What to know today
- President Donald Trump signed an executive order barring transgender athletes from participating in women's and girls' sports. He also said he would direct the government to deny visas for transgender women athletes trying to enter the United States for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
- The president met with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and California Gov. Gavin Newsom as they pursue border security and wildfire recovery measures in their respective states.
- Trump's comments that the United States would take "long-term" ownership of the Gaza Strip have sparked international outcry and invited strong reactions at home
- Meanwhile, Trump and Elon Musk's efforts to scale back federal agencies continue at the U.S. Agency for International Development, the CIA and elsewhere.
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Australian lawmaker legally changes name to 'Aussie Trump'
An independent state lawmaker in Australia has legally changed his name to "Aussie Trump" in an apparent protest against the country's governing center-left Labor Party.
The lawmaker formerly known as Ben Dawkins said on X that he was protesting "the tyranny and systematic corruption of the Labor government," which has a parliamentary majority in his state, Western Australia.
In a separate post, he shared a photo showing legal confirmation of his new name, which also now appears on the state's parliamentary website.
Aussie Trump, who frequently quotes Donald Trump in his speeches and social media posts, was expelled from the Labor Party in 2023 over allegations that he had repeatedly violated family violence restraining orders. He pleaded guilty to 35 of 42 charges later that year.
Education Department staff warned that Trump buyout offers could be canceled at any time
Top officials at the Department of Education told staff today that if they accept the Trump administration’s deferred resignation package, the education secretary may later cancel it and employees would not have any recourse, potentially leaving them without promised pay.
The Office of Personnel Management sent notices last week to federal employees that if they resign by Thursday, they could continue receiving pay and benefits until the end of September. The Trump administration is hoping to get as many as 10% of the workforce to quit as part of a plan to shrink the federal bureaucracy.
But three Education Department officials told NBC News that Rachel Oglesby, the department’s new chief of staff, and Jacqueline Clay, chief human capital officer, described significant caveats to the so-called Fork in the Road offer in an all-staff meeting held over Zoom today. The officials did not want to be named for fear of retaliation.
Former USAID administrator Samantha Power defends the agency
Former USAID Administrator Samantha Power tonight emphasized the importance of the agency's work in promoting the U.S. interests abroad.
Power, who earlier signed onto a letter from a bipartisan group of former administrators defending the agency, said in an interview on MSNBC that "the wreckage in the world" is keeping USAID employees up at night as the Trump administration targets the agency, effectively grinding much of its work to a halt.
She highlighted how the agency does "really important democracy work," among other priorities. Power said that USAID advances America's interests, noting that lots of misinformation about the agency's work is circulating.
“It also matters for U.S. security, and I think there’s just not a fundamental appreciation of that. It matters in the strategic competition with the PRC, with China,†she said. “There’s not an appreciation of that.â€
Education Department calls for review of grants connected to DEI
A new directive from the Education Department to its employees calls for a sweeping review of its extensive grant program to potentially block aid to those connected with diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
A memo obtained by NBC News titled “eliminating discrimination and fraud in department grant awards,†which was sent late this evening and signed by acting Secretary Denise Carter, calls for an internal review of all new grant awards and those that have not yet been awarded to specific people or entities.
“Such review shall be limited to ensuring that Department grants do not fund discriminatory practices — including in the form of DEI — that are either contrary to law or to the Department’s policy objectives, as well as to ensure that all grants are free from fraud, abuse and duplications,†the memo reads. “Grants deemed inconsistent with these priorities, shall, where permitted by applicable law, be terminated.â€
The Education Department divvies up billions of dollars in grants every year. It was unclear how it defined DEI initiatives, given that the memo named departments across the board, leaving little off-limits.
“All indicators are that they are going after the entire education system,†an Education Department official familiar with the memo said.
The directive asked for a potential pause into “discriminatory†grants going to a wide variety of departments, including those covering elementary and secondary education, postsecondary education, special education and rehabilitative services, as well as the Office of English Language Acquisition, which handles English-as-a-Second Language learners.
A White House spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Senate Democrats are doing overnight Senate floor speeches in protest of Russell Vought's nomination to lead OMB
Senate Democrats plan to speak all night against Russell Vought’s nomination to be director of the Office of Management and Budget.
The overnight round of speeches won’t affect the final vote on Vought, as he’s expected to be confirmed along party lines once the 30 hours of debate ends at 7 p.m. tomorrow. Vought’s nomination was advanced today along party lines.
In previous nominations, Democrats have allowed the Senate to close overnight to give Capitol staff members and Capitol Police a break before they reconvene in the morning while allowing that time to still chip away at the 30 hours of debate.
But Democrats are holding these overnight speeches as a form of protest against Vought’s nomination, in particular his comments about how he would like to handle government spending and federal workers.
The Senate could, hypothetically, vote earlier than 7 p.m. tomorrow, but that would require an agreement among all 100 senators.
National Security Agency employees offered 'buyouts'
Reporting from Washington
In addition to the CIA, employees of the National Security Agency have been offered the buyouts formally known as “deferred resignation,†according to a source with direct knowledge of the matter.
NSA staff members received an email last night offering a voluntary early retirement option, followed by a town hall today with the director of the agency, which employs about 33,000 people.
The source also said that according to a memo this week from the Office of Personnel Management, the NSA’s chief information officer is set to be replaced by a political appointee. NBC News has reported that the Trump administration was taking steps to turn certain tech positions into political appointee posts that allow for hiring and firing at will.
Trump’s pick to lead the National Counterterrorism Center has called Jan. 6 rioters ‘political prisoners’
Trump’s pick to oversee U.S. intelligence on terrorism threats is a retired Green Beret who has called Jan. 6 rioters “political prisoners†and has had ties to a man police say was a member of the far-right group known as the Proud Boys.
The selection of Joe Kent as director of the National Counterterrorism Center is part of a wider effort by the administration to place trusted loyalists and partisan activists in senior government positions in intelligence, law enforcement and diplomacy. Trump and his supporters have said the intelligence community sought to undermine him in the past and needs a radical overhaul.
The National Counterterrorism Center oversees U.S. government intelligence on terrorist threats and retains a database of all known and suspected terrorists. Kent served in Army Special Forces, undertaking 11 combat deployments during a 20-year career, and later worked at the CIA. He lost his wife, a Navy cryptologist, in a terrorist bombing in Syria in 2019.
Republican senator appears to swipe at DOGE
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, appeared to take a swipe at the Department of Government Efficiency, which Musk is using to push for a massive overhaul in the federal workforce and agencies.
"Efficiency in government should be a goal for every administration, agency, and federal employee," Murkowski said on X. "But how we achieve it also matters."
"By circumventing proper channels and procedures, and creating the potential to compromise the sensitive data of Americans, we create a tremendous amount of unnecessary anxiety. That is wrong. Good governance is based on trust, not fear," she said.
Murkowski is one of the few Republican senators who have been open to opposing aspects of Trump's agenda. She voted against Pete Hegseth's confirmation as defense secretary and has signaled openness to opposing other nominees.
Trump the real estate developer eyes Gaza as his next project
Reporting from Washington, D.C.
Donald Trump the president was once Donald Trump the real estate mogul, and in his new term the two roles are starting to blur.
First he targeted Greenland, Canada and the Panama Canal. Now he is eyeing Gaza as America’s next great acquisition.
