President Donald Trump maintained that he would not reopen negotiations with Canada, for now, after the province of Ontario aired a negative advertisement about tariffs featuring former President Ronald Reagan.
“What they did is wrong,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One Friday afternoon as he made his way to his home in Palm Beach, Florida.
Despite his anger about the ad, which used an old Reagan speech in which he voiced opposition to tariffs, Trump said he likes Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
Trump said Carney “apologized” for the ad and “was very nice.” The two leaders spoke with each other during a trip to Southeast Asia this past week.
The president returned from his trip on Thursday and is expected to be in Florida over the weekend. That comes as states scramble for solutions to keep low-income Americans fed as SNAP loses funding on November 1.
When asked about the SNAP situation, Trump told reporters it was Democrats’ fault – a position he has maintained since the start of the government shutdown.
Key Points
- Judges call on Trump team to use emergency funds for SNAP
- Trump will not negotiate with Canada, for now
- Donald Trump demands Republicans take 'nuclear option' to end shutdown
- Progress in Senate shutdown talks but Mike Johnson and the House still stand in the way of any deal
- Trump heads to Palm Beach on day 31 of government shutdown
Good morning
08:55 , Joe SommerladHello and welcome to The Independent’s liveblog on the Donald Trump administration and the U.S. government shutdown.
The president has now returned from his tour of the Far East and appears to be refocusing his attention on Washington, D.C., as the deadlock approaches its one-month anniversary with no obvious end in sight.
The impasse is already the second-longest in American history, behind only the 35-day stoppage that took place between 2018 and 2019 in Trump’s first term.
Donald Trump demands Republicans take 'nuclear option' to end shutdown
09:10 , Joe SommerladThe president has called on his party to “play their ‘TRUMP CARD’” and take “the Nuclear Option” to end the U.S. government shutdown after almost a month of deadlock in negotiations.
Posting on Truth Social after returning to the White House from his tour of Malaysia, Japan and South Korea, Trump urged his party to “get rid of the Filibuster, and get rid of it, NOW!” but declined to strike a more conciliatory tone with opposition Democrats, instead calling them “Crazed Lunatics that have lost all sense of WISDOM and REALITY.”
I just got back from Asia where I met the Leaders of many Countries, including China, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, and others. It was a Great Honor to meet them but, more particularly, to see that America is…
— Unofficial Trump on X (@trump_repost) October 31, 2025
The filibuster is the Senate rule that requires 60 of the chamber’s 100 members to agree to pass most legislation. Republicans currently hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate, meaning that legislation can be stalled if members vote along party lines.
The GOP could eliminate the filibuster using their simple majority, although many have historically been opposed to doing so, arguing that it would ultimately benefit the Democrats when they return to power.
Here’s more from Mike Bedigan.
Trump demands GOP uses ‘nuclear option’ to end filibuster and government shutdown
In pictures: President and first lady host White House Halloween event
09:25 , Joe SommerladTrump’s first official business after returning jetlagged from South Korea yesterday was to join Melania in hosting a gaggle of costumed trick-or-treaters knocking at the door of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
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Trump puts candy on kid’s costumed head – again
09:40 , Joe SommerladThe president created a difficult logistical problem for one of his guests yesterday by balancing a treat on top of their costume, forcing them to waddle away carefully without dropping it.
He has form in this area, as Katie Hawkinson explains.
Trump puts candy on kid’s costumed head at White House Halloween event - again
Progress in Senate shutdown talks but Mike Johnson and the House still stand in the way of any deal
09:55 , Joe SommerladThe upper chamber of Congress reached boiling point on Wednesday over the government shutdown and the fight to stop families losing their food aid.
Yesterday, however, saw a little progress, with Democrats appearing more willing to talk with Republicans.
Here’s Eric Garcia with the very latest from Capitol Hill.
Mike Johnson and the House stand in the way of any deal the Senate makes
Trump’s overhaul of refugee system branded ‘blatantly racist’
10:10 , Joe SommerladAfter freezing refugee admissions and cutting off funding to groups that support them, Donald Trump’s administration is now drastically reducing the number of refugees admitted into the United States each year – and handing most of those limited slots to white South Africans.
