Latest news with #REPUBLICANS
Fox News
a day ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Actor Jeff Daniels laments Kamala Harris' loss, suggests she would have governed like Abraham Lincoln
Print Close By Rachel del Guidice Published July 21, 2025 Actor Jeff Daniels lamented former Vice President Kamala Harris losing the 2024 presidential election in a new interview, saying she would have governed like President Abraham Lincoln. "I still think about Kamala, and how I think she would have been a good choice," Daniels told MSNBC's Nicolle Wallace in an episode published Monday of her podcast, "The Best People." "I don't care what they say, because she would have done what Lincoln did." "Liz Cheney would have been secretary of state," Daniels said. 'VIEW' CO-HOST WHO SUPPORTED HARRIS SAYS SHE MADE BIG MISTAKE REACHING OUT TO REPUBLICANS "Team of Rivals," Wallace interjected, referencing the book by Doris Kearns Goodwin, "Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln," which looks at how Lincoln included former political opponents in his cabinet. "Team of Rivals," Daniels agreed. "That's what Lincoln did, surrounded himself with the people who would disagree with him, not the people who would, you know, take a knee and go, 'Yeah, more tariffs, sir, more.'" Harris' campaign heavily used Liz Cheney, one of President Donald Trump's fiercest Republican critics, on the campaign trail in 2024. Once a conservative star in the House, Cheney was one of only two Republicans who served on the special committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, which resulted in her losing her seat in Wyoming. Harris also pledged to appoint a Republican to her Cabinet if elected. Daniels, known for his prominent movie, television and stage roles, said the Republican Party was deteriorating under Trump. BIDEN TELLS 'THE VIEW' HE WASN'T SURPRISED HARRIS LOST, BLAMES SEXISM AND RACISM "It's the madness of King George, and just the deterioration of the Republican Party," he said. "I mean, look, I'm just an actor. What do I know? But when Mitch [McConnell] started stacking the courts 25 years ago, I said it on your show once, they can see it coming. The new America that is diverse and treats everyone with equality and respect and dignity, you know, kind of like Jesus did. We're ready for that." He also said wealthy backers are "losing money" under Trump. "And Mitch and company could see it coming," he said. "They were going to be the minority, so they just started and then here we are, and now you got it, and now you're losing money. I hope you're losing tons of money, those of you who thought this would be OK." Daniels is playing President Ronald Reagan in the upcoming movie "Reykjavík," about the summit between Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in 1986. His recent roles include playing former FBI Director James Comey in Showtime's "The Comey Rule," and fictional newscaster Will McAvoy on HBO's "The Newsroom," in addition to his numerous film roles going back to the 1980s. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Print Close URL
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump Celebrates Congress Pulling $1.1 Billion in Funding From ‘Atrocious' NPR and PBS: ‘This Is Big!'
President Donald Trump took a victory lap after Congress formally passed his measure to claw back $9 billion in previously approved funding, including $1.1 billion for PBS and NPR — which public media execs have said could force dozens of local stations to shut down. Early Friday, the House gave final approval to Trump's rescission package by a 216-to-213 vote, after the Senate a day earlier had OK'd the measure in a 51-to-48 vote. The bill cancels about $8 billion in foreign aid and $1.1 billion for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (which provides funding to NPR and PBS) over the next two years. It now awaits Trump's signature to go into effect. More from Variety Trump Threatened Legal Action to Block Publication of Embarrassing WSJ Jeffrey Epstein Story Nick Offerman Goes Full 'Parks and Recreation' and Scolds Trump for Cutting $267 Million From National Parks Budget: 'That's Called S--ting the Bed' Senate Votes to Strip $1.1 Billion From Public Broadcasting in Blow to PBS and NPR Trump proudly noted that his effort to eliminate federal funding from PBS and NPR comes after decades of attempts by conservative lawmakers to do the same. The White House has alleged that public media outlets have 'spread radical, woke propaganda disguised as 'news'' and that 'NPR and PBS have zero tolerance for non-leftist viewpoints.' 'HOUSE APPROVES NINE BILLION DOLLAR CUTS PACKAGE, INCLUDING ATROCIOUS NPR AND PUBLIC BROADCASTING, WHERE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS A YEAR WERE WASTED,' Trump posted on his Truth Social platform late Thursday night. 