Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to arrive in the U.S. today for his state visit with President Donald Trump.
Trump’s strong rapport with Xi Jinping is set to be on display in Washington this week as the Chinese leader makes his first U.S. state visit in more than a decade. But below the surface-level pageantry at the White House, little is likely to be resolved as the world’s two biggest economies continue to spar over trade, Taiwan, AI and more.
Since a trade war last year that shook the global economy, U.S.-China relations have been at an effective standstill, experts say, buying both sides time to reinforce their strengths and address their vulnerabilities.
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A group of Senate Democrats is calling on Trump to “draw a hard line” on China’s access to U.S.-made chips and chipmaking equipment during his meeting with Xi at the White House.
“We are calling on Trump to stand up for the nation’s security by once and for all blocking China’s access to our AI chips and manufacturing equipment,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said at a news conference with several other Democrats.
“President Trump must draw a hard line: Do not weaken America’s export controls; do not give China greater access to the advanced chips and chipmaking equipment it needs to close the gap with the United States.”
Schumer accused Trump of “giving away our greatest advantage in the AI race by green-lighting the sale of advanced AI chips to China.”
Trump has allowed Nvidia chips to be sold to China but not the most advanced Blackwell ones.
More than four dozen news outlets and media groups submitted a filing today in support of CNN, MS NOW and Politico, arguing the administration’s reasons for banning the outlets from White House grounds “are transparently viewpoint discriminatory” and “inconsistent with the First Amendment.”
NBCUniversal Media, the parent company for NBC News, is one of the media organizations that signed onto the filing.
In the 39-page filing, the group said that the administration’s ban is affecting the outlets and is bad for the public. The group argued that White House journalists “work in spaces protected by the nonpublic forum doctrine.” The Supreme Court has previously held that the government can restrict certain speech in nonpublic forums but cannot restrict speech based on viewpoint discrimination.
“Stripping journalists and news outlets of their rights because of perceived editorial viewpoint violates decades of Supreme Court jurisprudence and is impermissible in any type of forum, including the White House,” the filing said in a separate point.
The other outlets participating in the brief include The Associated Press, CBS, Fox News, NPR and The New York Times. The two lead groups, according to the filing, are the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, which is a media advocacy group, and the White House Correspondents’ Association.
Apple’s Tim Cook, OpenAI’s Sam Altman and Nvidia’s Jensen Huang are expected to attend tomorrow’s state dinner with Xi, a source familiar with the plans said.
Many of the 17 business executives who traveled with Trump to China in May have been extended invitations, but it’s unclear how many of them will attend because there is a limit on size and seating.
Former White House AI czar David Sacks is also expected to be one of the guests.
Facing a challenging re-election bid, seven-term Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., says he’s not surprised that voters distrust the Republican Party to improve their healthcare.
“I can’t say that Republicans have done much about it,” Perry told NBC News before the House left last week for a lengthy election recess. “We’ve even passed some things here, but they don’t make it anywhere in the Senate. So, you know, people want results, not talk.”
Healthcare is shaping up to be a vulnerability for the GOP in the 2026 midterm elections, when Democrats hope to capture the House and Senate. According to this month’s NBC News poll, voters trust Democrats over Republicans on healthcare by 22 points. A New York Times-Siena College poll similarly found that likely voters preferred Democrats by 24 points on the issue.
Still, Republicans are leaning in and highlighting the issue, with many of them using populist rhetoric criticizing insurance and drug companies. The goal, according to three GOP strategists, is more about trying to narrow the Democratic advantage than expecting to win on the issue.
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A group backing Democratic state Rep. James Talarico in the Texas Senate race today released a new TV ad that features former GOP state Rep. Glenn Rogers bashing state Attorney General Ken Paxton over his 2023 impeachment.
In 2023, Rogers voted in the state House to impeach Paxton, who is now running against Talarico in the Senate race. (Rogers lost his re-election campaign the following year.)
