Week 80 — The Return – The Weekly List

The biggest stories this week center on the blatant, unprecedented corruption by Trump, his family, and his regime. What is shocking is not only the scope, but also Trump’s willingness, even eagerness, to flaunt his kleptocracy in the light of day, seeming to regale in the fact that no one in his regime or party would dare to challenge or in any way stop him.

Notable this week was not only Trump’s disclosure that he or his agents had made more than 3,700 stock trades in the first quarter, many of which involved companies with business before his regime, but also several that he had publicly promoted or directly helped through his actions and policies. Far more brazen was his so-called “Anti-Weaponization Fund,” which was poised to award $1.776 billion of taxpayer money not only to his allies, but also to Jan. 6 insurrections, whom he had already pardoned, and will now be enriched and encouraged to do the same in the future at his beck and call! This was another in the long list of examples of Trump getting away with one thing (pardons), then taking a broken norm to a next level, after little to no pushback.

These remarkable headlines sucked much of the oxygen out of other important story lines. The Iran War continued with no progress, and following the same pattern of Trump threatening strikes, then backing off (TACO), with no end in sight. Bloomberg reported financial markets had gotten desensitized to his pattern, and Trump’s words and posts were having diminishing impacts. The American public moved increasingly against not only the war, but also on Trump’s overall approval and approval on other key issues, reaching new lows.

Trump’s China Summit was by most accounts not only unproductive, but also deleterious to U.S. standing, and an embarrassment. While Trump seemed smitten by, and trying hard for a friendship with China’s president, Xi referred to the U.S. as a “declining nation,” and seemed to troll Trump throughout his visit. Meanwhile, Trump continued to pull away from our NATO allies, and took steps toward conflicts with Cuba and Greenland, which would also serve to allow him to control the narrative away from what we are no longer talking about — the Epstein files.

As a second outbreak hit this week, the Department of Health and Human Services was hit with another senior level resignation. There are other important stories as well on the dysfunction within our federal agencies, which is only getting worse. With all this happening, Trump remained focused on his ballroom, and his campaign of retribution.

WAPO reported that a new U.S. intelligence analysis detailed how China had gained a major edge in military, economic, diplomatic and other fields, because of the Iran War, ahead of Trump’s meeting. Experts said that the war was significantly improving China’s geopolitical position.
With the war, China sold weapons to Persian Gulf allies of the U.S., and helped countries struggling with energy needs. China also used a populist message at home that the war was “illegal,” and sought to undermine the U.S. reputation as reliable and international rules-based.
On Wednesday, as Trump and his delegation arrived and started days of meetings in China, a Chinese oil tanker carrying two million barrels of oil was able to sail through the Strait of Hormuz after two months of being stranded. Iran said it had approved the passage.
On Wednesday, WSJ reported the Pentagon abruptly canceled the deployment of more than 4,000 troops from an armored brigade, which was already en route to Poland, citing the longer-term goal of reducing the U.S. military’s role in defending European countries.
Republican and Democratic lawmakers criticized the canceled deployment, saying they and our allies were not notified. Senate Arms Services Committee Chair Mike Rogers said, “We are going to mandate that the department follow the statutory minimums that are set.”
Notus reported that Hegseth also planned to downgrade four-star Gen. Christopher Donahue, the top command overseeing Europe and Africa, and replace him with a lower level officer, raising questions about Donahue’s future and the U.S. commitment to Europe.
On Friday, the House voted 333–80 against a measure that would have diverted $482 million from NATO funding toward military construction instead. The 80 House Republicans who voted for it said it was about putting ‘America first.’
WSJ reported the Trump regime was considering a plan for Trump to issue 250 pardons as a way to celebrate the country’s 250th anniversary, possibly on June 14, Flag Day and his birthday, or on the Fourth of July. Some regime members worried about the impact on midterms.
On Thursday, ABC News reported Trump was poised to drop his $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS and lawsuits over the search of Mar-a-Lago and claims of Russian interference, in exchange for $1.776 billion in funds to be awarded at his sole discretion, and a public apology.
The $1.776 billion fund would be funded by taxpayer monies, and would be awarded to anyone whom Trump alleges was harmed by the Biden administration’s “weaponization” of the legal system. This could include Jan. 6 insurrectionists, and entities tied to Trump.
