What to know today
- LEADERS MEET AT G7: President Donald Trump is attending the Group of Seven summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, where he formalized tariff cuts on British goods while the two countries seek a broader trade deal. But the White House said Trump will be making an early exit so that he can focus on the conflict in the Middle East.
- IRAN-ISRAEL CONFLICT: A White House official told NBC News earlier today that Trump would not sign any potential G7 joint statement urging a de-escalation of the conflict between Israel and Iran.
- NBC NEWS POLL: A majority of U.S. adults disapprove of Trump's handling of the presidency so far in his second term, except on the issue of immigration, a new NBC News Decision Desk poll has found. The vast majority of respondents said they want Trump to abide by court orders.
Senate Republicans release Trump agenda bill text on Medicaid, Medicare and SALT
Reporting from Washington
Republicans on the Senate Finance Committee released their part of the massive bill for Trump’s domestic agenda today, with some significant changes compared with the House-passed package.
The 549-page bill would extend the expiring Trump tax cuts, and it includes provisions to slash taxes on tips and overtime pay.
It includes a slew of Medicaid spending cuts and new rules, including work requirements that would kick in at the end of 2026, as in the House bill. It also includes policies to force more frequent checks on eligibility and tougher screenings to prove lawful immigration status for people to keep their coverage.
In a major challenge to House Republicans, the Senate bill would cap federal deductions for state and local taxes at $10,000 per tax filer, preserving the status quo on “SALT.”
Trump and European Commission president talk trade at G7 summit
Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had a meeting this afternoon on the sidelines of the G7 summit as the United States and the E.U. hold trade negotiations.
The White House said the meeting took place at von der Leyen's request.
She later posted a photo of her alongside Trump, saying they discussed “critical issues, from Ukraine to trade.”
“On trade, we instructed the teams to accelerate their work to strike a good and fair deal,” von der Leyen wrote. “Let’s get it done.”
NAACP says Trump won't be invited to annual convention
The NAACP announced today that Trump will not be invited to it national convention next month. It said it is the first time in its 116 years that the sitting president has not been invited.
“This has nothing to do with political party,” NAACP President Derrick Johnson said in a statement. “Our mission is to advance civil rights, and the current president has made clear that his mission is to eliminate civil rights.”
The NAACP has sharply criticized Trump’s actions and sued the administration.
The White House responded by blasting the NAACP.
“The NAACP isn’t advancing anything but hate and division, while the President is focused on uniting our country, improving our economy, securing our borders, and establishing peace across the globe. This is the same vision for America that a record number of Black Americans supported in the resounding reelection of President Trump," White House spokesperson Harrison Fields said in a statement.
Trump and U.K.'s Starmer sign agreement lowering some tariffs amid trade negotiations
Trump and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced this afternoon progress on trade between the two countries amid negotiations for a broader trade deal.
“We just signed it, and it’s done," Trump told reporters at the G7 summit before he mistakenly called it a "trade agreement" with the European Union.
"It's a fair deal for both," he added alongside Starmer.
The agreement formally adjusts some tariffs to terms the parties announced last month. The agreement does not immediately eliminate steel tariffs, as the two leaders agreed in May, so imports of U.K. steel will still carry a 25% duty.
“This now implements on car tariffs and aerospace,” Starmer told reporters.
“This is a very good day for both of our countries,” he added.
As Trump opened a folder containing the agreement to show reporters, several pages fell to the ground.
"It'll produce a lot of jobs, a lot of income, and we have other — many, many other ones coming. But you see, the, the level of enthusiasm is very good, but the relationship that we have is fantastic," he said.
Trump won't sign any potential G7 statement urging Israel-Iran conflict de-escalation
A White House official told NBC News that Trump will not sign any potential G7 joint statement urging a de-escalation of conflict between Israel and Iran.
“Under the strong leadership of President Trump, the United States is back to leading the effort to restore peace around the world. President Trump will continue to work towards ensuring Iran cannot obtain a nuclear weapon,” the White House official said.
The potential of a draft statement was first reported by CBS News.
