President Trump today

By Brian Ries and Meg Wagner, CNN

Updated 5:49 p.m. ET, July 25, 2018
17 Posts
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4:30 p.m. ET, July 25, 2018

Trump says he and European Commission chief agreed to work toward no tariffs

President Trump, speaking in the Rose Garden, said he and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker agreed to work toward eliminating tariffs and barriers between products, reducing tensions for now in a brewing trade war. 

Earlier today, President Donald Trump sought to assure farmers that he has their back, as some began to feel the effects of the escalating trade war with China.

Trump said both sides agreed to halt for now tariffs that threatened to devolve into a trade war as negotiations proceed. 

“This was a very big day for free and fair trade,” the president said. 

4:22 p.m. ET, July 25, 2018

NOW: Trump makes a surprise statement in the White House Rose Garden

President Trump is speaking in the White House Rose Garden alongside European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker.

Trump opened his remarks speaking about the "big day" the two men had had, and said they had met with plans to "launch a new phase in the relationship between the United States and the European Union, a phase of close relationship, of strong trade relations and both of us will win."

3:35 p.m. ET, July 25, 2018

JUST IN: Trump and EU Commission president will make statements and likely take questions in Rose Garden

From CNN's Jeff Zeleny

A White House official says President Trump and EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker will make statements and likely take questions shortly in the Rose Garden. We'll cover it live here.

2:53 p.m. ET, July 25, 2018

3 reasons why Trump delaying his next Putin meeting is a big deal

From CNN's Jeff Zeleny

The sudden White House decision to delay President Trump's next meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin is a big deal that should not be overlooked by the flood of other news today.

Here's why:

  1. It shows the perils of inviting world leaders via Twitter, without prior agreement, which the White House did last week amid a flurry of criticism over the Helsinki summit. Whether Trump was doubling-down or seeking a do-over, there is wide agreement this was hastily arranged.
  2. The decision to delay the invite comes just before Secretary of State Pompeo is set to testify on Capitol Hill, where few (if any) members believe Putin's visit is a good idea.
  3. This is another embarrassing moment for Trump on Russia, the latest in a string of them. After Putin didn’t immediately accept the invitation, it left the White House hanging.
2:38 p.m. ET, July 25, 2018

Trump's next Putin meeting won't be until 2019, White House says

There will be no Trump/Putin summit in Washington this year after all.

The White House issued a statement from national security adviser John Bolton, saying that the next possible meeting between President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin won't happen until 2019.

Here's the statement:

“The President believes that the next bilateral meeting with President Putin should take place after the Russia witch hunt is over, so we’ve agreed that it will be after the first of the year.”

Earlier this month, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said Trump hoped to welcome Putin to Washington this fall.

2:05 p.m. ET, July 25, 2018

Trump: US would be "extremely pleased" if all tariffs and barriers were eliminated with EU

From CNN's Kevin Liptak

President Trump, speaking in a meeting with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, said the US would be "extremely pleased" if all tariffs and barriers were eliminated with the European Union.

"If we can have no tariffs and no barriers and so no subsidies, the United States would be extremely pleased," Trump said.

He said the two sides were working toward a reciprocal trade agreement that can be "good for everybody."

2:00 p.m. ET, July 25, 2018

President Trump ignores reporters' questions

President Trump is meeting with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker at the White House.

The two leaders gave brief statements, but neither responded to questions shouted at the end of the meeting. Trump did not address questions about Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Michael Cohen tape.

Watch the moment:

1:22 p.m. ET, July 25, 2018

SOON: President Trump meets with European Commission head 

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and President Trump talk at the 2017 G20 Summit in Hamburg, Germany.
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and President Trump talk at the 2017 G20 Summit in Hamburg, Germany. MICHAEL KAPPELER/AFP/Getty Images

President Trump is scheduled to meet with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker at the White House at 1:30 p.m. ET.

The meeting comes amid a trade fight with Europe. The US has already put tariffs on aluminum and steel imports from the European Union, and now Trump is threatening to hike tariffs on cars made in Europe to 20%. EU officials hope the trip will help defuse the tension.

Last week, President Trump called the EU a "foe." When pressed on why he listed them as such, Trump responded: "No, I look at them all. Look, EU is very difficult. ... In a trade sense, they've really taken advantage of us and many of those countries are in NATO and they weren't paying their bills."

At a NATO summit earlier this month, Trump called out US allies — including many European countries — for not spending enough on defense. He also called Germany a "captive of Russia."

12:28 p.m. ET, July 25, 2018

Rudy Giuliani: "So much for ethics!"

Rudy Giuliani, President Trump's attorney, is tweeting about the Trump-Cohen tape, which was provided to CNN by Cohen's attorney Lanny Davis:

An important note: The tape was not privileged because the Trump legal team waived the privilege designation on it.

Why he's talking about cash

The audio — in which Trump is heard discussing with Cohen how they would buy the rights to a Playboy model's story about an alleged affair Trump had with her years earlier — is muddled. The meaning of Trump's use of the word "cash" is disputed by the two sides.

When Cohen tells Trump, "We'll have to pay," Trump is heard saying "pay with cash" but the audio is muddled and it's unclear whether he suggests paying with cash or not paying. Cohen says, "no, no" but it is not clear what is said next.

No payment was ever made from Trump, Giuliani has said. Giuliani has previously acknowledged that the recorded discussion related to the buying the story rights.