Hakeem Jeffries vows ‘serious response’ after two House Democrats vote with Republicans – US politics live

Key events

Donald Trump and AI giant Anthropic might be back on good terms following a spat over safety guardrails and national security.

Trump’s Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told Axios: “We trust Anthropic.”

“They’ve done what we asked. They’re back on the right side. So the answer is: Yes,” Lutnick reportedly said in a Tuesday interview.

According to Axios, Lutnick’s positive comments are amid Anthropic co-founder Tom Brown’s increasing role in the firm’s engagement with the White House. Brown had a “headlining spot” during the G20’s Innovation Ministerial, Axios noted.

Brown voiced support of Trump’s pro-data center social media post.

“I really love Trump’s post from earlier this week... where he was pointing out that the data centers are just an enormous source of prosperity,” Axios quoted Brown as saying. “They produce a ton of jobs. They produce taxes. Now the way that we design them, we actually bring on more power to the grid.”

Donald Trump has invited a group of Republican legislators for dinner Wednesday at the White House amid GOP hopes that he will distribute some of his $400m war chest before the midterms, Politico reported.

GOP candidates are both contending with newly competitive races and political blowback from the war in Iran and worsening affordability crisis. Republican incumbents are seeking money to fund their campaigns as Democrats continue to hammer them on these issues.

Trump’s “political operation” MAGA Inc., however, “has used little of its $400 million war chest to support GOP lawmakers,” Politico said. One notable exception is Darlene Graham, with MAGA Inc. doling out more than $800,000 for campaign texts and calls.

The planned dinner will be held in the Rose Garden, Politico also said.

And Kentucky representative James Comer, the GOP chair of the House oversight committee, has given Fox News his take:

Hakeem Jeffries has declared himself the leader, and he doesn’t want anyone having differing opinions. That’s what happens when you have socialism and communism ... that’s the difference in the Democrats and Republicans. Republicans are open-minded, free will ... the Democrats … want to rule with an iron fist.

Here’s the clip.

Regarding the two Democrats who voted with Republicans to advance a resolution condemning socialism yesterday, House speaker Mike Johnson has told Punchbowl News:

I didn’t know how many Democrats would vote, but I knew we’d get the votes on the rule one way or the other, as we always do, and we were gonna have to work it hard on our side.

Leader Jeffries has a serious problem, a serious problem, in his caucus. He is being overwhelmed by communists and Marxists on one side, and on other members on the other. I have no idea about getting out of that thicket.

Asked whether the Republicans who voted against the rule be punished, Johnson replied: “We don’t do that.”

The day so far

• House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries has vowed a “serious response” after two Democrats voted with Republicans to advance a procedural vote yesterday. Moderates Marie Gluesenkamp Perez and Jared Golden voted to advance a resolution condemning socialism, which also contained support for the enactment of Trump’s SAVE America Act, that eight Democrats supported. Jeffries said the decision “represents a significant breach of trust”. More here.

• Meanwhile, Donald Trump – claiming that the US has control over the strait of Hormuz despite escalating conflict with Iran and extensive evidence to the contrary – has floated the idea of naming the critical waterway “TRUMP STRAIT”. A reminder that he has no authority to do so, and that this comes after his efforts to rename the Gulf of Mexico and Lake Ontario to the Gulf of America and Lake America, respectively. Major US tech firms have complied with his re-naming decrees for US users of their maps apps.

• Trump picked acting navy secretary Hung Cao to take on the job permanently amid concerns that some sailors have been stretched to the limit during his war against Iran. Cao’s nomination comes as some, including Democrats in Congress, believe Trump has been overtaxing the navy. The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier’s nine-month deployment to support the Iran war included a record-setting uninterrupted 270 days at sea. Here’s Natasha May’s report as the ship finally docked in Thailand.

• Eighty-nine percent of recently surveyed US adults think government corruption is “widespread,” a Gallup poll released today said. Gallup, polling 1000 people this May and June per the Washington Post, said that this sentiment is at its “highest level in 20 years.” More here.

• The powerful Teamsters union is backing Republican candidates in the 2026 election cycle even after members have voted to support their Democrat opponents. The 1.3 million-strong union’s president, Sean O’Brien, angered many members and union leaders in 2024 when he became the first union president to speak at the Republican national convention. The latest moves by the union’s leadership are further stoking tensions within the union. Michael Sainato has the story.

Civil rights groups to send observers to voting locations amid fear of Trump intimidation – report

Civil rights advocates are reportedly poised to send “hundreds” of observers to voting precincts during fall elections in response to fears of voter intimidation amid Trump administration attacks on election access.

According to The Washington Post, the National Action Network, American Federation of Teachers, and Save America Movement have teamed up to start the Vote Safe project. This non-partisan effort reportedly plans to focus on Michigan, Georgia, North Carolina, and Ohio.

The initiative comes as Trump has doubled down on unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud and even called for the GOP to nationalize elections.

Concerns about voting access have been heightened still more by a whistleblower report alleging that the US Postal Service’s planned screening system for mail-in ballots was so glitchy that entire batches of ballots could be rejected in error.

Trump suggests strait of Hormuz could be renamed 'Trump strait'

Donald Trump – now claiming that the US has control over the strait of Hormuz despite escalating conflict with Iran and extensive evidence to the contrary – is pitching yet another geographical re-naming.

“Now that we have it under U.S.A. control, should we change the name Hormuz Strait to TRUMP STRAIT???” the president said in a Truth Social post that came shortly after touting his ballroom project. “Like America itself, it would be ‘hotter’ than ever before!”

“Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DONALD J. TRUMP.”

Trump’s potential renaming pitch does not exist in a vacuum.

Trump announced the renaming of the Gulf of Mexico and Lake Ontario to the Gulf of America and Lake America, respectively. The latter re-naming comes amid Trump’s trade war with America’s second-largest trading partner.

Major US tech firms have complied with Trump’s re-naming decrees for US users of their maps apps.

As tensions flare in the mideast with American military forces resuming strikes on Iran, Donald Trump has taken to social media to discuss his ballroom project.

“We have hundreds of happy construction workers in D.C. busily doing their job building the finest Ballroom/Military complex anywhere in the World,” Trump said in a truth social post Wednesday morning. “There is nothing like it, and never will be! It was a long, hard, fight in the Court System, but the winner is, as always under ‘TRUMP,’ the U.S.A.”

“Also, it is important to remember, the Ballroom is a 400 Million Dollar gift to America! President DJT,” he also said.

On Monday, the US supreme court ruled 5-4 to allow Trump to keep building his White House ballroom. The court allowed Trump’s request to halt a lower court decision that had stopped above-ground construction while a lawsuit brought by preservationists was pending.

Trump demolished the historic East Wing of the White House in 2025 to make space for this project.

Apple changes Lake Ontario name on its maps after reported Trump contact

Apple has changed Lake Ontario to Lake America in its maps app following contact from Donald Trump, according to reports.

President Trump, who signed an executive order “renaming” the Great Lake during his ongoing trade war with Canada, reportedly reached out to Apple about changing the name. Canadian Apple Maps users will continue seeing Lake Ontario, while both names will be shown to international users, per The Hill.

The changes to Apple maps mirror changes that Google made to its maps app following Trump’s executive order, The Hill said. Google complied with Trump’s request shortly after the executive order.

MapQuest, on the other hand, refused to rename the lake in its system, prompting a surge in downloads earlier this week.

Nearly nine in 10 US adults think there is 'widespread' government corruption, poll says

Eighty-nine percent of recently surveyed US adults think government corruption is “widespread,” a Gallup poll released Wednesday said.

Gallup, polling 1000 people this May and June per The Washington Post, said that this sentiment is at its “highest level in 20 years.”

“That figure is up 10 percentage points from last year and well above readings in the 72% to 79% range between 2010 and 2025,” Gallup reported.

The belief that corruption is rampant is highest among Democrats, at 91%. Independents and Republicans held this sentiment at 90% and 83%, respectively.

This belief is greater in the US than in other “advanced economies,” per Gallup.

The median level of believed corruption in Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development nations dropped from 69% in 2009 to less than 60% since 2022, Gallup said.

With many Americans facing soaring prices on essentials ranging from housing to healthcare to food, some Democrats think that focusing on this affordability crisis could flip Republican seats in red districts.

Sam Forstag, a Democrat vying for Montana’s west Congressional district, is thought to be among the candidates who could potentially win the seat held by retiring Republican representative Ryan Zinke, according to The New York Times.

The firefighter and union leader, who The Times said is “running as an unapologetic progressive,” has emphasized the skyrocketing cost of living in Montana, where out-of-state residents have contributed to increasing housing costs.

“No one can afford a damn roof over their head,” Forstag reportedly said.

