Week 72 — The Return – The Weekly List

This week was one of the longest lists of broken norms so far. The country is in chaos, and Americans are increasingly unhappy. The price of gas has risen by nearly a dollar a gallon, 72% said it was a bad time to look for a job, the cost of mortgages hit a five month high, and other measures of inflation showed Americans are suffering. Airport lines were hours long, highlighting government and Trump’s dysfunction, and another deadly airlines incident showcased how staffing shortages under Trump were making travelers less safe. Trump’s overall approval, and approval on major issues, hit new lows.

Despite his falling approval, and Americans hurting, and being worried and scared, Trump seemed removed from that reality. The only thing that did get his attention were rising energy costs, and their impact on his beloved stock market. He shifted this week to saying the war was already won, a regime change had happened in Iran, and that Iran was coming to the table, which they denied. In fact, there was so much contradictory information and lies coming from Trump and his regime, it was unclear to Americans what was actually happening. The NYT Editorial Board warned, “Trump is Hiding the Truth About the War in Iran,” noting his fire hose of lies since the war started. What was clear, however, was the world order continuing to go through a realignment, with the U.S. increasingly siding with authoritarianism.

Mind you none of this stopped Trump from the petty things — his campaign of retribution against his perceived enemies, his attempts to memorialize himself in grandeur, his corruption and quid pro quos. Who will stop him? Not the Republican Party, which suffered another special election loss, and seems unwilling to stand for democracy or the American people. The courts do counter some of the blows to democracy, but not enough. This week is full of stories that deserve more attention, but in the fog of war have been relegated to, on to the next outrage. I once again encourage you to read them all, including the many stories on immigration, once Trump’s strongest issue and now among his weaknesses, which he attributed to bad branding.

A Reuters/Ipsos polls found 37% approved of the Iran War, while 59% disapproved, including one in five Republicans disapproving. Just 7% approved of a large-scale U.S. ground troop invasion, while 65% believed Trump will order a large-scale invasion.
The Varieties of Democracies Institute, a research group based in Sweden, downgraded the U.S. in its democracy index, finding that the first Trump regime was “laying a foundation, while the second featured a “rapid and aggressive concentration of powers in the presidency.”
The report also found, “The speed with which American democracy is currently dismantled is unprecedented in modern history,” citing that freedom of expression in the U.S. “is now at its lowest level since the end of WWII.”
NBC News reported Trump is getting a two-minute daily video montage of the biggest, most successful strikes on Iranian targets over the previous 48 hours. Sources said there is concern that he is not getting briefed on the full scope of the conflict, including negative happenings.
On Friday, a federal judge ruled that the Pentagon’s restrictions on news outlets violated the First Amendment, after a lawsuit by the NYT, adding the policy rewarded reporters who were “willing to publish only stories that are favorable to or spoon-fed by department leadership.”
On Saturday, news outlets pressured the Pentagon to immediately restore press access, amid the ongoing war. The Pentagon did not respond to the request, with its spokesperson posting on X, “We disagree with the decision and are pursuing an immediate appeal.”
On Monday, a Pentagon spokesperson posted on X that rather than allow news outlets to return to their dedicated workspace at the Pentagon, the media would be moved to an external ‘annex’ in a separate facility, adding the new facility “will be available when ready.”
The regime also said it would close the old workspace and appeal. The NYT said in a statement on Monday, “The new policy does not comply with the judge’s order. It continues to impose unconstitutional restrictions on the press,” and said it would also head back to court.
WAPO reported a year into the second regime, inspectors general of federal agencies have lost much of their independence, and the White House has had greater influence, despite what was traditionally a strict wall. Trump fired 19 IGs and replaced them with partisan loyalists.
Nearly two dozen IGs did not publish their semiannual report by the legally required deadline last year. Several terminated internal audits of their agencies. IG offices also suffered from staffing purges, hiring limitations, and threats of being fired for not being loyal to Trump.