'An issue of life and death': USAID workers, supporters issue a warning to Congress at protests
The mood at today's rally at the Capitol in support of the U.S. Agency for International Development was one of shock, fear and fury at lawmakers for not doing more to push back against the dismantling of USAID.
Mary Kate Adgie, a State Department contractor who said she was laid off last week as a result of Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s stop-work order, told NBC News she was working on projects under the Global Fragility Act — a law co-sponsored by then-Sen. Rubio and signed by Trump during his first administration that “aims to revitalize how the United States invests in stabilization around the world, recognizing that conflict prevention is immensely cheaper than conflict resolution.â€
“The 180, I would say, is, it’s shocking,†she told NBC News. Â
Adgie — who said the way the stop-work order was “jarring†— has been frustrated by what she says has been misinformation around “wasteful†foreign spending.Â
Recently, she had been working on a USAID project in Papua New Guinea “to invest in civic education, community violence, gender-based violence reduction, opportunities to advance equity,†she said.
“I think that’s important conversation for the strategic competition interest of the United States," she said. "And now we’ve completely pulled out, and our implementing partners and local community members are left wondering what’s going to happen after we had been laying the groundwork and the foundation."Â
She expressed frustration that an estimated 8,000 people in the field are now unemployed.
“I’ll be OK. I have community. I have resources. I have savings,†Adgie said. “I think it’s really just heartbreaking to know that there are millions of people around the world depending on this, particularly local implementing partners. They will not survive a 90-day pause for foreign assistance review. People will not get the services that they need, and as a result, the U.S. is going to be less prosperous, less secure and less safe.â€
A woman who works for a USAID implementing partner who declined to be named on the record is frustrated by how the shuttering of USAID to reduce government spending has happened in an unnecessarily expensive manner that wastes taxpayer dollars.
“The waste to taxpayer dollars just happening because of the chaos — no one’s against a realignment and a review of what’s happening. That would be no problem, but the way, the chaotic way they’re doing it is such an immense waste to U.S. taxpayer dollars that when we eventually know what that number is, it’ll be infuriating," she said. "And you should be infuriated as taxpayer that this is happening, and it’s going to happen again, not just at USAID but at Department of Education, etc.â€Â
Scott Paul, Oxfam America’s director of peace and security, called it a “seismic event for the humanitarian system†worldwide.
“This is not sustainable,†he said. “This is an issue of life and death for people around the world. There is no humanitarian assistance in the world that is untouched by what has happened in the last two weeks for USAID.
“In the space of two weeks, the world’s richest person has deprived the poorest people in the world, struggling through the worst times of their lives, the very help they need to get that,†he added.
Jerry Parks, who works for a USAID implementing partner on monitoring and evaluation of global health programs, stressed the level of oversight and accountability he encounters in his work.
“There’s all sorts of analysis done,†he said. “And if a project isn’t working, we recalibrate it so the money is very much accounted for. The idea that this is sort of corrupt waste being thrown into the ether is just nonsense.â€
“I can’t emphasize how devastating this is,†Parks said.
Without his organization’s work, he’s worried that HIV cases in places like Kenya and Uganda will climb, putting people in “serious danger."Â
“We have made humongous improvements in combating AIDS," he said. "It’s the greatest achievement of public health history, and all that is being undone.â€
Parks said he believes it's possible to care for people both in America and abroad.
"There’s so much kindness in this country," he said. "And I think that if people realized what good the U.S. did in the world for how little money, I find it very hard to believe that there would be so much opposition.â€
Democratic lawmakers — faced with heckling from rallygoers calling on them to "do your job" — expressed hope that the courts would intervene and that their Republican colleagues would act.
Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., called the shuttering of USAID "downright illegal."
"It’s pretty clear that presidents are not kings," he told the crowd. "They don’t get to decide to cherry-pick the law. This is not, like, à la carte. The law is the law, and President Trump needs to obey all parts of that law."Â
Rep. Madeleine Dean, D-Pa., asked where Republicans are when "lives are now at stake."
"Lives are now being lost as a result of this unlawful taking, this grotesque cruelty of the Trump administration," she said. "What is going on is corrupt, it is cruel, it is chaotic, it is lawless, it is unconstitutional, and that’s the point."
Rep. Sara Jacobs, D-Calif., who said she plans to introduce legislation to push back against Musk's "illegal takeover of USAID," appealed to the crowd's expertise.
"It is a power grab meant to silence critics, and let’s be clear: While USAID might be first, it is not going to be the last, but joke’s on them, because who knows better how to work in an authoritarian country than all of you?" Jacobs said.
Out of power, Democratic lawmakers take to the streets to rally opposition to Trump
Reporting from Washington, D.C.
Democratic lawmakers are staging protests outside federal agencies, holding resistance-themed news conferences back home and taking to social media as they try to combat Trump’s moves to remake the government with executive power.
Relegated to the minority in Congress and left with few legislative tools to check Trump, Democrats are seeking to rally voters against his push to freeze federal loans and grants, dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development and other agencies and allow Musk to access Americans’ federal data.
Bipartisan group of former USAID administrators says destroying agency is to 'the detriment of all Americans'
A bipartisan group of five former USAID administrators condemned the Trump administration's move to dismantle the foreign assistance agency, saying in a joint statement that it was to "the detriment of all Americans."
The statement — signed by J. Brian Atwood, Peter McPherson, Andrew Natsios, Gayle Smith and Samantha Power, who most recently led the agency after Biden nominated her — calls for congressional action to protect the agency.
"While we don’t agree on all issues, we wholeheartedly agree that USAID and America’s foreign assistance programs are vital to our interests, that the career men and women of USAID have served each of us well, and that it is the duty of the Administration and Congress to swiftly protect the Agency’s statutory role," they wrote.
"Failure to maintain the global engagement that foreign aid enables, to honor the men and women of our civilian service as we do those in the military, or weaken and even destroy the Agency is to the benefit of neither political party and the detriment of all Americans," they added.
Trump administration evicts former Coast Guard leader from her house with 3 hours' notice
Reporting from Washington
The Trump administration evicted former Coast Guard Commandant Linda Fagan from her home with three hours of notice yesterday — not even enough time to gather her personal effects — according to two people familiar with the incident.
Fagan, a four-star admiral and the first woman to lead a branch of the military, was removed from her post as the Coast Guard’s top officer on Trump’s second day in office. Officials at the Homeland Security Department — which oversees the Coast Guard — cited border security issues and an “excessive focusâ€Â on diversity, equity and inclusion among the reasons for her dismissal.
Fagan made a convenient target for a new president who wanted to flex his muscle. The process for firing her was less complex than for dismissing chiefs of the four main branches of the military. More than that, the move allowed him to send signals about his anti-DEI agenda and desire to stem the flow of illegal immigrants and goods into the United States.
'Despair,' 'confusion' and 'psychological warfare': Government employees describe mood during workforce overhaul
Former USAID speechwriter Kristina Drye, who said she found out that she had been terminated this morning, told NBC News' Hallie Jackson that there's a "sense of despair" within the humanitarian agency as it is being targeted by the Trump administration.
She said that because the USAID website has gone dark, she doesn’t have access to writing samples or awards she’d include in a job application.
Hundreds of agency contractors have already been fired or furloughed as the agency’s operations are grinding to a halt.
