Elect a Clown, Expect the Circus

"National Security Advisor Mike Waltz’s team “regularly” used “at least 20” Signal chats to coordinate official work on issues including Ukraine, China, Gaza, the Middle East, Africa, and Europe, according to sources included in the chats. Sensitive information was discussed in the chats, the sources added. Dasha Burns reports for POLITICO.

Trump yesterday announced he plans to nominate Stanley Woodward to be Associate Attorney General, the third-highest DOJ position. Woodward previously represented Trump’s co-defendant and personal aide Walt Nauta in the classified documents case. Perry Stein reports for the Washington Post.

At least seven federal agencies, including the Defense Department, Transportation Department, and the General Services Administration, are giving thousands of federal workers another chance to take up a deferred resignation offer, according to agency notices. Sophia Cai and Jake Traylor report for POLITICO.

Law firm Milbank will provide $100 million in pro bono legal services to causes supported by the Trump administration and not engage in “illegal D.E.I. discrimination,” Trump announced in a social media post yesterday. Milbank is the third big law firm to strike a deal with Trump to stave off an executive order that could impair its business. Matthew Goldstein reports for the New York Times.

The Homeland Security Department has cancelled federal grant programs for groups helping legal immigrants become U.S. citizens, the groups say. According to a senior DHS official, the decision was a response to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s directive to restrict funding to sanctuary cities. Tobi Raji reports for the Washington Post.

DOGE has asked the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to cut $2.9 billion of its spending on contracts alongside the CDC’s extensive reductions in staff, sources say. Apoorva Mandavilli reports for the New York Times."

"The Justice Department has placed an attorney who admitted in court a Maryland man “should not have been sent” to El Salvador by the government on administrative leave, Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed on Saturday. According to Bondi, the attorney was placed on leave as “every [DOJ] attorney is required to zealously advocate on behalf of the United States.” Evan Perez, Paula Reid, and Katie Bo Lillis report for CNN.

DOGE is expected to take aim at the DHS in the coming days, seeking staffing cuts to agencies including the U.S. Secret Service, sources say. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is expected to be decimated, one of the sources added. Betsy Klein, Jamie Gangel, and Josh Campbell report for CNN.

DOGE representatives have arrived at the Peace Corps headquarters, the agency said on Saturday, without specifying what work DOGE is undertaking. Tara Prindiville and Nnamdi Egwuonwu report for NBC News.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-based health agency that aims to protect workers, is losing about 85% of its staff members, according to estimates from a union and affected employees. Mike Stobbe reports for AP News.

The Internal Revenue Service is looking to cut up to 25% of its workforce, with cuts beginning with its Office of Civil Rights and Compliance, sources say. Fatima Hussein reports for AP News.

Interim U.S. Attorney for D.C. Ed Martin, on Friday told staff he is expanding an investigation into the DOJ’s decision to level felony obstruction charges against Jan. 6 rioters, according to an internal email reviewed by POLITICO. Kyle Cheney reports."

"The Trump administration has fired Vice Adm. Shoshana Chatfield, the U.S. military representative to the NATO Military Committee in Brussels, sources said yesterday. It is unclear if any official reason was given for her dismissal. Chatfield will be replaced by Brig. Gen. Sean Flynn, an Army National Guard officer who had been her deputy, a source added. Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali, and Lili Bayer report for Reuters; Dan Lamothe, Ellen Francis, and Missy Ryan report for the Washington Post.

Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth yesterday pledged a $1 trillion defense budget proposal, a sum that would amount to the highest Pentagon budget in history. Separately, a request for proposals posted online last week suggests the Trump administration may be seeking to spend as much as $45 billion on setting up the machinery to expand the U.S. immigrant detention capacity in the next two years. Paul McLeary, Joe Gould, and Connor O’Brien report for POLITICO; Allison McCann, Alexandra Berzon, and Hamed Aleaziz report for the New York Times.

The CIA is reviewing its authorities for using lethal force against drug cartels in Mexico to understand what kinds of activities it could legally undertake and what the potential risks would be across various options, according to a U.S. official and other sources. Katie Bo Lillis, Natasha Bertrand, and Zachary Cohen report for CNN.

The Homeland Security Department yesterday confirmed speculation about an incoming staff overhaul by informing employees of an impending workforce reduction across its agencies, according to an email seen by POLITICO. Thomas Frank reports.