Reuters reported Margaret Ryan, the Securities and Exchange Commission’s top enforcement official, resigned abruptly last week, after clashing with agency leaders over handling of cases, including cases with ties to Trump and his family.
On Thursday, the federal Commission of Fine Arts, whose members were all handpicked by Trump, voted to approve a new 24-karat 250th commemorative gold coin featuring him. The U.S. Mint presented the design to the group, and said it has Trump’s approval.
New coin designs are supposed to also be approved by the bipartisan Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee. That committee refused to consider the coin, citing putting a sitting president on currency would break with democratic norms and reek of subservience to royalty.
NYT reported the Trump Organization was considering a golf resort in Romania, one of the few European countries where Trump had positive net approval, as part of the family’s rapid and unchecked global expansion during his second regime.
MSNOW reported that Special Counsel Jack Smith said in a 2023 progress memo related to the classified documents case that “Trump possessed classified documents pertinent to his business interests,” and it appeared he had done so for his own personal financial gain.
Trump also showed a classified map, that was so top secret that only six people were meant to have access, to passengers on a 2022 private plane flight. House Judiciary Committee ranking member Rep. Jamie Raskin said in a letter to AG Pam Bondi that the DOJ had sought to cover up the details.
On Saturday, after the death of Robert Mueller, former special counsel who investigated Trump’s ties to Russia, and was highly regarded by members of both parties, Trump posted on Truth Social, “Good, I’m glad he’s dead.”
On Monday, a federal judge ruled that a lawsuit by nonprofits accusing Elon Musk of unconstitutionally exercising executive power during his time as a presidential adviser could move forward. The judge denied the Trump regime’s efforts to have the case dismissed.
On Monday, the Trump regime asked the Supreme Court to block Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics, a government watchdog group, from obtaining documents related to Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, and questioning a senior DOGE official.
NBC News reported that Corey Lewandowski used his senior role at the Department of Homeland Security to try to personally profit from contractors seeking DHS business. The White House had not taken action, although they were “aware of the allegations.”
NYT reported that despite his mandate to serve in a limited capacity, Lewandowski wielded power within DHS, including attending classified briefings, weighing in on awarding contracts, and having access to the President’s Daily Brief that was prepared for Kristi Noem.
Bloomberg reported that 1789 Capital, a venture capital firm where Donald Jr. is partner, saw their $200 million stake in Vulcan Elements, a rare earth start up that received government funding months after 1789 made their investment, rise to being worth around $2 billion.
On Thursday, the DOJ and FCC approved a Nexstar-Tegna merger, waiving a cap on station owners from reaching beyond 39% of American households. The merger allowed Nexstar, a Trump ally, to own 65 stations reaching 80% of households, the largest in the country.
On Friday, California and 7 other states filed an emergency motion to block the merger, arguing that the merger violated antitrust laws, and would result in price hikes for consumers.
On Wednesday, the day after a federal judge nullified all the moves by the Trump regime at Voice of America, Trump appointed Christopher Wallace, a news director at Newsmax and a former Fox News producer, as the next deputy director, raising concerns about his editorial power.
On Tuesday, Voice of America staffers sued the Trump regime and Kari Lake, saying Lake had “censored news coming out of Iran,” and was promoting pro-Trump propaganda on air, calling it “a breach of the Constitutional and statutory rules” not to push propaganda or censor.
After Bill Maher was offered the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor from the Kennedy Center, Trump had the offer rescinded, as Maher had recently been critical of him. The White House called the offer “fake news” on Friday, saying “Maher will NOT be getting this award.”
CBS News reported the FBI and IRS formed a new initiative to investigate nonprofit groups that the regime suspected of possible links to terrorism. Bondi claimed, “These domestic terrorists use violence or the threat of violence to advance political and social agendas.”
On Wednesday, Semafor reported the FBI opened an investigation into former Trump counterterrorism official Joe Kent, who resigned in protest. Sources claimed the investigation predated his resignation, and was focused on his alleged improperly sharing classified information.
