President Donald Trump praised Chinese leader Xi Jinping and asserted their meeting was “a 12” on a scale from one to 10 as he made his way back to the United States from South Korea.
Aboard Air Force One, the president had nothing but positive remarks about his meeting with Xi after the two managed to strike a deal between the U.S. and China, lowering the U.S. tariffs to 47 percent, expanding rare earth mineral exports, and reintroducing exports of soybeans from American farmers.
“On a scale of one to 10, with 10 being the best, I would say the meeting was a 12,” Trump told reporters.
The president, who unsuccessfully pitched the idea of meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un while in Asia, also bragged about his past relationship with Kim, asserting, “He doesn’t like too many people other than me if you know the truth.”
Trump is seeking to create peace in the Korean Peninsula, as part of his larger goal to help solve world conflicts.
That comes shortly after the president said the U.S. should begin re-testing nuclear weapons.
Key Points
- Trump says his meeting with Xi was 'a 12'
- Bessent says China will purchase 12 million metric tons of soybeans
- Trump lowers China tariffs to 47% and calls meeting 'great success'
- SNAP deadline looms leaving 40 million Americans worried about whether they can get food stamps
- Trump says that Chuck Schumer's comments about the president's Asia tour are 'almost treasonous'
Pritzker asks Trump to ‘pause’ federal operations over Halloween weekend: ‘give the children a break’
16:00
,
Ariana Baio
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker appealed to senior members of the Trump administration who are overseeing federal immigration operations in Chicago, asking them to “pause” for Halloween weekend to allow children to safely trick-or-treat.
“The Department of Homeland Security claims their highest priority is to protect children, so today I have to ask them, please live up to those ideals,” Pritzker said in a press conference Thursday morning.
“They’ve disrupted everything for more than two months already. Give the children and the families of Illinois a break.”
Pritzker, who has been pushing back against the administration as they send federal agents from various agencies and seek to send members of the National Guard into Chicago.
“Can we agree there is no imminent threat that should disrupt their holiday?” Pritzker said. “No child in America should have to go trick-or-treating in fear that they might be confronted by armed federal agents and have to inhale tear gas.”
“I honestly can’t even believe that I have to make this plea. This is not the America I know.”
Johnson continues to back White House claims about SNAP funding
15:30
,
Ariana Baio
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson continued to support the Trump administration’s claims that there is no funding for SNAP, otherwise known as food stamps.
“When it comes to SNAP, some of the Democrats have argued that you can use this contingency fund, but the truth is, there’s no legal mechanism to do it,” Johnson told reporters.
That claim is a reversal from the first Trump administration, as well as recent contingency guidance from the US Department of Agriculture that said it could tap into leftover emergency funds, maintained in a $5 billion reserve, for necessary situations.
Lawmakers have said the administration has always been able to tap into those funds - though Johnson and others say they, legally, cannot.
When asked why Trump was not using the same strategy to tap into SNAP funds as he did in the first term, Johnson asserted the administration is doing “exactly what it did in the first term.”
In 2018, the Department of Agriculture said it would use a provision to allow it to make payments within 30 days of a government funding lapse.
Without funding for SNAP, millions of beneficiaries who rely on the program could be at risk of going hungry.
Watch: Trump teases invoking Insurrection Act to deploy troops
15:00
,
Ariana Baio
Trump says his meeting with Xi was 'a 12'
14:20
,
Ariana Baio
While speaking with reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump hailed his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping as “a 12.”
“On a scale from zero to 10, with 10 being the best, I would say the meeting was a 12.”
President Trump on meeting with Chinese President Xi: "On a scale from zero to 10, with 10 being the best, I would say the meeting was a 12." pic.twitter.com/TQ5sHBTZi2
— CSPAN (@cspan) October 30, 2025
Chief of naval research replaced with 33-year-old former DOGE worker
14:00
,
Ariana Baio
The Trump administration recently removed a decorated admiral from his post as head of naval research in the Office of Naval Research and replaced him with a 33-year-old former DOGE employee, according to the Bulwark.
Rear Admiral Kurt Rothenhaus, who has served as chief of naval research since June 2023, was reassigned to an unknown position. Rachel Riley, a former partner at McKinsey & Co., who also worked on DOGE-related matters in the Department of Health and Human Services, is in charge.
“Dr. Rachel Riley is serving as the Chief of Naval Research,” a Navy spokesperson told USNI News.
“She brings deep acquisition, technology, and organizational expertise to the job, and we are pleased to welcome her to the team. We thank Rear Adm. Rothenhaus for his service as he is enroute to his next assignment. We do not have additional information to share at this time.”
