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

[phkrause]

Abrego Garcia

Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the Maryland man who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador and detained in the country’s notorious CECOT prison, has been moved to another detention center. Sen. Chris Van Hollen met with Abrego Garcia last week and said he was traumatized by his incarceration. “He said he was not afraid of the other prisoners in his immediate cell but that he was traumatized by being at CECOT and fearful of many of the prisoners in other cell blocks who called out to him and taunted him in various ways,” the Maryland Democrat told reporters after landing back in the US. Although the Supreme Court said the Trump administration must “facilitate” Abrego Garcia’s return, so far it has refused to do so. Harvard Harvard University’s battle with the Trump administration may have escalated over a letter it should never have received. According to a report in The New York Times, the letter outlined a slew of demands, which, if not followed, would result in a loss of federal funding. When Harvard responded by refusing to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion policies, audit the viewpoints of students, faculty and staff and alter rules for on-campus protests, the Trump administration froze $2.2 billion in federal grants. The Department of Homeland Security canceled two federal grants worth $2.7 million and threatened to strip Harvard of its ability to enroll international students. The IRS is also making plans to rescind the university’s tax-exempt status. However, two people familiar with the matter say the letter was “unauthorized” and shouldn't have been sent. “Even assuming the Administration now wishes to take back its litany of breathtakingly intrusive demands, it appears to have doubled down on those demands through its deeds in recent days. Actions speak louder than words,” a Harvard spokesperson said in a statement.

[phkrause]

How Trump Is Helping Price Gougers Exploit His Tariffs

The day after President Donald Trump announced his sweeping “Liberation Day” tariffs, pricing guru Craig Zawada held an urgent summit for his clients. The global economy was roiling with anxiety, and stocks were in a tailspin, but Zawada had a more hopeful message to impart: For the businesses deploying his company’s “smart pricing” software, this was a rare opportunity.

https://www.levernews.com/how-trump-is-helping-price-gougers-exploit-his-tariffs/?

ps:I can't believe I'm gonna say it once again, It just gets better and better!!!!!

[phkrause]

Trump’s $239 Million Inauguration Haul Is Officially the Biggest Presidential Suck-Up in History

The president has rewarded corporate America’s record donations with tariffs, trade wars and recession fears.

President Donald Trump raised a record-shattering $239 million for his inauguration fund from donors eager to please the famously transactional president-elect.

Trump himself had set the previous record—$107 million—in 2017. For January’s events, about 140 people and companies gave $1 million or more, The New York Times reported.

The Trump-Vance Inaugural Committee was required by law to report the donations to the Federal Election Commission, but did not have to report how the money was used—or spend it in any specific way.

That made inaugural fund donations the perfect vehicle for currying favor with the administration.

At the time, tech giants Meta, Amazon, and Google made a point of publicly announcing their $1 million donations in the lead-up to the events, the Times reported. OpenAI’s Sam Altman and Apple CEO Tim Cook personally donated $1 million each.

Now, a new election commission filing reveals that campaign mega donor Elon Musk’s tech investor friends John Hering, Ken Howery, and Keith Rabois also gave $1 million each. Trump’s pick for ambassador to Britain, Warren Stephens, donated $4 million the same day Trump announced his ambassadorship nomination, according to the Times.

Other major corporate donors included JP Morgan Chase, Delta Air Lines and Target, all of which gave at least $1 million. The biggest donations came from the poultry producer Pilgrim’s, which gave $5 million, and the crypto company Ripple Inc., which gave nearly as much.

The committee actually refunded about $6 million in donations because some of the events were so full that seven-figure donors couldn’t get in, according to the Times.

Tech billionaires including Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, and Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos were rewarded for their fealty with prime seats for the president’s inauguration ceremony in the Capitol Rotunda.

They don’t seem to have received much in the way of a return on their investments, The New York Times reported earlier this month.

Thanks to the president’s trade war, Amazon, Apple, Google, Meta, and Microsoft have lost trillions of dollars in combined market value since January, as Trump’s tariffs promise to drive up the prices of many of their products.

The government has also refused to drop its landmark antitrust case against Meta, and has slashed federal funding for research into emerging technologies like quantum computing and artificial intelligence.

Executives may have hoped that flattery and seven-figure donations might earn them special treatment from Trump, but so far, the relationship has been a “one-way street,” a former Federal Communications Commission official told the Times.

