Despite risks that President Trump’s multitrillion-dollar tax breaks package could stall due to conservative holdouts, House Speaker Mike Johnson and his GOP leadership team appeared confident that they will be able to stick to their schedule and shore up Republican support for final passage before Memorial Day.
Next steps are highly uncertain, and as the evening hours set in on Wednesday, the upbeat tone from Republican leadership stood at odds with the unwieldy scene at the Capitol.
See highlights from Wednesday.
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More news of the day:
Trump’s baseless claim of ‘genocide’ in South Africa: The U.S. president forcefully accused South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s government of failing to address claims of the systematic killing of white farmers. Trump had already cut all U.S. assistance to South Africa and welcomed dozens of white South African farmers as refugees.
Stock market tumbles: Wall Street slumped on Wednesday under the weight of pressure from the bond market, where Treasury yields climbed on worries about the U.S. government’s spiraling debt and other concerns. The S&P 500 fell 1.6% for a second straight drop after breaking a six-day winning streak. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 816 points, or 1.9%, while the Nasdaq composite sank 1.4%.
Deportation of 8 migrants violated court order, judge says: Judge Brian E. Murphy said the administration was “unquestionably in violation” of a court order on deportations to third countries with a flight linked to South Sudan, noting that the migrants weren’t given a meaningful opportunity to object that the deportation could put them in danger.
Trump administration accepts free Air Force One replacement from Qatar: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has accepted a gifted Boeing 747 from Qatar for Trump to use as president, Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell said.
New provisions would fund part of Obamacare, bar Medicaid funds for gender affirming care — 9:57 p.m.
By the New York Times
Republicans have added a new provision to fund a part of Obamacare. The change would set aside money to help reduce copayments and deductibles for low-income Americans who sign up for coverage, funding that had been canceled by President Trump in his first term.
That cancellation actually made insurance more affordable for millions of Americans because of the way insurance companies adjusted their plans to account for the change. The new language will eliminate that workaround and increase the cost of Obamacare plans for many. According to estimates from the Congressional Budget Office recently provided to Congress, the change would reduce federal spending by around $50 billion over a decade and cause around 300,000 people to become uninsured.
While the provision achieves Republican policy goals, voting to help implement Obamacare as it was originally written represents a change in approach to the long-loathed law.
Republicans have also broadened language in the bill to bar the use of Medicaid funds for gender transition measures like puberty blockers, hormones and surgical procedures. An earlier version of the bill had focused those restrictions on children and teenagers, but the updated version expands those prohibitions to adults.
Border security reimbursements — 9:51 p.m.
By the New York Times
In their updated bill, House Republicans have added $12 billion in funds that would be used to reimburse states for money spent on border security after the inauguration of President Joseph R. Biden Jr. in 2021.
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The legislation already included $175 billion in new spending to enforce President Trump’s immigration and detention policy, a measure that was meant to entice Republicans to vote for the package despite other cuts.
Budget bill would empower White House to commence deregulatory campaign — 9:42 p.m.
By the New York Times
A part of the House Republican bill would empower the Trump administration to commence a vast new deregulatory campaign. This new amendment expands that original idea, affording up to $100 million to the Office of Management and Budget for “improving regulatory processes” and “analyzing and reviewing rules” by federal agencies.
The updated version of the spending bill also pushes up the date for when Medicaid work requirements will be put in place from Jan. 1, 2029, to “not later than December 31, 2026.” States also have the option to select an earlier date to add requirements.
Republicans nix provision on public land in Utah and Nevada — 9:38 p.m.
By the New York Times
House Republicans appear to have taken out a provision that would have sold off 500,000 acres of public land in Utah and Nevada. The measure was strongly opposed by Representative Ryan Zinke of Montana, who was interior secretary during President Trump’s first term.
Republicans have also raised the limit on the state and local tax deduction by $10,000, reflecting a key demand from a small group of lawmakers from New York, New Jersey and California. The amendment would set the cap at $40,000 instead of $30,000. The size of the deduction would shrink for people making more than $500,000 a year, rather than the $400,000 level included under the previous version of the bill.
Changes to bill also involve existing tax credits for low-carbon electricity — 9:32 p.m.
By the New York Times
An even faster phaseout of existing tax credits for low-carbon electricity has been added to the bill. Under the new language, companies building solar, wind, geothermal, or battery-powered plants can claim the credit only if they start construction within 60 days of the bill being signed into law and then put the plant in service by the end of 2028. That’s a narrow window that many projects will struggle to meet.
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There’s an exception for nuclear power: A company building a new nuclear reactor can still claim a significant tax break as long as it starts construction by the end of 2028.
How ‘no tax on tips’ would affect waiters, drivers, and diners — 9:30 p.m.
By the New York Times
On Tuesday, the Senate unanimously passed the No Tax on Tips Act, following through on a vow made by both President Trump and former Vice President Kamala Harris to give tipped workers a tax break on gratuities.
As of now, the tax break is being incorporated into the “One, Big, Beautiful” budget bill being negotiated by House Republicans, which would be effective from 2026 through 2028.
How would these changes affect food-industry workers and diners?
Details on changes emerge — 9:21 p.m.
By the New York Times
Among the changes that House Republicans are making to their sweeping domestic policy bill is a name change seemingly meant to cater to President Trump.
In their original text, House Republicans included language creating a new type of savings account for children under the age of 8. They named these accounts “money account for growth and advancement,” or MAGA accounts. The modifications that they just introduced would rename those accounts the “Trump accounts.”
Mass. lawmaker opposes Republican efforts to push changes through — 9:10 p.m.
