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Trump admin live updates: House votes to extend health care subsidies, defying GOP leaders

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Trump admin live updates: House votes to extend health care subsidies, defying GOP leaders

Today’s live updates have ended. Read what you missed below and find more coverage at apnews.com.

In a remarkable rebuke of Republican leadership, the House passed legislation Thursday230-196, that would extend expired health care subsidies for those who get coverage through the Affordable Care Act as renegade GOP lawmakers joined essentially all Democrats in voting for the measure.

Forcing the issue to a vote came about after a handful of Republicans signed what is commonly known as a “discharge petition” to unlock debate, bypassing objections from House Speaker Mike Johnson. The bill now goes to the Senate, where pressure is building for a similar bipartisan compromise.

Together, the rare political coalitions are rushing to resolve the standoff over the enhanced tax credits that were put in place during the COVID-19 crisis but expired late last year after no agreement was reached during the government shutdown.

Ahead of voting, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated that the bill, which would provide a three-year extension of the subsidy, would increase the nation’s deficit by about $80.6 billion over the decade. At the same time, it would increase the number of people with health insurance by 100,000 this year, 3 million in 2027, 4 million in 2028 and 1.1 million in 2029, the CBO said.

Other news we’re following:

  • Venezuela releases prisoners: Venezuela released a number of citizens and foreigners from its prisons on Thursday in what a top government official described as a gesture to “seek peace” less than a week after former President Nicolás Maduro was captured by U.S. forces to face drug-trafficking charges in New York. Jorge Rodríguez, brother of acting President Delcy Rodríguez and head of the National Assembly, said a “significant number” of people would be freed, but he was not specific about how many or provide names. As night fell, The Associated Press identified only five released detainees — all Spanish citizens — but advocates said they expected more people to walk free in the coming hours.
  • US withdrawal from UN agencies: The top United Nations official said the United States has a “legal obligation” to keep paying its dues that fund U.N. agencies after the White House announced that it is withdrawing support from more than 30 initiatives operated by the world body. Many of the initiatives focus on climate, labor, and migration.
  • Trump’s housing reform: The president is directing the federal government to buy $200 billion in mortgage bondsa move he said would help reduce mortgage rates at a time when Americans are worried about home prices. Trump and the White House have been trying to show they are responding to voter concerns about affordability ahead of midterm elections in November.

Trump confirms he supports sanctions bill aiming to punish Russia for war in Ukraine

Trump for many months held off from backing the bipartisan sanctions bill, which aimed to economically cripple Moscow, but one of the sponsors, Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham said this week that he had finally earned the president’s support.

“It’s subject to me, and, you know, I support it,” Trump said.

Venezuelan opposition leader may meet with Trump next week

Venezuelans celebrate with a painting depicting opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado in Santiago, Chile, Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, after U.S. President Donald Trump announced that President Nicolas Maduro had been captured and flown out of Venezuela. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)

Venezuelans celebrate with a painting depicting opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado in Santiago, Chile, Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, after U.S. President Donald Trump announced that President Nicolas Maduro had been captured and flown out of Venezuela. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)

Trump indicated that Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado may be visiting next week and that he may meet with her.

“I understand she’s coming in next week some time and I look forward to saying hello to her,” Trump said in a Fox News interview with Sean Hannity that aired Thursday night. “And I’ve heard that she wants to do that.” He called it “a great honor.”

Machado was awarded last year’s Nobel Peace Prize, an honor Trump had been hoping to receive.

AP explains Senate war powers vote to limit Trump’s military threats against Venezuela

The Senate has advanced a resolution that would limit President Donald Trump’s ability to conduct further attacks against Venezuela, and it symbolizes lawmakers’ disapproval of Trump’s expanding ambitions in the Western Hemisphere. (AP Video: Nathan Ellgren)

Venezuela helps vault Rubio to quarterback of Trump’s foreign policy team

Secretary of State Marco Rubio listens as President Donald Trump speaks at his Mar-a-Lago club, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Secretary of State Marco Rubio listens as President Donald Trump speaks at his Mar-a-Lago club, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is quarterbacking Trump’s foreign policy team as it navigates particularly turbulent times, notably in Venezuela and elsewhere in Latin America, longtime core interests of the child of Cuban immigrants and former Florida senator.

As the Trump administration has alarmed much of the world with its stunning military operation that captured former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and its threats to potentially annex Greenland by force, Rubio has emerged as a voice of relative calm.

In public comments and private briefings to lawmakers, he has toned down bombastic remarks from the president and other top officials even as he offers a full-throated defense of Trump’s more audacious plans. Still, he had a key role in one of the most assertive actions — Maduro’s ouster — after long pursuing leadership changes in Venezuela and Cuba, countries close to him personally and politically.

▶ Read more about Rubio’s influence on the White House

Trump says he hasn’t taken obesity drugs but ‘I probably should’

President Donald Trump speaks to House Republican lawmakers during their annual policy retreat, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

President Donald Trump speaks to House Republican lawmakers during their annual policy retreat, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

In a wide-ranging interview with The New York Timesthe president was asked if he has taken any of the massively popular GLP-1 weight-loss and diabetes drugs, which he has called “the fat drug.”

“No, I have not,” he said. “I probably should.”

Trump’s physical report from April said the president stands at 6’ 3” (190.5 centimeters) and weighed in at 224 pounds (101.6 kilograms), which is 20 pounds (9.1 kilograms) lighter than a 2020 checkup in his first term that showed him bordering on obesity.

House passes bill to extend health care subsidies in defiance of GOP leaders

In a remarkable rebuke of Republican leadership, the House passed legislation Thursday, 230-196, that would extend expired health care subsidies for those who get coverage through the Affordable Care Act as renegade GOP lawmakers joined essentially all Democrats in voting for the measure.

Forcing the issue to a vote came about after a handful of Republicans signed on to a so-called “discharge petition” to unlock debate, bypassing objections from House Speaker Mike Johnson. The bill now goes to the Senate, where pressure is building for a similar bipartisan compromise.

Together, the rare political coalitions are rushing to resolve the standoff over the enhanced tax credits that were put in place during the COVID-19 crisis but expired late last year after no agreement was reached during the government shutdown.

