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

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Trump's well-funded fan clubs

Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images

About a dozen political groups, using unlimited and undisclosed donations, are running ads with twin goals: Boosting — and flattering — President Trump, Axios' Alex Isenstadt writes. Why it matters: The groups — separate from Trump's official political operation — have combined to spend more than $20 million since his election. Their spending is expected to escalate dramatically. The TV and digital ads are being run in D.C., where lawmakers can see them. Some are being aired in the Palm Beach, Fla., area, so they can catch Trump himself when he's at Mar-a-Lago. One such ad campaign is by a group called the Vapor Technology Association, which is running commercials in South Florida. Self-described vaping enthusiasts talk about how they turned out for Trump in November. ? Zoom in: These "dark money" advocacy groups — so named because they aren't required to disclose their sources of income — are nominally independent of Trump's mammoth $500 million political operation. But many provide air cover for Trump and everything MAGA — either to support him or bash his enemies. That's why some of the pro-Trump groups are still running ads blasting former President Biden. Others have focused on running ads in the districts of House Republicans, prodding them to stick with Trump. Keep reading.

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⚖️ Trump's D.C. crackdown

President Trump signed an executive order yesterday to set up a task force to crack down on crime and "maximize immigration enforcement" in Washington, Axios D.C.'s Cuneyt Dil and Anna Spiegel write.

• Why it matters: Trump followed through on campaign rhetoric to intervene in the city's management.

The order calls for "deploying a more robust federal law enforcement presence" in D.C.

• It includes "directing maximum enforcement of federal immigration law and redirecting available federal, state, or local law enforcement resources to apprehend and deport illegal aliens" in the D.C. area.
• It also creates a new program to "beautify" Washington. That includes clearing homeless encampments and removing graffiti on federal land.
• White House announcement.

?️ Separately, Trump ordered Smithsonian museums to eliminate "ideological indoctrination or divisive narratives" and "exhibits or programs that degrade shared American values, divide Americans based on race."

• Read the Executive Order, "Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History."

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Mike Waltz Says He’s Never Met Jeffrey Goldberg. Here’s a Photo of Them Together

Trump’s national security adviser and The Atlantic editor provided conflicting accounts about whether or not they’ve met. A photo could help set the record straight.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/mike-waltz-says-hes-never-met-jeffrey-goldberg-heres-a-photo-of-them-together/?

ps:Personally just because they're in the same room doesn't necessarily mean that they know each other!

pss:If he doesn't know him than why is he calling this man so many bad names?? Is this all these people in this administration know how to do??

Stefanik nomination

The White House has pulled Rep. Elise Stefanik’s nomination to be the next ambassador to the UN. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that the decision was made to help preserve the GOP’s razor-thin majority in the US House of Representatives. Currently, Republicans hold 218 seats to Democrats’ 213, and there are four vacancies. Multiple sources said some members of the House GOP leadership were stunned by the decision to drop the New York congresswoman and longtime ally of the president as they had already been preparing for a special election.

 

Smithsonian

President Trump is now targeting the Smithsonian Institution, which he claims advances “divisive narratives.” In an executive order signed on Thursday, Trump expressed his ire about exhibits featured in the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the National Museum of African American History and Culture and the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum. He put Vice President JD Vance in charge of overseeing efforts to “remove improper ideology” from all areas of the institution, including its museums, education and research centers and the National Zoo. He also ordered the interior secretary to determine whether public monuments, memorials, statues or markers have been removed or changed since 2020 to “perpetuate a false reconstruction of American history" and restore the original ones.

 

Collective bargaining

In an effort to continue reshaping the federal workforce, President Trump signed an executive order on Thursday to end collective bargaining for government employees whose work includes national security aspects. In response, the Office of Personnel Management issued guidance that said agencies no longer needed to collectively bargain with federal unions and may begin widespread job cuts. The American Federation of Government Employees condemned the move and vowed to take legal action. “President Trump’s latest executive order is a disgraceful and retaliatory attack on the rights of hundreds of thousands of patriotic American civil servants — nearly one-third of whom are veterans — simply because they are members of a union that stands up to his harmful policies,” AFGE National President Everett Kelley said. Earlier this month, the Department of Homeland Security also moved to end collective bargaining for tens of thousands of TSA workers at airports. 

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Trump’s executive order on Smithsonian targets funding for programs with ‘improper ideology’ President Donald Trump on Thursday revealed his intention to force changes at the Smithsonian Institution with an executive order that targets funding for programs that advance “divisive narratives” and “improper ideology,” the latest step in a broadside against culture he deems too liberal. Read more.

