The House approved a war powers resolution Wednesday that would halt the , defying as a handful of Republicans joined with Democrats to seek to end the three-month-long war. Opposition to the war has only grown as the conflict drags on and as Trump a quick resolution.
The resolution from the House does not immediately stop the war. It now goes to the Senate, where four Republican senators last month joined Democrats in advancing a similar measure to curtail the U.S. campaign against Iran. The Senate has yet to take a final vote.
Trump, in , confirmed an earlier report that he criticized Israeli Prime Minister as 鈥渃razy,” and said he’s 鈥渁 little bit perturbed鈥� that in Lebanon is holding back peace talks with Iran.
The Trump administration is sticking with against , an extraordinary flex of executive power that could help shield the president from further examination of his finances and legal conduct, even as it scraps a to compensate the Republican president’s allies amid a .
Trump’s endorsements helped end the political careers of two senators and a congressman deemed insufficiently loyal, but he couldn’t lift Rep. Randy Feenstra to victory in Iowa鈥檚 Republican primary, setting up a Democratic opportunity to pick up a governorship.
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Israel, Lebanon agree to renew fragile ceasefire and create Lebanese security zones
Israel and Lebanon agreed to renew their fragile ceasefire and create a number of 鈥減ilot鈥� security zones inside Lebanon from which Hezbollah militants would be banned.
In a joint statement released after a fourth round of U.S.-mediated talks at the State Department, the two sides said the ceasefire 鈥渋s contingent on a complete cessation of Hezbollah fire and the evacuation of all Hezbollah operatives鈥� from areas south of the Litani River. It was not immediately clear how the security zones would be established but the agreement calls for the Lebanese army to take full control of those areas.
鈥淭hese steps will enable progress towards a comprehensive peace and security agreement,鈥� the statement said. 鈥淎ll countries reaffirmed that the future of the relationship between Israel and Lebanon must be decided by the two sovereign governments. They rejected any attempt, by any state or non-state actor, to hold Lebanon鈥檚 future hostage.鈥�
The latter is a reference to Iran, which supports Hezbollah and has insisted that Israeli attacks on Lebanon be halted as part of a tentative agreement with the U.S. to end the conflict with Iran. Hezbollah is not part of the Israel-Lebanon talks.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff visits Venezuela
The president鈥檚 top military adviser, Gen. Dan Caine, visited the capital of Venezuela on Wednesday, his office said in a press release.
鈥淕en. Caine participated in bilateral discussions with senior interim government leaders and U.S. Embassy leadership and staff, and visited the Embassy鈥檚 Marine Security Augmentation Unit,鈥� the statement said. It also noted that this was Caine鈥檚 first official visit to the country.
The visit comes less than two weeks after the head of U.S. military operations in Latin America, Marine Gen. Francis Donovan, also visited Caracas as part of a rapid response exercise involving Marines and military aircraft.
Venezuela鈥檚 acting President, Delcy Rodr铆guez, is currently on an official state trip in India.
House approves war powers resolution to halt military action against Iran
The House approved a war powers resolution that would halt the , defying as a handful of Republicans joined with Democrats to end the three-month-long war that has reordered politics at home and abroad.
had tried to prevent an outcome that would show the mounting opposition to the war, two weeks ago when the war powers resolution was on the verge of approval. But displeasure has only grown as the conflict drags on and as Trump a quick resolution.
The roll call Wednesday was 215-208, and cheers erupted in the House chamber.
鈥淭his reckless and costly war of choice needs to end today,鈥� of New York said earlier in the week.
Rubio wraps up marathon two-day Capitol Hill hearings
The secretary of state faced a litany of questions over nearly a dozen hours of hearings combined about the Trump administration鈥檚 tentacles around the war and bipartisan concern over the status of the Iran war and negotiations.
It was the first time Rubio had to face lawmakers since the U.S. first issued strikes on Iran and he spent large portions of his testimony defending the rationale and execution of the military operation.
Rubio faces bipartisan criticism for waivers on Russian oil sanctions
Democrats and Republicans, on both sides of Capitol Hill, peppered Rubio about the Trump administration鈥檚 decision to extend its pause on sanctions on Russian oil shipments to ease shortages from the Iran war.