JUST IN: House passes bill to extend health care subsidies despite GOP leadership’s opposition, putting pressure on Senate to act

Trump wants the government to buy $200 billion in mortgage bonds to bring down rates

Trump said on social media Thursday that the move would help reduce mortgage rates at a time when Americans are worried about home prices.

Trump and the White House have been trying to show they are responding to voter concerns about affordability ahead of midterm elections in November.

The president last month said he planned to unveil housing reforms, and on Wednesday he said he wants to block institutional investors from buying houses.

JUST IN: Trump says he wants the government to buy $200 billion in mortgage bonds in a push to bring down mortgage rates

Trump says he must “own” Greenland in New York Times interview

FILE - Coloured houses covered by snow are seen from the sea in Nuuk, Greenland, on March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka, File)

FILE – Coloured houses covered by snow are seen from the sea in Nuuk, Greenland, on March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka, File)

Trump said that he has to possess the entirety of Greenland instead of just exercising a longstanding treaty that gives the U.S. wide latitude to use the country for military posts, in a Wednesday interview with The New York Times.

“I think that ownership gives you a thing that you can’t do with, you’re talking about a lease or a treaty. Ownership gives you things and elements that you can’t get from just signing a document,” Trump said.

The U.S. is party to a 1951 treaty that gives it broad rights to set up military bases on the landmass with the consent of Denmark and Greenland.

On Thursday, Vice President JD Vance told reporters that European leaders should “take the president of the United States seriously” but framed hi s desire to own the landmass as a defense issue.

“What we’re asking our European friends to do is take the security of that landmass more seriously, because if they’re not, the United States is going to have to do something about it,” Vance said.

Denmark and Greenland envoys met with White House officials over ‘takeover’

Denmark and Greenland’s envoys to Washington have begun a vigorous effort to urge U.S. lawmakers as well as key Trump administration officials to step back from President Trump’s call for a “takeover” of the strategic Arctic island.

Denmark’s ambassador, Jesper Møller Sørensen, and Jacob Isbosethsen, Greenland’s chief representative to Washington, met on Thursday with White House National Security Council officials to discuss a renewed push by Trump to acquire Greenland, perhaps by military force, according to Danish government officials who were not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

The White House did not respond to a request for comment about the meeting.

▶ Read more about the meeting

JUST IN: Trump advisers met at the White House with Denmark and Greenland envoys as the president reignites ‘takeover’ talk, AP sources say

Senate agrees to display the Jan. 6 plaque

The Senate has agreed to display a plaque honoring the police who defended the Capitol during the attack on Jan. 6, 2021, rebuffing House Speaker Mike Johnson who has said the commemorative memorial does not comply with the law.

Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina led the effort, announcing on this week’s fifth anniversary of the Capitol siege that he would ask colleagues to have it installed. On Thursday, Democratic Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon joined the effort. No other senators objected.

A replica plaque commemorating the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot stands outside the office of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y, Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

A replica plaque commemorating the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot stands outside the office of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y, Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Congress had approved the plaque three years ago, but it has never been officially hung — although replicas have proliferated in the halls in the lawmakers’ nearby offices. Johnson, a Republican who led efforts to object to the 2020 election results ahead of the riot, has said the plaque as constructed does not comply with the law.

Police had sued to place the plaque as required, but Trump’s Justice Department is trying to dismiss the lawsuit.

Senators agreed to the resolution directing the Architect of the Capitol to “prominently display” the plaque in a “publicly accessible” location in the Senate wing of the Capitol until it can be placed in its permanent location.

House refuses to override 2 Trump vetoes, as Republicans stick with the president

Congress can override a veto with support from two-thirds of the members of the House and the Senate. The threshold is rarely reached.

In this case, Republicans opted to avoid a fight in an election year over bills with little national significance. The White House did not issue any veto threats prior to passage of the bills, so Trump’s vetoes came as a surprise to sponsors of the legislation. Ultimately, his vetoes had the effect of punishing those who had opposed the president’s positions on other issues.

One bill Trump vetoed was designed to help local communities finance the construction of a pipeline to provide water to tens of thousands in Colorado. The other designated a site in Everglades National Park as a part of the Miccosukee Indian Reservation.

▶ Read more about the moves in Congress

JUST IN: U.S. House refuses to override Trump vetoes of 2 bipartisan bills as Republicans stick with the president

White House says it wasn’t economical to save the East Wing during ballroom construction

Work continues on the construction of the ballroom at the White House where the East Wing once stood, Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Work continues on the construction of the ballroom at the White House where the East Wing once stood, Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

The White House said it was not feasible to save the East Wing as they shared details of Trump’s planned ballroom at Thursday’s meeting of the National Capital Planning Commission.

Josh Fisher, director of the White House Office of Administration, listed off a variety of concerns, including a structurally unstable colonnade, water leakage and mold contamination, in explaining why it was more economical to tear down the East Wing to make room for the $400 million ballroom than to renovate it.

“Because of this and other factors,” Fisher said, “the cost analysis proved that demolition and reconstruction provided the lowest total cost ownership and most effective long-term strategy.”

Friends and relatives of Argentine detainees in Venezuela await word of releases

Greetings and laughter alternated with a tense silence among those gathering inside a brick-walled community center in Argentina’s capital of Buenos Aires, waiting and praying for news of their loved ones’ release.

María Alexandra Gómez is the Venezuela lan girlfriend of Nahuel Agustin Gallo, a non-commissioned officer and Argentine citizen who entered Venezuela from Colombia over a year ago to visit in-laws and never returned.

His continued detention has escalated already high tensions between the two countries. Venezuelan prosecutors say Gallo is being held on allegations of terrorism — something his family strongly rejects.

“We’re confident that news will be given to us today, and if not today, please God let it be as soon as possible, because we’ve fought so hard for such a long time to be in this moment, in which Venezuela’s prisons are opening up,” Gómez, 33, told The Associated Press, clutching their 2-year-old son Victor and wearing a T-shirt that called for his release.

Families rush to Venezuelan prisons hoping their loved ones are among those freed

Among them was Pedro Durán, 60, who said he traveled from Spain to Caracas in hopes of wrapping his arms around his brother Franklin, detained five years ago on charges of trying to overthrow Maduro’s government, accusations the family denies.

Durán said he bought a plane ticket as soon as he heard rumors that authorities might free some prisoners.

“I don’t have words to express the emotion I’m feeling,” he said. “We’re feeling a lot of hope … We’re just waiting now.”

