Live updates: New York AG Letitia James pleads not guilty to bank fraud charges; Trump cancels Canada tariff talks
Meanwhile, Congress is not in session during the 24th day of the government shutdown.
What to know today
- N.Y. AG ARRAIGNMENT: New York Attorney General Letitia James, who previously sued Trump for making misleading statements to banks, pleaded not guilty to bank fraud charges at her arraignment in federal court this morning.
- CANADA TRADE: President Donald Trump canceled trade talks with Canada after accusing the country of trying to interfere with a U.S. Supreme Court case on his tariffs through a television advertisement featuring a speech from former President Ronald Reagan.
- SHUTDOWN DAY 24: The Senate has adjourned until next week, prolonging the government shutdown for several more days. The chamber voted a 12th time earlier this week on the House-passed Republican short-term government spending bill, but the legislation again failed to advance without gaining more Democratic support.
- TRUMP’S ASIA TRIP: The White House confirmed Trump will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping during his weeklong trip to Asia, their first in-person meeting since Trump returned to office. The president will embark on the trip tonight, stopping first in Malaysia for a summit of Southeast Asian countries.
National Guard blocked again from deploying onto Portland streets
The 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals has lifted its stay of Judge Karin Immergut’s order that blocked the Oregon National Guard from deploying onto the streets of Oregon, while en banc proceedings are underway.
Cornell Law School defines "en banc" as a French term that denotes "a special procedure where all judges of a particular court hear a case."
"When the court believes that the matters are especially complex or important, the en banc procedure will be used," the law school indicates.
In this particular case, it is when the full 9th Circuit would hear the case.
Today's action means that through Oct. 28, federalized National Guard members from Oregon — or any other state — are blocked from deploying onto the streets of Portland due to Immergut’s two active temporary restraining orders.
It should be clearer by Oct. 28 whether the 9th Circuit plans to rehear the case en banc or not.
As Trump wields his power, Jack Smith and his top deputies step back into the spotlight
Two years ago, Molly Gaston stepped into the well of a courtroom in the nation’s capital and made history: informing a judge that a federal grand jury had returned a true bill and indicted a former United States president for attempting to overturn his election loss.
Now — nine months after Trump returned to the White House and his Justice Department fired her and other career prosecutors who worked with former special counsel Jack Smith — Gaston and another of Smith’s top deputies are stepping out on their own.
She and fellow Smith team alum J.P. Cooney rolled out a new law firm this week focused on helping state and local governments fill the void created by the Justice Department’s retreat from public corruption work. Gaston & Cooney PLLC will also represent the targets of criminal and congressional investigations as Trump flexes his ability to use federal law enforcement and his allies in Congress to target his political opponents.
Border Patrol’s Bovino called to court after being accused of throwing tear gas canister in Chicago
U.S. Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino is under intensifying scrutiny in Chicago after he was recorded yesterday throwing what appeared to be a tear gas canister at protesters, leading attorneys to accuse him of violating a temporary restraining order that bans the use of tear gas, pepper spray and other tactics against journalists and protesters unless under imminent threat.
The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that Bovino was struck in the head by a rock thrown by “hostile and violent” protesters, though several witnesses challenged that contention.
Bovino was ordered today to appear before a federal judge on Tuesday.
Federal workers line up at a D.C. food bank on Day 24 of government shutdown
Federal workers who aren't receiving pay due to the ongoing government shutdown lined up outside of the Capital Area Food Bank in Southeast Washington this morning to receive boxed meals, drinks and household goods.
The Food Bank served around 250 federal workers today, according to Pastor Will Stroman, who is helping to organize a food bank for federal workers every Friday until the shutdown ends.
NBC News spoke to several furloughed federal workers, including Anthony Speight, who said that he “never thought” he’d be in a position to ask for help.
“I used to be a grants administrator, administrator of grants across the federal government, giving assistance, and now I’m in line requesting assistance,” he said.
Speight said that if federal workers aren’t getting paid, members of Congress should have their pay checks withheld, too.