鈥淧resident Trump was right to impose those sanctions last fall, but the waivers provide Moscow with badly needed revenue, and, I think, make little difference to American consumers in the price of gas,鈥� GOP Sen. Jerry Moran of Kansas said during a hearing.
Rubio defended the decision, saying these are short-term waivers and 鈥渨ill not be permanent.鈥�
In April, the Treasury Department extended the so-called general license for Russian oil that had been loaded by March 11. The extensions have underscored how the fallout from the Iran war has boosted Moscow鈥檚 ability to profit from its energy exports, which had been restrained since the invasion of Ukraine.
Trump suggests he could 鈥榖e the greatest鈥� communist 鈥� if he were actually a communist
The president directed a reporter to read Trump鈥檚 own past words on communism back to him, then scoffed at efforts in New York and other large, blue cities to expand social services.
鈥淚鈥檇 be the greatest in the world. Nobody would be as good as me. I鈥檇 give away everything. I could be the greatest,鈥� Trump said, commenting on what he鈥檇 be like if he were to undertake similar social giveaways.
鈥淚 would sell them: You鈥檙e going to get free rent. You鈥檙e going to get free houses. You鈥檙e going to get free food. You鈥檙e going to get free everything,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut, eventually, that ends and it leads to death, destruction and squalor 100% of the time.鈥�
Trump also said of New York鈥檚 democratic socialist mayor, Zohran Mamdani, 鈥淚 would be better than him鈥� at expanding free services, but 鈥淚 had to sell free enterprise.鈥�
鈥淔ree enterprise is tougher to sell,鈥� Trump said.
Trump on fate of anti-weaponization fund: 鈥業 don鈥檛 know鈥�
In his first public comments since his Justice Department said a controversial $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund would not go forward, the president equivocated.
鈥淚鈥檇 have to ask the lawyers,鈥� Trump said when asked directly whether the settlement fund was dead or merely on hold. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know.鈥�
He spent much of his response to reporters defending the fund, which he called a 鈥渂eautiful thing.鈥�
His comments came just after Senate Republicans voted to advance an immigration funding bill, which they did only after testimony from acting Attorney General Todd Blanche confirmed the fund was dead.
Trump downplays that the US and Iranian strikes are testing fragile ceasefire
鈥淲e鈥檝e been hitting them pretty hard,鈥� Trump said when asked by reporters on Wednesday if the ceasefire remains in place amid back-and-forth attacks by the two sides. He added, 鈥淚t鈥檚 a different part of the world. You know, I鈥檇 say in that part of the world, a ceasefire is when you鈥檙e shooting in a more moderate manner.鈥�
Trump also insisted that ongoing negotiations to extend the temporary ceasefire and open new nuclear talks with Tehran continue to progress.
He suggested that it鈥檚 possible an agreement could be reached 鈥渙ver the weekend.鈥� Trump, however, has been predicting for weeks that the two sides are on the cusp of reaching a deal.
Trump signs executive order on federal workforce reform
The president on Wednesday signed an order that was described as an attempt to make it easier to fire or discipline federal workers.
Introducing the order at an Oval Office event, White House staff secretary Will Scharf said existing personnel rules make it difficult to discipline or promote workers in policymaking roles. He said the goal is to make the federal workforce more accountable.
James Sherk of the Domestic Policy Council added that it has been 鈥渁lmost impossible鈥� to fire federal employees even in cases of serious misconduct.
鈥淲hat this does is basically treat those employees like private sector workers that are being hired on the basis of merit and competence,鈥� Sherk said. 鈥淏ut if they鈥檙e messing up, then they can be removed quickly.鈥�
Trump signs executive order related to the U.S.-Mexico border
After hastily bringing reporters to the Oval Office, the president signed an executive action that will empower customs officials to more carefully track what importers bring across the U.S.-Mexico border.
His order is meant to improve the tracking of goods imported into the U.S. for tariff purposes. Federal authorities said it would also allow them to improve holding importing firms accountable, who have long used shell companies to avoid taxes.
Rubio: Adding countries to Abraham Accords would be 鈥渄ifficult to do at this moment鈥� in Iran war
Asked why it鈥檚 important to increase normalization between Israel and Arab countries, Rubio laid out the benefits that it would provide both sides, but provided a sober outlook on the unlikelihood, given the ongoing hostilities in the region.
