Week 79 — The Return – The Weekly List

Two story lines really stood out this week, in part because of their big implications for the state of things under Trump. First, bowing to pressure from Trump, FDA Commissioner Marty Makary resigned. With that resignation, the Trump regime’s Department of Health and Human Services had no Senate confirmed FDA commissioner, CDC director, surgeon general, or NIH director. Notably, this comes amid an outbreak of hantavirus, with 11 confirmed cases and three deaths, once again demonstrating the dysfunction of our federal government under Trump and his loyalists. The second is Trump saying out loud — something many had suspected through his actions — that he was indifferent to the suffering of anyone but himself. On Tuesday, the day the consumer price index showed soaring prices for energy and food, Trump was asked about “Americans’ financial situations,” and whether it was motivating him to make a deal with Iran. Trump said:

“Not even a little bit. The only thing that matters when I’m talking about Iran — they can’t have a nuclear weapon. I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation. I don’t think about anybody. I think about one thing — we cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon. That’s all.”

My emphasis added, to what truly was a remarkable, if uniquely honest, statement.

What is shocking too, is that even with that statement which cited the sole goal of disarming Iran’s nuclear capabilities, reporting this week indicates that Trump was ready to strike a deal to end the war with Iran, without achieving a single objective stated at the outset, including said elimination of nuclear. Reporting also indicated that Iran had been able to almost fully restore its military capabilities to pre-war levels, despite Trump and Defense Department Sec. Pete Hegseth’s repeated lies that those capabilities had been various versions of obliterated. When challenged by the truth, Trump and his regime resorted to their North Star, attacking the media, and accusing them of being traitors.

Juxtapose Trump’s callous indifference toward the American people to his focus, bordering on obsession, with spreading likenesses of himself and his name, and pursuing his perceived enemies. Our Justice Department under acting Attorney General Todd Blanche is unrecognizable. They might as well take down the Justice Department words from the building, under the giant poster of Trump, and call it the Trump Organization Law Firm! Between that, and the out in the open kleptocracy, with almost no pushback to either, this week it was clear how many broken norms have for now been accepted and normalized, as if Americans who oppose Trump are just biding their time.

As Trump heads to China, traveling not with U.S.-China experts, but with his son and corporate chief executives, much is at stake. While the trip will provide Trump with a change of subject for now, there is no clear end for his Iran War, which by many accounts the U.S. seems to be losing, and Trump’s mental health, and demonstrated once again by his late night and overnight social media posting, is very much in question. He is the mad king, making all decisions, while Republicans enable him.

Reuters reported that an Alliance of Democracies Foundation survey found global perceptions of the U.S. fell for a second year, citing Trump’s tariffs, threats to Greenland to withdraw from NATO, cuts in aid to Ukraine, and the Iran War and the ensuing spike in gas prices.
The survey between March 19 and April 21 in 98 countries found that net perception of the U.S. had swung from +22% in 2024 to -16% in 2026, placing the U.S. behind Russia at -11% and China at +7%.
A CNN/SSRS poll found 77% of Americans said Trump’s policies have increased the cost of living, with the Iran War and tariffs cited as the most negative effects. Just 26% approved of Trump’s handling of inflation, while his approval on handling the economy fell to 30%, a career low.
White House economic advisor Kevin Hassett oddly bragged on Fox Business that “credit card spending is through the roof,” indicating that consumers needed to take on more debt, adding, “They’re spending more on gasoline, but they’re spending more on everything else too.”
WSJ reported former New Hampshire governor Chris Sununu, who represents several airlines, told Treasury Department Sec. Scott Bessent that the spike in jet fuel prices would mean airfares rising more if the war continued. Airlines were also cutting flights where they could not raise prices.
On Thursday, Whirlpool was one of several companies to warn that the Iran War was negatively impacting consumer behavior. Whirlpool noted the war had caused a “recession-level industry decline,” and that “consumer confidence collapsed in late February and March.”