The 2025 inaugural committee hasn’t said how much money it spent on Trump’s inauguration weekend, but even with the various events planned, inauguration expenses have never come anywhere near $250 million, the paper reported.

Trump’s allies have said the rest of the money will be funneled to the president’s other sponsored projects, including a presidential library. The $346 million raised by his two inaugural committees is more than every other committee combined since 1973.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/donald-trumps-239-million-inauguration-was-officially-the-biggest-presidential-suck-up-in-history/?

[phkrause]

White House voices support for Hegseth as a new Signal chat revelation stirs fresh Pentagon turmoil

The White House expressed support Monday for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth following media reports that he shared sensitive military details in another Signal messaging chat, this time with his wife and brother. Read More.   Trump's Transportation Department reverses traffic safety stance on 'road diets' Removing lanes to slow down speeding drivers is a long-embraced strategy for improving safety on city streets. The practice known as road diets has proven to reduce accidents. Now President Donald Trump's administration is heading in another direction. Read More.

[phkrause]

Trump to attend Pope Francis' funeral

President Trump plans to attend Pope Francis' funeral, he said today on Truth Social.

• He ordered flags flown at half-staff in Francis' honor.
• Vice President Vance met with the late pope yesterday — one of his last meetings before his death at age 88.

✝️ What's next: A conclave to select the next pope will begin within the next few weeks.

• Francis appointed 80% of the cardinals who will elect his successor.
• Early speculation has focused on several European cardinals who were close to Francis, as well as potential candidates from Africa and Southeast Asia, per The New York Times (gift link).

How it works:

Infographic: Maura Losch/Axios

[phkrause]

Trump stands by Hegseth

"He's doing a great job," President Trump said today when asked whether he still has confidence in Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth — after reports of a second Signal chat in which Hegseth shared sensitive military information.

• Trump called worries over Hegseth's sharing of sensitive information "a waste of time."

? What they're saying: White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt doubled down, saying on X, "As the President said this morning, he stands strongly behind" Hegseth.

• She called an NPR report saying the White House is looking for a new secretary of defense to replace him "FAKE NEWS based on one anonymous source who clearly has no idea what they are talking about."

Go deeper.

ps:Of course he does!!!!!

[phkrause]

Hegseth's siege mentality

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is locked in open warfare with his own Pentagon, a hotbed of distrust and dysfunction that commands the most powerful military on the face of the Earth, Axios' Zachary Basu writes.

• Why it matters: No Trump Cabinet official has endured more turmoil in less time than Hegseth, who survived a nasty confirmation battle only to be burned — again and again — by leaks, blunders and now backlash from his own handpicked aides.

President Trump so far is standing firmly behind Hegseth, a former Fox News host tapped to lead a radical overhaul of the largest and most complex agency in the U.S. government.

• But inside the Pentagon, the knives are out — testing Trump's tolerance for chaos when it's not his own.

? Zoom in: Hegseth, whose on-camera talent helped endear him to Trump, yesterday attacked "disgruntled former employees," "the fake news media," "slash-and-burn Democrats" and journalistic "hoaxsters" for reports of a second Signal chat that included sensitive information about a March airstrike in Yemen.

• Just days earlier, three top Pentagon officials — including two of Hegseth's closest aides — were fired after an investigation into alleged leaks. All three vigorously deny the accusations.
• "What a big surprise that a few leakers get fired and suddenly a bunch of hit pieces come out from the same media that peddled the Russia hoax," Hegseth said at the White House Easter Egg Roll.

"This is what the media does," he continued, turning to look directly into the camera.

• "They take anonymous sources from disgruntled former employees, and then they try to slash and burn people and ruin their reputations. Not going to work with me."

? Reality check: Former Pentagon spokesman John Ullyot, who resigned just last week, didn't hide behind anonymity when he uncorked his "Month from Hell" op-ed in Politico on Sunday, suggesting Trump should fire Hegseth.

• Ullyot said the Pentagon has been in "full-blown meltdown" for the past month — and that more "bombshell" leaks should be expected.

Via X

? "This is what happens when the entire Pentagon is working against you," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News.

• Leavitt's quote was then amplified by the Defense Department's rapid-response account on X — with "ENTIRE" in all-caps.

The extraordinary claim — that the nerve center of American military power is actively working to sabotage its own civilian leader — reflects the depth of suspicion that has taken root inside the Pentagon.

