EMILY KWONG, HOST:
Early this morning, a man was shot and killed at Mar-a-Lago, President Trump's private club in Palm Beach, Florida. That's according to the Secret Service. Officials say the man had a shotgun and a gas canister. At the time, President Trump was at the White House. NPR's Luke Garrett is here with more details to share. Luke, what do we know?
LUKE GARRETT, BYLINE: Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw told reporters the armed man made it to the inner perimeter of Mar-a-Lago before being stopped by two Secret Service agents and a sheriff's deputy.
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RIC BRADSHAW: He was ordered to drop those two pieces of equipment that he had with him. At which time he put down the gas can, raised the shotgun to a shooting position.
GARRETT: Bradshaw said the man was then shot and killed. He described the man as a white male in his early 20s. This is at least the second time a gunman breached the Mar-a-Lago perimeter. In 2024, Ryan Routh attempted to assassinate Trump at the golf course. But as we said earlier, Trump was not in Florida this weekend. He was in Washington, preparing for his State of the Union on Tuesday.
KWONG: Right. What do you expect to hear from Trump on Tuesday during the State of the Union address?
GARRETT: Tariffs are top of mind for the White House. On Friday, the Supreme Court eliminated nearly half of Trump's emergency tariffs. Trump has since placed a 15% tariff on most foreign imports using other laws, and trade representative Jamieson Greer tells Fox News more tariffs are on the way.
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JAMIESON GREER: In the wake of this case, we can use other authorities that are, frankly, very sound and very strong. So we're very confident that we'll be able to continue reconstructing this program.
GARRETT: But Emily, these new tariff programs have more limits, which will force Trump to work with Congress. And in a midterm election year, tariffs are a tough sell, even for pro-Trump GOP members. During this State of the Union, I'll be listening for if and how Trump sells Congress on these tariffs and what he says to the Supreme Court bench. We don't yet know which justices will attend the State of the Union, but Trump has already had some harsh words for those six who voted against him.
KWONG: Yes. The Supreme Court found that most of Trump's tariffs are illegal. But what will happen, by the way, to the billions of dollars in tariff revenue that's already been collected?
GARRETT: It's a great question, but the Supreme Court didn't address it head-on. That question on tariff revenue will likely be decided by the lower courts. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNN today the administration, you know, would follow the lower court's ruling, but the White House won't have to worry about it for, you know, a few weeks or months, pending that decision.
KWONG: Luke, we're also seeing a big buildup of U.S. military forces around Iran. Is the president preparing for war?
GARRETT: Trump said he hasn't made up his mind on whether or not to attack Iran. He's been vague on this very point. It's a hallmark of Trump's negotiating tactic. But words aside, the U.S. does have the capacity for serious military action in Iran, with scores of fighter jets and many warships in position.
KWONG: How might this play out?
GARRETT: So first, Iran and the U.S. could make a deal on Iran's nuclear program. Trump has said this is his preference if he gets the deal he wants. But a second option, according to military experts, could be a limited strike, like the one we saw in June against Iran's nuclear facilities. A third option is a larger military operation bent towards regime change. Traditionally, presidents have made public arguments to the nation and Congress before a large deployment of U.S. troops. The power to declare war, after all, you know, does lie with...
KWONG: Yes.
GARRETT: ...Congress. So this State of the Union on Tuesday could be that opportunity. But again, Emily, a drawn-out military conflict in the Middle East is a tough sell in Congress.
KWONG: Speaking of Congress, they have not yet funded the Department of Homeland Security, so for over a week, there's been another partial government shutdown, yeah?
GARRETT: That's right. And we now know DHS will still lack funding, you know, during the State of the Union. The House just canceled its votes tomorrow due to the winter storm that's bearing down on the Northeast. Meanwhile, DHS said it's halting FEMA funding for all non-disaster-related programs. FEMA, which helps with disaster and recovery efforts, will be, quote, "scaling back to bare minimum, life-saving operations only." DHS said it will also, you know, stop global entry programs for air travelers and it will end police escorts for members of Congress.
Today, Secretary Kristi Noem blamed congressional Democrats for this lapse in DHS funding and, you know, possible travel impacts. But Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said this afternoon the Trump administration is, quote, "choosing to inflict pain on the public instead of adopting common sense ICE reforms." The White House and top congressional Democrats have yet to agree on a path forward on DHS funding. This disagreement really came, you know, after the killings of two U.S. citizens at the hands of federal agents in Minnesota.
KWONG: That's NPR's Luke Garrett. Thank you so much.
GARRETT: You bet. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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