Trump administration live updates: Canada's Mark Carney and Trump talk tariffs at the White House

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., today dismissed concerns a former top staffer raised about his mental health as he managed depression and recovered from a stroke he suffered during his 2022 Senate campaign.

In a letter obtained by NBC News, dated May 2024 and addressed to Dr. David Williamson, Fetterman’s neuropsychiatrist at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Adam Jentleson, the senator’s former chief of staff, wrote that he was worried his boss was “on a bad trajectory.”

“John frequently exhibits the kind of alarming behavior you told us to look out for when he was discharged (and has continued to do so since we last talked in December),” Jentleson wrote. “But the main thing I want to raise with you is that John appears to be off his recovery plan — at least mostly off it, and possibly entirely off it.”

New York magazine last week was first to report on the letter from Jentleson, who was Fetterman’s chief of staff from January 2023 to April 2024 and then until June 2024 as a senior adviser.

Read the full story here.

Top Republicans on the House Intelligence and Judiciary committees are accusing the FBI of jumping to conclusions in its investigation of the motivations of the man who shot lawmakers during a 2017 congressional baseball practice.

The Republicans argued that the FBI concluded before it reviewed all the evidence that the shooter was motivated to kill himself by forcing police to shoot him.

Reps. Rick Crawford of Arkansas, Jim Jordan of Ohio and Ronny Jackson of Texas will release a report arguing that the FBI's "suicide by cop" conclusion "is inconsistent with the facts and evidence," an Intelligence Committee aide told NBC News.

One of the key points from the report says, "The FBI case file makes clear this case was a premeditated assassination attempt on Republican congressmen by a radical, left-wing political extremist, who was seeking to affect the conduct of our government."

Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., who announced that he will not run for re-election as he battles esophageal cancer, endorsed his former chief of staff, James Walkinshaw, in the race to fill his seat, according to a letter obtained by NBC News.

Walkinshaw, a member of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, launched his campaign for Congress today. His entry is likely to kick off a competitive Democratic primary for the deep-blue seat, centered in the Washington suburb of Fairfax County, the biggest county in Virginia.

In the letter, Connolly describes Walkinshaw, who spent more than a decade as his chief of staff, as being best prepared to take on the job of representing Virginia’s 11th District.

“James brings unmatched experience, a depth of knowledge about federal issues, and a steadfast commitment to progressive values,” he said in the letter. “This is not a moment for on-the-job training. We need a strong representative, experienced in addressing national issues that affect our community, who can stand up to Trump and lead from day one. I believe James Walkinshaw is that leader."

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer will meet with Chinese officials in Switzerland to discuss trade this week, according to news releases from both governments.

The Treasury Department said Bessent will meet with “the lead representative on economic matters” from China. A news release from China’s Foreign Affairs Ministry said the vice premier of the State Council, He Lifeng, will meet with Bessent.

Greer will meet with his “counterpart” from China, who was not named in the trade office’s release.

Bessent said earlier today that the United States and China had not yet “engaged in negotiations” regarding trade.

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., will lead a small bipartisan delegation of House members on a visit to El Salvador from Thursday through Sunday, her office said today.

Luna, the chair of the El Salvador caucus in the House, had posted a letter from the Salvadoran president’s office, which said she had granted a request to meet with President Nayib Bukele on Thursday.

Caucus co-chair Vicente Gonzalez, D-Texas, and caucus member Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., will join Luna on the trip, according to her spokesperson.

Gonzalez and Ogles for comment did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The head of the Department of Veterans Affairs today defended the agency’s slashing of thousands of jobs and said its goal is to cut an additional 15% of its workforce as he testified for the first time since he took the helm.

In testy exchanges with multiple members of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, Secretary Doug Collins said the VA was looking into cutting 70,500 more nonessential positions to make it more efficient.

“The department’s history shows that adding more employees to the system doesn’t automatically equal better results,” said Collins, a Navy veteran and Republican former U.S. representative from Georgia, who was sworn in in February.