On Friday, consumer sentiment fell to a fresh record low, amid concerns over surging gas prices and the impact of inflation on personal finances. The University of Michigan survey came in at 48.2, down 3.2% from April’s record low, and down 7.7% from a year ago.
On Tuesday, the consumer price index showed consumer prices rose 3.8% annually in April, the highest increase since May 2023. Energy and food prices accounted for most of the increase. Grocery prices jumped the most in nearly four years.
For the first time in U.S. history, the size of the U.S. debt, which topped about $31.26 trillion in March, exceeded the gross domestic product. While Musk had vowed to cut trillions in federal spending with DOGE, instead Trump’s tax cuts were expected to add $4 trillion to the deficit.
NYT reported that a U.S. intelligence assessment found Iran had restored 30 of the 33 missile sites along the Strait of Hormuz, threatening U.S. warships, as well as restoring 70% of its mobile launchers, 70% of its missile stockpile, and 90% of its underground missile storage.
Despite the assessment, both Trump and Hegseth continued to publicly claim that Iran’s military was “decimated” and “no longer” a threat. When asked about reporting, a Pentagon spokesman accused the NYT and others of acting as “public relations agents for the Iranian regime.”
On Monday, WSJ reported that Trump privately complained to acting AG Todd Blanche about media leaks on the Iran war, sharing a stack of articles with Blanche that he and others in the regime claimed threatened national security, with a sticky note that said “treason.”
Trump focused on reporting on how he came to the decision to strike Iran and on the U.S. jet downed in Iran and the rescue mission. Grand jury subpoenas were issued to several news organizations, including the WSJ, NYT, WAPO and Axios. Experts said the move was highly unusual.
On Tuesday, Blanche posted on X, “Prosecuting leakers who share our nation’s secrets with reporters…is a priority for this administration,” adding, “these criminals should not be surprised if they receive a subpoena about the illegal leaking of classified material.”
On Friday, in a public filing, ABC accused the Federal Communications Commission of violating the First Amendment by trying to punish public content that they disagreed with, marking the most aggressive posture taken against the Trump regime by a television network.
On Monday, in a highly unusual letter, FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez, the lone Democrat, told the CEO of Disney that the probe of “The View” is without merit, and that Chair Brendan Carr weaponized the agency to pressure “a free and independent press and all media into submission.”
On Friday, Page Six reported that CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss did not renew “60 Minutes” journalist Sharyn Alfonsi’s contract, after the two clashed over a segment on the El Salvador prison CECOT that did not air as scheduled. Alfonsi hired a high-powered attorney to sue.
A NewsGuard survey found that 24% of Americans believed that the White House correspondents’ dinner shooting was staged, 45% believed it to be legitimate, and 32% were unsure, signaling a continued and growing mistrust of the Trump regime and the media.
The DOJ said it was investigating U.C.L.A Medical School over alleged bias in its admissions policies, claiming it favored Black and Hispanic applicants with lower qualifications than white and Asian students. The DOJ cited messages referring to diversity and “holistic review practices.”
On Thursday, a federal judge found that Elon Musk’s DOGE “blatantly used” race, gender, and other protected characteristics to make the largest grants cuts in history at the National Endowment for the Arts, finding the cuts both unlawful and “troubling.”
Two DOGE employees said they used ChatGPT to search for DEI terms, and targeted those grants for cuts. The judge cited, “Treating Black civil-rights history, Jewish testimony about the Holocaust,” Asian and Native American experiences, and mention of women as “wasteful” was unlawful.
On Wednesday, four senior DOJ officials pulled out of a New York City Bar Association event at the last minute, amid a growing rift between the DOJ and the Bar Association, which has been sharply critical of the regime, including Trump’s targeting of law firms and executive orders.
On Wednesday, federal judges in Rhode Island appointed special counsel to investigate potential misconduct by federal prosecutor Kevin Bolan. Acting on advice from Homeland Security, Bolan withheld key information from Judge Melissa DuBose.
