What to know today
- FEDERAL RESERVE: President Donald Trump said tonight that he's removing Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook from her position with the central bank. Cook has a permanent vote on the Fed's rate-setting committee and was appointed by President Joe Biden to a term running until 2038.
- CASHLESS BAIL: Trump signed executive orders aimed at eliminating cashless bail for suspects arrested in Washington, D.C., and in other jurisdictions around the country with similar policies, according to documents provided by the White House.
- ARMED GUARD: Students in Washington returned to school amid the stepped-up federal law enforcement and military presence in the city, including National Guard troops carrying firearms.
- CHICAGO NEXT? Chicago’s mayor blasted Trump’s threat to deploy the National Guard to his city and said he was looking at legal options to prevent what he said would be an "unconstitutional federal overreach." Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker also said troops were not needed in Chicago.
There’s no room for Trump’s face on Mount Rushmore, despite MAGA push
Reporting from Keystone, S.D.
From his real estate developments to his golf courses, Trump is known for adding his name to his properties. Now, some of his supporters want to add his likeness to one of the most iconic monuments in the country: Mount Rushmore.
Just days after Trump took office for his second term, one of his supporters in Congress introduced a bill to do just that. While the legislation from Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., has not advanced in the Capitol, there is an even more difficult challenge ahead for the bill: Even if the measure passed, the famous mountain does not have enough rock that is suitable to be carved for Trump’s — or anyone else’s — face.
“It comes down to the geology, the engineering,” said Paul Nelson, a retired engineer who oversaw the rock monitoring system at Mount Rushmore. “It just can’t be done.”
Trump says he’s removing Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, citing his administration’s allegations of mortgage fraud
Trump is removing Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook effective immediately, according to a letter he posted tonight on Truth Social.
In the letter, Trump writes: “Pursuant to my authority under Article II of the Constitution of the United States and the Federal Reserve Act of 1913, as amended, you are hereby removed from your position on the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve, effective immediately.”
Trump cites a “criminal referral” from Federal Housing Finance Agency Director William Pulte, in which Pulte accused Cook of mortgage fraud.
The Federal Reserve did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker told NBC News’ Shaquillle Brewster that Trump’s best way to lower crime in Chicago and other cities is to restore crime prevention funding he recently cut and that there are “no grounds” for sending in the National Guard.
NYPD commissioner tells Pam Bondi police don't need the National Guard
New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch told Attorney General Pam Bondi in a meeting today that New York City doesn't need the federal government to step in with any law enforcement, an NYPD spokesperson told NBC News.
Tisch was clear that "we don't need the feds or National Guard," the spokesperson said, adding, "We got this."
Bondi visited the city as the Trump administration is threatening to send the National Guard to Democratic-led cities like Chicago and Baltimore, days after it did so in Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles.
Tisch and Bondi met for about 30 minutes and were joined by representatives from other federal agencies, the spokesperson said. They discussed issues like the crime rate in New York and the use of drones by law enforcement.
Minnesota lawmaker who survived assassination attempt speaks out against political violence at DNC meeting
Minnesota state Sen. John Hoffman talked about the attempt on his life in remarks at the Democratic National Committee summer meeting in Minneapolis today, highlighting lessons he hopes Democrats and Americans will take from his experience.
“What is happening at a national level, the persistent dehumanizing narratives and conspiracy theories and public discourse, are fueling the radicalization of individuals willing to engage in political violence against perceived opponents,” Hoffman said.
He urged Democrats to "call Americans to action in ways that don’t incite intimidation and political violence."
"Having our own homes violated by pure evil cannot be the new normal,” he added.
Hoffman was hospitalized in critical condition in June after he and his wife were shot by a gunman who also is accused of fatally shooting Minnesota House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband the same night.
Hoffman recognized Hortman in his remarks, saying, “It’s our job to fill that space by upholding her legacy and the values she and her husband, Mark, held dear, values we hold dear.”
