What to know today
- President Donald Trump signed an executive order this afternoon that sets in motion the dismantling of the Education Department. Officially closing the department would require an act of Congress.
- A federal judge blasted the Justice Department over its "woefully insufficient" response to his questions about deportation flights last weekend that the Trump administration ordered under a rarely used 18th century wartime law. Trump and his allies have called for impeaching the judge over his questioning of the deportations.
- Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., is joining Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., out West for his "Fighting Oligarchy" tour. Today's itinerary includes events in two states Trump won last year: Arizona and Nevada.
Elon Musk received court summons in SEC suit over failure to properly disclose Twitter stake
Elon Musk received a court summons last week in connection with the Securities and Exchange Commission's lawsuit over his alleged failure to properly disclose purchases of Twitter stock in 2022 before bidding to buy the company, according to a filing today.
A process server delivered the civil summons to Musk on March 14, at the headquarters of SpaceX in Brownsville, Texas, the filing said. The server noted that upon his arrival at the SpaceX facility, three different security guards refused to accept the documents, and one told him he was trespassing. He “placed the documents on the ground,” and left while the guards photographed him and his car.
The summons pertains to a case concerning Musk’s eventual purchase of Twitter, now known as X, for $44 billion in 2022. Prior to the acquisition, Musk built up a position in the company of greater than 5%, which would’ve required disclosing his holdings to the public within 10 calendar days of reaching that threshold.
According to the SEC’s civil complaint, filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., in January, Musk was more than 10 days late in reporting that material information, “allowing him to underpay by at least $150 million for shares he purchased after his financial beneficial ownership report was due.”
Chuck Schumer says a ‘lawless’ Trump has caused a constitutional crisis
Reporting from Washington
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Trump’s escalating attacks on the judiciary have resulted in a constitutional crisis in the United States.
In an interview with NBC News’ “Meet the Press,” Schumer assailed Trump’s recent calls to impeach a judge who ruled against him in a case involving his efforts to deport Venezuelan immigrants. Judges and plaintiffs in some cases have accused Trump of violating or sidestepping court orders as he faces a litany of legal challenges to his executive actions.
When asked if he agrees with scholars who say the U.S. is in a constitutional crisis, Schumer responded, “Yes, I do.”
“And democracy is at risk. Look, Donald Trump is a lawless, angry man. He thinks he should be king. He thinks he should do whatever he wants, regardless of the law, and he thinks judges should just listen to him,” Schumer told moderator Kristen Welker. The full interview will air on “Meet the Press” on Sunday.
Wisconsin Republican opts for virtual town hall over in-person event
Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis., opted to skip a town hall this afternoon organized by his constituents and local Democratic groups at a library in Eau Claire.
Van Orden was invited to participate but never confirmed his attendance. Instead, he chose to host a virtual town hall on Facebook, where he answered submitted questions read aloud by a staffer.
House Republican leaders have advised their members against town hall events amid backlash to the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency.
Republican lawmakers, including Van Orden, have argued that people protesting Trump's agenda at town halls are paid protesters. He repeated the claim during today's virtual event.
“That is just disrespectful to you, and I’m not going to allow those folks to do that,” he said in his opening remarks.
Van Orden's absence was noted at the Eau Claire event. At the front of the library venue, organizers left an empty chair for him with a sign that read “Reserved for Congressman Van Orden.”
In addition, several members of the primarily Democratic audience directed their questions at him, with one attendee responding specifically to his claim that paid agitators are showing up to town halls for Republican lawmakers.
“I’m hear of my own volition. Congressman Van Orden would like you to believe that anyone is critical of him is paid by dark, mysterious forces,” said John Sterling, a veteran and Eau Claire resident.
“Congressman Van Orden, why aren’t you doing in-person, town hall meetings here in Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District? Are you afraid to answer some tough questions?” he continued.
Another attendee, Lynne Wagner, said she's still waiting to get an answer from Van Orden about DOGE’s cutting her son’s project at the U.S. Agency for International Development. Wagner said that Van Orden's staff assured her that he would respond but that he hasn't done so yet.
“So, my question for Mr. Van Orden is: Where are you, and how can your constituents reach you?” she said to the audience.