The charges in Paxton’s impeachment included breaking the law, abusing his office, accepting bribes and obstructing justice. Paxton was later acquitted by the state Senate.
“I voted to impeach because to me, character is more important than party. And if it’s not, then we’re in trouble as a nation,” Rogers said in the video from Lone Star Rising PAC. “I’ll never trust Ken Paxton. I’ll never support Ken Paxton. And the last place he should be is the United States Senate.”
A spokesperson for Paxton’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the ad.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Mark Felix / Bloomberg via Getty Images file
Lone Star Rising PAC is one of the top Democratic spenders in Texas’ Senate race, according to AdImpact. The group has so far spent over $4 million since the March primary. Talarico’s campaign has outspent any other entity in the race so far, with over $50 million dropped into TV and digital ads so far.
Lone Star Liberty PAC, a super PAC backing Paxton, and MAGA Inc., a super PAC tied to the president, are the two biggest GOP spenders in the race so far. Lone Star Liberty has spent over $19 million backing Paxton since the late-May primary runoff election, and MAGA Inc. has so far spent over $16 million.
Trump has made a number of comments about China over the past couple of weeks. Here are some of his thoughts on key issues going into this state visit.
Trump was asked Friday about China’s repression of journalists and what message his White House media ban sends. The president said he “doesn’t know” about China being one of the most repressive countries toward journalists but then deflected to talking about the “fake news,” saying, “We don’t repress, but they write fake news.”
Trump has consistently said the U.S. is “leading China” in artificial intelligence and has brought up the threat of falling behind China on the technology as a reason not to implement safeguards around its development.
The president has called the warnings about the potential threat AI poses to humanity a “conspiracy” that would make China happy. He has also called concerns about data centers — specifically how they might affect electricity and water supply — a false narrative pushed by China. He went on to call it a China “PR thing.”
Trump told Fox News’ Laura Ingraham in an interview released earlier this month, “You know, China doesn’t have guardrails, by the way. You know, the guardrails? President Xi. That’s the guardrail.”
Trump said he and Xi discussed the war during their last meeting in Beijing. When asked about reports that Chinese satellite imagery is being used to aid Iran, Trump has repeatedly deflected, saying that the U.S. also spies on China.
Trump also said before heading to China in May that the conflict with Iran would be resolved before visiting Xi. That was over five months ago.
Trump said the talk of the U.S. allowing Chinese electric vehicles, such as those made by the carmaker BYD, into the U.S. was “phony” in his interview with Ingraham. He later said he would allow the vehicles to be built in the U.S. to help bolster manufacturing jobs.
“I’m not knocking Chinese cars,” Trump told Ingraham. “President Xi’s coming over to have a nice state dinner in two weeks.”
Trump said at his bilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly yesterday that Xi’s arrival tonight is going to be a “big deal.”
He said he wished the White House ballroom had been completed for use during Xi’s trip but added it is the “hottest ticket” in town when China’s president comes to visit.
In 100 days, on Jan. 1, new federal work and reporting requirements kick in for Medicaid recipients, leaving roughly 10 million Americans at risk of losing healthcare coverage, as states scramble to prepare for the most substantial change to the program in decades.
A new, $2 million campaign called “Keep Your Care,” an independent nonprofit, launched today. Shared exclusively with NBC News, it aims to educate states and Medicaid recipients ahead of the massive change.
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Rubio defended Trump’s decision to host China’s president at the White House for a state visit after criticism from some Republicans, including Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss.
Asked about the criticism, the secretary of state told reporters, “The idea that we would not interact with them at the highest levels is irresponsible. It’s outrageous. We have to. That doesn’t mean we don’t have strong disagreements.”
Rubio said that even during the height of the Cold War, the U.S. had communication with Soviet officials.
“I think it’s just responsible statecraft for our leaders to speak and meet with one another, and that’s the way we view it,” he said. “We had a visit to China. They hosted us earlier this year. Part of the agreement is that we would visit there, they would visit here, and this is the back end of that agreement.”