Kilmar Abrego Garcia taken into ICE custody, but judge blocks deportation for now
Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who reunited with his family last week after 160 days apart following what the government says was his mistaken deportation to El Salvador, was taken into ICE custody today after an immigration check-in, but a judge later ruled that he cannot be deported, for now.
The check-in with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Baltimore was among the conditions of his release Friday from federal custody.
While such meetings are usually routine and meant for case updates, Abrego’s attorneys had expected he would be taken into ICE custody after the Trump administration over the weekend announced its intention to deport him to Uganda.
“There was no need to take him into ICE detention. ... The only reason they took him into detention was to punish him” for exercising his constitutional right to speak up and fight proceedings, said Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg, one of Abrego’s attorneys.
House committee to question former Trump official who oversaw Jeffrey Epstein’s plea deal
The House Oversight Committee announced today that former Labor Secretary Alex Acosta will appear voluntarily before the panel next month as part of its investigation into the Jeffrey Epstein case.
Attorneys for Epstein’s victims had raised concerns about why the Republican-led committee did not include Acosta, who served in the first Trump administration, when it sent subpoenas to a number of high-profile former government officials as part of the probe.
Acosta was the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida in 2008 when the office reached a secret non-prosecution agreement with Epstein, who wound up pleading guilty to state charges involving a single underage victim, protecting him from federal prosecution.
A Justice Department Office of Professional Responsibility investigation into the Epstein deal found it was Acosta who “made the pivotal decision to resolve the federal investigation of Epstein through a state-based plea and either developed or approved the terms of the initial offer to the defense that set the beginning point for the subsequent negotiations” that led to the non-prosecution agreement.
JB Pritzker says Trump's threats to send National Guard to Chicago are meant to intimidate his political rivals
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, a Democrat, blasted the Trump administration today over Trump’s comments that he is considering sending the National Guard into Chicago.
Pritzker said at a news conference he does not think Trump is sincere about wanting to make streets safer, adding that Trump did not consult with him or Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson on the matter.
“This is not about fighting crime. This is about Donald Trump searching for any justification to deploy the military in a blue city in a blue state to try and intimidate his political rivals. This is about the president of the United States and his complicit lackey, Stephen Miller, searching for ways to lay the groundwork to circumvent our democracy, militarize our cities and end elections,” Pritzker said.
"There is no emergency in Chicago that calls for armed military intervention," he added. "There is no insurrection."
The Trump administration has deployed National Guard troops to Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., during Trump’s second term in office.
“Finally, to the Trump administration officials who are complicit in this scheme, to the public servants who have forsaken their oath to the Constitution to serve the petty whims of an arrogant little man to any federal official who would come to Chicago and try to incite my people into violence as a pretext for something darker and more dangerous. We are watching, and we are taking names,” Pritzker said.
In response to a request for comment, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said, "If these Democrats spent half as much time addressing crime in their cities as they did going on cable news to complain about President Trump, their residents would be a lot safer.”
Trump signs proclamation honoring service members killed during Abbey Gate attack in Afghanistan
Trump signed a proclamation in the Oval Office this afternoon honoring families of service members killed during the United States' withdrawal from Afghanistan four years ago.
"It’s a four-year anniversary, so we’re signing a proclamation honoring them," Trump said, surrounded by Abbey Gate families and top administration officials, adding that the 2021 attack was "so sad and so unnecessary."
In response to a question about the Defense Department's investigation into the Biden administration’s withdrawal from Afghanistan, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the review most likely won't be finished until mid-2026.
Trump also remarked on his efforts to redecorate Oval Office, saying that "now it's very special" and "everyone loves it."
"It's all the real — the real deal, 24 karat gold," Trump said, referring to gold accents he has added to the space. He also talked about wall art that's being added to the room.
Vance says Russia has made ‘significant concessions’ in Ukraine talks. Has it?
Faced with a stalling peace push, Vice President JD Vance said yesterday that Russia had made “significant concessions” in ending its war in Ukraine.
There is little public evidence, however, that Russian President Vladimir Putin has moved his ambitions an inch since he launched his full-scale invasion in February 2022.