Despite the anticipation, fear persists in parts of the South American country as residents brace for what comes next.

“Of course everyone here is very scared,” Durán said, “but what more could they (the government) do to us that they haven’t done already?”

Relatives of political prisoners gather outside the Rodeo I prison in Guatire, Venezuela, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, after National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez said the government would release Venezuelan and foreign prisoners. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

Relatives of political prisoners gather outside the Rodeo I prison in Guatire, Venezuela, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, after National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez said the government would release Venezuelan and foreign prisoners. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

Vance says he’s running a meeting on Venezuela ‘every other day’

Vance’s absence from photos of Trump and top officials watching the strike raised questions about just how involved the vice president has been on the issue. His office told reporters that Vance was absent for security reasons and that he watched the operation unfold through a secure, remote feed.

At a briefing on Thursday, Vance said he’s been running a meeting among top White House officials “every other day…to talk about next steps, to try to ensure that Venezuela is stable.”

Vance said that so far he’s “been very involved, and I’ll keep on doing that.” He also said that his role on Venezuela will be “whatever the president asks me to do.”

Vance says European allies should take Greenland’s security ‘more seriously’

The vice president told reporters that his administration is asking European allies to take Greenland’s security “more seriously,” or else “the United States is going to have to do something about it.”

Trump has expressed repeated interest in acquiring Greenland and the White House has not ruled out a military intervention. Vance stressed that the ultimate choice on the Arctic island would rest with the U.S. president as diplomacy continues, but he said Greenland is critical for “the world’s missile defense.”

Greenland is a self-governing territory of Denmark and thus part of the NATO military alliance.

Vance scolds the media for coverage of Minneapolis ICE shooting

Vice President JD Vance takes questions from reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Vice President JD Vance takes questions from reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Appearing in the White House briefing room, the vice president’s voice rose as he decried what he called the “corporate media” for its coverage of a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer fatally shooting a motorist during an operation in Minneapolis.

“This was an attack on law and order. This was an attack on the American people,” said Vance, who maintained it has not been portrayed that way by many journalists.

“The way that the media, by and large, has reported this story has been an absolute disgrace,” he added. “And it puts our law enforcement officers at risk every single day.”

Spain says 5 of its citizens are freed by Venezuela

Spain’s government said Thursday that five Spanish citizens were released in Venezuela. It said they would be traveling back to Spain with the help of the Spanish embassy in Caracas, but did not specify when.

The announcement came shortly after Venezuela said it was releasing a “significant number” of citizens and foreigners from its prisons.

Vance says a new prosecutor will focus on abuse of government assistance programs

Vice President JD Vance speaks during a briefing at the White House, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Vice President JD Vance speaks during a briefing at the White House, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Vance says a new assistant attorney general will prosecute the abuse of government assistance programs in response to growing attention to fraud in childcare programs in Minnesota.

He said the prosecutor will focus primarily on Minnesota but will have a nationwide ambit.

The prosecutor will likely be nominated in the coming days, Vance said, adding Senate Majority Leader John Thune told him he’d seek a prompt confirmation.

“This is the person who’s going to make sure we stop defrauding the American people,” Vance said in the White House briefing room.

South Carolina National Guard is sued over deployment to DC

A lawsuit filed Thursday asks the state Supreme Court to rule Gov. Henry McMaster’s decision to send South Carolina National Guard troops to Washington last year “unlawful.”

South Carolina initially sent 200 National Guard troops last year, as the Trump administration employed forces amid a federal crackdown on crime and homelessness in the capital city. Those forces returned, and in November McMaster said another 300 would be rotated back in.

Plaintiffs including the South Carolina Public Interest Foundation also ask the court to prevent South Carolina’s adjutant general from further implementing the new troop rotation.

McMaster spokesperson Brandon Charochak told AP that South Carolina governors had “unambiguous authority” to deploy the Guard “to save and protect American lives, defend the homeland, and assist in enforcing the rule of law.”

Bernice King says Trump’s Venezuela policy is a ‘terrible precedent’

Bernice King, Martin Luther Luther King Jr.’s daughter who leads the King Center for Nonviolent Social Change, said Trump’s move to depose Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela is “deeply troubling” and “a terrible precedent to set.”

King said she doesn’t “understand why we take it upon ourselves to go into other nations” given U.S. problems, and she lamented Trump saying his aim is to control more oil.

“Everything that seems to be expressed around this is about the resources that exist there,” King said, rather than about Maduro’s authoritarianism and Venezuelans’ lives. “It wasn’t even about … what kind of leader he was.”

King speaks often about her father’s “three evils of society” — racism, excessive materialism and militarism. As she watches current U.S. policy, King said, “These are days where I miss my father’s voice and leadership. Because we’ve gotten so far off as a nation.”

Giffords returns to House floor on 15th anniversary of shooting

Former U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords returned to the House floor Thursday on the 15th anniversary of the assassination attempt that cut short her promising political career and shocked the nation, which is still reckoning with a spate of political violence.

Giffords held hands with her husband, Sen. Mark Kelly, as House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries lauded her congressional service and her advocacy since the shooting for tougher gun control measures. She received a standing ovation from a few dozen lawmakers in the chamber, most of them Democrats like Giffords.

“House Democrats stand with Gabby and with all Americans who say ‘enough is enough,’” said Jeffries, who pledged that Democrats would prioritize gun control legislation if they win the House majority in November’s midterm elections.

Giffords was shot in the head on Jan. 8, 2011, while meeting with constituents at a grocery store in Tucson, Arizona. Six were killed and 12 injured in addition to Giffords, who was left with limited motion on one side and aphasia, a verbal disability.

Trump calls out 5 Republicans for war powers vote

1 of 5|

Senator Susan Collins delivers remarks at the Maine Chiefs of Police Association Winter Conference in South Portland, Maine, Friday, Feb. 7, 2020. (Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Portland Press Herald via AP)

2 of 5|

FILE – Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, speaks during a hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, on June 17, 2021. (Evelyn Hockstein/Pool Photo via AP, File)

3 of 5|

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., speaks with reporters at the Senate Subway on Capitol Hill, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)

4 of 5|

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., speaks with reporters on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)

5 of 5|

Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., speaks during a Senate Finance Committee hearing on the nomination of Xavier Becerra to be Secretary of Health and Human Services on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2021. (Michael Reynolds/Pool via AP)

The president lashed out at the five Republican senators who voted for the war powers resolution that would limit his ability to conduct further attacks against Venezuela.

