Week 73 - The Return
An increasingly isolated Trump can't escape the fallout of his war
Experts in authoritarianism advise to keep a list of things subtly changing around you, so you’ll remember.
This week Trump and senior regime officials continued to give ever-changing objectives and endgames for his Iran War, which entered its fifth week. Trump continued efforts to game his beloved stock market, which at one point entered correction territory, with rosy statements ahead of markets opening. The price of gas rose above $4 a gallon, and the vast majority of Americans expressed disapproval and dismay with Trump’s handling of the war and economy. Trump’s approval was now lower than former president Richard Nixon’s during Watergate, and George W. Bush’s during the lows of the Gulf War. At times, in fact frequently, Trump made statements this week that call into question his mental acumen, at a time when he alone is calling the shots for a war that has increasing global impacts.
The Republican-led Congress, meanwhile, was unable to come to a simple resolution on funding parts of the Department of Homeland Security, instead leaving Trump to act unilaterally, and order that Transportation Security Administration workers be paid ahead of spring break. Republicans in Congress not only once again abdicated their role of controlling the budget, they also left town for a two week recess, leaving Trump alone in D.C. as he deployed thousands more troops to an increasingly unpopular war they had not approved. TMZ took to publishing photos of members of Congress living it up on vacation amid a DHS shutdown and a country in chaos.
Not only was Trump literally alone in D.C., but figuratively the U.S. was increasingly isolated with his actions. Trump, his regime, and Republicans continued to make remarkable concessions to Russia, which was aiding Iran and helping them successfully target U.S. troops and interests, while distancing the U.S. from our post World War 2 alliances. The survival of NATO is undoubtedly in question.
Finally, this week had several important court rulings, mostly against Trump. We continue to see his regime’s attempts at retribution against Trump’s perceived enemies. We also continue to see a growing dysfunction in our federal agencies. The week closes out with Trump breaking yet another precedent, attending a Supreme Court hearing on his birthright citizenship executive order, and preparing to address the nation in the evening on his Iran war.
The DOJ reached a settlement with Michael Flynn, a conservative activist who served in the first Trump regime, to pay him $1.25 million. Flynn pleaded guilty to lying about his contacts with a Russian official in 2017, and later sued in 2023 claiming political persecution.
A group of Jan. 6 insurrectionists sued the Capitol Police and Metropolitan Police Department in Florida for tens of millions in damages, alleging “indiscriminate” use of force repelling the attack that caused them physical and emotional injuries.
On Thursday, the Treasury Department announced Trump’s signature would appear on U.S. currency in June to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the country, marking the first time in 165 years that the currency would be signed by a president rather than the U.S. treasurer.
On Monday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law renaming the airport near West Palm Beach as President Donald J. Trump International Airport, effective July 1.
NYT reported the DOJ and IRS were struggling with ethical concerns overTrump’s $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS, and had yet to respond, and were considering delaying the case until 2029. Assigning a DOJ lawyer would be unworkable since they work for Trump.
Trump regime officials believed that ultimately the DOJ and IRS would consult with Trump on how the government should respond to hislawsuit. Additional ethics concerns were raised by the prospect of a huge settlement of taxpayer dollars to Trump and his family.
Politico reported under Trump, the Federal Emergency Management Agency had rejected aid for Democratic-run states at the highest rate in the agency’s 47-year history: just 23% of disaster aid was approved, compared to 89% for states with Republican governors and senators.
A Fox News poll found Trump’s disapproval at 59%, the highest for the pollster during both regimes. Trump also had his lowest approval with Republicans in the second regime, falling from 92% last March to 84%. The poll also found 64% disapprove of Trump’s handling of the Iran War.
An AP-NORC poll found that 73% of Americans were extremely (45%) or somewhat (28%) concerned about being able to afford gas in the next few months, including 60% of Republicans. Just 20% of Republicans supported deploying U.S. ground troops in Iran.
On Friday, Rep. Sam Graves, a senior Republican who chaired the House Committee on Transportation, said he would retire, the 36th House Republican to do so, setting a new record for most Republicans to retire since 34 retired in 2018, during Trump’s first regime.
On Monday, Democrats flipped the 30th seat since Trump took office, with Brian Nathan, a military veteran and electrician, winning a special election for a Florida state senate seat in the formerly reliably Republican district of West Tampa.
On Wednesday, the U.S. Postal Service said it would impose its first-ever surcharge on packages, raising prices by 8% phased in starting April 26, to cover the rising costs of fuel and transportation.