“Bills continue to pile up. I have car notes. I have children to feed, I have a family to take care of, I have a mortgage to pay, so it’s a lot of uncertainty,” Speight said.
Another furloughed worker, Pamela Lewis, said that being in line at the food bank “doesn’t feel good.”
“What can I do about it but just keep pushing forward? As they say, push until something happens. You got to stay strong. You can’t let it depress you,” she said.
Lewis added that even though she isn’t getting a paycheck during the shutdown, she doesn’t qualify for government resources like food stamps.
“When you work all these years and you’re paying taxes and you’re helping other people to make it, and when you’re in need, you can’t get anything," she said. "And I think that’s very sad with our country today. Everybody should be able to get help, regardless of how much money you make.”
Trump envoy Steve Witkoff to meet with Russian special representative in Miami tomorrow
U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff will meet in Miami tomorrow with Kirill Dmitriev, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s special presidential representative for investment and economic cooperation.
In a post on X, Dmitriev wrote: "Arrived in the U.S. to continue the U.S.–Russia dialogue — visit planned a while ago based on an invitation from the U.S. side. Such dialogue is vital for the world and must continue with the full understanding of Russia’s position and respect for its national interests."
Trump this week slapped significant sanctions on Russia's two largest oil companies, a move that came after the president canceled a planned summit with Putin, citing a lack of progress in negotiations toward ending the war in Ukraine.
White House will allow anonymous donors to contribute to Trump’s ballroom project
Trump is accepting anonymous donations for the grand ballroom he is currently having built at the White House, an aide told NBC News on Friday.
While the Trump administration has released a list of donors for the project that has become a fixation for the president (which includes NBCUniversal’s parent company, Comcast), the aide said that some may contribute anonymously.
“We will, and have so far, released names of donors and companies who wish to be named publicly. Donors also have the option to remain anonymous and we will honor that if that’s what they choose,” the aide, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to candidly discuss the undertaking, said.
Judge hears arguments over Trump's deployment of the National Guard in Washington, D.C.
This afternoon during a motions hearing in federal court in Washington, D.C., Judge Jia M. Cobb did not clearly indicate how she would rule regarding the Trump administration’s deployment of the National Guard in D.C.
Judge Cobb considered two separate motions — one from D.C. asking for a preliminary injunction to block the Trump administration’s deployment of the National Guard in D.C. and the other from the Trump administration asking for the case to be dismissed.
Mitchell Reich, senior counsel to the Attorney General of D.C., argued that the deployment and arming of National Guard troops pose irreparable harm by diverting Metropolitan Police Department resources, undermining public trust in law enforcement, increasing risks to public safety, and negatively impacting the economic vitality of the district.
Reich further contended that the deployment of the Guard violates the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878, saying troops are carrying out law enforcement duties and are effectively under the “command and control” of the Secretary of the Army and the Department of Defense.
Department of Justice lawyers for the Trump administration rejected these arguments, declaring that the plaintiffs have no standing to litigate this claim. They characterized the plaintiff’s motion for an injunction as “a deeply unfortunate political stunt,” maintaining that “these Guards are not doing law enforcement.”
Judge Cobb appeared skeptical of this, asking, “Isn’t patrolling a law enforcement activity? It sounds like a description of what an MPD officer would do in the district.”
DOJ lawyers further asserted that even D.C Mayor Muriel Bowser herself is not opposed to the deployment. Reich pushed back sharply, saying “That is utterly untrue. The mayor has said time and again that the deployment is not legal, that these are now law enforcement, that this deployment is not working, and it is harming American democracy.”
Judge Cobb did not issue a ruling from the bench and stated that the motions are “under advisement” at this time.
White House tightens the clemency process as Trump resumes pardons
As soon as Trump took office for his second term, he began using his clemency power at a steady clip. It started with the pardons of the roughly 1,500 criminal defendants charged in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, and continued each month, with more pardons or commutations.
