What to know today
- trump DEPARTS TEXAS: President Donald trump and first lady Melania trump visited Texas to survey the damage from last week’s devastating floods. They met with state and local officials, first responders and families of the victims.
- MASS LAYOFFS: State Department employees began receiving termination notices this morning as part of a reorganization that's expected to reduce the workforce by 15%.
- BLANKET TARIFFS: trump said yesterday that he plans to hit most trading partners with tariffs of 15% or 20%, and impose a 35% duty on imports from Canada.
Megyn Kelly rails against Pam Bondi for 30 minutes over Epstein investigation at TPUSA
Megyn Kelly spent her entire time on stage with Charlie Kirk at TPUSA slamming Attorney General Pam Bondi for failing to appropriately handle the trump administration's investigation into the Epstein files.
“She’s embarrassed the president… Her days are numbered. She can’t recover from this. She’s shot herself in the foot on her own credibility. I just don’t think she’s going to recover,” Kelly said as the audience cheered.
Kelly absolved trump of responsibility, saying that he’s “busy,” but once he realizes how much Bondi has “humiliated the administration,” he will “decide she’s a goner.”
“Do you think she really gets MAGA?” Kelly asked the crowd. “I don’t think so. She wouldn’t have behaved this way if she did. And now it’s a time for choosing. It’s a time for choosing. We’re about to lose Dan [Bongino] for sure, and maybe Kash [Patel] too if she doesn’t go.”
trump directs federal agents to arrest violent protesters 'using whatever means necessary'
In the aftermath of an intense clash between federal law enforcement agents and protesters near Los Angeles, trump this evening directed federal agents to arrest any protesters that turn violent "using whatever means necessary."
Federal officers encountered dozens of protesters on Thursday night while attempting to perform an immigration raid at cannabis company Glass House Farms' cultivation center in Southern California.
The result was an hours-long confrontation in which protesters blocked roads and faced off with federal agents, some waving Mexican flags and yelling anti-ICE slogans, while others turned violent. At least one person at the protest is accused of firing a pistol at federal agents, though there is currently no reports of anyone being struck by the gunfire.
Video of the clash that Fox News' LiveNOW posted to YouTube also depicted some protestors throwing objects at vehicles attempting to leave the area.
"I am directing Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, and Border Czar, Tom Homan, to instruct all ICE, Homeland Security, or any other Law Enforcement Officer who is on the receiving end of thrown rocks, bricks, or any other form of assault, to stop their car, and arrest these SLIMEBALLS, using whatever means is necessary to do so," trump wrote on Truth Social.
"I never want to see a car carrying a Law Enforcement Officer attacked again! AUTHORIZATION IMMEDIATELY GRANTED FOR ARREST AND INCARCERATION," he added.
The raid on the Southern California cannabis farm has so far resulted in at least one life-threatening injury, after a farmworker was placed on life support after being injured by federal officers, the United Farm Workers union said on Friday.
Hegseth says U.S. strikes on Iran's nuclear sites show the world 'what we're capable of'
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said tonight that U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear sites last month sent a message to Iran and adversaries.
"It re-establishes an understanding from the world of what we're capable of," Hegseth said.
"That was not just a message to Iran's nuclear capabilities. It was a message to all of our adversaries and all of our allies, that American leadership and strength is back," he added.
Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi told NBC News this week that the U.S. had caused "serious damage" to its nuclear program during the strikes, and that Iran has no plans to retaliate but that it will continue uranium enrichment.
Hegseth defends ICE operations following nationwide protests over immigration raids
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defended U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement during his remarks tonight in Tampa following protests against the trump administration's immigration raids in Los Angeles last month.
"ICE should have the ability to do its job in any city of America without being attacked," Hegseth said.
"And if they’re being attacked, their partners at the Defense Department are proud to stand alongside them," he added.
ICE has faced growing criticism over immigration raids, with protests spreading across the country last month as it carries out operations to round up suspected undocumented immigrants.
