WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump will sign legislation Monday that will ban the nonconsensual online publication of sexually explicit images and videos that are both authentic and computer-generated.
The “Take it Down Act” would make publishing this content illegal and would subject violators to mandatory restitution and criminal penalties such as prison, a fine or both. The bill would also subject people to criminal penalties who make threats to publish these intimate visual depictions, some of which are created using artificial intelligence.
The measure would require websites, through enforcement by the Federal Trade Commission, to remove this imagery after receiving a request from a victim within 48 hours and have to make efforts to take down copies as well.
Trump is scheduled to sign the bipartisan bill in an afternoon ceremony in the White House Rose Garden. First lady Melania Trump is set to attend the event as she was “instrumental” in getting the measure through Congress, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Monday.
“The first lady met with members in the House and the Senate survivors and their families and advocates throughout the process to get this bill across the finish line,” she said at the press briefing.
It will only be the sixth bill Trump has signed into law in his second term as president so far. By his 100th day in office, he had only signed five bills — fewer than any other president in the first 100 days of an administration since at least Dwight D. Eisenhower in the 1950s, according to an NBC News analysis of data in the congressional record.
The Senate approved the measure by unanimous consent and the House overwhelmingly passed it in a 409-2 vote last month. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., sponsored the bill in the Senate while Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, R-Fla., introduced its companion in the House along with several other members, including House Democrats.
According to the bill’s sponsors, while many states have laws explicitly banning sexual deepfakes, they vary in terms of classification of crime and penalties.
Trump highlighted the bill in early March, joking that it would apply to him. “I’m going to use that bill for myself because nobody gets treated worse than I do online,” he said.
The first lady also held an event on Capitol Hill that month touting the proposal. “It’s heartbreaking to witness young teens, especially girls, grappling with the overwhelming challenges posed by malicious online content like deepfakes,” she said.
“This toxic environment can be severely damaging,” she continued. “We must prioritize their well-being by equipping them with support and tools necessary to navigate this hostile digital landscape. Every young person deserves a safe online space to express themselves free without the looming threat of exploitation or harm.”
“Sesame Street” is coming to Netflix with a new season later this year.
The show, which has been a hallmark of children’s TV for over half a century, will release a new season with “fresh format changes” and the return of fan-favorite segments like “Elmo’s World” and “Cookie Monster’s Foodie Truck,” Sesame Workshop said in a press release.
In the new season, Cookie Monster will open his own Cookie Cart on Sesame Street, and Abby Cadabby’s Fairy Garden will be home to “surprising and delightful magical creatures,” the release states. The episodes will also center on one 11-minute story to allow for “even more character-driven humor and heart.”
“Sesame Street” will continue to be available on PBS Kids. Season 56 will be released in three batches.
“We are excited to announce that all new Sesame Street episodes are coming to @netflix worldwide along with library episodes, and new episodes will also release the same day on @PBS Stations and @PBSKIDS platforms in the US, preserving a 50+ year relationship,” the show said in a post on X.
“The support of Netflix, PBS, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting serve as a unique public-private partnership to enable Sesame Street to continue to help children everywhere grow smarter, stronger, and kinder.”
Trying to find the perfect anything is, in many ways, a fool’s errand. But I’d be lying if I said I haven’t been chasing the ideal white T-shirt for years — a shirt that feels just as good on day one as it does after a dozen washes, and one that lasts just as long. What started as a personal mission somehow became a full-blown NBC Select project.
Together, our team tested more than 50 white tees over six weeks, wearing them in real life and inspecting every detail: weight, seams, collar structure, overall fit. I felt like a mad scientist, noting if the fabric warped in the wash, checking for loose threads and obsessing over length and drape. It was the most mental energy I’ve ever spent on T-shirts, but the results were worth it.
Below, you’ll find our official 2025 ranking of the best white T-shirts — categorized by men’s, women’s and unisex picks — and broken down by the factors that matter: fit, fabric, durability and post-wash performance.