The Trump administration may fine migrants under deportation orders up to $998 a day if they fail to leave the United States and seize their property if they do not pay under plans set out in documents reviewed by Reuters. Ted Hesson and Kristina Cooke report.

The Trump administration is expected to roll back a range of Biden-era gun control measures, including a policy that strips the federal licenses of gun dealers who repeatedly violate federal laws and regulations, sources say. Glenn Thrush reports for the New York Times.

One of Trump’s advisers suggested to the Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft law firm that it signs a deal to provide pro bono legal services to causes favored by the Trump administration, an indication the firm may be the next target of a Trump executive order if it refuses, sources say. Maggie Haberman, Ben Protess, and Michael S. Schmidt report for the New York Times.

The Justice Department was preparing to send U.S. marshals to the home of Elizabeth Oyer, a former DOJ pardon attorney to deliver a letter invoking executive privilege to dissuade her from testifying about being allegedly fired for opposing a recommendation that actor Mel Gibson’s gun rights be restored, Oyer’s attorney said. Oyer testified before lawmakers yesterday. Rebecca Beitsch reports for the Hill; Devlin Barrett reports for the New York Times."

"Trump yesterday signed executive orders ordering the Justice Department to investigate Christopher Krebs, a senior cybersecurity official who oversaw the securing of the 2020 presidential election, and Miles Taylor, the former Homeland Security Department chief of staff who anonymously wrote a high-profile op-ed for the New York Times in 2018. The President also imposedsanctions on the Susman Godfrey law firm, which represented a manufacturer of voting machines that successfully sued Fox News for misinformation involving the 2020 election. Chris Cameron reports for the New York Times.

Army Secretary Dan Driscoll has replaced FBI Director Kash Patel as Acting Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), sources confirm, the first time a Pentagon official has led the law enforcement agency. Jack Detsch and Paul McLeary report for POLITICO.

The Justice Department yesterday barred employees who work in policy-related positions from holding positions or renewing their memberships at the American Bar Association, attending ABA’s events in an official capacity, or writing in “ABA-sponsored media.” Devlin Barrett reports for the New York Times.

The Government Accountability Office is auditing DOGE’s handling of data at several Cabinet-level agencies, as well as the US DOGE Service (USDS) itself, according to documents reviewed by WIRED and sources. The audit is expected to conclude by the end of spring, with Congressional sources indicating the resulting report will be made public. Leah Feiger and Tim Marchman report. 

The Trump administration has cut funding and staffing at a program that oversees the National Climate Assessment, the federal government’s main report on how global warming is affecting the country, sources say. Zack Colman reports for POLITICO.

The Senior Advisor for the U.S. Agency for Global Media tapped to lead the Voice of America, Kari Lake, is set to be detailed to the State Department,sources say. The move could prevent Lake from becoming the director of VOA. Sarah Ellison and Yvonne Wingett Sanchez reports for the Washington Post.

U.S. intelligence agencies are investigating whether the FBI was involved in planning the 2021 Capitol riot, the chief of staff to Director of National Intelligence, Joseph Kent, said yesterday during a Senate intelligence committee hearing on his nomination to head the National Counterterrorism Center. Jonathan Landay reports for Reuters.

Trump yesterday ordered DOGE to investigate Navy and Coast Guard shipbuilding with an objective of “improv[ing its] efficiency and effectiveness”alongside 45-day reviews of the shipbuilding efforts to be carried out by the Navy and Coast Guard. Paul McLeary reports for POLITICO.

The White House will not engage with reporters who list their personal pronouns in their signatures, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said yesterday. It is unclear whether a formal policy on the issue had been implemented. Separately, the Air Force has recently reversed its ban on the use of pronouns in official communications after assessing it violated a provision in the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act. Gaya Gupta reports for the Washington Post; Tobi Raji reports for the Washington Post."

"Trump yesterday indicated he would be open to sending U.S. citizens who are “violent criminals” to El Salvador prisons, adding that Attorney General Pam Bondi is “studying” the laws to determine whether the move would be lawful. Legal experts say that if implemented, the move would be illegal. Brett Samuels reports for the Hill.

Government officials yesterday announced they would freeze $2.2 billion in multiyear federal grants to Harvard University, along with a $60 million contract, after Harvard said it would not comply with the Trump administration’s demands and described them as going “beyond [the administration’s] lawful authority.” Vimal Patel reports for the New York Times.