Trump said “Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Rand Paul, Josh Hawley, and Todd Young should never be elected to office again” and called their vote “stupidity” in a post to Truth social on Thursday.

Trump went on to argue that the War Powers Resolution, a Vietnam-era law that is aimed at limiting a President’s power to commit troops to conflict without Congressional approval, was unconstitutional.

Senators meet with Danish ambassador about Greenland

A key Republican senator overseeing the military met with Denmark’s ambassador Thursday morning and pushed back on Trump’s idea that Greenland could be purchased.

Denmark is unwilling to negotiate over selling Greenland, said Sen. Roger Wicker. “That’s their prerogative and their right.”

Wicker, the Republican chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, met on Capitol Hill with the Danish ambassador to the U.S., Jesper Møller Sørensen, along with the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, and the head of Greenland representation, Jacob Isbosethsen.

“Greenland is not for sale,” Isbosethsen told reporters.

Wicker added that he hoped an agreement could be reached that would strengthen the U.S. relationship with Denmark, a NATO ally.

Sen. Rand Paul says Venezuela makes war-powers debate more urgent

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., speaks with reporters at the Senate Subway on Capitol Hill, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., speaks with reporters at the Senate Subway on Capitol Hill, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)

One of the five Republicans who voted to advance the war powers resolution, Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky said the issue was no longer “hypothetical” for some lawmakers after the intervention in Venezuela.

“It’s interesting to see that more people, at least on my side, now are interested in who has the war prerogative, who has the prerogative to initiate or declare war,” he told reporters after the vote.

Asked whether the vote sends a message to the White House, Paul said he was happy that Maduro is no longer In power.

“But on the other hand,” he said, “to me, the worry, it isn’t always just about the immediate president. It’s about who the next president is and the next president and that if you can accuse someone of a crime anywhere in the world and then remove them without a vote of Congress, what it might lead to.”

Venezuela to release a ‘significant number’ of prisoners as gesture to ‘seek peace’

Venezuela will release a “significant number” of Venezuelan and foreigners imprisoned in the country, the head of Venezuela’s national assembly said Thursday.

Venezuela will release a “significant number” of Venezuelans and foreigners imprisoned in the country, the head of Venezuela’s national assembly said Thursday.

Jorge Rodríguez, brother of acting President Delcy Rodríguez, did not specify who would be released or give an exact number.

Despite mass detentions following the tumultuous 2024 election, Venezuela’s government maintains it doesn’t keep political prisoners.

The U.S. government and the coun try’s opposition have demanded the release of opposition figures and critics.

“Consider this gesture by the Bolivarian government, which is broadly intended to seek peace,” Rodríguez said in an announcement publicized over TV.

JUST IN: Top Venezuelan official says a ‘significant number’ of prisoners will be released as a gesture to ‘seek peace’

UN chief says US has ‘legal obligation’ to fund agencies despite withdrawal

The United Nations pushed back Thursday on the Trump administration’s plan to pull out of more than 30 U.N. initiatives, saying Washington remains responsible for its required contributions.

In a statement by his spokesperson, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he regretted Trump’s decision Wednesday to withdraw from 31 U.N.-related agencies, including the population agency and the treaty that establishes international climate negotiations.

“As we have consistently underscored, assessed contributions to the United Nations regular budget and peacekeeping budget, as approved by the General Assembly, are a legal obligation under the UN Charter for all Member States, including the United States,” Stephane Dujarric, the U.N. spokesperson, said.

He added that despite the announcement, the U.N. entities targeted will continue to implement their work.

Senate advances Venezuela war powers resolution

The Senate has advanced a resolution that would limit Trump’s ability to conduct further attacks against Venezuelasounding a note of disapproval for the president’s expanding ambitions in the Western Hemisphere.

Democrats and five Republicans voted to advance the war powers resolution on a 52-47 vote tally and ensure a later vote for final passage.

It has virtually no chance of becoming law because Trump would have to sign it if it were to pass the House, but it’s still a significant gesture that shows unease among some Republicans after the U.S. military seized Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in a surprise nighttime raid.

Two Republicans flip on Venezuela war powers resolution vote

The Senate is voting on a resolution that would limit Trump’s ability to conduct further attacks against Venezuela, and the vote tally is looking to be razor-thin.

Two Republicans who previously voted against similar resolutions — Sens. Todd Young of Indiana and Susan Collins of Maine — are now voting for the resolution. It’s still not clear what the final vote outcome would be.

A majority vote would set up a later vote on passage for the resolution. It still has virtually no chance of becoming law because Trump would have to sign it, but the vote outcome showed how some Republicans are uneasy with the Trump administration’s military action against Venezuela.

Some Republicans insist on congressional approval for war

Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a close Trump ally, said on Air Force One on Sunday that he’s comfortable with Trump taking over other countries — including Greenland — without congressional approval. “The commander in chief is the commander in chief. They can use military force,” Graham said.

But some others are voicing opposition. Asked whether he’d support putting troops on the ground in Venezuela, Thom Tillis of North Carolina responded: “Not without congressional authorization.”

Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, an outspoken proponent of war powers resolutions, acknowledged that Maduro is seen as a “bad guy” and “a socialist and an autocrat.” But, Paul added, “The question is about who has the power to take the country to war?”

Paul said Republicans discussed Trump’s plans for Greenland at their Wednesday luncheon and he heard “zero support” for taking military action to seize it.

Sen. Tim Kaine: ‘It’s time for Congress to assert its control over military action of this kind’

“It’s time to get this out of secrecy and put it in the light,” the Virginia Democrat said after forcing a Thursday Senate vote on a resolution that would limit Trump’s ability to strike Venezuela militarily again.

Kaine said a resolution on Greenland would soon be filed, in addition to Cuba, Mexico, Colombia and Nigeria.

Republican leaders have said they had no advance notification of the raid early morning Saturday to seize Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, but they’ve backed Trump, and mostly expressed satisfaction this week as top administration officials provided classified briefings on the operation.

“I think the president has demonstrated at least already a very strong commitment to peace through strength, especially in this hemisphere,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D. “I think Venezuela got that message loudly and clearly.”