How we chose our contenders
The sheer volume of white T-shirts on the market is overwhelming — you can spend a few bucks or splurge $50+ for a premium fabric blend. We tested shirts across various prices, brands and fits — including baby tees, cropped styles, heavyweight crewnecks and relaxed silhouettes.
We excluded true undershirts, which are meant to be worn as base layers and often have a tighter fit. Instead, we focused on everyday tees you’d actually want to wear out — whether with jeans, under a blazer or layered with a jacket. Our lineup includes men’s, women’s and unisex options, all tested by the NBC Select team in their daily routines.
NBC Select editors included brands like Buck Mason, Gap, Lady White Co. and more in our white t-shirt testing.Kara Birnbaum / NBC News
What we considered
Each editor has personal preferences when it comes to T-shirt fit and fabric — some like a structured, heavyweight tee while others gravitate toward something lighter like pima cotton. To ensure consistency, we evaluated every shirt based on the same criteria:
Material and construction: Did the shirt hold up over time? Did the fabric stretch out or deteriorate? We looked for signs of wear, like fraying seams and warping collars.
Fit: Was the fit true to the product description — relaxed, slim, cropped, classic? Did the tee feel flattering and wearable?
Post-wash performance: We washed each shirt multiple times to assess shrinkage, collar shape, softness and durability.
We tested the white t-shirts to see if they would shrink or change dramatically after a wash. Kara Birnbaum / NBC News
Methodology
Over the course of six weeks, our team called in more than 50 white T-shirts from brands offering a range of styles, fabrics and price points. Each editor tried 8 to 12 shirts, scoring them based on material, fit, comfort and how well they held up to repeated wear and washing.
Editors considered the length, shape and hand feel of all the different shirts. Kara Birnbaum / NBC News
We wanted to see how these shirts looked on different body types and how they behaved after multiple washes. Would the neckline stretch out? Would the seams unravel? Would the fabric lose its softness? These are the kinds of details we obsessed over.
Scores were tallied and used to create our master ranking — divided into men’s, women’s and unisex categories. We included as many standout options as possible, with some brands appearing more than once due to their variety of fits.
Want more from NBC Select? Sign up for our newsletter, The Selection, and shop smarter.
I need a white T-shirt to be four things: comfortable, flattering, easy to layer and long-lasting. The Lightweight Jersey Tee from Reigning Champ hits all four marks. It’s a slightly slim, well-made tee that’s durable and comfortable (a rare combo). I can easily dress it up or down and know that if there’s something off about my fit, it’s not the shirt. It can hold its own as the center of a summer look or peeking out of a layered winter outfit. And it’s 100% cotton, machine washable and machine dryable — the definition of no-nonsense.
When it comes down to a plain white shirt, I mostly think of it as an undershirt to sweaters and dress shirts. I need it to be comfortable enough that I’m not distracted by the texture of the fabric. It also needs to be solid enough to be washed multiple times and still survive without holes or loose threads. Uniqlo’s SUPIMA® Cotton T-Shirt is the perfect medium for my needs — to the point that I would wear it as just my primary shirt for a day.
I’ve had a Buck Mason Field-Spec T-shirt in my closet for about four years now. It was great to test it alongside other white shirts, which helped me focus on some of the details I love about this one. It has a sturdy feel and looks more flattering than your average white T-shirt. While the ring-spun cotton is heavy, it also has a broken-in feel that lays perfectly across the body. It’s a classic fit that isn’t overly boxy or too slim. This T-shirt has a noticeable structure, and it’s something you should consider if you’re looking for heft. The other shirts on this list are great, but it’s hard to find a better heavyweight shirt than what Buck Mason is offering.
