u/evissamassive

Trump is currently operating from a position of historical contradiction. Nationwide, his public support is cratering. Yet inside the Republican Party, his authority has never been more absolute.

According to data from the Cook Political Report, Trump’s aggregate approval rating recently dipped below 40 percent for the first time in his second term. This decline is driven by sharp shifts among two demographics that helped him win the 2024 election: Gen Z and Hispanic voters. Among voters aged 18 to 29, Trump now faces a 38-point net disapproval rating, fueled by economic anxiety and opposition to the war with Iran. Similarly, Hispanic voters now disapprove of his performance by nearly a two-to-one margin. Because a president's approval rating is the strongest predictor of midterm election performance, these numbers signal serious trouble for Republicans in November.

Outside Washington, however, Trump’s core base remains completely intact, giving him the leverage to quickly end the careers of intra-party critics.

The impacts of this internal power were on display during recent primary elections:

• Kentucky: Seven-term Representative Thomas Massie lost his primary to challenger Ed Gallrein in the most expensive House primary in history. Trump actively targeted Massie on social media after the congressman broke ranks on foreign policy and tax votes.

• Georgia: Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a frequent target of Trump’s criticism since the 2020 election, finished third in his primary bid for governor.

• Louisiana: Senator Bill Cassidy failed to make the Republican runoff, becoming the first elected senator to lose a primary since 2012. The race is now led by candidates who ran on their loyalty to the president.

• Indiana: Five state senators who resisted Trump's preferences on congressional redistricting lost their re-election campaigns.

The current political landscape shows a clear division. Trump is highly vulnerable with the broader electorate, putting his party's congressional majorities at risk. At the same time, his grip on the Republican machinery is tight enough that defier of his agenda faces almost certain political retirement.

The U.S. military has lost or sustained damage to at least 42 aircraft since the war with Iran began on February 28. A new Congressional Research Service report compiled these figures from news reports and official statements, providing lawmakers with a clearer picture of the conflict's mounting equipment toll.

The report arrives amid growing pressure from Congress for the Pentagon to define its timeline, overall costs, and objectives for the conflict, officially named Operation Epic Fury. Joint U.S.-Israeli strikes against Tehran sparked the war earlier this year. The Financial Toll

In recent congressional testimony, acting Pentagon comptroller Jules Hurst stated that military operations in Iran have reached an estimated $29 billion. While this figure accounts for replacing and repairing equipment, Hurst noted that it excludes the cost of repairing U.S. bases in the Middle East that were hit by Iranian retaliatory strikes.

Unmanned aircraft make up the majority of the losses. The U.S. has lost 24 MQ-9 Reaper drones, which cost roughly $30 million each.

Manned aircraft losses were heavily concentrated around specific combat and support mishaps:

• Search-and-Rescue Operations: After an F-15E Strike Eagle was shot down over Iran in April, a rescue mission led to further losses. An A-10 Thunderbolt II and two MC-130J Commando II transport planes were intentionally destroyed on the ground to prevent capture. An HH-60W Jolly Green II helicopter was also damaged by small-arms fire during the operation.

• Fatal Tanker Crash: Early in the war, a KC-135 refueling tanker crashed in Iraqi airspace, killing all six crew members. A second tanker was forced to make an emergency landing. While initial intelligence suggested the pilots were evading militia fire, U.S. Central Command disputes this. The Air Force expects to rule the crash an avoidable mishap caused by crowded airspace.

The report details several other aircraft damaged both in the air and on the ground:

• Friendly Fire: Three F-15E Strike Eagles were shot down by friendly fire over Kuwait.

• Base Attacks: An Iranian missile and drone strike at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia damaged five parked KC-135 tankers and one E-3 Sentry aircraft parked on an unprotected taxiway.

• Combat and Mishaps: One F-35A Lightning II was damaged by ground fire, and an MQ-4C Triton drone crashed in a non-combat mishap.

Colorado authorities arrested Hunter Rivera, the 24-year-old chairman of the Weld County Republican Party, last Thursday during an undercover law enforcement operation. Rivera resigned from his leadership position immediately following his arrest.

