Week 86 — The Return

This week the theme of inequity continued to be front and center. While Trump refused to sign a housing affordability bill, which had rare bipartisan support, new disclosures revealed he had personally reaped $2.2 billion in 2025! Trump’s windfall primarily came from new businesses in cryptocurrency, but he also enriched himself in a bevy of other ways, unprecedented for a sitting U.S. president. Meanwhile this week, Trump continued to obsess over his Washington D.C. construction projects, which after he had repeatedly claimed would be entirely funded by him and private donors, this week reporting revealed taxpayers would be on the hook for perhaps billions! As would taxpayers be on the hook for over $700 million to refurbish and house Trump’s new Air Force One, a gift from the Qatari government that he will keep after leaving office. All in all, a stunning week of disclosures on unprecedented grift and corruption.

Supreme Court decisions were a mixed bag this week. Two decisions broke what were thought to be landmark decisions made decades ago. Overall, although Trump lost on birthright citizenship, other victories in the area of immigration will empower and embolden him to take further action. A ruling on campaign finance in favor of Republicans will allow in more outside monies ahead of midterms. The one thing that did not go Trump’s way this week were rulings related to his efforts to impact voting in the midterms. After several losses, he and his allies have basically taken Congress hostage: paralyzing House voting until such time as his SAVE America Act, which does not have the votes in the Senate, is passed.

As the country entered the week of July Fourth, Trump launched his highly politicized Freedom 250 celebrations, which like his Reflecting Pool renovations, were plagued with problems. Attendance was embarrassingly light, with broadcast images revealing an almost empty National Mall. A shocking Gallup poll captured the mood of the country, with just 19% of Americans saying the founders would be pleased with how the country has turned out, a new low.

Meanwhile, the Iran War — remember that? — seems to have become an inconvenience for Trump. The public hears little about it, and what we do hear is contradictory information. After the two sides exchanged attacks, it appeared negotiations were halted. Trump is reportedly weighing options to restart the war, but seems again disinterested, and for now is leaving diplomacy to two real estate developers representing U.S. interests.

1. A Gallup poll found at 250 years, just 19% of Americans say the signers of the Declaration of Independence would be pleased with how the country has turned out, down from 54% who said they would be pleased 25 years ago, while 77% said the founders would be disappointed.
2. New financial disclosures filed by Trump revealed that he made at least $2.2 billion in 2025, including about $1.4 billion from his family’s cryptocurrency business, an industry that Trump and his regime regulate, and far more than the $622 million his organization made in 2024.
3. Trump made $799 million from World Liberty Financial, and $636 million from $TRUMP memecoin sales, even as the value of the coin fell by 80% in 2025. His disclosure also included settlement money from ABC News, Paramount, and Meta.
4. Trump also made $58 million in licensing fees associated with foreign real estate projects, and saw revenue at Mar-a-Lago grow by 55% to $77 million. He also received $350,000 worth of tickets to the Super Bowl, Daytona 500, U.F.C. championship fight, and the World Cup final.
5. Trump also reported that he had made more than 21,000 trades across eight investment accounts in 2025, averaging 80 trades per day. The trading data also revealed bursts of buying and selling around important announcements by companies and his regime.
6. Trump’s moneymaking while in office was unprecedented. Former presidents of both parties had separated themselves from their businesses before serving. Trump started new businesses in industries and invested in company stocks that his regime regulated.
7. On Sunday, NYT reported that Trump’s and Commerce Sec. Howard Lutnick’s sons had been financially involved in 14 rare mineral deals that were collectively financed or would be financed by $8.9 billion in taxpayer money, much of which was allocated by Lutnick’s agency.
8. On Monday, CNBC reported Trump bought up to $5 million in Axon stock, two weeks before ICE sought a $220 million Taser contract from the company, quadrupling its arsenal. A White House spokesperson said that conflict of interest is a “tired narrative” pushed by Democrats.
9. The Straits Times reported eviction notices were sent to farmers in northern Vietnam to clear the way for a $1.5 billion Trump Organization-branded luxury golf resort project. Some families were set to lose lands that had supported their families for decades.
10. The Atlantic reported according to a white-collar defense attorney, it was general knowledge in his practice that a Trump pardon could be bought for $2 million. Liz Oyer, the DOJ’s Pardon Attorney fired by Trump, said he had turned “the pardon process into the Hunger Games.”
