Wednesday, June 11 | By Alexis Simendinger & Kristina Karisch |
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| ▪ Trump tests his military muscle against protests ▪ GOP senators walk a tightrope on LA protests ▪ U.S.-China trade negotiators reach framework ▪ Inside the White House: Meet a little-known adviser |
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©️ The Associated Press | Alex Brandon |
President Trump flexed his military might against protesters on Tuesday while Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) moved to face off in court against the president's deployment of National Guard members and Marines in Los Angeles. On the fifth day of controversy sparked by Trump's immigration policies, the president's decision to mobilize U.S. troops in the country's second largest city — without the assent of the governor and local officials — moved pictures of clashes off TV and social media and into a federal courtroom. A federal judge turned down Newsom's emergency motion Tuesday to immediately block National Guard members and Marines from assisting with immigration raids, an assertion that shifts the legal terrain from public safety to use of troops to implement domestic policy.The judge scheduled a Thursday hearing. "We're getting word that [Trump is] looking to operationalize that relationship and advance significantly larger-scale ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] operations in partnership and collaboration with the National Guard," Newsom told "Pod Save America" hosts. The governor used an evening televised speech on Tuesday to condemn Trump's use of troops in his state as a "brazen abuse of power." The president said Monday he deployed guard forces to protect federal buildings and personnel. But the governor's emergency motion said the state's military department was told the Pentagon plans to direct California's guard troops to start providing support for immigration operations. California's Democratic senators, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (D) and Democratic lawmakers have moved to back Newsom in a high-wire legal clash over Trump's executive authority tied to the use of U.S. warriors in America's largest and solidly blue state. Bass set an emergency curfew in downtown Los Angeles, which began at 8 p.m. Democratic California Sens. Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla asked Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Secretary of the Navy John Phelan in a letter on Tuesday to clarify the president's legal authority to deploy approximately 700 active-duty Marines to Los Angeles, a decision they carefully described as "unjustifiable." Trump used a speech at North Carolina's Fort Bragg to tout his crackdown against protesters in California who burned vehicles and threw rocks and debris at LA and state police and their vehicles. At least 23 businesses were looted, authorities reported. Police continued to arrest protesters overnight. "In the Trump administration, this anarchy will not stand," the president said. "We will not be deterred, and the mob in Los Angeles or anywhere else … don't even have a little chance," he added. Protests took place in other cities, including Chicago, New York, Austin, Texas, and Atlanta. The Hill: A Pentagon official told House members on Tuesday it would cost $134 million over 60 days to have National Guard and Marines in Los Angeles for domestic purposes. The president has not officially invoked the Insurrection Act — which has been amended over time and affirmed by the Supreme Court — as a basis for his LA actions, but he has described California protesters as "insurrectionists" and told reporters he would "certainly" rely on the act, if necessary. Trump is testing his power as well as public opinion. More people said they disapproved than approved of the president's decision to use Marines and the National Guard in the Los Angeles area, according to an Economist/YouGov survey released on Tuesday. Fifty-six percent of surveyed adults said state and local authorities should take the lead in responding to protests in LA. Why Los Angeles? The New Yorker reports the administration's determination to raise deportation numbers, including from a Democratic state populated by immigrants. White House border czar Tom Homan said Tuesday opponents of ICE raids who protest in Los Angeles make ongoing federal arrests of migrants more "dangerous." ▪ NBC News: Newsom locks horns with Trump in a politically defining moment. ▪ The Hill's Niall Stanage in The Memo explains why the president's actions complicate plans for a massive military parade in the nation's capital on Saturday. Nationwide protests are expected as Trump celebrates U.S. military might with helicopters flyovers, tanks along Constitution Avenue and U.S. forces on display while he also marks his 79th birthday. Trump on Tuesday warned potential protesters who may show up at Washington's military extravaganza that they will be met with a "very big force." |
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Smart Take
with Blake Burman |
| Four former Biden White House senior officials are set to provide depositions in the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee's investigation into the former president. NewsNation's Joe Khalil reports Neera Tanden, Anthony Bernal, Ashley Williams, and Annie Tomasini will provide statements in the coming weeks. "The lawyers have probably worked out the parameters of their testimony in these closed-door depositions before they appear in a hearing," Bill McGinley, former White House Cabinet secretary in the first Trump administration, told me. "Executive privilege is something that their lawyers or the president's — Biden's lawyers — may try to assert, but the Trump White House is going to have a say in that or try to influence that." We are in a dynamic news cycle at the moment. However, as much as Democrats would like to bury all 2024 talk, it's unlikely to happen with this continuing investigation. |
Burman hosts "The Hill" weeknights, 6p/5c on NewsNation. |
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- The Justice Department indicted Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.) Tuesday on three charges alleging she impeded and interfered with immigration officers outside a detention center on May 9 in Newark, N.J. She contests the charges.