White House proposals previously reported by The Independent were formally added to the federal register Thursday.
Refugee admissions will now explicitly prioritize Afrikaners for resettlement and the ceiling for admissions has been radically reduced from 125,000 people to only 7,500 for the next year.
The move represents a stark break from a refugee policy informed by humanitarian needs, not ideology or identity, according to refugee resettlement groups.
Alex Woodward has the story.
Trump orders ‘blatantly racist’ overhaul of refugee system, groups say
Americans are seriously hating Trump’s decision to tear down the East Wing for his ballroom, poll finds
10:25 , Joe SommerladThe majority of Americans hate the president’s decision to tear down the East Wing of the White House to construct a 90,000 square foot ballroom, according to a new poll.
The joint survey by ABC News, Ipsos and The Washington Post found that just 28 percent of U.S. adults support the demolition project while 56 percent oppose it and 16 percent are undecided.
The poll shows sharp partisan divides as nearly 9 in 10 Democrats and roughly six in 10 independents oppose the ballroom decision, while only two in 10 Republicans disapprove of it.
Democrats also feel more strongly on the issue, with 78 percent strongly opposed versus 35 percent of Republicans strongly in favor.
Erin Keller has more.
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Americans largely oppose Trump’s plan to raze East Wing for ballroom: Poll
Companies involved in Trump ballroom ‘taking websites offline’
10:45 , Joe SommerladSuch is the animosity towards the president’s pet construction project, some of the firms involved in its construction appear to have taken their websites offline.
Mike Bedigan reports.
Companies involved in Trump ballroom are taking their websites offline, report
How the shutdown is hitting families this Halloween
11:05 , Joe SommerladThe meme wars are continuing this All Hallow’s Eve, with California Gov. Gavin Newsom pitching a ghoulish Robert F Kennedy Jr costume and Trump strategist Jason Miller again attempting to tie the shutdown to the Democrats by reviving the president’s nonsensical sombrero attack.
Presenting: Brain-Worm Boogeyman pic.twitter.com/rxULz8wAl4
— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) October 31, 2025
Sombrero SZN!!! https://t.co/4PGmdoxcc4
— Jason Miller (@JasonMiller) October 31, 2025
But for many Americans hard hit by the impasse in Washington, which has seen federal workers spend a month without pay, this spooky season is one of economizing and cutbacks.
Former Trump official says the president ‘doesn’t give a s***’ about SNAP as funding set to end
11:25 , Joe SommerladMiles Taylor, who served as deputy chief of staff for the Department of Homeland Security in 2019 and was subsequently unmasked as the author of an anonymous op-ed in The New York Times attacking the administration, has lashed out over the president’s handling of the shutdown, accusing him of not caring about Americans losing their food stamps.
States like California, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, and Virginia have pledged emergency food programs to help with the current crisis but the situation nevertheless threatens to leave one in eight Americans forced to make difficult choices about their limited household budgets, in many cases having to divert funds away from their rent, heating or medical prescriptions to buy food.
Here’s more.
Trump ‘doesn’t give a s***’ about SNAP funding drying up, ex-official says
Illinois governor begs ICE to pause Chicago operations over Halloween so families can celebrate without fear
11:45 , Joe SommerladJB Pritzker has appealed to Trump administration officials overseeing federal immigration operations in the Windy City, asking them to pause their activities to give children and families “a break” to celebrate a favorite holiday.
Ariana Baio reports.
Illinois gov begs ICE to pause operations over Halloween so families can celebrate
Former Trump golf club worker mistakenly deported to Mexico by ICE, lawyer says
12:05 , Joe SommerladAn ex-employee at one of the president’s golf clubs was forced to walk back across the U.S.-Mexico border after being put on the wrong plane and mistakenly deported by ICE.
Alejandro Juarez, 39, pleaded with officials and told them he had not been given the opportunity to contest his deportation in front of an immigration judge – a legal entitlement for such detainees – as he was forced back to his home country earlier this month.
