Week 23 — The Return

This week Trump pushed the boundaries of the legal system, flouting a ruling by the Supreme Court on Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland man who was mistakenly deported. Centering the discussion on this case and other immigration related moves seemed aimed at distracting attention from economic matters, which have dominated the news media after Trump’s so-called Liberation Day. Trump’s polling on trade and fighting inflation are floundering, with 6 in 10 Americans disapproving, while immigration is the one issue on which he is not underwater.

Trump’s immigration moves have become increasingly troubling. In the case of Columbia University’s Mahmoud Khalil, this week it came to light that the regime did not have evidence of direct ties to a terrorist organization (Hamas) as alleged, but rather detained him and seeks to deport him based on his ‘beliefs.’ Similarly, Tufts University’s Rumeysa Ozturk, who was picked up from the streets of Somerville by masked ICE agents, also did not have any ties to terrorist groups, or even acts of antisemitism, so her case seemed to rest on Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s ‘discretion.’

Trump continued his targeting of law firms and colleges; however, this week, he has at long last been met with resistance from the latter. Harvard University stood up to Trump this week, despite billions of the school’s funding being at risk, in a bold statement. Hours later, Columbia University also appeared to reverse course on its capitulation. Meanwhile, a third law firm, Susman Godfrey, sued Trump over his executive order targeting the firm, and won. This, as more white-shoe firms capitulated, offering hundreds of millions of pro-bono hours to escape Trump’s wrath. Notably, all three law firms that have challenged Trump have not only been successful in having his orders blocked, but also have seen irate federal judges express in no uncertain terms their shock and disdain at Trump’s actions.

This week, Trump’s trade war served to highlight his acquisition of unilateral power. Lawsuits filed by a group of small businesses and the state of California challenged his use of emergency powers, but also questioned his usurping of the role of Congress in enacting tariffs. Congress, however, continues to be absent figuratively and literally from pushing back, as members headed out of D.C. for the balance of April. After bold pronouncements by Trump and several members of his regime about 75 countries knocking down our doors to negotiate, the week closed out without a single agreement being reached. Instead, Trump’s uneven and chaotic gestures continue to distress corporate America, Wall Street, and consumers, and U.S. exceptionalism remains at risk.

1. On Wednesday, shortly after 1 PM ET, Trump announced on Truth Social a 90 day pause on his reciprocal tariffs for all countries except China, which had taken effect at 12:01 AM ET, but the 10% blanket tariff will stay in place, days after saying his policies will never change.
2. Trump claimed 75 countries had called to negotiate. He singled out China by raising the duty to 125% over their retaliating, although the European Union had retaliated too. The announcement sent the stocks soaring, with the S&P 500 up 9.5%, one of the biggest daily gains.
3. Asked what explained the sudden shift, Trump told reporters he goes with his gut: “Instinctively, more than anything else. You almost can’t take a pencil to paper.” Historians noted Trump’s unilateral power was more akin to a 19th century European autocrat than a democracy.
4. Democrats asked the Securities and Exchange Commission to investigate whether Trump or any member of his cabinet “engaged in insider trading, market manipulation, or other securities laws violations,” citing Trump’s post hours before: “GREAT TIME TO BUY.”
5. Reporting indicated the spike in treasury yields had been the rationale, which was explained to him by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. WSJ reported that Trump was concerned about sending the economy into a depression, rather than a recession, with which he was okay.
6. On Wednesday, Quinnipiac University polling found 72% of voters believe Trump’s tariffs will hurt the U.S. economy, while 22% believe they will help. Trump’s approval fell to a new low, of 41% approve, 53% disapprove.
7. On Wednesday, Trump signed an executive order revoking security clearances for Christopher Krebs, a cybersecurity expert who oversaw the securing of the 2020 election, and Miles Taylor, a former DHS chief of staff, and directed the DOJ to review their activities while in office.
8. Trump also targeted law firm Susman Godfrey, which represented Dominion Voting Systems in its lawsuits against Fox News, with an executive order with similar sanctions. Susman Godfrey said “there is no question that we will fight this unconstitutional order.”
9. Trump continued his efforts to rewrite the history of his 2020 defeat, and punish those who oppose his 2020 election lies. Trump told reporters of Krebs, he said “‘oh the election was great,’” adding, “He’s the fraud. He’s a disgrace.”