The fund would be an unprecedented use of taxpayer money, with little oversight. Funds would be administered by a Trump-appointed commission, which would not have to make public disclosures. Trump would have the right to remove members of the commission with cause.
On Monday, Trump dropped his lawsuit against the IRS and two other other cases, setting the stage for his regime’s DOJ to create the $1.776 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund.” Under the settlement, Trump and his sons Donald Jr. and Eric would also receive a formal apology.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche would be charged with appointing a five person commission to administer the fund. Jan 6. insurrectionists were expected to seek compensation from the fund. The president of watchdog CREW called the deal “one of the single most corrupt acts in American history.”
Later Monday, Brian Morrissey, Trump’s pick to be Treasury Department’s general counsel, resigned over the IRS settlement. Morrissey had also served in the DOJ during the first Trump regime.
On Tuesday, in testimony before the Senate, Blanche said Republicans whose telephone records were seized in 2023 by special counsel Jack Smith might be able to receive money from the new fund. He claimed he had “no idea” who the five people on the commission would be.
Blanche said he could not rule out funds going to people who assaulted police officers on Jan. 6, and would not bar settlement funds going to Trump campaign donors, saying the standard is defined broadly by those who experienced “weaponization.”
As Blanche was testifying, the DOJ quietly posted a one-page addendum to its website that included a provision that the government would be “FOREVER BARRED and PRECLUDED from prosecuting or pursuing” tax claims against Trump, his family, or his businesses.
The broad language in the addendum also included not pursuing any matters that are or could be pending with other agencies or departments, and applied to not only family, but also “related or affiliated individuals,” without defining the term.
NYT reported that the addendum would release Trump and his sons from a potential adverse ruling that could have cost them more than $100 million, related to an audit over a $72.9 million tax refund that Trump claimed and received, starting in about 2010.
CBS News reported that Jan. 6 insurrectionists planned to apply to the fund, with one saying, “all J6ers will apply for restitution,” adding, “It’s all over Twitter [and] our group chats.” Lawyers and publicists also said talks about submitting claims were already percolating.
Former vice president Mike Pence, himself a major target, called Jan. 6 a “tragic day,” adding, “it would be my hope that anyone who engaged in violence against law enforcement or at the Capitol building would never be rewarded with taxpayers’ money.”
On Tuesday, NYT reported that IRS career officials had prepared a 25-page memo outlining flaws in Trump’s case, and advised the DOJ to move to dismiss it. Among the flaws were Trump filed too late, and the employee who leaked worked for Booz Allen Hamilton, not the IRS.
Billionaire Ken Griffin settled a similar case with an apology from the IRS for his returns being leaked by the same employee. Frank Bisignano, who is not Senate confirmed, and works as chief executive of the IRS, a newly created position, signed off on the agreement.
On Wednesday, two Jan. 6 police officers sued to block the fund, calling it “the most brazen act of presidential corruption this century,” saying Trump had created a “slush fund to finance the insurrectionists and paramilitary groups that commit violence in his name.”
Bloomberg reported that according to Trump’s disclosures, he made more than 3,700 trades in the first quarter, in what a hedge fund manager described as “an insane” number of trades, many of which involved companies that have direct dealings with the Trump regime.
Among the stocks Trump bought were Apple, Oracle, Intel, Boeing, and Amazon. Trump bought Palantir weeks before he lauded the stock in a Truth Social post that included its stock ticker. Trump bought Nvidia the week before the Commerce Department approved chip sales to China.
FT reported that 1789 Capital, where Donald Jr. was a partner, saw its assets under management rise from $200 million to $3.5 billion in the past year. 1789 Capital has invested in many of the same companies as Trump ally and donor Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund.
CNN reported that acting AG Blanche was told by ethics officials in March 2025, then as deputy AG, to recuse himself from DOJ matters involving Trump, otherwise he would essentially be switching sides in some cases.
Blanche signed a DOJ ethics pledge that included a requirement that he not participate in any matters involving past clients for at least a year. His disregard of the pledge could have implications for his law license and the viability of cases he prosecutes related to Trump.
Also, a top career DOJ attorney and ethics expert sent a memo to then AG Pam Bondi saying then deputy AG Emil Bove should not be involved in mass firings of DOJ officials involved in Trump-related prosecutions, noting his prior work on Jan. 6 riot defendants while a prosecutor.
