President has begun his Cabinet meeting in made-for-TV fashion, gathering top officials to showcase their recent actions and take questions from the press.Trump sparked hysteria in the international markets this spring by announcing tariff rates on dozens of countries before unveiling a 90-day negotiating period. That period was set to begin Wednesday, but the president signed an executive order Monday to . World , shrugging off U.S. tariff pressure.
Trump plans a Friday visit to Texas, where , raising questions about whether more people will suffer due to his cuts to the National Weather Service and Federal Emergency Management Agency.
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Trump wraps up marathon meeting
The session with Cabinet officials lasted 1 hour and 45 minutes.
That鈥檚 long 鈥 but not as long as his last Cabinet meeting, which ran a full 2 hours.
Trump meeting with Netanyahu moved up
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the meeting with Trump has been pushed forward to 4:30 p.m., rather than 6 p.m.
Earlier, Netanyahu told reporters in the Capitol that the two see 鈥渆ye to eye鈥 on the issue of destroying Hamas and added that the cooperation and coordination between Israel and the United States is currently the best it has ever been during Israel鈥檚 77-year-history.
Trump talks decorating
During a Cabinet meeting, the president took a detour to talk about how he鈥檚 updated the furnishings around the White House.
鈥淚t鈥檚 really become quite a beautiful place.鈥
He talked about choosing paint colors and deciding whether to add more gold accents. He also pointed at the portraits of historical presidents on the walls, lingering on the ornamental frames.
鈥淚鈥檓 a frame person. Sometimes I like the frames more than I like the pictures.鈥
Trump also said he relocated a grandfather clock from the State Department to the White House, drawing a laugh from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was sitting to his right.
鈥淚f I see anything that I like, I鈥檓 allowed to take it,鈥 Trump said.
Vance says he was 鈥榮keptical鈥 they could get Trump鈥檚 legislation passed on time
Sitting across from Trump, the vice president admitted something 鈥 鈥淚 never told you this, but I was skeptical we would be able to get this thing done by July 4th.鈥
He congratulated the White House staff for working together so well.
Trump said it was important to have everything combined in one piece of legislation, including tax cuts, border security and other proposals.
鈥淚t had something for everyone,鈥 Trump said
Trump says he鈥檚 staying out of upcoming New York City mayoral election
Asked how Republicans should vote in November, Trump said, 鈥淚鈥檓 not getting involved.鈥
But that was after he criticized the Democratic nominee, Zohran Mamdani as a 鈥渄isaster鈥 who has sold New Yorkers a 鈥済ood line of bull----.鈥
He said Curtis Sliwa, the Republican candidate, 鈥渞uns every four years鈥 and noted that Eric Adams is the current officeholder. Adams, a Democrat, is running as an independent.
Trump also threatened a federal takeover of New York City if Mamdani were to be elected.
Trump says he and Netanyahu will meet again Tuesday
Trump said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be back at the White House on Tuesday to meet with him.
鈥淗e鈥檚 coming over later,鈥 Trump said at midday during a Cabinet meeting.
The leaders met over dinner on Monday night as Trump looks to push Israel and Hamas militants into ending their war in Gaza.
Trump also complained that Netanyahu was being treated 鈥渦nfairly鈥 by his government. That was a reference to the prime minister鈥檚 corruption trial.
Netanyahu praises American-Israeli relations, says 鈥榗loser on hostage鈥 deal
Netanyahu said that Israeli troops 鈥渇ought like lions鈥 in military strikes on Iran and thanked American support.
The Israeli prime minister added that throughout Israel鈥檚 history there has 鈥渘ever been the degree of coordination, of cooperation and trust between America and Israel as we have today.鈥
He added that 鈥渋t may be very likely鈥 that he and Trump will meet again during his next trip. 鈥淭his is having a great change in our region. There are opportunities for peace that we intend to realize. We鈥檙e working together on this,鈥 Netanyahu said.
The prime minister said Israel was 鈥渃loser鈥 to a ceasefire deal with Hamas but declined to offer details about talks. 鈥淲e鈥檙e certainly working on it,鈥 Netanyahu said of a ceasefire deal and negotiations to free Israeli hostages in Gaza.
He continued that talks 鈥渘eed several parties, but we鈥檙e working on it diligently as we speak.鈥
鈥淲e have still to finish the job in Gaza, release all the hostages, eliminate and destroy Hamas鈥 military and governance capabilities, because Gaza must have a different future for our sake, or everything鈥檚 sake, and no country will settle for less,鈥 said Netanyahu.
