Reports suggest that the President may announce a minerals deal that was previously thought to have been abandoned, as Canada and China escalate their responses to U.S. tariffs.
However, Donald Trump is not expected to sign a minerals agreement between the U.S. and Ukraine tonight, according to U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
Earlier reports indicated that Trump planned to finalize the controversial “rare earths” deal this evening and announce it during his joint address to Congress shortly after 9 p.m. ET.
Bessent, speaking to Fox News, stated there was “no signing planned.” White House sources confirmed that there had been no recent movement on the proposal, which would grant the U.S. half of Ukraine’s revenues from critical minerals in exchange for military support.
The deal was initially set to be signed last week but was put on hold following a heated confrontation between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office on Friday.
A source familiar with the negotiations told CBS News that Trump is now seeking a “bigger, better deal.”
Earlier today, Zelensky expressed his willingness to sign the agreement just hours after Trump suspended all military aid to Kyiv, calling it a step toward securing “solid security agreements” with the U.S.
Democratic Lawmakers Plan to Boycott Trump’s Speech
Several Democratic lawmakers in both the House and Senate intend to boycott Trump’s address tonight.
Among them is Washington Senator Patty Murray, one of the most senior Democrats in the Senate. Oregon Senator Ron Wyden plans to skip the speech and instead hold an online town hall.
Senator Martin Heinrich of New Mexico also announced his decision to boycott, stating: “This White House, this president, is so radically out of bounds for what is normal that I felt it was important to make that point.”
New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez will not attend, along with Virginia Representatives Gerry Connolly and Don Beyer. Maryland Congressman Kweisi Mfume accused Trump and Elon Musk of “destroying the state of the union,” adding, “I don’t need to be there to watch him claim otherwise.”
According to Axios, some Democratic lawmakers are considering walking out at key moments of the speech, particularly if Trump addresses transgender children. Others plan more subtle forms of protest, such as wearing coordinated colors like pink or black, or remaining expressionless and refusing to applaud.
Comments
Post a Comment