Trump gives campaign-style speech on the economy; Democrat wins Miami mayoral race
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In Miami, voters chose Democratic candidate Eileen Higgins over Trump-endorsed Emilio González in a runoff election for mayor, NBC News projects.
What to know today
- TRUMP TOUTS ECONOMY: President Donald Trump was in Pennsylvania tonight promoting his economic policies amid concerns about the high cost of living. Two-thirds of respondents in an NBC News poll released last month said the administration has fallen short of expectations in handling inflation and other affordability issues.
- MIAMI MAYORAL ELECTION: Voters backed former Miami-Dade County Commissioner Eileen Higgins, a Democrat, over Trump-endorsed Republican Emilio González. With her projected victory, Democrats won an office they haven’t held since the 1990s.
- CAMPAIGN FINANCE CASE: Supreme Court justices this morning probed the legality of long-standing campaign finance restrictions challenged by Vice President JD Vance that limit how much national party committees can spend in coordination with individual candidates. It’s unclear how the court might rule.
Trump continues denigrating Somali immigrants and Rep. Ilhan Omar
Trump again targeted Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., mispronouncing her name, and continued a tirade against Somali immigrants.
Omar "does nothing but b----, she's always complaining," Trump said.
He continued, saying Somalia is "considered about the worst country in the world, right?" He added, "Throw her the hell out." Some in the crowd then started chanting "send her back" before Trump resumed speaking.
Omar responded on social media.
"Trump’s obsession with me is beyond weird. He needs serious help," she said on Bluesky. "Since he has no economic policies to tout, he’s resorting to regurgitating bigoted lies instead."
No. 2 official at Department of Homeland Security to be named U.S. ambassador to El Salvador, sources say
Trump is expected to name Deputy Homeland Security Secretary Troy Edgar as U.S. ambassador to El Salvador, according to two sources familiar with the plans.
The sources said Edgar was informed today that he would be removed from the No. 2 position at DHS and of plans to move him to be ambassador to El Salvador. The sources said the timing of his departure remains unclear.
The Senate confirmed Edgar to his current position in March, meaning he is eligible for the ambassadorship without further Senate approval.
The White House and the State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. CBS News first reported the news of Edgar’s removal from DHS.
Govs. Spencer Cox and Josh Shapiro warn of growing political violence
Govs. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania and Spencer Cox of Utah decried the state of the political discourse in the country and talked of leaning on each other after high-profile cases of political violence in a wide-ranging interview with “Today” co-anchor Savannah Guthrie this evening.
Both have been at the forefront of handling political crises in their states.
Cox, a Republican, was widely praised for his handling of the assassination of conservative political activist Charlie Kirk in Utah in September, an event that inflamed political divides. Shapiro, a Democrat, has dealt with political violence repeatedly in his state, including the attempt on Trump’s life at a rally in Butler last year and the politically motivated firebombing of his own home this year.
“I just need to tell you when that very dark day happened in my state, the first call I got was from this guy, from Gov. Shapiro, and he gave me some advice that changed what I was going to say when I stepped in front of that camera for the first time,” Cox said, speaking alongside Shapiro at the National Cathedral in Washington.
Trump insists the economy is roaring in a campaign-style speech in Pennsylvania
Trump traveled to this hardscrabble and politically competitive part of the country tonight to tout his economic record — insisting that he’s already the architect of “lower prices” and “bigger paychecks,” as a massive sign behind him proclaimed — while voters here and across the country say their bank accounts are still squeezed.
“The only thing that is truly going up big, it’s called the stock market and your 401(k)s,” Trump told a crowd of more than 1,000 supporters packed into a cozy ballroom at the Mount Airy Casino Resort, nestled in the Pocono Mountains.
In hallmark fashion, he veered far off script and off the topic of affordability at times. He attacked Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn. — prompting a chant of “send her back” to Somalia — denigrated windmills, mocked transgender people and called his predecessor, Joe Biden, a “son of a b----.”
But even when he focused on the theme of his speech, Trump continued to publicly wrestle with the question of whether affordability is really an issue for Americans — and whether he has done enough already to right the economy. At one point he said “affordability” is a “new word” concocted by Democrats to criticize him. At another, he proclaimed, “I have no higher priority than making America affordable again.”
Democrat wins Miami mayor’s race for the first time in almost 30 years
Democrat Eileen Higgins has won the Miami mayor’s race, NBC News projects, giving the party control of the office for the first time in almost three decades in another victory for Democrats ahead of next year’s pivotal midterm elections.