Shelly, an information systems security manager who asked not to share her last name or government agency, said government employees are "nervous" and "confused" during the major overhaul of the federal workforce.
"We’re not getting any clarifying information that would make us feel better," she said.
Andrea Galbraith, who requested that her agency not be disclosed, said: “I think ‘confusion’ is the easiest way to put it. It has been chaos.â€
"Nobody wants to work in this type of condition where we’re going to be in a psychological warfare for — how long?†she added.
More than 40K federal workers have taken the resignation buyout
More than 40,000 government employees have accepted the Trump administration’s deferred resignation offer, and the number is growing, a source familiar with the plans told NBC News.
The person said the Office of Personnel Management doesn’t plan to release deferred resignation numbers until after tomorrow's 11:59 p.m. ET deadline for workers to take the offer.
A White House official confirmed the figure.
An OPM spokesperson previously told NBC News that resignations were “rapidly growing†after the Trump administration last week made buyout offers to roughly 2 million federal workers.
The buyout numbers remain well under an earlier estimate from a senior administration official who said 5% to 10% of those workers were expected to take the offer.
Tracking Trump’s executive orders
The beginning of Trump’s second term has been marked by a flurry of executive orders aimed at fundamentally reshaping the government, America’s place on the global stage and the day-to-day lives of people in the country.
Trump had signed more than 50 executive orders as of yesterday morning, the most in a president’s first 100 days in more than 40 years.
The orders, which Trump critics say greatly exceed his constitutional authority, range from tariffs on Mexico, China and Canada to pauses on foreign aid and crackdowns on illegal immigration to bans on transgender people serving in the military and the use of federal funds for gender-affirming medical care for minors.
Judge hears arguments about DOGE access to Treasury Department payment systems
Washington
Staffers with Musk's advisory Department of Government Efficiency whose work involves the Treasury Department are not sharing Americans’ personal information with him, a Justice Department lawyer told a federal judge at a court hearing today.
“The allegation that that information is being shared with third parties outside of Treasury is incorrect,†Justice Department lawyer Bradley Humphreys said.
The hearing centers on a case filed this week by a collection of retirees and government workers who are asking a judge to block DOGE staffers from accessing Treasury systems that house the sensitive personal information of millions of Americans.
During the hearing, Humphreys said two DOGE appointees have been granted access to Treasury systems, which contain sensitive information. Humphreys said there was no plan for any DOGE employee to share the information, such as Social Security numbers, with Musk or anyone outside the Treasury Department.
U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly asked the parties whether they would agree to her issuing an order preserving the status quo, in effect not allowing further DOGE access to Treasury Department systems but also not removing the two employees who have been granted access. The proposed order would also prohibit sharing any sensitive information with third parties outside the Treasury Department.
She could release an order this evening.
Trump stocks Justice Department with personal lawyers after loyalty complains during his first term
Trump hasn’t been attending the swearing-in ceremonies for his Cabinet officials in the last two weeks, having Vice President JD Vance and others take part in the ceremonial moments — until today, when Attorney General Pam Bondi took her oath of office.
It was a notable shift as he welcomed Bondi — a Florida Republican and former member of Trump’s personal legal team — whose confirmation process revolved mostly around whether she would make decisions independently from the White House.
It’s not the first time those questions have come up when a president tapped a personal lawyer or ally to the Justice Department.
Lawsuits imminent over Trump’s dismantling of USAID
Reporting from Washington
U.S. Agency for International Development employees and contractors are discussing potential lawsuits targeting the unprecedented attack on the federal agency by Trump’s administration, according to four sources familiar with the talks.
Lawsuits based on loss of income could be used to bring up weighty constitutional claims over presidential power in the face of congressional legislation that set up and funds the agency and its programs.
They would be the latest in a stream of lawsuits against Trump’s aggressive and unprecedented use of executive action, with more expected to follow as he seeks to unilaterally reshape the federal government without the approval of Congress amid claims he lacks the legal authority to do so.
Democrats vow to hold the Senate floor all night to protest Russell Vought's nomination as OMB director
Senate Democrats said they will hold the Senate floor all night in an attempt to delay a confirmation vote for Russell Vought, a Project 2025 author who is Trump’s pick to lead the Office of Management and Budget.
They could end up giving floor speeches for all 30 hours of the allotted debate period before a final vote.
Sen. Brian Schatz of Hawaii, said in a video on X this afternoon: “I’m on my way to the Senate floor. We’re going to have more than 35 United States senators on the Democratic side opposing Russ Vought’s nomination.â€
“We’re going to take the floor for 30 hours,†he added.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., the top Democrat on the Budget Committee, said in a statement that they would lead the floor effort, citing Vought’s involvement in Project 2025 and other concerns.
“Every single Senate Democrat will vote against Russell Vought, the Trump nominee for OMB and chief architect of the ultra-right Project 2025,†Schumer wrote on X. “We are holding the floor of the United States Senate overnight to expose how Project 2025 is the Trump White House agenda.â€
Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., encouraged her followers on X to tune into C-SPAN, writing, "I'm scheduled to speak at midnight so make some coffee and tune into C-Span!"
‘Uncommitted’ leaders stand by 2024 strategy after Trump floats Gaza takeover
Leaders of the pro-Palestinian movement that rallied opposition to Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in the 2024 election are standing by their strategy amid new criticism that they weakened the Democratic ticket after Trump said he wants to “take over†the Gaza Strip.
Trump’s remarks, which shocked prominent officials in Washington, sparked a new round of recriminations among Democrats over advocacy groups' pressure campaign against Biden and Harris in the presidential contest over the Israel-Hamas war, even though Trump’s record on the Middle East had been more hostile to the Palestinian cause.
Layla Elabed, a co-chair of the “uncommitted†movement — which declined to endorse Harris, Trump or any candidate in the election — said she felt “sad, angry and scared for our communities†after Trump’s remarks yesterday, when he also said Palestinians have “no alternative†but to live elsewhere.
But she maintained that both sides were to blame.
Guatemala agrees to accept non-Guatemalan nationals deported from the U.S.
Guatemala has agreed to accept immigrants deported from the United States who are not actually from Guatemala, U.S. and Guatemalan leaders announced today.
At a news conference with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo announced that Guatemala has offered to increase the number of deportation flights from the United States it allows and receive non-Guatemalans as they make their way back to their home countries.Â
“At this point, we have agreed to increase the number of flights of deportees by 40% both of returned nationals, as well as deportees from other nationalities for their subsequent repatriation,†Arévalo said, adding that the two countries are still “working on the details†of the offer.
He added that the offer is not the same as a “Safe Third Country†agreement, which Guatemala had agreed to during the first Trump administration. Under that kind of agreement, Guatemala would accept U.S. deportees who are not from Guatemala and have them apply for asylum in Guatemala.
Rubio is on s first trip as secretary of state. He has visited several Latin American countries, including Panama, El Salvador and Costa Rica. On Monday, he announced that El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele had made an apparently unprecedented offer not just to incarcerate migrants with criminal records deported from the United States, but also U.S. citizens currently incarcerated in the U.S.
Unlike Bukele, Arévalo said there has been “no discussion†of repatriating criminals as part of his country’s conversations with the United States.
The announcement today about deportations to Guatemala is an extension of the Trump administration's mass deportation effort, which has already ramped up across several U.S. cities as immigration officials, along with law enforcement partners, carry out arrests and deportations of migrants with and without histories of violent crime.
