Trump 'doing right things for Nato' by encouraging higher defense spending, Rutte says, as he avoids criticizing president over Greenland
Nato’s general secretary Mark Rutte has just been asked about Trump’s comments on Greenland on his visit to Croatia, where he met the country’s prime minister Andrej Plenković.
Rutte responded to criticism of his charm offensive and repeated flattery of Trump (most famously with his “daddy” comment), as he insisted that “I believe that Donald Trump is doing the right things for Nato by encouraging us all to spend more” in Europe to match the US spending.
He said he was “absolutely convinced” that “without Donald Trump we would never have had that result at the summit in The Hague” last year, increasing the GDP defence threshold to 5%.
“So when I praise somebody, it is based on facts, and I believe the facts are there,” he said.
He did not address the specific question on Trump’s comments on Greenland, but said he welcomed the other allies’ discussion on “come together and work together” and get more involved in the Arctic and the High North.
You have seen some announcements by the Brits and the Germans today, we are working now together to see how we can basically [come] together as an alliance, including our seven members, allies bordering on the high north, on the Arctic, to work together to indeed build that next step, which is crucial.
Rutte also said that Denmark was “already speeding up their investments when it comes to defence,” including “unique capabilities to defend territories like Greenland”.
“So we are really working together here. And my only worry is, how do we stay safe, against the Russians, against any other adversary – look at what China is doing in rapidly building up its own armed forces, but also North Koreans and others who might wish us ill or not well, at least. Therefore that’s my role, and I think we will get there,” he said.
You can follow along with the latest news out of Europe at our dedicated live blog:
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Warren says banking committee should not confirm Trump's nominee for Fed chair
In response to the news overnight that Donald Trump’s justice department has launched a criminal investigation into Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell, the Senate banking committee’s top Democrat – Elizabeth Warren – has warned that her colleagues should not move forward with the president’s nominee for the role when Powell’s term expires at in May of this year.
Warren accused the president of wanting to “install another sock puppet to complete his corrupt takeover of America’s central bank”.
She added:
Trump is abusing the authorities of the Department of Justice like a wannabe dictator so the Fed serves his interests, along with his billionaire friends.
This Committee and the Senate should not move forward with any Trump nominee for the Fed, including Fed Chair.
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Donald Trump is in Washington today. He’s due to hold a closed-press meeting with secretary of state Marco Rubio at 10:30am ET, about several foreign policy matters, including the developing situation in Iran.
The president will have a number of other meetings throughout the day – including with the archbishop of Oklahoma City. Currently, these aren’t open to the media, but we’ll let you know if that changes.
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What type of action could Trump take in Iran?
He has warned he is considering “very strong” military action over the regimes crackdown on protesters.
Possible actions for the US include military strikes, deploying secretive cyber weapons against Iranian military and civilian sites, placing more sanctions on Iran’s government and boosting anti-government sources online, sources say.
But military strikes will be fraught with difficulties, and could fuel the fire of an Iranian government narrative that the protests are being manipulated by the US and Israel.
Tehran’s population density means it is hard to mount a targeted campaign from the air without risking many civilian casualties; and key potential US targets – such as Ayatollah Ali Khamenei – have upped their personal security precautions.
Democrats focusing on affordability to turn voters against Trump
In their quest to undo Donald Trump’s grip on voters, Democrats have staked their hopes on one word above all others: affordability.
It has become a staple of press conferences, a priority of candidates and a subject of legislation ahead of the November midterm elections.
When Democrats don’t like something that Trump does – a frequent occurrence – their counter-argument is that Americans would have been better off if the president instead concentrated on making life less expensive.
“Democrats in the House and Senate [are] focusing on lowering your costs, dealing with affordability. Republicans, led by Donald Trump, are focused on spending treasure and, God forbid, lives on military adventurism overseas,” Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer told reporters this week, just before the chamber voted to advance a resolution halting further attacks on Venezuela without congressional permission.
It’s a turning of the tables for Democrats, who spent much of Joe Biden’s presidency struggling to respond as a historic wave of pandemic-related inflation rippled through the US economy and sent his presidency to a desultory end after a single term.
Trump says 'Iran called' for talks, as more than 500 killed in protests
The US president said late Sunday that “Iran called, they want to negotiate” and his administration was in talks to set up a meeting with Tehran.
But he cautioned he may have to act first as reports mount of increasing deaths in protests against the Islamic Republic regime.
Activists say at least 544 people have been killed so far, and more than 10,000 people have been arrested.
“The meeting is being set up, but we may have to act because of what’s happening before the meeting. But a meeting is being set up. Iran called, they want to negotiate,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One.
Iran has not directly acknowledged Trump’s comments, but a foreign ministry spokesman said the communication channel remained open with US officials.
Tehran has previously warned the US military and Israel would be “legitimate targets” if America were to use force to protect demonstrators.
