As his administration reaches its 100-day mark, President Trump is set Tuesday to tout his second-term accomplishments with his first rally since his inauguration.
The president is sure to celebrate his administration’s work on immigration, tariffs, reducing the size of the federal government and more at the evening event in Macomb County, Mich.
Ahead of the rally, he stopped at Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Harrison Township, where he announced a new fighter jet mission. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer spoke briefly, saying she was “grateful” for the announcement.
Also Tuesday, the Senate confirmed a new ambassador to China, former Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga.). The Senate is also moving on other ambassador nominees.
Much of Trump’s agenda rests in the hands of Congress, which starts debating the finer points of a reconciliation bill Tuesday that will fund everything from tax cuts to defense while cutting costs in other programs to balance the budget.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) met with Trump on Monday and expressed confidence that Trump’s tax agenda could be passed by Memorial Day, less than a month away. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent gave the package a July 4 deadline.
Follow along all day for updates.
SALT Republicans to huddle with Johnson on key Trump agenda sticking point
House Republicans are set to dive into discussions over the state and local tax (SALT) deduction cap on Wednesday, officially kicking off negotiations for one of the largest — and most contentious — sticking points in the party’s package full of President Trump’s legislative priorities.
Republicans who hail from high-tax blue states like New York, New Jersey and California — a group that makes up the SALT Caucus — are scheduled to huddle with Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (R-Mo.) on Wednesday at 4:30 p.m., sources told The Hill, marking the first meeting about the issue since the budget reconciliation process entered its final stage in the House.
The gathering comes as SALT caucus Republicans are warning that they will not support a Trump agenda bill unless it includes a suitable increase in the deduction cap — a warning for Johnson and his lieutenants, who will need near unanimity in the chamber to get the legislation over the finish line.
“As I’ve said repeatedly, this is a top priority for me. So it is imperative that there be a SALT fix in the bill, period,” said Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.), a vocal advocate of a SALT deduction increase. “Either it’s going to be fixed or it’s not. And if it’s not, I ain’t voting for the bill.”
“Yeah, I’m all in on the SALT provision,” Rep. Nick LaLota (R-N.Y.) told reporters when asked if increasing the deduction cap is a red line for him. “My folks didn’t just send me here for my great, good looks, they sent me here to fight for SALT, and I intend to win that fight.”
Trump brings aides, supporters to stage in Michigan rally
Trump brought his top aides, Stephen Miller and Margo Martin, up on stage during his rally in Michigan.
“Who’s enjoying 100 golden days of America?” Miller said when he joined Trump.
“She’s both beautiful and shy,” Trump then said about Martin. “I’m not allowed to say this.. she’s the most beautiful photographer in the world, I don’t know if she’s the best.”
Martin took the stage and yelled out, “Trump 2028, anybody?”
The president then brought up Scott Jennings, a Republican strategist who makes frequent appearances on CNN to defends the Trump administration.
Trump says Powell ‘not really doing a good job’
The president mocked Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell for not further reducing interest rates, following remarks last week that he has “no intention” to try to fire him.
“Interest rates came down despite the fact that I have a Fed person who’s not really doing a good job but I won’t say that, I want to be very nice. I want to be very nice and respectful to the Fed. You’re not supposed to criticize the Fed, you’re supposed to let him do his own thing. But I know much more than he does about interest rates, believe me,” Trump said at his 100-day rally in Michigan.
Last week, Trump called Powell a “major loser” last and suggested the Fed’s previous rate cuts were aimed at helping Biden. The president has been pressuring the Fed to lower interest rates.
Trump suggests China will absorb tariff costs: ABC interview
President Trump said in an interview broadcasting later Tuesday that China “will probably eat those tariffs” when talking about the 145 percent overall tariff on its products.
The president got into a heated back-and-forth with ABC’s Terry Moran when talking about the import tax, with Moran arguing the tariff is going to “raise prices on everything from electronics, to clothing, to building houses.”
“You don’t know that, you don’t know whether or not China’s going to eat it,” Trump cut in at the end of Moran’s statement.
