Donald Trump has sweeping plans for a second administration. Here’s what he’s proposed

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🇷🇺 Trump envoy plans Putin meeting

White House Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff is planning to travel to Moscow later this week for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Axios' Barak Ravid reports.

• Why it matters: The meeting with Putin is planned to take place several days after a key meeting between U.S. and Ukrainian officials in Saudi Arabia today on a possible ceasefire in the war with Russia.

Between the lines: This'll be Witkoff's second meeting with Putin.

• He traveled to Moscow in mid-February as part of a deal to release U.S. citizen Marc Fogel, who was then detained in a Russian prison.

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Trump warns that arrest of Palestinian activist at Columbia will be ‘first of many’ President Donald Trump warned Monday that the arrest and possible deportation of a Palestinian activist who helped lead protests at Columbia University will be the first “of many to come” as his administration cracks down on campus demonstrations against Israel and the war in Gaza. Read more.

Why this matters: Mahmoud Khalil, a lawful U.S. resident who was a graduate student at Columbia until December, was detained Saturday by federal immigration agents in New York and flown to an immigration jail in Louisiana. Khalil, 30, had not been charged with any crime related to his activism, but Trump has argued that protesters forfeited their rights to remain in the country by protests he claimed support Hamas, the Palestinian group that attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. The U.S. has designated Hamas as a terrorist organization.    A federal judge in New York City ordered Monday that Khalil not be deported while the court considered a legal challenge brought by his lawyers. A hearing is scheduled for Wednesday.   Khalil’s detention drew outrage from civil rights groups and free speech advocates, who accused the administration of using its immigration enforcement powers to squelch criticism of Israel. He is the first person known to be detained for deportation under Trump’s promised crackdown on student protests.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Arrest of Palestinian activist stirs questions about protections for students and green card holders   Homeland Security overhauls its asylum phone app. Now it’s for ‘self-deportation’   WATCH: AP Explains: Columbia activist Mahmoud Khalil arrested by ICE, faces deportation

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Musk eyes Social Security and benefit programs for cuts while claiming widespread fraud Elon Musk pushed debunked theories about Social Security on Monday while describing federal benefit programs as rife with fraud, suggesting they will be a primary target in his crusade to reduce government spending. Read more.

Why this matters: The billionaire entrepreneur suggested that $500 billion to $700 billion in waste needed to be cut. Musk’s estimate for the level of fraud in entitlements far outpaces figures from watchdogs like Social Security’s inspector general, who previously said there was $71.8 billion in improper payments from fiscal years 2015 through 2022. That’s less than 1% of benefits paid out during that time period. Musk also said there were “20 million people who are definitely dead marked as alive in the Social Security database.” However, the leader of the agency has rejected claims about widespread payments to dead people.   Trump has promised to defend Social Security from cuts, but Musk has described it as “the biggest Ponzi scheme of all time,” and the administration is shutting down some of the agency’s offices.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤   Stocks’ sell-off worsens as Wall Street wonders how much pain Trump will accept for the economy   Kentucky bourbon makers fear becoming ‘collateral damage’ in Trump’s trade war   How one small business is navigating the on-again, off-again tariffs on Canadian goods   Trump administration halts funding for two cybersecurity efforts, including one for elections   An office known for enforcing special education is now focused on Trump’s political priorities   Federal official recounts chaos inside consumer agency after Trump fired its director   Trump DOT chief rejects inclusion of environmental justice factors in infrastructure decisions   Supreme Court rejects GOP-led effort to halt climate change lawsuits in Democratic-led states

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Poll finds support for stable or increased Medicaid funding, including among Trump voters

WASHINGTON — A majority of Americans don’t want to see Congress reduce spending on Medicaid and believe the health care program for lower income individuals and families is important to their community, according to polling released Friday.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2025/03/10/repub/poll-finds-support-for-stable-or-increased-medicaid-funding-including-among-trump-voters/?

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Trump reverses new tariffs threat on Canada after Ontario rescinds electricity charges

President Donald Trump backed down from an extraordinary trade war escalation Tuesday that had threatened a massive surge in tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum and new tariffs on Canadian electricity. In turn, Ontario paused surcharges on electricity to US customers.

https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/11/business/tariffs-canada-trump/index.html?

Why is President Trump attacking the Postal Service?

