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Live updates: Trump says US will investigate EU trade practices for ‘unethical’ fines on Google
Follow the latest news on President Donald Trump and his administration | July 24, 2026
Edited By
BRIDGET BROWN, BERNARD MCGHEE, LUENA RODRIGUEZ-FEO VILEIRA and JEFF McMURRAY
Updated [hour]:[minute] [AMPM] [timezone], [monthFull] [day], [year]
Here’s what we’re following:
- President Donald Trump said Friday that the U.S. will open aformal investigation into the European Union’s trade practices, claiming the bloc has unfairly levied billions of dollars of fines against Google, Apple and other U.S. tech giants.The EU, a day earlier, fined Google 890 million euros ($1 billion) for allegedly breaking digital antitrust regulations by corralling consumers towards its own services and apps to the detriment of competitors.
- Trump’s announcement comes a day after the White House announced double-digit tariffson imports from more than 60 countries, accusing them of inadequately enforcing bans on goods produced by forced labor. The new tariffs replace temporary 10% worldwide import taxesthat Trump imposed after a stinging defeat at the Supreme Court.
- A series of explosionssounded near a military base hosting U.S. forcesin northern Iraq and sirens rang out in Bahrain on Friday, hours after the American military said it finished its13th night of strikes against Iran. The conflict has flared again over the past week, as the U.S. has pounded Iran while Tehran has attacked ships in theStrait of Hormuzand targeted U.S. assets and allies in the region.
- Hundreds of former or retired journalists and eight press freedom groups are asking the White House Correspondents’ Association to stand up to the Trump administration’s recent attacks on the media at its rescheduled dinner this week — a dinner Trump says he’ll attend.
Hegseth names replacement for Army chief in Europe
By KONSTANTIN TOROPIN
The Pentagon has nominated a replacement for Gen. Christopher Donahue, who suddenly departed last month as commanding general of U.S. Army Europe and Africa and commander of NATO’s Allied Land Command
Hegseth announced Friday that he’s selected Lt. Gen. Kevin D. Admiral for the post
Admiral will not be promoted to general, confirming earlier reports that the Pentagon plans to downgrade the post from a four-star to a three-star position as part of a broader effort by Hegseth to reduce the number of generals in the ranks
Admiral now is serving as commanding general, III Corps and Fort Hood in Fort Hood, Texas. An Army official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss personnel matters, said Donahue is now on transitional leave pending approval of his retirement
Trump says Xi and Putin vowed to stay out of Iran war — and he trusts them
By COLLIN BINKLEY
Asked about a recent comment from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth saying China and Russian are “enabling” Iran, Trump suggested otherwise
“President Xi said he will not partake, and President Putin said the same thing,” Trump said in the Oval Office on Friday. “I trust them.”
He added that there “could be some things they do” — without elaborating — but emphasized it “has not been major.”
Earlier on Friday, Trump said that both Xi and Putin had personally promised not to sell weapons to Iran
“If they did, it would be very bad for them,” Trump said on social media. “Certainly not in their best interests.”
Trump says he thinks Michael Jordan is the best ever but ducks suggestions he’s a sports ‘fixer’
By WILL WEISSERT
Asked if Jordan or LeBron James were the best basketball player ever, the president said he golfed with Jordan and “he’s a really good guy.”
“I think LeBron is, maybe he’s a racist,” Trump said. “Maybe he doesn’t like Trump.”
He added, “I like people that like me, so I would say Michael Jordan all the way.”
Trump was also asked about golfer Bryson DeChambeau who reportedly threatened to call the president after being given a controversial two-stroke penalty during the recent British Open
The president didn’t say if he sees himself as a sports “fixer” after intervening to help get a U.S. red card overturned during the World Cup
Trump suggested it was more like “me being a judge.” He said of DeChambeau, “I thought it was a tough call against him.”
