Fox has revealed its upcoming slate of shows for the 2025-26 season.
Brand-new and returning shows are coming to the network, including the return of the animated series American Dad!, a reboot of Fear Factor and the Jane Lynch-hosted series Weakest Link moving over from NBC.
Several new shows are being added to the lineup for Fox’s upcoming broadcast season, including the one-hour comedy BestMedicine, the thriller Memory of a Killer and a multipart series called The Faithful.
Best Medicine follows “a brilliant surgeon who abruptly leaves his illustrious career in Boston to become the general practitioner in a quaint East Coast fishing village,” according to its official synopsis. Memory of a Killer will follow a hitman who develops early onset Alzheimer’s, while The Faithful will be a six-episode limited series based on the book of Genesis to be presented during 2026’s Easter and Passover season.
Additionally, the competition series’ 99 to Beat, Celebrity Weakest Link and the aforementioned reboot with the working title FearFactor: The Next Chapter are also joining the upcoming slate of shows.
“Building on our winning position in both key demos and co-viewing this season, FOX delivers a 2025-26 schedule that’s filled with irreverence, fun and much-needed laughter,” FOX Entertainment CEO Rob Wade said. “Next year more than ever, we’re bringing that promise to life with a terrific slate to delight our audiences across linear, Hulu and beyond.”
(WASHINGTON) — A trade agreement between the U.S. and China on Monday slashed tit-for-tat tariffs between the world’s two largest economies and triggered a surge in the stock market.
The U.S. agreed to cut tariffs on Chinese goods from 145% to 30%, while China committed to reduce tariffs on U.S. products from 125% to 10%. The lowered tariffs will remain in place for 90 days while the two sides negotiate a wider trade deal.
Still, the agreement appeared to leave key sticking points unresolved as the two countries work through a newly established mechanism for further discussions.
In a joint statement, the U.S. and China touted the agreement as evidence that both sides recognize the “importance of a sustainable, long-term, and mutually beneficial economic and trade relationship.”
Here’s what to know about the new trade framework:
Lower tariffs The trade agreement temporarily reduces tariffs imposed by the U.S. and China in the aftermath of Trump’s “Liberation Day” announcement last month.
The previous set of sky-high tariffs had threatened a surge in prices and a possible U.S. recession, experts told ABC News.
Jonathan Pingle, chief U.S. economist at Swiss investment bank UBS, estimated the reduction in U.S. levies on China would bring average U.S. tariffs down from 24% to 14%.
In a statement to ABC News, Pingle described the agreement between the U.S. and China as a “cooling off.”
Sector-specific tariffs on autos, aluminum and steel remain in place for Chinese goods, Trump told reporters at the Oval Office on Monday. Trump also said China would be subject to tariffs the White House plans to impose on pharmaceuticals.
The agreement preserves a set of 20% tariffs targeting China over its role in fentanyl trade, as well as a 10% levy slapped on imports from nearly all countries.
A plan for further negotiations The framework established a mechanism for negotiations between the U.S. and China, setting up the countries for further discussions during the 90-day period of reduced tariffs.
Senior officials from both sides will take part in the talks, the statement added.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer will represent the U.S., while China will be represented by Vice Premier of the State Council He Lifeng, a longtime associate of Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Shang-Jin Wei, a professor of finance and economics at Columbia University who studies the U.S.-China trade relationship, described the mechanism for negotiations as “meaningful.”
“It’s not an empty statement – there will be negotiations,” Wei said.
But, Wei added, the agreement struck on Monday amounts to a “temporary solution” as the two sides engage in a challenging set of discussions over the next few months.
“There’s a lot of uncertainty about what will happen in 90 days,” Wei said.
Sticking points remain unresolved Speaking at the White House on Monday, Trump acknowledged that verbal commitments made by both sides must be “papered,” meaning the broad accord has yet to be formalized through detailed agreements.