Bloomberg reported U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro was issuing informal $5,000 to $7,000 bonus payments to senior prosecutors in an effort to avoid them quitting. Pirro claimed the bonuses were office tradition, but employees said in the past payments were far smaller.
NYT reported that at a private event in April, former special counsel Jack Smith accused the DOJ of being “corrupted” by Trump loyalists, saying the DOJ “targets people” Trump does not like, and “fails to investigate” cases that “might uncover facts that are inconvenient.”
CNN reported that after a seasoned prosecutor leading the investigation against John Brennan told DOJ officials that the evidence did not support charges, she was told “That’s not good enough.” Later, under Blanche, a shakeup ensued, and she was reassigned.
WAPO reported more than half a dozen prosecutors in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia were demoted or fired, and others quit, over the office’s efforts to prosecute James Comey. Resources for major cases had also been diverted.
On Tuesday, a federal appeals court declined to rehear Trump’s lawsuit against Hillary Clinton, Comey, and others, claiming they participated in a conspiracy to create false allegations that his 2016 campaign was tied to Russia. Trump and his attorney were also fined $1 million.
NYT reported DOJ officials were considering settling Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS ahead of the judge’s May 20 deadline to prove the lawsuit was valid, possibly paying with taxpayer money or by the IRS agreeing to drop any future audits of Trump, his family, and businesses.
On Thursday, the Tennessee state legislature reconvened, and at a chaotic session, passed a bill to redraw the state’s Congressional map, eliminating the one Democratic district. A Democrat said, “This is not a special session. This is a white-power rally and a white-power grab.”
The Tennessee bill also eliminated the requirement to notify voters of their new polling places in the new Congressional districts.
On Friday, the Virginia Supreme Court ruled 4–3 to strike down a voter-approved Democratic congressional redistricting plan, another blow to Democrats, saying the legislature violated procedural requirements when it placed the constitutional amendment on the ballot.
On Monday, the Supreme Court, along ideological lines, sided with Alabama Republicans, clearing the way for the state to enact a new Congressional map in time for midterms, and gerrymander out its two majority-Black districts.
On Tuesday, South Carolina Republicans fell short of the super-majority needed to redistrict, after state Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey, despite being pressured by Trump, cited the health of our democracy and eroding fundamental value, and said the move could backfire.
On Tuesday, the DOJ’s Office of Legal Counsel filed a new opinion with the court on the eve of an appeal after Michigan refused to hand over its voter rolls, baselessly claiming that the Civil Rights Act of 1960 authorizes the Trump regime to obtain full voter rolls from states.
On Tuesday, the Republican National Committee announced that it was sending “poll watchers” and “election observers” to 17 states ahead of midterms voting, citing what it called a nationwide “election integrity” operation.
On Wednesday, a federal judge ruled that the DOJ can keep the 2020 election ballots seized from Fulton County, a win for the Trump regime, finding that while there were flaws in the FBI affidavit, they did not amount to “callous disregard” for the county’s rights.
On Wednesday, ICE pulled a gun on a 19 year-old in the Bronx, tackled him, and beat him. After capturing him, ICE agents realized they had apprehended the wrong person, and dumped him at a park far from his home. He needed stitches and suffered a concussion.
A Propublica analysis showed in hundreds of cases, federal agents in ICE and CBP made arrests of U.S. citizens who were protestors, activists, bystanders, or family members of targets, and the cases were later dismissed after charges failed to stand up to scrutiny.
Florida told its vendors it planned to close the ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ detention center. Detainees and activists had denounced inhumane conditions. The DeSantis administration spent $1 million a day to operate the facility, and had yet to receive $608 million of federal reimbursement.
The Atlantic reported that FBI Director Kash Patel often traveled with a supply of personally branded bourbon from distillery Woodford Reserve, with the words “Kash Patel FBI Director” engraved on the bottle, along with a rendering of an FBI shield.
