Senate confirms Trump's Fed nominee; U.S. military hit alleged drug cartel boat from Venezuela, Trump says
This version of Rcrd88597 - Politics and Government | NBC News Clone was adapted by NBC News Clone to help readers digest key facts more efficiently.
Stephen Miran drew criticism from Democrats for saying he wouldn't leave as chair of the Council of Economic Advisers if he is confirmed to the Federal Reserve board.
What to know today
- TRUMP NOMINEE: Senators tonight confirmed Stephen Miran, Trump’s nominee to temporarily serve as a Federal Reserve governor.
- LISA COOK: An appeals court rejected Trump's attempt to fire Fed governor Lisa Cook.
- VENEZUELA: Trump said U.S. military forces struck another Venezuelan boat allegedly carrying narcotics headed to the United States. He said that three "terrorists" were killed and that no U.S. forces were harmed.
- CHARLIE KIRK SHOOTING: Vice President JD Vance hosted “The Charlie Kirk Show” this afternoon as a tribute to the late conservative activist, who was shot and killed last week.
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Pam Bondi names Erika Kirk, JD Vance and Benny Johnson as people she thinks could fill Charlie Kirk's role
Attorney General Pam Bondi said Charlie was “one of one,” but she brought up his wife, Erika Kirk, Vice President JD Vance and conservative commentator Benny Johnson as people who could fill his role in the conservative movement.
"Who in the conservative movement do you think can fill the role that Charlie left behind?" Katie Miller, the wife of Stephen Miller, asked Bondi on her podcast today.
“I know JD Vance, of course, is hosting his show, and Benny Johnson and these incredible men who were so close to Charlie, who just loved Charlie like a brother. And I think there are a lot of people out there who are going to step up to the plate and rise to the occasion,” Bondi said.
Bondi added that when she heard Kirk had been shot, she texted Johnson and wrote, “Be safe.”
Trump tells GOP to cut Democrats out of funding bill as Schumer warns of shutdown
A standoff over how to prevent a government shutdown intensified today as Trump called on Republicans to write a funding bill on their own and cut Democrats out of the process.
But any funding bill, including a stopgap to buy more time, requires 60 votes to pass the Senate, where Republicans control 53 seats and therefore need at least seven Democratic votes.
Democratic leaders say Republicans are following Trump’s wishes and are refusing to negotiate, making a shutdown likelier. Congress has until 11:59 p.m. Sept. 30 to find a solution or the government will shut down.
“Our position remains this: We want to keep the government open by engaging in bipartisan negotiation where we can address some of the grave harms Donald Trump has caused to our health care system and help Americans with the cost of living,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said on the floor tonight.
Appeals court blocks Trump from removing Lisa Cook from the Federal Reserve board before interest rate meeting
A panel of federal judges blocked Trump from removing Lisa Cook from the Federal Reserve’s board, hours before she and other top Fed officials are set to begin a meeting about whether to lower interest rates.
Two of three judges on the appeals court panel said the Trump administration had “not satisfied the stringent requirements for a stay pending appeal.”
A federal judge in Washington blocked Cook’s removal on Sept. 9, but the administration quickly appealed the ruling and asked the court to rule before the Fed’s next meeting on interest rates. That meeting begins tomorrow and concludes Wednesday.
Trump moved to fire Cook in late August, citing allegations of mortgage fraud brought by one of his political appointees, Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte. Cook has not been charged with any crime and has denied the allegations.
Senate confirms Trump nominee Stephen Miran to the Federal Reserve
The Senate voted tonight to confirm Stephen Miran to the Federal Reserve Board, bringing it a step closer to Trump’s vision as he pressures the central bank to lower interest rates.
He was confirmed in a 48-47 vote. Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska was the only Republican to vote against him. No Democrats crossed the aisle.
Miran, who is the chairman of the White House’s Council of Economic Advisers, has drawn criticism from Democrats over his past attacks on the Federal Reserve and for saying he plans to take an unpaid leave of absence from his White House role instead of resigning.
