Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu huddled with his security cabinet in a bunker late Sunday night, ready for the potential of Iranian ballistic missiles, when the phone rang.
On the line was President Donald Trump, calling with news of a memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran.
It was the second phone call of the day between the two leaders.
In the first, Trump told the Israeli leader he was “pissed off” at Israel’s earlier strike on Beirut and that Netanyahu “has no fucking judgment,” according to Axios. In the second, Trump informed him the war they had launched together in late February was effectively over.
When President Barack Obama signed a nuclear deal with Iran in 2015, Netanyahu rejected it publicly and forcefully. He spoke before Congress, knowing he had the support of Republicans as he bashed both the deal and the president who pursued it. This time, the Israeli prime minister has said almost nothing publicly about the man who made the agreement.
The emerging accord is the scenario Israeli officials have spent weeks dreading: It could reopen the Strait of Hormuz and lead to the easing of economic sanctions on Tehran while delaying talks on the issues that were Israel’s declared war goals. The memorandum of understanding leaves for later discussion the thorny topics of Iran’s nuclear program and its ballistic missile arsenal, even as it offers economic respite to the regime Netanyahu wanted to topple.
When Netanyahu finally made public comments after Trump announced the memorandum of understanding, it was hours after other Israeli politicians had already spoken. In a press conference Monday evening, Netanyahu hardly mentioned the deal in his entire eight-minute opening statement.
Perhaps even more surprising is that he barely mentioned Trump in his opening remarks, instead of boasting about their relationship as he has regularly for years.
When asked about the deal afterward, he said: “There are cases in which President Trump and I do not see eye to eye. … I am responsible for Israel’s security interests, and it needs to be done wisely.”
The agreement also may entail new restrictions on Israel’s ability to fight Hezbollah, as Iran is demanding a full Israeli military withdrawal from southern Lebanon, something Israel has said it is unwilling to do.
On Monday, a senior US official told reporters that withdrawal “was not a condition of the deal.”
“If Iran is not able to control Hezbollah, and if they attack, you know, Israeli positions or Israeli towns, Israel will have the right to defend themselves and respond,” the official said.
While Netanyahu has so far avoided a direct public confrontation with Trump, figures across the Israeli political spectrum have been far less restrained. Netanyahu’s own far-right coalition partners, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, called it a “dangerous deal” and declared Israel does not consider itself bound by it.
Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, who is running to unseat Netanyahu, called it “a dangerous turn in Israel’s security.” Former Israeli military Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot, also a leading contender for the premiership, described it as a “miserable result” born of a lack of strategy and courage.
Netanyahu’s reticence reflects a sensitive foreign policy moment, but also how central Trump is to his electoral strategy. Months ago, sources tell CNN, his political team had envisioned a clear arc for the election: a swift victory over Iran, a triumphant visit to the White House in September, a return visit by Trump to Israel in the final stretch, and a flood of presidential imagery sweeping Netanyahu all the way to the polls in October.
Instead, discussions to end the war are straining relations between the two leaders. A series of public disagreements exposed Trump’s pressure on Israel to end the war and limit its actions in Lebanon. His outspoken calls for Israel to cease fire and announcements about the nuclear negotiations on Truth Social, as well as a recent comment to ABC News questioning whether Netanyahu still wants to “continue” in politics, have all caught the Israeli prime minister off guard, according to sources.
Political consultant Nadav Strauchler, who previously worked with Netanyahu, described the current moment as a “test point,” but not a breaking point.
“I wouldn’t eulogize the relationship so fast,” he said, adding that with October elections roughly four months away, the relationship can recover, and predicting Trump will still be a center stone in the campaign.
“Trump has been angry before — at Netanyahu, at other leaders — and things tend to fall back into place,” Strauchler told CNN. “Until the last two weeks there was hardly any daylight between them,” he said. “Even now, Trump still respects him and isn’t closing the door. There are still 60 days to influence the final nuclear deal. As long as a candle is burning and the window is open, Netanyahu will try to get in through the chimney.”
The mood shift is easy to track on Channel 14, the pro-Netanyahu television network where presenters who once called Trump the greatest gift to the Jewish people are now denouncing him as a “loser” who has weakened both Israel and America. One Likud source privately compared him to the emperor of Japan in defeat.