At the end of May, he had issued 73 clemency actions, not including all the Jan. 6 defendants. Trump once called the power to pardon “a beautiful thing.”
“You got to get it right,” he told reporters during his first term.
But after May, the pardons stopped.
Four people familiar with discussions around pardons told NBC News that top White House officials became concerned about attempts from outsiders to profit from the clemency process, and two of those people said the White House paused on Trump issuing pardons in order to get more control over matters. These people, like others in this story, were granted anonymity to speak candidly. Another factor has been the president’s crowded agenda, which included foreign and domestic priorities, one of those people said.
Cuomo responds to Mamdani islamophobia remarks: 'He is not the victim, he is the offender'
Hours after Zohran Mamdani issued a broadside condemning his opponents for Islamophobic comments, comments he said were indicative of what Muslims in the city face every day, Cuomo told reporters that Mamdani is playing the "victim."
"Zohran himself is the person who has created the tension with the Jewish community and the LGBT community and the Italian community and the Black community, etc. He is not the victim, he is the offender, and it’s a political tactic," he said.
Johnson cancels House session next week
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has canceled another week of session for the House, changing next week to a district work period.
The chamber was last in session Sept. 19. Members have been told they will receive 48 hours’ notice before any votes in the House.
The current House-passed bill, which has failed 12 times in the Senate, was set to only fund the government through Nov. 21.
Treasury Department sanctions Colombian president, family members
The U.S. Treasury Department today announced final sanctions against the president of Colombia, accusing him of allowing "drug cartels to flourish" in his country.
“Since President Gustavo Petro came to power, cocaine production in Colombia has exploded to the highest rate in decades, flooding the United States and poisoning Americans,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement.
The announcement said the sanctions were being carried out under the terms of a Biden executive order that targets foreign persons involved in the global illicit drug trade.
Also being sanctioned are Petro's wife and oldest son, the Treasury Department said.
In a statement, Petro called the move a "paradox," and said he's been fighting drug trafficking for decades and trying to help the U.S. limit its cocaine consumption.
Trump complained about Colombia in an event at the White House yesterday. “Colombia is a drug den. It’s a drug den, and it has been for a long time,” the president said. “Colombia is very bad."
Mamdani welcomes Jeffries' endorsement
In a statement reacting to the news that House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., endorsed his campaign today, Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for New York City mayor, said: "I welcome Leader Jeffries’ support and look forward to delivering a city government, and building a Democratic Party, relentlessly committed to our affordability agenda — and to fighting Trump’s authoritarianism."
He added: "Our movement to turn the page on the politics of big money and small ideas grows stronger by the day."
Maine Senate candidate drops out, endorses Janet Mills
Democrat Daira Smith-Rodriguez announced yesterday that she's dropping out of the U.S. Senate race in Maine and endorsing Gov. Janet Mills in the bid to unseat Republican Susan Collins.
In her statement, Smith-Rodriguez said she was doing so in part because of concerns about recently surfaced comments Democratic candidate Graham Platner made on Reddit back in 2013, where he questioned the seriousness of sexual assault accusations in the military.
As "a survivor of military sexual assault, I cannot, in good conscience, indicate support or remain silent if there is even a possibility that someone who questions the reality of this crisis could be elevated to the United States Senate," Smith-Rodriguez said. "It is simply too great a risk to those who still need a voice to fight for them."
Mills, she added, "leads with courage, conviction, and an unrelenting drive to deliver results for all Mainers."
Platner last week told The Washington Post, which first reported the Reddit posts, that he was "utterly lost" when he wrote the posts after returning from deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“I don’t want people to judge me off the dumbest thing I said on the internet 12 years ago,” he told the paper. “I would like people to engage with who I am today.”
Zelenskyy urges U.S. to broaden Russian oil sanctions and seeks long-range missiles
Ukraine’s European allies said frozen Russian assets needed to be used quickly to fund support for Kyiv, one of several measures discussed in London talks today to increase the pressure on Vladimir Putin.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer hosted “Coalition of the Willing” talks in London with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other leaders, discussing a range of efforts including taking Russian oil and gas off the global market and giving Kyiv more long-range missiles.