Trump defends new tariffs announced this week
By FATIMA HUSSEIN
Trump called the latest tariffs his administration announced on 60 economies late Thursday “very standard tariffs” that “follow the line” when asked whether he believes the latest tranche announced this week could overcome legal challenges
The administration’s tariffs announced this week are based in the argument that the countries targeted have failed to adequately enforce a ban on goods made with forced labor
Citing the Supreme Court’s decision this summer that struck down the president’s Liberation Day tariffs, Trump said: “I thought the decision by the Supreme Court was not a good one, but we have many forms of tariffs.”
Trump said he’d be ‘willing’ to call senators to help move stalled elections bill
By DARLENE SUPERVILLE
President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office of the White House, Friday, July 24, 2026, in Washington. /Rod Lamkey, Jr.)
“I’d certainly be willing,” Trump said when asked if he could be doing more to help the Republican-controlled Senate pass a stalled elections bill he wants to sign into law
Trump said he helped move the bill through the Republican-controlled House by calling a few representatives and getting them on board to send the bill to the Senate
He said Senate Majority Leader John Thune has “got four or five people that are very difficult,” including some “I put out of office.”
“So I understand how it feels. I mean, they’re doing the wrong thing,” Trump said, asking who wouldn’t be for showing ID and proof of citizenship to vote
“No Republicans should put us in a position where they don’t approve of something like that,” he said
Trump says he’s not feeling pressure to settle the Iran war ahead of the midterm elections
By WILL WEISSERT
The president said, as far as the elections are concerned, “I’m not in a hurry.”
He said he won’t let rising gas prices and inflation continuing to run hot sway his decision on the war in Iran
“We have to do it right,” Trump said, adding “elections take care of themselves.”
Trump was reelected in 2024 promising to bring down the cost of living but has seen prices rise dramatically in the months since the war with Iran began
That has complicated things for Republicans hoping to maintain control of Congress
Trump celebrates new nuclear reactors in his push to speed up power production
By COLLIN BINKLEY
President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office of the White House, Friday, July 24, 2026, in Washington. /Rod Lamkey, Jr.)
The president hosted executives from nuclear power companies in the Oval Office to celebrate a new milestone in the White House’s push to accelerate the growth of nuclear power in the U.S
Last year, Trump signed four actions creating a pilot program aimed at having four new nuclear reactors go critical by July 4. Four companies ended up meeting that deadline, Trump said on Friday
“America is building again, America is dreaming again, and we’re leading the world in pioneering the next generation of nuclear power,” he said
Trump defends subpoenas targeting New York Times journalists, says case isn’t over
By COLLIN BINKLEY
A day after his administration withdrew subpoenas that would have required three New York Times journalists to testify about their
“We have a long way to go with that case,” Trump said in the Oval Office on Friday
Trump said he supports the subpoenas, which were issued in response to a story about Trump’s Qatari-gifted Air Force One jet
“We’re not after journalists, we’re after leakers,” Trump said. “And the way you find them is through the journalists.”
Trump says U.S. will place ‘a major tariff’ on Mexico for diarrhea-causing parasite
By FATIMA HUSSEIN
Asked when it would be safe to eat lettuce again, after a diarrhea-inducing parasite found in lettuce produced in Mexico has affected patients in nine U.S. states, Trump said his government is “going to put a major tariff on tax on Mexico because of the lettuce.”
He added that his administration would also “put a big tariff on Canada because of the smoke” caused by hundreds of wildfires raging across Canada, which has carried smoke by winds into the U.S
Trump says US and Iran are talking, he thinks they’re being ‘serious’
By DARLENE SUPERVILLE
“Sort of everybody” is involved in the talks with Iran to end the war, Trump said
He said Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio and “a lot of people” are talking to Iran
“We’ll see what comes of it,” the president said
“We’re talking to them right now,” Trump said. “I think they’re getting more and more serious as the days go by, for maybe the obvious reason. But we are talking to them right now.”
Trump says Venezuela is ‘not really ready’ for election yet
By WILL WEISSERT
Asked when that the country will hold elections after U.S. forces toppled President Nicolás Maduro, Trump responded, “They’re not really ready for them yet.”