The world’s smaller countries depend on international law, EU official says

“The messages that we hear regarding Greenland are extremely concerning and we have had discussions also among the Europeans,” Kaja Kallas, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, said Thursday during a press conference in Egypt.

“All these statements are not really helping the stability of the world,” Kallas said. “The international law is very clear, and we have to stick to it. It is clear that it is the only thing that protects smaller countries and that’s why it is in the interest of all of us, and we discussed this today as well, that we uphold the international law on all levels.”

Senate considers limiting Trump’s war powers

The Senate is expected to vote on a resolution Thursday that would limit President Donald Trump’s ability to conduct further attacks against Venezuelasetting up a test for his expanding ambitions in the Western Hemisphere.

The war powers resolution would require Trump to get congressional approval before striking Venezuela again, and it comes after the U.S. military seized the president of the South American country, Nicolas Maduroin a surprise nighttime raid and as Trump’s administration is seeking to control Venezuela’s oil resources and its government.

Democrats have failed to pass several such resolutions in the months that Trump escalated his campaign against Venezuela. But lawmakers argued that now that Trump has captured Maduro and set his sights to other conquests such as Greenlandthe vote presents the Republican-controlled Congress with an opportunity.

▶ Read more about the Senate’s war powers vote

Greenlanders insist on their right to self-determination

FILE - Cross-political support demonstration for Greenland and Greenlanders in front of Greenland's representation in Christianshavn, Copenhagen, Friday, March 28, 2025. (Thomas Traasdahl//Ritzau Scanpix via AP)

FILE – Cross-political support demonstration for Greenland and Greenlanders in front of Greenland’s representation in Christianshavn, Copenhagen, Friday, March 28, 2025. (Thomas Traasdahl//Ritzau Scanpix via AP)

Many Greenlanders feel that remarks about their self-governing territory have been disrespectful, Aaja Chemnitz, one of the two Greenlandic politicians in the Danish parliament, told The Associated Press. Trump’s claim that Greenland is “covered with Russian and Chinese ships all over the place” is not accurate, she added.

“Many also experience that these conversations are being discussed over their heads. We have a firm saying in Greenland, ‘Nothing about Greenland, without Greenland,’” she said. “Most Greenlanders wish more self-determination including independence” but also want to “strengthen cooperation with our partners” in security and business development as long as it is based on “mutual respect and recognition of our right to self-determination.”

Greenland is “a longstanding ally and partner to the U.S. and we have a shared interest in stability, security, and responsible cooperation in the Arctic,” she said. “There is an agreement with the U.S. that gives them access to have bases in Greenland if needed.”

Russia denounces US threat to prosecute crew of seized tanker as ‘categorically unacceptable’

The Russian Foreign Ministry is calling the U.S. seizure of the Marinera oil tanker under the Russian flag was “a gross violation of the fundamental principles and norms of international maritime law” and warns that the incident could incite geopolitical tensions.

“Washington’s willingness to generate acute international crisis situations, including in relation to already extremely strained Russian-American relations, which are burdened by disagreements from past years, is a cause for regret and concern,” the ministry said in a statement Thursday.

U.S. actions lower the “threshold for the use of force” on the sea, and it’s “utterly cynical” for the U.S. to say the seizure is part of an effort to take over Venezuela’s oil productionit said. “We resolutely reject such neo-colonial ambitions.”

French president denounces ‘law of the strongest’

Emmanuel Macron said in a speech to French ambassadors at the Elysee presidential palace that the United States is “gradually turning away from some of its allies and freeing itself from the international rules.”

“It’s the greatest disorder, the law of the strongest, and everyday people wonder whether Greenland will be invaded, whether Canada will be under the threat of becoming the 51st state (of the United States) or whether Taiwan is to be further circled,” Macron said.

The French president pointed to an “increasingly dysfunctional” world where great powers, including the U.S and China, have “a real temptation to divide the world amongst themselves.”

Trump cites Jimmy Carter ‘disaster’ when talking about Maduro mission

Trump has boasted about the U.S. military operation to capture former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. But the mission did involve a U.S. helicopter being hit by enemy fire.

In a New York Times interview published Thursday, Trump said he was thinking about a “Jimmy Carter disaster” as the Venezuela mission played out.

He was referring to a failed April 1980 mission Carter ordered to rescue 52 American hostages in Iran. U.S. helicopter mechanical failures and a crash with a C-130 killed eight servicemembers, deeply affecting Carter politically and personally.

FILE - President Jimmy Carter prepares to make a national television address from the Oval Office at the White House, April 25, 1980, in Washington, on the failed mission to rescue the Iran hostages. (AP Photo, File)

FILE – President Jimmy Carter prepares to make a national television address from the Oval Office at the White House, April 25, 1980, in Washington, on the failed mission to rescue the Iran hostages. (AP Photo, File)

“That destroyed his entire administration,” Trump told the Times. “I don’t know that he would have won” in 1980, Trump continued, “but he certainly had no chance after that disaster.”

Trump used Carter often in the 2024 campaign to mock then-President Joe Biden, saying Carter loved Biden “because he had a brilliant presidency compared to Biden.”

Danish Defense Minister says talks with the US are a chance for ‘the dialogue that is needed’ over Greenland

FILE - Denmark's Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen gives a briefing on recent drone disturbances over Denmark, at the Ministry of Justice, in Copenhagen, Monday, Sept. 29, 2025. (Thomas Traasdahl/Ritzau Scanpix via AP)

FILE – Denmark’s Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen gives a briefing on recent drone disturbances over Denmark, at the Ministry of Justice, in Copenhagen, Monday, Sept. 29, 2025. (Thomas Traasdahl/Ritzau Scanpix via AP)

Troels Lund Poulsen made the remarks to Danish broadcaster DR on Thursday.

Greenland’s government has told Danish public broadcaster DR that Greenland will participate in the meeting between Denmark and the U.S. announced by Rubio.

“Nothing about Greenland without Greenland. Of course we will be there. We are the ones who requested the meeting,” Greenland’s Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt told DR.

The island of Greenland, 80% of which lies above the Arctic Circle, is home to about 56,000 mostly Inuit people.

President of the European Council says ‘Greenland belongs to its people’

Children play on an icy surface in Nuuk, Greenland, Feb. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti, File)

Children play on an icy surface in Nuuk, Greenland, Feb. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti, File)

“Nothing can be decided about Denmark and about Greenland without Denmark, or without Greenland. They have the full solid support and solidarity of the European Union.”

The leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and the U.K. joined Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen on Tuesday in defending Greenland’s sovereignty in the wake of Trump’s comments about Greenland, which is part of the NATO military alliance.

Vance says Denmark ‘obviously’ had not done a proper job in securing Greenland

In an interview with Fox News, U.S. Vice President JD Vance said that Denmark “obviously” had not done a proper job in securing Greenland and that Trump “is willing to go as far as he has to” to defend American interests in the Arctic.

He also repeated Trump’s claim that Greenland is crucial to both the U.S. and the world’s national security because “the entire missile defense infrastructure is partially dependent on Greenland.”

Vance said the fact that Denmark has been a faithful military ally of the U.S. during World War II and the more recent “war on terrorism” did not necessarily mean they were doing enough to secure Greenland today.

“Just because you did something smart 25 years ago doesn’t mean you can’t do something dumb now,” Vance said, adding that Trump “is saying very clearly, ‘you are not doing a good job with respect to Greenland.’”

Trump suggests that US oversight of Venezuela could be lengthy

“Only time will tell,” Trump told the New York Times, in a newly published interview, when asked how long the administration will demand direct oversight of the South American nation.

Trump did not give a precise timeline for how long he expected the oversight to last, The Times reported. He did say that the Venezuelan government, which is now being led by Delcy Rodriguez following Maduro’s weekend arrest by U.S. forces, is being cooperative despite some of its hostile public statements toward the U.S.

“They’re giving us everything that we feel is necessary,” Trump said.

Trump proposes massive increase in 2027 defense spending to $1.5T, citing ‘dangerous times’

Trump on Wednesday proposed setting U.S. military spending at $1.5 trillion in 2027, citing “troubled and dangerous times.”

The 2026 military budget is set at $901 billion.

“This will allow us to build the ‘Dream Military’ that we have long been entitled to and, more importantly, that will keep us SAFE and SECURE, regardless of foe,” Trump said in a posting on Truth Social announcing his proposal.

The military just received a large boost of some $175 billion in the GOP’s “big, beautiful bill” of tax breaks and spending reductions that Trump signed into law last year.

Insisting on more funding for the Pentagon is almost certain to run into resistance from Democrats who work to maintain parity between changes in defense and non-defense spending. But it’s also sure to draw objections from the GOP’s deficit hawks who have pushed back against larger military spending.

▶ Read more about Trump’s calls for increased military spending

US seeks to assert its control over Venezuelan oil with tanker seizures and sales worldwide

This image from video provided by the U.S. Department of Defense, shows U.S. forces boarding the M/T Sophia in the Caribbean Sea early Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026. (Department of Defense via AP)

This image from video provided by the U.S. Department of Defense, shows U.S. forces boarding the M/T Sophia in the Caribbean Sea early Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026. (Department of Defense via AP)

Trump’s administration on Wednesday sought to assert its control over Venezuelan oilseizing a pair of sanctioned tankers transporting petroleum and announcing plans to relax some sanctions so the U.S. can oversee the sale of Venezuela’s petroleum worldwide.

Besides the U.S. enforcing an existing oil embargo, the Energy Department says the “only oil transported in and out of Venezuela” will be through approved channels consistent with U.S. law and national security interests.

That level of control over the world’s largest proven reserves of crude oil could give the Trump administration a broader hold on oil supplies globally in ways that could enable it to influence prices. Both moves reflect the Republican administration’s determination to make good on its effort to control the next steps in Venezuela through its vast oil resources after Trump pledged the U.S. will “run” the country.

▶ Read more about the U.S.’s plan for Venezuelan oil

White House says military ‘always an option’ in Greenland as European leaders reject US takeover

The White House said Tuesday that “U.S. military is always an option,” even as a series of European leaders rejected Trump’s comments about seeking an American takeover of the world’s largest island.

That’s notable since Trump’s newly appointed special envoy to Greenland, as well as deputy White House chief of staff Stephen Miller, had suggested that military action wouldn’t be necessary. And asked Tuesday if he felt comfortable taking military action in Greenland, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson said, “No. I don’t think it’s appropriate.”

The comments also followed the leaders of France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and the UK, joining Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in issuing a statement reaffirming that the strategic, mineral-rich Arctic island “belongs to its people.”

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney also expressed his support and announced a visit to Greenland early next month by Canada’s Governor General Mary Simon, who is of Inuit descent, and Foreign Minister Anita Anand.

▶ Read more about the White House’s comments

Why Greenland is strategically important to Arctic security

By DANIKA CHURCHSTEFANIE DAZIO

A boat rides though a frozen sea inlet outside of Nuuk, Greenland, on March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka, File)

A boat rides though a frozen sea inlet outside of Nuuk, Greenland, on March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka, File)

Location, location, location: Greenland’s position above the Arctic Circle makes the world’s largest island a key part of security strategy.

Increasing international tensions, global warming and the changing world economy have put Greenland at the heart of the debate over global trade and security.

Greenland sits off the northeastern coast of Canada, with more than two-thirds of its territory lying within the Arctic Circle. That has made it crucial to the defense of North America since World War II, when the U.S. occupied Greenland to ensure it didn’t fall into the hands of Nazi Germany and to protect crucial North Atlantic shipping lanes.

Following the Cold War, the Arctic was largely an area of international cooperation. But climate change is thinning the Arctic icepromising to create a northwest passage for international trade and reigniting competition with Russia, China and other countries over access to the region’s mineral resources.

▶ Read more about why Greenland is strategically important to Arctic security

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The Dictatorship

Blanche’s confirmation imperiled by GOP holdouts Cornyn, Tillis

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Blanche’s confirmation imperiled by GOP holdouts Cornyn, Tillis

The Senate Judiciary Committee postponed a vote on acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s nomination, a spokesperson said late Wednesday, as two retiring Republicans on the panel dug in over President Donald Trump’s personal “anti-weaponization” deal with the government he runs.

Sen. Chuck Grassley’s decision to delay the committee vote that had been set for Thursday marks a setback for one of Trump’s highest-profile Cabinet nominees, at the hands of Texas Sen. John Cornyn and Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, a pair of Republicans set to leave the chamber next year.

