What's going on today
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy remained defiant in the hours after the tense public confrontation with President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance at the Oval Office
- Zelenskyy abruptly exited the White House after the spat and a planned joint press conference for the afternoon was canceled. Trump accused Zelenskyy of "gambling with World War III" and Zelenskyy suggested that the U.S. is largely spared from the effects of the war because of the "nice ocean" separating the U.S. from Europe.
- The bilateral meeting was supposed to focus in part on a potential U.S.-Ukraine deal on the European country's rare earth minerals, which are used to make a variety of tech products.
- The Supreme Court has received briefings in the Trump administration's request to be allowed to withhold payments from contractors at the U.S. Agency for International Development. The justices could rule on the request at any time.
- Trump is expected to sign an executive order that would aim to make English the official language in the country. Currently the U.S. does not have an official language.
Zelenskyy says it was a 'tough situation' when asked whether heated Oval Office meeting was 'planned'
Zelenskyy offered a less-than-certain assessment when asked during an interview this evening whether a tense confrontation with Trump and Vance at the White House this afternoon was coordinated.
"I don't know," Zelenskyy said during a Fox News interview with Bret Baier, before adding when pressed on the matter: “I think, no. I think, I think it was just a really tough situation because we’ve been very open, very direct.”
The Ukrainian president had been asked whether he agreed with an assessment made by Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., about whether the heated Oval Office meeting with Trump and Vance was a “planned ambush.”
Murphy had suggested in a video post on X that Trump what took place in the Oval Office was a "planned ambush designed to help a brutal Russian dictator and hurt America’s security."
During the interview, Zelenskyy also emphasized that he doesn't "want to lose our great partners" in the United States.
Asked whether he regretted the meeting, Zelenskyy said: "Yes, I think it was not good."
Zelenskyy thanks Trump, says he doesn't owe an apology
Zelenskyy said tonight that he was "not sure we did something bad" when asked about apologizing to Trump following a tense meeting at the Oval Office with the president and Vance.
Asked during a Fox News interview whether he owed Trump an apology, Zelenskyy initially did not directly respond to the question, instead saying he was grateful to Trump and to the American people.
"I‘m very thankful to Americans for all your support. You did a lot. I’m thankful to President Trump and to Congress," Zelenskyy told Fox News' Bret Baier. "You helped us a lot. From the very beginning, during three years of full scale invasion, you helped us to survive."
Pressed on whether he owed an apology to Trump, Zelenskyy said: "No," adding that he respected the president and the American people.
"I think that we have to be very open and very honest, and I’m not sure that we did something bad," Zelenskyy said.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., suggested earlier that Zelenskyy should use his interview with Baier to apologize to Trump and proposed that the Ukrainian president should resign or adjust his approach.
White House staffers seen loading boxes of documents onto Air Force One
White House staffers were seen today loading around 15 boxes of documents onto the rear of Air Force One.
“The FBl is giving the President his property back that was taken during the unlawful and illegal raids. We are taking possession of the boxes today and loading them onto Air Force One," White House communications director Steven Cheung said in a statement, referring to the classified documents case against Trump that was dropped after he won the presidential election last year.
The FBI had seized a trove of classified materials from Trump's Florida property in 2022. Trump later pleaded not guilty and denied any wrongdoing in response to allegations that he willfully retained national defense information after he left office following his first term and that he directed the deletion of security video at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.
The Justice Department last month also dropped its case against Trump's co-defendants.
John Bolton calls on Mike Waltz and Marco Rubio to resign
Former Trump national security adviser John Bolton called on Mike Waltz, who holds Bolton's former post, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio to resign, citing what he called their shifting positions on U.S. support for Ukraine.
“This is the point when somebody does 180 degrees, from understanding American allies to backing America’s adversaries, that you resign,” Bolton said. “This is really the time to do it.”
Bolton, a notable Trump critic, added that Rubio's and Waltz's legacies could be permanently damaged should they continue to serve in their positions.
“If they don’t get out now, I think their reputations will suffer for a long, long time, and that that would be sad, because their record in believing in a strong American national security policies and very good up until now.”
Both Rubio and Waltz released statements praising Trump following his Oval Office clash with Zelenskyy this afternoon, with Waltz repeating Trump's assertion that the Ukrainian leader "disrespected our country."
After being ousted by Trump during his first term, Bolton emerged as one of the president's biggest critics, calling him "unfit" for office and accusing him in a book of engaging in corrupt dealings regarding several foreign countries, including Ukraine.
Ahead of Bolton's suggestion that Rubio and Waltz resign, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., called on Zelenskyy to step down given his now fractured relationship with Trump.
"Zelenskyy is either going to have to fundamentally change or go,” Graham said on Fox News.
