South Africa expresses ‘concern’ over U.S. tariffs
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa expressed “concern” over the White House’s updated tariffs that will impose a 30% duty on South African goods bound for the U.S.
Ramaphosa said his country will continue negotiations with Washington toward a trade deal, noting the government is finalizing a package to support companies, producers and workers affected by the levies.
“All applicable exceptions published in the previous US Executive Order are set to remain in force and these exceptions covered products such as copper, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, lumber articles, certain critical minerals, stainless steel scrap and energy and energy products,” he said.
World shares retreat after Trump’s order
The Associated Press
World shares retreated early as investors assess Trump’s order imposing new tariffs on 68 countries and the European Union starting in seven days.
In early European trading, Germany’s Dax fell 1.5% to 23,697.31. Britain’s FTSE 100 dropped 0.7% to 9,068.97. In Paris, the CAC 40 shed 1.6% to 7,647.56. The future for S&P 500 was down 0.8% and that for the Dow Jones Industrial Average was also 0.8% lower.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 slid 0.7 % to 40,799.60 while South Korea’s Kospi tumbled 3.9% to 3,119.41. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index shed 1.1% to 24,507.81, while the Shanghai Composite slipped 0.4% to 3,559.95.
Australia’s S&P ASX 200 shed 0.9% to 8,662, India’s BSE Sensex lost 0.4% to 80,837.19 and Taiwan’s TAIEX slid 0.5% to 23,434.38
Canada ‘disappointed’ by increased tariff of 35%, prime minister says
Canada is “disappointed” by Trump’s decision to increase the tariff on Canadian goods to 35% from 25%, Prime Minister Mark Carney said.
Though most of its U.S. exports are exempted under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement, the 35% tariff will greatly affect sectors of the Canadian economy such as lumber, steel, aluminum and automobiles, Carney said in a statement.
“While we will continue to negotiate with the United States on our trading relationship, the Canadian government is laser focused on what we can control: building Canada strong,” he said.
Trump has justified tariffs on goods from Canada, the top U.S. export market, by accusing it of failing to stop the cross-border flow of fentanyl, even though U.S. government data shows Canada accounts for only 1% of the fentanyl that enters the United States.
Trump told NBC News that he was open to further discussions with Canada and that he might even speak with Carney later in the night.
The tariff increase was also criticized by provincial leaders such as Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who urged the Canadian government to impose a 50% counter tariff on imports of U.S. steel and aluminum.
“Canada shouldn’t settle for anything less than the right deal. Now is not the time to roll over. We need to stand our ground,” he said in a post on X.
Trump’s super PAC raises a massive $177 million, bolstering his political influence
Ben Kamisar and Bridget Bowman
The super PAC affiliated with Trump raised $177 million in the first half of 2025, new fundraising reports show — with GOP megadonors, key Trump allies (including some government officials), big business, a secret-money group and the mother of a man who received a presidential pardon among those filling the group’s coffers ahead of next year’s midterms.
Even in an era of overflowing money in politics, the massive sum sticks out. It is a sign that Trump’s political operation will continue to wield major influence even though Trump himself is barred by term limits from running for president again.
The group spent just $4.6 million over that time, meaning it has more than $196 million banked away as Trump continues to put his stamp on the Republican Party and looks to keep Congress in GOP control in the 2026 midterm elections.
Trump also has yet more money nestled away in other committees he can use for various political causes.
Read the full story here.
Judge blocks Trump from ending protections for 60,000 from Central America and Nepal
The Associated Press
Reporting from San Francisco
A federal judge ruled Thursday against the Trump administration’s plans and extended Temporary Protected Status for 60,000 people from Central America and Asia, including people from Nepal, Honduras and Nicaragua.
Temporary Protected Status is a protection that can be granted by the Homeland Security secretary to people of various nationalities who are in the United States, preventing them from being deported and allowing them to work. The Trump administration has aggressively been seeking to remove the protection, thus making more people eligible for removal. It is part of a wider effort by the administration to carry out mass deportations of immigrants.
Read the full story here.
Smithsonian confirms removal of Trump references from exhibit on presidential impeachments
A spokesperson for the Smithsonian confirmed the removal of references to Trump in an exhibit that details presidential impeachments, framing the move as indefinite.
The Washington Post reported today that the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History removed references to Trump’s two impeachments from the “Limits of Presidential Power” section of an exhibit titled “The American Presidency: A Glorious Burden.”
Though the exhibit was created in 2000 and hadn’t been formally updated since 2008, in 2021 a temporary label noting Trump impeachments was affixed to the gallery.