“Chairman Grassley works to set President Trump’s nominees up for success in committee, not failure. Senators Cornyn and Tillis want written assurances from the Department of Justice regarding the Trump-IRS settlement,” the committee spokesperson said.

Blanche’s nomination to permanently head the Department of Justice needs the support of either Cornyn or Tillis to make it out of the committee to a vote by the full Senate, assuming all Democrats remain opposed.

“Why don’t you call over the Department of Justice and tell them they have one hour and 50 minutes to get me what I asked for,” Cornyn told reporters Wednesday afternoon amid the hardening standoff over his demand that Blanche and the DOJ put in writing a commitment never to pursue the president’s prized “anti-weaponization” fund, and to clarify the terms of Trump’s personal deal with the Internal Revenue Service.

Tillis told MS NOW that the conversations were complicated by the need for the Justice Department to get “several parties” to agree on the language of the statement Cornyn and Tillis are seeking.

“What I’ve advised the chair, and I would assume Senator Cornyn said something similar, is that we’re not prepared to vote yes yet,” he added.

“The Department has been in regular communication with Committee members for weeks, and we look forward to continuing to work productively with Senators to address any concerns,” a Justice Department spokesperson said in response to the decision to postpone the committee vote.

Cornyn was set to meet with Blanche on Wednesday morning, but the meeting was called off after Blanche failed to meet the senator’s demand for written proposals to modify the controversial settlement agreement he brokered between Trump and the IRS. The Republican senator is set to leave Congress when his term ends in January after a bruising May primary loss to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, Trump’s chosen candidate.

“Maybe John Cornyn’s upset with me because I didn’t endorse him,” Trump told reporters Wednesday afternoon in the Oval Office. “I don’t know what it is, but I haven’t heard that there’s a problem. I heard (Blanche) is going through quite nicely.”

Cornyn made clear to Blanche during his confirmation hearing that he will not get his support until he agrees to reopen and modify the settlement. Due to the committee’s narrow Republican majority, one GOP “no” vote is enough to sink Blanche’s nomination.

The senator has asked Blanche to provide proof that the proposed nearly $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund established as part of the deal between Trump and the IRS is formally dead, and he has also demanded Blanche narrow the tax audit immunity provisions the settlement afforded to Trump and his family.

Blanche has publicly stated that his department has dropped the fund, but he and the DOJ have dodged requests from Cornyn and a federal judge to put that in writing.

After announcing his meeting with Blanche would not take place Wednesday morning, Cornyn told reporters that changes from Blanche “in a modified release form” would be acceptable, but that “for some reason … they simply refuse to do it,” referring to the DOJ.

Shortly after the meeting was called off, a Justice Department official told MS NOW that the department “provided a written proposal to Senator Cornyn’s staff yesterday following ongoing discussion with both the Committee and the Senator’s office.”

Cornyn said that proposal was “not responsive” to his demands because it did not address the tax audit immunity provisions in the settlement, one of his key demands.

In May, Blanche signed an addendum as part of the deal that granted Trump, his family and his businesses immunity from pending IRS tax audits. That agreement, which has been decried by former IRS officials and legal experts as unlawful self-dealing, is being contested in federal court.

Cornyn noted that Blanche testified under oath that he could meet the request during his confirmation hearing.

“Maybe they think I’m just going to give up or you know, go along, but they’re mistaken,” Cornyn said when asked why he thinks the DOJ could be slow-walking his request.

Kevin Frey contributed to this report.

Sydney Carruth is a breaking news reporter covering national politics and policy for MS NOW. You can send her tips from a non-work device on Signal at SydneyCarruth.46 or follow her work on X and Bluesky.

Mychael Schnell is a reporter for MS NOW.

Ebony Davis is a breaking news reporter for MS NOW based in Washington, D.C. She previously worked at BLN as a campaign reporter covering elections and politics.

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The Dictatorship

Netanyahu leaves his visit with Trump without a clear endgame on Iran

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July 30, 2026

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Netanyahu leaves his visit with Trump without a clear endgame on Iran

When Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived this week for his tour of Washington, he may have had a mission in mind.

Netanyahu needed to overcome his newly diminished stature and waning influence over his once close friend President Donald Trump as both leaders grapple with the unpopularity of a war they started together and is escaping their control.

His meeting at the White House with Trump on Tuesday, which was closed to the press, was the first face-to-face encounter between the two allies since the U.S. and Israel launched a joint attack against Iran on Feb. 28.

Trump gave him a muted welcome and afterwards simply described the meeting as “very good.” “Obviously, many important subjects were discussed,” the president wrote on Truth Social.

Rather than an intimate one-on-one setting, the Oval Office was full of top U.S. officials — Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine, and special envoy Steve Witkoff.

But Netanyahu continued the full court press on the Trump administration.

Over the course of two days, in addition to seeing Trump and attending Sen. Lindsey Graham’s funeral at the Capitol, Netanyahu also met separately with Vance, Hegseth, and Rubio, White House and Israeli officials confirmed to MS NOW.

The Israeli prime minister’s slate of meetings with key U.S. national security officials comes at a pivotal moment in the Iran conflict as tensions escalate in the region and Americans increasingly sour on the war. A recent Quinnipiac poll shows 60% of American voters opposing U.S. military action against Iran and 74% against sending U.S. ground troops into Iran.

Not only does Trump face pressure as Republicans face an uphill battle to retain congressional control in this fall’s midterms, Netanyahu’s fate as prime minister is at stake in Israel’s upcoming September elections – and he can’t afford to lose Trump’s favor.

The talks largely focused on what to do next as Iran continues to menace shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and retaliate against American bases in the region and launch attacks on Gulf allies.

According to a senior Israeli official who was granted anonymity to describe the closed-door meeting, President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu did not come to a final decision after discussing three paths forward: get a “good deal” focused on Iran’s nuclear program and enriched material, have no deal and instead continue the blockade and economic pressure, or take escalated military action.

But Netanyahu did not tell Trump what he should do – nor did he express a preference.

The senior Israeli official noted Netanyahu has not ruled out diplomacy – as long as it is coupled with “very strong pressures,” calling the push to dismantle Iran’s nuclear program “a contest of will and a contest of force.”

“There are ways of squeezing them and squeezing them and squeezing them and negotiating at the same time,” the official said.