Why this matters: The order, signed behind closed doors, puts Vice President JD Vance, who serves on the Smithsonian Institution’s Board of Regents, in charge of overseeing efforts to “remove improper ideology” from all areas of the institution.   The Smithsonian Institution is the world’s largest museum, education and research complex. It consists of 21 museums and the National Zoo. Trump singled out for criticism the National Museum of African American History and Culture, which opened in 2016 near the White House, the Women’s History Museum, which is in development, and the American Art Museum.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Trump withdraws Rep. Elise Stefanik’s nomination for UN ambassador   Judge orders government to preserve Signal messages about Houthi military strike   Trump signs executive order to end collective bargaining at agencies involved with national security   At a glance: Who has been detained or deported in US crackdown on pro-Palestinian protesters   Appeals court refuses to halt an order for the rehiring of thousands of fired federal workers   A federal judge temporarily blocks parts of Trump’s anti-DEI executive orders   Another federal judge blocks Trump policy banning transgender troops in the military   EPA offers industrial polluters a way to avoid rules on mercury, arsenic and other toxic chemicals   WATCH: Musk says Social Security recipients will get more benefits, not less, due to DOGE   The fate of addiction treatment hangs in the balance with Kennedy’s HHS overhaul   Stanford, Cal and UCLA investigated in Trump’s anti-DEI campaign   Maine school officials won’t comply with Trump administration agreement to bar transgender athletes   NY county clerk refuses to file Texas’ fine for doctor accused of prescribing abortion pills   U.S. economy grew 2.4% in the 4th quarter after upgrade in final growth estimate   Arthur Laffer, noted economist honored by Trump, warns that 25% tariffs risk ‘irreparable damage’ to US automakers   Fewer Americans now see Canada as a US ally as Trump strains a longtime partnership   ‘The floodgates have really opened’: Democrats raise millions in special House elections in Florida   Los Angeles sheriff’s department to retest 4,000 DNA samples after using faulty kits for 8 months   Louisiana voters to decide on constitutional amendments for crime, courts and finances ps:‘improper ideology’?? What others not aloud to ______ fill in the blank!! Ridiculous!!!!!

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JD Vance's 'big blunder' as he 'waves to crowd that isn't there' in Greenland

JD Vance found himself on the receiving end of online ridicule on Friday (March 28) after appearing to wave at a "non-existent" crowd as he arrived in Greenland .

https://www.newsbreak.com/news/3940594765974-jd-vances-big-blunder-as-he-waves-to-crowd-that-isnt-there-in-greenland?

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Why Fallen Hero Shows What’s Rotten About JD Vance’s Denmark Smear

JD Vance’s controversial visit to Greenland highlights the story of Private Sophia “Bellis” Bruun.

Second lady Usha Vance and one of her sons were supposed to attend Greenland’s big dogsled race this weekend in what some called a “charm offensive” to further President Donald Trump’s ambition to pry the territory from Denmark.

But charm turned to smarm when the White House announced that she would instead be joining her husband in visiting an American military facility there on Friday.

“The Vice President and Second Lady are embarking on a historic expedition with their visit to Greenland, where the Vice President will emphasize the importance of bolstering [Arctic] security in places like Pituffik Space Base,” a senior White House official told the New York Post.

The official added, “Unfortunately, Danish leaders have spent decades mistreating the Greenlandic people, treating them like second class citizens and allowing infrastructure on the island to fall into disrepair. Expect the Vice President to emphasize these points as well.”

However true or false that may be, a recent poll commissioned by the Danish newspaper Berlingske and Greenlandic daily Sermitsiaq, according to Reuters, showed that 85 percent of Greenlanders do not wish their semi-autonomous territory to become part of the United States. Only 6 percent did. Just under half said they view Trump as a threat, an opinion that could only have been reinforced by something Vance said two months ago on Fox News Sunday regarding the same facility he is visiting Friday.

“We don’t have to use military force,” he said. “The thing that people always ignore is we already have troops in Greenland.

He added, “Greenland is really important for America strategically.”

On top of that, Vance arrives with Usha at the U.S. Space Force Base in Pituffik on Friday having recently called Denmark a “bad ally.” He has also complained that our European friends are mooching off America. And he further affirmed that view in the Signal chat that famously included Jeffrey Goldberg of The Atlantic.

“I just hate bailing Europe out again,” Vance messaged to the group discussing a pending attack on the Houthis to secure shipping lanes.

“I fully share your loathing of European freeloading. It’s PATHETIC,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth replied.

The now-infamous chat was started by National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, who is expected to also join what started out as just a trip to Greenland for Usha and her child.

Whoever goes, there is another woman who should be remembered when it comes to anything involving the U.S. and Denmark, most particularly when it comes to questions of who is a good ally and which country is in the other’s debt.

Private Sophia “Bellis” Bruun was one of 18,000 Danish soldiers deployed to Afghanistan between 2002 and 2021, arriving shortly after the Americans went in and leaving shortly before they withdrew. She was 12 on 9/11 and 22 in 2010, when she arrived in Afghanistan. She and her fellow Danes asked nothing of America other than to join 32 other nations in what they viewed as a fight against terrorism and for freedom. Her former commanding officer, Roni Holm Hansen, later posted in Danish that Bruun had ”a big smile, a twinkle in her eye and a will to make a difference.”

“That’s what made her go to Afghanistan…what made her train hard and fight bravely,” Hansen wrote. “She gave of herself to help others. “

Hansen added, “She had the principle of respect and truth in her heart… Everyone who knew her or met her could feel that she was a strong woman, and for us a dedicated soldier.” “

He recalled that she was quick with “a cheeky remark… but also with empathy, a soothing hand on the shoulder and an invitation for deeper conversation.”

Bruun volunteered to serve with a battle-battered unit at Patrol Base Clifton in Helmand Province. She proved her mettle in May of that year, simultaneously holding off an attack with a machine gun and delivering first aid to the wounded.

On June 1, she offered to help out on a patrol that needed an extra hand. At midday, she was serving as a gunner on a Piranha armored patrol vehicle four miles north-east of Girishk, the site of a major battle between the British and local tribesmen in 1841. Her vehicle was hit by a massive roadside IED and she became the first female Danish soldier ever killed in combat.