[phkrause]

More Democratic lawmakers are visiting El Salvador on Abrego Garcia’s behalf Four House Democrats have traveled to El Salvador to call attention to the plight of a man the Trump administration deported to a Salvadoran prison and has refused to help return. The group said they hoped to continue to pressure authorities for his release, and that their petition to meet with  Kilmar Abrego Garcia was denied. Read more.

Why this matters: Rather than debate President Donald Trump’s hard-line immigration policy or the merits of the administration’s invocation of national security to carry out deportations, Democratic lawmakers are zeroing in on the issue of due process, with some noting that the Supreme Court and lower court federal judges found Abrego Garcia was deported without a proper hearing.    Administration officials have said in court filings that Abrego Garcia was deported in error. Despite a Supreme Court ruling that ordered the Trump administration to facilitate Abrego Garcia’s return, the administration has said it has no power to bring him back, a position being scrutinized by federal courts as potentially in violation of judicial rulings.   Abrego Garcia’s protected legal status prohibited him from being deported to El Salvador. He was deported on one of three planes filled with migrants accused of being gang members. Chris Newman, a lawyer representing the deportee, added that his primary concern was Abrego Garcia’s access to counsel. “We know nothing of Mr. Abrego Garcia’s whereabouts since the staged photo op on Thursday with Senator Van Hollen,” Newman said. “We demand to immediately know where he is and to have access to him.”

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Wife of detained Columbia activist says her husband was denied release for his son’s birth   Some GOP states are targeting driver’s licenses issued to immigrants illegally in the US    Federal judge orders US to restore visas of 2 international students in Oregon

[phkrause]

Why Pete Hegseth Is Just the Tip of the Lunacy and Chaos Iceberg

The secretary of defense must be fired, but he’s not the only one.

The past three months have shown that if a problem surfaces within the Trump administration, it is almost invariably worse than it seems.

Few examples better illustrate this than the current troubles of our Defense Department Ken: Pete Hegseth. (Proud of yourselves, Princeton?)

Not only did Hegseth’s role in Signalgate 1.0, in which he recklessly shared top secret information that put U.S. troops at risk, lead to Signalgate 2.0, in which he did the very same thing in the very same really dumb and dangerous way, but these two transgressions have occurred alongside multiple other examples of scandal and chaos within the Defense Department that all can be traced to the blundering of Hegseth himself.

Therefore, it is appropriate that these scandals might collectively be called “Hegsethgate.”

It has gotten so bad that NPR reports that the White House is already looking for his replacement. (Secretary of Defense Laura Loomer anyone?)

One former senior Pentagon official even penned a bombshell editorial Sunday describing “chaos” and “dysfunction” at the Pentagon since Hegseth’s arrival.

The president said on Monday that Hegseth is “doing a great job.” But as any follower of Trump knows, when he says he’s got your back, check for knives.

He could be dispatched by the swift blow of the executioner’s Truth Social post the moment Trump feels the secretary of defense is a drag on his “popularity.”

Clearly he should be. Hegseth should never have been nominated, never confirmed and now he himself has left no doubt that he should be fired.

More importantly, however, Hegseth’s glib goatf--kery and all that goes with it is actually just one of a series of alarming developments during President Trump’s first 100 days that, taken together, represent a deepening and unprecedented national security crisis for the United States.

At every level of the Trump national security apparatus there are developments that suggest that America’s standing as a superpower is in jeopardy, our safety and that of our allies is at risk, and that day-by-day as we become weaker, our enemies and rivals are being made stronger by the actions of the president and his team.

Just this past weekend, the New York Times reported that Trump’s team was planning a “drastic overhaul” of the State Department via executive order that would do serious damage to our ability to advance and defend our interests worldwide. While the secretary of state has taken to social media to say that the Times report is a “hoax,” there is no reason to believe he is telling the whole truth.

The steps enumerated in the draft executive order (which I’ve read) include eliminating current regional bureaus and replacing them with four super-bureaus covering larger regions of the world, getting rid of or shrinking all or most programs that promote democracy, international institutions, combat climate change, support women’s issues, and advance U.S. public diplomacy (including valuable cultural diplomacy initiatives and much of what was good about the Fulbright Program).