“Right now, Trump is highly unpopular within Netanyahu’s base,” the source said, while noting the shift could still prove temporary ahead of October’s elections.
The numbers tell the same story. A recent survey by the Israel Democracy Institute published last week found a sharp drop in the share of Jewish Israelis who view Israel’s security as a central consideration for Trump — from 64% in March to 44% this month, the lowest level recorded since late 2024.
“Trump’s stock is declining,” right-wing political analyst Mati Tuchfeld wrote in the Maariv newspaper last week, “not a crash or collapse, but the trend is downward.” Netanyahu’s campaign team, he reported, is now searching for new messaging because a “Strong Together” campaign featuring the two leaders “will no longer achieve the same effect it was originally expected to deliver.”
Opposition leaders are also eyeing the shift. A source familiar with their planning told CNN that if Trump endorses Netanyahu, his opponents plan to use it against him and frame it as proof that he has “turned into a poodle and given up Israel’s security interests.” Opposition figures, the source said, have been conveying messages to Trump’s contacts, urging him not to endorse Netanyahu or take an active part in his campaign.
However, Netanyahu’s camp still believes it’s only a temporary hurdle. Behind the scenes, an Israeli source told CNN that Netanyahu is quietly seeking a one-on-one meeting with the US president — something his office has denied. Such a meeting would allow Netanyahu to convey his concerns about the emerging Iran deal to Trump. And it would give Netanyahu the political currency he was hoping to trade on: a picture of how close he is to Trump.

UFC boss Dana White spoken out against against Josh Hokit after the fighter made disparaging and false remarks about Michelle Obama during the White House’s UFC Freedom 250 event.
“I understand that the Obamas are public figures but I’m completely against saying nasty and false things about people’s families,” White wrote Time magazine in a text message. “Everyone knows my position on free speech but I hate that kind of nonsense.”
After winning his heavyweight fight against Derrick Lewis on the White House lawn, Hokit was interviewed on the Paramount+ livestream by Joe Rogan. Unexpectedly, Hokit shouted into the microphone, “And lastly, Michelle Obama is a man. Am I right, America?,” drawing cheers and screams from the live audience. The incendiary remarks were roundly criticized on social media but went unaddressed throughout the remainder of the broadcast. Rogan appeared flustered and backed away from the fighter, only saying, “Ladies and gentlemen, Josh Hokit.”
White House spokesman Steven Cheung dodged a question about Hokit’s comment, saying, “He had a great win last night. He showed toughness and the ability to pressure his opponent both on his feet and on the ground,” according to CNN’s Jake Tapper.
The bloody spectacle — a celebration of America’s 250th anniversary that also happened to land on Donald Trump’s 80th birthday — was otherwise largely avoidant of partisan politics. UFC athletes (both from the U.S. and other countries) walked out the White House and into the octagon, with Trump, the First Lady Melania and UFC CEO Dana White sitting cageside. The fighters marched alongside U.S. veterans and first responders as people dressed as Revolutionary War soldiers stood guard. The Zac Brown Band performed the national anthem.

After a year that brought Iranians two devastating wars, mass protests crushed by the government and an imploding economy, Iran’s appearance in the World Cup is doing little to cheer people up or to unite the country.
Some Iranians view the national soccer team as representatives of a repressive government. Others see the players as a source of pride that should transcend politics. But the overall feeling, expressed in interviews with Iranians across the political spectrum in recent days, is one of exhaustion and jadedness.
Iranians’ problems are so dire, it appears, that even seeing their national team play at the highest levels of an enormously popular sport won’t deliver much-needed distraction.
“People don’t feel pride anymore,” said Iman, 38, a Tehran resident who said he would not be supporting the Iranian team. Like others interviewed by The New York Times, he declined to be fully identified for fear of government reprisal.
“People have so many problems and are dealing with so many challenges that this soccer thing is really not a big deal for them,” he added.
Another Tehran resident, Iraj, 48, said he would be cheering on the national team. But, he said, “everyone is so occupied with other things that soccer really doesn’t unite.”