“That day, a small part of her many soldier comrades died,” Hansen later wrote.

She had already written what she wanted inscribed on her tombstone in the event of her death.

“Sophia - wanted to make the world a better place,” it read in Danish.

Sophia Bruun's grave Freddy Fabricius Nielsen/Facebook

All told, 43 Danish soldiers died in Afghanistan, 37 in actual combat. At 7.82 deaths per million, it was the highest casualty rate compared to population in the coalition other than the 7.96 per million of the United States.

Eight Danish soldiers died in Iraq after the US. invaded there on the pretext of securing non-existent weapons of mass destruction.

JD Vance served in Iraq as a U.S. Marine, as did Hegseth with the U.S. Army.

Hegseth also served in Afghanistan in 2011, but in relative safety as an instructor at the Counter-insurgency Training Center in Kabul rather than in Helmand Province, where Bruun died the year before.

Waltz served multiple tours with the U.S. Army Special Forces in Afghanistan, the Middle East, and Africa. He was awarded four Bronze Star, including two for valor.

You would think that their roles in what was called the “War on Terror” would leave Vance, Waltz, and Hegseth some respect for the ally that sacrificed quite nearly as much as America in Afghanistan. The Danes suffered only .14 deaths per million fewer deaths than the U.S. did when they could have just sat it out. But in return, the U.S. vice president has called them a bad ally and part of a group of free-loaders.

In flying into Greenland with Usha and Waltz on Friday, JD Vance is treating Denmark as a foe to be pressured into giving up Greenland. He would do better to honor the sacrifice that Denmark made without asking anything in return. The U.S. and Denmark might then be able to join together in the way of good allies and make an agreement that Greenland can welcome.

On the remote chance that could happen, Private Sophia Bunn will have continued to make the world a better place.

The Vances are expected to have departed Greenland by Saturday, when three dozen entrants and more than 400 pups commence the annual Avannaata Qimussersua (“The Great Race of the North”). Maybe next year Usha and one of the kiddos can attend the start with no smarm, just genuine charm, absent of agenda.

But the way things are going, don’t count on it.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/why-fallen-hero-shows-whats-rotten-about-jd-vances-denmark-smear/?

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Trump Orders Crackdown on Wrong ‘Ideology’ at Nation’s Top Zoo

JD Vance has been tasked with ridding the Smithsonian Institution of allegedly “anti-American” ideas.

Donald Trump has a surprising new target in his purge of what he calls “anti-American ideology” in the nation’s top cultural institutions: the National Zoo.

In an executive order titled “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,” signed Thursday, Trump directed Vice President JD Vance to crack down on the Smithsonian Institution by removing “improper ideology” from its museums, education and research centers, and the zoo.

Founded in 1889, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute spans 163 acres in Washington, D.C.’s Rock Creek Park and houses over 2,100 animals across nearly 400 species, according to its website. They include Asian elephants, Sumatran tigers, sea lions, orangutans, and Panamanian golden frogs.

It’s unclear what exactly Trump plans to gut at the National Zoo—though with its most famous residents on loan from China as part of what Beijing calls “panda diplomacy,” the giant pandas might want to start packing.

Bao Li and Qing Bao, a male-female duo, arrived in Washington from China in October 2024 as part of an agreement announced earlier between the U.S. and China. Their arrival followed the return of three other pandas previously on loan.

The Daily Beast has reached out to the Smithsonian Institution for comment.

In his executive order, Trump claimed that Americans have witnessed “a concerted and widespread effort to rewrite our Nation’s history” over the past decade by “replacing objective facts with a distorted narrative driven by ideology rather than truth.”

“This revisionist movement seeks to undermine the remarkable achievements of the United States by casting its founding principles and historical milestones in a negative light,” the order said.

The Smithsonian Institution, “once widely respected as a symbol of American excellence and a global icon of cultural achievement,” has in recent years “come under the influence of a divisive, race-centered ideology,” the president said in his order.

It comes after Trump took over the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., sparking an angry backlash from artists enraged by the president’s overhaul of the performing arts center.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-orders-crackdown-on-wrong-ideology-at-nations-top-zoo/?

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Trump asks Supreme Court for permission to resume deporting Venezuelan migrants under wartime law

The Trump administration on Friday asked the Supreme Court for permission to resume deportations of Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador under an 18th century wartime law, while a court fight continues. Read More.

Two law firms targeted by Trump sue over executive orders that sought to punish them

Two prominent law firms targeted by the White House sued Friday over virtually identical executive orders, pushing back over edicts meant to punish them over their association with attorneys who have previously investigated President Donald Trump. Read More.   Convicted founder of electric vehicle startup Nikola pardoned by Trump The founder of an electric car start-up sentenced to prison for exaggerating the potential of his technology has been pardoned by President Donald Trump, potentially wiping out hundreds of millions of dollars in restitution that prosecutors were seeking for investors. Read More.

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Trump's Big Law revenge tour

Illustration: Maura Losch/Axios

President Trump's efforts to pressure big law firms are among the most transparent examples of his second-term revenge tour — and they're working, Axios' Sam Baker writes. Big Law firms pitch clients on their global reach, legions of Ivy League law degrees and experience with challenging litigation. But some of them have crumpled under the mere suggestion of a Trump vendetta. ? The latest: The firm Skadden Arps agreed to provide $100 million in free legal services for the administration and fund fellowships for new lawyers to work on conservative causes, Trump said today. Big Law giant Paul, Weiss previously agreed to pony up $40 million in pro bono legal work. ? State of play: Trump has signed executive orders freezing security clearances for lawyers at several big firms, as retribution for either the firms' or their attorneys' past work. Covington & Burling was the first firm he targeted, after it represented former special counsel Jack Smith. WilmerHale employed former special counsel Robert Mueller, and Jenner & Block had previously employed Andrew Weissmann, a prominent Trump critic. Perkins Coie has worked with many Democratic clients, including Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign. Skadden's offense appears to be its work on a lawsuit against conservative pundit Dinesh D'Souza. Trump had not signed an executive order criticizing Skadden, but Elon Musk criticized the firm on X. ? Trump's orders largely froze some of those firms out of working for clients with business before the federal government. Their leaders argued that cutting a deal was better than losing clients, and maybe even top talent, while fighting in court. ? The other side: Three of the firms Trump has targeted — Jenner & Block, WilmerHale and Perkins Coie — have been willing to challenge his attacks in court. "If law firms can be cowed this easily, then they don't deserve to be law firms," San Francisco-based attorney John Keker told The New Yorker.

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Vance in Greenland

"It's cold as sh-t here. Nobody told me," Vice President Vance joked today as he entered the Pituffik Space Base in Greenland.

• Temperatures were around -5 F.

? Vance landed in Greenland for a one-day visit to advance the administration's desire to take over the country.

• "Our message to Denmark is very simple," Vance said. "You have not done a good job by the people of Greenland."
• Second Lady Usha Vance and national security adviser Mike Waltz are also along for the one-day trip.

✈️ The U.S. delegation opted not to visit Nuuk, Greenland's capital, where there was a risk of encountering anti-Trump protesters.

 

Trump tax surprise

The White House is injecting a new solution — and a potential problem — to Johnson and Senate GOP leader John Thune's budget math, our colleagues Marc Caputo and Neil Irwin scooped today.

• "If we renew tax cuts for the rich paid for by throwing people off Medicaid, we're gonna get f--king slaughtered," a senior White House official said.

Why it matters: Trump ran on cutting taxes for service workers. But congressional Republicans have built a coalition on lowering tax rates, not just carveouts.

• Nothing is set in stone. But the White House is discussing whether it should let tax rates rise on high earners as a way to pay for no taxes on tips, the White House official said.
• The 2018 Trump tax cuts reduced the top marginal rate from 39.6% to 37%. Around 1% of taxpayers are in the top bracket, and they pay a disproportionate share of income taxes.

 

Judges block Trump executive orders targeting law firms tied to Mueller probe

Two federal judges in separate rulings late Friday froze parts of President Donald Trump’s executive orders targeting the law firms Jenner & Block and WilmerHale, both firms linked to the Robert Mueller investigation Trump has sought to punish.

https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/28/politics/law-firms-fighting-trump-executive-order/index.html?

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The CDC Buried a Measles Forecast That Stressed the Need for Vaccinations

The move — along with the CDC’s explanation — is a sign that the nation’s top public health agency may be falling in line under HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime critic of vaccines.

https://www.propublica.org/article/measles-vaccine-rfk-cdc-report?

Trump's deportation spectacle

Photo illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios. Photos: Getty Images

The Trump administration remained publicly defiant this week as its immigration crackdown exploded into a global spectacle, ignited by two legally fraught deportation drives, Axios' Zachary Basu reports: The transfer of alleged Venezuelan gang members to a notorious prison in El Salvador using an 18th-century wartime law, which could soon be taken up by the Supreme Court. The targeting of foreign students allegedly involved in pro-Palestinian activism on college campuses. Why it matters: In both cases, President Trump and his team are charging ahead with unapologetic force — even as courts, immigration activists and civil libertarians accuse them of steamrolling due process. ⚡ In the two weeks since Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, numerous reports have cast doubt on the alleged gang ties of some of the Venezuelans sent to El Salvador's Terrorism Confinement Center. The Department of Homeland Security says each of the individuals has been thoroughly investigated, with tattoos and social media posts among the evidence used to confirm their involvement with Tren de Aragua. But the families and lawyers of some of the detained men have pushed back aggressively, claiming they were targeted because of tattoos that have nothing to do with gang ties. In at least one case, a Venezuelan man with a pending political asylum case — and no tattoos — was deported to El Salvador because of a paperwork error, his lawyer alleged in an immigration hearing. ? Between the lines: The Trump administration hasn't acknowledged the possibility that innocent people are winding up in El Salvador's megaprison, a legal black hole known for torture and inhumane conditions. "DHS intelligence assessments go beyond a single tattoo and we are confident in our findings," DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said in response to allegations that one man's soccer tattoo was used as evidence of gang ties. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem at El Salvador's megaprison on Wednesday. Photo: Alex Brandon/Pool/AFP via Getty Images Zoom out: While the Trump administration has celebrated the arrests of violent criminals who entered the country illegally, authorities are also dedicating considerable resources to detaining legal immigrants involved in campus activism. The crackdown reached a potential inflection point this week after Tufts University graduate student Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish national, was arrested by six masked agents and transferred to a facility in Louisiana. Ozturk had co-authored an op-ed demanding Tufts acknowledge the "Palestinian genocide" and divest from Israel, but DHS has not provided evidence for its claim that she "engaged in activities in support of Hamas." ? What to watch: The promise of mass deportations was central to Trump's campaign, and recent polls show he's getting relatively high marks for his handling of immigration. But backlash is brewing among some conservatives, who are increasingly alarmed by both the lack of due process and the callousness with which the administration is treating deportations.

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Trump might kill tax cut for rich

Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios

The Trump administration is discussing a surprising option to help fulfill his campaign-trail promises: allowing the richest Americans' tax rates to rise in return for cutting taxes on tips, a senior White House official tells Axios' Marc Caputo and Neil Irwin. The big picture: Some White House officials believe letting income taxes on the very highest earners rise would buy breathing room on other priorities, and help blunt Democrats' attacks as they seek to extend President Trump's 2017 tax cuts. Officials say all discussions are preliminary and nothing is set in stone. ? By the numbers: Currently the top income tax rate is 37%, charged on income above $609,351 for an individual or $731,201 for a married couple. If the 2017 law were allowed to expire, that would jump to the pre-2018 rate of 39.6%, and lower the threshold above which the top rate applies. Around 1% of taxpayers are in that top bracket, though they pay a disproportionate share of income taxes. Under the budget reconciliation rules that Republicans seek to use to extend the tax cuts, that would free up more revenue that could be used to fulfill some of Trump's populist promises, such as eliminating taxes on tips. "If we renew tax cuts for the rich paid for by throwing people off Medicaid, we're gonna get f--king slaughtered," the White House official said. Share this story. Lead stories of today's New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal. Above: Snapshot of Trump's Day 68.

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? Restoring Confederate monuments

President Trump has ordered a federal review of monuments toppled after George Floyd's murder, targeting what he calls a "concerted and widespread effort to rewrite our Nation's history."

• Why it matters: The Trump administration is leaving no stone unturned in its push to erase the legacy of 2020's racial reckoning, including by restoring monuments to Confederate leaders who fought to preserve slavery, Axios' Russell Contreras and Delano Massey write.

Zoom in: Trump signed an executive order Thursday that takes aim at what he called a "revisionist movement" that has infiltrated the Smithsonian Institution and other federal sites dedicated to America's history.

• Besides purging "improper ideology" from Smithsonian facilities, Trump directed the Department of the Interior to determine whether "public monuments, memorials, statues, markers, or similar properties" in its jurisdiction have been removed or changed "to perpetuate a false reconstruction of American history."

Keep reading.

 

? Scoop: White House to impose briefing-room seating chart

The White House plans to impose its own seating chart for reporters in the briefing room in coming weeks, taking over a function long managed by the reporters themselves through the White House Correspondents' Association, a top official tells Mike.

• Why it matters: It's the latest — but likely not the last — effort by the White House to take a heavier hand in shaping who covers President Trump. In public and private, White House officials make it clear they are determined to upend decades-old press corps traditions.

Behind the scenes: Some members of the correspondents' association (WHCA) have been looking for ways to de-escalate. A senior White House official told Axios that a WHCA member had privately raised the possibility of changing the organization's bylaws so the sitting White House press secretary, currently Karoline Leavitt, always serves as WHCA president.

• The tough-sell argument for the change: Rekindle collaboration between WHCA and the White House, and ensure buy-in from both.
• The official called the possibility an "interesting idea," but said they're "skeptical the association's board could pull it off."
• WHCA says it "exists to promote excellence in journalism as well as journalism education, and to ensure robust news coverage of the president and the presidency." Members could be expected to roundly reject the idea of a press secretary as their president.

? The backstory: Prominent seats in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room are coveted because it's easier to catch the press secretary's eye to ask tough and probing questions. Those correspondents' interactions are also more likely to be showcased on TV.

• In February, the White House began designating the pool of reporters who accompany Trump in tight spaces like the Oval Office and Air Force One — another function the WHCA had controlled for generations. WHCA said in response: "In a free country, leaders must not be able to choose their own press corps."

⚖️ The Associated Press on Thursday asked a federal judge to reinstate the wire service's access to pooled events, which has been sharply curtailed by the White House. "AP has now spent 44 days in the penalty box," Charles Tobin, a lawyer for the newswire, said at the hearing.

• WHCA's decision to support AP in its dispute with the White House prompted the changes in the pool structure.

? How it works: Discussing the coming seating chart, the senior White House official said plans have already been formalized for a "fundamental restructuring of the briefing room, based on metrics more reflective of how media is consumed today."

• The new layout will include representatives of TV, print and digital outlets. The digital assignments will include both online influencers and newer organizations such as Axios, NOTUS and Punchbowl.

"The goal isn't merely favorable coverage," said the official, who was granted anonymity to discuss plans that haven't been announced. "It's truly an honest look at consumption [of the outlets' coverage]. Influencers are important but it's tough because they aren't [equipped to provide] consistent coverage. So the ability to cover the White House is part of the metrics."

• Major legacy outlets will still be included. But expect some to have diminished visibility compared with their customary spots in the first few rows. "We want to balance disruption with responsibility," the official said.

The big picture: WHCA President Eugene Daniels announced in an email to members yesterday that the association is canceling a planned appearance by comedian Amber Ruffin as the featured entertainer at the annual White House Correspondents' Dinner on April 26.