10. Reuters reported U.S. intelligence has opened an investigation into whether the FBI was involved in the planning of the Jan. 6 insurrection, a debunked conspiracy theory spread by the far-right, according to Joseph Kent, chief of staff to Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.
11. On Thursday, Gabbard told Trump at a cabinet meeting that there are “vulnerabilities” in voting systems.
12. At the cabinet meeting, cabinet members took turns lavishing praise on Trump. When asked about the plunging stock market, Trump said, “I haven’t seen it. I’ve been here for two and a half hours.” He said he might extend the pause for another 90 days.
13. Trump also told his cabinet that he is considering using the white shoe law firms that have made agreements with him to give pro bono hours in exchange for avoiding his targeting to negotiate trade deals on behalf of the U.S.
14. Also at the cabinet meeting, Elon Musk, who had at one time promised his so-called DOGE would cut $2 trillion of government spending, said “I’m excited to announce that we anticipate savings in ’26 from reduction of waste and fraud by $150 billion.”
15. An NYT analysis found that even $150 billion is vastly overstated. An analysis of DOGE’s Wall of Receipts found it was including billions of errors, counted spending that will not happen, and made guesses about spending that may not happen.
16. Of the $150 billion listed, $92.2 billion was not itemized. The second largest savings listed, a canceled $1.9 billion contract, was actually canceled by the Biden administration. The third largest was cutting a $1.75 billion payment, but the nonprofit said it was paid in full.
17. WAPO reported DOGE agents have taken control of grants.gov, a federal website that acts as a clearinghouse of information on how to apply for $500 billion in annual awards from several federal agencies. The move will allow DOGE to review and approve proposed grant opportunities.
18. Politico reported that DOGE agents, including Kyle Schutt, Mark Elez, and Edward Coristine (aka “Big Balls”) have embedded themselves into the Department of Homeland Security, and are providing technical infrastructure aimed at revoking parole, terminating visas, and other actions to aid in deportations.
19. On Thursday, U.S. government bonds sold off, the dollar weakened, and stocks sold off sharply. The vice chair of investment bank Evercore ISI called the three happening at once “rare, ugly and worrying.”
20. On Wednesday, Trump’s Department of Justice barred its lawyers from attending American Bar Association events, writing or publishing materials for their publications, or speaking at their events. Senior DOJ officials have typically been featured speakers at ABA events.
21. On Wednesday, in a pair of rulings, federal judges in Texas and New York temporarily barred the Trump regime from deporting Venezuelans jailed in their states while their lawyers challenged the regime’s use of the Aliens Enemies Act in court.
22. On Wednesday, House Republicans passed legislation 219–213 which would bar federal court judges from issuing nationwide injunctions. The legislation has little chance of advancing in the Senate, making it mostly a symbolic gesture to please Trump.
23. AP reported that FBI Director Kash Patel had been removed as acting head of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives at the end of February, days after being sworn in, although he was still listed on the website. He was replaced by the Army secretary.
24. NYT reported the FBI placed analyst Brian Auten, a bureau employee on Patel’s ‘enemies list,’ on administrative leave. No reason was given.
25. A federal prosecutor in California filed a request, under order from Trump’s DOJ, asking a federal judge to release Alexander Smirnov, a former FBI informant convicted on charges of peddling lies about former President Joseph Biden and Hunter Biden.
26. On Wednesday, an appeals court blocked a lower court ruling, saying the Trump regime can fire probationary employees, marking the second federal court ruling to be overturned. Both rulings were on the narrow issue of whether the plaintiffs were harmed enough to sue.
27. On Wednesday, the Republican House and Senate approved a resolution striking down a $5 cap on overdraft fees, undoing a Biden era measure by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureaus, that was set to go into effect in 2025.
28. On Thursday, NYT reported Trump is moving forward on a possible plan to acquire Greenland from Denmark, with input from several cabinet members. The regime is considering advertising and social media campaigns, as well as a $10,000 annual payment to every citizen.
29. The U.S. military dismissed Col. Susan Meyers, the commander of the Greenland base visited by Vice President JD Vance, after a news report citing an email she wrote distancing the base from remarks he made in late March.