Controversial surgeon general nominee will face Congress at a later date
13:45
,
Ariana Baio
Dr. Casey Means, a physician-turned-wellness-influencer, will no longer appear before senators on the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Thursday morning because she went into labor, a spokesperson for the committee told NBC News.
Means, a vaccine skeptic, is widely considered a controversial pick to be the U.S.’s top doctor. She was likely to face tough questions from senators who are apprehensive about her role.
Where is the president today?
13:20
,
Ariana Baio
President Donald Trump is expected to return to Washington, D.C., Thursday afternoon from his trip around Asia.
Early Thursday morning, Trump briefly spoke with reporters aboard Air Force One, where he praised Chinese President Xi Jinping and the deal the two struck to lower tariffs, expand access to rare earth minerals, and promote soybean sales from American farmers.
The president also touched on his recent Truth Social post claiming the U.S. would begin testing nuclear weapons again, claiming the decision had “nothing to do” with China.
“It had to do with others,” Trump said.
“I say well, if they’re going to test, I guess we have to test.”
Once returning to the White House, the president will join First Lady Melania Trump in celebrating Halloween – an annual tradition for the president and first lady.
Bessent says China will purchase 12 million metric tons of soybeans
13:02
,
Ariana Baio
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent revealed more details about the U.S.-China soybean deal, saying China has agreed to purchase 10 million metric tons of soybeans from American farmers
“The Chinese have agreed to buy 12 million metric tons of soybeans during this season, right now, between now and it should be January,” Bessent told Fox Business Thursday morning.
Bessent said the deal also includes provisions for the next three years in which China will purchase a “minimum” of 25 million metric tons per annum.
He added that American soybean farmers will no longer be used as “political pawns” by the Chinese.
“We’ve also signed trade deals with countries in Southeast Asia, the rest of the world, to buy our soybeans for the tune of another 19 million metric tons,” Bessent said.
Trump-Xi summit might have ended with fragile tariffs truce but major questions remain
12:43
,
Shweta Sharma
While businesses and markets welcomed the relief in trade tensions, analysts say it is not a structural reset but rather a tactical truce, even as root causes of the tensions remain
Read more here:
'Tensions could easily flare up again' between China and the US, business expert says
12:05
,
Owen Scott
Julian Evans-Pritchard, head of China economics at Capital Economics, says that it is too early to assume that tensions between the United States and China have been resolved.
He told the BBC that information about the two countries’ new trade agreement is “patchy.”
"The underlying forces driving the US and China apart remain unresolved, however, and so tensions could easily flare up again,” he warned. “And even if the current truce holds, both sides will continue to pursue wider decoupling efforts."
"Another Phase One-style deal wouldn’t alter the underlying geopolitical forces that are causing the world economy to fracture into two competing blocs centred on China and the US," he added.
Kremlin issues chilling threat over Trump's plans to renew US nuclear tests
12:01
,
Owen Scott
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov says “Russia will act accordingly,” if the U.S. resumes testing of its nuclear arsenal.
Speaking to reporters, Peskov took a swipe at Trump’s claims that the nuclear weapons programs were running around the world.
“President Trump mentioned in his statement that other countries are engaged in testing nuclear weapons,” Peskov said, according to Reuters. “Until now, we didn’t know that anyone was testing.”
When asked if Trump had triggered a fresh nuclear arms race, Peskov simply said: “Not really.”
The U.S. last tested a nuclear weapon in 1992, while Russia has not tested a nuclear bomb since 1990, just before the collapse of the Soviet Union. China tested its last bomb in 1996.
Pictured: Trump's meeting with Xi Jinping
12:00
,
Owen Scott
US Treasury Secretary says the United States' trade deal with China could be signed next week
11:55
,
Owen Scott
Scott Bessent, the U.S. Treasury Secretary, says the United States could sign its trade deal with China as soon as next week.
“The Kuala Lumpur agreement was finished in the middle of the night last night, so I expect we will exchange signatures possibly as soon as next week,” he said on Fox Business Network.
He also said that Entity List restrictions, which make it harder for Chinese companies to use affiliates to buy off-limits technology, will be lifted for a year.
Watch: Brave women trounce JD Vance in public debate
11:45
,
Owen Scott
Trump shares a Truth Social user's post claiming that the president has ended eight wars
11:30
,
Owen Scott
Donald Trump has shared - or ReTruthed, as it is referred to on Truth Social - a post made by a supporter, which claims that the president has ended eight wars during his time in office.
The post claims that Trump ended wars between the following countries: Thailand and Cambodia, Kosovo and Serbia, DRC and Rwanda, Pakistan and India, Israel and Iran, Egypt and Ethiopia, Armenia and Azerbaijan and Israel and Hamas.
