Monthly Archives: June 2024

The next administration must be ready for new quantum encryption standards, MITRE advises – Nextgov/FCW

Posted: June 13, 2024 at 4:37 pm

The next presidential administration whether it be a second term for current President Joe Biden or former President Donald Trump will have to focus on ensuring the U.S. is ready for quantum computing to outperform the encryption methods currently used to secure data, a top federally-backed research group argues.

MITRE said in an advisory document released last week that the next presidential administration will need to prioritize such quantum computing advances, as well as critical infrastructure protections, clarification of cyber leadership roles and implementation of a zero trust framework for the federal government.

The readout is part of a series of releases from the federally affiliated national security research giant ahead of the upcoming election and possible transition of power in the White House. The release is the first of its kind in the 2024 election season that focuses on U.S. cybersecurity policy.

Todays cryptographic systems rely on complex mathematical algorithms that are difficult for traditional computers to unravel. But future quantum computers could solve these problems much more efficiently because they rely on the laws of quantum mechanics and can process a vast number of possibilities simultaneously. It means malicious actors in the coming years may be augmented with new abilities to decode encrypted information currently considered secure.

Practical quantum computing tools are still in development, though a top NSA official predicted in April that they could be available in three to five years and will likely be accessed in cloud based environments.

While it is hard to predict precisely when quantum computing will crack the currentencryption, the U.S. government must prepare now to protect data past, present, and future in the context of post-quantum cryptography, said the MITRE advisory, referring to a new era of cryptographic algorithms that are designed to be secure against the capabilities of quantum computers. The National Institute of Standards and Technology has been in the process of developing tools to help agencies migrate to PQC standards, as directed by the White House.

The next administration should assess the U.S. governments post-quantum readiness, craft a cryptographic bill of materials to outline what systems need transitioning to PQC and use expertise from the PQC Coalition, MITRE argues.

The White House and intelligence partners have already been working to bolster government network defenses against advanced techniques enabled by the creation of practical quantum computers in the near future. The NSA, in particular, has set a 2035 deadline for IC systems to be locked into these new PQC standards.

Federal scientific thought leaders are trying to prevent quantum-powered cyber incidents like record now, decrypt later attacks where an adversary will hoover up encrypted data streams, store them, and with the eventual existence of a powerful enough quantum device decrypt that data to use for theft or exploitation.

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The next administration must be ready for new quantum encryption standards, MITRE advises - Nextgov/FCW

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Quantum internet breakthrough after ‘quantum data’ transmitted through standard fiber optic cable for 1st time – Livescience.com

Posted: at 4:37 pm

A new quantum computing study claims that a recent finding in the production, storage and retrieval of "quantum data" has brought us one step closer to the quantum internet.

Currently, quantum information is unstable over long distances and quantum bits, or qubits the carriers of quantum information are easily lost or fragmented during transmission.

Classical computer bits are transmitted today as pulses of light through fiber optic cables using devices called "repeaters" to amplify signals across the length of the network. To transmit qubits over longer distances the way classical computer bits are transmitted today we need similar devices that can store and retransmit quantum states across the whole network, ensuring signal fidelity no matter how far the data has to go.

These quantum memory devices could receive, store and retransmit qubit states. The new study, conducted at Imperial College London, the University of Southampton, and the Universities of Stuttgart and Wurzburg in Germany, claims to have achieved this using standard fiber optic cables for the first time. The findings were published April 12 in the journal Scientific Advances.

The researchers stored and retrieved photons one of the potential carriers of quantum information using a new and potentially much more efficient method.

"There are two main types of single photon sources,a process called non-linear optical frequency conversion and those based on single emitters," Sarah Thomas, professor of physics at Imperial College, London, told Live Science. "It's been demonstrated many times before that we can store photons from nonlinear optics in a quantum memory because you can engineer the source and memory to match. We used a particular single emitter called a quantum dot, which is a nanocrystal of semiconductors."

Thomas said that using nonlinear optics is less reliable a pair of usable photons isn't produced every time, whereas a single emitter quantum dot produces them at a higher rate.