The Buck Mason Field Spec white t-shirt is made of a thick heavy weight cotton that still manages to feel breathable.Kara Birnbaum / NBC News
When I first put on this T-shirt, I was truly shocked that it clocks in at just under $20. It’s incredibly soft (both before and after putting it in the wash), it’s a true white but isn’t really sheer at all — which I love, especially when I wear it on its own. I also found the fit to be the most inclusive of all the shirts that I tried, which, for me, is a rarity. The sleeves don’t flare out, the neckline maintains its shape, and the bottom doesn’t get that weathered look you get with cheaper options. Plus, the shirt works under a button-down, blazer, or even just for sleep.
This T-shirt excels in both form and function. It’s 100% cotton, and the extra-long staple fibers feel so soft on my skin. Its fabric is medium weight, so it’s breathable without being too sheer, and robust and durable without being too heavy. The shirt comes in sizes XS to XXL, and the length is customizable with short, regular and long options so you can work with your torso dimensions for the silhouette you want. I like the comfortable yet structured quality of the shirt and will definitely be wearing this in the summer. This is a great option for anyone looking for a reliable basic shirt to add to their capsule wardrobe.
When someone says “white T-shirt,” this is what immediately springs to mind. The cut is clean without trying too hard, the fit walks that rare line between relaxed and refined and the opacity? It held up even under harsh office lights. It’s soft enough to pass for sleepwear — like, actually comfortable — but structured enough to throw a blazer over it and call it a look.
There’s a reason my sorority practically had a lifetime contract with Comfort Colors for our merch: the brand knows what it’s doing. It’s not flashy. It’s not trendy. It’s just good. Classic, because it’s earned it. And after a few spins through the wash, it came out looking exactly the same — no shrinking, no warping, no heartbreak.
This shirt has become my new favorite T-shirt — not just white T-shirt — but my favorite T-shirt overall. After I tried it on for the first time, I ran to check if it came in other colors because I needed all of them. I absolutely love the material because it’s so seamless and buttery soft, even after washing it. I usually struggle with the length of T-shirts, and I hate when a shirt has long, flared short sleeves. But this one fit like a glove — no awkward lengths — and it’s super stretchy. But even though it’s stretchy, it wasn’t sheer at all, which is so important to me. It’s perfect for layering fun outfits and dressing it up, but I can also dress it down for a relaxed look.
Shopping for, well, anything, as a petite person is challenging — especially clothes. I have to get many things tailored, so when I find something that fits perfectly the moment I try it on, I have to tell anyone who will listen. This T-shirt is one of those moments. I love where it lands on my waist — I can tuck it in or wear it out, and both ways look flattering. The white is a softer shade that doesn’t feel blinding when I look in the mirror. The fabric is soft, even more so after washing.
This truly is everything I look for in the perfect white T-shirt — the fit is flattering and non-boxy, the material is soft yet durable, and it looks the same after washing as it did off the rack. I love that I can dress it up with a pair of trousers and loafers, or dress it down with my favorite sweatpants or jeans and still look effortlessly put together. The shirt’s fit is relaxed, so it doesn’t squeeze or feel tight around my waist or chest, and the length of the sleeves and the shirt itself is more flattering than 90% of shirts I’ve tried (though I do gravitate more toward a cropped tee, which Aritzia also has great options for). When I do want that more cropped style, however, I can easily tuck it into my jeans or trousers to play around with the fit. It’s also not super see-through, which is a huge plus.
I’m usually more of a baby or super-oversized tee type of girl, but this tee from Gap made a strong case for the “standard” fit. I initially thought it would be too big, but after wearing it a few times, I think it’s actually the perfect “standard”-fitting white tee. It’s not as form-fitting as a baby tee or fitted tee, but it’s also not massively oversized. I also like the boxy shape, which helps the bottom of the shirt actually interact with and complement the pants I’m wearing, rather than hanging down over them or bunching up at the bottom.
NBC Select associate SEO reporter Ashley Morris tested the Gap Organic Cotton VintageSoft T-Shirt.Kara Birnbaum / NBC News
Jordan Bowman is an editor for NBC Select with years of experience in the apparel, tech and commerce space. Our staff tested over 50 white t-shirts for this project over the course of 6 weeks to find our favorites for both men and women. We considered options from a wide range of brands and ranked our favorite shirts based on editorial feedback.