The Washington Post reported recently that President Trump planned to fire the governing board of the U.S. Postal Service and merge the agency with the Commerce Department, prompting the board to seek legal counsel. A White House spokesperson later denied that an executive order was in the works (though it would take an act of Congress to strip away the independence of the Postal Service and make these types of drastic changes).

https://www.epi.org/publication/president-trump-attacks-the-postal-service-your-questions-answered/

Trump’s federal workforce cuts jeopardize the careers of nearly 900,000 veterans and veteran or military spouses

Cuts to federal employment will affect veterans in every state

https://www.epi.org/blog/trumps-federal-workforce-cuts-jeopardize-the-careers-of-nearly-900000-veterans-and-veteran-or-military-spouses/

Cutting Medicaid to pay for low taxes on the rich is a terrible trade for American families

Keeping taxes low for the richest households and corporations is the clearest legislative priority of the Trump administration and the Republican congressional majority. Many provisions of the 2017 tax law (often called the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act or the TCJA) are expiring this year. Extending these provisions would provide hugely disproportionate benefits to the richest households.

https://www.epi.org/publication/cutting-medicaid-for-low-taxes-on-the-rich-is-terrible-for-american-families/

The macroeconomics of the Trump administration

The Trump administration inherited the strongest economy of any president since George W. Bush—and unlike that economy, there was no obvious macroeconomic imbalance set to pull down growth. In short, the stage was set for the incoming administration to ride the desirable trends of rapid growth in jobs and real wages—as well as declining inflation—for an entire term of economic strength.

https://www.epi.org/blog/the-macroeconomics-of-the-trump-administration-chaotic-and-harmful-policies-will-make-the-united-states-poorer-either-rapidly-or-gradually/

A strong Department of Education is critical to public schools

The Trump administration is reportedly preparing an executive order aiming to “abolish” the Department of Education—a prominent demand of far-right activists in recent years. His pick for Secretary of Education—Linda McMahon—is hostile to public schools and supports the privatization of public education.

https://www.epi.org/blog/a-strong-department-of-education-is-critical-to-public-schools/

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👀 All eyes on The Big Island. Greenland will hold elections today as Donald Trump doubles down on his quest to take over the island — even though Denmark has been adamant that Greenland is not for sale. A Lever investigation earlier this year revealed that Trump’s powerful corporate donors have lucrative investments in Greenland’s resources — and could benefit financially from a U.S. takeover.

📉 Wall Street is souring on MAGA. Trump previously promised an “economic boom like no other” — but yesterday, the Dow fell by almost 900 points after Trump refused to rule out a recession. Eight tech companies — led by some of Trump’s allies — have collectively lost $266 billion in stock valuation since the beginning of the year. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox News last week that the economy is undergoing a “detox” and “period of transition” as Trump’s tariffs take effect. 

🎁 Bezos’s latest gift to Trump. Less than two months after the Amazon founder sat front row at Trump’s inauguration, Amazon announced that it will distribute Trump’s reality TV show The Apprentice on its streaming platform. Though terms of the new deal aren’t clear, Trump’s spokesperson said in 2016 that “Trump has a big stake in the show” and Variety reported that he remained “a profit participant on The Apprentice franchise.” 

• How oligarchs bend the knee. During Trump’s first term, Amazon lawyers accused Trump of denying the company government largesse because of the president’s “personal vendetta against Mr. Bezos, Amazon, and the Washington Post.” But today, as Amazon looks to preserve its government contracts, Bezos has greenlit a $40 million Melania Trump vanity documentary, Amazon donated $1 million to Trump’s inaugural fund, and the Washington Post’s editorial page has been rebranded as a MAGA megaphone.

🏠 Homebuying just got so much worse. Mortgage behemoth Rocket (formerly Quicken Loans) will purchase digital real estate broker Redfin in a $1.75 billion deal that the company said “aims to lean on technology and AI” to funnel potential homebuyers to Rocket’s lending services. Rocket was just sued by federal regulators for allegedly bribing real estate brokers and agents to steer clients toward the company’s mortgages. The lawsuit has since been dropped by the Trump administration.

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US resumes military aid and intelligence sharing as Ukraine says it is open to a 30-day ceasefire

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — The Trump administration lifted its suspension of military aid and intelligence sharing for Ukraine, and Kyiv signaled that it was open to a 30-day ceasefire in the war with Russia, pending Moscow’s agreement, American and Ukrainian officials said Tuesday following talks in Saudi Arabia.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/03/11/ukraine-us-talks-russia-war/?

Trump's speech was all about dodging responsibility for the economy he's crashing | Opinion

President Donald Trump’s first address to Congress of his second term was full of the same. Just more of him blaming former President Joe Biden for everything bad and making fairytale promises about how we can tariff our way out of this mess. 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2025/03/05/trump-speech-lies-tariffs-economy-inflation/81499602007/

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Trump doubles tariffs on Canadian metals, causing Ontario to back down on electricity price hikes

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he would double his planned tariffs on steel and aluminum from 25% to 50% for Canada, a retaliation that prompted the provincial government of Ontario to back down on its planned surcharges on electricity sold to the United States. Read More.

