President Donald Trump met with foreign leaders in El Salvador and Italy this week to negotiate both trade and immigration issues in the White House.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni visited Washington during a sudden suspension of tariffs on the European Union and other countries, which could take effect in June. But both Trump and Meloni expressed optimism that the two countries would secure deals earlier.
“There’s going to be a 100% trade deal,” Trump told reporters at the White House on Thursday. “Of course there are trade contracts. They want to make so much. We have trade contracts. I’m totally hoping for that, but it’s going to be fair.”
Italian Meloni goes to Washington to embrace tariffs with Trump
When asked if the changes related to tariff policy consider the US a reliable trading partner, Meloni said he didn’t trek to the White House unless that was the case. Meloni said the purpose of the trip was to invite Trump to the meeting on behalf of Italy and Europe to promote trade negotiations between the two states.
“I think the best way is to be open about the needs we have and find ourselves in the middle because it’s useful for everyone,” Meloni told reporters Thursday.
Meanwhile, Vice President JD Vance met with Meloni in Rome on Friday to continue discussing economic policies between the two countries.
That happened again this week.
Visit with Bukel
Trump began his week with El Salvador President Naive Buquere on Monday, and began debating whether Maryland’s Kilmer Abrego Garcia should be returned after El Salvador was deported there.
The Trump administration and Buquere agreed on Monday that they have no authority to bring Abrego Garcia back to the United States, despite admitting that the Trump administration was deported for “administrative errors.” Still, the Trump administration accused Abrego Garcia of being a member of the MS-13 gang, a designated terrorist group.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court in April upheld a lower court order demanding that the government “promote” the release of Abrego Garcia from custody in El Salvador and ensure that his case will be dealt if he has not been improperly sent to El Salvador.
President Donald Trump shakes hands with President El Salvadoran Naive Buquere at a meeting at the White House Oval Office in Washington on April 14, 2025 (Al Drago for the Washington Post via Getty Images)
Attorney General Pam Bondy told reporters Monday that El Salvador would call the final shot on whether it would return Abrego Garcia, but Buquere told him that it was “absurd” that El Salvador would do so.
“How can I smuggle terrorists into the US? I don’t have the power to bring him back to the US,” Bukere said.
Additionally, the Department of Justice released a document on Wednesday detailing allegations of domestic violence by Jennifer Vasquez, the wife of Abrego Garcia, which will be included in a 2021 court filing.
Feud with Harvard
The Trump administration also continued to pursue federal funding in higher education institutions.
The government announced Monday that it would freeze more than $2 billion in federal funds from the agency after Harvard refused to comply with a series of requests from the Trump administration to reform various practices on campus.
Harvard President Alan M. Gerber said in a statement Monday that the Trump administration includes additional requests that are not related to anti-Semitism efforts on campus. As a result, Gerber said the agency would not succumb to those demands, claiming they were unconstitutional.
White House slams Ivy League agencies for “bad illegal acts” amid Trump’s feud with Harvard
Trump has publicly criticised Harvard University multiple times in recent weeks. (Getty Images | istock)
Gerber said the new demands, including auditing the monitoring points of campus students, faculty and staff, and eliminating all diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI) programs, offices and initiatives at Harvard University, are “direct government regulations for Harvard’s ‘intelligent conditions’.”
“The intent is to make it clear that it is not to work with us to address anti-Semitism in a cooperative and constructive way,” Gerber said. “We have notified the administration through our legal advisor that we will not accept the proposed agreement.”
Prescription drug price
Trump also signed an executive order on Tuesday calling for him to combat rising prescription drug prices.
The directive directs Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to standardize Medicare payments for prescription drugs, including those used in cancer patients, wherever patients are being treated. This could reduce patient prices by 60%, according to the White House fact sheet.
Click here to get the Fox News app
The new White House directive directs Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Department of Health and Human Services to standardize Medicare payments for prescription drugs. (istock/getty)
The order also includes provisions that match Medicare payments for certain prescription drugs with the price that hospitals pay for these drugs. That’s up to 35% lower than what the government pays to acquire those drugs, according to the White House.
Drug prices have risen significantly in recent years. Prescription drug prices rose by more than 15% between January 2022 and January 2023, averaged $590 per person, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. Of the 4,200 prescription drugs on that list, 46% of price increases exceeded inflation.
Diana Stancy is a political reporter for Fox News Digital, covering the White House.
Source link