30. On Thursday, the House passed the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, which would require those signing up to vote to present proof of U.S. citizenship, and could disenfranchise women voters who are married and changed their name, among other groups.
31. On Thursday, a federal judge, who was a Trump appointee, allowed the regime to move forward with a requirement that every illegal migrant must register with the federal government and carry documentation, ruling the group that filed the lawsuit did not have standing.
32. AP reported the Food and Drug Administration reversed its order from weeks ago ordering employees back to the office, allowing priority staffers to work remotely after a rash of recent layoffs and resignations which could jeopardize basic functions of the agency.
33. In a speech to FDA employees, where 20% of staff are soon to be cut, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said “the deep state is real,” and admonished employees not to reject alternative remedies, which he claimed was because of employees kowtowing to corporations.
34. The Trump regime cut $4 million in federal funding for climate change research at Princeton University, claiming the research promoted “exaggerated and implausible climate threats” and increased “climate anxiety” among young Americans.
35. Drake University’s president said the school was committed to diversity, and planned to expand its DEI programs, despite the Trump regime’s criticism of such efforts.
36. WAPO reported that Cornell University received stop-work orders on 75 research grants from the Defense Department, with no reason given. Many of the country’s most prestigious schools have learned about the Trump regime’s planned cuts on social media, Fox News, or via email.
37. University of Pennsylvania and Brown University have yet to receive any notifications or explanations, after social media posts said cuts were coming. Only Harvard and Columbia received formal letters. Harvard and Princeton announced they would sell bonds to finance shortfalls.
38. The Trump regime’s Education Department threatened to cut all federal funding to public schools in Maine and pursue “enforcement actions,” after Maine Gov. Janet Mills ignored Trump’s executive order banning transgender athletes from girls’ sports teams.
39. Mills maintains that the state’s human rights law, which prohibits discrimination based on gender identity, can only be changed by the state’s legislature. In a letter, the state’s assistant AG said Maine would not agree to change its law.
40. The DOJ sued Maine on Wednesday. Attorney General Pam Bondi said at a news conference that allowing “even one” transgender athlete to compete was too many.
41. NYT reported that Trump may seek to have a federal judge approve oversight over the deal it reaches with Columbia University, allowing the regime to continue to exert power over the school for years. The desired consent decree could serve as a model for other schools.
42. On Friday, the American Association of University Professors and the Harvard faculty chapter of the group sued the Trump regime over its threat to cut $9 billion in federal funding from Harvard, saying it violates free speech and other First Amendment rights.
43. On Monday, in a letter to the Trump regime, Harvard said it would not comply with the policy changes demanded by the regime. Lawyers for Harvard said the school “is not prepared to agree to demands that go beyond the lawful authority of this or any administration.”
44. In a statement, Harvard’s president said, “No government — regardless of which party is in power — should dictate what private universities can teach, whom they can admit and hire, and which areas of study and inquiry they can pursue.”
45. NYT reported that Harvard had considered negotiating with the Trump regime on some simple demands, but that on Friday night, the regime had sent a five page document with additional demands which would impact operations, admissions, hiring, faculty, and student life.
46. Former Harvard president Lawrence Summers said, “This is what Joe McCarthy was trying to do magnified ten- or 100-fold,” adding that “it runs directly against the university’s role in a free society.”
47. On Monday, the Trump regime announced it would freeze $2.2 billion in multi-year grants to Harvard, and said in a statement, “Harvard’s statement today reinforces the troubling entitlement mindset that is endemic in our nation’s most prestigious universities and colleges.”
48. Trump also threatened on Tuesday to revoke Harvard’s tax-exempt status, posting on Truth Social, “Perhaps Harvard should lose its Tax Exempt Status and be Taxed as a Political Entity if it keeps pushing political, ideological, and terrorist inspired/supporting ‘Sickness?’”
49. On Monday, hours after Harvard’s statement, Columbia University’s acting president said in a note to campus the school would not allow the Trump regime to “require us to relinquish our independence and autonomy,” while talks continue.
50. She added the school would “reject heavy-handed orchestration” from the regime that could “damage our institution and undermine useful reforms,” and said she would reject any agreement that dictates “what we teach, research, or who we hire.”