Higgins, a former Miami-Dade County commissioner, won 59% of the vote to 41% for Republican Emilio González, a businessman and former city manager who was endorsed by Trump. González conceded this evening, his campaign confirmed.
“Tonight, the people of Miami made history. Together, we turned the page on years of chaos and corruption and opened the door to a new era for our city — one defined by ethical, accountable leadership that delivers real results for the people,” Higgins said in a statement tonight.
While the Miami mayor’s race is technically nonpartisan, the Republican-affiliated candidate has won every election since 2008, and an independent candidate won before then, locking Democrats out of the office since their last win in 1997. But while Miami-Dade has moved dramatically toward Republicans in the last few elections, Democratic former Vice President Kamala Harris narrowly carried the city itself last year.
Trump wraps remarks on economy that resembled a campaign stump speech
Trump wove in and out of economic issues, musing about the border and foreign wars he said he ended, and he threatened again to attack Venezuela by land in a campaign-style event that aides billed as a speech on the U.S. economy. He spoke for more than 90 minutes.
At one point, Trump said he agreed prices needed to come down, even as he criticized Democrats for talking about it.
“I can’t say 'affordability hoax,' because I agree the prices were too high, so I can’t go to hoax, because they’ll misconstrue that,” he said. “But they use the word 'affordability,' and that’s their only word.”
Still, he vowed to do more. “Ours are decreases,” he said. “And they’re moving down.”
Several times Trump spoke about Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, whom he called “central casting” and “very handsome” and praised as “our savior.”
“Under that beautiful exterior is a killer,” he added.
The comments come as Trump and Bessent, who attended the event, seek a new chair of the Federal Reserve and as Trump has said support for rapid interest rate cuts would be a required litmus test for the next head of the central bank.
Trump said wounded National Guard member Andrew Wolfe got up from bed today
Trump said Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, who was shot last month in the attack on two National Guard troops from West Virginia, was able to get out of bed today. Wolfe remains hospitalized.
"Today I got a call that he got up from bed," Trump said. "Do you believe that? He got up."
The crowd in Pennsylvania cheered.
"He didn’t speak. He’s not ready for that yet," Trump added. "I mean, you got hit in the head, but he got up and, boy, they’re so happy. It’s amazing."
Trump says Democrats 'sent prices soaring' as he vows to focus on affordability
Ten months into his second term, Trump said his main focus is making America affordable again, saying he had “no higher priority” and vowing to bring down prices, including on gas, which he deemed a tax cut.
“It’s a simple message,” he psaid, even as he turned his attention to Democrats and Biden, whom he accused of sending prices “soaring.”
“That’s our message,” Trump added. “They gave you high prices. They gave you the highest inflation in history, and we’re giving you — we’re bringing those prices down rapidly, lower prices, bigger paychecks.”
Republicans are looking ahead to a challenging landscape in the midterms next year, with Trump saying he plans to campaign for the party.
Trump leans heavily into tariffs in his economy speech
Trump touted his tariff policies as a cornerstone of his economic agenda in tonight's speech.
He repeated that "tariff" is one of his favorite words and said his administration's recently announced $12 billion aid package for farmers was paid for with tariff revenue.
"You're going to see what happens over the next two years," Trump said. "It's like a miracle is taking place."
The Supreme Court has yet to rule on Trump's broad use of tariffs under a law reserved for use during times of emergency.
Trump falsely claims to have won Pennsylvania 'three times in a row'
Trump, who is hosting a campaign-style economic event at Mount Airy Casino Resort in northeastern Pennsylvania this evening, began his remarks with a quip about election fraud in 2020, falsely claiming to have won the state “three times in a row, as you know.”
Biden won Pennsylvania by a narrow margin in 2020; Trump won it four years earlier and then again in 2024.
Trump emphasized Pennsylvania’s importance to his victory last year, thanking voters in the state and calling his win “the most important election victory, possibly in the history of our country.”
He has returned to the stump amid concerns about the high cost of living.
Trump kicks off economy speech in Pennsylvania
Trump has begun his speech, which the White House has billed as being about the economy.
He is delivering the speech in Mount Pocono, in the swing state of Pennsylvania.
Scott Bessent expresses optimism for 2026 economy ahead of Trump's speech
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent expressed optimism for Americans feeling Trump's rosy view of the economy, saying in an interview with reporter Lauren Mayk of NBC Philadelphia that "everything we've done in the past year is setting the table for a great 2026."
