Welcome to the online edition of From The Politics Desk, an evening newsletter that provides the latest reports and analysis from the NBC News Politics team’s White House, Capitol Hill and Campaign Trail.
Happy Friday! Good luck to readers in Kansas City and Philadelphia this Super Bowl weekend. In today’s edition, Henry J. Gomez delves into what he reveals about J.D. Vance’s growing portfolio and his role in the White House. Additionally, “Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker outlines the hurdles awaiting Donald Trump’s agenda at Capitol Hill.
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– Adam Walner
How Vance carves his role as VP
Henry J. Gomez
Vice President JD Vance’s White House portfolio has been focusing more sharply this week, revealing how and where the White House is most confidently deployed at the beginning of President Donald Trump’s second term.
Tiktok: The latest development is when Trump slams Vance with national security adviser Michael Waltz on a contract to sell and save Tiktok, a Chinese social media company that is banned in the US. news.
Capitol Hill: Vance also appeared in the Senate as Trump’s eyes, ears and voice, where he served for two years. Utilizing his existing relationship with Republicans within the Chamber of Commerce, he is a candidate for Health and Human Services Secretary, and two important matters surrounding the Director of National Intelligence, in the battle with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Tarcigabad. I helped to vote for the committee.
Ohio: Vance started the week in his home state of Ohio. There, on the second anniversary of the derailment of the toxic East Palestinian train, he violated completing his administration’s efforts and defended Trump’s call for tariffs in Mexico, Canada and China.
Doge: And he ended it by asking for the rehiring of staff at the Government Efficiency Bureau, who resigned after the Wall Street Journal surfaced a racist racist statement that he created online. (Elon Musk later said he would get his staff back.)
Foreign Policy: Next Week’s UP: Vance’s first overseas trip to Vice President. Itinerary including the Artificial Intelligence Summit in Paris and the Munich Security Council. It would give him the opportunity to build his foreign policy qualifications ahead of his own expected presidential election in 2028.
The Vice President can be complicated to navigate. Dan Keel is more remembered for his mistakes. Algore had a hard time coming out of Bill Clinton’s shadow. Recently, Kamala Harris has received several high-profile but difficult missions, including immigration and abortion.
But at least in this early stages, Vance appears to have found his footing. He told Fox News this week that he viewed Maria Bartiromo as an “all-around player.” One White House official, who had been asked to score Vance’s performance so far, gave him an “A.”
Read more from Henry →
Things you need to know from today’s President Trump
A federal judge said the US International Development Agency will suspend a midnight deadline for hundreds of workers to strip the US labor force of more than 5,000 people. week. He also said he might meet Ukrainian President Voldy Mie Zelensky in Washington next week, saying he was “probably talking” with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Without providing evidence that some of them are “rotten.” The Justice Department and lawyers representing FBI agents who investigated on January 6 have reached an agreement that prohibits anyone in the federal government from revealing the names of those agents while the lawsuit is underway. The chairman of the Ellen Weintrobe committee said he received a letter from Trump informing her that he had been taken away from her post “quickly.” However, Trump does not appear to have the power to unilaterally remove FEC commissioners, even if his or her term expires. Part of a broader plan to end federal reliance on single-use plastics.
Follow the live update →
Trump’s biggest hurdle may lie in Capitol Hill
By Kristen Welker
President Donald Trump’s agenda faces many challenges in court, with over 20 cases underway. But his biggest hurdle may be in Capitol Hill.
I was talking to Republican lawmakers this week at Capitol Hill, and my concerns about passing Trump’s legislative agenda were obvious. Republicans have a razor majority in their homes, where they can afford to lose one vote, leaving them virtually no room for error.
And Republicans are debating exactly how they want to advance Trump’s policy priorities. Do they deal with borders first and deal with taxes separately? Or do you tie the two together?
Yesterday, House Republicans leaned in the White House for nearly five hours trying to understand this. Sources who were present at the meeting told me it was productive and they are still on the 1-built track that Trump likes.
As they continue to launch details, speaker Mike Johnson aims to kickstart the House process with a committee vote next week. Senate Budget Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham released another budget resolution addressing border security, military and energy regulations, extending Trump’s tax cuts for another time in 2017, so he will take action even more. I’m under pressure. Graham also hopes to vote for the committee next week.
And the government is expected to close in just a month, and could throw another wrench in its efforts to enact Trump’s agenda.
However, GOP is determined to find a way forward. As one Republican lawmaker told me, “Failure is not an option.”
On Sunday’s “Meet the Press,” we unpack Trump’s agenda and more, and talk to national security advisers Michael Waltz and Sen. Andy Kim.
today’s other top stories
exprusive exclusive: Ice agents expressed anger that the number of people deported in the first weeks of his administration is not high, thus increasing the number of undocumented immigrant arrests and deportations The pressure is rising. Read more → Online: Brandy Zadrozney and Lora Korodney dive into the way Elon Musk drove USAID’s fringe perspective into the mainstream of X when the Trump administration stopped working for the Humanitarian Relief Agency. Read more Read more → 💼 Should I stay or should I go? In an interview, federal workers expressed fear and uncertainty about the looming deadline, telling the Trump administration whether to accept the takeover or stay at work. Read more → 🥶Frozen fallout: Trump administration’s federal employment freeze is a place for thousands of seasonal federal firefighters, including those working at agencies sought to fight a devastating Los Angeles area fire. Onboarding has been stopped. Read more →🔄DESANTIS2.0? Florida’s first Radicala Say DeSantis is seriously considering running for governor amid a push from top GOP donors by limiting her husband’s deadlines. Read more →
For now, it’s all from the political desk. Today’s newsletter was compiled by Adam Walner, Bridget Bowman and Faith Wardwell.
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