11. The White House was also continuing discussions on having Trump grant 250 pardons on July 4th weekend, themed as “250 pardons for 250 years,” as a centerpiece of the celebration, including to individuals convicted of fraud, foreign influence, and forced labor.
12. On Wednesday, testifying before the Senate, Postmaster General David Steiner said under a proposed rule, the Postal Service would not deliver mail-in ballots in states that refused to hand over their voter rolls to the Trump regime. The proposal was based on Trump’s executive order.
13. On Thursday, a federal appeals court blocked Trump’s executive order limiting mail-in ballots that was signed in March, citing the Constitution gives states and Congress authority to oversee elections, not the president. The Trump regime said it would appeal.
14. On Wednesday, a federal appeals court ruled 2–1 to uphold a lower court ruling blocking the Trump regime’s DOJ from forcing the state of Michigan to turn over its unredacted statewide voter-registration database, the first appeals court to rule on the matter.
15. On Wednesday, a federal judge blocked Trump’s executive order requiring proof of citizenship to vote and requiring mail-in ballots be received by Election Day, finding he lacked the authority to oversee elections, and claims of “widespread illegal voting” were unsupported.
16. On Monday, the Supreme Court ruled 5–4 against a Republican National Committee challenge, saying it would allow states to count mail-in ballots that arrive after Election Day, finding that doing so does not unlawfully conflict with the federal law.
17. WAPO reported these moves were part of Trump’s efforts to alter how midterms are conducted. He openly said he is worried about investigations and impeachment if Democrats control the House. The pushback to his measures has infuriated him as time runs out.
18. NYT reported acting DNI Bill Pulte picked Christina Norton, a former R.N.C. official whose recent work focused on election issues, including efforts to monitor voting sites during the 2024 election, as his chief of staff, a powerful position, ahead of midterms.
19. On Wednesday, at the Republican Senate lunch, Trump attacked those who voted for the war resolution, calling Sen. Bill Cassidy a “loser” and personally attacked others. Trump berated senators for not supporting his SAVE America Act, and refused to sign the housing affordability bill.
20. Later Wednesday, Cassidy reversed his vote to “no” in a new vote for the war powers resolution, which failed 47–50–1, with Sen. Rand Paul switching his vote to “present.” Trump celebrated the reversal on Truth Social.
21. On Thursday, House Speaker Mike Johnson said he would send the housing bill to Trump to sign, starting a 10 day clock for Trump to sign or veto it. Trump said the bill was “of minor importance” despite members of his party viewing it as crucial to their chances in midterms.
22. Later Wednesday, Trump kicked off his two week long Great American State Fair, saying in the kick off speech, “America is back,” adding, “a short time ago we were a dead country…Now we’re the hottest country…We’re respected by everybody. Nobody’s laughing at us anymore.”
23. Trump chaired the regime’s Freedom 250 festivities. He spoke behind bulletproof glass, in a highly partisan speech, in which he revived 2024 campaign issues like “transgender mutilation of children,” promised the “richest inheritance, most advanced civilization,” and defended his pool.
24. While Trump bragged that “45,000 people” came to his speech, cable networks covering the speech showed that attendance was light, at roughly 1,000 supporters. One reporter shared video of people leaving during the campaign-style part of Trump’s speech.
25. Citing Trump’s politicization of the 250th anniversary event, at least 10 states said they would not send delegations to the state fair, including Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Pennsylvania.
26. A CBS News poll found that just 23% of Americans were very excited about America’s 250th celebration, 29% were somewhat excited, and 47% were not excited at all.
27. On Wednesday, Trump attacked his former allies, the big oil companies, venting his frustration with how slowly gas prices were coming down, posting on Truth Social, “Customers are being ‘gouged,’” and “Gasoline prices better start going down a lot faster than what I’m seeing!”
28. On Thursday, the Interior Department said there had been seven arrests, seven federal citations, and 18 police reports filed related to the Reflecting Pool, without specifying charges, and claimed the fencing around it “had been forcibly removed” and thrown into the pool.
29. The National Park Service also claimed in a court filing that the pool had been cut with “a sharp knife or razor,” and that NPS “plans to begin draining the reflecting pool following the Independence Day celebration to conduct repair.”
30. Accounts on social media shared images showing new fencing had been erected around the pool, making the walkway around it inaccessible to pedestrians. The DOI said the fencing went up ahead of schedule to protect the pool from “vandalism by leftist activists.”