For The Times, Forstag’s candidacy might touch on Democrats’ potential viability outside of decidedly blue areas.

“The race in one of the country’s most sprawling congressional districts will test whether Democrats can unwind years of losses in rural areas, or whether once-purple places like Montana are gone for good,” the newspaper said.

As Republicans face potential political consequences over the Iran war in upcoming midterm elections, US military activity has once again ramped up in the region.

The US announced yesterday that it was resuming strikes on Iran following alleged attempted attacks on commercial shipping in the strait of Hormuz. Trump threatened “much harder” action if Iran retaliated, saying “it will not be the biggest attack of them all, that is waiting in the wings and, when it is over, there will be very little left of the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

Iran subsequently attacked US bases in the Middle East, according to reports. Iran also accused the US of a war crime for allegedly striking a wedding party.

My colleague Taz Ali has the latest in our Middle East coverage here:

Hakeem Jeffries vows 'serious response' after two House Democrats vote with Republicans

After two House Democrats voted with Republicans to advance a procedural vote on Tuesday, minority leader Hakeem Jeffries vowed a “serious response” in an apparent effort to impose discipline on defecting colleagues.

“The decision by two of our colleagues to blindside the entire House Democratic Caucus and join with the Republican majority to pass a procedural rule on the brink of failing represents a significant breach of trust,” Jeffries, whip Katherine Clark and caucus chair Pete Aguilar, said in a statement.

“It is an action that necessitates a serious response, and we have asked the Committee on Caucus Rules to take this up in short order,” the statement also said.

The prominent policians’s comments referenced moderates Marie Gluesenkamp Perez and Jared Golden. They voted to advance a resolution condemning socialism, which also contained support for the enactment of Trump’s SAVE America Act, that eight Democrats supported.

Ayanna Pressley, a Democrat representative from Massachusetts, celebrated colleague senator Ed Markey’s victory in the state’s Democratic primary for US Senate.

“Congratulations to my friend and partner, Senator Ed Markey, on his decisive victory as the Democratic nominee for Senate from Massachusetts. Massachusetts voters have once again chosen a senator who gives a damn – who shows up for our communities, fights like hell to lighten their load, and has never wavered in his commitment to workers and families in every corner of the Commonwealth,” Pressley said in a Tuesday night statement.

“Senator Markey is steady, authentic, proven, and consistent. He’s been a committed partner in the fight for justice – from standing up for our LGBTQ+ siblings and immigrant neighbors and advancing fare-free transit, to fighting for racial justice, climate justice, criminal legal reform, housing justice, and more,” she also said. “He centers the people and fights for transformative policies. He is proven and steady.”

Pressley also commented: “With Trump and Republicans moving with malice and enacting widespread harm, Massachusetts sent a clear message: we want Democrats who will defend our communities and never back down.”

Markey’s victory over representative Seth Moulton has raised questions about the perception of politicians’ ages among voters. Moulton tried to push out Markey by claiming that he was too old at age 80 to properly serve.

Markey nonetheless had broad support among his fellow Democrats and is expected to best his Republican challenger in November. The win may prompt questions about how much age matters if voters feel they’re supporting the right candidate.

Two of the Democratic representatives who defected and joined the Republicans in voting in favor of a resolution condemning socialism and the Democratic Socialists of America organisation have defended their actions on social media.

Democratic leaders in the US House had sharply criticized the representatives for defecting and joining with Republicans in order to advance a procedural vote.

“The decision by two of our colleagues to blindside the entire House Democratic Caucus and join with the Republican majority to pass a procedural rule on the brink of failing represents a significant breach of trust,” Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, whip Katherine Clark and Pete Aguilar, the caucus chair, said in a statement.

“It is an action that necessitates a serious response, and we have asked the Committee on Caucus Rules to take this up in short order.”

The statement was referring to moderates Marie Gluesenkamp Perez and Jared Golden. The bills included a resolution condemning socialism, which also called for the enactment of Trump’s SAVE America Act, that eight Democrats voted to pass.

Congressman Golden wrote on X:

I just voted to fund government through December 11, preventing a shutdown in October. The bill passed the House 370-48. In an election season without a budget deal, the risk of political games is high. This CR removes the ability for either party to hold the government hostage and gives Congress time to negotiate an appropriations deal.

Representative Gluesenkamp Perez also said:

Working America is hanging on by a thread, trying to feed our families without being beholden to big government or big business. Standing around pointing fingers, debating -isms and making people photocopy their birth certificate every time they cast a ballot is not the job.