By the New York Times
Representative Jim McGovern of Massachusetts, the top Democrat on the powerful Rules Committee, is objecting to Republicans’ effort to push the changes through without time for them to be reviewed.
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“We should recess and give everyone the time needed to understand these changes,” he said. “This is a big deal. This is consequential. And we’re moving forward with major changes, and we’re just supposed to take your word for it.”
GOP unveils changes to ‘big beautiful’ bill — 9:08 p.m.
By the New York Times
Republicans have unveiled changes to their wide-ranging tax-and-spending bill in a key committee that must approve the modifications for them to move to the floor.
The state and local tax deduction was increased to $40,000, a change requested by Republicans in high-tax states. New work requirements for Medicaid recipients would be imposed at the beginning of 2027 — after the midterm elections — rather than 2029, as an earlier version of the bill would have required.
Trump and GOP’s tax bill would force cuts to Medicare, CBO says — 8:40 p.m.
By the Washington Post
President Trump and congressional Republicans’ mammoth tax and immigration bill would add so much to the national debt that it could force nearly $500 billion in cuts to Medicare beginning in 2026, Congress’s nonpartisan bookkeeper reported late Tuesday.
Trump and the GOP’s budget reconciliation package — officially titled the One Big Beautiful Bill Act — would add $2.3 trillion to the deficit over 10 years, the Congressional Budget Office projected, forcing budget officials to mandate across-the-board spending cuts over that window that would hit the federal health insurance program for seniors and people with disabilities.
When legislation significantly adds to the national debt, which already exceeds $36.2 trillion, it triggers “sequestration,” or compulsory budgetary reductions. In that scenario, Medicare cuts would be capped at 4 percent annually, or $490 billion over 10 years, the CBO reported in response to a request from Representative Brendan Boyle of Pennsylvania, the top Democrat on the Budget Committee.
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“Having Medicare cuts suddenly enter the discussion has struck a lot of people by surprise,” said Timothy D. McBride, a health economist at Washington University in St. Louis. “Taking out 4 percent of the Medicare budget might not sound like much, but everything hurts at this point.”
Opposition to Trump’s megabill appears to be growing — 8:28 p.m.
By the New York Times
As Republican leadership continues to project confidence, suggesting that progress is being made during private negotiation sessions, public opposition to the megabill appears to be growing. Warren Davidson of Ohio is the latest Republican to tell reporters he is a no, further imperiling the spending legislation.
It is worth noting, though: Davidson was also opposed to the budget plan vote months ago that set the stage for this spending bill. But he was eventually swayed, and cast a vote that allowed Republicans to arrive at this part of the process.
A self-imposed deadline on a ‘beautiful bill’ sends Congress into familiar territory: Chaos — 8:20 p.m.
By Sam Brodey and Jackie Kucinich, Globe Staff
As middle schoolers in matching shirts wandered past House Speaker Mike Johnson‘s Capitol office Wednesday morning, members of the archconservative House Freedom Caucus emerged threatening to destroy something “beautiful.”
The night before, Johnson had hashed out a deal with the moderate middle of his conference: members from blue states who have made their votes on President Trump‘s sweeping tax cut and spending reduction package contingent on an increase in the state and local tax deduction.
But now, Johnson’s most conservative members were rebelling, insisting that further changes needed to be made to the bill before they could contemplate voting yes. Soon after they left the speaker’s office, news quickly broke that the hard-liners were headed that afternoon to the White House with Johnson in tow, to hash it out with Trump himself.
By Wednesday, everything — and maybe nothing — had changed. In the hypersensitive see-saw that is Johnson’s GOP conference, pleasing one vital faction often means antagonizing another.
Crucially, none of Johnson’s troublesome factions seemed to be buying his gambit to compel movement: imposing an arbitrary Memorial Day deadline to pass the bill.
House vote expected soon, but uncertainty remains — 8:11 p.m.
By the New York Times
Representative Dusty Johnson of South Dakota, an ally of Speaker Mike Johnson (no relation), said Republican leaders were pressing for a floor vote on the megabill in the next 24 hours.
“The speaker’s got to get the conference on board. He is very close to securing that,” Dusty Johnson said.
However, proponents of saving the clean energy tax credits in the Inflation Reduction Act are apparently still unhappy with House Republican leadership’s proposed changes to the bill. Representative Andrew Garbarino, Republican of New York, just emerged from Speaker Mike Johnson’s office and wouldn’t commit to supporting the bill.
“It is not what I had hoped it would be,” Garbarino said, although he wouldn’t say whether he communicated to leadership that he was a “no” on the bill. “They told us what they were thinking, I told them that they needed to change some of the things they were thinking, because we need this energy produced.”
Democrats hold rally denouncing billionaires as GOP negotiates tax and spending plan — 7:17 p.m.
By the Associated Press
House Democrats attended a rally just outside the U.S. Capitol to protest cuts to Medicaid and other social programs as Republicans wrangle the final details of their tax and spending package.
The crowd of about 100 people waved signs denouncing billionaires with images of Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk. A giant inflatable pig had the words “Medicaid is not a piggy bank for billionaires” emblazoned on its side.
“We would have welcomed the opportunity to work with the Republicans on a bill that strengthens our economy and opens opportunities for all Americans,” said Rep. Brad Schneider, whose party has little leverage to stop the Republican tax plan if the GOP remains united. “But that’s not what the Republicans are doing. Instead, they’re pursuing the most partisan path imaginable.”
Most books pulled from Naval Academy library in DEI purge are back — 7:04 p.m.
By the Associated Press
All but a few of the nearly 400 books that the U.S. Naval Academy removed from its library because they dealt with anti-racism and gender issues are back on the shelves after the newest Pentagon-ordered review.
