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The House passed a Republican bill requiring documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections, despite noncitizen voting already being illegal and extremely rare. The vote was 220-208, with four Democrats joining all Republicans. The SAVE Act would force voters to show a passport, birth certificate, or naturalization papers in person. Critics warned it would block access for millions, including an estimated 69 million women who changed their names after marriage or divorce and may not have matching documents – requiring marriage certificates or court orders to register. Rural and low-income voters without easy access to government offices could also be shut out. The bill now heads to the Senate, where it’s unlikely to clear the 60-vote filibuster threshold. Republicans would need at least seven Democrats to join them – an unlikely outcome given unified Democratic opposition and warnings the bill “would disenfranchise millions.” (
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Trump ordered federal investigations into two former officials who contradicted his false claims about the 2020 election. The executive orders direct the Justice Department to investigate Chris Krebs, former cybersecurity chief, and Miles Taylor, a former Homeland Security official. Both had publicly disputed Trump’s repeated and false assertions that the election was rigged. Krebs, who led the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, was fired after calling the 2020 election “the most secure in American history.” Trump accused Krebs of “weaponizing and abusing” government authority, calling him “a disgrace.” Taylor, who anonymously wrote a 2018 New York Times op-ed describing internal resistance to Trump, was labeled “treasonous” by Trump. “I said this would happen,” Taylor wrote on social media. “Dissent isn’t unlawful.” (
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- A judge ruled that Newsmax defamed Dominion by airing false 2020 election claims. Judge Eric Davis said Dominion presented “clear and convincing evidence” that Newsmax spread lies likely to damage its reputation and later acknowledged the falsity. The ruling clears the case for trial later this month, where a jury will decide whether Newsmax acted with “actual malice” and how much in damages Dominion may be owed. Dominion is seeking more than $1 billion. (NPR / CNN / CNBC)
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The House passed the Republican budget plan following a conservative standoff that fell apart under pressure from Trump. The vote fast-track the $4 trillion in tax cuts and at least $1.5 trillion in spending reductions, mostly targeting Medicaid, SNAP, and other safety-net programs. The conservatives dropped their opposition without securing changes, instead relying instead on a vague promise from Senate Republicans to pursue deeper cuts. Democrats, meanwhile, warned the plan prioritizes tax breaks for the wealthy and puts vital services at risk. (
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Trump acknowledged his tariff policies could cause “transition problems” as markets reversed course and recession fears deepened. “There’ll be a transition cost and transition problems,” Trump said, hours after U.S. stocks gave up most of Wednesday’s historic rally. The Dow fell over 1,000 points as the White House confirmed tariffs on Chinese imports had climbed to an effective rate of 145%. Trump, nevertheless, brushed off the selloff, claiming “we’re in very good shape” and insisting the tariffs are making the U.S. “a very strong country.” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, meanwhile, dismissed the losses, saying: “Up two, down one is not a bad ratio.” (
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- Dept of Editorials and Analysis.
- Why Trump Blinked on Tariffs Just Hours After They Went Into Effect. “Treasury secretary helped persuade president to take time to negotiate with trading partners.” (Wall Street Journal)
- From ‘Be Cool!’ to ‘Getting Yippy’: Inside Trump’s Reversal on Tariffs. “Economic turmoil, particularly a rapid rise in government bond yields, caused President Trump to reverse course on the steep levies.” (New York Times)
- The 18 hours that changed Trump’s mind on trade. “From Tuesday evening to Wednesday afternoon, Trump and his trade advisers spoke to several Republican lawmakers and top foreign leaders who raised concerns about the faltering global markets.” (Washington Post)
- We Just Saw the Cracks in Trump’s Wall of Power. “The past week undermined the narrative that has surrounded the president — that he is a political juggernaut able to run roughshod over his party and beyond.” (Politico)
- Trump Is Stupid, Erratic and Weak. “The disaster of Trumponomics continues.” (Paul Krugman)
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Two Democratic senators called for a federal investigation into possible insider trading after Trump urged investors to “buy” hours before announcing a major tariff rollback that sent markets soaring. Sen. Adam Schiff and Sen. Ruben Gallego said the timeline “raises grave legal and ethics concerns,” pointing to Trump’s early-morning post – “THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO BUY!!! DJT” – and his surprise tariff announcement hours later. The S&P 500 jumped 9.5% and Tesla, led by Trump adviser Elon Musk, surged 18% after the announcement. “Did anyone buy or sell stocks, and profit at the public’s expense?” Schiff asked. Sen. Chris Murphy warned, “An insider trading scandal is brewing.” (
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The midterm elections are in 572 days.
Notables.
- The Trump administration cut funding and staff for the federal program that produces the National Climate Assessment, a report mandated by Congress to track climate impacts across the U.S. NASA canceled key contracts with consulting firm ICF, which supplied much of the program’s technical support. “It’s hard to see how they’re going to put out a National Climate Assessment now,” Donald Wuebbles said, a former lead author. (New York Times)
- Trump’s pick to lead the Bureau of Land Management abruptly withdrew her nomination hours before her Senate confirmation hearing. The decision followed the resurfacing of a 2021 letter where Kathleen Sgamma said she was “disgusted” by Trump’s role in spreading misinformation about the Jan. 6 Capitol attack. Sgamma, a longtime oil and gas lobbyist, had been expected to push for expanded drilling and mining on federal lands. (The Hill / Washington Post / Axios)
- Trump signed an executive order to make showers great again, directing the Energy Department to repeal water-efficiency rules limiting showerhead flow. “You have to stand under the shower for 15 minutes until it gets wet,” Trump said at the signing. The rule, reinstated under Biden, capped flow at 2.5 gallons per minute per fixture – standards that most current products already meet. (Washington Post / Axios / USA Today / E&E News)
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