- The Trump administration is planning to dramatically ramp up sending migrants to Guantánamo Bay starting this week, with at least 9,000 people being vetted for transfer.
- The Southern Baptist Convention approved a resolution to work to reverse the historic U.S. Supreme Court ruling legalizing same-sex marriage.
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CONGRESS AND TRUMP: The deployment of 700 Marines to quell the riots in Los Angeles is putting Republican lawmakers in a tough spot as they walk a line between states' rights and support for Trump. Some GOP lawmakers are worried about the prospect of street clashes spreading to other cities and of Trump invoking the Insurrection Act to get the active-duty military more involved in responding to mass protests. Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine), who seeks reelection next year in a state Trump lost to former President Biden, said "the violence that we're witnessing against law enforcement, ICE officers in LA" and the property damage is "completely unacceptable and does call for a strong response." She also added that "sending in active-duty troops to deal with domestic law enforcement issues raises very serious concerns." House Democrats, meanwhile, are shedding any concerns over potential political fallout to challenge the president forcefully on a radioactive issue that's long divided the country. The top Democratic leaders in both chambers are accusing Trump of waging a war on nonwhite immigrants — and trampling on democratic conventions and human rights in the process. "This isn't about law and order or protecting public safety. Donald Trump wants conflict and violence," Rep. Pete Aguilar (Calif.), chair of the House Democratic Caucus, told reporters in the Capitol. "House Democrats stand on the side of peaceful protests and condemn the violence that Donald Trump is rooting for." Rank-and-file Democrats are piling on as they return to Washington this week, portraying Trump as an autocrat who's hell-bent on undermining America's foundational role as a country of immigrants and a refuge for people of all ethnicities. The assertive strategy is not without risks. "This is a fight Republicans want right now. Republicans are trying to lean into this blue-states-versus-Trump dynamic," one top Democratic strategist said. "And Democrats want a fight, we want a fight we can win. But this is a difficult fight to win because there's so much we can't control. There are so many variables here and a lot of it is completely out of our hands." MEGABILL: Sen. John Curtis (R-Utah), a moderate Republican, called July 4 a "false deadline" for Republicans to pass their megabill and said it's more important for the Senate to get it done "right" than fast. But some Republicans hope the LA protests could give the bill a boost as pressure mounts on members to get on board and approve fresh immigration funding or risk appearing on the side of California Democrats. "It's been a high priority before what happened in Los Angeles, and I think the American people are seeing firsthand what happens when lawlessness rules the streets and you're undercutting the very important mission of ICE," said Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.), a top ally of Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.). "It helps illustrate the consequences of not having ICE fully supported, whether that is supported by government officials, as well as the needed financial support to make sure they have the capacity to do their job." Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), an outspoken opponent of future debt embodied in Trump's "big, beautiful bill," met Tuesday in the Capitol with Vice President Vance. "We spoke about the path forward, and what I continue to ask for is: I need forcing mechanisms to make sure we get another bite at the apple, that there's going to be a must-pass second reconciliation bill so we can do what's left undone in this bill," Johnson told the Washington Examiner. ▪ The Hill: Elon Musk today expressed recriminations about his feud with the president: "I regret some of my posts about President @realDonaldTrump last week. They went too far," he posted on his social media platform X. ▪ CBS News: Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) introduced legislation to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour. ▪ Roll Call: The House eyes cuts to D.C.'s autonomy as local budget fix gathers dust. |
- The House will convene at 10 a.m.
- The Senate will meet at 11 a.m.
- The president will receive his intelligence briefing at 11 a.m. Trump will have lunch with Vice President JD Vance at 12:30 p.m. The president will participate in a credentialing ceremony for ambassadors at 4 p.m. Trump and first lady Melania Trump will attend an opening night performance of "Les Misérables" at the Kennedy Center at 6:30 p.m. in Washington and return to the White House.
- The White House press briefing is scheduled at 1 p.m.