The arrest was the result of an operation by the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office, where investigators posed online as minors. Rivera now faces several felony charges, including internet luring of a child, soliciting a child prostitute, and attempted sexual assault on a child.

"Children are not property to be bought or sold," Larimer County Sheriff John Feyen said in a public statement, adding that the department will hold anyone accountable who attempts to harm children in the community, regardless of their status.

Before running the Weld County Republican Party, Rivera served as the chairman of the Northern Colorado chapter of the Young Republicans.

Rivera’s arrest highlights a stark contrast with the political platform of his local and state party. Republican lawmakers in Weld County have actively sponsored legislation to restrict marriage and adoption rights for same-sex couples. Furthermore, the Colorado Republican Party has frequently used its platform to accuse LGBTQ+ individuals and drag queens of "grooming" children for abuse.

The state party has been mired in leadership turmoil for over two years. In 2024, the party voted to remove its then-leader, Dave Williams, after he used official party emails to call LGBTQ+ Americans "predators" and "degenerates," and called for Pride flags to be burned. Williams challenged his removal in court, sparking a prolonged legal battle. His successor, Brita Horn, took over in March 2025 but resigned in April 2026. The state party chairman seat is currently vacant.

Alan Manning Chambers, the former head of an organization that claimed to cure homosexuality through conversion therapy, was arrested Tuesday in Orlando, Florida. Police charged him with soliciting sex from a minor via a computer, sending harmful material to a minor, and the illegal use of a communication device.

The arrest was the result of a months-long undercover operation. According to police affidavits, an Orlando detective posed as a 14-year-old boy on Snapchat. A user operating under the pseudonym "John David" contacted the account, and the conversation later moved to Telegram and text messages.

Over several months, the user discussed meeting for sex while acknowledging concerns about the age difference and the potential legal consequences. In April, the user suggested the decoy teenager take an Uber to his office. Investigators traced the phone number, Snapchat, and Telegram profiles back to Chambers.

Orlando police stopped and arrested Chambers on Tuesday, May 19. During initial questioning, Chambers admitted he believed he was communicating with a 14-year-old, but he declined to answer further questions.

For years, Chambers served as the president of Exodus International, a prominent Christian ministry that promoted conversion therapy. He reversed his stance in 2012, publicly apologizing for the harm the organization caused and stating that homosexuality could not be "cured." Exodus International closed the following year. In the years after the shutdown, Chambers transitioned to public speaking at LGBTQ+ Pride events and church services.

Tennessee officials will pay $835,000 to settle a federal lawsuit with a retired police officer who spent more than a month in jail for posting a meme on Facebook.

The case began in September after the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. While many people nationwide faced employment consequences for social media comments about the killing, 61-year-old Larry Bushart faced criminal prosecution.

Bushart refused to delete Facebook posts joking about the activist's death. The specific post that led to his arrest featured an image of Trump alongside the quote, "We have to get over it." The meme noted that Trump said these words following a 2024 school shooting at Perry High School in Iowa.

Local authorities in Perry County, Tennessee, claimed the post alarmed residents. Perry County Sheriff Nick Weems acknowledged he knew the meme referred to the Iowa tragedy. However, Weems argued that Bushart intentionally tried to cause panic regarding the local Perry County High School.

Deputies arrested Bushart on a felony charge and a judge set his bail at $2 million. He spent 37 days in jail before prosecutors dropped the charge in October amid national attention. During his incarceration, Bushart lost his post-retirement job, missed his wedding anniversary, and was absent for the birth of his granddaughter.

Bushart filed a federal lawsuit in December against Perry County, the sheriff, and the investigator who secured the warrant.

Following the settlement announcement, Bushart stated that his First Amendment rights had been vindicated and emphasized that the freedom to participate in civil discourse is essential. Perry County Mayor John Carroll did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Cary Davis, an attorney with the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), helped represent Bushart. Davis stated that the settlement serves as a warning to law enforcement nationwide to respect free speech or face legal financial consequences.

Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry’s unofficial diplomatic mission to Greenland has strained relations instead of building them. Acting as Trump’s special envoy, Landry arrived in the capital city of Nuuk to promote U.S. security interests in the Arctic. However, the trip quickly devolved into public arguments with local journalists and icy receptions from regional leaders.