It’s the latest turn in a dizzying effort to rid the military of materials related to diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
Based on the new review, about 20 books from the academy’s library are being pulled aside to be checked, but that number includes some that weren’t identified or removed in last month’s initial purge of 381 books, defense officials told The Associated Press.
A few dozen books at the Air Force libraries — including at the Air Force Academy — also have been pulled out for review, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the process is still ongoing.
Trump administration’s techniques to encourage immigrant deportation — 6:28 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Carrying out mass deportations was a key rallying cry during Trump’s campaign for the presidency. Since the day he was sworn into office, his administration has focused on how to make that rallying cry reality.
They’ve touted their policy of going after “the worst of the worst” — meaning people who’ve committed crimes in America — while leaning on some nations to take immigrants who the U.S. has difficulty deporting to their own countries.
They’ve removed protections from hundreds of thousands of people the Biden administration admitted on a temporary basis into the country with the aim of eventually making them deportable.
They’ve even suggested people “self-deport.
White House press secretary calls meeting on GOP tax bill ‘productive’ — 6:07 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The president’s meeting with key House Republican holdouts on the GOP’s massive tax bill was ‘productive,” his spokesperson said.
Members of the House Freedom Caucus, the far-right bloc of House Republicans who have objected to the tax bill, as well as members of GOP leadership, met with Trump at the White House on Wednesday afternoon.
“The meeting was productive and moved the ball in the right direction,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said. “The President reiterated how critical it is for the country to pass the One Big Beautiful Bill as quickly as possible.”
Budget cuts at EPA become flashpoint at a heated hearing — 5:45 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The head of the Environmental Protection Agency clashed angrily with Democratic senators Wednesday, accusing one of being an “aspiring fiction writer” and saying another does not “care about wasting money.″
Democrats countered that EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin’s tenure will likely mean more lung cancer and other illnesses suffered by Americans.
The heated exchanges, at a Senate hearing to discuss Trump’s proposal to slash the agency’s budget in half, showed the sharp partisan differences over Lee Zeldin’s deregulatory approach.
Trump welcomes NCAA basketball champion Florida to the White House — 5:27 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Trump has honored the 2025 NCAA basketball champion Florida Gators at the White House, proclaiming that “lesser teams would have crumbled” during the team’s nail-biting title game victory.
“It was looking bad,” Trump said to the players, noting that Houston led by as many as 12 points in a game Florida rallied to win 65-63 in San Antonio in April. ”Did you think you were going to win?”
Florida (36-4) delivered four come-from-behind victories in six March Madness wins. The Gators led the finale for a total of 64 seconds, including the last 46 ticks of a contest that was in limbo until the final sequence.
RFK Jr.’s looming MAHA report worries farmers and Republicans — 5:25 p.m.
By the Associated Press
A much-anticipated White House report about childhood diseases has provoked a tug-of-war that’s pitted farmers and some prominent Republican lawmakers against health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his politically ambiguous “Make America Healthy Again” movement ahead of its release.
Trump has promised a sweeping review that would analyze the ramifications of US lifestyles and food ingredients. The report is expected to be released Thursday.
Farmers and Republicans are nervous about what the report might say about glyphosate, the ingredient commonly used in pesticides sprayed on crops.
Budget cuts at EPA become flashpoint at a heated hearing — 5:22 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The head of the Environmental Protection Agency clashed angrily with Democratic senators Wednesday, accusing one of being an “aspiring fiction writer” and saying another does not “care about wasting money.″
Democrats countered that EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin’s tenure will likely mean more lung cancer and other illnesses suffered by Americans.
The heated exchanges, at a Senate hearing to discuss Trump’s proposal to slash the agency’s budget in half, showed the sharp partisan differences over Lee Zeldin’s deregulatory approach.
Ramaphosa says he is pleased with Trump meeting — 4:55 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Although a confrontation over allegations of genocide garnered the most attention, Ramaphosa seemed unbothered while speaking to reporters afterwards.
“We have done well,” he said by reopening the relationship with the United States.
He acknowledged that there was “a great deal of concern and fear” among South Africans about the meeting.
“You wanted to see drama and something really big happening,” he told reporters. “And I’m sorry that we disappointed you somewhat when it comes to that.”
One of the journalists disagreed.
“I don’t know what constitutes drama in your book, but that was very dramatic for me, and for everybody else in the room,” he said.
‘Real’ point of Ramaphosa’s White House visit was the closed-door portion, aide says — 4:35 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, told South African TV station Newzroom Afrika that the Oval Office meeting was “an orchestrated show for the cameras” and that the “real business” of the trip was the bilateral closed-door meeting.
“President Ramaphosa came here not for a TV show, he came here to discuss with President Trump in earnest how we can reset the strategic relationship between South Africa and the U.S,” Magwenya said.
Mass. AG says she can do little against ICE — 3:39 p.m.
By Anjali Huynh, Globe Staff
Attorney General Andrea Campbell offered a bleak assessment on Wednesday of what her office can do to push back on the Trump administration’s efforts to detain and deport large numbers of immigrants.
Campbell, who has repeatedly sued the Trump administration, said during a radio appearance that while she has sought to inform the public on their rights as ICE appearances increase across Massachusetts, her office is limited in its ability to slow or stop immigration enforcement actions overseen by the federal government.
“When it comes to immigration enforcement, the scale is stacked against us,” Campbell said during her monthly appearance on GBH’s Boston Public Radio.
“Right now, the question that is in our communities that I welcome is, how the hell do we hold ICE accountable for what we’re seeing on our streets? It is very difficult to hold them accountable,” she continued. “They have tremendous power to enforce immigration law so you almost have to see something so egregious to possibly hold ICE accountable.”
