MNI POLITICAL RISK - Trump Pardon Undermines GOP Messaging

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Executive summary:

• President Donald Trump will greet DR Congo President Felix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame at the newly renamed “Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace” in Washington, DC, for the signing of a peace deal at 12:10 ET 17:10 GMT.
• Trump announced new fuel economy standards that would roll back Biden-era rules aimed at cutting emissions and promoting electric cars.
• Wall Street executives and bond investors expressed concern to the US Treasury over NEC Director Kevin Hassett's potential nomination as Federal Reserve chair.
• Lawmakers declined to include an AI export control bill in the must-pass annual Pentagon spending bill, amid lobbying from Nvidia.
• USTR Jamieson Greer said Trump is considering pulling the US out of the United States-Mexico-Canada trade agreement.
• House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) will swear in Tennessee Rep-elect Matt Van Epps at 09:00 ET 14:00 GMT, following a special election win this week.  
• Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) is expected to give Democrats a vote on expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies by Friday next week.
• Trump announced a surprise pardon for Democrat Rep Henry Cuellar (D-TX), potentially damaging Republican chances of flipping a key swing seat.
• US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, will meet Ukrainian National Security Adviser Rustem Umerov in Miami today to debrief on Tuesday’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
• Poll of the Day: Gallup's Economic Confidence Index recorded its lowest reading since July 2024.

Please find the full article attached below: US DAILY BRIEF