“That’s mathematics,” Moran said, also cutting in at the end of Trump’s response.
“China probably will eat those tariffs,” Trump replied. “But at 145, they basically can’t do much business with the United States. And, they were making from us a trillion dollars a year, they were ripping us off like nobody’s ever ripped us off.”
Trump says Michigan will get new fighter jets
President Trump on Tuesday announced Selfridge National Guard base in Michigan will receive 21 F-15EX Eagle II fighters, newer generation jets meant to replace the installation’s aging A-10 Thunderbolt IIs, effectively guaranteeing the base’s future.
The Boeing-made aircraft, previously purchased by the Air Force, will go to Selfidge after years of lobbying from Michigan lawmakers to shore up the future of the 106-year-old Harrison Township base, an installation that has an estimated $850 million impact on the state’s economy.
Read the full story here.
Trump in Warren, Michigan
President Donald Trump arrives to speak on his first 100 days at Macomb County Community College Sports Expo Center, Tuesday, April 29, 2025, in Warren, Mich. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Trump embarks on 100-day rally in Michigan
President Donald Trump arrives to speak on his first 100 days at Macomb County Community College Sports Expo Center, Tuesday, April 29, 2025, in Warren, Mich. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
How Trump’s ‘America First’ agenda shook the world in first 100 days
President Trump moved quickly to remake American foreign policy in his first 100 days in office, weaponizing his “America First” agenda with the slashing of foreign aid, expansionist threats toward friendly countries, and massively disruptive tariff regime, which has already roiled global markets and relationships.
Read the full story here.
Trump signs orders to scale back auto tariffs
President Trump signed executive orders Tuesday scaling back his 25 percent tariffs on imported automobiles and auto parts that are scheduled to go into effect May 3.
The Trump administration will spare foreign auto parts from facing a double hit from the president’s auto tariffs and his previously imposed import taxes on foreign metals, instead charging the highest available rate per product.
Trump praises Whitmer during visit to Michigan air base
President Trump praised Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) during a stop at Selfridge Air National Guard Base in her state on Tuesday.
“For decades, they’ve been trying to save this facility … including your governor, who has done a very good job. She came to see me. That’s the reason she came to see me, by the way, to save Selfridge. She was very effective,” Trump said in remarks before the Michigan National Guard, announcing new fighter jets for the base.
Trump’s rare praise for a Democrat came just a couple weeks after Whitmer took heat from both sides of the aisle for a White House visit earlier this month.
“You know, I’m not supposed to do that,” Trump said on Tuesday after thanking Whitmer for bringing the base “to our attention very strongly.”
“She’s a Democrat. They say: ‘Don’t do that, don’t have her here.’ I said no, she’s got to be here. She’s done a very good job, frankly.”
Senate confirms Warren Stephens as ambassador to UK
The Senate confirmed Warren Stephens on Tuesday in a 59-39 vote to be the U.S.’s next ambassador to the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland.
Stephens was president and CEO of Little Rock-based investment banking firm Stephens Inc. until January, when he retired.
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) spoke in support of Stephens, lauding him as a “family man, businessman, philanthropist and patriot” Tuesday morning.
“After decades of serving others in our Arkansas community, Warren has now answered the call to serve our country as the next United States ambassador to the United Kingdom. He is the right person to lead our strong, special relationship with the United Kingdom,” Cotton said.
GOP wrestles with disagreements over Medicaid cuts
A key House committee is pushing forward with trying to advance its portion of President Trump’s legislative agenda next week, even as Republicans disagree over how deeply to cut Medicaid.
The House Energy and Commerce Committee is planning a May 7 meeting to finalize and advance its portion of the bill, leaving little time for members to iron out differences. The legislation calls for the committee to find $880 billion in savings over a decade, with most of it expected to come from health programs.
Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) indicated one of the most significant hangup is what to do about people in states that expanded Medicaid.
The Affordable Care Act allowed states to expand Medicaid to people with slightly higher incomes, with the federal government picking up 90 percent of the extra costs. Forty-one states, including many led by Republicans, chose to expand Medicaid.