When asked whether he鈥檇 welcome congressional approval of more advanced bombers to Israel, Netanyahu declined to discuss his talks with Johnson but said: 鈥淵eah, of course we鈥檇 like it, who wouldn鈥檛 want it?鈥
Trump says he鈥檚 putting a 50% tax on copper imports, possibly 200% on pharmaceutical drugs
Trump said that he will sign an order on Tuesday placing a 50% tariff on copper.
That import tax would match the rates charged on steel and aluminum, likely increasing the price of metals in the United States. Trump has defended the tariffs as helping to create factory jobs, though manufacturers have shed jobs so far during his presidency.
Trump also said he would be announcing tariffs on pharmaceutical drugs at a 鈥渧ery, very high rate, like 200%.鈥
Trump doubles down on his dislike of wind as an energy source
He says it鈥檚 an expensive form of energy and that windmills and wind farms are 鈥渧ery bad for beautiful surroundings.鈥
Trump also said this source of energy is inefficient because wind is intermittent.
鈥淲e need the kind of things that鈥檚 going to fire up our plants and it鈥檚 not going to be wind,鈥 he said, referring to coal.
The president said 鈥渟mart鈥 countries don鈥檛 use wind and solar energy and that the U.S. is 鈥渂rilliant.鈥
Trump says he talks 鈥榦ften鈥 with China鈥檚 leader
President Donald Trump told reporters at Tuesday鈥檚 cabinet meeting that he frequently talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping and they have a good relationship.
鈥淲e speak often,鈥 Trump said.
It was unclear what 鈥渙ften鈥 meant, but the two leaders had a 90-minute call in June.
Trump says some countries鈥 imports will be tariffed at 70%
Trump defended his setting of tariff rates by sending letters to other world leaders, saying that 鈥渟ome鈥 countries will be paying rates of 60% and 70%.
Trump sent letters to the leaders of 14 countries on Monday, many of the rates being much lower than what he floated was possible at Tuesday鈥檚 cabinet meeting.
He defended the decision to send letters as part of his 90-day negotiating period drawing to a close because he couldn鈥檛 conduct talks with all of the countries in the rest of the world.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a better way,鈥 Trump said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a more powerful way. And we send you a letter. You read the letter. I think it was well crafted.鈥
Trump comes to defense of Bondi amid scrutiny over Epstein files
President Donald Trump has leapt to the defense of Attorney General Pam Bondi amid fresh scrutiny from elements of his base over recent Justice Department revelations in the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking investigation.
Trump headed off a reporter鈥檚 Epstein-related questions for Bondi at a Cabinet meeting, chiding the journalist for asking 鈥渁bout a guy who鈥檚 been talked about for years鈥 and suggesting the interest in the subject was a 鈥渄esecration鈥 at a time when the country was grappling with issues like the catastrophic Texas flooding.
The president鈥檚 response appeared to signal his continued support for Bondi even as she faces questions over the Justice Department鈥檚 acknowledgment in a memo on Monday that Epstein did not maintain a 鈥渃lient list.鈥
Bondi had previously suggested in a Fox News interview that a client list was 鈥渟itting on my desk鈥 for review, but the attorney general said Tuesday that she was referring to the Epstein case file in general as being on her desk.
Trump says he will defend US dollar as world鈥檚 dominant currency
Trump says he鈥檚 prepared to tariff and punish countries that challenge the U.S. dollar as the global reserve currency.
Speaking at Tuesday鈥檚 cabinet meeting, Trump said that the dollar losing its status 鈥渨ould be like losing a war, a major world war. We would not be the same country any longer. And we鈥檙e not going to let that happen.鈥
Trump made his comments after emphasizing his plan to put a 10% tariff on countries in the BRICS organization that have discussed creating alternatives to the dollar.
鈥淚鈥檓 just saying, if people want to challenge it, they can, but they鈥檙e going to have to pay a big price,鈥 Trump said. 鈥淎nd I don鈥檛 think any of them are willing to pay that price.鈥
Trump says he鈥檚 open to a congressional investigation of Federal Reserve chair
President Donald Trump said he would be OK with congress investigating Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, saying, 鈥淚 think he鈥檚 terrible.鈥
Trump was answering a reporter鈥檚 question at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday about whether the head of the U.S. central bank should be investigated for lying to Congress.