What to know about how Trump’s executive order will affect American education
Trump signed an executive order today in an effort to “begin eliminating the federal Department of Education.” With the stroke of his pen, he officially set in motion a plan to shutter the 46-year-old agency, as he said, “once and for all.”
But the order stops short of immediately closing the department, which cannot be done without congressional approval. Rather, according to the text of the order released by the White House, it directs Education Secretary Linda McMahon to “take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return authority over education to the States and local communities while ensuring the effective and uninterrupted delivery of services, programs, and benefits on which Americans rely.”
At the signing, Trump said federal Pell grants (a common type of federal undergraduate financial aid), Title I funding and resources and funding for children with disabilities would be “preserved in full and redistributed to various other agencies and departments.”
“But beyond these core necessities, my administration will take all lawful steps to shut down the department,” he said, adding that he would do so “as quickly as possible.”
Trump bashes judge blocking his deportation plan
Trump again criticized Chief Judge James Boasberg of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, who temporarily blocked the administration's efforts to invoke a rarely used wartime law to justify deportation flights.
"Judge James Boasberg is doing everything in his power to usurp the Power of the Presidency," Trump wrote on Truth Social, calling Boasberg's rulings "ridiculous."
Trump has repeatedly attacked judges who have impeded his efforts, including calling for the Boasberg's impeachment. He did not call for Boasberg's impeachment in tonight's post, which came shortly after Boasberg called the Justice Department's recent responses to his questions "woefully insufficient."
In an earlier post this evening, Trump derided judges who have issued injunctions against some of his policies, claiming they "could very well lead to the destruction of our Country!" Trump also called on Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts to immediately "fix" the issue of nationwide injunctions.
Roberts this week publicly rebuked Trump for saying judges who rule against him should be impeached.
Education secretary expands on Trump's dismantling plans
Education Secretary Linda McMahon today expanded on Trump's order to dismantle the Education Department and how soon it could affect students.
In an interview with NBC News’ Garrett Haake, McMahon said implementing changes at the department will take time. She said students and families will most likely not “immediately” feel the effects of the order.
“I don’t think anything happens immediately. I’d like to snap my fingers and have education reformed, you know, throughout the country, but it’s going to take a bit, and then we’re going to work very strongly and consistently with the states,” she said.
McMahon said certain responsibilities will remain with the department, like funding for special needs students and the management of Pell grants.
"Those programs that are outward-facing to our students and individuals will continue," she said.
Haake pressed McMahon about how the administration plans to dismantle the Education Department without the involvement of Congress, which holds the power to create and shutter departments. McMahon said the administration is focusing first on what it can achieve outside of Congress.
“We are looking at what other things we might, can transfer that might not need congressional approval at this point. And we’re going through and looking at them to determine what they are,” she said.
In subsequent remarks to reporters at the White House, McMahon said the department's investigations into civil rights violations could be housed in the Justice Department.
"I mean, the Department of Justice already has a civil rights office, and I think that there is an opportunity to discuss with Attorney General [Pam] Bondi about locating some of our civil rights work there," McMahon said.
In the meantime, McMahon said, she'll work to convince lawmakers that "students are going to be better served by eliminating the bureaucracy of the Department of Education."
Sen. Bill Cassidy says he’ll introduce a bill to eliminate the Education Department
Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., who chairs the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, said this afternoon that he plans to soon introduce legislation to eliminate the Education Department.
“I agree with President Trump that the Department of Education has failed its mission,” Cassidy said in a statement. “Since the Department can only be shut down with congressional approval, I will support the President’s goals by submitting legislation to accomplish this as soon as possible.”
His statement came almost immediately after Trump signed an executive order to dismantle the Education Department.
Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Wis., who chairs the Education and Workforce Committee, also offered his support for Trump's order.
“The key to improving education is empowering parents and students and reducing the role of Washington bureaucrats,” Walberg said, adding that he believes the move will “ensure our nation’s youth are put first.”
The committee's top Democrat, Rep. Bobby Scott, of Virginia, blasted the executive order in a statement, calling it “reckless” and arguing it "will exacerbate existing disparities, reduce accountability" and put "at risk" rural and low-income students, students of color and students with disabilities.
