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

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Title 42 Isn’t About Public Health — It’s About Keeping Immigrants Out

During his first term, President Donald Trump issued a public health emergency known as Title 42 to expel asylum-seekers and other immigrants in the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic. President Joe Biden used the same tactic to empower U.S. Customs and Border Protection to block immigrants from countries with Covid outbreaks.

https://theintercept.com/2025/02/25/trump-title-42-asylum-seekers-tuberculosis/?

How Trump Twisted DEI to Only Benefit White Christians

Trump’s crusade against “wokeness” is co-opting the language of the civil rights movement to undo its legacy.

https://theintercept.com/2025/02/22/trump-dei-christians-woke-civil-rights/?

Trump plans tariffs on Mexico and Canada for Tuesday, while doubling existing 10% tariffs on China

The prospect of escalating tariffs has already thrown the global economy into turmoil, with consumers expressing fears about inflation worsening and the auto sector possibly suffering if America’s two largest trading partners in Canada and Mexico are hit with taxes. But President Donald Trump has also at times engaged in aggressive posturing only to give last-minute reprieves. Read More.   Putin will "keep his word" President Trump said today that he trusts Russian President Vladimir Putin to abide by a peace agreement in Ukraine, despite fears that the emerging blueprint for that pact includes too few protections against reinvasion. ?? "I think he'll keep his word," Trump said ahead of a meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. "I've known him for a long time now. ... "We had to go through the Russia hoax together." Starmer is in Washington to try to make the case for a more Ukraine-friendly approach than the Trump administration has so far embraced. French President Emmanuel Macron made a similar pitch earlier this week.   Changing landscape From freezing funds to threatening tariffs and gutting humanitarian aid, grain growers and sellers say President Donald Trump’s actions in Washington have altered life on the farm. They’re facing angst and uncertainty.

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Trump's new world order

Illustration: Allie Carl/Axios

The international order forged after World War II is imploding, squeezed on all sides by the return of strongmen, nationalism and spheres of influence — with President Trump leading the charge, Axios' Zachary Basu writes. Why it matters: Trump is openly scornful of international institutions and traditional alliances. Instead, he sees great opportunity in a world dominated by superpowers and dictated through dealmaking. ?️ The big picture: Trump's approach is based, according to U.S. officials, in "realism" — and the belief that "shared values," international norms and other squishy concepts can never replace "hard power." "The postwar global order is not just obsolete," Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared at his confirmation hearing last month. "It is now a weapon being used against us." Where the U.S. once helped enforce global norms, such as on trade, Trump is undercutting them. Trump's first term posed newfound threats to 20th-century alliances and structures — NATO, the World Trade Organization, even the UN. A second Trump term could render them virtually obsolete. ? Zoom in: The frailty of the rules-based order was exposed this week on the preeminent global stage built to support it. At the UN General Assembly on Monday, the U.S. voted against a resolution condemning Russia for invading Ukraine on the third anniversary of the war. It was the first time since 1945 that the U.S. sided with Russia — and against Europe — on a resolution related to European security, according to the BBC's James Lansdale. Nearly all other Western leaders see Russia as a rogue state and an aggressor. Trump sees a potential partner. Cover: The Economist ? Zoom out: For Europe, which has relied on the U.S. to guarantee its security for the last eight decades, this isn't just a wakeup call. It's an existential challenge that throws the entire transatlantic alliance into question. Germany's conservative leader and chancellor-in-waiting, Friedrich Merz, said after his election victory Sunday that his "absolute priority" is to rapidly strengthen Europe so it can "achieve independence from the USA." ? Between the lines: In today's multipolar world, the U.S., Russia and China are all racing to secure their strategic interests and solidify — or expand — their spheres of influence. Russian President Vladimir Putin dreams of reconstituting the Soviet bloc and has tried to do so by force — invading Ukraine and meddling in elections across the Western world. China, an economic and military superpower under Xi Jinping, is watching Ukraine carefully as it ponders whether to invade Taiwan and cement Xi's legacy through "reunification."

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?? Trump's softer tone with Zelensky

After two weeks of verbal attacks, President Trump softened his tone on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky ahead of a key meeting between the leaders today, Axios' Barak Ravid writes.

• Why it matters: Zelensky will visit the White House to sign an economic cooperation deal that gives the U.S. access to Ukrainian minerals and other natural resources, such as oil and gas.

?? At the top of his meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer yesterday, Trump admitted his relations with Zelensky became "testy" over the last few weeks. But Trump walked back calling him a "dictator without elections" last week.

• "Did I say that? I can't believe I said that. Next question," Trump said.

Trump was later asked the same question during a press conference with Starmer and dodged it.

• "We will have a very good meeting tomorrow morning — I have a lot of respect for him," he said of Zelensky.

? P.S. In an interview yesterday, the EU's top foreign policy official, Kaja Kallas of Estonia, told Barak it's "very uncomfortable to see American leaders repeating the Russian narratives and the Russian speaking points and also giving Russia what they want." (Full interview.)

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Vance to headline D.C. tech summit

Vice President Vance will give a keynote address at a tech summit in D.C. next month, underscoring the Trump administration's focus on AI and advanced computing, Axios' Marc Caputo writes.

• Why it matters: Tech influence in federal policy now rivals or exceeds Wall Street's.

Vance, a former venture capitalist, has helped draw Silicon Valley closer to the nation's capital than ever before.

• He's a laissez-faire evangelist for American tech dominance. "Excessive regulation of the AI sector could kill a transformative industry," Vance warned Europeans in a speech earlier this month.
• It's a message he'll likely drive home on March 18 at the third annual American Dynamism Summit, organized by the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz.