The VA announced this year that it had fired more than 2,400 employees and planned to end 585 contracts. Many committee members peppered Collins with questions about the consequences of the reductions. Asked to elaborate on which positions and contracts were terminated, he said he would provide them with the information later.

Read the full story here.

Trump said he hopes for a quick resolution of the Inda-Pakistan dispute after India launched strikes in a Pakistan-controlled area.

Asked about the attacks between the two countries, Trump said: “It’s a shame. We just heard about it just as we were walking in the doors of the Oval. Just heard about it. I guess people knew something was going to happen based on a little bit of the past.

“They’ve been fighting for a long time. You know, they’ve been fighting for many, many decades and centuries, actually, if you really think about it. I just hope it ends very quickly,” he said.

India has accused Pakistan of backing militants involved in last month's attack on tourists in the Indian-controlled part of Kashmir. Pakistan has denied the allegation.

Speaking to reporters this afternoon, Trump said maybe he won’t call Carney “governor,” adding that he had fun mocking former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau with the title but that Carney’s election was a “good step up for Canada.”

“It’s very simple, very, very simple, as far as calling Governor Carney. Now, I haven’t done that yet, and maybe I won’t. I did have a lot of fun with Trudeau, but I think this is, this is a big step up. It’s a good step up for Canada,” Trump said when he was asked why he did not call Carney, whom he met with in the White House just hours ago, “governor” as opposed to “prime minister.”

“I watched, I watched very closely,” Trump said of the Canadian election. “I thought he did really terrifically in the debates. I like him. You know, he’s a nice man. We get along very well. We had a great meeting today. Really good. I think the relationship’s going to be very strong.”

At a task force meeting for the 2026 FIFA World Cup set to be held in North America, two Trump administration officials said visitors should not stay beyond their allotted time in the United States, one of the host nations.

“Of course, everybody is welcome to come and see this incredible event," Vice President JD Vance said. "I know we’ll have visitors, probably from close to 100 countries. We want them to come. We want them to celebrate. We want them to watch the game.

"But when the time is up, they’ll have to go home. Otherwise, they’ll have to talk to Secretary Noem,” Vance said, referring to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who has helped lead the administration’s efforts to crack down on immigration.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy echoed the sentiment, saying visitors should “see America” but not “overstay their visa.”

“We’re going to encourage everyone to go on a road trip, Mr. President, to celebrate our great country. And so if you’re coming to see some soccer, not football or football or soccer, go on a road trip. See America. Don’t overstay your visa. Don’t stay too long,” he said.

Trump endorsed Vivek Ramaswamy on the night he kicked off his campaign to be Ohio’s next governor. More than two months later, term-limited Gov. Mike DeWine is scrambling behind the scenes to keep the Ohio Republican Party from following Trump’s lead.

DeWine and his advisers are working to deny Ramaswamy an endorsement when the state party meets Friday, four people aware of the effort told NBC News, including one who heard directly from DeWine.

The moves place DeWine sharply at odds with Trump and Vice President JD Vance, an Ohioan who has directed his political team to steer Ramaswamy’s campaign. The move also reinforces long-standing tensions in the state between the old guard, establishment GOP that DeWine is trying to preserve and Trump’s MAGA movement, which counts younger figures like Vance and Ramaswamy among its next generation.

Read the full story here.

Trump said he was appointing Andrew Giuliani, the son of his longtime ally and former personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, as executive director of his FIFA World Cup Task Force.

Trump made the announcement on Truth Social. The United States, Mexico and Canada will co-host the World Cup amid icy geopolitical tensions and a simmering trade war.

Giuliani, whose father is a former mayor of New York City, will oversee the world's most-viewed sports tournament, which is expected to bring 10 million tourists to the United States. Challenges he'll need to grapple with include security measures and price gouging on sky-high ticket prices.

Giuliani, a staunch Trump ally, was a special assistant to the president during Trump's first term.