Trump has previously said he would like to narrow a $300 billion U.S. trade deficit with China, and roll back what he describes as non-tariff barriers to U.S. trade. The framework announced on Monday did not detail steps toward those efforts, Wei said.
The agreement also appeared to lack final resolution for a key sticking point centered on U.S. access to important materials largely controlled by China.
China imposed export restrictions on some rare earth elements and magnets that make up critical inputs in some U.S. auto, energy and defense products.
For now, Chinese companies can still export to U.S. customers, though the Chinese firms must receive approval from the Chinese government.
After the agreement, U.S. buyers are expected to have an easier path for such approval, but the restrictions are not expected to be fully removed, Reuters reported.
Rare earths are vital for a range of defense technologies, including F-35 fighter jets, Tomahawk missiles and radar systems, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, or CSIS, said last month.
The U.S. will likely also seek guarantees from China about the purchase of U.S. products, including agricultural goods, Wei said.
Meanwhile, Wei added, China will want to safeguard its access to U.S. markets, ensuring such exports continue to help drive the Chinese economy.
“China probably wants to adjust to reduce its dependence on U.S. markets,” Wei said. “But it wants to make sure those markets don’t go right away.”
Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images
(LONDON) — American-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander, who had been held captive by Hamas in Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, was released on Monday after successful negotiations between the U.S. and the terrorist organization and is now in the custody of the Israel Defense Forces, the IDF said.
The International Committee of the Red Cross said in a statement that its workers “successfully facilitated the safe transfer of a hostage from Gaza to Israeli authorities.”
Alexander’s mother, Yael, has arrived at Re’im military base in Israel near the Gaza border to see her son before he’s taken to a hospital in Tel Aviv. Retired Brig. Gen. Gal Hirsch, the Israeli coordinator for prisoners of war and missing persons, and U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff are also heading to the military base, an Israeli official told ABC News.
Israeli security officials told ABC News there would be a temporary pause in combat, airstrikes and aerial reconnaissance in the area of Gaza where Alexander was to be released. The pause will last until Alexander crosses into Israeli territory, officials said, which is expected to take less than 30 minutes.
Alexander, a New Jersey native, traveled to Israel at the age of 18. He was serving in the Israel Defense Forces when captured from his base close to the Gaza frontier during Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack. He was 19 when abducted and has had two birthdays while in captivity.
Alexander is the last living American citizen still believed to be held hostage by Hamas. The terror group is believed to also be holding the bodies of four dead American hostages, according to U.S. officials.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday met with Witkoff and U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, per a readout from his office. Netanyahu also spoke with President Donald Trump, the statement said, with the Israeli leader thanking Trump for his assistance in securing Alexander’s release.
“The prime minister discussed the last-ditch effort to implement the outline for the release of the hostages presented by Witkoff, before the escalation of the fighting,” the statement said. “To this end, the prime minister instructed that a negotiating delegation be sent to Doha tomorrow.”
“The prime minister clarified that the negotiations will only take place under fire,” it added.
Hamas announced its intention to free Alexander on Sunday, describing the decision as a “part of the steps being taken to achieve a ceasefire.”
The statement said Hamas has been in contact with American officials “over the past few days” as part of ceasefire negotiations.
Trump posted to Truth Social saying Alexander’s release “is the first of those final steps necessary to end this brutal conflict.”
A U.S. official familiar with the deal to release Alexander told ABC News that the agreement came together in recent days via direct talks between the U.S. and Hamas.
Alexander’s release is being viewed as a goodwill gesture toward the Trump administration and a potential opening to jumpstart talks surrounding the broader conflict, U.S. officials told ABC News.
Still, officials said the U.S. did not secure all the concessions it was seeking. Negotiators had also been pushing Hamas for the release of the remains of the four dead American hostages still held in Gaza, officials said.
Alexander’s family said in a statement released through the Hostage Families Forum that it was informed of Hamas’ announcement and “is in continuous contact with the U.S. government regarding the possibility of Edan’s expected release in the coming days.”