Army readies tanks to take part in a DC parade on Trump’s birthday — 3:30 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The Army has started to load M1 Abrams main battle tanks onto rail cars to head to Washington.
The 28 tanks will take about 10 days to travel from Fort Cavazos in Texas and will take part in the Army’s 250th anniversary celebration parade. It’s being held June 14, which is President Trump’s birthday.
The many heavy military vehicles in the parade will drive over thick metal plating to protect the city’s streets at certain points.
The Army said it’s also planning some additional asphalt work and putting new rubber padding on the tanks’ metal tracks to try to minimize street damage.
Democrats grill Rubio about proposed aid cuts — 3:26 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has spent hours in front of congressional committees defending the Trump administration from Democrats’ harsh criticism of his administration’s proposed severe cuts to the State Department’s budget, including cuts to humanitarian and development assistance.
During two House hearings, Rubio faced hostile questioning Wednesday from Democrats, including some who noted the former senator’s support for such programs when he served in Congress.
Representative Gregory Meeks, ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said “Senator Rubio” appeared to have far different priorities than “Secretary Rubio.” Rubio brushed aside charges of hypocrisy and said the Trump administration was moving to streamline US diplomacy and foreign assistance.
He said repeatedly that even with massive State Department budget cuts envisioned by the Trump administration, the US would remain the world’s largest provider of foreign aid and humanitarian assistance.
The questioning grew heated at times and Rubio struggled to answer questions amid repeated interruptions.
Ramaphosa leaves the White House and says his meeting with Trump went ‘very well’ — 3:13 p.m.
By the Associated Press
South Africa’s leader departed the White House around 3 p.m. after a roughly three-hour visit that included a confrontational Oval Office meeting with Trump.
Asked how the meeting went as he climbed into a black SUV, Ramaphosa said, “very well, thank you.”
He offered a similar reply when asked if he thought Trump had heard him out.
“Yes he did and it went very well,” Ramaphosa said.
Johnson says Republicans are ‘on schedule’ before heading to the White House — 3:10 p.m.
By the Associated Press
House Speaker Mike Johnson said before heading to the White House for last-ditch talks to salvage Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” that Republicans are “on schedule.”
“We’ve been saying this for many months that we would do it before Memorial Day and I intend to hold it to schedule,” said Johnson. Johnson added that a lot of the discussions have been “very productive” and the “guys that still have concerns we’re working through.”
“It’s a very deliberative, slow process. Sometimes it goes slower than most of us want, but that’s how the founders designed this,” said Johnson.
Democrats line up to weigh in on Trump bill — 2:41 p.m.
By the Associated Press
A committee debating President Donald Trump’s tax cut and immigration bill began its work at 1 a.m. Wednesday and was still going strong into the mid-afternoon.
Democratic lawmakers have used the hours to go into detail about features of the bill they oppose.
Rep. George Whitesides, a freshman lawmaker from California, said rolling back clean energy tax credits, as the bill proposes to do, would “undermine our future” by killing future domestic and international investment.
Rep. Paul Tonko, of New York, said a quarter of his constituents rely on Medicaid “and every single one of them will be impacted by this heinous package.”
Rep. Madeleine Dean of Pennsylvania, meanwhile, decried the proposed removal of a $200 tax on gun silencers, saying it’s clear the tax was put in place nearly a century ago to discourage their purchase and that the committee should be increasing the tax rather than removing it.
Democrats couldn’t stop the bill on their own, but they are intent on making passing it as painful as possible for Republicans.
UN says migrants shouldn’t be sent to countries where they face risks — 2:36 p.m.
By the Associated Press
U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the U.N. refugee agency, UNHCR, hasn’t been consulted about the U.S. deportation of eight migrants to South Sudan, where fears of civil war have escalated.
A federal judge on Wednesday ruled that the Trump administration violated a court order on deportations to third countries. Judge Brian E. Murphy in Boston said the eight migrants, accused by the U.S. of being dangerous criminals, were not given a meaningful opportunity to object that the deportation could put them in danger.
Dujarric told U.N. reporters that since the U.N. wasn’t consulted he had no comment “except to say that, obviously, as a principled position, refugees or people in need of international protection must not be sent back to a place where they face risk.”
White House statement of support for bill comes with a pointed warning — 2:32 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The White House has issued a statement of support for the massive tax cut and immigration bill before the House that came with a pointed message for Republicans considering voting against it.
“President Trump is committed to keeping his promises, and failure to pass this bill would be the ultimate betrayal,” the statement from the Office of Management and Budget said.
The White House notes that the bill would make permanent the tax cuts passed during Trump’s first term. It says it would also advance key campaign promises to not tax tips and overtime, provide more tax relief to senior citizens on Social Security, increase investments to fund border fencing, increase deportations and boost defense.
The statement says House members should “immediately pass this bill to show the American people that they are serious about ‘promises made, promises kept.’”
Speaker Mike Johnson is looking to pass the bill before Memorial Day. It would then go to the Senate for consideration.
The part of Trump’s tense meeting with South Africa’s president that was open to the media ends — 1:45 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The US president’s lengthy discussions with Ramaphosa got especially tense after Trump showed a video that he said showed politically motivated killings in South Africa.
Trump suggested it means white farmers are being targeted, but he also said repeatedly that he has “not decided” if such killings constitute genocide.
After the meeting, Ramaphosa and Trump were set to talk privately and have lunch.
South Africa says there is no evidence that whites are being targeted — 1:33 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Some white farmers have been killed during violent home invasions, but South Africa’s government says the Trump administration doesn’t understand why that has happened.
