Week 77 — The Return

This was another chaotic week, when our country seemed to skip from crisis to crisis, and Trump became increasingly unbound by past norms. As the Iran War entered its ninth week, and gas prices reached a four-year high, it became increasingly apparent that Trump had no plan to end his war. There was no movement toward any sort of resolution. Reporting this week continued to reveal there had yet to be any real, lasting, positive accomplishments from the war.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, in a reported effort to become Trump’s nominee for the permanent role, moved forward on pursuing Trump’s perceived enemies, breaking norms not only for the direct tie between Trump and the Justice Department, but also for pursuing cases that were clearly political retribution, without a chance of winning.

There was chaos this week at the White House Correspondents Dinner, when an armed individual tried to run through a security checkpoint on the floor above the ballroom where the dinner took place. Trump, his regime, and allies sought to make hay by using the incident to advance his White House ballroom as a security necessity, and to baselessly blame Democrats for all political violence. Trump briefly called for unity, but less than 24 hours later castigated and insulted journalist Norah O’Donnell, his latest in a long list of attacks on female reporters.

Corruption has become increasingly mainstreamed. This week, Paramount’s David Ellison hosted a highly unusual dinner at the former Institute for Peace, attended not only by Trump, but also members of his regime who would have a say in the company’s merger with Warner Brothers being completed, and with a large portion of Middle East investor ownership. Trump hosted large holders of his memecoin $TRUMP at Mar-a-Lago, promising access to the largest holders of the coin, which had lost more than 90% of its value since its January 2025 launch. And so on. All in the light of day, with little to no pushback.

Meanwhile, the American people are not happy. Poll after poll shows Trump’s declining approval ratings overall, and also on all major issues. While Trump quietly and consistently pushed falsehoods about election security ahead of midterms, he also was seeing his MAGA base turn against him on a growing number of issues.

1. A Fox News poll found 56% of Americans believed the Trump regime was not competent to manage the government, a modern day high. A record 75% said government spending was wasteful, up 18% from a year ago. Trump had his lowest approval rating on all issues.
2. For the first time since 2010, voters favored Democrats over the GOP in handling of the economy. The poll also found that 32% of self-identified Republicans viewed themselves as non-MAGA, a new high. Trump dismissed the findings, saying polls are “rigged.”
3. Gallup polling found Americans’ confidence dropped in April: 47% of Americans described current economic conditions as “poor,” up from 40% in March, and 32% said “fair.” Just 23% said the economy was getting better, while 73% said it was getting worse.
4. Reuters reported that the Trump regime was quietly and systematically moving forward to control U.S. elections, testing constitutional limits one state and one county at a time, including collecting voter records in blue and purple districts, and access to voting machines.
5. Minnesota’s secretary of state expressed concern that the federal government could interfere with the election. Others raised concerns if their election was close. Even local officials in red districts were uncomfortable with the regime’s push to be involved in their elections.
6. On Wednesday, after Virginia passed a redistricting vote, Trump baselessly claimed on Truth Social that it was a “rigged election,” blaming the mail-in ballots. A Virginia judge blocked certification of the vote, saying the ballot language was “flagrantly misleading.”
7. Reuters reported that 46% of respondents believed Trump’s baseless claim that there have been a large numbers of fraudulent ballots cast by non-citizens in U.S. elections, including 82% of Republicans. Also, 63% of Republicans believe the 2020 election was stolen from Trump.
8. On Wednesday, Navy Secretary John Phelan was abruptly fired by Defense Department Sec. Pete Hegseth, amid a naval blockade, and after mounting conflict with Hegseth and deputy Sec. Stephen Feinberg. Phelan was the 34th senior military official fired by Hegseth.
9. On Wednesday, the Senate voted 51–46 to reject a war powers resolution that would have limited Trump’s power to wage war against Iran, marking the fifth time the Senate had voted against a resolution. The Iran War entered its ninth week.
10. On Thursday, David Ellison hosted a private dinner at the U.S. Institute for Peace, as his company Paramount awaited federal approvals of its $111 billion merger with Warner Bros. Among those attending were Trump, Blanche, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Stephen Miller.
