What to know today
- President Donald Trump announced today that he plans to nominate Dr. Casey Means to be the next surgeon general. The announcement comes after his initial pick, Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, faced scrutiny from Trump ally Laura Loomer.
- Trump swore in former Sen. David Perdue, R-Ga., as his ambassador to China as the administration prepares to meet with Chinese officials about trade and economic matters.
- Vice President JD Vance said at a security conference in Washington this morning that the Trump administration thinks Russia is asking for too much in talks to end the war in Ukraine.
- Joe Biden called Trump's dealings with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the war in Ukraine "modern-day appeasement" in his first interview since he left office.
Chief Justice John Roberts defends independent judiciary as Trump officials criticize courts
Chief Justice John Roberts stressed the importance of an independent judiciary today in remarks delivered at a time when Trump administration officials are frequently criticizing courts that have blocked their policies.
Roberts, speaking at a public event in Buffalo, New York, said an independent judiciary is a key feature of the U.S. constitutional system that had not existed in other countries when it was founded.
“In our Constitution ... the judiciary is a co-equal branch of government, separate from the others, with the authority to interpret the Constitution as law and strike down, obviously, acts of Congress or acts of the president,” he said.
“And that innovation doesn’t work if ... the judiciary is not independent,” he added. “Its job is to, obviously, decide cases but, in the course of that, check the excesses of Congress or the executive, and that does require a degree of independence.”
‘Nice to have options’: Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene thinking about Senate or Georgia governor's race this weekend
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., said today that she is considering running for the Senate or governor of Georgia.
Greene told reporters that with regard to the Senate race — in which the Republican nominee will face off against Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff — she will be “thinking it over and talking with my family this weekend,” adding that she also has “the opportunity to consider the governor’s race.”
“So, it’s really nice to have options, and I’ll make a decision based on where I think I can be most effective,” she said.
Republicans, who are wary of Greene, have been looking for a backup after Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said he wouldn't make a bid for a Senate seat in the battleground state, which many Republicans see as crucial for expanding their three-seat majority next year.
Greene rebuffed those who doubt her chances of winning a general election.
“Yeah, they said the same thing about Donald Trump when he ran in 2016 and they said the same thing about him in 2024," Greene said in response to a reporter’s question about skeptics who have suggested her chances wouldn't endure beyond the primary.
Greene was first elected to the House in 2020.
DOJ says $4M ‘grant’ is funding El Salvador prison detentions as judge uses Trump’s words to undermine its argument
A federal judge questioned a Justice Department attorney this evening over whether Trump was telling the truth when he said he could secure the release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia from the Terrorism Confinement Center, or CECOT, facility in El Salvador.
Chief U.S. District Judge James Boasberg of Washington, D.C., used Trump’s own words, as well as statements from White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, to chip away at the Trump administration’s contention that those incarcerated in CECOT were not in the constructive custody of the United States.
Trump said last week that he “could” have Garcia returned to the United States with a phone call, while Leavitt said the United States was paying El Salvador “approximately $6 million” to keep the men, and Noem said CECOT was “one of the tools in our tool kit” that the United States could use.
“Is the president not telling the truth, or could he secure the release of Mr. Abrego Garcia?” Boasberg asked Deputy Assistant Attorney General Abhishek Kambli, who was representing the Trump administration today.
“Was the president telling the truth” when he said he could pick up the phone and secure the release of Garcia or not? Boasberg asked.
Kambli responded, “That goes towards the president’s belief about influence he has.”
For the first time under oath, Boasberg was able to get information about the agreement — or lack thereof — between the United States and El Salvador regarding CECOT.
Boasberg asked the government about a $4.76 million grant, dated March 22, that was described as being for law enforcement needs related to the 238 alleged Tren de Aragua members recently deported to El Salvador.
Kambli confirmed that “grants were made” that “can be used for detention of these individuals.”
Boasberg said the plaintiffs had “a lot of facts in your favor” in arguing that the United States had what is called “constructive custody” of the men — which the Trump administration has argued in and out of court it does not have.
Boasberg has ordered the Trump administration to provide sworn declarations from administration officials by Friday about regarding who exactly has custody of the people at CECOT.
