Trump – live updates: President’s plan to accept ‘palace in sky’ Qatari plane facing Maga backlash – UK Times

Donald Trump is preparing to cut prescription drug prices in a White House event in the next hour.

Earlier he said prescription drug costs will be slashed by 59 percent, following comments he made on the weekend that he would sign an executive order to cut prescription prices by 30-80 percent.

The president is scheduled to hold an event at the White House with health secretary Robert F. Kennedy at 9.30am (2.30pm British time), Reuters reports.

Most countries directly negotiate the prices of medicines with drug companies, but the U.S. only has limited negotiations and instead has relied on private pharmacy benefit managers to negotiate prices in insurance plans.

Scott Bessent says the agreement reached on the weekend was “just a pause” on high tariffs.

“The April 2nd tariff level for China was 34 percent, so we have moved that down from 34 to 10, we still have the 20 percent fentanyl tariff that we put on in February,” he told CNBC.

“One of the most important things that we’re doing, we do not want a generalized decoupling from China, but what we do want is a decoupling for strategic necessities which we were unable to obtain during Covid.”

He continued: “And we realised that efficient supply chains were not resilient supply chains, so we are going to… protect our steel industry, work on critical medicines, semiconductors.”

Treasury secretary Scott Bessent says he expects to meet again with Chinese counterparts to continue trade negotiations.

Speaking to CNBC shortly after revealing that Washington and Beijing had agreed to reduce tariffs by 115 percent for 90 days, Bessent said work will continue shortly on coming to “a more fulsome agreement”.

News of the slated gift of a Boeing jet to replace the ageing Air Force One plane has drawn criticism from all sides of politics.

Independent Senator Bernie Sanders said Congress could not allow the “over-the-top kleptocracy to proceed”.

“I don’t know who needs to hear this, but NO, Donald Trump cannot accept a $400 million flying palace from the royal family of Qatar,” he wrote on X.

“Not only is this farcically corrupt, it is blatantly unconstitutional.”

News of the potential gift airplane comes ahead of Donald Trump’s first official overseas visit, barring the funeral of Pope Francis.

The president will travel this week for visits to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. The focus will be on “economic agreements.”

The plane – which would be one of the most valuable gifts given to the U.S. by a foreign country – will not be presented to Trump or accepted by the U.S. while he is in Qatar, Reuters reports.

The Trump Organization, run by the president’s two eldest sons, has growing interests in the Middle East. An ethics agreement released by the company in January forbids deals with foreign governments but allows those with private companies.

A far-right Maga ally of Donald Trump who claims she would “take a bullet” for the president has condemned his plans to accept a gift from the Qatari royals as a “stain” on the administration.

Ahead of the president’s visit to the Middle East this week, ABC reported that Qatar was planning to gift a $400 million Boeing jet to Trump to replace the current aging Air Force One jet.

The Qatari government said a deal was yet to be finalised, but Trump defended the gift on Truth Social on the weekend.

However, Laura Loomer said the U.S. could not accept such a gift.

“The Qataris fund the same Iranian proxies in Hamas and Hezbollah who have murdered US Service Members. The same proxies that have worked with the Mexican cartels to get jihadists across our border,” she wrote on X.

“This is really going to be such a stain on the admin if this is true.”

President Donald Trump, hailing a successful U.S.-mediated ceasefire between India and Pakistan on Saturday, brought flashbacks to his inauguration day address and desire to be seen as a “peacemaker.”

In his January 20 address, he said: “My proudest legacy will be that of a peacemaker and unifier. That’s what I want to be, a peacemaker and a unifier.”

On the surface, an admirable mission statement, but underneath lies a personal motive and related gripe. President Trump has made no secret that one thing he really desires is a Nobel Peace Prize.

Read US Reporter Oliver O’Connell’s analysis of whether Trump is likely to achieve that wish below:

The President says there is “no inflation” as he prepares to sign an executive order to cut the price of prescription medication.

Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social: “DRUG PRICES TO BE CUT BY 59%, PLUS! Gasoline, Energy, Groceries, and all other costs, DOWN. NO INFLATION!!! LOVE, DJT”

Inflation in the U.S. was 2.4 percent in the year to March, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, but fell 0.1 percent over the month.

Gas prices fell 6.4 percent, while food inflation rose by 0.4 percent over the month.

Inflation figures for April will be published on Tuesday.

Donald Trump has welcomed the news that Hamas will release the last living American captive, Edan Alexander.

“EDAN ALEXANDER, AMERICAN HOSTAGE THOUGHT DEAD, TO BE RELEASED BY HAMAS. GREAT NEWS!” he wrote on social media on Monday morning.

White House envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to visit Israel on Monday ahead of Alexander’s release.

Witkoff spoke to Alexander’s parents and told them about Hamas’ release plans, Axios reports.

A source familiar with the deal told The Independent it was a “good will” gesture after direct talks between the militant group and the U.S.

Read the full report on Alexander’s expected release below: