President Trump said Wednesday he's "giving very serious consideration" to bringing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the government-sponsored mortgage giants, public.
The big picture: Trump said on Truth Social he'll speak with officials including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Federal Housing Finance Agency director William Pulte, about the matter "and will be making a decision in the near future."
Axios had some of the biggest voices in defense, artificial intelligence and commerce on our stage Wednesday in D.C. to talk about the new rules of power.
The big picture: We're making it easier for you to follow along with our event in D.C.
The "gold card" website allowing people to buy U.S. permanent residency for $5 million will launch within a week, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said Wednesday at an Axios Building the Future event in Washington.
Why it matters: President Trump has suggested the U.S. could sell 1 million of the cards — enough to retire the national debt.
President Trump felt "horrible" about the impacts of tariffs on China that hit American businesses in April, Commerce Sec. Howard Lutnick said at an Axios event on Wednesday.
Why it matters: Lutnick said the pain was necessary — but he again insisted prices won't rise for consumers.
The U.S. expects to make trade deals with "most" of its key partners before a pause on tariffs runs out this summer, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said Wednesday at an Axios Building the Future event in D.C.
Why it matters: The uncertainty around how many trade deals are made, when, and with whom has roiled markets for months.
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) said Russian President Vladimir Putin is playing President Trump "like a fiddle," at an Axios event Wednesday.
Why it matters: Bipartisan pressure is growing in the Senate for the White House to give lawmakers the green light to pass a new package of sanctions against Moscow.
Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) said Wednesday she is filing a resolution to expel Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.) from Congress after the Justice Department charged her with allegedly assaulting law enforcement.
Why it matters: The resolution is a long shot — and Mace isn't yet forcing a vote on it — but Republicans seem intent on punishing McIver and two other House Democrats who were involved in a scuffle with ICE officers.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa got the Zelensky treatment while meeting President Trump Wednesday, with added special effects.
The big picture: Visiting the White House is no longer just a coveted opportunity to earn goodwill with the president and credibility back home. Under Trump 2.0, it carries the risk of a presidential ambush.
Former President Biden's cancer diagnosis and new revelations about the White House's efforts to hide his deteriorating health highlight the murky standards for what health information presidents are required to disclose.
The big picture: There is no legal requirement for presidents to divulge their health records or status. There's also no agreed-upon definition of what being "fit for office" means.
The Justice Department announced Wednesday it will seek to dismiss pending police reform agreements in Louisville and Minneapolis, days before the fifth anniversary of George Floyd's murder.
Why it matters: Scrapping proposed consent decrees for two of the nation's most scrutinized police departments is the clearest sign yet that the Trump administration is backing away from federal oversight of alleged police misconduct.
A judge in a late Tuesday order said the Trump administration must "maintain custody and control" of immigrants "being removed to South Sudan or to any other third country" in case he finds such removals were unlawful.
The big picture: Immigration attorneys have accused the administration of deporting immigrants from Myanmar and Vietnam to South Sudan in violation of a court order, per a filing Tuesday that requested their "immediate return."
President Trump has faced immense blowback after he deemed it "stupid" to reject an unprecedented $400 million jet gifted by the Qatari royal family.
The big picture: Criticscontend that accepting the luxury Boeing 747-8 jet could be a constitutional violation — to be precise, some have said it oversteps the foreign emoluments clause.
Why it matters:President Trump has brushed off any concerns about the appearance of accepting the $400 million gift despite objections from Democrats and some Republicans.
In a shocking moment during President Trump's meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday, Trump requested that videos be displayed purporting to show evidence of violence against white people in the country.
The big picture: Trump, who cut all foreign assistance to South Africa, has embraced the false accusations of genocide against white South Africans as justification for granting them refugee status in the U.S.
Three elder House members died in office this year, during the 119th Congress — most recently Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), who died Wednesday morning at 75 years old after battling esophageal cancer.
The big picture: The health of the country's oldest lawmakers regularly reignites concern over America's aging leaders and their fitness to serve.
Sen. Ron Johnson is launching an investigation into former President Biden's health, he told Axios.
Why it matters: The news of Biden's cancer diagnosis as well as new revelations about the White House's efforts to hide the former president's deteriorating health has reignited attacks from the GOP about Biden's fitness to carry out the duties of commander in chief.