Bessent also argued that Trump "inherited a mess" from the Biden administration. A recent NBC News poll found that most registered voters believed the Trump administration has fallen short on addressing the economy.
Asked whether the administration had a plan to lower health insurance costs, Bessent blamed Democrats and said that "the Affordable Care Act was a lie." Pressed about the reason for the delay in offering a plan, Bessent pointed to insurance lobbyists.
"When you want to pull the money away from the insurance companies and give it to the people, you're met with a lot of resistance," he said.
Later, Mayk asked Bessent for the administration's next steps to bring down costs. Bessent again blamed Democrats and touted the administration's achievements, referring to gas prices.
"Even at the grocery store, a huge part of grocery prices are the transport to get the groceries there," he said. "So I think once energy goes down ... everything else is going to go down."
The view from the ballroom where Trump will speak
Trump doesn’t always stick to the script, but in case he or anyone else in the cozy ballroom audience of about 1,000 people forgets, there will be a big sign behind him tonight with the White House’s preferred theme: “LOWER PRICES BIGGER PAYCHECKS.”
Outside the venue, the boutique Mount Airy Casino Resort in Mount Pocono, Trump supporters held signs with the political message Republicans hope will sink in with their voters: “Keep the House, Keep the Country.”
Here in northeastern Pennsylvania, freshman Rep. Rob Bresnahan, R-Pa., is trying to hold on to one of the most competitive seats in the country as the GOP works to retain its majority in the House in next year’s midterm elections.
Treasury and energy secretaries address crowd ahead of Trump's speech on the economy
Trump brought friends — or at least Cabinet members — to bolster Trump in Pennsylvania.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent were among the warm-up speakers. Both blamed former President Joe Biden for policies that they say hurt the American economy.
Bessent pointed at what he said he called the “three ‘I’s’” — immigration, interest rates and inflation. Though his tone was reserved, his words were sharp.
“I hear Scranton is Joe Biden’s hometown,” Bessent said. “But as far as I can tell, this is Trump country.”
And he charged that Biden “stole from the American people” through inflation. “Biden ran up America’s credit card and left all of us here to foot the bill.”
Trump administration announces deal to end key Biden-era student loan repayment program
The Trump administration today announced a deal to officially end a major student loan repayment program implemented under President Joe Biden.
The Education Department said in a news release that it reached a proposed joint settlement agreement with Missouri to bring an end to Biden’s “Saving on a Valuable Education” plan. Several Republican-led states had sued the department during the Biden administration over the plan.
The program has been on hold since February, when the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sided with Missouri and other red states that challenged the Biden plan.
A judge will have to sign off on the proposed settlement, which calls for the Education Department to not enroll any new borrowers in the plan, deny any pending applications and move all SAVE borrowers into other repayment plans.
House committee launches inquiry into sports betting
The House Education and Workforce Committee launched an inquiry into sports betting today, sending letters to several professional sports organizations seeking information to determine “if any legal reforms are needed to protect athletes.”
Committee Chair Tim Walberg, R-Mich., sent the letters to the NFL Players Association, the Major League Baseball Players Association, National Basketball Players Association, the NHL Players Association and the Major League Soccer Players Association.
Walberg asked each group by Jan. 31 to “provide information on what actions it has taken or plans to take to curtail players from using proprietary information to skew sports betting.”
Senate Republicans plan vote on a health care alternative as ACA funds look likely to expire
As the U.S. careens to a health care cliff, Senate Republicans say they’ll offer a bill written by two key committee chairs as an alternative to extending billions of dollars in Affordable Care Act funds that are expiring this month.
Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said the Senate will vote on a bill by Senate Finance Committee Chair Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, and Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee Chair Bill Cassidy, R-La., “side-by-side” with Democratic legislation that would extend the expiring ACA funds for three years, holding premiums steady.
He stopped short of promising that all 53 Republicans would back the Republican bill, but it’s almost certain to fail either way, as it would take 60 votes to advance.
“Our members — and I can’t say 100%, but I think for the most part, I would argue — are united behind the Crapo-Cassidy proposal,” Thune told reporters today after a Senate Republican lunch meeting where they discussed what to do.
Schumer says he would invoke War Powers Act if Trump escalates conflict in Venezuela
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., told reporters after the weekly Senate Democrats policy luncheon that he planned to “confront Secretary Hegseth on exactly what the hell is going on in the Caribbean” and demand total, unedited video from the Sept. 2 boat strikes.
