[Monday, April 28] US News Headlines from r/politics

1. Executive Power and Administration

1.1 Presidential Authority and Rhetoric

President Trump has made expansive claims about his authority, stating in an Atlantic interview, “I run the country and the world” [1] [2]. This assertion comes amid declining poll numbers showing his approval rating slipping to 41% after nearly 100 days [3], prompting him to “lash out against ‘fake polls’” [4] and reportedly demand investigations into unfavorable polling data [5]. During Vatican talks with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, Trump described him as “calmer” [6] and later suggested he believes Zelenskyy may be willing to cede Crimea to Russia [7]. Presidential directives now include plans to sign executive orders mandating truckers speak English [8] and requiring creation of a “nationwide list of sanctuary cities and states” [9].

[1] ‘I run the country and the world,’ Donald Trump says in Atlantic interview, https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/04/28/trump-the-atlantic-i-run-the-country-world/83326268007/
[2] Read The Atlantic’s Interview With Donald Trump, https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2025/04/donald-trump-oval-office-interview-excerpts/682623/
[3] Trump approval rating slips to 41 percent after almost 100 days in office: CNN poll, https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5270671-trump-approval-rating-declines/
[4] Trump lashes out against “fake polls” as his approval ratings sink, https://www.axios.com/2025/04/28/trump-approval-ratings-slams-polls-truth-social
[5] Donald Trump demands investigations into negative approval rating polls, https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-demands-investigations-negative-approval-rating-polls-2064949
[6] Trump says he views Zelensky as ‘calmer’ following Vatican talks, https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/27/politics/trump-zelensky-calmer-ukraine/index.html
[7] Trump ’thinks’ Zelensky ready to give up Crimea to Russia, https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c20z20kyvxxo
[8] Trump to sign Executive Order mandating truckers speak English, https://abc3340.com/news/nation-world/trump-to-sign-executive-order-mandating-truckers-speak-english
[9] Trump to Sign Order Requiring Nationwide List of Sanctuary Cities and States, https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/trump-to-sign-order-requiring-nationwide-list-of-sanctuary-cities-and-states-dbcc5ada

1.2 DOGE Operations and Controversies

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under Elon Musk’s leadership has generated serious controversy and security concerns. DOGE employees have reportedly gained access to “classified networks holding nuclear secrets” [1], while multiple investigations suggest Musk has leveraged his position to help his companies “avoid over $2 billion in legal liabilities” [2] [3]. DOGE’s claimed accomplishments face scrutiny, with the department reporting $160 billion in budget savings while competing analysis suggests these cuts have actually cost taxpayers $135 billion [4]. Public opinion appears skeptical, with polling showing “most Americans don’t think DOGE has actually cut government waste” [5]. DOGE has implemented major program cuts, including reductions to AmeriCorps [6] and food banks [7], while attempting to lay off approximately 90 percent of Consumer Financial Protection Bureau employees [8].

[1] DOGE employees gain accounts on classified networks holding nuclear secrets, https://www.npr.org/2025/04/28/nx-s1-5378684/doge-energy-department-nuclear-secrets-access
[2] Musk’s DOGE cuts helped his companies avoid over $2 billion in legal liabilities, new Senate report alleges, https://www.cnbc.com/2025/04/28/elon-musk-doge-trump-legal-liabilities-senate-democrats.html
[3] Elon Musk’s DOGE ties could get his companies out of $2 billion in potential liability, https://www.theverge.com/news/657042/musk-companies-conflict-of-interest-doge-trump-liability
[4] DOGE says it has saved $160 billion. Those cuts have cost taxpayers $135 billion, one analysis says., https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/doge-cuts-cost-135-billion-analysis-elon-musk-department-of-government-efficiency/
[5] Most Americans don’t think DOGE has actually cut government waste, poll says, https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-musk-doge-government-waste-fraud-poll-2025-4
[6] DOGE orders major cut to AmeriCorps funding, imperiling agency’s work, https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2025/04/25/americorps-grant-cuts-doge/
[7] After Federal Cuts, Food Banks Scrounge and Scrimp, https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/28/us/politics/food-banks-trump-cuts-aid.html
[8] New Details Emerge on Trump Officials’ Sprint to Gut Consumer Bureau Staff, https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/27/business/cfpb-layoffs-trump-musk-doge.html