Could Rubio be right and the document be an inaccurate reflection of the final White House plan to remake the oldest Cabinet department, the one responsible for our foreign policy? Sure. Might the document have been a trial balloon? Possibly. But will big changes be coming? Of course.

While the State Department bureaucracy is too large and could use some reorganizing, nearly everything announced, planned, or leaked by the Trump administration is worrisome. Not only will the steps dramatically reduce our ability to shape and anticipate global developments, they will make it much harder for American companies and individuals abroad to have the support of their governments as the companies and citizens of other countries get from theirs.

Further, Trump administration actions have already created openings for our rivals, like China and Russia, to make gains internationally. China is already offering aid programs to replace those once offered by the U.S.—thus strengthening their influence and underscoring how unreliable we have become.

In addition, one of the steps described in the NY Times article about the draft EO is eliminating or vastly reducing the U.S. diplomatic presence (including many embassies) around the world and especially in sub-Saharan Africa. This is profoundly short-sighted. It will be greeted by toasts and laughter in Moscow and China. It will not only create opportunities for them but it will dramatically reduce the cost of their competition with us.

Another vital element of our national security establishment is the National Security Council. I’ve written two histories of the NSC and met with nearly every one of our national security advisers who was alive in my lifetime. I can honestly say that the current NSC, led by Mike Waltz, represents the absolute nadir of influence the organization has had since the 1960s. (Which is when it became an important organization.)

I said as much to the New York Times in an article about the weakness of the NSC under Waltz just the other day. The headline of the article described the situation we are in accurately, saying “Under Trump, National Security Guardrails Vanish.”

A sign of the weakness of the NSC is that Waltz himself was nearly fired for being the man behind Signalgate 1.0. His influence has waned so much that when Laura Loomer, a right wing crackpot with zero national security experience, suggested Trump fire several NSC staffers, he did. Which is saying something since Trump seldom listens to advisers like Waltz, Rubio or Hegseth.

The problems go deeper. Far too deep to be covered in a single article. Attacking alliances like NATO hurts us. Cutting aid to Ukraine hurts us. Pulling out of international organizations and ignoring international treaties hurts us. Undercutting the trust we have built around the world has been a devastating blow, depriving us of what I would consider our number one strategic advantage.

To add insult to injury, top Trump national security officials are saying and doing damaging and sometimes even crazy things on a daily basis. To offer just one example, see the comments this past week by White House counterterrorism chief Sebastian Gorka saying that anyone who criticized Trump’s rendition of scores of people to an El Salvador concentration camp without benefit of due process was themselves supporting terrorists and therefore subject to prosecution.

For those of you who are not national security professionals, let me summarize by saying: Lunacy, chaos, ignorance and incompetence are like sulfuric acid eating away at the foundations of our national strength. We grow weaker and more at risk daily. Our enemies and rivals grow stronger at our expense. The team in place to protect neither realizes that we have a problem nor that they are a central part of that problem.

In 1838, a 29-year-old Abraham Lincoln anticipated the origins of this crisis when he said in a speech in Springfield, Illinois: “At what point then is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer, if it ever reach us, it must spring up amongst us. It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide.”

He was right.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/hegseths-pentagon-crisis-is-so-much-worse-than-you-think/?

[phkrause]

Trump touts manufacturing while undercutting state efforts to help factories

Tariffs, spending cuts and the winding down of state-based manufacturing aid could hurt small factories.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2025/04/22/trump-touts-manufacturing-while-undercutting-state-efforts-to-help-factories/?

ps:Exactly!!!!!

Politically Connected Firms Benefit From Trump Tariff Exemptions Amid Secrecy, Confusion

After President Donald Trump announced sweeping new tariffs earlier this month, the White House released a list of more than a thousand products that would be exempted.

https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-tariffs-exemptions-pet-lobbyists-asbestos-confusion-secrecy?

Trump Laid Off Nearly All the Federal Workers Who Investigate Firefighter Deaths

The cuts, which are part of Trump’s slashing of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, will also halt a first-of-its-kind study of the causes of thousands of firefighters’ cancer cases.

https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-cuts-firefighter-deaths?

ps:I wonder who is behind that manure? and Who benefits from that?? All I can say is: What a low life this man is!!!!!

Trump's Easter message attacked political opponents, judges, law enforcement and others

Social media users lamented the president's failing to mention Jesus, forgiveness, resurrection or other Easter messages in his Truth Social post.