NATO chief Mark Rutte said Trump was still reviewing whether to send Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine.
Hakeem Jeffries endorses Zohran Mamdani for New York City mayor
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries endorsed the Democratic nominee in the New York City mayoral race, Zohran Mamdani, today.
Despite their “areas of principled disagreement ... Zohran Mamdani has relentlessly focused on addressing the affordability crisis and explicitly committed to being a mayor for all New Yorkers, including those who do not support his candidacy,” Jeffries, D-N.Y., said in a statement to The New York Times.
“In that spirit, I support him and the entire citywide Democratic ticket in the general election,” Jeffries added.
The endorsement comes after Jeffries has dodged questions about whether he’d endorse Mamdani since the state assemblyman surprised his party in June when he won the Democratic nomination for mayor outright, beating former Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
Trump administration wants to send Kilmar Abrego Garcia to Liberia in the coming days
The Trump administration wants to send Kilmar Abrego Garcia to the African nation of Liberia as soon as Oct. 31, administration officials notified a federal judge in Maryland today.
The administration says Abrego Garcia has identified more than 20 countries that he fears, and that he believes would persecute or torture him if he were deported to those places. Liberia, the officials said, is not on that list.
They say they’ve received “diplomatic assurances regarding the treatment of third-country individuals removed to Liberia from the United States,” and are making final arrangements for Abrego Garcia's removal.
NBC News has reached out to Abrego Garcia’s attorney for comment.
Abrego Garcia, a Maryland man, was wrongly deported to El Salvador in March, where he was imprisoned. He was later returned to the U.S. and faces further deportation efforts while being held in Pennsylvania.
‘Slap in the face’: White House irked by a new $100M pro-AI super PAC
The White House is threatening some of Silicon Valley’s richest and most powerful players over their efforts to spearhead a $100 million midterm strategy to back candidates of both parties who support a national framework for artificial intelligence regulations.
In August, the group of donors launched a super PAC called Leading the Future. It did not consult with the White House before doing so, according to a White House official.
What is especially frustrating to White House officials is that it plans to back AI-friendly candidates from both political parties — which could help Democrats win back control of Congress — and one of the leaders of the new super PAC is a former top staffer to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.
Protests erupt across the U.S. over Trump immigration crackdown
More protests are erupting across the United States over Trump’s crackdown on undocumented immigrants. In Chicago, demonstrators clashed with law enforcement officers with at least one person arrested, and in California, a man was hit with a projectile during a protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The protests come as Trump says he’s holding off deploying federal agents to San Francisco.
USTR will probe China’s compliance with a 2020 trade deal
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative is launching an investigation into whether China complied with a 2020 trade agreement signed during the first Trump administration.
The results of the probe could pave the way for more tariffs on China under a different set of rules than the ones at issue in the upcoming Supreme Court tariff arguments.
The probe could also ramp up trade tensions even higher ahead of Trump’s weeklong trip to Asia and a series of high-level meetings with Chinese officials.
Transportation Secretary Duffy warns of possible reduction in flights and travel delays if government shutdown drags on
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned today flights might need to be reduced across the nation, resulting in travel delays, if the government shutdown results in a shortage of air traffic controllers.
Speaking to reporters at Philadelphia International Airport, Duffy said he wanted to pre-emptively address whether the aviation system will be safe.
"Yes it is safe," he said, but added, "If we don’t have enough controllers, if we have controllers that are more stressed and less able to do the job, we pay close attention to that, and we will reduce the capacity of airplanes taking off and landing or we will cancel flights."
"You can and very well may see delays in the system, but that’s because our priority is you getting from Point A to Point B and getting there safely," he said. "I’m less concerned about you getting there on time; I want you to be safe."
Trump’s dramatic rhetoric on tariffs ramps up pressure on Supreme Court
Trump’s strategy to persuade the Supreme Court to uphold his sweeping tariffs is not subtle.