Boasberg has ordered attorneys from the American Civil Liberties Union who, along with the nonprofit legal group Democracy Forward, are representing the plaintiffs, to review the information and to decide by Monday whether to request discovery — and if so, exactly what questions, depositions and documents they are requesting.
Boasberg will then decide what to order the Trump administration to produce, if necessary.
Judge blocks Asian migrants' deportation flight to Libya
A federal judge granted a temporary restraining order preventing migrants from being sent to Libya or any other third country after immigration attorneys filed an emergency motion today.
The United States reportedly plans to send a group of migrants to Libya as early as this week.
A U.S. military aircraft is expected to transport the migrants who are from the Philippines, Vietnam and Laos, among other countries, the motion said.
The plaintiffs are being set for removal “without any reasonable fear screening, let alone a fifteen-day window to file a motion to reopen with the immigration court to contest any negative reasonable fear determination,” according to the motion, which was filed in U.S District Court in Massachusetts.
DHS official says no arrests were made during visits to D.C.-area restaurants
A Department of Homeland Security official told NBC News that no arrests were made after agents visited a series of Washington, D.C.-area restaurants yesterday.
Multiple sources told NBC News yesterday that people identifying themselves as Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents visited restaurants across Washington. The agents had, in some cases, issued “Notice of Inspection” documents indicating that DHS agents would return in the coming days to obtain the I-9 documentation.
In response to NBC News' noting that no court-approved warrants were given to the restaurants to obtain employee-eligibility verification documents, the official suggested that the initial visits were “not enforcement operations” but visits to inquire about I-9 documentation.
Asked whether the restaurants were targeted for specific reasons, the DHS official responded: “These are not randomly conducted. It’s a case-by-case basis. To act like this was haphazard is uninformed.”
DHS has not provided information about why those specific eateries were targeted, and no allegations of illegal hirings have been levied against the.
The restaurants DHS targeted included eateries owned by José Andrés and the husband of CBS News’ Norah O’Donnell, as well as the bag shop founded by Jeff Zients, the former chief of staff to President Joe Biden.
The official indicated that the department will increase similar workplace operations.
“You should anticipate ramp-ups in workplace operations,” the official said. “We’re going to be enforcing the law. If you hire individuals who are in this country legally, all is good and things will be seamless. If you’re hiring people who are illegally and exploiting them, you’re going to have problems.”
Trump plans to nominate Dr. Casey Means for surgeon general
Trump announced on social media today that he plans to nominate Dr. Casey Means for surgeon general.
"Casey has impeccable 'MAHA' credentials, and will work closely with our wonderful Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., to ensure a successful implementation of our Agenda in order to reverse the Chronic Disease Epidemic, and ensure Great Health, in the future, for ALL Americans," Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Trump, who had nominated Dr. Janette Nesheiwat for the post, said in his post that Kennedy "looks forward to working with Dr. Janette Nesheiwat in another capacity at HHS."
Treasury Secretary Bessent defends Trump's comments about children having fewer dolls
In an interview on Fox News yesterday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent defended Trump's comment at a Cabinet meeting last week that "maybe the children will have two dolls instead of 30 dolls" because of his tariffs.
Bessent said a reporter had asked Trump what he would say to the children who will have fewer dolls, a question Bessent told Fox News he would answer.
"I would tell that young girl that you will have a better life than your parents. That you and your family, thanks to President Trump, can now be confident again that you will have a better life than your parents, which working-class Americans had abandoned that idea," Bessent said.
"Your family will own a home, you will be able to advance, you will have a good education, you will have economic freedom. That's what we are advancing," he added.
Trump himself defended the comment about dolls in an interview that aired Sunday on NBC News' "Meet the Press."
"I don’t think that a beautiful baby girl needs — that’s 11 years old — needs to have 30 dolls. I think they can have three dolls or four dolls," he told moderator Kristen Welker.
"I’m just saying they don’t need to have 30 dolls. They can have three. They don’t need to have 250 pencils. They can have five," he added later in the interview.
Sen. Thom Tillis 'couldn’t care less' about GOP criticism of his opposition to Ed Martin’s nomination
Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., told reporters today that he “couldn’t care less” about criticism he faces for announcing his opposition to Ed Martin’s nomination to be U.S. attorney for Washington, D.C.
