Trump touts tariffs and culture war wins in historically long speech to Congress

As he exited the House chamber after his speech, Trump stopped to shake the hands of several Supreme Court justices, telling them: "Thank you again. Thank you again. Won’t forget."

It's unclear exactly what Trump was thanking the justices for. In recent weeks his allies have often invoked last year's Supreme Court ruling that granted him immunity for official presidential acts to justify some of his executive orders and actions.

After he walked out of the House chamber during Trump’s speech wearing a shirt that read "No kings live here," Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., said he did so to show the American people their leaders understand “this is not a normal moment.”

Frost said in an interview with MSNBC that the message of the walkout was intended just as much for the president as it was for the media, arguing that the Trump administration’s broad cuts to government agencies are designed to free up money for tax breaks to a handful of billionaires.

Frost also said he wanted to be an example of organizing and resistance.

"I think it is important to make sure people know that the United States, our democracy, can break, we can lose it if we don't defend it," Frost said. "And fascism and authoritarians, they gain power when there is no opposition.

Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., weighed in on the behavior of his fellow lawmakers, telling NBC News that the “standard of conduct” gets worse every time the president addresses Congress.

“I’m not just blaming the Democrat side; we’ve had people screaming at Joe Biden. It’s not good — tonight was terrible,” Bacon said. “And, I mean, what’s it going to be like next year? And the following year? In my view, it was embarrassing.”

Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., delivered the Democratic response to Trump's speech. She criticized the administration, including several of Trump's policies, Musk and Trump's recent meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

This is Trump 2.0 — a president with the wind at his back and a certain swagger that he didn’t have during his first term.

He blamed former President Joe Biden for a lot of the country’s ills at this moment, and he really mocked Democrats.

This was a very partisan speech in that respect.

Statement

“We’re going to have growth in the auto industry like nobody’s ever seen. Plants are opening up all over the place. Deals are being made, never seen. That’s a combination of the election win and tariffs. It’s a beautiful word, isn’t it, that, along with our other policies, will allow our auto industry to absolutely boom. It’s going to boom. Spoke to the majors today, all three, the top people, and they’re so excited. In fact, already, numerous car companies have announced that they will be building massive automobile plants in America, with Honda just announcing a new plant in Indiana, one of the largest anywhere in the world."

Statement

"As an example, not long ago, and you can't even believe these numbers, 1 in 10,000 children had autism. One in 10,000, and now it's 1 in 36. There's something wrong. One in 36, think of that, so we're going to find out what it is."

Slotkin said President Ronald Reagan "must be rolling in his grave" after "the spectacle that just took place in the Oval Office last week" when Trump clashed with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

"That scene in the Oval Office wasn't just a bad episode of reality TV. It summed up Trump's whole approach to the world," Slotkin said.

"As a Cold War kid, I'm thankful it was Reagan and not Trump in office in the 1980s. Trump would have lost us the Cold War," she added.

Trump blamed Canada and Mexico for the flow of fentanyl to the U.S.

In the official Democratic response to Trump's speech, Sen. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan accused him of trying to mount an "unprecedented giveaway to his billionaire friends" and told viewers that "to do that, he’s going to make you pay in every part of your life.”

Slotkin, who is in her first term, also blasted Trump's ally Elon Musk, invoking Musk's comments to podcaster Joe Rogan last week when he called Social Security "the biggest Ponzi scheme of all time."

"While we’re on the subject of Elon Musk, is there anyone in America who is comfortable with him and his gang of 20-year-olds using their own computer servers to poke through your tax returns, your health information?” Slotkin added, referring to the young people working at the Department of Government Efficiency who have sought sensitive data housed in the Treasury Department and other federal agencies.

Slotkin is part of a group of Democratic women elected to the House in 2018 with national security backgrounds whose profiles have risen in recent years. Two other members of the group of women, who referred themselves as “the badasses,” are running for governor of their states this year: Rep. Mikie Sherrill, of New Jersey, and former Rep. Abigail Spanberger, of Virginia.

Democrats began leaving Trump's address with many open seats on their side of the chamber before he had concluded his remarks.

Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., left with a shirt emblazoned with the words “NO MORE KINGS.”

Rep. Madeleine Dean, D-Pa., who had held up a blue and yellow scarf in support of Ukraine, walked out with Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md.

Reps. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, and Melanie Stansbury, D-N.M., also walked out before Trump finished his historically long speech.

An ISIS-K operative who Trump said tonight was the primary planner of the Abbey Gate bombing in Afghanistan, which killed 13 American service members, is on an extradition flight back to the United States right now, according to a White House official.

The operative, Mohammed Sharifullah, was arrested in late February in Pakistan by Pakistani authorities acting on intelligence provided by the United States, the official said. 

Statement

Joe Biden didn't just open our borders. He flew illegal aliens over them to overwhelm our schools, hospitals and communities throughout the country. Entire towns like Aurora, Colorado, and Springfield, Ohio, buckled under the weight of the migrant occupation and corruption like nobody has ever seen before. Beautiful towns destroyed.

After a rocky start when Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, was removed for jeering at Trump, this really became a speech about cultural issues — a culture war speech, if you will.

Trump spent about 20 minutes on that.

It was 20 minutes before he talked about the top issue for voters: the economy.

As Slotkin’s responds to Trump’s address, it’s worth remembering that she had some advice for Democratic messaging after the 2024 election, stressing that her party should focus on “kitchen table issues.”

"It’s not rocket science, but talking about those issues plainly, not from the faculty lounge but from the assembly line, is, I think, a very important message,” she said at a news conference in November.

Clocking in at roughly an hour and 40 minutes, Trump's speech broke the record for longest presidential address to Congress (including his own) by over 10 minutes.

Longest speeches for comparison:

Bill Clinton — 2000 — 1:28:49

Clinton — 1995 — 1:24:58 

Trump — 2019 — 1:22:18

Trump — 2018 — 1:20:30

Clinton — 1999 — 1:18:40 

Trump — 2020 — 1:18:03

Statement

"Europe has sadly spent more money buying Russian oil and gas than they have spent on defending Ukraine by far. Think of that. They've spent more buying Russian oil and gas than they have defending. And we've spent perhaps $350 billion, and they've spent $100 billion. And we have an ocean separating us, and they don't. And Biden has authorized more money in this fight than Europe has spent."

Trump is defending his position on Ukraine a day after his administration said it would pause military aid to the country.

"Millions of Ukrainians and Russians have been needlessly killed or wounded in this horrific and brutal conflict with no end in sight. The United States has sent hundreds of billions of dollars to support Ukraine’s defense," Trump said.