Juarez, a father of two, had been in the U.S. since the early 2000s and reportedly worked as a server and food runner for more than a decade at the Trump National Golf Club in Westchester, New York.
Mike Bedigan has the story.
Former Trump golf club worker mistakenly deported to Mexico by ICE, lawyer says
Breaking: FBI thwarted a ‘potential terrorist attack’ over Halloween and arrested suspects in Michigan, FBI says
12:25 , Joe Sommerlad“This morning the FBI thwarted a potential terrorist attack and arrested multiple subjects in Michigan who were allegedly plotting a violent attack over Halloween weekend,” FBI Director Kash Patel wrote in a social media post Friday morning.
It’s not immediately clear where in the state or when the attack would have occurred.
Agents in Detroit were present in Dearborn and Inkster early Friday, but could not confirm if their presence was related to the attack plot, it has been reported.
Kelly Rissman has the latest.
FBI thwarted a ‘potential terrorist attack’ over Halloween in Michigan, Patel says
Trump-Putin summit in Budapest axed over Russia’s hardline stance on Ukraine
12:45 , Joe SommerladThe U.S. has reportedly cancelled its planned Budapest summit between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, feeling that no progress can be made given Russia’s hardline stance on Ukraine.
Rishabh Jaiswal reports.
Trump-Putin summit in Budapest axed over Russia’s hardline stance on Ukraine
Marjorie Taylor Greene hurls firebomb at MAGA with plan to appear on The View
13:05 , Joe SommerladThe increasingly rebellious Georgia Republican representative, who has broken with her party leadership over the shutdown, healthcare and Jeffrey Epstein, has announced that she will appear on ABC’s popular left-leaning talk show next Tuesday, when it is Election Day in several states.
“I don’t know how many things we agree on,” host Whoopi Goldberg said in response to the news. “But I know the one thing she and I and all of us at this table agree on is this should not be affecting the American people.”
Eric Garcia reports.
MTG to spend Election Day on ‘The View’ as feud with Mike Johnson goes full boil
Top Trump officials Miller, Noem and Rubio adopt bunker mentality with housing reserved for military officers
13:25 , Joe SommerladWhy are members of the administration moving into housing typically reserved for the U.S. military’s top brass?
John Bowden takes a look.
Miller, Noem, Rubio moving into housing reserved for military officers
Government shutdown offers schools a glimpse of life without an Education Department
14:00 , Ariana Baio, APMuch of the Education Department’s work has gone completely cold. No new grants are being awarded, and civil rights investigations have been halted. Money is still flowing for key programs, but in many respects, schools and states are on their own.
In a recent social media post, McMahon said the shutdown proves her department is unnecessary. “Two weeks in, millions of American students are still going to school, teachers are getting paid, and schools are operating as normal,” McMahon wrote.
Agriculture Secretary joins Johnson for daily briefing
14:20 , Ariana BaioAgriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins joined Speaker Mike Johnson at his daily shutdown briefing to repeat Republicans' talking points - blaming Democrats and denying the department can access contingency funding for SNAP.
Federal judge could force government to use emergency funds
14:50 , Ariana BaioA federal judge in Massachusetts is expected to rule in a lawsuit between states and the federal government over whether the administration must pay out SNAP beneficiaries even after funding lapses on November 1.
“Right now, Congress has put money in an emergency fund for an emergency, and it’s hard for me to understand how this isn’t an emergency when there’s no money and a lot of people are needing their SNAP benefits,” District Judge Indira Talwani said during a hearing Thursday.
The administration has maintained that tapping into the emergency funds would violate the Antideficiency Act - which prohibits the government from spending money Congress has not allocated.
But questions over whether or not the administration has abided by that have been swirling since they said they would find money to pay military troops.
Hearing today for another lawsuit over SNAP benefits
15:15 , Alex WoodwardWhile we await a decision from Judge Indira Talwani on whether the USDA must release emergency funds to keep SNAP partially afloat, another judge in Rhode Island will hear arguments today in a nearly identical lawsuit brought by nonprofits, faith leaders and unions.