51. WAPO reported after the regime slashed the Education Department’s workforce, college financial aid and grant programs have experienced major outages, unanswered calls, and other disruptions that make it harder for students to access aid they need for college.
52. Steven Banks, the leader of the pro bono practice at Paul, Weiss has resigned over the firm’s capitulation to Trump. Elizabeth Grossman, a former associate, organized an open letter signed by 170 alumni to Chair Brad Karp, calling the decision to settle “cowardly.”
53. On Friday, five more white shoe law firms, Kirkland & Ellis, Latham & Watkins, A&O Shearman, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett and Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft made deals with Trump to each provide upwards of $100 million in pro bono hours for causes Trump supports.
54. On Tuesday, a federal judge blocked Trump’s order retaliating against Susman Godfrey, the third such ruling in three challenges, calling Trump’s targeting of law firms “a shocking abuse of power.”
55. The judge added the order “seeks to control who law firms are allowed to represent. This immensely oppressive power threatens the very foundations of legal representation in our country.” Susman said in a statement, “This fight is bigger and more important than any one firm.”
56. Gannett, the country’s largest newspaper chain, said it would stop publishing diversity and demographic information about its workforce, and remove any mention of diversity on its corporate website, citing Trump’s executive order.
57. The Air Force Academy said it would stop considering sex, race, or ethnicity in its admissions process, in response to a DOJ lawsuit accusing the academy of “discrimination” for using diversity in admissions. The Naval Academy took a similar step in March.
58. The Des Moines Register reported 19 Republican attorneys general urged Costco in a letter to end “unlawful discrimination … through DEI policies.” Iowa’s AG said she was continuing to hold talks to pressure Costco, which has upheld its DEI programs.
59. On Thursday, WAPO reported the National Endowment for the Humanities employees received a reduction-in-force notice. A union representing the NEH said that “almost 75 percent of the staff should prepare” for reductions.
60. Experts say the cuts will essentially end grant funding, without enough staff to administer them. The regime has eliminated 1,200 grants for culture and humanities. The step to essentially dismantle the agency is the latest move in Trump’s efforts to reshape the country’s culture.
61. NYT reported the Trump White House refuses to respond to some journalists who have pronouns in their email signatures. The move follows the regime formally barring federal employees from using their pronouns in email signatures, calling it a misguided “gender ideology.”
62. The ACLU sued the Defense Department over the banning of books in the school system for children of military families in response to Trump’s executive order, saying the ban infringes on students’ First Amendment rights.
63. NBC News reported the Department of Homeland Security has formed a task force which is scouring the social media pages and histories of the 1.5 million students in the U.S. on visas, looking for grounds to revoke their visas. They are also checking for criminal convictions.
64. Red flags are shared with Citizenship and Immigration Services, which then asks the State Department to make a determination if the student’s visa should be revoked. The Council on American-Islamic Relations, a Muslim civil rights group, compared the move to “McCarthyism.”
65. Newsweek reported that more than 500 students have had their visas revoked, including 53 in Texas. One expert warned that a “tsunami” of lawsuits was coming.
66. On Thursday, the Supreme Court ruled that the Trump regime must work to facilitate bringing Maryland man Kilmar Abrego Garcia back to the U.S., in an unsigned order with no noted dissent.
67. The ruling was ambiguous, siding with Judge Paula Xinis that the Trump regime should do what it could to “facilitate” Abrego Garcia’s release, but did not provide specific steps.
68. On Friday, Judge Xinis slammed DOJ deputy AG Drew Ensign, after he told her he did “not have the information” on Abrego Garcia’s whereabouts. Earlier in the day, the DOJ had tried to delay the hearing until next week, but Xinis decided to move ahead.
69. Xinis told Ensign, “From now until compliance, [I am] going to require daily statuses, daily updates,” adding the updates must come from officials with personal knowledge of his status, location, and steps being taken by the regime to facilitate his return.
70. On Saturday, the Trump regime said in a filing that Abrego Garcia is “alive and secure in that facility,” and is under “the sovereign, domestic authority of El Salvador.” No information about his return was offered.
71. On Sunday, Rubio said the U.S. government had sent 10 members of two gangs — MS-13 and Tren de Aragua — to El Salvador late Saturday, adding the alliance between Trump and Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele had “become an example for security and prosperity in our hemisphere.”