11. It was rare for a national media organization to host a party whose guests include powerful politicians that their news divisions cover, and even rarer to do so while a major merger is before the federal government.
12. On Monday, Paramount asked the Federal Communications Commission to approve foreign investments in its bid for Warner Bros of slightly less than 50%, including from investors in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the U.A.E., and to allow future foreign investments.
13. On Wednesday, Trump posted on Truth Social that out of respect to him, Iran had “terminated the planned execution” of eight Iranian women. Iran denied Trump’s claim, and it was later learned that the images of the eight women shared by Trump were artificial intelligence fakes.
14. On Wednesday, Reuters reported that 15 minutes before Trump posted on Truth Social extending the ceasefire on Tuesday, traders placed bets of $430 million on a drop in oil price, the fourth time that large bets were made in the oil markets shortly before announcements by Trump.
15. On Thursday, the DOJ arrested Gannon Ken Van Dyke, a special operations soldier who was involved in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, for betting $33,000 on Polymarket days before Trump announced the capture, and netting $409,000.
16. While Trump told reporters of prediction markets, “I was never much in favor of it,” Trump’s publicly traded media company unveiled a prediction market product, and Donald Jr. was an investor in and an unpaid adviser to Polymarket, and a paid adviser to Kalshi.
17. NYT reported the FBI investigated Times reporter Elizabeth Williamson, after she wrote an article about FBI Director Kash Patel’s use of bureau personnel to provide his girlfriend with security and transportation, interviewing his girlfriend and querying databases on Williamson.
18. Patel’s action concerned Justice Department officials, who viewed the investigation as retaliation, and thought there was no legal basis for it. The investigation was the latest example of the regime trying to criminalize practices protected by the First Amendment.
19. WSJ reported the Trump regime was nearing a rescue deal for Spirit Airlines, which was hit by higher fuel costs, in which the U.S. government would loan the company $500 million in exchange for warrants that could give the government a significant ownership stake.
20. On Wednesday, Treasury Department Sec. Scott Bessent told Congress that the Trump regime was considering providing currency swap lines, not only to the U.A.E., but also to other allies in the Gulf and Asia whose economies had been hit by Trump’s Iran War.
21. On Wednesday, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said at a press conference that her office would appeal the ruling blocking the subpoena of the Federal Reserve. She lied, “We have to find out why a small building cost close to $4 billion.” The actual cost was roughly $2.5 billion.
22. On Friday, the DOJ was dropped its criminal investigation into Fed Chair Jerome Powell. Asked by reporters if the investigation was closed, Trump said, “it’s not dropped.” However, the move ended the standoff with GOP Sen. Thom Tillis who removed his block on Trump’s nominee.
23. Trump’s ally, Senate Banking Committee Chair Rick Scott, asked the Fed’s inspector general to brief his committee on the ongoing renovations and their cost, saying, “the American people deserve answers about the unacceptable cost overruns.”
24. NYT reported that there would be lasting damage to the Federal Reserve’s independence after the investigation. Pirro warned she would “not hesitate” to reopen the inquiry, and the White House said the investigation “still continues” but “under a different authority.”
25. NYT reported Clark Construction, the company Trump used for his ballroom, was awarded a no-bid contract by the Trump regime to repair two fountains in Lafayette Park. The Biden administration estimated the cost at $3.3 million. Clark ultimately got paid $17.4 million.
26. On Wednesday, facing questions by Congress on the three deaths to measles, the first such deaths in decades, Health and Human Services Sec. Robert Kennedy Jr. demurred, saying his department, notably not he himself, had “advised every child” to get the shot.
27. On Wednesday, the Centers for Disease Control canceled publication of a study showing Covid vaccines sharply reduced the chances of hospitalizations and emergency room visits. Acting director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya lied that it gave an inaccurate picture of effectiveness.
28. ABC News reported that ICE arrested Meenu Batra, 53, a Texas court interpreter and mother of four who had lived in the U.S. for 35 years, at an airport. She told ICE she had a valid work authorization, and later told the court she had been “humiliated and treated like a criminal.”