 

Mass firings

The Trump administration on Thursday fired hundreds of employees at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and sources say more layoffs are possible today. The cuts are a blow to the understaffed weather and environmental agency as climate change crises and severe natural disasters become more frequent. Meanwhile, a federal judge on Thursday found that the mass firings of probationary employees were likely unlawful, granting temporary relief to a coalition of labor unions and organizations that sued to stop the Trump administration's massive overhaul of the federal workforce. It remains to be seen whether the order will put a hold on the mass firings of federal probationary workers.

 

Judge finds mass firings of federal probationary workers were likely unlawful A federal judge in San Francisco on Thursday found that the mass firings of probationary employees were likely unlawful, granting temporary relief to a coalition of labor unions and organizations that has sued to stop the Trump administration’s massive dismantling of the federal workforce. Read more.

Why this matters: U.S. District Judge William Alsup ordered the Office of Personnel Management to inform certain federal agencies that it had no authority to order the firings of probationary employees, including at the Department of Defense.   Lawyers for the government agree that the office has no authority to hire or fire employees in other agencies. But they said the Office of Personnel Management asked agencies to review and determine whether employees on probation were fit for continued employment.   Attorneys for the coalition cheered the order, although it does not mean that fired employees will automatically be rehired or that future firings will not occur.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Hundreds of weather forecasters fired in latest wave of DOGE cuts   Social Security Administration could cut up to 50% of its workforce   Former defense chiefs call for congressional hearings on Trump’s firing of senior military leaders   EPA backtracks on Trump comment about cutting staff by 65%   Where are federal jobs affected by DOGE cuts? A look at congressional districts across the US   The CFPB drops its enforcement lawsuits against Capital One, Rocket Homes and more   Congress votes to kill Biden-era methane fee on oil and gas producers   Refugee aid groups say Trump administration is trying to circumvent court order   A good rapport but mixed signals on Ukraine: Takeaways from Keir Starmer’s trip to Washington   Trump’s permanent USAID cuts slam humanitarian programs worldwide   Florida ups the stakes for crimes by immigrants in the US illegally   An economic blackout protest is encouraging US residents not to spend any money today   Attorney General Pam Bondi releases new Jeffrey Epstein files

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Exclusive: US intel shows Russia and China are attempting to recruit disgruntled federal employees, sources say

Foreign adversaries including Russia and China have recently directed their intelligence services to ramp up recruiting of US federal employees working in national security, targeting those who have been fired or feel they could be soon, according to four people familiar with recent US intelligence on the issue and a document reviewed by CNN.

https://www.cnn.com/webview/2025/02/28/politics/us-intel-russia-china-attempt-recruit-disgruntled-federal-employees/index.html?

The Red State Workers Caught In Trump’s EV Battle

Many clean energy boom towns voted for Trump. Will his administration put them at risk?

https://www.levernews.com/the-red-state-workers-caught-in-trumps-ev-battle/?

Trump calls for ‘ceasefire now’ between Russia and Ukraine

President Donald Trump said Friday he wants an “immediate ceasefire” between Russia and Ukraine and warned Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to make peace or lose American support.

https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-latest-news-2-28-2025?

Federal workers start to get a new email demanding their accomplishments

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal employees are starting to receive another email requiring them to explain their recent accomplishments, a renewed attempt by President Donald Trump and billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk to demand answers from the government workforce.

https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-donald-trump-doge-federal-workers-53e59ab9a4bc52ce5553e0e83bb8cc7b?

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?? Ukraine gets cold shoulder

Trump's extraordinary Oval Office exchange with Volodymyr Zelensky today underscores the dramatic shift across Washington since the Ukrainian president's two addresses to Congress in 2022.

The big picture: Zelensky was greeted with an emotional outpouring of bipartisan solidarity when he spoke virtually to congressional members in March 2022 and again in person in December of that year.

• Fast-forward three years. There were no high-profile meetings between Zelensky — who huddled with House Speaker Mike Johnson as recently as July — and congressional leaders — let alone plans for another major speech.

And the vibe with Trump was downright acrimonious, devolving into a televised shouting match that led to Zelensky's abrupt departure from the White House.

• Trump proclaimed the Ukrainian president could "come back when he is ready for peace."

Joint addresses to Congress are usually reserved for foreign allies. Here's a look back at who has snagged an invite to speak to lawmakers over the past decade:

Data: Congressional Research Service; Chart: Axios Visuals

— Kathleen Hunter and Hans Nichols

Go deeper: Trump's "disaster" Zelensky meeting stuns GOP hawks

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"Gambling with World War III"

President Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to leave the White House shortly after their shocking public blowup today, Axios' Barak Ravid reports.

• They did not sign an agreement on access to Ukrainian minerals — the ostensible purpose of the meeting.
• Zelensky definitely didn't make any progress in his effort to secure a peace deal that doesn't lean too heavily in Russia's favor.

? "You're gambling with the lives of millions of people. You're gambling with World War III," Trump said to Zelensky as their meeting went off the rails with cameras rolling.

• "Have you said 'thank you' once, in this entire meeting?" Vice President Vance asked. "You went to Pennsylvania and campaigned for the opposition in October. Offer some words of appreciation for the United States of America and the president who's trying to save your country."
• Zelensky "can come back when he is ready for peace," Trump said on Truth Social after the meeting.

