President Donald Trump announced on Friday that his administration will raise tariffs on foreign steel from 25 percent to 50 percent as he celebrated a deal between U.S. Steel and Japan’s Nippon Steel.
“We're going to bring it from 25 percent to 50 percent, the tariffs on steel into the United States of America, which will even further secure the steel industry in the United States. Nobody is going to get around that,” said Trump.
Trump took to the podium at the U.S. Steel plant a week after indicating that he had cleared a merger between the company and Nippon.
The president spoke at the Irvin Works in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, with both union members and investors listening for answers on what a deal might look like.
Trump said during his rally speech that the headquarters of U.S. Steel would remain in Pittsburgh even amid significant investment from Nippon.
Calling the investment “record-setting,” Trump said the company would make a “$14 billion commitment to the future of” U.S. Steel.
This comes after Trump hosted Elon Musk in one final White House press event as the Tesla billionaire concludes his tenure in the Trump administration.
Key Points
- Trump sends Musk out of White House with gold key as they talk Diddy pardon, Macron slap and Tesla chief’s black eye
- Musk says black eye came from his son’s punch as he sports shiner during Oval Office meeting with Trump
- Trump heading to Pennsylvania for rally to mark U.S. Steel’s 'partnership' with Japan’s Nippon Steel
- Trump claims China 'totally violated' his deal to pause tariffs on imports
- Trump administration can strip temporary legal status from half a million immigrants
Our live coverage has ended. Here's a full breakdown:
01:47 , Gustaf Kilander
Trump hails Japan’s US Steel deal in Pittsburgh rally as he doubles steel tariffs
Good morning
Friday 30 May 2025 15:13 , Oliver O'ConnellGood morning and welcome to our rolling coverage of the Trump administration.
Today, President Donald Trump hosts Elon Musk in the Oval Office at 1:30 p.m. to mark the tech billionaire’s official departure from the administration. He will continue to advise the president in an unofficial capacity.
Later, Trump heads to Pennsylvania for a rally to mark U.S. Steel’s “partnership” with Japan’s Nippon Steel. Details of the agreement have not yet been announced, but the president says it will keep the iconic American steelmaker in U.S. control.
After a flurry of pardons by the president this week, reality TV stars Todd Chrisley and Julie Chrisley will hold a press conference at 11 a.m., having been released from federal prison. The couple had been sentenced to 19 years in total after they were convicted in 2022 of conspiring to defraud banks out of more than $30 million in loans.
We will also keep you up to date with the latest developments in Trump’s trade war, following his plan for tariffs on U.S. trade partners, which was initially halted by a federal court but subsequently reinstated on appeal.
This morning, Trump said China “totally violated” his deal to pause tariffs on imports from that nation. He wrote on Truth Social: “So much for Mr. Nice Guy.”
China ‘totally violated’ tariffs pause deal
Friday 30 May 2025 15:20 , Oliver O'ConnellPresident Donald Trump on Friday lashed out at China once more by claiming that Beijing was somehow not abiding by an interim deal under which both American and Chinese tariff rates on each other’s exports would be dialed back after Trump’s trade war caused them to spike precipitously.
Andrew Feinberg reports.
Trump says China ‘totally violated’ tariffs pause deal: ‘So much for Mr. Nice Guy’
Trump is the common thread in the flurry of pardons this week
Friday 30 May 2025 15:30 , Oliver O'ConnellRichard Hall writes:
Donald Trump went on a pardoning spree this week, granting clemency to gang leaders, reality TV fraudsters, and various white collar criminals.
Among the colorful characters freed by the president were a conspicuous number of his own supporters and donors, prompting accusations of corruption and favoritism.
There was also a focus in the pardon list on financial crimes and fraud, both of which Trump has had experience defending himself against.
Norm Eisen, the White House ethics czar under Barack Obama and executive chair of the Democracy Defenders Fund, told The Independent that Trump’s choices had a lot to do with recasting his own past legal troubles.
Read on...
Trump has issued a flurry of pardons this week. The common thread: him
BREAKING: Trump administration can strip temporary legal status from half a million immigrants
Friday 30 May 2025 15:34 , Alex WoodwardThe Trump administration can strip temporary legal status granted to more than 500,000 immigrants under the Biden administration.
Emergency humanitarian protections for roughly 532,000 people from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela to legally live and work in the country can be revoked.
The brief order noted that Justices Ketanji Brown Jackson and Sonia Sotomayor dissented.
The decision comes after the court agreed to strip another 350,000 Venezuelans of those same protections:
Supreme Court lets Trump strip humanitarian protections for 350,000 Venezuelans
Trump holding rally to promote deal for Nippon to ‘partner’ with US Steel
Friday 30 May 2025 15:40 , APPresident Donald Trump is holding a rally in Pennsylvania on Friday to celebrate a details-to-come deal for Japan-based Nippon Steel to invest in U.S. Steel, which he says will keep the iconic American steelmaker under U.S.-control.
Though Trump initially vowed to block the Japanese steelmaker’s bid to buy Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel, he changed course and announced an agreement last week for what he described as “partial ownership” by Nippon. It’s not clear, though, if the deal his administration helped broker has been finalized or how ownership would be structured.
Trump stressed the deal would maintain American control of the storied company, which is seen as both a political symbol and an important matter for the country’s supply chain, industries like auto manufacturing and national security.
Trump, who has been eager to strike deals and announce new investments in the U.S. since retaking the White House, is also trying to satisfy voters, including blue-collar workers, who elected him as he called to protect U.S. manufacturing.
U.S. Steel has not publicly communicated any details of a revamped deal to investors. Nippon Steel issued a statement approving of the proposed “partnership” but also has not disclosed terms of the arrangement.