They added that “it is forbidden to leave any hostage behind” and said that “Israel is committed to ensure the return of all 58 remaining hostages without delay.”
Alexander was one of the 253 hostages taken during Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, in which some 1,200 people were also killed, according to Israel.
Israel’s subsequent offensive in Gaza had killed 52,829 people and wounded 119,554 more as of Sunday, according to figures released by the Hamas-run Ministry of Health in the strip.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
ABC News’ Shannon K. Kingston contributed to this report.
Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images
(LONDON) — American-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander, who had been held captive by Hamas in Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, was released on Monday after successful negotiations between the U.S. and the Palestinian group.
Alexander’s mother, Yael, has arrived at Re’im military base in Israel near the Gaza border to see her son before he’s taken to a hospital in Tel Aviv. Retired Brig. Gen. Gal Hirsch, the Israeli coordinator for prisoners of war and missing persons, and U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff are also heading to the military base, an Israeli official told ABC News.
Israeli security officials told ABC News there would be a temporary pause in combat, airstrikes and aerial reconnaissance in the area of Gaza where Alexander was to be released. The pause will last until Alexander crosses into Israeli territory, officials said, which is expected to take less than 30 minutes.
Alexander, a New Jersey native, traveled to Israel at the age of 18. He was serving in the Israel Defense Forces when captured from his base close to the Gaza frontier during Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack. He was 19 when abducted and has had two birthdays while in captivity.
Alexander is the last living American citizen still believed to be held hostage by Hamas. The terror group is believed to also be holding the bodies of four dead American hostages, according to U.S. officials.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday met with Witkoff and U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, per a readout from his office. Netanyahu also spoke with President Donald Trump, the statement said, with the Israeli leader thanking Trump for his assistance in securing Alexander’s release.
“The prime minister discussed the last-ditch effort to implement the outline for the release of the hostages presented by Witkoff, before the escalation of the fighting,” the statement said. “To this end, the prime minister instructed that a negotiating delegation be sent to Doha tomorrow.”
“The prime minister clarified that the negotiations will only take place under fire,” it added.
Hamas announced its intention to free Alexander on Sunday, describing the decision as a “part of the steps being taken to achieve a ceasefire.”
The statement said Hamas has been in contact with American officials “over the past few days” as part of ceasefire negotiations.
Trump posted to Truth Social saying Alexander’s release “is the first of those final steps necessary to end this brutal conflict.”
A U.S. official familiar with the deal to release Alexander told ABC News that the agreement came together in recent days via direct talks between the U.S. and Hamas.
Alexander’s release is being viewed as a goodwill gesture toward the Trump administration and a potential opening to jumpstart talks surrounding the broader conflict, U.S. officials told ABC News.
Still, officials said the U.S. did not secure all the concessions it was seeking. Negotiators had also been pushing Hamas for the release of the remains of the four dead American hostages still held in Gaza, officials said.
Alexander’s family said in a statement released through the Hostage Families Forum that it was informed of Hamas’ announcement and “is in continuous contact with the U.S. government regarding the possibility of Edan’s expected release in the coming days.”
They added that “it is forbidden to leave any hostage behind” and said that “Israel is committed to ensure the return of all 58 remaining hostages without delay.”
Alexander was one of the 253 hostages taken during Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, in which some 1,200 people were also killed, according to Israel.
Israel’s subsequent offensive in Gaza had killed 52,829 people and wounded 119,554 more as of Sunday, according to figures released by the Hamas-run Ministry of Health in the strip.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
ABC News’ Shannon K. Kingston contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — U.S. stocks soared at the open of trading on Monday, just hours after the U.S. and China announced an agreement to slash tariffs for 90 days as the world’s two largest economies negotiate a wider trade deal.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 1,005 points, or 2.4%, while the S&P 500 jumped 2.7%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq increased 3.8%.