The government says those killings are part of its severe problem with crime and that the killing of whites isn’t motivated by race. Black farmers have also been killed, the government says.
Trump’s allegations are based on misinformation, the government says.
South Africa’s agriculture minister, John Steenhuisen, who is white and a member of a different political party than Ramaphosa, told The Associated Press that no land is being seized from farmers and that the claims of genocide are false.
South African leader tells Trump he’s sorry he doesn’t ‘have a plane to give you’ — 1:27 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Ramaphosa, continuing to try to smooth things over with Trump, says he is sorry he doesn’t have a jet to offer.
As Trump continued to complain about being questioned on his acceptance of the Qatari jet, criticizing the reporter to as an “idiot,” Ramaphosa told Trump, “I’m sorry I don’t have a plane to give you.”
“If your country was offering the United States Air Force a plane, I would take it,” Trump said.
White House uses an official social media account to amplify a South African video Trump showed in the Oval Office — 1:19 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The White House is promoting a video Trump showed during his meeting with South Africa’s president which the US president suggests shows politically motivated slayings occurring in that country.
The official White House X account posted an emoji of a siren and the title “JUST SHOWN IN THE OVAL OFFICE: Proof of Persecution in South Africa” over a video Trump had showed during his meeting with Ramaphosa. Trump said the video showed killings and suggested that white South African farmers were being targeted.
The post of the video came even as Trump’s meeting with Ramaphosa was still happening.
Trump sidesteps question on Gaza war — 1:09 p.m.
By the Associated Press
South Africa has been pursuing allegations of genocide against Israel in the International Court of Justice.
Although the White House has criticized the case, Trump did not address the issue in the Oval Office.
Asked what he wanted to see happen, Trump said “I don’t know.”
“There’s a lot of anger there. I don’t expect anything. We’ll see what happens.”
Trump says he doesn’t want to involve Musk in South African policy discussions — 1:05 p.m.
By the Associated Press
During his tense meeting with Ramaphosa, Trump noted “I have a great feeling for South Africa” and many friends in that country.
The president said some of his South African friends were at the meeting in the Oval Office, including billionaire Elon Musk.
“Elon is from South Africa,” Trump said, though he suggested that involving Musk in U.S.-South African relations could cause more controversy.
“I don’t want to get Elon involved,” Trump said. “I don’t want to talk to him about that. I don’t think it’s fair to him.”
Trump unloads on NBC reporter — 1:01 p.m.
By the Associated Press
It’s not uncommon for the US president to criticize representatives of the “fake news,” but he was especially angry when NBC’s Peter Alexander asked him about Qatar’s donation of a 747 for Trump to use as Air Force One.
The Pentagon’s announcement about accepting the plane came during Trump’s meeting with the South African president. Alexander asked about it right after the White House staff played a video about allegations of persecution against white farmers.
“What does this have to do with the Qatari jet?” Trump said. “You’re a terrible reporter.”
He also called for retaliation against Comcast, the corporate owner of NBC, and its chief executive.
“Brian Roberts and the people who run that place they ought to be investigated,” he said.
After President Trump shows videos about genocide, @PeterAlexander asks about jet from Qatar.
— CSPAN (@cspan) May 21, 2025
President Trump: ""What are you talking about? You know, you oughta get out of here...you're a terrible reporter." pic.twitter.com/4KgjHOvEUF
Elon Musk, an immigrant from South Africa, watches Trump’s meeting with Cyril — 12:59 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Trump administration accepts free Air Force One replacement from Qatar — 12:55 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has accepted a gifted Boeing 747 from Qatar for Trump to use as president, Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell said.
Parnell said the plane was accepted “in accordance with all federal rules and regulations.”
Trump was asked about the acceptance while he was in the Oval Office with South Africa’s president and said, “They are giving the United States Air Force a jet.”
He then insulted the reporter who asked about the jet.
Rampaphosa pushes back against Trump’s allegations — 12:53 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The video showed an opposition party leader chanting “kill the Boer.”
The South African president said “that is not government policy” and “our government policy is completely, completely against what he was saying.”
Trump doubted the response.
“When they take the land, they kill the white farmer,” he said.
Confrontation over allegations that Afrikaners are persecuted in South Africa — 12:51 p.m.
By the Associated Press
After a reporter asked about allegations that white people are suffering a genocide, Ramaphosa noted that some members of his administration are Afrikaners.
“I can bet you these three gentlemen would not be here,” he said.
Trump was not satisfied, saying there had been reports and documentaries about the issue. He directed his staff to turn down the lights in the Oval Office and play a video on a television that was wheeled into the room.
“It’s a terrible sight,” Trump said. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”Trump shuffled through a stack of papers that he said were reports of slain white farms.
“Death, death, horrible death,” he said.
Trump defends decision to welcome white South African farmers as refugees — 12:46 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Trump defended his decision by saying the US has let millions of people enter illegally through the border with Mexico.
But in South Africa, he said many people feel that they’re being persecuted and they’re coming to the United States. The South African government denies Trump’s claims of persecution, and said white farmers are falling victim to the country’s crime problem.
Trump said “there’s a lot of bad things going on in Africa, and that’s what we’re going to be discussing.”
President Trump on white Afrikaner refugees: "We've had tremendous complaints about Africa, about other countries too, from people. They say there's a lot of bad things going on in Africa. That's what we're going to be discussing today." pic.twitter.com/yX198boOXE
— CSPAN (@cspan) May 21, 2025
South African president plays to Trump’s fondness for golf — 12:42 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Ramaphosa said he brought major-winning golfers Ernie Else and Retief Goosen after Trump requested he bring them along and that he also attempted to bring legendary 89-year-old player Gary Player, who declined the trip, citing his age.
