Week 83 — The Return – The Weekly List

This was an unusually and notably slow week of broken norms compared to recent months. The news cycle has slowed considerably. Two factors stand out that may contribute.

There remain lingering doubts about the state of Trump’s health after his most recent visit to Walter Reed, although our media is saying and reporting very little about it, as opposed to their daily and hourly obsession with former President Joseph Biden. The WSJ Editorial Board writes, as Trump nears his 80th birthday, “we hope no one is hiding any contradictory details” on his recent visit, adding, “One lesson from the Biden health fiasco is that voters will punish a party that tries to cover up infirmities.”

The second is Trump’s focus on his two personal priorities, his legacy and personal vendettas, as we pass the five month mark before midterms, where Democrats are likely to at least gain control of the House of Representatives and put a check on power. Trump cannot stop talking about his arch, his UFC arena, and of course his ballroom. He is obsessed with his legacy, while being openly callous towards the concerns of Americans on issues like affordability. He is also obsessed with rewriting history, targeting his enemies, and seeking to reward his supporters who back the Big Lie that the 2020 election was stolen from him. Towards that end, Trump and his allies were already sowing doubt this week about election results, as the vote count in California’s primary proceeded at its usual slow pace.

It is unclear whether Trump has so ensconced himself with loyalists that he does not comprehend his growing unpopularity, or if he simply has again constructed an alternative truth. This week, Trump was loudly booed in his home city at Madison Square Garden, but he claimed to have heard cheers. As his polling continue to fall, the Journal noted that Trump’s cultural influence is also waning. This week we are also continuing to see the real world impacts of the incompetent loyalists he installed to run our federal agencies, and the out in the open corruption and pay-to-play that have characterized this second regime, and benefited Trump, his family, and his allies.

In a video posted to his TikTok account, Trump compared the UFC arena being constructed at the White House complex to celebrate his 80th birthday to the Eiffel Tower, which he noted was supposed to come down, but did not, saying, “Maybe we’ll never take it down.”
On Thursday, the National Capital Planning Commission, all Trump appointees, voted to advance plans to build his 250-foot arch, despite nearly 17,000 public comments, almost all in opposition. Staffers had also raised concerns about flight patterns and violating height limits.
A report by watchdog group Public Citizens found that 14 of the 27 known donors for Trump’s $400 million ballroom had won new or expanded government contracts worth more than $50 billion, including Lockheed Martin, Booz Allen Hamilton, Caterpillar, and T-Mobile.
Additionally, 16 of the 27 companies had faced federal enforcement actions, and saw the actions suspended by the Trump regime, including major antitrust reviews involving Amazon, Apple, Meta, and Nvidia, and labor rights cases involving Google, Lockheed, and Meta.
On Thursday, Trump posted on Truth Social that the 250th celebration would now instead be a “rally to end all rallies,” adding, “We don’t want singers with no talent, but big fees to put you to sleep, we’ve told them all to stay home,” and “All we want is you, me, a few speakers.”
On Friday, arguing before the federal appeals court, Trump’s DOJ argued that the courts are powerless to stop construction of Trump’s ballroom. Asked by a judge if the government could decide to “bulldoze the Statue of Liberty,” the DOJ lawyer said, “I think that’s right, yes.”
On Saturday, a political activist and Vietnam veteran sued the Trump regime to halt the transformation of the White House grounds for Trump’s UFC fights, which includes a 600-ton steel arch, saying it was unlawfully planned and designed, and not authorized by Congress.
The lawsuit also cited that both Trump, who is an investor in UFC’s parent company, and UFC’s chief executive stood to financially benefit from the “night of cage fights.” Also, Paramount, owned by Trump’s allies the Ellisons, stood to financially benefit from streaming the event.
CNN reported that Donald Jr. and Eric Trump were promoting a venture selling “Freedom 250” themed silver and gold medallions featuring Trump’s face, dubbed “Trump Coins,” for $250 to $12,000 each, as part of the UFC fights. The website bragged they were “designed by” Trump.
On Monday, construction was also underway at the Lincoln Memorial, where UFC fighters were expected to do their weigh-ins on Friday, ahead of the fight.
On Tuesday, WAPO reported that the National Park Service set out an aggressive timeline to build Trump’s triumphal arch so it could be completed before he left office, including 20 hour work days, and using concrete and granite, not stone like nearby historical monuments.
On Wednesday, Senate Republicans removed the $1 billion set aside for Trump’s White House ballroom and the Secret Service from its immigration bill, citing risk politically and procedurally.