Best Buy, an electronics retailer that previously warned of tariff-induced price hikes, saw shares surge more than 10%.
Tesla, the electric carmaker led by White House advisor Elon Musk, jumped more than 5%.
The U.S. agreed to cut tariffs on Chinese goods from 145% to 30%, while China committed to reduce tariffs on U.S. products from 125% to 10%.
The previous set of sky-high tariffs had threatened a surge in prices and a possible U.S. recession, experts told ABC News.
The move marks the latest rollback of far-reaching tariffs initiated by President Trump during a Rose Garden ceremony on April 2 that the president dubbed “Liberation Day.”
Days after the announcement, Trump suspended so-called “reciprocal tariffs” on dozens of countries.
“Increasingly, it’s as if the last 6 weeks have been a bad dream and never actually happened,” Deutsche Bank told clients on Monday in a memo shared with ABC News.
The U.S.-China accord came two days after an hours-long discussion between U.S. and Chinese officials in Geneva, Switzerland on Saturday.
Jonathan Pingle, chief U.S. economist at Swiss investment bank UBS, on Monday estimated the reduction in U.S. levies on China would bring average U.S. tariffs down from 24% to 14%.
In a statement to ABC News, Pingle described the agreement between the U.S. and China as a “cooling off.”
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images
(LONDON) — American-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander — held captive by Hamas in the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, 2023 — was set to be released Monday after successful negotiations between the U.S. and the Palestinian group.
Israeli security officials told ABC News there would be a temporary pause in combat, airstrikes and aerial reconnaissance in the area of Gaza where Alexander is to be released.
The pause will last until Alexander crosses into Israeli territory, officials said, which is expected to take less than 30 minutes.
An Israeli official told ABC News that Hamas is expected to release Alexander at 6:30 p.m. local time (11:30 a.m. ET). His mother, Yael, arrived at Re’im military base in southern Israel near the Gaza border, accompanied by Special Envoy for Hostage Response Adam Boehler.
Alexander is expected to be received at Re’im before being transported to a hospital in Tel Aviv.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday met with Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, per a readout from his office.
Netanyahu also spoke with President Donald Trump, the statement said, with the Israeli leader thanking Trump for his assistance in securing Alexander’s release.
“The prime minister discussed the last-ditch effort to implement the outline for the release of the hostages presented by Witkoff, before the escalation of the fighting,” the statement said. “To this end, the prime minister instructed that a negotiating delegation be sent to Doha tomorrow.”
“The prime minister clarified that the negotiations will only take place under fire,” it added.
Alexander was born in New Jersey and traveled to Israel at the age of 18. He was serving in the Israel Defense Forces when captured from his base close to the Gaza frontier during Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack. He was 19 when abducted.
Alexander is the last living American citizen still believed to be held hostage by Hamas. The terror group is believed to also be holding the bodies of four dead American hostages, according to U.S. officials.
Hamas announced its intention to free Alexander on Sunday, describing the decision as a “part of the steps being taken to achieve a ceasefire.”
The statement said Hamas has been in contact with American officials “over the past few days” as part of ceasefire negotiations.
President Donald Trump posted to Truth Social saying Alexander’s release “is the first of those final steps necessary to end this brutal conflict.” Trump did not specify exactly when the release would happen.
Special Envoy for Hostage Response Adam Boehler posted on X that he would travel with Alexander’s mother to retrieve her son.
A U.S. official familiar with the deal to release Alexander told ABC News that the agreement came together in recent days via direct talks between the U.S. and Hamas.
Alexander’s release is being viewed as a goodwill gesture toward the Trump administration and a potential opening to jumpstart talks surrounding the broader conflict, U.S. officials told ABC News.
Still, officials said the U.S. did not secure all the concessions it was seeking. Negotiators had also been pushing Hamas for the release of the remains of the four dead American hostages still held in Gaza, officials said.