Trump has long eyed the autonomous Danish territory, though both Greenland and Denmark have repeatedly rejected any talk of U.S. control. Landry arrived on the island with no pre-arranged political meetings, telling reporters his goal was simply to listen, learn, and make friends.

The tone shifted when local journalists questioned the purpose of his uninvited visit. Landry grew defensive, cut off reporters, and claimed that Greenland was ignored by the international community until Trump "put it on the map." When pressed, Landry snapped at journalists, asking them who cared more about Greenlanders than the current U.S. administration.

Local officials quickly challenged Landry's narrative. Kristian Jensen, a former Danish finance minister, pointed out on social media that then-Secretary of State John Kerry had officially visited the island in 2016.

Despite the rocky start, Landry secured a meeting with Greenlandic Premier Jens-Frederik Nielsen and Foreign Minister Mute Egede. Landry insisted the talks went well, but Nielsen used the post-meeting press conference to draw a hard line. While open to cooperation, Nielsen stated firmly that the Greenlandic people are not for sale and that their self-determination is non-negotiable.

The friction continued into Tuesday when Landry and U.S. Ambassador Kenneth Howery attended the "Future Greenland" business conference. Organizers confirmed that neither man was invited, though the event was open to anyone who paid to register.

Diplomatic sources indicate the trip backfired, reinforcing negative local perceptions of American diplomacy. One source described Landry's behavior as embarrassing, noting that he repeatedly forced his way into meetings. Even within Washington, the unapproved nature of the trip raised eyebrows, with one White House official openly questioning why the governor went at all.

Two police officers who defended the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, filed a federal lawsuit on Wednesday to block a new $1.776 billion government payout fund. The officers argue the money could go to the very rioters who assaulted law enforcement.

The "Anti-Weaponization Fund" was established after the government settled a $10 billion lawsuit Trump filed against the IRS over leaked tax returns. The fund is intended to compensate individuals who claim prior administrations used the Justice Department against them for political reasons. A five-member commission appointed by the attorney general will decide who receives the money.

The plaintiffs are Metropolitan Police Department Officer Daniel Hodges and former U.S. Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn. Both men previously testified before Congress about the violence they faced during the Capitol riot, where more than 100 officers were injured. While over 1,600 people were charged in connection with the attack, Trump used his pardon powers last year to clear all January 6 federal cases.

The lawsuit calls the fund an illegal, unconstitutional sham and asks a federal judge to dissolve it. The officers' attorneys argue that no statute authorizes the fund's creation, labeling it a corrupt tool to finance paramilitary groups and individuals who commit violence in Trump's name. They also state that the fund increases the physical danger to Hodges and Dunn, who already face regular death threats.

The legal challenge comes one day after Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche defended the fund during a congressional hearing. Blanche, who served as Trump’s personal defense attorney before joining the Justice Department, refused to rule out January 6 rioters as potential recipients of the payouts. While Blanche called the fund unusual, he maintained it was not unprecedented. However, he did not acknowledge that Trump's own Justice Department has investigated political rivals, including former FBI Director James Comey.

The lawsuit names Blanche and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent as defendants. Representatives for both the Justice and Treasury departments have not yet commented on the litigation. Brendan Ballou, a former Justice Department prosecutor who previously handled January 6 cases, is among the attorneys representing the officers.

The Justice Department recently established a $1.8 billion settlement fund using taxpayer money to benefit allies of Trump. The announcement triggered immediate backlash, including the resignation of the Treasury Department’s chief lawyer. While the deal favors political insiders, the government officials who orchestrated it face serious long-term legal exposure.

The settlement resolves a $10 billion lawsuit Trump filed regarding the leak of his tax records by an IRS contractor during his first term. The lawsuit faced massive legal hurdles. The Florida judge overseeing the case noted it was likely barred by the statute of limitations, questioned its legal merit, and criticized the enormous damage demands. Furthermore, the judge pointed out a clear conflict of interest: Trump was essentially suing itself, meaning the DOJ could not reliably defend taxpayers.

