On Thursday, President Donald Trump held a cabinet meeting as the government shutdown entered its ninth day. The meeting comes on the heels of a landmark Israel-Hamas peace deal and amid tensions over National Guard troop deployments nationwide.
During the meeting, Trump and his cabinet discussed their current objectives, including the Gaza peace deal, federal troop deployment to American cities, and the government shutdown.
Straight Arrow News covered the event as it happened. Below are the updates as they occurred.
Live updates:
1:15 p.m. ET: Meeting ends
Trump thanked reporters before they were ushered out of the room. The meeting lasted a little over an hour, after starting nearly an hour later than expected.
1:05 p.m. ET: Trump on Netanyahu
During questions, a reporter asked Trump if he thought Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would remain at his post following the end of the war. He joked that Netanyahu is a lot more popular now than he was previously.
“I think he’s very popular right now, he’s much more popular now than he was five days ago,” Trump said.
12:34 p.m. ET: DHS to buy more property in Chicago
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said they are purchasing more buildings and property in Chicago to operate out of.
“We’re not going to back off. In fact, we’re doubling down,” Noem said.
Noem also said she plans to do the same in Portland, where Trump has also ordered federal troops. She said local officials have not been helpful to federal authorities. Noem called the chief of police and the superintendent of highway patrol liars and “dishonest people.”
12:26 p.m. ET: Trump on sending military to American cities
The president spoke on his efforts to send National Guard troops to American cities to “restore public safety.” He said that they are going after “left-wing domestic terrorists, including the terrorist group Antifa.” Trump also said that they will investigate “people that are funding them.”
“Those people are going to be just as guilty as the people that smack people over the head with a baseball bat,” Trump said.
12:23 p.m. ET: ‘Only going to cut Democrat programs’
Trump said that he plans to permanently shut down “Democrat programs” during the shutdown. However, he did not say when that would start or which programs he was targeting.
“We’re only going to cut democracy programs,” Trump said.
12:19 p.m. ET: Drug prices
Trump stated that drug prices in the U.S. will decrease, but prices will increase slightly globally.
“Some of the pills sell for $10 in London and $100 here. That pill will go to $20 in London and $20 for us,” he said.
12:14 p.m. ET: Government shutdown:
The president spoke about the ongoing government shutdown, blaming the “radical left.” Trump said they have no leadership and he “has no idea who to deal with over there.”
He also said his administration is working on a health care plan and said they intend to reduce the cost of medicine by up to 300%.
12:07 p.m. ET: Update on Gaza peace deal
Trump spoke on his Gaza peace deal, saying they should be released by “Monday or Tuesday.” He also spoke about the hostages who were killed during their captivity, saying there are 28 “dead people, mostly young,” who will be released by Hamas.
12:05 p.m. ET: Meeting begins
Trump and several members of his cabinet, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, have sat down, and the meeting has begun. Trump began by signing a declaration about Columbus Day.
Israel-Hamas peace deal
On Wednesday, Trump announced that Israel and Hamas had signed off on “phase one” of his administration’s peace plan.
The agreement calls for the release of all remaining hostages “very soon,” and for Israel to withdraw troops “to an agreed-upon line.”
It marks a dramatic turning point two years after Hamas’ 2023 attack on Israel, which triggered the ongoing war in Gaza.
National Guard troop deployments
Meanwhile, National Guard troops have begun their mission in Chicago, where they are protecting federal buildings and law enforcement personnel under Trump’s recent order.
Roughly 500 troops have been deployed for at least 60 days, including 200 from Texas, despite an ongoing lawsuit challenging the move.
On Thursday, a federal judge will hear arguments in the lawsuit seeking to block the troop deployment.
Government shutdown stalemate
Thursday marks Day 9 of the government shutdown.
On Wednesday, the Senate voted for a sixth time on two temporary funding measures. One was crafted by the House GOP and one by Senate Democrats.
The House bill would temporarily fund the government through Nov. 21. The Senate Democrats’ bill would fund it through Oct. 31. The Democratic bill would also restore Medicaid cuts enacted in July and extend Affordable Care Act subsidies set to expire at the end of the year.
Neither bill has reached the Senate’s 60-vote threshold for passage, leaving hundreds of thousands of federal employees still furloughed or working without pay.
Other possible topics
Beyond the shutdown and the peace deal, the Cabinet could also discuss the administration’s escalating “armed conflict” with drug cartels, which Trump has designated as terrorist organizations.
That campaign has included missile strikes on alleged smuggling boats near Venezuela, operations that have drawn bipartisan concern on Capitol Hill.
Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., led an effort to block the strikes, arguing Congress has not authorized the use of force in this way. The Senate rejected the resolution Wednesday.
“There has been no authorization to use force by Congress in this way,” Schiff said. “I feel it is plainly unconstitutional.”
Finally, the meeting could touch on Friday’s Nobel Peace Prize announcement, where Trump — now a nominee — has mentioned the possibility of winning. If awarded, he would become the fifth U.S. president to receive the honor, joining Barack Obama, Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, and Jimmy Carter.