Miran has also staunchly defended Trump’s tariffs, arguing in August that a “doom and gloom” expectation from tariffs “just hasn’t panned out.”
Sen. Chris Murphy says he fears Trump might 'exploit' Kirk assassination to crack down on political opposition
Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said today that he fears Trump and his allies might “exploit” the “tragedy” of Charlie Kirk’s assassination to quash political opposition.
Murphy said he was “heartbroken” the country is not using the moment to come together and condemn political violence.
“Instead, it looks as if President Trump and his allies are gearing up to potentially exploit this tragedy and use it as a means to do what they have been planning, to do what they have wanted to do for the entirety of their time in office, which is to try to use their control of the legal system to destroy, to obliterate the political opposition to Donald Trump,” Murphy told interviewer Saagar Enjeti on his podcast “The Breaking Point.”
Murphy added that he thinks there may be “something very, very dark coming on the horizon” as a result.
“As difficult as this last nine months has been, I think that there may be a chance that you’re going to see a pretty maximalist effort to try to harass, round up, shut down, imprison the president’s critics, both from an organizational and personal standpoint,” he said.
How Charlie Kirk rose from a teenage activist to a MAGA star
In the eyes of his admirers, Charlie Kirk rose because he was willing to challenge norms and broaden the scope of acceptable debate — especially on heated cultural issues.
To his critics, Kirk’s rhetoric on race, gender, sexuality and beyond was inflammatory, passed off as debate that was actually toxic and dangerous.
Either way, his willingness to engage on those issues was rocket fuel for his ascent over the course of 13 years — and by the end of his life, he was drawing massive crowds on college campuses for viral public debates in which friends and foes could argue with him over any number of contentious topics.
Defense Department inspector general finishes probe into Pete Hegseth's use of Signal app
The Defense Department's inspector general has finished its investigation into Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's use of the Signal app in March to share classified information about an imminent military operation in Yemen, according to three sources familiar with the review.
The investigation examined Hegseth’s use of the app to share details with other senior U.S. officials of a U.S. military operation targeting Houthi militants in Yemen.
Hegseth shared information such as military platforms and the timeline of the U.S. attack soon before it was to occur, potentially jeopardizing the mission or the troops performing it. Editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg of The Atlantic magazine was inadvertently added to the chat, which ultimately became public.
Hegseth also shared similar details on a separate Signal chat that included his wife and other people who did not have clearances to receive such information.
The inspector general's report was ordered in April by Sens. Roger Wicker of Mississippi, the Republican chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, which has oversight of the Pentagon, and Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the top Democrat on the committee.
Hegseth has repeatedly maintained that he did not share any classified information.
Parts of the IG’s report could be made available to congressional officials and the public in the next two weeks, the sources familiar with the review said.
Trump suggests he might designate antifa as a domestic terrorist group
Trump indicated in the Oval Office today that would most likely designate antifa as a domestic terrorist organization if he had support from key members of his administration, including Attorney General Pam Bondi.
"Well, it's something I would do, yeah, if I have support from the people back here. I think would start with Pam, I think," Trump said in the Oval Office, flanked by Bondi, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and others, in response to a reporter's question.
"I would do that 100% and others also, by the way, but antifa is terrible,” he added.
Trump also said he has asked Bondi to look into bringing racketeering charges against "professional agitators," who he claimed were women in many cases, advocating for pro-Palestinian positions in public protests.
"They should be put in jail. What they’re doing to this country is really subversive," he said.
Trump says Netanyahu didn't notify him before Israel’s strike in Qatar
Asked today whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu notified him that Israel was going to strike Hamas leaders in Qatar, Trump said, “No.”
Trump said he learned about the strike "the same way you did," referring to the media.
Trump adds St. Louis to list of cities his administration will target for crime crackdown
Trump said St. Louis would be among the cities where he plans to initiate a federal crackdown on crime.
"We got to save St. Louis," Trump said. "We'll get to St Louis," he added later.