31. On Friday, NYT reported in the days before Trump’s UFC birthday celebration, NPS asked contractor Greenwater Services to remove temporary water-purification machines from the perimeter of the pool. Just 36 hours later the algae was spreading and the water turned green.
32. On Friday, taking questions from reporters, Trump went on a long diatribe about supposed vandalism of the pool, baselessly claiming, “They took razor blades and knives, and they cut patches like that, 350 feet long,” and claiming to have photos of the “sickos.”
33. Bloomberg reported that an intelligence analyst’s finding years ago that a former naval facility in Iran was now an elementary school was not linked up to the official intelligence database, which played a major role in the deadly strike on a girls’ school in February.
34. AP reported the Defense Department reversed Sec. Pete Hegseth’s stance making flu shots optional, after the outbreak at Lackland Air Force Base sickened more than 300 people, making shots mandatory. The regime claimed the reversal was unrelated to the outbreak.
35. Admiral William McRaven wrote in an op-ed that in recent months Trump, on advice from Hegseth, “has relieved or forced the retirement of some of the finest officers that have ever served this nation,” including this week General Chris Donahue: “one of the most brilliant officers I know.”
36. CBS News reported that families of several U.S. soldiers wounded during the conflict with Iran accused the Pentagon of downplaying their injuries. While in March Hegseth claimed “almost 90%” of injuries were minor, many were far more serious than designated.
37. Bloomberg reported according to emails, Hegseth had “authorized involuntarily activating” Defense Department lawyers if they do not step up and volunteer to serve as immigration judges, and to represent the government in cases involving detained migrant children.
38. A Department of Health and Human Services report found that three million Americans had dropped off of the Affordable Care Act health plans, a 13% drop in enrollment, as federal subsidies expired due to Trump’s ‘big beautiful’ bill.
39. A coalition of 25 states and D.C. sued the Trump regime over its new Medicaid work requirement, saying the requirement went beyond what Congress enacted, and was inconsistent with the law, and will result in many sick and poor Americans losing coverage.
40. On Sunday, Sen. Cassidy told “Face the Nation” that DHS Sec. Robert Kennedy Jr. was basing public health on “a foundation of lies.” Cassidy cited Trump’s fascination with the Kennedy family, adding he voted for him since Trump would have installed him as a czar without oversight.
41. Bloomberg reported White House advisor Stephen Miller was the driving force behind a June DOJ memo authorizing states to institutionalize people with disabilities, rather than require states to fund community-based care.
42. WAPO reported a December internal memo for the Interior Department, which oversees the National Parks Department, instructed employees not to publicly release statements on deaths or severe injuries at national parks. On average 350 people die each year at parks.
43. Politico reported the White House lobbied Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley to spare Trump donors, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Google CEO Sundar Pichai, from having to testify in a Senate hearing on child safety practices, in exchange for backing his package of bills.
44. On Friday, House Speaker Johnson told a conservative audience, “I run the protection program. We’ll take care of you” if we hold the House, but if we lose midterms, “Democrats will turn every committee of Congress into an investigative body…Half of you will be targeted.”
45. On Friday, the South Dakota GOP voted on a resolution to censure Senate Majority Leader John Thune for “his failure in regards to the SAVE America Act,” which would require 60 votes, accusing him of blocking Trump’s election agenda. The resolution was rejected.
46. On Friday, the Supreme Court ruled 6–3 on two cases, greatly expanding Trump’s power over immigration. One allowed the Trump regime to turn away asylum seekers who had not set foot on U.S. soil, ending the long history of providing refuge for those escaping persecution.
47. The second ruling allowed the Trump regime to end Temporary Protected Status that had allowed people from Haiti and Syria to live and work legally in the U.S. for more than a decade, clearing the way for potential deportation of 350,000 Haitians and 6,100 Syrians.
48. The Trump regime had already moved to end TPS for 13 out of 17 countries designated when Joseph Biden left office. Stephen Miller celebrated the rulings, saying the U.S. was “fully closed to asylum seekers” and Haitian refugees here on TPS should leave the country.
49. The justices clashed on whether race played a role in Trump’s move to deport Haitians. Justice Samuel Alito claimed Trump’s statements were not “overtly racial” and unlikely a motivating factor, which would violate the Constitution, to sharp disagreement from the liberals.
50. The Trump regime also asked the Supreme Court to allow ICE to put people living in the U.S., even for decades, without any charges, into detention centers while their deportation proceedings play out. Federal courts had ruled against the regime more than 9,300 times on the policy.