Democratic Governors Association calls for support for Ukraine in a joint statement
The Democratic Governors Association, a political organization dedicated to supporting Democratic gubernatorial bids, condemned Trump and Vance’s treatment of Zelenskyy in a joint statement signed by 14 Democratic governors this afternoon.
“Donald Trump and JD Vance used the sacred Oval Office to berate President Zelensky for not trusting Vladimir Putin’s word. Americans must protect our strong democratic values on the world stage instead of undermining President Zelensky’s work to fight for his nation and the freedom of his people after being invaded by Russia,” the statement said.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who was former Vice President Kamala Harris' running mate last year, signed the statement, along with Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania and Tony Evers of Wisconsin and a handful of others, many of whom also issued their own statements following the Oval Office shouting match.
“We, along with millions of Americans, stand united with the Ukrainian people,” the statement said.
FEMA employee talks about losing her job
Sarena Bonora, 50, was recently fired from her job working for the Federal Emergency Management Agency in Denver, one of thousands of government workers who have been fired by the Trump administration.
Bonora managed grant programs that focused on preventing damage from natural disasters. She worked for the agency for more than four years, and last summer she was promoted — putting her back in the trial period, without full protections. She worked on projects across several states — including Colorado, Utah, Montana, Wyoming and the Dakotas — to lessen damage from floods, wildfires and droughts. From her interview with NBC News:
"We work on these projects, which may not directly impact you right now, or currently, but could directly impact you at any point in the future. As these projects are not funded anymore and are not done in the future, the public will feel the effects from the increase of natural disasters, and the disasters can impact them in worse ways because of the removal of mitigation efforts. …
I just left all these balls in the air because I was terminated on Monday [Feb. 17], and then told that I was finished with my job on Tuesday, so I didn’t get a chance to really tie up loose ends, to pass my work off to other people, to explain things that I did not complete to other people. …
You have personal ties to what these people are trying to do to help their communities, and it’s not just a project on paper that you’re trying to send money to. We had visited a lot of these projects. We met with the local representatives and heard about why they really need certain projects … You do become personally involved with the work and the people who are really fighting to get the work done."
Read more profiles of federal workers who have been fired by the Trump administration here.
Vance leans hard into Trump’s foreign policy — and sparks an extraordinary Oval Office skirmish
When President Trump was ready to wrap up his Oval Office meeting today with Zelenskyy, he asked for one last question from the reporters gathered in the room. That’s when Vice President JD Vance jumped in instead, offering a statement that steered an already tense discussion into an unexpected, full-blown, high-volume argument for the world to watch.
For the next seven minutes, Vance and Trump exchanged increasingly heated words with their visitor. Vance accused Zelenskyy of being disrespectful in the White House, of not being thankful enough for U.S. assistance, and of embarking on a “propaganda tour.”
Zelenskyy pointedly questioned Vance’s authority on Ukraine, asking if he’d ever been to the country, prompting Vance to reply that he’d “watched and seen the stories.” Then Trump tagged in, coming to his vice president’s defense by demanding that Zelenskyy be more thankful and asserting that the Ukrainian leader was “gambling with World War III.”
Speaker Johnson defends Oval Office meeting today
House Speaker Mike Johnson defended Trump's meeting with Zelenskyy today.
"Only our American President can put these two countries on a path to lasting peace. President Zelenskyy needed to acknowledge that, and accept the extraordinary mineral rights partnership proposal that President Trump put on the table," he wrote in a post on X.
He also said that the Oval Office exchange today was "an American President putting America first."
Dozens of top officials at the Social Security Administration depart their posts
Dozens of senior staff at the Social Security Administration, including associate commissioners and deputy associate commissioners, are leaving their posts, acting Commissioner Leland Dudek wrote in a memo to staff obtained by NBC News.
Dudek also announced that the agency would be restructuring by consolidating 10 regional offices into just four — the Northeast, Southeast, Mid-West/West and Southwest.
"We will continue to review the agency structure and explore additional consolidations and elimination of redundant functions," Dudek added at the end of the memo.
The move comes amid a shake-up affecting dozens of federal agencies and departments as the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency has implemented sweeping reductions in staffing, resulting in mass firings across the federal government.
Administrative costs at the Social Security Administration are determined by annual appropriations from Congress, rather than the mandatory spending for benefits.
Liz Cheney says Trump and Vance 'abandoned all we stand for' in Zelenskyy meeting
Former Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., a prominent Trump critic, said in a statement that Trump and Vance had "abandoned all we stand for," following their Oval Office meeting with Zelenskyy.
"Generations of American patriots, from our revolution onward, have fought for the principles Zelenskyy is risking his life to defend," Cheney said. "But today, Donald Trump and JD Vance attacked Zelenskyy and pressured him to surrender the freedom of his people to the KGB war criminal who invaded Ukraine. History will remember this day— when an American President and Vice President abandoned all we stand for."
Trump referred to Cheney as a "war hawk" on the campaign trail last year, suggesting at an event in November that she would hold different views about battle if she faced war herself.