“In September 2021, the museum installed a temporary label on content concerning the impeachments of Donald J. Trump,” the spokesperson said. “It was intended to be a short-term measure to address current events at the time, however, the label remained in place until July 2025.”
The spokesperson said that because the exhibit, which also covers Congress and the Supreme Court, hadn’t been updated since 2008, the museum decided to restore the “Impeachment” section of the gallery “back to its 2008 appearance.”
The Smithsonian indicated that a future exhibit will refer to all presidential impeachments, including Trump’s, pending additional funding.
“A large permanent gallery like The American Presidency that opened in 2000 requires significant amount of time and funding to update and renew. A future and updated exhibit will include all impeachments,” the spokesperson said.
According to the Post, the Trump references were removed after the Smithsonian undertook a content review following pressure from the White House and accusations of partisan bias.
Trump accused the Smithsonian in March of coming “under the influence of a divisive, race-centered ideology” and signed an executive order seeking to “restore the Smithsonian Institution to its rightful place as a symbol of inspiration and American greatness.”
Harris defends decision not to enter California governor’s race and previews plans
Former Vice President Kamala Harris defended her decision not to enter the California governor’s race in a new clip of an interview with CBS’ Stephen Colbert set to air tonight.
“Recently, I made the decision that I just, for now, I don’t want to go back in the system. I think it’s broken,” Harris told the “Late Show” host.
“I always believed that, as fragile as our democracy is, our systems would be strong enough to defend our most fundamental principles, and I think right now that they’re not as strong as they need to be,” she added.
Shedding light on some of her plans, Harris said she wants to travel the country and “listen to people.”
“I want to talk with people, and I don’t want it to be transactional, where I’m asking for their vote,” she said.
Harris also said she will remain a public servant, despite her decision not to run for governor.
“It doesn’t mean we give up. That’s not my point, OK?” she said when asked about whether she would remain in the fight. “I am always going to be part of the fight.”
Earlier today, Harris announced that she will release a memoir about her unsuccessful presidential bid last year.
Trump says his new high tariffs are going ‘very well, very smooth’ — but he’s open to more deals
Reporting from Washington
Trump touted the expansive new tariffs on imports he imposed on global trading partners tonight, telling NBC News in a phone interview that it all was going “very well, very smooth.”
He also said that with just a few hours to go before his self-imposed midnight deadline for trade deals, it was “too late” for other countries to avoid tariff rates set to snap in place next week, which he formalized in a new executive order.
But, he added, his door will always be open to compelling offers: “It doesn’t mean that somebody doesn’t come along in four weeks and say we can make some kind of a deal.”
Read the full story here.
Joe Biden condemns ‘cruel executive overreach’ in remarks at National Bar Association
Former President Joe Biden condemned “cruel executive overreach” and touted the importance of the judicial branch in checking other branches of government in remarks at the National Bar Association’s Centennial Convention in Chicago.
Biden made the remark after he highlighted his own judicial appointments, who included a record number of Black federal judges, who he said are “doing their best to be independent, fair and partial.”
“I wish I could say same for the executive branch, which seems to be doing its best to dismantle the Constitution,” Biden said. “And they’re doing it all too often with the help of a Congress that’s just sitting in the sidelines and enabled by the highest court in the nation — the rulings they made, my God.”
Biden said this moment in U.S. history requires Americans to “confront hard truths about ourselves, our institutions and democracy itself.”
He said threats to America’s institutions are “reflected in every cruel executive outreach, every rollback of basic freedoms, every erosion of long-standing established precedent.”
“My friends, we need to face the hard truth of this administration,” Biden said. “It has been to erase all the gains we’ve made in my administration. To erase history, rather than make it. To erase fairness, equality — to erase justice itself. And that’s not hyperbole; that’s a fact.”
Trump formalizes high tariffs as he tries to reshape the global economy
Steve Kopack and Rob Wile
Trump today formalized the array of high tariff levels and trade deals he has announced in recent weeks.
In an executive order, Trump made official his agreements with prominent trading partners such as the European Union, Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom and the Philippines.
Trump’s order, which came hours before a self-imposed deadline for trade deals, also unilaterally sets rates for trading partners that did not reach agreements with him, for example, Israel, Switzerland and Taiwan. Switzerland’s rate will be set higher than previously threatened, at 39%, while Taiwan’s will be set lower, at 20%.
It’s effectively a reset of the world’s trade relations, one that is ostensibly designed to benefit the United States with expensive tariff rates not seen in nearly a century.
