Up First from NPR
Trump Issues Travel Ban, Musk Criticizes Budget Bill, Iran Nuclear Talks Latest
Thu, 05 Jun 2025
President Trump signed a proclamation banning visitors from 12 countries and partially restricting travelers from seven others. While Senate Republicans consider Trump's budget bill, Elon Musk criticizes what it could mean for the deficit. And, as the U.S. and Iran hit a sticking point in nuclear talks Russian President Vladimir Putin suggests he could weigh-in. Want more comprehensive analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up First newsletter.Today's episode of Up First was edited by Krishnadev Calamur, Jason Breslow, James Hider, Lisa Thomson and Arezou Rezvani. It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas and Christopher Thomas. We get engineering support from Neisha Heinis and our technical director is Carleigh Strange. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
Chapter 1: What are the details of Trump's new travel ban?
President Trump issued a new travel ban.
The strength of the restrictions we're applying depends on the severity of the threat posed.
As in his first term, the president targeted numerous countries. So what's the goal?
I'm Leila Faudel, that's Steve Inskeep, and this is Up First from NPR News. Elon Musk attacked a Republican budget plan. At least one Republican senator agrees with his assessment that the U.S. is borrowing too much.
Now he's stepped away from the administration. He's basically doing what I'm doing. He's telling people the truth.
With few votes to lose, how do Republicans manage the dissent in their own ranks?
And the U.S. and Iran talk about a nuclear deal. President Trump once canceled a nuclear agreement, favors a new one, and brought in a third player. Is there some way Russia could help? Stay with us. We've got the news you need to start your day.
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Chapter 2: How does the travel ban compare to previous bans?
Good morning, Steve.
What did the president sign this time?
Yeah, Trump signed an order that will completely stop the travel to the U.S. by the citizens of 12 countries. Now, they include Afghanistan, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. Citizens from seven other countries will be subject to partial bans. They include Cuba, Sierra Leone, and Venezuela. All this goes into effect on Monday. What was the justification?
Well, the justification for such a sweeping ban was that the White House at least says the action was needed to protect the U.S. from terrorist attacks and that these countries lacked the right vetting capabilities. In a video statement, Trump actually cited the firebombing attack in Boulder, Colorado as an example of why this is necessary.
In the 21st century, we've seen one terror attack after another carried out by foreign visa overstayers from dangerous places all over the world.
Now, Steve, I do want to note that that man charged with that attack is actually from Egypt, which is not among the countries listed in the travel ban.
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Chapter 3: What was the justification for the travel ban?
Okay. I am just remembering eight years ago, this happened very early in the administration. It happened rather abruptly. There was chaos at airports. There were immediate lawsuits. What has the response been this time?
Yeah, I will say advocates were ready and they were waiting for this to come, you know, already taking action now that it's here. They acknowledge that while the Trump administration did make some exceptions, such as carving out an exception for Afghans who worked for the U.S.
government during the war in Afghanistan, there are still tens of thousands of Afghans, especially FAMI members, who will not be allowed to enter the U.S. under the new ban.
I'm glad you're with us because you were around for this last time. How did the first round of travel bans work out?
Yeah, you kind of mentioned it. I mean, it was very, very controversial because of the backstory of that first travel ban. You talked about the mayhem. I mean, during Trump's first campaign for the presidency, Trump called for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States. As you noted, there was all the chaos at the airports.
And also, you know, our listeners will remember all the protests as well. The ban did face legal challenges and was blocked by the court. But Trump made all sorts of revisions. And eventually, the Supreme Court did approve the third iteration of the ban. President Biden rescinded it, though, on his first day in office. Now it's back.
Oh, and a little bit more expansive, apparently, than the last time. This is not the only thing the president did yesterday. He escalated his fight with Harvard University. In what way?
Yeah, he signed another proclamation to suspend visas for new international students at Harvard. The White House says it's a move to, quote, safeguard national security. Now, it's unclear, though, what force this order will actually have, because last week a federal judge ordered the administration not to make any changes to Harvard's student visa program.
I do think it's safe, Steve, to say this proclamation will be upheld.
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Chapter 4: What is Elon Musk's critique of the Republican budget bill?
People recognize him as a very smart individual who did a fabulous job with Doge exposing waste, fraud, and abuse. And now he's stepped away from the administration. He's basically doing what I'm doing. He's telling people the truth.
And by his truth, he's one of the senators who early on, even before Musk spoke out, said he wasn't going to support this bill. And he's not alone. There are others, and Senate Republicans have a razor-thin margin, and they can only afford to lose three votes.
And how are Republican leaders responding to Musk's criticisms?
Chapter 5: How does Musk's view affect the political landscape?
Chapter 6: What implications do the new travel restrictions have?
Oh, and a little bit more expansive, apparently, than the last time. This is not the only thing the president did yesterday. He escalated his fight with Harvard University. In what way?
Yeah, he signed another proclamation to suspend visas for new international students at Harvard. The White House says it's a move to, quote, safeguard national security. Now, it's unclear, though, what force this order will actually have, because last week a federal judge ordered the administration not to make any changes to Harvard's student visa program.
I do think it's safe, Steve, to say this proclamation will be upheld.
And, Piers Franco-Ordonez, thanks for the insights. Really appreciate it.
Thank you, Steve.
Now, the president issued one more proclamation that we're following. He ordered the attorney general and others to look into one of the theories that he has promoted on social media. Trump is questioning President Biden's use of an auto pen to sign some measures while in office. Trump alleges that Biden, quote, lacked the capacity to exercise his presidential authority.
And so he wants to know who did. President Biden has responded to this saying, quote, I made the decisions during my presidency about the pardons, executive orders, legislation and proclamations. Any suggestion that I didn't, Biden says, is ridiculous and false.
Senate Republicans started work this week on a multi-trillion dollar bill to enact the heart of President Trump's domestic agenda.
They faced little turbulence from one of the president's most high-profile allies, Elon Musk. On Tuesday, Musk went on social media, X, the one he happens to own, and criticized the Republican bill as a, quote, disgusting abomination. And that is drawing new attention to the sheer size of the bill and what it could mean for the nation's debts.
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Chapter 7: What are the latest updates on the U.S.-Iran nuclear talks?
And by his truth, he's one of the senators who early on, even before Musk spoke out, said he wasn't going to support this bill. And he's not alone. There are others, and Senate Republicans have a razor-thin margin, and they can only afford to lose three votes.
And how are Republican leaders responding to Musk's criticisms?
They say the criticisms are flat wrong and that the GOP plan would instead grow the economy and cut spending. A key figure in all of this is Senate Majority Leader John Thune, who, along with other Republican members of the Senate Finance Committee, were at the White House meeting with President Trump yesterday about the bill. He was asked to respond to Musk's remarks.
what he stated was that he thought it was something that would add to the deficit and we believe the opposite
And Thune added there's no turning back at this point. There's too much at stake as this legislation carries the bulk of Trump's domestic agenda.
OK, Claudia, they say that, but the bill would grow the deficit, right?
Right. That's the projection. Yesterday, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office scored the current version of the bill that passed the House last month. They found it would add $2.4 trillion to the deficit over the next 10 years. And they said the biggest driver of that deficit is extending a tax cut program passed during Trump's first term.
It also includes dramatic cuts to Medicaid as part of a Republican effort to pay for this legislation. But the CBO says even as they force 11 million Americans to lose their health insurance, it falls way short of paying for the bill's price tag.
And we're seeing some Republicans push back against that CBO analysis. What's going on there?
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