State and federal lawmakers who have been briefed on the matter describe a deal in which Nippon will buy U.S. Steel and spend billions on U.S. Steel facilities in Pennsylvania, Indiana, Alabama, Arkansas and Minnesota. The company would be overseen by an executive suite and board made up mostly of Americans and protected by the U.S. government’s veto power in the form of a “golden share.”
In the absence of clear details or affirmation from the companies involved, the United Steelworkers union, which has long opposed the deal, this week questioned whether the new arrangement makes “any meaningful change” from the initial proposal.
Watch LIVE: President Biden makes first remarks since cancer diagnosis at veterans event
Friday 30 May 2025 15:43 , Oliver O'ConnellComing up: Trump to celebrate Tesla CEO’s ‘last day’ at the White House
Friday 30 May 2025 15:50 , Oliver O'ConnellPresident Donald Trump is hosting Elon Musk in one last Oval Office press conference, for now, as the Tesla billionaire wraps up his time working at the White House.
The president announced on his TruthSocial platform that the pair would hold a press conference together on Friday afternoon.
Rachel Clun has the details.
Trump to host Elon Musk to celebrate Tesla CEO’s ‘last day’ in White House
Full story: Trump can revoke humanitarian protections for 500,000 immigrants, Supreme Court says
Friday 30 May 2025 15:53 , Oliver O'ConnellThe Supreme Court has ruled that Donald Trump’s administration can begin taking steps to deport more than 500,000 immigrants who were granted emergency humanitarian protections to legally live and work in the United States.
A brief order from the nation’s highest court on Friday allows the administration to revoke temporary legal status granted to roughly 532,000 immigrants during Joe Biden’s administration.
Alex Woodward has the details.
Mystery as it emerges someone is impersonating Susie Wiles, Trump’s Chief of Staff
Friday 30 May 2025 16:00 , Oliver O'ConnellThe FBI and the Trump administration have launched a joint investigation into how an impersonator hacked White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles’ phone.
An unknown person pretending to be Wiles has called or texted Republican senators and governors, and “prominent” business executives over the last few weeks, sources told The Wall Street Journal. It’s not clear what the impersonator’s goal is.
Mary Papenfuss has the story.
FBI launches probe into attempts to impersonate White House chief of staff
Wall St opens lower as Trump says China violated tariff terms
Friday 30 May 2025 16:02 , ReutersWall Street's main indexes opened lower on Friday as trade worries deepened after President Donald Trump accused China of violating a tariff agreement, while investors assessed the latest inflation data.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 23.4 points, or 0.06%, at the open to 42,192.35. The S&P 500 fell 8.5 points, or 0.14%, at the open to 5,903.67, while the Nasdaq Composite dropped 44.7 points, or 0.23%, to 19,131.219 at the opening bell.
Full story: Trump can revoke humanitarian protections for 500,000 immigrants, Supreme Court says
Friday 30 May 2025 16:18 , Oliver O'ConnellThe Supreme Court has ruled that Donald Trump’s administration can begin taking steps to deport more than 500,000 immigrants who were granted emergency humanitarian protections to legally live and work in the United States.
A brief order from the nation’s highest court on Friday allows the administration to revoke temporary legal status granted to roughly 532,000 immigrants during Joe Biden’s administration.
Alex Woodward has the details.
Trump can revoke humanitarian protections for 500,000 immigrants, Supreme Court says
Experts say AI was used to create RFK Jr health report that cited false studies
Friday 30 May 2025 16:20 , Oliver O'ConnellHealth Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again” report appears to have used garbled artificial intelligence to generate scientific citations, in addition to referencing studies that do not exist.
Kennedy’s MAHA report, released last week, decried America's food supply, pesticides and prescription drugs. It cited hundreds of studies, but the outlet NOTUS found that some of those studies did not actually exist.
Now, experts have found evidence of AI-generated scientific citations in the report, which experts slammed as “sloppy” and “shoddy,” The Washington Post reports.
Rhian Lubin has the details.
Experts say AI was used to create MAHA report and cited false studies
Without Musk, DOGE likely to fizzle out, says ex-staffer
Friday 30 May 2025 16:30 , ReutersWithout billionaire Elon Musk in the Trump administration, his cost-cutting Department of Government Efficiency project is likely to sputter out, a former DOGE staffer said in an interview after leaving the team.
Tesla CEO Musk announced on Wednesday evening that he was ending his time as a special government employee but vowed that DOGE would continue without him. Administration media representatives also said in statements to Reuters that DOGE would continue its work.
DOGE has overseen job cuts at nearly every federal agency as part of U.S. President Donald Trump's attempts to shake up the federal bureaucracy.
However, software engineer Sahil Lavingia, who spent almost two months working for the group of pro-Musk technologists, said he expects DOGE to quickly “fizzle out.”
“It'll just die a whimper,” Lavingia, who was fired from DOGE earlier this month, told Reuters. “So much of the appeal and allure was Elon.” He said he expected DOGE staffers to “just stop showing up to work. It's like kids joining a startup that will go out of business in four months.”
That would cap a remarkable undoing for DOGE, which Musk initially vowed would cut $2 trillion in federal spending. Instead, DOGE estimates its efforts have saved around $175 billion so far and the group's tallies have been riddled with errors.
The White House praised DOGE but did not comment on Lavingia.
“DOGE is integral to the federal government's operations, and its mission, as established by the President's executive order, will continue under the direction of agency and department heads in the Trump administration,” White House spokesperson Harrison Fields said.
Musk did not respond to a request for comment.
China urges US to end 'discriminatory restrictions' against Beijing after Trump Truth Social rant
Friday 30 May 2025 16:38 , Oliver O'ConnellChina urged the U.S. to end “discriminatory restrictions” against Beijing and for the two sides to “jointly uphold the consensus reached at the high-level talks in Geneva,” according to a statement from China’s embassy in Washington, D.C.