Live updates: Trump administration resumes aid to Ukraine as Kyiv shows openness to 30-day ceasefire

The Trump administration said Tuesday that it would immediately lift its suspension of military aid to Ukraine and its intelligence sharing with Kyiv. Ukraine also said it was open to a 30-day ceasefire in the war with Russia, subject to Kremlin agreement. Read More.   Trump overstepped his constitutional authority in freezing Congress’ funding for USAID, judge says President Donald Trump overstepped his constitutional authority in freezing almost all spending on U.S. humanitarian and development work abroad, a federal judge ruled, saying the administration could no longer simply sit on the tens of billions of dollars that Congress has appropriated for foreign aid. Read More.

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U.S. resumes Ukraine aid

Ukraine "expressed readiness to accept" a U.S. proposal for an immediate 30-day ceasefire with Russia, the U.S. and Ukraine said in a joint statement after a key meeting in Saudi Arabia, Axios' Barak Ravid reports.

• During the meeting — which lasted more than five hours — the U.S. agreed to lift its suspension on intelligence sharing with Ukraine and resume weapons shipments to the country, which were paused earlier this month.

💎 The U.S. and Ukraine also agreed to conclude as soon as possible "a comprehensive agreement for developing Ukraine's critical mineral resources."

• It wasn't clear if the countries will sign the agreement that's already been negotiated or whether there'll be new talks.

🇷🇺 What's next: The State Department said both delegations agreed to name their negotiating teams and start talks immediately on a peace agreement with Russia.

• Get the latest.

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🔋 Trump boosts Tesla

Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images President Trump committed to buying a bright red Tesla Model S (pictured above) that he picked out after reviewing the automaker's lineup with Elon Musk on the South Lawn yesterday. Trump, who briefly got into the front seat of a red sedan with Musk, told reporters he would write a check for the vehicle. "It's a great product," he said. "We have to celebrate [Musk]." Trump holds notes on the pricing of different Tesla models that were on display at the White House. Photo: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images ⚡ Musk told the White House he plans to give $100 million to Trump's political operation, Axios' Alex Isenstadt reports. Why it matters: Musk "is now showing a willingness to also fund some groups he doesn't directly control," write the N.Y. Times' Teddy Schleifer and Maggie Haberman, who first reported the plan (gift link). The contribution is unheard of in both amount and type: Musk, technically a special government employee, is the world's richest person. Musk donated more than $250 million to a pro-Trump super PAC during the 2024 election campaign. Keep reading.

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Trump imposes sweeping 25% steel and aluminum tariffs. Canada and Europe swiftly retaliate

President Donald Trump imposed sweeping 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imported into the United States Wednesday, a policy aimed at leveling the playing field for US manufacturing but a move that threatens to drive up prices on a broad range of consumer and industrial goods for Americans.

https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/12/economy/trump-steel-aluminum-tariffs-hnk-intl/index.html?

 

Tariffs

President Donald Trump imposed a sweeping 25% tariff on all steel and aluminum imported into the United States today, a move that threatens to drive up prices on a broad range of consumer and industrial goods for Americans. It’s the latest salvo in Trump’s multifaceted tariff war aimed at correcting perceived trade imbalances and reigniting domestic manufacturing. The European Union swiftly retaliated by announcing that it would impose duties on 26 billion euros ($28 billion) worth of American goods in response to the “unjustified” tariffs. Canada was the top source of iron, steel and aluminum sent to the US last year, with the US importing $11.4 billion worth of aluminum and $7.6 billion worth of iron and steel from there. Aluminum and steel are used heavily in an extensive list of goods, and tariffs on both metals could significantly raise prices for Americans. Meanwhile, a CNN poll released this morning shows a majority of Americans are not impressed with Trump’s stewardship of the economy. 

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Education Department cuts half its staff as Trump vows to wind the agency down The Education Department plans to lay off more than 1,300 of its employees as part of an effort to halve the organization’s staff – a prelude to President Donald Trump’s plan to dismantle the agency. Department officials announced the cuts Tuesday. Read more.