Speaker Johnson postpones trip to Israel
House Speaker Mike Johnson has postponed his trip to Israel this upcoming weekend, his spokesperson confirmed to NBC News.
Johnson, R-La., was scheduled to address the Knesset in Jerusalem on Sunday. The trip had been announced before Israel launched an attack on Iran, prompting Iran to retaliate. The two countries have been locked in attacks for days.
“Due to the complex situation currently unfolding in Iran and Israel, Speaker Ohana and I have made the decision to postpone the special session of the Knesset,” Johnson said, referring to Amir Ohana, the speaker of the Knesset. “We look forward to rescheduling the address in the near future and send our prayers to the people of Israel and the Middle East.”
Poll: RFK Jr.’s food agenda finds appeal across partisan lines, but vaccines are a different story
New polling about Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and elements of his policy agenda shows how his “Make America Healthy Again” push doesn’t break down along the same neat partisan lines as some other issues, creating some political vulnerability and some opportunity.
A significant majority of U.S. adults support using vaccines to prevent diseases, including majorities of Republicans, Democrats and independents, according to the NBC News Decision Desk Poll powered by SurveyMonkey. And the share of people who believe vaccines are most to blame for chronic health issues is small, two dynamics that are at odds with Kennedy’s repeated efforts to cast doubt on the safety and efficacy of vaccines.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission member says Trump fired him
Christopher Hanson, who had been a commissioner at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, said on LinkedIn today that Trump fired him last week.
“Late on Friday, President Trump terminated my position with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission without cause, contrary to existing law and longstanding precedent regarding removal of independent agency appointees," Hanson wrote.
Hanson, who was appointed by President Joe Biden, said that over the last five years he had been focused on preparing "the agency for anticipated change in the energy sector, while preserving the independence, integrity, and bipartisan nature of the world’s gold standard nuclear safety institution."
Asked for comment today, White House press aide Anna Kelly said: “All organizations are more effective when leaders are rowing in the same direction. President Trump reserves the right to remove employees within his own Executive Branch who exert his executive authority.”
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Supreme Court granted a request from the Trump administration last month that allowed Trump to fire members of two independent federal agencies.
Trump emphasizes ICE should focus on large U.S. cities
Trump told reporters that he wants Immigration and Customs Enforcement to target major cities, singling out New York, Los Angeles and Chicago for criticism, when he was asked about his Truth Social post last night, which noted that those cities are major Democratic power centers.
"I want them to focus on the cities, because the cities are where you really have what's called sanctuary cities, and that's where the people are," Trump said during a brief bilateral meeting with the Canadian prime minister.
The term "sanctuary cities" refers to urban areas that limit law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
Trump claims Iran has signaled it wants to de-escalate conflict with Israel
Trump told reporters during his meeting with Carney that Iranian officials have indicated they want to talk about de-escalating the conflict with Israel.
"They’d like to talk, but they should have done that before," Trump said when he was asked about any communication from Tehran. "I had 60 days, and they had 60 days. On the 61st day, I said we don’t have a deal," he said, referring to negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program.
"They have to make a deal, and it’s painful for both parties," he continued. "But I’d say Iran is not winning this war, and they should talk, and they should talk immediately, before it’s too late."
Trump says it was a 'big mistake' for Russia to have been kicked out of then-G8
Trump told reporters that it was a "big mistake" for Russia to have been kicked out of what was then the G8 after it invaded Crimea.
Trump has previously criticized Russia's removal from the group of leading industrialized nations.
Standing alongside Carney, Trump said he did not believe there would have been a war between Russia and Ukraine if Russia were still part of the group.
"You spend so much time talking about Russia and he’s no longer at the table, so it makes life more complicated," Trump said.
Trump and Canadian prime minister kick off meeting
Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney have begun their bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G7, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters waiting to be allowed into a public portion of the meeting.
The two men previously met at the White House in May. During that meeting, Carney emphasized that his country would never be for sale, a comment made in light of Trump's frequent musings about wanting Canada to become the 51st state.
Tensions between the two historic allies are also high because of the U.S.' tariffs on goods imported from Canada.