St. Louis is part of a growing list of cities run by Democrats that are targets for federal intervention by the Trump administration.
Trump signs presidential memo establishing a federal task force for Memphis
Trump signed a presidential memo today establishing the “Memphis Safe Task Force,” a step toward deploying the National Guard and other federal law enforcement agencies to crack down on crime, similar to his effort in Washington, D.C.
“The effort will include the National Guard as well as the FBI, ATF, DEA, ICE, Homeland Security Investigations, and the U.S Marshals and more,” Trump said in the Oval Office.
“This team will deploy the full powers of federal law enforcement agencies and enforcement generally to restore public safety and get dangerous career criminals off of our streets,” Trump added.
Trump was joined by other Cabinet officials and Tennessee state officials, including Republican Gov. Bill Lee, who thanked the president for launching the task force, saying he is “tired of crime holding the great city Memphis back.”
Trump says Chicago will 'probably be next' after Memphis in federal crime crackdown
After he announced his administration would send a task force to Memphis, Tennessee, Trump said "we’re going to be doing Chicago probably next" for his crime crackdown.
“Chicago is a great city, and we’re going to make it great again very soon. And I think we can do that, despite the tremendous size. I think we can do a real job,” he added in the Oval Office.
Trump recently suggested that he would send the National Guard to Chicago, saying “we’re going in” when he was asked at the White House whether he’d be sending National Guard troops to Chicago. Trump also suggested that he could send federal troops to New Orleans.
‘We will do it in Charlie’s name’: Stephen Miller vows vengeance for Kirk’s murder
The White House has ramped up its vow for vengeance in the wake of conservative activist Kirk’s assassination, with deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller promising to bring the resources of the federal government to bear against what he described as “terrorist networks.”
Vance, meanwhile, argued that those identifying as liberals were largely to blame for political violence and endorsed efforts to shame and make job trouble for those publicly cheering Kirk’s death.
Their comments came today on an episode of Kirk’s namesake podcast, which Vance hosted from his ceremonial office at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.
“It is a vast domestic terror movement,” Miller said, speaking of left-wing political organizations.
Trump says U.S. military conducted another strike on a Venezuelan boat allegedly carrying narcotics
Trump said U.S. military forces struck another Venezuelan boat this morning.
Trump the announcement on Truth Social, along with a video, saying the strike hit “confirmed narcoterrorists from Venezuela" while they were in international waters "transporting illegal narcotics ... headed to the U.S.”
Trump said that the strike resulted in “3 male terrorists killed in action” and that no U.S. forces were harmed.
The United States blew up a boat in the southern Caribbean nearly two weeks ago, killing 11 people. The Trump administration said it was a drug-carrying vessel headed to the United States operated by the Tren de Aragua gang. He threatened further escalation the day after the strike, telling reporters in the Oval Office that “Venezuela has been a very bad actor.”
A source familiar with the first operation told NBC News at the time that the goal was to force Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to make rash decisions, forcing him to be ultimately ousted without American troops on the ground.
Jeffrey Epstein estate turns over more documents to House committee
Jeffrey Epstein’s estate has turned over additional documents to the House Oversight Committee, including a previously redacted name from the late sex offender’s notorious 50th birthday book, according to a letter obtained by NBC News.
The name that was unredacted was not immediately publicly released.
The attorneys said in a letter to the committee dated last week that they it had “redacted the names of specified categories of individuals out of an abundance of caution to ensure no potential victims are publicly identifiable” when it turned over the book last week, but after “further review, we identified one redacted name that does not appear to fit within those categories.”
The estate also turned over what it described as “another of Mr. Epstein’s address/contact books.”
Vance tells listeners to notify employers of people who celebrate Kirk's murder
Toward the end of the two-hour podcast he hosted, Vance told listeners that they should notify employers of people who celebrate Kirk's murder.
"When you see someone celebrating Charlie's murder, call them out, and hell, call their employer," Vance said from the White House on "The Charlie Kirk Show."