Yesterday, Wicker said in remarks on the Senate floor that he would have advised Trump not to invite Xi for “such a lavish welcome here in the United States of America, based on all of the troubling issues we have with President Xi and the Chinese Communist Party.”
In his remarks, Wicker encouraged Trump to “keep in mind that his guest is a brutal, unelected and oppressive dictator who seeks to dominate his neighbors and whose massive military arsenal is aimed directly at the United States of America.”
He also urged Trump to discuss several issues with Xi, including China’s “clear support for Iran,” Xi’s “many human rights abuses,” China’s treatment of the Uyghur people and military plans for Taiwan.
Iran’s president struck a defiant note when he addressed the United Nations General Assembly in New York today, the first time a leader of a country at war with the U.S. has addressed the body.
“America and Israel attacked us, equipped with the latest technology and weapon systems, and our people stood steadfast,” Masoud Pezeshkian said, addressing a chamber with empty seats. “Yes, they did hit us, but we did not bend the knee. We did not bow our head.”
Masoud Pezeshkian addressing the U.N. General Assembly. Selcuk Acar / Anadolu via Getty Images
While vowing not to surrender and saying Trump did not understand his country, Pezeshkian said he believed in diplomacy to end the conflict.
“Iran must be understood by Mr. Trump and those who seek to bully us that we are ready for dialogue and diplomacy and negotiations without accepting the language of force,” he said.
U.S. and Iranian officials held indirect talks yesterday.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio dismissed any idea today that the result of the midterm elections could influence how the U.S. deals with Iran.
“I think the Iranians misread our system,” Rubio told reporters on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly. “I think the Iranians are under this illusion that Democrats are going to win in November, and the president will no longer be able to do things against them. I just don’t think they understand our system very well.”
He said Congress, which he served in, is an important branch of government, but it has “limitations when it comes to the national security of our country.”
“When it comes to the imposition of both sanctions and the use of military force, the president has extraordinary powers,” Rubio said. “Every president does; he’s the commander in chief, both constitutional and otherwise, to be able to carry out those functions. So I think that the Iranians are fundamentally misreading our political system, and I think the president made it very clear yesterday.”
Trump said in his remarks before the General Assembly yesterday that he thinks Iran is waiting until after the midterm elections to negotiate a deal with the U.S.
“I believe we’ll make a deal right after the election because it doesn’t make sense for them not to. They’re waiting to see how I do in the midterm election,” he said. “I gave absolutely no credence and will not give credence to the election, when it comes to Iran. It doesn’t even enter my mind.”
Democratic senators blocked a Republican-led effort to provide immunity for an assistant to Dr. Anthony Fauci as part of a Republican effort to compel her to testify in the GOP’s probe into Covid’s origins.
The 8-7 vote was along party lines, with only one Democrat, Sen. Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire, appearing at the meeting and casting proxy votes on behalf of her Democratic colleagues.
Kentucky Republican Rand Paul, the chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, argued ahead of the vote that the witness’s “position placed her in the flow of communications directly relevant to our investigation.” He pointed to the assistant’s prior decision to invoke her Fifth Amendment right not to answer lawmakers’ questions, saying that today’s effort was intended to “remove the obstacles she raised, so she can answer the committee questions without any fear of conviction.”
Hassan also spoke briefly before the vote, arguing that compelling a witness to testify after the witness invoked Fifth Amendment privileges “is something none of us should take lightly.” Hassan pushed for further conversations on the issue.
The U.S. delegation walked out as Iran’s president addressed the United Nations General Assembly in New York today.
Masoud Pezeshkian’s appearance followed Trump’s threatening to “annihilate” Iran during his address on the UNGA’s first day.
Regardless of the threat, U.S. and Iranian officials held indirect talks yesterday.
Empty U.S. delegation seats as Iran's president addresses the General Assembly. Alexi J. Rosenfeld / Getty Images
The Senate Homeland Security Committee is considering this morning whether it can provide a potential witness with immunity in order for the witness to testify as part of its investigation into the origins of Covid.