'REPUBLICANS HAVE TRIED DOING THIS FOR 40 YEARS, AND FAILED….BUT NO MORE. THIS IS BIG!!!' The rescission package slashes $535 million annually for the CPB for a two-year period starting in October. PBS CEO Paula Kerger said in a statement Thursday that the cuts 'will significantly impact all of our stations, but will be especially devastating to smaller stations and those serving large rural areas.' She added, 'Many of our stations which provide access to free unique local programming and emergency alerts will now be forced to make hard decisions in the weeks and months ahead.' NPR CEO Katherine Maher, in a statement after the final House vote, called the defunding 'an unwarranted dismantling of beloved local civic institutions, and an act of Congress that disregards the public will.' Maher said, 'Parents and children, senior citizens and students, tribal and rural communities — all will bear the harm of this vote.' PBS and its member stations receive about 15% of their revenue from CPB's federal funds. For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024, PBS reported $721 million in total revenue, investment gains and other support. According to NPR, about 2% of its annual operating budget comes in the form of grants from CPB and federal agencies and departments. For its fiscal year ended Sept. 30, 2024, NPR reported $336.6 million in revenue, gains and other support. However, smaller local NPR and PBS stations rely far more on federal funding for their operating budgets. An internal NPR report from 2011 estimated that up to 18% of its approximately 1,000 member stations would be forced to shut down if they lost federal funding and that up to 30% Americans would lose access to NPR programming, according to the New York Times. Republicans criticized PBS and NPR for a perceived left-wing and 'woke' bias. 'American taxpayers should not be forced to subsidize programming that glorifies radical gender ideology in schools or pushes to defund the police,' Sen. Eric Schmitt, a Republican from Missouri, said Wednesday. Prior to the Senate vote approving the package, Sen. Ruben Gallego, a Democrat from Arizona, said the funding cuts would devastate rural stations in his state and threaten children's programming like 'Sesame Street' and 'Daniel Tiger' that would not be viable on commercial television. 'For many families, public television is one of their only early childhood education tools,' the senator said. CPB was established by Congress via the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967. The private, not-for-profit corporation's mission is 'to ensure universal access to non-commercial, high-quality content and telecommunications services,' according to its website. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts? Final Emmy Predictions: Talk Series and Scripted Variety - New Blood Looks to Tackle Late Night Staples
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
House passes Trump's rescissions request after Epstein fallout delays vote
Washington — House Republicans approved a package after midnight Friday to claw back $9 billion in foreign aid and public broadcasting funding, sending it to President Trump's desk. Congress beat a Friday end-of-day deadline to pass the bill, which is known as a rescissions request, after which the money would have had to be spent as originally intended. Efforts to release files related to child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein stalled movement on the bill for hours. The House combined the vote on final passage with a procedural vote, allowing members to pass the package quickly. It passed in a mostly party-line vote, with 216 voting in favor and 213 against. Two Republicans opposed it: Reps. Mike Turner of Ohio and Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania. The bill targets roughly $8 billion for foreign assistance programs, including the United States Agency for International Development, or USAID. The package also includes about $1 billion in funding cuts for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which supports public radio and television stations, including NPR and PBS. Mr. Trump hailed the vote on Truth Social early Friday morning, highlighting the cuts to public media funding. "REPUBLICANS HAVE TRIED DOING THIS FOR 40 YEARS, AND FAILED….BUT NO MORE," he wrote. "THIS IS BIG!!!" House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters early Friday he's "delighted to send that over to the president's desk for signature, and he'll sign that quickly." Before the floor vote, the package had to get through the House Rules Committee, where there was heated debate on Democrats' demands for a vote on an Epstein-related measure. All but one Republican on the committee voted against similar amendments when they were first presented earlier this week, further fueling criticism from those who want documents on Epstein released. The controversy has divided Mr. Trump's base since his administration released a memo earlier this month saying that Epstein had no "client list" and died by suicide in 2019. Some Republicans have pushed for more disclosures in the Epstein case, though Mr. Trump has called the controversy a "hoax." Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, defended the GOP committee members on Thursday afternoon, saying they were unfairly taking heat. "They're trying to stick to their job and move the procedural rules to the floor so we can do our work and get the rescissions done for the American people," Johnson said. Early Friday, Johnson claimed the White House and House Republicans are on the same page on how to handle the controversy surrounding the Epstein files. "There's no daylight between the president and House Republicans on transparency, and he's been very clear that he wants all credible information, credible evidence, to be turned over to the people, so that the people can decide. We trust the American people and their judgment." Democrats wanted a vote on a bipartisan measure introduced by Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna of California that would force the Justice Department to release Epstein-related files within 30 days. Instead, Republicans voted against the effort and offered a resolution that carries no legal weight to make the files public. Rep. Jim McGovern of Massachusetts, the top Democrat on the House Rules Committee, noted that there would be no recourse if the Trump administration did not comply with the non-binding resolution. "This resolution they're offering is a cover vote and I'll be surprised if they even bring it to the floor," McGovern said. Republican Rep. Virginia Foxx of North Carolina, the committee chair, said it would be up to the majority leader whether the resolution receives a floor vote. As the committee debated the release of the files, Mr. Trump announced that he asked Attorney General Pam Bondi "to produce any and all pertinent Grand Jury testimony, subject to Court approval." The request came after the Wall Street Journal published a letter Mr. Trump allegedly wrote to Epstein for his birthday in 2003, which the president called "fake." House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries would not say Thursday afternoon whether he planned to delay a final vote past the deadline by exercising his right under House rules to speak for as long as he'd like, a power he used to make a record-breaking speech earlier this month. "I expect that I will speak longer than a minute," the New York Democrat quipped. Jeffries ended up speaking for about 15 minutes. Senate passed bill early Thursday after criticism After an hourslong vote series, the Senate narrowly passed an amended version of Mr. Trump's rescissions request earlier Thursday, sending it to the House, which approved a larger package of cuts last month. The Senate version is about $400 million smaller than last month's House version, after the Trump administration agreed not to cut funding for a global AIDS prevention program to alleviate some of the concerns of Republican dissenters. Some senators also worried about the implications of PBS and NPR cuts for rural areas, where many residents depend on public radio stations for emergency alerts. The administration promised to find funding elsewhere to alleviate the cuts to the rural stations to win over critics. In a statement, the president of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting said the decision to eliminate its federal funding will force many local public radio stations to shut down and have "profound, lasting, negative consequences for every American." Though all but two Republican senators ended up supporting final passage, some said they had reservations about doing so, especially because they had not received details from the administration about how the broader cuts would impact specific programs. "I suspect we're going to find out there are some things that we're going to regret," Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina said Wednesday before voting for the package. Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska both criticized Congress, saying it was undermining its budget oversight role by ceding to the White House's, and arguing that any funding cuts should be sorted out during the annual appropriations process. Collins and Murkowski both voted against the package. Son of man who was violently detained by ICE reacts after release Wall Street Journal reports Trump sent "bawdy" birthday letter to Epstein, Trump threatens to sue 7.3 magnitude earthquake hits southern Alaska
Int'l Business Times
5 days ago
- Business
- Int'l Business Times
US Congress Approves $9 Bn In Trump Cuts To Foreign Aid, Public Media
US Republicans early Friday approved President Donald Trump's plan to cancel $9 billion in funding for foreign aid and public broadcasting, vowing it was just the start of broader efforts by Congress to slash the federal budget. The cuts achieve only a tiny fraction of the $1 trillion in annual savings that tech billionaire and estranged Trump donor Elon Musk vowed to find before his acrimonious exit in May from a role spearheading federal cost-cutting. But Republicans -- who recently passed a domestic policy bill expected to add more than $3 trillion to US debt -- said the vote honored Trump's election campaign pledge to rein in runaway spending. "President Trump and House Republicans promised fiscal responsibility and government efficiency," House Speaker Mike Johnson said in a statement just after the vote. "Today, we're once again delivering on that promise." Both chambers of Congress are Republican-controlled, meaning a mostly party-line House of Representatives vote of 216 to 213, moments after midnight, was sufficient to approve the Senate-passed measure. The bill now heads to the White House to be signed by Trump, who praised his backers in the House. "REPUBLICANS HAVE TRIED DOING THIS FOR 40 YEARS, AND FAILED... BUT NO MORE. THIS IS BIG!!!" he wrote on Truth Social. Most of the cuts target programs for countries hit by disease, war and natural disasters. But the move also scraps $1.1 billion that the Corporation for Public Broadcasting was due to receive over the next two years. Conservatives say the funding -- which goes mostly to more than 1,500 local public radio and TV stations, as well as to public broadcasters NPR and PBS -- is unnecessary and has funded biased coverage. The bill originally included $400 million in cuts to a global AIDS program that is credited with