On Sunday, Chad Bianco, a California sheriff who was running as a Republican for governor, seized more than half a million ballots that were cast in November’s special election, baselessly claiming that he was investigating a ballot count discrepancy.
Bloomberg reported that Senate Democrats accused Deputy AG Todd Blanche of blocking the Drug Enforcement Administration from releasing an unredacted version of a 69 page investigation of Jeffrey Epstein, which investigated Epstein, 12 others, and two businesses.
On Wednesday, Bondi made an impromptu appearance at a private meeting with the House Oversight Committee, where she was not under oath. However, Bondi refused to commit to a formal deposition in front of the panel as part of their Epstein investigation, despite their subpoena.
On Wednesday, at a speech in Michigan, Vice President JD Vance said Americans should find comfort in the fact that our allies are “suffering more than we are” from the surging prices of gas, citing, because they had “focused on a lot of green energy scams.”
On Wednesday, in Senate testimony, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said of a nuclear attack, Iran “could use” existing technology “to begin to develop a militarily viable ICBM before 2035,” contradicting Trump and Steve Witkoff on Iran’s nuclear capabilities.
Gabbard did not read part of her prepared statements that contradicted Trump, which stated, “As a result of Operation Midnight Hammer (in June), Iran’s nuclear enrichment program was obliterated. There has been no efforts since then to try to rebuild their enrichment capability.”
She claimed it was up to only Trump, not intelligence, to determine if an attack was imminent. She also contradicted Trump that no one expected Iran to attack its neighbors, deflecting she was not “aware of those remarks” and could not discuss “internal conversations.”
CIA Director John Ratcliffe said Iran “has been a constant threat…for an extended period of time and posed an immediate threat at this time,” and also deferred to Trump, saying, “the president as commander in chief gets to make a decision about what’s an imminent threat.”
On Wednesday, WAPO reported the Pentagon asked the White House for over $200 billion to fund the Iran War. The regime had yet to submit a request to Congress. Asked about it Thursday at a press conference, Defense Sec. Hegseth said, “Obviously, it takes money to kill bad guys.”
Hegseth drew scrutiny for repeatedly using rhetoric and themes from Christian Nationalism, saying, “The mullahs are desperate and scrambling,” then later reciting Psalm 144, “Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war and my fingers for battle.”
Hegseth also called on Americans to pray for U.S. troops and victory, saying, “Every day, on bended knee, with your family, in your schools, in your churches, in the name of Jesus Christ.” Hegseth frequently invoked a divine purpose in speaking about the war.
On Wednesday, another war powers resolution, which would have required Trump to get Congressional approval to continue his war, failed in the Senate, 53–47, with one Democrat voting with Republicans, and one Republican voting for it.
On Wednesday, Trump castigated Israel on Truth Social, after it launched a strike on Iran’s largest gas field, South Pars, and Iran bombed its neighbors, causing energy prices to rise, claiming the U.S. was not involved “nor did it have any idea that it was going to happen.”
Shortly after, U.S. media reported that U.S. officials said Israel did inform the U.S. in advance, and Trump approved the strike in an attempt to pressure Iran. Officials in Qatar also disputed Trump’s assertion that the U.S. knew nothing.
On Thursday, after strikes on Iran, and Iran’s strikes on other Middle East energy targets, oil and gas prices surged, with oil climbing 6% to $116. The benchmark for European gas surged by 15%. Mortgage rates jumped to the highest level in five months.
On Thursday, Trump mused about leaving the Strait of Hormuz to others to address, posting on Truth Social, “I wonder what would happen if we ‘finished off’ what’s left of the Iranian Terror State, and let the Countries that use it, we don’t, be responsible for the so called ‘Strait?.’”
On Thursday, while meeting with Japan’s prime minister, Trump was asked about a Reuters’ report that the U.S. was sending thousands more troops to the Middle East. Trump denied it, saying, “No, I’m not putting troops anywhere. If I were, I certainly wouldn’t tell you.”