Later Wednesday, in a rebuke of Trump, the House passed a war powers resolution requiring Trump to withdraw U.S. forces from Iran or seek Congressional approval, 215–208, with four Republicans joining Democrats.
The House also voted 226–195 to pass a measure to provide nearly $2 billion in aid to Ukraine and impose new sanctions against Russia, with 18 Republicans voting with Democrats, despite GOP House leadership being in full opposition to the measure.
Later Wednesday, after CNN journalist Kaitlan Collins asked Trump about his ‘anti-weaponization’ fund, Trump berated her, saying she “Never smiles. She’s a young, beautiful woman (who) never smiles” and claiming she has “hatred in her eyes,” and called CNN “corrupt as hell.”
Shortly after, when the topic came back up, Trump accused CNN and the NYT of abusing “our people so badly,” telling Collins to be “quiet,” adding that she “used to be a conservative,” and suggesting CNN’s new ownership “straighten it out.”
When pressed again, Trump refused to say if the fund was dead, a departure from acting AG Todd Blanche’s assurances to Congress the day prior, saying, “I’d have to ask the lawyers,” and “I don’t know.” Trump said he dropped the fund because “a radical-left judge ruled against it.”
After questions on the fund, Trump reminisced about Jan. 6, characterizing it as a “day full of love,” and saying, “People went there with love,” and “there was so much love and friendship. It was amazing. People were crying,” and adding, “those people have been abused.”
An analysis by Lawfare found that at least 97 of the more than 1,500 Jan. 6 insurrectionists who were granted clemency by Trump for their roles in the Capitol attack had been arrested for, charged with, or convicted of crimes since their participation in the insurrection.
NYT reported that an obscure nonprofit called the Lawfare Defense Fund, founded by Trump donors, had quietly raised $36 million to provide legal assistance to Trump allies, including those who considered themselves unjust victims of the legal system.
WAPO reported an analysis by the Partnership for Public Service found during Trump’s second regime just 12% of Trump’s Senate-confirmed appointees were women, the lowest since George W. Bush, and lower than the 21% during Trump’s first regime. Joe Biden had 41%.
WSJ reported that U.S. cities, including Charleston and Columbus, are reinstalling statues taken down in the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder in 2020. The Trump regime’s Interior Department took the lead in reinstalling statues as part of the 250th anniversary celebration.
An NYT analysis found that after Trump signed an executive order on his first day back in office withdrawing the U.S. from a 13-year international effort to end tax schemes, corporate America was able to avoid more than $40 billion in income taxes since the start of 2025.
On Thursday, Trump told reporters he wanted Bill Pulte, his nominee for director of national intelligence, to serve temporarily to investigate so-called “rigged elections,” saying, “He’s not going to be permanent because, you know, I don’t think he’d want to be permanent.”
On Friday, citing Trump’s controversial pick of Pulte, a bipartisan consensus on an extension of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act fell apart, and a procedural vote in the House failed after nearly all Democrats and some Republicans voted against it.
Later Friday, in an interview with the WSJ, Trump said he wanted Pulte to be “less shackled” and “fire a lot of people” from the 18 intelligence agencies, similar to Linda McMahon in Education, and Pulte could make changes before Trump picked a permanent director.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said, “We don’t need a weaponized DNI.” Other expressed concern that Pulte did not meet the basic criteria for the position. Tulsi Gabbard had already reduced the size of Office of Director of National Intelligence staff by nearly 50%.
On Sunday, Sen. Mark Warner, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, told ABC News, “I know how important this tool is,” and called the Pulte pick a “live hand grenade…10 days before this is due to expire.”
On Tuesday, Trump said he would move ahead with his decision to nominate Pulte as acting DNI, despite the threat to FISA renewal, where Pulte could serve for 210 days. Trump continued to be suspicious of the intelligence community, primarily over the Russia investigation.
On Friday, FBI Director Kash Patel fired five bureau analysts who were behind a later rescinded 2023 memo that warned of a potential threat from Catholic “violent extremists.” FBI leadership had condemned the findings, but it became a flashpoint for MAGA activists.
NYT reported that behind the scenes Patel had pushed from June 2025 for an investigation of what he believed was a “deep state” cabal that he claimed sought to undermine Trump with investigations, calling it “the grand conspiracy case” that he promised publicly to pursue.