鈥淲e do want to expand the Abraham Accords obviously, but it鈥檚 difficult to do at this moment,鈥� Rubio told senators Wednesday afternoon. 鈥淏ut we鈥檙e laying the groundwork for it. It鈥檒l be a top priority of this administration.鈥�
His testimony strayed from Trump鈥檚 recent comments, including last week, when the president said that signing on to the Abraham Accords 鈥渟hould be mandatory鈥� as part of a U.S.-Iran deal being negotiated right now.
The accords were a series of diplomatic and commercial agreements forged with U.S. influence between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco in 2020, during Trump鈥檚 first term.
Trump talks to press about reflecting pool
Shortly before 4 p.m. Wednesday, reporters were suddenly summoned to the Oval Office.
The reason was ostensibly to watch the president sign executive orders. But Trump kicked off the event by talking up the reflecting pool outside the Lincoln Memorial, which he announced earlier would get its final coat of protection today.
鈥淚t鈥檒l last for 50 to 100 years before you have to do anything, very strong, powerful substance that we used,鈥� Trump told reporters. At one point, he held up a poster that said: 鈥淥ur Pool is Bigger than Skyscrapers.鈥�
After that opener, Trump moved to the topic at hand: a customs-related executive order.
Republicans have won the partisan redistricting battle
Since Trump urged Republicans to redraw U.S. House districts last year, officials in eight states have enacted new districts that could help Republicans win up to 16 additional seats in the November elections.
Democrats suffered setbacks in their counterattacks. But they could gain up to six additional seats from new districts in two states.
The aggressive mid-decade redistricting carries high stakes, because Democrats need to gain just a few seats in the midterms to win control of the House. It remains to be seen whether the redistricting will help Republicans hold on to their slim majority.
US reduces the forces it would provide to NATO in a crisis
The U.S. military is reducing the number of forces it would contribute to NATO during an emergency, a change that鈥檚 been expected from the Trump administration as it pushes European allies to shoulder more of the continent鈥檚 defense burden.
U.S. European Command on Wednesday publicly announced changes to the NATO Force Model, a contingency plan for European defense in the event of serious security concerns, such as increased Russian aggression. The announcement lacks specifics, but said allies could step up with planes and ships as the U.S. reserves more of its own forces to thwart potential threats in other parts of the world.
U.S. and British officials said the change was already announced in classified meetings to NATO allies in recent weeks.
Demonstrator kicked out as Rubio kicks off 4th and final Capitol Hill hearing
As the secretary of state entered his fourth and last congressional hearing, a young demonstrator who said she was 18 years old yelled that the foreign policy actions of the Trump administration were being taken 鈥渁gainst the will of the American people鈥� before being removed from the Senate hearing room.
She yelled, 鈥淔ree Palestine,鈥� as the door was closing.
It was the first interruption of the day but part of a series of protests against Rubio and the administration in the past two days, specifically against U.S. support for Israel and the impacts of that on war-torn Gaza.
3 UN experts accuse US of `unlawful coercion鈥� against Cuba鈥檚 sovereignty
The independent U.N. human rights investigators urged the Trump administration in a statement Wednesday to immediately halt all threats against Cuba鈥檚 sovereignty and revoke sanctions 鈥渁dopted contrary to international law.鈥�
The experts said efforts to change Cuba鈥檚 鈥渃onstitutional order鈥� through threats and coercion 鈥渆cho colonial-era practices.鈥�
They said Trump鈥檚 declaration of a 鈥淒onroe Doctrine鈥� in March, asserting U.S. predominance in the Western hemisphere, has raised 鈥渟ignificant alarm.鈥� And they said his statements about the 鈥渉onor of taking Cuba鈥� reflect 鈥渁 deeply concerning strategy of coercion鈥� against the country.
The experts on democracy, the negative impact of sanctions and counterterrorism, also pointed to the longstanding U.S. embargo and recent fuel blockade of Cuba.
They called the recent U.S. indictment of former Cuban president Ra煤l Castro 鈥渁 misuse of domestic judicial proceedings鈥� and 鈥渁n instrument of coercive foreign policy,鈥� and the announced deployment of the USS Nimitz to the southern Caribbean another element of 鈥渦nlawful coercion.鈥�
Rubio wraps up nearly 4-hour congressional hearing
The secretary of state has finished nearly four hours of testimony before the House Foreign Affairs Committee, where he received praise from Republicans and sparred with Democrats over the Iran war, President Donald Trump鈥檚 relationship with NATO and U.S. aid to Africa.