On Thursday, MSNOW reported that Patel ordered polygraphs for more than two dozen former and current members of his security detail and staff, and isolated himself from senior bureau officials, after reporting about his issues with alcohol and his leadership.
On Thursday, ABC News reported the DOJ and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission were investigating a series of suspicious oil trades, totaling $2.6 billion, that took place just ahead of major announcements by Trump and a top Iranian official.
On Thursday, Trump attacked Joe Biden in an AI-generated Truth Social post, with Biden asleep while Barack Obama holds a box of autopens, Hillary Clinton laughs, and another person signs with the autopen and another snorts cocaine, posting, “Tremendous damage done.”
Shortly after, Trump posted an image of a 22-foot, gold-leaf covered statue depicting him pumping his fist in the air, which was located at his Doral Golf Club, where the PGA played in Week 78, posting, “The Real Deal — GOLD,” which it was not.
John Mark Burns, an American evangelical minister and spiritual adviser to Trump, defended the Golden Trump statue amid a backlash after its unveiling which compared the worship of the statue by Trump supporters to the Biblical golden cow statue.
WAPO reported lawyers are warning wealthy clients not to avail themselves of Trump’s ‘gold card visa,’ which were marketed to the global elite, citing the golden visa was not congressionally approved, was subject to ongoing litigation, and over uncertainty over tax implications.
WAPO reported that new banners have appeared around D.C. with images of Trump wearing a hard hat with red construction scaffolding and a blue background, with the words, “Thank you, President Trump,” despite D.C.’s largely Democratic population being against his changes.
On Friday, NYT reported the Trump regime used an exemption meant for urgent situations in order to award a $6.9 million no-bid contract to Atlantic Industrial Coatings to paint the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool light blue.
On Monday, the Interior Department added an additional $6.2 million to the contract, saying it would now total $13.1 million. Trump had originally said his contractor, who also did the swimming pools at one of his golf clubs, would do the job for $1.8 million.
ABC News reported that the Trump regime was planning to use $400 million from a settlement with TikTok over alleged child privacy violations to fund Trump’s “beautification” projects in D.C.
Trump Mobile, which launched in June 2025, suffered a public backlash, after collecting nearly $60 million in $100 deposits from approximately 600,000 users, and had yet to ship a single cell phone or give an update to those who ordered the phone.
FT reported that Cove Kaz Capital, which merged with a shell company backed by Donald Jr. and Eric Trump, applied for an extra $400 million from the Pentagon’s Office of Strategic Capital, in addition to the $1.6 billion already granted, to develop a tungsten mine in Kazakhstan.
Eric Trump and his wife Lara accompanied Trump and a delegation of corporate chief executives on the trip to China, even as Eric co-leads the Trump Organization.
Transportation Department Sec. Sean Duffy drew criticism for launching a new reality TV series “The Great American Road Trip,” a five-part reality series about driving across the U.S., after the surge in gas prices due to the Iran War made travel unaffordable for many.
The show was also taped over seven months, while Duffy was Transportation secretary, and was sponsored by several companies overseen by his department, raising concerns as ethics groups said the donations could constitute a gift, violating ethics standards.
NYT reported after the National Weather Service lost 15% of its employees through firings and early retirements, the agency is struggling to be ready for severe storms and the hurricane season. The regime had been trying, with limited success, to rehire scientists.
An outbreak of deadly hantavirus was found on a cruise ship, with three deaths and five suspected cases. CBS News reported that HHS Sec. Robert Kennedy Jr. had laid off all the employees in the CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program, responsible for health inspections on cruise ships.
Infectious Diseases Society CEO Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo told reporters, “we are not prepared” for public health crises, citing “large-scale funding and workforce cuts” at the CDC, and the U.S. withdrawal from the WHO. The Trump regime also did not have a CDC director or Surgeon General.