The statement came hours after President Donald Trump lashed out at China, saying it had “totally violated” a preliminary agreement reached in Switzerland two weeks ago to defuse the trade war between the world’s two largest economies.
“Since the China-US economic and trade talks in Geneva, both sides have maintained communication over their respective concerns in the economic and trade fields on various bilateral and multilateral occasions at multiple levels,” Embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu said.
With reporting from Reuters
Biographer claims Trump — not Barron — failed to get into Harvard
Friday 30 May 2025 16:43 , Oliver O'ConnellTrump biographer Michael Wolff has suggested that the president has turned his ire on Harvard because he didn’t get into the school.
The Daily Beast reported earlier this week that there’s a running joke in the White House that Donald Trump has set his sights on the Ivy League institution because his son Barron couldn’t get in. But Wolff has suggested that it’s Trump himself who failed to attend.
Barron’s mom, First Lady Melania Trump, said her son never applied to Harvard and was not the reason for the president’s apparent vendetta against the university. Barron attends New York University.
Gustaf Kilander has the story.
Why does Trump hate Harvard? They rejected him, biographer claims
America's next top general in Europe will also lead NATO forces, report says
Friday 30 May 2025 16:47 , Oliver O'ConnellPresident Donald Trump will maintain the traditional role of a U.S. general at the helm of NATO, at least for now, Reuters reports, citing three U.S. officials, a Western official, and a NATO source.
This comes as Washington pushes European allies to take more responsibility for their own security.
Trump himself privately communicated the decision to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, the Western official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The decision will provide relief to European NATO allies and even some of Trump's fellow Republicans, amid concerns that Washington's tough stance on Europe and skepticism about the war in Ukraine could indicate a rapid retreat in America's military leadership.
Still, officials say U.S. warnings indicating Trump's administration needs to refocus on Asia and homeland security are genuine. Although no decisions have been made, Trump's administration has considered potential troop reductions in Europe, where approximately 80,000 U.S. personnel are currently stationed.
The next expected U.S. nominee for the positions of both Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) and U.S. European Command (EUCOM) is Air Force Lieutenant General Alexus Grynkewich, the U.S. officials said.
Report alleges Elon Musk was high on Ketamine, carried daily ‘box of pills’ as he cozied up to Trump
Friday 30 May 2025 16:56 , Oliver O'ConnellWhile he spent tens of millions of dollars boosting Donald Trump’s presidential campaign — working his way to a prominent inner-circle role — Elon Musk was reportedly using drugs “intensely” and regularly, including “chronically” using the powerful anesthetic ketamine to the point where it affected his bladder.
Alex Woodward has the story.
Elon Musk was on Ketamine, ecstasy and Adderall as he cozied up to Trump: report
Trump White House exploring new actions against China amid trade dispute
Friday 30 May 2025 17:05 , Oliver O'ConnellThe Trump administration is preparing additional actions aimed at China, according to the White House deputy chief of staff for policy, following President Donald Trump's accusation that Beijing had “violated” its trade agreement with Washington.
“That opens up all manner of action for the United States to ensure future compliance,” Stephen Miller told reporters at the White House.
“There are measures that have already been taken, there are measures that are being taken, there are measures that are being considered,” he said separately on CNN. “It would be incredibly unwise for China to continue down this path and not seek instead the path of cooperation.”
Karl Rove warns tariffs will turn 2026 voters to Democrats, Navarro goes ballistic
Friday 30 May 2025 17:11 , Oliver O'ConnellLongtime GOP strategist Karl Rove warned this week that the “muddled mess” around Donald Trump’s “chaotic trade talk” could “badly damage” the Republican Party in the midterms next year, adding that voters would “blame” the president for higher prices and scarce goods.
The stern words from Rove, a longtime Fox News contributor, prompted the president’s trade adviser to rage against the former George W. Bush deputy chief of staff and campaign architect on Rove’s own network.
Justin Baragona has the details.
Karl Rove warns Trump tariffs will turn 2026 voters to Dems, Navarro goes ballistic
Todd Chrisley speaks out after Trump’s pardon: 'I have no shame'
Friday 30 May 2025 17:21Todd Chrisley says that he has “no shame” as he appeared in public for the first time since being freed from prison following an intervention from President Donald Trump.
“Shame is like a cancer that just spreads, and I have no shame,” he said at a press conference Friday, alongside his daughter Savannah Chrisley.
His wife, Julie Chrisley, was not at the press conference.
Just hours after being released, the reality TV couple announced they already have a new show in the works.
Rhian Lubin listened to what he had to say.
Todd Chrisley speaks out after Trump’s pardon that freed him from prison
Former Trump lawyer comes up with new nickname for White House press secretary
Friday 30 May 2025 17:30 , Oliver O'ConnellFormer White House lawyer Ty Cobb christened White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt “Creepy Karoline” after she launched an attack on the judges who ruled against Trump’s tariff plans.
Cobb, a former prosecutor, jibed that “Creepy Karoline” isn’t being “taken seriously” by Americans during an interview on CNN’s OutFront show Thursday, where host Erin Burnett grilled him on the overturning of Trump’s tariffs in the U.S. courts Wednesday.
Cobb represented Trump during Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
Madeline Sherratt has the story.
Former Trump lawyer slates White House press secretary as ‘Creepy Karoline’
Leavitt lashes out at judges blocking Trump orders at record rate
Friday 30 May 2025 17:45 , Oliver O'ConnellJohn Boden writes:
The White House ramped up its fury at federal judges Thursday after the latest move by a three-judge panel this week to block Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs infuriated officials up and down the administration.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt came to the briefing room podium already breathless as she vowed that the Trump administration would take Wednesday’s ruling “to the Supreme Court,” delivering a minutes-long, impassioned screed about the unprecedented rate at which Donald Trump’s second presidency has been rebuffed by the Judicial Branch.