29. NYT reported that the Trump regime enlisted prosecutors in 39 regional U.S. attorneys’ offices to help in its push to strip citizenship from naturalized Americans. The regime had identified 384 more foreign-born Americans to target so far.
30. WAPO reported that the Trump regime had hired 140 new immigration judges, after firing more than 100 so far. Two-thirds of the new judges had no immigration law experience. They received far less training, which one expert said was “completely inadequate and highly biased.”
31. Some new judges were able to keep their day jobs, and got salaries up to $207,500 plus a 25% signing bonus paid in some Democratic-led states. Asylum rejections more than doubled to 82,371 last fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2025. Just 5% of cases were granted asylum in February.
32. NYT reported that Immigration and Customs Enforcement is facing delays in its warehouse plans, after failing to conduct environmental reviews. ICE argued that it was exempt from reviews required under the National Environmental Policy Act, but judges disagree.
33. CNBC reported that Congress had yet to reach a deal to fund the Department of Homeland Security, including TSA workers and Secret Service, as the shutdown passed the 70 day mark, amid Republican infighting in the House, as funds were set to run out.
34. On Tuesday, WAPO reported that the State Department issued new rules for visa applications, ordering diplomatic missions to ask applicants if they fear returning home, and if so, to refuse U.S. travel documents, limiting asylum claims to the U.S.
35. CBS News reported that Iran maintained far more military capabilities than Trump publicly acknowledged, including roughly half of its ballistic missiles and launch systems, and roughly 60% of the naval arm of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp was still intact.
36. On Thursday, Trump told MSNOW that Iran had “no idea who their leader is,” adding, “So they have a hard time figuring out who the hell can speak for the country. They just don’t know.” Trump again baselessly claimed that Iran’s navy and air force had been wiped out.
37. Later Thursday, at an event on affordability in the Oval Office, as his polling continued to weaken, and amid multiple setbacks, Trump cited his plan to lower drug costs, and claimed, “By itself we should win the midterms, but it doesn’t work that way unfortunately.”
38. Trump appeared to fall asleep roughly 20 minutes into the event. Amid criticism for falling asleep again, he later insisted he was resting his eyes. Trump’s social media habits also had him posting many nights after midnight, sometimes until 2:45 a.m.
39. Trump also claimed that Spirit Airlines was “going to merge with People Express…a number of years ago,” but “Barack Hussein Obama decided it was a bad idea.” Notably People Express closed in 1987, five years before Spirit was founded.
40. Asked by a female reporter about how much longer the war would take, Trump berated her, saying, “you’re such a disgrace.” Trump also lied that he stuck to his four to six week estimate, baselessly claiming that he “took the country out militarily” in four weeks.
41. Bloomberg reported U.S. officials said Trump’s social media posts, many aimed at humiliating Iran’s leaders, made them less likely to negotiate and strike a deal. A White House official responded that Trump was not trying to protect Iranian leaders’ feelings.
42. On Thursday, Trump posted on Truth Social a transcript of a podcast which referred to China and India as as “hellhole” countries, claiming, “A baby here becomes an instant citizen, and then they bring the ​entire family” from these countries and “some others.”
43. Trump also described Indian and Chinese immigrants as “gangsters with laptops” who have “stepped on our flag,” and added, “That there’s almost no loyalty to this country amongst the immigrant class coming ​in today…they’re not like the European Americans.”
44. Later Thursday, a spokesperson for India’s foreign ministry called Trump’s remarks “uninformed, inappropriate and in poor taste,” adding they “do not ‌reflect ⁠the reality of the India-U.S. relationship, which has long been based on mutual respect and shared interests.”
45. On Thursday, WAPO reported that Trump planned to invite Russian President Vladimir Putin to the G-20 summit hosted this December at Trump’s Doral golf course in Miami. Speaking to reporters, Trump said including Putin “probably would be helpful.”
46. Pew Research found that 83% of Americans had an unfavorable opinion of Russia and Putin, including 50% who had a very unfavorable opinion. Just 32% of Americans had confidence in Trump’s decision-making on the Russia-Ukraine war, including only 60% of Republicans.