1.3 Cabinet and Administration Officials

Cabinet officials face mounting scrutiny and challenges. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is described by a fired Pentagon adviser as “consumed by image” and reportedly “spends half his time investigating leaks” [1] [2], while facing pressure after the U.S. Navy lost a “$60 million jet” [3]. Trump’s Navy Secretary John Phelan—an investor and donor with no military experience—has repeatedly “flubbed the date of Pearl Harbor” [4], raising qualification concerns. The Pentagon faces “building turmoil” amid new senior staff appointments [5]. The Justice Department has undergone significant transformation, with Trump appointees removing managers of the department’s voting unit [6]. Executive branch governance reportedly now relies significantly on informal “group chats” that substantially shape policy decisions [7].

[1] Tale of 2 Petes’: Fired adviser describes Pentagon chief consumed by image, https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/28/caroll-hegseth-pentagon-00312849
[2] Axed Pentagon Aide Says Hegseth Spends Half His Time Investigating Leaks, https://www.thedailybeast.com/axed-pentagon-aide-says-hegseth-spends-half-his-time-investigating-leaks/
[3] U.S. Navy Loses $60 Million Jet as Pressure Increases on Hegseth, https://newrepublic.com/post/194521/us-navy-loses-60-million-jet-hegseth
[4] Trump’s Navy Secretary Keeps Flubbing The Date Of Pearl Harbor John Phelan, an investor and Trump donor, has never served in the military., https://www.huffpost.com/entry/navy-secretary-john-phelan-pearl-harbor_n_680fb59be4b0694adc18c581
[5] Pentagon names new senior staff amid building turmoil, https://thehill.com/policy/defense/5268655-hegseth-pentagon-senior-staff-turmoil/
[6] Trump’s justice department appointees remove managers of voting unit, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/28/trump-doj-voting-rights
[7] Trump World Is Ruled by Group Chats, Damning New Report Shows, https://newrepublic.com/post/194469/donald-trump-world-ruled-group-chats-damning-report

2. Economic and Trade Policy

2.1 Tariffs and Economic Impact

President Trump’s aggressive tariff policies have triggered significant economic disruptions. Bloomberg describes “100 dizzying days of Trump” driven by tariffs and escalating trade conflicts [1], with agricultural communities experiencing what farmers themselves call a “full-blown crisis” [2]. Economic indicators have turned sharply negative, with increased risk of global recession due to “US tariff shockwaves” [3]. The stock market has recorded its worst performance during a president’s first 100 days since Nixon [4], while the dollar has weakened significantly [5]. Consumer impacts are becoming increasingly visible, with online retailer Temu adding “import charges of about 145% after Trump tariffs” [6]. Confusion surrounds China trade policy, with Trump claiming daily negotiations while Chinese officials deny such talks [7]. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has asserted that China must “de-escalate trade tensions” [8].

[1] Tariffs and a Trade War: Inside 100 Dizzying Days of Trump, https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2025-04-27/trump-s-quick-tempo-in-tariff-trade-war-set-scene-for-second-term
[2] Agriculture isn’t nearing trade war tariffs crisis, ‘it is full blown crisis already’ farmers say, https://www.cnbc.com/2025/04/28/trade-war-tariffs-full-blown-crisis-us-farm-exporters-say.html
[3] Risk of global economic recession surges on US tariff shockwaves: Reuters poll, https://www.reuters.com/markets/global-economy-recession-risks-surge-us-tariff-shockwaves-2025-04-28/
[4] Trump’s first 100 days are the worst for the stock market since Nixon, https://www.cnbc.com/2025/04/28/trumps-first-100-days-are-the-worst-for-the-stock-market-since-nixon.html
[5] The Dollar’s Weakness Creates an Opportunity for the Euro. Can It Last?, https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/28/business/us-dollar-euro-trade-trump.html
[6] Temu adds ‘import charges’ of about 145% after Trump tariffs, more than doubling price of many items, https://www.cnbc.com/2025/04/28/temu-adds-import-charges-after-trump-tariffs.html
[7] Trump Claims Trade Negotiations are Happening Every Day With China. No One in Beijing or Washington Seems to Know Who is Doing the Talking, https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-tariffs-trade-negotiations-china-b2740393.html
[8] Treasury Secretary Bessent says it’s up to China to de-escalate trade tensions, https://www.cnbc.com/2025/04/28/treasury-secretary-bessent-says-its-up-to-china-to-de-escalate-trade-tensions.html