Asked why U.S. allies were not consulted before he struck Iran, Trump invoked Pearl Harbor, saying, “Who knows better about surprise than Japan? OK? Why didn’t you tell me about Pearl Harbor?” Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi appeared to be taken aback by his remarks.
Trump said the DOJ investigation of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell should continue, claiming, “He’s under investigation because he’s building a building for hundreds of billions of dollars more than it’s supposed to cost.” The day prior, the Fed left rates unchanged.
On Thursday, top officials at the DOJ backed U.S. attorney Jeanine Pirro’s legal fight against Powell, clearing the way for her to appeal the blocked subpoena. The court battle meant GOP Sen. Thom Tillis would continue to vote against advancing Trump’s nominee, Kevin Warsh.
WAPO reported that according to a court transcript, a top deputy to Pirro acknowledged in a closed door hearing on March 3 that the Trump regime did not have evidence of wrongdoing in its criminal investigation of Powell.
On Thursday, the U.S. lifted sanction on Belarus, including three Belarusian companies that produce a crucial ingredient in fertilizer, in exchange for the release of 250 political prisoners. The autocratic leadership of Belarus had close ties to Russia.
On Friday, FBI Director Kash Patel posted on X that Russia was targeting U.S. officials of “high intelligence value,” including current and former government officials, military personnel, politicians, and journalists on private messaging apps, in an ongoing phishing campaign.
On Friday, Iran said it would allow Japanese vessels to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. Japan gets 90% of its oil shipments via the strait. The change came a day after Trump called on Japan to “step up” at his meeting with Takaichi.
On Friday, Trump chastised NATO allies, posting on Truth Social that helping to reopen the strait was a “simple military maneuver,” calling longtime allies “COWARDS,” and adding, “we will REMEMBER!” and “Without the U.S.A., NATO IS A PAPER TIGER!”
On Friday, Politico reported that Putin offered to stop sharing intelligence with Iran, if the U.S. stopped providing intelligence to Ukraine. While the U.S. rejected the proposal, it sparked concern in Europe.
FT reported that the Trump regime is considering inviting Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko to meet Trump at the White House or at Mar-a-Lago, as Trump pursues a diplomatic thaw with the authoritarian regime.
On Friday, CBS News reported that Pentagon officials had made detailed preparations for a possible ground invasion in Iran, a day after Trump told reporters he was not putting ground troops anywhere.
On Friday, Trump posted on Truth Social, “We are getting very close to meeting our objectives as we consider winding down our great Military efforts in the Middle East,” adding that the Strait of Hormuz could be policed by “other Nations who use it.”
Shortly after, Trump told reporters, “from a military standpoint, they’re finished” but they are “clogging up” the strait, and “it would be nice” if countries that rely on the strait would get involved. Asked about using U.S. forces on Kharg Island, Trump said, “I may have a plan, I may not.”
On Friday, the Trump regime declared a wartime emergency, which enabled the regime to sell $23 billion of weapons to the U.A.E., Kuwait, and Jordan, without getting approval from Congress, marking the second time it had done so, including selling 20,000 bombs to Israel.
On Friday evening, Treasury Department Sec. Scott Bessent announced that the U.S. would allow Iran to sell oil and petrochemical products that had been loaded into tankers, allowing the Iranian regime to pocket roughly $14 billion in revenue.
Experts warned that easing sanctions would fund Iran’s war against the U.S., and said the move demonstrated a lack of strategic planning, and was unlikely to make a difference to energy prices.
On Friday, the CEO of United Airlines warned oil could hit $175 a barrel, and remain above $100 through 2027. The airline cut 5% of flights.
On Saturday, 23 countries, including most NATO and some Middle East countries, signed a joint statement on the Strait of Hormuz, condemning Iran’s attacks, and agreeing to join “appropriate efforts” to ‌ensure safe passage, without specifying measures.