Judge rips DOJ’s ‘woefully insufficient’ response to questions on Alien Enemies Act case
A federal judge today blasted the Justice Department’s latest response to his demand for more information about deportation flights that were carried out under a wartime law known as the Alien Enemies Act, calling it “woefully insufficient.”
U.S. District Judge James Boasberg wrote in a three-page ruling that the government “again evaded its obligations” to provide information that he had been demanding for days about the timing of the flights Saturday. Trump had invoked the rarely used law to deport people the administration claimed were members of a Venezuelan gang deemed a “foreign terrorist organization.”
At an emergency hearing Saturday, Boasberg had directed that any deportation flights being carried out under the Alien Enemies Act authority immediately return to the United States. Two flights landed in Honduras and El Salvador within hours of his order.
The Justice Department submitted its response under seal, but Boasberg said it told him he could disclose the contents. It comprised “a six-paragraph declaration from the Acting Field Office Director for Enforcement and Removal Operations at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Harlingen, Texas, Field Office” that did not include any new information about the flights, Boasberg wrote.
Trump says rare earth minerals deal with Ukraine could be signed 'very shortly'
Trump said at the White House today that he will sign a rare earth minerals deal "very shortly" with Ukraine.
"We're doing very well with regard to Ukraine and Russia, and one of the things we are doing is signing a deal very shortly with respect to rare earths with Ukraine, which they have tremendous value in rare earth, and we appreciate that," Trump said.
Trump also referred to his recent conversations with the Russian and Ukrainian presidents, saying, "We spoke yesterday with, as you know, President Putin and President Zelenskyy, and we would love to see that come to an end."
"I think we're doing pretty well in that regard," Trump said. "I believe we'll get it done. We'll see what happens, but I believe we'll get it done today."
After Trump order, DOGE descends upon the Institute of Museum and Library Services
A visit from DOGE staffers this afternoon at the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the bedrock of federal support for the nation's museums and libraries, has ignited fears among union leaders that the agency's staff could be next on the chopping block.
DOGE staffers appeared at the agency's office in Washington's L'Enfant Plaza on the heels of Trump’s ordering that the independent government agency be downsized to only what is statutorily required, a move museum advocates worry could cost the country its cultural and public institutions as the agency all but shuts down.
"IMLS is one of the biggest funders for museums, specifically small, rural museums," a Washington museum professional who showed up at the office in support of the agency after the DOGE visit told NBC News. "It is like the main funder for libraries both in universities and your public library. And if you think of all the services your public library provides, those are going to get gutted."
Keith Sonderling, Trump’s deputy labor secretary, was sworn in as acting director of the institute this morning in the building's lobby. Sonderling was surrounded by a security team and a handful of DOGE staff members who met with institute leaders after the ceremony.
Sonderling, upon concluding the meeting, wrote an email announcement emphasizing his commitment to “revitalize IMLS and restore focus on patriotism, ensuring we preserve our country’s core values, promote American exceptionalism and cultivate love of country in future generations.”
A union representing employees of the institute said it expects most employees will be placed on administrative leave over the weekend or Monday amid the Trump takeover.
"It remains unclear whether funding for existing grantees will continue, and whether new grants will be available in the future," the union, AFGE Local 3403, said in a statement.
The union also noted its commitment to working with Sonderling in good faith to continue the institute’s mission with "efficiency and innovation."
"This whole idea of trying to rewrite American history, in some ways museums are going to be a bulwark against that, because we are going to be a space that preserves and shares the truth," the Washington museum professional told NBC News outside the IMLS office. "And again, if we lose money, we can’t do that.”
Education Dept. layoffs gut statistics agency that issues Nation’s Report Card
The layoffs at the Education Department have gutted a statistical agency — the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) — that is responsible for compiling the Nation’s Report Card and measuring the academic performance of students nationwide, according to union officials.
NCES is a federal statistical agency tasked with data collection, analysis and reporting on U.S. education with the goal of boosting academic outcomes, according to its website.
Policymakers and the public have used NCES data to measure student performance in the classroom, the productivity of teachers, school safety and other topics.
ABC News reported earlier on the impact of the layoffs on the NCES.