Republicans have been looking for ways to roll back that extra spending to save billions of dollars. Cutting those enhanced payments would bring significant savings, but it would represent a major cost shift to states, something that moderate and swing district Republicans have balked at.
“We’re still having discussions on FMAP and per-capita allotments. Those are the biggest discussions we have to have,” Guthrie told reporters Tuesday. “If we can get there, that’s what we’re looking at.”
Trump fires Doug Emhoff, Biden appointees from Holocaust museum board
Former second gentleman Doug Emhoff on Tuesday was kicked off of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum board, which includes over 50 president-appointee members.
“Today, I was informed of my removal from the United States Holocaust Memorial Council. Let me be clear: Holocaust remembrance and education should never be politicized. To turn one of the worst atrocities in history into a wedge issue is dangerous — and it dishonors the memory of six million Jews murdered by Nazis that this museum was created to preserve,” Emhoff said in a statement to The Hill.
House GOP blocks Democrats from forcing votes on Signal scandal, Musk conflicts of interest
House Republicans moved on Tuesday to block Democrats from forcing votes on the Trump administration’s use of Signal, potential conflicts of interest involving Elon Musk and other controversial topics.
The move by the conference — which was approved in a 216-208 vote — marks the latest instance of Republicans using procedural rules, which govern debate for legislation, to shield President Trump.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) defended the effort shortly before its approval on Tuesday, saying the conference was “using the rules of the House to prevent political hijinks and political stunts.”
“They showed us over the last four years, last eight years, they used lawfare, they used conspiracy theories, all these political weapons to just go after the president and make his life miserable,” Johnson added. “That’s not what the American people voted for, that’s not what they deserve, we can do better, so we’re preventing this nonsensical waste of our time. We don’t have time to waste.”
Congressional watchdog investigating Trump efforts to dismantle CFPB
A congressional watchdog group is investigating President Trump’s efforts to dismantle the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) after some Senate Democrats requested the agency examine the ongoing actions and attempts to remove nearly all its staff.
The Government Accountability Office replied to Democratic Sens. Elizabeth Warren (Mass.) and Andy Kim (N.J.) after they requested the agency review the changes at CFPB under the direction of the Department of Government Efficiency.
Republican chair unveils $15B plan to modernize air traffic control
House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chair Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo.) released a budget reconciliation proposal Tuesday that would allocate $15 billion for the modernization of air traffic control technology.
The funds would go to the Federal Aviation Administration’s efforts to improve the nation’s aviation infrastructure by replacing outdated technology, modernizing the air traffic control radar systems and enhancing the hiring of air traffic controllers.
Top Democrat shoots down impeachment efforts against Trump
The chair of the House Democratic Caucus on Tuesday rejected the efforts by some lawmakers in the party to impeach President Trump.
Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.) did not go so far as to say that Trump has not committed impeachable offenses in his first 100 days back in office. But with Republicans controlling both the House and the Senate, Aguilar suggested the move is simply impractical.
“Impeachment is, at times, a tool that can be used. This president is no stranger to that; he’s been impeached twice,” Aguilar told reporters in the Capitol. “But we don’t have any confidence that House and Senate Republicans would do their jobs. And so this is not an exercise that we’re willing to undertake.”
A day earlier, Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.) had filed seven articles of impeachment against Trump for actions he’s taken since January, including the mistaken deportation of a Maryland man to El Salvador and efforts to slash government spending without congressional approval.
Speaker Johnson ‘having conversations’ as Stefanik, Lawler eye runs for NY governor
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said he is “having conversations” about next year’s election for New York governor as two of his members — Reps. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) and Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) — eye bids for the seat.
Lawler has long been teasing a run for governor, dropping hints in the past year that he will likely jump into the 2026 race. Stefanik, meanwhile, has recently been floated as another candidate after she withdrew her nomination to serve as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. She is said to be considering a run.