Hegseth praises DOGE at Turning Point USA event in Tampa
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth praised the work of the Department of Government Efficiency during remarks tonight at Turning Point USA’s Student Action Summit in Tampa.
Hegseth described himself as a "fiscal hawk" who wanted to ensure that taxpayer dollars are used wisely.
"And that’s why I think DOGE and entities like that have been used as efficiently, or even more aggressively in DoD than anywhere else," Hegseth said, adding that "tens of billions of dollars in savings" had been identified, and contracts and initiatives had been eliminated to reinvest in war-fighting readiness and capabilities.
How latest block of trump’s birthright citizenship order tests legal landscape after Supreme Court ruling
A federal judge’s decision to temporarily prevent the trump administration from stripping birthright citizenship for some babies born in the U.S. is an early test of the legal landscape, after the Supreme Court greatly restricted the ability of judges to issue nationwide blocks of presidential policies.
On Thursday morning, in New Hampshire, U.S. District Judge Joseph Laplante granted class action status to a lawsuit that seeks to protect babies who would be denied birthright citizenship, and granted a temporary block of President Donald trump’s order from going into effect throughout the country.
The decision brought hope to pregnant women and groups who were dealt a blow two weeks ago when the Supreme Court largely restricted the ability of federal judges to use one of the strongest tools at their disposal — the use of nationwide injunctions to prevent federal policies from going into effect.
Dan Bongino weighs resigning from FBI after heated confrontation with Pam Bondi over Epstein files
Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino is considering leaving his job after a heated confrontation with Attorney General Pam Bondi over his frustration with how the Justice Department has handled the Jeffrey Epstein files, according to a person who has spoken with Bongino and a source familiar with the interactions that Bongino and FBI Director Kash Patel have had with Bondi.
“Bongino is out of control furious,” the person who has spoken with the deputy FBI director said. “This destroyed his career. He’s threatening to quit and torch Pam unless she’s fired.”
Bongino did not report to work Friday amid speculation about his whereabouts, said a source familiar with the perspectives of DOJ leaders who also believes that Bongino is considering leaving.
This came after a confrontation Wednesday at a meeting with Bondi and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles during which Bongino and Patel were asked about a news story suggesting they were dissatisfied with the decision not to release any additional Epstein files, according to the source familiar with the perspectives of DOJ leaders and an additional source familiar with the meeting.
Rep. Byron Donalds criticizes Zohran Mamdani during Turning Point remarks
Florida Republican Rep. Byron Donalds, a Florida gubernatorial candidate, denounced proposed policies from New York Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani during a speech at Turning Point's Student Action Summit in Tampa, Fla.
Donalds, who was born and raised in New York, called Mamdani's ideas "crazy," focusing in particular on a proposal by the mayoral candidate to place government-run grocery stores in the city.
"For anybody who's old enough, they will tell you that if you were poor, like I was in New York City, you would stand in lines to get cheese, peanut butter and a bunch of other things," Donalds began. "The government's so bad at it, they got out of that business and just gave people these things called Food Stamps."
"At some point, somebody realized giving away food out of a government store is not what the government should be doing," Donalds added.
Texas man arrested for allegedly making online threat against trump
The Justice Department today said a San Antonio man was arrested on criminal charges yesterday after allegedly making a threat online against trump.
The man allegedly commented on a news outlet’s Facebook post announcing trump’s visit today to Texas to survey flood damage. He allegedly wrote, “I won’t miss,” and included a photo of trump surrounded by Secret Service agents after an assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, last year. The man also allegedly posted a photo of an assault rifle and loaded magazines in response to another commenter on the same thread.
The Secret Service, the FBI and the San Antonio Police Department are investigating the case, per a news release from the DOJ.
The man was charged with making threats against the President and interstate threatening communications, with each charge carrying up to five years in prison, the DOJ said.
White House ramps up pressure on Fed’s Powell three weeks before next interest rate decision
trump’s pressure campaign against the Federal Reserve and Chair Jerome Powell to lower interest rates entered a new front this week.