Trump signs executive order to dismantle the Education Department
Trump signed an executive order today directing Education Secretary Linda McMahon to start dismantling the Education Department.
“It sounds strange, doesn’t it? Department of Education. We’re going to eliminate it,” Trump said in the East Room of the White House at a ceremony where he was flanked by children seated at school desks.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that the department would not be completely eliminated, saying its “critical functions” would continue, including enforcing civil rights laws and overseeing student loans and Pell grants.
Trump urges Democrats to back his effort to dismantle Education Department
Trump said at the White House today as he prepared to sign an executive order to dismantle the Education Department that the matter is likely to come before Congress and encouraged Democrats to vote for it. Fully abolishing the department would require a vote from Congress.
"Everybody knows it’s right, and the Democrats know it’s right, and I hope they’re going to be voting for it, because ultimately it may come before them," Trump said, adding that the United States hasn't performed well globally in education "for a long time."
'Hitting a fly with a sledgehammer': Federal judge blasts DOGE and blocks access to Social Security records
A federal judge in Maryland blocked DOGE from accessing Social Security Administration records. In a blistering ruling, U.S. District Judge Ellen Hollander said DOGE is “essentially engaged in a fishing expedition" at the agency "in search of a fraud epidemic, based on little more than suspicion.”
Hollander said: “The American public may well applaud and support the Trump Administration’s mission to root out fraud, waste, and bloat from federal agencies, including SSA, to the extent it exists. But, by what means and methods?” She added that DOGE has launched a search for “the proverbial needle in the haystack, without any concrete knowledge that the needle is actually in the haystack.”
“To facilitate the expedition, SSA provided members of the SSA DOGE Team with unbridled access to the personal and private data of millions of Americans, including but not limited to Social Security numbers, medical records, mental health records, hospitalization records, drivers’ license numbers, bank and credit card information, tax information, income history, work history, birth and marriage certificates, and home and work addresses,” she added.
Hollander said the “defendants, with so called experts on the DOGE Team,” never identify or articulate a reason DOGE needs “unlimited access to SSA’s entire record systems, thereby exposing personal, confidential, sensitive, and private information that millions of Americans entrusted to their government.”
She also said the administration has not “attempted to explain why a more tailored, measured, titrated approach is not suitable to the task. Instead, the government simply repeats its incantation of a need to modernize the system and uncover fraud. Its method of doing so is tantamount to hitting a fly with a sledgehammer.”
“In my view, plaintiffs are likely to succeed on their claim that such action is arbitrary and capricious, and in violation of the Privacy Act and the APA,” she added.
GOP Rep. Mike Lawler demands the Social Security Administration explain a planned office closure in a critical location
Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., demanded that the Social Security Administration explain why its acting commissioner, Leland Dudek, plans to close an agency hearing office in White Plains, New York.
According to Lawler's office, SSA's lease of the space in White Plains, in Westchester County, expires at the end of May and Dudek has rejected calls from both Republican and Democratic lawmakers to maintain the office — the only one in the Hudson Valley.
“This office handles over 2,000 backlogged cases and conducts hundreds of in-person hearings every year," Lawler said in a statement voicing anger at the Trump administration. "Telling my constituents that they now have to travel hours to Lower Manhattan, New Haven, the Bronx, or Goshen is completely unacceptable.”
Other officials who have argued in favor of keeping the White Plains office open have also pointed to the travel time to other offices as a major reason not to close it.
“Westchester County offered a solution, and instead of working to find an alternative location, the SSA is turning its back on thousands of people who need these services. Concerns about mold don’t justify abandoning folks in the Lower Hudson Valley,” Lawler added.
The SSA didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment.
Lawler wrote in a letter this month with Rep. George Latimer, D-N.Y., that the SSA's regional public affairs office in New York said the White Plains location was closing because the landlord is not interested in renewing the lease.
The Trump administration has taken steps to downsize the SSA's workforce, with the agency announcing in February that it planned to slash 7,000 people out of 57,000.
U.S. Forest Service ordered removal of DEI materials from bulletin boards
A memo early last month to staffers at the U.S. Forest Service, which is part of the Agriculture Department, ordered that any materials relating to diversity, equity and inclusion efforts be removed from bulletin boards.
