Latest news with #MeetthePress
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Pressed on his new student visa policy, Trump seems unaware of basic details
As the intersection of the Trump administration's offensive against immigrants and higher education rests a misguided new policy. As NBC News reported, the president's team this week 'stopped scheduling new interviews for international students seeking visas to study in the United States,' as the State Department prepares a new effort to screen students' social media accounts. Evidently, students found to have expressed the 'wrong' ideas will be excluded from American colleges and universities. A day after his administration advanced this policy, Donald Trump was pressed for an explanation. It went badly — not because the president offered a weak defense, but because he didn't seem to know what the reporter was talking about. Asked specifically when his administration might resume interviews for foreign student visas, Trump responded, 'On what?' Reminded that she was asking about foreign student visas, Trump asked, 'For the French?' possibly in reference to the reporter's accent. When he eventually figured out what the question was about, he offered an evasive 'we're gonna see,' before changing the subject and whining anew about Harvard. Watching the exchange, it was hard not to get the impression that he simply didn't know about his administration's new policy on foreign student visas — which has proven to be a familiar problem in this White House. Earlier this month, for example, less than 24 hours after he nominated Dr. Casey Means to serve as the nation's next surgeon general, the president conceded that he didn't know who Casey Means is. A day earlier, amid reports that the administration was also planning to expand its deportations agenda to Libya, Trump was pressed on the policy. 'I don't know,' he responded. 'You'll have to ask the Department of Homeland Security.' The same week, NBC News aired Trump's latest appearance on 'Meet the Press,' and when host Kristen Welker asked whether everyone in the United States is entitled to due process, the president replied, 'I don't know. I'm not, I'm not a lawyer. I don't know.' When Welker reminded her guest about the Fifth Amendment, Trump again said, 'I don't know.' As part of the same exchange, Welker went on to say, '[D]on't you need to uphold the Constitution of the United States as president?' Once again, Trump answered, 'I don't know.' As the interview continued, the host asked whether anyone in his administration is in contact with El Salvador about returning Kilmar Abrego Garcia to the U.S. 'I don't know,' the president said. 'You'd have to ask the attorney general that question." Around the same time, during a White House meeting with members of the World Cup task force, a reporter asked Trump about Russia having been banned from competing in next year's FIFA World Cup tournament. 'I didn't know that. Is that right?' Trump responded. A day later, fielding questions in the Oval Office, Trump was asked whether he agreed with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's comments about possible tariff exemptions for certain family consumer goods. 'I don't know, I'll think about it,' the president said. 'I don't know. I really don't.' Around the same time, a reporter reminded Trump that JD Vance said Russia was asking for too much to end the war in Ukraine. 'When did he say that?' the president asked. Reminded that the vice president had made the comments hours earlier, Trump added, 'Well, it's possible that's right. He may know some things.' In case that weren't quite enough, at the same Q&A, Trump also said he had no idea that Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina had announced his opposition to Ed Martin's U.S. attorney nomination a day earlier. In April, Time magazine asked Trump how much the U.S. government is paying El Salvador to imprison immigrants. 'I don't know,' the president responded. Asked if he approved the payments, the Republican added, 'No, I didn't.' A month earlier, Trump was asked about four U.S. soldiers who'd gone missing during a NATO training exercise in Lithuania, and the president was clueless. Asked about the apparent assassination of a Russian general, Trump again had no idea what the reporter was talking about. When the Republican was asked about the Signal group chat scandal and whether he believed classified information was shared, he replied, 'I don't know. I'm not sure, you have to ask the various people involved.' These weren't trick questions. No one appeared to be trying to trip the president up with unexpected inquiries about obscure topics. In all of these instances, Trump should've been able to respond to the questions with substantive responses. But he didn't. Instead, the Republican effectively said, over and over again, 'Don't look at me, I just work here.' Around this time five years ago, as the severity of the pandemic came into focus, The New York Times published a memorable analysis that included a word to describe Trump that stood out to me as significant — 'bystander.' 