Trump has been calling on Powell to slash benchmark interest rates because inflation has eased. Powell has held off on rate reductions until the impact of Trump鈥檚 tariffs are understood.
Trump said he thinks Powell 鈥渟hould resign immediately.鈥
Trump again says he鈥檚 not happy with Putin
The president said during his Cabinet meeting that the Russian leader is 鈥渒illing a lot of people鈥 and a lot of them are his soldiers and Ukraine鈥檚 soldiers.
Trump was asked whether he was planning to do something about Putin, and he said, 鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 be telling you.鈥
鈥淚t鈥檚 turned out to be tougher,鈥 he said as he spoke about the war.
Hegseth says Iran bombing reversed 鈥榙ebacle鈥 of U.S. Afghanistan withdrawal
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is suggesting that the U.S. bombing of Iran restored America鈥檚 reputation of military might on the world stage.
Hegseth said the bombings 鈥渞eversed what happened in Afghanistan. You saw the debacle of what Biden allowed to happen in Afghanistan, and what that did to our image.鈥 By contrast, he said Trump鈥檚 ordering of the attack on Iran meant 鈥渞eestablishing American leadership and deterrence.鈥
That was a reference to the chaotic U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan under President Joe Biden in 2021. Trump called what happened then the 鈥渕ost botched up mess I鈥檝e ever seen.鈥
Noem gives emotional account of visiting Texas after deadly flooding
Homeland Security Secretary has recounted leading federal response to the devastating flooding in Texas, telling Trump鈥檚 Cabinet meeting that she was overcome with emotion during the trip and had 鈥渒ind of fallen apart.鈥
鈥淰ery emotional, but also just so tragic,鈥 she said.
Noem said 鈥淭exas is strong鈥 but also insisted, 鈥淲e, as a federal government, don鈥檛 manage these disasters. The state does.鈥
鈥淲e鈥檙e cutting through the paperwork of the old FEMA streamlining it, much like your vision of how FEMA should operate,鈥 Noem said of Trump鈥檚 promise to scrap the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Noem added, that Americans helping one another after such tragic events is proof, 鈥淕od created us to take care of each other.鈥
Trump repeated that he will be in Texas on Friday.
Johnson meets with Netanyahu
The House Speaker shook hands with and warmly embraced the Israeli Prime Minister before their meeting on Capitol Hill. The pair exchanged brief words before cameras but did not take questions from the press.
鈥淭he speaker just agreed that we鈥檒l go in, speak for awhile, come back and maybe answer some of your questions,鈥 Netanyahu said as he entered Johnson鈥檚 private office.
Earlier Tuesday, Vice President JD Vance met with the Israeli prime minister Tuesday morning, according to a person familiar with the meeting who was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. The meeting was at Blair House, the presidential guest house near the White House where Netanyahu is staying. No details were released.
Trump鈥檚 Cabinet meeting has begun, with one significant absence
These tend to be made-for-TV huddles with top administration officials, showcasing the progress Trump says he鈥檚 making on his agenda.
However, one prominent figure won鈥檛 be there for the first time 鈥 Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur who had spearheaded the Department of Government Efficiency.
He often regaled the group with claims about waste and fraud he was excavating in various agencies. He also showed off a 鈥渢ech support鈥 shirt in one meeting.
But Musk left the administration in May and had a falling out with Trump over his agenda. Musk complained that his tax and budget legislation would add too much to the deficit, and it also cut incentives for electric vehicles that benefit his company Tesla.
AP-NORC poll: US adults want focus on child care costs, not birth rates
While the Trump administration seeks to encourage Americans and reverse , a new poll finds that relatively few U.S. adults share the White House鈥檚 concerns.
Instead, Americans are more likely to want the government to focus on reducing child care costs and improving health outcomes for pregnant women, according to the survey from .
Pronatalism, or the promotion of childbearing, has gained traction among some Elon Musk and Vice President JD Vance argue that having more children is good for society.
But only about 3 in 10 Americans say are a 鈥渕ajor problem鈥 and just 12% say encouraging more children should be 鈥渁 high priority鈥 for the federal government. About three-quarters 鈥 including roughly 7 in 10 Republicans and men 鈥 say the cost of child care is a 鈥渕ajor problem.鈥
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Trump says no extensions of his Aug. 1 tariff deadline will be approved
Trump says Aug. 1 is the hard deadline for the new tariff rates to be paid, deflating expectations of more delays.