72. Trump posted on Truth Social, “These barbarians are now in the sole custody of El Salvador, a proud and sovereign Nation. And their future is up to President B and his Government.”
73. On Sunday, the Trump regime again defied Judge Xinis, saying in a legal filing, “The federal courts have no authority to direct the executive branch to conduct foreign relations in a particular way, or engage with a foreign sovereign in a given manner.”
74. On Monday, Trump hosted Bukele at the White House. Bukele, who has referred to himself as the world’s “coolest dictator,” was ostracized by the Biden administration. Trump has normalized him on the global stage, and in their joint appearance, agreed on political issues.
75. Asked by reporters if he would return Abrego Garcia to the U.S., Bukele said he didn’t “have the power to return him to the United States,” adding, “I smuggle him into the United States? Of course I’m not going to do it.”
76. Trump reiterated his openness to sending U.S. citizens to prisons in El Salvador if they commit violent crimes, saying, “If it’s a homegrown criminal, I have no problem,” adding, “We’re studying the laws right now, Pam [Bondi, the attorney general] is studying.”
77. On Monday, Trump senior adviser Stephen Miller falsely claimed on Fox News that Abrego Garcia “was not mistakenly sent to El Salvador,” claiming the DOJ lawyer “who has since been relieved of duty, a saboteur, a Democrat, put into a filing, incorrectly.”
78. The DOJ fired Erez Reuveni, the career immigration lawyer who had spoken with candor at an earlier hearing in Xinis’ court.
79. Attorney General Pam Bondi falsely claimed on Fox News that an immigration court and an appellate court had “ruled” that Abrego Garcia was a member of MS-13. Abrego Garcia was never charged or convicted of being a member of the gang.
80. She claimed that the Supreme Court ruling meant the U.S. government would need to help Abrego Garcia’s return, such as by providing a plane, but only if Bukele decided to send him back to the U.S.
81. Bondi broke with Trump on jailing U.S. citizens convicted of crimes in El Salvador, saying, “We’re not going to let them go anywhere, and if we have to build more prisons in our country, we will do it.”
82. On Tuesday, Xinis scolded Trump’s DOJ in a court hearing, saying, “the record reflects that Defendants have done nothing at all” to return Abrego Garcia, and left open the possibility of a contempt ruling.
83. Xinis set up a two week discovery period, during which she said they would move fast and no vacation days would be granted, where the DOJ would produce daily records and sworn answers about the U.S. government’s attempts to bring Abrego Garcia back.
84. Despite a court order from a federal judge, the AP was barred from the Oval Office event with Bukele. Later in the day, two AP photographers were admitted to an outdoor event with ample space honoring Ohio State football.
85. Days prior, a federal judge, who was a Trump appointee, rejected the regime’s request to reinstate a block on the AP in a harsh ruling, saying the DOJ’s motion “fails on the law,” and adding, “But it also misconstrues the facts,” saying the DOJ “cherry picked” facts.
86. Later Monday, when the list of reporters in Tuesday’s press pool was released, the AP was again excluded, in violation of the court’s order.
87. On Tuesday, the White House admitted the AP into an event for the first time since Feb. 11, but announced White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt “shall retain day-to-day discretion to determine composition of the pool.” Leavitt instituted a “new media” seat at White House press briefings.
88. The White House also eliminated a permanent spot for wire services in the press pool, breaking a long-standing tradition. The wire services were traditionally the AP, Bloomberg News, and Reuters.
89. On Monday, Trump reiterated his false claim that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had started the war, saying, “You don’t start a war against somebody that’s 20 times your size and then hope that people give you some missiles.” He also blamed Biden.
90. The day prior, Trump told reporters of Russia’s strike on Sumy, Ukraine, which was the deadliest of the year and took place on Palm Sunday: “I was told they made a mistake,” even as members of his own regime condemned Moscow.
91. The DOJ moved to drop charges against Villatoro Santos, 24, an immigrant, and instead filed a motion to fast-track his deportation to El Salvador, describing him as “the East Coast leader” of the MS-13 gang. It is far more common to initiate deportation after a U.S. court trial.