“She’s a radical war hawk. Let’s put her with a rifle standing there with nine barrels shooting at her,” Trump said at the time. “OK, let’s see how she feels about it. You know when the guns are trained on her face — you know, they’re all war hawks when they’re sitting in Washington in a nice building,” he added.
Ranking Democrat on House Foreign Affairs Committtee blasts Trump for 'temper tantrum' during Zelenskyy meeting
Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee blasted Trump's conduct during his tense White House meeting with Zelenskyy saying in a statement today that Trump had thrown "a temper tantrum in the Oval Office, lashing out at a war-time President fighting for his nation’s survival."
"Trump and Vance’s outburst did nothing to advance America’s interests or being Ukraine closer to a just and sustainable peace,” Meeks said.
“It is not President Zelenskyy who disrespected the United States in the Oval Office. It was Donald Trump-behaving exactly like the two-bit mob boss we’ve known him to be,” he added.
Democratic Party files first lawsuit against second Trump admin
The Democratic Party sued the Trump administration today, alleging that an executive order signed by the president this month violated federal election law.
The suit was filed in Washington by three Democratic committees, including the national committee, the first time the party has filed suit against Trump during his second term.
The lawsuit focuses on Trump's Feb. 18 executive order titled “Ensuring Accountability For All Agencies,” which claims to give the administration more control over independent agencies, including the Federal Election Commission and the Securities and Exchange Commission.
“The Executive Order purports to provide President Trump — the leader of the Republican Party — with the ability to order the FEC to take particular positions on any question of law arising in the Commission’s performance of any of its duties,” the suit read.
The Democratic committees argue that the executive order violates the Federal Election Campaign Act, adding that it is “grounded in the assertion that the provisions of FECA granting the Commissioners the power and duty to exercise independent legal judgment are unconstitutional infringements of the President’s executive power.”
They added, “The assertion is incompatible with nearly a century’s worth of Supreme Court precedent blessing Congress’s authority to insulate certain agencies and officials from day-to-day control by the President.”
Rep. Seth Moulton: 'This is the beginning of the end'
“This is the beginning of the end. Putin starts not only walking all over Ukraine, but walking all over Europe” Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., told Katy Tur on MSNBC in the wake of today's explosive Oval Office meeting between Trump, Vance and Zelenskyy.
Moulton argued that Trump has “completely thrown out American tradition, Republican tradition, everything they’ve run on for decades just to be beholden to Putin.”
“I do think the Trump-Musk vision of the world is one where America retreats, where we just worry about our own backyard,” he added. The congressman also predicted that history could repeat itself. “We tried it in the 1930s, and look what that got us: World War II,” Moulton said.
"We’re due for another big war, that’s the frightening thing,” he said, adding that Trump wants to “cede Europe to Russia, cede Asia to China."
Zelenskyy has expressed his gratitude for the U.S. numerous times following Russia’s 2022 invasion
A look back at Zelenskyy’s many visits to the United States and joint appearances with former President Joe Biden since Russia’s February 2022 invasion show that the Ukrainian leader has frequently thanked America for its support — despite Trump and Vance’s claims to the contrary today.
In 2022, Zelenskyy expressed his gratitude in a March virtual address to Congress, and in December of that year, thanked the American people in a joint press conference with Biden and address before Congress.
Throughout 2023, Zelenskyy continued his praise for the United States, including during a bilateral meeting with Biden in Japan in May and a White House meeting in September when he said, “Thank you for all these 575 days.”
During a Ukraine security deal signing at the G7 summit in Italy in June 2024 with Biden, Zelenskyy said he was “very grateful to all Americans, to everyone in America who strengthens American leadership.”
“We deeply appreciate that Ukraine and America have stood side by side from the very first moment of this terrible Russian invasion,” Zelenskyy said at a meeting with Biden in the White House in September 2024.
Federal workers will likely receive another email asking them to list weekly accomplishments
A second email asking federal workers to send in descriptions of what they accomplished in the past week is slated to go out to hundreds of thousands of employees this weekend, likely on Saturday, according to a source familiar with the plans.
The second email would most likely mirror the email sent to federal workers this past Saturday, which asked employees to send in five bullet points of their accomplishments by 11:59 p.m. this past Monday.
There is also a push underway to make the emails a weekly requirement for most federal workers while also giving some agency heads some discretion on whether to make it mandatory, the source said.
The Washington Post first reported this news.
Hudson Institute cancels event with Zelenskyy scheduled for this afternoon
An afternoon event featuring an interview with Zelenksyy at the Hudson Institute, a policy think tank based in Washington, D.C., has been canceled, according to a spokesperson for the organization.
The announcement came shortly after Zelenskyy left the White House following a public shouting match between the Ukrainian president, Trump and Vance in the Oval Office.