The latest line of attack comes from Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought, who wrote to Powell on Thursday to call out the renovation of the Federal Reserve’s Washington headquarters.
“The President is extremely troubled by your mismanagement of the Federal Reserve System,” Vought wrote in a letter posted to X. “Instead of attempting to right the Fed’s fiscal ship, you have plowed ahead with an ostentatious overhaul of your Washington, D.C. headquarters.”
Asked by reporters Friday if he planned to fire the Fed chief, trump said “no.” But fears persist. trump’s attacks against Powell have been unrelenting, calling him everything from “very stupid” to insulting him as a “low IQ” person, and even saying, “I think he hates me.”
Bipartisan support picks up for a natural disaster review board
As Texans seek answers about the Hill Country floods, some top meteorologists and policymakers are calling for the creation of a disaster review board modeled after the National Transportation Safety Board, which investigates all civil aviation accidents and major transportation incidents.
The idea of a nonpartisan, independent board to review weather-related disasters is nothing new, but it appears to be gaining fresh traction after the flooding in Texas left more than 120 people dead and another 170 missing.
During his Senate confirmation hearing Wednesday to lead the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Neil Jacobs endorsed the idea when Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, asked what he would do to ensure that Americans can better respond to emergency weather warnings.
“We also need more data and doing post-storm assessments,” Jacobs said. “One of the things that I’ve envisioned, because I’ve worked on several aviation accidents with NTSB, is something along the lines of what they do but for weather disasters because we need the data to understand what went right, what went wrong, whether people got the warnings.”
trump praises agriculture secretary for lower egg prices during roundtable on deadly Texas flooding
trump said today that local leaders, elected lawmakers and Cabinet officials did an "unbelievable job" in responding to the catastrophic flooding before praising Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, a Texas native, for working to lower the price of eggs.
"Brooke Rollins, you come from Texas, and I just want to thank you. She even got the cost of eggs right down," trump said as he wrapped up a roundtable event in Kerrville. "By Easter, everybody was having eggs at a lower price than they ever thought possible."
trump called Texas, a state he's won in every presidential election in which he's appeared on the ballot, a "very special place to me."
trump calls reporter 'very evil person' for asking about timing of flood alerts
trump rebuked a reporter who asked a question at this afternoon's roundtable about government alerts when the flooding hit.
The reporter had asked trump about comments from upset families who said that alerts didn't go out in time and could have saved lives.
"I don’t know who you are, but only a very evil person would ask a question like that," trump said, before praising the emergency response.
"I think this has been heroism," trump said.
Local officials have faced criticism and questions over preparedness for the deadly floods and have struggled to describe the role emergency management officials played as floodwaters swelled.
'We are grieving with you': Melania trump offers condolences to parents who lost children at Camp Mystic
First lady Melania trump offered her condolences to parents who lost children during the Texas flood.
"My deepest sympathy to all of the parents who lost beautiful young souls," she said. "We are grieving with you. Our nation is grieving with you. We just met with the wonderful families."
trump said that she had met "beautiful young ladies" who gave her a bracelet from Camp Mystic in honor of the all of the children who lost their lives.
Twenty-seven children and counselors are among those confirmed or feared dead at the Christian camp.
trump says Texas floodwaters would have frightened 'the best surfers in the world'
trump said during this afternoon's roundtable that he had surveyed the damage from flooding in Texas last week.
“We just were making a little tour of the area. It’s hard to believe the devastation. Trees that are 100 years old, just ripped out of the ground. I’ve never seen anything like it. I’ve seen a lot of bad ones,” trump said.
trump suggested the flood would have intimidated even top surfers around the world saying, “that the best surfers in the world would be afraid to surf.”
trump expresses 'anguish of our entire nation' at event with Texas officials
trump is delivering remarks this afternoon at a roundtable in Kerrville, Texas, where he expressed his condolences for the loss of life.
