Trump's foreign policy tested by Israel, Russia

In today’s issue:

▪ Trump mixes policy, business in Scotland

▪ Midterm campaigns kick into high gear

▪ Tariff deadlines test global economy

▪ EPA leans into climate change denial

President Trump faces twin challenges to his foreign policy sway as he prepares to return to Washington today after upping pressure on Russia for a ceasefire and breaking with Israel over the Gaza hunger crisis.

The president is in Scotland on the last leg of a multi-day trip that saw him clinch a major trade agreement with the European Union, meet with British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, help negotiate a ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia — and play plenty of golf at his courses.

Today, Trump is in Aberdeen in northeast Scotland, where he participated in a ribbon-cutting this morning for the new Trump International Golf Links. Amid the trade deals and negotiations, the mix of business and personal commitments has become a signature for Trump, drawing some criticism.

“I look forward to playing it today,” Trump said Tuesday at the new course. “We’ll play it very quickly and then I go back to D.C. and we put out fires all over the world. We did one yesterday … We stopped a war, we’ve stopped about five wars. That’s much more important than playing golf.”

Follow along here for live updates from The Hill.

The Hill’s Niall Stanage breaks down five key takeaways from Trump’s Scotland trip.

HUMANITARIAN CRISIS: Trump on Monday acknowledged “real starvation” is happening in Gaza, as he and other world leaders face mounting pressure to address the hunger crisis in the besieged enclave.

In a break with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump told reporters he did “not particularly” agree with Netanyahu’s claim that there was no starvation in Gaza. The president also said the U.S. would take a more active role in getting food into the region.

European leaders have in recent days called for recognizing a Palestinian state and increasing efforts to get aid into Gaza, which has been devastated amid Israel’s war against Hamas. Israel over the weekend announced daily pauses in fighting to allow aid. 

▪ NBC News: The “worst-case scenario of famine” is unfolding in Gaza under Israel’s offensive, the global authority on hunger says.

▪ The New York Times: Britain is actively weighing the recognition of a Palestinian state, in a shift driven by pressure over starvation in Gaza.

Trump said Monday a ceasefire in Gaza “is possible” but “you have to end it.” Hamas does not “want to give the hostages,” the president said. “I told Bibi that he will have to now maybe do it in a different way,” Trump added, referring to Netanyahu by his nickname.

According to the United Nations’ World Food Programme, a third of Gaza’s population of about 2 million go for days without eating. Hundreds of thousands of people live in “famine-like conditions.” The World Health Organization said Sunday there have been 63 deaths from malnutrition in Gaza this month, 25 of whom were children.

For Trump, whose foreign policy approach is defined by a transactional dealmaking strategy, the starvation unfolding in Gaza provides a key test of whether his America First foreign policy can confront the crisis.

“That’s real starvation stuff, I see it, and you can’t fake that,” Trump said Monday, acknowledging he had seen pictures of malnourished children in Gaza. “We have to get the kids fed.”

▪ CNN: What to know about the starvation crisis in Gaza as experts warn current aid isn’t enough.

▪ The Atlantic: Food aid in Gaza has become a horror.

▪ The Times of Israel: At an event in Ohio, Vice President Vance lamented the “heartbreaking cases” of children starving to death in Gaza and said Israel must do more to get aid into the Strip.

▪ Politico: Trump last criticized Netanyahu over Israel’s surprise attacks on Iran. 

PRESSURE CAMPAIGN: Trump on Monday said he would reduce the timeline for imposing additional sanctions on Moscow if Russian President Vladimir Putin does not reach a ceasefire with Ukraine. 

Trump earlier this month said Putin had 50 days to agree to a ceasefire, but the president said Monday “we just don’t see any progress being made.” 

“I’m going to make a new deadline of about 10 or 12 days from today — there’s no reason in waiting,” Trump told reporters in Scotland. 

Trump said he is “disappointed” with Putin, who has shirked calls for a ceasefire to end the three-year war in Ukraine started by Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion. 

His comments are the latest sign the president’s often flip-flopping rhetoric on the Ukraine war seems to have taken on a more consistent tone that is generally critical of Moscow and Putin. The Russian leader, in apparent defiance of U.S. threats, continues to launch aerial attacks on Ukraine.

Trump’s words were welcomed in Kyiv, where Andriy Yermak, chief of staff to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, said he was “standing firm and delivering a clear message of peace through strength.”

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Smart Take with Blake Burman

A host of economic indicators is scheduled to come out in the next few days, starting today with key reads on job openings and consumer confidence.  

On Wednesday, we’ll see the first read for GDP in the second quarter and hear from Fed Chair Jerome Powell on the Federal Reserve’s interest rate decision. On Thursday, a new read on inflation. And Friday, we’ll get the monthly jobs report from the Labor Department.  

