What to know today
- Elon Musk called the Republican bill to advance President Donald Trump’s agenda a “disgusting abomination” on X. He later threatened to "fire" any lawmaker who supports it.
- House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said that Musk is “terribly wrong” and that his X posts were “very disappointing, very surprising.” Musk's posts drew praise from some Republicans, including Sens. Mike Lee and Rand Paul, who had already been critical of the bill.
- Newark, New Jersey, Mayor Ras Baraka is suing the interim U.S. attorney for New Jersey, Alina Habba, alleging she violated his constitutional rights when he was arrested at a federal immigration.
Vance to universities: 'We're not going to fund your garbage'
Vice President JD Vance, at a forum tonight for American Compass, a conservative group geared around economic populism, defended the Trump administration’s aggressive actions against universities — particularly Harvard.
“I am not anti-university. I’m not anti-Harvard,” Vance told the group’s founder, Oren Cass, in a question-and-answer session. “What I am is a person who recognizes what should be obvious to every single person at every elite university in the country, which is the model is broken.”
Vance added: “It doesn’t work, and they’re violating the social contract they have with the people in the country. And the people are now saying, ‘We need you to change.’ And these institutions are really going to be confronted — and, thanks to President Trump, have already been confronted — with a choice. You can accept democratic accountability and you can reform or you can accept that the government is not going to treat you kindly, we’re not going to fund your garbage, and we’re not going to support you unless you do the job the American people need you to do.”
Vance is a graduate of Yale Law School, which, unlike its Ivy League counterpart, has yet to face such scrutiny from the Trump administration.
Marjorie Taylor Greene says she agrees with Musk's criticism of GOP bill
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga. said she agreed with Musk’s criticism of the reconciliation bill, but she said Congress “had to spend some money to right the ship and pass President Trump’s campaign promises, which is border security.”
Greene voted for the bill, though she has since expressed some concerns about one of the provisions.
Greene said she viewed border security as something worth spending money on. “I’ll write those checks all day long to Tom Homan,” she said, referring to Trump’s border “czar.”
Trump pardons 2 divers who freed 19 sharks off Florida
MIAMI — Trump has pardoned two South Florida shark divers convicted of theft for freeing 19 sharks and a giant grouper from a fisherman’s longline several miles from shore.
Pardons for Tanner Mansell and John Moore Jr. were signed last Wednesday. They had been convicted in 2022 of theft of property within special maritime jurisdiction.
The pardon is especially notable because Trump has a well-documented history of disliking sharks. At a campaign rally last year, he mused that Lake Michigan was preferable to the Pacific or Atlantic oceans because “you don’t have sharks. That’s a big advantage. I’ll take the one without the sharks.”
Texas man arrested and accused of trespassing at Mar-a-Lago said he wanted to ‘marry Kai,’ police say
A Texas man was arrested today and accused of trespassing on Trump’s Palm Beach, Florida, club, according to an arrest report obtained by NBC News.
Palm Beach police said they responded at Mar-a-Lago shortly after midnight and were met by Secret Service agents who had detained Anthony Reyes, 23, who said he had climbed a wall surrounding the property to “spread the gospel” to Trump and “marry Kai.”
Kai Trump is the president’s 18-year-old granddaughter and the eldest daughter of Donald Trump Jr.
Musk threatens to 'fire' any politician who supports the GOP megabill
Musk doubled down on his criticism earlier today of the Republican spending bill, saying politicians who supported the bill should not win re-election next year.
Following Musk's initial post about the bill this afternoon, GOP leaders responded by saying they hoped he would come around.
But Musk was undeterred, posting on X: “In November next year, we fire all politicians who betrayed the American people.”
Gretchen Whitmer says she spoke to Trump after he said he was considering pardoning men who plotted to kidnap her
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said today that she spoke to Trump after he said last week he was considering potentially pardoning the men who plotted to kidnap her.
“I will just confirm that I have connected with the president directly on this subject and made my thoughts known,” Whitmer told reporters at an event in Detroit, according to her office.
“Beyond that, I’m not going to share more about our conversation but hopefully he’ll take some of those things into consideration when he makes a decision,” she said.
Mike Johnson says Musk comments about GOP bill 'dangerous' and 'disappointing'
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said that Musk is “terribly wrong” about the GOP spending bill and that his X post criticizing it was “very disappointing, very surprising."
Johnson said he spoke to Musk on the phone for more than 20 minutes yesterday, when Musk “seemed to understand” the bill. Johnson said the post was “very disappointing” and “very surprising” in light of their conversation.