More than 1,000 have been arrested in D.C., White House official says
A White House official said law enforcement personnel arrested more than 80 people in D.C. last night, bringing the total of people arrested since Trump announced his federal takeover this month to 1,007.
Of the 86 people arrested yesterday, 37 were undocumented immigrants, the official said. One was identified as a Tren de Aragua gang member who had several previous arrests for robbery, obstruction of justice and possession of burglary tools. Another had a criminal conviction for importation, conspiracy and distribution of heroin, the official said.
The official did not say whether any of the others had criminal records.
Others arrested last night included a person who was carrying a pistol without a license and someone who assaulted a National Guard member, the official said. Ten illegal firearms were seized, as well.
Trump claims D.C. hasn't gone a week without a murder in 'many years'
Statement
Washington, D.C., has not had a murder in 11 days. ... But Washington, D.C., if you go back and check, it's been many years since we went a week without having a murder."
Verdict
False
Analysis
According to publicly available crime data from the Metropolitan Police Department, Washington went even longer than the current stretch, 16 days without a murder, this year. The data shows no murders were committed in D.C. from Feb. 25 to March 12. (There were murders in D.C. on Feb. 24 and March 13.)
Verdict
False
Analysis
According to publicly available crime data from the Metropolitan Police Department, Washington went even longer than the current stretch, 16 days without a murder, this year. The data shows no murders were committed in D.C. from Feb. 25 to March 12. (There were murders in D.C. on Feb. 24 and March 13.)
City, state officials criticize Trump’s threat to deploy troops to Chicago
Illinois political leaders and Chicago municipal officials are raising alarms over Trump’s threat to deploy National Guard troops to the city, insisting that sending in soldiers would be baseless and a clear case of federal overreach.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, a Democrat who plans to hold a news conference this afternoon about Trump’s threats, blasted Trump’s suggestion that federal soldiers were needed to combat crime, homelessness and undocumented immigration in some of the country’s major cities.
Maryland Gov. Moore mocks Trump's comments about him
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, a Democrat, mocked Trump's claims that he had told him privately that he was “the greatest president of my lifetime.”
"lol," Moore responded on social media to a video of Trump's Oval Office remarks. "Keep telling yourself that, Mr. President," his post on X said.
Trump talked about Moore in the Oval Office as he was discussing crime in Baltimore.
"I met him at the Army-Navy game," Trump said. "He came over to me, he hugged me, shook my hand. ... He said, 'Sir, you’re the greatest president of my lifetime.'
"And then every time I see him on television, he’s knocking the hell out of me so. But that’s all right. It’s called politics."
Trump says he would like to meet with Kim Jong Un
In the Oval Office alongside South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, Trump said he'd hoped to meet again with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
"I’d like to have a meeting. I got along great with him," Trump said, adding that they "became very friendly" during his first term in office.
"We think we can do something in that regard," he said, adding that he would like to help the relationship between the two Koreas.
Trump throws doubt on a meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy: 'I don't know that they'll meet'
Asked by a reporter how soon Putin told him he would be ready to sit down with Zelenskyy for talks to end the war in Ukraine, Trump said, "That's going to be up to them."
Trump hedged further moments later, saying, "I don't know that they'll meet. Maybe they will, maybe they won't."
The comments are a departure from the more optimistic tone Trump set earlier this month, when he said on Truth Social that he "began the arrangements for a meeting."
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said yesterday on NBC News' "Meet the Press" that no meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy was planned.
U.S. could take stakes in more companies, Trump adviser says
The U.S. government could take equity stakes in more companies, potentially through an American sovereign wealth fund, according to one of Trump’s top economic advisers.
National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett made the remarks today, days after the United States took a nearly 10% stake in Intel. The government secured a piece of the semiconductor maker with money intended for grants as part of the CHIPS and Science Act, passed during the Biden administration.