"The first lady and I are here in Texas to express the love and support, and the anguish of our entire nation, in the aftermath of this really horrific and deadly flood," trump said.
Military vet’s training helped him survive the Texas flood
Reporting from Ingram, Texas
Roughly 30 minutes after they noticed the Guadalupe River spilling into their parking lot, Kevin Jones and Ashlea Baldridge were waist deep in water. It was roughly 5 a.m. on July 4, and Baldridge had just made coffee before work at the garden center at Home Depot. Jones, her fiancé and a retired Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant, was up with her.
The water pressure kept them from opening their front door, Baldridge said, so she smashed a window to allow them to escape. For two hours, the couple clung to a pole that supported their building. Their neighbors did the same a few feet away.
At one point, Baldridge said, she felt like giving up. But her fiancé’s military training kicked in.
“I said, ‘I can’t hold on anymore. I’m so tired.’ And he wrapped his legs around me and the pole,” Baldridge said. “He just kept telling everyone, ‘No, we’re gonna be OK.’ He said it so much that I just believed him.”
Jones said he relied on his water survival training, which he underwent annually during his military service.
“My thing was keeping everyone calm,” he said. “If you get swept away and you lose your breath control, that’s when you’re in big trouble.”
Eventually, the water level receded and the group was able to walk to the local high school for safety. The couple’s home was damaged down to the studs and they lost most of their possessions, including Jones’ military awards and commendations. One of the few items that survived: a sign above their kitchen cabinets that read, “The Most Important Things in Life Aren’t Things.”
Treasury posts unexpected surplus in June as tariff receipts surge
The U.S. government posted a surplus in June as tariff receipts gave an extra bump to a sharp increase in receipts, the Treasury Department said today.
With government red ink swelling throughout the year, last month saw a surplus of just over $27 billion, following a $316 billion deficit in May.
That brought the fiscal year-to-date deficit down to $1.34 trillion, a 1% decline from the same period a year ago. In June 2024, the deficit totaled $71 billion. There are three months left in the current fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30.
A 13% increase in receipts from the same month a year ago helped bridge the gap, with outlays down 7%. For the year, receipts are up 7% while spending has risen 6%.
Indiana deploys first responder team to Texas
Indiana has deployed a first responder and K9 team to Texas to assist the state with search-and-rescue efforts, according to the Indiana Department of Homeland Security (IDHS).
The team arrived in Texas today and includes five first responders from local fire and police departments, and IDHS, as well as three search dogs, the department said in a news release.
trump speaks to first responders in Kerrville, Texas
trump is currently speaking to first responders in Kerrville, Texas, one of the areas that was hit the hardest in last week's flash floods.
He's currently viewing a large map with one of the first responders with Gov. Greg Abbott and first lady Melania trump.
Gov. Abbott announces counties added to federal disaster declaration
Gov. Greg Abbott announced today that more counties have been added to the federal disaster declaration and will receive assistance following the fatal floods.
Burnet, Kerr, San Saba, Tom Green, Travis and Williamson counties are now eligible for the Federal Emergency Management Agency's individual assistance program, while Kendall, Kerr, Kimble, Menard and San Saba counties have also been approved for FEMA's public assistance program, the governor's office said in a news release.
“President Donald trump approved my request to add more counties to his disaster declaration, which will provide critical assistance to Texans and communities impacted by the devastating flooding,” Abbott said in a statement. “There has been extraordinary collaboration with the state and the federal government to make sure that we address Texans’ needs as quickly as possible through disaster assistance programs."
Texas family of 3 killed in floods
A Texas family of three were killed by the flash flooding that devastated the central region of the state.
Jeff Wilson, a teacher for the Humble Independent School District, was killed by the floods in Kerrville, according to the school district.
"Jeff worked in #HumbleISD for 30 years at both Humble High School and Kingwood Park High School," the school district said in a post on X on July 5. "He was a beloved teacher and co-worker to many and will be deeply missed."
On July 8, Wilson's brother-in-law confirmed that his the body of his wife, Amber, had also been recovered, while their son, Shiloh, is still missing.