Ramaphosa told Trump he brought the president “a really fantastic book” that weighs about 31 pounds showcasing South Africa’s golf courses. He said he’s also started practicing golf, at Trump’s suggestion.
“I’ve started practicing so I’m ready,” he told Trump.
South African president says the goal is to ‘reset’ his country’s relationship with the US — 12:39 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Trump opened by remarking that Ramaphosa “is a man who is certainly, in some circles, really respected.”
He also said he and Ramaphosa will discuss “many things,” including some of the issues that have been in the news to see if he can help.
“We want to help,” he said.
Ramaphosa, meanwhile, said it was “a real joy” to be at the White House and that he wants to take the opportunity to “recalibrate” ties between the two countries.
He said he’s hoping for more trade with the much larger American economy.
“We are essentially here to reset the relationship between the United States and South Africa,” Ramaphosa said.
Ramaphosa arrives late for White House face-to-face with Trump — 12:18 p.m.
By the Associated Press
It was minutes after noon when the South African leader’s car pulled up to the West Wing entrance in the rainy weather, about a half hour behind a scheduled 11:30 a.m. arrival.
Trump was waiting at the door to greet Ramaphosa, who got out of the car and shared an extended handshake.
Both presidents then walked inside after Trump answered a couple of questions on other issues.
Flag-bearer at White House faints during wait for Ramaphosa — 12:15 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The uniformed individual and member of the honor guard appeared to faint and fall backwards into a grassy area in front of the entrance to the West Wing during the wait for South Africa’s leader. Ramaphosa was scheduled to arrive at 11:30 a.m.
The individual has been roused and was walked to another area on the White House grounds for closer examination.
Democratic leader speaks against Trump’s ‘big, bad bill’ — 11:47 a.m.
By the Associated Press
Rarely do the party leaders appear at the cramped House hearing room, but that’s where the action has been, all night and all day.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and his team settled into the witness table to decry the GOP’s insistence on big tax breaks and spending cuts.
“We believe it’s one big, ugly bill that’s going to hurt the American people,” Jeffries of New York told the panel. “Hurt children, hurt families, hurt veterans, hurt seniors, cut health care, cut nutritional assistance, explode the debt.”
Watch the hearing live:
How could US deportees survive in South Sudan — a country in disarray, threatened by full-scale civil war? — 11:36 a.m.
By the Associated Press
The Trump administration’s pressure on South Sudan to take in deportees, including foreign ones, comes as cuts in US aid leave its population of 11 million people in even grave danger.
Some Western countries have closed their embassies. The US reduced its embassy staff and warned that “violent crime, such as carjackings, shootings, ambushes, assaults, robberies, and kidnappings are common throughout South Sudan.”
Recently, the Trump administration abruptly revoked the visas of all South Sudanese, saying the country’s government failed to accept the return of its citizens “in a timely manner.” South Sudan pushed back, saying the person in question was Congolese. It later allowed admitted this person “in the spirit of maintaining friendly relations.”
Trump administration asks Supreme Court to block watchdog access to DOGE documents — 11:34 a.m.
By the Associated Press
The Trump administration on Wednesday asked the Supreme Court to block court orders requiring Elon Musk‘s Department of Government Efficiency to turn over documents about its operations to a government watchdog group.
The Justice Department’s latest emergency appeal to the high court concerns whether DOGE, which has been central to President Donald Trump’s push to remake the government, is a federal agency that is subject to the Freedom of Information Act. The administration argues DOGE is merely a presidential advisory body that is exempt from requests for documents under FOIA.
Marathon hearing as Trump’s big bill hits trouble — 11:23 a.m.
By the Associated Press
It’s rounding the 10th hour at the House Rules Committee, what’s supposed to be a last stop for the Republicans’ big tax breaks package before a House floor vote.
Instead, lawmakers have been up all night as trouble mounts from all fronts.
GOP conservatives refuse to back the package. Democrats, as the minority party unable to stop it, are doing all they can to drag out the process with a lengthy hearing that is expected to stretch into the day.
Speaker Mike Johnson wanted a “big” vote as soon as Wednesday but that’s now in doubt.
Trump is still irritated with Bruce Springsteen — 11:06 a.m.
By the Associated Press
The Republican president posted a doctored video on his social media network that tried to make it appear he teed off on the golf course and struck The Boss with his golf ball.
Trump has been lobbing insults at the rock star as Springsteen, a longtime Trump critic, has been lambasting the president while on stage.
Justice Department is probing former NY Governor Andrew Cuomo over his congressional testimony, source says — 11:05 a.m.
By the Associated Press
The criminal investigation of Cuomo, who is now running for New York City mayor, follows a request by Representative James Comer that the Democrat be charged with lying about his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, a person familiar with the matter said Tuesday.
The investigation by the US attorney’s office now led by Cuomo’s political rival Jeanine Pirro follows a referral from Rep. James Comer, Republican chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, over statements Cuomo made to lawmakers investigating his management of the pandemic when the virus was spreading through nursing homes, the person said. The person was not authorized to discuss the investigation publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.
A spokesperson for Cuomo, Rich Azzopardi, called this leaked probe “lawfare and election interference plain and simple.”
Trump administration tells judge it deported eight migrants, but refused to say where they’ll end up — 10:40 a.m.
By the Associated Press
The Trump administration says it has deported eight migrants convicted of crimes in the United States after reports of a migrant flight to South Sudan.
In a 12-minute briefing, immigration authorities refused to say what their final destinations would be, but said their home countries would not take the migrants back.
Elon Musk will attend Trump meeting with South African leader — 10:39 a.m.