"We don't believe in political violence, but we do believe in civility, and there is no civility in the celebration of political assassination," he said.
Pritzker says Trump 'fans flames of division' after Kirk's killing
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker criticized Trump’s rhetoric in the wake of Kirk's assassination, urging him to denounce political violence “instead of pointing fingers.”
“With each new crisis in recent years, we are reminded that we cannot rely on President Trump to tamp down the anger and the passion in the aftermath of political violence," Pritzker, a Democrat, said this morning after a roundtable with City Colleges of Chicago on how federal deployments are affecting students.
He added, "Instead, he actively fans the flames of division, as he did on Friday, regularly advocates violence for political retribution and, in more than one case, declares we are at war, not with a foreign adversary, but with each other."
Trump said Saturday in an interview with NBC News that he wants the nation to “heal” but added, “We’re dealing with a radical left group of lunatics, and they don’t play fair, and they never did.”
Pritzker said: “In these moments, real leaders offer words of solace and calm. Except for one, every president in my lifetime has done this in the wake of political violence. They take action for positive change. They bring people together. They make Americans feel safe. They let them know violence is never the answer. This is a watershed moment in our country."
Rubio says the U.S. should revoke visas of people who 'celebrate' the killing of a political figure
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in an interview on Fox News that the United States should revoke visas of people who celebrate killings in an escalation of similar threats by members of the administration following Kirk's assassination.
"We should not be giving visas to people who are going to come to the United States and do things like celebrate the murder, the execution, the assassination of a political figure. We should not," Rubio said. "And if they're already here, we should be revoking their visa.
"Why would we want to bring people into our country that are going to engage in negative and destructive behavior?" he added.
Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said on Fox News over the weekend that visas should be revoked for people who "are glorifying the killings of Americans."
Similarly, Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said Thursday on X that "foreigners who glorify violence and hatred are not welcome visitors to our country."
"I have been disgusted to see some on social media praising, rationalizing, or making light of the event, and have directed our consular officials to undertake appropriate action," he wrote. "Please feel free to bring such comments by foreigners to my attention so that the @StateDept can protect the American people."
Maurene Comey sues the Trump adminstration for wrongful termination
Maurene Comey sued the Trump administration today, alleging she was illegally fired as a federal prosecutor in part because her father is former FBI Director James Comey, who has clashed with Trump.
The complaint said the Trump administration provided “no legitimate explanation”; rather the administration fired Comey solely or substantially because her father is former FBI Director James B. Comey, or because of her perceived political affiliation and beliefs, or both.”
“The executive branch cannot use Article II to overrule Congress and remove career civil servants for perceived disloyalty. Such an act violates the Constitution’s fundamental Separation of Powers. It also violates the Bill of Rights, depriving Ms. Comey of protection under the First and Fifth Amendments,” the suit read.
The defendants include the Justice Department; the Executive Office of the President; the Executive Office for United States Attorneys; the Office of Personnel Management; the United States; the director of the Executive Office for United States Attorneys, Francey Hakes; and Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Vance kicks off hosting Charlie Kirk's show with tribute to him
Vance kicked off "The Charlie Kirk Show" at noon with a tribute to Kirk and described his meeting with Erika Kirk after her husband's death last week.
"The last several days have been extremely hard for our country," Vance said. "He was a critical part of getting Donald Trump elected as president, getting me elected as vice president, and so much of our success over the last seven months is due to his efforts — his staffing, his support and his friendship. I don’t think that I’m alone in saying that Charlie was the smartest political operative I ever met."
Vance said that when he met with Erika Kirk, he was speechless and "had no idea what to say."
"I didn’t try to console her, because how can you console a person who just lost a loving husband and father?" he said. "But we just talked about Charlie. We talked about who he was; we talked about some of our favorite stories. We talked about some of his idiosyncrasies and all the things that made Charlie Kirk who he was.”
Trump threatens to cut off federal funding for NYC after Hochul endorses Mamdani
Trump criticized Gov. Kathy Hochul's move to endorse New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, saying in a post on Truth Social that it was "a rather shocking development, and a very bad one for New York City."