47. A Reuters/Ipsos poll found 78% of Americans said fuel prices were a very big concern to them, and 77% blamed Trump, including 55% of Republicans. Some 58% of voters said they were less likely to vote for candidates who backed Trump’s approach to the Iran War.
48. On Friday, a federal judge hearing Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS said she was not sure the parties’ adverseness fulfilled a controversy requirement, and ordered both parties to explain “whether a case and controversy exists” by May 20.
49. WAPO reported that during the second regime, the DOJ had paid out $8.5 million to Trump allies and supporters to settle cases claiming they were improperly targeted by the Biden administration. The payments undermined former investigations.
50. Payments included $1.25 million to Trump’s 2016 campaign adviser Carter Page quietly made last week over claims of being illegally surveilled, and $1 million to Michael Flynn. Former chief of staff Mark Meadows is also now seeking reimbursement for his legal fees from prosecutions.
51. On Monday, the Trump regime’s DOJ agreed to a second settlement with Flynn, relating to a civil suit in which Flynn alleged that the U.S. Army illegally garnished his retirement pay. The amount of the settlement was unclear.
52. On Friday, Hegseth gave a press briefing alongside Joints Chief of Staff General Dan Caine. No traditional media outlets were allowed to attend, and hence there was almost no media coverage of the contents of the briefing. Hegseth parroted that the U.S. had “all the time in the world.”
53. Hegseth also said, “No one sails from the Strait of Hormuz to anywhere in the world without the permission of the United States Navy,” and added, “Europe needs the Strait of Hormuz more than we do. Get in a boat. This is their fight, not ours,” and “stop talking and get on a boat.”
54. On Monday, an appeals court ruled that the Pentagon can temporarily limit the media’s access to military officials and buildings, saying the Pentagon had supported its case that escorting journalists “furthers important national security interests.”
55. On Friday, Trump berated the Supreme Court on Truth Social, complaining that “People and Companies that have taken advantage of our Country for decades,” and if the court did not make his regime pay back tariffs, “we would have saved 159 Billion Dollars.”’
56. Trump also shared an altered image of far-right pundit Candace Owens on the cover TIME, labeling her as the “Vile Person of Year,” adding that Owens, who had been critical of him, was an “extremely LOW IQ individual” whose stock had “fallen a long way.”
57. Shortly after, Trump shared an image of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries on Truth Social, also calling him “low IQ,” and “not smart enough to be ‘running’ the Democrat Party.” Trump referred to three Black Americans as “low IQ” in recent days.
58. On Friday, Trump fired multiple scientists who were members of the National Science Board, founded in 1950, which helps govern the National Science Foundation, in an email. The NSF has supported technology and research that powered many of today’s innovations.
59. WAPO reported Trump planned to resurface the Lincoln Memorial’s Reflecting Pool, saying a contractor convinced him to paint the basin “American Flag Blue,” changing the historic character, and worrying preservationists, one who said it would look like a “giant lap pool.”
60. On Saturday, Trump posted two images of the Reflecting Pool, one with discolored water, labeled “Hussein Obama,” and one with bluer water labeled “Trump;” however the clouds were the same in both photos. The photo was taken in 2004, when George W. Bush was president.
61. On Saturday, Trump hosted the 297 largest holders of his memecoin $TRUMP at Mar-a-Lago, at what he billed as the “most exclusive” crypto and business conference in the world. The top 29 holders also attended a “special VIP reception and champagne toast with Trump.
62. The event raised issues of pay for play, and questions of Trump using his presidency to enrich himself. The value of $TRUMP, which hit a high of $75 shortly after it was introduced in January 2025, was $3 at the time of the event.
63. WSJ reported that the Trump family’s World Liberty Financial partnered with a virtual-currency venture called AB, which the Trump regime had announced criminal charges and sanctions against last fall for stealing billions of dollars from Americans and other in online scams.
64. On Saturday, Trump canceled Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner’s planned trip to Pakistan, which he had announced on Friday, to meet with representatives from Iran. Trump claimed it was too much travel and expense, and the deal offered by Iran was not good enough for him.