Read the full story here.
New tariff rates won’t take effect until Aug. 7
New tariff rates that Trump implemented in an executive order today do not appear to take effect until Aug. 7. Until then, tariffs will remain at current levels.
In addition, it appears that the new tariff rates on goods shipped by vessel will not be hit with the adjusted rates until Oct. 5.
CORRECTION (Aug. 1, 2025, 12:30 a.m. ET): A previous version of this blog post misstated when new U.S. tariff rates will take effect. It is Aug. 7, not Tuesday.
Trump formalizes the flurry of recent trade agreements
Trump today formalized the array of trade agreements he has made recently, including those with top U.S. trading partners such as the European Union and Japan — which will both be under 15% tariffs —India, which will be hit with a 25% tariff, and the United Kingdom at 10%.
At the same time, countries that did not reach agreements with the Trump administration also face new duties. The list shows that Switzerland will now subject to a 39% tariff, Canada will be hit with 35% duties, and Taiwan will subject to 20%. Switzerland’s rate is higher than Trump threatened on April 2, while Taiwan’s is lower. Canada has said it is still negotiating with Trump.
Epstein abuse survivor Virginia Giuffre wanted files released before her death, family says
Hallie Jackson and Rebecca Cohen
Virginia Giuffre, the woman who survived years of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse and died by suicide this year, wanted the so-called Epstein files released before her death, her siblings said.
“She wanted everything that happened to her … to be released, and she was still fighting for that before she left us,” Amanda Roberts, Giuffre’s sister-in-law, said in an interview today. “I think she wants, what we all want, is transparency and justice.”
In recent weeks, Giuffre has been in the headlines amid a renewed push for the release of a trove of documents that allegedly detail the years of abuse executed by Epstein and his longtime partner, Ghislaine Maxwell.
Trump said Tuesday that Epstein “stole” Giuffre from his Mar-a-Lago resort, where she worked as a locker room attendant in the summer of 2000, when she was 16.
Read the full story here.
Judge asks Justice Department to clarify request for Ghislaine Maxwell grand jury transcripts
Chloe Atkins and Nnamdi Egwuonwu
U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer ordered the government to clarify its request to unseal grand jury transcripts from Ghislaine Maxwell’s criminal case. The Justice Department requested the transcripts earlier this month as it seeks more information about the investigation into both Maxwell and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The judge ordered the government to state whether it is requesting the unsealing of grand jury exhibits from Maxwell’s criminal case, in addition to grand jury transcripts. Engelmayer ordered the government to identify with “specificity” the grand jury exhibits its seeking, in addition to any proposed redactions.
The judge told the government to file its response by Monday, August 4.
Elon Musk gives millions to Republican super PACs ahead of the midterms
Ben Kamisar and Bridget Bowman
Billionaire Elon Musk may be gone from Trump’s White House, but he’s not done with Republican politics.
Musk made a pair of $5 million donations on June 27 to the main super PACs backing House and Senate Republicans. That made him the largest individual donor to both groups in the first six months of 2025, according to new campaign finance reports filed today.
The new contributions are further proof of how Musk can make a big splash in politics by putting his signature on just one check. And they raise the question of how much more there might be before the midterms, despite Musk’s messy post-White House breakup with Trump and his statements about starting a third party in July, after the donation.
Musk’s June 27 donations supporting Senate Leadership Fund and Congressional Leadership Fund, the two GOP super PACs, came about a month after he left his official post as an adviser to Trump and days before he began publicly discussing the idea of starting a new political party.
Read the full story here.
Schumer questions origins of funds for Trump’s White House renovation plans
Madyson Diaz, Frank Thorp V and Zoë Richards
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., criticized Trump’s estimated $200 million plan to install a ballroom at the White House at a news conference this afternoon.
“Where’d this money come from? Did Congress appropriate it? I don’t think so,” Schumer said of Trump’s 90,000-square-foot ballroom project, which is set to begin construction in September.
Schumer also questioned the intent of the Department of Government Efficiency, saying its purpose was to serve Trump and “make cuts on Americans” to fund the ballroom, rather than curtail waste.
“It’s almost like DOGE was never about waste at all. It was about cutting services to help Trump and his billionaire buddies,” Schumer said.
Trump told reporters Thursday afternoon that the ballroom would be privately funded.
“It’s a private thing. Yeah, I’ll do it, and we’ll probably have some donors or whatever,” Trump said in response to a reporter question about the project’s funding as he signed an unrelated executive order at the White House.