To some opponents of his tariffs, Trump’s frequent use of apocalyptic rhetoric about his signature policy ahead of the Nov. 5 oral argument is an obvious attempt to influence the court by focusing on the potential consequences of a ruling against him.
“I will tell you that’s one of the most important cases in the history of our country because if we don’t win that case, we will be a weakened, troubled, financial mess for many, many years to come,” Trump said at the White House on Oct. 15, in just one example of his repeated comments on the subject.
Trump, who has a long history of harshly criticizing judges who rule against him, has even suggested he might attend the Supreme Court in person for the oral argument Nov. 5. There is no official record of any sitting president ever attending a Supreme Court argument, according to the court and the nonprofit Supreme Court Historical Society.
James' trial on bank fraud charges is scheduled for January
James is scheduled to stand trial on bank fraud charges starting on Jan. 26.
Prosecutors said they expect to call eight to 10 witnesses, which U.S. District Judge Jamal Walker estimated would require about a five-day trial.
James’ attorney, Abbe Lowell, told the court that the defense wants "the speediest trial you can possibly get,” but he noted that the motions they plan to file are complicated.
“These are not going to be simple run-of-the-mill motions,” he said.
James is seeking to have the case dismissed as a selective and vindictive prosecution. She also is challenging the legality of Trump’s appointment of acting U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan, who brought the case.
Hearings on some of James’ motions will start next month.
N.Y. AG James rips charges, says she 'will not be deterred'
James slammed the case against her in remarks outside federal court after her arraignment, saying the Justice Department was being "used as a tool of revenge and a weapon against those individuals who simply did their job and who stood up for the rule of law."
James added that she has received words of encouragement from across the nation urging her not to be cowed in the face of the charges, "so there's no fear today."
"And I'm here to say that my work, and my job and all that I do, all throughout my public career, I've stood up for the rights of New Yorkers and Americans," James said.
"And I will not be deterred," she added. "I will not be distracted. I will do my job each and every day, and that's why I'm headed back to New York, because there's work to be done standing up for the rule of law."
James speaks outside the courthouse today. Win McNamee / Getty Images
James pleaded not guilty this morning to bank fraud charges related to a mortgage on a home in Norfolk, Virginia, that she purchased in 2020.
Courtroom is packed for N.Y. AG James' arraignment
Before James' arraignment began, Lindsey Halligan, the acting U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, sat with the prosecution team while the New York attorney general and her attorney, Abbe Lowell, entered the packed courtroom together at 10:55 a.m.
While waiting for the hearing to begin, reporters in the overflow room could hear Lowell on a hot mic joking with James about the old seats in federal courthouses.
U.S. District Judge Jamar Walker entered the courtroom and the proceedings got underway at 11 a.m. sharp.
The parties introduced their attorneys to the judge before he invited James forward with Lowell to inform her of her rights and the charges against her and confirm that she understood them. James answered affirmatively to each of those questions.
Lowell then confirmed to the judge that James was waiving the reading of the indictment. Walker asked for her plea, and Lowell told the court that James would enter it herself. James then proceeded to plead not guilty to both charges.
New York AG pleads not guilty to bank fraud charges
New York Attorney General Letitia James has pleaded not guilty to bank fraud charges at her arraignment in a Virginia federal court this morning.
James is charged with one count of bank fraud and one count of making false statements to a financial institution related to allegations that she received favorable home mortgage terms by falsely claiming a home in Norfolk, Virginia, was her second residence despite renting it to a family of three.
James has called the allegations “baseless” and said Trump’s “own public statements make clear that his only goal is political retribution at any cost.”
Hillary Clinton fundraising over East Wing demolition
Former first lady Hillary Clinton took to social media today to launch a fundraising effort off of Trump's demolition of the East Wing.
"If you’re hopping mad about Trump destroying the White House, we’ve got a new hat or sticker for you," Clinton wrote in a post on X.
The message links to an online store for her political action committee selling merchandise that says, "Not his house. Our house."