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Related: Bizarre device uses 'blind quantum computing' to let you access quantum computers from home

The next challenge is that the efficiency of the interface between quantum memory devices depends on matching both the wavelength and bandwidth. Discrepancies here make storage and retrieval too inefficient, but the study finally bridged the gap.

"We did it by using a high-bandwidth, low-noise quantum memory, fabricating the photon source at a very specific wavelength to match our quantum memory," Thomas said. "We were also able to do it at a wavelength where the loss in optical fiber is the lowest, which will be key in the future for building quantum networks."

But this is not the only recent advance in quantum computing and the quantum internet. In February, Live Science reported on a related breakthrough at Stony Brook University.

Quantum network models are more stable at extremely low temperatures, which limits their real-world applications, but the study achieved a stable connection at room temperature, which puts it within reach of real-world use.

The Imperial study builds on that success thanks to the aligned wavelengths between transmitter and receiver.

"The Stony Brook study used photons at 795 nm [nanometers] and showed interference of two photons after storage and retrieval," Mark Saffman, chief scientist for quantum information at quantum-enabled products company Infleqtion told Live Science. "The Imperial study used a photon at 1529 nm (which is the standard telecom wavelength) and stored and retrieved it, but didn't show interference. The storage and retrieval of telecom wavelength is important for low-loss fiber transmission. Both studies advance different aspects of what's needed for a quantum network."

Michael Hasse, a cybersecurity expert (one of the areas where quantum networks will have the most impact) told Live Science that the Imperial study describes a method whereas the earlier study describes a mechanism necessary for that method to work.

"The Imperial work is about a means of establishing long-distance communication using repeaters," he said. "Quantum entanglement allows communications to be far apart in theory, but in reality it's easier when they're closer together. The Stony Brook study refers to the storage of quantum information at room temperature, which is necessary for cost-effective implementation of repeaters."

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Quantum internet breakthrough after 'quantum data' transmitted through standard fiber optic cable for 1st time - Livescience.com

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European telecoms leading the way in quantum tech adoption, report finds – TNW

Posted: at 4:37 pm

Say quantum technologies and most people probably still imagine something decades into the future. But, as a new report released today demonstrates, quantum is already here especially as it relates to the telecom industry.

After years of incremental progress confined to research institutions, the emerging quantum technology sector has begun to gather commercial momentum. While most of the developments have been related to the quantum computing domain and its future promises, there are many other use cases for quantum tech applicable already today.

Quantum communications, including networks and forms of encryption, are currently being commercialised by a growing number of major telecom industry players and startups throughout the world. And Europe has a major part to play.

According to a report released today by Infinity, a startup and ecosystem support branch of Quantum Delta NL, 32% of the 100 quantum startups, scaleups, and SMEs servicing the telecom and telecom infrastructure sector are based in continental Europe. Germany, the Netherlands, France, Switzerland, and Spain are the strongest ecosystems. An additional 14% are in the UK and Ireland.

In addition, 50% of the enterprises that serve as consumers of the technology are located in continental Europe, with a further 11% in the UK and Ireland. Indeed, there are already more than 25 quantum networks being deployed in Europe today.

This includes a commercial quantum network in London, launched through a partnership between BT and Toshiba Europe, and an EU-wide quantum communications network being developed by Deutsche Telekom and two consortia called Petrus and Nostradamus.

Telecom companies are becoming a driving force for real-world adoption of quantum technology, said Teun van der Veen, Quantum Lead at the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO). They are at the forefront of integrating quantum into existing infrastructures and for them it is all about addressing end-user needs.

Quantum networks utilise the unique properties of quantum mechanics such as superposition and entanglement to connect systems and transmit data securely. This is done through quantum channels, which can be implemented using optical fibres, free-space optics, or satellite links.

The promise of quantum networks and quantum encryption is that they would be near-impossible, if not entirely impossible, to hack, thus offering ultra-secure forms of communication.

As Infinitys report states, they can be used to establish quantum-secure links between data centres, Earth and spacecraft and satellites, military and governments, trains and rail network control centres, hospital and health care sites, etc.