Speaker Johnson last month cited 'obvious concern' about whether Ghislaine Maxwell could be trusted
While congressional Republicans have posted on X celebrating Epstein associate Ghislane Maxwell's statement in an interview with the Justice Department that Trump was “never inappropriate with anybody,” just one month ago, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., questioned whether she could be trusted.
On July 23, Johnson told reporters he supports the Oversight and Government Reform Committee’s subpoena for a deposition with Maxwell but cited the “obvious concern” of whether Maxwell could be “counted on to tell the truth” and asked whether she’s “a credible witness.”
“If they see fit to bring in Ghislaine Maxwell for testimony. That’s fine. I will note the obvious concern, the caveat that Chairman Comer and I and everyone has that— could she be counted on to tell the truth? Is she a credible witness?” Johnson said, referring to committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky.
“I mean, this is a person who’s been sentenced to many, many years in prison for terrible, unspeakable, conspiratorial acts and acts against innocent young people. I mean, can we trust what she’s going to say, even if she raises her hand and says that she’ll testify under oath? Is that something that can be trusted? You know, that’s a reasonable question. Is that credible evidence? I don’t know, but we’ll have to see.”
In an interview on NBC News' "Meet the Press" on July 27, Johnson said he would “hope” Maxwell could be trusted, adding that her “character is in some question.”
“I hope she’s telling the truth. She is convicted. She is serving a 20-year sentence for child sex trafficking, and so her character is in some question. But if she wants to come clean now, that would be a great service to the country, and we’d like to know every single bit of information that she has. I certainly hope she’s telling the truth,” Johnson told "Meet the Press" moderator Kristen Welker.
Trump again rips Chris Christie
Asked if he planned to investigate Chris Christie, a former Trump ally turned critic, Trump was noncommittal.
"I always felt he was guilty," Trump said of the then-New Jersey governor and the "Bridgegate" scandal from almost 12 years ago. Christie was never charged, but some of his allies were convicted of a scheme to shut down lanes of the busy George Washington Bridge to intentionally cause traffic problems in Fort Lee to retaliate against its mayor, who'd refused to endorse the governor.
"When I listened to Chris speak his hate, I say, 'Oh, what about the George Washington Bridge?' You know, tell me about the George Washington Bridge," Trump said.
Christie has said he wasn't responsible and fired the three people who were.
Trump posted about the scandal on social media yesterday after seeing Christie criticize him Sunday on ABC's "This Week," and wrote, "For the sake of JUSTICE, perhaps we should start looking at that very serious situation again?"
He took a slightly softer tone in the Oval Office with Attorney General Pam Bondi standing behind him.
"I don’t know if they want to look at it. Not for me. If they want to look at it, they can. You can ask Pam. I think we have other things to do, but I always thought he got away with murder," Trump said.
Trumps says he spoke with Putin since meeting with Zelenskyy and European leaders
Trump told reporters at the White House that he has spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin after meeting last week with Russian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders.
Asked how the conversation went, Trump said, "Every conversation I have with him is a good conversation, and then, unfortunately, a bomb is loaded up into Kiev or someplace, and then I get very angry about it."
"I think we’re going to get the war done. It’s tough," Trump said, repeating his previous remarks that he thought it would be "the easiest" of the conflicts around the world to settle. While running for his second term as president, Trump said he would be able to stop the war within 24 hours of taking office.
Trump added, "The fact that he went to Alaska, our country, I think, was a big statement that he wants to get it done," referring to his in-person meeting with Putin earlier this month. "That was not easy for him to go to Alaska, you know, for him to come here," Trump said, calling the summit "a very successful day."
Trump says DOJ will sue over California redistricting plan
Asked if he was intending to challenge California's redistricting plans, Trump said, "Well, I think I’m going to be filing a lawsuit pretty soon, and I think we’re going to be very successful in it."
"We’re going to be filing it through the Department of Justice. That’s going to happen," the president said, adding he'll "probably" also file suit challenging the Senate "blue slip" process that's held up several of his nominees for judges and U.S. attorney.
The process effectively allows home state Senators to reject certain nominees.