“We’re good at building I’m good at building things, and we’ll get it built quickly and on time. It’ll be beautiful, top, top of the line,” he added.
The ballroom is set to replace the East Wing edifice, which has typically been the first lady’s offices.
Trump says he ‘didn’t know’ why Epstein was ‘stealing’ employees from Mar-a-Lago
Trump told reporters he “didn’t know” why convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was poaching employees from his Mar-a-Lago club decades ago, highlighting that he didn’t approve of the late financier’s actions.
“No, I didn’t know,” Trump said. “I said if he’s taken anybody from Mar-a-Lago, he’s hiring or whatever he’s doing, I didn’t like it, and we threw him out. We said we don’t want him, you know, at the place.”
Trump was asked about a statement yesterday from the family of Virginia Giuffre, a survivor of Epstein’s abuse who died by suicide in April.
Giuffre’s family condemned Trump for his comment this week acknowledging Giuffre was among the Mar-a-Lago employees Epstein “stole.”
“It was shocking to hear President Trump invoke our sister and say that he was aware that Virginia had been ‘stolen’ from Mar-a-Lago. It makes us ask if he was aware of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell’s criminal actions,” the statement read in part.
Giuffre had said she met Epstein’s associate Maxwell while she was working at Mar-a-Lago as a teenager during the summer of 2000.
Justice Kavanaugh defends Supreme Court’s handling of emergency Trump cases
Reporting from Kansas City, Missouri
Conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh today defended how the Supreme Court has handled an increasing number of emergency cases brought by the Trump administration, pushing back against criticism that the justices are failing to explain themselves.
Since Trump returned to office in January, his lawyers have frequently asked the court to intervene when lower courts have blocked executive actions on issues such as his hard-line immigration policies and efforts to fire federal employees.
The cases are brought on an emergency basis, through the court’s so-called shadow docket, and the court often decides them quickly, mostly in favor of the government, without full briefings or oral arguments and sometimes with little or no explanation.
But Kavanaugh, speaking at a conference attended by judges and lawyers in Kansas City, said the court takes the cases seriously and has made efforts to give them the attention they deserve.
Read the full story here.
A ‘beautiful’ ballroom and a new Lincoln bathroom: Trump relishes remaking the White House
Peter Nicholas and Monica Alba
Reporting from Washington
One of Trump’s most visible and potentially enduring legacies as president could be the 90,000-square-foot ballroom he plans to build, replacing the East Wing edifice traditionally used for the first lady’s offices.
The project, set to begin in September, looms as the biggest transformation of the White House complex since Harry Truman’s day. Perhaps fitting for the onetime New York real estate developer who branded buildings worldwide with his name, Trump has taken to remaking the White House in accord with his tastes since he began his second term.
Trump told NBC News in an interview that the new ballroom will forgo the need to shuttle guests to tents pitched on the South Lawn for events that are too large for the White House to accommodate.
“When it rains or snows, it’s a disaster,” he said over the phone, lamenting that tents are positioned “a football field away from the White House.”
Read the full story here.
Trump says Canadian recognition of a Palestinian state wouldn’t be a deal-breaker in trade talks
Trump said Canada’s intention to recognize a Palestinian state would not be a “deal-breaker” as the United States seeks to reach a trade agreement with its northern neighbor.
“You know, I didn’t like what they said. But you know, that’s, that’s their opinion. I didn’t like that; not a deal-breaker,” he said.
Prime Minister Mark Carney, decrying “human suffering” in Gaza as “intolerable,” said yesterday that Canada plans to make the largely symbolic designation in September. He added that the designation would be predicated on the Palestinian Authority’s “holding general elections in 2026 in which Hamas can play no part, and to demilitarize the Palestinian state.”
A 35% tariff on Canada is set to go into effect tomorrow.
Flanked by athletes, Trump announces effort to revitalize Presidential Fitness Test and reform college sports
Trump signed an executive order today re-establishing the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition, announcing several new members, as well as tasks the group will join the administration in executing.
Among the professional athletes who joined Trump at an executive order signing event this afternoon are Triple H (WWE), Harrison Butker (NFL), Lawrence Taylor (NFL) and Bryson DeChambeau (PGA).
In addition to advising on the presidential fitness test, the group will also focus on implementing reforms to college football, Trump said, a week after he signed an executive order barring third-party “pay-for-play” payments to collegiate athletes.
“It’s a mess. What happened?” Trump said. “The fans are upset about it, and players are being taken from team after team, being traded around like playing cards and lot of money’s passing, and nobody knows what’s happening.”