Florida state Sen. Illena Garcia, a Republican representing part of Miami-Dade County, briefly fainted as she spoke at a bill signing with Gov. Ron DeSantis. 

Garcia took the podium after DeSantis and members of his Cabinet spoke about a bill that will ban fluoride in the Miami-Dade County water supply. She said she was not feeling well, adding that she needed to sit down, but she did not make it to a seating area before she fainted. She was caught by state Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo.

After she recovered, Garcia took the podium again and jokingly said: “Are you kidding me? This was my moment. I cannot,” and then continued to speak about fluoride. 

Her office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 

The Senate has voted to confirm Frank Bisignano to be the commissioner of the Social Security Administration.

Democrats have called Bisignano, a Wall Street veteran who is the chairman and CEO of the payment processing company Fiserv, "Mr. Slash and Burn," as wide-sweeping DOGE cuts to the SSA have caused turmoil at the agency.

"The Social Security Administration is in a state of chaos, but instead of advancing someone who will bring order and stability to Social Security, Senate Republicans are backing a slash-and-burn billionaire CEO who will only pour gasoline into the DOGE fires," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said on the Senate floor yesterday.

The Senate voted 50-45 along party lines last week to advance Bisignano’s nomination to a final vote.

The Supreme Court today allowed Trump to implement his ban on transgender people serving in the military.

The justices granted the Trump administration's emergency request to lift a nationwide injunction blocking the policy while litigation continues.

Read the full story here.

Not so long ago, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., was maybe seen as too progressive for most swing-district Democrats to appear with. 

Not anymore. 

When Sanders went through Pennsylvania over the weekend, one such Democrat, Rep. Chris Deluzio, was by his side on his “Fighting Oligarchy” tour. 

Read the full story here.

The Trump administration is rolling out a “self-deportation” policy that offers a $1,000 stipend and travel assistance for migrants who return to their home countries on their own. The Department of Homeland Security says it costs about $17,000 to deport a single undocumented immigrant. NBC News’ Garrett Haake reports for "TODAY."

Trump said Carney can't say anything during their meeting at the White House that would persuade him to drop the U.S. tariffs on Canada.

"No," said Trump when asked by a reporter if there was anything the prime minister could say this afternoon to convince him to lift them.

Asked why, Trump said, "That's just the way it is."

Asked what concession he would consider in talks with Canada, Trump said "friendship."

Told that friendship isn't a concession by the reporter who asked the question, Trump clarified, "I just would be friends with Canada, regardless of anything. We’re going to be friends with Canada. Canada is a very special place to me."

Trump added that he has "a lot of respect for the Canadians," pointing to famed Canadian hockey player Wayne Gretzky, calling him by his nickname, "the Great One."

"Canada is a very special place," Trump said. "I still believe that, but, you know, it takes two to tango, right?"

Responding to a reporter's question, Trump mused during the meeting in the Oval Office this afternoon with Carney that Canada could become the 51st state.

The president argued that annexation would mean a "massive tax cut" for Canadians and there would be "a lot of advantages."

"I’m a real estate developer at heart," he said. "When you get rid of that artificially drawn line — somebody drew that line many years ago with, like, a ruler, just a straight line right across the top of the country," Trump said. "When you look at that beautiful formation, when it’s together ... when I looked at that, you know, I said, that’s the way it was meant to be."

"It would really be a wonderful marriage, because it’s two places that get along very well. They like each other a lot," Trump added.

Taking up the real estate analogy, Carney responded by waving around the room and saying there are some places that are never for sale, adding that he has spoken to Canadians about Trump's threats of taking over his country.

"It's not for sale, won't be for sale ever," Carney said.

"Never say never," Trump then said, several times.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has arrived at the White House. He was greeted by Trump.

The pair will meet in the Oval Office this afternoon, their first in-person interaction, where they will discuss U.S.-Canada relations. Carney and Trump have spoken over the phone since Carney was elected prime minister.