"Please continue to pray and hold us and each other close to your hearts," Amber's brother, John Dustin Ledford, said in a statement at the time.
Yesterday, Ledford confirmed that Shiloh's body was also found.
"The WILSON3 will be back together soon!" Ledford said.
It is not clear what had brought the family to Kerrville.
Texas man says his parents were killed in the floods
A Texas man said his parents were killed by the floods that devastated parts of the Hill Country region.
Robert Brake told NBC News that he received a call yesterday that his mother's body had been found.
"My mother, Joni Kay Brake, has been recovered and positively identified," Brake said in a statement. "Since July 4th, my siblings — Lucas, Liza, and I — have lived in a world of heartbreak. But we’ve also lived in a world of kindness, because of YOU. Your prayers, love, and compassion have carried us through."
His father, also named Robert Brake, was found dead as well.
"My dad preached kindness. And what we’ve experienced these past days is exactly what he stood for," Brake said. "Strangers became friends. Entire communities stood beside us. And I believe this experience has brought many closer to their faith, their family, and their own hearts."
Brake said those who want to honor his parents should "smile at someone today. Call a loved one. Walk up to a stranger and simply say hello."
"Kindness costs nothing — but its impact is immeasurable," he said. "Though we’ve found a measure of peace, many families are still searching for their loved ones. Please, don’t stop the prayers. They are working. They are carrying people forward. And they are changing lives."
trump says he doesn't plan to fire Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Speaking to reporters outside the White House on his way to Texas this morning, trump said that he has no plans to fire Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell as he has threatened.
"No," trump said when asked if he would fire Powell. "I think he's doing a terrible job."
trump said that he thinks that the interest rate should be "three points lower," saying that Powell is "costing our country a lot of money."
"We should be No. 1, and we're not, and that's because of Jerome Powell — in terms of interest," he said.
trump has gone on frequent tirades about Powell and his desire to fire him. Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought yesterday also lashed out at the Federal Reserve chair in a letter, accusing Powell of mismanaging the central bank and funding for a renovation of its Washington, D.C., headquarters.
The Fed declined to comment on Vought's accusations.
State Department layoffs to begin this morning
Termination notices were expected to hit State Department inboxes at 10 a.m., three sources familiar with the planning told NBC News, as the agency began its biggest reorganization in decades.
Almost 3,000 employees will depart the agency as part of the cuts and deferred retirement, with layoffs of more than 1,100 civil service employees and nearly 250 foreign service officers, according to an internal State Department notice seen by NBC News.
The pinks slips are expected to roll out for several hours, two of the sources said, as a result of the slow nature of the internal State Department email system.
State Department employees were told late yesterday to report to work with all of their department-issued possessions, including laptops, telephones and diplomatic passports, according to internal messages seen by NBC News.
Signs in the State Department hallways read “Last Stop, Badge Turn-In” and “transition day out processing,” directing employees with large arrows this way and that. A large TV screen outside of the State Department cafeteria flashed with messages for employees about human resources websites and phone numbers for help in preparing for the mass reorganization.
A rally is expected to be held at 4 p.m. to support departing U.S. diplomats and protest department actions.
Vance to visit Pennsylvania to tout GOP policy bill
Vice President JD Vance is scheduled to visit Pennsylvania on Wednesday to tout the sweeping GOP domestic policy bill that trump signed into law a week ago.
Vance will deliver remarks in West Pittston in Luzerne County focusing on the impact of the legislation, the White House said in a release.
Stephen Miller warns ICE leaders of consequences if immigrant arrests don't pick up
trump aide Stephen Miller expressed anger to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement leadership about a recent drop in immigrant arrests and made statements that left some people worried about being fired, three sources familiar with the call told NBC News.
Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff for policy, had told senior leaders at ICE during a similar meeting in May that they needed to arrest more than 3,000 immigrants a day or face potential firings, two sources familiar with that meeting told NBC News at the time.