Top House Democrat calls Zelenskyy meeting 'appalling,' says Trump continues 'to embarrass America on the world stage'
After the blowup at the White House this afternoon, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said that "Trump and his administration continue to embarrass America on the world stage.”
He called Trump’s meeting with the Ukrainian president “appalling,” adding that it will “only serve to further embolden Vladimir Putin, a brutal dictator.”
“The United States must not reward Russian aggression and continue to appease Putin,” Jeffries said in a statement. “For three years, President Zelensky and the Ukrainian people have stood on the side of democracy, freedom and truth. Their success is in the national security interests of the United States. We should stand with Ukraine until victory is won.”
Sen. Lindsey Graham calls on Zelenskyy to resign
After Zelenskyy left the White House following a heated exchange with Trump and Vance without signing a deal on rare earth minerals, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told Fox News he doesn’t know if the two leaders can “repair the damage” and resume peace talks.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen next,” Graham said. “I don’t know if you can repair the damage. I don’t know if you can ever do a deal with Zelenskyy anymore.”
Graham added that while he is a “fan” of Zelenskyy, he doesn’t feel good about doing “business” with him, citing this morning’s exchange in the Oval Office, which Graham alleged to be a reflection of the Ukrainian president’s “poor judgment” and “lack of control.”
“He either needs to resign and send somebody over that we can do business with, or he needs to change,” Graham said.
Graham also praised Trump and Vance’s behavior in the bilateral meeting as “standing up for our country,” saying he has “never been more proud” of Trump.
State Department terminates U.S. support of Ukraine energy grid restoration
The State Department this week terminated a U.S. Agency for International Development initiative that has invested hundreds of millions of dollars to help restore Ukraine’s energy grid from attacks by the Russian military, according to two USAID officials working on the agency’s Ukraine mission.
Power outages have been applied overnight in some regions of Ukraine due to the attacks on energy facilities. The country’s systems have sustained near-constant impact throughout the course of the three-year war.
“It significantly undercuts this administration’s abilities to negotiate on the ceasefire, and it’d signal to Russia that we don’t care about Ukraine or our past investments,” one USAID official involved in the Ukraine mission told NBC News.
GOP Rep. Mike Lawler calls Oval Office exchange 'a disaster'
In a lengthy post on X, Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., called today's Oval Office meeting, which devolved into a shouting match between Trump, Vance and Zelenskyy, a "missed opportunity."
He added that "diplomacy is tough and often times there are serious differences of opinion and heated exchanges behind closed doors. Having this spill out into public view was a disaster — especially for Ukraine."
The congressman also named Putin as "the only winner of today."
Lawler is one of the lone GOP lawmakers in the House — joining Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb. — who has spoken critically about the exchange in the Oval Office.
Contrary to Trump and Vance's admonishments, Zelenskyy has thanked the United States — including in a speech before Congress
Zelenskyy thanked the United States repeatedly in his speech before a joint meeting of Congress in December 2022, when he delivered a passionate appeal for more American aid.
“Thank you so much. Thank you so much for that. Thank you. It’s too much for me. All this for our great people. Thank you so much,” Zelenskyy said. “Dear Americans, in all states, cities and communities, all those who value freedom and justice, who cherish it as strongly as we Ukrainians in our cities, in each and every family, I hope my words of respect and gratitude resonate in each American heart.”
During the Ukrainian president’s heated exchange with Trump and Vance at the White House today, the vice president asked Zelenskyy: “Have you ever said thank you once?” Zelenskyy answered that he had done so many times, to which Vance asked whether he had done so yet during their meeting.
Trump added later, “You have to be thankful; you don’t have the cards. You’re buried there.”
After his visit today, Zelenskyy again reiterated his gratitude for the United States — including for Trump.
“Thank you America, thank you for your support, thank you for this visit. Thank you @POTUS, Congress, and the American people,” Zelenskyy wrote on X. “Ukraine needs just and lasting peace, and we are working exactly for that.”
Zelenskyy departed the White House without a deal on rare-earth minerals
A White House spokesperson confirmed to reporters that Zelenskyy departed the White House without signing a deal on rare-earth minerals.
The purpose of Zelenskyy's visit to the White House was originally to sign off on a final deal that would have given the U.S. some control over rare-earth minerals in Ukraine, a deal that White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt described as "very close to the finish line" earlier this week.
GOP Rep. Don Bacon calls Trump-Zelenskyy exchange 'a bad day for America's foreign policy'
Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., told NBC News that the heated Oval Office exchange between Trump, Vance and Zelenskyy was "a bad day for America’s foreign policy."
Bacon is among a handful of Republicans, including Sens. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, who have been vocal in their criticism of the Trump administration’s approach to Ukraine.
"Ukraine wants independence, free markets and rule of law. It wants to be part of the West. Russia hates us and our Western values. We should be clear that we stand for freedom," Bacon added.