At an event in the East Room this afternoon, Trump signed an executive order banning transgender women from competing in women’s sports.
'Problematic': GOP senators voice concern about Trump's Gaza plan
After a closed-door meeting with Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, Republican senators seemed eager to get clarity about what Trump meant and voiced their opposition to having any U.S. troops on the ground and spending taxpayer dollars in Gaza.Â
Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said Trump’s plan for the United States to take ownership of Gaza “will be very problematic,†adding that “the idea of Americans going in on the ground and Gaza is a nonstarter for every senator.â€
Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri told reporters, “I’m very opposed to any U.S. troops on the ground there. And I don’t want to spend taxpayer dollars in Gaza.†Â
Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas said that senators had a "robust discussion" with Witkoff but that "the precise details of the proposal are not clear."
Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana said: "I’m not going to, in your natural lifetime or mine, you will not see me voting to take American taxpayer money and rebuild Gaza. That’s not America’s responsibility."
There appeared to be some discrepancies between what Trump said last night and what Witkoff told senators today.
“What he said is that the president doesn’t want to put any U.S. troops on the ground … and he doesn’t want to spend any U.S. money, dollars at all,†Hawley said. “What I heard from Witkoff sounded to me pretty different from what the president said last night, so maybe I don’t understand the position.â€Â
Senate to proceed with two-bill reconciliation strategy ‘as early as next week’
Senate Budget Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said that Senate Republicans will proceed with their own reconciliation bill going down the multiple-track approach instead of the one-bill strategy and that the committee plans to start the process “as early as next week.â€
Speaking with reporters after the Senate GOP lunch today, Graham said the bill, focused on border and defense spending, will be “about $300 billion†and will need to go through a committee process to examine how to offset the spending with various cuts and reforms.
Graham said that he had spoken with Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and that they are both "of the opinion that it’s time for the Senate to move."
Graham said it was "very important" that Congress supply "border czar" Tom Homan the funding needed "to complete the plan that President Trump promised."
House Republicans are trying to pursue one bill.
Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said: “I’m going to talk to Lindsey; he’s a good friend. He has to understand the reality of the House. It’s a very different chamber with very different dynamics. And the House needs to lead this if we’re going to have success.â€
Graham pushed back against the House’s one-bill strategy, saying, “I’ve always believed that one big, beautiful bill is too complicated."
“I think it would be a real mistake for the Republican Congress not to give the Republican administration the money they need to execute the plan, and the only way to get that money is through reconciliation,â€Â Graham said.
Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., left the GOP lunch saying, "I think we’re going to proceed on the basis of two bills," but acknowledged the House might reject that strategy.
Trump says he'll block transgender women from competing in the 2028 Summer Olympics
Trump said his administration would block transgender women athletes from competing in the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles and “deny any and all visa applications made by men attempting to fraudulently enter the United States while identifying themselves as women athletes.â€
"In Los Angeles in 2028, my administration will not stand by and watch men beat and batter female athletes, and we’re just not going to let it happen, and it’s going to end, and it’s ending right now, and nobody’s going to be able to do a damn thing about it," he said.
The president said his administration will "make clear" to the International Olympic Committee "that America categorically rejects transgender lunacy."
"We want them to change everything having to do with the Olympics and having to do with this absolutely ridiculous subject," Trump said.
The International Olympic Committee and the Los Angeles Organizing Committee for the 2028 Games did not provide comments to NBC News.
McConnell using a wheelchair after falling down stairs at the Capitol
Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., is “fine,†his office said after he was seen using a wheelchair following a fall at the Capitol.
“Sen. McConnell is fine. The lingering effects of polio in his left leg will not disrupt his regular schedule of work,†a spokesperson said. McConnell, 82, had polio as a child.
The spokesperson added that McConnell is using a wheelchair “purely as a precautionary measure.â€
Reporters witnessed McConnell falling down while he was walking down a small set of stairs leaving the Senate chamber on his way to a Republican caucus lunch.
Veterans Affairs says DOGE employee will monitor its 'efficiency'
A representative of the Department of Government Efficiency project, or DOGE, has been tapped to monitor “efficiency†at the Department of Veterans Affairs, a VA spokesperson confirmed today.
The VA said it has one DOGE employee who is “solely focused on improving VA performance and efficiency.â€Â
That employee’s tasks include “identifying wasteful contracts, improving VA operations and strengthening management of the department’s IT projects,†the VA spokesperson said.Â
The DOGE employee will not have access to veterans’ or VA beneficiaries’ data, the spokesperson added.
“VA looks forward to working with DOGE to improve services to veterans, their families, caregivers and survivors,†the spokesperson said.
DOGE is an office within the Executive Office of the President, according to a Trump executive order from Jan. 20. It is headed by Elon Musk.
Last week, the VA announced it had ended diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and had placed nearly 60 employees who had been solely focused on those initiatives on paid administrative leave.
In a statement at the time, Morgan Ackley, the VA’s director of media affairs, praised Trump and said the move would allow the agency to reallocate millions of dollars to better serve veterans.
A former VA official told NBC News today that the policy shift was “very disappointing." He said some of his colleagues who still work at VA headquarters have expressed unease.
“It’s a lot of anxiety,†he said.
Trump’s plans for a ‘Riviera of the Middle East’ in Gaza condemned
Trump’s unprecedented announcement that he was planning to seize control of the Gaza Strip and oust 2.2 million Palestinians, temporarily at least, has provoked shock and disbelief around the world, with some officials and analysts saying it would be tantamount to ethnic cleansing.
Many wonder whether it’s even possible practically, suggesting instead it might be more a diplomatic gambit or a distraction technique than an actual policy plan.
Regardless of its intention or viability, the alleged plan to transform the war-ravaged Palestinian enclave on Israel’s western flank into the “Riviera of the Middle East†has been condemned outside of far-right circles in Israel and the United States.
“This is the most foolish idea any American president has put forth in the modern history of the United States,†said Fawaz Gerges, a veteran Middle East expert and professor at the London School of Economics. “It is beyond any kind of rational thinking, any kind of policy feasibility.â€
Leavitt defends Trump's 'out-of-the-box' Gaza Strip plan
Asked whether Trump’s plan for Gaza is consistent with his promise to reduce U.S. involvement in conflicts abroad, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump expects America’s Arab partners to play an essential role in the effort and insisted no commitment had been made to put U.S. troops on the ground.
“This is an out-of-the-box idea. That’s who President Trump is. That’s why the American people elected him, and his goal is lasting peace in the Middle East for all people in the region,†Leavitt told reporters at a briefing at the White House today. She said that Trump has been advised that the United States must be closely involved in any rebuilding of the area “to ensure stability†but that “that does not mean boots on the ground in Gaza.â€Â
“It does not mean American taxpayers will be funding this effort,†she continued. “It means Donald Trump, who is the best dealmaker on the planet, is going to strike a deal with our partners in the region.â€
Trump’s proposal, which he introduced yesterday during a visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, drew swift pushback from Arab leaders, including those in Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. The proposal also prompted an immediate swell of questions about how Trump intends to proceed with his plan.