Schumer also said he and Sens. Tim Kaine, D-Va., Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and Rand Paul, R-Ky., were prepared to invoke the War Powers Act if the administration were to begin ground operations in Venezuela.
Top Democrat in a contested Senate race caught up in ‘problematic’ fundraising email blunder
Last week, a member of the staff of Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., called Rep. Ted Lieu’s team with a question: Couldn’t Lieu, D-Calif., have given her a heads up before he issued an endorsement in her state’s hotly contested open Democratic Senate primary?
Lieu’s staff was puzzled. Lieu, who, like Duckworth, is one of the most prominent Asian American and Pacific Islander lawmakers on Capitol Hill, hadn’t weighed in on the Senate race in Illinois.
Thune says Senate will vote on GOP senators' health care plan after vote on Democrats’ proposal
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told reporters he will bring up the Crapo-Cassidy health care proposal for a side-by-side vote when the Senate votes on the Democrats’ plan for a clean three-year extension for health care subsidies Thursday.
The plan from Sens. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, and Bill Cassidy, R-La., would replace ACA tax credits and instead put money directly into health savings accounts.
Thune said that he “can’t say 100%” but that he thinks his conference is “united” around the Crapo-Cassidy plan.
“It delivers the benefit directly to the patient, not to the insurance company, and it does it in a way that actually saves money, so to the taxpayer, that is a win-win proposal,” Thune said.
“There will be something out there that Republicans will be able to talk about and support and vote for, and then we’ll see,” Thune said. “But I do know that we want this issue, affordability, to be front and center, and the way to do that is not to extend for three years, at a cost of $83 billion to the taxpayers, a program that continues to drive insurance cost premiums higher and higher for the American people.”
Rock legend Gene Simmons arrives to speak at Senate hearing
Heather Diehl / Getty Images
Gene Simmons, a founding member of the rock band Kiss, flashes the sign of the horns as he walks through the Capitol today.
Simmons was expected to speak at a Senate hearing today in support of the American Music Fairness Act, which would require radio stations to pay performers for playing their music.
Sen. Josh Hawley says Americans will blame GOP if their health care premiums increase
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., said today that Americans will blame Republicans if their health care premiums increase, which they're expected to do next year.
"If Republicans just vote no on a Democrat proposal, let the premiums go up and Republicans don’t offer anything, what message is that going to send?" he said to reporters on Capitol Hill.
"I know what people in Missouri will think," he continued. "They’ll look at that and they’ll say: 'Well, you guys aren’t doing anything. You’re just letting my premiums go up. Why are you doing that to me?'"
Hawley stressed that Republicans need to offer an alternative proposal that would address rising health care costs. The Senate is expected to vote this week on a plan offered by Senate Democrats that would extend Obamacare subsidies, which are expiring this month, for three years.
Asked whether he would vote for the Democratic plan, Hawley didn't rule it out. He said he wants to see what Republicans will do but added, "I’m willing to entertain just about any idea that will legitimately bring down the cost of health care."
GOP senators urge Pentagon to release boat strike video
Several Republican senators told NBC News on camera that they would like the Pentagon to release the full video of the Sept. 2 military strikes on the alleged drug boat.
“I think the American people would like to see it," Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., said, adding that releasing it would "clear up" concerns about the strikes.
"If there’s a way to release that that does not compromise intelligence-gathering, I would urge him to do it,” he added.
Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said the administration has “got to release” the video in addition to the Epstein files.
"[We've] got to get any videos that do not in any way compromise mission integrity down there. Just get the stuff out there,” he said.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a close ally of Trump, said he is "OK with it being released.”
Supreme Court poised to expand presidential powers
During a closely watched hearing, the Supreme Court’s conservative majority appeared likely to side with Trump and allow the White House to fire officials at independent government agencies without cause. It’s a move that would overturn 90 years of precedent. NBC News’ Laura Jarrett joins the "TODAY" show to break down the key takeaways as the court signals what could be a major shift toward expanding presidential authority.
Senate Democrats call on GOP to hold immediate hearing with RFK Jr. over vaccine recommendation change
Senate Democrats on the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee are calling on Chairman Bill Cassidy, R-La., to hold an immediate oversight hearing with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
The request comes just days after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s vaccine advisory panel reversed its decadeslong recommendation that all newborns get an initial dose of the hepatitis B vaccine within 24 hours of birth.