Claim:

U.S. President Donald Trump posted an Easter 2025 message that attacked political opponents, judges, law enforcement and others.

Rating: True

On Easter 2025, a number of social media users posted an image that they claimed was an authentic Truth Social post by U.S. President Donald Trump. One user (archived) claimed Trump's Easter message attacked "political opponents, migrants, judges, law enforcement, and rambled about himself and his grievances" and failed to mention "Jesus, the cross, the resurrection, forgiveness, peace, joy, or any other Easter message"; other posts (archived, archived) echoed this claim, which also made its way to TikTok. These posts collectively received millions of views. 

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/trump-easter-message-2025/?

ps:Only cares about himself!!

The Government’s Chemical Disaster Tracking Tool Just Went Dark

The chemical lobby demanded Trump make the locations of high-risk chemical plants secret. The EPA did just that.

https://www.levernews.com/the-governments-chemical-disaster-tracking-tool-just-went-dark/

[phkrause]

As controversies pile up, Trump allies increasingly turn on one another

The infighting and backstabbing that plagued President Donald Trump’s first term have returned as a threat to his second, with deepening fissures over trade, national security and questions of personal loyalty. Read More.

Hegseth pulled airstrike info from secure military channel for Signal posts

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pulled the airstrike information he posted into Signal chats with his wife, brother and dozens of others from a secure communications channel used by U.S. Central Command, raising new questions as to whether the embattled Pentagon head leaked classified information over an open, unsecured network. Read More.

US State Department unveils massive overhaul of agency with reduction of staff and bureaus

Secretary of State Marco Rubio unveiled a massive overhaul of the State Department on Tuesday, with plans to reduce staff in the U.S. by 15% while closing and consolidating more than 100 bureaus worldwide as part of the Trump administration’s “America First” mandate. Read More.

US and global economic outlook deteriorates in Trump trade war, IMF says

The U.S. and global economies will likely slow significantly in the wake of President Donald Trump’s tariffs and the uncertainty they have created, the International Monetary Fund said Tuesday. Read More.

[phkrause]

? Signal boost

Illustration: Megan Robinson/Axios

The controversy surrounding Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's decision to share sensitive military plans over Signal is driving waves of new users to encrypted messaging apps. Signal's daily active users grew 13% last month, Axios' Sam Sabin reports. ? "It's definitely skyrocketed," says Ari Andersen, founder and CEO of encrypted chat platform Kibu. "It definitely has accelerated interest and traction on a number of fronts, for sure." Law enforcement, corporate executives and local governments are especially fond of encrypted messaging apps, which offer more security than texting and the ability to automatically delete past messages. Go deeper.

[phkrause]

Trump's "empty shelves" warning

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

The CEOs of three of the nation's biggest retailers — Walmart, Target and Home Depot — privately warned President Trump in an Office meeting on Monday that his tariff and trade policy could disrupt supply chains, raise prices and empty shelves, Axios' Marc Caputo and Ben Berkowitz report. Why it matters: The unvarnished scare seemed to work, officials tell us. For the first time, Trump seems more persuadable that his initial plan was too dangerous and disruptive. This slight shift helps explain why he vowed not to fire Fed chair Jay Powell, and publicly said tariffs on China will come down. "The big-box CEOs flat out told him [Trump] the prices aren't going up, they're steady right now, but they will go up," an administration official familiar with the meeting told Axios. "And this wasn't about food. But he was told that shelves will be empty." Another official briefed on the meeting said the CEOs told Trump disruptions could become noticeable in two weeks. While that was happening, financial markets were slumping — stocks, bonds, the dollar — as investors panicked about Trump's latest threats to oust Fed chair Jerome Powell and step on the central bank's independence. Then yesterday, Trump turned the dial down. His Treasury secretary, then his press secretary, then Trump himself all indicated optimism about a trade deal with China that would result in much lower tariffs than 145%. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told investors yesterday at a private investor summit in Washington that he expects "there will be a de-escalation" in the trade war with China in the "very near future," per CNBC. Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that he had "no intention" of firing Powell, even though his top economic adviser said last week the White House was studying the details of doing exactly that. Markets, having gotten what they wanted, promptly rallied hard. Stocks soared and the dollar surged. ECB = European Central Bank. Via Truth Social ? The intrigue: White House officials bristle at the notion Trump has softened. One senior official said the president was just showing he's ready to make a deal and that he's "optimistic we can move forward." "This is what Donald Trump does. He leads with leverage," the official said. "He gets people to the table. China has expressed interest in negotiation. And the president has made clear that if they play ball, he'll play ball, too." ? The big picture: For the first time since he entered political life, polls show most voters disapprove of Trump's handling of the economy. Inflation — which he claims is nonexistent — is still a little hot, growth is slowing, and manufacturers are losing confidence.