As the numbers come out throughout the week, we’re sure to hear plenty of opinions. All told, there’s a chance that by Friday, we could have a whole new narrative on where the U.S. economy actually stands, and what direction it could take from there.

Burman hosts “The Hill” weeknights, 6p/5c on NewsNation.

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3 Things to Know Today

1. Four people, including a New York City police officer, are dead after a gunman opened fire in a Manhattan skyscraper Monday afternoon before fatally shooting himself.
2. A second whistleblower has come forward to allege that Trump judicial nominee Emil Bove pushed back on court orders as a top Justice Department official.
3. Millions are under a heat wave on the East Coast. When will they feel some relief?

Leading the Day

MIDTERMS: The 2026 election cycle is gearing up, with crucial updates in campaigns that could shift control of the House, Senate or both during the final half of the second Trump administration. 

Senate Democrats received a massive shot in the arm on Monday as former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D) announced he is jumping into the Tar Heel State’s high-stakes Senate race to replace retiring GOP Sen. Thom Tillis.

Republican National Committee (RNC) Chair Michael Whatley is expected to launch a run with Trump’s backing — setting the stage for a major showdown in the state.

The nonpartisan election handicapper Cook Political Report has North Carolina and two other seats — Georgia, where Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff is seeking a second term, and Michigan’s open seat — as the only two toss-ups in the upper chamber next year, but others are in the lean categories for both sides.

▪ The Atlanta Journal Constitution: Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) hoped to avoid a messy Senate primary. It might happen anyway.

▪ The Hill: Paul Dans, a principal author of the Heritage Foundation-led Project 2025, is challenging Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) for his seat.

▪ Axios: Former Sen. Sherrod Brown met with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) in Ohio amid the 2026 Senate push.

AT ALL COSTS: Democrats are plotting ways to use rising costs to take aim at Trump and his allies in the upcoming election cycle. 

The Hill’s Amie Parnes reports that Democrats see messaging on affordability as a way to show they represent working-class Americans, many of whom supported Trump during the 2024 election. 

It can’t be broad-stroke statements made from outside the voter experience, political observers say. They say it has to be on specific things — like beef and timber — that working-class people can no longer afford. 

“Talk about the price of beef,” said Republican strategist Susan Del Percio, who does not support Trump. “Just like Donald Trump talked about eggs, it’s more than talking about the economy. It’s making it relatable, and nothing is more relatable than hamburgers and a barbecue.”

MAXWELL DIVIDES: Republicans and conservatives are divided over convicted sex offender Ghislaine Maxwell as she takes center stage in the Jeffrey Epstein files saga. 

Maxwell has been in talks with the Department of Justice, and the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee has subpoenaed her for more information. Meanwhile, Maxwell’s attorneys are petitioning for the Supreme Court to overturn her conviction and separately for Trump to pardon her or commute her 20-year prison sentence. 

▪ The Hill: Senate Judiciary Committee ranking member Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) is demanding recordings of Maxwell’s Department of Justice talks.

▪ The Washington Post: Oversight leaders expected to attend Maxwell deposition.

SENATE TIME: Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) is dealing with long procedural delays and drawn-out votes on dozens of relatively non-controversial and lower-level Trump nominees, putting Republicans in a bind with a week left until the August recess.

GOP lawmakers have worked overtime to get Trump’s legislative agenda through, including his tax and spending megabill, putting pressure on senators ready to head home for the August break, but they still face a backlog of judicial, ambassadorial and other nominees.

The Hill’s Alexander Bolton reports that Thune, who took the Senate reins in January, is coming under pressure from Trump and conservatives, including Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), to power through and keep the Senate in session. 

JUDGE IN THE SPOTLIGHT: The Justice Department on Monday filed a formal complaint against U.S. District Judge James Boasberg for misconduct, demanding he be removed from a high-profile deportation case and face reprimand.

Boasberg has faced intense backlash from Trump and his allies for his handling of a challenge to the president’s use of the Alien Enemies Act. Trump first invoked the obscure law in mid-March to swiftly deport alleged Venezuelan gang members to a notorious prison in El Salvador.

Where and When

• The president is in Aberdeen, Scotland, where he is participating in a grand opening ceremony for Trump International Golf Links Aberdeen. He will then travel back to Washington and returns tonight.
• The Senate will convene at 10 a.m.
• The House is in recess and resumes work in Washington on Sept. 2.

Zoom In

TRADE: Trump is staring down a big week on the economy as White House trade talks intensify ahead of Friday’s “reciprocal” tariffs deadline. The president said Monday the baseline tariff rate for the world will be “in the range of 15 to 20 percent … probably one of those two numbers.”

Meanwhile, the Federal Reserve on Wednesday will announce its decision on interest rates and is expected to keep rates unchanged. There will also be second-quarter growth results, the monthly jobs report for July and price data that could show tariff effects.