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Welcome to Great Adaptations, the Book Review’s regular multiple-choice quiz about printed works that have gone on to find new life as movies, television shows, theatrical productions and more. As America edges closer to its 250th birthday next month, this week’s challenge highlights the popular screen adaptations of books about significant eras in the country’s history. Just tap or click your answers to the five questions below. Scroll down after you finish the last question for links to the books and their screen versions.
Through the life of its feisty lawyer subject, this 2008 HBO mini-series followed several decades of the United States of America as it moved from British colony to independent nation. Which book was the source of the television adaptation?
“The Killer Angels,” Michael Shaara’s 1974 historical novel, won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction and was later adapted into which 1993 film about a pivotal 1863 event during the American Civil War?
“Band of Brothers” is a sweeping 10-part television adaptation about a group of American soldiers in Europe during World War II. Which historian is the author of the 1992 book that inspired the show?
America’s space race with the Soviet Union was one of the country’s driving forces for science and technology in the second half of the 20th century. Which 2016 book (with a film adaptation of the same name) showcased the efforts of several NASA employees as they worked on the 1962 Friendship 7 mission?
The war in Vietnam during the 1960s and ’70s impacted American politics, society and culture for years and still echoes today. Lynda Van Devanter’s 1983 memoir “Home Before Morning” was among the inspirations for a 1988 television series that explored the role of women during the conflict. Which show is it?

From 5h ago
Trump announces 4 July rally in Washington to mark US 250th anniversary
Donald Trump has announced plans to hold a rally in Washington on 4 July as America celebrates its 250th anniversary, saying the event will include a speech, performances, flyovers and fireworks.
“On July 4th, at The Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument, in beautiful and safe Washington D.C., we are going to host the most spectacular TRUMP RALLY of them all, a ’TRIBUTE TO AMERICA.’ Starting at 7 P.M. EST, this HUGE Celebration will honor our Country’s People, Spirit, Strength, Resolve, and Triumphs,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
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Key events
US and Iran have signed memorandum of understanding, US official says
The ⁠United States and Iran have signed a memorandum of understanding to settle the nearly four-month war, Reuters reports that ⁠senior US ⁠officials ​have said, adding that a signing ceremony would take place on Friday and shipping traffic ⁠in the strait of Hormuz would gradually ramp up.
The memorandum of understanding has been signed ⁠by Donald Trump and vice-president JD Vance and ​Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher ‌Ghalibaf, one US ‌official said.
Speaking at a briefing with reporters, the US ‌official added that there will also be a signing ceremony on Friday.
“You will see significant increase in traffic in the strait of Hormuz, actually starting already, and that will ramp up slowly over time,” the US official, ‌speaking on the condition of anonymity, said. “We probably won’t return to normal in two weeks, but ​we will see a significant increase in strait traffic.”
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UFC boss Dana White says ‘never again’ to another White House fight night
UFC chief executive Dana White insisted that yesterday’s event at the White House exceeded his expectations “in every way you gauge success” – but stood by his claim that it is a one-and-done.
“It was an amazing, experience, this was a one of one,” he said. “It will never happen again.”
Merchandise, he said, had hit all-time metrics, and the numbers on Paramount were “monstrous”.
“Hopefully tonight created some unity,” White said. “Even for the people that thought this was going to be some big political statement or something, this wasn’t. This was Americans, all Americans celebrating the birthday. For people who tuned in for the first time, because it was at the White House, hopefully they liked the sport. They liked some of the guy’s stories.”
But despite all the pomp and pageantry, the eyerolls and angst, White stood by his claim that UFC is one-and-done in DC.
The constant headaches over weather concerns in the rare outdoors show, the logistics of construction of the cage and staging events at federal landmarks and the soaring cost – UFC said it was footing the $60m tab – made the Freedom 250 a one-off for a company once dubbed “human cockfighting”.
“I can’t afford it,” White said. “I’ll never do the Sphere [in Las Vegas] again and we’ll never do this again.”
White also said that he and Donald Trump had discussed doing a fight for troops in 2027 but coordinating with the military to have fights on military bases takes time.
“He wanted to do it this year,” White said. “And I said, sir, I need a year to recover financially.”
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Updated at 11.54 EDT
Donald Trump will be looking to build on the momentum of announcing his deal with Iran, and is expected to discuss with the G7 leaders the de-mining of the strait of Hormuz.