'While he presents himself as the nation's commanding figure, Mr. Trump has essentially become a bystander as school superintendents, sports commissioners, college presidents, governors and business owners across the country take it upon themselves to shut down much of American life without clear guidance from the president,' the Times explained. A half-decade later, it appears President Bystander has returned. Trump has taken a keen interest in countless trivialities, but on substantive issues, he's offering the public a lot of shrugged shoulders and blank stares. As for why this matters, there are a handful of angles to keep in mind. Right off the bat, there have been a great many instances in recent months when Trump has sounded a bit too much like a man who just wandered into the Oval Office. What's more, most objective observers would probably agree that if Joe Biden repeatedly said, 'I don't know' in response to simple questions about his own administration, it would be front-page news — and the Democrat's responses would be played on a loop, for hours on end, in conservative media. Similarly, Trump has personally invested considerable time and energy in accusing Biden of having been a doddering old 'autopen' president who was unaware of events unfolding around him. Given the frequency with which the Republican clings to 'I don't know' responses, he should probably consider a new line of attack. Indeed, let's not overlook that Trump has repeatedly seemed unaware of the executive orders that have been handed to him to sign. Finally, let's not overlook that Trump's authoritarian-style tendencies are rooted, at least in part, in the idea that governmental power must be concentrated in the president's hands, to be executed as he sees fit. It makes Trump's apparent cluelessness that much more alarming. This post updates our related earlier coverage. This article was originally published on
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Succeeding Trump: 6 Republican potential presidential hopefuls to keep your eyes on in 2028
The 2028 presidential election seems like a long way away, but in reality, the early moves are already underway by some Democrats with likely national ambitions. And one Republican politician is already selling 2028 merchandise. "Trump 2028" hats are available for $50 and T-shirts that read, "Trump 2028 (Re-write the Rules)," sell for $36 on the Trump Organization's website. But the rules are quite clear: The 22nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution restricts presidents to two terms in office. And after months of flirting with running for a third term in the White House, President Donald Trump appears to be ruling out another campaign. Where Trump Stands With Americans 4 Months Into His 2Nd Term Read On The Fox News App Despite touting strong support in the MAGA world for a 2028 run for re-election, the president in an interview this month on NBC News' "Meet the Press" said, "I'm not looking at that." "I'll be an eight-year president," Trump added. "I'll be a two-term president. I always thought that was very important." But Trump's 2028 flirtations, which he said weren't a joke, and his sweeping moves since the start of his second tour of duty in the White House are keeping the spotlight firmly on him, averting any lame-duck talk and putting a damper on any early moves by those in the Republican Party hoping to succeed the president. Democrats Eye 2028 Just Months Into Trump's 2Nd Term The race for the next GOP presidential nomination won't get underway until Trump's ready to share the spotlight, and he recently said it's "far too early" to begin holding those discussions. But Trump also added, "I'm looking to have four great years and turn it over to somebody, ideally a great Republican, a great Republican to carry it forward." With that in mind, here's a look at the potential 2028 Republican White House contenders. Vice President JD Vance appears to be the heir apparent to the "America First" movement and the Republican Party's powerful MAGA base. It was a point driven home by Donald Trump Jr., the president's eldest son, MAGA rockstar and powerful ally of the vice president. "We are getting four more years of Trump and then eight years of JD Vance," Trump Jr. said on the campaign trail in Ohio a few weeks ahead of the November 2024 election. As sitting vice president, Vance enjoys plenty of perks that could boost him to frontrunner status. Among them, a large staff that comes with the job, and Air Force Two, which he has repeatedly used to make stops across the U.S. and the globe since the start of the second Trump administration. And Vance is now finance chair of the Republican National Committee, the first sitting vice president to hold such a position with a national party committee. The posting puts Vance in frequent contact with the GOP's top donors. But while Trump has hinted that Vance could be his successor and called him "a fantastic, brilliant guy" in the "Meet the Press" interview, he has avoided anointing his vice president as the party's next nominee. Vance has taken no steps toward a 2028 presidential run and isn't seriously thinking about it at this time, a source in the vice president's political orbit told Fox News. "I really am just not focused on politics," Vance said in early April in a "Fox and Friends" interview. "I'm not focused on the midterm elections in 2026, much less