"It's time to stop this. It’s time to halt the killing. It’s time to end the senseless war," he added.

Trump also read from a letter he said he had received from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy acknowledging the United States' efforts, his desire for peace and his willingness to sign a rare-earth minerals deal.

"I appreciate that he sent this letter," Trump said.

Trump told farmers that there "may be a little bit of an adjustment period" as he reaffirmed his plans to place sweeping tariffs on goods coming into the United States from around the world — a move that has already caused China and Canada to announce retaliatory tariffs on U.S. agriculture products.

Referring to tumbling sales of U.S. agriculture products to China during his first term, Trump said farmers "will probably have to bear with me again."

Trump said that ultimately farmers would benefit because he will be placing tariffs on agriculture products coming into the United States from other countries. The United States began imposing a 25% tariff today on all products coming into the country from Mexico, which is one of its largest suppliers of tomatoes, avocados, peppers and berries.

"Tariffs are about making America rich again and making America great again. And it's happening, and it will happen rather quickly," he said. "There'll be a little disturbance, but we're OK with that. It won't be much."

Trump says his administration will be “reclaiming the Panama Canal,” adding that it has “already started doing it.”

“The Panama Canal was built by Americans, not for others, but others could use it. But it was built at tremendous cost of American blood,” Trump said. 

Trump mentioned a deal made earlier today, in which the Hong Kong company CK Hutchison said it would sell its controlling stake in a unit that operates two ports on the Pacific and Atlantic sides of the canal to a consortium that includes the U.S. asset manager BlackRock.

Trump also addressed “the incredible people of Greenland,” saying that he supports the right to determine their own future and that they are welcome to join the United States.

“We need it really for international world security. And I think we’re going to get it one way or the other,” he said.

Trump praised Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as he spoke about autism in the United States, saying there’s “nobody better” than Kennedy, his recently confirmed health and human services secretary, to “figure out what’s going on.” 

“You have the best to figure out what is going on. OK, Bobby, good luck. It’s a very important job,” Trump said.

Kennedy has long used anti-vaccine rhetoric and his platform to claim without evidence that early childhood vaccines cause autism. In 2018, Kennedy founded Children’s Health Defense, a nonprofit anti-vaccine group.

Pressed about the issue by Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., at his Senate confirmation hearing, Kennedy refused to plainly state that vaccines do not cause autism, despite decades of research dispelling any link.

A president’s speech to a joint session of Congress is a chance to offer a unifying message in divided times.

Trump, in his speech tonight, has eschewed that approach.

He called his predecessor, Joe Biden, “the worst president in American history.”

That’s the sort of rhetoric politicians use on the campaign trail, but Trump is no longer a candidate and won’t be on the ballot again. Neither will Biden, who dropped out of the 2024 race in favor of Kamala Harris.

Discussing the war in Ukraine, Trump taunted Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., by referring to her as "Pocahontas." Numerous Democrats walked out after that.

During a section of his speech outlining why he wants the United States to regain control of the Panama Canal, Trump said, "We have [Secretary of State] Marco Rubio in charge."

"Good luck, Marco," Trump added, before joking, "Now we know who to blame if anything goes wrong."

He also complimented Rubio, saying, "Marco has been amazing, and he’s going to do a great job."

Trump asked the Secret Service tonight to make a 13-year-old who was diagnosed with brain cancer an honorary Secret Service agent.

Trump said during his remarks that D.J. Daniel, who was in attendance, had always dreamed of becoming a police officer but was diagnosed in 2018 with brain cancer.

"Tonight, D.J., we’re going to do you the biggest honor of them all," Trump said, adding that he had asked Secret Service Director Sean Curran to make him an agent. Daniel was given a badge and received a hug from Curran.

In a post on BlueSky, former Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn, who was involved in protecting the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, blasted Trump for claiming to support law enforcement officers in his speech.

"Dude says we have to take care of our law enforcement," Dunn wrote, adding: "F--- YOU!!! YOU A------ YOU PARDONED OUR ATTACKERS."

Dunn was referring to one of Trump's first moves in his second term, pardoning roughly 1,500 defendants who were involved in the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol.

Trump pledged to place reciprocal tariffs on countries that apply them to the United States.

Statement

"Over the past four years, 21 million people poured into the United States. Many of them were murderers, human traffickers, gang members and other criminals from the streets of dangerous cities all throughout the world because of Joe Biden's insane and very dangerous open border policies. They are now strongly embedded in our country, but we are getting them out and getting them out fast."

Promising to "drain the swamp," Trump says his administration will remove any official who resists change and restore what he called "true democracy" in America. He touted cuts to the federal government through DOGE, which is moving to rapidly cut government jobs.

NBC News checked in with swing voters from Bucks County, Pennsylvania, to get their reactions to the joint address about an hour into Trump's speech.

Trump won Bucks County by 0.07% in November.

Lynne Keheller, who described herself as a reluctant Republican, voted for Trump in 2016, a libertarian candidate in 2020 and unwillingly voted for former Vice President Kamala Harris in November.

She said it was “hard to watch” the joint address and turned it off.

Statement

"For the first time in modern history, more Americans believe that our country is headed in the right direction than the wrong direction."

Trump again invokes himself as the victim of political targeting, claiming that certain jurisdictions had “virtually ceased” enforcing the law against repeat offenders “while weaponizing law enforcement against political opponents like me.”

Statement

“We're also identifying shocking levels of incompetence and probable fraud in the Social Security program for our seniors.”

Trump highlighted some of the actions he has taken since he returned to office. He touted “a freeze on all foreign aid” as one of his first achievements.

It appeared Democrats largely remained seated during Trump’s discussion of the Laken Riley Act, but the measure did receive bipartisan support, with 12 Senate Democrats and 46 House Democrats voting to pass it.

Trump talked about the development of a gold card, which would allow foreigners to buy a pathway to U.S. citizenship for $5 million. He compared it to a green card, saying the gold card is “more sophisticated.” 

Trump made “migrant crime” a centerpiece of his campaign, and many family members of victims of such crimes appeared with him either on the trail or in videos produced by the campaign that aired during his rallies. They’re celebrities of their own kind in MAGA world.

An hour in, and no mention of Ukraine or Gaza. NBC News had previously reported that foreign policy would come closer to the end of his speech.

Trump says Canada and Mexico are allowing fentanyl to come into the United States at “levels never seen before.” However, almost none of the fentanyl intercepted at U.S. borders comes from Canada.