▶️ Video: Watch the fiery Oval Office confrontation

Via Truth Social

Behind the scenes: No deal, no meal

"Our plan was to sign the minerals deal and get into this economic partnership and move towards peace" — not to have a public shouting match, a White House official told Axios' Barak Ravid.

• The meeting took a turn after Vance, while answering a question from a reporter, said the way to end the war is through diplomacy with Russia.
• An exasperated Zelensky pushed back, detailing Putin's history of violating previous agreements. "What diplomacy are you talking about, JD?" he asked.

After that, President Trump and Vance tore into the Ukrainian leader.

⏱️ "The blank check era for Zelensky in Washington is over and he didn't realize that," the White House official said.

• Trump and his team stayed in the Oval Office while Zelensky and his team moved to another room.

The Ukrainians tried to get the meeting to resume. But Trump decided he'd had enough. National security adviser Mike Waltz and Secretary of State Marco Rubio asked Zelensky to leave before the scheduled lunch — kicked out.

? The intrigue: Another small but not insignificant factor that irritated Trump — Zelensky didn't wear a suit.

• Trump's advisers had told Zelensky's team several times that he should wear a suit to the White House, not the military-style clothes he has been wearing since the Russian invasion, two sources told Axios.
• "He is all dressed up today," Trump said when Zelensky arrived in a more formal black outfit.

Go deeper ... Why you should watch the whole 50 minutes.

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Trump signs order making English official language of the U.S. for first time

President Trump on Saturday issued an executive order declaring English the official language of the United States.

https://www.axios.com/2025/02/28/trump-executive-order-english-official-language?

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It Was an Ambush

Friday marked one of the grimmest days in the history of American diplomacy.

Leave aside, if only for a moment, the utter boorishness with which President Donald Trump and Vice President J. D. Vance treated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House today. Also leave aside the spectacle of American leaders publicly pummeling a friend as if he were an enemy. All of the ghastliness inflicted on Zelensky today should not obscure the geopolitical reality of what just happened: The president of the United States ambushed a loyal ally, presumably so that he can soon make a deal with the dictator of Russia to sell out a European nation fighting for its very existence.

Trump’s advisers have already declared the meeting a win for “putting America first,” and his apologists will likely spin and rationalize this shameful moment as just a heated conversation—the kind of thing that in Washington-speak used to be called a “frank and candid exchange.” But this meeting reeked of a planned attack, with Trump unloading Russian talking points on Zelensky (such as blaming Ukraine for risking global war), all of it designed to humiliate the Ukrainian leader on national television and give Trump the pretext to do what he has indicated repeatedly he wants to do: side with Russian President Vladimir Putin and bring the war to an end on Russia’s terms. Trump is now reportedly considering the immediate end of all military aid to Ukraine because of Zelensky’s supposed intransigence during the meeting.

Vance’s presence at the White House also suggests that the meeting was a setup. Vance is usually an invisible backbencher in this administration, with few duties other than some occasional trolling of Trump’s critics. (The actual business of furthering Trump’s policies is apparently now Elon Musk’s job.) This time, however, he was brought in to troll not other Americans, but a foreign leader. Marco Rubio—in theory, America’s top diplomat—was also there, but he sat glumly and silently while Vance pontificated like an obnoxious graduate student.

Zelensky objected, as he should have, when the vice president castigated the Ukrainian president for not showing enough personal gratitude to Trump. And then in a moment of immense hypocrisy, Vance told Zelensky that it was “disrespectful for you to come into the Oval Office and try to litigate this in front of the American media.” But baiting Zelensky into fighting in front of the media was likely the plan all along, and Trump and Vance were soon both yelling at Zelensky. (“This is going to be great television,” Trump said during the meeting.) The president at times sounded like a Mafia boss—“You don’t have the cards”; “you’re buried there”—but in the end, he sounded like no one so much as Putin himself as he hollered about “gambling with World War III,” as if starting the biggest war in Europe in nearly a century was Zelensky’s idea.

After the meeting, Trump dismissed the Ukrainian leader and then issued a statement that could only have pleased Moscow:

I have determined that President Zelensky is not ready for Peace if America is involved, because he feels our involvement gives him a big advantage in negotiations. I don’t want advantage, I want PEACE. He disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office. He can come back when he is ready for Peace.

Trump might as well have dictated this post on Truth Social before the meeting, because Zelensky didn’t stand a chance of having an actual discussion at the White House. When he showed Trump pictures of brutalized Ukrainian soldiers, Trump shrugged. “That’s tough stuff,” he muttered. Perhaps someone told Zelensky that Trump doesn’t read much, and reacts to images, but Trump, uncharacteristically, seems to have been determined to stay on message and pick a fight.

Vance, for his part, fully inhabited the role of a smarmy talk-show sidekick, jumping in to make sure the star got the support he needed while slamming one of the guests. The vice president is an unserious man who tries to insert himself into serious moments, but this time the stakes were much higher than the usual dustups with the media or congressional Democrats. He chuckled as Brian Glenn, a journalist from the right-wing channel Real America’s Voice who is reportedly dating Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, asked Zelensky the tough and incisive question of why he had not worn a suit in the Oval Office. (Perhaps he’ll ask Musk why he wore a hat and T-shirt to a Cabinet meeting, but I doubt it.)

The sheer rudeness shown to a foreign guest and friend of the United States was (to use a word) deplorable as a matter of manners and grace, but worse, Trump and Vance acted like a couple of online Kremlin sock puppets instead of American leaders. They pushed talking points that they either knew or should have known were wrong. Even if Zelensky were as fluent and capable in English as Winston Churchill, he would never have been able to rebut the flood of falsehoods. No, the U.S. has not given Ukraine $350 billion; yes, Zelensky has repeatedly expressed his thanks to America and to Trump; no, Zelensky was not attacking the administration. The Ukrainian leader did his best to stand up to the bullying, but Trump and Vance were playing to the cameras and the MAGA gallery at home.