However, Trump has long been criticized for being inconsistent about how many conflicts he has ended.
The president suggested that he ended a war between Armenia-Albania. He meant to say Azerbaijan - which he later mispronounced as “Aber-baijan” - instead of Albania.
Also, Serbia and Kosovo, as well as Egypt and Ethiopia, have not been at war for some time depsite Trump’s claims.
The Director of the Arms Control Association tears into Trump's nuclear plans
11:15
,
Owen Scott
Daryl Kimball, the director of the Arms Control Association, has blasted the president for his plans to increase U.S. nuclear testing.
He has claimed that it would take the United States at least 36 months to resume underground nuclear tests at a former testing facility in Nevada.
“Trump is misinformed and out of touch,” Kimball wrote on X. “The US has no technical, military, or political reason to resume nuclear explosive testing for the first time since 1992.”
Watch: US bombs another boat which it claims was carrying drugs to the United States
11:00
,
Owen Scott
China says it will 'properly address' the question TikTok's US app being sold to a US buyer
10:30
,
Owen Scott
China's commerce ministry has confirmed that it is still considering the sale of the US version of TikTok to a buyer in the United States.
"The US side made positive commitments in areas such as investment, and the Chinese side will properly address issues related to TikTok," it said in a statement.
Trump says that he would be signing a trade deal with China "pretty soon," but has yet to confirm any details about the TikTok’s sale.
Russian politician demands clarity over new US missile tests
10:00
,
Owen Scott
Andrei Kartapolov, a member of Russia’s State Duma, says that Trump’s plans to renew U.S. nuclear testing could create an era of instability.
"We need to understand what kind of test we're talking about, because there's an agreement not to conduct tests by detonating nuclear charges, whether underground, or especially atmospheric, underwater, surface, or otherwise," Kartapolov told Russian state news agency RIA.
The FBI says that it has a 'strong objection' to Tulsi Gabbard's push to lead counterintelligence
09:30
,
Owen Scott
The FBI says that it “vigorously disagrees with” a House bill which would give Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, greater control in counterintelligence efforts.
The bill proposed transforming the Office of the Director of National Intelligence into the lead counterintelligence agency for the federal government.
A letter obtained by The New York Times detailed the FBI’s opposition to the move, with a representative from the agency saying that they have a “strong objection” to the Bill.
Gabbard has reportedly written a letter which she hopes will be sent to lawmakers, which allegedly claims that the entire intelligence community supports the bill.
Both Gabbard and the FBI have not commented on the alleged spat, except for a joint statement which says they are “united in working with Congress to strengthen our nation’s counterintelligence efforts.”
The Intelligence Authorization Act, which would grant Gabbard increased power in intelligence gathering, is still being debated.
However, Gabbard’s involvement in intelligence affairs has become very controversial after one of her allies, Joe Kent, who leads the National Counterterrorism Center, accessed the FBI’s files about the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
Watch: US Ambassador Mike Waltz cut off during UN Speech as he is told 'this isn't a Signal chat'
09:15
,
Owen Scott
Recap: What did China and the U.S. agree on trade?
09:00
,
Owen Scott
China and the United States have signed a trade deal, after months of being locked in a bitter dispute over tariffs, fentanyl and rare earth minerals. But what have they actually agreed?
A “framework” has been approved for trade deals, including the sale of TikTok’s U.S. operations to an American buyer.
The U.S. will suspend its Section 301 (harmful trade practice) investigations into China’s logistics, maritime and shipbuilding industries. China will suspend its related countermeasures.
The U.S. will drop its 10 percent tariffs on goods used in the production of fentanyl and will extend its suspension of the 24 per cent “reciprocal tariffs” for another year. China says it will “adjust its countermeasures against the aforementioned US tariffs accordingly.”
Trump says that he has given South Korea the green light to build a nuclear-powered submarine
08:55
,
Owen Scott
Trump said yesterday that he has given South Korea the green light to build a nuclear-powered submarine.
According to a post on Truth Social, the naval vessel will be built in the “Philadelphia Shipyards, right here in the good ol’ U.S.A.”
He said the submarine will be superior to South Korea’s “old fashioned, and far less nimble, diesel powered Submarines that they have now.”
“Shipbuilding in our Country will soon be making a BIG COMEBACK,” he added.
Trump claims that China is will buy oil and gas from Alaska
08:42
,
Owen Scott
Trump has claimed that China could soon begin buying “American Energy” in an ambiguous Truth Social post.
The president suggested that an “Energy Deal” could be worked out and could lead to a “very large scale transition.”
“China also agreed that they will begin the process of purchasing American Energy,” he wrote. “In fact, a very large scale transaction may take place concerning the purchase of Oil and Gas from the Great State of Alaska.
“Chris Wright, Doug Burgum, and our respective Energy teams will be meeting to see if such an Energy Deal can be worked out.”
SNAP deadline looms leaving 40 million Americans worried about whether they can get food stamps
08:32
,
Owen Scott
The deadline for Congress to agree on a spending plan for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is on Saturday.
If lawmakers fail to agree on a payment program, 40 million Americans could lose access to their food stamps.
"I can't afford food, with the prices of rent and the food itself, so it helps me get by — still not enough," a veteran named Mark, told NBC10 Boston.
The government shutdown has dragged on for 30 days, making it the second longest closure in modern U.S. history. The longest shutdown on record unfolded during Trump’s first term and lasted for 35 days.
Former Trump ally says the president 'doesn't give a s***' about the government shutdown
08:28
,
Owen Scott
Miles Taylor, former deputy Chief of Staff at the Department of Homeland and Security during the first Trump administration, has torn into his former boss for not caring about the current government shutdown.
Taylor blasted the GOP leader on X, as he recalled the damage of the 2018-2019 shutdown.
“I was part of the internal Trump administration team trying to convince the president to end the shutdown in 2018 - 2019 — for 35 days — before people went hungry, workers lost pay, and government services collapsed,” Taylor wrote. “Here’s what I learned: he doesn’t give a shit.”
Trump says that Chuck Schumer's comments about the president's Asia tour are 'almost treasonous'
08:16
,
Owen Scott
Trump took to Truth Social to hit out at Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, after his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping ended.
“Worked really hard, 24/7, took in Trillions of Dollars, and Chuck Schumer said trip was “a total dud,” even though he knows it was a spectacular success,” Trump raged. “Words like that are almost treasonous!!!”
Schumer had slammed the president for his “M.O. in foreign policy.” He said that Trump “creates a giant mess,” and “wants everyone to praise him when he tries to clean it up.”
Schumer went on to say that the tariffs had actually made the U.S. “worse off.”
“It’s the same story with his so-called “deal” with South Korea,” he said. “We are actually worse off because tariffs on Korean imports went from 2% now to 15%. But Donald Trump created a mess and now wants credit for pretending like he fixed it.
“On China, Donald Trump’s trade negotiations with China have been a failure. His actions have decimated soybean farmers. He has hurt small businesses.
“And has any of this revived American manufacturing? No!”
Prominent Democrat says she will be filing legislation against Trump's nuclear weapons test
08:05
,
Owen Scott
Diana Titus, a Nevada Democratic Representative, said that she will be opposing Trump’s plans for new missile tests by the U.S.
“Absolutely not,” she wrote on X. “I’ll be introducing legislation to put a stop to this.”
Trump has claimed that the U.S. has more nuclear missiles than ever other nation,
In truth, Russia has the most missiles with 5,500 nuclear warheads. Meanwhile, the US has 5,044 nuclear weapons, according to the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons.
China hopes US will abide by obligations under nuclear test ban treaty
07:47
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
China hopes the U.S. will abide by its commitment to a moratorium on nuclear testing and obligations under a test ban treaty, the foreign ministry said.
President Donald Trump has instructed the Pentagon to resume nuclear weapons testing "immediately".
Trump made the announcement via Truth Social on Wednesday night, just before his highly anticipated meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea.
“The United States has more Nuclear Weapons than any other country,” Trump wrote.
“This was accomplished, including a complete update and renovation of existing weapons, during my First Term in office. Because of the tremendous destructive power, I HATED to do it, but had no choice! Russia is second, and China is a distant third, but will be even within 5 years.”
Trump speaks with reporters aboard Air Force One
07:46
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Beijing confirms Trump will visit China next year
07:29
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
President Donald Trump will visit China next year, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson confirmed this morning.
Trump said earlier that he would visit China in April and that Xi Jinping was likely to visit the U.S "sometime after that".
China, U.S. should avoid 'vicious cycle' of retaliation, Xi says
07:02
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
China and the U.S. should not fall into a "vicious cycle of retaliation" against each other, official news agency Xinhua cited president Xi Jinping as saying during his meeting with U.S. president Donald Trump.
Relations between China and the United States have maintained overall stability, and trade ties should be their ballast stone, Xi said, it added.
In his talks with Trump in South Korea, Xi urged both sides to keep their eyes on the long-term interests of cooperation.
China's Xi says both sides reached consensus on 'major trade issues'
06:42
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
President Xi Jinping said the US and China reached a consensus to resolve "major trade issues", according to a readout published by the Chinese media.