He said the U.S. has brought economic benefits to Venezuela without elaborating, or mentioning the devastation of recent, major earthquakes there
“They’re not ready yet for the elections, but at some point they will be,” the president added before mentioning the country’s prowess in the Miss Universe pageants once he owned
Trump declines to answer question about possible war crimes in Iran
By DARLENE SUPERVILLE
Answering questions from reporters, Trump was asked if he considers it a war crime to blow up civilian power plants and bridges, as he has repeatedly threatened to do in Iran
Trump replied, “I wont respond to that question.”
The president has repeatedly threatened to blow up civilian infrastructure in Iran before backing down
Democrats demand answers on Iran war casualties from Pentagon
By KONSTANTIN TOROPIN
Democrats on the Senate Armed Services Committee are demanding answers on how the Pentagon is handling the reporting of Iran war casualties
In a letter Friday, the 12 lawmakers note that the Pentagon’s Defense Casualty Analysis System, or DCAS, “has reported inconsistent casualty figures, raising additional questions about the transparency and reliability of the Department’s public reporting and statements.”
Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell argued this week that the system is “regularly updated online” following news reports that information about injuries was being withheld
However, the system now shows only 14 troops killed, though that total stands at 18. The system also shows only 420 troops have been wounded in the conflict. A U.S. official has told The Associated Press that the total is well over 500
Parnell blamed “temporary data disruptions” in a social media post Thursday
The lawmakers are seeking detailed information about the Iran war casualties as well as details about the reporting process of that data to DCAS
Trump’s newest tariffs face immediate court challenge
By PAUL WISEMAN
The Liberty Justice Center, a libertarian advocacy group that successfully challenged earlier Trump tariffs, filed a lawsuit in the U.S. Court of International Trade in New York, challenging the double-digit import taxes that Trump imposed Friday
The Trump administration, invoking the Trade Act of 1974, targeted 16 U.S. trading partners with tariffs of 10% to 12.5%, charging that they had failed to crack down on imports produced by forced labor
But the Liberty Justice Center calls the new tariffs a pretext to allow Trump to maintain a wall of tariffs around the U.S. economy after the Supreme Court struck down big global taxes he’d imposed last year
The new levies took effect at 12:01 a.m. Friday as time ran out on temporary tariffs Trump had turned to after the Supreme Court defeat
“The administration allowed one global tariff to expire and immediately replaced it with another under a different statute,” said Sara Albrecht, chair of the Liberty Justice Center. “Changing the statute doesn’t change the law. Every tariff authority has limits, and every administration must respect them.”
Her group represented businesses that successfully challenged Trump’s 2025 global tariffs
Trump says he’s ‘fine’ with Canada disinviting US from opening ceremony for new shared bridge
By DARLENE SUPERVILLE
Dr. Murray Howe, speaks representing the Howe family, during a Canadian celebration for the opening of the Gordie Howe International bridge connecting Detroit and Windsor, Ontario Friday, July 24, 2026, in Windsor. /Paul Sancya)
On social media, Trump says he’s OK with Canada’s decision “considering they are paying substantial TARIFFS to the United States.”