the presidential election in 2028. When we get to that point, I'll talk to the president. We'll figure out what we want to do." And the 40-year-old vice president added, "The way I think about it is, if we do a good job, the politics take care of themselves." In his "Meet the Press" interview, besides Vance, Trump also named Secretary of State Marco Rubio as a "great" potential GOP leader. "Marco's doing an outstanding job," the president said. Rubio, a one-time rival who clashed with Trump during the combustible 2016 Republican presidential nomination battle, became a leading Trump ally in the U.S. Senate during the president's first term in office. And besides serving as secretary of state, the 53-year-old former senator from Florida is also acting national security advisor, acting head of the National Archives and acting administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development. While Rubio's expanding portfolio in the second Trump administration is fueling speculation about a potential 2028 presidential bid, he still faces skepticism from parts of MAGA world who question his "America First" credentials. Conservative Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was flying high after a landslide re-election in 2022, but an unsuccessful 2024 presidential primary run and a bruising battle with Trump knocked him down in stature. However, the term-limited 46-year-old governor, who has a year and a half left in office steering Florida, proved in the past few years his fundraising prowess and retains plenty of supporters across the country. DeSantis was also able, to a degree, to repair relations with Trump, helped raise money for the GOP ticket during the general election and earned a prime-time speaking slot at the 2024 Republican convention. And in December 2024, the governor was seen as a possible replacement when now-Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's nomination briefly faltered. While DeSantis is certain to still harbor national ambitions, his feud this year with the Republican-dominated Florida legislature and the controversy over a charity tied to Florida first lady Casey DeSantis are seen as potential hurdles. Thanks to his 2021 gubernatorial victory, the first by a Republican in Virginia in a dozen years, Gov. Glenn Youngkin instantly became a GOP rising star. In Virginia, governors are limited to one four-year term, which means Youngkin has seven months left in office. The 58-year-old governor, who hails from the Republican Party's business wing but has been able to thrive in a MAGA-dominated party, likely harbors national ambitions. And Youngkin's trip to Iowa, the state that for a half century has kicked off the GOP's presidential nominating calendar, in July to headline a state party fundraising gala is sparking 2028 speculation. Asked in late 2024 in a Fox News Digital interview about a White House run, Youngkin pointed to his job as governor, saying, "I need to finish strong so Virginia can really continue to soar. And that's what I'm going to spend my time on." After that, he said, "We'll see what's next." The popular conservative governor is one of the few in the GOP who can claim he faced Trump's wrath and not only survived, but thrived. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, who is term-limited, has two years left in office and enjoys strong favorable ratings in a crucial battleground state. Kemp was heavily recruited by national Republicans to run in 2026 to try and flip a Democrat-controlled Senate seat. And the announcement earlier in May by the 61-year-old governor that he would pass on a 2026 Senate run, fueled buzz that Kemp may instead be mulling a 2028 White House run. Asked in November 2024 about a potential presidential run, Kemp told Fox News Digital, "I try to keep all doors open in politics." Sen. Ted Cruz was the runner-up to Trump in the blockbuster 2016 Republican presidential battle. The controversial conservative firebrand passed on challenging Trump again in 2024 as he ran for what was thought to be another difficult re-election bid after narrowly surviving his 2018 re-election. However, the 54-year-old senator ended up winning a third six-year term in the Senate by nearly nine points. Since the start of Trump's second administration, Cruz has reaffirmed his conservative credentials by voicing opposition to the president's controversial tariffs. Among the others to keep an eye on is Nikki Haley. The former two-term South Carolina governor, who served as U.N. ambassador in Trump's first term, was the first GOP challenger to jump into the race against the former president in the 2024 nomination race. Haley outlasted the rest of the field, becoming the final challenger to Trump before ending her White House bid in March 2024. While the 53-year-old Haley ended up backing Trump in the general election, her earlier clashes with the president during the primaries left their mark. Even though she addressed the GOP faithful at the 2024 convention, her political future in a party dominated by Trump is uncertain. Also, not to be discounted are three politicians who considered but passed on 2024 runs: Sens. Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Josh Hawley of Missouri and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. And besides Haley, we'll put three other 2024 candidates on the large list of possible 2028 contenders. Businessman Vivek Ramaswamy is the Republican frontrunner in the 2026 campaign for Ohio governor but likely still has strong national ambitions. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum is a very visible player in Trump's Cabinet. And former Vice President Mike Pence, when asked earlier this month by Fox News Digital if he might consider another White House run, reiterated that he intends to "be a voice" for traditional and conservative values and "we'll let the future take care of itself."Original article source: Succeeding Trump: 6 Republican potential presidential hopefuls to keep your eyes on in 2028