65. Trump blamed Iran’s leadership on Truth Social, claiming there was “tremendous infighting and confusion” and “Nobody knows who is in charge, including them,” and baselessly claiming “we have all the cards.” Trump said Iran made a “much better” offer, but he declined.
66. NBC News reported that damage to U.S. military bases and equipment in the Middle East was “far worse” than publicly acknowledged by the Trump regime, and was expected to cost billions to repair. It was not reported that Iran swiftly retaliated after U.S. strikes on February 28.
67. Iranian strikes hit truck warehouses, command headquarters, aircraft hangars, satellite communications infrastructure, runways, high-end radar systems, and dozens of aircraft; as well the U.S. base Camp Buehring in Kuwait, despite it having air defenses.
68. Newsweek published more images of meals served on U.S. Navy ships, with minimal portions of food. One nonprofit said a mother reported her son had lost 17 pounds. The Defense Department continued to deny food shortages, and would not allow care packages to reach ships.
69. NYT reported that during 2025, the Trump regime changed almost every aspect of the food stamp program, including changes to who is eligible, how much they receive, and what the stamps can be used for, resulting in the program helping 3 million fewer people.
70. Propublica reported that the Trump regime planned to make changes to the Supplemental Security Income program that would target disabled adults with Down syndrome, dementia, and other disabilities, removing their monthly payment if they live with families on food stamps.
71. NYT reported that cases of AIDS had started to increase in Zambia, after the Trump regime cut most U.S. assistance to programs that provided H.I.V. treatment and prevention. The programs Trump cut had saved hundreds of thousands of lives.
72. On Saturday, as Trump attended his first White House Correspondents Association dinner, a man armed with knives, a shotgun, and a handgun barreled through a security checkpoint on a floor above the dinner, and reportedly fired shots before being subdued by law enforcement.
73. Trump, Vance, and cabinet members were whisked away by secret service. Others, most of whom were journalists and influencers, reported live, with many hiding under tables. Former Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein said others were left to “fend for” themselves.
74. Soon after, Trump posted on Truth Social, “Secret Service and Law Enforcement did a fantastic job,” adding, “I have recommended that we ‘LET THE SHOW GO ON’ but, will entirely be guided by Law Enforcement.” He returned to the White House, and the event was canceled.
75. Shortly after, Trump held a press conference. He claimed he was targeted for being a consequential leader, saying, “I studied assassinations,” claiming they go after “the people that make the biggest impact,” adding, “I hate to say I’m honored by that, but we’ve done a lot.”
76. Trump also made his first call for unity, saying, “We have to, we have to resolve our differences,” adding, “I saw some Democrats, as we were leaving — and they were generally hostile — and last night they were waving to me…The place was just coming together. It was very nice.”
77. Trump also used the moment to make a push for his White House ballroom, saying, “I didn’t want to say this, but this is why we have to have all of the attributes of what we’re planning at the White House.” Notably, the dinner is staged by the WHCA, so would not be held there.
78. WAPO reported the Trump regime provided a lower level of security at the dinner, not “National Special Security Event” top security status, despite Trump, Vance, Rubio, and many others in the line of succession being in attendance, leaving the country unusually vulnerable.
79. On Sunday, Trump posted on Truth Social to push for his ballroom, saying, “We need the ballroom,” and listing its proposed security features, adding the shooting “would never have happened with the Militarily Top Secret Ballroom currently under construction.”
80. Scores of MAGA influencers also flooded social media with similar scripted posts, saying that the moment showed the need for the ballroom, “This is why we need Trump’s ballroom,” or “We’d better never again hear a peep of criticism” about the ballroom, and so on.
81. On Sunday, the DOJ sent a letter to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, calling for the group to drop its suit, claiming Trump’s ballroom “will ensure the safety and security of the president for decades to come and prevent future assassination attempts.”
82. Later Sunday, on “60 Minutes,” Norah O’Donnell asked Trump about Secret Service moving him out of the room quickly and “At one point you were down.” Trump denied he was down, telling an intricate lie, then, “we were asked to go down by the — agents as I was walking.”