The other six Democrats to vote in favor of the resolution were Kathy Castor, Henry Cuellar, Don Davis, Vicente Gonzalez Jr, Darren Soto and Gabe Vasquez.

Teamsters union leaders support Republicans despite members endorsing Democratic candidates

Michael Sainato

The powerful Teamsters union is backing Republican candidates in the 2026 election cycle even after members have voted to support their Democrat opponents.

The 1.3 million-strong union’s president, Sean O’Brien, angered many members and union leaders in 2024 when he became the first union president to speak at the Republican national convention (RNC).

The latest moves by the union’s leadership are further stoking tensions within the union.

“The Republicans have done nothing but take a gun to our head at every turn. And why we think that we can somehow change their behavior, I don’t understand it. It’s not a logical argument,” said John Palmer, who was elected on O’Brien’s slate in 2021 as an at-large vice-president on the Teamsters executive board, but who broke ranks in criticizing O’Brien’s RNC appearance in 2024. “I live in Texas. I’m a moderate guy, but I know when somebody’s trying to cut my throat.”

The national union declined to make an endorsement in the 2024 presidential election for the first time since 1996, claiming a majority of members supported Trump after they supported Biden in 2020, though Teamsters locals and councils representing 1 million members at the union independently endorsed Harris.

So far this election cycle, O’Brien has made two personal contributions – both to Republicans.

O’Brien donated $1,000 to the Republican US Senate campaign of Scott Brown in New Hampshire on 19 February 2026. Brown appeared on O’Brien’s podcast, Better Bad Ideas, on 25 February.

The only Teamsters’ local in New Hampshire, Teamsters Local 633, endorsed Brown’s Democratic rival Chris Pappas for the Senate race in April 2025. Teamsters Local 633 did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Trump nominates loyalist Hung Cao to be permanent navy secretary amid increased attacks on Iran

Hello and welcome to the US live politics blog.

Donald Trump has picked acting navy secretary Hung Cao to take on the job permanently amid concerns that some sailors have been stretched to the limit during his Iran war.

“I am pleased to nominate a true WARRIOR,” Trump wrote on social media, pushing the Senate “to confirm this Warfighter, ASAP.”

Cao has been serving as acting navy secretary since John Phelan departed the job unexpectedly and without explanation in late April. Unlike Phelan, who had not served in the military or had a civilian leadership role in the service, Cao spent 25 years in the navy as a special operations officer and went on to serve with Seal teams and special forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Cao on social media called it the “honor of a lifetime to lead the great warriors of the Navy and Marine Corps team”.

Cao’s nomination comes as some, including Democrats in Congress, believe Trump has been overtaxing the navy. The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier’s nine-month deployment to support the Iran war has included a record-setting uninterrupted time at sea.

It comes as Iran launched a wave of attacks on US sites across the Middle East, with violence surging after an extensive American bombardment. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards announced attacks on US bases in Jordan, the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain and Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region, in the six-month conflict’s heaviest exchange in weeks.

Trump had warned earlier of “much harder and higher” attacks if Iran retaliated to the US strikes, which Iran’s military and state media said killed 18 people.

The renewed attacks deepen the impasse in the war, where Iran maintains a stranglehold on the strait of Hormuz oil export route with the US pressing a counter-blockade of Iranian ports.

In other developments:

• Senator Ed Markey won the Democratic primary in Massachusetts, beating back a challenge from Seth Moulton, who argued his opponent was too old to be effective at his job. Progressive lawmakers and the organization Our Revolution hailed the victory.

• Democratic leaders in the US House sharply criticized two representatives for defecting and joining with Republicans in order to advance a procedural vote, describing it as a “significant breach of trust,” that requires “a serious response”.

• The US House of Representative voted to censure Chuck Edwards, a Republican congressman who the ethics committee found violated rules against sexual harassment in his conduct towards two young female staffers.

• The Trump administration seized on House Democrats voting against a resolution denouncing socialism, condemning the lawmakers as “sick [and] dangerous”. The resolution included language calling for the enactment of Trump’s SAVE America Act, a strict voting bill that would ban mail-in ballots and require voters to prove their citizenship.

• Kathy Hochul, New York’s governor, criticized Donald Trump for withholding $87m in counter-terrorism funds from the state, describing the move as a betrayal of 9/11 victims.

• Donald Trump’s Department of Homeland Security has apparently taken steps to advance the president’s efforts to limit voting.