• White House deputy chief of staff Taylor Budowich on Friday night tweeted a clip of Ruffin on a Daily Beast podcast conversation about her preparations for the dinner, where she referred to Trump administration officials as "kind of a bunch of murderers."
• Budowich asked: "What kind of responsible, sensible journalist would attend something like this?"

In announcing there'll be no headliner at next month's dinner, Daniels wrote: "As the date nears, I will share more details of the plans in place to honor journalistic excellence and a robust, independent media covering the most powerful office in the world."

ps:So I guess next they'll give out passes for going to the bathroom!!

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? Behind the scenes: Trump considered firing Waltz

President Trump seriously considered firing national security adviser Mike Waltz over this week's humiliating Signal chat leak, but cooled down and talked himself out of it — partly to deny his critics the satisfaction, Trump insiders tell Axios' Marc Caputo and Mike Allen.

• Why it matters: We're told Waltz's job is safe for now. But he has gotten crosswise with several other top officials. "Mike is gonna make it," a top West Wing insider said. "Now it's up to Mike to make things better."

? Behind the scenes: Trump officials say he was madder that Waltz had Jeffrey Goldberg's number in his phone than he was about the exposure of sensitive military strike details. Waltz's sloppy explanation to Fox News' Laura Ingraham made things worse.

• Trump was fuming about Tuesday night's interview, where Waltz said "we're going to figure out how this happened" — even though he's the one who mistakenly added Goldberg. (This is the national security version of the "Hot Dog Guy" meme.)

?️ The big picture: Some America First celebrities, including Tucker Carlson and Steve Bannon, have long been suspicious of Waltz's neocon roots.

• Steve Bannon texted that Waltz kept his job because "we hate the globalist media even more than we hate neocons."

 

? Resistance 2.0

The resistance of 2025 may not be wearing a pink knitted cap. But it's alive in town halls, streets, campuses and car dealerships across the country, Axios' Avery Lotz reports.

• The early moves of President Trump's second term have pulled a wide range of Americans into the political crosshairs, from National Parks Service workers to Social Security recipients to the transgender community.

"One of the miscalculations ... in their flood-the-zone strategy is when you flood the zone, you hit everyone," said Maurice Mitchell, the national director of the progressive Working Families Party.

This weekend, demonstrations occurred at Tesla showrooms across the country as part of the Tesla Takedown movement's "global day of action."

• Read on.

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Kristi Noem refused to say who financed some of her travel. It was taxpayers who were on the hook

An Associated Press analysis has found that South Dakota taxpayers subsidized Gov. Kristi Noem's cross-country campaigning for President Donald Trump to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars. More than $150,000 in expenses tied to her state-provided security detail appear related to political activity as she boosted her political profile before Trump tapped her to become the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. Read more.   Trump’s promised ‘Liberation Day’ of tariffs is coming. Here’s what it could mean for you President Donald Trump says Wednesday will be “Liberation Day” — a moment when he plans to roll out a set of tariffs that he promises will free the United States from foreign goods. At stake are family budgets, America’s prominence as the world’s leading financial power and the structure of the global economy. Read more.

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Trump says military force not off the table for Greenland after Danish FM scolds his administration

NUUK, Greenland (AP) — The Danish foreign minister on Saturday scolded the Trump administration for its “tone” in criticizing Denmark and Greenland, saying his country is already investing more into Arctic security and remains open to more cooperation with the U.S.

https://apnews.com/article/greenland-denmark-vance-visit-us-base-834785773189f2f12ec6b09f8c5a9321?

ps:What a piece of work this administration is turning out to be!!

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How a Landlord and a Florida PR Firm Helped Trump Kick Off the Tren de Aragua Gang Panic

Trump’s “Operation Aurora” swept up only one suspected gang member — but set the stage for a radical expansion of government power.

https://theintercept.com/2025/03/27/trump-deport-venezuela-gang-tren-de-aragua/?

ps:Exactly!!!!!

Trump’s Pick for Israel Ambassador Leads Tours That Leave Out Palestinians — and Promote End of Days Theology

Trump wants Gaza for real estate deals, but Mike Huckabee’s all-inclusive Israel tours erase Palestinians for a higher purpose.

https://theintercept.com/2025/03/28/mike-huckabee-ambassador-israel-evangelical-christian-tours/?

ICE Got Warrants Under “False Pretenses,” Claims Columbia Student Targeted Over Gaza Protests

The law behind the warrants bars concealment of people in the country illegally, yet the students were legal residents living on campus.

https://theintercept.com/2025/03/28/ice-warrants-columbia-students-gaza-protests/?

ICE Is Erasing Rules That Protected Trans Immigrants

Records reviewed by The Intercept show that ICE altered contracts with immigration detention centers to cut transgender care requirements.

https://theintercept.com/2025/03/27/ice-trans-immigrant-detainees/?

In Trump’s America, You Can Be Disappeared for Writing an Op-Ed

The Trump administration’s detention of Tufts student Rümeysa Öztürk rests on an opinion article she wrote in 2024, her lawyers said in a filing.

https://theintercept.com/2025/03/30/tufts-rumeysa-ozturk-ice-immigration-op-ed/?