On Friday, WSJ reported Trump was planning to replace FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, amid turmoil at the agency, including senior staff departures, and clashes over vaping, abortion, and drug policy. His tenure was also dogged by mass layoffs by DOGE.
Asked by reporters on Friday for comment on Makary’s possible departure, Trump lied, “I know nothing about it.” Makary would become the third top lieutenant of Kennedy’s to depart.
NYT reported while Kennedy had toned down his public anti-vaccine rhetoric ahead of midterms, he continued a push across health agencies for government scientists and federal data contractors to examine his belief that vaccines are fueling an epidemic of chronic disease.
Career scientists at the FDA and CDC were conducting research with contractors, who provided millions of patient medical records. Vaccine experts raised alarms that Kennedy would cherry pick data or misinterpret studies to claim vaccines were unsafe and limit their use.
On Tuesday, Makary resigned, after weeks of rumors that Trump planned to fire him. Makary also made a number of enemies in Washington and on Wall Street. Makary texted Trump his resignation, which Trump proceeded to post on his Truth Social account.
CBS News reported that House and Senate Democrats had requested financial records from recipients of pardons and commutations from Trump, as well as copies of communications between them or their representatives and the Trump regime, citing “pay-to-play dynamics.”
On Thursday, Trump met with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. After the meeting, Trump provided a short readout on Truth Social, but did not explain why a scheduled press event with the two leaders did not take place. Lula held his own press conference.
On Thursday, former counterterrorism director Joe Kent posted on X that the U.S. intelligence community agreed before the war started “that Iran wasn’t developing a nuclear weapon,” and that they would “target U.S. bases” in the region and “shut down” the strait if a war started.
On Wednesday, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that Iran’s “missiles are mostly decimated, they have probably 18, 19 percent, but not a lot.” Trump posted on X that the blockade was “unbelievable,” adding, “It’s like a wall of steel. Nobody goes through.”
On Thursday, WAPO reported that according to a confidential CIA assessment, Iran would not suffer severe economic pressure from the U.S. blockade for three to four months.
An analysis by the U.S. intelligence community also found that Iran retains about 75% of its prewar inventories of mobile launchers and about 70% of its missiles, and has been able to recover and reopen almost all of its underground storage facilities.
On Thursday, NYT reported the Trump regime had approved $17 billion in sales of thousands of air defense interceptor missiles to Kuwait, the UAE, and Bahrain. The sales were announced by the State Department to Congress last Friday, but the department did not announce them publicly.
The sales came as some Pentagon officials expressed concern about U.S. military readiness being compromised by low supplies. The U.S. had diverted munitions from U.S. commands in Asia and Europe to the Middle East, despite concerns about China.
On Thursday, Tom Barrett, a first-term House Republican in a purple district, introduced a bill that would authorize continued military operations in Iran though the end of July, but require Congressional approval after, implicitly rejecting Trump’s claims that the war was over.
ON Thursday, HuffPost reported the Defense Department Inspector General rejected a request by watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics to investigate the helicopter flyover at Kid Rock’s house, after taking nearly six weeks to respond.
IG Platte Moring III told CREW in a letter, “Secretary Hegseth indicated that he had decided not to pursue this matter. My office will not investigate the Secretary’s decision.” CREW said in response, “This response is antithetical to the role of an inspector general.”
On Thursday, after what Trump posted on Truth Social was a “great call” with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, he gave the EU until July 4 to approve the deal, and “cut their Tariffs to ZERO,” else “their Tariffs would immediately jump to much higher levels.”
On Thursday, a panel of federal judges on the Court of International Trade ruled 2–1 that Trump’s 10% tariffs, imposed after the Supreme Court ruling striking down his other tariffs, had violated the law, finding he had wrongfully invoked the Trade Act of 1974.
On Thursday, after the U.S. and Iran exchanged fired in the strait, Trump told ABC News that strikes on Iranian targets were “just a love tap,” and threatened if they did not restart negotiations to come to a deal, “we’ll knock them out a lot harder, and a lot more violently.”