The Internal Revenue Service’s Chief Information Officer, Rajiv Uppal, yesterday told his staff he would resign effective later this month, according to an email seen by Reuters. Earlier this month, the acting IRS head, as well as the chief risk, privacy, and financial officers have likewise announced their resignations. Nathan Layne and Tim Reid report.

The Department of Commerce yesterday confirmed it has openedinvestigations into the effects of importing certain pharmaceuticals and semiconductors on national security, in a likely prelude to initiating tariffs on prescription drugs and electronic chips. Nathaniel Weixel reports for the Hill.

The area of land Trump is turning over to the U.S. military would be controlled as part of a military base, according to U.S. officials. The move likely represents an attempt by the Trump administration to get around a federal law that prohibits U.S. troops from being used in domestic law enforcement. Tara Copp and Lolita C. Baldor report for AP News."

"The Internal Revenue Service is weighing whether to revoke Harvard’s tax-exempt status, sources say. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has also canceled more than $2.7 million in DHS grants to the university and threatened to strip its ability to enroll international students if the school does not turn over records on international students' “illegal and violent activities,” the DHS saidyesterday. Evan Perez, Alayna Treene, and Marshall Cohen report for CNN; Tara Suter reports for the Hill; Taylor Romine, Nouran Salahieh, and Hanna Park report for CNN.

The Pentagon yesterday put Colin Carroll, chief of staff to Deputy Defense Secretary Stephen Feinberg, on administrative leave over a wide-ranging investigation into leaks, according to sources. Carroll is the third top Pentagon official to have been suspended in the probe. Daniel Lippman and Jack Detsch report for POLITICO.

Former top Pentagon spokesperson John Ullyot yesterday announced he would resign from the Defense Department at the end of the week, saying that he was “not interested in being number two to anyone in public affairs.” Daniel Lippman and Jack Detsch report for POLITICO.

Trump yesterday fired Tanya Otsuka and Todd Harper, the two Democrats on the three-member board of the National Credit Union Administration, which regulates U.S. credit unions. Emily Peck reports for Axios.

Trump yesterday announced he appointed Jay Clayton to be the interim U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York. Clayton served as chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission during Trump’s first term. Benjamin Weiser and Santul Nerkar report for the New York Times.

The Trump administration is formulating plans to cut roughly a third of the federal health budget, in a move that would eliminate dozens of programs and significantly whittle down health agencies, according to internal documents reviewed by CNN. Sarah Owermohle and Meg Tirrell report."

"A Trump administration official last month asked the Internal Revenue Service to investigate Mike Lindell’s concerns that he has been inappropriately targeted for a tax audit, according to sources and a letter viewed by the New York Times. Lindell, who the Treasury official described as a “high-profile friend of the President,” is a leading denier of the 2020 presidential election results. IRS officials referred the letter to the agency’s inspector general, the sources add. Andrew Duehren reports.

The Trump administration terminated 1,400 Consumer Financial Protection Bureau workers yesterday out of a total of 1,700, sources say. In a Wednesday staff memo, the CFPB chief legal officer indicated the agency will also deprioritise medical debt, student loans, consumer data, and digital payments supervision and focus on “tangible harm to consumers.” Makena Kelly reports for WIRED.

AmeriCorps, the independent federal agency that organizes community service work, has placed almost all of its staff on administrative leave at the direction of DOGE, sources say. Aishvarya Kavi reports for the New York Times.

Elon Musk's SpaceX and its partners Palantir and Anduril are the frontrunners to win a crucial part of Trump’s “Golden Dome” missile defense shield, sources say. The decision process for the project is in its early stages, other sources cautioned. Mike Stone and Marisa Taylor report for Reuters.

Trump yesterday ramped up his threats to scrutinize the tax-exempt status of groups and colleges he disagrees with, telling reporters the administration is “looking at” Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a nonprofit that has investigated Trump and challenged his executive actions in court. Benjamin Guggenheim reports for POLITICO."

"The White House has begun the process of looking for a new Defense Secretary to replace Pete Hegseth, NPR cites a U.S. official as saying. Striking a different note, Trump yesterday said that he has full confidence in Hegseth and considers concerns over the Defense Secretary’s decision to share military attack plans in a Signal group chat to be “a waste of time.” Tom Bowman and Quil Lawrence report; Jonathan Swan, Aishvarya Kavi, and Michael Gold report for the New York Times.