The congressman also tweeted earlier: "A reminder: Putin’s rivals always end up murdered. Putin despises the West and our values. We should have 100% moral clarity who this murdering dictator really is."
Democratic lawmakers slam Trump's public blowup with Zelenskyy as a ‘disgrace’
Democratic lawmakers came to Zelenskyy’s defense in statements condemning Trump and Vance’s treatment of the Ukrainian president after the leaders got into a testy exchange during their Oval Office meeting.
“Trump and Vance are doing Putin’s dirty work,” Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., wrote in a post to X. “Senate Democrats will never stop fighting for freedom and democracy.”
Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., called the exchange a “sad scene” and “utter embarrassment for America,” while Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., said it was “a disgrace.” Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, kept his message simple: “Shame. Shame. Shame.”
“That’s what you get for letting Vance in the room,” Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., told NBC News.
On X, Whitehouse wrote that Trump and Vance were “acting like ventriloquist dummies for Putin.”
Rep. Brendan Boyle, D-Pa., wrote on X that it “was a great day for Vladimir Putin. President Trump and VP Vance are the best lackeys he’s ever had.”
In response to Vance asking Zelenskyy if he had ever thanked the United States for aid, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., said the Ukrainian president has thanked “our country over and over again both privately and publicly.”
Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., characterized the spectacle with a post to X that said, “A hero and a coward are meeting in the Oval Office today. And when the meeting is over, the hero will return home to Ukraine.”
GOP lawmakers characterize White House blowup as ‘putting America first’
Shortly after the heated Oval Office exchange in which Trump accused Zelenskyy of “gambling with World War III,” Republican lawmakers characterized the unprecedented interaction as proof of Trump “putting America first” in an outpouring of support on social media.
“Thank you for standing up for OUR COUNTRY and putting America first, President Trump and Vice President Vance!” Senate Foreign Relations Committee member Mike Lee, R-Utah, wrote in a post on X.
Other GOP members were quick to echo the sentiment, including Sen. Rick Scott of Florida, another member of the chamber’s Foreign Relations Committee, who thanked Trump for “standing up for America,” in an X post.
Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, called Trump’s behavior “America first in action,” while Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Texas, said the president exposed the “REAL Zelenskyy.”
"Putting Zelensky in his place while he disrespects the U.S. in the Oval Office is exactly what American leadership should look like," Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., wrote on X after Trump repeatedly raised his voice to speak over Zelenskyy, telling him he is not "thankful" enough for U.S. aid to Ukraine. "This is what We The People want to see!" she wrote.
The X account for Republicans on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, repeating Trump’s false claim in the testy exchange that the only foreign aid the Obama administration provided to Ukraine was bedsheets, posted, “Obama gave sheets and Trump gave Javelins,” in all caps shortly after the bilateral meeting ended.
Zelenskyy departs White House after fiery Oval Office meeting
Zelenskyy has departed the White House early, cutting his White House visit short after a heated exchange with Trump and Vance in the Oval Office.
It's not immediately clear whether Zelenskyy decided to leave early or whether Trump asked for him to depart. A news conference that was scheduled for this afternoon has been canceled.
Analysis: Tense Trump-Zelenskyy exchange sparks uncertainty over next steps for Ukraine
A tense exchange between Trump and Zelenskyy at the White House is drawing attention as Ukraine navigates a critical moment. The meeting, marked by sharp disagreements, was unlike anything seen before among world leaders in Washington.
White House cancels Trump-Zelenskyy joint news conference
White House officials have told reporters that a planned joint news conference between Trump and Zelenskyy that was scheduled for later today has been canceled.
Trump officials react after fiery Oval Office exchange: 'America First happened'
Asked if the shouting match in the Oval Office was an intentional move by Trump and Vance, a senior administration official told NBC News: “Ask Zelenskyy if it was intentional.”
A White House official, when asked for their initial reaction to the meeting, told NBC News, "America First happened."
Trump posts that Zelenskyy 'can come back when he is ready for peace'
In a Truth Social post following a heated exchange between Trump, Vance and Zelenskyy in the Oval Office, Trump called the meeting "meaningful," but added, "I have determined that President Zelenskyy is not ready for Peace if America is involved."
“We had a very meaningful meeting in the White House today. Much was learned that could never be understood without conversation under such fire and pressure," the president wrote in the post. "It’s amazing what comes out through emotion, and I have determined that President Zelenskyy is not ready for Peace if America is involved, because he feels our involvement gives him a big advantage in negotiations."
"I don’t want advantage, I want PEACE," Trump added in the post. "He disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office. He can come back when he is ready for Peace.”
Trump on the possibility of Russia violating a ceasefire: 'What if anything?'
After a lengthy and heated exchange between Trump, Vance and Zelenskyy, a reporter asked the U.S. president, "What if Russia breaks the ceasefire?"