Trump also said of the U.S.’s latest offer to Iran, “It’s an offer that basically said they will not have nuclear weapons,” claiming, “They’re going to hand us the nuclear dust and many other things that we want.”
On Friday, Trump threatened Iran, telling reporters if the ceasefire ended, “You’re just going to have to look at one big glow coming out of Iran,” adding, “they better sign their agreement fast,” and “if it doesn’t get signed, they’re going to have a lot of pain.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters that the U.S. expected a response from Iran on a potential deal on Friday, adding, “The red line is clear: They threaten Americans, they’re gonna get blown up.” Iran said it was not “bound” by U.S. deadlines, and did not respond Friday.
On Saturday, Trump posted on Truth Social, “Happy Mother’s Day weekend to all, especially to the 115 THOUSAND AMERICANS who found jobs,” adding 90% of economists had a “‘Terminal’ case of TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME” for underestimating the Trump economy.
Trump also posted 16 Truth Social posts featuring AI images, known as AI slop, including imagery of drones in Iran; the planned UFC octagon at the White House; and an image of Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who had spoken out about Trump’s rhetoric, surrounded by junk food.
On Saturday, NYT reported that Russia was shipping drone components to Iran, helping Iran rebuild its offensive abilities, as well as commercial goods that would typically pass through the Strait, using the alternative trade route of the Caspian Sea.
On Sunday, Trump’s first post on Mother’s Day was a 232-word screed, saying Iran was “playing games” for 47 years, adding, “DELAY, DELAY, DELAY!” Trump also baselessly claimed that “Barack Hussein Obama” was “great” to Iran, and threatened they “will be laughing no longer!”
Trump also lashed out at Fox News, claiming their coverage “is destroyed by professional Liars, Conmen, and Liberal, Crooked Politicians,” and “This is why MAGA Republicans, who are actually close to 100% of the Party, hate Fox,” adding, “Hard to win Elections like this!”
Trump also threatened to have an “Election Integrity Army in every single State” for midterms, baselessly claiming that “Palestinian Chuck Schumer” and Democrats’ “Election Integrity Group” would aim to “suppress Republican voters” and “interfere in our Elections.”
Later Sunday, in an interview with “Full Measure,” Trump claimed that Iran had been defeated militarily, but when pressed on his regime’s statements that the war was over, Trump countered, “No, I didn’t say that,” adding Iran was “defeated, but that doesn’t mean they are done.”
Asked by a viewer about his audit of Fort Knox, which Trump and Musk had promised in early 2025, Trump seemed to have forgotten about it, then said we wanted to see if there was “any gold in there. We played with that,” adding he did want “to go to Fort Knox sometime.”
Later Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on “60 Minutes” that the war was not over, citing, “There is still nuclear material, enriched uranium, that has to be taken out,” adding, “I think it can be done physically,” but an agreement would be the best way.
Later Sunday, two days after Trump’s deadline, Iran sent a response to the U.S. offer, which per their state media included their sovereignty over the strait, the end of the U.S blockade, and reparations. Trump posted on Truth Social, “I don’t like it — TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE.”
On Sunday, Bloomberg reported Trump changed his approach to ending the war, prioritizing only reopening the strait, while leaving the issues of Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs until later, counter to Iran’s nuclear capabilities being his repeated main justification for the war.
Later Sunday, in a 469-word post, Trump ranted about the Supreme Court justices he appointed, saying, “They were appointed by me, and yet have hurt our Country so badly!” and threatened, “I should be the one wanting to PACK THE COURT!”
On Monday, at 1:12 a.m., Trump posted a 400-word attack on the “Failing New York Times,” over their reporting on the no bid contract for painting the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. At 6:46 a.m. he posted the same screed, with a typo fixed.
Trump claimed in his post that he “went to a contractor I did not know, and have never used before” for the Reflecting Pool, despite previously saying he contacted people “that have worked for me in the past,” and that he had a “very good contractor.”