Instead of defending the public, the DOJ settled with Trump's personal attorneys just days before they were required to justify the merits of the lawsuit to the court.

This maneuver mirrors a classic "collusive settlement." In civil law, this occurs when two opposing parties simulate a dispute to extract money from an outside source, like an insurance provider. Courts routinely rule these deals fraudulent when a defendant refuses to mount a real defense and agrees to an arbitrary, inflated payout.

The DOJ settlement matches this definition. It uses a legally weak claim to route public funds into a pool intended for political supporters, including individuals convicted in the January 6 Capitol riot.

Because the Supreme Court granted Trump absolute immunity for official acts, Trump cannot face criminal charges for this deal. However, this immunity does not extend to the DOJ lawyers or the fund's recipients.

Federal law makes it a felony to conspire to defraud the United States or convert public funds for personal use. Anyone who accepts money from this fund could face charges for receiving stolen property. Additionally, the False Claims Act empowers private citizens to sue the recipients of fraudulent government payouts to recover the money.

Trump's DOJ will not investigate this deal. However, the five-year statute of limitations runs until 2031, leaving a window open for prosecution under a future administration. Trump may attempt to issue broad preemptive pardons to protect his allies and lawyers, as he has done in the past.

Even if Trump issues pardons, he cannot protect government lawyers from professional ruin. State bar associations hold exclusive authority over licenses to practice law, and their ethics rules strictly prohibit lawyers from facilitating fraud. The DOJ has attempted to block local bar associations from investigating its attorneys, but courts rarely uphold attempts to bypass state ethical oversight.

Lawyers who used their positions to engineer this settlement may ultimately face criminal prosecution, financial penalties, and disbarment.

Senate Democrats have opened an investigation into Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, questioning whether he has recused himself from legal matters involving Trump.

Senators Adam Schiff, Dick Durbin, and Richard Blumenthal sent a letter to the Justice Department demanding answers about Blanche's dual roles. Before joining the DOJ, Blanche served as Trump’s personal defense attorney. The inquiry focuses on whether Blanche is improperly overseeing government matters that affect his former client.

The scrutiny comes as the Justice Department establishes a $1.776 billion fund dedicated to paying damages to Trump and his political allies.

In their letter to Assistant Attorney General Jolene Lauria, the senators accused the DOJ of systematically dismantling its internal ethics guardrails, including gutting career ethics staff and the Office of Professional Responsibility. The lawmakers submitted 10 specific questions regarding Blanche’s recusal status and the exact date he stopped providing personal legal advice to Trump.

The investigation follows reports that Joseph Tirrell, the DOJ's former top career ethics lawyer, formally advised Blanche to recuse himself from Trump’s personal cases in March 2025. Tirrell was fired four months later and has since filed a lawsuit against the department.

A Justice Department spokesperson defended Blanche, stating that he is recused from ongoing cases involving former clients. However, the spokesperson referred to specific conflicts regarding investigations into Trump as "hypothetical," a stance that has failed to satisfy congressional investigators.

The FBI plans to buy access to a nationwide network of license plate readers to track vehicles across the United States. According to a Request for Proposals issued by the Bureau’s Directorate of Intelligence, the agency wants a searchable database that provides location data in near-real time.

The proposed five-year contract is worth up to $36 million. To qualify, contractors must cover at least 75 percent of the US and its territories. The FBI intends to use the platform to track targets on roads and highways by searching full or partial plate numbers, vehicle makes and models, and specific timeframes. The system will also generate heat maps showing camera locations and log whether data originates from traffic cameras, toll booths, or commercial repossession vendors.

Two major surveillance companies, Flock Safety and Motorola Solutions, are the most likely contenders for the contract. The FBI may split the award among multiple vendors across six geographic regions to achieve the required coverage. Motorola widely distributes vehicle-mounted and roadside cameras, while Flock currently services over 12,000 public safety customers.

The bidding process highlights ongoing tension between federal surveillance ambitions and local privacy laws. Civil liberties groups have long criticized license plate readers for data security vulnerabilities and automated errors that lead to wrongful arrests.

