United States in May 2026: the most important developments in politics
In May 2026 US politics was dominated by President Donald Trump's visit to Beijing for a summit with Xi Jinping from 13 to 15 May, joined by business leaders including Elon Musk and Tim Cook. The two leaders discussed trade, Taiwan, Iran and US farm exports. Xi warned of conflict if the Taiwan issue is mishandled, and Trump said he was undecided on new arms sales to the island. Trump invited Xi to the United States for 24 September. China called for a lasting ceasefire in Iran, and Trump returned without a breakthrough on Iran.
The war with Iran ran through the whole month. On 1 May Trump declared it 'terminated' as the 60-day War Powers deadline approached. Iran sent a response to a US proposal through Pakistan on 10 May, and Trump rejected it. On 19 May he said he had called off a planned strike at the last minute, and on 20 May the Senate voted 50-47 to advance a measure limiting his authority to wage war on Iran. From 23 May Trump said a framework agreement was 'largely negotiated' and that the Strait of Hormuz would reopen, putting the chances of a deal at 50-50. US strikes continued on 26 May, and by 31 May Trump had sent the draft back with requested changes on Hormuz and Iran's uranium stockpile.
On Cuba, Trump said on 2 May the US would take control of the country 'almost immediately'. Cuba's president called new US sanctions a 'genocidal blockade'. On 20 May the Justice Department filed murder charges against former Cuban President Raul Castro, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US is focused on ending Cuba's communist system.
At home, Trump-endorsed candidates won key Republican primaries: Senator Bill Cassidy and Representative Thomas Massie lost, and Ken Paxton defeated Senator John Cornyn in the Texas runoff. Kevin Warsh was sworn in as Federal Reserve chair on 22 May. A federal judge ordered Trump's name removed from the Kennedy Center, and another temporarily blocked his proposed $1.8 billion fund against the alleged 'weaponization' of government agencies.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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