51. The Supreme Court also rejected a lawsuit against Bayer, overturning a jury award for a Missouri man who alleged that its weedkiller caused cancer. The Trump regime’s DOJ had sided with Bayer, reversing the DOJ position of the Biden administration, and drawing the ire of the MAHA movement.
52. On Thursday, speaking at the Nixon Library to promote his book, Vice President JD Vance said, “Nixon’s historical legacy is enjoying a bit of a renaissance,” adding, “if Watergate happened tomorrow, it would be like a 12 hours news story. The idea that it took down a presidency is crazy.”
53. NYT reported that Michael Boulos, Trump’s son-in-law who was a businessman with no official government position, accompanied Secretary of State Marco Rubio on a trip to reassure Gulf Arab partners, and sat next to him at a meeting with the UAE to discuss the Iran MOU.
54. On Friday, during an event for the Trump regime’s Religious Liberty Commission in the Oval Office about a proposal to end the separation of church and state, Trump was seen falling asleep as others discussed building “bridges” between religion and politics rather than “a wall.”
55. The commission, made up of conservative Christians and one Orthodox Jew, released a report recommending that the DOJ issue guidance to promote “an originalist understanding” of the Constitution, and said faith-based groups should not have to comply with civil rights laws.
56. Later Friday, speaking at the the Faith & Freedom Coalition’s policy conference, Trump said, “You have to respect the president. If you don’t respect the president, you’re gonna have a problem.” The comment drew backlash given Trump’s near daily attacks on Obama and Biden.
57. Trump also said, “together we saved our country,” and “Remember when I first started in 2016? They wanted to take the Christmas out of Christmas,” adding, “Religion is back. Religion is really going up. If it were a stock, we would be very rich.”
58. On Saturday, amid a flurry of Truth Social posts, Trump posted an AI generated image, seeming to depict himself as a god-like figure of Atlas, holding up a globe.
59. Trump also posted a meme depicting himself at age 20 in a military-style uniform, although he was actually at a military high school academy and younger, alongside former president Barack Obama, labeling him “B.H. Obama,” with a marijuana joint in his mouth.
60. Trump also unveiled the new Trump “Patriot Passport,” which included his likeness on what looked more like a coffee table book than a conventional passport. The State Department said it would release 40,000 copies for the 250th anniversary.
61. NYT reported that the DNI demanded U.S. intelligence officials turn over a list of all foreign espionage targets, including suspected spies and potential recruits, for the Trump regime to create a master list. Officials feared misuse of the information or operations being compromised.
62. On Thursday, as Trump’s Great American State Fair opened on the National Mall as part of Trump’s 250th celebration, problems plagued the event, including the food hall experiencing a power outage, causing ice cream to melt, and impacting other highly priced food items.
63. Other problems included empty booths, and several booths being out of service for various technical and other reasons, as well as problems with the electric generator causing the Ferris wheel, the main attraction, to shut down for two hours.
64. On Sunday, a Fox News host claimed that the fair was “hugely popular,” and that “thousands of people” were “coming out.” However when live shots were shown of reporters on the National Mall, there were few attendees. Later when rain started, there appeared to be none.
65. On Monday at 6:27 a.m., Trump fumed about the fair on Truth Social, asking supporters if they appreciated the “fantastic job” done by his team, which he lied was “packed with happy people,” adding, ‘DO YOU THINK THAT OBUMA [sic] OR SLEEPY JOE BIDEN COULD HAVE DONE IT?”
66. On Monday, Fox News’ reporters and hosts, as well as regime members being interviewed, claimed on various shows that there was “big energy” or a “great scene behind us,” while live shots behind them and video footage showed an almost empty lawn throughout the entire day.
67. On Sunday, Trump, along with DOI Sec. Secretary Doug Burgum, visited the East Potomac Golf Course, after the regime had terminated an agreement with National Links Trust as manager in December. Trump said he would use American golf course architect Tom Fazio.
68. Trump told reporters that work would begin on Sept. 1, despite a judge warning that the regime could not proceed with renovations without proper approvals and notifying her in advance, saying, “there are going to be serious consequences” if the regime does not comply.
69. Trump added on Truth Social that his visit was for “studying the dilapidated, worn out, and very dangerous and outdated Golf Course,” and “on this fantastic site…we will build one of the Greatest Golf Courses anywhere in the World.”