On Wednesday, the Senate voted 50–49 to block a resolution to end the Iran War, as the war had passed the 60-day deadline when congressional authorization was typically needed. Three Republicans joined Democrats, up from two, and one Democrat voted with Republicans.
On Thursday, the House voted 212–212 on a similar resolution to end the war, with three Republicans joining Democrats, and one Democrat voting against, allowing the Trump regime to defy the legal deadline.
WAPO reported a group of Miami residents sued Trump, Florida officials, and trustees of Miami Dade College over the college’s decision to turn over a piece of land to Trump’s library foundation in exchange for $10, while appraisers estimated the value to be above $67 million.
WAPO reported the Trump regime planned to bypass a public bidding process for Trump’s Triumphal Arch by piggybacking on an existing, unrelated contract for engineering services at the White House, unusual given the arch was not going to be part of the White House complex.
On Thursday, the DOJ dropped fraud charges against Indian billionaire Gautam Adani, the richest man in Asia, after he hired a new legal team led by Trump lawyer Robert Giuffra Jr. Adani pledged to invest $10 billion in the U.S. economy and create 15,000 jobs.
On Thursday, AP reported according to emails it reviewed, FBI Director Kash Patel had visited Hawaii last summer, on what his staffer claimed was strictly a working trip not vacation, yet while there went on a “VIP snorkel” around a Pearl Harbor memorial.
NYT reported Navy SEALS used two boats to escort Patel and nine guests to snorkel next to the underwater tomb of the U.S.S. Arizona, which holds the remains of more than 900 Navy sailors and Marines. Access to the water near the tombs is limited, and not for leisure.
Politico reported that in analyzing 11,600 immigration cases over the past 10 months, federal judges had ruled against ICE in more than 10,400 of the cases, or roughly 90% of cases, a stunning rebuke of Trump’s immigration policies.
On Wednesday, a federal judge ordered the Trump regime to return Adriana Maria Quiroz Zapata, 55, a Colombian, to the U.S., after the regime deported her to Congo, despite Congo’s refusal to take her, as a workaround since they could not send to her home country
On Wednesday, WSJ reported that the DHS Inspector General had opened a probe of the $38 billion warehouse-to-detention program championed by former DHS Sec. Kristi Noem. ICE paid above market for properties, and hired contracting companies with no experience.
WAPO reported after ICE picked up Wendy Hernandez Reyes on her way to work to deport her to Honduras, her toddler was left with an uncle who tortured and killed him. While ICE blamed Reyes for leaving her son “with a violent murderer,” she was single and begged to be let go.
A report by the Brookings Institution found that more than 100,000 children have been separated from their parents during the Trump regime’s immigration crackdown. Roughly three-quarters of the children separated were U.S. citizens.
The numbers far eclipsed the 5,500 children who were separated under the first regime’s “zero tolerance policy.” The report also found that about 205,000 children have had a parent detained, including 145,000 of which are U.S. citizens.
On Monday, Trump moved ahead with plans to allow 10,000 more white South Africans into the U.S as refugees, which the regime claimed were in an “emergency refugee situation,” even as the refugee program was closed to every other country.
On Tuesday, Hennepin County prosecutors charged ICE agent Christian Castro with second-degree felony assault for allegedly shooting Julio Sosa-Celis, a Venezuelan immigrant, during the regime’s Minneapolis immigration surge, in a “case of mistaken identity.”
NYT reported DHS formed a unit whose goal is to revert green card holders, and seek to deport them. So far the unit had scrutinized 2,890 cases; of those 500 were still under review.
On Wednesday, Rich Danker, the chief spokesperson for Department of Health and Human Services Sec. Robert Kennedy Jr., resigned over the regime’s push to allow major tobacco companies to sell flavored vapes, becoming the latest senior HHS official to resign or be fired.
Former FDA commissioner Dr. Marty Makary had also tried to block the policy before being pushed out. The policy was pushed forward over their objections by Trump, who was lobbied by tobacco companies.
On Sunday, the World Health Organization declared an Ebola outbreak in Congo and Uganda to be a global health emergency, with 250 known cases and 80 deaths. Under Trump, the U.S. was no longer part of the WHO, and the USAID efforts that previously helped were largely unfunded.
On Tuesday, Kennedy appointed Stephanie Haridopolos as temporary Surgeon General, amid the outbreaks of hantavirus and Ebola. Her roles include promoting public health actions, advisories, and guidance. The regime had yet to have a confirmed surgeon general.