“I couldn’t care less. Look, these people out there are looking for 100% down the line. I can’t waste my time on people like that if I’m just one disagreement with the administration with the hundreds of transactions we have to deal with,” he said.
Fox News host Laura Ingraham criticized Tillis on X yesterday in response to his opposition to Martin’s nomination.
“North Carolina isn’t being well-served," Ingraham wrote, adding that Tillis "has always been a Trump-hating, open borders, pro-perpetual war GOP nightmare."
Tillis rebuffed Ingraham's criticism in comments to reporters today.
“I’m not going to waste my time on people like Ingraham,” Tillis said. “Why should I care? Or anybody like that?”
Asked whether he’s concerned that the criticism could fuel a primary from the right in his re-election bid next year, Tillis said, "People should just pay attention to the relationship I have with the president versus all this speculation."
"We’ll see where that ends up. I feel like I’m as comfortable with my relationship today as I was yesterday,” he added.
Trump says he's not open to pulling back tariffs on China
At the swearing-in ceremony for David Perdue as the U.S. ambassador to China, Trump simply said "no" when he was asked whether he's open to pulling back tariffs on China to get it to the negotiating table.
He was also asked whether he’ll exempt some products that families rely on, such as baby car seats, from the tariffs on China.
“I don’t know. I’ll think about it,” he said about the possible exemptions.
Trump added that he's not looking to have many exemptions and that he wants to “make it very simple.”
GOP candidate for Virginia governor launches first TV ad
Virginia GOP Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears launched the first TV ad of her campaign for governor, emphasizing her background as she looks to succeed term-limited Gov. Glenn Youngkin.
The 60-second spot only briefly emphasizes Earle-Sears' work with Youngkin, flashing an image of them together. The ad largely focuses on her life story as the daughter of a Jamaican immigrant and a Marine veteran.
"I'm not a typical politician, and I never will be," she says in the ad.
The Earle-Sears campaign placed a $347,000 ad buy on Virginia broadcast and cable networks, which began yesterday and will run through May 20.
Earle-Sears is set to face former Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger in the fall, as both were the only candidates from their respective parties to qualify for the ballot.
Virginia and New Jersey are the only two states with governor's races this year, and both races are expected to be competitive.
Trump says he's 'not happy' with Russia-Ukraine negotiations
Trump said this afternoon that he is "not happy" with the status of talks between Russia and Ukraine to end their war.
Trump was responding to a White House reporter's question about Vice President JD Vance's remarks this morning at a global security conference in Washington.
Vance said Russia is "asking for too much" in talks to bring the conflict with Ukraine to an end.
Trump said that was "possible," adding, "But we are getting to a point where some decisions are going to have to be made."
"I’m not happy about it. I’m not happy about it," he said of the talks.
Vance said this morning that Trump was prepared to walk away from negotiations if he felt Russia and Ukraine are not making enough progress.
Former Sen. David Perdue is sworn in as ambassador to China
Former Sen. David Perdue, R-Ga., has been sworn in as the U.S. ambassador to China. Trump praised Perdue ahead of his taking the oath as an "exceptional man."
"Now I’m entrusting David to help manage one of America’s most complex and consequential foreign relationships, and I know he’ll do a fantastic job," Trump said.
Perdue told Trump he was "glad to be your man in China."
Republican Jefferson Griffin concedes N.C. Supreme Court race after months of legal battles
Republican Jefferson Griffin conceded the North Carolina Supreme Court race today to Democratic incumbent Allison Riggs, ending the last unresolved contest from the 2024 election, which dragged on for months after a barrage of lawsuits.
A federal judge ruled against Griffin’s legal challenge to tens of thousands of ballots Monday and ordered the State Board of Elections to certify Riggs’ 734-vote victory.
Federal Reserve expected to keep interest rates steady as tariffs take effect
The Federal Reserve was expected to leave interest rates unchanged today as it continued to assess the impact of Trump’s tariffs.
But it still faces the prospect of worsening inflation, even as Trump pressures monetary policymakers at the Fed to cut rates to buoy the economy.