Quantum networks can also form the backbone of a global quantum internet, connecting quantum computers in different locations. Furthermore, they can offer opportunities for blind cloud quantum computing, which keeps quantum operations a secret to everyone but the user.

With geopolitical tensions on the rise and looming cybersecurity threats, companies and governments are increasingly looking into ways of securing IT infrastructure and data.

Perhaps unsurprisingly then, Infinitys report finds that Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) is the most popular use of quantum technology in the telecom sector. QKD utilises quantum mechanics to allow parties to generate a key that is known only to them, and is used to encrypt and decrypt messages.

One startup that knows a lot about QKD technology is Q*Bird. The Delft-based communications security company just raised 2.5mn to further develop its QKD product Falqon, already in trial with the Port of Rotterdam (the largest port in Europe).

Quantum communications solutions see increased interest across digital infrastructure in the EU, said Ingrid Romijn, co-founder and CEO of Q*Bird. Together with partners like Cisco, Eurofiber, Intermax, Single Quantum, Portbase and InnovationQuarter, Q*Bird is already testing quantum secure communications in the Port of Rotterdam using our novel quantum cryptography (QKD) technology.

Romjin further stated that moving forward, more industries and companies will be able to implement scalable solutions protecting data communications, leveraging next-generation QKD technology.

Another technology garnering interest is post-quantum cryptography (PQC). Q-day (the day when a quantum computer breaks the internet) is, in all probability, still some way into the future.

However, most classical cryptography methods will be vulnerable to hacking from a sufficiently powerful quantum computer sooner. PQC algorithms are designed to be secure against both classical and quantum attacks.

Other technologies with potential applications for the telecom industry are quantum sensors, clocks, simulation, random number generation, and, naturally, quantum computing.

Meanwhile, despite the increasing market interest, the report also finds that Europes quantum technology startups require more support and investment to help achieve the technical and market breakthroughs to drive the field forward.

Currently, only 42% of the quantum tech for telecom startups worldwide have external funding, having raised a total of 1.9bn between them.And despite the relative forward-thinking approach of the EU as demonstrated by the Deutsche Telekom network project, the US still leads in terms of private sector activity and investment.

Other challenges include raising awareness among business leaders, increasing skilled workforce, overcoming technical limitations, and building a stronger business narrative.

These can be surmounted partially through more regulatory standardisation, more collaboration with industry, and more early-stage support and investment for startups, the report says.

The key market opportunities for the quantum communications sector going forward are in government bodies including military and security services, financial institutions, and critical infrastructure departments, as well as companies in the energy, defence, space, and technology sectors.

Growing collaboration between enterprises and startups in telecom signals the industrys commitment to integrating quantum solutions into commercial applications, said Pavel Kalinin, Operations and Platforms Lead at Infinity. Successful implementation of such technologies will depend on coordinated efforts to prepare the workforce, facilitate collaborations, and set industry benchmarks and standards.

You can read the report in its entirety here.

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European telecoms leading the way in quantum tech adoption, report finds - TNW

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Simulating Quantum Circuits with Light-Induced Magnetism – AZoQuantum

Posted: at 4:37 pm

Jun 12 2024Reviewed by Lexie Corner

Researchers from the Graz University of Technology have calculated how suitablemolecules can be excited by pulses of infrared light to generate magnetic fields. The research, published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, will help in the construction of quantum computing circuits.

Molecules exposed to infrared radiation start to vibrate because of the energy source. This well-known phenomenon prompted Andreas Hauser of the Institute of Experimental Physics at Graz University of Technology (TU Graz) to investigate whether these oscillations could also be exploited to produce magnetic fields.

This is due to the positively charged nature of atomic nuclei and the creation of magnetic fields when charged particles move. Andreas Hauser and colleagues have now determined that, when infrared pulses operate on metal phthalocyanines, ring-shaped, planar dye molecules, these molecules generate minuscule magnetic fields in the nm range due to their high symmetry.

The calculations suggest that nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy could be used to determine the relatively low but highly accurately localized field strength.

The team used modern electron structure theory on supercomputers at the Vienna Scientific Cluster and TU Graz to calculate how phthalocyanine molecules behave when irradiated with circularly polarized infrared light.

