Kristi Noem says Trump wants FEMA 'remade,' and more tariffs are set for U.S. trade partners: Weekend Rundown

NBC News

2 days ago

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said President Donald Trump wants the Federal Emergency Management Agency 'remade' rather than dismantled entirely.
'I think the president recognizes that FEMA should not exist the way that it always has been. It needs to be redeployed in a new way, and that's what we did during this response,' Noem said in an interview on NBC News' 'Meet the Press,' referring to the federal government's response to the Texas floods that devastated the region and left more than 120 dead.
Trump has previously slammed FEMA, which is part of the Department of Homeland Security, and mused about possibly 'getting rid' of the agency, which administers emergency relief. Noem, too, has previously said that the administration would eliminate FEMA.
Asked on 'Meet the Press' a second time whether Trump no longer wanted to end the agency, Noem reiterated that she believed the president 'wants it to be remade so that it's an agency that is new in how it deploys and supports states.'
Noem also brushed off criticism of the administration's flood response from some Democrats after Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., called for her resignation.
'I don't care what she thinks,' Noem said, adding there was 'no' chance she would resign.
Trump says he will hit E.U. and Mexico with a 30% tariff
President Donald Trump on Saturday threatened a significant tariff hike on the European Union and Mexico, two of the largest U.S. trade partners.
In separate letters published on Truth Social, the president wrote that each country will face a blanket tariff rate of 30% on all goods exported to the U.S. starting Aug. 1, and threatened even higher tariffs if either the E.U. or Mexico retaliates against his new levies.
On Sunday, the E.U. said it would suspend retaliatory tariffs scheduled to take effect Monday in hopes of reaching a trade deal by the end of the month.
Trump spent last week bringing his trade war back to a roaring boil. He kicked it off by issuing dozens of letters announcing unilateral tariffs, then said he planned to impose 50% duties on copper goods, sending prices of the raw metal to all-time highs. Late Thursday, he announced he would apply a blanket tariff of up to 20% on all imports, as well as a 35% tariff on some, and perhaps all, Canadian imports starting next month.
The letters come as the many trade deals that Trump administration officials had said would be signed have failed to materialize, leaving the president with little to show for weeks of negotiations.
'Meet the Press'
Gov. Andy Beshear, D-Ky., would not rule out running for president in 2028, telling 'Meet the Press' moderator Kristen Welker that he may 'take a look' at launching a bid.
'I would have never considered this a couple years ago, but I will not leave a broken country to my kids or to anyone else's,' Beshear said. 'And so if I'm somebody that at that point, that I believe that I can heal the country, then then I'll take a look at it.'
Beshear, who was first elected governor in 2019, won re-election in 2023, becoming a rare Democrat to govern a ruby-red state, where 64.5% of voters cast ballots for President Donald Trump in 2024.
Asked whether he was running for president, Beshear said, 'What I'm doing right now is trying to be a reasonable voice out there that hopefully doesn't just bring Democrats back together, but Democrats, Republicans and independents.'
Politics in brief
Trump vs. MAGA: Trump faces a revolt from his MAGA base as the Jeffrey Epstein files — and calls for Attorney General Pam Bondi to be fired — dominated a conservative conference in Tampa this weekend.
Georgia on Trump's mind: How midterm voters react in Georgia, which has taken center stage in the Trump era as a key battleground state, could help determine how the final two years of his presidency go.
Wimbledon crowns its men's and women's champions
Jannik Sinner won his first Wimbledon title Sunday, defeating rival Carlos Alcaraz in four sets to capture his fourth Grand Slam trophy.
In a rematch of June's French Open final — which Alcaraz won after dropping the first two sets — this time it was Sinner who came from behind for the victory. Sinner lost the first set before ultimately winning 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.
'It's so special,' Sinner said after the match during an on-court interview. 'I had a very tough loss in Paris, at the end of the day it doesn't matter how you win or lose, you have to understand what you did wrong. That's what we did.'
Put a cork in it: An ill-timed bottle pop from the crowd resulted in a cork landing on the court. 'Ladies and gentlemen,' the umpire said on the loudspeaker, 'as a courtesy to both players, please do not pop Champagne corks just as the players are about to serve.'
On Saturday, the women's final was almost over before you saw it.
Clocking in at just 57 minutes, the match was a lopsided affair as No. 8 Iga Swiatek dominated No. 13 Amanda Anisimova, 6-0, 6-0, to win her sixth Grand Slam title and first at Wimbledon.
The Pole, 24, became the first woman since 1911 to win the Wimbledon final without losing a single game. She has now won every Grand Slam except the Australian Open.
'Honestly, I didn't even dream [of this], because for me, it was just, like, way too far, you know?' Swiatek said. 'I feel like I'm already an experienced player after winning the Slams before, but I never really expected this one.'
A star-studded affair: While the on-court play garnered headlines, so too did the action off of it. Countless celebrities and athletes were in attendance for the tournament.
Notable quote
I don't know how you treat people this way. I really don't.
A Veteran State Department Employee
More than 1,300 employees were forced out of the State Department on Friday, taking with them decades of specialized skills and on-the-job training as part of the United States diplomatic corps. Several career employees who unexpectedly found themselves with pink slips told NBC News they were baffled by the massive overhaul.
In case you missed it
Two people were killed and at least three others, including a state trooper, were injured in what authorities described as a series of incidents in Lexington, Kentucky, after a suspect first shot at the trooper.
A historic lodge on the Grand Canyon's North Rim was destroyed by a fast-moving wildfire, the park said.
A 20-year-old American from Florida was beaten to death by Israeli settlers while visiting relatives in the occupied West Bank, according to his family and the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The family of a Northwestern scientist questioned for China ties sued the university, alleging it discriminated against her even though she was cleared of wronging, forcing her into a psychiatric facility against her will and ultimately leading to her suicide.