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©️ The Associated Press | Evan Vucci |
WHITE HOUSE UP CLOSE: As Trump has worked to aggressively reshape the size of the federal government and stock it with loyalists, one man has quietly been at the center of it: Sergio Gor, head of the Office of Presidential Personnel. Gor is a lesser-known figure to those outside the Beltway, but sources told The Hill's Brett Samuels he's a highly influential aide with strong ties to the MAGA movement. He is a close ally of Donald Trump Jr. and a fierce loyalist to the president. As one Trump ally put it, deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller shapes Trump's policies, staff Secretary Will Scharf shapes whom and what Trump sees, and Gor shapes who serves in the administration. "Sergio has led the effort to ensure committed, principled America First advocates staff the President's government. He's done a great job, and will continue to do so," Vice President Vance said in a statement to The Hill. POLITICS: Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.) won the Democratic nomination for governor of New Jersey, coming out on top of a crowded field, according to Decision Desk HQ (The Hill). The Hill: Five takeaways from the New Jersey primaries. COURTS: The administration is facing two lawsuits in California related to Trump orders on LGBTQ and transgender issues. U.S. District Judge Jon Tigar ruled in San Francisco that the president cannot legally withhold funding to programs that promote diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). And state attorney general Rob Bonta has launched a pre-enforcement suit against the Trump administration's attempt to ban transgender children from playing on sports teams that don't align with their gender assigned at birth. GREAT LAKES STATE: Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan is emerging as a wildcard independent candidate in Michigan's race to replace Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D). Duggan surprised observers in December when he announced that he would run for governor as an independent instead of as a Democrat, which he had been for his entire life. Critics have argued Duggan's decision could risk Democrats' ability to hold on to the office in next year's election. But Duggan is pitching himself as the right candidate to break the mold of the two-party system and touting his early support from members of both parties. "The support is far beyond anything I could have expected, going to farms in remote areas of the state, going to small towns, going to big cities," Duggan told The Hill's Jared Gans. "In Michigan, in particular, people are really fed up with the toxic partisan environment." ▪ NOTUS: Democrats have a big problem coming their way: the census. Party members know they have to make inroads in the South to be competitive in presidential elections, but no one's really sure how to do it. ▪ The Washington Post: Amid a standoff with Trump, the Smithsonian says only its secretary can hire and fire. The Board of Regents publicly backed Smithsonian leader Lonnie Bunch and called for nonpartisanship after Trump attempted to fire a museum director. |
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©️ The Associated Press | Evan Vucci |
US AND CHINA: Washington and Beijing agreed in principle to a framework to de-escalate trade tensions by implementing the consensus they reached in Geneva, negotiators for both sides said. Representatives said the framework would essentially restore a pact they agreed to last month, with both sides lowering tariffs and Beijing speeding up critical mineral-export licenses.Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick indicated that both had agreed to roll back export controls on goods and technologies that are crucial to the other. "We have reached a framework to implement the Geneva consensus," Lutnick told reporters in London. U.S. and Chinese delegations held two days of talks in London, which included the Commerce chief, Treasury Department Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. The U.S. and Chinese delegations will now take the proposal back to their respective leaders, said China's chief trade negotiator Li Chenggang. The Wall Street Journal: A federal appeals court on Tuesday granted the Trump administration's request to keep the president's far-reaching tariffs in effect for now. UKRAINE: Russia requested a meeting of the U.N. Security Council over Europe's alleged "threats to international peace and security," a day after Russia launched its largest drone attack against Ukraine since its full-scale invasion began in 2022. Moscow expects the meeting to be scheduled for May 30, one day after another Security Council meeting requested by Kyiv's European allies over the humanitarian situation in the war-torn country. ▪ ABC News: Russia drones hit Kharkiv and other parts of Ukraine. ▪ BBC: Russian drones buzz for hours over Kyiv — and they're getting more destructive. ▪ The New York Times: The European Union unveils new sanctions on Russia, including a Nord Stream ban. ISRAEL: The United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Norway on Tuesday announced sanctions against two far-right Israeli government ministers — Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich — for allegedly "inciting extremist violence" against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. The U.K. further sanctioned the ministers for comments about Gaza. |
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©️ The Associated Press | Rutherford County Sheriff's Office |
And finally … 🦓 Ed the zebra had a big adventure. After being on the loose for more than a week — during which time he became an internet sensation and was spotted everywhere from the interstate to the woods — authorities located Ed in a pasture near a subdivision in central Tennessee this weekend. The sheriff's office said aviation crews captured the zebra. Then Ed embarked on his journey home — and saw the world from a whole new perspective. "Ed was airlifted and flown by helicopter back to a waiting animal trailer," the sheriff's office said in a statement. Images of Ed, strapped into a harness and dangling in the air, quickly went viral. Memes abounded. Now, one helicopter flight later, Ed is back home. The Tennessean: Middle Tennessee's missing zebra: Owner talks escape, why the animal may get a new home. |
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