Trump posted Tuesday on Truth Social that 鈥渁ll money will be due and payable starting AUGUST 1, 2025 - No extensions will be granted.鈥
Trump administration officials had suggested that negotiations could still happen leading up to the date. Trump published letters to 14 nations on Monday, listing tax rates on their imported goods.
Several 鈥 including South Africa, South Korea and Japan 鈥 indicated that they would continue to negotiate. But Trump said his deadline is firm: 鈥淭here has been no change to this date, and there will be no change.鈥
Impostor used AI to impersonate Marco Rubio and contact officials
The State Department is warning U.S. diplomats of attempts to impersonate the Secretary of State and possibly other officials using AI-driven technology, according to two senior officials and a cable sent to all embassies and consulates.
An impostor posing as Rubio tried to reach out to at least three foreign ministers, a U.S. senator and a governor by text, Signal and voice mail, according to the July 3 cable, which was first reported by The Washington Post. A copy of the cable was shared with The Associated Press.
One official said the hoaxes were unsuccessful and 鈥渘ot very sophisticated.鈥 Nonetheless, the second official said the department deemed it 鈥減rudent鈥 to advise all employees and foreign governments, particularly as efforts by foreign actors to compromise information security increase. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.
Hope of finding Texas flood survivors dims
The death toll has surpassed 100 in the and are helping with one of the in Texas history.
about what actions, if any, officials took to warn campers and residents as torrential rains struck the area known as 鈥渇lash flood alley,鈥 and whether more people will suffer due to Trump鈥檚 cuts to the National Weather Service and Federal Emergency Management Agency.
At Camp Mystic, the where at least 27 campers and counselors died and 10 campers and one counselor have still not been found, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott planned another visit Tuesday, and Trump plans a tour on Friday.
Netanyahu heads to Capitol Hill
Netanyahu is expected to meet privately with Republican U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson around noontime at the Capitol.
Senate leaders from both parties, Republican and Democrat, will meet with Netanyahu later in the afternoon.
The talks come as the war in Gaza strains Israel鈥檚 once-broad bipartisan support in the U.S. Congress.
鈥楽hameful:鈥 Judge allows Trump to yank millions in grants supporting crime victims
A federal judge has allowed the Trump administration to rescind nearly $800 million in grants for programs supporting .
U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta in Washington denied a preliminary injunction on behalf of all recipients of the more than 360 grant awards, and granted a motion by the federal government to dismiss the case on Monday.
Mehta called the Department of Justice鈥檚 actions 鈥渟hameful,鈥 but said the court lacked jurisdiction and the organizations had failed to state a constitutional violation or protection.
The Justice Department鈥檚 Office of Justice Programs cancelled the grants in April, saying it had changed its priorities to, among other things, more directly support certain law enforcement operations, combat violent crime and support American victims of trafficking and sexual assault.
Air travelers may no longer be required to remove shoes
The Transportation Security Administration has not officially confirmed media reports that for the first time in almost 20 years, travelers may no longer be required to take off their shoes during security screenings at certain U.S. airports.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem will host a 5 p.m. ET press conference at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport to announce a new TSA policy 鈥渢hat will make screening easier for passengers, improve traveler satisfaction, and reduce wait times,鈥 her agency said.
If implemented, it would put an end to a put in place almost 20 years ago, several years after 鈥渟hoe bomber鈥 Richard Reid鈥檚 failed attempt to take down a flight from Paris to Miami in late 2001.
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Gov. Gavin Newsom touring Trump strongholds in South Carolina
The aims to meet voters in coffee shops, small businesses and churches across rural areas in the early-voting state on Tuesday and Wednesday, the latest signal that he鈥檚 eyeing a 2028 run for president.
The investment of time in a state pivotal to picking his party鈥檚 presidential nominees, and Newsom鈥檚 trajectory across some of its reddest areas, suggest that the term-limited governor is angling to shed his San Francisco liberal image, get ahead of what鈥檚 sure to be a crowded 2028 field and make inroads with the diverse Democratic electorate seen as critical for their party鈥檚 nominee.
His stops include the small town of Seneca, which four-term GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham calls home. Trump won more than 75% of votes cast in the surrounding Oconee County last year.
