President Donald Trump’s 20th week in the Oval Office is set to be busy, with a planned White House meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, a phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping, and continued efforts to push his “big, beautiful bill” through the Senate.
Monday marks President Trump’s 134th day in office, during which time he has issued numerous executive orders, initiated plans to address the nation’s trade deficit, and engaged in ongoing international negotiations.
The upcoming week will feature a meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the White House on Thursday. Discussions are expected to center on the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia, as well as trade negotiations between Germany and the United States. Chancellor Merz will arrive in Washington on Wednesday evening. This meeting follows Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s recent discussions with Merz in Germany, where they solidified an agreement for increased German support to Ukraine. The Thursday meeting between Trump and Merz will be followed by a lunch and a press conference.
While the two leaders have spoken by phone previously, this will be their first face-to-face meeting since Merz became Germany’s leader in May. Notably, tensions arose between Merz and Trump officials last month after Germany designated the right-wing Alternative for Germany political party as a “proven right-wing extremist organization,” a move that drew criticism from U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and former Department of Government Efficiency chief Elon Musk, who viewed it as an attack on democracy. Merz responded by suggesting that American leaders should refrain from commenting on German elections and politics.
On the economic front, White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett announced that President Trump is expected to have a phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping this week to discuss ongoing trade negotiations. While a specific date for the call has not been set, Hassett expressed optimism that both sides are willing to talk, noting that ongoing daily discussions are taking place between U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer’s team and their Chinese counterparts. This comes after President Trump accused China on Friday of “totally violating” the preliminary trade agreement reached last month, following reciprocal tariffs imposed by both countries earlier in the year.
Domestically, the Senate continues its efforts to pass the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, a multitrillion-dollar legislative package encompassing President Trump’s agenda on taxes, immigration, energy, defense, and the national debt. The bill narrowly passed the House last month with a single Republican vote margin due to concerns among some GOP lawmakers about its impact on the national debt, which is projected to increase by roughly $3 trillion. Similar concerns have been raised by a handful of Republican senators, including Rand Paul and Rick Scott, who have indicated they cannot support the bill without addressing the debt ceiling.
Despite these challenges, other Republican senators, such as Mike Rounds, are urging the bill’s passage, emphasizing the need to make the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act permanent to avoid tax increases for American families. President Trump has repeatedly called for Republican unity in passing this legislation, describing it as potentially the most significant bill in the nation’s history.
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