Netanyahu did not present President Trump with new intelligence regarding the underground Iranian nuclear facility Pickaxe Mountain, per the senior Israeli official, noting the U.S. and Israel already are constantly sharing intelligence – and know where Iran’s highly enriched material is. “We don’t think it’s moved, and I think we have a pretty good grasp on that,” the official said.

During their meeting on Tuesday, Trump and Netanyahu discussed ways Israel and the U.S. can work together to stop Iran’s nuclear program and get the Strait of Hormuz open to maritime trade, the senior Israeli official said.

The two leaders also discussed a third goal: to continue to undermine the Iranian regime and “possibly create future conditions for a change in that area.” U.S. officials have backed away from pursuing paths that would overthrow the current leadership, but Netanyahu still believes that could happen.

“The chasm that has been created between the people and the regime is not about to be closed,” the senior Israeli official said of Netanyahu’s thinking.

Netanyahu advised Trump in February that Israeli intelligence indicated launching strikes against Iran would lead to the toppling of the Islamic Republic’s regime – and five months later, the slain ayatollah’s son retains power with a close circle of hardliners, calling into question the accuracy of Israel’s intelligence apparatus.

But the senior Israeli official said at the time, Netanyahu did not promise the Iranian people would take fate into their own hands following a coordinated attack. Rather, he chose his words carefully and said that an attack could create conditions to “advance the probability or the possibility that that would happen.”

The conditions needed for the Iranian regime to fall, “did not materialize,” the official told MS NOW, adding, “not for lack of insight, but for either operational failure or decisions that were made.”

Despite Netanyahu insisting Israel and the U.S. are on the same page, differences still remain: the sale of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey and the Saudi nuclear arrangement did not come up during Wednesday’s White House meeting, according to a second Israeli official granted anonymity to describe sensitive discussions.

Meanwhile, the conflict continues to spread, with an Iranian drone attacking a U.S. gas storage tanker off the coast of Egypt on Wednesday.

Trump indicated he would not let Iran’s latest action slide, telling reporters on Wednesday that the U.S. would retaliate against Iran even as he leaves room for diplomatic talks to resume.

“It’s our turn, and we’ll see if we get there with an agreement at some point,” Trump said. “But we’re going to hit them very hard.”

As for what it would take for Israel to join the U.S. strikes, the senior Israeli official said that if Israel is attacked by Iran, “We will respond very, very forcefully and very quickly. And I think Iran would make a great mistake.”

Julia Jester covers politics for MS NOW and is based in Washington, D.C.

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The Dictatorship

FIFA faces global anger over plan to give Kushner brother a financial stake

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FIFA faces global anger over plan to give Kushner brother a financial stake

International rage over FIFA’s close ties to President Donald Trump has reached a fever pitch after soccer’s governing body announced a plan to sell a significant stake to an investor group led by Joshua Kushner, the brother of Trump’s son-in-law.

The president and his family have all but turned the White House into their personal piggy bank. And FIFA — which has its own sordid history of corruption — seems to have made itself a party to Trump’s self-enrichment under Gianni Infantino’s leadership, such as by paying for space inside Trump Tower in New York. (The organization has defended the office rental as a World Cup outpost.)

Soccer is seen by many as a unifying game. But Trump’s incorporation of FIFA into his political dynasty is threatening that idea.

As The Athletic reported:

FIFA has announced plans to sell a large minority stake in a new company that will run its main events, including the World Cup and Club World Cup, as part of a plan to triple the amount of development money it dishes out to its 211 member associations.

Under the proposals — which are subject to approval by a majority of those national associations and FIFA’s 37-member council — a new entity called FIFA Forward Enterprises (FFE) will take over all commercial operations, while FIFA remains the game’s global governing body and retains a majority stake in FFE.

A press release from FIFA confirmed the plans and said Thrive Eternal, which was launched by Joshua Kushner, is expected to lead the investment group that would control FIFA Forward Enterprise. FIFA did not clarify why Thrive Eternal was selected, and Kushner was already dabbling in sports.

But Trump basically has already given son-in-law Jared Kushner carte blanche to dictate U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East while simultaneously hatching business plans in the region. (Jared Kushner has denied any conflicts of interest.)

Joshua Kushner reportedly has been a major donor to Democrats. But, predictably, the idea of another Kushner becoming financially entwined with the World Cup — the world’s most popular sporting event — and basically being dropped into a position of global significance isn’t going over well. Several other soccer governing bodies have expressed concerns, including Europe’s UEFA.

“This crosses a line that football’s governing institutions should never cross,” UEFA said in a statement about The Athletic’s report, adding: “The soul and governance of football are not assets to trade — especially with zero transparency as to who gains financially. None of us are the owners of football. It is not FIFA’s to sell.”

Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee also rebuked the plan, writing on X: “Apparently the fake Peace Prize and giant lease with Trump Tower weren’t enough — now Infantino performs a kickback hat trick by pursuing a multibillion-dollar deal with Jared Kushner’s brother to sell ownership stakes in the World Cup to private investors.”

FIFA, Donald Trump’s favorite corrupt racketeering enterprise in world sports, is now going directly into business with the Trump family!

Apparently the fake Peace Prize and giant lease with Trump Tower weren’t enough—now Infantino performs a kickback hat trick by pursuing a… https://t.co/knSZibuMea

— House Judiciary Dems (@HouseJudiciary) July 28, 2026

Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., has already launched an investigation into the FIFA leader’s relationship with the Trump administration, while dozens of European lawmakers — citing concerns about “potential breaches of political neutrality” — have called for the FIFA Ethics Committee to investigate Infantino. This new proposal seems unlikely to assuage those concerns.

But what it does seem likely to do is fuel global anger toward the U.S. — the kind that has been growing since Trump retook office.

And when you consider that, it’s truly remarkable how the same MAGA movement whose members whined for years about politics mixing with sports is now in lockstep with a president who seems dead-set on casting his shadow over every sports event he can.

This post on X basically sums up the foul stench around FIFA’s latest proposal.

Sepp Blatter was Infantino’s predecessor as FIFA president and oversaw the organization amid some of its many scandals. When heof all people, is warning about how Trump and Infantino’s relationship is “deeply damaging” soccer, it’s a sign of how far FIFA has descended into the gutter.

Ja’han Jones is an MS NOW opinion blogger. He previously wrote The ReidOut Blog.

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