They also drew on preliminary work from the early days of laser spectroscopy, some of which were decades old. The circularly polarized, or helically twisted, light waves excited two simultaneous molecular vibrations at right angles to one another.

As every rumba dancing couple knows, the right combination of forwards-backwards and left-right creates a small, closed loop. And this circular movement of each affected atomic nucleus actually creates a magnetic field, but only very locally, with dimensions in the range of a few nanometers.

Andreas Hauser, Institute of Experimental Physics, Graz University of Technology

According to Andreas Hauser, it is even possible to regulate the magnetic field's strength and direction by carefully adjusting the infrared light. As a result, the molecules would become high-precision optical switches that couldbe utilized to construct quantum computer circuits.

Andreas Hauser is working with colleagues at the TU Graz Institute of Solid-State Physics and a group at the University of Graz to demonstratethat controlled generation of molecule magnetic fields is possible.

For proof, but also for future applications, the phthalocyanine molecule needs to be placed on a surface. However, this changes the physical conditions, which in turn influences the light-induced excitation and the characteristics of the magnetic field, we therefore want to find a support material that has minimal impact on the desired mechanism.

Andreas Hauser, Institute of Experimental Physics, Graz University of Technology

Before testing the most promising versions in experiments, the physicist and his associates wish to compute the interactions between the deposited phthalocyanines, the support material, and the infrared light in a subsequent stage.

Wilhelmer, R., et al. (2024) Molecular Pseudorotation in Phthalocyanines as a Tool for Magnetic Field Control at the Nanoscale. Journal of the American Chemical Society. doi.org/10.1021/jacs.4c01915

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Donald Trump Returns to Capitol Hill for First Time Since Jan. 6 Riot – The Wall Street Journal

Posted: at 4:36 pm

  1. Donald Trump Returns to Capitol Hill for First Time Since Jan. 6 Riot  The Wall Street Journal
  2. Republicans, including detractors, embrace Trump in return to Washington after Jan. 6  ABC News
  3. Republicans enter the upside down: Unity with Trump  POLITICO

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Behind Closed Doors, Trump Disparages Milwaukee, Host of His Party’s Convention – The New York Times

Posted: at 4:36 pm

Former President Donald J. Trump on Thursday repeatedly disparaged the city of Milwaukee, which will host the Republican National Convention in July, while meeting with a group of his G.O.P. allies in the House on Capitol Hill.

The city, the most populous in the battleground state of Wisconsin, became a target of Mr. Trumps complaints and election falsehoods during a closed-door session with Republicans in Washington, even as Mr. Trump is set to accept his partys presidential nomination there next month.

Mr. Trumps exact language and the degree of disdain of his comments were disputed by his allies, but his campaign spokesman, Steven Cheung, acknowledged on X that Mr. Trump had criticized the citys crime rate and its role in his loss in the 2020 election.

Punchbowl News reported that Mr. Trump had called Milwaukee horrible. But Mr. Cheung used an expletive to describe the outlets report, which he said was wrong.

He was talking about how terrible crime and voter fraud are, Mr. Cheung wrote.

Milwaukees mayor and Wisconsins governor, who are both Democrats, condemned Mr. Trump's criticism of the city, which is set to host thousands of Republican delegates and dignitaries from July 15 to July 18.

Well, if Donald Trump wants to talk about things that he thinks are horrible, all of us lived through his presidency, so right back at you, buddy, Cavalier Johnson, the citys mayor, said during a news conference on Thursday.

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Jeffrey Katzenberg Is Bidens Secret Weapon Against Trump – The New York Times

Posted: at 4:36 pm

When President Biden made clear last year that he was planning to run for another term, some important Democratic contributors expressed doubt. He was too old, they feared. He was not up to another four years.

It fell to Jeffrey Katzenberg to tell them they were wrong. When some still did not believe him, Mr. Katzenberg challenged them to come to Washington and find out for themselves then arranged to bring the dubious donors to the White House to sit down with the octogenarian president to convince them he was still sharp enough.

