Live updates: Senate confirms ex-Trump lawyer Emil Bove for judgeship; Hegseth discusses political run
Trump said convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein 'stole' Virginia Giuffre from his Mar-a-Lago club, a stunning admission that could increase scrutiny of his relationship with the late financier — even as his administration seeks to change the subject from Epstein.
Trump was speaking to reporters yesterday afternoon when he was asked about his comments over the weekend about a falling-out with Epstein because he took employees from his business.
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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has privately discussed the idea of running for political office next year in Tennessee, according to two people who have spoken directly with him about it.
If Hegseth were to follow through on the discussions, it would amount to a major leadership shake-up at the department that oversees the American military and millions of federal employees. The Defense Department bars civilian employees from running for political office, meaning Hegseth would have to resign to do so.
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The Republican-led Senate voted last night to confirm Emil Bove as a judge on the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, granting a lifetime appointment to President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer.
He was confirmed 50-49, with only Republican votes, as they set aside allegations from three whistleblowers about the conduct of Bove, a Justice Department official, which include accusations that he flouted laws and Justice Department procedures.
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Trump started his second term with one huge difference compared with his first term: Polls regularly showed majorities of Americans approving of his handling of immigration. In fact, it was his best issue, whereas it had been one of his least popular before.
Six months into his second term, it's still among his best issues, but it's no longer as popular. There has been a clear decline in support for Trump's handling of immigration, with his approval rating dropping across a handful of prominent polls.
Read the full story here.
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Axios
12 minutes ago
- Axios
Trump: Canada backing Palestinian statehood makes any trade deal "very hard"
President Trump suggested early Thursday that he won't make a trade deal with Canada after Prime Minister Mark Carney said he intends to recognize the State of Palestine, subject to certain commitments. Why it matters: The threat comes one day before Trump's Aug. 1 deadline for countries to make a trade deal or face tariffs — in Canada's case, a 35% levy on goods imported from the neighboring North American country. What he's saying: "Wow! Canada has just announced that it is backing statehood for Palestine," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "That will make it very hard for us to make a Trade Deal with them. Oh' Canada!!!" Context: Carney said Wednesday he would take the action at the UN General Assembly in September, subject to a set of commitments by the Palestinian Authority. Carney's joins two other close U.S. allies in taking the action, further isolating the Trump administration and Israel's government internationally, per Axios' Barak Ravid. France announced a similar plan and the U.K. said it would do the same unless Israel moves to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza and commits to a renewed peace process with the Palestinians.
UPI
13 minutes ago
- UPI
Trump, South Korea strike 15% tariff deal ahead of deadline
U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that negotiators struck a deal to impose a 15% tariff on South Korean goods. Photo by Yuri Gripas/UPI | License Photo SEOUL, July 31 (UPI) -- U.S. President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that the United States will impose a 15% tariff on South Korean goods in what he called a "full and complete trade deal" between the two countries ahead of an Aug. 1 deadline for negotiations. The deal calls for $350 billion in South Korean investments "owned and controlled by the United States and selected by myself," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. Seoul will also purchase $100 billion of U.S. liquified natural gas and will announce further investments when South Korean President Lee Jae Myung visits Washington "within the next two weeks," Trump said. The arrangement comes just ahead of the Aug. 1 deadline for countries to make deals with Washington before facing higher "reciprocal" tariffs. South Korea was facing a 25% levy if it had not reached an agreement. "We have overcome a major hurdle," South Korean President Lee Jae Myung wrote on Facebook Thursday. "Through these negotiations, the government has eliminated uncertainty in the export environment and aligned U.S. tariffs with those of our major export competitors, creating an environment where we can compete on equal or superior terms with major countries." Lee said that $150 billion of the announced investment is earmarked for South Korean companies to enter the United States shipbuilding sector. Seoul had touted its world-class capacity as a key negotiating card, as the Trump administration is looking to revive the moribund American shipbuilding industry to counter China's massive naval growth. The 15% tariffs will apply to South Korea's automobile industry -- its largest export sector to the United States -- U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick wrote in a post on X. "[South Korea] will also not be treated any worse than any other country on semiconductors and pharmaceuticals," he added. The major South Korean exports of steel and aluminum will remain at the global rate of 50% that Trump has set, however. Seoul was able to hold off Washington's push to further open up its rice and beef markets to U.S. imports, which farmers' groups in South Korea strongly opposed. "In the course of the consultations with the United States, there was a strong demand for the opening up of our agricultural and livestock markets," Kim Yong-beom, the presidential chief of staff for policy, said at a press briefing Thursday. "However, given food security and the sensitivity of our agriculture, it was agreed that the domestic rice and beef markets would not be further opened," Kim said. While South Korea avoided higher tariffs with the new deal, it still represents a major increase over the existing U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement, under which roughly 95% of goods were duty-free. "The 15% tariff by the United States is a different trading environment and challenge than in the past," Kim said. "The government will actively support our companies in enhancing their competitiveness and diversifying their export markets." The South Korean trade deal follows others the Trump administration has made in recent weeks, including 15% reciprocal tariffs on Japan and the European Union, 19% on the Philippines and Indonesia and 20% on Vietnam.
New York Times
13 minutes ago
- New York Times
Thailand and Cambodia Reach Trump Trade Deals, U.S. Official Says
The United States has reached trade agreements with Thailand and Cambodia, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said on Wednesday night, after President Trump had threatened to end talks with the two nations if they did not agree to a cease-fire to halt their military conflict. Mr. Lutnick did not provide details of the new tariff rate. In an interview with Sean Hannity on Fox News, he said: 'And you know what we did today? We made trade deals with Cambodia and Thailand.' He did not elaborate. A senior Cambodian official involved in the negotiations, speaking on condition of anonymity, said he had not been informed of a deal yet. Thailand's finance minister, Pichai Chunhavajira, said on Thursday that the country expects to hear within 24 hours. Thailand and Cambodia were both facing a potential tariff rate of 36 percent on their goods to the United States, which is one of the largest export markets for both countries. They have been rushing to avert the steep tariffs before a deadline on Friday, especially after neighboring Indonesia and the Philippines secured rates of 19 percent and Vietnam 20 percent. The senior Cambodian official involved in the negotiations said Cambodia would be pleased if the rate was 15 percent. The official said that Prime Minister Hun Manet had asked Mr. Trump for 'a good tariff so we can rebuild our economy because Cambodia had been at war for decades and only obtained peace in 1998.' Mr. Trump 'acknowledged and understood,' said the official, citing information from Mr. Hun Manet. As part of the deal, Cambodia has offered to improve market access to American goods and buy 10 Boeing planes, with the option to buy 10 more, according to the official. On Saturday, President Trump said he told the leaders of both Thailand and Cambodia that he would stop negotiating with them on trade if they both did not agree to a cease-fire. After a truce was reached in Malaysia on Monday, Mr. Trump called the leaders of both countries and told his trade team to restart talks. Mr. Pichai, the Thai finance minister, said negotiators had proposed to the Trump administration 'conditions acceptable to Thailand, with the goal of protecting the country's best interests.'