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Top Health Expert Issues Stark Warning on Loneliness
In an age where social media is supposed to keep us connected, Americans are lonelier than ever—and it's killing them. Former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued a stark warning on Sunday, saying the negative health impacts of chronic loneliness rival those of some of the country's biggest killers. 'The overall mortality increase that can be related to social disconnection is comparable to the mortality impact of smoking and obesity,' Murthy said on NBC's 'Meet the Press.' Murthy, who served during the Obama and Biden administrations, compared the dangers of chronic loneliness to smoking 15 cigarettes a day. 'Our connection with one another is not just a nice thing to have—it's biologically imperative for survival, just like food and water,' he said. The consequences are serious: Murthy pointed to a 29 percent increased risk of heart disease, a 32 percent increased risk of stroke, a 50 percent higher chance of developing dementia for older adults, and a 60 percent greater likelihood of early death. Even younger generations aren't immune. Murthy warned that American youth, already struggling with digital addiction and social media pressure, are particularly vulnerable. One national survey from Harvard found that 73 percent of respondents believed technology was fueling loneliness. Murthy said kids today face an 'intense' culture of comparison online, leading to fewer in-person connections and rising anxiety and depression rates. 'There's a difference between online connections and the kind you have in person,' he said. During his tenure, Murthy released a federal advisory on the crisis, outlining a six-point action plan focused on pro-connection policies, digital reform, more research, and cultivating a culture of connection. His warning comes as roughly one in three U.S. adults report feeling lonely, and one in four report lacking social and emotional support. 'Parents do have good reason to be worried right now,' Murthy added, highlighting that loneliness isn't just sad—it's a deadly public health threat. Top Health Expert Issues Stark Warning on Loneliness first appeared on Men's Journal on May 27, 2025
Fox News
17 hours ago
- Business
- Fox News
Succeeding Trump: 6 Republican potential presidential hopefuls to keep your eyes on in 2028
The 2028 presidential election seems like a long way away, but in reality, the early moves are already underway by some Democrats with likely national ambitions. And one Republican politician is already selling 2028 merchandise. "Trump 2028" hats are available for $50 and T-shirts that read, "Trump 2028 (Re-write the Rules)," sell for $36 on the Trump Organization's website. But the rules are quite clear: The 22nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution restricts presidents to two terms in office. And after months of flirting with running for a third term in the White House, President Donald Trump appears to be ruling out another campaign. Despite touting strong support in the MAGA world for a 2028 run for re-election, the president in an interview this month on NBC News' "Meet the Press" said, "I'm not looking at that." "I'll be an eight-year president," Trump added. "I'll be a two-term president. I always thought that was very important." But Trump's 2028 flirtations, which he said weren't a joke, and his sweeping moves since the start of his second tour of duty in the White House are keeping the spotlight firmly on him, averting any lame-duck talk and putting a damper on any early moves by those in the Republican Party hoping to succeed the president. The race for the next GOP presidential nomination won't get underway until Trump's ready to share the spotlight, and he recently said it's "far too early" to begin holding those discussions. But Trump also added, "I'm looking to have four great years and turn it over to somebody, ideally a great Republican, a great Republican to carry it forward." With that in mind, here's a look at the potential 2028 Republican White House contenders. Vice President JD Vance appears to be the heir apparent to the "America First" movement and the Republican Party's powerful MAGA base. It was a point driven home by Donald Trump Jr., the president's eldest son, MAGA rockstar and powerful ally of the vice president. "We are getting four more years of Trump and then eight years of JD Vance," Trump Jr. said on the campaign trail in Ohio a few weeks ahead of the November 