92. Politico reported that Erik Prince, CEO of Blackwater, is pitching Trump on an unprecedented plan to vastly increase deportations by thousands to El Salvador using a holding facility and designating it an American territory, avoiding legal challenges.
93. On Thursday, a federal judge said his block on deporting migrants to third countries would remain in place while he considers issuing a longer lasting injunction, which would limit the regime.
94. On Friday, DHS ended temporary protections for more than 10,000 people from Afghanistan and Cameroon, putting them on track to be deported in the coming months. Many of the Afghans fled Taliban rule after the U.S.’s withdrawal in 2021, and will now be forced back.
95. On Friday, a federal judge declined to block ICE from conducting detention and deportation operations at places of worship, citing the lack of clarity in how Trump’s promised deportation raids have been carried out in practice, but plaintiffs could return with evidence.
96. NYT reported the Trump regime is moving to essentially cancel Social Security numbers from migrants here on temporary legal status, but listing them in the agency’s “death master file,” in an effort to have them lose access to bank accounts and credit cards, and be forced to self-deport.
97. On Thursday, upon reaching the deadline set by an immigration judge to provide the evidence for deporting Columbia University activist Mahmoud Khalil, a brief memo signed by Secretary of State Rubio said the U.S. government was deporting him for his beliefs.
98. On Friday, a judge in Louisiana ruled Khalil is eligible to be deported, after a two hour hearing. She declined Khalil’s lawyers’ request to cross-examine or depose Rubio. A judge in New Jersey, where the case will also be heard, ordered the government not to deport Khalil.
99. On Sunday, WAPO reported according to an internal memo, the Trump regime had no evidence of Tufts University student Rumeysa Ozturk’s involvement with antisemitic activities or making statements supporting Hamas before ICE agents grabbed her off the street.
100. Rubio did not have sufficient grounds for revoking her visa, under the authority to safeguard the foreign policy interests of the U.S. Instead, they relied on the Immigration and Nationality Act, which allows for the revocation of a visa at the secretary of state’s discretion.
101. On Monday, Columbia University activist Mohsen Mahdawi was arrested by ICE at an appointment for a citizenship interview in Colchester, Vermont. Mahdawi is a legal permanent resident who has been in the U.S. for 10 years. He has not been charged with a crime.
102. NBC News reported Massachusetts resident and immigration attorney Nicole Micheroni, a U.S. citizen, received a DHS notice saying her parole status had been terminated and she should leave the country within seven days. Her name is on a lot of immigration paperwork.
103. NBC News reported U.S. Customs and Border Protection detained Bachir Atallah and his wife, Jessica Fakhri, without explanation when they reentered from Canada in Vermont. Both are U.S. citizens. Atallah said the officer said “Exit the vehicle right now,” and reached for his gun.
104. WAPO reported DOGE is working with several federal agencies to pull protected data, normally kept private and protected, to be used in an effort to locate undocumented immigrants, and remove them from housing and the workforce.
105. The Department of Housing and Urban Development is working on a rule that would ban households where one or more members are undocumented from public housing. DOGE is seeking to remove existing mixed-status residents. SSA and IRS have also taken steps.
106. On Monday, a federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump regime from shuttering a program set up under Biden which gave migrants from four troubled countries, Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Haiti, temporary status to enter the U.S. and work legally.
107. On Friday, Minneapolis Federal Reserve President Neel Kashkari said the steep rise in bond yields and the falling U.S. dollar indicate that investors are moving away from the notion that the U.S. is the safest place to invest.
108. Blackrock CEO Larry Fink said, “This is not a pandemic. This is not a financial crisis. This is something we’ve created,” adding, “the United States post World War II was a global stabilizer, now we are the destabilizer, and that’s a very hard thing.”
109. On Friday, the antitrust trial between Meta and the Federal Trade Commission started, despite CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s efforts to court Trump through payments and personal contacts. Experts were concerned that Trump might still cut Meta a sweetheart deal.
110. Later Friday, Meta added a former Trump advisor from his first regime, Dina Powell McCormick, to its board of directors.
111. On Friday, China raised their tariffs on the U.S. to 125%, after Trump had increased tariffs on China to 145%. China reached out to other countries, including the European Union, to form a united front against Trump’s tariffs.