U.S. customs data shows that in 2024, the amount of fentanyl seized at the northern border wouldn't even fill a carry-on suitcase — just 43 pounds, or about 0.02% of the more than 20,000 pounds the Drug Enforcement Administration seized at both the Canadian and Mexican borders.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said yesterday that, thanks to his country's enhanced drug enforcement efforts, the amount of fentanyl seized at the Canadian border had fallen a further 97% from December to January, to 0.03 pounds.

Trump touted the TAKE IT DOWN Act, which first lady Melania Trump advocated for this week. The bill, which passed unanimously in the Senate, seeks to criminalize revenge porn.

After he discussed the bill, Trump quipped: “I'm going to use that bill for myself, if you don’t mind. Because nobody gets treated worse than I do online."

Rep. Lance Gooden, R-Texas, said on social media why he grabbed the "this is not normal" sign Rep. Melanie Stansbury, D-N.M., was holding.

“No one will disrespect President @realdonaldtrump in front of me,” Gooden said on X.

Trump is promising tax cuts “all across the board” and reviving his campaign promise to offer “no tax on tips, no tax on overtime and no tax on Social Security benefits for our great seniors.” While Trump has drilled a rapid pace of action since he took office, the proposals affecting hourly workers and seniors are still outstanding.

A Democratic leadership aide reminds NBC News that when Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, announced last month that he would introduce new articles of impeachment against Trump, members of House Democratic leadership, including Pete Aguillar and Ted Lieu, both of California, said that “impeachment is not a focus of the Democratic caucus."

After beinhe was escorted out of the House chamber, Green again reiterated that he is working on filing the articles.

After he was escorted out of the chamber, Green told NBC News that when Trump spoke about his “mandate” it “triggered something. It really did. Because he doesn’t have a mandate, and he doesn’t have a mandate to cut health care from poor people.” 

The interview with Green was interrupted by Capitol Police, who removed us from the area where we were speaking.

Some Democrats laughed out loud when Trump said the days of rule by unelected bureaucrats are over, and some stood up and pointed to Musk.

As Trump promised to "drain the swamp," he said, "It’s very simple, and the days of rule by unelected bureaucrats are over.” He touted cuts to the federal government through DOGE, which is moving to rapidly cut government jobs.

As Trump claims to have found “hundreds of billions of dollars in fraud,” even the highly dubious accounting of the DOGE “wall of receipts” shows only $105 billion in estimated total savings. The numbers don’t add up. Neither has anyone been charged with fraud or any such case been publicly opened or referred.

Just over 20 minutes in his speech, Trump mentioned Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency, telling lawmakers, "I have created the brand-new Department of Government Efficiency: DOGE. Perhaps you've heard of it."

He pointed out that Musk was in the chamber and said: "He’s working very hard. He didn’t need this."

Trump also said DOGE is "headed" by Musk, even as the administration has denied that he's in charge. The White House said last month that an official named Amy Gleason is DOGE's administrator.

Trump quipped about Musk's work: "We appreciate it. Everybody here, even this side, appreciates it, I believe," referring to Democrats.

"They just don’t want to admit that," he added.

Statement

“Since taking office, my administration has launched the most sweeping border and immigration crackdown in American history — and we quickly achieved the lowest numbers of illegal border crossers ever recorded.”

Trump recognized former high school athlete Payton McNabb, who the White House said "suffered a severe injury by a male competitor in women’s sports," in announcing her attendance at tonight's speech.

"Payton is here tonight in the gallery, and Payton, from now on, schools will kick the men off the girls’ team, or they will lose all federal funding," he said.

Trump last month signed an executive order banning transgender athletes from taking part in women’s and girls’ sports.

Trump promises “dramatic and immediate relief to working families” even as warnings mount over concerns that his administration’s tariffs threaten to raise prices.

Trump is floating a plan to mine critical minerals at home.

“Later this week, I will also take historic action to dramatically expand production of critical minerals and rare earths here in USA,” Trump said.

Asked yesterday whether a minerals deal with Ukraine could be revived, Trump told reporters that he would have more to say in his address to Congress.

Some House Democrats walked out of the chamber after they took off their jackets to reveal words in white on their backs.

Some said, "RESIST."

The shirt worn by Maxwell Frost, of Florida, said, “NO MORE KINGS.”

Statement

Joe Biden especially let the price of EGGS get out of control — and we are working hard to get it back down.

Trump cites “a freeze on all foreign aid” as one of his first achievements. No mention of the waivers his secretary of state claims to have issued for life-saving food and medicine.

In a court challenge pending at the Supreme Court, critics say the desperately needed aid has still not been delivered.

Trump referred to the previous indictments against him, accusing former President Joe Biden of targeting him politically.

“How did that turn out?” he quipped to applause from Republicans.

During the campaign, Trump's polling rose in spite of the criminal charges against him.

At the beginning of Trump's speech, Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., held a white board that says “THAT’S A LIE.”

She later held a white board saying, "NO KING!"

The signs reading "Musk Steals," "Save Medicaid" and "Protect Veterans" were organized by the Congressional Progressive Caucus, according to a source familiar with the matter.

NBC News’ Tom Llamas shares the history and traditions of the House sergeant at arms, the official who introduces the commander in chief with the iconic words “Mister Speaker, the president of the United States.”

As his speech got underway, Trump pau, R-La.,sed and House Speaker Mike Johnson issued a warning to his fellow lawmakers: "Members are directed to uphold and maintain decorum in the House and to cease any further disruptions."

Johnson was addressing Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, who was standing in an aisle and waving his cane at Trump, saying, “You do not have a mandate.” Other lawmakers cheered and booed Green, causing further chaos on the House floor as Trump continued to pause his speech.

Johnson again addressed the chamber, saying, "Members are engaging in willful and continuing breach of the quorum, and the chair is prepared to direct the sergeant at arms to restore order to the joint session." He also directly told Green to take his seat before he ordered the House sergeant at arms to remove him from the chamber.

Green is a vocal critic of Trump and has multiple times filed articles of impeachment against him.

Trump seems relaxed heading into the address.

There has been a pep in his step today. He seems to be hitting his stride with a sense that he was sent here by the American people.

As he has said before, Trump feels he has a mandate and is looking forward to this speech. He wants to, as he says, "tell it like it is."

Democrats are holding black paddles that say SAVE MEDICAID, PROTECT VETERANS and MUSK STEALS.

Rep. Melanie Stansbury, D-N.M., was spotted holding a sign that read “This is not normal” as Trump entered the House chamber.

First elected in a special election in 2021 to replace then-Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, Stansbury represents a solidly Democratic district.