Why this matters: The Trump administration had already been whittling the agency’s staff, though buyout offers and the termination of probationary employees. After Tuesday’s layoffs, the Education Department’s staff will sit at roughly half of its previous 4,100, the agency said. The department is also terminating leases on buildings in cities including New York, Boston, Chicago, and Cleveland, officials said.   Already there are concerns the administration’s agenda has pushed aside some of the agency’s most fundamental work, including enforcement of civil rights for students with disabilities and the management of $1.6 trillion in federal student loans. Department officials said it would continue to deliver on its key functions such as the distribution of federal aid to schools and student loan management.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ House passes bill to fund federal agencies through September, though prospects unclear in Senate   Court asked to intervene after email tells USAID workers to destroy classified documents   Justice Department is expected to slash public corruption unit, AP sources say   The US agency that monitors weather will cut another 1,000 jobs, AP sources say   Trump administration halts $1 billion program that keeps aging affordable housing livable   Cybersecurity executive tapped to lead agency that protects voting systems   Appeals court won’t lift block on Trump’s executive order attempting to end birthright citizenship   US judge temporarily halts Trump plan to cut hundreds of millions of dollars for teacher training   Law firm sues over Trump executive order that seeks to suspend security clearances   Supreme Court seems intent on taking small steps in dealing with challenges to Trump’s agenda   2 senior judges, appointed by Republicans, speak out about threats against federal judiciary   Some GOP lawmakers have concerns about Elon Musk and DOGE. Here’s what they’ve said   Trump selects a new Tesla on White House driveway to show support for Elon Musk   Wisconsin’s DOGE-inspired effort gets off to more collegial start   Democrat David Gottfried easily wins Minnesota House special election, restoring a 67-67 power split   Former US Rep. Katie Porter steps into crowded California governor’s race

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Trump’s 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports go into effect President Donald Trump officially increased tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports to 25% on Wednesday, promising that the taxes would help create U.S. factory jobs at a time when his seesawing tariff threats are jolting the stock market and raising fears of an economic slowdown. Read more.

Why this matters: Trump removed all exemptions from his 2018 tariffs on the metals, in addition to increasing the tariffs on aluminum from 10%. His moves are part of a broader effort to disrupt and transform global commerce.   The U.S. president has separate tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China, with plans to also tax imports from the European Union, Brazil and South Korea by charging “reciprocal” rates starting on April 2.   Trump told CEOs in the Business Roundtable on Tuesday that the tariffs were causing companies to invest in U.S. factories. The 8% drop in the S&P 500 stock index over the past month on fears of deteriorating growth appears unlikely to dissuade him, as Trump argued that higher tariff rates would be more effective at bringing back factories. While Trump’s tariffs could help steel and aluminum plants in the United States, they could also raise prices for the manufacturers that use the metals as raw materials.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ BREAKING: The EU retaliates against Trump's trade moves and slaps tariffs on produce from Republican states   In his own words: Trump takes credit for stock market rises but casts aside blame for sell-off   US job openings rose to 7.7 million in January, a sign Trump inherited a strong labor market

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Center-right party wins most votes in Greenland’s parliamentary election as Trump seeks control The center-right Demokraatit Party won the most votes in Greenland’s parliamentary elections, a surprise result as the territory went to the polls in the shadow of President Donald Trump’s stated goal of taking control of the island one way or another. Read more.

Why this matters: Both Demokraatit — the Democrats — and the second place party, Naleraq — “Point of Orientation” — favor independence from Denmark, but Naleraq is the most aggressively pro-independence, while Demokraatit favors a more moderate pace of change. Demokraatit’s win was an upset victory over parties that have governed the territory for years.   Greenland, a self-governing region of Denmark, straddles strategic air and sea routes in the North Atlantic and has rich deposits of the rare earth minerals needed to make everything from mobile phones to renewable energy technology.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Donald Trump is reviving the fortunes of governments and leaders that talk tough against him   EU chief says member countries must use a new defense loan to buy European, not American   EU’s top diplomat pledges unified support for Ukraine and global humanitarian aid in dig at US

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Vets worry Trump cuts to VA workforce will interrupt benefits

WASHINGTON — A group of veterans sounded the alarm Tuesday over the Trump administration’s job cuts and canceled contracts at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, saying the massive agency that administers benefits and health care programs to millions of vets and their families would see disruptions from the proposed downsizing.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2025/03/11/repub/vets-worry-trump-cuts-to-va-workforce-will-interrupt-benefits/?

ps:He doesn't give "manure" about Veterans!!

Biden expanded access to health care for uninsured DACA recipients. Trump is ending it.

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has announced plans to roll back a Biden-era rule that expanded health care access under the Affordable Care Act to an estimated 100,000 uninsured people in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2025/03/11/repub/biden-expanded-access-to-health-care-for-uninsured-daca-recipients-trump-is-ending-it/?