Asked on Tuesday if he is having conversations with Stefanik and Lawler about their potential bids and what the best path forward for the House GOP conference would be, Johnson said discussions are ongoing but would not offer any details.
“We’ve got a very talented group here,” Johnson said at a press conference. “We have lots of House Republicans who are being courted to run for Senate or governor or do something big. I mean, my preference is that they all stay here with me, we get the job done. But I don’t begrudge anybody for having other opportunities, and we ultimately support them in whatever they do.”
“But are we having conversations? We are, yeah, and that’s all I’m gonna say about it,” he added. “But ultimately look, I support my friends and — these are more than colleagues, they’re friends — and I want all of my friends to do well and go as high as they can, be of their highest and best use to the country, so we’ll see how it shakes out.”
David Perdue confirmed as ambassador to China amid tariff fight
The Senate on Tuesday confirmed former Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga.) to become the ambassador to China, filling a key role for the administration while it remains embroiled in a trade battle with Beijing.
Senators voted 67 to 29 to confirm Perdue, who served a single term in the upper chamber before losing narrowly in 2020 to Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.).
The confirmation comes at a crucial time for the administration as it wages a trade war with China. President Trump has slapped a massive 145 percent levy on imports from China, the biggest set of tariffs against any nation as part of the White House’s trade policy. China hit back with a 125 percent tariff of its own on U.S. products.
Hegseth ‘proud’ to end Women, Peace and Security program
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday declared he had begun to shutter a Pentagon program meant to advance women’s participation in peace-building and conflict prevention, a law written by GOP lawmakers that President Trump signed in his first term.
“This morning, I proudly ENDED the “Women, Peace & Security” (WPS) program inside the [Defense Department],” Hegseth wrote in a post on social platform X.
He said the program was “yet another woke divisive/social justice/Biden initiative that overburdens our commanders and troops — distracting from our core task: WAR-FIGHTING.”
Hegseth also called WPS a “UNITED NATIONS program pushed by feminists and left-wing activists,” claiming that “troops HATE it.”
As the program is under federal statute and can’t be outright killed by Hegseth alone, he said the Pentagon would comply with the minimum requirements of the WPS and fight to end the program during the Defense Department’s next appropriations process.
Who is Shri Thanedar, Democrat who filed articles of impeachment against Trump
Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.) announced Monday he filed seven articles of impeachment against President Trump, after serving just one complete term in office.
The alleged impeachable actions include the deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the man mistakenly sent to El Salvador, and funding cuts by the Department of Government Efficiency without congressional approval.
Thanedar also cites Trump’s steep tariff agenda that has roiled global markets, his treatment of reporters and the First Amendment, his alleged bribery and corruption in the justice system, his efforts to obtain Americans’ personal data and his “tyrannical overreach.”
David Hogg: More than a dozen Democratic incumbents could be primaried
Democratic National Committee (DNC) Vice Chair David Hogg said his organization “Leaders We Deserve” will focus on challenging more than a dozen Democratic incumbents in the next election cycle.
He said the group will focus on mobilizing a younger generation of leaders geared toward change amid new policies implemented under the Trump administration. The group has slated $20 million for the initiative.
“Currently, we’re looking at over 12 districts, but there’s a lot of nuance that comes with that number, because there’s going to be people who retire,” Hogg told NewsNation.
The organization will target Democrats in safe districts and will not aim to primary those in toss-up races.
Johnson, Thune, Jeffries, Schumer underwater in new poll
The nation’s top congressional leaders are not very popular, a new poll suggests.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.), and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) are all underwater as they gear up for battles over federal spending and President Trump’s agenda in the coming weeks.
The CNN/SSRS poll released Tuesday found that none of the four polled higher than 23 percent favorably.
Asked generally about congressional leadership slates, 60 percent of respondents said they disapprove of how the GOP’s leaders are handling their jobs in Congress, while 37 percent said they approve. More than 70 percent of the people surveyed said they disapprove of Democratic leadership and 27 percent said they approve.