Leavitt said Trump has been discussing the idea with others for “some time†but declined to say whether he has made any concessions to Arab partners in the region.Â
“He spoke with the king of Bahrain. He spoke with the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, and he has made it very clear, he’s been very vocal, that he expects our partners in the region, particularly Egypt and Jordan, to expect Palestinian refugees temporarily so that we can rebuild their home,†Leavitt said.Â
CIA sent the White House an unclassified email with names of newly hired employees
The Central Intelligence Agency has sent a list of all recently hired employees in an unclassified email to comply with the president’s executive order to reduce the federal workforce, a U.S. official told NBC News.
The move alarmed former intelligence officials and security experts, who said such a list sent over unclassified email could be exploited by America’s adversaries with disastrous results.
“Any foreign intelligence service worth its weight could apply research and analytic tools to marry up these names and initials with other public records to identify and target many of them,†a former senior intelligence official said.
The New York Times first reported on the list being sent to the White House in an unclassified email.
The list used the first names and first initial of last names of those hired in the past two years, the official said. The names are of employees who are still on probation. The spy agency’s probationary periods can extend for years.Â
Under Trump’s executive order on shrinking the federal workforce, the spy agency had to meet a deadline to provide the list to the Office of Personnel Management. But the office does not have a classified communications network, so the CIA sent an unclassified email with only the initials of the last names of the new employees.
The number of names on the list remains secret. The CIA in recent years has been pushing to recruit employees with Chinese language skills.
Asked about the unclassified email, a CIA spokesperson told NBC News that the “CIA is complying with the executive order.â€
Trump administration extends buyouts to ODNI, expected for all intelligence agencies Â
The Trump administration has extended so-called buyout offers to employees of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, a spokesperson for the agency told NBC News.
The deferred resignation offer, claiming to provide eight months of pay and benefits, is expected to be presented to the workforce at all U.S. intelligence agencies, officials said.Â
The CIA has made a similar offer to its workforce, NBC News reported yesterday. That spy agency’s new director, John Ratcliffe, made the move “to ensure the CIA workforce is responsive to the Administration’s national security priorities,†a CIA spokesperson said in an email.Â
Some CIA employees will not be eligible depending on their positions and responsibilities.
The offers to employees in the intelligence community follow similar options provided across federal agencies, as the Trump administration vows to scale back and radically restructure the federal workforce.
Federal employee unions and lawyers, as well as Democratic lawmakers, have warned federal workers not to accept the offers, saying they are legally dubious and that Congress has not authorized funds for such sweeping packages.
Rubio calls Trump's Gaza proposal 'very generous'
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters in Guatemala City today that Trump made a "very generous" offer in his proposal to rebuild the Gaza Strip.
"I think it’s one people need to think about seriously. It was not meant as a hostile move," Rubio said. "It was meant as, I think, a very generous move, the offer to rebuild and to be in charge of the rebuilding of a place many parts of which, right now, even if people move back, they would have nowhere to live safely, because there are still unexploded munitions and debris and rubble."
"It’s an enormous, an enormous undertaking," Rubio also said. "And the only thing President Trump has done, very generously, in my view, is offer the United States' willingness to step in, clear the debris, clean the place up from all the destruction that’s on the ground, clean it up of all these unexploded munitions."
Senate advances Russell Vought's nomination to lead the OMB
In a 53-47 party-line vote, the Senate voted to begin the 30-hour debate clock on the confirmation of Russell Vought, a key architect of Project 2025, to lead the Office of Management and Budget.Â
Vought, who served as both deputy director and director of the Office of Management and Budget during Trump’s first term, has faced scrutiny for his role in designing Project 2025. Vought authored a chapter of the ultra-conservative blueprint for a second Trump presidency that argued “the President’s budget is in fact a powerful mechanism for setting and enforcing public policy at federal agencies.â€
Vought has also drummed up congressional concern over his belief that the president is not legally required to spend federal dollars as appropriated by Congress, a stance that violates the 1974 Impoundment Control Act. Under the act, the president can’t refuse to spend the money that has been appropriated by Congress and signed into law and the OMB cannot legally withhold appropriated money at the direction of the president.
During his confirmation hearing last week, Vought faced intense scrutiny over his interpretation of the law, which was at the center of Trump’s first impeachment trial in 2019. Vought said he does not believe the law is constitutional when pressed by Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.Â
“I don’t believe it’s constitutional,†Vought told Blumenthal. “The president ran on that view.â€
The Government Accountability Office found that Vought, who served as Deputy Director of the OMB in 2019, violated the Impound Control Act by following Trump’s orders to withhold Ukraine aid to force its president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, to announce an investigation into Joe Biden, who was then considering a presidential bid.
The Senate's procedural vote starts 30 hours of debate on Vought's confirmation. Democrats are expected to force the Senate to stay overnight to use the debate time, which will culminate in a final confirmation vote for Vought at 7 p.m. on Thursday.
Some Canada and Mexico tariff concessions Trump touted lack substance, experts say
Trump and his supporters have heralded his use of tariff threats to extract concessions on drug trafficking and border security from Canada and Mexico.Â
Yet, experts say, some of the measures agreed to by America’s two largest trading partners and close allies are less substantial than what has been trumpeted.Â
West Point disbands cadet cultural clubs after Trump’s anti-DEI order
The U.S. Military Academy at West Point has disbanded cultural clubs in response to President Donald Trump’s executive order last week to abolish programs and initiatives that focus on diversity, equity and inclusion across the Defense Department and the Coast Guard.Â
A memo dated Tuesday by Col. Chad R. Foster, the deputy commandant of West Point, said the academy was issuing changes “in accordance with recent Presidential executive orders.â€
The memo listed sanctioned clubs that were disbanded including the Asian-Pacific Forum Club, Japanese Forum Club, Latin Cultural Club, National Society of Black Engineers Cub, Native American Heritage Forum, and Society of Women Engineers Club, among others.Â
Trump expected to sign executive order banning trans women from women’s sports
Trump is expected to sign today an executive order prohibiting transgender women from competing in women’s sports. The measure, according to the White House press schedule, is called the “No Men in Women’s Sports Executive Order.â€
The timing does not appear to be coincidental: Wednesday is the 39th annual National Girls & Women in Sports Day, which was started in 1987 as a way to celebrate female athletes and inspire girls to participate in sports.Â
The issue of transgender women participating in women’s sports was a consistent and divisive topic leading up to the November elections. On the campaign trail — and even after he won the election — Trump referred to trans women as men and pledged to “keep men out of women’s sports.â€Â
GOP ex-Intelligence Committee chair predicts ‘very little support in Congress’ for Trump’s Gaza proposal
Rep. Mike Turner, R-Ohio, the former chair of the House Intelligence Committee, told MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell he expects “very little support in Congress" for Trump’s proposal to move Gaza under American control, noting “there would be great concerns.â€
Turner described the idea as the product of “the president, in his style and his way of causing leaders around the world to shift the focus of the world, to turn to, ‘OK, so what, what is going to be the solution for Gaza?’â€
Turner said Congress is prioritizing “long-term security and safety for Israel,†saying the only path to sovereignty and autonomy for both Israel and Palestine is that they “be free from the satellite or terrorist groups and organizations of Iran.â€
Asked for his thoughts on a recent New York Times report that Iran is developing plans for a faster way to develop a nuclear weapon, Turner said he “absolutely†believes Iran is working to build a rough style of bomb and bolster its nuclear capabilities.
