What to know today
- President Donald Trump signed executive orders on immigration enforcement, sanctuary cities and English proficiency for truck drivers. The White House has been focusing on border issues to mark the first 100 days of Trump’s second term.
- New polling at the 100-day mark shows Trump's approval ratings in the low-to-mid-40s and indicates he is losing ground on his handling of the economy.
- The NFL's Philadelphia Eagles visited the White House this afternoon in celebration of their super Bowl victory, though quarterback Jalen Hurts did not join them. During the event, Trump took a dig at prominent Kansas City Chiefs fan Taylor swift.
Republicans consider unraveling a key part of Obamacare in Trump agenda bill
Reporting from Washington
Top Republicans are considering rolling back a major piece of the Affordable Care Act in their massive bill for Trump’s agenda, exploring savings by slashing how much money the federal government spends to cover the 2010 law’s expansion of Medicaid.
Rep. Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., the chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, made the case for it today as Congress returned from a two-week recess, saying Medicaid spending is growing at an unsustainable rate.
“We have an expansion population that gets 90% federal money, and you have traditional [Medicaid], so a disabled child in Kentucky gets 72 cents when they go to the doctor. And we know that’s just unsustainable,” Guthrie said. “We want to fix that so everybody gets coverage. so I think it’s going to be a really responsible response.”
Guthrie’s committee is tasked with finding $880 billion in savings, a target that can’t be met without cutting Medicaid or Medicare, according to Congress’ nonpartisan budget scorekeeper.
‘Absolutely outraged’: Former cyber official targeted by Trump speaks out after U.s. cuts to digital defense
Chris Krebs, the former government cybersecurity leader whom President Donald Trump targeted for investigation for affirming the integrity of the 2020 election, said he was “outraged” today at the administration’s gutting of cyber personnel.
The comments are the first Krebs has made in public since Trump directed the Justice Department to take action against him.
Getting applause from a generally reserved crowd of industry professionals at the RsA Conference in san Francisco, a cybersecurity conference, Krebs criticized the second Trump administration for its repeated cuts to cybersecurity employees, contractors and programs.
“Cybersecurity is national security. We all know that, right? That’s why we’re here. That’s why we get up every morning and do our jobs. We are protecting everyone out there,” he said. “And right now, to see what’s happening to the cyber security community inside the federal government, we should be outraged. Absolutely outraged.”
First to NBC News: Trump’s federal force reduction effort faces new legal challenge
More than a dozen labor unions, nonprofit groups and cities and counties have joined a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s sweeping push to shrink the federal government.
The lawsuit, filed today, argues that Trump’s executive order establishing the Department of Government Efficiency violates the separation of powers under the Constitution.
The coalition of plaintiffs was organized by Democracy Forward, a progressive legal organization that has led various legal challenges to Trump’s agenda.
“The nonpartisan federal workforce — which works for all Americans — has been at the mercy of the lawlessness of the Trump-Musk agenda for nearly 100 days," said skye Perryman, the president and CEO of Democracy Forward. "The impact of the reckless decisions that have been made in an attempt to unlawfully reorganize the federal government without Congress and is being felt in communities across our nation, in red states and blue states.”
The plaintiffs include the American Federation of Government Employees and four AFGE local chapters, the American Federation of state County and Municipal Employees, the service Employees International Union, the Center for Taxpayer Rights and VoteVets. They also include the city and county of san Francisco, as well as the cities of Chicago and Baltimore.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment tonight.
House passes bipartisan bill to combat explicit deepfakes, sending it to Trump to sign into law
The House passed a bipartisan bill tonight aimed at combating deepfake pornography, tackling a sensitive issue that has become a growing problem amid advances in artificial intelligence.
Trump is expected to sign the measure, which sailed through the House in a 409-2 vote, into law.
The “Take it Down Act” would criminalize publishing nonconsensual, sexually explicit images and videos — including those generated by AI — and require platforms to remove the content within 48 hours of notice. The senate passed the legislation by unanimous consent earlier this year.