[phkrause]

Trump's broadening deportation plans

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

The Trump administration has teased three new tactics as part of their immigration crackdown, which could expand to include deporting convicted U.S. citizens, Axios' Brittany Gibson writes: Send convicted U.S. citizens to prisons abroad. This has been floated as a spinoff of Trump's deal with El Salvador, where a high-security prison is holding about 300 U.S. immigration detainees that the administration says are suspected criminals and gang members. Put critics of the administration's policies in jeopardy. Some officials say U.S. citizens who criticize administration policies could be charged with crimes, based on the notion that they're aiding terrorists and criminals. Question the authority of court orders. The administration's resistance to returning Kilmar Abrego Garcia has raised questions about how far Trump's team can go in trying to skirt court orders. Keep reading.

[phkrause]

???? Trump's "final offer" for peace deal

Data: ISW/CTP. Map: Axios Visuals The U.S. expects a response from Ukraine today to a peace framework that includes U.S. recognition of Crimea as part of Russia, plus unofficial recognition of Russian control of nearly all areas occupied since the invasion, Axios' Barak Ravid reports. Why it matters: The one-page document the U.S. presented Ukrainian officials in Paris last week describes this as President Trump's "final offer." The White House insists it's ready to walk away if the parties don't make a deal soon. Trump's proposal would require major concessions from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who previously ruled out accepting Russia's occupation of Crimea and parts of four regions in eastern Ukraine. While Russian President Vladimir Putin has reportedly offered to freeze the current front lines to reach a deal, he has previously rejected other elements of the U.S. deal, such as a European peacekeeping force. A source close to the Ukrainian government said Kyiv sees the proposal as highly biased towards Russia: "The proposal says very clearly what tangible gains Russia gets, but only vaguely and generally says what Ukraine is going to get." ? What's next: Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff will travel to Moscow later this week for his fourth meeting with Putin. Full plan: What Russia and Ukraine get.

[phkrause]

⚠️ New data: Pollution hits home

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

Nearly half of Americans are now exposed to potentially dangerous levels of air pollution, Axios' Alex Fitzpatrick writes from a new report. Why it matters: The findings, which predate the current Trump administration, come as the White House is reconsidering EPA rules and regulations meant to curb pollution and promote cleaner air. ? By the numbers: Just over 156 million Americans — 46% of the population — are living in areas with unhealthy levels of ozone or particle pollution, per the American Lung Association's 2025 State of the Air report.

[phkrause]

Trump says he has ‘no intention’ of firing Federal Reserve chair  President Donald Trump said Tuesday he has no plans to fire Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, just days after his statement that he would like to terminate the head of the U.S. central bank caused a stock market selloff. “I have no intention of firing him,” Trump told reporters. Read more.

Why this matters: The U.S. president had previously insinuated otherwise as he said he could fire Powell if he wanted to, having been frustrated by the Fed putting a pause on cuts to short-term interest rates.   Powell has said that Trump’s tariffs are creating uncertainty about slower growth and higher inflationary pressures, while the president maintains that inflationary worries are essentially non-existent. The president maintains that energy and grocery prices are falling, so the Fed should cut its benchmark rates because inflation is no longer a threat to the U.S. economy.   Trump’s remarks indicated that he still plans to pressure a U.S. central bank committed to its mandate of stabilizing prices and maximizing employment. Trump’s frustration led him to post on social media last Thursday: “Powell’s termination cannot come fast enough!” The Fed chair’s term ends in May 2026.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ US Treasury secretary says trade war with China is not ‘sustainable’   Musk says he’ll spend less time in Washington and more time running Tesla after its profit plunges   Gold soars to a new high as economic uncertainty deepens. Here’s what to know   Law firms fighting Trump to ask judges to permanently block executive orders   Federal judge blocks Trump administration from dismantling Voice of America   EPA chief demands that Mexico stop Tijuana sewage from flowing into California   Tennessee lawmakers adjourn after passing bans on DEI initiatives   Judge castigates Trump administration for ‘bad faith’ in Abrego Garcia’s deportation case   US Justice Department drops lawsuit accusing Pennsylvania city of diluting power of Hispanic voters   NYC mayor and Trump border czar tout charges against 27 people in Tren de Aragua case   International students stripped of legal status in the US are piling up wins in court   Orders to leave the country – some for US citizens – sow confusion among immigrants   Interactive: Billionaires, trusted allies, media personalities. These are the people Trump has tapped for top roles   Three more prosecutors resign in aftermath of dismissal of case against NYC mayor   Cory Bowman, Vice President JD Vance’s half brother, runs for Cincinnati mayor   U.S. Rep. Barr enters competitive race to succeed Sen. McConnell in Kentucky   Colorado fights Trump administration bid to help imprisoned loyalist Tina Peters