Canada alone is celebrating the completion of a new bridge to the U.S. over the Detroit River. The multibillion-dollar Gordie Howe International Bridge will serve as a critical path for trade and casual travel between the U.S. and Canada
Canada scratched a joint gathering after Trump this week suddenly announced 50% tariffs on Canadian goods entering the U.S
Trump says US will investigate EU trade practices, claiming the bloc unfairly fined tech giants
By DARLENE SUPERVILLE, COLLIN BINKLEY
President Donald Trump arrives with Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts and owner Mark Walter for an event to honor the 2025 World Series champions Los Angeles Dodgers in the Rose Garden of the White House, Thursday, July 23, 2026, in Washington. /Alex Brandon)
The president says he’s opening the formal investigation because the bloc has unfairly levied billions of dollars of fines against Google, Apple and other U.S. companies
Trump made the announcement a day after the EU hit Google with a fine of 890 million euros ($1 billion) after it said the technology behemoth broke digital antitrust regulations by setting up Google Play and its ubiquitous search engine to corral consumers toward its own services and apps to the detriment of competitors
In a lengthy post on social media, Trump said he has warned the EU about its practice of fining U.S. tech companies. He named Google, Apple, Meta, Amazon and others
JUST IN: Trump says US will investigate EU trade practices, claiming the bloc unfairly fined Google, Apple and other tech giants
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Democrats select South Carolina for their first presidential nominating contest in 2028
By JOEY CAPPELLETTI, MEG KINNARD
The U.S. and South Carolina flags hang in the South Carolina statehouse, March 16, 2021, in Columbia, S.C . /Jeffrey Collins, File)
The decision most likely cements a dramatic break from decades of tradition by keeping Iowa and New Hampshire off the top of the calendar and elevating more racially diverse states
The Democratic National Committee’s Rules and Bylaws Committee weighed competing bids led by South Carolina and Nevada for the first spot. The choice will need to be approved by the full Democratic National Committee, which is scheduled to meet in August
South Carolina or Nevada had been expected to go first, with each state aggressively campaigning for the coveted spot
JUST IN: Democrats select South Carolina to lead off their party’s 2028 presidential nominating schedule
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
US embassies across the Mideast begin sending country-specific travel warnings for Americans
By MATTHEW LEE
U.S. embassies across the Middle East sent out country-specific travel alerts to Americans, advising them that already limited options to leave the region may become more limited due to escalating tensions between the United States and Iran
At least 11 embassies in the Mideast released advisories that echo broader “worldwide caution” and regional warnings that the State Department has put out since last weekend. The department was criticized for its messaging to Americans in the Middle East before and during the war that began in late February
Neither the worldwide alerts nor the country-specific ones being released on Friday say that intensified hostilities are imminent but they note that some airlines have already canceled flights into the region and that others may follow suit
The 11 embassies to issue the alerts are Bahrain, the virtual embassy in Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates
Netanyahu to visit Washington next week for meeting with Trump
By ERIN CUNNINGHAM
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at the state memorial for Ze’ev Jabotinsky, at Mount Herzl Military Cemetery in Jerusalem, Tuesday, July 14, 2026. /Ohad Zwigenberg)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu plans to travel to the United States for an official visit next week, his office said in a statement Friday. He’ll meet with President Trump in Washington on Tuesday, according to the statement, and also attend the funeral of Sen. Lindsey Graham
The last time the two leaders met in Washington was in February, just weeks before they launched a joint war against Iran. Since then, tensions have grown between the longtime allies, including over how to prosecute the war
Israel had opposed Trump’s recent negotiations with Iran, while Trump was upset over Israeli military action in Lebanon, which he saw as a threat to his diplomatic efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz
But with Iran and the United State fighting once again, Israel has also signaled its willingness to rejoin the conflict. In recent days, Israeli officials have said they’re preparing to respond if Iran launches an attack on Israeli soil
Second lady Usha Vance shares family photo after son’s birth
By DARLENE SUPERVILLE
Vance added a message with her social media post thanking the public “for all the good wishes as we settle into life as a family of six.”
She included photos of her larger family seated on a couch, as well as a close-up of the baby
Vance gave birth Sunday to Alec Neel Vance, her fourth child with Vice President JD Vance. Alec is also the first child born to a sitting vice president in more than 150 years
He joins older siblings Ewan, Vivek and Mirabel
White House correspondents’ dinner, redux: What will Trump have to say?
By JOCELYN NOVECK
When guests arrive for the rescheduled White House Correspondents’ Association dinner Friday at Washington’s Waldorf Astoria hotel, security will be much tighter, the guest list smaller, the partying pared down
That much, the correspondents’ association can control
What remains out of its control — and perhaps the biggest question — is what the dinner’s most prominent guest, President Donald Trump, will bring to the table
Call it White House Dinner 2.0, or Take Two, or, in Trump’s own words, a “HOT ticket.”