He was like, Trust me. And if you dont trust me, trust, but verify. Come with me and see for yourself and engage with the president, Gov. Gavin Newsom of California, a longtime ally of Mr. Katzenberg, recounted in an interview. And he started doing that in a consistent way. In the end, Mr. Newsom added, He really was instrumental in getting people off the sidelines and getting them to dive headfirst in this campaign.

Few have dived headfirst into the presidents re-election campaign more thoroughly than Mr. Katzenberg. The longtime Hollywood mogul known for The Lion King and Shrek, among many others, Mr. Katzenberg has been one of the most prolific cash generators for Democratic presidents for a generation. On Saturday night, he will bring Mr. Biden together with former President Barack Obama, George Clooney, Julia Roberts and Jimmy Kimmel for a star-studded fund-raiser in Los Angeles, following the $26 million fund-raiser at Radio City Music Hall in March he arranged with Mr. Obama and former President Bill Clinton.

While Mr. Katzenberg has not solved Mr. Bidens age problem by any means and Biden aides noted that some of those he brought to the White House did not need convincing, his efforts to validate the president with the well-heeled set have helped build a war chest that has been outpacing the Trump campaign. But he has gone far beyond his past political work, joining Mr. Bidens campaign as a co-chairman and investing himself fully in the effort to defeat former President Donald J. Trump.

He can be found in the halls of the West Wing offering advice and counsel. He was at Camp David the weekend before the State of the Union address, helping the president prepare for his nationally televised speech. He pushes the campaign to tape reaction videos of the president for social media and connected Biden aides with writers to help come up with jokes for the president to deliver at the White House Correspondents Association dinner.

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Trump’s Campaign Was Just a Scammy Money Grab All Along – The New Republic

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The plaintiffs have sincere legal, moral, ideological, and policy objections to elective abortion and to FDAs relaxed regulation of mifepristone, Kavanaugh wrote. But under Article III of the Constitution, those kinds of objections alone do not establish a justiciable case or controversy in federal court. Here, the plaintiffs have failed to demonstrate that FDAs relaxed regulatory requirements likely would cause them to suffer an injury in fact. For that reason, the federal courts are the wrong forum for addressing the plaintiffs concerns about FDAs actions.

Instead, Kavanaugh suggested that the plaintiffs take their issues to the president, setting up another fight to maintain abortion access should Donald Trump win in November.

By and large, most Americans support abortion access. In a 2023 Gallup poll, just 13 percent of surveyed Americans said that abortion should be illegal in all circumstances. Meanwhile, 34 percent said it should be legal under any circumstances, and an additional 13 percent said it should be legal in most circumstances.

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Opinion | The American flag isnt another Trump property. Time to reclaim it. – The Washington Post

Posted: at 4:36 pm

Im not easily flabbergasted, but the other day my flabber got good and gasted. I was riding my beach bike, the one with the 2-by-3-foot American flag flying off the back. I fly it because I (a) love my country and (b) love my spine, and the flapping flag means fewer cars flatten me.

So Im pedaling along the street and the Stars and Stripes are whipping behind me, and I hear a honk. Thats when a guy on the passenger side of a white 4x4 Ram truck leans out and yells, Yeah! Go Trump!

Go Trump? Me? He cant be yelling that at me. I look around for somebody in a MAGA hat or a T-shirt with Trumps mug shot, but theres nobody. And thats when it hits me.

This guy thinks Im a Trumper.

Why else would I be flying an American flag?

Then, a week later, it happens again, only in reverse. I'm riding when a woman leans out of her green Subaru and hollers, F--- Trump! and flips me off. Shed seen the flag and figured the same thing as the guy in the truck.

This lady thinks Im a Trumper.

Which brings me to a question for Friday Flag Day: When did the American flag become another Trump property?

And if the former president doesnt quite own it, he has definitely co-opted it. Nowadays, if you see a jacked-high pickup with four American flags, you either honk proudly or move three lanes away. Theres a house on my block with a giant Trump flag hanging from the roof. Do you ever see a Biden flag? Me neither, not once. Online, you can find dozens of American flags for sale with Donald Trumps name or face on them. Good luck finding one with Bidens.