By the Associated Press
The US president’s powerful adviser, who was born in South Africa, is expected to be in the room when Trump sits down with Ramaphosa.
This plan was disclosed by a White House official who was not authorized to speak publicly.
Musk has harshly criticized his native country’s government as racist against white people.
South Sudan is enduring waves of violence, has ‘significant human rights issues’ — 10:30 a.m.
By the Associated Press
South Sudan gained independence from Sudan in 2011 amid hopes that large oil reserves could bring prosperity amid endemic poverty. Instead, violence ensued.
Nicholas Haysom, who leads the nearly 20,000-strong UN peacekeeping mission, has warned that fighting between forces loyal to the president and a vice president threatens to spiral again into full-scale civil war of the kind that took 400,000 lives a decade ago.
The US State Department’s annual report on South Sudan, published in April 2024, says “significant human rights issues” include arbitrary killings, disappearances, torture or inhumane treatment by security forces and extensive violence based on gender and sexual identity.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem recently extended Temporary Protected Status to a small number of South Sudanese already living in the United States until November, to allow for a more thorough review of whether conditions in South Sudan are unsafe for return.
South Sudan police spokesman says no migrants have arrived in the country — 10:20 a.m.
By the Associated Press
Major General James Monday Enoka also told The Associated Press on Wednesday that if they do, they would be “redeported to their correct country” if found not to be South Sudanese.
Trump officials ordered to appear at emergency hearing on apparent deportations to South Sudan — 9:57 a.m.
By the Associated Press
US District Judge Brian E. Murphy in Massachusetts wants answers about the apparent deportation of immigrants to South Sudan and other countries.
Murphy, who was nominated by Democratic President Joe Biden, previously found that any plans to deport people to Libya without notice would “clearly” violate his ruling. He wants the Trump administration attorneys to:
- identify the migrants impacted
- provide information about the whereabouts of migrants already removed
- address when and how the migrants were told they’d be removed to a third country
- explain what opportunity the migrants were given to raise a fear-based claim
The Department of Homeland Security and the White House did not immediately return messages seeking comment.
Big military parade in DC for Army’s 250th birthday next month will be an evening affair — 9:23 a.m.
By the Associated Press
Organizers announced some details on Wednesday for the parade on June 14 — which is also Flag Day and Trump’s 79th birthday.
The parade will run from 6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. ET that Saturday, along Constitution Avenue between 15th and 23rd Streets. A fireworks display and daylong festival on the National Mall are also being planned.
The procession will trace the Army’s evolution from the Revolutionary War to modern times with historical US Army personnel reenactors, period-accurate equipment, vehicles, flyovers and military bands.
Trump is scheduled to deliver remarks.
A White House list of issues Trump might raise with South Africa’s president — 9:20 a.m.
By the Associated Press
- Classifying farm attacks as a priority crime. South Africa’s government counters that the relatively small number of homicides against white farmers are misunderstood by the Trump administration; they’re part of the country’s severe problem with crime and aren’t racially motivated.
- South Africa’s race-based barriers to trade. The Trump administration would like U.S. companies to be exempt from laws requiring foreign companies to allow 30% of their South African subsidiaries to be owned by shareholders who are Black or from other racial groups that were disadvantaged under apartheid, South Africa’s former system of white-minority rule.
- Condemning politicians who promote “genocidal rhetoric.” While Ramaphosa’s party doesn’t use the “kill the farmer” or “shoot the farmer” apartheid-era chants, the government hasn’t condemned it.
- Economic growth
Trump and South Africa’s president are meeting at the White House amid tensions — 9:18 a.m.
By the Associated Press
President Trump is hosting Cyril Ramaphosa amid tension after accusing South Africa of allowing a “genocide” against minority white farmers.
South Africa has strongly rejected Trump’s allegations. Afrikaner farmers in the country say there’s no evidence of this — that white and Black farmers alike have been murdered.
Ramaphosa pushed for Wednesday’s Oval Office meeting to try to set the record straight and salvage his country’s relationship with the United States. It’s at their lowest point since the nation enforced its apartheid system of racial segregation, which ended in 1994.
Trump has cut all US assistance to South Africa and welcomed several dozen white South African farmers to the US as refugees.
Trump’s Wednesday schedule, according to the White House — 8:43 a.m.
By the Associated Press
- 11:30 a.m. - Trump welcomes South Africa’s president, Cyril Ramaphosa
- 11:45 a.m. - Trump and Ramaphosa will have lunch
- 12:45 a.m. - Trump and Ramaphosa will have a meeting in the Oval Office
- 4:00 p.m.- The NCAA men’s college basketball champions, the University of Florida Gators, will visit the White House
Trump drafts America’s business titans to burnish his image at home and abroad — 8:41 a.m.
By the Associated Press
With President Trump back in the White House, a jaunt with the president or a stop in the Oval Office is now as routine for America’s business leaders as a speech to an industry conference.
Corporate titans are spending more time than ever working to curry favor with the administration as part of their effort to score relief from regulations — and tariffs — from the transactional president. He, in turn, is happy to use them as supporting cast members as he tries to project the economy as booming at a time when growth is slowing.
But putting in time with the US president has not fully insulated companies such as Apple, Amazon, Walmart and others from Trump’s anger. It’s a sign that the public commitments they make to create US jobs may be doing more to burnish the president’s image than to protect their own profitability.
South Africa’s leader aims to salvage relationship with Trump in White House visit — 8:33 a.m.
By the Associated Press
President Trump will host South Africa’s leader at the White House on Wednesday for a meeting that might be tense after Trump accused the country’s government of allowing a “genocide” to take place against minority white farmers.