Vance showed how dedicated he was to point-scoring rather than policy making with an observation so shallow that he was lucky that Zelensky was too off-balance to call him out for it. To emphasize Ukraine’s perilous situation, Vance noted that Zelensky was sending conscripts to the front lines, as if this was an unprecedented policy that only the most desperate regime would dare enact. Zelensky said that all nations at war have problems, but he might have pointed out to Vance that Ukraine is fighting for its very existence, while the United States has dragged conscripts to places far from home—including Korea and Vietnam—to fight against troops supported by the Kremlin.

Today’s meeting and America’s shameful vote in the United Nations on Monday confirmed that the United States is now aligned with Russia and against Ukraine, Europe, and most of the planet. I felt physically sick watching the president of the United States yell at a brave ally, fulminating in the Oval Office as if he were an addled old man shaking his fist at a television. Zelensky has endured tragedies, and risked his life, in ways that men such as Trump and Vance cannot imagine. (Vance served as a public-relations officer in the most powerful military in the world; he has never had to huddle in a bunker during a Russian bombardment.) I am ashamed for my nation; even if Congress acts to support and aid Ukraine, it cannot restore the American honor lost today.

But no matter how disgusted anyone might be at Trump and Vance’s behavior, the strategic reality is that this meeting is a catastrophe for the United States and the free world. America’s alliances are now in danger, and should be: Trump is openly, and gleefully, betraying everything America has tried to defend since the defeat of the Axis 80 years ago. The entire international order of peace and security is now in danger, as Russian autocrats, after slaughtering innocent people for three years, look forward to enjoying the spoils of their invasion instead of standing trial for their crimes. (Shortly after Trump dismissed Zelensky from the White House, Putin’s homunculus, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, posted on X: “The insolent pig finally got a proper slap down in the Oval Office.”)

Friday, February 28, 2025, will go into the history books as one of the grimmest days in American diplomacy, the beginning of a long-term disaster that every American, every U.S. ally, and anyone who cares about the future of democracy will have to endure. With the White House’s betrayal of Ukraine capping a month of authoritarian chaos in America, Putin, along with other dictators around the world, can finally look at Trump with confidence and think: one of us.

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/02/ukraine-us-relations-trump/681880/?

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‘Free world needs a new leader’, says EU foreign chief after Trump Zelenskyy row

The EU foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, said ‘the free world needs a new leader’ and that it was up to Europeans to take this challenge

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/feb/28/european-leaders-throw-support-behind-zelenskyy-after-heated-trump-meeting?

How JD Vance emerged as the chief saboteur of the transatlantic alliance

Vance snaked his way in first to the row between Trump and Zelenskyy, his second intrusion this month after Munich

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/28/jd-vance-volodymyr-zelenskyy?

Diplomacy dies on live TV as Trump and Vance gang up to bully Ukraine leader

US president said his horrific blow-up would make ‘great television’ – the White House has never seen anything like it

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/28/trump-zelenskyy-shouting-match-oval-office?

If Trump really wanted a good economy, he would have left it alone

At a rally in 2018, Dean Heller, the former Republican U.S. senator from Nevada (remember him?) infamously said to Donald Trump “everything you touch turns to gold.”

https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/if-trump-really-wanted-good-economy-he-would-have-left-it-alone?

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Shocking, not surprising

Yesterday's Oval Office shouting match was shocking. But it wasn't too surprising to anyone close to President Trump or Vice President Vance.

• Why it matters: Privately, Trump sees Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as a pro-Biden, ungrateful lightweight destined to lose to Russia. And Trump advisers believe Zelensky sees Trump as a pro-Putin, delusional fool destined to make him lose to Russia, Axios' Alex Isenstadt and Marc Caputo report.

To Trump's team, it was three strikes — and now officially out of favor — for Zelensky. In their eyes, Zelensky already had two strikes against him when he sat down with Trump and Vance.

• That was the backdrop for a conversation that would become perhaps the most epic televised foreign policy row in history — an argument that rattled Europe and vividly illustrated a sharp turn in U.S. foreign policy toward Russia.

? It began with what Trump's team saw as Strike 3 against Zelensky: He disagreed publicly with Vance, who accused Zelensky of trying to "litigate" his case before the media.

• Vance said Zelensky didn't show enough thanks to the U.S. for funding Ukraine's defense — or to Trump for trying to bring peace.
• After a tense nine-minute exchange, it ended with Trump stopping the 50-minute meeting and essentially showing Zelensky the door.

? Strike 2 came just before Friday's meeting, when Zelensky arrived at the White House without a suit or jacket, as requested. It was perceived by White House staffers as disrespectful.

• Zelensky was dressed instead in a three-button, skintight, long-sleeved black athletic shirt. "Wow look, you're all dressed up today," Trump said in a seemingly friendly way that advisers say masked annoyance.

Brian Glenn, a conservative reporter and boyfriend of Trump ally Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), voiced the attitude of Trump's team when he asked Zelensky, "Why don't you wear a suit? … Do you own a suit?" Vance laughed out loud.

• "I will wear a [suit] after this war will finish," Zelensky said. "Maybe something like yours. Maybe something better ... maybe something cheaper."