The big unknown is whether Trump will bring the fighting words (“rather nasty,” he said) against the press he’d planned to deliver in April — before the event descended into chaos when a gunman stormed a security checkpoint, forcing an evacuation of the room
The latest import duties might stick
By ELAINE KURTENBACH, CHAN HO-HIM
Wendy Cutler, a former senior U.S. trade official, said the latest round of tariffs involved “few surprises” since they range just between 10% and 12.5%
The U.S. Trade Representative’s office spent four months investigating the basis for those tariffs to meet legal requirements under Section 301 of the U.S. Trade Act of 1974
“Time will tell whether the third attempt to impose tariffs is the charm and this action stands up to legal challenges,” said Cutler, senior vice president of the Asia Society Policy Institute
These duties are less likely than earlier ones to be overruled by U.S. courts, she said
Further tariffs may be coming in the fall related to alleged structural excess capacity of trading partners, she noted
China opposes unilateral tariffs in ‘all forms’
By ELAINE KURTENBACH, CHAN HO-HIM
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it “opposes all forms of unilateral tariffs” in response to the new 12.5% tariffs, reiterating a longstanding statement by Beijing
“Tariff wars and trade wars do not serve any parties’ interests,” ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told a regular news conference
Trade tensions have clouded relations between China and the U.S., two of the world’s biggest economies, as Trump’s hefty “Liberation Day” tariffs resulted in a sharp drop in Chinese exports to the U.S
Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, who agreed to set up new boards of trade and investment at their mid-May meeting in Beijing, are expected to meet again in September
US tariff hikes linked to claims of foreign forced labor dismay and anger trading partners
By ELAINE KURTENBACH, CHAN HO-HIM
Trump’s latest set of tariff hikes drew objections Friday from America’s trading partners including China and Japan, with Australia’s trade minister slamming them as “completely unjustified.”
The administration announced extra tariffs of 10% to 12.5% on 60 economies late Thursday, saying the countries had failed to adequately enforce a ban on goods made with forced labor
Australian Trade Minister Don Farrell rejected claims linking Australia, a major exporter of beef, gold and copper, to modern slavery
“We believe that amongst all of the countries in the world Australia does take the issue of slavery, modern slavery, seriously, and will continue to do that,” Farrell told reporters in Adelaide
Japan also protested the 12.5% tariff imposed on its exports, noting Tokyo had been reassured by the Trump administration that there would be no more tariffs on top of an earlier agreement on a 10% U.S. import duty
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Journalists urge correspondents’ association to stand up to Trump at rescheduled press dinner
By JOCELYN NOVECK
Hundreds of former or retired journalists and eight press freedom groups are asking the White House Correspondents’ Association to stand up to the Trump administration’s recent attacks on the media at its rescheduled dinner this week — a dinner President Donald Trump says he’ll attend
The first dinner was cut short in April when a gunman, who prosecutors say was trying to assassinate Trump, opened fire at the Washington Hilton. The much smaller rescheduled dinner will take place Friday, with enhanced security precautions, at the capital’s Waldorf Astoria Hotel, formerly the Trump International Hotel
The letter expands on a similar one issued in April, before the first dinner. It notes that since then, “the administration’s attacks on journalists and press freedom have become even more egregious.”