Furthermore, federal access to this data faces legal roadblocks. States like California and Virginia explicitly ban local police from sharing license plate data with federal or out-of-state agencies. While past reports show some local departments bypassed these rules to assist federal immigration authorities, Flock maintains that its data belongs to local municipalities and that federal sharing is disabled by default.

To navigate these legal restrictions, the FBI is requiring bidders to disclose the exact physical locations of their servers to ensure compliance with state laws. If enacted, the network will significantly expand the FBI’s existing license plate database, which currently relies on voluntary information sharing among law enforcement partners.

Abraham Enriquez, a 31-year-old Republican running for Texas’s 19th congressional district, faces allegations of personal hypocrisy after a man leaked explicit text messages claiming the two were previously in a same-sex relationship.

The individual, who spoke to the media outlet Current Revolt, claims he met Enriquez on the dating app Grindr in 2017. At the time, Enriquez was serving as the student body vice president at Abilene Christian University (ACU). The source provided iMessage screenshots to the publication, including an exchange where Enriquez validated a sexually explicit comment made by the man. The source stated his motivation for coming forward was to expose Enriquez’s public hypocrisy.

The allegations stand in stark contrast to the political platform Enriquez has built. Running in a heavily Republican West Texas district that includes Lubbock and Abilene, Enriquez has positioned himself as a traditional Christian conservative. His campaign focuses on "faith and family" agendas, which include pushing to ban pride flags from public spaces and introducing legislation to mandate the display of the Ten Commandments in federal buildings.

Enriquez’s public record also aligns closely with these conservative stances. He is the founder of Bienvenido, an organization designed to mobilize Hispanic voters around conservative principles, though public records show the group has not hosted an event since May of last year. Furthermore, Enriquez has actively campaigned on his past opposition to LGBTQ+ initiatives. In a January 2026 video published by Trinity Church in Lubbock, Enriquez recounted his time at ACU, noting that he vetoed a student bill that would have allowed a pro-LGBTQ+ student group on campus. He stated he nearly resigned due to the subsequent impeachment backlash but stayed the course after his mother threatened to disown him if he failed to stand on "biblical truth."

Despite the emerging controversy, Enriquez remains a prominent figure in the race, holding major endorsements from Texas Governor Greg Abbott and several state lawmakers. Because TX-19 is a Republican stronghold, the winner of the primary runoff is heavily favored to win the general election in November. Enriquez has not yet publicly addressed the leaked messages.

A federal immigration officer faces multiple felony charges in Minnesota after prosecutors accused him of shooting an unarmed man and lying to cover it up.

Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty announced Monday that a nationwide warrant has been issued for ICE officer Christian Castro. Castro is charged with four counts of second-degree assault and one count of falsely reporting a crime.

The charges stem from a January 14 incident where ICE officers attempted an immigration arrest outside a Minnesota home. According to prosecutors, the encounter was a case of mistaken identity, and the targets—two Venezuelan men named Julio Sosa-Celis and Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna—were in the country legally.

During the confrontation, the men ran inside their home. Moriarty stated that Castro then fired his service weapon through the front door, knowing the occupants posed no threat. The bullet passed through the door, hit Sosa-Celis in the leg, traveled through a closet, and lodged in a child's bedroom wall.

Initially, the DHS backed the officers, claiming the men had attacked Castro with a shovel and a broom. Sosa-Celis and Aljorna were charged with assault, but video evidence later debunked the agency's story. The footage showed the men were empty-handed or retreating, and that Castro was never struck. Prosecutors subsequently dropped all charges against the two men.

In mid-February, acting ICE Director Todd Lyons admitted that a review of the video showed two separate officers likely made untruthful statements under oath. Both officers were placed on administrative leave pending a federal investigation.

Castro is not the only agent from this operation facing criminal charges. Last month, prosecutors charged ICE agent Gregory Donnell Morgan Jr. with felony assault after he allegedly drove on a highway shoulder and pointed his gun at the heads of two civilians in a neighboring vehicle.