The email, which was sent by Lois Lawson, the Forest Service's deputy director of civil rights, said employee resource groups for workers of certain ethnicities or affinity groups would be disbanded and told staffers to suspend plans to celebrate or observe “Special Emphasis Program[s].” That was in line with the guidance other agencies have also given employees after Trump signed an executive order seeking to eliminate DEI programs and celebrations from the federal government.
“Please be advised that identity-based Employee Resource Groups and Special Emphasis Programs which involve Diversity Equity Inclusion (DEI), should be disbanded. Additionally, all Special Emphasis Program observances should be held in abeyance, which includes any statements and written communication. Additionally, any information posted on bulletin boards or other areas, should be immediately removed,” Lawson wrote in the email, dated Feb. 3.
Later in the month, thousands of Forest Service employees were laid off, joining thousands at other federal agencies who were laid because of Musk and DOGE's push to reduce the federal workforce by firing workers who were still in their early probationary periods.
The Forest Service, which oversees national forests and grasslands, employs thousands of firefighters who help combat forest fires and assist in other emergencies.
Sen. Warren calls Trump's expected Education Department executive order a 'code red'
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., slammed Trump's attempt to dismantle the Education Department, saying in a statement that it's "a code red for every public school student, parent, and teacher in this country."
"Trump is telling public school kids in America that their futures don’t matter. Billionaires like Trump and Musk won’t feel the difference when after school programs are slashed, class sizes go up, and help for families to pay for school gets cut," she said in a statement first to NBC News. "But working families, students, and teachers will pay a heavy price."
Trump is expected to sign an executive order later today attempting to close the Education Department. However, a department cannot be shut unilaterally; it would require congressional action.
McConnell says Trump's dismantling of Education Department will land in court before Congress
Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., the former Republican leader, dodged questions today about whether he would vote to shut down the Education Department should the measure reach Congress as Trump prepares to sign an executive order to dismantle, and eventually shutter, it this afternoon.
McConnell, responding to questions from a reporter at a news conference in Kentucky who pointed out that Trump cannot shut down the department without congressional approval, said “it’s a good idea to reduce government spending” but declined to elaborate on whether he supports dismantling the Education Department.
“The way to look at all of these reorganization efforts by the administration is what’s legal and what isn’t, and they’ll be defined in the courts,” McConnell said. “This is a different approach, and the courts will ultimately decide whether the president has the authority to take these various steps. Some may have different outcomes.”
He added that while he is “not a fan” of Trump’s aggressive tariffs on longtime U.S. trade partners — noting their negative impact on Kentucky’s key industries, like agriculture and bourbon — only skyrocketing prices, not legislative action, can stop the president.
“In terms of who has the authority to do it, the president has, unlike the earlier question on this, the president does have a lot of latitude. So there’s no particular legislative act that we could take to stop it,” McConnell said. "I think it’ll be determined by whether the prices start going up, which is what typically happens.”
Administration reiterates Trump will return education to the states
The Trump administration released a statement today on the president's plan for education ahead of his expected signing of an executive order aimed at dismantling the Education Department.
"Instead of maintaining the status quo that is failing American students, the Trump Administration’s bold plan will return education where it belongs — with individual states, which are best positioned to administer effective programs and services that benefit their own unique populations and needs," the administration said.
The press release did not explicitly mention the expected executive order.
"Instead of a bloated federal system that burdens schools with regulations and paperwork, the Trump Administration believes states should be empowered to expand educational freedom and opportunity for all families," it said. "Why would we keep doing the same thing over and over again and expect a different result?"
Trump cannot unilaterally shutter a department. Instead, closing a department would require an act of Congress.
Republican lawmaker booed during rowdy town hall after complaining crowd is ‘obsessed’ with the government
Reporting from LARAMIE, Wyo.
Republican Rep. Harriet Hageman faced a torrent of heckles and boos during a town hall in deep-red Wyoming as she repeatedly tried to downplay constituents’ concerns about the Trump administration’s actions.
Hundreds of people attended the town hall for the state's sole House member, jeering Hageman on issues including cuts to the federal government spearheaded by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency.
“It’s so bizarre to me how obsessed you are with federal government,” Hageman told attendees, prompting more outbursts from the crowd.