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World awaits Trump's tariff revenge

Illustration: Maura Losch/Axios

For the next three days, one man holds the global economy in the palm of his hands, literally and figuratively. And almost no one but him knows what will happen, Axios' Courtenay Brown and Ben Berkowitz write. Why it matters: Every Wall Street trader and economist has "April 2" circled on their calendars. The consensus is that tariffs are coming, but the fear is in the unknown: how aggressive the measures will be. Financial markets hate surprises. Yet that is what the Trump administration looks set to do this week with mixed signals from the president himself about what will happen on Wednesday. The uncertainty, already tanking the stock market and economic sentiment, might be swapped for an unprecedented trade regime that would force businesses to adjust virtually overnight. "[W]e are sort of off the charts in our 'unknowns' inventory," Mark Malek, chief investment officer at Siebert Financial, wrote in a Friday note. ? Zoom in: Trump has warned about reciprocal tariffs for more than six weeks — a wide-ranging plan meant to hit back at nations said to have unfair trade practices. He has called it "Liberation Day," saying the tariffs would free American exporters that have been ripped off by other countries' trade restrictions, which the administration defines loosely. ? Peter Navarro, the White House senior counselor for trade and manufacturing, told Shannon Bream on "Fox News Sunday" yesterday that Trump's tariffs on auto imports, which take effect Wednesday, will raise about $100 billion per year, and additional tariffs will raise about $600 billion per year — "about 6 trillion over a 10-year period." (Watch the video.) ? By the numbers: The S&P 500 is down almost 9% since Feb. 13, when Trump unveiled a memo directing the Commerce Department to look into reciprocal tariffs.

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? American progress in peril

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

The U.S. is freezing research funding, canceling projects, firing thousands of federal scientists and creating an atmosphere of uncertainty that scientists warn could slam the brakes on progress, Axios' Erica Pandey and Alison Snyder write. Why it matters: America has enjoyed decades of dominance in science and technology — plus the economic boom, medical advancements and global influence that come with it. Now, as the U.S.'s global lead is contested and competition for the world's top talent gets stiffer, the Trump administration is disrupting the system that has propelled the country. "There are some immediate effects. People will be laid off, talent will go elsewhere, some research groups will shut down," says Chris Impey, an astronomer at the University of Arizona. ? Stunning stat: 40% of U.S.-affiliated Nobel Prize winners in the sciences — physics, chemistry and medicine — between 2000 and 2023 were immigrants. Funding resources, top-notch universities, research freedom and a diverse culture that supports innovation are among the factors that have made the U.S. a global magnet for scientists. ? The stakes: The U.S. could see a two-fold brain drain: fewer foreign scientists coming to America, and American talent heading to other countries. The upheaval has also been an opportunity for China and Russia: Both are trying to recruit former federal scientists. Universities and research centers in Europe are earmarking money to hire U.S. scientists. ? What they're saying: White House and DOGE officials argue changes to the system will boost research, not stifle it. For example, they say funding switch-ups, like cutting the dollars NIH provides institutions for overhead costs, will free up more funds for science. But universities say these administrative costs are a critical piece of conducting research.

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? Musk hands out $1M checks

Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images Elon Musk rocks a cheesehead during a Green Bay rally before tomorrow's Wisconsin state Supreme Court election. He gave out $1 million checks to two voters, and said the election was critical to Trump's agenda and "the future of civilization." "The reason for the checks is ... really just to get attention," Musk told the crowd. "It causes the legacy media to, like, kinda lose their minds. And then they'll run it on every news channel. ... It would cost, like, 10 times more ... to get the kind of coverage that it gets." (30-sec. video) Musk tosses a cheesehead into the crowd. Photo: Jeffrey Phelps/AP Musk and groups he supports have spent more than $20 million to help conservative favorite Brad Schimel. Go deeper.

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? Trump's third-term tease

President Trump told NBC News "there are methods" by which he could serve a third term in the White House — a highly improbable idea some MAGA allies have endorsed.

• "No I'm not joking. I'm not joking," Trump told "Meet the Press" moderator Kristen Welker in a phone interview from Florida.

Reality check: There's no chance the required two-thirds of Congress and three-quarters of the states would vote to abolish the 22nd Amendment.

✈️ Talking to reporters aboard Air Force One last night, Trump said:

"I don't even want to talk about a third term now, because no matter how you look at it, you've got a long time to go. ... We have almost four years to go and that's a long time. But despite that, so many people are saying: You've got to run again."

Go deeper.

Trump's first foreign visit

President Trump plans to travel to Saudi Arabia in mid-May on his first foreign trip since returning to the White House, Axios' Barak Ravid and Alex Isenstadt scoop.

• Why it matters: Trump's decision to go to Saudi Arabia on his first foreign trip signals how close the relationship between the Trump administration and Gulf countries has become, especially when it comes to economic cooperation and investment.

? Between the lines: Trump's first foreign trip during his previous term was also to Saudi Arabia, at roughly the same time.

• Keep reading.

 

Trump 3rd term

President Trump once again floated the idea of seeking a third term in office and reiterated that he was “not joking.” The 22nd Amendment of the Constitution forbids such an action, noting: “No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice.” Yet, in a telephone interview with NBC News on Sunday, Trump claimed “a lot of people” want him to do it. When asked if there were strategies on the table for such a run, he said, “There are methods which you could do it.” Tennessee Republican Rep. Andy Ogles has already introduced legislation to change the text of the 22nd Amendment to allow a president who serves nonconsecutive terms to serve a third, four-year term. Repealing or changing the 22nd Amendment would require two-thirds votes in the House and Senate and ratification by three-quarters of the states.