That could put double the pressure on the administration to act.
Trump heads to Palm Beach on day 31 of government shutdown
15:32 , Ariana BaioPresident Donald Trump departed from the White House Friday morning to head to his home in Palm Beach, Florida for the weekend.
How much money is in the SNAP emergency fund?
15:45 , Ariana BaioFriday morning, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said the government cannot use contingency funds to pay out SNAP beneficiaries, in part because it does not have enough in its emergency fund.
That is true, but the government does have more than half of what it needs, according to the USDA.
The program costs between $8.5 billion to $9 billion per month, but the contingency fund has around $5.3 billion, according to filings submitted in the lawsuit between states and the government.
Although that would not be enough to cover everyone, it would be enough to pay out more than half of SNAP.
United, Delta and other major airlines are feeding air traffic controllers as shutdown stops paychecks
16:00 , Alex WoodwardAir traffic controllers, Transportation Security Administration employees and other unpaid federal aviation workers remain on the job as essential workers, without pay, as members of Congress remain at an impasse over a budget bill to keep the government running.
Several major airlines and community food banks are now stepping in to help feed essential airport employees during the stalemate.
American, Delta, JetBlue and United airlines, among others, are providing meals at airports across the country. “We appreciate the hardworking federal employees who are keeping the air travel system running,” United said in a statement.
Roughly 11,000 air traffic controllers received their first $0 paycheck Tuesday covering two weeks of unpaid work. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told reporters this week that another missed paycheck would be financially devastating.
Senate leader remains firm on keeping filibuster
16:30 , Ariana BaioDespite Trump’s calls for Republicans to remove the filibuster to pass a continuing resolution, Senate Majority Leader John Thune remained firm on keeping the filibuster in place.
“Leader Thune’s position on the importance of the legislative filibuster is unchanged, a spokesperson for Thune said.
JPMorgan Chase alerted Trump admin to over $1B in ‘suspicious’ transactions involving Epstein
17:00 , Ariana BaioJust weeks after Jeffrey Epstein died in jail in 2019, banking giant JPMorgan Chase alerted the Trump administration to more than $1 billion in potentially suspicious transactions involving several high-profile U.S. business figures, as well as wire transfers to Russian banks.
The report, which JPMorgan filed – and which was released this week among hundreds of pages of previously sealed court records – flagged over 4,700 transactions, amid concerns they could potentially be related to human trafficking operations involving Epstein.
Among the names highlighted in JPMorgan’s suspicious activity report are: Leon Black, co-founder of private equity firm Apollo Global Management and former MoMA chairman; billionaire hedge fund manager Glenn Dubin; celebrity attorney Alan Dershowitz; and trusts linked to retail magnate Leslie Wexner.
Read more here:
JPMorgan flagged $1B in ‘suspicious’ Epstein-linked deals to Trump administration
Public tours of White House to return in December
17:15 , Ariana BaioPublic tours of the White House will resume on Tuesday, December 2, with “an updated route” and decor for the holiday season, the first lady’s office announced Friday
“The decorations in each room will be thoughtfully designed and curated under the direction of First Lady Melania Trump,” the first lady’s office said.
Watch: Secretary Of Agriculture Brooke Rollins Says SNAP Is 'Extremely Corrupt' And Bloated
17:30 , Ariana BaioTrump posts 20 photos of bathroom marble as concern over SNAP grows
17:46 , Ariana BaioOn Truth Social, President Donald Trump posted six separate posts, containing multiple images, of the Lincoln bathroom in the White House, showing off his recent renovation.
As lawmakers continue to raise concerns over SNAP benefits running out over the weekend, the president is heading to his home in Palm Beach, Florida. On the ride there, he appeared to use his social media to promote his eye for design.
“I renovated the Lincoln Bathroom in the White House. It was renovated in the 1940s in an art deco green tile style, which was totally inappropriate for the Lincoln Era,” Trump wrote.