“But with all due respect, my friend Elon is terribly wrong about the one big, beautiful bill. We had a long conversation yesterday,” he said. “He and I spoke for, I think, more than 20 minutes on the telephone [about] all the virtues of the bill, and he seemed to understand that we had a very friendly conversation about it.”
Johnson acknowledged there’s an impact on Musk’s business with targeted language about electric vehicles in the bill but said it’s “not personal” between the two.
“Elon is missing it, OK, and it’s not personal. I know that the EV mandate is very important to him. That is going away because the government should not be subsidizing these things," he said. "It’s part of the Green New Deal. And I know that has an effect on his business, and I lament that."
"We talked about the ramp-down period on that and how that should be duly considered by Congress," Johnson added. "But for him to come out and pan the whole bill is, to me, just very disappointing, very surprising, in light of the conversation I heavily mentioned.”
He also said it was “a dangerous thing” for Musk to be “meddling with” the economy.
Rep. Jasmine Crockett enters race to be the House Oversight Committee's top Democrat
Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, officially jumped into the race to be the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, setting up a generational battle to succeed the late Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va.
Crockett, 44, is similar in age to another junior member of the panel seeking the post, Robert Garcia, 47, of California. The two senior members vying for the job are Stephen Lynch, 70, of Massachusetts, and Kweisi Mfume, 76, of Maryland.
“In this moment, Americans are demanding a more strategic, aggressive, and energetic fight,” Crockett, a former civil rights attorney, said in a letter to colleagues.
“Our country is in an existential crisis driven by an out-of-control Executive with a flagrant disregard for our Constitution, our way of governance, and our very way of life as citizens of a democratic republic,” she continued. “The magnitude of these unprecedented times warrants a resistance and tactics never before seen.”
If Democrats retake the House in next year’s midterm elections, the ranking member of the Oversight Committee would be in line to become the chair, with the authority to issue subpoenas to the Trump administration.
Connolly died last month after his esophageal cancer returned. He was 75.
Sen. Mike Lee says the Senate 'must make' the GOP policy bill 'better'
Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, agreed with Musk's criticism on X today of the House-passed GOP policy measure and bill and said in response, "The Senate must make this bill better."
In response to Musk's other post that the bill would increase the deficit to $2.5 trillion, Lee said, "These numbers are nothing short of stunning."
Thune hopes Musk 'comes to a different conclusion' on the GOP spending bill
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., addressed Musk’s post on X slamming Trump’s agenda bill at a news conference, saying that he respects “everything that Elon did with DOGE” but that they “have a difference of opinion” on the bill.
Thune said that Musk may be “accepting the CBO assumptions” and that he is entitled to his opinion but that that will not slow Senate Republicans. “We’re going to proceed full speed ahead,” Thune said.
“My hope is that as he has an opportunity to further assess what this bill actually does, that he’ll come to a different conclusion. But nevertheless, I mean, we have a job to do,” he added.
Thune also reiterated that his goal is to stick to the July 4 deadline to get the bill to Trump’s desk.
White House press secretary responds to Musk calling GOP policy bill 'a disgusting abomination'
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt today defended the House-passed bill to advance Trump's agenda when she was asked about Musk's harsh criticism of it.
"Look, the president already knows where Elon Musk stood on this bill. It doesn’t change the president’s opinion," Leavitt told reporters during today's White House press briefing. "This is one big, beautiful bill, and he’s sticking to it.”
Elon Musk calls Trump-backed spending bill ‘disgusting’ days after White House send-off
Elon Musk issued a blistering criticism of the Republican spending bill for Trump’s agenda, posting on X that it is a “disgusting abomination.”
“I’m sorry, but I just can’t stand it anymore,” Musk wrote today. “This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination. Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it.”
‘More is more’: Hakeem Jeffries pushes Democrats to flood the zone in opposition to Trump
In the chaotic opening weeks of Trump's second administration, Democrats debated whether to push back on every norm-shattering executive action, or pick and choose their spots and hope Trump would prove to be his own worst enemy.
That debate has been settled, with Democrats aggressively taking on Trump in the courts, in the streets and on social media.
At the center of that messaging strategy is House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., who privately has been urging his members to be more visible in their districts and on digital media, and has stepped up his own visibility in recent weeks.
Democratic AGs shift their focus to the next phase of their legal battle against Trump
Democratic attorneys general around the country were at the forefront of the legal battles that put up roadblocks to key parts of President Donald Trump’s sweeping agenda at the outset of his new administration.
Now, even as the initial rapid-fire onslaught of executive actions has slowed, they are vowing to keep up their aggressive — and coordinated — posture in the courts.
