Trump's reversal on foreign students

Plus, the small business that beat his tariffs |

Tuesday, June 03, 2025 Paul Waldman: Candidate Trump vs. President Trump During an interview last June, then-candidate Donald Trump was asked what he thought about foreign students attending American universities. "What I want to do and what I will do is you graduate from a college, I think you should get automatically, as part of your diploma, a green card to be able to stay in this country," he said. It was an idea he'd borrowed from Hillary Clinton during the 2016 campaign, saying foreign students who want to stay after graduation "should not be thrown out of our country." As you might have guessed by now, Trump didn't follow through on that pledge. But he didn't just renege on his promise; he's doing its exact opposite. The Trump administration is moving quickly to try to deport foreign students studying here and halting the interviews necessary for foreign students who want to study here in the future. Setting aside the broken promise for a moment, this episode includes a valuable lesson for Democrats trying to figure out how to make a comeback. Read Paul Waldman's full column here.   TODAY'S QUESTION Do you think tips should be taxed? The "Big Beautiful Bill" passed by the House of Representatives includes a provision to enact Trump's campaign promise of exempting tips from federal income tax. VOTE HERE     TRUMP'S WEEK IN REVIEW Here are some highlights of the president's actions over the last seven days: Saw Trump-backed nationalist Karol Nawrocki win the Polish presidency, a contrast with recent elections in Canada and Australia. Said a reporter's question about the Wall Street joke "Trump Always Chickens Out" on his proposed tariffs was "nasty." Had sweeping tariffs blocked by a three-judge panel on the U.S. Court of International Trade, though an appeals court later paused the block. Called Leonard Leo, the influential former chair of the conservative Federalist Society, a "sleazebag" who "probably hates America." Said that people should not feel bad for Joe Biden for having prostate cancer and shared a social media post claiming he was replaced by a robotic clone.   THE CHALLENGERS The news can feel overwhelming. But each week, we're highlighting a person, organization or movement that's sticking up for their principles or their fellow Americans. This week's challenger is MicroKits. After getting laid off in 2020, electrical engineer David Levi started MicroKits, which sells electronics kits that kids can use to build their own musical instruments, including a synthesizer and a theremin. But the Trump administration added tariffs as high as 150% on some of his electronic components from China. "For a business like mine, that's a death sentence," he said. So Levi joined four other small businesses to challenge the tariffs before the Court of International Trade. A three-judge panel halted several tariffs, though a federal appeals judge later paused that ruling. Read more. NUMBER OF THE WEEK 50% This Wednesday, Trump said he will double the tariff on steel and aluminum imports to 50% to protect jobs and manufacturers. Also likely to rise, tensions with our neighbors and major trading partners like Canada and Mexico that account for nearly 35% of all U.S. steel imports. Higher prices have helped domestic producers, but they've also raised costs for industries that need steel and aluminum like automakers and construction (already struggling with other tariffs). Unlike some tariffs now facing judicial review, he issued these under a different law. And after being tagged with the TACO ("Trump always chickens out") moniker on tariffs, Trump might not lower these ones any time soon. Learn more. — Stephanie Ruhle, host of "The 11th Hour" TOP STORIES Barbara McQuade Trump's new pick to lead the Office of Special Counsel is cartoonishly unqualified Steve Benen The Republicans' megabill would sabotage the Affordable Care Act Anthony L. Fisher The Trump administration just kicked its war on free speech into overdrive Frank Figliuzzi Dan Bongino discovered he actually has to do work at the FBI — and he doesn't like it Ryan Teague Beckwith Here's where the overtime tax exemption stands as of now Rep. Troy Carter Trump's planned destruction of FEMA is an added fear this hurricane season MORE FROM MSNBC Nicolle Wallace is sitting down with some of the smartest, funniest, and wisest people she knows in her new podcast, "The Best People with Nicolle Wallace," and the first two episodes featuring Jason Bateman and Rachel Maddow are now available. They'll share their take on what's happening in the world and how they bring out the best in others. You can subscribe to MSNBC Premium on Apple Podcasts for early access, ad-free listening, and bonus content. Listen to the podcast. 30 Rockefeller Plaza New York, NY 10112 UNSUBSCRIBE | PRIVACY | CONTACT | VIEW IN BROWSER UNSUBSCRIBE | PRIVACY | CONTACT | VIEW IN BROWSER