"Your purchase supports progressive groups working to build a fairer, more inclusive America for everyone—and win elections!" the X post says.
U.S. carried out a strike on another alleged drug-carrying boat in the Caribbean Sea, Pete Hegseth says
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said today that the U.S. struck a boat allegedly carrying drugs in the Caribbean Sea, marking at least the third time this week that the U.S. has attacked a vessel it says was involved in drug trafficking.
“The vessel was known by our intelligence to be involved in illicit narcotics smuggling, was transiting along a known narco-trafficking route, and carrying narcotics,” Hegseth wrote in a post on X. “Six male narco-terrorists were aboard the vessel during the strike, which was conducted in international waters—and was the first strike at night. All six terrorists were killed and no U.S. forces were harmed in this strike.”
Hegseth said that this vessel belonged to the Tren de Aragua gang, which the Trump administration has named a designated terrorist organization, and was hit in the Caribbean.
Senators demand Linda McMahon ask DHS to stop immigration enforcement near schools
Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., and at least a half a dozen other senators are calling on the U.S. Education Department to pressure immigration authorities to refrain from carrying out enforcement within 1,000 feet of any school property, citing recent classroom disruptions in the Chicago area.
Today, they sent the letter, first provided to NBC News, to Education Secretary Linda McMahon, demanding that she step in and ask the Department of Homeland Security to curb its operations around schools.
“Federal agents continue to use unwarranted, excessive levels of force around Chicago, demonstrating an alarming lack of care or regard for the health and wellbeing of children, particularly by conducting unfocused, inflammatory operations within close proximity of school grounds,” the senators wrote in the letter. “We demand you pressure your colleague, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, to reinstate restrictions on Federal immigration enforcement operations in and around places of education.”
Inflation hit 3% in September, reflecting stubborn price pressures on U.S. consumers
The sting of rising prices continues to linger.
Consumer price growth hit 3% in September on an annual basis, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today, slightly higher than the 2.9% rate seen in August.
On a monthly basis, the rate fell from 0.3% to 0.2%, though many major categories saw increases including housing, airline fares, recreation, household furnishings and apparel.
Rubio addresses challenges of disarming Hamas and West Bank annexation vote
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said today that the U.S. and numerous other countries are committed to the demilitarization of Gaza, stressing that Israel had met its commitment to withdraw its forces from areas of the Palestinian territory.
"If Hamas refuses to demilitarize, it’ll be a violation of the agreement, and that’ll have to be enforced," Rubio said. I’m not going to get into the mechanisms by which it is going to be enforced, but it’ll have to be enforced."
Speaking from the Civilian Military Coordination Center in Israel, Rubio said "miles of tunnels" set up by Hamas posed a challenge to the demilitarization efforts.
"We’re dealing with miles and miles of kilometers of tunnel networks," he said. "We’re dealing with two decades of terrorist infrastructure. All that has to be confronted, and we’ll do that together with Israel."
He emphasized the multinational commitment to disarmament.
"Understand over two dozen countries signed on to this, including regional powers, regional countries, Arab countries, majority Muslim countries, signed on to the commitment that there would not, that there would be a demilitarized Gaza, and that there would not be a Hamas with the capability to threaten Israel," Rubio said.
Responding to the Knesset's vote to advance a bill to annex the occupied West Bank, Rubio said, "It was used to embarrass Netanyahu." He added that he doesn't think annexation will actually happen and said it would jeopardize the ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel.
"It’s a threat to the peace process, and everybody knows it," he said. "But I’m not getting to the middle of Israeli politics. We’re focused on peace and security."
Republican effort to pay federal workers is defeated in Senate
On Day 23 of the federal government shutdown, Democrats blocked a Republican bill to pay federal workers who are going without paychecks. Democrats said the plan gave too much power to Trump. NBC News’ Ryan Nobles reports.
Trump says Ontario's Ronald Reagan ad attacking tariffs was 'fake' — but was it?