Presidential candidates have always been glad to wrap themselves in the flag, of course. But with Trump, it has never looked more like a Hollywood prop. Trump doesnt care about the flag any more than he cares about being a Republican. What he cares about is how he looks holding it.

I was with Trump one time, 20 years ago, when he kept mis-introducing me as the guy who runs Sports Illustrated or this guy owns SI! I just worked at the place. When I asked him why he was lying to people, he said, Sounds better.

Trump loves the flag, like the Bible, because it looks better. The American flags flying at his properties are about the size of a Dennys. He actually cuddled up to a flag at a conservative conference in 2020 and mouthed, I love you, baby.

Hes yuuuuge on the flag, but puny on what it stands for.

Serve your country in the military? Uh no.

Obey the law? No, no, 34 times no.

Free speech? Big no. Trump says that if reelected he would retaliate against media criminally or civilly.

But what really makes me eat bees is that Trumpers arent just kidnapping the flag theyre abusing it, too. MAGAs are flying the flag upside-down. Like the one that flew over the Alitos house. That used to be a seafaring sign that a ship is in distress. Now its a sign that the brain is.

In video of the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021, an Arkansas trucker picked up an American flag on a pole and beat a cop with it. Bash the Blue.

Theres also a Jan. 6 video showing the invaders yanking down the Star-Spangled Banner and putting up a Trump one. And Colin Kaepernick taking a knee was treasonous?

For a lot of Americans, the flag has become a symbol of Trump misogyny, Trump bigotry and Trump wannabe president for life. Which means, for Democrats like me, flying an American flag on your house is akin to bringing your neighbors anthrax brownies. Flying a flag puts you in the pickup truck with an Oath Keeper. You can see why. During the 2020 election, a phalanx of trucks flying American flags and Trump flags tried to run a Biden campaign bus off the road.

The Stars and Stripes were here 169 years before Trump was born, and theyll be here long after hes gone. I say its time to take the flag back. And so does the Biden campaign, judging by the Democratic National Committees recent ad for him its just called Flag.

The American flag belongs to 336 million of us, not just the 46.9 percent of the electorate that went for Trump last time around. More than 81 million Americans voted for Biden in 2020. The more of us flying the flag from our porches and cars and, yeah, bikes, the less it seems as though Trump helped Betsy Ross sew it.

Go Trump? Great idea. Go, Trump, as far away as possible. But leave the flag.

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Opinion | The American flag isnt another Trump property. Time to reclaim it. - The Washington Post

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Trump met with GOP lawmakers in Washington to rally support, push for unity – NPR

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Former President Donald Trump visited Capitol Hill on Thursday to meet with House and Senate Republicans. Brandon Bell/Getty Images hide caption

Former President Donald Trump held two separate meetings Thursday with GOP lawmakers in Washington. Trump used the events, each held blocks from the U.S. Capitol, to push for GOP members to unify behind him ahead of this year's presidential election.

Trump ended his visit with Senate Republicans with a brief press availability where he listed goals for a GOP-led government and described the current state of the country in bleak and dysfunctional terms.

"We have great unity, we have great common sense," he said. "A lot of very smart people in this room."

Trump did not take any questions.

The former president began the day with a closed-door meeting with House Republicans where he pledged to support members so they can win big in November, praised Speaker Mike Johnson and discussed a wide range of issues including inflation and abortion.

The meeting, which took place near the U.S. Capitol, was his first visit back since he left office and since hiscriminal convictions in the New York hush money trial. Trump is meeting with Senate Republicans this afternoon.

It is also the first time Trump has visited Capitol Hill since the January 6th riot at the Capitol. Trump was not present that day as his supporters stormed the building and he has not visited the Capitol building in the years that followed including President Bidens inauguration, which Trump skipped.

President Trump brought an extraordinary amount of energy, and excitement and enthusiasm this morning, Johnson said while flanked by other House leaders after their more than hour-long meeting.