On Saturday, WSJ reported that countries around the world are pressuring consumers to reduce their energy usage, including four-day work weeks, school closures, and limitations on air conditioning usage, amid the worst oil and gas crunch since the 1970s.
Later Saturday, Trump posted on Truth Social that if Iran did not fully open the strait within 48 hours, the U.S. would “hit and obliterate their various POWER PLANTS, STARTING WITH THE BIGGEST ONE FIRST!”
Trump also threatened on Truth Social to send ICE agents to work at airports starting Monday unless Democrats agree to fund DHS. The partial shutdown resulted in long lines and TSA employees not being paid. Democrats tried unsuccessfully to fund TSA alone.
On Sunday, Trump posted on Truth Social, “Now with the death of Iran, the greatest enemy America has is the Radical Left, Highly Incompetent, Democrat Party!” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called Trump “reckless” and said his words could get “somebody killed.”
Shortly after, Trump reposted a call for him to serve a third term, citing, “as a reward for a stolen election.”
On Sunday, White House border czar Tom Homan said on morning talk shows that ICE would help TSA at airports starting Monday. NYT reported internal documents revealed ICE would be at 14 airports, including New York, Newark, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Atlanta.
On Sunday, the State Department issued a “Worldwide Caution” memo to all Americans abroad, warning them to exercise increased vigilance amid rising geopolitical tensions.
On Sunday, Trump’s approval hit new lows with two select pollsters: Reuters/Ipsos found approval fell to 36%, with disapproval rising to 62%. American Research Group found approval fell to 34%, with 63% disapproving.
On Sunday, a CBS News poll found 53% of Americans said Trump’s policies were making them financially worse off, while 18% said better off, and 29% about the same. Approval for the Iran War fell from -12 in early March to -20.
On Tuesday, a Gallup poll found in the fourth quarter of 2025, 28% of U.S. employees said now is a “good time” to find a quality job, with 72% calling it a bad time. For the first time since Gallup started tracking, more workers said they were struggling (49%) than thriving (46%).
WSJ reported a record 6% of Americans withdrew money from their 401(k) savings in 2025 for financial emergencies, up from 4.8% in 2024, and an average of about 2% prepandemic.
On Monday, as oil prices surged and the stock market crumbled ahead of the open, Trump posted on Truth Social at 7 a.m. ET that he would postpone strikes on Iran citing “productive conversations regarding a complete and total resolution of our hostilities.”
CNBC reported around 6:50 am ET, 15 minutes before Trump’s post, volume in stock and oil futures surged. FT reported the bets were worth a combined $580 billion.
Iran denied any talks, either directly or indirectly. Trump told Fox Business that his special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner had held talks with Iranian officials on Sunday night, but did not specify who, saying that might get them killed.
Bloomberg reported that Trump backed down after U.S. allies and Gulf countries privately warned him of the dangers of following through, including that permanently damaging Iran’s infrastructure would almost inevitably result in a failed state after the conflict ended.
On Tuesday, Trump told reporters that “this war has been won,” adding, “The only one that likes to keep it going is the fake news.” The statement came as the NYT reported the Pentagon was sending another 2,000 U.S. troops from the 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East.
Later Tuesday, Trump baselessly claimed, “we really had regime change,” citing, “because the leaders are all different.” The regime in Iran had not changed. Trump also claimed, without evidence, that Iran “agreed they will never have a nuclear weapon.”
Trump also teased that Iran had gifted the U.S. with a “very big present worth a tremendous amount of money” that arrived that day, adding, “it wasn’t nuclear-related, it was oil- and gas-related, and it was a very nice thing they did.” Trump did not answer questions on what it was.
Reuters reported Vance planned to visit Hungary to show support for its autocratic leader Viktor Orban ahead of the April election. Polling showed Orban trailing in the polls, and massive crowds had marched in protests.
Trump also announced his “complete and total endorsement” of Orban in an online video. His announcement came an hour after reporting that Russia had tried to stage a fake assassination of Orban to help promote him in the upcoming election.
