Trump-Xi meeting live updates: US and Chinese leaders in South Korea for high stakes trade talks

Trump admits he can’t run for a third term

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President Donald Trump and China’s President Xi Jinping are in South Korea for a high-stakes talk amid an intense trade war.

Trump and Xi will meet face-to-face Wednesday night, which will be mid-morning Thursday in South Korea.

As the U.S. government shutdown continues back home, Newark Liberty International Airport issued a ground delay Wednesday afternoon, with the Federal Aviation Administration citing staffing shortages.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has been warning about shortages of air traffic controllers, who missed their first full paycheck on Tuesday due to the ongoing shutdown.

“I’ve made clear to our air traffic controllers: they need to show up for work. They do really important work for our country, and they need to show up,” Duffy said Tuesday.

Air traffic controllers calling out sick helped pressure politicians during the last shutdown, which lasted 35 days during Trump’s first term, to open the government.

Due to the shutdown, millions could soon lose access to food assistance come November; several tribal nations have declared states of emergency over the threats to SNAP benefits.

While the shutdown continues well into its fourth week, Trump is wrapping up his multi-day Asia trip.

Full story: US will share tech to let South Korea build a nuclear-powered submarine, Trump says

The United States will share closely held technology to allow South Korea to build a nuclear-powered submarine, President Donald Trump said on social media Thursday after meeting with the country’s president.

President Lee Jae Myung stressed to Trump in their Wednesday meeting that the goal was to modernize the alliance with the U.S., noting plans to increase military spending to reduce the financial burden on America.

The South Korean leader said there might have been a misunderstanding when they last spoke in August about nuclear-powered submarines, saying that his government was looking for nuclear fuel rather than weapons.

Lee said that if South Korea was equipped with nuclear-powered submarines, that it could help U.S. activities in the region.

U.S. nuclear submarine technology is widely regarded as some of the most sensitive and highly guarded technology the military possesses. The U.S. has been incredibly protective of that knowledge, and even a recently announced deal with close allies the United Kingdom and Australia to help the latter acquire nuclear submarine technology doesn’t feature the U.S. directly transferring its knowledge.

U.S. military plans operation in South China Sea: report

The U.S. military has planned an operation in the South China Sea as a “show of force” against Chinese aggression in the region, according to a CBS News report.

Two unnamed U.S. officials said the operation would involve launching HIMARS, which fire rockets, towards the Scarborough Shoal.

It’s unclear when the operation would happen, and there’s a chance it won’t happen at all.

Rachel Dobkin30 October 2025 00:00

In pictures: Trump visits South Korea

President Donald Trump walks with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung as they prepare to attend a bilateral lunch meeting at the Gyeongju National Museum on Wednesday in Gyeongju, South Korea (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)Trump reacts as he is presented with the Grand Order of Mugunghwa and the Silla gold crown by Lee at the Gyeongju National Museum on Wednesday (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)Left to right, Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, President Donald Trump, South Korea’s President Lee Jae Myung, Vietnam’s President Luong Cuong, New Zealand’s Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney pose for a photo upon their arrival for a special dinner at the Hilton Gyeongju hotel on Wednesday (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)

Rachel Dobkin29 October 2025 23:40

Virginia man who called for Trump’s assassination is acquitted

A Virginia man who called for President Donald Trump’s assassination on social media dating to 2020 has been acquitted.

Peter A. Stinson, who served more than 30 years in the Coast Guard, wrote in one post, “I am willing to serve in a support capacity for someone else with the skills to take care of things,” The Washington Post reported, citing a government court filing.

Stinson’s attorneys argued the posts were protected under the First Amendment.

“Criminal solicitations excluded from First Amendment protection require proof of serious proposals involving ‘a hiring or partnership arrangement,’” his defense team said in a court filing, per The Washington Post.

Rachel Dobkin29 October 2025 23:20

Trump and China’s Xi are meeting in South Korea to try to roll back months of trade tensions

President Donald Trump is set to meet face-to-face with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Thursday, a chance for the leaders of the world’s two largest economies to stabilize relations after months of turmoil over trade issues.

Trump’s aggressive use of tariffs since returning to the White House for a second term combined with China’s retaliatory limits on exports of rare earth elements have given the meeting newfound urgency. There is a mutual recognition that neither side wants to risk blowing up the world economy in ways that could jeopardize their own country’s fortunes.

In the days leading up to the meeting, U.S. officials have signaled that Trump does not intend to make good on a recent threat to impose an additional 100% import tax on Chinese goods — and China has shown signs it is willing to relax its export controls on rare earths and also buy soybeans from America.

Trump went further aboard Air Force One on his way to South Korea, telling reporters he may reduce tariffs that he placed on China earlier this year related to its role in making fentanyl.

Trump says he’s ‘very much looking forward’ to Xi meeting

Rachel Dobkin29 October 2025 22:40

Watch: Fox News host says South Korea was ‘trolling’ when gifting Trump

Fox News host Greg Gutfeld said Wednesday South Korea was “trolling” when gifting President Donald Trump a replica of a golden crown after an estimated 7 million Americans marched in “No Kings” demonstrations, protesting against what they viewed as an authoritarian administration, earlier this month.

Read more about the crown from Kelly Rissman:

Rachel Dobkin29 October 2025 22:20

Trump gives South Korea permission to build a nuclear-powered submarine

President Donald Trump has announced that he has permitted South Korea to build a nuclear-powered submarine after the country promised to invest billions into the U.S.

“South Korea has agreed to pay the USA 350 Billion Dollars for a lowering of the Tariff’s charged against them by the United States. Additionally, they have agreed to buy our Oil and Gas in vast quantities, and investments into our Country by wealthy South Korean Companies and Businessmen will exceed 600 Billion Dollars,” Trump wrote on Truth Social Wednesday evening.

He continued: “Our Military Alliance is stronger than ever before and, based on that, I have given them approval to build a Nuclear Powered Submarine, rather than the old fashioned, and far less nimble, diesel powered Submarines that they have now. A great trip, with a great Prime Minister!”

Reuters reported Wednesday that South Korea’s chief policy advisor Kim Yong-beom said the U.S. agreed to lower tariffs on imports of Korean auto and auto parts to 15 percent from 25 percent.

Rachel Dobkin29 October 2025 22:00

Appeals court blocks order forcing Border Patrol chief to appear in court every day

A federal appeals court has temporarily blocked an order by Illinois District Judge Sara Ellis, forcing Border Patrol chief Greg Bovino to appear in her courtroom every day.

Ellis ordered the meetings, which were set to take place over the next week until November 5, on Tuesday following allegations that Bovino and his officers violently detained protesters and indiscriminately fired tear gas into neighborhoods.

But on Wednesday, before Bovino’s first meeting with Ellis, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit granted the Trump administration’s request for an administrative stay on Ellis’ order, “only to the extent it required Gregory Bovino to appear in court, in person, each weekday at 5:45 PM,” the filing read.

Read more Ellis’ ruling from Alex Woodward:

Rachel Dobkin29 October 2025 21:40

Full story: Newark airport grounds planes as government shutdown staffing shortage leave FAA struggling

The ground delay went into effect at 3:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday and will last until 11 p.m.

Passengers can expect their planes to be delayed by an average of 40 minutes.

Air traffic controller shortages have been a major burden on Americans during the government shutdown, and it will only get worse with the busy Thanksgiving and winter holidays fast approaching.

There were more than 7,000 flight delays within, into or out of the U.S. on Monday, more than 4,000 Tuesday and nearly 3,000 so far on Wednesday, according to flight tracking site FlightAware.

Rachel Dobkin29 October 2025 21:20

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