"You know, blue slips make it impossible for me as president to appoint a judge or a U.S. attorney, because they have a gentleman’s agreement. ... It’s a gentleman’s agreement that’s about 100 years old, where, if you have a president like a Republican and if you have a Democrat senator, that senator can stop you from appointing a judge or or U.S. Attorney," he said, adding he believes it's "unconstitutional."
Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, defended the blue slip process in a post on X earlier in the day. "A U.S. Atty/district judge nominee without a blue slip does not hv the votes to get confirmed on the Senate floor & they don’t hv the votes to get out of cmte," Grassley wrote. "As chairman I set Pres Trump noms up for SUCCESS NOT FAILURE."
Trump floats renaming 'Department of Defense' to 'Department of War'
Trump floated a vote to rename the Department of Defense to the Department of War.
"Why are we 'Defense?' So it used to be called the Department of War, and it had a stronger sound," Trump said.
"If you people want to, standing behind me, if you take a little vote, if you want to change it back to what it was when we used to win wars all the time, that's OK with me. All right?" Trump added.
He voiced his support for renaming the department, saying, "I don't want to be defense only. We want defense, but we want offense too."
The War Department was initially established by George Washington. In 1947, President Harry Truman signed a law that reorganized war-related departments into the National Military Establishment, which was renamed to the Department of Defense two years later.
Vance pushes back on criticism from Democratic governors
Speaking alongside Trump in the Oval Office, Vice President JD Vance lashed out at the Democratic governors of states that the president has said he's considering sending troops into.
"Look at Governor Pritzker in Illinois, or Governor Newsom in Los Angeles, or Governor Moore in Maryland. They are angrier about the fact that the president of the United States is offering to help them get their crime under control than they are about the fact that murderers are running roughshod over their cities and have been for decades," Vance said.
"It shows a real sickness in the head," he continued, adding "Republicans don’t like crime. Democrats don’t like crime. Independents don’t like crime. Why are Democratic governors doing everything in their power to make crime easier to do in their cities? It doesn’t make an ounce of sense to me."
Vance also touted the lack of murders in D.C. since the federal takeover earlier this month. Vance said he'd been told by local law enforcement that "this town averaged one murder every other day for the last 20, 30 years, which means in two short weeks this president and the team have saved six or seven lives."
Crime data from the D.C. police shows those figures to be largely accurate over the last five years, but the murder rate was lower than that in 13 of the 15 previous years.
Trump calls Biden allies 'evil people' who will be 'brought down'
Trump referred to Biden's allies as "evil people" as he criticized his predecessor.
"There were some brilliant people," Trump said, referring to people in Biden's circle. "But they’re evil people, and they’re going to be brought down. They have to be brought down 'cause they really hurt our country."
Trump did not provide details about how he planned to do this.
Trump claims people say 'maybe we'd like a dictator'
Before signing a series of executive orders aimed at reducing crime in D.C. and across the nation, Trump referred to his critics bashing him for sending the National Guard to D.C., claiming that some people think they might "like a dictator."
"They say, 'We don't need him. Freedom. Freedom. He's a dictator. He's a dictator,'" Trump said, referring to critics who disapproved of his National Guard and law enforcement tactics, including threatening to send the troops into Chicago.
"A lot of people are saying, 'Maybe we'd like a dictator,'" Trump added. "I don't like a dictator. I'm not a dictator. I'm a man with great common sense, and I'm a smart person. And when I see what’s happened to our cities, and then you send in troops. Instead of being praised, they’re saying, 'You’re trying to take over the Republic.' These people are sick."
He said the administration "in a certain way, we should wait to be asked" to bring in troops, claiming that otherwise opponents would take credit for a resulting reduction in crime.
Reflecting on the impact of sending National Guard into Los Angeles, Trump said: "But I think people should want us to be there, because otherwise all they’ll do is complain as we do our job. So we’ll have to think about that."
DOJ gave Maxwell ‘platform to rewrite history,’ accuser's family says
After the Justice Department released transcripts and audio of its closed-door interview last month with Jeffrey Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, the family of one of Epstein’s most prominent accusers, Virginia Giuffre, is arguing that the interview has given Maxwell a “platform to rewrite history.” NBC’s Hallie Jackson reports for "TODAY."
Trump to sign executive orders aimed at ending cashless bail in D.C. and across the nation
Trump plans to sign executive orders today aimed at eliminating cashless bail for suspects arrested in Washington, D.C., and in other jurisdictions around the nation with similar policies, according to fact sheets describing the executive orders that the White House provided to NBC News.
The executive order on D.C. directs the administration to take certain actions if the city does not change its cashless bail policy, including “federal funding decisions, services, or approvals,” according to the fact sheet. Attorney General Pam Bondi, too, could get involved, though the fact sheet did not detail what actions she might take.
France summons U.S. ambassador over ‘unacceptable’ antisemitism claims
LONDON — France has summoned the American ambassador to Paris after he wrote a letter to President Emmanuel Macron alleging that France had not taken “sufficient action” to combat antisemitism.
France’s foreign ministry said in a statement yesterday that it had summoned Charles Kushner to appear today over his criticism, which it said was “unacceptable.”
Global mail carriers suspend U.S. deliveries amid confusion over new duties
Reporting from London
Postal services across the world are halting shipments to the United States this week amid mounting confusion over new import duties that will apply to parcels starting Friday.
Trump signed an executive order last month abolishing the trade loophole known as “de minimis,” which since 2016 had allowed goods worth up to $800 to enter the U.S. duty-free.
The end of the exemption is being extended worldwide after the loophole was closed in May for packages from mainland China and Hong Kong.
Under the new rules, personal gifts worth less than $100 will still be duty-free, but all other packages will face the same tariffs as standard imports from their country of origin.
South Korea’s proposal to win over Trump: ‘Make America Shipbuilding Great Again’
Reporting from Hong Kong
One of the United States’ strongest allies in Asia, South Korea has had a rough start with Trump — struggling in tariff talks as it spent months without a permanent leader.
But its new president, Lee Jae-myung, has arrived for a meeting with Trump on today touting a $150 billion offering whose name is sure to appeal to the U.S. leader: “Make America Shipbuilding Great Again.”
Mayor blasts Trump’s threat to deploy National Guard to Chicago
Reporting from Chicago
Chicago’s mayor is defying Trump’s threat to deploy the National Guard to the Windy City to combat crime and scoping out legal avenues to prevent soldiers from overtaking the city.
On Friday, Trump talked about his controversial deployment of the National Guard to Washington, D.C., and said Chicago and New York City would be next. He has described the deployment in the nation’s capital as a bid to clean up crime, but critics dismiss the move as little more than political overreach.
“The guard is not needed,” Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson told NBC News. “This is not the role of our military. The brave men and women who signed up to serve our country did not sign up to occupy American cities.”
National Guard troops in D.C. begin carrying firearms
Reporting from Washington
National Guard troops deployed to Washington this month to support Trump’s effort to mitigate crime began carrying firearms yesterday evening, according to the federal task force managing the operation.
The majority of the guard members will carry M17 pistols, their service-issued weapons, a Defense Department official with knowledge of the planning, while a small number of the troops will be armed with their service M4 rifles. The troops are authorized to use their weapons for self-protection and “as a last resort” in response to an “imminent threat of death or serious bodily harm,” the federal task force said.
D.C. students return to school as the city remains on edge amid Trump’s takeover
Reporting from Washington
At a ribbon-cutting on an addition to an elementary school in the affluent Glover Park neighborhood last Monday, Mayor Muriel Bowser was all smiles. She watched students perform a scene from the musical “Oz,” then spent several minutes talking about the benefits of investing in schools and getting students excited to get back in the classroom.
But minutes after taking photos with school leaders and local officials, she walked into the building’s gymnasium, where she was swept into a tornado of her own, facing questions from reporters about a much tougher topic: the impacts of Trump’s attempt to take over the city.