Georgetown professor says Republican push to investigate antisemitism is aimed at censoring free speech
A witnesses at a House Education Committee hearing on antisemitism this morning criticized the premise of the hearing in his opening remarks, saying the event reflected a broader effort to "chill speech."
Georgetown professor David Cole, a former director at the American Civil Liberties Union, told the committee that the Republican-led Congress' efforts to investigate speech on college campuses that lawmakers claim is antisemitic was akin to censorship.
“While such speech obviously causes deep harm, the greater danger is giving government officials the power to censor speech by labeling it antisemitic, racist or sexist,” Cole said. “These proceedings, with all due respect, have more in common with those of the House un-American Activities Committee."
“They are not an attempt to find out what happened, but an attempt to chill speech,” Cole said.
The hearing this morning is the latest in a series aimed at investigating antisemitism on university campuses across the country after higher education institutions became the site of protests last year over the Israel-Hamas war.
The Trump administration has axed federal funding for a number of universities, including Harvard and Columbia, that it says had not complied with the administration’s demands on fighting antisemitism on campus.
Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval to face Cory Bowman, JD Vance’s half brother, this fall
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval will face Cory Bowman, the half brother of Vice President JD Vance, this fall after the pair were the top two vote-getters in Tuesday’s primary.
Pureval placed a dominant first in the nonpartisan three-way contest, in which third-place finisher Republican Brian Frank was eliminated. Under the rules of the southwest Ohio city’s nonpartisan primaries, only the top two primary finishers advance to the November general election.
Treasury secretary recounts top committee Democrat's dancing skills at hearing
Rep. Maxine Waters' questioning of Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent during a House Financial Services Committee hearing this morning started off electric — but not in the contentious sense.
The California Democrat suggested at the top of her remarks that it was the first time she and Bessent had met, but the treasury secretary corrected her, noting the two had met "one New Year's Eve in the Bahamas."
"Why don't I remember that?" Waters asked as people laughed.
"Well, you were much better at the electric slide than I was," Bessent quipped.
Waters, the ranking member of the committee, then noted that her husband, Sidney Williams, previously served as the U.S. ambassador to the Bahamas.
Vance says Russia is 'asking for too much' in negotiations over resolving the conflict in Ukraine
Vice President JD Vance said in remarks this morning that the Trump administration believes Russia is requesting too much in talks to bring the conflict with Ukraine to an end.
"Right now, the Russians are asking for a certain set of requirements, a certain set of concessions, in order to end the conflict. We think they’re asking for too much," Vance said at a Munich Leaders Meeting on international security policy in Washington, D.C.
The vice president, who was involved in an Oval Office blow-up with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in late February, said the administration is continuing discussions with Ukraine on what it needs to bring the conflict to an end.
"What the president has said is that he will walk away if he thinks he’s not making progress" in talks with the two countries, Vance said.
The vice president said that the next big step the U.S. would like to see is for there to be direct talks between Russia and Ukraine.
"Obviously, the United States is happy to participate in those conversations, but it’s very important for the Russians and the Ukrainians to start talking to one another," he said.
Vance added that he thinks it would be "probably impossible" for the U.S. to mediate the talks entirely, without at least some direct discussions between Russia and Ukraine to try to close the "gulf" in what the two countries are demanding.
Trump administration has shut down CDC’s infection control committee
The Trump administration has terminated a federal advisory committee that issued guidance about preventing the spread of infections in health care facilities.
The Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC) crafted national standards for hand-washing, mask-wearing and isolating sick patients that most U.S. hospitals follow.
Trump officials to testify to Congress about the administration's budget request
Trump administration officials are set to testify at multiple congressional hearings today on the president's budget request, a symbolic blueprint that outlines his spending priorities, as well as other issues.
The hearings include the following:
- 10 a.m. ET: Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins will testify about the administration's fiscal 2026 budget request before separate House Appropriations subcommittees.
- 10 a.m.: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will testify about the state of the international financial system before the House Financial Services Committee.
- 2 p.m.: FBI Director Kash Patel will testify about the 2026 budget request before a House Appropriations subcommittee.