Britain and France have expressed interest in assisting with that effort once the conflict was paused. Fears over potential mines is among the reasons tanker traffic ground to a halt in the critical waterway during the war, and quickly clearing them will be crucial to regaining the confidence of commercial vessels to resume navigating the strait.
Macron today said France was ready to move “very quickly” to deploy assets, including mine-clearing vessels, to the region to help, the Associated Press reports.
The French president added that a French aircraft carrier and an accompanying strike group are already in the region and would be ready to assist within days of the US and Iran signing the agreement.
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Here are some pictures of Donald Trump’s arrival for the G7 summit in Évian les-Bains.
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Updated at 11.29 EDT
Patrick Wintour
in Évian les-Bains
Emmanuel Macron, the host of the G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains, has framed an agenda to make it as palatable as possible to his guest of honour, but the French president has no idea if Donald Trump, a haphazard summit attender, will last the full three days – or disrupt the proceedings every hour he stays.
The US president quit the last G7 summit in Kananaskis, Canada, early to work on the Iran conflict, and this year, plus ça change, Iran may also draw presidential attention. For good measure, he insulted this summit’s host before leaving Canada last year, describing Macron as “publicity seeking” and adding: “Purposefully or not, Emmanuel Macron always gets it wrong.”
Macron, who will be attending his 10th G7 summit, chose not to take umbrage, and has even postponed the start of the summit to allow Trump to celebrate his 80th birthday with a UFC event on the White House lawn. Macron is holding out a dinner in Versailles on Wednesday night as a reward if Trump stays the three days; French officials say Trump adores the palace’s gold, and insist the two men respect each other.
It will be touch and go if Trump completes the summit. Reports out of Washington suggest the US president has not been in celebratory mood, and the temptation for him will be to insult his six fellow leaders – representing Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the UK – for lacking the loyalty to join his earlier plan to reopen the strait of Hormuz through force. At best, he will be demanding the planned Franco-British naval taskforce to enforce the restoration of freedom of navigation, as outlined in the US-Iran joint memorandum of understanding, moves quickly. De-mining is also urgently needed if the hundreds of tankers backed up in the strait are to reach the arteries of the world economy in time.
The other G7 leaders – all opposed to the Iran war, with the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, describing it as a US humiliation – will have to decide whether to look ahead, or pass verdict on a war that has upended the world economy.
Trump also faces being cornered by two other even more persistent wars – Ukraine and Gaza. Macron wants to see Europe given a greater role in solving both conflicts, pointing out it is Europe, not the US, that is saving Ukraine from bankruptcy.
France will also be pressing for the US to resolve the impasse in Gaza over Hamas disarmament. Trump will meet leaders from Qatar, UAE and Egypt to discuss the crisis and the fallout from Iran. But there will be no attempt to sign a joint communique on the conflicts and Macron will instead issue a summary.
If the worst comes to the worst, the Évian golf course – which dates back to 1904 – is closed for the three days, and if the earnest summitry gets too much, it represents an escape route for the world’s most famous 80-year-old golfer.
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Updated at 11.10 EDT
Trump arrives for G7 summit at tense moment for relations
Donald Trump has landed in Geneva ahead of this week’s G7 summit, shortly after announcing his tentative peace agreement with Iran to end a war that has upended the global economy and killed thousands of people in the region.
From Geneva, he will travel to Évian-les-Bains, France, where world leaders are gathered for the annual summit. Later today he’ll have a bilateral meeting with the host, French president Emmanuel Macron, ahead of a working dinner with the other G7 leaders.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy will also meet with G7 leaders, including Trump, tomorrow, as Russia’s invasion of his country rages on – though there’s no word yet on whether or not he’ll get a one-on-one with the US president.
This year’s summit comes as Trump’s relations with many of the other G7 leaders is at an all-time low. Indeed, he’s fallen out massively with several key allies who have criticized his war on Iran – British PM Keir Starmer, German chancellor Friederich Merz (who described the war as a humiliation of the United States), and Italian PM Giorgia Meloni. He’s always had a turbulent relationship with Macron, but that’s also disintegrated after Trump’s “inelegant” comments about his private life. Trump’s relationship with Canadian PM Mark Carney also remains cordial yet tense. Indeed, the only G7 leader Trump has a warm relationship with at the moment is Japanese PM Sanae Takaichi.
