President Trump is slated to meet with new German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Thursday at the White House.
With trade and the Ukraine-Russia war on the agenda, it was already expected to be a meeting with no lack of contentious issues to discuss. American conservatives’ entry into German politics is also likely to come up, with its support for the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party.
The meeting comes less than a day after Trump instituted a 12-nation U.S. travel ban, one of a series of actions the president took on Wednesday night.
On Capitol Hill, Speaker Mike Johnson continues to defend the House’s “big, beautiful bill” against flak from tech king Elon Musk, who on Wednesday called for the legislation to be killed. Johnson told Bloomberg TV that he and Musk had texted Wednesday night and planned to talk on Thursday.
But the bill is also in trouble in the Senate, with outspoken opposition from enough senators to potentially hurt its chances for passage before July 4.
The Supreme Court will issue opinions at 10 a.m., as it barrels toward the end of its current term.
Follow along all day for updates on these stories and more.
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