The Office of Special Counsel will drop its inquiry into more than 2,000 complaints related to the Trump administration’s mass firings of federal workers, according to notices reviewed by the New York Times. The independent agency justified its decision in part by saying it concluded that the workers were not fired for individual cause, a justification that federal employment law experts described as “baffling.” Emily Peck reports for Axios; Eileen Sullivan reports.

The Trump administration yesterday demanded the resignation of Maria-Elena Giner, the top federal official at the International Boundary and Water Commission overseeing a U.S.-Mexico dispute over untreated sewage. Giner said that White House officials did not give a reason for their decision, and asked her to resign by the end of the day or be fired. A White House official said Chad McIntosh, the acting Deputy EPA Administrator, has been appointed to lead the Commission. Maxine Joselow and Joshua Partlow report for the Washington Post.

The Education Department yesterday announced it would restart collecting federal student loans in default on May 5, ending a pandemic-era pause on collecting debts by garnishing federal and state payments, such as tax returns or social security benefits. Piper Hudspeth Blackburn reports for CNN.

The Trump administration is directing the Environmental Protection Agency staff to cancel tens of millions of dollars in grants to scientists studying health issues, including environmental hazards faced by children in rural United States, according to internal emails seen by the New York Times. Hiroko Tabuchi reports.

Dan Caldwell, a former senior Pentagon adviser fired with several other DOD officials amid a leak probe, yesterday claimed he was fired for “advancing things that a lot of people in the foreign policy establishment didn’t want” and insisted he never leaked any information. Jack Detsch and Gregory Svirnovskiy report for POLITICO.

“It’s been a month of total chaos at the Pentagon” and “it’s hard to see Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth remaining in his role for much longer,” former chief Pentagon spokesman John Ullyot wrote in a Sunday POLITICO opinion piece. According to AP News sources, Ullyout was asked to resign from the Defense Department last week. Tara Copp reports."

"Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had the unclassified Signal messaging app installed on a desktop computer in his Pentagon office so that he could send and receive instant messages in a space where personal cellphones are not permitted, sources say. It is unclear how widely the app’s use proliferated across the Pentagon or whether its use complied with federal records laws, the sources added. Dan Lamothe reports for the Washington Post.

Trump yesterday signed seven executive orders that included a directive to “repeal or amend” Title VI regulations, a civil rights enforcement tool used to identify and fight measures with discriminatory effects, and an order to overhaul the college accreditation system. Danielle Douglas-Gabriel, Susan Svrluga, and Laura Meckler report for the Washington Post.

The Trump administration’s approach to terminating Biden-era climate funds is “believed to have significant legal vulnerabilities,” a veteran career attorney warned the Environmental Protection Agency staff in an internal email days before EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin terminated the grants last month, according to emails obtained by POLITICO. Alex Guillén reports. 

Attorney General Pam Bondi on Tuesday directed the Justice Department employees to enforce the Trump administration’s policies restricting gender-affirming care for minors, according to a copy of Bondi’s memo reviewed by CNN. Casey Gannon and Evan Perez report.

About 20% of Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) permanent workers are expected to take a voluntary buyout offered as a DOGE staff reduction effort, sources say. According to a FEMA official, several senior leaders are expected to leave the agency as part of the buyout. Gabe Cohen reports for CNN."

"Trump administration officials are considering allowing some Afghan refugees to stay in the United States after Customs and Border Protection recently revoked humanitarian parole for a group of vulnerable Afghans, sources say. Prominent Christian leaders and nonprofits are lobbying to protect what they say are hundreds of at-risk Christian Afghan refugees from potential persecution under Taliban rule. The effort is unlikely to aid Muslim Afghans, including those who supported U.S. forces. Jake Traylor and Myah Ward report for POLITICO.

Justice Department officials are exploring ways to clear homeless encampments and expand the involuntary hospitalization of people with mental illnesses, signaling the Trump administration’s push to more aggressively remove homeless individuals from public spaces, according to an email viewed by The Washington Post sent on Thursday by employees in the Office of Justice programs. Perry Stein and Tom Jackman report.

Law enforcement authorities yesterday arrested a second individual in connection to the theft of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s purse, sources say. The Attorney for the District of Columbia, Ed Martin, said both suspects were in the country illegally, adding, “there is no indication” Noem was targeted because she was the Department of Homeland Security chief. Laura Stickler, Jonathan Dienst, Ted Oberg, and Rebecca Cohen report for NBC News."