Statement
The Ronald Reagan Foundation has just announced that Canada has fraudulently used an advertisement, which is FAKE, featuring Ronald Reagan speaking negatively about Tariffs.
Verdict
The Ontario ad is an edited, heavily condensed version of a Ronald Reagan speech, but the sentiment is unchanged and is an accurate reflection of the former president's views on protectionism.
Analysis
Trump said late last night that he was canceling trade talks with Canada after the province of Ontario ran an ad attacking his trade war and the negative effects it anticipates from higher trade tariffs.
The ad used an edited speech by Ronald Reagan in 1987 in which he said, among other things: "High tariffs inevitably lead to retaliation by foreign countries, and the triggering of fierce trade wars."
Trump dismissed the ad as “FAKE,” implying it misrepresented or distorted the former president’s words.
The Ontario ad changes the order of Reagan’s words, quotes only part of some sentences and removes some of the very specific original context on how he had — very reluctantly and contrary to his economic philosophy — just imposed tariffs on Japan in a dispute over semiconductors.
But the sentiment expressed in the ad is unchanged: Reagan's speech was anti-protectionist and he did say, referring to his own tariffs, that “over the long run such trade barriers hurt every American worker and consumer.”
Trump has doubled down on his criticism this morning, posting on Truth Social that Canada "fraudulently took a big buy ad saying that Ronald Reagan did not like Tariffs, when actually he LOVED TARIFFS FOR OUR COUNTRY, AND ITS NATIONAL SECURITY."
The Reagan Foundation said it was considering its legal options regarding the ad, which it said misrepresents the remarks and used the speech without permission. But that legality issue aside, it’s not clear in what way Reagan’s words were misrepresented.
- President Reagan's Radio Address on Free and Fair Trade on April 25, 1987
- Ontario’s new advertising campaign in the U.S.
White House confirms Trump meeting with Xi
The White House confirmed that Trump will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping next week during a trip to Asia, their first in-person meeting since Trump returned to office in January.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the two leaders would meet Thursday in South Korea, which is hosting a summit of Asia-Pacific economies. The meeting, which comes amid rising trade tensions between the world’s two biggest economies, follows at least three phone calls between Trump and Xi since the start of the year, most recently last month.
China has not yet confirmed the meeting.
Earlier, the White House said Trump would also meet with the prime ministers of Malaysia and Japan and the president of South Korea during his Asia trip. The president will leave for Malaysia tonight.
Ford launches campaign highlighting that its trucks are made in America as 25% tariffs take hold
Auto giant Ford has launched an advertising campaign emphasizing how one of its leading trucks is made in the U.S. as 25% tariffs on medium and heavy trucks are introduced this month.
"Ford is rolling out a new campaign this weekend reinforcing how Ford stands out as a rare example of a company doubling down on American assembly," the company said in a news release.
The campaign illustrates how major manufacturers are reacting to Trump's trade war by investing in domestic operations and publicly underlining their commitment to U.S. workers.
The ads, which will run this weekend in newspapers and online, say that around 400,000 Super Duty Trucks are 100% assembled at Ford plants in Kentucky and Ohio every year.
The American-made tag hides a more complex reality, however, with about 40% of the 30,000 items that go into a typical vehicle imported from other countries, according to one analyst.
Veteran diplomat to be tapped as U.S. liaison for Gaza ceasefire
Ambassador Steve Fagin, a seasoned career U.S. diplomat, is expected to be tapped as the State Department's liaison to the Civilian Military Coordination Center monitoring the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas and coordinating the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza, two sources familiar with the matter told NBC News.
Fagin is currently serving as U.S. ambassador to Yemen and has almost two decades of field experience in the foreign service.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to visit the coordination center in southern Israel later this week.
“We’ll be assigning some career, experienced State Department personnel to sort of be there to help coordinate all these efforts,” Rubio told reporters shortly before his departure for Israel on Wednesday. “It’s important particularly over the next couple of weeks, that we keep the cease fire together.”
