Trump holds marathon Cabinet meeting amid trade, crime debates

(NewsNation) — President Donald Trump on Tuesday held a 3 1/2-hour Cabinet meeting to discuss issues including trade and the use of federal resources to crack down on crime.

“If someone kills someone in the capital, D.C., we’re going to be seeking the death penalty,” Trump announced.

He also repeated, for the second day in a row, statements that some people in America say they would prefer a dictator while also denying allegations he is one.

Crime was a major topic during the meeting, with Trump accusing Democrats of being for crime and saying it would be a big issue in the upcoming midterm election.

Trump opened the meeting talking up his administration’s achievements, saying there was no inflation and that factories were coming back to the U.S. as a result of tariffs, especially “old-fashioned” factories like auto factories.

The current rate of inflation is 2.7%, still above the Federal Reserve’s target of 2%. It’s not clear what Trump was referring to with auto factories, as there have been few major announcements about reshoring manufacturing from other countries.

The president then addressed energy, speaking about banning windmills in the U.S. and refocusing on fossil fuels rather than clean energy.

Trump also pointed to his 50% tariffs on steel and aluminum, saying it would make people want to make steel in the U.S. He also talked up the $62 a barrel price for oil, directing his comments at the media, saying, “Because a lot of you like to talk about prices.”

He spoke for nearly an hour on his administration’s plans and accomplishments before turning the floor over to his Cabinet members for updates.

As he moved from topic to topic, Trump also attacked his opponents and continued to repeat his claims that crime in Washington, D.C., was rising despite statistics showing otherwise.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. spoke about priorities, including a focus on nutrition and physical fitness. He also spoke about negotiations to bring down prescription drug prices and said he would have an announcement on autism in September, claiming that certain “interventions” are the cause of autism.

Links between childhood vaccines and autism, a connection Kennedy has brought up in the past, have been debunked multiple times.

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard repeated earlier statements about Russian interference being a hoax, although intelligence findings and congressional investigations have found that Russia did interfere in the 2016 election.

“We are finding documents literally tucked away in the back of safes in random offices, in bags, and other areas, which speaks to the intent of those trying to hide the truth to the American people, led by those like John Brennan and James Clapper,” she said.

Immigration was also mentioned, with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem saying that 1.6 million people in the U.S. illegally have voluntarily left the country.

As with most Cabinet meetings, those in the room also lavished praise on Trump when they took their turn to give updates.

Trump said he was confident he could still reach a peace deal for Ukraine, while admitting it was more challenging than he had expected.

The meeting comes as consumers have begun to feel the impact of Trump’s tariffs, which have resulted in higher prices in stores, though the administration has touted revenue generated by the duties.

The Trump administration has also faced scrutiny over the deployment of the National Guard and federal agents in Washington, D.C., which the White House has said was necessary to crack down on crime in the district.

Local officials have disputed that reasoning, pointing out that data shows crime in the capital has been on the decline.

The president has suggested he will deploy National Guard troops or active duty military to other Democratic-run cities, with Chicago next on the list.

He has also faced continuing pressure from voters and some members of Congress to release files related to billionaire and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Trump promised to release the files during his presidential campaign but recently referred to them as a Democratic hoax.