Republicans lawmakers who are jubilant about President Trump’s flurry of executive orders and actions reshaping the government are staring down a challenge: making those changes last by turning them into law.
For now, the GOP majorities in Congress are largely happy to cede power to the executive branch as Trump tests the limits of his executive authority.
But as court challenges and future elections threaten to undo those actions, these lawmakers are strategizing about how to cement them into legislation and then law. |
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BY JULIA MUELLER AND JULIA MANCHESTER |
California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s (D) new podcast hosting prominent supporters of President Trump is raising questions about his political strategy as he wraps up his tenure as governor and keeps the door open to a 2028 presidential run.
The first few episodes of “This is Gavin Newsom” have found the governor seeking common ground with conservative figures like Charlie Kirk and Steve Bannon. The show has also seen Newsom break with Democrats on the issue of transgender athletes in women’s sports, calling it “deeply unfair.” |
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A federal judge expanded his ruling temporarily blocking the Trump administration from invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 on Saturday preventing the removal of Venezuelan undocumented immigrants presumed to be members of the Tren de Aragua gang.
The order issued by U.S. District Judge James Boasberg will halt deportations for all individuals deemed eligible for removal under President Trump’s proclamation for 14 days as a result of the lawsuit filed by Democracy Forward and the ACLU. |
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President Trump is invoking an 18th-century wartime law that will allow the federal government to detain or deport people who are natives and citizens of countries deemed foreign adversaries — a move that’s seen as part of his sweeping immigration crackdown effort.
The Alien Enemies Act — part of the Alien and Sedition Acts that Congress adopted in 1798 — gives the federal government additional authority to regulate non-citizens in times of war. It has been used just three times in the past, during the War of 1812 and World Wars I and II, as the Congressional Research Service detailed in a February report. |
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President Trump invoked the Aliens Enemies Act (AEA) of 1798 on Saturday, fulfilling a campaign promise and GOP party platform point by initiating a concerted effort to remove Venezuelan undocumented immigrants believed to be members of the Tren de Aragua gang, a newly designated Foreign Terrorist Organization.
Trump has ordered Attorney General Pam Bondi to provide a copy of the invocation to the Supreme Court Chief Justice, all governors in addition to the highest-ranking judicial officer for every state and territory in the United States. |
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Republicans scored a major win on Friday as the Senate approved the House-GOP crafted spending bill, largely authored without input from Democrats. The new piece of legislation boosts defense spending by $6 billion and reduces expenditures outside of that category by $13 billion, ensuring lawmakers are able to keep the government open until Sept. 30 when the package expires. |
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BY JARED GANS AND JULIA MUELLER |
President Trump’s approval ratings are showing signs of weakening nearly two months into his second term.
While his efforts to crack down on immigration seem largely well-received, Trump’s performance on the economy has taken a hit amid whipsawing tariff plans followed by stock market losses. Though it was one of his biggest strengths throughout the 2024 campaign, the public’s view of Trump’s handling of the economy has started to drag on his overall approval rating. |
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President Trump said the United States has launched “decisive and powerful” strikes against Houthi militants in Yemen, warning that the military “will use overwhelming lethal force” until the Iran-backed rebels stop their attacks on cargo ships and free up shipping lanes in the region.
Trump wrote that the aerial attacks targeted Houthi bases, leaders and missile defense systems to “protect American shipping, air, and naval assets and to restore Navigational Freedom.” |
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U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) officials said several members of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) arrived unannounced with FBI agents on Saturday but were denied access to the building after being approached by their counsel.
“They were met at the door by the Institute’s outside counsel who informed them of USIP’s private and independent status as a non-executive branch agency. Following that discussion, the DOGE representatives departed,” Gonzo Gallegos, USIP’s director of communications, said in a statement to The Hill. |
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OPINION | President Trump is in the process of all but shutting down the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. He has even dropped several cases filed by the CFPB under former President Joe Biden’s watch. The agency aims to protect consumers from fraudulent practices in the financial industry.
Many are asking: If the CFPB goes out of business, who will be there to help consumers? The answer is one million lawyers. CFPB has been around for less than 15 years. Consumers were not helpless before then. We do not need more government agencies to police the marketplace — we have the plaintiffs’ bar. |
BY ELIZABETH GRACE MATTHEW |
OPINION | At this year’s Screen Actors Guild awards, 87-year-old actress Jane Fonda accepted a lifetime achievement award and made a politically charged speech. Unlike most of her fellow stars, however, Fonda did not take up one pet cause — instead, she got right to the heart of the deep cultural polarization that ails us.
After noting that actors must learn to empathize with those they are portraying on screen, Fonda declared: “Make no mistake, empathy is not weak or woke.” |
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BY MICHAEL WILSON, MICHAEL ROTHFELD AND ANA LEY |
Mahmoud Khalil never shielded his face with a mask. That made him a target when President Trump decided to move aggressively against campus activists. |
BY SAM GOLDFARB AND JUSTIN BAER |
Uncertainty over tariffs has fueled fears of slower U.S. growth. Foreign-policy shifts have sparked optimism for Europe’s economy, driving the dollar down against the euro. |
BY NICHOLAS RICCARDI AND WILL WEISSERT |
A federal judge barred the Trump administration Saturday from carrying out deportations under a sweeping 18th century law that the president invoked hours earlier to speed removal of Venezuelan gang members from the United States.
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BY ALEX HORTON, DAN LAMOTHE, MISSY RYAN, MUSTAFA SALIM AND NIHA MASIH |
The president vowed to use “overwhelming lethal force” against the militant group for its attacks at sea, and told Tehran to end its support or face consequences. | |
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