2024 election. As sitting vice president, Vance enjoys plenty of perks that could boost him to frontrunner status. Among them, a large staff that comes with the job, and Air Force Two, which he has repeatedly used to make stops across the U.S. and the globe since the start of the second Trump administration. And Vance is now finance chair of the Republican National Committee, the first sitting vice president to hold such a position with a national party committee. The posting puts Vance in frequent contact with the GOP's top donors. But while Trump has hinted that Vance could be his successor and called him "a fantastic, brilliant guy" in the "Meet the Press" interview, he has avoided anointing his vice president as the party's next nominee. Vance has taken no steps toward a 2028 presidential run and isn't seriously thinking about it at this time, a source in the vice president's political orbit told Fox News. "I really am just not focused on politics," Vance said in early April in a "Fox and Friends" interview. "I'm not focused on the midterm elections in 2026, much less the presidential election in 2028. When we get to that point, I'll talk to the president. We'll figure out what we want to do." And the 40-year-old vice president added, "The way I think about it is, if we do a good job, the politics take care of themselves." In his "Meet the Press" interview, besides Vance, Trump also named Secretary of State Marco Rubio as a "great" potential GOP leader. "Marco's doing an outstanding job," the president said. Rubio, a one-time rival who clashed with Trump during the combustible 2016 Republican presidential nomination battle, became a leading Trump ally in the U.S. Senate during the president's first term in office. And besides serving as secretary of state, the 53-year-old former senator from Florida is also acting national security advisor, acting head of the National Archives and acting administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development. While Rubio's expanding portfolio in the second Trump administration is fueling speculation about a potential 2028 presidential bid, he still faces skepticism from parts of MAGA world who question his "America First" credentials. Conservative Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was flying high after a landslide re-election in 2022, but an unsuccessful 2024 presidential primary run and a bruising battle with Trump knocked him down in stature. However, the term-limited 46-year-old governor, who has a year and a half left in office steering Florida, proved in the past few years his fundraising prowess and retains plenty of supporters across the country. DeSantis was also able, to a degree, to repair relations with Trump, helped raise money for the GOP ticket during the general election and earned a prime-time speaking slot at the 2024 Republican convention. And in December 2024, the governor was seen as a possible replacement when now-Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's nomination briefly faltered. While DeSantis is certain to still harbor national ambitions, his feud this year with the Republican-dominated Florida legislature and the controversy over a charity tied to Florida first lady Casey DeSantis are seen as potential hurdles. Thanks to his 2021 gubernatorial victory, the first by a Republican in Virginia in a dozen years, Gov. Glenn Youngkin instantly became a GOP rising star. In Virginia, governors are limited to one four-year term, which means Youngkin has seven months left in office. The 58-year-old governor, who hails from the Republican Party's business wing but has been able to thrive in a MAGA-dominated party, likely harbors national ambitions. And Youngkin's trip to Iowa, the state that for a half century has kicked off the GOP's presidential nominating calendar, in July to headline a state party fundraising gala is sparking 2028 speculation. Asked in late 2024 in a Fox News Digital interview about a White House run, Youngkin pointed to his job as governor, saying, "I need to finish strong so Virginia can really continue to soar. And that's what I'm going to spend my time on." After that, he said, "We'll see what's next." The popular conservative governor is one of the few in the GOP who can claim he faced Trump's wrath and not only survived, but thrived. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, who is term-limited, has two years left in office and enjoys strong favorable ratings in a crucial battleground state. Kemp was heavily recruited by national Republicans to run in 2026 to try and flip a Democrat-controlled Senate seat. And the announcement earlier in May by the 61-year-old governor that he would pass on a 2026 Senate run, fueled buzz that Kemp may instead be mulling a 2028 White House run. Asked in November 2024 about a potential presidential run, Kemp told Fox News Digital, "I try to keep all doors open in politics." Sen. Ted Cruz was the runner-up to Trump in the blockbuster 2016 Republican presidential battle. The controversial conservative firebrand passed on challenging Trump again in 2024 as he ran for what was thought to be another difficult re-election bid after narrowly surviving his 2018 re-election. However, the 54-year-old senator ended up winning a third