3. Immigration and Border Enforcement

3.1 Deportation Operations and Constitutional Concerns

Immigration enforcement has intensified dramatically, raising serious humanitarian and constitutional concerns. In a highly controversial case, three U.S. citizen children, including a 4-year-old with stage 4 cancer, were deported to Honduras alongside their non-citizen mothers [1] [2]. Lawyers claim the mothers were “coerced” into taking their U.S. citizen children with them [3], while Trump administration officials have publicly defended these deportations [4]. President Trump has acknowledged that “it’s possible US citizens could be deported by mistake,” stating that “nothing will ever be perfect in this world” [5]. Most concerning constitutionally, the White House has indicated that “suspending [the] writ of habeas corpus to speed up mass deportations is open to discussion” [6]. ICE is reportedly targeting unaccompanied immigrant children for deportation or prosecution [7], while the administration has implemented a visual messaging strategy, displaying mugshots of arrested migrants on the White House lawn [8].

[1] 3 children who are US citizens — including one with cancer — deported with their mothers, lawyers and advocacy groups say, https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/27/us/children-us-citizens-deported-honduras/index.html
[2] Three U.S. Citizen Children, Including 4-Year-Old Battling 4th Stage Cancer, Deported to Honduras, https://www.democracynow.org/2025/4/28/us_citizen_children_expelled_from_country
[3] Lawyers for Deported U.S. Citizen Kids Say Moms Were ‘Coerced’ Into Taking Them, https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/trump-rubio-deported-us-citizen-children-mothers-coerced-1235326214/
[4] Trump officials defend deportations involving US citizen children, https://www.axios.com/2025/04/27/trump-deportations-us-citizen-children-immigrants
[5] Trump admits it’s possible US citizens could be deported by mistake: ‘Nothing will ever be perfect in this world’, https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-us-citizens-deported-mistake-b2741009.html
[6] White House Says Suspending Writ of Habeas Corpus To Speed Up Mass Deportations Is Open to Discussion, https://www.nysun.com/article/white-house-says-suspending-writ-of-habeas-corpus-to-speed-up-mass-deportations-is-open-to-discussion
[7] Ice seeking out unaccompanied immigrant children to deport or prosecute them, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/28/ice-unaccompanied-immigrant-children
[8] Trump staff puts immigrants’ mug shots on White House lawn, https://www.axios.com/2025/04/28/trump-posters-white-house-arrested-immigrants

4. Justice System and Constitutional Issues

4.1 DOJ Transformation and Judicial Independence

The Justice Department is undergoing dramatic restructuring with significant civil liberties implications. Civil rights lawyers are reportedly leaving “en masse” as the department’s mission undergoes a shift [1], with the Civil Rights Office experiencing what’s characterized as an “exodus” of staff [2]. The Voting Rights Unit has been “gutted” according to reporting [3], indicating a substantial reorientation of Justice Department priorities. Attorney General Pam Bondi has rescinded Biden-era protections for news media in leak investigations [4], potentially affecting journalistic sources and press freedom. Constitutional concerns have escalated with the arrest of a Wisconsin judge, which critics characterize as an effort to “chill the judiciary” [5]. A Senate Democrat described the arrest as a “gravely serious and drastic move” [6], with the judge reportedly facing up to six years in prison for allegedly misdirecting Immigration and Customs Enforcement [7].