Federal appeals court appears skeptical of Trump’s use of emergency authority for tariffs
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit seemed skeptical of the Trump administration’s arguments today on Trump’s use of emergency authorities to slap tariffs on goods from countries around the world.
The administration argued that imposing the tariffs is well within the president’s authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. But almost right away, the argument got pushback from several judges.
Judge Jimmie V. Reyna noted that the law “doesn’t even mention the word ‘tariffs’ anywhere.” Other judges went on to question the claim of Trump’s expansive authority under the law.
As Brett Shumate, the assistant attorney general in the Justice Department’s Civil Division, struggled to answer some of the questions during his 45 minutes of oral arguments, some of the judges exchanged glances.
Neal Katyal, the lead attorney for the plaintiffs, argued that there is nothing in the law that would allow the president to regulate taxes.
Two judges asked Katyal follow-up questions about laws and legal precedents that would possibly grant the president the authority to regulate tariffs.
“So, regulation doesn’t necessarily exclude tariffs. I gather your point is that there has to be something explicit in the statute that says ‘regulate’ in this context means ‘tariffs’?” one of the judges asked. Katyal argued that there were cases in which the power to tax included power to regulate but that “there are no reverse cases that say the power to regulate includes the power to tax.”
The judge went on to argue that tariffs can have a “dual purpose.”
Oregon Solicitor General Benjamin Gutman, was representing the states in the case, also spoke about the “unusual and extraordinary threat,” arguing that there was no threat for Trump to impose tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
The court is expected to decide in the coming weeks.
RNC Chair Michael Whatley launches North Carolina Senate run with Trump’s backing
Bridget Bowman and Dylan Ebs
Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley announced this afternoon that he’s running for the Senate in North Carolina, touting Trump’s “total and complete endorsement” in the race to replace retiring GOP Sen. Thom Tillis.
“Americans will be choosing whether to return to the failed policies of Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer, or are we going to continue the great gains that we have seen with President Trump and a Republican House and a Republican Senate?” Whatley said at an event announcing his candidacy.
“I know that North Carolina wants to see our economy do better, more jobs created, safer communities and a stronger military. And so do I, which is why I am very proud today to announce that with the complete and total endorsement of President Donald Trump, I am running to be the next senator from the great state,” Whatley said.
North Carolina’s is one of the contests next year that will determine which party controls the Senate in 2027. Republicans will be defending a 53-47 majority.
Former Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, is also running for the Senate seat. Whatley took aim at Cooper today by casting him as supporting far-left policies that would lead to “higher taxes, dangerous streets, radical gender ideology and a weaker America.”
Cooper campaign manager Jeff Allen said in a statement that Whatley is “a D.C. insider and big oil lobbyist who supports policies that are ripping health care away from North Carolinians and raising costs for middle class families. North Carolinians don’t need a lobbyist as their Senator, and voters will have a clear choice between Whatley’s long career as a Beltway insider against Roy Cooper’s record of putting partisanship aside to get results for North Carolina.”
Hakeem Jeffries accuses Texas Republicans of trying to ‘rig the congressional map’
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., traveled to Texas to join Democrats who represent the state in opposing a proposal for a new congressional map.
Leavitt says new Trump accounts for newborns won’t be used to privatize Social Security
Sydney CarruthSydney Carruth is a digital assistant for NBC News.
During the briefing, Leavitt pushed back against Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s statement that the investment accounts created for children in Trump’s signature tax and spending bill are a “backdoor for privatizing Social Security.”
Asked whether the Trump administration believes the private investment accounts are a long-term path to privatizing Social Security, Leavitt said they are intended to “supplement, not substitute” for, Social Security.
“The Trump administration is wholeheartedly committed to protecting Social Security,” she said. “The president did it in his first term. He’s doing it again in this term, but these newborn accounts are another revenue stream for young people to watch their money grow throughout their lives and to one day be able to access those funds so they can hopefully build a home and live the American dream.”
Bessent made his comments on the accounts yesterday at an event hosted by the right-wing news organization Breitbart.
“In a way it is a back door for privatizing Social Security,” Bessent said, adding that “if all of a sudden these accounts grow and you have in the hundreds of thousands of dollars for your retirement, then that’s a game changer.”
The comments drew swift backlash from Democrats, and Bessent later clarified his statement on X, saying the Trump accounts don’t present an “either-or question” when it comes to protecting the key safety net program.