“You guys are going to have a heart attack if you don’t calm down,” she added. “I’m sorry, your hysteria is just really over the top.”
Government misses deadline to provide answers in Alien Enemies Act deportations case
Judge James Boasberg had ordered the government to provide, by noon today, "the information discussed in the Minute Order of March 18, 2025, or to invoke the state-secrets doctrine and explain the basis for such invocation.”
As of 1 p.m. ET, the government had not posted to the docket the information requested in five questions, nor had they posted to the docket invoking the state-secrets doctrine.
White House press secretary says loans and grants will remain at Education Department
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said today that “critical functions” of the Department of Education — specifically student loans and Pell grants — will remain under the department’s purview and will be “much smaller,” but stopped short of saying they will be eliminated.
This contradicts what Trump said earlier this month in the Oval Office when he suggested that student loans and federal grants would be moved to a different department.
"That would be brought into either Treasury or Small Business Administration or Commerce, and we've actually had that discussion today," Trump said to reporters then. "I don't think that Education should be handling the loans. That's not their business. I think it'll be brought into Small Business, maybe."
Leavitt on Thursday said, "The Department of Education will be much smaller than it is today. ... When it comes to student loans and Pell grants, those will still be run out of the Department of Education."
Her remarks come as Trump is set to sign an executive order later today that would aim to close the federal Department of Education, though formally eliminating the department would require an act of Congress.
NAACP president says Trump's attempt to dismantle the Education Department marks 'a dark day'
NAACP President Derrick Johnson criticized Trump's plans to try to dismantle the Department of Education, saying in a statement that Trump is "deliberately dismantling the basic functions of our democracy, one piece at a time."
"This is a dark day for the millions of American children who depend on federal funding for a quality education, including those in poor and rural communities with parents who voted for Trump," Johnson said ahead of Trump signing the executive order. "Don’t be fooled, Trump doesn’t have your back — he only cares about the billionaire class who will profit from the privatization of essential services, including education."
Trump does not have the power to unilaterally abolish a department. Congress would need to act.
American who was detained by Taliban is freed
American George Glezmann was freed Thursday from Afghanistan after being held for more than two years in Taliban captivity, Secretary of State Rubio said Thursday in a statement. The release was brokered by Qatar.
Glezmann, who was a Delta Airlines mechanic, has left Kabul and is now on his way to be reunited with his wife, Aleksandra, Rubio said. U.S. officials traveled to Kabul to bring Glezmann home, a U.S. official said.
Trump administration officials were engaged with representatives of the Taliban to secure Glezmann’s release, according to a U.S. official with direct knowledge of the discussions, but he was not freed as part of a larger prisoner exchange.
A spokesperson for Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs released photos on social media Thursday of Trump Senior Adviser Adam Boehler and former U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad meeting with the Taliban.
The Trump administration did not read out any of the meetings or offer further details on the discussions.
Earlier this year, two other Americans were released from Afghanistan, Ryan Corbett and William McKenty, in a deal struck during the final days of the Biden administration, in exchange for a member of the Taliban being held in U.S. custody.
The Trump administration continues to call for the release of Afghan-American businessman Mahmoud Habibi and for all Americans detained in Afghanistan to be set free.
“George’s release is a positive and constructive step,” Rubio said. “It is also a reminder that other Americans are still detained in Afghanistan.”
Former prosecutor says Article 3 of the Constitution is stronger than Trump's attacks on the judiciary
Norm Eisen, a prosecutor and the former special counsel to the House Judiciary Committee from 2019 to 2020 during Trump’s first impeachment case, said Article 3 of the Constitution will act as a safeguard for the judiciary amid the Trump administration’s mounting attacks on federal judges and institutions.
“You have Article Three, the judiciary, that is acting as a guardrail,” Eisen said during an interview on MSNBC this morning. “We’ve gotten court orders saying Trump can’t target 6,000 FBI agents who worked on January 6th, just this week, we got a court order saying Elon Musk and DOGE operated unconstitutionally when they tore down, or as he put it, put USAID through the wood chipper.”