Alexander’s family said in a statement released through the Hostage Families Forum that it was informed of Hamas’ announcement and “is in continuous contact with the U.S. government regarding the possibility of Edan’s expected release in the coming days.”
They added that “it is forbidden to leave any hostage behind” and said that “Israel is committed to ensure the return of all 58 remaining hostages without delay.”
Alexander was one of the 253 hostages taken during Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, in which some 1,200 people were also killed, according to Israel.
Israel’s subsequent offensive in Gaza had killed 52,829 people and wounded 119,554 more as of Sunday, according to figures released by the Hamas-run Ministry of Health in the strip.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
ABC News’ Shannon K. Kingston contributed to this report.
(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump on Monday embarked on a four-day tour of the Middle East, stopping in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates on a trip underscoring the deepening economic ties between the United States and the Gulf kingdoms.
Traveling to a region facing ongoing diplomatic, political and security challenges — including Iran’s nuclear program, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and war between Israel and Hamas, and the fate of Syria following a brutal 14-year civil war — Trump is expected to focus on business development and trade agreements on his trip, following commitments from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to invest hundreds of billions of dollars in the United States and on joint investments over the next several years.
On Friday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump’s trip will “focus on strengthening ties” between the U.S. and the Gulf nations.
“President Trump will return to reemphasize his continued vision for a proud, prosperous and successful Middle East where the United States and Middle Eastern nations are in cooperative relationship and where extremism is defeated in place of commerce and cultural exchanges,” she said.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman pledged to invest $600 billion in the United States over four years after Trump’s November victory, and the United Arab Emirates have also committed to a $1.4 trillion U.S. investment package over the next decade. Business and technology leaders will be convening in Riyadh around Trump’s trip for a Saudi-U.S. investment forum.
ABC News has also reported that the Trump administration is preparing to accept a luxury Boeing jumbo jet from the Qatari royal family for use as a presidential aircraft before being transferred to the Trump presidential library foundation after his term ends.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt responded to ABC News’ reporting, saying in a statement that “any gift given by a foreign government is always accepted in full compliance with all applicable laws.”
The president’s family has also traveled to the region and has expanded its business interests in the Middle East: The Trump Organization has partnered with developers on new projects in Saudi Arabia, Doha and the United Arab Emirates, and is involved in a cryptocurrency venture connected to a fund with ties to the Emirati government.
Leavitt on Friday dismissed questions about the president’s family’s business dealings in the region ahead of his trip and said Trump “has actually lost money for being president of the United States.”
“The president acts with only the interests of the American public in mind, putting our country first and doing what’s best for our country — full stop,” she said.
“It’s frankly ridiculous that anyone in this room would even suggest that President Trump is doing anything for his own benefit. He left a life of luxury and a life of running a very successful real estate empire for public service,” she later added.
Trump also began his first term in office with a visit to Saudi Arabia, in a break with his predecessors who had visited traditional U.S. allies and major trade partners on their first official foreign trips.
That trip to Saudi Arabia — which also included stops in Israel and later in Europe — focused on encouraging local partners to redouble efforts to fight “extremism” and terrorist groups, and work to marginalize Iran.
Since then, Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states have improved relations with Iran, and are now supportive of the Trump administration’s diplomatic efforts to address Iran’s nuclear program.
“Both the Saudis and the Emiratis have decided that their priority is economic investment and getting away from energy, and that war with Iran is like a big danger to all of that. So they’ve completely shifted on Iran,” Ilan Goldenberg, a Middle East specialist who worked in the Obama and Biden administrations, told ABC News.
The ongoing war between Israel and Hamas and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza also looms over Trump’s trip, given Israel’s plans to expand military operations in Gaza.
In Riyadh, Trump is expected to join a Gulf Cooperation Council meeting before he travels to Qatar.
While the president has aimed to ink a regional diplomatic agreement expanding on the Abraham Accords of his first term, the war in Gaza has effectively frozen efforts to normalize diplomatic relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries, experts told ABC News.