Goldman Sachs: Powell investigation has ‘reinforced’ concerns about Fed independence
Goldman Sachs’ chief economist Jan Hatzius has warned this morning that the criminal indictment threat facing Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell has reinforced worries that central bank independence is being undermined.
Reuters reports that Hatzius told a 2026 Goldman Sachs Global Strategy Conference:
“Obviously there are more concerns that Fed independence is going to be under the gun, with the latest news on the criminal investigation into Chair Powell really having reinforced those concerns.”
Hatzius added, though, that he expected the Fed to continue to make decisions based on data:
“I have no doubt that he (Powell) in his remaining term as chair is going to make decisions based on the economic data and not be influenced one way or the other, cutting more or refusing to cut on the back of data that could push in that direction.”
Fed chairman Jerome Powell being investigated
Powell announced on Sunday he is facing criminal investigation by federal prosecutors – a decision he said should be “seen in the broader context of the [Trump] administration’s threats and ongoing pressure.”
Trump has repeatedly criticised the head of the Federal Reserve for refusing to set monetary policy according to his preferences.
“This is about whether the Fed will be able to continue to set interest rates based on evidence and economic conditions, or whether instead monetary policy will be directed by political pressure or intimidation,” Powell said in a video on Sunday disclosing the investigation.
“I have deep respect for the rule of law and for accountability in our democracy. No one, certainly not the chair of the Federal Reserve is above the law, but this unprecedented action should be seen in the broader context of the administration’s threats and ongoing pressure.”
Powell said the US justice department had threatened a criminal indictment over testimony he gave to a Senate committee about renovations to Federal Reserve buildings.
Powell is just the latest federal official to get on the wrong side of Trump and then face criminal investigation by the justice department.
Trump denied any prior knowledge of the investigation in a NBC News interview on Sunday.
“I don’t know anything about it, but he’s certainly not very good at the Fed, and he’s not very good at building buildings,” he said of Powell.
Minneapolis protesters – already outraged by last Wednesday’s fatal shooting of Renee Good by an immigration officer – braced for a new onslaught as the Department of Homeland Security sent more agents in to the area, carried out what it called its largest enforcement operation ever.
As door-to-door raids began, protesters screamed at heavily armed federal agents and honked car horns, banged on drums and blew whistles in attempts to disrupt their operations in one Minneapolis neighborhood filled with single-family homes.
There was some pushing and several people were hit with chemical spray just before agents banged down the door of one home on Sunday. Agents later took one man away in handcuffs.
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'Hundreds more' federal officers sent to Minnesota
The widespread outcry over Renee Good’s killing led to more protests on the weekend against ICE, in Minneapolis as well as New York, Austin, Seattle and LA.
Minneapolis police said “tens of thousands of people” attended the march which was peaceful, said Mayor Jacob Frey.
Still, Homeland Security secretary Kristi Noem announced on Sunday that “hundreds more” federal officers would be sent to Minnesota, arriving “today and tomorrow”, to quell tensions and to suppress protesters.
“If they conduct violent activities against law enforcement, if they impede our operations, that’s a crime, and we will hold them accountable to those consequences,” she said.
The Trump administration has sought to spin the ICE officer’s killing of Good as an act of self-defence, claiming the mother-of-three had “weaponised” her car to try and attack the officials. The videos that have emerged and continue to emerge of the incident show Good attempting to drive away from the scene.
Some Democrats have said accused the White House of a cover-up.
Mayor Frey told CNN: “Anybody can see that this victim is not a domestic terrorist”, saying her actions were of someone trying to do a three-point turn to escape the scene.
In a sobering note, he added that the city’s local law enforcement were “outnumbered by the number of ICE agents and beyond”.
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Opening summary
Welcome to our US politics blog. There are several major stories around this morning:
“Hundreds more” federal agents are being deployed to Minneapolis after an officer shot dead a woman in her car last week. Renee Good’s killing has sparked protests across several cities. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said more officers were being sent for their own protection.
Fed chair Jerome Powell – who has been slammed by Trump for refusing to lower interest rates – announced Sunday he’s facing criminal investigation by federal prosecutors over renovations to Federal Reserve buildings. He’s made clear the “unprecedented” probe is driven by political motives.
All eyes are on how the US might respond to Iran’s deadly crackdown on protesters, and whether it might mete out further military action, in addition to its strikes last year. Trump said on Sunday he was in contact with the opposition, and US officials might meet with Iranian counterparts.
Trump is also threatening Cuba with withholding oil supplies from Venezuela, warning them to “make a deal, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE” in a Sunday post on Truth Social. “THERE WILL BE NO MORE OIL OR MONEY GOING TO CUBA - ZERO!” His threats to the traditional ally of Venezuela come in the wake of the US kidnapping and removing Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro last week, while concerns also remain over the White House’s claims on Greenland.
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