The press secretary went on to note that in February, Trump’s first full month in office, he was blocked from taking executive action more times than his predecessor was “in three years”.
But her comments bely an obvious counter-argument: that the Trump administration’s unprecedented usage and scope of executive actions is itself to blame for its sky-high rate of failure at the district court level.
And it’s not as if district court judges are alone on an island in this regard.
Read on...
‘America cannot function’: Leavitt lashes out at record rate of judges blocking Trump
Congressman pushes lawmaker to rename DC Metro the ‘Trump train’
Friday 30 May 2025 18:00 , Oliver O'ConnellRepresentative Greg Steube (R-FL) is pushing to rebrand the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority from WMATA to “WMAGA.”
The “Make Autorail Great Again Act,” introduced on Thursday, seeks to block all federal funding for WMATA until it rebrands as the “Washington Metropolitan Authority for Greater Access.”
Erin Keller reports on the latest cult-like move.
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All aboard! Congressman pushes lawmaker to rename DC Metro the ‘Trump train’
Biden delivers first public remarks since prostate cancer diagnosis
Friday 30 May 2025 18:15 , Oliver O'ConnellParticipating in a Memorial Day commemoration, Joe Biden made his first public address since the announcement of his Stage 4 prostate cancer diagnosis at a Biden family event in his home state of Delaware on Friday.
“My friends, Memorial Day is about something profound,” a somewhat fired-up Biden declared. “Our politics have become so divided and bitter. All the years I have been doing this, I never thought we would get to this point, but we are.”
He added: “Our troops do not wear a uniform that says I‘m a Democrat or a Republican. It says, I am an American!”
Justin Baragona reports.
Biden delivers first public remarks since cancer diagnosis, bemoans divided politics
Trump pardons fraudsters while MAGA grasps at straws with Biden’s ‘autopen’
Friday 30 May 2025 18:28 , Oliver O'ConnellThe presidential pardon power increasingly looks to be an instrument for Donald Trump to wield on behalf of his wealthy donors, and MAGAworld can do little to explain it.
He moved explicitly into the realm of rewarding his supporters with political favors this past week and began issuing a slew of pardons benefiting loyalists who’d supported his campaigns for president. Among the recipients: A sheriff convicted of taking bribes in exchange for passing out “auxiliary” sheriff badges to local businessmen; the son of a wealthy donor who was instrumental in the effort to pass Hunter Biden’s laptop to the Trump campaign; a reality TV show couple and rapper, NBA Youngboy.
John Bowden reports.
As Trump pardons fraudsters, MAGA grasps at straws with Biden’s ‘autopen’
Watch LIVE: Trump says goodbye to Musk in Oval Office as Tesla CEO departs government
Friday 30 May 2025 18:31 , Oliver O'ConnellTrump begins Elon Musk farewell event by playing videos on laptop
Friday 30 May 2025 19:05 , Oliver O'ConnellPresident Donald Trump kicks off the press conference with Elon Musk by playing a CNBC clip on a laptop on the desk concerning the U.S. trade deficit.
with Elon standing next to him, Trump is playing news clips on a laptop pic.twitter.com/wPyWemLOIN
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 30, 2025
Trump credits Musk with finding 'billions of dollars' of waste, fraud and abuse
Friday 30 May 2025 19:08 , Oliver O'ConnellTrump tells Musk: “We’ll remember you as we announce billions of dollars of extra waste, fraud and abuse.”
Musk is wearing his “Dogefather” t-shirt.
"DOGE has installed geniuses with an engineering mindset and unbelievably talented people on computers. I actually asked Elon one time, ‘What's their primary thing?’ And they have a lot of primary things all having to do with being smart."
Trump: "DOGE has installed geniuses with an engineering mindset and unbelievably talented people on computers. I actually asked Elon one time, what's their primary thing? And they have a lot of primary things all having to do with being smart." pic.twitter.com/bGmtKU7pLc
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 30, 2025
Trump promises at the Oval Office press conference that “we're totally committed to making the doge cuts permanent.”
They want to get Big, Beautiful Bill “finished,” and “later,” he says, the DOGE cuts will be “notarized by Congress.”
“Elon's really not leaving. He's gonna be back and forth.”
He then presented Musk with a large gold key.
— Acyn (@Acyn) May 30, 2025
“This is not the end of DOGE but really the beginning,” Musk says.
“The DOGE team will only grow strong over time, the DOGE influence will grow stronger.”
Musk also said: “I’ll continue to be visiting here and be a friend and advisor to the president.”
He added: “I'm confident that, over time, we will see a trillion dollars of savings ... a trillion dollars of waste and fraud reduction.”
The savings to date fall well short of $1 trillion.
Elon Musk: "This is not the end of DOGE, but really the beginning." pic.twitter.com/LrOsVyFNDa
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 30, 2025
Mystery over Elon Musk’s black eye as he joins Trump in Oval Office
Friday 30 May 2025 19:18 , Oliver O'ConnellElon Musk has appeared with a black eye, which was visible during a farewell press conference with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office.
The billionaire was wearing his “Dogefather” t-shirt at Friday’s press conference, which officially marks the end of his time as a special government employee heading up the Department of Government Efficiency.
Rhian Lubin reports.
Mystery over Elon Musk’s black eye as he joins Trump in Oval Office for goodbye event
Black-eyed Elon Musk attacks the New York Times after report on alleged drug use
Friday 30 May 2025 19:22 , Oliver O'ConnellWhite House correspondent for Fox News, Peter Doocy, begins to ask a question about today’s New York Times report concerning Musk’s alleged drug use.