Fagin will face an uphill battle increasing humanitarian assistance to meet the needs of a starving population in Gaza.
After two years of war, a United Nations hunger monitor warned in August that Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip were confronting manmade faminelike conditions.
The flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza increased 46% in the first week of the fragile U.S. brokered ceasefire, according to the U.N.
Fagin is also likely to face some skepticism from aid groups after the U.S. backed the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which required Palestinians to travel to four aid distribution hubs rather than bringing the aid directly to civilians.
“Humanitarian assistance must enter the Gaza Strip at scale to meet the enormous needs of the population wherever they are,” Farhan Haq, the deputy spokesperson for the U.N. secretary general, said yesterday.
Trump terminates Canada trade talks again after Ontario runs ad featuring Reagan
Trump said last night that he is terminating trade talks with Canada, effective immediately.
Trump accused Canada of trying to interfere with an upcoming Supreme Court case about the legality of his “reciprocal” tariffs.
Trump made the announcement on Truth Social after the Canadian province of Ontario began running a television advertisement in the United States featuring a speech from former President Ronald Reagan.
“They only did this to interfere with the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court, and other courts,” Trump wrote, referring to the high court’s scheduled Nov. 5 oral arguments on legal challenges to a significant part of Trump’s tariffs. They include the country-specific rates at the heart of both his foreign policy and economic agendas.
Trump administration set to release key inflation data, despite government shutdown
The Bureau of Labor Statistics is slated to publish September inflation data this morning in spite of a government shutdown that has paralyzed federal reporting and has no end in sight.
The consumer price index for September will be released at 8:30 a.m. ET and will mark the first time a major economic report has been issued since the shutdown began Oct. 1.
U.S. and China holding another round of high-stakes trade talks
The U.S. and China are holding a new round of trade talks in Malaysia, as the world’s two biggest economies try to avoid further escalating their trade war and keep next week’s meeting between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping on track.
The Chinese Commerce Ministry said yesterday that Vice Premier He Lifeng would lead a delegation to Malaysia today to Monday. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer will represent the U.S. side at the talks in Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian capital.
Tensions surged again earlier this month when China announced new export controls on strategically important rare earth minerals, prompting Trump to threaten to impose an additional 100% tariff on Chinese imports. The two countries have also started imposing port fees on each other’s ships.
Citing Xi, Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao said today that “dialogue and cooperation are the only correct choices for China and the United States” and that China “has consistently opposed decoupling and supply chain disruption.”
Trump’s trip to Asia, his first since returning to office in January, begins Sunday in Malaysia, which is hosting a meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
New York Attorney General Letitia James set for arraignment in federal bank fraud case
New York Attorney General Letitia James, a longtime political foe of Trump who previously sued him for making misleading statements to banks, is scheduled to be arraigned today in federal court on bank fraud charges.
A grand jury in Virginia indicted James, a Democrat, this month, weeks after Trump posted a message on Truth Social pressing Attorney General Pam Bondi to take action against her and two other political adversaries.
James is charged with one count of bank fraud and one count of making false statements to a financial institution. The indictment alleges she falsely claimed that a home in Norfolk, Virginia, was her second residence, allowing her to obtain favorable loan terms, and that she rented the property to a family of three.
The GOP expected Democrats to relent on the shutdown by now. That isn’t happening.
For the 12th time, Senate Democrats blocked the Republican Party’s government funding legislation this week without a single senator switching his or her vote.
Just three Democratic caucus members voted for the bill: John Fetterman, D-Pa.; Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev.; and Angus King, I-Maine. That means Republicans are still five votes short of the 60-vote threshold to ensure passage of the bill, just as they have been since before the government shut down 23 days ago.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told NBC News he’s taken aback by some of the Democratic posturing and rhetoric.
“I’m surprised at how open they’ve been about it,” Thune said in an interview Thursday. “That statement yesterday by that House member that they know the American people are going to suffer but this is their leverage? This isn’t about leverage. This isn’t a political game. It’s about people’s lives.”