“The President Wanted It and I Did It”: Recording Reveals Head of Social Security’s Thoughts on DOGE and Trump

Since the arrival of a team from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, Social Security is in a far more precarious place than has been widely understood, according to Leland Dudek, the acting commissioner of the Social Security Administration. “I don’t want the system to collapse,” Dudek said in a closed-door meeting last week, according to a recording obtained by ProPublica. He also said that it “would be catastrophic for the people in our country” if DOGE were to make changes at his agency that were as sweeping as those at USAID, the Treasury Department and elsewhere.

https://www.propublica.org/article/recording-reveals-leland-dudek-thoughts-trump-doge-social-security?

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The Office That Investigates Disparities in Veterans’ Care Is Being “Liquidated”

The Trump administration has shut down a unit of the Department of Veterans Affairs created under President Joe Biden to address disparities in how the federal government provides disability compensation to military service members.

https://www.propublica.org/article/veterans-affairs-trump-disparities-benefits-office-equity-assurance?

 

👍 Free tax filing for all? The Trump administration is now championing the Biden-created free tax filing system that congressional Republicans have been trying to kill. Trump’s Internal Revenue Service this week touted the Direct File system as “a free, fast and easy way to file” your taxes. Tax prep companies hate the wildly popular program because it threatens their profits — so GOP lawmakers raking in industry campaign cash have been trying to kill it. 

But they’re at odds with Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency. Tearing a recommendation out of Sirota’s recent job application for the agency, DOGE officials are pressing to “significantly increase the number of Americans who file their taxes free on a government website” and they’ve “expressed interest in dramatically expanding” Direct File, according to the Washington Post.

How Mahmoud Khalil became the face of Trump’s crackdown on campus protests

To the Trump administration, Mahmoud Khalil’s arrest is an opening move in a campaign to rid the country of foreign students accused of helping to make American campuses intimidating territory for Jewish students. To civil rights advocates and Khalil’s lawyers, his detention is an assault on free speech and an attempt to suppress pro-Palestinian views. Read More.   Canada's incoming prime minister says he'll meet Trump if Canadian sovereignty is respected Canada’s incoming Prime Minister Mark Carney said Wednesday he’s ready to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump if he respects Canadian sovereignty and is open to talk about a common approach to trade. Trump has declared a trade war on his northern neighbor and continues to call for Canada to become the 51st state. Read More. ps:Good for him!!!   From soup cans to airplanes, steel and aluminum are a fundamental part of American life Steel and aluminum are ubiquitous in Americans’ lives. That’s why President Donald Trump’s 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports could have widespread impact on manufacturers and consumers. Read More.

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A Presidential Endorsement

In 2023, Donald Trump posted that electric-car supporters should “ROT IN HELL.” Now he is showcasing Teslas on the White House lawn. Yesterday, the president stood with Elon Musk and oohed and ahhed at a lineup of the electric vehicles, saying that he hoped his purchase of one would help the carmaker’s stock, which had halved in value since mid-December thanks to a combination of customer backlash and general economic uncertainty. (The stock has rebounded by 7.6 percent since yesterday.)

Trump does not own shares in Tesla, as far as we know. He has said that he is supporting the carmaker because protesters are “harming a great American company,” and has suggested that people who vandalize Tesla cars or protest the company should be labeled domestic terrorists. But he also seems interested in helping his friend, the special government employee Elon Musk, maintain his status as the wealthiest man in the world. Yesterday’s White House spectacle was, my colleague Charlie Warzel wrote, “a stilted, corrupt attempt to juice a friend’s stock, and certainly beneath the office of the presidency.”

If any other government official had similarly promoted a friend’s product (especially on hallowed White House grounds), they would have been in clear violation of the specific regulation restricting executive-branch employees from using their role to endorse commercial products or services, Kathleen Clark, a law professor at Washington University in St. Louis, told me. But the president and the vice president are exempt from that regulation, as well as from some of the other ethics rules that govern federal officials. Norms, in this case, are the primary lever for holding the commander in chief accountable.

Trump has repeatedly demonstrated his appetite for overturning norms and pushing ethical bounds, so his latest stunt as a Tesla salesman is not altogether shocking. When Trump learned in 2016 that U.S. presidents are exempt from the conflict-of-interest rules that restrict other government officials, he seemed delighted. “The president can’t have a conflict of interest,” he told The New York Times then. “I’d assumed that you’d have to set up some type of trust or whatever.”

Despite the lack of legal restriction, modern presidents have generally moved assets into blind trusts, which are controlled by independent managers, in order to diminish any perception that they are profiting from the office (or that they are making policy decisions to boost their own investment portfolios). Trump has shuffled around his assets since taking office but in general has chosen to put his family in charge of managing them. Trump recently said that he’d transferred his shares of Truth Social into a trust controlled by his son Donald Trump Jr., a move that is “irrelevant from an ethics point of view” because the money could still flow to him, Clark told me. And with his own family controlling the trust, Trump likely knows exactly where his money is and can make decisions that would increase the value of his holdings.