saving 26 million lives, but that funding was saved by a rebellion by moderate Republicans. The vote was a win for Trump and fiscal hawks seeking to support the mission of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), launched by Musk as Trump was swept to power, for radical savings. Congress had already approved the cash that was clawed back, and Democrats framed the bill as a betrayal of the bipartisan government funding process. They fear Trump's victory clears the way for more "rescissions packages" canceling agreed spending. "Instead of protecting the health, safety and well-being of the American people, House Republicans have once again rubber stamped Donald Trump's extreme, reckless rescissions legislation," House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said in a joint statement with fellow top Democrats. Republicans need some Democratic votes to keep the government funded past September, and the minority party had threatened to abandon any plans for cooperation if the DOGE cuts went ahead. Jeffries and fellow Democrats seemed to suggest as much on Friday. "Tonight's vote... makes it clear that House Republicans are determined to march this country toward a painful government shutdown later this year," they said in the statement. Although they are in the minority, Democrats have leverage in funding fights because a budget deal would need at least 60 votes in the 100-member Senate and Republicans only have 53 seats. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called it "a dark day for any American who relies on public broadcasting during floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, and other disasters." White House budget chief Russell Vought told an event hosted Thursday by the Christian Science Monitor that the administration was likely to send another rescissions package to Congress.
The Hill
5 days ago
- Business
- The Hill
Chaos, progress for Congressional Republicans
REPUBLICANS on Thursday moved closer to clawing back billions in federal spending and passing a package of crypto bills, advancing more pieces of President Trump 's agenda. The GOP is speeding toward the end of another chaotic but productive legislative week, even as the administration's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files consumes Washington (more on that below). The biggest line item from Thursday is the Senate's passage of a rescissions package with $9 billion in cuts to foreign aid and public broadcasting. Congress once again worked past midnight, with Republicans squeaking the clawbacks through with a 51-48 vote just after 2 a.m. Thursday. The vote came after last-minute dealmaking between the White House and Senate Republicans over funding for a global anti-AIDS initiative, which will remain in place. Sens. Susan Collins (Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) were the two GOP holdouts. The rescissions package now heads back to the House with the clock ticking toward a Friday deadline for passage. The rescissions bill will cut funding to PBS and NPR, a top wishlist item for conservatives, who have long argued the outlets have taken a left-leaning ideological bent. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Thursday celebrated the rescissions package, describing PBS and NPR as 'two media organizations that have ridiculously used federal dollars to push a partisan, left-wing agenda for many years.' Also on Thursday, House Republicans finally overcame internal divisions to move forward with a trio of cryptocurrency bills following a two-day saga driven by another revolt among hardline conservatives. 'This legislation is going to make America the crypto capital of the world,' Leavitt said, adding the White House had already planned a signing ceremony for Friday. The vote to move forward on the crypto bills was open for hours, as lawmakers negotiated behind the scenes. It's the longest vote in House history, surpassing a previous record set earlier this month when the House was working to overcome a procedural vote on Trump's 'big, beautiful bill.' 'I will say again, I'm tired of making history, I just want normal Congress, but some people have forgotten what that looks like,' Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) told Punchbowl News. 'But as long as we get it done, it doesn't matter to me how long a vote is held open. We just got to get the votes and we did.' BATTLES WITH DEMS AWAIT The GOP has largely been fighting itself, but fresh fights with Democrats are coming. Democrats are furious over the rescissions, saying they threaten bipartisan negotiations to fund the government ahead of a September shutdown deadline. 'How are we supposed to negotiate a bipartisan deal if Republicans will turn around and put it through the shredder in a partisan vote,' Sen. Patty Murray (Wash.), the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, said on the Senate floor earlier this week. Most Republicans don't want to get in the habit of passing rescissions bills, as they worry about ceding Congressional authority over spending to the Executive Branch. However, White House budget chief Russ Vought said Thursday the administration is likely to send another rescissions package to Congress soon. Murkowski on Thursday said Vought 'disrespects' Congress' annual funding process after he said it should be 'less bipartisan.' 'I think he thinks that we are irrelevant,' Murkowski said. Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee walked out of a Senate hearing in protest on Thursday, as Republicans gave their approval to two controversial Trump nominees. The committee gave its approval to Emil Bove, one of Trump's former criminal defense attorneys who is now in the No. 3 spot in the Justice Department, and to Jeanine Pirro, a former Fox News host confirmed as a nominee for U.S. attorney for Washington, D.C. DEMS LOOK AHEAD TO MIDTERMS Democrats are largely powerless to stop the Trump agenda with minorities in both chambers, although they hope their fortunes will change in the 2026 midterm elections. A new CNN poll finds Democrats are more motivated to vote next year, although favorable views of the party are at their lowest in decades. Liberals have organized another round of street protests this weekend to draw attention to the GOP's Medicaid cuts and Trump's immigration policies. The New York Times interviewed Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) about the way forward for Democrats. 'You cannot win a game, a war, anything, just by playing defense,' Slotkin said. 'You can't just point at Donald Trump every day and point out the bad things that he's doing. You have to show a positive, affirmative vision of what you're going to do if you're in power.' MORE POLITICS… • CNN commentator Scott Jennings, who has amassed a following on the right for his spirited debates with Democrats, says he'd run for Senate to replace Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) if Trump wants him to. • Arizona Democrats voted to oust their state party chair amid infighting. • Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) asked Trump to endorse him in his Senate primary against state Attorney General Ken Paxton, but Cornyn says Trump is 'not ready' to endorse anyone yet. • The Hill's Caroline Vakil has five takeaways from the latest campaign finance reports. 💡 Perspectives: • The Hill: Rescission package is a chance to get serious about spending. • The New Republic: How to fix Dem messaging. • Free Press: Independence Day for NPR. • The Hill: Dem fence-sitters had better dump Mamdani before it's too late. • Tablet: Why I'm leaving Columbia. Read more: • 10 GOP senators come out against latest Trump school funding cuts. • GOP senators appear to have deal to allow FBI to stay in DC. • PBS chief: Funding cuts will be 'devastating' for rural areas. • Democrats seek to close social media gap with GOP, Trump. CATCH UP QUICK President Trump underwent medical testing for 'mild swelling' in his legs and bruising on one of his hands, which revealed a vein condition that is common in individuals over the age of 70. The Department of Justice is seeking a one-day prison sentence, already served, for a Louisville police officer convicted in connection with the raid that resulted in Breonna Taylor's death. Migrants are suing to bar the Trump administration from arresting people making appearances at immigration court proceedings. Attorney General Pam Bondi and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum visited Alcatraz on Thursday as they consider plans to reopen it for use as a federal prison. NEWS THIS AFTERNOON Trump administration stuck in Epstein quagmire President Trump has been trying for days to escape GOP doubts about the government's story surrounding convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, but Trump's denials and attacks on his own supporters have only fueled demands for more transparency. 'I have to disagree with the president,' Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) said on 'Good Morning BT with Bo Thompson & Beth Troutman.' 'I don't think human trafficking of young teenage girls being exploited by billionaires on a private island is boring. I think it's despicable, and I believe that anybody who had anything to do with it or knowledge of it should be held accountable.' 'Just release the damn files,' Tillis added. 'So many powerful people want that list suppressed,' Musk posted. Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.), a Trump ally who has called for a special counsel investigation, explained her position: 'People are frustrated. We want to know if there's more information,' Boebert said in an interview on NewsNation 's 'On Balance.' 'I don't know exactly what [Attorney General] Pam Bondi has seen or what she hasn't seen,' Boebert continued. 'I've seen just as much that has been released from her as you have. And so I'm saying maybe someone else needs to take a look at this.' The White House said Thursday that Trump 'would not recommend a special prosecutor in the Epstein case.' Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel sought to close the book on the matter earlier this month, releasing the results of an investigation concluding that there is no official Epstein 'client list.' That determination brought howls of protest from the right, where many of Trump's most vocal supporters in the media had tantalized their audiences with the promises of transparency and bombshell revelations of a vast conspiracy of powerful people. Many of Trump's allies remain fixated on the case, even as Trump describes it as a 'hoax' and blasts his 'past supporters' as 'weaklings' for not letting it go. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt explained Thursday why Trump has taken to describing the Epstein files as a 'hoax.' 