“I did it in black and white polished Statuary marble. This was very appropriate for the time of Abraham Lincoln and, in fact, could be the marble that was originally there!”
He then posted approximately 20 images of the renovated Lincoln bathroom.
Trump accuses Democrats of hurting 'their own people' with SNAP
18:00 , Ariana BaioAboard Air Force One, Trump briefly gaggled with reporters, accusing Democrats of “hurting their own people” by refusing to vote with Republicans on a temporary funding bill.
“When you’re talking about SNAP, it’s largely Democrats; they’re hurting their own people,” the president said.
It’s unclear where the president received his data about SNAP recipients from. The states with the highest number of SNAP recipients are New Mexico, Louisiana, Oregon and Oklahoma – a mix of red and blue states.
Trump will not negotiate with Canada, for now
18:30 , Ariana BaioWhen asked if he was open to negotiations with Canada, Trump said “no” and continued to scold the province of Ontario for airing a negative ad about tariffs that featured Ronald Reagan.
“What they did is wrong,” Trump said on Air Force One Friday afternoon.
Despite that, Trump said his relationship with Prime Minister Mark Carney is good and that he likes him “a lot.”
“He was very nice he apologized for what they did with the commercial,” Trump said.
But that does not appear to be enough for Trump to open negotiations
Fox News host says briefings on boat strikes are unnecessary
19:00 , Justin BaragonaFox & Friends co-host Lawrence Jones railed against Democrats for questioning the legality of the Trump administration's lethal military strikes against alleged drug runners in the Caribbean and Pacific, saying Congressional briefings are unnecessary because “bad guys are dying.”
“This is moronic,” Jones fumed at Democratic criticism over the administration’s lack of transparency over the boat strikes.
Read more:
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Fox host says briefings on boat strikes are unnecessary because ‘bad guys are dying’
BREAKING: Judges call on Trump team to use emergency funds for SNAP food stamps hours before families face ‘terror’
19:20 , Alex WoodwardA federal judge has ordered Donald Trump to unleash emergency funding for a critical food assistance program on the brink of running out of money to help feed millions of Americans.
Another federal judge has ruled that the government is likely illegally blocking emergency funding, hours before those funds are expected to be cut off.
In a ruling from the bench Friday, Rhode Island District Judge Jack McConnell said “there is no doubt, and it is beyond argument, that irreparable harm will continue to occur” if the government stops funding the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which supports nearly 42 million Americans and their families.
Families are already experiencing “terror” at the prospect that they will lose access to benefits on Saturday without urgent congressional action or the Trump administration’s intervention, he said during a virtual court hearing.
Massachusetts District Judge Indira Talwani, meanwhile, is giving the Trump administration until Monday to decide if it will release those emergency funds to keep SNAP afloat. But she said the government’s suspension of the program is likely unlawful.
Rhode Island judge tells administration it ‘must’ distribute SNAP benefits
19:45 , Ariana BaioTwo federal judges issued rulings Friday urging the administration to tap into emergency funds to pay out SNAP benefits for the month of November.
Rhode Island District Court Judge John McConnell told the Agriculture Department it “must distribute the contingency money timely or as soon as possible for the Nov. 1 payments to be made.”
Watch: Trump says 'No' when asked if he's going to resume negotiations with Canada
20:00 , Ariana BaioTrump throws down ultimate loyalty test for GOP with nuclear option dare. Are they willing to break the Senate for him?
20:30 , Eric GarciaIt’s a good thing for Senate Majority Leader John Thune that his caucus had already left Washington when President Donald Trump demanded they eliminate the filibuster.
This will be the ultimate test for Senate Republicans in a time when Trump has demanded unflinching loyalty.
The question is: Are they willing to irrevocably break the Senate to do that.
Read more from The Independent’s Capitol Hill correspondent Eric Garcia
Trump throws out fresh loyalty test for Thune and Senate GOP with nuclear option dare
Live blog coverage ended
20:31 , Ariana BaioThe Independent’s live blog coverage of the Trump administration and day 31 of the government shutdown has ended.
