Monday’s Mini-Report, 3.10.25
Today’s edition of quick hits.
As a shutdown deadline approaches, Trump uses a word the public rarely hears from him
The president tends to prefer barking orders, rather than publicly imploring GOP lawmakers to follow his lead. To prevent a shutdown, he made an exception.
Rubio’s tenure as secretary of state reaches new lows with reported White House tensions
Why does it appear the secretary of state has been sidelined? It might have something to do with the fact that Rubio and Trump disagree on a whole lot.
Monday’s Campaign Round-Up, 3.10.25: NRCC chief thinks voters like DOGE cuts
Today’s installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.
White House sparks an uncomfortable conversation about nuclear proliferation
As Trump betrays traditional U.S. allies and kowtows to the Kremlin, officials throughout Europe are looking for a new umbrella under which to shelter.
Ministry of Truth | A New Book by MaddowBlog's Steve Benen
Steve Benen's new book, 'Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past,' with an audio version read by Rachel Maddow is now available.
Seven weeks in, more Trump voters start to feel buyer’s remorse
It’s becoming increasingly common to see reports in which Americans are quoted saying, “I voted for Trump last election, but...”
On the Biden-era economy, Republicans scramble to rewrite history
The problem is not just that Trump and his allies are trying to gaslight the public on the Biden-era economy. It’s also that they feel like they have to.
The White House line on Canada and fentanyl takes a bizarre turn
As a rule, it’s unsettling when Republican White Houses claim to have secret evidence of foreign chemical labs.
Asked about a possible recession, Trump offers a discouraging answer
“Are you expecting a recession this year?” The president responded to the question with a great many words. None of them was “no.”
If the GOP is trying to intimidate judges, it’s clearly not working
The more Republicans condemn members of the judiciary, the less jurists seem to care. “An American President is not a king,” one reminded Trump this week.
Jamie Raskin calls the White House’s campaign against law firms ‘dangerous as hell’
When Donald Trump signed an executive order targeting a private law firm, it was seen as an outrageous abuse. It didn’t stop him from doing it again.
As Trump threatens possible sanctions on Russia, the fine print matters
Six weeks ago, the president threatened to impose new sanctions on Russia. Now, he’s doing it again. There is, however, an important flaw with the plan.
Job growth falls short of expectations in the early months of 2025
Given all of his pre-election boasts about his economic prowess, the new job totals don’t do Donald Trump any favors.
Trump blames ‘globalists’ for market slides, but he should blame himself
When the market goes up, Trump wants credit, but when it goes down, he blames unnamed “globalists”? Even by his standards, this is absurd.
More MaddowBlog
The White House’s find-and-replace problem becomes even more embarrassing
Why did the Pentagon reportedly flag photos of the Enola Gay for removal? Apparently because of the word “gay” in the plane’s name.
Trump’s wavering on his commitment to NATO goes from bad to worse
Trump’s nominee to serve as the U.S. ambassador to NATO said his commitment to the alliance is “ironclad.” Trump contradicted the line two days later.
Trump-appointed prosecutor gets a much-needed refresher on the First Amendment
In his latest gambit, Ed Martin targeted Georgetown Law School and academic freedom. That really wasn’t a good idea.
Amid controversies and backlashes, Trump clips Elon Musk’s wings
For the first time, the president appeared to take a step toward curbing the powers of Musk and DOGE. The step, however, came with a caveat.
Wednesday’s Mini-Report, 3.5.25
Today’s edition of quick hits.
As Trump announces new ‘pauses,’ his tariffs policy slips deeper into incoherence
When it comes to Trump's tariffs, no one seems able to say what the policy is, what it will be, why he’s doing this or what he hopes to achieve.
Trump’s VA secretary defends 80,000 layoffs in a wildly unpersuasive way
Defending deep cuts at his agency, VA Secretary Doug Collins said, “The federal government does not exist to employ people.” He’s badly missing the point.
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