83. Asked about the shooter’s manifesto, “I am no longer willing to permit a pedophile, rapist, and traitor to coat my hands with his crimes.” Trump said to O’Donnell, “you’re horrible people…I didn’t rape anybody,” and “You should be ashamed of yourself,” and “You’re a disgrace.”
84. Although Trump and his allies briefly called for unity, when asked about the motive, Trump told O’Donnell, “the reason you have people like that is you have people doing No Kings. I’m not a king. What I am — if I was a king I wouldn’t be dealing with you.”
85. On Monday, the National Trust for Historic Preservation rejected Trump’s demand to drop their ballroom lawsuit, saying the shooting was an “awful event,” but did not change the legal requirement for Trump to get Congressional approval for the project.
86. The DOJ used Trump’s words in a court filing, saying the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s case was “very bad for our Country,” and that the organization suffers from “Trump Derangement Syndrome,” adding that their lawyer was “the lawyer for Barack Hussein Obama.”
87. Later Monday, Cole Allen was charged with the attempted assassination of a president. Pirro told reporters that Allen’s intent “was to bring down as many of the high-ranking cabinet officials as he could.” Allen had been staying at the same hotel where the dinner was held.
88. Allen’s posts on Bluesky showed that he had called for Trump’s removal and criticized Trump’s policies, including the Iran War, ICE, and diminished support for Ukraine. He shared that the WHCA’s plans to highlight press freedoms at the dinner was “pathetic” and a “white flag.”
89. Speaking to reporters, Blanche, flanked by Pirro and Patel, chastised them, saying, “Many people in this room have done it as well,” saying they were “just as guilty” as people on X,” of being “overly critical” and calling Trump “horrible names for no reason and without evidence.”
90. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said at the daily briefing that Americans “need to recommit” to “toning down the rhetoric,” ironically blaming Democrats for being a “left-wing cult of hatred” who had inflamed divisions with their rhetoric.
91. Blanche, Leavitt, Trump ally Sen. Lindsey Graham, and other allies continued to push the importance of the ballroom as a security measure on Monday. Notably, in the original plans of the ballroom submitted by Trump, there was no mention of a bunker.
92. Three Republican senators, including Graham, also pushed for using $400 million of taxpayer funds to pay for Trump’s ballroom, claiming it was for the safety of all presidents: “It’s about the person who occupies that office not being put at risk if they choose to go off campus.”
93. WAPO reported that although the DOJ had charged Allen with discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, analysis of a newly released video revealed that Allen never fired a shot. A secret service agent was hit, likely through friendly fire.
94. On Monday, First Lady Melania Trump called on ABC to “take a stand” and fire comedian Jimmy Kimmel, citing on X that “his hateful and violent rhetoric is intended to divide our country.” Days prior, Kimmel joked, “Mrs. Trump, you have a glow like an expectant widow.”
95. Later Monday, Trump also called on ABC and Disney to “immediately” fire Kimmel, posting on X that Kimmel is “in no way funny as attested to by his terrible Television Ratings,” accusing him of a “despicable call to violence” that was “something far beyond the pale.”
96. Later Monday, Kimmel defended his comments, saying his comment was a joke and “not by any stretch of the definition a call to assassination,” and defended his right to lampoon the first couple, saying, “As Americans, we have a right to free speech.”
97. On Tuesday, White House communications director Steven Cheung posted on X that Kimmel was a “shit human being,” adding, “ABC needs to fire him immediately and he should be shunned for the rest of his life.”
98. On Tuesday, FCC Chair Brendan Carr issued an order directing Disney’s eight owned-and-operated television stations to file their broadcast license renewals two years ahead of schedule. The stations were given 30 days to comply. The request was unprecedented.
99. Disney stood up to the regime, saying “ABC and its stations have a long record of operating in full compliance with FCC rules,” and “We are confident that record demonstrates our continued qualifications” and we “are prepared to show that through the appropriate legal channels.”