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka sues Alina Habba over his arrest at an immigration detention center
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka filed a lawsuit today against interim U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Alina Habba and a Department of Homeland Security investigator, alleging that she defamed him and they both violated his constitutional rights when he was arrested at a federal immigration detention center last month.
Baraka brought the lawsuit against Habba, who previously served as President Donald Trump’s personal attorney, and Ricky J. Patel, a special agent in charge of the Newark division of Homeland Security investigations. The mayor alleges they violated his Fourth Amendment right against false arrest and malicious prosecution.
Vance meets with Laura Loomer
Vice President JD Vance met today with the far-right activist Laura Loomer in a one-on-one meeting inside the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, two sources familiar with the meeting confirmed to NBC News. The sources declined to offer additional details about what was discussed or how it went.
As NBC News previously reported, Vance was at an Oval Office meeting involving Loomer and Trump in April. Following that meeting, Trump fired at least three National Security Council officials after Loomer expressed dissatisfaction with some members on his national security team, three people familiar with the matter told NBC News at the time.
The meeting was first reported by CNN.
Democrats taunt Trump on tariffs by dishing out free tacos
Democrats are embracing TACO Tuesday.
The Democratic National Committee is serving free tacos near the Republican National Committee headquarters in Washington, D.C., in an effort to taunt Trump over the phrase "Trump Always Chickens Out," which was coined as a jab at the president for repeatedly backing off his tariff threats.
"With his idiotic trade policy, he talks a big game, caves, and then leaves working families and small businesses to deal with the fallout," DNC Chair Ken Martin said in a statement first to NBC News. "Trump always chickens out — we’re just bringing the tacos to match."
The taco truck will park outside of the RNC building starting at noon, decked out with a banner depicting the president in a chicken suit, according to the DNC.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to testify before Congress for first time since his confirmation
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee at a June 18 hearing on the administration's budget request, a congressional source said.
It's the first time Hegseth will appear publicly before Congress since he was confirmed as defense secretary and subsequently drew criticism in March for sharing details on a military strike in Yemen on a Signal chat with top administration officials that accidentally included the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic.
Ex-DHS official targeted by Trump asks federal watchdogs to probe possible abuse of power
Former Homeland Security official Miles Taylor today appealed to federal watchdogs to examine whether Trump abused his power when he ordered a review of the ex-official’s conduct.
“This morning, I took the formal step in what will be a long fight: I asked the government’s watchdogs to investigate how Donald Trump is using the presidency to punish dissent — starting with me,” Taylor wrote on Substack.
Taylor, an outspoken critic of the president who worked at the Department of Homeland Security during Trump’s first term, said his request to the inspectors general at the Homeland Security and Justice departments is about safeguarding the constitutional rights of every American.
“This is about whether the president — any president, from any political party — can order revenge investigations with the stroke of a pen,” Taylor wrote.
Taylor's move comes after Trump targeted Taylor in a presidential memorandum in April that alleged Taylor was an “egregious leaker,” accused him of potentially “treasonous” actions and ordered authorities to review his conduct while in government.
The inspectors general for the departments did not immediately respond to NBC News' requests for comment.
In the letter to the inspectors general, Taylor’s lawyer, Abbe Lowell, said Trump’s memorandum was unprecedented in American history because “it explicitly targets a single individual” for government scrutiny.
“To be clear, we are requesting your Offices do what you are charged with doing -- addressing and preventing abuses of power,” Lowell wrote.
Taylor’s case raises “a foundational question of whether, in the United States of America, the machinery of the federal government can be inappropriately deployed against a private citizen in retaliation for exercising constitutionally protected free speech,” he wrote.
The letter asks the inspectors general to investigate whether the Homeland Security or Justice departments have taken actions that constitute retaliation, abuse of authority or violations of Taylor’s constitutional rights. It also asks if any career official has raised objections or concerns about the legality or ethical propriety of carrying out the April 9 presidential memo.
In two presidential memos issued on April 9, Trump singled out Taylor and another former senior official, Chris Krebs, revoking their security clearances and ordering the attorney general to review their actions in government.
Since then, government authorities have contacted Taylor’s former high school classmates and others associated with him, Taylor told NBC News in an interview last month.
“I have seen indications that they are out there, rummaging through my past, talking to people as far back as high school and trying to comb through my life,” he said.
The memorandum forced Taylor to effectively stop working as a cybersecurity consultant, his family has had to adopt elaborate safety precautions because of online threats directed at him, and some friends and associates have distanced themselves from him to avoid possible retribution by the administration, Taylor and his lawyer said.