Trump signs orders on immigration, law enforcement and English proficiency
Trump signed executive orders this evening related to law enforcement, immigration and English proficiency for truck drivers.
The law enforcement order focuses on state and local police forces and directs the attorney general to “prioritize the prosecution” of government officials who “willfully and unlawfully direct the obstruction of criminal law, including by directly and unlawfully prohibiting law enforcement officers from carrying out duties necessary for public safety and law enforcement,” or engage in DEI initiatives.
The FBI last week arrested Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan, who is accused of obstructing the detention of an undocumented immigrant.
The immigration order directs the attorney general to “identify sanctuary jurisdictions” and take steps to withhold federal funding from such places.
The third order mandates English proficiency for truck drivers and directs the transportation secretary to rescind June 2016 guidance that removed a requirement to place commercial vehicle drivers out of service if they violated existing rules mandating proficiency in English. Transportation secretary sean Duffy is directed to rescind the guidance within 60 days and issue new guidance that would place those drivers out of service.
Trump signed an executive order last month that made English the official language of the United states for the first time in the country’s history.
Trump vowed to end the Ukraine war in 24 hours, but the conflict still rages
Trump pledged to end the war in Ukraine within his first 24 hours in office. But nearly 100 days into his second term, the conflict between Moscow and Kyiv grinds on.
Russian forces continue to batter Ukraine, devastating civilian areas. Ukrainian troops have mustered a resistance against the odds, though President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is on edge as his resources grow perilously thin. Meanwhile, Trump has suggested a deal is in the works while also expressing skepticism that any agreement will be reached soon.
“We have the confines of a deal, I believe,” Trump told reporters yesterday, saying he wanted Russian President Vladimir Putin to “sign it and be done with it and just go back to life.”
Trump has lately shifted blame back and forth between the two leaders, lashing out at Zelenskyy for “prolonging” the “killing field” and then blasting Putin for complicating negotiations with strikes on Ukraine late last week that were “very bad timing.”
A swing-state mayoral race is about to test what’s next for Democrats
Reporting from Pittsburgh
A key battle over the future of the Democratic Party is playing out in a mayoral race in one of the most populous cities of Pennsylvania, the biggest swing state.
In Pittsburgh, Mayor Ed Gainey, who was first elected in 2021 amid a wave of post-pandemic, post-George Floyd progressive energy, faces a substantial Democratic primary challenge from Corey O’Connor, the Alleghany County controller and son of a former mayor. At its core, the race is a test case for the future of Democratic leadership in big cities on everything from crime and safety to combating the Trump administration to how the party prioritizes diversity and inclusion in the coming years.
The May 20 election is one of the first major off-year Democratic primaries in which the party’s progressive and center-left wings are facing off before voters — and the first in a key swing state. The race follows an election cycle in which Democratic governance of cities coming out of Covid was front and center to Republican campaigns, too.
Trump pokes fun at Taylor swift during Philadelphia Eagles celebration at White House
Trump welcomed the Philadelphia Eagles to the White House this afternoon to celebrate their victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in the super Bowl — and took a dig at the Chiefs' highest-profile fan.
"I was there. I watched in person. I was there along with Taylor swift. How did that work out?" he said to laughs from the crowd of Philly fans. "How did that one work out?"
swift, who's dating the Chiefs' Travis Kelce, had endorsed Kamala Harris for president last year. Her endorsement came weeks after Trump shared an AI-generated image of swift with text reading "Taylor wants YOU to vote for Donald Trump."
Mike Johnson says he is 'very bullish' on midterms, 'not worried at all' about Trump’s poll numbers
House speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said he is “not worried at all” when he was asked about Republicans’ ability to keep their majority in the House next year as Trump's approval rating is below 50% in polls marking his 100th day in office.