“From the Saudi perspective, it makes it harder” to improve diplomatic relations with Israel, Zineb Riboua, a fellow with Hudson Institute’s Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East. “Because of what has happened and what is currently happening [in Gaza], they are struggling.”
Trump could hear from Arab leaders about the humanitarian situation in Gaza, given the U.S.’s ongoing military support for Israel, and Israeli plans to expand its campaign in Gaza to root out Hamas.
In February, Trump proposed that the U.S. “take over” Gaza and help rebuild it, a plan that was rejected by Arab leaders, who put forward their own counterproposal that the U.S. and Israel have opposed.
There have also been disputes between the U.S., Israel and Arab nations over how to administer humanitarian aid blockaded by Israel to Palestinians in Gaza.
Though the trip is Trump’s first planned foreign trip, he traveled to Rome and the Vatican in April to attend the funeral of Pope Francis.
On the sidelines of that trip, Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as the two countries worked to cement a minerals deal.
Saudi Arabia has hosted bilateral peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, underscoring the kingdom’s growing political influence, in addition to its economic and commercial importance in the region.
Trump “sees the Gulf as they see themselves, as a real fulcrum of global power,” Jon Alterman, the Middle East Program Chair at Center for Strategic and International Studies, told ABC News.
“A lot of people in the world think the Gulf is an outlier. A bunch of small, wealthy states that rely on the United States for security, protection. The Gulf sees itself differently, and the president is suggesting he sees the Gulf differently,” Alterman said.
Trump could receive a lavish welcome from the Gulf monarchs in the region, similar to the royal treatment he received when he visited Saudi Arabia in 2017.
The Saudis rolled out the red carpet for his arrival, greeting him at the airport with a military jet flyover and later awarding him a gold medal — the nation’s top civilian honor — and treating him to a traditional sword dance.
Trump’s trip also comes on the heels of Hamas announcing that they will be releasing Israeli soldier Edan Alexander, a dual US citizen, which will be part of steps taken to achieve a ceasefire. Hamas said that they have been in contact with American officials over the last few days over the efforts to try and achieve a ceasefire deal.
President Donald Trump posted on his social media platform, Truth Social, Sunday evening, confirming that Alexander will be released from Hamas. Trump did not specify when Alexander was expected to be released, but said, “This is the first of those final steps necessary to end this brutal conflict.
(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump on Monday will embark on a four-day tour of the Middle East, stopping in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates on a trip underscoring the deepening economic ties between the United States and the Gulf kingdoms.
Traveling to a region facing ongoing diplomatic, political and security challenges — including Iran’s nuclear program, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and war between Israel and Hamas, and the fate of Syria following a brutal 14-year civil war — Trump is expected to focus on business development and trade agreements on his trip, following commitments from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to invest hundreds of billions of dollars in the United States and on joint investments over the next several years.
On Friday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump’s trip will “focus on strengthening ties” between the U.S. and the Gulf nations.
“President Trump will return to reemphasize his continued vision for a proud, prosperous and successful Middle East where the United States and Middle Eastern nations are in cooperative relationship and where extremism is defeated in place of commerce and cultural exchanges,” she said.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman pledged to invest $600 billion in the United States over four years after Trump’s November victory, and the United Arab Emirates have also committed to a $1.4 trillion U.S. investment package over the next decade. Business and technology leaders will be convening in Riyadh around Trump’s trip for a Saudi-U.S. investment forum.
ABC News has also reported that the Trump administration is preparing to accept a luxury Boeing jumbo jet from the Qatari royal family for use as a presidential aircraft before being transferred to the Trump presidential library foundation after his term ends.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt responded to ABC News’ reporting, saying in a statement that “any gift given by a foreign government is always accepted in full compliance with all applicable laws.”
The president’s family has also traveled to the region and has expanded its business interests in the Middle East: The Trump Organization has partnered with developers on new projects in Saudi Arabia, Doha and the United Arab Emirates, and is involved in a cryptocurrency venture connected to a fund with ties to the Emirati government.