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MICHIGAN CITY, Ind. — An Indiana man convicted in the 2000 killing of a police officer is set to receive a lethal injection early Tuesday in the state’s second execution in 15 years.
Benjamin Ritchie, 45, has been on death row for more than 20 years after being convicted in the fatal shooting of Beech Grove Police Officer Bill Toney during a foot chase.
Unless there’s last-minute court action, Ritchie is scheduled to be executed “before the hour of sunrise” at the Indiana State Prison in Michigan City, according to state officials.
Indiana resumed executions in December after a year-long hiatus due to the scarcity of lethal injection drugs nationwide. Prison officials provided photos of the execution chamber in advance of Joseph Corcoran’s execution, showing a space that looks like a sparse operating room with a gurney, fluorescent lighting, a floor drain, and an adjacent viewing room. They have offered few other details about the process, including the time at which the executions take place.
Benjamin Ritchie.Indiana Department of Correction via AP
Among 27 states with death penalty laws, Indiana is one of two that bars media witnesses. The other, Wyoming, has conducted one execution in the last half-century. The Associated Press and other media organizations have filed a federal lawsuit in Indiana seeking media access.
The execution on Tuesday in Indiana is among 12 scheduled in eight states this year. Ritchie’s execution and two others in Texas and Tennessee will be carried out this week.
The 2000 fatal shooting of a police officer
Ritchie was 20 when he and others stole a van in Beech Grove, near Indianapolis. He then fired four shots at Toney during a foot chase, killing him.
At the time Ritchie was on probation from a 1998 burglary conviction.
Toney, 31, had worked at the Beech Grove Police Department for two years. He was the first officer of the police department of roughly 30 officers to be killed by gunfire in the line of duty. The community of 14,000 people mourned the married father of two as a neighborly person who showed up to help others.
When Toney died, “Everyone of us involved, including Bill, had something stolen from them that they’ll never get back,” said Deputy Police Chief Tom Hurrle, who worked with him.
Relatives spoke at a clemency hearing last week, urging for the execution to move forward.
“It’s time. We’re all tired,” said Dee Dee Horen, who was Toney’s wife. “It is time for this chapter of my story, our story, to be closed. It’s time for us to remember Bill, to remember Bill’s life, and not his death.”
Appealing a death sentence
Ritchie’s attorneys have fought the death penalty sentence, arguing his legal counsel at trial was ineffective because his lawyers failed to fully investigate and present evidence on his fetal alcohol spectrum disorders and childhood lead exposure.
Current defense attorneys say Ritchie suffered “severe brain damage” because his mother abused alcohol and drugs during pregnancy and has struggled with decision-making. He was also diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2005.
“He’s finally come to have some coping skills. He’s a different man,” said defense attorney Steven Schutte.
Republican Gov. Mike Braun rejected Ritchie’s clemency bid last week as the parole board recommended. Braun didn’t explain his decision, but board members said Ritchie’s case didn’t meet the bar for commuting a sentence and cited a dozen violations during Ritchie’s time in prison, including threatening others with violence.
The Indiana Supreme Court denied a request to stop the execution, but two justices noted the jury didn’t get accurate information about Ritchie’s brain damage.
Ritchie’s attorneys are challenging that decision in federal court and have also filed a petition with the U.S. Supreme Court.
Disability rights advocates say Ritchie’s brain damage should exclude him from the death penalty.
Ritchie’s “capacity to fully appreciate the wrongfulness of his conduct” was “impaired at the time of his crime,” Dr. Megan Carter, who also testified before the parole board, said in a statement.
Expressing regret and awaiting execution
Attorneys say Ritchie has changed during his more than two decades behind bars and shown remorse.
In court as a young man, Ritchie smiled at Horen and laughed as the verdict was read.
He told a parole board he deeply regrets his actions, especially how he acted with Toney’s widow.