The Department of Government Efficiency asked the Supreme Court Wednesday to block a lower court's order that it provide a government watchdog group with documents about its work.
During a visit by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, President Trump had videos shown in the Oval Office purporting to show evidence of violence against white people in the country.
The big picture: The visit comes after Trump cut all foreign assistance to the country and parroted false allegations that white South Africans are being subjected to genocide, while granting them refugee status in the U.S.
House Republicans' internal negotiations on the "One Big, Beautiful Bill" went south Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning, with GOP hardliners publicly digging in their heels against the legislation.
Why it matters: Some of the anger centers on a deal House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is nearing with blue-state Republicans to raise the State and Local Tax Deduction cap.
The big picture: Musk, who has led an upheaval of the federal government under Trump, was born in South Africa and has been an open critic of its government.
Sens. Josh Hawley and Dick Durbin will re-introduce legislation Wednesday that would hold tech companies accountable for hosting child sex abuse material.
Why it matters: The STOP CSAM Act would go after the statute that shields tech companies from being liable for what is posted on their platforms.
Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, died Wednesday morning at 75 years old, his family said.
Driving the news: "It is with immense sadness that we share that our devoted and loving father, husband, brother, friend, and public servant, Congressman Gerald E. Connolly, passed away peacefully at his home this morning," the family said in a statement.
Vice President JD Vance characterized Chief Justice John Roberts' recent statement that the judiciary can "check the excesses" of the executive as a "profoundly wrong sentiment" in a New York Times interview published Wednesday.
Why it matters: His comments add to the heaps of criticism the administration has levied against the judiciary as district court judges have issued injunctions and orders to halt some of the president's sweeping federal actions.
Some changes implemented by the Department of Government Efficiency at the Social Security Administration are reportedly being rolled back, but the agency is still struggling with fallout from the Elon Musk chainsaw.
Why it matters: The retreat shows the limits of DOGE's slash-and-burn strategy at an agency that is deeply enmeshed with Americans' lives.
This story is adapted from the new book "Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again," by CNN's Jake Tapper and Axios' Alex Thompson.
Needing video of then-President Biden speaking sharply and fluidly in a freewheeling setting, his campaign staged a closed-to-the-press town hall with a friendly audience in April 2024.
The resulting footage was unusable, CNN's Jake Tapper and Axios' Alex Thompson write in their new book, "Original Sin."
Why it matters: The episode highlights the lengths that Biden's campaign went to cover for his deficiencies as an 81-year-old re-election candidate — and how difficult he made it to carry out the basic blocking and tackling of a modern campaign.
President Trump's campaign to dismantle FEMA is on the verge of a high-stakes stress test, as the U.S. hurtles toward peak disaster season under uniquely dangerous conditions.
Why it matters: Extreme weather is growing deadlier and more destructive. But instead of strengthening the systems that help states respond, the Trump administration is gutting FEMA, banning climate change research and urging governors to go it alone.
The U.S. should curb its "ever-increasing" debt burden, International Monetary Fund first deputy managing director Gita Gopinath said in an interview with the Financial Times, published Tuesday.
Why it matters: Gopinath's comments come days after Moody's downgraded the U.S. credit rating due to increasing government debt and interest payment ratios and as fiscal watchdogs raise concern that President Trump's proposed tax cuts would significantly increase the deficit.
Representatives for Andrew Cuomo, a New York City mayoral race front-runner, on Tuesday questioned the timing of a reported Trump Department of Justice investigation into the former Democratic N.Y. governor.
Why it matters: The New York Times first reported that the investigation into Cuomo over decisions he made as governor during the COVID pandemic began about a month ago, after the DOJ moved to have the criminal corruption case against NYC Mayor Eric Adams dismissed.
The House GOP's blue state holdouts are close to a deal on the "big, beautiful bill" that would raise the state and local tax (SALT) deduction cap to $40k a year for people making up to $500,000 a year, sources familiar told Axios.
Why it matters: Getting the blue state holdouts on board is a must-do for House Speaker Mike Johnson, who wants a House floor vote Wednesday on the full bill.
Former President Biden's team on Tuesday sought to shut down questions over how long they've known about his cancer diagnosis.
The big picture: After previous concerns that the 82-year-old's health issues may have been covered up in the past, Biden's disclosure over the weekend that he has Stage 4 prostate cancer was met with both sympathy and speculation over its timing.