Both officers were part of "Metro Surge," a Trump operation that deployed 3,000 federal agents to Minnesota in late November. The aggressive enforcement push has drawn intense scrutiny and widespread protests following separate incidents where federal agents shot and killed two U.S. citizens: Renee Good, a mother of young children, and Alex Pretti, a local Veterans Affairs hospital nurse. Both killings were captured on video, sparking bipartisan criticism from lawmakers.

Ashley St. Clair was once a prominent voice in the MAGA movement. After having a child with Elon Musk and subsequently falling out with him, she distanced herself from her past politics. Now, she is making a claim that raises questions about the role of Musk's technological empire during the 2024 presidential election.

According to St. Clair, Musk texted her from Mar-a-Lago on the night of November 5, 2024, claiming his team had the best real-time data and knew Trump had won hours before the Associated Press officially called the race. She also alleges that Musk previously shared internal data from his America PAC, describing it as "space technology" and calling it a hidden piece on the chess board. When St. Clair expressed fear of being deposed over the information, Musk allegedly replied, "Very wise." St. Clair states she has backed up these messages and instructed allies on how to release them if her safety is compromised.

Musk has not responded to these allegations. Whether the text messages are verified or not, the scenario highlights a shift in American politics: a single private citizen bankrolling a candidate while leveraging a vast, private satellite network to track voting data ahead of official channels.

The authors of the Federalist Papers warned extensively about the danger of wealthy individuals gaining a private hold over self-government. American elections are designed on the principle that the wealthiest and poorest citizens hold equal voting power. The core issue raised by St. Clair’s claims is not the text messages themselves, but whether private infrastructure—spanning satellites, data networks, and hundreds of millions of dollars—has given an unelected individual more influence over American elections than the public ever permitted.

In October 2024, The Economist ran a cover story declaring the American economy "the envy of the world." The data backed up the headline. Post-pandemic growth in the United States was outlasting and outperforming every other wealthy nation. Yet the article ended with a prescient question: Would domestic politics bring this growth to an end?

Eighteen months later, that question has an answer. Public financial anxiety is at its highest point in 25 years. The economic momentum of 2024 has stalled, replaced by a contraction driven by predictable policy choices.

Before the 2025 presidential transition, sixteen Nobel Prize-winning economists signed a public letter. They warned that Trump’s proposed agenda would reignite inflation. During the campaign, JD Vance dismissed these warnings, stating that academic credentials lacked common sense.

The current economic indicators suggest the economists were right. Core inflation stood at 3 percent when Trump took office; it has since risen to 3.8 percent. Energy costs have climbed 17.9 percent. These shifts are direct results of specific policy decisions: broad tariffs have raised the cost of imported goods, aggressive immigration enforcement has shrunk the domestic labor supply, and foreign policy friction has disrupted markets.

The long-term outlook worries institutional investors. Former Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson recently noted a decline in foreign confidence in U.S. debt. If foreign governments stop purchasing U.S. Treasury bonds, the Federal Reserve will have to buy them instead. This dynamic creates a loop that drives up both the national debt—now at $38.5 trillion—and inflation. As a result, investors are moving capital into gold, signaling a lack of faith in the stability of the dollar.

This shift has fundamentally altered consumer behavior. In 2024, economists used the term "vibecession" to describe a paradox: consumers felt pessimistic even though economic data was strong. Today, the pessimism aligns with reality. A recent CNN poll indicates that 77 percent of Americans believe current policies have increased their local cost of living. Consequently, Trump's economic approval rating has fallen to 30 percent.

Economist John Maynard Keynes used the term "animal spirits" to describe how human emotion drives economic markets. When people feel secure, they invest, switch careers, and spend money. When they feel insecure, they hoard cash and pull back from the market.

The widespread economic optimism of late 2024 has dissipated. Consumers are reacting to measurable inflation, rising energy costs, and an unstable bond market by pulling back. The narrative of a failing economy, which was inaccurate two years ago, has become a self-fulfilling reality.

Trump has dropped his $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service. In return, the Department of Justice has established a $1.776 billion "Anti-Weaponization Fund."