The White House removed Alvin Brown yesterday as vice chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, a White House official confirmed. 

The removal is the latest in the administration's firings of independent agency officials, including those charged with protecting federal employees, as it looks to downsize and reshape the federal government. Brown's ouster was first reported by Reuters. The White House had no further comment. 

Brown, a Democrat, was the first African American mayor of Jacksonville, Florida. He was appointed vice chair of the NTSB in December by then-President Joe Biden after joining the board earlier in 2024.

The U.S. trade deficit in goods and services soared to a record $140.5 billion in March. Year-to-date, the deficit has increased 92.6%, as companies and consumers rush to import goods before Trump’s sweeping global tariffs increase on July 6.

Imports alone have risen 23.3% so far this year and were $17.8 billion higher just last month, the Bureau of Economic Analysis said Tuesday. Exports from the U.S. to other countries increased by just $500 million.

Read the full story.

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said he wouldn’t support Ed Martin, Trump’s nominee for U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, likely blocking the path to confirmation for the “Stop the Steal” organizer who had closely aligned himself with Jan. 6 defendants.

“I’ve indicated to the White House I wouldn’t support his nomination,” Tillis said today after meeting with Martin last night.

Read the full story.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in congressional testimony this morning that a majority of deals with the United States' top trading partners could be achieved by the end of the year.

"Approximately 97 or 98% of our trade deficit is with 15 countries," Bessent told House Appropriations Committee members at a subcommittee hearing. "Eighteen percent of the countries are major trading partners, and I would be surprised that if we don't have more than 80 or 90% of those wrapped up by the end of the year, and that may be much sooner."

"I would think that perhaps as early as this week, we will be announcing trade deals with some of our largest trading partners," he said. "They have come to us with very good offers."

Trump will hold a formal swearing-in ceremony for special envoy Steve Witkoff in the Oval Office this evening, a White House official said.

Witkoff, a longtime friend of Trump's, has been representing the administration in Russia-Ukraine talks since January. Witkoff has met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and been a key part of U.S. delegations to discuss the war.

It is not clear why Trump scheduled Witkoff's swearing-in ceremony for today.

Barbie-maker Mattel said it was pausing financial guidance for the year and that prices for some of its products would go up, citing the impact of Trump’s tariffs on the company’s production costs.

“Given the volatile macroeconomic environment and evolving U.S. tariff landscape, it is difficult to predict consumer spending and Mattel’s U.S. sales in the remainder of the year and holiday season,” the company's chairman and chief executive, Ynon Krais, said on an earnings call yesterday.

About 20% of the toys the company sells in the U.S. are imported from China, a number Krais said the company aimed to reduce to less than 15% by 2026 and less than 10% by 2027.

Trump has dismissed concerns about rising prices, suggesting that Americans get used to buying fewer things, including toys. Speaking to Kristen Welker on NBC News’ “Meet the Press” on Sunday, he said Americans “don’t need to have 30 dolls, they can have three.”

The U.S. automaker Ford Motor also said it was suspending its 2025 financial guidance because of uncertainties around the impact of tariffs, CNBC reported.

Read the full story.

Historian Jolene Babyak shares her experience of living at Alcatraz as a child with other families and outlines some of the issues at the prison island like no water, no sewage treatment and disrepair of the aging buildings that would make Trump’s plan of reopening difficult.

Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., is introducing legislation targeting an event Trump is hosting for investors in his meme coin.

The bill, dubbed the MEME Act, would prohibit presidents from using their position to profit off digital assets such as meme coins.

In a statement this morning, Murphy called the Trump meme coin "the single most corrupt act ever committed by a president."

"Donald Trump is essentially posting his Venmo for any billionaire CEO or foreign oligarch to cash in some favors by secretly sending him millions of dollars," Murphy said. "It’s almost unbelievable until you remember this president will do whatever it takes — even selling access to the White House — to make himself richer.”