A reminder that Trump left last year’s summit in the Canadian Rockies after only a day as the Israeli-Iran conflict intensified. Three days later he joined Israel in bombing key Iranian nuclear sites.
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Updated at 11.00 EDT
JD Vance also dodged the question when he was asked by CNBC who would be at the signing of the agreement on Friday.
Without addressing who would be present for the US side, he said they “expect the negotiating team from the Iranian side is going to be the Speaker of the House [Mohammad Bagher] Ghalibaf, and also the foreign minister [Abbas] Araghchi, along with a number of security officials and people who represent the different constituencies within their country.”
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Updated at 10.06 EDT
In an interview with CNBC’s Squawk Box this morning, JD Vance has admitted that a “lot” of details remain that need to be figured out between the US and Iran, but insisted that the US has “all the cards”.
Vance also said he hopes text of the agreement will be released this week.
He told CNBC that Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi is expected to be involved in those upcoming discussions, as well as its hardline parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.
The two major prongs of the deal are the reopening of the strait of Hormuz – which the US expects to be “toll-free” in the long term – and a commitment from Iran to “never develop or procure a nuclear weapon”, Vance said.
He also suggested that Iran would be rewarded with loosened economic sanctions or other barriers, allowing Tehran “to be re-invited into the world economy”, if it abides by the commitments of the deal.
The vice-president went on:
double quotation markI think it’s a great day for the American people … our expectation is that the strait is going to be opened in a toll-free way for the long term.
That’s the sort of thing that we’re going to figure out in these technical negotiations. There are a lot of very important details to figure out that we’re actually going to sit at the table and discuss together and figure out a path forward on these details.
He added that while Iran has “committed to destroy and dispose of their stockpile of highly enriched material”, the process for doing that has not been established.
double quotation markAnd what we’ve said is, OK, let’s talk about how exactly we’re going to do that.
They want access to an unsanctioned economy. We’ve talked about, ‘OK, we’re open to that,’ but that would require a long-term commitment to the inspection and verification regime.
So, a lot of these details are going to be figured out during those 60-day talks.
“We feel quite confident that we’re in a strong position,” Vance added.
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Updated at 10.01 EDT
Republican senator Lindsey Graham, a leading Iran hawk, welcomed news of the US-Iran deal but remained deeply skeptical amid the lack of details about the content of the agreement.
“I am pleased to hear the memorandum of understanding with Iran to allow the Strait of Hormuz to open has been agreed to,” Graham wrote in a post on X, but added: “I am somewhat concerned that Iran’s view of the agreement seems different than what the American negotiating team is claiming.
“Under our law, any nuclear deal with Iran will be sent to Congress for review and a vote,” he went on. “I look forward to reviewing the final product and I believe it is imperative that the architect of the deal, Vice President [JD] Vance and his negotiating partners, be part of the process in presenting the final deal to Congress.
“Congratulations to all in getting us to this point. Time will tell,” Graham added.
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Updated at 08.32 EDT
US and Iran reach framework peace deal to end war
Jason Burke
A framework peace deal between the US and Iran has been reached, Donald Trump and senior Iranian officials have said, bringing the 15-week conflict to a tentative end and offering hope of relief for the region and the world economy.
The secretariat of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said war and military operations on all fronts, including Israel’s war in Lebanon, would end permanently from tonight.
The precise terms of the deal remain unclear but in a statement posted to Truth Social yesterday evening, the US president announced the opening of the strait of Hormuz as well as the removal of the US naval blockade. “Ships of the World, start your engines. Let the oil flow!” he wrote.
Trump later clarified that reopening the strait would depend on the signing of an initial memorandum of understanding on Friday, which Pakistan, acting as mediator, said would take place in Geneva.
Leaked drafts suggest the memorandum will trigger an immediate 60-day period of intensive technical talks, during which the most contentious issues, including Iran’s nuclear programme, will be discussed. Iran’s deputy foreign minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, confirmed that negotiators would seek to reach a broader agreement that would include sanctions relief for Iran.
Thousands of people have been killed in the conflict, most of them in Iran and Lebanon, since US and Israeli forces first attacked Iran on 28 February. Iran retaliated with attacks on Israel and Gulf states hosting US bases, targeting military and civilian infrastructure.