? Strike 1, as first reported by Axios, came Feb. 15, when Zelensky trashed a proposed mineral rights deal with Ukraine that he privately had discussed the day before in Munich with Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

The big picture: At the heart of the discord is Trump's view of the conflict, which continues to challenge the United States' long-held alliances in Europe.

• Trump sees geopolitics in terms of negotiations between powerful countries and big personalities. Russian President Vladimir Putin is a coequal in this paradigm. Zelensky — the leader of a smaller country surviving thanks to American largesse — isn't.

Trump also approaches politics like a business deal or, as a former casino owner, as a type of poker. In one telling moment, he told Zelensky he had a bad hand without the U.S.

• "I'm not playing cards. I'm very serious," Zelensky said. Trump shot back: "You're playing cards. You're gambling with the lives of millions of people."
• Quick to temper and desiring of flattery, Trump demands a high degree of obeisance from supplicants. Zelensky didn't show that — and Vance was quick to try to put him in his place.

Trump's expectation of deference from Zelensky is particularly high because of the massive aid the U.S. has sent to Ukraine (an amount Trump inflates). The two have had a fraught relationship since 2019, when Trump was impeached for trying to leverage Zelensky for political gain against Joe Biden.

• Vance has long had antipathy for Zelensky and funding Ukraine's fight against Russia's invasion. In his 2022 Senate race in Ohio, Vance ran on a platform of ending Ukraine aid.

"I'm not sure this is salvageable," a senior White House adviser summed up. "Three strikes and you're out."

• Go deeper: Transcript of the Oval Office blowup.

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The Trump Administration Said These Aid Programs Saved Lives. It Canceled Them Anyway.

After the Trump administration moved to freeze nearly $60 billion in foreign aid in January, officials like Secretary of State Marco Rubio repeatedly assured Americans that lifesaving operations would continue. “We don’t want to see anybody die,” he told reporters in early February.

https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-usaid-rubio-marocco-canceled-programs-gaza-syria-congo-hiv-ebola?

? Trump's Nobel obsession

Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photo: Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images

The Trump administration is aggressively pushing the president for a Nobel Peace Prize — the obsession that has eluded him. That was a subtext to Friday's Oval Office blowup with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Axios' Alex Isenstadt reports. Talk of the prize is increasingly shaping how administration officials talk about the president at a time when he's seeking to end the fighting in Ukraine and Gaza. ? Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox News in February that Trump deserves a Nobel for his work in trying to end the Russia-Ukraine war. "If it were fairly awarded, I think in a year, he should get it from what I've seen," Bessent said. New York Rep. Elise Stefanik, Trump's nominee to be his United Nations ambassador, used her speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference last week to call for Trump to win the Nobel. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and National Security Adviser Mike Waltz did so as well. "By the end of this all, we're going to have the Nobel Prize sitting next to the name of Donald J. Trump," Waltz said. During an Oval Office meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last month, Trump was asked by a reporter whether he hopes to get a Nobel Peace Prize if he helps end the war in Gaza. "I deserve it," he said again, " but they would never give it to me." ⚡ State of play: This year Trump has been nominated for the prize once more. Anat Alon-Beck, an Israeli-born professor at the Case Western Reserve University School of Law, last month submitted a letter to the Nobel committee advocating for Trump. Alon-Beck's nomination, filed just before the Jan. 31 deadline, argued that Trump should win a Nobel based on his early work toward securing a peace deal in the Middle East.

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Moody’s Chief Economist Warns Trump Chaos Will Choke Economy

An economist warned Monday that the U.S. is “gagging” on uncertainty around the Trump administration’s economic policymaking, and that the situation could get worse.

https://www.newsbreak.com/news/3838103691312-moodys-chief-economist-warns-trump-chaos-will-choke-economy?

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The Red State Workers Caught In Trump’s EV Battle

Many clean energy boom towns voted for Trump. Will his administration put them at risk?

https://www.levernews.com/the-red-state-workers-caught-in-trumps-ev-battle/

How To Combat The Information War

When Fox News screams the quiet part, it’s worth listening and gleaning a lesson — especially when the network lets the old “fair and balanced” veneer drop and admits its real mission. 

https://www.levernews.com/how-to-combat-the-information-war/

Trump Removes “Zombie” Pipeline Safety Rules

The Trump administration has withdrawn a slate of proposed carbon dioxide safety regulations inspired by a pipeline failure that sent nearly 50 people to the hospital with “zombie”-like symptoms, and the new regulator overseeing these matters previously worked as a lobbyist for the pipeline industry. 

https://www.levernews.com/trump-removes-zombie-pipeline-safety-rules/

The Firefighting Fire Sale

On Feb. 14, Adin Kloetzel lost his job as a trails forestry technician at the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest in southwest Montana, where he hauled supplies into remote areas by mule, cut trails, and supported firefighting efforts. 

https://www.levernews.com/the-firefighting-fire-sale/

Making Tax Day Expensive Again

While raking in campaign cash from tax prep companies, the GOP is trying to kill a free filing system and gut IRS customer service.

https://www.levernews.com/making-tax-day-expensive-again/

Musk’s Empire Is Reaping $2 Million Per Day From Trump

While the billionaire is touting cuts to government, the new administration has already delivered $86 million to Musk’s rocket company since the inauguration.

https://www.levernews.com/musks-empire-is-reaping-2-million-per-day-from-trump/

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Trump’s moves test the limits of presidential power and the resilience of US democracy

During his first six weeks in office, President Donald Trump has embarked on a teardown of the federal government and attacks on long-standing institutions in an attempt to increase his own authority. Those who monitor democracy across the globe had warned that a second Trump term could endanger America's 240-year experiment with democracy. Read more.