“What if they — what if anything? What if a bomb drops on your head right now?" Trump asked, adding, "OK, what have they broken? I don’t know. They broke it with [former President Joe] Biden, because Biden didn’t respect him. They didn’t respect [former President Barack] Obama. They respect me."
Trump went on, invoking the "witch hunt" and allegations that he colluded with Russia to win the 2016 presidential election.
"Let me tell you, Putin went through a hell of a lot with me. He went through a phony witch hunt where they used him and Russia, Russia, Russia," Trump told reporters in front of Vance and Zelenskyy.
Trump tells Zelenskyy he's 'gambling' with World War III in a heated Oval Office exchange
During a bilateral Oval Office meeting, Trump, Vance and Zelenskyy raised their voices at each other, with the U.S. president and vice president asking Zelenskyy if he's expressed gratitude for U.S. aid and telling him he's "gambling" with World War III.
During the meeting, Vance expressed that "the path to peace and the path to prosperity is maybe engaging in diplomacy," and decried the "pathway of Joe Biden," which he described as "thumping our chest and pretending that" the United States' words matter more than the United States' actions.
"What kind of diplomacy, JD, you are speaking about? What do you mean?" Zelenskyy fired back at Vance after describing the history of Ukraine's relationship with Russia since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014. He also questioned whether the vice president has ever visited Ukraine.
"Mr. President, with respect. I think it’s disrespectful for you to come into the Oval Office and try to litigate this in front of the American media right now," Vance chided Zelenskyy.
Trump chimed in later, telling the Ukrainian president, "You’re in no position to dictate what we’re gonna feel. … You’re, right now, not in a very good position," before raising his voice and telling Zelenskyy, "You're gambling with World War III."
"Have you ever said thank you once?" Vance asked Zelenskyy later, with Trump adding later in the exchange, "You have to be thankful; you don’t have the cards. You’re buried there."
"You’re not acting at all thankful," the U.S. president added.
Ukrainian parliament member: ‘Trump’s illusion that Putin wants peace’ is ‘dangerous’
Discussing her expectations for Zelenskyy’s meeting with Trump today, Kira Rudik, a Ukrainian parliament member, said she thinks the mineral deal could open up security guarantees for Ukraine but warned against “Trump’s illusion that Putin wants peace.”
“We have not seen any, any fact that would support that. The attacks on Kyiv and other cities of Ukraine continue. The attacks at the front line continue,” Rudik said. “We think that it’s a very dangerous illusion that Putin wants peace, and it cannot be a baseline for — for any further peace deal.”
Rudik emphasized that NATO membership is the best way for Ukraine to achieve security guarantees, describing alternatives as more complicated and expensive.
“How is [it that] a nonmember of NATO, an aggressor state, can influence NATO’s decisions?” Rudik said. “We are actually executing on NATO’s main goal to fight against and defend against Soviet Union and Russia, we are doing that by hands, by lives of our best and brightest people.”
Regarding Trump’s previous comments describing Zelenskyy as a “dictator,” Rudik said she hopes that their meeting today will change Trump’s messaging on Ukraine and Zelenskyy as U.S. relations strengthen.
Russian state media outlet Tass removed from Oval Office
Russian state media outlet Tass was removed from the Oval Office after White House staff learned that one of the outlet's staffers was present for a bilateral meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy, a White House official told NBC News.
"TASS was not on the approved list of media for today’s pool. As soon as it came to the attention of press office staff that he was in the Oval, he was escorted out by the Press Secretary," the official said.
USAID contractors urge Supreme Court to force the Trump administration to pay them $2B
U.S. Agency for International Development contractors told the Supreme Court to require the Trump administration to pay out up to $2 billion as ordered to by a federal judge.
The court filing came in response to an emergency application from the Justice Department asking the justices to prevent the payments, with administration officials saying they're not in a position to make them.
Lawyers for the contractors said the Supreme Court has no jurisdiction to get involved at such an early stage in the litigation. They also argued that the Trump administration has for almost two weeks "openly flouted" a temporary restraining order issued by the lower court judge.
Chief Justice John Roberts on Wednesday night temporarily blocked the judge's ruling so that the court has more time to consider the issue. The justices could act on the case as soon as this afternoon.
Zelenskyy met with a bipartisan Senate delegation ahead of Trump meeting
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he met with a bipartisan group of senators ahead of his meeting with Trump in a post on X.
Their discussions focused on topics including military assistance to Ukraine, his meeting with Trump, Zelenskyy’s vision for ending the Russia-Ukraine war and obtaining security guarantees, Zelenskyy wrote. It is expected that a key part of Zelenskyy’s meeting with Trump will be a potential deal with the U.S. on Ukraine’s rare-earth minerals.
“We take pride in having strategic partners and friends like the United States,” Zelenskyy said. “We are grateful for the unwavering bicameral and bipartisan support for Ukraine throughout all three years of Russia’s full-scale aggression.”