"How can such a thing happen?" he continued. "Washington will be watching this situation very closely. No reason to be sending good money after bad!"
Trump also threatened in June to pull federal funding from the city, saying that Mamdani would "have to do the right thing, or they’re not getting any money."
Hochul endorsed Mamdani in an op-ed yesterday in The New York Times, saying that "we've had our disagreements," but emphasized that she "needed to know the next mayor will not be someone who would surrender one inch to President Trump."
House leaders discuss security spending as some Democrats express safety concerns
During House Democrats’ security briefing call last night, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., gave an update on his talks with House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., on how to better protect House members in the wake of the Charlie Kirk shooting.
According to two sources on the conference call, Jeffries told lawmakers he and Johnson are discussing extending boosted or enhanced security spending, which expires at the end of the fiscal year, Sept 30. The enhanced security includes:
1) Doubling to $20,000 the lifetime amount members can spend to secure their homes under the residential security program. That includes things like a home security system. Previously, members could spend up to $10,000.
2) Increasing security monitoring and maintenance allotment to $5,000 per month. This allotment may be used for personal security services.
This enhanced security spending was put in place just before members left for their summer recess at the end of July, after the targeted shootings of Minnesota Democratic state lawmakers.
On the Zoom call, some House Democrats shared personal stories about their fears and frustrations relating to their personal safety.
One lawmaker shared that they felt intimidated by someone who has been showing up at their church, according to one of the sources on the call.
Another felt that local law enforcement hasn’t been responsive enough to him when he’s back in his district, the source said.
Susan Collins calls fired CDC director 'a person of great integrity'
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, praised former CDC Director Susan Monarez.
Collins said Monarez told her "she was asked to fire all these people, and refused to do it. She was asked to rubber-stamp recommendations that she disagreed with vehemently on vaccines, and she refused to do that."
"She is a person of great integrity," Collins added.
Monarez was fired in August, prompting several high-profile resignations.
Collins also criticized Health Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr.'s decision to fire independent experts on a CDC vaccine panel, saying that she believed "that’s going to lead to less independent and less professional recommendations."
She expressed concerns over Florida moving to lift vaccine requirements, saying that she was worried about measles outbreaks.
"It’s already happened in Texas, in this country, totally preventable outbreaks of measles," she said.
Trump threatens to federalize D.C. police again if the department doesn’t cooperate with immigration officials
Trump threatened to federalize the Washington, D.C., police again if the department does not cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations.
In August, Trump federalized D.C. police and deployed National Guard troops into the district in an emergency 30-day takeover, which expired last week.
Trump criticizes NFL's 'dynamic kickoff' rules: ''Sissy' football is bad for America'
Trump criticized the NFL's "dynamic kickoff" rules, which were adopted as part of an effort to decrease injuries while increasing returns.
He called on the NFL to get rid of the "ridiculous looking" kickoff rule, asking how the league could "make such a big and sweeping change so easily and quickly."
"The ball is moving, and the players are not, the exact opposite of what football is all about," Trump complained. "'Sissy' football is bad for America, and bad for the NFL! Who comes up with these ridiculous ideas?"
Kash Patel defends social media post during the manhunt for Kirk's killer
FBI Director Kash Patel defended his decision to post during the manhunt for Charlie Kirk's killer that "the subject" was in custody, before backtracking. A different suspect was ultimately detained.
In an interview on "Fox & Friends," Patel said that he was "being transparent."
"Could I have worded it a little better in the heat of the moment? Sure," he said of his social media post. "But do I regret putting it out? Absolutely not. I was telling the world what the FBI was doing as we were doing, and I’m continuing to do that."
He challenged people "to find a director that has been more transparent and more willing to work the media on high-profile cases."
As NBC News reported last night, Patel's handling of the manhunt has drawn criticism and concerns among former and current officials.