Musk cuts him off and attacks the paper over its “Russiagate” reporting and insists they move on.
Here’s that moment:
Asked if he will continue to provide advice to Trump, Musk says: “I expect to continue to provide advice, whenever the president would like, advice.”
Trump chips in: “I hope so.”
Musk adds: “I expect to remain a friend and an adviser and certainly, if there’s anything the president wants me to do, I’m at the president’s service.”
Trump asked about video of Macron 'slap video'
Friday 30 May 2025 19:29 , Oliver O'ConnellTrump, asked if he has marital advice for French President Macron after a video emerged of his wife slapping him before they departed an airplane, said: “Make sure the door remains closed.”
The president says he spoke with Macron after video captured his wife shoving him in the face just as they arrived on a visit to Vietnam.
“No, he's fine,” Trump added. “Two really good people I know very well ... I don't know what that was all about.”
President Trump, asked if he has marital advice for French President Macron after a video emerged of his wife slapping him before they departed an airplane: “Make sure the door remains closed.”
— Matt Viser (@mviser) May 30, 2025
Trump declines to rule out pardon for Diddy
Friday 30 May 2025 19:32 , Oliver O'ConnellTrump doesn't close the door on pardoning Diddy and talks about how much Diddy once liked him pic.twitter.com/T1YeRmTgiM
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 30, 2025
Trump declines to rule out a pardon for Diddy. "I would certainly look at the facts."
“I haven’t spoken to him in years. He really liked me a lot.”
Here’s more on the speculation that the music mogul’s allies are pushing for a pardon from the president.
Diddy allies are already trying to secure Trump pardon for rapper, report says
Musk offers explanation about black eye
Friday 30 May 2025 19:45 , Oliver O'ConnellMusk says he was “horsing around” with his five-year-old son, Little X, and told him, "Go ahead, punch me in the face. And he did."
The tech mogul also made a joke about the first lady of France.
Reporter: Is your eye ok?
— Acyn (@Acyn) May 30, 2025
Musk: I wasn’t anywhere near France. I was just horsing around with little X and I said punch me in the face and he did. pic.twitter.com/COL5T9AWYt
Trump asked if international students are still welcome in the U.S.
Friday 30 May 2025 19:48 , Oliver O'ConnellTrump was asked about whether international students are welcome in the U.S.
The president responded: “We want to have great students here. We just don't want students that are causing trouble... Our country has given $5 billion-plus to Harvard over a short period of time... I don't think Harvard has been acting very nicely.”
He added: “I'd like to see the money go to trade schools, where people learn how to fix motors and engines... You could have the greatest trade school system anywhere in the world... We probably found our pot of gold, and that's what's been wasted at places like Harvard.”
GOP senator delivers shocking mic drop to town hall over Medicaid cuts
Friday 30 May 2025 20:04 , Oliver O'ConnellRepublican Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa had a grim message for her constituents, furious over proposed cuts to Medicaid that could end health coverage for millions of Americans.
Alex Woodward has the story.
GOP senator says ‘we’re all going to die’ under fire over Medicaid cuts
Full story: Will Trump pardon Diddy? Trump speculates about rap mogul’s future as trial continues in New York
Friday 30 May 2025 20:10 , Oliver O'ConnellPresident Donald Trump has speculated about Sean “Diddy” Combs’ sex trafficking trial.
When asked if Trump would consider pardoning the rap mogul, he told reporters, “Nobody’s asked, but I know people are thinking about it. I think some people have been very close to asking. First of all, I’d look at what’s happening, and I haven’t been watching it too closely…I haven’t seen him. I haven’t spoken to him in years.”
The president’s comments come as Diddy is on trial in a New York federal court. He is accused of sex trafficking and a host of other charges.
Rachel Dobkin reports.
Trump speculates about possible Diddy pardon as rap mogul’s trial continues
You can follow the latest developments in Diddy’s trial here:
Diddy trial live: Ex-assistant ‘Mia’ questioned over abuse claims and violence
About the key that Trump gave to Musk...
Friday 30 May 2025 20:15 , Oliver O'ConnellIf you’re wondering about the gold key that President Donald Trump presented to Elon Musk at today’s press conference, here’s some more information about it from an eBay listing of an identical key that is up for sale.
This key is approximately 3 1/4 inches wide by 3 1/4 inches high with hard baked enamel. Exact dimension is not given to deter fakes being made. This oustanding skeleton key comes with it original walnut case and cobalt blue box, both with SEAL of the White House on them.
This presentation key was made by President Trump. It is the Official President Donald J. Trump Key To The Whitehouse. This skeleton key was given to White House Staff, special guests, and other visiting dignitaries on the level of Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. A very small amount of these were made.
It comes in a walnut presentation box 9 1/2 inches wide by 4 1/2 inches high.
It's yours for just $7,950, according to the listing (no international shipping).
Official President Donald J. Trump Official Key to the White House Rare Item! | eBay
Heated Stephen Miller doesn’t let CNN host get word in as Trump aide rails on tariffs, migrants
Friday 30 May 2025 20:22 , Oliver O'ConnellTrump White House adviser Stephen Miller repeatedly butted heads with CNN anchor Pamela Brown during a wide-ranging and often heated interview on Friday that touched on several topics that included the president’s tariffs, the recent Supreme Court decision on temporary immigration protection status and Elon Musk’s reported drug use.
Browbeating and insulting Brown throughout the lengthy and tense discussion, the Situation Room host finally shot back after the White House deputy chief of staff refused to let her get a word in edgewise or allow her to conduct the interview.
Justin Baragona has the story.