The afternoon session with the Senate was also an opportunity for Trump to address skeptics within the party. In recent months, more Senate Republicans, including those initially resistant to weigh in, have said theyre supporting Trumps re-election run. Others, like Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., have refused to back him or continue to avoid discussing their support for the former president.

Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, who was one of seven Senate Republicans to vote to convict Trump during his second impeachment trial, said she wouldn't attending the meeting because of a longstanding conflict.

The meetings mark a high-stakes affair for Trump and Republicans heading into the contentious final months of the campaign. While many Congressional Republicans are firmly behind Trump, there remains a divide among some as the former president faces multiple legal battles.

Several members leaving the meeting highlighted Trump asking Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene to be nice to Johnson. Greene responded with a hand motion that signaled, maybe.

President Trump was very much himself no teleprompter, no notecards, said Greene, who led the failed effort to oust Johnson last month. He joked with everybody.

Greene said there were no discussions about Trumps potential pick for vice president, and that Trump told members he feels a lot of states are in play with plans to spend money in New Jersey, New York, Minnesota and Virginia.

He did say theres a few of you in the room that might not be happy with me because Im supporting your opponent, but I will be doing tele-town halls for many of you, helping you get across the line, doing whatever it takes to win the House and win it big, she added.

Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C. said Trump was casting a wide net.

Theres no state hes not going in, he said.

That includes includes races where he isnt backing the incumbent.

The former president endorsed GOP Virginia Rep. Bob Goods primary challenger, John Maguire, ahead of next weeks Republican primary. Good attended the meeting, but declined to discuss it with NPR on his way out.

Members said Trump did most of the talking in the meeting. Rep Ben Cline, R-Va., noted well over an hour into the session, it wasnt a discussion, Trumps just been talking, but he added Trump took some questions.

Trump also took a swipe at those House GOP lawmakers who voted to impeach him in 2021, noting there werent many left in Congress.

Later, several members said he appeared to signal support of California Rep. David Valadao, who voted to impeach, but without naming him.

He also took a jab at Taylor Swift, noting he signed a bill during his administration to help songwriters, and that he was surprised Swift wasnt supporting him.

South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace said Trump devoted a significant portion of his remarks to speaking about abortion.

Ensuring that women know that we care and that were pro-woman and pro-life is a really important message for us going into November, Mace said. He talked about exceptions for rape, incest and life of the mother.

Mace, one of Trumps former enemies, now has his endorsement, and was congratulated on her recent primary win.

Rep. Marc Molinaro, running for reelection in a competitive district in New York, told reporters on the abortion discussion, his point was obviously to speak from your heart. And I've embraced this in my own district for the people I represent, just we've got to be respectful of the very difficult choices women have to make.

Norman said the message from Trump on abortion was let the states decide. He told lawmakers hes not going to get into the details on specific restrictions and they shouldn't either, but if they weigh in on specific restrictions in terms of 8, 10, 12 week ban, use your heart.

Multiple Republicans told NPR that Trump talked about ramping up pressure on China, and touted his own policy as president imposing tariffs on China.

One House Republican who has not yet endorsed Trump, Rep. Dave Schweikert, R-Ariz., said about the discussion, I was actually pleased it was mostly on economy, on inflation. He told reporters he planned to endorse Trump after the GOP convention.

GOP lawmakers said Trump didnt weigh in on a specific tax strategy, or the speakers proposal to push through an aggressive package early in 2025 using expedited budget rules, but urged them to vote to cut taxes.

He talked about tax-free tips, which is a great opportunity for middle class workers, people who basically make a living on tips to not pay taxes on those things, a good thing, a popular thing with the middle class, Rep. Mike Garcia, R-Calif., said.

For their part, congressional Democrats said today marked a reminder of a dark moment in the countrys history, pointing to Trumps role in the Jan. 6 attack.

On January 6th, Donald Trump lit a match to democracy with an insurrection on Capitol Hill, and, today, he's arrived at the scene of the crime and continues to throw fuel on the flame, said California Democratic Rep. Zoe Lofgren, who served on the former Jan. 6 committee.

NPRs Franco Ordoez contributed to this report.

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Trump met with GOP lawmakers in Washington to rally support, push for unity - NPR

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