“No, I’m not worried at all. I just had a great meeting with the president at the White House, and he’s in good spirits, and we are, as well," Johnson told reporters. "Richard Hudson, who’s the chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, was with me, and we talked about the upcoming races, the midterm elections, and we’re very bullish on it."
“He issued a first round of some endorsements today," Johnson said of Trump. "There’ll be more coming out of our incumbent House members who deserve to be re-elected, and we are playing offense.”
He said that the next few weeks are “critical” and that “big developments are, will be coming together” on a sweeping budget reconciliation measure designed to advance Trump's agenda.
senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-s.D., estimated the House could wrap up its role in the process by Memorial Day but said the senate “probably takes a bit longer than that.”
Thune told reporters that the senate’s hard deadline is “movable at the moment,” and he said “we’ll see” when he was asked about finishing by the August congressional recess.
Canadians head to the polls in pivotal election
Voters in Canada are casting ballots today as they elect a new government.
Canadians will vote for members of Parliament in their electoral districts, and the leader of the party with the most seats will become prime minister. The front-runners for prime minister are Conservative Party candidate Pierre Poilievre and Liberal Party candidate Mark Carney.
The earliest polls close at 7 p.m. ET, with the latest ones closing three hours later.
Trump's tariffs on Canadian imports have elicited a forceful response from leaders like Carney, who has been serving as prime minister after Justin Trudeau decided to step down in January amid political turmoil. Trump posted about the election this morning on Truth social, saying Canada should become the 51st state, adding it would have zero U.s. tariffs if it did so.
Federal judge presses DOJ lawyer for justification of executive order targeting a law firm
A federal judge pressed a Justice Department lawyer about one of Trump’s executive orders targeting the law firm of Jenner & Block, joining the list of judges who have been highly skeptical of the Justice Department’s arguments that the orders pass constitutional muster.
U.s. District Judge John Bates of Washington, D.C., heard arguments from Michael Attanasio of Cooley LLP, who was arguing for Jenner & Block, along with Deputy Associate Attorney General Richard Lawson.
Bates previously issued a temporary restraining order restricting the government from enforcing parts of the executive order, and today's arguments surrounded Jenner’s motion for a permanent injunction and the government’s motion to dismiss Jenner’s lawsuit. Bates indicated he would rule soon.
Attanasio told Bates that the executive order threatens not only Jenner & Block but the legal system overall because it affects the constitutional rights of law firms to take on clients, and he said the threats to the rule of law have only escalated since the suit was filed. Trump’s executive order cites Jenner’s past employment of former Mueller prosecutor Andrew Weissman.
Lawson, who was in court last week defending two other executive orders targeting Perkins Coie and Wilmer Hale, repeatedly faced tough questions from Bates, who said the executive order was intended to create a burden on Jenner & Block.
Bates asked Lawson whether it was the administration’s position that any decisions about clearances were unreviewable by the court. Lawson paused and then said, “I think the answer is yes.” Bates then asked whether the administration believed the president could issue an executive order ordering a review of security clearances for all Muslims, all Democrats or all graduates of Harvard.
Lawson said that would be different because there was “such a large group.”
“Is that how the Constitution works?” Bates asked.
Asked about the order’s banning Jenner employees from government buildings and the fact that the federal government owns federal court buildings, Lawson referred to the order’s claim that the firm engages in racial discrimination because it uses race-based targets in hiring.
“Oh, give me a break,” Bates replied.
House Democrat introduces seven articles of impeachment against Trump
Rep. shri Thanedar, D-Mich., announced today that he introduced articles of impeachment against Trump. Among the charges are "abuse of trade powers and international aggression" and "violation of First Amendment rights."
Thanedar wrote in a statement that “Congress must act” against the “unfit” president.
“Donald Trump has repeatedly demonstrated that he is unfit to serve as President and represents a clear and present danger to our nation’s constitution and our democracy," Thanedar said. “His unlawful actions have subverted the justice system, violated the separation of powers, and placed personal power and self-interest above public service. We cannot wait for more damage to be done. Congress must act.”