Top Justice official seeks to reassure Jan. 6 FBI agents on firings
In a memo to the FBI workforce today, acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove said he's not seeking to penalize every agent who worked on Jan. 6-related investigations.
"Let me be clear: No FBI employee who simply followed orders and carried out their duties in an ethical manner with respect to January 6 investigations is at risk of termination or other penalties," Bove, Trump's former personal lawyer, wrote in the memo.Â
"The only individuals who should be concerned about the process initiated by my January 31, 2025 memo are those who acted with corrupt or partisan intent, who blatantly defied orders from Department leadership, or who exercised discretion in weaponizing the FBI," he wrote.Â
The earlier memo he referred to called for the acting FBI director to provide him with lists of a “[A]ll current and former FBI personnel assigned at any time to investigations and/or prosecutions" relating to "events that occurred at or near the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021" — a list that would include thousands of agents.
That memo, which also directed the firing of top FBI personnel involved in the probe, said Bove's office would use the lists to "commence a review process to determine whether any additional personnel actions are necessary.â€
Reaction to the memo inside the FBI has not been positive, current and former officials told NBC News. There is no evidence that anyone acted “corruptly†in the Jan. 6 investigations as the memo implies, they said, and there is a widespread fear that certain agents will be targeted quietly.
Senate confirms Scott Turner as housing secretary
The Senate has voted 55-44 to confirm Scott Turner to be the next Department of Housing and Urban Development secretary. Sens. John Fetterman, D-Pa., and Peter Welch, D-Vt., joined all 53 Republicans in supporting the nomination.
Head Start child care programs are still unable to access federal money after Trump’s funding freeze
Dozens of Head Start programs, which provide childcare and preschool education to low-income children, have been unable to access previously approved federal funding, putting some programs at risk of having to close their doors in the coming days, according to a survey by the National Head Start Association.Â
The programs say they haven’t been able to draw down the funds to pay for expenses, like payroll and utilities, since a federal funding freeze was announced in the second week of the Trump administration. The freeze started last week with an Office of Management and Budget memo, which was then quickly rescinded.Â
Protesters at the Capitol oppose Trump's shutdown of USAID
Protesters are gathered outside the Capitol today to express their opposition to Trump and Elon Musk’s efforts to shutter the U.S. Agency for International Development.
House Democratic leader says Trump will need to follow Congress' spending authorizations
House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar, of California, said at his weekly news conference that Democratic members will refuse to support funding for Trump's initiatives if the administration doesn't present clear implementation plans.
"We will try to find common ground where it is possible," Aguilar said, without pointing to specific proposals. "But what we will not do is engage in an effort that gives Donald Trump money to direct our federal government that he has no plan to utilize or implement."
"If we're going to pass a law, we need to know that the law is followed," he added. "And it doesn’t appear that House Republicans are in a position to push back against Donald Trump to protect vital funding that supports our communities."
Aguilar also said Trump’s Gaza proposal would “make our country less safe†and specified that any involvement of troops would “make Americans a target.†He added that the plan was not “thoughtful†and joked that it could include “hotels and resorts and casinos.â€
Republican senator says he's 'open to possibility' of U.S. troops in Gaza
Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wisc., said he's "intrigued" by Trump's plan to claim and rebuild Gaza and "open to the possibility" of Congress providing the use of military force for the effort.
Asked by NBC News if taking and owning sovereign land is feasible, Johnson said, "I don’t know how this could possibly turn out, but let’s explore the possibility."
As for providing the use of military force, Johnson said he was "open" to it.
"Let’s see how this all plays out. It’s a lot better than again, just facing the same destructive path that has not served anybody’s interest," he said.
"I think building the Middle East is in America’s interest, and I’ve always said we can’t be the world’s policeman, but where it’s in our self-interest, in our national interest, where we have the capability of providing stability, we ought to explore those possibilities, and that’s all we’re looking at right now," he added.
Two other Republican senators were less open to the possibility of using American soldiers for the proposed project.
"It would seem to me to be an inappropriate use of U.S. troops," said Sen. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota.
"I don’t think the president will do that," said Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana.
Reps. Mace and Connolly spar over Mace's use of transgender slur during House Oversight hearing
During a House Oversight Committee hearing this morning, Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., used a transgender slur while slamming USAID, the international humanitarian aid arm of the federal government, for a program that provides support to transgender people and the agency's DEI initiatives.Â
When Mace concluded her remarks, the committee's ranking member Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., voiced his concern over her use of the word, which he said “is considered a slur in the LGBTQ community and the transgender community.â€
Before Connolly was able to finish his remarks, Mace interjected again with the slur, saying “t---, t---, t---. I don’t really care. You want penises in women’s bathrooms, and I’m not going to have it.â€
Mace was then told by committee chairman Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., to let Connolly finish his remarks.Â
“We can have debate and policy discussion without offending human beings who are fellow citizens,†Connolly said, before he was interrupted by Mace again, who said she believes men who dress as women have “mental health issues.â€Â
“Mr. Chairman, I’m not going to be counseled by a man over men and women’s spaces, or men who have mental health issues dressing as women,†Mace said. “That's mansplaining, Mr. Chairman."
House Democrats fail in bid to subpoena Elon Musk
In a narrow vote, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee failed in a bid to subpoena Elon Musk to testify before the committee.
Rep. Gerry Connolly of Virginia, the top Democrat on the panel, called Musk's role in the so-called Department of Government Efficiency "puzzling" and said he should testify before the committee.
"Who is this unelected billionaire that he can attempt to dismantle federal agencies, fire people, transfer them, offer them early retirement, and have sweeping changes to agencies without any congressional review, oversight or concurrence?" Connolly said at a hearing titled "Rightsizing Government."
Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., praised Musk's efforts and dismissed Democrats' concerns about chaos. "Real innovation is not clean and tidy. It's necessarily disruptive and messy," he said.
Republicans successfully moved to table Connolly's motion by a 20-19 vote.
Ohio Republican who planned to run for governor stands down and endorses Vivek Ramaswamy
Reporting from Cleveland
Ohio's state treasurer, Robert Sprague, a Republican who had been preparing to announce a bid for governor, said today he has changed his plans — and urged his supporters to back Vivek Ramaswamy instead.
"Should he enter the race for governor, I'm going to support Vivek in his run for governor because I support his intellect, his drive, the outsider mentality that he has in trying to reform our state and move us forward and charting a new direction for all of us," Sprague said in a video posted to X this morning.
A source close to Sprague told NBC News that the term-limited treasurer will announce a run for Ohio secretary of state this afternoon.
Ramaswamy, a biotech entrepreneur who left Trump's Department of Government Efficiency initiative to return home to Ohio and ready his campaign for governor, is expected to officially declare his candidacy in mid-February. But that move is seen as a formality, as Ramaswamy has assembled a team of advisers close to Vice President JD Vance.
Sprague had signaled he had no intention of altering his plans to run for governor last month after Ramaswamy's maneuvering intensified.
Meanwhile, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has shown no interest in standing down. Yost on Monday announced he had nabbed an endorsement from Ken Blackwell, a former Ohio secretary of state and treasurer. Blackwell was the last Republican gubernatorial nominee in Ohio to lose, having fallen to Democrat Ted Strickland in 2006.
On the Democratic side, Dr. Amy Acton, Ohio's former health director, has announced her candidacy for governor.
