President Donald Trump traveled through Asia this week, sitting down for a high-stakes meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, which he described as “truly great,” while Americans at home bore the brunt of the ongoing government shutdown, which is entering its second month.Democrats now find themselves in a bind as they have succeeded in framing health care as the issue at the heart of the stalemate but are grappling with the lapse of federal food assistance for millions of Americans set to begin Saturday.The shutdown is also likely to lead to more flight delays as the Federal Aviation Administration grapples with staffing shortages. At the same time, federal employees are working without pay, and food banks are bracing for a surge in demand.The president, though, seems to have his mind focused elsewhere as he instructed the Pentagon to immediately resume testing of nuclear weapons to ensure the U.S. keeps up with its rivals.“With others doing testing, I think it’s appropriate that we do also,” he told reporters after departing South Korea to return to the U.S.The Trump administration is continuing to add pressure on Venezuela, with the country’s authoritarian leader, Nicolás Maduro, now accusing the U.S. of “fabricating a new eternal war.”See previous updates here, and read the latest below:A Sampling Of The Bootlicking Going On In Trump’s Cabinet MeetingWhite House Cabinet meetings in Trump’s second term have become a round-robin exercise in heaping praise at the president’s feet. On Thursday, top administration officials spoke admiringly about Trump's effort to militarize U.S. cities and the ceasefire arrangement between Israel and Gaza, among other topics. Here are just a few examples of today's fawning adoration:Attorney General Pam Bondi: “My lawyers are in court right now as we speak — for you — arguing in Chicago and Portland, to keep them safe, to bring in the guard.”Secretary of State Marco Rubio: “One day, perhaps, the entire story will be told about the events of yesterday, but suffice it to say, it’s not an exaggeration that none of it would have been possible without the president of the United States being involved.” [Applause] “The president had some extraordinary phone calls and meeting that required a high degree of intensity and commitment and made this happen.”Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum: “President Trump, I just want to double down on what Marco was sharing. It’s such a remarkable accomplishment. Agree that no other president could have done this. But what set the groundwork for you to be able to do this, when you took office on Jan. 20, you made a 180-degree turn in our military strength, with Pete’s leadership. You were the masterclass in peace through strength.”Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth: “Never thought this kind of peace would be possible. Yet with your strength, with your ability to wield trade negotiations, personal relationships, to open up that opportunity is truly historic on the world stage.”Vice President JD Vance: “Obviously, the president of the United States, a New York real estate billionaire, one of the most famous New Yorkers in the world, has a lot of interaction with a lot of people who are very pro-Israel. I think that was an important set of experiences, life experiences, that he brought to the table. He also knew one of the most famous Palestinians in the world: Chuck Schumer.” [Laughter]See All UpdatesClose