The articles are not likely to get votes in the House and the senate, and Thanedar has not indicated whether he will force a vote.
Eagles quarterback Hurts not attending White House visit
The super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles will be honored at the White House today, but quarterback Jalen Hurts won't be there, a White House official confirmed to NBC News.
The White House said Hurts and others who aren't attending had "scheduling conflicts."
Hurts made headlines at the Time100 Gala last week when he declined to answer whether he would visit the White House.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement that the “Eagles enthusiastically accepted the invitation from the White House to attend today’s event. The vast majority of the team is coming, and those who cannot attend had scheduling conflicts.”
The Eagles were invited to the White House to celebrate a super Bowl victory during Trump's first term in 2018, but he wound up scrapping the event, complaining that "only a small number of players decided to come."
Trump says U.s.-Iran nuclear deal is ‘going to happen’
After a third round of talks in Oman over the weekend to put controls on Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for lifting sanctions, Iranian officials and Trump are sounding optimistic. The Iranian foreign minister said the talks were “more serious” than before, while Trump expressed confidence about reaching an agreement. “I think a deal is going to be made,” he said. NBC News’ Richard Engel reports for "TODAY."
Rep. shri Thanedar draws a Democratic primary challenge as the left seeks to flex its muscle in Michigan
A two-term Michigan state representative backed by the progressive group Justice Democrats is launching a primary challenge against Rep. shri Thanedar today, setting the stage for a significant fight over the Detroit-area House seat.
The race will also serve as another proxy fight over the war in Gaza as Thanedar, previously a critic of the Israeli government in the Legislature, renounced his membership in the Democratic socialists of America after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack, saying the DsA did not offer adequate condemnation of it. Earlier in 2023, Thanedar took a trip to Israel sponsored by a group affiliated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.
Josh Gottheimer uses AI in anti-Trump ad for the New Jersey governor’s race
Democratic Rep. Josh Gottheimer argues in his first TV ad of the New Jersey governor’s race that he is ready to fight Trump — and he’s using artificial intelligence to make his case.
Gottheimer, who is in his fifth term, portrays himself as a boxer in the ad, shared first with NBC News, which uses AI to show him sparring with Trump in a boxing ring. The spot appears to be one of the first TV ads in a major race to lean significantly on AI.
Trump’s approval rating falls as immigration crackdown escalates
As new poll numbers show that the majority of Americans disapprove of how Trump is handling immigration, his administration is defending new deportations of families involving children who are reportedly U.s. citizens. Last week, a 4-year-old with a rare form of cancer was sent to Honduras with his mother, and immigration advocates say he now doesn’t have access to his medication. NBC’s Gabe Gutierrez reports for “TODAY.”
Top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee to step down amid cancer treatment
The top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, Rep. Gerry Connolly of Virginia, said today he will be stepping down from his leadership role and retiring from public service to focus on his cancer treatment.
Connolly, who announced his esophageal cancer diagnosis last November, said in a letter to his constituents this morning the disease has returned despite "grueling treatments."
"The sun is setting on my time in public service, and this will be my last term in Congress," Connolly said in the letter. "I will be stepping back as Ranking Member of the Oversight Committee soon."
Connolly thanked his constituents and his family for their support, saying "your outpouring of love and support has given me strength in my fights — both against cancer and in our collective defense of democracy."
"With no rancor and a full heart, I move into this final chapter full of pride in what we’ve accomplished together over 30 years. My loving family and staff sustain me. My extended family — you all have been a joy to serve," Connolly said.
Philadelphia Eagles set to visit the White House to celebrate super Bowl victory
The Philadelphia Eagles are scheduled to visit the White House today in celebration of their super Bowl victory in February.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said earlier this month that the team had "enthusiastically" accepted an invitation to visit the White House, with an Eagles spokesperson later confirming the team's plans to attend.
saquon Barkley, a running back for the Eagles, flew with Trump yesterday on Air Force One from Morristown, New Jersey, which is near Trump's Bedminster golf club, to Washington, D.C.
