or what this is or what this isn’t.”
Iowa Senate candidates to debate tonight
Iowa’s Senate candidates, Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson and Democratic state Rep. Josh Turek, will face off tonight in a debate.
Democrats view the seat as a potential flip opportunity after Sen. Joni Ernst, a Republican, announced last year that she would not seek re-election.
Tonight's debate, which will be livestreamed by Iowa PBS, marks the first of two debates. The second debate will be held Oct. 13 and hosted by Nexstar.
Ashley Hinson; Joshua Turek. Getty; Imagn via Reuters
Debates are ramping up this week for candidates in battleground races across the country. Yesterday, Republican Sen. Susan Collins faced off against Democrat Troy Jackson in a debate for the Maine Senate seat, a top battleground race.
The Pennsylvania governor debate between incumbent Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, and state Treasurer Stacy Garrity, a Republican, will also be held tonight.
Susan Collins and Troy Jackson clash over Trump and seniority in Maine’s first Senate debate
Republican Sen. Susan Collins and Democratic challenger Troy Jackson debated for the first time last night, trading attacks over Trump, the cost of living and abortion in one of the most closely watched Senate races in the country.
Maine is central to Democrats’ path to the Senate majority as they try to capitalize on Trump’s unpopularity. Jackson tried to do just that yesterday by tying Collins to Trump, name-checking him at least 20 times in one hour of debating on WGME-TV.
Susan Collins; Troy Jackson. Getty
Florida poll: Republicans lead in the races for governor and Senate
Republican Byron Donalds holds a 7-percentage-point advantage over Democrat David Jolly in the Florida governor’s race, according to a new NBC South Florida/Telemundo Station Group poll, while Republican Sen. Ashley Moody is up by 10 points in her matchup against Democratic challenger Angie Nixon.
Donalds, a congressman from the southwest corner of the state, is at 48% in the poll, compared with Jolly’s 41%, in a race in which Donalds has had a commanding financial advantage. (That advantage is just inside the poll’s margin of error, but Donalds has the edge in most of the range of possibilities.)
David Jolly; Byron Donalds. Getty
Moody is at 50% in the Senate race, compared with 40% for Nixon, a Democratic Socialists of America-aligned candidate who got into the general election after a surprise primary victory over Democrat Alexander Vindman in August.
The results come amid broad Democratic optimism about the 2026 elections, with public polling showing the party making races in some typically red states into competitive contests this year. This poll suggests limits to that apparent momentum in other places.
Trump travels to San Antonio to campaign for Republicans
Trump heads to San Antonio today to campaign for Republicans in critical midterm races. He will be joined by Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton, who's currently serving as the state's attorney general.
Paxton is locked in a tight race for the Senate seat against Democrat James Talarico. Democrats are eyeing Texas as a potential seat in play as they aim to flip the Senate. NBC News has classified the race as a toss-up.
Republican congressional candidate Carlos De La Cruz also indicated on X that he would attend the rally. He is running against Democrat Johnny Garcia in the newly redrawn 35th Congressional District, where the rally is taking place.
Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, said yesterday that he would not attend the Trump rally. He cited a scheduling conflict. Abbott is running for re-election against Democrat Gina Hinojosa, and NBC News has classified the race as "likely GOP."
Trump traveled to Denton, Texas, just last week. Today's trip is part of a series of events leading up to the midterm elections. NBC News previously reported that the president will travel to at least 17 states in the month ahead of the election, including battlegrounds Alaska, Ohio and Texas, as well as solid red states such as Alabama, Kentucky and Montana.