[phkrause]

The Trump Administration’s War on Children

The clear-cutting across the federal government under President Donald Trump has been dramatic, with mass terminations, the suspension of decades-old programs and the neutering of entire agencies. But this spectacle has obscured a series of moves by the administration that could profoundly harm some of the most vulnerable people in the U.S.: children.

https://www.propublica.org/article/how-trump-budget-cuts-harm-kids-child-care-education-abuse?

"WWE in the hall of the West Wing"

Elon Musk and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent got into a shouting match within earshot of President Trump and senior White House officials last week, Axios' Marc Caputo scoops.

• "It was two billionaire, middle-aged men thinking it was WWE in the hall of the West Wing," one witness said of the argument last Thursday. (Bessent's net worth is actually $520 million.)

? Details: The two were fighting about the IRS. The New York Times first reported Friday that Bessent and Musk had a disagreement over who should lead the IRS. But their chest-to-chest clash has not been reported previously.

• "They were not physical in the Oval, but the president saw it, and then they carried it down the hall, and that's when they did it again," the first witness said.
• Said a second: "It was quite a scene. It was loud. And I mean, loud."

? Why it matters: The clash showed how much Musk's personality and style have rankled some senior administration officials.

• Musk has also had high-profile disputes with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and trade adviser Peter Navarro.
• "Everyone thinks DOGE is great, but Elon's antics are just a bit much," a administration official said.

? What they're saying: "Disagreements are a normal part of any healthy policy process," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a previous statement. "And ultimately everyone knows they serve at the pleasure of President Trump."

• Representatives for Musk and Bessent declined to comment.

Go deeper.

[phkrause]

⚖️ Poll: Trump should follow court rulings

Data: Pew Research; Chart: Jacque Schrag/Axios A slim majority of Americans trust that judges' decisions are impartial — and a bigger majority say the White House should abide by those rulings, Axios' Sareen Habeshian writes from new Pew Research Center polling. 78% of Americans overall believe the Trump administration would have to stop implementing policies that judges say are illegal. That includes 91% of Democrats and 65% of Republicans. Go deeper.

[phkrause]

Trump accuses Zelensky of sabotaging U.S. peace plan for Ukraine

President Trump declared that Volodymyr Zelensky has "no cards to play" in a stinging rebuke after the Ukrainian president rejected his framework for peace.

https://www.axios.com/2025/04/23/trump-attack-zelensky-response-ukraine-peace-plan?

Trump plans dinner for top meme coin holders

The Official Trump meme coin is up nearly 50% Wednesday on news that its biggest holders get to have dinner with Donald Trump, the President of the United States.

https://www.axios.com/2025/04/23/trump-meme-coin-dinner?

[phkrause]

A little-known federal agency is at the center of Trump’s executive order to overhaul US elections

ATLANTA (AP) — Florida’s “hanging chads” ballot controversy riveted the nation during the 2000 presidential contest and later prompted Congress to create an independent commission to help states update their voting equipment.

https://apnews.com/article/trump-elections-voting-executive-order-eac-419ed4db0ea30b69bf47d11647a6b816?

[phkrause]

Black churches back embattled Smithsonian African American history museum after Trump's order

Some Black churches are pledging to support the National Museum of African American History and Culture following an executive order by President Donald Trump alleging exhibits there and at other Smithsonian Institution sites have expressed a “divisive, race-centered ideology.” Critics say Trump is trying to force a distorted narrative that glosses over slavery. Read More.