Russian state media outlet Tass is covering ongoing Oval Office meeting
Tass, a Russian state media outlet, has been allowed into the Oval Office to shoot the bilateral meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy.
A reporter from Reuters confirmed in a post on X that while Tass was let into the meeting, the wire services Reuters and AP have been excluded from covering it.
Second appeals court maintains hold on Trump's birthright citizenship order
The 4th Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia, rejected the Trump administration’s appeal of a Maryland federal judge’s order that blocked the president’s executive order ending birthright citizenship nationwide.
In the order, the appeals court said it has joined the 9th Circuit in “finding that the government has not made a ‘strong showing’ that it is ‘likely to succeed on the merits’ of its argument against universal injunctions.” Last week, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in Seattle also maintained an injunction against Trump’s birthright order.
“For well over a century, the federal government has recognized the birthright citizenship of children born in this country to undocumented or non-permanent immigrants, a practice that was unchallenged until last month,” the order from the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals read.
The court added, “The government has not shown that it will be harmed in any meaningful way if it continues to comply, for the pendency of its appeal, with that settled interpretation of the law.”
This is at least the fifth federal court that has blocked Trump's order on birthright citizenship since he signed it.
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy arrives at the White House
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy just arrived at the White House.
As Trump shook hands with Zelenskyy and greeted him, he told reporters, “he’s all dressed up” but didn’t respond to shouted questions.
Rep. Stansbury says federal workers are facing ‘illegal and abusive’ treatment as Trump tries to shrink the workforce
Rep. Melanie Stansbury, D-N.M., ranking member of the DOGE subcommittee, expressed doubt that a recent judicial ruling ordering the Office of Personnel Management to rescind a memo directing the mass firing of federal workers will prevent DOGE from pushing forward.
“We’ve seen that Donald Trump does not abide by the law,” Stansbury said. “I think it’s been very clear since Day 1 that this administration is breaking administrative law, it’s breaking constitutional separation of powers, is breaking statutory laws, breaking appropriations law, and is breaking personnel laws.”
Judge William Alsup ruled yesterday that the directions from the Office of Personnel Management are “illegal” and “should be stopped.” Alsup determined that the office “does not have any authority whatsoever under any statute in the history of the universe, to hire and fire employees within another agency.”
The ruling does not reinstate dismissed employees.
Stansbury advised federal employees who are considering resigning to talk to their union, a lawyer and their representative to seek support.
“I want our federal workers to know that Democrats are fighting for them, that we stand with them, and that they have rights,” Stansbury said. “But we need our federal civil service, so stay strong. We’ve got your backs, and the retaliation and abuse that you’re enduring right now is illegal and abusive, and we’re not going to stand for it.”
Hegseth instructs civilian Defense employees to send Musk their workweek accomplishments
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is reversing course and instructing Defense Department civilians to respond to the next DOGE email asking for five things they accomplished at work last week, according to a statement obtained by NBC News. They are now instructed to send their bullet points to their immediate supervisors.
“I am directing each member of the Department’s civilian workforce to provide five bullets on what they accomplished in their specific jobs last week to their immediate supervisors,” the statement from Hegseth says.
It’s not clear what the supervisors will do with the information they receive from employees.
In a statement, Hegseth wrote: “All DoD civilians will receive an email outlining the next steps to be taken to comply with this initiative. These reports will be consolidated internally within the Department to comply with the OPM directive.”
Last weekend, when the first five points email went out from Musk, the DoD released a statement telling people to pause on replying.
“The Department of Defense is responsible for reviewing the performance of its personnel and it will conduct any review in accordance with its own procedures. When and if required, the Department will coordinate responses to the email you have received from OPM. For now, please pause any response to the OPM email titled 'What did you do last week,’” that statement read.
Trump expected to sign an executive order making English the official language of the U.S.
Trump is expected to sign an executive order aimed at making English the official language of the U.S., according to a White House official.
It would be the first time the U.S. would have one.
China vows to take ‘all necessary countermeasures’ against new U.S. tariff
Reporting from Hong Kong
China said it would take “all necessary countermeasures” after Trump said he would impose an additional 10% tariff on Chinese goods starting next Tuesday.
“If the U.S. persists in its actions, China will take all necessary countermeasures to defend its legitimate rights and interests,” a spokesperson for the Commerce Ministry said today.
The ministry used stronger language than it did when the first 10% tariff took effect on Feb. 4, saying at the time that it would take “corresponding countermeasures.” Beijing responded by announcing its own targeted 10% tariff on some U.S. products, including coal, liquefied natural gas, crude oil and agricultural machinery.
China has repeatedly said “there are no winners in a trade war” and that the U.S. tariffs are in violation of World Trade Organization rules.
Trump said the new China tariff would go into effect along with 25% tariffs on goods imported from Canada and Mexico, citing the international flow of fentanyl and other drugs.