Eisen pointed out that judges under the powers granted to them by Article 3 of the Constitution, which established the judiciary as a separate branch of government, are ruling against some of the Trump administration’s orders in cases across the country. He spoke shortly before the Justice Department was scheduled to respond to questions from Judge James Boasberg about deportation flights to Venezuela in a case that drew national attention after Trump called for Boasberg to be impeached.
“The good news is they’re losing in court, and I think Judge Boasberg, who I’ve known for three decades, since he was a young prosecutor, I was a young defense lawyer in D.C. Superior Court, Judge Boasberg is going to impose consequences, and he should,” Eisen said.
Musk donates to the campaigns of lawmakers who called for impeaching judges
Billionaire CEO Elon Musk, Trump’s right-hand adviser, made several maximum-allowable hard-dollar donations to members of Congress who have expressed support for impeaching judges who have ruled against or halted elements of Trump’s agenda, a source familiar with the donations confirmed to NBC News.
The news was first reported by The New York Times on Wednesday.
The members of Congress include Reps. Eli Crane, R-Ariz., Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis., Brandon Gill, R-Texas, and Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa.
Musk’s contributions, which he made Wednesday, were for $6,600 to each member’s campaign. They came after the president and his allies railed against a Saturday ruling from Judge James Boasberg, chief justice of the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C..
Boasberg ordered the Trump administration to return flights to El Salvador that were deporting alleged Venezuelan gang members and return them to the U.S. The administration did not do so.
Trump has called for Boasberg’s impeachment while Musk has called for 60 senators to form a block to convict him and other judges after articles of impeachment are passed. The Constitution requires 67 senators to reach a conviction after an impeachment trial.
Chinese students slam GOP bill that would ban them from U.S. schools
Several Chinese students slammed legislation introduced last week by Republican lawmakers that seeks to keep them out of American schools.
The bill, the Stop CCP VISAs Act, would halt the issuance of student visas to Chinese nationals looking to study at U.S. universities or take part in exchange programs.
The bill cites national security concerns, saying that those on student visas have in the past attempted to spy for the Chinese Communist Party. But the Chinese nationals who spoke to NBC News said that they came to the U.S. looking for more academic freedom, calling the legislation “the new Chinese Exclusion Act.”
“I think it’s just blatant racism and xenophobia,” said one Chinese student who recently graduated from a D.C.-area university and requested anonymity out of fear of retaliation. “We are not spies. We are students who want to get a better education.”
House education committee Democrat calls Trump's plan to dismantle the Education Department 'reckless' and 'illegal'
Rep. Bobby Scott, the top Democrat on the House Education and Workforce Committee, criticized Trump's plans to abolish the Department of Education, calling the move "reckless."
"I am adamantly opposed to this reckless action," said the Virginia Democrat. "I am also disappointed, although not surprised, that Secretary McMahon’s first order of business after her confirmation is capitulating to the President’s dangerous, and illegal demands."
Scott said he thinks Trump's expected executive order "will be used to distract Americans from the fact that Republicans are not working to address the real problems facing students and families: widening academic achievement gaps, school shootings, and the burden of student loans."
Trump is expected to sign an executive order aimed at abolishing the department later today. However, formally shuttering the department requires congressional action.
AOC and Bernie Sanders start town hall swing out West
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., will join Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., on his "Fighting Oligarchy" tour today for a series of town hall events.
The pair will hold their first town hall in Las Vegas before they head to Tempe, Arizona, for a second event later tonight. Tomorrow, they'll hold events in Colorado.
The high-profile progressives are holding the events as many congressional Republicans shy away from holding in-person gatherings with constituents amid backlash to the Trump administration's efforts to slash the federal government's workforce and budget alongside Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency.
Democrats have sought to fill the void by hosting events in Republican-leaning districts. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the Democratic vice presidential nominee last year, has held events in Iowa, Nebraska and Wisconsin as part of the effort.
Pentagon restores histories of Navajo Code Talkers and other Native veterans after public outcry
PHOENIX — The Pentagon restored some webpages highlighting the crucial wartime contributions of Navajo Code Talkers and other Native American veterans on Wednesday, days after tribes condemned the action.
The initial removal was part of a sweep of any military content that promoted diversity, equity and inclusion, or commonly referred to as DEI. Following Trump’s broader executive order ending the federal government’s DEI programs, the Defense Department deleted thousands of pages honoring contributions by women and minority groups. Department officials say the Navajo Code Talker material was erroneously erased.