On Monday, the Colorado Supreme Court ruled 5–2 that Children’s Hospital Colorado must restart gender-transition treatment for transgender minors, which were halted after the Trump regime threatened to pull federal funding.
On Wednesday, Vice President JD Vance announced that the Trump regime would withhold $1.3 billion in Medicaid payments from California, claiming the state had not “taken fraud very seriously.” Both states targeted so far by Vance were blue states (Minnesota).
On Wednesday, Georgia’s Republican Gov. Brian Kemp called a special legislative session to redraw congressional maps. Politico reported that South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster was also under pressure and was expected to announce a special session, after a vote in Week 79 failed.
NYT reported the timing of the Supreme Court decision to narrow the Voting Rights Act, in the midst of the primary season, had created confusion and chaos. The ruling will impact midterm results, amid Trump’s push for redistricting, leading to accusations of partisanship.
On Thursday, Trump’s DOJ accused Yale University Medical School of discriminatory admissions practices in a letter, claiming, “Black and Hispanic students have a much higher chance of admission to Yale than White or Asian students” with the same test scores.
On Thursday, Admiral Brad Cooper, who oversaw combat operations in Iran, lied in testimony before the Senate that his staff had not investigated the destruction of an Iranian girls school. The attack was two months ago, and the U.S. had yet to acknowledge or apologize.
Cooper also failed to acknowledge damage to 22 schools and 17 health care facilities. Hegseth had terminated dozens of positions across the Pentagon that focused on civilian deaths, and U.S. Central Command had shrunk from 10 officers to just one over in the past year.
On Friday, the Guardian reported a Pentagon inspector general report found the Pentagon had quietly shut down programs to prevent civilian deaths, which were legally needed in order to comply with two federal statutes requiring a functioning civilian casualty policy.
On Thursday, an image of a bilateral meeting between the U.S. and China at the Great Hall of the People sparked controversy over the absence of there being any women representing from either country. For the U.S., this was highly unusual in the decades prior to Trump.
On Thursday, Boeing shares dropped 4% after China agreed to buy 200 jets, far lower than the 500 sources said were under discussion. Trump, who brought Boeing’s CEO on the trip, bragged on Fox News, “One thing he agreed to today, he’s going to order 200 jets … 200 big ones.”
On Thursday, Trump posted on Truth Social that when Xi said the U.S. was a “declining nation,” he meant the “tremendous damage we suffered during the four years of Sleepy Joe Biden,” but under him, we are “the hottest Nation anywhere.” There was no evidence this was true.
On Thursday, speaking to Fox News from China, Trump contradicted himself, claiming of his repeatedly stated objective in Iran of recovering their highly enriched uranium, “I just feel better if I got it, actually. But it’s, I think it’s more for public relations than it is for anything else.”
Trump also threatened Iran, saying either they “make a deal or they get annihilated,” adding, “I don’t want to do that, but we have the greatest military,” and later adding he was not going to be “much more patient” and “They should make a deal. Any sane person would make a deal.”
Trump said the U.S. allowed three Chinese tankers loaded with oil to go through the Strait, while Iranian state TV claimed that Iran allowed over 30 ships to pass through in the past day.
In the interview, which was done from his trip to China, Trump gave an explanation of his latest insult of Democrats, saying, “Dumocrats. They’re dumb. It’s d-u-m. I got rid of the b. So, you’re only changing one letter. E goes and the U comes.”
On Friday, Trump wrote in his first Truth Social post after the summit ended, “China has a Ballroom, and so should the U.S.A.! It’s under construction, ahead of schedule,” with a photo, “The man I am walking with is President Xi, of China, one of the World’s Great Leaders!”
On Friday, speaking to reporters on Air Force One on the way back, Trump told reporters that Xi agreed that Iran must open the Strait, while in actuality, China said during the trip that the war should not have started, and that there was “no reason to continue” the war.
Trump also berated an NYT reporter, lying that “I had a total military victory, but the fake news, guys like you, write incorrectly,” and calling him a “fake guy” and adding, “I actually think it’s sort of treasonous what you write. You should be ashamed of yourself.”
Asked if he would defend Taiwan from an invasion by China, Trump confused Taiwan with Iran. When pressed again, he said Xi claimed, “we’ve had it for thousands of years,” and his answer, “There’s only one person that knows that, you know who it is? Me, I’m the only person.”