100. On Monday, more than 600 employees at Google sent a letter to its chief executive Sundar Pichai demanding that he bar the Pentagon from using its AI for classified work in “inhumane or extremely harmful ways,” including “lethal autonomous weapons and mass surveillance.”
101. NYT reported although Congress passed a bill in 1985 prohibiting the U.S. Mint from making bullion out of foreign gold to insulate the process from human rights abuses, the Trump regime has quietly purchased gold from drug cartels, essentially laundering their money.
102. On Monday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in a speech that the U.S. has “no strategy” with Iran, saying Iranians were “very skillfully — or, rather, very skillfully not negotiating,” and “An entire nation is being humiliated by the Iranian state leadership.”
103. On Monday, Trump discussed Iran’s proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for the U.S. ending its blockade and the war, and postponing negotiations on Iran’s nuclear ambitions for a later date, with top aides. Rubio later said the deal is not acceptable.
104. On Monday, during a visit to Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told a Russian state TV reporter that the U.S. had “achieved none of its goals,” and “That’s why they ask for negotiation.”
105. On Monday, as King Charles was visiting Trump at the White House, a U.K. minister said while the country does not support the U.S. blockade, it would work with the U.S. and others to reopen the strait, where he said Iran is holding “the rest of the world to ransom.”
106. During the visit, the U.K. ambassador to the U.S. said America’s only special relationship was “probably Israel,” not the U.K., and criticized the U.S. for failing to hold associates of Jeffrey Epstein to account, calling it “extraordinary” that the scandal “hasn’t touched anybody” in the U.S.
107. On Monday, the U.S. military said it had attacked another alleged drug vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean, the 54th known U.S. military strike, killing three “narco-terrorists,” and raising the known death toll to at least 185.
108. On Monday, Hegseth posted on X about riding in Army helicopters with pro-Trump musician Kid Rock, saying, “Kid Rock is a patriot and huge supporter of our troops.” The post came two weeks after two Apache crews were censured and then cleared for flying near the singer’s home.
109. On Monday, the Interior Department announced that Bluepoint Wind and Golden State Wind, two offshore wind developers, came to an agreement with the Trump regime under which they would give up federal leases and receive hundreds of millions in fossil fuel projects.
110. On Monday, Trump withdrew his pick of hospitality executive Scott Socha to lead the National Park Service, as the agency had been shaken by a mass reduction in headcount. During the first, and now second regime, Trump had yet to have a Senate confirmed head of the agency.
111. Later Monday, Trump baselessly claimed on Truth Social that “America’s Elections are Rigged, Stolen, and a Laughingstock all over the World,” and called for Republicans to pass the Save America Act, including voters must show I.D. and proof of citizenship, and “no mail-in ballots.”
112. On Tuesday, the price of U.S. gas rose to $4.17 a gallon, the highest level in four years, as negotiations between the Trump regime and Iran seemed to stall without a resolution.
113. Shortly after, Trump claimed on Truth Social, without evidence, that “Iran has just informed us that they are in a ‘State of Collapse,’” adding, “They want us to ‘Open the Hormuz Strait,’ as soon as possible.” Iran did not respond to Trump.
114. Trump also posted on Truth Social that Merz doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” baselessly claiming that he “thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon,” and adding, “No wonder Germany is doing so poorly, both Economically, and otherwise!”
115. On Tuesday, Reuters/Ipsos polling found Trump hit a new low, with 34% approval, 64% disapproval. Just 22% of Americans approved of Trump’s handling of the cost of living, also a new low, while 69% disapproved, including 41% of Republicans and 71% of Independents.
116. NYT reported in an effort to get nominated as Attorney General, acting AG Todd Blanche had green-lit or pushed along cases against Trump’s perceived enemies, including John Brennan, Cassidy Hutchinson, Democrat organization ActBlue, and the Southern Poverty Law Center.
117. Blanche has also revived cases against James Comey and Fani Willis. Blanche also has the benefit of already being Senate confirmed; and Trump noting at a recent fundraiser that if Democrats win control of the House, they could pursue him, and Blanche was his defense attorney.