Stephen Miller doesn’t let CNN host get word in as Trump aide rails on tariffs
California State Senate opens inquiry into Paramount and Trump
Friday 30 May 2025 20:32 , Oliver O'ConnellThe California State Senate has launched an investigation into whether Paramount has violated state laws against bribery and unfair competition, Semafor reported on Friday.
The investigation follows the network's reported offer of $15 million to President Donald Trump's 2024 campaign to settle a lawsuit filed against CBS over an edited interview with his Democratic rival, Kamala Harris, as previously reported by The Wall Street Journal.
According to Semafor, the Senate's Communications Committee and Judiciary Committee have invited two former CBS News officials to testify.
Musk says black eye came from his son’s punch as he sports shiner during Oval Office meeting with Trump
Friday 30 May 2025 20:39 , Oliver O'ConnellElon Musk turned up with a black eye at a farewell press conference with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office.
Musk said that he got the black eye from “horsing around” with his 5-year-old son, “Lil X.”
Rhian Lubin reports.
Musk explains black eye as he sports shiner during Oval Office meeting with Trump
Trump fires director of National Portrait Gallery
Friday 30 May 2025 20:54 , Oliver O'ConnellIn an unexpected move shortly before his Oval Office press conference with Elon Musk, President Donald Trump fired the director of the National Portrait Gallery.
He wrote on Truth Social:
Upon the request and recommendation of many people, I am herby terminating the employment of Kim Sajet as Director of the National Portrait Gallery. She is a highly partisan person, and a strong supporter of DEI, which is totally inappropriate for her position. Her replacement will be named shortly. Thank you for your attention to this matter!
Watch: Awkward moment Musk asks for applause for Trump
Friday 30 May 2025 21:10 , Oliver O'ConnellKristi Noem said an immigrant threatened to kill Trump. The story quickly fell apart
Friday 30 May 2025 21:13 , Oliver O'ConnellA claim by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that an immigrant threatened the life of President Donald Trump has begun to unravel.
Noem announced an arrest of a 54-year-old man who was living in the U.S. illegally, saying he had written a letter threatening to kill Trump and would then return to Mexico. The story received a flood of media attention and was highlighted by the White House and Trump's allies.
But investigators actually believe the man may have been framed so that he would get arrested and be deported from the U.S. before he got a chance to testify in a trial as a victim of assault, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press.
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Kristi Noem said an immigrant threatened to kill Trump. The story quickly fell apart
EDITORIAL: Trump could yet deliver a ceasefire in the Middle East
Friday 30 May 2025 21:30 , The IndependentIt is given to few to peer inside the minds of the Hamas leadership, so their precise motives for rejecting the latest ceasefire offer cannot be easily discerned.
However, there are some consequences of their policy which are not difficult to determine. Many more innocent Palestinian people will starve to death, or be injured and die, more children will be orphaned, the remaining Israeli hostages will continue to be kept in tortuous conditions, the war will continue, and neither the state of Israel nor the Palestinian occupied territories will enjoy the kind of security taken for granted in most nations on earth. The slide into the abyss, in other words, will continue.
Read on...
Bessent and Lutnick held 'frank and constructive' talks with Japan
Friday 30 May 2025 21:33 , Oliver O'ConnellTreasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick held “frank and constructive” discussions on Friday with Japanese Minister Ryosei Akazawa, according to the Treasury Department.
“Secretary Bessent highlighted to Minister Akazawa the importance of addressing tariffs and non-tariff measures, increasing investment, and working together to address economic security and other issues of mutual concern,” the Treasury statement said.
Full story: Trump sends Musk out of White House with gold key as they talk Diddy pardon, Macron slap and Tesla chief’s black eye
Friday 30 May 2025 21:39 , Oliver O'ConnellAfter spending 130 days working to dismantle entire federal government agencies, firing tens of thousands of civil servants and sparking dozens of lawsuits over potential misuse of Americans’ personal data, the world’s wealthiest man was rewarded with a gold-plated skeleton key that can be purchased for nearly $8,000 on eBay.
Andrew Feinberg reports.
PBS sues Trump administration, three days after NPR files suit
Friday 30 May 2025 21:47 , Oliver O'ConnellPBS filed suit Friday against President Donald Trump and other administration officials to block his order stripping federal funding from the 330-station public television system, just three days after NPR did the same for its radio network.
In its lawsuit, PBS relies on similar arguments, stating that Trump overstepped his authority and engaged in “viewpoint discrimination” due to his claim that PBS’ news coverage is biased against conservatives.
“PBS disputes those charged assertions in the strongest possible terms,” lawyer Z.W. Julius Chen wrote in the suit. “But regardless of any policy disagreements over the role of public television, our Constitution and laws forbid the President from serving as the arbiter of the content of PBS’s programming, including by attempting to defund PBS.”
It is the latest of many legal actions against the administration for its actions, including several by media organizations that have been impacted by Trump’s orders.
Watch LIVE: Trump makes remarks at US Steel in Pittsburgh after Elon Musk sendoff
Friday 30 May 2025 21:57 , Oliver O'ConnellWatch: Musk heaps praise on Trump for Oval Office redesign
Friday 30 May 2025 22:05 , Oliver O'Connell“The Oval Office finally has the majesty it deserves thanks to the president,” says Elon Musk.
Musk: The way the president has redone The Oval Office is beautiful. I love the gold on the ceiling.. The Oval Office finally has the majesty it deserves thanks to the president. pic.twitter.com/4UT6rAXyrP
— Acyn (@Acyn) May 30, 2025
White House holding brainstorming meeting to find new ways to attack Harvard: report
Friday 30 May 2025 22:30 , Gustaf KilanderThe White House held a brainstorming session Wednesday to find new ways to attack Harvard, according to Politico.