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From Alaska to Maine, communities that border Canada worry US tariffs come at a personal cost

DETROIT (AP) — At the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa, a quote from former President Ronald Reagan is engraved on one wall.

https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-canada-us-border-2f5ceaa52c824cf760313e978babdf08?

USAID cuts are already hitting countries around the world. Here are 20 projects that have closed

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Countries around the world already are feeling the impact of the Trump administration’s decision to eliminate more than 90% of foreign aid contracts and cut some $60 billion in funding. Hours after the announcement earlier this week, programs were shuttered, leaving millions of people without access to life-saving care.

https://apnews.com/article/usaid-cuts-hunger-sickness-288b1d3f80d85ad749a6d758a778a5b2?

What they said: Trump, Zelenskyy and Vance’s heated argument in the Oval Office

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance on Friday berated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy over the war in Ukraine, accusing him of not showing gratitude after he challenged Vance on the question of diplomacy with Russia’s Vladimir Putin.

https://apnews.com/article/trump-zelenskyy-vance-transcript-oval-office-80685f5727628c64065da81525f8f0cf?

Latin America’s New Right Ushers in Pan-American Trumpism

Donald Trump is a wild card in Latin America. Who will he galvanize more? His natural allies, including leaders who share many of his culture-war obsessions? Or politicians and activists who see in Trump the long history of U.S. conquest made flesh, who bristle at his threats to seize the Panama Canal and bomb fentanyl labs in Mexico?

https://theintercept.com/2025/03/02/trump-latin-america-new-right/?

Trump Helps Alleged Sex Trafficker Andrew Tate Cross Border Into U.S.

Lobbying to return Andrew Tate to the U.S. reveals the hollowness of the Republican Party’s anti-sex trafficking campaign.

https://theintercept.com/2025/02/27/trump-andrew-tate-sex-trafficking/?

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? Russia gloats about America's shift

Moscow is reveling in the Oval Office blowup between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and President Trump, Axios' Avery Lotz writes.

?? Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said yesterday that America's "rapidly changing" foreign policy "largely coincides with our vision."

• Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov praised Trump for his "common sense."
• A spokesperson for Russia's foreign ministry said it was a "miracle of restraint" that Trump and Vice President Vance didn't hit Zelensky.
• Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, now deputy chair of Russia's security council, crowed that "the insolent pig finally got a proper slap down in the Oval Office."

?️ Trump said on Truth Social last night:

"We should spend less time worrying about Putin, and more time worrying about migrant rape gangs, drug lords, murderers, and people from mental institutions entering our Country - So that we don't end up like Europe!"

☕ Across the pond in London, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer rallied European counterparts to throw their full weight behind Ukraine.

• He said the U.K. will work with other European nations to develop a plan to end the war, supported by a "coalition of the willing," and present it to Trump, who Starmer says still wants a "lasting peace."

 

Zelensky-Trump fallout

President Donald Trump is set to address a joint session of Congress on Tuesday for the first time in his second presidential term. It will be an opportunity for Trump to reassure voters about his leadership just days after a catastrophic White House meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. On Sunday, European leaders held an emergency summit in London to rally support for Ukraine as British Prime Minister Keir Starmer seeks to wrestle control of peace negotiations away from the US. Russian officials and state media have expressed glee at the highly public diplomatic breakdown. The White House, meanwhile, is making clear it views the showdown as an overwhelming win that underscores Trump's "America first" leadership.

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The Trump administration may exclude government spending from GDP, obscuring the impact of DOGE cuts Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said Sunday that government spending could be separated from gross domestic product reports, in response to questions about whether the spending cuts pushed by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency could possibly cause an economic downturn. Read more.

Why this matters: The exclusion could complicate or distort a fundamental measure of the U.S. economy’s health. Government spending is traditionally included in the GDP because changes in taxes, spending, deficits and regulations by the government can impact the path of overall growth, offering a level of transparency for economists.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Trump signs order designating English as the official language of the US   Judge rules head of watchdog agency must keep his job, says Trump’s bid to oust him was unlawful   Judge blocks Trump order threatening funding for institutions that offer care for transgender youth   Trump’s top prosecutor in DC demotes several supervisors who handled politically sensitive cases   Trump administration to slash funding for enforcement of fair housing laws   Trump takes actions to increase lumber supplies and curb wood imports   Trump administration approves nearly $3 billion arms sale to Israel   GOP pushes ahead with citizenship voting bill. Some state election officials say it’s problematic   Where things stand as Congress tries to avoid a partial government shutdown in two weeks   Democratic activists fueled anti-Trump protests at GOP town halls but also rage at their own party   As tensions spike between journalists and the president, here’s a look at ‘viewpoint discrimination’   Border czar makes the city of Boston his latest immigration target   Wyoming’s only full-service clinic stops providing abortions after new regulations signed   New York’s governor orders college to remove Palestinian studies job listing   Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo launches political comeback with a run for New York City mayor

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China and Canada immediately retaliate against Trump’s tariffs. Mexico is next

President Donald Trump’s blanket 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada took effect on Tuesday, an extraordinary action aimed at bringing America’s top trading partners to heel. But it threatens to weaken the North American economy, including that of the United States, at a time of significant stress for inflation-weary consumers.

https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/04/economy/trade-mexico-canada-china-tariffs-trump-hnk-intl/index.html?

Mexico will respond with retaliatory tariffs after Trump action, Sheinbaum says

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said she will announce retaliatory tariffs on Sunday in response to President Trump implementing 25 percent tariffs on goods from Mexico.

https://www.newsbreak.com/news/3839739968284-mexico-will-respond-with-retaliatory-tariffs-after-trump-action-sheinbaum-says?

ps:Good for her as the stupidity continues!!