White House says Trump believes allies’ plan to recognize a Palestinian state is ‘rewarding Hamas’
Leavitt said at today’s briefing that Trump believes the moves by the United Kingdom, France and Canada to recognize a Palestinian state this fall would reward Hamas.
“The president expressed his displeasure and his disagreement with the leaders of France, the United Kingdom and Canada. He feels as though that’s rewarding Hamas at a time where Hamas is the true impediment to a ceasefire and to the release of all of the hostages,” Leavitt told reporters.
She said Trump wants to see the remaining hostages in Gaza released. “He cares deeply about this. He has met with many of the former hostages, many of the families of those who have loved ones who are still being held hostage in Gaza.”
“The president has always said the last remaining hostages — now there are 20 living hostages in Gaza — will always be the hardest, because Hamas is unfortunately using these innocent people as bargaining chips,” she added.
Leavitt, touting Trump’s peace talks, pushes for Nobel Peace Prize
Sydney CarruthSydney Carruth is a digital assistant for NBC News.
Leavitt touted Trump’s tariff threats as a foreign policy tool to force ceasefire agreements between a number of conflicting countries, a technique that she said makes him deserving of the Nobel Peace Prize.
“The president has now ended conflicts between Thailand and Cambodia, Israel and Iran, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, India and Pakistan, Serbia and Kosovo, and Egypt and Ethiopia,” Leavitt said, adding a White House estimate that Trump has brokered an average of one peace deal or ceasefire per month.
Trump and a number of congressional Republicans have pushed for him to be awarded a Nobel Peace Prize for his foreign policy agenda. Trump told reporters in late June that a number of his accomplishments in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Pakistan are worthy of the prestigious award.
Leavitt said, “It’s well past time that President Trump was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.”
Trump has yet to follow through on his campaign trail promise of ending the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which he repeatedly said would be accomplished on “day one” of his presidency.
White House to begin construction on ballroom in September
The White House will begin constructing a ballroom, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced.
She said that prior administrations have “longed for” a large event space at the White House to hold more guests.
The ballroom will be about 90,000 square feet, “innately designed and carefully crafted space with a seated capacity of 650 people,” she said.
Leavitt said that Trump has held meetings to discuss “design features and planning,” and expected to begin in September and be completed before the end of Trump’s term.
“President Trump and other donors have generously committed to donating the funds necessary to build this approximately $200 million structure,” she said. “The United States Secret Service will provide the necessary security enhancements and modifications.”
Steve Witkoff and Mike Huckabee will visit Gaza tomorrow, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt says
Special envoy Steve Witkoff and U.S. ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee will travel to Gaza tomorrow, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced.
“Tomorrow, Special Envoy Witkoff and Ambassador Huckabee will be traveling into Gaza to inspect the current distribution sites and secure a plan to deliver more food and meet with local Gazans to hear firsthand about this dire situation on the ground,” she said.
The significant move comes as Israel is facing mounting pressure to allow more aid into Gaza as starvation climbs.
“The special envoy and the ambassador will brief the President immediately after their visit to approve a final plan for food and aid distribution into the region, and we will provide more details for all of you once that plan is approved and agreed on by the President of the United States,” she added.
Schumer slams Trump over his trade deals
Frank Thorp V and Rebecca Shabad
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., slammed Trump in remarks on the Senate floor this morning over his latest trade deals with other countries.
Schumer said about the new deal with South Korea, “Instead of levering a 25% tariff as he threatened, Donald Trump says South Korea will face 15% tariffs. And then he pretends like that’s some kind of victory. 15% is far from a victory, because it is American families who are ones who are going to have to pay for it in the end.”
Schumer said raising prices by 15% on imported goods is, he said, “a lot of money to a lot of people.”
“Inflation continues to accelerate as Trump tariffs continue to hammer American pocketbooks,” Schumer said. “That means Americans are paying more. Inflation goes up, the American family pays more. That’s because, in part, of Donald Trump’s tariffs.”
He added, “Four months since Donald Trump’s so-called Liberation Day, his trade war has been an experiment in chaos, dishonesty and inflation.”
Virginia Giuffre’s family reacts after Trump says Epstein ‘stole her’
The family of Virginia Giuffre, one of Jeffrey Epstein’s most vocal accusers who died by suicide in April, responded after Trump’s comments on Air Force One that Epstein “stole” Giuffre from his Mar-a-Lago club years ago. “It makes us ask if he was aware of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell’s criminal actions,” the family said in a statement. NBC’s Hallie Jackson reports for TODAY.