six-year term in the Senate by nearly nine points. Since the start of Trump's second administration, Cruz has reaffirmed his conservative credentials by voicing opposition to the president's controversial tariffs. Among the others to keep an eye on is Nikki Haley. The former two-term South Carolina governor, who served as U.N. ambassador in Trump's first term, was the first GOP challenger to jump into the race against the former president in the 2024 nomination race. Haley outlasted the rest of the field, becoming the final challenger to Trump before ending her White House bid in March 2024. While the 53-year-old Haley ended up backing Trump in the general election, her earlier clashes with the president during the primaries left their mark. Even though she addressed the GOP faithful at the 2024 convention, her political future in a party dominated by Trump is uncertain. Also, not to be discounted are three politicians who considered but passed on 2024 runs: Sens. Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Josh Hawley of Missouri and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. And besides Haley, we'll put three other 2024 candidates on the large list of possible 2028 contenders. Businessman Vivek Ramaswamy is the Republican frontrunner in the 2026 campaign for Ohio governor but likely still has strong national ambitions. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum is a very visible player in Trump's Cabinet. And former Vice President Mike Pence, when asked earlier this month by Fox News Digital if he might consider another White House run, reiterated that he intends to "be a voice" for traditional and conservative values and "we'll let the future take care of itself."
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump's Birthday Military Parade Is Offering Top Donors ‘VIP Experience'
Donors can secure a 'dedicated VIP experience' at upcoming military events for President Donald Trump, including a proposed large-scale parade on his birthday. Supporters who contribute to America250, a nonprofit planning events to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States, are being offered exclusive access to Trump-backed events this summer, The Wall Street Journal reported. That includes a massive parade to mark the U.S. Army's 250th anniversary featuring dozens of tanks, thousands of marching troops, and military aircraft flying over Washington, D.C., planned for June 14, the day the president turns 79. The VIP treatment will also extend to a 'readiness demonstration' involving thousands of troops at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, on June 10, as well as a July 4 Independence Day bash in Washington, D.C. Details such as how much donors will need to fork over to take part in the 'VIP experience' are unclear. A source close to the planning told the Daily Beast that donors and special guests will be greeted upon arrival at the events and provided preferred seating. Trump is facing criticism over the planned military parade. One issue is the major expense such an event would cost—reported to be between $25 million and $45 million—which taxpayers will have to stump for. That doesn't include extras like fixing tank-damaged roads or the hefty post-event cleanup. Critics have also questioned the motivation behind the show of force. 'As an Army veteran myself, I'm proud of the Army's birthday,' Naveed Shah, political director of veterans group Common Defense, told The Washington Post. 'But this parade seems like it's all about the president's ego rather than the troops who sacrifice everything to serve our country.' The White House defended the military parade in a statement to the Daily Beast. 'There is no event grand enough to adequately capture our gratitude for the millions of heroes who laid down their lives defending our freedom, but this parade will be a fitting tribute to the service, sacrifice, and selflessness of all who have worn the uniform,' said White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly. 'The cost will be shared by the Department of the Army and the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission.' Trump has denied that the parade is linked to his birthday and defended the cost as 'peanuts compared to the value of doing it.' 'We have the greatest missiles in the world. We have the greatest submarines in the world. We have the greatest army tanks in the world. We have the greatest weapons in the world. And we're going to celebrate it,' Trump said on NBC's Meet the Press. Trump's fixation with a military display dates back to his first term, reportedly inspired by a Bastille Day parade he witnessed in Paris in July 2017. John Bolton, Trump's former national security adviser and now a vocal critic of the president, said officials tried to explain that the U.S. doesn't stage military parades 'unless there is a reason.' 'The arguments that finally convinced him not to was that if you run tanks down the streets of Washington, you're going to rip the streets up,' Bolton told the Journal. 'The cost and the repair and the discombobulation will irritate people, and it'll be more trouble than it's worth.' Trump attempted a similar parade in 2018 but faced strong resistance from D.C. officials, including Mayor Muriel Bowser.
