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Trump Hosts Zuckerberg, Musk, Amodei and Huang for a White House Lunch and Announces They Have Signed an Accord to "Self-Police" — "I Think It's Morally Binding" — the Same Day Ted Cruz Blocks the Senate's Bipartisan AI Safety Bill and Bernie Sanders Says "Congress Does Not Regulate AI. AI Regulates Congress"

On Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026, President Trump hosted nearly 20 technology executives — among them Meta's Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, Anthropic's Dario Amodei, Nvidia's Jensen Huang, Google's Sundar Pichai, Microsoft's Satya Nadella, Amazon's Jeff Bezos, Palantir's Alex Karp and OpenAI's Greg Brockman — at a White House "Super Intelligence Luncheon" attended by Speaker Mike Johnson, Vice President JD Vance and several Cabinet members. Afterward Trump announced that the companies had signed "The White House Accord on Superintelligence: A Joint Commitment on Frontier SI Responsibilities," a voluntary statement of principles promising internal controls and internal and external review of frontier models. Asked whether it was binding, Trump said, "I think it's morally binding." The accord has no enforcement mechanism. The summit came weeks after OpenAI and Anthropic disclosed that AI agents had gone rogue and accessed systems without authorization, and as calls for a development slowdown grew. That same morning, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), chairman of the Commerce Committee, objected to a unanimous-consent request by Sens. Mark Warner (D-Va.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) and Andy Kim (D-N.J.) to pass the Artificial Intelligence Risk Management and Security Act of 2026, which would create a permanent AI safety board at the Commerce Department with authority to review frontier models 45 days before release.

“There's a belief that there should be tremendous self-regulation, and we automatically have regulation. … But the self-regulation is very important. … I think I'm seeing tremendous self-policing. And they understand that they have to self-police. … I will never stifle the growth of a technology that will be bigger than the industrial revolution. We can't stifle it, and we're leading by a lot. [Asked whether the accord is binding:] I think it's morally binding.”

Donald Trump (R-FL) · Sep 29, 2026
Artificial Intelligence
Technology
Big Tech
6 statements

Five Weeks Before the Midterms, Senate Republicans Block Tammy Baldwin's Resolution to Overturn Trump's Obamacare Marketplace Rule — Susan Collins Is the Only Republican to Vote Yes, and Baldwin Says the Rule Will Make "Out-of-Pocket Costs … Skyrocket"

On Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026, the Senate rejected a motion to proceed to S.J.Res. 197, Sen. Tammy Baldwin's (D-Wis.) Congressional Review Act resolution to overturn a Trump administration rule governing the Affordable Care Act marketplaces. The vote was 48-51 on the Senate floor record (some outlets reported 48-50); Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) was the only Republican to vote with Democrats. The rule promotes catastrophic and bronze-tier plans with very high deductibles, loosens network-adequacy requirements and lets insurers sell plans without provider networks. Democrats say it will push up to 2 million people off marketplace coverage and raise the maximum out-of-pocket limit to $15,600 for individuals and $31,200 for families in 2027. The vote was one of the Senate's last before members leave to campaign.

“We know that everything this administration is trying to do is to gut people's opportunity to get quality, affordable healthcare.”

Ron Wyden (D-OR) · Sep 29, 2026
Health Care
Affordable Care Act
Senate
2 statements
· Updated

Former Special Counsel Jack Smith Testifies Before Congress

Jack Smith testified publicly before the House Judiciary Committee on January 22, 2026, defending his investigations into President Trump across roughly five hours of sometimes heated questioning, a month after a closed-door appearance before the same committee. "Donald Trump is the person who caused January 6," Smith stated, adding "No one should be above the law." Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) framed the prosecutions as political; Ranking Member Jamie Raskin (D-MD) defended Smith's conduct. Trump responded on social media calling for Smith's prosecution. The federal cases against Trump were dropped after his 2024 election victory per DOJ policy barring prosecution of sitting presidents. Six months later, on July 22, 2026, Jordan formally referred Smith to the Justice Department for possible prosecution over alleged false statements in that testimony, a move Raskin called baseless and vindictive. On Sept. 29, 2026, Smith testified publicly before the Senate Judiciary Committee at a hearing Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) titled "Oversight of Jack Smith's Abuse of Authority and the Targeting of Republicans and Related Matters." Republicans focused on Arctic Frost, the FBI inquiry that preceded Smith's election case, and on his team obtaining toll records of Republican lawmakers' phones and the content of some members' texts to White House staff. House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan had referred Smith to the Justice Department in July, alleging he misled the House about those texts. Smith said he stood by both indictments and would not be "silenced by the continued threats of prosecution." Ranking member Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) noted that Smith had offered to testify publicly for more than a year.

“When President Trump defeated Secretary Clinton, you were bitterly disappointed, weren't you? … You didn't tell him, did you? … But you're unbiased. You have no personal feelings. You make me want to throw up in my mouth. … Do you believe in the Tooth Fairy?”