Officials from almost a dozen agencies took part in the meeting to come up with further disciplinary measures against the school. An administration official told the outlet that further actions are expected to come from the departments of State, Treasury, Health and Human Services, and Justice, as well as others. They may come to fruition as soon as next month.
The meeting took place as the White House is taking further aim at Harvard after a federal judge blocked the administration’s measure to prohibit the school from enrolling international students.
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White House holding brainstorming meeting to find new ways to attack Harvard: report
In pictures: Trump arrives at U.S. Steel plant
Friday 30 May 2025 22:31 , Gustaf Kilander
Trump takes podium in Pennsylvania
Friday 30 May 2025 22:40 , Gustaf KilanderTrump took to the podium at the U.S. Steel in Pittsburgh a week after indicating that he had cleared a merger between the company and Japan’s Nippon Steel.
The president is speaking at the Irvin Works in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, with both union members and investors listening for answers on what a deal might look like.
On May 23, Trump said on Truth Social that the deal is a “partnership,” adding that the headquarters of U.S. Steel, a 120-year-old icon of American industry, would stay in Pittsburgh and that Nippon would invest $14 billion over the course of 14 months.
On Sunday, Trump said that the agreement is an “investment, it’s a partial ownership, but it will be controlled by the USA.”
U.S. Steel has said that the deal is a “merger” and that it’s set to become a “wholly owned subsidiary” of Nippon Steel North America. However, the company has also said that it will carry on operating as a separate entity, according to an April 8 Securities and Exchange Commission filing.
Nippon is set to close the deal with U.S. Steel at $55 per share, according to CNBC. That’s the original offer made before then-President Joe Biden rejected the agreement in January. Biden rejected the agreement because of national security concerns, saying that it would put critical supply chains in jeopardy.
Trump opens speech by bragging about Pennsylvania election win
Friday 30 May 2025 22:42 , Gustaf KilanderTrump began his speech in Pennsylvania by bragging about his 2024 election victory in the state.
“What a group of people we love. This group, you voted for me. They never had a chance in Pennsylvania. They never even had a chance,” said Trump.
Trump says U.S. Steel deal ensures firm 'stays an American company'
Friday 30 May 2025 22:45 , Gustaf KilanderSpeaking about the deal involving U.S. Steel, Trump told the workers in attendance that “There's a lot of money coming your way.”
“We're here today to celebrate a blockbuster agreement that will ensure this storied American company stays an American company,” the president added.
'Japan has been a tremendous friend of mine,' Trump says
Friday 30 May 2025 22:47 , Gustaf KilanderTrump praised Japan as a trusted longtime partner.
“Japan has been a tremendous friend of mine during my years as president,” he said.
“You're going to see that it will keep its headquarters in the great city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where it belongs,” he said of U.S. Steel.
'The best and strongest steel on earth will forever be made in America'
Friday 30 May 2025 22:49 , Gustaf KilanderThe president argued that “For generations, the name United States deal was synonymous with greatness, and now it will again be synonymous with greatness.”
“The best and strongest steel on earth will forever be made in America and made in Pennsylvania,” he added.
Trump says he kept 'rejecting' Nippon deal
Friday 30 May 2025 22:56 , Gustaf KilanderTrump called the agreement a “big deal.”
“I have to tell you about Nippon. They kept asking me over, and I kept rejecting it. No way, no way, no way. And after about four times, I said, you know, these people really want to do a great thing,” said the president.
“They really want it,” he added. “And they're putting up, you know, billions of dollars, and they're going to do this plant and other plants, and it's great, and you're going to have control. You're going to maintain control. And nobody would put up money like that.”
In pictures: Trump speaks in Pennsylvania
Friday 30 May 2025 23:00 , Gustaf Kilander
Trump brags about new steel deal
Friday 30 May 2025 23:08 , Gustaf KilanderTrump complained that “we were getting our steel from Mexico. We were getting our steel from Canada. We were getting our steel from every place, but right here.”
“It was then that we announced the crown jewel of our steel industry, U.S. Steel, was being sold into foreign hands with no protections for our great steel workers,” he added.
“And I said, there's no way we'll we're going to let that happen,” said Trump.
“By the time I came into office, many feared that the Mon Valley would lose up to 3,000 steel jobs, that US Steel would close, and it was a fixture of the Pittsburgh skyline, it may never live for another week,” he added. “But I promised the people of Western Pennsylvania that I would never, ever let that happen. And as President, I kept that promise. Boy, did I keep that promise.”
WATCH: Trump announces 25 percent increase on steel tariffs to 50 percent
Friday 30 May 2025 23:11 , Gustaf KilanderTrump says foreign steel tariffs will be increased
Friday 30 May 2025 23:25 , Gustaf KilanderTrump said he was increasing tariffs on foreign steel by 25 percent.
“We're going to bring it from 25 percent to 50 percent, the tariffs on steel into the United States of America, which will even further secure the steel industry in the United States. Nobody is going to get around that,” said the president.
Trump celebrates deal with Nippon
Friday 30 May 2025 23:29 , Gustaf KilanderTrump said U.S. Steel would see billions in new investments.
“It’s going to be something even more special when you get all that billions of dollars of new equipment that they're going to be investing right here,” he said.
“Companies all over the world have announced nearly $10 billion in new investments in steel, just in steel alone, but the Nippon investment we're announcing today blows them all away with a record-setting, and this was just heard of. We just came out a little while ago, $14 billion commitment to the future of this company,” he added.
Trump announces additional investments in several states
Friday 30 May 2025 23:31 , Gustaf KilanderTrump claimed Nippon would “also invest $2.2 billion to increase steel production here in the Mon Valley works, specifically allocated to Mon Valley, along with $200 million for the Advanced Technology Research and Development Center that's being built already in Pennsylvania.”