It is unclear, however, if all members of the championship-winning team will attend.
Quarterback Jalen Hurts dodged a question last week about whether he will participate.
The super Bowl MVP was asked directly at a Time magazine event Thursday, video of which is available on its X page, if he would be going to the White House and opted not to answer.
“Umm,” Hurts replied. several seconds of silence followed before the reporter said, “Got it, thank you,” and Hurts walked away.
The Eagles were invited to the Trump White House in 2018 after the franchise's first super Bowl victory, according to NBC sports Philadelphia. However, some of the Eagles team members chose not to visit, which Politico highlighted at the time.
That 2018 invitation was rescinded, NBC sports Philadelphia said, "after what then-White House press secretary sarah Huckabee sanders called a 'political stunt' by the team."
Trump says news outlets 'should be investigated' for polls on his approval rating
The president took to his social media platform this morning to blast polls showing his approval rating falling, calling them "fake" and saying they should be "investigated."
Trump claimed on Truth social that a poll by The New York Times and one by ABC News, The Washington Post and Ipsos did not survey enough of his voters, although he did not provide evidence for the claim.
"These people should be investigated for ELECTION FRAUD, and add in the FoxNews Pollster while you’re at it. They are Negative Criminals," Trump said, also calling them "the enemy of the people."
Trump has railed over poor poll numbers before, but he has become more aggressive in combating them. In December, as the president-elect, he filed suit against Ann selzer, her polling firm, The Des Moines Register and the newspaper’s parent company, Gannett, accusing them of consumer fraud for a poll that had shown Kamala Harris with a narrow lead in the presidential race in Iowa.
Trump wound up winning the state by double digits.
Trump claims Zelenskyy is ready to give up Crimea in potential boost to Ukraine peace talks
Trump has said he believes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is prepared to give up his claim to Crimea as part of a ceasefire deal to bring an end to Russia’s three-year war in Ukraine.
When asked if he thought the Ukrainian president was ready to cede the peninsula, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014, Trump replied, “I think so.” If Zelenskyy were to agree, it would mark a major shift Ukraine’s stance on giving up land for peace.
Homan blames parents of U.s. citizen children who were deported
Questioned by a reporter on the three U.s. citizen children who were deported, Homan blamed their parents, saying, "You put your family in that position."
“I’d said from day one that if you enter this country illegally, it’s a crime,” Homan said at a news briefing this morning. “Knowing you’re in this country illegally, you put yourself in that position. You put your family in that position.”
Homan said the administration placed three U.s. children, all under the age of 10, on deportation flights at the request of their mothers. An attorney representing the families said one of the children is receiving treatment for cancer and was deported without his medication.
“What we did is remove children with their mothers who requested the children depart with them,” Homan said. “This is a parental decision… the mothers made that choice." A federal judge called that claim, which DHs also made, into question.
“The Government contends that this is all okay because the mother wishes that the child be deported with her,” U.s. District Judge Terry Doughty wrote. “But the Court doesn’t know that.”
Pressed on whether he is concerned the administration is deporting citizens without due process, Homan claimed “they weren’t deported" and that the administration is “keeping families together.”
Poll: Young Americans are more likely to feel lonely, anxious about the future
Younger Americans, particularly those in Gen Z, tend to describe themselves as feeling lonelier and more anxious about the future than their elders, according to findings in the new NBC News stay Tuned Poll, powered by surveyMonkey.
Twenty-nine percent of U.s. adults under age 30 say they feel lonely or isolated from those around them all of the time or most of the time. similarly, 26% of the next oldest generation, or those ages 30-44, say they feel lonely or isolated all or most of the time.
Leavitt dodges on whether administration would arrest high-level judges
Asked if the Trump administration would arrest federal judges or supreme Court justices who do not comply with its immigration agenda, Leavitt said anyone who is "obstructing federal law enforcement from doing their jobs" is at risk of being prosecuted.