'The president is referring to the fact that Democrats have now seized on this, as if they ever wanted transparency when it came to Jeffrey Epstein, which is an asinine suggestion for any Democrat to make,' Leavit said. 'The Democrats had control of this building for four years and they didn't do a dang thing.' Leavitt argued that Trump directed Bondi and Patel to undertake an exhaustive review in an effort to be transparent, and that their findings closed the book on the matter. 'These are great patriots, some of the most trusted voices in the Republican Party movement…and they spent many months going through all the files,' Leavitt added. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), who introduced a bill with Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) to force a vote on releasing all government files pertaining to Epstein, says he nearly has enough GOP co-sponsors to pass the legislation through the House. Still, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said he's not seeing a groundswell in the Senate to back the effort to release the files. 'I'm not hearing it,' Thune said. The Hill's Emily Brooks and Mychael Schnell report that Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is considering backing a measure to disclose more information on the case, as he seeks to quell GOP outrage. Epstein's former lawyers are speaking out, saying there never was a 'client list.' 'I don't believe for a second there's a client list out there,' attorney David Schoen said on NewsNation 's 'Cuomo.' 'That wasn't Jeffrey Epstein.' 💡 Perspectives: • The Free Press: What the Epstein fight is really about. IN OTHER NEWS © AP Photo/Alex Brandon/Rick Bowmer Roundup: Trump backs off Powell firing threats – for now President Trump has backed away from threats to fire Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, but senior administration officials are keeping the heat on the central bank chief. Earlier this week, Trump told a small group of GOP lawmakers he'd fire Powell 'soon.' The president then said publicly that there's no point in firing Powell, whose term ends in less than a year. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Bloomberg TV that Trump 'is not looking to fire' the Fed chair. The president cannot legally fire Powell for policy differences but he can fire him for 'cause.' Democrats believe the Trump administration is laying the groundwork for termination as Republicans investigate cost-overruns to renovations taking place at the Federal Reserve building in Washington. Administration officials have accused Powell of lying to Congress about the $2.5 billion refurbishment. White House Budget adviser Russ Vought said Thursday the project had experienced $700 million in cost overruns. 'We want to get a sense for the difference between his statements and the plans that were submitted to the National Planning Commission,' Vought said. 'It has implications for the country's fiscal situation,' he added. Republican senators are warning Trump against firing Powell, saying it would send 'shockwaves' through the economy. 'I do not believe a president, any president, has the authority to fire the Federal Reserve chair,' said Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Banking Committee, which has jurisdiction over the Fed. 'I believe strongly in the independence of the Federal Reserve,' he added. 'Some countries in the world don't have independent central banks. Ask Turkey how that's been working out for them. At one point Turkey had inflation at 30 percent.' The conservative editorial board at the Wall Street Journal echoed that sentiment. 'Love or loathe Mr. Powell, Mr. Trump chose him,' the board said. 'Mr. Trump also chose the tariff taxes, and a multitude of no-growth tax and spending handouts in the new budget bill. Now the President has to live with his choices.' In its July Beige Book, the Federal Reserve board warned of inflation, saying businesses 'passed on at least a portion of cost increases to consumers through price hikes or surcharge.' Powell has refused Trump's demands to lower interest rates, citing the threat of inflation from tariffs. 'Despite all of the doom-casting from the so-called experts that these tariffs would be the end of the world as we know it, the opposite has occurred,' White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Thursday. 'Tariffs are not inflationary, as President Trump has said all along. In reality, tariffs are a source of massive revenue.' Leavitt said tariff revenue has totaled more than $113 billion so far this year. • Trump's approval rating on immigration is at the lowest point of his second term, according to a new survey from Reuters/Ipsos. Only 41 percent approve, down from 50 percent in March, as immigration raids and mass deportations dominate headlines. White House border czar Tom Homan said Wednesday the Trump administration is considering changes to immigration policy pertaining to farm and hospitality workers. Last week, Trump announced a new program intended to support the agriculture industry, as farmers complain that deportations are disrupting their business, which often rely on migrant workers. Trump insisted the program would not provide 'amnesty,' though details are scant. The Wall Street Journal reports: 'President Trump's aggressive deportation policies are spawning a new GOP-led policy push in Congress: Specific immigration-law changes to help protect the workforce in the agriculture industry, which relies heavily on unauthorized laborers.'