Someone grabbed the sign from across the aisle and threw it.

CORRECTION: A previous version of this post misidentified Stansbury as the top Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee. Stansbury is the top Democrat on a subcommittee dealing with the issue; the top Democrat on the committee is Rep. Jared Huffman.

Trump arrived in the House chamber shortly before 9:15 p.m. ET.

He has spent the past few minutes shaking hands with lawmakers and administration officials.

Chants of "USA! USA!" broke out as he walked up to the dais.

Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio, stood out as one of the few Democrats lining the aisle who shook hands with Trump’s Cabinet as they entered.

She represents a district Trump carried, and she also appears to be sporting a nod to Ukraine, donning a blue suit and yellow shirt. Kaptur is a co-founder and co-chair of the Congressional Ukraine Caucus.

Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said he's not attending Trump's address tonight and will instead be co-hosting an online event titled “Calling BS.”

"I’m not going to the speech tonight," Murphy posted on X just as his fellow senators were entering the House chamber for the speech. "Honor people who are choosing to go, but I think this is an exceptional moment and I just can’t act like it’s business as usual."

In an interview with MSNBC, Murphy said Trump is “not speaking to the nation."

"He’s speaking to his base," he said. "I think the president has an obligation to deliver a serious speech, and if he fulfills that obligation, then I think Democrats and Republicans should be there, but I don’t think that he is going to do that tonight.”

Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Elana Kagan, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett are in the chamber for tonight's speech.

Retired Justice Anthony Kennedy is also there.

Not in attendance: Justices Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch, Sonia Sotomayor, Clarence Thomas and Ketanji Brown Jackson

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins posted this photo of the Cabinet ahead of tonight’s address:

 

A White House official says VA Secretary Doug Collins is the designated survivor tonight.

Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., sitting next to Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., is wearing a yellow-and-blue striped tie — the colors of Ukraine’s flag — signaling his support for Kyiv and Zelenskyy.

Cameras caught the moment Vance walked in and went up to stand by House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. 

Vance says he doesn’t know “how you do this for 90 minutes." Johnson responds, “The hardest thing was doing it during Biden. You know the speech was a, a stupid campaign speech.”  

Trump is expected to highlight his plans for tariffs, according to excerpts of his prepared remarks the White House released ahead of his speech.

"Whatever they tariff us, we tariff them. Whatever they tax us, we tax them," Trump is expected to say, according to the released excerpts. "If they do non-monetary tariffs to keep us out of their market, then we do non-monetary barriers to keep them out of our market. We will take in trillions of dollars and create jobs like we have never seen before."

The Trump administration is enacting a plan to attach sweeping tariffs on all goods from Canada and Mexico, with a 25% U.S. tariff being tacked onto nearly all imported goods from both countries today, and an additional 10% tariff on goods imported from China.

Trump will address the price of eggs in his speech, claiming they are “out of control” — and blaming former President Joe Biden.

“Joe Biden especially let the price of EGGS get out of control—and we are working hard to get it back down,” Trump will say, according to excerpts of his speech released by the White House.

The price of eggs has soared in recent weeks, largely because of reduced egg supply due to the bird flu pandemic.

After Zelenskyy’s post on X and comments at a news conference that he is ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible and regrets the White House meeting, an allied diplomatic official told NBC News that European leaders will be watching tonight to see whether Trump is willing to accept that Zelenskyy has gone far enough to apologize and get ceasefire talks back on track.

The official said, “The question is whether the White House acknowledges it this evening and takes it at face value.” The official also said Zelenskyy "needs to demonstrate the ceasefire is being implemented in a meaningful way. There will be monitors on the ground."

Asked about Russia's reaction, the official said, “They’ll give the ceasefire lip service initially. The Russians won’t dismiss it outright. I suspect they’ll engage to a certain degree.”

Musk is in the room, getting applause from some of the people in the gallery (guests of lawmakers).

Musk took out his phone and began taping a video, a violation of House rules. He was told to stop.

As he walked through Statuary Hall to the House chamber, NBC News asked Vice President JD Vance whether Trump will make any announcements about a deal with Ukraine. “Thank you,” Vance replied with a smile.

Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., said she will continue to hold town halls in person, despite guidance from the National Republican Congressional Committee following several high-profile town hall outbursts.

"I actually — my first town hall is in the next week or so, I believe on March 11. So I don't shy away from tough questions. I answer all the questions. Even if the left wants to organize against me, I invite everyone show up," she said.

A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction blocking enforcement of the Trump administration’s executive order threatening federal funding for institutions that provide gender-affirming care for anyone under 19.

U.S. District Judge Brendan Hurson of Maryland ordered the defendants to file a status report with the court by March 11, detailing their compliance with the court’s order.

Read the full story here.

Pete Buttigieg met recently with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., to discuss the prospect of a Senate bid in Michigan in 2026, a source with knowledge of the meeting told NBC News.

Buttigieg, who was transportation secretary during the Biden administration and ran for president in 2020, remains undecided about whether to run, the source added.

The seat is being vacated by two-term Sen. Gary Peters, a Democrat who announced he won’t run for re-election next year. It is expected to be one of the most competitive Senate races in the country and a must-win for Democrats, who start on the back foot with 47 seats and another difficult electoral map this cycle.

Representatives for Schumer and Buttigieg did not comment when they were asked about the meeting.

U.S. military veterans training combat medics in the Kharkiv region said Trump’s decision to pause military aid will cost Ukrainian lives and reward Russia’s aggressive expansionism.

Trump says a primary reason for his new tariffs against the United States’ three largest trading partners is what he calls a “national emergency” brought on by fentanyl flowing across the country’s borders.

Trump says he is holding Canada, China and Mexico accountable for the spread of contraband drugs, but the tariffs come as the fentanyl epidemic is showing glimmers of improvement, drug policy experts and economic researchers say.

They fear that the 25% tariff on nearly all goods from Mexico and Canada and 20% on all Chinese imports will only erode the international cooperation needed to thwart global drug trafficking operations.

“Tariffs are not the sharpest tool in terms of negotiating with other countries and getting them to go along with drug and border policies,” said Bob McNab, chair of the economics department at Old Dominion University in Virginia. “This is akin to having a fence-line dispute with your neighbor and taking a sledgehammer with you.”

Read the full story here.

House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., told NBC News' Tom Llamas tonight that “when it comes to town halls, the advice that we give is: You do what you believe is right.”

Emmer was asked about NBC News reporting this afternoon that the National Republican Congressional Committee — the campaign arm of House Republicans — told GOP lawmakers that they should stop holding in-person town halls after multiple instances of constituents' berating their representatives over cuts by the Department of Government Efficiency, led by Elon Musk.