[1] Civil rights lawyers leave en masse as Justice Dept. mission shifts, https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/04/28/justice-civil-rights-harmeet-dhillon-trump/
[2] Trump Recasts Mission of Justice Dept.’s Civil Rights Office, Prompting ‘Exodus’, https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/28/us/politics/trump-doj-civil-rights.html
[3] Justice Department Guts Voting Rights Unit: Report, https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/justice-department-guts-voting-rights-unit-1235326589/
[4] Trump DOJ rescinds Biden-era protections for news media, https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-doj-rescinds-biden-era-protections-news-media/story?id=121176338
[5] Trump administration is sending ‘a message to chill the judiciary’ with Wisconsin judge’s arrest, her peer says, https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/27/politics/wisconsin-judge-arrest-trump-administration/index.html
[6] Senate Democrat on judge’s arrest: ‘Gravely serious and drastic move’, https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/5267908-senate-democrat-wisconsin-judge-arrest/
[7] Wisconsin judge faces up to 6 years in prison for allegedly misdirecting ICE, https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/video/wisconsin-judge-faces-6-years-prison-allegedly-misdirecting-121215251

4.2 Impeachment Efforts

Formal impeachment proceedings against President Trump have been initiated in Congress. Representative Shri Thanedar has officially introduced articles of impeachment against President Trump for “High Crimes and Misdemeanors” [1] [2], marking the third impeachment effort against Trump. Public opinion appears to support this action, with polling data suggesting “a majority of US voters support” a third Trump impeachment [3]. Legal scholars have weighed in critically, with a New York Times report citing 35 legal scholars describing a “lawless presidency” [4].

[1] Congressman Shri Thanedar Introduces Articles of Impeachment Against President Donald J. Trump for High Crimes and Misdemeanors, https://thanedar.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-shri-thanedar-introduces-articles-of-impeachment-against-president-donald-j-trump-for-high-crimes-and-misdemeanors
[2] Rep. Thanedar introduces articles of impeachment against Trump, https://www.metrotimes.com/news/rep-thanedar-introduces-articles-of-impeachment-against-trump-39248493
[3] Majority of US Voters Support Third Trump Impeachment: Poll, https://www.commondreams.org/news/trump-impeachment-2025
[4] A Road Map of Trump’s Lawless Presidency, According to 35 Legal Scholars, https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/28/opinion/trump-constitution-rule-of-law.html

5. Foreign Policy and International Relations

5.1 Global Positioning

U.S. global positioning has shifted dramatically, straining multiple key alliances. U.S.-China relations face critical tensions, with countries worldwide being forced to choose sides in this economic rivalry [1]. China has officially rejected President Trump’s claim that Chinese President Xi has called him by phone [2]. U.S.-Canada relations have deteriorated after Trump stated “Canada should become U.S. state on election day” [3], prompting Canadian Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre to directly tell “Trump, stay out of our elections” [4]. Putin has declared a ceasefire in Ukraine as Trump suggests Zelenskyy may cede Crimea to Russia [5]. Despite Trump’s campaign pledge to “end the Ukraine war in 24 hours,” NBC News reports that “the conflict still rages” [6].

[1] With China and the US at intense economic odds, nations are being forced to choose sides, https://apnews.com/article/china-us-tariffs-trump-dce0557297c1a367cac9353d270a3c2e
[2] China rejects Trump’s claim that Xi has called him by phone, https://edition.cnn.com/2025/04/28/china/china-rejects-trump-claim-xi-call-intl-hnk/index.html
[3] Trump says Canada should become U.S. state on election day, https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/article/trump-says-canada-should-become-us-state-as-president-weighs-in-on-canadian-vote/
[4] Pierre Poilievre: Trump, stay out of our elections, https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/politics/2025/04/28/pierre-poilievre-trump-stay-out-of-our-elections-canada/
[5] Putin declares ceasefire in Ukraine as Trump suggests Zelenskyy may cede Crimea, https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcna203247
[6] Trump vowed to end the Ukraine war in 24 hours, but the conflict still rages, https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/trump-vowed-end-ukraine-war-24-hours-conflict-still-rages-rcna203085