Trump Live Updates: Merz White House Visit, Travel Ban and More – The New York Times
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Diverging Reports Breakdown
Trump meets with Germany’s Merz in Oval Office
Merz presents US president with grandfather’s birth certificate. Trump’s grandfather in 1869, in the Bavarian town of Karllstadt, which was then part of the Kingdom of Bavaria. He emigrated to the US in 1885 – reportedly to avoid mandatory military service.
Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from the White House
Image source, Reuters
Just a few minutes ago, we saw Merz present Trump with the birth certificate of his grandfather.
But just who was Friedrich Trump?
We know that Trump’s grandfather in 1869, in the Bavarian town of Karllstadt, which was then part of the Kingdom of Bavaria.
He emigrated to the US in 1885 – reportedly to avoid mandatory military service – and settled at first in New York, which at the time was seeing a large influx of German immigrants.
A few years later, he headed west during the Klondike Gold Rush to Canada’s Yukon Territory, running restaurants and hotels that catered to gold miners.
He later returned to Germany in 1901, but was expelled and returned to the US with his then now-wife, Elisabeth Christ.
There, he began setting up the real estate empire that made the family famous and which later expanded by his son Fred – the president’s father.
Friedrich Trump died in 1918 during the Spanish Flu pandemic. Fred was three years old.
Live updates: Trump says he is ‘very disappointed’ in Elon Musk for slamming GOP bill
“Elon was ‘wearing thin,’ I asked him to leave, I took away his EV Mandate that forced everyone to buy Electric Cars that nobody else wanted (that he knew for months I was going to do!), and he just
“Elon was ‘wearing thin,’ I asked him to leave, I took away his EV Mandate that forced everyone to buy Electric Cars that nobody else wanted (that he knew for months I was going to do!), and he just went CRAZY!,” Trump wrote in one post.
“The easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon’s Governmental Subsidies and Contracts. I was always surprised that Biden didn’t do it!” he added in a second post.
The Latest: Trump announces travel ban and restrictions on 19 countries
Trump and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, have spoken amid stalled talks over tariffs. Germany’s new leader, Chancellor Friedrich Merz, is meeting Trump in Washington on Thursday. European Central Bank cuts benchmark interest rate as Trump tariffs threaten economy. African Union Commission expresses concern about the potential negative impact of the travel ban on educational exchanges, business ties and broader diplomatic relations.. The White House released a video linking the new travel ban to a terror attack in Boulder, Colorado, saying it underscored the dangers posed by some visitors overstay visas who are from Egypt, a country that is not on Trump’s restricted list. The U.S. State Department says he overstayed a tourist visa and that he will not be allowed to return to the United States for at least two months. The State Department and the Department of Homeland Security say he will be able to return for two months after he is granted a temporary reprieve from the ban. The ban affects citizens of 12 countries; those from seven others would face restrictions.
President Donald Trump has resurrected a hallmark policy of his first term, announcing that citizens of 12 countries would be banned from visiting the United States and those from seven others would face restrictions.
Meanwhile, Germany’s new leader, Chancellor Friedrich Merz, is meeting Trump in Washington on Thursday as he works to keep the U.S. on board with Western support for Ukraine, help defuse trade tensions that pose a risk to Europe’s biggest economy and further bolster his country’s long-criticized military spending.
Here’s the latest:
Trump and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, have spoken amid stalled talks over tariffs
The discussion Thursday followed Trump suggesting it was tough to reach a deal with Xi.
“I like President XI of China, always have, and always will, but he is VERY TOUGH, AND EXTREMELY HARD TO MAKE A DEAL WITH!!!,” Trump posted Wednesday on his social media site.
Trade negotiations between the United States and China stalled shortly after a May 12 agreement between both countries to reduce their tariff rates in order to have talks. Behind the gridlock has been the continued competition for an economic edge.
▶ Read more about relations between the U.S. and China
How is the new travel ban different from Trump’s 2017 ban?
During his first term, Trump issued an executive order in January 2017 banning travel to the U.S. by citizens of seven predominantly Muslim countries including Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen.
It was one of the most chaotic and confusing moments of his young presidency. Travelers from those nations were either barred from getting on their flights to the U.S. or detained at U.S. airports after they landed. They included students and faculty, as well as business people, tourists and people visiting friends and family.
The order, often referred to as the “Muslim ban” or the “travel ban,” was retooled amid legal challenges until a version was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018.
The ban affected various categories of travelers and immigrants from Iran, Somalia, Yemen, Syria and Libya, plus North Koreans and some Venezuelan government officials and their families.
Reactions to Trump’s travel ban
International aid groups and refugee resettlement organizations roundly condemned the new ban.
“This policy is not about national security — it is about sowing division and vilifying communities that are seeking safety and opportunity in the United States,” said Abby Maxman, president of Oxfam America.
The African Union Commission expressed concern Thursday about the “the potential negative impact” of the ban on educational exchanges, business ties and broader diplomatic relations.
“The African Union Commission respectfully calls upon the U.S. administration to consider adopting a more consultative approach and to engage in constructive dialogue with the countries concerned,” the commission said in a statement.
European Central Bank cuts benchmark interest rate as Trump tariffs threaten economy
The ECB cut its benchmark interest rate for an eighth time, aiming to support businesses and consumers with more affordable borrowing as Trump’s trade war threatens to slow already tepid growth.
The bank’s rate-setting council cut interest rates by a quarter of a point Thursday at the bank’s skyscraper headquarters in Frankfurt. Analysts expected a cut, given the gloomier outlook for growth since Trump announced a slew of new tariffs April 2 and subsequently threatened to impose a crushing 50% tariff, or import tax, on European goods.
The bigger question remains how far the bank will go at subsequent meetings. Bank President Christine Lagarde’s remarks at a post-decision news conference will be scrutinized for hints about the bank’s outlook.
