Trump counters Netanyahu on ‘real starvation’ in Gaza: From the Politics Desk

Welcome to the online version of From the Politics Desk, an evening newsletter that brings you the NBC News Politics team’s latest reporting and analysis from the White House, Capitol Hill and the campaign trail.

In today’s newsletter, NBC News reporters from across the world got the latest on how the Trump administration is responding to the hunger crisis in Gaza and how President Trump contradicted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today. Separately, it’s only mid-2025 but key developments in the 2026 races across three states are already shaping next year’s fight for the Senate. Read on for more.

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— Scott Bland

Trump speaks on ‘real starvation’ in Gaza

President Donald Trump did something notable Monday — he broke with Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a prominent way, over Netanyahu’s comment that there is “no starvation in Gaza.”

Speaking in Scotland, Trump said that the U.S. would set up food centers in Gaza as “we have to get the kids fed,” NBC News’ Chantal Da Silva writes. Trump said he had seen images of Palestinians on TV and that “those children look very hungry.” He later added that the scenes were “real starvation” and that “you can’t fake that.”

His views were echoed by Vice President JD Vance, who in response to a question from NBC News’ Henry Gomez on a trip to Canton, Ohio, said the Trump administration was “very worried about the humanitarian problem in Gaza” and wanted to make sure that starving children got food.

The comments from the president, a firm ally of Netanyahu, came amid mounting global outrage over rising deaths from malnutrition amid Israel’s military offensive on the territory.

The Israel Defense Forces yesterday started carrying out limited pauses in fighting in three populated areas of Gaza for 10 hours a day. But aid groups have warned that the trickle of aid entering the enclave is not enough to stave off famine.

“This is progress, but vast amounts of aid are needed to stave off famine and a catastrophic health crisis,” United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher said in a statement.

Speaking on the sidelines of a meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at his golf resort in Turnberry, Scotland, Trump said that the U.S. would be working with its European partners to address the crisis in Gaza. He offered few other details about the plan.

Read more here →

A governor, a trucker and a Project 2025 architect shape the Senate map

By Bridget Bowman

The battle for the Senate in 2026 is taking shape, with key candidates launching (or ruling out) campaigns in recent days.

Democrats still face an uphill climb through pro-Trump territory to net the four seats they would need to get the majority, but they got a boost today when former Gov. Roy Cooper announced he is running for the open North Carolina seat in the Senate.

Democrats haven’t won a Senate race there since 2008, and Trump won North Carolina by 3 points in 2024. But Democrats view Cooper as a strong contender with a winning record and some cross-partisan appeal. Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley is expected to jump in on the Republican side to replace retiring GOP Sen. Thom Tillis.

Meanwhile, Republicans aren’t content to defend their majority; they want to expand it, setting their sights on Michigan and Georgia, where the Republican primary fields have developed in the last week.

In Michigan, where Democratic Sen. Gary Peters is retiring, GOP Rep. Bill Huizenga announced last week that he would not run for Senate, effectively clearing the field for former Rep. Mike Rogers, who has the backing of Senate Republican leaders. Democrats, meanwhile, have multiple candidates vying for the party nod.

In Georgia, GOP Rep. Mike Collins announced today that he is running for Senate, saying it’s “time to send a trucker to the U.S. Senate to steamroll the radical left” — a nod to his trucking company.

Collins’ entrance is the latest sign that Republicans will have a primary fight on their hands in the race against Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff. GOP Rep. Buddy Carter is also running (and pouring in his own money). But the field did shrink last week when state Insurance Commissioner John King ended his campaign after meeting with GOP Gov. Brian Kemp, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

The paper reported that Kemp is maneuvering behind the scenes to boost former University of Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley’s potential Senate bid.

One final Senate note: While South Carolina is not necessarily on the Senate battleground map, a crowded GOP primary is also brewing as Sen. Lindsey Graham runs for re-election. NBC’s Allan Smith reports today that Paul Dans, an architect of Project 2025, is expected to challenge Graham, who is already facing a primary challenge from former Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer.

That’s all From the Politics Desk for now. Today’s newsletter was compiled by Scott Bland and Dylan Ebs.

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