Bloomberg reported that Trump got the pageantry he craved during the trip to China, but the summit yielded little in results. Chinese President Xi was said to have won the summit, hosting a calm summit, while having his biggest ask on Taiwan being the most newsworthy.
Trump bragged about “fantastic trade deals” and said China was interested in buying U.S. oil, but no deal was reached. No deal was reached on China purchasing U.S. agricultural products, another key ask. Trump claimed he did not discuss an extension of their tariff truce.
NYT reported that while Trump tried to lean on Xi becoming a “friend” and to flatter him, that notion was unrequited. Trump left with no progress on issues including the Middle East, trade, Taiwan, nuclear proliferation, or artificial intelligence.
On Friday, the U.S. stock market slumped and 30-year U.S. Treasury yields rose to the highest level since 2017, after the summit between Trump and Xi failed to produce any policy breakthrough. Oil prices also rose by 4.2%.
Later Friday, in an interview with Fox News, Trump was asked to clarify his remark “I don’t think about Americans’ financial situations,” which his allies had claimed he did not say or was misinterpreted. Trump doubled down, saying, “That’s a perfect statement. I’d make it again.”
Trump referred to selling the $14 billion of promised weapons to Taiwan as “a very good negotiating chip for us,” and baselessly claimed, “Taiwan was developed because we had presidents that didn’t know what the hell they were doing,” and “They stole our chip industry.”
Trump also said, “I have to speak to the person that right now is — you know who he is — that’s running Taiwan.” If he was to do so, he would be the first sitting U.S. president to speak to a Taiwanese leader since at least 1979, a move that would enrage Xi.
Asked about his post about Xi saying the U.S. was in decline, Trump doubled down, saying, “President Xi said America is a nation in decline. And I said, ‘You’re right.’” Trump also claimed that Xi told him “the last 14 to 15 months” under Trump had been “a miracle.”
On Friday, Eric Trump threatened to sue MS NOW and host Jen Psaki after she questioned on her show whether his traveling with Trump to China was a conflict of interest. She cited an FT story about ALT5 Sigma, for which Eric sits on the board, seeking business in China.
FT reported that during the China summit, Trump had suggested to Xi that Russia, China, and the U.S. should cooperate against the International Criminal Court.
On Thursday, WSJ reported CIA Director John Ratcliffe flew to Havana for an unusual meeting with Cuban officials to reportedly tell them that Trump should be taken seriously, and referenced the raid in which Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro was deposed as evidence.
On Friday, AP reported that the U.S. was seeking to indict former Cuban President Raúl Castro for allegedly shooting down four planes in 1996 operated by a Miami-based company, as Trump prepared for a possible military operation in the country.
On Sunday, Axios reported according to classified intelligence, Cuba had acquired more than 300 military drones, and was considering plans to use them to attack the U.S. base at Guantanamo Bay, U.S. military vessels, and possibly Key West.
The Axios reporting, which could be used as a pretext for a possible attack on Cuba, could not be verified by other news outlets, with some suggesting it was a “false flag.” Cuba described the reporting as a fabrication.
NYT reported that behind closed-door talks have continued between the Trump regime, Denmark, and Greenland, over the U.S. demanding a major role in Greenland. Officials there worry that once the Iran War is over, or on his birthday June 14, Trump will turn his focus back to them.
Among U.S. demands are allowing U.S. troops to stay in Greenland indefinitely, veto power over any major investment deals to box out China and Russia, cooperation on natural resources, and plans for a U.S. military expansion there.
On Friday, Trump’s DOJ submitted a court filing defending Trump’s ballroom, borrowing many phrases from Trump’s Truth Social posts, arguing that the ballroom is a “gift to the American people,” and that plaintiffs have “Trump Derangement Syndrome.”
On Friday, WAPO reported that despite a federal judge ordering the Trump regime to halt construction of the ballroom, construction was seen taking place this week, with workers building part of the structure that will be visible once the project is finished.
On Friday, in a remarkable development, Colorado Democratic Gov. Jared Polis, who was about to term out, commuted the sentence of Trump ally Tina Peters, an election denier who was convicted for her part in 2020 to examine voting machines under her control.
His decision angered many Democratic allies, as well as Republicans, who argued that freeing Peters would undercut the state’s elections and rule of law. Trump posted on Truth Social minutes after the announcement, “FREE TINA!”