Trump sends crypto prices soaring after surprise announcement of strategic government reserve

Cryptocurrency prices jumped after President Donald Trump’s surprise announcement he wants the U.S. government to purchase and hold a variety of digital assets in a strategic reserve fund. The announcement highlights Trump’s growing attempts to use volatile cryptocurrency prices as a barometer of his public support. Read More.   US auto industry could be collateral damage in Trump's trade wars If President Donald Trump goes ahead with 25% taxes on imports from Canada and Mexico, he will disrupt more than $300 billion in annual U.S. automotive trade with its two neighbors, wreck supply chains that have been operating for decades and likely push up the already-forbidding price of new cars. Read More.     ? Trump pulls tariff trigger     Illustration: Maura Losch/Axios   President Trump is making good on tariff threats that will raise the stakes of his trade war with China and potentially ignite another in North America, Axios Macro co-author Courtenay Brown writes. Why it matters: It breaks a pattern of head fakes that Wall Street and businesses large and small hoped would continue. Financial market jitters and bearish anecdotes from manufacturers were not enough to stave off the levies, which start today. Trump will plow ahead with 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico and double the import tax on Chinese goods to 20%, with few hints of how long the measures will last. ?️ The big picture: Escalating trade tensions have already rattled the economy, even before the new tariffs take effect. Many businesses are in paralysis, waiting to make moves until the White House's trade policy becomes clear. Keep reading.   Tariffs China and Canada are fighting back as new US tariffs against those countries and Mexico went into effect today. President Donald Trump enacted 25% duties on Mexico and Canada, and doubled tariffs on Chinese goods to 20%. Beijing swiftly announced 15% retaliatory tariffs on some American goods, including chicken, wheat, corn and cotton. In Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that Ottawa would immediately respond with tariffs on $30 billion of US goods. The tariffs threaten to raise the prices Americans pay for a wide array of products that are imported from the three nations, which collectively shipped $1.4 trillion worth of goods to the US last year — more than 40% of the value of US imports.

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Scoop: "Crazy Cubans" pushed Trump

Photo illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios. Photo: Brandon Bell and Jesus Vargas/Getty Images

President Trump's decision to cancel a major oil deal with Venezuela came amid pressure from Miami's three GOP House members, sources tell Axios' Marc Caputo. To get their way, the three House members suggested — but never explicitly threatened — that they would withhold votes Trump needed for the GOP budget deal that the House narrowly passed last week. ? "They're going crazy and I need their votes," Trump explained to confidants when he privately signaled he would cancel the license allowing Venezuelan oil exports to the U.S. The trio — Reps. Mario Díaz-Balart, Carlos Gimenez and María Elvira Salazar — pressured Trump to cancel the oil deal because they oppose enriching Nicolás Maduro's dictatorship. ?? What they're saying: "The three Crazy Cubans, as we affectionately call them, stood on principle" and delivered for their community, Speaker Mike Johnson said at a GOP fundraiser Friday at the Miami-area mansion. ?️ Between the lines: Trump already wasn't inclined to continue the Venezuela petroleum deal, partly because Biden had struck it. Trump also didn't want to appear to be negotiating an oil-for-migrants deal with Maduro, a White House official and an outside adviser told Axios. The Trump administration is trying to boost deportations of unauthorized Venezuelan immigrants. ? Trump's decision to cancel Biden's 2022 oil deal came as a surprise to Venezuela's government and to Chevron, which under the deal was allowed to pump Venezuelan oil. Go deeper.

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Trump's Putin play

Photo illustration: Lindsey Bailey/Axios. Photos: Getty Images

President Trump's decision last night to pause all military aid to Ukraine is the latest in a string of moves that could have been plucked from Vladimir Putin's personal wish list, Axios' Dave Lawler writes. "President Trump has been clear that he is focused on peace," a White House official said of the aid suspension. "We need our partners to be committed to that goal as well. We are pausing and reviewing our aid to ensure that it is contributing to a solution. Why it matters: Trump is also considering sanctions relief for Moscow and hinting at regime change in Kyiv. The Moscow-friendly streak comes as he seeks to foster peace in Ukraine and better relations between nuclear-armed superpowers. But his treatment of Putin as a partner and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as a foe has rung alarm bells for NATO allies and even some fellow Republicans. Breaking it down: Trump has made at least five Moscow-friendly moves in the past two weeks. The White House asked the Treasury and State Departments to identify sanctions on Russia that could be loosened as part of the process of improving relations, Reuters reports. Trump didn't deny that yesterday, telling reporters: "We want to make deals with everybody." Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly ordered U.S. Cyber Command to suspend offensive cyber and information operations against Russia. Trump has called for elections in Ukraine, and he and his allies suggested after the Oval Office spat that Zelensky might need to go. Regime change in Kyiv was one of Putin's original objectives for invading. The U.S. voted with Russia and 16 other mostly authoritarian countries to oppose a UN resolution last week that condemned Russia's "aggression" in Ukraine. Suspending weapons shipments, which the Trump administration had already dramatically slowed, is the latest dramatic step. ? Trump's view: Asked yesterday about the Kremlin comment that U.S. foreign policy approach "largely coincides with our vision," Trump said it "takes two to tango, and you're going to have to make a deal with Russia, and you're going to have to make a deal with Ukraine. ... The fact is that I just want fairness. I want fairness."