Patel pressured Todd Gilbert, interim U.S. attorney for the Western District of Virginia and a Trump loyalist, to pursue an investigation of burn bags of classified documents. It was highly unusual for such an order to come from the FBI. When Gilbert could not justify indictment he was fired.
Senior Trump regime officials then pressured Trump nominee Erik Siebert in the Eastern District to take up the case, and also pursue James Comey and Letitia James. When he could not find grounds to indict, the order came down from Trump to fire him as well.
On Wednesday, Politico reported that the USDA confirmed the first case of screwworm, a serious threat to cattle and other animals, in Texas. Screwworms were thought to be eradicated in the U.S. decades ago.
After a second case was detected in Texas, USDA Sec. Brook Rollins told CNBC that the outbreak was the Biden administration’s fault, baselessly blaming Biden’s policies of “open borders policy, the cartels, etc., border security,” despite the fact that he had been out of office for 17 months.
Notably in March 2025, as part of Elon Musk’s massive DOGE cuts to the federal government, Musk gutted the U.S. Agency for International Development, the agency which had a program dedicated to preventing the spread of the parasite across the U.S.-Mexico border.
FT reported Trump’s lawyers refused to share financial information with the BBC, after Trump sued the broadcaster for $10 billion for defamation over a 2024 documentary, and lawyers for the BBC served a subpoena on the Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust for information, in an effort to identify any impact.
On Thursday, a Trump aide posted a video of him speaking at the Rose Garden at a closed door event, where he announced that he would be nominating Blanche as attorney general, Trump’s latest move to place loyalists in top government jobs.
On Thursday, in transcripts released from former AG Pam Bondi’s House testimony, she pinned the Epstein files on Blanche, saying he led “the Epstein matter and the release of everything from the beginning.” She declined to answer questions on her interactions with Trump.
FT reported while Trump pledged a “golden age” of U.S. manufacturing, spending on manufacturing was down 16% in April from the start of his term, with factory employment falling by 77,000 jobs. Few of the 84 companies that announced investments had done so.
On Thursday, Trump baselessly claimed on Truth Social that “The Dumocrats are at it again,” lying that “They are trying to STEAL THE GOVERNOR OF CALIFORNIA PRIMARY,” as typical counting of votes continued. Trump offered no evidence to back his claim.
Trump also attacked the four House Republicans who voted for the war powers resolution, in what he claimed was “in the middle of my final negotiations to end the War,” calling them “bad Republicans,” and “grandstanders,” and said they should be “ashamed of themselves.”
Later Thursday, seated at the Resolute Desk, surrounded by exclusively white men from his regime and states receiving funds, Trump announced a $700 million investment in 13 existing coal plants plus two new ones, citing the 1950 Defense Production Act as rationale.
Trump also told reporters that he planned to create a promenade at the Lincoln Memorial, his latest construction project, adding he might name it after himself, “They want to call it the Trump Promenade, but I don’t know if I want to do that.”
On Thursday, the Kennedy Center ordered staff in an unsigned memo to begin removing Trump’s name from official materials to meet a federal judge’s June 12 deadline, but added, “The Center is considering its options and will provide further guidance shortly.”
On Friday, a federal judge threw out a lawsuit filed by the Kennedy Center against jazz performer Chuck Redd, who canceled a 2025 holiday concert after Trump added his name to the building, citing the regime failed to prove he signed a contract to perform as he had in past years.
On Wednesday, Department of Homeland Security Sec. Markwayne Mullin said at a Congressional hearing that DHS had canceled most of the pending Noem-era contracts, following scrutiny from bipartisan members of Congress and internal watchdogs.
WAPO reported in a memo ICE’s acting director David Venturella told employees ICE was doing away with the requirement to report deaths of detainees that occur within 30 days of being released from its custody, after the agency faced pushback for 18 detainee deaths in five months.
On Friday, a federal judge invalidated several Trump regime policies enacted in 2025, and said the regime must restart asylum and immigration processing, saying the measures were improperly fueled by “anti-immigration sentiments” and contrary to immigration laws.
The judge cited policies such as a hold on immigration applications filed by people from 39 countries, a halt on naturalization applications, and denying temporary work permits which had made it functionally impossible for many to remain in the country.
On Friday, WAPO reported that whistleblower Jeremiah Schofield, a former Social Security Administration executive, said DOGE had devised a plan for the Trump regime to classify 2.7 million living people as dead, as part of its immigration enforcement efforts.
The move, which would have also impacted some U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents, would have effectively erased them from the financial system, cutting them off from wages, banking, government benefits, and other services.