“I wish I could go back to the day in court, because that man’s wife deserved to say everything she needed to say to me, and that punk kid should have just kept his mouth shut and let her say whatever she needed to say,” Ritchie said. “That was her right. That was his family’s right.”
Ritchie has spent his last days getting visits from friends and family. Under state law, he’s allowed up to five witnesses at his execution, which will include attorneys and friends.
“I’ve ruined my life and other people’s lives, and I’m so sorry for that night,” he told the parole board earlier this month. “You can’t take back what you did.”
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has tasked the Food and Drug Administration with conducting a safety review of mifepristone, a pill used in most U.S. abortions. Kennedy said this week that the review was warranted due to an “alarming” new report on serious adverse events released last month.
“Clearly it indicates that, at very least, the label should be changed,” he told Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., at a Senate budget hearing on Wednesday. “I’ve asked Marty Makary, who’s the director of FDA, to do a complete review and to report back.”
The report in question, which was neither peer-reviewed nor published in a medical journal, claims to find a 22-times higher rate of serious complications from mifepristone than reported by the FDA. It calls on the agency to “further investigate the harm mifepristone causes to women” and “reconsider its approval altogether.”
Whereas a wealth of data has shown that less than 0.5% of women who take mifepristone have serious adverse reactions, the report claims the true number is around 11%.
Researchers who study reproductive health said it amounts to junk science and exaggerates the risks of the medication.
“We should all be alarmed that the people in charge of our public health institutions are calling for a review of the science based on an unvetted and flawed report,” Dr. Ushma Upadhyay, a public health scientist at the University of California, San Francisco, said Thursday on a call with members of the press.
“Rigorous studies, including some of my own, have confirmed that this medication can be safely used at home following a consultation with a clinician,” she added.
The report said its analysis was based on 865,727 insurance claims corresponding to women who were prescribed abortion pills, but does not disclose which database it used, shirking a basic tenet of scientific research. Several outside researchers noted that the report’s definition of “serious adverse event” is broad enough to include minor side effects like routine bleeding. But the report’s authors said on the center’s website that they excluded mild or moderate events.
Abortion procedures after a medication abortion were nevertheless classified as “serious,” contrary to medical consensus. Mifepristone’s label already notes that the medication does not work in about 2.6% of cases, and doctors say the failure rate can be as high as 5%. The report also lists ectopic pregnancies, which do not result from taking mifepristone, as serious events.
Alina Salganicoff, director of the Women’s Health Policy Program at KFF, a health policy research and news organization, said the report “falls short of generally accepted research standards.” Analyzing insurance claims is not an effective way to look at abortion outcomes, she added, since “many abortions, and particularly earlier abortions, are not paid for with insurance.”
Rachel Jones, a principal research scientist at the Guttmacher Institute, a research organization that supports abortion access, said the report appears to be driven by ideology rather than science.
“The FDA typically relies on clinical studies and clinical research, and that’s not what this is. It shouldn’t have any influence over the current policies,” she said.
The report’s authors have pushed back on those criticisms, writing on the center’s website that the peer-review process is biased against groups that oppose abortion and leaves “no opportunities to publish peer-reviewed analysis that offer major substantive critiques of the abortion pill or abortion.”
“Now that the largest-ever study of the abortion pill has revealed the truth that it is neither safe nor effective, the abortion industry has chosen to lie about our findings to protect its profits at a tremendous cost to women’s health,” Hunter Estes, communications director at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, said in a statement.
Dr. Christina Francis, CEO of the American Association of Pro-Life OBGYNs, said the report is a signal that the FDA needs to look more closely at mifepristone’s safety.
“We have been asking the FDA now for years to do a more thorough review of what the actual complication rate is in the real world,” she said. “To me, this report couldn’t come soon enough.”
HHS, which is handling media inquiries on behalf of the FDA, did not respond to a request for comment.
Reproductive health researchers said releasing flawed studies is one of many tactics used by anti-abortion groups to limit mifepristone access, in addition to filing lawsuits and lobbying federal officials.