Presidential conflicts of interest, or even the appearance of them, can undermine public confidence (nearly two-thirds of Americans said they believe that all or most elected officials ran for office to make money, a 2023 Pew Research Center survey found). Trump may not be directly profiting off Tesla, but the problem with him hawking cars poses the same issue as other potential conflicts of interest: What’s good for Truth Social or Trump’s meme coin or Tesla is not necessarily what’s good for the country, and Trump has so far not inspired confidence that he will prioritize the latter.

Musk, too, hasn’t assuaged concerns that he will separate his business interests from his role in the Trump administration: Musk’s corporate empire relies on government contracts. And the federal firings he is overseeing through his DOGE initiative are already reshaping agencies that regulate his companies.

After he sat in the Teslas and complimented them in front of cameras yesterday, Trump told the press that he would buy one of the vehicles and pay with a personal check. That relatively small financial commitment makes a big statement about the president and where his priorities lie: with the interests of his friend, the billionaire.

Related:

• The Tesla revolt
• The crypto world is already mad at Trump. (From January)

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📜 MAGA's "100-year plan"

Illustration: Maura Losch/Axios

Well-funded MAGA forces close to the White House are preparing a "100-year plan" to try to sustain Trumpism long after President Trump leaves office. Why it matters: Top executives at the America First Policy Institute tell Mike and Axios' Tal Axelrod that the group is scaling up as an incubator for the America First movement beyond Jan. 20, 2029 — promising to proselytize its policies for the next century. The institute was launched in 2021 — by now-Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, now-Education Secretary Linda McMahon and Larry Kudlow, a Fox Business host who was a first-term Trump official — to help keep Trump's ideas in the political ether after he left office. During the president's Mar-a-Lago exile and through his 2024 comeback bid, the institute became something of an administration in waiting, pumping out policy papers and staffing up with Trump 1.0 alums. 🏛️ Now AFPI is retooling as a shadow White House policy shop — and training ground for future administration talent. The group — along with America First Works, a sister organization focused on political work and policy advocacy — just moved into a posh new office on Pennsylvania Avenue next to the Willard InterContinental, wedged between the White House and Capitol. Credit: Axios Visuals The group is naming an expanded leadership team "to further advance the America First movement and policies that put the American people first." Greg Sindelar, CEO of the Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF), is interim president and CEO, replacing Rollins. "This is about thinking not even five years down the road," Sindelar told us. "This is about thinking 100 years down the road, and how do we make AFPI a permanent institution in the public square." Chad Wolf, Trump's former acting Homeland Security secretary, will be AFPI's executive vice president and chief strategy officer. David Bernhardt, Interior Secretary in Trump I, is an EVP focusing on litigation and research. Go deeper: See the leadership team. ps:This just gets better and better every single day!!!!!

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Climate rollbacks

The Trump administration plans to roll back major climate policies in a blow to America’s progress on clean air, clean water and climate action. The changes are expected to inject even more uncertainty into key industries, including manufacturing, which President Donald Trump has pledged to support. In addition, the Environmental Protection Agency is dismantling a vehicle pollution rule the Biden administration finalized in March 2024, which — by mandating less pollution from cars — would have pushed US automakers to produce more EVs and fuel-efficient hybrid models that run on a mixture of gas and small batteries. The fresh pendulum swing for regulations could prove difficult for the auto and electricity utility industries, which plan years in advance and typically like stability.

 

Trump administration resumes detention of immigrant families after Biden-era pause The Trump administration resumed the detention of immigrant families last week in a South Texas facility after a Biden-era pause, a legal nonprofit group providing services to migrant families said Wednesday. Read more.

Why this matters: Fourteen immigrant families with children as young as one year old were in the detention facility in Karnes County, Texas, according to RAICES, which provides services to families at the center. The families are originally from Colombia, Romania, Iran, Angola, Russia, Armenia, Turkey and Brazil.   Both the Obama administration and Trump’s first administration detained families until their immigration cases played out. Trump severely curbed asylum and forcibly separated children from their parents at the border in a policy widely denounced as inhumane. The practice of family detention was largely halted, but not abolished, during the Biden administration.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Trump administration drops lawsuit against company accused of abusing children at migrant shelters   FEMA launches review of migrant shelter aid, suggesting smuggling laws were violated   What is the Immigration Act of 1952 and why do Trump officials keep talking about it?