On Friday, the Texas Supreme Court ruled against GOP Gov. Greg Abbott, refusing to allow him to remove Democratic lawmakers who briefly fled the state in 2025 to prevent the state legislature from having a quorum to vote on new congressional maps.
On Saturday, officials from China contradicted a statement by Trump that said tariffs were discussed at the summit, saying the countries had agreed in principle to reduce tariffs on a set of products that were “of concern to each side.”
On Saturday, in a long series of Truth Social posts, Trump demanded, “THE SAVE AMERICA ACT MUST BE PASSED, NOW,” lying that “Maryland just had 500,000 Fake Mail-In Ballots revealed. We cannot, as a Country, put up with this any longer!!!”
The Maryland Board of Elections responded to Trump’s false claim, saying a vendor error with mail-in ballots had resulted in likely “only a small number” of voters receiving the wrong party ballot for a primary election. All voters were sent replacement ballots.
Trump also threatened to back a challenger to Rep. Lauren Boebert, posting, “Boebert is campaigning for the Worst ‘Republican’ Congressman in the History of our Country, Thomas Massie,” adding, “anybody who can ⁠be that dumb deserves a good Primary fight!”
Trump also posted, “Word is that Rand Paul and Lauren Boebert, two very difficult, and highly unreasonable, Republican Votes” were campaigning for Massie, saying they were “parading around like fools for the Worst “Republican” Congressman in the History of our Party!”
Among his 28 Truth Social post in two hours were AI-generated art, a series of posts claiming he was still in his prime saying he “gets younger” and “ages in reverse,” threats to Iran that it was the “calm before the storm,” and a meme about the size of the Reflecting Pool.
Later Saturday, GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy, who voted to convict Trump in the 2021 impeachment trial, lost the Louisiana primary. Trump endorsed his challenger, even as Cassidy faithfully voted for Trump’s agenda, including being the deciding vote on Kennedy for HHS.
Cassidy was the first sitting senator to lose a primary since 2017. Trump celebrated, posting on Truth Social, “His disloyalty to the man who got him elected is now a part of legend, and it’s nice to see that his political career is OVER!” Trump continued to try to rewrite Jan. 6 history.
Cassidy was the first of the seven GOP senators who voted to impeach to lose his seat. Three did not run for re-election, one resigned to become a university president, and two remain. Of the 10 in the House, four lost primaries, four did not run for re-election, and two remain.
Cassidy jabbed at Trump in his concession speech, saying, “When you participate in democracy, sometimes it doesn’t turn out the way you want it to. But you don’t pout, you don’t whine, you don’t claim the election was stolen…you don’t manufacture some excuse.”
Cassidy added, “Let me just set the record straight: Our country is not about one individual,” adding, “It is about the welfare of all Americans, and it is about our Constitution.” Former GOP senator Mitt Romney called Cassidy’s defeat a “loss for the country.”
On Sunday, Blanche lied on Fox News, baselessly claiming that “There’s a ton of evidence that the [2020] election was rigged,” adding, “What I can tell you is that we have multiple investigations going on in Arizona, in Fulton County, Georgia, and that’s exactly what we’re looking at.”
On Sunday, Trump threatened Iran on Truth Social, posting, “For Iran, the Clock is Ticking, and they better get moving, FAST, or there won’t be anything left of them. TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE!” The two countries remained far apart on reaching a deal.
On Sunday, the Trump regime funded “Rededicate 250,” an evangelical-style prayer festival at the National Mall, using millions of dollars of taxpayer money. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also addressed the crowd by video. The move was an unprecedented mix of church and state in modern times.
On Sunday, a CBS/YouGov poll found Trump reaching a new low on approval with the pollster: 37% approve, 63% disapprove. Trump also reached new lows on approval for several key issues, including Iran (net -32), the economy (-34) and inflation (-46).
The poll also found that 77% of Americans said their income was not keeping pace with inflation. Seven in ten said they were “frustrated” or “angry” with Trump’s approach to the economy, and 65% said his policies were making the economy worse.
An NYT/Sienna poll found Trump’s approval hit a new low for the second term, 37% approve, 59% disapprove. Just 30% said the decision to go to war with Iran was the right decision, 64% wrong, and 44% of voters said Trump’s policies had hurt them personally, up from 36% in the fall.