Asked for comment, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson sent a statement reiterating the accusation in the presidential memorandum that Taylor disclosed sensitive information "through unauthorized methods" and attacking Taylor, calling him “a bad faith actor” and saying he should be “embarrassed.”
Taylor has denied any wrongdoing and said he “assiduously upheld my national security obligations.”
Trump goes longest stretch in 2nd term with no public remarks
This is the first time in his second term that Trump has gone three days without giving public remarks or taking questions from the media.
The president has gone two days without addressing the press multiple times in his second term, often over weekends.
The last time the president spoke on camera was Friday evening, when he gaggled on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland after returning from Pennsylvania.
With no public events on the president’s schedule again today, this stretch of on-camera silence could reach its fourth day.
Youngkin sets special election to fill Rep. Connolly's seat
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin set the special election to fill the seat previously held by the late Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., for Sept. 9.
Candidates will have until July 11 to file to run for the solidly Democratic 11th District.
Virginia voters will also head to the polls in November for the gubernatorial and state legislative elections.
Trump attacks Sen. Rand Paul over opposition to GOP agenda bill
Trump attacked Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., on Truth Social this morning over the senator's opposition to the House-passed reconciliation bill.
"Rand votes NO on everything, but never has any practical or constructive ideas. His ideas are actually crazy (losers!). The people of Kentucky can’t stand him. This is a BIG GROWTH BILL!" Trump wrote.
Paul has recently said that he's against the version that the House passed last month, which would raise the debt ceiling by $4 trillion.
“If they strip out the debt ceiling, I’ll consider, even with the imperfections, voting for the rest of the bill, but I can’t vote to raise the debt ceiling $5 trillion. There’s got to be someone left in Washington who thinks debt is wrong and deficits are wrong," he said.
Firings, pardons and policy changes have gutted DOJ anti-corruption efforts, experts say
For decades, the FBI and the Justice Department have been the main enforcers of laws against political corruption and white-collar fraud in the United States. In four months, the Trump administration has dismantled key parts of that law enforcement infrastructure, creating what experts say is the ripest environment for corruption by public officials and business executives in a generation.
Trump aides have forced out most of the lawyers in the Justice Department’s main anti-corruption unit, the Public Integrity Section, and disbanded an FBI squad tasked with investigating congressional misconduct. They have issued a series of directives requiring federal law enforcement agencies to prioritize immigration enforcement. And they have ended a 50-year policy of keeping the Justice Department independent of the White House in criminal investigations.
DHS says FEMA head was joking when he said he wasn’t aware of hurricane season
Acting Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator David Richardson was joking when he said at a meeting yesterday that he was not aware of the upcoming hurricane season, the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement.
Reuters reported that Richardson said at a briefing that he was not aware the United States has a hurricane season, confusing staffers. The report, which said it was unclear if Richardson was serious or joking, cited four unnamed sources familiar with the situation.
Thune says Senate on track to pass GOP megabill by July 4
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said he hopes the Senate is on track to pass the GOP megabill by July 4.
“I think we’re on track. I hope, at least, to be able to produce something that we can pass through the Senate, send back to the House, have them pass and put on the president’s desk by the Fourth of July,” Thune said yesterday.
Thune also said the Senate could take up the Russia sanctions bill this month but again said it’s waiting for the White House to give it the go-ahead.
“I think right now they’re still hopeful they’ll be able to strike some sort of a deal,” he said of the White House’s hopes regarding talks with Russia. “But as you might expect, there’s a high level of interest here in the Senate, on both sides of the aisle and moving on it, and it very well could be something that we would take up in this work period.”
Trump’s ambitious push for trade deals is hitting some snags
Trump’s ambitious plan to broker dozens of trade deals with some of the United States’ closest trading partners has begun to show cracks as the clock on his 90-day pause for most country-specific tariffs winds down to just more than one month.
While some of the fissures are self-inflicted, like recent threats of tariffs against the European Union and higher duties on steel imports, a fresh set of court rulings questioning the president’s tariffs-granting authority now hangs over his entire push to reset U.S. trade relations.
Top Jan. 6 prosecutor says Trump’s Capitol riot pardons signal approval of political violence
The federal prosecutor who oversaw the Capitol riot investigation is speaking out about Trump’s mass pardon of Jan. 6 rioters and the Trump administration’s targeting of career law enforcement officials who worked cases against the people who attacked the U.S. Capitol.
Greg Rosen, who was the chief of the Capitol Siege Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, called the Justice Department’s handling of Jan. 6 cases appropriate, proportional and righteous, noting that hundreds of defendants convicted of misdemeanors ultimately were sentenced to probation.