Trump then sent 54 more posts over the next 74 minutes, including an AI generated image of him on a $100 bill and an AI image of Obama, Biden, and Rep. Nancy Pelosi in dirty water in the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool, with the caption “Dumacrats Love Sewage,” and more.
On Monday, speaking to reporters from the Oval Office for a maternal health event, Trump said this ceasefire with Iran was on “massive life support,” calling Iran’s response to his proposal a “piece of garbage” and saying that he “didn’t even finish reading it.”
Trump also claimed, without evidence, that Iranian leaders “intend to give us the nuclear dust.” Trump also claimed that a diplomatic solution was “very possible,” and added on timing, “There’s no pressure at all…We’re going to have a complete victory.”
Trump also insulted Democrats, whom he called “Dumbocrats,” saying “I was the hunted, now I’m the hunter,” adding of Democrats, “These are bad people,” and that he called them that “because they’re dumb. They’re dumb people.”
Trump was also seen falling asleep during the event, as witnessed by a Reuters reporter who posted an image of him appearing to be sleeping. The White House rapid response account said in response, “He was blinking, you absolute moron.”
On Monday, Trump told Fox News that he was “seriously considering making Venezuela the 51st U.S. state,” saying there is $40 trillion in oil there, and “Venezuela loves Trump.”
Later Monday, Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez told reporters, “We will continue to defend our integrity, our sovereignty, our independence, our history,” adding Venezuela is “not a colony, but a free country.”
Later Monday, at a law enforcement event in the Rose Garden, Trump praised Todd Blanche, saying, “We have a man who is doing a great job. I knew it! Because he kept me out of jail for years,” adding, “They would indict me left and right. The crooked Democrats.”
Trump again insulted Democrats, saying, “A new name I came up — dumbocrat. I think that could be a good one. I’ve come up with some extraordinary names,” adding, “But I was talking about Hakeem Jeffries. He’s a low IQ person. He’s a dumb guy.”
Later Monday, Trump began a Truth Social post storm at 10:14 p.m., baselessly accusing Obama of plotting a coup against him, and sharing other baseless conspiracy theories about Jack Smith and former AG Merrick Garland. Trump sent 54 more posts, continuing until 1:12 a.m.
On Tuesday, asked by a reporter before departing for China if concern for Americans’ financial situations was motivating him to make a deal with Iran, Trump said, “Not even a little bit. The only thing that matters when I’m talking about Iran — they can’t have a nuclear weapon.”
Trump added, “I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation. I don’t think about anybody. I think about one thing — we cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon. That’s all.” The price of gas had risen by 50% since the start of the war, and the CPI released on Tuesday showed spiking prices.
When asked about the cost of the ballroom doubling, Trump attacked MS NOW reporter Akayla Gardner, a woman of color, saying, “I doubled the size of it you dumb person. You are not a smart person,” — Trump’s latest attack on a female reporter.
NYT reported according to government documents, Interior Department staff members raised concerns about the reflecting pool repair work, saying it appeared uneven, and that bubbles and small holes had appeared in one of the layers, and the work was behind schedule.
Later Tuesday, aboard Air Force One en route to China, Trump posted a graphic of Venezuela as the 51st U.S. state on Truth Social. The White House reposted it.
Shortly after midnight, Trump continued to post on Truth Social, including saying that a congressional staffer to Sen. Mitch McConnell should be “immediately fired,” and included the staffer’s photo, saying he made McConnell “look foolish and completely out of it.”
A WSJ analysis found Trump’s late night posts in May approached the highest number of the second regime, as he and staffers on his behalf posted conspiracy theories, divisive messages, and attacks on his critics and enemies, often amplifying obscure accounts.

Rep. Todd Warner, R-Chapel Hill, arrives to the House chamber wearing a Trump flag for a special session of the state legislature to redraw U.S. Congressional voting maps Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)