Pam Bondi sworn in as attorney general
Trump joined Pam Bondi in the Oval Office as she was sworn in as attorney general by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.
ICE targets undocumented immigrants in Denver area
An enhanced enforcement operation targeting undocumented immigrants is underway in the Denver area right now, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement official confirmed to NBC News.
This is not standard activity, the official said, but instead is similar to the large-scale arrests we saw last week in Chicago and New York.
A planned roundup in Aurora, Colorado — a city that became a focus on Trump's immigration rhetoric during his campaign — was postponed last week following media leaks.
The Drug Enforcement Administration posted a video on social media of federal agents serving a search warrant this morning.
Second judge blocks Trump birthright citizenship order, setting up possible appeal
A federal judge in Maryland has issued a nationwide preliminary injunction blocking Trump’s executive order seeking to limit birthright citizenship. Â
“The executive order conflicts with the plain language of the 14th Amendment, contradicts 125-year-old binding Supreme Court precedent and runs counter to our nation’s 250-year history of citizenship by birth,†U.S. District Judge Deborah L. Boardman said. “No court in the country has ever endorsed the president’s interpretation. This court will not be the first.â€Â
The judge issued her ruling from the bench after an hourlong hearing in Greenbelt, Maryland, this morning. This case was brought by an immigrant rights organization and five undocumented pregnant women who currently live in the United States and plan on giving birth here.
“Citizenship is a most precious right, expressly guaranteed by the 14th Amendment of the Constitution,†Boardman said. “It is said that the right to U.S. citizenship is a right no less precious than life or liberty.â€Â
This injunction does not immediately change the status quo of birthright citizenship. A federal judge based in Seattle issued a temporary restraining order nearly two weeks ago that has prevented the government from implementing the executive order. That case, and others around the country, will continue regardless of today’s order.Â
Procedurally, the Justice Department can now appeal this preliminary injunction to the U.S. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals. The Justice Department lawyer who argued the case this morning did not say if the department plans to file such an appeal.
Rep. Schultz says Trump's Gaza proposal could "inflame another generation of terrorists"
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz said Trump's proposal to move Gaza under United States control is "unrealistic," and "basically impossible," during an interview on MSNBC this morning.
Schultz said the president's proposal, which includes asking countries in the Middle East to provide refuge to Palestinians who would be displaced, would only make Israelis "less safe."
"We don’t need to inflame another generation of terrorists hell-bent on Israel’s and Jews' destruction," Schultz said.
"You do not have countries in the region who are willing to take some Palestinians, and we have to make sure that we work together to establish an orderly process of rebuilding Gaza so that we can ensure that Israel and Israelis are more safe, not less safe.â€
A wartime CIA guide on sabotaging fascism has gone viral
An old CIA guide on how to sabotage fascism has been downloaded more than 260,000 times on Project Gutenberg, a virtual library of free ebooks, within the last 30 days.
“Simple Sabotage Field Manual,†written in 1944 and declassified in 2008, is now the No. 1 most downloaded ebook on the site.
Democratic lawmaker introduces impeachment articles over Trump's 'dastardly deeds'
Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, announced this morning that he will bring articles of impeachment against Trump for what the congressman called the president's “dastardly deeds.â€
“I rise to announce that I will bring articles of impeachment against the president for dastardly deeds proposed and dastardly deeds done,†Green said on the House floor this morning.
Green, echoing bipartisan pushback to Trump's proposal that the U.S. take control of Gaza, also said “ethnic cleansing in Gaza is not a joke, especially when it emanates from the president of the United States.â€
Green is not proposing that the resolution be privileged, meaning House leadership would not be required to bring up the measure for a vote within two legislative days, making it unlikely the resolution is considered.
Green introduced three resolutions to impeach Trump during his first term, though none gained traction in the House.
CIA sends buyout offers, USAID places direct hires on leave
The U.S. Agency for International Development declared almost all direct hires around the world will be placed on administrative leave after the Trump administration made changes to the organization that crippled the group’s mission. Meanwhile, the CIA became the latest agency to offer buyouts to nearly its entire workforce. NBC’s Ryan Nobles reports for "TODAY" on how it’s all a continuation of the government overhaul steered by Elon Musk.
Senate committee advances Trump's commerce secretary nominee
The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee voted 16-12 to advance Howard Lutnick's nomination for commerce secretary to the full Senate for a vote.
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., joined all Republicans on the committee in reporting out the billionaire financial services executive's nomination.
House speaker calls Trump's Gaza proposal 'surprising'
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., weighed in on Trump’s plan on Gaza, saying it’s a “surprising development†but “one that we’ll applaud.â€
Asked if he supports Trump’s proposal, Johnson said, "We’re trying to get the details of it, but I think this is a good development.
"We have to back Israel 100%, and so whatever form that takes, we’re interested in having that discussion," Johnson said. "But it was a surprising development, but I think it’s one that we’ll applaud."
Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle raised concerns about the proposal after Trump aired the idea, including Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Tim Kaine, D-Va., and Thom Tillis, R-N.C.
Russia says two-state solution is ‘the only possible option’ for Palestinians
A two-state solution is “the only possible option†for Palestinians, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.
“The settlement in the Middle East can only be made on a two-state basis,†he told reporters today.
Responding to Trump’s remarks that the U.S. should take control of Gaza, Peskov referred to statements from Jordan and Egypt that “such an idea was not acceptable.â€
“For now, that’s how we view what is happening in the Middle East,†he said.
Trump national security adviser weighs in on president's plan to take over Gaza
Trump national security adviser Mike Waltz said in an interview this morning that the idea to take control of the Gaza Strip came about because no one else had proposed realistic plans for the future of the area.
Waltz said Trump has been "thinking about this for quite some time" and has received a number of briefings.
"President Trump says, hey, you know he’s a builder. You can’t clear all this rubble, deal with all the underground damage from all the tunnels Hamas has built, start an actual rebuilding process that others should pay for, by the way, in the region underneath 2 million people, so they have to go somewhere," Waltz said in an interview on Fox Business.
"He’s been asking leaders in the region. We’ve talked to the Saudis, we’ve talked to the Egyptians, we’ve talked to the Jordanians. Of course, we have Bibi Netanyahu here. What’s the plan?†he said.
CDC employee says Elon Musk's efforts to reshape the government 'feels like a coup'
One employee at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Musk’s effort “feels like a coup to me.†This person expressed anger and dismay that their representatives weren’t doing more to combat it.
“I’m also pretty repulsed by my representatives not standing up to him,†this person said, calling out Sens. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., “I cannot believe that senators aren’t storming offices, using all of the Senate procedural rules they can to hold up things on the floor to insist that these hearings for Cabinet members not proceed until we have some sort of clarity from the courts on whether or not what Elon Musk is doing can actually continue to happen.â€
“There’s so much outrage in my personal and professional circles that I don’t see reflected in my representatives,†this person added.Â
Greenland approves ban on foreign political donations as Trump seeks island
NUUK, Greenland — Greenland’s parliament passed a bill yesterday that bans political parties from receiving contributions “from foreign or anonymous contributors†after Trump expressed his wish that the United States take over the vast and mineral-rich Arctic island that belongs to Denmark.
The bill is aimed at protecting “Greenland’s political integrity†and will take effect immediately, according to a translation of a parliamentary document in Danish outlining the measure.