But the poll found that individually, Johnson, Jeffries and Thune — all of whom ascended to top leadership roles in the past two years — remain largely unknown among the broader public. Those who said they were familiar with them were more likely to view them negatively than positively.
Vance to attend Senate GOP lunch
Vice President Vance will attend the weekly Senate GOP policy luncheon Tuesday as the party looks to plow ahead on its tax cut agenda and strike trade deals.
Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) said Vance will be joined by U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer at the weekly luncheon. Greer is expected to brief members on the latest trade discussions with various countries.
The Wyoming Republican also said they will likely discuss how they will handle the resolution aimed at scrapping President Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs. The resolution, which was proposed by Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.), could come to the floor as early as Wednesday.
Murray demurs on run for Democratic whip: ‘I am focused on my job right now’
Asked if she’s interested in running for Senate Democratic whip next year, Sen. Patty Murray (Wash.), the top Democrat on the powerful Appropriations Committee, said, “I’m really focused on all the work that’s critical right now.”
But she wouldn’t rule out a possible run, insisting when asked: “I am focused on my job right now.”
Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (Ill.), the No. 2 Senate Democrat, announced last week he wouldn’t run for reelection in 2026, setting off a race for the coveted leadership spot.
Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) is considered a leading contender, and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Murray have also been floated for the role.
O’Reilly says Trump ‘was caught by surprise’ by stock market fall
Political commentator Bill O’Reilly said Monday he thinks President Trump was “caught by surprise” by the sliding stock market after he announced his sweeping global tariff plan earlier this month.
In an interview on NewsNation’s “On Balance with Leland Vittert,” O’Reilly pushed back on the suggestion that Trump bears responsibility for not warning Americans to anticipate some economic turbulence in response to his tariff announcements, which he later paused.
“I think President Trump was caught by surprise in the markets,” O’Reilly told Vittert, when asked about the level of Trump’s responsibility in the matter.
Lawler shoots down changes to Medicaid funding: ‘Position hasn’t changed in 4 months’
Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) on Tuesday shot down the idea of implementing a per capita cap on federal Medicaid spending or reducing the federal matching rate.
“[I’ve] been very clear about this, you guys keep asking the same stupid f‑‑‑ing question: No,” Lawler told reporters.
“I have said from the very beginning: I’m against per capita caps, I’m against changing the FMAP floor. Position hasn’t changed in four months.”
Medicaid has emerged as a central fight in Republicans’ push to enact President Trump’s domestic agenda through the reconciliation process.
Moderates have said they would oppose any bill that rolls back coverage and benefits for their constituents, while conservatives push for steep cuts and leadership insists savings can be found through eliminating waste, fraud and abuse.
Whitmer to join Trump at Selfridge National Guard base in Michigan
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) is set to join President Trump during a Tuesday visit at the Selfridge Air National Guard Base in the Great Lakes State, the White House said.
The appearance comes just a couple weeks after Whitmer took heat from both sides of the aisle for a White House visit earlier this month, her second since the inauguration.
One of the topics she aimed to discuss with Trump during that trip was funding for the Selfridge Air National Guard Base, where the president will make his first stop in Michigan on Tuesday.
White House: Amazon displaying tariff costs ‘a hostile and political act’
The White House on Tuesday bashed Amazon for reportedly planning on displaying how much President Trump’s tariffs added to the cost of an item, calling it an aggressive move by the e-commerce giant.
“This is a hostile and political act by Amazon. Why didn’t Amazon do this when the Biden administration hiked inflation to the highest levels in 40 years?” press secretary Karoline Leavitt said told reporters at the White House.
Bessent announces no new trade deals, hints India close
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Tuesday offered no new tariff deals with major trading partners but hinted that negotiations with India may be close.
“Seventeen are in motion,” Bessent told reporters at the White House, referring to negotiations with trading partners.
When asked if there could be an announcement on India this week, Bessent expressed optimism but wouldn’t commit to a timeline.
“I think that we are very close on India and India — just a little inside baseball — India, in a funny way is easier to negotiate with than many countries because they have very high tariffs and lots of tariffs,” Bessent said.