Politico reported the E.U. cut Hungary from sensitive talks, after reports of Hungary’s foreign minister regularly leaking sensitive E.U. information to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. WAPO also reported that Orban’s government leaked information on Ukraine.
Denmark’s public broadcaster DR reported that Denmark and its European allies had made war plans in case Trump had ordered an invasion of Greenland, including blowing up key Greenland runways.
WAPO reported that U.S. officials detected unidentified drones above the Washington Army base where Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio lived. The sightings came as the U.S. issued a global security alert for overseas diplomatic posts and locked down domestic bases.
ABC News reported on multiple waves of unauthorized drones that raised alarm and resulted in a shelter-in-place order at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana, one of the U.S. Air Force’s largest and most strategic airfields, on March 9. The drone waves were previously not reported.
Reuters reported Middlebury Institute of International Studies researchers concluded that a U.S. Patriot missile operated by the U.S. was likely responsible for a pre-dawn explosion in Bahrain that injured dozens of civilians and tore through homes.
WAPO reported families who lost loved ones and military veterans were upset with the Trump regime using social media memes and videos as part of its military campaign in Iran. Regime officials welcomed the social media blowback, saying engagement had driven up viewership.
NYT reported the Pentagon posted a video on X claiming that the U.S. military helped bomb a drug camp in Ecuador. An investigation by the Times found the U.S. military was not involved in the bombing, and the target shown in the video was actually a dairy farm.
AP reported U.S. prosecutors were investigating whether Colombian President Gustavo Petro had ties to drug traffickers, focused on whether traffickers jailed in Colombia were pushed for donations to the Petro campaign, in exchange for a promise not to extradite.
Axios reported Trump-appointed prosecutors in the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida office, led by Jason Reding Quiñones, subpoenaed James Comey, alleging a “grand conspiracy” against Trump related to his investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election.
NYT reported Paolo Zampolli, a longtime Trump ally and special envoy, reached out to a top official at ICE after his Brazilian ex-girlfriend was put in jail, amid a custody battle over their teenage son, to ask that she be deported. When she was released from jail, ICE deported her.
WSJ reported that Trump has told his inner circle that some of his immigration policies have gone too far, as polling turned against him. Trump said to stop using the term “mass deportations,” and focus instead on the “bad guys.” Daily deportations have fallen from 1,500 to 1,200.
PBS reported a year after ICE agents shot and killed Ruben Ray Martinez, 23, a U.S. citizen, claiming he intentionally rammed his vehicle into an agent, recently released body camera footage called ICE’s version of events into question.
On Thursday, an immigration judge denied an asylum claim for Liam Conejo Ramos, 5, and his family, as the Trump regime continued its push for a fast-track deportation. An attorney for the family said they would appeal.
A Propublica analysis found the Trump regime had detained the parents of more than 11,000 U.S. citizens who were children during the first seven months of the second regime, separating them from their parents. The number may have doubled by this week.
In a series of court filings on Friday night, the Trump regime made a renewed push to deport Kilmar Abrego Garcia, rejecting his proposal to deport him to Costa Rica, instead saying the regime had sorted out logistics to send him to Liberia.
A Venezuelan man who the Trump regime deported to CECOT prison in El Salvador sued the regime for $1.3 million, saying he and his fellow detainees were constantly beaten and mistreated by prison guards. The case marked the first prisoner to sue the U.S. government for damages.
The Mexican government called for a “prompt and exhaustive” investigation into the death of Royer Perez-Jimenez, a 19-year-old Mexican national who died in ICE custody at the Glades County Detention Center in Florida.
On Tuesday, Minnesota state and county officials sued the Trump regime, alleging the DOJ and DHS had blocked state investigators from accessing evidence related to the shootings of Renee Good, Alex Pretti, and Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis.
Politico reported in dozens of cases in recent weeks, DOJ lawyers have admitted to judges that they did not have argument to present, or that they did not have enough information to put together a case, after detaining immigrants.