The original lawsuit stemmed from the first-term leak of Trump's tax returns by an IRS contractor. Because Trump now oversees the agencies he was suing, federal judge Kathleen M. Williams had questioned whether the case possessed the opposing parties required by the Constitution. By entering a voluntary dismissal before the judge could rule on the validity of the case, Trump successfully removed the matter from judicial review.

The settlement shifts nearly $1.8 billion out of the Treasury Department Judgment Fund—a permanent congressional appropriation used to pay formal claims against the government—and places it into a new, independent entity.

This new fund is intended to provide monetary relief to individuals who allege they were targeted by prior government administrations. However, the structure of the fund removes it from standard federal oversight:

• Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche appoints the five commission members, but Trump maintains the authority to fire them at will.

• The names of individuals receiving financial compensation do not have to be publicly disclosed.

• The Justice Department specified that once the $1.776 billion is deposited, the U.S. government holds no liability or oversight regarding how the money is protected or distributed.

Legal analysts indicate that while the settlement stretches statutory boundaries—as the Judgment Fund is legally reserved for resolving legitimate litigation—stopping it through the courts remains difficult.

More than 90 Democratic lawmakers attempted to intervene, filing a brief that labeled the arrangement an unconstitutional transfer of public money. However, precedent suggests that individual members of Congress lack the standing to challenge a voluntary dismissal in court.

A legislative remedy exists, but it requires a unified Congress. Lawmakers could pass a bill explicitly blocking the Treasury from allocating funds to this entity. If Trump issued a veto, Congress would need a two-thirds majority to override it. Given current partisan alignments, such a legislative block is unlikely to occur.

While Trump may succeed in keeping the fund intact, the political costs could fall heavily on congressional Republicans.

A recent New York Times poll shows Trump's approval ratings at 37 percent overall and 33 percent on the economy. The same data indicates that Democrats hold an 11-point lead on the generic House ballot, driven largely by an 18-point advantage among independent voters.

Democratic strategists plan to introduce measures that force congressional Republicans to vote publicly on the fund. The goal is to tie vulnerable lawmakers to a nearly $1.8 billion taxpayer payout designated for political allies at a time when voters remain highly anxious about the cost of living.

Taxpayers could fund multi-million dollar payouts for January 6 rioters convicted of assaulting police officers, according to testimony from Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.

The money comes from a new $1.776 billion settlement fund. The government created the fund after Trump agreed to drop his $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service regarding his leaked 2019 tax returns. According to ABC News, the money is earmarked for individuals who claim they were harmed by the Biden administration’s legal system.

During a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing, Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) questioned Blanche on who could access the money, noting that law enforcement officers found the situation appalling. Merkley asked Blanche to promise that no one convicted of assaulting a police officer would receive a payout.

Blanche declined to make that commitment. While he acknowledged the senator's concerns, he stated that the fund is open to anyone who claims the Justice Department unfairly targeted them.

"Anybody can apply," Blanche said, noting that appointed commissioners will set the specific rules for the fund. "And whether an individual, an Oath Keeper as you just mentioned, applies for compensation... anybody in this country can apply."

Merkley also asked if the fund would bar Trump’s campaign donors from receiving money. Blanche again refused to rule it out, stating he would only commit to the terms of the settlement agreement itself and that donors are not excluded from applying.

Jon Stewart is trying a different approach to handling Donald Trump's rhetoric: treating it as a career guide.

On The Daily Show, Stewart reacted to recent comments Trump made after meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping. Trump had fixated on Xi's height, remarking that he was "very tall," particularly for someone from China. The comment left Stewart visibly stunned for 15 seconds before he questioned how Trump managed to win the presidency.

Rather than staying exasperated, Stewart suggested looking for lessons in Trump’s political rise. He translated his trajectory into satirical advice for recent college graduates entering the job market.

According to Stewart, traditional values like honesty and hard work are outdated. Instead, he mockingly advised jobseekers to be arrogant and bizarre during interviews, lie about their qualifications, and insult their potential employers.

While Stewart admitted he still does not understand why these tactics find success in the real world, he noted that the strategy clearly worked for Trump.