70. Trump posted that the Reflecting Pool is “in full use after suffering great damage from Criminal, Radical Left Vandals, people that truly hate our Country,” and “Right after July 4th, when we will drain the water to treat the damage caused by these “animals,” it will again be in perfect shape.”
71. The Atlantic reported Trump used NPS funding to pay for a project to rip up the walkway and replace the stones between the White House residence to the Oval Office, despite telling reporters it would be “paid for by me,” costing taxpayers $689,232, part of a $1.3 million project.
72. The NPS also spent $347,503 on a separate “rush project” to remove and replace the stucco on the colonnade wall. The funding came out of the $100 million in fees NPS collected at parks, and resulted in the parks canceling repairs, and operating with fewer employees.
73. WAPO reported that Trump was also working on a project to have 47 trees planted in Lafayette Square, the public park across the street from the White House which Trump thinks of as “the entrance to the White House,” to mark his presidency.
74. NYT reported that although Trump repeatedly claimed that his D.C. renovation projects would be funded by him and private donors, an analysis of 18 major construction projects showed taxpayers would be funding perhaps billions, with more than $1.2 billion in known costs so far.
75. For eight of the 18 projects, the cost is unclear. Among the items were $400 million for his ballroom, $400 million for the ballroom bunker and security, $250 million for the Kennedy Center, $58 million for fountains, $40 million for his garden of heroes, and $17 million for Lafayette Park.
76. Late Monday, Trump posted an image of a golden bald eagle hung outside the White House’s Truman Balcony, adding, “A Golden Gift to the White House for its 250th Birthday Year!” although White House construction started in 1792. CNN reported the image was AI.
77. WAPO reported Trump had mentioned his D.C. construction projects on 80% of the days in June. In the past three months, Trump had increasingly mentioned his projects, and spent less time speaking about midterms issues like health care and wages.
78. On Saturday, after back and forth strikes with Iran, Trump threatened on Truth Social, “it is very possible that they will never learn,” adding at some point we may “be forced to militarily complete the job” and “If that happens, the Islamic Republic of Iran will no longer exist!”
79. On Monday, before the stock market opened, and following a weekend of continuing back and forth, Trump claimed on Truth Social that Iran had requested a meeting on Tuesday in Qatar. Iran’s top negotiators said no further talks had been scheduled. Both sides paused strikes.
80. Earlier Monday, Iran’s president told state-run IRNA news agency that $6 billion of Iran’s frozen assets in Qatar would be released, calling it “a great victory for the Iranian people.” The U.S. said no frozen Iranian assets had been released, nor did Qatar acknowledge it.
81. On Tuesday, U.S. special envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff arrived in Doha. Iran did not send a delegation, so the two met with mediators. Iran’s foreign ministry later said no meeting with U.S. officials had been scheduled “at any level” in the coming days.
82. On Tuesday, VP Vance said in an interview on a book tour event, “I just want to be very clear” that Iran will not be “collecting tolls on ships going through the Strait.” An Iranian official said the opposite: “Passing through the Strait is free of charge only for 60 days.”
83. On Tuesday, WSJ reported that Trump was briefed by Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine on military options with Iran, including the option of returning to an all-our war, but decided to stick with diplomatic talks for now.
84. On Monday, the Supreme Court said it would not hear an appeal by Trump of his E. Jean Carroll verdict in which a New York federal court jury awarded her $5 million for having been sexually abused and defamed by him. No explanation was given.
85. Shortly after, Trump vented on Truth Social, lying that it was a “Fake Case brought against me by a woman I never met,” saying the case was “really against” the USA, and adding he would “continue the fight against this Weaponization and Lawfare Case against me.”
86. The court also ruled 5–4 that Trump could not fire Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook. The ruling however was narrow, and did not rule on whether if the allegations against Cook turned out to be true, it would be grounds for dismissal.
87. Shortly after, acting DNI and Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Pulte posted on X, “As I have repeatedly said, I believe Lisa Cook will be indicted for mortgage fraud.”
88. Trump seized on the ambiguity of the ruling, posting on Truth Social that the decision was a “procedural” matter, adding he would “take appropriate action immediately to make sure that someone who has committed wrongdoing” will not make “vital decisions” for the U.S.
89. The court also ruled 6–3 that Trump could fire FTC commissioner Rebecca Kelly Slaughter, overturning a 1935 ruling that restricted a president’s power to fire FTC members. The ruling gave Trump power to fire members of more than 20 independent federal agencies at will.