“So I want to congratulate you, and in addition, another $7 billion to modernize steel mills, expand ore mines, and build state-of-the-art facilities in Indiana, Minnesota, Alabama, and Arkansas,” he added.
Trump's list of 'sanctuary jurisdictions' includes some that support his immigration policies
Friday 30 May 2025 23:32 , APOfficials in communities from rural to urban and red to blue blasted the Trump administration's list of “sanctuary jurisdictions” with many saying they've been outspoken supporters of the president and his stringent immigration policies.
Officials who back President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown questioned how their jurisdictions wound up on a list of more than 500 that the Department of Homeland Security says are obstructing enforcement. Several communities were misspelled, including Cincinnati, which was spelled Cincinnatti.
Jim Davel, administrator for Shawano County, Wisconsin, said the inclusion of his heavily Republican community must be a clerical error.
Continue reading...
Trump's list of 'sanctuary jurisdictions' includes some that support his immigration policies
Trump claims new investments will lead to thousands of jobs
Friday 30 May 2025 23:33 , Gustaf KilanderThe president claimed that the new investments would “create and save over 100,000 American jobs, including 14,000 jobs in Pennsylvania.”
“U.S. Steel will maintain all of its current operating blast furnaces at full capacity for a minimum of the next 10 years,” he added.
Trump pushes congressional agenda during steel rally
Friday 30 May 2025 23:37 , Gustaf KilanderThe president moved on to pushing his congressional agenda, encapsulated in legislation recently passed by the House, which he called the “one big, beautiful bill.”
“Our one big, beautiful bill will keep income taxes at the current rates and deliver no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, and no tax on Social Security for our seniors,” he said.
“We're permanently expanding the child tax credit, and we're creating a special Trump account for every newborn child, starting them off with a $1,000 credit to be invested over the course of their life,” he added.
'The Golden Age of America has only just begun': Trump ends rally at Pennsylvania steel plant
Friday 30 May 2025 23:40 , Gustaf KilanderTrump ended his rally with the words “The Golden Age of America has only just begun, and together, we are going to make America great again, greater than ever before.”
“Thank you very much Pennsylvania and God bless America,” he added.
Trump-tapped judge blasts White House’s ‘utter disregard’ over wrongfully deported asylum seeker
Saturday 31 May 2025 00:00 , Gustaf KilanderDonald Trump’s administration has “utterly disregarded” a court order for information about a wrongly deported Venezuelan asylum seeker sent to a notorious prison in El Salvador.
District Judge Stephanie Gallagher, who was appointed by Trump during his first term, told the man’s attorneys to put together a record of the administration’s “lack of compliance” — all but ordering contempt hearings in one of several high-profile legal battles over the president’s use of the Alien Enemies Act to summarily deport immigrants.
Alex Woodward has more:
Judge blasts Trump’s ‘utter disregard’ for court orders in asylum seeker’s case
Musk’s DOGE takeover of Institute of Peace brought roaches and rats to D.C. headquarters, court docs say
Saturday 31 May 2025 00:20 , Gustaf KilanderThe head of the United States Institute of Peace says its Washington, D.C. headquarters near the Lincoln Memorial was left to rot after billionaire Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency took it over in March, leaving water damage, graffiti — and worst of all, an infestation of roaches and rats.
After DOGE replaced the independent, fully government-funded nonprofit’s board with MAGA loyalists and fired the entire staff, Musk’s crew left it with a “level of staffing… woefully insufficient to properly protect and maintain” the $500 million Moshe Safdie-designed concrete-and-glass structure, according to a May 23 affidavit filed in D.C. federal court by USIP President and CEO George Moose.
Justin Rohrlich has the story:
DOGE takeover of U.S. peace org brought roaches and rats to offices, court docs say
PBS accuses Trump of ‘blatant viewpoint discrimination’ in lawsuit over funding cut
Saturday 31 May 2025 00:40 , Gustaf KilanderWeeks after Donald Trump declared that he was cutting federal funding for public broadcasters, PBS followed in NPR’s footsteps and sued the president to block his executive order, calling it unconstitutional and “blatant viewpoint discrimination.”
In the complaint that was filed in the U.S. District Court of Washington Friday, the network – which was joined by member station Northern Minnesota Public Television – accused the administration of violating the broadcaster’s First Amendment rights. The lawsuit also claimed that the executive order broke the laws that “forbid the President from serving as the arbiter of the content of PBS’s programming, including by attempting to defund PBS.”
Justin Baragona has more:
PBS accuses Trump of ‘blatant viewpoint discrimination’ in lawsuit over funding cut
Trump conducts the weirdest exit interview in history as Musk departs the White House — for now
01:00 , Gustaf KilanderRichard Hall writes:
Elon Musk’s exit interview began like any other.
The boss heaped praise on the departing employee while demonstrating a tenuous grasp of exactly what it is he did. The employee vastly inflated his achievements, and the pair made vague promises to stay in touch.
From there, it veered into a freewheeling discussion about transgender mice, Musk’s alleged prolific use of horse tranquilizer, nuclear war between India and Pakistan, and a potential pardon for Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, should he be convicted.
Read more:
Trump conducts the weirdest exit interview in history as Musk departs the White House
WATCH: Trump celebrates '$14 billion' deal with Nippon
01:20 , Gustaf KilanderMusk says black eye came from his son’s punch as he sports shiner during Oval Office meeting with Trump
01:40 , Gustaf KilanderElon Musk turned up with a black eye at a farewell press conference with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office.
Musk said that he got the black eye from “horsing around” with his 5-year-old son, “Lil X.”
“I said go ahead and punch me in the face and he did,” Musk said. “X could do it...,” Trump said. “I didn’t notice it, actually.”
Read more from Rhian Lubin:
Musk explains black eye as he sports shiner during Oval Office meeting with Trump