Leavitt on Friday dismissed questions about the president’s family’s business dealings in the region ahead of his trip and said Trump “has actually lost money for being president of the United States.”
“The president acts with only the interests of the American public in mind, putting our country first and doing what’s best for our country — full stop,” she said.
“It’s frankly ridiculous that anyone in this room would even suggest that President Trump is doing anything for his own benefit. He left a life of luxury and a life of running a very successful real estate empire for public service,” she later added.
Trump also began his first term in office with a visit to Saudi Arabia, in a break with his predecessors who had visited traditional U.S. allies and major trade partners on their first official foreign trips.
That trip to Saudi Arabia — which also included stops in Israel and later in Europe — focused on encouraging local partners to redouble efforts to fight “extremism” and terrorist groups, and work to marginalize Iran.
Since then, Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states have improved relations with Iran, and are now supportive of the Trump administration’s diplomatic efforts to address Iran’s nuclear program.
“Both the Saudis and the Emiratis have decided that their priority is economic investment and getting away from energy, and that war with Iran is like a big danger to all of that. So they’ve completely shifted on Iran,” Ilan Goldenberg, a Middle East specialist who worked in the Obama and Biden administrations, told ABC News.
The ongoing war between Israel and Hamas and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza also looms over Trump’s trip, given Israel’s plans to expand military operations in Gaza.
In Riyadh, Trump is expected to join a Gulf Cooperation Council meeting before he travels to Qatar.
While the president has aimed to ink a regional diplomatic agreement expanding on the Abraham Accords of his first term, the war in Gaza has effectively frozen efforts to normalize diplomatic relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries, experts told ABC News.
“From the Saudi perspective, it makes it harder” to improve diplomatic relations with Israel, Zineb Riboua, a fellow with Hudson Institute’s Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East. “Because of what has happened and what is currently happening [in Gaza], they are struggling.”
Trump could hear from Arab leaders about the humanitarian situation in Gaza, given the U.S.’s ongoing military support for Israel, and Israeli plans to expand its campaign in Gaza to root out Hamas.
In February, Trump proposed that the U.S. “take over” Gaza and help rebuild it, a plan that was rejected by Arab leaders, who put forward their own counterproposal that the U.S. and Israel have opposed.
There have also been disputes between the U.S., Israel and Arab nations over how to administer humanitarian aid blockaded by Israel to Palestinians in Gaza.
Though the trip is Trump’s first planned foreign trip, he traveled to Rome and the Vatican in April to attend the funeral of Pope Francis.
On the sidelines of that trip, Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as the two countries worked to cement a minerals deal.
Saudi Arabia has hosted bilateral peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, underscoring the kingdom’s growing political influence, in addition to its economic and commercial importance in the region.
Trump “sees the Gulf as they see themselves, as a real fulcrum of global power,” Jon Alterman, the Middle East Program Chair at Center for Strategic and International Studies, told ABC News.
“A lot of people in the world think the Gulf is an outlier. A bunch of small, wealthy states that rely on the United States for security, protection. The Gulf sees itself differently, and the president is suggesting he sees the Gulf differently,” Alterman said.
Trump could receive a lavish welcome from the Gulf monarchs in the region, similar to the royal treatment he received when he visited Saudi Arabia in 2017.
The Saudis rolled out the red carpet for his arrival, greeting him at the airport with a military jet flyover and later awarding him a gold medal — the nation’s top civilian honor — and treating him to a traditional sword dance.
Trump’s trip also comes on the heels of Hamas announcing that they will be releasing Israeli soldier Edan Alexander, a dual US citizen, which will be part of steps taken to achieve a ceasefire. Hamas said that they have been in contact with American officials over the last few days over the efforts to try and achieve a ceasefire deal.