The hearing before lawmakers on Capitol Hill was the third of four in two days for the former Republican senator from Florida. The purpose of each hearing has been to discuss the State Department鈥檚 budget. But they鈥檝e often veered into discussions about the Trump administration鈥檚 dealings with countries around the world.
Rubio insists to lawmakers that any US-Iran deal will be 鈥榖etter鈥� than Obama agreement
Republicans and Democrats have raised concerns about the reported details of a deal between Tehran and Washington. And on Wednesday, Rep. Andy Barr, a Republican from Kentucky, questioned whether the deal was similar to the one former President Barack Obama made in 2015.
Rubio went on to outline the various issues being discussed and how they differ from the previous nuclear deal, which Trump withdrew from in 2018.
鈥淯ltimately, any deal we do will be a good deal, or there won鈥檛 be a deal, and it鈥檒l be better than JCPOA,鈥� Rubio said, referring to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
That agreement, which included Germany, France and Britain, had lifted most U.S. and international economic sanctions against Iran for restrictions on its nuclear program, making it impossible to produce a bomb and establishing rigorous inspections.
Rubio says Trump still wants to be part of NATO, but alliance needs significant reform
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Trump administration has no intention of abandoning NATO but won鈥檛 back down on demanding significant reforms.
Rubio told lawmakers Wednesday that the president plans to attend the annual NATO leaders鈥� summit in Turkey next month, at which he will make the U.S. case for changes and again call for allies to increase their defense spending. The summit is to be held in Ankara on July 7-8.
鈥淭he president himself will be attending the next NATO, a meeting of heads of state where all of these points will be made clear. We鈥檙e still in NATO, but NATO needs significant changes, and the president has made that clear,鈥� Rubio said.
Trump has been particularly irked by some NATO countries, mainly Spain, denying the use of airbases for the war against Iran.
Senate GOP officially strips $1 billion in White House security funding from immigration spending bill
After weeks of discussions, the Senate has officially dropped a $1 billion proposal for White House security and Trump鈥檚 ballroom project.
The Senate is set to begin voting on legislation to fund immigration enforcement agencies on Wednesday afternoon, and the bill鈥檚 final text, released just hours before the vote, does not include the security funding.
Republicans had already indicated they would drop the security proposal after backlash from within their own caucus and criticism from Democrats.
Rubio says Greenland is part of Denmark 鈥榝or now鈥�
Rubio made the 鈥渇or now鈥� statement when Democratic Rep. Sarah McBride of Delaware asked Rubio about Trump鈥檚 calls for the U.S. to own the semiautonomous territory of Denmark to better defend the U.S.
Rubio said talks about the use of Greenland for collective defense are 鈥渋n a good place,鈥� though he declined to publicly discuss the details.
McBride had asked Rubio if he shares Trump鈥檚 belief that the U.S. needs to own land within NATO to defend it.
鈥淭he president鈥檚 view is that it鈥檚 a lot easier to defend it when you have control and complete control of it,鈥� Rubio said. 鈥淲e are obviously having conversations with both Denmark and Greenland. They are ongoing on a monthly basis now. I think we鈥檒l have pretty good news.鈥�
Abelardo de la Espriella thanks Trump for endorsement, predicts stronger US-Colombia ties
Colombian lawyer Abelardo de la Espriella, who pulled ahead in the first round of , on Wednesday thanked Trump for endorsing his campaign, saying he predicts stronger bilateral ties if the conservative defeats progressive Iv谩n Cepeda in the presidential runoff.
Writing on the Truth Social platform the previous day, Trump offered his 鈥渃omplete and total endorsement鈥� for de la Espriella, calling him an 鈥渋ntelligent, strong, and tough leader鈥� who will take on a 鈥渞adical leftist Marxist鈥� in the June 21 runoff election.
鈥淲ith my head held high and my heart throbbing with patriotic gratitude, I receive your words and your steadfast support,鈥� de la Espriella, known as 鈥淓l Tigre鈥� or 鈥淭he Tiger,鈥� wrote on the social platform X. 鈥淭hank you, Mr. President!鈥�
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