The Treasury Department’s top lawyer, Brian Morrissey, resigned on Monday just seven months after being confirmed by the Senate. His sudden departure coincided with the Justice Department's announcement of a $1.776 billion "Anti-Weaponization Fund" intended to compensate individuals who claim they were unfairly targeted by the previous administration's Justice Department. This pool of recipients could include the estimated 1,600 people charged in connection with the January 6 Capitol attack.

The massive fund stems from a $10 billion lawsuit Trump filed against the IRS over the leak of his tax returns. Trump dropped the lawsuit on Monday after a federal judge questioned whether a sitting president could legally sue an agency under his own control. In place of the lawsuit, the Justice Department established the settlement fund.

The Treasury Department must now transfer the money into an account managed by a five-member commission. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche will hand-pick every member of this panel and retains the power to fire them without cause. Furthermore, the identities of the people receiving payouts and the specific amounts they receive will not be disclosed to the public.

While Morrissey thanked Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in his resignation letter, he did not provide a reason for his exit. The Treasury Department declined to comment on the timing, issuing a brief statement thanking Morrissey for his service. Trump also distanced himself from the logistics of the deal during a White House event, claiming he was not involved, but the arrangement was well received.

Congressional Democrats quickly condemned the settlement. Senator Ron Wyden called the fund a historic abuse of taxpayer money, while Representative Jamie Raskin labeled the arrangement fraud. In response, nearly 100 House Democrats filed an amicus brief in an attempt to block the settlement from moving forward.

The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) narrowly avoided a major security incident after a researcher found exposed government credentials online.

Guillaume Valadon, a security researcher at GitGuardian, discovered spreadsheets containing plaintext credentials in a public GitHub repository. The repository belonged to an employee of a CISA contractor. Valadon verified that the exposed data included valid access tokens and cloud keys for internal networks at both CISA and its parent organization, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Valadon initially tried to warn the contractor directly. After receiving no response, he escalated the issue to independent investigative journalist Brian Krebs.

The exposure is a notable embarrassment for CISA, the agency tasked with defending civilian federal networks and promoting cybersecurity best practices—such as banning the storage of passwords in unencrypted spreadsheets.

CISA has not yet confirmed whether malicious actors accessed the systems or if the agency has fully revoked the compromised keys. While a contractor caused the leak, CISA retains ultimate responsibility for its network security. The incident comes at a difficult time for the agency, which has lacked a permanent director since Jen Easterly resigned in January 2025 and has lost roughly one-third of its staff to recent budget cuts and layoffs.

Trump’s recent two-day trip to Beijing was marked by security standoffs, blunt diplomatic warnings, and scrutiny over his traveling companions.

The logistical friction was on display Thursday ahead of a state banquet at the Great Hall of the People. Video footage showed Chinese security guards stopping U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent at the entrance. The guards pointed out that Bessent was missing a required clearance pin on his suit. After a brief exchange, an aide handed Bessent the item, and guards allowed him inside.

It was the second security dispute of the day. Hours earlier, Chinese officials blocked an armed U.S. Secret Service agent from entering the Temple of Heaven, where Trump was meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping. The disagreement led to a 30-hour-minute standoff between American and Chinese security personnel before officials reached an unspecified compromise.

The visit, originally scheduled for April but delayed by U.S. tensions with Iran, began with a lower-profile reception than Trump received during his first term. Vice President Han Zheng, rather than President Xi, met Trump on the tarmac Wednesday night. Melania Trump, who attended the 2017 visit, did not make this trip.

Inside the meetings, discussions over Taiwan grew contentious. President Xi reportedly issued a sharp warning regarding American arms sales to the island, stating the issue could lead the two nations into conflict. On Air Force One, Trump brushed off the friction, telling reporters he has not yet approved a pending $14 billion arms shipment to Taiwan and is using it as a negotiating chip. Trump also downplayed bilateral espionage, stating he told Xi it was fine for China to spy on the U.S. because the U.S. does the same to China.

Back home, ethics critics questioned the composition of Trump's delegation. The president traveled with his son, Eric Trump, alongside prominent technology executives including Apple’s Tim Cook, NVIDIA’s Jensen Huang, and SpaceX’s Elon Musk. Musk drew separate criticism during the trip for making faces during photos at Thursday's formal state banquet.