Some Senate Republicans are raising concerns about Trump’s planned dinner for the top investors in his meme coin, $TRUMP, including Sen. Cynthia Lummis, of Wyoming, who called for new legislation to regulate the use of digital assets for public officials, including the president. 

A group of Senate Democrats — many of whom won in battleground states in the 2024 election — introduced a bill today that seeks to help small-business owners by expanding the startup tax credit from $5,000 to $50,000, mirroring a popular campaign trail pledge from former Vice President Kamala Harris.

The announcement of the Tax Relief for New Businesses Act, shared first with NBC News, comes from a group of Democrats that includes Sens. Jacky Rosen of Nevada; Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire; Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin; Ruben Gallego of Arizona; and Elissa Slotkin of Michigan.

Democrats are searching for an effective counter-message to the Trump administration on the economy, an issue that ranked most important for voters during last year’s election.

Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas, called the 2017 shooting at a congressional baseball practice an "act of domestic terrorism."

"We must all stand united against political violence of any kind and condemn this violent attack as what it really was, an act of domestic terrorism," Jackson said.

His comments came during a press conference where Republicans criticized the FBI's conclusion that the shooter was trying to kill himself by being shot by police.

In a May 2021 FBI and DHS report titled "Strategic Intelligence Assessment and Data on Domestic Terrorism" presented to Congress, the baseball practice shooting is categorized as an "FBI-Designated Significant Domestic Terrorism Incident," specifically in the category of domestic violent extremism. 

The Trump administration has been exploring ways to increase the country’s birth rate, with the president himself saying he wouldn’t mind being known as the “fertilization president.”

But congressional Democrats and activists say Republicans have long overlooked the growing cost of having and raising children and ignore policy solutions that are readily available.

“If you want to encourage families to have children and be serious about it, then you would work to lower costs, build economic security for families,” Rep. Rosa DeLauro, an 18-term Democrat from Connecticut and a leading proponent of a federal paid family leave program, told NBC News.

The fertility rate in the United States has declined overall since 2007, hitting a historic low in 2023 before plateauing the following year, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But birth rates are declining globally, not just in the U.S.

Read the full story here.

Angus King III, an energy executive and a son of independent Sen. Angus King Jr. of Maine, will run for governor as a Democrat, he announced today.

King wants to follow in the footsteps of his father, who served two terms as governor from 1995 to 2003. And he’s vying to replace term-limited Gov. Janet Mills, the longtime Maine Democrat who has made national news in recent months tangling with Trump’s administration over policies for transgender athletes.

In an interview with NBC News ahead of his announcement, King emphasized that, during his career in the private sector, he’s been “building things that solve problems and help people.”

“If you were ever going to do it, now is the time. Right now, people are struggling, are scared. We just have a host of challenges that make life really hard,” King said of leaving private life, where he’s worked on issues like renewable energy and affordable housing, to seek public office.

Read the full story here.

Trump is scheduled to meet today with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who recently had his tenure as head of state extended last week with the Liberal Party's victory in a nationwide election.

It will be the first time Carney and Trump have a bilateral meeting.

The meeting as trade tensions persist between the two countries, with Carney vowing to fight back against Trump's tariffs.

Rep. Robin Kelly, D-Ill., announced this morning that she's launching a bid to succeed Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin, who recently announced he will retire when his term ends in early 2027.

Kelly is the second person to announce their candidacy. Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton has said she would run for the position, earning the endorsement of Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker. Kelly’s announcement is a sign that the backing by Pritzker, a billionaire, is not staving off competition.

“Every day, Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and Congressional Republicans are targeting Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security, and passing policies that raise costs for Illinois families, small businesses, and farmers,” Kelly said in a statement. “This moment requires proven leaders who have the experience to take on the toughest battles. I’ve never backed down — not from gun lobbyists, not from MAGA extremists, and certainly not from a fight for what’s right.”

A former mental health counselor who took office in a 2013 special election, Kelly has also served as chair of the Illinois Democratic Party.