Last week, the FBI arrested a county judge in Milwaukee it alleges interfered in a federal immigration operation.
"Anyone who is breaking the law or obstructing federal law enforcement officials from doing their jobs is putting ourselves at risk of being prosecuted. Absolutely," Leavitt said.
Leavitt did not provide a direct answer on whether the administration will target higher-level judges, saying "that’s a hypothetical question."
senate memo alleges Elon Musk has avoided $2B+ in legal liabilities through DOGE influence
The senate Permanent subcommittee on Investigations alleges Elon Musk could avoid at least $2.37 billion in potential legal financial liability because of his influence over government agencies and federal workforce cuts through the administration's Department of Government Efficiency.
The 44-page memo alleges that with “sweeping access to America’s confidential and sensitive data” through DOGE, “Mr. Musk and his companies stand to gain a competitive advantage unrivaled by the worst insider trading.”
“The through line connecting many of Mr. Musk’s decisions appears to be self-enrichment and avoiding what he perceives as obstacles to advancing his interests," the memo alleges. "Mr. Musk’s position may allow him to evade oversight, derail investigations, and make litigation disappear whenever he so chooses—on his terms and at his command.”
As of Trump's inauguration, Musk and his companies were subject to at least 65 actual or potential actions by 11 different federal agencies, the memo says.
sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., the subcommittee's ranking member, sent letters to the five companies owned by Musk — spaceX, Tesla, Neuralink, The Boring Company and xAI — facing oversight action by the federal government, asking each to provide information on all federal investigations, litigation or regulatory proceedings; a detailed explanation of measures taken to prevent Musk’s work from affecting those matters; and all nonpublic agency information concerning those matters that may have been given to Musk or the company.
“By depleting and downsizing oversight bodies through widespread firings, funding cuts, and disruptive directives, DOGE may enable Mr. Musk’s companies to avoid legal accountability," Blumenthal writes.
Musk's companies and a representative for DOGE did not immediately respond to NBC News' request for comment on the memo.
White House Communications Director stephen Cheung said in a statement that Musk "has never used his position for personal or financial gain, and any assertion otherwise is completely false and defamatory." Referring to Blumenthal, he added, "Dick is clearly suffering from a debilitating and uncurable case of Trump Derangement syndrome that has wilted his brain to the point that he’ll continue to peddle lies like he has with his fabricated service record in Vietnam.”
The memo says Musk's alleged $2.37 billion potential financial exposure from federal investigations and litigation spans several agencies, including issues such as alleged racial harassment at Tesla’s factory in Fremont, California; alleged discriminatory hiring practices by spaceX; alleged false or misleading statements about autopilot and self driving features and alleged failure to disclose solar panel risks to shareholders by Tesla; and alleged misleading statements about product rusks and Animal Welfare Act violations by Neuralink.
The memo calls on Trump, executive departments and regulatory agencies to take “coordinated action to address Elon Musk’s threat to the integrity of federal governance,” including responding to Congressional requests related to Musk’s “federal entanglements," directing all relevant agencies to review contracts and communications with Musk’s to determine whether appropriate measures were or are are in place to prevent undue influence, and initiating independent audits of all major government contracts and awards to Musk’s companies.
“No one individual, no matter how prominent or wealthy, is above the law,” the memo concludes. “Anything less than decisive, immediate, and collective action risks America becoming a bystander to the surrender to modern oligarchy — public power in private hands.”
Hegseth is 'going to get it together,' Trump says
Asked about Defense secretary Pete Hegseth and the recent turmoil at the Pentagon, Trump told The Atlantic, "I think he's going to get it together."
"I had a talk with him, a positive talk, but I had a talk with him,” Trump told the magazine, which was the outlet that revealed Hegseth shared details of a U.s. military operation in Yemen in a group chat on signal with high-ranking administration officials.