Trump, in reversal, may exempt farms and hotels from immigration raids
Trump said on social media Thursday that he is willing to exempt the agriculture and hotel industries from his nationwide immigration crackdown. The surprise move came after executives in both industries complained to Trump about losing reliable, longtime immigrant workers in immigration raids and struggling to replace them.
“Our great Farmers and people in the Hotel and Leisure business have been stating that our very aggressive policy on immigration is taking very good, long time workers away from them, with those jobs being almost impossible to replace,” Trump wrote.
Supreme Court orders reconsideration of religious objection to N.Y. abortion care requirement
The Supreme Court ordered a lower court to take a second look at a religious challenge to a New York state requirement that employers provide health care plans that include abortion coverage.
The justices said the case should be reviewed again in light of their ruling last week that Wisconsin had unlawfully denied charitable groups associated with the Catholic Church from a state tax.
Poll: Americans overwhelmingly want Trump to obey court rulings, but MAGA Republicans are split
The vast majority of American adults believe the Trump administration must comply with federal court orders, though the president’s strongest supporters are split over the issue, according to a new NBC News Decision Desk Poll powered by SurveyMonkey.
In the poll, 81% of U.S. adults say that if a federal court rules that an administration action is illegal, then the administration has to follow its ruling, while 19% say the administration can ignore the ruling and continue its action.
How Trump went from opposing Israel’s strikes on Iran to reluctant support
Trump had opposed Israeli military action against Iran, favoring negotiations over bombing. But in the days before the strikes began, he became convinced that Israel’s heightened anxiety over Iran’s nuclear enrichment capabilities was warranted.
After a pivotal briefing from the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, on Israel’s plans and U.S. options for supporting its operation, he gave tacit approval to Israel to have at it and decided to provide limited U.S. backing.
Sen. Rand Paul says he’s ‘not an absolute no’ on Trump's agenda bill
Sen. Rand Paul, a leading Republican critic of the sweeping Trump agenda bill, said during an interview on NBC News’ “Meet the Press” that he told the president that he is “not an absolute no” on the package.
“I talked to the president last evening after the parade, and we’re trying to get to a better place in our conversations,” Paul, R-Ky., said. “And I’ve let him know that I’m not an absolute no.”
“I don’t have as much trouble with the tax cuts. I think there should be more spending cuts, but if they want my vote, they’ll have to negotiate,” Paul said, noting he did not want to vote to raise the debt ceiling by trillions of dollars.
Trump to meet with Carney ahead of first G7 sessions
Trump will kick off the first full day of his trip to Canada with a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, which comes amid heightened tensions over trade and the president referring to Canada as the 51st state. The two leaders previously met when Carney visited the White House in May.
The president then heads into G7 sessions, which are taking place in Alberta, Canada, near Calgary. World leaders are gathering for the annual conference, where they will discuss top international issues.
The G7 is composed of the U.S., Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan, but leaders from a handful of other countries, including Ukraine, will attend this week’s meeting, as well.
Trump anticipating 'a few new trade deals' at G7 summit
Trump said yesterday that he anticipates announcing new trade deals at the summit, suggesting to reporters ahead of his departure to Canada that it's just a matter of sending letters laying out the framework of the economic agreements.
"Look, we have our trade deals. All we have to do is send a letter [saying] 'this is what you're going to have to pay,'" Trump said. "But I think we’ll have a few, few new trade deals."
In addition to the Group of Seven nations and the European Union, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney also extended invitations to this year's gathering to several allied countries, including Ukraine, Mexico, South Africa, India and Australia.
Aside from the United Kingdom, Trump has yet to announce a trade deal with any of the countries attending the summit, some of whom have responded to his heightened tariffs with retaliatory penalties of their own.
Poll: Americans disapprove of Trump’s performance, as Republicans manage splits over spending plans
Trump’s second-term approval rating remains stuck in negative territory, along with general attitudes toward his administration’s policies, according to a new NBC News Decision Desk Poll powered by SurveyMonkey.
But immigration and border security remains an exception, as the president tries to drive national attention back toward his strongest issue — though Americans are closely divided even on that area of relative strength.