NYT reported that while ICE claimed the detainees at the Delaney Hall detention center were the “worst of the worst,” government data revealed that just 13% of the 591 immigrants held there had criminal convictions, and 21% had pending criminal charges.
On Monday, the Trump regime’s DOJ said it had filed denaturalization cases against 17 immigrants, claiming they improperly obtained U.S. citizenship, an escalation of the regime’s push to use all tools available to expel people.
On Monday, a federal judge ruled that Trump’s $100,000 H-IB visa fee for highly-skilled workers was unlawful, citing “the substance and application of the $100,000 payment reveal that it is ⁠a tax, regardless of what the payment is called.”
Late Friday, after working until dawn, the Senate voted 52–47 to fund a $70 billion immigration bill, funding the next three years of Trump’s regime, without adding amendments that were proposed by Democrats to effectively kill Trump’s $1.8 billion fund or Trump’s audit immunity.
The Senate did nix ballroom spending from the bill. Four Senate Republicans also voted with Democrats to block the SAVE Act, one of Trump’s key legislative priorities, from being part of the bill.
NBC News reported that confirmed cases of measles reached 2,030, approaching the total of 2,288 cases in 2025, a record-breaking year. A governing body will decide later this year whether the ongoing outbreaks will change the status of having eliminated the virus.
NYT reported that Health and Human Services Sec. Robert Kennedy Jr. has had limited engagement with most of his agency, or interest in managing the details of his sprawling department, instead focusing on his own priorities such as food and vaccine policies.
In the three weeks since the Ebola outbreak, Kennedy had yet to hold a briefing, as would be typical, and had no public briefings. He received few updates from CDC scientists. Kennedy remained deeply mistrustful of career civil officials, focusing instead on his small circle of allies.
On Friday, Mount Sinai hospital became the second New York City hospital to receive a subpoena from the Trump regime, seeking information about its adolescent patients, saying the hospital was under investigation for providing gender-transition treatment to minors.
On Friday, WAPO reported Defense Department Sec. Pete Hegseth’s decision to bring his six kids on an official trip to France to commemorate the anniversary of D-Day put a strain on his personal protective detail, amid heightened threats from the Iran War.
On Friday, speaking to reporters on Air Force One, Trump confirmed he would attend Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden. Asked about the Knicks fans who cannot afford tickets, Trump said, “that’s the way life goes,” and they can “watch it on television.”
On Friday, Trump held a campaign rally in Wisconsin at a farm building. He claimed, “We’re going to come out of Iran very quickly,” adding, “one way or the other,” and baselessly claimed, “Your fertilizer prices are going to go way down, just like ⁠they were four months ago.”
Trump spoke extensively to the farmers about his projects in D.C., including his planned improvement to the Reflecting Pool and fountains around the nation’s capital, showing charts of the reflecting pool and how large it would be compared to well known tall buildings.
On affordability, Trump also baselessly claimed, “I inherited all these high prices,” lying that Democrats “came in, and they said, ‘affordability.’ They made up the word,” and “‘Cause that’s the only thing they’re good at. Although I’m good at making up words too.”
Trump also told the farmers, “I’m up here today. I don’t need this. I got elected,” adding, “What the hell do I have to be here for?” noting, “I could be home right now at the beautiful White House, enjoying someone else on television talk.”
After the rally, in an interview with “Meet the Press,” Trump lied, saying, “I didn’t guarantee no war,” adding, “Why would I have built the strongest military in the world?” When reminded he said no new wars multiple times during the 2024 campaign, he responded, “Bullshit!”
Trump said he was in no rush to bring home the 50,000 U.S. troops, saying, “It costs us very little to keep them there,” and pushed back on criticism of the war now 100 days old, comparing it to Vietnam, and claiming, “we’re there for a few months. And the threat is largely over.”
Trump conceded that Iran retained some of its drone and missile capacity, after previously claiming it had been completely destroyed, but claimed 21% to 22% of Iran’s missile arsenal remained, far less than U.S. intelligence reports indicated.
Trump also defended his ‘anti-weaponization’ fund, baselessly claiming that Jan. 6 insurrectionists were unfairly targeted by prosecutors, and “They pled guilty because they were frightened.” He also said he would not rule out giving money to insurrectionists who attacked police officers.
Trump also lied that the 2020 presidential election was “dirty,” and again baselessly cast doubt on the California state election as votes were still being counted, saying “they’re cheating on the election.” When asked for evidence, Trump said, “All I have to do is look.”