Atlantic Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg has said he appeared to have been added to the chat by Trump’s national security adviser, Michael Waltz. Trump told the magazine Waltz was "fine."
Asked what he told his staff after the controversy, Trump said, “Maybe don’t use signal, OK?”
Trump will sign an executive order targeting sanctuary cities today
Trump will sign two executive orders related to immigration today, the White House said.
The first is related to immigration enforcement. The second will direct the attorney general and homeland security secretary to publish a list of the sanctuary cities the administration says “obstruct the enforcement of federal immigration laws,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said.
The order comes days after a federal judge in California blocked Trump’s bid to withhold federal funding from sanctuary cities, which offer protections for undocumented immigrations and limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
Leavitt was joined by Trump border czar Tom Homan at a news briefing this morning that focused largely on Trump’s second-term immigration agenda.
Trump on possible mistaken deportations: 'Nothing will ever be perfect'
In an interview with The Atlantic, the president shrugged off concerns about whether his efforts to deport undocumented immigrants without due process could lead to legal residents or American citizens getting deported.
“Let me tell you that nothing will ever be perfect in this world,” Trump said.
Asked in the interview if he had concerns about his administration having already mistakenly deported people, Trump said, “You know, I’m not involved in that. I have many people, many layers of people that do that.”
“I would say they are all extremely tough, dangerous people. I would say that. And, don’t forget, they came in the country illegally,” he said.
NBC News stay Tuned Poll: 45% approve of Trump’s job performance
A new poll from NBC News and stay Tuned shows warning signs for Trump as he nears 100 days in office. NBC News’ Aaron Gilchrist and steve Kornacki break down the numbers.
Trump traveled little in his first 100 days, preferring to spend time at Mar-a-Lago
Trump enacted massive tariffs April 2 that plunged the stock market into disarray, threatened a trade war and shook consumer confidence.
As the nation reeled, Trump left the White House for the weekend — not to drum up support for the policies around the country, but to travel to Mar-a-Lago.
Then he hit the links.
Young independents grapple with frustration over the two-party system
Amid political polarization across the country and lack of faith in the two-party system to solve people’s problems, a large number of younger Americans say they have abandoned both the national Republican and Democratic parties.
The new NBC News stay Tuned Poll, powered by surveyMonkey, asked 19,682 American adults about the current state of U.s. politics as Trump approaches his first 100 days in office. The results show 64% of independents have an unfavorable opinion of the Democratic Party and 71% have an unfavorable opinion of the Republican Party. Those high unfavorable numbers were about the same among Gen Z independents, too.
No 'recent' Trump-Xi phone call, Chinese Foreign Ministry says
Reporting from Hong Kong
Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping have not spoken recently, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said, contradicting comments by Trump.
The world’s two largest economies are entangled in a growing trade dispute stemming from Trump’s taxes on imported goods, which have soared to 145% in the case of China. Beijing, which has imposed a 125% tariff on American imports, has also disputed Trump’s claims that the two countries have begun negotiations over the issue.
The president, who often mentions his strong relationship with Xi, said in an interview with Time magazine published last week that the Chinese leader had called him, “and I don’t think that’s a sign of weakness on his behalf.” He did not say when the call took place.
The last phone call between the two leaders that was publicly acknowledged by both countries was Jan. 17, before Trump was inaugurated.
“As far as I know, there has been no recent phone call between the two heads of state,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said at a regular briefing in Beijing today. “I would like to reiterate that China and the United states are not engaged in consultations or negotiations on the tariff issue.”
White House lines driveway with dozens of posters of alleged criminal migrants
Dozens of large posters with photographs of migrants the White House claims to have been arrested for various crimes now line the White House driveway that leads to the West Wing.
The posters, each with a large photo of a migrant with a caption noting the crime the White House alleges they committed, come as the Trump administration highlights its border policies as a key accomplishment of Trump’s first 100 days in office.