- 2 p.m.: Acting Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Cameron Hamilton will testify at an oversight hearing before a House Appropriations subcommittee.
Melania Trump to host unveiling of stamp honoring Barbara Bush
First lady Melania Trump will host an unveiling of a new postage stamp honoring the late former first lady Barbara Bush, the White House announced.
Neither former President George W. Bush, who is Barbara Bush's son, nor former first lady Laura Bush is expected to attend. Trump also is not expected to participate.
Doro Bush, the daughter of Barbara Bush and President George H.W. Bush, is expected to attend the unveiling, as are other family members and friends of the late first lady, the White House said.
Salt Lake City approves 3 new flags to get around Utah’s ban on pride flags
Salt Lake City adopted three new city flags yesterday, an effort to circumvent a new Utah law that effectively banned flying LGBTQ pride and other flags at public buildings in the state.
Mayor Erin Mendenhall, a Democrat, presented the proposal to the City Council, which adopted it at its meeting last night. It incorporates the city’s flag into designs celebrating Juneteenth, LGBTQ rights and trans rights.
DNC Chair Ken Martin bashes tariffs and touts Democratic-led town halls
Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin slammed the Trump administration's tariff policies in an interview on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe," arguing that if "you put a tax on goods, the people who buy those goods are going to pay more."
Republicans were trying to obfuscate reality on the issue, Martin said. He noted that Democrats were engaging in town halls to address the concerns of constituents about the economy, while Republicans were refraining from such public events.
Republican lawmakers have been advised against in-person town halls after numerous confrontations by angry attendees gained attention. But GOP leaders have accused Democratic activists of aiming to disrupt the events.
Republican-led town halls were canceled "because they don't want Americans to know what's actually happening out there right now," Martin said in the interview.
Supreme Court allows Trump to implement transgender military ban as litigation continues
The Supreme Court yesterday allowed Trump to implement his ban on transgender people serving in the military.
The justices granted an emergency request from the Trump administration to lift a nationwide injunction blocking the policy while litigation continues. The court’s brief order noted that the three liberal justices dissented.
Democrat Raja Krishnamoorthi launches Illinois Senate campaign, joining a growing field
Reporting from Washington
Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi is launching a campaign for the Senate in Illinois, jumping into a growing Democratic primary field for a coveted seat in the solidly blue state.
He joins Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton and Democratic Rep. Robin Kelly in the race for a seat being vacated by Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin, 80, who is retiring after more than four decades in Congress. Other Democrats are also weighing running.
Krishnamoorthi, 51, who was first elected to the House in 2016, represents a Democratic-leaning district near Chicago. He said he’ll hit the campaign trail Friday to make stops in Peoria, Chicago and Schaumburg.
His launch video includes fierce criticisms of Trump, calling him a “convicted felon” who has tapped “billionaires like Elon Musk” to exploit Americans to boost their own “egos and personal profit.” He makes light of his “funny name,” comparing it to that of former President Barack Obama, whom he once worked for, and encourages voters to simply call him “Raja.”
Republicans search for a backup plan in crucial Georgia Senate race
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp’s decision to pass on a Senate bid has top Republican officials now scrambling to find a backup plan and avoid a divisive primary — or, at the very least, one divisive candidate.
There are growing concerns in Georgia GOP circles that if Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene becomes the Republican nominee to take on Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff, she could hurt the party’s chances to flip the seat, given her divisive reputation and rhetoric, seven GOP sources familiar with the matter told NBC News. Republicans view the battleground race as a key opportunity to expand their three-seat majority next year.
While a Kemp run would have essentially ended the primary, numerous potential candidates — including Greene — are now considering campaigns, setting up a potentially contentious nominating contest.
Biden slams Trump for ‘foolish’ appeasement of Putin
Former President Joe Biden has accused the Trump administration of “modern-day appeasement” in its dealings with Russia’s Vladimir Putin and of risking the transatlantic alliance that has prevented a world war for 80 years.
In his first interview since leaving office in January, Biden told BBC Radio 4’s “Today” program that it was “foolish” to think that Putin would be satisfied by permanently gaining the territory his forces seized after the 2022 invasion, which Trump and senior officials have said may be necessary to secure a peace deal.