112. On Friday, consumer sentiment measured by University of Michigan tumbled in mid-April to 50.8, down from 57.0 in March, the second lowest reading in the survey’s history going back to 1952. One expert said, “Consumers have spiraled from anxious to petrified.”
113. Consumer expectations of inflation jumped to the highest level in 44 years. Unemployment fears rose to their highest level since 2009. The survey was conducted before Trump’s so-called Liberation Day, with declines across all demographics and political affiliations.
114. Late Friday, days after Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told senators that Trump “does not intend to have exclusions and exemptions,” Trump exempted smartphones, computers, and other electronics from the tariffs on China.
115. On Sunday, Trump said he would pursue new tariffs on computer chips inside smartphones, and said the exclusions were a temporary measure while his regime prepares more targeted tariffs, leaving his aides scrambling to explain his strategy shifting once again.
116. On Friday, the Trump regime removed a painting of former President Barack Obama in a White House hallway, and replaced it with a pop-art painting of Trump pumping his fist in the air. Presidential historians said a president hanging a painting of himself was unprecedented.
117. On Friday, Trump issued a directive adding “military installation under the jurisdiction of” the Pentagon in the 60-foot-wide strip along the Mexican border in California, Arizona, and New Mexico, allowing a way for quasi-military personnel to detain migrants.
118. On Friday, NYT reported the Trump regime’s Office of Management and Budget proposal would essentially eliminate the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s scientific research division, one of the world’s premier Earth sciences research centers.
119. FT reported the number of people traveling from Western Europe to the U.S. has plummeted by as much as 35% in recent weeks, with travelers canceling plans in response to Trump’s policies and rhetoric, and horror stories from the border.
120. Bloomberg reported U.S. airport traffic showed 4.5 million visitors arrived last month, down 9.7% from March 2024, putting nearly $20 billion in retail spending by international tourists at risk.
121. Paul English, co-founder of travel website Kayak, said, “In just two months [Trump] has destroyed the reputation of the U.S., shown one way by diminished travel from the EU to the U.S.,” adding this “represents reputation damage that could take generations to repair.”
122. WSJ reported Pete Marocco, a State Department official who oversaw the dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development, departed after less than three months. It was unclear why he left. Marocco worked closely with DOGE and repeatedly clashed with Rubio.
123. AP reported the State Department issued an appeal during Holy Week for its employees to report instances of alleged anti-Christian bias during the Biden administration, including actions such as mandatory vaccines and use of pronouns.
124. WAPO reported according to an internal State Department memo, the Trump regime plans to cut the department’s funding by nearly half, with the biggest cuts coming to funding of humanitarian assistance, global health, and international organizations.
125. The Hill reported that the Trump regime is preparing a rescission package, asking Congress to claw back $9.3 billion of federal funds allocated to public broadcasting, including NPR, and USAID’s Institute of Peace and other initiatives.
126. WSJ reported the Trump regime is backing off from criminal enforcement of white collar crimes, including cases involving foreign bribery, public corruption, money laundering, and crypto markets. The regime is also redefining what constitutes a crime.
127. On Sunday, NYT reported that China halted exports of rare earth minerals and magnets, which are an essential component for automakers, aerospace manufacturers, semiconductor companies, and military contractors, as part of its retaliation against Trump’s tariffs.
128. On Monday, a group of five small businesses sued Trump in the U.S. Court of International Trade, seeking to block the tariffs he has imposed, citing trade deficits are not an emergency, and Trump’s usurping of Congress’ power to levy tariffs.
129. On Wednesday, the state of California sued the Trump regime to halt Trump’s tariffs, challenging Trump’s use of emergency powers to enact tariffs against Mexico, Canada, and China, citing the tariffs harm consumers.
130. On Tuesday, April 15, NYT reported more than 20,000 IRS employees had accepted the Trump regime’s latest resignation offer, which combined with the 5,000 who have resigned and 7,000 probationary employees who were fired, meant the agency would lose one-third of its staffers.
131. Trump picked Gary Shapley to temporarily lead the IRS. Shapley was a whistleblower who claimed the investigation into Hunter Biden’s taxes was not aggressive enough. Another whistleblower, Joseph Ziegler, was also promoted to senior adviser at Treasury.