The bill “must be seen in light of the geopolitical interests in Greenland and the current situation where representatives of an allied great power have expressed interest in taking over and controlling Greenland,†the document said.
Before taking office for his second term Jan. 20, Trump said he would not rule out the use of military force to seize control of Greenland, calling it vital to U.S. national security. His oldest son, Donald Trump Jr., visited Greenland last month and told people there: “We’re going to treat you well.â€
Rand Paul criticizes Trump comments on taking over Gaza
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., joined the chorus of congressional critics of Trump for saying yesterday that the U.S. would take control of the Gaza Strip.
In a post on X this morning, Paul said the U.S. has "no business" becoming an occupying force once again in the Middle East.
"I thought we voted for America First," Paul wrote.
Defense Department drafting plans to withdraw all U.S. troops from Syria after recent Trump comments
The Defense Department is developing plans to withdraw all U.S. troops from Syria, two U.S. defense officials told NBC News on Tuesday.
Trump and officials close to him recently expressed interest in pulling U.S. troops out of Syria, the officials said, leading the Pentagon to begin drawing up plans for a full withdrawal in 30, 60 or 90 days.
World leaders react to Trump’s proposal for U.S. to ‘take over’ Gaza
After  Trump proposed the United States take over the Gaza Strip to turn it into “the riviera†of the region, leaders in the Middle East are reacting with shock. NBC’s Richard Engel reports for "TODAY."
Trump says he wants a nuclear deal with Iran
Trump said in a post on his Truth Social account this morning that he wants to reach a nuclear deal with Iran, nearly seven years after he withdrew from the landmark agreement reached by the Obama administration that sought to curb Iran's nuclear program.
"I want Iran to be a great and successful Country, but one that cannot have a Nuclear Weapon," Trump wrote. "Reports that the United States, working in conjunction with Israel, is going to blow Iran into smithereens,' ARE GREATLY EXAGGERATED."
Trump continued, "I would much prefer a Verified Nuclear Peace Agreement, which will let Iran peacefully grow and prosper. We should start working on it immediately, and have a big Middle East Celebration when it is signed and completed. God Bless the Middle East!"
Iranian officials have indicated they want to know if Trump wants to restart talks over their nuclear program, which they said in November has the capacity to produce nuclear weapons.
During his first term as president, Trump pulled the U.S. in 2018 out of the Iranian nuclear deal negotiated by the Obama administration despite warnings from President Barack Obama and others that withdrawing from the agreement could lead to war.
Yesterday, Trump warned Iran not to assassinate him.
“Well, they haven’t done that, and that would be a terrible thing for them to do, not because of me," he told reporters after meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday in the Oval Office. "If they did that, they would be obliterated. Going to be the end. I’ve left instructions. If they do it, they get obliterated. There won’t be anything left, and they should be able to do it.â€
Trump is talking tougher toward Vladimir Putin but has yet to ratchet up assistance to Ukraine
Trump's bromance with Russian President Vladimir Putin has noticeably fizzled in his new term, though he has yet to reveal the extent to which he’ll pressure Russia to end its grinding war with Ukraine.
Since taking office, Trump has dropped talk of Putin’s strategic “genius“ and “savvy.†In a conspicuous rhetorical shift, Trump has instead been warning that the Russian president he once called “very smart“ is leading his country to ruin by prolonging the war.
“He [Putin] should make a deal,†Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on his first day back in the White House. “I think he’s destroying Russia by not making a deal. I think Russia is going to be in big trouble.â€
The rationale behind the frostier tone is simple enough. Trump promised during the campaign to end the fighting within 24 hours of taking office, if not sooner. That deadline has passed, meaning the clock is ticking on Trump’s vow to stop a costly, destructive war that began nearly three years ago when Russia invaded its democratic neighbor.
Judge blocks transfers of 3 transgender inmates to men’s prison
A federal judge agreed yesterday to temporarily block prison officials from transferring three incarcerated transgender women to men’s facilities and terminating their access to hormone therapy under an executive order signed by Trump.
U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth in Washington, D.C., granted the inmates’ request for a temporary restraining order. He issued a written ruling several hours after a hearing where a plaintiffs’ attorney argued that Trump’s order discriminates against transgender people and violates their constitutional rights.
The judge is presiding over a lawsuit filed on behalf of three transgender women who were housed in women’s facilities before Trump signed the order Jan. 20, his first day back in the White House.
Trump fuels fury and fear in Middle East after vowing to ‘take over’ Gaza Strip
Outraged Palestinians condemned Trump‘s claim that the U.S. would seek ownership of the Gaza Strip and they would have no choice but to leave their home in the war-torn enclave.Â
In Gaza’s southern city of Khan Younis, Narmin Nour El Din, 29, told an NBC News crew that all Palestinians would vehemently reject Trump’s suggestions.
“All the Palestinians refuse the idea and we will be insistent on our land,†she said standing outside a tent encampment.
“We ask Trump to leave the people to live in their land and to make the land more beautiful. To help the people here,†she said. “Not to take Gaza from them.â€
Trump administration will consider redrawing boundaries of national monuments as part of energy push
As part of the Trump administration’s push to expand U.S. energy production, federal officials will review and consider redrawing the boundaries of national monuments created under previous presidents to protect unique landscapes and cultural resources.
The review — laid out in an order Monday from new Interior Secretary Doug Burgum — is raising alarm among conservation groups concerned that Trump will shrink or eliminate monuments established by his predecessors, including Democrat Joe Biden.
Burgum gave agency officials until Feb. 18 to submit plans on how to comply with his order.
Trump proposal for U.S. control of Gaza would have ‘reverberations around the world’
NBC News’ Kelly O’Donnell reports on the “stunning moment in the East Room†where Trump, joined by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, suggested that the U.S. “will take over the Gaza Strip.â€
Iran says Trump’s claim that it is seeking nuclear weapons is ‘a big lie’
An Iranian spokesperson said Trump’s claim that Iran is seeking nuclear weapons is “a big lie†that has been “repeatedly proven false and is easily verifiable.â€
Speaking to the Islamic Republic News Agency, spokesperson Esmail Bagahei emphasized that Iran is a member of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, or NPT, an international agreement that aims to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and technology, adding that the country’s nuclear program was also under the full supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Bagahei’s comments came a day after Trump renewed his “maximum pressure†campaign on Iran by signing an executive order that cracks down on the country’s nuclear program and limits its oil exports to other nations.
Trump added that Iran would be “obliterated†if it attempted to assassinate him: “I’ve left instructions if they do it, they get obliterated, there won’t be anything left,†he said from the Oval Office.
Bagahei’s comments echo remarks made by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who said that “maximum pressure is a failed experience, and repeating it will lead to another failure.â€
Republican-led states rush to align with Trump’s MAGA agenda
Republican governors and state lawmakers are rushing to explicitly align themselves with or mimic some of the most prominent actions Trump has taken since he was sworn in.
As state legislatures have convened across the country in recent weeks, elected GOP officials have sought to advance bills designed to help facilitate Trump’s mass deportation plans — some of which are named after or specifically reference the president.
And governors and lawmakers in at least 11 states have attempted to create their own version of the Department of Government Efficiency, the outside advisory commission that Trump put tech billionaire Elon Musk in charge of to find ways to cut federal spending.Â