Teams from both nations will work on delivering outcomes that will serve as a "reassuring pill" for both countries' economies, he said.
Xi called on economic and trade teams of both nations to constantly narrow down list of problems and extend their cooperation.
"China and the United States can jointly demonstrate the responsibility befitting of major powers, working together to accomplish more significant, practical and beneficial undertakings for both nations and for the world," Xi said.
Taiwan didn't feature in Trump-Xi talks
06:09
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Donald Trump said Taiwan, which China claims to be part of its territory, never came up in talks with Xi Jinping.
Some analysts had expected Xi to push Trump to adhere to Beijing's “one-China” policy and denounce ties with the self-governed island of Taiwan.
The US, like most countries, has no formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, but is bound by law to provide the island with the means to defend itself, and the issue is a frequent irritant in Sino-US relations.
Trump calls meeting with Xi a 'great success'
05:54
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Trump orders Pentagon to ‘immediately’ start testing nuclear weapons
05:50
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
President Donald Trump has instructed his Defense Department to resume nuclear weapons testing “immediately.”
Trump made the announcement via Truth Social on Wednesday night, just before his highly anticipated meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea.
“The United States has more Nuclear Weapons than any other country,” Trump wrote.
“This was accomplished, including a complete update and renovation of existing weapons, during my First Term in office. Because of the tremendous destructive power, I HATED to do it, but had no choice! Russia is second, and China is a distant third, but will be even within 5 years.”
Trump says he had a 'nice conversation' with Canada's Carney
05:48
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Donald Trump said he had a "very nice" conversation with Canadian prime minister Mark Carney when the two attended a dinner in South Korea amid a heated trade spat between the two neighbours.
Trump, speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, did not elaborate on the conversation. Before landing in South Korea he had posted on social media that he was not coming to see Canada.
Trump couldn't meet Kim Jong Un because he was 'so busy'
05:22
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Donald Trump said he was unable to meet North Korea's Kim Jong Un during a visit to South Korea due to time constraints, but is willing to return to the region for a meeting.
"I would come back to talk with Kim," Trump told reporters.
The US president had expressed his willingness to hold talks with the North Korean leader during his whirlwind five-day-long Asia tour.
Trump lowers China tariffs to 47% and calls meeting 'great success'
05:21
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Donald Trump says he has reduced the current tariff rate on Chinese imports to 47 per cent from the previous 57 per cent.
“It was 57 (per cent) now it’s 47 (per cent) because we reduced it by... the fentanyl... I believe they are really taking very strong action, we’ve already seen the action on fentanyl,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One.
Trump added that the meeting was "a great success" and "a great honour".
Trump to visit China in April
05:10
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Donald Trump says he will visit China in April following today's "amazing" meeting with Xi Jinping.
On a scale of one to 10, Trump rated the meeting a 12.
He told reporters that Xi will be visiting the US "sometime after that".
Trump says he will work with Xi on Ukraine
05:07
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Donald Trump said he has agreed to work with China's Xi Jinping to bring Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table to end Russia's war in Ukraine.
"Ukraine... we're both going to work together...we agree that the sides are locked in fighting and sometimes you gotta let them fight I guess," he told reporters.
"But we're going to work together on Ukraine."
China is Russia's strongest ally and has been accused by the U.S. in the past of aiding Putin's war machine through oil purchases and providing technology – a claim denied by Beijing.
Trump cuts fentanyl tariffs to 10% as China buys more soybeans
05:05
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Donald Trump says he has reduced tariffs on the flow of chemical ingredients for fentanyl to 10 per cent from the previous 20 per cent with immediate effect.
Trump said China will also resume the purchase of soybeans from the U.S. Soybeans are America's largest agricultural export to China.
China promised to start buying large quantities of soybeans, "which I appreciated", Trump said.
Donald Trump says he had an 'amazing meeting' with China's Xi
04:58
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
onald Trump told reporters on board Air Force One that he's had an amazing meeting with China's Xi Jinping, which lasted about an hour and 40 minutes.
"It was an amazing meeting. He is a great leader," Trump said.
"We have come to a conclusion on many important points and we will be handing them to you in a little while," he added.
Trump says all rare earth issues have been settled
04:54
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Donald Trump is addressing the media on board Air Force One after concluding his meeting with Chinese president Xi Jinping in South Korea.
Trump said "all rare earth issues have been settled" with China.
"There's no roadblock from China anymore," he added.
China had ordered restrictions on its exports of rare earths – the minerals crucial for everything from smartphones to fighter jets – in response to US tariffs.
China produces almost 70 per cent and processes nearly 90 per cent of the world’s rare earth elements.Trump said US tariffs