Key facts
- President Trump stated Iran shot down a U.S. helicopter over the Strait of Hormuz.
- The U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution to limit President Trump's war powers against Iran.
- President Trump signed an executive order creating Schedule F, moving approximately 8,000 federal employees into 'at-will' employment.
- President Trump announced major AI companies will visit the White House to explore AI benefits.
- President Trump expressed interest in the U.S. government holding equity stakes in AI developers.
- President Trump expanded his TrumpRx.gov initiative to offer discounts on over 800 medications.
- President Trump stated Iran's assets will remain frozen and sanctions in place until a final peace deal.
- President Trump claimed without proof that there was 'cheating' in the California vote.
- President Trump intensified calls for the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates.
- A federal judge ruled against President Trump in a lawsuit challenging the legality of tariffs on Chinese goods.
- President Trump stated he does not know the origin of his false claim regarding Black unemployment.
- President Trump criticized New York Governor Kathy Hochul over a pipeline agreement.
President Donald Trump stated that Iran shot down a U.S. Apache helicopter over the Strait of Hormuz and vowed retaliation, though he later downplayed the incident. Iran's Foreign Minister urged foreign forces to leave its territory. In a separate development, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution to limit President Trump's war powers against Iran, with a vote of 215 to 208. Four Republicans joined Democrats in supporting the measure, which invokes the War Powers Resolution of 1973, though it requires Senate approval to become law. President Trump also confirmed reports that he called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 'f***ing crazy' during a phone call about Israel's operations in Lebanon, stating he was perturbed by the conflict and urged Netanyahu to stop it. He later publicly confirmed this sentiment, exposing public strains between the two leaders.
Domestically, President Trump signed an executive order creating a new classification, Schedule F, moving approximately 8,000 federal employees into 'at-will' employment. These policy-focused roles, with salaries up to $200,000, lose traditional job protections, drawing criticism that it turns career employees into political appointees. President Trump announced that major artificial intelligence companies will visit the White House to explore the benefits of AI, and expressed interest in the U.S. government holding equity stakes in leading AI developers, planning to discuss this partnership idea with executives soon. He also announced the expansion of his TrumpRx.gov initiative, adding 160 new prescription drugs to the program, bringing the total to over 800 medications, aiming for transparent and reduced pricing based on 'most-favored-nation' agreements. President Trump pledged to support farmers facing financial pressure due to elevated fuel and fertilizer costs, though specific measures are unannounced. He also highlighted stock market gains and lower inflation during a podcast appearance as key economic achievements, while declaring the U.S. economy is booming amid affordability concerns.
Regarding Iran, President Trump stated that Iran's assets will remain frozen and sanctions will stay in place until a final peace deal is reached, indicating a willingness to speak with Iran's leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, after such an agreement. He also stated that the U.S. does not require an agreement with Iran to secure enriched uranium, and that a potential meeting with Iran's Supreme Leader was possible if a deal were reached. US Vice President JD Vance stated that any nuclear agreement with Iran must be verifiable and that the US is in a strong position to achieve President Donald Trump's objectives through negotiations. US Representative Mike Johnson stated that recent strikes targeting Iran were "proportional and limited" and a response to "unjustified Iranian aggression."
President Trump also claimed without proof that there was 'cheating' in the California vote and stated a federal probe is underway, with his campaign leveraging California's slow mail-in ballot count to cast doubt on the legitimacy of the midterm elections. He intensified his calls for the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates, directly pressuring Governor Jerome Powell. A federal judge ruled against President Trump in a lawsuit challenging the legality of tariffs he imposed on Chinese goods, though he may still retain some revenue. President Trump also stated he does not know the origin of his false claim regarding Black unemployment and denied promising to avoid initiating new wars. He criticized New York Governor Kathy Hochul over a pipeline agreement and described two individuals as 'terrible' for opposing his policies. President Trump's cultural movement is reportedly encountering resistance from established institutions.