South Africa has strongly rejected the allegation and President Cyril Ramaphosa pushed for the meeting with Trump in an attempt to salvage his country’s relationship with the United States, which is at its lowest point since the end of the apartheid system of racial segregation in 1994.
Trump has launched a series of accusations at South Africa’s Black-led government, including that it is seizing land from white farmers, enforcing anti-white policies and pursuing an anti-American foreign policy.
Ramaphosa said he hopes to correct what he calls damaging mischaracterizations during the meeting, which is Trump’s first with an African leader at the White House since he returned to office.
Trump selects concept for $175 billion ‘Golden Dome’ missile defense system — 8:27 a.m.
By the Associated Press
President Trump has announced the concept he wants for his future Golden Dome missile defense program — a multilayered, $175 billion system that for the first time will put US weapons in space.
Speaking Tuesday from the Oval Office, Trump said he expects the system will be “fully operational before the end of my term,” which ends in 2029, and have the capability of intercepting missiles “even if they are launched from space.”
It’s likelier that the complex system may have some initial capability by that point, a US official familiar with the program said.
Golden Dome is envisioned to include ground- and space-based capabilities that are able to detect and stop missiles at all four major stages of a potential attack: detecting and destroying them before a launch, intercepting them in their earliest stage of flight, stopping them midcourse in the air, or halting them in the final minutes as they descend toward a target.
House GOP grinds ahead with Trump’s big tax cuts bill, but new report says it will add to deficit — 8:25 a.m.
By the Associated Press
House Republicans are pushing to vote on their multi-trillion-dollar tax breaks package as soon as Wednesday, grinding out last-minute deal-making to shore up wavering GOP support and deliver on Trump’s top legislative priority.
Trump himself had instructed the Republican majority to quit arguing and get it done, his own political influence on the line. But GOP leaders worked late into the night to convince skeptical Republicans who have problems on several fronts, including worries that it will pile onto the nation’s $36 trillion debt.
A fresh analysis from the Congressional Budget Office said the tax provisions would increase the federal deficit by $3.8 trillion over the decade, while the changes to Medicaid, food stamps and other services would tally $1 trillion in reduced spending. The lowest-income households in the US would see their resources drop, while the highest ones would see a boost, the CBO said.
Republicans hunkered down at the Capitol through the night for one last committee hearing processing changes to the package. Democrats immediately motioned to adjourn, but the vote failed on party lines.
US must keep control of migrants sent to South Sudan in case removals were unlawful, judge rules — 8:18 a.m.
By the Associated Press
A federal judge has ruled that US officials must retain custody and control of migrants who were apparently removed to South Sudan in case he orders their removals were unlawful.
US District Judge Brian E. Murphy in Massachusetts issued the ruling late Tuesday after an emergency hearing, after attorneys for immigrants said the Trump administration appears to have begun deporting people from Myanmar and Vietnam to South Sudan — despite a court order restricting removals to other countries.
Murphy said the government must “maintain custody and control of class members currently being removed to South Sudan or to any other third country, to ensure the practical feasibility of return if the Court finds that such removals were unlawful.”
While Murphy left the details to the government’s discretion, he said he expects the migrants “will be treated humanely.”
South Africa’s leader aims to salvage relationship with Trump in White House visit — 2:25 a.m.
By the Associated Press
President Trump will host South Africa’s leader at the White House on Wednesday for a meeting that might be tense after Trump accused the country’s government of being racist against white people and allowing a “genocide” to take place against minority white farmers.
South Africa has strongly rejected the allegations and President Cyril Ramaphosa pushed for the meeting with Trump in an attempt to salvage his country’s relationship with the United States, which is at its lowest point since the end of the apartheid system of racial segregation in 1994.
Trump has launched a series of accusations at South Africa’s Black-led government, including that it is seizing land from white farmers, enforcing anti-white policies and pursuing an anti-American foreign policy by supporting Iran and the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
House GOP grinding ahead with Trump’s big tax cuts bill, but new report says it will add to deficit — 1:06 a.m.
By the Associated Press
House Republicans are pushing to vote on their multi-trillion-dollar tax breaks package as soon as Wednesday, grinding out last-minute deal-making to shore up wavering GOP support and deliver on President Trump’s top legislative priority.
Trump himself had instructed the Republican majority to quit arguing and get it done, his own political influence on the line. But GOP leaders worked late into the night to convince skeptical Republicans who have problems on several fronts, including worries that it will pile onto the nation’s $36 trillion debt.
A fresh analysis from the Congressional Budget Office said the tax provisions would increase the federal deficit by $3.8 trillion over the decade, while the changes to Medicaid, food stamps and other services would tally $1 trillion in reduced spending. The lowest-income households in the US would see their resources drop, while the highest ones would see a boost, the CBO said.
‘They’re operating like bullies’: As ICE appearances increase across Mass., local communities amp up resistance — 12:02 a.m.
By Anjali Huynh, Dan Glaun, and Giulia McDonnell Nieto del Rio, Globe Staff
At a community meeting Monday in Chelsea, a group of immigrant advocates, police, and city officials gathered to address residents’ pressing fears about recent immigration enforcement tactics. The broken car windows, the masked agents dragging individuals out of cars, people being whisked off the streets without warrants.
Rosalba Ventura, a mother and lifelong Chelsea resident, told those in the crowd she took video of one such incident that very morning, after dropping her kids off at school.
“Have you shown a warrant?” she asked the officers, multiple times, yelling expletives at them.
Ventura, 36, later told the Globe she felt angry to see the agents covering their faces, and she advised the driver in Spanish, “don‘t sign anything, and don‘t say anything,” saying she could call someone on their behalf.
“It’s scary, people should not live like this,” she said.