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Ukraine aid

The White House announced it is pausing military aid to Ukraine following last week's heated clash between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office. Officials say Trump and his aides want an acknowledgment or public apology from Zelensky before moving forward with a rare earth minerals deal or any future aid. The halt in aid will remain in place until Trump determines Zelensky has made a commitment to seeking peace talks, one official said, in what is essentially an attempt to force Ukraine to the negotiating table by threatening further losses on the battlefield.

 

Crypto

The Trump administration is working to develop a cryptocurrency reserve, part of the president's pledge to make the US the "Crypto Capital of the World." However, some prominent tech and crypto leaders have criticized the plan to direct the government to stockpile bitcoin, ethereum and three other tokens. Analysts say it has raised obvious questions of conflict of interest, considering that the company that owns Trump's social media network recently made clear its plans to invest $250 billion in the cryptocurrency industry. Other critics have likened Trump's plan to a government bailout of crypto, an asset class that just experienced its worst trading month in two years. Bitcoin, a market bellwether, fell 18% in February — its steepest drop since June 2022.

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US tariffs on Canada and Mexico take effect, as China takes aim at US farm exports President Donald Trump’s long-threatened tariffs against Canada and Mexico went into effect Tuesday, putting global markets on edge and setting up costly retaliation by the United States’ North American allies. Starting just past midnight, imports from Canada and Mexico are now to be taxed at 25%, with Canadian energy products subject to 10% import duties. Read more.

Why this matters: The 10% tariff that Trump placed on Chinese imports in February was doubled to 20%, and Beijing retaliated Tuesday with tariffs of up to 15% on a wide array of U.S. farm exports. It also expanded the number of U.S. companies subject to export controls and other restrictions by about two dozen.   Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his country would slap tariffs on more than $100 billion of American goods over 21 days. Mexico didn’t immediately detail any retaliatory measures.   The U.S. president’s moves raised fears of higher inflation and the prospect of a devastating trade war. The stated reason for the tariffs is to address drug trafficking and illegal immigration, and both countries say they’ve made progress on those issues. But Trump has also said the tariffs will only come down if the U.S. trade imbalance closes, a process unlikely to be settled on a political timeline.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ World shares decline as Trump’s tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China take effect   Here are some goods in the crosshairs of Trump’s tariffs on Mexico, Canada, and China   Here’s what tariffs are and how they work   Senate confirms McMahon to lead Education Department as Trump pushes to shut it down   Head of FBI New York office says he’s retired from the bureau after being ordered to do so   Pentagon changes name of Georgia Army base back to Fort Benning, dumping Fort Moore   Federal workers face second Musk deadline to explain their work last week   Trump to stand before Congress and offer an accounting of his turbulent first weeks   First-term Michigan senator Elissa Slotkin to deliver Democratic response to Trump’s speech   Bill to ban trans athletes from girls’ and women’s sports teams fails to advance in Senate   Arab leaders meet in Egypt to approve counterproposal to Trump’s Gaza plan   UN food program closes its southern Africa office in the wake of Trump administration aid cuts   Musk’s embrace of right-wing politics risks turning off car buyers and sinking Tesla’s stock   WATCH: Melania Trump lobbies for anti-revenge porn bill on Capitol Hill

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Trump pauses US military aid to Ukraine while pressuring Zelenskyy to move toward quick end to war President Donald Trump on Monday directed a “pause” to U.S. assistance to Ukraine as he seeks to pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to engage in negotiations to end the war with Russia. Read more.

Why this matters: The order will remain in effect until Trump determines that Ukraine has demonstrated a commitment to peace negotiations with Russia, a White House official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the assistance.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ EU ponders 800 billion euro plan to beef up defenses to counter possible US disengagement   Hegseth orders suspension of Pentagon’s offensive cyberoperations against Russia   Russia relishes Trump-Zelenskyy spat and accuses Ukraine and European allies of warmongering

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Internal Memos: Senior USAID Leaders Warned Trump Appointees of Hundreds of Thousands of Deaths From Closing Agency

For weeks, some of the federal government’s foremost authorities on global health have repeatedly warned Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other leaders about the coming death toll if they carried out the Trump administration’s plan to end nearly all U.S. foreign aid around the world.

https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-doge-rubio-usaid-musk-death-toll-malaria-polio-tuberculosis?

FACT FOCUS: A look at claims around Trump’s initiatives as he prepares to address Congress

President Donald Trump will address a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night to highlight changes he has made since taking office six weeks ago. Among the areas he may cover are negotiations to end the Russia-Ukraine war, cutbacks to the U.S. Agency for International Development, scrutiny of Social Security recipients and border security crackdowns. But some of the Republican president’s recent statements on these topics, among others, have been false and misleading.

https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-misinformation-trump-ukraine-3bea1df50167ac0a91f8c419b58c4b97?

$1 million to dine with Trump

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

President Trump's super PAC is charging as much as $1 million a plate for fundraisers that feature the president, two sources familiar with the events tell Axios' Marc Caputo. A Saturday invite for the MAGA Inc. super PAC advised donors it would cost $1 million to reserve a seat at the "Candlelight Dinner." The super PAC has another upcoming fundraiser with the same price tag. ? Why it matters: The eye-popping figure shows Trump's political operation is hell-bent on banking as much as $500 million this summer to push his agenda, help allies and punish foes. It's unusual for a sitting president who can't run for reelection to maintain this kind of giant fundraising operation. ps:Well for some reason I can't seem to find an extra million at the moment!! And by the way he doesn't need to continue to fleece people and has enough!! Oh yeah what's that called? Greed!!!!!