U.S. has ‘framework’ for deal with China over TikTok , treasury secretary says
Scott Bessent said that the U.S. and China had struck a “framework for a TikTok deal,” days before another deadline over the popular social media app was set to take effect that could have banned it in the U.S.
Bessent’s statement came shortly after Trump said an agreement had been reached over a “company that young people in our Country very much wanted to save.”
Senate to vote today on Stephen Miran's confirmation to the Fed
The Senate is set to vote today on the confirmation of Stephen Miran, Trump's nominee to serve on the Federal Reserve Board.
Miran is the chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, and he has taken on a lead role in shaping Trump's tariff policy.
He was nominated to fill the remainder of former governor Adriana Kugler's term, which was set to expire in January but opened after she announced her early resignation.
Miran has also sparked controversy for saying that if confirmed, he does not plan to leave his White House role. Instead, he said he would take an unpaid leave of absence.
EMILYs List backs prosecutor Shannon Taylor in crowded Virginia congressional primary
EMILYs List, an organization that supports female candidates who support abortion rights, endorsed Henrico Commonwealth’s Attorney Shannon Taylor in Virginia’s 1st District.
Taylor is running in a crowded Democratic primary seeking to challenge Rep. Rob Wittman, R-Va., who has served in Congress since 2007. Already, almost a dozen Democrats have thrown their hats in the ring.
“Voters in Virginia’s 1st Congressional District deserve a leader who will fight for them, not against them, and EMILYs List is proud to endorse Shannon as she takes this fight to Congress and helps us flip the House,” EMILYs List President Jessica Mackler said in a statement.
Virginia’s 1st District has not traditionally been viewed as a battleground district, but it is rated as a competitive district by the non-partisan Cook Political Report. Wittman won his race by almost 13 percentage points in 2024 but Trump only won the district by less than five percentage points.
EMILYs List’s endorsement comes a few months ahead of Virginia’s competitive gubernatorial race, where two women — former Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., and GOP Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears — are vying for a chance to lead the state.
Netanyahu says that Israel takes 'full responsibility' for strike on Hamas leadership in Qatar
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel takes "full responsibility" for its strike on Hamas leadership in Qatar.
"I’ve said repeatedly that Israel’s decision to act against the Hamas terrorist leadership in Qatar was a wholly and independent decision by Israel," he said in a press conference alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio. "It was a decision taken by me and our top security force of chiefs. It was conducted by us, and we assume full responsibility for it."
Trump had criticized the strike, telling reporters that he was "very unhappy" with the move. Qatar has taken a lead role in trying to mediate a ceasefire in Gaza.
Trump threatens to federalize D.C. if the city cuts off cooperation with ICE
Trump threatened to call a national emergency and federalize Washington, D.C., again if the city ends cooperation with ICE.
"If I allowed this to happen, CRIME would come roaring back," Trump said in the post. "To the people and businesses of Washington, D.C., DON’T WORRY, I AM WITH YOU, AND WON’T ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN. I’ll call a National Emergency, and Federalize, if necessary!!!
The D.C. police increased its cooperation with ICE as the Trump administration surged the National Guard and federal law enforcement into the city.
Hochul backs NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani
Hochul, a Democrat, backed Mamdani in a New York Times opinion essay published yesterday.
“In the past few months, I’ve had frank conversations with him,” Hochul said in the essay. “We’ve had our disagreements. But in our conversations, I heard a leader who shares my commitment to a New York where children can grow up safe in their neighborhoods and where opportunity is within reach for every family.”
Hochul said she made “it very clear that our police officers should have every resource to keep our streets and subways safe. I urged him to ensure that there is strong leadership at the helm of N.Y.P.D. — and he agreed.”
JD Vance to host ‘The Charlie Kirk Show’ in tribute
Vance will host an edition of “The Charlie Kirk Show” today in tribute to the conservative activist who was assassinated at a university event last week at 31.
Announcing the move on X last night, Vance said hosting the show would be an honor and an opportunity to “pay tribute to my friend.” The show will be posted at noon ET.