“People and organizations that want abortion to be outlawed are producing these types of papers more commonly,” Jones said.
The attorneys general of Idaho, Kansas and Missouri attempted to revive the lawsuit in October, filing a case in the same federal court in Texas. But the Trump administration earlier this month told the judge to dismiss it.
Julia Kaye, senior staff attorney for the ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project, said on a press call that pursuing the case might have undermined the administration’s legal defenses in other ongoing lawsuits. Other legal experts see it as an effort to avoid taking a firm stance on abortion, which Trump has said should be left up to individual states.
In his confirmation hearings, Kennedy promised to align himself with Trump on the issue. He also suggested on Wednesday that Trump would have the final say on how mifepristone is regulated in the U.S.
“I feel that the policy changes will ultimately go through the White House, through President Trump,” he said.
BERLIN — German police were searching for a man who attacked and injured at least five people in the western city of Bielefeld early Sunday.
Police said four of the victims suffered serious injuries and were being treated in different hospitals after the suspect attacked revelers in front of a bar in the city center with a sharp object and then fled the scene. They said the four severely injured were all men between the ages of 22 and 27 from Bielefeld or nearby towns.
They also said they could not rule out the possibility that more people were injured in the attack.
German news agency dpa reported that the revelers were soccer fans from a local team who defended themselves against the attacker before he fled. The city’s Arminia Bielefeld soccer club won its match on Saturday, and with it became 3rd division champions.
According to police, the attacker — whom they identified only as a 35-year-old Syrian living in Germany — was probably also injured in the face.
In a statement Sunday night, police said the suspect left a bag at the crime scene containing personal documents and a bottle with an unknown liquid smelling of petrol.
“The background to the crime and the suspect’s motive are currently unknown. According to the current state of knowledge, the suspect attacked people indiscriminately,” police said. “Investigations are currently being carried out at full speed in all directions.”
Bielefeld police said in a statement that they found several knives at the scene of the attack and that they have activated a witness hotline asking people to upload videos and photos of the attack. They warned anyone who sees the suspect to keep a distance and call emergency services as the man may be armed and dangerous.
FREMONT, Ohio — Two people were killed and at least one person is missing after multiple pedestrians were struck by a train Sunday evening in northern Ohio, authorities said.
The incident occurred around 7 p.m. in Fremont, near Lake Erie between Toledo and Cleveland, WTOL-TV reported.
Fremont Mayor Danny Sanchez confirmed two fatalities.
Emergency crews were searching the Sandusky River near the Miles Newton Bridge for at least one missing person, the TV station reported. Authorities closed the bridge.
Freemont police said on X that the bridge has been closed and urged people to stay away from the area. Multiple law enforcement agencies were on the scene.
Trump said the call would be taking place at 10 a.m. — although he did not specify whether this was on eastern daylight time or in another time zone. The American president said he would also be speaking with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as well as members of NATO.
Ahead of the much anticipated Trump-Putin call, leaders from Britain, France, Germany and Italy said they spoke Sunday with Trump. The British government said in a statement that it was urging “Putin to take peace talks seriously.”
Those leaders “also discussed the use of sanctions if Russia failed to engage seriously in a ceasefire and peace talks,” the statement said — something the American president has previously threatened.
“Tomorrow, President Putin must show he wants peace by accepting the 30-day unconditional ceasefire proposed by President Trump and backed by Ukraine and Europe,” French President Emanuel Macron said in a statement.
While the diplomatic activity carries on, the violence in Ukraine continues. Russia has continued its near nightly drone and missile attacks on Ukrainian civilians, more than three years after it launched a full-scale invasion and tried to seize Kyiv.
On Sunday, Russia shelled residential neighborhoods of the eastern Ukrainian city of Kherson, killing one 75-year-old woman and injuring two others, the city council posted on the Telegram messaging site.