Trump will hit the milestone tomorrow, and the White House is returning to Trump’s campaign trail promise of strict border security measures and mass deportations as the cornerstone of its 100-day week.
Trump's border czar, Tom Homan, will join White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt at a news briefing this morning, while Trump is expected to sign executive orders focused on “restoring law and order and securing the homeland” this afternoon, the White House said.
The posters mark a popular live shot location for reporters who cover the White House and thus may appear in the background of a number of news spots throughout the week.
GOP lawmaker faces heckles and boos at contentious New York town hall
Rep. Mike Lawler, R-NY, framed himself as a moderate Republican willing to work with Democrats and criticize the Trump administration as necessary, while also defending the administration's agenda and officials during a volatile town hall in West Nyack, New York.
"I’ve been rated the fourth most bipartisan member of Congress. I’ve also been rated the most effective freshman member of the 118 Congress," Lawler said. "so, to those of you who feel that you’re not being represented, the fact is that I have been doing the job effectively on behalf of our district."
The crowd at the event, which consisted only of residents of New York's 17th Congressional District, in return consistently heckled the freshman lawmaker throughout the nearly 90-minute event, urging him to more aggressively push back against several of Trump's agenda items.
Attendees at the town hall asked Lawler about Trump’s deportation policies, particularly his administration’s recent decision to remove a Honduran native and her 2-year-old American child, and salvadoran native Kilmar Abrego Garcia.
Lawler responded by calling on the administration to abide by federal court orders, including a ruling ordering it to “facilitate” the return of Abrego Garcia to the United states. If not, Lawler said the administration could face contempt charges.
“What you will have if the administration does not facilitate the return of both either a U.s. citizen or in the case of Mr. Abrego Garcia, you will have the courts take significant action holding numerous people in contempt and that, and that will happen if they do not abide by the court ruling,” Lawler said.
Lawler received several questions from attendees who are worried about slashes to benefits through budget reconciliation.
"When it comes to Medicaid, I’ve been very clear. I am not cutting benefits for any eligible recipient period," he said, though the crowd continued to push him on the subject.
Asked about Defense secretary Pete Hegseth's reported use of signal, Lawler said the use of the platform "to communicate any classified or sensitive information is wrong," before going on to defend the former Fox host.
"The question to me is on the actual military preparedness and readiness, okay. And thus far, on the operations that the military has conducted under secretary Hegseth, those operations themselves have gone well," Lawler said.
5 policy issues Republicans are clashing over in a massive bill for Trump’s agenda
Congress returns from recess today for a four-week dash to Memorial Day, during which Republican leaders hope to resolve critical questions about their sweeping bill to pass Trump’s agenda.
The GOP is aiming to craft legislation that includes trillions of dollars in tax cuts, hundreds of billions of dollars in new spending for immigration enforcement and the military, and a debt limit hike of up to $5 trillion.
First, Republicans will have to address a series of intraparty divisions to steer a bill through the House, where they have a slim majority. Then, they’ll have to navigate arcane budget rules to get it through the senate, where Democrats will seek to disqualify certain provisions from the legislation.
speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said he expects the committees to roll out their slices of the package in the next four weeks, telling Fox News last week that the House is “pushing it very aggressively” to “get it done by Memorial Day.”
What the polls say about Trump’s presidency at 100 days
As Trump hits the 100-day mark of his presidency, a spate of new polling shows significant warning signs on signature issues such as the economy and cutting the size of government.
Trump is earning slightly higher marks than at this point in his first term, and his overall standing is boosted by a coalescing of Republicans behind their president. But Trump’s low- to mid-40s approval ratings are also far from the type of honeymoon ratings Americans gave his predecessors.
He has also lost ground on the economy, with more voters expressing displeasure with his handling of inflation and with his sweeping push for global tariffs, which have roiled the stock market and scrambled global alliances. And while immigration remains Trump’s strongest issue in most surveys, several recent polls have found his public support slipping.