Here鈥檚 how Trump鈥檚 latest tariff hikes could affect US consumers
1. Myanmar: 40% 鈥 Clothing, leather goods, seafood
2. Laos: 40% 鈥 Shoes with textile uppers, wood furniture, electronic components, optical fiber
3. Cambodia: 36% 鈥擳extiles, clothing, shoes, bicycles
4. Thailand: 36% 鈥 Computer parts, rubber products and gemstones
5. Bangladesh: 35% 鈥 Clothing
6. Serbia: 35% 鈥 Software and IT services; car tires
7. Indonesia: 32% 鈥 Palm oil, cocoa butter, semiconductors
8. Bosnia and Herzegovina: 30% 鈥 Weapons and ammunition
9. South Africa: 30% 鈥 Platinum, diamonds, vehicles and auto parts
10. Japan: 25% 鈥 Autos, auto parts, electronics
11. Kazakhstan: 25% 鈥 Oil, uranium, ferroalloys and silver
12. Malaysia: 25% 鈥 Electronics and electrical products
13. South Korea: 25% 鈥 Vehicles, machinery, electronics
14. Tunisia: 25% 鈥 Animal and vegetable fats, clothing, fruit and nuts
Trump is meeting with his Cabinet
It will be the president鈥檚 first meeting with those running the Cabinet departments and other agencies since April 30.
Trump uses these meetings to talk about his 鈥渨ins鈥 while Cabinet secretaries use them to praise his leadership.
The 鈥 broadcast live on television 鈥 lasted about two hours. A lot has happened since then, including U.S. military airstrikes against Iran鈥檚 nuclear facilities and the enactment of Trump鈥檚 tax and spending cuts bill.
Today鈥檚 meeting is scheduled for 11 a.m. ET. It follows Trump鈥檚 dinner meeting Monday evening at the White House with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Markets appear to shrug off new tariff deadlines for US trading partners.
Wall Street was mixed in quiet trading early Tuesday. Futures for the S&P 500 added 0.1% before the bell, while futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average shed 0.1%. Nasdaq futures rose 0.2%.
Markets tumbled Monday after President set a 25% tax on goods imported from Japan and South Korea and on a dozen other nations scheduled to go into effect on Aug. 1.
The S&P slid 0.8% on Monday to its biggest one-day decline since June, but remains near record levels. The Dow and Nasdaq fared about the same, but the wild, tariff-induced swings of the spring seem to have tempered.
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Japan鈥檚 prime minister vows to reach a mutually beneficial deal with Trump
Shigeru Ishiba said Tuesday during a meeting of his entire Cabinet in Tokyo that Trump鈥檚 announcement of 25% tariffs on all goods from Japan 鈥渋s extremely regrettable,鈥 and expressed his determination to continue negotiating patiently for a mutually beneficial agreement while protecting Japan鈥檚 national interests.
Ishiba noted that Trump鈥檚 latest tariff rate is lower than what he had threatened earlier, opening the way for more negotiations ahead of Trump鈥檚 latest deadline of Aug. 1.
He instructed his ministers to do their utmost to seek a mutually beneficial agreement while doing everything they can to mitigate the impact on Japanese industries and employment.
White House won鈥檛 say if Texas flooding will delay Trump鈥檚 plans to scrap FEMA
The White House won鈥檛 say if Trump, who plans to visit flood-ravaged Texas on Friday, will be rethinking phasing out the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Asked if Trump may delay his promise to close FEMA and leave disaster response up to the states, Leavitt said, 鈥淭he president has always said he wants states to do as much as they can,鈥 and added that Texas officials are doing a 鈥渢remendous job.鈥
Pressed in a subsequent question about phasing out FEMA, Leavitt said she鈥檇 already answered the question 鈥 even though she hadn鈥檛.
She also bristled at suggestions that Trump's deep cuts to federal services may have affected the government response. She blamed Democrats, said faulting 鈥淧resident Trump for these floods is a depraved lie鈥 and insisted that the National Weather Service 鈥渄id its job鈥 by spreading warnings about possible catastrophic flooding.
Pressure from Trump for trade deals before Wednesday deadline
The Trump administration is stepping up pressure on to quickly make new deals before a , with plans for the United States to start Monday warning countries that higher could kick in Aug. 1.
That furthers the uncertainty for businesses, consumers and America鈥檚 trading partners, and questions remain about which countries will be notified, whether anything will change in the days ahead and whether President Donald Trump will once more push off imposing the rates. Trump and his top trade advisers say he could extend the time for dealmaking but they insist the administration is applying maximum pressure on other nations.
Kevin Hassett, director of the White House National Economic Council, told CBS鈥 鈥淔ace the Nation鈥 on Sunday that Trump would decide when it was time to give up on negotiations.
The Associated Press