“Since assuming office, Secretary Kennedy has waged an unprecedented war on science and vaccines that have saved millions of lives,” the committee's ranking member, Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Democratic senators wrote in a letter to Cassidy. “Holding an oversight hearing on Secretary Kennedy’s reckless actions is more important now than ever.”
“Failure to conduct an oversight hearing on Secretary Kennedy’s actions would be an abdication of our responsibility — both from a moral perspective and as a matter of sound public health policy,” they added.
Cassidy has said he would hold a hearing with Kennedy in the HELP Committee, but he has not announced a date, and he has told NBC News repeatedly that it’s still being worked out.
Supreme Court probes campaign finance limits challenged by JD Vance
Supreme Court justices today probed the legality of longstanding campaign finance restrictions challenged by Vance that limit how much national party committees can spend in coordination with individual candidates.
It is unclear exactly how the court will rule. One lawyer defending the limits argues that the case should be dismissed as moot because of Vance’s ongoing reluctance to reveal whether he will run for office in 2028.
FDA launches safety review of two RSV drugs for infants as Kennedy scrutinizes immunizations
The Food and Drug Administration has launched a safety review of two approved RSV drugs for infants, the latest immunizations to face scrutiny under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
No safety issues have been reported with either of the respiratory syncytial virus drugs: Beyfortus, from Sanofi and AstraZeneca, and Enflonsia, from Merck.
Andrew Nixon, a spokesperson at the Department of Health and Human Services, said in an emailed statement that the FDA is “rigorously reviewing the available data, as it does for all products, to ensure decisions remain rooted in evidence-based science and in the best interest of patients.”
Illinois Gov. Pritzker signs bills protecting immigrants from federal immigration actions
Illinois Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker signed into law a package of bills that boost protections for immigrants from federal immigration enforcement actions.
The move comes after months of a sustained federal crackdown on illegal immigration in the Chicago area carried out by the Trump administration. The campaign resulted in thousands of arrests and repeated and chaotic confrontations with residents and activists throughout the city and its surrounding areas.
The bills signed by Pritzker includes measures that require hospitals, schools and child care facilities to keep private the immigration status of their students and patients. Another measire allows people to file civil suits seeking monetary damages against law enforcement officers who have been found to violate the state or federal constitution when conducting immigration actions. Pritzker also signed a bill that had been passed by legislators in October that bars immigration actions from occurring at outside court hearings.
At a news conference, Pritzker, a potential 2028 presidential candidate, said that the laws were intended not only to protect Illinois residents but to “send a message” to federal officials. He directly singled out Trump, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and U.S. Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino.
“Over the past few months, the Chicago region has been subjected to a relentless campaign of cruelty and intimidation and abuse at the hands of ICE and border patrol agents under the command of President Trump and condoned by the Republican Congress,” Pritzker said. “Everyday activities, like dropping off the kids at school, going to the park with your family, going to the doctor, showing up at your job, has meant risking your safety and your livelihood. Fear and intimidation have been visited upon us by fellow Americans. It’s unconstitutional.”
“Together, we’re sending a message to Donald Trump, to Kristi Noem, to Gregory Bovino, and anyone else seeking to terrorize our people. Your divisiveness and your brutality are not welcome here,” added Prtizker, a frequent critic of the Trump administration.
In a post on X after Pritzker signed the bills, the Department of Homeland Security accused the governor of “refusing to cooperate with” U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and alleging that that refusal was allowing murderers, pedophiles, and drug traffickers to roam free and terrorize more Americans.”
“DHS is calling on Illinois politicians to stop this dangerous derangement and commit to handing over the remaining 4,000 criminal illegal aliens in their custody. It is common sense,” the agency posted.
U.S. strategy shows need for more European security independence, German chancellor says
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the Trump administration’s new national security strategy underscored the need for Europe to become “much more independent” from the U.S. in terms of security policy.
Merz also pushed back against the notion that European democracy needed saving.
The U.S. strategy, published on Friday, paints European allies as weak, while offering tacit support to far-right political parties, and was critical of European free speech and migration policy. Trump also referred to European leaders as "weak" in an interview with Politico released today.
Speaking yesterday, European Council president Antonio Costa warned the U.S. against interfering in Europe’s affairs and said only European citizens could decide which parties should govern them.