China says it has worked with the U.S. to combat its deadly fentanyl crisis but that the U.S. also needs to address its domestic demand, and accused the U.S. of using fentanyl as an “excuse” to impose tariffs.
“This behavior is merely ‘shifting the blame,’ which does not help solve its own problems,” the Commerce Ministry spokesperson said, “and will only increase the burden on U.S. businesses and consumers, while destabilizing global supply chains.”
House Democrats join legal fight against Trump’s efforts to dismantle consumer protection agency
House Democratic leaders are getting directly involved in one of the legal battles against the Trump administration, filing an amicus brief in support of a lawsuit seeking to block the dismantling of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
In the brief, which was shared first with NBC News, top Democrats argue that Trump’s attempt to shutter the CFPB creates significant and irreparable harm to consumers, violates the law and undermines the separation of powers enshrined in the Constitution.
“Defendants’ stop-work order will have severe consequences for the American people. The CFPB has been a resounding success,” the lawmakers wrote in the brief, which was filed in U.S. District Court in Washington.
So far, more than 175 House Democrats have signed on to the brief.
Trump endorses 'clean' spending bill through September
Trump endorsed a "clean" spending bill maintaining current levels through September in a post on his Truth Social account last night.
"As usual, Sleepy Joe Biden left us a total MESS. The Budget from last YEAR is still not done. We are working very hard with the House and Senate to pass a clean, temporary government funding Bill (“CR”) to the end of September. Let’s get it done!" he wrote.
Congress has to pass a government funding bill by March 14 to prevent a government shutdown.
The president's message comes as negotiations over spending legislation have stalled on Capitol Hill because of divisions over Trump and Elon Musk's efforts to dismantle government agencies.
Republicans consider major budget change to obscure deficit impact of extending Trump’s tax cuts
WASHINGTON — Republicans are considering a far-reaching change to the budget process that would obscure the deficit impact of extending Trump’s multitrillion-dollar tax cuts in order to avoid paying for them.
It comes as part of a massive bill to advance Trump’s agenda that Republicans are seeking to pass on a party-line basis. If the tactic is successful, it would upend long-standing precedent and change the accounting process for current and future lawmakers, with major policy stakes.
Congressional GOP aides say the idea could have a huge impact on what they’re able to pass in the budget bill. If they use the current accounting process, they have no chance of making the 2017 tax cuts permanent, because that would require paying for it. And this process would also be key to unlocking Trump’s other tax proposals, like slashing taxes on tips and overtime pay.
It’s a tacit admission that Republican leaders have no expectation of paying for the cost of their tax agenda.
Ahead of Trump-Zelenskyy meeting, British PM backs minerals deal
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer told NBC News' Lester Holt yesterday that he sees the "value" in Trump's seeking to secure a rare-earth minerals deal with Ukraine.
"I can see very clearly the argument that President Trump makes in relation to minerals," Starmer said. "I can also see the validity of his point when he says that if there is a deal on minerals, then the U.S. has economic interests in Ukraine, which, if you like, form at least one element of any security agreement because that in its own right is an important aspect."
Starmer joined Holt for an interview after he visited the White House to meet with Trump yesterday, when he reaffirmed his support for Zelenskyy and cautioned Trump against negotiating a peace deal that favors Russia.
Vance to speak at National Catholic Prayer Breakfast
Vice President JD Vance will speak at the 20th annual National Catholic Prayer Breakfast this morning at the Washington Convention Center.
It will be Vance's second consecutive appearance at the event.
“I am honored to be able to address the 20th annual National Catholic Prayer Breakfast and represent the New Administration, and our support for people of faith across the United States," Vance said in a statement. "Last year, I was moved to witness the joyful devotion of over a thousand Catholics praying for the future and success of our country. Thanks to their faithful prayers, hope has returned to America again."
Vance will speak as Pope Francis, 88, continues to be treated for double pneumonia at Rome's Gemelli hospital.
The Vatican said yesterday that the pope's condition is improving, though "further days of clinical stability are needed to dissolve the prognosis."
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has sued the Trump administration for halting federal funds allocated to it for refugee resettlement programs.
Trump to host Zelenskyy at the White House
Trump will host Zelenskyy at the White House today for their first meeting since the United States began direct negotiations with Russia to secure an agreement that would end the yearslong war in Ukraine.
Zelenskyy’s visit is expected to focus in large part on a potential U.S.-Ukraine deal on the European country’s rare-earth minerals, which are used to make a variety of tech products.
Trump previewed the visit during a gathering of his Cabinet members Wednesday, signaling the two countries had made progress on an agreement that would grant the United States a significant ownership stake in Ukraine’s rare-earth minerals as a form of repayment for Washington’s continued support of Kyiv since Russia invaded in February 2022.
“We’re going to be signing an agreement, which will be a very big agreement,” Trump said.