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If Trump Can Deport Mahmoud Khalil, Freedom of Speech Is Dead

It’s illegal to deport people for political speech, but that’s exactly what ICE is trying to do to this Palestinian Columbia student.

https://theintercept.com/2025/03/10/mahmoud-khalil-palestine-columbia-immigration-deport/?

Pentagon Keeps Pouring Cash Into Golf Courses — Even As Trump Slashes Government Spending

The Pentagon owns 145 golf courses. As Trump cuts key government services, we found it aims to spend on sand traps and clubhouses.

https://theintercept.com/2025/03/10/pentagon-spending-golf-courses-trump-budget-cuts-elon-musk-doge/?

Trump’s New Muslim Ban Poised to Sweep Up Immigrants Already in the U.S.

A revived and expanded Muslim ban is stoking fears that U.S. residents with “hostile attitudes” toward the country will be targeted.

https://theintercept.com/2025/03/12/trump-new-muslim-ban/?

Dems for Some Reason Expect Trump to Follow the Law on Detention of Mahmoud Khalil

“I expect the Department of Justice to work within the confines of the law,” one House Democrat said.

https://theintercept.com/2025/03/11/mahmoud-khalil-democrat-letter-ice-detention-deport-trump/?

ps:So how ignorant is that?? To actually believe that!!!!!

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Trump threatens 200% tariff on European alcohol as trade war escalates

President Donald Trump on Thursday threatened to impose a massive tariff on European alcohol in response to the European Union’s retaliation against his steel and aluminum tariffs – a tit-for-tat escalation of a trade war that could easily get out of hand.

https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/13/business/alcohol-tariffs-eu-trump-trade-war?

ps:Oy Vey!!!!!

Florida vaccine skeptic out as proposed CDC director amid measles outbreak

Just hours before a planned confirmation hearing on Thursday, the White House scrapped the nomination of Dave Weldon, a former Florida congressman with a history of anti-vaccine rhetoric, to lead the nation’s leading public health agency.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/03/13/florida-vaccine-skeptic-out-as-proposed-cdc-director-amid-measles-outbreak/?

ps:Seriously? How about the rest of the skeptics working in this administration??

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🚔 Defund the (anticorruption) police. The Trump administration is planning to gut the Justice Department office responsible for prosecuting public officials on corruption charges, leaving as few as five lawyers responsible for running the federal anticorruption force. The DOJ’s Public Integrity Section — established in 1976 following Watergate — recently lost several of its top prosecutors after they resigned in protest of the department dropping corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams.

😵‍💫 Quid pro whoa. Just days ago, this newsletter reported that since the election, Amazon donated $1 million to Trump’s inaugural fund, Jeff Bezos personally ordered a $40 million Melania Trump vanity documentary, and the Washington Post has editorially rebranded to become a MAGA propaganda arm. Today, government regulators are asking a judge to delay their prosecution of Amazon Prime, citing staff and budget cuts. Funny how that works.

📢 The commercials are too damn loud. Now’s your chance to let regulators know how you really feel about those blaring advertisements. The Federal Communications Commission is seeking public comment on enforcement of the Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation (CALM) Act, which requires television commercials to play at the same volume as the actual shows. The law took effect in 2012, but since then, Americans have submitted thousands of complaints about commercials’ volume. Lawmakers’ 2023 push to expand the CALM Act to streaming platforms failed after industry giants spent millions lobbying on the legislation and others.

🚢 All aboard the prison yacht. A wild new Lever investigation reveals one family’s bitter Succession-like battle over the future of their multimillion-dollar, for-profit prison communications company. After amassing a fortune charging inmates every time they call or email, Smart Communications CEO Jon Logan bought a $10 million yacht named Convict and a Lamborghini with the license plate “INMATE.” He used his luxury lifestyle to court correctional staff, offering booze cruises, resort stays, and strip bar visits to cash in on the ongoing privatization of the U.S. carceral system. Now, Logan is in the throes of a legal death match with his mother over control of the company.

💧 Elon is wiping his tears with money. Elon Musk is complaining “tax regulations need a massive reset” because there are “too many loopholes” that “are torturing the American people.” His Zombieland-esque tweets came as Tesla released data showing the company paid zero federal income taxes on $2.3 billion of U.S. income in 2024 and avoided almost all taxes on $11 billion of U.S. income since 2022. As recently as 2018, Musk “paid no federal income taxes.”

Trump moves forward with Microsoft antitrust probe. Regulators at the Federal Trade Commission have decided to continue a Biden-era investigation of computing giant Microsoft, sources tell Bloomberg. Microsoft slashed funding for its own artificial intelligence program after striking a now-fractured deal with Sam Altman’s OpenAI — a move investigators allege may have violated antitrust law.