John Kennedy (R-LA) · Sep 29, 2026
jack-smith
special-counsel
january-6
13 statements

The Education Department Formally Erases Biden's Title IX Rule and Reinstates the 2020 Trump Regulation — Linda McMahon Says It "Restores the Commonsense Language," Tim Walberg Says It "Restores Longstanding Protections for Women and Girls," and Pramila Jayapal Says "Every Day, This Administration Continues to Target LGBTQIA+ Kids"

On Monday, Sept. 28, 2026, the Education Department announced a final rule formally rescinding the Biden administration's 2024 Title IX regulations, which had defined sex discrimination to include discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, and restoring the 2020 regulations written during President Trump's first term. The rule took effect on publication in the Federal Register on Sept. 29 without a public comment period. Federal courts had already struck down the 2024 rule, and the department said "nothing changes in practice" because it has enforced the 2020 rules since January 2025. The 2020 regulations strengthen due-process protections for students accused of sexual misconduct and do not explicitly address LGBTQ+ discrimination. Education Secretary Linda McMahon and House Education Committee Chairman Tim Walberg (R-Mich.) welcomed the move. Democrats, LGBTQ+ advocates and survivors' groups said it strips protections from transgender students and sexual-assault survivors.

“Thanks to today's action, the published Title IX regulations faithfully reflect court orders and congressional intent — reducing confusion for parents, students, and educational institutions. … This action restores the commonsense language promulgated in the first Trump administration.”

Linda McMahon (R-CT) · Sep 28, 2026
Education
Title IX
LGBTQ Rights
5 statements

Five Weeks Before the Midterms, Trump Announces a $15 Billion Steel Mill in Iowa and Credits His "Powerful 50% Tariffs" — Joni Ernst Calls It "One of the Greatest American Muscle Flexes," Pete Stauber Calls It "a Missed Opportunity for Northern Minnesota," and Democrat Rob Sand Asks What "Protections for Iowa Taxpayers" Will Be in the Deal

On Monday, Sept. 28, 2026, President Trump announced from the Oval Office that Mesabi Metallics, a Minnesota-based company owned by India's Essar Group, will build a $15 billion steel mill in Lee County in southeast Iowa. The White House called it the largest steel plant in U.S. history: roughly 10 million tons a year once it is fully running, which the company expects by 2030, plus 1,750 permanent jobs averaging $49 an hour and about 6,000 construction jobs. The mill will use iron ore from Mesabi's new mine near Nashwauk, Minn., which opened this month as the state's first new iron ore mine in about 50 years. Trump credited his 50% tariffs on foreign steel. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said of the project's incentive package, "I think this deal is done." Iowa's Republican governor, both of its senators and its four House members praised the plant. Several of them are on the ballot in November, including Rep. Ashley Hinson, the GOP nominee for Senate. Rep. Pete Stauber (R-Minn.) welcomed the mine but blamed Minnesota's Democratic state leadership for losing the mill to Iowa. Iowa Democrats, among them gubernatorial nominee Rob Sand, called the plant promising but said they wanted details on taxpayer protections and guarantees for workers.

“Soon after my inauguration, I imposed powerful 50% tariffs on all foreign steel, and now our steel industry is roaring back to life. … Everyone is building their plants here because they don't want to pay tariffs.”

Donald Trump (R-FL) · Sep 28, 2026
Steel
Tariffs
Manufacturing
10 statements

British Police Arrest Five Men With Explosives Near RAF Fairford, the Base U.S. Bombers Have Used to Strike Iran — Trump Says "They Were Looking to Do Big Damage" and "We Had Them Under View for a Long Time," Kat Cammack Says "Clearly Iran Was Involved," and Tehran Denies It

On Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026, police in southern England arrested five British men in their twenties who allegedly approached RAF Fairford carrying explosives. The Gloucestershire base is owned by the United Kingdom and operated by the U.S. Air Force, and American bombers have flown strikes on Iran from it since March. The men were arrested under the Explosives Act and then on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act. Speaking to reporters in Chicago that day, President Trump praised the arrests and said U.S. and British authorities had had the suspects under surveillance. Rep. Kat Cammack (R-Fla.) said on NewsNation that Iran was "clearly" involved. On Monday, Sept. 28, the five were released on bail, and counterterrorism detectives said they were pursuing "multiple lines of inquiry," including possible links to Iran, Russia or non-state militant groups. Iran's embassy in London "categorically" rejected any connection.

“I'm surprised that they released them, I wouldn't have done that. … We know everything about [the suspects]. We would not have released them. I would not have released them. [Asked whether the suspects were connected to Iran:] Might be.”

Donald Trump (R-FL) · Sep 28, 2026
Iran War
Terrorism
United Kingdom
4 statements

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