Here’s Jason’s full report:
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Trump announces 4 July rally in Washington to mark US 250th anniversary
Donald Trump has announced plans to hold a rally in Washington on 4 July as America celebrates its 250th anniversary, saying the event will include a speech, performances, flyovers and fireworks.
“On July 4th, at The Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument, in beautiful and safe Washington D.C., we are going to host the most spectacular TRUMP RALLY of them all, a ’TRIBUTE TO AMERICA.’ Starting at 7 P.M. EST, this HUGE Celebration will honor our Country’s People, Spirit, Strength, Resolve, and Triumphs,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
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Moira Donegan
Hitler dreamed of a 1,000-year Reich; Putin is said to have baroque dreams of territorial conquest meant to restore a dubiously historical empire he calls “Greater Russia”.
Sure, there are people around Donald Trump who imagine using his rise to power to establish some sort of grand, civilizational project: there are the white nationalists who dream of a country purged of those they deem racially impure; there are the Christian nationalists who imagine a future theocracy in which women wear long braids and skirts, and don’t vote; there are the techno-reactionaries who imagine a future of interplanetary colonies, techno-assisted eugenics, and polygamous harems.
But Trump himself is conspicuously small in his dreams: his are comparatively little ambitions, not extending far beyond the reach of his ego and his senses.
He wants praise. He wants to see his name and his portrait everywhere. He wants to feel like a big man, to see those he feels have wronged him be penitent and upset. Maybe most of all, he wants to indulge in his own bad taste, repeatedly visiting the lowbrow staples of the 1980s, when he was young and at the height of his tabloid fame.
He loves the musicals of Andrew Lloyd Webber. He loves the music of Bon Jovi and the Village People. And he loves the gaudy, clownish tokens of masculinity that appeal to very small children: big trucks, big muscles, and demonstrations of physical strength.
And so it felt fitting that on Trump’s 80th birthday, at an event nominally meant to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding but really functioning as a celebration for a very special boy, the White House hosted a cage fight for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The UFC is a competitive league for mixed martial arts – a vaguely sports-like endeavor that combines elements of kickboxing, wrestling and traditional boxing, and seems designed to saturate a television audience’s appetite for maximum violence.
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Updated at 08.35 EDT
Donald Trump threatened to slap a 100% tariff on French wine and champagne unless Paris removes a digital services tax on tech firms, the New York Post reported on Monday.
France imposed in 2019 a three percent levy on the revenues earned by technology firms – including American giants such as Facebook, Amazon, Apple and Google parent Alphabet – within the country’s borders.
French president Emmanuel Macron is due to host Trump on Monday before the G7 summit gets underway at the spa resort of Evian on Lake Geneva.
Trump said he asked Macron “not to charge American companies,” according to the New York Post.
“If they do, I have no choice but to charge a 100% tariff on all champagnes and all wines coming out of France,” he was quoted as saying.
“All [Macron] has to do is get rid of the sales tax, and he wouldn’t have that kind of pressure.”
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Adam Gabbatt
It’s been quite the journey for Hunter Biden. In the space of a few weeks, the former first son has gone from a man seen as a political liability to an unlikely galvanizing force within the Democratic party, through his emergence on social media as a mental health advocate, razzer of Republicans, and working-class whisperer.
In the process Biden has switched from the GOP’s bete noire to, actually, someone that a fair number of Republican voters seem to like.
His self-deprecating posts, including one where he told Playboy magazine he would not pose nude for them, and another where he engaged in some campy wordplay over a phallic misspelling of the word “election”, are mixed in with serious messages about addiction recovery. And his populist posts about politics even have some calling for him to run for US president in 2028.
Frequently, his honest, human responses to trolling have seemed to win over critics.
Take his response to an X user called Ashley, whose username is @TeamTrump47. Ashley, whose bio says she loves Jesus, responded to a post from Biden by writing: “I’d rather live under a rock than smoke it.”
“Me too. It was awful,” responded Biden, prompting a mea culpa from Ashley.
“Well damn, Hunter, that makes me sad,” she wrote. “You live a better life than you were living. Good luck.”
Biden’s rise on X, where he has amassed more than 780,000 followers, has attracted the attention of Trump himself. Last week the president was asked for his thoughts on Biden’s chances in a hypothetical 2028 primary.