Honduras seeks arrest of ex-President Hernández after Trump pardon
Honduras Attorney General Johel Zelaya said yesterday that he had ordered authorities and asked Interpol to execute a 2023 arrest order for ex-President Juan Orlando Hernández, who was recently pardoned by Trump.
Hernández was released from federal prison in the United States last week after Trump pardoned him. Hernández had been sentenced in U.S. federal court last year to 45 years in prison for helping move tons of cocaine to the United States.
Lawyer argues in favor of maintaining campaign finance restrictions
Marc Elias, who is arguing before the Supreme Court in favor of maintaining campaign finance restrictions, argued in his opening remarks that limits on coordinated campaign spending "do not pose any meaningful burden on party speech."
"In fact, the vast majority of them hardly involve speech at all," Elias said. "The practical effect of petitioners' case would be to convert the political parties into mere paymasters to settle invoices from campaign vendors."
After Elias finished his arguments and Francisco, the NRSC's lawyer, gave his brief rebuttal, the court adjourned shortly after noon.
Lawyer argues Vance's claims are moot because he has not said whether he's running for president in 2028
Roman Martinez, a lawyer arguing against the rollback of campaign finance restrictions in a case involving JD Vance, argued that the vice president's claims are moot because he has not said whether he is running for president in 2028.
Vance is among those challenging the finance restrictions. He has not said whether he plans to run for president next cycle.
"Vice President Vance's claim is moot unless he has a concrete plan to run," Martinez said. "Does he? Well, his public statements repeatedly over and over and over, over the course of the past year, including in new comments that were reported this morning by NBC News, show that he has no concrete plan."
Martinez was referring to Vance's interview with NBC News last week in which he again did not explicitly say he would run for president in 2028.
Advocacy groups sue Trump administration seeking release of legal memo justifying boat strikes
A coalition of advocacy groups filed a lawsuit today against the Trump administration seeking the immediate release of the memo that provides the legal justification for U.S. military strikes on alleged drug boats.
The complaint, filed in federal court in Manhattan, argues that the deadly strikes, which have killed at least 87 people since early September, are illegal and that Americans deserve to see the justification for them.
The filing requests that the court order the Justice, State and Defense Departments to immediately search for all records regarding the legal reasoning behind the U.S. military campaign against alleged drug boats and to release them to the American Civil Liberties Union, or ACLU, and other plaintiffs, including the New York Civil Liberties Union and the Center for Constitutional Rights.
Lawyers argue in favor of rolling back campaign finance restrictions despite concerns from liberal justices
Noel Francisco, the lawyer representing the National Republican Senatorial Committee in arguments before the Supreme Court this morning on a challenge to campaign finance limits, told the justices that such restrictions are effectively a limit on free speech.
"I'm relying on the same free speech principles that, in the past, we and my friends on the Democratic side have been locked in arms on," Francisco said.
But liberal justices raised concerns over how rolling back campaign finance restrictions could affect the potential for bribery and corruption.
Sarah Harris, an attorney for the Trump administration, responded that campaign finance limits "do not serve the only valid interest of preventing quid pro quo corruption or its appearance."
"Parties can't corrupt candidates, and no evidence suggests donors launder bribes by co-opting parties' coordinated spending with candidates," Harris continued in her opening remarks.
N.Y. county executive launches primary run against Rep. Elise Stefanik in governer's race
Bruce Blakeman, the Republican executive of Nassau County, N.Y., announced he's running for governor, jumping into a primary battle against GOP Rep. Elise Stefanik.
"I am running for Governor of New York. Our state is struggling with high taxes, rising utility bills, and rising crime," Blakeman said in his announcement on X. "New York needs leadership that works. I am ready to take on Kathy Hochul and fight for our families."
While Trump endorsed Blakeman in his race for county executive last month, the president declined to do the same for his gubernatorial run. The president told White House reporters yesterday that both Stefanik and Blakeman are "great people," but he avoided endorsing either candidate.
White House chief of staff says that Trump will 'campaign like it's 2024 again' during next year's midterms
White House chief of staff Susie Wiles said in an interview with the conservative podcast “The Mom View" that Trump will "campaign like it's 2024 again" for Republicans during next year's elections.
Wiles acknowledged that the move runs counter to the conventional wisdom of keeping midterm elections about local issues and not the White House.
"We're actually going to turn that on its head and put him on the ballot, because so many of those low-propensity voters are Trump voters. And we saw ... what happens what he's not on the ballot and not active," Wiles said, referring to Democratic victories in last month’s elections.