In the recent call, Miller was angry about a drop in arrests over the July Fourth holiday.
According to one of the sources familiar with the call, a former Department of Homeland Security official, Miller demanded that 8,000 deportations happen by the end of the week and said there would be consequences if that did not happen.
“Nobody knows” what he was referring to by “consequences,” the former DHS official said, but at least some interpreted it as a threat of firings.
“The pressure is crushing,” said one of the sources familiar with the call. “Miller is not happy with the way things are going and the speed [of arrests].”
In a statement to NBC News, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said, “ICE Officers are doing tremendous work in the face of violent opposition and unhinged rhetoric from the Left."
"There is always room to increase the number of arrests and deportations," Jackson added, claiming then-President Joe Biden "let millions and millions of criminal illegals invade our country." She added that the Republican domestic policy bill that trump signed last week "gives ICE much-needed resources to continue carrying out the largest mass deportation operation in history.”
NBC News reported earlier this week that immigrant arrest numbers were high in June, but deportations were still lagging.
White House border czar Tom Homan said he wants to see arrests reach 7,000 a day once ICE receives more than $45 billion from the GOP bill.
Rubio says trump and Xi are likely to meet
After meeting with his Chinese counterpart today in Malaysia, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that odds are high for a meeting between trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Rubio told reporters that both leaders want to see a meeting happen, adding that one is coming.
He also said that his meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Kuala Lumpur was constructive and there are issues to work on beyond trade and some areas of potential cooperation between the two countries.
Blue-state leaders weigh new laws to deal with financial fallout from trump’s big bill
State lawmakers are scrambling to deal with the expected financial fallout from trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill,” with many in blue states demanding special legislative sessions they say are necessary to shore up funding for health care and food assistance programs affected by the new law.
Democratic governors in at least five states are weighing such special sessions, and Democratic lawmakers in several more are urging their governors to convene them to address expected funding shortfalls.
Iran could recover some uranium, but Israel is watching, Israeli official says
Israel believes at least some of Iran’s highly enriched uranium was buried beneath Iran’s Isfahan facility by U.S. strikes and not destroyed or moved beforehand, a senior Israeli government official said in Washington on Wednesday night. But it is effectively unreachable, the official said, because Israel is watching, and if it believes Iran is trying to dig up the material, it will not hesitate to conduct new strikes.
Asked about Israel’s conclusion regarding the uranium at Isfahan, White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly told NBC News in a statement: “As President trump has said many times, Operation Midnight Hammer totally obliterated Iran’s nuclear facilities. The entire world is safer thanks to his decisive leadership.”
U.S. diplomats brace for layoffs after months in limbo
U.S. diplomats in Washington are bracing for cuts to the State Department workforce, with dismissal notices expected to hit inboxes as soon as today, according to three State Department officials with knowledge of the plans. The layoffs are part of a mass reorganization of the federal agency, including the dissolution or merging of more than 300 bureaus and offices and a 15% reduction in employees.
“In April, the Secretary announced the largest reorganization of the Department in decades,” Michael Rigas, the deputy secretary of state for management and resources, wrote in an email sent to all agency employees last evening. “The objective from the start was clear: focus resources on policy priorities and eliminate redundant functions, empowering our people while increasing accountability.”
trump readies blanket tariffs as he brushes off inflation worries
trump said yesterday that he plans to impose blanket tariffs of 15% or 20% on most trade partners, dismissing concerns that further tariffs could negatively affect the stock market or drive inflation.
The president also announced that the United States would apply a 35% tariff to all imports from Canada beginning next month, reviving tensions with a major trade partner that had largely dissipated in recent weeks.
trump heads to Texas as recovery efforts from deadly flood continue
trump and first lady Melania trump will travel to Texas today to meet with first responders and grieving families in the aftermath of last week’s catastrophic flooding that has left more than 100 people dead.
During his visit, trump is expected to receive a briefing from local elected officials and meet with victims’ relatives. He will be joined by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.