Trump extends trade deal deadline with Mexico
Trump said this morning that the U.S. and Mexico agreed to delay their deadline for a trade deal by another 90 days. The announcement came the day before higher, so-called reciprocal tariffs on dozens of countries’ imports were set to go into effect.
“The complexities of a Deal with Mexico are somewhat different than other Nations because of both the problems, and assets, of the Border,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social, noting he had just finished a phone call with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.
The U.S. will continue to charge a “25% Fentanyl Tariff, 25% Tariff on Cars, and 50% Tariff on Steel, Aluminum, and Copper,” Trump wrote.
Former VP Kamala Harris to do first interview since 2024 election with Colbert tonight
Rebecca Shabad and Jesse Rodriguez
Former Vice President Kamala Harris will sit down tonight for her first interview since the 2024 election on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” on CBS.
Her appearance on the show, which is expected to start at 11:35 p.m. ET, comes a day after she announced that she has decided not to run for governor of California next year.
“I look forward to getting back out and listening to the American people, helping elect Democrats across the nation who will fight fearlessly, and sharing more details in the months ahead about my own plans,” she said in a statement.
The vice president also announced today that she’s publishing a book about her brief 2024 presidential campaign to be released Sept. 23.
Trump to sign order establishing presidential fitness test
Sydney CarruthSydney Carruth is a digital assistant for NBC News.
Trump will host a number of professional athletes at the White House this afternoon to sign an executive order revitalizing the president’s council on sports, fitness and nutrition.
The order will also revive the 1960’s-era Presidential Fitness Test in public schools, which awards children with the highest physical fitness scores with presidential recognition. The test will be administered by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., according to the White House.
“President Trump wants to ensure America’s future generations are strong, healthy, and successful,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said. The White House also emphasized the need for establishing physical “military readiness” among America’s youth.
The order tasks the fitness council, chaired by professional golfer and Trump surrogate Bryson DeChambeau, to develop criteria for school-based programs that reward excellence in physical education and to champion partnerships with influential athletes and sports organizations.
DeChambeau will be joined by Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker and former New York Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor at the signing. New Jersey physician Stephen Soloway, who served on Trump’s first fitness council, and billionaire Texas Tech booster Cody Campbell will also be present.
Trump announces South Korea trade deal with 15% import tax
Trump announced a new trade deal with South Korea with a 15% import tax on its goods. The deal could impact the country’s top exports to the United States, including vehicles and electronics, as well as popular skin care and cosmetics. NBC’s Peter Alexander reports for “TODAY.”
Kamala Harris will publish a book on her failed presidential run
Margaret FaustMargaret Faust is a Desk Assistant at NBC News in Washington.
Former Vice President Kamala Harris announced today she is publishing a book about her 2024 presidential campaign.
In a video on X, Harris described “107 Days” as “a behind-the-scenes account” of her campaign.
“I believe there’s value in sharing what I saw, what I learned, and what I know it will take to move forward,” Harris said in the video.
The announcement comes a day after Harris announced she will not run for governor of California.
The publisher, Simon & Schuster, teased to the book on its website.
“Your Secret Service code name is Pioneer,” the blurb read. “You are the first woman in history to be elected vice president on the United States. On July 21, 2024, your running mate, Joe Biden, announces that he will not be seeking reelection. The presidential election will occur on November 5, 2024. You have 107 days.”
The book is scheduled for publication Sept. 23.
U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro says she is looking for ‘illegals who are currently burrowed in our criminal justice system’
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said in a social media video that she’s “trying to identify those illegals who are currently burrowed in our criminal justice system.”
The effort, D.C.’s top federal prosecutor said, was in line with Trump’s executive order to “Make the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful.”
Pirro, a former Fox News host, said her team was working with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to identify the migrants.
“We’re making sure now that not just in the misdemeanor cases but in the federal docket, the superior court docket we are identifying the illegals that are in the system to make sure that D.C. is safe, that we know who is here and who is entitled to be here,” she said.
U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff meets with Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel
U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff is meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem today to discuss the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Their meeting comes amid international calls for surging humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip in response to reported starvation and famine in the enclave.
Trump said earlier this week that Israel “has a lot of responsibility for flow of aid,” emphasizing that its government could greatly expand access to food.
Trump says he will meet with South Korean trade delegation today
Trump said in a Truth Social post that he would be meeting with the South Korean trade delegation this afternoon and “will be interested in hearing” the country’s proposal to reduce the pending U.S. tariff on South Korean goods.