The letter, organized by former ABC News correspondent Lisa Stark and producer Ian Cameron, cites in particular the recent subpoenas by the Justice Department to New York Times journalists who reported on security concerns over the president’s Qatari-gifted Air Force One jet. Additional subpoenas of the journalists’ phone records have included even the mother of one reporter and two spouses
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Trump expands a voluntary pledge to protect consumers from high utility bills from AI data centers
By JOSH BOAK, MATTHEW DALY
Trump on Thursday had governors and electricity companies join a voluntary pledge to shield U.S. consumers from higher utility bills from data centers — a sign of how the artificial intelligence build-out has become a lightning rod of controversy before the midterm elections
The president first announced the pledge with leading AI and tech companies in March, but that initial commitment has done little to comfort voters who are already grappling with affordability issues as they worry about competing for electricity, water and land with tech companies controlled by billionaires. It’s unclear, with electricity demand already growing, whether consumers would see genuine savings
Trump is doubling down on the pledge at a time when the broader social contract is being rewritten by AI, a technology that is evolving so quickly in its capabilities that governments are struggling over how to provide oversight
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Liberal Justice Elena Kagan says the Supreme Court is not a rubber stamp for Trump
By GENE JOHNSON
FILE – In this Monday, Jan. 21, 2013 file photo, Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan arrive for President Barack Obama’s ceremonial swearing-in ceremony during the 57th presidential inauguration at the Capitol in Washington. Obama nominated Kagan and Sotomayor, the first Latina on the U.S. Supreme Court. And more than 100 minority judges were added to the federal bench, according to the Pew Research Center. /Win McNamee, Pool)
The U.S. Supreme Court may be deeply conservative, but it is not simply a rubber stamp for President Donald Trump, Justice Elena Kagan said Thursday
Kagan, one of the court’s three liberal justices, told an audience of lawyers and judges from the 9th U.S. Circuit in Bellevue, Washington, that at significant times, on some big issues, “the court has checked the executive branch.”
The court has sided with the Trump administration in the vast majority of cases to come before it so far, including largely upholding his immigration crackdown and expanding Trump’s authority over federal regulatory agencies. But Kagan pointed to key rulings where the president did not get what he sought, such as decisions rejecting Trump’s sweeping tariffs and his efforts to strip birthright citizenship from the children of people who are in the U.S. illegally
“Is this court very conservative? Does it do a bunch of things that are out of the playbook of the conservative legal movement that I think are deeply wrong? You know, yes,” Kagan said. “But is this court the kind of puppet for the current administration? I think definitely not.”
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Explosions are heard near a US base in northern Iraq as US-Iran fighting escalates
By JULIA FRANKEL, STELLA MARTANY
Black smoke rises following explosions near a military base hosting U.S. forces in the northern Iraqi city of Irbil, Friday, July 24, 2026. /Stella Martany)
A series of explosions sounded near a military base hosting U.S. forces in northern Iraq and sirens rang out in Bahrain on Friday, hours after the American military said it finished its 13th night of strikes against Iran
The conflict has flared again over the past week, as the U.S. has pounded Iran while Tehran has attacked ships in the Strait of Hormuz and targeted U.S. assets and allies in the region. The strait, which is a crucial passage for the world’s energy supplies, is at the center of the latest fighting since Iranian attacks can effectively shut the waterway, sending fuel prices soaring worldwide and causing widespread economic turmoil. The Iranian-allied Houthi rebels added further pressure this week by targeting two Saudi tankers in the Red Sea, making good on a threat to cut off an alternative route for the region’s oil.
Despite the unpopularity of the war in the U.S. and the widespread damage it has caused in Iran and to the global economy, the latest round of fighting has no clear off-ramp
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Trump imposes double-digit tariffs on dozens of countries as his 10% levies are set to expire Friday
By PAUL WISEMAN, MAE ANDERSON
President Donald Trump is going ahead with new double-digit tariffs on dozens of U.S. trading partners just as the clock runs out Friday on stopgap levies he imposed after a stinging defeat at the Supreme Court
The United States will slap taxes of 10% to 12.5% on imports from 60 trading partners accounting for 99% of U.S. imports, charging that they have inadequately enforced bans on goods produced by forced labor
“The United States has had a forced labor import ban for nearly a century, and rigorously enforces it; it’s well past time for our trading partners to do the same,” said U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer
The new tariffs will take effect just as temporary 10% worldwide tariffs expire at 12:01 a.m. Friday. Trump had turned to those temporary levies after the Supreme Court struck down his biggest and boldest tariffs in February
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