Democrats are desperately searching for new leaders. AOC is stepping into the void.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., is stepping into the Democrats’ leadership void, picking up her powerful megaphone to channel the base’s anger — toward both President Donald Trump and her own party.
Some of the initial skepticism in the party around the progressive star when she first arrived in Washington six years ago has started to fade as she has established herself as a political player on Capitol Hill and demonstrated a unique knack for communicating with a younger generation.
Acting DOGE head pulls back the curtain on parts of the group's structure in a court filing
The acting administrator of the Department of Government Efficiency, Amy Gleason, shed some light on the agency's structure in an overnight court filing in a case brought by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington seeking the disclosure of its records.
DOGE has 79 employees who were directly appointed to it and 10 from other agencies, but no formal front office or organizational chart, Gleason said in the filing.
“Every member of an agency’s DOGE Team is an employee of the agency or a detailee to the agency,” Gleason wrote. “The DOGE Team members — whether employees of the agency or detailed to the agency — thus report to the agency heads or their designees, not to me or anyone else at USDS [U.S. Digital Service].”
Gleason said she reports to White House chief of staff Susie Wiles and noted that she does not report to tech billionaire Elon Musk, whom Trump put in charge of efforts to cut the government under DOGE, nor does Musk report to her.
Gleason said DOGE has an obligation to maintain records under the Presidential Records Act and will transfer records to the National Archives and Records Administration “at the appropriate time.”
Immigration authorities detain Georgetown University graduate student
Federal immigration authorities have detained a Georgetown University graduate student from India who was teaching at the Washington, D.C., institution on a student visa, his attorney said last night.
Masked agents arrested the graduate student, Badar Khan Suri, outside his home in Arlington, Virginia, on Monday night, attorney Hassan Ahmad said.
The agents identified themselves as being with the Department of Homeland Security and told him the government had revoked his visa, Ahmad said.
New DOGE leadership of USAID outlines priorities to remaining staff
The new Department of Government Efficiency leadership of the U.S. Agency for International Development sent a letter to the remaining staff last night about their plan to “lead USAID through a responsible, safe, and cost-efficient process to transfer USAID operations to the State Department.”
About 83% of foreign aid programs have been cut, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said earlier this month. The approximately 1,000 remaining programs will be transferred to the State Department, the USAID email said.
"Our remaining programs exemplify the promise of responsible American foreign assistance: they invest in partners, deliver real and measurable impact for people in need, and further the foreign policy objectives of the country and President," the email said.
DOGE senior official Jeremy Lewinsky and Ken Jackson, who were made deputy administrators this week, committed in the email “to ensure the safety, dignity, and productivity of USAID personnel during this transition period,” adding that they “aim to share additional details soon on what this process will mean for USAID personnel.”
Inside Vance’s unfiltered ‘err on the side of openness’ social media presence
Former Vice President Al Gore championed the development of the internet so enthusiastically that one of the first myths of the online era was that he claimed to have invented it.
It was in those early days of the world wide web that one of Gore’s successors came of age. JD Vance grew up with chat rooms and email and instant messaging. He graduated into young adulthood at the dawn of blogging. He entered politics with a millennial’s fluency in social media.
Now, at 40, he is the nation’s third-youngest vice president — and, nearly a quarter-century after Gore left office, the nation’s first very online vice president. It’s a pioneering distinction that reflects the serious time and thought, as well as the debate-me vibes, that Vance puts into his interactions with othe
Trump to sign executive order aimed at eliminating the Education Department
Trump is expected to sign an executive order this afternoon to dismantle the Education Department, the White House confirmed.
Trump will participate in an event at the White House at 4 p.m. ET and sign an order directing Education Secretary Linda McMahon to “take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure the Department of Education and return education authority to the States, while continuing to ensure the effective and uninterrupted delivery of services, programs, and benefits on which Americans rely.”
Only Congress can formally close the department, but Trump can move to make it nearly impossible for employees to carry out their work, continue hollowing out the size of the agency or significantly reduce spending, as it has done with the U.S. Agency for International Development and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.