"So, I haven't quite broken it to him yet, but he's going to campaign like it's 2024 again," Wiles said, referring to the president. "He doesn't help everybody, but for those he does, he's a difference maker, and he's certainly a turnout machine. So, the midterms will be very important to us."
New York judge orders release of Ghislaine Maxwell-related grand jury records
A federal judge in New York today granted a Justice Department request to release grand jury material related to Ghislaine Maxwell’s case.
Judge Paul Engelmayer said in his ruling Tuesday that he’s taken great care to “put in place a mechanism to protect victims from the inadvertent release of materials within the discovery in this case that would identify them or otherwise invade their privacy.”
Maxwell was convicted in 2021 of federal sex trafficking charges. She is serving a 20-year prison sentence.
The ruling comes days after a federal judge in Florida also ordered the release of grand jury investigations into Jeffrey Epstein from 2005 and 2007. Both rulings came after Congress passed a law last month ordering the Justice Department to release all of its records related to Epstein.
Sotomayor takes aim Elon Musk's White House role
In this morning’s Supreme Court arguments, where the justices are mulling a campaign finance case about how much money a political party’s committee can spend in coordination with a political candidate, Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor suggested, without using his name, that Elon Musk’s 2024 donation to Donald Trump’s fundraising apparatus was quid pro quo for government influence.
“You mean to suggest the fact that one major donor to the current president, the most major donor to the current president, got a very lucrative job immediately upon election, from the new administration, does that not give the appearance with quid-pro-quo,” Sotomayor said.
“If I think I know what you’re talking about, I have a hard time thinking that his salary that he drew from the federal government was an effective quid pro quo bribery,” Noel Francisco, arguing on behalf of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, responded to Sotomayor.
“Maybe not the salary, but certainly the lucrative government contracts might be,” Sotomayor posited.
Mother of Karoline Leavitt’s nephew released from ICE custody
The mother of White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt’s nephew has been released from immigration detention weeks after news broke that she was in custody.
Bruna Caroline Ferreira, who shares a child with Leavitt’s brother, was taken into custody Nov. 12 by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Revere, Massachusetts, while she was driving to her son’s school, her attorney Todd Pomerleau told reporters last month.
Pomerleau said in a statement today that she was released on a $1,500 bond, the lowest amount permitted under immigration law.
Trump doesn’t rule out troops in Venezuela, says President Nicolás Maduro’s ‘days are numbered’
Trump said in an interview with Politico released today that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s “days are numbered” and declined to comment on whether the U.S. could send troops to the country.
Asked whether the U.S. could send in troops on the ground, Trump said, “I don’t comment on that.”
“I wouldn’t say that one way or the other,” he said, going on to criticize Maduro.
The president’s comments came during a wide-ranging interview in which he said that Russia had a stronger negotiation position than Ukraine in talks to end their war, criticized European leaders as “weak” and their countries as “decaying,” and launched another tirade against Somali immigrants and Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn.
The president also rated his economy an “A-plus-plus-plus-plus-plus” despite polling indicating that voters think the administration has fallen short on addressing economic issues, and he affirmed that an immediate Federal Reserve rate cut decision would be a litmus test for selecting a new chair.
Former Rep. Tom Perriello launches House comeback campaign
Former Democratic Rep. Tom Perriello, who served one term in the House at the beginning of the Obama administration, announced today that he's running for Congress again in the district currently held by GOP Rep. John McGuire.
"I’m running for Congress in Virginia’s 5th District because families and workers deserve a fair shot," Perriello posted on X alongside a launch video.
Perriello's campaign launch comes after big wins for Virginia Democrats in the fall elections there — and as they move toward redrawing the state's congressional lines. Trump carried the 5th Congressional District by 12 points in 2024 and by 8 points in 2020, but a new map — which would have to be approved by voters early next year — could potentially make the district more Democratic.
After losing the 5th district in 2010 after winning it in 2008, Perriello served in several State Department roles in the Obama and Biden administrations and as an executive director at Open Society Foundations. He ran for governor of Virginia in 2017 but lost the Democratic primary to Ralph Northam, who went on to win the general election.
Trump to tout economic agenda in visit to Pennsylvania
Trump is traveling to Pennsylvania to deliver remarks this evening on the economy.
A White House official described the visit as a "campaign-style economic" event where he will highlight his work to lower oil prices, deregulate small businesses and set up investment accounts for children seeded with a $1,000 from the federal government.