“Likewise, other Countries are making offers for a Tariff reduction. All of this will help reduce our Trade Deficit in a very major way,” Trump said “A full report will be released at the appropriate time.”
Steep tariff rates are expected to kick in tomorrow, affecting imports from many U.S. trading partners.
Trump and JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon met twice recently
JPMorgan Chase Chairman and CEO Jamie Dimon visited Trump twice recently in the Oval Office and discussed trade, the Federal Reserve, interest rates, the overall economy and regulations, according to a source close to Dimon.
The Wall Street Journal first reported the meeting.
Dimon leads what is by multiple measures America’s largest bank. Recently, he said “the independence of the Fed is absolutely critical” amid unrelenting attacks against Fed Chair Powell and the central bank by Trump and his top administration officials.
Trump has called Dimon as “a highly overrated globalist,” but later said in an interview with Bloomberg that he was someone he would consider for treasury secretary, a position that went to Scott Besssent.
Treasury secretary: ‘We have the makings of a deal’ with China on trade
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC this morning that he believes “we have that makings of a deal” with China after two days of trade talks in Stockholm with top Chinese officials.
Bessent said that he and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer “will be speaking to President Trump today” about extending China’s current tariff deadline of Aug. 12.
Without extending that deadline or reaching a deal, China’s tariff rates would rise from their current 30% levels.
“There are still a few technical details to be worked out,” Bessent added.
U.S. and Pakistan say they reached tariff deal, but don’t mention rate
Reuters
The United States and Pakistan said they had clinched a deal that Islamabad described as leading to lower tariffs on its exports, while Trump touted a pact to help develop the South Asian nation’s oil reserves.
Neither mentioned the tariff rate that was agreed upon.
Pakistan, which Washington has designated a “major non-NATO ally” in its effort to counter rival China’s influence in the region, faced a potential tariff of 29% declared in April that was later suspended for 90 days to allow trade talks.
“We have just concluded a Deal with the Country of Pakistan, whereby Pakistan and the United States will work together on developing their massive Oil Reserves,” Trump wrote on social media.
Read the full story here.
Trump’s tariffs face crucial court test on eve of latest deadline
Trump’s global tariff regime heads to court today in a fight for its survival.
Starting at 10 a.m. ET, a panel of 11 judges in Washington, D.C., will hear about 45 minutes of arguments each from the Trump administration and two small businesses that say many of his import duties are illegal.
Read the full story here.
As tariff deadline nears, these are the countries that have a deal — and those that don’t
Lim Hui Jie, CNBC and Sophie Kiderlin, CNBC
Come tomorrow, the world will have to contend with higher tariff rates from the Trump administration, raising the specter of even more economic uncertainty.
For most countries, that can of worms has been kicked twice down the road, from “Liberation Day” on April 2, to July 9, and now to Aug. 1.
Back in April, Trump had claimed to have done “over 200 deals” in an interview with Time magazine, and trade adviser Peter Navarro had said that “90 deals in 90 days” was possible. The country has fallen far short of that, with only eight deals in 120 days, including one with the 27-member European Union.
Here are where things stand in global trade.
Read the full story here.
Trump says India and Russia can ‘take their dead economies down together’
Trump criticized the economic relationship between Russia and India, a key Asian partner that is widely considered a counterweight to China, amid contentious trade talks with New Delhi.
Trump said yesterday that he would impose a 25% tariff on Indian imports starting tomorrow, along with an unspecified “penalty” over India’s purchases of Russian energy and military equipment despite Moscow’s war on Ukraine. He later signaled that talks with India were ongoing, before unleashing more criticism online.
“I don’t care what India does with Russia. They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care,” Trump said in a late-night post on Truth Social. “We have done very little business with India, their Tariffs are too high, among the highest in the World. Likewise, Russia and the USA do almost no business together,” he continued. “Let’s keep it that way.”
India is one of the main suppliers of U.S. imports, at about $90 billion last year. It also recently became the top source of smartphone imports, with Apple CEO Tim Cook predicting in May that the majority of iPhones sold in the U.S. would have India as their country of origin starting this quarter.
Trump says Canada could undermine U.S. trade talks by recognizing Palestinian state
Trump criticized Canada’s plan to recognize a Palestinian state, saying in a late-night post on Truth Social that it “will make it very hard for us to make a Trade Deal with them.”
Prime Minister Mark Carney said yesterday that Canada would recognize a Palestinian state in September, amid a broader global shift against Israel’s policies in the Gaza Strip. The announcement follows similar moves by France and Britain.