118. Lawfare reported that former AG Pam Bondi had nixed the appointment of Joseph diGenova, but after her firing, Trump personally asked him to open investigations into James Comey and John Brennan, leaving them open to motions to dismiss on selective or vindictive prosecution.
119. On Friday, in a Truth Social post sent at 1:13 a.m., Trump lashed out at the civil-rights group SPLC, baselessly claiming that it was “one of the greatest political scams in American History,” that had been “charged with FRAUD,” and calling it “another Democrat hoax.”
120. On Tuesday, a Manhattan judge ruled that Maurene Comey can move forward with her lawsuit against the Trump regime, claiming she was fired because of Trump’s disdain for her father, James Comey, or her “perceived political affiliation and beliefs, or both.”
121. On Tuesday, Trump’s DOJ secured an indictment in North Carolina against James Comey, over his posting an image of shells arranged to spell out “86 47” on X, alleging it was “a serious expression of an intent to do harm to the President of the United States.”
122. At a news conference, Blanche did not offer evidence that Comey “knowingly and willfully” made a threat, and said that the grand jury had issued an arrest warrant. Legal experts said the case would very likely fail, and Blanche was likely vying to be nominated for AG.
123. On Tuesday, the DOJ also announced an indictment against Dr. David Morens, a former senior adviser to Dr. Anthony Fauci at the National Institutes of Health, claiming he failed to turn over emails. NYT reported he did so to protect scientists from baseless “political charges.”
124. On Tuesday, the SPLC asked a federal judge to compel Blanche to retract his comment, saying the DOJ “is well aware that the SPLC provided helpful information, through the use of its confidential informants, to law enforcement,” and his comments could taint a jury.
125. On Tuesday, the State Department revealed plans to issue a limited-edition U.S. passport featuring Trump’s likeness over the summer, in commemoration of the country’s 250th anniversary, the tenth initiative by the Trump regime to rebrand with his name or likeness.
126. On Tuesday, FT reported that Julie Davis, the acting U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, who had served since last May, resigned over differences with Trump over his dwindling support of Ukraine.
127. The former ambassador to Ukraine, Bridget Brink, who served for three years before Davis, posted on X, “I resigned as U.S. Ambassador Ukraine when Trump kept siding with Putin over our democratic partner,” and alleged Davis is leaving for the same reason.
128. On Tuesday, Sen. Mitch McConnell, who chaired the defense appropriations subcommittee, chastised the Pentagon in an op-ed at WAPO, for holding up $400 million in funding for Ukraine that was already approved by Congress “months ago.”
129. On Tuesday, King Charles addressed a joint session of Congress, the second royal to do so after his mother. Charles received a standing ovation when he urged “unyielding resolve” for “Ukraine and her most courageous people” in order to “secure a truly just and lasting peace.”
130. Charles spoke about the importance of NATO, saying after 9/11, “when NATO invoked Article 5 for the first time…we answered the call together,” as well as standing “should to shoulder” in world wars, and Afghanistan, and pushing back against isolationism.
131. Among the guests at the White House State Dinner were Paramount’s David Ellison, as well as several tech companies’ CEOs with business before the government, the six Republican-appointed Supreme Court justices, and Republicans in Congress, a break from past dinners.
132. On Tuesday, Florida Republican Rep. Daniel Webster announced his retirement, the 36th House Republican to do so this election cycle, breaking the previous record of 34 House Republicans in 2018.
133. On Wednesday, the Supreme Court voted 6–3 to weaken a key pillar in the Voting Rights Act, limiting the consideration of race in drawing up voting maps. The ruling could set off a scramble by Republicans to redraw minority-majority districts.
134. On Wednesday, WSJ reported Trump told aides to prepare for an extended blockade of Iran to compel a nuclear capitulation, dismissing the options of resuming military strikes or reopening the strait and ending the war. Trump believed extending was the least risky option.
135. On Wednesday, at 4 a.m., Trump posted an AI image of himself holding a rifle with explosions in the background and the words “NO MORE MR. NICE GUY,” adding, “Iran can’t get their act together. They don’t know how to sign a nonnuclear deal. They better get smart soon!”