When pressed on his false claims, Trump attacked NBC’s Kristen Welker, saying, “They’re crooked, just like you’re crooked, your press is crooked. And Meet the Press is crooked,” adding, “You’re either crooked or you’re stupid.” Trump then walked out of the interview.
On Friday, Trump appointee Los Angeles first assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said on X that his office had opened “multiple election fraud investigations” of California’s election results, even as the vote counting was proceeding at a pace that was typical of the state’s elections.
Several other Trump allies, including Elon Musk and Republican members of Congress, echoed Trump’s baseless claims on California, without directly citing fraud. House Speaker Mike Johnson said, “It stinks like high heaven, and everyone knows that.”
On Saturday, Trump pardoned Stephen Buyer, a former House Republican who was convicted on four counts of securities fraud for insider trading in 2023, and sentenced to 22 months in prison.
On Saturday, the 82nd anniversary of D-Day, Trump sent a series of AI slop Truth Social posts, including a rendering of former President Barack Obama’s library with a giant trash bag in it, captioned, “The Barack Hussein Obama Library, in 10 years, when fully matured!”
Trump also posted a one-minute AI-generated video of characters from around the world, including Mexico, Italy, the Middle East, Africa, China, and India, with each verse ending in the refrain “They love Donald, Donald Trump.”
On Sunday, Trump told FT in an interview that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will have “no choice” but to accept any deal he negotiates with Iran, telling the reporter that he [Trump] “calls the shots” and Netanyahu, “won’t have a choice,” he “doesn’t call the shots.”
Trump also claimed that Iran’s missile attacks on Israel were “not going to have any impact on the deal” he was trying to strike with Iran. Trump also told Fox News that he instructed Netanyahu not to retaliate against Iran. Hours later, Israel launched retaliatory air strikes.
On Monday, Trump nominated his personal lawyer, Todd Blanche, as attorney general. It was unclear if Blanche, who promoted expansive views of executive power, could be confirmed by the Senate. As acting AG, Blanche had proactively pursued Trump’s personal enemies.
Later Monday, Trump attended the NBA Finals, the first sitting president to do so. Because of his attendance, security lines were hours long, and the watch party typically held near Madison Square Garden was moved to another area, impacting local vendors and restaurants.
When Trump appeared on screen during the National Anthem, he was loudly booed at both MSG and the watch party at Bryant Park. Trump also appeared to fall asleep during the first half. The New York Knicks lost, ending their historic 13-game postseason winning streak.
Trump left the game at halftime, and on the way back to D.C. repeated his claim to reporters that negotiations with Iran are in the final stages and just two or three days away, and claimed it was a “very, very good deal that will not in any way allow nuclear weapons.”
WSJ reported that Trump’s cultural influence was waning. At the start of the second regime, Trump had been seen as fun, but increasingly podcasters, athletes, celebrities, musical artists, and even some in his base were souring on him.
On Tuesday, after Iran shot down a U.S. Apache Helicopter, with the two pilots rescued, Trump posted on Truth Social, “There were two pilots involved, both are safe and uninjured,” adding, “Nevertheless, the United States must, of necessity, respond to this attack.”
Trump downplayed the downing of the helicopter in an interview with the WSJ, saying it “wasn’t a big deal” and stressed that “the pilot is fine.” Shortly after, the U.S. launched retaliatory strikes.
On Tuesday, Trump posted on Truth Social, linking to an article by Reuters, and saying, “US trade deficit widens by the most in nearly 34 years,” seeming to celebrate an outcome that was the exact opposite of his policies’ goal.
On Wednesday, Trump posted on Truth Social that Iran, who he called “the Bully of the Middle East,” had “taken too long to negotiate a deal,” and “now they will have to pay the price!”
Trump also attacked “The Fake News Media,” which he said refused to report how effective the U.S. blockage was, claiming it was “the most successful Blockade in the history of Naval Warfare,” and adding Iran was “becoming a FAILED NATION!” and mocking, “Praise be to Allah!”
Shortly after, the consumer price index May report showed prices rose at 4.2% annually, the highest level in three years, and an increase from 3.8% in May. Energy prices jumped 3.9%, accounting for much of the increase.

President Donald Trump gestures during the National Anthem as he attends an NBA Finals playoff basketball game between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs at Madison Square Garden in New York, Monday, June 8, 2026. Trump was loudly booed at both MSG and the watch party at Bryant Park.