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Trump increasingly asks the Supreme Court to overrule judges blocking key parts of his agenda As losses mount in lower federal courts, President Donald Trump has returned to a tactic that he employed at the Supreme Court with remarkable success in his first term. Three times in the past week, and six since Trump took office a little more than two months ago, the Justice Department has asked the conservative-majority high court to step into cases much earlier than usual. Read more.

Why this matters: The administration’s use of the emergency appeals, or shadow docket, comes as it faces more than 130 lawsuits over the Republican president’s flurry of executive orders. Many of the lawsuits have been filed in liberal-leaning parts of the country as the court system becomes ground zero for pushback to his policies.   Federal judges have ruled against the administration more than 40 times, issuing temporary restraining orders and preliminary injunctions, the Justice Department said Friday in a Supreme Court filing. The issues include birthright citizenship changes, federal spending, transgender rights and deportations under a rarely used 18th-century law.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Trump says he’s considering ways to serve a third term as president   Appeals court clears way for DOGE to keep operating at USAID   Appeals court rules Trump can fire board members of independent labor agencies   Federal judge blocks Trump from dismantling Consumer Financial Protection Bureau   Voice of America wins in court, for now, as judge blocks Trump administration from firing staff   Most US Institute of Peace workers get late-night word of their mass firing   US Naval Academy ends affirmative action in admissions   Trump’s FCC commissioner opens investigation into Walt Disney Co. and ABC for diversity policies   Trump administration investigates Maine for claims of withholding gender transitions from parents   Trump administration cancels clean energy grants as it prioritizes fossil fuels   Trump commutes the sentence of Ozy Media co-founder Carlos Watson in financial conspiracy case   Trump finds fault with both Putin and Zelenskyy as he tries to push for deal to end war in Ukraine   Immigrant students and scholars are being detained at remote facilities in Louisiana over objections   Columbia University’s interim president steps down and returns to former post   Trump roars down multiple paths of retribution as he vowed. Some targets yield while others fight   Hegseth’s younger brother is serving in a key role as liaison and senior adviser inside the Pentagon   North Carolina judge challenging outcome of race wore Confederate uniform in college photo

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US Farmers Suffer Under Trump

American farmers are reportedly facing growing challenges from federal tariffs. Retaliatory measures from Canada, Mexico, and China have worsened the situation, increasing costs and reducing demand for exports. Retaliatory tariffs are expected to harm crops such as almonds, tomatoes, and cotton.

https://www.newsbreak.com/news/3942386446137-us-farmers-suffer-under-trump?

Trump is stronger on immigration and weaker on trade, an AP-NORC poll finds

WASHINGTON (AP) — Immigration remains a strength for President Donald Trump, but his handling of tariffs is getting more negative feedback, according to a poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

https://apnews.com/article/trump-poll-immigration-tariffs-trade-b7a430909606d6b8b27cfbc5049a32b4?

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Justice Department instructed to dismiss legal challenge to Georgia election law

ATLANTA (AP) — U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi on Monday instructed the Justice Department to dismiss a lawsuit challenging a sweeping election overhaul that Georgia Republican lawmakers passed in the wake of President Donald Trump’s 2020 election loss in the state.

https://apnews.com/article/georgia-election-law-legal-challenge-232c5d05db604aed31beb9e717f745f9?

ps:But of course! Why not!!

Trump keeps talking about running for a third term. The US Constitution says that can’t happen

President Donald Trump has just started his second term, his last one permitted under the U.S. Constitution. But he’s already started talking about serving a third one.

https://apnews.com/article/trump-third-term-constitution-22nd-amendment-538c4e09fc2898c11a499513ee0d498c?

More Canadians shun U.S. travel

Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios

Canadians' desire to visit the U.S. is absolutely tanking, Axios' Alex Fitzpatrick reports. Advance bookings for Canada-U.S. flights between April and September are down over 70% compared to this time last year, according to aviation data firm OAG. Airlines are reducing transborder capacity — a strong signal that they, too, are seeing (or at least predicting) less demand. ? By the numbers: A mere 10% drop in Canadian visitors could cost U.S. businesses as much as $2.1 billion in revenue, according to travel news site The Points Guy. Data: Financial Modeling Prep. Chart: Axios Visuals ✈️ The big picture: Airline stocks are suffering mightily amid economic uncertainty and the prospect of continued trade wars. Delta, United and American Airlines are all down around 30%–40% so far this year. Several major airlines, including Delta and American, previously warned of soft first quarters amid weakening consumer demand. ? What we're watching: Reluctance to visit the U.S. this summer may not be a strictly Canadian phenomenon. Travel message boards and chat groups have lit up recently with worries about being detained upon entering the U.S.

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Trump administration sued over effort to dismantle federal unions

The National Treasury Employees union filed suit against the Trump administration in federal court in Washington, D.C., on Monday, over the White House order eliminating collective bargaining rights for two-thirds of the federal workforce.

https://www.axios.com/2025/03/31/trump-federal-unions-dismantled-lawsuit?

Targeting activists

Nearly a dozen students and faculty members at colleges across the US have been detained by federal agents amid the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration. Most of them are pro-Palestinian — and they’re seeing their rights called into question.   Power of perception Losing your job can damage your physical and mental health, especially when you see the situation as a catastrophe rather than a temporary setback. These are the things you can do to minimize the harm.