On Monday, in the hours before what he said was his deadline for striking Iran, Trump posted on Truth Social, complaining about media coverage of his war by “The Failing New York Times, The China Street Journal (WSJ!), Corrupt and now Irrelevant CNN.”
In the hours that followed, Trump, whose public schedule was empty, indicated as “Executive Time” until 4:30 p.m., sent 36 posts about Tuesday’s primaries and his political endorsements, repeatedly attacking Massie who had led the charge on the Epstein files.
Trump also called for the DOJ to open an investigation into Maryland’s mail-in ballots, continuing to push baseless allegations of voter fraud, posting, “nobody knows what’s happening with the first 500,000 they sent.”
Amid the war, Defense Department Sec. Pete Hegseth headed to Kentucky to campaign for Trump loyalist Ed Gallrein, who was running against Massie, in what was described as an extraordinary breach of military decorum.
On Monday, the NYT filed a second lawsuit against the Pentagon, Hegseth, adviser Timothy Parlatore, and spokesman Sean Parnell, alleging the new Pentagon policy that requires journalists to have an escort within the Pentagon is retaliatory and unconstitutional.
On Monday, Trump posted on Truth Social that he would “hold off on our planned Military attack” against Iran, claiming it was at the behest of leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE based on “serious negotiations” that he claimed were “now taking place.”
Trump also claimed in a post, “This Deal will include, importantly, NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS FOR IRAN!” Trump later told reporters that a diplomatic breakthrough was possible, saying there was “a very positive development, but we’ll see whether it amounts to anything.”
WSJ reported Gulf nations denied Trump’s claims, with several Gulf officials from the countries Trump mentioned in his post saying they were not aware of the imminent plan to attack Iran that he described. Trump’s backing off was seen as the latest TACO.
On Tuesday, the 30-year Treasury yield reached the highest level in more than 19 years, topping 5.18%, amid spiking oil prices and inflation amid Trump’s Iran War. Mortgage rates surged to the highest rate since July.
On Tuesday, Trump summoned reporters to the site of his White House ballroom, with construction happening in the background despite the litigation. Trump said, “It’s a shield,” adding that the ballroom will be made out of “impenetrable steel, and also impenetrable glass.”
The NYT also reported that Trump was considering installing a helipad with a presidential seal in black granite on the South Lawn, the latest move by Trump to reshape the White House complex.
The NYT also reported that David Schutzenhofer, the general manager of Trump’s Bedminster golf course, has helped guide the renovation of the Reflecting Pool. Schutzenhofer was a private citizen with no known training in engineering or architecture.
Trump also threatened to strike Iran, telling reporters, “I hope we don’t have to do the war, but we may have to give them another big hit.” Asked how long he would wait, Trump said, “two or three days…Something maybe early next week — a limited period of time.”
Asked about higher gas prices for Americans, Trump said, “I’m sorry, but we have to go down and take a little journey,” but added, “We cannot let them have a nuclear weapon. You want to see the world exploded?” and claimed, “this is peanuts.”
Bloomberg reported that while financial markets typically moved with Trump’s comments about Iran, some of the impact had faded after Trump continually did not follow through with his threats.
Later Tuesday, the Senate advanced a resolution to halt military action in Iran 50–47. Sen. Cassidy voted along with the three GOP Senators who days before had voted for it, three Republicans were absent, and one Democrat voted against it. The resolution was largely symbolic.
On Tuesday, a Reuter/Ipsos poll found Trump’s approval hitting a new second term low of 35%, 63% disapprove, with the decline coming from a drop in Republican approval to 79%.
On Tuesday, Trump backed Ken Paxton instead of sitting Sen. John Cornyn in the Texas Senate primary, even thought Paxton was a more risky candidate. WSJ reported Trump did so because he was looking for an opportunity to send a message to congressional Republicans.
Later Tuesday, Massie lost his primary, after relentless attacks by Trump, calling him an “obstructionist and a fool,” as part of his retribution campaign. The loss was the third major loss of the primary season, after Massie and five Indiana state Republicans lost their primaries.
NYT reported that among Trump’s early war goals was to free Iran’s former hard-line president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad from house arrest, and install him as the new leader. That effort failed when Ahmadinejad was injured in the Israeli strike meant to free him.

President Donald Trump, left, stands with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Temple of Heaven on Thursday May 14, 2026, in Beijing. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)