Emmer said his constituents are “overwhelmingly in favor” of DOGE and “they are so happy that Donald Trump has tasked Elon Musk and others with rooting out the waste, fraud and abuse.”

He said that while he hasn’t held any town halls this year, “we have some that are going to be on the books.”

The House Freedom Caucus, a group of hard-right Republican members, said it would attempt to censure any Democrat who disrupts Trump's speech tonight.

"The President’s address to tonight’s joint session of Congress is a constitutional obligation — not a sideshow for Democrats to use noisemakers, make threats, throw things or otherwise disrupt," the group said on X.

A Freedom Caucus member, Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., heckled Biden during his 2022 State of the Union address alongside Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., who was a member of the conservative bloc at the time.

Iowa farmers Terry and Jim Johnson say falling corn prices are putting their livelihoods at risk. Frustrated with government policies and a lack of political action, they warn the financial impact is “devastating.”

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., criticized Trump's decision to pause U.S. military aid to Ukraine, calling it “a mistake.”

He also told NBC News that a prolonged break in support for the country would be disastrous and create "an opportunity" for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"I’m trying to figure out when it would have a material effect on Ukraine soldiers on the battlefield," Tillis said. "Any sort of delay, though, is an opportunity for Putin. It’s a win for him, because he can send a signal and lie like he always does to the Russian people about how this is a win, but it’s also given him precious time to make up for all the deficiencies that we know that he has, and it’s just a mistake, in my opinion."

Asked whether the decision put Ukraine at a strategic disadvantage, Tillis said, "We’ll see how the president deals with it in his speech tonight, but a prolonged cessation of support for Ukraine, I think, is a disaster."

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., blasted the House Republicans' campaign arm for advising congressional Republicans to avoid in-person town halls after confrontations with angry constituents went viral.

"What does that mean in a democracy when one of the two major political parties in America says, in effect, 'The only way we're going to survive right now is if you don't go talk to the people you represent, if you don't hear from the people you represent'?" Warren told Jen Psaki on MSNBC

Warren said Republican leadership was telling its rank-and-file members in the House to put themselves "in a bubble" rather than risk hearing dissent from voters.

The General Services Administration today released a list of 443 “non-core” properties that it plans to sell as Musk and DOGE increasingly target federal buildings as a place where the government could save money.  

The list included several well-known buildings, including the Washington, D.C., headquarters for the FBI, the Labor Department and the Justice Department. The GSA’s own building was also on the list. 

According to a GSA official who has served across both the Trump and Biden administrations, 30% of the buildings were identified and added to the non-core property list during the Biden administration. The list raises GSA’s non-core properties to 50%.

The official added that GSA reviewed its portfolio to see which buildings could be disposed of — not those it has long-term interest in, like land ports of entry, federal courthouses and national security-related interests. It is looking to consolidate the workforce into fewer, higher-quality buildings.

At least some of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention fellows who were terminated in mid-February are being offered their jobs back, according to two sources with knowledge of the offers who are not permitted to speak on behalf of the agency.

They include fellows with the Laboratory Leadership Service and Public Health Associate Program. (More detail on those programs and the previous cuts are here.) “It’s welcome news,” a CDC official who was not permitted to speak on behalf of the agency told NBC News.

Protesters rallying in opposition to Trump and his administration gather in Washington ahead of Trump's remarks tonight to a joint session of Congress.

When Trump addresses Congress tonight, he will continue a tradition that Americans are now accustomed to but one that was unimaginable for more than 100 years. 

In April 1913, Woodrow Wilson had been president for only a month and a battle was brewing in his own party over tariff reform. To persuade skeptical lawmakers to support legislation reducing tariff rates, Wilson decided the best course of action was for him to speak to Congress directly, something a president had not done since 1800.  

Wilson’s decision “caused profound astonishment among Senators and Representatives,” The New York Times reported at the time. Congressional leaders were “delving into old records tonight to learn the proper course to pursue” with the visit. 

Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, whose opposition to Covid lockdowns made him a polarizing figure during the pandemic, is set to appear at a Senate confirmation hearing tomorrow to lead the National Institutes of Health.

As director, Bhattacharya would oversee an agency with a nearly $50 billion budget that’s set to undergo drastic changes, with the Trump administration pushing for job cuts across the federal government and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. looking to shift the agency’s focus away from infectious disease research and toward chronic diseases.

The NIH is made up of 27 research institutes, each focused on its own areas, including cancer, infectious diseases and mental health.

The administration suspended NIH reviews of new grant applications last month, preventing it from funding new research. The administration is also in a legal battle over an NIH policy that reduced indirect funding to universities — a move, experts say, that could stall progress in developing lifesaving treatments.

Read the full story here.

Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser said today that Black Lives Matter Plaza, an area on a city street near the White House, will be transformed into a mural project celebrating America’s upcoming 250th birthday.

“We have long considered Black Lives Matter Plaza’s evolution,” Bowser said in a statement announcing the plans for the plaza, which emerged as a gathering point for protests and demonstrations in the immediate aftermath of the death of George Floyd in 2020.

Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga. introduced legislation this week that would deny the city “certain apportionment funds” unless the June 2020 mural, which covers two blocks, was painted over and the area was renamed “Liberty Plaza.”

“The mural inspired millions of people and helped our city through a very painful period, but now we can’t afford to be distracted by meaningless congressional interference,” said Bowser, a Democrat.

Trump’s decision to impose a 25% tariff on all imports coming into the United States from Canada and Mexico will touch thousands of products across dozens of industries. But it is expected to take a particular toll on the U.S. auto industry, adding thousands of dollars to the cost of each new vehicle — with potential consequences including higher prices, falling sales and even cuts to manufacturing jobs.

With millions of auto parts and vehicles flowing among Canada, Mexico and the United States each year, the tariffs are estimated to increase the cost of producing most vehicles in North America by $4,000 to $10,000, according to an analysis by Anderson Economic Group. Even vehicles assembled in the United States will face higher costs, because their parts are imported from Canada and Mexico and will be subjected to the new tariffs.

“If I was a consumer and had my eye on a particular vehicle and I found it in inventory, I would buy it right away, because the price could be significantly higher in just a month,” said Patrick Anderson, head of Anderson Economic Group.

Read the full story here.

Heading into Trump’s address to Congress tonight, here is a status check on how his administration is faring in court.

At least 90 lawsuits have been filed against the administration since Trump was inaugurated, according to an NBC News analysis of court documents.