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Judge orders Trump administration to reinstate thousands of fired employees at VA, Defense Department and other agencies

A federal judge has ordered half a dozen federal agencies to “immediately” reinstate probationary employees fired last month as part of the Trump administration’s effort to rapidly shrink the federal workforce, calling the effort a “sham.”

https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/13/politics/judge-opm-probationary-employees-fired-hearing/index.html?

ps:Good for the Judge!!!!!!!!!!

Protesters arrested after storming Trump Tower to demand release of Mahmoud Khalil

Nearly 100 people were arrested after protesters gathered at Trump Tower in Manhattan Thursday to denounce the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian activist detained by ICE over his involvement with pro-Palestinian demonstrations at Columbia University.

https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/13/us/mahmoud-khalil-protesters-arrested-trump-tower/index.html?

Trump asks Supreme Court to allow him to end birthright citizenship

President Donald Trump’s administration asked the Supreme Court in a series of emergency appeals Thursday to allow him to move forward with plans to end birthright citizenship, elevating a fringe legal theory that several lower courts have resoundingly rejected.

https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/13/politics/birthright-citizenship-trump-supreme-court?

Trump threatens retaliatory 200% tariff on European wine after EU proposes American whiskey tariff

President Donald Trump on Thursday threatened a 200% tariff on European wine, Champagne and spirits if the European Union goes forward with a planned tariff on American whiskey. Read More.

Trump administration asks Supreme Court to partly allow birthright citizenship restrictions

The order would deny citizenship to those born after Feb. 19 whose parents are in the country illegally. It also forbids U.S. agencies from issuing any document or accepting any state document recognizing citizenship for such children. Read More.

Judge orders Trump to reinstate probationary workers let go in mass firings across multiple agencies

A federal judge on Thursday ordered President Donald Trump’s administration to reinstate thousands — if not tens of thousands — of probationary workers let go in mass firings across multiple agencies last month, saying that the terminations were directed by a personnel office that had no authority to do so. Read More.

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✂️ FEMA cuts could hit red states hardest

Data: Carnegie Disaster Dollar Database. Map: Kavya Beheraj/Axios Cutting FEMA aid — a move President Trump has signaled he might entertain — would hit red states the hardest, Axios' Alex Fitzpatrick reports. Trump has floated "fundamentally overhauling or reforming" FEMA, or "maybe getting rid" of it entirely. And he's reportedly mulling an executive order to shift more disaster relief efforts to state and local governments. 🌀 By the numbers: Since 2015, Florida has received an average of $2.1 billion per year in relief funding from FEMA and HUD. Louisiana received an average of about $1.4 billion annually — equal to more than 6% of the state's total spending. Texas also got about $1.4 billion per year. 🛟 What they're saying: "I think we're all in agreement about [FEMA] reform, but let's do it smartly and be able at the same time to complete the mission," Pete Gaynor, who ran FEMA for about two years during Trump's first term, tells Axios. He's concerned about an exodus of talented FEMA employees, either through firings or depressed morale. "And you know who it's going to hurt first? It's going to hurt the disaster survivor — that's where it hurts," he said. Go deeper.

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Constitutional concerns

President Donald Trump’s vague warning about cracking down on “illegal protests” raises questions about trampling on fundamental rights. Critics say his words could have a chilling effect on freedom of speech and pave the way for lawsuits.   Gas prices They’re coming down, and Trump is happy to take credit for that. But experts say he has little to do with it, and his policies could make it more expensive to increase domestic oil production — which is already at record levels. ps:As per many fact checks the presidents have nothing to do with gas prices going up or down!!   💉 Vaccines tank Trump nominee GOP senators showed today they're less willing to bend for RFK Jr.'s lieutenants than RFK Jr. himself. Axios Pro's Caitlin Owens scooped this morning that the White House was withdrawing its nomination for former Rep. Dave Weldon to run the CDC. His confirmation hearing was scheduled for today. Why it matters: The fight over vaccines is still a big point of contention in the GOP. Weldon is an internal medicine doctor who sponsored a bill that would have banned mercury from vaccines. "Some of us who had some concerns with [Kennedy's] previous statements got past that because we believe that scientists running some of these three-letter health agencies are going to be driven by data," said Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), per Axios Pro. Tillis, as well as Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), had concerns with Weldon's nomination, they said today. Collins shared her concerns with Kennedy, the WSJ reported. Weldon said he assumed his nomination was withdrawn because Senate HELP Chair Bill Cassidy (R-La.) was going to vote "no."