Today in one sentence: Trump is preparing an executive order directing Education Secretary Linda McMahon to take steps toward closing the Department of Education; House Republicans can’t meet their own goal of eliminating $1.5 trillion in federal spending over the next decade without cutting Medicaid or Medicare benefits; two days after imposing them, Trump temporarily suspended his tariffs on Canadian and Mexican goods covered by the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement; Trump told his Cabinet that agency heads – not Elon Musk – should decide staffing and policy; U.S. layoffs hit a five-year high in February; 49% of Americans believe the country is on the wrong track; and 10% of voters believe Democrats have a solid plan to counter Trump.

1/ Trump is preparing an executive order directing Education Secretary Linda McMahon to take steps toward closing the Department of Education. The draft order says that McMahon must “take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure” while staying within legal limits. Fully dissolving the department, however, would require congressional approval, which is unlikely given the 60-vote threshold in the Senate. The department, created in 1979, administers key federal education programs, including student loans and funding for low-income schools. The White House has not confirmed when Trump will sign the order. (Wall Street Journal / Washington Post / New York Times / Associated Press / NPR / CNN / ABC News)

2/ House Republicans can’t meet their own goal of eliminating $1.5 trillion in federal spending over the next decade without cutting Medicaid or Medicare benefits, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office reported. The House Republican budget requires $880 billion in cuts from the Energy and Commerce Committee, which primarily oversees Medicaid, making it impossible to meet the target without reducing the program. Nevertheless, Speaker Mike Johnson insisted savings could come from reducing fraud and imposing work requirements despite the CBO’s analysis contradicting that claim. Trump has repeatedly promised not to cut social safety net programs, but Republicans can’t fund his tax cuts and immigration agenda without doing so. Democrats warned the plan would lead to “the largest Medicaid cuts in American history.” (Washington Post / CBS News / The Guardian / NBC News / The Hill)

3/ Two days after imposing them, Trump temporarily suspended his tariffs on Canadian and Mexican goods covered by the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement. Despite the pause, many goods - especially from Canada - will still face tariffs, and Trump has signaled more trade measures ahead. Stock markets fell sharply amid uncertainty over U.S. trade policy, with the S&P 500 dropping nearly 2%. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, meanwhile, defended Trump’s tariff policy, arguing that “Access to cheap goods is not the essence of the American dream.” (New York Times / Washington Post / Axios / Politico / NPR / Bloomberg / Wall Street Journal / CNBC / CNN / NBC News / ABC News)

4/ Trump told his Cabinet that agency heads – not Elon Musk – should decide staffing and policy. According to Trump’s new guidance, Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency should play an advisory role. Trump insisted he wants to keep “good people” in government but warned that Musk would step in if agency heads failed to make sufficient cuts. Republican lawmakers, meanwhile, urged Musk to work through Congress to formalize his spending reductions and improve communication, citing backlash from constituents. (Politico / Bloomberg / CNN / Wall Street Journal / Washington Post / Associated Press)

5/ U.S. layoffs hit a five-year high in February, with 172,017 cuts. More than one-third of the cuts came from the federal government, where Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency eliminated 62,242 jobs across 17 agencies. Retail and tech sectors also saw job losses, with nearly 39,000 and 14,554 cuts, respectively. (CNBC / The Hill / CBS News / CNN)

poll/ 49% of Americans believe the country is on the wrong track, with the cost of living (60%) and the economy (51%) as top concerns. While 59% support downsizing the federal government, fewer back the mass layoffs (40%) or closing of agencies like USAID (42%). On foreign policy, 57% approve of Ukraine using U.S.-supplied arms against Russia, and 70% blame Russia for starting the war. (Reuters/Ipsos)

poll/ 10% of voters believe Democrats have a solid plan to counter Trump. 40% say the party has no strategy at all. (Politico)

The midterm elections are in 607 days.

Last year today: Day 1142: "Earn the votes."
Two years ago today: Day 776: "I am your retribution."
Five years ago today: Day 1142: "Contained."
Six years ago today: Day 776: Unusual.
Seven years ago today: Day 411: There is no chaos.
Eight years ago today: Day 46: Revised.