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Vance says he will discuss 2028 presidential run after midterms
Gloria Oladipo
JD Vance said that he will discuss a 2028 US presidential run with his wife after the 2026 midterms.
The US vice-president gave insight into his ongoing decision on whether to run during an interview with CBS Sunday Morning where he spoke on his new memoir, Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith, which details his conversion to Catholicism.
“Usha and I will absolutely sit down and talk about what comes next for our family,” said Vance. “People sort of assume that I’m sitting around, figuring out, whether I’m gonna run for president … the way that I make decisions is that I try not to make them until I absolutely must.”
The vice-president added that he believes Trump will be “very supportive” on his decision. “I have no doubt that the president of the United States is going to be very supportive of anything that I ultimately decide to do,” said Vance.
Vance added that he never begins discussions with Trump about his future political plans. “I never bring it up. But sure, the president brings it up a lot, sometimes publicly, sometimes privately. You know, the president’s a political animal. He loves this stuff. He’s very fascinated by it.”
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Trump’s UFC fights at White House marred by misogynistic smear aimed at Michelle Obama
Hello and welcome to the US politics live blog.
Donald Trump’s UFC fights held on the White House lawn were marred by a misogynistic smear aimed at former first lady Michelle Obama last night.
Beneath a giant steel canopy known as the Claw, the president celebrated the forthcoming 250th anniversary of US independence – but, much more importantly, his own 80th birthday – by staging the first professional sporting event in White House history.
Several winning fighters greeted Trump after their bouts, while American fighter Bo Nickal followed ‌his knockout victory by climbing over the cage fence to ‌shake Trump’s hand.
Another fighter, heavyweight Josh Hokit, gave a rambling post-fight interview that veered from praise for the president to religion before concluding with the false conspiracy claim that “Michelle Obama is a man.” The remark, one of the oldest and most persistent smears directed at the former first lady, drew cheers from some sections of the crowd and bewilderment from others.
Hokit’s comments were not the evening’s only political barb. When former UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley faced Canada’s Aiemann Zahabi, the bout took on a nationalistic fervor.
Trump donned a white “USA” hat cageside while chants of “U-S-A!” rang out from sections of the crowd. At various points spectators shouted “Canada is the 51st state!” – echoing Trump’s repeated taunts about annexing America’s northern neighbor – while others urged O’Malley to “eat” his opponent.
Meanwhile, dozens of people stood across the entrance gates to the Ellipse, the park south of the White House, holding protest signs and chanting.
“This reeks of corruption – way too much corruption,” said Susan Douglas, an organizer with Third Act Virginia, the progressive pro-democracy grassroots organization that organized the demonstration. “Let’s face it,” she added. “It’s for Trump’s birthday and has nothing to do with the founding of our country.”
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) announced last week that it will pay bonuses to fighters in a form of cryptocurrency issued by Trump family business World Liberty Financial.
Read the full story:
In other developments:
Trump arrives in Evian-les-Bains on Monday afternoon for talks with G7 leaders, including some who have been sharply critical of his managing of the roughly 15-week conflict that has led to a surge in global energy prices. World leaders began gathering in a French spa town for the summit with a new impetus following the US president’s announcement of an agreement that he says will bring an end to the war against Iran.
The Iranian deputy foreign minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, confirmed in the early hours of Monday an agreement for an “immediate end” to the US-Iranian war, and said Lebanon was included in a peace deal due to be signed on Friday. Pakistan’s prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, announced the agreement on Sunday afternoon, saying both sides would be declaring “the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts”.
Trump told Vladimir Putin that ending Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine was critical and that he was prepared to help, reported Russia’s TASS news agency. During a phone call on Sunday, Trump also informed the Russian president that the US was nearing a peace deal with Iran as the US-Israel war against the country continues, according to Yuri Ushakov, a Putin adviser.
JD Vance said he would discuss a 2028 US presidential run with his wife, Usha, after the 2026 midterms. “Usha and I will absolutely sit down and talk about what comes next for our family,” said Vance. The US vice-president gave insight into his ongoing decision on whether to run during an interview with CBS Sunday Morning where he spoke on his new memoir, Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith, which details his conversion to Catholicism.
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