Washington D.C. – The Trump administration today continued to escalate its crackdown on immigration, with Los Angeles bracing for the arrival of more federal troops amidst ongoing protests. This comes as the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) faced grilling on Capitol Hill over significant funding cuts to research.
President Donald Trump has doubled down on his decision to deploy about 700 Marines and an additional 2,000 National Guard members (bringing the total to 4,000) to Los Angeles to control protests against his immigration policies. Al Jazeera reported that California Governor Gavin Newsom accused Trump of using members of the military as “political pawns” and vowed legal action against the deployment. Trump and his top officials have defended the move, with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem vowing more immigration raids. Attorney General Gregory Svirnovskiy stated that violent LA protesters will face federal charges. The head of the Marine Corps expressed “faith” in deployed troops when questioned about the possible use of force on civilians.
Meanwhile, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), was in the hot seat today, facing questions from Congress. Politico reported that Trump’s cuts to “ideologically disfavored research” have left the NIH with unspent funds, and Bhattacharya is pledging to change that. This follows a letter from the House Committee on Energy & Commerce highlighting significant staff reductions and a proposed “massive, unprecedented 40% cut” to the NIH budget. Bhattacharya told a Senate panel he was hopeful the administration would reach a settlement with universities that have had research grants suspended.
In other developments:
- Trade Talks Progress: High-level U.S.-China trade talks continued for a second day in London, with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick striking an optimistic tone, stating that negotiations are going well.
- GOP Eyes Tax Cuts: Senate Finance Republicans are increasingly looking to dial back key items on President Trump’s tax policy wish list, potentially pitting them against the architect of the House-passed tax legislation and even the White House.
- Travel Ban in Effect: A new presidential proclamation imposing a full travel ban on citizens of 12 countries and restricting entry for nationals from seven more is now in effect, justified by Trump on national security grounds.
These events highlight the Trump administration’s aggressive pursuit of its immigration and trade agendas, facing internal and external opposition, while simultaneously engaging in key international dialogues.