▶ Read more about the European Central Bank
How Trump justified the travel ban
Since returning to the White House, Trump has launched an unprecedented campaign of immigration enforcement that has pushed the limits of executive power and clashed with federal judges trying to restrain him.
The travel ban results from a Jan. 20 executive order Trump issued requiring the departments of State and Homeland Security and the Director of National Intelligence to compile a report on “hostile attitudes” toward the U.S.
In a video released on social media, Trump tied the new ban to a terror attack Sunday in Boulder, Colorado, saying it underscored the dangers posed by some visitors who overstay visas. The suspect in the attack is from Egypt, a country that is not on Trump’s restricted list. The Department of Homeland Security says he overstayed a tourist visa.
Trump’s Thursday schedule, according to the White House
1. 11:30 a.m. — Trump will greet German Chancellor Friedrich Merz 2. 11:45 a.m. — The two will have a meeting in the Oval Office 3. 12:25 p.m. — Trump and Merz will have lunch 4. 4:00 p.m. — Trump will participate in a roundtable discussion with the Fraternal Order of Police
Thune’s first big test as Senate leader has arrived with Trump’s tax bill
Only six months into the job, Senate Majority Leader John Thune faces a massive challenge as he tries to quickly push President Trump’s sprawling tax and spending cuts package to passage with the support of a divided GOP conference.
While most Republican senators are inclined to vote for the bill, Thune can stand to lose only four votes in the face of united Democratic opposition — and many more Republicans than that are critical of the version sent over by the House.
To get it done by July 4 — Trump’s deadline — Thune has to figure out how to balance the various, and sometimes conflicting, demands emerging from his members. And he has to do it in a way that doesn’t endanger Republican support in the House, which passed the legislation by only one vote last month after weeks of contentious negotiations.
▶ Read more about Thune and the tax bill
New German leader plans to discuss Ukraine and trade with Trump in Oval Office visit
Germany’s new leader is meeting with Trump Washington on Thursday as he works to keep the U.S. on board with Western support for Ukraine, help defuse trade tensions that pose a risk to Europe’s biggest economy and further bolster his country’s long-criticized military spending.
Trump and Chancellor Friedrich Merz have spoken several times by phone, either bilaterally or with other European leaders, since Merz took office on May 6. German officials say the two leaders have started to build a “decent” relationship, with Merz wanting to avoid the antagonism that defined Trump’s relationship with one of his predecessors, Angela Merkel, in the Republican president’s first term.
The 69-year-old Merz is a conservative former rival of Merkel’s who took over her party after she retired from politics. Merz also comes to office with an extensive business background — something that could align him with Trump.
▶ Read more about their upcoming meeting
Trump moves to block US entry for foreign students planning to study at Harvard University
Trump is moving to block nearly all foreign students from entering the country to attend Harvard University, his latest attempt to choke the Ivy League school from an international pipeline that accounts for a quarter of the student body.
In an executive order signed Wednesday, Trump declared that it would jeopardize national security to allow Harvard to continue hosting foreign students on its campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
It’s a further escalation in the White House’s fight with the nation’s oldest and wealthiest university. A federal court in Boston blocked the Department of Homeland Security from barring international students at Harvard last week. Trump’s order invokes a different legal authority.
In a statement Wednesday night, Harvard said it will “continue to protect its international students.”
“This is yet another illegal retaliatory step taken by the Administration in violation of Harvard’s First Amendment rights,” university officials said.
▶ Read more about the executive order
Trump announces travel ban and restrictions on 19 countries set to go into effect Monday
Trump on Wednesday resurrected a hallmark policy of his first term, announcing that citizens of 12 countries would be banned from visiting the United States and those from seven others would face restrictions.
The ban takes effect Monday at 12:01 a.m., a cushion that may avoid the chaos that unfolded at airports nationwide when a similar measure took effect with virtually no notice in 2017. Trump, who signaled plans for a new ban upon taking office in January, appears to be on firmer ground this time after the Supreme Court sided with him.
Some, but not all, 12 countries also appeared on the list of banned countries in Trump’s first term. The new ban includes Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.
There will be heightened restrictions on visitors from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela.
▶ Read more about the ban
Live updates: Trump and Musk escalate public feud over agenda bill
Democratic lawmakers slammed President Donald Trump’s proclamation to ban travel from several countries to the US. Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar, the first Somali-American in Congress, blasted the policy. Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey said the ban won’t make America safer, saying: “We cannot continue to allow the Trump administration to write bigotry and hatred into U.S. immigration policy.”
Here’s what they’ve said:
Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar, the first Somali-American in Congress, blasted Trump’s policy, comparing it to the president’s first term, when he barred travelers from seven majority-Muslim nations from coming to the US.
“This discriminatory policy is beyond shameful. Just like his first Muslim Ban, this latest announcement flies in the face of basic morality and goes directly against our values. This racist policy will not make us safe, it will separate families and endanger lives. We cannot let it stand,” Omar said in a post on X.
California Sen. Adam Schiff posted on X: “This is Trump’s reckless first term travel ban all over again. Just like before, Trump’s expanded ban on travelers from around the world will not improve our national security and will only further isolate the U.S. from the rest of world. Bigotry is not a national security strategy.”
Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington pointed to economic harm due to the ban and suggested it would lead to a dangerous precedent.
“Further, banning people fleeing dangerous countries like Afghanistan — a country where many people are in danger due to their work assisting the U.S. military — the Congo, Haiti, and Sudan will only further destabilize global security,” Jayapal said in a statement posted on her social media.
Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey said Trump’s travel ban won’t make America safer, saying in a post on X: “We cannot continue to allow the Trump administration to write bigotry and hatred into U.S. immigration policy.”