At least 14 departments or agencies face pending litigation. Nine cases have reached the appeals stage, and two have reached the Supreme Court: One is a case about funding for the U.S. Agency for International Development and the other involves the termination of special counsel Hampton Dellinger.

Here is how the cases break down:

Trump will “probably” announce tariff compromise deals with Canada and Mexico soon, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said today.

The potential agreements would most likely involve scaling back at least part of Trump’s brand new 25% tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada, he added.

The U.S. stock market limped to a close for a second day of sharp declines, spurred at least in part by investors’ fears that Trump’s aggressive policies will ignite a crippling trade war.

The compromise with Canada and Mexico is likely to be revealed as soon as tomorrow, Lutnick said on Fox Business.

Read the full story here.

David Cohen, U.S. ambassador to Canada during the Biden administration, warned against using Trump’s new 25% tariffs on Canadian goods for non-trade objectives. He criticized Trump’s approach to Canada, saying it risks long-term U.S. interests by straining relations with a key trading partner.

Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., said he has not missed a State of the Union or joint address to Congress since he was first elected to Congress in 2008 — but he will boycott Trump’s address tonight.

Heinrich said he is skipping the prime-time speech because he does not want to “normalize” Trump’s second administration.

“This White House, this president, is so radically out of bounds for what is normal that I felt it was important to make that point,” Heinrich said.

The Trump administration revised its guidance today about probationary employment in the federal government after a judge ruled last week that the Office of Personnel Management lacked the authority to make hiring or termination decisions for other agencies.

The new guidance clarifies that agencies, not OPM, have the final word when it comes to performance-based personnel actions.

“Please note that, by this memorandum, OPM is not directing agencies to take any specific performance-based actions regarding probationary employees,” the new guidance says. “Agencies have ultimate decision-making authority over, and responsibility for, such personnel actions.”

Read the full story here.

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo., said on NBC's "Meet the Press NOW" that the latest tariffs on China, Canada and Mexico show why it is “crucial” that Congress passes the reconciliation package. 

Asked whether there will be pain from the tariffs, Smith said that they are going to be “bouncy” but that Trump wants to deliver change and spark wealth. Smith said the tariffs would have winners and losers across the board.

"It’s definitely going to be bouncy, but the president wants some substantial change, and he wants to make the country wealthy very quickly," he said.

"Over the last four years, we’ve already faced a 21% inflation tax that has affected everything you purchase to put food on your table, clothes on your backs or gasoline in your cars," he said. "So we have experienced that type of inflation. What we could also experience is a 22% tax increase if Congress doesn’t deliver this."

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said in an interview with Fox Business News that an interim agreement with Canada and Mexico could come as soon as tomorrow, allowing tariffs to be rolled back to some degree.

“The Mexicans and the Canadians are on the phone with me all day today, trying to show that they’ll do better,” Lutnick said. “And the president is listening because, you know, he’s very, very fair and very reasonable. So I think he’s going to work something out with them.”

Lutnick continued: “It’s not going to be a pause, that pause stuff, but I think he’s going to figure out you do more and I’ll meet you in the middle some way, and we’re going to probably be announcing that tomorrow. So somewhere in the middle will likely be the outcome the president moving with the Canadians and Mexicans, but not all the way.”

A scientist with a doctorate who issues tsunami alerts. A hurricane-hunting flight director. A researcher studying which communities will get flooded when a storm strikes.

They were among the more than 600 workers the Trump administration cut last week when it eliminated about 5% of the workforce at the National Weather Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 

The mass firing — of educated, specialized workers who viewed themselves as the next generation of scientists protecting life and property — could stretch NOAA’s workforce thin and hinder work on programs designed for public safety, former agency employees and leaders said. 

Read the full story here.

The American Bar Association issued a statement this week rejecting attacks on the court system and the legal profession, after billionaire Elon Musk used his X platform to call for the impeachment of judges who have overruled or delayed aspects of President Donald Trump’s moves to overhaul the federal government.

The ABA said it would “not stay silent in the face of efforts to remake the legal profession into something that rewards those who agree with the government and punishes those who do not,” calling for an end to efforts meant to “cow our country’s judges, our country’s courts and our legal profession” and saying that such attempts at intimidation “cannot be sanctioned or normalized.”

Trump attacked judges whose decisions he disagreed with during his first term in office, as well as some of the judges who oversaw the four criminal cases against him during the intervening four years away from the White House.

Now, with Trump back in the Oval Office and Republicans in control of both the House and Senate, the federal judiciary has paused or overturned some of the most aggressive measures implemented by Trump and Musk, who has repeatedly urged the impeachment of judges who help up Trump’s measures.

Read the full story.

Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., was booed for leaving a town hall meeting early after facing questions about the efforts of the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency. Marshall later told NBC News that the people who booed him were from out of town.

Trump will speak to a divided country tonight when he makes a joint address to Congress, with recent polls showing Americans split on the start of his second term.

Trump’s job approval in various surveys has been largely in the mid-to-high 40s, slightly above where it stood at the start of his first term eight years ago. An NBC News poll in February 2017 found Trump’s approval rating at 44%.

A trio of polls released in recent days found Trump’s job approval rating ranging from 45% in a NPR/PBS News/Marist poll, 48% in a CNN poll, and 51% in a CBS/YouGov poll.

The surveys also showed some concerns about Trump’s early priorities.

Read the full story.

Some Democratic members of Congress tonight are expected to wear stickers that read in all capital letters, “Elon is stealing Social Security,” according to organizers of the move.

This unified act of opposition from Democrats in the House chamber is just one of many related to the Elon Musk-led downsizing of the federal government that are expected tonight.

This particular move is being organized by the Progressive Change Institute, a liberal advocacy group.

White House adviser Alina Habba said today that military veterans affected by the DOGE-led layoffs of federal workers may not be “fit to have a job at this moment.”

Speaking to reporters on the White House lawn, Habba was asked about fired workers whom Democrats invited to Trump’s joint address to Congress on Tuesday. Habba defended the cuts and said she had no sympathy for the thousands of people who have lost their jobs.

“I really don’t feel sorry for them,” Habba said. “They should get back to work for the American people, like President Trump and this administration.”

A reporter then noted that some military veterans have been part of that group.

“That’s something the president has always cared about — anybody in blue, anybody that serves this country. But at the same time, we have taxpayer dollars, we have a fiscal responsibility to use taxpayer dollars to pay people that actually work,” she said.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is not leaving office for almost two years, but the fight to replace him has already sparked intense jockeying among Republicans — and set up a proxy battle between DeSantis and Trump.

Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., was the first big-name Republican to enter the race, but the open governorship is almost certain to draw in additional well-financed primary opposition. Increasingly, it appears that opposition could come from one of the state’s best-known Republicans, in both reputation and last name: Casey DeSantis.

The state’s high-profile first lady has already said she is considering a run to replace her husband, starting a round of behind-the-scenes intrigue as DeSantis’ political machine tries to slow the ascent of Donalds, who quickly picked up Trump’s endorsement on the heels of Trump’s 13-point win in Florida last year.

According to a dozen veteran Florida and national Republicans interviewed by NBC News, the effort to tear down Donalds’ early front-runner status has included quiet calls to a list of big Republican donors who have already endorsed Donalds, as well as direct appeals to Trump in a recent face-to-face meeting with the DeSantises.

Read the full story.

The former chief financial officer of the Federal Emergency Management Agency has filed a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security and FEMA over her termination, claiming she was fired without proper cause or due process.

The ex-CFO, Mary Comans, is also alleging defamation after DHS published a news release about her firing.

The complaint argues that regulations limit how top-level federal employees like her can be fired.

“Under regulations prescribed by the Office of Personnel Management, an agency may take an action covered by this subchapter against an employee only for misconduct, neglect of duty, malfeasance, or failure to accept a directed reassignment or to accompany a position in a transfer of function,” attorneys for Comans write in the complaint. “None of those grounds were cited in the Termination Memorandum or are applicable to Ms. Comans.” 

Trump will meet with some members of the far-right House Freedom Caucus at the White House tomorrow afternoon to discuss government funding plans, according to three Republican sources familiar with the planning. The meeting comes as House Republican leaders have been trying to corral the votes for a continuing resolution, which members of the HFC typically do not support. 

But as Trump has called for a yearlong “clean” CR bill, there are signs that the usual HFC opposition is melting. Even hard-line conservative Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, who previously said he’d oppose any funding bill without DOGE cuts in it, stood up in a Republican conference meeting this morning and signaled he’d back a CR, according to two sources in the room.

Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought and other OMB staff attended an HFC meeting near Capitol Hill on Monday evening, one of the sources said, where government funding was also a major topic of conversation.

The Blaze was the first to report the meeting. 

A wide array of U.S. goods entering Canada will face 25% tariffs, according to a list released by that nation's Department of Finance.

The affected goods include aircraft, food and beverages, cosmetics, toiletries, home furnishing items, clothing, tools and appliances.

Trump has responded in a Truth Social post by stating Canada would face a further U.S. response for retaliating.

Already, some U.S. business groups are asking for the White House to stand down. Corey Rosenbusch, head of the Fertilizer Institute, an industry trade group, has sought a tariffs exemption for Canadian potash, which accounts for nearly all imports brought in by U.S. farmers.

“Restrictions on this critical cross-border trade will drive up costs for farmers, which could ultimately be felt at the grocery store by consumers,” Rosenbusch said in a statement.

The Supreme Court today appeared likely to rule against the Mexican government over a lawsuit seeking to hold U.S. gunmakers accountable for an epidemic of violence that officials in Mexico say can be traced to their products.

During oral arguments, both conservative and liberal justices seemed skeptical of the arguments made by Mexico that its claims could move forward despite a federal law intended to shield gun companies from liability.

Read the full story.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he is ready to work with Trump following their heated exchange in the Oval Office last week, writing in a post on X that "nobody wants peace more than Ukrainians."

"I would like to reiterate Ukraine’s commitment to peace," Zelenskyy wrote. "None of us wants an endless war. Ukraine is ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible to bring lasting peace closer."

"We are ready to work fast to end the war, and the first stages could be the release of prisoners and truce in the sky — ban on missiles, long-ranged drones, bombs on energy and other civilian infrastructure — and truce in the sea immediately, if Russia will do the same," he continued. "Then we want to move very fast through all next stages and to work with the US to agree a strong final deal."

The Ukrainian president said he values how much America has assisted the country and acknowledged that his White House meeting on Friday "did not go the way is was supposed to."

Trump threatened to impose additional tariffs on Canada if it moves forward with retaliatory tariffs in response to U.S. duties that went into effect today.

Trudeau announced today that Canada would impose tariffs on around $107 billion worth of U.S. goods.

In a post to his social media site, Trump took a dig at Trudeau, alluding to previous remarks that Canada should become the 51st state.

"Please explain to Governor Trudeau, of Canada, that when he puts on a Retaliatory Tariff on the U.S., our Reciprocal Tariff will immediately increase by a like amount!" Trump said on Truth Social.

A federal judge granted Merit Systems Protection Board Chair Cathy Harris’ motion for a summary judgment this morning, saying she could remain at the agency after she sued the Trump administration over her attempted firing.

The judge said Harris "may be removed by the President prior to the expiration of her term in office only for inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in office pursuant."

Harris sued the Trump administration, alleging her termination violated federal law. She was confirmed by the Senate on May 25, 2022, and sworn in on June 1, 2022.  

The Merit Systems Protection Board handles complaints from federal workers about actions taken against them, including firings.

MOSCOW — From where President Vladimir Putin is sitting, it looks like Russia is now winning a yearslong struggle with the United States and the West. And the result may be more war.

Trump’s announcement overnight that the United States would immediately halt military aid to Ukraine was welcomed by the Kremlin today, and his decision appears to vindicate Putin’s visceral dislike of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Meanwhile, the White House’s growing differences with NATO, the 32-member U.S.-led military alliance set up to counter the Soviet Union after World War II, and apparent rapprochement with Russia are fracturing the Western liberal order that for decades contained Putin’s ambitions.

The fight is by no means over. Hours after Trump’s announcement on Ukraine, European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced plans to strengthen Europe’s defense industry and increase military capabilities by freeing close to 800 billion euros ($841.4 billion).

“We’re living in the most momentous and dangerous of times,” she said in a statement. “We are in an era of rearmament.” 

Read the full story.

Congressional Republicans are again being advised against holding in-person town halls after several instances of lawmakers being berated by attendees went viral.

The chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee, which is the Hill committee that works to get Republicans elected to the House, told lawmakers in a closed-door meeting this morning that there were more efficient ways to reach constituents than in-person town halls, according to two sources in the room.

The chairman, Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C., compared the moment to 2017, when a series of GOP town halls made headlines after angry attendees confronted lawmakers. He also claimed without evidence that the disruptions were from paid protesters.

Read the full story.

The Democratic Women's Caucus has sent an email to its members urging them to wear pink, "a color of protest," for Trump's speech tonight.