President Donald Trump posted on his social media platform, Truth Social, Sunday evening, confirming that Alexander will be released from Hamas. Trump did not specify when Alexander was expected to be released, but said, “This is the first of those final steps necessary to end this brutal conflict.
In a heartfelt Mother’s Day post shared on Instagram on Sunday, the Aquaman actress announced the birth of her twins — daughter Agnes and son Ocean.
“Mother’s Day 2025 will be one I’ll never forget,” Heard wrote alongside a sweet photo of her newborns’ feet resting on a baby mattress.
“This year I am elated beyond words to celebrate the completion of the family I’ve strived to build for years,” she continued. “Today I officially share the news that I welcomed twins into the Heard gang. My daughter Agnes and my son Ocean are keeping my hands (and my heart) full.”
“When I had my first baby girl Oonagh four years ago, my world changed forever. I thought I couldn’t possibly burst with more joy. Well, now I am bursting times three!!!”
Heard went to reflect on the deeply personal and empowering journey to motherhood.
“Becoming a mother by myself and on my own terms despite my own fertility challenges has been the most humbling experience of my life,” she wrote. “I am eternally grateful that I was able to choose this responsibly and thoughtfully. To all the moms, wherever you are today and however you got here, my dream family and I are celebrating with you. Love always, A x.”
In addition to the twins, Heard is already a mom to daughter, Oonagh, whom she welcomed in 2021. Heard has not publicly identified the father of Oonagh, whom Heard claims she brought into the world on her “own terms,” alluding to surrogacy, in a post on Instagram.
Heard was previously married to actor Johnny Depp from 2015 to 2016, finalizing their divorce in 2017. She later dated Elon Musk before they went separate ways in 2018.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent /Pete Marovich/Getty Images)
(GENEVA) — The U.S. and China issued a joint statement on Monday announcing an agreement to cut reciprocal tariffs for 90 days, with both sides “recognizing the importance of a sustainable, long-term, and mutually beneficial economic and trade relationship.”
U.S. and Chinese representatives convened for talks in Geneva, Switzerland, this weekend in a bid to establish the basis for negotiations in a broader potential trade deal. President Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariff measures announced in April touched off a spiralling trade war between the two economic giants, roiling markets and prompting fears of a recession in the U.S.
“We have reached an agreement on a 90-day pause and substantially move down the tariff levels,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said at a Monday press conference in Geneva. “Both sides, on the reciprocal tariffs, will move their tariffs down 115%,” Bessent said.
U.S Trade Representative Jamieson Greer added that the U.S and China will maintain 10% reciprocal tariffs as part of the agreement.
“Today, with this agreement, we come to agreement that though that our reciprocal tariff rate will go down to 10% on the United States side,” Greer said. “The Chinese on their side also go down 115% to 10% and they remove the countermeasures that they have in place.”
Greer confirmed that during the pause, the effective tariff on Chinese goods entering the U.S. will be 30%. He also said that China’s effective tariffs will be at 10% for the duration of the pause. The changes will come into force by Wednesday, the joint U.S.-China statement said.
“What matters for the agreement today is that we each agreed to come down on the reciprocal tariff and related retaliation to 10%,” Greer said.
In a statement carried by China’s official state news agency Xinhua, Beijing said that the two sides “will establish a mechanism to continue discussions about economic and trade relations” once the measures set out in Monday’s agreement were in place.
“These discussions may be conducted alternately in China and the United States, or a third country upon agreement of the parties,” the statement continued. “As required, the two sides may conduct working-level consultations on relevant economic and trade issues.”
Monday’s announcement followed two days of talks that both sides described as successful.
In a media briefing on Sunday, Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng said trade talks with the U.S. “achieved substantial progress and reached important consensus.”
Earlier Sunday, the White House said that it reached an agreement without providing any details.
While Greer called it a “deal,” Bessent said only that “substantial progress” had been made.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
ABC News’ Lauren Minore, Hannah Demissie, Alex Ederson and Joe Simonetti contributed to this report.