WAPO reported the Trump regime is quietly building hundreds of miles of border wall, sparking bipartisan blowback over the new “Smart Wall” destroying pristine land, threatening endangered species, and cutting off access to sacred Indigenous and archaeological sites.
Funding for the wall came from $46 billion in Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill. Unlike during the first regime, this time the regime is bypassing local notification and approval processes, and using out of state contractors. DHS has issued waivers for the environmental impacts.
On Monday, ICE agents were deployed to airports as TSA agent absences soared and wait lines got longer. One DHS official admitted, “I have no idea what we’re doing.” Homan said agents would not help with actual checks, and were seen standing around doing nothing.
On Monday, Trump told reporters that the ICE agents would also continue to enforce immigration laws at airports, although “that’s not why they’re there.” Trump also threatened, “If that’s not enough, I’ll bring in the National Guard.”
On Tuesday, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that Delta Air Lines temporarily suspended travel perks for members of Congress and their staff, citing the partial shutdown of DHS, and adding, “Delta’s №1 priority is taking care of our people and customers.”
WSJ reported Trump rejected an idea floated by Senate Majority Leader John Thune over the weekend to end the shutdown and provide funding for TSA, saying instead that GOP lawmakers should not only demand DHS be fully funded, but also link it to the SAVE America Act.
On Monday, Trump said in a speech, “I’m tying homeland security into voter identification,” adding, “I’m requesting that the Republican senators do that immediately.…Don’t worry about Easter, going home…make this one for Jesus.” Thune told reporters this was not plausible.
NYT reported that while Trump railed against mail-in voting, including calling it “mail-in-cheating,” and looked to do away with it as part of his SAVE America Act, Trump himself voted by mail in a Florida special election scheduled for Tuesday.
In the special election that Trump voted in for the Florida State House, in the district that was home to Mar-a-Lago and which Trump won by 11 points in 2024, the seat flipped to a Democrat, as Democrats continued to surge. Trump had endorsed the Republican candidate.
On Thursday, as part of its efforts to dismantle the Department of Education, the Trump regime announced a three-phase transition that will gradually move management and responsibility for student loans from Education to the Treasury Department.
On Friday, the Trump regime sued Harvard University over alleged antisemitism, alleging the school violated the civil rights of Jewish and Israeli people by turning “a blind eye to antisemitism and discrimination against Jews and Israelis.”
At the same time, Department of Health and Human Services Robert Kennedy Jr. said in a statement that Harvard had “a duty to protect civil rights” when they accept money from the government. Harvard received billions in research funding from HHS.
Reuters reported that child vaccination rates had fallen sharply in battleground Michigan during the Trump regime’s first year, with the series completion rate falling by nearly three percentage points, citing Kennedy’s anti-vaccine influence.
WSJ reported Kennedy is considering replacing the agency’s CDC vaccine advisers, rather than appeal a federal judge’s ruling that they were improperly appointed and few had “any meaningful experience in vaccines,” and blocking their childhood vaccine recommendations.
On Friday, Trump signed an executive order to block any college football games from being aired at the same time as the Army-Navy football game, saying, “Nobody’s going to play football for four hours during that very special time of the year, in December.”
On Friday, Trump reversed himself and endorsed Colorado Republican Rep. Jeff Hurd, after pulling his support for Hurd over a disagreement over tariffs. Trump pulled support from far-right Hope Scheppelman, who then agreed to drop out of the race at his behest.
On Monday, a coalition of cultural and historic preservation groups sued the Trump regime to block Trump from making further changes to the Kennedy Center, saying major changes should go through the typical review process that governs major projects in D.C.
The Department of the Interior said it would pay French company TotalEnergies $1 billion to walk away from two offshore wind leases, as the Trump regime ramped up its campaign against offshore wind and other renewable energy, despite the energy crisis created by the war.

Federal immigration agents are seen at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Monday, March 23, 2026, in Atlanta. ICE agents stood by as travelers continued to wait hours in line. (AP Photo/Emilie Megnien)