"We're powerful, passionate, and pissed off," says the email, which was obtained by NBC News. "Pink is the color of protest. It is a color of women's power and persistence. Trump is raising costs, not lowering them, and we will push back."

"Wear pink to stand out as united in our fight for women and families."

Keith Siegel, an American who was held hostage by Hamas, will attend Trump’s joint speech to Congress as a guest of Rep. Lisa McClain, R-Mich., a member of House leadership.

Siegel was the first American to be freed from Hamas captivity on Feb. 1 during a temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. 

Siegel, a Chapel Hill, North Carolina, native, was held in captivity for 484 days after Hamas’ deadly attack on Oct. 7, 2023. His wife, Aviva, who was taken captive by Hamas and released last November, will also attend Trump’s speech.

Speaking to reporters this morning, White House adviser Alina Habba defended cuts that have been made by Elon Musk's DOGE team in the federal government.

Asked about Democratic lawmakers who are bringing federal workers who were recently fired as part of those cuts, Habba said: "We’ve heard that they’re going to bring people that have lost their jobs. Yeah, you get fired. You get fired when you don’t show up to work. You get fired when you are taking taxpayer dollars and you’re not working for the federal government. And you are double dipping. That is this administration."

"I really don’t feel sorry for them," she said. "They should get back to work for the American people, like President Trump and this administration."

Habba also weighed in on military veterans who have also been fired, saying that the Trump White House cares about them, but "at the same time, we have taxpayer dollars, we have a fiscal responsibility to use taxpayer dollars to pay people that actually work."

"That doesn’t mean that we forget our veterans by any means," she continued. "We are going to care for them in the right way, but perhaps they’re not fit to have a job at this moment, or not willing to come to work."

During his remarks addressing the new tariffs, Trudeau said Trump is seeking to destroy the Canadian economy so that the U.S. can annex its neighbors to the north.

“I don’t know what negotiations we might undertake at the moment to convince him that that’s not his goal,” Trudeau said.

Trump has continued to suggest Canada could become the 51st state, recently posting to Truth Social that hockey great Wayne Gretzky, with whose family Trump is close, has been "low key" about the idea, rather than outwardly supporting Canada "becoming a cherished and beautiful 51st State, paying much Lower Taxes, a Free and Powerful Military, NO TARIFFS, and having a Booming Economy.”

In his speech addressing the new tariffs, Trudeau also took aim at Trump's treatment of Zelenskyy and the administration's posturing toward Russia.

"They’re talking about working positively with Russia, appeasing Vladimir Putin — a lying, murderous, dictator," Trudeau said. "Make that make sense. Canadians are reasonable and we are polite. But we will not back down from a fight, not when our country and the well-being of everyone in it is at stake."

Trudeau participated in a defense summit with European leaders and Zelenskyy over the weekend in London, voicing support for the Ukrainian president and his country.

Elon Musk will join House Republicans for a meeting in the Capitol tomorrow evening, according to an email from House Speaker Mike Johnson's office that was sent to GOP members and shared with NBC News.

Johnson, R-La., said last week that he was looking to arrange a meeting for members with Musk as some Republicans seek more clarity on the DOGE cuts that the tech billionaire is spearheading.

The meeting comes as House Republican leaders try to pass a continuing resolution ahead of the March 14 government funding deadline. Musk helped torpedo spending legislation in December, complicating GOP leaders’ plans.

Trudeau reiterated his country's plan to impose tariffs on some $107 billion worth of U.S. goods in response to President Donald Trump's announcement that America's northern neighbor would be subject to 25% duties.

“Canadians are reasonable and we are polite, but we will not back down from a fight, not when our country and the well-being of everyone in it is at stake at the moment,” Trudeau said.

Addressing Trump as "Donald," Trudeau said Canada had stuck to its word in negotiations last month designed to avoid the new duties — while also stating Trump's claim that Canada was a significant source of fentanyl flows was false.

“There is absolutely no justification or need whatsoever for these tariffs today,” Trudeau said, adding: “Even though you’re a very smart guy, this is a very dumb thing to do.”

Vice President JD Vance told reporters on Capitol Hill this morning that the pause in U.S. aid to Ukraine is intended "to send a very explicit message that the Ukrainians have got to come to the table and start negotiating with President Trump." 

Asked if there’s still hope for a mineral deal, Vance said yes and that he believes Trump is still committed to the deal as well. 

“There’s a lot of questions about territory, about everything else. We want to have that conversation. We’re not saying that we’re committed to one pathway or another. We’re just saying you can’t even bring the peace to the forefront if the Ukrainians aren’t willing to negotiate in good faith,” Vance said about a timeline for a deal.  

Vance, Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy got into a heated clash in the Oval Office last week after the vice president questioned whether Zelenskyy was grateful for U.S. assistance and challenged him on how to address the ongoing war with Russia.

This morning, Zelenskyy wrote in a post on X: "Ukraine is ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible to bring lasting peace closer. Nobody wants peace more than Ukrainians. My team and I stand ready to work under President Trump’s strong leadership to get a peace that lasts."

House Democratic leaders urged members during a closed-door party meeting today to show proper decorum ahead of Trump’s joint address to Congress, according to three House Democrats who attended the meeting. 

House Minority Whip Katherine Clark, D-Mass., specifically asked members not to use “props” to protest the speech tonight, while House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., encouraged members to stay on message and keep the spotlight focused on the people affected by Trump’s policies — not make the story about themselves. 

Jeffries previously encouraged members in a “dear colleague” letter to attend the speech, but during this morning's meeting, he said he respects any decision by members to skip it, according to attendees. 

Among those members not attending the speech are Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., who announced during the meeting she would be boycotting Trump’s address. 

Rep. Richard Hudson, the chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, advised Republicans against doing town halls after several GOP district events recently went viral, according to two sources who attended a closed-door political meeting this morning.

Hudson, R-N.C., whose committee works to get Republicans elected to the House, warned members that it’s like “2017” and accused paid protesters of being the source of the recent town hall disruptions over DOGE. He and other Republican officials who have made such claims have not provided evidence.

Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., stood up at the meeting and said people were following her outside her house and harassing her and her kids, the sources said. 

Hudson's comments follow previous suggestions from party leaders that lawmakers hold tele-town halls or vet attendees to avoid viral scenes, or stop holding events altogether.

Trump’s decision to pause American military aid to Ukraine is handing Russia’s Vladimir Putin the upper hand on the battlefield and in geopolitical negotiations, former officials and experts warned Tuesday.