Chair Rand Paul, R-Ky., announced the committee’s meeting yesterday to consider whether it would give Dr. Anthony Fauci’s assistant immunity to testify.
An immunity resolution, though, would need two-thirds of the committee to vote in favor. Democrats on the committee oppose the move, which appears likely to fail.
Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan, the top Democrat on the committee, said in a letter that he has “repeatedly urged” Paul to provide committee Democrats with “access to all documents obtained in the course of any investigation and the opportunity to participate in all witness interviews.”
“You have not once acknowledged your failure to adhere to Senate and Committee rules and precedents by continuing to exclude the Minority,” he continued.
Peters said that once Paul provides further information, including why the special assistant was important to the investigation, he would “be happy to consider supporting your request for an immunity order.”
Paul has long targeted Fauci over his handling of Covid. Earlier this year, Fauci invoked his Fifth Amendment right in response to questions from the committee, prompting Paul to push for a vote to hold him in contempt of Congress. In August, the committee voted to hold Fauci in contempt of Congress on a party-line vote.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he supports the possibility of an energy ceasefire and called for a trilateral meeting including Russia, comments that came after his meeting with Trump on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly.
“We are ready for an energy ceasefire if they do not attack our energy system, our electricity, heating and water supply,” Zelenskyy said, adding that the U.S. would share the proposal with Russia.
Trump has previously argued that the rise in diesel prices is due to the war in Ukraine, and he has called on Ukraine not to target Russian diesel infrastructure. Rising diesel prices have been affected by the Russia-Ukraine and Iran wars.
Trump and Zelenskyy meet on the sidelines of the General Assembly yesterday. Brendan Smialowski / AFP via Getty Images
Zelenskyy also called for Trump to arrange the trilateral meeting. The Ukrainian leader has repeatedly said he is willing to meet face-to-face with Russian President Vladimir Putin, but efforts to organize a direct meeting have been unsuccessful so far. The U.S. and Ukrainian leaders also discussed future weapons agreements, Zelenskyy said. He said Ukraine is asking for a winter package of Patriot missiles, as well as licenses to produce Patriot missiles.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov are meeting today on the sidelines of the General Assembly. The U.N. Security Council will also hold a meeting on Ukraine this morning.
The trio of news outlets that Trump abruptly banned from accessing the White House will be in court today to argue their expulsion was unconstitutional and should be lifted immediately.
“This ban could not be a more direct assault on the First Amendment nor a more blatant violation of our most fundamental constitutional principles,” lawyers for CNN, Politico and MS NOW said in a court filing Monday ahead of the hearing.
“The ban is unconstitutional and should be immediately restrained,” they contended, citing legal precedent in the District of Columbia and U.S. Supreme Court.
The news organizations are scheduled to make their case to U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly at a 3:30 p.m. ET hearing.
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During his address to the United Nations General Assembly yesterday, Trump issued a dire warning to Iran, saying, “Will a deal be made with Iran? Or do I annihilate the Islamic Republic?” It comes as the president is set to welcome China’s Xi Jinping to the White House, where the escalating AI competition will top their agenda. The visit, however, is drawing rare criticism from a top Republican. NBC News’ Garrett Haake reports for “TODAY.”
The fight over Missouri’s congressional map returned to the U.S. Supreme Court for a third time late yesterday, after an appeals court ordered the revival of new districts backed by Trump.
The new map was drawn to help Republicans gain a U.S. House seat in the pivotal midterm elections, which will determine control of Congress. The Supreme Court has twice blocked efforts to use it in November.
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The Justice Department said in a court filing late last night that Trump has the right to ban media outlets CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House, calling their access a “privilege” and citing national security concerns.
The filing urges a federal judge not to block the ban, ahead of an emergency hearing today on the news organizations’ request for a temporary order restoring their access.
The Trump administration argues that the ban does not violate First Amendment protections on press freedom. “Access to the White House is a privilege—not a right,” the DOJ says in the filing.
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