The president's visit comes amid criticism that his administration isn't recognizing that many Americans are struggling as they face a high cost of living.
A recent NBC News poll found about two-thirds of respondents said the administration has fallen short of its expectations on handling inflation and the cost of living.
In recent days, Trump has dismissed concerns about affordability as a "hoax" promoted by Democrats and asserted that his economic policies, including tariffs and tax cuts, will help everyday Americans. In a new interview with Politico, he rated his handling of the economy as an “A-plus-plus-plus-plus-plus.”
The issue of affordability, however, including the high costs of housing and child care, helped propel New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist, to victory in this recent election.
Trump will deliver his speech at a little after 6 p.m. ET in Mount Pocono, a borough located about midway between Scranton and Allentown.
Group seeking to put Missouri’s GOP-drawn congressional map before voters submits signatures
A Democratic-supported group in Missouri opposed to the state’s new congressional map drawn by Republicans is one step closer to potentially repealing it through a voter referendum.
The group, People Not Politicians, submitted more than 300,000 signatures today for a petition that seeks to block the new district lines from going into effect before next year’s midterm elections. Missouri’s Republican secretary of state will still need to certify the petition before it can appear on the ballot.
“This process is an important historic check on legislators’ power or power grabs,” People Not Politicians Executive Director Richard von Glahn said in an interview before his group submitted the signatures. “This is why this part of our democracy exists — for moments like this, for people to both exercise and protect their power as voters.”
The development marks the latest wrinkle in the national redistricting fight, which was sparked by Trump in an effort to shore up the GOP’s narrow House majority.
Defense policy bill would limit Pete Hegseth's travel budget unless he releases boat strike video
A new version of the annual defense policy bill released Sunday could limit Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s travel plans next year if he doesn’t release video of recent military strikes.
Congress is set this week to consider the bill, which includes a provision that would restrict Hegseth’s travel budget for fiscal year 2026 until he provides the video of military strikes on boats in the Caribbean.
Miami has had Republican mayors for decades, but the office is up for grabs Tuesday
Welcome to Miami, where the two major parties are watching the latest Republican-held office that Democrats are making a last-minute push to flip this year — the city’s mayoralty.
The city hasn’t had a Democratic mayor since the late 1990s, and dramatic shifts among Hispanic voters, particularly in South Florida, have melted away Democrats’ edge in recent elections.
But unlike in other recent special elections for Republican-controlled seats, then-Vice President Kamala Harris narrowly carried the city of Miami last year while losing Miami-Dade County. That means a Democratic flip is well within reach for former County Commissioner Eileen Higgins, who is running against Republican Emilio T. González, a businessman and former city manager endorsed by Trump.
Both have pitched themselves as clean breaks from past city politics and promise to address affordability issues, which looms especially large in South Florida, as it has done across the country.
While the candidates’ solutions to those problems may be local, the race has been swept up into a national fight, as both parties jockey for political momentum ahead of next year’s midterm elections. In Miami, that means a technically nonpartisan election with clear partisan trappings.
More local officials than ever say political polarization is harming the nation, survey finds
More local officials than ever say in a new survey that political polarization is having a negative impact nationally, with those in larger communities seeing greater local effects — findings that coincided with a surge in political violence and Washington gridlock.
Nearly 9 in 10 respondents of the survey of about 1,400 city and county leaders, which was conducted in September by the nonprofit CivicPulse, said they believe political polarization is negatively affecting the nation. That’s an uptick from a earlier survey on the subject by the nonpartisan research organization during the first months of Trump’s second administration, which found 83% of local government officials held that view.
Just 30% of respondents to the latest survey, however, said polarization is harming their local communities, a result similar to CivicPulse’s previous findings, which suggests community life remains resilient to the national discord, according to the results shared exclusively with NBC News.
JD Vance’s hedging on a presidential run could imperil his campaign finance Supreme Court case
A high-stakes challenge to campaign finance restrictions being heard by the Supreme Court today has the potential to fizzle because of Vice President JD Vance’s reluctance to reveal whether he will run for office in 2028.
That, at least, is what one of the lawyers will tell the justices during the oral argument, which concerns limits on how much party committees can spend in coordination with candidates.
The Supreme Court’s conservative majority has long been skeptical of campaign finance restrictions on free speech grounds, and Republicans have often brought challenges against them.
Vance, who was among those challenging the spending limits in the case before the court this week, has been equivocal about his plans in various public remarks, most recently in an interview with NBC News last week.