Tensions appear to be cooling between Trump and Fed Chair Jerome Powell, but the central bank’s upcoming rate decision could inflame the dynamic again. The pair had a rare and tense joint appearance last week, and expect the president to be very vocal on whaterver the Fed does next.

Results on employment levels and economic growth could also embolden Trump, who’s been riding high after his tax cut legislation made it through Congress. If they fall short, they could put the White House on the defensive or spur a market slump.

The Hill’s Alex Gangitano and Tobias Burns preview the next few days.

▪ Politico: Inside the drama of Ottawa’s down-to-the-wire trade negotiations with the White House.

Hit the brakes: Trump’s tariff strategy will face a major test in federal court on Thursday, just hours before a new round of levies is set to take effect. Trump’s tariff policy is underpinned by an emergency power that is now being challenged as unlawful. A group of small business owners is suing on the grounds that Trump lacks legal authority from Congress to impose severe tariffs that could damage their bottom line.

▪ Axios: What the trade deals so far tell us about Trump’s plans for global trade.

▪ The New York Times: See Trump’s new tariffs on a map.

▪ Bloomberg News: How Trump’s tariffs are already stunting world economic growth.

European Union: In Scotland, Trump touted the new U.S.-European Union trade deal alongside European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen. The bloc is the U.S.’s largest trading partner, and vice versa, making the deal one of the most significant Trump has negotiated since his April 2 tariff announcement.

The agreement sets tariffs at 15 percent for European imports, including automobiles. That’s lower than the 30 percent tariff Trump had threatened to impose on the EU but higher than some European officials would have liked to see — especially after decades of enjoying low single-digit tariffs for most exports to the U.S.

As part of the deal, the EU pledged to purchase $750 billion worth of energy from the U.S. and agreed to invest $600 billion more in the U.S. than the current investments for other goods.

Here’s an early wrinkle: The EU has reportedly admitted it doesn’t have the power to deliver on that $600 billion promise, because the money would come entirely from private sector investment, over which Brussels has no authority. An EU official told Politico the figure was “based on detailed discussions with different business associations and companies in order to see what their investment intentions are.”

French Prime Minister François Bayrou criticized the deal as an act of “submission” by the EU.

“It is a dark day when an alliance of free peoples, united to affirm their values and defend their interests, resolves to submission,” Bayrou said.

▪ The Washington Post: Balancing economic interests and security concerns, European officials said they got the best deal possible with Trump, but critics said Brussels ceded to pressure.

China: Top U.S. and Chinese officials, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, met in Stockholm on Monday for talks aimed at resolving longstanding disputes central to the trade war between the world’s top two economies, seeking to extend a truce by three months.

China faces an Aug. 12 deadline to reach a tariff agreement with Trump, after the two sides reached preliminary deals in May and June to end weeks of escalating tit-for-tat levies.

▪ Time magazine: The chaotic, fantastical world of Trump’s tariffs.

Elsewhere

WHAT CLIMATE CHANGE?: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is embracing climate change denial as it prepares to upend the legal finding that greenhouse gases pose a threat to public health. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin also recently appeared to deny the harm caused by carbon dioxide. 

“You have many on the left who will say ‘carbon dioxide is a pollutant’ and they won’t talk about all of the many reasons why carbon dioxide is actually necessary for life here on our planet,” Zeldin said in an interview with Newsmax.

IMMIGRATION SWEEPS GO TO COLLEGE: The Trump administration is making it harder for international students and immigrants to pursue higher education in the U.S. — a dual effect of the president’s sweeping immigration crackdown and well-documented disdain for liberal bastions.

The Hill’s Lexi Lonas Cochran reports Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients, foreign students seeking visas and potentially even those looking to work in the country after graduation have all found themselves caught in the crossfire.

“The administration has already identified universities — particularly a few elite universities — as individual targets for its culture war,” said Dara Lind, a senior fellow at the American Immigration Council.

▪ The New York Times: Harvard University is said to be open to spending up to $500 million to resolve its dispute with Trump.

Opinion

• Trump and the EU Dodge a Trade War, by The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board.
• Google is reaping the rewards of its unfair AI advantage, by tech columnist Dave Lee, Bloomberg Opinion.

The Closer

And finally … ⛰️ Shaky ground: A new study from researchers at the University of Victoria in British Columbia, Canada, has revealed that a fault line that stretches across North America may have been quietly building up pressure for centuries.

The Tintina fault was long thought to be dormant, but new research tools and technology found seismic activity and fault slippage that could be precursors for a major event.

Alaska state seismologist Michael West, who is the director at the Alaska Earthquake Center, told the Daily Mail it hasn’t been as much of a concern in the past because the fault was seen as non-threatening.

“This new study shows it has been quietly building toward a potentially very large earthquake,” he said. “It is one of the least studied fault systems in North America, and that needs to change.”

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