90. In her dissent on the Slaughter case, Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote that the court had undone “centuries of political practice” of separation of powers, and upended settled constitutional law, adding the ruling “promises to unleash only chaos.”
91. Ironically, Justice Neil Gorsuch, in his concurring opinion on Slaughter, cited FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr’s targeting of ABC late night host Jimmy Kimmel as evidence of an independent agency accruing too much power and overreach.
92. Trump celebrated the ruling, posting it was “one of the most important ever,” claiming that presidents “dating all the way back to the 1930s” have wanted this power, and adding, “It is such an Honor to be the sitting President who won this Historic and Unprecedented Ruling.”
93. NYT reported even before the ruling, the Merit Systems Protection Board, a government agency whose job it is to protect federal workers from unfair firing, had given Trump the power to dismiss public servants without due process after being secretly swayed by the White House.
94. Later Monday, a federal judge ordered the Trump regime to permanently end its efforts to block $16 billion of funding for a rail tunnel under the Hudson River, calling those attempts “flagrantly” illegal.
95. Later Monday, asked whether he would sign the housing bill, Trump said, “I don’t know. I think it’s so unimportant compared to the SAVE America Act,” and called the bill, “a big yawn.”
96. On Tuesday, the House left for July 4th recess early without passing basic bills that were part of Trump’s agenda, including a Pentagon funding bill, after a block of far-right Republicans imposed a legislative blockade until action was taken on Trump’s SAVE America Act.
97. On Tuesday, Trump announced an unprecedented Republican midterm convention on Truth Social, posting, “It has never been done before, and will be a truly Historic Event,” and “We will also have lots of Great Entertainment — It will be a RALLY like none other!”
98. On Tuesday, the Supreme Court lifted spending limits on how much political parties can spend on advertising and other expenses for candidates, a win for Republicans ahead of midterms, overruling a 2021 decision that had limited spending.
99. In her dissent, Justice Elana Kagan called the ruling a recipe for corruption that “ushers in untold harm,” noting donors can skirt caps, and “the party can serve as the candidate’s checking account.” She also noted the decision also overturned a 25 year-old precedent.
100. On Tuesday, the Supreme Court rejected Trump’s executive order ending birthright citizenship, 6–3, with five of the six finding that it was guaranteed in the Constitution, and Justice Kavanaugh saying he would strike down Trump’s order based on federal law, not the Constitution.
101. Shortly after, Trump posted on the decision, saying, “too bad for our Country” and wrongly claimed that he could “easily make it up in Congress through Legislation,” that “no long and unwieldy Constitutional Amendment is necessary,” and urged Congress to act.
102. Shortly after, Trump later posted, congratulating Chinese President Xi Jinping and “the Great Country of China” on their “massive Birthright Citizenship WIN!”
103. On Tuesday, in an unsigned order, the Supreme Court upheld a lower court’s ruling blocking Trump from firing Shira Perlmutter as the U.S. ‌register of copyrights and director of the U.S. Copyright Office, while the lawsuit over her firing proceeds.
104. Justice Amy Coney Barrett was attacked by right-wing commentators for ruling against Trump on birthright citizenship, firing Cook, and mail-in voting, calling her “a turncoat” and “a DEI hire,” with a member of Congress calling for her to “be removed from the Bench.”
105. Later Tuesday, Trump hosted Tina Peters at the Oval Office, posting on Truth Social that she came “to thank me for getting her released from prison,” lying that she was “put there because she found Election Fraud…instead of arresting the people that committed the Fraud.”
106. The Guardian reported that the National Design Studio, an office established by a Trump executive order last August, and staffed with former DOGE staffers, installed visitor-tracking software on vital federal websites, configured in a way to evade privacy tools of most users.
107. On Tuesday, a federal judge ordered the Pentagon to temporarily stop requiring that all journalists be accompanied by an escort while visiting the building, citing “the critical importance of protecting the freedoms enshrined in the First Amendment,” in a case filed by the Times.
108. On Wednesday, Trump took his first trip on the Air Force One gifted by Qatar. More than $400 million in taxpayer funds were used to renovate the plane to Trump’s liking, and to equip it with state-of-the-art security and technology.
109. In addition to those costs, the U.S. Air Force had to construct a custom $320 million, 400,000-square-foot hangar complex at Joint Base Andrews to fit the two-story Boeing 747-8. Both Democrats and Republicans raised concerns about ethics and national security.