Trump said in a Truth Social post Saturday that he would be speaking with Putin at 10 a.m. Monday with the purpose of “stopping the ‘bloodbath’ that is killing, on average, more than 5,000 Russian and Ukrainian soldiers a week.” NBC News has not independently verified the numbers that Trump cited.
Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed to Russian state media Saturday that the call would be taking place.
Apparently referring both to his planned call with Putin and his slated talks with Zelenskyy and other European leaders, Trump added that “hopefully it will be a productive day, a ceasefire will take place, and this very violent war, a war that should have never happened, will end.”
Despite promising on multiple occasions to end the war in 24 hours, Trump has since found the reality much different since beginning his second term in office.
However the demands of the two sides remain far apart: with Russia saying it will only sign a truce if Ukraine effectively surrenders. Ukraine says these demands are unacceptable.
The top Democratic candidates running for governor of New Jersey faced off in their final debate Sunday night before next month’s primary, vowing to take on President Donald Trump and laying out why they are best positioned to win in November.
Five of the six Democratic contenders — Reps. Mikie Sherrill and Josh Gottheimer, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop and former state Senate President Steve Sweeney — met Sunday night in a debate hosted by On New Jersey, the New Jersey Globe and Rider University. A sixth candidate, Montclair Mayor Sean Spiller, did not meet the fundraising threshold to take part.
The candidates sparred for over 2½ hours over a variety of state-specific issues, from transit and education funding to taxes and state budgets. But they were united in resolving to take on Trump.
New Jersey is one of two states, along with Virginia, with governor’s races this year, which could provide an early look at how voters are responding to Trump’s second term. While the Virginia matchup is set, the New Jersey candidates first have to compete in the June 10 primary.
There are contested primaries on both sides, but former Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli has led the GOP primary field, and he secured Trump’s endorsement last week. The Democratic race has been more unpredictable, with a crowded field dividing voters.
Asked how schools and universities should navigate threats to federal funding if they do not comply with Trump’s executive orders on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives or transgender issues, all five said institutions should resist the administration.
Fulop said, “We should absolutely be pushing back,” while Sweeney called Trump “a criminal.” Gottheimer, referring to Trump as “this guy,” said, “The job of the governor is to fight him.”
Baraka — who was arrested on trespassing charges at a federal immigration detention facility this month — also said, “We have to fight back.” He has denied any wrongdoing and argued that the charges were politically motivated. Former Trump lawyer Alina Habba, now the interim U.S. attorney for New Jersey, wrote on X after Baraka was arrested, “NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW.”
Sherrill, whom some consider the front-runner in the crowded race, called Trump “the most corrupt president this nation has ever had” and likened him to a playground bully.
“This is not a federal government you can work with,” she said.
Sherrill and Gottheimer faced some criticism, particularly from Sweeney, for not doing enough to combat Trump and Republicans in Washington.
“We need to start winning some fights in Washington,” Sweeney said a few times throughout the debate.
The candidates also laid out their paths to victory in November, with the race expected to be competitive. Trump lost New Jersey by 6 percentage points last year, a 10-point improvement on his performance in the 2020 election.
Both Sherrill and Gottheimer touted their victories in competitive House districts, and Gottheimer stressed his focus on reducing taxes and lowering costs.
Baraka pitched himself as the true progressive in the race, adding that progressive groups have endorsed him because “they know I’m going to fight Donald Trump, not just in words but in action.”
Sweeney, meanwhile, said that he would be best equipped to run state government and that other candidates pitching themselves as Trenton outsiders would face a steep learning curve.
Fulop said in his opening statement that Ciattarelli “will be tough to beat,” and he later said a candidate tied to the Democratic establishment, and particularly to Gov. Phil Murphy, would be “dead on arrival in November.” (Murphy cannot run for re-election because of term limits.)
“It is not going to be only a referendum on Donald Trump because independent voters in the state of New Jersey, a lot of them voted for Donald Trump,” Fulop said, later adding, “You need to move independent voters, you need to move Republican voters, with a clear vision of what New Jersey looks like.”