[phkrause]

Chaos reigns

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

President Trump's penchant for chaos — overload the media, public and government with disorienting action and controversial figures — is consuming ... everything, Axios' Alex Isenstadt and Marc Caputo write. Why it matters: As Trump 2.0 hits 95 days, his less leaky, less back-stabby White House is starting to look more like the first-term one, with a surge in infighting and embarrassing public revelations. ?‍? Zoom in: The administration's biggest headache of the moment is at the Pentagon — awash in firings, leaks and public warnings of ineptitude. The promise of Elon Musk's DOGE is fizzling out, and many administration officials wanted him out of the White House well before he said Tuesday that he'll "significantly" cut back on his government work. Lots of officials are dumping on trade adviser Peter Navarro, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and others for a tariff strategy that provoked a global market meltdown, even though it's really Trump's policy. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is covering his own hide amid a spate of leaks describing him as the economic team's voice of sanity. Oddly, good press can be one way to end up on Trump's bad side. ? Mixed messaging and policy reversals from Trump himself — on tariffs, trying to fire the Fed chair, foreign policy and cuts to federal programs — have left markets, foreign leaders and even some members of his own party reeling. ? Between the lines: "The president thrives in chaos, and that is part of his leadership style," said Marc Short, who was chief of staff to Vice President Mike Pence during Trump's first term. "However, I believe the first administration was more united in its policy objectives, whereas now we get a different explanation daily on trade policy and our position on the Middle East and Ukraine, etc.," Short said. ?‍♂️ "None of it matters. It's all noise," one senior White House official said of the criticism of the administration. Go deeper.

[phkrause]

? Voters tell Trump: MAGA, but not like this

Illustration: Maura Losch/Axios

President Trump has squandered his polling strength on the two issues most fundamental to his re-election: the economy and immigration. Trump's approval rating is cratering not because voters reject his goals — but because they're increasingly alarmed by his methods, Axios' Zachary Basu writes. That disconnect threatens to collapse the two most durable pillars of his political brand. ? On the economy, the single most decisive issue of the 2024 election, Trump's polling has never been worse. A Reuters/Ipsos poll out yesterday found 37% of Americans approve of Trump's handling of the economy — his lowest rating ever, across both terms. A Pew Research Center survey found Trump's overall approval rating has fallen to 40%, while confidence in his economic leadership has dropped to 45% — the lowest since tracking began in 2019. New Gallup polling out this week showed that a majority of Americans, for the first time since at least 2001, believe their economic situation is worsening. ? On immigration, Trump is in a relatively stronger position — but cracks are starting to emerge. Despite a sealed-off border and a wave of high-profile deportations, Trump is now barely above water on his best issue, according to an average of polls by data journalist G. Elliott Morris. 50% of respondents in a YouGov survey said Trump should return Kilmar Abrego Garcia — an immigrant living in Maryland who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador — to the U.S. Just 28% said he shouldn't. Go deeper.

[phkrause]

? "Secret weapon" against colleges

The executive orders President Trump signed yesterday on education included a measure to shake up the college accreditation process — an obscure but important part of higher education.

• Trump has previously described going after accreditors as a "secret weapon" in his campaign against elite universities.

? How it works: Schools must meet accreditors' standards in order to receive federal funding.

• Trump's executive order aims to strip diversity-related requirements out of the accreditation process, and to make it easier to form new accrediting bodies — a process that currently takes years.

? He also signed a separate order creating a federal task force focused on giving students training on AI as early as kindergarten.

• More details ... Read the EO.

 

? Laffer: "Most scary" economic moment

Art Laffer, 84, a conservative economist once praised by President Trump as brilliant and bold, blamed White House trade policy for the "most scary, in-flux" economic moment of his life.

• Laffer, the father of supply-side economics, warned that tariffs and trade barriers could wreak havoc on America's economy.

? "I don't know how anyone looking at the facts could argue that protectionism doesn't create downturns," Laffer told Axios' Courtenay Brown.

• "The more protectionism there is, the greater the downturn. Reducing tariffs and protectionism causes a boom in the economy," he added.

? Between the lines: Laffer is optimistic that Trump — who he called "a great negotiator" and the "single best president of his lifetime" — will notch trade deals and reduce tariffs.

• But the Reagan-era economist is worried about the economic damage in the interim. "Once you screw around with supply chains, production facilities, all of that, it's very hard to reverse that," he said.

Read more.